JP7157671B2 - Vehicle control device and vehicle - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device and a vehicle.

In Patent Document 1, it is an object to provide an automatic driving control device that can suppress switching from automatic driving to manual driving when the driver feels uneasy, and can further improve the convenience of automatic driving control. and

In order to solve the problem, the automatic driving control device according to Patent Document 1 includes a detection unit that detects the operation performed by the driver, and the driver's operation detected by the detection unit during automatic driving. satisfies the first operating condition that the driver feels anxious about automated driving, or satisfies the second operating condition that the driver feels more anxious about automated driving than the first operating condition. and if the determination unit determines that the driver's operation satisfies the first operating condition, the driver is notified of the control plan for automatic driving, and the determination unit determines whether the driver's operation meets the first operation condition. If it is determined that the operating condition 2 is satisfied, the notification unit proposes to the driver to switch from automatic driving to manual driving.

JP 2016-215793 A

However, the technique described in Patent Literature 1 has a configuration that considers only the driver, and has a problem that it is difficult to deal with a plurality of passengers. In other words, it is necessary to deal with not only the driver but also all the passengers, and there are problems in grasping the driver's and passengers' anxiety about the vehicle operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device and a vehicle capable of realizing the following (1) and (2).
(1) It is possible to respond not only to the driver but also to all passengers, and when it predicts and detects the anxiety of the driver and passengers about the vehicle operation during automatic driving, it is possible to change the automatic driving control. convenience and product value can be improved.
(2) It is possible to better understand the feeling of anxiety about vehicle operation by detecting the upper body of the driver or passenger who tends to stagger with a fixing structure that can be fixed.

A vehicle control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a vehicle control device for automatically running a vehicle, and is capable of detecting an occupant's gripping motion on a fixed structure fixed above the occupant's seat surface in the vehicle. A detection device is provided to change control over the vehicle when the gripping motion is performed and the vehicle is in a specific running state.

A vehicle according to still another aspect of the present invention has the vehicle control device as described above.

According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle control device and a vehicle capable of realizing the following (1) and (2).
(1) It is possible to respond not only to the driver but also to all passengers, and when it predicts and detects the anxiety of the driver and passengers about the vehicle operation during automatic driving, it is possible to change the automatic driving control. convenience and product value can be improved.
(2) It is possible to better understand the feeling of anxiety about vehicle operation by detecting the upper body of the driver or passenger who tends to stagger with a fixing structure that can be fixed.

2 is a plan view schematically showing the interior of the vehicle according to the embodiment; FIG. It is a side view showing typically the inside of the vehicle by this embodiment. 1 is a block diagram showing a vehicle control device according to this embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4A is Table 1 showing the breakdown of control change items and change duration time for each specific scene, and FIG. 4C is Table 3 showing the priority of the boarding position when accelerating or decelerating the preceding vehicle. It is a flow chart which shows an example of the 1st processing operation of the vehicle control device by this embodiment. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of a second processing operation of the vehicle control device according to the present embodiment; 8 is a flow chart showing an example of a third processing operation of the vehicle control device according to the present embodiment; It is a flow chart which shows an example of the 4th processing operation of the vehicle control device by this embodiment.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Preferred embodiments of a vehicle control device and a vehicle according to the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

A vehicle control device 10 and a vehicle 12 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, as shown in FIG. 1, a vehicle (self-vehicle) 12 is fixed with various fixing structures. Fixed structures include, for example, four grab rails 14, four door grips 16, door armrests 18, four seat belts 20, two seat grips 22, two headrests 24, four seats 26, and the like. have Although the seat belt 20 has a flexible belt, it is fixed to the seat frame by a retractor and a buckle (not shown), so it is one of fixed structures. Also, as shown in FIG. 2, the grab rail 14, the door grip 16, the door armrest 18, the seat grip 22, the headrest 24, etc. are fixed above the passenger's seat surface.

As shown in FIG. 3, the grab rail 14, the door grip 16, the door armrest 18, the seat belt 20, the seat grip 22, the headrest 24, etc. are provided with a first sensor 30a and a second sensor 30a for detecting gripping or contact by the occupant, respectively. A sensor 30b, a third sensor 30c, a fourth sensor 30d, a fifth sensor 30e, a sixth sensor 30f, etc. are provided, and the seat 26 is provided with a seventh sensor 30g for detecting the seating of the occupant and a leaning against the backrest. An eighth sensor 30h and the like are provided. Similarly, the various sensors described above include a sensor that detects pressure (such as a sheet-shaped pressure sensor), a sensor that detects load, a sensor that detects perspiration, and the like.

Further, an in-vehicle camera (in-vehicle monitoring camera, etc.), an electromagnetic wave sensor, or the like, which captures the expression of the passenger, may be provided in the vehicle.

Further, the vehicle 12 is further provided with an external sensor 40, a vehicle body behavior sensor 42, a vehicle operation sensor 44, a communication section 46, and an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 48, as shown in FIG. there is The vehicle 12 further includes a driving device 50 , a braking device 52 , a steering device 54 , a navigation device 56 and a positioning unit 58 . The vehicle 12 is also equipped with components other than these components, but the description thereof is omitted here.

The external sensor 40 acquires external world information, that is, information around the vehicle 12 . The external sensor 40 includes a plurality of cameras (not shown) and a plurality of radars. The external sensor 40 further includes a plurality of LiDARs (Light Detection And Ranging, Laser Imaging Detection And Ranging) (not shown).

Information acquired by the camera, that is, camera information is supplied from the camera to the vehicle control device 10 . The camera information includes imaging information and the like. Camera information, together with radar information and LiDAR information, constitutes external world information.

The radar emits transmission waves toward the outside of the vehicle 12 and receives reflected waves of the emitted transmission waves that are reflected back by detected objects. Examples of transmission waves include electromagnetic waves. Examples of electromagnetic waves include millimeter waves. Examples of detected objects include other vehicles including preceding vehicles. The radar generates radar information (reflected wave signal) based on reflected waves and the like. The radar supplies the generated radar information to the vehicle control device 10 . Radar is not limited to millimeter wave radar. For example, a laser radar, an ultrasonic sensor, or the like may be used as the radar.

LiDAR continuously emits a laser in all directions of the vehicle 12, measures the three-dimensional position of the reflection point based on the reflected wave of the emitted laser, and outputs information on the three-dimensional position, that is, three-dimensional information. do. LiDAR supplies the three-dimensional information, that is, LiDAR information, to vehicle control device 10 .

The vehicle body behavior sensor 42 acquires information regarding the behavior of the vehicle 12, that is, vehicle body behavior information. The vehicle body behavior sensor 42 includes a vehicle speed sensor (not shown), a wheel speed sensor (not shown), an acceleration sensor (not shown), and a yaw rate sensor (not shown). A vehicle speed sensor detects the speed of the vehicle 12, that is, the vehicle speed. Also, the vehicle speed sensor further detects the traveling direction of the vehicle 12 . A wheel speed sensor detects the speed of a wheel (not shown), that is, the wheel speed. The acceleration sensor detects acceleration of the vehicle 12 . Acceleration includes longitudinal acceleration, lateral acceleration, and vertical acceleration. Acceleration in only some directions may be detected by the acceleration sensor. A yaw rate sensor detects the yaw rate of the vehicle 12 .

The vehicle operation sensor 44 acquires information on the driving operation by the user (driver), that is, the driving operation information. The vehicle operation sensor 44 includes an accelerator pedal sensor (not shown), a brake pedal sensor (not shown), a steering angle sensor (not shown), and a steering torque sensor (not shown). The accelerator pedal sensor detects the amount of operation of an accelerator pedal (not shown). The brake pedal sensor detects the amount of operation of a brake pedal (not shown). A steering angle sensor detects a steering angle of a steering wheel (not shown). The steering torque sensor detects torque applied to the steering wheel.

The communication unit 46 performs wireless communication with an external device (not shown). The external device may include, for example, an external server (not shown). The communication unit 46 may be non-removable or removable from the vehicle 12 . Examples of the communication unit 46 that can be attached to and detached from the vehicle 12 include a mobile phone and a smart phone.

The HMI 48 receives an operation input from a user (passenger) and provides various information to the user visually, audibly, or tactilely. The HMI 48 includes, for example, an automatic operation switch (driving assist switch) 60, a display (not shown), a contact sensor (not shown), an in-vehicle camera 62 (including the vehicle interior monitoring camera described above), and a speaker (not shown). and an operator (not shown).

The automatic operation switch 60 is for the user to instruct the start and stop of automatic operation. The automatic operation switch 60 includes a start switch (not shown) and a stop switch (not shown). The start switch outputs a start signal to the vehicle control device 10 according to a user's operation. The stop switch outputs a stop signal to the vehicle control device 10 according to the user's operation.

The display includes, for example, a liquid crystal panel, an organic EL panel, and the like. Here, the case where the display is a touch panel will be described as an example, but the display is not limited to this.

The contact sensor is for detecting whether or not the user (driver) is touching the steering wheel. A signal output from the contact sensor is supplied to the vehicle control device 10 . The vehicle control device 10 can determine whether the user is touching the steering wheel based on the signal supplied from the contact sensor.

The vehicle-mounted camera 62 images the inside of the vehicle 12, that is, the vehicle interior. The in-vehicle camera 62 may be provided, for example, on a dashboard (not shown) or on a ceiling (not shown). Also, the vehicle-mounted camera 62 may be provided so as to image only the driver, or may be provided so as to image each passenger. The vehicle-mounted camera 62 outputs information acquired by capturing an image of the interior of the vehicle, that is, image information, to the vehicle control device 10 .

The speaker is for providing various information to the user by voice. The vehicle control device 10 outputs various notifications, alarms, etc. using a speaker.

The drive device (driving force control system) 50 has a drive ECU (not shown) and a drive source (not shown). The drive ECU controls the drive force (torque) of the vehicle 12 by controlling the drive source. Examples of the drive source include an engine and a drive motor. The drive ECU can control the braking force by controlling the drive source based on the user's operation of the accelerator pedal. Further, the drive ECU can control the driving force by controlling the drive source based on the command supplied from the vehicle control device 10 . The driving force of the drive source is transmitted to wheels (not shown) via a transmission (not shown) or the like.

The braking device (braking force control system) 52 has a braking ECU (not shown) and a brake mechanism (not shown). The brake mechanism operates a brake member by a brake motor, a hydraulic mechanism, or the like. The brake ECU can control the braking force by controlling the brake mechanism based on the user's manipulation of the brake pedal. The brake ECU can also control the braking force by controlling the brake mechanism based on commands supplied from the vehicle control device 10 .

The steering device (steering system) 54 has a steering ECU (not shown), that is, an EPS (Electric Power Steering System) ECU, and a steering motor (not shown). The steering ECU controls the orientation of the wheels (steered wheels) by controlling the steering motor based on the user's operation on the steering wheel. The steering ECU also controls the direction of the wheels by controlling the steering motor based on commands supplied from the vehicle control device 10 . Steering may be performed by changing torque distribution or braking force distribution to the left and right wheels.

The navigation device 56 has a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) sensor (not shown). In addition, the navigation device 56 has a calculation unit (not shown) and a storage unit (not shown). A GNSS sensor detects the current position of the vehicle 12 . The calculation unit reads map information corresponding to the current position detected by the GNSS sensor from the map database stored in the storage unit. The calculation unit uses the map information to determine a target route from the current position to the destination. Note that the destination is input by the user via the HMI 48 . As mentioned above, the display is a touch panel. A user inputs a destination by operating the touch panel. The navigation device 56 outputs the created target route to the vehicle control device 10 . The vehicle control device 10 supplies the target route to the HMI 48 . HMI 48 displays the target route on the display.

The positioning unit 58 has a GNSS (not shown). The positioning unit 58 has an IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit) (not shown) and a map database (map DB) (not shown). The positioning unit 58 identifies the position of the vehicle 12 by appropriately using information obtained by GNSS, information obtained by the IMU, and map information stored in the map database. The positioning unit 58 can supply vehicle position information, which is information indicating the position of the vehicle 12 , to the vehicle control device 10 . The positioning unit 58 can also supply map information to the vehicle control device 10 .

The vehicle control device 10 has an arithmetic unit 70 , a storage unit 72 , and an input/output unit 74 . The computing unit 70 controls the entire vehicle control device 10 . The calculation unit 70 is configured by, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The calculation unit 70 executes vehicle control by controlling each unit based on a program stored in the storage unit 72 . The input/output unit 74 takes in signals, data, etc. from the outside of the vehicle control device 10, inputs them to the calculation unit 70 and the storage unit 72, and outputs the signals and data output from the calculation unit 70 and the storage unit 72 to the outside. do.

The calculation unit 70 includes an occupant detection unit 80, a specific driving state detection unit 82, an occupant specific motion detection unit 84, a priority setting unit 86, a vehicle control change unit 88, and a detection target exclusion identification unit 90. .

The occupant detection unit 80 detects which seat 26 the occupant is sitting on through the seventh sensor 30g, the eighth sensor 30h, the vehicle-mounted camera 62, and the like.

The specific driving state detection unit 82 detects, for example, whether the vehicle 12 is in a predetermined specific driving state, that is, whether it encounters a specific scene. The specific scene refers to a scene in which the operation of the vehicle 12 is in a transitional state. The timing of gripping the steering wheel, the positional relationship with surrounding vehicles, the speed difference, and the like. These states are based on information such as map information, the current position of the vehicle 12, the positions of other vehicles in the surrounding area obtained through the communication unit 46, and drive signals from the driving device 50, the braking device 52, and the steering device 54. detected based on As shown in Table 1 of FIG. 4A, for example, the specific scene includes acceleration/deceleration in accordance with the preceding vehicle, curve, lane change, merging, acceleration/deceleration immediately after the start of automatic driving, and the like.

The occupant specific motion detection unit 84 detects gripping of the fixed structure or contact with the fixed structure by the occupant. By this detection, it can be detected whether the passenger concerned is anxious.

In this case, gripping of the fixed structure or contact with the fixed structure may be detected for all the passengers, or if a plurality of passengers are detected, the priority setting unit 86 may set a preset high priority to boarding. By setting high-priority boarding positions that are set according to the position of the occupant and the specific scene, even if the occupant at the high-priority boarding position detects gripping of the fixed structure or contact with the fixed structure. good.

Here, the preset high-priority boarding position refers to the rear seat of the boarding position of the driver. Since the rear seat is the safest place for the driver to ride, if the occupants sitting in the above rear seats feel uneasy about gripping or contacting the fixed structure, all of them will feel uneasy. It can be determined that

The high-priority boarding positions set according to the specific scene are, for example, in the case of a lane change to the right, as shown in Table 2 of FIG. seat, right front seat, left front seat.

Similarly, in the case of acceleration/deceleration with respect to the preceding vehicle, as shown in Table 3 of FIG. 4C, the order of priority is the left front seat, the right front seat, the left rear seat, and the right rear seat.

In this way, it is possible to determine the priority of passengers for each specific scene, and to detect anxious passengers in a short period of time.

Grasping of the fixed structure and detection of contact with the fixed structure described above can be detected using a camera image, a pressure sensor, a perspiration sensor, an electromagnetic wave sensor, or the like. In addition, the passenger's pulse rate, for example, may be measured from the camera image of the passenger's face, and the physical condition of the passenger may be estimated by comparing it with the standard pulse rate. Of course, the medical information (medical history, etc.) for each crew member may be obtained, for example, via the communication unit 46 to improve the accuracy of estimating the health condition of each crew member.

For example, the camera image detected the occupant looking down and trembling, the occupant's eyes staring at one point, the occupant restlessly looking around, and the occupant looking at the speedometer. Recognize that you are anxious in some cases. A pressure sensor, a load sensor, or the like recognizes that it is anxious when pressure or load above a certain level is applied to the pressure sensor or the load sensor. Also, in the pressure sensor and the load sensor, the correlation coefficient between the sensor waveform from these sensors and the reference waveform measured in advance (a plurality of representative waveforms when a person is anxious) is taken, It is determined that the closer the correlation coefficient is to 1, the more anxious the occupant is. In addition, there are various methods.

Perspiration sensors may be combined to increase accuracy for detecting anxiety. In addition, it is possible to recognize the emotions of the passengers based on the data detected by the electromagnetic wave sensor "reference).

On the other hand, the vehicle control changing unit 88 changes the vehicle control corresponding to a plurality of preset scenes.

As shown in Table 1 of FIG. 4A, the vehicle control change items include, for example, increasing the inter-vehicle distance in acceleration/deceleration in accordance with the preceding vehicle, and in curve, lane change, and merging, for example, steering. Decrease in lateral movement speed and vehicle speed. Further, in the acceleration/deceleration immediately after the start of automatic operation, for example, suppression control of the acceleration gain can be mentioned.

If the vehicle control is accelerating or decelerating in line with the vehicle in front, the duration of the change in vehicle control is, for example, the time during which the vehicle is following the vehicle in front. One example is the time it takes to move. Further, acceleration/deceleration immediately after the start of automatic driving includes, for example, until automatic driving is completed (fully matured) (for example, 30 minutes or 40 km). The vehicle control device 10 restores the changed contents of the vehicle control when the change continuation time has elapsed.

Of course, the continuation of the vehicle control change may be performed only during the time required for traveling a predetermined distance. When accelerating or decelerating to match the vehicle in front, for example, the vehicle follows the vehicle in front until it reaches a predetermined distance.In curves, lane changes, and merging, for example, the lateral movement of the vehicle reaches a predetermined distance. Up to The vehicle control device 10 may restore the changed content of the vehicle control after the vehicle has traveled the above-described predetermined distance.

Further, if the physical condition of the occupant detected by the occupant specific motion detection unit 84 is deteriorating, the vehicle control change unit 88 increases the degree of change of the vehicle control described above. In this case, the degree of change in vehicle control may be increased according to the difference between the pulse rate of the occupant whose health condition is deteriorating and the standard pulse rate. In addition to the above-described pulse rate, heart rate, respiration rate, heart rate variability, and the like can be cited as media for detecting the health condition from the camera image.

The detection target exclusion specifying unit 90 specifies passengers to be excluded from detection targets among the passengers. Specifically, when the vehicle 12 is not in the specific running state, an occupant who continues to hold the fixed structure or touch the fixed structure for a predetermined time or longer or for a predetermined distance or longer is excluded from detection targets. As a result, it is possible to shorten the time required to detect an anxious passenger, and increase the commercial value of the automatic driving vehicle.

Next, some processing operations of the vehicle control device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 8. FIG.

[First processing operation]
The first processing operation is a basic processing operation of the vehicle control device 10. First, in step S1 of FIG. is sitting.

In step S2, the specific driving state detection unit 82 detects whether the vehicle 12 is in a predetermined specific driving state, that is, whether it encounters a specific scene.

If the host vehicle 12 encounters the specific scene, the process proceeds to step S3, and the occupant specific motion detection unit 84 detects a specific motion by the occupant, ie, gripping or contacting the fixed structure.

When the specific motion by the passenger is detected, the process proceeds to step S4, and the vehicle control change unit 88 changes the vehicle control corresponding to a plurality of preset scenes, as exemplified above (Fig. 4A Table 1).

If the process in step S4 is completed, or if the specific action by the passenger is not detected in step S3, or if it is determined that the vehicle 12 has not encountered a specific scene in step S2, a predetermined After the period has elapsed, the processing after step S1 is repeated.

[Second processing operation]
The second processing operation is a processing operation including the priority setting processing in the first processing operation. First, in step S101 of FIG. A high-priority boarding position that is set according to a specific scene is set.

In step S<b>102 , the occupant detection unit 80 detects whether the occupant is sitting in the high-priority boarding position set by the priority setting unit 86 through the pressure sensor of the seat 26 and the vehicle-mounted camera.

In step S103, the specific driving state detection unit 82 detects whether the vehicle 12 is in a predetermined specific driving state, that is, whether it encounters a specific scene.

If the own vehicle 12 has encountered a specific scene, the process proceeds to step S104, and the occupant specific action detection unit 84 detects a specific action by the occupant at the boarding position with high priority, that is, grasping the fixed structure or contacting the fixed structure. to detect

When the specific motion by the passenger is detected, the process proceeds to step S105, and the vehicle control change unit 88 changes the vehicle control corresponding to a plurality of preset scenes, as exemplified above (Fig. 4A Table 1).

When the process in step S105 ends, or when the specific action by the passenger is not detected in step S104, or when it is determined that the vehicle 12 has not encountered the specific scene in step S103, a predetermined After the period has elapsed, the processing from step S101 is repeated.

[Third processing operation]
The third processing operation is a processing operation including the target exclusion detection processing in the first processing operation. First, in step S201 of FIG. To detect whether an occupant is sitting on a seat 26. - 特許庁

In step S202, the specific driving state detection unit 82 detects whether the vehicle 12 is in a predetermined specific driving state, that is, whether it encounters a specific scene.

If the host vehicle 12 has not encountered the specific scene, the process proceeds to step S203, and the detection target exclusion specifying unit 90 determines whether or not there are any passengers to be excluded from detection targets. If there is, the process proceeds to step S204 to specify the occupant to be excluded from detection targets.

On the other hand, if the vehicle 12 has encountered a specific scene in step S202, the process proceeds to step S205, and the occupant specific action detection unit 84 detects the specific action of the occupants excluding the occupants excluded from the detection targets. , that is, to detect grasping of the fixed structure or contact with the fixed structure.

When the specific motion by the passenger is detected, the process proceeds to step S206, and the vehicle control change unit 88 changes the vehicle control corresponding to a plurality of preset scenes, as exemplified above (Fig. 4A Table 1).

When the process in step S206 ends, or when the specific motion by the occupant is not detected in step S205, or when the occupant to be excluded from the detection targets is specified in step S204, or when the If it is determined that there is no occupant to be excluded, the processes from step S201 onward are repeated after the predetermined period of time has elapsed.

[Fourth processing operation]
The fourth processing operation is a processing operation including the priority setting processing in the third processing operation. First, in step S301 of FIG. A high-priority boarding position that is set according to a specific scene is set.

In step S<b>302 , the occupant detection unit 80 detects whether the occupant is seated in the high-priority boarding position set by the priority setting unit 86 through the pressure sensor of the seat 26 and the vehicle-mounted camera.

In step S303, the specific driving state detection unit 82 detects whether the own vehicle 12 is in a predetermined specific driving state, that is, whether it encounters a specific scene.

If the host vehicle 12 has not encountered the specific scene, the process proceeds to step S304, and the detection target exclusion specifying unit 90 determines whether or not there are any passengers to be excluded from detection targets. If there is, the process proceeds to step S305 to specify the occupant to be excluded from detection targets.

On the other hand, if the vehicle 12 has encountered a specific scene in step S303, the process proceeds to step S306, and the occupant specific action detection unit 84 detects the specific action of the occupants excluding the occupants excluded from the detection targets. , that is, to detect grasping of the fixed structure or contact with the fixed structure.

When the specific motion by the passenger is detected, the process proceeds to step S307, and the vehicle control change unit 88 changes the vehicle control corresponding to a plurality of preset scenes, as exemplified above (Fig. 4A Table 1).

When the processing in step S307 ends, or when the specific motion by the passenger is not detected in step S306, or when the passenger excluded from the detection targets is specified in step S305, or when the If it is determined that there is no occupant to be excluded, the processes from step S301 onward are repeated after the predetermined period of time has elapsed.

[Invention obtained from the embodiment]
Inventions that can be understood from the above embodiments will be described below.

The present embodiment is a vehicle control device 10 for automatically running a vehicle 12, and is a detection device capable of detecting an occupant's gripping motion to a fixed structure fixed above the occupant's seat surface in the vehicle 12 (first 1 sensor 30a to eighth sensor 30h, etc.), and changes the control over the vehicle 12 when a gripping motion is performed and the vehicle 12 is in a specific running state.

As a result, vehicle control is changed based on, for example, the state of the occupant's grasping motion (such as clinging) to the fixed structure in a specific scene. For example, when the vehicle 12 is running under automatic driving, if the occupant unintentionally makes a gripping motion (such as clinging) to the fixed structure, it is assumed that there is an occupant who feels uneasy about the driving state. It is possible to prevent people from feeling uneasy as much as possible. It can accommodate all occupants, including the driver.

By changing (reflecting, etc.) the vehicle control in specific scenes, it is possible to prevent erroneous learning of people who have a habit of gripping, and to accurately detect people who are really afraid to grip and reflect the control. Become. In addition, since the fixed structure is fixed above the seating surface of the occupants in the vehicle, by detecting the fixed structure that can fix the upper body of the driver and passengers who are prone to swaying, the sense of anxiety about vehicle operation is further reduced. It is possible to grasp

In this embodiment, the detection device is capable of detecting an occupant's gripping motion on a plurality of fixed structures fixed to the vehicle 12 .

Fixed structures (for example, grab rails 14, door inner handles (door grips 16, etc.)) that can fix the upper body of drivers and passengers who tend to wobble. Therefore, it is possible to grasp the feeling of anxiety about the vehicle operation.

In the present embodiment, the specific driving state defines a plurality of driving states, and changes parameters for vehicle control according to each driving state.

For example, there are a plurality of specific driving states as defined specific driving states, and in accordance with the driving states of the vehicle 12 in these specific driving states, the vehicle Change control.

That is, among the change parameters of vehicle control set corresponding to a plurality of specific running states, the change parameter corresponding to the specific running state in which the occupant grips the fixed structure (such as clinging) is changed. As a result, appropriate control reflection becomes possible, and it is possible to prevent the occupant from having a sense of uneasiness as much as possible.

In the present embodiment, the specific driving state defines a plurality of driving states, and changes the vehicle control change period according to each driving state.

That is, it is possible to change the period during which changes in vehicle control are reflected for each specific driving state, and appropriate control reflection becomes possible. As a result, it is possible to prevent the occupant from feeling uneasy as much as possible. Moreover, appropriate control reflection can be performed only during the necessary period.

In this embodiment, an in-vehicle camera detects the motions of the occupant and also detects the health condition of the occupant with the in-vehicle camera.

Other parameters (camera image, health condition, etc.) are added to the situation of the occupant's grasping motion (such as clinging) to the fixed structure. For example, when the health condition is deteriorating, by increasing the change in the control amount, it is possible to prevent the target occupant from feeling uneasy as much as possible.

In this embodiment, when a plurality of occupants are detected, priority is determined based on the boarding position of each occupant, and vehicle control is changed based on the detection status of the occupant with the highest priority.

By prioritizing the occupants according to their boarding position, it is possible to make a determination based on the occupant with the highest priority. As a result, the vehicle control can be changed at an early stage, and it is possible to prevent the subject passenger from feeling uneasy as much as possible.

In this embodiment, when multiple occupants are detected, a boarding position with a high priority is determined based on the specific driving state, and vehicle control is changed based on the detection status of the occupant at the boarding position with a high priority. do.

That is, the priority according to the passenger's boarding position is changed according to the specific running state. As a result, it is possible to determine whether to change the vehicle control based on the occupant in the boarding position with the higher priority for each driving scene.

In this embodiment, the vehicle control is changed, and when at least one of the predetermined travel distance and the predetermined travel time is satisfied after the change of the vehicle control, the changed content of the vehicle control is restored.

That is, after the vehicle control is changed, the vehicle control is returned to its original state when the vehicle has traveled a predetermined travel distance or when a predetermined travel time has elapsed. That is, after traveling a predetermined distance or passing a predetermined period of time, the occupants become accustomed to the vehicle control by automatic driving after the change, so returning to the vehicle control before the change is effective in terms of driving efficiency.

In this embodiment, an occupant who continues to grip the fixed structure for a predetermined period of time or a predetermined distance or longer is excluded from the detection target except in the specific running state.

A person who grips the grab rail 14 or the like has a habit of gripping the grab rail 14 or the like even in a state other than a specific running state and does not have a strong sense of uneasiness even if the person grips the grab rail. It is possible to increase the commercial value of self-driving cars.

The vehicle 12 includes the vehicle control device 10 as described above.

[Modification]
The vehicle control change unit 88 changes the vehicle control in accordance with the above-described plurality of preset scenes, recommends changes in inter-vehicle distances and driving modes, and recommends changes in the vehicle-to-vehicle distance and driving mode, and also recommends changes in the initial stage of automatic driving (for example, driving). When starting), the vehicle control may be corrected to be safer.

In addition, when the duration of automatic driving has passed for a predetermined period of time, or when the distance traveled by automatic driving reaches a predetermined distance, the vehicle control is gradually changed based on the specific actions of the occupant in the specific scene as described above. Instead, it may return to the normal automatic driving mode, or may make a recommendation to take a rest.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Vehicle control apparatus 12... Vehicle 14... Grab rail 16... Door grip 18... Door armrest 20... Seat belt 22... Seat grip 24... Headrest 26... Seats 30a to 30h... First sensor to eighth sensor 60... Automatic operation switch 62... In-vehicle camera 70... Calculation unit 72... Storage unit 74... Input/output unit 80... Occupant detection unit 82... Specific running state detection unit 84... Occupant specific operation detection unit 86... Priority setting unit 88... Vehicle control change unit 90... Detection target exclusion identification part

Claims (10)

A vehicle control device for automatically running a vehicle,
a detection device capable of detecting an occupant's gripping motion with respect to a fixed structure fixed above the occupant's seat surface in the vehicle;
changing vehicle control, which is control over the vehicle , when the gripping motion is performed and the vehicle is in a specific running state ;
A vehicle control device that excludes an occupant who continues to grip the fixed structure for a predetermined time or a predetermined distance or longer in a state other than the specific running state . A vehicle control device for automatically running a vehicle,
a detection device capable of detecting an occupant's gripping motion with respect to a fixed structure fixed above the occupant's seat surface in the vehicle;
changing vehicle control, which is control over the vehicle, when the gripping motion is performed and the vehicle is in a specific running state;
When a plurality of the occupants are detected, the occupant whose occupant position is in the rear seat of the vehicle is set as a occupant with a high priority based on the occupant position of each occupant;
A vehicle control device that changes the vehicle control based on the detection status of the occupant with the high priority. A vehicle control device for automatically running a vehicle,
a detection device capable of detecting an occupant's gripping motion with respect to a fixed structure fixed above the occupant's seat surface in the vehicle;
changing vehicle control, which is control over the vehicle, when the gripping motion is performed and the vehicle is in a specific running state;
A vehicle control device for setting, when a plurality of the occupants are detected, the occupant position having a higher priority among occupant positions, which are positions of seats where the occupants are seated, based on the specific driving state. In the vehicle control device according to claim 3,
the specific driving state includes at least one of acceleration/deceleration and lane change of the vehicle with respect to the preceding vehicle;
when the specific driving state is acceleration/deceleration with respect to the preceding vehicle, the passenger position with the highest priority is the front seat;
The vehicle control device, wherein when the specific driving state is lane change, the occupant position with the high priority is a seat on the side where the vehicle changes lanes. In the vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
The vehicle control device, wherein the detection device is capable of detecting the occupant's grip motion on the plurality of fixed structures fixed to the vehicle. In the vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
The specific running state defines a plurality of running states,
A vehicle control device that changes a change parameter of the vehicle control in accordance with each of the running states. In the vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6 ,
The specific running state defines a plurality of running states,
A vehicle control device that changes the change duration time of the vehicle control in accordance with each of the running states. In the vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7 ,
Detecting the actions performed by the occupant with an in-vehicle camera,
The in-vehicle camera detects the health condition of the occupant,
A vehicle control device that increases a vehicle control change amount when the health condition is deteriorating. In the vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8 ,
changing the vehicle control,
A vehicle control device that restores the changed content of the vehicle control when at least one of a predetermined travel distance and a predetermined travel time is met after the change of the vehicle control. A vehicle having the vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 9.

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