JP7470275B2 - Automatic Driving Control Device - Google Patents

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This international application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2014-201407, filed with the Japan Patent Office on September 30, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

This disclosure relates to an automatic driving control device that can automatically perform some or all of the various driving actions required for driving a vehicle, such as various decisions and operations by the driver, without the need for operation by the driver.

Various technologies have been proposed to realize autonomous driving of vehicles, some of which have been put to practical use. The following Patent Document 1 discloses an autonomous vehicle that can drive autonomously according to a preset driving plan.

JP 2012-59274 A

One of the ultimate goals of autonomous driving technology is to enable a vehicle to reach its destination simply by setting the destination, without the driver having to be involved in the driving. However, the current situation is that we have not yet reached a level of reliability that would make this possible.

Until autonomous driving technology is established and reaches a high level of reliability, it is desirable to adopt autonomous driving technology while being able to disable some or all of the automatically executed controls and leave it to the driver's control, if necessary.

In one aspect of the present disclosure, in a vehicle that is capable of automatically executing some or all of the various driving controls required for driving without the need for driver operation, it is desirable to be able to stop some or all of the controls that are being automatically executed at an appropriate time.

One aspect of the present disclosure is an automatic driving control device mounted on a vehicle, comprising a surrounding information acquisition unit, a driving mode setting unit, and an automatic control unit. The surrounding information acquisition unit acquires surrounding information of the vehicle. The surrounding information is information indicating the state of the surroundings of the vehicle, and is information necessary for automatically executing at least one of the above-mentioned multiple types of driving operations without the need for driver operation. The driving mode setting unit sets the driving mode of the vehicle to either a highly automated mode or a basic mode. The highly automated mode is a driving mode in which some or all of the multiple types of driving operations necessary for driving the vehicle are automatically executed based on the surrounding information. The basic mode is a driving mode in which the types of driving operations to be automatically executed are fewer than those in the highly automated mode or are zero. The automatic control unit executes the driving operations set to be automatically executed in the driving mode based on the driving mode set by the driving mode setting unit. Then, when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode, if a preset basic mode switching condition is established, the driving mode setting unit switches the driving mode to the basic mode.

In the automatic driving control device configured in this manner, the driving modes are a highly automated mode and a basic mode, and if a basic mode switching condition is satisfied during the highly automated mode, the driving mode is switched to the basic mode. The basic mode switching condition is a specific condition under which it is necessary or desirable to switch the driving mode from the highly automated mode to the basic mode. The number and contents of the basic mode switching conditions may be determined as appropriate. In addition, if multiple basic mode switching conditions are set, the driving mode may be switched to the basic mode when at least one of the multiple basic mode switching conditions is satisfied, or the driving mode may be switched to the basic mode when a specific number of two or more or all of the set basic mode switching conditions are satisfied.

By appropriately setting the basic mode switching conditions, switching from the highly automated mode to the basic mode can be performed at an appropriate timing. Therefore, with the automatic driving control device configured as described above, it is possible to stop some or all of the driving operations being automatically performed in the highly automated mode at an appropriate timing.

When the vehicle is being driven in basic mode, there may be cases where it is preferable to switch to highly automated mode and leave it to automated driving processing depending on the situation. Therefore, when the driving mode is basic mode, the driving mode setting unit may switch the driving mode to the highly automated mode if a pre-set highly automated switching condition is met.

A highly automated mode switching condition is a specific condition under which it is necessary or desirable to switch the operation mode from the basic mode to the highly automated mode. The number and contents of the highly automated mode switching conditions may be determined as appropriate. In addition, if multiple highly automated mode switching conditions are set, the highly automated mode may be switched to when at least one of the multiple highly automated mode switching conditions is satisfied, or the highly automated mode may be switched to when a specific number of two or more of all the highly automated mode switching conditions that have been set are satisfied, or all of the highly automated mode switching conditions that have been set are satisfied.

With an automatic driving control device configured in this way, by appropriately setting the high-level automation switching conditions, it is possible to switch between the high-level automation mode and the basic mode at the appropriate time.

When the operation mode is the basic mode, the operation mode setting unit may maintain the basic mode if the high automation switching condition is satisfied but the basic mode switching condition continues to be satisfied.

If the basic mode switching condition is met, it is presumed that the situation is such that it is preferable to reduce the types of driving actions that are automated and to increase the proportion of driving actions performed by the driver himself. Therefore, if both the high automation switching condition and the basic mode switching condition are met, the basic mode is given priority and switching to the high automation mode is not performed, thereby realizing appropriate vehicle control that respects the driver's driving operations.

FIG. 1A is a side view of a vehicle according to an embodiment, and FIG. 1B is a top view of the vehicle according to the embodiment. 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment; FIG. 3A is an explanatory diagram showing the autonomous driving levels of each driving mode, and FIG. 3B is an explanatory diagram showing that the control contents at each autonomous driving level may be set arbitrarily. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram for explaining an overview of autonomous driving. 13 is a flowchart of a main process. 6 is a flowchart of an automatic driving control process in the main process of FIG. 5 . 7 is a flowchart of an initial automatic switching confirmation process in the automatic driving control process of FIG. 6 . 7 is a flowchart of a normal-mode automatic switching confirmation process in the automatic driving control process of FIG. 6 . FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a case in which the highly automated mode should be switched to the basic mode. 7 is a flowchart of a basic mode switching confirmation process in the automatic driving control process of FIG. 6 . 13 is a flowchart showing another embodiment of the basic mode switching confirmation process. 13 is a flowchart showing another embodiment of the basic mode switching confirmation process. 13 is a flowchart of a basic mode preparation confirmation process. 13 is a flowchart of a control parameter setting process.

Hereinafter, exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings.
(1) Configuration of vehicle 1 Fig. 1A shows a side view of the vehicle 1 of this embodiment, and Fig. 1B shows a top view of the vehicle 1. However, Fig. 1A and Fig. 1B show a simplified illustration of the arrangement of various cameras, radars, sensors, etc. in the vehicle 1, mainly for the purpose of clearly showing the arrangement of these devices.

As shown in Figures 1A and 1B, vehicle 1 is equipped with at least a first front camera 2, an interior camera 3, a first rear camera 4, a second front camera 5, a second rear camera 6, a left side camera 7, and a right side camera 8 as cameras for capturing images of the interior and exterior of vehicle 1. Each of cameras 2 to 8 is capable of capturing color images and videos. Each of cameras 2 to 8 may be a monocular camera, or may be a stereo camera equipped with multiple lenses that can also capture depth information.

The first front camera 2 is mounted on the front end of the ceiling inside the vehicle cabin so as to face forward. This first front camera 2 can capture a wide range of images in front of the vehicle 1. The interior camera 3 is mounted on the front end of the ceiling inside the vehicle cabin so as to face rearward (inside the vehicle cabin). This interior camera 3 can capture images of at least the upper body of the driver inside the vehicle cabin. The first rear camera 4 is mounted on the rear end of the ceiling inside the vehicle cabin so as to face rearward. This first rear camera 4 can capture a wide range of images in the rear of the vehicle 1.

The second front camera 5 is provided at the front end of the vehicle 1 facing forward. This second front camera 5 allows a wide range of images to be captured in front of the vehicle 1. The second rear camera 6 is provided at the rear end of the vehicle 1 facing backward. This second rear camera 6 allows a wide range of images to be captured in the rear of the vehicle 1. The left side camera 7 is provided on the left side of the vehicle 1 facing left. This left side camera 7 allows a wide range of images to be captured in the left side of the vehicle 1. The right side camera 8 is provided on the right side of the vehicle 1 facing right. This right side camera 8 allows a wide range of images to be captured in the right side of the vehicle 1.

1A and 1B, the vehicle 1 is equipped with a front radar device 11, a rear radar device 12, a left side radar device 13, and a right side radar device 14. In this embodiment, each of the radar devices 11 to 14 is a millimeter wave radar. As is well known, a millimeter wave radar is a radar that transmits millimeter wave radio waves and receives the reflected waves with multiple receiving antennas, and is capable of detecting target information related to targets around the vehicle 1 based on the relationship between the transmitted waves and each received wave and the relationship between each received wave. The target information that can be detected by each of the radar devices 11 to 14 includes the presence or absence of a target in the detection direction, the distance to the target, the direction of the target relative to the vehicle 1, the moving speed of the target (relative speed with respect to the vehicle 1), and the like.

Specifically, the front radar device 11 is provided at the front end of the vehicle 1 and transmits and receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency to the front of the vehicle 1. This front radar device 11 can acquire target information related to targets in front of the vehicle 1. The rear radar device 12 is provided at the rear end of the vehicle 1 and transmits and receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency to the rear of the vehicle 1. This rear radar device 12 can acquire target information related to targets behind the vehicle 1. The left side radar device 13 is provided on the left side of the vehicle 1 and transmits and receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency to the left side of the vehicle 1. This left side radar device 13 can acquire target information related to targets on the left side of the vehicle 1. The right side radar device 14 is provided on the right side of the vehicle 1 and transmits and receives millimeter waves of a predetermined frequency to the right side of the vehicle 1. This right side radar device 14 can acquire target information related to targets on the right side of the vehicle 1.

As shown in Figs. 1A and 1B, the vehicle 1 is equipped with a biosensor 21, a solar radiation sensor 22, and a rainfall sensor 23. A plurality of biosensors 21 (two in this embodiment) are provided on the steering wheel 20 that the driver operates to steer. The biosensors 21 can detect whether the driver is touching the steering wheel 20, and can detect various bioinformation such as the driver's pulse and sweating state while the driver is touching the steering wheel 20. The solar radiation sensor 22 is installed at the bottom of the windshield 10 at the front of the vehicle interior. This solar radiation sensor 22 can detect the amount of solar radiation on the vehicle 1, and therefore the brightness around the vehicle 1. The rainfall sensor 23 is installed at the top of the windshield 10 on the inside of the vehicle interior. This rainfall sensor 23 can detect the presence or absence of rain and the amount of rainfall.

In addition, the vehicle 1 is equipped with four automatic driving operation lamps 16, as shown in Figures 1A and 1B. As described below, the vehicle 1 of this embodiment can switch the driving mode between a highly automated mode and a basic mode, and while the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode, each automatic driving operation lamp 16 is lit in a predetermined lighting pattern. The lighting state of each automatic driving operation lamp 16 is visible from the outside of the vehicle 1. Therefore, when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode, it is possible to appeal to vehicles and pedestrians traveling around the vehicle 1 that the vehicle is traveling in the highly automated mode. Various lighting patterns are possible for each automatic driving operation lamp 16. For example, the lamps may be constantly lit during the highly automated mode, or may be alternately turned on and off at regular intervals.

(2) Electrical Configuration of Vehicle 1 The electrical configuration of the vehicle 1 will be specifically described with reference to FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 is provided with an automatic driving control unit 30. The automatic driving control unit 30 mainly has a mode switching function and an automatic driving function. The mode switching function is a function for setting the driving mode of the vehicle 1 to either a highly automated mode or a basic mode. The automatic driving function is a function for executing automatic driving according to the automatic driving level (see FIG. 3A. Details will be described later) of the set driving mode. As will be described later, the automatic driving control unit 30 appropriately switches the driving mode of the vehicle 1 according to various factors such as the running state of the vehicle 1, the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 1, and the state of the driver of the vehicle 1.

Types of autonomous driving of vehicles include partial autonomous driving and fully autonomous driving. Partial autonomous driving is an autonomous driving form in which some of the various driving actions of the driver required to drive the vehicle are automated. Note that automation here means that the vehicle can be executed without the need for driver operation. Fully autonomous driving is an autonomous driving form in which the vehicle is fully automated from the start to the set destination without the need for driver operation. Hereinafter, a parameter indicating the degree of the types and number of driving actions automated in autonomous driving is referred to as the autonomous driving level. Fully autonomous driving has a higher autonomous driving level than partial autonomous driving. In addition, there are various levels of partial autonomous driving depending on the types and number of driving actions automated.

The vehicle 1 of this embodiment is configured to be capable of partial autonomous driving as well as fully autonomous driving by the autonomous driving control unit 30. In this embodiment, the driver can freely change the autonomous driving level, that is, which of the various driving operations required for driving are automated and which are performed by the driver.

More specifically, in this embodiment, there are seven main automatic control functions for achieving fully automated driving: automatic start/stop control, lane keeping control, vehicle distance control, lane change control, right/left turn control, collision prevention control, and parking control. The automated driving control unit 30 is capable of executing these seven types of automatic control functions, and fully automated driving can be achieved by executing these seven types of automatic control functions.

Conversely, partial automated driving can be achieved by executing any six or fewer of the seven types of automatic control functions. In this embodiment, it is possible to arbitrarily set which of the seven types of automatic control functions are to be executed in the highly automated mode.

The specific contents of the seven types of automatic control functions will be explained in detail later.
The more of the seven types of automatic control functions that are executed, the higher the level of automatic driving becomes. Specifically, when none of the seven types of automatic control functions are executed, the level of automatic driving is level 0. When n types of the seven types of automatic control functions are executed, the level of automatic driving is level n. Therefore, in the level 0 driving mode, the driver is required to determine and operate the control operations corresponding to the seven types of automatic control functions. On the other hand, the driving modes of levels 1 to 6 are driving modes in which partial automatic driving is performed. The driving mode of level 7 is a driving mode in which fully automatic driving is performed.

In this embodiment, the highly automated mode is a driving mode in which autonomous driving is performed at an autonomous driving level of level 1 or higher. On the other hand, the basic mode is a driving mode in which the autonomous driving level is relatively lower than that of the highly automated mode. For example, if the highly automated mode is level n, the basic mode can be set to any of levels n-1 to 0.

In this embodiment, for the sake of simplicity and ease of understanding, the basic mode will be described assuming that the autonomous driving level is set to level 0. At level 0, none of the seven types of automatic control functions are executed, and the driver must perform most of the various driving operations required for driving.

The automatic driving control unit 30 has a calculation unit 30a and a memory 30b. More specifically, the memory 30b includes at least one of a ROM, a RAM, and various other storage media (e.g., an EEPROM, a flash memory). The calculation unit 30a executes various programs stored in the memory 30b to realize various functions including the mode switching function and the automatic driving function described above. The calculation unit 30a includes at least a CPU.

The various programs stored in the memory 30b include a program (so-called security software) capable of detecting external unauthorized operations, computer viruses, unauthorized software and data, etc. (hereinafter collectively referred to as "unauthorized factors"). The computing unit 30a monitors the presence or absence of unauthorized factors at any time by having this security software resident during startup. When an unauthorized factor occurs, various unauthorized response processes are executed. The unauthorized response processes include a process of forcibly setting the automatic driving level to level 0 so that the automatic control function is not operated at all. In addition, various specific contents of the unauthorized response processes are considered, and for example, a warning may be output to the driver by voice or the like, or the vehicle 1 may be forcibly decelerated or stopped. In addition, the connection between the automatic driving control unit 30 and each communication unit 31 to 35 may be physically cut off so that the automatic driving control unit 30 cannot be accessed from the outside via wireless communication.

The cameras 2-8, radar devices 11-14, sensors 21-23, and four automatic driving operation lamps 16 shown in Figures 1A and 1B are connected to the automatic driving control unit 30. The calculation unit 30a of the automatic driving control unit 30 individually controls the operation of each of the cameras 2-8, and acquires the photographing results (image data) from each of the cameras 2-8 and stores them in memory 30b. The acquisition and storage of image data is repeated at predetermined time intervals.

The calculation unit 30a can recognize various situations inside and outside the vehicle based on the image data of each camera 2 to 8. For example, the image data of the interior camera 3 can recognize the driver's line of sight, eye state, gestures, etc. Furthermore, the image data of the first front camera 2 can detect a state in which sunlight is incident on the vehicle and the driver feels dazzled (so-called backlighting). Furthermore, the image data of the first front camera 2 and the second front camera 5 can recognize the vehicle ahead, oncoming vehicles, vehicles in the adjacent lane traveling diagonally ahead, lane markings, crosswalks, pedestrians and bicycles jumping out, other vehicles entering the intersection at an intersection, signs indicating the direction of travel, traffic lights, the contents of signs, etc., and other objects around the vehicle.

The calculation unit 30a of the autonomous driving control unit 30 controls each of the radar devices 11-14 individually, and acquires target detection results from each of the radar devices 11-14 and stores them in the memory 30b. The acquisition and storage of detection results from each of the radar devices 11-14 is repeated at predetermined time intervals. Based on the detection results of each of the radar devices 11-14, the calculation unit 30a can calculate and acquire the presence or absence of a target, the distance to the target, the direction of the target, the relative speed of the target as viewed from the vehicle 1, and the like.

The calculation unit 30a of the autonomous driving control unit 30 determines whether the driver is touching the steering wheel 20 based on the detection signal from the biosensor 21. While the driver is touching the steering wheel 20 (more specifically, while the driver is in contact with the biosensor 21), the calculation unit 30a acquires biometric information such as the driver's pulse rate and sweating level based on the detection signal from the biosensor 21. The calculation unit 30a can infer the driver's physical condition and mental state based on the acquired biometric information.

The calculation unit 30a of the autonomous driving control unit 30 can determine the brightness of the driving environment based on the detection signal from the solar radiation sensor 22, and can determine whether the brightness is that of nighttime or a similar situation (hereinafter simply referred to as "nighttime"). The calculation unit 30a of the autonomous driving control unit 30 can also determine the presence or absence of rain and the amount of rainfall based on the detection signal from the rainfall sensor 23.

As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 also includes a seating sensor 25 and a belt sensor 26 as components connected to the automatic driving control unit 30. The seating sensor 25 is a sensor for detecting whether or not an occupant is sitting in a seat of the vehicle 1. Although only one seating sensor 25 is shown in FIG. 2 for the sake of simplicity, in reality, each seat is provided with its own seat. Specifically, when the vehicle 1 has a passenger capacity of N people, a seating sensor 25 is provided for each of the N seats.

The belt sensor 26 is a sensor for detecting whether or not an occupant is fastening a seat belt when the occupant is seated in a seat of the vehicle 1. Although only one belt sensor 26 is illustrated in Fig. 2 for the sake of simplicity, in reality, a belt sensor 26 is provided for each seat belt of each seat. Specifically, in the case of the vehicle 1 having a passenger capacity of N persons, a seat belt is provided for each of the N seats, and a belt sensor 26 is provided for each of the seat belts.

The vehicle 1 also includes, as components connected to the autonomous driving control unit 30, a GPS communication unit 31, a vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 32, a road-to-vehicle communication unit 33, a pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34, an LTE communication unit 35, and a TV/radio receiving unit 36, as shown in FIG. 2.

The GPS communication unit 31 receives radio waves from multiple GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites and outputs information contained in the received radio waves (GPS information) to the autonomous driving control unit 30. The calculation unit 30a of the autonomous driving control unit 30 can calculate the current position of the vehicle 1 based on the information received by the GPS communication unit 31.

The autonomous driving control unit 30 also has a route guidance function, which is one of various element functions for realizing the autonomous driving function. The route guidance function is a function that calculates an appropriate route from the current position to the destination based on the current position of the vehicle 1 calculated based on GPS information and the destination set by the driver, and controls the vehicle 1 to travel along the route to the destination. The content of the guidance control of the vehicle 1 in the route guidance function differs depending on the autonomous driving level. For example, when the autonomous driving level is set to level 7 of fully autonomous driving, the guidance control is to provide route information (information on which direction and which route the vehicle should travel) necessary for executing the multiple types of automatic control functions (seven types as described above in this embodiment) for realizing fully autonomous driving. Also, for example, when the autonomous driving level is set to a predetermined level 1 to 6 (partially autonomous driving) that is lower than fully autonomous driving, the guidance control is to provide route information for the automatic control functions necessary for partial autonomous driving out of the multiple types of automatic control functions, and to guide the driver on the driving route (for example, voice guidance) as necessary.

Map data and various other data required for the route guidance function are stored in memory 30b. The calculation unit 30a executes the program for the route guidance function stored in memory 30b while referring to the various data, thereby realizing the route guidance function (specifically, the above-mentioned guidance control). The calculation unit 30a can also recognize the road conditions around the vehicle 1 based on the route guidance function. Specifically, for example, it can recognize the shape of the route from the current position to the destination and the vehicle width.

The vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 32 is a communication module for wirelessly transmitting and receiving various data to and from other vehicles other than the vehicle itself. The calculation unit 30a of the autonomous driving control unit 30 can obtain information about other vehicles in the vicinity (e.g., driving direction, driving speed, position, etc.) via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 32. Conversely, information about the vehicle itself 1 can also be transmitted to other vehicles.

The road-to-vehicle communication unit 33 is a communication module for receiving various information wirelessly transmitted from a road communication device 81 (see FIG. 4) installed on the road (ground side). The various information received by the road-to-vehicle communication unit 33 is input to the autonomous driving control unit 30.

The road communication device 81 is connected to a server (not shown), receives various information from the server, and wirelessly transmits the information within a predetermined surrounding area. The server aggregates various types of road traffic information, such as various types of infrastructure information (e.g., traffic light information, road regulation information, etc.) and information on the presence of other vehicles, pedestrians, etc. The server transmits individual road information related to each road communication device 81 based on the aggregated road traffic information. The individual road information is various types of road traffic information related to the traveling direction of a vehicle traveling within the communication area of the road communication device 81. Each road communication device 81 wirelessly transmits the individual road information transmitted from the server within the predetermined communication area.

The calculation unit 30a of the autonomous driving control unit 30 can acquire various road traffic information related to the road in the travelling direction via the road-to-vehicle communication unit 33. The information that the calculation unit 30a can acquire via the road-to-vehicle communication unit 33 includes section information related to various sections such as dangerous sections (e.g. sections with successive curves, sections with narrow road widths, etc.), sections where construction work is being carried out, and certain sections close to accident sites. By linking the acquired section information with the route guidance function, the calculation unit 30a can recognize the relative relationship between the section and the vehicle 1, such as whether the vehicle 1 is traveling through the section indicated by the section information.

Each road communication device 81 illustrated in FIG. 4 is equipped with a camera 82. Each camera 82 captures an image of the road and transmits the captured image data to a server via a network. The server can obtain road traffic information around each camera 82 from the captured image data transmitted from the camera.

The pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34 is a communication module for wireless communication with a communication terminal (e.g., a mobile phone or smartphone) carried by a pedestrian on the ground. If the communication terminal carried by the pedestrian is configured to be able to wirelessly transmit terminal position information indicating the position of the communication terminal (i.e. the pedestrian's position), the pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34 can receive the terminal position information transmitted from the communication terminal. The terminal position information received by the pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34 is input to the autonomous driving control unit 30. The autonomous driving control unit 30 can also inform the pedestrian of the position information of the vehicle 1, etc., by wirelessly transmitting various information such as the position information of the vehicle 1 from the pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34 to the pedestrian's communication terminal.

The calculation unit 30a of the autonomous driving control unit 30 can know the position and movement of pedestrians based on the terminal position information received via the pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34. The presence or absence and movement of pedestrians can be detected by the cameras and radar devices described above, but in addition, the presence or absence of pedestrians and their sudden jumping out can also be detected from information obtained via the pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34.

The LTE communication unit 35 is a communication module for realizing wireless communication by LTE, a well-known mobile phone communication standard. The TV/radio receiving unit 36 is a receiving module for receiving radio waves for television and radio broadcasts. The calculation unit 30a can obtain various information necessary for autonomous driving of the vehicle 1 and update existing information (e.g., update map data) via the LTE communication unit 35 (i.e., by LTE wireless communication). Note that it is not essential to obtain or update such various information by LTE wireless communication, and other wireless communication may be used.

As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle 1 is equipped with components connected to the automatic driving control unit 30, including a display 37, a HUD (short for head-up display) 38, a microphone 39, a speaker 40, a turn signal operation unit 41, an automatic driving operation lamp 16, an automatic driving start switch 42, an automatic driving stop switch 43, an emergency stop switch 44, and a level setting operation unit 45. As described above, in this embodiment, four automatic driving operation lamps 16 are provided. In the following, the switches are also referred to as "SWs."

The display 37 is a display device for displaying various information including map information in the route guidance function. The display 37 has a touch panel function, and various input operations can be performed by touching the display 37 (more specifically, touching the touch panel) in accordance with the displayed content of the display 37.

The HUD 38 is a display device capable of projecting various information near the windshield 10. The microphone 39 acquires the voices of the driver and other passengers and inputs the voice signals to the autonomous driving control unit 30. The speaker 40 outputs voices based on the various voice signals output from the autonomous driving control unit 30.

The turn signal operation unit 41 has an operating lever that is operated by the driver to blink the turn signal (not shown), and outputs a turn signal operation signal indicating the operating state of the operating lever to the automatic driving control unit 30.

The autonomous driving start SW 42 is a switch for putting the vehicle 1 into the highly automated mode. The driver of the vehicle 1 must press the autonomous driving start SW 42 to set the vehicle 1 into the highly automated mode and execute autonomous driving. The autonomous driving stop SW 43 is a switch for forcibly switching the autonomous driving level of the vehicle 1 to level 0 regardless of the driving mode that has been set. The emergency stop SW 44 is a switch for forcibly stopping the vehicle 1. The level setting operation unit 45 is a user interface for accepting an operation for setting the autonomous driving level by the driver (details will be described later).

If the driver recognizes that a fraudulent factor such as a computer virus or unauthorized operation has occurred, the driver can forcibly cancel the automatic driving by pressing the automatic driving stop switch 43, and drive the vehicle 1 by the driver's own driving operation.

The automatic driving start SW 42, the automatic driving stop SW 43, and the emergency stop SW 44 are provided, for example, near the driver's seat in the vehicle cabin, in a position where the driver sitting in the driver's seat can operate them while driving. However, the installation locations of these SWs 42, 43, and 44 may be determined appropriately, and the same SWs may be provided in multiple locations. For example, the emergency stop SW 44 may be provided near a seat other than the driver's seat (for example, the passenger seat). In this way, for example, if something happens to the driver while driving and it becomes difficult for the driver to operate the vehicle normally, the passenger sitting in the passenger seat can operate the emergency stop SW 44 to bring the vehicle 1 to an emergency stop.

The vehicle 1 is also provided with an accelerator pedal 27a and a brake pedal 28a. The accelerator pedal 27a is depressed by the driver when the driver wishes to drive the vehicle 1. The brake pedal 28a is depressed by the driver when the driver wishes to decelerate or stop the vehicle 1 while it is moving.

The vehicle 1 also includes a vehicle speed sensor 24, a driving control unit 27, a brake control unit 28, a pedal sensor 28b, and a steering control unit 29 as components connected to the automatic driving control unit 30, as shown in FIG. 2.

The pedal sensor 28b is a sensor for detecting whether or not the driver's foot is placed on the brake pedal 28a, and is provided on the surface of the brake pedal 28a that the driver's foot touches. The signal output from the pedal sensor 28b differs depending on whether or not the driver's foot is placed on the brake pedal 28a. The automatic driving control unit 30 is configured to be able to determine whether or not the driver's foot is placed on the brake pedal 28a based on the signal output from the pedal sensor 28b.

The traveling drive control unit 27 includes an accelerator sensor (not shown) for detecting the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal 27a. The traveling drive control unit 27 controls the traveling of the vehicle 1 by controlling an engine and a transmission (not shown) based on various information such as the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal 27a detected by the accelerator sensor, the operation position of a shift lever (not shown), the vehicle speed, and the engine speed. On the other hand, when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode (more specifically, when any of the seven types of automatic control functions described above is executed), the automatic driving control unit 30 outputs control information required to realize the automatic control function to be executed to the traveling drive control unit 27. In this case, the traveling drive control unit 27 controls the engine and the transmission according to the control information from the automatic driving control unit 30 even if the accelerator pedal 27a is not depressed. Note that the vehicle 1 of this embodiment includes an engine as a driving source for traveling, but the automatic driving control device of the present disclosure can also be applied to a vehicle equipped with a driving source for traveling other than an engine. In that case, the traveling drive control unit 27 shown in FIG. 2 has a function of controlling the driving source for traveling of the vehicle.

The brake control unit 28 is equipped with a brake sensor (not shown) for detecting the amount of depression of the brake pedal 28a. The brake control unit 28 controls a brake device (not shown) based on the amount of depression of the brake pedal 28a detected by the brake sensor. On the other hand, when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode (more specifically, when any of the seven types of automatic control functions described above is executed), the brake control unit 28 controls the brake device according to control information from the automatic driving control unit 30 even if the brake pedal 28a is not depressed.

The steering control unit 29 has two main functions. One is a so-called electric power steering function. The electric power steering function is a function that assists the driver's operation of the steering wheel 20 by using a motor. The other is an automatic steering function that automatically steers the steering wheels (e.g., the front wheels) of the vehicle 1 without the driver's operation. The steering of the steering wheels is basically performed by the driver operating the steering wheel 20, but when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode (more specifically, when at least one of the seven types of automatic control functions described above, excluding automatic start/stop control and following distance control, is executed), the steering control unit 29 automatically controls the steering of the steering wheels by controlling the motor according to control information from the automatic driving control unit 30, even if the driver is not operating the steering wheel 20.

(3) Description of Autonomous Driving Function In the vehicle 1 of this embodiment, the autonomous driving control unit 30 can acquire and detect various pieces of information necessary to realize the autonomous driving function described above.

Information that can be used to realize the autonomous driving function includes, first, information such as the vehicle's position and speed (vehicle information). The vehicle's position can be obtained by calculation based on GPS information. The vehicle's speed can be obtained by calculation based on the vehicle speed signal from the vehicle speed sensor 24, the steering angle signal from the steering angle sensor (not shown), the yaw rate signal from the yaw rate sensor (not shown), etc. The vehicle's speed can also be calculated from the rate of change of the vehicle's position.

In addition, information that can be used to realize autonomous driving functions also includes information about moving objects in the vicinity. Specifically, this information is about the relative positions, distances, and speeds of vehicles in front, behind, to the side, oncoming vehicles, vehicles crossing the intersection ahead, pedestrians, bicycles, etc., relative to the vehicle itself.

Information about these surrounding moving objects can be obtained based on the image capture data from each of the cameras 2-8 and the detection results from each of the radar devices 11-14. Various technologies for recognizing surrounding objects based on image capture data and the detection results from radar devices have been proposed and put to practical use, so a description of them will be omitted here.

Information about surrounding moving objects can also be obtained by vehicle-to-vehicle communication, road-to-vehicle communication, and pedestrian-to-vehicle communication. For example, by performing vehicle-to-vehicle communication with surrounding vehicles, it is possible to recognize not only surrounding vehicles that are visible to the vehicle itself, but also the positions and movements of surrounding vehicles that are in blind spots and cannot be seen directly from the vehicle itself. As described above, road-to-vehicle communication can obtain information about the presence of surrounding vehicles and pedestrians. As described above, pedestrian-to-vehicle communication can know the positions and movements of pedestrians based on terminal position information received via pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit 34.

By using one or more of vehicle-to-vehicle communication, road-to-vehicle communication, and pedestrian-to-vehicle communication, it is possible to, for example, obtain information on oncoming vehicles during normal driving (especially on curves) or when turning right in order to prevent head-on collisions with oncoming vehicles, obtain information on motorcycles on the left side or rear in order to prevent motorcycles from being hit when turning left, obtain information on vehicles on the side (rear side) when changing lanes, obtain information on vehicles ahead in order to prevent rear-end collisions, obtain information on other vehicles traveling on the crossing side in order to prevent head-on collisions at intersections, and obtain information on pedestrians, etc. in order to prevent collisions with pedestrians, etc.

Information that can be used to realize autonomous driving functions also includes information about various road markings painted directly on the road, such as lane markings (including parking markings), pedestrian crossings, and stop lines. Information about road markings includes the position and content of the markings. This information about road markings can be obtained based on the image data captured by each of the cameras 2 to 8. Various technologies for recognizing road markings from image data have been proposed and put to practical use, so a description of these will be omitted here.

Information about road signs in the direction of travel can also be obtained through road-to-vehicle communication. Although the vehicle 1 of this embodiment is not equipped with a laser radar, it is also possible to obtain information about various road signs.

In addition, information that can be used to realize the autonomous driving function also includes information on traffic lights, railroad crossings, signs (including billboards), intersections, junctions/diverging points, sidewalks, obstacles, dangerous areas, and other above-ground structures (collectively referred to as "infrastructure-related information" below). In addition to the presence and location of the various objects mentioned above, infrastructure-related information also includes information on the color of traffic lights, the operating status of railroad crossings, and the display content of signs, billboards, etc. Infrastructure-related information can also be recognized and acquired based on the photographic data of each of the cameras 2 to 8, and can also be acquired through road-to-vehicle communication. Various types of infrastructure information can also be acquired from the route guidance function described above, which is based on GPS information and map data, etc.

In addition, regulation information can also be used to realize autonomous driving functions. For example, if there are driving restrictions in place in the direction of travel due to construction, accidents, natural disasters, etc., this regulation information can be obtained through road-to-vehicle communication.

The various types of information that can be used to realize autonomous driving functions, such as the information about surrounding moving objects, infrastructure-related information, information about road signs, and regulatory information, correspond to examples of surrounding information in this disclosure.

The automatic driving control unit 30 can realize automatic driving by acquiring the various information described above and controlling the driving control unit 27, the brake control unit 28, the steering control unit 29, and other necessary in-vehicle devices based on the information. Specifically, the automatic driving control unit 30 can execute the seven types of automatic control functions described above. As described above, the seven types of automatic control functions in this embodiment are automatic start/stop control, lane keeping control, vehicle distance control, lane change control, right/left turn control, collision prevention control, and parking control.

Automatic start/stop control is a control that automatically stops the vehicle 1 when the conditions for stopping are met while driving, and automatically starts the vehicle 1 when the conditions for stopping are lifted after stopping. This control is performed using information about the vehicle itself, as well as information about surrounding moving objects obtained from the cameras 2-8 and the radar sensors 11-14, infrastructure-related information and regulation information obtained through road-to-vehicle communication, and so on.

This automatic start/stop control allows the vehicle to continue moving if the traffic light at an intersection is green, and to stop if the light is red or yellow; to stop the vehicle if it detects a railroad crossing ahead and that the barrier is down; and to stop the vehicle and then start moving again if the barrier is not down. The vehicle will also automatically stop if an obstacle is detected ahead.

Various control parameters required for executing the automatic start/stop control, such as the deceleration when automatically stopping and the acceleration when automatically starting, are set as default values in advance and stored in memory 30b. However, these control parameters may be set to any value that can be changed from the default values.

Lane keeping control is a control system that automatically steers the steering wheels so that the vehicle travels along the lane without deviating from the lane markings. This control is performed in cooperation with the route guidance function, using information on the vehicle itself, as well as information on road markings (especially lane markings) obtained from the cameras 2-8 and the radar sensors 11-14.

Inter-vehicle distance control is a method of controlling the speed of a vehicle so that it follows another vehicle while maintaining a fixed distance from the other vehicle when the other vehicle is traveling ahead of the vehicle. Inter-vehicle distance control also includes so-called cruise control. Specifically, if there are no other vehicles within a certain range (for example, within 100 m ahead) in front of the vehicle, in other words, if there is no vehicle to be followed in front of the vehicle, the vehicle is made to travel at a set speed. Inter-vehicle distance control is performed using information about the vehicle itself as well as information about surrounding moving objects (particularly the vehicle ahead) obtained mainly from each of the cameras 2-8 and each of the radar sensors 11-14.

Various parameters used in vehicle distance control, such as the vehicle distance from the vehicle in front when following the vehicle in front and the upper limit of the vehicle's speed, are set in advance. However, these control parameters may be set or changed as desired. In addition, in vehicle distance control, the vehicle speed, which is one of the control parameters used when there are no other vehicles within a certain range in front of the vehicle, is set to the legal speed of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, in principle. However, the vehicle speed in this case may be set as desired. In that case, it may be set as desired within a range not exceeding the legal speed.

Lane change control is a control that, when a lane change (steering to change lanes) is necessary, detects other vehicles in the adjacent lane to which the lane is to be changed, and automatically changes lanes while controlling the driving force, braking force, and steering to avoid colliding with other vehicles depending on the presence, position, and speed of other vehicles. This control is performed using information about the vehicle itself, as well as information about surrounding moving objects (particularly other vehicles in adjacent lanes), information about lane dividing lines, and information about other vehicles (vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes) obtained from each of the cameras 2-8 and each of the radar sensors 11-14, as well as information about lane dividing lines, and information about other vehicles obtained through vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

The right/left turn control is a control for automatically turning right or left when a right or left turn is required, without colliding with oncoming vehicles, vehicles traveling at an intersection, other vehicles around the vehicle, pedestrians, etc. This control is performed using information on the vehicle itself, as well as information on surrounding moving objects obtained from the cameras 2 to 8 and the radar sensors 11 to 14, information on other vehicles obtained by vehicle-to-vehicle communication, information on pedestrians, etc. obtained by pedestrian-to-vehicle communication, etc.

Collision prevention control is a control that automatically steers, brakes, stops, etc. the vehicle to avoid colliding with an obstacle that is present on the road in the vehicle's travel direction. It is performed using information about surrounding moving objects obtained from each of the cameras 2 to 8 and each of the radar sensors 11 to 14, infrastructure-related information and regulation information obtained through road-to-vehicle communication, etc.

When a specific target parking position (for example, within a parking space in a specific parking lot) is set as the destination, parking control calculates the driving trajectory to the target parking position and controls the vehicle's driving force, braking force, and steering along that driving trajectory to automatically park the vehicle.

The driver or the like can set which of the seven control functions will be executed, i.e., the autonomous driving level, at his/her discretion. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 3A, the autonomous driving level can be set at will in both the highly automated mode and the basic mode. However, in the basic mode, level 7 cannot be set, and any of levels 0 to 6 can be set. On the other hand, in the highly automated mode, level 0 cannot be set, and any of levels 1 to 7 can be set. Furthermore, the basic mode level can be set within a range lower than the highly automated mode level. Conversely, the highly automated mode level can be set within a range higher than the basic mode level.

In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3A, at level 1, control A (e.g., lane keeping control) is executed. At level 2, control B (e.g., vehicle distance control) is executed in addition to control A. At level 3, control C (e.g., automatic start/stop control) is executed in addition to controls A and B. At level 4, control D (e.g., collision prevention control) is executed in addition to controls A, B, and C. At level 5, control E (e.g., lane change control) is executed in addition to controls A, B, C, and D. At level 6, control F (e.g., right/left turn control) is executed in addition to controls A, B, C, D, and E. At level 7, control G (e.g., parking control) is executed in addition to controls A, B, C, D, E, and F. In other words, the number of automatic control functions executed increases as the level increases, and at level 7, the vehicle is fully automated.

The level setting for each driving mode can be performed by operating the level setting operation unit 45 provided near the driver's seat for each driving mode. In this embodiment, the autonomous driving level for the basic mode is set to level 0 by default, and the autonomous driving level for the highly automated mode is set to level 7 by default. The currently set autonomous driving level can be changed arbitrarily for each driving mode. For example, if the basic mode is set to level 0, the highly automated mode can be changed arbitrarily between levels 1 to 7. For example, if the basic mode is set to level 1, the highly automated mode can be changed arbitrarily between levels 2 to 7. For example, if the highly automated mode is set to level 4, the basic mode can be changed arbitrarily between levels 0 to 3.

Note that which automatic control function is executed at which level is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 3A. For example, it is not necessary that the number of automatic control functions executed increases by one each time the level increases by one. Which automatic control function is executed at which level may be determined as appropriate. In addition, the seven types of automatic control functions described above are merely an example, and the number of automatic control functions and the specific content of each automatic control function may be determined as appropriate.

In addition, while assuming that the number of automatic control functions executed increases by one each time the level increases by one, as shown in FIG. 3A, the contents of Control A to Control G may be set by the driver or other person as desired, as shown in FIG. 3B.

In the present embodiment, the vehicle 1 is normally set to the basic driving mode. On the other hand, when the automatic driving start switch 42 is pressed, the driving mode becomes the highly automated mode under certain conditions. If lane change control, right/left turn control, and parking control are set, a destination (target parking position in the case of parking control) may be set. Specifically, a route guidance function may be started and the destination may be input via a touch panel. When a destination is set, automatic driving is basically performed along the calculated route to the destination while checking the position of the vehicle in cooperation with the route guidance function.

When the autonomous driving level is set to a driving mode of level 1 or higher, if a destination is not set, the specific manner in which the automatic control function applied in the current driving mode is executed may be determined as appropriate. For example, when a driving mode in which a right/left turn control function is executed is set, if a destination is not set, the right/left turn control function may be executed so that the vehicle will generally follow the road. If it becomes necessary to select a direction of travel, for example when approaching a fork in the road, the right/left turn control function may be executed so that the vehicle will proceed in a predetermined direction. In addition, if a destination is not set, the right/left turn control function may be disabled. The parking control function may also be disabled if a destination (specifically, a place to park) is not set.

Various control examples in the highly automated mode when the automated driving level of the highly automated mode is set to level 7 will be described with reference to FIG. 4. Each of the vehicles 61 to 67 shown in FIG. 4 has the same configuration as the vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1A, FIG. 1B, and FIG. 2. A vehicle traveling within the communication area of the road communication device 81 can receive individual road information from the road communication device 81. At least four of the vehicles 61, 65, 66, and 67 in FIG. 4 can receive individual road information from at least two road communication devices 81a and 81b in their vicinity. Specifically, they can obtain information on the traffic light 71 ahead, information on the oncoming vehicle 62, information on pedestrians 76, etc.

In addition, at least the vehicle 63 can receive individual road information from at least the roadside communication device 81c in its vicinity. Specifically, it can obtain information such as the presence of a stop sign 73 (i.e., that the vehicle should stop), and that another vehicle 64 is approaching from the right.

In addition, at least vehicle 64 can receive individual road information from at least the roadside communication device 81d in its vicinity. Specifically, it can obtain information such as that another vehicle 63 is approaching from the left side.

In addition, at least the vehicle 62 can receive individual road information from at least the roadside communication device 81e in its vicinity. Specifically, it can obtain information such as information about the traffic light 72 ahead, the presence of an oncoming vehicle 61 about to turn right, the presence of a pedestrian crossing in the direction of the left turn, and the presence of a pedestrian 76 at the crossing.

Each vehicle 61-66 can also obtain various information from its own cameras 2-8 and radar devices 11-14, and can also obtain various information through vehicle-to-vehicle communication and pedestrian-to-vehicle communication. For example, vehicle 65 can detect the vehicle 67 ahead and the vehicle 66 on the right side using the camera and radar device, and can thus drive while maintaining an appropriate distance from the vehicle 67 ahead, and when a lane change is necessary, can change lanes at an appropriate timing while taking into account the positional relationship with the vehicle 66 on the right side. Vehicle 65 can also detect pedestrian 77 running out using the camera and radar device. When vehicle 65 detects pedestrian 77 running out, it can perform appropriate deceleration control so as not to collide with pedestrian 77 while taking into account the distance from the vehicle 65 behind.

In this way, each vehicle 61-66 can appropriately drive its own vehicle to its destination by autonomous driving using various information, such as various information obtained by the vehicle itself and various information obtained from the road.

(4) Switching of driving modes When the automatic driving start SW 42 is pressed, the automatic driving control unit 30 does not necessarily operate in the highly automated mode until the automatic driving stop SW 43 is pressed (or until the destination is reached). When the automatic driving start SW 42 is pressed, the calculation unit 30a of the automatic driving control unit 30 switches between the highly automated mode and the basic mode by executing the main process shown in Fig. 5. In other words, the mode switching function is realized by the calculation unit 30a executing the main process in Fig. 5.

When a start switch (e.g., an ignition switch) (not shown) of the vehicle 1 is turned on, the calculation unit 30a reads and executes the main processing program of FIG. 5 from the memory 30b. When the calculation unit 30a starts the main processing of FIG. 5, in S10, the operation mode is set to the basic mode, and an automatic control function based on the automatic operation level set as the basic mode is executed. For example, when level 1 is set as the basic mode, the automatic control function of control A (see FIG. 3A) is executed. The automatic control function is executed based on various information acquired as necessary, including the above-mentioned surrounding information. Note that when level 0 is set as the basic mode, none of the automatic control functions are executed. The automatic control functions set as the execution target in the basic mode are executed automatically, but other functions are basically left to the driver's operation.

In S15, it is determined whether a destination has been set. If a destination has not yet been set (S15: NO), in S20, it is determined whether a destination has been set. If a destination has not been set (S20: NO), the process returns to S15. In other words, the basic mode continues until a destination is set.

If the destination has been set (S15: YES) or if the destination has been set and input in S20 (S20: YES), it is determined in S25 whether the automatic driving start SW42 has been turned on. If the automatic driving start SW42 has not been turned on (S25: NO), the process returns to S15. If the automatic driving start SW42 has been turned on (S25: YES), the automatic driving control process is executed in S30. The automatic driving control process is a process that determines whether the driving mode can be switched from the basic mode to the highly automated mode, and switches to the highly automated mode if possible. The automatic driving control process also includes a process that determines whether the mode should be switched back to the basic mode after switching to the highly automated mode, and switches to the basic mode if it should be switched. Details of the automatic driving control process in S30 are as shown in FIG. 6.

When proceeding to the automatic driving control process of FIG. 6, in S110, it is determined whether the current driving mode is the highly automated mode. If it is already in the highly automated mode (S110: YES), proceed to S200. If it is not the highly automated mode but the basic mode (S110: NO), proceed to S120.

In S120, it is determined whether the initial automatic switching confirmation process in S130 has already been executed. The initial automatic switching confirmation process is one of the automatic switching confirmation processes for determining whether the driving mode of the vehicle 1 can be switched from the basic mode to the highly automated mode, and is the automatic switching confirmation process that is executed first after the start switch of the vehicle 1 is turned on.

If the initial automatic switchover confirmation process has not been executed after the main process has started (S120:
If the answer is NO, the process proceeds to S130 and executes the initial automatic switching confirmation process. If the initial automatic switching confirmation process has already been executed after the start of the main process (S120: YES), it is determined in S140 whether or not driving has been performed after startup. If the vehicle has been driven even a little after startup regardless of the driving mode (S140: YES), the process proceeds to S150 and executes the normal automatic switching confirmation process. If the vehicle has not been driven at all since startup (S140: NO), the process proceeds to S160. The normal automatic switching confirmation process is one of the automatic switching confirmation processes for determining whether or not the driving mode of the vehicle 1 can be switched from the basic mode to the highly automated mode, and is an automatic switching confirmation process that is executed when the initial automatic switching confirmation process has already been executed.

Note that it is not essential to separate the automatic switching confirmation process into an initial automatic switching confirmation process and a normal automatic switching confirmation process. One of the processes may be omitted, and only the other may be executed if a negative judgment is made in S110. Alternatively, both may be combined into a single automatic switching confirmation process, and if a positive judgment is made in S110, that single automatic switching confirmation process may be executed.

Details of the initial automatic switching confirmation process of S130 are as shown in FIG. 7. When proceeding to the initial automatic switching confirmation process of FIG. 7, the driver's operation state is confirmed in S310. In this embodiment, when switching to the highly automated mode immediately after startup, it is required that the driver can operate the vehicle 1 normally. This is to ensure that the basic mode can be smoothly returned to if it becomes necessary to return to the basic mode after starting driving in the highly automated mode. It also serves to prevent a person who is inexperienced in driving (e.g. a child) or a person who should not be operating the vehicle 1 from driving the vehicle 1 in automatic driving mode without permission.

The specific operational state to be checked in S310 may be determined as appropriate. For example, a first judgment method may be used in which it is judged whether the driver is gripping the steering wheel 20 and depressing the brake pedal 28a. Alternatively, a second judgment method may be used in which the driver drives the vehicle 1 for a certain period of time (e.g., several tens of seconds) and it is judged whether the driving operation during the drive is normal. Specifically, it may be judged whether the driving operation is normal based on, for example, whether the accelerator operation is smooth, whether the steering wheel 20 is operated smoothly (whether the operation is performed in accordance with the shape of the driving route), whether the vehicle was able to drive without wavering in the lane detected by various in-vehicle cameras and radar devices, whether the vehicle was able to drive in accordance with the signals and signs detected by various in-vehicle cameras and radar devices, etc.

Furthermore, the method of determining whether or not the driver is seated in the driver's seat may be used alone or in combination with other determination methods.
In S320, it is determined whether or not the highly automated mode can be switched to based on the confirmation result of S310. For example, when the first determination method is used in S310, if it is determined that the steering wheel 20 is being held and the brake pedal 28a is being depressed, it may be determined that the highly automated mode can be switched to. In this case, it may also be determined whether or not the driver is seated in the driver's seat based on the detection signal from the seat sensor 25, and it may be determined that the highly automated mode can be switched to when the driver is seated in the driver's seat. Also, for example, when the second determination method is used in S310, if it is determined that the driving operation during driving is normal, it may be determined that the highly automated mode can be switched to. In this case, it may also be determined whether or not the driver is seated in the driver's seat based on the detection signal from the seat sensor 25, and it may be determined that the highly automated mode can be switched to when the driver is seated in the driver's seat. Note that the operation state confirmed in S310 being a state in which it is determined that the highly automated mode can be switched to in S320 is an example of a basic mode switching condition.

In S330, it is determined whether or not switching to the highly automated mode is possible based on the determination result of S320. If it is determined in S320 that switching to the highly automated mode is possible (S330: YES), the process proceeds to S335.

In S335, it is determined whether the occupants are wearing their seat belts. This determination is made based on the detection signals from the seating sensor 25 and the belt sensor 26. Specifically, the determination in S335 may be, for example, a determination of whether all occupants are wearing their seat belts, or, for example, a determination of whether at least the occupants in a specific seat (e.g., the driver's seat and passenger seat) are wearing their seat belts. If it is determined in S335 that all occupants being determined are wearing their seat belts (S335: YES), the process proceeds to S340.

In S340, it is determined whether the basic mode maintenance flag has been cleared. Note that the basic mode maintenance flag and the various flags described below are all cleared to their initial values when the main processing starts.

If the basic mode maintenance flag is cleared (S340: YES), the highly automated switching flag is set in S350. After processing S350, proceed to S160 (Figure 6). If it is determined in S330 that switching to the highly automated mode is not possible, proceed to S360. Also, if any of the occupants being judged are not wearing their seat belts in S335 (S335: NO), proceed to S360. Also, if it is determined in S340 that the basic mode maintenance flag is not cleared (i.e., set) (S340: NO), proceed to S360. In S360, the highly automated switching flag is cleared. After processing S360, proceed to S160 (Figure 6).

Next, the details of the normal automatic switching confirmation process of S150 (FIG. 6) are as shown in FIG. 8. When proceeding to the normal automatic switching confirmation process of FIG. 8, in S410, it is determined whether or not the normal transition condition to the highly automated mode is satisfied. There are various possible normal transition conditions to the highly automated mode, and for example, the driver may be holding the steering wheel 20. Also, for example, the vehicle 1 may be traveling within the legal speed limit and may be in a state in which it is possible to travel straight or in a similar manner (with few turns) for a certain period of time. In other words, the normal transition condition may be set so that the highly automated mode can be switched to in a stable state. Also, as the normal transition condition, for example, the driver being seated in the driver's seat may be used alone or in combination with other conditions (for example, as a logical OR or AND with other conditions). Note that this normal transition condition is an example of a highly automated switching condition.

If the normal transition condition to the highly automated mode is met (S410: YES), in S480 it is determined whether the basic mode maintenance flag is cleared. If the basic mode maintenance flag is not cleared (S480: NO), in S470 the highly automated switching flag is cleared and the process proceeds to S160 (Figure 6). If the basic mode maintenance flag is cleared (S480: YES), in S490 the highly automated switching flag is set and the process proceeds to S160 (Figure 6).

If it is determined in S410 that the normal transition conditions to the highly automated mode are not met (S410: NO), the basic mode is basically prioritized and maintained. However, if a driver is seated in the driver's seat, the process from S420 onwards checks the driver's condition, and if there is any abnormality in the driver's condition (an abnormality that may prevent the driver from driving normally), the highly automated mode switch flag is set to switch to the highly automated mode.

That is, basically, switching from the basic mode to the highly automated mode is performed after confirming that the driver and the vehicle 1 are in a stable state, but on the other hand, when the driver is in a state where he/she cannot (or does not) drive the vehicle 1 normally, depending on the state, it may be necessary to forcibly switch to the highly automated mode to properly drive the vehicle 1. Therefore, in S420 and subsequent steps, when the driver is in a state where he/she cannot drive the vehicle 1 normally, the highly automated switching flag is set.

Specifically, if it is determined in S410 that the normal transition condition to the highly automated mode is not met (S410: NO), then in S415 it is determined whether or not the driver is seated in the driver's seat. If the driver is not seated in the driver's seat (S415: NO), the normal automatic switching confirmation process in FIG. 8 is terminated and the process proceeds to S160 (FIG. 6). In this case, the driving mode is maintained in the basic mode. On the other hand, if the driver is seated in the driver's seat (S415: YES), the process proceeds to S420.

In S420, it is determined whether the driver is looking ahead. This determination may be made based on image data captured by the interior camera 3. Examples of cases in which the driver is not looking ahead include when the driver is watching television, operating a mobile phone or smartphone, or distracted while driving.

If the driver's gaze is directed forward (S420: YES), proceed to S450. If the driver's gaze is not directed forward (S420: NO), proceed to S430 to determine whether the vehicle is stopped. If the vehicle 1 is stopped (S430: YES), proceed to S450. If the vehicle 1 is moving (S430: NO), proceed to S440 to determine whether the driver's gaze is not directed forward for a specified time period. If the driver's gaze is not directed forward for a specified time period (S440: NO), proceed to S450. If the driver's gaze is not directed forward for a specified time period (S440: YES), proceed to S490 to set the high automation switch flag.

In S450, it is determined whether the driver's eye condition is normal. Specifically, if the driver is not dozing or in a similar state, it is determined to be normal, and if the driver is dozing or in a similar state, it is determined to be abnormal. This determination may be made based on image data captured by the interior camera 3.

If the driver's eye condition is normal (S450: YES), proceed to S460. If the driver's eye condition is abnormal (S450: NO), proceed to S490 and set the high automation switch flag.

In S460, it is determined whether the driver's physical condition is normal. Specifically, this is determined based on the biological information obtained from the biosensor 21. For example, if the pulse rate is within the normal range and the driver is not abnormally sweating, the physical condition is determined to be normal. Conversely, if the pulse rate is outside the normal range or the driver is abnormally sweating, the physical condition is determined to be abnormal.

If the driver's physical condition is normal (S460: YES), proceed to S470 and clear the high automation switch flag. If the driver's physical condition is abnormal (S460: NO), proceed to S490 and set the high automation switch flag. After processing S470 and S490, proceed to S160 (FIG. 6). Note that the driver's condition being in a state that is judged as positive in S440, being in a state that is judged as negative in S450, and being in a state that is judged as negative in S460 are all examples of high automation switch conditions.

In S160, it is determined whether or not the high automation switching flag is set. If the high automation switching flag is not set (cleared) (S160: NO), proceed to S200. If the high automation switching flag is set (S160: YES), in S170, the driving mode is set to the high automation mode and automatic driving to the destination is started. More specifically, in S170, the driving mode is set to the high automation mode and an automatic control function based on the automatic driving level set as the high automation mode is executed. For example, when level 6 is set as the high automation mode, six types of automatic control functions of control A to F (see FIG. 3A) are executed. Also, for example, when level 7 is set as the high automation mode, all seven types of automatic control functions of control A to G are executed to realize fully automatic driving. The automatic control function is executed based on various information acquired as necessary, including the above-mentioned surrounding information.

In S180, a notification is given that automated driving in the highly automated mode has started. Specifically, the driver is notified by voice or other means that the mode has been switched to the highly automated mode. This notification may be given only when the mode is switched to the highly automated mode, or may be given appropriately after the mode has been switched to (e.g., repeatedly at specified time intervals). Furthermore, the notification method is not limited to voice. For example, the notification may be given by various methods, such as vibrating the steering wheel in a specific pattern or displaying a specific message on the instrument panel inside the vehicle.

In S185, a cut-in notification is issued to those around the vehicle 1 to make them aware that they are not to be cut in front of the vehicle 1. The specific method of the cut-in notification may be determined as appropriate. For example, a lamp for cutting in notification may be provided and turned on. Also, for example, an image indicating that cutting in is not desired may be displayed on the side or window of the vehicle 1 so as to be visible from outside the vehicle. Also, for example, a specific sound may be generated from the horn. The specific sound is, for example, a sound that is different from the normal sound generated when the driver himself presses the button for sounding the horn. Also, for example, the fact that cutting in is not desired may be notified to those outside the vehicle using wireless communication such as road-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and pedestrian-to-vehicle communication together with information about the vehicle (for example, location information, license plate information, etc.).

In S190, the four automatic driving operation lamps 16 are turned on. This allows the vehicle 1 to be recognized as being driven in the highly automated mode when viewed from outside. Note that methods other than turning on the four automatic driving operation lamps 16 may be used to notify the outside that the vehicle 1 is being driven in the highly automated mode. For example, an image indicating that the vehicle 1 is being driven in the highly automated mode may be displayed on the side or window of the vehicle 1 so as to be visible from outside the vehicle. In addition, for example, the fact that the highly automated mode is set may be notified to the outside of the vehicle using wireless communication such as road-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and pedestrian-to-vehicle communication together with information about the vehicle (e.g., location information, license plate information, etc.).

In S200, a basic mode switching confirmation process is executed. Details of the basic mode switching confirmation process in S200 are as shown in FIG. 10. The basic mode switching confirmation process in FIG. 10 is a process that determines whether the conditions for switching from the highly automated mode to the basic mode are met, and if the conditions are met, switches to the basic mode (more specifically, clears the highly automated switching flag for this purpose).

Prior to describing the basic mode switching confirmation process in FIG. 10, an example of a condition for switching to the basic mode in this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 9. FIG. 9 illustrates a road 90 with a curve. Road construction is underway in a section of the road 90, and a sign 91 indicating the start of the construction section has been installed near point A. Additionally, a sign 92 indicating the end of the construction section has been installed near point D. Vehicle 1 is about to enter point A.

The vehicle 1 can recognize the contents of each sign 91, 92 from the photographing results of each front camera 2, 5, and detect when it has entered or left the construction zone. In addition, by acquiring the position information of the construction zone from the road communication device 81, it can detect that the vehicle 1 is approaching the start point of the construction zone, that the vehicle 1 has entered the construction zone, that the vehicle 1 has left the construction zone, and the like. Note that this construction zone (which may include the section a certain distance before the start point of the construction zone) corresponds to the specific driving area described below.

The section from point B to point C is a caution zone where the road is narrow and has many curves, and where the driver should reduce his/her speed to ensure safe driving. By acquiring position information of this caution zone from the roadside communication device 81, the vehicle 1 can detect that the vehicle 1 is approaching the start point of the caution zone, that the vehicle 1 has entered the caution zone, or that the vehicle 1 has left the caution zone. This caution zone from point B to point C (which may include the section a certain distance before the start of the caution zone) also corresponds to a specific driving area, which will be described later.

Also, roughly halfway between points E and F is accident site 95, where a traffic accident has occurred. The accident section from point E to point F, which is centered on accident site 95, is also a section where the vehicle should slow down and drive with caution. By acquiring position information about this accident section from roadside communication device 81, vehicle 1 can detect that vehicle 1 is approaching the start point of the accident section, that vehicle 1 has entered the accident section, or that vehicle 1 has left the accident section. This accident section from point E to point F (which may also include the section a certain distance before the start of the accident section) also corresponds to a specific driving area, which will be described later.

In this embodiment, when the vehicle 1 travels in the above-mentioned specific travel area, the mode is switched from the highly automated mode to the basic mode. The basic mode switching confirmation process of S200 (FIG. 6) for achieving this will be explained with reference to FIG. 10.

When the calculation unit 30a proceeds to the basic mode switching confirmation process of FIG. 10, it determines in S510 whether or not the turn signal has been operated in the right turn direction by the turn signal operation unit 41. If the turn signal has been operated in the right turn direction (S510: YES), the basic mode maintenance flag is set in S550 to switch to the basic mode, the high automation switching flag is cleared in S560, and the process proceeds to S210 (FIG. 6). Note that the turn signal being operated in the right turn direction is an example of a basic mode switching condition.

If the blinker has not been operated in the right turn direction in S510 (S510: NO), then in S520 it is determined whether or not the vehicle is traveling in a specific driving area such as that illustrated in FIG. 9. If the vehicle is traveling in a specific driving area (S520: YES), then in order to switch to basic mode, the basic mode maintenance flag is set in S550, the high automation switch flag is cleared in S560, and the process proceeds to S210 (FIG. 6). Note that traveling in a specific driving area is one example of a basic mode switch condition.

If it is determined in S520 that the vehicle is not traveling within the specific driving area (S520: NO), it is determined in S530 whether a pedestrian has been detected running out. This determination may be based on the image captured by each of the front cameras 2, 5, the detection signal from the front radar device 11, the information received from the road-to-vehicle communication, and the information received from the pedestrian-to-vehicle communication. If a pedestrian has been detected running out (S530: YES), the basic mode maintenance flag is set in S550 to switch to the basic mode, the high automation switching flag is cleared in S560, and the process proceeds to S210 (FIG. 6). Note that the detection of a pedestrian running out is one example of a condition for switching to the basic mode.

If a pedestrian is detected running out into the road, an audio warning may be issued to alert the driver, or an image (a dummy pedestrian image) may be displayed on the HUD 38 to highlight that a pedestrian has run out into the roadside.

If no pedestrian is detected in S530 (S530: NO), S540 determines whether the environment outside the vehicle is a specific environment. The specific environment for switching to the basic mode may be set as appropriate. In this embodiment, the specific environment is at least bad weather with heavy rain, nighttime with poor visibility, and a state in which the driver feels dazzled due to backlighting.

Whether or not the weather is bad and there is a lot of rain can be determined based on the detection signal from the rainfall sensor 23. Whether or not it is nighttime can be determined based on the detection signal from the solar radiation sensor 22. Whether or not the driver is feeling dazzled due to backlight can be determined, for example, from the image captured by the first front camera 2.

If the environment outside the vehicle is a specific environment in S540 (S540: YES), the basic mode maintenance flag is set in S550 to switch to basic mode, the highly automated switching flag is cleared in S560, and the process proceeds to S210 (Figure 6). If the environment outside the vehicle is not a specific environment (S540: NO), it is determined that there is no need to switch to basic mode, the basic mode maintenance flag is cleared in S570, and the process proceeds to S210 (Figure 6). Note that the environment outside the vehicle being a specific environment is one example of a condition for switching to basic mode.

In S210, it is determined whether the high automation switch flag has been cleared. If the high automation switch flag has been cleared (S210: YES), in S220, the driving mode is switched to the basic mode, and the process proceeds to S35 (FIG. 5). The specific processing content of S220 is basically the same as S10, in which the driving mode is set to the basic mode, and an automatic control function based on the automatic driving level set as the basic mode is executed. Also, in S220, the four automatic driving operation lamps 16 are turned off. This makes it possible to recognize that the vehicle 1 is running in the basic mode when viewed from outside.

When switching to the basic mode in S220, the traveling speed of the vehicle 1 may be appropriately decelerated. Also, when switching to the basic mode in S220, the driver may be notified of the switch to the basic mode by various methods, such as a sound, vibration of the steering wheel, or a display on the instrument panel inside the vehicle.

In S210, if the high automation switch flag has not been cleared (S210: NO), the high automation mode is maintained and the process proceeds to S35 (FIG. 5).
In S35, it is determined whether the automatic driving stop SW 43 is turned on. If the automatic driving stop SW 43 is turned on (S35: YES), all of the above flags (including the forced stop flag described later) are cleared in S40, the driving mode is set to the basic mode in S45, and the process returns to S15. In S45, as in S10, the driving mode is set to the basic mode, and an automatic control function based on the automatic driving level set as the basic mode is executed.

If the automatic driving stop SW43 is not turned on (S35: NO), in S50, it is determined whether the destination has been reached. If the destination has been reached (S50: YES), in S55, the destination setting is cleared and the process proceeds to S40 and onward. If the destination has not been reached (S50: NO), in S60, it is determined whether the emergency stop SW44 has been turned on or the forced stop flag has been set. The forced stop flag is a flag that is set in each process of FIG. 11 and FIG. 13 described below.

If the emergency stop SW 44 is not turned on and the forced stop flag is not set (S60: NO), the process returns to S30. If the emergency stop SW 44 is turned on or the forced stop flag is set (S60: YES), all the flags described above are cleared in S65, as in S40. Then, in S70, a forced stop process is executed to forcibly stop the vehicle 1, and the main process is terminated. Thereafter, in order to execute the main process again, it is necessary to at least turn on the start switch again (for example, turn the ignition switch off once and then on again). The forced stop process in S70 is a process for automatically and forcibly stopping the vehicle 1. The specific manner in which the vehicle 1 is stopped may be determined appropriately. For example, the vehicle may be decelerated immediately on the road on which it is traveling and stopped. Also, for example, instead of stopping the vehicle on the road, the vehicle may be automatically driven to a place other than the road where the vehicle 1 can be stopped (for example, a parking lot near the vehicle) and stopped.

(5) Effects of the embodiment According to the vehicle 1 of the embodiment described above, the driving modes include a highly automated mode and a basic mode, and when a condition for transitioning to the basic mode (or a transition may be made) is met during the highly automated mode, the vehicle switches to the basic mode. Therefore, it is possible to switch from the highly automated mode to the basic mode at an appropriate timing. Conversely, when a condition for transitioning to the highly automated mode (or a transition may be made) is met during the basic mode, the vehicle switches to the highly automated mode. Therefore, it is possible to switch from the basic mode to the highly automated mode at an appropriate timing.

However, when the driving mode is basic mode, even if it is appropriate to switch to highly automated mode (specifically, even if the highly automated switching flag is set), if the state in which the basic mode should be maintained continues (specifically, the basic mode maintenance flag is set), the basic mode will be maintained. Therefore, in a situation in which the basic mode should be maintained, appropriate vehicle control that respects the driver's driving operations can be achieved.

The calculation unit 30a, S10 and S45 in FIG. 5, and S170 and S220 in FIG. 6 correspond to an example of a surrounding information acquisition unit, an example of a driving mode setting unit, and an example of an automatic control unit. In FIG. 8, the process in which a positive determination is made in S410 and the process proceeds to S480, and a negative determination is made in S480 and the process proceeds to S470 corresponds to an example of a driving mode setting unit.

[Other embodiments]
(1) As the basic mode switching confirmation process of S200 in FIG. 6, various other contents can be adopted separately from or in addition to the process shown in FIG.

For example, the basic mode switching confirmation process shown in FIG. 11 may be adopted. In the basic mode switching confirmation process shown in FIG. 11, first, in S610, a determination is made as to whether or not switching to the basic mode is necessary. This determination is a determination as to whether or not there is a state in which it is necessary to switch to the basic mode, and may be made based on various criteria. For example, if the vehicle 1 is traveling within a specific driving area or if there is a specific environment outside the vehicle, it may be determined that switching to the basic mode is necessary. In addition, for example, if an occupant who was wearing a seat belt undoes his or her seat belt, it may be determined that switching to the basic mode is necessary. In addition, for example, if other vehicles around the vehicle exhibit a specific behavior toward the vehicle, it may be determined that switching to the basic mode is necessary.

This determination can be made, for example, based on images captured by the cameras 2 to 8, detection results by the radar devices 11 to 14, etc. The specific behavior may be determined as appropriate. For example, the specific behavior may be another vehicle cutting in close to the vehicle's side. In this case, the method of determining whether or not another vehicle has cut in close to the vehicle's side may also be determined as appropriate. For example, it may be determined that another vehicle has cut in close to the vehicle's side when the distance between the vehicle and the vehicle in the left-right direction (the direction perpendicular to the front-rear direction) is within a specified distance. Also, for example, it may be determined that another vehicle has cut in close to the vehicle's side when the rate of change in the distance between the vehicle and the vehicle in the left-right direction is equal to or less than a negative specified rate of change.

For example, the specific behavior may be when a vehicle traveling behind the vehicle suddenly approaches the vehicle. In this case, the method for determining whether or not a vehicle is suddenly approaching may be determined appropriately. For example, similar to the method for determining whether a vehicle is approaching the rear of the vehicle described above, the determination may be based on the distance to the rear vehicle and the rate of change of that distance.

In S620, it is determined whether or not switching to the basic mode is necessary based on the result of the determination in S610. If switching to the basic mode is not necessary (S620: NO), the basic mode maintenance flag is cleared in S710, and the process proceeds to S210 (FIG. 6). If switching to the basic mode is necessary (S620: YES), it is determined in S630 whether or not the basic mode has already been set. If the basic mode has already been set (S630: YES), the process proceeds to S210 (FIG. 6). If the basic mode is not yet set (i.e., the vehicle is in the highly automated mode) (S630: NO), the driver is notified in S640 of the upcoming switch to the basic mode using various methods, such as a voice, a vibration of the steering wheel in a specific pattern, or a specific display on the instrument panel inside the vehicle.

In S650, it is determined whether the driver has performed a prescribed action in response to the notification in S640. As the prescribed action, various actions may be adopted that can confirm that the driver is in a state capable of driving in the basic mode. For example, the prescribed action may be the driver gripping the steering wheel 20 and looking ahead. In addition, the prescribed action may be, for example, having the driver make a specific sound, having the driver make a specific gesture, having the driver operate a specific operating member (e.g., a specific switch) inside the vehicle, etc.

If the driver has taken the prescribed action (S650: YES), the basic mode maintenance flag is set in S660, the high automation switch flag is cleared in S670, and the process proceeds to S210 (Figure 6). If the driver has not taken the prescribed action (S650: NO), a determination is made in S680 as to whether a timeout has elapsed since the start of the notification in S640 without the driver taking any prescribed action, i.e., whether a certain period of time has passed without the driver taking any prescribed action.

If the timeout has not yet occurred, the process returns to S650. If the timeout has occurred, the high automation switch flag is cleared in S690, the forced stop flag is set in S700, and the process proceeds to S210 (Figure 6). In other words, if the state in which the basic mode should be switched to continues for a certain period of time after the report in S640 without the driver taking the prescribed action, it is assumed that there may be some abnormality with the driver, and the forced stop flag is set to forcibly stop the vehicle 1.

In addition, as the basic mode switching confirmation process of S200 in FIG. 6, for example, the basic mode switching confirmation process shown in FIG. 12 may be adopted. In the basic mode switching confirmation process shown in FIG. 12, first, in S1010, it is determined whether or not inter-vehicle distance control is being executed among the multiple types of automatic control functions. In the above embodiment, as illustrated in FIG. 3A, inter-vehicle distance control is executed when the automatic driving level is level 2 or higher.

If vehicle distance control is not being performed (S1010: NO), the basic mode switching confirmation process ends. If vehicle distance control is being performed (S1010: YES), proceed to S1020.

In S1020, it is determined whether or not another vehicle has cut in ahead of the vehicle. This determination can be made, for example, based on images captured by the cameras 2 to 8, or detection results by the radar devices 11 to 14. The specific method of this determination may be determined as appropriate. For example, it may be determined that another vehicle has cut in when it enters ahead of the vehicle in the lane in which the vehicle is traveling. In this case, it may be determined that another vehicle has cut in not only when it has simply entered, but also when the state of entering continues for a specified time or more.

If it is determined that no other vehicle has cut in front of the vehicle (S1020: NO), the process proceeds to S1040. If it is determined that another vehicle has cut in front of the vehicle (S1020: YES), a warning process is performed in S1030, and the process proceeds to S1040. The warning process in S1030 is a process for calling attention to the other vehicle that has cut in front of the vehicle (for example, that the vehicle is behind the other vehicle, that the vehicle should not be cut in, etc.). The specific content of this warning process may be determined as appropriate. For example, the same process as the cut-in prohibition notification in S185 of FIG. 6 may be performed.

In S1040, it is determined whether or not the driver's foot is placed on the brake pedal 28a based on the detection signal from the pedal sensor 28b. If the driver's foot is placed on the brake pedal 28a (S1040: YES), the process proceeds to S1060. If the driver's foot is not placed on the brake pedal 28a (S1040: NO), the process performs an attention call process in S1050 and proceeds to S1060.

The attention calling process of S1050 is a process for prompting the driver to place his/her foot on the brake pedal 28a. The specific content of this attention calling process may be determined as appropriate. For example, the driver may be prompted by voice, by vibrating a specific location in the vehicle (e.g., the seat, the steering wheel 20, etc.), or by displaying warning information on the display 37 or the HUD 38. Note that if the driver does not place his/her foot on the brake pedal 28a even after the attention calling process is performed, a specific process may be executed. The specific process in this case may be, for example, a process for forcibly stopping the vehicle 1, or a process for switching the driving mode to the basic mode.

In S1060, it is determined whether the brake pedal 28a is depressed. If the brake pedal 28a is not depressed (S1060: NO), the process proceeds to S1080. If the brake pedal 28a is depressed (S1060: YES), the process performs brake response processing in S1070 and proceeds to S1080.

The specific content of the brake response process of S1070 may be determined as appropriate. For example, the vehicle distance, which is one of the control parameters used in the vehicle distance control, may be changed to a value greater than the current value so that the vehicle distance from the vehicle ahead is increased. In addition, when there are no other vehicles within a certain range ahead of the vehicle and so-called cruise control is being performed, the vehicle speed, which is one of the control parameters used in the vehicle distance control, may be changed to a value less than the current value so that the speed of the vehicle decreases.

In S1080, it is determined whether the accelerator pedal 27a is depressed. If the accelerator pedal 27a is not depressed (S1080: NO), the process proceeds to S1100. If the accelerator pedal 27a is depressed (S1080: YES), the accelerator response process is performed in S1090, and the process proceeds to S1100.

The specific content of the accelerator response process in S1090 may be determined as appropriate. For example, the vehicle distance, which is one of the control parameters used in the vehicle distance control, may be changed to a smaller value than the current value so that the vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle becomes shorter. Also, when there is no other vehicle within a certain range ahead of the host vehicle and so-called cruise control is being performed, one of the control parameters used in the vehicle distance control may be changed to a smaller value than the current value so that the speed of the host vehicle increases.
Alternatively, the vehicle speed may be changed to a value higher than the current value.

In S1100, it is determined whether sudden braking has occurred automatically by an automatic control function including vehicle distance control. What constitutes sudden braking may be determined as appropriate. For example, it may be determined that sudden braking has occurred when the deceleration of vehicle 1 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold.

If it is determined in S1100 that the sudden braking has not occurred (S1100: NO), the process proceeds to S1140. In S1140, the basic mode maintenance flag is cleared. If it is determined in S1100 that the sudden braking has occurred (S1100: YES), the process proceeds to S1110.

In S1110, it is determined whether or not it is necessary to switch the driving mode from the highly automated mode to the basic mode. This determination method may be determined as appropriate. For example, the actuation of sudden braking itself may be determined to be a state in which it is necessary to switch to the basic mode, and it may be determined that it is necessary to switch to the basic mode. Also, for example, each time it is determined in S1100 that sudden braking has been applied, the number of times this has been determined to have been applied may be accumulated and stored, and when the accumulated value reaches a predetermined upper limit number, it may be determined that it is necessary to switch to the basic mode.

If it is determined in S1110 that there is no need to switch to basic mode (S1110: NO), proceed to S1140. If it is determined in S1110 that there is a need to switch to basic mode (S1110: YES), the basic mode maintain flag is set in S1120 to switch to basic mode, and the advanced automation switch flag is cleared in S1130.

Note that sudden braking may indicate, for example, that some abnormality (e.g., an accident or an obstacle) has occurred in front of the vehicle, and that it would be better for the driver to pay attention to his or her surroundings while driving. It may also indicate, for example, that an abnormality has occurred in the automatic control function. Therefore, if sudden braking is applied automatically (S1100: YES), the process of S1120 and S1130 is executed, provided that a positive determination is made in S1110, and the driving mode is switched to the basic mode.

(2) While driving in highly automated mode, a situation may arise in which it is necessary to return to basic mode. For this reason, even when driving in highly automated mode, it is preferable for the driver to be able to perform driving operations themselves whenever necessary. Therefore, while driving in highly automated mode, for example, the basic mode preparation confirmation process shown in FIG. 13 may be executed to have the driver periodically perform a simple action to check whether the vehicle is in a state in which it is possible to immediately return to basic mode.

In the basic mode preparation confirmation process of FIG. 13, first, in S810, it is determined whether it is time to check (for example, at regular intervals of several minutes, or at a predetermined non-regular time). If it is not time to check (S810: NO), this basic mode preparation confirmation process ends. If it is time to check (S810: YES), in S820, a confirmation operation is requested from the driver by voice or the like. The confirmation operation requested here can be determined appropriately, and may be the same as the specified operation of S650 in FIG. 11, for example.

In S830, it is determined whether or not the driver has performed a confirmation operation. If the driver has performed a confirmation operation (S830: YES), it is determined that the driver is in a state in which he or she can immediately return to the basic mode, and the basic mode preparation confirmation process is terminated. If the driver has not performed a confirmation operation (S830: NO), in S840, an attention alert is added to the driver by voice or the like, and the request for a confirmation operation continues.

In S850, as in S830, it is determined whether or not a confirmation action has been performed by the driver. If the driver has performed a confirmation action (S850: YES), it is determined that the driver is in a state in which he or she can immediately return to the basic mode, and this basic mode preparation confirmation process is terminated. If the driver has not performed a confirmation action (S850: NO), in order to forcibly stop the vehicle 1, the highly automated switching flag is cleared in S860, and the forced stop flag is set in S870, and this basic mode preparation confirmation process is terminated. Note that if the forced stop flag is set in S870, the process may immediately proceed to S70 (FIG. 5) and the forced stop process may be executed.

(3) Conditions for switching from the highly automated mode to the basic mode may be determined as appropriate. When conditions for switching to the basic mode are met (or may be allowed), it may also be determined as appropriate whether to forcibly switch to the basic mode immediately or to switch only after confirming whether the driver is in a state in which he or she can drive normally.

Conversely, the conditions for switching from basic mode to highly automated mode may also be determined as appropriate. For example, when a call or email arrives on the driver's mobile phone or smartphone, the ringtone may be detected and the highly automated mode switch flag may be automatically set to switch to highly automated mode.

The vehicle 1 in the above embodiment is equipped with an LTE communication function, and the autonomous driving control unit 30 can also handle the functions of mobile phone communication and sending and receiving emails. In that case, when a phone call or email is received via the LTE communication network, the highly automated mode switching flag may be automatically set to switch to the highly automated mode.

(4) Some of the switching conditions from the highly automated mode to the basic mode exemplified in the above embodiment may be used as switching conditions from the basic mode to the highly automated mode. Conversely, some of the switching conditions from the basic mode to the highly automated mode exemplified in the above embodiment may be used as switching conditions from the highly automated mode to the basic mode.

The circumstances under which the highly automated mode should be switched to the basic mode, and the circumstances under which the basic mode should be switched to the highly automated mode, are not necessarily uniformly determined. For example, when driving on narrow, curvy roads, depending on the accuracy and performance of the automated driving system, the vehicle may be driven more smoothly and safely if the driver operates the vehicle themselves. Conversely, for drivers who are inexperienced at driving, the vehicle may be driven more smoothly by leaving it to the automated driving system rather than operating the vehicle themselves. Therefore, the above switching conditions may be set taking into consideration the driver's skill, the driver's preference for driving modes (for example, whether the driver wants to prioritize the highly automated mode or the basic mode), and various other circumstances.

(5) In the above embodiment, after switching to the basic mode, even if a state in which a transition to the highly automated mode should (may) occur, the basic mode continues as long as the state in which the vehicle should operate in the basic mode (state in which the basic mode maintenance flag is set) continues. In contrast, if a state in which a transition to the highly automated mode should (may) occur, with priority given to driving in the highly automated mode, the vehicle may be forcibly switched to the highly automated mode even if a state in which the vehicle should operate in the basic mode (state in which the basic mode maintenance flag is set) continues.

In addition, the highly automated mode may be given priority, and after switching to the highly automated mode, as long as the state in which the system should operate in the highly automated mode continues, the highly automated mode may be continued even if the system is in a state in which it should (may) transition to the basic mode.

(6) In the above embodiment, in order to set the vehicle 1 to the highly automated mode and execute automated driving, it was necessary to press the automatic driving start SW 42, but pressing the automatic driving start SW 42 is not essential. The automatic driving start SW 42 may be omitted, and the vehicle may automatically switch to the highly automated mode when a condition for switching to the highly automated mode (or for which switching may be performed) is met.

(7) When switching to the basic mode due to a state in which it is necessary to transition from the highly automated mode to the basic mode, the autonomous driving level may be forcibly set to level 0 regardless of the autonomous driving level set as the basic mode. In this case, the autonomous driving level may be maintained at level 0 until a specified operation is performed by the driver, and when the specified operation is performed by the driver, the autonomous driving level may be switched to the autonomous driving level set as the basic mode.

In addition, when a state occurs in which a transition from basic mode to highly automated mode is required and the transition factor is a specific transition factor that has been set in advance, the autonomous driving level may be forcibly set to level 7 to perform fully autonomous driving, regardless of the autonomous driving level set as the highly automated mode.

(8) The number of vehicle occupants can be detected at any time based on the detection signal from the seating sensor 25. Therefore, while driving in the highly automated mode, the number of occupants may be monitored, and if there is a change in the number of occupants, a predetermined process may be performed. As the predetermined process, for example, the other occupants may be notified of the change in the number of occupants by audio output, image display, etc. As another example, the predetermined process may be to switch the driving mode to the basic mode. As another example, the predetermined process may be to forcibly stop the vehicle 1. As another example, the vehicle occupants may be asked whether it is okay to continue driving in the highly automated mode, and if there is a response that it is okay to continue, the highly automated mode may be continued, and if there is a response that it should not be continued, the mode may be switched to the basic mode or forcibly stopped.

The specific method for asking the vehicle occupant whether or not it is OK to continue driving in the highly automated mode may be determined as appropriate. For example, the question may be asked by voice. Or, for example, the question may be asked by displaying a message on the display 37, HUD 38, etc. The method by which the occupant responds to the question may also be determined as appropriate. For example, the occupant's voice input via the microphone 39 may be recognized, and the occupant's response may be determined based on the recognition result. Or, for example, a button may be displayed on a touch panel, and the occupant may press the button to determine whether or not to continue.

(9) The contents of the driver's driving operation may be learned, and the learning results may be reflected in the automatic control function. Specifically, after startup, the automatic driving control unit 30 may repeatedly execute the control parameter setting process shown in FIG. 14 at a predetermined interval, so that various control parameters used in the automatic control function are updated appropriately according to the contents of the driver's driving operation.

The control parameter setting process of FIG. 14 will be described. When the calculation unit 30a of the automatic driving control unit 30 starts the control parameter setting process of FIG. 14, it determines in S1310 whether the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode. If the driving mode is not set to the highly automated mode, that is, if it is set to the basic mode (S1310: NO), it performs a learning process in S1320.

The learning process at S1320 is a process of detecting the driver's habits and preferences from the details of the driver's own driving operations, and storing information indicating the detected habits and preferences (hereinafter referred to as "driving preference information") in the memory 30b.

For example, the driver's accelerator operation when starting the vehicle 1 from a stop may be detected, and it may be determined whether the driver tends to depress the accelerator pedal 27a slowly or relatively quickly, and the result of this determination may be stored as one piece of driving preference information. Whether the accelerator is depressed slowly may be determined based on, for example, whether the rate of change in the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal 27a is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value.

For example, when the driver operates the turn signal just before a corner, the distance from the position of the vehicle 1 at the time of the operation to the corner may be detected and stored as one piece of driving preference information.

The type of driving preference information detected and stored in the learning process may be one or more. The specific content may be determined as appropriate. The two examples of driving preference information described above are merely examples.

If the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode in S1310 (S1310: YES), proceed to S1330. In S1330, it is determined whether driving preference information is reflected in the control parameters. More specifically, it is determined whether the processing of S1340 to S1350 has already been performed after the driving mode was switched from the basic mode to the current highly automated mode.

If the driving preference information has already been reflected in the control parameters, i.e., if the processing of S1340 to S1350 has already been executed after switching to the highly automated mode (S1330: YES), the control parameter setting process is terminated.

If the driving preference information has not yet been reflected in the control parameters, i.e., if the processing of S1340 to S1350 has not yet been executed after switching to the highly automated mode (S1330: NO), proceed to S1340.

In S1340, the driving preference information stored in memory 30b by the learning process in S1320 is read. In S1350, the control parameters of the automatic control functions set to be executed in the highly automated mode are calculated based on the driving preference information read in S1340. The currently used control parameters are then updated to the calculated control parameters.

For example, if information relating to the operation speed of the accelerator pedal 27a is stored as driving preference information, and if there is a tendency to depress the accelerator pedal 27a slowly, a value lower than the default value is calculated as the acceleration at start, which is one of the control parameters in the automatic start/stop control, and the calculated value is updated. Conversely, if there is a tendency to depress the accelerator pedal 27a quickly, a value higher than the default value is calculated as the acceleration at start, and the calculated value is updated.

For example, if the distance from the position where the turn signal is operated to the corner is stored as driving preference information, the system calculates the same distance as or close to the stored distance as the distance from the position where the turn signal is operated to the corner, which is one of the control parameters for right/left turn control, and updates it to the calculated value.

The driver may select whether or not to execute the control parameter setting process of FIG. 14. When the control parameter setting process is not selected, for example, a preset default value may be used as the control parameter. The driver may also be allowed to erase the driving preference information that has already been stored at his/her discretion. When the highly automated mode is switched to the basic mode, each control parameter may be reset to a default value.

(10) While the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode, the driver's facial expressions, gestures, comments, etc. may be detected, and the driver's satisfaction with the automatic control functions currently being executed may be determined based on the results of these detections. For example, a facial image of the driver captured by a camera may be subjected to image recognition processing, and if the driver has a displeased expression, it may be determined that the driver is dissatisfied with the contents of the current automatic control functions. Conversely, if the driver has a neutral expression or a facial expression that appears to be in a good mood, it may be determined that the driver is not dissatisfied with the contents of the current automatic control functions.

In addition, the contents of the driver's statements may be recognized by voice recognition processing, and if the driver makes a statement indicating dissatisfaction with the current content of the automatic control function, it may be determined that the driver is dissatisfied with the current content of the automatic control function. Conversely, if the driver does not make a statement indicating dissatisfaction with the current content of the automatic control function, it may be determined that the driver is not dissatisfied with the current content of the automatic control function.

If it is determined that the driver is dissatisfied with the current automatic control function, the operation mode may be switched to the basic mode.
(11) In addition, the function of one component in the above embodiment may be distributed as multiple components, or the functions of multiple components may be integrated into one component. At least a part of the configuration of the above embodiment may be replaced with a known configuration having a similar function. A part of the configuration of the above embodiment may be omitted as long as the problem can be solved. At least a part of the configuration of the above embodiment may be added to, replaced with, or the like for the configuration of another of the above embodiments. Note that any aspect included in the technical idea specified from the wording described in the claims is an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[Technical Concepts Graspable from the Embodiments]
At least the following technical ideas can be understood from the various embodiments described above in detail.
Specifically, the automatic driving control device of the present disclosure, which is configured as follows (A), may be further configured as follows (B) to (E).
(A) An automatic driving control device mounted on a vehicle,
A surrounding information acquisition unit configured to acquire surrounding information that is information about the surroundings of the vehicle;
A driving mode setting unit configured to set a driving mode of the vehicle to one of a highly automated mode in which some or all of a plurality of types of driving actions required for driving the vehicle are automatically executed based on the surrounding information, and a basic mode in which the types of the driving actions to be automatically executed are fewer than those in the highly automated mode or are zero;
an automatic control unit configured to execute the driving operation that is set to be automatically executed in the driving mode based on the driving mode set by the driving mode setting unit;
Equipped with
The operation mode setting unit is configured to switch the operation mode to the basic mode when a preset basic mode switching condition is satisfied when the operation mode is set to the highly automated mode.
Automatic driving control device.
(B) In the above (A),
An automatic driving control device comprising: a switching notification unit configured to, when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode and a preset basic mode switching condition is satisfied, provide a specific notification to a driver of the vehicle to inform them that the driving mode will be switched to the basic mode.

According to the automatic driving control device configured in this way, the driver of the vehicle can recognize when the driving mode is switched from the highly automated mode to the basic mode. Therefore, the driver can appropriately operate and drive the vehicle even after the mode is switched to the basic mode.
(C) In the above (A) or (B),
a prescribed action determination unit configured to determine whether or not a driver of the vehicle is performing a prescribed action when a preset basic mode switching condition is satisfied while the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode;
The driving mode setting unit is configured to switch the driving mode to the basic mode when a preset basic mode switching condition is satisfied and when the specified operation determination unit determines that the driver is performing the specified operation when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode.
Automatic driving control device.

According to the automatic driving control device configured in this manner, the driver can confirm whether or not he or she is actually capable of driving in the basic mode before switching to the basic mode, so that the driver can drive the vehicle appropriately even after switching to the basic mode.
(D) In any one of (A) to (C) above,
a confirmation operation request unit configured to repeatedly request a specific confirmation operation from a driver of the vehicle at a specific timing while the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode;
a confirmation operation determination unit configured to determine whether or not the driver has performed the confirmation operation each time the confirmation operation request unit requests the confirmation operation;
a vehicle stopping unit configured to stop the vehicle when the confirmation operation determination unit determines that the confirmation operation has not been performed;
An automatic driving control device comprising:
(E) In any one of (A) to (D) above,
An automatic driving control device comprising an exterior alarm unit configured to notify outside the vehicle when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode.

1, 61 to 66...vehicle, 2...first front camera, 3...indoor camera, 4...first rear camera, 5...second front camera, 6...second rear camera, 7...left side camera, 8...right side camera, 11...front radar device, 12...rear radar device, 13...left side radar device, 14...right side radar device, 16...automatic driving operation lamp, 20...steering wheel, 21...biometric sensor, 22...sun radiation sensor, 23...rainfall sensor, 24...vehicle speed sensor, 25...seat sensor, 26...belt sensor, 27...travel drive control unit, 28...brake control unit, 29...steering control unit, 30...automatic driving control unit, 30a...calculation unit, 30b...memory, 31...GPS communication unit, 32...vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit, 33...roadside-to-vehicle communication unit, 34...pedestrian-to-vehicle communication unit, 35...LTE communication unit, 36...TV/radio receiving unit, 37...display, 38...HUD, 39...microphone, 40...speaker, 41...blinker operation unit, 42...autonomous driving start switch, 43...autonomous driving stop switch, 44...emergency stop switch, 45...level setting operation unit, 71, 72...traffic lights, 73...stop signs, 76, 77...pedestrians, 81...roadside communication device, 82...camera, 90...road, 91, 92...signboard, 95...accident scene.

Claims (27)

An automatic driving control device mounted on a vehicle,
A surrounding information acquisition unit configured to acquire surrounding information that is information about the surroundings of the vehicle;
A driving mode setting unit configured to set a driving mode of the vehicle to one of a highly automated mode in which some or all of a plurality of types of driving actions required for driving the vehicle are automatically performed based on the surrounding information, and a basic mode in which the types of the driving actions to be automatically performed are fewer than those of the highly automated mode;
an automatic control unit configured to execute the driving operation that is set to be automatically executed in the driving mode based on the driving mode set by the driving mode setting unit;
A switching determination unit that determines whether a preset basic mode switching condition is satisfied;
Equipped with
The operation mode setting unit switches the operation mode to the basic mode when the switching determination unit determines that the basic mode switching condition is satisfied in a case where the operation mode is set to the highly automated mode,
The switching determination unit determines that the basic mode switching condition is satisfied when a turn signal is operated in a right turn direction,
The driving operations that are set to be automatically executed in the highly automated mode include three or more of: (a) automatic start/stop control that starts or stops the vehicle; (b) lane keeping control that drives the vehicle along a lane; (c) vehicle distance control that controls a vehicle distance between another vehicle and the vehicle; (d) lane change control that causes the vehicle to change lanes; (e) right/left turn control that causes the vehicle to turn right or left; (f) collision prevention control that steers, brakes, or stops the vehicle to prevent a collision between the vehicle and an obstacle; and (g) parking control that parks the vehicle in a target parking position.
The driving operation set to be automatically executed in the basic mode includes (b) and (c),
Automatic driving control device. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1,
The driving operation set to be automatically executed in the highly automated mode includes (a) and (b) ,
Automatic driving control device. A vehicle comprising the automatic driving control device according to claim 1 or 2. 4. A vehicle according to claim 3,
The driving mode setting unit is configured to determine whether an occupant of the vehicle is wearing a seat belt,
the driving mode setting unit is configured to switch the driving mode to the basic mode when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode and the driving mode setting unit determines that the occupant is not fastening the seat belt,
The driving operations that are set to be automatically executed in the highly automated mode include: (a) automatic start/stop control for starting or stopping the vehicle; (d) lane change control for causing the vehicle to change lanes; (e) right/left turn control for causing the vehicle to turn right or left; or (g) parking control for parking the vehicle at a target parking position.
vehicle. 4. A vehicle according to claim 3,
A highly automated switching determination unit configured to determine whether or not a predetermined highly automated switching condition for switching the operation mode to the highly automated mode is satisfied when the operation mode is set to the basic mode;
a seating determination unit configured to determine whether a driver of the vehicle is seated in a driver's seat of the vehicle;
Equipped with
The high-level automation switching condition includes that the driving operation of the driver is normal when the driver drives the vehicle for a certain period of time,
The operation mode setting unit is configured to switch the operation mode to the highly automated mode when the following conditions (a) and (b) are both satisfied when the operation mode is set to the basic mode:
vehicle.
(a) The high-level automation switching determination unit determines that the high-level automation switching condition is met.
(b) The seating determination unit determines that the driver is seated in the driver's seat. 6. A vehicle according to claim 5,
moreover,
a seat belt determination unit configured to determine whether the driver is wearing a seat belt in the driver's seat;
Equipped with
The operation mode setting unit is configured to switch the operation mode to the highly automated mode when the following condition (c) is satisfied in addition to the condition (a) and the condition (b):
vehicle.
(c) The seat belt determination unit determines that the driver is fastening the seat belt. 7. A vehicle according to claim 5 or 6,
The high automation switching condition includes that the driver is holding a steering wheel operated for steering the vehicle.
vehicle. 4. A vehicle according to claim 3,
A level setting unit that sets an autonomous driving level in the basic mode and the highly automated mode in response to an operation by a driver;
Equipped with
The basic mode is a driving mode that does not automatically execute the driving operation, or a driving mode that is set to automatically execute the driving operation including at least one of an automatic start/stop control that starts or stops the vehicle, a lane keeping control that causes the vehicle to run along a lane, a vehicle distance control that controls a vehicle distance between another vehicle and the vehicle, a lane change control that causes the vehicle to change lanes, a right/left turn control that causes the vehicle to turn right or left, and a collision prevention control that steers, brakes, or stops the vehicle to prevent a collision between the vehicle and an obstacle,
The driving operation set to be executed in the highly automated mode includes at least one of the automatic start/stop control, the lane keeping control, the vehicle distance control, the lane change control, the right/left turn control, the collision prevention control, and a parking control for parking the vehicle at a target parking position.
vehicle. 4. A vehicle according to claim 3,
a sudden braking determination unit configured to determine whether or not sudden braking of the vehicle has been applied by the automatic control unit;
Equipped with
the driving mode setting unit is configured to switch the driving mode to the basic mode when the sudden braking determination unit determines that the sudden braking has been applied while the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode,
The driving operations that are set to be automatically executed in the highly automated mode include: (a) automatic start/stop control for starting or stopping the vehicle; (d) lane change control for causing the vehicle to change lanes; (e) right/left turn control for causing the vehicle to turn right or left; or (g) parking control for parking the vehicle at a target parking position.
vehicle. 4. A vehicle according to claim 3,
a sudden braking determination unit configured to determine whether or not sudden braking of the vehicle has been applied by the automatic control unit;
A notification unit configured to notify a driver of the vehicle when the sudden braking determination unit determines that the sudden braking has been applied when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode; and
A prescribed action determination unit configured to determine whether or not the driver is performing a prescribed action after the notification unit starts notifying the driver,
The driving mode setting unit is configured to switch the driving mode to the basic mode when the prescribed action determination unit determines that the driver is performing the prescribed action.
vehicle. 11. A vehicle as claimed in claim 10,
The automatic control unit is configured to stop the vehicle when the prescribed action determination unit does not determine that the driver is performing the prescribed action.
vehicle. 12. A vehicle as claimed in claim 11,
When the prescribed action judgment unit does not determine that the driver is performing the prescribed action, the automatic control unit automatically drives the vehicle to a location other than a road where the vehicle can be stopped and stops the vehicle. A vehicle according to any one of claims 10 to 12,
The specified operation includes at least one of the following (1a) to (1d):
(1a) The driver holds the steering wheel for steering the vehicle and looks ahead.
(1b) The driver produces a specific sound.
(1c) The driver makes a specific gesture.
(1d) The driver operates a specific operating member inside the vehicle. 4. A vehicle according to claim 3,
a prescribed action determination unit configured to determine whether a driver of the vehicle is performing a prescribed action when a preset basic mode switching condition is satisfied while the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode;
Equipped with
the driving mode setting unit is configured to switch the driving mode to the basic mode in response to a determination by the prescribed operation determination unit that the driver is performing the prescribed operation when the basic mode switching condition is satisfied while the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode,
The basic mode switching condition includes at least one of the following (1a), (1c), (1e), and (1f),
The automatic control unit is configured to automatically execute at least one of the following (3a), (3d) to (3g) when the operation mode is set to the highly automated mode:
vehicle.
(1a) The turn signal is operated in the right turn direction.
(1c) Pedestrians rushing out into the road can be detected.
(1e) The driver, who was wearing a seat belt, unfastens the seat belt.
(1f) Another vehicle around the vehicle is approaching the vehicle.
(3a) Automatic start/stop control
(3d) Lane Change Control
(3e) Right/Left Turn Control
(3f) Collision prevention control
(3g) Parking Control 15. A vehicle as claimed in claim 14,
Further, a notification unit configured to notify the driver when the basic mode switching condition is satisfied in a case where the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode,
The automatic control unit is configured to stop the vehicle if the prescribed action judgment unit does not determine that the driver has performed the prescribed action after the notification unit has started the notification. 16. A vehicle according to claim 14 or 15,
The specified operation includes at least one of the following (2a) to (2d):
(2a) The driver holds the steering wheel for steering the vehicle and looks ahead.
(2b) The driver produces a specific sound.
(2c) the driver makes a specific gesture;
(2d) The driver operates a specific operating member inside the vehicle. 4. A vehicle according to claim 3,
The driving mode setting unit is configured to determine whether the vehicle is traveling within a specific driving area,
the driving mode setting unit is configured to switch the driving mode to the basic mode when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode and the driving mode setting unit determines that the vehicle is traveling within the specific traveling area,
The specific driving area is (a) an area including a construction zone, or (c) an area including an accident site,
The driving operations that are not automatically executed when the driving mode setting unit switches the driving mode from the highly automated mode to the basic mode include at least one of the following: automatic start/stop control for starting or stopping the vehicle; vehicle distance control for controlling the distance between another vehicle and the vehicle; lane change control for making the vehicle change lanes; right/left turn control for making the vehicle turn right or left; collision prevention control for steering, braking, or stopping the vehicle to prevent a collision between the vehicle and an obstacle; and parking control for parking the vehicle in a target parking position.
vehicle. 18. A vehicle as claimed in claim 17,
A signboard recognition unit that recognizes the content of a signboard indicating the start or end of the specific driving area is further provided.
The driving mode setting unit is configured to determine whether the vehicle is traveling within the specific traveling area based on the recognition result of the sign recognition unit.
vehicle. 4. A vehicle according to claim 3,
a destination setting unit that sets a destination input by a driver of the vehicle;
A route guidance unit configured to guide and control the vehicle so that the vehicle performing autonomous driving travels along a route to the destination set by the destination setting unit;
An automatic driving level setting unit configured to set an automatic control function executed by the automatic control unit;
a destination determination unit configured to determine whether the destination is set;
Equipped with
The route guidance unit is configured to guide and control the vehicle by providing route information necessary for executing the automatic control function set by the automatic driving level setting unit,
the autonomous driving level setting unit is configured to be able to switch the mode of the vehicle from one to the other of a highly automated mode in which two or more of the automatic control functions are executed and a basic mode in which the types of the automatic control functions to be executed are fewer than those of the highly automated mode and are one or more;
The automatic control functions that can be set by the automatic driving level setting unit include any two or more of lane keeping control that causes the vehicle to travel along a lane, vehicle distance control that controls the vehicle distance between another vehicle and the vehicle, lane change control that causes the vehicle to change lanes, right/left turn control that causes the vehicle to turn right or left, collision prevention control that steers, brakes, or stops the vehicle to prevent a collision between the vehicle and an obstacle, and parking control that parks the vehicle in a target parking position.
When the basic mode is set, if the destination determination unit determines that the destination has not been set, the autonomous driving level setting unit continues the basic mode.
vehicle. 4. A vehicle according to claim 3,
An automatic driving control unit configured to realize automatic driving by executing one or more automatic control functions;
a destination setting unit that sets a destination input by a driver of the vehicle;
A route guidance unit configured to guide and control the vehicle so that the vehicle performing autonomous driving travels along a route to the destination set by the destination setting unit;
An automatic driving level setting unit configured to set an automatic control function to be executed by the automatic control unit;
Equipped with
The route guidance unit is configured to guide and control the vehicle by providing route information necessary for executing the automatic control function set by the automatic driving level setting unit,
the autonomous driving level setting unit is configured to be able to switch the mode of the vehicle from one to the other of a highly automated mode in which two or more of the automatic control functions are executed and a basic mode in which the types of the automatic control functions to be executed are fewer than those of the highly automated mode and are one or more;
The automatic control functions that can be set by the automatic driving level setting unit include any two or more of lane keeping control that causes the vehicle to travel along a lane, vehicle distance control that controls the vehicle distance between another vehicle and the vehicle, lane change control that causes the vehicle to change lanes, right/left turn control that causes the vehicle to turn right or left, collision prevention control that steers, brakes, or stops the vehicle to prevent a collision between the vehicle and an obstacle, and parking control that parks the vehicle in a target parking position.
Further comprising a switching determination unit configured to execute a first determination of whether or not the destination has been set when the basic mode is set, and a second determination of whether or not a driver of the vehicle has operated an automatic driving start switch,
When the destination is not set or the driver has not operated the autonomous driving start switch, the autonomous driving level setting unit continues the basic mode, and the switching determination unit executes the first determination and the second determination again.
vehicle. 4. A vehicle according to claim 3,
a behavior determination unit configured to determine whether or not another vehicle present around the vehicle has exhibited a specific behavior toward the vehicle;
Equipped with
the driving mode setting unit is configured to switch the driving mode to the basic mode when the behavior determination unit determines that the other vehicle has exhibited the specific behavior while the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode,
The specific behavior includes the other vehicle cutting close to the vehicle. 22. A vehicle as claimed in claim 21,
A notification unit configured to notify a driver of the vehicle when the behavior determination unit determines that the other vehicle has exhibited the specific behavior when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode; and
A prescribed action determination unit configured to determine whether or not the driver is performing a prescribed action after the notification unit starts notifying the driver,
The driving mode setting unit is configured to switch the driving mode to the basic mode when the prescribed action determination unit determines that the driver is performing the prescribed action.
vehicle. 4. A vehicle according to claim 3,
a transition condition determination unit configured to determine whether or not a transition condition is satisfied, that is, the vehicle is in a state capable of traveling straight ahead or traveling similar to the straight ahead with few turns for a certain period of time, and a driver of the vehicle is seated in a driver's seat;
Equipped with
The operation mode setting unit is configured to switch from the basic mode to the highly automated mode after the transition condition determination unit determines that the transition condition is satisfied.
vehicle. 4. A vehicle according to claim 3,
a seat belt fastening determination unit configured to determine whether an occupant of the vehicle has unfastened a seat belt;
a notification unit that notifies the occupant when the seat belt fastening determination unit determines that the occupant has unfastened the seat belt while the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode; and
a prescribed action determination unit that determines whether or not a prescribed action is performed by the occupant after the notification unit has made the notification;
Equipped with
When the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode, if the seat belt wearing determination unit determines that the occupant has unfastened the seat belt and the prescribed action determination unit determines that the occupant has performed the prescribed action, the driving mode setting unit switches the driving mode from the highly automated mode to the basic mode.
vehicle. 4. A vehicle according to claim 3,
a seat belt fastening determination unit configured to determine whether an occupant of the vehicle has unfastened a seat belt;
a notification unit that notifies the occupant when the seat belt fastening determination unit determines that the occupant has unfastened the seat belt while the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode; and
a prescribed action determination unit that determines whether or not a prescribed action is performed by the occupant after the notification unit has made the notification;
a vehicle stop unit that stops the vehicle when the driving mode is set to the highly automated mode and the seat belt fastening determination unit determines that the occupant has unfastened the seat belt and the prescribed action determination unit determines that the occupant has not performed the prescribed action; and
Equipped with
The prescribed action is the occupant holding the steering wheel and looking ahead, the occupant making a particular sound, the occupant making a particular gesture, or the occupant operating a particular switch in the vehicle.
vehicle. A vehicle according to any one of claims 3 to 25,
an unauthorized cause detection unit that detects unauthorized causes including at least one of unauthorized operation from outside the vehicle, a computer virus, unauthorized software, and unauthorized data;
a fraud response processing execution unit that executes a fraud response processing when the fraud factor is detected by the fraud factor detection unit;
Further comprising:
vehicle. 27. A vehicle as claimed in claim 26,
The fraud response processing of a vehicle includes at least one of the following (i) to (iii) .
(a) Forcibly decelerating the vehicle
(b) Forcibly stopping the vehicle
(c) stopping automatic execution of the driving operation that is set to be automatically executed in the driving mode that is set by the driving mode setting unit.

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