Vehicle control apparatus, vehicle control method, and program

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle control apparatus, a vehicle control method, and a program. A method for decelerating a vehicle, a non-transitory computer readable medium for executing the method, and a receiving device. The method includes monitoring a state of a driver of the vehicle, and causing a notification to be output based on the monitored state of the driver. The method further includes determining, by a circuit of an information processing device and when operating in a manual operation mode, whether to cause the vehicle to decelerate after the notification is output. Based on the determination of whether to cause the vehicle to decelerate, the vehicle is caused to decelerate by the circuit. A passenger of the vehicle can trigger an automatic emergency stop (unit 23), which in turn can be overridden by the driver (switch 24).

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of patent application number PCT / JP2015 / 005971, filed on December 1, 2015, in the PCT application, with the title of "Vehicle Control Apparatus, Vehicle Control Method, and Program", which claims priority from Japanese priority patent application number JP2014-251492, filed on December 12, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. TECHNICAL FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control apparatus, a vehicle control method, and a program, and more particularly to a vehicle control apparatus, a vehicle control method, and a program that provide safer assistance for emergency stop of a traveling vehicle.

[0003] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0004] This application claims the benefit of Japanese Priority Patent Application JP2014-251492, filed on December 12, 2014, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. BACKGROUND

[0005] Technologies that realize automatic driving of an automobile have been rapidly advancing. One example of a technology associated with automatic driving and advancement in recent years is a lane departure warning system that issues a warning when a traveling vehicle deviates from a lane. The lane departure warning system issues a warning using vibration or sound, for example, when a traveling vehicle starts to deviate from a lane due to a decrease in alertness of a driver on a monotonous road. This lane departure warning system is considered to be an effective system that avoids vehicle accidents due to lane deviation in advance. Further, it is confirmed from a statistical point of view that such an effect significantly reduces lane departure accidents of a group of vehicles carrying the lane departure warning system.

[0006] Further, technologies that detect obstacles using a millimeter wave radar that utilizes millimeter waves, a laser radar (Light Detection and Ranging) that utilizes laser light instead of millimeter waves, and a stereo camera have been developed as sensing technologies for measuring a distance between a vehicle and a preceding traveling vehicle around the vehicle and arrangement of the vehicle. With such development, applications such as an adaptive cruise control system (adaptive cruise control) that maintains a distance between a vehicle and a preceding traveling vehicle at a constant distance and an emergency collision reduction and prevention brake system have recently been put into practical use.

[0007] A further developed technology is a technology that issues a warning to a driver by using a visual or auditory alarm for warning based on determination according to a degree of alertness and a degree of tension of the driver during driving, and an HMI (Human Machine Interface) technology called haptic technology that is provided on a handle or a seat to generate a haptic vibration or the like (see PTL 1).

[0008] These technologies have formed the basis of technologies for achieving automatic stopping of a vehicle as an emergency stop when the vehicle needs to be stopped in an emergency due to a decrease in the driving ability of the driver, in conjunction with the introduction of large-scale sensing systems.

[0009] However, the most advanced and most expensive system constituted by a plurality of devices including these advanced technologies needs to be equipped to achieve a safe and reliable stop of a traveling vehicle by controlling the above-described sensing systems in an integrated manner after a decrease in the state of wakefulness of the driver or loss of consciousness of the driver. Therefore, there is still a large price barrier to commercial use.

[0010] In particular, when the driver of a large omnibus such as a bus and a coach (passenger car) loses consciousness during high-speed travel of the vehicle, the vehicle enters an uncontrollable state, and it can not be a slight accident, but a serious accident that affects many passengers and traveling vehicles around the vehicle. In order to avoid this problem, an emergency stop button equipped on a train or the like, and an emergency stop control button corresponding to the control of the guidance of the train or the like are assumed to be introduced as a device that allows an alternative driver or a passenger who has noticed an abnormal situation of the driver to perform an instantaneous accident avoidance operation in order to reduce or avoid a serious accident.

[0011] Bibliographic references

[0012] Patent literature

[0013] PTL 1: JP 8-268287 A SUMMARY

[0014] Technical problem

[0015] However, when an emergency stop button is introduced to a vehicle traveling on an ordinary road, a great impact is caused to adjacent vehicles, pedestrians, and the like, and can lead to serious secondary damage, unlike a vehicle traveling on a track such as a train and a monorail vehicle. Therefore, it is difficult to achieve a safe emergency stop of an automobile.

[0016] The present disclosure developed in consideration of these circumstances achieves a safety assist for an emergency stop of a traveling vehicle.

[0017] Solution to problem

[0018] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, a method for decelerating a vehicle is provided. The method includes monitoring a state of a driver of the vehicle, and causing output of a notification based on the monitored state of the driver. The method also includes determining, by a circuit of an information processing device and when operating in a manual operation mode, whether to decelerate the vehicle after the output of the notification. Based on the determination of whether to decelerate the vehicle, the vehicle is decelerated by the circuit.

[0019] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided a non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for decelerating a vehicle. The method includes monitoring a state of a driver of the vehicle, and causing output of a notification based on the monitored state of the driver. The method also includes determining whether to decelerate the vehicle after the output of the notification when operating in a manual operation mode. The vehicle is decelerated based on the determination of whether to decelerate the vehicle.

[0020] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an information processing apparatus including circuitry configured to monitor a state of a driver of a vehicle, and cause output of a notification based on the monitored state of the driver. The circuitry is configured to determine whether to decelerate the vehicle after the output of the notification when operating in a manual operation mode. The circuitry is also configured to decelerate the vehicle based on the determination of whether to decelerate the vehicle.

[0021] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, there is provided an information processing apparatus including means for monitoring a state of a driver of a vehicle, means for causing output of a notification based on the monitored state of the driver, and means for determining whether to decelerate the vehicle after the output of the notification when operating in a manual operation mode. The information processing apparatus also includes means for decelerating the vehicle based on the determination of whether to decelerate the vehicle.

[0022] Advantages of the invention

[0023] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, emergency stop of a vehicle is more safely assisted. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0024] [ Figure 1 ] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle control apparatus according to an embodiment to which the present technology has been applied.

[0025] [ Figure 2 ] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing first emergency vehicle stop processing performed by the vehicle control apparatus.

[0026] [ Figure 3 ] Figure 3 is a view showing that a hazard lamp is lit when the emergency vehicle stop processing is performed.

[0027] [ Figure 4 ] Figure 4 is a view showing the inside of a vehicle provided with the vehicle control apparatus.

[0028] [ Figure 5 ] Figure 5This is a flowchart illustrating the second emergency vehicle stop procedure performed by the vehicle control equipment.

[0029] [ Figure 6 ] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing the interior of a vehicle equipped with vehicle control equipment.

[0030] [ Figure 7 ] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the third emergency vehicle stop procedure performed by the vehicle control equipment.

[0031] [ Figure 8 ] Figure 8 This is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of a computer according to an embodiment where the present technology has been applied. Detailed Implementation

[0032] The following describes in detail, with reference to the accompanying drawings, specific embodiments in which this technology has been applied.

[0033] Figure 1 This is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a vehicle control device according to a first embodiment of the present technology.

[0034] For example, Figure 1 The vehicle control device 11 shown controls the vehicle according to the driver's state, causing the vehicle to enter an emergency stop. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle control device 11 includes an emergency stop determination unit 12 for determining whether to put the vehicle into an emergency stop and a driving execution unit 13 for performing assisted driving when the vehicle is in an emergency stop.

[0035] The emergency stop determination unit 12 includes a monitoring unit 21, an output unit 22, an emergency stop operation unit 23, an invalid switch 24, a recording unit 25, and a determination processing unit 26.

[0036] The monitoring unit 21 identifies the driver's alertness state based on continuous monitoring of the driver's state and provides the driver's state, indicating the driver's alertness state, to the determination processing unit 26. For example, the monitoring unit 21 uses... Figure 4 The camera 41, shown and subsequently described, detects the driver's gaze and identifies the driver's state of alertness based on the analysis of gaze movement. This analysis of gaze movement serves as a statistical shift indicating whether the driver is consciously identifying an object or if a decline in alertness is developing. The determination of the driver's state of alertness by the monitoring unit 21 will be described in detail below.

[0037] The output unit 22 outputs various types of warnings under the control of the processing unit 26. For example, the output unit 22 uses... Figure 4The lamp 44 shown and described later visually displays the state of the driver's wakefulness as a warning of fatigue or the necessity of the driver's rest, a state warning lamp that a passenger or a substitute driver of a coach can recognize, or the like from Figure 4 The speaker 43 shown outputs an audio notification. Alternatively, the output unit 22 can provide a wireless transmission to the outside.

[0038] The emergency stop operation unit 23 is provided at a position near the driver's seat in the vehicle and can be easily operated by a third party other than the driver of the vehicle. For example, when a third party who has noticed an audio warning from the output unit 22 and recognized the possibility of a decrease in the driver's wakefulness based on the state warning lamp of the driver operates the emergency stop operation unit 23, an emergency stop operation sequence is started with respect to the determination processing unit 26. According to the start of the emergency stop sequence, operation information necessary for assisting the driving is explicitly provided from the speaker 43 Figure 4 ) to the third party staying in the vehicle. Furthermore, preparations for all the passengers other than the driver at the time of emergency stopping, and safety systems prepared so that braking actions can be performed are implemented. Furthermore, processing for guiding the required procedures to be taken, such as handle operations, is started.

[0039] The invalidation switch 24 is provided at a position near the driver's seat in the vehicle and is difficult to be operated by a third party other than the driver of the vehicle. For example, when a button of the emergency stop operation unit 23 is operated by a third party in the normal state of the driver, the driver can turn on the invalidation switch 24 to invalidate the previous emergency stop operation. In this case, the invalidation switch 24 provides operation information to the determination processing unit 26 to indicate the fact that an invalidation operation has been performed.

[0040] The recording unit 25 stores the emergency stop operation with respect to the emergency stop operation unit 23, the invalidation operation with respect to the invalidation switch 24, the determination result made by the determination processing unit 26, and the like as a record that cannot be deleted. It is assumed that the driver continues driving by pressing the invalidation switch 24 even in a decreased wakefulness state. Such reckless driving continuation in a decreased wakefulness state can cause a danger. In order to avoid this problem, the record can be left on a tachometer or the like in a manner that cannot be deleted for the purpose of managing the running of the vehicle, for example, indirectly managing the reckless driving of the driver.

[0041] The determination processing unit 26 performs various types of determination processing based on the driver's state provided from the monitoring unit 21, operation information indicating that an emergency stop operation has been performed provided from the emergency stop operation unit 23, and operation information indicating that an invalidation operation has been performed provided from the invalidation switch 24.

[0042] The drive execution unit 13 includes an environment recognition unit 31, a drive processing unit 32, a handle control unit 33, a speed control unit 34, and a danger control unit 35.

[0043] The environment recognition unit 31 recognizes the outside environment of the vehicle by using a device such as a stereo camera and a laser radar, and provides the drive processing unit 32 with information indicating the outside environment.

[0044] When the determination processing unit 26 of the emergency stop determination unit 12 provides an emergency stop instruction for instructing the emergency stop of the vehicle, the drive processing unit 32 issues an instruction to the handle control unit 33, the speed control unit 34, and the danger control unit 35 to execute a drive process for bringing the vehicle into the emergency stop.

[0045] The handle control unit 33 controls the steering of the vehicle in accordance with the instruction issued from the drive processing unit 32. The speed control unit 34 controls the speed of the vehicle in accordance with the instruction issued from the drive processing unit 32. The danger control unit 35 controls the lighting of a danger lamp provided on the vehicle in accordance with the instruction issued from the drive processing unit 32.

[0046] According to the vehicle control device 11 thus configured, the determination processing unit 26 controls the output unit 22 so that the operation unit 23 outputs the awakening state of the driver in accordance with the awakening state of the driver recognized by the monitoring unit 21. Therefore, a third party other than the driver is able to operate the emergency stop operation unit 23 in the case where the awakening state of the driver is in a state where the emergency stop is needed. In this case, the determination processing unit 26 is able to issue an instruction for bringing the vehicle into the emergency stop to the drive processing unit 32 of the drive execution unit 13 in accordance with the operation of the third party.

[0047] The vehicle control device 11 is also able to execute a gradual stop process for stopping the vehicle when the emergency stop operation unit 23 is operated twice, as a process for more safely stopping the vehicle.

[0048] The vehicle control device 11 including the invalid switch 24 is also able to cancel the process executed by the operation of the emergency stop operation unit 23 when the emergency stop operation unit 23 is operated even in the normal state of the driver. Therefore, unnecessary emergency stop can be avoided, and the safety is further improved.

[0049] Hereinafter, a first emergency vehicle stop process executed by the vehicle control device 11 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 6. This process is started in response to starting driving the vehicle carrying the vehicle control device 11, for example. Figure 2

[0050] ​In step S11, the monitoring unit 21 identifies the driver's alertness state based on continuous monitoring of the driver's state and provides the driver's state, indicating the driver's alertness state, to the determination processing unit 26. The determination processing unit 26 monitors the driver's alertness state based on the driver's state.

[0051] In step S12, the determination processing unit 26 notifies the output unit 22 about the driver's arousal state monitored in step S11, and controls the output unit 22 to generate an output corresponding to the driver's arousal state.

[0052] For example, output unit 22 changes the lights installed inside the vehicle ( Figure 4 The color of the light 44 (shown and subsequently described) visually indicates the driver's alertness to fellow passengers (one or more). More specifically, when the driver's alertness is in a "normal" state, corresponding to the driver's normal alertness, the output unit 22 illuminates the light green; when the driver's alertness is in a "warning" state, corresponding to fatigue and requiring rest, the output unit 22 illuminates the light yellow. When the driver's alertness is in a "urgent rest or evacuation" state, corresponding to an emergency, the output unit 22 illuminates the light red. When the driver's alertness is in a "prepared for emergency stop and driver assistance if necessary" state, corresponding to an emergency support preference state requiring support from passengers or a substitute driver, the output unit 22 flashes the light red.

[0053] In step S13, the determination processing unit 26 determines whether the emergency stop operation unit 23 has been operated.

[0054] When the processing unit 26 determines in step S13 that the emergency stop operation unit 23 has not been operated, the process returns to step S11. Thereafter, a similar process is repeated. When the light is green to indicate that the driver's alertness is normal, it can be assumed, for example, that the passenger has not operated the emergency stop operation unit 23.

[0055] On the other hand, when the light illuminates yellow or red to indicate that the driver's alertness is not normal, the passenger operates the emergency stop operation unit 23. In this case, when the determination processing unit 26 determines in step S13 that the emergency stop operation unit 23 has been operated, the process proceeds to step S14.

[0056] In step S14, the determination processing unit 26 controls the output unit 22 so that the output unit 22 outputs an audio notification. Based on this control, for example, the output unit 22 outputs an audio notification such as "Mode changed to emergency stop mode". Further, the output unit 22 repeatedly outputs a notification such as "Emergency stop started. Have a safe posture, and operate the assist handle to stop on the road side". Further, the output unit 22 outputs an audio notification such as "Decelerate, decelerate. Press and hold the emergency stop operation unit to make an emergency brake stop" and "Danger, danger. Stop here".

[0057] In step S15, the determination processing unit 26 instructs the driving processing unit 32 of the driving execution unit 13 to start the gradual stop processing. In response to this instruction, the driving processing unit 32 controls the speed control unit 34 so that the speed control unit 34 starts deceleration of the vehicle. Further, the driving processing unit 32 controls the danger control unit 35 so that the danger control unit 35 lights the danger lamp in an emergency (see FIG. 2, which is referred to). Figure 3 ) Further, the driving processing unit 32 causes a horn, which is not shown, to sound by controlling the horn. Further, the determination processing unit 26 records on the recording unit 25 that the gradual stop processing has started, and gives a notification that an abnormal situation or an emergency situation has occurred via a communication device, which is not shown.

[0058] In step S16, the determination processing unit 26 determines whether or not the cancel switch 24 has been operated. As described above, the driver is able to operate the cancel switch 24 when the emergency stop operation unit 23 is operated in a normal situation of the driver.

[0059] When the determination processing unit 26 determines in step S16 that the cancel switch 24 has been operated, the processing proceeds to step S17. In step S17, the determination processing unit 26 controls the driving processing unit 32 of the driving execution unit 13 so that the driving processing unit 32 cancels the gradual stop processing. Based on this control, the gradual stop processing is cancelled. Thereafter, the processing returns to step S11, in which similar processing is repeated.

[0060] On the other hand, when the determination processing unit 26 determines in step S16 that the cancel switch 24 has not been operated, the processing proceeds to step S18.

[0061] In step S18, the determination processing unit 26 determines whether or not the emergency stop operation unit 23 has been operated again. When it is determined that the emergency stop operation unit 23 has not been operated again, the processing returns to step S16.

[0062] In step S15, the determination processing unit 26 starts the gradual stop processing and further executes the adjacent warning processing. For example, the determination processing unit 26 controls the output unit 22 so that the output unit 22 outputs the audio notification "Control the handle, ready to stop at the edge or escape lane". After repeating the output of this audio notification, the output unit 22 further repeatedly outputs the audio notification "The vehicle starts complete stop by the re-operation of the operation unit", and "Press and hold to stop at the minimum distance".

[0063] When the passenger re-operates the emergency stop operation unit 23 in accordance with these audio notifications, in step S18, the determination processing unit 26 determines that the emergency stop operation unit 23 has been re-operated. Then, the processing proceeds to step S19.

[0064] In step S19, the determination processing unit 26 instructs the driving processing unit 32 of the driving execution unit 13 to stop the vehicle. In this case, the driving processing unit 32 controls the speed control unit 34 so that the speed control unit 34 decelerates the vehicle to a stop. When the vehicle stops based on this control, the processing proceeds to step S20.

[0065] In step S20, the determination processing unit 26 controls the output unit 22 so that the output unit 22 outputs an audio notification for warning. Based on this control, the output unit 22 outputs the audio notification "Apply the parking brake after the vehicle stops". The output unit 22 further outputs the audio notification "Start the evacuation sufficiently warning the following vehicle". The emergency vehicle stop processing is now complete.

[0066] As described above, the vehicle control device 11 executes the emergency vehicle stop processing to prompt the third party to take early measures as an emergency action when the driver loses consciousness during driving without the need to introduce an advanced automatic driving system. Therefore, it is possible to avoid or reduce the occurrence of serious accidents in advance. More specifically, based on the notification to the passenger of the vehicle or the surrounding things about the detected wakefulness state of the driver, the third party recognizes the abnormal situation at an early stage and takes appropriate assistance measures at the initial stage. These actions contribute to reducing accidents. Therefore, by introducing the vehicle control device 11 to vehicles (such as large integrated cars, taxis, and sedans) that travel on ordinary roads, it is possible to achieve gradual stopping and safe emergency stopping.

[0067] Further, the vehicle control device 11 provided with the invalidation switch 24 can invalidate the operation of the emergency stop operation unit 23 operated by the passenger or the third party as a prank or malicious operation even in the normal driving state of the driver. When the invalidation switch 24 is provided at a position that is not visible and difficult to operate by an ordinary passenger, for example, the driver can cancel the emergency stop processing based on the normal determination of the driver.

[0068] There can be a case where the driver who is in an unstable state and can enter an abnormal situation continues driving while preventing the stop operation by the passenger or the third party. In this case, it can continue reckless driving as the emergency stop is avoided. Therefore, the configuration for the psychological prevention for such a case is a configuration that records the cancellation of the emergency vehicle stop processing on the vehicle running data recorder such as the recording unit 25 prescribed by the Road Traffic Act, and stores the record in a non-deletable manner.

[0069] For example, it is effective to provide the vehicle control device 11 on a vehicle carrying an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS). For example, on a road where a white line is not drawn completely, there is a possibility that the emergency automatic stop does not work in a general situation. In this case, appropriate steering assistance can be required, and in such a situation, a notification giving an instruction to the assistance operation to be performed by the third party according to the road surface environment is quite effective. Therefore, when all the ADAS functions do not work in a general situation, the emergency stop operation unit 23 attached to the ADAS carrying vehicle can be used as a support for the vehicle stop function.

[0070] When the driving ability of the driver is reduced due to poor physical condition or other reasons, the passenger or the like who is seated in the same vehicle and notices the abnormal situation has difficulty in directly contacting the brake device, for example, in addition to the handle operation in the normal case. In this case, even in the case where the same passenger of the vehicle notices the abnormal situation, the same passenger is not allowed to easily approach the brake device of the running vehicle and perform the accident avoidance operation. In the case of a sedan, the parking brake is used as a brake assist in an emergency, and it is possible to operate the parking handle from the assist driver's seat of the sedan. However, according to a large-scale integrated vehicle, the operation is generally difficult to be performed by an ordinary passenger. In addition, the large-scale integrated vehicle is not designed so as to be able to be operated by the third party, and the parking brake is not positioned at a position that is clearly identifiable to avoid the hijacking of the vehicle. In addition, the brake device of the large-scale truck that can replace the driver can not be designed so as to have an arrangement that can be operated by the third party. Therefore, it is difficult to perform the operation of the brake device by a person other than the driver during running, and thus a considerable amount of difficulty is generated in performing a series of driving operations that remove the driver from the driver's seat to the vehicle stop during the running of the vehicle. As a result, once the driver of the running vehicle loses the control ability of the vehicle, an accident often occurs.

[0071] Further, in the current situation, unlike public transportation such as trains, subways, trams, and vehicles that travel on tracks, an emergency stop system is not generally introduced to a comprehensive vehicle such as a bus as a system for stopping the vehicle by a person other than the driver. In recent years, with the development of white line recognition systems, obstacle recognition technology, and the like, the technology for realizing automatic driving of a vehicle has rapidly developed. However, in the actual situation, full automatic driving is not achievable on ordinary roads, and thus a large amount of technology still needs to be developed in reality. Therefore, it is assumed that the loss of driving ability of the driver due to direct physical deconditioning or the like will also cause accidents in the future. Further, a comprehensive vehicle is generally an expensive property, and is not easily able to be replaced with a vehicle provided with the latest equipment under the condition that it is set for a long time before being renewed. Therefore, it is considered that a long time will still be required before these expensive safety devices become substantially available on the market.

[0072] On the other hand, the vehicle control device 11 is more convenient as an emergency stop system incorporated into an existing vehicle, and is easy to introduce. Further, even in the case of a market in an area where the above-mentioned advanced safety driving device is not widely introduced, the supply of the vehicle control device 11 to such an area is expected to contribute to the prevention or reduction of a considerable number of serious accidents in the area. Further, when a system corresponding to the level of safety devices attached to an existing vehicle is developed, the system will be increasingly introduced to comprehensive vehicles corresponding to long-distance transport means in many areas of the world. In this case, safety and long-distance movement can be achieved in a larger number of areas.

[0073] The simplest possible mechanism that can be employed here is a design that provides a lever of a parking brake or the like at a position that is easily recognized by a passenger and can be operated by a third party other than the driver, and allows the passenger to brake the vehicle. However, for example, due to the problem of easy operation by a third party, this design is not introduced in the actual situation. More specifically, when a manual parking brake or the like is apparently provided at a position that can be easily recognized by an ordinary passenger, the vehicle can be exposed to danger by an unexpected operation by an abnormal person.

[0074] On the other hand, the vehicle control device 11 gives an audio emergency notification to an operator or other passengers within the vehicle according to a first operation, and urges preparation for an emergency stop that starts in response to a second additional operation corresponding to a final vehicle stop under a safety system. Therefore, the safety of the third party who performs the emergency operation and the safety of many passengers can be obtained to the greatest extent. The first operation in this context is not necessarily an operation that is first performed, but can be an operation that is performed at least before the second operation. Further, an intermediate operation can be performed between the first and second operations.

[0075] For example, the vehicle control device 11 can simply inform the guidance for the emergency stop preparation in the initial action while the hazard lights are lit. In this case, guidance such as "pull the lever for emergency stop" can be given between the first and second operations. In addition, guidance such as "emergency stop starts in five seconds. Slowly turn the vehicle along the road until it stops" can be automatically given by the system between the first and second operations.

[0076] According to this example, a button is used as a start input device for the emergency stop in correspondence with an emergency button of a train. However, other input devices such as a lever, a toggle switch, a handle, and a grip can be employed. In addition, this operation unit of the input device can be protected by a cover or the like to avoid a false operation. Furthermore, when performing the stop intervention operation, it can be necessary for a third party to operate by both hands or multiple fingers so that the stop operation can be performed only on the basis of the necessity of safety, thereby reducing the occurrence of a simple false operation.

[0077] When a passenger or the like operates a lever or the like for the vehicle stop, the passenger operating the lever further presses the lever in a violent manner in accordance with the deceleration when the vehicle immediately decelerates. In this case, a quick brake is applied without a safe posture of the passenger, in which case the passenger's body can be thrown off the vehicle, or an unintended lever operation can be input due to the body suddenly falling in accordance with the deceleration. Therefore, an unstable operation can expose the passenger's body to danger.

[0078] To solve this problem, the vehicle control device 11 includes an emergency stop operation unit 23 constituted by a grip-type lever capable of being operated back and forth as an operation direction with respect to the advancing direction of the vehicle. At the instruction of the start of the emergency stop operation, the lever is operated backward with respect to the advancing direction of the vehicle. In this case, similar to the action of pulling a rein while riding a horse, it is reasonable to pull the lever in the deceleration direction from an intuitive point of view. In particular, when audio guidance is given at the same time, it is desirable to make a more secure and more rapid determination to perform a more secure operation. The emergency stop operation unit 23 is designed to increase the degree of initial braking in accordance with a shift amount or a force of the lever operation or the grip operation.

[0079] The vehicle control device 11 of such a structure is capable of providing a means for notifying passengers in the vehicle of the abnormal state of the driver at an early stage before the start of abnormal driving when the driver loses the ability to drive in the vehicle. Thus, a third party can start measures that should be taken in an emergency at an early stage. Further, the neighboring passengers or the like notice the abnormal state of the driver at an early stage if necessary, and the emergency stop is more safely started and executed by operating the means for bringing the corresponding vehicle into the emergency stop in accordance with the necessity degree of the emergency, so that the vehicle can be more safely stopped in the abnormal state. Further, the driver state display or recording is performed for the effect of reducing reckless and unconscious driving continuation in a fatigued state. In contrast to this effect, it is assumed that a third party intentionally performs a vehicle stop operation. However, by providing a function for canceling the sequence of the emergency stop in the normal state of the driver, the risk of preventing normal driving by an abnormal person can be avoided.

[0080] Hereinafter, with reference to Figure 3 The lighting of the hazard lamp at the time of execution of the emergency vehicle stop processing by the vehicle control device 11 is described.

[0081] Figure 3 The lighting of the hazard lamp in the normal state, the lighting of the hazard lamp in the emergency state, and the camera exposure time (ES camera) in the bright state are shown in order from the upper side.

[0082] For example, in an emergency, it is necessary to give a notification to the driver of the following vehicle about the occurrence of the emergency stop accompanied by sudden braking at the time of abnormal driving in the shortest possible time.

[0083] Therefore, the vehicle control device 11 repeats the lighting of the hazard lamp in an emergency, so that the short-period light is emitted twice and the long-period light is emitted once. The lighting of the hazard lamp in an emergency allows the driver of the following vehicle to confirm the first recognition by the second lighting, thereby shortening the delay of the recognition confirmation compared to the lighting of the hazard lamp in the normal state.

[0084] Depending on the equipment of the following vehicle, it is possible for the following vehicle to carry an operation assistance system that recognizes the front using a monocular camera. In order to safely recognize and identify, and to safely notify the system in a short time without loss, the guidance and warning are given in a flashing cycle shorter than that of the ordinary and widespread hazard lamp. Subsequently, after the high-speed flashing, the hazard lamp is lit once for a long cycle corresponding to the cycle of the ordinary hazard lamp, and the high-speed flashing is repeated again twice or more for the purpose of continuously warning recognition as a particular abnormal pattern.

[0085] Further, the lighting period of the short-period light emission and the long-period light emission is set to a period of at least 1 / 30 of a normal period of both cameras, and is lit without using PWM in consideration of light emission efficiency and life span. Therefore, even a camera system that detects an object using intermittent exposure can achieve safe detection without supervision.

[0086] Even in the case of the PWM dimming type hazard lamp, the continuous light emission mode is used at the time of emergency display to ensure camera detection. Therefore, the hazard brake lamp controls the flicker in the continuous light emission mode during the non-flicker period to more safely avoid being ignored by the camera type emergency stop device carried on a following vehicle.

[0087] Many methods are currently proposed as means of detecting the state recognition or awareness decline of a driver. For example, there are known devices that detect drowsy driving based on analysis of the motion of the head detected by the posture of the head, a method that detects the sleep and wakefulness state of a driver based on the condition of the eyelid and analysis of such condition, a driving fatigue and attention detection device based on analysis of the degree of stability of the operation of the steering and accelerator and brake pedals, and a fatigue degree detection device for monitoring body odor.

[0088] However, none of these methods recognizes an obstacle that corresponds to a hindrance factor of the driver's travel, nor does it recognize the direct personal awareness state of the driver with respect to the corresponding obstacle. These methods only detect a tendency such as a statistical decline in awareness, and thus are considered to be insufficient methods for making a determination of emergency stop of a vehicle. Therefore, an emergency brake that is suddenly applied in an environment that contains a mixture of ordinary vehicles other than fully automated driving vehicles is a dangerous action, and in such a situation, it is necessary to more accurately determine the degree of awareness of the driver recognizing a travel obstacle and a travel lane so as to shift into a stop or other turning mode according to the wakefulness state of the driver. From this point of view, using line-of-sight recognition related to the driver is an effective method.

[0089] More specifically, a driver does not fix his or her eyes on the entire object that can become a travel obstacle of a vehicle. When this is noted, whether the driver consciously recognizes the object or whether the driver's awareness decline is developing is able to be recognized based on a statistical shift. A generally healthy person drives while unconsciously surveying a very wide range and obtaining information about a large amount of unspecified and complex environments.

[0090] Therefore, in urban areas and the like where there are many complex obstacles, eye movement does not occur in the direction corresponding to the obstacle during static visual recognition of the obstacle by the eye, but in a state of frequent movement. In this case, the eye rotation movement decelerates as the object approaches the vicinity of the center of the direction corresponding to the line of sight. In particular, when the object is a finite-length object, the eye focus is delayed. In this case, the deceleration movement that causes the eye to stop or semi-stop occurs in the stage of switching to recognition with consciousness.

[0091] More specifically, in an automatic evacuation action from a dangerous object and the like, a person does not necessarily start the evacuation action after completing visual recognition of the object with the eye focused on the object. In particular, in a case where the wide-angle range is not covered by ordinary eye movement, the eye first captures the capture target while rotating the head, and quickly completes tracking of the capture target before the head rotation ends. In this case, when the line of sight (cone area) captures the object, the head movement is canceled with the eye rotation movement. Therefore, when the direction of the corresponding obstacle and the line of sight are completely coincident with each other or within a certain offset, the driver is allowed to make a determination of conscious recognition (i.e., corresponding to a normal state of wakefulness) of the obstacle.

[0092] The degree of attention of the driver with respect to the adjacent situation in the current state can be identified by creating a correlation between the direction detection value obtained based on the line of sight recognition and the light point direction correspondence value of the driver and the object based on the vehicle adjacent obstacle recognition obtained using another device, creating the correlation for each driver, periodically calibrating the detection accuracy, and monitoring the transition.

[0093] For example, the most effective means is the line of sight recognition of the driver and the correlation transition monitoring of another sensor associated with the line of sight recognition. In order to obtain the state of wakefulness of the driver with high accuracy, and in order to more accurately identify the transition of the state recognition ability of the driver with respect to the obstacle, it is effective to track the consistency trend between the direction of the line of sight of the driver in which the line of sight of the driver crosses each other and the position on the road surface of the recognized object obtained by, for example, a millimeter wave radar, a laser radar, or a stereo or single camera, or the decreasing trend of the instantaneous observation eye search movement of the driver with respect to the obstacle based on the periodic observation of the statistical transition.

[0094] Therefore, the vehicle control device 11 preferably adopts a method of identifying the state of the driver by using a camera inside the vehicle for line of sight recognition of the driver.

[0095] Hereinafter, with reference to Figure 4 The inside of the vehicle equipped with the vehicle control device 11 is described.

[0096] As Figure 4As shown, the camera 41, the emergency stop operation unit 42, the speaker 43, and the lamp 44 are provided in the vehicle interior. For example, Figure 4 Only a part of the vehicle interior is shown, and the inoperative switch 24 is arranged in a position that is not visible and not easily accessible by a fellow passenger.

[0097] The camera 41 is provided at a position so as to image the face of the driver. For example, the image obtained by the camera 41 is supplied to the monitoring unit 21 and used by the monitoring unit 21 for driver's line-of-sight recognition to recognize the state of the driver (monitoring of line-of-sight attention).

[0098] The emergency stop operation unit 42 corresponds to Figure 1 the aforementioned emergency stop operation unit 23 shown.

[0099] The speaker 43 connected to the output unit 22 outputs the aforementioned audio notification.

[0100] The lamp 44 connected to the output unit 22 emits light in a color (green, yellow, red, and flashing red) corresponding to the state of wakefulness of the driver as described above.

[0101] The monitoring unit 21 can obtain not only the driver's line-of-sight recognition as described herein, but also the reaction behavior of the driver (such as observation of operation transition with respect to the state of the vehicle accelerator pedal operation, the state of the brake pedal operation, the state of the clutch operation, the state of the handle operation, and the like input to various types of vehicle control units), and the reaction behavior with respect to the state of the head posture of the driver, the movement tracking of the line-of-sight of the driver, and the line-of-sight saccade analysis, so as to detect a decrease in wakefulness based on the change in the period of high wakefulness according to the change in the period of high wakefulness. For example, when the wakefulness decreases, the deviation of the optimal steering amount or the vehicle speed starts to rise due to the decrease in awareness during driving. In this case, the driver repeats sudden correction actions to correct the deviation, or increases other unnatural and sudden actions different from normal smooth steering. In addition, the action of the tracking object is repeated at high speed little by little according to the general saccade of the line-of-sight. However, the saccade for tracking an obstacle or the like generally becomes slower in a decreased wakefulness state.

[0102] More specifically, the wakefulness state of a driver of a vehicle provided with a line-of-sight recognition function and a vehicle front obstacle recognition device can be determined by tracking a change in the direction of the driver's line-of-sight, while monitoring a transition in the degree of instantaneous coincidence between the direction of the obstacle estimated based on a position analysis of an obstacle in the vehicle's forward direction and the line-of-sight of the driver, and further monitoring a stability transition in a so-called saccade of the line-of-sight corresponding to a high-speed movement of the line-of-sight. During ordinary steady steering driving, the vehicle is now advancing forward with respect to the self-vehicle forward direction, for example, in the same direction as the self-vehicle, in which case the adjacent environment is moving with a speed vector in the opposite direction to the direction of the speed vector of the self-vehicle. Therefore, the driver continues to drive while shifting the line-of-sight to both the vehicle driving ahead and the adjacent environment.

[0103] The analysis of the line-of-sight described below is effective as a means for determining the wakefulness state of the driver. The driver does not see all the information about the environment for a certain period of time during actual driving action. In actual situations, the driver shifts the line-of-sight repeatedly for recognizing the position and shape relationship of the front obstacle or the environment according to the current situation by, for example, taking into account the degree of influence on the driver's vehicle, and quickly shifts the line-of-sight according to the driver's attempt, environmental recognition ability, and other current ability. According to a more detailed examination of the monitoring of the degree of coincidence between the direction of the obstacle detected by the front vehicle front obstacle recognition device with respect to the driver and the direction of the driver's line-of-sight, it is found that the line-of-sight of the driver needs to be shifted to the obstacle candidate as a subsequent action.

[0104] The saccade in this case is an action for shifting the direction of a person's central line-of-sight at high speed to a direction assumed to be a direction requiring an alert in the peripheral vision. A salience map is a method for estimating the position of an image content that easily attracts a person's attention.

[0105] When the direction of the front obstacle is detected by the ADAS system carried on the vehicle, for example, the determination of the driver's wakefulness expectation based on the recognition of the movement of the driver's line-of-sight in this way has an effect such as monitoring based on a time series analysis of the correlation between the driver's line-of-sight and the obstacle recognition device, and a time series evaluation change in the rapid evaluation point in the saccade of the driver's line-of-sight. In any case, the driver's driving environment recognition ability exhibits physical characteristics unique to the driver, thus allowing the state determination to learn a determination threshold with awareness of the state reduction point regarding the driver's characteristics (monitoring learning).

[0106] Further, when the determination processing unit 26 recognizes a sign that the driver's state of wakefulness is reduced, the monitoring unit 21 can reduce the monitoring interval of the driver's state of wakefulness. In this case, the determination processing unit 26 can recognize the change in the driver's state of wakefulness at a frequency corresponding to the interval of the monitoring. In this case, early recognition of the reduced state of wakefulness of the driver can be achieved.

[0107] Hereinafter, a second emergency vehicle stop processing performed by the vehicle control device 11 is described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. 6. This processing is started in response to the start of the driving of the vehicle carrying the vehicle control device 11, for example. Figure 5

[0108] In step S31, the monitoring unit 21 recognizes the driver's state of wakefulness by continuously monitoring the state of the driver, and provides the driver's state indicating the driver's state of wakefulness to the determination processing unit 26. The determination processing unit 26 monitors the driver's state to monitor the driver's state of wakefulness. At this time, the determination processing unit 26 continuously records the driver's state on the recording unit 25. In this case, the monitoring unit 21 can continuously monitor the driver's state based on the processing operation stability, the accelerator pedal operation stability, the face posture recognition, the stability of the statistical behavior such as the driver's line of sight, the statistical behavior stability, and the fatigue and wakefulness detector, for example.

[0109] In step S32, the determination processing unit 26 provides feedback such as improving the driver's state of wakefulness and an instruction to provide the driver with a rest to the driver in accordance with the driver's state of wakefulness monitored in step S31.

[0110] In step S33, the determination processing unit 26 determines whether the driver has the ability to continue driving after the feedback provided to the driver in step S32. When the determination processing unit 26 determines that the driver has the ability to continue driving in step S33, the processing returns to step S31, in which similar processing is repeated.

[0111] On the other hand, when the determination processing unit 26 determines that the driver does not have the ability to continue driving in step S33, the processing proceeds to step S34. At this time, the determination processing unit 26 changes the driver's state of wakefulness to be given as a notification to the output unit 22 so that the state of wakefulness is changed from "normal" to "warning" or "urgent rest or evacuation", and controls the output unit 22 so that the output unit 22 outputs an alarm of an audio notification as needed.

[0112] In step S34, the determination processing unit 26 searches for an emergency stop work area in the vicinity based on the route information, the map information, the current position, and the like, and determines whether the vehicle can enter the emergency stop based on the search result. ​

[0113] When it is determined in step S34 that the processing unit 26 determines that the emergency stop is not permitted, the processing proceeds to step S35. When it is determined that the processing unit 26 determines that the emergency stop is permitted, the processing proceeds to step S36.

[0114] In step S35, the determination processing unit 26 determines whether the emergency stop is necessary. When it is determined that the emergency stop is necessary, the processing proceeds to step S36.

[0115] In step S36, the determination processing unit 26 instructs the drive processing unit 32 of the drive execution unit 13 to perform the emergency vehicle stop processing. After the drive processing unit 32 causes the vehicle to enter the emergency stop in accordance with the instruction, the processing ends.

[0116] On the other hand, when it is determined in step S35 that the determination processing unit 26 determines that the emergency stop is not necessary, the processing proceeds to step S37. In this case, it is possible to permit the guidance evacuation stop instead of the emergency stop.

[0117] In step S37, the determination processing unit 26 instructs the drive processing unit 32 of the drive execution unit 13 to perform the deceleration evacuation travel stop mode.

[0118] In step S38, the drive processing unit 32 continues the travel while decelerating the vehicle. Then, the drive processing unit 32 permits the vehicle to travel in accordance with the processing guidance of the driver or the processing guidance of the passenger based on the guidance instruction toward the safety area in which the vehicle is permitted to be safely stopped, and causes the vehicle to stop in the safety area to complete the process.

[0119] As described above, when the driver does not have the ability to continue driving, the vehicle control device 11 performs the emergency stop processing to immediately stop the vehicle. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the occurrence of an accident or the like.

[0120] Further, when the emergency stop is not permitted and not necessary, the vehicle control device 11 performs the deceleration evacuation travel stop mode. In this case, the vehicle is permitted to travel toward the safety area and stop there.

[0121] Further, when the decrease in the consciousness of the driver of the vehicle carrying the state recognition device is detected, the vehicle control device 11 can strengthen the state monitoring, and proceed to the next step in the corresponding mode discussed below.

[0122] For example, in the classification corresponding to the fatigue degree, the driver is given a suggestion to take a rest, and is guided to the evacuation stop. However, a sudden attack or the like can cause a large number of serious accidents. In the case of a seizure and sleep apnea syndrome, for example, it is not expected that a state of full wakefulness will be restored only by the spontaneous efforts of the driver when the wakefulness state suddenly changes to a certain level or below, or when the wakefulness repeatedly decreases. In this case, there is a high possibility that the driver is in a sleep mode or fainting.

[0123] Therefore, when a sudden decrease in the wakefulness state or a repeated decrease in the wakefulness is detected, an immediate mandatory emergency situation notification is given inside the vehicle. In this case, a record is left on the tachometer. The operation of this record has the effect of prompting the driver to take a rest under constant indirect monitoring, and an excessive fatigue condition during continuous driving is determined based on the record on the tachometer. Therefore, a commercial vehicle operation company responsible for the operation of the vehicle on public roads is forced to ensure proper rest for the driver. This method creates a mechanism for preventing repeated warnings from being ignored during driving.

[0124] When the alarm state of the driver's wakefulness state is in the red state (a state in which "immediate rest or evacuation" is required in an emergency), a passenger or a substitute driver prepares assistance before the emergency stop while waiting for the driver to complete the spontaneous emergency stop rest preparation mode.

[0125] When the driver does not start the deceleration stop program to the spontaneous evacuation lane even after the above processing, the vehicle control device 11 is allowed to perform the program of the automatic evacuation roadside stop while giving such an emergency stop notification ("Emergency stop. Wait a moment" or other messages).

[0126] For example, in the case where the vehicle control device 11 is able to communicate with the outside as part of a remote operation system, the vehicle control device 11 is able to issue an operation remote control instruction such as a rest or give a travel restriction in a decreased wakefulness state according to an instruction from the remote control operation system.

[0127] For example, as shown in Figure 6 , a communication device 45 can be provided on a vehicle equipped with the vehicle control device 11. In this case, the vehicle control device 11 is able to achieve communication via the communication device 45, and transmit a safety stop instruction by remote control under the management of a remote commercial vehicle operation system not shown.

[0128] Hereinafter, a third party emergency vehicle stop processing performed by the vehicle control device 11 will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 7 In the processing shown in the flowchart of Figure 7 , points common to the processing in the flowchart of Figure 5 will not be described in detail.

[0129] In steps S51 to S53, processing similar to the processing of steps S31 to S33 in Figure 5 is executed.

[0130] When it is determined in step S53 that the processing unit 26 determines that the driver has the ability to continue driving, the processing proceeds to step S54.

[0131] In step S54, the processing unit 26 is determined to communicate with the remote control operation system via the communication device 45, and informs the remote control operation system of the driver state. Based on the notification, the remote control operation system is able to issue operation remote control instructions for prompting a rest while indicating an optimal rest point at an early stage according to a travel route such as a parking lot. Furthermore, the remote control operation system is able to impose a travel restriction as necessary.

[0132] On the other hand, when it is determined in step S53 that the processing unit 26 determines that the driver does not have the ability to continue driving, the processing proceeds to step S55. In steps S55 to S59, processing similar to the processing of steps S34 to S38 in Figure 5 is executed to complete the processing.

[0133] As described above, when it is determined that fatigue is accumulating based on the wakefulness state during travel, the vehicle control device 11 lowers the upper limit of the travel speed by controlling the hardware to prevent the reckless continuation of driving. Thus, the vehicle control device 11 constitutes a mechanism for extending the time required to reach the destination due to the necessity of lowering the allowable maximum speed, thereby constituting a mechanism for allowing the driver to prioritize a rest.

[0134] With the cancellation of the travel speed upper limit function of the specific vehicle, the continuation of travel is permitted. However, by keeping the limit cancellation history as a target of a violation or deduction point as insurance, unnecessary cancellation can be avoided. When a certain rest is not taken at a rest point, a speed limit or the like is imposed on the vehicle by controlling the hardware, for example, so as to contribute to the prevention of the reckless continuation of driving under fatigue accumulation.

[0135] The possibility of a serious secondary accident (particularly in the environment of a metropolitan expressway) resulting from the emergency stop of a vehicle is extremely high. Therefore, it is preferable to immediately give a notification to follow-up vehicles to shift to a deceleration state, and to simultaneously guide the follow-up vehicles toward a low-disturbance area such as a roadside while maintaining a certain deceleration of the own vehicle.

[0136] For example, it is expected that in the future, autonomous driving without a driver will be realized in all types of road environments. However, in the current road environment, such fully autonomous driving is still considered difficult to realize. Products such as a white line deviation prevention system and an emergency automatic stop function have been mass-produced and are available on the market. However, these products do not necessarily realize autonomous travel of unmanned vehicles in all types of environments.

[0137] In order to reduce the possibility of secondary damage caused by an emergency stop when the driver's consciousness is reduced while effectively utilizing the greatest advantages of the equipped function, it is preferable to guide the preparation of an emergency stop assistance system with audio while warning the passenger or the substitute driver at an early stage, and to further perform a gradual parking while prompting an emergency assistance operation (by a third party such as a passenger and a substitute driver) in the case where the determination of the travel state makes it difficult to incorporate an automatic stop of the autonomous driving within the vehicle.

[0138] In order to diffuse the vehicle control device 11, it is necessary to provide a mechanism that does not allow the driver to continue the mandatory operation in a state of severe fatigue.

[0139] For example, the vehicle control device 11 includes an invalidation switch 24 to constitute a system for invalidating the mandatory deceleration start operation based on the intention of the third party and allowing the driver to continue the driving based on the intention of the driver. However, in order to prevent serious accidents due to overwork, it is essential to constitute a mechanism for avoiding long-term abuse by regulatory laws such as punitive laws and increased insurance.

[0140] For example, in order to realize such a mechanism, the vehicle control device 11 retains the intention of the driver, i.e., the driver operates the invalidation switch 24, in a recording unit 25 (such as an event recorder, a tachometer, and other equivalents) corresponding to a recording and storage area that does not allow deletion of the record, for canceling the emergency vehicle stop processing when the driving continues based on the intention of the driver. Such a structure is expected to intentionally strengthen the punitive laws regarding the continuation of driving when the consciousness is reduced.

[0141] Each of the processes described with reference to the above-described flowcharts does not need to be processed in the order shown in the corresponding flowchart in a time series, but can include processes that are executed in parallel or individually, such as parallel processing or processing for each object. The program can be processed by a single CPU or by multiple CPUs to perform individual processing.

[0142] The above-described series of processes (image processing method) can be executed by hardware or software. When the series of processes are executed by software, a program constituting the software is installed from a program recording medium that records the program into a computer incorporated with a dedicated hardware or a general-purpose personal computer or the like capable of executing various functions under various types of programs installed on the computer.

[0143] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of hardware of a computer that executes the above series of processes and / or is configured to realize the above-described Figure 1 one or a combination of the units described above.

[0144] According to the computer, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 102, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 103, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 104, and an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) 105 are connected to each other via a bus 106. An input / output interface 107 is also connected to the bus 106 for connection to the outside via the input / output interface 107.

[0145] According to the computer thus configured, the CPU 102 loads a program stored in the ROM 103 and the EEPROM 105 into the RAM 104, for example, via the bus 106, and executes the loaded program to perform the above series of processes.

[0146] The program executed by the computer (CPU 102) is provided from the outside connected via the input / output interface 107 by using a package medium such as a magnetic disk (including a floppy disk), an optical disk (such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc-Read Only Memory) and a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc)), a magneto-optical disk, and a semiconductor memory, or is provided via a wired or wireless transmission medium such as a local area network, the Internet, and a satellite digital broadcast.

[0147] The present technology can have the following configurations.

[0148] (1) A method for decelerating a vehicle, the method comprising:

[0149] monitoring a state of a driver of the vehicle;

[0150] outputting a notification based on the monitored state of the driver;

[0151] determining, by circuitry of an information processing apparatus and when operating in a manual operation mode, whether to decelerate the vehicle after the notification is output; and

[0152] decelerating the vehicle, by the circuitry, based on the determination of whether to decelerate the vehicle.

[0153] (2) The method according to feature (1), in which

[0154] the step of causing the notification to be made includes causing the notification to be presented to a person who is not the driver, and

[0155] the notification indicates the state of the driver.

[0156] (3) The method according to feature (1) or (2), wherein the notification is presented by emitting light of a predetermined color based on the monitored state of the driver.

[0157] (4) The method according to feature (2) or (3), wherein

[0158] The step of determining includes determining whether a first instruction to stop the vehicle is received from a person other than the driver after the notification is output; and

[0159] The step of causing the vehicle to slow down includes causing the vehicle to slow down based on the determination that the first instruction is received after the notification is output.

[0160] (5) The method according to feature (4), further comprising:

[0161] Causing a warning to be provided within the vehicle prior to causing the vehicle to slow down.

[0162] (6) The method according to feature (4) or (5), further comprising:

[0163] Determining whether a second instruction to stop the vehicle is received after the first instruction is received; and

[0164] Causing the vehicle to stop based on the determination that the second instruction is received.

[0165] (7) The method according to any one of features (4) to (6), further comprising:

[0166] Determining whether a third instruction to cancel the first instruction is received from the driver after the first instruction is received; and

[0167] Cancelling the slowing down of the vehicle based on the determination that the third instruction is received after the first instruction.

[0168] (8) The method according to any one of features (1) to (7), wherein

[0169] The notification includes feedback to the driver based on the monitored state of the driver, and

[0170] The method further comprises:

[0171] Determining whether to cause the vehicle to perform an emergency stop,

[0172] Automatically causing the vehicle to perform an immediate stop in accordance with the determination to cause the vehicle to perform an emergency stop, and

[0173] Causing the vehicle to perform a guided manual stop in accordance with the determination that an emergency stop will not be performed.

[0174] (9) The method according to any one of features (1) to (8), further comprising:

[0175] limiting a maximum speed of the vehicle based on the monitored state of the driver.

[0176] (10) The method of any one of features (1) to (9), wherein the monitoring step comprises:

[0177] monitoring eye movement or gaze of the driver.

[0178] (11) The method of any one of features (1) to (10), further comprising:

[0179] activating at least one of a hazard light or horn of the vehicle during deceleration of the vehicle.

[0180] (12) The method of feature (11), wherein the hazard light is activated such that a short period of light emission is twice and a long period of light emission is once.

[0181] (13) A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to perform a method for causing a vehicle to decelerate, the method comprising:

[0182] monitoring a state of a driver of the vehicle;

[0183] causing output of a notification based on the monitored state of the driver;

[0184] determining whether to cause the vehicle to decelerate after output of the notification when operating in a manual mode of operation; and

[0185] causing the vehicle to decelerate based on the determination of whether to cause the vehicle to decelerate.

[0186] (14) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of feature (13), wherein

[0187] the step of causing the notification to be presented comprises causing the notification to be presented to a person other than the driver, and

[0188] the notification is indicative of the state of the driver.

[0189] (15) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of feature (13) or (14), wherein the notification is presented by emitting light of a predetermined color based on the monitored state of the driver.

[0190] (16) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of feature (14) or (15), wherein

[0191] the step of determining comprises determining whether a first instruction to cause the vehicle to stop is received from the person other than the driver after output of the notification; and

[0192] The step of causing the vehicle to slow down includes causing the vehicle to slow down based on a determination that the first instruction was received after the outputting of the notification.

[0193] (17) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of feature (16), further comprising:

[0194] Before causing the vehicle to slow down, causing a warning to be provided in the vehicle.

[0195] (18) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of feature (16) or (17), further comprising:

[0196] determining, after receiving the first instruction, whether a second instruction is received that causes the vehicle to stop; and

[0197] based on a determination that the second instruction is received, causing the vehicle to stop.

[0198] (19) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of features (16) to (18), further comprising:

[0199] determining, after receiving the first instruction, whether a third instruction is received from the driver that cancels the first instruction; and

[0200] based on a determination that the third instruction is received after the first instruction, canceling the slowing down of the vehicle.

[0201] (20) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of features (13) to (19), wherein

[0202] the notification includes feedback to the driver based on the monitored state of the driver, and

[0203] the method further comprises:

[0204] determining whether to cause the vehicle to perform an emergency stop,

[0205] based on a determination to cause the vehicle to perform an emergency stop, automatically causing the vehicle to perform an immediate stop, and

[0206] based on a determination that an emergency stop will not be performed, causing the vehicle to perform a guided manual stop.

[0207] (21) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of features (13) to (20), further comprising:

[0208] limiting a top speed of the vehicle based on the monitored state of the driver.

[0209] (22) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any of features (13) to (21), wherein the monitoring step includes:

[0210] monitoring eye movement or gaze of the driver.

[0211] (23) The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of features (13) to (22), further comprising:

[0212] activating at least one of a hazard light or a horn of the vehicle during deceleration of the vehicle.

[0213] (24) The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to feature (23), wherein the hazard light is activated such that light emission for a short period of time is twice and light emission for a long period of time is once.

[0214] (25) An information processing apparatus comprising:

[0215] circuitry configured to

[0216] monitor a state of a driver of the vehicle;

[0217] cause output of a notification based on the monitored state of the driver;

[0218] determine whether to cause deceleration of the vehicle after output of the notification when operating in a manual operation mode; and

[0219] cause deceleration of the vehicle based on the determination of whether to cause deceleration of the vehicle.

[0220] (26) The information processing apparatus according to feature (25), wherein

[0221] the circuitry is configured to cause the notification to be presented to a person other than the driver, and

[0222] the notification indicates the state of the driver.

[0223] (27) The information processing apparatus according to feature (25) or (26), wherein the notification is presented by emitting light of a predetermined color based on the monitored state of the driver.

[0224] (28) The information processing apparatus according to feature (26) or (27), wherein the circuitry is configured to

[0225] determine whether a first instruction to stop the vehicle is received from the person other than the driver after output of the notification; and

[0226] cause deceleration of the vehicle based on a determination that the first instruction is received after output of the notification.

[0227] (29) The information processing apparatus according to feature (28), wherein the circuitry is configured to

[0228] cause a warning to be provided within the vehicle prior to causing deceleration of the vehicle.

[0229] (30) The information processing apparatus according to feature (28) or (29), wherein the circuitry is configured to

[0230] determine whether a second instruction to stop the vehicle is received after the first instruction is received; and

[0231] cause the vehicle to stop based on a determination that the second instruction is received.

[0232] (31) The information processing apparatus according to any one of features (28) to (30), wherein the circuitry is configured to

[0233] determine whether a third instruction to cancel the first instruction is received from the driver after the first instruction is received; and

[0234] cancel the deceleration of the vehicle based on a determination that the third instruction is received after the first instruction.

[0235] (32) The information processing apparatus according to any one of features (25) to (31), wherein,

[0236] the notification includes feedback to the driver based on the monitored state of the driver, and

[0237] the circuitry is configured to

[0238] determine whether to cause the vehicle to perform an emergency stop,

[0239] automatically cause the vehicle to perform an immediate stop based on a determination to cause the vehicle to perform the emergency stop,

[0240] cause the vehicle to perform a guided manual stop based on a determination that the emergency stop will not be performed.

[0241] (33) The information processing apparatus according to any one of features (25) to (32), wherein the circuitry is configured to

[0242] limit a top speed of the vehicle based on the monitored state of the driver.

[0243] (34) The information processing apparatus according to any one of features (25) to (33), wherein the circuitry is configured to

[0244] monitor eye movement or gaze of the driver.

[0245] (35) The information processing apparatus according to any one of features (25) to (34), wherein the circuitry is configured to

[0246] cause at least one of a hazard light or a horn of the vehicle to activate during deceleration of the vehicle.

[0247] (36) The information processing apparatus according to feature (35), wherein the hazard light is activated so that light emission for a short period of time occurs twice and light emission for a long period of time occurs once.

[0248] (37) An information processing apparatus comprising:

[0249] means for monitoring a state of a driver of a vehicle;

[0250] means for causing output of a notification based on the monitored state of the driver;

[0251] means for determining whether to cause deceleration of the vehicle after output of the notification when operating in a manual operation mode; and

[0252] means for causing deceleration of the vehicle based on the determination of whether to cause deceleration of the vehicle.

[0253] (38) The information processing apparatus according to feature (37), wherein

[0254] the means for causing output of the notification causes the notification to be presented to a person other than the driver, and

[0255] the notification indicates the state of the driver.

[0256] (39) The information processing apparatus according to feature (37) or (38), wherein the notification is presented by emitting light of a predetermined color based on the monitored state of the driver.

[0257] (40) The information processing apparatus according to feature (38) or (39), wherein

[0258] the means for determining determines whether a first instruction to stop the vehicle is received from the person other than the driver after output of the notification; and

[0259] the means for causing deceleration of the vehicle causes deceleration of the vehicle based on the determination that the first instruction is received after output of the notification.

[0260] (41) The information processing apparatus according to feature (40), further comprising:

[0261] means for causing a warning to be provided within the vehicle before causing deceleration of the vehicle.

[0262] (42) The information processing apparatus according to feature (40) or (41), further comprising:

[0263] means for determining whether a second instruction to stop the vehicle is received after receiving the first instruction; and

[0264] means for causing the vehicle to stop based on the determination that the second instruction is received.

[0265] (43) The information processing apparatus according to any one of features (40) to (42), further comprising:

[0266] means for determining whether a third instruction to cancel the first instruction is received from the driver after the first instruction is received; and

[0267] means for canceling deceleration of the vehicle based on the determination that the third instruction is received after the first instruction.

[0268] (44) The information processing apparatus according to any one of features (37) to (43), wherein

[0269] the notification includes feedback to the driver based on the monitored state of the driver, and

[0270] the information processing apparatus further comprises:

[0271] means for determining whether to cause the vehicle to perform an emergency stop, wherein the means for causing the vehicle to decelerate

[0272] based on the determination to cause the vehicle to perform an emergency stop, automatically causing the vehicle to perform an immediate stop, and

[0273] based on the determination that an emergency stop will not be performed, causing the vehicle to perform a guided manual stop.

[0274] (45) The information processing apparatus according to any one of features (37) to (44), further comprising:

[0275] means for limiting a maximum speed of the vehicle based on the monitored state of the driver.

[0276] (46) The information processing apparatus according to any one of features (37) to (45), wherein

[0277] the means for monitoring monitors eye movement or gaze of the driver.

[0278] (47) The information processing apparatus according to any one of features (37) to (46), further comprising:

[0279] means for causing at least one of a hazard light or a horn of the vehicle to be activated during deceleration of the vehicle.

[0280] (48) The information processing apparatus according to feature (47), wherein the hazard light is activated such that light emission for a short period of time is twice and light emission for a long period of time is once.

[0281] The present technology can have the following configurations. (1)

[0283] A vehicle control apparatus includes:

[0284] a monitoring unit that monitors a state of a driver who drives a vehicle;

[0285] a determination processing unit that performs determination processing for identifying an arousal state of the driver and determining the arousal state of the driver, based on a monitoring result of the monitoring unit; and

[0286] an output unit that gives an output for conspicuously warning a third party other than the driver about a decrease in the arousal state of the driver when the determination processing unit determines that the arousal state of the driver has decreased. (2)

[0288] The vehicle control apparatus according to the above (1), wherein the output unit warns that the arousal state of the driver has decreased by using any one of a method for outputting an alarm or audio guidance, a method for lighting or flickering a visual warning display, and a method for providing wireless transmission to the outside. (3)

[0290] The vehicle control apparatus according to the above (1) or (2), wherein

[0291] the monitoring unit monitors or line-of-sight attention monitoring output monitoring results based on a head posture of the driver, and

[0292] the determination processing unit performs the determination processing based on at least one of the monitoring results. (4)

[0294] The vehicle control apparatus according to any one of the above (1) to (3), wherein

[0295] the monitoring unit constantly monitors a head movement, a line-of-sight movement, an accelerator pedal operation, and a brake pedal operation of the driver, and

[0296] the determination processing unit identifies a sequence of statistically stable movements unique to the driver in a normal arousal state through monitoring learning, and determines a deviation in the movements due to a decrease in the arousal of the driver, or a decrease in the speed at which the driver performs the determination processing. (5)

[0298] The vehicle control apparatus according to any one of the above (1) to (4), wherein

[0299] when the determination processing unit identifies a sign of a decrease in the arousal state of the driver, the monitoring unit reduces an interval of monitoring, and

[0300] the determination processing unit identifies a change in the arousal state of the driver at a frequency corresponding to the interval of monitoring. (6)

[0302] The vehicle control device according to (1) above, further comprising:

[0303] a drive execution unit that automatically operates a brake device of the vehicle, the drive execution unit being provided in addition to a normal brake pedal and a parking brake that operate the brake device; and

[0304] an emergency stop operation unit that allows a third party to perform a start operation for allowing the drive execution unit to operate the brake device of the vehicle. (7)

[0306] The vehicle control device according to (6) above, wherein

[0307] the emergency stop operation unit is a button provided with an error operation prevention safety cover, and

[0308] the determination processing unit determines, based on an operation of the emergency stop operation unit,

[0309] the control of the drive execution unit is performed so that when an initial operation is performed on the emergency stop operation unit, the drive execution unit starts a brake sequence of the vehicle, and

[0310] the control of the drive execution unit is performed so that when a subsequent operation is performed on the emergency stop operation unit, the drive execution unit operates the brake device of the vehicle to stop the vehicle. (8)

[0312] The vehicle control device according to (6) or (7) above, wherein

[0313] the emergency stop operation unit is a grip-type lever that can be operated back and forth as an operation direction with respect to a forward direction of the vehicle, and

[0314] an operation of the emergency stop operation unit backward with respect to the forward direction of the vehicle indicates a start of the emergency stop operation. (9)

[0316] The vehicle control device according to any one of (6) to (8) above, wherein the control is performed so that an emergency guide associated with the emergency stop operation is given to a passenger as audio notification information in a period from a first operation for indicating a start of the emergency stop operation to at least a second operation or a subsequent operation for determining a stop of the vehicle. (10)

[0318] The vehicle control apparatus according to any one of (6) to (9) above, further comprising an invalidation operation unit that allows the driver to cancel the emergency stop operation as needed when the driver has normal judgment ability during a period from a first operation for instructing a start of the emergency stop operation to at least a second operation or a subsequent operation for determining a stop of the vehicle. (11)

[0320] The vehicle control apparatus according to any one of (6) to (10) above, further comprising a representation operation unit that allows a third party to take over control of the vehicle provided with the automatic safety driving system as needed. (12)

[0322] The vehicle control apparatus according to any one of (6) to (11) above, further comprising a danger control unit that performs a flashing pattern of a danger lamp in a different manner from a normal flashing at the time of emergency stop of the vehicle. (13)

[0324] The vehicle control apparatus according to (12) above, wherein the danger control unit performs the flashing pattern of the danger lamp to perform long-period flashing after short-period flashing. (14)

[0326] A vehicle control method for a vehicle control apparatus including a monitoring unit, a determination processing unit, and an output unit, the method comprising:

[0327] monitoring, by the monitoring unit, a state of a driver driving a vehicle,

[0328] performing, by the determination processing unit, determination processing for recognizing an arousal state of the driver and determining the arousal state of the driver based on a monitoring result of the monitoring unit, and

[0329] performing, by the output unit, output for explicitly warning a third party other than the driver about a decrease in the arousal state of the driver when the determination processing unit determines that the arousal state of the driver has decreased. (15)

[0331] A program under which a vehicle control apparatus including a monitoring unit, a determination processing unit, and an output unit is controlled, the program causing a computer to execute:

[0332] monitoring, by the monitoring unit, a state of a driver driving a vehicle;

[0333] performing, by the determination processing unit, determination processing for recognizing an arousal state of the driver and determining the arousal state of the driver based on a monitoring result of the monitoring unit; and

[0334] The output is performed by an output unit for explicitly warning a third party other than the driver about the decrease in the state of wakefulness of the driver when the determination processing unit determines that the state of wakefulness of the driver has decreased.

[0335] The present embodiment is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be practiced with various modifications without departing from the subject matter of the present disclosure.

[0336] [List of reference numerals]

[0337] 11 Vehicle control apparatus

[0338] 12 Emergency stop determination unit

[0339] 13 Drive execution unit

[0340] 21 Monitoring unit

[0341] 22 Output unit

[0342] 23 Emergency stop operation unit

[0343] 24 Invalidation switch

[0344] 25 Recording unit

[0345] 26 Determination processing unit

[0346] 31 Environment recognition unit

[0347] 32 Drive processing unit

[0348] 33 Handle control unit

[0349] 34 Speed control unit

[0350] 35 Hazard control unit

[0351] 41 Camera

[0352] 42 Emergency stop operation unit

[0353] 43 Speaker

[0354] 44 Lamp

[0355] 45 Communication apparatus

Claims

1. A method for decelerating a vehicle, the method comprising: The driver's state in the vehicle is obtained to identify the driver's state of alertness; Generate output corresponding to the driver's state of alertness; Determine whether the emergency stop operation unit has been activated; When the driver's alertness is not normal and it is confirmed that the emergency stop operation unit has been activated, an audio notification is output, and the gradual stopping process begins to decelerate the vehicle. Determine if the invalid switch has been activated; When it is determined that an invalid switch has been activated, the gradual stop process is canceled, and the vehicle deceleration is stopped. as well as If it is determined that the invalid switch has not been operated, determine whether the emergency stop operation unit has been operated again. If it is determined that the emergency stop operation unit has been operated again, decelerate the vehicle to a stop.

2. A device for slowing down a vehicle, the device comprising: The first circuit is configured as follows: The driver's state in the vehicle is obtained to identify the driver's state of alertness; Generate output corresponding to the driver's state of alertness; Determine whether the emergency stop operation unit has been activated; When the driver's alertness is not normal and it is confirmed that the emergency stop operation unit has been activated, an audio notification is output, and the gradual stopping process begins to decelerate the vehicle. Determine if the invalid switch has been activated; When it is determined that an invalid switch has been activated, the gradual stop process is canceled, and the vehicle deceleration is stopped. as well as If it is determined that the invalid switch has not been operated, determine whether the emergency stop operation unit has been operated again. If it is determined that the emergency stop operation unit has been operated again, decelerate the vehicle to a stop.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein, Detect driver's state based on driver's image.

4. The device according to claim 2, wherein, The driver's state is detected based on the driver's eye movements or gaze.

5. The device according to claim 2, wherein, The driver's status indicates the driver's level of alertness.

6. The device according to claim 5, wherein, The driver's status indicates that the driver's level of arousal is low.

7. The device according to claim 2, wherein, The driver's condition is detected based on the driver's head position.

8. The device according to claim 2, wherein, The driver's state is detected based on the driver's control of the steering.

9. The device according to claim 2, wherein, The process of determining whether to decelerate the vehicle based on the driver's state includes determining whether to decelerate the vehicle based on whether a first instruction to stop the vehicle is received in response to a notification indicating the driver's state.

10. The device according to claim 2, further comprising: The second circuit is configured to record information about the driver's state.

11. The device according to claim 2, further comprising: The fourth circuit is configured to record information about emergency stop procedures.

12. The device according to claim 2, wherein, Information corresponding to the driver's status is transmitted to the outside of the vehicle via wireless communication.

13. The device according to claim 2, wherein, Notifications regarding the driver's status are displayed visually.

14. The device according to claim 13, wherein, The notification used to indicate the driver's status is displayed in red.

15. The device according to claim 14, wherein, The red light was used for the notification.

16. The device according to claim 15, wherein, The red light flashes to send the notification.

17. The device according to claim 2, wherein, A notification about the driver's status is emitted from the speaker.

18. The device according to claim 2, wherein, Deceleration is performed as a step in the emergency stop procedure.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, further comprising: The fifth circuit is configured to record information about the start of the deceleration or emergency stop process when it begins.

20. The device according to claim 2, wherein, The driver's operation is used to cancel the emergency procedure, including deceleration.

21. The device according to claim 2, further comprising: The seventh circuit is configured to record information about the driver's actions.

22. A system for decelerating a vehicle, the system comprising: The circuit is configured as The driver's state in the vehicle is obtained to identify the driver's state of alertness; Generate output corresponding to the driver's state of alertness; Determine whether the emergency stop operation unit has been activated; When the driver's alertness is not normal and it is confirmed that the emergency stop operation unit has been activated, an audio notification is output, and the gradual stopping process begins to decelerate the vehicle. Determine if the invalid switch has been activated; When it is determined that an invalid switch has been activated, the gradual stop process is canceled, and the vehicle deceleration is stopped. as well as If it is determined that the invalid switch has not been operated, determine whether the emergency stop operation unit has been operated again. If it is determined that the emergency stop operation unit has been operated again, decelerate the vehicle to a stop.

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