Vehicle control device, vehicle control method and program

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device, 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 the state of a driver of the vehicle and causing a notification to be output based on the monitored state of the driver. The method also includes determining, by circuitry of an information processing device and when operating in a manual operation mode, whether to decelerate the vehicle after the notification is output. Based on the determination of whether to decelerate the vehicle, the vehicle is decelerated by the circuitry. 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 the PCT application PCT / JP2015 / 005971 with Chinese patent application number 201580066046.6, filing date December 1, 2015, and invention title “VEHICLE CONTROL APPARATUS, VEHICLE CONTROL METHOD AND PROGRAM”. Technical Field

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

[0003] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0004] This application claims the benefit of Japanese Priority Patent Application JP 2014-251492, filed Dec. 12, 2014, which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Background Art

[0005] The technology that enables autonomous driving of automobiles has been developing rapidly. One example of technology associated with autonomous driving and its advancement in recent years is the lane departure warning system (Lane Departure Warning System), which issues a warning when a moving vehicle deviates from its lane. The lane departure warning system uses vibration or sound to issue a warning, for example, when a moving vehicle begins to deviate from its lane due to a decrease in the driver's awareness on a monotonous road. This lane departure warning system is considered to be an effective system for preventing vehicle accidents caused by lane deviation in advance. It has further been confirmed that, from a statistical point of view, this effect significantly reduces lane departure accidents in a group of vehicles equipped with this lane departure warning system.

[0006] Furthermore, technologies for detecting obstacles using millimeter-wave radars, which utilize millimeter waves, lidar (light detection and ranging), which utilizes lasers instead of millimeter waves, and stereo cameras have been developed as sensing technologies for measuring the distance between the vehicle and the vehicle ahead, as well as the placement of the vehicle. With this development, applications such as adaptive cruise control systems (ACCS) for maintaining a constant distance between the vehicle and the vehicle ahead, and emergency collision reduction and prevention braking systems, have been put into practical use.

[0007] Further developed technologies are technologies for issuing warnings to the driver by using visual or auditory alarms for warnings based on determinations made according to the driver's level of alertness and nervousness during driving, and HMI (human-machine interface) technologies called haptic technologies that are provided on handles or seats to generate tactile vibrations, etc. (see PTL 1).

[0008] Together with the introduction of large-scale sensing systems, these technologies have formed the technical basis for achieving automatic stopping of a vehicle as an emergency stop when the vehicle needs to be stopped urgently due to a decline in the driver's driving ability.

[0009] However, the most advanced and expensive systems, consisting of multiple devices incorporating these advanced technologies, need to be equipped to achieve safe and reliable stopping of a moving vehicle by controlling the aforementioned sensing systems in an integrated manner after a driver's alertness decreases or the driver loses consciousness. Therefore, commercial use still faces significant price barriers.

[0010] In particular, when the driver of a large omnibus (such as a bus or coach) loses consciousness while the vehicle is traveling at high speed, the vehicle becomes uncontrollable and may cause not a minor accident but a serious accident affecting many passengers and vehicles traveling around the vehicle. To avoid this problem, it is assumed that an emergency stop button equipped on a train or the like, as well as an emergency stop control button corresponding to guidance-related control of the train or the like, will be introduced as a device that allows a surrogate driver or passenger who has noticed the driver's abnormality to perform an instant accident avoidance operation in order to reduce or avoid a serious accident.

[0011] Reference List

[0012] Patent Literature

[0013] PTL 1: JP 8-268287 A Summary of the Invention

[0014] Technical issues

[0015] However, when an emergency stop button is introduced to a vehicle traveling on ordinary roads, it has a great impact on adjacent vehicles, pedestrians, etc., and may cause serious secondary damage, which is different from vehicles traveling on rails (such as trains and monorail vehicles). Therefore, it is difficult to achieve a safe emergency stop of a car.

[0016] The present disclosure, which was developed in consideration of these circumstances, realizes safety assistance for emergency stopping of a traveling vehicle.

[0017] Solution to the 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 outputting a notification based on the monitored state of the driver. The method also includes determining, via circuitry of an information processing device and when operating in a manual operation mode, whether to decelerate the vehicle after outputting the notification. Based on the determination of whether to decelerate the vehicle, the circuitry decelerates the vehicle.

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

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

[0021] According to another embodiment of the present disclosure, an information processing device is provided, comprising means for monitoring the state of a driver of a vehicle, means for causing output of a notification based on the monitored driver's state, and means for determining whether to decelerate the vehicle after outputting the notification when operating in a manual operation mode. The information processing device further comprises means for decelerating the vehicle based on the determination of whether to decelerate the vehicle.

[0022] Advantageous Effects of the Invention

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

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

[0025] [ Figure 2 ] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating a first emergency vehicle stop process executed by the vehicle control apparatus.

[0026] [ Figure 3 ] Figure 3 is a view showing that the hazard lights are illuminated when an emergency vehicle stopping process is performed.

[0027] [ Figure 4 ] Figure 4 It is a view showing the interior of a vehicle in which the vehicle control apparatus is provided.

[0028] [ Figure 5 ] Figure 5is a flowchart illustrating a second emergency vehicle stopping process executed by the vehicle control apparatus.

[0029] [ Figure 6 ] Figure 6 It is a diagram showing the interior of a vehicle provided with a vehicle control device.

[0030] [ Figure 7 ] Figure 7 is a flowchart illustrating a third emergency vehicle stopping process executed by the vehicle control apparatus.

[0031] [ Figure 8 ] Figure 8 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a computer according to an embodiment to which the present technology has been applied. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0032] Hereinafter, specific embodiments to which the present technology has been applied will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0033] Figure 1 : is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle control apparatus according to a first embodiment to which the present technology has been applied.

[0034] For example, Figure 1 The vehicle control device 11 shown controls the vehicle according to the driver's state so that the vehicle enters an emergency stop. Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle control apparatus 11 includes an emergency stop determination unit 12 that determines whether to bring the vehicle into an emergency stop, and a driving execution unit 13 that executes assist driving when the vehicle is brought into 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 , a disabling switch 24 , a recording unit 25 , and a determination processing unit 26 .

[0036] The monitoring unit 21 identifies the driver's awakening state based on continuous monitoring of the driver's state and provides the driver's state indicating the driver's awakening state to the determination processing unit 26. For example, the monitoring unit 21 uses Figure 4 The camera 41 shown and described below detects the driver's gaze and identifies the driver's state of alertness based on an analysis of the movement of the gaze, which, as a statistical shift, indicates that the driver is consciously recognizing an object or that a decrease in consciousness 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 determination processing unit 26. For example, the output unit 22 outputs various types of warnings by using Figure 4The light 44 shown and described later can visually indicate the driver's wakefulness status, serve as a warning of fatigue or the need for a driver rest, illuminate a status warning light recognizable to a passenger or a substitute driver of a coach, or be used to indicate a driver's sleep status. Figure 4 The illustrated speaker 43 outputs audio notifications. Alternatively, the output unit 22 may provide wireless transmissions 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 the audio warning from the output unit 22 and recognizes the possibility of the driver's awakening being reduced based on the driver's state warning light operates the emergency stop operation unit 23, the emergency stop operation sequence is started for the determination processing unit 26. According to the start of the emergency stop sequence, the operation information necessary for assisting driving is clearly output from the speaker 43 ( Figure 4 ) is provided to third parties staying in the vehicle. Furthermore, preparations for all other passengers in the event of an emergency stop, as well as safety systems designed to enable braking action, are implemented. Furthermore, a process for guiding the necessary procedures to be taken, such as handle operation, is initiated.

[0039] Disabling switch 24 is located near the driver's seat in the vehicle and is difficult for a third party to operate except for the driver. For example, if a third party operates the button of emergency stop operation unit 23 while the driver is in a normal state, the driver can turn on disabling switch 24 to disable the previous emergency stop operation. In this case, disabling switch 24 provides operation information to determination processing unit 26, indicating that a disabling operation has been performed.

[0040] Recording unit 25 stores information such as emergency stop operations performed by emergency stop operation unit 23, invalid operations performed by invalid switch 24, and determination results made by determination processing unit 26 as indelible records. Suppose the driver continues driving by pressing invalid switch 24 even in a reduced state of alertness. This reckless driving in a reduced state of alertness could potentially be dangerous. To avoid this problem, an indelible record can be left on the tachometer, etc., to manage vehicle travel, for example, indirectly managing the driver's reckless driving.

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

[0042] The driving execution unit 13 includes an environment recognition unit 31 , a driving 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 external environment of the vehicle by using devices such as a stereo camera and a laser radar, and provides the driving processing unit 32 with information indicating the external environment.

[0044] When an emergency stop instruction for instructing an emergency stop of the vehicle is provided from the determination processing unit 26 of the emergency stop determination unit 12, the driving processing unit 32 issues instructions to the handle control unit 33, the speed control unit 34 and the hazard control unit 35 to perform driving processing for causing the vehicle to enter an emergency stop.

[0045] The handle control unit 33 controls the steering of the vehicle according to the command issued from the driving processing unit 32. The speed control unit 34 controls the speed of the vehicle according to the command issued from the driving processing unit 32. The hazard control unit 35 controls the lighting of the hazard lights provided on the vehicle according to the command issued from the driving 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 driver's awakening state consistent with the driver's awakening state identified by the monitoring unit 21. Therefore, a third party other than the driver can operate the emergency stop operation unit 23 when the driver's awakening state is in a state requiring an emergency stop. In this case, the determination processing unit 26 can issue an instruction to the driving processing unit 32 of the driving execution unit 13 to bring the vehicle to an emergency stop based on the third party's operation.

[0047] The vehicle control apparatus 11 is also capable of executing a stepwise stop process for stopping the vehicle when the emergency stop operation unit 23 is operated twice, as a process for stopping the vehicle more safely.

[0048] When the emergency stop operation unit 23 is operated even in a normal condition of the driver, the vehicle control device 11 including the invalidation switch 24 can cancel the processing performed by the operation of the emergency stop operation unit 23. Therefore, unnecessary emergency stops can be avoided, and safety is further improved.

[0049] Below, refer to Figure 2 The flowchart shown in FIG. 1 describes a first emergency vehicle stop process executed by the vehicle control device 11. This process is started in response to starting to drive the vehicle carrying the vehicle control device 11, for example.

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

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

[0052] For example, the output unit 22 changes the light ( Figure 4 The output unit 22 displays the driver's wakefulness state visually to the fellow passenger(s) using the color of the light 44 shown and described later. More specifically, when the driver's wakefulness state is a "normal" condition corresponding to the driver's normal wakefulness state, the output unit 22 lights the light green, and when the driver's wakefulness state is a "warning" condition corresponding to a fatigue state and requiring rest, the output unit 22 lights the light yellow. When the driver's wakefulness state is an "urgent rest or evacuation" condition corresponding to an emergency situation, the output unit 22 lights the light red. When the driver's wakefulness state is an "emergency stop preparation and driver stop assistance if necessary" condition corresponding to an emergency support preferred state requiring support from a passenger or substitute driver, the output unit 22 flashes the light in red.

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

[0054] If 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, similar processing is repeated. When the light is lit green to indicate that the driver's awakening state is normal, it can be assumed that the passenger has not operated the emergency stop operation unit 23, for example.

[0055] On the other hand, when the light is lit in yellow or red to indicate that the driver's awakening state is not in a normal condition, 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 such an audio notification "The mode is changed to the emergency stop mode". In addition, the output unit 22 repeatedly outputs such a notification "Emergency stop starts. With a safe posture, and the auxiliary handle is operated to stop on the roadside". In addition, the output unit 22 outputs such audio notifications "Slow down, slow down. Press and hold the emergency stop operation unit for an emergency brake stop" and "Danger, danger. Stop for a moment".

[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 process. In response to this instruction, the driving processing unit 32 controls the speed control unit 34 so that the speed control unit 34 starts to decelerate the vehicle. In addition, the driving processing unit 32 controls the hazard control unit 35 so that the hazard control unit 35 lights up the hazard lights in an emergency lighting manner (see the accompanying reference). Figure 3 ). In addition, the driving processing unit 32 sounds the horn (not shown) by controlling the horn. In addition, the determination processing unit 26 records on the recording unit 25 that the step-down process has started, and gives a notification that an abnormal situation or emergency has occurred via the communication device (not shown).

[0058] In step S16, the determination processing unit 26 determines whether the disabling switch 24 has been operated. As described above, when the emergency stop operation unit 23 is operated under the normal condition of the driver, the driver can operate the disabling switch 24.

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

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

[0061] In step S18, the determination processing unit 26 determines whether 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 process returns to step S16.

[0062] In step S15, determination processing unit 26 initiates a gradual stop process and further executes a proximity warning process. For example, determination processing unit 26 controls output unit 22 to output an audio notification such as "Hold the handle and prepare to stop at the edge or escape lane." After repeatedly outputting this audio notification, output unit 22 further repeats the audio notifications "The vehicle begins a complete stop by operating the operating unit again" and "Press and hold to stop at the minimum distance."

[0063] When the passenger operates the emergency stop operation unit 23 again according to these audio notifications, the determination processing unit 26 determines in step S18 that the emergency stop operation unit 23 has been operated again. Then, the process 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 process proceeds to step S20.

[0065] In step S20, determination processing unit 26 controls output unit 22 to output an audio notification for warning. Based on this control, output unit 22 outputs an audio notification such as "Apply parking brake after vehicle stops." Output unit 22 further outputs an audio notification such as "Begin evacuation with sufficient warning to following vehicles." The emergency vehicle stopping process is now complete.

[0066] As described above, the vehicle control device 11 performs emergency vehicle stop processing to prompt a third party to take early measures as an emergency action when the driver loses consciousness during driving, without the need to introduce an advanced autonomous driving system. Therefore, the occurrence of serious accidents can be avoided or reduced in advance. More specifically, based on the notification of the detected driver's awakening state to the passengers or surrounding objects of the vehicle, the third party identifies the abnormal situation at an early stage and takes appropriate auxiliary measures in the initial stage. These actions help to reduce accidents. Therefore, by introducing the vehicle control device 11 to vehicles traveling on ordinary roads (such as large multi-purpose vehicles, taxis and cars), gradual stops and safe emergency stops can be achieved.

[0067] Furthermore, the vehicle control device 11 provided with the disabling switch 24 can disable the operation of the emergency stop operation unit 23 as a prank or malicious operation by a passenger or a third party even in the driver's normal driving state. When the disabling switch 24 is provided in a position that is invisible and difficult to operate by ordinary passengers, for example, the driver can cancel the emergency stop process based on the driver's normal determination.

[0068] There are cases where a driver, who is in an unstable state and may enter an abnormal situation, continues driving while preventing a stop operation by a passenger or a third party. In this case, reckless driving may continue despite avoiding an emergency stop. Therefore, a configuration for psychological prevention of such a situation is a configuration that records the cancellation of the emergency vehicle stop process on a vehicle driving data recorder (such as recording unit 25) prescribed by the Road Traffic Act and stores this record in an indelible manner.

[0069] For example, it is effective to set the vehicle control device 11 on a vehicle carrying an advanced driver assistance system (ADAS). For example, on a road where the white line is not completely drawn, there is a possibility that the emergency automatic stop will not operate under the prevailing conditions. In this case, appropriate steering assistance may be required, and in this case, a notification indicating an auxiliary operation to be performed by a third party based on the road environment is quite effective. Therefore, when all ADAS functions do not operate under the prevailing conditions, 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 a driver's driving ability is reduced due to poor health or other reasons, passengers in the same vehicle who notice an unusual situation may find it difficult to directly access the brake system, such as by operating the handle under normal circumstances. In such situations, even if a fellow passenger notices an unusual situation, they are not allowed to easily access the vehicle's brake system and perform accident avoidance maneuvers. In sedans, the parking brake serves as a brake assist in emergencies, and the parking handle can be operated from the auxiliary driver's seat. However, in large utility vehicles, this operation is often difficult for ordinary passengers. Furthermore, large utility vehicles are not designed to allow third-party operation, and the parking brake is not positioned in a clearly identifiable location to prevent vehicle hijacking. Furthermore, the brake system of large trucks, which can accommodate substitute drivers, is not designed to be operated by third parties. Therefore, it is difficult for anyone other than the driver to operate the brake system while the vehicle is in motion, creating considerable difficulty in the series of driving maneuvers from removing the driver from the driver's seat to stopping the vehicle. As a result, accidents often occur if the driver loses control of the vehicle.

[0071] Furthermore, under current circumstances, unlike public transportation such as trains, subways, trams, and vehicles that run on rails, emergency stop systems are not generally introduced into integrated vehicles such as buses as systems for stopping the vehicle by people other than the driver. In recent years, with the development of white line recognition systems, obstacle recognition technologies, etc., the development of technologies to achieve autonomous driving of automobiles has been rapidly advanced. However, in actual situations, fully autonomous driving is not achievable on ordinary roads, so a large amount of technology still needs to be developed in reality. Therefore, it is assumed that in the future, the loss of the driver's driving ability due to direct physical deconditioning, etc. will also cause accidents. In addition, integrated vehicles are generally expensive assets, and it is not easy to replace them with vehicles equipped with the latest equipment under the conditions that they are set for a long time before being updated. Therefore, it is believed that it will still take a long time before these expensive safety devices become basically available on the market.

[0072] On the other hand, the vehicle control device 11 is more convenient and easy to introduce as an emergency stop system incorporated into existing vehicles. Furthermore, even in regions where the aforementioned advanced safety driving equipment is not widely available, the provision of the vehicle control device 11 to such regions is expected to help prevent or reduce the significant number of serious accidents in those regions. Furthermore, as systems corresponding to the level of safety equipment attached to existing vehicles are developed, these systems will increasingly be incorporated into integrated vehicles used for long-distance transport in many regions of the world. This will enable safe and long-distance travel in a wider range of regions.

[0073] The simplest possible mechanism is to provide a lever for a parking brake or similar device in a location easily visible to passengers and operable by a third party other than the driver, allowing passengers to brake the vehicle. However, this design is not practically adopted due to concerns about third-party operation. More specifically, if a manual parking brake or similar device is placed in a location easily visible to ordinary passengers, the vehicle could be exposed to danger from accidental operation by an unauthorized person.

[0074] On the other hand, the vehicle control device 11 provides an audio emergency notification to the operator or other passengers in the vehicle based on the first operation, and, under the safety system, urges preparation for an emergency stop initiated in response to a second additional operation corresponding to a final vehicle stop. Thus, the safety of the third party performing the emergency operation and the safety of the numerous passengers can be maximized. The first operation in this context is not necessarily the first operation performed, but can be an operation performed at least before the second operation. Furthermore, intermediate operations can be performed between the first and second operations.

[0075] For example, the vehicle control device 11 can simply provide guidance for emergency stop preparation during the initial operation, while illuminating the hazard lights. In this case, guidance such as "Pull the lever to emergency stop" can be provided between the first and second operations. Furthermore, guidance such as "Emergency stop will begin within five seconds. Slowly steer the vehicle along the road until it stops" can be automatically provided by the system between the first and second operations.

[0076] In this example, a push button, corresponding to a train's emergency button, is used as the initiating input device for an emergency stop. However, other input devices such as levers, toggle switches, handles, and grips may also be used. Furthermore, the operating unit of the input device may be protected by a cover or the like to prevent erroneous operation. Furthermore, since a third party may need to use both hands or multiple fingers when performing a stop intervention operation, the stop operation can be performed only when necessary for safety, thereby reducing the risk of simple operational errors.

[0077] When a passenger operates a lever or other similar device for stopping the vehicle, they may press the lever more violently, in accordance with the vehicle's deceleration rate. In this case, rapid braking without the passenger's safe posture could cause the passenger to be thrown from the vehicle, or their body could be suddenly lowered in response to deceleration, leading to an unexpected lever operation. Consequently, this unstable operation could put the passenger's body in danger.

[0078] In order to solve this problem, the vehicle control device 11 includes an emergency stop operation unit 23, which is composed of a grip-type lever that can be operated back and forth as an operating direction relative to the forward direction of the vehicle. At the time of the instruction to start the emergency stop operation, the lever is operated backward relative to the forward direction of the vehicle. In this case, similar to the action of pulling the reins when riding a horse, from an intuitive point of view, the operation of pulling the lever in the deceleration direction is reasonable. In particular, when audio guidance is given at the same time, it is expected to make safer and faster determinations to perform safer operations. The emergency stop operation unit 23 is designed to increase the degree of initial braking according to the shift amount or force of the lever operation or grip operation.

[0079] The vehicle control device 11 structured in this way can provide a device for notifying a considerable number of passengers in the integrated vehicle of the driver's abnormal state at an early stage before abnormal driving begins when the driver loses the ability to drive in the vehicle. Therefore, a third party can start measures that should be taken in an emergency at an early stage. In addition, adjacent passengers and the like pay attention to the driver's abnormal condition at an early stage when necessary, and by operating the device for causing the corresponding vehicle to enter an emergency stop according to the degree of necessity of the emergency, an emergency stop can be started and executed more safely, so that the vehicle can be stopped more safely in an abnormal state. In addition, the driver's state display or recording is performed to provide an effect of reducing reckless and unconscious driving 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 order of the emergency stop under the normal condition of the driver, the risk of preventing normal driving by an abnormal person can be avoided.

[0080] Below, refer to Figure 3 Lighting of the hazard lights when the emergency vehicle stopping process is executed by the vehicle control device 11 will be described.

[0081] Figure 3 Shown in order from the top are the lighting of the hazard lights in a normal situation, the lighting of the hazard lights in an emergency situation, and the camera exposure time (ES camera) in a bright situation.

[0082] For example, in an emergency, it is necessary to notify the driver of a following vehicle in the shortest possible time that an emergency stop accompanied by sudden braking occurs during abnormal driving.

[0083] Therefore, the vehicle control device 11 repeatedly lights the hazard lights in an emergency so that the short-duration light is emitted twice and the long-duration light is emitted once. Lighting the hazard lights in an emergency allows the driver of the following vehicle to confirm the first recognition by lighting the hazard lights a second time, thereby shortening the delay in recognition confirmation compared to lighting the hazard lights in normal conditions.

[0084] Depending on the vehicle's equipment, it may be equipped with a maneuvering assistance system that uses a monocular camera to identify vehicles ahead. To ensure safe identification and recognition, as well as to quickly and safely notify the system without loss of safety, guidance and warnings are provided using a flashing cycle shorter than that of standard and extensive hazard lights. Subsequently, after the high-speed flashing, the hazard lights illuminate once for a longer period corresponding to the normal hazard light cycle, and then repeat the high-speed flashing two or more times to continuously warn of a specific abnormal pattern.

[0085] Furthermore, the short- and long-period lighting periods are set to continuously illuminate for at least 1 / 30th of the normal cycle of both cameras, eliminating the use of PWM lighting for both cameras' luminous efficiency and lifespan. This allows for safe detection even in camera systems that utilize intermittent exposure for object detection without oversight.

[0086] Even with PWM dimming-type hazard lights, continuous lighting mode is used during emergency displays to ensure camera detection. Therefore, the hazard brake lights are controlled to flash in continuous lighting mode during non-flashing periods to more safely avoid being overlooked by camera-based emergency stop devices carried by following vehicles.

[0087] Currently, many methods have been proposed as means of detecting a driver's state of awareness or decreased consciousness. For example, there are devices that detect driver fatigue based on analysis of head movement detected by head posture, methods that detect a driver's sleep and wakefulness based on the condition of their eyelids and analysis of that condition, devices that detect driver fatigue and attention based on analysis of the degree of operational stability of the steering, accelerator, and brake pedals, and fatigue detection devices that monitor body odor.

[0088] However, none of these methods recognizes obstacles corresponding to factors hindering the driver's travel, nor does it recognize the driver's direct personal awareness state with respect to the corresponding obstacle. These methods only detect trends such as a statistical decrease in awareness and are therefore considered to be insufficient methods for determining an emergency stop of a vehicle. Therefore, sudden application of emergency braking in a mixed environment containing ordinary vehicles other than fully autonomous vehicles is a dangerous action, and in such a situation, it is necessary to more accurately determine the degree of awareness of the driver in recognizing travel obstacles and travel lanes in order to transition to a stop or other steering mode according to the driver's state of arousal. From this point of view, using line of sight recognition related to the driver is an effective method.

[0089] More specifically, the driver does not keep their eyes fixed on an entire object that could become an obstacle to the vehicle's movement. When this is noted, it is possible to determine based on statistical changes whether the driver is consciously recognizing the object or whether a decrease in consciousness is developing. A normal healthy person drives while unconsciously surveying a wide area and acquiring information about a large amount of unspecified and complex surroundings.

[0090] Therefore, in urban areas, where there are many complex obstacles, eye movements occur not during static visual recognition of obstacles, but rather in a state of frequent movement in the direction corresponding to the obstacles. In this case, eye rotation slows down as the object approaches the center of the direction corresponding to the line of sight. In particular, when the object is of finite length, eye focus is delayed. In this case, the deceleration that causes the eye to stop or semi-stop occurs during the transition to conscious recognition.

[0091] More specifically, when performing an automatic evacuation action from a dangerous object, etc., people do not necessarily start the evacuation action after completing the visual recognition of the object by focusing their eyes on the object. In particular, in a case where the wide-angle range is not covered by ordinary eye movements, the eyeballs first capture the capture target when rotating the head, and quickly complete the tracking of the capture target before the end of the head rotation. In this case, when the line of sight (cone area) captures the object, the eye rotation movement is used to cancel the head movement. Therefore, when the directions of the corresponding obstacle and the line of sight are completely consistent with each other or within a certain offset, the driver is allowed to make a determination corresponding to the conscious recognition of the obstacle (i.e., corresponding to a normal state of wakefulness).

[0092] It is possible to identify the degree of attention of the driver in the current state regarding adjacent conditions by creating a correlation between the direction detection value obtained based on line of sight recognition and the corresponding value of the light spot direction of the driver and the object based on the vehicle adjacent obstacle recognition obtained using another device, creating this correlation for each driver, regularly calibrating the detection accuracy and monitoring the transition.

[0093] For example, the most effective approach is to monitor the driver's gaze recognition and the correlation changes with another sensor associated with this gaze recognition. To accurately determine the driver's state of alertness and more precisely identify changes in the driver's ability to recognize obstacles, it is effective to regularly observe statistical changes to track the consistency trend between the driver's gaze direction, where the driver's gaze intersects, and the position of the recognized object on the road surface, such as obtained by millimeter-wave radar, lidar, or stereo or single camera, or to track the decrease in the driver's instantaneous eye movement for obstacle detection.

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

[0095] Below, refer to Figure 4 The interior of a vehicle equipped with the vehicle control device 11 is described.

[0096] like Figure 4As shown, a camera 41, an emergency stop operation unit 42, a speaker 43 and a light 44 are provided inside the vehicle. Figure 4 Only a portion of the vehicle interior is shown, and the deactivation switch 24 is not shown, being arranged in a position out of sight and not easily accessible to fellow passengers.

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

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

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

[0100] The lamp 44 connected to the output unit 22 emits light in colors (green, yellow, red, and flashing red) corresponding to the driver's awakening state as described above.

[0101] The monitoring unit 21 can not only obtain the driver's line of sight recognition as described herein, but also obtain the driver's reaction behavior (such as observation of operational transitions regarding the vehicle's accelerator pedal operation state, brake pedal operation state, clutch operation state, handle operation state, etc., which are input to various types of vehicle control units), as well as reaction behavior regarding the driver's head posture state, motion tracking of the driver's line of sight, and line of sight glance analysis, in order to detect a decrease in arousal based on changes in the state of arousal according to the period of high arousal. For example, when arousal decreases, deviations from the optimal steering amount or vehicle speed begin to increase due to decreased awareness during driving. In this case, the driver repeats sudden corrective actions to correct the deviation, or adds other unnatural and abrupt actions that differ from normal smooth steering. In addition, based on the general sweep of the line of sight, the action of tracking the object is repeated little by little at high speed. However, the sweep used to track obstacles, etc., generally becomes slower in a reduced arousal state.

[0102] More specifically, the state of alertness of a driver of a vehicle equipped with a line of sight recognition function and a vehicle-front obstacle recognition device can be determined by tracking changes in the direction of the driver's line of sight, while simultaneously monitoring the transition in the instantaneous degree of overlap between the driver's line of sight and the obstacle, estimated based on an analysis of the obstacle's position in the vehicle's forward direction, and further monitoring the transition in the stability of so-called line of sight sweeps corresponding to high-speed movement of the line of sight. During normal steady-state driving, the vehicle is now moving forward relative to the direction of travel of the own vehicle, for example, in the same direction as the own vehicle, in which case the adjacent environment is moving with a velocity vector in a direction opposite to the direction of the velocity vector of the own vehicle. Therefore, the driver continues driving while shifting his or her line of sight to both the vehicle ahead and the adjacent environment.

[0103] The analysis of the line of sight described below is effective as a means for determining the driver's state of alertness. During actual driving maneuvers, the driver does not see all the information about the environment for a certain period of time. In actual situations, the driver repeatedly moves his or her line of sight to identify the position and shape relationship of the obstacle ahead or the environment, for example, by taking into account the degree of influence on the driver's vehicle, and by quickly shifting his or her line of sight according to the driver's attempts, environmental recognition ability, and other current abilities. Based on a more detailed examination of the degree of overlap between the direction of the obstacle detected by the front obstacle recognition device of the preceding vehicle relative to the driver and the direction of the driver's line of sight, it is found that as a subsequent action, the driver's line of sight needs to be shifted to the obstacle candidate.

[0104] In this case, a saccade is an action used to quickly shift the direction of a person's central line of sight toward a direction in their peripheral vision that is assumed to require attention. A salience map is a method used to estimate locations within an image that are likely to attract a person's attention.

[0105] When the direction of a forward obstacle is detected by the ADAS system carried on the vehicle, for example, determining the driver's awareness based on the recognition of the movement of the driver's line of sight in this manner is expected to produce the following effects, such as time series analysis monitoring based on the correlation between the driver's line of sight and the obstacle recognition device, and time series evaluation changes in rapid evaluation points in the driver's line of sight. In any case, the driver's driving environment recognition ability reflects the driver's unique physical characteristics, thus allowing state determination to utilize threshold learning (monitoring learning) for determining the point of decreased state of awareness with respect to the driver's characteristics.

[0106] Furthermore, when determination processing unit 26 identifies a sign that the driver's state of alertness is decreasing, monitoring unit 21 may reduce the interval for monitoring the driver's state of alertness. In this case, determination processing unit 26 may identify changes in the driver's state of alertness at a frequency corresponding to the monitoring interval. In this case, early identification of a decrease in the driver's state of alertness is possible.

[0107] Here is the reference Figure 5 The flowchart shown in FIG. 1 describes the second emergency vehicle stop process executed by the vehicle control device 11. This process is started in response to the start of driving of the vehicle carrying the vehicle control device 11, for example.

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

[0109] In step S32 , the determination processing unit 26 provides feedback to the driver such as improving the driver's awakening state and providing the driver with an instruction to rest according to the driver's awakening state monitored in step S31 .

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

[0111] On the other hand, if the determination processing unit 26 determines in step S33 that the driver does not have the ability to continue driving, the process proceeds to step S34. At this time, the determination processing unit 26 changes the driver's awakening state to be given as a notification to the output unit 22 so that the awakening state changes from "normal" to "alert" 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 a nearby emergency stop working area based on route information, map information, current position, etc., and determines whether the vehicle can enter an emergency stop based on the search result.

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

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

[0115] In step S36, the determination processing unit 26 instructs the driving processing unit 32 of the driving execution unit 13 to perform an emergency vehicle stop process. After the driving processing unit 32 brings the vehicle to an emergency stop according to the instruction, the process ends.

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

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

[0118] In step S38, the driving processing unit 32 continues to drive the vehicle while decelerating the vehicle. The driving processing unit 32 then allows the vehicle to drive according to the driver's processing guidance or the passenger's processing guidance based on the guidance instruction toward the safe area where the vehicle is allowed to stop safely, and stops the vehicle in the safe area to complete the process.

[0119] As described above, when the driver is no longer capable of driving, the vehicle control device 11 executes the emergency stop process to immediately stop the vehicle, thereby preventing an accident or the like from occurring.

[0120] In addition, when emergency stop is not allowed and unnecessary, the vehicle control device 11 executes the deceleration evacuation travel stop mode. In this case, the vehicle is allowed to travel toward a safe area and stop there.

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

[0122] For example, in the classification corresponding to fatigue, the driver is advised to rest and directed to an evacuation stop. However, sudden attacks, etc., can cause a large number of serious accidents. When the state of wakefulness suddenly changes to a certain level or below, or when wakefulness repeatedly decreases, it is not expected to return to a state of full wakefulness through the driver's own efforts alone, such as in the case of epileptic seizures and sleep apnea syndrome. In such cases, there is a high possibility that the driver is in sleep mode or fainting.

[0123] Therefore, when a sudden or repeated decrease in arousal is detected, a mandatory emergency notification is immediately issued within the vehicle. In this case, a record is left on the tachometer. This recording has the effect of encouraging the driver to rest under constant indirect monitoring, and excessive fatigue during continuous driving is determined based on the tachometer record. Consequently, commercial vehicle operating companies responsible for operating vehicles on public roads are forced to ensure adequate rest for their drivers. This method creates a mechanism to prevent repeated warnings from being ignored during driving.

[0124] When the driver's alert status is red (a state requiring "urgent rest or evacuation" in an emergency), the passenger or substitute driver prepares assistance before an 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 procedure to the spontaneous evacuation lane even after the above processing, the vehicle control device 11 is allowed to perform the automatic evacuation roadside stop procedure while giving such an emergency stop notification ("Emergency stop. Wait a moment" or other message).

[0126] For example, where the vehicle control device 11 is capable of communicating with the outside as part of a remote operation system, the vehicle control device 11 can issue operational remote control instructions such as rest or give driving restrictions in a reduced alertness state according to instructions from the remote control operation system.

[0127] For example, Figure 6 As shown, a communication device 45 may be provided on a vehicle equipped with the vehicle control device 11. In this case, the vehicle control device 11 can communicate via the communication device 45 and send a safety stop instruction by remote control under the management of a remote commercial vehicle operating system not shown.

[0128] Below, refer to Figure 7 The flowchart shown in FIG. 1 describes the third-party emergency vehicle stop process executed by the vehicle control device 11. Figure 7 The processing shown in the flowchart of Figure 5 The common points of the processes in the flowchart.

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

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

[0131] In step S54, the determination processing unit 26 communicates with the remote control operating system via the communication device 45 and notifies the remote control operating system of the driver's status. Based on this notification, the remote control operating system can indicate the optimal resting point based on the driving route, such as a parking lot, at an early stage and issue a remote control instruction to encourage rest. Furthermore, the remote control operating system can impose driving restrictions as needed.

[0132] On the other hand, when the processing unit 26 determines in step S53 that the driver does not have the ability to continue driving, the process proceeds to step S55. In steps S55 to S59, the following steps are performed: Figure 5 The processing of steps S34 to S38 in the above is similar to that in the above to complete the processing.

[0133] As described above, when fatigue is determined to be accumulating based on the state of wakefulness during driving, the vehicle control device 11 controls the hardware to lower the upper limit of the driving speed to prevent reckless driving from continuing. Thus, the vehicle control device 11 constitutes a mechanism for extending the time required to reach the destination due to the need to lower the maximum permissible speed, thereby constituting a mechanism for allowing the driver to prioritize rest.

[0134] By removing the upper speed limit for a specific vehicle, continued driving is permitted. However, by retaining a history of limit removals as a target for violations or deductions, unnecessary removals can be avoided. When a vehicle fails to take a rest break at a rest stop, the control hardware imposes a speed limit on the vehicle, for example, to help prevent reckless driving due to accumulated fatigue.

[0135] The possibility of a serious secondary accident caused by an emergency stop of a vehicle (especially in the environment of a metropolitan expressway) is extremely high. Therefore, it is preferable to immediately notify the following vehicle of the shift to a decelerated state and simultaneously guide the following vehicle toward a low-interference area such as a roadside while maintaining a certain deceleration of the own vehicle.

[0136] For example, autonomous driving without a human driver is expected to be possible in all types of road environments in the future. However, in current road conditions, such fully automated evacuation driving is still considered difficult to achieve. Products such as white line deviation prevention systems and emergency automatic stop functions are already in mass production and commercially available. However, these products do not necessarily enable autonomous driving of unmanned vehicles in all types of environments.

[0137] In order to reduce the possibility of secondary damage caused by emergency stops when the driver's consciousness is reduced while effectively utilizing the maximum advantages of the equipped functions, it is preferable to prepare the emergency stop assist system with audio guidance while issuing a warning to the passenger or substitute driver at an early stage, and further perform a gradual stop while prompting an emergency assistance operation (by a third party such as a passenger and substitute driver) when it is determined that the driving state makes automatic stop of the autonomous driving incorporated into the vehicle difficult.

[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 forced operation in a state of severe fatigue.

[0139] For example, the vehicle control device 11 includes a disable switch 24 to configure a system for disabling the forced deceleration start operation based on the intention of a third party and allowing driving to continue based on the intention of the driver. However, in order to prevent serious accidents caused by overexertion, it is crucial to configure a mechanism to prevent long-term abuse through regulatory regulations such as penalty regulations and insurance increases.

[0140] For example, to implement this mechanism, the vehicle control device 11 stores the driver's intention in a recording unit 25 (such as an event recorder, tachometer, or other equivalent) corresponding to a recording and storage area that does not allow deletion of records. This means that the driver operates the disabling switch 24 to cancel the emergency vehicle stop process when the driver continues driving based on the driver's intention. This structure is expected to intentionally strengthen the penalty regulations for continuing to drive when consciousness is reduced.

[0141] The various processes described with reference to the above flowcharts do not need to be processed in a time series in the order shown in the corresponding flowcharts, but may include parallel or individually executed processes (such as parallel processing or processing for each object). The program may be processed by a single CPU or by multiple CPUs for individual processing.

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

[0143] Figure 8 It is shown that the above series of processing is performed under the program and / or is configured to achieve the above relative Figure 1 A block diagram of a configuration example of hardware of a computer including one or a combination of the described units.

[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 one another 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 the programs stored in the ROM 103 and the EEPROM 105 into the RAM 104 via the bus 106 , for example, and executes the loaded programs to perform the above-described 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 packaging media such as magnetic disks (including floppy disks), optical disks (such as CD-ROMs (Compact Disc Read Only Memory) and DVDs (Digital Versatile Disks)), magneto-optical disks, and semiconductor memories, or provided via wired or wireless transmission media such as a local area network, the Internet, and satellite digital broadcasting.

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

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

[0149] monitoring the status of the driver of the vehicle;

[0150] outputting a notification based on the monitored driver's status;

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

[0152] The vehicle is decelerated via an electrical circuit based on the determination of whether to decelerate the vehicle.

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

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

[0155] The notification indicates the driver's status.

[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 driver's state.

[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 who is not the driver after the notification is output; and

[0159] The step of decelerating the vehicle includes decelerating the vehicle based on a determination that the first instruction is received after the notification is output.

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

[0161] Before slowing down the vehicle, set a warning in the vehicle.

[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 receiving the first instruction; and

[0164] Based on a determination that the second command has been received, the vehicle is stopped.

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

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

[0167] Deceleration of the vehicle is canceled based on a determination that a 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 providing feedback to the driver based on the monitored driver's status, and

[0170] The method further includes:

[0171] Determine whether to make the vehicle perform an emergency stop,

[0172] automatically bringing the vehicle to an immediate stop based on the determination to bring the vehicle to an emergency stop, and

[0173] Based on the determination that an emergency stop is not to be performed, a guided manual stop of the vehicle is performed.

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

[0175] The vehicle's top speed is limited based on the monitored driver's state.

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

[0177] Monitor the driver's eye movement or gaze.

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

[0179] At least one of the vehicle's hazard lights or horn is activated during vehicle deceleration.

[0180] (12) The method according to feature (11), wherein the hazard lights are activated so that the short-period light is emitted twice and the long-period light is emitted 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 decelerating a vehicle, the method comprising:

[0182] monitoring the status of the driver of the vehicle;

[0183] causing output of a notification based on the monitored driver's status;

[0184] When operating in a manual operation mode, determining whether to decelerate the vehicle after outputting the notification; and

[0185] Based on the determination of whether to decelerate the vehicle, the vehicle is decelerated.

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

[0187] causing the step of notifying to include causing the notification to be presented to a person who is not the driver, and

[0188] The notification indicates the driver's status.

[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 driver's status.

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

[0191] The step of determining includes determining whether a first instruction to stop the vehicle is received from a person who is not the driver after the notification is output; and

[0192] The step of decelerating the vehicle includes decelerating the vehicle based on a determination that the first instruction is received after the notification is output.

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

[0194] Before slowing down the vehicle, set a warning in the vehicle.

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

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

[0197] Based on a determination that the second command has been received, the vehicle is stopped.

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

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

[0200] Deceleration of the vehicle is canceled based on a determination that a third instruction is received after the first instruction.

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

[0202] The notification includes providing feedback to the driver based on the monitored driver's status, and

[0203] The method further includes:

[0204] Determine whether to make the vehicle perform an emergency stop,

[0205] automatically bringing the vehicle to an immediate stop based on the determination to bring the vehicle to an emergency stop, and

[0206] Based on the determination that an emergency stop is not to be performed, a guided manual stop of the vehicle is performed.

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

[0208] The vehicle's top speed is limited based on the monitored driver's state.

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

[0210] Monitor the driver's eye movement or gaze.

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

[0212] At least one of the vehicle's hazard lights or horn is activated during vehicle deceleration.

[0213] (24) The non-transitory computer-readable medium of feature (23), wherein the hazard lights are activated such that the short period of light is emitted twice and the long period of light is emitted once.

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

[0215] circuit, is configured as

[0216] monitoring the status of the driver of the vehicle;

[0217] causing output of a notification based on the monitored driver's status;

[0218] When operating in a manual operation mode, determining whether to decelerate the vehicle after outputting the notification; and

[0219] Based on the determination of whether to decelerate the vehicle, the vehicle is decelerated.

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

[0221] The circuitry is configured to cause the notification to be presented to a person who is not the driver, and

[0222] The notification indicates the driver's status.

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

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

[0225] determining whether a first instruction to stop the vehicle is received from a person who is not the driver after the notification is output; and

[0226] Based on a determination that the first instruction is received after the notification is output, the vehicle is decelerated.

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

[0228] Before slowing down the vehicle, set a warning in the vehicle.

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

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

[0231] Based on a determination that the second command has been received, the vehicle is stopped.

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

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

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

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

[0236] The notification includes providing feedback to the driver based on the monitored driver's status, and

[0237] The circuit is configured as

[0238] Determine whether to make the vehicle perform an emergency stop,

[0239] Based on the determination to bring the vehicle to an emergency stop, automatically bringing the vehicle to an immediate stop,

[0240] Based on the determination that an emergency stop is not to be performed, a guided manual stop of the vehicle is performed.

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

[0242] The vehicle's top speed is limited based on the monitored driver's state.

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

[0244] Monitor the driver's eye movement or gaze.

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

[0246] At least one of the vehicle's hazard lights or horn is caused to activate during deceleration of the vehicle.

[0247] (36) The information processing device according to feature (35), wherein the hazard lights are activated so that the short-period light is emitted twice and the long-period light is emitted once.

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

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

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

[0251] means for determining whether to decelerate the vehicle after outputting the notification when operating in the manual operation mode; and

[0252] Means for decelerating the vehicle based on a determination of whether to decelerate the vehicle.

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

[0254] means for causing output of the notification causes the notification to be presented to a person who is not the driver, and

[0255] The notification indicates the driver's status.

[0256] (39) An information processing device according to feature (37) or (38), wherein the notification is presented by emitting light of a predetermined color based on the monitoring status of the driver.

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

[0258] means for determining whether a first instruction to stop the vehicle is received from a person who is not the driver after the notification is output; and

[0259] The means for decelerating the vehicle decelerates the vehicle based on a determination that the first instruction is received after the notification is output.

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

[0261] A device for causing a warning to be set within a vehicle before slowing the vehicle.

[0262] (42) The information processing device 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 stopping the vehicle based on a determination that the second command was received.

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

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

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

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

[0269] The notification includes providing feedback to the driver based on the monitored driver's status, and

[0270] The information processing device further includes:

[0271] Device for determining whether to make a vehicle perform an emergency stop, wherein the device for decelerating the vehicle

[0272] automatically bringing the vehicle to an immediate stop based on the determination to bring the vehicle to an emergency stop, and

[0273] Based on the determination that an emergency stop is not to be performed, a guided manual stop of the vehicle is performed.

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

[0275] Means for limiting the vehicle's top speed based on the monitored driver's state.

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

[0277] The device for monitoring monitors the driver's eye movement or line of sight.

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

[0279] Means for activating at least one of the vehicle's hazard lights or horn during vehicle deceleration.

[0280] (48) The information processing device according to feature (47), wherein the hazard lights are activated so that the short-period light is emitted twice and the long-period light is emitted once.

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

[0283] A vehicle control device, comprising:

[0284] a monitoring unit that monitors the state of a driver driving the vehicle;

[0285] a determination processing unit that performs a determination process for recognizing the driver's awakening state and determining the driver's awakening state based on the monitoring result of the monitoring unit; and

[0286] An output unit that, when the determination processing unit determines that the driver's state of awakening has decreased, gives an output for explicitly warning a third party other than the driver of the decrease in the driver's state of awakening. (2)

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

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

[0291] The monitoring unit outputs monitoring results based on the driver's head posture monitoring or sight attention monitoring, and

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

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

[0295] The monitoring unit continuously monitors the driver's head movements, eye movements, accelerator pedal operation, and brake pedal operation, as well as

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

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

[0299] When the determination processing unit recognizes a sign that the driver's state of alertness is reduced, the monitoring unit reduces the monitoring interval, and

[0300] The determination processing unit identifies a change in the driver's state of wakefulness at a frequency corresponding to the monitored interval. (6)

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

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

[0304] An emergency stop operating unit that allows a third party to perform an activation operation for allowing a driving execution unit to operate a brake device of a vehicle. (7)

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

[0307] The emergency stop operation unit is a button provided with a safety cover to prevent incorrect operation, and

[0308] Determine the operation of the processing unit based on the emergency stop operation unit,

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

[0310] Control of the driving execution unit is performed so that when a subsequent operation is performed on the emergency stop operation unit, the driving execution unit operates a 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 relative to the forward direction of the vehicle, and

[0314] Initiation of the emergency stop operation is instructed in response to rearward operation of the emergency stop operating unit relative to the forward direction of the vehicle. (9)

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

[0318] The vehicle control device according to any one of (6) to (9) above also includes an invalid operation unit that allows the driver to cancel the emergency stop operation as needed when the driver has normal judgment ability during the period from the first operation for indicating the start of the emergency stop operation to at least the second operation or subsequent operation for determining the stop of the vehicle. (11)

[0320] The vehicle control apparatus according to any one of (6) to (10) above, further comprising a performance 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 includes a hazard control unit that executes a flashing pattern of the hazard lights in a pattern different from normal flashing at the time of emergency stop of the vehicle. (13)

[0324] The vehicle control apparatus according to the above (12), wherein the hazard control unit executes a flashing pattern of the hazard lights to flash for a long period followed by flashing for a short period. (14)

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

[0327] Monitor the status of the driver driving the vehicle through the monitoring unit,

[0328] performing, by the determination processing unit, a determination process for recognizing the driver's awakening state based on the monitoring result of the monitoring unit and determining the driver's awakening state, and

[0329] Output is performed by the output unit for explicitly warning a third party other than the driver about the decreased state of the driver's awakening when the determination processing unit determines that the driver's state of awakening has decreased. (15)

[0331] A program for controlling a vehicle control device including a monitoring unit, a determination processing unit, and an output unit, the program causing a computer to execute:

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

[0333] executing, by the determination processing unit, a determination process for recognizing the driver's awakening state based on the monitoring result of the monitoring unit and determining the driver's awakening state; and

[0334] Output is performed by an output unit for explicitly warning a third party other than the driver about the decreased state of the driver's awakening when the determination processing unit determines that the driver's state of awakening has decreased.

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

[0336] [Reference Signs List]

[0337] 11 Vehicle Control Equipment

[0338] 12 Emergency stop confirmation unit

[0339] 13 Driving execution unit

[0340] 21 Monitoring Unit

[0341] 22 output units

[0342] 23 Emergency stop operation unit

[0343] 24 Invalid switch

[0344] 25 recording units

[0345] 26 Determine the processing unit

[0346] 31 Environmental Identification Unit

[0347] 32 driving processing unit

[0348] 33 Handle control unit

[0349] 34 Speed ​​control unit

[0350] 35 Hazard Control Unit

[0351] 41 Camera

[0352] 42 Emergency stop operating unit

[0353] 43 speakers

[0354] 44 lights

[0355] 45 Communication Equipment

Claims

1. A method for decelerating a vehicle, the method comprising: determining whether to decelerate the vehicle based on whether a first instruction to stop the vehicle is received from an input device within the vehicle; decelerating the vehicle based on said determination whether to decelerate the vehicle, Enable the controller to operate the hazard lights or horn; notifying and initiating a gradual stop process through actuation of at least one of a hazard light or a horn of the vehicle, the notification indicating initiation of an emergency stop operation in response to receipt of the first instruction; determining whether an instruction to cancel the first instruction is received from the driver after receiving the first instruction; determining whether a second instruction to stop the vehicle is received after receiving the first instruction; as well as canceling the gradual stop process if an instruction to cancel the first instruction is received from the driver after receiving the first instruction, and stopping the vehicle based on determining that an instruction to cancel the first instruction is not received from a device available to the driver and the second instruction to stop the vehicle is received, Wherein, the input device is neither a brake pedal nor a parking brake and is operable by a person other than the driver of the vehicle.

2. A device for decelerating a vehicle, the device comprising: The first circuit is configured as determining whether to decelerate the vehicle based on whether a first instruction to stop the vehicle is received from an input device within the vehicle; decelerating the vehicle based on said determination whether to decelerate the vehicle, Enable the controller to operate the hazard lights or horn; notifying and initiating a gradual stop process through actuation of at least one of a hazard light or a horn of the vehicle, the notification indicating initiation of an emergency stop operation in response to receipt of the first instruction; determining whether an instruction to cancel the first instruction is received from the driver after receiving the first instruction; determining whether a second instruction to stop the vehicle is received after receiving the first instruction; as well as canceling the gradual stop process if an instruction to cancel the first instruction is received from the driver after receiving the first instruction, and stopping the vehicle based on determining that an instruction to cancel the first instruction is not received from a device available to the driver and the second instruction to stop the vehicle is received, Wherein, the input device is neither a brake pedal nor a parking brake and is operable by a person other than the driver of the vehicle.

3. The device according to claim 2, wherein In response to the notification indicating the driver's status, a first instruction to stop the vehicle is received.

4. The device according to claim 3, wherein The driver's state is detected based on the image of the driver.

5. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein The driver's state is detected based on the driver's eye movement or line of sight.

6. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein The driver's state indicates the driver's level of alertness.

7. The apparatus according to claim 6, wherein The driver's state indicates that the driver's level of alertness is low.

8. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein The driver's state is detected based on the driver's head position.

9. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein The driver's state is detected based on the driver's control of the steering.

10. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein The process of determining whether to decelerate the vehicle based on the driver's state includes a process of determining whether to decelerate the vehicle based on whether a first instruction to stop the vehicle is received in response to the notification indicating the driver's state.

11. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: The second circuit is configured to record information about the driver's status.

12. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: The fourth circuit is configured to record information about the emergency stop process.

13. The apparatus according to claim 3, further comprising: The fifth circuit is configured to record information about the operation of the input device.

14. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein Information corresponding to the notification is transmitted to the outside of the vehicle via wireless communication.

15. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein The notification is visually displayed.

16. The apparatus according to claim 15, wherein The display of the information for the notification includes a red color.

17. The apparatus according to claim 16, wherein A red light is used for the notification.

18. The apparatus according to claim 17, wherein The red light flashes for notification.

19. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein The notification is issued from a speaker.

20. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein The deceleration process is performed as a step of the emergency stop process.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, further comprising The sixth circuit is configured to record information regarding the start of the deceleration process or the emergency stop process when the deceleration process or the emergency stop process is started.

22. The apparatus according to claim 3, wherein The hazard lights illuminate in a pattern for emergency conditions that is different from the pattern for normal conditions.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein: The flashing cycle of the hazard lights in an emergency situation is different from the flashing cycle of the hazard lights in a normal situation.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein: The hazard light illumination pattern for an emergency situation includes continuous illumination that is longer than the exposure time of a camera on the vehicle.

25. A system for a vehicle, the system comprising: The first circuit is configured as determining whether to decelerate the vehicle based on whether a first instruction to stop the vehicle is received from an input device within the vehicle; decelerating the vehicle as an emergency stop operation based on the determination whether to decelerate the vehicle, Enable the controller to operate the hazard lights or horn; notifying and initiating a gradual stop process through actuation of at least one of a hazard light or a horn of the vehicle, the notification indicating initiation of an emergency stop operation in response to receipt of the first instruction; determining whether an instruction to cancel the first instruction is received from the driver after receiving the first instruction; determining whether a second instruction to stop the vehicle is received after receiving the first instruction; as well as canceling the gradual stop process if an instruction to cancel the first instruction is received from the driver after receiving the first instruction, and stopping the vehicle based on determining that an instruction to cancel the first instruction is not received from a device available to the driver and the second instruction to stop the vehicle is received, The input device is neither a brake pedal nor a parking brake and is operable by a person other than the driver of the vehicle.

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