Vehicle control device and vehicle control system

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle control device and a vehicle control system that can assign priority to multiple vehicles that have been designated as emergency vehicles and enable each vehicle to travel appropriately to a destination. The vehicle control device includes a processor, an emergency mode setting unit that sets the vehicle to an emergency mode for automatic driving toward a predetermined destination when a physical abnormality of an occupant of the vehicle is detected based on the vehicle's occupant's physical information; a receiving unit for receiving information about other vehicles from other vehicles that are also set to emergency mode and are different from the vehicle when the vehicle is set to emergency mode, including at least information about the physical abnormality of the occupant of the other vehicle; a priority setting unit that sets the priority of the vehicle to be given priority based on the information about the vehicle including the physical abnormality of the occupant of the vehicle and the received information about the other vehicles; and a unit that sends assistance request information to an information processing device that outputs control information to other vehicles and traffic lights based on the set priority.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device and a vehicle control system. Background Art

[0002] A system for rescuing a driver in an emergency, such as one in which the driver is unable to operate the vehicle, has been proposed. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a driver emergency response system comprising: a vehicle-side response device having a driving determination unit that determines whether the driver can drive the vehicle based on the driver's condition; a stop transmission unit that stops the vehicle and transmits the driver's biological and vehicle information to a central facility-side response device if the driver is unable to drive; and an automatic driving unit that automatically drives the vehicle to a destination; and a central facility-side response device having a dispatch transmission unit that dispatches an ambulance based on the driver's biological and vehicle information, or transmits the location of a medical facility and a message instructing automatic driving to the vehicle-side response device. Upon receiving the message instructing automatic driving, the vehicle-side response device executes automatic driving using the location of the medical facility as the destination.

[0003] Patent Document 2 also proposes an emergency transport scheduling device that can address the shortage of emergency vehicles. Specifically, Patent Document 2 discloses the following emergency transport scheduling device: The device selects a vehicle approaching the patient from among multiple vehicles permitted as temporary emergency vehicles for emergency transport of ordinary patients, not passengers, to medical institutions. The device then uses the vehicle as an autonomously driven emergency vehicle to pick up the patient and board the vehicle for transport to the medical institution. The device then calculates a pick-up route and a transport route based on the patient's location information, the vehicle's location information, and the medical institution's location information. The device then controls the switching of traffic lights based on this route information so that the traffic system shortens the signal waiting time for vehicles.

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-177932

[0007] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-190142 Summary of the Invention

[0008] Technical issues

[0009] However, neither Patent Document 1 nor Patent Document 2 considers the situation where multiple emergency vehicles are traveling in the same area at the same time. Specifically, Patent Document 1 does not consider how to deal with a situation where an emergency occurs in which the driver cannot drive in multiple vehicles, and they enter an intersection at the same time while on their way to medical institutions. In addition, Patent Document 2 does not consider the switching method of traffic lights when multiple temporary emergency vehicles enter an intersection at the same time. It is believed that although the degree of urgency varies depending on the physical condition or symptoms of the occupants, it is still expected that vehicles in a state of high urgency can be given priority over vehicles in a state of low urgency.

[0010] The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device and a vehicle control system that can give priority to multiple vehicles that have become emergency vehicles and enable each vehicle to travel appropriately to a transport destination.

[0011] Technical Solution

[0012] In order to solve the above problems, according to a certain aspect of the present invention,

[0013] The vehicle's control device includes a processor,

[0014] The processor sets the host vehicle to an emergency mode for automatically driving the host vehicle toward a predetermined transport destination when a physical abnormality of the host vehicle occupant is detected based on the physical information of the host vehicle occupant.

[0015] The processor receives, when the host vehicle is set to the emergency mode, other vehicle information including at least information on an abnormal physical condition of an occupant of the other vehicle from another vehicle that is also set to the emergency mode and is different from the host vehicle,

[0016] The processor sets a priority level for a vehicle to be driven first based on information about the own vehicle including information about an abnormal physical state of an occupant of the own vehicle and the received information about another vehicle.

[0017] The processor transmits assistance request information to an information processing device based on the set priority, and the information processing device outputs control information to the other vehicle and the traffic light.

[0018] In addition, in solving the above-mentioned problem, according to another aspect of the present invention, a control system for a vehicle is provided, which includes a vehicle-side control device for controlling the vehicle, and an information processing device for sending control information to the vehicle, other vehicles and a traffic light management device, the vehicle-side control device including: an emergency mode setting unit, which sets the vehicle to an emergency mode for automatically driving the vehicle to a predetermined transport destination when a physical abnormality of the occupant is detected based on the occupant's physical information; and a sending unit, which sends assistance request information to the information processing device when the vehicle is set to the emergency mode, the assistance request information including information on the state of the occupant's physical abnormality. , and in order to give priority to the driving of this vehicle and request control of other vehicles and traffic lights, the information processing device includes: a control information generating unit, which generates control information of this vehicle, other vehicles and the traffic light management device based on the auxiliary request information; and a control information sending unit, which sends the control information of this vehicle, other vehicles and the traffic light management device to this vehicle, other vehicles and the traffic light management device. When there are multiple vehicles set to emergency mode, the control information generating unit generates control information of this vehicle, other vehicles and the traffic light management device based on the abnormal physical state of the occupants in a manner that allows any vehicle to have priority.

[0019] Technical Effects

[0020] As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to give priority to a plurality of vehicles serving as emergency vehicles, and to allow each vehicle to appropriately travel to a transfer destination. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram for explaining an outline of a vehicle control system according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a control system for a vehicle according to this embodiment.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the vehicle-side control device according to this embodiment.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a flowchart showing an example of a process for determining whether or not there is any abnormality in the body of an occupant.

[0025] Figure 5 This is a flowchart showing an example of a process for determining the emergency level when an abnormality occurs in the body of an occupant.

[0026] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the information processing device according to this embodiment.

[0027] Figure 7This is a flowchart showing an example of processing of the system of a medical institution that has received a consultation notification.

[0028] Figure 8 This is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Explanation of symbols

[0030] 1a, 1b…Emergency vehicle, 1c…Ordinary vehicle, 3A, 3B…Medical institution, 10…Information processing device, 20…Auxiliary control unit, 21…Transportation destination setting unit, 23…Priority setting unit, 25…Control information generation unit, 30…Traffic light management device, 31a, 31b…Traffic light, 50…Vehicle-side control device, 53…Occupant information acquisition unit, 55…Consciousness determination unit, 57…Biological information determination unit, 71…Emergency control unit, 73…Emergency mode setting unit, 75…Route setting unit, 77…Automatic driving control unit, 81…Occupant detection unit, 83…Biological detection unit, 84…Position information acquisition unit, 85…Surrounding environment detection unit, 100…Vehicle control system, 150…Vehicle control device DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0031] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that in this specification and the accompanying drawings, components having substantially the same functional structure are denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0032] <<First embodiment>>

[0033] [1. Example of a vehicle control system configuration]

[0034] First, a configuration example of a vehicle control system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram for explaining an outline of a vehicle control system 100 according to this embodiment. Figure 2 This is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle control system 100 according to the present embodiment.

[0035] like Figure 1As shown, the vehicle control system 100 includes vehicle-side control devices 50a-50c included in vehicles 1a-1c, and an information processing device 10 capable of communicating with the vehicle-side control devices 50a-50c. The information processing device 10 is also configured to be able to communicate with the traffic light management device 30 and medical institutions 3A and 3B. When the control mode of any vehicle 1a-1c is set to emergency mode, the vehicle control system 100 outputs control information to other vehicles and the traffic light management device 30, controlling the other vehicles and traffic lights 31a-31b so that the vehicle set to emergency mode (hereinafter also referred to as an "emergency vehicle") can travel smoothly to the transport destination through automatic driving control.

[0036] At this time, when there are multiple emergency vehicles 1a, 1b at the same time, the vehicle control system 100 is configured to set a priority for each emergency vehicle 1a, 1b, and control other vehicles 1b, 1c and traffic lights 31a~31b in a manner that allows the emergency vehicle 1a with a higher priority to travel first.

[0037] For example, if vehicle 1a is a high-priority emergency vehicle, vehicle 1b is a low-priority emergency vehicle, and vehicle 1c is a standard vehicle not set to emergency mode, control or notification is performed on standard vehicle 1c so as not to interfere with emergency vehicle 1a's overtaking, while control or notification is performed on emergency vehicle 1b to prevent it from entering intersection 7. Furthermore, if emergency vehicles 1a and 1b arrive at intersection 7 at the same time, traffic light 31a on road 5a, where emergency vehicle 1a is traveling, is switched to green, while traffic light 31b on road 5b, where emergency vehicle 1b is traveling, is switched to red. This allows all emergency vehicles 1a and 1b to travel smoothly to their respective medical facilities 3A and 3B, while giving priority to high-priority emergency vehicle 1a.

[0038] It should be noted that, hereinafter, when no special distinction is required, the vehicle-side control devices 50a to 50c are sometimes collectively referred to as the vehicle-side control devices 50, the medical institutions 3A and 3B are collectively referred to as the medical institutions 3, the traffic lights 31a to 31b are collectively referred to as the traffic lights 31, and the roads 5a and 5b are collectively referred to as the roads 5.

[0039] Below, refer to Figure 2 , the configuration example of the vehicle control system 100 is divided into the vehicle-side control device 50a and the information processing device 10 and described in detail. Figure 2 , only the vehicle-side control device 50a mounted on the vehicle 1a is illustrated, but the vehicle-side control devices 50b and 50c mounted on the vehicles 1b and 1c are also configured similarly to the vehicle-side control device 50a.

[0040] <1-1. Vehicle-side control device>

[0041] The vehicle-side control device 50a is mounted on the vehicle 1a. Upon detecting a physical abnormality of the occupant based on the biometric information, the vehicle 1a's control mode is set to emergency mode, and assistance request information including information about the physical abnormality is transmitted to the information processing device 10. Furthermore, the vehicle-side control device 50a detects information about the driving state of the vehicle 1a and the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1a, and uses this detected information to control the automatic driving of the vehicle 1a, causing the vehicle 1a to travel toward the medical facility 3A designated as the transfer destination.

[0042] The vehicle-side control device 50a is configured to include a processing unit such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and storage devices such as RAM (Random Access Memory) and / or ROM (Read Only Memory). The processing unit executes programs stored in the storage device to perform various calculations. The vehicle-side control device 50a may include a storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a CD (Compact Disc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), an SSD (Solid State Drive), a USB (Universal Serial Bus) flash memory, or a storage device in addition to a storage element. Alternatively, the vehicle-side control device 50a may include a storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a CD (Compact Disc), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), an SSD (Solid State Drive), a USB (Universal Serial Bus) flash memory, or a storage device in place of a storage element. It should be noted that part or all of the vehicle-side control device 50a may be comprised of updateable components such as firmware, or may be a program module executed in response to instructions from a CPU or the like.

[0043] Specifically, the vehicle-side control device 50a includes a communication unit 65, a database 60, an occupant information acquisition unit 53, an emergency control unit 71, an automatic driving control unit 77, and a notification control unit 79. The occupant information acquisition unit 53, the emergency control unit 71, the automatic driving control unit 77, and the notification control unit 79 are functions implemented by programs executed by a processing unit. Furthermore, the vehicle-side control device 50a is connected to an occupant detection unit 81, a biological detection unit 83, a position information acquisition unit 84, a surrounding environment detection unit 85, a vehicle drive control device 87, and a notification device 89.

[0044] (1-1-1. Occupant Detection Unit)

[0045] The occupant detection unit 81 is disposed within the vehicle and detects occupants of the vehicle 1a, such as the driver and / or fellow passengers. The occupant information acquisition unit 53 is configured to acquire information detected by the occupant detection unit 81. In this embodiment, the occupant detection unit 81 is configured to include a camera for capturing images of the interior of the vehicle, and an image processing device for identifying each occupant based on the captured data captured by the camera. The image processing device determines the facial orientation and / or expression, and facial movement of the detected occupant by performing image processing on the captured data. The occupant detection unit 81 can calculate the facial features of the detected occupant and identify a matching person from among pre-registered persons.

[0046] (1-1-2. Biological Detection Section)

[0047] The biological detection unit 83 is composed of one or more detection devices that detect biological information of the occupant. The occupant information acquisition unit 53 is configured to acquire the biological information detected by the biological detection unit 83. The camera and image processing device that constitute the occupant detection unit 81 can also function as the biological detection unit 83. For example, the image processing device can detect biological information such as the occupant's heartbeat and / or pulse, body temperature, etc. based on color changes in the facial image captured by the camera. In addition, the biological detection unit 83 may also include at least one of an electromagnetic Doppler sensor for detecting the occupant's heartbeat, a non-wearable pulse sensor for detecting the occupant's pulse, electrodes embedded in the steering wheel for measuring the driver's heartbeat or electrocardiogram, a pressure gauge embedded in the driver's seat cushion for measuring the seat pressure distribution while the occupant is seated, a device for detecting changes in seat belt position to measure the occupant's heartbeat or breathing, a TOF (Time of Flight) sensor for detecting occupant position (biological position) information, and a thermal imager for measuring the surface temperature of the occupant's skin. Furthermore, the biological detection unit 83 may also include a wearable detector such as a wearable device worn by the occupant to detect the occupant's biological information.

[0048] (1-1-3. Position Information Acquisition Unit)

[0049] The position information acquisition unit 84 acquires information about the vehicle 1a's travel position on the map data. The position information acquisition unit 84 is not particularly limited as long as it can acquire information about the vehicle 1a's travel position. For example, it may be a GPS (Global Positioning System) antenna that receives satellite signals including position information transmitted from GPS satellites. The emergency control unit 71 and the automatic driving control unit 77 are configured to acquire the position information acquired by the position information acquisition unit 84.

[0050] (1-1-4. Surrounding Environment Detection Department)

[0051] The surrounding environment detection unit 85 detects information about the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1a. The automatic driving control unit 77 is configured to be able to obtain the information detected by the surrounding environment detection unit 85. The surrounding environment detection unit 85 detects people and / or other vehicles, bicycles, buildings, and other obstacles around the vehicle 1a as information about the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1a. The surrounding environment detection unit 85 includes, for example, at least one of a camera that captures the surroundings of the vehicle 1a and / or a radar that detects objects around the vehicle 1a, a LiDAR that detects the distance and / or direction of the vehicle 1a from the surrounding objects, and the like. In addition, the surrounding environment detection unit 85 may also include a communication device such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication or road-to-vehicle communication that obtains information from a device outside the vehicle 1a.

[0052] (1-1-5. Vehicle Drive Control Device)

[0053] The vehicle drive control device 87 includes one or more control devices that drive the vehicle 1a. For example, the vehicle drive control device 87 includes control devices that control the drive of the engine, power transmission mechanism, including one or more drive motors and a transmission, steering system, and braking system. In this embodiment, the vehicle drive control device 87 controls various controlled devices based on control information output from the automatic driving control unit 77. Regardless of the driver's operation, the vehicle drive control device 87 automatically controls part or all of the driving control of the vehicle 1a, causing the vehicle 1a to travel along the set driving route until it reaches the destination.

[0054] (1-1-6. Notification device)

[0055] The notification device 89 notifies the occupants of the vehicle 1a of predetermined information. The notification device 89 may be, for example, a display device and / or a speaker. The notification device 89 makes predetermined notifications based on control information output from the notification control unit 79. In this embodiment, the notification device 89 notifies the occupants of at least the emergency mode setting, the transport destination, and the transport route. The notification device 89 may also include a notification device that notifies the outside of the vehicle of at least the setting of the emergency mode.

[0056] (1-1-7. Communications Department)

[0057] The communication unit 65 is an interface used by the vehicle-side control device 50 to transmit and receive information with the information processing device 10. The communication unit 65 includes a transmitter 67 and a receiver 69. In this embodiment, the communication unit 65 is configured as a communication interface capable of accessing the information processing device 10 via the mobile communication network 9.

[0058] (1-1-8. Database)

[0059] The database 60 is a storage medium that stores information on passenger attributes and / or biometric information of passengers during normal driving when the vehicle is not in emergency mode. The database 60 may also include facial image data or facial feature data used to identify passengers based on facial images detected by the passenger detection unit 81. Furthermore, the database 60 may also include pre-registered data on passengers' pre-existing conditions and / or medical history as passenger attribute information. The passenger information acquisition unit 53 and the emergency control unit 71 are configured to reference the information stored in the database 60.

[0060] (1-1-9. Passenger Information Acquisition Unit)

[0061] The occupant information acquisition unit 53 acquires occupant information based on information detected by the occupant detection unit 81 and the biological detection unit 83, as well as information stored in the database 60. The occupant information acquisition unit 53 includes a consciousness determination unit 55 and a biological information determination unit 57. The consciousness determination unit 55 determines whether the occupant is conscious based on the information output from the occupant detection unit 81. For example, the consciousness determination unit 55 may determine that the occupant is unconscious if the occupant remains facedown or with their head lowered for a predetermined period of time or longer. Alternatively, the consciousness determination unit 55 may determine that the occupant is unconscious if the occupant remains facedown or with their head lowered for a predetermined period of time or longer. In this case, if the consciousness determination unit 55 cannot determine whether the occupant is asleep or unconscious, it may apply a stimulus such as a sound or vibration of a predetermined intensity and for a predetermined period of time or longer to the occupant. If the occupant does not respond to the stimulus, the occupant may be determined to be unconscious.

[0062] The biometric information determination unit 57 detects the occupant's biometric information based on information output from at least one of the occupant detection unit 81 or the biometric detection unit 83. For example, the biometric information determination unit 57 detects at least one of the occupant's heartbeat and / or pulse, body temperature, blood pressure, respiratory rate, blood sugar level, and brain waves. For example, the biometric information determination unit 57 estimates the occupant's biometric information, such as heartbeat and / or pulse, body temperature, and blood pressure, based on color changes in the facial image acquired by the occupant detection unit 81. Alternatively, the biometric information determination unit 57 may estimate the occupant's pulse and / or heartbeat based on the sensor output of an electromagnetic Doppler sensor and / or a pulse sensor. Alternatively, the biometric information determination unit 57 may estimate the driver's heartbeat or electrocardiogram based on the output voltage of electrodes embedded in the steering wheel. Furthermore, the biometric information determination unit 57 may estimate the occupant's heartbeat or respiration based on the output of a device that detects changes in seatbelt position. Furthermore, the biological information determination unit 57 may estimate the surface temperature of the occupant's skin based on the output of the thermal imager.

[0063] The biometric information determination unit 57 associates the estimated biometric data with the occupant's attributes and stores it in the database 60. The biometric information determination unit 57 stores the biometric data in the database 60 along with information about whether the emergency mode is set. Biometric information stored in the database 60 when the emergency mode is not set is stored as the normal range of biometric information for each occupant. The occupant information acquisition unit 53 outputs the determination results of the consciousness determination unit 55 and the biometric information determination unit 57 as occupant body information to the emergency control unit 71.

[0064] (1-1-10. Emergency Control Department)

[0065] The emergency control unit 71 determines whether the occupant has any physical abnormalities. If so, it sets the control mode of the vehicle 1a to emergency mode, turning it into an emergency vehicle. The emergency control unit 71 includes an emergency mode setting unit 73 and a route setting unit 75. When the emergency mode setting unit 73 detects a physical abnormality of the occupant based on the occupant's physical information output from the occupant information acquisition unit 53, it sets the emergency mode to automatically drive the vehicle 1a toward the predetermined transport destination. In this embodiment, the emergency control unit 71 determines the degree of urgency and the presence of physical abnormalities of the occupant based on the determination results of the consciousness determination unit 55 and the determination results of the biological information determination unit 57.

[0066] Specifically, if the estimated biometric information deviates significantly from the normal range of the occupant's biometric information and the occupant is unconscious, the emergency mode setting unit 73 determines that the occupant has a physical abnormality and the urgency is high, and sets the control mode of the vehicle 1a to emergency mode. Alternatively, if the estimated biometric information deviates moderately from the normal range of the occupant's biometric information, the emergency mode setting unit 73 determines that the occupant has a physical abnormality and the urgency is moderate, and sets the control mode of the vehicle 1a to emergency mode. Furthermore, if the estimated biometric information deviates slightly from the normal range of the occupant's biometric information, the emergency mode setting unit 73 determines that the occupant has a physical abnormality and the urgency is low, and sets the control mode of the vehicle 1a to emergency mode. On the other hand, if the estimated biometric information is within the normal range of the occupant's biometric information and the occupant is conscious, the emergency mode setting unit 73 determines that the occupant has no physical abnormality and does not set the control mode of the vehicle 1a to emergency mode.

[0067] The emergency mode setting unit 73 can perform sound output processing to call the occupant through a speaker to check whether there is any physical abnormality when the occupant is suspected of having any physical abnormality based on the results of the determination of whether there is consciousness and / or the results of the estimation of biological information, and determine whether there is any physical abnormality of the occupant based on the presence or absence of an answer or the content of the answer obtained through the microphone.

[0068] When the control mode of the vehicle 1a is set to the emergency mode, the emergency mode setting unit 73 sends assistance request information to the information processing device 10 via the sending unit 67. The assistance request information includes information on the abnormal physical state of the occupant and requests that other vehicles and traffic lights 31 be controlled in a manner that gives priority to the travel of the vehicle 1a. The information on the abnormal physical state of the occupant includes determined biological information and information on the degree of urgency. The information on the abnormal physical state of the occupant may include information on the occupant's chronic illnesses and / or medical records obtained by referring to the database 60. In addition, the assistance request information includes information on the current location of the vehicle 1a. The information sent to the information processing device 10 is used to set the medical institution 3 as the transportation destination and the transportation route, and / or to set the priority when there are multiple emergency vehicles.

[0069] The route setting unit 75 sets the destination and travel route of the vehicle 1 a under automatic driving control based on the information of the medical institution 3 as the transfer destination and the transfer route received from the information processing device 10 via the receiving unit 69 .

[0070] (1-1-11. Autonomous Driving Control Unit)

[0071] The automatic driving control unit 77 performs automatic driving control of the vehicle 1a. Specifically, the automatic driving control unit 77 generates control signals for transmission to the vehicle drive control device 87 based on information on the current position of the vehicle 1a output from the position information acquisition unit 84, information on the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1a output from the surrounding environment detection unit 85, and information on the destination and travel route set by the route setting unit 75. For example, the automatic driving control unit 77 generates information on target values ​​for the steering angle and / or vehicle speed, acceleration, braking force, and the like, in order to guide the vehicle 1a along the travel route to the destination while avoiding contact with surrounding vehicles, people, obstacles, and the like, and transmits this information to the vehicle drive control device 87.

[0072] (1-1-12. Notification Control Department)

[0073] Notification control unit 79 generates a control signal to be sent to notification device 89 to cause notification device 89 to perform a predetermined notification. Notification control unit 79 uses notification device 89 to notify at least that the control mode of vehicle 1a is set to emergency mode and that medical institution 3A has been set as the transfer destination. Notification control unit 79 may also notify the patient of the scheduled arrival time at medical institution 3A, the travel route, and the priority of vehicle 1a, or may notify at least one of these.

[0074] <1-2. Information Processing Device>

[0075] Upon receiving assistance request information from the vehicle-side control devices 50a and 50b of emergency vehicles 1a and 1b, the information processing device 10 generates control information for each of the vehicles 1a and 1b and the traffic light management device 30 based on the assistance request information, prioritizing the travel of vehicles 1a and 1b. Specifically, the information processing device 10 slows down or stops other vehicles traveling on the same road or intersection as the emergency vehicles 1a and 1b, prioritizing the travel of the emergency vehicles 1a and 1b, and controls the traffic light management device 30 so that the traffic light 31 in the direction of travel of the emergency vehicles 1a and 1b turns green. In this case, if there are multiple emergency vehicles 1a and 1b set to emergency mode, the information processing device 10 generates control information for each of the vehicles 1a to 1c and the traffic light management device 30 based on information on the abnormal physical condition of the occupants included in the assistance request information, so that the travel of one of the emergency vehicles 1a and 1b is prioritized.

[0076] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the information processing device 10 has a function for setting medical institutions 3A and 3B as the transport destinations of emergency vehicles 1a and 1b, which are set to emergency mode. This allows vehicles 1a and 1b to be driven to appropriate transport destinations even when the occupants are unable to set a destination, such as when the driver or other operator of the vehicles 1a and 1b is unconscious.

[0077] The information processing device 10 includes a CPU and other processing units and an appropriate storage medium, and is capable of communicating with the vehicle control device 50 via at least the mobile communication network 9. A cloud server is typically used as the information processing device 10, but other server devices may also be used.

[0078] The information processing device 10 includes a first communication unit 11, a second communication unit 17, a third communication unit 19, a database 29, and an auxiliary control unit 20. The auxiliary control unit 20 is a function implemented by executing a program on the arithmetic processing unit.

[0079] (1-2-1. First Communications Department)

[0080] The first communication unit 11 is an interface for transmitting and receiving information between the information processing device 10 and the vehicle-side control device 50 mounted on each vehicle 1. The first communication unit 11 includes a transmitter 13 and a receiver 15. The transmitter 13 functions as part of a control information transmitter, which transmits control information generated based on the assistance request information. In this embodiment, the first communication unit 11 serves as a communication interface capable of accessing the vehicle-side control device 50 via the mobile communication network 9.

[0081] (1-2-2. Second Communications Department)

[0082] The second communication unit 17 is an interface used by the information processing device 10 to transmit control information to the traffic light management device 30. The second communication unit 17 functions as part of a control information transmission unit that transmits control information generated based on the assistance request information. The second communication unit 17 can transmit control information to the traffic light management device 30 via a dedicated line or a communication network such as the Internet. The traffic light management device 30 controls the switching of the display of traffic lights 31 installed at intersections, etc. When emergency vehicles 1a and 1b are traveling, the display of the traffic lights 31 is switched based on the received control information.

[0083] (1-2-3. Third Communications Department)

[0084] The third communication unit 19 is an interface for transmitting and receiving information between the information processing device 10 and each medical institution 3. The third communication unit 19 functions as part of the control information transmission unit, which transmits control information generated based on the assistance request information. The third communication unit 19 can be configured to access the medical institution 3 via a dedicated line or a communication network such as the Internet. Each medical institution 3 responds to the consultation notification sent from the information processing device 10, stating whether it accepts the consultation.

[0085] (1-2-4. Database)

[0086] The database 29 is a storage medium storing data of the medical institutions 3. The data of the medical institutions 3 include information such as the location, medical department, number of beds, and availability of emergency services of each medical institution 3 registered in advance.

[0087] (1-2-5. Auxiliary Control Unit)

[0088] The assistance control unit 20 has the functions of setting the transport destination of emergency vehicles 1a, 1b based on assistance request information transmitted from each emergency vehicle 1a, 1b, setting priority when there are multiple emergency vehicles 1a, 1b, and generating control information for guiding emergency vehicles 1a, 1b to the medical institution 3 set as the transport destination. The assistance control unit 20 includes a transport destination setting unit 21, a priority setting unit 23, and a control information generating unit 25.

[0089] The transfer destination setting unit 21 references the database 29 and selects a candidate medical institution 3 as the transfer destination for emergency vehicles 1a and 1b based on the assistance request information transmitted from emergency vehicles 1a and 1b. For example, based on information about the current location of emergency vehicles 1a and 1b and information about the presumed medical condition and / or medical history of the occupant, the transfer destination setting unit 21 selects a candidate medical institution 3 within a predetermined range around the current location that can provide care for the occupant. The transfer destination setting unit 21 transmits a consultation notification to the selected medical institution 3 via the third communication unit 19. In this case, the transfer destination setting unit 21 may transmit the consultation notification along with the medical information about the occupant and / or the degree of urgency, as well as the current location of vehicles 1a and 1b.

[0090] If the transfer destination setting unit 21 receives an unacceptable response from the medical institution 3 that sent the admission notice, it selects the next candidate medical institution 3 and sends the admission notice. The transfer destination setting unit 21 repeats the process of selecting medical institutions 3 and sending admission notices until it receives an acceptable response from any medical institution 3. If the transfer destination setting unit 21 receives an acceptable response from a medical institution 3, it sets the medical institution 3 as the transfer destination for each emergency vehicle 1a, 1b.

[0091] Upon receiving assistance request information from multiple emergency vehicles 1a and 1b, the priority setting unit 23 sets the priority of the vehicle to be driven first among the multiple emergency vehicles 1a and 1b. As described above, the assistance request information sent from the emergency vehicles 1a and 1b includes information on the urgency of the occupant's physical abnormality. The priority setting unit 23 sets the priority in order of increasing urgency. Furthermore, when the urgency levels are the same, the priority setting unit 23 may set the priority based on the occupant's pre-existing illnesses and / or medical history included in the assistance request information. The priority order corresponding to pre-existing illnesses and / or medical history is pre-registered in the database 29.

[0092] The control information generating unit 25 generates control information for the emergency vehicles 1a and 1b, the standard vehicle 1c, and the traffic light management device 30 based on the information about the medical institution 3 and the transportation route at the transportation destination set by the transportation destination setting unit 21, the priority of the emergency vehicles 1a and 1b set by the priority setting unit 23, and the assistance request information transmitted from the vehicle-side control device 50. The control information generating unit 25 transmits the generated control information to each vehicle 1 and the traffic light management device 30 via the first communication unit 11 and the second communication unit 17.

[0093] Basically, the control information generation unit 25 transmits information about the medical facility 3 and the transport route set as the transport destination to emergency vehicles 1a and 1b. Upon receiving this information, the vehicle-side control device 50 of emergency vehicles 1a and 1b sets the medical facility 3 and the transport route as the destination and travel route, respectively, and executes automated driving control. Furthermore, the control information generation unit 25 sequentially receives current position information from each vehicle 1, generates control information for switching the traffic lights 31 in the travel directions of each emergency vehicle 1a and 1b to green, and transmits this information to the traffic light management device 30.

[0094] Furthermore, the control information generating unit 25 sequentially receives current position information from each vehicle 1, generates control information for driving the ordinary vehicle 1c in a manner that does not interfere with the driving of the emergency vehicles 1a and 1b, and transmits this information to the ordinary vehicle 1c. If the ordinary vehicle 1c is in autonomous driving control, the control information generating unit 25 generates a control signal to slow down or stop the ordinary vehicle 1c, or to set the driving trajectory of the ordinary vehicle 1c in a manner that makes it easier for the emergency vehicles 1a and 1b to overtake, or to change the driving route of the ordinary vehicle 1c, and transmits this information to the ordinary vehicle 1c. Furthermore, if the ordinary vehicle 1c is in manual driving, the control information generating unit 25 generates control information for notifying the ordinary vehicle 1c of the approaching emergency vehicles 1a and 1b and / or the direction in which the emergency vehicles 1a and 1b are approaching, and transmits this information to the ordinary vehicle 1c.

[0095] Furthermore, when there are multiple emergency vehicles 1a and 1b, the control information generating unit 25 sequentially receives current position information from each vehicle 1, generates control information so that the high-priority emergency vehicle 1a can travel with priority over the low-priority emergency vehicle 1b, and transmits the control information to at least one of the vehicles 1 or the traffic light management device 30. For example, when multiple emergency vehicles 1a and 1b approach the same intersection at the same time, the control information generating unit 25 generates a control signal to switch the traffic light 31a in the direction of travel of the high-priority emergency vehicle 1a to green and the traffic light 31b in the direction of travel of the low-priority emergency vehicle 1b to red or yellow, and transmits the control signal to the traffic light management device 30.

[0096] Alternatively, the control information generating unit 25 generates control signals for accelerating or decelerating each emergency vehicle 1a, 1b, or changing its trajectory or route, so that the high-priority emergency vehicle 1a can pass through the intersection before the low-priority emergency vehicle 1b, or so that the high-priority emergency vehicle 1a can pass the low-priority emergency vehicle 1b, and transmits these control signals to each emergency vehicle 1a, 1b. This allows all emergency vehicles 1a, 1b to be smoothly guided to the respective medical institutions 3 at the destination while giving priority to the high-priority emergency vehicle 1a.

[0097] [2. Action Example]

[0098] So far, the configuration example of the vehicle control system 100 according to this embodiment has been described. Figures 3 to 6 The flowchart shown in FIG. 1 is used to describe an example of the operation of the vehicle control system 100 according to the present embodiment. Figure 1The schematic diagram illustrates a case where vehicles 1a and 1b are emergency vehicles set to emergency mode, while vehicle 1c is a standard vehicle not set to emergency mode. Emergency vehicle 1a is assigned to medical facility 3A, while emergency vehicle 1b is assigned to medical facility 3B. The following description may omit content already described in the aforementioned configuration example.

[0099] (2-1. Operation of Vehicle-Side Control Device)

[0100] Figure 3 This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the vehicle-side control device 50a mounted on the vehicle 1a.

[0101] First, the occupant information acquisition unit 53 of the vehicle-side control device 50a acquires information about the occupants of the vehicle 1a based on the detection information output from the occupant detection unit 81 and the biological detection unit 83 (step S11). Specifically, the consciousness determination unit 55 of the occupant information acquisition unit 53 determines whether the occupant is conscious based on the occupant image data output from the occupant detection unit 81. Furthermore, the biological information determination unit 57 of the occupant information acquisition unit 53 estimates at least one piece of biological information of the occupant, including heart rate, pulse, blood pressure, respiratory rate, blood sugar level, and brain waves, based on the information output from at least one of the occupant detection unit 81 and the biological detection unit 83. The biological information determination unit 57 associates the estimated biological information data with the occupant's attributes and stores it in the database 60. At this point, the biological information determination unit 57 stores the biological information data in the database 60 along with information indicating whether the control mode is set to emergency mode.

[0102] Next, the emergency control unit 71 determines whether the occupant has any physical abnormality based on the determination results of the consciousness determination unit 55 and the biological information determination unit 57 of the occupant information acquisition unit 53 (step S13). At this time, the emergency control unit 71 makes the determination based on the urgency of the occupant's physical abnormality.

[0103] Figure 4 This is a flowchart showing the process of determining whether or not there is any abnormality in the body of the occupant.

[0104] The emergency mode setting unit 73 of the emergency control unit 71 refers to the determination result of the consciousness determination unit 55 to determine whether the occupant is unconscious (step S31). If the determination in step S31 is affirmative (S31 / Yes), the emergency mode setting unit 73 determines that the occupant has a physical abnormality (step S33). On the other hand, if the determination in step S31 is negative (S31 / No), the emergency mode setting unit 73 refers to the determination result of the biometric information determination unit 57 and the normal range of the occupant's biometric information stored in the database 60 to determine whether the detected biometric information is outside the normal range (step S35).

[0105] If the determination in step S35 is positive (S35 / Yes), the emergency mode setting unit 73 determines that the occupant has a physical abnormality (step S33). On the other hand, if the determination in step S35 is negative (S35 / No), the emergency mode setting unit 73 determines that the occupant has no physical abnormality (step S37).

[0106] in addition, Figure 5 This is a flowchart showing an example of a process for determining the degree of urgency when it is determined that the occupant has a physical abnormality. It should be noted that the process for determining the degree of urgency is not limited to the example described below.

[0107] The emergency mode setting unit 73 determines whether there is any abnormality in the body of the occupant. As a result, if there is an abnormality in the body (the above-mentioned step S33), it determines whether the occupant is in an unconscious state (step S41). In the case of a positive determination in step S41 (S41 / Yes), the emergency mode setting unit 73 sets the urgency to "high" (step S43). On the other hand, in the case of a negative determination in step S41 (S41 / No), the emergency mode setting unit 73 determines whether the deviation of the detected biological information from the normal range is above a pre-set first threshold value (step S45). For example, although the first threshold value can be set to 20 when detecting the pulse of the occupant as biological information, the value of the first threshold value can also be set to an appropriate value.

[0108] If the determination in step S45 is positive (S45 / Yes), the emergency mode setting unit 73 sets the urgency level to "High" (step S43). On the other hand, if the determination in step S45 is negative (S45 / No), the emergency mode setting unit 73 determines whether the deviation of the detected biometric information from the normal range is greater than or equal to a second threshold value, which is pre-set and smaller than the first threshold value (step S47). While the second threshold value can be set to 10 when detecting the passenger's pulse as biometric information, the second threshold value can also be set to an appropriate value.

[0109] If the determination in step S47 is positive (S47 / Yes), the emergency mode setting unit 73 sets the urgency level to "Medium" (step S49). On the other hand, if the determination in step S47 is negative (S47 / No), that is, if the detected biometric information is outside the normal range and the deviation is less than the second threshold value, the emergency mode setting unit 73 sets the urgency level to "Low" (step S51).

[0110] return Figure 3 Next, the emergency mode setting unit 73 determines whether the result of the determination process in step S13 indicates that the occupant's physical abnormality has occurred (step S15). If the determination in step S15 is negative (S15 / No), the process returns to step S11 and repeats the determination of whether the occupant's physical abnormality has occurred. On the other hand, if the determination in step S15 is positive (S15 / Yes), the emergency mode setting unit 73 sets the control mode of the vehicle 1a to the emergency mode (step S17).

[0111] Next, the emergency mode setting unit 73 transmits assistance request information to the information processing device 10 via the transmission unit 67 (step S19). The assistance request information includes the occupant's physical information such as the occupant's consciousness and biological information acquired by the occupant information acquisition unit 53, and / or information on the current position of the vehicle 1a acquired by the position information acquisition unit 84, and information on the degree of urgency. The assistance request information may also include information on the occupant's chronic illnesses and / or medical history acquired by referring to the database 60. According to the example of the flowchart described later, the information processing device 10 sets the medical institution 3A as the transfer destination of the vehicle 1a, and transmits the information on the transfer destination together with the information on the transfer route to the vehicle-side control device 50a.

[0112] Next, the route setting unit 75 of the emergency control unit 71 obtains information about the medical institution 3A and the transport route set by the information processing device 10 via the receiving unit 69 (step S21). The route setting unit 75 sets the obtained medical institution 3A as the destination and the transport route as the travel route.

[0113] Next, the notification control unit 79 controls the notification device 89 to issue a predetermined notification (step S23). The notification control unit 79 notifies the patient of at least the fact that the control mode of the vehicle 1a is set to the emergency mode and the medical institution 3A set as the transfer destination. Furthermore, the notification control unit 79 may also notify the patient of the scheduled arrival time at the medical institution 3A, the travel route, and the priority of the vehicle 1a, or may notify at least one of these.

[0114] Next, the emergency control unit 71 acquires the control information for vehicle 1a generated by the information processing device 10 via the receiving unit 69 (step S25). The acquired control information for vehicle 1a may also include information on the priority of the host vehicle 1a in the event that multiple emergency vehicles 1a and 1b are present, and / or control information for accelerating, decelerating, or stopping the host vehicle 1a, or control information for changing the driving trajectory or route of the host vehicle 1a. Upon acquiring the control information for vehicle 1a, the notification control unit 79 may also notify the notification device 89 of at least a portion of the acquired control information.

[0115] Next, the automatic driving control unit 77 executes automatic driving control to cause the vehicle 1a to travel along the set driving route to the medical institution 3A set as the destination (step S27). Specifically, the automatic driving control unit 77 generates a control signal to be sent to the vehicle drive control device 87 based on the current position information of the vehicle 1a output from the position information acquisition unit 84, the information about the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1a output from the surrounding environment detection unit 85, and the information about the destination and driving route set by the route setting unit 75.

[0116] For example, the automatic driving control unit 77 sets target values ​​for steering angle and / or vehicle speed, acceleration, braking force, and the like, in order to move the vehicle 1a along the driving route to its destination while avoiding contact with surrounding vehicles and / or people, obstacles, and the like, and transmits these values ​​to the vehicle drive control device 87. While executing automatic driving control, the emergency control unit 71 sequentially transmits information on the current position of the vehicle 1a to the information processing device 10. Furthermore, the automatic driving control unit 77 sets target values ​​controlled by the vehicle drive control device 87 while reflecting the control information for the vehicle 1a sequentially transmitted from the information processing device 10. The vehicle drive control device 87 receives the control signals and controls the steering control system and / or the engine, drive motor, braking system, and the like, causing the vehicle 1a to travel to the medical institution 3A.

[0117] Next, the automatic driving control unit 77 determines whether the vehicle 1a has arrived at the medical institution 3A set as the destination (step S29). If the determination in step S29 is negative (S29 / No), the process returns to step S25, where the automatic driving control unit 77 continues the automatic driving control. On the other hand, if the determination in step S29 is positive (S29 / Yes), the automatic driving control unit 77 terminates the automatic driving control, ending the series of controls.

[0118] The vehicle-side control device 50b mounted on the other emergency vehicle 1b similarly sets the medical institution 3B set as the transport destination by the information processing device 10 as the destination, and sets the transport route set by the information processing device 10 as the driving route, and performs automatic driving control. In addition, the vehicle-side control device 50c mounted on the ordinary vehicle 1c, when the control mode of the vehicle 1c is not set to the emergency mode, drives the vehicle 1c to the appropriately set destination, for example, through automatic driving control. The vehicle-side control devices 50b and 50c respectively send information on the current position of the vehicles 1b and 1c to the information processing device 10 in sequence, and when control information of the vehicles 1b and 1c is sent from the information processing device 10, the vehicle drive control device 87 is controlled to reflect the control information.

[0119] (2-2. Operation of Information Processing Device)

[0120] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the information processing device 10 .

[0121] First, the assistance control unit 20 of the information processing device 10 receives assistance request information transmitted from the vehicle 1a set to emergency mode (step S61). Next, the transfer destination setting unit 21 of the assistance control unit 20 references the database 29 and selects a candidate medical institution 3 as the transfer destination for the emergency vehicle 1a based on the assistance request information transmitted from the emergency vehicle 1a (step S63). For example, the transfer destination setting unit 21 selects a candidate medical institution 3 that can treat the occupant based on information about the current location of the emergency vehicle 1a and information about the presumed physical condition's preexisting conditions and / or medical history.

[0122] Next, the transport destination setting unit 21 transmits a medical consultation notification to the medical institution 3 selected as the candidate transport destination via the third communication unit 19 (step S65). At this time, the transport destination setting unit 21 may transmit the medical consultation notification along with the biological information of the passenger with the physical abnormality and / or the degree of urgency, and the current location of the vehicle 1a.

[0123] Figure 7 This flowchart illustrates the processing performed by the system of medical institution 3 upon receiving a consultation notification. Upon receiving the consultation notification (step S81), the system of medical institution 3 determines whether the consultation is acceptable (step S83). This can be determined by input from an operator at medical institution 3, or the system can determine whether the consultation is acceptable based on factors such as the doctor's attendance status, the emergency treatment status of other patients, etc. If the system determines whether the consultation is acceptable, the system of medical institution 3 sends a response to the information processing device 10 (step S85).

[0124] return Figure 6Based on the received response regarding acceptance, the transfer destination setting unit 21 determines whether the medical institution 3 selected as the candidate transfer destination is acceptable (step S67). If step S67 results in a negative determination (S67 / No), the process returns to step S63, where the transfer destination setting unit 21 repeatedly selects the next candidate transfer destination medical institution 3 and determines whether it is acceptable. On the other hand, if step S67 results in a positive determination (S67 / Yes), the transfer destination setting unit 21 sets the medical institution 3A that is acceptable and has responded as the transfer destination (step S69).

[0125] The transfer destination setting unit 21 also executes the processing of steps S61 to S69 described above for the emergency vehicle 1 b and sets the medical institution 3B as the transfer destination.

[0126] Next, the priority setting unit 23 of the assistance control unit 20 sets the priority of multiple emergency vehicles 1a and 1b that are set to emergency mode (step S71). The assistance request information sent from each emergency vehicle 1a and 1b includes information about the physical urgency of the occupants. The priority setting unit 23 sets the priority of the emergency vehicles 1a and 1b in order of high urgency. In addition, when the urgency is at the same level, the priority setting unit 23 can set the priority of the emergency vehicles 1a and 1b based on the occupants' chronic diseases and / or medical records included in the assistance request information. At this time, the priority order corresponding to chronic diseases and / or medical records is pre-registered in the database 29.

[0127] Next, the control information generating unit 25 generates control information for the emergency vehicles 1a, 1b, the ordinary vehicle 1c and the traffic light management device 30 based on the information of the medical institution 3 and the transport route of the transport destination set by the transport destination setting unit 21, the priority of the emergency vehicles 1a, 1b set by the priority setting unit 23, the auxiliary request information sent from the vehicle-side control devices 50a, 50b, and the position information of each vehicle 1a~1c (step S73).

[0128] exist Figure 1In the example shown, control information is generated for ordinary vehicle 1c to slow down or drive to the road end in order to make emergency vehicle 1a travel ahead of ordinary vehicle 1c. Furthermore, control information is generated for ordinary vehicle 1c to slow down so that ordinary vehicle 1c does not enter intersection 7 ahead of emergency vehicle 1b. Furthermore, control information is generated for emergency vehicle 1b to slow down so that high-priority emergency vehicle 1a passes through intersection 7 ahead of emergency vehicle 1b. Furthermore, a control signal is generated for traffic light management device 30 to switch traffic light 31a in the direction of travel of emergency vehicle 1a to green and traffic light 31b in the direction of travel of emergency vehicle 1b to red so that high-priority emergency vehicle 1a passes through intersection 7 ahead of emergency vehicle 1b.

[0129] The control information generating unit 25 transmits the generated control information for each of the vehicles 1a-1c via the first communication unit 11 (step S75). Furthermore, the control information generating unit 25 transmits the generated control information for the traffic light 31 to the traffic light management device 30 via the second communication unit 17 (step S77). This allows the higher-priority emergency vehicle 1a to be given the highest priority, and all emergency vehicles 1a and 1b to travel to the destination medical institutions 3A and 3B, taking precedence over standard vehicles 1c.

[0130] As described above, in the vehicle control system 100 of this embodiment, if the vehicle-side control device 50 determines that a passenger has a physical abnormality, it sets the control mode of the vehicle 1a to emergency mode and transmits assistance request information to the information processing device 10. Upon receiving the assistance request information, the information processing device 10 sets the medical institution 3 and the transportation route as the transfer destination for the vehicle 1a set to emergency mode, responds to the emergency vehicle, generates control signals for other vehicles and traffic lights 31 to prioritize the emergency vehicle, and transmits the control signals to the other vehicles and the traffic light management device 30. In this case, if there are multiple emergency vehicles 1a and 1b, the information processing device 10 prioritizes the emergency vehicles 1a and 1b based on the information regarding the physical abnormalities of the passengers in each emergency vehicle 1a and 1b, and controls the emergency vehicles 1a and 1b to prioritize the higher-priority emergency vehicle 1a. This allows the higher-priority emergency vehicle 1a to travel smoothly to each of the medical institutions 3 serving as the transfer destinations, while giving priority to the higher-priority emergency vehicle 1a.

[0131] Furthermore, in the vehicle control system 100 of this embodiment, when the information processing device 10 receives assistance request information from the emergency vehicles 1a and 1b, it sets the medical institution 3 as the transport destination. Therefore, even if the occupants are unconscious and / or unable to operate or react normally, the emergency vehicles 1a and 1b can be driven to the appropriate medical institution 3.

[0132] <<Second embodiment>>

[0133] Next, an example configuration of a vehicle control device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. While the vehicle control system is constructed using a vehicle-side control device and an information processing device mounted on each vehicle 1 in the first embodiment, this embodiment omits the information processing device, and the vehicle control device mounted on vehicle 1 also functions as the information processing device. The following primarily describes the differences between the vehicle control device of this embodiment and the first embodiment.

[0134] Figure 8 This is a block diagram illustrating an example configuration of a vehicle control device 150 according to this embodiment. Vehicle control device 150 differs from vehicle-side control device 50 according to the first embodiment in that an emergency control unit 171 includes a transport destination setting unit 121, a priority setting unit 123, and a control information generation unit 25; and a database 29 of medical institutions 3. Vehicle control device 150 is configured to communicate with medical institutions 3 and traffic light management device 30 via, for example, a mobile communication network 9.

[0135] The basic functions of the transfer destination setting unit 121, priority setting unit 123, and control information generation unit 25 of the emergency control unit 171 are the same as those of the transfer destination setting unit 21, priority setting unit 23, and control information generation unit 25 of the assist control unit 20 of the information processing device 10 of the first embodiment. The transfer destination setting unit 121 sets the medical institution 3 as the transfer destination for the host vehicle 1a, but does not set the transfer destinations for the other vehicles 1b and 1c. Furthermore, the emergency control unit 171 receives other vehicle information, including assistance request information, from the other emergency vehicle 1b via the receiving unit 69, and receives other vehicle information, including information on the current location of the other ordinary vehicle 1c, from the other ordinary vehicle 1c. The assistance request information received from the other emergency vehicle 1b includes information on the current location of the other emergency vehicle 1b, information on the set transfer destination, physical information of the occupants of the other emergency vehicle 1b, and information on the occupants' physical urgency.

[0136] The priority setting unit 123 sets the priority of multiple emergency vehicles 1a and 1b based on the physical information and urgency information of the occupants of the host vehicle 1a, as well as the physical information and urgency information of the occupants received from other emergency vehicles 1b. The priority setting method can be similar to the priority setting unit 23 of the information processing device 10 of the first embodiment. The control information generation unit 25 generates control information for the emergency vehicles 1a and 1b, the ordinary vehicle 1c, and the traffic light management device 30 based on the information of the medical institution 3 and the transportation route of each emergency vehicle 1a and 1b, as well as the priority of the emergency vehicles 1a and 1b set by the priority setting unit 123. The control information generation unit 25 transmits the generated control information to each emergency vehicle 1b, the ordinary vehicle 1c, and the traffic light management device 30 via the transmission unit 67.

[0137] Components other than those described here can be configured in the same manner as the corresponding components included in the vehicle control system 100 of the first embodiment.

[0138] Thus, if a occupant's health condition is determined to be abnormal, the vehicle control device 150 of this embodiment sets the control mode of the vehicle 1a to emergency mode, sets the medical facility 3 as the transfer destination and the transfer route, generates control signals for other vehicles and traffic lights 31 to prioritize emergency vehicle 1a, and transmits the control signals to the other vehicles and traffic light management device 30. In this case, if there are multiple emergency vehicles 1a and 1b, the emergency control unit 171 prioritizes the emergency vehicles 1a and 1b based on the information about the physical condition of the occupants of each emergency vehicle 1a and 1b, and generates control signals to prioritize the higher-priority emergency vehicle 1a. This allows the higher-priority emergency vehicle 1a to travel smoothly to its respective transfer destination medical facility 3 while giving priority to the higher-priority emergency vehicle 1a.

[0139] Furthermore, when the control mode of the vehicle 1a is set to the emergency mode, the vehicle control device 150 of this embodiment communicates with the medical institution 3 and sets the medical institution 3 as the destination of the transport. Therefore, even if the occupant is unconscious and / or unable to operate or react normally, the emergency vehicle 1a can be driven to the appropriate medical institution 3.

[0140] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to this embodiment. A person skilled in the art can conceive of various changes and modifications within the scope of the claims, which naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0141] For example, while the above-described embodiment illustrates a case where all vehicles 1a to 1c are capable of automated driving control, the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, in the case where standard vehicle 1c is capable of manual driving only, the vehicle-side control device 50c mounted on vehicle 1c, upon receiving a control signal to decelerate or stop the vehicle, or to change the driving trajectory or route, only performs control to notify the driver of vehicle 1c to decelerate or stop the vehicle, or to change the driving trajectory or route. Even in this case, the driver receiving this notification can still operate vehicle 1c in a manner that allows emergency vehicles 1a and 1b to travel with priority.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device, characterized in that: is installed in the vehicle and is equipped with a processor, The processor sets the host vehicle to an emergency mode for automatically driving the host vehicle toward a predetermined transport destination when a physical abnormality of the host vehicle occupant is detected based on the physical information of the host vehicle occupant. When the host vehicle is set to the emergency mode, the processor receives other vehicle information including information on an abnormal physical condition of an occupant of the other vehicle, information on a current location of the other vehicle, and information on a set transport destination from another vehicle that is also set to the emergency mode and is different from the host vehicle. The processor sets a priority for a vehicle to be driven first based on the information of the own vehicle including the information on the abnormal physical state of the occupant of the own vehicle and the received information of the other vehicle according to the degree of deviation from the normal range of the biological information of the occupant, The processor generates control information of the own vehicle, the other vehicle, and the traffic light management device based on the set priority so that any one of the own vehicle and the other vehicle has priority in traveling, and outputs the control information to the other vehicle and the traffic light.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The processor determines an abnormal physical state of the occupant based on at least one of whether the occupant is conscious or not or biological information of the occupant, which is physical information of the occupant of the host vehicle.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The processor sets an emergency level based on the physical information of the occupant, and transmits a consultation notice including information on the current position of the host vehicle and information on the emergency level to a medical institution within a predetermined range corresponding to the current position of the host vehicle.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, characterized in that: The processor, when receiving an acceptable response from any medical institution that has sent the consultation notice, sets the medical institution as the transfer destination of the passenger.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein: The processor sets a transfer destination of the occupant of the host vehicle and a transfer route to the transfer destination, and transmits information on the urgency level, the transfer destination, and the transfer route to the traffic signal light management device.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The processor sets the urgency to "high" when the degree of deviation is above a predetermined first threshold; otherwise, when the degree of deviation is above a second threshold that is smaller than the first threshold, the processor sets the urgency to "medium"; when the degree of deviation is smaller than the second threshold, the processor sets the urgency to "low". The priority is set higher in the order of the higher urgency; when the urgency is at the same level, the priority is set according to the medical history of the occupant.

7. A vehicle control system, characterized in that: It includes a vehicle-side control device for controlling the vehicle and an information processing device, wherein the information processing device sends control information to the vehicle, other vehicles and traffic light management device. The vehicle-side control device includes: an emergency mode setting unit that sets the host vehicle to an emergency mode for automatically driving the host vehicle toward a predetermined transport destination when a physical abnormality of the host vehicle is detected based on the host vehicle's physical information; and a transmitting unit that, when the host vehicle is set to the emergency mode, transmits assistance request information to the information processing device, the assistance request information including information on the abnormal physical state of the occupant, information on the current position of the host vehicle, information on the degree of urgency, and requesting control of other vehicles and traffic lights in order to give priority to the host vehicle; The information processing device includes: a priority setting unit for setting a priority of a vehicle to be driven first based on the degree of deviation from a normal range of the biological information of the occupant, when there are a plurality of vehicles set to the emergency mode, based on the information of the vehicles including the information of the abnormal physical state of the occupant received from each vehicle; a control information generating unit that generates control information for the own vehicle, the other vehicles, and the traffic light management device based on the priority information; and a control information transmitting unit configured to transmit control information of the vehicle, the other vehicles, and the traffic light management device to the vehicle, the other vehicles, and the traffic light management device; The information processing device sequentially transmits information on the current position of the vehicle transmitted by the transmitting unit of the vehicle-side control device during the emergency mode of the automatic driving control. When there are multiple vehicles set to the emergency mode, the control information generating unit generates control information of the vehicle, the other vehicles and the traffic light management device based on the priority of the vehicle and the current position of the vehicle, so as to give priority to any vehicle until the any vehicle reaches the predetermined transportation destination.

8. The vehicle control system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The emergency mode setting unit of the vehicle-side control device sets an emergency level based on the physical information of the occupant. The transmitting unit of the vehicle-side control device transmits the information of the current position of the host vehicle and the information of the degree of urgency to the information processing device, The information processing device includes a transfer destination setting unit that transmits a consultation notice including information on the current position of the host vehicle and information on the degree of urgency to a medical institution within a predetermined range corresponding to the current position of the host vehicle.

9. The vehicle control system according to claim 8, characterized in that: The transfer destination setting unit sets the medical institution as the transfer destination of the occupant of the vehicle when receiving a response indicating acceptance from any medical institution that has transmitted the consultation notice.

10. The vehicle control system according to any one of claims 7 to 9, characterized in that: The transport destination setting unit sets a transport destination of the occupant of the host vehicle and a transport route to the transport destination. The control information generating unit generates control information of the host vehicle, the other vehicles, and the traffic light management device based on information of the prioritized vehicle, the transfer destination, and the transfer route.

11. The vehicle control system according to claim 7, characterized in that: The emergency mode setting unit sets the urgency to "high" when the degree of deviation is above a predetermined first threshold; otherwise, when the degree of deviation is above a second threshold that is smaller than the first threshold, the urgency is set to "medium"; and when the degree of deviation is smaller than the second threshold, the urgency is set to "low". The emergency mode setting unit sets the priority to be high in the order of the high urgency, and when the urgency is at the same level, sets the priority according to the medical history of the occupant.

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