Driver assistance device

Abstract

Provided is a driving assistance device that can evaluate a driver's driving ability and improve the driver's driving ability. The driving assistance device 11 includes: a surrounding information acquisition unit 40 that acquires surrounding information around the vehicle 1; an external detection unit 201 that detects a specified object around the vehicle 1 based on the surrounding information; a driving condition detection unit 202 that detects a driving condition including the steering condition and the braking condition of the vehicle 1; a driving evaluation unit 203 that determines a driving evaluation indicating the driving skill of the driver of the vehicle 1 based on the external detection result of the detected specified object and the driving condition; a voice output device 91 that notifies the driver of the driving evaluation result indicating the result of the driving evaluation; and a notification control unit 204 that, if the driving evaluation is improved, notifies the driver of the external detection result or the driving condition based on the driving evaluation result through a notification unit.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving assistance device. Background Art

[0002] Currently, a driver state estimation device has been proposed, which uses a plurality of thresholds to determine the state of a vehicle driver and notifies the driver of a warning (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

[0003] [Prior Art Documents]

[0004] (Patent Document)

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2018-063467 Summary of the Invention

[0006] [Problems to be Solved by the Invention]

[0007] However, the driver state estimation device described in Patent Document 1 merely notifies the driver of a warning. On the other hand, in order to improve the driving ability of the driver, it is necessary to notify the driver when the state of the driver has been appropriately improved.

[0008] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a driving assistance device that can evaluate the driving ability of a driver and can improve the driving ability of the driver.

[0009] [Technical Means for Solving the Problems]

[0010] A driving assistance device according to an aspect of the present disclosure (for example, the driving assistance device 11 described later) includes: a surrounding information acquisition unit (for example, the surrounding information acquisition unit 40 described later) that acquires surrounding information around a moving body (for example, the vehicle 1 described later); an external detection unit (for example, the external detection unit 201 described later) that detects a specified object around the moving body based on the foregoing surrounding information; a driving condition detection unit (for example, the driving condition detection unit 202 described later) that detects a driving condition including a steering condition and a braking condition of the foregoing moving body; a driving evaluation unit (for example, the driving evaluation unit 203 described later) that determines a driving evaluation indicating the driving skill of the driver of the foregoing moving body based on the external detection result of the foregoing detected specified object and the foregoing driving condition; a notification unit (for example, the voice output device 91 or the portable communication device 100 described later) that notifies the driver of a driving evaluation result indicating the result of the foregoing driving evaluation; and a notification control unit (for example, the notification control unit 204 described later) that, if the foregoing driving evaluation improves, notifies the driver of the foregoing external detection result or the foregoing driving condition based on the foregoing driving evaluation result through the foregoing notification unit.

[0011] In addition, the aforementioned driving evaluation unit stores the change in the driving evaluation of the aforementioned driver in the storage unit based on the aforementioned external detection result and the aforementioned driving condition; the aforementioned driving assistance device further includes a driving evaluation determination unit (for example, the driving evaluation determination unit 205 described later), and the driving evaluation determination unit determines that the aforementioned driving evaluation has improved when the aforementioned external detection result and the aforementioned driving condition meet the first condition, and determines that the aforementioned driving evaluation has declined when the aforementioned external detection result and the aforementioned driving condition meet the second condition; the aforementioned notification control unit, when it is determined that the aforementioned driving evaluation has improved, notifies the aforementioned driver of the aforementioned driving evaluation result indicating the improvement of the aforementioned driving evaluation through the aforementioned notification unit, and when it is determined that the aforementioned driving evaluation has declined, does not notify the aforementioned driver of the aforementioned driving evaluation result indicating the decline of the aforementioned driving evaluation through the aforementioned notification unit; the aforementioned driving evaluation determination unit determines that the aforementioned driving evaluation has declined by two levels when the aforementioned external detection result and the aforementioned driving condition meet the aforementioned second condition multiple times within a specified time; and, the aforementioned notification control unit warns the aforementioned driver through the aforementioned notification unit when the aforementioned driving evaluation has declined by two levels.

[0012] In addition, the aforementioned driving evaluation determination unit determines that the aforementioned driving evaluation has declined when the aforementioned external detection result and the aforementioned driving condition meet the aforementioned second condition; and, the aforementioned notification control unit, after the aforementioned moving body stops, notifies the aforementioned driver of the aforementioned driving evaluation result indicating the decline of the aforementioned driving evaluation and the aforementioned external detection result or the aforementioned driving condition based on the aforementioned driving evaluation result through the aforementioned notification unit.

[0013] In addition, the aforementioned driving assistance device further includes a communication unit (for example, the communication unit 103 described later) that communicates with an external terminal (for example, the portable communication device 100 described later), and the aforementioned notification control unit sends the aforementioned driving evaluation result to the aforementioned external terminal through the aforementioned communication unit through the aforementioned notification unit, and notifies the aforementioned external terminal of the aforementioned driving evaluation result and the aforementioned external detection result or the aforementioned driving condition based on the aforementioned driving evaluation result.

[0014] In addition, the aforementioned first condition includes that the relative distance between the aforementioned moving body and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the aforementioned moving body is greater than or equal to a specified distance, and that the vehicle has traveled for a specified time at a distance greater than or equal to the specified distance, and the aforementioned second condition includes that the relative distance to the aforementioned preceding vehicle is less than or equal to the specified distance, or that the aforementioned moving body accelerates at an acceleration greater than or equal to the specified acceleration.

[0015] (Effects of the Invention)

[0016] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a driving assistance device that can evaluate the driving ability of a driver and can improve the driving ability of the driver. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0017] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the structure of the vehicle according to the present embodiment.

[0018] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the functional structure of the driving assistance device of the vehicle according to the present embodiment.

[0019] Figure 3 is a diagram showing the functional structure of the portable communication device according to the present embodiment.

[0020] Figure 4 is a diagram showing the transition of the driving evaluation level.

[0021] Figure 5 is a diagram showing specific examples of the risk increase condition and the risk decrease condition.

[0022] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the processing of the driving assistance device according to the present embodiment.

[0023] Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the processing of the driving assistance device according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Hereinafter, embodiments of the driving assistance device of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the structure of the vehicle 1 according to the present embodiment. Figure 1 Combining a plan view and a side view shows an overview of the vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 is, for example, a sedan-type four-wheel passenger vehicle.

[0026] The vehicle 1 includes a control device 2. The control device 2 includes a plurality of electronic control units (ECUs) (autopilot ECU 20 to stop control ECU 29) that can be communicatively connected via an in-vehicle network. Each ECU functions as a computer, which includes a processor represented by a CPU, a storage device (memory device) such as a semiconductor memory, and an interface with external devices. Programs executed by the processor and data used by the processor for processing are stored in the storage device. Each ECU may also include a plurality of processors, storage devices, and interfaces.

[0027] Hereinafter, the functions of each of the autopilot ECU 20 to stop control ECU 29 will be described. In addition, the number of ECUs and the functions they are responsible for can be appropriately designed, and can be more refined or integrated than the ECUs shown in the present embodiment.

[0028] The autonomous driving ECU 20 performs control related to the autonomous driving of the vehicle 1. During autonomous driving, the autonomous driving ECU 20 automatically controls at least any one of the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle 1.

[0029] The steering ECU 21 controls the electric power steering device 3. The electric power steering device 3 includes a mechanism that steers the front wheels according to the driving operation (steering operation) of the driver on the steering wheel 31. In addition, the electric power steering device 3 includes: a motor that assists the steering operation or applies the driving force required to automatically steer the front wheels, and a sensor that detects the steering angle, etc. When the driving state of the vehicle 1 is autonomous driving, the steering ECU 21 automatically controls the electric power steering device 3 in response to an instruction issued by the autonomous driving ECU 20, thereby controlling the traveling direction of the vehicle 1.

[0030] The driving assistance ECUs 22 and 23 control the cameras 41, LIDAR 42, and millimeter-wave radar 43 that detect the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, and perform information processing on the detection results. The camera 41 captures images of the front, side, and rear of the vehicle 1. In the case of this embodiment, two cameras 41 are provided at the front of the vehicle 1, and further, one camera 41 is provided at each of the side and rear parts. The driving assistance ECUs 22 and 23 can extract the outline of the target (Object) and the lane markings (white lines, etc.) on the road by analyzing the images captured by the camera 41.

[0031] The LIDAR 42 is a lidar (Light Detection and Ranging; LIDAR), which detects the targets around the vehicle 1 and measures the distance to the targets. In the case of this embodiment, five LIDARs 42 are provided, one at each corner of the front part of the vehicle 1, one at the center of the rear part, and one at each side of the rear part.

[0032] The millimeter-wave radar 43 detects the targets around the vehicle 1 and measures the distance to the targets. In the case of this embodiment, five millimeter-wave radars 43 are provided, one at the center of the front part of the vehicle 1, one at each corner of the front part, and one at each corner of the rear part.

[0033] The driving assistance ECU 22 controls the one camera 41 at the front of the vehicle 1 and each LIDAR 42, and performs information processing on the detection results. The driving assistance ECU 23 controls the other camera 41 at the front of the vehicle 1 and each millimeter-wave radar 43, and performs information processing on the detection results. By having two sets of ECUs for detecting the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 1, the reliability of the detection results can be improved. In addition, by having different types of detection units such as the camera 41, LIDAR 42, and millimeter-wave radar 43, the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 can be analyzed in multiple aspects.

[0034] The position recognition ECU 24 controls the gyro sensor 5, the GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor 24b, and the communication device 24c, and processes the information of the detection results or communication results. The gyro sensor 5 detects the rotational movement of the vehicle 1. The position recognition ECU 24 can judge the traveling route of the vehicle 1 based on the detection results of the gyro sensor 5 and the wheel speed, etc.

[0035] The GPS sensor 24b detects the current position of the vehicle 1. The communication device 24c performs wireless communication with a server that provides map information, traffic information, etc. to obtain such information. The position recognition ECU 24 can access the database 24a of the map information constructed in the storage device, and the position recognition ECU 24 searches for a route from the current position to the destination, etc.

[0036] The communication control ECU 25 is equipped with a communication device 25a for vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The communication device 25a performs wireless communication with another vehicle in the vicinity to exchange information between the vehicles.

[0037] The drive control ECU 26 controls the power unit 6. The power unit 6 is a mechanism that outputs a driving force for rotating the drive wheels of the vehicle 1, and includes, for example, an engine and a transmission. The drive control ECU 26 controls the output of the engine in response to, for example, a driving operation (accelerator operation or acceleration operation) of the driver detected by an operation detection sensor 7D provided on the accelerator pedal 7A. Moreover, the drive control ECU 26 switches the gear stage of the transmission based on information such as the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 7C. When the driving state of the vehicle 1 is autonomous driving, the drive control ECU 26 automatically controls the power unit 6 in response to an instruction issued by the autonomous driving ECU 20 to control the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle 1.

[0038] The vehicle exterior notification control ECU 27 controls lighting devices 8 such as the direction indicator (turn signal) 8a, the headlight 8b, and the tail light 8c (refer to Figure 3 described later). In the example of Figure 1 , the direction indicator 8a is provided on the front part, the rearview mirror (DoorMirror), and the rear part of the vehicle 1. The headlight 8b is provided on the front part of the vehicle 1, and the tail light 8c is provided on the rear part of the vehicle 1. The vehicle exterior notification control ECU 27 also controls the sound device 12 that emits sound to the outside of the vehicle. The sound device 12 includes, for example, a horn 12a for a siren (refer to Figure 3 described later).

[0039] The in-vehicle notification control ECU 28 controls the input / output device 9. The input / output device 9 outputs information to the driver and accepts information input from the driver. The input / output device 9 includes a voice output device 91, a display device 92, and an input device 93.

[0040] The voice output device 91 notifies the driver of information by voice.

[0041] The display device 92 notifies the driver of information by displaying images. The display device 92 is arranged, for example, in front of the driver's seat and forms an instrument panel or the like. In addition, here, although voice and display are listed, vibration and light can also be used to notify information. Further, the input / output device 9 can also notify information by combining multiple of voice, display, vibration, or light. Furthermore, according to the level (e.g., urgency) of the information to be notified, the input / output device 9 can have different combinations or different notification methods.

[0042] The input device 93 is arranged at a position operable by the driver and is a set of switches for instructing the vehicle 1, but may also include a voice input device.

[0043] The stop control ECU 29 controls the braking device 10 and the parking brake (not shown), etc. The braking device 10 is, for example, a disc braking device, which is provided on each wheel of the vehicle 1 and decelerates or stops the vehicle 1 by applying resistance to the rotation of the wheels.

[0044] The stop control ECU 29 controls the operation of the braking device 10, for example, in response to a driving operation (braking operation) of the driver detected by an operation detection sensor 7E provided on the brake pedal 7B. When the driving state of the vehicle 1 is in autonomous driving, the stop control ECU 29 automatically controls the braking device 10 in response to an instruction issued by the ECU 20 to control the deceleration and stop of the vehicle 1. The braking device 10 and the parking brake can also be operated to maintain the stopped state of the vehicle 1. In addition, when the transmission of the power unit 6 has a parking lock mechanism, the parking lock mechanism can also be operated to maintain the stopped state of the vehicle 1.

[0045] The vehicle 1 also includes an in-vehicle detection sensor 50 for detecting the in-vehicle state. Here, as the in-vehicle detection sensor 50, it is composed of a camera as a photographing unit, a weight sensor, a temperature detection sensor, etc., and its type is not particularly limited. In addition, the in-vehicle detection sensor 50 can be provided on each seat provided on the vehicle 1, or can be set as a single structure in a way that can overlook and monitor the entire interior of the vehicle.

[0046] [Examples of control functions]

[0047] The control function of the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment includes driving-related functions related to the control of driving, braking, and steering of the vehicle 1; and an informing function related to informing the driver of information.

[0048] Lane keeping control is a type of control for the position of the vehicle relative to the lane, which is a control that enables the vehicle to automatically travel (without relying on the driver's driving operation) on the driving trajectory set within the lane.

[0049] Lane departure suppression control is a type of control for the position of the vehicle relative to the lane. It detects the white line or the median strip and performs automatic steering to prevent the vehicle from crossing the line. In this way, lane departure suppression control and lane keeping control have different functions.

[0050] Lane change control refers to the control of automatically moving the vehicle from the currently traveling lane to an adjacent lane.

[0051] Following control of a preceding vehicle refers to the control of automatically following another vehicle traveling in front of one's own vehicle.

[0052] Collision mitigation braking control refers to the control of automatically braking to assist in avoiding a collision when the possibility of a collision with an obstacle in front of the vehicle increases.

[0053] Accidental start suppression control refers to the control of restricting the vehicle's acceleration when the driver's acceleration operation in the vehicle stop state is greater than or equal to a specified amount, thereby suppressing a sudden start.

[0054] Adjacent vehicle informing control refers to informing the driver that there is another vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to the driving lane of one's own vehicle. For example, informing that there is another vehicle traveling on the side or rear of one's own vehicle.

[0055] Starting informing control of a preceding vehicle refers to the control of informing that one's own vehicle and another vehicle in front of it are in a stopped state, and the other vehicle in front has started. These informings can be performed by the above-mentioned vehicle interior notification device.

[0056] Hereinafter, the processing of the driving assistance device 11 of the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment will be described.

[0057] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the functional structure of the driving assistance device 11 of the vehicle 1 according to this embodiment. As Figure 2 shown, the driving assistance device 11 includes a control device 2, a communication device 25a, and a surrounding information acquisition unit 40.

[0058] The control device 2 includes an external detection unit 201, a driving condition detection unit 202, a driving evaluation unit 203, a notification control unit 204, and a driving evaluation determination unit 205. The surrounding information acquisition unit 40 includes the above-mentioned camera 41, LIDAR 42, and millimeter-wave radar 43.

[0059] The surrounding information acquisition unit 40 acquires the surrounding information of the vehicle 1. The surrounding information acquisition unit 40 acquires, for example, the surrounding information of the front, side, and rear of the vehicle 1. The surrounding information is, for example, an image of the front, side, and rear of the vehicle 1 acquired by the camera 41. In addition, the surrounding information may also be data of the front, side, and rear of the vehicle 1 acquired by the LIDAR 42 or the millimeter-wave radar 43.

[0060] The external detection unit 201 detects a specified object (e.g., another vehicle) around the vehicle 1 based on the surrounding information acquired by the surrounding information acquisition unit 40.

[0061] The driving condition detection unit 202 detects a driving condition including the steering condition and the braking condition of the vehicle 1. Here, the steering condition is the condition in which the driver operates the steering wheel 31. The braking condition is the condition in which the vehicle 1 is braked by the braking device 10 and the parking brake.

[0062] The driving evaluation unit 203 determines a driving evaluation indicating the driving skill of the driver of the vehicle 1 based on the detected external detection result of another vehicle and the driving condition. The external detection result is the result of detecting another vehicle, and includes, for example, the position information and speed information of another vehicle. The driving evaluation is, for example, a driving evaluation level indicating the driving skill of the driver of the vehicle 1. The details of the driving evaluation level will be described later.

[0063] In addition, the driving evaluation unit 203 stores the change of the driving evaluation of the driver in the storage device of the control device 2 based on the external detection result and the driving condition.

[0064] If the driving evaluation improves, the notification control unit 204 notifies the driver of the external detection result or the driving condition based on the driving evaluation result indicating the driving evaluation by the voice output device 91 or the portable communication device 100. Here, the driving evaluation result is, for example, a message corresponding to the driving evaluation level.

[0065] In addition, the voice output device 91 outputs a message corresponding to the driving evaluation level by voice. The portable communication device 100 outputs a message corresponding to the driving evaluation level by voice, or displays a message corresponding to the driving evaluation level as text data on the display unit 104 described later.

[0066] When the external detection result and the driving state meet the first condition (for example, the risk reduction condition described later), the driving evaluation determination unit 205 determines that the driving evaluation has improved.

[0067] In addition, when the external detection result and the driving state meet the second condition (for example, the risk increase condition described later), the driving evaluation determination unit 205 determines that the driving evaluation has declined.

[0068] When it is determined that the driving evaluation has improved, the notification control unit 204 notifies the driver of the driving evaluation result indicating the improvement of the driving evaluation through the voice output device 91 or the portable communication device 100. When it is determined that the driving evaluation has declined, the notification control unit 204 does not immediately notify the driver of the driving evaluation result indicating the decline of the driving evaluation through the voice output device 91 or the portable communication device 100, but notifies the driver after the vehicle 1 turns off the ignition power.

[0069] When the external detection result and the driving state meet the second condition multiple times within a specified time, the driving evaluation determination unit 205 determines that the driving evaluation has declined by two levels.

[0070] When the driving evaluation has declined by two levels, the notification control unit 204 warns the driver through the voice output device 91 or the portable communication device 100.

[0071] When the external detection result and the driving state meet the second condition, the driving evaluation determination unit 205 determines that the driving evaluation has declined and stores the driving evaluation result in the storage device of the control device 2.

[0072] After the vehicle 1 stops (for example, the ignition power is turned off), the notification control unit 204 notifies the driver of the driving evaluation result indicating the decline of the driving evaluation and the external detection result or the driving state based on the driving evaluation result through the voice output device 91 or the portable communication device 100.

[0073] In addition, as described above, the notification control unit 204 sends the driving evaluation result to the portable communication device 100 through the communication device 25a and notifies the portable communication device 100 of the driving evaluation result and the external detection result or the driving state based on the driving evaluation result.

[0074] In addition, the above-mentioned first condition includes, for example: the relative distance between the vehicle 1 and the vehicle ahead traveling in front of the vehicle 1 is greater than or equal to a specified distance, and the vehicle has traveled for a specified time at a distance greater than or equal to the specified distance. The second condition includes, for example: the relative distance between the vehicle 1 and the vehicle ahead is less than or equal to the specified distance, or the vehicle 1 accelerates with an acceleration greater than or equal to the specified acceleration.

[0075] Figure 3It is a diagram showing the functional structure of the portable communication device 100 of the present embodiment. The portable communication device 100 of the present embodiment includes a control unit 101, a storage unit 102, a communication unit 103, and a display unit 104.

[0076] The control unit 101 is a part that controls the entire portable communication device 100, and realizes various functions in the present embodiment by timely reading and executing various programs stored in the storage unit 102. The control unit 101 may also be a Central Processing Unit (CPU).

[0077] The storage unit 102 is a storage area for various programs and various data, etc. that function as the portable communication device 100 using the hardware group, and may be a ROM, RAM, flash memory, or hard disk drive (HDD), etc. Specifically, the storage unit 102 stores programs and the like that cause the control unit 101 to execute the respective functions of the present embodiment.

[0078] The communication unit 103 performs communication control for the portable communication device 100 to communicate with external devices. Specifically, the communication unit 103 supports specific communication protocols (for example, WiFi, 3G, 4G, 5G, etc.). The communication unit 103 uses these communication protocols to communicate with external devices according to the control of the control unit 101.

[0079] The portable communication device 100 can communicate with the driving assistance device 11 through the communication unit 103 and store the application program for driving assistance in the storage unit 102. Moreover, if the application program for driving assistance receives the driving evaluation result from the driving assistance device 11, it will display the driving evaluation result as text data on the display unit 104 and notify the driver of the driving evaluation result.

[0080] Figure 4 It is a diagram showing the transition of the driving evaluation level.

[0081] The driving evaluation unit 203 of the driving assistance device 11 has a following training function for the driver of the vehicle 1 to follow the vehicle ahead. The following training function is started and ended, for example, by the driver operating the input device 93.

[0082] In the following training function, the task that the driver of the vehicle 1 needs to complete is to maintain the state where the time headway between the vehicle 1 and the vehicle ahead is greater than or equal to 2 seconds for 30 seconds. Here, the time headway refers to the time from when the vehicle ahead passes a certain point until the vehicle 1 passes that point.

[0083] In addition, the conditions for running the follow-up training function include that the vehicle 1 is traveling at a speed greater than or equal to 30 km / h, and the vehicle 1 can detect the state of the vehicle ahead. Moreover, the follow-up training function notifies the driver of the driving evaluation result (e.g., a message) corresponding to the driving evaluation level of the driver of the vehicle 1 through the voice output device 91.

[0084] The driving evaluation level is a numerical value representing the driving evaluation that reflects the driving skills of the driver of the vehicle 1. The driving evaluation level has 4 levels from 0 to 3, and the larger the numerical value, the better the driving skills of the driver.

[0085] As Figure 4 shown, in the case of maintaining the driving evaluation level 3, the notification control unit 204 notifies the driver through the voice output device 91 of the message "The vehicle distance is good." indicating that a good driving evaluation level has been maintained as the driving evaluation result.

[0086] When changing from the driving evaluation level 3 to the driving evaluation level 2, that is, when the driving evaluation drops by 1 level, the notification control unit 204 notifies the driver through the voice output device 91 of the message "The vehicle distance is slightly short." indicating that the driving evaluation level has dropped by 1 level as the driving evaluation result.

[0087] When changing from the driving evaluation level 3 to the driving evaluation level 1 or the driving evaluation level 0, that is, when the driving evaluation drops by 2 levels or more, the notification control unit 204 notifies the driver through the voice output device 91 of the message "The vehicle distance has shortened sharply. Please pay attention." indicating that the driving evaluation level has dropped by 2 levels as the driving evaluation result.

[0088] Figure 5 is a diagram showing specific examples of the risk increase conditions and the risk decrease conditions. As Figure 5 shown, the risk increase conditions include: the vehicle distance between the vehicle 1 and the vehicle ahead approaches within the specified vehicle distance, the acceleration of the vehicle 1 is greater than or equal to the specified acceleration, the steering of the vehicle 1 sways within the specified time, and the relative speed between the vehicle 1 and the vehicle ahead is greater than or equal to the specified value, etc.

[0089] The risk decrease conditions include: the vehicle distance between the vehicle 1 and the vehicle ahead is maintained at the specified vehicle distance or more, the acceleration of the vehicle 1 shows a gentle deceleration, the steering of the vehicle 1 shows a smooth trajectory that does not include a sudden turn at a road bend or corner, and a braking operation corresponding to the vehicle ahead is performed (i.e., a braking operation to maintain the relative distance), etc.

[0090] Moreover, when at least one of the external detection result and the driving condition conforms to the above-described risk reduction condition, the driving evaluation determination unit 205 determines that the driving evaluation has improved. In addition, when at least one of the external detection result and the driving condition conforms to the above-described risk increase condition, the driving evaluation determination unit 205 determines that the driving evaluation has decreased.

[0091] Figure 6 and Figure 7 is a flowchart showing the processing of the driving support device 11 of the present embodiment.

[0092] In step S1, the surrounding information acquisition unit 40 acquires the surrounding information of the front, side, and rear of the vehicle 1.

[0093] In step S2, the external detection unit 201 detects another vehicle around the vehicle 1 based on the surrounding information acquired by the surrounding information acquisition unit 40.

[0094] In step S3, the driving condition detection unit 202 detects the driving condition including the steering condition and the braking condition of the vehicle 1.

[0095] In step S4, the driving evaluation unit 203 determines the driving evaluation level indicating the driving skill of the driver of the vehicle 1 based on the detected external detection result of another vehicle and the driving condition.

[0096] In step S5, the driving evaluation determination unit 205 determines whether the driving evaluation level is level 0. When the driving evaluation level is level 0 (Yes), the process proceeds to step S6. On the other hand, when the driving evaluation level is not level 0 (No), the process proceeds to step S8.

[0097] In step S6, the notification control unit 204 acquires a warning message indicating a decrease in the driving evaluation level from the storage device of the control device 2.

[0098] In step S7, the notification control unit 204 immediately notifies the driver of the vehicle 1 of the acquired message by the voice output device 91 or the portable communication device 100.

[0099] In step S8, the driving evaluation determination unit 205 compares the driving evaluation level determined in step S4 with the previous driving evaluation level.

[0100] In step S9, the driving evaluation determination unit 205 determines whether there is a sharp change in the driving evaluation level (a change of two levels or more in the driving evaluation level) based on the comparison result in step S8. When there is a sharp change in the driving evaluation level (Yes), the process proceeds to step S6. On the other hand, when there is no sharp change in the driving evaluation level (No), the process proceeds to Figure 7 step S10.

[0101] In step S10, the driving evaluation determination unit 205 determines the situation of the driving evaluation level determined in step S4. When it is determined that the driving evaluation level has increased, the process moves to step S11. When it is determined that the driving evaluation level has been maintained, the process moves to step S12. When it is determined that the driving evaluation level has decreased, the process moves to step S13.

[0102] In step S11, the notification control unit 204 obtains a message indicating an increase in the driving evaluation level from the storage device of the control device 2, and moves to Figure 6 step S7.

[0103] In step S12, the notification control unit 204 obtains a message indicating that the driving evaluation level has been maintained from the storage device of the control device 2, and moves to step S14.

[0104] In step S13, the notification control unit 204 obtains a message indicating a decrease in the driving evaluation level from the storage device of the control device 2, and moves to step S14.

[0105] In step S14, the obtained message is not immediately notified to the driver of the vehicle 1 by the voice output device 91 or the portable communication device 100, but is notified after the vehicle 1 turns off the ignition power.

[0106] In this way, the driving assistance device 11 performs notification and warning based on the change in the driving evaluation level (increase and decrease in the driving evaluation level), rather than based on the determined driving evaluation level.

[0107] According to the present embodiment, for example, the following effects are achieved.

[0108] The driving assistance device 11 includes: a surrounding information acquisition unit 40 that acquires surrounding information around the vehicle 1; an external detection unit 201 that detects a specified object around the vehicle 1 based on the surrounding information; a driving condition detection unit 202 that detects a driving condition including the steering condition and the braking condition of the vehicle 1; a driving evaluation unit 203 that determines a driving evaluation indicating the driving skill of the driver of the vehicle 1 based on the external detection result of the detected specified object and the driving condition; a voice output device 91 that notifies the driver of the driving evaluation result indicating the result of the driving evaluation; and a notification control unit 204 that, if the driving evaluation improves, notifies the driver of the external detection result or the driving condition based on the driving evaluation result through the notification unit.

[0109] Accordingly, the driving assistance device 11 can evaluate the driver's driving ability and can improve the driver's driving ability. In particular, the driving assistance device 11 contributes to the improvement of the driver's driving ability by notifying the driver of the improved driving evaluation. For example, it can promote the continuous use of the above-mentioned following training function.

[0110] In addition, the driving evaluation unit 203 stores the change in the driver's driving evaluation in the storage device of the control device 2 based on the external detection result and the driving condition; the driving assistance device 11 further includes a driving evaluation determination unit 205. The driving evaluation determination unit 205 determines that the driving evaluation has improved when the external detection result and the driving condition meet the first condition, and determines that the driving evaluation has decreased when the external detection result and the driving condition meet the second condition.

[0111] The notification control unit 204 notifies the driver of the driving evaluation result indicating the improvement of the driving evaluation through the voice output device 91 when it is determined that the driving evaluation has improved, and does not notify the driver of the driving evaluation result indicating the decrease of the driving evaluation through the voice output device 91 when it is determined that the driving evaluation has decreased.

[0112] In addition, the driving evaluation determination unit 205 determines that the driving evaluation has decreased by two levels when the external detection result and the driving condition meet the second condition multiple times within a specified time; and the notification control unit 204 warns the driver through the voice output device 91 when the driving evaluation has decreased by two levels.

[0113] Accordingly, the driving assistance device 11 notifies the driver in the case of an improved driving evaluation and a sharp decrease in the driving evaluation, whereby immediate feedback related to the driving evaluation can be provided to the driver.

[0114] In addition, the driving evaluation determination unit 205 determines that the driving evaluation has decreased when the external detection result and the driving condition meet the second condition; and the notification control unit 204 notifies the driver of the driving evaluation result indicating the decrease of the driving evaluation and the external detection result or the driving condition based on the driving evaluation result through the voice output device 91 after the vehicle 1 stops.

[0115] Accordingly, the driving assistance device 11 can uniformly notify the driver after the vehicle 1 stops in the case of a slight decrease in the driving evaluation, so as not to distract the driver during driving, but to confirm the statistically calculated driving evaluation later.

[0116] In addition, the driving assistance device 11 is further provided with a communication device 25a for communicating with an external terminal. The notification control unit 204 transmits the driving evaluation result to the portable communication device 100 via the communication device 25a, and notifies the portable communication device 100 of the driving evaluation result and the external detection result or driving condition based on the driving evaluation result. Thus, by notifying the driving evaluation result to the portable communication device 100, the driver can preferably use the portable communication device 100 to confirm the driving evaluation.

[0117] In addition, the first condition includes that the relative distance between the vehicle 1 and the preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle 1 is greater than or equal to a specified distance, and the vehicle travels at a distance greater than or equal to the specified distance for a specified time. The second condition includes that the relative distance to the preceding vehicle is less than or equal to the specified distance, or the vehicle 1 accelerates with an acceleration greater than or equal to the specified acceleration. Thus, the driving assistance device 11 can utilize the relationship with the preceding vehicle to judge the improvement and decline of the driving evaluation.

[0118] As described above, the embodiments of the present invention have been described. The above-mentioned driving assistance device 11 can be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination thereof. In addition, the control method performed by the above-mentioned driving assistance device 11 can also be implemented by hardware, software, or a combination thereof. Here, implementing by software means implementing by a computer reading and executing a program.

[0119] Programs can be stored in various types of non-transitory computer-readable media and provided to a computer. Non-transitory computer-readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of non-transitory computer-readable media include magnetic recording media (e.g., hard disk drives), magneto-optical recording media (e.g., magneto-optical discs), CD-ROM (Read Only Memory), CD-R, CD-R / W, semiconductor memories (e.g., mask ROM, PROM (Programmable ROM), EPROM (Erasable PROM), flash ROM, RAM (random access memory)).

[0120] As described above, one embodiment of the present invention has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. Within the scope of the gist of the present invention, appropriate changes can be made to the detailed structure.

[0121] Reference Numerals

[0122] 1: Vehicle

[0123] 11: Driving Assistance Device

[0124] 25a: Communication device

[0125] 40: Peripheral information acquisition unit

[0126] 91: Voice output device

[0127] 100: Portable communication device

[0128] 201: External detection unit

[0129] 202: Driving condition detection unit

[0130] 203: Driving evaluation unit

[0131] 204: Notification control unit

[0132] 205: Driving evaluation judgment unit

Claims

1. A driving assistance device, comprising: A peripheral information acquisition unit that acquires peripheral information around the moving body; An external detection unit that detects a specified object around the moving body based on the aforementioned peripheral information; A driving condition detection unit that detects a driving condition including a steering condition and a braking condition of the aforementioned moving body; A driving evaluation unit that determines a driving evaluation indicating the driving skill of the driver of the aforementioned moving body based on the detected external detection result of the aforementioned specified object and the aforementioned driving condition; A notification unit that notifies the driver of the driving evaluation result indicating the result of the aforementioned driving evaluation; and, A notification control unit that, if the aforementioned driving evaluation improves, notifies the driver of the aforementioned external detection result or the aforementioned driving condition based on the aforementioned driving evaluation result through the aforementioned notification unit.

2. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein, The aforementioned driving evaluation unit stores the change in the driving evaluation of the aforementioned driver in a storage unit based on the aforementioned external detection result and the aforementioned driving condition; The aforementioned driving assistance device further includes a driving evaluation determination unit that determines that the aforementioned driving evaluation improves when the aforementioned external detection result and the aforementioned driving condition meet a first condition, and determines that the aforementioned driving evaluation deteriorates when the aforementioned external detection result and the aforementioned driving condition meet a second condition; The aforementioned notification control unit, when it is determined that the aforementioned driving evaluation improves, notifies the driver of the aforementioned driving evaluation result indicating the improvement of the aforementioned driving evaluation through the aforementioned notification unit, and when it is determined that the aforementioned driving evaluation deteriorates, does not notify the driver of the aforementioned driving evaluation result indicating the deterioration of the aforementioned driving evaluation through the aforementioned notification unit; The aforementioned driving evaluation determination unit determines that the aforementioned driving evaluation has deteriorated by two levels when the aforementioned external detection result and the aforementioned driving condition meet the aforementioned second condition multiple times within a specified time; And, the aforementioned notification control unit warns the driver through the aforementioned notification unit when the aforementioned driving evaluation has deteriorated by two levels.

3. The driving assistance device according to claim 2, wherein, The aforementioned driving evaluation determination unit determines that the aforementioned driving evaluation deteriorates when the aforementioned external detection result and the aforementioned driving condition meet the aforementioned second condition; And, the aforementioned notification control unit, after the aforementioned moving body stops, notifies the driver of the aforementioned driving evaluation result indicating the deterioration of the aforementioned driving evaluation and the aforementioned external detection result or the aforementioned driving condition based on the aforementioned driving evaluation result through the aforementioned notification unit.

4. The driving assistance device according to claim 2, wherein, The aforementioned driving assistance device further includes a communication unit that communicates with an external terminal, The aforementioned notification control unit transmits the aforementioned driving evaluation result to the aforementioned external terminal through the aforementioned communication unit, and notifies the aforementioned external terminal of the aforementioned driving evaluation result and the aforementioned external detection result or the aforementioned driving condition based on the aforementioned driving evaluation result.

5. The driving assistance device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein, The aforementioned first condition includes that the relative distance between the aforementioned moving body and a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the aforementioned moving body is greater than or equal to a specified distance, and that it has traveled for a specified time at a distance greater than or equal to the specified distance, The aforementioned second condition includes that the relative distance to the aforementioned preceding vehicle is less than or equal to the specified distance, or that the aforementioned moving body accelerates at an acceleration greater than or equal to the specified acceleration.

Images