Vehicle control device

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle control device. The vehicle control device includes: a sleep depth evaluation unit that evaluates the sleep depth of an occupant seated in a seat provided in a vehicle; and a control unit that controls the vehicle such that the magnitude of an external force to be applied to at least one of a plurality of occupants is equal to or less than a first threshold when the evaluated sleep depth of the occupant is equal to or lower than a predetermined reference depth or when the occupant is awake, and controls the vehicle such that the magnitude of the external force to be applied to each of all the occupants is equal to or less than a second threshold greater than the first threshold when the sleep depth of each occupant is greater than the reference depth.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] The following Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2019-038356 (JP 2019-038356 A) discloses an invention in which the state of a vehicle occupant is detected and the autonomous driving mode of the vehicle is changed according to the state of the occupant. Summary of the Invention

[0003] JP 2019-038356 A changes the automatic driving mode without considering external forces predicted to be applied to vehicle occupants in the future. Therefore, JP 2019-038356 A leaves room for improvement in suppressing large external forces from being applied to vehicle occupants in the future due to vehicle behavior.

[0004] In view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to obtain a vehicle control device that can suppress a large external force from being applied to an occupant due to the behavior of the vehicle while taking into account the sleep depth of the occupant seated in a seat.

[0005] A vehicle control device according to a first aspect of the present invention includes: a sleep depth assessment unit that assesses the sleep depth of an occupant seated in a seat provided in a vehicle; an external force prediction unit that predicts an external force to be applied to the occupant within a predetermined time due to the behavior of the vehicle; and a control unit that, when the sleep depth of the occupant assessed by the sleep depth assessment unit is equal to or lower than a predetermined reference depth, controls the vehicle so that the magnitude of the external force to be applied to at least one of a plurality of occupants is equal to or lower than a first threshold value, and, when the sleep depth of each occupant is greater than the reference depth, controls the vehicle so that the magnitude of the external force to be applied to each of all occupants is equal to or lower than a second threshold value, the second threshold value being greater than the first threshold value.

[0006] In a vehicle control device according to a first aspect of the present invention, the sleep depth evaluation unit evaluates the sleep depth of an occupant seated in a seat provided in the vehicle. Further, the external force prediction unit predicts an external force to be applied to the occupant within a predetermined time due to the behavior of the vehicle. Further, the control unit controls the vehicle such that when the sleep depth of the occupant evaluated by the sleep depth evaluation unit is equal to or lower than a predetermined reference depth or when the occupant is awake, the magnitude of the external force to be applied to at least one of the occupants is equal to or smaller than a first threshold value. Further, the control unit controls the vehicle such that when the sleep depth of each occupant is greater than the reference depth, the magnitude of the external force to be applied to each of all the occupants is equal to or smaller than a second threshold value, the second threshold value being greater than the first threshold value.

[0007] As described above, the control unit of the vehicle control device according to the first aspect of the present invention does not control the vehicle based on the magnitude of the external force actually applied to the occupant. That is, the control unit controls the vehicle while considering the external force predicted to be applied to the occupant within a predetermined time such that the external force to be applied to the occupant is equal to or smaller than a predetermined threshold value. Therefore, the vehicle control device according to the first aspect of the present invention can suppress the application of a large external force to the occupant due to the behavior of the vehicle.

[0008] Further, the control unit of the vehicle control device according to the first aspect of the present invention controls the vehicle such that when the sleep depth of the occupant is equal to or lower than the reference depth or when the occupant is awake, the magnitude of the external force to be applied to at least one of the occupants is equal to or smaller than a first threshold value. Further, the control unit controls the vehicle such that when the sleep depth of each of all the occupants is greater than the reference depth, the magnitude of the external force to be applied to each of all the occupants is equal to or smaller than a second threshold value, the second threshold value being greater than the first threshold value. That is, the control unit controls the vehicle while considering the sleep depth of the occupant seated in the seat. Therefore, the vehicle speed allowed when the sleep depth of each of all the occupants is greater than the reference depth is higher than the vehicle speed allowed when the sleep depth is equal to or lower than the reference depth. Therefore, when the sleep depth of each of all the occupants is greater than the reference depth, the vehicle can travel at a higher vehicle speed than when the sleep depth is equal to or lower than the reference depth.

[0009] As a result, the vehicle control device according to the first aspect of the present invention can suppress the application of a large external force to the occupant due to the behavior of the vehicle while considering the sleep depth of the occupant seated in the seat.

[0010] In the present invention according to the first aspect of the present invention, a vehicle control device according to the second aspect of the present invention is adopted. When the sleep depth of at least one occupant is equal to or lower than a reference depth or when the occupant is awake, the control unit moves the seat in the same direction as the external force when an external force is applied to the occupant.

[0011] In the invention according to the second aspect of the present invention, when the sleep depth of at least one of the occupants is equal to or lower than a reference depth or when the occupant is awake, the control unit moves the seat in the same direction as the external force direction to suppress a large external force from being applied to the occupant. In addition, the control unit performs such control only when the sleep depth is equal to or lower than the reference depth or when the occupant is awake. Therefore, compared with the case where control is performed even when the sleep depth is greater than the reference depth, the energy consumption required to control the vehicle can be suppressed.

[0012] In the invention according to the first aspect or the second aspect of the present invention, a vehicle control device according to the third aspect of the present invention is adopted. The external force prediction unit predicts an external force based on at least one of a road curvature radius, a road inclination angle, and an uneven portion of a road surface. The curvature radius and the inclination angle are obtained from at least one of image data and map information. The image data is obtained by capturing an image of a road on which the vehicle travels, and the map information includes information about the road.

[0013] In the invention according to the third aspect of the present invention, the external force prediction unit predicts an external force to be applied to an occupant within a predetermined time based on at least one of a road curvature radius and a road inclination angle. The curvature radius and the inclination angle are obtained from at least one of image data and map information. The image data is obtained by capturing an image of a road on which the vehicle travels, and the map information includes information about the road. Therefore, the external force prediction unit can predict, for example, a centrifugal force (external force) to be applied to an occupant within a predetermined time based on the road curvature radius. In addition, the external force prediction unit can predict an external force applied to an occupant within a predetermined time along the road extension direction (vehicle front-rear direction) based on the road inclination angle.

[0014] In the present invention according to the third aspect of the present invention, a vehicle control device according to the fourth aspect of the present invention is adopted. The external force prediction unit predicts a centrifugal force to be applied to an occupant based on the curvature radius as an external force, and the control unit moves the seat in the same direction as the centrifugal force along the vehicle width direction.

[0015] In the present invention according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, when the external force prediction unit predicts the centrifugal force caused by the road curvature radius and applies it as an external force to the occupant in the vehicle within a predetermined time, the control unit moves the seat in the vehicle width direction in the same direction as the centrifugal force. At this time, an inertial force in the direction opposite to the centrifugal force direction is generated in the seat, and a part of the centrifugal force is canceled by this inertial force. Therefore, when the vehicle travels on a curved road, a large centrifugal force (external force in the vehicle width direction) applied to the occupant is suppressed.

[0016] In the present invention according to the third aspect or the fourth aspect of the present invention, the vehicle control device according to the fifth aspect of the present invention is adopted. The seat includes a seat cushion, a seat backrest, and an inclination adjustment mechanism. The waist of the occupant is placed on the seat cushion. The seat backrest is rotatably supported by the seat cushion and contacts the back of the occupant. The inclination adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the angle of the seat backrest relative to the seat cushion. The external force prediction unit predicts the external force to be applied to the occupant due to the inclination angle of the road, and the control unit controls the inclination adjustment mechanism to rotate the seat backrest in the same direction as the direction of the external force caused by the inclination angle.

[0017] In the present invention according to the fifth aspect of the present invention, when the external force prediction unit predicts the external force caused by the inclination angle of the road and applies it to the occupant in the vehicle within a predetermined time, the control unit rotates the seat backrest in the same direction as the direction of the external force caused by the road inclination angle. At this time, an inertial force in the direction opposite to the external force direction is generated in the seat, and a part of the external force is canceled by this inertial force. Therefore, when the vehicle travels on an inclined road, a large external force caused by the inclination angle applied to the occupant is suppressed.

[0018] In the present invention according to any one of the first aspect to the fifth aspect of the present invention, the vehicle control device according to the sixth aspect of the present invention is adopted. The seat includes a seat cushion, a seat backrest, and an inclination adjustment mechanism. The waist of the occupant is placed on the seat cushion. The seat backrest is rotatably supported by the seat cushion and contacts the back of the occupant. The inclination adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the angle of the seat backrest relative to the seat cushion. When the sleep depth is greater than the reference depth, compared with the case where the sleep depth is equal to or lower than the reference depth or the occupant is awake, the control unit controls the inclination adjustment mechanism to increase the angle between the seat backrest and the seat cushion.

[0019] In the present invention according to the sixth aspect of the present invention, when the sleep depth is greater than the reference depth, compared with the case where the sleep depth is equal to or lower than the reference depth or the occupant is awake, the control unit controls the inclination adjustment mechanism to increase the angle between the seat backrest and the seat cushion. With this configuration, the occupant in a deep sleep state can easily maintain the deep sleep state.

[0020] As described above, the vehicle control device according to the present invention has an excellent effect of being able to suppress a large external force caused by the behavior of the vehicle from being applied to the occupant while considering the depth of sleep of the occupant seated in the seat. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0021] Hereinafter, the features, advantages, and technical and industrial significance of exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings, in which like reference numerals refer to like elements, and in which:

[0022] Figure 1 is a schematic plan view of a vehicle, with the ceiling portion of the vehicle omitted and the vehicle including a vehicle control device according to one embodiment;

[0023] Figure 2 is Figure 1 a schematic side view of the front row seat and the occupant of the vehicle shown;

[0024] Figure 3 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a seat headrest;

[0025] Figure 4 is Figure 1 a schematic side view of the rear row seat and the occupant of the vehicle shown;

[0026] Figure 5 is Figure 1 a schematic block diagram of an electronic control unit (ECU) of the vehicle shown;

[0027] Figure 6 is Figure 5 a functional block diagram of the ECU shown;

[0028] Figure 7 is a side view showing a state in which the vehicle is traveling on a road including an uneven portion;

[0029] Figure 8 is a plan view showing a state in which the vehicle is traveling on a road including a curved portion;

[0030] Figure 9 is a side view showing a state in which the vehicle is moving from a horizontal portion of the road to an inclined portion of the road;

[0031] Figure 10 is a schematic side view showing a seat headrest and the head of an occupant;

[0032] Figure 11 is a schematic side view showing a seat headrest and the head of an occupant according to a comparative example;

[0033] Figure 12 is a schematic side view of a seat lifted by a lifting mechanism;

[0034] Figure 13 is a schematic side view of a seat, in which the seat backrest is rotated by an inclination adjustment mechanism; and

[0035] Figure 14 is a flowchart showing a process executed by an ECU. Detailed Embodiment

[0036] Hereinafter, a vehicle control device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. Arrow FR indicates the front direction of the vehicle, arrow UP indicates the upward direction of the vehicle, and arrow LH indicates the left side in the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) of the vehicle. Each arrow is appropriately shown in each view. Hereinafter, when simply describing the front-rear, left-right, and up-down directions, the front-rear direction showing the front-rear direction of the vehicle, the left-right direction (vehicle width direction) of the vehicle left-right direction, and the up-down direction of the vehicle up-down direction are shown.

[0037] As Figure 1 shown, a steering wheel 14D is provided on an instrument panel 14C of a body 14 of a vehicle 12, and the vehicle control device 10 is mounted on the instrument panel. In addition, a front seat 16 is provided in a passenger compartment 14A. As Figure 2 shown, an occupant P1 is seated on the front seat 16. The front seat 16 includes a seat 19 and a slide rail device 20.

[0038] As Figure 2 shown, a floor 14B of the passenger compartment 14A is provided with a slide rail device 20 that supports the seat 19 of the front seat 16 such that the seat 19 can slide in the left-right direction. The slide rail device 20 includes a pair of front-rear lower guide rails 21 and a pair of front-rear upper guide rails 22. The pair of front-rear lower guide rails are fixed to the floor 14B and extend in the left-right direction. Each upper guide rail 22 is supported by each lower guide rail 21 such that the upper rail 22 can slide in the left-right direction. The slide rail device 20 includes a first actuator 24 that is composed of an electric motor and a power transmission mechanism (not shown). When the first actuator 24 generates a driving force while rotating forward, the driving force is transmitted from the power transmission mechanism to the upper guide rail 22 and causes the upper guide rail 22 to slide leftward relative to the lower guide rail 21. When the first actuator 24 generates a driving force while rotating in the reverse direction, the driving force is transmitted from the power transmission mechanism to the upper guide rail 22 and causes the upper guide rail 22 to slide rightward relative to the lower guide rail 21.

[0039] The seat 19 is supported by front and rear upper rails 22. The seat 19 includes a seat cushion 19A, a seat backrest 19B, and a headrest 19C. The seat cushion 19A is fixed to the upper ends of the front and rear upper rails 22. The rear end of the seat cushion 19A and the lower end of the seat backrest 19B are rotatably connected via an inclination adjustment mechanism 26. The inclination adjustment mechanism 26 is provided with a second actuator 28. When the second actuator 28 generates a driving force while rotating in the forward direction, the inclination adjustment mechanism 26 rotates by this driving force, and the seat backrest 19B rotates forward relative to the seat cushion 19A. When the second actuator 28 generates a driving force while rotating in the reverse direction, the inclination adjustment mechanism 26 rotates by this driving force, and the seat backrest 19B rotates backward relative to the seat cushion 19A.

[0040] As Figure 2 and Figure 3 shown, the headrest 19C includes a cushion portion 19C1 and a pair of left and right support columns 19C2. The upper ends of the pair of left and right support columns are fixed to the cushion portion 19C1. The left and right support columns 19C2 are slidably supported on the upper ends of the seat backrest 19B in the vertical direction.

[0041] The cushion portion 19C1 includes a base portion 19C3 serving as its rear portion and a pair of side portions 19C4. Each side portion 19C4 extends forward from each of the left and right ends of the base portion 19C3. That is, the planar shape of the cushion portion 19C1 is U-shaped. The outer shape of the cushion portion 19C1 is formed of a flexible outer skin material 19C5. In the internal space of the outer skin material 19C5, a bag body 19C6 (U-shaped in a plan view), a plurality of springs 19C7, and a cushioning material (not shown) are provided. The bag body 19C6 is formed of a flexible material. The inside of the bag body 19C6 is filled with a liquid (not shown). One end of each spring 19C7 is supported by the bag body 19C6, and the other end of each spring 19C7 is supported by the inner peripheral surface of the outer skin material 19C5.

[0042] As Figure 1 shown, when the occupant P1 is seated on the front seat 16 (seat 19), the waist P1a of the occupant P1 is supported by the seat cushion 19A, the back P1b of the occupant P1 is supported by the seat backrest 19B, and the head P1c of the occupant P1 is supported by the cushion portion 19C1. In addition, as Figure 3 shown, the rear portion and the two side portions of the head P1c are surrounded by the cushion portion 19C1. For example, as Figure 3 shown, the rear portion of the head P1c is supported by the base portion 19C3, and the two side portions of the head P1c are supported by the side portions 19C4.

[0043] As Figure 1 and Figure 4As shown, the floor 14B is provided with a pair of left and right rear seats 30, and the pair of left and right rear seats are located behind the front seats 16. Each rear seat 30 includes a seat 19 and a lifting mechanism 32.

[0044] The lifting mechanism 32 provided on the floor 14B includes a third actuator 34, which is composed of an electric motor. In Figure 4 , the lifting mechanism 32 is schematically shown. The lifting mechanism 32 has a structure disclosed, for example, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2012-62020 (JP2012-62020A). The seat cushion 19A of the seat 19 is supported on the upper end of the lifting mechanism 32. When the third actuator 34 generates a driving force while rotating forward, the driving force causes the lifting mechanism 32 to extend in the vertical direction. When the third actuator 34 generates a driving force while rotating in the reverse direction, the driving force causes the lifting mechanism 32 to shorten in the vertical direction. When the lifting mechanism 32 expands and contracts in the vertical direction, the angle of the seat cushion 19A in the side view with respect to the horizontal direction (front-rear direction) changes.

[0045] The occupant P2 is seated in the rear seat 30. When the occupant P2 is seated on the rear seat 30 (seat 19), the waist P2a of the occupant P2 is supported by the seat cushion 19A, the back P2b of the occupant P2 is supported by the seat back 19B, and the head P2c of the occupant P2 is supported by the cushion part 19C1. In addition, the rear part and both side parts of the head P2c are surrounded by the cushion part 19C1. For example, as Figure 3 shown, the rear part of the head P2c is supported by the base 19C3, and both side parts of the head P2c are supported by the side parts 19C4.

[0046] Although not shown, the vehicle 12 includes three seat belt devices, and each of the three seat belt devices corresponds to the front seat 16 and the rear seat 30. The occupant P1 seated on the front seat 16 and the occupant P2 seated on each rear seat 30 wear the corresponding seat belt devices.

[0047] As Figure 1 shown, near the four wheels 38 ( Figure 1 only two front wheels are shown in Figure 1 ) provided on the vehicle 12, wheel speed sensors 40 ( Figure 1 only two wheel speed sensors are shown in

[0048] As Figure 2As shown, a camera 50 is provided on the rear surface of the front windshield 14E provided on the vehicle body 14. The camera 50 can capture an image of a subject located in front of the front windshield 14E.

[0049] In addition, as Figure 2 and Figure 4 shown, a heart rate monitor 52 is provided inside the seat back 19B of the seat 19 of each of the front seat 16 and the rear seat 30. The heart rate monitor 52 in the front seat 16 measures the heart rate of the occupant P1 sitting on the front seat 16. The heart rate monitor 52 in the rear seat 30 measures the heart rate of the occupant P2 sitting on the rear seat 30.

[0050] In addition, as Figure 1 shown, the vehicle 12 is provided with a global positioning system (GPS) receiver 54. The GPS receiver 54 acquires position information (latitude, longitude, etc.) of the location where the vehicle 12 is traveling at a predetermined cycle based on GPS signals transmitted from artificial satellites.

[0051] In addition, an automatic driving switch 56 is provided on the instrument panel 14C.

[0052] As Figure 1 shown, the vehicle 12 is provided with an electronic control unit (ECU) 60. The ECU 60 is electrically connected to the first actuator 24, the second actuator 28, the third actuator 34, the wheel speed sensor 40, the braking device 42, the engine 46, the camera 50, the heart rate monitor 52, the GPS receiver 54, and the automatic driving switch 56. Figure 5 The ECU 60 shown in

[0053] is configured to include a central processing unit (CPU: processor) 60A, a read-only memory (ROM) 60B, a random access memory (RAM) 60C, a memory 60D, a communication interface (I / F) 60E, and an input-output I / F 60F. The CPU 60A, ROM 60B, RAM 60C, memory 60D, communication I / F 60E, and input-output I / F 60F are connected to be able to communicate with each other via a bus 60Z. The ECU 60 can acquire information on the date and time from a timer (not shown).

[0054] The ROM 60B stores various programs and various data. The RAM 60C temporarily serves as a work area to store programs or data. The memory 60D is composed of a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), and stores various programs and various data. The communication I / F 60E is an interface for the ECU 60 to communicate with other devices. The input-output I / F 60F is an interface for communicating with various devices.

[0055] The vehicle 12 is equipped with a navigation system. The map data, which is part of the navigation system, is recorded in the memory 60D of the ECU 60. The GPS receiver 54 is also part of the navigation system. The map data received by the vehicle 12 from a network server via wireless communication using the Internet can be used as part of the navigation system.

[0056] As Figure 6 shown, the ECU 60 includes a sleep depth evaluation unit 601, an external force prediction unit 602, and an autonomous driving control unit (control unit) 603 as functional configurations. The sleep depth evaluation unit 601, the external force prediction unit 602, and the autonomous driving control unit 603 are implemented by the CPU 60A reading and executing programs stored in the ROM 60B or the memory 60D.

[0057] When the ECU 60 acquires the data on the heart rates of the occupants P1 and P2 acquired by the heart rate monitor 52, the sleep depth evaluation unit 601 evaluates (detects) the sleep depths of the occupants P1 and P2 based on this data. The sleep depth evaluation unit 601 according to the present embodiment evaluates five levels of sleep depth. That is to say, the sleep depths evaluated by the sleep depth evaluation unit 601 include the sleep depths of levels 1 to 5. The sleep depth of level 1 is the depth corresponding to rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. The sleep depth of each of levels 2 to 5 is the depth corresponding to non-rapid eye movement (Non-REM) sleep. Levels 2 and 3 correspond to stages 1 and 2 of non-rapid eye movement sleep respectively. Levels 4 and 5 correspond to stages 3 and 4 of non-rapid eye movement sleep (slow wave sleep) respectively.

[0058] The external force prediction unit 602 calculates (predicts) the magnitude and direction of the external forces to be applied to the occupants P1 and P2 within a predetermined time from the current moment based on the information acquired by the ECU 60 from the navigation system, the wheel speed sensor 40, and the camera 50. This predetermined time is, for example, 10 seconds. However, this predetermined time can be a time with a duration different from 10 seconds.

[0059] For example, as Figure 7As shown, assume the following situation, where the uneven portion 72 existing on the road surface 71 of the road 70 along which the vehicle 12 is traveling in the traveling direction A is included in the image data transmitted from the camera 50 to the ECU 60. In this case, the external force prediction unit 602 predicts the external force F1 to be applied to the vehicle 12 in the vertical direction from the road surface 71 when the wheel 38 of the vehicle 12 maintaining the vehicle speed at the current moment crosses the uneven portion 72 within a predetermined time from the current moment based on the following information: the information includes the vehicle speed at the current moment calculated based on the information related to the wheel speed transmitted from the wheel speed sensor 40, the distance from the vehicle 12 to the uneven portion 72 calculated based on the image data, and the size (height) of the uneven portion 72. That is, the magnitude and direction of the external force F1 causing the vehicle 12 to vibrate in the vertical direction are predicted.

[0060] In addition, as Figure 8 shown, assume the following situation, where the curved portion 76, which is a part of the road 75 along which the vehicle 12 is traveling straight in the traveling direction B, is included in the image data transmitted from the camera 50 to the ECU 60. In this case, the external force prediction unit 602 predicts the magnitude and direction of the centrifugal force (external force) F2 to be applied to the vehicle 12 (the occupants P1 and P2) when the vehicle 12 maintaining the vehicle speed at the current moment travels on the curved portion 76 within a predetermined time from the current moment based on the information including the vehicle speed at the current moment and the radius of curvature of the curved portion 76. The radius of curvature of the curved portion 76 can be calculated by the external force prediction unit 602 based on the image data. The external force prediction unit 602 can identify the curved portion 76 on the road 75 and the radius of curvature of the curved portion 76 based on the information obtained by the ECU 60 from the map information of the navigation system. That is, the external force prediction unit 602 can identify the curved portion 76 on the road 75 and the radius of curvature of the curved portion 76 based on the information from one of the camera 50 and the navigation system.

[0061] In addition, as Figure 9 shown, assume the following situation, where when the vehicle 12 is traveling on the horizontal portion 81 of the road 80 in the traveling direction C, the inclined portion (ramp) 82, which is a part of the road 80, is included in the image data captured by the camera 50 and transmitted to the ECU 60. In this case, the external force prediction unit 602 predicts the magnitude and direction of the external force F3 to be applied to the vehicle 12 (the occupants P1 and P2) when the vehicle 12 maintaining the vehicle speed at the current moment moves from the horizontal portion 81 to the inclined portion 82 within a predetermined time from the current moment based on the information including the vehicle speed at the current moment, the inclination angle (gradient) θ1 of the inclined portion 82, and the inclination direction of the inclined portion 82. For example Figure 9As shown by the arrow in [the figure], the external force F3 is a force in the rotational direction along the extension direction of the road 80 (the longitudinal direction of the vehicle). The inclination angle θ1 and the inclination direction of the inclined portion 82 can be evaluated (calculated) from the image data by the external force prediction unit 602. The external force prediction unit 602 can identify the inclined portion 82 on the road 80 on which the vehicle 12 is traveling, as well as the inclination angle θ1 and the inclination direction of the inclined portion 82, based on the information acquired by the ECU 60 from the map information of the navigation system. That is, the external force prediction unit 602 can identify the inclined portion 82 on the road 80 and the inclination angle θ1 and the inclination direction of the inclined portion 82 based on the information from either the camera 50 or the navigation system.

[0062] When the autonomous driving switch 56 in the OFF position is moved to the ON position, the autonomous driving control unit 603 becomes operative. The autonomous driving control unit 603 performs autonomous driving control (driving support control) of the vehicle 12 by operating each device of the vehicle 12 including the braking device 42, the engine 46, and the steering device (not shown). The term "autonomous driving" used in this specification includes levels 1 to 5 of autonomous driving defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).

[0063] Operations and Effects

[0064] Next, the operations and effects of this embodiment will be described.

[0065] The ECU 60 of the vehicle control device 10 repeatedly executes Figure 14 the processes of the flowchart.

[0066] First, in step S10, the autonomous driving control unit 603 of the ECU 60 determines whether level 5 autonomous driving control is being executed. That is, the autonomous driving control unit 603 determines whether the vehicle 12 is performing so-called fully autonomous driving.

[0067] The ECU 60 that has determined Yes in step S10 proceeds to step S11. In step S11, the external force prediction unit 602 of the ECU 60 determines whether it is predicted that the above-described external force will be applied to the vehicle 12 within a predetermined time from the current moment. That is, for example, the external force prediction unit 602 determines whether at least one of the external forces F1, F2, and F3 will be applied to the vehicle 12 within a predetermined time from the current moment.

[0068] The ECU 60 that has been determined to be "yes" in step S11 proceeds to step S12. In step S12, the sleep depth evaluation unit 601 of the ECU 60 evaluates the sleep depth of the occupants P1 and P2 based on the data related to the heart rates of the occupants P1 and P2 obtained from the heart rate monitor 52. In addition, the sleep depth evaluation unit 601 determines whether the sleep depth of at least one of the occupants P1 and P2 is equal to or lower than the reference depth, or whether at least one of the occupants P1 and P2 is awake. The reference depth according to the present embodiment is the sleep depth of level 3. Therefore, when the sleep depth of at least one of the occupants P1 and P2 is one of levels 1 to 3, or when at least one of the occupants P1 and P2 is awake, the sleep depth evaluation unit 601 determines to be "yes" in step S12. On the other hand, when the sleep depth of all the occupants is level 4 or level 5, the sleep depth evaluation unit 601 determines to be "no" in step S12.

[0069] The ECU 60 that has been determined to be "yes" in step S12 proceeds to step S13. For example, when the sleep depth of the occupants P1 and P2 is level 3 or lower, the ECU 60 proceeds to step S13.

[0070] For example, when the vehicle 12 passes through Figure 7 the uneven portion 72, the automatic driving control unit 603 of the ECU 60 that has proceeded to step S13 controls the braking device 42 so that the magnitude of the external force F1 to be applied to the vehicle 12 is equal to or less than a predetermined first threshold value. That is, the automatic driving control unit 603 applies the braking force from the braking device 42 to each wheel 38 to reduce the vehicle speed of the vehicle 12. Here, the first threshold value is a value obtained by multiplying a first coefficient that is equal to or greater than "0" and less than "1" by the magnitude of the external force F1 when the vehicle 12 passes through the uneven portion 72 at the vehicle speed at the current moment. The first coefficient is recorded in the ROM 60B or the memory 60D.

[0071] When the vehicle 12 passes through the uneven portion 72, the magnitude of the external force F1 applied to the vehicle 12 (the occupants P1, P2) in the vertical direction from the uneven portion 72 increases as the vehicle speed of the vehicle 12 passing through the uneven portion 72 increases. Therefore, when the vehicle 12 passes through the uneven portion 72 at a speed equal to or lower than the predetermined vehicle speed, the external force F1 to be applied to the vehicle 12 is equal to or less than the first threshold value. Therefore, when the vehicle 12 passes through the uneven portion 72, the possibility that the occupants P1 and P2 in the light sleep state wake up is small. In addition, the possibility that the vehicle 12 passing through the uneven portion 72 hinders the transition of the occupants P1 and P2 from the awake state to their sleep state is reduced.

[0072] In addition, when the ECU 60 executes the process of step S13, asFigure 10 As shown, the autonomous driving control unit 603 can control the second actuator 28 (tilt adjustment mechanism 26) to reduce the angle θ2 between the vertical direction and the extending direction D of the seat back 19B of the seat 19 in each of the front row seat 16 and the rear row seat 30. As Figure 10 shown, an external force F1 applied to the vehicle 12 is transmitted as a force F1p from the base 19C3 of the seat 19 to the heads P1c and P2c of the occupants P1 and P2. The force F1p is a value obtained by multiplying the external force F1 by sinθ2. Therefore, the smaller the value of the angle θ2, the smaller the value of the force F1p. Compared with the external force applied to parts other than the heads P1c and P2c of the occupants P1 and P2, the external force applied to the heads P1c and P2c of the occupants P1 and P2 has a greater impact on the sleep states of the occupants P1 and P2. Therefore, by reducing the angle θ2 between the vertical direction and the extending direction D of the seat back 19B of the seat 19 in each of the front row seat 16 and the rear row seat 30, when the vehicle 12 passes through the uneven portion 72, the possibility that the occupants P1 and P2 in a light sleep state wake up can be reduced, and the possibility of hindering the transition of the occupants P1 and P2 from the waking state to their sleep state can be reduced.

[0073] Figure 11 is Figure 10 a comparative example. In this comparative example, when the ECU 60 executes the process of step S13, as Figure 11 shown, the autonomous driving control unit 603 controls the second actuator 28 (tilt adjustment mechanism 26) to increase the angle θ2. The angle θ2 is approximately 90° in this case. In this case, as Figure 11 shown, an external force F1 applied to the vehicle 12 is transmitted as a force having substantially the same magnitude as the magnitude of the external force F1 to the heads P1c and P2c of the occupants P1 and P2. Therefore, in this case, when the vehicle 12 passes through the uneven portion 72, the possibility that the occupants P1 and P2 in a light sleep state wake up is higher than Figure 10 in the case of Figure 10 and the possibility of hindering the transition of the occupants P1 and P2 from the waking state to their sleep state is higher than

[0074] In addition, for example, when the vehicle 12 is in Figure 8When the vehicle 12 is traveling on the road 75, the automatic driving control unit 603 of the ECU 60 that has reached step S13 controls the braking device 42 so that the external force (centrifugal force) F2 to be applied to the occupants P1 and P2 when the vehicle 12 is traveling on the curved portion 76 is equal to or less than the first threshold value. That is, the automatic driving control unit 603 applies the braking force from the braking device 42 to each wheel 38 to reduce the vehicle speed of the vehicle 12. In this case, the first threshold value is a value obtained by multiplying a first coefficient by the magnitude of the external force F2 when the vehicle 12 passes through the curved portion 76 at the vehicle speed at the current moment. The magnitude of the external force F2 when the vehicle 12 is traveling on the curved portion 76 is proportional to the square of the vehicle speed. Therefore, by reducing the vehicle speed when the vehicle 12 is traveling on the curved portion 76, the magnitude of the external force F2 to be applied to the occupants P1 and P2 when the vehicle 12 is traveling on the curved portion 76 is equal to or less than the first threshold value. Therefore, when the vehicle 12 passes through the curved portion 76, the possibility that the occupants P1 and P2 in the light sleep state wake up is very small. In addition, the possibility that the vehicle 12 passing through the curved portion 76 hinders the occupants P1 and P2 from changing from the awake state to their sleep state is reduced.

[0075] In addition, in step S13, the automatic driving control unit 603 controls the first actuator 24. More specifically, when the vehicle 12 is traveling on the curved portion 76, the first actuator 24 controlled by the automatic driving control unit 603 causes the upper rail 22 of the front seat 16 and the seat 19 to slide to the right (in the width direction of the vehicle 12) with respect to the lower rail 21. Since the leftward inertial force IF (see Figure 8 ) generated in the seat 19 by sliding the seat 19 to the right is a force whose direction is opposite to the direction of the external force F2, this inertial force IF is canceled by a part of the external force F2. Therefore, when the seat 19 moves to the right, the external force F2 to be applied to the occupant P1 becomes smaller.

[0076] In addition, for example, when the vehicle 12 is at Figure 9When the vehicle 12 is traveling on the road 80 and has reached step S13, the autonomous driving control unit 603 of the ECU 60 controls the braking device 42 so that the external force F3 to be applied to the occupants P1 and P2 is equal to or less than the first threshold value. That is, the autonomous driving control unit 603 applies the braking force from the braking device 42 to each wheel 38 to reduce the vehicle speed of the vehicle 12. In this case, the first threshold value is a value obtained by multiplying the first coefficient by the magnitude of the external force F3 when the vehicle 12 moves from the horizontal portion 81 to the inclined portion 82 at the vehicle speed at the current moment. The magnitude of the external force F3 when the vehicle 12 moves from the horizontal portion 81 to the inclined portion 82 increases as the vehicle speed increases. Therefore, by reducing the vehicle speed when the vehicle 12 moves from the horizontal portion 81 to the inclined portion 82, the magnitude of the external force F3 to be applied to the occupants P1 and P2 when the vehicle 12 moves from the horizontal portion 81 to the inclined portion 82 is equal to or less than the first threshold value. Therefore, when the vehicle 12 moves from the horizontal portion 81 to the inclined portion 82, the possibility that the occupants P1 and P2 in the light sleep state wake up is very small. In addition, the possibility that the vehicle 12 moving from the horizontal portion 81 to the inclined portion 82 hinders the occupants P1 and P2 from changing from the awake state to their sleep state is reduced.

[0077] In addition, in step S13, the autonomous driving control unit 603 may control the third actuator 34. More specifically, when the vehicle 12 moves from the horizontal portion 81 to the inclined portion 82, the third actuator 34 controlled by the autonomous driving control unit 603 may drive the lifting mechanism 32 of the rear seat 30 so that the entire seat 19 Figure 12 rotates backward by the tilt angle θ1 along the same direction as the external force F3 as shown. Figure 12 The seat shown by the solid line in Figure 12 shows the seat 19 of the vehicle 12 that has moved to the inclined portion 82 without operating the third actuator 34. The seat 19 shown by the dashed line in Figure 12 shows the seat 19 of the vehicle 12 that has moved to the inclined portion 82 while operating the third actuator 34. The inertial force DF generated in the seat 19 when the entire seat 19 rotates in the same direction as the external force F3 as described above is a force whose direction is opposite to the direction of the external force F3. Therefore, the inertial force DF generated in the seat 19 when the entire seat 19 rotates in the same direction as the external force F3 is offset by a part of the external force F3. Thus, when the entire seat 19 rotates in the same direction as the external force F3, the external force F3 to be applied to the occupant P2 becomes smaller.

[0078] The autonomous driving control unit 603 can control the second actuator 28, rather than the third actuator 34. More specifically, when the vehicle 12 moves from the horizontal portion 81 to the inclined portion 82, the second actuator 28 controlled by the autonomous driving control unit 603 can drive the tilt adjustment mechanism 26 of the rear seat 30 so that the seat back 19B rotates backward by an inclination angle θ1 along the same direction as the external force F3 as Figure 13 shown. The seat back 19B shown by the solid line in Figure 13 shows the seat back 19B of the vehicle 12 that has moved to the inclined portion 82 without operating the tilt adjustment mechanism 26. The seat back 19B shown by the dashed line in Figure 13 shows the seat back 19B of the vehicle 12 that has moved to the inclined portion 82 while operating the tilt adjustment mechanism 26. When the seat back 19B rotates along the same direction as the external force F3 as described above, the inertial force DF generated in the seat back 19B (occupant P2) is canceled by a part of the external force F3. Thus, when the seat back 19B rotates along the same direction as the external force F3, the external force F3 to be applied to the occupant P2 becomes smaller.

[0079] As Figure 9 shown by the dashed line in, when the road 80 includes an inclined portion 83 whose inclination direction is opposite to that of the inclined portion 82, in step S13, the autonomous driving control unit 603 drives the lifting mechanism 32 and the tilt adjustment mechanism 26 so that the seat back 19B rotates in the direction opposite to the above direction.

[0080] The autonomous driving control unit 603 of the ECU 60 that has completed the process of step S13 proceeds to step S14 and determines whether the external forces F1, F2, and F3 have disappeared. That is, based on the position information obtained from the navigation system or the image data received from the camera 50, the autonomous driving control unit 603 determines whether the vehicle 12 has passed through the uneven portion 72 or the curved portion 76, or whether the vehicle 12 that has moved to the inclined portion 82 has traveled a predetermined distance on the inclined portion 82.

[0081] The ECU 60 that has been determined to be yes in step S14 proceeds to step S17 and ends the control executed by the autonomous driving control unit 603 in step S13. That is, the autonomous driving control unit 603 controls the engine 46 (at least one of the throttle opening and the fuel injection amount) so that the vehicle speed of the vehicle 12 returns to the vehicle speed before the process of executing step S13. In addition, the autonomous driving control unit 603 returns the upper guide rail 22 and the seat 19 (seat back 19B) to the positions before the process of executing step S13.

[0082] On the other hand, when the determination result in step S14 is No, the ECU 60 returns to step S13. That is, the autonomous driving control unit 603 continues the control executed in step S13.

[0083] On the other hand, when the determination result in step S12 is No, the ECU 60 proceeds to step S15. That is, when the sleep depths of all the occupants P1 and P2 are level 4 or level 5, the ECU 60 proceeds to step S15.

[0084] The process executed by the ECU 60 in step S15 is similar to the process executed by the ECU 60 in step S13. However, the autonomous driving control unit 603 of the ECU 60 that has proceeded to step S15 controls the braking device 42 such that the magnitude of the external force F1 to be applied to the vehicle 12 when the vehicle 12 passes through Figure 7 the uneven portion 72, the magnitude of the external force F2 when the vehicle 12 travels on Figure 8 the curved portion 76, and the magnitude of the external force F3 when the vehicle 12 moves from Figure 9 the horizontal portion 81 to the inclined portion 82 are equal to or less than a predetermined second threshold value. That is, the autonomous driving control unit 603 applies the braking force from the braking device 42 to each wheel 38 to reduce the vehicle speed of the vehicle 12. Here, the second threshold value of the external force F1 is obtained by multiplying a second coefficient greater than "0" and less than "1" by the magnitude of the external force F1 when the vehicle 12 passes through the uneven portion 72 at the vehicle speed at the current moment, and is greater than the first threshold value of the external force F1. Similarly, the second threshold value of the external force F2 is a value obtained by multiplying the second coefficient by the magnitude of the external force F2 when the vehicle 12 travels on the curved portion 76 at the vehicle speed at the current moment, and is greater than the first threshold value of the external force F2. Similarly, the second threshold value of the external force F3 is a value obtained by multiplying the second coefficient by the magnitude of the external force F3 when the vehicle 12 moves from the horizontal portion 81 to the inclined portion 82 at the vehicle speed at the current moment, and is greater than the first threshold value of the external force F3. That is, the second coefficient is greater than the first coefficient. The second coefficient is recorded in the ROM 60B or the memory 60D. Since the second coefficient is greater than the first coefficient, the deceleration of the vehicle 12 in step S15 is less than the deceleration of the vehicle 12 in step S13.

[0085] The autonomous driving control unit 603 of the ECU 60 that has completed the process of step S15 proceeds to step S16 and determines whether the external forces F1, F2, and F3 have disappeared.

[0086] The ECU 60 that has determined Yes in step S16 proceeds to step S17 and ends the control executed by the autonomous driving control unit 603 in step S15.

[0087] On the other hand, when the determination result in step S16 is NO, the ECU 60 returns to step S15. That is, the autonomous driving control unit 603 continues the control executed in step S15.

[0088] When the ECU 60 finishes the process of step S17, or when the determination results in steps S10 and S11 are NO, the ECU 60 temporarily ends Figure 14 the process of the flowchart.

[0089] In the vehicle control device 10 according to the present embodiment described above, the autonomous driving control unit 603 of the ECU 60 controls the vehicle 12 while considering the external forces F1, F2, and F3 that are predicted to be applied to the occupants P1 and P2 within a predetermined time, such that the external forces F1, F2, and F3 are equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value. That is, the vehicle control device 10 does not control the vehicle urrently applied external forces F1, F2, and F3. Therefore, the vehicle control device 10 can suppress the application of large external forces F1, F2, and F3 to the occupants P1 and P2 due to the behavior of the vehicle 12.

[0090] In addition, when the sleep depth of at least one of the occupants P1 and P2 is equal to or lower than the reference depth or at least one of the occupants P1 and P2 is in a waking state, the autonomous driving control unit 603 controls the vehicle 12 such that the magnitudes of the external forces F1, F2, and F3 to be applied to the occupants P1 and P2 are equal to or less than a first threshold value. On the other hand, when the sleep depths of all the occupants P1 and P2 are greater than the reference depth, the autonomous driving control unit 603 controls the vehicle 12 such that the magnitudes of the external forces F1, F2, and F3 to be applied to the occupants P1 and P2 are equal to or less than a second threshold value, which is greater than the first threshold value. That is, the ECU 60 of the vehicle control device 10 controls the vehicle 12 while considering the sleep depths of the occupants P1 and P2. Further, the second threshold value is greater than the first threshold value, the second threshold value is the threshold value adopted when the sleep depths of the occupants P1 and P2 are greater than the reference depth, and the first threshold value is the threshold value adopted when the sleep depths of the occupants P1 and P2 are equal to or lower than the reference depth or the occupants P1 and P2 are in a waking state. That is, the vehicle speed allowed when the sleep depths of the occupants P1 and P2 are large is higher than the vehicle speed allowed when the sleep depth is low. Therefore, when the sleep depths of the occupants P1 and P2 are large, the vehicle 12 can travel at a higher vehicle speed than when the sleep depth is low.

[0091] Therefore, the vehicle control device 10 according to the present embodiment can suppress the application of large external forces F1, F2, and F3 to the occupants P1 and P2 due to the behavior of the vehicle 12 while considering the sleep depths of the occupants P1 and P2 seated on the seat 19.

[0092] In addition, the headrest 19C of each seat 19 includes a base portion 19C3 and the pair of side portions 19C4. As Figure 3 shown, the rear surface of each of the heads P1c and P2c is supported by the base portion 19C3, and both side surfaces of each of the heads P1c and P2c are supported by the side portions 19C4. Therefore, compared with the case where the headrest 19C does not include the side portions 19C4, the forces caused by the external forces F1, F2, and F3 are more widely distributed to be transmitted from the headrest 19C to the heads P1c and P2c. Accordingly, when the forces caused by the external forces F1, F2, and F3 are applied to the heads P1c and P2c, the influence of these forces on the sleep states of the occupants P1 and P2 can be reduced compared with the case where the headrest 19C does not include the side portions 19C4.

[0093] In addition, the headrest 19C includes a liquid-filled bag body 19C6 and a spring 19C7. The bag body 19C6 functions as a damper. In addition, when the forces caused by the external forces F1, F2, and F3 are applied from the headrest 19C to the heads P1c and P2c, the spring 19C7 elastically deforms. Accordingly, when the forces caused by the external forces F1, F2, and F3 are applied to the heads P1c and P2c, the influence of these forces F1, F2, and F3 on the sleep states of the occupants P1 and P2 can be reduced compared with the case where the headrest 19C does not include the bag body 19C6 and the spring 19C7.

[0094] In addition, in the vehicle control device 10, when the sleep depth of the occupant P1 is equal to or lower than the reference depth or when the occupant P1 is in a wakeful state, the automatic driving control unit 603 of the ECU 60 uses the slide rail device 20 and the first actuator 24 to move the front row seat 16 in the same direction as the external force F2, and suppresses a large external force F2 from being applied to the occupant P1.

[0095] In addition, when the external force prediction unit 602 predicts that an external force F3 caused by the inclination angle θ1 of the road 80 will be applied to the occupant P2 in the vehicle 12 within a predetermined time from the current moment, the vehicle control device 10 rotates the seat 19 (or the seat back 19B) in the same direction as the direction of the external force F3 caused by the inclination angle θ1. Accordingly, when the vehicle 12 moves from the horizontal portion 81 of the road 80 to the inclined portion 82 of the road 80, a large external force caused by the inclination angle θ1 can be suppressed from being applied to the occupant P2.

[0096] In addition, the automatic driving control unit 603 performs these controls to move the seat 19 in the same directions as the external forces F2 and F3 only when the sleep depths of the occupants P1 and P2 are equal to or lower than the reference depth or when the occupants P1 and P2 are in a wakeful state. Accordingly, compared with the case where these controls are performed even when the sleep depth is greater than the reference depth, the energy consumption required to control the vehicle 12 can be suppressed.

[0097] Although the vehicle control device 10 according to this embodiment has been described above, the design of the vehicle control device 10 can be appropriately changed without departing from the scope of the present invention.

[0098] For example, when the sleep depth is greater than the reference depth, compared with the case where the sleep depth is equal to or lower than the reference depth, the seat back 19B is rotated backward by controlling the tilt adjustment mechanism 26 (the first actuator 24), and the autonomous driving control unit 603 can increase the angle between the seat cushion 19A and the seat back 19B. With this configuration, the occupants P1 and P2 in a deep sleep state can easily maintain the deep sleep state.

[0099] In addition, when various types and magnitudes of external forces applied to a vehicle (not shown) having the same specifications as the vehicle 12 are traveling on various roads are stored in an external server together with the position information indicating the position where the external force is generated and the vehicle speed at the time of generating the external force, the vehicle 12 can communicate with the external server. In this case, when the vehicle 12 accesses the external server, the external force prediction unit 602 of the ECU 60 can determine whether an external force will be applied to the vehicle 12 within a predetermined time from the current moment. In addition, compared with the above-described embodiment, the external force prediction unit 602 can more accurately identify the maximum value of the vehicle speed for setting the magnitude of the external force predicted to be applied to the vehicle 12 within a predetermined time from the current moment to be equal to or less than a predetermined value (for example, a first threshold value and a second threshold value). Therefore, in the vehicle 12 according to this modification example, compared with the above-described embodiment, while increasing the vehicle speed, the magnitude of the external force can be set to a value equal to or less than the predetermined value.

[0100] The slide rail device 20 can be omitted from the front seat 16. In addition, the lifting mechanism 32 can be provided on the front seat 16.

[0101] The lifting mechanism 32 can be omitted from the rear seat 30. In addition, the slide rail device 20 can be provided on the rear seat 30.

[0102] The heart rate monitor 52 can be omitted from the seat 19, and the occupants P1 and P2 can wear a wearable device that can measure the heart rates of the occupants P1 and P2 and wirelessly transmit the acquired heart rate data to the ECU 60.

[0103] In addition, the heart rate monitor 52 can be omitted from the seat 19, and the vehicle 12 can be provided with an in-vehicle camera that can capture the faces of the occupants P1 and P2. The image data captured by the in-vehicle camera is sent to the ECU 60 and analyzed by the sleep depth evaluation unit 601. The sleep depth evaluation unit 601 determines the sleep depth based on the states of the eyes etc. of the occupants P1 and P1 included in the image data. For example, the sleep depth evaluation unit 601 measures the degree of opening of the eyelids of the occupants P1 and P2 and the cycle of opening and closing the eyelids based on the images of the portions around the eyes of the occupants P1 and P2. In addition, the autonomous driving control unit 603 evaluates the sleep depth of the occupants P1 and P2 based on the measured degree of opening of the eyelids of the occupants P1 and P2 and the measured cycle of opening and closing the eyelids.

[0104] In step S15, similar to step S13, the ECU 60 can control at least one of the first actuator 24, the second actuator 28, and the third actuator 34.

[0105] When the autonomous driving level is one of levels 1 to 4 or when the autonomous driving switch 56 is in the off position, the ECU 60 can execute Figure 14 the processes of the flowchart (excluding step S10).

[0106] The present invention can be applied to vehicles that cannot perform autonomous driving control.

[0107] When the external force prediction unit 602 predicts that no external forces F1, F2, and F3 equal to or greater than a predetermined value will be applied within a predetermined time from the current moment, and the sleep depth evaluation unit 601 determines that the sleep depths of all the occupants P1 and P2 are greater than the reference depth, as Figure 11 shown, the autonomous driving control unit 603 can control the second actuator 28 (the inclination adjustment mechanism 26) to set the angle θ2 to approximately 90°. That is, compared with the case where the sleep depth is equal to or lower than the reference depth, the angle θ2 can be increased. With this configuration, the occupants in a deep sleep state can easily maintain the deep sleep state.

[0108] In addition, the seat 19 can include a device that adjusts the amount of liquid in the bladder 19C6 based on at least one of the sleep depth of the occupant and the magnitudes of the external forces F1, F2, and F3. The device adjusts the amount of liquid according to the sleep depth of the occupant and the magnitudes of the external forces F1, F2, and F3 so that the bladder 19C6 exerts an appropriate damping effect. When the present invention is implemented according to the embodiment in the modified example, the influence of the external forces F1, F2, and F3 on the sleep states of the occupants P1 and P2 becomes smaller.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device, comprising: A sleep depth assessment unit that assesses the sleep depth of an occupant seated in a seat provided in a vehicle, wherein the vehicle is capable of performing fully autonomous driving; An external force prediction unit, The external force prediction unit predicts an external force to be applied to the occupant within a predetermined time due to the behavior of the vehicle, wherein the external force prediction unit predicts the external force based on at least one of a radius of curvature of a road, an inclination angle of the road, and an uneven portion of a road surface of the road, the radius of curvature and the inclination angle of the road being obtained from at least one of image data and map information, wherein the image data is obtained by capturing an image of the road on which the vehicle travels, and the map information includes information about the road, wherein, when the uneven portion present on the road surface of the road along which the vehicle is traveling in the traveling direction is included in the image data, the external force prediction unit predicts, based on the following information, an external force to be applied to the vehicle in the vertical direction from the road surface when the wheels of the vehicle maintaining the vehicle speed at the current moment cross the uneven portion within a predetermined time from the current moment: the information includes the vehicle speed at the current moment calculated based on information related to the wheel speed transmitted from a wheel speed sensor of the vehicle, the distance from the vehicle to the uneven portion calculated based on the image data, and the size of the uneven portion; and A control unit that, when the vehicle is performing fully autonomous driving, when the sleep depth of the occupant evaluated by the sleep depth assessment unit is equal to or lower than a predetermined reference depth or when the occupant is awake, controls the vehicle such that the magnitude of the external force to be applied to at least one of a plurality of occupants when the vehicle travels on a road is equal to or less than a first threshold, and when the sleep depth of each of the plurality of occupants is greater than the reference depth, the control unit controls the vehicle such that the magnitude of the external force to be applied to each of all the occupants when the vehicle travels on the road is equal to or less than a second threshold, the second threshold being greater than the first threshold, wherein only when the sleep depth of the at least one of the plurality of occupants is equal to or lower than the reference depth or the occupant is awake, when the external force is applied to the occupant, the control unit moves the seat in the same direction as the external force.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The external force prediction unit predicts a centrifugal force to be applied to the occupant based on the radius of curvature as the external force; and The control unit moves the seat in the same direction as the centrifugal force along the width direction of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The seat includes a seat cushion, a seat backrest, and an inclination adjustment mechanism. Among them, the occupant's waist is placed on the seat cushion, the seat backrest is rotatably supported by the seat cushion and contacts the occupant's back, and the inclination adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the angle of the seat backrest relative to the seat cushion; The external force prediction unit predicts the external force to be applied to the occupant due to the inclination angle of the road; and The control unit controls the inclination adjustment mechanism so that the seat backrest rotates in the same direction as the direction of the external force caused by the inclination angle.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The seat includes a seat cushion, a seat backrest, and an inclination adjustment mechanism. Among them, the occupant's waist is placed on the seat cushion, the seat backrest is rotatably supported by the seat cushion and contacts the occupant's back, and the inclination adjustment mechanism is used to adjust the angle of the seat backrest relative to the seat cushion; and When the sleep depth is greater than the reference depth, compared with the case where the sleep depth is equal to or lower than the reference depth or the occupant is awake, the control unit controls the inclination adjustment mechanism to increase the angle between the seat backrest and the seat cushion.

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