Notification device, notification method, and notification program

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a notification device, a notification method, and a notification program capable of notifying a driver of starting of a preceding vehicle in accordance with a state of the driver. A notification device for notifying a driver of a host vehicle of the start of a preceding vehicle parked in front of the host vehicle is provided with: a determination unit (332) for determining whether or not the driver is viewing the front; a state detection unit (334) for detecting the state of the preceding vehicle; and a notification unit (336) for notifying the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle. The notification unit changes, between a case in which it is determined that the driver is viewing the front and a case in which it is determined that the driver is not viewing the front, a notification mode for starting the preceding vehicle to the driver on the basis of the state of the preceding vehicle detected by the state detection unit. The notification method includes at least one of the timing of the notification, the presence or absence of the notification, and the notification method.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a notification device, a notification method, and a notification program. Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, there has been known a workshop distance alarm device that sends ultrasonic waves toward a preceding vehicle when congested and stopped, captures the reflected waves that are reflected, detects a situation where "the preceding vehicle starts and the workshop distance from its own vehicle reaches a predetermined distance", and notifies the driver (Patent Document 1).

[0003] Prior Art Documents

[0004] Patent Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2000-338240 Summary of the Invention

[0006] Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0007] In the device described in Patent Document 1, regardless of the driver's state, the driver is notified when the workshop distance reaches a predetermined distance. Therefore, when the predetermined distance is set to be long, if the driver is looking sideways or dozing and does not recognize the start of the preceding vehicle, the notification to the driver may be delayed. On the other hand, when the predetermined distance is set to be short, it is possible that although the driver is paying attention to the front and recognizes the start of the preceding vehicle, the driver is notified only because the driver's operation is slightly delayed.

[0008] In view of the above problems, an object of the present disclosure is to be able to notify the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle according to the driver's state.

[0009] Technical Means for Solving the Problems

[0010] The gist of the present disclosure is as follows.

[0011] (1) A notification device that notifies a driver of a vehicle of the start of a preceding vehicle stopped in front of the vehicle,

[0012] The notification device includes:

[0013] a determination unit that determines whether the driver is looking straight ahead;

[0014] a state detection unit that detects the state of the preceding vehicle; and

[0015] a notification unit that notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle,

[0016] The notification unit changes the notification method of the start of the preceding vehicle to the driver based on the state of the preceding vehicle detected by the state detection unit between a case where it is determined that the driver is looking straight ahead and a case where it is determined that the driver is not looking straight ahead.

[0017] The notification method includes at least any one of the timing of notification, the presence or absence of notification, and the notification method.

[0018] (2) According to the notification device described in (1) above,

[0019] The notification unit, in a case where it is determined that the driver is not looking straight ahead, notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle at an earlier timing after the start of the preceding vehicle than in a case where it is determined that the driver is looking straight ahead.

[0020] (3) According to the notification device described in (2) above,

[0021] The notification unit, in a case where it is determined that the driver is looking straight ahead, notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle when the movement amount of the preceding vehicle after the start becomes equal to or more than a first movement amount, and, in a case where it is determined that the driver is not looking straight ahead, notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle when the movement amount of the preceding vehicle after the start becomes equal to or more than a second movement amount that is less than the first movement amount.

[0022] (4) According to the notification device described in (2) above,

[0023] The notification unit, in a case where it is determined that the driver is looking straight ahead, notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle when the elapsed time after the start of the preceding vehicle becomes equal to or more than a first time, and, in a case where it is determined that the driver is not looking straight ahead, notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle when the elapsed time after the start of the preceding vehicle becomes equal to or more than a second time that is less than the first time.

[0024] (5) According to the notification device described in (2) above,

[0025] The notification unit, in a case where it is determined that the driver is looking straight ahead, notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle when the distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle becomes equal to or more than a first distance, and, in a case where it is determined that the driver is not looking straight ahead, notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle when the distance between the own vehicle and the preceding vehicle becomes equal to or more than a second distance that is less than the first distance.

[0026] (6) According to the notification device described in (1) above,

[0027] When the determination unit determines that the driver is looking straight ahead, the notification unit does not notify the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle even if the start of the preceding vehicle is detected by the state detection unit.

[0028] (7) A notification method for notifying a driver of a own vehicle of the start of a preceding vehicle stopped in front of the own vehicle, and the notification method is executed by a processor of the own vehicle.

[0029] The notification method includes:

[0030] Determining whether the driver is looking straight ahead;

[0031] Detecting the state of the preceding vehicle; and

[0032] Notifying the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle,

[0033] When notifying the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle, between the case where it is determined that the driver is looking straight ahead and the case where it is determined that the driver is not looking straight ahead, changing the notification method of the start of the preceding vehicle to the driver based on the state of the preceding vehicle.

[0034] The notification method includes at least any one of the timing of notification, the presence or absence of notification, and the notification method.

[0035] (8) A notification program product for notifying a driver of a own vehicle of the start of a preceding vehicle stopped in front of the own vehicle.

[0036] The notification program product causes a computer to execute the following processing:

[0037] Determining whether the driver is looking straight ahead;

[0038] Detecting the state of the preceding vehicle; and

[0039] Notifying the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle,

[0040] When notifying the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle, between the case where it is determined that the driver is looking straight ahead and the case where it is determined that the driver is not looking straight ahead, changing the notification method of the start of the preceding vehicle to the driver based on the state of the preceding vehicle.

[0041] The notification method includes at least any one of the timing of notification, the presence or absence of notification, and the notification method.

[0042] Effects of the Invention

[0043] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to notify a driver of the start of a preceding vehicle according to the driver's state. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0044] Figure 1 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the notification system.

[0045] Figure 2 is a schematic side view partially showing the interior of a vehicle equipped with the notification system.

[0046] Figure 3 is a functional block diagram of a processor of the ECU.

[0047] Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining the timing of notifying the start of a preceding vehicle.

[0048] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the process of notification processing performed by the notification device.

[0049] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the process of notification processing performed by the notification device according to the second embodiment.

[0050] REFERENCE SIGNS LIST

[0051] 1: Notification system;

[0052] 11: Driver monitoring camera;

[0053] 12: External camera;

[0054] 13: Distance measuring sensor;

[0055] 14: Vehicle sensor;

[0056] 30: ECU;

[0057] 33: Processor. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0058] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, in the following description, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same components.

[0059] The first embodiment

[0060] <Configuration of Notification System>

[0061] Refer to Figures 1 to 3 to describe the configuration of the notification system 1 including the notification device according to one embodiment. The notification device notifies the driver of the vehicle (own vehicle) 100 of the start of a preceding vehicle stopped in front of the own vehicle. Figure 1is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the notification system 1. Figure 2 is a schematic side view locally showing the interior of the vehicle 100 equipped with the notification system 1.

[0062] The notification system 1 is mounted on the vehicle 100 and notifies the driver of the vehicle 100 of the start of the preceding vehicle. As Figure 2 shown, the vehicle 100 includes a steering wheel 102 mounted via a steering column 101 and a driver's seat 103 for the driver to sit on.

[0063] As Figure 1 shown, in the present embodiment, the notification system 1 includes: a driver monitoring camera 11, an outside vehicle camera 12, a distance measuring sensor 13, a human machine interface (HMI) 15, and an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "ECU") 30. The driver monitoring camera 11, the outside vehicle camera 12, the distance measuring sensor 13, the HMI 15, and the ECU 30 are communicably connected via an in-vehicle network 21, for example. The in-vehicle network 21 is a network conforming to a standard such as CAN (Controller Area Network), for example.

[0064] The driver monitoring camera 11 captures an image of the driver's face. In the present embodiment, the driver monitoring camera 11 is provided at the upper part of the steering column 101 and is arranged to face the driver so as to be able to capture the driver, specifically, a part of the driver's face and upper body. In addition, as long as the driver monitoring camera 11 can capture the driver of the vehicle 100, it may be provided at a position different from the upper part of the steering column 101. For example, the driver monitoring camera 11 may also be provided on the steering wheel 102, the inside rearview mirror, the instrument panel, the instrument hood, etc. of the vehicle 100.

[0065] The driver monitoring camera 11 includes a camera and a projector. For example, the camera is a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) camera or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) camera, and the projector is an LED (Light Emitting Diode). In addition, the projector is preferably a near-infrared LED, and the camera is also preferably capable of detecting near-infrared rays so that the driver's face can be captured without causing discomfort to the driver even in low illuminance such as at night. For example, the projector is two near-infrared LEDs arranged on both sides of the camera. In addition, a filter such as a visible light cut-off filter may be provided on the camera. The driver monitoring camera 11 outputs the captured image to the ECU 30 via the in-vehicle network 21 at every predetermined cycle.

[0066] The external camera 12 is a device that captures the surroundings of the vehicle. In the present embodiment, the external camera 12 captures the front of the vehicle 100. The external camera 12 is a CMOS camera or a CCD camera that is sensitive to visible light. In the present embodiment, the external camera 12 is mounted inside the vehicle 100, for example, in a manner facing the front of the vehicle 100. The external camera 12 captures the front area of the vehicle 100 at each predetermined capture cycle and generates an image reflecting the front area. Whenever the external camera 12 generates an image, it outputs the generated image to the ECU 30 via the in-vehicle network 21. In addition, the external camera 12 can be either a monocular camera or a stereo camera. When a stereo camera is used as the external camera 12, the external camera 12 also functions as a distance measurement sensor 13. Multiple external cameras with different shooting directions or focal lengths can also be provided on the vehicle 100.

[0067] The distance measurement sensor 13 is a sensor that measures the distance to an object present around the vehicle 100. In particular, in the present embodiment, the distance measurement sensor 13 measures the distance to an object present in front of the vehicle 100. Additionally, in the present embodiment, the distance measurement sensor 13 can also measure the azimuth of an object present around the vehicle 100. The distance measurement sensor 13 is, for example, a radar such as a millimeter-wave radar or a lidar (LIDAR). Moreover, the distance measurement sensor 13 can also be configured to be able to measure the relative speed to an object present around the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the distance measurement sensor 13 measures the distance to an object present in front of the vehicle. The distance measurement sensor 13 outputs the measurement result of the distance to the surrounding objects to the ECU 30 via the in-vehicle network 21 at each predetermined cycle.

[0068] The vehicle sensor 14 is a sensor that detects the state of the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the vehicle sensor 14 is a sensor that can be used for detecting or estimating the speed of the vehicle 100. Specifically, the vehicle sensor 14 includes a speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle 100 or an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration of the vehicle 100. The vehicle sensor 14 outputs the detection result of the state of the vehicle 100 to the ECU 30 via the in-vehicle network 21 at each predetermined cycle.

[0069] The HMI 15 is an interface for inputting and outputting information between the driver or passenger and the notification system 1. The HMI 15 includes an information providing device for providing various information to the driver or passenger and an input device for the driver or passenger to perform input operations.

[0070] Specifically, the HMI 15 includes a display 16 for displaying text information or image information as an information providing device. The display 16 is an example of a display device for displaying images. The display 16 is a display device in any form such as a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The display 16 is configured such that at least the driver can confirm its screen. Therefore, the display 16 is arranged, for example, on the instrument panel or meter panel of the vehicle 100. The display 16 receives an image signal from the ECU 30 via the in-vehicle network 21 and displays an image according to the image signal. In addition, as an information providing device, the vehicle 100 may also include another type of display device such as a head-up display to replace the display 16, or may include another type of display device such as a head-up display in addition to the display 16.

[0071] In addition, the HMI 15 includes a speaker 17 as an information providing device. The speaker 17 is an example of a device for outputting sound. The speaker 17 receives a sound signal from the ECU 30 via the in-vehicle network 21 and outputs sound according to the sound signal. In addition, the HMI 15 may also include a device (such as a vibration device, etc.) other than the display 16 and the speaker 17 for providing various information to the driver or passengers as an information providing device.

[0072] In addition, the HMI 15 includes a touch panel 18 as an input device. The touch panel 18 is an example of a device for input by touching by the driver or passengers. When the driver or passengers perform a contact operation, the touch panel 18 outputs its operation signal to the ECU 30 via the in-vehicle network 21. In addition, the HMI 15 may also include a device (such as buttons, switches, etc.) other than the touch panel 18 for the driver or passengers to perform input operations as an input device.

[0073] <Configuration of the notification device>

[0074] The ECU 30 functions as a notification device for notifying the driver of the vehicle 100 of the start of the preceding vehicle. In addition, the ECU 30 controls the information provided by the information providing device of the HMI 13. Therefore, the ECU 30 controls the image displayed on the display 16 and the sound output from the speaker 17. As Figure 1 shown, the ECU 30 includes a communication interface 31, a storage unit 32, and a processor 33.

[0075] The communication interface 31 is a circuit for connecting the ECU 30 to the in-vehicle network 21.

[0076] The storage unit 32 stores data. The storage unit 32 has at least one of a volatile semiconductor memory, a non-volatile semiconductor memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), and a solid state drive (SSD), for example. The storage unit 32 stores computer programs executed by the processor 33 of the ECU 30. In addition, the storage unit 32 stores data such as data transmitted from the driver monitoring camera 11 and the like, and data used in the computer programs executed by the processor 33.

[0077] The processor 33 has one or more CPUs (Central Processing Unit) and its peripheral circuits. The processor 33 may also have other arithmetic circuits such as a logical arithmetic unit or a numerical arithmetic unit. The processor 33 executes the computer programs stored in the storage unit 32.

[0078] Figure 3 It is a functional block diagram of the processor 33 of the ECU 30. As Figure 3 shown, the processor 33 includes: an eye opening degree / gaze direction detection unit 331, a determination unit 332, a surrounding recognition unit 333, a preceding vehicle state detection unit 334, a host vehicle state detection unit 335, and a notification unit 336.

[0079] The eye opening degree / gaze direction detection unit 331 detects the driver's eye opening degree and the driver's gaze direction based on the image captured by the driver monitoring camera 11. In the present embodiment, the eye opening degree is represented by the distance between the upper and lower eyelids. In addition, in the present embodiment, the gaze direction is represented by the angle in the horizontal direction or the vertical direction between the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 100 and the driver's line of sight. The eye opening degree / gaze direction detection unit 331 inputs the information on the driver's eye opening degree and gaze direction detected by the eye opening degree / gaze direction detection unit 331 to the determination unit 332.

[0080] The eye opening degree / gaze direction detection unit 331 detects the driver's eye opening degree and gaze direction based on the image captured by the driver monitoring camera 11 by any method. For example, the eye opening degree / gaze direction detection unit 331 inputs the image obtained from the driver monitoring camera 11 to an identifier that identifies the upper eyelid and the lower eyelid, and detects the distance between the identified upper eyelid and the lower eyelid as the eye opening degree.

[0081] In addition, the eye opening degree and line-of-sight direction detection unit 331 inputs, for example, an image obtained from the driver monitoring camera 11 into an identifier that has been pre-trained to determine the positions of the pupil and the corneal reflection of the light source. Then, the eye opening degree and line-of-sight direction detection unit 331 detects the line-of-sight direction based on the determined positional relationship between the pupil and the corneal reflection. As such an identifier, for example, a convolutional neural network (CNN) that outputs the positions of the pupil and the corneal reflection when a face image is input can be used. Alternatively, the eye opening degree and line-of-sight direction detection unit 331 can also input the image obtained from the driver monitoring camera 11 into an identifier that determines the positions of the inner canthus and the iris in the driver's eyes. In this case, the eye opening degree and line-of-sight direction detection unit 331 detects the line-of-sight direction based on the determined positional relationship between the inner canthus and the iris.

[0082] The determination unit 332 determines whether the driver is looking straight ahead. In the present embodiment, the determination unit 332 obtains information on the driver's eye opening degree and line-of-sight direction from the eye opening degree and line-of-sight direction detection unit 331, and determines whether the driver is looking straight ahead based on this information. For example, when the eye opening degree is less than a predetermined threshold, the determination unit 332 determines that the driver has closed eyes and is not looking straight ahead. On the other hand, when the eye opening degree is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold, for example, when the driver's line-of-sight direction is within a predetermined angle (e.g., 10°) with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 100 and within a predetermined angle (e.g., 10°) with respect to the horizontal direction (or the direction parallel to the road), the determination unit 332 determines that the driver is looking straight ahead. On the other hand, when the driver's line-of-sight direction is greater than the above-mentioned predetermined angle with respect to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle 100, or when the driver's line-of-sight direction is greater than the above-mentioned predetermined angle with respect to the horizontal direction (or the direction parallel to the road), the determination unit 332 determines that the driver is not looking straight ahead. The determination unit 332 inputs the determination result of whether the driver is looking straight ahead to the notification unit 336.

[0083] In addition, in the present embodiment, the determination unit 332 determines whether the driver is looking straight ahead based on the driver's eye opening degree and line-of-sight direction. However, the determination unit 332 can also determine whether the driver is looking straight ahead based on parameters other than the driver's eye opening degree and line-of-sight direction. For example, it can also be determined whether the driver is looking straight ahead based on the orientation of the driver's face.

[0084] The surrounding recognition unit 333 recognizes the objects around the vehicle 100 based on the output of the external camera 12 and the output of the distance measurement sensor 13, and estimates the relative position of the objects with respect to the vehicle 100. In particular, in the present embodiment, the surrounding recognition unit 333 recognizes the preceding vehicle located in front of the vehicle 100, and estimates the relative position (relative distance) of the preceding vehicle with respect to the vehicle 100. The surrounding recognition unit 333 inputs the information of the objects around the vehicle 100 to the preceding vehicle state detection unit 334.

[0085] For example, in the case where a lidar is used as the distance measurement sensor 13, the surrounding recognition unit 333 groups the point cloud data output from the lidar at equal intervals of distance, and by aggregating the associated groups with each other, groups them by each group representing the target object. In addition, the surrounding recognition unit 333 recognizes the objects shown in the image through the recognition process of the image captured by the external camera 12. Then, the surrounding recognition unit 333 estimates the relative position of the object with respect to the vehicle 100 based on the target object group at the position corresponding to the position within the image of the object recognized through the recognition process. In particular, the surrounding recognition unit 333 estimates the center position of the target object group as the center position of the object. In addition, the relative position of the object with respect to the vehicle 100 can also be estimated by a different method using the external camera 12 and the distance measurement sensor 13. In addition, the relative position of the object with respect to the vehicle 100 can also be estimated based only on the external camera 12, only on the distance measurement sensor 13, or based on a sensor different from them.

[0086] The preceding vehicle state detection unit 334 detects the state of a preceding vehicle located in front of the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the preceding vehicle state detection unit 334 obtains information on the objects around the vehicle 100 from the surrounding recognition unit 333, and detects the state of the preceding vehicle based on this information. The preceding vehicle state detection unit 334 detects the state of the preceding vehicle based on the information of the preceding vehicle among the object information obtained from the preceding vehicle state detection unit 334. In particular, in the present embodiment, the preceding vehicle state detection unit 334 detects the presence or absence of a preceding vehicle located in front of the vehicle 100 in the same lane as the vehicle 100, the distance and relative speed (or the speed of the preceding vehicle) between the vehicle 100 and the preceding vehicle when there is a preceding vehicle, and so on. When the output of the distance measurement sensor 13 includes information on the relative speed of the surrounding objects, this information is used to detect the relative speed between the vehicle 100 and the preceding vehicle. On the other hand, when the output of the distance measurement sensor 13 does not include this information, the relative speed between the vehicle 100 and the preceding vehicle is detected based on the time-series relative position of the preceding vehicle. In addition, the speed of the preceding vehicle is calculated based on the speed of the vehicle 100 detected by the own vehicle state detection unit 335 described later and the relative speed between the vehicle 100 and the preceding vehicle. The preceding vehicle state detection unit 334 of the vehicle 100 outputs information related to the state of the preceding vehicle to the notification unit 336.

[0087] The own vehicle state detection unit 335 detects the state of the vehicle 100. In the present embodiment, the own vehicle state detection unit 335 detects the speed of the vehicle 100 based on the output of the vehicle sensor 14. When the vehicle sensor 14 is a speed sensor, the own vehicle state detection unit 335 calculates the speed corresponding to the output of the vehicle sensor 14. The own vehicle state detection unit 335 outputs information on the speed of the vehicle 100 to the notification unit 336.

[0088] When the preceding vehicle starts from a stopped state, the notification unit 336 notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle. For example, when the preceding vehicle starts from a stopped state, the notification unit 336 causes the display 16 to display the message "The preceding vehicle has started", and causes the speaker 17 to output the sound of the message "The preceding vehicle has started".

[0089] In particular, in the present embodiment, between the case where it is determined in the determination unit 332 that the driver is looking straight ahead and the case where it is determined in the determination unit 332 that the driver is not looking straight ahead, the notification method of the start of the preceding vehicle to the driver based on the state of the preceding vehicle detected by the preceding vehicle state detection unit 334 is changed. Here, the notification method includes at least any one of the notification timing to the driver, the presence or absence of notification to the driver, and the notification method to the driver.

[0090] In particular, in the present embodiment, when the determination unit 332 determines that the driver is not looking straight ahead, the notification unit 336 notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle at an earlier timing after the start of the preceding vehicle than when the determination unit 332 determines that the driver is looking straight ahead. Therefore, in the present embodiment, the notification unit 336 changes the timing of notification to the driver based on whether the driver is looking straight ahead.

[0091] Figure 4 It is a diagram for explaining the timing of notifying the start of the preceding vehicle P. In Figure 4 the positional relationship between the vehicle 100 and the preceding vehicle P is shown, and the dashed line in the figure indicates the position where the preceding vehicle P stops before starting. In particular, Figure 4 (A) shows the case where the driver is looking straight ahead, Figure 4 (B) shows the case where the driver is not looking straight ahead.

[0092] In the present embodiment, when the stopped preceding vehicle P starts, when the moving amount of the preceding vehicle P after starting becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value, the notification unit 336 notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle P. Specifically, the notification unit 336 calculates the moving amount of the stopped preceding vehicle P after starting based on the state of the preceding vehicle detected by the preceding vehicle state detection unit 334. Then, when the calculated moving amount becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value, the notification unit 336 notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle P.

[0093] In particular, in the present embodiment, as Figure 4 (A) shows, when the driver is looking straight ahead, the notification unit 336 notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle P when the moving amount of the preceding vehicle P becomes equal to or greater than the first moving amount M1.

[0094] On the other hand, in the present embodiment, as Figure 4 (B) shows, when the driver is not looking straight ahead, the notification unit 336 notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle P when the moving amount of the preceding vehicle P becomes equal to or greater than the second moving amount M2. Here, the second moving amount M2 is less than the first moving amount. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the driver is not looking straight ahead, compared with the case where the driver is looking straight ahead, the driver is notified even if the moving amount of the stopped preceding vehicle P is small.

[0095] In addition, the first moving amount M1 and the second moving amount M2 are preset values. However, the first moving amount M1 and the second moving amount M2 may also be values that change according to the brightness outside the vehicle (day or night), etc. However, even in this case, the second moving amount M2 is always set to a value less than the first moving amount.

[0096] In this way, according to the present embodiment, the notification method for notifying the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle is changed based on whether the driver is looking straight ahead. As a result, it is possible to notify the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle according to the state of the driver. In particular, in the present embodiment, when the driver is not looking straight ahead, the driver is notified at an earlier timing, so that it is possible to appropriately notify the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle according to the state of the driver.

[0097] <Flow of control>

[0098] Figure 5 It is a flowchart showing the flow of the notification process performed by the notification device. The illustrated notification process is executed by the processor 33 of the ECU 30 at regular time intervals.

[0099] As Figure 5 shown, in the notification process, first, the own vehicle state detection unit 335 detects the state of the vehicle 100 (step S11). In the present embodiment, the own vehicle state detection unit 335 detects the speed of the vehicle 100. Next, the preceding vehicle state detection unit 334 detects the state of the preceding vehicle (step S12). In the present embodiment, the preceding vehicle state detection unit 334 detects, for example, the distance to the preceding vehicle and the speed of the preceding vehicle. Next, the eye opening degree and gaze direction detection unit 331 detects the eye opening degree and gaze direction of the driver (step S13). In addition, in this notification process, the detection of the state of the vehicle 100 by the own vehicle state detection unit 335, the detection of the state of the preceding vehicle by the preceding vehicle state detection unit 334, and the detection of the eye opening degree and gaze direction by the eye opening degree and gaze direction detection unit 331 are performed in this order. However, these detections can be performed in any order, or can be performed wholly or partly simultaneously.

[0100] Next, the determination unit 332 determines whether the position of the preceding vehicle has changed during the parking period of the vehicle 100 (step S14). Specifically, when the speed of the vehicle 100 detected in step S11 is zero and the speed of the preceding vehicle detected in step S12 is not zero, the determination unit 332 determines that the position of the preceding vehicle has changed during the parking period of the vehicle 100. On the other hand, when the speed of the vehicle 100 detected in step S11 is not zero, or when the speed of the preceding vehicle detected in step S12 is zero, the determination unit 332 determines that the position of the preceding vehicle has not changed during the parking period of the vehicle 100. When it is determined in step S14 that the position of the preceding vehicle has not changed during the parking period of the vehicle 100, the notification process ends. Therefore, in this case, the message "The preceding vehicle has started" is not notified to the driver. In addition, in the present embodiment, in step S14, the determination unit 332 determines whether the position of the preceding vehicle has changed during the parking period of the vehicle 100, but it may also only determine whether the vehicle 100 is in the parking period.

[0101] When it is determined in step S14 that the position of the preceding vehicle has changed during the parking period of the vehicle 100, the determination unit 332 determines whether the driver is looking ahead (step S15). Whether the "driver is looking ahead" is determined based on the eye opening degree and the fresh direction detected by the eye opening degree and gaze direction detection unit 331 in step S13.

[0102] When it is determined in step S15 that the driver is looking ahead, the notification unit 336 determines whether the moving amount M of the preceding vehicle after the stopped preceding vehicle starts is equal to or greater than the first moving amount M1 (step S16). The moving amount M of the preceding vehicle after the stopped preceding vehicle starts is calculated based on the state of the preceding vehicle detected in step S12.

[0103] When it is determined in step S16 that the moving amount M of the preceding vehicle is less than the first moving amount M1, the notification process ends. Therefore, in this case, the message "The preceding vehicle has started" is not notified to the driver. On the other hand, when it is determined in step S16 that the moving amount M of the preceding vehicle is equal to or greater than the first moving amount M1, the notification unit 336 notifies the driver of the message "The preceding vehicle has started" (step S17). In the present embodiment, the notification unit 336 causes the display 16 to display the message "The preceding vehicle has started", and causes the speaker 17 to output the sound of the message "The preceding vehicle has started".

[0104] On the other hand, when it is determined in step S15 that the driver is not looking straight ahead, the notification unit 336 determines whether the movement amount M of the preceding vehicle after the stopped preceding vehicle starts moving is equal to or greater than a second movement amount M2 (M2 < M1) (step S18). The movement amount M of the preceding vehicle after the stopped preceding vehicle starts moving is calculated based on the state of the preceding vehicle detected in step S12.

[0105] When it is determined in step S18 that the movement amount M of the preceding vehicle is less than the second movement amount M2, the notification process ends. Therefore, in this case, the message "The preceding vehicle has started moving" is not notified to the driver. On the other hand, when it is determined in step S18 that the movement amount M of the preceding vehicle is equal to or greater than the second movement amount M2, the notification unit 336 notifies the driver of the message "The preceding vehicle has started moving" (step S17).

[0106] <Modification Example>

[0107] In the above-described embodiment, when the stopped preceding vehicle P starts moving, the notification unit 336 notifies the driver that the preceding vehicle has started moving when the movement amount of the preceding vehicle after starting becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value.

[0108] However, in one modification example, the notification unit 336 may also notify the driver that the preceding vehicle has started moving when the elapsed time after the stopped preceding vehicle P starts moving becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined time. In this case, when it is determined in the determination unit 332 that the driver is looking straight ahead, the notification unit 336 notifies the driver that the preceding vehicle has started moving when the elapsed time after the preceding vehicle starts moving becomes equal to or greater than a first time. In addition, when it is determined in the determination unit 332 that the driver is not looking straight ahead, the notification unit 336 notifies the driver that the preceding vehicle has started moving when the elapsed time after the preceding vehicle starts moving becomes equal to or greater than a second time. Here, the second time is less than the first time. Therefore, also in this modification example, when the driver is not looking straight ahead, the driver is notified at an earlier timing compared to the case where the driver is looking straight ahead.

[0109] In addition, the first time and the second time are preset constant values. However, the first time and the second time may also be values that change according to the brightness outside the vehicle, etc. However, in this case, the second time is always set to a value less than the first time. In addition, the elapsed time may also be the elapsed time during the movement of the preceding vehicle. Therefore, the elapsed time may also be a time that elapses during the movement of the preceding vehicle and stops during the period when the preceding vehicle stops.

[0110] In addition, in another modification, the notification unit 336 may also notify the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle when the preceding vehicle P that has stopped starts and the distance between the vehicle 100 and the preceding vehicle becomes equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value. In this case, as Figure 4 shown, when it is determined in the determination unit 332 that the driver is looking straight ahead, when the distance between the vehicle 100 and the preceding vehicle becomes equal to or greater than the first distance D1, the notification unit 336 notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle. In addition, when it is determined in the determination unit 332 that the driver is not looking straight ahead, when the distance between the vehicle 100 and the preceding vehicle becomes equal to or greater than the second distance D2, the notification unit 336 notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle. Here, the second distance D2 is less than the first distance D1. Therefore, also in this modification, when the driver is not looking straight ahead, the driver is notified at an earlier timing compared to the case where the driver is looking straight ahead.

[0111] In addition, the first distance and the second distance are pre-set values. However, the first distance and the second distance may also be values that change according to, for example, the brightness outside the vehicle. However, in this case, the second distance is also always set to a value less than the first distance.

[0112] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, regardless of whether the driver is looking straight ahead or not, the start of the preceding vehicle is notified to the driver by the same notification method. However, it is also possible to notify the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle by different notification methods according to whether the driver is looking straight ahead or not. For example, it is also possible to perform notification based on the speaker 17 but not perform notification based on the display 16 when it is determined that the driver is looking straight ahead, and perform notification based on both the speaker 17 and the display 16 when it is determined that the driver is not looking straight ahead. Alternatively, it is also possible to perform notification based on the speaker 17 with a smaller notification volume when it is determined that the driver is looking straight ahead compared to when it is determined that the driver is not looking straight ahead. In addition, when notifying the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle by different notification methods according to whether the driver is looking straight ahead or not, it is also possible to change the timing of notification to the driver regardless of whether the driver is looking straight ahead or not.

[0113] The second embodiment

[0114] Next, with reference to Figure 6 , the notification device according to the second embodiment will be described. The configuration and control of the notification device according to the second embodiment are basically the same as those of the notification device according to the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the description will focus on the parts of the control of the notification device according to the second embodiment that are different from those of the notification device according to the first embodiment.

[0115] In the above-described first embodiment, regardless of whether the driver is looking straight ahead, when the preceding vehicle starts moving during the parking of the vehicle 100, the driver is notified of the start of the preceding vehicle. However, in the second embodiment, when the driver is looking straight ahead, even if the preceding vehicle starts moving during the parking of the vehicle 100, the driver is not notified of the start of the preceding vehicle. Therefore, in this second embodiment, between the case where it is determined in the determination unit 332 that the driver is looking straight ahead and the case where it is determined in the determination unit 332 that the driver is not looking straight ahead, the notification method (specifically, the presence or absence of notification to the driver) of the start of the preceding vehicle to the driver based on the state of the preceding vehicle detected by the preceding vehicle state detection unit 334 is changed. As a result, the situation where the driver is annoyed by being notified of the start of the preceding vehicle despite looking straight ahead is reduced.

[0116] Figure 6 FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of notification processing performed by the notification device according to the second embodiment. The illustrated notification processing is executed by the processor 33 of the ECU 30 at regular time intervals. In addition, Figure 6 Steps S21 to S24 and S27 of FIG. 4 are the same as Figure 5 Steps S11 to S14 and S17 of FIG. 3, respectively, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

[0117] As Figure 6 shown, in the notification processing according to the second embodiment, when it is determined in step S24 that the position of the preceding vehicle has changed during the parking of the vehicle 100, the determination unit 332 determines whether the driver is looking straight ahead (step S25). When it is determined in step S25 that the driver is looking straight ahead, the notification processing ends. Therefore, in this case, the message "The preceding vehicle has started" is not notified to the driver.

[0118] On the other hand, when it is determined in step S25 that the driver is not looking straight ahead, the notification unit 336 determines whether the movement amount M of the preceding vehicle after starting from the stopped state is equal to or greater than the third movement amount M3 (step S26). The third movement amount M3 may be a preset constant value or a value that changes according to the brightness outside the vehicle or the like.

[0119] When it is determined in step S26 that the movement amount M of the preceding vehicle is less than the third movement amount M3, the notification processing ends. Therefore, in this case, the message "The preceding vehicle has started" is not notified to the driver. On the other hand, when it is determined in step S26 that the movement amount M of the preceding vehicle is equal to or greater than the third movement amount M3, the notification unit 336 notifies the driver of the message "The preceding vehicle has started" (step S27).

[0120] As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described, but the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope described in the claims.

Claims

1. A notification device that notifies a driver of a host vehicle of the start of a preceding vehicle stopped in front of the host vehicle. The notification device includes: a determination unit that determines whether the driver is looking ahead; a state detection unit that detects the state of the preceding vehicle; and a notification unit that notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle. The notification unit changes a notification method of the start of the preceding vehicle to the driver based on the state of the preceding vehicle detected by the state detection unit between a case where it is determined that the driver is looking ahead and a case where it is determined that the driver is not looking ahead. The notification method includes at least any one of a notification timing, presence / absence of notification, and a notification method.

2. The notification device according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle at an earlier timing after the start of the preceding vehicle in a case where it is determined that the driver is not looking ahead than in a case where it is determined that the driver is looking ahead.

3. The notification device according to claim 2, wherein the notification unit notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle when a movement amount of the preceding vehicle after the start becomes equal to or more than a first movement amount in a case where it is determined that the driver is looking ahead, and notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle when the movement amount of the preceding vehicle after the start becomes equal to or more than a second movement amount less than the first movement amount in a case where it is determined that the driver is not looking ahead.

4. The notification device according to claim 2, wherein the notification unit notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle when an elapsed time after the start of the preceding vehicle becomes equal to or more than a first time in a case where it is determined that the driver is looking ahead, and notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle when the elapsed time after the start of the preceding vehicle becomes equal to or more than a second time less than the first time in a case where it is determined that the driver is not looking ahead.

5. The notification device according to claim 2, wherein the notification unit notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle when a distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle becomes equal to or more than a first distance in a case where it is determined that the driver is looking ahead, and notifies the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle when the distance between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle becomes equal to or more than a second distance less than the first distance in a case where it is determined that the driver is not looking ahead.

6. The notification device according to claim 1, wherein the notification unit does not notify the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle even if the start of the preceding vehicle is detected by the state detection unit in a case where it is determined by the determination unit that the driver is looking ahead.

7. A notification method that notifies a driver of a host vehicle of the start of a preceding vehicle stopped in front of the host vehicle, and the notification method is executed by a processor of the host vehicle. The notification method includes: determining whether the driver is looking ahead; Detect the state of the preceding vehicle; and Notify the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle, When notifying the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle, change the notification method of the start of the preceding vehicle to the driver based on the state of the preceding vehicle between the case where it is determined that the driver is looking straight ahead and the case where it is determined that the driver is not looking straight ahead. The notification method includes at least any one of the timing of notification, the presence or absence of notification, and the notification method.

8. A notification program product that notifies the driver of its own vehicle of the start of a preceding vehicle stopped in front of the own vehicle, The notification program product causes a computer to execute the following processing: Determine whether the driver is looking straight ahead; Detect the state of the preceding vehicle; and Notify the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle, When notifying the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle, change the notification method of the start of the preceding vehicle to the driver based on the state of the preceding vehicle between the case where it is determined that the driver is looking straight ahead and the case where it is determined that the driver is not looking straight ahead. The notification method includes at least any one of the timing of notification, the presence or absence of notification, and the notification method.

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