Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and computer program product

Abstract

A control device for a vehicle, a control method for a vehicle, and a computer program product. The purpose of the present invention is to suppress unnecessary driving assistance to a driver. A control device (6) for a vehicle (100) is configured so as to perform driving assistance accompanying travel control of the vehicle (100) when a specific target object is present in the vicinity of the vehicle (100) in a driving assistance area set in the vicinity of the vehicle (100), and to perform driving assistance accompanying travel control of the vehicle (100) on the basis of a state of recognition of the specific target object by a driver of the vehicle (100). At least one of an assistance amount of the driving assistance, an assistance timing of the driving assistance, and a driving assistance area is changed.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a computer program product. Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a conventional vehicle control device configured to detect the possibility of a collision with a moving object such as a pedestrian or a two-wheeled vehicle when the moving object is moving in front of the vehicle, and to provide driving assistance to avoid the collision.

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-28951 Summary of the Invention

[0005] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0006] However, in the aforementioned conventional vehicle control device, the amount of assistance and timing of the driving assistance (deceleration assistance, evasive steering assistance, or warning) for collision avoidance are set to the same amount and timing as when the driver does not recognize the moving object in front of the vehicle, even when the driver recognizes the moving object in front of the vehicle. If the amount of assistance and timing of the driving assistance are set to the same regardless of the driver's recognition status of the moving object in front of the vehicle, the driver may feel that the amount of assistance is too large or the timing of the assistance is too early when the moving object in front of the vehicle is recognized. As a result, the driver may become annoyed by the driving assistance. On the other hand, if the amount of assistance is reduced or the timing of the assistance is delayed, a collision may not be avoided if the driver does not recognize the moving object in front of the vehicle.

[0007] The present invention has been made in view of such a problem, and an object of the present invention is to appropriately perform driving assistance according to the driver's recognition state of an object in front of the host vehicle.

[0008] Technical solutions to problems

[0009] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a vehicle control device of a certain technical solution of the present invention is configured to implement driving assistance accompanied by vehicle driving control when there is a specific target object around the vehicle in a driving assistance area set around the vehicle, and change the assistance amount of driving assistance, the assistance timing of driving assistance, and at least one of the driving assistance areas based on the recognition status of the specific target object by the vehicle driver.

[0010] In addition, in a vehicle control method of a certain technical solution of the present invention, when there is a specific target object around the vehicle in a driving assistance area set around the vehicle, driving assistance accompanied by vehicle driving control is implemented, and based on the vehicle driver's recognition state of the specific target object, the assistance amount of driving assistance, the assistance timing of driving assistance, and at least one of the driving assistance areas are changed.

[0011] In addition, a computer program product of a certain technical solution of the present invention enables a computer to perform the following processing, namely, when there is a specific target object around the vehicle in a driving assistance area set around the vehicle, driving assistance accompanied by vehicle driving control is implemented, and based on the vehicle driver's recognition state of the specific target object, the assistance amount of driving assistance, the assistance timing of driving assistance, and at least one of the driving assistance areas are changed.

[0012] Effects of the Invention

[0013] According to the above technical solution of the present invention, based on the driver's recognition status of a specific target object, the assistance amount of driving assistance, the assistance timing of driving assistance, and at least one of the driving assistance areas are changed, so that appropriate driving assistance can be performed according to the driver's recognition status of the target object in front of the vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0014] Figure 1 It is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0015] Figure 2 1 is a diagram showing an example of a driving assistance area preset around a vehicle.

[0016] Figure 3 This is a diagram explaining the assistance amount, assistance timing, and driving assistance area of driving assistance when the driver's recognition state is the first recognition state (non-recognition state).

[0017] Figure 4 This is a diagram explaining the assistance amount, assistance timing, and driving assistance area of driving assistance when the driver's recognition state is the second recognition state (recognized state).

[0018] Figure 5 This is a diagram explaining the assistance amount, assistance timing, and driving assistance area of driving assistance when the driver's recognition state is the third recognition state (visual state).

[0019] Figure 6 This is a flowchart for explaining the process of setting the assistance amount, assistance timing, and driving assistance area of driving assistance according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 7 This is a diagram for explaining a method for setting the assistance amount, assistance timing, and driving assistance area of driving assistance according to the second embodiment of the present invention when the driver's recognition state is the first recognition state (unrecognized state).

[0021] Figure 8 This is a flowchart for explaining the process of setting the assistance amount, assistance timing, and driving assistance area of driving assistance according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] Description of Reference Numerals

[0023] 6: Control device;

[0024] 100: Vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same components are denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0026] (First embodiment)

[0027] Figure 1 It is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] Vehicle 100 includes peripheral sensors 1, vehicle sensors 2, driver sensors 3, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 4, actuators 5, and a control device 6. These sensors 1, vehicle sensors 2, driver sensors 3, HMI 4, actuators 5, and control device 6 are communicatively connected via an in-vehicle network 7 compliant with the Controller Area Network (CARN) standard.

[0029] The surrounding sensor 1 is a sensor for generating surrounding data representing the conditions surrounding the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the surrounding sensor 1 includes one or more external cameras 11 for capturing images of the surroundings of the vehicle 100, including the front of the vehicle 100. The external cameras 11 capture the surroundings of the vehicle 100 at a predetermined frame rate (e.g., 10 to 40 Hz) and generate surrounding images reflecting the surroundings of the vehicle 100. Each time the external cameras 11 generate a surrounding image, they transmit the generated surrounding image to the control device 6 as surrounding data.

[0030] Alternatively, instead of or in addition to the external camera 11, a distance measuring sensor that measures the distance to objects such as vehicles and pedestrians around the vehicle 100 may be provided as the surrounding sensor 1. Examples of distance measuring sensors include a laser radar (LiDAR) that emits radar light and measures the distance based on the reflected light, and a millimeter wave radar sensor that emits radio waves and measures the distance based on the reflected waves.

[0031] The vehicle sensor 2 is a sensor for generating vehicle data indicating the status of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the vehicle sensor 2 includes, for example, a speed sensor 21 that generates speed data indicating the traveling speed of the vehicle 100, and a positioning sensor 22 that generates current position data indicating the current position of the vehicle 100, such as latitude and longitude. However, the vehicle sensor 2 is not limited to these sensors. The data acquired by the vehicle sensor 2 is transmitted to the control device 6 as vehicle data.

[0032] The driver sensor 3 is a sensor for generating data representing the driver's status (hereinafter referred to as "driver data"). In this embodiment, the driver sensor 3 includes a driver monitoring camera 31 for capturing the driver's appearance, including the driver's face. The driver monitoring camera 31 captures the driver's appearance at a predetermined frame rate (e.g., 10 [Hz] to 40 [Hz]), generating an appearance image reflecting the driver's appearance. Each time the driver monitoring camera 31 generates an appearance image of the driver, it transmits the generated appearance image to the control device 6 as driver data.

[0033] The HMI 4 is a user interface for exchanging information between the vehicle 100 and its occupants. The HMI 4 includes an output device 41 for notifying the vehicle occupants through their physical senses (e.g., vision, hearing, and touch), and an input device 42 for the vehicle occupants to input and respond to operations. In this embodiment, the output device 41 includes a display (e.g., an instrument display, a center display, a head-up display, etc.) 411 and a speaker 412, while the input device 42 includes a touch panel 421 and a microphone 422.

[0034] HMI 4 displays information (e.g., text information, image information) corresponding to the display signal received from control device 6 on display 411 and outputs sound corresponding to the sound signal from speaker 412. Furthermore, HMI 4 transmits data input by a vehicle occupant via input device 42 (hereinafter referred to as "occupant input data") to control device 6.

[0035] The HMI 4 can be pre-installed in the vehicle or can be a terminal such as a smartphone owned by a vehicle occupant. In the latter case, for example, information can be exchanged between the vehicle and the vehicle occupant's terminal via short-range wireless communication, or information can be exchanged indirectly via communication between the vehicle occupant's terminal and an external server (not shown).

[0036] The actuator 5 is a device used to control the driving of the vehicle. In this embodiment, the actuator 5 includes an acceleration actuator 51 (e.g., at least one of an engine and a motor) for controlling the acceleration of the vehicle, a brake actuator 52 (e.g., a hydraulic actuator) for controlling the braking of the vehicle, and a steering actuator 53 (e.g., a steering motor) for controlling the steering of the vehicle.

[0037] The control device 6 is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) including a communication unit 61 , a storage unit 62 , and a processing unit 63 .

[0038] The communication unit 61 includes an interface circuit for connecting the control device 6 to the in-vehicle network 7. The communication unit 61 supplies various data received from the sensors 1, 2, 3, HMI 4, etc. to the processing unit 63. In addition, the communication unit 61 outputs various signals output from the processing unit 63 to the HMI 4, actuator 5, etc.

[0039] The storage unit 62 includes a storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid Disk Drive), or a semiconductor memory, and stores various computer programs, data, and the like used in processing by the processing unit 63 .

[0040] The processing unit 63 has one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units) and their peripheral circuits, and executes various computer programs stored in the storage unit 62. The processing unit 63 is, for example, a processor. The processing unit 63 may also have other arithmetic circuits such as a logical operation unit, a numerical operation unit, or a graphics processing unit. The processing unit 63 functions as a target object detection unit 71, a line of sight direction detection unit 72, a visual target object determination unit 73, and a driving assistance unit 74 by executing processing according to the computer program, and acts as a functional unit (module) that realizes the predetermined function. In the following description, when the processing is described with each functional unit 71 to 74 as the subject, it means that the processing unit 63 is executing the program that realizes each functional unit 71 to 74.

[0041] Hereinafter, the content of the specific processing performed by the control device 6 will be described. Specifically, the content of each functional unit 71 to 74 realized by the processing unit 63 executing the processing according to the computer program will be described.

[0042] The target object detection unit 71 detects targets existing around the vehicle 100 based on the surrounding data. The target object detection unit 71 detects areas showing targets such as vehicles, two-wheeled vehicles, pedestrians, and buildings in the surrounding images, and the types of targets shown in the areas, for example, by sequentially inputting the surrounding images received from the external camera 11 to the recognizer. The recognizer can be, for example, a convolutional neural network (CNN) having a plurality of convolutional layers connected in series from the input side to the output side. The target object detection unit 71 uses the standard size of the target stored in the storage unit 62 for each type of target and the size of the target detected in the surrounding image to estimate the distance from the external camera 11 to the target, and calculates the position and speed of the target by tracking (tracing) the target detected in the surrounding image along a time series. In addition, the target detection method is not limited to such a method, and detection can be performed using various well-known methods.

[0043] The sight line direction detection unit 72 detects the position of the pupil center (i.e., the driver's viewpoint position) as the moving point and the position of the Purkinje image (corneal reflection image) as the reference point by sequentially performing image processing on the driver's appearance image (facial image) received from the driver monitoring camera 31. The driver's sight line direction is detected based on the positional relationship between the Purkinje image and the pupil center (the position of the moving point relative to the reference point). In addition, the method for detecting the driver's sight line direction is not limited to this method, and various well-known methods can be used for detection. For example, the direction in which the driver's face is facing can also be regarded as the driver's sight line direction.

[0044] The visual target determination unit 73 determines the target located in front of the driver's sight line direction, that is, the target that the driver is currently viewing (hereinafter referred to as the "visual target"), based on the positions of the targets around the vehicle 100 and the driver's sight line direction. In addition, the visual target determination unit 73 identifies a target that has been identified as a visual target once as an identified target identified by the driver. In this way, the visual target is the target that the driver is currently viewing. On the other hand, with respect to the identified target, there are cases where it is a visual target and cases where it is not a visual target. That is, the identified target is sometimes the target that the driver is currently viewing, and sometimes it is a target that the driver has visually identified in the past but is not currently viewing.

[0045] The driving assistance unit 74 operates in a driving assistance area (see Figure 2) When a specific target object such as a pedestrian, two-wheeled vehicle, or parked vehicle is detected by the target object detection unit 71, driving assistance is provided to avoid a collision accident with the specific target object, a moving object (e.g., a pedestrian) that may be in the blind spot of the parked vehicle, or a person who may get out of the parked vehicle, that is, a collision accident caused by a specific target object in the driving assistance area. In this embodiment, as driving assistance to avoid a collision accident caused by a specific target object in the driving assistance area, the driving assistance unit 74 provides driving assistance accompanied by steering control (hereinafter referred to as "steering assistance"). Steering assistance is driving assistance that controls the steering actuator 53 to automatically perform the steering operation of the vehicle 100.

[0046] Below, refer to Figures 2 to 5 , the driving assistance performed by the driving assistance unit 74 is described in further detail.

[0047] Figure 2 1 is a diagram showing an example of a driving assistance area pre-set around the vehicle 100. Figure 2 In order to avoid complication in the drawing, only the driving assistance area is shown on the left side of the vehicle 100 , but a driving assistance area is also formed on the right side of the vehicle 100 .

[0048] In this embodiment, the driving assistance zone is defined as an area located in front of and to the side of the vehicle 100, that is, an area where there is a possibility of a moving object approaching the front of the vehicle 100. Furthermore, as described above, in this embodiment, if a specific object such as a pedestrian, two-wheeled vehicle, or parked vehicle is present in the driving assistance zone, steering assistance is implemented as driving assistance to avoid a collision accident with the specific object.

[0049] For example, in Figure 2 In the example shown, since there is a pedestrian in the driving assistance area, in order to avoid a collision accident caused by the pedestrian unexpectedly rushing out of the lane, the steering operation is performed in a manner that increases the lateral (vehicle width direction) distance between the vehicle 100 and the pedestrian, and the vehicle 100 is moved laterally without exceeding the range of the lane.

[0050] When implementing such driving assistance, there are cases where the driver recognizes the specific target object in front of the vehicle 100 and cases where the driver does not recognize the specific target object in front of the vehicle 100. If the driving assistance assistance amount and assistance timing are made the same regardless of the driver's recognition status of the specific target object in front of the vehicle 100, the driver may feel that the driving assistance assistance amount is too large or the assistance timing is too early when the specific target object in front of the vehicle 100 is recognized. As a result, the driver may feel annoyed by the driving assistance. On the other hand, if the driving assistance assistance amount is reduced or the assistance timing is delayed, if the driver does not recognize the specific target object in front of the vehicle 100, a collision accident caused by the specific target object may not be avoided.

[0051] Therefore, in this embodiment, the amount of driving assistance, the timing of assistance, and the driving assistance area are changed based on the driver's recognition state of a specific object in front of the vehicle 100. Specifically, the driver's recognition state is divided into three recognition states: a first recognition state (unrecognized state) in which the driver has never recognized the specific object in front of the vehicle 100; a second recognition state (recognized state) in which the driver has previously recognized the object but is not currently viewing it; and a third recognition state (visualized state) in which the driver is currently viewing the object. The amount of driving assistance, the timing of assistance, and the driving assistance area are changed based on each recognition state.

[0052] Below, refer to Figures 3 to 5 , the driving assistance amount, assistance timing and driving assistance area in each recognition state are explained.

[0053] Figure 3 This is a diagram explaining the assistance amount, assistance timing, and driving assistance area of driving assistance when the driver's recognition state is the first recognition state (non-recognition state).

[0054] When there are pedestrians in front and on the side of the vehicle 100, in order to avoid a collision accident caused by the pedestrians unexpectedly rushing out of the lane, the driver usually moves the vehicle 100 laterally to move it away from the pedestrians and pass through the lateral space of the pedestrians.

[0055] Therefore, in this embodiment, if Figure 3As shown in FIG. 1 , if the average value of the lateral movement amount at this time is set as the reference steering assistance amount, then when the driver's recognition state is the first recognition state (non-recognition state), since it is assumed that the driver's attention to the side of the vehicle 100 is distracted, the steering assistance amount during driving assistance is made larger than the predetermined reference steering assistance amount. The reference steering assistance amount can be set based on, for example, statistical data from driving experiments of multiple drivers.

[0056] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the driver's recognition state is the first recognition state (unrecognized state), similar to the assistance amount, it is assumed that the driver's attention to the side of the host vehicle has become distracted. Therefore, the driving assistance timing is advanced compared to a predetermined reference assistance timing. The reference assistance timing can be set, for example, to a time when the time to collision (TTC) between the host vehicle and a pedestrian, etc., the target of driving assistance, is less than a predetermined reference time. The reference time can be set as appropriate, for example, from a few seconds to several tens of seconds.

[0057] In this embodiment, since driving assistance is started when a specific target object enters the driving assistance area, the position of the end of the driving assistance area on the front side of the vehicle's travel direction (hereinafter referred to as the "front end") changes according to the assistance timing of driving assistance. Figure 3 As shown, when the driver's recognition state is the first recognition state (unrecognized state), the longitudinal width (the length in the vehicle's travel direction) of the driving assistance zone is expanded forward compared to a predetermined reference longitudinal width so that the driving assistance assistance timing is advanced by a predetermined time relative to the reference assistance timing. That is, when the driver's recognition state is the first recognition state (unrecognized state), the position of the front end of the driving assistance zone is set to a position where the driving assistance assistance timing is advanced by a predetermined time relative to the reference assistance timing. The reference longitudinal width is the length of the driving assistance zone in the vehicle's travel direction at the time when the driving assistance assistance timing is set to the reference assistance timing, and is also the length of the driving assistance zone in the vehicle's travel direction that is set when the driver's recognition state is the second recognition state (recognized state), described later.

[0058] In addition, in this embodiment, Figure 3As shown, when the driver's recognition state is in the first recognition state (unrecognized state), it is assumed that the driver's attention to the sides of the vehicle 100 is distracted. Therefore, in order to strengthen the side alert of the host vehicle, the lateral width (the length in the vehicle width direction) of the driving assistance area is increased in the direction away from the host vehicle compared to a predetermined reference lateral width. The reference lateral width is the length of the driving assistance area in the vehicle width direction, which is set when the driver's recognition state is in the second recognition state (recognized state) described later.

[0059] Figure 4 This is a diagram explaining the assistance amount, assistance timing, and driving assistance area of driving assistance when the driver's recognition state is the second recognition state (recognized state).

[0060] As described above, the second recognition state is a state in which the driver has recognized a specific target object in front of the vehicle but is not currently visually viewing the target object. Figure 4 As shown, the driver visually recognizes a pedestrian or the like that is present in front of and to the side of the vehicle and then looks sideways (or sideways) toward another direction.

[0061] As such, unlike the first recognition state (unrecognized state), the second recognition state is a state in which a specific target object has been recognized even though the specific target object is not currently visually sighted. Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the driver's recognition state is the second recognition state (recognized state), the assistance amount, assistance timing, and driving assistance area of the driving assistance are set to the reference assistance amount, reference timing, and reference range, respectively. That is, the steering assistance amount of the driving assistance is set to the reference steering assistance amount. Moreover, the vertical width of the driving assistance area is set to the reference vertical width in such a way that the assistance timing of the driving assistance becomes the reference assistance timing. The horizontal width of the driving assistance area is set to the reference horizontal width. That is, the driving assistance area is set to a reference range in which the vertical width and the horizontal width are respectively set to the reference width.

[0062] Figure 5 This is a diagram explaining the assistance amount, assistance timing, and driving assistance area of driving assistance when the driver's recognition state is the third recognition state (visual state).

[0063] As described above, the third recognition state can be described as a state in which the driver is visually observing a specific object in front of the vehicle and anticipates various dangers posed by the specific object. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the driver's recognition state is the third recognition state (visual state), the steering assistance amount of the driving assistance is set to be smaller than the base steering assistance amount.

[0064] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the driver's recognition state is in the third recognition state (visual state), the driving assistance timing is delayed relative to the base assistance timing. Specifically, the front end of the driving assistance zone is positioned so that the driving assistance timing is delayed by a predetermined time relative to the base assistance timing. Therefore, when the driver's recognition state is in the third recognition state, the front end of the driving assistance zone is positioned closer to the vehicle than in the first and second recognition states.

[0065] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, the lateral width of the driving assistance area is set to be shorter than the reference lateral width.

[0066] Figure 6 This is a flowchart explaining the process of setting the assistance amount, assistance timing, and driving assistance area of driving assistance performed by the driving assistance unit 74 and the control device 6. The control device 6 repeatedly executes this routine at a predetermined calculation cycle ΔT.

[0067] In step S1, the control device 6 determines whether a specific target object exists in front of and to the side of the vehicle 100 (at a position in front of and to the side of the vehicle 100). In this embodiment, the specific targets are pedestrians, two-wheeled vehicles, and parked vehicles. However, the specific targets are not limited to these targets, and at least one of these targets may be set as a specific target object. If a specific target object exists in front of and to the side of the vehicle 100, the control device 6 proceeds to step S2. On the other hand, if no specific target object exists in front of the vehicle 100, the control device 6 terminates the current processing.

[0068] In step S2, the control device 6 determines whether the driver's recognition state of the specific object located in front of and to the side of the vehicle 100 is in the first recognition state (unrecognized state). If the specific object located in front of the vehicle 100 is neither a visually visible object nor a recognized object, the control device 6 determines that the driver's recognition state is in the first recognition state and proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, if the specific object located in front of the vehicle 100 is a visually visible object or a recognized object, the control device 6 proceeds to step S4.

[0069] In step S3, the control device 6 sets the driving assistance amount to be greater than the reference assistance amount. Furthermore, the control device 6 increases the longitudinal width (the length in the vehicle's traveling direction) of the driving assistance zone so that the assistance timing is earlier than the reference assistance timing. Furthermore, since attention to the lateral direction is considered to be distracted, the control device 6 also increases the lateral width (the length in the vehicle's width direction) of the driving assistance zone accordingly.

[0070] In step S4, the control device 6 determines whether the driver's recognition state of the specific object located in front of and to the side of the vehicle 100 is in the second recognition state (recognized state). If the specific object located in front of and to the side of the vehicle 100 is not a visually visible object and is a recognized object, the control device 6 determines that the driver's recognition state is in the second recognition state and the process proceeds to step S5. On the other hand, if the specific object located in front of and to the side of the vehicle 100 is a visually visible object, the control device 6 determines that the driver's recognition state is in the third recognition state (visually visible state) and the process proceeds to step S6.

[0071] In step S5, the control device 6 sets the driving assistance amount to the reference assistance amount. Furthermore, the control device sets the longitudinal width (the length in the vehicle's travel direction) of the driving assistance area and the lateral width (the length in the vehicle's width direction) to the reference width so that the assistance timing reaches the reference assistance timing.

[0072] In step S6, the control device 6 sets the driving assistance amount to be greater than the reference assistance amount. Furthermore, the control device 6 reduces the longitudinal width (the length in the vehicle's traveling direction) of the driving assistance zone and also reduces the lateral width (the length in the vehicle's width direction) of the driving assistance zone accordingly, so that the assistance timing becomes earlier than the reference assistance timing.

[0073] The control device 6 of the vehicle 100 of the present embodiment described above is configured to implement driving assistance accompanied by driving control of the vehicle 100 when there is a specific target object around the vehicle 100 in the driving assistance area set around the vehicle 100, and change the assistance amount of driving assistance, the assistance timing of driving assistance, and at least one of the driving assistance areas based on the recognition state of the specific target object by the driver of the vehicle 100.

[0074] As a result, driving assistance accompanied by travel control of vehicle 100 can be appropriately performed according to the driver's recognition state of a specific object around vehicle 100 .

[0075] In this embodiment, the control device 6 is configured to make the assistance amount of driving assistance smaller than a predetermined reference amount, delay the assistance timing of driving assistance more than a predetermined reference timing, or make the driving assistance area narrower than a predetermined reference range when the driver's recognition state of a specific target object is the third recognition state (visual state) in which the driver is visually viewing the specific target object.

[0076] In addition, the control device 6 is configured to make the assistance amount of driving assistance greater than a predetermined reference amount, make the assistance timing of driving assistance earlier than a predetermined reference timing, or expand the driving assistance area beyond a predetermined reference range when the driver's recognition state of the specific target object is the first recognition state (unrecognized state) in which the driver has not visually seen the specific target object even once and has not recognized the specific target object.

[0077] In addition, the control device 6 is configured to set the assistance amount of driving assistance to a reference amount, set the assistance timing of driving assistance to a reference timing, and set the driving assistance area to a reference range when the driver's recognition state of the specific target object is a second recognition state (recognized state) in which the driver recognizes the specific target object and moves his / her eyes away from the specific target object without visually seeing the specific target object.

[0078] That is, in this embodiment, the control device 6 is configured to, when the driver's recognition state of the specific target object is the third recognition state (visual state), reduce the assistance amount of driving assistance, delay the assistance timing of driving assistance, or narrow the driving assistance area compared to the second recognition state (recognized state), and the control device 6 is configured to, when the driver's recognition state of the specific target object is the first recognition state (unrecognized state), increase the assistance amount of driving assistance, advance the assistance timing of driving assistance, or expand the driving assistance area compared to the second recognition state (recognized state).

[0079] Furthermore, when a specific object is present in the driver's line of sight, the control device 6 determines that the recognition state is the third recognition state (visual state) and identifies the specific object as a recognized object by the driver. Furthermore, when a specific object is present in the vicinity of the vehicle 100 and the specific object is not present in the driver's line of sight, the control device 6 determines that the recognition state is the second recognition state (recognized state) if the specific object is recognized as a recognized object, and determines that the recognition state is the first recognition state (unrecognized state) if the specific object is not recognized as a recognized object.

[0080] As described above, according to this embodiment, the amount of driving assistance, the timing of driving assistance, or the driving assistance area are set to suppress the implementation of driving assistance when the driver is visually viewing a specific object. This prevents unnecessary driving assistance from being implemented even when the driver is visually viewing a specific object. Consequently, it is possible to prevent the driver from becoming annoyed by driving assistance.

[0081] Furthermore, if the driver fails to recognize a specific object, the amount of driving assistance, timing of driving assistance, or driving assistance area are set to proactively implement driving assistance. This can prevent collision accidents caused by specific objects that the driver fails to recognize.

[0082] (Second embodiment)

[0083] Next, the second embodiment of the present invention will be described. This embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that, when the driver's recognition state of a specific target object located in front of and to the side of the vehicle 100 is in the first recognition state (unrecognized state), the driving assistance amount, assistance timing, and driving assistance area are further modified based on the angle θ formed between the direction of the specific target object and the driver's line of sight. The following description focuses on this difference.

[0084] Figure 7 This is a diagram for explaining a method for setting the assistance amount, assistance timing, and driving assistance area of driving assistance according to the present embodiment when the driver's recognition state is the first recognition state (non-recognition state).

[0085] like Figure 7 As shown, it is considered that the angle Θ formed by the direction of the specific target and the direction of the driver's sight is small ( Figure 7 (B)) Compared with the angle Θ, when the angle Θ is large ( Figure 7 (A)), the driver is on the side of the vehicle 100 (in Figure 7 That is, it is considered that the more the driver's line of sight moves away from the specific target object, the more the driver's attention to the side of the vehicle 100 becomes distracted.

[0086] Therefore, in the present embodiment, it is set that: when the recognition state of the driver is the first recognition state (unrecognized state), the assistance amount, assistance timing and driving assistance area of the driving assistance are changed according to the angle Θ. Specifically, it is set that: the larger the angle Θ, the larger the assistance amount of the driving assistance is compared to the baseline assistance amount. In addition, it is set that: the larger the angle Θ, the more the longitudinal width (the length in the direction of vehicle travel) of the driving assistance area is expanded to the front side compared to the baseline longitudinal width in order to advance the assistance timing compared to the baseline assistance timing. In addition, it is set that: the larger the angle Θ, the more the lateral width (the length in the vehicle width direction) of the driving assistance area is expanded in the left and right directions compared to the baseline lateral width. Thus, when the recognition state of the driver is the first recognition state (unrecognized state), appropriate driving assistance can be implemented according to the degree of the driver's sideways (side view). In addition, as Figure 7 As shown, the driver assistance area is expanded only on the side where the unidentified specific target object exists (on the Figure 7 The left side is shown in the middle.

[0087] Figure 8 This is a flowchart for explaining the setting process of the assist amount, assist timing, and assist area of the driving assist of this embodiment, which is performed by the driving assist unit 74 and the control device 6. Figure 8 In the embodiment, the processing of steps S1, S2, and S4 to S6 is the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore the description thereof is omitted here.

[0088] In step S21 , the control device 6 calculates an angle θ formed between the direction of a specific target object located in front of and to the side of the vehicle 100 (located in front of and to the side) and the driver's line of sight.

[0089] In step S22, the control device 6 changes the driving assistance assistance amount, assistance timing, and assistance area based on the angle θ. In this embodiment, as the angle θ increases, the control device increases the driving assistance assistance amount compared to the baseline assistance amount. Furthermore, as the angle θ increases, the control device increases the longitudinal width (the length in the vehicle's travel direction) of the driving assistance area forward compared to the baseline longitudinal width. Furthermore, as the angle θ increases, the control device increases the lateral width (the length in the vehicle's width direction) of the driving assistance area in the left-right direction compared to the baseline lateral width.

[0090] The control device 6 of the vehicle 100 of the present embodiment described above is configured such that, when the driver's recognition state of a specific target object is the first recognition state (unrecognized state), the larger the angle Θ formed between the direction of the specific target object and the direction of the driver's line of sight or the direction of his face, the greater the assistance amount of the driving assistance is compared to the reference amount, the earlier the assistance timing of the driving assistance is compared to the reference timing, or the larger the driving assistance area is compared to the reference range.

[0091] This makes it possible to implement appropriate driving assistance according to the degree of the driver's sideways gaze, thereby preventing collision accidents caused by a specific object that the driver fails to recognize.

[0092] While the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above embodiments merely illustrate a part of application examples of the present invention and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific configurations of the above embodiments.

[0093] For example, in each of the above-mentioned embodiments, steering assistance is implemented as a driving assistance for avoiding collision accidents caused by specific targets, but deceleration assistance can also be implemented together with steering assistance. Deceleration assistance is a driving assistance for controlling the brake actuator 52 to automatically perform a braking operation of the vehicle 100. When deceleration assistance is performed when the driver's recognition state is the first recognition state (unrecognized state), the deceleration assistance amount, that is, the deceleration during the braking operation, can be increased compared to a predetermined reference deceleration assistance amount. In addition, when deceleration assistance is performed when the driver's recognition state is the third recognition state (visual state), the deceleration assistance amount can be made smaller than a predetermined reference deceleration assistance amount, or the reference deceleration assistance amount can be kept unchanged.

[0094] Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, the driving assistance amount, driving assistance timing, and driving assistance area are changed based on the driver's recognition state of a specific object. However, one or two of these may be changed.

[0095] In the above embodiment, the computer program executed in the control device 6 may be provided in the form of being recorded on a computer-readable portable recording medium such as a semiconductor memory, a magnetic recording medium, or an optical recording medium, or may be provided as a computer program product.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device, comprising: When a specific target object around the vehicle exists in a driving assistance area set around the vehicle, driving assistance is performed along with travel control of the vehicle. At least one of the driving assistance amount, the driving assistance timing, and the driving assistance area is changed based on a recognition state of the specific object by the driver of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: When the recognition state is a visual state in which the specific target object is being visually viewed, at least one of the following processes is performed: a process for making the assistance amount of the driving assistance smaller than a predetermined reference amount; a process for making the assistance timing of the driving assistance delayed than a predetermined reference timing; and a process for making the driving assistance area narrower than a predetermined reference range.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: When the recognition state is an unrecognized state in which the specific target object has not been visually seen even once and the specific target object has not been recognized, at least one of the following processes is performed: a process in which the assistance amount of the driving assistance is made larger than a predetermined reference amount; a process in which the assistance timing of the driving assistance is made earlier than a predetermined reference timing; and a process in which the driving assistance area is made larger than a predetermined reference range.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein: When the recognition state is the unrecognized state, at least one of the following processes is performed: the larger the angle between the direction of the specific target object and the sight line direction or the face orientation direction of the driver, the larger the assistance amount of the driving assistance is compared to the reference amount; the earlier the assistance timing of the driving assistance is compared to the reference timing; and the larger the driving assistance area is compared to the reference range.

5. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein: When the recognition state is an identified state in which the specific target object is not visually sighted after the specific target object is recognized and the line of sight is moved away from the specific target object, the assistance amount of the driving assistance is set to the reference amount, the assistance timing of the driving assistance is set to the reference timing, and the driving assistance area is set to the reference range.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: When the recognition state is a visual state in which the specific target object is being visually viewed, compared to the recognition state in which the specific target object is not being visually viewed after the specific target object is recognized and the line of sight is moved away from the specific target object, at least one of a process of reducing the assistance amount of the driving assistance, a process of delaying the assistance timing of the driving assistance, and a process of narrowing the driving assistance area is performed.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 6, wherein: When the recognition state is an unrecognized state in which the specific target object has not been visually observed even once and the specific target object has not been recognized, at least one of a process of increasing the assistance amount of the driving assistance, a process of advancing the assistance timing of the driving assistance, and a process of increasing the size of the driving assistance area is performed compared to the recognized state.

8. The vehicle control device according to claim 7, wherein: When the specific object exists in the driver's sight line, the recognition state is determined to be the visual state, and the specific object is recognized as the driver's recognized object. When the specific target object exists around the vehicle and the specific target object does not exist in the driver's line of sight, if the specific target object is identified as the recognized target object, the recognition state is determined to be the recognized state; if the specific target object is not identified as the recognized target object, the recognition state is determined to be the unrecognized state.

9. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, The travel control is a steering control for automatically performing a steering operation of the vehicle.

10. A vehicle control method, comprising: When a specific target object around the vehicle exists in a driving assistance area set around the vehicle, driving assistance is performed along with travel control of the vehicle. At least one of the driving assistance amount, the driving assistance timing, and the driving assistance area is changed based on a recognition state of the specific object by the driver of the vehicle.

11. A computer program product causing a computer to execute the following processing: When a specific target object around the vehicle exists in a driving assistance area set around the vehicle, driving assistance is performed along with travel control of the vehicle. At least one of the driving assistance amount, the driving assistance timing, and the driving assistance area is changed based on a recognition state of the specific object by the driver of the vehicle.

Images