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

Abstract

The invention provides a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a computer program product. The purpose of the present invention is to implement appropriate driving assistance taking into account things after implementation of driving assistance. A control device (6) of a vehicle (100) is configured to perform driving assistance accompanying travel control of the vehicle (100) when a specific target object in the periphery of the vehicle (100) is present in a driving assistance area set around the vehicle (100), and to perform driving assistance accompanying travel control of the vehicle (100) when a driver of the vehicle (100) is in an unsuitable driving state, and to perform driving assistance accompanying travel control of the vehicle (100) when the driver of the vehicle (100) is in an unsuitable driving state. The steering assist amount of the steering assist included in the travel control is changed in accordance with the degree of ease of recovery from the unsuitable driving state to the suitable driving state.

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 that is configured to provide driving assistance for preventing the vehicle from coming into contact with a pedestrian crossing the road. Prior art literature Patent Literature

[0003] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2019 / 058446 Summary of the Invention Problems to be solved by the invention

[0004] However, in the conventional vehicle control device described above, when driving assistance is performed, events after the driving assistance is performed are not considered. Therefore, depending on the driver's state at the time of driving assistance, new risks may arise after the driving assistance is performed.

[0005] The present invention has been made with attention paid to such problems, and an object of the present invention is to implement appropriate driving assistance that takes into account events after driving assistance is implemented. Means for solving problems

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a control device of a vehicle in a certain embodiment of the present invention is configured to implement driving assistance accompanied by vehicle driving control when a specific target object around the vehicle exists in a driving assistance area set around the vehicle, and when the driver of the vehicle is in a state that is not suitable for driving, the steering assistance amount of the steering assistance included in the driving control is changed according to the ease of recovery from the unsuitable driving state to the suitable driving state.

[0007] In addition, in a vehicle control method of a certain embodiment of the present invention, when a specific target object around the vehicle exists in a driving assistance area set around the vehicle, driving assistance accompanied by vehicle driving control is implemented, and when the driver of the vehicle is in a state unfit for driving, the steering assistance amount of the steering assistance included in the driving control is changed according to the ease of recovery from the unfit for driving state to the suitable for driving state.

[0008] In addition, a computer program product of a certain embodiment of the present invention causes a computer to perform the following processing: when a specific target object around the vehicle exists in a driving assistance area set around the vehicle, driving assistance is implemented along with the vehicle's driving control; when the driver of the vehicle is in a state that is not suitable for driving, the steering assistance amount of the steering assistance included in the driving control is changed according to the ease of recovery from the unsuitable driving state to the suitable driving state. Effects of the Invention

[0009] According to these aspects of the present invention, it is possible to implement appropriate driving assistance that takes into account events after the driving assistance is implemented. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the configuration of a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2A This is a diagram for explaining a method of determining whether the driver is looking to the side. Figure 2B This is a diagram for explaining a method of determining whether the driver is looking to the side. Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an example of a driving assistance zone set in advance around a vehicle. Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an example of a scenario in which steering assistance is performed as driving assistance. Figure 5 This is a diagram showing an example of a scenario in which steering assistance and braking assistance are performed as driving assistance. Figure 6 This is a diagram showing an example of a scenario in which brake assist is performed as driving assistance. Figure 7 This is a flowchart for explaining driving assistance control according to one embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0011] Hereinafter, the embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals are given to the same components.

[0012] Figure 1 It is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle 100 according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] 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 peripheral 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 conforming to a standard such as a controller area network.

[0014] 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 Hz to 40 Hz) and generate surrounding images capturing the surroundings of the vehicle 100. Each time the external camera 11 generates a surrounding image, it transmits the generated surrounding image to the control device 6 as surrounding data.

[0015] Alternatively, a distance measuring sensor may be provided as the surrounding sensor 1 in place of the external camera 11 or in addition to the external camera 11. The distance measuring sensor measures the distance to objects such as vehicles and pedestrians that are present around the vehicle 100. Examples of the distance measuring sensor include a laser radar (LiDAR) that emits laser 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.

[0016] The vehicle sensor 2 is a sensor for generating vehicle data indicating the state 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.

[0017] The driver sensor 3 is a sensor for generating driver data representing the driver's condition. 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) and generates an appearance image capturing 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.

[0018] 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 input 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.

[0019] The HMI 4 displays information (e.g., text information, image information) on a display 411 in response to a display signal received from the control device 6, and outputs sound in response to a sound signal from a speaker 412. Furthermore, the HMI 4 transmits data input by a vehicle occupant via an input device 42 (hereinafter referred to as "occupant input data") to the control device 6.

[0020] The HMI 4 may be a device pre-installed in the vehicle 100 or a terminal such as a smartphone owned by a vehicle occupant. In the latter case, for example, information may be exchanged between the vehicle 100 and the vehicle occupant's terminal using short-range wireless communication, or information may be exchanged indirectly via the vehicle occupant's terminal and an external server (not shown).

[0021] The actuator 5 is a device used for driving control of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the actuator 5 includes an acceleration actuator 51 (e.g., at least one of an engine and a motor) for accelerating the vehicle 100, a brake actuator 52 (e.g., a hydraulic actuator) for braking the vehicle 100, and a steering actuator 53 (e.g., a steering motor) for steering the vehicle 100.

[0022] The control device 6 is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) including a communication unit 61 , a storage unit 62 , and a processing unit 63 .

[0023] 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, the 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, the actuator 5, etc.

[0024] The storage unit 62 includes a storage medium such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid Disk Drive), or a semiconductor memory, and stores various computer programs and data used for processing in the processing unit 63 .

[0025] 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 side view determination unit 72, a closed eye 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 prescribed 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.

[0026] 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.

[0027] 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 where targets such as vehicles, two-wheeled vehicles, pedestrians, and buildings appear in the surrounding images and the types of targets appearing in the areas by, for example, sequentially inputting the surrounding images received from the external camera 11 into 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 images 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 images in 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 techniques.

[0028] The side-looking determination unit 72 determines whether the driver is in a side-looking state based on the driver data. The side-looking state is an example of a state that is not suitable for driving. The method for determining whether the driver is in a side-looking state is not particularly limited, but in this embodiment, the side-looking determination unit 72 detects the driver's facial orientation or line of sight based on the driver's appearance image received from the driver monitoring camera 31, such as Figure 2AAs shown in FIG, if the sight line vector extending in the direction of the driver's face or the sight line vector extending from the position of the driver's eyes (viewpoint position) in the sight line direction passes through a predetermined position virtually set in front of the vehicle's traveling direction and has a predetermined height and width tolerance range, it is determined that the driver is not in a sideways looking state. Figure 2B As shown, if the sight line vector does not pass through the permissible range, it is determined that the driver is in a sideways looking state.

[0029] Furthermore, the sideways look determination unit 72 can, for example, analyze the driver's appearance image to detect various facial features such as the driver's eyes, nose, and mouth, and compare their positions with a standard three-dimensional facial model stored in the storage unit 62. The driver's facial orientation is determined based on the three-dimensional model's facial orientation that best matches the positions of the facial features. Furthermore, the sideways look determination unit 72 can, for example, analyze the driver's appearance image to detect the position of the pupil center, which serves as a moving point (i.e., the driver's viewpoint), and the position of the Purkinje image (corneal reflection image), which serves as a reference point. Based on the positional relationship between the Purkinje image and the pupil center (the position of the moving point relative to the reference point), the driver's gaze direction is detected.

[0030] The eye-closure determination unit 73 determines whether the driver's eyes are closed based on the driver data. Eye-closure is an example of a state unsuitable for driving. The method for determining whether the driver's eyes are closed is not particularly limited. However, in this embodiment, the eye-closure determination unit 73 analyzes an image of the driver's appearance received from the driver monitoring camera 31 to detect the open or closed state of the driver's eyes. If the driver's eyes remain closed for a predetermined period of time or longer, the determination is made that the driver's eyes are closed.

[0031] The driving assistance unit 74 operates in a driving assistance area (see FIG. Figure 3 ), when there is a specific target object such as a pedestrian, a two-wheeled vehicle, or a parked vehicle detected by the target object detection unit 71 in the vehicle, driving assistance is implemented to avoid a collision accident with the specific target object, a mobile object (such as a pedestrian) that may be in the blind spot of the parked vehicle, or a person who may get off the parked vehicle, that is, a collision accident caused by the specific target object present in the driving assistance area. In the present embodiment, as driving assistance for avoiding a collision accident caused by the specific target object present in the driving assistance area, the driving assistance unit 74 implements at least one of driving assistance accompanied by steering control (hereinafter referred to as "steering assistance") and driving assistance accompanied by braking control (hereinafter referred to as "brake assistance") . Of course, notifications etc. via the HMI 4 may also be implemented together with these driving assistances. Steering assistance is driving assistance that controls the steering actuator 53 to automatically perform the steering operation of the vehicle 100. Braking assistance is driving assistance that controls the brake actuator 52 to automatically perform the braking operation of the vehicle 100.

[0032] Below, refer to Figures 3 to 6 The driving assistance performed by the driving assistance unit 74 will be described in further detail.

[0033] Figure 3 1 is a diagram showing an example of a driving assistance zone set in advance around the vehicle 100 . Figures 4 to 6 are diagrams showing an example of a scene in which driving assistance is implemented. Figure 4 and Figure 6 In order to avoid complication in the drawing, the driving assistance area is shown only on one side of the vehicle 100.

[0034] like Figure 3 As shown, in this embodiment, the driving assistance zone is defined as the area in front of and to the side of the vehicle 100, that is, an area where there is a possibility of a moving object rushing forward from the vehicle 100. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the driving assistance zone is switched to the first zone or the second zone depending on the driver's state, but this point will be described later.

[0035] Furthermore, as described above, in this embodiment, when there are specific targets such as pedestrians, two-wheeled vehicles, and parked vehicles in the driving assistance area, at least one of steering assistance and braking assistance is implemented as driving assistance for avoiding collision accidents caused by the specific targets.

[0036] For example, Figure 4 In the example shown, a pedestrian walking on the sidewalk is present in the driving assistance zone on the sidewalk to the left of the vehicle 100. Therefore, in order to avoid a collision accident caused by the pedestrian accidentally running out of the lane, steering assistance 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 protruding from the lane.

[0037] In addition, for example, Figure 5 In the example shown, a pedestrian is located in the driving assistance zone on the sidewalk to the left of vehicle 100, and obstacles such as pedestrians, two-wheeled vehicles, parked vehicles, and moving vehicles (in this example, moving vehicles) are located in the adjacent lane to the right of vehicle 100 (in this example, the oncoming lane). Thus, if an obstacle exists in the direction (in this example, the right side) in which the vehicle is being moved by steering assistance to avoid the pedestrian, the steering assistance amount (lateral movement amount) is limited, taking into account the risk of collision with both the pedestrian and the obstacle. Therefore, brake assistance is performed in conjunction with steering assistance to decelerate the vehicle.

[0038] In addition, for example, Figure 6In the example shown, a pedestrian who is about to cross the lane is present in the driving assistance zone on the right lane of the vehicle 100 , and therefore brake assistance is performed to avoid a collision accident with the pedestrian.

[0039] After such driving assistance is implemented, that is, after the driver passes the specific target object for which driving assistance is provided and driving assistance is terminated, the driver must continue driving independently. Implementing driving assistance without considering the driver's driving operation after driving assistance is implemented may lead to new risks depending on the driver's state at the time of driving assistance, as described below.

[0040] Specifically, if the driver's eyes are closed when driving assistance is being implemented, for example, it is conceivable that a certain amount of time will be required for the driver to return from the closed-eye state to a state suitable for driving (e.g., a state where the driver understands the surrounding conditions of vehicle 100 and adopts a correct driving posture). Therefore, even if the driver's eyes are released due to driving assistance, there is a possibility that the driver may not be in a state suitable for driving until the driving assistance ends. Furthermore, it is also conceivable that driving assistance may end with the driver's eyes closed.

[0041] As a result, for example Figure 4 and Figure 5 If the vehicle is moved significantly to the right to avoid a pedestrian, the driver's independent driving operation after the driving assistance is implemented may cause the vehicle to enter the adjacent lane on the right, or the driver may judge that the vehicle is too close to the right and over-steer to the left, causing the vehicle to leave the lane.

[0042] Therefore, it can be said that when the driver closes his eyes when driving assistance is being implemented, it is preferable to suppress the steering assistance amount of the steering assistance in consideration of the driver's individual driving operation after the driving assistance is implemented.

[0043] On the other hand, if the driver is in a sideways state when driving assistance is being implemented, for example, it is believed that the time it takes for the driver to change from the sideways state to a state suitable for driving is short. In addition, it is believed that the possibility of the driver continuing to be in the sideways state and terminating the driving assistance in the sideways state even though driving assistance is being implemented is also low. Therefore, it is believed that, for example, Figure 4 and Figure 5 Even if the host vehicle moves significantly to the right to avoid a pedestrian, the possibility of the host vehicle leaving the host lane due to the driver's independent driving operation after the driving assistance is implemented is low.

[0044] Furthermore, when the driver is looking to the side, there is a possibility that the driver will be distracted in front of the vehicle 100 and fail to notice the pedestrian in front. Therefore, in order to avoid a collision caused by a pedestrian accidentally running out of the lane, it is preferable to pass by the pedestrian with as much space as possible.

[0045] Therefore, it can be said that when the driver's state during driving assistance is the side-looking state, it is preferable not to suppress the steering assistance amount but to make the steering assistance amount as large as possible.

[0046] As described above, states unsuitable for driving include a state that is difficult to recover from to a state suitable for driving, such as a closed-eye state, and a state that is easy to recover from to a state suitable for driving, such as a sideways-looking state.

[0047] Furthermore, as previously mentioned, it can be said that when the vehicle is in a state that is difficult to return to a suitable driving state, the steering assistance amount is preferably suppressed, taking into account the driver's independent driving operations after the driving assistance is implemented. On the other hand, when the driver's state at the time of driving assistance is looking aside, the steering assistance amount is preferably not suppressed but rather maximized. In other words, when the driver's state at the time of driving assistance is unsuitable for driving, the steering assistance amount is preferably varied based on the ease of returning from that state to a suitable driving state, taking into account the driver's independent driving operations after the driving assistance is implemented.

[0048] Therefore, in this embodiment, when the driver's eyes are closed during the driving assistance, the steering assistance amount (lateral movement amount) is made smaller than the normal steering assistance amount when the driver's state is suitable for driving. On the other hand, when the driver's eyes are looking to the side during the driving assistance, the steering assistance amount is made larger than the normal steering assistance amount.

[0049] Furthermore, regarding brake assist, basically, the lower the driving speed of the vehicle 100, the lower the difficulty of the driving operation and the more it is possible to suppress the occurrence of erroneous operations. Therefore, when the driver's state is not suitable for driving when driving assistance is implemented, regardless of the ease of recovery from this state to a state suitable for driving, the brake assist amount (braking force) is made larger than the normal brake assist amount when the driver's state is suitable for driving.

[0050] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the normal steering assist amount is set to the average value of the lateral movement when avoiding a specific target object in the driving assistance zone, for example, based on statistical data from driving tests conducted by multiple drivers. Furthermore, the normal braking assist amount is set to a value such that the deceleration of the vehicle 100 does not exceed a predetermined first deceleration.

[0051] Figure 7 This is a flowchart for explaining the driving assistance control according to the present embodiment, which is performed by the driving assistance unit 74 and, moreover, the control device 6. The control device 6 repeatedly executes this routine at a predetermined calculation cycle ΔT.

[0052] In step S1, the control device 6 determines whether the driver is in a state suitable for driving. In this embodiment, if the driver is neither looking to the side nor with their eyes closed, the control device 6 determines that the driver is in a state suitable for driving and proceeds to step S2. On the other hand, if the driver is looking to the side or with their eyes closed, the control device 6 determines that the driver is in a state unsuitable for driving and proceeds to step S5.

[0053] In step S2, the control device 6 sets the driving assistance zone to a predetermined first zone (see FIG2 ). The first zone is a driving assistance zone that is set when the driver is in a state suitable for driving.

[0054] In step S3, the control device 6 determines whether the aforementioned specific object, such as a pedestrian, two-wheeled vehicle, or parked vehicle, is present within the first zone. If the specific object is present within the first zone, the control device 6 proceeds to step S4. On the other hand, if the specific object is not present within the first zone, the control device 6 terminates the current process without performing driving assistance.

[0055] In step S4 , the control device 6 sets the assistance amount of driving assistance, that is, each assistance amount of steering assistance and braking assistance, to the assistance amount in normal times, and performs driving assistance.

[0056] In step S5, the control device 6 sets the driving assistance zone to a predetermined second zone (see FIG2 ). The second zone is set when the driver is unfit to drive and is formed by expanding the first zone toward the front in the vehicle's longitudinal direction and outward in the vehicle's width direction. This is because it is assumed that when the driver is unfit to drive, their attention may be distracted toward the direction ahead of the vehicle 100. Therefore, by expanding the driving assistance zone in this way, the timing of driving assistance can be shortened, making it easier to avoid collisions with specific objects within the driving assistance zone.

[0057] In step S6, the control device 6 determines whether the aforementioned specific object, such as a pedestrian, two-wheeled vehicle, or parked vehicle, is present within the second zone. If the specific object is present within the second zone, the control device 6 proceeds to step S7. On the other hand, if the specific object is not present within the second zone, the control device 6 terminates the current process without performing driving assistance.

[0058] In step S7 , if the driver is looking aside, the control device 6 proceeds to step S8 . If the driver is closing his eyes, the control device 6 proceeds to step S9 .

[0059] In step S8 , the control device 6 sets each assistance amount of the steering assistance and the braking assistance to the assistance amount for the side-looking state, and performs driving assistance.

[0060] The steering assist amount for sideways viewing is set to a value greater than the normal steering assist amount. The brake assist amount for sideways viewing is also set to a value such that the deceleration during a brake operation is less than or equal to a second deceleration greater than the first deceleration, thereby enabling deceleration greater than the normal brake assist.

[0061] In step S9 , the control device 6 sets each assistance amount of the steering assistance and the braking assistance to the assistance amount for the eyes-closed state, and performs driving assistance.

[0062] The steering assist amount for the eyes-closed state is set to a value smaller than the normal steering assist amount. On the other hand, the brake assist amount for the eyes-closed state is set, similarly to the brake assist amount for the sideways state, to a value such that the deceleration during a brake operation is less than or equal to a second deceleration greater than the first deceleration, thereby enabling deceleration greater than that achieved with normal brake assist.

[0063] 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 a specific target object around the vehicle 100 exists in a driving assistance zone set around the vehicle 100, and when the driver is in a state that is not suitable for driving, change the steering assistance amount of the steering assistance included in the driving control according to the ease of recovery from the state that is not suitable for driving to the state that is suitable for driving.

[0064] Specifically, the control device 6 of the vehicle 100 of the present embodiment is configured to determine whether the state that is not suitable for driving is the side-looking state (first state) or the eyes-closed state (second state) that is not easy to return to the state suitable for driving compared to the side-looking state, and when the state that is not suitable for driving is the side-looking state, the steering assistance amount is larger than the normal steering assistance amount when the driver is in the state suitable for driving; when the state that is not suitable for driving is the eyes-closed state, the steering assistance amount is smaller than the normal steering assistance amount when the driver is in the state suitable for driving.

[0065] As previously mentioned, after driving assistance is implemented, the driver must continue driving independently. Therefore, if the driver's independent driving operations after driving assistance are not considered, and the driver's state is unsuitable for driving and difficult to recover from, steering assistance as driving assistance is implemented, causing the vehicle 100 to move significantly in the lateral direction. This may lead to new risks such as lane departure due to the driver's independent driving operations after driving assistance is implemented.

[0066] In contrast, according to this embodiment, when the driver is in an unfit driving state, the driver's individual driving operations after driving assistance is implemented are taken into account, and the steering assistance amount is changed based on the ease of recovery from the unfit driving state to a fit driving state. This can thereby prevent new risks from arising from the driver's individual driving operations after driving assistance is implemented.

[0067] In addition, the control device 6 of the vehicle 100 of this embodiment is configured so that when the driver is in a state that is not suitable for driving, regardless of whether the state that is not suitable for driving is a side-looking state (first state) or an eyes-closed state (second state), the brake assist amount of the brake assist included in the driving control is greater than the brake assist amount when the driver is in a state that is suitable for driving.

[0068] Thus, when the driver is not in a state of driving fitness, the vehicle 100's travel speed can be reduced compared to normal after brake assistance is implemented as driving assistance. This reduces the difficulty of the driving operation after driving assistance, thereby preventing the occurrence of erroneous operations. Consequently, the generation of new risks due to the driver's independent driving operation after driving assistance is implemented can be prevented.

[0069] 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.

[0070] For example, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the sideways looking state is merely cited as an example of a state in which the driver can easily recover from a state unsuitable for driving to a state suitable for driving, and the eyes-closed state is cited as an example of a state in which it is difficult for the driver to recover from a state suitable for driving compared to the sideways looking state, but the present invention is not limited to such examples and combinations.

[0071] In addition, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the computer program executed in the control device 6 can be provided in the form of a computer-readable portable recording medium such as a semiconductor memory, a magnetic recording medium, or an optical recording medium, or can be provided as a computer program product.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device, configured to: When a specific target object around the vehicle exists in a driving assistance zone set around the vehicle, driving assistance is performed along with driving control of the vehicle. When the driver of the vehicle is in an unsuitable driving state, a steering assist amount of the steering assist included in the travel control is changed according to ease of recovery from the unsuitable driving state to a suitable driving state.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The control device of the vehicle is configured to: determining whether the state not suitable for driving is a predetermined first state or a second state that is more difficult to recover to a state suitable for driving than the first state, When the state not suitable for driving is the first state, the steering assistance amount of the steering assistance is made larger than the steering assistance amount of the steering assistance performed when the driver is in a state suitable for driving; When the state unsuitable for driving is the second state, the steering assistance amount of the steering assistance is made smaller than the steering assistance amount of the steering assistance performed when the driver is in a state suitable for driving.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein: The control device of the vehicle is configured so that, when the driver is in the state in which he is not suitable for driving, the braking assist amount of the braking assist included in the driving control is greater than the braking assist amount of the braking assist implemented when the driver is in the state in which he is suitable for driving, regardless of whether the state in which he is not suitable for driving is the first state or the second state.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: The first state is a side-looking state in which the driver is looking sideways. The second state is a closed-eye state in which the driver is closing his eyes.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The vehicle control device is configured to make the steering assistance amount of the steering assistance larger than the steering assistance amount of the steering assistance performed when the state unsuitable for driving is a sideways looking state in which the driver is looking sideways than when the driver is in a state suitable for driving.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 5, wherein: The vehicle control device is configured to, when the state unsuitable for driving is a closed-eye state in which the driver closes his eyes, make the steering assistance amount of the steering assistance smaller than the steering assistance amount of the steering assistance performed when the driver is in a state suitable for driving.

7. A method for controlling a vehicle, wherein: When a specific target object around the vehicle exists in a driving assistance zone set around the vehicle, driving assistance is performed along with driving control of the vehicle. When the driver of the vehicle is in an unsuitable driving state, a steering assist amount of the steering assist included in the travel control is changed according to ease of recovery from the unsuitable driving state to a suitable driving state.

8. A computer program product causing a computer to execute the following processing: When a specific target object around a vehicle exists in a driving assistance zone set around the vehicle, driving assistance is performed along with driving control of the vehicle. When the driver of the vehicle is in an unsuitable driving state, a steering assist amount of the steering assist included in the travel control is changed according to ease of recovery from the unsuitable driving state to a suitable driving state.

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