Control device, automatic driving device and travel control device

Abstract

To provide a control device which can realize smooth take-over to a driver.SOLUTION: An HCU 100 as a control device controls on-vehicle devices 21, 22, 23, 24, 25 and 28 in a self vehicle Am which can travel by automatic driving without surrounding monitoring obligation on a driver. The HCU 100 comprises: an information coordination unit 82 which grasps collision occurrence information showing presence / absence of occurrence of a collision between the self vehicle Am under the automatic driving and other objects, and vehicle control information showing control of the vehicle corresponding to the collision; and a notification control unit 88 which executes both of notification showing a state of the control of the vehicle and notification for prompting take-over to the driver.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The disclosure of this specification relates to a technology for responding to a collision during autonomous driving of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses that a warning is issued in a vehicle to inform the driver that continuous autonomous driving is not possible, using a warning method that corresponds to the state of the driver. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-107502 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Now, even during autonomous driving where the driver is not required to monitor the surroundings, it is possible that the vehicle may collide with another object, making it impossible to continue autonomous driving. In such a situation, if the driver is not monitoring the surroundings, it is difficult for the driver to immediately understand what has happened. For this reason, there is concern that a smooth handover of driving will not be possible.

[0005] One of the objectives of the disclosure of this specification is to provide a control device that can realize a smooth handover of control to the driver, and also to provide an automatic driving device and a driving control device that are suitable for this control device. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect disclosed herein is a control device that controls in-vehicle devices (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28) in a vehicle (Am) that can be driven by automatic driving without a driver having to monitor the surroundings, An information grasping unit (81, 82) that grasps collision occurrence information indicating whether or not a collision has occurred between the autonomously driven vehicle and another object, and vehicle control information indicating control of the vehicle in response to the collision; The vehicle driver control unit includes a notification control section that performs both a notification indicating the vehicle control state and a notification urging the driver to take over driving.

[0007] According to this embodiment, even if the driver is not monitoring the surroundings, both notifications are issued, so the driver can understand the vehicle control state in response to the collision and what the driver should do. As a result, the driver can start the operation of taking over driving after understanding the vehicle control state, so that a smooth handover of driving to the other driver can be realized.

[0008] Another aspect disclosed herein is an automatic driving device configured to be able to communicate with the control device described above and performing automatic driving of a vehicle, a collision recognition unit (74) that recognizes the occurrence of a collision between a plurality of other objects in the vicinity of the vehicle; The vehicle is provided with an action determination unit (63) that changes the response regarding the control of the automatic driving depending on whether or not it is possible for the vehicle to leave the scene of the collision.

[0009] Another aspect disclosed herein is a driving control device configured to be able to communicate with the control device described above and configured to control driving of a vehicle, The vehicle is provided with a movement limiting section (40b) that limits the movement of the vehicle in response to the occurrence of a collision after the collision has occurred.

[0010] In these aspects, an automatic driving device and a cruise control device suitable for the control device described above can be provided.

[0011] In addition, the symbols in parentheses included in the claims, etc., are intended to exemplify the corresponding relationship with parts of the embodiments described below, and are not intended to limit the technical scope. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0012] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an overall picture of a vehicle system. [Diagram 2] A detailed configuration diagram of the autonomous driving ECU. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing details of the HCU. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing a processing method performed by the vehicle system. [Diagram 5] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example in which two notifications are both performed. [Figure 6] 11 is a flowchart showing a processing method performed by the HCU. [Figure 7] FIG. [Figure 8] 11 is a flowchart showing a processing method performed by the HCU. [Figure 9] 4 is a flowchart showing a processing method performed by the vehicle system. [Figure 10] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an overall picture of a vehicle system. [Figure 11] 11 is a flowchart showing a processing method performed by the HCU. [Figure 12] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a notification pattern. [Figure 13] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a notification pattern. [Figure 14] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a notification pattern. [Figure 15] FIG. [Figure 16] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an overall picture of a vehicle system. [Figure 17] 11 is a flowchart showing a processing method performed by the HCU. [Figure 18] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing an overall picture of a vehicle system. [Figure 19] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing details of the HCU. [Figure 20] 4 is a flowchart showing a processing method performed by the vehicle system. [Figure 21] 4 is a flowchart showing a processing method performed by the vehicle system. [Figure 22] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing details of the driving control ECU. [Diagram 23]4 is a flowchart showing a processing method performed by the vehicle system. [Figure 24] 4 is a flowchart showing a processing method performed by the vehicle system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0013] Hereinafter, a number of embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, by assigning the same reference numerals to corresponding components in each embodiment, duplicated descriptions may be omitted. When only a part of the configuration is described in each embodiment, the configuration of the other embodiment described above can be applied to the other parts of the configuration. In addition to the combination of configurations explicitly stated in the description of each embodiment, configurations of multiple embodiments can be partially combined together even if not explicitly stated, as long as there is no particular problem with the combination.

[0014] (First embodiment) The vehicle system 1 can be used in a vehicle capable of automatic driving (hereinafter, an automatic driving vehicle). Automatic driving may be referred to as autonomous traveling. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle system 1 includes a periphery monitoring sensor 30, a locator 35, a navigation ECU 38, an in-vehicle communication device 39, a cruise control ECU 40, a body ECU 43, a driving assistance ECU 50a, an automatic driving ECU 50b, and an HCU 100. The periphery monitoring sensor 30, the locator 35, the navigation ECU 38, the in-vehicle communication device 39, the cruise control ECU 40, the body ECU 43, the driving assistance ECU 50a, the automatic driving ECU 50b, and the HCU 100 are communicatively connected to a communication bus 99 of an in-vehicle network mounted on the host vehicle Am. These nodes connected to the communication bus 99 can communicate with each other. Specific nodes among these devices and ECUs may be directly electrically connected to each other by a wire harness or the like, and may be communicatively connected without the communication bus 99.

[0015] There may be multiple levels of autonomous driving for autonomous vehicles (hereinafter referred to as "automation levels"), as defined by the SAE, for example. The automation levels are classified into levels 0 to 5, for example, as follows:

[0016] Level 0 is a level where the driver performs all driving tasks without the system intervening. The driving task may be rephrased as a dynamic driving task. The driving task may be, for example, steering, acceleration / deceleration, and periphery monitoring. Level 0 corresponds to so-called fully manual driving. Level 1 is a level where the system assists with either steering or acceleration / deceleration. Level 1 corresponds to so-called driving assistance. Level 2 is a level where the system assists with both steering and acceleration / deceleration. Level 2 corresponds to partial driving automation. For example, in levels 1 and 2, the driver has a monitoring obligation (hereinafter simply referred to as a monitoring obligation) related to safe driving. In other words, levels 1 and 2 may be classified as manual driving in a broad sense. The monitoring obligation includes visual monitoring of the periphery.

[0017] Level 3 is a level where the system can perform all driving tasks under certain conditions, and the driver takes over driving operations in an emergency. In LV3 autonomous driving, the driver is required to be able to respond quickly when the system requests a handover of driving. This handover of driving can also be said to be a transfer of the responsibility of monitoring the surroundings from the vehicle's system to the driver. Level 3 corresponds to so-called conditional driving automation. Level 3 includes area-limited level 3, which is limited to a specific area. The specific area referred to here may be a highway. The specific area may be, for example, a specific lane. Level 3 also includes traffic jam-limited level 3, which is limited to traffic jams. Traffic jam-limited level 3 autonomous driving corresponds to traffic jam-limited autonomous driving. Traffic jam-limited level 3 may be configured to be limited to traffic jams on a highway, for example. A highway may include a motorway.

[0018] Level 4 is a level where the system can perform all driving tasks except under certain circumstances such as on unmanageable roads or in extreme environments. Level 4 corresponds to what is known as highly automated driving. Level 5 automated driving is a level where the system can perform all driving tasks in any environment. Level 5 corresponds to what is known as fully automated driving. Levels 4 and 5 automated driving can be implemented, for example, in driving sections where high-precision map data has been developed. High-precision map data will be discussed later.

[0019] For example, levels 3 to 5 may be classified as autonomous driving. Autonomous driving at levels 3 to 5 can be said to be autonomous driving without the driver's supervisory responsibility. During autonomous driving at levels 3 to 5, a second task may be permitted. A second task is an action other than driving permitted to the driver, which is a specific action prescribed in advance. The second task can be rephrased as a task other than the driving task. The second task can also be rephrased as a secondary activity, other activity, etc. The second task must not prevent the driver from responding to a request to take over driving operations from the autonomous driving system 50 (hereinafter, a driving change request). As an example, actions such as watching content such as videos, operating a smartphone, reading, and eating are assumed as second tasks.

[0020] Among the autonomous driving levels 3 to 5, autonomous driving levels 4 and above correspond to autonomous driving in which the driver is permitted to sleep. In other words, it corresponds to sleep-permitted autonomous driving. Autonomous driving levels 4 and above can also be said to be autonomous driving in which the driver does not need to take over driving even in an emergency. Among the autonomous driving levels 3 to 5, autonomous driving level 3 corresponds to autonomous driving in which the driver is not permitted to sleep (hereinafter, sleep-non-permitted autonomous driving). The autonomous driving vehicle of this embodiment is assumed to be capable of switching the automation level. The automation level may be configured to be switchable only between some of the levels 0 to 5. The autonomous driving vehicle of this embodiment is capable of switching at least between autonomous driving without supervisory obligation and manual driving.

[0021] The periphery monitoring sensor 30 is an autonomous sensor that monitors the surrounding environment of the host vehicle Am. The periphery monitoring sensor 30 includes, for example, one or more of a camera unit 31, a millimeter wave radar 32, a lidar 33, and a sonar 34. The periphery monitoring sensor 30 can detect moving objects and stationary objects within a detection range around the host vehicle. The periphery monitoring sensor 30 provides detection information of objects around the host vehicle to the driving assistance ECU 50a, the autonomous driving ECU 50b, etc.

[0022] Locator 35 includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver, an inertial sensor, etc. Locator 35 sequentially determines the position and traveling direction of vehicle Am by combining positioning signals received from multiple positioning satellites by the GNSS receiver, measurement results of the inertial sensor, and vehicle speed information output to communication bus 99, etc. Locator 35 sequentially outputs position information and direction information of vehicle Am based on the positioning results to communication bus 99 as locator information.

[0023] Locator 35 further includes a map database (hereinafter, map DB) 36 that stores map data. Map DB 36 is mainly composed of a large-capacity storage medium that stores a large amount of three-dimensional map data and two-dimensional map data. The three-dimensional map data is a so-called HD (High Definition) map, and includes road information necessary for autonomous driving. Specifically, the three-dimensional map data includes three-dimensional shape information of roads and detailed information of each lane. Locator 35 can update the three-dimensional map data and the two-dimensional map data to the latest information through external communication by in-vehicle communication device 39. Locator 35 reads map data of the surroundings of the current position from map DB 36, and provides it to driving assistance ECU 50a, autonomous driving ECU 50b, etc. together with locator information.

[0024] The navigation ECU 38 acquires information on a destination designated by a passenger including a driver based on operation information acquired from the HCU 100. The navigation ECU 38 acquires vehicle position information and direction information from the locator 35, and sets a route from the current position to the destination. The navigation ECU 38 provides route information indicating a set route to the destination to the driving assistance ECU 50a, the autonomous driving ECU 50b, the HCU 100, etc. The navigation ECU 38 cooperates with the HMI system 10, and notifies the driver of the traveling direction of the vehicle Am at intersections, branching points, etc., by combining screen displays and voice messages as route guidance to the destination.

[0025] Here, a user terminal such as a smartphone may be connected to the in-vehicle network or the HCU 100. Such a user terminal may provide vehicle position information, direction information, map data, etc. to the driving assistance ECU 50a and the automatic driving ECU 50b, etc., instead of the locator 35. Furthermore, the user terminal may provide route information to a destination to the driving assistance ECU 50a, the automatic driving ECU 50b, the HCU 100, etc., instead of the navigation ECU 38.

[0026] The in-vehicle communication device 39 is an external communication unit mounted on the vehicle Am and functions as a V2X (Vehicle to Everything) communication device. The in-vehicle communication device 39 transmits and receives information to and from roadside devices installed on the side of the road by wireless communication. As an example, the in-vehicle communication device 39 receives congestion information and road construction information around the current position and in the traveling direction of the vehicle Am from the roadside device. The congestion information and road construction information are VICS (registered trademark) information and the like. The in-vehicle communication device 39 provides the received congestion information and road construction information to the autonomous driving ECU 50b, the HCU 100, and the like.

[0027] The driving control ECU 40 is an electronic control device mainly including a microcontroller. The driving control ECU 40 has at least the functions of a brake control ECU, a drive control ECU, and a steering control ECU. The driving control ECU 40 continuously controls the brake force of each wheel by the brake actuator 41, controls the output of the in-vehicle power source, and controls the steering angle based on one of an operation command based on the driver's driving operation, a control command from the driving assistance ECU 50a, and a control command from the automatic driving ECU 50b.

[0028] The body ECU 43 is an electronic control device mainly including a microcontroller. The body ECU 43 has at least a function of controlling the operation of lighting devices (e.g., turn indicators 44, hazard lamps 45, etc.) mounted on the vehicle Am. The body ECU 43 starts blinking of either the left or right turn indicator 44 corresponding to the operation direction based on the detection of a user operation input to a turn indicator switch (winker lever) provided on the steering column or the like.

[0029] The body ECU 43 also controls a door lock motor 46 that opens and closes a door lock mechanism of the host vehicle Am, and a power window 47 that opens and closes a side window of the host vehicle Am.

[0030] The driving assistance ECU 50a and the automatic driving ECU 50b configure the automatic driving system 50 of the host vehicle Am. The driving assistance ECU 50a realizes a driving assistance function that assists the driver in driving operations in the automatic driving system 50. The driving assistance ECU 50a enables driving assistance of about level 2 or partial automatic driving.

[0031] The autonomous driving ECU 50b can take over driving operations from the driver and can implement autonomous driving of level 3 or higher, where the system is the main controller. The autonomous driving implemented by the autonomous driving ECU 50b does not require monitoring of the surroundings of the vehicle, that is, it is eyes-off autonomous driving where the driver is not required to monitor the surroundings.

[0032] In the above-described autonomous driving system 50, the driving control state of the autonomous driving function is switched among a number of states including at least driving assistance control by the driving assistance ECU 50a, which requires monitoring of the surrounding area, and autonomous driving control by the autonomous driving ECU 50b, which does not require monitoring of the surrounding area.

[0033] The driving assistance ECU 50a is a computer mainly including a processing unit, a RAM (Random Access Memory), a storage unit, an input / output interface, and a control circuit equipped with a bus connecting these. The driving assistance ECU 50a realizes driving assistance functions such as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), LTC (Lane Trace Control), and LCA (Lane Change Assist) by executing a program in the processing unit. ACC, LTC, and LCA are called applications for driving assistance. The driving assistance ECU 50a provides control status information indicating the state of driving assistance control to the autonomous driving ECU 50b.

[0034] The processing unit may include at least one processor. The processor may include at least one type of core among, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), and a RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer)-CPU. The storage unit may include at least one type of non-transient tangible storage medium among, for example, a semiconductor memory, a magnetic medium, and an optical medium, which non-temporarily stores programs and data that can be read by the processor 51b.

[0035] The autonomous driving ECU 50b has a higher computing power than the driving assistance ECU 50a and can at least perform driving control equivalent to ACC and LTC. The autonomous driving ECU 50b may be capable of performing driving assistance control in which the driver is responsible for monitoring the surroundings, in place of the driving assistance ECU 50a, in situations where the control by the driving assistance ECU 50a is temporarily interrupted.

[0036] The autonomous driving ECU 50b is a computer that mainly includes a processing unit 51, a RAM 52, a storage unit 53, an input / output interface 54, and a control circuit including a bus connecting these units. The processing unit 51 executes various processes for implementing the autonomous driving control method of the present disclosure by accessing the RAM 52. The storage unit 53 stores various programs (such as an autonomous driving control program) executed by the processing unit 51.

[0037] The processing unit 51 may include at least one processor. The processor includes at least one type of core, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and a reduced instruction set computer (RISC)-CPU. The storage unit 53 may include at least one type of non-transient tangible storage medium, such as a semiconductor memory, a magnetic medium, and an optical medium, that non-temporarily stores programs and data that can be read by the processor.

[0038] By executing the program by the processing unit 51, the autonomous driving ECU 50b is configured with a number of functional units for realizing the autonomous driving function, such as an information linking unit 61, an environment recognition unit 62, an action judgment unit 63, and a control execution unit 64 (see FIG. 2).

[0039] The information linking unit 61 provides information to an information linking unit 82 of the HCU 100, which will be described later, and acquires information from the information linking unit 82. Through the linking between these information linking units 61, 82, the autonomous driving ECU 50b and the HCU 100 share the information that they have acquired. The information linking unit 61 generates control status information indicating the operation state of the autonomous driving function, and provides the generated control status information to the information linking unit 82. The control status information includes collision occurrence information indicating that the host vehicle Am has collided with another object. The collision occurrence information is, for example, a determination result of a determination performed in a collision determination process (see S12 in FIG. 4), which will be described later. The control status information also includes restriction information for the autonomous driving function.

[0040] The information linking unit 61 enables the HCU 100 to issue a notification synchronized with the operation state of the autonomous driving function by outputting control status information to the information linking unit 82. In addition, the information linking unit 61 acquires operation information of the driver or other passengers from the information linking unit 82 and grasps the contents of user operations input to the HMI system 10 or the like.

[0041] The environment recognition unit 62 has an other vehicle grasping unit 72 and a road information grasping unit 73 as sub-functional units for recognizing the driving environment. The other vehicle grasping unit 72 grasps the relative positions and relative speeds of dynamic targets around the host vehicle, such as other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle Am. The other vehicle grasping unit 72 grasps at least the front and rear vehicles traveling in the same lane as the host vehicle Am (hereinafter, the host vehicle lane) and the side vehicles traveling in the adjacent lane adjacent to the host vehicle lane. When the host vehicle Am travels on a road with three or more lanes, the other vehicle grasping unit 72 grasps the side vehicles traveling in the separated lanes located on the opposite side of the host vehicle lane across the adjacent lane.

[0042] The environment recognition unit 62 has an other vehicle grasping unit 72, a road information grasping unit 73, and a collision recognition unit 74 as sub-functional units for recognizing the driving environment. The other vehicle grasping unit 72 grasps the relative positions and relative speeds of dynamic targets around the host vehicle, such as other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle Am. The other vehicle grasping unit 72 grasps at least the front and rear vehicles traveling in the same lane as the host vehicle Am (hereinafter, the host vehicle lane), and the side vehicles traveling in the adjacent lane adjacent to the host vehicle lane. When the host vehicle Am travels on a road with three or more lanes, the other vehicle grasping unit 72 grasps the side vehicles traveling in the separated lanes located on the opposite side of the host vehicle lane across the adjacent lane.

[0043] The road information grasping unit 73 grasps information related to the road on which the host vehicle Am is traveling. When the road information grasping unit 73 acquires route information from the navigation ECU 38, the road information grasping unit 73 extracts specific points of the road on which the host vehicle Am is scheduled to travel, specifically, branch points (junctions, etc.) of expressways, merge points, exit points, etc. Furthermore, the road information grasping unit 73 grasps, for the road on which the host vehicle Am is scheduled to travel, congested sections where congestion is occurring, restricted sections where restrictions are imposed due to road construction, etc.

[0044] The road information grasping unit 73 grasps whether the road on which the vehicle Am is traveling or the road on which the vehicle Am is scheduled to travel is within a preset permitted area or a limited permitted area. Information indicating whether the road is a permitted area or a limited permitted area may be recorded in the map data stored in the map DB 36, or may be included in the received information received by the in-vehicle communication device 39. In detail, the autonomous driving includes, as a plurality of control modes, a congestion limited control (hereinafter, congestion level 3) that is implemented only when traveling during congestion, and an area limited control (hereinafter, area level 3) that is implemented only within a specific permitted area. On roads within the permitted area, both congestion level 3 and area level 3 are permitted to be implemented, and on roads within the limited area, only congestion level 3 is permitted to be implemented. On roads that are not included in either the permitted area or the limited permitted area (hereinafter, non-permitted area), autonomous driving is prohibited. The permitted area and the limited permitted area are set, for example, on expressways or motorways.

[0045] The collision recognition unit 74 recognizes the occurrence of a collision between the host vehicle Am and another object. Specifically, the collision recognition unit 74 recognizes the collision based on the image captured by the camera unit 31, information from the acceleration sensor 37 (G sensor) that detects the acceleration occurring in the host vehicle Am, and the like. The collision recognition unit 74 may further recognize at least one of the type of the collided object, the collided part of the body of the host vehicle Am, and the degree of the collision. The collision recognition unit 74 provides the presence or absence of a collision, the type of the collided object, the collided part, and the degree of the collision to the information linking unit 61 as collision occurrence information.

[0046] The type of the collided object may be another vehicle, a bicycle, a pedestrian, a building, a structure such as a utility pole, an object fallen on the road, etc. The collision recognition unit 74 may recognize the type of the collided object from the video captured by the camera unit 31, the point cloud acquired by the lidar 33, etc.

[0047] The collision part may be a front part of the vehicle body, a side part of the vehicle body, a rear part of the vehicle body, etc. The collision part may be specified in more detail. The collision part may be specified by a part constituting the vehicle body, such as the front bumper, the rear bumper, the driver's door, the right rear wheel part, etc. The collision recognition unit 74 may recognize the collision part based on the image captured by the camera unit 31, the information of the acceleration sensor, the failure status of the periphery monitoring sensor 30 arranged in each part, etc.

[0048] The degree of the collision may be the strength of the impact at the time of the collision. Alternatively, the degree of the collision may be the degree of the collision damage. The collision recognition unit 74 may determine the degree of the collision damage based on the video captured by the camera unit 31, the failure state of the parts such as the perimeter monitoring sensor 30, and the like.

[0049] The behavior determination unit 63 cooperates with the driving assistance ECU 50a and the HCU 100 to control the automatic driving system 50 and the driving changeover between the driver. When the automatic driving ECU 50b has the control right of the driving operation, the behavior determination unit 63 generates a planned driving line for the host vehicle Am to travel based on the recognition result of the driving environment by the environment recognition unit 62, and outputs the generated planned driving line to the control execution unit 64.

[0050] When the autonomous driving ECU 50b has control of driving operations, the control execution unit 64 cooperates with the cruise control ECU 40 to execute acceleration / deceleration control, steering control, and the like of the host vehicle Am according to the planned driving line generated by the action determination unit 63. Specifically, the control execution unit 64 generates control commands based on the planned driving line and sequentially outputs the generated control commands to the cruise control ECU 40.

[0051] 1, the HCU 100 is electrically connected to a plurality of display devices, an audio device 24, an ambient light 25, and an operation device 26. The HCU 100, the plurality of display devices, the audio device 24, the ambient light 25, and the operation device 26 configure the HMI system 10 of the host vehicle Am.

[0052] The display device notifies the driver or other passengers of information visually by displaying an image or the like. The display device includes a meter display 21, a center information display (hereinafter, CID) 22, a head-up display (hereinafter, HUD) 23, and the like. The CID 22 has a touch panel function and detects touch operations on the display screen by the driver or other passengers. In other words, the CID 22 also corresponds to an operation device 26.

[0053] The audio device 24 has multiple speakers arranged in the vehicle cabin surrounding the driver's seat, and reproduces notification sounds, voice messages, etc., through the speakers into the vehicle cabin. The ambient light 25 is provided on the instrument panel, steering wheel, etc. The ambient light 25 notifies the driver using the peripheral vision by changing the light emission color to provide an ambient display.

[0054] The operation device 26 is an input unit that accepts user operations by the driver or other passengers. For example, user operations related to activation and deactivation of an autonomous driving function, user operations related to setting a destination for route guidance, etc. are input to the operation device 26. The operation device 26 includes a steering switch provided on the spokes of the steering wheel, an operation lever provided on the steering column, and a voice input device that recognizes the contents of speech by the driver or other passengers.

[0055] The HCU 100 is an information presentation device that comprehensively controls notifications using a plurality of display devices, an audio device 24, and an ambient light 25. The HCU 100 controls notifications of information related to autonomous driving in cooperation with an autonomous driving system 50. The HCU 100 is a computer that mainly includes a control circuit equipped with a processing unit 11, a RAM 12, a storage unit 13, an input / output interface 14, and a bus connecting these. The processing unit 11 accesses the RAM 12 to execute various processes for notification control processing. The RAM 12 may include a video RAM for generating video data. The storage unit 13 stores various programs (such as a notification control program) executed by the processing unit 11.

[0056] The processing unit 11 may include at least one processor. The processor includes at least one type of core, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), and a reduced instruction set computer (RISC)-CPU. The storage unit 13 may include at least one type of non-transient tangible storage medium, such as a semiconductor memory, a magnetic medium, and an optical medium, that non-temporarily stores programs and data that can be read by the processor.

[0057] The HCU 100 configures a plurality of functional units by executing a program stored in the storage unit 13 using the processing unit 11. The HCU 100 configures functional units such as an information acquisition unit 81, an information linking unit 82, a request processing unit 84, and a notification control unit 88 (see FIG. 3).

[0058] The information acquisition unit 81 acquires operation information indicating the content of a user operation from the CID 22, the operation device 26, etc. The information acquisition unit 81 provides operation information of a user operation related to an autonomous driving function to the autonomous driving ECU 50b through the information linking unit 82. The information acquisition unit 81 provides operation information of a user operation for setting a destination of the host vehicle Am to the navigation ECU 38 through the request processing unit 84.

[0059] The information linking unit 82 links with the automatic driving ECU 50b to enable information sharing between the automatic driving system 50 and the HCU 100. The information linking unit 82 provides the operation information grasped by the information acquisition unit 81 to the automatic driving ECU 50b. The information linking unit 82 acquires control status information indicating the state of the automatic driving function from the automatic driving ECU 50b. The information linking unit 82 grasps the operating state of automatic driving by the automatic driving system 50 based on the control status information. Specifically, the information linking unit 82 grasps whether the host vehicle Am is traveling by automatic driving.

[0060] The request processing unit 84 enables cooperation between the HCU 100 and each in-vehicle device through communication with the in-vehicle devices connected to the communication bus 99. Specifically, the request processing unit 84 acquires route information to the destination, a guidance image based on map data, a request to implement guidance, and the like from the navigation ECU 38, and provides these to the notification control unit 88, thereby enabling route guidance by the HMI (Human Machine Interface) system 10. In addition, the request processing unit 84 enables switching on and off the direction indicator 44 linked to a display related to autonomous driving by outputting an operation request to the body ECU 43.

[0061] The notification control unit 88 performs integrated notification of information to the driver or other passengers using each display device, the audio device 24, the ambient light 25, etc. The notification control unit 88 processes the control status information acquired by the information linking unit 82 as a request for notification related to the autonomous driving function, and provides content and performs notifications according to the operating state of the autonomous driving. When the information linking unit 82 determines that autonomous driving control is being performed with eyes off, the notification control unit 88 enables the playback of video content, etc. When the notification control unit 88 determines the scheduled end of autonomous driving, it performs a request for the driver to take over driving, etc.

[0062] Next, an example of a processing method by the vehicle system 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 4. A series of processes shown in steps S11 to S15 is performed at predetermined time intervals or based on a predetermined trigger by at least one processor of the vehicle system 1 executing a program. This series of processes is preferably performed during automatic driving in which the driver is not required to monitor the surroundings. This series of processes is executed so that a smooth handover of driving to the driver is achieved immediately after the occurrence of a collision.

[0063] In S11, the autonomous driving ECU 50b (e.g., the environment recognition unit 62) grasps sensor information. The sensor information here may include at least one of the detection result of the surroundings monitoring sensor 30, the detection result of the acceleration sensor 37 (G sensor), the position estimation result of the locator 35, and information obtained by V2X communication. After processing of S11, proceed to S12.

[0064] In S12, the autonomous driving ECU 50b (e.g., the collision recognition unit 74) determines whether a collision has occurred between the host vehicle Am and another object. If the result is Yes (i.e., if the occurrence of a collision has been recognized), the process proceeds to S13. If the result is No (i.e., if the occurrence of a collision has not been recognized), the process ends with S12.

[0065] In S13, the autonomous driving ECU 50b (e.g., the behavior determination unit 63) determines how the host vehicle Am responds to a collision. Then, the autonomous driving ECU 50b (e.g., the control execution unit 64) executes vehicle control according to the response determination to the collision. After processing S13, the process proceeds to S14.

[0066] In S14, the HCU 100 (for example, the information linking unit 82) obtains collision occurrence information including information indicating whether or not a collision has occurred and vehicle control information corresponding to the collision from the autonomous driving ECU 50b. After processing S14, the process proceeds to S15.

[0067] In S15, the HCU 100 (e.g., the notification control unit 88) performs both a notification indicating the state of vehicle control corresponding to the collision and a notification urging the driver to take over driving. That is, both the current state and what the driver should do are notified. The notification indicating the state of vehicle control corresponding to the collision and the notification urging the driver to take over driving may be performed simultaneously. A series of processes ends with S15.

[0068] Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the notification of S15 will be described in detail. The notification indicating the state of vehicle control is, for example, a notification indicating that the movement of the host vehicle Am is restricted by the operation of the brake. Specifically, when the automatic driving ECU 50b recognizes a collision between the host vehicle Am and another object, the automatic driving ECU 50b operates the brake as vehicle control corresponding to the above-mentioned collision, and safely and quickly stops the host vehicle Am. Even after the automatic driving ECU 50b stops, the automatic driving ECU 50b continues the brake operation state and restricts the movement of the host vehicle Am until the driving of the host vehicle Am is handed over to the driver. The brake operation here may be the operation of either the foot brake or the electric parking brake, or may be the operation of both. In the case of the foot brake, the restricted state of the movement of the host vehicle Am may include not only a completely stopped state of the host vehicle Am, but also a slow-moving state.

[0069] The HCU 100 notifies the driver of the vehicle Am of the control state using a display device, an audio device 24, an ambient light 25, etc. The notification of the vehicle control state may be performed, for example, by using a plurality of display devices in combination. For example, as shown in Fig. 5, the meter display 21 may display the operation of the electric parking brake by an indicator light or an image D1 in the form of an indicator light, and at the same time, the CID 22 may display a state in which the movement of the vehicle is restricted by an alarm image D2.

[0070] Furthermore, when the autonomous driving ECU 50b or the HCU 100 recognizes a collision between the host vehicle Am and another object, the autonomous driving ECU 50b or the HCU 100 may turn on the hazard lamps 45 of the host vehicle Am as vehicle control corresponding to the collision. The notification indicating the state of the vehicle state may further include a notification that causes the meter display 21 to display the lighting state of the hazard lamps 45 by an indicator lamp or an image in the form of an indicator lamp.

[0071] The notification to prompt the driver to take over driving may change stepwise depending on the remaining time until the time when the driver's driving change should be completed. When the remaining time is more than a predetermined threshold and there is still some time before the driver immediately starts the driving change operation, for example, the notification to prompt the driver to take over driving may be a notification indicating that the timing of the driver's driving change is approaching. When the remaining time is less than a predetermined threshold and the driver should immediately start the driving change operation, the notification to prompt the driver to take over driving may be a notification indicating that the system side is requesting the driver to take over driving. Furthermore, when the driver does not start the driving change operation at the timing when the driver should take over driving, the notification to prompt the driver to take over driving may be a notification warning the driver that the driver should immediately take over driving. Here, since the notification assumed in S15 is a sudden notification in response to the occurrence of a collision, the notification to prompt the driver to take over driving may start with a notification indicating that a driver's driving change is requested or a notification warning the driver that the driver should immediately take over driving.

[0072] The notification to prompt the driver to take over driving may be implemented using at least one of the meter display 21 and the HUD 23, which can be displayed in front of the driver. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, the notification to prompt the driver to take over driving may include an image D3 of the driver grabbing the steering wheel on the meter display 21. In this way, the driver can smoothly perform the process from confirming the notification to facing forward and taking over driving. Alternatively, the notification to prompt the driver to take over driving may be implemented using the CID 22. In this way, when the driver is watching a video using the CID 22 as a second task, the driver can immediately recognize the need to take over driving.

[0073] According to the first embodiment described above, even in a situation where the driver is not monitoring the surroundings, two notifications (a notification indicating the vehicle control state and a notification encouraging the driver to take over driving) are both issued, so the driver can understand the control state of the vehicle Am in response to a collision and what the driver should do. As a result, the driver can start the operation of taking over driving after understanding the control state of the vehicle Am, so that a smooth handover of driving to the driver can be realized.

[0074] According to the first embodiment, the notification indicating the control state of the host vehicle Am includes a notification indicating that the movement of the host vehicle Am is restricted by the operation of the brakes, and a notification indicating that the hazard lamps 45 of the host vehicle Am are illuminated. By allowing the driver to understand the specific control state corresponding to the collision, the driver can calmly start the operation of taking over the driving.

[0075] The display device in the first embodiment corresponds to an “in-vehicle device.” At least one of the information acquisition unit 81 and the information linking unit 82 in the first embodiment corresponds to an “information grasping unit.”

[0076] In the present embodiment, the grasping may be performed by the device that is the subject of grasping acquiring information from an external device, or may be performed by the device that is the subject of grasping deriving information by calculating or identifying it by itself. In deriving information, analysis source data (sensor information, vehicle state) and the like required for deriving information may be acquired from an external device.

[0077] Second embodiment As shown in Fig. 6, the second embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The second embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0078] An example of a processing method by the HCU 100 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 6. A series of processes shown in steps S101 to 105 is performed by the processor of the HCU 100 executing a program. This series of processes may be performed during autonomous driving in which the driver is not required to monitor the surroundings. This series of processes may be performed in correspondence with the processes of the autonomous driving ECU 50b in S11 to S13 of FIG. 4.

[0079] In S101, the HCU 50b (for example, the information linking unit 82) obtains collision occurrence information including information indicating whether or not a collision has occurred, and vehicle control information corresponding to the collision, by acquiring the information from the autonomous driving ECU 50b. Here, the vehicle control corresponding to the collision includes the restriction of the autonomous driving function in addition to the operation of the brakes described in the first embodiment.

[0080] The restriction on the autonomous driving function may be a prohibition on the execution of all functions at level 1 or higher, including driving assistance and autonomous driving. The restriction on the autonomous driving function may be a prohibition on the execution of all functions at level 3 or higher. The restriction on the autonomous driving function may be a prohibition on some of the applications for driving assistance. An example of a partial prohibition state is a state in which ACC can be executed but LTA cannot be executed. The restriction on the autonomous driving function may be a limit on the vehicle speed during autonomous driving. The HCU100 grasps the specific conditions for restricting such autonomous driving functions.

[0081] After processing S101, the process proceeds to S102. S102 is the same as S15 in FIG. 4. It is assumed that the system executes a driving handover to the driver by a notification to the driver to prompt the driver to take over the driving. After processing S102, the process proceeds to S103. In S103, the HCU 100 grasps the completion of the driving handover. After processing S103, the process proceeds to S104.

[0082] In S104, the HCU 100 (e.g., the information acquisition unit 81) determines whether the driver or another passenger has turned on the restricted autonomous driving function using the operation device 26. This determination is made by comparing the specific conditions grasped in S101 with the operation on the operation device 26. If the result is Yes, proceed to S105. If the result is No, the determination in S104 is made again unless the restriction on the autonomous driving function is released.

[0083] When the function that has been turned on is not prohibited, the HCU requests the driving assistance ECU 50a or the automatic driving ECU 50b via the information linking unit 82 to start operation of that function.

[0084] In S105, the HCU 100 (e.g., the notification control unit 88) issues a notification to the driver who operated the operation device 26, indicating that the autonomous driving function is restricted. This notification is issued for a preset time period immediately after the operation using a display device disposed closest to the operation device 26, or a specific meter display 21 or HUD 23. In this notification, the above-mentioned specific conditions may be presented. A series of processes ends with S105.

[0085] Next, the release of the restriction on the autonomous driving function will be described. The vehicle system 1 is configured so that the autonomous driving function restricted in response to the occurrence of a collision is prohibited from being released until a preset specific condition is satisfied. The specific condition may be that a preset predetermined time has elapsed after the collision. The specific condition may be that a start switch (e.g., an ignition switch) of the host vehicle Am is turned off.

[0086] Alternatively, the specific condition may be that the vehicle system 1 or the autonomous driving ECU 50b is initialized. When initialization is set as a condition, there is practically no dedicated program for removing the restriction in the vehicle system 1. For example, the initialization work is performed when an authorized vehicle manager repairs the vehicle body and diagnoses the vehicle and determines that there is no problem with implementing autonomous driving.

[0087] The vehicle manager here may be, for example, a car dealer or a vehicle inspection company if the vehicle Am is a personally owned POV (Personally Owned Vehicle). If the vehicle Am is a MaaS (Mobility as a Service) dedicated vehicle (also called a service car), the vehicle manager may be a company that operates a vehicle service.

[0088] According to the second embodiment described above, when the information linking unit 82 determines that the autonomous driving function of the host vehicle Am is restricted after a collision occurs, the notification control unit 88 issues a notification indicating that the autonomous driving function is restricted. By understanding that the driver must drive manually, a smooth response can be implemented by manual driving.

[0089] According to the second embodiment, the information acquisition unit 81 may grasp an operation to turn on the automatic driving function of the operation device 26 of the host vehicle Am. Then, when it is grasped that the automatic driving function of the host vehicle Am is restricted after the occurrence of a collision and an operation to turn on the automatic driving function is grasped, the notification control unit 88 may perform a notification indicating that the automatic driving function is restricted. Such a notification can prevent the driver from mistakenly thinking that the automatic driving function has been turned on, and therefore, the driver can appropriately respond to manual driving.

[0090] According to the second embodiment, the vehicle Am may be configured to prohibit the restriction on the autonomous driving function from being released until an initialization operation is performed by an authorized vehicle manager. The vehicle Am may be configured to prohibit the restriction on the autonomous driving function from being released when the vehicle start switch is turned off. In this manner, the restriction on the autonomous driving function is prevented from being released while a problem such as a breakdown has occurred, thereby preventing problems such as a secondary collision from occurring.

[0091] Third embodiment As shown in Fig. 7, the third embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The third embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0092] In the third embodiment, the HCU 100 (e.g., the notification control unit 88) issues at least one of a notification indicating a collision part, a notification indicating a malfunction, and a notification indicating a possibility of a fire to the driver or other occupants. These notifications are hereinafter referred to as accompanying notifications. The accompanying notification is issued, for example, simultaneously with a notification indicating a vehicle control state corresponding to a collision and a notification urging the driver to take over driving.

[0093] The associated notification is displayed, for example, on the screen of the CID 22, the meter display 21, etc. As shown in Fig. 7, when the associated notification is implemented in the form of a set of display contents, the driver, etc. can easily recognize the information.

[0094] The notification of the collision part is performed, for example, in a manner in which an icon Ds1 indicating the collision part is superimposed on a vehicle overhead image IMV of the host vehicle Am. By such visualization, the driver or the like can instantly understand the collision part of the host vehicle Am.

[0095] The notification of the failure is performed, for example, by the characters Ds2 such as "sensor out of order". If the characters Ds2 are associated with the collision location by a line or an arrow, the driver can instantly understand the relationship between the failure and the collision. The notification of the failure may be performed by a method other than the characters Ds2. For example, the notification of the failure may be realized by changing the icon Ds1 indicating the collision location to an icon indicating a failure, such as an image indicating the perimeter monitoring sensor 30 with a slash superimposed thereon.

[0096] The notification of the possibility of a fire is implemented, for example, by text Ds3 such as "Warning: Possible fire outbreak." The text Ds3 is arranged, for example, near the vehicle overhead image IMV in a manner that allows it to be recognized as an associated notification. The notification of the possibility of a fire may also be implemented by a method other than text. For example, an icon indicating the possibility of a fire may be superimposed on a portion of the vehicle overhead image IMV where a fire is expected to break out.

[0097] The possibility of a fire in the host vehicle Am may be estimated by any one of the HCU 100, the driving assistance ECU 50a, and the autonomous driving ECU 50b. The possibility of a fire is estimated based on the collision part, the severity of the collision, and the failure state of the parts that have failed due to the collision.

[0098] According to the third embodiment described above, the notification control unit 88 further performs a notification indicating the collision part of the host vehicle Am. By the driver being aware of the collision part, the driver can quickly grasp the surrounding environment including the collision part and other objects that have come into contact with the collision part.

[0099] According to the third embodiment, the notification control unit 88 further issues a notification indicating a failure associated with the collision part. The driver can understand the failure occurrence state due to the impact of the collision, and can promptly take action such as manual driving in response to the occurrence of the failure.

[0100] According to the third embodiment, the notification control unit 88 further issues a notification indicating the possibility of a fire in the host vehicle Am. By allowing the driver to understand the possibility of a fire, the driver can accurately determine whether or not it is necessary to evacuate from the vehicle.

[0101] (Fourth embodiment) As shown in Fig. 8, the fourth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The fourth embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0102] An example of a processing method by the HCU 100 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 8. A series of processes shown in steps S201 to S207 are performed by the processor of the HCU 100 executing a program. This series of processes may be performed during autonomous driving in which the driver is not required to monitor the surroundings. This series of processes may be performed in correspondence with the processes of the autonomous driving ECU 50b in S11 to S13 of FIG. 4.

[0103] In S201, the HCU 100 (for example, the information linking unit 82) obtains collision occurrence information including information indicating whether or not a collision has occurred, and vehicle control information corresponding to the collision, by acquiring the information from the autonomous driving ECU 50b. Here, the vehicle control corresponding to the collision includes the stopping position in addition to the brake operation described in the first embodiment.

[0104] The stop position information indicates the position on the road where the host vehicle Am has stopped as a result of applying the brakes. For example, in the case of a road with multiple lanes on one side, the stop position information may include information on which of the multiple lanes the host vehicle Am is stopped in. After the process of S201, the process proceeds to S202. S202 is the same as S15 in Fig. 4. It is assumed that the system hands over the driving to the driver by the notification prompting the driver to take over the driving, that is, the automatic driving ends. After the process of S202, the process proceeds to S203.

[0105] In S203, the HCU 100 (for example, the notification control unit 88 or the request processing unit 84) judges whether or not the occupants including the driver need to urgently get out of the vehicle. The HCU 100 may acquire the judgment result by another ECU. The necessity of getting out of the vehicle may be judged based on, for example, the possibility of a fire or the occurrence state of a fire described in the third embodiment. For example, in a situation where there is a high possibility of a fire breaking out in the host vehicle Am or a situation where a fire has already broken out, it is judged that it is necessary to get out of the vehicle. In addition, the necessity of getting out of the vehicle may be judged taking into consideration the environment or weather outside the vehicle. For example, in a situation where the terrain outside the vehicle is fragile, or in a situation where there is a high possibility of a mentally unstable person being outside the vehicle due to an accident caused by aggressive driving, it is judged that it is not necessary to get out of the vehicle. If the answer is Yes in S203, proceed to S204. If the answer is No, proceed to S205.

[0106] In S204, the door lock is automatically released or becomes unlockable by manual operation of the driver, etc. The unlockable state may be realized by the HCU 100 (e.g., the request processing unit 84) requesting the body ECU 43 that controls the door lock motor 46 to enter the unlockable state.

[0107] Furthermore, the HCU 100 (e.g., the notification control unit 88) performs notification of the stopping position of the host vehicle Am. For example, in the case of a road with multiple lanes on one side, the notification of the stopping position of the host vehicle Am may display in which of the multiple lanes the host vehicle Am is stopped. The HCU 100 displays, for example, on the CID 22 or the meter display 21, a road overhead image of the road around the host vehicle Am and an image of the host vehicle Am superimposed on the road overhead image. This makes it easier for the driver, etc. to grasp a safe position in terms of the road structure. That is, the driver, etc. can easily determine which of the left and right doors they should use to escape. After the process of S204, the process proceeds to S206.

[0108] In S205, the door lock is changed to an unreleasable state by manual operation of the driver or the like. The unreleasable state may be realized by the HCU 100 requesting the body ECU 43, which controls the door lock motor 46, to set the unreleasable state. This makes it possible to prevent the driver or other passengers from panicking and getting out of the vehicle when it is better not to do so. This unreleasable state may be changed to a releasable state after a preset time has elapsed. After processing S205, the process proceeds to S206.

[0109] In S206, the HCU 100 (e.g., the information acquisition unit 81) determines whether or not the driver or another occupant has performed an emergency window opening operation using the operation device 26. It is preferable that the emergency window opening operation can be performed with one action (one touch or one push of a dedicated switch, etc.). If Yes, proceed to S207. If No, the HCU 100 (e.g., the information acquisition unit 81) may wait until the emergency opening operation is detected, or may end the series of processes if the emergency opening operation is not detected even after waiting for a preset time.

[0110] In S207, the side windows are controlled to be fully opened. If the driver's seat, the passenger seat, and the rear seats are each provided with a side window, all of the side windows may be opened. The side windows may be opened by the HCU 100 (e.g., the request processing unit 84) issuing an emergency opening request to the body ECU 43 that controls the power windows 47. The series of processes ends with S207.

[0111] According to the fourth embodiment described above, the notification control unit 88 further performs a notification indicating the position on the road where the host vehicle Am is stopped. Furthermore, the notification indicating the position on the road where the host vehicle Am is stopped may include information on which lane the host vehicle Am is stopped in on a multi-lane road. By allowing the occupant to understand the position on the road of the host vehicle Am, it is possible to prevent the occupant from carelessly opening a door at a position that may cause contact with another vehicle in motion, or from carelessly jumping out onto a road where another vehicle in motion is present.

[0112] According to the fourth embodiment, when there is no need for an occupant of the vehicle Am to get out of the vehicle in an emergency, the request processing unit 84 requests the vehicle Am to make the door lock of the vehicle Am in an unreleasable state by the occupant's manual operation. By making the door lock in an unreleasable state, it is possible to prevent the occupant from carelessly getting out of the vehicle. It is also possible to protect the occupant from outside the vehicle.

[0113] According to the fourth embodiment, the information acquisition unit 81 grasps an emergency window opening operation on the operation device 26 of the vehicle Am. When the request processing unit 84 grasps the execution of the emergency opening operation, it requests the vehicle Am to fully open the side windows of the vehicle Am. By fully opening the side windows, even if an abnormality occurs in the door opening / closing due to the impact of a collision and a fire breaks out, the occupants can escape to the outside of the vehicle.

[0114] Fifth embodiment 9, the fifth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The fifth embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0115] In the fifth embodiment, if a collision occurs between the vehicle Am and another object during automatic driving, it is determined whether or not to continue the automatic driving function according to a predetermined condition. Specifically, an example of a processing method by the vehicle system 1 of the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 9. A series of processes shown in steps S301 to S310 is performed at predetermined time intervals or based on a predetermined trigger by at least one processor of the vehicle system 1 executing a program. This series of processes may be performed during automatic driving when the driver is not required to monitor the surroundings. This series of processes is performed so that a smooth handover of driving to the driver is achieved immediately after the occurrence of a collision.

[0116] S301 to S303 are the same as S11 to S13 in Fig. 4. After the process of S303, the process proceeds to S304.

[0117] In S304, the automatic driving ECU 50b (for example, the behavior determination unit 63) determines whether or not to limit the automatic driving function. This determination is made based on preset conditions that are based on the type of collision.

[0118] A first example of the set condition is a condition based on the degree of the collision and the failure status of the sensor. If the degree of the collision is less than a preset judgment criterion and no failure is confirmed in the periphery monitoring sensor 30 mounted on the host vehicle Am, the autonomous driving ECU 50b (e.g., the behavior judgment unit 63) judges not to restrict the autonomous driving function. The case where no failure is confirmed may be the case where a normal state is confirmed. On the other hand, if the degree of the collision is greater than a preset judgment criterion or if a failure is confirmed in even one location in the periphery monitoring sensor 30 mounted on the host vehicle Am, the autonomous driving ECU 50b (e.g., the behavior judgment unit 63) judges to restrict the autonomous driving function.

[0119] A second example of the set condition is a condition based on the collision part and the collided object. In this condition, at least one of the size and type of the collided object may be taken into consideration. If the collided part of the host vehicle Am is a part that does not affect the execution of automatic driving (for example, a minor collision such as rubbing only the wheel cover part), the automatic driving ECU 50b (for example, the behavior determination unit 63) determines not to restrict the automatic driving function. Also, if the size of the collided object is smaller than a preset judgment criterion (for example, a small fallen object or a pebble), the automatic driving ECU 50b (for example, the behavior determination unit 63) determines not to restrict the automatic driving function. If not, the automatic driving ECU 50b (for example, the behavior determination unit 63) determines to restrict the automatic driving function. If Yes in S304, proceed to S305. If No, proceed to S308.

[0120] In S305, the autonomous driving ECU 50b (for example, the behavior determination unit 63) determines to limit the autonomous driving function. After the processing of S305, the process proceeds to S306.

[0121] In S306, the HCU 100 (for example, the information linking unit 82) grasps collision occurrence information and vehicle control. Specifically, brake operation information and automatic driving function restriction information are grasped. After processing of S306, the process proceeds to S307.

[0122] In S307, the HCU 100 (e.g., the notification control unit 88) performs both a notification indicating the state of vehicle control corresponding to the collision and a notification urging the driver to take over driving. That is, both the current state and what the driver should do are notified. The notification indicating the state of vehicle control corresponding to the collision and the notification urging the driver to take over driving may be performed simultaneously. Here, in particular, the notification urging the driver to take over driving is a notification that warns the driver that he or she should immediately take over driving. A series of processes ends with S307.

[0123] If the answer is No in S304, in S308, the autonomous driving ECU 50b (e.g., the behavior determination unit 63) decides to continue the autonomous driving function without restricting it. At this time, the autonomous driving ECU 50b (e.g., the behavior determination unit 63) may allow the host vehicle Am to continue traveling without completely stopping, depending on the degree of the collision and the object of the collision. After processing S308, the process proceeds to S309.

[0124] In S309, the HCU 100 (for example, the information linking unit 82) grasps collision occurrence information and vehicle control. Specifically, brake operation information and automatic driving function restriction information are grasped. After processing of S309, the process proceeds to S310.

[0125] In S310, the HCU 100 (for example, the notification control unit 88) performs both a notification indicating the state of vehicle control corresponding to a collision and a notification prompting the driver to take over driving. That is, both the current state and what the driver should do are notified. The notification indicating the state of vehicle control corresponding to a collision and the notification prompting the driver to take over driving may be performed simultaneously. Here, in particular, the notification prompting the driver to take over driving is a notification prompting the driver to take over driving leisurely (in other words, non-urgent). That is, the notification prompting the driver to take over driving leisurely may be a non-urgent notification indicating that the driver should take over driving leisurely when the driver is ready. Alternatively, the notification prompting the driver to take over driving leisurely may be a non-urgent notification indicating that the driver is approaching the timing to take over driving, as described in the first embodiment. A series of processes ends with S310.

[0126] According to the fifth embodiment described above, the notification control unit 88 performs processing based on the fact that a decision to continue the automatic driving function has been made in the decision on whether to continue the automatic driving function based on a preset condition based on the type of collision. This processing is a notification to encourage the driver to take over driving, which is less urgent than when the automatic driving function is restricted. The less urgent and more relaxed notification allows the driver to calmly take over driving even when a collision occurs.

[0127] According to the fifth embodiment, the preset conditions based on the manner of the collision may be conditions based on the severity of the collision and the failure state of the periphery monitoring sensor 30 mounted on the host vehicle Am. By adopting such conditions, it is possible to determine whether or not to continue the autonomous driving function, taking into consideration whether or not the autonomous driving function is operating normally.

[0128] According to the fifth embodiment, the preset conditions based on the manner of the collision may be conditions based on the collision part of the vehicle Am and other objects. By adopting such conditions, it is possible to determine whether or not to continue the autonomous driving function, taking into account the need to respond to the collision.

[0129] Sixth embodiment 10 to 14, the sixth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The sixth embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0130] In the sixth embodiment, the HCU 100 (e.g., the notification control unit 88) changes the amount of information in the notification shown in S15 of Fig. 4 according to the state of the occupant (e.g., the driver) at the time of the collision. The HCU 100 (e.g., the information acquisition unit 81) acquires occupant state information from an occupant state sensor such as the driver status monitor (hereinafter referred to as DSM) 27 to grasp the state of the driver at the time of the collision.

[0131] As shown in FIG. 10, the DSM 27 is provided in, for example, the HMI system 10 of the vehicle system 1. The DSM 27 includes, for example, a near-infrared light source, a near-infrared camera, and a control unit for controlling them. The DSM 27 is disposed, for example, on an instrument panel with the near-infrared camera facing the driver's seat. The DSM 27 uses the near-infrared camera to capture an image of the driver irradiated with near-infrared light by the near-infrared light source. The image captured by the near-infrared camera is subjected to image analysis by the control unit. The control unit detects the driver's level of awakening, facial orientation, and posture based on the driver's feature amount extracted by image analysis.

[0132] An example of a processing method performed by the vehicle system 1 of the sixth embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 11. A series of processes shown in steps S1501 to 1505 shows an example of the process of S15 in Fig. 4 in detail.

[0133] In S1501, the HCU 100 (for example, the notification control unit 88) judges whether or not the driver is monitoring the surroundings. If Yes, proceed to S1503. If No, proceed to S1502.

[0134] In S1502, the HCU 100 (for example, the notification control unit 88) determines whether the driver is asleep. If Yes, proceed to S1505. If No, proceed to S1503.

[0135] In S1503, when it is determined that the driver is monitoring the surroundings, the HCU 100 (eg, the notification control unit 88) selects notification pattern A with a small amount of information as the notification pattern for the CID 22, and causes the CID 22 to make a notification.

[0136] The notification pattern A may include an alarm image D2A as a notification indicating the state of vehicle control corresponding to a collision, as shown in Fig. 12. The alarm image D2A may include a notification indicating the operation of the electric parking brake, a notification indicating the occurrence of a collision, and a notification indicating a state in which the movement of the vehicle is restricted. The notification indicating the operation of the electric parking brake may be, for example, an image D2A1 in the form of an indicator light. The notification indicating the occurrence of a collision is an image that simply displays the fact that a collision has occurred, and may be, for example, an image D2A2 mainly composed of text. The notification indicating a state in which the movement of the vehicle is restricted may be, for example, an image D2B3 mainly composed of text. The series of processes ends with the process of S1503.

[0137] If it is determined that the driver is neither monitoring the surroundings nor sleeping, in other words, if the driver is performing a second task, in S1504, the HCU 100 (e.g., the notification control unit 88) selects notification pattern B, which has a medium amount of information, as the notification pattern for CID 22, and makes CID 22 notify. The amount of information for notification pattern B is set to be greater than the amount of information for notification pattern A.

[0138] As shown in FIG. 13, the notification pattern B may include an alarm image D2B as a notification indicating the state of vehicle control corresponding to a collision. The alarm image D2B may include a notification indicating the operation of the electric parking brake, a notification indicating the occurrence of a collision, and a notification indicating a state in which the movement of the vehicle is restricted. The notification indicating the operation of the electric parking brake (e.g., image D2B1) and the notification indicating a state in which the movement of the vehicle is restricted (e.g., image D2B3) may be the same as those in the notification pattern A. The notification indicating the occurrence of a collision may be an image D2B2 that displays the type of the object that has collided in addition to the fact that a collision has occurred. If the object that has collided is a vehicle, the type of the object may include the type of vehicle (passenger car, truck, bus, etc.) and may include the characteristics of the vehicle (color, size, brand, model, license plate number, etc.). The process of S1504 ends the series of processes.

[0139] In S1505, when it is determined that the driver is asleep, the HCU 100 (e.g., the notification control unit 88) selects notification pattern C, which has a large amount of information, as the notification pattern for CID 22, and makes CID 22 notify the driver. The amount of information in notification pattern C is set to be greater than the amount of information in notification pattern A and greater than the amount of information in notification pattern B.

[0140] Notification pattern C may include a warning image D2C as a notification indicating the state of vehicle control corresponding to a collision, as shown in Fig. 14. The warning image D2C may include a notification indicating the operation of the electric parking brake, a notification indicating the occurrence of a collision, and a notification indicating a state in which vehicle movement is restricted. The notification indicating the operation of the electric parking brake (e.g., image D2C1) and the notification indicating a state in which vehicle movement is restricted (e.g., image D2C3) may be similar to notification pattern A.

[0141] The notification of the occurrence of a collision in the notification pattern C may be, for example, a combination of an image D2C2 mainly composed of text and an image D2C4 mainly composed of a diagram, to notify the fact that a collision has occurred, the type of the collided object, and the positional relationship between the host vehicle Am and the collided object. The image D2C2 may display the type of the collided object and the direction of the collision in addition to the fact that a collision has occurred. The image D2C4 may show an overhead view of the positional relationship between the host vehicle Am and the collided object. The series of processes ends at S1505.

[0142] In steps S1503 to S1505, the meter display 21 may be configured to issue a notification urging the driver to change drivers in the same manner as in FIG.

[0143] According to the sixth embodiment described above, the amount of information is changed depending on the state of the occupant at the time of the collision. Therefore, the driver handover can be smoothly performed while reducing the annoyance felt by the occupant.

[0144] According to the sixth embodiment, when the occupant is sleeping, the amount of information to be notified is greater than when the occupant is performing a second task, and when the occupant is performing a second task, the amount of information to be notified is greater than when the occupant is monitoring the surroundings. Since the amount of information is changed according to the sleeping or second task status, the annoyance felt by the occupant can be further reduced and the necessary information can be notified.

[0145] Moreover, according to the sixth embodiment, when the occupant is not in a state of monitoring the surroundings, a notification indicating the type of the other object is implemented. When the occupant is not monitoring the surroundings, it takes time for the occupant to grasp the other object that has collided. In contrast, by notifying the occupant of the type of object, it is possible to shorten the time it takes for the occupant to understand and recognize the other object that has collided. This allows for a smooth driver handover.

[0146] Seventh embodiment As shown in Fig. 15, the seventh embodiment is a modification of the fourth embodiment. The seventh embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the fourth embodiment.

[0147] In the seventh embodiment, in S204 of the fourth embodiment, in addition to or instead of the notification indicating the stopping location, the HCU 100 performs at least one of a notification indicating guidance for accident handling and a notification indicating the action required of the vehicle occupants.

[0148] 15, the vehicle Am is a bus, and an example of a notification using the in-vehicle display 22a for passengers is shown. The in-vehicle display 22a is controlled by the HCU 100 in the same manner as the CID 22 in the bus. The notification showing the guidance for accident handling may be, for example, a notification showing the dispatch status of vehicles for accident handling (image Da1), a notification showing an emergency exit of the bus from which escape is possible (image Da3), etc. The notification showing the action required of the occupants may be, for example, a notification showing the escape to the outside of the vehicle (image Da3).

[0149] According to the seventh embodiment described above, after a collision, a notification is given to guide the vehicle to handle the accident. This allows the vehicle occupants to determine their subsequent actions while grasping the situation of the accident.

[0150] Furthermore, according to the seventh embodiment, after a collision, a notification is given to the vehicle occupant indicating the action required, so that the occupant can take a more appropriate action in accordance with the notification.

[0151] Eighth embodiment 16 and 17, the eighth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The eighth embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0152] 16 shows the HMI system 10 when the host vehicle Am is a bus. The HMI system 10 includes an exterior display device 28 instead of the ambient light 25.

[0153] The vehicle exterior display device 28 is provided on the exterior of the vehicle body and is a display configured to be capable of displaying images mainly using, for example, a liquid crystal panel, an OLED, or the like. Only one vehicle exterior display device 28 may be provided, or multiple vehicle exterior display devices may be provided, such as a device that displays information toward the front of the vehicle exterior and a device that displays information toward the rear of the vehicle exterior. When the HCU 100 does not know the collision occurrence information, the vehicle exterior display device 28 may display the destination, or may display a message indicating that passengers are getting on or off the vehicle.

[0154] An example of a processing method by the vehicle system 1 of the eighth embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 17. A series of processes shown in steps S401 to S404 is performed by at least one processor of the vehicle system 1 executing a program. This series of processes may be performed during autonomous driving when the driver is not required to monitor the surroundings. This series of processes may be performed in accordance with the processes of the autonomous driving ECU 50b in S11 to S13 of Fig. 4.

[0155] In S401, the HCU 100 (for example, the information linking unit 82) obtains collision occurrence information including information indicating whether or not a collision has occurred, and vehicle control information corresponding to the collision, by acquiring the information from the automatic driving ECU 50b. Here, the vehicle control corresponding to the collision includes, in addition to the brake operation described in the first embodiment, travel possible information indicating whether or not the host vehicle Am is travel possible. After processing of S401, the process proceeds to S402.

[0156] S402 is the same as S15 in Fig. 4. It is assumed that the system hands over the driving to the driver by the notification prompting the driver to take over the driving, that is, the automatic driving ends. After the processing of S402, the process proceeds to S403.

[0157] In S403, the HCU 100 (for example, the notification control unit 88) determines whether or not the host vehicle Am is capable of traveling. If Yes, the process proceeds to S404. If No, the process ends.

[0158] In S404, if the collided object is a dynamic object such as another vehicle that can recognize an outside-vehicle notification, the HCU 100 (e.g., the notification control unit 88) issues an outside-vehicle notification to the other object. The other object may be a motorcycle, a bicycle, or a pedestrian. The outside-vehicle notification may be implemented by a display on the outside-vehicle display device 28. The outside-vehicle notification may be implemented by a speaker sound directed to the outside of the vehicle, or a combination of a display and a speaker sound. The outside-vehicle notification may be a notification for safely guiding the other object so that the host vehicle Am can resume traveling. The notification for safely guiding the other object may be, for example, a notification indicating a safe stopping position of the other object. The process of S404 ends the series of processes.

[0159] According to the eighth embodiment described above, when the host vehicle Am is able to travel after a collision, an outside-vehicle notification is issued to guide other objects, which are dynamic objects, so that the host vehicle Am can resume traveling. Road users outside the vehicle who have confirmed the outside-vehicle notification can take action after understanding the possibility of the host vehicle Am resuming traveling.

[0160] Ninth embodiment 18 to 20, the ninth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The ninth embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0161] 18 includes an emergency call switch 29. The emergency call switch 29 is located, for example, on the ceiling of the vehicle interior at a position within reach of the driver, or on the instrument panel, etc. The emergency call switch 29 may be, for example, a push-type button labeled "SOS."

[0162] The in-vehicle communication device 39 is configured to be able to communicate with the remote management center X1 and the transfer vehicle X2. The remote management center X1 is a center that remotely manages and supports each vehicle traveling on a public road or the like. The remote management center X1 is configured to include a computer configured to be able to communicate with each vehicle. An operator who operates the computer may be resident in the remote management center X1. The transfer vehicle X2 is, for example, a vehicle arranged by the operator of the remote management center X1.

[0163] 19, the information acquisition unit 81 of the HCU 100 acquires an operation signal indicating that the emergency call switch 29 has been operated by an occupant of the host vehicle Am when a collision occurs, etc. The HCU 100 further includes a communication processing unit 85.

[0164] When the information acquisition unit acquires the operation signal, the communication processing unit 85 starts communication with the remote management center X1 through the in-vehicle communication device 39. The remote management center X1 or its operator grasps the occurrence of the collision through the HCU100 or conversation with the occupant using the HCU100. When the remote management center X1 or its operator determines that the host vehicle Am is unable to travel, it arranges for a transfer vehicle X2 for the occupant of the host vehicle Am to transfer to another vehicle.

[0165] The transfer vehicle X2 may be selected from vacant vehicles existing around the collision point. The vacant vehicle may be a vehicle that has been registered in advance as the transfer vehicle X2. The vacant vehicle may be a vehicle that has been requested and accepted by the remote management center X1 or its operator to head to the collision point as the transfer vehicle X2.

[0166] When the arranged transfer vehicle X2 arrives at the site, the notification control unit 88 issues a notification indicating the arrival of the transfer vehicle X2 and a notification indicating the position of the transfer vehicle X2. This notification may be implemented, for example, by displaying a map image indicating the position of the transfer vehicle X2 on the CID 22.

[0167] An example of a processing method by the vehicle system 1 of the ninth embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 20. A series of processes shown in steps S501 to S507 is performed by at least one processor of the vehicle system 1 executing a program. This series of processes may be performed during autonomous driving when the driver is not required to monitor the surroundings. This series of processes may be performed in correspondence with the processes of the autonomous driving ECU 50b in S11 to S13 of Fig. 4.

[0168] S501 to S502 are the same as S401 to S402 in the eighth embodiment. After the process of S502, the process proceeds to S503.

[0169] In S503, the HCU 100 (for example, the information acquisition unit 81) determines whether or not an occupant of the host vehicle Am has operated the emergency call switch 29. If Yes, the process proceeds to S504. If No, the process ends.

[0170] In S504, the HCU 100 (for example, the communication processing unit 85) makes an emergency call to the remote management center X1. The remote management center X1 arranges for a transfer vehicle X2 and notifies the HCU 100 that the transfer vehicle X2 has been arranged. After the processing of S504, the process proceeds to S505.

[0171] In S505, the HCU 100 (e.g., the notification control unit 88) judges whether the transfer vehicle X2 has arrived in the vicinity of the site. The arrival judgment may be based on a notification from at least one of the remote management center X1 and the transfer vehicle X2. The arrival judgment may be based on the vicinity monitoring sensor 30 recognizing the transfer vehicle X2 in the vicinity of the host vehicle Am. If Yes, proceed to S506. If No, execute the judgment of S505 again after a preset time has elapsed.

[0172] In S506, the HCU 100 (for example, the notification control unit 88) notifies the passengers in the vehicle of the arrival of the transfer vehicle X2 and the position of the transfer vehicle X2. After the process of S506, the process proceeds to S507.

[0173] In S507, the HCU 100 (for example, the communication processing unit 85) transmits information about the host vehicle Am to the transfer vehicle X2. This causes the information about the host vehicle Am to be handed over to the transfer vehicle X2. A series of processes ends with S507.

[0174] The communication processing unit 85 in the ninth embodiment corresponds to the "information handover unit."

[0175] According to the ninth embodiment described above, after a collision, when the transfer vehicle X2 arrives, the occupants are notified of the position of the transfer vehicle X2 so that they can transfer from their own vehicle Am. This allows the occupants to grasp the position of the transfer vehicle X2 and smoothly transfer.

[0176] According to the ninth embodiment, the transfer vehicle X2 is arranged when the occupant operates the emergency call switch 29 provided in the vehicle Am. Since the transfer vehicle X2 can be arranged easily, the occupant can smoothly transfer.

[0177] According to the ninth embodiment, the transfer vehicle X2 is a vehicle selected from vacant vehicles around the collision point. By using a vacant vehicle as the transfer vehicle X2, the passengers can transfer quickly.

[0178] According to the ninth embodiment, when the passenger transfers to the transfer vehicle X2, information about the vehicle Am is transmitted to the transfer vehicle X2 and is passed on to the transfer vehicle X2. This allows the passenger to feel comfortable after transferring to the transfer vehicle X2.

[0179] Tenth embodiment As shown in Fig. 21, the tenth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The tenth embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0180] In the tenth embodiment, the collision recognition unit 74 of the autonomous driving ECU 50b further recognizes the occurrence of a collision between a plurality of other objects in the vicinity of the host vehicle Am. The vicinity here may mean an area in which the host vehicle Am is recognized as being present at the site where the collision occurred (hereinafter, the collision site).

[0181] The collision recognition unit 74 recognizes a collision based on the image captured by the camera unit 31. The collision recognition unit 74 provides this information to the information linking unit 61 as peripheral collision occurrence information. As a result, the peripheral collision occurrence information is grasped on the HCU 100 side.

[0182] The HCU 100 or the autonomous driving ECU 50b judges whether or not the vehicle can leave the collision site based on the surrounding collision occurrence situation. When this judgment is performed by the HCU 100, it may be performed by, for example, the notification control unit 88. When this judgment is performed by the autonomous driving ECU 50b, it may be performed by, for example, the collision recognition unit 74 or the action judgment unit 63.

[0183] Depending on the result of this determination, the behavior determination unit 63 changes the response regarding the control of the autonomous driving, and the notification control unit 88 changes the response regarding the notification. In this way, the HCU 100 and the autonomous driving ECU 50b cooperate to respond to the occurrence of a collision in the vicinity.

[0184] An example of a processing method by the vehicle system 1 of the tenth embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 21. A series of processes shown in steps S601 to S608 is performed by at least one processor of the vehicle system 1 executing a program. This series of processes may be performed during autonomous driving in which the driver is not required to monitor the surroundings. This series of processes may be performed in correspondence with the processes of the autonomous driving ECU 50b in S11 to S13 of Fig. 4.

[0185] In S601, the HCU 100 grasps peripheral collision occurrence information. After processing in S601, the process proceeds to S602.

[0186] In S602, one of the HCU 100 (e.g., the notification control unit 88) and the autonomous driving ECU 50b (e.g., the behavior determination unit 63) determines whether the host vehicle Am can leave the collision site. If Yes, proceed to S603. If No, proceed to S608.

[0187] In S603, it is determined whether the host vehicle Am can be used as a transfer vehicle. That is, if the object with which the collision occurred is another vehicle, it is determined whether the occupants of the other vehicle can transfer to the host vehicle Am. For example, if the only occupant of the host vehicle Am is the driver and the passenger seat and the rear seat are vacant, it is determined that the host vehicle Am can be used as a transfer vehicle. If the passenger seat and the rear seat are full, it is determined that the host vehicle Am cannot be used as a transfer vehicle. If Yes, proceed to S604. If No, proceed to S605.

[0188] In S604, the HCU 100 (e.g., the notification control unit 88) issues a vehicle exterior notification indicating that it is possible to board the vehicle Am. Based on this notification, the vehicle occupant of the other vehicle is allowed to board the vehicle Am. On the other hand, in S605, the HCU 100 (e.g., the notification control unit 88) issues a vehicle exterior notification indicating that it is not possible to board the vehicle Am. These vehicle exterior notifications may be issued, for example, using the vehicle exterior display device 28 described in the eighth embodiment, or may be issued using audio from a vehicle exterior speaker. After processing of S604 or S605, the process proceeds to S606.

[0189] In S606, the HCU 100 (e.g., the notification control unit 88) issues a notification to the inside of the vehicle indicating a driving route away from the collision site, for example, by using a CID. This driving route may be a driving route planned by the autonomous driving ECU 50b (e.g., the action determination unit 63) or may be a driving route derived by the navigation ECU 38. After processing in S606, the process proceeds to S607.

[0190] In S607, the automatic driving ECU 50b (for example, the control execution unit 64) controls the host vehicle Am so as to leave the collision site along the notified driving route. After S607, the series of processes ends.

[0191] In S608 after it is determined in S602 that the host vehicle Am cannot leave the collision scene, first, in the autonomous driving ECU 50b, for example, the behavior determination unit 63 decides to temporarily halt the host vehicle Am, and the control execution unit 64 temporarily halts the host vehicle Am. Next, the behavior determination unit 63 or the notification control unit 88 decides to unlock the doors, and requests the body ECU 43 that controls the door lock motor 46 to unlock the doors.

[0192] Furthermore, in response to the temporary stop of the host vehicle Am, the HCU 100 (e.g., the notification control unit 88) issues a notification to the inside of the vehicle indicating the reason for stopping the host vehicle Am, for example, by using a CID. Here, the notification indicating the reason for stopping may be a notification indicating that a collision has occurred near the host vehicle Am and that the host vehicle Am cannot leave the collision site.

[0193] Note that the processes of S603 to S605 may be skipped, and if Yes is determined in S602, the process may proceed to S606.

[0194] The automatic driving ECU 50b in the tenth embodiment corresponds to the "automatic driving device."

[0195] According to the tenth embodiment described above, surrounding collision occurrence information indicating whether or not a collision has occurred between a plurality of other objects in the vicinity of the vehicle Am is further grasped. Then, depending on whether or not the vehicle Am can leave the collision occurrence site, which is determined based on the surrounding collision occurrence information, the response regarding the notification is changed. Therefore, it is possible to provide an appropriate notification according to whether or not the vehicle Am can leave the collision occurrence site.

[0196] According to the tenth embodiment, surrounding collision occurrence information indicating whether or not a collision has occurred between a plurality of other objects around the vehicle is further obtained. Then, when a collision between other objects occurs, a notification to the outside of the vehicle indicating whether or not it is possible to get into the host vehicle Am is issued. Therefore, road users outside the vehicle can decide their actions after understanding whether or not it is possible to get into the host vehicle Am.

[0197] According to the tenth embodiment, the occurrence of a collision between a plurality of other objects in the vicinity of the vehicle is recognized. Then, depending on whether or not the host vehicle Am can leave the scene of the collision, the response regarding the control of the automatic driving is changed. Therefore, it is possible to provide appropriate control according to whether or not the host vehicle Am can leave the scene of the collision.

[0198] According to the tenth embodiment, when it is determined that the host vehicle Am cannot leave the collision scene, the host vehicle Am is temporarily stopped. This makes it possible to prevent confusion at the collision scene due to inappropriate behavior of the host vehicle Am.

[0199] Eleventh embodiment 22 and 23, the eleventh embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment. The eleventh embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0200] The cruise control ECU 40X of the eleventh embodiment is an electronic control device in which a function of limiting the movement of the vehicle is added to the cruise control ECU 40 of the vehicle system 1 shown in FIG. 1, and corresponds to a cruise control device.

[0201] The driving control ECU 40X is a computer that mainly includes a processing unit, a RAM, a storage unit, an input / output interface, and a control circuit including a bus connecting these units. The processing unit executes various processes for implementing the autonomous driving control method of the present disclosure by accessing the RAM. The storage unit stores various programs (such as an autonomous driving control program) that are executed by the processing unit.

[0202] The processing unit may include at least one processor. The processor may include at least one type of core, such as a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a reduced instruction set computer (RISC)-CPU. The storage unit 53 may include at least one type of non-transient tangible storage medium, such as a semiconductor memory, a magnetic medium, or an optical medium, that non-temporarily stores programs and data that can be read by the processor.

[0203] By executing the program by the processing unit, the cruise control ECU 40X is configured with an information acquisition unit 40a, a movement restriction unit 40b, a cruise control unit 40c, and the like as a plurality of functional units for implementing the cruise control function (see FIG. 22).

[0204] The information acquiring unit 40a is configured to be able to acquire information output from each in-vehicle device of the vehicle system 1. The information acquiring unit 40a may further acquire information output from the remote management center X1 described in the ninth embodiment. The information here includes requests, commands, and the like to the driving control ECU 40X.

[0205] The motion restriction unit 40b restricts the motion of the host vehicle Am by restricting the operation command or control command output by the travel control unit 40c to the motion actuator 41X. The motion restriction unit 40b may determine the content of the restriction based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 40a. The motion restriction unit 40b may restrict the motion of the host vehicle Am in accordance with a restriction request from the in-vehicle device of the vehicle system 1 or a restriction request from the remote management center X.

[0206] The driving control unit 40c continuously controls the motion actuator 41X based on any one of the operation commands based on the driver's driving operation, the control commands of the driving assistance ECU 50a, the control commands of the autonomous driving ECU 50b, and the control commands from the remote management center X1. The motion actuator 41X may include a brake actuator that controls the braking force of each wheel, a power train that controls the output of the in-vehicle power source, and a steering actuator that controls the steering angle.

[0207] An example of a processing method by the vehicle system 1 of the eleventh embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 23. A series of processes shown in steps S701 to S706 is performed by at least one processor of the vehicle system 1 executing a program. This series of processes may be performed during autonomous driving in which the driver is not required to monitor the surroundings. This series of processes may be performed in correspondence with the processes of the autonomous driving ECU 50b in S11 to S13 of Fig. 4.

[0208] S701 to S703 are the same as S101 to S103 in the second embodiment. After the process of S703, the process proceeds to S704.

[0209] In S704, the cruise control ECU 40X (e.g., information acquisition unit 40a) acquires processing information from the HCU 100 and the autonomous driving ECU 50b. Furthermore, the cruise control ECU 40X (e.g., movement restriction unit 40b) determines whether the degree of the collision that occurred is severe (exceeds a preset degree). Specifically, the movement restriction unit 40b may determine whether the surroundings monitoring sensor 30 has failed due to the collision. If Yes, proceed to S705. If No, proceed to S706.

[0210] In S705, the cruise control ECU 40X (e.g., the movement restriction unit 40b) restricts the speed of the host vehicle Am to a preset maximum speed. The preset maximum speed may be a speed at which the host vehicle Am can travel stably even if the vehicle body or the surroundings monitoring sensor 30 is damaged by a collision. The maximum speed may be set to, for example, 10 km / h, 20 km / h, etc. The maximum speed may be changed depending on the severity of the collision so that the maximum speed gradually decreases as the severity of the collision increases. A series of processes ends with S705.

[0211] In S705, the cruise control ECU 40X (e.g., the motion restriction unit 40b) does not restrict the speed of the host vehicle Am. That is, the cruise control ECU 40X (e.g., the cruise control unit 40b) controls the motion actuator 41X so as to reproduce the vehicle motion instructed by the operation command or the control command as it is. The series of processes ends with S705.

[0212] According to the eleventh embodiment described above, after a collision occurs, the movement of the host vehicle Am is restricted in response to the collision, thereby making it possible to suppress inappropriate movement of the host vehicle Am.

[0213] According to the eleventh embodiment, when the severity of the collision exceeds a preset level, the speed of the host vehicle Am is limited. By limiting the speed, it is possible to prevent a secondary collision or confusion at the scene of the collision.

[0214] Twelfth embodiment As shown in Fig. 24, the twelfth embodiment is a modification of the eleventh embodiment. The twelfth embodiment will be described focusing on the differences from the eleventh embodiment.

[0215] In the twelfth embodiment, the movement restriction unit 40b prohibits the host vehicle Am from restarting after being temporarily stopped due to a collision until all three pre-specified restart permissions are obtained. The first restart permission is permission from the occupant of the host vehicle Am. This permission is obtained, for example, by the occupant operating a start permission switch mounted on the host vehicle Am. The second restart permission is permission from the remote management center X1. This permission is obtained, for example, by an operator of the remote management center X1 collecting information on the collision site by V2X communication or the like and issuing permission after confirming that restart is possible.

[0216] The third permission to restart is permission by the vehicle system 1 mounted on the vehicle. This permission is obtained by a decision-making entity (ECU or processor) preset in the vehicle system 1 confirming that restarting is possible and then issuing the permission. The decision-making entity may be, for example, the autonomous driving ECU 50b that has the authority to switch the autonomous driving level.

[0217] An example of a processing method by the vehicle system 1 of the twelfth embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 24. A series of processes shown in steps S801 to S805 is performed by at least one processor of the vehicle system 1 executing a program. This series of processes may be performed during autonomous driving in which the driver is not required to monitor the surroundings. This series of processes may be performed in correspondence with the processes of the autonomous driving ECU 50b in S11 to S13 of Fig. 4.

[0218] Steps S801 to S803 are the same as steps S701 to S703 in the eleventh embodiment. After the process of step S803, the process proceeds to step S804.

[0219] In S804, the cruise control ECU 40X (e.g., the motion restriction unit 40b) maintains the restart prohibition state of the host vehicle Am and determines whether all restart permissions have been obtained. If Yes, proceed to S805. If No, execute the determination of S804 again after a predetermined time or after a predetermined trigger occurs.

[0220] In S805, the cruise control ECU 40X (e.g., the motion restriction unit 40b) releases the prohibition on restarting the host vehicle Am and permits restarting. This allows the cruise control ECU 40X (e.g., the cruise control unit 40b) to control the motion actuator 41X so as to reproduce the vehicle motion instructed by the operation command or control command as it is. The series of processes ends with S805.

[0221] After S805, the processes of S704 to S706 in the eleventh embodiment may be executed so that the speed of the host vehicle Am is limited after the host vehicle Am is restarted.

[0222] According to the twelfth embodiment described above, when the host vehicle Am stops temporarily after a collision occurs, the host vehicle Am is prohibited from restarting until permission is obtained from all of the following: the occupants of the host vehicle Am, the remote management center X1 that remotely manages the host vehicle Am, and the vehicle system 1 mounted on the host vehicle Am. By prohibiting inappropriate restarting, it is possible to prevent secondary collisions and confusion at the scene of the collision.

[0223] (Other embodiments) Although several embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to those embodiments, and can be applied to various embodiments and combinations within the scope not departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0224] In another embodiment, the decision regarding the driving handover may be executed by an ECU other than the autonomous driving ECU 50b. For example, a state management ECU other than the autonomous driving ECU 50b may be provided, and the state management ECU may switch the autonomous driving level of the host vehicle Am and manage the driving handover.

[0225] In another embodiment, when the operation device 26 is a touch panel integrated with the CID 22, the HCU 100 (e.g., the notification control unit 88) may execute the following process. This process may be a process of prohibiting the display of an interface for turning on the restricted autonomous driving function (or erasing the display) while the autonomous driving function is restricted.

[0226] In another embodiment, when the host vehicle Am is a bus, all the doors for boarding and alighting may be fully opened in addition to the full opening control of all the windows in response to the emergency opening operation of the fourth embodiment. Buses may have windows installed at a high position, which may make it difficult to escape from the vehicle through the windows, so it is preferable to be able to escape through the doors.

[0227] In another embodiment, the determination in S203 may be omitted and the process may proceed from S202 to S204.

[0228] In addition, as an embodiment related to the seventh embodiment, when at least one of a notification providing guidance on accident handling and a notification indicating the action required of the occupants after a collision is implemented in S204, the processing may be skipped from S201 to S203 without issuing the notification in S202.

[0229] In another embodiment, at least some of the functions of the ECUs such as the HCU 100, the driving assistance ECU 50a, the autonomous driving ECU 50b, and the cruise control ECU 40 may be integrated into one ECU or reorganized into multiple ECUs.

[0230] The controller and method described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer having a processor programmed to execute one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the device and method described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose hardware logic circuit. Alternatively, the device and method described herein may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured by a combination of a processor executing a computer program and one or more hardware logic circuits. The computer program may also be stored on a computer-readable non-transitory tangible recording medium as instructions executed by the computer.

[0231] (Disclosure of technical ideas) This specification discloses a number of technical ideas described in the following paragraphs. Some paragraphs may be described in a multiple dependent form, in which the subsequent paragraph alternatively refers to the preceding paragraph. The paragraphs described in the multiple dependent form define a number of technical ideas.

[0232] <Technical philosophy 1> A control device that controls an in-vehicle device (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28) in a vehicle (Am) that can be driven by automatic driving without a driver having to monitor the surroundings, an information grasping unit (81, 82) that grasps collision occurrence information indicating whether or not a collision has occurred between the vehicle and another object during the automatic driving, and vehicle control information indicating control of the vehicle corresponding to the collision; a notification control unit (88) that performs both a notification indicating a control state of the vehicle and a notification urging the driver to take over driving.

[0233] <Technical philosophy 2> The control device according to Technical Idea 1, wherein the notification indicating the control state of the vehicle includes a notification indicating that the movement of the vehicle is restricted by the operation of the brakes, and a notification indicating that the hazard lights (45) of the vehicle are illuminated.

[0234] <Technical philosophy 3> A control device as described in technical idea 1 or 2, in which, when the information grasping unit grasps that the autonomous driving function of the vehicle is restricted after the occurrence of the collision, the notification control unit issues a notification indicating that the autonomous driving function is restricted.

[0235] <Technical philosophy 4> The information grasping unit grasps an operation of turning on an automatic driving function for an operation device (26) of the vehicle, A control device as described in technical idea 1 or 2, in which when it is determined that the autonomous driving function is restricted after the occurrence of the collision and an operation to turn on the autonomous driving function is detected, the notification control unit issues a notification indicating that the autonomous driving function is restricted.

[0236] <Technical philosophy 5> A control device as described in Technical Idea 3 or 4, in which in the vehicle, lifting of the restriction on the autonomous driving function is prohibited until initialization work is performed by the vehicle manager.

[0237] <Technical philosophy 6> A control device as described in Technical Idea 3 or 4, in which, in the vehicle, the release of the restriction on the autonomous driving function is performed based on the vehicle's start switch being turned off.

[0238] <Technical philosophy 7> The control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 6, wherein the notification control unit further performs a notification indicating a collision part of the vehicle.

[0239] <Technical philosophy 8> The control device according to Technical Idea 7, wherein the notification control unit further performs a notification indicating a malfunction associated with the collision portion.

[0240] <Technical philosophy 9> The control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 8, wherein the notification control unit further performs a notification indicating a possibility of a fire in the vehicle.

[0241] <Technical Thought 10> The control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 9, wherein the notification control unit further performs a notification indicating a position on a road where the vehicle is stopped.

[0242] <Technical Thought 11> The control device according to technical idea 10, wherein the notification indicating the position on the road where the vehicle is stopped includes information regarding which lane the vehicle is stopped in on a multi-lane road.

[0243] <Technical Thought 12> The control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 11, further comprising a request processing unit (84) that requests the vehicle to make the door lock of the vehicle unable to be manually unlocked by the occupant when there is no need for the occupant of the vehicle to urgently exit the vehicle.

[0244] <Technical Thought 13> The information grasping unit grasps an emergency window opening operation performed on an operation device (26) of the vehicle, The control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 11, further comprising a request processing unit (84) that requests the vehicle to fully open a side window of the vehicle when the execution of the emergency opening operation is detected.

[0245] <Technical Thought 14> The control device described in Technical Idea 1, in which the notification control unit implements a notification to encourage the driver to take over driving, which notification is less urgent than when the autonomous driving function is restricted, based on a decision to continue the autonomous driving function made in a decision on whether to continue the autonomous driving function based on preset conditions based on the nature of the collision.

[0246] <Technical Thought 15> The control device according to Technical Concept 14, wherein the preset condition based on the manner of the collision is a condition based on the severity of the collision and a failure state of a periphery monitoring sensor (30) mounted on the vehicle.

[0247] <Technical Thought 16> The control device according to technical idea 14, wherein the predetermined condition based on the type of collision is a condition based on the collision part of the vehicle and the other object.

[0248] <Technical Thought 17> The control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 16, wherein the notification control unit performs notification such that an amount of information is changed depending on a state of the occupant at the time of the collision.

[0249] <Technical Thought 18> The notification control unit is When the occupant is in a sleeping state, the notification is performed so that the amount of information is greater than when the occupant is in a second task state, A control device as described in technical idea 17, which provides a notification with a larger amount of information when the occupant is performing a second task than when the occupant is monitoring the surroundings.

[0250] <Technical Thought 19> The control device according to Technical Idea 18, wherein the notification control unit issues a notification indicating the type of the other object when the occupant is in a state other than a state in which the occupant is monitoring the surroundings.

[0251] <Technical Thought 20> The control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 17, wherein the notification control unit performs a notification showing guidance for accident processing after the collision.

[0252] <Technical Thought 21> The control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 17 and 20, wherein the notification control unit issues a notification indicating an action required of an occupant of the vehicle after the collision.

[0253] <Technical Thought 22> The control device described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 21, wherein the notification control unit issues an outside-vehicle notification to guide the other object, which is a dynamic object, so that the vehicle can resume driving after the collision if the vehicle is able to drive.

[0254] <Technical Thought 23> The control device described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 22, wherein the notification control unit performs a notification indicating the location of a transfer vehicle (X2) for occupants of the vehicle to transfer from the vehicle after the collision when the transfer vehicle arrives.

[0255] <Technical Thought 24> The control device according to technical idea 23, in which the transfer vehicle is arranged when the occupant operates an emergency call switch (29) provided in the vehicle.

[0256] <Technical Thought 25> The control device according to technical idea 23 or 24, wherein the transfer vehicle is a vehicle selected from vacant vehicles around the collision point.

[0257] <Technical Thought 26> A control device as described in any one of technical ideas 23 to 25, further comprising an information transfer unit (85) that transmits information of the vehicle to the transfer vehicle and transfers the information to the transfer vehicle when the occupant transfers to the transfer vehicle.

[0258] <Technical Thought 27> The information grasping unit further grasps surrounding collision occurrence information indicating whether or not a collision has occurred between a plurality of the other objects in the vicinity of the vehicle, A control device described in any one of technical ideas 1 to 26, wherein the notification control unit changes the response regarding the notification depending on a judgment of whether or not the vehicle is able to leave the collision scene, which is made based on the surrounding collision occurrence information.

[0259] <Technical Thought 28> The information grasping unit further grasps surrounding collision occurrence information indicating whether or not a collision has occurred between a plurality of the other objects in the vicinity of the vehicle, The notification control unit is a control device described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 27, which issues a notification to the outside of the vehicle indicating whether or not it is possible to enter the vehicle when a collision occurs between the other objects.

[0260] <Technical Thought 29> An automatic driving device configured to be able to communicate with the control device according to Technical Idea 27 or 28 and performing the automatic driving of the vehicle, a collision recognition unit (74) that recognizes the occurrence of a collision between a plurality of the other objects in the vicinity of the vehicle; and an action determination unit (63) that changes a response regarding control of the automatic driving depending on whether or not the vehicle is able to leave the scene of the collision.

[0261] <Technical Thought 30> The automatic driving device described in Technical Idea 29, wherein the action judgment unit temporarily stops the vehicle when it is determined that the vehicle cannot leave the scene of the collision.

[0262] <Technical Thought 31> A driving control device configured to be able to communicate with the control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 28 and controlling driving of the vehicle, The driving control device includes a movement limiting unit (40b) that limits the movement of the vehicle in response to the collision after the collision occurs.

[0263] <Technical Thought 32> The travel control device according to technical idea 31, wherein the movement restriction unit restricts the speed of the vehicle when the severity of the collision exceeds a preset level.

[0264] <Technical Thought 33> The driving control device according to technical idea 31 or 32, wherein the movement restriction unit prohibits the vehicle from restarting when the vehicle stops temporarily after the occurrence of the collision until permission is obtained from all of the following: the occupants of the vehicle, permission from a remote management center (X1) that remotely manages the vehicle, and permission from a system (1) installed in the vehicle.

[0265] <Technical Thought 34> A control device that controls an in-vehicle device (21, 22, 23, 24, 25) in a vehicle (Am) that can be driven by automatic driving without a driver having to monitor the surroundings, an information grasping unit (81, 82) configured to grasp collision occurrence information indicating whether or not a collision has occurred between the vehicle and another object during the autonomous driving and including information on the type of the collision, and vehicle control information indicating control of the vehicle in response to the collision; A control device comprising: a notification control unit (88) that, based on a decision to continue the automatic driving function made in a decision on whether to continue the automatic driving function based on preset conditions based on the nature of the collision, issues a notification to the driver to encourage a change of driving, the notification being less urgent than when the automatic driving function is restricted.

[0266] According to this technical concept 34, the driver can calmly take over driving even when a collision occurs, due to the relaxed and low-urgency notification.

[0267] <Technical Thought 35> A control device that controls an in-vehicle device (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28) in a vehicle (Am) that can be driven by automatic driving without a driver having to monitor the surroundings, an information grasping unit (81, 82) that grasps collision occurrence information indicating whether or not a collision has occurred between the vehicle and another object during the automatic driving, and vehicle control information indicating control of the vehicle corresponding to the collision; a notification control unit (88) that, after the collision, issues a notification indicating guidance for handling the accident and a notification indicating the action required of the vehicle occupants in accordance with the collision occurrence information and the vehicle control information.

[0268] According to this technical idea 35, the crew can decide on subsequent actions while understanding the accident handling situation, and can take more appropriate actions by referring to the notification indicating the desired action for the crew.

[0269] <Technical Thought 36> An automatic driving device that performs automatic driving of a vehicle, a collision recognition unit (74) that recognizes the occurrence of a collision between a plurality of the other objects in the vicinity of the vehicle; and an action determination unit (63) that changes a response regarding control of the automatic driving depending on whether or not the vehicle is able to leave the scene of the collision.

[0270] According to this technical concept 36, it is possible to provide appropriate control depending on whether it is possible to move away from the scene of the collision.

[0271] <Technical Thought 37> A driving control device that controls driving of a vehicle, an information acquisition unit (40a) that acquires collision occurrence information indicating whether or not a collision has occurred between the vehicle and another object during the automatic driving, and vehicle control information indicating control of the vehicle in response to the collision; The driving control device includes a movement limiting unit (40b) that limits the movement of the vehicle in response to the collision after the collision occurs.

[0272] According to this technical concept 37, inappropriate vehicle movement can be suppressed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0273] 21: meter display (vehicle-mounted device), 22: CID (vehicle-mounted device), 23: HUD (vehicle-mounted device), 24: audio device (vehicle-mounted device), 25: ambient light (vehicle-mounted device), 28: display device for vehicle exterior, 81: information acquisition unit (information grasping unit), 82: information linkage unit (information grasping unit), 88: notification control unit, 100: HCU (control unit), Am: host vehicle (vehicle)

Claims

1. A control device that controls an in-vehicle device (21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 28) in a vehicle (Am) that can be driven by automatic driving without a driver having to monitor the surroundings, An information grasping unit (81, 82) that grasps collision occurrence information indicating whether or not a collision has occurred between the vehicle and another object during the autonomous driving, and vehicle control information indicating control of the vehicle corresponding to the collision; A control device comprising: a notification control unit (88) that performs both a notification indicating a control state of the vehicle and a notification urging the driver to take over driving.

2. 2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the notification indicating the control state of the vehicle includes a notification indicating that movement of the vehicle is restricted by operation of the brakes, and a notification indicating that hazard lights (45) of the vehicle are illuminated.

3. 2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein when the information grasping unit grasps that the autonomous driving function of the vehicle is restricted after the occurrence of the collision, the notification control unit issues a notification indicating that the autonomous driving function is restricted.

4. The information grasping unit grasps an operation of turning on an autonomous driving function for an operation device (26) of the vehicle, The control device according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the autonomous driving function is restricted after the occurrence of the collision and an operation to turn on the autonomous driving function is detected, the notification control unit issues a notification indicating that the autonomous driving function is restricted.

5. 5. The control device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the vehicle is configured such that lifting of the restriction on the automatic driving function is prohibited until an initialization operation is performed by a vehicle manager.

6. 5. The control device according to claim 3 or 4, wherein in the vehicle, the restriction on the automatic driving function is released based on an activation switch of the vehicle being turned off.

7. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification control unit further issues a notification indicating a collision portion of the vehicle.

8. The control device according to claim 7 , wherein the notification control unit further issues a notification indicating a malfunction associated with the collision portion.

9. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification control unit further issues a notification indicating a possibility of a fire in the vehicle.

10. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification control unit further performs a notification indicating a position on a road where the vehicle is stopped.

11. The control device according to claim 10 , wherein the notification indicating the position on the road where the vehicle is stopped includes information regarding which lane the vehicle is stopped in on a multi-lane road.

12. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a request processing unit (84) that requests the vehicle to make the door lock of the vehicle unable to be manually unlocked by the occupant when there is no need for the occupant of the vehicle to exit the vehicle in an emergency.

13. The information grasping unit grasps an emergency window opening operation performed on an operation device (26) of the vehicle, 2. The control device according to claim 1, further comprising a request processing unit (84) that requests the vehicle to fully open a side window of the vehicle when the execution of the emergency opening operation is detected.

14. The control device of claim 1, wherein the notification control unit issues a notification to the driver to encourage a change of driving, the notification encouraging a change of driving being less urgent than when the autonomous driving function is restricted, based on a decision to continue the autonomous driving function made in a decision on whether to continue the autonomous driving function based on preset conditions based on the nature of the collision.

15. 15. The control device according to claim 14, wherein the predetermined condition based on the type of collision is a condition based on the severity of the collision and a failure state of a periphery monitoring sensor (30) mounted on the vehicle.

16. The control device according to claim 14 , wherein the predetermined condition based on the type of collision is a condition based on a part of the vehicle that has been hit and the other object.

17. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification control unit performs notification such that an amount of information is changed depending on the state of the occupant at the time of the collision.

18. The notification control unit is When the occupant is in a sleeping state, the notification is performed so that the amount of information is greater than when the occupant is in a second task state, The control device according to claim 17, wherein when the occupant is performing a second task, the notification is performed so that the amount of information is greater than when the occupant is monitoring the surroundings.

19. The control device according to claim 18 , wherein the notification control unit issues a notification indicating the type of the other object when the occupant is not in a state in which the occupant is monitoring the surroundings.

20. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification control unit issues a notification showing a guide for dealing with the accident after the collision.

21. The control device according to claim 1 or 20, wherein the notification control unit issues a notification indicating an action required of an occupant of the vehicle after the collision.

22. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification control unit issues a notification to an exterior of the vehicle to guide the other object, which is a dynamic object, so that the vehicle can resume traveling after the collision, if the vehicle is able to continue traveling.

23. The control device according to claim 1, wherein the notification control unit issues a notification indicating the location of a transfer vehicle (X2) for occupants of the vehicle to transfer from the vehicle after the collision when the transfer vehicle arrives.

24. The control device according to claim 23, wherein the transfer vehicle is arranged in response to the occupant operating an emergency call switch (29) provided in the vehicle.

25. 25. The control device according to claim 23 or 24, wherein the transfer vehicle is a vehicle selected from vacant vehicles around the collision point.

26. The control device described in claim 23, further comprising an information transfer unit (85) that transmits information about the vehicle to the transfer vehicle and transfers the information to the transfer vehicle when the occupant transfers to the transfer vehicle.

27. The information grasping unit further grasps surrounding collision occurrence information indicating whether or not a collision has occurred between a plurality of the other objects in the vicinity of the vehicle, The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification control unit changes the response regarding the notification depending on whether or not the vehicle is able to leave the scene of the collision, which is determined based on the surrounding collision occurrence information.

28. The information grasping unit further grasps surrounding collision occurrence information indicating whether or not a collision has occurred between a plurality of the other objects in the vicinity of the vehicle, The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification control unit issues a notification to an exterior of the vehicle indicating whether or not it is possible to get into the vehicle when a collision occurs between the other objects.

29. An automatic driving device configured to be able to communicate with the control device according to claim 27 or 28 and performing the automatic driving of the vehicle, a collision recognition unit (74) that recognizes the occurrence of a collision between a plurality of the other objects in the vicinity of the vehicle; An automatic driving device comprising: an action determination unit (63) that changes a response regarding control of the automatic driving depending on a determination of whether the vehicle is able to leave the scene of the collision.

30. The automatic driving device according to claim 29 , wherein the behavior determination unit temporarily stops the vehicle when it is determined that the vehicle is unable to leave the scene of the collision.

31. A travel control device configured to be able to communicate with the control device according to claim 1 and controlling travel of the vehicle, A driving control device comprising: a movement restriction unit (40b) that restricts movement of the vehicle in response to the occurrence of the collision.

32. The cruise control device according to claim 31 , wherein the movement restriction unit restricts a speed of the vehicle when the severity of the collision exceeds a preset level.

33. The driving control device according to claim 31 or 32, wherein the movement restriction unit prohibits the vehicle from restarting when the vehicle is temporarily stopped after the occurrence of the collision until permission is obtained from all of the following: an occupant of the vehicle; a remote management center (X1) that remotely manages the vehicle; and a system (1) installed in the vehicle.

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