Automobile and program for automobile

Abstract

To provide an automobile which is user-friendly as an automatic driving vehicle.SOLUTION: An automatic driving vehicle performs autonomous travel and comprises: a travel purpose providing unit including a travel drive system for providing a travel purpose of the own vehicle; a non-travel purpose providing unit for providing purposes except the travel of the own vehicle; wireless communication means for performing wireless communication; and emergency disaster purpose execution means for executing an emergency disaster purpose including the travel purpose and / or non-travel purposes according to emergency disaster notification when the emergency disaster notification is received by using the wireless communication means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to automobiles and programs for automobiles. [Background technology]

[0002] The main purpose of an automobile is to drive, and generally, first, in response to a start-up operation by the occupant, a power supply voltage is supplied from the on-board battery to the main drive system to enable the automobile to start driving, and the power supply voltage is also provided to accessory function units such as the car audio unit and car navigation unit, enabling these accessory function units to be used. In other words, in a conventional automobile, when a occupant gets into the automobile, he or she first performs a start-up operation for driving. Then, after turning on the power by the start-up operation, the occupant performs detailed settings of the accessory function units, such as setting the music source to be played in the car audio unit and setting the destination using the car navigation unit.

[0003] Incidentally, in recent years, automobiles have come to be equipped with accessory functions for uses other than driving, such as a television viewing function and a DVD playback / viewing function, as well as a massage function (see Patent Document 1), and the possibility of installing a wide variety of accessories for uses other than driving is increasing.

[0004] In recent years, there has been progress in the development of automobiles equipped with an autonomous driving mode that allows the vehicle to travel autonomously without the driver performing manual driving operations. In the future, it is expected that fully autonomous vehicles that do not require any manual driving operations by the driver will also appear (see Non-Patent Document 1). With the advent of such automobiles equipped with an autonomous driving mode (autonomous vehicles), passengers will no longer need to be involved in driving operations.

[0005] Combined with the advent of self-driving cars, it is expected that accessory functions that can be used in the car regardless of whether the car is moving will be increasingly used even when the car is parked and not moving. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-071237 A [Non-patent literature]

[0007] [Non-Patent Document 1] Magazine "Newsweek Newsweek Japan Edition" October 18, 2016 issue, p21-p30 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] In light of the above, automobiles will no longer be used solely for driving; the interior of an automobile can also be used for other purposes, such as a space for enjoying audio, watching AV via television or DVDs, playing games, receiving massages, or sleeping or other quiet relaxation.

[0009] Considering this background, even when a passenger gets into a car, the passenger's use is not limited to driving the car, and there are cases where the passenger uses the car for purposes other than driving. Therefore, as in the past, the situation in which accessory functions cannot be selected or set until after a startup operation is performed to supply power voltage to the driving drive system and start it up is very inconvenient, and the power supply to the driving drive system by the startup operation may be wasted.

[0010] In view of the above problems, the present invention aims to provide an autonomous vehicle that has both driving and non-driving uses and that is easy for passengers to use. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] In order to solve the above problem, the invention of claim 1 is as follows: An autonomous vehicle that drives autonomously, A driving purpose providing unit including a driving drive system that provides a driving purpose for the host vehicle; A non-driving purpose providing unit that provides purposes other than driving of the vehicle; A wireless communication means for performing wireless communication; an emergency disaster application execution means for executing an emergency disaster application, which is the driving application and / or the application other than the driving application, in response to the emergency disaster application when the emergency disaster application is received through the wireless communication means; The present invention provides an autonomous vehicle equipped with the above-mentioned.

[0012] The autonomous vehicle of the invention of claim 1 having the above-mentioned configuration is equipped with a wireless communication means capable of receiving emergency disaster reports, and is also equipped with an emergency disaster report execution means which, when an emergency disaster report is received through this wireless communication means, executes an emergency disaster report for driving purposes and / or non-driving purposes in response to the emergency disaster report.

[0013] Therefore, in the self-driving vehicle of the invention of claim 1 having the above-mentioned configuration, when an emergency disaster report such as an emergency earthquake report, tsunami advisory, or tsunami warning is received, the emergency disaster application is executed and a response is made in accordance with the emergency disaster report. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the self-driving vehicle of the present invention, when an emergency disaster report is received, an emergency disaster application corresponding to the emergency disaster report is executed, which is convenient. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of an electronic control circuit unit of an autonomous driving vehicle as an embodiment of an automobile according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] 2 is a diagram showing an example of history contents of a history memory provided in an electronic control circuit unit of the autonomous driving vehicle in the example of FIG. 1; FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a flowchart illustrating a part of a flow of an example of a processing operation of an electronic control circuit unit of the autonomous driving vehicle in the example of FIG. 1. [Figure 4]2 is a flowchart illustrating a part of a flow of an example of a processing operation of an electronic control circuit unit of the autonomous driving vehicle in the example of FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] 2 is a flowchart illustrating a part of a flow of an example of a processing operation of an electronic control circuit unit of the autonomous driving vehicle in the example of FIG. 1. [Figure 6] 2 is a flowchart illustrating a part of a flow of an example of a processing operation of an electronic control circuit unit of the autonomous driving vehicle in the example of FIG. 1. [Figure 7] 2 is a flowchart illustrating a part of a flow of an example of a processing operation of an electronic control circuit unit of the autonomous driving vehicle in the example of FIG. 1. [Figure 8] 2 is a flowchart illustrating a part of a flow of an example of a processing operation of an electronic control circuit unit of the autonomous driving vehicle in the example of FIG. 1. [Figure 9] 2 is a flowchart illustrating a part of a flow of an example of a processing operation of an electronic control circuit unit of the autonomous driving vehicle in the example of FIG. 1. [Figure 10] 2 is a flowchart illustrating a part of a flow of an example of a processing operation of an electronic control circuit unit of the autonomous driving vehicle in the example of FIG. 1. [Figure 11] 2 is a flowchart illustrating a part of a flow of an example of a processing operation of an electronic control circuit unit of the autonomous driving vehicle in the example of FIG. 1. [Figure 12] 2 is a diagram showing an example display for explaining an example of a processing operation of an electronic control circuit unit of the autonomous driving vehicle in the example of FIG. 1. [Figure 13] 2 is a diagram showing an example display for explaining an example of a processing operation of an electronic control circuit unit of the autonomous driving vehicle in the example of FIG. 1. [Figure 14] 2 is a diagram showing an example display for explaining an example of a processing operation of an electronic control circuit unit of the autonomous driving vehicle in the example of FIG. 1. [Figure 15] 2 is a diagram showing an example display for explaining an example of a processing operation of an electronic control circuit unit of the autonomous driving vehicle in the example of FIG. 1. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the automobile according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The first embodiment of the automobile described below is an automobile (automatic driving vehicle) equipped with a manual driving mode in which the automobile travels according to manual driving operations by the driver as in the past, and an automatic driving mode in which the automobile travels autonomously without the driver's driving operations. Of course, the present invention can be implemented even in an automobile (fully automatic driving vehicle) equipped only with an automatic driving mode in which the automobile travels autonomously, without requiring any manual driving operations by the driver (manual driving operations are not possible).

[0017] The autonomous vehicle of the embodiment described below takes the following into consideration. That is, in a fully autonomous vehicle that does not require any manual driving operation by the driver, even if no other uses are considered, if a destination is not set, it is unclear what route the vehicle should travel. For this reason, it is necessary to set a destination after starting up, but in the conventional procedure, the passenger must use the car navigation unit to set the destination after starting up, which is troublesome. The autonomous vehicle of the embodiment described below improves this point.

[0018] In addition, in an autonomous vehicle that has a manual driving mode that allows driving operations similar to those of the conventional vehicle in addition to the autonomous driving mode, if the car navigation unit is not used when driving the vehicle in the manual driving mode, it is not necessary to set a destination. However, even while driving in the manual driving mode, there are cases where the driver wants to switch to the autonomous driving mode for some reason, such as wanting to perform an operation other than driving.

[0019] Furthermore, some autonomous vehicles have the function of forcibly switching from a manual driving mode operated by the driver to an autonomous driving mode to ensure traffic safety (for example, if there is a pedestrian crossing the road, the vehicle may be forcibly switched to autonomous driving mode and stop, or if the driver is detected as dozing or driving while drunk, the vehicle may be forcibly switched to autonomous driving mode). In such cases, if the destination is not set in advance, the vehicle will not know which route to take in autonomous driving mode. The autonomous driving vehicle of the following embodiment is designed to solve this problem.

[0020] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of an electronic control circuit unit 10 of an autonomous vehicle 1 according to a first embodiment. The autonomous vehicle 1 of this embodiment is an example of an electric vehicle, and is equipped with a battery 11 as a drive source.

[0021] The self-driving car 1 of this embodiment has a manual driving mode and an self-driving mode. The manual driving mode is a mode in which the vehicle can be driven according to the driver's accelerator pedal operation, brake pedal operation, shift lever operation, and steering operation (handle operation) in the same way as a normal automobile that is not a self-driving car.

[0022] The autonomous driving mode is a driving mode in which the autonomous vehicle 1 itself automatically (autonomously) changes course while avoiding obstacles without the driver operating the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, shift lever, or steering, and is a mode that can be automatically switched to the manual driving mode by a predetermined action by the driver. Here, the predetermined action by the driver includes predetermined operations such as driving operations by the driver, operation input by the driver through a touch panel described later, and voice input by the driver.

[0023] For example, the driver of the autonomous vehicle 1 can switch the autonomous vehicle 1, which is traveling in manual driving mode, to normal autonomous driving mode by performing a specific operation via the touch panel 112 described below.In addition, if the driver performs an operation such as operating the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, shift lever, or steering while traveling in normal autonomous driving mode, the autonomous vehicle 1 is configured to automatically return to manual driving mode.

[0024] The autonomous vehicle 1 may have a forced autonomous driving mode in which the autonomous vehicle 1 performs autonomous driving in the same manner as the autonomous driving mode described above, but does not switch to the manual driving mode even if the driver performs a predetermined action. This forced autonomous driving mode is switched from the manual driving mode or the normal autonomous driving mode by the control of the autonomous vehicle when a predetermined switching condition is met, for example, and is switched to the manual driving mode or the normal autonomous driving mode after a situation meets a predetermined release condition. During the forced autonomous driving mode, the driver's driving operation is invalidated. In addition, the driver's actions are invalidated when switching from another mode to the forced autonomous driving mode and when the forced autonomous driving mode is released, and the operation is controlled by the autonomous vehicle itself.

[0025] An example of the above-mentioned predetermined switching condition is when it is detected that a pedestrian is crossing a crosswalk, in which case the autonomous vehicle 1 switches to forced autonomous driving mode and stops temporarily. Another example of a switching condition is when it is detected that the driver is dozing off or driving while drunk, in which case the autonomous vehicle 1 switches to forced autonomous driving mode and, if a destination is set, drives to the destination by autonomous driving, and if a destination is not set, the autonomous vehicle 1 stops, for example, on the shoulder of the road.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 1, the electronic control circuit unit 10 is configured to have a control unit 101 equipped with a computer, and through a system bus 100, the following are connected to the control unit 101: a motor drive control unit 102, a steering drive control unit 103, a manual / automatic driving mode switching control unit 104, a manual driving operation detection unit 105, a radar group 106, a camera group 107, a sensor group 108, a surrounding moving object grasping unit 109, a current position detection unit 110, a display unit 111, a touch panel 112, a car navigation (hereinafter abbreviated as car navigation) function unit 113, an image recognition unit 114, a voice recognition unit 115, an application navigation (hereinafter abbreviated as application navigation) function unit 116, an AV (Audio-Visual) entertainment function unit 117, a massage mechanism drive unit 118, a history memory 119, a history analysis unit 120, a voice input / output unit 121, a clock unit 122, a battery remaining amount detection unit 123, a wireless communication unit 124, and a game function unit 125.

[0027] A motor drive unit 131 is connected to the motor drive control unit 102. A steering drive unit 132 is connected to the steering drive control unit 103. A car navigation database 133 is connected to the car navigation function unit 113. A user image information storage unit 134 is connected to the image recognition unit 114. A speaker 135 and a microphone 136 are connected to the voice input / output unit 121.

[0028] Under the control of the control unit 101, the motor drive control unit 102 controls the supply of a drive signal to the motor drive unit 131 of the autonomous vehicle 1, which is an electric vehicle of this embodiment, so as to control the start of driving of the autonomous vehicle 1, driving speed control (including brake control and accelerator control), stopping of driving, etc.

[0029] Under the control of the control unit 101, the steering drive control unit 103 controls the supply of a drive control signal to the steering drive unit 132 of the autonomous vehicle 1 of this embodiment, thereby controlling the course change of the autonomous vehicle 1.

[0030] The manual / automatic driving mode switching control unit 104 performs control to switch the driving mode of the autonomous vehicle 1 between the manual driving mode and the autonomous driving mode in response to a selection operation input via the touch panel 112. Furthermore, the manual / automatic driving mode switching control unit 104 performs control to switch to the manual driving mode when a predetermined action by the driver, in this example a manual driving operation described later, is detected in the autonomous driving mode.

[0031] Note that the input that triggers the manual / automatic driving mode switching control unit 104 to perform control to switch the driving mode of the autonomous vehicle 1 between the manual driving mode and the autonomous driving mode is not limited to a selection operation input via the touch panel 112, and may be a voice input of a switching instruction via the microphone 136. In the case of a voice input, the voice input of the switching instruction via the microphone 136 is recognized by the voice recognition unit 115, and the recognition result is supplied to the manual / automatic driving mode switching control unit 104. The manual / automatic driving mode switching control unit 104 switches the driving mode based on the received voice recognition result.

[0032] The manual driving operation detection unit 105 receives operation information of the accelerator pedal operation, brake pedal operation, shift lever operation, and steering operation by the driver, and supplies the manual driving operation information to the manual / automatic driving mode switching control unit 104.

[0033] When the autonomous vehicle 1 is in manual driving mode, the manual / autonomous driving mode switching control unit 104 supplies manual driving operation information from the manual driving operation detection unit 105 to the motor driving control unit 102 and the steering driving control unit 103, and controls the motor driving unit 131 and the steering driving unit 132 in accordance with the driver's pedal operation, shift lever operation, and steering operation (handle operation).

[0034] Furthermore, when the autonomous vehicle 1 is in the autonomous driving mode, the manual / autonomous driving mode switching control unit 104 supplies autonomous driving operation information generated by the control unit 101 based on the outputs of the radar group 106, the camera group 107, the sensor group 108, and the surrounding moving object grasping unit 109 to the motor drive control unit 102 and the steering drive control unit 103, as described below, and controls the motor drive unit 131 and the steering drive unit 132 to drive using the autonomous driving operation information, thereby performing autonomous driving. Note that in the autonomous driving mode, the car navigation function unit 113 searches for a route from the current position to a destination (destination) set by the driver or the like, and controls the vehicle to travel along the searched route.

[0035] In the autonomous driving mode, when the driver performs a predetermined operation such as operating the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, shift lever, or steering (handle operation), the manual / autonomous driving mode switching control unit 104 performs mode switching control so that the driving mode of the autonomous vehicle 1 is automatically returned to the manual driving mode based on the detection information of the manual driving operation by the manual driving operation detection unit 105.

[0036] In the case of a fully autonomous vehicle, since there is only an autonomous driving mode, there is no need for switching control between manual driving mode and autonomous driving mode, and neither the manual / autonomous driving mode switching control unit 104 nor the manual driving operation detection unit 105 exists.

[0037] The radar group 106 is used to measure the distance to people and objects around the autonomous vehicle 1, and consists of one or more laser radars (formally known as LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging)) and millimeter wave radars. The laser radar is embedded, for example, near the ceiling or bumper, and the millimeter wave radar is provided, for example, at the front and rear of the vehicle. The vehicle may be equipped with both laser radar and millimeter wave radar, or only one of them. Other radars, such as microwave radar, may also be used. In addition, sonar (not shown) can be used for the same purpose as radar.

[0038] The camera group 107 includes one or more cameras that capture images of the interior of the autonomous vehicle 1, and one or more cameras that capture images of the surroundings outside the vehicle, such as the front, sides, and rear of the autonomous vehicle 1. The cameras that capture images of the interior of the vehicle include cameras that are attached to, for example, a rearview mirror (rearview mirror, room mirror) between the driver's seat and the passenger seat, or to the top of the front window, and capture the behavior of a person (driver) sitting in the driver's seat, as well as cameras for capturing images of passengers (fellow passengers) sitting in the passenger seat or the back seat. The cameras that capture images of the surroundings of the autonomous vehicle 1 include, for example, two cameras (stereo cameras) that are attached to the left and right sides of the rearview mirror and mainly capture the left and right front of the autonomous vehicle 1, cameras that are attached to, for example, door mirrors or fender mirrors of the autonomous vehicle 1 and capture the left and right sides, and a camera that captures the rear of the autonomous vehicle 1.

[0039] The sensor group 108 includes an opening / closing detection sensor for detecting the opening / closing of a door or window, a sensor for detecting the fastening of a seat belt, a seating sensor (e.g., a weight sensor) for detecting that a passenger is seated in a seat such as the driver's seat or the passenger seat, a touch sensor (e.g., a capacitance sensor) for detecting that a person touches the steering wheel of the driver's seat, a human presence sensor (e.g., an infrared sensor) for detecting a person nearby outside the vehicle, and various sensors for acquiring information that assists in automatic driving. The various sensors for acquiring information that assists in automatic driving include, for example, a vibration sensor for detecting vibrations of the vehicle or tires, a rotation speed sensor for detecting the number of rotations of the tires, a geomagnetic sensor for detecting a direction, an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration, a gyro sensor (gyroscope) for detecting an angle or an angular velocity, and the like. In this embodiment, the sensor group 108 also includes a sensor for detecting the lighting of a right turn signal, a left turn signal (direction indicator), and a hazard lamp (emergency flashing lamp).

[0040] The surrounding moving object grasping unit 109 grasps moving objects (including people) around the vehicle using images captured by the radar group 106, the sensor group 108, and the camera group 107. The surrounding moving object grasping unit 109 grasps surrounding obstacles and moving objects by performing processing based on machine learning such as Bayes' theory and deep learning.

[0041] The current position detection unit 110 receives radio waves from GPS satellites to detect the current position of the vehicle. Since the accuracy of the position detected by radio waves from GPS satellites is poor, the current position detection unit 110 uses not only the information on the current position detected by receiving radio waves from GPS satellites, but also one or more sensors included in the sensor group 108, the radar group 106, and the captured images (also using a navigation function) of the camera group 107, and performs processing based on machine learning such as Bayes' theory and deep learning, thereby detecting and confirming the current position with higher accuracy.

[0042] In the autonomous driving mode, the autonomous vehicle 1 uses the current position detection unit 110 and the surrounding moving object grasping unit 109 to process various information such as position information obtained by receiving radio waves from the radar group 106, the camera group 107, the sensor group 108, and GPS satellites, in other words, information corresponding to information obtained by the human eyes and ears, using machine learning such as Bayes' theory and deep learning, and based on this, the control unit 101 performs intelligent information processing (artificial intelligence) and control (artificial intelligence) such as changing the vehicle's course and avoiding obstacles, to generate autonomous driving operation information.

[0043] Display unit 111 is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). Touch panel 112 is a device in which a touch sensor capable of receiving touch input with a finger, a touch pen, or the like is superimposed on the display screen of display unit 111 made of an LCD. Under the control of control unit 101, a display image including software buttons (including character input buttons of a keyboard) is displayed on the display screen of display unit 111. When touch panel 112 detects a touch with a finger, a touch pen, or the like on a software button displayed on the display screen, it transmits the touch to control unit 101. Control unit 101, which receives this, is configured to execute a control process corresponding to the software button.

[0044] Domestic maps and route guidance data are stored in advance in car navigation database 133 connected to car navigation function unit 113. Car navigation function unit 113 is a functional unit that provides guidance to assist autonomous vehicle 1 in moving to a specified destination, based on the maps and route guidance data stored in car navigation database 133. In this embodiment, car navigation function unit 113 is configured to perform slightly different processes between manual driving mode and autonomous driving mode.

[0045] That is, in the manual driving mode, the car navigation function unit 113 displays an image on the display screen of the display unit 111 in which the vehicle position detected and confirmed by the current position detection unit 110 is superimposed on a map that clearly displays the route to the destination, and also moves the vehicle position (current position) on the map as the vehicle moves, and provides voice guidance at points where route guidance is necessary, such as intersections and branching points on the route. This is the same as the normal car navigation function.

[0046] On the other hand, in the autonomous driving mode, when the current position of the vehicle is away from the route to the destination, the car navigation function unit 113 notifies the control unit 101 of information on the direction of departure and distance, and when the current position of the vehicle is on the route to the destination, the car navigation function unit 113 notifies the control unit 101 of information instructing the change of the course direction along the route before an intersection or a branch point on the route as the vehicle moves. Based on the information notified from the car navigation function unit 113, the current position confirmation result of the current position detection unit 110 and the recognition result of the surrounding moving object recognition unit 109, the control unit 101 controls the motor drive unit 131 via the motor drive control unit 102 so that the vehicle moves along the route as instructed, and generates autonomous driving operation information for controlling the steering drive unit 132 via the steering drive control unit 103. Therefore, the route guidance to the destination by the car navigation function unit 113 and the control unit 101 in the autonomous driving mode allows the autonomous vehicle 1 to move to the destination even when there are no passengers.

[0047] The image recognition unit 114 photographs and recognizes passengers from images captured by a camera in the camera group 107 that photographs the interior of the vehicle. In the user image information storage unit 134 connected to the image recognition unit 114, image information for specifying (identifying) a user (e.g., a family member, a member in a car share, an acquaintance, a friend, etc.) who is registered as a user of the autonomously driving vehicle 1 is registered in advance in association with the identification information of each user (hereinafter referred to as user ID (Identification)). When the passenger is a registered user from images captured by a camera in the camera group 107 that photographs the interior of the vehicle, the image recognition unit 114 recognizes each user based on the image information stored in the user image information storage unit 134, and transmits the user ID to the control unit 101 as a recognition result.

[0048] Image recognition unit 114 also has a function of recognizing, for example, a person standing on a pedestrian crossing from images captured by a camera in camera group 107 that captures the outside of the vehicle, and recognizing a railroad crossing by recognizing a crossing barrier, etc. Furthermore, image recognition unit 114 also has a function of extracting road signs and road markings from images captured by one or more cameras in camera group 107 that capture the front, side, rear, etc. outside of autonomous vehicle 1.

[0049] The voice recognition unit 115 receives voice information of the voice picked up by the microphone 136 via the voice input / output unit 121, and recognizes the voice language spoken by the speaker (passenger). The control unit 101 receives the voice language recognized by this voice recognition unit 115 as a voice input, and recognizes the meaning and content of the voice language.

[0050] Purpose navigation function unit 116 is activated by control unit 101 when a door sensor in sensor group 108 detects the opening or closing of a door and when a camera in camera group 107 detects that a passenger has gotten into the vehicle. When purpose navigation function unit 116 detects that a passenger has gotten into the vehicle, it inquires of the passenger about the intended use of autonomous vehicle 1 before starting autonomous vehicle 1, and confirms the intended use upon receiving a response from the passenger regarding the intended use.

[0051] In this case, "when a passenger is detected to be in the car" means when a passenger is detected to be in the car when the car is not started, and basically, it is assumed that the first passenger is in the car when there are no passengers in the car. In this case, the first passenger may be one or more passengers, and in the case of multiple passengers, the representative passenger will answer the question about the purpose of use.

[0052] Also, if the vehicle is not started, it may be possible that a passenger is already present. In that case, an inquiry is made to the new passenger, and if a response regarding a new intended use is received, the newly set intended use is executed. Note that if an intended use has been set by a passenger already in the vehicle, and the intended use is not to be changed, the previous intended use may be continued by replying, for example, "execute the previous intended use (without setting a new intended use)."

[0053] In this embodiment, two types of usage applications are defined as examples of usage types: driving usage and non-driving usage.

[0054] In this embodiment, when the usage is a driving usage, two types are defined: "a specific destination is determined (a known destination)" and "a specific destination is not determined (an undetermined destination)". The usage navigation function unit 116 inquires the passenger as to which of the two to select, and also inquires whether the selected driving usage is to be used in the automatic driving mode or the manual driving mode. Furthermore, when there is a normal automatic driving mode in which the automatic driving mode can be switched to the manual driving mode based on a predetermined behavior by the driver, and a forced automatic driving mode in which the manual driving mode cannot be switched to even if the driver performs a predetermined behavior, the passenger may be inquired as to whether the normal automatic driving mode or the forced automatic driving mode is to be used. Note that in the case of a fully automatic driving vehicle that does not require any manual driving operation by the driver, i.e., does not have a manual driving mode, the selected driving usage is used in the automatic driving mode. Use in this automatic driving mode is the same as use in the forced automatic driving mode in the sense that it cannot be switched to the manual driving mode.

[0055] When a destination-known use is selected, the use navigation function unit 116 accepts a destination setting from the passenger.

[0056] Also, when a use with an undetermined destination is selected, in this embodiment, the use navigation function unit 116 inquires whether to "select a destination attribute" such as "mountain," "river," "sea," "lake," or "amusement park," or to "specify only the usage time." When "select a destination attribute" is selected, the use navigation function unit 116 presents a list of destination attributes to the passenger and accepts a selection from the list. The destination attribute may be directly input and specified by the passenger as a free keyword. Even when a use with a known destination is selected, it is also possible to "select a route attribute" such as "mountain," "river," "sea," "lake," or "amusement park" as a route to the destination.

[0057] When "specify only the travel time to be used" is selected, the purpose navigation function unit 116 allows the passenger to specify the travel time to be used and accepts it. Instead of specifying the travel time, the travel end time from the current time to the start of travel may be set.

[0058] In this embodiment, an AV entertainment function unit 117, a game function unit 125, and a massage mechanism drive unit 118 are provided as uses other than driving. When a use other than driving is specified by the passenger, the use navigation function unit 116 presents the passenger with various AV-related functions, game-related functions, and massage functions (to be described later) that can be provided by the AV entertainment function unit 117, asks the passenger about their use, and accepts a selection as a response.

[0059] Then, after the passenger has confirmed the selected setting of the intended use, the intended use navigation function unit 116 prompts the passenger to input a start-up command. After confirming the input of the start-up command by the passenger, the control unit 101 controls the power supply from the battery 11 and controls the electronic control circuit unit 10 of the autonomous vehicle 1 so as to execute the intended use confirmed by the intended use navigation function unit 116. The process flow in the intended use navigation function unit 116 will be described in detail later.

[0060] The AV entertainment function unit 117, the game function unit 125, and the massage mechanism drive unit 118 are examples of functional units that provide uses other than driving, and of course, uses other than driving include, but are not limited to, quiet rest such as sleeping, enjoying eating and drinking, reading, and concentrating on work or study.

[0061] For purposes such as sleeping and resting quietly, the self-driving car 1 is equipped with a function to keep the temperature inside the car comfortable at 20 to 21 degrees in winter and 27 to 28 degrees in summer using the car air conditioner, as well as to shut out outside light such as sunlight by lowering the window curtains or putting the windows in blackout mode, and to turn off or darken the lights inside the car to ensure a comfortable sleep, etc. Furthermore, the seats are adapted to be reclined or flat so as to be suitable for a good night's sleep, etc.

[0062] Furthermore, in the case of purposes for enjoying food and drink, autonomous vehicle 1 is provided with a function for setting a table inside the vehicle, allowing passengers to select drinks and food from a refrigerator if one is provided, and adjusting the lighting to a preferred illuminance suitable for eating and drinking. When selecting a drink, it is also possible to select an alcoholic beverage, and the ability to select an alcoholic beverage is limited to "purposes other than driving" or when the "driving purpose" is also "autonomous driving."

[0063] When used for reading, the autonomous vehicle 1 is configured to allow the user to select an electronic book (electronic book) (the electronic book may be obtained by accessing an electronic book provider server on the Internet via the wireless communication unit 124), and to display the contents of the selected electronic book on the display screen of the display unit 111 and, if necessary, to read aloud through the speaker 135.

[0064] In the case of applications requiring concentration on work or study, the self-driving car 1 is configured to ensure an environment in which the driver can concentrate on work or study by lowering the window curtains or putting the windows into blackout mode to block out the outside scenery and by brightening the interior lights. The self-driving car is also configured to display materials necessary for work or study on a personal computer (not shown).

[0065] The AV entertainment functional unit 117 is a functional unit that plays back audio information, music information, and / or image information, and includes, for example, a television broadcast receiving functional unit, an AM and FM radio broadcast receiving functional unit, and a disc playback functional unit for CDs, DVDs, BDs (Blu-ray Discs), etc. Although not shown, the AV entertainment functional unit 117 includes an antenna for receiving television broadcasts, an antenna for receiving AM and FM radio broadcasts, and a multi-disc drive for the disc playback functional unit.

[0066] Audio information and music information reproduced by the AV entertainment function unit 117 is output through the speaker 135, and image information reproduced by the AV entertainment function unit 117 is displayed on the display screen of the display unit 111 for use by passengers.

[0067] The game function unit 125 is a function unit that executes various games such as action games, simulation games, shooting games, role-playing games, and fighting games. One or more game controllers (not shown) are provided for the game function unit 125, and the user operates the game using the game controller. Sound information and music information of the game are output through the speaker 135, and image information of the game is displayed on the display screen of the display unit 111 for use by the passenger.

[0068] The massage mechanism drive unit 118 drives a massage mechanism incorporated in, for example, a driver's seat or a passenger seat. The massage mechanism is, for example, a mechanism that performs a massage action on a passenger seated in the seat in which it is incorporated. Of course, the seat may be movable by a mechanism, for example, so that it can be reclined or made flat so as to be suitable for massage. Also, the massage mechanism drive unit 118 may incorporate a mechanism that rotates the seat. In this case, the massage mechanism drive unit 118 can rotate the seat not only for massage purposes, but also for purposes of enjoying food and drink, so that multiple passengers face each other, or for games in which players face each other. Also, for purposes of reading, concentrating on work or study, and the like, the seat can be oriented in a way that the user likes.

[0069] In addition, the AV entertainment function unit 117, the game function unit 125, and the massage mechanism drive unit 118 are not only available when the autonomous vehicle 1 is stopped and the driving system including the motor drive unit 131 is not activated, but can also be used when the autonomous vehicle 1 is traveling, upon instruction from the passenger to start using them.

[0070] The power supply from the battery 11 is configured to be able to be independently supplied to each of the TV broadcast receiving function section, AM and FM radio broadcast receiving function section, and disc playback function section for CD, DVD, BD, etc. of the AV entertainment function section 117, as well as to the game function section 125 and the massage mechanism driving section 118. Of course, the power supply to the traveling drive system, and the power supply to the AV entertainment function section 117, the game function section 125, and the massage mechanism driving section 118 are also configured to be able to be independently supplied to each of them.

[0071] The history memory 119 stores information on past uses of the autonomous vehicle 1 by users (passengers) whose identification images (e.g., facial images) are stored and registered in the user image information storage unit 134, and is associated with the user ID.

[0072] Fig. 2 shows an example of information stored in the history memory 119. As shown in Fig. 2, for a pre-registered user, the user name and information on the usage history are stored in association with the user ID. In this embodiment, the information on the usage history is made up of items such as the date and day of usage, and the above-mentioned type of use, content of use, details of use, and time of use.

[0073] As the use type of the usage history, one of the above-mentioned two types, driving use and non-driving use, is stored in the history memory 119. In this case, when the use type is driving use, it is stored together with information on whether driving in automatic driving mode or manual driving mode. In the example of FIG. 2, "driving; automatic" indicates driving in automatic driving mode, and "driving; manual" indicates driving in manual driving mode. In this example, whether driving in automatic driving mode or manual driving mode is determined as the driving mode at the start of driving. Of course, when the driving mode is switched during the trip, the switching may also be recorded as a history.

[0074] In this embodiment, when the use type is a driving use, the use contents are stored as either "use with a specific destination set (destination known)" or "use with no specific destination set (destination undecided)." When the use contents are use with a known destination, the use details store the starting point (current location) and the destination, for example, "home-XX station," as shown in FIG. 2. The starting point (current location) is recorded as the current location at the start of travel detected by the current location detection unit 110. When the use contents are use with no destination set, the use details store the usage time, for example, "return in 30 minutes," the usage end time, for example, "return by 3 p.m.", and the attributes of the destination, for example, "to the nearby sea," as shown in FIG. 2.

[0075] Furthermore, when the use type is a use other than driving, the use contents are stored as either "AV / game related" using the AV entertainment function unit 117 or the game function unit 125, a massage use using the massage mechanism driving unit 118, or "massage and others" which is other uses. When the use contents are "AV / game related", the use details store which AV entertainment function of the AV entertainment function unit 117 or the game function of the game function unit 125, such as "music playback" or "game", as shown in Fig. 2. When the use contents are "massage and others", the use details store, for example, "massage" or "others" as shown in Fig. 2.

[0076] In addition, the history memory 119 may store information on each of the above items as history information for "other users," even for passengers who have not been assigned a user ID, without distinguishing between individual passengers.

[0077] The information stored in the history memory 119 may be made erasable in whole or in part by the user or passenger. However, security should be ensured so that information other than that of the user or passenger himself or herself cannot be erased.

[0078] The history analysis unit 120 analyzes the history information for each user (for each user ID) stored in the history memory 119, and detects any habitual uses (hereinafter referred to as habitual uses). Furthermore, the frequency of use may also be detected. In this case, habitual uses may be notified by making an inquiry on a priority basis. Also, the more frequently used a use is, the higher the presentation order (higher ranking) may be, for example, so that the display is prioritized. Here, in this embodiment, the habitual uses are targeted for the item "Use details" in the information stored in the history memory 119.

[0079] In this embodiment, the history analysis unit 120 detects, as habitual uses, uses (detailed uses) that are habitually and repeatedly used on a specific day of the week or at a specific time of the day. The detection of habitual uses is not limited to this, and may detect, as habitual uses, uses (detailed uses) that are habitually and repeatedly used during a specific period of the year, such as New Year's Day, Chinese New Year (Spring Festival), Easter, Obon, etc., or on a specific date of a specific month of the year, such as birthdays, Valentine's Day, Halloween, Christmas Eve, Christmas, etc., or may detect, as habitual uses, uses (detailed uses) that are periodically and repeatedly used every one to several days. Of course, uses (detailed uses) that are habitually and repeatedly used on a specific day of each month, such as eating at a specific restaurant on payday in the case of a monthly salary, may be detected as habitual uses.

[0080] In addition, the user may be allowed to provide feedback on the evaluation of the use that he or she has used, and from the next time onwards, the use that has been highly evaluated may be presented preferentially.

[0081] A speaker 135 and a microphone 136 are connected to the voice input / output unit 121. In the first embodiment, the speaker 135 is used for voice inquiries about the usage purpose in the usage navigation function unit 116, warnings, etc. In this embodiment, the speaker 135 is also used for notifying the driver and passengers when switching from the manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode, and when switching from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode.

[0082] As described above, microphone 136 is used to collect voice input from passengers for voice recognition, and in this embodiment, as described above, is used to collect the sounds of sirens of emergency vehicles such as police cars and railroad crossing sounds. In this example, microphone 136 is made up of a plurality of microphones, including one provided inside autonomous vehicle 1 and one provided on the exterior, such as the ceiling or door mirror, of autonomous vehicle 1 for collecting the sounds of sirens of emergency vehicles such as police cars.

[0083] Although not shown, the voice input / output unit 121 has a built-in memory for storing voice message data to be emitted to the outside, and also has a built-in voice synthesizer and DA converter for converting the voice message data read from the memory into an analog voice signal. The voice input / output unit 121 supplies a voice message selected under the control of the control unit 101 to the speaker 135 so that the voice message is emitted to the outside as a voice. Note that examples of the voice messages to be stored include driving mode switching notification messages such as "Switched to automatic driving mode" and "Switched to manual driving mode" and inquiry messages to prompt the user to set a destination in the application navigation function unit 116.

[0084] The clock unit 122 has a calendar function to provide the year, month, date, day of the week, and current date and time, and also has a timer function to measure time from a predetermined timing based on the control of the control unit 101.

[0085] The battery 11 is connected to the battery remaining amount detection unit 123. The battery remaining amount detection unit 123 constitutes a driving source remaining amount detection unit, and in this embodiment, detects the remaining amount of the battery 11 as a driving source. In this embodiment, the battery remaining amount detection unit 123 has a function to detect how far or how long the vehicle can travel with the remaining amount of battery when used for driving, and also has a function to detect how long each of the AV entertainment functions of the AV entertainment function unit 117, the game function unit 125, and the massage mechanism drive unit 118 can be continuously used with the remaining amount of battery when used for purposes other than driving. In this embodiment, the control unit 101 has a function to notify the passenger of the detected remaining amount of battery information.

[0086] The wireless communication unit 124 is for connecting to an AV information providing server, a game content providing server, a surrounding search server, and the like through the Internet. That is, in this embodiment, the control unit 101 is configured to be able to access an AV information providing server on the Internet through the wireless communication unit 124, and to reproduce the AV information acquired from the providing server in the AV entertainment function unit 117. The control unit 101 is also configured to be able to access a game content providing server on the Internet through the wireless communication unit 124, and to use the game content downloaded from the providing server in the game function unit 125, or to allow the game function unit 125 to participate in an online game via the game content providing server. Furthermore, the control unit 101 has a function of accessing a surrounding search server through the wireless communication unit 124, making a request to search for a place matching a specified destination attribute in the vicinity of the current location, acquiring the search results from the surrounding search server, and presenting the search results to the passenger.

[0087] The electronic control circuit unit 10 of the autonomous vehicle 1 is configured as described above, but among the blocks shown in FIG. 1 , the processing functions of the motor drive control unit 102, steering drive control unit 103, manual / autonomous driving mode switching control unit 104, surrounding moving object grasping unit 109, current position detection unit 110, car navigation function unit 113, image recognition unit 114, voice recognition unit 115, application navigation function unit 116, AV entertainment function unit 117, massage mechanism drive unit 118, battery remaining capacity detection unit 123, and game function unit 125 can be realized by the control unit 101 as software processing.

[0088] [Example of process flow by the application navigation function unit 116] Next, an example of the flow of processing by the purpose navigation function unit 116 when a passenger gets into the autonomous vehicle 1 will be described with reference to the flowcharts in Figures 3 to 11 and display examples on the display screen of the display unit 111 in Figures 12 to 15. Note that in the following description, the purpose navigation function unit 116, motor drive control unit 102, steering drive control unit 103, manual / autonomous driving mode switching control unit 104, surrounding moving object grasping unit 109, current position detection unit 110, car navigation function unit 113, image recognition unit 114, voice recognition unit 115, AV entertainment function unit 117, massage mechanism drive unit 118, battery remaining amount detection unit 123, and game function unit 125 will be described as being realized by the control unit 101 as software processing.

[0089] In the electronic control circuit section 10 of the autonomous vehicle 1, even before it is started up, the control section 101 and the sensor group 108 are in a standby state in which power supply voltage is supplied from the battery 11, and in this standby state, the control section 101 monitors whether a passenger has entered the vehicle (step S101 in FIG. 3).

[0090] Then, when it is determined in step S101 that a passenger has boarded the vehicle, the control unit 101 supplies power voltage to at least one of the cameras in the vehicle, causes the camera to capture a facial image of the passenger, and the image recognition unit 114 determines whether the passenger is a registered user whose facial image is stored in the user image information storage unit 134 (step S102).

[0091] When it is determined in step S102 that the passenger is a registered user, the control unit 101 acquires the user ID of the passenger and refers to the history information stored in the history memory 119 in association with the user ID (step S103).Then, the control unit 101 acquires information on the current year, month, date, and day of the week from the clock unit 122, and analyzes, by the function of the history analysis unit 120, whether or not there is a habitual use of the passenger related to the current time (step S104).

[0092] Then, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the passenger has a habitual use based on the analysis result in step S104 (step S105), and if it determines that a habitual use exists, it inquires of the passenger as to whether or not to carry out the habitual use by displaying an inquiry message on the display screen of the display unit 111 and by emitting a voice message through the speaker 135 (step S106).

[0093] For example, if the current time is 7:00 a.m. on a weekday, and the passenger is normally driving self-driving vehicle 1 from their home to the parking lot of the nearest station to commute to work, control unit 101 will determine that this is a habitual use and, as shown in Figure 12(A), will display an inquiry message on display screen 111D of display unit 111 asking, "At this time, I usually drive to XX station in self-driving mode. Would you like to do this again today?" and will also play a sound through speaker 135 to execute the inquiry.

[0094] Also, for example, if the current time is 3:00 p.m. on a Saturday and the passenger usually receives a massage for purposes other than driving, the control unit 101 will determine that this is a habitual use and, as shown in Figure 12 (B), will display an inquiry message on the display screen 111D of the display unit 111 asking, "You usually receive a massage at this time. Would you like to receive one today as well?" and will also play the message as a sound through the speaker 135, thereby executing the inquiry.

[0095] At this time, the control unit 101 displays the answer items "Execute" and "Do not execute" on the display screen as shown in Fig. 12(A) and Fig. 12(B), and the passenger can select either answer on the display screen and can also answer which option to select by voice input. When the passenger answers, the answer information is transmitted to the control unit 101 through the touch panel 112 or the voice recognition unit 115.

[0096] Then, the control unit 101 determines whether the passenger's answer information is "execute" (step S107), and if it determines that the answer information is "execute," executes the passenger's habitual use purpose determined in step S104 (step S108).

[0097] That is, when the habitual use is a driving use as shown in the example of Fig. 12(A), the control unit 101 controls to supply a power supply voltage from the battery 11 to the driving drive system and other components necessary for driving the vehicle, and to start them, and to drive in the manual driving mode or the automatic driving mode. When the habitual use is a use other than driving as shown in the example of Fig. 12(B), the control unit 101 controls to supply a power supply voltage from the battery 11 to the AV entertainment function unit 117, the game function unit 125, or the massage mechanism drive unit 118, which provide the use other than driving of the habitual use, in this example, to start them, and to execute the use other than driving. The history of the executed use is associated with the user ID of the passenger, and the contents shown in Fig. 2 are stored in the history memory 119.

[0098] When it is determined in step S102 that the passenger is not a registered user, when it is determined in step S105 that the passenger has no habitual use, and when the passenger responds in step S107 that he or she will not perform the habitual use, the control unit 101 inquires of the passenger about the use of the vehicle by displaying an inquiry message on the display screen of the display unit 111 and by emitting a voice message through the speaker 135 (step S111 in FIG. 4).

[0099] In this step S111, for the purpose of driving, "1. Driving a car" is displayed as the type of use, and for the purpose other than driving, "2. Other than driving" is displayed on the display screen 111D of the display unit 111 as shown in FIG. 13(A), for example, and the type is also audibly presented through the speaker 135 to prompt the passenger.

[0100] In response to this inquiry, the passenger can select one of the options on the display screen, and can also answer by voice input as to which option they will select. When the passenger answers, the answer information is transmitted to the control unit 101 via the touch panel 112 or the voice recognition unit 115.

[0101] Therefore, the control unit 101 judges whether the passenger's answer information is for driving a car (step S112), and when it judges that it is for driving a car, inquires whether the destination is known or not, and whether the driving mode to be used is manual driving mode or automatic driving mode (step S113). An example of the display on the display screen 111D of the display unit 111 for the inquiry in step S113 is shown in Fig. 13(B). The inquiry is also made by voice through the speaker 135, as described above.

[0102] In response to the inquiry in step S113, the passenger can select either "destination known" or "destination undetermined" on the display screen 111D of the display unit 111, and can also select either "manual driving mode" or "automatic driving mode," and can also answer by voice input. When the passenger answers, the answer information is transmitted to the control unit 101 through the touch panel 112 or the voice recognition unit 115.

[0103] Therefore, the control unit 101 judges whether the passenger's answer information indicates that the destination is known (step S114), and when it is judged that the destination is known, executes a destination setting routine by the car navigation function unit 113 (step S115). That is, the control unit 101 displays a destination setting reception screen, for example, as shown in FIG. 13(C), on the display screen 111D of the display unit 111, and receives a destination setting input. As shown in FIG. 13(C), when receiving the destination setting, in addition to the destination, a waypoint, a time priority, a distance priority, a general road priority, a toll road priority, and other priority conditions can be set. Setting input can be made not only by the touch panel 112 superimposed on the display screen 111D, but also by voice input through the microphone 136.

[0104] When the destination setting input is accepted in step S115, the control unit 101 detects the remaining charge of the battery 11 by the function of the battery remaining charge detection unit 123 (step S116). Then, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the detected remaining charge of the battery 11 is sufficient for traveling to the set destination (step S117).

[0105] If it is determined in step S117 that the remaining charge of the battery 11 is sufficient for traveling to the set destination, the control unit 101 notifies the passenger of that effect through the display screen 111D of the display unit 111, as shown in Fig. 13(D), for example, and also notifies the passenger of that effect through the speaker 135, and prompts the passenger to start up the vehicle (step S118). As shown in Fig. 13(D), a "start" button icon 201 for issuing a start-up instruction is displayed on the display screen 111D.

[0106] Next, the control unit 101 determines whether or not a startup instruction has been received by operating the button icon 201 via the touch panel 112, or a startup instruction by voice via the voice recognition unit 115 (step S121 in FIG. 5). If a startup instruction has not been received, the control unit 101 returns to step S121 and waits for receipt of the startup instruction.

[0107] Then, when it is determined in step S121 that the start instruction has been received, the control unit 101 refers to the response result acquired in step S113 and determines whether the driving mode is set to the manual driving mode (step S122). Then, when it is determined in this step S122 that the manual driving mode is set, the control unit 101 executes the car navigation function for the manual driving mode, and sets the driving mode to the manual driving mode and causes the vehicle to travel in response to the manual driving operation of the passenger (step S123).

[0108] Furthermore, when it is determined in step S122 that the automatic driving mode has been set instead of the manual driving mode, the control unit 101 executes the car navigation function for the automatic driving mode and sets the driving mode to the automatic driving mode and drives the vehicle (step S124).

[0109] The history of the usage executed in step S123 or step S124 is associated with the passenger's user ID, and the contents as shown in FIG.

[0110] Furthermore, when it is determined in step S117 that the remaining charge of the battery 11 is insufficient, the control unit 101 notifies the passenger through the display screen 111D of the display unit 111, and through the speaker 135, that the remaining charge of the battery 11 is insufficient to travel to the destination, as shown in, for example, FIG. 13(E) (step S131 in FIG. 6).

[0111] In this case, the passenger can select three response operations in response to the notification in step S131: canceling the execution of the selected intended use, redoing the setting of the intended use, and forcibly executing the selected intended use. Display screen 111D of display unit 111 displays button icons 202, 203, and 204 for selecting these options, as shown in FIG. 13(E).

[0112] Then, the control unit 101 determines whether or not an "execution stop instruction" has been received by operating the button icon 202 via the touch panel 112, or an "execution stop instruction" by voice via the voice recognition unit 115 (step S132), and when it determines that an "execution stop instruction" has been received, ends this processing routine.

[0113] Furthermore, when it is determined in step S132 that an "instruction to stop execution" has not been received, the control unit 101 determines whether or not an "instruction to start over" has been received by operating the button icon 203 via the touch panel 112, or a "instruction to start over" given by voice via the voice recognition unit 115 (step S133), and when it is determined that an "instruction to start over" has been received, the process returns to step S111 in FIG. 4, and the usage setting is restarted.

[0114] Furthermore, when it is determined in step S133 that a "redo instruction" has not been received, the control unit 101 determines whether or not a "forced execution instruction" by operating the button icon 204 via the touch panel 112 or a "forced execution instruction" by voice via the voice recognition unit 115 has been received (step S134), and when it is determined that a "forced execution instruction" has been received, the process returns to step S121 in Fig. 5, and the process from step S121 onwards is performed. When it is determined that a "forced execution instruction" has not been received, the process returns to step S132, and the process from step S132 onwards is performed.

[0115] Furthermore, when it is determined in step S114 of FIG. 4 that the destination is not known but is undecided, the control unit 101 refers to the response result acquired in step S113 and determines whether the driving mode is set to the manual driving mode (step S141 of FIG. 7).

[0116] If it is determined in step S141 that the manual driving mode has been set, the control unit 101 determines whether or not a start instruction has been received via the touch panel 112 or a voice start instruction via the voice recognition unit 115 (step S142), and if a start instruction has not been received, the process returns to step S142 and waits for the start instruction to be received. If it is determined in step S142 that a start instruction has been received, the control unit 101 sets the driving mode to the manual driving mode and causes the vehicle to travel in accordance with the manual driving operation of the passenger (step S143).

[0117] Furthermore, when it is determined in step S141 that the autonomous driving mode has been set, the control unit 101 displays a menu for when the destination is not yet determined on the display screen 111D of the display unit 111, and accepts the selection of an item from the menu (step S144).

[0118] An example of the display of the usage menu for undecided destination in this case is shown in Fig. 14(B). That is, when the passenger selects the usage for driving a car and then selects the usage for undecided destination, the display screen 111D of the display unit 111 changes from the inquiry screen for driving a car in Fig. 14(A), which is the same as Fig. 13(B), to the menu for undecided destination shown in Fig. 14(B). The menu contents are also presented to the passenger by voice through the speaker 135.

[0119] In the example of FIG. 14(B), the menu for an undecided destination includes a list of selectable destination attributes and a field for accepting settings of a driving time. When a passenger has not decided on a specific destination but has decided on a desired destination attribute, such as going to the sea, going to see the mountains, or going to a river, the passenger can select the desired destination attribute from the list of destination attributes. In addition, when a passenger has not decided on a specific destination but wishes to drive autonomous vehicle 1 for a predetermined time, the passenger can set the desired driving time. The selection from the list of destination attributes and the setting of the driving time are accepted via touch panel 112 or via voice recognition unit 115.

[0120] Next, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the passenger has selected an attribute of the destination in this menu for undetermined destination (step S145), and when it determines that the attribute of the destination has been selected, detects the remaining charge of the battery 11 (step S146). Then, the control unit 101 searches for destination candidates that match the attributes of the selected destination within a range that can be traveled with the detected remaining charge of the battery 11, and displays one or more destination candidates as a result of the search on the display screen 111D of the display unit 111 as shown in FIG. 14(C), and presents them to the passenger by emitting sound through the speaker 135 (step S147). Note that the display of the search results is not limited to a text display, and may be an image display or a video display. Also, a guide or explanation of the destination candidates may be added.

[0121] The search for places matching the attributes of this destination is performed using the car navigation database 133 and the functions of the car navigation function unit 113. If a suitable search result is obtained, the processing is terminated within that range. However, if a suitable search result is not obtained, the wireless communication unit 124 accesses a surrounding search server via the Internet and the search results are obtained from the surrounding search server.

[0122] After step S147, the control unit 101 determines whether or not one destination candidate has been selected from the destination candidates displayed on the display screen 111D (step S148), and if not selected, determines whether or not a stop instruction has been given by the passenger through the touch panel 112 or through the voice recognition unit 115 (step S149). If it is determined in step S149 that a stop instruction has been given, the control unit 101 ends this processing routine. If it is determined in step S149 that a stop instruction has not been given, the control unit 101 returns the processing to step S148.

[0123] Furthermore, when it is determined in step S148 that one destination candidate has been selected, the control unit 101 determines whether or not a start-up instruction has been received by operating the button icon 201 via the touch panel 112, or a start-up instruction by voice via the voice recognition unit 115 (step S150), and if a start-up instruction has not been received, the process returns to step S150 and waits for receipt of a start-up instruction.

[0124] Then, when it is determined in step S150 that the start instruction has been received, the control unit 101 executes the car navigation function for the automatic driving mode and drives the vehicle in the automatic driving mode (step S151). At this time, the control unit 101 causes the car navigation function unit to perform a route search from the current location to the location of one of the candidate destinations determined to have been selected in step S148, and performs route guidance for the automatic driving mode according to the route search result. The history of the executed usage is associated with the user ID of the passenger, and the contents shown in FIG. 2 are stored in the history memory 119.

[0125] Furthermore, when it is determined in step S145 that the attribute of the destination has not been selected, the control unit 101 determines whether or not a setting of a travel time has been accepted (step S161 in FIG. 8). Here, the travel time in this example refers to the time from departing from the current location, traveling along an arbitrary route, and returning to the current location.

[0126] If it is determined in step S161 that the setting of the driving time has not been accepted, the control unit 101 determines whether or not an instruction to stop use has been accepted through the touch panel 112, based on the operation of button icon 205 (see FIG. 14(C)) on the display screen 111D, or an instruction to stop use of the autonomously-driving vehicle 1 by voice through the voice recognition unit 115 (step S162). If the control unit 101 determines in step S162 that an instruction to stop use has been accepted, it ends this processing routine, and if it determines that an instruction to stop use has not been accepted, it returns the process to step S144 in FIG. 7, and performs the processes from step S144 onwards.

[0127] When it is determined in step S161 that the setting of the driving time has been accepted, the control unit 101 detects the remaining charge of the battery 11 and calculates the remaining driving time (step S163). Then, the control unit 101 determines whether the remaining driving time is shorter than the driving time set by the rider (step S164).

[0128] Then, when it is determined in step S164 that the available driving time is longer than the driving time set by the passenger, the control unit 101 searches for and determines a route for the set driving time using the functions of the car navigation function unit 113, and notifies the passenger of the searched route by displaying it on the display screen 111D of the display unit 111, as shown in Figure 14 (D) (step S165).

[0129] Next, the control unit 101 determines whether or not a startup instruction has been received by operating the button icon 206 (see FIG. 14(D)) via the touch panel 112, or a startup instruction by voice via the voice recognition unit 115 (step S166). If a startup instruction has not been received, the process returns to step S166 and waits for receipt of the startup instruction.

[0130] Then, when it is determined in step S166 that the start instruction has been received, the control unit 101 executes the car navigation function for the automatic driving mode, sets the driving mode to the automatic driving mode, and drives for the set driving time (step S167). Note that the history of the executed usage is associated with the user ID of the passenger, and the contents shown in Fig. 2 are stored in the history memory 119.

[0131] Then, when it is determined in step S164 that the available driving time is shorter than the driving time set by the passenger, the control unit 101 notifies the passenger through the display screen 111D of the display unit 111 and through the speaker 135 that "the set driving time cannot be used" together with displaying the driving time possible with the remaining charge of the battery 11, as shown in FIG. 14(E) (step S171 in FIG. 9).

[0132] In this case, the passenger can select from three possible response operations in response to the notification in step S171: resetting the driving time, ceasing use of the autonomous vehicle 1, and running for the driving time remaining in the battery 11. Button icons 207, 208, and 209 for selecting these options are displayed on the display screen 111D of the display unit 111, as shown in FIG. 14(E).

[0133] Then, the control unit 101 determines whether or not an instruction to “reset” the driving time has been received by operating the button icon 207 via the touch panel 112, or an instruction to “reset” the driving time by voice via the voice recognition unit 115 (step S172), and if it determines that an instruction to “reset” has been received, returns the process to step S161 in FIG. 8, and repeats the process of step S161.

[0134] Furthermore, when it is determined in step S172 that the instruction to "reset" has not been received, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the instruction to "execute" has been received by operating the button icon 207 via the touch panel 112, or by voice via the voice recognition unit 115 (step S173).

[0135] Then, when it is determined that the "execute" command has been received, the control unit 101 searches for and determines a route for the driving time of the remaining charge of the battery 11 using the functions of the car navigation function unit 113, and notifies the passenger of the route thus searched for by displaying it on the display screen 111D of the display unit 111 in the same manner as the display image shown in Fig. 14(D) (step S174). Note that in this case, the display portion relating to the driving time on the display screen 111D is changed to, for example, "Driving time of remaining battery charge: 25 minutes" instead of "Driving time: 30 minutes" in Fig. 14(D).

[0136] Next, the control unit 101 determines whether or not a startup instruction has been received by operating the button icon 206 (see FIG. 14(D)) via the touch panel 112, or a startup instruction by voice via the voice recognition unit 115 (step S175). If a startup instruction has not been received, the control unit 101 returns to step S175 and waits for receipt of a startup instruction.

[0137] Then, when it is determined in step S175 that the start instruction has been received, the control unit 101 executes the car navigation function for the automatic driving mode, sets the driving mode to the automatic driving mode, and drives the vehicle for the driving time equivalent to the remaining charge of the battery 11 (step S176). The history of the executed usage is associated with the user ID of the passenger, and the contents shown in Fig. 2 are stored in the history memory 119.

[0138] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S173 that an "execute" instruction has not been received, the control unit 101 determines whether or not an instruction to "stop using" the autonomously driven vehicle 1 has been received (step S177). If the control unit 101 determines in step S177 that an instruction to "stop using" has been received, it ends this processing routine, and if it determines that an instruction to "stop using" has not been received, it returns the process to step S172 and repeats the processes from step S172 onwards.

[0139] Next, in step S112 of FIG. 4, when it is determined that the response to the inquiry about the intended use is not for driving the vehicle but for a use other than driving, the control unit 101 detects the remaining charge of the battery 11 (step S181 of FIG. 10), and then, using the determination result in step S102, the control unit 101 determines whether the passenger is a registered user (step S182).

[0140] When it is determined in step S182 that the passenger is a registered user, the control unit 101 presents non-driving uses that can be provided with the remaining charge of the battery 11 detected in step S181 in order of priority based on the passenger's usage history (step S183). For example, the more frequently the passenger has used a non-driving use in the past, the higher the presentation priority is.

[0141] An example of the display of uses other than driving in this case is shown in Fig. 15(B). That is, when a passenger selects a use other than driving, the display screen 111D of the display unit 111 changes from the inquiry screen for use in Fig. 15(A), which is the same as Fig. 13(A), to a list screen of uses other than driving shown in Fig. 15(B). Note that the contents of the list of uses other than driving may also be presented to the passenger by voice through the speaker 135.

[0142] Next, the control unit 101 determines whether or not a selection of a use other than driving has been accepted (step S184), and if it determines that a selection of a use other than driving has not been accepted, it determines whether or not an instruction to stop using the autonomous vehicle 1 based on operation of button icon 210 (see Figure 15 (B)) on display screen 111D via touch panel 112, or an instruction to stop using the autonomous vehicle 1 by voice via the voice recognition unit 115 has been accepted (step S185).

[0143] Then, when the control unit 101 determines in step S185 that a usage stop instruction has been received, it ends this processing routine. Also, when the control unit 101 determines in step S185 that a usage stop instruction has not been received, it determines whether or not a redo instruction based on the operation of the button icon 211 (see FIG. 15(B)) on the display screen 111D via the touch panel 112, or a redo instruction by voice via the voice recognition unit 115 has been received (step S186). Then, when it determines in step S186 that a redo instruction has not been received, it returns the process to step S184, and the process from step S184 onward is repeated. Also, when it determines in step S186 that a redo instruction has been received, the control unit 101 returns the process to step S111 in FIG. 4, and the process from step S111 onward is performed.

[0144] Next, when it is determined in step S184 that the selection of a use other than driving has been accepted, the control unit 101 displays a list of the selected use items for the use other than driving on the display screen 111D in order of priority based on the passenger's usage history, and notifies the passenger by voice through the speaker 135 (step S187). That is, the use items for the use other than driving that are used more frequently in the passenger's past usage purposes are presented with a higher priority.

[0145] Display examples of the display screen 111D at this time are shown in Fig. 15(C) and Fig. 15(D). That is, Fig. 15(C) is a list of usage items when an AV / game-related function is selected as a non-driving use, and Fig. 15(D) is a list of usage items when a massage and other functions are selected as a non-driving use. In this case, as shown in Fig. 15(C) and Fig. 15(D), information on the available time with the remaining battery power detected in step S181 for each non-driving use is also displayed on the display screen 111D.

[0146] Next, the control unit 101 waits for an item to be selected (step S188), and when it determines that an item to be used has been selected, it determines whether or not a start-up instruction (execution instruction) based on the operation of button icon 212 (see FIG. 15(C)) or button icon 213 (see FIG. 15(D)) on the display screen 111D via the touch panel 112, or a start-up instruction (execution instruction) by voice via the voice recognition unit 115 has been received (step S189).

[0147] Then, when it is determined in step S189 that a start instruction (execution instruction) has been received, the control unit 101 executes the selected usage item for the purpose other than traveling (step S190). Note that the history of the executed usage purpose is associated with the user ID of the passenger, and the contents shown in FIG. 2 are stored in the history memory 119.

[0148] Furthermore, when it is determined in step S182 that the passenger is not a registered user, the control unit 101 presents uses other than driving that can be provided with the remaining charge of the battery 11 detected in step S181 (step S201 in FIG. 11). In this case, since there is no past use of the passenger, the uses other than driving are presented in an arbitrary priority order (for example, see FIG. 15(B)).

[0149] Next, the control unit 101 determines whether or not a selection of a use other than driving has been accepted (step S202), and if it determines that a selection of a use other than driving has not been accepted, it determines whether or not an instruction to stop using the autonomous vehicle 1 based on the operation of the button icon 210 (see Figure 15 (B)) on the display screen 111D via the touch panel 112, or an instruction to stop using the autonomous vehicle 1 by voice via the voice recognition unit 115 has been accepted (step S203).

[0150] Then, when the control unit 101 determines in step S203 that a usage stop instruction has been received, it ends this processing routine. Also, when the control unit 101 determines in step S203 that a usage stop instruction has not been received, it determines whether or not a redo instruction based on the operation of the button icon 211 (see FIG. 15(B)) on the display screen 111D via the touch panel 112, or a redo instruction by voice via the voice recognition unit 115 has been received (step S204). Then, when it determines in step S204 that a redo instruction has not been received, it returns the processing to step S202, and the processing from step S202 onward is repeated. Also, when it determines in step S204 that a redo instruction has been received, the control unit 101 returns the processing to step S111 in FIG. 4, and the processing from step S111 onward is performed.

[0151] Next, when it is determined in step S202 that a selection of a use other than driving has been accepted, the control unit 101 displays a list of usage items for the selected use other than driving on the display screen 111D in an arbitrary order, for example in a default order, and notifies the user by voice through the speaker 135 (step S205).

[0152] At this time, display examples of the display screen 111D are as shown in FIG. 15(C) and FIG. 15(D).

[0153] Next, the control unit 101 waits for an item to be selected (step S206), and when it determines that an item to be used has been selected, it determines whether or not a start-up instruction (execution instruction) based on the operation of button icon 212 (see FIG. 15(C)) or button icon 213 (see FIG. 15(D)) on the display screen 111D via the touch panel 112, or a start-up instruction (execution instruction) by voice via the voice recognition unit 115 has been received (step S207).

[0154] Then, when it is determined in step S207 that a start instruction (execution instruction) has been accepted, the control unit 101 executes the selected usage item for an application other than traveling (step S208).

[0155] [Effects of the embodiment] As described above, in the invention of the self-driving vehicle 1 of the above-mentioned embodiment, the use of the automobile is not limited to driving, but is regarded as a device that provides uses other than driving, and when a passenger is about to start using the vehicle by getting into the vehicle, the passenger is asked whether they would like to use the vehicle for driving or for a purpose other than driving, and the use specified based on the response is activated in response to the passenger's activation command.

[0156] In other words, according to the autonomous vehicle 1 of the above-described embodiment, when a passenger gets into the vehicle, the vehicle inquires about the purpose of the passenger's use, including purposes other than driving, and depending on the passenger's response to the inquiry, the vehicle identifies the passenger's intended use and behaves to carry out the identified intended use, thereby making it possible to realize a vehicle that is extremely easy for passengers to use.

[0157] Moreover, according to the above-described embodiment, the usage history of the vehicle of a pre-registered user is accumulated not only for driving purposes but also for non-driving purposes, so that the habitual usage of the passenger can be identified and presented to the passenger preferentially at an appropriate timing. Therefore, the passenger can carry out the habitual usage according to the recommendation of autonomous vehicle 1, which is very convenient.

[0158] Furthermore, according to the autonomous vehicle 1 of the above-described embodiment, once the intended use has been determined, the vehicle waits for a start instruction from the passenger before driving for the intended use, thereby reducing wasteful consumption of driving sources such as batteries.

[0159] Furthermore, according to the autonomous vehicle 1 of the above-described embodiment, when the vehicle is used for driving purposes, the destination is always set before the vehicle is started for that purpose, so the passenger does not need to perform the procedure of setting the destination after the vehicle is started, and there is no risk of forgetting to set the destination, making the vehicle easy to use. Furthermore, when the vehicle is used for driving purposes, if the destination is known, the destination is always set before the vehicle is started for that purpose not only when the autonomous driving mode is selected, but also when the manual driving mode is selected. Therefore, even if the driving mode is switched from the manual driving mode to the autonomous driving mode during driving, the destination will not become unknown, and the vehicle can be sure to arrive at the destination.

[0160] [Modifications of the above embodiment] If it is determined in step S114 that the destination is undecided and if it is determined in step S141 that the mode is manual driving, the mode is started immediately upon waiting for an activation instruction from the passenger. However, even if it is determined in step S114 that the destination is undecided and if it is determined in step S141 that the mode is manual driving, the process of steps S144 to S148 and steps S161 to S168 may be executed before step S142 for waiting for an activation instruction, in the same manner as when the automatic driving mode is selected in step S141, to detect the remaining charge of the battery 11 and to accept settings of the attributes of the destination and the driving time.

[0161] In the above embodiment, the habitual use is targeted at the detailed use, but the type of use or the content of use may be presented to the passenger as the habitual use. In that case, however, when the habitual use is selected, it is necessary to further inquire the passenger about the detailed use and have the passenger set it.

[0162] In the above embodiment, the remaining charge of battery 11 was not taken into consideration when executing habitual use applications. However, even in this case, it is of course possible to detect the remaining charge of battery 11 and notify whether it is possible to use it for usual purposes or that the remaining charge of battery 11 is insufficient and therefore only the remaining charge can be used.

[0163] In the above-described embodiment, when the battery charge is low, the passenger is notified of that fact alone. However, when the vehicle is being used for purposes other than driving that can be used while the vehicle is stopped, the passenger may be suggested to use the vehicle while charging.

[0164] In the above embodiment, the vehicle is configured to receive a start instruction from the passenger after the intended use is determined, but the intended use may also be determined after the passenger issues a start instruction.

[0165] [Other embodiments or modifications] Needless to say, uses other than driving are not limited to the examples of the embodiments described above, and the vehicle may be configured so that the rider can select and activate the use other than driving while driving.

[0166] In addition, the vehicle may suggest recommended uses from among driving uses and uses other than driving uses according to the remaining battery power. In addition, the vehicle may suggest recommended driving routes as driving uses according to the remaining battery power.

[0167] In the above embodiment, the rider selects one specific item as a non-driving use, but multiple non-driving use items may be used simultaneously, such as listening to music while getting a massage or playing a game while listening to music. In this case, a dedicated selection button may be provided to simultaneously select multiple non-driving use items. Also, multiple non-driving use items may be selected in a conversational (interactive) format using voice through the voice recognition unit 115.

[0168] In the above embodiment, when the usage purpose is selected as "2. Other than driving" on the usage purpose inquiry screen of FIG. 15(A), the screen changes to a list screen of usage purposes other than driving shown in FIG. 15(B). However, when "1. Driving a car" is selected, the screen may also change to a list screen of usage purposes other than driving shown in FIG. 15(B). In this case, however, not only "A. AV / game related" and "B. Massage, etc." but also "C. Only driving a car" which does not require usage other than driving is added. Of course, the list screen of usage purposes other than driving is not limited to this, and may include rest-related such as sleep, eating and drinking, reading, work / study, etc.

[0169] Conversely, a list screen of uses other than driving may be presented first, and then the user may select whether or not to drive the vehicle.

[0170] In the above embodiment, the attributes of the passengers were not taken into consideration, but personal attributes such as the passenger's age, sex, and nationality may be stored in association with the user ID, and the purpose and content items of the purpose to be presented may be varied according to the passenger's personal attributes such as the passenger's age, sex, and nationality as a purpose other than driving. For example, massage is essential for the elderly, but not so necessary for school children and adolescents, so age is a major factor. Whether or not a DVD or BD is rated for adults when viewing also depends on age. In addition, since preferences for AV / games vary greatly depending on gender, the genre of the presented content may be changed depending on gender.

[0171] In the above embodiment, no description was given of the use for makeup, but of course, there may be a use for makeup. The use for makeup is an option exclusively for women, but in the case of the use for makeup, the display unit 111 is configured as a mirror display, and the display screen is converted into a mirror surface and used for makeup. In addition, nationality has an effect particularly on language-dependent uses, and is effective for playing DVDs and BDs, such as subtitles and dubbing. The personal attributes of the passengers, such as age, sex, and nationality, are stored as user IDs or linked to user IDs. Of course, the personal attributes are not limited to age, sex, and nationality, and may be religion, place of residence or birthplace, occupation, hobbies, etc.

[0172] In the above embodiment, the purpose other than driving is not changed depending on the number of passengers, but in the case of games, for example, competitive games such as shogi, go, and chess can be played by two people, and mahjong can be played by four people, so the number of passengers may be counted and the content presented changed. If there are initially three passengers but one more passenger joins the vehicle midway, making the total number four, mahjong will be added as a purpose at that point.

[0173] For example, the number of passengers in the vehicle and / or the composition of the passengers may be detected from images captured by the cameras in the camera group 107, and the purpose and purpose content items presented may be varied depending on the detected number and / or composition of passengers, for example, whether it is one person, a couple, friends of the same sex, a group of three or more people, or a family.

[0174] For example, when the number and / or composition of passengers detected is, for example, a passenger holding a crying baby, the system queries the purpose of the predetermined journey time with no determined destination, for example, to calm the baby, and in the case of a family trip, the system queries mainly the purpose of the journey, particularly the purpose with a known destination.

[0175] In addition, in order to detect the number and / or composition of passengers in the vehicle, in addition to the image captured by the camera, the voices of the passengers picked up through microphone 136, opening and closing sensors of the vehicle's doors (driver's door, passenger's door, rear seat door, etc.), and even seating sensors installed in the seats may be used.

[0176] The automobile in the above embodiment is an example of an electric automobile, and the driving source is only a battery, but in the case of a gasoline engine automobile or a diesel engine automobile, the driving source is not only a battery but also gasoline or diesel. In that case, when used for traveling, the remaining amount is not only detected as the battery remaining amount but also takes into account the remaining amount of fuel such as gasoline or diesel. Furthermore, the automobile according to the present invention may be a fuel cell vehicle, etc.

[0177] The automobile in the above-described embodiment is an autonomous vehicle capable of autonomous driving, but it goes without saying that the present invention can also be applied to automobiles that only have a manual driving mode, or automobiles that have both a manual driving mode and a mode capable of specific autonomous driving such as automatic tracking.

[0178] Furthermore, the present invention is applicable not only to ordinary cars and light cars, but also to trucks, buses, taxis, and single-person cars in the above-described embodiments. Of course, the car in the above-described embodiments may be an amphibious vehicle or an air-land vehicle (flying car). In the case of an amphibious vehicle or an air-land vehicle (flying car), a navigation purpose is added in addition to a driving purpose, and further, underwater photography, aerial photography, and the like can be selected as a purpose other than a driving purpose and a navigation purpose.

[0179] In addition, the automobile of the above embodiment may display or sound the currently provided use information, indicating whether the automobile is being provided for driving or for a use other than driving. In that case, the automobile may be provided with a display unit on a door or the like that is visible from the outside, or with a speaker that emits sound to the outside. The automobile may also transmit the currently provided use information to other automobiles that are driving, stopped, or parked in the vicinity using wireless communication, or may transmit the information to nearby smartphones. In that case, the automobile is provided with a means for wireless communication with other automobiles in the vicinity or nearby smartphones. Furthermore, the currently provided use information may be uploaded to the cloud through the wireless communication unit 124. By the notification or transmission of the currently provided use information, if the automobile is being provided for a use other than driving, it will not be driven, so there is no need to worry about sudden acceleration, and the safety of the automobile can be judged from the outside.

[0180] In addition, the automobile of the above embodiment can be configured to have a function of receiving emergency disaster notifications, such as emergency earthquake notifications (flash reports), tsunami advisories and warnings, river flooding advisories and warnings, landslide advisories and warnings, and volcanic eruption advisories and warnings, through the wireless communication unit 124, to respond to emergency disaster applications. In this case, when an emergency disaster notification is received, the emergency disaster application takes precedence over the use of the automobile, including the driving application and non-driving applications of the automobile. In the case of emergency disaster applications, the automobile determines whether the inside of the automobile is safe, whether it should be driven, and if it is driven, where and how to drive, as the application. Then, in the case of an automatic driving automobile, the automobile selects and executes the determined application by itself and presents it to the passenger. In the case of an automobile that is not an automatic driving automobile and has only a manual driving mode, the automobile presents the determined application to the passenger, and when driving, the automobile uses the car navigation function to guide the passenger to drive. This is performed not only when the passenger is in the automobile, but also after the passenger has gotten in the automobile, by interrupting the application being executed.

[0181] In emergency disaster applications, the automobile selects and executes the driving application, for example, in the case of an emergency earthquake report, not to drive (not to start), or to turn on the hazard lights, move to the shoulder of the road and stop (in the case of an automatic driving automobile), or to guide the automobile in that direction (in the case of a manually driven automobile). In addition, in the case of a tsunami warning, the car navigation function unit 113 selects and executes the driving application, for example, to set a destination to a place safe from tsunamis, such as high ground, as the destination, to drive (in the case of an automatic driving automobile), or to guide the automobile in that direction (in the case of a manually driven automobile). Furthermore, in the case of a landslide or volcanic eruption warning, the car navigation function unit 113 selects and executes the driving application, for example, to set a destination to a safe place not affected by debris flow, pyroclastic flow, or volcanic ash, as the destination, to drive (in the case of an automatic driving automobile), or to guide the automobile in that direction (in the case of a manually driven automobile).

[0182] As for uses other than driving in an emergency disaster, the vehicle will select and execute a purpose depending on the content of the received emergency disaster report, such as watching a television broadcast related to the emergency disaster using the television broadcast receiving function unit and listening to a radio broadcast related to the emergency disaster using the AM and FM radio broadcast receiving function unit.

[0183] Of course, in the case of disasters, the system can be used not only in emergency situations, but also in situations where disasters or damage continue for several days, such as typhoons, volcanic eruptions, and forest fires, in the same way as for emergency disaster use.

[0184] Furthermore, when the automobile receives an air pollution warning or alert for photochemical smog, yellow sand, PM2.5, etc., through the wireless communication unit 124, it selects and executes a driving purpose or a non-driving purpose in the same manner as in the above-described embodiment, but in order to avoid air pollution damage, it prohibits any purpose that requires opening the windows, and closes any open windows so that the windows cannot be opened. This is a similar measure to a sandstorm or dust storm, but it can be judged by image recognition from the camera group 107 without using the wireless communication unit 124 in the automobile. This also means that in the case of air pollution such as yellow sand, if it is severe, it can be judged by image recognition from the camera group 107 in the same manner. [Explanation of symbols]

[0185] 1...Autonomous driving vehicle, 10...Electronic control circuit section, 11...Battery, 101...Control section, 102...Motor drive control section, 104...Manual / automatic driving mode switching control section, 107...Camera group, 108...Sensor group, 110...Current position detection section, 111...Display section, 111D...Display screen, 112...Touch panel, 113...Car navigation function section, 114...Image recognition section, 115...Speech recognition section, 116...Application navigation function section, 117...AV entertainment function section, 118...Massage mechanism drive section, 119...History memory, 120...History analysis section, 121...Voice input / output section, 122...Clock section, 123...Battery remaining capacity detection section, 134...User image information storage section, 135...Speaker, 136...Microphone

Claims

1. An autonomous vehicle that drives autonomously, A driving purpose providing unit including a driving drive system that provides a driving purpose for the host vehicle; A non-driving purpose providing unit that provides purposes other than driving of the vehicle; A wireless communication means for performing wireless communication; an emergency disaster use execution means for executing an emergency disaster use, which is the driving use and / or the use other than the driving use, in response to the emergency disaster use notification when the emergency disaster use notification is received through the wireless communication means; An autonomous vehicle equipped with

2. The emergency disaster use has priority over the driving use and the non-driving use provided to the passenger as the use of the vehicle.

2. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 1 .

3. The emergency disaster use execution means selects and executes the driving use and / or the use other than driving of the emergency disaster use according to the report content of the received emergency disaster report.

3. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The emergency disaster application execution means determines whether or not the inside of the vehicle is safe as the emergency disaster application.

4. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 3.

5. The emergency disaster use execution means determines whether or not to drive and / or, if so, where to drive as the emergency disaster use.

4. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 3.

6. The emergency disaster use execution means executes the determined emergency disaster use and presents it to a passenger.

6. The autonomous vehicle according to claim 4 or 5.

7. When the received emergency disaster notification is an emergency earthquake notification, the emergency disaster application execution means executes moving to a road shoulder and stopping or parking as the driving application in the emergency disaster application. The autonomous vehicle according to any one of claims 3 to 6.

8. When the received emergency disaster notification is a tsunami notification, the emergency disaster application execution means executes, as the driving application in the emergency disaster application, driving to a place safe from a tsunami as a destination by a car navigation function unit. The autonomous vehicle according to any one of claims 3 to 7.

9. When the received emergency disaster notification is a warning of a landslide or a volcanic eruption, the emergency disaster application execution means executes, as the driving application in the emergency disaster application, driving to a safe place that is not affected by the mudslide or pyroclastic flow as a destination by a car navigation function unit. The autonomous vehicle according to any one of claims 3 to 8.

10. The emergency disaster use execution means executes a television broadcast viewing use for viewing an emergency disaster report or a radio broadcast listening use for listening to an emergency disaster report as the use other than driving in the emergency disaster use. The autonomous vehicle according to any one of claims 3 to 9.

11. The emergency disaster application execution means executes an application similar to the emergency disaster application not only in the event of an emergency disaster, but also when a disaster and / or damage occurs continuously for several days. The autonomous vehicle according to any one of claims 3 to 10.

12. When the non-driving use providing unit is activated, the driving use providing unit is not activated. The autonomous vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 11.

13. The vehicle is an amphibious vehicle, an air-land vehicle, or an air-land-water vehicle, The vehicle uses include a navigation purpose, or the vehicle has a navigation purpose in addition to the vehicle uses. The autonomous vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 12.

14. The vehicle is provided with a means for notifying an outside party whether the vehicle is providing the driving purpose or the purpose other than the driving purpose. The autonomous vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. The vehicle is provided with a means for transmitting, to the outside, by using the wireless communication means, whether the vehicle is providing the driving purpose or the non-driving purpose, and / or a means for uploading the information to a cloud via the wireless communication means. The autonomous vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. The non-driving uses provided by the non-driving use providing unit are at least one of AV entertainment uses, gaming uses, massage uses, makeup uses, sleeping or resting uses, eating and drinking uses, reading uses, and working or studying uses. The autonomous vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 15.

17. According to a predetermined use other than the driving use, the environment inside the vehicle is set to be suitable for the predetermined use.

17. The autonomous vehicle of claim 16.

18. According to the predetermined purpose other than the driving purpose, a server on the Internet is accessed via the wireless communication means.

18. An autonomous vehicle according to claim 16 or 17.

19. a battery remaining amount detection means for detecting a remaining amount of a battery and / or fuel of the vehicle; The available time for a predetermined purpose other than the driving purpose is notified according to the remaining amount of the battery and / or fuel detected by the battery remaining amount detection means. The autonomous vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 18.

20. a battery remaining amount detection means for detecting a remaining amount of a battery and / or fuel of the vehicle; A predetermined purpose is presented from among the driving purpose and the non-driving purpose according to the remaining amount of the battery and / or fuel detected by the battery remaining amount detection means. The autonomous vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 19.

21. a battery remaining amount detection means for detecting a remaining amount of a battery and / or fuel of the vehicle; A recommended driving route is presented as the driving purpose according to the remaining amount of the battery and / or fuel detected by the battery remaining amount detection means. The autonomous vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 20.

22. A battery remaining capacity detection means is provided for detecting a remaining capacity of the battery of the vehicle; When the battery remaining capacity detection means detects that the remaining capacity of the battery is insufficient, the user is informed that the battery should be charged while the vehicle is stopped. The autonomous vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 21.

23. When an air pollution warning or alert, including photochemical smog, yellow sand, and PM2.5, is received using the wireless communication means, any use that requires opening the vehicle windows is prohibited. The autonomous vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 22.

24. When a warning or alert for air pollution including photochemical smog, yellow sand, and PM2.5 is received using the wireless communication means, the windows of the vehicle are closed. The autonomous vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 23.

25. Equipped with a camera that captures images outside the vehicle, If air pollution including sandstorms, dust storms, or yellow sand is detected through image recognition of images captured by the camera, applications that require opening the vehicle windows are prohibited. The autonomous vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 24.

26. Equipped with a camera that captures images outside the vehicle, By performing image recognition on the image captured by the camera, if it is determined that there is a sandstorm, a dust storm, or air pollution including yellow sand, the vehicle's windows are closed. The autonomous vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 25.

27. Equipped with a means for notifying the outside of the usage information being provided by the vehicle The autonomous vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 26.

28. The vehicle is provided with a means for transmitting the usage information being provided by the vehicle to the outside using the wireless communication means and / or a means for uploading the usage information to a cloud via the wireless communication means. The autonomous vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 27.

29. A driving purpose providing unit including a driving drive system that provides a driving purpose for the host vehicle; A non-driving purpose providing unit that provides purposes other than driving of the vehicle; A wireless communication means for performing wireless communication; A computer equipped in an autonomous vehicle that drives autonomously, an emergency disaster application execution means for executing an emergency disaster application, which is the driving application and / or the application other than the driving application, in response to an emergency disaster notification when the emergency disaster notification is received via the wireless communication means; A program for self-driving cars to function as a

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