Presentation control device and presentation control program

Abstract

To provide a presentation control device etc. that does not give anxiety to a driver when driving in a traffic jam by an automatic driving function.SOLUTION: An HCU is used in a vehicle having an automatic driving function, and has a function of a presentation control device which controls a presentation of information to a driver. The HCU determines whether or not there is a traffic jam in an automatic driving period in which the vehicle travels by the automatic driving function, and the HCU detects a sign of interruption by an adjacent vehicle adjacent to the vehicle when the HCU determines that the vehicle is in the traffic jam. Then, when the sign of interruption by the adjacent vehicle is detected, a display of moving image content CTV provided during the automatic driving period is restricted.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The disclosure of this specification relates to a presentation control device and a presentation control program that control the presentation of information to a driver of a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] The vehicle control device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a traffic congestion determination unit that determines that a traffic congestion has occurred, and an automatic driving start determination unit that starts automatic driving when the length of the traffic congestion section is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2005-324661 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As in Patent Document 1, it is being considered to permit the provision of contents and the like to the driver during the period when the vehicle is automatically driven by the automatic driving function. However, if the driver's attention is directed to the contents and the like, a situation where the driver feels uneasy is likely to occur. For example, when driving in a traffic jam, other vehicles often cut in. If such cut-in by other vehicles in a traffic jam occurs while the vehicle is driving by the automatic driving function, it could be a cause of anxiety for the driver.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide a presentation control device and a presentation control program that are less likely to cause anxiety to a driver when driving in a traffic jam using an autonomous driving function. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, one disclosed embodiment is a presentation control device that is used in a vehicle (Am) equipped with an automatic driving function and controls the presentation of information to the driver of the vehicle, and includes a congestion determination unit (72) that determines whether or not the vehicle is in a traffic jam during an automatic driving period in which the vehicle is driving by the automatic driving function, an interruption prediction unit (73) that detects signs of an adjacent vehicle (Ad) adjacent to the vehicle, which is the vehicle, attempting to cut in when the congestion determination unit determines that the vehicle is in a traffic jam, an interruption determination unit (74) that determines whether or not the adjacent vehicle has cut in, and a provision restriction unit (77) that restricts the display of content (CTV) provided during the automatic driving period when the interruption prediction unit detects signs of an adjacent vehicle cutting in, and the provision restriction unit is a presentation control device that restricts the display of content when the interruption determination unit determines that the adjacent vehicle is cutting in more than when the interruption prediction unit detects signs of an adjacent vehicle cutting in.

[0007] Also, one disclosed aspect is a presentation control program used in a vehicle (Am) equipped with an automatic driving function, which controls the presentation of information to the driver of the vehicle, and causes at least one processing unit (11) to execute processing including: determining whether or not there is a traffic jam during an automatic driving period in which the vehicle is driving by the automatic driving function (S122, S222); if it is determined that there is a traffic jam, determining whether or not an adjacent vehicle (Ad) adjacent to the vehicle is cutting in (S123, S224); detecting signs that the adjacent vehicle is about to cut in (S124, S225); if signs that the adjacent vehicle is about to cut in are detected, restricting the display of content (CTV) provided during the automatic driving period; and if it is determined that the adjacent vehicle is cutting in, restricting the display of the content more than when signs that the adjacent vehicle is about to cut in are detected (S128-S130, S230-S232).

[0008] In these aspects, when the vehicle is traveling in a traffic jam using the autonomous driving function, if a sign of an adjacent vehicle cutting in is detected, the display of the content provided to the driver is restricted. Therefore, the driver is notified of the prediction of the adjacent vehicle cutting in by a change in the display of the content being provided. With such a notification, the driver is less likely to feel uneasy when traveling in a traffic jam using the autonomous driving function.

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[0024] The reference numbers in parentheses above and in the claims merely indicate an example of a corresponding relationship with a specific configuration in an embodiment described later, and do not limit the technical scope in any way. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1]1 is a diagram showing an overall view of an in-vehicle network including an HCU according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an interface layout around the driver's seat. [Diagram 3] 2 is a diagram showing an example of a functional unit constructed in an HCU together with related configurations. FIG. [Figure 4] 2 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a congestion pattern A determined by a congestion determination unit. FIG. [Diagram 5] 10 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a congestion pattern B determined by a congestion determination unit. FIG. [Figure 6] 10 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a congestion pattern C determined by a congestion determination unit. FIG. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic diagram of a congestion pattern D determined by a congestion determination unit. FIG. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing details of a congestion determination process for determining a congestion pattern. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display in a second task mode during an autonomous driving period. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display in a second task mode including a notification of interruptibility. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display in a second task mode including a notification of a predicted interrupt; [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display in the second task mode including a notification that an interrupt has occurred. [Figure 13] 13 is a flowchart showing details of a content control process for adjusting restrictions on entertainment content display in the second task mode. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display in a second task mode including a notification in the case where a driver has performed a second task that is not permitted. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart showing details of a range control process for controlling an allowable range of a second task. [Figure 16]13 is a diagram showing details of a state monitoring process for monitoring a driver's state based on an allowable range of a second task. FIG. [Figure 17] 13 is a diagram showing an example of a functional unit constructed in an HCU of a second embodiment together with related configurations. FIG. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating an example of a congestion pattern E. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating another example of congestion pattern E. [Figure 20] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a congestion pattern F. [Figure 21] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating another example of congestion pattern F. [Figure 22] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a congestion pattern G. [Diagram 23] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating another example of congestion pattern G. [Figure 24] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of congestion pattern H. [Diagram 25] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a congestion pattern J. [Figure 26] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating another example of congestion pattern J. [Figure 27] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating another example of congestion pattern D. [Figure 28] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a scene in which display of content is not restricted. [Figure 29] 31 is a flowchart showing details of the congestion determination process together with FIG. 30. [Diagram 30] 30 is a flowchart showing details of the congestion determination process together with FIG. 29. [Diagram 31] 13 is a diagram showing a list of the relationship between the level of risk to other vehicles in each congestion pattern and the degree of restriction on the second task. FIG. [Diagram 32] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display in a second task mode including nearby vehicle notification. [Diagram 33] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a display in a second task mode including a rear vehicle notification. [Diagram 34]10 is a flowchart showing details of a content control process. [Diagram 35] 10 is a flowchart showing details of a range control process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0026] Hereinafter, multiple embodiments of the present disclosure will be described based on the drawings. In addition, by assigning the same reference numerals to corresponding components in each embodiment, duplicated descriptions may be omitted. When only a part of the configuration is described in each embodiment, the configuration of the other embodiment described above can be applied to the other parts of the configuration. In addition to the combination of configurations explicitly stated in the description of each embodiment, configurations of multiple embodiments can be partially combined even if not explicitly stated, as long as there is no particular problem with the combination. And, combinations of configurations described in multiple embodiments and modified examples that are not explicitly stated are also considered to be disclosed by the following description.

[0027] First embodiment The functions of the presentation control device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure are realized by an HCU (Human Machine Interface Control Unit) 100 shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1 to Fig. 3, the HCU 100 configures an HMI (Human Machine Interface) system used in a vehicle Am together with a plurality of display devices, an audio device 24, an operation device 26, etc. The HMI system has an input interface function that accepts operations by an occupant (e.g., the driver) of the vehicle Am, and an output interface function that presents information to the driver.

[0028] The HCU 100 is communicatively connected to a communication bus 99 of an in-vehicle network 1 mounted on a vehicle Am. The HCU 100 is one of a plurality of nodes provided in the in-vehicle network 1. A driver monitor 29, a surroundings monitoring sensor 30, a locator 35, a navigation (electronic control unit) ECU 38, a driving control ECU 40, a driving assistance ECU 50a, and an automatic driving ECU 50b are connected to the communication bus 99. These nodes connected to the communication bus 99 of the in-vehicle network 1 can communicate with each other. Specific nodes among these devices and ECUs may be directly electrically connected to each other and can communicate with each other without going through the communication bus 99.

[0029] The driver monitor 29 includes a near-infrared light source, a near-infrared camera, and a control unit for controlling them. The driver monitor 29 is installed, for example, on the upper surface of the steering column or the upper surface of the instrument panel 9 with the near-infrared camera facing the headrest of the driver's seat. The near-infrared camera is configured integrally with the meter display 21 or the center information display (hereinafter, CID) 22 described later, and may be provided on either screen.

[0030] The driver monitor 29 uses a near-infrared camera to capture an image of the driver's head illuminated with near-infrared light from a near-infrared light source. The image captured by the near-infrared camera is analyzed by a control unit. The control unit extracts information such as the position and line of sight of the driver from the captured image, and provides the extracted driver's state information to the HCU 100 and the like via a communication bus 99.

[0031] The periphery monitoring sensor 30 is an autonomous sensor that monitors the environment around the vehicle Am. The periphery monitoring sensor 30 can detect predefined moving objects and stationary objects within a detection range around the vehicle. The periphery monitoring sensor 30 can at least detect a vehicle ahead (see vehicle ahead Af in FIG. 4), a vehicle behind, and vehicles on the front and rear sides (see adjacent vehicle Ad in FIG. 4), etc., traveling around the vehicle. The periphery monitoring sensor 30 provides detection information of objects around the vehicle to the driving assistance ECU 50a, the autonomous driving ECU 50b, etc. via a communication bus 99.

[0032] The perimeter monitoring sensor 30 includes, for example, a camera unit 31 and a millimeter wave radar 32. The camera unit 31 may be configured to include a monocular camera or may be configured to include a compound eye camera. The camera unit 31 is mounted on the vehicle Am so as to be able to capture the front range, side range, rear range, etc. of the vehicle Am. The camera unit 31 outputs at least one of the imaging data capturing the surroundings of the vehicle and the analysis result of the imaging data as detection information. The millimeter wave radar 32 irradiates millimeter waves or quasi-millimeter waves toward the surroundings of the vehicle. The millimeter wave radar 32 outputs detection information generated by a process of receiving reflected waves reflected by moving objects, stationary objects, etc. The perimeter monitoring sensor 30 may further include a detection configuration such as a lidar and a sonar.

[0033] Locator 35 includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver, an inertial sensor, etc. Locator 35 sequentially determines the position and traveling direction of vehicle Am by combining the positioning signal received by the GNSS receiver, the measurement results of the inertial sensor, and the vehicle speed information output to communication bus 99. Locator 35 sequentially outputs position information and direction information of vehicle Am based on the positioning results to communication bus 99 as locator information.

[0034] Locator 35 further includes map database 36. Map database 36 is mainly composed of a large-capacity storage medium storing a large amount of three-dimensional map data and two-dimensional map data. The three-dimensional map data is so-called high-precision map data, and includes information necessary for advanced driving assistance and automated driving, such as three-dimensional shape information of roads and detailed information on each lane. Locator 35 reads map data of the area around the current position from map database 36, and provides it to driving assistance ECU 50a, automated driving ECU 50b, etc., together with locator information.

[0035] The navigation ECU 38 grasps the current position of the vehicle Am based on locator information acquired from the locator 35. The navigation ECU 38 sets a route from the current position to a destination set by the driver or the like. The navigation ECU 38 provides route information indicating the set route to the destination to the HCU 100. The navigation ECU 38 cooperates with the HMI system to provide route guidance to the destination by combining screen displays and voice messages, etc., and notifies the driver of the traveling direction of the vehicle Am at intersections, branching points, etc.

[0036] A user terminal such as a smartphone may be connected to the in-vehicle network 1 or the HCU 100. Such a user terminal may provide location information, direction information, map data, and the like to the driving assistance ECU 50a and the automatic driving ECU 50b instead of the locator 35. The user terminal may also provide route information to the destination to the HCU 100 instead of the navigation ECU 38. In detail, a route to the destination is set in an application executed on the user terminal based on a user operation such as a driver. The user terminal can guide the traveling direction of the vehicle Am at intersections, branch points, and the like by combining screen display and voice messages. The user terminal can provide route information to the destination set in the application to the HCU 100.

[0037] The driving control ECU 40 is an electronic control device mainly including a microcontroller. The driving control ECU 40 has at least the functions of a brake control ECU, a drive control ECU, and a steering control ECU. The driving control ECU 40 continuously performs brake force control for each wheel, output control of the in-vehicle power source, and steering angle control based on one of an operation command based on the driver's driving operation, a control command from the driving assistance ECU 50a, and a control command from the automatic driving ECU 50b. In addition, the driving control ECU 40 generates vehicle speed information indicating the current driving speed of the vehicle Am based on the detection signal of the wheel speed sensor 41 provided at the hub portion of each wheel, and outputs the vehicle speed information to the communication bus 99 sequentially.

[0038] The driving assistance ECU 50a and the automatic driving ECU 50b are mounted on the vehicle Am as in-vehicle ECUs that configure the automatic driving system 50. By mounting the automatic driving system 50, the vehicle Am becomes an automatic driving vehicle equipped with an automatic driving function.

[0039] The driving assistance ECU 50a is an in-vehicle ECU that realizes a driving assistance function that assists the driver in driving operations. The driving assistance ECU 50a enables advanced driving assistance or partial automated driving control at about level 2 in the automated driving level defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers. The driving assistance ECU 50a is a computer that mainly includes a control circuit equipped with a processing unit, RAM, a storage unit, an input / output interface, and a bus connecting these. The driving assistance ECU 50a has multiple functional units that realize advanced driving assistance by executing a program by the processing unit. Specifically, the driving assistance ECU 50a has an ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) functional unit, an LTA (Lane Tracing Assist) functional unit, and an LCA (Lane Change Assist) functional unit.

[0040] The autonomous driving ECU 50b is an in-vehicle ECU that realizes an autonomous driving function that can take over the driving operation of the driver. The autonomous driving ECU 50b enables autonomous driving of level 3 or higher, in which the system is the control subject, only within a pre-set operational design domain (ODD). The autonomous driving control by the autonomous driving ECU 50b complies with the laws and regulations of the country or region in which the vehicle Am is used, and enables eyes-off autonomous driving that does not require the driver to visually monitor the surroundings of the vehicle. The autonomous driving ECU 50b can implement area-limited level 3 autonomous driving that allows level 3 autonomous driving within a specific autonomous driving area, and traffic jam level 3 autonomous driving that allows level 3 autonomous driving when driving in a traffic jam. The autonomous driving ECU 50b may be capable of realizing an autonomous driving function of level 4 or higher.

[0041] The autonomous driving ECU 50b is a computer mainly including a processing unit 51, a RAM 52, a storage unit 53, an input / output interface 54, and a control circuit including a bus connecting these units. The autonomous driving ECU 50b has a higher computing capacity than the driving assistance ECU 50a and can at least perform driving control equivalent to ACC, LTA, and LCA. The autonomous driving ECU 50b has an environment recognition unit 61, an action determination unit 62, and an operation execution unit 63 as multiple functional units that realize autonomous driving of the vehicle Am by executing a program by the processing unit 51.

[0042] The environment recognition unit 61 recognizes the driving environment of the vehicle Am based on the locator information and map data acquired from the locator 35 and the detection information acquired from the perimeter monitoring sensor 30. Specifically, the environment recognition unit 61 grasps the position of the host vehicle lane in which the host vehicle is driving among multiple lanes, the lane shape of the host vehicle lane, and the relative positions and relative speeds of other vehicles around the host vehicle. The position of the host vehicle lane may be specified by the locator 35. The recognition result of the driving environment by the environment recognition unit 61 is provided to the HCU 100 as recognition information.

[0043] The behavior determination unit 62 generates a planned driving line along which the vehicle Am will travel, based on the driving environment recognition result by the environment recognition unit 61. The behavior determination unit 62 sequentially generates an optimal planned driving line for heading to the destination, based on the route information generated by the navigation ECU 38. For example, when a branch point for leaving the main road is on the set route, the behavior determination unit 62 generates a planned driving line such that a lane change is made toward a lane on the route at the branch point (hereinafter, route lane Lnr, see FIG. 7).

[0044] The operation execution unit 63, in cooperation with the cruise control ECU 40, executes acceleration / deceleration control, steering control, and the like of the vehicle Am in accordance with the planned driving line generated by the action determination unit 62. Specifically, the operation execution unit 63 generates control commands based on the planned driving line and outputs them to the cruise control ECU 40 one after another.

[0045] Next, the multiple display devices, the audio device 24, the operation device 26, and the HCU 100 included in the HMI system will be described in detail in turn.

[0046] The multiple display devices include a meter display 21, a CID 22, a head-up display (hereinafter, HUD) 23, and the like. The multiple display devices may further include displays EMB, EML, and EMR of the electronic mirror system (see FIG. 2). The meter display 21, the CID 22, and the HUD 23 present information to the driver through his / her vision.

[0047] The meter display 21 and the CID 22 are mainly configured to include, for example, a liquid crystal display or an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display. The meter display 21 and the CID 22 display various images on the display screen based on the control signal and video data acquired from the HCU 100. The meter display 21 is installed, for example, in front of the driver's seat. The CID 22 is installed in the center of the instrument panel 9. As an example, the CID 22 is a vertically long display of 10 inches or more. The display screen of the CID 22 may be curved. Furthermore, the display screen of the CID 22 may be continuous with the display screen of the meter display 21. The CID 22 has a function of a touch panel and detects, for example, a touch operation on the display screen by the driver or the like, specifically, an operation such as tapping, flicking, pinching, and swiping.

[0048] Based on the control signal and video data acquired from the HCU 100, the HUD 23 projects the light of the image formed in front of the driver onto a projection area PA defined on the windshield WS or the like. The light of the image reflected by the windshield WS into the interior of the vehicle is perceived by the driver sitting in the driver's seat. In this way, the HUD 23 displays a virtual image in the space in front of the projection area PA. The driver visually recognizes the virtual image within the angle of view VA displayed by the HUD 23 superimposed on the foreground of the vehicle Am.

[0049] The audio device 24 has a plurality of speakers arranged in the vehicle cabin so as to surround the driver's seat. The audio device 24 reproduces, in the vehicle cabin, notification sounds, voice messages, etc., through the speakers based on control signals and voice data acquired from the HCU 100. The audio device 24 presents information to the driver through his / her sense of hearing.

[0050] The operation device 26 is an input unit that accepts user operations by the driver, etc. User operations related to, for example, activation and deactivation of an autonomous driving function are input to the operation device 26. The operation device 26 includes a steering switch provided on the spokes of the steering wheel, an operation lever provided on the steering column, and a voice input device that recognizes the contents of the driver's speech.

[0051] The HCU 100 is an in-vehicle computer that controls the meter display 21, the CID 22, the HUD 23, and the audio device 24 in the HMI system. The HCU 100 functions as a presentation control device that comprehensively manages the presentation of information to the driver. The HCU 100 mainly includes a control circuit that includes a processing unit 11, a RAM 12, a storage unit 13, an input / output interface 14, and a bus connecting these.

[0052] The processing unit 11 is hardware for arithmetic processing coupled to the RAM 12. The processing unit 11 includes at least one arithmetic core such as a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphics processing unit (GPU). The processing unit 11 may further include a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a neural network processing unit (NPU), and an IP core having other dedicated functions. The RAM 12 may include a video RAM for generating video data. The processing unit 11 accesses the RAM 12 to execute various processes for realizing the presentation control method of the present disclosure. The storage unit 13 includes a non-volatile storage medium. The storage unit 13 stores various programs (such as a presentation control program) executed by the processing unit 11.

[0053] The HCU 100 has a plurality of functional units that execute a presentation control program stored in the storage unit 13 by the processing unit 11 to integrally control the presentation of information to the driver using each display device and the audio device 24. Specifically, the HCU 100 has functional units such as an information acquisition unit 71 and a provision control unit 77.

[0054] The information acquisition unit 71 acquires vehicle information indicating the state of the vehicle Am from the communication bus 99. The vehicle information includes, for example, vehicle speed information, status information indicating the state of the automatic driving function, and recognition information obtained by the environment recognition unit 61 regarding the driving environment around the vehicle. The information acquisition unit 71 acquires operation information indicating the content of a user operation from the CID 22, the operation device 26, etc. The information acquisition unit 71 acquires driver's state information from the driver monitor 29.

[0055] In addition, the information acquisition unit 71 acquires locator information, map data, route information, etc., which are necessary for generating the navigation map MP (see FIG. 9, etc.). Note that the video data of the navigation map MP may be generated at a predetermined resolution by the navigation ECU 38 and provided to the information acquisition unit 71.

[0056] The information acquisition unit 71 also acquires content data (video files, etc.) necessary for entertainment-related display, such as video content CTV (see FIG. 9, etc.). The content data is provided to the information acquisition unit 71 by a TV tuner mounted on the vehicle Am, an external medium electrically connected to the HCU 100, and a user terminal, such as a smartphone, paired with the HCU 100.

[0057] The provision control unit 77 performs integrated control of the provision of information to the driver using each display device and the audio device 24. The provision control unit 77 can change the display size and display layout of each content to be displayed on each display device according to the priority set for each content. As an example, the provision control unit 77 increases the display size or displays the content at the front of the screen as the content has a higher priority.

[0058] Specifically, the provision control unit 77 has an arbitration function for arbitrating information to be presented to the driver, and a data generation function for generating video data and audio data based on the arbitration result. As the arbitration function, the provision control unit 77 sets the above-mentioned priority for each content that is a candidate for provision based on various acquired information acquired by the information acquisition unit 71. The provision control unit 77 selects the content that is determined to have a high priority as the content to be provided to the driver. As the data generation function, the provision control unit 77 generates control signals and video data to be provided to each display device and control signals and audio data to be provided to the audio device 24 based on the content selection result. The provision control unit 77 sequentially outputs the generated control signals, video data, audio data, etc. to each presentation device.

[0059] The autonomous driving ECU 50b and HCU 100 described above temporarily permit the driver to perform actions other than driving. To explain in detail, during the autonomous driving period in which the vehicle Am is autonomously driven by the level 3 autonomous driving function of the autonomous driving ECU 50b, the driver may be permitted to perform actions other than driving, which are specific actions that are specified in advance (hereinafter, second tasks). In this case, the driver is a person (passenger) who takes over the control of driving from the autonomous driving system 50 when leaving a limited area or in an emergency. The driver may be legally permitted to perform the second task until a request to perform driving operations by the autonomous driving system 50, i.e., a request to take over driving (Take Over Request) occurs.

[0060] The second task may be called a secondary activity or other activity. The second task must not prevent the driver from responding to a request to take over driving operations from the automated driving system 50. For example, viewing entertainment content such as video content CTV (see FIG. 9), operating a smartphone, and eating are considered as second tasks.

[0061] When the driver is performing the second task, the driver's attention is away from driving operations. Therefore, while the second task is being performed, the driver is likely to feel uneasy about the behavior change caused by the automatic driving by the automatic driving ECU 50b. As an example, when the vehicle Am is traveling in a traffic jam, other vehicles frequently cut in depending on the traffic jam conditions. In such a scene, even if the automatic driving function is operating normally, the driver may feel uneasy about the behavior change of the vehicle Am corresponding to the cut in of other vehicles.

[0062] In the HCU 100, a plurality of functional units that manage the execution of the driver's second task during automatic driving in a congested section are further constructed based on the presentation control program. Specifically, the HCU 100 further includes a traffic jam determination unit 72, an interruption prediction unit 73, an interruption determination unit 74, and an integrated state estimation unit 75.

[0063] The traffic jam determination unit 72 determines whether or not the vehicle Am is in a traffic jam during an automatic driving period in which the vehicle Am is driving by the automatic driving function. The traffic jam determination unit 72 determines whether or not the vehicle Am (hereinafter also referred to as the vehicle itself) is caught in a traffic jam based on the vehicle speed information, map data, route information, and vehicle surroundings recognition information acquired by the information acquisition unit 71. As an example, the traffic jam determination unit 72 determines that the vehicle Am is in a traffic jam when the traveling speed of the vehicle itself is equal to or lower than a predetermined traffic jam determination threshold (e.g., 10 km / h) and a preceding vehicle Af is present in front of the vehicle itself. The preceding vehicle Af is another vehicle ahead of the vehicle that the vehicle itself follows while maintaining a reasonable inter-vehicle distance (e.g., several meters to several tens of meters) during a traffic jam. After determining that the vehicle is in a traffic jam, the traffic jam determination unit 72 determines that the traffic jam has been resolved when the traveling speed of the vehicle itself exceeds a predetermined traffic jam resolution threshold (e.g., 50 km / h).

[0064] In addition, when it is determined that the surroundings of the own vehicle are congested, the traffic congestion determination unit 72 further determines the traffic congestion pattern around the own vehicle. The traffic congestion determination unit 72 specifies the traffic congestion pattern to which the current traffic congestion around the own vehicle corresponds, from among preset traffic congestion patterns A to D (see Figs. 4 to 7).

[0065] The congestion pattern A shown in FIG. 4 is based on the premise that the vehicle is traveling in the center lane Ln2 on a road that includes three or more lanes. The center lane Ln2 is a lane excluding the right-most lane Ln3 and the left-most lane Ln1. There may be multiple center lanes Ln2 on the road. The congestion pattern A is a congestion pattern in which other vehicles are present in front of and on both sides of the vehicle traveling in the center lane Ln2. The congestion determination unit 72 determines that the congestion is of pattern A when the traveling speed of the vehicle is equal to or lower than the congestion determination threshold and the preceding vehicle Af and adjacent vehicles Ad on the left and right are all detected.

[0066] The detection range for determining the presence or absence of the adjacent vehicle Ad may include not only the sides of the vehicle, but also small areas (e.g., about 5 m) in front and behind the vehicle. Furthermore, the detection range for the adjacent vehicle Ad may be constant or may be adjusted according to the vehicle's traveling speed.

[0067] 5 is based on the premise that the vehicle is traveling in the rightmost lane Ln3 or the leftmost lane Ln1 on a road including multiple lanes. The traffic jam pattern B is a traffic jam pattern in which a preceding vehicle Af is present in front of the vehicle, and an adjacent vehicle Ad is present in the adjacent center lane Ln2. The traffic jam determination unit 72 determines that the traffic jam is of pattern B when the traveling speed of the vehicle is equal to or less than the traffic jam determination threshold, and both the preceding vehicle Af and the adjacent vehicle Ad are detected.

[0068] 6 is a congestion pattern in which only the host vehicle lane in which the host vehicle is traveling is congested among multiple lanes. The congestion determination unit 72 determines that the congestion is pattern C when the traveling speed of the host vehicle is equal to or less than the congestion determination threshold, a preceding vehicle Af is detected, and an adjacent vehicle Ad is not detected.

[0069] 7 is a congestion pattern in which only the route lane Lnr (see dot range) specified based on the route information is congested. The congestion determination unit 72 determines that the congestion is pattern D when the traveling speed of the host vehicle is equal to or lower than the congestion determination threshold and a leading vehicle Af is detected ahead of the host vehicle traveling in the route lane Lnr.

[0070] Details of the traffic congestion determination process performed by the traffic congestion determination unit 72 will be described below based on Fig. 8 and with reference to Figs. 4 to 7. The traffic congestion determination unit 72 starts the traffic congestion determination process based on acquisition of status information indicating the start of automatic driving by the automatic driving ECU 50b. The traffic congestion determination unit 72 starts the traffic congestion determination process repeatedly at a predetermined cycle until the automatic driving by the automatic driving ECU 50b ends.

[0071] In S101, it is determined whether the traveling speed of the vehicle is equal to or less than the congestion judgment threshold based on the latest vehicle speed information. If it is determined in S101 that the traveling speed exceeds the congestion judgment threshold, the process proceeds to S102. In S102, it is determined that the surroundings of the vehicle are not in a congestion state (non-congestion judgment), and the current congestion judgment process is terminated.

[0072] On the other hand, if it is determined in S102 that the traveling speed is equal to or lower than the congestion judgment threshold, the process proceeds to S103. In S103, it is determined whether or not there is a preceding vehicle Af traveling ahead of the host vehicle. If it is determined in S103 that the preceding vehicle Af has not been detected, the process proceeds to S102, where a non-congestion judgment is made. On the other hand, if it is determined in S103 that the preceding vehicle Af has been detected, the process proceeds to S104.

[0073] In S104, it is determined whether or not there is an adjacent vehicle Ad. If it is determined in S104 that adjacent vehicles Ad have been detected in all adjacent lanes, the process proceeds to S105. In S105, it is determined that there is congestion around the vehicle (congestion determination), and the congestion pattern is determined, and the process proceeds to S109. In S105, it is determined that the congestion pattern is either congestion pattern A or congestion pattern B, depending on the position of the vehicle's lane.

[0074] If it is determined in S104 that there is an adjacent lane in which an adjacent vehicle Ad is not detected, the process proceeds to S106. In S106, it is determined whether the vehicle lane is the route lane Lnr based on the route information. If it is determined in S106 that the vehicle lane in which the vehicle is traveling is not the route lane Lnr, the process proceeds to S107. In S107, it is determined that the vehicle lane is congested and that the vehicle is congested according to congestion pattern C, and the process proceeds to S109.

[0075] On the other hand, if the vehicle lane is the route lane Lnr and it is determined in S106 that the route lane Lnr is congested, the process proceeds to S108. In S108, it is determined that the route lane Lnr is congested according to congestion pattern D, and the process proceeds to S109.

[0076] In S109, it is determined whether the traveling speed of the vehicle exceeds the congestion resolution threshold based on the latest vehicle speed information. If it is determined in S109 that the traveling speed is equal to or less than the congestion resolution threshold, the process returns to S104. On the other hand, if it is determined in S109 that the traveling speed exceeds the congestion resolution threshold, the current congestion determination process is terminated.

[0077] The cut-in prediction unit 73 shown in FIG. 3 predicts the occurrence of cutting in by detecting a sign that the adjacent vehicle Ad will cut in ahead of the vehicle. As an example, the cut-in prediction unit 73 determines whether or not the turn indicator (blinker) of the adjacent vehicle Ad on the vehicle's lane side is blinking based on the recognition information of the environment recognition unit 61 or the analysis result of the image data of the camera unit 31. When the turn indicator of the adjacent vehicle Ad on the vehicle's lane side is blinking, the cut-in prediction unit 73 detects the operation of the turn indicator as a sign of cutting in. As another example, the cut-in prediction unit 73 may obtain detection information of another vehicle in the adjacent lane by a blind spot monitor. In this case, the approach of the adjacent vehicle Ad that is at a speed different from the vehicle is detected as a sign of cutting in ahead of the vehicle.

[0078] The cut-in prediction unit 73 may also detect a lateral movement of the adjacent vehicle Ad offset within the lane toward the dividing line between the adjacent lane and the own vehicle lane as a sign of the adjacent vehicle Ad cutting in. Furthermore, if the adjacent vehicle Ad is equipped with an automatic driving function, the cut-in prediction unit 73 may obtain the planned driving line of the adjacent vehicle Ad through vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the adjacent vehicle Ad. In this case, the cut-in prediction unit 73 can detect a sign of the adjacent vehicle Ad cutting in from the planned driving line of the adjacent vehicle Ad that is planning to change lanes into the own vehicle lane.

[0079] The cut-in determination unit 74 determines whether or not the adjacent vehicle Ad has actually cut in ahead of the vehicle. As an example, the cut-in determination unit 74 determines whether or not the adjacent vehicle Ad has entered the vehicle lane based on the recognition result by the environment recognition unit 61 or the analysis result of the image data of the camera unit 31. The cut-in determination unit 74 determines that the adjacent vehicle Ad has cut in when at least a part of the adjacent vehicle Ad has crossed the dividing line between the adjacent lane and the vehicle lane and entered the vehicle lane. In addition, the cut-in determination unit 74 may determine that the adjacent vehicle Ad is cutting in when the lateral movement speed of the adjacent vehicle Ad heading toward the vehicle lane exceeds a predetermined speed.

[0080] Here, some or all of the traffic congestion determination process by the traffic congestion determination unit 72, the cut-in prediction process based on the sign detection by the cut-in prediction unit 73, and the cut-in determination process by the cut-in determination unit 74 may be performed by the automatic driving system 50. In this embodiment, the traffic congestion determination unit 72, the cut-in prediction unit 73, and the cut-in determination unit 74 cooperate with the information acquisition unit 71 to acquire information indicating the processing result of the automatic driving system 50. That is, the traffic congestion determination unit 72 determines whether or not there is a traffic jam based on the information acquired from the automatic driving system 50 during the automatic driving period. Similarly, the cut-in prediction unit 73 detects a sign of an adjacent vehicle Ad cutting in based on the information acquired from the automatic driving system 50. Also, the cut-in determination unit 74 determines whether or not the adjacent vehicle Ad has cut in based on the information acquired from the automatic driving system 50.

[0081] The integrated state estimation unit 75 acquires the driver's state information generated by the driver monitor 29 from the information acquisition unit 71. The integrated state estimation unit 75 determines the type of the second task being performed by the driver at least during the autonomous driving period. Specifically, the integrated state estimation unit 75 identifies the second task currently being performed by the driver from among a plurality of types of second tasks assumed in advance.

[0082] For example, watching content such as movies and audiobooks, watching television, using a smartphone, and other actions (eating, etc.) are assumed in advance as second tasks. The integrated state estimation unit 75 refers to content playback information by the provision control unit 77 and operation information transmitted from a smartphone or the like, and combines it with state information from the driver monitor 29 to select the second task being performed. The integrated state estimation unit 75 may be capable of estimating the second task being performed by the driver from an image captured by a near-infrared camera, for example, by using a determiner (determination logic) generated by machine learning or the like.

[0083] The process of identifying the second task performed by the driver may be performed by the driver monitor 29. In this embodiment, the integrated state estimation unit 75 acquires information indicating the type of the second task generated by the driver monitor 29 via the communication bus 99 and the information acquisition unit 71.

[0084] The provision control unit 77 controls the method of providing video content CTV (see FIG. 9) and the like provided in association with the second task during the autonomous driving period in which the execution of the second task is permitted, according to the driving environment of the vehicle. When the traffic congestion determination unit 72 determines that there is traffic congestion around the vehicle, the provision control unit 77 restricts the provision of entertainment content and the like by the CID 22, according to the traffic congestion pattern and the behavior of the adjacent vehicle Ad.

[0085] Specifically, the provision control unit 77 displays an image in the second task mode including entertainment content such as video content CTV on the screen of CID22 during an autonomous driving period in which execution of the second task is permitted. As an example, the display in the second task mode includes the video content CTV and the navigation map MP. In the second task mode, the screen of CID22 is divided into two screen areas, an upper one and an lower one. The video content CTV is displayed in the upper screen area (hereinafter, the main display area DA1) so that it is easily visible to the driver. Meanwhile, the navigation map MP is displayed in the lower screen area (hereinafter, the sub-display area DA2).

[0086] In the second task mode, the display object displayed together with the video content CTV and the like may be changed as appropriate. In the second task mode, the video content CTV may be displayed over the entire screen of the CID 22. Furthermore, the content displayed in the second task mode may be preset by a driver or the like.

[0087] The provision control unit 77 restricts the display of the video content CTV by switching between multiple second task modes based on information provided by the congestion determination unit 72, the interruption prediction unit 73, and the interruption determination unit 74. Specifically, the second task mode DMn shown in Fig. 9 is a display mode in which the display of the video content CTV is not restricted. In this unrestricted second task mode DMn, the video content CTV is normally displayed in the main display area DA1. On the other hand, each of the second task modes DMr1 to DMr3 shown in Figs. 10 to 12 restricts the display of entertainment content such as the video content CTV.

[0088] The second task mode DMr1 shown in FIG. 10 is a display mode in which weak restrictions are imposed on the display of the video content CTV. The provision control unit 77 refers to the result of the traffic congestion pattern determination by the traffic congestion determination unit 72 and determines whether or not the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a specific pattern. Here, in the traffic congestion patterns C and D, the vehicle is likely to be forcibly cut in by an adjacent vehicle Ad that wishes to move into the vehicle's lane. For this reason, the provision control unit 77 registers the traffic congestion patterns C and D as traffic congestion of a specific pattern in which a cut-in in front of the vehicle is likely to occur. When the result of the determination by the traffic congestion determination unit 72 indicates the traffic congestion pattern C or the traffic congestion pattern D, the provision control unit 77 determines that the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a specific pattern and sets the second task mode DMr1.

[0089] In the second task mode DMr1, a cut-in possibility notification MWi is displayed in the main display area DA1. The cut-in possibility notification MWi is a display object including a message such as "Pay attention to the cut-in ahead." The cut-in possibility notification MWi is displayed in a horizontally long strip near the upper edge of the main display area DA1. The cut-in possibility notification MWi is superimposed on a part of the video content CTV in the main display area DA1. Therefore, most of the video content CTV is displayed without being hidden by the cut-in possibility notification MWi. In addition, even if the cut-in possibility notification MWi is displayed, the video and audio of the video content CTV continue to be played. Therefore, the driver's viewing of the video content CTV can continue without being substantially hindered by the additional display of the cut-in possibility notification MWi.

[0090] The second task mode DMr2 shown in Fig. 11 is a display mode in which a moderate restriction is imposed on the display of the video content CTV. The provision control unit 77 refers to the result of the detection of an interruption indication by the interruption prediction unit 73, and when an interruption indication is detected, sets the display mode of CID22 to the second task mode DMr2. In the second task mode DMr2, the restriction on the display of the video content CTV is stronger than in the second task mode DMr1. In this way, when the interruption prediction unit 73 detects an interruption indication, the provision control unit 77 restricts the display of the video content CTV more than when the congestion determination unit 72 determines that a specific pattern of congestion is occurring.

[0091] In the second task mode DMr2, an interruption prediction notification MWf is displayed in the main display area DA1. The interruption prediction notification MWf is a display object including a message such as "There is an interruption ahead." The attention given by the interruption prediction notification MWf is stronger than that given by the interruption possibility notification MWi (see FIG. 10), and makes the driver aware of the increasing possibility of an interruption.

[0092] The interruption prediction notification MWf is displayed in a horizontally long band shape near the upper edge of the main display area DA1 so as to overlap a part of the video content CTV, similar to the interruption possibility notification MWi. The vertical width of the interruption prediction notification MWf is wider than that of the interruption possibility notification MWi. Therefore, the display area of ​​the video content CTV in the second task mode DMr2 is narrower than that of the video content CTV in the second task mode DMr1 (see FIG. 10). As described above, in the second task mode DMr2, the display restriction of the video content CTV is strengthened by reducing the display area. On the other hand, even if it is hidden by the interruption prediction notification MWf, most of the video content CTV is visible to the driver. In addition, even if the interruption prediction notification MWf is additionally displayed, the video and audio of the video content CTV continue to be reproduced. Therefore, the driver's viewing of the video content CTV can continue without any hindrance even in the second task mode DMr2.

[0093] The second task mode DMr3 shown in FIG. 12 is a display mode in which strong restrictions are imposed on the display of the video content CTV. The provision control unit 77 refers to the result of the cut-in determination by the cut-in determination unit 74, and sets the second task mode DMr3 when the adjacent vehicle Ad is cutting in. In the second task mode DMr3, the display restrictions on the video content CTV are stronger than those in the second task modes DMr1 and DMr2. As described above, when the cut-in determination unit 74 determines that the adjacent vehicle Ad is cutting in, the provision control unit 77 restricts the display of the video content CTV more than when the cut-in prediction unit 73 detects a sign of cutting in. In addition, when the cut-in determination unit 74 determines that the adjacent vehicle Ad is cutting in, the provision control unit 77 restricts the display of the video content CTV more than when the congestion determination unit 72 determines that a specific pattern of congestion exists.

[0094] In the second task mode DMr3, an interrupt occurrence notification MWa is displayed in the main display area DA1. The interrupt occurrence notification MWa is a display object including a warning message such as "Interrupt occurring." The warning by the interrupt occurrence notification MWa is stronger than the warning by the possible interrupt notification MWi (see FIG. 10) and the predicted interrupt notification MWf (see FIG. 11).

[0095] The interruption notification MWA is displayed in the center of the main display area DA1 so as to overlap with the video content CTV. The interruption notification MWA is a horizontally long rectangle like the video content CTV. The display area of ​​the interruption notification MWA is larger than the display area of ​​the interrupt possibility notification MWi and the interruption prediction notification MWf. The interruption notification MWA is displayed overlapping the center of the video content CTV, covering most of the video content CTV. In addition, when the interruption notification MWA is displayed, the playback of the video and audio of the video content CTV is interrupted. As described above, in the second task mode DMr3, the display restriction of the video content CTV is strengthened by reducing the display area and interrupting the playback. As a result, the driver's viewing of the video content CTV is forcibly terminated at the discretion of the system.

[0096] As described above, the details of the content control process for adjusting the entertainment content display restriction by switching the second task mode will be described below based on Fig. 13 and with reference to Figs. 9 to 12. The provision control unit 77 starts the content control process based on a user operation to instruct the start of playback of video content CTV or the like, or based on acquisition of status information indicating the start of autonomous driving by the autonomous driving ECU 50b.

[0097] In S121, CID22 is set to a second task mode DMn (see FIG. 9) with no restrictions on display of video content CTV, and the process proceeds to S122. In S122, the result of the congestion determination by the congestion determination unit 72 is referenced to determine whether or not there is congestion around the vehicle. If it is determined in S122 that there is no congestion, the process returns to S121, and the second task mode DMn with no restrictions is continued. On the other hand, if it is determined in S122 that there is congestion, the process proceeds to S123.

[0098] In S123, the process refers to the determination result by the cut-in determination unit 74 and determines whether the adjacent vehicle Ad is cutting in ahead of the vehicle. If it is determined in S123 that the adjacent vehicle Ad is cutting in, the process proceeds to S130. In S130, the process is set to a second task mode DMr3 (see FIG. 12) in which strong restrictions are imposed on the display of the video content CTV, and the process proceeds to S131. According to S130, a cut-in notification MWA is overlaid on the video content CTV. On the other hand, if it is determined in S123 that the adjacent vehicle Ad is not cutting in, the process proceeds to S124.

[0099] In S124, the result of the determination by the cut-in prediction unit 73 is referred to to determine whether or not a sign of the adjacent vehicle Ad cutting in has been detected, that is, whether or not there is a cut-in prediction. If it is determined in S124 that there is no cut-in prediction of the adjacent vehicle Ad, the process proceeds to S125. In S125, the process is set to the unrestricted second task mode DMn (see FIG. 9), and the process proceeds to S131. On the other hand, if it is determined in S124 that there is a cut-in prediction of the adjacent vehicle Ad, the process proceeds to S126.

[0100] In S126, the result of the traffic congestion pattern determination by the traffic congestion determination unit 72 is referred to to determine whether the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a specific pattern. If it is determined in S126 that the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a pattern other than a specific pattern (hereinafter, non-specific pattern), that is, if the determination result indicates traffic congestion pattern A or traffic congestion pattern B, the process proceeds to S128. In S128, the second task mode DMr1 (see FIG. 10) is set, which places a weak restriction on the display of the video content CTV, and the process proceeds to S131. According to S128, an interrupt possibility notification MWi is additionally displayed at the upper edge of the main display area DA1.

[0101] If it is determined in S126 that the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a specific pattern, that is, if the discrimination result indicates traffic jam pattern C or traffic jam pattern D, the process proceeds to S127. In S127, it is determined whether the vehicle's traveling speed during the traffic jam exceeds a speed threshold (e.g., about 30 km / h). If it is determined in S127 that the traveling speed is less than the speed threshold and the vehicle is traveling at a low speed (about 0 to 29 km / h), the process proceeds to S129. In S129, the second task mode DMr2 (see FIG. 11) is set, in which a moderate restriction is imposed on the display of the video content CTV, and the process proceeds to S131. According to S129, an interrupt prediction notification MWf is additionally displayed at the upper edge of the main display area DA1.

[0102] If it is determined in S127 that the traveling speed is equal to or greater than the speed threshold and the host vehicle is traveling at high speed (approximately 30 to 50 km / h), the second task mode DMr3 is set in S130, and the process proceeds to S131.

[0103] In S131, it is determined whether or not to end the second task mode. As an example, when a user operation to end the display of the video content CTV is performed, a determination is made in S131 to end the second task mode. As another example, when status information indicating the end or interruption of level 3 autonomous driving by the autonomous driving ECU 50b is acquired, a determination is made in S131 to end the second task mode. If it is determined in S131 that the second task mode should be continued, the process returns to S122, and the provision of the video content CTV, etc. to the driver is continued. As a result, even if the determined traffic congestion pattern transitions from a non-specific pattern to a specific pattern, for example, an adjustment is made to strengthen the display restriction of the video content CTV by switching the second task mode.

[0104] On the other hand, if it is determined in S131 that the second task mode is to be ended, the process proceeds to S132. In S132, the screen of CID 22 is switched from the second task mode to the normal mode, and the series of content control processes is ended. In addition to the navigation map MP, the CID 22 may display the status display of the vehicle Am and the image of the rear camera.

[0105] 3 changes the allowable range of the second task permitted to the driver during the autonomous driving period based on the information provided by the congestion determination unit 72. When the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a non-specific pattern, the provision control unit 77 makes an adjustment to widen the allowable range of the second task permitted to the driver compared to when the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a specific pattern.

[0106] To explain in detail, there are two types of driving handover from the automated driving system 50 to the driver: handover, in which the system handovers control to the driver in a planned manner, and override, in which the driver acquires control at his / her own discretion in a highly urgent situation. A driving handover in which the driver interrupts the second task being performed and the automated driving system 50 takes over driving operations from the driver corresponds to handover.

[0107] Here, when the driver is simply watching the video content CTV displayed on CID22, both of the driver's hands are not occupied. Therefore, the driver can quickly respond to a request to take over driving for handover. Therefore, operating CID22, including watching the video content CTV, is a second task that is likely to be permitted. On the other hand, when the driver is operating a user terminal and eating, both or one of the driver's hands are occupied. Therefore, it becomes difficult for the driver to quickly respond to a request to take over driving for handover. Therefore, operating a user terminal and eating are second tasks that are unlikely to be permitted.

[0108] For the above reasons, when the vehicle is autonomously traveling in a traffic jam of a non-specific pattern with a relatively low frequency of interruptions, the provision control unit 77 includes not only the operation of the CID 22 but also the operation of the user terminal and actions such as eating in the permissible range of the second task. On the other hand, when the vehicle is autonomously traveling in a traffic jam of a specific pattern with a relatively high frequency of interruptions, the provision control unit 77 includes the operation of the CID 22 in the permissible range of the second task, while excluding the operation of the user terminal and actions such as eating from the permissible range of the second task.

[0109] In the second task mode DMa when the second task being performed identified by the integrated state estimation unit 75 is of an unauthorized type outside the allowable range, the provision control unit 77 displays an interruption request notification MWr in the main display area DA1 of the CID 22 as shown in FIG. 14. The interruption request notification MWr is a display object including a warning message such as "An unauthorized task is being performed." The interruption request notification MWr is displayed in a horizontal strip shape near the upper edge of the main display area DA1 so as to overlap with a part of the video content CTV. In addition, the provision control unit 77 causes the audio device 24 to play a voice message requesting interruption of the task being performed, together with adding the display of the interruption request notification MWr.

[0110] As described above, the range control process for controlling the allowable range of the second task and the state monitoring process for monitoring the driver's state and alerting the driver to the execution of an unauthorized task will be described in detail below with reference to Figures 15 and 16 and also with reference to Figures 3 and 14. The provision control unit 77 starts the range control process and the state monitoring process based on the acquisition of status information indicating the start of autonomous driving by the autonomous driving ECU 50b. The provision control unit 77 repeatedly starts the range control process and the state monitoring process at a predetermined cycle until autonomous driving by the autonomous driving ECU 50b is terminated.

[0111] In S141 of the range control process shown in Fig. 15, the result of the traffic congestion pattern determination by the traffic congestion determination unit 72 is referenced to grasp the traffic congestion pattern around the vehicle, and the process proceeds to S142. In S142, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a specific pattern. If it is determined in S142 that the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a specific pattern, that is, if the determination result indicates traffic congestion pattern C or traffic congestion pattern D, the process proceeds to S143. In S143, the allowable range of the second task is set narrower so that operation of the user terminal and actions such as eating are not permitted, and the current range control process is terminated.

[0112] On the other hand, if it is determined in S142 that the vehicle is in a non-specific traffic jam, that is, if the discrimination result indicates traffic jam pattern A or traffic jam pattern B, the process proceeds to S144. In S144, the allowable range of the second task is set wide so that the operation of the user terminal and actions such as eating are permitted, and the current range control process is terminated.

[0113] In S151 of the state monitoring process shown in Fig. 16, the allowable range of the second task set in the range control process (see Fig. 15) is identified, and the process proceeds to S152. In S152, the second task currently being performed by the driver is identified, and the process proceeds to S153. In S153, it is determined whether the second task being performed identified in S152 is within the current allowable range identified in S151. If it is determined in S153 that the second task being performed is within the allowable range, the current state monitoring process is terminated.

[0114] On the other hand, if it is determined in S153 that the second task being performed is outside the allowable range, the process proceeds to S154. In S154, a request to interrupt the second task being performed is output to the driver, and the current state monitoring process is terminated. According to S154, an interrupt request notification MWr is additionally displayed on CID 22 (see FIG. 14).

[0115] In the first embodiment described above, when the vehicle is traveling in a traffic jam using the autonomous driving function, if a sign that the adjacent vehicle Ad is about to cut in ahead is detected, the display of the video content CTV provided to the driver is restricted. Therefore, the driver is notified of the prediction of the adjacent vehicle Ad cutting in ahead by a display change that occurs in the video content CTV being provided. Such a notification makes it less likely that the driver will feel uneasy when traveling in a traffic jam using the autonomous driving function.

[0116] In detail, when the adjacent vehicle Ad cuts in, the automatic driving function performs braking control to maintain a certain distance from the adjacent vehicle Ad, for example. Such a change in the behavior of the vehicle is perceived as sudden by the driver who is paying attention to the video content CTV and is not aware of the situation around the vehicle, and is likely to cause anxiety for the driver. Therefore, if a display change is made in the video content CTV when a sign of cutting in is detected, the driver can recognize the possibility of a behavior change occurring in advance before the behavior change actually occurs in the vehicle. As a result, when a cut-in actually occurs, the anxiety felt by the driver due to the behavior change of the vehicle can be reduced.

[0117] In addition, in the first embodiment, when the vehicle is traveling in a traffic jam using the autonomous driving function, if it is determined that the traffic jam is of a specific pattern in which an adjacent vehicle Ad is likely to cut in, the display of the video content CTV provided to the driver is restricted. Therefore, the driver can be notified of the possibility of an adjacent vehicle Ad cutting in by a display change that occurs in the video content CTV being provided. Such a notification makes it less likely that the driver will feel uneasy when traveling in a traffic jam using the autonomous driving function.

[0118] As described above, if a display change occurs in the video content CTV when a traffic jam has a specific pattern where cutting in is likely to occur, the driver can recognize the possibility of a behavior change occurring in the vehicle before the behavior change actually occurs. As a result, when a cutting in actually occurs, the driver's anxiety about the behavior change of the vehicle can be reduced.

[0119] In the first embodiment, when the vehicle is traveling in a traffic jam using the automatic driving function, if it is determined that the traffic jam is of a specific pattern in which an adjacent vehicle Ad is likely to cut in, the tolerance range of the specific actions permitted to the driver is narrowed. Therefore, when there is a possibility that an adjacent vehicle Ad will cut in, the second task that is likely to cause anxiety may be disallowed due to the change in the tolerance range. As a result, the driver is less likely to feel anxious when traveling in a traffic jam using the automatic driving function.

[0120] As described above, if the second task that is difficult to handle is interrupted in advance in the case of a traffic jam of a specific pattern where cutting in is likely to occur, the driver can recognize the possibility of a behavior change occurring in the vehicle before the behavior change actually occurs. As a result, when cutting in actually occurs, the driver's anxiety about the behavior change of the vehicle can be reduced.

[0121] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, when the cutting-in determination unit 74 determines that the adjacent vehicle Ad is cutting in, the display of the video content CTV is more restricted than when the cutting-in prediction unit 73 detects signs that the adjacent vehicle Ad is about to cut in.

[0122] In addition, in the first embodiment, when the cutting-in determination unit 74 determines that the adjacent vehicle Ad is cutting in, the display of the video content CTV is more restricted than when the traffic congestion determination unit 72 determines that a specific pattern of traffic congestion is occurring.

[0123] As described above, if the display of the video content CTV is strongly restricted, the driver's attention is likely to be directed away from the video content CTV and toward the situation around the vehicle. As a result, the driver can predict the behavioral change of the vehicle caused by the adjacent vehicle Ad cutting in. Therefore, the driver's anxiety about the actual behavioral change can be reduced.

[0124] On the other hand, when a cut-in is not actually being made, the display restrictions on the video content CTV are relaxed, allowing the driver to continue watching the video content CTV while paying attention to the situation around the vehicle. As a result, it is possible to call the driver's attention in a way that is less likely to be annoyed while reducing the driver's anxiety.

[0125] In the first embodiment, the display restriction imposed when the traffic congestion determination unit 72 determines that a traffic jam of a specific pattern is occurring is weaker than the display restriction imposed when the cut-in prediction unit 73 detects a sign that the adjacent vehicle Ad is about to cut in. As a result, a warning can be issued that draws the driver's attention to the surroundings of the vehicle while not interfering with the viewing of the video content CTV.

[0126] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the provision control unit 77 determines whether the traveling speed of the vehicle during traffic congestion exceeds a speed threshold. If the traveling speed of the vehicle exceeds the speed threshold, the display of the content is restricted more than when the traveling speed is below the speed threshold. In this way, when the traveling speed increases, it becomes difficult to secure time to call attention based on the detection of a sign. Therefore, according to the process of strengthening the display restriction of the video content CTV while traveling at high speed, it is possible to draw the driver's attention to the surroundings of the vehicle early and to make the driver recognize the possibility of a behavior change with sufficient time.

[0127] In the above embodiment, the video content CTV corresponds to the “content”, the provision control unit 77 corresponds to the “provision restriction unit”, and the HCU 100 corresponds to the “presentation control device”. As described above, the traffic congestion patterns A and B correspond to “non-specific pattern” traffic congestion, and the traffic congestion patterns C and D correspond to “specific pattern” traffic congestion.

[0128] Second Embodiment 17 to 35 are modified examples of the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, when a vehicle Am is traveling in a traffic jam due to an automatic driving function, the situation behind the vehicle Am is grasped, and display restrictions of video content CTV are implemented according to a prediction of a rear-end collision.

[0129] The perimeter monitoring sensor 30 shown in FIG. 17 has a camera unit 31 and a millimeter wave radar 32 for detecting the front and sides of the host vehicle, and further has a camera unit 31 and a millimeter wave radar 32 for detecting the rear and rear sides of the host vehicle. The perimeter monitoring sensor 30 detects a rear vehicle Ab (see FIG. 18) and a rear side vehicle Abs (see FIG. 18) as other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle, in addition to a leading vehicle Af and an adjacent vehicle Ad. The perimeter monitoring sensor 30 can use detection configurations such as a lidar and a sonar to detect the rear vehicle Ab and the rear side vehicle Abs, in addition to the camera unit 31 and the millimeter wave radar 32. The perimeter monitoring sensor 30 provides detection information behind the host vehicle to the automatic driving system 50.

[0130] The environment recognition unit 61 of the automatic driving system 50 grasps the relative positions and relative speeds of the rear vehicle Ab and the rear side vehicles Abs based on the detection information behind the own vehicle by the surrounding monitoring sensor 30. The environment recognition unit 61 recognizes, as the rear vehicle Ab, a nearby rear vehicle Ab1 (see FIG. 18) that travels in the own vehicle lane at a position close to the own vehicle, and a distant rear vehicle Ab2 (see FIG. 25) that travels at a position farther away from the own vehicle than the nearby rear vehicle Ab1. The environment recognition unit 61 distinguishes between the nearby rear vehicle Ab1 and the distant rear vehicle Ab2 based on the inter-vehicle distance and relative speed (inter-vehicle time) between the own vehicle and the nearby rear vehicle Ab1. As an example, the nearby rear vehicle Ab1 is another vehicle that travels following the own vehicle with a reasonable interval (several meters to several tens of meters) during congestion. The distant rear vehicle Ab2 is not limited to another vehicle traveling in the own vehicle lane, but may be another vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane. The inter-vehicle distances from the host vehicle to the nearby rear vehicle Ab1 and the distant rear vehicle Ab2 are both stable. The environment recognition unit 61 recognizes other vehicles that are located behind the host vehicle and travel close to the host vehicle in the adjacent lane as rear side vehicles Abs. The environment recognition unit 61 provides the recognition results of the rear vehicle Ab and the rear side vehicles Abs to the HCU 100 together with the recognition results of other driving environments.

[0131] The HCU 100 further includes a rear recognition unit 76 as a functional unit that manages the execution of the second task of the driver during automatic driving in a congested section. The rear recognition unit 76 recognizes the presence of a rear vehicle Ab and a rear side vehicle Abs traveling behind the vehicle Am based on the recognition result acquired from the environment recognition unit 61 via the information acquisition unit 71.

[0132] The traffic congestion determination unit 72 determines the traffic congestion pattern around the vehicle during the automatic driving period during traffic congestion (traffic congestion level 3) based on information on the rear vehicle Ab and rear side vehicle Abs grasped by the rear grasping unit 76. In addition to the traffic congestion patterns A to D (see Figs. 4 to 7) of the first embodiment, the traffic congestion determination unit 72 identifies the traffic congestion pattern to which the current traffic congestion around the vehicle corresponds from among the traffic congestion patterns E to H, J, and K (see Figs. 18 to 26 and 31) according to the status of other vehicles behind the vehicle.

[0133] The congestion pattern E shown in FIG. 18 and FIG. 19 is a state in which the vehicle Am is surrounded by other vehicles. The congestion determination unit 72 determines that the congestion is pattern E when the nearby rear vehicle Ab1 and the rear side vehicle Abs are all present in addition to the leading vehicle Af and the adjacent vehicle Ad. The congestion pattern E shown in FIG. 18 is based on the congestion pattern A (see FIG. 4), and the vehicle Am and the nearby rear vehicle Ab1 are traveling in the center lane Ln2 of a road including three or more lanes. The rear side vehicle Abs is present in both the left end lane Ln1 and the right end lane Ln3. The congestion pattern E shown in FIG. 19 is based on the congestion pattern B (see FIG. 5), and the vehicle Am and the nearby rear vehicle Ab1 are traveling in the left end lane Ln1 or the right end lane Ln3. The rear side vehicle Abs is traveling in the center lane Ln2.

[0134] The congestion pattern F shown in FIG. 20 and FIG. 21 is a state in which only the rear of the vehicle lane is empty. The congestion determination unit 72 determines that the congestion is pattern F when the vehicle ahead Af, the adjacent vehicle Ad, and the rear vehicle Abs are present, but the rear vehicle Ab (nearby rear vehicle Ab1) is not present. The congestion pattern F shown in FIG. 20 is based on the congestion pattern A (see FIG. 4), and the rear of the vehicle Am traveling in the center lane Ln2 is empty. Meanwhile, the rear vehicle Abs is present in both the left end lane Ln1 and the right end lane Ln3. The congestion pattern F shown in FIG. 21 is based on the congestion pattern B (see FIG. 5), and the rear of the vehicle Am traveling in the left end lane Ln1 or the right end lane Ln3 is empty. Meanwhile, the rear vehicle Abs is present in the center lane Ln2.

[0135] The congestion pattern G shown in FIG. 22 and FIG. 23 is a state in which only the rear of the lane other than the own vehicle lane (adjacent lane) is empty. The congestion determination unit 72 determines that the congestion is pattern G when the leading vehicle Af, the adjacent vehicle Ad, and the rear vehicle Ab (nearby rear vehicle Ab1) are present, but the rear side vehicle Abs is not present. The congestion pattern G shown in FIG. 22 is based on the congestion pattern A (see FIG. 4), and the vehicle Am and the nearby rear vehicle Ab1 are traveling in the center lane Ln2. In contrast, a space where the rear side vehicle Abs is not present is generated in at least one of the left end lane Ln1 and the right end lane Ln3. The congestion pattern G shown in FIG. 23 is based on the congestion pattern B (see FIG. 5), and the vehicle Am and the nearby rear vehicle Ab1 are traveling in the left end lane Ln1 or the right end lane Ln3. In contrast, a space where the rear side vehicle Abs is not present is generated in the center lane Ln2.

[0136] The congestion pattern H shown in Fig. 24 is a state in which all lanes other than the vehicle's lane (adjacent lanes) are empty. The congestion determination unit 72 determines that the congestion is pattern H when a leading vehicle Af and a trailing vehicle Ab (nearby trailing vehicle Ab1) are present, but a rear lateral vehicle Abs is not present. The congestion pattern H is based on the congestion pattern C (see Fig. 6), in which the vehicle Am and the nearby trailing vehicle Ab1 are traveling in the center lane Ln2. In contrast, a space where the adjacent vehicle Ad and the rear lateral vehicle Abs are not present is created in at least one of the leftmost lane Ln1 and the rightmost lane Ln3.

[0137] 25 and 26 is a state in which there are no close rear vehicles Ab1 and no rear side vehicles Abs, but there is a distant rear vehicle Ab2 traveling at approximately the same speed as the host vehicle Am. The congestion pattern J shown in FIG. 25 is based on the congestion pattern A (see FIG. 4), and at least one distant rear vehicle Ab2 is present behind the vehicle Am traveling in the center lane Ln2. The congestion pattern J shown in FIG. 26 is based on the congestion pattern B (see FIG. 5), and at least one distant rear vehicle Ab2 is present behind the vehicle Am traveling in the leftmost lane Ln1 or the rightmost lane Ln3.

[0138] The congestion pattern K (see FIG. 31) is a state in which there is no distant following vehicle Ab2 in addition to the close following vehicle Ab1 and the rear side vehicle Abs. The congestion determination unit 72 determines that the congestion is of pattern K when the distant following vehicle Ab2 is not recognized by the periphery monitoring sensor 30.

[0139] The congestion determination unit 72 shown in FIG. 17 further determines whether the route lane Lnr (see the dotted range in FIG. 8 and FIG. 27) specified based on the route information is a risk section SeR in the congestion pattern D in which the vehicle Am travels along the route lane Lnr. The risk section SeR is a section related to merging or branching. Specifically, the risk section SeR includes a section of a branch lane (see FIG. 8) branching off from a main lane that contacts the main lane, and a section of a merged lane of the main line that is connected to a merging lane (see FIG. 27) that contacts the merging lane. When traveling along such a risk section SeR, the display restriction of the video content CTV or the second task restriction continues until the vehicle Am passes the end point NE of the risk section SeR, as described below.

[0140] When the traveling speed of the vehicle Am is equal to or lower than the traffic jam judgment threshold and a preceding vehicle Af is detected, the traffic jam judgment unit 72 judges whether or not the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a one-lane road (see FIG. 28). On such a one-lane road, there is practically no cutting in from the adjacent oncoming lane Lna to the host vehicle lane Lns. Therefore, when the traffic jam judgment unit 72 judges that the vehicle is traveling on a one-lane road, the display restriction of the video content CTV or the restriction of the second task by the provision control unit 77 is discontinued.

[0141] Details of the traffic congestion determination process of the second embodiment performed by the traffic congestion determination unit 72 will be described below based on Fig. 29 and Fig. 30, and with reference to Fig. 17 to Fig. 26 and Fig. 31. Note that the process contents of S201 to S207 and S209 in the second embodiment are substantially the same as the process contents of S101 to S108 (see Fig. 8) in the first embodiment, and therefore detailed description of these steps will be omitted.

[0142] In S208, it is determined whether the congested route lane Lnr is a risk section SeR. If it is determined in S208 that the congested route lane Lnr is not a risk section SeR, the process proceeds to S207, where it is determined that the area around the vehicle is a congestion pattern of pattern C. On the other hand, if it is determined that the area around the vehicle is a risk section SeR, the process proceeds to S209, where it is determined that the area around the vehicle is a congestion pattern D, which has a higher risk of cutting in than the congestion pattern C.

[0143] In S210 after identifying the forward and lateral congestion patterns in S203 to S209, the presence of an adjacent rear vehicle Ab1 traveling behind the host vehicle and adjacent to the host vehicle is detected. If it is determined in S210 that an adjacent rear vehicle Ab1 is present, the process proceeds to S211, where the presence of a rear side vehicle Abs traveling in an adjacent lane is detected. If it is determined in S211 that a rear side vehicle Abs is present in all adjacent lanes, the process proceeds to S212. In S212, it is determined that the surroundings of the host vehicle are in a congestion pattern of pattern E, and the determination result of congestion patterns A to D is updated, and the process proceeds to S221.

[0144] On the other hand, if it is determined in S211 that there is an adjacent lane in which there is no rear side vehicle Abs, the process proceeds to S213. In S213, it is determined whether or not there is an adjacent vehicle Ad traveling in the adjacent lane. If it is determined in S213 that there is an adjacent vehicle Ad in all adjacent lanes, the process proceeds to S214. In S214, it is determined that the area around the host vehicle is in a congestion pattern of pattern G, the determination result that the area is in congestion pattern A or B is updated, and the process proceeds to S221. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is an adjacent lane in which there is no adjacent vehicle Ad, the process proceeds from S213 to S215. In S215, it is determined that the area around the host vehicle is in a congestion pattern of pattern H, the determination result that the area is in congestion pattern C or D is updated, and the process proceeds to S221.

[0145] If it is determined in S210 that there is no nearby rear vehicle Ab1, the process proceeds to S216, where the presence of a rear vehicle Abs traveling in an adjacent lane is identified. If it is determined in S216 that there are rear vehicles Abs in all adjacent lanes, the process proceeds to S217. In S217, the process determines that the area around the vehicle is in a congestion pattern of pattern F, updates the determination result of congestion patterns A to D, and proceeds to S221.

[0146] On the other hand, if it is determined in S216 that there is an adjacent lane in which no rear side vehicle Abs exists, the process proceeds to S218. In S218, the presence or absence of a distant rear vehicle Ab2 is determined. If it is determined in S218 that at least one distant rear vehicle Ab2 exists, the process proceeds to S219. In S219, it is determined that the surroundings of the vehicle are in a congestion pattern of pattern J, the determination result of the congestion patterns A to D is updated, and the process proceeds to S221. On the other hand, if it is determined that no distant rear vehicle Ab2 exists, the process proceeds to S220. In S220, it is determined that the surroundings of the vehicle are in a congestion pattern of pattern K, the determination result of the congestion patterns A to D is updated, and the process proceeds to S221. Furthermore, if the situation behind the vehicle is unknown due to factors such as road shape and weather information, the determination result of the congestion patterns A to D is maintained, and the process proceeds to S221.

[0147] In S221, it is determined whether the traveling speed of the vehicle exceeds the congestion resolution threshold based on the latest vehicle speed information. If it is determined in S221 that the traveling speed is equal to or less than the congestion resolution threshold, the process returns to S204. On the other hand, if it is determined in S221 that the traveling speed exceeds the congestion resolution threshold, the current congestion determination process is terminated.

[0148] The provision control unit 77 (see FIG. 17) changes the allowable range of the second task permitted to the driver during the automatic driving period according to the state of the rear vehicle Ab grasped by the rear grasping unit 76, and restricts the display of the video content CTV. Specifically, the provision control unit 77 predicts the risk of a rear-end collision from behind the vehicle based on the result of the traffic congestion pattern determination by the traffic congestion determination unit 72, and switches the second task mode according to the risk of the rear-end collision. The provision control unit 77 adjusts the display restriction of entertainment content provided during the automatic driving period by switching the second task mode. When the traffic congestion determination unit 72 determines that the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a specific pattern, the provision control unit 77 can strengthen the restriction on the display of the video content CTV provided.

[0149] More specifically, the provision control unit 77 sets a high or low collision risk for each congestion pattern (see FIG. 31). As an example, the collision risk ranking is set as congestion pattern K, congestion pattern J, congestion pattern E, congestion pattern G, congestion pattern H, congestion pattern F, and congestion patterns A to D. That is, congestion pattern K, in which there is no vehicle Ab behind, is set as the congestion pattern with the lowest collision risk. In contrast, congestion patterns A to D, in which the presence of the vehicle Ab behind cannot be confirmed, are set as the congestion patterns with the highest collision risk. The lower the collision risk, the more the provision control unit 77 relaxes the restrictions on the second task and weakens or eliminates the display restrictions on the video content CTV.

[0150] When the rear vehicle Ab traveling in the same lane as the vehicle itself is not recognized, the provision control unit 77 sets the allowable range of the second task narrower than when the rear vehicle Ab is recognized, and strengthens the display restriction of the video content CTV. That is, the provision control unit 77 registers the congestion patterns F, A to D in which the rear vehicle Ab is not recognized as specific patterns of congestion that are likely to increase the risk of rear-end collision with the rear vehicle Ab. On the other hand, the congestion patterns other than the congestion patterns F, A to D, in which the rear of the vehicle itself is guarded by the close rear vehicle Ab1 or the distant rear vehicle Ab2, are non-specific patterns of congestion.

[0151] When the congestion determination unit 72 recognizes that the current traffic jam is one of the congestion patterns K, J, or E, the provision control unit 77 sets the second task mode DMn (see FIG. 9) in which the display of the video content CTV is not restricted. As a result, the video content CTV is normally displayed in the main display area DA1.

[0152] When the traffic congestion determination unit 72 recognizes that the traffic congestion is pattern G or H, the provision control unit 77 sets the second task mode DMr1 (see FIG. 32) in which the display of the video content CTV is slightly restricted. In the second task mode DMr1, a surrounding vehicle notification MWis is displayed in the main display area DA1. The surrounding vehicle notification MWis is a display object including a warning message such as "Pay attention to surrounding vehicles." The surrounding vehicle notification MWis is displayed in a horizontal strip near the upper edge of the main display area DA1, slightly hiding the upper edge of the video content CTV. In the second task mode DMr1, the video and audio of the video content CTV continue to be played.

[0153] When the traffic jam determination unit 72 recognizes that the traffic jam is one of the traffic jam patterns F, A to D (specific patterns), the provision control unit 77 sets the display of the video content CTV to a second task mode DMr2 (see FIG. 33) in which the display is further restricted. In the second task mode DMr2, a surrounding vehicle attention MWbn is displayed in the main display area DA1. The surrounding vehicle attention MWbn is a display object including a message of attention such as "Pay attention to vehicles ahead and behind." The attention by the surrounding vehicle attention MWbn is stronger than the information presented by the surrounding vehicle notification MWis (see FIG. 32). The surrounding vehicle attention MWbn is displayed in a horizontal strip shape near the upper edge of the main display area DA1 so as to overlap with a part of the video content CTV, similar to the surrounding vehicle notification MWis. Even if it is hidden by the surrounding vehicle attention MWbn, most of the video content CTV is visible to the driver.

[0154] As described above, the content control process of the second embodiment, which adjusts the content display restriction by switching the second task mode, will be described in detail below based on Fig. 34 with reference to Figs. 9, 12, 17, 31 to 33, etc. The content control process is performed by the provision control unit 77 during an automatic driving period in which the vehicle Am is driving by the automatic driving function.

[0155] In S221, the display of CID 22 is set to second task mode DMn (see FIG. 9), and the process proceeds to S222. In S222, it is determined whether or not there is a traffic jam around the vehicle based on the result of the traffic jam determination by traffic jam determination unit 72. If it is determined in S222 that there is no traffic jam, the process returns to S221 and the second task mode DMn is continued. On the other hand, if it is determined in S222 that there is a traffic jam, the process proceeds to S223.

[0156] In S223, it is determined whether the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a road with one lane on each side. If it is determined in S223 that the vehicle is traveling on a road with one lane on each side, the process returns to S221, and the second task mode DMn is continued. As a result, the display restriction of the video content CTV during congestion is canceled. On the other hand, if it is determined in S223 that the vehicle is traveling on a road including multiple lanes, the process proceeds to S224.

[0157] In S224, based on the judgment result by the cut-in judgment unit 74, it is judged whether or not the adjacent vehicle Ad is cutting in ahead of the host vehicle. If it is judged in S224 that the adjacent vehicle Ad is cutting in, the process proceeds to S232. In S232, the second task mode DMr3 (see FIG. 12) is set, and the process proceeds to S233. On the other hand, if it is judged in S224 that the adjacent vehicle Ad is not cutting in, the process proceeds to S225. In S225, the judgment result by the cut-in prediction unit 73 is referenced, and it is judged whether or not there is a cut-in prediction. If it is judged in S225 that there is no cut-in prediction of the adjacent vehicle Ad, the process proceeds to S226. In S226, the second task mode DMn is set, and the process proceeds to S233. On the other hand, if it is judged in S225 that there is a cut-in prediction of the adjacent vehicle Ad, the process proceeds to S227.

[0158] In S227, it is determined whether the traffic congestion around the vehicle corresponds to any one of patterns K, J, and E. If it is determined in S227 that the traffic congestion corresponds to any one of patterns K, J, and E, the process proceeds to S226, where the second task mode DMn is set. On the other hand, if it is determined in S227 that the traffic congestion does not correspond to any one of patterns K, J, and E, the process proceeds to S228.

[0159] In S228, it is determined whether the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a specific pattern that is likely to increase the risk of a rear-end collision. Specifically, in S228, it is determined whether the traffic jam around the vehicle corresponds to any of patterns A to D, and F. If it is determined in S228 that the traffic does not correspond to any of patterns A to D, and F, that is, that the vehicle is in a traffic jam of pattern G or H, the process proceeds to S230. In S230, the second task mode DMr1 (see FIG. 32) with a weak restriction is set, and the process proceeds to S233. On the other hand, if it is determined in S228 that the traffic jam corresponds to any of patterns A to D, and F, that is, that the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a specific pattern, the process proceeds to S229.

[0160] In S229, it is determined whether the driving speed during the traffic jam exceeds the speed threshold. If it is determined in S229 that the driving speed is less than the speed threshold, the process proceeds to S231. In S231, a second task mode DMr2 (see FIG. 33) is set, which has stronger display restrictions on the video content CTV than the second task mode DMr1, and the process proceeds to S233. On the other hand, if it is determined in S229 that the driving speed exceeds the speed threshold, the process proceeds to S232, where a second task mode DMr3 is set, which has stronger display restrictions on the video content CTV, and the process proceeds to S233.

[0161] In S233, it is determined whether or not to end the second task mode. If it is determined in S233 that the second task mode should be continued, the process returns to S222, and the provision of video content CTV and the like is continued. On the other hand, if it is determined in S233 that the second task mode should be ended, the process proceeds to S234. In S234, the screen of CID22 is switched from the second task mode to the normal mode, and the series of content control processes is ended.

[0162] Next, the details of the range control process of the second embodiment for controlling the allowable range of the second task will be further described based on FIG. 35 with reference to FIG.

[0163] In S241, the traffic congestion pattern around the vehicle is grasped based on the traffic congestion pattern determination result by the traffic congestion determination unit 72, and the process proceeds to S242. In S242, similar to S228 (see FIG. 34) of the content control process, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a specific pattern that is likely to increase the risk of a rear-end collision. Specifically, if it is determined in S242 that the traffic congestion around the vehicle corresponds to any of the specific patterns A to D, and F, the process proceeds to S243. In S243, the allowable range of the second task is set narrow, and the current range control process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined in S242 that the traffic congestion around the vehicle does not correspond to any of the patterns A to D, and F, that is, the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a non-specific pattern, the process proceeds to S244. In S244, the allowable range of the second task is set wide, and the current range control process is terminated.

[0164] As a result of the above, the allowable range of the second task permitted to the driver is changed according to the state of the rear vehicle Ab grasped by the rear grasping unit 76. Specifically, in a traffic jam of a specific pattern with a high risk of a rear-end collision, the operation of the user terminal and actions such as eating are not permitted. In contrast, in a traffic jam of a non-specific pattern with a low risk of a rear-end collision, the operation of the user terminal and actions such as eating are permitted.

[0165] The second embodiment described so far also has the same effect as the first embodiment, and the driver is notified of the prediction of the adjacent vehicle Ad cutting in. As a result, the driver's anxiety during the period when the vehicle is traveling in a traffic jam using the automatic driving function can be reduced.

[0166] In addition, in the second embodiment, when the vehicle is traveling in a traffic jam due to the autonomous driving function, the display of the video content CTV provided is limited according to the situation of the vehicle Ab traveling behind the vehicle. Therefore, the risk of a rear-end collision is notified to the driver by a display change that occurs in the video content CTV being provided. Such a notification makes it difficult for the driver to feel uneasy when the vehicle is traveling in a traffic jam due to the autonomous driving function.

[0167] In the second embodiment, when the vehicle is traveling in a traffic jam using the autonomous driving function, if it is determined that the traffic jam pattern is one in which the risk of a rear-end collision with the vehicle Ab behind is likely to increase, the display of the video content CTV provided to the driver is restricted. Therefore, the risk of a rear-end collision with the vehicle Ab behind can be notified to the driver by a display change that occurs in the content being provided. Such a notification makes it less likely that the driver will feel uneasy when traveling in a traffic jam using the autonomous driving function.

[0168] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, when the vehicle is traveling in a traffic jam using the automatic driving function, the allowable range of the second task permitted to the driver is changed according to the situation of the rear vehicle Ab traveling behind the vehicle. Therefore, when there is a risk of a rear-end collision, the second task that is likely to cause anxiety may be disallowed due to the change in the allowable range. As a result, the driver is less likely to feel anxious when traveling in a traffic jam using the automatic driving function.

[0169] Additionally, in the second embodiment, when the congestion determination unit 72 determines that the vehicle is congested, the provision control unit 77 determines whether the lane in which the vehicle is traveling is a risk section SeR related to merging, branching, or the like. Then, in the case of a scene such as congestion pattern D (see FIG. 7 and FIG. 27) in which the vehicle is traveling through the risk section SeR, the provision control unit 77 continues to restrict the display of the video content CTV. In a congested risk section SeR, it is more likely that an adjacent vehicle Ad will cut in than in a normal section without merging, branching, or the like. Therefore, by adding a process for determining a road environment in which cutting in is likely to occur and continuing to notify the driver of a state in which there is a high possibility of cutting in, the driver's anxiety can be further alleviated.

[0170] Also, in the second embodiment, when the congestion determination unit 72 determines that the vehicle is congested, the provision control unit 77 determines whether the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a one-lane road (see FIG. 28). Then, when the vehicle is traveling on a one-lane road, the provision control unit 77 suspends the restriction on the display of the video content CTV. On a one-lane road, no cut-ins occur even when the vehicle is congested. Therefore, by restricting the display of the video content CTV on a one-lane road, in other words, by suspending the notification of cut-ins, the convenience for the driver in automated driving can be improved.

[0171] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, when the rear vehicle Ab traveling in the same lane as the vehicle is not recognized, the second task allowable range permitted to the driver is set narrower than when the rear vehicle Ab is recognized. That is, the provision control unit 77 restricts the display of the video content CTV when the rear vehicle traveling in the same lane as the vehicle is not recognized, compared to when the rear vehicle Ab is recognized. When the rear range of the vehicle is filled with the rear vehicle Ab, the risk of a rear-end collision from the rear is lower than when the rear range is empty. Therefore, when the rear vehicle Ab is recognized, if the allowable range of the second task is widened or the display restriction of the video content CTV is relaxed, it is possible to achieve both the risk of a rear-end collision during automatic driving and convenience.

[0172] As described above, in the second embodiment, the congestion patterns A to D and F correspond to "specific pattern" congestion, and the other congestion patterns E, G, H, J and K correspond to "non-specific pattern" congestion.

[0173] (Other embodiments) Although several embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be applied to various embodiments and combinations within the scope not departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0174] In the above embodiment, the display restriction of entertainment content is switched among three levels, namely, "strong", "medium", and "weak". However, the degree of the display restriction may be switched among two levels, or may be switched among four or more levels. Furthermore, a simple switch as to whether or not to impose a display restriction may be implemented.

[0175] For example, in the first and second modified examples of the first embodiment, the display restriction based on the determination of a specific pattern of congestion is omitted. The provision control unit 77 of the first modified example sets the second task mode with a "weak" display restriction when a sign of an attempt to cut in is detected, and sets the second task mode with a "strong" display restriction when it is determined that a cut-in is being performed. Furthermore, the provision control unit 77 of the second modified example sets the display of the video content CTV with a "weak" display restriction when a sign of an attempt to cut in is detected, and does not set the display of the video content CTV with a "strong" display restriction when a sign of an attempt to cut in is not detected.

[0176] In addition, in the modified examples 3 and 4 of the first embodiment, the display restriction based on the detection of a sign of cutting in is omitted. The provision control unit 77 of the modified example 3 sets the display restriction to a second task mode with "weak" when it is determined that the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a specific pattern, and sets the display restriction to a second task mode with "strong" when it is determined that the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a specific pattern. Furthermore, the provision control unit 77 of the modified example 4 restricts the display of the video content CTV when it is determined that the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a specific pattern, and does not restrict the display of the video content CTV when it is determined that the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a non-specific pattern. As described above, the process of strengthening the display restriction of the content includes a process of switching the restriction from off to on and a process of strengthening a weak restriction.

[0177] Furthermore, in the fifth modified example of the first embodiment, when it is determined that a traffic jam of a specific pattern exists and when a sign of a cut-in is detected, the display restriction is performed to the same extent. As an example, the provision control unit 77 sets the display restriction to a "weak" second task mode based on the determination that a traffic jam of a specific pattern exists or the cut-in prediction.

[0178] Furthermore, in the sixth modified example of the above embodiment, the display restriction based on the determination that a cut-in is being made is omitted. When it is determined that a traffic jam of a specific pattern is occurring, the provision control unit 77 switches to the second task mode with a "weak" display restriction, and when a sign of a cut-in is detected, the provision control unit 77 switches to the second task mode with a "strong" display restriction.

[0179] In the seventh modification of the above embodiment, the display restriction of the content is adjusted in multiple stages or continuously according to the driving speed in the traffic jam. Specifically, as the driving speed in the traffic jam increases, the provision control unit 77 expands the display area (e.g., vertical width) of the cut-in prediction notification MWf (see FIG. 10) and narrows the display area of ​​the video content CTV.

[0180] In the eighth modification of the above embodiment, the restriction on the display of the content according to the driving speed during the traffic jam is omitted. Also, in the ninth modification of the above embodiment, the process of adjusting the allowable range of the second task based on the result of the discrimination of the traffic jam pattern is omitted.

[0181] The provision control unit 77 of the modified example 10 of the second embodiment switches the restriction on the video content CTV between "none" and "strong" depending on the state of the rear vehicle Ab grasped during the traffic jam. Also, in the modified example 11 of the second embodiment, even if the vehicle is traveling on a road with one lane in each direction, if it is determined that the vehicle is in a traffic jam, a slight display restriction is imposed on the video content CTV.

[0182] In the second embodiment, when the vehicle is in a non-specific traffic jam with a low risk of a rear-end collision, the restriction on the video content CTV is set to either "none" or "weak." On the other hand, in the 12th modification, the restriction on the video content CTV is set to only either "none" or "weak."

[0183] In the thirteenth modification of the above embodiment, information indicating the backward tilt angle of the backrest of the driver's seat relative to the left side portion is acquired as reclining information by the integrated state estimation unit 75. The integrated state estimation unit 75 grasps the reclining state of the driver's seat. The integrated state estimation unit 75 sets "tilting the backrest back and relaxing" as one type of the second task.

[0184] In such a thirteenth modification, when the allowable range of the second task is widened, the provision control unit 77 allows the driver's seat to be reclined. On the other hand, when the allowable range of the second task is narrowed, the provision control unit 77 does not allow the driver's seat to be reclined. When the reclining of the driver's seat goes out of the allowable range due to a transition of the congestion pattern, the provision control unit 77 prompts the driver to raise the backrest by a voice message from the audio device 24.

[0185] In the fourteenth modification of the above embodiment, the driver's line of sight is detected by the driver monitor 29. The integrated state estimation unit 75 judges whether the driver's line of sight is directed toward a display device (e.g., CID 22, etc.) that provides entertainment content. If the driver's line of sight is not directed toward CID 22, the provision control unit 77 only issues a warning by a voice message without displaying an interruption request notification MWr by CID 22. Furthermore, the provision control unit 77 can use vibration devices provided on the driver's seat, footrest, etc. to warn the driver who is performing a second task outside the allowable range.

[0186] The provision control unit 77 in the above embodiment enables the display restriction of entertainment content based on information regarding the cutting in of the adjacent vehicle Ad ahead of the vehicle. However, the provision control unit 77 may implement the display restriction of content using information regarding the cutting in of the adjacent vehicle Ad behind the vehicle. In addition, when grasping the situation behind the vehicle, hazard control may be implemented to inform the rear vehicle Ab of a traffic jam while notifying or alerting the driver. Furthermore, the provision control unit 77 may implement the display restriction of content based on information regarding the cutting in of the adjacent vehicle Ad ahead of the vehicle ahead.

[0187] In the above embodiment, the autonomous driving system 50 is provided with two in-vehicle ECUs, the driving assistance ECU 50a and the autonomous driving ECU 50b. However, the autonomous driving system 50 may be configured with a single in-vehicle ECU having the functions of the driving assistance ECU 50a and the autonomous driving ECU 50b.

[0188] The display device that displays the content related to the second task is not limited to the CID 22. For example, the meter display 21 and the HUD 23 may be used to provide the content. Furthermore, each display EMB, EML, and EMR of the electronic mirror system may be used to provide the content. The display device that displays the content may be selectable by the driver. In addition, the shape, luminous color, display position, etc. of each image displayed on each display device may be changed as appropriate. The language type of the message displayed on each display device may be changed as appropriate based on the user settings of the driver, etc., and the settings of the country and region where the vehicle Am is used, etc. Similarly, the language type of the voice message played by the audio device 24 may also be changed as appropriate.

[0189] The second task permitted to the driver may be changed as appropriate according to the laws and regulations, such as the Road Traffic Act, of the country and region in which the vehicle Am is used. Furthermore, the avoidance action for avoiding interruption of the second task is not limited to the automatic LC, and may be changed as appropriate according to the driving scene.

[0190] In the fifteenth modification of the above embodiment, any one of the meter display 21, the CID 22, and the HUD 23 is configured integrally with the HCU 100. In other words, the processing function of the HCU 100 is implemented in a control circuit of any one of the display devices. In the tenth modification, the display device including the processing function of the HCU 100 corresponds to the "presentation control device."

[0191] In the above embodiment, each function provided by the HCU 100 can be provided by software and hardware that executes the software, software alone, hardware alone, or a combination of these. Furthermore, when such a function is provided by an electronic circuit as hardware, each function can also be provided by a digital circuit including a large number of logic circuits, or an analog circuit.

[0192] The form of the storage medium that stores the program capable of implementing the above-mentioned presentation control method may also be changed as appropriate. For example, the storage medium is not limited to a configuration provided on a circuit board, but may be provided in the form of a memory card or the like, inserted into a slot, and electrically connected to the control circuit of the HCU. Furthermore, the storage medium may be an optical disk or a hard disk drive that is a source from which the program is copied to the HCU.

[0193] The control unit and the method described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer having a processor programmed to execute one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the device and the method described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose hardware logic circuit. Alternatively, the device and the method described herein may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured by a combination of a processor that executes a computer program and one or more hardware logic circuits. The computer program may also be stored in a computer-readable non-transitory tangible recording medium as instructions to be executed by the computer. The technical ideas understood from the embodiments and modifications described thus far are described below as "Additional Notes". (Appendix 1-1) A presentation control device used in a vehicle (Am) having an automatic driving function, which controls the presentation of information to a driver of the vehicle, a traffic jam determination unit (72) that determines whether or not a traffic jam occurs during an automatic driving period in which the vehicle is driven by the automatic driving function; a cut-in prediction unit (73) that detects a sign of an attempt to cut in by an adjacent vehicle (Ad) adjacent to the vehicle, the vehicle being the own vehicle, when the congestion determination unit determines that the vehicle is in a congestion; a provision restriction unit (77) that restricts display of content (CTV) provided during the automatic driving period when the cut-in prediction unit detects a sign of an cut-in by the adjacent vehicle; A presentation control device comprising: (Appendix 1-2) A presentation control device used in a vehicle (Am) having an automatic driving function, which controls the presentation of information to a driver of the vehicle, a congestion determination unit (72) that determines whether or not the vehicle is in a congestion of a specific pattern that is set as a congestion that is likely to cause an interruption by an adjacent vehicle (Ad) adjacent to the vehicle, the vehicle, during an automatic driving period in which the vehicle is driven by the automatic driving function; a provision restriction unit (77) that strengthens restrictions on display of content (CTV) provided during the automatic driving period when the traffic congestion determination unit determines that the vehicle is in a traffic jam of the specific pattern; A presentation control device comprising: In this aspect, when the vehicle is traveling in a traffic jam using the autonomous driving function, if it is determined that the traffic jam is of a specific pattern in which an adjacent vehicle is likely to cut in, the display of the content provided to the driver is restricted. Therefore, the driver can be notified of the possibility of an adjacent vehicle cutting in by a display change in the content being provided. With such a notification, the driver is less likely to feel uneasy when traveling in a traffic jam using the autonomous driving function. (Appendix 1-3) The presentation control device described in Appendix 2, wherein the provision restriction unit sets a narrower range of tolerance for specific actions other than driving that are permitted to the driver when the vehicle is in a traffic jam of the specific pattern than when the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a non-specific pattern other than the specific pattern. (Appendix 1-4) a cut-in prediction unit (73) that detects a sign of an attempt by the adjacent vehicle to cut in, 4. The presentation control device according to claim 2, wherein the provision restriction unit restricts display of the content when the cut-in prediction unit detects a sign that the adjacent vehicle will cut in. (Appendix 1-5) a cut-in determination unit (74) that determines whether or not the adjacent vehicle has cut in, The presentation control device according to any one of Appendices 2 to 4, wherein the provision restriction unit restricts the display of the content when the interruption determination unit determines that the adjacent vehicle is interrupting, more than when the traffic congestion determination unit determines that the vehicle is in a traffic jam of the specific pattern. (Appendix 1-6) a cut-in determination unit (74) that determines whether or not the adjacent vehicle has cut in, The presentation control device described in Appendix 4, wherein the provision restriction unit restricts the display of the content when the interruption determination unit determines that the adjacent vehicle is in the process of interrupting, more than when the interruption prediction unit detects an indication that the adjacent vehicle is about to interrupt. (Appendix 1-11) A presentation control device used in a vehicle (Am) having an automatic driving function, which controls the presentation of information to a driver of the vehicle, a rear grasping unit (76) for grasping the presence of a rear vehicle (Ab) traveling rearward of the host vehicle; a traffic jam determination unit (72) that determines whether or not a traffic jam occurs during an automatic driving period in which the vehicle is driven by the automatic driving function; a provision limiting unit (77) that limits display of content (CTV) provided during the automatic driving period according to the state of the rear vehicle grasped by the rear grasping unit during a traffic jam; A presentation control device comprising: In this aspect, when the vehicle is traveling in a traffic jam using the automatic driving function, the display of the content provided during the automatic driving period is limited according to the situation of the vehicle traveling behind the vehicle. Therefore, the risk of a rear-end collision is notified to the driver by a display change that occurs in the content being provided. With such a notification, the driver is less likely to feel uneasy when traveling in a traffic jam using the automatic driving function. (Appendix 1-12) A presentation control device used in a vehicle (Am) having an automatic driving function, which controls the presentation of information to a driver of the vehicle, a rear grasping unit (76) for grasping the presence of a rear vehicle (Ab) traveling rearward of the host vehicle; a congestion determination unit (72) that determines whether or not the vehicle is in a congestion of a specific pattern that is set as a congestion that is likely to increase a risk of a rear-end collision with the vehicle behind during an automatic driving period in which the vehicle is driven by the automatic driving function; a provision restriction unit (77) that strengthens restrictions on display of content (CTV) provided during the automatic driving period when the traffic congestion determination unit determines that the vehicle is in a traffic jam of the specific pattern; A presentation control device comprising: In this aspect, when the vehicle is traveling in a traffic jam using the autonomous driving function, if it is determined that the traffic jam is of a specific pattern that is likely to increase the risk of a rear-end collision with a vehicle behind, the display of the content provided to the driver is restricted. Therefore, the risk of a rear-end collision with a vehicle behind can be notified to the driver by a display change that occurs in the content being provided. With such a notification, the driver is less likely to feel uneasy when traveling in a traffic jam using the autonomous driving function. (Appendix 1-13) The presentation control device according to claim 12, wherein the provision restriction unit restricts the display of the content when the rear vehicle traveling in the same lane as the vehicle is not recognized, more than when the rear vehicle is recognized. (Appendix 1-14) A presentation control device used in a vehicle (Am) having an automatic driving function, which controls the presentation of information to a driver of the vehicle, a congestion determination unit (72) that determines whether or not the vehicle is in a congestion during an automatic driving period in which the vehicle is driven by the automatic driving function, and further determines whether or not the vehicle is in a congestion of a specific pattern that is set as a situation in which an adjacent vehicle (Ad) adjacent to the vehicle is likely to cut in; a provision restriction unit (77) that sets a wider range of allowance for a specific act other than driving that is permitted to the driver during the automatic driving period when the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a non-specific pattern other than the specific pattern than when the vehicle is in a traffic jam of the specific pattern; A presentation control device comprising: In this aspect, when the vehicle is traveling in a traffic jam using the automated driving function, if it is determined that the traffic jam is of a specific pattern in which an adjacent vehicle is likely to cut in, the tolerance range of the specific behavior permitted to the driver is narrowed. Therefore, when there is a possibility that an adjacent vehicle will cut in, the change in the tolerance range may result in the specific behavior that is likely to cause anxiety being disallowed. As a result, the driver is less likely to feel anxious when traveling in a traffic jam using the automated driving function. (Appendix 1-15) A presentation control device used in a vehicle (Am) having an automatic driving function, which controls the presentation of information to a driver of the vehicle, a rear grasping unit (76) for grasping the presence of a rear vehicle (Ab) traveling rearward of the host vehicle; a traffic jam determination unit (72) that determines whether or not a traffic jam occurs during an automatic driving period in which the vehicle is driven by the automatic driving function; an access restriction unit (77) that changes a permissible range of a specific action other than driving that is permitted to the driver during the automatic driving period according to the state of the rear vehicle grasped by the rear grasping unit during a traffic jam; A presentation control device comprising: (Appendix 2-15) A presentation control device used in a vehicle (Am) having an automatic driving function, which controls the presentation of information to a driver of the vehicle, a rear grasping unit (76) for grasping the presence of a rear vehicle (Ab) traveling rearward of the host vehicle; a traffic jam determination unit (72) that determines whether or not a traffic jam occurs during an automatic driving period in which the vehicle is driven by the automatic driving function; an offering restriction unit (77) that changes a permissible range of a specific act other than driving permitted to the driver during the automatic driving period according to the state of the rear vehicle grasped by the rear grasping unit during a traffic jam, and sets a narrower permissible range of the specific act permitted to the driver when the rear vehicle traveling in the same lane as the host vehicle is not grasped than when the rear vehicle is grasped; A presentation control device comprising: In this embodiment, when the vehicle is traveling in a traffic jam using the autonomous driving function, the allowable range of the specific behavior permitted to the driver is changed according to the situation of the vehicle traveling behind the vehicle. Therefore, when there is a risk of a rear-end collision, the change in the allowable range may result in the specific behavior that is likely to cause anxiety being disallowed. As a result, the driver is less likely to feel anxious when traveling in a traffic jam using the autonomous driving function. (Appendix 2-16) A presentation control device used in a vehicle (Am) having an automatic driving function, which controls the presentation of information to a driver of the vehicle, a traffic jam determination unit (72) that determines whether or not the vehicle is in a traffic jam during an automatic driving period in which the vehicle is driven by the automatic driving function and the driver is permitted to perform a specific action other than driving that is specified in advance; a cut-in determination unit (74) that detects an cut-in by an adjacent vehicle (Ad) adjacent to the vehicle, the vehicle being the own vehicle, when the congestion determination unit determines that the vehicle is in a congestion; a provision restriction unit (77) that, when the cut-in determination unit detects the cut-in by the adjacent vehicle, issues a warning to the driver without lowering the level of autonomous driving and restricts the display of content (CTV) related to the specific action; A presentation control device comprising: (Appendix 2-17) the provision restriction unit warns the driver by a warning image displayed superimposed on the content; The presentation control device according to claim 16, wherein the content continues to be displayed with the warning image superimposed thereon. (Appendix 1-17) A presentation control program for use in a vehicle (Am) having an automatic driving function, which controls the presentation of information to a driver of the vehicle, At least one processing section (11) During an automatic driving period in which the vehicle is driven by the automatic driving function, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is in a traffic jam (S122, S222); When it is determined that the vehicle is in a traffic jam, a sign of an adjacent vehicle (Ad) adjacent to the vehicle is detected (S124, S225), When a sign of an attempt by the adjacent vehicle to cut in is detected, display of the content (CTV) provided during the automatic driving period is restricted (S128 to S130, S230 to S232). A presentation control program that causes a process including the above to be executed. (Appendix 1-18) A presentation control program for use in a vehicle (Am) having an automatic driving function, which controls the presentation of information to a driver of the vehicle, At least one processing section (11) During an automatic driving period in which the vehicle is driven by the automatic driving function, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a specific pattern that is set as a traffic jam in which an adjacent vehicle (Ad) adjacent to the vehicle is likely to cut in (S126); When it is determined that the vehicle is in a traffic jam of the specific pattern, the display restriction of the content (CTV) provided during the automatic driving period is strengthened (S129, S130). A presentation control program that causes a process including the above to be executed. (Appendix 1-19) A presentation control program for use in a vehicle (Am) having an automatic driving function, which controls the presentation of information to a driver of the vehicle, At least one processing section (11) The presence of a rear vehicle (Ab) traveling behind the vehicle is detected (S210, S218). During an automatic driving period in which the vehicle is driven by the automatic driving function, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is in a traffic jam (S222); limiting the display of the content (CTV) provided during the automatic driving period according to the status of the rear vehicle grasped during the traffic jam (S230 to S232); A presentation control program that causes a process including the above to be executed. (Appendix 1-20) A presentation control program for use in a vehicle (Am) having an automatic driving function, which controls the presentation of information to a driver of the vehicle, At least one processing section (11) The presence of a rear vehicle (Ab) traveling behind the vehicle is detected (S210, S218). During an automatic driving period in which the vehicle is driven by the automatic driving function, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a specific pattern that is set as a traffic jam in which a risk of a rear-end collision with the vehicle behind is likely to increase (S228); When it is determined that the vehicle is in a traffic jam of the specific pattern, the display restriction of the content (CTV) provided during the automatic driving period is strengthened (S231, S232). A presentation control program that causes a process including the above to be executed. (Appendix 1-21) A presentation control program for use in a vehicle (Am) having an automatic driving function, which controls the presentation of information to a driver of the vehicle, At least one processing section (11) During an automatic driving period in which the vehicle is driven by the automatic driving function, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a specific pattern that is set as a traffic jam in which an adjacent vehicle (Ad) adjacent to the vehicle is likely to cut in (S142); When the vehicle is in a traffic jam of a non-specific pattern other than the specific pattern, the allowable range of specific actions other than driving permitted to the driver during the automatic driving period is set wider than when the vehicle is in a traffic jam of the specific pattern (S143, S144). A presentation control program that causes a process including the above to be executed. (Appendix 1-22) A presentation control program for use in a vehicle (Am) having an automatic driving function, which controls the presentation of information to a driver of the vehicle, At least one processing section (11) The presence of a rear vehicle (Ab) traveling behind the vehicle is detected (S210, S218). During an automatic driving period in which the vehicle is driving in a traffic jam by the automatic driving function, the allowable range of a specific act other than driving permitted to the driver is changed according to the situation of the rear vehicle to be grasped (S243, S244); A presentation control program that causes a process including the above to be executed. (Appendix 2-23) A presentation control program for use in a vehicle (Am) having an automatic driving function, which controls the presentation of information to a driver of the vehicle, At least one processing section (11) The presence of a rear vehicle (Ab) traveling behind the vehicle is detected (S210, S218). During an automatic driving period in which the vehicle is driven in a traffic jam by the automatic driving function, the allowable range of specific actions other than driving permitted to the driver is changed according to the status of the rear vehicle that is grasped, and when the rear vehicle traveling in the same lane as the vehicle is not grasped, the allowable range of the specific actions permitted to the driver is set narrower than when the rear vehicle is grasped (S243, S244). A presentation control program that causes a process including the above to be executed. (Appendix 2-24) A presentation control program for use in a vehicle (Am) having an automatic driving function, which controls the presentation of information to a driver of the vehicle, At least one processing section (11) During an automatic driving period during which the vehicle is driven by the automatic driving function and the driver is permitted to perform a specific action other than driving that is specified in advance, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is in a traffic jam (S122, S222); When it is determined that the vehicle is in a traffic jam, the vehicle detects an attempt to cut in by an adjacent vehicle (Ad) adjacent to the vehicle (S123, S224). When it is detected that the adjacent vehicle has cut in, a warning is given to the driver without lowering the level of autonomous driving, and the display of the content (CTV) related to the specific action is restricted (S130, S232). A presentation control program that causes a process including the above to be executed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0194] Am vehicle (own vehicle), Ad adjacent vehicle, Ab rear vehicle, SeR risk section, CTV video content (content), 11 processing unit, 72 congestion determination unit, 73 cut-in prediction unit, 74 cut-in determination unit, 76 rear grasping unit, 77 provision control unit (provision restriction unit), 100 HCU (presentation control device)

Claims

1. A presentation control device that is used in a vehicle (Am) having an automatic driving function and controls the presentation of information to a driver of the vehicle, A traffic jam determination unit (72) that determines whether or not the vehicle is in a traffic jam during an automatic driving period in which the vehicle is driven by the automatic driving function; a cut-in prediction unit (73) that detects a sign of an adjacent vehicle (Ad) adjacent to the vehicle, which is the vehicle itself, making an attempt to cut in when the traffic congestion determination unit determines that the vehicle is in a traffic jam; a cut-in determination unit (74) for determining whether or not the adjacent vehicle has cut in; a provision restriction unit (77) that restricts display of content (CTV) provided during the automatic driving period when the cut-in prediction unit detects a sign of an attempt by the adjacent vehicle to cut in, The provision restriction unit is a presentation control device that restricts the display of the content when the interruption determination unit determines that the adjacent vehicle is in the process of interrupting, more than when the interruption prediction unit detects signs that the adjacent vehicle is about to interrupt.

2. The provision restriction unit is When the traffic congestion determination unit determines that the vehicle is in a traffic jam, the system determines whether or not the vehicle's traveling speed exceeds a speed threshold value; The presentation control device according to claim 1 , wherein when the traveling speed exceeds the speed threshold, the display of the content is more restricted than when the traveling speed is less than the speed threshold.

3. The provision restriction unit is When the congestion determination unit determines that the vehicle is congested, the system determines whether the lane in which the vehicle is traveling is a risk section (SeR) related to a merging or branching; The presentation control device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a display control unit configured to control display of the content based on the detected risk information;

4. The congestion determination unit determines whether or not the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a one-lane road, 4. The presentation control device according to claim 1, wherein the provision restriction unit suspends the restriction on the display of the content during a traffic jam when the host vehicle is traveling on the road with one lane in each direction.

5. A rear grasping unit (76) for grasping the presence of a rear vehicle (Ab) traveling rearward of the vehicle, The presentation control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the provision restriction unit restricts the display of the content provided during the automatic driving period in accordance with the situation of the rear vehicle grasped by the rear grasping unit during a traffic jam.

6. A presentation control program for use in a vehicle (Am) having an automatic driving function, which controls the presentation of information to a driver of the vehicle, At least one processing section (11) During an automatic driving period in which the vehicle is driven by the automatic driving function, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is in a traffic jam (S122, S222); If it is determined that the vehicle is in a traffic jam, it is determined whether or not an adjacent vehicle (Ad) adjacent to the vehicle is cutting in (S123, S224). A sign of an attempt by the adjacent vehicle to cut in is detected (S124, S225). When a sign of an attempt by the adjacent vehicle to cut in is detected, display of the content (CTV) provided during the automatic driving period is restricted, and when it is determined that the adjacent vehicle is cutting in, display of the content is restricted more than when a sign of an attempt by the adjacent vehicle to cut in is detected (S128 to S130, S230 to S232). A presentation control program that causes a process including the above to be executed.

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