Automatic driving control device and automatic driving control program

Abstract

To provide an automatic driving control device and the like, that can perform a smooth transition to automatic driving without having an obligation to monitor a surrounding.SOLUTION: An automatic driving ECU 50b functions as an automatic driving control device that enables an own vehicle Am to travel by an automatic driving function. The automatic driving ECU 50b permits a transition from driving support control with an obligation to grip a steering wheel to autonomous traveling control without an obligation to monitor a surrounding and grip the steering wheel, based on an establishment of a plurality of transition conditions. In addition, the automatic driving ECU 50b grasps whether or not a driver is gripping the steering wheel. Then, the automatic driving ECU 50b executes a hands-on notification for prompting the driver to grip the steering wheel as an action request notification in the case that the automatic driving ECU grasps that the grip of the steering wheel has been interrupted after at least one transition condition is satisfied and before a level-3 starting notification is executed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The disclosure in this specification relates to an automatic driving control device and an automatic driving control program that enable a vehicle to travel using an automatic driving function. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Literature 1 discloses a control system for an autonomous vehicle. In this control system, the driver is permitted to take his / her hands off the steering wheel during autonomous driving. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2018-27726 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent autonomous vehicles, in addition to the hands-off state as in Patent Document 1, an eyes-off state in which the driver is not required to monitor the surroundings may be permitted during autonomous driving. In such autonomous vehicles, for example, a scene may occur in which the driver transitions from a state in which the driver is required to hold the steering wheel to a state in which the driver is not required to hold the steering wheel or monitor the surroundings. In such a scene of autonomous driving state transition, it becomes difficult for the driver to recognize the actions he or she should take. As a result, there is a risk that the driver will not be able to smoothly transition to autonomous driving control without the obligation to monitor the surroundings.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide an autonomous driving control device and an autonomous driving control program that can smoothly transition to autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, one disclosed embodiment is an autonomous driving control device that enables driving of a vehicle (Am) using an autonomous driving function, and includes a gripping grasping unit (71, 86) that grasps whether or not the driver of the vehicle is gripping the steering wheel, a control switching unit (78) that permits a transition from driving assistance control, in which the driver is obligated to grip the steering wheel, to autonomous driving control, in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings or grip the steering wheel, based on the establishment of multiple transition conditions, and a notification control unit (72, 88) that issues a start notification to the driver that autonomous driving control has started, and the notification control unit is an autonomous driving control device that issues a hands-on notification to encourage the driver to grip the steering wheel when it is grasped that the driver has stopped gripping the steering wheel between the establishment of at least one transition condition and before the start notification is issued.

[0007] Another disclosed aspect is an autonomous driving control program that enables a host vehicle (Am) to travel using an autonomous driving function, and causes at least one processing unit (51) to execute processing including determining whether or not the driver of the host vehicle is holding the steering wheel (S103, S107), permitting a transition from driving assistance control, in which the driver is obligated to hold the steering wheel, to autonomous driving control, in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings or hold the steering wheel, based on the satisfaction of multiple transition conditions (S105), issuing a start notification to the driver that autonomous driving control has begun (S110), and, if it is determined that the driver has stopped holding the steering wheel between the satisfaction of at least one transition condition and before the start notification is issued, issuing a hands-on notification to prompt the driver to hold the steering wheel (S113).

[0008] In these aspects, if the driver stops holding the steering wheel during the period until the start notification of the autonomous driving control without the obligation to monitor the surroundings is implemented, a hands-on notification is implemented to prompt the driver to hold the steering wheel. With such a hands-on notification, the driver can recognize the action to be taken before the transition to the autonomous driving control without the obligation to monitor the surroundings. As a result, the driver can continue to hold the steering wheel until the start of the autonomous driving control, so that the transition to the autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings can be smoothly implemented.

[0009] Also, one disclosed aspect is an autonomous driving control device that enables driving of a host vehicle (Am) using an autonomous driving function, and includes a monitoring grasping unit (71, 86) that grasps whether or not the driver of the host vehicle is monitoring the surroundings, a control switching unit (78) that permits a transition from driving assistance control, in which the driver is obligated to monitor the surroundings, to autonomous driving control, in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings, based on the satisfaction of multiple transition conditions, and a notification control unit (72, 88) that issues a start notification to the driver that autonomous driving control has started, and the notification control unit is an autonomous driving control device that issues a monitoring request notification to prompt the driver to monitor the surroundings when it is grasped that the driver has discontinued monitoring the surroundings between the satisfaction of at least one transition condition and before the start notification is issued.

[0010] Also, one disclosed aspect is an autonomous driving control program that enables driving of a host vehicle (Am) using an autonomous driving function, and causes at least one processing unit (51) to execute processing including determining whether or not the driver of the host vehicle is monitoring the surroundings (S104, S108), permitting a transition from driving assistance control, in which the driver is obligated to monitor the surroundings, to autonomous driving control, in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings, based on the satisfaction of multiple transition conditions (S105), issuing a start notification to the driver that autonomous driving control has started (S110), and, if it is determined that the driver has discontinued monitoring the surroundings between the satisfaction of at least one transition condition and before the start notification is issued, issuing a monitoring request notification to prompt the driver to monitor the surroundings (S113).

[0011] In these aspects, if the driver stops monitoring the surroundings during the period until the start notification of the autonomous driving control without the obligation to monitor the surroundings is implemented, a monitoring request notification is implemented to prompt the driver to monitor the surroundings. Such a monitoring request notification allows the driver to recognize the actions to be taken before the transition to the autonomous driving control without the obligation to monitor the surroundings. As a result, the driver can continue monitoring the surroundings until the autonomous driving control starts, so that the transition to the automated driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings can be smoothly implemented.

[0012] Also, one disclosed aspect is an automatic driving control device that enables driving of a host vehicle (Am) using an automatic driving function, and is equipped with a control switching unit (78) that permits a transition from driving assistance control, which requires the driver of the host vehicle to monitor the surroundings, to autonomous driving control, which does not require the driver to monitor the surroundings, and a gripping obligation grasping unit (79) that grasps whether the driving assistance control requires the driver to grip the steering wheel, and the control switching unit is an automatic driving control device that sets stricter conditions for permitting a transition from driving assistance control, which requires the driver to grip the steering wheel, to autonomous driving control than the conditions for permitting a transition from driving assistance control, which requires the driver to grip the steering wheel, to autonomous driving control.

[0013] Also, one disclosed aspect is an automatic driving control program that enables driving of a host vehicle (Am) using an automatic driving function, and causes at least one processing unit (51) to execute processing including permitting a transition from driving assistance control, which requires the driver of the host vehicle to monitor the surroundings, to autonomous driving control, which does not require the driver to monitor the surroundings (S105), determining whether or not the driving assistance control requires the driver to hold the steering wheel (S301), and setting conditions for permitting a transition from driving assistance control, which requires the driver to hold the steering wheel, to autonomous driving control that are stricter than the conditions for permitting a transition from driving assistance control, which does not require the driver to hold the steering wheel, to autonomous driving control (S302, S303).

[0014] In these aspects, the conditions for permitting the transition from driving assistance control with the steering wheel gripping obligation to autonomous driving control are set stricter than the conditions for permitting the transition from driving assistance control without the steering wheel gripping obligation to autonomous driving control. Therefore, the transition from driving assistance control with the steering wheel gripping obligation to autonomous driving control can be performed under driving conditions with a lower driver load than the transition from driving assistance control without the steering wheel gripping obligation to autonomous driving control. As a result, the driver can release his / her hands from the steering wheel under stable driving conditions. Therefore, the transition to autonomous driving without the surrounding monitoring obligation can be performed smoothly.

[0015] One aspect disclosed is an automatic driving control device that enables a host vehicle (Am) to travel using driving assistance control without the driver being required to hold the steering wheel, and includes an area determination unit (75) that determines whether an area in which the host vehicle is traveling is a hands-off possible area where the vehicle can travel using hands-off control, which is driving assistance control without the driver being required to hold the steering wheel, and a notification control unit (72, 88) that issues an area change notification that indicates a change in the determination result of whether the area is a hands-off possible area.

[0016] One aspect disclosed is an automatic driving control program that enables the host vehicle (Am) to travel using driving assistance control without the driver being required to hold the steering wheel, and causes at least one processing unit (51) to execute processing including determining whether an area in which the host vehicle is traveling is a hands-off possible area in which the vehicle can be traveled using hands-off control, which is driving assistance control without the driver being required to hold the steering wheel (S442), and issuing an area change notification indicating a change in the determination result of whether the area is a hands-off possible area or not (S464).

[0017] In these aspects, the change in the result of the determination of whether the area in which the vehicle is traveling is a hands-off area or not is indicated by the area change notification. Therefore, even in a driving environment in which the possibility of driving under hands-off control changes depending on the movement of the vehicle Am, the driver can appropriately grasp whether or not it is OK to take his / her hands off the steering wheel. As a result, the convenience of automatic driving can be ensured.

[0018] 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]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an overall view of an in-vehicle network including an autonomous driving ECU according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing details of an autonomous driving ECU. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing details of an HCU. [Figure 4] 10 is a time chart showing an example of a notification performed by each display device. [Diagram 5] 7 is a flowchart illustrating details of the driving control switching process mainly performed by the autonomous driving ECU, together with FIG. 6. [Figure 6] 6 is a flowchart showing details of an operation control switching process together with FIG. 5. [Figure 7] 6 is a flowchart showing details of an operational control switching process according to a second embodiment, together with FIG. 5. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing details of an autonomous driving ECU according to a third embodiment. [Figure 9] 5 is a flowchart showing details of a transition condition setting process performed by an autonomous driving ECU. [Figure 10] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a plurality of congestion patterns grasped by a congestion grasping unit; [Figure 11] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a plurality of congestion patterns grasped by a congestion grasping unit; [Figure 12] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a plurality of congestion patterns grasped by a congestion grasping unit; [Figure 13] 13 is a flowchart showing details of a hands-off restriction process performed by an autonomous driving ECU in a fourth embodiment. [Figure 14]13 is a flowchart showing details of an area notification process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, a number of embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, by assigning the same reference numerals to corresponding components in each embodiment, duplicated descriptions may be omitted. When only a part of the configuration is described in each embodiment, the configuration of the other embodiment described above can be applied to the other parts of the configuration. In addition to the combination of configurations explicitly stated in the description of each embodiment, configurations of multiple embodiments can be partially combined together even if not explicitly stated, as long as there is no particular problem with the combination.

[0021] First embodiment The function of the automatic driving control device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure is realized by an automatic driving ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 50b shown in Fig. 1. The automatic driving ECU 50b is mounted on a vehicle (hereinafter, the host vehicle Am) together with a driving assistance ECU 50a. The automatic driving ECU 50b, together with the driving assistance ECU 50a, etc., configures an automatic driving system 50 of the host vehicle Am. By mounting the automatic driving system 50, the host vehicle Am becomes an automatic driving vehicle equipped with an automatic driving function.

[0022] The driving assistance ECU 50a is an in-vehicle ECU that realizes a driving assistance function that assists the driver in driving operations in the automated driving system 50. The driving assistance ECU 50a enables advanced driving assistance of about level 2 or partial automated driving in the automated driving levels defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers. The automated driving performed by the driving assistance ECU 50a is an automated driving with a surrounding monitoring obligation that requires the driver to visually monitor the surroundings of the vehicle.

[0023] The autonomous driving ECU 50b is an in-vehicle ECU that realizes an autonomous driving function that can take over driving operations from the driver. The autonomous driving ECU 50b can perform autonomous driving of level 3 or higher, where the system is the main controller. The autonomous driving performed by the autonomous driving ECU 50b does not require monitoring of the surroundings of the vehicle, that is, it is eyes-off autonomous driving with no obligation to monitor the surroundings.

[0024] In the autonomous driving system 50, the driving control state of the autonomous driving function is switched among a plurality of states including at least driving assistance control by the driving assistance ECU 50a with the obligation to monitor the surroundings, and autonomous driving control by the autonomous driving ECU 50b without the obligation to monitor the surroundings. In the following description, autonomous driving control of level 2 or lower by the driving assistance ECU 50a is referred to as "driving assistance control," and autonomous driving control of level 3 or higher by the autonomous driving ECU 50b is referred to as "autonomous driving control." Note that the autonomous driving ECU 50b may be capable of implementing autonomous driving of level 4 or higher.

[0025] During the autonomous driving period in which the host vehicle Am is driven by the autonomous driving control by the autonomous driving ECU 50b, the driver may be permitted to perform a specific action other than driving that is prescribed in advance (hereinafter, a second task). The second task is legally permitted to the driver until a request for execution of a driving operation performed by the autonomous driving ECU 50b in cooperation with the HCU (Human Machine Interface Control Unit) 100 described later, that is, a request for a change of driving occurs. For example, actions such as watching entertainment content such as video content, operating a device such as a smartphone, and eating are assumed as second tasks.

[0026] The driving assistance ECU 50a and the autonomous driving ECU 50b are communicatively connected to a communication bus 99 of an in-vehicle network 1 mounted on the host vehicle Am. As shown in Figs. 1 to 3, the grip sensor 28, the driver monitor 29, the surroundings monitoring sensor 30, the locator 35, the in-vehicle communication device 39, the driving control ECU 40, the HCU 100, and the like are connected to the communication bus 99. These nodes connected to the communication bus 99 are capable of communicating with each other. Certain nodes among these ECUs, etc. may be directly electrically connected to each other and capable of communicating with each other without going through the communication bus 99.

[0027] The grip sensor 28 is, for example, a capacitive touch sensor. The grip sensor 28 is provided on the rim of the steering wheel. The grip sensor 28 detects whether or not the driver is gripping the steering wheel. The grip sensor 28 provides the HCU 100 with grip detection information indicating whether or not the driver is gripping the steering wheel.

[0028] 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 with the near-infrared camera facing the headrest of the driver's seat. The driver monitor 29 is configured integrally with the meter display 21 or the center information display (hereinafter, CID) 22, which will be described later, and may be provided on either screen.

[0029] 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 of the driver's eye point and the line of sight from the captured image. The driver monitor 29 provides the driver status information extracted by the control unit to the HCU 100, the autonomous driving ECU 50b, etc.

[0030] The periphery monitoring sensor 30 is an autonomous sensor that monitors the environment surrounding the host vehicle Am. The periphery monitoring sensor 30 can detect moving objects and stationary objects within a detection range around the host vehicle. The periphery monitoring sensor 30 can detect at least other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle Am, specifically, a vehicle ahead, a vehicle behind, a vehicle on one side, etc. The periphery monitoring sensor 30 provides detection information of objects around the host vehicle to the driving assistance ECU 50a, the autonomous driving ECU 50b, etc.

[0031] The periphery monitoring sensor 30 includes, for example, one or more of a camera unit 31, a millimeter wave radar 32, a lidar 33, and a sonar 34. The 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 host vehicle Am so as to be able to capture an image of the range ahead of the host vehicle Am. The host vehicle Am may also be equipped with a camera unit 31 capable of capturing images of the lateral and rear ranges of the host vehicle Am. The camera unit 31 outputs at least one of the imaging data capturing the image of the surroundings of the host vehicle and the analysis result of the imaging data as detection information.

[0032] 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 waves reflected by moving objects, stationary objects, etc. The lidar 33 irradiates laser light toward the surroundings of the vehicle. The lidar 33 outputs detection information generated by a process of receiving laser light reflected by moving objects, stationary objects, etc. present within the irradiation range. The sonar 34 emits ultrasonic waves toward the surroundings of the vehicle. The sonar 34 outputs detection information generated by a process of receiving ultrasonic waves reflected by moving objects, stationary objects, etc. present in the vicinity of the vehicle.

[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 host 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, etc. Locator 35 sequentially outputs position information and direction information of host vehicle Am based on the positioning results to communication bus 99 as locator information.

[0034] Locator 35 further has a map database (hereinafter, map DB) 36 that stores map data. Map DB 36 is mainly composed of a large-capacity storage medium that stores a large amount of 3D map data and 2D map data. The 3D map data includes information necessary for advanced driving assistance and automated driving, such as 3D shape information of roads and detailed information on each lane. Locator 35 reads map data of the area around the current position from map DB 36, and provides it to driving assistance ECU 50a, automated driving ECU 50b, etc. together with locator information.

[0035] The in-vehicle communication device 39 is an external communication unit mounted on the host vehicle Am, and functions as a V2X (Vehicle to Everything) communication device. The in-vehicle communication device 39 transmits and receives information to and from roadside devices installed on the side of the road via wireless communication. As an example, the in-vehicle communication device 39 receives congestion information around the current position of the host vehicle Am and in the traveling direction from the roadside device. The congestion information is VICS (registered trademark) information or the like. The in-vehicle communication device 39 provides the received congestion information to the autonomous driving ECU 50b or the like.

[0036] 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 host vehicle Am based on detection signals from wheel speed sensors provided at the hubs of each wheel, and sequentially outputs the generated vehicle speed information to the communication bus 99.

[0037] The HCU 100, together with a plurality of display devices, an audio device 24, an operation device 26, etc., constitutes an HMI (Human Machine Interface) system 10. The HMI system 10 has an input interface function that accepts operations by an occupant such as a driver of the host vehicle Am, and an output interface function that presents information to the driver.

[0038] The display device presents information to the driver's vision by displaying images or the like. The display devices include a meter display 21, a CID 22, and a head-up display (hereinafter, HUD) 23. The CID 22 has a touch panel function and detects touch operations on the display screen by the driver or the like. The audio device 24 has multiple speakers installed in the vehicle cabin in an arrangement surrounding the driver's seat, and reproduces notification sounds, voice messages, or the like through the speakers in the vehicle cabin.

[0039] The operation device 26 is an input unit that accepts user operations by a driver or the like. For example, user operations related to activation and deactivation of an automatic driving function are input to the operation device 26. As an example, a driver input instructing a transition from driving assistance control to autonomous driving control is input to the operation device 26. The operation device 26 includes a steer 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.

[0040] The HCU 100 functions as a presentation control device and comprehensively manages the presentation of information related to autonomous driving to the driver. The HCU 100 requests the driver to take over driving based on a request to perform driving operations by the autonomous driving ECU 50b. In addition, the HCU 100 cooperates with the autonomous driving ECU 50b to allow the driver to perform a second task, and can play video content related to the second task without interfering with the request to take over driving.

[0041] The HCU 100 mainly includes a processing unit 11, a RAM 12, a storage unit 13, an input / output interface 14, and a control circuit including a bus connecting these. 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 CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The processing unit 11 may further include an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), an NPU (Neural network Processing Unit), 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 the presentation control process. The storage unit 13 includes a non-volatile storage medium. The storage unit 13 stores various programs (presentation control programs, etc.) executed by the processing unit 11.

[0042] The HCU 100 has a plurality of functional units that perform integrated control of information presentation to the driver by executing a presentation control program stored in the storage unit 13 using the processing unit 11. Specifically, the HCU 100 has functional units such as an information acquisition unit 81, an information linking unit 82, a driver behavior grasping unit 86, and a presentation control unit 88 (see FIG. 3).

[0043] The information acquisition unit 81 acquires vehicle information indicating the state of the host vehicle Am from the communication bus 99. The vehicle information includes, for example, vehicle speed information provided to the communication bus 99 by the cruise control ECU 40. In addition, the information acquisition unit 81 acquires operation information indicating the content of a user operation from the CID 22, the operation device 26, etc.

[0044] The information linking unit 82 links with an information linking unit 61 (described later) of the autonomous driving ECU 50b, and enables information sharing between the autonomous driving system 50 and the HCU 100. The information linking unit 82 provides the autonomous driving ECU 50b with operation information grasped by the information acquisition unit 81, driver behavior information (described later) grasped by the driver behavior grasping unit 86, and the like.

[0045] The information linking unit 82 obtains control status information indicating the state of the autonomous driving function to grasp the operating state of autonomous driving by the autonomous driving system 50. Based on the control status information, the information linking unit 82 grasps whether the driving control being performed is driving assistance control or autonomous driving control, in other words, whether the driver is obligated to monitor the surroundings in the driving control performed by the autonomous driving function.

[0046] The information linking unit 82 acquires a request for notification output by a notification request unit 72 (described later) of the autonomous driving ECU 50b. The information linking unit 82 acquires, from the autonomous driving ECU 50b, a request for requesting the driver to take over driving, and a request for notification of control transition related to a transition from manual driving to driving assistance control and a transition from driving assistance control to autonomous driving control. The information linking unit 82 controls the content and timing of each notification in cooperation with the presentation control unit 88 based on the request for each notification.

[0047] The driver behavior grasping unit 86 grasps the state and behavior of the driver based on the grip detection information acquired from the grip sensor 28 and the driver status information acquired from the driver monitor 29. The driver behavior grasping unit 86 grasps whether the driver is gripping the steering wheel (hereinafter, the steering wheel) and whether the driver is monitoring the surroundings of the host vehicle Am. In addition, the driver behavior grasping unit 86 grasps the contents of the second task being performed by the driver during the autonomous driving period. Information indicating whether the steering wheel is being gripped, whether surrounding monitoring is being performed, the contents of the second task, and the like are provided to the information linking unit 82 and the presentation control unit 88 as driver behavior information.

[0048] The presentation control unit 88 performs integrated control of the provision of information to the driver using each display device and the audio device 24. The presentation control unit 88 provides content and presents information in accordance with the operating state of the autonomous driving, based on the control status information and implementation request acquired by the information linking unit 82, and the driver behavior information grasped by the driver behavior grasping unit 86, etc. Specifically, when the information linking unit 82 grasps that the autonomous driving ECU 50b is implementing the autonomous driving control, the presentation control unit 88 enables the display device to play video content, etc. Furthermore, when the autonomous driving control without the obligation to monitor the surroundings is scheduled to be released, the presentation control unit 88 issues a notification requesting the driver to take over driving (see FIG. 4).

[0049] Next, the driving assistance ECU 50a and the autonomous driving ECU 50b will be described in detail in turn.

[0050] The driving assistance ECU 50a is a computer mainly including a control circuit equipped with a processing unit, a RAM, a storage unit, an input / output interface, and a bus connecting these, etc. The driving assistance ECU 50a realizes driving assistance functions such as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), LTC (Lane Trace Control), and LCA (Lane Change Assist) by executing a program in the processing unit. As an example, the driving assistance ECU 50a performs driving assistance control to drive the host vehicle Am along the host vehicle lane by coordinating the functions of ACC and LTC.

[0051] The driving assist ECU 50a of the first embodiment does not implement level 2 driving assist control in a hands-off state in which the driver is permitted to release his / her hands from the steering wheel. In other words, the driving assist ECU 50a can implement only level 2 driving assist control in a hands-on state in which the driver holds the steering wheel.

[0052] The autonomous driving ECU 50b has a higher computing power than the driving assistance ECU 50a and can at least perform driving control equivalent to ACC, LTC, and LCA. The autonomous driving ECU 50b may perform driving assistance control in which the driver is responsible for monitoring the surroundings, in place of the driving assistance ECU 50a, in a scene in which the autonomous driving control is temporarily suspended. The autonomous driving ECU 50b is a computer that mainly includes a processing unit 51, a RAM 52, a storage unit 53, an input / output interface 54, and a control circuit including a bus connecting these. The processing unit 51 executes various processes for realizing the autonomous driving control method of the present disclosure by accessing the RAM 52. The storage unit 53 stores various programs (autonomous driving control program, etc.) executed by the processing unit 51. By executing the programs by the processing unit 51, the autonomous driving ECU 50b is configured with an information linking unit 61, an environment recognition unit 62, an action determination unit 63, a control execution unit 64, etc. as multiple functional units for realizing the autonomous driving function (see FIG. 2).

[0053] The information linking unit 61 provides information to the information linking unit 82 of the HCU 100 and acquires information from the information linking unit 82. Through the linkage between these information linking units 61, 82, the autonomous driving ECU 50b and the HCU 100 share the information they have acquired. The information linking unit 61 generates control status information indicating the operation state of the autonomous driving function, and provides the generated control status information to the information linking unit 82. The information linking unit 61 has an HMI information acquisition unit 71 and a notification request unit 72 as sub-functional units for information linkage.

[0054] The HMI information acquisition unit 71 acquires operation information and driver behavior information from the information linking unit 82. The HMI information acquisition unit 71 grasps user operations input to the CID 22 and the operation device 26, etc., based on the operation information. As an example, the HMI information acquisition unit 71 grasps a level 2 transition operation (see FIG. 4) that instructs a transition from manual driving to driving assistance control, and a level 3 transition operation (see FIG. 4) that instructs a transition from driving assistance control to autonomous driving control, etc. In addition, the HMI information acquisition unit 71 grasps the driver's behavior during the driving assistance period and the automatic driving period based on the driver behavior information. Specifically, the HMI information acquisition unit 71 grasps whether the steering wheel is being gripped, whether the driver is monitoring the surroundings, and the contents of the second task performed by the driver.

[0055] The HMI information acquisition unit 71 may have the same function as the driver behavior grasping unit 86 of the HCU 100. In detail, the HMI information acquisition unit 71 may acquire the grip detection information and the driver status information from the grip sensor 28 and the driver monitor 29, respectively, and may be able to grasp the details of the driver's behavior in the same manner as the driver behavior grasping unit 86.

[0056] The notification request unit 72 enables the HCU 100 to issue a notification synchronized with the operation state of the autonomous driving function by outputting a request for issuing a notification to the information linking unit 82. As described above, the notification request unit 72 transmits a request for issuing a driving change request, a request for issuing a control transition notification, and the like to the information linking unit 82 as a request for issuing a notification related to autonomous driving.

[0057] The environment recognition unit 62 recognizes the driving environment of the host vehicle Am by combining the locator information and map data acquired from the locator 35 with the detection information acquired from the perimeter monitoring sensor 30. In addition, the environment recognition unit 62 acquires vehicle information indicating the state of the host vehicle Am from the communication bus 99. As an example, the environment recognition unit 62 acquires vehicle speed information indicating the current driving speed of the host vehicle Am. The environment recognition unit 62 has an other vehicle grasping unit 74, a road information acquisition unit 75, and a traffic congestion grasping unit 76 as sub-functional units for recognizing the driving environment.

[0058] The other vehicle grasping unit 74 grasps the relative positions and relative speeds of dynamic targets around the host vehicle, such as other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle Am. The other vehicle grasping unit 74 grasps at least the vehicles ahead and behind traveling in the same lane as the host vehicle Am, and vehicles to the side traveling in adjacent lanes adjacent to the host vehicle lane.

[0059] The road information acquisition unit 75 obtains information about the road on which the host vehicle Am is traveling. The road information acquisition unit 75 obtains the type of the road on which the host vehicle Am is traveling. As an example, the road information acquisition unit 75 obtains information about the shape of the road on which the host vehicle Am is traveling, specifically, information about whether the road is a straight section or a curved section, and the gradient of the road, etc.

[0060] In addition, the road information acquisition unit 75 determines whether the road on which the vehicle Am is traveling or is scheduled to travel is a pre-set area where automatic driving is possible (hereinafter, referred to as an AD area, see FIG. 4). An AD area is an area where traveling using automatic driving functions is permitted. Expressways and motorways are AD areas. On the other hand, the road information acquisition unit 75 determines roads that are not included in an AD area as manual driving areas (hereinafter, referred to as an MD area, see FIG. 4) where traveling using automatic driving functions is not permitted. In MD areas, automatic driving of level 2 or higher is prohibited. The use of driving assistance functions at around level 1 may be permitted even within an MD area.

[0061] The traffic congestion grasping unit 76 grasps traffic congestion around the host vehicle Am by combining information on other vehicles grasped by the other vehicle grasping unit 74 and vehicle speed information grasped by the environment recognition unit 62, etc. The traffic congestion grasping unit 76 may use traffic congestion information received by the in-vehicle communication device 39 to grasp traffic congestion around the host vehicle. When the traffic congestion grasping unit 76 grasps traffic congestion around the host vehicle Am within the AD area, automatic driving by autonomous driving control without the obligation to monitor the surroundings becomes possible.

[0062] The traffic jam grasping unit 76 determines that the surroundings of the vehicle are in a traffic jam state when the current traveling speed of the vehicle Am is equal to or lower than the traffic jam speed (e.g., about 30 km / h) and there are both a vehicle ahead and a vehicle behind traveling in the vehicle lane. After determining that the surroundings of the vehicle are in a traffic jam state, the traffic jam grasping unit 76 predicts that the traffic jam around the vehicle will be resolved if the traveling speed of the vehicle Am exceeds the traffic jam speed. After predicting that the traffic jam will be resolved, the traffic jam grasping unit 76 cancels the prediction that the traffic jam will be resolved if the vehicle speed of the vehicle Am again becomes equal to or lower than the traffic jam speed. On the other hand, the traffic jam grasping unit 76 determines that the traffic jam has been resolved if the traveling speed of the vehicle Am or the vehicle ahead exceeds the traffic jam resolution speed (e.g., about 50 km / h) after predicting that the traffic jam will be resolved around the vehicle.

[0063] The behavior determination unit 63 cooperates with the HCU 100 to control the autonomous driving system 50 and the driving changeover between the driver. When the autonomous driving system 50 has control of the driving operation, the behavior determination unit 63 generates a planned driving line for the host vehicle Am to travel on the basis of the recognition result of the driving environment by the environment recognition unit 62, and outputs the generated planned driving line to the control execution unit 64. The behavior determination unit 63 has a control switching unit 78 as a sub-functional unit for controlling the operating state of the autonomous driving function.

[0064] The control switching unit 78 cooperates with the driving assistance ECU 50a to control the start and end of driving assistance control in which the driver is obligated to monitor the surroundings. In addition, the control switching unit 78 cooperates with the driving assistance ECU 50a to switch between driving assistance control in which the driver is obligated to monitor the surroundings and autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings. In detail, the control switching unit 78 has a plurality of transition conditions set for permitting the transition to the autonomous driving control. The transition conditions are substantially the same as the conditions for the congestion grasping unit 76 to determine that there is a congestion, and include requirements regarding the driving state of the host vehicle Am and requirements regarding the driving environment around the host vehicle. Specifically, the transition conditions are set such that the driving speed of the host vehicle Am has decreased to a traffic jam speed or lower, and that both a front vehicle and a rear vehicle are present. Based on the establishment of all of the plurality of transition conditions, the control switching unit 78 permits the transition from the level 2 driving assistance control in which the driver is obligated to hold the steering wheel and monitor the surroundings to the autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to hold the steering wheel and monitor the surroundings.

[0065] When the autonomous driving ECU 50b has control of driving operations, the control execution unit 64 cooperates with the cruise control ECU 40 to execute acceleration / deceleration control, steering control, and the like of the host vehicle Am according to the planned driving line generated by the action determination unit 63. Specifically, the control execution unit 64 generates control commands based on the planned driving line and sequentially outputs the generated control commands to the cruise control ECU 40.

[0066] Next, the details of the transition scene from manual driving (autonomous driving level 0) to driving assistance control, the transition scene from driving assistance control to autonomous driving control, and the transition scene from autonomous driving control to driving assistance control will be described below based on Fig. 4 and with reference to Figs. 1 to 3. Notification performed in each scene is performed by the HCU 100 based on an implementation request output from the notification request unit 72 to the information linking unit 82.

[0067] In situations where there is a transition from manual driving to driving assistance control, notifications of approaching an AD area, notifications of entering an AD area, and notifications of the start of Level 2 will be implemented.

[0068] The AD area approach notification is a notification to inform the driver of the approach to an AD area while driving in an MD area. The AD area approach notification is implemented when the road information acquisition unit 75 determines that the distance from the host vehicle Am to the AD area falls below a threshold distance. In the AD area approach notification, a message such as "You will soon be in an area where automatic driving is possible" indicating the approach of the AD area is displayed on at least one of the HUD 23 and the meter display 21.

[0069] The AD area entry notification is a notification that indicates to the driver that the vehicle Am has entered an AD area. The AD area entry notification is implemented when the road information acquisition unit 75 determines that the vehicle Am has entered an AD area after the AD area approach notification. In the AD area entry notification, a message indicating a method for starting level 2 autonomous driving (driving assistance control) is displayed on at least one of the HUD 23, the meter display 21, and the CID 22. As an example, text information such as "autonomous driving mode", text information such as "ENTER" indicating an input to the operation device 26, and an arrow image pointing to the "ENTER" are displayed in the AD area entry notification. The AD area entry notification by the HUD 23 and the meter display 21 may be changed to a display mode with low visibility or hidden after a predetermined time (e.g., several seconds) has elapsed since the start of the display.

[0070] The level 2 start notification is a notification to the driver that level 2 driving assistance control has started. The level 2 start notification is issued in conjunction with the start of level 2 driving assistance control when the HMI information acquisition unit 71 grasps the driver's input of a level 2 transition operation. In the level 2 start notification, text information related to the start of autonomous driving, such as a message such as "Autonomous driving will be canceled due to surrounding road conditions," is displayed on at least one of the HUD 23 and the meter display 21.

[0071] In scenes where there is a transition from driving assistance control to autonomous driving control, Level 3 approach notification, Level 3 possible notification, and Level 3 start notification, etc. will be implemented.

[0072] The level 3 approach notification is a notification to the driver that the use of level 3 automated driving (autonomous driving control) is likely to become possible. The level 3 approach notification is implemented based on the establishment of a transition prediction to autonomous driving control. As an example, when an approach to a traffic jam is predicted, in other words, when at least one of a plurality of transition conditions set in the control switching unit 78 is established, the level 3 approach notification is implemented. The level 3 approach notification may also be implemented when traffic jam information ahead of the vehicle is received by the in-vehicle communication device 39. In the level 3 approach notification, a message such as "Traffic jam ahead, 2nd task available" is displayed on at least one of the HUD 23 and the meter display 21.

[0073] The level 3 possible notification is a notification that indicates to the driver that the level 3 autonomous driving control has become available. The level 3 possible notification is implemented when the control switching unit 78 determines that all transition conditions are satisfied. In the level 3 possible notification, a message such as "2nd task is now available" is displayed on at least one of the HUD 23 and the meter display 21.

[0074] The level 3 start notification is a notification to the driver that the level 3 autonomous driving control has started. The level 3 start notification is implemented in conjunction with the start of the level 3 autonomous driving control when the HMI information acquisition unit 71 grasps the input of the level 3 transition operation by the driver. In the level 3 start notification, a message related to the level 3 autonomous driving, such as "Pay attention to the information from the vehicle. Autonomous driving will be canceled due to the surrounding road conditions," is displayed on at least one of the HUD 23 and the meter display 21. Furthermore, in conjunction with the level 3 start notification, playback of video content by the CID 22 becomes possible.

[0075] In situations where there is a transition from autonomous driving control to driving assistance control, a request for a change of driving mode and a notification of the end of Level 3 will be issued.

[0076] The driving handover request is a notification to the driver indicating the planned end of level 3 autonomous driving control, in other words, the need to take over control of driving operations. The driving handover request is made based on a predicted end of autonomous driving control, such as the end of an AD area or a congested section. In response to the driving handover request, a message such as "Autonomous driving will be canceled. Please hold the steering wheel" is displayed on at least one of the HUD 23 and the meter display 21. Furthermore, in response to the driving handover request, playback of video content by the CID 22 is stopped.

[0077] The Level 3 end notification is a notification to inform the driver of the transition from Level 3 autonomous driving control to driving assistance control in a hands-on state. The Level 3 end notification is performed in conjunction with switching of the driving control state by the control switching unit 78. In the Level 3 end notification, a message indicating the end of autonomous driving, such as "Autonomous driving canceled", is displayed on at least one of the HUD 23 and the meter display 21.

[0078] Here, there may be a case where the driver cannot correctly grasp the state of the driving control executed by the autonomous driving ECU 50b from each notification. As an example, the driver may mistakenly recognize the level 3 approach notification or the level 3 possible notification as a level 3 start notification. In this case, the driver may mistakenly recognize that the level 3 autonomous driving control has started and stop holding the steering wheel and monitoring the surroundings of the vehicle, which should be necessary.

[0079] In order to prevent such misconceptions by the driver, if the autonomous driving ECU 50b and HCU 100 detect inappropriate behavior by the driver between the start of the Level 3 approach notification and the start of the Level 3 start notification, they will issue an action request notification to request the driver to take correct action.

[0080] In detail, the action request notification can be implemented during the period from when at least one transition condition is satisfied to when the input of the level 3 transition operation is recognized (hereinafter, referred to as the pre-level 3 transition period, see the dotted range in FIG. 4). The action request notification is implemented based on the driver's actions recognized by the HMI information acquisition unit 71. Specifically, when the HMI information acquisition unit 71 recognizes that the driver has stopped gripping the steering wheel during the pre-level 3 transition period, a hands-on notification is implemented as the action request notification. Also, when the HMI information acquisition unit 71 recognizes that the driver has stopped monitoring the surroundings during the pre-level 3 transition period, a monitoring request notification is implemented as the action request notification.

[0081] The hands-on notification is a notification that prompts the driver to grip the steering wheel. In the hands-on notification, for example, an attention-calling message such as "Please steer" and an attention-calling image including "!" are displayed on at least one of the HUD 23 and the meter display 21. In addition, in the hands-on notification, a voice message similar to the attention-calling message displayed on the display device is played by the audio device 24. The hands-on notification continues until the driver's grip on the steering wheel is recognized by the driver behavior recognition unit 86 and the HMI information acquisition unit 71.

[0082] The monitoring request notification is a notification that prompts the driver to monitor the surroundings. In the monitoring request notification, for example, an attention-calling message such as "Please check the surroundings of your vehicle" and an attention-calling image including "!" are displayed on at least one of the HUD 23 and the meter display 21. In addition, in the monitoring request notification, a voice message similar to the attention-calling message displayed on the display device is played by the audio device 24. The monitoring request notification continues until the driver behavior recognition unit 86 and the HMI information acquisition unit 71 recognize that the driver has resumed monitoring the surroundings.

[0083] Next, details of the driving control switching process performed in the above-mentioned scene where the driving assist control is switched to the autonomous driving control will be described below based on Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 and with reference to Fig. 1 to Fig. 4. The driving control switching process is started by the autonomous driving ECU 50b based on the start of driving under the driving assist control.

[0084] In S101, the control switching unit 78 determines whether or not a transition condition to autonomous driving control is satisfied. If it is determined in S101 that at least one of the multiple set transition conditions is satisfied, the process proceeds to S102. On the other hand, if it is determined that all transition conditions are not satisfied, the determination in S101 is repeated. In S102, a level 3 approach notification is performed, and the process proceeds to S103.

[0085] In S103, the HMI information acquisition unit 71 determines whether the driver is holding the steering wheel based on the driver behavior information. If it is determined in S103 that the driver is continuing to hold the steering wheel (hands-on state), the process proceeds to S104. On the other hand, if it is determined in S103 that the driver has stopped holding the steering wheel, the process proceeds to S112.

[0086] In S104, the HMI information acquisition unit 71 determines whether or not the driver is monitoring the surroundings based on the driver behavior information. If it is determined in S104 that the driver is continuing to monitor the surroundings, the process proceeds to S105. On the other hand, if it is determined in S104 that the driver has stopped monitoring the surroundings, the process proceeds to S112.

[0087] In S105, the control switching unit 78 judges whether or not all of a plurality of preset transition conditions are satisfied. If it is judged that any transition condition is not satisfied, the judgments of S103 to S105 are repeated. On the other hand, if it is judged that all transition conditions are satisfied, a transition from the driving assistance control, which has both the obligation to monitor the surroundings and the obligation to hold, to the autonomous driving control, which has neither the obligation to monitor the surroundings nor the obligation to hold, is permitted, and the process proceeds to S106. In S106, a level 3 possible notification is issued, and the process proceeds to S107.

[0088] In S107, as in S103, whether or not the driver is holding the steering wheel is determined. If it is determined in S107 that the hands-on state is continuing, the process proceeds to S108. On the other hand, if it is determined in S107 that the driver has stopped holding the steering wheel, the process proceeds to S112.

[0089] In S108, as in S104, whether or not the driver is monitoring the surroundings is determined. If it is determined in S108 that the driver is continuing to monitor the surroundings, the process proceeds to S109. On the other hand, if it is determined in S108 that the driver has stopped monitoring the surroundings, the process proceeds to S112.

[0090] In S109, the HMI information acquisition unit 71 judges whether or not the driver has input a level 3 transition operation based on the operation information. If the input of the level 3 transition operation is not grasped, the judgments of S107 to S109 are repeated. On the other hand, if the input of the level 3 transition operation is grasped, it decides to transition from the driving assistance control in the hands-on state to the autonomous driving control in the eyes-off state, and proceeds to S110. In S110, a level 3 start notification is issued, and the process proceeds to S111. In S111, the control switching unit 78 transitions to the autonomous driving control of level 3, and a series of driving control switching processes is terminated. Note that the processes of S110 and S111 may be performed substantially simultaneously.

[0091] In S112, when an undesirable behavior by the driver is detected in the period before transition to level 3, the control switching unit 78 halts (cancels) the transition to autonomous driving control at level 3, and proceeds to S113. In S113, an action request notification is issued to prompt the driver to improve his behavior, and the process proceeds to S114. In S113, when it is detected that the driver has stopped holding the steering wheel in the period before transition to level 3, a hands-on notification is issued in S113 to prompt the driver to hold the steering wheel. In addition, in S113, when it is detected that the driver has stopped monitoring the surroundings in the period before transition to level 3, a monitoring request notification is issued in S113 to prompt the driver to monitor the surroundings. In S113, when both holding the steering wheel and monitoring the surroundings are stopped, the hands-on notification and the monitoring request notification may be issued alternately or simultaneously.

[0092] In S114, the HMI information acquisition unit 71 determines whether or not the driver has behaved correctly based on the driver behavior information. If a hands-on notification has been made in S113, then in S114 it is determined whether or not the driver has resumed gripping the steering wheel. On the other hand, if a periphery monitoring notification has been made in S113, then in S114 it is determined whether or not periphery monitoring has been resumed. If a correct behavior by the driver is recognized in S114, the process proceeds to S115.

[0093] In S115, the control switching unit 78 decides to continue the level 2 driving assistance control, and proceeds to S116. In S116, the control switching unit 78 sets a transition restriction to the level 3 autonomous driving control, and ends the series of driving control switching processes. According to the transition restriction set in S116, the use of the level 3 autonomous driving function is prohibited for a predetermined time (for example, about 10 minutes), until the vehicle leaves the congested section while driving or leaves the AD area while driving, and the level 3 possible notification is also not issued.

[0094] As described above, when a hands-on notification or a monitoring request notification is implemented, even if a situation in which transition to level 3 autonomous driving control is possible after a plurality of transition conditions are satisfied, the control switching unit 78 withholds permission to transition to autonomous driving control. As a result, a state in which autonomous driving control cannot be used continues for at least a predetermined time. Instead of such transition restriction by the control switching unit 78, the implementation of the level 3 possible notification and the level 3 start notification may be suspended for a predetermined time by processing of the notification request unit 72 that withholds output of a request to implement the level 3 possible notification and the level 3 start notification.

[0095] On the other hand, if the correct action by the driver is not recognized in S114, the time elapsed since the start of the action request notification is recognized in S117. If it is determined in S117 that the time elapsed since the start of the action request notification does not exceed a predetermined time (for example, about 5 to 10 seconds), the process returns to S114 and waits for the driver's action. On the other hand, if it is determined in S117 that the time elapsed since the start of the action request notification has exceeded the predetermined time, the process proceeds to S118.

[0096] In S118, the control switching unit 78 transitions to MRM (Minimum Risk Maneuver) and ends a series of driving control switching processes. In the MRM in S118, for example, driving control for automatically stopping the host vehicle Am in a straight section recognized by the road information acquisition unit 75, or driving control for moving and stopping the host vehicle Am at a shelter on the road shoulder recognized by the environment recognition unit 62, etc. are performed.

[0097] In the first embodiment described above, if the driver stops holding the steering wheel during the period until the level 3 start notification is implemented, a hands-on notification is implemented to prompt the driver to hold the steering wheel. Such a hands-on notification allows the driver to recognize the actions to be taken before transitioning to autonomous driving control without the obligation to monitor the surroundings. In other words, the driver is less likely to misinterpret the driving control state being executed by the autonomous driving ECU 50b. As a result, the driver can continue to hold the steering wheel until the autonomous driving control starts, so that the transition to level 3 autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings can be smoothly implemented.

[0098] In addition, in the first embodiment, if the driver stops monitoring the surroundings during the period until the level 3 start notification is implemented, a monitoring request notification is implemented to prompt the driver to monitor the surroundings. Such a monitoring request notification allows the driver to recognize the actions to be taken before transitioning to autonomous driving control without the obligation to monitor the surroundings. As a result, the driver can continue monitoring the surroundings until the autonomous driving control starts, so that the transition to level 3 autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings can be smoothly implemented.

[0099] In the first embodiment, the transition to autonomous driving control is stopped if the driver stops gripping the steering wheel after at least one transition condition is satisfied and before the Level 3 start notification is issued. Similarly, the transition to autonomous driving control is also stopped if the driver stops monitoring the surroundings after at least one transition condition is satisfied and before the Level 3 start notification is issued.

[0100] As described above, if the transition to autonomous driving control is cancelled and the process is performed to purposely impair the convenience of the driver, the driver may be strongly aware that taking his / her hands off the steering wheel and stopping surrounding monitoring before the Level 3 start notification are undesirable actions. As a result, in the next and subsequent transition scenes, the driver is more likely to continue holding the steering wheel and monitoring the surroundings until the Level 3 start notification is received. Therefore, the transition to Level 3 automated driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings can be implemented more smoothly.

[0101] In the first embodiment, if the gripping of the steering wheel is detected within a predetermined time after the start of the hands-on notification, the level 2 driving assistance control in the hands-on state is continued. Similarly, even if the implementation of surrounding monitoring is detected within a predetermined time after the start of the monitoring request notification, the level 2 driving assistance control in the hands-on state is continued. As described above, even if the transition to the level 3 autonomous driving control is canceled, if the level 2 driving assistance control is continued, the driver can continue driving without being confused by the transition of the driving control state.

[0102] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, if the driving assistance control of level 2 is continued based on the grasp of the steering wheel, the transition to the autonomous driving control of level 3 is restricted. Similarly, if the driving assistance control of level 2 is continued based on the grasp of the implementation of the surrounding monitoring, the transition to the autonomous driving control of level 3 is restricted. Specifically, if a hands-on notification is implemented, the permission to transition to the autonomous driving control is withheld after a plurality of transition conditions are established. Alternatively, if a hands-on notification is implemented, the implementation of the level 3 start notification is suspended for a predetermined time.

[0103] As described above, by restricting the re-transition to Level 3 autonomous driving control once canceled and deliberately impairing the convenience of the driver, the driver may be strongly aware that it is undesirable to stop holding the steering wheel and monitoring the surroundings before the Level 3 start notification. As a result, in subsequent transition scenes, the driver is more likely to continue appropriate behavior until the Level 3 start notification, making it possible to more smoothly transition to Level 3 automated driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings.

[0104] In addition, in the above first embodiment, the autonomous driving ECU 50b corresponds to the "autonomous driving control device", the HMI information acquisition unit 71 corresponds to the "gripping and grasping unit" and the "monitoring and grasping unit", and the notification request unit 72 corresponds to the "notification control unit".

[0105] Second Embodiment The second embodiment of the present disclosure is a modified example of the first embodiment. In the driving control switching process of the second embodiment shown in Fig. 5 and Fig. 7, when an undesirable behavior of the driver is detected in the period before the level 3 shift, the control switching unit 78 shifts the control state to manual driving.

[0106] In detail, if the driver's hands-on state is interrupted during the period before transition to level 3 (S103 or S107: NO) or if the driver's surrounding monitoring is interrupted, the control switching unit 78 stops the transition to level 3 autonomous driving control as in the first embodiment (S112). Furthermore, the notification request unit 72 issues an action request to the HCU 100 to prompt the driver to improve his / her behavior (S113). After the action request is issued, the control switching unit 78 ends the level 2 driving assistance control and transitions the control state to manual driving by the driver (S214).

[0107] The second embodiment described so far also has the same effect as the first embodiment, and the hands-on notification or monitoring request notification implemented as the action request notification can make the driver aware of the actions to be taken during the period before transition to level 3. As a result, transition to level 3 automated driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings can be smoothly implemented.

[0108] In addition, in the second embodiment, when the transition to level 3 autonomous driving control is canceled, the driver switches from driving assistance control to manual driving by the driver. This transition to manual driving can strongly impress upon the driver that taking his / her hands off the steering wheel and stopping surrounding monitoring before the level 3 start notification are undesirable actions. As a result, in the next and subsequent transition scenes, the driver is less likely to stop holding the steering wheel and monitoring the surroundings early, making it possible to more smoothly transition to level 3 autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings.

[0109] Next, technical ideas that can be understood from the above-mentioned first and second embodiments are added below as Supplementary Notes 1 to 4. In the above-mentioned first and second embodiments, the driver behavior grasping unit 86 corresponds to a "grasping grasping unit" and a "monitoring grasping unit", the presentation control unit 88 corresponds to a "notification control unit", and the HCU 100 corresponds to a "presentation control device".

[0110] (Appendix 1) A presentation control device used in a vehicle (Am) equipped with an automatic driving function, which controls the presentation of information related to the automatic driving function, a gripping detection unit (86) that detects whether or not a steering wheel is being gripped by a driver of the vehicle; a notification control unit (88) that, when a transition from a driving assistance control in which the driver is obligated to hold the steering wheel to an autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings and is not obligated to hold the steering wheel is initiated in the automatic driving function based on the establishment of a plurality of transition conditions, executes a start notification to indicate to the driver that the autonomous driving control has started; The notification control unit is a presentation control device that implements a hands-on notification to prompt the driver to hold the steering wheel when it is detected that the driver has stopped holding the steering wheel between the satisfaction of at least one of the transition conditions and before the start notification is implemented. (Appendix 2) A presentation control program used in a vehicle (Am) equipped with an automatic driving function, for controlling the presentation of information related to the automatic driving function, At least one processing section (11) It is determined whether or not the driver of the vehicle is gripping the steering wheel (S103, S107). When a transition from driving assistance control in which the driver is obligated to hold the steering wheel to autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings and is not obligated to hold the steering wheel is initiated by the automatic driving function based on the establishment of a plurality of transition conditions, a start notification is issued to indicate to the driver that the autonomous driving control has started (S110); When it is determined that the driver has stopped holding the steering wheel during the period from when at least one of the transition conditions is satisfied until the start notification is issued, a hands-on notification is issued to prompt the driver to hold the steering wheel (S113). A presentation control program that causes a process including the above to be executed. (Appendix 3) A presentation control device used in a vehicle (Am) equipped with an automatic driving function, which controls the presentation of information related to the automatic driving function, a monitoring determining unit (86) for determining whether or not the driver of the vehicle is monitoring the surroundings; a notification control unit (88) that, when a transition from driving assistance control, in which the driver is obligated to monitor the surroundings, to autonomous driving control, in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings, is initiated by the automatic driving function based on the establishment of a plurality of transition conditions, executes a start notification to indicate to the driver that the autonomous driving control has started; The notification control unit is a presentation control device that issues a monitoring request notification to prompt the driver to perform surrounding monitoring when it is detected that the driver has discontinued surrounding monitoring between the establishment of at least one of the transition conditions and before the start notification is issued. (Appendix 4) A presentation control program used in a vehicle (Am) equipped with an automatic driving function, for controlling the presentation of information related to the automatic driving function, At least one processing section (11) It is determined whether or not the driver of the vehicle is monitoring the surroundings (S104, S108). When a transition from driving assistance control in which the driver is obligated to monitor the surroundings to autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings is initiated by the automatic driving function based on the establishment of a plurality of transition conditions, a start notification is issued to indicate to the driver that the autonomous driving control has started (S110); When it is determined that the driver has stopped monitoring the surroundings during the period from when at least one of the transition conditions is satisfied until when the start notification is issued, a monitoring request notification is issued to prompt the driver to start monitoring the surroundings (S113). A presentation control program that causes a process including the above to be executed.

[0111] Third embodiment The third embodiment of the present disclosure shown in Figures 8 to 12 is another modified example of the first embodiment. The driving assistance ECU 50a of the third embodiment can permit not only level 2 autonomous driving with a gripping obligation (hereinafter, hands-on level 2) but also level 2 autonomous driving without a gripping obligation (hereinafter, hands-off level 2). Therefore, the autonomous driving ECU 50b can implement a transition from hands-on level 2 to level 3 autonomous driving control, as well as a transition from hands-off level 2 to level 3 autonomous driving control.

[0112] The autonomous driving ECU 50b can implement, as level 3 autonomous driving control, a congestion limited control that is implemented only when driving in a traffic jam (hereinafter, congestion level 3), as well as an area limited control that is implemented only in a specific area within the AD area (hereinafter, area level 3). In area level 3, driving at a higher speed than in congestion level 3 is permitted.

[0113] The action determination unit 63 of the autonomous driving ECU 50b is provided with a holding duty grasping unit 79 and a control switching unit 78. The holding duty grasping unit 79 and the control switching unit 78 jointly execute a transition condition setting process (see FIG. 9 ) and set a transition condition from driving assistance control to autonomous driving control.

[0114] The gripping obligation grasping unit 79 determines whether or not the driving assistance control executed by the driving assistance ECU 50a requires the driver to grip the steering wheel. In other words, the gripping obligation grasping unit 79 grasps whether the driving assistance control being executed by the autonomous driving ECU 50b is hands-off level 2 or hands-on level 2 (S301).

[0115] As in the first embodiment, when all of a plurality of preset transition conditions are satisfied, the control switching unit 78 permits transition from level 2 driving assistance control with the obligation to monitor the surroundings to level 3 autonomous driving control without the obligation to monitor the surroundings (FIG. 5, S105). The control switching unit 78 changes the transition condition to level 3 depending on the presence or absence of the gripping obligation in the driving assistance control being executed.

[0116] Specifically, when it is determined by the holding duty grasping unit 79 that the hands-off level 2 is being executed (S301: YES), the control switching unit 78 selects a hands-off transition condition (S302). As a result, the control switching unit 78 determines whether or not to transition from the hands-off level 2 to the autonomous driving control based on the hands-off transition condition (FIG. 5, S105).

[0117] On the other hand, if the gripping duty grasping unit 79 determines that the hands-on level 2 is being executed (S301: NO), the control switching unit 78 selects the hands-on transition condition (S303). As a result, the control switching unit 78 permits the transition from the hands-on level 2 to the autonomous driving control based on the hands-on transition condition (FIG. 5, S105).

[0118] The above hands-on transition conditions are set stricter than the hands-off transition conditions. As a result, the transition from hands-on level 2 to autonomous driving control is more difficult to permit than the transition from hands-off level 2 to autonomous driving control. These hands-on transition conditions and hands-off transition conditions include multiple common individual conditions such as road type (road shape) conditions, driving speed conditions, and target conditions around the vehicle. For each of these multiple individual conditions, the hands-on transition conditions are set with stricter restrictions than the hands-off transition conditions.

[0119] In more detail, the hands-on transition condition specifies that the road type condition is that the vehicle is traveling on a straight section. On the other hand, the hands-off transition condition specifies that the road type condition is that the vehicle is traveling on a straight section or a curved section. As described above, when the road information acquisition unit 75 detects that the vehicle is traveling on a curved section, the control switching unit 78 permits the transition from hands-off level 2 to autonomous driving control, but does not permit the transition from hands-on level 2 to autonomous driving control.

[0120] In addition, the hands-on transition condition and the hands-off transition condition when transitioning to congestion level 3 stipulate that the travel speed of the host vehicle Am is lower than the congestion speed as a travel speed condition. The congestion speed in the hands-on transition condition (e.g., 20 km / h) is set lower than the congestion speed in the hands-off transition condition (e.g., 30 km / h). As a result, the transition from hands-on level 2 to congestion level 3 is performed at a slower speed than the transition from hands-off level 2 to congestion level 3.

[0121] Furthermore, the hands-on transition condition for transitioning to congestion level 3 specifies that the other vehicle grasping unit 74 grasps both the front vehicle Af (see FIG. 10) and the rear vehicle Ab (see FIG. 10) as target conditions around the vehicle. On the other hand, the hands-off transition condition specifies that the other vehicle grasping unit 74 grasps only the front vehicle Af as target conditions around the vehicle. As described above, in congestion patterns 1 and 2 (see FIG. 10) in which both the front vehicle Af and the rear vehicle Ab are detected, transitions from hands-off level 2 to congestion level 3 and transitions from hands-on level 2 to congestion level 3 are both permitted. On the other hand, in congestion patterns 3 and 4 (see FIG. 11) in which the rear vehicle Ab is not detected, transitions from hands-off level 2 to congestion level 3 are permitted, but transitions from hands-on level 2 to congestion level 3 are not permitted.

[0122] Here, the hands-on transition condition may specify that the other vehicle grasping unit 74 grasps both of the side vehicles As (see FIG. 10). The hands-on transition condition may also specify that the front vehicle Af, the rear vehicle Ab, and the side vehicles As are all grasped. The side vehicles As are vehicles traveling parallel to each other in adjacent lanes. When there are adjacent lanes on both sides of the vehicle lane, and when there is an adjacent lane without a side vehicle As, the other vehicle grasping unit 74 determines that the side vehicle As is not grasped.

[0123] According to these target condition settings, in congestion patterns 1 and 2, where both a forward vehicle Af and a lateral vehicle As are detected, a transition from hands-off level 2 to congestion level 3 and a transition from hands-on level 2 to congestion level 3 are both permitted. In contrast, in congestion patterns 5 and 6 (see FIG. 12), where a lateral vehicle As is not detected, a transition from hands-off level 2 to congestion level 3 is permitted, but a transition from hands-on level 2 to congestion level 3 is not permitted.

[0124] In the third embodiment described so far, the hands-on transition condition that permits the transition from driving assistance control with a gripping obligation to autonomous driving control is set stricter than the hands-off transition condition that permits the transition from driving assistance control without a gripping obligation to autonomous driving control. Therefore, the transition from driving assistance control with a gripping obligation to autonomous driving control can be performed under a driving condition with a lower load on the driver than the transition from driving assistance control without a gripping obligation to autonomous driving control. As a result, the driver can release his / her hands from the steering wheel under a stable driving condition. Therefore, the transition to level 3 autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings can be performed smoothly.

[0125] In addition, in the third embodiment, when the road information acquisition unit 75 detects that the vehicle is traveling through a curved section, the control switching unit 78 permits the transition from hands-off level 2 to autonomous driving control, but does not permit the transition from hands-on level 2 to autonomous driving control. As a result, the driver takes his / her hands off the steering wheel while traveling through a straight section, but does not take his / her hands off the steering wheel when traveling through a curved section. As a result, the driver can take his / her hands off the steering wheel with a sense of security. Therefore, the transition to level 3 autonomous driving can be performed even more smoothly.

[0126] In the third embodiment, the driving speed at which a transition from hands-on level 2 to congestion level 3 is permitted is set lower than the driving speed at which a transition from hands-off level 2 to congestion level 3 is permitted. Therefore, the driver can take his / her hands off the steering wheel in a stable state after the host vehicle Am starts traveling at a low speed.

[0127] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, when the situation of the target present around the host vehicle Am satisfies the target condition, the transition from the driving assistance control to traffic jam level 3 is permitted. In addition, the target condition for permitting the transition from hands-on level 2 to traffic jam level 3 is set stricter than the target condition for permitting the transition from hands-off level 2 to traffic jam level 3. As a result, the driver takes his / her hands off the steering wheel when the situation around the host vehicle is stable. As a result, the driver can take his / her hands off the steering wheel with a sense of security. In the third embodiment, the road information acquisition unit 75 corresponds to the "road type recognition unit".

[0128] (Fourth embodiment) The fourth embodiment of the present disclosure is yet another modified example of the first embodiment. The driving assistance ECU 50a of the fourth embodiment can perform not only the driving assistance control of hands-on level 2 (hereinafter, hands-on control) but also the driving assistance control of hands-off level 2 (hereinafter, hands-off control) in the same manner as the third embodiment. The hands-on control is a driving assistance control in which the driver has both the obligation to monitor the surroundings and the obligation to hold the vehicle. The hands-off control is a driving assistance control in which the driver has the obligation to monitor the surroundings but does not have the obligation to hold the vehicle.

[0129] Here, the use of the hands-off control function is prohibited by law in some areas, specifically, in certain countries or regions. Therefore, the autonomous driving ECU 50b (see Figs. 1 to 3) according to the fourth embodiment has a function to restrict the use of the hands-off control in certain countries or regions, making it unusable. In the autonomous driving ECU 50b, the road information acquisition unit 75, the control switching unit 78, and the notification request unit 72 perform processing related to the restriction on the use of the hands-off control.

[0130] The road information acquisition unit 75 acquires the current position of the host vehicle Am based on the locator information and map data provided from the locator 35 to the environment recognition unit 62, and also grasps the area (e.g., country or region) in which the host vehicle Am is currently traveling. The road information acquisition unit 75 determines whether the area in which the host vehicle Am is traveling is an area in which traveling with hands-off control is possible (hereinafter, referred to as a hands-off possible area) or an area in which traveling with hands-off control is prohibited (hands-off prohibited area). Information on whether hands-off control is possible in each country or region may be pre-recorded in the map data, or may be received by the in-vehicle communication device 39.

[0131] When the host vehicle Am is traveling in a hands-off prohibited area, the control switching unit 78 cooperates with the driving assistance ECU 50a to restrict the use of hands-off control. According to the restriction on the use of hands-off control by the control switching unit 78, a hands-on notification is implemented when the driver stops holding the steering wheel for a predetermined period of time or more. Then, when the driver continues to stop holding the steering wheel even after the hands-on notification, a driving control is initiated to automatically stop the host vehicle Am on the road on which the vehicle is traveling.

[0132] When the host vehicle Am moves from a hands-off-enabled area to another hands-off-enabled area, the control switching unit 78 continues the state in which the use of the hands-off control is permitted. On the other hand, when the host vehicle Am moves from a hands-off-enabled area to a hands-off-prohibited area, the control switching unit 78 switches to a state in which the use of the hands-off control is prohibited. When the control switching unit 78 once prohibits the use of the hands-off control, the control switching unit 78 continues the prohibited state of the hands-off control until a specific user operation (driver operation) is performed by the driver. Therefore, when the host vehicle Am moves from a hands-off-prohibited area to a hands-off-enabled area, the control switching unit 78 does not automatically switch and continues the state in which the use of the hands-off control is prohibited. As an example, the control switching unit 78 continues the state in which the use of the hands-off control is prohibited until the power supply of the host vehicle Am is temporarily turned off.

[0133] When the result of the determination by the road information acquisition unit 75 as to whether or not the area is hands-off possible changes, the notification request unit 72 performs an area change notification indicating the change in the determination result. The notification request unit 72 performs the area change notification within a predetermined time (for example, from several tens of seconds to about one minute) after the result of the determination changes, by outputting a request for performing the area change notification to the information linking unit 82. The area change notification is a notification that indicates to a driver or other occupant that a change has occurred in the information on whether or not the hands-off control can be used. Specifically, in the area change notification when the host vehicle Am moves from a hands-off possible area to a hands-off prohibited area, a message such as "Hands-off cannot be used" is displayed on at least one of the HUD 23 and the meter display 21. On the other hand, in the area change notification when the host vehicle Am moves from a hands-off prohibited area to a hands-off possible area, a message such as "You have entered an area where hands-off is available. Hands-off can be used by a predetermined operation" is displayed on at least one of the HUD 23 and the meter display 21. A voice message similar to the message displayed on each display device may be played by the audio device 24. When moving from a hands-off prohibited area to another hands-off prohibited area, or when moving from a hands-off permitted area to another hands-off permitted area, no area change notification is given.

[0134] Next, the details of the hands-off restriction process that prohibits the use of hands-off control and the area notification process that implements area change notification will be described below with reference to Figures 13 and 14 and also with reference to Figures 1 to 3. The hands-off restriction process and the area notification process are started by the autonomous driving ECU 50b that has completed the startup process after the power supply of the host vehicle Am is switched to the on state.

[0135] In S441 of the hands-off restriction process shown in Fig. 13, position information and the like are acquired, and the process proceeds to S442. In S442, it is determined whether or not the area in which the host vehicle Am is located is a hands-off permitted area, based on the position information acquired in S441. If it is determined in S442 that the host vehicle Am is located in a hands-off prohibited area, the use of hands-off control is prohibited in S446, and the current hands-off restriction process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined in S442 that the host vehicle Am is located in a hands-off permitted area, the process proceeds to S443.

[0136] In S443, the use of hands-off control is permitted, and the process proceeds to S444. In S444, position information and the like are acquired in the same manner as in S441, and the process proceeds to S445. In S445, it is determined again whether the area in which the host vehicle Am is located is a hands-off permitted area or not, based on the position information acquired in S444. If the host vehicle Am is traveling in a hands-off permitted area, the state in which the use of hands-off control is permitted is continued by repeating the processes of S444 and S445. On the other hand, if the host vehicle Am moves from a hands-off permitted area to a hands-off prohibited area, the process proceeds from S445 to S446, the use of hands-off control is prohibited, and the current hands-off restriction process is terminated.

[0137] The area notification process shown in Fig. 14 is repeatedly started by the autonomous driving ECU 50b while the autonomous driving system 50 is running. In S461 of the area notification process, the result of the area determination (see S442) in the hands-off restriction process is obtained, and the process proceeds to S462. In S462, it is determined whether or not there has been a change in the determination result obtained in S461. If the result of the area determination has not changed, the processes of S461 and S462 are repeated. On the other hand, if the result of the area determination has changed, the process proceeds from S462 to S463.

[0138] In S463, the change pattern of the area determination result is grasped, and the process proceeds to S464. In S463, it is grasped whether the determination result has changed from a hands-off possible area to a hands-off prohibited area, or from a hands-off prohibited area to a hands-off possible area. In S464, a notification request is output to the information linking unit 82 so that an area change notification corresponding to the change pattern grasped in S463 is performed, and the current area notification process is terminated. Based on the notification request output in S464, the HMI system 10 performs area change notification.

[0139] In the fourth embodiment described above, the change in the determination result of whether the area in which the vehicle Am is traveling is a hands-off possible area or not is indicated by the area change notification. Therefore, even in a traveling environment in which the possibility of traveling under hands-off control changes depending on the movement of the vehicle Am, the driver can appropriately grasp whether or not it is OK to take his / her hands off the steering wheel. As a result, the convenience of automatic driving can be ensured.

[0140] In addition, in the fourth embodiment, even if the host vehicle Am moves from a hands-off prohibited area to a hands-off permitted area, the state in which the use of the hands-off control is restricted continues. Therefore, for example, a situation in which the availability of the hands-off control changes every time the vehicle crosses a country, and the driver feels bothered by such a change in the system, can be avoided. In the fourth embodiment, the road information acquisition unit 75 corresponds to the "area determination unit", and the control switching unit 78 corresponds to the "function restriction unit".

[0141] (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.

[0142] In the first and second embodiments, both the driver's grip on the steering wheel and the surrounding monitoring were monitored during the period before transition to level 3. On the other hand, in the first modified example of the first and second embodiments, only a hands-on notification is issued when the hands-on state is interrupted, and a monitoring request notification is not issued when the surrounding monitoring is interrupted. Also, in the second modified example of the first and second embodiments, only a monitoring request notification is issued when the surrounding monitoring is interrupted, and a hands-on notification is not issued when the hands-on state is interrupted.

[0143] In the third and fourth modified examples of the first and second embodiments, the pre-level 3 transition period is different. The pre-level 3 transition period in the third modified example is from after the level 3 possible notification is issued until before the level 3 start notification is issued. The pre-level 3 transition period in the fourth modified example is from after the level 3 approach notification is issued until before the level 3 possible notification is issued.

[0144] The manner of the level 3 approach notification, the level 3 possible notification, and the level 3 start notification may be changed as appropriate. For example, these notifications may be implemented by changing the light emission color of an ambient indicator provided around the driver's seat.

[0145] In the fifth modification of the above embodiment, the function of an automatic driving control device is realized by cooperation between the automatic driving ECU 50b and the HCU 100. In the fifth modification, the function of grasping whether the steering wheel is being gripped and whether surrounding monitoring is being performed is realized by the driver behavior grasping unit 86. Furthermore, the function of executing the Level 3 start notification and the action request notification is realized by the presentation control unit 88.

[0146] In the sixth modification of the above embodiment, the functions of the autonomous driving ECU 50b and the HCU 100 are provided by one in-vehicle ECU. In this in-vehicle ECU, in addition to the environment recognition unit 62, the behavior determination unit 63, and the control execution unit 64 of the above embodiment, functional units corresponding to the information acquisition unit 81, the driver behavior grasping unit 86, and the presentation control unit 88 are constructed based on a functional control program. In the sixth modification, the functional units corresponding to the information linking units 61 and 82 are omitted.

[0147] In the fifth and sixth modified examples, the driver behavior grasping unit 86 corresponds to a "holding grasping unit" and a "monitoring grasping unit", and the presentation control unit 88 corresponds to an "alert control unit".

[0148] In the seventh modification of the above embodiment, the functions of the driving assistance ECU 50a and the automatic driving ECU 50b are provided by one automatic driving ECU. That is, the automatic driving ECU 50b of the seventh modification is equipped with the functions of the driving assistance ECU 50a. In the seventh modification, the integrated automatic driving ECU corresponds to the "automatic driving control device."

[0149] In the eighth modification of the fourth embodiment, the driving assistance ECU 50a performs processing related to the restriction of the use of hands-off control. That is, functional units corresponding to the road information acquisition unit 75, the control switching unit 78, the notification request unit 72, etc. described in the fourth embodiment are constructed in the driving assistance ECU 50a, and the processing unit of the driving assistance ECU 50a performs the hands-off restriction processing and the area notification processing. In the eighth modification, the autonomous driving ECU 50b that realizes the level 3 autonomous driving function may be omitted from the autonomous driving system 50. In such an eighth modification, the driving assistance ECU 50a corresponds to the "autonomous driving computer."

[0150] In the ninth modification of the fourth embodiment, when the vehicle moves from a hands-off prohibited area to another hands-off prohibited area, and when the vehicle moves from a hands-off permitted area to another hands-off permitted area, a notification indicating the change of areas is also performed. It is preferable that such a notification is performed in a manner less conspicuous than the area change notification.

[0151] In the above embodiment, each function provided by the autonomous driving ECU and HCU can be provided by software and hardware that executes the software, software only, hardware only, 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.

[0152] Each processing unit in the above-mentioned embodiment may be individually mounted on a printed circuit board, or may be mounted on an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) and an FPGA. The form of a storage medium (non-transitory tangible storage medium) for storing various programs and the like may also be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, 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 a control circuit such as an autonomous driving ECU or HCU. The storage medium may also be an optical disk or a hard disk drive that is a source from which a program is copied to the autonomous driving ECU or HCU.

[0153] The vehicle equipped with the above-mentioned automatic driving system and HMI system is not limited to a general private passenger car, but may be a rental car vehicle, a manned taxi vehicle, a ride-sharing vehicle, a freight vehicle, a bus, etc. In addition, the vehicle equipped with the automatic driving system and HMI system may be a right-hand drive vehicle or a left-hand drive vehicle. Furthermore, the traffic environment in which the vehicle runs may be a traffic environment based on left-hand traffic or a traffic environment based on right-hand traffic. The automatic driving control and information presentation according to the present disclosure may be appropriately optimized according to the road traffic laws of each country and region, and further the steering wheel position of the vehicle, etc.

[0154] 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. [Explanation of symbols]

[0155] Am: vehicle; 50b: automatic driving ECU (automatic driving control device); 50a: driving assistance ECU (automatic driving control device); 51: processing unit; 71: HMI information acquisition unit (grasping recognition unit, monitoring recognition unit); 72: notification request unit (notification control unit); 75: road information acquisition unit (road type recognition unit, area determination unit); 78: control switching unit (function restriction unit); 79: holding obligation recognition unit; 86: driver behavior recognition unit (grasping recognition unit, monitoring recognition unit); 88: presentation control unit (notification control unit)

Claims

1. An automatic driving control device that enables a vehicle (Am) to travel using an automatic driving function, A gripping detection unit (71, 86) that detects whether or not a steering wheel is being gripped by a driver of the vehicle; A control switching unit (78) that allows the driver to transition from a driving assistance control in which the driver is obligated to hold the steering wheel to an autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings and is not obligated to hold the steering wheel based on the establishment of a plurality of transition conditions; a notification control unit (72, 88) that performs a start notification to indicate to the driver that the autonomous driving control has started; The notification control unit is an automatic driving control device that implements a hands-on notification to prompt the driver to hold the steering wheel when it is detected that the driver has stopped holding the steering wheel between the satisfaction of at least one of the transition conditions and before the start notification is implemented.

2. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein the control switching unit cancels the transition to the autonomous driving control when it detects that the driver has stopped holding the steering wheel between the time when at least one of the transition conditions is satisfied and the time when the start notification is issued.

3. The automatic driving control device according to claim 2 , wherein the control switching unit switches from the driving assistance control to manual driving by the driver when the transition to the autonomous driving control is canceled.

4. The automatic driving control device according to claim 2 , wherein the control switching unit continues the driving assistance control when gripping of the steering wheel is detected within a predetermined time after the start of the hands-on notification.

5. The automatic driving control device according to claim 4 , wherein the control switching unit is configured to restrict a transition to the autonomous driving control when the driving assistance control is continued based on the grasp of the steering wheel.

6. The control switching unit, when the hands-on notification is implemented, withholds permission to transition to the autonomous driving control after a plurality of transition conditions are satisfied. The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the notification control unit suspends the implementation of the start notification for a predetermined time when the hands-on notification is implemented.

8. An automatic driving control program that enables a vehicle (Am) to travel using an automatic driving function, At least one processing section (51) It is determined whether or not the driver of the vehicle is gripping the steering wheel (S103, S107). Based on the establishment of a plurality of transition conditions, a transition from a driving assistance control in which the driver is obligated to hold the steering wheel to an autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings and is not obligated to hold the steering wheel is permitted (S105); A start notification is given to the driver to notify the driver of the start of the autonomous driving control (S110). When it is determined that the driver has stopped holding the steering wheel during the period from when at least one of the transition conditions is satisfied until the start notification is issued, a hands-on notification is issued to prompt the driver to hold the steering wheel (S113). An automatic driving control program that executes processes including the above.

9. An automatic driving control device that enables a vehicle (Am) to travel using an automatic driving function, A monitoring grasp unit (71, 86) that grasps whether or not the driver of the vehicle is monitoring the surroundings; A control switching unit (78) that permits a transition from a driving assistance control in which the driver is obligated to monitor the surroundings to an autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings based on the establishment of a plurality of transition conditions; a notification control unit (72, 88) that performs a start notification to indicate to the driver that the autonomous driving control has started; The notification control unit is an automatic driving control device that issues a monitoring request notification to prompt the driver to perform surrounding monitoring when it is detected that the driver has discontinued surrounding monitoring between the satisfaction of at least one of the transition conditions and before the start notification is issued.

10. The automatic driving control device according to claim 9, wherein the control switching unit cancels the transition to the autonomous driving control when it is determined that the driver has stopped monitoring the surroundings between the time when at least one of the transition conditions is satisfied and the time when the start notification is issued.

11. The automatic driving control device according to claim 10 , wherein the control switching unit switches from the driving assistance control to manual driving by the driver when the transition to the autonomous driving control is canceled.

12. The automatic driving control device according to claim 10 , wherein the control switching unit continues the driving assistance control when it is determined that the surrounding monitoring is to be performed within a predetermined time after the monitoring request notification is started.

13. The automatic driving control device according to claim 11 , wherein the control switching unit, when continuing the driving assistance control based on the determination that the surrounding monitoring is being performed, restricts the transition to the autonomous driving control.

14. An automatic driving control program that enables a vehicle (Am) to travel using an automatic driving function, At least one processing section (51) It is determined whether or not the driver of the vehicle is monitoring the surroundings (S104, S108). Based on the establishment of a plurality of transition conditions, a transition from a driving assistance control in which the driver is obligated to monitor the surroundings to an autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings is permitted (S105); A start notification is given to the driver to notify the driver of the start of the autonomous driving control (S110). When it is determined that the driver has stopped monitoring the surroundings during the period from when at least one of the transition conditions is satisfied until when the start notification is issued, a monitoring request notification is issued to prompt the driver to start monitoring the surroundings (S113). An automatic driving control program that executes processes including the above.

15. An automatic driving control device that enables a vehicle (Am) to travel using an automatic driving function, A control switching unit (78) that permits a transition from a driving assistance control in which a driver of the vehicle is obligated to monitor the surroundings to an autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings; and a gripping obligation grasping unit (79) configured to grasp whether or not the driver is obligated to grip the steering wheel in the driving assistance control, The control switching unit sets conditions for permitting a transition from the driving assistance control, which requires the driver to hold the vehicle, to the autonomous driving control, which is stricter than conditions for permitting a transition from the driving assistance control, which does not require the driver to hold the vehicle, to the autonomous driving control.

16. A road type identification unit (75) for identifying the type of road on which the vehicle is traveling, The automatic driving control device according to claim 15, wherein the control switching unit permits a transition from the driving assistance control without the obligation to hold to the autonomous driving control when the road type identification unit has identified driving on a curved section, and does not permit a transition from the driving assistance control with the obligation to hold to the autonomous driving control.

17. The automatic driving control device according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the control switching unit implements, as the autonomous driving control, a congestion limited control that is implemented only when driving in a congestion state based on an understanding of the congestion around the vehicle.

18. The automatic driving control device according to claim 17, wherein the control switching unit sets a driving speed at which a transition from the driving assistance control with the holding obligation to the congestion limited control is permitted to be lower than the driving speed at which a transition from the driving assistance control without the holding obligation to the congestion limited control is permitted.

19. The control switching unit is permitting a transition from the driving assistance control to the congestion limiting control when a state of a target existing around the host vehicle satisfies a target condition; The automatic driving control device according to claim 17 or 18, wherein the target condition for permitting a transition from the driving assistance control with the holding obligation to the congestion limited control is set stricter than the target condition for permitting a transition from the driving assistance control without the holding obligation to the congestion limited control.

20. An automatic driving control program that enables a vehicle (Am) to travel using an automatic driving function, At least one processing section (51) A transition from a driving assistance control in which the driver of the vehicle is obligated to monitor the surroundings to an autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings is permitted (S105); It is determined whether or not the driver is required to hold the steering wheel in the driving assistance control (S301); A condition for permitting a transition from the driving assistance control with the gripping obligation to the autonomous driving control is set stricter than a condition for permitting a transition from the driving assistance control without the gripping obligation to the autonomous driving control (S302, S303). An automatic driving control program that executes processes including the above.

21. An automatic driving control device that enables a vehicle (Am) to travel by driving assistance control without a driver having to hold the steering wheel, An area determination unit (75) that determines whether an area in which the vehicle travels is a hands-off possible area in which the vehicle can travel by hands-off control, which is driving assistance control without the obligation to hold the vehicle in hand; An automatic driving control device comprising: a notification control unit (72, 88) that performs an area change notification indicating a change in the determination result of whether or not the area is hands-off possible.

22. A function limiting unit (78) that limits the use of the hands-off control when the vehicle is traveling in a hands-off prohibited area where traveling under the hands-off control is prohibited, The automatic driving control device according to claim 21 , wherein the function restriction unit continues to restrict the use of the hands-off control when the vehicle moves from the hands-off prohibited area to the hands-off permitted area.

23. An automatic driving control program that enables a vehicle (Am) to travel by driving assistance control without a driver having to hold the steering wheel, At least one processing section (51) A determination is made as to whether or not the area in which the host vehicle is traveling is a hands-off area in which the host vehicle can travel by hands-off control, which is driving assistance control without the obligation to hold the vehicle (S442). A notification of an area change is made, which indicates a change in the result of the determination of whether the area is a hands-off possible area or not (S464). An automatic driving control program that executes processes including the above.

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