Communication system, automobile, and program for automobiles

Abstract

To enable a person carrying a portable terminal to safely execute a behavior such as crossing in a communication system comprising the portable terminal and an automobile including a function for wirelessly communicating with the portable terminal and having a manual driving mode and an automatic driving mode in which autonomous travel can be performed.SOLUTION: A portable terminal sends a radio communication request to an automobile. The automobile comprises switching discrimination means for discriminating whether to switch to an automatic driving mode in a case where the own vehicle is in a manual driving mode upon receiving the radio communication request from the portable terminal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a communication system having a mobile terminal and an automobile, and to an automobile constituting the communication system. The present invention also relates to a program for the automobile. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, automobiles equipped with an automatic driving mode that allows autonomous driving without driver operation have been appearing (for example, see Patent Document 1 (JP Patent Publication 2012-48563 A)). In addition to automobiles that can switch between a manual driving mode and an automatic driving mode, it is expected that automatic driving cars that only have an automatic driving mode and automatic driving cars that can drive autonomously without a driver will also appear.

[0003] Currently, autonomous driving of this type of vehicle in self-driving mode is often restricted, such as being permitted only in places and environments where safety can be easily ensured, but it is expected that in the near future it will be possible for these vehicles to be driven freely on public roads.

[0004] When automobiles with an autonomous driving mode are allowed to travel freely on public roads, automobiles that can only be driven manually (manual-spec vehicles) and automobiles with an autonomous driving mode (for convenience, in the following explanation, automobiles with an autonomous driving mode will be referred to as autonomous vehicles) will be able to travel on the same roads at the same time.

[0005] In the case of a manual vehicle, it is inevitable that the driver will not strictly follow traffic laws or will behave in an unpredictable manner, but in the automatic driving mode of an automatic vehicle, it is predicted that the driver will strictly follow traffic laws and will always avoid obstacles. In other words, it is predicted that a manual vehicle and an automatic vehicle will have different driving behaviors.

[0006] Therefore, if it were possible to know whether a nearby car was a manual car or an autonomous car, it would be more likely that pedestrians, drivers, and cars (autonomous cars) themselves would be able to predict the movements and behavior of those cars and ensure safety and be careful about their own behavior and driving, which is expected to contribute to road safety, such as preventing accidents from occurring. In other words, if it were possible to know whether a car in motion is a manual car or an autonomous car, it would be possible to refer to that information when deciding on one's own actions and behavior, which is desirable from the perspective of road safety.

[0007] Therefore, for example, Patent Document 2 (JP Patent Publication 2015-228152A) proposes a system in which vehicles communicate with each other to determine whether their own vehicle is in an automatic driving mode or a manual driving mode, thereby making it possible to grasp the operating modes of other vehicles around the vehicle. This technology in Patent Document 2 is convenient because it makes it possible to increase or decrease the attention paid to other vehicles around the vehicle depending on the grasped operating mode. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0008] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-48563 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2015-228152 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] Incidentally, the technology in Patent Document 2 involves vehicles communicating with each other while in motion, learning each other's operating modes, and using the learned operating modes as a reference for safe driving; however, it does not propose any communication between pedestrians and vehicles that can contribute to road safety.

[0010] For example, when pedestrians want to cross the crosswalk, they usually wait until cars have stopped in front of the crosswalk before proceeding to cross. Traffic laws require cars to stop in front of the crosswalk when there are pedestrians trying to cross the crosswalk, but in reality, many cars do not stop. As a result, some people cannot wait for cars to stop and try to cross the crosswalk forcefully, which often makes it difficult to ensure traffic safety.

[0011] If a car has an autonomous driving mode that allows it to drive autonomously without the driver's input, it will obey traffic laws and regulations when driving on the road, so it can be expected that the car will stop in front of a pedestrian crossing if there are pedestrians. Therefore, if you know which car is operating in autonomous driving mode, you can wait for it to stop in front of the pedestrian crossing and cross the road safely.

[0012] However, pedestrians cannot tell from their appearance which vehicles are operating in autonomous mode, which can lead to pedestrians becoming frustrated and making dangerous crossings.

[0013] Furthermore, in places where there are no pedestrian crossings, even cars operating in autonomous driving mode will not necessarily stop to give priority to pedestrians who are trying to cross the street, because the car cannot determine whether the pedestrian is trying to cross the street or is simply standing there.

[0014] The same thing as for pedestrians above can be said not only for pedestrians, but also for those in wheelchairs and those on bicycles.

[0015] In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to ensure that pedestrians, wheelchair users, cyclists, and the like can safely perform actions such as crossing a road. [Means for solving the problem]

[0016] In order to solve the above problem, the invention of claim 1 is as follows: A communication system having a mobile terminal and an automobile having a function of wirelessly communicating with the mobile terminal and having a manual driving mode and an autonomous driving mode capable of autonomous driving, the portable terminal includes a communication request sending means for sending a wireless communication request to the vehicle; The automobile includes a switching determination means for determining whether or not to switch to the automatic driving mode when the automobile is in the manual driving mode upon receiving the wireless communication request from the mobile terminal. The present invention provides a communication system comprising:

[0017] In the communication system of the invention of claim 1 having the above configuration, the mobile terminal transmits a wireless communication request to the automobile. When the automobile receives the wireless communication request, if the automobile is in a manual driving mode, the switching determination means determines whether or not to switch to an automatic driving mode. Effect of the Invention

[0018] In the communication system according to the present invention, a person carrying a portable terminal can alert a vehicle involved in the person's behavior schedule to his / her presence. Also, a vehicle that receives a wireless communication request from the portable terminal can switch from a manual driving mode to an automatic driving mode based on the result of the determination by the switching determination means, providing an opportunity for a pedestrian, wheelchair user, bicycle rider, or other person carrying a portable terminal to ensure safe driving in the automatic driving mode. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining an overview of an example of an embodiment of a communication system according to the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an embodiment of a mobile terminal constituting an embodiment of a communication system according to the present invention; [Diagram 3]3 is a functional block diagram of a main part of the mobile terminal of the example of FIG. 2. [Figure 4] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of an electronic control circuit section of an embodiment of a vehicle constituting an embodiment of a communication system according to the present invention; [Diagram 5] 5 is a functional block diagram of a main part of an electronic control circuit unit of the automobile shown in FIG. 4. [Figure 6] 3 is a diagram showing a flowchart for explaining an example of a processing operation of the mobile terminal in the example of FIG. 2. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a part of a flowchart for explaining an example of a detailed flow of a part of the processing in the flowchart of FIG. 6. [Figure 8] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a part of a flowchart for explaining an example of a detailed flow of a part of the processing in the flowchart of FIG. 6. [Figure 9] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a part of a flowchart for explaining an example of a detailed flow of a part of the processing in the flowchart of FIG. 6. [Figure 10] 5 is a diagram showing a part of a flowchart for explaining an example of a processing operation of an electronic control circuit unit of the automobile in the example of FIG. 4. [Figure 11] 5 is a diagram showing a part of a flowchart for explaining an example of a processing operation of an electronic control circuit unit of the automobile in the example of FIG. 4. [Figure 12] 5 is a diagram showing a part of a flowchart for explaining an example of a processing operation of an electronic control circuit unit of the automobile in the example of FIG. 4. [Figure 13] 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of vehicle behavior based on a vehicle-to-vehicle communication request in response to a carrier's behavior schedule. FIG. [Figure 14] 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of vehicle behavior based on a vehicle-to-vehicle communication request in response to a carrier's behavior schedule. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, an embodiment of a communication system according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of a configuration example of a communication system according to this embodiment.

[0021] The communication system of this embodiment includes a mobile terminal 1 and an automobile 2. The mobile terminal 1 and the automobile 2 have a function for wirelessly communicating with each other. The automobile 2 has an automatic driving mode that enables autonomous driving.

[0022] Wireless communication between the mobile terminal 1 and the automobile 2 is performed by directly exchanging radio waves, light, and the like. It naturally includes the involvement of a base station such as an access point in the case of Wi-Fi (registered trademark) communication to generate a communication path. The range in which wireless communication is possible may be limited, for example, to a range of several hundred meters, and may be within a range in which a person 3 carrying the mobile terminal 1, such as a pedestrian, wheelchair user, or bicycle rider, can transmit a planned behavior (hereinafter referred to as a behavior plan), such as crossing a road or turning right or left, from the mobile terminal 1 to the automobile 2 by wireless communication before actually executing the behavior, and the automobile 2 can transmit a behavior corresponding to the behavior plan, such as a temporary stop, to the mobile terminal 1 side and execute the behavior.

[0023] In this example, the mobile terminal 1 is configured as a highly functional mobile phone terminal called a smartphone. In this example, the mobile terminal 1 can be connected to a navigation support server device 5 through a communication network 4 including the Internet and a mobile phone network, and the carrier 3 can receive so-called pedestrian navigation or bicycle navigation services with the support of the navigation support server device 5. In addition, a wheelchair navigation service exclusively for wheelchair users can be received. In the wheelchair navigation service, guidance services are provided such as calling attention to steps before the step so that the user can safely perform the behavior, not only when crossing a road or turning right or left on a road as in the case of able-bodied pedestrians and cyclists, but also when the user of a wheelchair is traveling, for example, over a step (which takes time).

[0024] Then, the portable terminal 1 transmits a request for vehicle-to-vehicle communication to the automobile 2 in response to an instruction operation from the carrier 3. In this embodiment, in the pedestrian navigation, bicycle navigation, and wheelchair navigation services provided by the navigation assistance server device 5, when the carrier 3 must perform a dangerous action in relation to the automobile 2, such as crossing a road, turning right or left, or driving over a step, in order to ensure the traffic safety of the carrier 3, the route guidance service is executed so as to transmit a request for vehicle-to-vehicle communication to the automobile 2 before the action.

[0025] That is, when the navigation assistance server device 5 receives a service request for pedestrian navigation of the communication network 4 from the mobile terminal 1, it generates information on a recommended route based on the starting point, destination, and any intermediate points included in the service request, and provides a route guidance service along the recommended route to the carrier 3 through the mobile terminal 1. In this case, the navigation assistance server device 5 of this embodiment includes information on the position or area where a request for vehicle-to-car communication should be sent to the automobile 2 in the information on the recommended route. In the case of an area, the request for vehicle-to-car communication is set to be sent when entering or just before entering the area. The mobile terminal 1 executes the process of sending the request for vehicle-to-car communication according to the process control by the route guidance service.

[0026] Meanwhile, in this embodiment, the automobile 2 has a manual driving mode and the above-mentioned automatic driving mode capable of autonomous driving. In this embodiment, the automobile 2 has, as the automatic driving modes, a normal automatic driving mode in which the automobile 2 can be switched to the manual driving mode by the driver operating the steering wheel, stepping on the accelerator pedal, stepping on the brake pedal, etc., and a forced automatic driving mode in which the automobile 2 cannot be switched to the manual driving mode even if the driver performs the above operations and continues to be in the automatic driving mode.

[0027] In this embodiment, when the automobile 2 receives a request for automobile communication from the mobile terminal 1, it determines whether the automobile is traveling in automatic driving mode or manual driving mode, and if it is traveling in automatic driving mode, it responds to the automobile communication request from the mobile terminal 1 and creates a wireless communication path. If it is traveling in manual driving mode, it determines whether the driver has set the mode not to allow switching to automatic driving mode, and if it is allowed, it responds to the automobile communication request from the mobile terminal 1 and creates a wireless communication path.

[0028] Then, the automobile 2 receives information on the behavioral schedule of the carrier 3 sent from the portable terminal 1 through the created wireless communication path, determines whether its own vehicle is involved in the behavioral schedule, and if it determines that its own vehicle is not involved, replies to that effect to the portable terminal 1 and disconnects the wireless communication path. The portable terminal 1 receives and analyzes the reply information from the automobile 2, confirms that its own vehicle is not involved in the behavioral schedule of the carrier 3, and disconnects the wireless communication path.

[0029] Furthermore, when the automobile 2 determines that it is involved in the behavior schedule of the carrier 3, it switches its own vehicle to a forced automatic driving mode, determines that the behavior will be prioritized in accordance with the behavior schedule of the carrier 3 of the portable terminal 1, and controls the vehicle to be executed. The automobile 2 then transmits to the portable terminal 1 information on the current location of its own vehicle and information for visually recognizing its own vehicle, and returns a notification to the portable terminal 1 that the behavior that prioritizes the behavior schedule of the carrier 3 will be executed in automatic driving mode.

[0030] The mobile terminal 1 receives the reply information from the automobile 2, analyzes it, displays the analysis result on the display screen, and notifies the carrier 3 by voice. That is, the mobile terminal 1 displays the position of the automobile 2 that will behave in a way that prioritizes the carrier 3's behavior schedule and a display based on the identification information on the display screen based on the current location information from the automobile 2 and the identification information for visually recognizing the vehicle, and notifies the carrier 3 of the behavior that the automobile 2 will perform in the automatic driving mode by the display screen and / or voice. Note that the mobile terminal 1 may be configured to notify or notify by vibration for visually or hearing impaired persons. In this case, it is necessary to set in advance so that the identification information, etc. can be identified by the vibration pattern.

[0031] Therefore, the user 3 of the mobile terminal 1 can confirm on the display screen the presence of the car 2 that will stop for the planned behavior such as crossing the road that the user is about to execute, and can also recognize that the car 2 will execute the planned behavior in automatic driving mode. Therefore, the user 3 can predict the stop of the car 2, wait for it, and execute the planned behavior safely.

[0032] Also, in this embodiment, when the automobile 2 receives a request for automobile communication from the mobile terminal 1, if it determines that the automobile is traveling in manual driving mode and that the driver has set the mode to not allow switching to automatic driving mode, it first creates a wireless communication path with the mobile terminal 1, receives information about the behavioral plans of the carrier 3 sent from the mobile terminal 1, and determines whether the automobile is involved in the behavioral plan. If it determines that the automobile is not involved, it replies to that effect to the mobile terminal 1 and disconnects the wireless communication path.

[0033] Furthermore, when the automobile 2 determines that it is involved in the behavior schedule of the carrier 3, it transmits to the mobile terminal 1 its own current location information, its own vehicle's traveling speed and traveling direction information, and identification information for visually recognizing its own vehicle, and also transmits to the mobile terminal 1 a message that it cannot behave according to the behavior schedule, and then disconnects the wireless communication path. In this embodiment, the identification information of the own vehicle includes the driver's attribute information (gender, age, nationality, driving history, etc.) that is stored in advance in the automobile 2.

[0034] The mobile terminal 1 receives the response information from the automobile 2, analyzes it, displays the analysis result on the display screen, and notifies the carrier 3 by voice. That is, based on the current position information from the automobile 2 and the identification information for visually recognizing the automobile 2, the mobile terminal 1 displays the position of the automobile 2 that is behaving in a way that prioritizes the carrier 3's behavior plan and an indication based on the identification information on the display screen to notify the carrier 3, and notifies the carrier 3 of the behavior that the automobile 2 will perform in the autonomous driving mode by the display screen and / or voice.

[0035] As described above, in this embodiment, even if the driver of the automobile 2 does not permit switching from the manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode, when the automobile 2 is involved in the behavior schedule of the carrier 3, the carrier 3 can confirm the automobile in the manual driving mode by the display screen or voice, and can also know the attributes of the driver, so that the carrier 3 can conveniently pay attention to the automobile 2 in the manual driving mode with a degree of attention according to the information obtained from the automobile 2. For example, when the driver's attributes are elderly or has little driving experience, safety can be improved by increasing the degree of attention to the automobile 2 in the manual driving mode.

[0036] The automobile 2 may not have a manual driving mode, and may be provided with only an automatic driving mode (including a forced automatic driving mode).

[0037] The configurations and operations of the mobile terminal 1 and the car 2 in the communication system of this embodiment will be described in more detail below.

[0038] [Example of configuration of mobile device 1] 2 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of the mobile terminal 1 of this embodiment. The mobile terminal 1 of this embodiment has a configuration in which each unit described below is controlled by a control unit 101 having, for example, a computer.

[0039] The control unit 101 is connected via the system bus 100 to a mobile phone communication unit 102, a voice input / output unit 103, a display control unit 104, an operation input unit interface 105, a current location detection unit 106, a carrier attribute memory unit 107, a wireless communication unit for automobiles 108, a communication control processing unit for automobiles 109, a map data storage unit 110, a route search and guidance unit 111, and a voice recognition unit 112.

[0040] The mobile phone communication unit 102 communicates via base stations of a mobile phone network, and is capable of executing the telephone communication functions of a normal mobile phone terminal and the function of accessing the cloud via the Internet.

[0041] A microphone 121 and a speaker 122 are connected to the voice input / output unit 103. Under the control of the control unit 101, the voice input / output unit 103 operates so that the microphone 121 functions as a transmitter and the speaker 122 functions as a receiver when telephone communication is performed through the mobile phone communication unit 102. Under the control of the control unit 101, the voice input / output unit 103 also sends voice information of the voice collected from the microphone 121 to the voice recognition unit 112 for voice recognition. Under the control of the control unit 101, the voice input / output unit 103 also performs a process of emitting a predetermined voice message generated as described below through the speaker 122.

[0042] A display unit 123 made of, for example, an LCD is connected to the display control unit 104. An operation input unit 124 made of a touch sensor arranged on top of the display screen of the LCD constituting the display unit 123 is connected to the operation input unit interface 105. An input screen for the carrier to start a pedestrian navigation application or a bicycle navigation application, an input screen for the starting point, destination, waypoints, etc. are displayed on the display screen of the LCD constituting the display unit 123, and an operation on a software button included in the input screen is detected by the operation input unit 124 made of a touch sensor and transmitted to the control unit 101 via the operation input unit interface 105. The control unit 101 performs processing according to the operation input at the operation input unit 124.

[0043] The current position detection unit 106 receives radio waves from GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites and information from mobile phone base stations to detect the current position of the mobile terminal 1, and transfers data on the detected current position (latitude, longitude, and altitude data) to the control unit 101. The current position detection unit 106 assists in the detection of the current position of the mobile terminal 1 using a gyro, a geomagnetic sensor, etc.

[0044] The user attribute storage unit 107 stores attribute information input by the user in advance. As the attribute information, the nationality, sex, age, chronic illness, etc. of the user are registered and stored. The user attribute storage unit 107 may store the user's stride length and walking speed (average value), the moving speed (average value) when in a wheelchair, and the running speed (average value) when riding a bicycle. The walking speed, the wheelchair moving speed, and the running speed when riding a bicycle can be calculated by calculating a distance from a change in the current position detected by the current position detection unit 106 every predetermined time, and dividing the distance by the predetermined time, and can be stored in the user attribute storage unit 107. Since not only the wheelchair moving speed but also the performance of the wheelchair differs depending on whether it is a manual wheelchair or an electric wheelchair, the type of the wheelchair (manual or electric), the average manual speed, and the average electric speed may be stored in the user attribute storage unit 107. In addition, the presence or absence of a caregiver or attendant can be stored in the user attribute storage unit 107.

[0045] The vehicle wireless communication unit 108 is a communication unit for wireless communication with the vehicle 2. The vehicle communication control processing unit 109 controls wireless communication with the vehicle 2 through this vehicle wireless communication unit 108. This vehicle communication control processing unit 109 will be described in detail later.

[0046] The map data storage unit 110 stores general-purpose map data in advance, or the map data corresponding to the current position detected by the current position detection unit 106 is obtained from the navigation assistance server device 5 via the mobile phone communication unit 102 and stored therein.

[0047] The route search and guidance unit 111 is a processing unit configured by an application software program downloaded in advance from the navigation assistance server device 5, and cooperates with the navigation assistance server device 5 to execute services such as pedestrian navigation and bicycle navigation.

[0048] That is, the route search and guidance unit 111 cooperates with the navigation assistance server device 5 to perform route search and route guidance (guidance) for walking navigation from the starting point set by the carrier 3 to the destination.

[0049] For example, when a voice recognition function is selected from a function menu of the mobile terminal 1 through the operation input unit 124, the voice recognition unit 112 receives a voice signal of a voice picked up by the microphone 121 under the control of the control unit 101, executes voice recognition, and returns the recognition result to the control unit 101. The control unit 101 performs control so as to execute a process instructed by the voice recognition result.

[0050] The mobile terminal 1 is configured as described above, and among the processing blocks shown in FIG. 2, the processing functions of the voice input / output unit 103, the display control unit 104, the current position detection unit 106, the vehicle-to-car communication control processing unit 109, the route search and guidance unit 111, and the voice recognition unit 112 can be realized as software processing performed by the control unit 101 executing a program.

[0051] [Processing functions of the vehicle communication control processing unit 109] 3 is a functional block diagram showing the functions executed by the vehicle communication control processing unit 109. That is, the vehicle communication control processing unit 109 includes a transmission trigger monitoring unit 1091, a vehicle communication request unit 1092, a communication path generation management unit 1093, a transmission information generation and transmission unit 1094, a reply information reception and analysis unit 1095, a vehicle behavior notification unit 1096, and a confirmation notification transmission unit 1097.

[0052] When pedestrian navigation, bicycle navigation, or wheelchair navigation is not being executed, if the transmission trigger monitoring unit 1091 detects a communication request operation from the carrier 3 via the operation input unit 124, it detects it as a transmission trigger of a vehicle communication request and notifies the vehicle communication request unit 1092 of the detection result. In addition, when pedestrian navigation or bicycle navigation is being executed, if the transmission trigger monitoring unit 1091 receives a vehicle communication request from the navigation application, it detects it as a transmission trigger of a vehicle communication request and notifies the vehicle communication request unit 1092 of the detection result.

[0053] When the transmission trigger monitoring unit 1091 detects a transmission trigger, the vehicle communication request unit 1092 sends out a vehicle communication request via the vehicle wireless communication unit 108 based on the detection of the transmission trigger.

[0054] The communication path generation management unit 1093 generates and manages a wireless communication path between the mobile terminal 1 and the automobile 2. That is, it monitors responses from automobiles to the automobile communication request sent by the automobile communication request unit 1092, and when it detects a response, it generates a wireless communication path and monitors whether or not an end event has occurred for the generated wireless communication path, and when it detects an end event, it ends the wireless communication path. In the following description, the automobile that sends a response to the automobile communication request and is the other party when the wireless communication path is generated is referred to as the responding automobile.

[0055] The transmission information generating and transmitting unit 1094 generates and transmits transmission information to be transmitted to the responding vehicle through a wireless communication channel. In this embodiment, the transmission information includes the current location information of the portable terminal 1, information on the planned behavior of the carrier 3, information on whether the carrier 3 is walking, moving in a wheelchair, or riding a bicycle, attribute information of the carrier 3, and the like. At this time, the transmission information generating and transmitting unit 1094 may also include information on the walking speed, wheelchair movement speed, or bicycle traveling speed of the carrier 3, and information on the direction of movement, in the transmission information. The walking speed, wheelchair movement speed, and bicycle traveling speed can be obtained by calculating the movement distance within a predetermined time based on the change over time of the current position detected by the current position detection unit 106.

[0056] The reply information receiving and analyzing unit 1095 receives and analyzes reply information from the responding vehicle. As described below, the reply information from the responding vehicle includes information on whether the responding vehicle is involved in the behavior schedule of the carrier 3, information on the behavior of the responding vehicle in automatic driving mode in relation to the behavior schedule of the carrier 3 when the responding vehicle is involved, identification information for visually recognizing the responding vehicle, and its current location information. The reply information receiving and analyzing unit 1095 transmits the analysis result to the communication path generation management unit 1093 and the vehicle behavior notification unit 1096.

[0057] When the communication path generation management unit 1093 receives an analysis result from the reply information receiving analysis unit 1095 indicating that the responding vehicle is involved in the behavioral plans of the carrier 3, it maintains the wireless communication path, but when it receives an analysis result indicating that the responding vehicle is not involved in the behavioral plans of the carrier 3, it disconnects the wireless communication generated with the responding vehicle and notifies the vehicle-to-vehicle communication request unit 1092 to send another vehicle-to-vehicle communication request.

[0058] When a responding vehicle is involved in the behavior schedule of the carrier 3, the vehicle behavior notification unit 1096 notifies the carrier of the behavior of the responding vehicle in automatic driving mode and the identification information for visually recognizing the responding vehicle, which are sent as the analysis result from the reply information receiving and analyzing unit 1095, through the display screen of the display unit 123, or notifies the carrier of the same as a voice through the speaker 122. Furthermore, the vehicle behavior notification unit 1096 displays the current position of the responding vehicle on a map based on the current position of the responding vehicle sent as the analysis result from the reply information receiving and analyzing unit 1095, and notifies the carrier 3 of the position. Then, when the vehicle behavior notification unit 1096 has finished the notification process to the carrier 3, it transmits the same to the confirmation notification transmission unit 1097.

[0059] When the confirmation notification sending unit 1097 receives notification from the vehicle behavior notifying unit 1096 that the notification process to the carrier 3 has been completed, it transmits a confirmation notification to the responding vehicle that the behavior has been confirmed. This confirmation notification may be sent after receiving a confirmation operation from the carrier 3. That is, in that case, when the confirmation notification sending unit 1097 receives notification from the vehicle behavior notifying unit 1096 that the notification process to the carrier 3 has been completed, it inquires of the carrier 3 through the display screen of the display unit 123 and through the speaker 122 whether or not confirmation has been performed, and waits for a confirmation response operation in response to the inquiry. Then, after confirming that the confirmation response operation by the carrier 3 has been received, the confirmation notification sending unit 1097 transmits a confirmation notification to the responding vehicle.

[0060] [Example of electronic control circuit for automobile 2] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an electronic control circuit unit 20 of an automobile 2 as an embodiment of the automobile according to the present invention. Note that the automobile 2 in this embodiment is an example of an electric automobile. However, the battery is not shown in Fig. 4.

[0061] The automobile 2 of this embodiment also has an automatic driving mode in which the automobile 2 autonomously executes its own behavior, and a manual driving mode. The manual driving mode is a mode in which the automobile 2 can travel in response to the driver's operation of the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, shift lever, and steering (handle operation) in the same way as a normal automobile that is not an automatic driving vehicle. The automatic driving mode is a driving mode in which the automobile 2 itself automatically (autonomously) changes course while avoiding obstacles, even if the driver does not operate the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, shift lever, or steering.

[0062] The driver of automobile 2 can switch automobile 2, which is traveling in manual driving mode, to automatic driving mode by performing a specified operation, for example, via touch panel 212 described below. Furthermore, automobile 2 is configured to automatically return to manual driving mode if the driver performs a specified operation, such as operating the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, shift lever, or steering wheel, while traveling in automatic driving mode.

[0063] As mentioned above, the automobile 2 of this embodiment has, as an automatic driving mode, a normal automatic driving mode in which the vehicle automatically returns to manual driving mode when a specified operation is performed, as well as a forced automatic driving mode in which the automatic driving mode continues even if the driver performs a specified operation.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 4, in the electronic control circuit unit 20, a wireless communication unit 202, a motor drive control unit 203, a steering drive control unit 204, a driving mode switching control unit 205, a radar group 206, a camera group 207, a sensor group 208, a surrounding situation grasping unit 209, a current position detection unit 210, a display unit 211, a touch panel 212, a car navigation function unit 213, a host vehicle information memory unit 214, a driving speed and direction detection unit 215, a clock unit 216, a terminal communication control processing unit 217, a behavior control unit 218, and a voice input / output unit 219 are each connected to a control unit 201 via a system bus 200.

[0065] A motor drive unit 221 is connected to the motor drive control unit 203. A steering drive unit 222 is connected to the steering drive control unit 204. A manual driving operation detection unit 223 is connected to the driving mode switching control unit 205. A car navigation database 224 is connected to the car navigation function unit 213. A microphone 225 and a speaker 226 are connected to the audio input / output unit 219.

[0066] The control unit 201 is configured with a computer mounted thereon, and controls the entire automobile 2 .

[0067] The wireless communication unit 202 is for communicating with the mobile terminal 1, and is usually in a reception standby mode. Then, as described later, when the wireless communication unit 202 receives a vehicle-to-communication request in the reception standby mode, it operates under the control of the terminal-to-communication control processing unit 217 to perform wireless communication through a wireless communication path created with the mobile terminal 1 that has issued the vehicle-to-communication request. The terminal-to-communication control processing unit 217 will be described later in detail.

[0068] Under the control of the control unit 201, the motor drive control unit 203 controls the supply of a drive signal to the motor drive unit 221 of the automobile 2, which is the electric vehicle of this embodiment, so as to control the start of running of the automobile 2, the running speed control (including brake control and accelerator control), stopping of running, etc.

[0069] The steering drive control unit 204, under the control of the control unit 201, controls the supply of a drive control signal to the steering drive unit 222 of the automobile 2 of this embodiment, so as to control the course change of the automobile 2.

[0070] The driving mode switching control unit 205 performs control to switch the driving mode of the automobile 2 between a manual driving mode and a normal automatic driving mode in response to a selection operation input via the touch panel 212. The driving mode switching control unit 205 also performs processing to switch to the forced automatic driving mode and processing to cancel the forced automatic driving mode in response to a control instruction from the terminal communication control processing unit 217.

[0071] The manual driving operation detection unit 223 receives operation information of the accelerator pedal operation, brake pedal operation, shift lever operation, and steering operation by the driver, and supplies the manual driving operation information to the driving mode switching control unit 205.

[0072] When the automobile 2 is in manual driving mode, the driving mode switching control unit 205 supplies manual driving operation information from the manual driving operation detection unit 223 to the motor driving control unit 203 and the steering driving control unit 204, and controls the motor driving unit 221 and the steering driving unit 222 in accordance with the driver's pedal operation, shift lever operation, and steering operation (handle operation).

[0073] Furthermore, when the automobile 2 is in the normal automatic driving mode and the forced automatic driving mode, the driving mode switching control unit 205 supplies automatic driving operation information generated by the control unit 201 based on the outputs of the radar group 206, the camera group 207, the sensor group 208, and the surrounding situation grasping unit 209 to the motor driving control unit 203 and the steering driving control unit 204, as described below, and controls the driving of the motor driving unit 221 and the steering driving unit 222 by the automatic driving operation information. Note that in the automatic driving mode and the forced automatic driving mode, the car navigation function unit 213 searches for a route from the current position to a destination (destination) set by the driver or the like, and controls the automobile to travel along the searched route.

[0074] In the case of a fully autonomous vehicle that does not have a manual driving mode but only has an autonomous driving mode, the driving mode switching control unit 205 does not of course have a function for switching between the manual driving mode and the normal autonomous driving mode, nor does it have the manual driving operation detection unit 223. In addition, it is not necessary to have an accelerator pedal, brake pedal, shift lever, steering wheel (handle), etc., which are necessary for manual driving operation. However, to ensure safety, it is possible to have a brake pedal (brake button, touch panel input or voice input corresponding to braking) and to allow only the brake operation to be handled manually.

[0075] The radar group 206 is for measuring the distance to people and objects around the automobile 2, and is composed of laser radar (lidar) and millimeter wave radar. The laser radar is embedded, for example, in the ceiling or near the bumper, and the millimeter wave radar is provided, for example, in the front and rear of the vehicle. The vehicle may be equipped with both laser radar and millimeter wave radar, or only one of them. Other radars, such as submillimeter wave radar and microwave radar, may also be used. Furthermore, sonar (not shown) using sound waves or ultrasonic waves may be used for the same purpose as radar.

[0076] The camera group 207 corresponds to the camera group 207 in the first embodiment, and includes one or more cameras that capture images of the interior of the automobile 2, and one or more cameras that capture images of the surroundings outside the automobile 2, such as the front, sides, and rear of the automobile 2.

[0077] The sensor group 208 includes an opening / closing detection sensor for detecting the opening / closing of doors and windows, a sensor for detecting the fastening of a seat belt, a seating sensor for detecting that a passenger is seated in a seat such as the driver's seat or the passenger seat, a human presence sensor (infrared sensor) for detecting a person nearby outside the vehicle, and various sensors for acquiring information that assists in automatic driving. The various sensors for acquiring information that assists in automatic driving include, for example, a vibration sensor for detecting vibrations of the vehicle or tires, a rotation speed sensor for detecting the number of tire rotations, a geomagnetic sensor for detecting a direction, an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration, a gyro sensor (gyroscope) for detecting an angle or angular velocity, etc. In this embodiment, the sensor group 208 also includes sensors that detect the blinking of right and left turn signals (directional indicators) and hazard lights (emergency flashing lights), and the lighting of backlights, brake lights, etc.

[0078] The surrounding situation grasping unit 209 grasps the surrounding environment such as moving objects (including people) around the vehicle, the number of lanes on the road, the lane the vehicle is traveling on, uphill and downhill, etc., by using images captured by the radar group 206, the sensor group 208, and the camera group 207. The surrounding situation grasping unit 209 grasps surrounding obstacles and moving objects by performing processing based on Bayes' theory, for example. The information on the surrounding environment, surrounding obstacles and moving objects grasped by the surrounding situation grasping unit 209 is used by the terminal communication control processing unit 217 and the behavior control unit 218, which will be described later, to determine behavior that complies with traffic laws and ensures safety.

[0079] In this embodiment, the surrounding situation recognition unit 209 has a function of recognizing traffic signs and traffic symbols from images of the surroundings of the vehicle captured by the camera group 207. The traffic signs and traffic symbols recognized by the surrounding situation recognition unit 209 are used by the behavior control unit 218, which will be described later, to make the vehicle behave in accordance with traffic laws and regulations.

[0080] The current position detection unit 210 receives radio waves from GPS satellites and detects the current position of the vehicle. In order to further improve the accuracy of the position detected by radio waves from GPS satellites, the current position detection unit 210 uses not only the information on the current position detected by receiving radio waves from GPS satellites, but also images captured by one or more sensors included in the sensor group 208, the radar group 206, and the camera group 207 (also using a navigation function), and performs processing based on Bayes' theory, for example, to detect and confirm the current position with higher accuracy.

[0081] In the normal automatic driving mode and the forced automatic driving mode, the current position detection unit 210 and the surrounding situation grasping unit 209 process various information such as the radar group 206, the camera group 207, the sensor group 208, and the position information acquired by receiving radio waves from the GPS satellite, that is, the information corresponding to the information obtained from the human eyes and ears, by using Bayes' theory or the like, and based on this, the control unit 201 performs intelligent information processing (AI (artificial intelligence)) and control (AI (artificial intelligence)) such as changing the course of the vehicle and avoiding obstacles, and generates automatic driving operation information. Then, based on the generated automatic driving operation information, the motor drive control unit 203 drives the motor drive unit 221, and the steering drive control unit 204 drives the steering drive unit 222, thereby performing autonomous movement control. Therefore, in this embodiment, the autonomous movement control means is composed of a control unit 201, a radar group 206, a camera group 207, a sensor group 208, a surrounding situation grasping unit 209, a current position detection unit 210, a motor drive control unit 203, a motor drive unit 221, a steering drive control unit 204, a steering drive unit 222, and a car navigation function unit 213 described later.

[0082] The display unit 211 is made of, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display). The touch panel 212 is arranged by superimposing a touch sensor that allows touch input with a finger on the display screen of the display unit 211 made of an LCD. On the display screen of the display unit 211, a display image including software buttons (including buttons for inputting characters on a keyboard) is displayed under the control of the control unit 201. When the touch panel 212 detects a touch with a finger on a software button displayed on the display screen, it transmits the touch to the control unit 201. The control unit 201, which has received this, is configured to execute a control process corresponding to the software button. The software button may be handled by using a separate keyboard or the like.

[0083] A car navigation database 224 connected to the car navigation function unit 213 stores in advance maps and route guidance data for the country. The car navigation function unit 213 is a function unit for providing guidance to assist the automobile 2 in moving to a specified destination based on the maps and route guidance data stored in the car navigation database 224. The car navigation function unit 213 performs a route search based on the departure point, intermediate points, destination, and search conditions set and input by the user (driver or passenger), creates route guidance data, and executes route guidance processing using this route guidance data. In this embodiment, the car navigation function unit 213 is configured to perform route guidance processing that is slightly different between the manual driving mode and the automatic driving mode (normal automatic driving mode and forced automatic driving mode).

[0084] That is, in the manual driving mode, the car navigation function unit 213 displays an image on the display screen of the display unit 211 in which the vehicle position detected and confirmed by the current position detection unit 210 is superimposed on a map that clearly displays the route to the destination, and also moves the vehicle position (current position) on the map as the vehicle moves, and provides voice guidance at points where route guidance is necessary, such as intersections and branching points on the route. This is the same as the normal car navigation function.

[0085] On the other hand, in the autonomous driving modes (normal autonomous driving mode and forced autonomous driving mode), when the current position of the vehicle is away from the route to the destination, the car navigation function unit 213 notifies the behavior control unit 218 described later of information on the direction and distance of the departure, and when the current position of the vehicle is on the route to the destination, the car navigation function unit 213 notifies the behavior control unit 218 of information instructing the vehicle to change the direction of travel along the route just before an intersection or branching point on the route as the vehicle moves.

[0086] Under the control of the control unit 201, the behavior control unit 218 controls the motor drive unit 221 via the motor drive control unit 203 so that the vehicle moves along the route as instructed, based on the information notified from the car navigation function unit 213, the current position confirmation result of the current position detection unit 210, and the recognition result of the surrounding situation recognition unit 209, and also generates automatic driving operation information for controlling the steering drive unit 222 via the steering drive control unit 204. Therefore, even when there are no passengers, the car 2 can move to the destination thanks to the route guidance to the destination by the car navigation function unit 213 and the control unit 201 in the automatic driving mode (normal automatic driving mode and forced automatic driving mode).

[0087] In this embodiment, in the automatic driving modes (normal automatic driving mode and forced automatic driving mode), the car navigation function unit 213 also includes indicator control information in the route guidance data regarding the points where the direction indicators are to be blinked when turning right or left, and the hazard lights are to be blinked during an emergency stop, etc., and the information on the indicators to be blinked (whether the left indicator, the right indicator, or both). Based on the indicator control information included in the route guidance data, the behavior control unit 218 executes the blinking control of the indicated indicator at the position where the current position becomes the indicator control point.

[0088] The indicator control information is not limited to information on a location where blinking or the like is performed and an indicator to be blinked, but may be information on a location where lighting or the like is performed and an indicator to be turned on. For example, indicator control information on a location where the backlight (backing light) is turned on (white light) when backing up, or the brake light (brake light) is turned on (red light) when braking, and information on an indicator to be turned on (backlight, brake light, or both) can be included in the route guidance data. As in the case of blinking control, the behavior control unit 218 executes lighting control of the indicated indicator at a position where the current position becomes the indicator control point, based on the indicator control information included in this route guidance data.

[0089] The vehicle information storage unit 214 stores vehicle information consisting of mode information including information on whether the vehicle has an automatic driving mode (normal automatic driving mode and forced automatic driving mode) and vehicle identification information for visually identifying the vehicle and distinguishing it from other vehicles. This vehicle information is input and stored by an operator at a manufacturing plant for the automobile 2. In addition, the vehicle information is input and stored by a seller at a dealer or other sales outlet when the automobile 2 is sold. Of course, the vehicle information may be input by an operator or seller directly or by downloading the information from a predetermined server of an automobile company or the like. Furthermore, when the vehicle information is input after the sale of the automobile 2, it is input and stored by the owner or user of the automobile 2, or by an administrator or management company.

[0090] In this example, the mode information stored in the vehicle information storage unit 214 includes information on whether the vehicle is a manual specification vehicle or an automatic driving vehicle with an automatic driving mode, and if it is an automatic driving vehicle, information on which type of vehicle it is among multiple types such as a type that can switch between a manual driving mode and an automatic driving mode, a type that has a forced automatic driving mode, a type that only has an automatic driving mode, and a type that can be driven unmanned. In addition, when it is possible to specify the source and the level of the AI ​​(Artificial Intelligence) installed and used in the automatic driving vehicle, such as the developer and version, such information may be included as the vehicle information. In addition, since AI generally evolves through learning and improves safety and driving performance, there is a high correlation between the driving time and driving distance and the safety and driving performance that depend on AI, so the driving time and driving distance may be included as the vehicle information. In addition, AI may be installed in hardware such as an LSI or in software. Furthermore, information on the manufacturers and performance of the radars, cameras, and sensors used in the radar group 206, camera group 207, and sensor group 208 may be included as the vehicle information.

[0091] Needless to say, the identification information stored in the vehicle information storage unit 214 for visually identifying the vehicle 2 and distinguishing it from other vehicles may include not only information different from other vehicles but also information on the specifications of the vehicle 2. Examples of vehicle information stored in the vehicle information storage unit 214 include, for example, a country code (which country the vehicle is from), a manufacturer (automobile company), a vehicle model, a vehicle name, a body color, an engine displacement, a drive system (gasoline vehicle, PHV (Plug-in Hybrid Vehicle), EV (Electric Vehicle), fuel cell vehicle, etc.), whether or not an automatic driving mode is available, the number of passengers that can ride, the license plate number, whether the vehicle is a general vehicle or a special vehicle (ambulance, fire engine, police car, taxi, bus, etc.), and other manufacturer options (which can be freely set by the manufacturer).

[0092] In this embodiment, the driver's attribute information, such as gender, age, nationality, and driving history, is registered (input) by the driver, and is stored in the vehicle information storage unit 214 in association with the driver's identification information. In this example, the driver's face image information is used as the driver's identification information. In this embodiment, the control unit 201 of the automobile 2 captures a face image of the driver using a camera that captures the driver's seat among the camera group 207, and compares the face image, which is the driver's identification information stored in the vehicle information storage unit 214, to recognize which of the drivers stored in the vehicle information storage unit 214 is the person sitting in the driver's seat. Of course, if the vehicle is a fully automated vehicle, unmanned driving is possible, so there is no driver and no driver attribute information is required.

[0093] The running speed and direction detection unit 215 detects the running speed of the automobile 2 from the sensor output of the speed sensor in the sensor group 208, or from the change in the current position detected by the current position detection unit 210 during a time change from the clock unit 216, and also detects the running direction of the automobile 2 from the sensor outputs of the acceleration sensor, gyro sensor, and direction sensor in the sensor group 208.

[0094] The clock unit 216 generates time information of year, month, day, hour, minute, and second. The time information is used for detecting the traveling speed in the traveling speed and direction detection unit 215. The time information is also used when determining whether or not the vehicle is involved in the behavior schedule when a request for communication with the vehicle is made from the mobile terminal 1, taking into consideration the current position of the carrier 3, the position of the vehicle, the walking speed and direction of the carrier 3 or the bicycle speed and direction, and the traveling speed and direction of the vehicle.

[0095] The terminal communication control processor 217 uses the wireless communication unit 202 in this embodiment to control a reception standby operation and an operation upon receiving a vehicle communication request from the portable terminal 1. The terminal communication control processor 217 will be described in detail later.

[0096] The behavior control unit 218 controls the execution of the behavior of the vehicle in the autonomous driving mode. That is, in the autonomous driving mode, the vehicle 2 in this embodiment travels while executing the behavior that should be performed at the current position detected by the current position detection unit 210, according to the route guidance information to the destination determined by the route search by the car navigation function unit 213. The behavior control unit 218 is a functional unit that determines the behavior that the vehicle 2 should perform at the current position detected by the current position detection unit 210, based on the route guidance information, and controls the execution of the behavior.

[0097] Furthermore, in the automobile 2 of this embodiment, when the behavior to be performed at that time is determined in the terminal communication control processing unit 217 as described below, the behavior control unit 218 controls the execution of the determined behavior as a priority.

[0098] The audio input / output unit 219 takes in the audio signal of the surrounding sounds picked up by the microphone 225, and supplies the audio signal for notifying the driver, etc. to the speaker 226 to emit the sound. In this embodiment, among the surrounding sounds picked up by the microphone 225, for example, the sound of a siren of an emergency vehicle (ambulance, fire engine, police car, etc.) is used in the behavior determination process in the terminal communication control processing unit 217 and the behavior control unit 218, and in this case too, the behavior is determined so that the emergency vehicle is given priority. In this embodiment, a message audio signal required to notify the driver is generated by the control unit 201, the terminal communication control processing unit 217, etc., and the message audio signal is emitted through the speaker 226.

[0099] The electronic control circuit unit 20 of the automobile 2 is configured as described above, and among the processing blocks shown in FIG. 4, the processing functions of the motor drive control unit 203, the steering drive control unit 204, the driving mode switching control unit 205, the surrounding situation grasping unit 209, the current position detection unit 210, the car navigation function unit 213, the traveling speed and direction detection unit 215, the terminal communication control processing unit 217, and the behavior control unit 218 can be realized as software processing performed by the control unit 201 executing a program.

[0100] [Example of the configuration of the terminal communication control processing unit 217] 5 is a functional block diagram for explaining the processing functions of the terminal communication control processing unit 217. That is, in this embodiment, the terminal communication control processing unit 217 is configured to include, as functional units, a communication request reception monitoring unit 2171, a communication path generation management unit 2172, a received information analysis unit 2173, a behavior determination unit 2174, a reply information generation and transmission unit 2175, and a confirmation notice reception confirmation unit 2176.

[0101] The communication request reception monitoring unit 2171 constantly monitors the reception of a vehicle-to-vehicle communication request from the mobile terminal 1, and when it confirms the reception of a vehicle-to-vehicle communication request, it notifies the communication path generation management unit 2172 of the reception confirmation together with information about the driving mode of the vehicle at that time.

[0102] The communication path generation and management unit 2172 generates and manages a wireless communication path with the mobile terminal 1 while taking into consideration the driving mode of the vehicle itself.

[0103] The received information analysis unit 2173 analyzes the information sent from the mobile terminal 1 through the generated wireless communication path, and recognizes the current location of the person 3 carrying the mobile terminal 1, whether he / she is walking or cycling, the planned behavior he / she is about to execute, and so on, and transmits this information to the behavior determination unit 2174.

[0104] The behavior determination unit 2174 determines whether or not the vehicle is involved in the behavior schedule that the carrier 3 of the portable terminal 1 is about to execute, and if it determines that the vehicle is not involved, notifies the communication path generation management unit 2172 of that effect. The communication path generation management unit 2172 notifies the portable terminal 1 through the wireless communication path that the vehicle is not involved in the behavior schedule that the carrier 3 is about to execute, and disconnects the wireless communication path.

[0105] In addition, when the behavior determination unit 2174 determines that the vehicle is involved in the behavior plan that the carrier 3 of the mobile terminal 1 is about to execute, it determines whether the vehicle is in manual driving mode and whether the driver has refused to switch to automatic driving mode, and if it determines that it has been refused, it communicates this fact to the reply information generation and transmission unit 2175.

[0106] At this time, the reply information generating and transmitting unit 2175 notifies the mobile terminal 1 through the wireless communication path that it is not possible to perform a behavior corresponding to the behavior schedule of the mobile terminal 1, and transmits information on the current position of the vehicle, information on the traveling speed and traveling direction, identification information for making the vehicle visible, and driver attribute information to the mobile terminal 1 through the wireless communication path. After this transmission, the reply information generating and transmitting unit 2175 then transmits a communication path connection request to the communication path generation management unit 2172. In response to this communication path connection request, the communication path generation management unit 2172 disconnects the wireless communication path with the mobile terminal 1.

[0107] In addition, when the behavior determination unit 2174 determines that the vehicle is involved in the behavior plan that the carrier 3 of the mobile terminal 1 is about to execute, if the vehicle is in manual driving mode and the driver has permitted it to be switched to automatic driving mode, or if the vehicle is in automatic driving mode when a request for vehicle communication is received from the mobile terminal 1, the behavior determination unit 2174 switches the vehicle to forced automatic driving mode and determines a behavior that prioritizes the behavior plan of the carrier 3, and has the behavior control unit 218 execute the determined behavior, while transmitting information on the determined behavior to the reply information generation and transmission unit 2175.

[0108] At this time, the reply information generating and transmitting unit 2175 transmits to the mobile terminal 1 via a wireless communication path information on behavior that prioritizes the behavior plan of the carrier 3 determined by the behavior determination unit 2174, information on the current position of the vehicle, information on the traveling speed and traveling direction, and identification information to enable the vehicle to be identified by visual inspection.

[0109] After the reply information generating and transmitting unit 2175 transmits to the mobile terminal 1 information on behavior that prioritizes the behavior plan of the carrier 3 determined by the behavior determination unit 2174, information on the current location of the vehicle, information on the traveling speed and traveling direction, and identification information for enabling the vehicle to be identified by visual inspection, the confirmation communication reception confirmation unit 2176 checks whether a confirmation notification regarding the behavior of the vehicle sent from the mobile terminal 1 has been received, and when confirmed, transfers the confirmation notification to the behavior control unit 218 to reliably urge the mobile terminal 1 to execute the determined behavior.

[0110] [Example of processing operations of mobile device 1 and car 2] Figures 6 to 9 are flowcharts showing an example of the flow of processing operations of the mobile terminal 1 in this embodiment. Also, Figures 10 to 12 are flowcharts showing an example of the flow of processing operations of the automobile 2 in the embodiment described above. Below, examples of the flow of processing operations of the mobile terminal 1 and the automobile 2 will be described with reference to these flowcharts.

[0111] In the following description, the control unit 101 of the mobile terminal 1 will be described as implementing the processing functions of the voice input / output unit 103, the display control unit 104, the current position detection unit 106, the vehicle communication control processing unit 109, the route search and guidance unit 111, and the voice recognition unit 112, among the processing blocks shown in Fig. 2, as software processing by executing a program. Also, in the automobile 2, the control unit 201 will be described as implementing the processing functions of the motor drive control unit 203, the steering drive control unit 204, the driving mode switching control unit 205, the surrounding situation recognition unit 209, the current position detection unit 210, the car navigation function unit 213, the driving speed and direction detection unit 215, the terminal communication control processing unit 217, and the behavior control unit 218, among the processing blocks shown in Fig. 4, as software processing by executing a program.

[0112] <Example of processing operation of mobile terminal 1> 6 is a flowchart for explaining an example of the overall flow of processing operations mainly executed by the vehicle-communication control processing unit 109 of the mobile terminal 1. As described above, in the following explanation, each step is executed by the control unit 101 of the mobile terminal 1. Note that in the example described below, the mobile terminal 1 is described as being compatible with pedestrian navigation and bicycle navigation, but it goes without saying that it can also be configured to be compatible with the wheelchair navigation described above.

[0113] The control unit 101 determines whether or not pedestrian guidance navigation (hereinafter, navigation will be abbreviated to navigation) is in operation in the mobile terminal 1 (step S101). If it is determined that pedestrian guidance navigation is not in operation, the control unit 101 determines whether or not bicycle navigation is in operation (step S102). If it is determined in step S102 that bicycle navigation is not in operation, the control unit 101 determines whether or not the carrier 3 has performed an input operation of a request for communication with a vehicle through the operation input unit 124 (step S103). Then, if it is determined in step S103 that an input operation of a request for communication with a vehicle has not been performed, the control unit 101 returns the process to step S101, and repeats steps S101 and onward.

[0114] When it is determined in step S101 that the pedestrian guidance navigation is in operation, the control unit 101 detects the current position (step S104) and determines whether or not the detected current position is a trigger position for sending a request for communication with a vehicle set in the pedestrian guidance navigation (step S105). When it is determined in step S105 that the current position is not a trigger position for sending a request for communication with a vehicle, the control unit 101 returns the process to step S101 and repeats the processes from step S101 onward.

[0115] Furthermore, when it is determined in step S105 that it is the trigger position for transmitting a communication request to a vehicle, the control unit 101 executes a communication process to a vehicle (step S108), the flow of which is shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, which will be described later, and upon confirming the completion of the process (step S109), returns the process to step S101 and repeats the processes from step S101 onward.

[0116] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S102 that the bicycle navigation system is operating, the control unit 101 detects the current location (step S106) and determines whether or not the detected current location is a trigger location for sending a request for communication with a vehicle that is set in the bicycle navigation system (step S107). If it is determined in step S107 that the current location is not a trigger location for sending a request for communication with a vehicle, the control unit 101 returns the process to step S101 and repeats the processes from step S101 onward.

[0117] Furthermore, when it is determined in step S107 that it is the trigger position for transmitting a communication request to a vehicle, the control unit 101 executes a communication process to a vehicle (step S108), the process example of which is shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8 described later, and upon confirming the completion of the process (step S109), returns the process to step S101 and repeats the processes from step S101 onward.

[0118] If the mobile terminal 1 is also compatible with wheelchair navigation, it detects the current location, determines whether the detected current location is a trigger location for sending a request for communication with a vehicle set in the wheelchair navigation, and performs processing similar to that of the pedestrian navigation and bicycle navigation described above depending on the result of the determination.

[0119] Furthermore, when it is determined in step S103 that an input operation for a vehicle-to-vehicle communication request has been performed, the control unit 101 executes vehicle-to-vehicle communication processing (step S108), the flow of which is shown in FIG. 7 and FIG. 8, which will be described later, and upon confirming the completion of the processing (step S109), returns the processing to step S101 and repeats the processing from step S101 onward.

[0120] Next, a flow of an example of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication process in step S108 in FIG. 6 will be described with reference to FIG. 7 and FIG.

[0121] The control unit 101 sends a vehicle-to-vehicle communication request through the vehicle-to-vehicle wireless communication unit 108 (step S111), and determines whether or not response information to the vehicle-to-vehicle communication request has been received from the vehicle (step S112). If it is determined in step S112 that response information has not been received from the vehicle, the control unit 101 does not generate a wireless communication path, and displays on the display screen of the display unit 123 that there are no vehicles available for communication, and notifies by voice through the speaker 122 (step S113). Of course, the notification that there are no vehicles available for communication may be made by not displaying on the display screen of the display unit 123. Then, the control unit 101 ends this processing routine.

[0122] Furthermore, when it is determined in step S112 that response information has been received from an automobile, the control unit 101 generates a wireless communication path with the automobile that responded (hereinafter referred to as a responding automobile) (step S114). Then, the control unit 101 generates transmission information including location information of the current location of the mobile terminal 1, information on whether the mobile terminal 1 is walking or cycling, and information on the planned behavior of the carrier 3, and transmits the information to the responding automobile through the wireless communication path (step S115). At this time, the transmission information generated in step S115 may also include information on the walking speed, wheelchair movement speed, or bicycle movement speed of the carrier 3, as well as information on the movement direction, as described above.

[0123] The control unit 101 then receives the reply information from the responding vehicle and analyzes the contents of the reply information (step S116). The control unit 101 then determines whether the responding vehicle is involved in the behavior schedule of the carrier 3 (step S117), and if it determines that the responding vehicle is not involved, disconnects the wireless communication path created in step S114 (step S121 in FIG. 8). The control unit 101 then resends the vehicle-to-vehicle communication request (step S122), and determines whether it has received reply information from the vehicle (step S123), and if it determines that it has received reply information, returns the process to step S114 in FIG. 7, and repeats the processes from step S114 onward.

[0124] Furthermore, when it is determined in step S123 that no response information is received from a vehicle, the fact that there is no vehicle 2 corresponding to the behavior schedule of the carrier 3 is displayed on the display screen of the display unit 123 and audibly notified through the speaker 122 (step S124). Of course, the fact that there is no vehicle with which communication is possible may be notified by not displaying anything on the display screen of the display unit 123. Then, the control unit 101 ends this processing routine.

[0125] Also, when it is determined in step S117 that the responding vehicle is involved in the behavior schedule of the carrier 3, the control unit 101 determines whether the responding vehicle will behave in accordance with the behavior schedule of the carrier 3 (step S118).

[0126] Then, when it is determined in step S118 that the responding vehicle will not behave in accordance with the behavior schedule of the carrier 3, the control unit 101 displays on the display screen of the display unit 123 that the responding vehicle will not behave in accordance with the behavior schedule of the carrier 3, and notifies the carrier 3 by voice through the speaker 122 (step S119). That is, in this step S119, even if the responding vehicle does not behave in accordance with the behavior schedule of the carrier 3, the response information from the responding vehicle includes the current position information of the responding vehicle, the identifying information of the responding vehicle, the attribute information of the driver, and the traveling speed and traveling direction information, so that the control unit 101 displays the position and movement of the responding vehicle on the map showing its own position based on the information, and notifies the identifying information to the carrier 3 on the display screen and / or through the speaker 122.

[0127] As a result, the user 3 is aware of the existence of a vehicle involved in his / her behavior schedule, even if the vehicle does not prioritize the behavior schedule that the user is trying to execute, and is able to know where the vehicle is currently located, what type of vehicle it is, and what attributes the driver has, so that the user can execute his / her behavior schedule while paying attention to the vehicle.

[0128] Of course, the reply information from the responding vehicle can also include information on whether the responding vehicle is an emergency vehicle (ambulance, fire engine, police car, etc.). If the responding vehicle is an emergency vehicle, the carrier 3 is notified of this on the display screen and / or through the speaker 122, so that the carrier 3 can prioritize the movement of the emergency vehicle over the behavior schedule that he or she is about to execute, and can execute his or her behavior schedule after the emergency vehicle has passed.

[0129] After step S119, the control unit 101 advances the process to step S121 in Fig. 8, disconnects the wireless communication path, and then in step S122, resends the request for communication with the vehicle, repeating the process (the process from step S122 onwards) to enable a response from a vehicle that will behave in accordance with the behavior schedule of the carrier 3. Note that, since the wireless communication path is disconnected, the current position of the responding vehicle is no longer transmitted, but since the traveling speed and traveling direction are transmitted, the moving position according to the traveling speed and traveling direction can be calculated from the last current position, and the vehicle can continue to be displayed on the map.

[0130] Also, when it is determined in step S118 that the responding vehicle will behave in accordance with the behavior schedule of the carrier 3, the control unit 101 displays the behavior that the responding vehicle is scheduled to perform in accordance with the behavior schedule of the carrier 3 on the display screen of the display unit 123, notifies the carrier 3 by voice through the speaker 122, and displays the information of the responding vehicle on the display screen and notifies the carrier 3 by voice through the speaker 122 (step S120). The reply information from the responding vehicle includes the current position information of the responding vehicle, the identification information of the responding vehicle, the attribute information of the driver, and the traveling speed and traveling direction information, so also in this step S120, the control unit 101 displays the position and movement of the responding vehicle on the map showing its own position based on the information, and notifies the identification information to the carrier 3 on the display screen and / or through the speaker 122.

[0131] This allows the user 3 to know the existence of a vehicle whose behavior will give priority to the behavior schedule that the user is trying to execute, as well as to know where that vehicle is currently located, what type of vehicle it is, and how it will behave, so that the user 3 can safely execute his or her behavior schedule while keeping an eye on the vehicle.

[0132] After completing the notification to the carrier 3 in step S120, the control unit 101 transmits a confirmation notification to the responding vehicle (step S131 in FIG. 9). As described above, this confirmation notification may be sent after the carrier 3 performs a confirmation operation in response to the notification to the carrier 3.

[0133] Next, the control unit 101 determines whether the carrier 3's behavior schedule has been completed (step S132). The completion of the carrier 3's behavior schedule is determined based on whether the carrier 3 has passed through a location where the behavior schedule is performed or a predetermined area. If it is determined in step S132 that the carrier 3's behavior schedule has not been completed, the control unit 101 updates the location of the mobile terminal 1 and the location of the responding vehicle displayed on the display screen of the display unit 123 based on the information on the current location of the mobile terminal 1 detected by the current location detection unit 106 and the information on the current location of the responding vehicle 2 received through the vehicle-to-vehicle wireless communication unit 108 (step S133). Then, the control unit 101 returns the process to step S132 and repeats the processes from step S132 onward.

[0134] When it is determined in step S132 that the behavior schedule of the carrier 3 has been completed, the control unit 101 transmits a behavior end notification of the carrier to the responding vehicle through the wireless communication path (step S134). Then, the control unit 101 disconnects the wireless communication path with the responding vehicle (step S135) and ends this processing routine.

[0135] [Example of processing operation for car 2] 10 to 12 are flowcharts showing an example of the flow of processing operations mainly executed by the terminal communication control processing unit 217 of the automobile 2 in this embodiment. As described above, in the following description, each step will be executed by the control unit 201 of the electronic control circuit unit 20 of the automobile 2.

[0136] The control unit 201 determines whether or not a request for communication with the vehicle has been detected from the mobile terminal 1 (step S201), and if it determines that no request has been detected, executes other processing (step S202). After completing that processing, the process returns to step S201 and the processing from step S201 onwards is repeated.

[0137] When it is determined in step S201 that a request for communication with a vehicle from the mobile terminal 1 has been received, the control unit 201 sends response information to the request for communication with a vehicle to the mobile terminal 1 that sent the request for communication with a vehicle, and creates a communication path between the mobile terminal 1 and the mobile terminal 1 (step S203).

[0138] After step S203, the control unit 201 receives and analyzes the behavior schedule information of the carrier 3 from the mobile terminal 1 (step S204). Then, the control unit 201 determines from the analysis result whether the behavior schedule of the carrier 3 indicated in the behavior schedule information from the mobile terminal 1 is involved in (affects) the behavior of the vehicle (step S205).

[0139] If it is determined in step S205 that the behavior plan of the carrier 3 indicated by the behavior plan information does not affect (has no influence on) the behavior of the vehicle, the control unit 201 transmits to the mobile terminal 1 a message indicating that it is not involved in the behavior plan of the carrier 3 (step S206), and then disconnects the wireless communication path (step S207), and ends this processing routine.

[0140] In step S205, when it is determined that the behavior plan of the wearer 3 indicated in the behavior plan information is involved (affects) the behavior of the vehicle, the control unit 201 determines whether the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle that has only an autonomous driving mode (step S211 in Figure 11).

[0141] If it is determined in step S211 that the vehicle is not an autonomous vehicle that has only an autonomous driving mode, the control unit 201 determines whether or not the vehicle is in the autonomous driving mode (step S212). If it is determined in step S212 that the vehicle is not in the autonomous driving mode, the control unit 201 determines whether or not switching to the autonomous driving mode is permitted (step S213). In step S213, for example, the control unit 201 inquires of the driver, "There is a communication request from the mobile terminal 1. Can I switch to the autonomous driving mode?" and determines whether or not the driver has responded to the inquiry by granting permission to switch to the autonomous driving mode. Note that, if the driver has previously input a setting to the vehicle 2 as to whether or not switching to the autonomous driving mode is permitted, the control unit 201 refers to the setting input to determine whether or not switching to the autonomous driving mode is permitted.

[0142] Furthermore, when it is determined in step S213 that switching to the automatic driving mode is not permitted (the driver refuses to switch), the control unit 201 decides that the behavior corresponding to the behavior schedule of the carrier 3 cannot be performed (step S214), and generates reply information including information to that effect, information on the current position of the vehicle, information on the traveling speed and traveling direction, identification information for making the vehicle visible, and attribute information of the driver, and transmits it to the mobile terminal 1 via the wireless communication path (step S215). Next, the control unit 201 disconnects the wireless communication path (step S216) and ends this processing routine.

[0143] Then, when it is determined in step S211 that the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle that has only an autonomous driving mode, when it is determined in step S212 that the vehicle is in the autonomous driving mode, and when it is determined in step S213 that switching to the autonomous driving mode is permitted, the control unit 201 switches the vehicle to the forced autonomous driving mode and notifies the driver of this through the speaker 226 (FIG. 12, step S221).

[0144] Then, the control unit 201 determines the behavior of the vehicle corresponding to the carrier's behavior plan (step S222), generates reply information including information on the determined behavior of the vehicle (including the fact that the behavior will be executed in forced automatic driving mode), information on the current position of the vehicle, information on the driving speed and direction, and identification information to make the vehicle visible, and sends it to the mobile terminal 1 that issued the vehicle-to-vehicle communication request (step S223).

[0145] Then, the control unit 201 waits to receive a confirmation notification from the mobile terminal 1 (step S224), and when it determines that a confirmation notification has been received, it notifies the behavior control unit 218 to execute the determined behavior of the vehicle (step S225).

[0146] Next, the control unit 201 waits for a notification of the end of behavior execution from the mobile terminal 1 (step S226), and when it determines that the notification of the end of behavior has been received, it disconnects the wireless communication path with the mobile terminal 1 (step S227). Then, the control unit 201 releases the prohibition of switching to the manual driving mode (step S228), and notifies the driver of the end of behavior processing by communication with the terminal through the display screen of the display unit 211 and by sound output from the speaker 226 (step S229). Then, the control unit 201 ends this processing routine.

[0147] [Other examples of communication control] In the above embodiment, the mobile terminal 1 and the automobile 2 communicate one-to-one, but by doing the following, it is also possible for the mobile terminal 1 to obtain reply information from multiple automobiles 2 in response to a request for automobile communication from the mobile terminal 1.

[0148] That is, in this example, the mobile terminal 1 sends out a vehicle-to-vehicle communication request by broadcast or multicast, and when the sending is completed, it waits for access of reply information from the vehicle 2. In this case, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication request includes the current location information of the mobile terminal 1 and information on the carrier's behavior plan. The vehicle 2 that receives this vehicle-to-vehicle communication request determines whether or not its own vehicle is involved in the carrier's behavior plan, and if it determines that it is involved, it generates reply information and transmits the reply information to the mobile terminal 1 until the mobile terminal 1 acquires it.

[0149] The mobile terminal 1 notifies the carrier 3 of each piece of reply information sent from the vehicle in response to the vehicle communication request. In this case, the map displayed on the display screen of the mobile terminal 1 shows the position of each of the vehicles that sent the reply information together with their identifying information.

[0150] In this way, the mobile terminal 1 can receive reply information from all of the vehicles involved in the behavior schedule of the carrier 3 included in the vehicle communication request, and notify the carrier 3 of the behavior of each vehicle.

[0151] In addition, in the above embodiment, only the positions of automobiles capable of wireless communication with the mobile terminal 1 were displayed on the map, but by doing the following, it is possible to notify the carrier 3 of the positions of automobiles that do not have wireless communication capabilities with the mobile terminal 1, including their characteristics (attributes).

[0152] That is, the vehicle sends to the mobile terminal 1 reply information from the vehicle in response to a request for vehicle communication from the mobile terminal 1, including captured images of the surroundings in front, behind, left and right of the vehicle taken by the vehicle's cameras. The mobile terminal 1 analyzes the received captured images, recognizes the vehicle contained in the captured images, and estimates the position of the recognized vehicle from the current position and traveling direction of the vehicle that sent the captured images. In this case, if there are multiple vehicles capable of wireless communication, the mobile terminal 1 can more accurately detect the position of the vehicle without wireless communication capabilities by using the recognition results of the captured images from the multiple vehicles and the current positions and traveling direction of the vehicles that sent the captured images.

[0153] The portable terminal 1 displays the detected position of the vehicle without wireless communication function on a map in addition to the vehicle 2, so that the carrier 3 can carry out his / her planned behavior while understanding the traffic conditions around him / her.

[0154] [Example of vehicle behavior based on vehicle-to-vehicle communication requests in response to the carrier's behavior schedule] In the following description, for the sake of convenience, it is assumed that all of the vehicles have the terminal communication control processor 217 of the embodiment. Note that the mobile terminal 1 of the embodiment cannot communicate with a vehicle that does not have the terminal communication control processor 217, so that such a vehicle is excluded from the target vehicles that determine behavior in accordance with the carrier's behavior schedule.

[0155] The example in Fig. 13 shows a case where a user 3 carrying a mobile terminal 1 is walking along the right side of a road 7 and is scheduled to go straight across a side road 6 ahead of him in his traveling direction to cross the road. In the example in Fig. 13, there are three cars 2A, 2B, and 2C traveling in the same direction as the user 3 on the road 7.

[0156] In this case, when a vehicle communication request is sent from the portable terminal 1 held by the carrier 3 at a predetermined position before the side road 6, all three vehicles 2A, 2B, and 2C can receive the vehicle communication request and each responds to generate a wireless communication path. However, since the vehicle 2A is traveling at a position where it has already passed the side road 6, it is not involved in the behavior plan of the carrier 3 to cross the side road 6, so it returns a notice to that effect to the portable terminal 1 and disconnects the wireless communication path. In addition, the vehicle 2C traveling on the passing lane side of the two-lane road 7 plans to pass the position of the side road 6 and go straight, so it is similarly not involved in the behavior plan of the carrier 3 to cross the side road 6. Therefore, the vehicle 2C also sends a notice to the portable terminal 1 that it is not involved in the behavior plan of the carrier 3 to cross the side road 6 and disconnects the wireless communication path.

[0157] In this example, automobile 2B plans to make a left turn from road 7 to enter side road 6. Therefore, automobile 2B determines that it is involved in the behavior plan of carrier 3, and in this example, decides to behave in a forced automatic driving mode to give priority to carrier 3's crossing of side road 6 by, for example, stopping just before turning left onto side road 6 and waiting until carrier 3 has finished crossing, and replies to that effect, along with the position of its own vehicle and information for identifying its own vehicle, to mobile terminal 1.

[0158] The mobile terminal 1 then notifies the carrier 3 through the display screen and speaker that the car 2B will prioritize the carrier's 3 behavioral schedule, as well as notifying the carrier 3 of where the car 2B is currently traveling and what visual characteristics the car has. Therefore, the carrier 3 who has the mobile terminal 1 can safely cross the side road 6 while visually recognizing the car 2B and checking its movement and behavior.

[0159] The example in Fig. 14 shows a case where a carrier 3 carrying a mobile terminal 1 plans to exit between buildings BL1 and BL2 onto a road 8 with one lane on each side, and cross the road at a crosswalk from left to right in Fig. 14. In this example, the road 8 has a crosswalk sign, but no traffic lights. Three cars 2D, 2E, and 2F are traveling in the right lane 8R of the road 8, and two cars 2G and 2H are traveling in the left lane 8L.

[0160] In the example of FIG. 14, the mobile terminal 1 transmits a request for communication with a vehicle, for example, by broadcast, and is capable of receiving all replies from a plurality of vehicles 2 in sequence.

[0161] In this case, when a vehicle communication request is sent from the portable terminal 1 held by the carrier 3 located between buildings BL1 and BL2, all of the five vehicles 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, and 2H can receive the vehicle communication request and each responds by creating a wireless communication path. However, since vehicle 2F is traveling at a position that has already passed the crosswalk, it is not involved in the carrier 3's behavior plan to cross the crosswalk, so it sends back reply information to that effect to the portable terminal 1 and disconnects the wireless communication path.

[0162] Furthermore, automobile 2E traveling in the right lane 8R of road 8 and automobile 2G traveling in the left lane 8L are involved in the behavioral plan of carrier 3 to cross the road, but are too close to the crosswalk and judge that they cannot stop before the crosswalk without applying the brakes suddenly, and therefore send reply information to mobile terminal 1 containing information that they are unable to take a corresponding behavior that gives priority to the behavioral plan of carrier 3, and then disconnect the wireless communication path.

[0163] Then, automobile 2E traveling in the right lane 8R of road 8 and automobile 2G traveling in the left lane 8L are involved in the behavior plan of carrier 3 to cross the road, and it is determined that they can behave in a manner that prioritizes the behavior plan of carrier 3, so they send reply information to that effect to mobile terminal 1, and then disconnect the wireless communication path.

[0164] The mobile terminal 1 in this example acquires reply information from all five automobiles 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, and 2H. The received reply information includes the current position, identification information, and information on the traveling speed and traveling direction of each of the automobiles 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, and 2H, and the mobile terminal 1 uses the information to display each of the automobiles 2D, 2E, 2F, 2G, and 2H on the map on the display screen. Furthermore, the mobile terminal 1 notifies the carrier 3 of the behavior of each automobile with respect to the crossing of the carrier 3 through the display screen and / or the speaker 122.

[0165] Therefore, the carrier 3 can safely execute the planned behavior of crossing the crosswalk that he / she is about to execute, while referring to the notification by the display screen of the portable terminal 1 and the sound emitted from the speaker 122. Of course, this is not limited to the planned behavior of crossing the crosswalk, but can also be applied to the planned behavior of crossing a road without a crosswalk, or to passing through a place where the movement of cars is difficult to predict, such as the entrance / exit of a parking lot or a roundabout at a station, and these planned behaviors that he / she is about to execute can also be executed safely.

[0166] [Other embodiments or modifications] The automobile 2 may be configured to disable the above functions in consideration of cases where, due to an emergency or other reasons, it is desirable not to respond to an automobile communication request from the carrier 3. In that case, when the automobile 2 receives a request, it transmits to the portable terminal 1 a message indicating that it cannot respond to the request, and disconnects the communication path.

[0167] In the above embodiment, when the automobile receives a request for automobile communication from the mobile terminal 1, if the automobile is driving in manual driving mode, the automobile inquires of the driver whether or not to permit switching to automatic driving mode, and if permission is not granted, the automobile does not respond to the automobile communication request. However, if the carrier 3, such as a pedestrian, is a person vulnerable to traffic safety, such as an elderly person, a person accompanied by an infant, a person with a disability, a wheelchair user, an elementary school student, or a child before entering elementary school, the automobile 2 may be configured to always respond to the automobile communication request.

[0168] That is, even when the vehicle is traveling in manual driving mode, in response to a vehicle-to-vehicle communication request from such a vulnerable person in terms of road safety, the vehicle is forced to switch to normal automatic driving mode or forced automatic driving mode without asking the driver, and is configured to take a behavior that prioritizes the behavior schedule of the vulnerable person in terms of road safety. In this case, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication request includes information on the vulnerable person as attribute information of the requesting carrier 3, so that the vehicle can confirm it.

[0169] In addition, when the automobile receives a vehicle-to-vehicle communication request from a specified number of mobile terminals (two or more) within a specified short period of time (for example, within 30 seconds), automobile 2 may be configured to forcibly switch to normal automatic driving mode or forced automatic driving mode from a safety standpoint and respond to the vehicle-to-vehicle communication request, even if the driver has not previously allowed switching to automatic driving mode while the automobile is operating in manual driving mode. [Explanation of symbols]

[0170] 1...mobile terminal, 2...vehicle, 3...carrier, 20...electronic control circuit section of vehicle, 106...current position detection section, 108...vehicle wireless communication section, 109...vehicle communication control processing section, 202...wireless communication section, 205...driving mode switching control section, 210...current position detection section, 217...terminal communication control processing section, 218...behavior control section

Claims

1. A communication system including a mobile terminal and an automobile having a function of wirelessly communicating with the mobile terminal and having a manual driving mode and an autonomous driving mode capable of autonomous driving, the portable terminal includes a communication request sending means for sending a wireless communication request to the vehicle; The automobile includes a switching determination means for determining whether or not to switch to the automatic driving mode when the automobile is in the manual driving mode upon receiving the wireless communication request from the mobile terminal. A communication system comprising:

2. The switching determination means inquires of the driver as to whether or not it is OK to switch to the automatic driving mode, and determines whether or not to switch to the automatic driving mode based on the response to the inquiry.

2. The communication system according to claim 1 .

3. The switching determination means determines whether to switch to the automatic driving mode by referring to a setting for permitting or not permitting switching to the automatic driving mode.

2. The communication system according to claim 1 .

4. A switching means for switching to the automatic driving mode when the switching determination means determines that the automatic driving mode should be switched to is provided.

4. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second communication devices are connected to each other.

5. The vehicle has, as the automatic driving mode, a normal automatic driving mode in which the automatic driving mode can be switched to the manual driving mode in response to a predetermined operation that is determined in advance, and a forced automatic driving mode in which the automatic driving mode cannot be switched to the manual driving mode even if the predetermined operation is performed, The automatic operation mode that can be switched by the switching means is the forced automatic operation mode.

5. The communication system according to claim 4.

6. The vehicle has, as the automatic driving mode, a normal automatic driving mode in which the automatic driving mode can be switched to the manual driving mode in response to a predetermined operation that is determined in advance, and a forced automatic driving mode in which the automatic driving mode cannot be switched to the manual driving mode even if the predetermined operation is performed, When the automobile receives the wireless communication request from the mobile terminal, if the automobile is in the automatic driving mode, the automobile switches to the forced automatic driving mode.

6. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second communication devices are connected to each other.

7. The communication request sending means of the portable terminal sends out the wireless communication request by broadcast or multicast.

7. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the first and second communication devices are connected to each other.

8. the mobile terminal includes a terminal position detection means for detecting a current position of the mobile terminal, and the wireless communication request includes location information of the current position of the mobile terminal detected by the terminal position detection means and information regarding a behavior plan of a carrier of the mobile terminal; The vehicle is a vehicle position detection means for detecting a current position of the vehicle; a participation determination means for determining whether or not the vehicle is involved in the behavior schedule of the carrier based on location information of a current location of the mobile terminal and information on the behavior schedule of the carrier, the information being included in the received wireless communication request; When the involvement determination means determines that the vehicle is involved in the behavior schedule of the user, the switching determination means is executed. The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

9. When the switching determination means determines that the vehicle will not switch to the automatic driving mode, the vehicle transmits reply information to the portable terminal, the reply information including a message that the vehicle will not behave in accordance with the behavior schedule of the user.

9. The communication system according to claim 8.

10. the reply information from the vehicle includes information indicating that the vehicle is an emergency vehicle; The mobile terminal includes a notification means for notifying the carrier that the vehicle that has sent the reply information is an emergency vehicle.

10. The communication system according to claim 9.

11. The information regarding the behavioral plan of the carrier includes information regarding the carrier while the carrier is walking, moving in a wheelchair, or riding a bicycle. The communication system according to any one of claims 8 to 10.

12. The information regarding the behavior schedule of the carrier includes information on the walking speed of the carrier, information on the moving speed of the carrier by a wheelchair, or information on the bicycle traveling speed. The communication system according to any one of claims 8 to 11.

13. The information regarding the behavior schedule of the carrier includes information on the moving direction when the carrier is walking, information on the moving direction when the carrier is moving in a wheelchair, or information on the moving direction when the carrier is riding a bicycle. The communication system according to any one of claims 8 to 12.

14. The mobile terminal includes: a receiving means for receiving a transmission request operation of the wireless communication request to the vehicle by a carrier of the terminal, The communication request sending means sends the wireless communication request to the automobile when the sending request operation is accepted by the accepting means. The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 13.

15. the portable terminal includes a carrier attribute storage unit configured to store, as attribute information of the carrier, information indicating that the carrier is a vulnerable person in terms of traffic safety; The communication request sending means sends the wireless communication request including the information indicating that the user is a vulnerable person in terms of traffic safety, which is stored in the user attribute storage unit. The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 14.

16. The vulnerable in terms of traffic safety include the elderly, people with infants, people with disabilities, wheelchair users, and elementary school students or preschool children.

16. The communication system according to claim 15.

17. The mobile terminal includes: - a navigation means for performing pedestrian, wheelchair and / or bicycle route guidance; a route guidance execution determination means for determining whether or not the route guidance by the navigation means is being executed; Equipped with When the route guidance execution determining means determines that the route guidance is not being executed, the communication request sending means sends the wireless communication request to the automobile when the receiving means receives a sending request from the carrier, and when the route guidance is determined to be executed, the communication request sending means sends the wireless communication request to the automobile when it determines that the automobile has arrived at a position or area that requires the wireless communication request and is included in the route guidance data of the navigation means. The communication system according to any one of claims 1 to 16.

18. A vehicle in a communication system including a mobile terminal and a vehicle having a function of wirelessly communicating with the mobile terminal and having a manual driving mode and an automatic driving mode capable of autonomous driving, the vehicle being provided with a communication request sending means for sending a wireless communication request to the mobile terminal, and a switching determination means for determining whether or not to switch to the automatic driving mode when the vehicle is in the manual driving mode upon receiving the wireless communication request from the mobile terminal. A vehicle comprising:

19. The switching determination means inquires of the driver as to whether or not it is OK to switch to the automatic driving mode, and determines whether or not to switch to the automatic driving mode based on the response to the inquiry.

20. The vehicle according to claim 18.

20. The switching determination means determines whether to switch to the automatic driving mode by referring to a setting for permitting or not permitting switching to the automatic driving mode.

20. The vehicle according to claim 18.

21. A switching means for switching to the automatic driving mode when the switching determination means determines that the automatic driving mode should be switched to is provided. The vehicle according to any one of claims 18 to 20.

22. The automatic driving mode includes a normal automatic driving mode in which the automatic driving mode can be switched to the manual driving mode in response to a predetermined operation, and a forced automatic driving mode in which the automatic driving mode cannot be switched to the manual driving mode even if the predetermined operation is performed, The automatic operation mode that can be switched by the switching means is the forced automatic operation mode.

22. The vehicle according to claim 21 .

23. The automatic driving mode includes a normal automatic driving mode in which the automatic driving mode can be switched to the manual driving mode in response to a predetermined operation, and a forced automatic driving mode in which the automatic driving mode cannot be switched to the manual driving mode even if the predetermined operation is performed, When the automobile receives the wireless communication request from the mobile terminal, if the automobile is in the automatic driving mode, the automobile switches to the forced automatic driving mode. The vehicle according to any one of claims 18 to 22.

24. the mobile terminal includes a terminal position detection means for detecting a current position of the mobile terminal, and the wireless communication request includes location information of the current position of the mobile terminal detected by the terminal position detection means and information regarding a behavior plan of a carrier of the mobile terminal; a vehicle position detection means for detecting a current position of the vehicle; a participation determination means for determining whether or not the vehicle is involved in the behavior schedule of the carrier based on location information of a current location of the mobile terminal and information on the behavior schedule of the carrier, the information being included in the received wireless communication request; When the involvement determination means determines that the vehicle is involved in the behavior schedule of the user, the switching determination means is executed. The vehicle according to any one of claims 18 to 23.

25. When the switching determination means determines that the switching to the automatic driving mode is not to be performed, reply information including a message that the vehicle will not behave in accordance with the behavior plan of the user is transmitted to the mobile terminal.

25. The vehicle of claim 24.

26. A communication system including a mobile terminal and an automobile having a function of wireless communication with the mobile terminal and having a manual driving mode and an automatic driving mode capable of autonomous driving, the mobile terminal including a communication request sending means for sending a wireless communication request to the automobile, a switching determination means for determining whether or not to switch the vehicle to the automatic driving mode when the vehicle is in the manual driving mode upon receiving the wireless communication request from the portable terminal; A program for automobiles to function as.

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