Vehicle travel supporting device, vehicle travel supporting system, and vehicle travel supporting method

Abstract

To provide a vehicle travel supporting device that prevents a vehicle from departing from a travel area due to insufficient holding of a steering wheel when switching a driving operation to a hands-on support.SOLUTION: A vehicle travel supporting device comprises: an external field information acquiring unit that acquires external field information of a vehicle and grasps a travel-possible area of the vehicle based on the external field information; a hands-off travel-possible area setting unit that sets a hands-off travel-possible area in which the vehicle can travel during a hands-off travel based on the external field information; a driver state acquisition unit that acquires a driver state; a handover time calculation unit that calculates a time until the driver, who has been handed over driving control authority from the hands-off travel to a hands-on travel based on the driver state, can start driving control; a handover time travel-possible area setting unit that sets a handover time travel-possible area in which the vehicle can travel within the handover time; and a supporting state determination unit that determines whether to continue the hands-off travel based on the hands-off travel-possible area and the handover time travel-possible area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle driving assistance device, a vehicle driving assistance system, and a vehicle driving assistance method. [Background technology]

[0002] In a vehicle driving assistance device that assists in driving a vehicle, technology is being considered to control a hands-on assistance state that assists driving while requiring the driver to hold the steering wheel, and a hands-off assistance state that does not require the driver to hold the steering wheel and allows the driver to let go of the steering wheel, based on external information such as position information, surrounding information, and driving information.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that changes the driving level from hands-off to hands-on to alert the driver when the lateral movement of the preceding vehicle exceeds a threshold with respect to a reference position such as the center of the lane when following the preceding vehicle. Patent Document 2 discloses a technology that predicts a route based on map information and the position information of the vehicle itself, and a route based on external environment information, and controls the driving to be hands-on if there is a predetermined or greater discrepancy between the two routes. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-104802 A [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2022-59787 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in these conventional technologies, if there is insufficient time for the driver to start operating the vehicle after letting go of the hands when switching from a hands-off assistance state to a hands-on assistance state, there is a risk that the vehicle will deviate from the area in which it is intended to travel.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a vehicle driving support device that prevents the driver from gripping the steering wheel in time when switching from a hands-off support state to a hands-on support state, causing the vehicle to deviate from the area in which it should be driving. It also aims to provide a vehicle driving support system and a vehicle driving support method. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vehicle driving assistance device according to the present disclosure is a vehicle driving assistance device that can switch between hands-off driving, in which the driver is not required to take over driving operations and the driver is not required to hold the steering wheel through automatic driving operation, and hands-on driving, in which the driver is required to take over driving operations and the driver is required to hold the steering wheel, and is equipped with an external environment information acquisition unit that acquires external environment information for the vehicle and grasps the driving area of ​​the vehicle based on the external environment information, a hands-off driving possible area setting unit that sets a hands-off driving possible area in which the vehicle can be driven in hands-off driving based on the external environment information, a driver state acquisition unit that acquires the driver state, a handover time calculation unit that calculates a handover time until a driver who has been transferred the driving operation authority from hands-off driving to hands-on driving can start driving operation based on the driver state, a handover time driving area setting unit that sets a handover time driving area in which driving can be performed within the handover time, and an assistance state determination unit that determines whether to continue hands-off driving based on the hands-off driving possible area and the handover time driving area.

[0008] In addition, the vehicle driving assistance system according to the present disclosure is a vehicle driving assistance system that can switch between hands-off driving, in which the driver is not required to operate the vehicle and does not need to hold the steering wheel, and hands-on driving, in which the driver is required to operate the vehicle and need to hold the steering wheel, through automatic driving operation, and is equipped with an external environment information detection unit that detects external information about the vehicle, a driver state detection unit that detects the driver state, a vehicle driving assistance device according to the present disclosure, and a vehicle control unit that controls the vehicle based on data output from the vehicle driving assistance device.

[0009] In addition, the vehicle driving assistance method according to the present disclosure includes a step of acquiring external environment information about the vehicle and grasping a driving area of ​​the vehicle based on the external environment information, a step of setting a hands-off driving area in which the vehicle can be driven with hands-off driving based on the external environment information, a step of acquiring a driver's state, a step of calculating a transfer time until a driver who has been transferred authority for driving operations from hands-off driving to hands-on driving can start driving operations based on the driver's state, a step of setting a transfer time driving area in which driving can be performed within the transfer time, and a step of determining whether to continue hands-off driving based on the hands-off driving area and the transfer time driving area. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present disclosure, vehicle driving is controlled taking into account the driving area until the driver can grip the steering wheel, thereby preventing the driver from being able to grip the steering wheel in time when switching from a hands-off support state to a hands-on support state, and causing the vehicle to deviate from the area in which it should be driving. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle driving assistance system according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a vehicle equipped with hardware for executing functions according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is an image diagram showing an example of a hands-off driving possible area and a handover time driving area in accordance with the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 7 is a flowchart showing a processing routine executed by a vehicle driving assistance device according to a second embodiment. [Diagram 5] 7 is a flowchart showing a processing routine executed by a vehicle driving assistance device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] 10 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a processing circuit that realizes each function of a vehicle driving support device according to a second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 7]FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle driving assistance system according to a third embodiment. [Figure 8] 13 is an example showing a target route calculated by a target behavior calculation unit and a handover time traveling range set by a handover time traveling range setting unit according to the third embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle driving assistance system according to a fourth embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is an image diagram showing an example of a hands-off driving possible area and a handover time driving area in accordance with embodiment 4. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is an image diagram showing an example of a hands-off driving possible area and a handover time driving area in accordance with embodiment 4. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating external environment information acquired by a vehicle driving support device according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating external environment information acquired by a vehicle driving support device according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is an image diagram showing an example of a hands-off driving possible area and a handover time driving area in accordance with embodiment 5. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating external environment information acquired by a vehicle driving support device according to a fifth embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is an image diagram showing an example of a hands-off driving possible area according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is an image diagram showing an example of a hands-off driving possible area according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram illustrating external environment information acquired by a vehicle driving support device according to a fifth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] The following description of the embodiments will be given with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which the same contents and corresponding parts are designated by the same reference numerals and detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0013] Embodiment 1 Fig. 1 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle driving support system 1000 according to the embodiment 1. The vehicle driving support system 1000 includes a vehicle driving support device 100, an external environment information detection unit 22, a driver state detection unit 23, a speed sensor 24, a notification unit 25, and a vehicle control unit 26. Fig. 2 is a conceptual diagram showing an example of a vehicle 200 equipped with hardware that executes these functions.

[0014] The vehicle driving assistance device 100 includes an external environment information acquisition unit 1 that acquires external environment information of the vehicle 200 and grasps the driving area of ​​the vehicle 200 based on the external environment information, a hands-off driving area setting unit 2 that sets a hands-off driving area 21 in which the vehicle can be driven with hands-off driving based on the external environment information, a driver state acquisition unit 3 that acquires the driver state, a handover time calculation unit 4 that calculates a handover time until a driver 300, whose driving operation authority has been transferred from hands-off driving to hands-on driving, can start driving operation based on the driver state, a handover time driving area setting unit 5 that sets a handover time driving area 51 in which driving can be performed within the handover time, and an assistance state determination unit 6 that determines whether to continue hands-off driving based on the hands-off driving area 21 and the handover time driving area 51.

[0015] The external environment information detection unit 22 is composed of, for example, a camera, a radar, a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), a locator, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), etc., and detects external environment information such as the position of the vehicle 200, road sections, road shoulders, surrounding vehicles, etc. Positioning information such as surrounding map information and the distance to the leading vehicle 210 may also be included. The external environment information acquisition unit 1 acquires external environment information of the vehicle 200 detected by the external environment information detection unit 22, and grasps a travelable area in which the vehicle 200 can travel. The external environment information acquisition unit 1 may acquire the external environment information using a roadside unit installed on the side of the road, or may acquire the external environment information through road-to-vehicle communication that communicates with a beacon, antenna, etc. on the road. In addition, collision avoidance information, etc. may be acquired through vehicle-to-vehicle communication with other vehicles.

[0016] For example, the forward camera mainly detects lane markings on the road ahead and outputs the results of approximation processing. At the same time, it also outputs the detection distance of the lane markings and the detection quality of the lane markings. It also outputs information about surrounding vehicles, such as their positions and vehicle types. The peripheral camera mainly detects lane markings on the rear side of the road and outputs the results of approximation processing. At the same time, it also outputs the detection distance of the lane markings and the detection quality of the lane markings. When obtaining positioning information and map information by GNSS, information transmitted from the GNSS is received by an antenna attached to the vehicle 200. Then, the position of the vehicle 200 is identified, and map information of the periphery of the identified position can be obtained. The map information includes the center position of the road, the lane marking position, the shoulder position, etc., and includes attribute information of the road, such as general roads, main lines of expressways, ramps, service areas, and parking areas. The position information may also include reliability information of positioning and reliability information of matching of the traveling lane. The traveling point may be obtained using a gyro sensor and a speed sensor 24 mounted on the vehicle 200.

[0017] The hands-off driving possible area setting unit 2 calculates and sets the hands-off driving possible area 21, which is an area in which the vehicle can travel in the hands-off support state. Based on the external environment information acquired by the external environment information acquisition unit 1 described above, the driving possible area in which the vehicle 200 can travel during the planned time for continuing the hands-off support state can be obtained.

[0018] The driver state detection unit 23 detects the line of sight, posture, alertness, pulse, steering wheel grip state, etc. of the driver 300 using, for example, a camera, and the driver state acquisition unit 3 acquires these as the driver state. The age, sex, physique, health state, driving characteristics, etc. of the driver 300 may be acquired as driver information for estimating the driver state. A DMS (Driver Monitoring System) may be used to detect whether the driver 300 is looking away for a certain period of time, and whether the driver 300 is likely to fall asleep based on information such as the state of his / her eyes, the angle of his / her face, and the frequency of yawning, and to determine the driver's state. Furthermore, if the driver 300 is a pre-registered user, the driver state may be estimated using the recorded information recorded in the storage device 81, with the accumulated time of using the vehicle driving support device 100 in the past, driving characteristics, etc. as driver information. The registered age, sex, physique, health condition, driving characteristics, etc. may also be used as driver information.

[0019] The handover time calculation unit 4 calculates a driver handover time, which is an estimated time from when the authority to operate the vehicle is transferred to the driver 300 until the driver 300 starts operating, based on the driver state acquired from the driver state acquisition unit 3. For example, the default value of the driver handover time is set to a preset average value based on the age and sex of the driver 300. When the driver state of the driver 300 is acquired, such as the driver's gaze not facing forward, the driver's posture is off, or the driver's level of alertness is low, the corresponding set value is added to the default value.

[0020] Also, for example, if the hands-off state is longer than a preset hands-off time, it may be assumed that the driver 300 is paying less attention to the road ahead, and a preset value may be added to the handover time. In addition, for the driver 300 who is registered as a user, the driver handover time may be calculated based on the operation time when the driving assistance function of the vehicle driving assistance device 100 was used in the past. If the user has never used the vehicle or has only used it for a short time, it is possible that the user is not familiar with how to respond when driving operation authority is transferred, so the transfer time may be set longer by adding a set value. Furthermore, the usual driving characteristics, age, physical build, health condition, etc. of the driver 300 may be stored as user information, and the handover time or an addition or subtraction value to the default value may be determined.

[0021] The handover time traveling region 51 is set by, for example, the speed of the vehicle 200 obtained from the speed sensor 24 and the handover time calculated by the handover time calculation unit 4.

[0022] 3, for example, shows hands-off driving area 21 and handover time driving area 51 of vehicle 200 that drives in a driving area sandwiched between left and right boundaries 31, 32 determined from demarcation lines and the like based on external information. Here, an example is shown in which left and right boundaries 31, 32 of the driving area coincide with left and right boundaries 231, 232 of hands-off driving area 21, respectively. In Fig. 3(a), because the handover time driving area 51 does not extend beyond the hands-off driving possible area 21, the assistance status determination unit 6 determines that it is OK to continue hands-on driving, and makes a determination to continue hands-off driving. In Fig. 3(b), because the handover time driving area 51 extends forward beyond the hands-off driving possible area 21, the assistance status determination unit 6 determines that it is necessary to switch to hands-on driving, and makes a determination to cancel hands-off driving and switch to hands-on driving. A threshold may be determined in advance, and if the protruding area is equal to or less than the threshold, a decision may be made to continue hands-off driving, and if the protruding area exceeds the threshold, a decision may be made to switch to hands-on driving.

[0023] Based on the determination result of the assistance state determination unit 6, the processing unit 7 outputs a process of continuing hands-off driving or canceling hands-off driving to the vehicle control unit 26, the notification unit 25, etc. The vehicle control unit 26 controls the operation of the vehicle 200 by controlling the braking / driving actuator, the steering actuator, and the like. The notification unit 25 notifies the driver 300 of a display image in which a driving state including, for example, the hands-off driving possible area 21 and the handover time driving area 51 is displayed.

[0024] The notification by the notification unit 25 may be by voice, an indicator lamp, a display color, vibration, etc. For example, a voice may be issued to notify the release of hands-off driving, or the time until the handover time driving area 51 goes beyond the hands-off driving possible area 21 may be notified, and the driver 300 may be prompted to prepare to switch to hands-on driving. A numerical value, time, etc. indicating that hands-off driving can be continued safely may be notified, or a color may be used to clearly indicate the difference.

[0025] The notification unit 25 may be a display that outputs notification information to the driver 300, or may be a device such as an HMI (Human Machine Interface) having an operation panel operated by the driver 300. The notification unit 25 may output the hands-off driving possible area 21, the handover time driving area 51, the determination result by the assistance status determination unit 6, and the like, as well as external world information, the driver's status, and instruction values ​​to the actuators. If the user wishes to change the set value, he or she may input a change request, or register or change user information.

[0026] In this way, the vehicle driving assistance device 100 includes an external environment information acquisition unit 1 that acquires external environment information of the vehicle 200 and grasps the driving area of ​​the vehicle 200 based on the external environment information, a hands-off driving area setting unit 2 that sets a hands-off driving area 21 in which the vehicle can be driven by hands-off driving based on the external environment information, a driver state acquisition unit 3 that acquires a driver state, a handover time calculation unit 4 that calculates a handover time until the driver 300, whose driving operation authority has been transferred from hands-off driving to hands-on driving, can start driving operation based on the driver state, and a handover time calculation unit 5 that calculates a handover time until the driver 300, whose driving operation authority has been transferred from hands-off driving to hands-on driving, can start driving operation based on the driver state. By providing a handover time driving area setting unit 5 that sets a handover time driving area 51 in which driving can be performed within a certain time, and an assistance state determination unit 6 that determines whether or not to continue hands-off driving based on the hands-off driving possible area 21 and the handover time driving area 51, vehicle driving can be assisted taking into account the driving possible area until the driver 300 can grip the steering wheel. This makes it possible to prevent the driver 300 from being able to grip the steering wheel in time when switching from a hands-off assistance state to a hands-on assistance state, and the vehicle 200 from departing from the area in which it should be driving.

[0027] The assistance status determination unit 6 continues hands-off driving if the handover time driving area 51 does not extend beyond the hands-off driving area 21 or if the extending area is below a threshold, and determines to switch to hands-on driving if the extending area exceeds the threshold, thereby taking into account the relationship between the hands-off driving area 21 and the handover time driving area 51, preventing the driver 300 from gripping the steering wheel in time and setting the hands-off driving time as long as possible.

[0028] Furthermore, by acquiring at least one of the driver's 300 line of sight, posture, level of alertness, driving characteristics, age, physical build, and health condition as the driver's state, and calculating the handover time based on the driver's state, the driver 300 can respond to the operation with ease, since the handover time is determined according to the state of the driver 300. Also, the handover time, which differs for each driver 300 depending on the driving characteristics, age, physical build, health condition, etc., can be estimated.

[0029] In addition, if the duration of hands-off driving is longer than the default duration value, increasing the handover time reduces the driver's attention to the road ahead, and it is assumed that it takes time for the driver 300 to grasp the steering wheel, allowing the driver 300 to respond to the operation with plenty of time.

[0030] In addition, the accumulated number of times that driving operation authority has been transferred when switching from hands-off driving to hands-on driving is recorded for each driver 300, and if the accumulated number is smaller than a default accumulated number value, the transfer time is increased, so that driver 300 can respond to the operation with ease, since it is assumed that it takes time for the driver to grasp the steering wheel if the driver is inexperienced.

[0031] Furthermore, if the driver 300 is notified by a display image showing the driving state including the hands-off driving possible area 21 and the handover time driving area 51, or by a voice notifying the cancellation of hands-off driving, the driver 300 can grasp the current situation and grasp in advance the possibility of a change in the driving support state, making it easier to respond to operations. Also, if the user wishes to change the set value, the user can input a change request, register user information, or change it.

[0032] Although an example of adding or subtracting the handover time depending on the driver's state has been described, for example, when the driving area is within a road reserved for driving assistance vehicles, the type and amount of detected objects are reduced, making it easier to drive with hands off, so the handover time may be reduced. This allows the hands off driving time to be extended. Also, on roads where a monitoring device is installed to monitor the driving state of the vehicle 200, the handover time can be reduced and the hands-off driving time can be increased.

[0033] Embodiment 2 A vehicle driving support method using the vehicle driving support device 100 will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a processing routine executed by the vehicle driving support device 100. First, the external environment information of the vehicle 200 is acquired, and the driving area of ​​the vehicle 200 is grasped based on the external environment information (step S101). Then, based on the external environment information, the hands-off driving area 21 in which the vehicle can drive with hands-off driving is set (step S102). Next, the driver state is acquired (step S103), and based on this driver state, the handover time until the driver 300, whose driving operation authority has been transferred from hands-off driving to hands-on driving, can start driving is calculated (step S104). Then, the handover time driving area 51 in which the vehicle can drive within the handover time is set (step S105). Then, based on the hands-off driving area 21 and the handover time driving area 51, it is determined whether or not to continue hands-off driving (step S106).

[0034] FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a processing routine executed by the vehicle driving support device 100, and shows in detail an example of some steps for switching between hands-on driving and hands-off driving support. First, hands-on driving support is started (step S201), and the vehicle driving support device 100 sets a hands-off driving possible area 21 in which driving is possible with hands off based on the external information of the vehicle 200 (step S202). Then, based on the driver state, the vehicle driving support device 100 calculates a handover time until the driver 300, to whom the authority to drive the vehicle 200 has been transferred, can start driving (step S203). Then, the vehicle driving support device 100 sets a handover time driving area 51 in which driving can be performed within the handover time (step S204). Then, it is determined whether the handover time driving area 51 is included in the hands-off driving possible area 21 (step S205). Here, being included means that the handover time driving area 51 does not extend beyond the hands-off driving possible area 21, or the area that extends beyond the handover time is equal to or less than a threshold value.

[0035] If the handover time driving area 51 is included in the hands-off driving possible area 21 (YES in step S205), the hands-off driving is continued (step S206). If the handover time driving area 51 is not included in the hands-off driving possible area 21 (NO in step S205), the hands-off driving is canceled and the system returns to hands-on support (step S201). Here, "not included" refers to a case where a protruding area exists, for example, the area of ​​the protruding area exceeds a threshold. If the hands-off driving is continued (step S206), for example, a check is made periodically (YES in step S207), and the system returns to step S202. If an instruction to end the driving support is issued by the driver 300 or the processing unit 7 in a step not shown, the routine is ended. If the driving support is ended, the system returns to manual driving.

[0036] Here, each function of the vehicle driving support device 100 is realized by a processing circuit. Fig. 6 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an example of a processing circuit that realizes each function of the vehicle driving support device 100. The vehicle driving assistance device 100 includes a processor 80, a storage device 81, a communication I / F (interface) 82, a CAN (Controller Area Network) I / F (interface) 83, and the like. For example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) is used as the processor 80. The storage device 81 transmits and receives data to and from the processor 80 and stores the data.

[0037] External information, driver state, etc. are acquired via a communication I / F 82. The calculations and judgments of the hands-off driving possible area setting unit 2, handover time calculation unit 4, handover time driving area setting unit 5, assistance state determination unit 6, etc. are executed by a processor 80. Driver information, calculation formulas, each setting value, etc. are stored in a storage device 81. Commands of the vehicle driving assistance device 100 are transmitted to the vehicle control unit 26 via a CANI / F 83.

[0038] The processor 80 and the storage device 81 may be one shared device or a plurality of devices may be provided. The processor 80 may include, for example, a logic circuit using an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an IC (Integrated Circuit), a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or the like, and various signal processing circuits. A plurality of processors 80, either of the same type or of different types, may be provided, so that each process is shared and executed by a plurality of arithmetic processing devices.

[0039] The multiple storage devices 81 may include, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory) configured to enable data to be read from and written to the processor 80, a ROM (Read Only Memory) configured to enable data to be read from the processor 80, a hard disk (HDD), etc.

[0040] Each function of vehicle driving assistance device 100 is realized by processor 80 executing software or programs stored in storage device 81 and cooperating with hardware. Setting data to be set in vehicle driving assistance device 100 may be stored in storage device 81 as part of the software or program, or may be input by a user. A non-transitory recording medium 85 on which vehicle driving assistance program 84 is recorded may be distributed and installed in storage device 81 of vehicle driving assistance device 100.

[0041] In this way, the external information of the vehicle 200 is acquired, the driving area of ​​the vehicle 200 is grasped based on the external information, and the hands-off driving possible area 21 in which the vehicle can be driven in hands-off driving is set based on the external information, and the driver state is acquired, and the transfer time until the driver 300, whose driving operation authority has been transferred from hands-off driving to hands-on driving, can start driving operation based on the driver state is calculated, and the transfer time driving area 51 in which the vehicle can be driven within the transfer time is set. Then, by determining whether to continue hands-off driving based on the hands-off driving possible area 21 and the transfer time driving area 51, the vehicle driving can be supported in consideration of the driving area until the driver 300 can grip the steering wheel, so that when switching from the hands-off support state to the hands-on support state, it is possible to prevent the driver 300 from gripping the steering wheel in time and the vehicle 200 from departing from the area in which it should be driven.

[0042] Embodiment 3 An example of a means for calculating target behaviors such as a target route 40 and a target speed along which the vehicle 200 should travel by driving assistance and for calculating a target control amount will be described in more detail. The determination of whether to continue hands-off driving based on the hands-off driving possible area 21 and the handover time driving area 51 is the same as in the first embodiment, and the description of the same parts will be omitted.

[0043] Fig. 7 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle driving assistance system 1000 according to the third embodiment. In Fig. 7, a target behavior calculation unit 8 acquires vehicle behaviors such as the speed and traveling direction of the vehicle 200 from a vehicle behavior output unit 27. Then, based on this vehicle behavior and external environment information detected by an external environment information detection unit 22 and acquired by an external environment information acquisition unit 1, a drivable area of ​​the vehicle 200 is grasped. Furthermore, based on a driver state detected by a driver state detection unit 23 and acquired by a driver state acquisition unit 3, a target behavior such as a target route 40 along which the vehicle 200 should travel by driving assistance and a target speed is calculated.

[0044] The handover time driving range setting unit 5 sets a handover time driving range 51, which is the range in which the vehicle 200 may travel before the driving operations are handed over to the driver 300, based on the handover time calculated by the handover time calculation unit 4, the vehicle behavior of the vehicle 200 obtained from the vehicle behavior output unit 27, and the target behavior of the vehicle 200 obtained from the target behavior calculation unit 8. When the target speed up to a predetermined time and the target route 40 are obtained as the target behavior of the vehicle 200, the reaching distance based on the target speed at the handover time is calculated. Then, the handover time traveling area 51 is set on the assumption that the vehicle 200 travels up to the calculated reaching distance. The handover time traveling area 51 may be an area taking into account the width of the vehicle 200. Since the position where the vehicle 200 actually travels may fluctuate due to the influence of the vehicle 200's ability to follow the target route 40, variance, etc., if the ability to follow the target route, variance, etc. are known in advance, the handover time travel area 51 may be set wider taking into account such influence. When a plurality of target routes 40 are obtained, the handover time travel region 51 may be a plurality of regions, not just one.

[0045] The target speed, target position, and target route 40 of the vehicle 200 may be obtained, and the region calculated from the reach distance for each target route 40 at the handover time may be set as the handover time traveling region 51. If there is no target route 40, the handover time driving area 51 can be set based on the current vehicle behavior, driver state, and handover time. For example, the handover time can be added to the current speed of the vehicle 200, and a route that goes straight in the direction of travel can be estimated to set the handover time driving area 51.

[0046] The target control amount calculation unit 9 calculates instruction values ​​for operating the control actuators, etc., based on the target behavior obtained by the target behavior calculation unit 8 and the current vehicle behavior obtained from the vehicle behavior output unit 27. The instruction values ​​calculated by the target control amount calculation unit 9 are output from the processing unit 7, for example, to a vehicle control unit 26 that controls the drive, etc., of the vehicle 200.

[0047] When the target behavior is determined based on the result of the determination by the assistance state determination unit 6, the target control amount calculation unit 9 may perform this process. Although an example has been shown in which commands and the like are transmitted to the outside of the vehicle driving support device 100 via the processing unit 7, the commands and the like may be output directly from the target control amount calculation unit 9 to the vehicle control unit .

[0048] 8 is an example showing a target route 40 calculated by the target behavior calculation unit 8 and a handover time traveling area 51 set by the handover time traveling area setting unit 5 in a travelable area between boundaries 31, 32 such as lane lines. The target route 40 may be the traveling direction of the vehicle 200, or may be an area taking into consideration the vehicle width of the vehicle 200, etc.

[0049] In this way, by calculating the target route to be traveled and the target behavior including the target speed based on the driving area and driver state of the vehicle 200 grasped based on external information, as well as the vehicle behavior including the current speed and direction of travel of the vehicle 200, the handover time driving area 21 can be set based on the handover time and the target behavior.

[0050] The target route 40 may be set at the center of the lane markings obtained from external information, for example. If the center position of the lane can be obtained from map information, the target route 40 may be set at that position. These may be adjusted according to the behavior of the vehicle 200 and surrounding objects.

[0051] Furthermore, the target speed of the vehicle 200 may be set based on the speed set by the driver 300, the speed of the preceding vehicle 210, the speed limit, a speed required to pass through at a predetermined lateral acceleration according to the road shape, or the like.

[0052] In addition, the instruction value calculated by the target control amount calculation unit 9 may be calculated using PID (Proportional Integral Differential) control for reducing the difference between the current vehicle behavior of the vehicle 200 and the target behavior, model predictive control for estimating the future vehicle behavior of the vehicle 200, or the like.

[0053] The control actuator may be any actuator that operates an actuator installed in the vehicle 200 based on a command value calculated by the target control amount calculation unit 9 to run, change the direction, or change the speed of the vehicle 200. For example, an internal combustion engine, a hydraulic device, a motor, or the like may be used.

[0054] Embodiment 4 In the fourth embodiment, an example will be described in which an area where hands-off driving is not possible is set in the driveable area of ​​the vehicle 200 grasped based on external environment information. As in the first embodiment, the determination of whether to continue hands-off driving is made based on the hands-off driving possible area 21 and the handover time driving area 51. An area where hands-off driving is not possible may be set on or around the target route 40 calculated by the target behavior calculation unit 8 according to the third embodiment. Descriptions of the same parts will be omitted.

[0055] 9 is a schematic block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle driving assistance system according to a fourth embodiment. Vehicle driving assistance device 100 includes hands-off driving prohibited area setting unit 10 that sets hands-off driving prohibited area 101 where hands-off driving is not possible in a driving area of ​​vehicle 200 grasped based on external environment information acquired by external environment information acquisition unit 1. Hands-off driving permitted area setting unit 2 sets hands-off driving permitted area 21 based on hands-off driving prohibited area 101. Assistance status determination unit 6 determines whether to continue hands-off driving based on hands-off driving permitted area 21 and handover time driving area 51.

[0056] For example, if external information indicates that there is a fork in the road ahead of the vehicle 200, it is expected that the detection accuracy of the driving area in the fork direction will deteriorate, so the area from just before the start of the fork to after the fork is designated as a hands-off driving prohibited area 101. When a hands-off driving prohibited area 101 is set, it is possible to set the hands-off driving permitted area 21 narrower just before the hands-off driving prohibited area 101. Also, when there is a possibility that safety cannot be ensured ahead, such as due to the presence of a construction lane, the hands-off driving permitted area 21 may be set shorter depending on the distance to the relevant area.

[0057] 10, the hands-off driving permitted area 21 is set gradually narrower relative to the hands-off driving prohibited area 101 set in front of the vehicle 200. Also, in the example of FIG. 11, the hands-off driving permitted area 21 is set shorter relative to the hands-off driving prohibited area 101 set in front of the vehicle 200.

[0058] In this way, the vehicle is provided with a hands-off driving prohibited area setting unit 10 that sets a hands-off driving prohibited area 101 where hands-off driving is not possible in the driving area of ​​the vehicle 200 grasped based on external information, and the hands-off driving permitted area setting unit 2 sets the hands-off driving permitted area 21 based on the hands-off driving prohibited area 101, making it possible to transfer driving operations to the driver 300 with ease.

[0059] In addition, the vehicle may be provided with a hands-off driving prohibited area setting unit 10 that sets a hands-off driving prohibited area 101 where hands-off driving is not possible in the driving area of ​​the vehicle 200 grasped based on external information, and the assistance status determination unit 6 may determine whether or not to continue hands-off driving based on the hands-off driving permitted area 21, the handover time driving area 51, and the hands-off driving prohibited area 101. For example, if the area of ​​the handover time driving area 51 that extends beyond the hands-off driving possible area 21 is below a threshold value and the handover time driving area 51 does not include the hands-off driving impossible area 101, a decision is made to continue hands-off driving, and if the extending area exceeds the threshold value or at least a portion of the handover time driving area 51 is included in the hands-off driving impossible area 101, a decision is made to switch to hands-on driving.

[0060] In addition, the hands-off driving prohibited area 101 may be set based on the target route 40 and its surrounding conditions, or may be set based on a driving plan for the vehicle 200, such as merging, lane changing, etc.

[0061] Embodiment 5. In the fifth embodiment, an example will be described in which the driving possible area is grasped taking into consideration the detection accuracy of external information, and based on this, the hands-off driving possible area 21 is calculated. The determination of whether or not to continue hands-off driving based on the hands-off driving possible area 21 and the handover time driving area 51 is the same as in the first embodiment, and the description of the same parts will be omitted.

[0062] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the external environment information detected by the vehicle driving assistance device 100 according to the fifth embodiment, and is shown enlarged in the Y direction for the sake of explanation. For example, if the traveling direction of the vehicle 200 is X and the lateral direction is Y, taking into consideration the detection accuracy, the left boundary 31 and the right boundary 32 of the drivable area can be approximated by, for example, the following third-order polynomial (1) (y_base(x) shown in FIG. 12).

[0063]

number

[0064] Furthermore, taking into account the variability in the detection data of each detection device that constitutes the external environment information detection unit 22, the detection variability of the left boundary 31 and the right boundary 32 can be approximated, for example, by the following third-order polynomial (2) and third-order polynomial (3) (y_range1(x) and y_range2(x) shown in Figure 12), respectively.

[0065]

number

[0066]

number

[0067]

number

[0068] If it is known in advance that the variation is biased in the X direction, p~s may be different for y_range1 and y_range2. Also, if it is known that the magnitude of the variation changes depending on other information, p~s may be used as the variation variable.

[0069] FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the external environment information acquired by the vehicle driving assistance device 100, and is an explanatory diagram of the hands-off driving possible area 21 calculated using the above formulas (1) to (4). 13, the left boundary 31 and the right boundary 32 of the driving area are y_base(x), and the detection variability can be approximated by y_range1(x) and y_range2(x). The hands-off driving area 21, which is set taking into account the detection accuracy of the external world information, is the area sandwiched between the left boundary 231 and the right boundary 232. Therefore, the left and right width of the hands-off driving area 21 becomes narrower according to the detection variability of the external world information.

[0070] 13, when y_range1(x) and y_range2(x) expand in the traveling direction of the vehicle 200, the left-right width Wr of the hands-off driving area 21 narrows in the traveling direction of the vehicle 200. Narrowed widths Wn1 and Wn2 that narrow from the left and right boundaries 31 and 32 of the driving area toward the center of the road increase the farther forward the vehicle 200 is. However, y_range1(x) and y_range2(x) that can be calculated using equations (2) and (3) may be approximated by a straight line depending on the values ​​of p to s, and the narrowed widths Wn1 and Wn2 may be smaller on the traveling direction side of the vehicle 200.

[0071] On the other hand, the external information detection unit 22 acquires information from a number of devices with different measurement principles, such as cameras and radars, and these devices complement each other, so different types of measurement variations are also included. In other words, the detected hands-off driving possible area (herein referred to as the detection area) includes variations due to the detection devices.

[0072] Therefore, when an index or the like representing the magnitude of detection variation is obtained from each detection device, it may be used. For example, when the position and area of ​​the vehicle 200 is detected from a locator using the GNSS positioning state or the like, the amount of variation, quality level, etc. output from the locator may be used. When an index (actual amount of variation, quality level, etc.) corresponding to the detection variation of each detection area is output from a camera monitoring the surroundings, the index may be used. Furthermore, when adjusting the size of X_min and X_max, which are the ranges in the X direction of the detection area described above, an index indicating detection variability obtained from the detection device may be used.

[0073] When multiple detection regions are obtained, the difference between the multiple detection regions may be set as the detection variance. For example, in formulas (2) and (3), the difference in the X direction between the two regions when the vehicle 200 is at the position (X=0) may be set as the variance variable s in the fourth term for each of the two regions.

[0074] For example, when using a front camera and a locator as detection devices, each term in formula (2) and formula (3) can be set according to the degree of influence. For example, it is possible to use the variance variable of the locator for the first and second terms, and the variance variable of the front camera for the third and fourth terms.

[0075] When y_cam(x) and y_range_cam(x) relating to the front camera and y_loc(x) and y_range_loc(x) relating to the locator are respectively expressed by the following equations (5) to (8):

[0076]

number

[0077]

number

[0078]

number

[0079]

number

[0080] y_fusion(x) and y_range_fusion(x), which indicate the detection area detected by the front camera and the locator, can be expressed by the following equations (9) and (10).

[0081]

number

[0082]

number

[0083] In this way, y_range1(x) and y_range2(x) can be calculated by equations (5) to (10) taking into account the detection variation due to the detection device, and therefore can handle various situations. The narrow widths Wn1 and Wn2 narrowed from the left and right boundaries 31 and 32 of the drivable area toward the center of the road may increase as they move away from the front of the vehicle 200, and may become smaller on the side in the traveling direction of the vehicle 200. Here, an example has been shown in which each detection area is calculated using a third-order polynomial, but the calculation is not limited to third-order polynomials and may be performed using other equations. The detection area may be set by other methods, such as expressing the area as a point cloud.

[0084] FIG. 14 shows an example in which the variation widths Ws1 and Ws2 of the left and right boundaries 31 and 32 of the driving area are calculated based on external information, and are subtracted to narrow the left and right width Wr of the hands-off driving area 21. Here, the left and right boundaries 31 and 32 are y_base, and have the variation widths Ws1 and Ws2, respectively, so that the left and right width Wr of the hands-off driving area 21 sandwiched between the left and right boundaries 231 and 232 is narrower than when the detection variation is not taken into account. As described above, the approximate straight line or approximate curve can have various shapes, but is shown as a straight line for ease of explanation. In this example, the handover time driving area 51 is within the hands-off driving area 21 in front of the vehicle 200, but protrudes from the left boundary 231 of the hands-off driving area 21 in the lateral direction. Therefore, the assistance state determination unit 6 determines that it is necessary to immediately switch to hands-on driving, and determines to cancel hands-off driving and switch to hands-on driving.

[0085] In the example shown in Figure 14, the judgment to continue hands-off driving is stricter than that in the example shown in Figure 3(a) in which the left and right boundaries 231, 232 of the hands-off driving area 21 are aligned with the left and right boundaries 31, 32 of the driving area, respectively. Therefore, even in cases where the detection accuracy is poor, it is possible to prevent the driver 300 from being unable to grip the steering wheel in time, causing the vehicle 200 to deviate from the area in which it should be driving.

[0086] Even if the detection accuracy is good, the possibility that the handover time driving area 51 will go outside the hands-off driving area 21 can be determined more accurately, and it can respond to cases where the vehicle 200 is moving fast or has a yaw angle in the direction of moving outside the detection area, etc.

[0087] Fig. 15 is an explanatory diagram showing the variation in the detection area when multiple detection devices are used as the external environment information detection unit 22. Three detection areas are shown, with the left boundary of each detection area being 311-313 and the right boundary being 321-323, and Fig. 15(a) shows a case where the deviation between the three detection areas is small, and Fig. 15(b) shows a case where the deviation between two of the three detection areas is small. The smaller the deviation between the detection areas, the more opportunities there are for hands-off driving.

[0088] Furthermore, as shown in Fig. 15(b), when the difference between two of the three detection areas is small, the hands-off driving possible area 21 may be set by taking into consideration the detection variation between the three detection areas as shown in Fig. 16, or the hands-off driving possible area 21 may be set by selecting two detection areas with a high degree of agreement as shown in Fig. 17. The more the difference between the detection areas is taken into consideration, the safer the hands-off driving can be controlled, and selecting an area with a high degree of likely agreement can increase the opportunities for hands-off driving. Here, an example of three detection areas has been described, but it goes without saying that the difference between multiple detection areas may also be taken into consideration.

[0089] Also, for simplicity, an example is shown here in which the first and second terms of the formula for the detection area y_base(x) above are 0, but the variation may be found depending on which of the features of the first to fourth terms has a high degree of agreement.

[0090] In other words, the hands-off driving area setting unit 2 sets the hands-off driving area 21 based on a plurality of pieces of external world information acquired from a plurality of detection devices in the external world information detection unit 22, taking into consideration the degree of variation of each piece of calculated external world information, thereby making it possible to set the hands-off driving area 21 more accurately and prevent erroneous switching of driving states. Furthermore, by selecting areas with a high degree of coincidence in detection variability, it is possible to increase the opportunities for hands-off driving.

[0091] Also, by acquiring information on the preceding vehicle 210 as the external environment information, the variation in the detection area can be reduced. FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the variation in the detection area when information on the preceding vehicle 210 is used as the external environment information. FIG. 18(a) shows a case where the preceding vehicle 210 does not exist in the traveling direction of the vehicle 200, and FIG. 18(b) shows a case where the preceding vehicle 210 exists in the traveling direction of the vehicle 200. For example, when the boundaries 31 and 32 of the traveling area of ​​the vehicle 200 are close to the trajectory 211 of the preceding vehicle 210, the detection variation can be assumed to be small, so that the detection variation can be obtained according to the trajectory 211 of the preceding vehicle 210, and the hands-off travelable area 21 can be widened. FIG. 18(b) shows an example in which the variation widths Ws1 and Ws2 of the left and right boundaries of the travelable area are obtained along the trajectory 211 of the preceding vehicle 210, and these are subtracted to narrow the left and right width Wr of the hands-off travelable area 21. 18(a) is not used, the hands-off driving possible area 21 can be expanded. In other words, when the vehicle 200 drives following the preceding vehicle 210, the detection accuracy can be improved by using the information of the preceding vehicle 210 as the external environment information. This makes it possible to set the hands-off driving possible area 21 more accurately, and increases the opportunities for hands-off driving.

[0092] When the path 211 traveled by the preceding vehicle 210 is used as the external environment information, the position information of the preceding vehicle 210 can be detected, for example, from a forward camera, a radar, a LiDAR, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, a roadside unit, etc. The path 211 of the preceding vehicle 210 may be similarly approximated by a third-order polynomial to obtain the positional relationship between the vehicle 200 and the path 211 of the preceding vehicle 210. In this way, the hands-off driving possible area 21 can be set more accurately, and the opportunities for hands-off driving can be increased.

[0093] Summary of the various aspects of the present application Various aspects of the present application are summarized below as appendices. (Appendix 1) A vehicle driving assistance device capable of switching between hands-off driving, in which the driver is not required to operate the vehicle and does not need to hold the steering wheel, and hands-on driving, in which the driver is required to operate the vehicle and need to hold the steering wheel, An external environment information acquisition unit that acquires external environment information of the vehicle and grasps a drivable area of ​​the vehicle based on the external environment information; A hands-off driving possible area setting unit that sets a hands-off driving possible area in which the vehicle can be driven by the hands-off driving based on the external environment information; A driver state acquisition unit that acquires a driver state; A handover time calculation unit that calculates a handover time until a driver who has been transferred the driving operation authority from the hands-off driving to the hands-on driving can start the driving operation based on the driver state; A handover time running area setting unit that sets a handover time running area in which running can be performed within the handover time; an assistance state determination unit that determines whether to continue the hands-off driving based on the hands-off driving possible area and the handover time driving area; A vehicle driving assistance device comprising:

[0094] (Appendix 2) The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the assistance state determination unit continues the hands-off driving when an area where the handover time driving area extends beyond the hands-off driving area is equal to or smaller than a threshold, and determines to switch to the hands-on driving when the area where the handover time driving area extends beyond the hands-off driving area exceeds the threshold.

[0095] (Appendix 3) a target behavior calculation unit that calculates a target behavior including a target route and a target speed to be traveled based on the vehicle's travelable area and the driver's state grasped based on the external environment information, and a vehicle behavior including a current speed and a traveling direction of the vehicle; The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the handover time traveling range setting unit sets the handover time traveling range based on the handover time and the target behavior.

[0096] (Appendix 4) 4. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the hands-off driving area setting unit sets the hands-off driving area in consideration of detection accuracy of the external environment information.

[0097] (Appendix 5) The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 4, wherein a left-right width of the hands-off driving area set based on the external environment information is narrowed in accordance with a detection variance of the external environment information.

[0098] (Appendix 6) The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 4 or 5, wherein the left and right widths of the hands-off driving area are determined by increasing a narrowing width that is narrowed from each of the left and right boundaries of the driving area toward the center of the road based on the detection accuracy as the width increases toward the front of the vehicle.

[0099] (Appendix 7) The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 5, further comprising: determining the detection variability of the left and right boundaries of the driving area based on the external environment information; and reducing the detection variability to narrow the left and right width of the hands-off driving area.

[0100] (Appendix 8) the external environment information acquisition unit acquires a plurality of pieces of external environment information detected by a plurality of detection devices; The hands-off driving area setting unit calculates a degree of variation of each piece of external environment information, and sets the hands-off driving area based on a plurality of pieces of external environment information, taking into account the degree of variation.

[0101] (Appendix 9) 9. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the external environment information is information about a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle.

[0102] (Appendix 10) A hands-off driving prohibited area setting unit that sets a hands-off driving prohibited area in which the hands-off driving is not possible in a driving area of ​​the vehicle grasped based on the external environment information, 10. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the hands-off driving possible area setting unit sets the hands-off driving possible area based on the hands-off driving impossible area.

[0103] (Appendix 11) A hands-off driving prohibited area setting unit that sets a hands-off driving prohibited area in which the hands-off driving is not possible in a driving area of ​​the vehicle grasped based on the external environment information, The assistance state determination unit is A vehicle driving assistance device as described in any one of appendix 1 to 9, which continues the hands-off driving if the area of ​​the handover time driving area that extends beyond the hands-off driving possible area is equal to or less than a threshold and the handover time driving area does not include the hands-off driving impossible area, and determines to switch to the hands-on driving if the area that extends beyond the threshold or at least a portion of the handover time driving area is included in the hands-off driving impossible area.

[0104] (Appendix 12) The driver state acquisition unit acquires, as the driver state, at least one of a driver's line of sight, a driver's posture, a driver's alertness, a driver's driving characteristics, an age, a driver's physical build, and a driver's health condition, 12. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the handover time driving area calculation unit calculates the handover time based on the driver state.

[0105] (Appendix 13) 13. The vehicle driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 12, wherein the handover time driving area calculation unit increases the handover time when the duration of the hands-off driving is longer than a preset duration value.

[0106] (Appendix 14) The vehicle driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 13, wherein the handover time driving area calculation unit records, for each driver, an accumulated number of times the driving operation authority is transferred when switching from the hands-off driving to the hands-on driving, and increases the handover time if the accumulated number is smaller than a default accumulated number value.

[0107] (Appendix 15) The vehicle driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 14, wherein the handover time driving area calculation unit decreases the handover time when the drivable area is at least one of a road dedicated to driving assistance vehicles and a driving monitored road having a monitoring device that monitors the driving state of the vehicle.

[0108] (Appendix 16) 16. The vehicle driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 15, further comprising a notification unit that notifies at least one of a display image showing a driving state including the hands-off driving area and the handover time driving area, and a voice notifying the cancellation of the hands-off driving.

[0109] (Appendix 17) A vehicle driving assistance system capable of switching between hands-off driving, in which the driver is not required to hold the steering wheel and the driving operation is not entrusted to the driver by automatic driving operation, and hands-on driving, in which the driver is required to hold the steering wheel and the driving operation is entrusted to the driver, An external environment information detection unit that detects external environment information of the vehicle; A driver condition detection unit that detects a driver condition; A vehicle driving assistance device according to any one of Supplementary Note 1 to Supplementary Note 16; a vehicle control unit that controls a vehicle based on data output from the vehicle driving support device; A vehicle driving assistance system comprising:

[0110] (Appendix 18) acquiring external environment information for the vehicle and grasping a drivable area for the vehicle based on the external environment information; setting a hands-off driving possible area in which the vehicle can be driven in the hands-off driving mode based on the external environment information; Obtaining a driver status; Calculating a transfer time until the driver who has been transferred the driving operation authority from the hands-off driving to the hands-on driving can start the driving operation based on the driver state; Setting a handover time travel area in which travel can be performed within the handover time; determining whether to continue the hands-off driving based on the hands-off driving possible area and the handover time driving area; A vehicle driving assistance method comprising:

[0111] In the present disclosure, various exemplary embodiments and examples are described, but various features, aspects, and functions described in one or more embodiments are not limited to the application of a specific embodiment, and can be applied to the embodiments alone or in various combinations. Therefore, countless modifications not illustrated are expected within the scope of the technology disclosed in the present specification. For example, the modification, addition, or omission of at least one component, and the extraction and combination of at least one component with components of other embodiments are included. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 1 External information acquisition unit, 2 Hands-off driving possible area setting unit, 3 Driver state acquisition unit, 4 Handover time calculation unit, 5 Handover time driving area setting unit, 6 Assistance state determination unit, 7 Processing unit, 8 Target behavior calculation unit, 9 Target control amount calculation unit, 21 Hands-off driving possible area, 22 External information detection unit, 23 Driver state detection unit, 24 Speed ​​sensor, 25 Notification unit, 26 Vehicle control unit, 27 Vehicle behavior output unit, 31, 32, 311 to 313, 321 to 323 Boundary, 40 Target route, 51 Handover time driving area, 80 Processor, 81 Storage device, 82 Communication I / F, 83 CANI / F, 84 Program, 85 Medium, 100 Vehicle driving assistance device, 200 Vehicle, 210 Leading vehicle, 300 Driver, 1000 Vehicle driving assistance system

Claims

1. A vehicle driving assistance device capable of switching between hands-off driving, in which the driver is not required to operate the vehicle and does not need to hold the steering wheel, and hands-on driving, in which the driver is required to operate the vehicle and need to hold the steering wheel, An external environment information acquisition unit that acquires external environment information of the vehicle and grasps a drivable area of ​​the vehicle based on the external environment information; A hands-off driving possible area setting unit that sets a hands-off driving possible area in which the vehicle can be driven by the hands-off driving based on the external environment information; A driver state acquisition unit that acquires a driver state; A handover time calculation unit that calculates a handover time until a driver who has been transferred the driving operation authority from the hands-off driving to the hands-on driving can start the driving operation based on the driver state; A handover time running area setting unit that sets a handover time running area in which running can be performed within the handover time; an assistance state determination unit that determines whether to continue the hands-off driving based on the hands-off driving possible area and the handover time driving area; A vehicle driving assistance device comprising:

2. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the assistance state determination unit determines to continue the hands-off driving when an area where the handover time driving area extends beyond the hands-off driving area is equal to or smaller than a threshold, and determines to switch to the hands-on driving when the area where the handover time driving area extends beyond the hands-off driving area exceeds the threshold.

3. a target behavior calculation unit that calculates a target behavior including a target route and a target speed to be traveled based on the vehicle's travelable area and the driver's state grasped based on the external environment information, and a vehicle behavior including a current speed and a traveling direction of the vehicle; The vehicle driving support device according to claim 1 , wherein the handover time traveling range setting unit sets the handover time traveling range based on the handover time and the target behavior.

4. The vehicle driving support device according to claim 1 , wherein the hands-off driving area setting unit sets the hands-off driving area taking into consideration a detection accuracy of the external environment information.

5. The vehicle driving support device according to claim 4 , wherein a lateral width of the hands-off driving area set based on the external environment information is narrowed in accordance with a detection variance of the external environment information.

6. 5. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 4, wherein the left and right widths of the hands-off driving area are determined by increasing a narrowing width that is narrowed from each of the left and right boundaries of the driving area toward the center of the road based on the detection accuracy as the width increases toward the front of the vehicle.

7. The vehicle driving support device according to claim 5 , further comprising: determining the detection variability of the left and right boundaries of the drivable area based on the external environment information; and reducing the detection variability to narrow the left and right width of the hands-off drivable area.

8. the external environment information acquisition unit acquires a plurality of pieces of external environment information detected by a plurality of detection devices; The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 4 , wherein the hands-off driving area setting unit calculates a degree of variation of each piece of the external environment information, and sets the hands-off driving area based on a plurality of pieces of the external environment information, taking into account the degree of variation.

9. The vehicle driving support device according to claim 4 , wherein the external environment information is information about a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle.

10. A hands-off driving prohibited area setting unit that sets a hands-off driving prohibited area in which the hands-off driving is not possible in a driving area of ​​the vehicle grasped based on the external environment information, The vehicle driving support device according to claim 1 , wherein the hands-off driving permitted area setting unit sets the hands-off driving permitted area based on the hands-off driving prohibited area.

11. A hands-off driving prohibited area setting unit that sets a hands-off driving prohibited area in which the hands-off driving is not possible in a driving area of ​​the vehicle grasped based on the external environment information, The assistance state determination unit is The vehicle driving assistance device of claim 1, further comprising: a vehicle driving assistance device that determines whether to switch to hands-on driving when the area of ​​the handover time driving area that extends beyond the hands-off driving possible area is equal to or less than a threshold value and the handover time driving area does not include the hands-off driving impossible area; and a vehicle driving assistance device that determines whether to switch to hands-on driving when the area that extends beyond the threshold value or at least a portion of the handover time driving area is included in the hands-off driving impossible area.

12. The driver state acquisition unit acquires, as the driver state, at least one of a driver's line of sight, a driver's posture, a driver's alertness, a driver's driving characteristics, an age, a driver's physical build, and a driver's health condition, The vehicle driving support device according to claim 1 , wherein the handover time calculation unit calculates the handover time based on the driver's state.

13. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 1 , wherein the handover time calculation unit increases the handover time when the duration of the hands-off driving is longer than a preset duration value.

14. 2. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the handover time calculation unit records, for each driver, an accumulated number of times that the driving operation authority has been transferred when switching from the hands-off driving to the hands-on driving, and increases the handover time if the accumulated number is smaller than a preset accumulated number value.

15. 2. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the handover time calculation unit reduces the handover time when the drivable area is at least one of a road dedicated to driving assistance vehicles and a driving monitored road having a monitoring device that monitors the driving state of the vehicle.

16. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 1, further comprising a notification unit that notifies at least one of a display image that displays a driving state including the hands-off driving area and the handover time driving area, and a voice that notifies the cancellation of the hands-off driving.

17. A vehicle driving assistance system capable of switching between hands-off driving, in which the driver is not required to hold the steering wheel and the driving operation is not entrusted to the driver by automatic driving operation, and hands-on driving, in which the driver is required to hold the steering wheel and the driving operation is entrusted to the driver, An external environment information detection unit that detects external environment information of the vehicle; A driver condition detection unit that detects a driver condition; A vehicle driving support device according to any one of claims 1 to 16, a vehicle control unit that controls a vehicle based on data output from the vehicle driving support device; A vehicle driving assistance system comprising:

18. acquiring external environment information for the vehicle and grasping a drivable area for the vehicle based on the external environment information; A step of setting a hands-off driving possible area in which the vehicle can be driven in a hands-off driving mode based on the external environment information; Obtaining a driver status; Calculating a transfer time until a driver who has been transferred the driving operation authority from the hands-off driving to the hands-on driving can start the driving operation based on the driver state; Setting a handover time travel area in which travel can be performed within the handover time; determining whether to continue the hands-off driving based on the hands-off driving possible area and the handover time driving area; A vehicle driving assistance method comprising:

Images