Driving assistance method and driving assistance device

Abstract

To eliminate a driver's anxiety that persists after the execution of vehicle control in driving assistance.SOLUTION: A processor (10) executes one or more vehicle controls for driving assistance of the own vehicle on the basis of driving information of the own vehicle and / or detection information of the surroundings of the own vehicle. When the vehicle control is executed, the processor outputs a simplified reason for the execution of the vehicle control during driving of the own vehicle as first information by using an output device (20). After the first information is output and the own vehicle has stopped, the processor outputs a detailed reason for the execution of the vehicle control as second information by using the output device (20).SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving support method and a driving support device.

Background Art

[0002] There is known a device that prohibits notification to a driver when an evaluation value of the driver's confidence in a driving operation is equal to or higher than a threshold value, and permits notification to the driver when the evaluation value is less than the threshold value (Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] However, the above technique has a problem that it cannot eliminate the driver's anxiety that continues after the execution of vehicle control for driving support.

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to eliminate the driver's anxiety that continues after the execution of vehicle control for driving support.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0006] When vehicle control for driving support of the host vehicle is executed based on the driving information and / or detection information of the host vehicle, the present invention outputs first information including a simple reason for which the vehicle control was executed during the driving of the host vehicle, and outputs second information including a detailed reason for which the vehicle control was executed after the output of the first information and after the host vehicle has stopped, thereby solving the above problem.

Effects of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to eliminate the driver's anxiety that continues after the execution of vehicle control for driving support.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0008]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0009] FIG. 1 shows the hardware configuration of a driving support system 100 including a driving support device 1. The driving support system 100 includes a driving support device 1, a plurality of sensors 2 (sensor group) that cooperate with the driving support device 1, an occupant monitoring device 3, a driving information acquisition device 4, a navigation device 5, and a vehicle controller 200. The driving support device 1 of the present embodiment includes a processor 10 that executes control processing for vehicle control for the purpose of driving support, an output device 20, an input device 30, and a communication device 40. The processor 10 of the driving support device 1 and these devices are connected via a communication device 40 such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) or other in-vehicle LAN, and exchange information with each other. The driving support device 1 cooperates with any one or more of a plurality of sensors (group) 2, an occupant monitoring device 3, a driving information acquisition device 4, and a navigation device 5. These devices may be mounted on the vehicle, or may be brought into the vehicle and connected to each other.

[0010] The sensor 2 acquires information from in-vehicle devices and external devices according to their respective functions, and transmits the acquired detection information to the processor 10. The sensor 2 includes a camera 21 or a radar device 22. One or more cameras 21 image the entire perimeter of the vehicle. The cameras 21 include image sensors equipped with imaging elements such as CCDs, ultrasonic cameras, and infrared cameras. The cameras 21 include at least a front camera that images at least the front of the vehicle, a rear camera that images the rear and rear sides of the vehicle, a right-side camera that images the right side, the front right side, and the rear right side of the vehicle, and a left-side camera that images the left side, the front left side, and the rear left side of the vehicle. The front camera may employ a multi-sensing front camera at the upper part of the windshield. As long as the entire perimeter of the vehicle can be imaged, the form of the cameras 21 is not limited. A single camera 21 provided on a pedestal having a rotation mechanism may also be used. The cameras 21 image objects in all directions (front, rear, left and right sides) of the vehicle. The objects include other vehicles, motorcycles, pedestrians, animals, objects such as signs and billboards around the host vehicle, lane marks of the lane on which the host vehicle is traveling and one or more lanes parallel thereto, and signs shown on the road surface. The captured images captured by the cameras 21 are provided to the processor 10. The radar device 22 detects the presence of objects around the host vehicle, the positions and position changes of the objects, the sizes (width and height) of the objects, and the occupied areas of the objects. The sensor 2 includes, as the radar device 22, a laser radar, a millimeter-wave radar, a LiDAR (light detection and ranging) unit, and an ultrasonic radar. The driving support device 1 can also cooperate with external devices such as servers outside the vehicle and roadside devices via a communication device 40 such as a wireless communication device, and acquire captured images captured by the cameras of the roadside devices that function as sensors 2, and the positions and distances of objects measured by the distance measuring devices of the roadside devices.

[0011] The occupant monitoring device 3 includes an in-vehicle camera 31 that images the occupants in the vehicle interior, a biological sensor 32, and a microphone 33, and determines the psychological state of the occupants from the biological information of the occupants including the driver of the host vehicle. The biological information of the occupants includes any one or more of the behaviors of the subject's body (head, hands, shoulders), eye movements, heart rate, blood pressure, pulse rate, respiratory rate, body temperature, loudness of voice, pitch of voice, and intonation of voice. The "occupants" in this specification include the driver. The occupant whose biological information is measured may be the driver. The occupant monitoring device 3 analyzes the characteristics of the behavior of the occupant's body (head, hands, shoulders), the speed of the behavior, or the frequency of the behavior using the captured image of the occupant captured by the in-vehicle camera 31, and compares it with the analysis result of the characteristics of the behavior at the time of safety stored in advance, and calculates the degree of anxiety of the occupant based on the characteristics of the behavior at the time of detection. The occupant monitoring device 3 measures the movement of the eyes and eyeballs of the occupant using the in-vehicle camera 31, and observes (monitors) the line-of-sight direction of the occupant over time. It is known that when a person strongly feels anxiety or agitation, their line of sight moves relatively faster from side to side compared to normal times. On the other hand, it is known that when a person strongly feels anxiety or agitation, their line of sight stays on the display information for a long time. The occupant monitoring device 3 analyzes the distribution of the fixation points towards which the occupant's line of sight is directed using the captured image of the occupant's eyeballs captured by the in-vehicle camera 31, and compares it with the distribution result of those fixation points during driving without feeling anxiety stored in advance, and calculates the degree of anxiety of the occupant based on the distribution of the fixation points at the time of detection. By comparing this with the acquired biometric information based on the movement of the driver's line of sight when driving calmly without feeling anxiety, the current degree of anxiety of the driver can be calculated. As the occupant monitoring device 3, an eye camera having a function of projecting light onto the cornea and detecting the orientation of the left and right eyeballs of the occupant and the degree of opening of the pupils by the reflected light and measuring the movement of the eyeballs may be adopted. The occupant monitoring device 3 measures biometric signals including the occupant's heart rate, blood pressure, pulse rate, respiratory rate, and body temperature using the biometric sensor 32, and observes (monitors) the occupant's biometric state over time. The biometric sensor 32 may include any one or more of a heart rate monitor, a blood pressure monitor, a pulse rate monitor, a respiratory rate monitor, and a thermometer known at the time of filing. The occupant monitoring device 3 analyzes the distribution of the occupant's biometric signals using the biometric information measured by the biometric sensor 32, compares it with the distribution results of those biometric signals at the time of being at ease stored in advance, and calculates the degree of uneasiness of the occupant at the time of detection. The biometric sensor 32 may be a sensor for biometric signals provided on the steering wheel grasped by the driver, may be a sensor for biometric signals provided on the seat (including the driver's seat) on which the occupant sits, or may be a body-mounted sensor capable of sending the measured values to the processor 10 via the communication device 40. The occupant monitoring device 3 measures any one or more of the voice characteristics of the occupant, such as the loudness, pitch, and intonation of the voice, using the microphone 33, and observes (monitors) the voice state of the occupant over time. The occupant monitoring device 3 analyzes the distribution of the occupant's voice characteristics using the voice characteristics of the occupant picked up by the microphone 33, compares it with the distribution results of those voice characteristics at the time of being at ease stored in advance, and calculates the degree of uneasiness of the occupant at the time of detection. The occupant monitoring device 3 calculates the degree of uneasiness of the occupant as a numerical value that can be quantitatively evaluated. The occupant monitoring device 3 sends the calculated degree of uneasiness to the processor 10. The occupant monitoring device 3 acquires the operation information of the driver's brake and accelerator pedals or the operation information of the steering via the driving information acquisition device 4, and calculates the driver's uneasiness level based on this operation information. When strongly feeling uneasiness or agitation, the amount of depression of the driver's brake or accelerator pedals is unstable and the depression speed of the brake pedal or accelerator pedal tends to increase (sudden braking / sudden acceleration is input). When strongly feeling uneasiness or agitation, the steering amount of the driver's steering is unstable and the steering speed and steering acceleration tend to increase (sudden steering operation is input). The occupant monitoring device 3 analyzes the characteristics of the operation information of the host vehicle using the driving information acquired by the driving information acquisition device 4, compares it with the characteristics of the operation information during driving without uneasiness memorized in advance, and calculates the uneasiness level of the occupant based on the characteristics of the operation information at the time of detection. By comparing with the driver's operation information when driving with a calm mood without feeling uneasiness, the uneasiness level of the current driver can be calculated on the premise of each driver's habit.

[0012] The driving information acquisition device 4 acquires driving information related to the driving of the host vehicle. The driving information includes steering information (including steering amount, steering speed, steering acceleration), driving information (including braking amount, accelerator amount), speed information (including acceleration, jerk), traveling direction information, attitude information, and behavior information. The driving information acquisition device 4 can exchange information with any one or more of the steering sensor, vehicle speed sensor, acceleration sensor, braking sensor, traveling direction sensor, attitude sensor, and behavior sensor of the host vehicle and acquire the necessary information over time. The driving information acquisition device 4 may acquire the current position from the position detection device 51 of the navigation device 5 described later as driving information. The driving information acquisition device 4 can also acquire the above-mentioned respective information from the vehicle controller 200. The driving information acquisition device 4 provides the acquired driving information to the processor 10. The driving information acquisition device 4 can provide the acquired driving information to the occupant monitoring device 3.

[0013] The navigation device 5 includes a position detection device 51 and map information 52. The navigation device 5 refers to the map information 52 and calculates a route to a set destination. This route includes a target trajectory in which the lane to be traveled is identified. The route and the target trajectory calculated by the navigation device 5 are provided to the vehicle controller 200 and used for autonomous driving control. Note that the driving support in this embodiment includes autonomous driving control. The position detection device 51 includes a GPS (Global Positioning System) unit and a gyro sensor, and detects the position of the host vehicle. The map information 52 stores identification information for each lane and the position of the lane boundary (the position of lane marks, guardrails, boundary structures).

[0014] The driving support system 100 has a vehicle controller 200. The vehicle controller 200 executes vehicle control. In addition, the vehicle controller 200 executes autonomous driving control of the host vehicle. The vehicle controller 200 executes vehicle control in any case, whether during the execution of autonomous driving control or during the execution of manual driving. The vehicle controller 200 includes a steering control device 210 and a drive control device 220. The vehicle controller 200 acquires command values for autonomous driving control according to a driving plan formulated by the processor 10 of the driving assistance device 1, and causes the host vehicle to travel along a path to a destination. The path is composed of a plurality of consecutive target trajectories to which the command values are associated. The command values for autonomous driving control are generated by the vehicle controller 200 or the processor 10. The command values are control command values for the vehicle for the host vehicle to travel along the target trajectory. The command values include a set speed when driving the vehicle, and the vehicle controller 200 drives the host vehicle according to the set speed. The set speed may be automatically set according to a predetermined standard based on the detection information by the sensor 2 such as the distance from the preceding vehicle, the relative speed and relative acceleration with the preceding vehicle, on the premise of legal regulations, or may be set by the driver via the input device 30. Based on the command values, the vehicle controller 200 inputs a longitudinal force and a lateral force for controlling the traveling position of the host vehicle to the steering control device 210 and / or the drive control device 220. In accordance with these inputs, the behavior of the vehicle body and the behavior of the wheels are controlled so that the host vehicle autonomously travels along the path to the destination. Based on these controls, at least one of the drive actuator and the brake actuator of the drive mechanism of the vehicle body controlled by the drive control device 220 and the steering actuator of the steering control device 210 activated as necessary operate autonomously, and autonomous driving control for causing the vehicle to autonomously travel along the target trajectory is executed. The vehicle controller 200 can execute driving according to command values based on the manual operation of the driver input via the input device 30. Also, the vehicle controller 200 executes vehicle control according to the commands of the driving assistance device 1. The vehicle controller 200 inputs the steering amount, the driving amount, and the braking amount necessary for executing the vehicle control to the steering control device 210 and / or the drive control device 220. The autonomous driving and / or manual driving of the host vehicle is supported, and contact with an obstacle, lane departure, or approach to a vehicle behind can be avoided.

[0015] The processor 10 of the driving support device 1 executes a driving support method for supporting the driving of the host vehicle. The processor 10 stores a program for realizing a function of executing vehicle control for supporting the driving of the host vehicle and a function of outputting first information and second information related to the vehicle control using the output device 20 in a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11 that executes the program stored in this ROM 12 and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13 that functions as an accessible storage device. The processor 10 executes the above functions through cooperation at least with vehicle control, software that commands the execution of information output control, and each hardware shown in FIG. 1.

[0016] The output device 20 outputs voice information or display information generated by the processor 10 under the control of the processor 10. The output device 20 includes a speaker 201 and a display 202. The speaker 201 outputs a warning sound such as a siren or a beep sound, or a text reading voice. The display 202 presents text or image information. The output device 20 may include a lamp that lights up to notify information. The input device 30 receives input information from the occupant and sends it to the processor 10. The input device 30 may be configured as a switch, a button, or the like. The input device 30 may be configured as a touch panel type display 202. The communication device 40 has a wireless communication function including short-range communication and is connected to the vehicle's CAN or other in-vehicle LAN and a communication network outside the host vehicle.

[0017] Each function will be described according to the flowchart of FIG. 2. In FIG. 2, the flow of the main routine is shown by a solid line, and the flow of the subroutine is shown by a broken line. Also, the flow for which a plurality of processes are possible is shown by a broken line. The processor 10 of the driving support device 1 executes vehicle control for supporting the driving of the host vehicle. The processor 10 acquires driving information and / or detection information, determines whether a predetermined condition defined in advance is satisfied based on the acquired driving information and / or detection information, and executes vehicle control when it is determined that the predetermined condition is satisfied. The scene where the predetermined condition is satisfied is a situation where it is predicted that a situation to be avoided by the host vehicle will occur. The predetermined condition corresponds to the reason for executing vehicle control. When vehicle control is executed, the predetermined condition becomes not satisfied, and the occurrence of a situation to be avoided by the host vehicle is suppressed. The processor 10 executes a driving operation (including deceleration and acceleration) and / or a steering operation of the host vehicle in order to avoid a situation predicted based on the driving information and / or the detection information. Vehicle control can be executed in any case, whether during the execution of autonomous driving control or during the execution of manual driving by the driver. The processor 10 acquires the driving information of the host vehicle using the driving information acquisition device 4 (S1), and acquires the detection information around the host vehicle using the sensor 2 (S2). The processor 10 refers to a predetermined condition stored in the ROM 12 for determining whether vehicle control needs to be executed, and determines whether the condition for vehicle control is satisfied based on the driving information of the host vehicle and / or the detection information around the host vehicle (S3). The information to be acquired may be only the driving information (S1), only the surrounding detection information (S2), or both the driving information and the detection information. The processes of S1 - S3 are repeated at a predetermined cycle until the condition for vehicle control is satisfied (NO in S3). In the present embodiment, a method for assisting driving will be described by taking as an example the case where vehicle control is (1) a front emergency braking function (front emergency brake: hereinafter referred to as "FEB"), (2) a lane departure suppression function (lane departure prevention: hereinafter referred to as "LDP"), and (3) a rear - side collision prevention function (blind spot intervention: hereinafter referred to as "BSI"). In this embodiment, (1) FEB assists the driver's collision avoidance operation by means of warning and automatic braking when there is a risk of collision with a vehicle or pedestrian ahead. (2) LDP controls the vehicle behavior to maintain the driving lane by automatically intervening in the steering system, braking system, etc. when the host vehicle may deviate from or has deviated from the driving lane. (3) When BSI detects another vehicle traveling in the rear side of an adjacent lane that is likely to be a blind spot, it notifies the driver by display. Further, when a lane change is started, it generates a force to return the vehicle to the original lane together with a warning, and assists in avoiding contact with another vehicle in the adjacent lane. The conditions under which each function operates are defined for each vehicle control. As shown in FIG. 3, the condition for executing the vehicle control in (1) FEB is that "an object exists within a predetermined distance in front of the host vehicle". The condition for executing the vehicle control in (2) LDP is that "the host vehicle approaches the lane mark". The condition for executing the vehicle control in (3) BSI is that "another vehicle exists within a predetermined TTC (Time To Collision) range in the rear side". TTC is the remaining time until contact occurs when the host vehicle and the other vehicle maintain their current speeds. As the degree of approach between the host vehicle and the other vehicle, THW (Time-Headway) may be used instead of TTC. As the degree of approach between the host vehicle and the other vehicle, an index value using differential values, reciprocals, etc. of these may be applied and judged instead of TTC or THW. When the processor 10 determines that the driving information of the host vehicle and the detection information around the host vehicle satisfy the above conditions (YES in S3), and a command based on the determination is output to the vehicle controller 200, the vehicle control is executed (S4). (1) The content of the vehicle control in FEB is to execute braking control (brake control) to avoid contact with an obstacle ahead. (2) The content of the vehicle control in LDP is to execute the steering control of the host vehicle so that the host vehicle travels within the driving lane. (3) The content of the vehicle control in BSI is to notify the presence of the rear vehicle to avoid approach or contact and / or to perform steering control to suppress lane change.

[0018] When vehicle control is executed due to satisfaction of conditions (S4), the processor 10 outputs first information including a simple reason for which the vehicle control was executed during the driving of the host vehicle (S5). The first information is output within a predetermined time immediately after the timing at which the vehicle control was executed. The driving of the host vehicle means a state in which driving is continued without the vehicle stopping after the conditions for vehicle control are satisfied. As shown in FIG. 3, when (1) FEB is executed, the processor 10 outputs, as the first information, a simple reason for which the vehicle control was executed, such as "There was an obstacle ahead." When (2) LDP is executed, the processor 10 outputs, as the first information, a simple reason for which the vehicle control was executed, such as "Deviated from the lane." When (3) BSI is executed, the processor 10 outputs, as the first information, a simple reason for which the vehicle control was executed, such as "Detected a vehicle behind." Further, when (1) FEB is executed, the processor 10 outputs, as the first information, a simple reason for which the vehicle control was executed and the content of the executed vehicle control, such as "Detected an obstacle ahead, so decelerated rapidly." When (2) LDP is executed, the processor 10 outputs, as the first information, a simple reason for which the vehicle control was executed and the content of the executed vehicle control, such as "Detected lane departure, so turned the steering wheel back." When (3) BSI is executed, the processor 10 outputs, as the first information, a simple reason for which the vehicle control was executed and the content of the vehicle control, such as "Detected a vehicle on the left rear side, so sounded an alarm." The processor 10 outputs the first information by voice information or display information. The first information that is voice information is output as voice via the speaker 201. The first information that is display information is output as display via the display 202. The first information is displayed using a display 202 having a relatively small display area, such as a head-up display or a meter display.

[0019] Although not particularly limited, in the present embodiment, before outputting the first information, it is possible to additionally perform a process of checking the degree of anxiety of the occupant. The processor 10 uses the occupant monitoring device 3 to acquire the biometric information of the occupant (S6), and calculates the degree of anxiety of the occupant (S7). When the degree of anxiety of the occupant is equal to or higher than a predetermined value (YES in S8), the first information is output (S5). On the other hand, when the degree of anxiety of the occupant is less than the predetermined value (NO in S8), the first information is not output (S9). The predetermined value of the degree of anxiety may be experimentally set in advance based on the results of a plurality of monitoring tests, or may be experimentally set based on the driving and the history of the degree of anxiety of the occupant (driver) using the own vehicle. According to this driving support, the first information is output only when the degree of anxiety of the occupant after the vehicle control is executed is equal to or higher than the predetermined value, that is, when the occupant feels anxiety about the vehicle control by the driving support device 1, and the first information is not output when the degree of anxiety of the occupant after the vehicle control is executed is less than the predetermined value, that is, when the occupant does not feel anxiety about the vehicle control by the driving support device 1. Whether or not the occupant feels anxiety about the execution of the vehicle control by the driving support device 1 varies from person to person. According to this driving support process, the first information can be output only when the occupant actually feels anxiety about the execution of the vehicle control, and it is possible to avoid providing unnecessary information to the occupants who do not feel anxiety.

[0020] After outputting the first information (S5), the processor 10 checks the stop of the own vehicle (S10). The stop of the own vehicle is determined by the shift lever being in the parking shift and the brake pedal being depressed. After outputting the first information (S5) and after the stop of the own vehicle, the processor 10 outputs second information including the detailed reason for which the vehicle control was executed (S11).

[0021] Although not particularly limited, in the present embodiment, after the output of the first information (S5) and before the output of the second information, a process of checking the degree of anxiety of the occupant can be additionally performed. The process that can be additionally performed is indicated by a broken line. The processor 10 uses the occupant monitoring device 3 to acquire the biometric information of the occupant (indicated by the broken line from S12, S5), and calculates the degree of anxiety of the occupant (S13). The calculation process of the degree of anxiety is common to the calculation process of the degree of anxiety before the output of the first information (S7). When the degree of anxiety of the occupant is equal to or higher than a predetermined value (YES in S14), after confirming the stop (S10), the second information is output (S11). On the other hand, when the degree of anxiety of the occupant is less than the predetermined value (NO in S14), the second information is not output (S16). According to this driving support, even after the output of the first information, the second information is output only when the degree of anxiety of the occupant after the execution of the vehicle control is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, that is, when the occupant feels anxiety about the vehicle control by the driving support device 1. When the degree of anxiety of the occupant after the execution of the vehicle control is less than the predetermined value, that is, when the occupant does not feel anxiety about the vehicle control by the driving support device 1, the second information is not output. Whether or not the occupant feels anxiety about the execution of the vehicle control by the driving support device 1 and whether or not the anxiety is resolved by the output of the first information vary from person to person. According to this driving support process, the second information can be output only when the occupant actually feels anxiety about the execution of the vehicle control and the anxiety remains even after the output of the first information, and it is possible to avoid providing unnecessary information to the occupant without anxiety. Since the degree of anxiety of the occupant is calculated based on objective biometric information or the like and the state of psychological anxiety is evaluated, the information can be provided appropriately.

[0022] Also, although not particularly limited, driving assistance for guiding the host vehicle to a stopped state can be executed before the output of the second information. After the output of the first information (S5), the processor searches for a stopping place where the host vehicle can stop, and before the output of the second information, outputs guidance information for stopping the host vehicle at the stopping place. After the output of the first information (S5), the processor 10 proposes to the occupant to stop (shown by the broken line from S15, S5). Or, when the degree of anxiety is equal to or higher than a predetermined value (YES in S14), the processor 10 proposes to the occupant to stop (S15). When the degree of anxiety is equal to or higher than a predetermined value (YES in S14), it may proceed to S10 or S15. In S15, a call such as "Don't you want to stop?" may be made, or a text display such as "Please stop." may be shown. In response to this proposal to stop, it is determined whether the host vehicle is about to stop (S17). The processor 10 observes the movement of the occupant's line of sight based on the captured image of the in-vehicle camera 31. When it is determined that the occupant is looking around, it is determined that the occupant is searching for a stopping position, and it is determined that the occupant has the intention to stop. The processor 10 determines the pressure received by the brake pedal. When it is determined that the occupant has placed a foot on or depressed the brake pedal, it is determined that the occupant is about to perform a stopping operation, and it is determined that the occupant has the intention to stop. When it is determined that the host vehicle is about to stop (YES in S17), the processor 10 detects the stopping position. The stopping position is an area where the host vehicle can stop safely without approaching other vehicles or obstructing the traffic of other vehicles. The processor 10 refers to the shoulder area, parkable space, and map information 52 extracted from the captured image of the camera 21, and detects a service area near the current position and the shoulder area of the lane as the stopping position. The processor 10 guides the host vehicle to the detected stopping position (S18). The processor 10 guides the host vehicle to the stopping position by guiding the direction of the existence of the stopping position with respect to the host vehicle (such as the front right side), showing the positional relationship with the host vehicle as an image on the display 202, or showing the route from the current position of the host vehicle to the stopping position. After the guidance process for the stopping position (S18), it proceeds to the confirmation of the stop of the vehicle described above (S10), and the output of the second information is executed (S11).If it is determined that the host vehicle will not stop after the output of the guidance information (NO in S17), information for prompting the driver (occupant) to drive carefully is output (S19). For example, a call such as "Please drive carefully." may be made, or a display of text such as "Drive carefully." may be shown. After prompting careful driving, it is left to the driver's judgment (S20). This process may be executed when the degree of anxiety is equal to or greater than a predetermined value (YES in S12, S13, S14). That is, after the output of the first information (S5), the processor 10 calculates the degree of anxiety of the occupants of the host vehicle detected by the sensor 2 (S12, S13), and when the degree of anxiety of the occupants is equal to or greater than the predetermined value (YES in S14), a proposal to stop (S15), confirmation of the intention to stop (S17) is made, a stop location where the host vehicle can stop is searched, and before the output of the second information, guidance information for stopping the host vehicle at the stop location is output (S18). In this way, by outputting the guidance information for stopping the host vehicle at the stop location before the output of the second information, the second information can be output in a state where the host vehicle is stopped at an appropriate stop position. Thereby, the burden on the occupants can be reduced, and the occupants can recognize the second information in a state of being at ease. Also, while respecting the driver's judgment to confirm the intention to stop the host vehicle and that the occupants must proceed due to their convenience, vehicle control is executed, and considering the possibility that the occupants may feel anxious, a call for more careful driving than usual is made. Thereby, awareness of ensuring safety can be awakened, and it is possible to suppress the driving from becoming inappropriate due to anxiety.

[0023] Processor 10 generates second information with a larger amount of information than the first information, including simple reasons. Since the first information is output during the driving (before stopping) of the host vehicle, there may be a limit set on the amount of information to be output. For example, it may be required that the number of characters of the first information is less than a predetermined number of characters, the first information is a still image, the number of colors included in the first information is less than a predetermined number, or the first information does not include blinking display or highlighting display. In contrast, the number of characters of the second information output when stopped can be equal to or more than the predetermined number of characters, the second information can include a moving image, the number of colors included in the second information can be equal to or more than a predetermined number, or the second information can include blinking display or highlighting display.

[0024] Processor 10 outputs first information including conditions under which vehicle control is executed, and after the output of the first information and after the host vehicle stops, based on driving information and / or detection information, outputs second information including the fact that the conditions under which vehicle control is executed are satisfied. Whether the conditions for executing vehicle control are satisfied or not is determined based on driving information and / or detection information. The fact that the conditions are satisfied is extracted from the driving information and / or detection information. The second information includes the fact that the conditions under which the vehicle control output in the first information is executed are satisfied, that is, the detection result that caused the vehicle control to be executed. Explaining using the examples described above, Processor 10 generates second information including, for the condition "an obstacle exists ahead" under which FEB is executed, the fact that a "other vehicle" which is a moving object exists as an "obstacle" and the fact that the "other vehicle that decelerated rapidly" corresponds to the obstacle ahead. Processor 10 generates second information including, for the condition "the host vehicle approaches the lane mark" under which LDP is executed, the fact that the host vehicle approaches the "left lane mark", and thereby the fact that it "decelerated rapidly to the white vehicle in the left lane" or the fact that the host vehicle approaches the "guardrail". Processor 10 generates second information including, for the condition "there is another vehicle within a predetermined range in the rear side" under which BSI is executed, the fact that an "orange vehicle" is detected "within 50 m" in the "left rear" of the host vehicle. Also, Processor 10 determines the degree of proximity between the host vehicle and the object (other vehicle) from the detection result, and generates second information including the determination result that "the host vehicle is highly likely to contact the other vehicle".

[0025] The second information shown in FIG. 3 includes the fact as a detection result that satisfies the conditions for executing the vehicle control described above. Specifically, (1) when FEB is executed, the processor 10 outputs, as the second information, the detailed reason for executing the control "The vehicle ahead suddenly decelerated. It was raining and the risk of approaching was increasing, so it decelerated suddenly." (2) When LDP is executed, the processor 10 outputs, as the second information, the detailed reason for executing the control "Trying to cross the white line on the left. The risk of approaching the white vehicle in the left lane was increasing, so the steering wheel was turned back.", or "Trying to cross the white line. The risk of approaching the guardrail was increasing, so the steering wheel was turned back." (3) When BSI is executed, the processor 10 outputs, as the second information, the detailed reason for executing the control "An orange vehicle was found within 50 m to the left rear side. The risk of contact was high, so an alarm was sounded." As shown in this example, the second information includes the fact that satisfies the conditions for executing the vehicle control extracted from the acquired driving information and / or detection information. The processor 10 outputs the second information as voice information or display information. The second information as voice information is output as voice via the speaker 201. The second information as display information is output as display via the display 202. In this way, when the vehicle control is executed, the processor 10 of the present embodiment outputs the simple reason for executing the vehicle control as the minimum necessary first information, and outputs the detailed reason for executing the vehicle control as the second information when the environment where the host vehicle stops and the passengers can be made to feel at ease is secured. Further, the processor 10 outputs the first information from immediately after the execution of the vehicle control until before the elapse of a predetermined time, and outputs the second information after the host vehicle stops after the output of the first information. The first information and the second information have different amounts of information and are output at different timings.

[0026] Furthermore, the second information includes the content of the function of the vehicle control. The content of the function of the vehicle control includes any one or more of the purpose, conditions, processing, and control content of the vehicle control. (1) When FEB is executed, the processor 10 outputs, as second information, an explanation of a function including a vehicle control condition of "the system determines that there is a risk of approaching a vehicle or pedestrian ahead", a control content and process of "automatically activating a weak brake together with notification by display and sound", and a purpose of the function of "prompting the driver to perform an operation to avoid contact". Further, the processor 10 outputs, as second information, the content of the FEB function including a vehicle control condition of "when the driver does not perform an avoidance operation and the risk of approaching increases", a control content and process of "the system automatically activates a strong brake immediately before contact", and a purpose of vehicle control of "assisting in avoiding contact or reducing damage at the time of contact". Furthermore, the processor 10 may include, in the second information as the vehicle control content, one or more processes until the execution of the vehicle control is completed, such as "detecting the presence or absence of a vehicle or pedestrian ahead with a front camera installed above the windshield. Also, when a vehicle or pedestrian exists, measuring the distance thereto. Judging whether there is a risk of approaching from the speed of the host vehicle and the distance and speed to the other vehicle or pedestrian". In addition, the processor 10 displays a drawing or video for explaining any one or more of the purpose, condition, process, and control content of the vehicle control. As shown in FIG. 3, a meter display common to the first information may be output as the second information. This is the same in vehicle control by the LDP function and vehicle control by the BSI function. (2) When LDP is executed, the processor 10 outputs, as second information, the content of the LDP function including the vehicle control condition of "when the lane markings of the driving lane recognized by the camera may cause the vehicle to deviate", the control content and process of "issue a warning sound and display in the meter to arouse attention. At the same time, control the brake", and the purpose of "assist the driver to avoid lane departure". Write these separately by item. As the input process leading to the execution of vehicle control, the item of "1. Detect the white line (yellow line) of the driving lane by the front camera at the upper part of the windshield", the condition and control content of "2. When it is determined that the vehicle approaches the white line (yellow line) on the right or left side of the driving lane, the display in the meter blinks together with the warning sound", and as the purpose, process and control content of vehicle control, the item of "3. At the same time, control the brake and generate a force to return the vehicle into the lane, so as to prompt the driver to operate the vehicle to drive within the lane" are output as the second information of the LDP function. (3) When BSI is executed, the processor 10 outputs, as second information, the content of the BSI function including the vehicle control condition of "detect a vehicle driving in the rear side of the adjacent lane that is likely to be a blind spot", the control content of the vehicle control of "notify the driver by display, and when starting a lane change, generate a force to return the vehicle into the original lane together with a warning", and the purpose of the vehicle control of "assist to avoid contact with the vehicle in the adjacent lane".

[0027] The execution of vehicle control of a vehicle may cause passengers such as the driver to feel uneasy. When vehicle control is executed and there is a change in the behavior of the vehicle, passengers may feel uneasy. Also, when vehicle control is executed and an alarm is issued, passengers may feel uneasy. If the uneasiness increases, it may be impossible to concentrate on driving, which may interfere with the continuation of driving. In addition, due to the execution of vehicle control, the driver, who is a passenger, may lose confidence and the uneasiness may increase. According to this driving support, when vehicle control is executed, the driver can know the simple reason through the first information, and after stopping, can know the detailed reason through the second information in a calm environment. In a calm environment, the reason (cause) and facts (contents detected by the vehicle) for the execution of vehicle control are shown in detail. By deeply understanding the change in vehicle behavior and the reason for the alarm, it is expected that the driver can regain confidence in driving, obtain mental stability, and the uneasiness can be eliminated. Also, by making the amount of information of the first information lower than the amount of information of the second information, the amount of the first information output during driving can be suppressed, and the passengers can be made to concentrate on driving. Furthermore, after the vehicle stops, without setting an upper limit on the amount of information as in during driving, the second information with an amount of information sufficient for the passengers to understand the reason for the execution of vehicle control is output. The information necessary to understand the reason for the execution of vehicle control includes at least the conditions for the execution of vehicle control and the facts (detection results) that satisfy the conditions. Furthermore, the information necessary to understand the reason for the execution of vehicle control preferably includes the purpose, conditions, processing, and control content of the vehicle control. Since the second information is output after stopping, the passengers released from the driving operation can concentrate on understanding the second information and can accurately grasp the reason for the execution of vehicle control. Since the second information is output after stopping, the type (video, image, color scheme, blinking) and amount of information (number of characters, image) of the information output for the reason that it is during driving like the first information are not restricted. Furthermore, the first information can include the conditions under which vehicle control is executed, and the second information can include the facts that satisfy the conditions, extracted from the driving information and / or detection information. As a result, the occupant can know only the general conditions of vehicle control during driving, and can know the individual and specific information obtained by applying the facts based on the detection information to the conditions after stopping. In addition, by including in the second information one or more of the content of vehicle control performed by each function (FEB, LDP, or BSI), such as any information among the purpose, conditions, processing, and control content of vehicle control, the occupant can understand and remember the content of vehicle control more deeply. Even if the occupant is only informed of the simple reason why the vehicle control was executed, there is a possibility that the occupant may not understand or remember it. By providing an explanation based on one or more of the information regarding the purpose, conditions, processing, and control content of vehicle control, the likelihood that the occupant will understand and remember it increases. By understanding and remembering vehicle control, the occupant can continue to use the driving support function with confidence. During driving, the simple reason for the execution of vehicle control can be notified, and then, after confirming the stop, the detailed reason can be conveyed to the occupant by the second information. With this driving support, since the occupant can deeply understand the reason for the execution of vehicle control by the second information, it is possible to suppress the occupant from feeling anxious when the vehicle control of the own vehicle is executed and the anxiety from continuing. Also, even if the driving of the occupant himself / herself is negated by the execution of vehicle control, it is possible to suppress the occupant from losing confidence in driving. As a result, it is possible to suppress the change in the behavior of the own vehicle and the warning due to the execution of vehicle control from inducing the occupant's anxiety and loss of confidence, and the occupant can accept the execution of vehicle control with confidence and drive appropriately based on a calm judgment. Even if a new vehicle control is executed and the occupant cannot understand it only with the first information, if the occupant learns the feature of this support process in which the second information is provided after stopping, the occupant will think that he / she can understand it later, so he / she will not feel anxious or fall into loss of confidence.

[0028] The processor 10 outputs the second information by voice information or display information. The second information that is voice information is output via the speaker 201. The second information that is display information is output via the display 202. The second information is displayed on a display 202 with a relatively large display area, such as the display 202 that displays the route guidance information of the navigation device 5, or the display 202 that displays vehicle information and entertainment information provided on the dashboard. In the driving support of the present embodiment, the area for displaying the second information is set wider than the area for displaying the first information. By displaying information with a large amount and detailed information on a display 202 with a large area, it is possible for the occupant to easily visually recognize the information. During driving, the first information is displayed on the display 202 with a relatively small display area that can be confirmed at a glance, minimizing the impact on driving. When the vehicle is stopped, by displaying the second information on a display 202 with a relatively large display area that can present more information, it is possible to assist the occupant's understanding of the content of vehicle control and reduce the occupant's anxiety. Also, since both the first information and the second information can be output using voice information or display information, when there is no time or margin to view the display during driving, the first information can be output by voice, reducing the occupant's anxiety. In addition, since the second information can include figures and videos, it is possible to assist the occupant's understanding of vehicle control and reduce the anxiety caused by the execution of vehicle control.

[0029] In this embodiment, the output history of the first information and / or the second information is stored in a storage device such as the RAM 13. After the output process of the first information and / or the second information, the processor 10 records the execution history of the vehicle control, the reason for which the vehicle control was executed, and the history of the information output. The execution history of the vehicle control is recorded for each type of vehicle control function (for example, for each of FEB, LDP, or BSI). This history is associated with each driver. The identification of the driver can be performed based on the identification information of the pre-stored smart key, or can also be executed by biometric authentication (face authentication, iris authentication) based on the captured image of the in-vehicle camera 31. The processor 10 identifies the occupant driving the host vehicle and acquires the execution history of the vehicle control of the identified occupant. When a vehicle control for which the execution history is not recorded is executed, that is, when the vehicle control function (FEB, LDP, or BSI) is executed for the first time for that occupant, the processor 10 outputs the second information including an explanation of the content of the vehicle control function. For an occupant who does not know how the vehicle control of the driving support system operates for what reason, not knowing the content of the function can be a cause for concern. For an occupant who encounters a scene where the vehicle control is executed for the first time and the braking function or the steering function is activated, since the second information including the content of the vehicle control function is output, the occupant can sufficiently understand the vehicle control function based on the second information. In this way, by outputting the content of the vehicle control function as the second information, the anxiety of the occupant can be reduced. On the other hand, when a vehicle control for which the execution history is recorded is executed, the second information not including an explanation of the content of the vehicle control function is output. Thereby, it is possible to avoid repeatedly presenting detailed information. When the vehicle control with an execution history is executed, that is, when the function of vehicle control (FEB, LDP, or BSI) is executed again, the processor 10 outputs second information including the difference between the reason for the previous vehicle control execution and the reason for the current vehicle control execution. For example, as shown in the detailed reason for FEB in FIG. 3, "Previously it was a passenger car, but this time the risk of approaching a truck has increased, so sudden deceleration was performed." Second information including that the object (detection target) that satisfied the vehicle control condition is a passenger car instead of a truck (previous reason) is output. As shown in the detailed reason for BSI, "Previously it was a vehicle, but this time the possibility of contact with a motorcycle has increased, so an alarm was sounded." Second information including that the object (detection target) that satisfied the vehicle control condition is a motorcycle instead of a vehicle (previous reason) is output. For the passengers who have experienced the scene where the vehicle control was executed, by including the difference between the reason for the previous vehicle control execution and the reason for the current vehicle control execution in the second information, it helps the passengers' understanding and acceptance, and can suppress the passengers from feeling uneasy.

[0030] The processor 10 can increase or decrease the amount of the first information and / or the second information according to experience. The processor 10 identifies the passenger driving the host vehicle and acquires the driving experience of the identified passenger. The above-described method can be used for passenger identification. The processor stores the driving experience for each passenger. The driving experience of the passenger may be input by the passenger himself / herself, or the processor 10 may infer the driving experience of the passenger based on age, license acquisition age, mileage of the host vehicle, riding frequency, etc. The processor 10 evaluates the driving experience of the passenger and stores it in a storage device such as the ROM 12. The processor 10 can adjust the amount of information of the first information according to the quantitative evaluation of the driving experience. For a passenger with little driving experience, the processor 10 outputs the first information with a relatively smaller amount of information than that for a passenger with much driving experience. That is, for a passenger with much driving experience, the processor 10 outputs the first information with a relatively larger amount of information than that for a passenger with little driving experience. Similarly, the processor 10 can adjust the amount of information of the second information according to the degree of driving experience. For a passenger with little driving experience, the processor 10 outputs the second information with a relatively smaller amount of information than that for a passenger with much driving experience. That is, for a passenger with much driving experience, the processor 10 outputs the second information with a relatively larger amount of information than that for a passenger with little driving experience. If the amount of information shown to a passenger with little driving experience and not yet accustomed to driving itself is large, the passenger may not be able to understand the content and may feel anxious. On the other hand, if the amount of information shown to a passenger with rich driving experience and accustomed to driving is large, it can be expected to assist the passenger's understanding and reduce the passenger's anxiety. Therefore, the processor 10 sets the amount of information of the first information and / or the second information to be smaller for a passenger with little driving experience than for a passenger with much driving experience, and sets the amount of information of the first information and / or the second information to be larger for a passenger with much driving experience than for a passenger with little driving experience. When a standard amount of information is defined in advance, the amount of information is decreased or increased. In addition, when there is an upper limit to the amount of information that can be displayed during driving, the amount of information of the first information is set to be below the upper limit.

[0031] When the processor 10 determines that the host vehicle is traveling through an intersection based on the detection information of the sensor 2, it outputs first information with a smaller amount of information than when it determines that the host vehicle is traveling on a road other than an intersection. When the captured image of the camera 21 that captures the front of the host vehicle includes a feature image of an intersection such as a traffic signal, a traffic sign, a stop line, or a crosswalk, the processor 10 determines that the host vehicle is traveling through an intersection. The processor 10 refers to the map information 52 and determines that the host vehicle is traveling through an intersection when an intersection exists on the traveling direction side of the movement trajectory of the current position of the host vehicle. Roads other than intersections include single-lane roads. When the captured image of the camera 21 that captures the front of the host vehicle does not include a feature image of an intersection such as a traffic signal, a traffic sign, a stop line, or a crosswalk and only includes an image of the traveling road, the processor 10 determines that the host vehicle is traveling on a single-lane road. When the processor 10 refers to the map information 52 and determines that no intersection exists on the traveling direction side of the movement trajectory of the current position of the host vehicle, it determines that the host vehicle is traveling on a single-lane road that is not an intersection. According to this driving support process, at intersections where it takes time to check the surrounding situation, the information itself is simplified to help the driver understand, and on single-lane roads other than intersections where it does not take so much time to check the surrounding situation, the amount of information is relatively increased to reduce anxiety. When the processor 10 is traveling through an intersection, it sets the amount of information of the first information to be smaller than when traveling on a single-lane road other than an intersection, and when traveling on a single-lane road, it sets the amount of information of the first information to be larger than when traveling through an intersection. When a standard amount of information is defined in advance, the amount of information is decreased or increased. If there is an upper limit to the amount of information that can be displayed during driving, the amount of information of the first information is set to be below the upper limit.

[0032] When the vehicle starts or accelerates or decelerates based on the driving information, the processor 10 outputs first information with a smaller amount of information than when it is determined that the vehicle is performing a cruise operation other than starting or accelerating or decelerating. The processor 10 acquires driving information from the driving information acquisition device 4. The processor 10 acquires, as driving information as necessary, from among the shift position of the host vehicle, the accelerator control amount, the brake control amount, the speed information, the acceleration information, the deceleration information, and the acceleration / deceleration information (deceleration change amount). The processor 10 determines that the host vehicle is performing a starting operation when the shift position is input to drive. The processor 10 determines whether the host vehicle is performing an acceleration / deceleration operation based on the acquired speed information, acceleration information, deceleration information, and acceleration / deceleration information (deceleration change amount). The processor 10 may determine that the host vehicle is performing a cruise operation when the host vehicle is not performing an acceleration / deceleration operation. In addition to this, it may be determined that the host vehicle is performing a cruise operation when the amount of speed change is less than a predetermined value. When starting or accelerating or decelerating where pedal adjustment operations of the accelerator / brake are required, the occupant focuses on driving. For this reason, in the operation of starting or accelerating or decelerating, it is preferable to reduce the amount of information of the first information to be output. For this reason, when vehicle control is executed during starting or accelerating or decelerating, the first information is made even more concise to an amount of information that can be understood by the occupant. On the other hand, although an operation of placing the foot on the pedal is required during cruising, the tension is not as strong as during starting or accelerating or decelerating. For this reason, since there is time to check the information during cruising, the amount of information can be relatively increased to help the occupant understand and reduce anxiety. When the amount of information of the first information is defined in advance, the amount of information is decreased or increased. Note that when there is an upper limit to the amount of information that can be displayed during driving, the amount of information of the first information is set below the upper limit.

[0033] When the processor 10 determines that the visibility condition is poor based on the detection information obtained from the sensor 2 or the communication device 40 or the driving information obtained from the driving information acquisition device 4, it outputs the first information with a smaller amount of information than when it determines that the visibility condition is good. The sensor 2 includes a rain drop sensor and an illuminance sensor. The processor 10 determines the rainfall state from the rain drop sensor and determines the ambient brightness / darkness from the illuminance sensor. The driving information acquisition device 4 acquires the operation information of the wiper, the calendar information, and the time information. The processor 10 determines that the weather is rainy or snowy based on the operation on information of the wiper, obtains the sunset time of the current location from the calendar information and the time information, and determines whether it is after sunset or before sunset at present. The processor 10 acquires the weather information from an external server via the communication device 40 and determines the weather (rain, snow, cloudy) at the current location. When the weather at the current location is rainy, snowy, or cloudy, the processor 10 determines that the visibility condition is poor, and when the weather is sunny, it determines that the visibility condition is good. When the brightness at the current location is less than a predetermined value, the processor 10 determines that the visibility condition is poor, and when the brightness at the current location is greater than or equal to the predetermined value, it determines that the visibility condition is good. When the current time is after sunset, the processor 10 determines that the visibility condition is poor, and when the current time is before sunset, it determines that the visibility condition is good. Further, it may be determined that the visibility condition is poor before and after the sunset time. When the visibility condition is poor, by reducing the amount of information of the first information compared to the case where it is good, it is possible to prevent attention from being directed to the presented information. Thereby, the attention of the occupant can be directed to the surrounding confirmation. When the visibility condition is good, by increasing the amount of information compared to the case where it is poor and clearly conveying the reason why the vehicle control is executed, the anxiety of the occupant can be reduced.

[0034] Based on the request information of the occupant of the vehicle, the processor 10 changes the amount of the first information and / or the second information. The request information of the occupant is acquired via the input device 30. Preferably, the amount of information provided is an amount that is understandable and not bothersome, but the appropriate amount of information varies from person to person. The request information may be received each time before the output of the first information and / or the second information. When the occupant determines that the amount of information is small, a button for "more detailed explanation" may be selectable, or when the occupant determines that the amount of information is large, a button for "simpler explanation" may be selectable. The desired amount of the amount of the first information and / or the second information (for example, large, small, etc.) may be set in advance based on the user's preference. The amount of the first information and the second information may be selectable from a setting screen in advance. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the feeling of being bothered by a large amount of information and avoid a situation where the occupant feels uneasy because the occupant cannot understand with a small amount of information.

[0035] In this driving support process, after stopping the host vehicle and outputting the second information, the timing at which the host vehicle resumes driving is considered. Returning to FIG. 2, after outputting the second information (S11), the processor 10 calculates the degree of anxiety of the occupant of the host vehicle based on the biometric information of the occupant of the host vehicle (S21). The method for calculating the degree of anxiety of the occupant can use the method described above. The predetermined evaluation value of the degree of anxiety is set from the perspective of determining the timing of resumption. If the degree of anxiety is less than the predetermined evaluation value, it can be inferred that the occupant is not feeling anxious. FIG. 4 shows an example of the change over time of the measured heart rate. The measurement starts after the vehicle control is executed. The timing of starting the measurement of the heart rate may be after outputting the first information or when the vehicle is stopped. In the example shown in FIG. 4, after the vehicle control is executed, the heart rate fluctuates within the region between the lower limit value HR1 of the average heart rate and the upper limit value HR2 of the average heart rate, and then exceeds the upper limit value HR2 as the anxiety increases. The lower limit value HR1 and the upper limit value HR2 of the average heart rate are defined based on the distribution of the heart rate when the occupant drives in a region where there are no obstacles around. It is set that the region where the heart rate is equal to or higher than the lower limit value HR1 and lower than the upper limit value HR2 is the region of the average heart rate. The lower limit value HR1 and the upper limit value HR2 of the average heart rate define the region of the average heart rate based on the distribution of the heart rate when not driving or at rest. When the heart rate belongs to the region between the lower limit value HR1 and the upper limit value HR2, it is determined that the degree of anxiety is low (normal). When the heart rate decreases and becomes less than the upper limit value HR2, a stable state starts (T1). Also, when the time during which the heart rate belongs to the region between the lower limit value HR1 and the upper limit value HR2 continues for a predetermined time, it can be determined that the anxiety of the occupant has been eliminated and the occupant can drive with confidence. The predetermined time can be arbitrarily set, such as 30 seconds, 60 seconds, 90 seconds, etc. As shown in the example of FIG. 4, when the heart rate of the occupant becomes less than the upper limit value HR2 at T1 and the state where the heart rate is less than the upper limit value HR2 and equal to or higher than the lower limit value HR1 continues for, for example, 60 seconds or more and reaches T2, the processor 10 determines that this is the timing at which the host vehicle resumes driving, and notifies to that effect via the output device 20 at the timing T2.

[0036] When the degree of anxiety is less than a predetermined evaluation value (YES in S22), the processor 10 outputs that it is the restart timing at which the operation can be restarted (S23). For example, it makes a voice announcement such as "It has been confirmed that you are calm. Your heart rate has stabilized to the normal level. Please check your surroundings and start driving." It may also notify biometric information including the heart rate that objectively indicates that the occupant is calm. When the degree of anxiety is greater than or equal to the predetermined evaluation value (NO in S22), it proposes to wait until the degree of anxiety becomes less than the predetermined evaluation value (S24). For example, it makes a voice announcement such as "You still seem not to be calm. Your heart rate is higher than the normal level. How about taking a little more rest?" In this case, it may also notify biometric information including the heart rate that objectively indicates that the occupant is feeling anxious. The subsequent driving judgment is entrusted to the occupant and follows the judgment of the occupant as the driver (S20). When the own vehicle restarts the operation when the degree of anxiety is greater than or equal to the predetermined evaluation value, it urges the driver to drive carefully. For example, it makes a voice announcement such as "Please start driving at a slower speed than usual." In this way, since the degree of anxiety of the occupant can be calculated based on the biometric information of the occupant and the calmness of the occupant can be judged based on an objective index, the timing of driving resumption at which the driving can be started with confidence can be judged.

Explanation of Signs

[0037] 1... Driving support device, 10... Processor, 11... CPU, 12... ROM, 13... RAM, 20... Output device, 201... Speaker, 202... Display, 30... Input device, 40... Communication device, 2... Sensor, 21... Camera, 22... Radar device, 3... Occupant monitoring device, 31... Interior camera, 32... Biometric sensor, 33... Microphone, 4... Driving information acquisition device, 5... Navigation device, 51... Position detection device, 52... Map information

Claims

1. A driving support method used in a processor to support the driving of a host vehicle, comprising: The processor: Obtains the driving information of the host vehicle and / or the detection information around the host vehicle; Executes vehicle control of the host vehicle based on the driving information and / or the detection information; When the vehicle control is executed, outputs first information including a simple reason for which the vehicle control was executed during the driving of the host vehicle; A driving support method for outputting second information including a detailed reason for which the vehicle control was executed after the output of the first information and after the host vehicle stops.

2. The driving support method according to claim 1, wherein the processor generates the second information having an information amount larger than the information amount of the first information.

3. The processor: Determines whether a predetermined condition defined in advance is satisfied based on the obtained detection information; Executes the vehicle control when the condition is satisfied; When the vehicle control is executed, outputs the first information including the condition; The driving support method according to claim 1, for outputting the second information including facts based on the driving information and / or the detection information for which the condition is satisfied after the output of the first information and after the host vehicle stops.

4. The driving support method according to claim 1, wherein the second information includes the content of the vehicle control.

5. The driving support method according to claim 1, wherein the processor calculates an anxiety level based on biometric information of an occupant of the host vehicle, outputs the first information when the anxiety level is equal to or higher than a predetermined value, and does not output the first information when the anxiety level is lower than the predetermined value.

6. The processor calculates an uneasiness level based on biometric information of an occupant of the host vehicle, and after outputting the first information, if the uneasiness level is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, outputs the second information, and if the uneasiness level is less than the predetermined value, does not output the second information. The driving support method according to claim 1.

7. After outputting the first information, the processor searches for a stopping place where the host vehicle can stop, and before outputting the second information, outputs guidance information for stopping the host vehicle at the stopping place. The driving support method according to claim 1.

8. The processor calculates an uneasiness level based on biometric information of an occupant of the host vehicle, and after outputting the first information, if the uneasiness level of the occupant is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, searches for a stopping place where the host vehicle can stop, and before outputting the second information, outputs guidance information for stopping the host vehicle at the stopping place. The driving support method according to claim 1.

9. After outputting the guidance information, if the host vehicle does not stop, the processor outputs information for prompting careful driving. The driving support method according to claim 8.

10. The processor calculates an uneasiness level based on biometric information of an occupant of the host vehicle, and after outputting the second information, if the uneasiness level becomes less than a predetermined evaluation value, determines that it is the timing to resume driving, and outputs that it is the timing to resume driving. The driving support method according to claim 1.

11. The processor identifies an occupant who drives the host vehicle, obtains an execution history of the vehicle control of the identified occupant, and when the vehicle control for which the execution history of the occupant is not recorded is executed, outputs the second information including an explanation of the function of the vehicle control to the occupant. The driving support method according to claim 1.

12. The processor identifies the occupant driving the host vehicle, obtains the execution history of the vehicle control of the identified occupant, and when the vehicle control in which the execution history of the occupant is recorded is executed, outputs the second information including the difference between the reason for the previous execution of the vehicle control and the reason for the current execution of the vehicle control. The driving support method according to claim 1.

13. The processor identifies the occupant driving the host vehicle, obtains the driving experience of the identified occupant, and outputs the first information and / or the second information with a smaller amount of information to the occupant with less driving experience than to the occupant with more driving experience. The driving support method according to claim 1.

14. When the processor determines based on the detection information that the host vehicle is traveling through an intersection, it outputs the first information with a smaller amount of information than when it is determined that the host vehicle is traveling on a road other than the intersection. The driving support method according to claim 1.

15. When the processor determines based on the driving information that the host vehicle is starting or accelerating or decelerating, it outputs the first information with a smaller amount of information than when it is determined that the host vehicle is performing a cruising operation other than starting or accelerating or decelerating. The driving support method according to claim 1.

16. When the processor determines based on the driving information and / or the detection information that the visibility condition is poor, it outputs the first information with a smaller amount of information than when it is determined that the visibility condition is good. The driving support method according to claim 1.

17. The processor changes the amount of information of the first information and / or the amount of information of the second information based on the request information of the occupant of the host vehicle. The driving support method according to claim 1.

18. The processor outputs the first information and / or the second information by voice information or display information. The driving support method according to claim 1.

19. The driving support method according to claim 1, wherein the processor sets the area for outputting and displaying the second information to be wider than the area for outputting and displaying the first information.

20. A driving support device comprising a processor and a sensor for supporting the driving of a host vehicle, wherein the processor acquires the driving information of the host vehicle and / or the detection information around the host vehicle, executes vehicle control of the host vehicle based on the driving information and / or the detection information, when the vehicle control is executed, outputs first information including a simple reason for which the vehicle control was executed during driving of the host vehicle, and a driving support device that outputs second information including a detailed reason for which the vehicle control was executed after the first information is output and after the host vehicle stops.

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