Control device, steering wheel, vehicle, control method, and control program

Abstract

To provide a control device, a steering wheel, a vehicle, a control method, and a control program that enable smooth guidance indicating an operation necessary for transition to manual driving.SOLUTION: A control device includes a control unit that controls a display unit capable of displaying a grip position of a steering wheel to be gripped by a user when transition from automatic driving to manual driving is carried out. The display unit includes a transition notification display portion for identifying a state transition between automatic driving and manual driving. The control unit adjusts the transition notification display portion to a position corresponding to the position gripped by the user, in a case where the user grips a position different from the displayed grip position and the state consequently transitions to manual driving.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a control device that controls a display unit provided in a vehicle, a steering wheel, a vehicle, a control method, and a control program. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that allows a driver to recognize the rotation angle of a steering wheel while suppressing any sense of discomfort felt by the driver. In this technology, a change control unit controls the operation of an appearance change unit before the control by a steering angle control unit is switched from a second control to a first control. As a result, the change control unit changes the appearance of the steering wheel to a predetermined appearance according to the steering angle.

[0003] Patent Document 2 discloses a technology related to a steering wheel that can provide driving assistance during parking by making it possible to recognize the amount of change in wheel angle due to steering. With this technology, when moving to a parking position, a target wheel steering angle that leads to the parking position is calculated by image processing of images taken by a camera installed in the vehicle, and the direction of the calculated target wheel steering angle is displayed on a display device.

[0004] Patent Document 3 discloses a technology that prevents erroneous detection of the grip position while properly instructing the driver on the grip position of the steering wheel when taking over from automated to manual driving. The automated driving system of this technology is equipped with a grip position determination unit that determines the grip position of the steering wheel based on the recognition results of the driving environment (the shape of the road in the direction of travel of the vehicle) and the detection results of the driver's state (the state of the driver's hands and the detection results of the direction of the driver's face). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-094964 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-065276 [Patent Document 3] Patent Publication No. 2021-049894 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] The prior art describes a system that displays and guides the driver to a grip position determined based on the road shape and the driver's state when transitioning from automated to manual driving. However, the prior art does not consider the surrounding environment when determining the grip position. Furthermore, the prior art does not consider how to adjust the amount and speed of operation after gripping.

[0007] The present disclosure aims to provide a control device, a steering wheel, a vehicle, a control method, and a control program that can smoothly guide a driver to perform operations necessary for transitioning to manual driving. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The control device described in claim 1 includes a control unit that controls a display unit that can display the grip position of the steering wheel that the user should grip when transitioning from automatic driving to manual driving, and the display unit has a transition notification display portion for identifying the state transition between automatic driving and manual driving, and when the user grips the wheel at a position different from the displayed grip position and the state transitions to manual driving, the control unit adjusts the transition notification display portion to a position corresponding to the position where the user grips the wheel.

[0009] The control device according to claim 1 can adjust the transition notification display portion according to the gripping position and provide smooth guidance even when the user grips the device at a position different from the guidance position.

[0010] The control device according to a second aspect of the present invention is the control device according to the first aspect, further comprising an acquisition unit that acquires a planned driving route of the vehicle, and the control unit determines the grip position based on the planned driving route.

[0011] According to the control device of claim 2, the gripping position is determined based on the planned travel route, which makes it possible to smoothly guide the driver to the operation required for transition to manual driving.

[0012] The control device according to claim 3 is the control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit determines the grip position based on information relating to the steering angle of the steering wheel calculated from the planned driving route and on the vehicle speed.

[0013] According to the control device of claim 3, the gripping position is determined using information on the steering angle from the planned driving route and the vehicle speed, which allows the gripping position to be determined taking into consideration the planned driving route including the surrounding environment and the vehicle situation.

[0014] A control device according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the control device according to the first aspect, wherein the control unit causes the display unit to display an operation position of the steering a predetermined time ahead.

[0015] According to the control device of claim 4, it is possible to display the operation position a predetermined time ahead and guide the steering operation.

[0016] A control device according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the control device according to the fourth aspect, wherein the control unit causes the display unit to display a blinking display from the grip position to the operation position that is a predetermined time ahead.

[0017] According to the control device of claim 5, the steering operation can be guided by the blinking display.

[0018] A control device according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the control device according to the fifth aspect, wherein the blinking speed of the blinking display is determined based on the operating speed of the steering wheel at a predetermined time ahead on a planned travel route of the vehicle.

[0019] According to the control device of claim 6, the blinking speed is determined in accordance with the change in steering angle over time, so that more intuitive operation guidance can be achieved.

[0020] The control device described in claim 7 is the control device described in claim 6, wherein after control to display the flashing display, if the steering angle during steering differs from the steering angle of the updated planned driving route, the control unit recalculates the flashing speed of the flashing display based on the updated operating speed a predetermined time later, and switches the flashing speed.

[0021] According to the control device of claim 7, the blinking speed can be changed in response to an update of the planned driving route.

[0022] The control device described in claim 8 is the control device described in claim 1, in which, when the user is holding the device with one hand, the position where it would be held with the other hand is estimated, and the transition notification display part is adjusted to a position according to the estimated position where the user is holding it.

[0023] According to the control device of claim 8, even if the user holds the device with one hand at a position different from the position where the user is guided, the transition notification display portion can be adjusted according to the position where the device is held, thereby enabling smooth guidance.

[0024] A control device according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is the control device according to the first aspect, wherein the control unit controls the display unit provided along the circumferential direction of the steering wheel.

[0025] According to the control device of claim 9, the user can be guided by the display on the steering wheel.

[0026] A steering wheel described in claim 10 is the steering wheel mounted on a vehicle, and includes the control device described in claim 1.

[0027] According to the steering wheel of claim 10, it is possible to smoothly guide the driver to the operation required for shifting to manual driving.

[0028] A vehicle according to an eleventh aspect of the present invention includes the steering wheel according to the tenth aspect of the present invention.

[0029] According to the vehicle described in claim 11, smooth guidance can be provided that indicates the operations required for switching to manual driving.

[0030] The control method described in claim 12 controls a display unit capable of displaying the grip position of the steering wheel that the user should grip when transitioning from automatic driving to manual driving, and the display unit has a transition notification display portion for identifying the state transition between automatic driving and manual driving, and the control is performed by a computer to adjust the transition notification display portion to a position corresponding to the position gripped by the user when the user grips the wheel at a position different from the displayed grip position and the state transitions to manual driving.

[0031] According to the control method of claim 12, even if the user grips the device at a position different from the position where the user is guided, the transition notification display portion can be adjusted according to the grip position, thereby enabling smooth guidance.

[0032] The control program described in claim 13 controls a display unit capable of displaying the grip position of the steering wheel that the user should grip when transitioning from automatic driving to manual driving, and the display unit has a transition notification display portion for identifying the state transition between automatic driving and manual driving, and the control causes a computer to execute a process in which, when the user grips the steering wheel at a position different from the displayed grip position and the state transitions to manual driving, the transition notification display portion is adjusted to a position corresponding to the position gripped by the user.

[0033] According to the control program of claim 13, even if the user grips the device at a position different from the guidance position, the transition notification display portion can be adjusted according to the grip position, thereby enabling smooth guidance. [Effects of the Invention]

[0034] According to the technology of the present disclosure, smooth guidance can be provided that indicates the operations required to transition to manual driving. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0035] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a control system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment; [Figure 3A] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a ROM of an integrated ECU according to the embodiment. [Figure 3B] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of an integrated ECU according to the embodiment. [Figure 4A] 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a ROM of a light emission control ECU according to the embodiment; [Figure 4B] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a light emission control ECU according to the embodiment. [Figure 5] This is an example of the light-emitting state of the light-emitting steering wheel when a takeover request is made, and is used for guidance before the driver grips it. [Figure 6] 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of control processing executed by the control system of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an image of the light emitting state of the light emitting steering wheel 14 when the planned travel route is a curve. [Figure 8] This is an example of the light emitting state of the light emitting steering wheel 14 when a takeover request is made, and is used for guidance after the driver grips it. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of control processing executed in a control system according to a modified example of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of update control processing executed in the control system of the second embodiment. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a transition notification control process executed in the control system of the third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is an illustration of what happens when you grasp a position with both hands that is different from the guided grasping position. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0036] As shown in FIG. 1 , a control system 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is provided for a vehicle 12. The control system 10 includes at least an illuminated steering wheel 14, an integrated ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 21, an external recognition sensor 30, and an occupant monitoring sensor 32. The illuminated steering wheel 14 includes a light-emitting control ECU 22 as a control device, a steering sensor 24, and a display unit 40. In this embodiment, the display unit 40 is a rim portion of the illuminated steering wheel 14. The light-emitting control ECU 22 may be part of the integrated ECU 21. Note that, while the display unit 40 is a rim portion provided along the circumferential direction of the illuminated steering wheel 14, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and the display unit 40 may be a display provided on a meter, a windshield, a center console, or the like. The illuminated steering wheel 14 is an example of a steering wheel according to the present disclosure.

[0037] 1, the control system 10 according to this embodiment includes a plurality of ECUs 20. The ECUs 20 include at least the integrated ECU 21 and the light emission control ECU 22 described above.

[0038] 2, the ECU 20 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 20A, a read-only memory (ROM) 20B, a random access memory (RAM) 20C, an input / output interface (I / F) 20D, and an in-vehicle communication I / F 20E. The CPU 20A, the ROM 20B, the RAM 20C, the input / output I / F 20D, and the in-vehicle communication I / F 20E are interconnected via an internal bus 20G so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0039] The CPU 20A, which is a processor, is a central processing unit that executes various programs and controls each part. That is, the CPU 20A reads the programs from the ROM 20B and executes the programs using the RAM 20C as a work area.

[0040] The ROM 20B stores various programs and various data. The ECU 20 may include a storage device configured by a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD) instead of or in addition to the ROM 20B. The RAM 20C temporarily stores programs or data as a working area.

[0041] The input / output I / F 20D is an interface for connecting to sensors mounted on the vehicle 12, such as an external recognition sensor 30 and an occupant monitoring sensor 32.

[0042] The in-vehicle communication I / F 20E is an interface for connecting with each ECU 20. This interface performs communication using the CAN (Controller Area Network) protocol or Ethernet (registered trademark). The in-vehicle communication I / F 20E is connected to an external bus 20H (see FIG. 1).

[0043] 1, the external recognition sensor 30 is a group of sensors used to detect objects around the vehicle 12. The external recognition sensor 30 includes, for example, a camera that captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle 12, a millimeter wave radar that transmits a search wave and receives a reflected wave, and a lidar (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) that scans the area ahead of the vehicle 12.

[0044] The occupant monitoring sensor 32 is a device that monitors the state of an occupant, and includes at least a camera that is provided on a steering column (not shown) and captures an image of the driver.

[0045] [First embodiment] (ECU) The integrated ECU 21 has an automatic driving function using an automatic driving system, a function to recognize the surrounding environment of the vehicle 12 based on information acquired from the external recognition sensor 30, and a function to estimate the planned driving route of the vehicle 12. The integrated ECU 21 also has a function to estimate the movement of the driver's line of sight based on an image of the driver acquired from the occupant monitoring sensor 32.

[0046] The light emission control ECU 22 has a function of controlling the light emission of the display unit 40 that constitutes the light emitting steering wheel 14 .

[0047] 3A, a processing program 100 is stored in the ROM 20B of the integrated ECU 21. The processing program 100 is a program for controlling the integrated ECU 21.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 3B, in the integrated ECU 21 of this embodiment, the CPU 20A executes the processing program 100 to function as an environment recognition unit 200, a driving state determination unit 210, a driver operation detection unit 220, a driver state detection unit 230, and a driving change determination unit 240.

[0049] The environment recognition unit 200 recognizes the surrounding environment based on the detection of the external recognition sensor 30. The surrounding environment includes objects on the driving route, the shape of curves, the weather, and the like.

[0050] The driving state determination unit 210 determines vehicle information of the vehicle 12. The vehicle information includes, for example, vehicle speed, acceleration, yaw rate, wheel angle, accelerator opening, brake pedal force, and information related to driving. The driving state determination unit 210 estimates a planned driving route based on the surrounding environment and vehicle information recognized by the environment recognition unit 200. The planned driving route can be estimated by detecting road shapes using a recognition method such as YOLO and comparing the road shapes with the route of the current position on a map.

[0051] The driver operation detection unit 220 detects the steering operation of the light-emitting steering wheel 14 by the driver based on the detection of the steering sensor 24. The steering direction, steering angle, and operation amount are detected as the steering operation.

[0052] The driver state detection unit 230 detects the driver's line of sight and the state of gripping the light-emitting steering wheel 14 based on the captured image of the driver acquired from the occupant monitoring sensor 32. The state of gripping may be detected based on detection by the steering sensor 24. The state of gripping includes the grip position of the driver.

[0053] The driving changeover determination unit 240 determines whether or not the steering operation needs to be handed over from the automatic driving system to the driver. A case where a handover is necessary occurs when transitioning from automatic driving to manual driving. If it determines that a handover is necessary, it outputs a handover request to the light-emitting control ECU 22 of the light-emitting steering wheel 14.

[0054] As shown in Fig. 4A, the ROM 20B of the light emission control ECU 22 stores a control program 150 as a light emission control program. The control program 150 is a program for controlling the light emission of the display unit 40. The control program 150 defines light emission patterns, light emission colors, and other light emission patterns when illuminating the display unit 40 of the light-emitting steering wheel 14. The light emission patterns include at least the light emission of an indication indicating the grip position and the light emission that flashes in the circumferential direction from the grip position in the steering direction. If the display is flashing, an illumination pattern is defined.

[0055] As shown in FIG. 4B, in the light emission control ECU 22 of this embodiment, the CPU 20B executes the control program 150 to function as an acquisition unit 300 and a control unit 310.

[0056] The acquisition unit 300 receives a takeover request from the driving change determination unit 240. The acquisition unit 300 acquires the planned driving route from the driving state determination unit 210.

[0057] The control unit 310 estimates information about the steering angle of the light-emitting steering wheel 14 based on the planned driving route, and determines the grip position 40A on the display unit 40 based on the information about the steering angle and the vehicle speed. Accordingly, the control unit 310 controls the display unit 40 based on the planned driving route to illuminate the grip position 40A. The grip position 40A is the position of the light-emitting steering wheel 14 where the driver should grip, and is illuminated to guide the driver as the grip position. The control unit 310 also controls the blinking indicator 40B to indicate an operating position a predetermined time ahead from the grip position 40A. As a result, the control unit 310 displays the operating position a predetermined time ahead using the blinking indicator 40B. Therefore, the operating position a predetermined time ahead is the position from the grip position 40A on the display unit 40 to the end of the blinking indicator 40B after turning. The information about the steering angle includes the steering grip torque that resists the alignment torque when switching to manual driving, and the steering angular velocity corresponding to the time progression of the steering angle a predetermined time ahead that is required to follow the planned driving route. The predetermined time ahead is any number of seconds that can be estimated by the control system 10, such as 10 to 60 seconds ahead. The steering angular velocity is obtained by time-differentiating the steering angle. Furthermore, when the control unit 310 detects that the driver is gripping the steering wheel, it switches the display color of the transition notification display portion 40C of the display unit 40 from OFF to ON. The transition notification display portion 40C is a display portion for distinguishing between state transitions between automatic driving and manual driving. The display mode of the display unit 40 at least displays the grip position 40A, and the flashing display 40B and the transition notification display portion 40C can be appropriately selected and implemented. In this way, the display unit 40 can display the grip position 40A of the light-emitting steering wheel 14 that the driver should grip.

[0058] The control unit 310 determines the amount of propagation of the flashing display 40B based on the steering grip torque and the propagation direction based on the steering angle. The flashing speed of the flashing display is determined based on the steering angular velocity. In this way, the flashing display to be displayed on the display unit 40 as the light-emitting mode of the illumination is determined. This allows the driver to intuitively understand where to grip the light-emitting steering wheel 14 and how far to steer, and by presenting appropriate force and handling, smooth operation can be guided. Note that the state in which the driver is not gripping the steering wheel (a state in which the automatic driving is steering control) is referred to as "hands off," and the state in which the driver is gripping the steering wheel is referred to as "hands on." The hands-on state is a state for transitioning from automatic driving to manual driving, and when the steering operation indicated by the guidance is performed in the hands-on state, the switch to manual driving is completed. The steering angular velocity is an example of the steering wheel operation speed of the present disclosure.

[0059] The display of the light-emitting modes of the display unit 40 will be illustrated. FIG. 5 shows the light-emitting modes of the light-emitting steering wheel 14 when a takeover request is made, and is an example of a case where guidance is given before the driver grips the wheel. The light-emitting mode of the light-emitting steering wheel 14 changes as shown in (a-1) to (a-3). (a-1) is a hands-off state, the display unit 40 is not emitting light, and the transition notification display portion 40C is in the hands-off display color. (a-2) shows a state where a takeover request is made, and the display unit 40 displays light emission at the gripping position 40A and light emission by illumination of the flashing display 40B. The light emission at the gripping position 40A and the flashing display 40B can guide the driver's operation and line of sight. (a-3) is a state where the driver grips the gripping position 40A with his / her hand G, and the transition notification display portion 40C changes to the hands-on display color. The arrows on the outer periphery of the light-emitting steering wheel 14 indicate the desired steering direction using the flashing indicator 40B, and the flashing indicator 40B is, for example, an illumination display that flows in the direction of the arrow. By using the flashing indicator 40B as an illumination in this way, the display indicates that the driver is heading toward an operating position that is a predetermined time ahead. By illuminating the gripping position 40A, the driver is guided to grip that position. By illuminating the flashing indicator 40B with the determined propagation direction and propagation amount, the steering direction and force of the steering operation after gripping the gripping position 40A are guided. The driver performs steering operations in accordance with the propagation direction and propagation amount of the flashing indicator 40B.

[0060] (Flow of Control) The flow of the control process executed by the control system 10 of this embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of Fig. 6. The control process by the light emission control ECU 22 is executed periodically by the CPU 30A functioning as each part of the acquisition part 300 and the control part 310.

[0061] In step S100, CPU 30A determines whether steering control is being performed by automatic driving with the hands off. If it is determined that steering control is being performed by automatic driving, the process proceeds to step S102. If it is determined that steering control is not being performed by automatic driving, the control process ends (returns). After returning, the control process is executed at the next execution timing.

[0062] In step S102, CPU 30A determines whether a takeover request has been received. If it is determined that a takeover request has been received, the process proceeds to step S104, and if it is determined that a takeover request has not been received, the control process ends.

[0063] In step S104, CPU 30A estimates the steering torque as information related to the steering angle by calculating the alignment torque related to the case where the driving mode is switched to manual driving from the planned driving route and vehicle information.

[0064] In step S106, CPU 30A estimates a steering angular velocity as information related to the steering angle. The steering angular velocity is a velocity corresponding to the time transition of the steering angle over a predetermined time ahead, which is necessary for following the planned travel route.

[0065] In step S108, CPU 30A determines grip position 40A of display unit 40 based on information related to the steering angle and the current vehicle speed.

[0066] In step S110, CPU 30A determines the circumferential propagation direction and propagation amount of blinking indicator 40B from the grip position to the operation position a predetermined time ahead. The propagation amount is determined based on the steering grip torque, and the propagation direction is determined based on the steering angle.

[0067] In step S112, CPU 30A determines the blinking speed of the blinking display based on the steering angular velocity.

[0068] In step S114, CPU 30A controls the light emission mode of display unit 40 so as to emit light in a blinking manner and indicate the determined grip position.

[0069] In step S116, CPU 30A determines whether the driver is gripping light-emitting steering wheel 14. If it is determined that the driver is gripping light-emitting steering wheel 14, the control process ends. If it is determined that the driver is gripping light-emitting steering wheel 14, the transition notification display portion 40C is switched to the hands-on display color. If it is determined that the driver is not gripping light-emitting steering wheel 14, the process returns to step S114 and the control of the light emission mode is repeated.

[0070] Fig. 7 shows an image of the light emitting state of the light emitting steering wheel 14 when the planned travel route is a curve. Fig. 7 shows that the blinking display 40B propagates counterclockwise along the left-hand curve.

[0071] [Variations] Modified examples of the light-emitting display of the display unit 40 are illustrated below. FIG. 8 shows the light-emitting state of the light-emitting steering wheel 14 when a takeover request is made, and is an example of a case where guidance is provided after the driver grips the wheel. The light-emitting state of the light-emitting steering wheel 14 transitions as shown in (b-1) to (b-3). (b-1) is a hands-off state, in which the display unit 40 is not emitting light, and the transition notification display portion 40C is in the hands-off display color. (b-2) shows a state in which a takeover request is made and the display unit 40 displays light-emitting light at the gripping position 40A. (b-3) shows a state in which light-emitting light is displayed by the illumination of the flashing display 40B after the driver grips the wheel. This allows the driver to smoothly guide the driver's operation and line of sight after gripping the wheel by the light-emitting light of the flashing display 40B. (b-4) is a state in which the driver grips the wheel at the gripping position 40A, in which the transition notification display portion 40C changes to the hands-on display color. By illuminating the grip position 40A, the driver is guided to grip that position. After gripping, by illuminating the flashing display 40B in the determined propagation direction and propagation amount, the driver is guided in the steering direction and force to apply when gripping the grip position 40A. The driver performs the steering operation in accordance with the propagation direction and propagation amount of the flashing display 40B. By illuminating the flashing display 40B after gripping, the driver is presented with the operation in stages, making it easier for them to recognize the operation.

[0072] The flow of control processing executed by the control system 10 according to the modified example will be described using the flowchart in Fig. 9. The modified example will be described focusing on the differences from the flowchart in Fig. 6 according to the first embodiment. In the modified example, step S200 is executed after step S112.

[0073] In step S200, CPU 30A controls the light emission mode of display unit 40 so that light is emitted at the determined grip position.

[0074] In step S202, CPU 30A determines whether the driver is gripping light-emitting steering wheel 14. If it is determined that the driver is gripping light-emitting steering wheel 14, the control process ends. If it is determined that the driver is gripping light-emitting steering wheel 14, the transition notification display portion 40C is switched to the hands-on display color. If it is determined that the driver is not gripping light-emitting steering wheel 14, the process returns to step S200 and repeats the control of the light emission mode.

[0075] In step S204, CPU 30A controls the light emission mode of display unit 40 so that the determined flashing display is caused to emit light.

[0076] As described above, the control system 10 of this embodiment displays the grip position and blinking display determined from the planned driving route on the display unit 40 of the light-emitting steering wheel 14. In this way, smooth guidance indicating the operations required for transitioning to manual driving can be provided.

[0077] [Second embodiment] The second embodiment is an aspect in which the flashing display is switched after gripping. When switching to manual driving occurs before a curve, for example, further steering operation is required after gripping. Therefore, if the steering angle during steering differs from the steering angle of the vehicle on the updated current planned driving route, the steering angular velocity after the update is estimated, the flashing speed is recalculated, and the flashing speed is switched. The steering angle during steering is the steering angle at which the driver grips the light-emitting steering wheel 14 and steers it along the route currently being driven. This allows the transition operation to be completed smoothly even when approaching a curve, etc.

[0078] The flow of the update control process executed by the control system 10 of the second embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 10. The transition occurs from Y in step S116 in Fig. 6 or the state after the driver has grasped the device in step S204 in Fig. 9. It is also assumed that the planned driving route has been updated.

[0079] In step S300, CPU 30A determines whether the steering angle of light-emitting steering wheel 14 during steering is different from the steering angle of the updated planned driving route. If it is determined that they are different, CPU 30A proceeds to step S302. If it is determined that they are not different, CPU 30A ends the update control process.

[0080] In step S302, CPU 30A estimates an updated steering angular velocity based on the updated planned traveling route, which is a velocity corresponding to the time transition of the steering angle at a predetermined time ahead that is necessary to follow the updated planned traveling route.

[0081] In step S304, CPU 30A recalculates the blinking speed of the blinking display based on the updated steering angular velocity.

[0082] In step S306, CPU 30A controls the light emission mode so as to switch to the recalculated blinking speed.

[0083] As described above, the control system 10 of this embodiment displays the grip position and blinking display determined from the planned driving route on the display unit 40 of the light-emitting steering wheel 14, and changes the blinking speed according to the updated planned driving route. In this way, even if there is a change in the road shape of the planned driving route, smooth guidance indicating the operations required to switch to manual driving can be provided.

[0084] [Third embodiment] The third embodiment is an aspect in which the display position of the transition notification display portion 40C is switched when the driver's grip position differs from the displayed grip position. The transition notification display portion 40C is displayed in the upper center position, which is centered with respect to the position where the driver grips the device with both hands, and serves to notify the state transition and guide the user's central gaze. Therefore, if the driver grips the device in a position different from the guided grip position, the display position is adjusted to match the actual grip position, and notification and guidance are provided.

[0085] The flow of the transition notification control process executed by the control system 10 of the third embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart in Fig. 11. The transition is made from Y in step S116 in Fig. 6 or the state after the driver has grasped the device in step S204 in Fig. 9, and the transition notification display portion 40C is in a state in which the display color has not been changed from hands-off to hands-on. The driver's grip state, including the position where the device is grasped, is detected by the steering sensor 24. The grip state includes states such as gripping with both hands, gripping with one hand, and whether the device is gripped with the left or right hand.

[0086] In step S400, CPU 30A determines whether the grip position displayed in the light emitting manner is different from the position actually gripped by the driver. If it is determined that they are different, the process proceeds to step S402. If it is determined that they are not different, the transition notification control process ends.

[0087] In step S402, CPU 30A determines whether the driver is holding the device with both hands. If it is determined that the driver is holding the device with both hands, the process proceeds to step S404. If it is determined that the driver is not holding the device with both hands (i.e., if it is determined that the driver is holding the device with one hand), the process proceeds to step S406.

[0088] In step S404, CPU 30A adjusts the position of transition notification display portion 40C to the upper center position corresponding to the position where the driver holds the device with both hands, and switches the display color from hands-off to hands-on. The adjustment is made by moving transition notification display portion 40C from its original position to the upper center position corresponding to the position where the user holds the device with both hands.

[0089] In step S406, CPU 30A determines, from the grip state detected by steering sensor 24, with which hand the driver is gripping the handle.

[0090] In step S408, CPU 30A estimates the position when gripped with one hand from the determined gripping position of the other hand.

[0091] In step S410, CPU 30A adjusts the position of transition notification display portion 40C to the upper center position assuming that the device is held with both hands, and switches the display color from hands-off to hands-on.

[0092] FIG. 12 is an illustration of what happens when both hands grip the steering wheel at a position different from the guided grip position. As shown in FIG. 12, in (c-1), both hands grip the steering wheel at a position different from the guided grip position 40A, and the transition notification display portion 40C is displayed at the upper center position CL1. In (c-2), the position of the transition notification display portion 40C is adjusted to the upper center position, moved from CL1 to CL2 according to the grip position with both hands, and the display color is changed from hands-off to hands-on. Even if the steering wheel is gripped at a position different from grip position 40A, the display color of the transition notification display portion 40C changes to the hands-on color, allowing the driver to recognize that the state has changed to one in which manual driving can be transitioned to, and to perform steering operation in accordance with the propagation direction and propagation amount of the flashing display 40B.

[0093] Although the example described above is one in which the display position of the transition notification display portion 40C is switched by adjusting the upper center position, the display positions of the gripping position 40A and the flashing display 40B may also be controlled to be adjusted and displayed according to the position at which the driver grips the display.

[0094] As described above, the control system 10 of this embodiment displays the grip position and blinking display determined from the planned driving route on the display unit 40 of the light-emitting steering wheel 14, and displays the transition notification display portion 40C in an upper center position corresponding to the driver's grip position different from the guidance. In this way, even if the driver grips the wheel in a position different from the guidance, smooth guidance can be provided that shows the operations required to transition to manual driving.

[0095] The light emission mode of the control system 10 in each of the above-described embodiments is not limited to the display unit 40 of the light-emitting steering wheel 14, and may be displayed on other displays.

[0096] In the above embodiments, various processes executed by the CPU 20A after reading software (programs) may be executed by various processors other than a CPU. Examples of such processors include programmable logic devices (PLDs) (such as field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs)) whose circuit configuration can be changed after fabrication, and application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs) that are dedicated electrical circuits designed specifically to execute specific processes. Each of the above processes may be executed by one of these processors, or by a combination of two or more processors of the same or different types (e.g., multiple FPGAs, or a combination of a CPU and an FPGA). The hardware structure of these processors is, more specifically, an electrical circuit that combines circuit elements such as semiconductor devices.

[0097] In the above embodiments, each program is described as being pre-stored (installed) on a computer-readable non-transitory recording medium. For example, the processing program 100 in the integrated ECU 21 is pre-stored in the ROM 20B of the integrated ECU 21, and the control program 150 in the light emission control ECU 22 is pre-stored in the ROM 20B of the light emission control ECU 22. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Each program may be provided in a form recorded on a non-transitory recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disc Read Only Memory), or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory. Furthermore, the program may be downloaded from an external device via a network.

[0098] The processing flow described in each of the above embodiments is merely an example, and unnecessary steps may be deleted, new steps may be added, or the processing order may be changed within the scope of the gist of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0099] 22 Light emission control ECU (control device) 300 Acquisition Department 310 Control Unit

Claims

1. a control unit that controls a display unit that can display a grip position of a steering wheel that a user should grip when transitioning from automatic driving to manual driving; The display unit has a transition notification display portion for identifying state transitions between automatic driving and manual driving, When a user grips the device at a position different from the displayed grip position and a state transition to manual operation is made, the control unit adjusts the transition notification display portion to a position corresponding to the position gripped by the user. Control device.

2. An acquisition unit that acquires a planned driving route of the vehicle is further provided, The control unit determines the gripping position based on the planned traveling route. The control device according to claim 1 .

3. The control device according to claim 2 , wherein the control unit determines the grip position based on information about the steering angle of the steering wheel calculated from the planned travel route and on the vehicle speed.

4. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit causes the display unit to display a steering position a predetermined time ahead of the steering.

5. The control device according to claim 4 , wherein the control unit causes the display unit to display a blinking display from the grip position toward the operation position that is the predetermined time ahead.

6. The control device according to claim 5, wherein the blinking speed of the blinking display is determined based on the operating speed of the steering wheel at a predetermined time ahead on a planned travel route of the vehicle.

7. 7. The control device according to claim 6, wherein, after control of displaying the flashing display, if the steering angle during steering differs from the steering angle of the updated planned driving route, the control unit recalculates the flashing speed of the flashing display based on the updated operation speed a predetermined time later, and switches the flashing speed.

8. 2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein, when the user is holding the device with one hand, the control unit estimates the position that the device would be held with the other hand, and adjusts the transition notification display portion to a position corresponding to the estimated position that the user would be holding the device with the other hand.

9. The control device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit controls the display unit provided along a circumferential direction of the steering wheel.

10. The steering wheel mounted on a vehicle, A steering wheel comprising the control device according to claim 1.

11. A vehicle comprising the steering wheel according to claim 10.

12. Controlling a display unit capable of displaying a gripping position of a steering wheel that a user should grip when transitioning from automated driving to manual driving; The display unit has a transition notification display portion for identifying state transitions between automatic driving and manual driving, When a user grips the device at a position different from the displayed grip position and a state transition to manual operation is made, the control adjusts the transition notification display portion to a position corresponding to the position gripped by the user. A control method for computer-implemented processing.

13. Controlling a display unit capable of displaying a gripping position of a steering wheel that a user should grip when transitioning from automated driving to manual driving; The display unit has a transition notification display portion for identifying state transitions between automatic driving and manual driving, When a user grips the device at a position different from the displayed grip position and a state transition to manual operation is made, the control adjusts the transition notification display portion to a position corresponding to the position gripped by the user. A control program that causes a computer to execute a process.

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