Control device, control method, and program

Abstract

To improve a convenient characteristic of a user.SOLUTION: A control device comprises: a travel control unit that controls a travel of a moving object without operation by a crew member of the moving object; and a display control unit that displays on a target display unit either of a first display screen that displays a control state of the travel control unit, and a second display screen that does not display the control state of the travel control unit, on which the crew member has performed a selection operation, wherein: in the case that the travel control unit determines that it will actually control the travel of the moving object when the crew member selects to display the second display screen on the display unit, the display control unit switches the second display screen to the first display screen and displays the first display screen on the display unit, regardless of the selection operation of the crew member.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a control device, a control method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, efforts to provide sustainable transportation systems that take various situations into consideration have become more active. To achieve this, efforts are being made to further improve traffic safety and convenience through research and development of driving assistance technologies. A vehicle guidance display device has been disclosed that displays an image of the road ahead of the vehicle on a display, and also creates and displays guide arrows at branching points that are superimposed on the image of the road ahead (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-287177 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventional technologies have not disclosed a method for displaying information in accordance with the traveling state of a vehicle, which may result in poor convenience for passengers of the vehicle.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and one of its objects is to provide a control device, a control method, and a program that can improve convenience for passengers (e.g., drivers) of a moving vehicle, thereby contributing to the development of a sustainable transportation system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The control device, control method, and program according to the present invention employ the following configuration. (1): A control device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a driving control unit that controls the driving of a moving body without relying on the operation of an occupant of the moving body, and a display control unit that causes a target display unit to display the screen selected by the occupant from among a first display screen that displays information about the control state of the driving control unit and a second display screen that does not display information about the control state of the driving control unit. When the occupant selects to display the second display screen on the display unit, if the display control unit determines that the driving control unit will actually control the driving of the moving body, the display control unit switches the second display screen to the first display screen and displays the first display screen on the display unit without relying on the selection operation of the occupant.

[0007] (2) In the above aspect (1), the display relating to the control state is a display relating to an automobile lane change control in which the moving body automatically changes lanes.

[0008] (3): In the above aspect (2), the automatic lane change control is performed on a branch road connected to the first lane on which the moving body is traveling, and the display control unit displays the second display screen on the display unit when the moving body is performing deceleration control for changing lanes using the automatic lane change control before the branch road, and displays the first display screen on the display unit after the deceleration control.

[0009] (4): In any of the above aspects (1), the second display screen includes a navigation screen that indicates the traveling direction of the moving object or the direction to the destination of the moving object.

[0010] (5): In the above aspect (1), the second display screen includes a screen showing the fuel efficiency or electricity efficiency of the moving object.

[0011] (6): In the above aspect (5), when the display control unit determines that the driving control unit will actually control the driving of the moving body, it switches the second display screen to the first display screen and displays the second display screen on the display unit without relying on the selection operation of the occupant, and then, when the control of driving by the driving control unit is completed and the moving body is in a steady state of moving, it returns the first display screen to the second display screen and displays the second display screen on the display unit.

[0012] (7): In the above aspect (2), when the driving control unit determines that the automated lane change control is to be performed, the display control unit switches the second display screen to the first display screen and displays the first display screen on the display unit, regardless of the occupant's selection operation, and when the automated lane change control is completed, returns the first display screen to the second display screen and displays the second display screen on the display unit.

[0013] (8): In another aspect of the control method of the present invention, a computer executes the following processes: a process for controlling the traveling of a moving body without relying on an operation by an occupant of the moving body; a process for displaying, on a target display unit, a screen selected by the occupant from a first display screen that displays the control status of the process for controlling the traveling of the moving body and a second display screen that does not display the control status; and a process for switching the second display screen to the first display screen and displaying the first display screen on the display unit without relying on a selection operation by the occupant when the occupant has selected to display the second display screen on the display unit and, if it is determined that the process for controlling the traveling will actually control the traveling of the moving body.

[0014] (9): A program according to another aspect of the present invention is a program for causing a computer to execute the following processes: a process for controlling the traveling of a moving body without relying on the operation of an occupant of the moving body; a process for displaying, on a target display unit, a screen selected by the occupant from a first display screen that displays the control status of the process for controlling the traveling of the moving body and a second display screen that does not display the control status; and a process for switching the second display screen to the first display screen and displaying the first display screen on the display unit without relying on the selection operation of the occupant when it is determined that the process for controlling the traveling will actually control the traveling of the moving body when the occupant has selected to display the second display screen on the display unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to aspects (1) to (9), it is possible to improve user convenience. When it is possible to switch between the first screen display and the second screen display, the first display screen relating to control is displayed according to the timing at which control that actually affects the running of the moving object is to occur, so that the occupant can understand what kind of control will be performed and why when or before the running actually occurs.

[0016] According to the aspect (2), when the automatic lane change control is performed at a fork in the road or the like, the occupant can know the timing when the driving control unit actually performs a lane change under the automatic lane change control.

[0017] According to the aspect (3), the first screen display is performed after pre-deceleration before the fork. The timing of this first screen display is before the lateral movement after braking control, so that the occupants can know that they will be changing lanes before the lateral movement occurs.

[0018] According to the aspect (4), even if the navigation screen is selected, the display is switched to the first screen display related to driving control before driving control that actually affects the driving of the moving body is actually performed, so that the occupants can understand what driving control will be performed and why before the moving body actually starts driving.

[0019] According to the aspect (5), even if a screen related to fuel economy or electricity consumption is selected, the display is switched to the first screen related to driving control before driving control that actually affects the driving of the vehicle occurs, so that the occupant can understand what kind of driving control will be performed and why before the vehicle actually starts driving.

[0020] According to the aspect (6), when the lane change is completed, the display is quickly returned to the second screen, so that it is possible to prevent the occupants from feeling uncomfortable with the display.

[0021] According to the aspect (7), when the lane change to the adjacent lane is completed, the display returns to the selected second screen, so that it is possible to prevent the occupant from feeling uncomfortable with the display. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 that uses a vehicle control system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram (part 1) for explaining the processing of this embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram (part 2) for explaining the processing of this embodiment. [Figure 4] 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the driving assistance device 100. [Figure 5] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining a situation in which a vehicle M changes lanes. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] [Overall configuration] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 that uses a vehicle control system according to an embodiment. The vehicle on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted may be, for example, a two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled vehicle, and its drive source may be an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination of these. The electric motor operates using power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, or power discharged from a secondary battery or a fuel cell. This embodiment will be described as being applied to a vehicle, but may also be applied to other moving objects instead of a vehicle.

[0024] The vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, vehicle sensors 40, a navigation device 50, an MPU 60, an operator 80, a direction indicator 90, a driving assistance device 100, a driving force output device 200, a braking device 210, and a steering device 220. These devices and equipment are connected to each other via multiplex communication lines such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication line, serial communication lines, a wireless communication network, etc. The configuration shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and some of the configuration may be omitted, or other configurations may be added. The driving assistance device 100 is an example of a "controller."

[0025] The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is attached to any location of a vehicle (hereinafter referred to as vehicle M) in which the vehicle system 1 is installed. When capturing an image of the front, the camera 10 is attached to the top of the front windshield, the back of the rearview mirror, or the like. The camera 10, for example, periodically captures images of the periphery of the vehicle M. The camera 10 may be a stereo camera.

[0026] The radar device 12 emits radio waves such as millimeter waves around the vehicle M and detects radio waves reflected by an object (reflected waves) to detect at least the position (distance and direction) of the object. The radar device 12 is attached to any location on the vehicle M. The radar device 12 may detect the position and speed of an object using an FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

[0027] The LIDAR 14 irradiates the surroundings of the vehicle M with light (or electromagnetic waves with wavelengths similar to light) and measures the scattered light. The LIDAR 14 detects the distance to the target based on the time between light emission and light reception. The irradiated light is, for example, pulsed laser light. The LIDAR 14 may be attached to any location on the vehicle M.

[0028] The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results from some or all of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to recognize the position, type, speed, etc. of the object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition results to the driving assistance device 100. The object recognition device 16 may output the detection results from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 directly to the driving assistance device 100. The object recognition device 16 may be omitted from the vehicle system 1.

[0029] The communication device 20 communicates with other vehicles in the vicinity of the vehicle M, for example, using a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), etc., or communicates with various server devices via a wireless base station.

[0030] The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupants of the vehicle M and accepts input operations by the occupants. The HMI 30 includes various display devices, speakers, buzzers, touch panels, switches, keys, etc. The HMI 30 is equipped with a display device. The display device is, for example, a so-called multi-information display, provided in the center of the instrument panel of the vehicle M, and displays various information about the vehicle M, such as a speedometer that indicates the traveling speed of the vehicle M or a tachometer that indicates the rotation speed (rotational speed) of the internal combustion engine equipped in the vehicle M.

[0031] The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects the angular velocity around a vertical axis, a direction sensor that detects the direction of the vehicle M, and the like.

[0032] The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a route determination unit 53. The navigation device 50 stores first map information 54 in a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 identifies the position of the vehicle M based on signals received from GNSS satellites. The position of the vehicle M may be identified or supplemented by an inertial navigation system (INS) that uses the output of the vehicle sensors 40. The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, keys, etc. The navigation HMI 52 may share some or all of the components with the HMI 30 described above. The route determination unit 53 determines, for example, a route (hereinafter, a route on a map) from the position of the vehicle M identified by the GNSS receiver 51 (or any input position) to a destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52, with reference to the first map information 54. The first map information 54 is information that represents road shapes using, for example, links indicating roads and nodes connected by the links. The first map information 54 may also include information such as road curvature and POI (Point of Interest) information. The route on the map is output to the MPU 60. The navigation device 50 may provide route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the route on the map. The navigation device 50 may be realized, for example, by the functions of a terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet device owned by the occupant. The navigation device 50 may transmit the current position and destination to a navigation server via the communication device 20 and obtain a route equivalent to the route on the map from the navigation server.

[0033] The MPU 60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 61 and stores second map information 62 in a storage device such as an HDD or flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 61 divides the route on the map provided by the navigation device 50 into a plurality of blocks (for example, every 100 m in the vehicle traveling direction) and determines a recommended lane for each block by referring to the second map information 62. The recommended lane determination unit 61 determines, for example, which lane from the left the vehicle M should take. When a branch point is present on the route on the map, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines a recommended lane so that the vehicle M can travel on a reasonable route to the branch point. For example, when the vehicle M arrives a predetermined distance before the branch road on which the vehicle M is traveling, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines a lane connecting to the branch road as the recommended lane. The recommended lane determination unit 61 and the second map information 62 may be functional units or information included in another device, such as the driving assistance device 100.

[0034] The second map information 62 is map information with higher accuracy than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes, for example, information on the center of lanes or information on lane boundaries. The second map information 62 may include road information, traffic regulation information, address information (address and postal code), facility information, telephone number information, etc. The second map information 62 may be updated as needed by the communication device 20 communicating with other devices.

[0035] The operators 80 include, for example, a steering wheel 82 as well as an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, and other operators. The operators 80 are fitted with sensors that detect the amount of operation or whether or not an operation is performed, and the detection results are output to the driving assistance device 100 or some or all of the driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device 220. The steering wheel 82 does not necessarily have to be annular, and may be in the form of an irregularly shaped steering wheel, a joystick, a button, or the like. The operators 80 include a first operator 84. The direction indicator 90 turns on or off in response to operation of the first operator 84.

[0036] The first operator 84 is, for example, a turn signal lever switch. For example, when the driver operates the first operator 84, the direction indicator 90 lights up in response to the operation. When the driver performs a predetermined operation on the first operator 84, the control unit 150 activates an ALC (Auto Lane Change) function and causes the vehicle M to perform an automatic lane change. The predetermined operation is an operation that triggers activation of the ALC function. The predetermined operation is, for example, operating the turn signal lever switch in the direction of a desired lane change for a predetermined period of time, or pressing the turn signal lever switch to a predetermined position. More specifically, the predetermined operation is operating the turn signal lever switch in the direction of a desired lane change while maintaining a predetermined position for a predetermined period of time. The first operator 84 may be another embodiment, such as a button, instead of a turn signal lever switch. The ALC function may also be activated by operating another operator, such as a predetermined button.

[0037] The driving assistance device 100 includes, for example, a recognition unit 110 and a control unit 150. The recognition unit 110 and the control unit 150 are realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or an SOC (System On Chip), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD or flash memory of the driving assistance device 100, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the HDD or flash memory of the driving assistance device 100 by inserting the storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) into a drive device.

[0038] The recognition unit 110 recognizes the position, speed, acceleration, and other states of objects around the vehicle M based on information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 via the object recognition device 16. The position of an object is recognized as a position on an absolute coordinate system with a representative point of the vehicle M (such as the center of gravity or the center of the drive shaft) as the origin, and is used for control. The position of an object may be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the object, or may be represented by an area. The "state" of an object may include the acceleration or jerk of the object, or the "behavioral state" (for example, whether or not the object is changing lanes or is about to change lanes).

[0039] The recognition unit 110 recognizes, for example, the lane in which the vehicle M is traveling (driving lane). For example, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the driving lane by comparing the pattern of road dividing lines (e.g., an arrangement of solid lines and dashed lines) obtained from the second map information 62 with the pattern of road dividing lines around the vehicle M recognized from an image captured by the camera 10. The recognition unit 110 may recognize the driving lane by recognizing road boundaries (road boundaries) including not only road dividing lines but also road dividing lines, shoulders, curbs, medians, guardrails, etc. In this recognition, the position of the vehicle M obtained from the navigation device 50 and the processing results by the INS may be taken into consideration. The recognition unit 110 recognizes stop lines, obstacles, red lights, toll booths, and other road phenomena.

[0040] When recognizing the driving lane, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the position and orientation of the vehicle M with respect to the driving lane. For example, the recognition unit 110 may recognize the deviation of the reference point of the vehicle M from the center of the lane and the angle it forms with a line connecting the centers of the lanes in the traveling direction of the vehicle M as the relative position and orientation of the vehicle M with respect to the driving lane. Alternatively, the recognition unit 110 may recognize the position of the reference point of the vehicle M with respect to either side edge of the driving lane (a road dividing line or a road boundary) as the relative position of the vehicle M with respect to the driving lane.

[0041] The control unit 150 executes driving assistance control. For example, the control unit 150 automatically controls the driving force output device 200 and the brake device 210 without relying on the driver's operation, thereby automatically controlling the speed of the vehicle M. The control unit 150 executes so-called ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control). The control unit 150 controls the vehicle M to travel at a set speed, or to travel by following a leading vehicle at a predetermined distance from the leading vehicle.

[0042] The control unit 150 controls the steering device 220 so that the vehicle M does not deviate from the driving lane. For example, the control unit 150 controls the steering device 220 so that the vehicle M travels in the center or near the center of the driving lane recognized by the recognition unit 110. Hereinafter, this control may be referred to as "lane keeping control." The control unit 150 executes hands-on lane keeping control and hands-off lane keeping control.

[0043] Hands-on lane keeping control is a control that is executed when the driver is gripping the steering wheel (when a steering grip sensor (not shown) detects that the driver is gripping the steering wheel). The conditions under which hands-on lane keeping control can be executed are less stringent than the conditions under which hands-off lane keeping control can be executed.

[0044] Hands-off lane keeping control is a control that is executed when the driver is not gripping the steering wheel (when a steering grip sensor, not shown, does not detect that the driver is gripping the steering wheel). Hands-off lane keeping control can be executed, for example, when the following conditions are met: the speed of vehicle M is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed, vehicle M is traveling on a predetermined road (for example, a road or type of road that has been set in advance as one for which hands-off lane keeping control can be executed), and the driver is monitoring the road ahead. When the driver is monitoring the road ahead, hands-off lane keeping control is executed, and when the driver is not monitoring the road ahead, hands-off lane keeping control is not executed or is stopped.

[0045] The above-described conditions under which the hands-on lane keeping control and the hands-off lane keeping control can be executed are merely examples, and other conditions (for example, vehicle M following a vehicle ahead) may be included, or some conditions may be omitted. The conditions under which the hands-on lane keeping control can be executed may be looser than the conditions under which the hands-off lane keeping control can be executed (the conditions under which the hands-off lane keeping control can be executed may be stricter than the conditions under which the hands-on lane keeping control can be executed). Whether the driver is monitoring the road ahead is recognized by driving assistance device 100 based on an image captured by a camera (not shown) that captures an image of the driver.

[0046] The control unit 150 includes a processing unit 152 (display control unit) and an assistance control unit 154 (driving control unit). The processing unit 152 displays various images on the display unit. The assistance control unit 154 causes the vehicle M to automatically change lanes. The automatic lane change control may be conditioned on the execution of hands-off lane keeping control or hands-on lane keeping control.

[0047] The driving force output device 200 outputs a driving force (torque) to the driving wheels for driving the vehicle M. The driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a transmission, etc., and an ECU that controls these. The ECU controls the above components in accordance with information input from the driving assistance device 100 or information input from the operator 80.

[0048] The brake device 210 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor in accordance with information input from the driving assistance device 100 or information input from the operator 80, so that a brake torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel.

[0049] The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor changes the direction of the steered wheels by applying a force to, for example, a rack and pinion mechanism. The steering ECU drives the electric motor to change the direction of the steered wheels in accordance with information input from the driving assistance device 100 or information input from the operator 80.

[0050] [Display Control] FIG. 2 is a diagram (part 1) for explaining the processing of this embodiment. For example, a vehicle M is traveling on a first lane L1. The vehicle M plans to change lanes to a second lane L2 adjacent to the first lane L1. The second lane L2 is a branch lane branching from the first lane L1. For example, the following control is executed when traveling on the second lane L2 is set as the target route for the vehicle M. The following control is also executed when an occupant (driver) of the vehicle M performs an operation to instruct the vehicle M to change lanes to the second lane L2 a predetermined distance before the junction point where the first lane L1 and the second lane L2 connect. The instructing operation is, for example, any operation such as operating a predetermined lane change reservation button or operating the first operator 84. For example, branch assistance control is executed in which a lane change to the branch lane is automatically performed by operating the reservation button.

[0051] For example, when approaching a branching lane, the assistance control unit 154 automatically decelerates, turns on the turn indicator 90 at an appropriate timing, and automatically controls the steering without the driver's operation to change the vehicle M into the branching lane. This assistance control may be performed, for example, when hands-off lane keeping control or hands-on lane keeping control is being executed.

[0052] Time T is the timing when vehicle M arrives a first predetermined distance before the connection position. Time T+1 is the timing when vehicle M arrives a second predetermined distance before the connection position. The second predetermined distance is shorter than the first predetermined distance. Time T+2 is the timing when vehicle M arrives a third predetermined distance before the connection position. The third predetermined distance is shorter than the second predetermined distance. Time T+2 is the timing when the turn signal 90 turns on. Time T+3 is the timing when vehicle M starts to change lanes to the second lane L2 (or the timing just before starting).

[0053] Until time T+2, the selected content can be (or is) displayed on the display unit, and from time T+2 until time T+5 (described later), the dedicated content is displayed on the display unit. After time T+5, the selected content can (or is) displayed on the display unit.

[0054] The selected content is an example of a "second display screen that is not a display related to the control state of the driving control unit." The dedicated content is an example of a "first display screen that is a display related to the control state of the driving control unit." The dedicated content is a screen related to so-called ADAS (Advanced driver-assistance systems). The dedicated content is, for example, a display related to the control or function of ADAS. For example, until time T+2 or after time T+5, the processing unit 152 displays, on the target display unit, the screen selected by the occupant from the selected content (one or more selected contents) and the dedicated content.

[0055] The selected content is a display that is different from the display related to the control state of the vehicle M (lane change, lane keeping control, ACC, etc.) of the assistance control unit 154, such as image IM1 or image IM2. The occupant can perform a predetermined operation to display any content from among the multiple selected contents on the display unit. For example, the processing unit 152 displays image IM2 on the display unit instead of image IM1 in response to the occupant's operation. Image IM1 is a navigation screen that shows the traveling direction of the vehicle M or the direction to the destination of the vehicle M. Image IM2 is a screen that shows the fuel efficiency or electricity consumption of the vehicle M.

[0056] When the occupant has selected to display the selected content on the display unit, if the processing unit 152 determines that the assistance control unit 154 will actually control the traveling of the vehicle M, the processing unit 152 switches the selected content to the dedicated content and displays the dedicated content on the display unit, regardless of the selection operation of the occupant. The timing at which the assistance control unit 154 "determines that the assistance control unit 154 will actually control the traveling of the vehicle M" is the timing at which the assistance control unit 154 starts to change lanes of the vehicle M, a predetermined time before the above-mentioned start timing, a predetermined time after the above-mentioned start timing, and the timing at which the turn indicator 90 is turned on in response to the start of the lane change, etc.

[0057] At time T+2, when vehicle M starts to change lanes, processing unit 152 displays dedicated content on the display unit in place of the selected content. The dedicated content is a display related to automated lane change control in which vehicle M automatically changes lanes, such as images IM3, IM4, and IM5. For example, in the section from time T+1 to time T+2 (the section before the branch road), assistance control unit 154 decelerates vehicle M to change lanes. During this time, processing unit 152 displays the selected content on the display unit. At time T+2 after deceleration control has been performed, processing unit 152 displays dedicated content on the display unit. In this example, the dedicated content is described as being displayed after deceleration control has been performed, but the dedicated content may also be displayed before deceleration control is started or when it is determined to change lanes.

[0058] Images IM3, IM4, and IM5 are displayed on the display unit in this order. Image IM3 includes a first lane L1, a third lane L3 adjacent to the first lane, a second lane L2 that is a branch lane adjacent to the first lane, a vehicle M (the vehicle at the bottom of the image), information indicating the future trajectory of vehicle M, and direction information (arrow) indicating the direction in which vehicle M will change lanes. The direction information is associated with vehicle M in image IM3. The first lane L1, second lane L2, and third lane L3 are images generated from the recognition results of recognition unit 110 (images captured by camera 10).

[0059] Image IM4 is similar to image IM3 except that the color of the direction information in image IM4 is displayed differently from the color of the direction information in image IM3, and information indicating that the turn signal 90 is on is added to the image of vehicle M. Image IM5 is an image in which the trajectory of vehicle M in image IM4 is shown proceeding from the first lane L1 to the second lane L2. Image IM5 is an image displayed on the display unit before vehicle M enters the second lane L2 or before a lane change is completed. Completion of a lane change means, for example, that vehicle M has moved onto a branching road (moved to near the center of the branching road) or that vehicle M has traveled a predetermined distance after moving onto the branching road.

[0060] As described above, the processing unit 152 displays the dedicated content on the display unit in place of the selected content in accordance with the timing when the vehicle M starts to change lanes, thereby enabling the occupant to understand what control will be performed and why at or before the actual timing when the lane change occurs, thereby improving user convenience.

[0061] FIG. 3 is a diagram (part 2) for explaining the processing of this embodiment. FIG. 3 shows a scene after time T+2 shown in FIG. 2. At time T+3, image IM5 is displayed. At this time, or thereafter, vehicle M starts changing lanes. At time T+4, vehicle M changes lanes and moves into second lane L2, and image IM6 is displayed. Image IM6 includes information indicating the first lane L1 recognized by recognition unit 110, the second lane L2 recognized by recognition unit 110, vehicle M (the vehicle at the bottom of the image), and the future trajectory of vehicle M.

[0062] When image IM6 is displayed, navigation linkage is performed at time T+2 and before time T+2. Navigation linkage means that processing unit 152 uses information from navigation device 50 (e.g., road information such as lanes) to display an image on the display unit, or is capable of displaying an image on the display unit. This allows processing unit 152 to identify the timing at which dedicated content is displayed on the display unit.

[0063] When the driving control by the assistance control unit 154 is completed and the vehicle M is in a steady state of movement, the processing unit 152 returns the dedicated content to the selected content and displays the selected content on the display unit. For example, when the automobile lane change control is completed, the processing unit 152 returns the dedicated content to the selected content and displays the selected content on the display unit. Assume that the lane change is completed at time T+5. In this case, the processing unit 152 displays the selected content that was displayed on the display unit before time T+2 on the display unit instead of the dedicated content.

[0064] As described above, the processing unit 152 quickly returns the display to the selected content once the lane change is complete, thereby preventing the occupant from feeling uncomfortable with the display and allowing the occupant to recognize the information they want to recognize in the selected content, thereby improving user convenience.

[0065] [flowchart] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the driving assistance device 100. First, the processing unit 152 acquires position information of the vehicle M (step S100). Next, the processing unit 152 acquires navigation information (step S102). The navigation information includes information on the destination set in the navigation device 50, information on the target route for the vehicle M guided by the navigation device 50, and the structure of roads around the target route. The processing of steps S100 and S102 is repeatedly executed at predetermined intervals.

[0066] Next, the processing unit 152 determines whether or not a target route has been set for a branch route based on the information acquired in steps S100 and S102 (step S104). If the target route has not been set for a branch route, the process returns to step S100. If the target route has been set for a branch route, the processing unit 152 determines whether or not the vehicle M has arrived a predetermined distance before the branch route, which is the target route (step S106). If the vehicle M has not arrived a predetermined distance before the branch route, which is the target route, the process returns to step S100. It is assumed that the selected content is displayed on the display unit up to step S106.

[0067] When the vehicle M arrives a predetermined distance before the branch road, which is the target traveling route, the processing unit 152 switches the selected content to the dedicated content and displays the dedicated content on the display unit (step S108). Next, the processing unit 152 determines whether the lane change is complete (step S110). If the lane change is not complete, the process returns to step S108. If the lane change is complete, the processing unit 152 displays the selected content before switching to the dedicated content on the display unit (step S112). This ends the processing of one routine of this flowchart.

[0068] Instead of the processing of step S110, it may be determined whether a condition is satisfied. The condition may be, for example, that the vehicle M has reached a predetermined position or that the state of the vehicle M has satisfied an arbitrary condition. The state of the vehicle M having satisfied an arbitrary condition may be, for example, that the turn indicator has been turned off or that a predetermined time has elapsed since the turn indicator was turned off.

[0069] In the above example, control was described for a situation in which vehicle M is proceeding onto a branching road, but instead (or in addition), control with a similar purpose to the above may also be performed when vehicle M is changing lanes.

[0070] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining a situation in which vehicle M changes lanes. For example, if there is a slower vehicle ahead of vehicle M at time T+1, it is assumed that the vehicle will decide to change lanes. In FIG. 5, depictions of surrounding vehicles are omitted. For example, it is assumed that the driver issues an instruction to change lanes automatically. At time T+2, vehicle M recognizes the situation in the lane adjacent to vehicle M and decides that it is possible to change lanes. At time T+3, vehicle M starts changing lanes. At time T+4, the lane change is in progress. At time T+5, the lane change is assumed to be completed.

[0071] The selected content is displayed until time T+2. The dedicated content is displayed from time T+2 to time T+5. The selected content is displayed after time T+5. For example, the selected content, image IM2, is displayed until time T+2 and after time T+5.

[0072] Furthermore, if the driver selects an image showing the situation around vehicle M as the selected content, images IM11, IM12, and IM16 showing the situation around vehicle M may be displayed until time T+2 and after time T+5. Image IM11 is an image displayed before time T+1. Image IM11 shows vehicles and road dividing lines present around vehicle M (other vehicles are not depicted in the road diagram shown at the top of the image). Image IM12 includes, in addition to the content of image IM11, information showing the future trajectory of vehicle M and direction information (arrows) showing the direction in which vehicle M will change lanes. Image IM11, image IM12, or image IM16 may be another example of selected content. Images IM11, IM12, IM16 and images IM13, IM14, IM15 are, for example, both selected content and dedicated content, and when images IM11, IM12, and IM16, which are images showing the surrounding situation, are selected as selected content, images IM13, IM14, and IM15, which show the surrounding situation corresponding to images IM11, IM12, and IM16 showing the surrounding situation, are displayed as they are even in the section where the dedicated content is displayed.

[0073] At time T+2, image IM13 is displayed, at time T+3, image IM14 is displayed, and at time T+4, image IM15 is displayed. Images IM13, IM14, and IM15 contain information requesting the driver to check the surroundings, such as the lane into which the vehicle will change lanes. Image IM13 contains information indicating the future trajectory of vehicle M and direction information (arrow) indicating the direction in which vehicle M will change lanes. In image IM14, the direction information may be displayed in a color different from that of the direction information in image IM13. In image IM15, the direction information may be displayed in a color different from that of the direction information in image IM14. For example, the direction information may be displayed in a manner that further emphasizes vehicle M's lane change.

[0074] At time T+5, when the lane change is completed and vehicle M is moving steadily, the dedicated content is returned to the selected content and the selected content is displayed on the display unit. For example, image IM2 or image IM16 is displayed. Image IM16 is content showing the situation around vehicle M.

[0075] 4 is applied to lane changes, the determinations in steps S100 and S102 are omitted. The process in step S104 can be read as "the processing unit 152 determines whether the vehicle M plans to change lanes," and the process in step S106 can be read as "the processing unit 152 determines whether the vehicle M will change lanes."

[0076] As described above, the processing unit 152 can improve user convenience by displaying dedicated content on the display unit instead of the selected content at the timing when the vehicle M starts to change lanes.

[0077] According to the embodiment described above, when the occupant selects to display the selected content (second display screen) on the display unit, if the driving assistance device 100 determines that the assistance control unit 154 will actually control the driving of the vehicle M, the selected content (second display screen) is switched to the dedicated content (first display screen) and the dedicated content is displayed on the display unit, regardless of the selection operation of the occupant, thereby improving convenience for the user.

[0078] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows. a storage device storing a program; a hardware processor; The hardware processor executes the program stored in the storage device, a process of controlling the traveling of the vehicle without relying on an operation by a passenger of the vehicle; A process of displaying a screen selected by the occupant on a target display unit out of a first display screen that displays the control state and a second display screen that does not display the control state of the driving control unit; When the occupant selects to display the second display screen on the display unit, When it is determined that the travel of the moving body is to be actually controlled in the process of controlling the travel, and executing a process of switching the second display screen to the first display screen and displaying the first display screen on the display unit without depending on a selection operation by the occupant. The control device is configured as follows.

[0079] The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0080] 1 Vehicle System 10 Camera 80 Controls 84 1st controller 90 Turn signal 100 Driving assistance device 110 Recognition part 150 control section 152 Processing section 154 Support control section

Claims

1. a travel control unit that controls travel of the moving body without relying on an operation by a passenger of the moving body; a display control unit that displays a screen selected by the occupant on a target display unit out of a first display screen that displays information about the control state of the driving control unit and a second display screen that does not display information about the control state of the driving control unit; The display control unit When the occupant selects to display the second display screen on the display unit, When it is determined that the traveling control unit actually controls the traveling of the moving body, switching the second display screen to the first display screen and displaying the first display screen on the display unit without relying on a selection operation by the occupant; Control device.

2. The display regarding the control state is a display regarding an automatic lane change control in which the moving object automatically changes lanes. The control device according to claim 1 .

3. the lane change control is performed on a branching road connected to a first lane in which the moving object is traveling, The display control unit When the moving object is executing deceleration control for a lane change under the automated lane change control before the branch road, the second display screen is displayed on the display unit; After the deceleration control, the first display screen is displayed on the display unit. The control device according to claim 2 .

4. the second display screen includes a navigation screen that indicates a traveling direction of the moving body or a direction to a destination of the moving body; The control device according to claim 1 .

5. The second display screen includes a screen showing fuel efficiency or electricity efficiency of the vehicle. The control device according to claim 1 .

6. The display control unit When it is determined that the traveling control unit actually controls the traveling of the moving body, After switching the second display screen to the first display screen and displaying the second display screen on the display unit without relying on a selection operation by the occupant, When the control of the traveling by the traveling control unit is completed and the moving body is in a steady-state traveling state, the first display screen is returned to the second display screen and the second display screen is displayed on the display unit. The control device according to claim 1 .

7. The display control unit When the traveling control unit determines that the automated lane change control is to be executed, the second display screen is switched to the first display screen and the first display screen is displayed on the display unit without depending on a selection operation by the occupant. When the automated lane change control is completed, the first display screen is returned to the second display screen, and the second display screen is displayed on the display unit. The control device according to claim 2 .

8. The computer a process of controlling the traveling of the vehicle without relying on an operation by a passenger of the vehicle; a process of displaying, on a target display unit, a screen selected by the occupant from a first display screen that displays a control state of a process for controlling the traveling of the moving body and a second display screen that does not display the control state; When the occupant selects to display the second display screen on the display unit, When it is determined that the travel of the moving body is to be actually controlled in the process of controlling the travel, a process of switching the second display screen to the first display screen and displaying the first display screen on the display unit without relying on a selection operation by the occupant; A control method for performing the above.

9. On the computer, a process of controlling the traveling of the vehicle without relying on an operation by a passenger of the vehicle; a process of displaying, on a target display unit, a screen selected by the occupant from a first display screen that displays a control state of a process for controlling the traveling of the moving body and a second display screen that does not display the control state; When the occupant selects to display the second display screen on the display unit, When it is determined that the travel of the moving body is to be actually controlled in the process of controlling the travel, a process of switching the second display screen to the first display screen and displaying the first display screen on the display unit without relying on a selection operation by the occupant; A program to execute.

Images