Modification operation support device

Abstract

To prevent a setting state of driving support control from being erroneously set in a case where a setting modification request differing from a driver's intention is issued due to misrecognition of the driver's utterance.SOLUTION: A modification operation support device 10 performs voice recognition on utterance made by a driver and determines whether a setting modification request for requesting modification in a setting state of driving support control has been made through the utterance. When it is determined that a setting modification request has been made, the modification operation support device notifies the driver, by means of notification devices 42 and 43, of information related to the content of the setting modification request and information related to a predetermined approval operation corresponding to the setting modification request. When the driver performs the approval operation, the modification operation support device modifies the setting state of the driving support control in accordance with the setting modification request.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a change operation assistance device that assists a driver in changing the setting state of driving assistance control. [Background technology]

[0002] There are known vehicles that are configured to perform driving assistance control to assist a driver in driving. Examples of driving assistance control include constant speed control, preceding vehicle following control, lane keeping control (LTA: Lane Tracing Assist Control), and automatic driving control.

[0003] Furthermore, there is known a change operation assistance device that assists a driver in changing the setting state of driving assistance control (for example, a target speed in constant speed cruise control). For example, one conventional change operation assistance device (hereinafter referred to as a "conventional device") recognizes the driver's speech regarding speed and sets the recognized speed as the target speed for constant speed cruise control (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-000882 Summary of the Invention

[0005] However, conventional devices may change the setting state of the driving assistance control to a setting state different from the driver's intention due to erroneous recognition of the voice.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems. That is, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide a change operation assistance device that can prevent the setting state of driving assistance control from being erroneously set when the driver makes an utterance to change the setting state of driving assistance control.

[0007] A modification operation support device according to one aspect of the present invention (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "the present aspect device") includes: a control device (10) configured to execute driving assistance control (ACC, LTA) of a vehicle (VA) in accordance with a setting state related to the driving assistance control; an operating device (50) operated by a driver of the vehicle, the operating device being used for an operation to change the setting state of the driving assistance control; an alarm device (42, 43) configured to notify the driver of information; Equipped with. The control device A voice recognition process is executed to recognize the speech of the driver (step 802). Determine whether a setting change request for requesting a change of the setting state of the driving assistance control has been made through the speech (step 803); If it is determined that the setting change request has been made through the voice recognition process (step 803: Yes), the notification device is caused to notify confirmation information including information on the content of the setting change request and information on a predetermined approval operation for the setting change request (step 904). If the driver performs an operation according to the information regarding the approval operation using the operation device (step 905: Yes), the setting state of the driving assistance control is changed in accordance with the setting change request (step 906). It is structured as follows.

[0008] For example, a setting change request that differs from the driver's intention may be made due to a misrecognition of the driver's speech. In such a case, according to the device of this aspect, the confirmation information does not match what the driver himself / herself said, so the driver can recognize that the speech was misrecognized. Therefore, the driver does not perform an approval operation. If the driver does not perform an approval operation, the device of this aspect does not change the setting state of the driving assistance control in accordance with the setting change request. Therefore, even if a setting change request that differs from the driver's intention is made due to a misrecognition of the driver's speech, it is possible to avoid erroneously setting the setting state of the driving assistance control.

[0009] In one embodiment of the present device, the operation device includes a plurality of operation units (51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57). The setting change request includes a plurality of types of requests. The approval operation is an operation on one of the plurality of operation units. Furthermore, the control device is configured to change the operation unit to be operated by the driver when performing the approval operation, depending on the type of the setting change request.

[0010] According to this aspect, the operation unit that the driver should operate when performing the approval operation differs depending on the type of setting change request, so the driver's intention can be confirmed more accurately.

[0011] In one embodiment of the present device, the control device Execute the driving assistance control when the operating state as the setting state is an ON state; When the operation state is in the OFF state, the driving assistance control is stopped. It is structured as follows. The operating device includes a first operating unit (51) that is operated to change the operating state from the off state to the on state, and a second operating unit (52) that is operated to change the operating state from the on state to the off state. The setting change requests include an ON request requesting that the operating state be changed from the OFF state to the ON state, and an OFF request requesting that the operating state be changed from the ON state to the OFF state. When the control device determines that the on request has been made through the voice recognition process, The operation on the first operation unit is determined as the approval operation (step 902); When the operation is performed on the first operation unit (step 905: Yes), the operating state is changed from the OFF state to the ON state (step 906). It is structured as follows. Furthermore, when the control device determines that the turn-off request has been made through the voice recognition process, The operation on the second operation unit is determined as the approval operation (step 902); When the operation is performed on the second operation unit (step 905: Yes), the operating state is changed from the ON state to the OFF state (step 906). It is structured as follows.

[0012] According to this aspect, when a setting change request (on request or off request) that differs from the driver's intention is made due to a misrecognition of the driver's speech, it is possible to avoid the operating state of the driving assistance control being erroneously set.

[0013] In one embodiment of the present device, the control device is configured to set values ​​of control parameters (Vset, Ttgt) of the assistance provided by the driving assistance control as the setting state, and to execute the driving assistance control according to the values ​​of the control parameters. The operating device includes a third operating unit (55, 57) that is operated to increase the value of the control parameter, and a fourth operating unit (56, 57) that is operated to decrease the value of the control parameter. The setting change requests include an increase request that requests an increase in the value of the control parameter and a decrease request that requests a decrease in the value of the control parameter. When the control device determines that the increase request has been made through the voice recognition process, The operation on the third operation unit is determined as the approval operation (step 902); When the operation is performed on the third operation unit (step 905: Yes), the value of the control parameter is increased in accordance with the increase request (step 906). It is structured as follows. Furthermore, when the control device determines that the decrease request has been made through the voice recognition process, The operation on the fourth operation unit is determined as the approval operation (step 902); When the operation is performed on the fourth operation unit (step 905: Yes), the value of the control parameter is decreased in accordance with the decrease request (step 906). It is structured as follows.

[0014] According to this aspect, when a setting change request (an increase request or a decrease request) that differs from the driver's intention is made due to a misrecognition of the driver's speech, it is possible to avoid the value of the control parameter being set incorrectly.

[0015] In one embodiment of the device of this aspect, Even if the control device determines through the voice recognition process that a request other than the turn-off request has been made, The operating state is configured to change from the on state to the off state when the driver operates the second operating unit before performing the approval operation for a request other than the off request.

[0016] When the second operation unit is operated, it indicates that the driver intends to perform driving operations by himself / herself. According to this aspect, when the driver operates the second operation unit before performing the approval operation, the driver's intention to change the operating state of the driving assistance control to the off state can be immediately reflected.

[0017] In one embodiment of the present device, when the control device determines through the voice recognition processing that multiple requests have been made as the setting change request, it is configured to determine an operation on one of the multiple operation units as the approval operation.

[0018] According to this aspect, even if multiple setting change requests are made, the driver can approve the multiple requests by operating one of the multiple operation units. Since the driver does not need to operate multiple operation units, the possibility that the driver will feel annoyed can be reduced.

[0019] In one embodiment of the present device, the control device Execute the driving assistance control when the operating state as the setting state is an ON state; When the operation state is in the OFF state, the driving assistance control is stopped. It is structured as follows. The operating device includes a first operating unit (51) that is operated to change the operating state from the off state to the on state, and a second operating unit (52) that is operated to change the operating state from the on state to the off state. The setting change requests include an ON request requesting that the operating state be changed from the OFF state to the ON state, and an OFF request requesting that the operating state be changed from the ON state to the OFF state. When the control device determines that the on request has been made through the voice recognition process, The operation on the first operation unit is determined as the approval operation (step 902); When the operation is performed on the first operation unit (step 905: Yes), the operating state is changed from the OFF state to the ON state (step 906). It is structured as follows. Furthermore, when the control device determines that the turn-off request has been made through the voice recognition process (step 1001: Yes), The operating state is changed from the ON state to the OFF state without requesting the driver to perform the approval operation (step 906). It is structured as follows.

[0020] When an OFF request is made, the driver often wants to perform driving operations himself / herself as soon as possible. In such cases, if the driver is requested to perform an approval operation, the driver may feel annoyed. According to this aspect, when an OFF request is made, the operation state of the driving assistance control is changed to the OFF state without requesting the driver to perform an approval operation. Therefore, the possibility that the driver may feel annoyed can be reduced.

[0021] In the above description, to facilitate understanding of the present invention, the names and / or symbols used in the embodiments described below are enclosed in parentheses for the components of the invention corresponding to those embodiments. However, the components of the present invention are not limited to the embodiments defined by the symbols. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0022] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a change operation support device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a word table according to the embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an approval operation table according to the embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing confirmation information that is displayed on the display when an ACC ON request is made. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing confirmation information that is displayed on the display when an ACC off request is made. [Figure 6] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing confirmation information that is displayed on the display when a speed increase request is made. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing confirmation information that is displayed on the display when a deceleration request is made. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing a "request determination routine" executed by a CPU of a driving assistance ECU according to the embodiment. [Figure 9] 4 is a flowchart showing a "request approval routine" executed by a CPU of a driving assistance ECU according to the embodiment. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing a "request approval routine" executed by a CPU of a driving assistance ECU according to a modified example. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an approval operation table according to a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0023] A change operation assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as "the present embodiment device") is applied to a vehicle VA, as shown in Fig. 1. The present embodiment device includes a driving assistance ECU 10, an engine ECU 20, and a brake ECU 30. These ECUs are electric control units having microcomputers as their main components, and are connected to each other via a controller area network (CAN) (not shown) so that they can transmit and receive information to and from each other.

[0024] In this specification, a microcomputer includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, a nonvolatile memory, an interface (I / F), etc. For example, the driving assistance ECU 10 includes a CPU 101, a ROM 102, a RAM 103, a nonvolatile memory 104, an interface 105, etc. The CPU 101 is configured to realize various functions by executing instructions (programs, routines) stored in the ROM 102.

[0025] The driving assistance ECU 10 is connected to the sensors listed below and receives the detection signals or output signals of these sensors. Note that each sensor may be connected to an ECU other than the driving assistance ECU 10. In this case, the driving assistance ECU 10 receives the detection signal or output signal of the sensor from the ECU to which the sensor is connected via the CAN.

[0026] The accelerator pedal operation amount sensor 11 detects the operation amount (accelerator opening) of the accelerator pedal 11a and outputs a signal indicative of the accelerator pedal operation amount AP. The brake pedal operation amount sensor 12 detects the operation amount of the brake pedal 12a and outputs a signal indicative of the brake pedal operation amount BP. The vehicle speed sensor 13 detects the traveling speed (vehicle speed) of the vehicle VA and outputs a signal indicative of the vehicle speed SPD.

[0027] The surrounding sensor 14 is configured to acquire information about the road around the vehicle VA (for example, the lane in which the vehicle VA is traveling) and information about three-dimensional objects present on the road. Three-dimensional objects include, for example, moving objects such as automobiles (other vehicles), pedestrians, and bicycles, as well as fixed objects such as guardrails and fences. Hereinafter, these three-dimensional objects may be referred to as "targets." The surrounding sensor 14 includes a radar sensor 14a and a camera sensor 14b.

[0028] The surrounding sensor 14 is configured to determine the presence or absence of a target and to calculate information indicating the relative relationship between the vehicle VA and the target. The information indicating the relative relationship between the vehicle VA and the target includes the distance between the vehicle VA and the target, the orientation (or position) of the target relative to the vehicle VA, and the relative speed between the vehicle VA and the target. The information obtained from the surrounding sensor 14 (including the information indicating the relative relationship between the vehicle VA and the target) is referred to as "target information." The surrounding sensor 14 is configured to output the target information to the driving assistance ECU 10.

[0029] The engine ECU 20 is connected to an engine actuator 21. The engine actuator 21 includes a throttle valve actuator that changes the opening of a throttle valve of the internal combustion engine 22. The engine ECU 20 can change the torque generated by the internal combustion engine 22 by driving the engine actuator 21. The torque generated by the internal combustion engine 22 is transmitted to the driving wheels via a transmission (not shown). Therefore, the engine ECU 20 can control the driving force of the vehicle VA and change the acceleration state (acceleration) by controlling the engine actuator 21.

[0030] If the vehicle VA is a hybrid vehicle, the engine ECU 20 can control the driving force generated by either or both of the internal combustion engine and the electric motor as the vehicle driving source. Furthermore, if the vehicle VA is an electric vehicle, the engine ECU 20 can control the driving force generated by the electric motor as the vehicle driving source.

[0031] The brake ECU 30 is connected to a brake actuator 31, which is a hydraulic control actuator for a brake mechanism 32. The brake actuator 31 is provided in a hydraulic circuit (not shown) between a master cylinder that pressurizes hydraulic oil in response to the depression force on the brake pedal 12a and the brake mechanisms 32 provided on the front and rear wheels. In response to a command from the brake ECU 30, the brake actuator 31 adjusts the hydraulic pressure supplied to a wheel cylinder built into a brake caliper 32b of the brake mechanism 32. The wheel cylinder is actuated by the hydraulic pressure, thereby pressing the brake pad against the brake disc 32a, generating a frictional braking force. Therefore, the brake ECU 30 controls the brake actuator 31 to control the braking force of the vehicle VA and change the acceleration state (deceleration, i.e., negative acceleration).

[0032] The driving assistance ECU 10 is connected to a microphone 41, a display 42, and a speaker 43. The microphone 41 acquires voice spoken by an occupant (e.g., the driver) of the vehicle VA and outputs data of the voice (voice data) to the driving assistance ECU 10. The display 42 is a multi-information display provided in front of the driver's seat. A head-up display may be used as the display 42. When a voice command is received from the driving assistance ECU 10, the speaker 43 generates voice corresponding to the voice command. The "display 42 and speaker 43" may be collectively referred to as an "alert device."

[0033] The steering wheel (not shown) of the vehicle VA is provided with an operating device 50 for adaptive cruise control on the side facing the driver and in a position operable by the driver. Adaptive cruise control is sometimes called "adaptive cruise control." Hereinafter, adaptive cruise control will be simply referred to as "ACC."

[0034] The driving assistance ECU 10 is connected to the following switches (operating units) in the operation device 50 and receives output signals from these switches. The operation device 50 includes a main switch 51, a cancel switch 52, a resume switch 53, a set switch 54, an increase speed switch 55, a decrease speed switch 56, and a time gap setting switch 57. The detailed operation methods of these switches 51 to 57 will be described later.

[0035] (Overview of ACC) The driving assistance ECU 10 is capable of executing ACC as driving assistance control. ACC itself is well known (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-148293, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-315491, and Japanese Patent No. 4172434).

[0036] The ACC includes two types of control: constant speed cruise control and preceding vehicle following control. The constant speed cruise control is a control that adjusts the acceleration of the vehicle VA so that the traveling speed of the vehicle VA matches a target speed (set speed) Vset without requiring operation of the accelerator pedal 11a and the brake pedal 12a. The preceding vehicle following control is a control that causes the vehicle VA to follow the preceding vehicle while maintaining the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle VA and the preceding vehicle traveling immediately in front of the vehicle VA at a target inter-vehicle distance.

[0037] When ACC is started (when the main switch 51 is turned on as described later), the driving assistance ECU 10 determines whether or not there is a vehicle that is traveling ahead of (immediately ahead of) the vehicle VA and that the vehicle VA should follow (i.e., a vehicle to be followed), based on the target information acquired by the surroundings sensor 14. For example, the driving assistance ECU 10 determines whether or not the detected target (n) is present within a predetermined area for the vehicle to be followed.

[0038] If the target object (n) is not present within the target vehicle area, the driving assistance ECU 10 determines that no target vehicle is present. In this case, the driving assistance ECU 10 executes constant speed cruise control. At the start of ACC, the target speed Vset may be set to the vehicle speed SPD at that time. The driving assistance ECU 10 determines the target acceleration Gtgt so that the vehicle speed SPD of the vehicle VA matches the target speed Vset. The driving assistance ECU 10 controls the engine actuator 21 using the engine ECU 20 to control the driving force, and controls the brake actuator 31 using the brake ECU 30 to control the braking force, as necessary, so that the acceleration of the vehicle VA matches the target acceleration Gtgt.

[0039] In response to this, if the target object (n) exists within the target vehicle area for a predetermined time or more, the driving assistance ECU 10 selects the target object (n) as the target vehicle (a) to be followed. Then, the driving assistance ECU 10 executes control to follow the preceding vehicle. Specifically, the driving assistance ECU 10 determines the target acceleration Gtgt based on the "deviation between the inter-vehicle distance to the target vehicle (a) and the target inter-vehicle distance Dset" and the "relative speed of the target vehicle (a) with respect to the vehicle VA." The target inter-vehicle distance Dset is calculated by multiplying the target inter-vehicle time Ttgt set using the inter-vehicle time setting switch 57 by the vehicle speed SPD of the vehicle VA (i.e., Dset = Ttgt · SPD). The driving assistance ECU 10 controls the engine actuator 21 as described above and, if necessary, controls the brake actuator 31 so that the acceleration of the vehicle VA coincides with the target acceleration Gtgt.

[0040] (How to operate the switches on the control device) Next, a method for operating the switches 51 to 57 of the operation device 50 will be described. The main switch 51 is a switch that is operated by the driver when starting / stopping the ACC. Each time the main switch 51 is pressed, the state of the main switch 51 alternates between the on state and the off state. When the main switch 51 is switched from the off state to the on state, the driving assistance ECU 10 switches the operation state of the ACC from the off state to the on state (i.e., starts the ACC). On the other hand, when the main switch 51 is switched from the on state to the off state, the driving assistance ECU 10 switches the operation state of the ACC from the on state to the off state (i.e., stops the ACC).

[0041] The cancel switch 52 is a switch that is operated by the driver when canceling the ACC (temporarily turning it off). Each time the cancel switch 52 is pressed, the state of the cancel switch 52 alternates between the on state and the off state. If the cancel switch 52 turns on while the main switch 51 is on (while the ACC is running), the driving assistance ECU 10 switches the operating state of the ACC from the on state to a temporary off state (hereinafter referred to as the "cancel state"), thereby stopping the ACC.

[0042] The resume switch 53 is a switch operated by the driver to resume the ACC after its operation state has been switched to the canceled state. The resume switch 53 is turned on when pressed by the driver, and turned off when not pressed by the driver. When the resume switch 53 is changed from off to on while the main switch 51 is on and the cancel switch 52 is on (i.e., the ACC operation state is canceled), the driving assist ECU 10 switches the ACC operation state to on (i.e., resumes the ACC). When the ACC is resumed, the driving assist ECU 10 changes the state of the cancel switch 52 to off. Furthermore, the driving assist ECU 10 resumes constant speed cruise control using the target speed Vset at the time the ACC operation state was switched to the canceled state.

[0043] The set switch 54 is a switch that is operated by the driver when setting the target speed Vset. The set switch 54 is turned on when pressed by the driver, and is turned off when not pressed by the driver. When the set switch 54 is changed from the off state to the on state after the ACC is started, the driving assistance ECU 10 sets the target speed Vset to "the vehicle speed SPD at the time when the set switch 54 is turned on (i.e., the time when the driver presses the set switch 54)."

[0044] The speed increase switch 55 is a switch that is operated by the driver when increasing the target speed Vset. The speed increase switch 55 is turned on when pressed by the driver, and turned off when not pressed by the driver. The speed increase switch 55 and the resume switch 53 may be integrated into one switch.

[0045] An operation in which the ON state of the acceleration switch 55 continues (is maintained) for a predetermined first long press time Tlp1 or longer is referred to as a “long press operation of the acceleration switch 55.” When the acceleration switch 55 is long pressed while the ACC is in an ON state, the driving assistance ECU 10 increases the target speed Vset stepwise by a first increment Vi1 every time a first interval time Tin1 elapses while the ON state of the acceleration switch 55 continues after the first long press time Tlp1 has elapsed.

[0046] On the other hand, “an operation of changing the acceleration switch 55 from the OFF state to the ON state and then returning the ON state to the OFF state before the first long press time Tlp1 has elapsed” is referred to as “a short press operation of the acceleration switch 55.” When the acceleration switch 55 is short pressed while the ACC is in the ON state, the driving assistance ECU 10 increases the target speed Vset by the second increment Vi2.

[0047] The deceleration switch 56 is a switch that is operated by the driver when decreasing the target speed Vset. The deceleration switch 56 is turned on when pressed by the driver, and is turned off when not pressed by the driver.

[0048] An operation in which the on state of the deceleration switch 56 continues (is maintained) for a predetermined second long press time Tlp2 or longer is referred to as a “long press operation of the deceleration switch 56.” When the deceleration switch 56 is long pressed while the ACC is in an on state, the driving assistance ECU 10 gradually decreases the target speed Vset by the first decrease amount Vd1 every time the second interval time Tin2 elapses while the on state of the deceleration switch 56 continues after the second long press time Tlp2 has elapsed.

[0049] On the other hand, “an operation of changing the deceleration switch 56 from the OFF state to the ON state and then returning the ON state to the OFF state before the second long press time Tlp2 has elapsed” is referred to as “a short press operation of the deceleration switch 56.” When the deceleration switch 56 is short pressed while the ACC is in the ON state, the driving assistance ECU 10 decreases the target speed Vset by the second decrease amount Vd2.

[0050] The first long press time Tlp1 and the second long press time Tlp2 may be set to the same value. The first increase amount Vi1 and the first decrease amount Vd1 may be set to the same amount. The second increase amount Vi2 and the second decrease amount Vd2 may be set to the same amount. The first interval time Tin1 and the second interval time Tin2 may be set to the same amount.

[0051] The inter-vehicle time setting switch 57 is a switch operated by the driver when setting the target inter-vehicle time Ttgt in the adaptive cruise control. When the inter-vehicle time setting switch 57 is pressed while the ACC is in the on state, the target inter-vehicle time Ttgt is changed. The driver can select one of three time stages (long, medium, short) as the target inter-vehicle time Ttgt.

[0052] The driving assistance ECU 10 can disable the functions of the switches 51 to 57 under specific circumstances (when the routine in FIG. 9 is being executed), which will be described later. For example, when the driving assistance ECU 10 disables the function of the main switch 51, the state of the main switch 51 will not change even if the driver operates the main switch 51.

[0053] (voice recognition processing) The driving assistance ECU 10 performs a voice recognition process on the voice data acquired from the microphone 41, and stores the voice recognition result as text data in the RAM 103. The driving assistance ECU 10 holds the voice recognition result in the RAM 103 for a predetermined period of time. An acoustic model and a recognition dictionary are stored in the ROM 102 of the driving assistance ECU 10. The driving assistance ECU 10 compares the acquired voice data with the acoustic model to extract features, and performs voice recognition by matching the extracted features with the recognition dictionary. Such voice recognition processing is well known (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-063537 and WO2007 / 091462).

[0054] The driving assistance ECU 10 determines whether a setting change request has been made to change the setting state of the ACC based on the voice recognition results, the operating state of the ACC, and the driving state of the vehicle VA (vehicle speed SPD), etc.

[0055] The setting change request includes multiple types of requests. Specifically, the setting change request includes an ACC ON request, an ACC OFF request (cancellation request), a speed increase request, and a speed decrease request. The ACC ON request is a request to change the operation state of the ACC from the OFF state to the ON state. The ACC OFF request is a request to change the operation state of the ACC from the ON state to the canceled state (temporary OFF state). The speed increase request is a request to increase the value of the target speed Vset, which is a control parameter for constant speed cruise control. The speed decrease request is a request to decrease the value of the target speed Vset.

[0056] 1. ACC ON request The driving assistance ECU 10 determines that an ACC ON request has been made when all of the following conditions are met. (Condition A1) The speech recognition result includes "words related to ACC" and "words related to the on state." (Condition A2) The ACC is currently in an off state or a canceled state.

[0057] The driving assistance ECU 10 can determine whether or not the condition A1 is met by referring to a word table 200 shown in FIG. 2. The word table 200 is stored in the ROM 102. The word table 200 defines a set of words related to ACC, a set of words related to the ON state, and a set of words related to the OFF state. For example, if the speech recognition result is "Start ACC," the speech recognition result includes "a word related to ACC (=ACC)" and "a word related to the ON state (=start)." Therefore, the driving assistance ECU 10 determines that the condition A1 is met.

[0058] 2. ACC off request The driving assistance ECU 10 determines that an ACC OFF request has been made when all of the following conditions are met. (Condition B1) The voice recognition result includes "words related to ACC" and "words related to the off state." (Condition B2) The ACC is currently in an on state.

[0059] As described above, the driving assistance ECU 10 can determine whether or not condition B1 is met by referring to the word table 200. For example, if the speech recognition result is "Cancel cruise control," the speech recognition result includes a "word related to ACC (=cruise control)" and a "word related to the off state (=cancel)." Therefore, the driving assistance ECU 10 determines that condition B1 is met.

[0060] 3. Speed ​​increase request The driving assistance ECU 10 determines that a speed increase request has been made when all of the following conditions are met. (Condition C1) The speech recognition result includes "words related to the target speed" and "numerical values ​​related to the vehicle speed." The "numerical values ​​related to the vehicle speed" include simple numerical values ​​and combinations of numerical values ​​and predetermined units (e.g., ~kilometers, ~miles). (Condition C2) The ACC is in an ON state, and constant speed cruise control is currently being executed. (Condition C3) Current vehicle speed SPD < "Value related to vehicle speed" in the voice recognition result (Condition C4) Vth1<"numeric value related to vehicle speed" in the voice recognition result <Vth2 Vth1 is the lower limit of the vehicle speed that can be set as the target speed Vset, and Vth2 is the upper limit of the vehicle speed that can be set as the target speed Vset.

[0061] As described above, the driving assistance ECU 10 can determine whether or not the condition C1 is satisfied by referring to the word table 200. For example, if the speech recognition result is "set the target speed to 80 km / h," the speech recognition result includes a "word related to the target speed (= target speed)" and a "value related to the vehicle speed (= 80 km / h)." Therefore, the driving assistance ECU 10 determines that the condition C1 is satisfied.

[0062] 4.Deceleration request The driving assistance ECU 10 determines that a deceleration request has been made when all of the following conditions are met. (Condition D1) The speech recognition result includes a "word related to the target speed" and a "numerical value related to the vehicle speed." (Condition D2) The ACC is in an ON state, and constant speed cruise control is currently being executed. (Condition D3) Current vehicle speed SPD > "Values ​​related to vehicle speed" in the voice recognition results (Condition D4) Vth1<"numeric value related to vehicle speed" in the voice recognition result <Vth2

[0063] As described above, the driving assistance ECU 10 can determine whether the condition D1 is met by referring to the word table 200.

[0064] (Settings change confirmation process) When the driving assistance ECU 10 determines that a setting change request has been made, it executes a "setting change confirmation process" to have the driver confirm the contents of the setting change request. Specifically, the driving assistance ECU 10 determines the approval operation according to the type of setting change request by referring to an approval operation table 300 shown in FIG. 3. The approval operation is an operation that the driver should perform when approving the contents of the setting change request made through the driver's speech. In this example, the approval operation is an operation on one of the switches 51 to 57. The approval operation table 300 is stored in the ROM 102. The approval operation table 300 defines the relationship between the type of setting change request and the approval operation.

[0065] The driving assistance ECU 10 notifies the driver of confirmation information for prompting the driver to confirm the content of the setting change request using the notification device (the display 42 and the speaker 43). In this example, the confirmation information includes information about the content of the setting change request determined through the voice recognition process and information about the approval operation determined by referring to the approval operation table 300.

[0066] If the "contents of the setting change request" in the confirmation information matches the request intended by the driver (i.e., the content uttered by the driver), the driver performs an approval operation notified by the confirmation information. When the approval operation is performed, the driving assistance ECU 10 changes the setting state of the ACC in accordance with the setting change request.

[0067] On the other hand, if the "contents of the setting change request" in the confirmation information does not match the request intended by the driver, the driver can recognize that his / her speech has been misrecognized. Therefore, the driver does not perform an approval operation. In this case, the driving assistance ECU 10 does not change the setting state of the ACC in accordance with the setting change request. In this way, even if a setting change request that differs from the driver's intention is made due to misrecognition of the driver's speech, it is possible to avoid the ACC setting state being erroneously set. Below, the setting change confirmation process for each of the ACC on request, ACC off request, speed increase request, and speed decrease request will be explained in order.

[0068] 1. Setting change confirmation process - ACC on request When the driving assist ECU 10 determines that an ACC ON request has been made, it determines that "pressing the main switch 51" is the approval operation by referring to the approval operation table 300. Then, the driving assist ECU 10 executes a process of notifying confirmation information using the notification devices (42 and 43). Specifically, the driving assist ECU 10 displays confirmation information 400 as shown in FIG. 4 on the display 42. The confirmation information 400 includes information 401 indicating that the ACC ON request has been accepted, and information 402 regarding the approval operation of the ACC ON request. Furthermore, the driving assist ECU 10 causes the speaker 43 to speak the information 401 and 402.

[0069] If the information 401 matches what the driver himself / herself said, the driver accepts the request by pressing the main switch 51. If the main switch 51 is pressed within a predetermined time threshold Tth from the time when the above-described notification process was performed, the driving assistance ECU 10 changes the operating state of the ACC to the ON state.

[0070] 2. Setting change confirmation process - ACC off request When the driving assist ECU 10 determines that an ACC off request has been made, it determines that "pressing the cancel switch 52" is the approval operation by referring to the approval operation table 300. Then, the driving assist ECU 10 displays confirmation information 500 as shown in FIG. 5 on the display 42. The confirmation information 500 includes information 501 indicating that the ACC off request has been accepted, and information 502 regarding the approval operation for the ACC off request. Furthermore, the driving assist ECU 10 causes the speaker 43 to speak these pieces of information 501 and 502.

[0071] If the information 501 matches what the driver himself / herself said, the driver accepts the request by pressing the cancel switch 52. If the cancel switch 52 is pressed within the time threshold Tth from the time when the notification process was performed, the driving assistance ECU 10 changes the operating state of the ACC to the cancel state (temporarily off state).

[0072] 3. Setting change confirmation process - Speed ​​increase request When it is determined that a speed increase request has been made, the driving assistance ECU 10 determines that "a long press operation of the speed increase switch 55" is the approval operation by referring to the approval operation table 300. Then, the driving assistance ECU 10 displays confirmation information 600 as shown in FIG. 6 on the display 42. The confirmation information 600 includes information 601 indicating that the speed increase request has been accepted, and information 602 regarding the approval operation of the speed increase request. Furthermore, the driving assistance ECU 10 causes the speaker 43 to speak these pieces of information 601 and 602.

[0073] If the information 601 matches what the driver himself / herself has said, the driver accepts the request by pressing and holding the speed increase switch 55. If the speed increase switch 55 is pressed and held within the time threshold Tth from the time when the notification process was performed, the driving assistance ECU 10 sets the target speed Vset according to the speed increase request (i.e., the content of the information 601).

[0074] 4. Setting change confirmation process - Deceleration request When determining that a deceleration request has been made, the driving assistance ECU 10 determines that "a long press of the deceleration switch 56" is the approval operation by referring to the approval operation table 300. Then, the driving assistance ECU 10 displays confirmation information 700 as shown in FIG. 7 on the display 42. The confirmation information 700 includes information 701 indicating that the deceleration request has been accepted, and information 702 regarding the approval operation of the deceleration request. Furthermore, the driving assistance ECU 10 causes the speaker 43 to speak these pieces of information 701 and 702.

[0075] If the information 701 matches what the driver himself / herself has said, the driver accepts the request by pressing and holding the deceleration switch 56. If the deceleration switch 56 is pressed and held within the time threshold Tth from the time when the notification process was performed, the driving assistance ECU 10 sets the target speed Vset in accordance with the deceleration request (i.e., the content of the information 701).

[0076] (Specific operation) The CPU 101 (hereinafter simply referred to as "CPU") of the driving assistance ECU 10 executes the routine shown in FIG. 8 every time a predetermined time (for convenience, referred to as "first time") elapses.

[0077] Furthermore, the CPU executes a routine (not shown) every time a first time period elapses, thereby acquiring audio data from the microphone 41. In addition, the CPU executes a routine (not shown) every time a first time period elapses, thereby acquiring detection signals or output signals from the various sensors 11-14 and the various switches 51-57.

[0078] At a predetermined timing, the CPU starts processing from step 800 in FIG. 8 and proceeds to step 801, where it determines whether the value of a setting change request flag Fr (hereinafter simply referred to as the "request flag Fr") is "0." The value of the request flag Fr is set to "1" when it is determined that a setting change request has been made through the driver's speech (see step 804, described later). The value of the request flag Fr is set to "0" in an initialization routine executed by the CPU when an ignition switch, not shown, is changed from the OFF position to the ON position. Furthermore, the value of the request flag Fr is also set to "0" in step 907 of the routine in FIG. 9, described later.

[0079] If the value of the request flag Fr is not "0", the CPU determines "No" in step 801, proceeds directly to step 895, and ends this routine for the time being.

[0080] Now, assuming that the value of the request flag Fr is "0," the CPU determines "Yes" in step 801 and proceeds to step 802, where it executes the above-described voice recognition process on the voice data acquired by the microphone 41. Next, in step 803, the CPU determines whether a setting change request (i.e., any of an ACC on request, an ACC off request, an increase in speed request, and a decrease in speed request) has been made.

[0081] Assuming that a setting change request has been made, the CPU determines "Yes" in step 803 and proceeds to step 804, where it sets the value of the request flag Fr to "1." After that, the CPU proceeds to step 895, where it temporarily ends this routine.

[0082] On the other hand, if a setting change request has not been made, the CPU determines "No" in step 803, proceeds directly to step 895, and temporarily ends this routine.

[0083] Furthermore, the CPU executes the routine shown in FIG. 9 every time a "second time period equal to or longer than the first time period" elapses.

[0084] 9, the CPU starts the process from step 900 and proceeds to step 901 to determine whether the value of the request flag Fr is "1." If the value of the request flag Fr is not "1," the CPU determines "No" in step 901 and proceeds directly to step 995, where it temporarily ends this routine.

[0085] Now, assume that a setting change request has been made through the driver's speech, and therefore the value of the request flag Fr is "1" (see step 804). In this case, the CPU determines "Yes" in step 901 and sequentially executes the processes of steps 902 to 904 described below. Thereafter, the CPU proceeds to step 905.

[0086] Step 902: The CPU refers to the approval operation table 300 shown in FIG. 3 to determine the approval operation according to the type of the setting change request. Step 903: The CPU disables the functions of switches other than the switch used for the approval operation determined in step 902. For example, when an ACC ON request is made, the CPU disables the functions of switches (52, 53, 54, 55, 56, and 57) other than the "main switch 51." Step 904: The CPU executes the notification process of the confirmation information (400, 500, 600 or 700) using the notification device (the display 42 and the speaker 43) as described above.

[0087] When the CPU proceeds to step 905, it determines whether or not an approval operation (the operation determined in step 902) has been performed. If an approval operation has been performed, the CPU determines "Yes" in step 905 and sequentially executes the processes of steps 906 to 908 described below. Thereafter, the CPU proceeds to step 995 and temporarily ends this routine.

[0088] Step 906: The CPU changes the setting state of the ACC in accordance with the setting change request. Step 907: The CPU sets the value of the request flag Fr to “0”. Step 908: The CPU enables the function of the switch that was disabled in step 903.

[0089] On the other hand, if an approval operation has not been performed, the CPU determines "No" in step 905 and proceeds to step 909. In step 909, the CPU determines whether or not the elapsed time Ta from the point in time when the notification process was performed in step 904 is greater than the time threshold value Tth. If the elapsed time Ta is equal to or less than the time threshold value Tth, the CPU determines "No" in step 909 and returns to the processing of step 905, where it determines whether or not an approval operation has been performed.

[0090] If the elapsed time Ta becomes greater than the time threshold Tth without an approval operation being performed, the CPU determines "No" in step 909 and proceeds to step 910 to execute notification processing. Specifically, the CPU uses the notification device to notify the driver that no approval operation has been performed. Next, the CPU sequentially executes the processing of steps 907 and 908 as described above. Thereafter, the CPU proceeds to step 995 to temporarily end this routine. In this case, the setting change request was not approved by the driver, so the setting state of the ACC is not changed.

[0091] When the device determines that a setting change request has been made, it notifies the driver of confirmation information (400, 500, 600, or 700) including the contents of the setting change request and information regarding the approval operation using a notification device. When the driver performs an operation according to the "information regarding the approval operation (402, 502, 602, or 702)" in the confirmation information, the device changes the setting state of the ACC in accordance with the setting change request.

[0092] For example, due to a misrecognition of the driver's speech, it may be determined that a setting change request different from the driver's intention has been made. In such a case, the content of the setting change request in the confirmation information does not match the request intended by the driver, so the driver can recognize that the speech has been misrecognized. In this case, the driver does not perform an approval operation. If the driver does not perform an approval operation, the embodied device does not change the setting state of the ACC according to the setting change request. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the setting state of the ACC being erroneously set when a setting change request different from the driver's intention is made due to a misrecognition of the driver's speech.

[0093] Furthermore, by referring to the approval operation table 300, the present implementation device changes the switches (51, 52, 55, 56) of the operation device 50 that the driver should operate when performing the approval operation, depending on the type of setting change request. The switches that should be operated as the approval operation are set to match the content of the setting change request. For example, when an ACC on request is made, the approval operation is the pressing of the main switch 51. In this way, the switch that should be operated when performing the approval operation differs depending on the type of setting change request, so the driver's intention can be confirmed more accurately.

[0094] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

[0095] (Variation 1) As the switch to be operated when performing the approval operation, only a specific switch among switches 51 to 57 may be used, regardless of the type of setting change request. For example, the approval operation may be an operation of pressing main switch 51, regardless of the type of setting change request. Note that other switches (not shown) may also be used as the switch for the approval operation.

[0096] (Variation 2) An approval operation may not be required for a specific request among the setting change requests. An example of such a request is an ACC off request. When an ACC off request is made, the driver often wants to perform driving operations (acceleration or deceleration) themselves as soon as possible. In such cases, if the driver is required to approve the request, the driver may feel annoyed. Therefore, by changing the ACC operation state to a canceled state (temporarily off state) without requesting the driver to approve the request, the possibility of the driver feeling annoyed can be reduced. Note that even if the driver's speech is mistakenly recognized and an ACC off request is made, the ACC operation state is simply changed to the off state, and the vehicle VA does not suddenly accelerate or decelerate. Therefore, the impact on the driving state of the vehicle VA is small.

[0097] The CPU of the driving assistance ECU 10 according to this modification is configured to execute a routine shown in Fig. 10 instead of the routine shown in Fig. 9. The routine shown in Fig. 10 is the same as the routine in Fig. 9 except that step 1001 is added.

[0098] The CPU starts the routine in Fig. 10 from step 1000, and when it determines "Yes" in step 901, it determines in step 1001 whether the setting change request is an ACC off request. If the setting change request is an ACC off request, the CPU determines "Yes" in step 1001 and executes the processes of steps 906 to 908 in order as described above. The CPU then proceeds to step 1095 and temporarily ends this routine. In this way, if the setting change request is an ACC off request, the CPU changes the ACC operating state to the canceled state without requesting an approval operation from the driver.

[0099] (Variation 3) The setting change request is not limited to the above example. The setting change request may include a time headway setting request to increase or decrease the target time headway Ttgt, which is a control parameter of the adaptive cruise control. In this case, as shown in FIG. 11 , the operation to approve the time headway setting request may be the operation of pressing the time headway setting switch 57.

[0100] Furthermore, the setting change request may include a request to change the setting state of a driving assistance control other than the ACC. The driving assistance ECU 10 may be configured to be able to execute lane keeping control (LTA) when the ACC is being executed. In this configuration, the setting change request may include an LTA ON request to change the operation state of the lane keeping control (LTA) from an OFF state to an ON state, and an LTA OFF request to change the operation state of the lane keeping control (LTA) from an ON state to an OFF state.

[0101] (Variation 4) The driving assistance ECU 10 may simultaneously receive a plurality of setting change requests and determine one approval operation for the plurality of setting change requests.

[0102] For example, the driving assistance ECU 10 determines that an ACC-on request and a speed setting request have been made simultaneously when all of the following conditions are met: The speed setting request is a request to set a target speed Vset at the start of ACC. (Condition E1) The voice recognition result includes "words related to ACC," "words related to the on state," and "numerical values ​​related to vehicle speed." (Condition E2) The ACC is currently in an off or canceled state.

[0103] For example, if the speech recognition result is "Start ACC and set the speed to 80 km / h," the speech recognition result includes "a word related to ACC (=ACC)," "a word related to the on state (=start)," and "a value related to the vehicle speed (=80 km / h)." Therefore, the driving assistance ECU 10 determines that the condition E1 is met.

[0104] As shown in FIG. 11, the approval operation for the ACC ON request and the speed setting request is a long press of the speed increase switch 55. When the speed increase switch 55 is long pressed, the driving assistance ECU 10 changes the operating state of the ACC to the ON state and sets the target speed Vset to 80 km / h. According to this modification, when multiple setting change requests are made, the driving assistance ECU 10 determines that an operation on one of the multiple switches 51 to 57 (the speed increase switch 55) is the approval operation. This improves operability. Since the driver does not need to operate multiple switches, the possibility of the driver feeling annoyed can be reduced.

[0105] Furthermore, multiple setting change requests may be associated with one word. An ACC ON request and an LTA ON request may be associated with the word "highway mode." In this configuration, the driving assistance ECU 10 determines that an ACC ON request and an LTA ON request have been made simultaneously when all of the following conditions are met: (Condition F1) The speech recognition results include "highway mode" and "words related to the on state." (Condition F2) The operation state of the ACC is currently in the off state or the canceled state, and the operation state of the LTA is currently in the off state.

[0106] For example, if the speech recognition result is "Start highway mode," the speech recognition result includes "highway mode" and "a word related to the on state (=start)." Therefore, the driving assistance ECU 10 determines that the condition F1 is satisfied.

[0107] 11, the approval operation for the ACC ON request and the LTA ON request is the pressing of the main switch 51. When the main switch 51 is pressed, the driving assistance ECU 10 changes the operation state of the ACC to the ON state and also changes the operation state of the LTA to the ON state.

[0108] (Variation 5) In step 903 of the routine in Fig. 9, the CPU may maintain the function of a specific switch in an enabled state in addition to the switch for the approval operation. An example of such a switch is the cancel switch 52. When the cancel switch 52 is pressed, it indicates that the driver intends to perform driving operations (acceleration or deceleration operations) by himself / herself. Therefore, it is preferable to immediately transfer driving operations to the driver.

[0109] For example, in step 903, the CPU may disable the functions of switches other than the switch for the approval operation and the cancel switch 52. In this case, the function of the cancel switch 52 is always maintained in an enabled state while the CPU is executing the routine of FIG. 9. If it is determined that a request other than an ACC off request (e.g., a speed increase request or a speed decrease request) has been made (step 803: Yes), the driver operates the cancel switch 52 before approving the request. In response to this operation, the CPU changes the operating state of the ACC to the OFF state. According to this modification, when the driver presses the cancel switch 52 before step 905 in the routine of FIG. 9, the driver's intention to change the operating state of the ACC to the OFF state can be immediately reflected. [Explanation of symbols]

[0110] 10...driving assistance ECU, 20...engine ECU, 30...brake ECU, 41...microphone, 42...display, 43...speaker, 50...operation device, 51...main switch, 52...cancel switch, 55...acceleration switch, 56...deceleration switch.

Claims

1. A change operation assistance device including a control device configured to execute driving assistance control of a vehicle according to a setting state of assistance provided by the driving assistance control, The control device Acquire information from the operating device; Executes voice recognition processing to recognize utterances by passengers, determining whether a change request for changing the setting state has been made by the occupant through speech of the occupant via the voice recognition processing; determining a predetermined operation on the operation device as an approved operation when it is determined that the change request has been made, and changing the setting state in accordance with the change request when the approval operation on the operation device has been made; In the modification operation support device configured as above, The control device When the approval operation is determined, a second function different from a first function of the operation device used for the determined approval operation is disabled. A change operation support device configured as above.

2. 2. The change operation support device according to claim 1, The control device canceling the disablement of the second function when the determined approval operation is performed; A change operation support device configured as above.

3. 3. The change operation assistance device according to claim 2, The control device If a predetermined time has elapsed since the approval operation was decided without the approval operation being executed, the occupant is notified and the disablement of the second function is cancelled. A change operation support device configured as above.

4. 2. The change operation support device according to claim 1, the second function does not include a cancellation function of changing the driving assistance control to an off state. Change operation support device.

Images