Control device, control method, and program

Abstract

To perform a clear information transmission to a vehicle occupant through vibrations of vibration devices mounted on vehicle driving controls while reducing costs.SOLUTION: A control device is intended to control vibrations generated by a vibration device mounted on vehicle driving controls. The control device includes a control part that lowers vibration effect of vibration whose priority is low among a plurality of kinds of vibrations, on the basis of priority defined with respect to the plurality of kinds of vibrations.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] Conventionally, there is known a technology for transmitting information to a vehicle occupant by vibrating a vibration device mounted on a driving operator of the vehicle. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for transmitting navigation information to a vehicle occupant by driving a plurality of actuators included in a steering mechanism of the vehicle. Patent Document 2 discloses a technology for transmitting information indicating a left turn or a right turn to a vehicle occupant by vibrating a left vibrator or a right vibrator arranged on a steering wheel of the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] U.S. Patent No. 9,623,907 [Patent Document 2] U.S. Patent No. 10,286,922 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 requires multiple actuators for implementation, which is costly. On the other hand, the technology described in Patent Document 2 does not provide clear information to vehicle occupants because even if only the left or right vibrator is driven, the vibration actually propagates to the other side. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a control device, control method, and program that can clearly communicate information to vehicle occupants through the vibration of a vibration device mounted on the vehicle's driving operator while keeping costs down.

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the control device according to the present invention employs the following configuration. The control device according to the present invention is a control device for controlling vibrations generated by a vibration device mounted on a driving operator of a vehicle, and includes a control unit that reduces the vibration effect of a vibration having a low priority among a plurality of types of vibrations based on priorities defined for the plurality of types of vibrations. With the above configuration, it is possible to clearly communicate information to vehicle occupants through the vibration of a vibration device mounted on a driving operator of a vehicle while keeping costs down.

[0007] The control unit may reduce the vibration effect of the low priority vibration by applying a frequency filter that cancels part or all of the frequency of the vibration for a predetermined period.

[0008] The control unit may reduce the vibration effect of the vibration having a low priority by reducing the vibration intensity of the vibration for a predetermined period of time.

[0009] The multiple types of vibrations may include at least one of vibrations for driving assistance of the vehicle, vibrations for providing information to the vehicle, and vibrations for providing entertainment to the vehicle.

[0010] The control device according to the present invention can clearly communicate information to vehicle occupants through vibrations of a vibration device mounted on a driving operator of the vehicle, while keeping costs down. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1]1 is a diagram showing a schematic view of the interior of a vehicle cabin in which a steering wheel SW equipped with vibration devices VD1 and VD2 is installed. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an exemplary configuration of a system including a control device 100. [Figure 3] 1 is a series of graphs for explaining the contents of vibration measurement data 130A and vibration profile 130B. [Figure 4] 10 is a graph for explaining the effect of setting the amplitude ratio between the amplitude of the vibration device VD1 and the amplitude of the vibration device VD2. [Figure 5] 10 is a graph for explaining the effect of setting the frequencies of vibration devices VD1 and VD2. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of an application of the control device 100 to driving assistance. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of an application of the control device 100 to driving assistance. [Figure 8] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the control device 100. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of a method for transmitting vibration direction using vibration devices VD1 and VD2. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating another example of a method for transmitting vibration direction using vibration devices VD1 and VD2. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for adjusting steering vibration. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating another example of a method for adjusting steering vibration. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] The present invention will be described below based on preferred embodiments.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a diagram showing the interior of a vehicle cabin in which a steering wheel SW equipped with vibration devices VD1 and VD2 is installed. Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example configuration of a system including a control device 100 that controls the vibration devices.

[0014] The vehicle M includes an instrument panel 11, a driver's seat DS, a passenger seat AS, a steering wheel SW, etc. The vehicle M 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. Fig. 1 shows, as an example, a case where the vehicle M is a four-wheeled vehicle.

[0015] The steering wheel SW is fitted with a sensor that detects the amount of operation or whether or not the steering wheel is operated, and the detection results are output to the driving assistance ECU 10 and the steering device 20. The steering wheel SW does not necessarily have to be annular, and may be an irregularly shaped steering wheel.

[0016] Furthermore, the steering wheel SW is equipped with vibration devices VD1 and VD2 on its left and right sides. Each of the vibration devices VD1 and VD2 incorporates a motor. Upon receiving a playback signal provided by the control device 100 and amplified by amplifiers Amp1 and Amp2, the motor operates in accordance with the received playback signal to generate vibrations on the steering wheel SW. The amplifiers Amp1 and Amp2 are connected to the vibration devices VD1 and VD2, respectively, via cable reels. The motors incorporated in the vibration devices VD1 and VD2 may be normal motors with no offset in center of gravity, or eccentric motors with an offset in center of gravity. As shown in FIG. 1 , in this embodiment, the vibration device VD1 is installed on the left side of the steering wheel SW to transmit vibrations to the driver's left hand holding the steering wheel SW, while the vibration device VD2 is installed on the right side of the steering wheel SW to transmit vibrations to the driver's right hand holding the steering wheel SW.

[0017] The steering device 20 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 ECU 10 or information input from the steering wheel SW.

[0018] A steering sensor group 30 is attached to the steering wheel SW. The steering sensor group 30 includes, for example, a steering grip sensor and a vibration displacement sensor. The steering grip sensor is realized by a capacitance sensor or the like, and outputs a signal capable of detecting whether the driver is gripping the steering wheel SW (meaning that the driver is in contact with the steering wheel SW in a state where force can be applied) to the driving assistance ECU 10. The vibration displacement sensor measures the displacement [cm] of vibration generated at each position (point) of the steering wheel SW as vibration intensity, and outputs the measured vibration intensity to the control device 100. In this case, the measured vibration intensity may be output directly to the control device 100 without passing through the driving assistance ECU 10.

[0019] The vehicle sensor group 40 uses a solid-state imaging element such as a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) and includes an image sensor installed to capture images of the surroundings of the vehicle M, a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the host vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects the angular velocity around a vertical axis, and a direction sensor that detects the orientation of the host vehicle M. The driving assistance ECU 10 executes an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) for the driver based on the detection results of the vehicle sensor group 40. The ADAS includes, for example, a lane departure warning (LDW) that warns the host vehicle M of deviation from its lane. As will be described later, as an example, the driving assistance ECU 10 executes the ADAS by generating vibrations from vibration devices VD1 and VD2 via the control device 100.

[0020] [Control device] The control device 100 includes, for example, a setting unit 110, a control unit 120, and a storage unit 130. The setting unit 110 and the control unit 120 are each realized by a hardware processor, such as a central processing unit (CPU), executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry), such as a large-scale integration (LSI), an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or a system-on-chip (SOC), 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 a hard disk drive (HDD) or flash memory of the control device 100, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the hard disk drive or flash memory of the control device 100 by inserting the storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) into a drive device.

[0021] The storage unit 130 is realized by a storage device such as a HDD, a flash memory, or a RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage unit 130 stores, for example, vibration measurement data 130A and a vibration profile 130B. The vibration measurement data 130A is data indicating the vibration intensity at a predetermined point P of the steering wheel SW, measured by a vibration displacement sensor when the vibrating device VD1 vibrates. In this embodiment, the predetermined point P represents a position on the steering wheel SW that is generally assumed to be most frequently gripped by a driver of the vehicle M while driving, and is determined in advance. The vibration profile 130B is definition information that defines, based on the vibration measurement data 130A, the vibration (more specifically, the vibration intensity and phase) of the vibrating device VD2 that cancels out the vibration generated by the vibrating device VD1 at the predetermined point P.

[0022] FIG. 3 is a series of graphs illustrating the vibration measurement data 130A and the vibration profile 130B. The graph in FIG. 3(a) shows the playback signal f1 of the vibration device VD1, with the vertical axis representing voltage and the horizontal axis representing time. Hereinafter, the playback signal f1 will be expressed as f1=V1 sin(2πft), where V1 is the voltage and f is the frequency. Furthermore, the graph in FIG. 3(b) shows the playback signal f2 of the vibration device VD2, with the vertical axis representing voltage and the horizontal axis representing time. Hereinafter, the playback signal f2 will be expressed as f2=V2 sin(2πft), where V2 is the voltage and f is the frequency. That is, in this embodiment, the frequency f provided as the playback signal is assumed to be common to the vibration devices VD1 and VD2.

[0023] The graph in FIG. 3(c) shows the vibration intensity g at a predetermined point P when the reproduction signal f1 shown in the graph in FIG. 3(a) is applied to the vibration device VD1 to generate vibration. 1P Since there is a phase difference between when the reproduction signal f1 is applied to the vibration device VD1 and when the vibration caused by the vibration device VD1 is transmitted to the predetermined point P, the phase difference is expressed as Δt 1P The vibration intensity g 1P is g 1P =G 1P sin(2πf(t+Δt 1P )), where G 1P represents the amplitude of the vibration generated at the predetermined point P due to the vibration generated by the vibration device VD1. 1P The vibration intensity g at a given point P shown in the graph of FIG. 3(c) includes a damping constant depending on the material of the steering wheel SW and the propagation distance from the vibration device VD1. 1P , and the phase difference Δt 1P is an example of vibration measurement data 130A.

[0024] Similarly, the graph in FIG. 3(d) shows the vibration intensity g at a predetermined point P when the reproduction signal f2 shown in the graph in FIG. 3(b) is applied to the vibration device VD2 to generate vibration. 2PSince there is a phase difference between when the reproduction signal f2 is applied to the vibration device VD2 and when the vibration caused by the vibration device VD2 is transmitted to the predetermined point P, the phase difference is expressed as Δt 2P The vibration intensity g 2P is g 2P =G 2P sin(2πf(t+Δt 2P )), where G 2P represents the amplitude of vibration generated at the predetermined point P due to vibration caused by the vibration device VD2. As shown in FIG. 1, in this embodiment, the predetermined point P is set at a position closer to the vibration device VD2 than to the vibration device VD1. Therefore, the phase difference Δt 2P is the phase difference Δt 1P takes a value smaller than

[0025] 3(c), when the vibration device VD1 located on the left side of the steering wheel SW vibrates, the vibration propagates to a predetermined point P located on the right side of the steering wheel SW. However, as described above, the vibration device VD1 is intended to transmit vibrations to the left hand of the driver holding the steering wheel SW, and therefore, if the vibration of the vibration device VD1 propagates to the predetermined point P, the clarity of the vibration to the driver's left hand will be impaired.

[0026] In this embodiment, when the vibration device VD1 is vibrated to transmit vibration to the driver's left hand, the vibration device VD2 is vibrated to cancel out the vibration at the predetermined point P caused by the vibration. More specifically, in order to cancel out the vibration at the predetermined point P shown in the graph of FIG. 3(c), the vibration intensity g 1P The vibration intensity is the same as that of the vibration intensity g, but in the opposite phase. 2P ' is generated by the vibration device VD2 at a predetermined point P. As described above, the vibration intensity g 1P is g 1P =G 1P sin(2πf(t+Δt 1P)), so the vibration intensity g 2P ' is the vibration intensity g 1P By advancing the phase of g by π, 2P '=G 2P sin(2πf(t+Δt 2P )+π).

[0027] Furthermore, the above-mentioned reproduction signal f2=V2sin(2πft) and the vibration intensity g 2P =G 2P sin(2πf(t+Δt 2P )) and the vibration intensity g 2P The reproduction signal f2' of the vibration device VD2 corresponding to ' is f2'=V2(G 1P / G 2P )sin(2πf(t-Δt 2P +Δt 1P +1 / (2f)) In other words, the reproduced signal f2' is an example of the vibration profile 130B.

[0028] In this way, the setting unit 110 determines the vibration intensity g at the predetermined point P caused by the vibration of the vibration device VD1. 1P , and the phase difference Δt 1P Based on the vibration measurement data 130A including the vibration intensity g 1P Vibration intensity g that cancels out 2P The control unit 120 sets a playback signal f2' for the vibration device VD2 to reproduce '. When vibrating the vibration device VD1, the control unit 120 vibrates the vibration device VD2 according to the vibration profile 130B. As a result, when the vibration device VD1 located on the left side of the steering wheel SW vibrates, the control unit 120 also vibrates the vibration device VD2 according to the vibration profile 130B, thereby preventing the vibration of the vibration device VD1 from propagating to the predetermined point P located on the right side of the steering wheel SW, and allowing the driver to more clearly feel the vibration on the left side of the steering wheel SW.

[0029] In the above description, the vibration device VD1 is installed on the left side of the steering wheel SW, the vibration device VD2 is installed on the right side of the steering wheel SW, the predetermined point P is set on the right side of the steering wheel SW, and the vibration at the predetermined point P caused by the vibration of the vibration device VD1 is canceled by the vibration of the vibration device VD2. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the above relationship may be reversed. Furthermore, more generally, the vibration devices VD1 and VD2 may be installed so that at least their vibration directions are parallel to each other. This allows the vibration at the predetermined point P caused by the vibration of one of the vibration devices VD1 and VD2 to be canceled by the vibration of the other.

[0030] [Amplitude ratio and frequency settings] The setting unit 110 may set not only the vibration profile 130B of the vibration device VD2, but also the amplitude ratio between the amplitude of the vibration device VD1 and the amplitude of the vibration device VD2, and the frequency f of the vibration devices VD1 and VD2. This makes it possible to adjust the position of the predetermined point P where vibrations cancel each other out and the clarity of the vibrations on one side of the steering wheel SW. Details of this will be explained below.

[0031] First, the installation position of the vibration device VD1 is set to zero, and the point (distance) on the steering wheel SW measured counterclockwise is expressed as x, and the time is expressed as t. The vibration intensity A at point x and time t is expressed as A(x, t) = ae -bx sin{2πf(x / v+t)+θ 0xt Here, a represents a coefficient according to the propagation characteristics from the vibration source to the point x, b represents the attenuation according to the propagation characteristics from the vibration source to the point x, f represents the frequency of the vibration, v represents the propagation speed of the vibration, and θ 0xtrepresents the initial phase of vibration at time zero of point x. If the vibration at a predetermined point P propagated counterclockwise from the vibrating device VD1 is represented as A1(x,t), the vibration at a predetermined point P propagated clockwise from the vibrating device VD1 is represented as A2(x,t), the vibration at a predetermined point P propagated counterclockwise from the vibrating device VD2 is represented as A3(x,t), and the vibration at a predetermined point P propagated clockwise from the vibrating device VD2 is represented as A4(x,t), then A1(x,t)=a1e -bx sin{2πf(x / v+t)}, A2(x,t)=a1e -b(l1-x) sin{2πf((l1-x) / v+t)}, A3(x,t)=a2e -b(x+l2) sin{2πf((x+l2) / v+t+θ 0xt )}, A4(x,t)=a2e -b(l3-x) sin{2πf((l3-x) / v+t+θ 0xt )} where l1-x is the clockwise distance from the vibration device VD1 to the predetermined point P, x+l2 is the counterclockwise distance from the vibration device VD2 to the predetermined point P, and l3-x is the clockwise distance from the vibration device VD2 to the predetermined point P. Based on the above assumptions, A(x,t) can be simply expressed as A(x,t)=A1(x,t)+A2(x,t)+A3(x,t)+A4(x,t)=a1e -bx sin{2πf(x / v+t)}+a1e -b(l1-x) sin{2πf((l1-x) / v+t)}+a2e -b(x+l2) sin{2πf((x+l2) / v+t+θ 0xt )}+a2e -b(l3-x) sin{2πf((l3-x) / v+t+θ 0xt )}.

[0032] Fig. 4 is a graph for explaining the effect of setting the amplitude ratio between the amplitude of vibration device VD1 and the amplitude of vibration device VD2. The graph shown in Fig. 4 was obtained by changing the amplitude ratio a1 / a2 between the amplitude a1 of the vibration generated by vibration device VD1 and the amplitude a2 of the vibration generated by vibration device VD2 in the two vibration sources x two paths vibration propagation model A(x, t) constructed above.

[0033] 4, the larger the amplitude ratio between the amplitude a1 of the vibration generated by the vibration device VD1 and the amplitude a2 of the vibration generated by the vibration device VD2, the farther the position (counterclockwise from the vibration device VD1) where the vibrations generated by the vibration device VD1 and the vibrations generated by the vibration device VD2 cancel each other out, while the smaller the amplitude ratio, the closer the position (counterclockwise from the vibration device VD1) where the vibrations generated by the vibration device VD1 and the vibrations generated by the vibration device VD2 cancel each other out. Therefore, the setting unit 110 can set the amplitude ratio in accordance with the determination of the predetermined point P so that the vibrations generated by the vibration device VD1 and the vibrations generated by the vibration device VD2 cancel each other out at the predetermined point P.

[0034] Fig. 5 is a graph illustrating the effect of setting the frequencies of the vibration devices VD1 and VD2. Similar to Fig. 4, the graph shown in Fig. 5 was obtained by changing the wind wave number f of the vibrations generated by the vibration devices VD1 and VD2 in the two vibration sources x two path vibration propagation model A(x, t).

[0035] 5, the higher the wind wave number of the vibrations generated by vibration devices VD1 and VD2, the greater the difference in vibration intensity between the positions where the vibrations caused by vibration devices VD1 and VD2 constructively interact and the positions where they destructively interact (in other words, the difference between the left and right vibrations felt by the driver), while the lower the wind wave number of the vibrations generated by vibration devices VD1 and VD2, the smaller the difference in vibration intensity between the positions where the vibrations caused by vibration devices VD1 and VD2 constructively interact and the positions where they destructively interact. This is because the higher the vibration frequency, the shorter the wavelength, and therefore the number of antinodes and nodes of the vibration propagating through the steering wheel SW increases, and as a result, the distance between the antinodes and nodes becomes shorter, making it easier for differences in intensity to occur within the steering wheel SW.

[0036] Therefore, by setting a higher wind wave frequency of the vibrations generated by the vibration devices VD1 and VD2, the setting unit 110 can enable the driver of the vehicle M to more clearly feel the vibrations on the left (right) side of the steering wheel SW generated by the vibration device VD1 (VD2). The degree to which the vibrations should be differentiated between the left and right differs depending on the driver of the vehicle M. Therefore, the setting unit 110 may receive an input regarding the frequency setting from the driver of the vehicle M via, for example, the instrument panel 11. In this case, the setting unit 110 may display inquiry information on the instrument panel 11 in a format that is more understandable to the driver, such as "make the difference between the left and right clearer / ambiguous," instead of a frequency value. In yet another aspect, the setting unit 110 measures the reaction period from when the vibration device VD1 (VD2) is generated until the driver of the vehicle M reacts to it and performs a predetermined action (e.g., steering operation), and if it determines that the reaction period is long (e.g., above a threshold value), it may set the wind wave number higher to make an adjustment to make the difference in vibration between the left and right sides more apparent.

[0037] FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating an example of a driving assistance application of the control device 100. The left part of FIG. 6 illustrates a situation in which a vehicle M is traveling in a driving lane L and is about to deviate from a lane LM. The driving assistance ECU 10 recognizes the lane LM shown in an image representing the surrounding conditions of the vehicle M, for example, output by an image sensor included in the vehicle sensor group 40. The driving assistance ECU 10 then determines whether the distance between the vehicle M and the recognized lane LM is within a threshold. If it is determined that the distance between the vehicle M and the recognized lane LM is within the threshold, the driving assistance ECU 10 transmits a command value to the control device 100 to vibrate the vibration device VD1 (VD2) corresponding to the left or right side for which the distance is within the threshold.

[0038] When the control device 100 receives a command value, the control unit 120 transmits a playback signal to vibrate the vibration device VD1 (VD2) on the side indicated by the command value, and also transmits a playback signal to vibrate the vibration device VD2 (VD1) on the opposite side according to the vibration profile 130B. In the case of FIG. 6, the control unit 120 transmits a playback signal to vibrate the left vibration device VD1, and also transmits a playback signal to vibrate the right vibration device VD2 according to the vibration profile 130B. As a result, as shown in the right part of FIG. 6, only the left portion of the steering wheel SW is vibrated, and the driver of the vehicle M can more clearly understand that the vehicle M is about to deviate to the left of the lane LM.

[0039] FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating another example of an application of the control device 100 to driving assistance. The left part of FIG. 7 illustrates a situation in which the vehicle M is about to turn right into the driving lane L, for example, in accordance with navigation information displayed on the instrument panel 11. The driving assistance ECU 10 recognizes an intersection ahead of the vehicle M, for example, based on an image representing the surrounding conditions of the vehicle M output by an image sensor included in the vehicle sensor group 40. The driving assistance ECU 10 then determines whether the distance between the vehicle M and the recognized intersection is within a threshold. If it is determined that the distance between the vehicle M and the recognized intersection is within the threshold, the driving assistance ECU 10 transmits a command value to the control device 100 to vibrate the vibration device VD1 (VD2) on the left or right side that the vehicle M is entering.

[0040] When the control device 100 receives a command value, the control unit 120 transmits a playback signal to vibrate the vibration device VD1 (VD2) on the side indicated by the command value, and also transmits a playback signal to vibrate the vibration device VD2 (VD1) on the opposite side according to the vibration profile 130B. In the case of FIG. 7, the control unit 120 transmits a playback signal to vibrate the right vibration device VD2, and also transmits a playback signal to vibrate the right vibration device VD1 according to the vibration profile 130B. As a result, as shown in the right part of FIG. 7, only the right portion of the steering wheel SW is vibrated, allowing the driver of the vehicle M to more clearly understand the situation in which a right turn is required at an intersection.

[0041] The above-described driving assistance is merely an example, and vibrations by the vibration device VD1 (VD2) may be used for other driving assistance or entertainment. For example, the driving assistance ECU 10 may determine whether an obstacle (e.g., another vehicle or a pedestrian) is present near the vehicle M based on an image showing the surrounding conditions of the vehicle M. If it is determined that an obstacle is present near the vehicle M, the driving assistance ECU 10 may send a command value to the control device 100 to vibrate the vibration device VD1 (VD2) corresponding to the left or right side on which the obstacle is present. Also, for example, as an application to entertainment, the driving assistance ECU 10 (or a separately prepared ECU) may refer to map information or news information while the vehicle M is traveling, and if a facility (such as a tourist facility) or an event (such as a festival) is present on the left or right side of the vehicle M, send a command value to the control device 100 to vibrate the vibration device VD1 (VD2) corresponding to the direction of the facility or event. At that time, the driving assistance ECU 10 may also display guidance information about the facility or event on the instrument panel 11. As another application to entertainment, for example, while the vehicle M is playing music, the driving assistance ECU 10 (or a separately prepared ECU) may send a command value to the control device 100 to vibrate the vibration devices VD1 and VD2 alternately on the left and right in time with the rhythm of the music.

[0042] Furthermore, in this embodiment, for the sake of simplicity, a case is described in which two vibration devices, vibration devices VD1 and VD2, are installed on the steering wheel SW as the vibration device group, and the profile of the vibration device VD2 is set so that the vibration generated by the vibration device VD1 at the predetermined point P is canceled out by the vibration of the vibration device VD2. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and three or more vibration devices (e.g., vibration devices VD1 to VD3) may be installed on the steering wheel SW. In that case, for example, the profiles of the vibration devices VD2 and VD3 may be set so that the vibration generated by the vibration device VD1 at the predetermined point P is canceled out by the vibration of the vibration devices VD2 and VD3.

[0043] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the predetermined point P is set in advance to a position that is generally assumed to be most frequently gripped by the driver of the vehicle M while driving. However, the present invention is not limited to such a configuration. The setting unit 110 may set the position of the steering wheel SW that the driver grips most frequently during a predetermined period as the predetermined point P based on the detection result of the steering grip sensor, and adjust the amplitude ratio accordingly. In this case, the sensor for detecting the driver's grip position is not limited to the steering grip sensor. The driver's grip position may be detected by a ToF (Time of Flight) sensor that measures the position of the driver's hands or an image sensor that captures the image of the driver's hands. This makes it possible to clearly communicate information tailored to the driver of the vehicle.

[0044] Next, the flow of processing executed by the control device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the control device 100.

[0045] First, the setting unit 110 sets a vibration profile 130B for the vibration device VD2 based on vibration measurement data 130A at a predetermined point P for the vibration device VD1 (step S100). Next, the control unit 120 determines whether or not a command value for instructing the vibration device VD1 to vibrate has been received from the driving assistance ECU 10 (step S102). If it is determined that a command value for instructing the vibration device VD1 to vibrate has not been received from the driving assistance ECU 10, the control unit 120 executes the process of step S102 again after a predetermined period. On the other hand, if it is determined that a command value for instructing the vibration device VD1 to vibrate has been received from the driving assistance ECU 10, the control unit 120 vibrates the vibration device VD1 and vibrates the vibration device VD1 according to the vibration profile 130B (step S104). This ends the process of this flowchart.

[0046] [Reproduction of vibration direction] As described above, in this embodiment, the control unit 120 realizes clear information transmission through the vibrations of the vibration devices by operating the vibration devices VD1 and VD2 so that the vibrations generated by the vibration device VD1 are canceled out by the vibrations generated by the vibration device VD2 at the predetermined point P. In another aspect, the control unit 120 may realize clear information transmission by controlling the vibration device VD1 located on the left side of the steering wheel SW and the vibration device VD2 located on the right side so that the vibrations from these vibration devices transmit (reproduce) the vibration directions to the driver.

[0047] FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a method for transmitting a vibration direction using vibration devices VD1 and VD2. FIG. 9 illustrates a case in which the vibration direction is transmitted from left to right using vibration devices VD1 and VD2 from time t1 to time t5. As shown in FIG. 4, the setting unit 110 first sets a small amplitude ratio between the amplitude a1 of the vibration generated by vibration device VD1 and the amplitude a2 of the vibration generated by vibration device VD2 at time t1, thereby setting a predetermined point P(t1) to the left side of the steering wheel SW. With the predetermined point P(t1) set, the control unit 120 vibrates the vibration devices VD1 and VD2, thereby increasing (maximizing) the vibration on the left side of the steering wheel SW and decreasing (minimizing) the vibration on the right side of the steering wheel SW.

[0048] Subsequently, at time t2, the setting unit 110 sets the amplitude ratio to be larger than that at time t1, thereby setting the predetermined point P(t2) to the right of the predetermined point P(t1) on the steering wheel SW. With the predetermined point P(t2) set, the control unit 120 vibrates the vibration devices VD1 and VD2, thereby reducing the vibration on the left side of the steering wheel SW and increasing the vibration on the right side of the steering wheel SW. By repeating this process from time t3 to time t5, the vibration on the left side of the steering wheel SW gradually decreases while the vibration on the right side of the steering wheel SW gradually increases, allowing the driver of the vehicle M to sense the vibration direction from left to right. In other words, this allows the vibration direction to be communicated to the driver of the vehicle M. Note that the settings from time t1 to time t5 shown in FIG. 9 are merely an example, and the points to be controlled may be set more precisely or roughly.

[0049] Fig. 10 is a diagram showing another example of a method for transmitting vibration direction using vibration devices VD1 and VD2. In the graph shown in Fig. 10, the dashed line represents the vibration of vibration device VD1, and the dashed double-dashed line represents the vibration of vibration device VD2. Fig. 10 shows a case where the vibration direction is transmitted from left to right using vibration devices VD1 and VD2.

[0050] First, at time t1, the control unit 120 vibrates the vibration device VD1 at the maximum vibration intensity, and continues this for a certain period of time (i.e., from time t1 to time t2). Next, at time t2, the control unit 120 reduces the vibration of the vibration device VD1 while increasing the vibration of the vibration device VD2. As a result, at time t3, the vibration intensity of the vibration device VD2 reverses that of the vibration device VD1. Next, at time t4, the control unit 120 stops the vibration of the vibration device VD1 while vibrating the vibration device VD2 at the maximum vibration intensity. Next, at time t5, the control unit 120 reduces the vibration of the vibration device VD2 and stops the vibration of the vibration device VD2 at time t6. Through this process, the vibration of the left side of the steering wheel SW gradually decreases from the maximum value, while the vibration of the right side of the steering wheel SW gradually increases from the minimum value, allowing the driver of the vehicle M to sense the vibration direction from left to right. In other words, this allows the driver of the vehicle M to be informed of the vibration direction. Note that the transition of vibration intensity shown in Figure 10 is a linear increase or decrease, but this is merely one example, and it is sufficient that at least one of the vibration devices VD1 and VD2 starts generating vibrations with a vibration intensity greater than the other, and then the vibration intensity of the other device reverses that of the other.

[0051] 6 and 7, the control unit 120 can apply the transmission of vibration direction using the vibration devices VD1 and VD2 to driving assistance and entertainment. For example, when the vehicle M turns right (left), the control unit 120 may control the vibration devices VD1 and VD2 to transmit the vibration direction from left to right (right to left), thereby transmitting the traveling direction to the driver. Furthermore, for example, while the vehicle M is playing music, the control unit 120 may entertain the driver by alternately reproducing the vibration direction from left to right and the vibration direction from right to left in time with the rhythm of the music.

[0052] [Signal arbitration] 6 and 7, the control unit 120, in cooperation with the driving assistance ECU 10, can activate warning vibrations that warn of lane departure, the presence of an obstacle, etc., or activate information notification vibrations for navigation or entertainment by providing a playback signal to the vibration device. However, since there are limitations on the number and cost of vibration devices that can be installed on the steering wheel SW, when multiple activation conditions related to steering vibration are met simultaneously, it is necessary to mediate between these steering vibrations.

[0053] Therefore, the control unit 120 achieves arbitration of steering vibrations by lowering the vibration effect of a vibration with a low priority among the multiple types of vibrations based on priorities defined for the multiple types of vibrations (e.g., warning vibration, information notification vibration, entertainment vibration, etc.). More specifically, for example, the control unit 120 lowers the vibration effect of a playback signal that activates information notification vibration compared to a playback signal that activates warning vibration. Note that the following description does not assume cooperation between the vibration devices VD1 and VD2, and can be similarly applied, for example, to a case where one vibration device is installed on the steering wheel SW, and is therefore simply referred to as vibration device VD.

[0054] FIG. 11 illustrates an example of a steering vibration mediation method. In the graph illustrated in FIG. 11, a thick solid line represents warning vibration, and a thin solid line represents information notification vibration. When the activation conditions for the warning vibration and the information notification vibration are simultaneously met, the control unit 120 reduces the vibration effect by, for example, reducing the vibration intensity of the playback signal corresponding to the information notification vibration by a predetermined value. In the graph illustrated in FIG. 11, the dotted line represents the vibration intensity of the information notification vibration before the vibration intensity is reduced. During the vibration intensity reduction period, the control unit 120 simultaneously reduces the vibration intensity of the playback signal corresponding to the information notification vibration and outputs a playback signal corresponding to the warning vibration to the vibration device VD. In the example illustrated in FIG. 11, the control unit 120 outputs a playback signal corresponding to the warning vibration to the vibration device VD three times. As a result, the driver of the vehicle M feels the vibration corresponding to the warning vibration more strongly than the vibration corresponding to the information notification vibration during the vibration intensity reduction period, thereby achieving mediation of the steering vibration.

[0055] FIG. 12 illustrates another example of a steering vibration mediation method. When the activation conditions for the warning vibration and the information notification vibration are simultaneously met, the control unit 120 applies a frequency filter that cancels some or all of the frequencies constituting the playback signal of the information notification vibration to reduce the vibration effect. The left part of FIG. 12 illustrates a case in which the control unit 120 applies a frequency filter that cancels the frequency band from f1 to f2 to the playback signal of the information notification vibration. As a result, as shown in the right part of FIG. 12, the vibration device VD outputs the information notification vibration corresponding to the solid line instead of the information notification vibration corresponding to the dotted line. The information notification vibration modified by the filter in this way becomes a vibration that the driver of the vehicle M would not normally recognize as an information notification vibration. As a result, the driver of the vehicle M more clearly perceives the vibration corresponding to the warning vibration than the vibration corresponding to the information notification vibration during the frequency filter application period. In other words, this enables mediation of steering vibration.

[0056] 11 and 12, the case where the warning vibration and the information notification vibration are arbitrated is described, but the present invention is not limited to such a configuration, and the above steering arbitration can be applied to a plurality of different types of vibration. For example, when the activation condition for the information notification vibration and the activation condition for the entertainment vibration are met simultaneously, the control unit 120 may apply a frequency filter to the playback signal of the entertainment vibration to prioritize the activation condition for the information notification vibration.

[0057] According to the present embodiment described above, the vibration effect of a vibration having a low priority among multiple types of vibration is reduced based on the priorities defined for the multiple types of vibration. This makes it possible to clearly communicate information to vehicle occupants through the vibration of a vibration device mounted on a driving operator of a vehicle while keeping costs down. [Explanation of symbols]

[0058] 10 Driver assistance ECU 20 Steering device 30 Steering sensors 40 Vehicle Sensors 100 control device 110 Setting section 120 control section 130 Storage section 130A Vibration Measurement Data 130B vibration profile

Claims

1. A control device for controlling vibrations generated by a vibration device mounted on a driving operator of a vehicle, a control unit that reduces vibration effects of vibrations having low priorities among the plurality of types of vibrations based on priorities defined for the plurality of types of vibrations, Control device.

2. the control unit applies a frequency filter to the vibration having a low priority, which cancels a part or all of the frequency of the vibration for a predetermined period, thereby reducing the vibration effect of the vibration. The control device according to claim 1 .

3. the control unit reduces the vibration effect of the vibration by lowering the vibration intensity of the vibration having the low priority for a predetermined period of time. The control device according to claim 1 .

4. The plurality of types of vibrations include at least one of vibrations for driving assistance of the vehicle, vibrations for providing information to the vehicle, and vibrations for providing entertainment to the vehicle. The control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. A control method for controlling vibrations generated by a vibration device mounted on a driving operator of a vehicle, comprising: The computer reducing the vibration effect of a vibration having a low priority among the plurality of types of vibration based on priorities defined for the plurality of types of vibration; Control method.

6. A program for controlling vibrations generated by a vibration device mounted on a driving operator of a vehicle, On the computer, reducing the vibration effect of a vibration having a low priority among the plurality of types of vibration based on priorities defined for the plurality of types of vibration; program.

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