Vehicle control apparatus and vehicle control method

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control apparatus capable of responding to an occupant in such poor physical condition as to be unable to operate a switch.SOLUTION: A poor physical condition detection section 30 detects poor physical condition of an occupant. Further, a determination control section 31 shifts a mode to a poor physical condition mode when the poor physical condition of the occupant is detected by the poor physical condition detection section 30. Further, when a switch 18 is operated during execution of the poor physical condition mode, the determination control section 31 determines whether an occupant who has operated the switch 18 is the occupant (specific occupant) having the poor physical condition detected by the poor physical condition detection section 30, and when determining that it is the specific occupant, cancels the poor physical condition mode.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, for example, a vehicle control device has been proposed that has a switch located close to the driver's hand, a control unit that performs predetermined emergency control when the switch is operated, and a detection unit that detects whether the driver is in poor physical condition (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the vehicle control device described in Patent Document 1, when the detection unit detects that the driver is in poor physical condition, the switch can be operated, thereby preventing the driver from erroneously operating the switch. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-124855 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, in the vehicle control device described in Patent Document 1, if the driver is in such poor physical condition that he or she is unable to operate the switch, no measures are taken to accommodate the driver who is in poor physical condition. An object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method that can also accommodate a passenger who is in such poor health that he or she is unable to operate a switch. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A vehicle control device of one aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle that travels autonomously toward a destination, and includes a detection unit that detects poor health among the vehicle's occupants, a control unit that, when the detection unit detects poor health among the occupants, transitions to an illness mode that takes one or more of the following actions: stopping the vehicle, reporting the illness to outside the vehicle, and changing the destination, and a switch installed inside the vehicle and operated by the occupant.When the switch is operated while the illness mode is in progress, the control unit determines whether the occupant who operated the switch is a specific occupant whose illness has been detected by the detection unit, and if it determines that the occupant is a specific occupant, the control unit cancels the illness mode.

[0006] Furthermore, one aspect of the vehicle control method of the present disclosure is a vehicle control method using a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle that is autonomously traveling toward a destination, which detects poor health among the vehicle's occupants, and when poor health among the occupants is detected, transitions to an illness mode in which the vehicle stops, reports to the outside of the vehicle, and changes the destination; and when a switch installed inside the vehicle is operated while the illness mode is in progress, determines whether the occupant who operated the switch is a specific occupant whose illness has been detected, and if it is determined that the occupant is a specific occupant, the illness mode is canceled. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present disclosure, a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method can be provided that can also accommodate occupants who are in such poor health that they are unable to operate switches. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle control device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the installation position of a switch. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a controller. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of a determination control unit and the like. [Figure 5] FIG. [Figure 6]FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a controller according to a second embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of a determination control unit and the like. [Figure 8] FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of a controller according to a modified example. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of a determination control unit and the like in a modified example. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of a determination control unit and the like in a modified example. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing the installation positions of an in-vehicle camera and a switch in a modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the drawings are schematic and may differ from the actual embodiments. Furthermore, the embodiments of the present disclosure shown below are examples of devices and methods for embodying the technical ideas of the present disclosure, and the technical ideas of the present disclosure do not limit the structure, arrangement, etc. of the components to those described below. Various modifications can be made to the technical ideas of the present disclosure within the technical scope defined by the claims.

[0010] (composition) Fig. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle control device 10 according to a first embodiment. In the first embodiment, as shown in Fig. 1, an example is shown in which the vehicle control device 10 is applied to an unmanned taxi (hereinafter also referred to as "vehicle Ce") that allows passengers to share a ride. The vehicle Ce is equipped with the vehicle control device 10 that controls the traveling of the vehicle Ce so that the vehicle Ce travels autonomously toward a destination. The vehicle control device 10 includes an external sensor 11, a vehicle sensor 12, a positioning device 13, a map database 14 (hereinafter also referred to as "map DB14"), a communication device 15, a human machine interface (HMI) 16, an in-vehicle camera 17, a switch 18, an actuator 19, and a controller 20. The external sensor 11 includes a forward monitoring sensor that monitors the surrounding environment in front of the vehicle Ce, and a rear monitoring sensor that monitors the surrounding environment behind the vehicle Ce. As the forward monitoring sensor and the rear monitoring sensor, various object detection sensors that detect objects around the vehicle Ce can be used, such as a laser radar, a millimeter wave radar, a camera, or a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging, Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) mounted on the vehicle Ce.

[0011] The vehicle sensor 12 is mounted on the vehicle Ce and detects various information (vehicle signals) obtained from the vehicle Ce. Examples of the vehicle sensor 12 that can be used include a vehicle speed sensor that detects the vehicle speed of the vehicle Ce, a wheel speed sensor that detects the rotational speed of the wheels of the vehicle Ce, a three-axis acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration in three axial directions of the vehicle Ce, a steering angle sensor that detects the steering angle of the steered wheels, a gyro sensor that detects the angular velocity of the vehicle Ce, a yaw rate sensor that detects the yaw rate, an accelerator sensor that detects the accelerator opening of the host vehicle, and a brake sensor that detects the braking amount.

[0012] The positioning device 13 includes a Global Navigation System (GNSS) receiver and receives radio waves from multiple navigation satellites to measure the current position of the vehicle Ce. The GNSS receiver may be, for example, a GPS receiver. The positioning device 13 may be, for example, an inertial navigation system. The map DB 14 stores road map data, which may be, for example, high-precision three-dimensional map data (such as HD maps) for autonomous vehicles. The communication device 15 is a wireless communication device that provides wireless communication functions between the vehicle Ce and external devices. The communication method of the communication device 15 may be, for example, wireless communication via a public mobile communication network, satellite communication, or road-to-vehicle communication. The vehicle Ce (HMI 16, controller 20) transmits and receives voice and data to and from an operator of the management company of the vehicle Ce via the communication device 15.

[0013] The HMI 16 is an interface device that is installed inside the vehicle Ce and that exchanges information between the vehicle control device 10 and the occupants of the vehicle Ce. The HMI 16 may be, for example, a display device that displays image information that can be seen by all occupants of the vehicle Ce, a speaker that outputs audio information that can be heard by all occupants, or a microphone that captures audio information inside the vehicle. The in-vehicle camera 17 is installed inside the vehicle Ce and captures images of the occupants in each seat 21 of the vehicle Ce. For example, an image sensor that captures the faces of all occupants within its imaging range and generates moving image data can be used as the in-vehicle camera 17. The captured image is transmitted to the controller 20. As shown in Fig. 2, the switch 18 is installed inside the vehicle Ce and is operated by an occupant of the vehicle Ce. Fig. 2 illustrates an example in which only one switch 18 is installed within a predetermined distance from each seat 21 inside the vehicle (a distance that can be operated while sitting in the seat 21, for example, 1 m). For example, only one switch 18 may be installed on the ceiling surface located at the same distance from each seat 21 in a plan view. Alternatively, for example, only one switch 18 may be installed between the seats 21 and in a central position inside the vehicle. For example, a push button switch can be used as the switch 18. When operated by an occupant, the switch 18 transmits an operation signal to the controller 20.

[0014] The actuator 19 includes a steering actuator, an accelerator opening actuator, and a brake control actuator. The steering actuator controls the steering direction and steering amount of the steering wheel of the vehicle Ce. The accelerator opening actuator controls the accelerator opening of the vehicle Ce. The brake control actuator controls the braking operation of the brake device of the vehicle Ce. The actuator 19 operates the steering wheel, accelerator opening, and brake device of the vehicle Ce in response to control signals output from the controller 20 to generate vehicle behavior of the vehicle Ce.

[0015] The controller 20 is an electronic control unit mounted on the vehicle Ce and controls the running of the vehicle Ce. The controller 20 includes a processor 19a and peripheral components such as a storage device 19b that stores computer programs and the like. The processor 19a may be, for example, a CPU or an MPU. The storage device 19b may be, for example, a semiconductor storage device, a magnetic storage device, or an optical storage device. The storage device 19b may include a register, a cache memory, and memories such as a ROM and a RAM used as a main storage device. Each function of the controller 20 described below is realized, for example, by the processor 19a executing a computer program stored in the storage device 19b. The controller 20 may be formed of dedicated hardware for executing each of the information processes described below. For example, the controller 20 may be configured to include a functional logic circuit set in a general-purpose semiconductor integrated circuit. For example, the controller 20 may include a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) such as an FPGA.

[0016] Next, each function of the controller 20 will be described in detail. As shown in Fig. 3, the controller 20 includes a poor physical condition detection unit 30 (broadly speaking, a "detection unit") and a judgment control unit 31 (broadly speaking, a "control unit"). Fig. 3 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the controller 20. The poor health detection unit 30 detects poor health of an occupant of the vehicle Ce based on video data obtained from the in-vehicle camera 17. A method for detecting a poorly ill occupant (hereinafter also referred to as a "specific occupant") can be, for example, to detect the behavior of the occupant based on the video data and determine the presence or absence of the specific occupant based on the detection result. The detection result is output to the judgment control unit 31.

[0017] The judgment control unit 31 switches the operation mode of the vehicle Ce and outputs a control signal to the actuator 19 to operate the actuator 19 according to the operation mode of the vehicle Ce. The operation modes include, for example, a normal AD mode in which the vehicle autonomously travels toward a destination, and an ill-health mode in which the vehicle responds to an occupant who is in poor health. In the normal AD mode, the judgment control unit 31 generates a control signal for the actuator 19 so that the vehicle Ce autonomously travels toward a destination based on the external sensor 11, the vehicle sensor 12, the positioning device 13, and the map DB 14. For example, if the vehicle Ce is an unmanned taxi that provides a ride-sharing service for occupants, the destinations input by each occupant can be used as the destination.

[0018] In addition, in the poor health mode, the judgment control unit 31 performs one or more of stopping the vehicle Ce, making a report to the outside of the vehicle, and changing the destination. One example of "stopping the vehicle Ce" is to detect the driving state of other vehicles based on data on the surrounding environmental movement of the vehicle Ce obtained from the external sensor 11, calculate an evacuation route from the current position of the vehicle Ce to a safe area such as a road shoulder based on the detection result and the map DB 14, and generate a control signal for the actuator 19 so that the vehicle Ce travels autonomously along the calculated evacuation route. This allows the vehicle Ce to be stopped in a safe area, and the poorly ill occupant (specific occupant) can be given medical attention by, for example, handing over the specific occupant to an ambulance. As an example of "notifying outside the vehicle," a notification that an occupant is unwell may be sent to an operator via the HMI 16 and the communication device 15. This allows the operator to obtain guidance instructions for the vehicle Ce from the operator's terminal, and a control signal for the actuator 19 may be generated so that the vehicle travels in accordance with the obtained guidance instructions. As another example of "notifying outside the vehicle," a notification that an occupant is unwell may be sent to a fire department or the like via the HMI 16 and the communication device 15. This allows the vehicle Ce to call an ambulance to the current location or destination of the vehicle Ce.

[0019] As an example of "changing the destination," a hospital near the current location of the vehicle Ce may be searched for based on the positioning device 13 and the map DB 14, the searched hospital may be switched to a new destination, and a control signal for the actuator 19 may be generated so that the vehicle Ce travels autonomously toward the new destination (hospital). This allows the vehicle Ce to head to a nearby hospital and provide first aid to the unwell occupant (specific occupant) by handing them over to the hospital, for example.

[0020] As shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, the judgment control unit 31 normally sets the operation mode of the vehicle Ce to the normal AD mode (S101 in FIG. 4; S201 in FIG. 5). This causes the vehicle Ce to autonomously travel toward a destination and function as an unmanned taxi that transports occupants to the destination. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the judgment control unit 31 and the like. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the operation of the vehicle Ce. While the judgment control unit 31 is running in the normal AD mode, it determines whether the poor health detection unit 30 has detected poor health of any occupant (S102 in FIG. 4). Then, if it determines that poor health of any occupant has been detected ("Yes" in S102 in FIG. 4; S202 in FIG. 5), it transitions to the poor health mode (S103 in FIG. 4; S203 in FIG. 5). As a result, vehicle Ce will take one or more of the following actions to respond to the specific occupant: stopping vehicle Ce, making a report outside the vehicle, or changing the destination, and handing over the unwell occupant (specific occupant) to an ambulance, etc.

[0021] Furthermore, the determination control unit 31 determines whether the switch 18 has been operated while the poor health mode is being executed (S104 in FIG. 4). A method for determining whether the switch 18 has been operated may be, for example, a method in which the determination control unit 31 determines whether the switch 18 has been repeatedly pressed a predetermined number of times or continuously pressed for a predetermined period of time based on an operation signal obtained from the switch 18, and determines that the switch 18 has been operated if it is determined that the switch 18 has been repeatedly pressed or continuously pressed. If the determination control unit 31 determines that the switch 18 has been operated ("Yes" in S104 in FIG. 4), the determination control unit 31 determines whether the occupant who operated the switch 18 (hereinafter also referred to as the "operating occupant") is a specific occupant whose poor health has been detected by the poor health detection unit 30 (S105 in FIG. 4). A method for determining whether the specific occupant is the operating occupant may be, for example, a method in which the position of the operating occupant is detected based on video data obtained from the in-vehicle camera 17, and whether the operating occupant is a specific occupant is determined based on the detected position and the position of the specific occupant whose poor health has been detected.

[0022] If the judgment control unit 31 determines that the operating occupant is a specific occupant (S105 "No" in Figure 4), it cancels the poor health mode (S106 in Figure 4, S204 in Figure 5) and returns the operation mode of the vehicle Ce to the normal AD mode that was executed immediately before (S101 in Figure 4, S205 in Figure 5). As a result, the vehicle Ce returns the destination to the destination of the normal AD mode (original destination) and resumes autonomous driving toward the original destination. Note that when returning to the normal AD mode, poor health detection is only performed on occupants other than those previously determined to be specific occupants.

[0023] (Effects of the first embodiment) (1) When the poor physical condition detection unit 30 detects that an occupant is in poor physical condition, the judgment control unit 31 transitions to the poor physical condition mode. Furthermore, when the switch 18 is operated during the poor physical condition mode, the judgment control unit 31 determines whether the occupant who operated the switch 18 is a occupant (specific occupant) whose poor physical condition has been detected by the poor physical condition detection unit 30, and if it is determined that the occupant is a specific occupant, the judgment control unit 31 cancels the poor physical condition mode. As a result, for example, when one of the occupants of the vehicle Ce becomes ill and the poor physical condition of the occupant is detected (S202 in FIG. 5), the system transitions to the poor physical condition mode (S203 in FIG. 5). Thereafter, when the occupant (specific occupant) whose poor physical condition has been detected operates the switch 18 (S204 in FIG. 5), the poor physical condition mode is canceled (S205 in FIG. 5). In other words, the occupant (specific occupant) whose poor physical condition has been detected is required to operate the switch 18 only when canceling the poor physical condition mode, and is not required to operate the switch 18 when maintaining the poor physical condition mode. Therefore, unlike a configuration in which the vehicle enters a sickness mode when the switch 18 is operated, that is, a configuration in which the operation of the switch 18 is required to enter the sickness mode, it is possible to accommodate a passenger who is so unwell that he or she is unable to operate the switch 18.

[0024] (2) The switch 18 may be configured so that only one switch 18 is installed within a predetermined distance from each seat 21 in the vehicle. This reduces the number of switches 18 that need to be installed in the vehicle. (3) The determination control unit 31 determines that the switch 18 has been operated when the switch 18 has been repeatedly pressed a predetermined number of times or continuously pressed for a predetermined period of time. This prevents accidental touching of the switch 18 from being determined as an operation of the switch 18, thereby preventing erroneous operation.

[0025] (Second embodiment) Next, a vehicle control device 10 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The schematic configuration of the vehicle control device 10 according to the second embodiment is the same as that shown in FIG. 1, and therefore will not be illustrated. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the controller 20. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the judgment control unit 31 and the like. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the operation of the vehicle Ce. In FIGS. 6, 7, and 8, parts corresponding to those in FIGS. 3, 4, and 5 are designated by the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations will be omitted. In the first embodiment described above, the poor health mode is initiated immediately when the poor health detection unit 30 detects that the occupant is in poor health. In contrast, the second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the poor health mode is initiated after a predetermined time (e.g., 60 seconds) has elapsed since the poor health detection unit 30 detected that the occupant is in poor health.

[0026] In the second embodiment, as shown in FIG. 7, the controller 20 further includes a notification unit 32. After the poor health detection unit 30 detects that the specific occupant is in poor health (S102 "Yes" in FIG. 7), the notification unit 32 issues a pre-notification to the occupant before the poor health mode is initiated (S301 in FIG. 7; S401 in FIG. 8). This notifies the occupant of the vehicle Ce that the poor health mode will be initiated and prompts them to operate the switch 18. For example, if the HMI 16 includes a display device and a speaker, the pre-notification may be a method of outputting image information and audio information from the HMI 16 notifying the occupant that (1) the poor health mode will be initiated after a predetermined time, (2) if the poor health mode is to be initiated immediately, a occupant other than the specific occupant (hereinafter also referred to as a "shared occupant") will operate the switch 18, or (3) if the transition to the poor health mode is to be canceled, the specific occupant will operate the switch 18.

[0027] Furthermore, the judgment control unit 31 determines whether the switch 18 has been operated after the advance notification has started but before the poor health mode has started (i.e., before a predetermined time has elapsed) (S302 in FIG. 7). If it determines that the switch 18 has been operated (S302 "Yes" in FIG. 7; S402 in FIG. 8), it determines whether the occupant who operated the switch 18 (operating occupant) is a specific occupant (S304 in FIG. 7). Then, if the judgment control unit 31 determines that the operating occupant is a specific occupant (S304 "Yes" in FIG. 7), it cancels the transition to the poor health mode and maintains the normal AD mode (S403 in FIG. 8). As a result, the vehicle Ce continues autonomous driving to head toward the destination.

[0028] Next, the judgment control unit 31 determines whether the switch 18 has been operated before a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the advance notification (S305 in FIG. 7). If it is determined that the switch 18 has been operated (S305 "Yes" in FIG. 7; S404 in FIG. 8), it determines whether the occupant who operated the switch 18 (operating occupant) is a specific occupant (S306 in FIG. 7). Then, if the judgment control unit 31 determines that the operating occupant is an occupant other than a specific occupant (shared occupant) (S306 "No" in FIG. 7), it starts the illness mode before a predetermined time has elapsed since the illness detection unit 30 detected the specific occupant's illness (S103 in FIG. 7; S405 in FIG. 8). As a result, the vehicle Ce takes one or more of the following actions to deal with the specific occupant: stopping the vehicle Ce, reporting to the outside of the vehicle, and changing the destination, and then handing over the sick occupant (specific occupant) to an ambulance, for example.

[0029] On the other hand, if the judgment control unit 31 determines in the judgment of S304 in Fig. 7 that the occupant who operated the switch 18 (operating occupant) is an occupant other than the specific occupant (shared occupant) (S304 "No" in Fig. 7), it starts the illness mode (S103 in Fig. 7) before a predetermined time (60 seconds) has elapsed since the illness detection unit 30 detected the specific occupant's illness. As a result, the vehicle Ce takes one or more of the following actions to deal with the specific occupant: stopping the vehicle Ce, making a call outside the vehicle, or changing the destination, and then handing over the sick occupant (specific occupant) to an ambulance, for example.

[0030] (Effects of the second embodiment) (1) When the switch 18 is operated after the start of a pre-notification notifying the start of the poor health mode and before the start of the poor health mode, the judgment control unit 31 determines whether the occupant who operated the switch 18 (the operating occupant) is a specific occupant, and if it is determined that the occupant is a specific occupant, the judgment control unit 31 cancels the transition to the poor health mode. As a result, for example, if the poor health detection result is incorrect, or if the occupant is in poor health but does not need to be transitioned to the poor health mode, the transition to the poor health mode can be canceled by having the occupant whose poor health is detected (the specific occupant) operate the switch 18. In other words, if the detection result of the poor health detection unit 30 is incorrect or if transition to the poor health mode is not needed, the specific occupant is healthy, so the specific occupant is made to operate the switch 18. Therefore, unnecessary transition to the poor health mode due to erroneous detection, etc., can be prevented.

[0031] (2) When switch 18 is operated after the advance notification is initiated and before the poor health mode is initiated, judgment control unit 31 determines whether the occupant who operated switch 18 (operating occupant) is a specific occupant. If it is determined that the occupant is a passenger other than the specific occupant (shared passenger), judgment control unit 31 initiates the poor health mode before a predetermined time has elapsed since poor health detection unit 30 detected the poor health of the specific occupant. As a result, for example, if the poor health detection result is correct, a passenger other than the specific occupant (shared passenger) can operate switch 18 to quickly transition to the poor health mode. In other words, if the detection result of poor health detection unit 30 is correct, the specific occupant is in poor health, so the shared passenger can visually check the health condition of the specific occupant and operate switch 18. Therefore, when the detection result is correct, the poor health mode can be quickly transitioned to.

[0032] [2-3. Modifications] (1) As shown in FIG. 9, the controller 20 may further include a determination unit 33. The determination unit 33 determines whether the degree of the specific occupant's poor physical condition is at a serious level. As a method of determination, for example, the behavior of the specific occupant is detected based on video image data obtained from the in-vehicle camera 17, and based on the detection result, it is determined whether the degree of the specific occupant's poor physical condition is at a serious level. As the serious level, for example, the level (degree) of poor physical condition to the extent that the specific occupant is unable to operate the switch 18, such as crouching or collapsing, can be used. The determination result is output to the judgment control unit 31. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing the functional configuration of the controller 20 of the modified example. In this case, if the determination unit 33 determines that the occupant is in a serious condition ("Yes" in S308 of FIG. 10 ), and if it determines that a passenger other than the specified passenger (shared passenger) operated the switch 18 after the advance notification was initiated but before the illness mode was initiated ("No" in S304 of FIG. 10 ), the judgment control unit 31 prohibits the cancellation of the illness mode ("S310" in FIG. 10 ). As a result, even if the specified passenger operates the switch 18 after the illness mode has been initiated, the illness mode will not be cancelled. Therefore, for example, if a shared passenger is convinced that the specified passenger is in a serious condition by visually observing or calling out to the passenger, etc., and operates the switch 18 to initiate the illness mode, the specified passenger cannot cancel the illness mode. This makes it possible to more reliably provide rescue to the sick passenger (specified passenger). FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the judgment control unit 31 and other components of the modified example.

[0033] (2) As shown in FIG. 11 , if the switch 18 is operated two or more times after the advance notification is initiated and before the poor health mode is initiated, the determination control unit 31 may maintain the decision to stop or start the transition to the poor health mode, determined in response to the first operation of the switch 18, regardless of the second or subsequent operation of the switch 18 (S304 in FIG. 11 ). In FIG. 11 , as shown by “Yes” in S302 and S304, after the decision to stop or start the transition to the poor health mode is made in response to the first operation of the switch 18, the decision to stop or start the transition to the poor health mode is not made by determining whether or not there is a subsequent operation of the switch 18 (S302 in FIG. 11 ). As a result, for example, if both the specific occupant and the shared occupant operate the switch 18, only the command (cancel command or start command) corresponding to the first operation can be enabled. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing the operation of the determination control unit 31 and other components in a modified example.

[0034] (3) Furthermore, in the first and second embodiments, examples have been shown in which only one switch 18 is installed inside the vehicle, but other configurations may also be adopted. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, a configuration in which multiple switches 18 are installed inside the vehicle may be adopted. FIG. 12 illustrates an example in which a switch 18 is installed for each seat 21 inside the vehicle. For example, one switch 18 may be installed on the ceiling surface of each seat 21. This allows each passenger to more easily operate the switch 18, making it easier to start and stop the poor health mode.

[0035] (4) In the first and second embodiments, the switch 18 is determined to have been operated when the switch 18 is repeatedly pressed a predetermined number of times or continuously pressed for a predetermined period of time. However, other configurations may be adopted. For example, when a specific occupant presses the switch 18, the switch 18 may be determined to have been operated when the switch 18 is pressed once. Alternatively, when a passenger in a shared vehicle presses the switch 18, the switch 18 may be determined to have been operated when the switch 18 is repeatedly pressed a predetermined number of times or continuously pressed for a predetermined period of time. This may reduce the operational burden on the specific occupant, for example.

[0036] (5) In the first and second embodiments, the controller 20 mounted on the vehicle Ce implements the functions of the poor health detection unit 30, the judgment control unit 31, the notification unit 32, the determination unit 33, etc., but other configurations may also be adopted. For example, at least some of the functions may be implemented by a device outside the vehicle, such as a server device of a management company, that is capable of sending and receiving data via the communication device 15. In this case, the controller 20 and the device outside the vehicle constitute a vehicle control device. [Explanation of symbols]

[0037] 10...vehicle control device, 11...external sensor, 12...vehicle sensor, 13...positioning device, 14...map database, 15...communication device, 16...HMI, 17...in-vehicle camera, 18...switch, 19...actuator, 19a...processor, 19b...storage device, 20...controller, 21...seat, 30...illness detection unit, 31...judgment control unit, 32...notification unit, 33...determination unit

Claims

1. A vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle that autonomously travels toward a destination, a detection unit that detects poor physical condition of an occupant of the vehicle; a control unit that, when the detection unit detects that the occupant is in poor health, transitions to a poor health mode in which the control unit performs one or more of stopping the vehicle, making a notification to an outside of the vehicle, and changing the destination; a switch installed in the vehicle and operated by an occupant; When the switch is operated during execution of the poor health mode, the control unit determines whether the occupant who operated the switch is a specific occupant whose poor health has been detected by the detection unit, and if it is determined that the occupant is the specific occupant, cancels the poor health mode. Vehicle control device.

2. Only one switch is installed within a predetermined distance from each seat in the vehicle. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

3. The switch is installed at each seat in the car. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

4. the control unit starts the poor physical condition mode after a predetermined time has elapsed since the detection unit detected the poor physical condition of the occupant, a notification unit that notifies the occupant in advance of the start of the poor health mode after the detection unit detects that the specific occupant is in poor health and before the start of the poor health mode; Furthermore, when the switch is operated after the advance notification is started and before the poor health mode is started, the control unit determines whether the occupant who operated the switch is the specific occupant, and if it is determined that the occupant is the specific occupant, stops the transition to the poor health mode. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

5. When the switch is operated after the advance notification is started and before the poor health mode is started, the control unit determines whether the occupant who operated the switch is the specific occupant, and if it is determined that the occupant is a occupant other than the specific occupant, starts the poor health mode before the predetermined time has elapsed since the detection unit detected the poor health of the specific occupant. The vehicle control device according to claim 4.

6. When the switch is operated two or more times after the advance notification is started and before the poor health mode is started, the control unit maintains the stop or start of the transition to the poor health mode determined in response to the first operation of the switch, regardless of the second or subsequent operation of the switch. The vehicle control device according to claim 5.

7. a determination unit that determines whether the degree of the specific occupant's physical condition is at a serious level; The control unit prohibits cancellation of the poor health mode when the determination unit determines that the condition is at a serious level and when it determines that an occupant other than the specific occupant has operated the switch after the advance notification has started and before the poor health mode has started. The vehicle control device according to claim 5.

8. the switch is a push button switch, The control unit determines that the switch has been operated when the switch has been repeatedly pressed a predetermined number of times or continuously pressed for a predetermined period of time. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

9. A vehicle control method by a vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle that autonomously travels toward a destination, comprising: Detecting poor physical condition of an occupant of the vehicle; When the driver's physical condition is detected to be poor, the vehicle transitions to a poor physical condition mode in which one or more of the following actions are performed: stopping the vehicle, making a report to the outside of the vehicle, and changing the destination; When a switch installed in the vehicle is operated while the poor health mode is being executed, it is determined whether the occupant who operated the switch is a specific occupant who is a occupant whose poor health has been detected, and if it is determined that the occupant is the specific occupant, the poor health mode is cancelled. Vehicle control method.

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