Driving support system

Abstract

To provide a driving support system that secures the sense of security of a driver of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A driving support system 1 notifies a driver of a vehicle V of an automatic lane change, before executing an automatic lane change of automatically performing a lane change of the vehicle V, and if a preset standby time according to the driver of the vehicle V has passed after conducting the notification, the automatic lane change is executed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] One aspect of the present invention relates to a driving assistance system. [Background technology]

[0002] As a technology related to a driving assistance system, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology that stops vehicle assistance control when the driving operation is not suited to the driving characteristics of the vehicle driver (hereinafter simply referred to as "driver"). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-195063 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Known driving assistance systems include automatic lane changes that automatically change lanes when there is a slower vehicle ahead in the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, allowing the vehicle to overtake the other vehicle or to move toward a destination. Such driving assistance systems may notify the driver in advance of an automatic lane change. However, depending on the timing of the start of the automatic lane change after the notification, the vehicle may begin to move laterally before the driver has a chance to check the surroundings, potentially damaging the driver's sense of security.

[0005] Therefore, an object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a driving assistance system that can ensure a sense of security for the driver of a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) A driving assistance system according to one aspect of the present invention notifies the driver of the vehicle about the automatic lane change before executing the automatic lane change that causes the vehicle to automatically change lanes, and then executes the automatic lane change when a waiting time that is set in advance and that is appropriate for the driver of the vehicle has elapsed after the notification.

[0007] This driving assistance system can execute automatic lane changes at a timing that matches the driver's sense of the vehicle, thereby ensuring a sense of security for the driver of the vehicle.

[0008] (2) In the driving assistance system described in (1) above, the waiting time that is preset and tailored to the driver of the vehicle may be a time that is set based on the driving behavior history of the driver when manually changing lanes. In this case, the automatic lane change can be executed at a start timing that matches the driver's usual driving behavior when changing lanes.

[0009] (3) In the driving assistance system described in (2) above, the driving action time history may be a history of the time from the preparatory action before the driver of the vehicle starts a lane change to the actual steering for the lane change during manual driving. In this case, it is possible to specifically achieve the above-mentioned effect of being able to execute an automatic lane change at a start timing that matches the driver's usual driving action when changing lanes.

[0010] (4) In the driving assistance system described in (2) or (3) above, the driving operation time history may be a history of a first time period, which is the time period from when the driver of the vehicle operates a turn signal to when the driver actually steers the vehicle for a lane change during manual driving. In this case, the above-mentioned effect of being able to execute an automatic lane change at a start timing that matches the driver's usual driving behavior when changing lanes can be more specifically realized.

[0011] (5) In the driving assistance system described in (2) or (3) above, the driving operation time history may be a history of a second time period, which is the time from when the driver of the vehicle turns his / her eyes or head to the door mirror in the direction of the lane change to when the driver operates a turn signal within a certain time period after turning his / her eyes or head to the door mirror in the direction of the lane change during manual driving, to when the driver actually steers the vehicle to change lanes. In this case, the above-mentioned effect of being able to execute an automatic lane change at a start timing that matches the driver's usual driving behavior when changing lanes can be more specifically realized.

[0012] (6) In the driving assistance system described in (4) above, the waiting time may be an average value of a plurality of first times. In this case, the waiting time can be reflected in the plurality of first times.

[0013] (7) In the driving assistance system described in (5) above, the waiting time may be an average value of a plurality of second times. In this case, the waiting time can be reflected in the plurality of second times.

[0014] (8) The driving assistance system described in any one of (1) to (7) above may shorten the waiting time when the driver of the vehicle visually checks the area around the vehicle after issuing a notification, compared to when the driver does not visually check. In this case, whether or not the driver visually checks the area around the vehicle can be reflected in the timing of starting an automatic lane change.

[0015] (9) The driving assistance system described in any one of (1) to (8) above may extend the waiting time when the number of other vehicles around the vehicle is equal to or greater than an upper threshold value compared to when the number of other vehicles is less than the upper threshold value, and may shorten the waiting time when the number of other vehicles is equal to or less than a lower threshold value compared to when the number of other vehicles is greater than the lower threshold value. In this case, the congestion situation around the vehicle can be reflected in the timing to start automatic lane changes.

[0016] (10) In the driving assistance system described in any one of (1) to (9) above, the vehicle has a personal authentication function, and the waiting time at the end of each of the most recent driving sessions of a plurality of drivers is stored as a stored value, and when the driver starts driving the vehicle and is personally authenticated by the personal authentication function, the stored value associated with the driver may be set as an initial value of the waiting time. In this case, it becomes possible to execute an automatic lane change at a start timing that is more suited to the driver's sense. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a driving assistance system that can ensure a sense of security for the driver of a vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0018] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a driving assistance system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a notification displayed on the HMI of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing the processing of the driving assistance system of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same or corresponding elements are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0020] [First embodiment] A first embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, a driving assistance system 1 according to this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle V. The vehicle V may be a passenger car or a cargo vehicle. The vehicle V can accommodate one or more passengers. The vehicle V may be an autonomous vehicle capable of autonomous driving. The vehicle V can be manually driven by a driver.

[0021] The driving assistance system 1 is a system capable of performing automatic lane change, which causes the vehicle V to automatically change lanes. Automatic lane change is, for example, a control that automatically performs lane change of the vehicle V under specific conditions. As one example, automatic lane change is performed when there is another vehicle traveling at a slower speed ahead in the lane in which the vehicle V is traveling, in order to overtake the other vehicle. As another example, automatic lane change is performed to head towards a destination. The destination is not particularly limited, and may be, for example, an exit of a highway. Automatic lane change may be, for example, a function in automatic driving or a function in driving assistance (advanced drive, etc.). The driving assistance system 1 includes an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 10.

[0022] The ECU 10 is an electronic control unit having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The ECU 10 realizes various functions by, for example, loading a program stored in the ROM into the RAM and executing the program loaded into the RAM by the CPU. Some of the functions of the ECU 10 may be executed by a server capable of communicating with the vehicle V. The ECU 10 may be composed of multiple electronic units. An internal sensor 2, an external sensor 3, a driver monitoring camera 4, a turn signal sensor 5, a steering sensor 6, an HMI 7, and an actuator 8 are connected to the ECU 10.

[0023] The internal sensor 2 is a detection device that detects the traveling state of the vehicle V. The internal sensor 2 includes a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a yaw rate sensor. The vehicle speed sensor is a detector that detects the speed of the vehicle V. As the vehicle speed sensor, for example, a wheel speed sensor that detects the rotational speed of the wheels is used. The vehicle speed sensor transmits the detected vehicle speed information to the ECU 10. The acceleration sensor is a detector that detects the acceleration of the vehicle V. The acceleration sensor transmits, for example, acceleration information of the vehicle V to the ECU 10. The yaw rate sensor is a detector that detects the yaw rate (rotational angular velocity) around the vertical axis of the center of gravity of the vehicle V. As the yaw rate sensor, for example, a gyro sensor can be used. The yaw rate sensor transmits the detected yaw rate information of the vehicle V to the ECU 10.

[0024] The external sensor 3 is a detection device that detects the surrounding environment of the vehicle V. The external sensor 3 includes a camera and a radar sensor. The camera is provided, for example, behind the windshield of the vehicle V and captures images in front of the vehicle V. The camera may also be provided on the back and sides of the vehicle V. The camera transmits image information of the surroundings of the vehicle V to the ECU 10. The camera may be a monocular camera or a stereo camera. The radar sensor is a detection device that detects obstacles in the surroundings of the vehicle V using radio waves (e.g., millimeter waves) or light. The radar sensor includes, for example, millimeter wave radar or lidar. The radar sensor transmits detected obstacle information to the ECU 10.

[0025] The driver monitoring camera 4 is a camera that monitors the driver. The driver monitoring camera 4 captures, for example, an image of the driver's head. Here, the head refers to the area from the neck up, including the entire face. Multiple driver monitoring cameras 4 may be provided to capture images of the driver from multiple directions. The driver monitoring camera 4 transmits the captured driver image to the ECU 10. The turn signal sensor 5 detects the driver's operation of the turn signals (direction indicator lights). The turn signal sensor 5 transmits the detected turn signal operation information to the ECU 10. The steering sensor 6 detects the driver's operation of the steering unit (steering). The steering sensor 6 transmits the detected steering information to the ECU 10.

[0026] The HMI 7 is an interface for inputting and outputting information to and from the driver. The HMI 7 includes, for example, a display (display unit) visible to the driver and a speaker. The HMI 7 outputs images on the display and sounds from the speaker in response to control signals from the ECU 10. The HMI 7 may also include a HUD (Head Up Display). The HMI 7 may also be capable of receiving driver operations related to activation and deactivation of automatic lane change.

[0027] The actuators 8 are devices used to control the vehicle V. The actuators 8 include at least a drive actuator, a brake actuator, and a steering actuator. The drive actuator controls the engine and / or motor as a power source in response to a control signal from the ECU 10, thereby controlling the driving force of the vehicle V. The brake actuator controls the brake system in response to a control signal from the ECU 10, thereby controlling the braking force applied to the wheels of the vehicle V. The steering actuator controls the drive of an assist motor, which controls the steering torque of the electric power steering system, in response to a control signal from the ECU 10. In this way, the steering actuator controls the steering torque of the vehicle V.

[0028] In the driving assistance system 1 according to this embodiment, before an automatic lane change is performed, a notification regarding the automatic lane change is given to the driver. As an example, before performing the automatic lane change, the ECU 10 transmits a control signal to the HMI 7, and as the notification, a diagram showing the vehicle operation related to the lane change, the vehicle speed, and text urging the driver to check the surroundings are displayed on the display of the HMI 7 (see FIG. 2). The ECU 10 may also output a sound regarding the automatic lane change from a speaker of the HMI 7.

[0029] When a preset waiting time corresponding to the driver of the vehicle V has elapsed since the notification regarding the automatic lane change, the ECU 10 sends a control signal to the actuator 8 to execute the automatic lane change. For example, the execution of the automatic lane change can be realized by the ECU 10 generating a lane change trajectory from the vehicle V's driving lane to an adjacent lane based on the detection results of the internal sensor 2 and the external sensor 3, and controlling the actuator 8 to drive along that lane change trajectory. The "driver of the vehicle V" related to the waiting time includes not only the person currently driving the vehicle V, but also people who have driven the vehicle V in the past. In this embodiment, the "driver of the vehicle V" related to the waiting time is not limited to a specific person; for example, if the vehicle V is shared by multiple people, each of these multiple people is the "driver of the vehicle V."

[0030] In this embodiment, the waiting time that is set in advance and is appropriate for the driver of vehicle V is a time that is set based on the driving operation time history when the driver of vehicle V manually changes lanes. In other words, in this embodiment, the "waiting time appropriate for the driver of vehicle V" is a waiting time that is set in accordance with the driving operation time history that is stored in vehicle V and updated by the current driving of the driver of vehicle V. The "waiting time appropriate for the driver of vehicle V" is not limited to being appropriate for only a specific driver.

[0031] The driving action time history is a history of the time from the preparatory action (hereinafter simply referred to as "preparatory action"), which is a driving action taken by the driver of the vehicle V before starting a lane change during manual driving, to the actual steering for the lane change. "From the preparatory action" means "from any point between the start and end of the preparatory action," and may be, for example, from the start of the preparatory action, from the end of the preparatory action, or from an intermediate point between the start and end of the preparatory action. "Until the actual steering for the lane change" means "until any point between the start and end of the actual steering for the lane change," and may be, for example, until the start of the actual steering for the lane change, until the end of the actual steering for the lane change, or until an intermediate point between the start and end of the steering for the actual lane change.

[0032] The pre-operation includes, for example, the operation of a turn signal by the driver of vehicle V before steering for an actual lane change, the movement of the driver's gaze toward the door mirror in the direction of the lane change, and the movement of the driver's face toward the door mirror in the direction of the lane change. The turn signal operation can be recognized by a known method based on turn signal operation information detected by the turn signal sensor 5. The start of the turn signal operation can be, for example, the time when the turn signal sensor 5 detects the driver's operation of the turn signal lever. The end of the turn signal operation may be the same time as the start of the turn signal operation, or may be a time a certain time has elapsed since the start of the turn signal operation. The door mirror in the direction of the lane change is the right door mirror when changing lanes to an adjacent lane on the right of vehicle V, and the left door mirror when changing lanes to an adjacent lane on the left of vehicle V.

[0033] The driver's gaze shift toward the door mirror can be recognized by a known method based on the driver image captured by the driver monitoring camera 4. For example, to recognize the driver's gaze shift toward the door mirror, the driver's eyes are detected from the driver image and the position of the detected pupil is identified. The driver's gaze is estimated from the detected eye shape and the identified pupil position. If it is determined that the estimated gaze is located at the door mirror or to the side beyond the door mirror based on the positional relationship between the driver and the door mirror, the driver's gaze is recognized as having shifted toward the door mirror. The start of the driver's gaze shift can be determined, for example, as the point when the driver's gaze, which is facing forward toward the vehicle V, shifts toward the door mirror by more than a certain angle. The angle of the gaze shift in this case can be calculated, for example, as a horizontal rotation angle centered on the driver's head. The end of the driver's gaze shift is determined, for example, as the point when the driver's gaze reaches the door mirror.

[0034] The movement of the driver's face toward the door mirror can be recognized by a known method based on the driver image captured by the driver monitoring camera 4. For example, to recognize the movement of the driver's face toward the door mirror, the driver's face is detected from the driver image, and position information of the detected facial feature points (e.g., eyes, nose, mouth, etc.) is identified. The driver's face direction is estimated from the position and size of the detected face and the position information of the identified feature points. If it is determined that the estimated face direction is located toward the door mirror or beyond the door mirror based on the positional relationship between the driver and the door mirror, it is recognized that the driver's face direction has moved toward the door mirror. The start of the driver's face direction can be, for example, the time when the driver's face, which is facing forward of the vehicle V, moves toward the door mirror by more than a certain angle. The end of the driver's face direction can be, for example, the time when the driver's face turns toward the door mirror.

[0035] Actual lane change steering can be recognized by a known method based on steering information detected by the steering sensor 6 and a change in the driving lane in which the vehicle V is traveling. The actual lane change steering corresponds to steering when the vehicle V actually changed its driving lane among past steerings detected by the steering sensor 6 (for example, steering when the vehicle V crosses the white line of the driving lane it was traveling in to move into the adjacent lane). Steering when the vehicle V did not change its driving lane, such as when traveling around a curve, is not included in actual lane change steering. For example, when it is determined that the vehicle V has changed its driving lane based on the driving lane information, the steering performed in conjunction with the change in driving lane may be recognized as actual lane change steering. As an example, when it is determined that the vehicle V has changed lanes to the adjacent lane on the right, the time when the steering wheel begins to be turned to the right during the lane change may be determined as the start time of the actual lane change steering, and the time when the steering wheel turned to the right is returned to its original position or center position may be determined as the end time of the actual lane change steering. A change in the lane in which the vehicle V is traveling may be recognized using various known methods, for example, by determining whether the vehicle V has crossed a white line from the detection results of a white line recognition camera.

[0036] The driving operation time history in this embodiment is a history of a first time period, which is the time from when the driver operates a turn signal during manual driving to when the driver actually steers for a lane change. The driving operation time history is stored in ECU 10. The driving operation time history is updated, for example, when the driver performs a lane change through manual driving. "From the turn signal operation" means "from any point between the start and end of the turn signal operation," and may be, for example, from the start of the turn signal operation, from the end of the turn signal operation, or from an intermediate point between the start and end of the turn signal operation.

[0037] The ECU 10 calculates an average value of a plurality of first periods and sets the average value of the first periods as the standby time. The ECU 10 sets the standby time each time the driving operation time history is updated. The ECU 10 may set the standby time at regular intervals. If the driving operation time history is not stored in the ECU 10, a predetermined standard value may be set as the initial value of the standby time. The average value is a value obtained by performing averaging processing, such as arithmetic mean, weighted mean, or geometric mean. The averaging processing is not particularly limited, and various averaging processing methods may be used. Note that the ECU 10 may set the median or mode of the first periods as the standby time instead of the average value of the first periods. The mode is, for example, the most frequently occurring length when the lengths of the plurality of first periods are classified into predetermined periods. The predetermined period is not particularly limited. The predetermined period may be 0.5 seconds or 1 second.

[0038] Next, the processing of the driving assistance system 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

[0039] For example, in a scene where a traveling vehicle V is about to change lanes, the ECU 10 determines whether an automatic lane change is in operation (step S1). If the answer is NO in step S1, the lane change is executed by the driver's manual driving. At that time, a first time, which is the time from when the driver operates the turn signal to when the driver starts actual steering, is stored and updated as a driving operation time history in the ECU 10 (step S2). The ECU 10 averages the stored first time, and sets the average value of the first time as the waiting time (step S3). Thereafter, the process ends.

[0040] If the answer is YES in step S1, the ECU 10 determines whether or not an automatic lane change is possible (step S4) based on the detection result of the external sensor 3. If the ECU 10 determines that an automatic lane change is not possible in step S4 (if the answer is NO in step S5), the automatic lane change is not performed and the process ends.

[0041] On the other hand, if it is determined that the automatic lane change is possible (YES in step S5), the ECU 10 outputs a notification regarding the automatic lane change via the HMI 7 (step S6). After outputting the notification regarding the automatic lane change, the system waits for a set waiting time (step S7). Then, the ECU 10 executes the automatic lane change (step S8). Then, the process ends.

[0042] As described above, the driving assistance system 1 issues a notification regarding the automatic lane change before executing the automatic lane change. After the notification, the automatic lane change is executed when a preset waiting time according to the driver of the vehicle V has elapsed. This allows the automatic lane change to be executed at a start timing that matches the sense of the driver of the vehicle V. This makes it possible to ensure a sense of security for the driver of the vehicle V.

[0043] In the driving assistance system 1, the waiting time that is set in advance and that is in accordance with the driver of the vehicle V is a time that is set based on the driving behavior time history when the driver of the vehicle V manually changes lanes. In this case, the automatic lane change can be executed at a start timing that matches the driving behavior of the driver of the vehicle V when usually changing lanes.

[0044] In the driving assistance system 1, the driving action time history is a history of the time from the preparatory action before the driver of the vehicle V starts a lane change during manual driving to the actual steering for the lane change. In this case, it is possible to specifically achieve the above-mentioned advantageous effect that an automatic lane change can be performed at a start timing that matches the driver's usual driving action during lane changes.

[0045] In the driving assistance system 1, the driving operation time history is a history of a first time period, which is the time from when the driver of the vehicle V operates a turn signal to when the driver actually steers the vehicle for a lane change during manual driving. In this case, the above-described advantageous effect of being able to execute an automatic lane change at a start timing that matches the driver's usual driving operation during a lane change can be more specifically realized.

[0046] In the driving assistance system 1, the waiting time is an average value of a plurality of first times. In this case, the plurality of first times can be reflected in the waiting time.

[0047] [Second embodiment] A second embodiment will now be described. In the description of the second embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be described, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted where appropriate.

[0048] The driving assistance system of this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the waiting time that is set in advance and is appropriate for the driver of the vehicle V is a time that can be set by the driver of the vehicle V himself via the HMI 7.

[0049] In this embodiment, for example, before the driver starts driving the vehicle V, the ECU 10 displays a standby time input screen on the display of the HMI 7, requesting the driver to input the standby time. The standby time may be input by direct input of a value or by selection from a plurality of different values. At this time, the display of the HMI 7 may display a driving operation time history, an average value of the first time, a median value of the first time, etc., to support the driver in inputting the standby time. When a value for the standby time is input via the HMI 7, the ECU 10 sets the value as the standby time. When a value for the standby time is not input via the HMI 7, the ECU 10 sets an initial value as the standby time.

[0050] As described above, in this embodiment as well, an automatic lane change can be executed at a start timing that matches the sense of the driver of the vehicle V. This makes it possible to ensure a sense of security for the driver of the vehicle V.

[0051] [Third embodiment] A third embodiment will now be described. In the description of the third embodiment, differences from the first embodiment will be described, and overlapping descriptions will be omitted where appropriate.

[0052] The driving assistance system according to this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the driving operation time history is a history of a second time period. The second time period is the time period from when the driver of vehicle V turns his / her line of sight or head to the door mirror in the direction of the lane change during manual driving and operates a turn signal within a certain time period after the driver turns his / her line of sight or head to the door mirror in the direction of the lane change to when the driver actually steers the vehicle to change lanes.

[0053] "After the gaze or facial direction is changed" means "from any point between the start and end of the gaze or facial direction change." For example, it may be from the start of the gaze or facial direction change, from the end of the gaze or facial direction change, or from an intermediate point between the start and end of the gaze or facial direction change. The certain period of time is not particularly limited and may be various periods of time. The certain period of time may be a fixed value or a variable value that can be changed via the HMI 7.

[0054] The ECU 10 calculates the average value of the second time period and sets the average value of the second time period as the standby time period. Note that the ECU 10 may set the median or mode of the second time period as the standby time period instead of the average value of the second time period.

[0055] As described above, in this embodiment as well, an automatic lane change can be executed at a start timing that matches the sense of the driver of the vehicle V. This makes it possible to ensure a sense of security for the driver of the vehicle V.

[0056] In this embodiment, the driving operation time history is a history of the second time. In this case, the above-mentioned effect of being able to execute an automatic lane change at a start timing that matches the driver's usual driving operation when changing lanes can be more specifically realized. Also, in this embodiment, the waiting time is an average value of multiple second times. In this case, the waiting time can be reflected in the multiple second times.

[0057] [Variations] Although the embodiments have been described above, one aspect of the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments. One aspect of the present invention can be embodied in various forms, including the above-described embodiments, with various modifications and improvements made based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0058] In the above embodiment, if the driver visually checks the surroundings of the vehicle V after issuing a notification, the ECU 10 may shorten the waiting time compared to when the driver does not visually check. Whether the driver visually checks the surroundings of the vehicle V can be recognized by a known method based on a driver image captured by the driver monitoring camera 4. For example, to recognize whether the driver visually checks the surroundings of the vehicle V, the face of the driver driving the vehicle V is detected based on the driver image, and characteristics such as eye position, pupil size, eyelid opening and closing, and facial direction are extracted. Based on the extracted characteristics, the ECU 10 recognizes whether the driver visually checks the surroundings of the vehicle V. For example, when the driver's facial direction or line of sight moves by more than a certain angle to the left or right from the front of the vehicle, the ECU 10 recognizes that a visual check has occurred. The certain angle is not particularly limited. For example, the certain angle may be 60° or 80°. The amount by which the waiting time is shortened is not particularly limited and may be a fixed value or a variable value that can be changed via the HMI 7. In this case, whether the driver visually checks the surroundings of the vehicle V can be reflected in the start timing of an automatic lane change.

[0059] In the above embodiment, when the number of other vehicles present around the vehicle V is equal to or greater than an upper threshold, the ECU 10 may determine that the congestion situation around the vehicle V is dense (mixed), and may lengthen the waiting time compared to when the number of other vehicles is less than the upper threshold. When the number of other vehicles present around the vehicle V is equal to or less than a lower threshold, the ECU 10 may determine that the congestion situation around the vehicle V is empty (not mixed), and may shorten the waiting time compared to when the number of other vehicles is greater than the lower threshold. The upper threshold and the lower threshold are, for example, values ​​determined for determining the congestion situation around the vehicle V, and are not particularly limited and may be various values. The upper threshold and the lower threshold may be fixed values ​​or variable values ​​that can be changed via the HMI 7. The amount by which the waiting time is extended or shortened is not particularly limited and may be fixed values ​​or variable values ​​that can be changed via the HMI 7. For example, the other vehicles present around the vehicle V may be other vehicles within a certain distance from the vehicle V in an adjacent lane after the lane change. The upper and lower thresholds may be preset in the ECU 10 based on factors such as the speed of the vehicle V, traffic conditions, road type, time of day, etc. In this case, the congestion situation around the vehicle V can be reflected in the timing to start the automatic lane change.

[0060] In the above embodiment, the vehicle V may have a personal authentication function. The ECU 10 may store, as a stored value, the waiting time at the end of each of the most recent driving sessions for multiple drivers. When a driver starts driving the vehicle V and is personally authenticated by the personal authentication function, the ECU 10 may set the stored value associated with the driver as the initial value of the waiting time. This makes it possible to set an initial value of the waiting time to suit each driver, for example, when multiple people share the vehicle V. It becomes possible to perform an automatic lane change at a start timing that is more suited to the sense of the driver of the vehicle V.

[0061] The personal authentication function is realized by authentication means, such as biometric authentication means, PIN code input means, smart key authentication means, and combinations thereof, when the driver accesses the vehicle V. Examples of biometric authentication means include fingerprint authentication means, face authentication means, iris authentication means, and voiceprint authentication means. These biometric authentication means automatically detect the driver's biometric information using sensors installed around the driver's seat when the driver gets into the vehicle V and identify the driver by comparing it with pre-registered driver biometric information. The PIN code input means identifies the driver, for example, by the driver entering a pre-set PIN code before pressing the start button of the vehicle V. The smart key authentication means identifies the driver by detecting that the smart key carried by the driver is near the vehicle V.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the waiting time may be acquired using a trained machine learning model. For example, the machine learning model may be a model that outputs output data related to the waiting time by inputting at least parameters related to a driving operation time history when a lane change is performed manually by the driver of the vehicle V as input parameters.

[0063] In the above embodiment, the notification regarding the automatic lane change is made by display and / or audio via the HMI 7, but is not limited to this and various other notifications may be used. For example, the notification regarding the automatic lane change may be made by seat vibration.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the waiting time may be automatically adjusted depending on the notification mode. For example, when notification is provided only with an image, the time required to understand the intention of the automatic lane change may be longer than when notification is provided with an audio signal. When relying solely on visual information, the driver often needs to look away from the road to check the information, which requires additional time to recognize it. On the other hand, audio notification allows the driver to receive information without taking their eyes off the road, allowing for quick recognition. Therefore, when notification is provided only with an audio signal, the waiting time may be set shorter than when notification is provided with only an image.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the "waiting time according to the driver of vehicle V" may be a time according to the attributes (age, gender, etc.) of the driver driving vehicle V. As an example, the waiting time is stored in ECU 10 in association with the attributes. For example, if the age is higher than a certain value, a longer waiting time is stored compared to when the age is below the certain value. For example, if the gender is female, a longer waiting time is stored compared to when the gender is male. Then, when the driver starts driving vehicle V, the attributes of the driver are identified by a personal authentication function, and the waiting time stored in association with the identified attributes of the driver may be set as the waiting time in ECU 10.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the "waiting time according to the driver of vehicle V" may be a time according to the individual driver driving vehicle V. As an example, a waiting time is stored in ECU 10 in association with each of a plurality of drivers. For example, a waiting time is stored for each of the cases where the driver is person A, person B, and person C. Then, when a driver starts driving vehicle V, the driver is authenticated by a personal authentication function, and the waiting time stored in association with the authenticated driver may be set as the waiting time in ECU 10. The driving assistance system may set the waiting time in advance according to the driver of vehicle V, and it is not necessary to use the driving operation time history when setting the waiting time. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1...driving assistance system, 2...internal sensor, 3...external sensor, 4...driver monitoring camera, 5...turn signal sensor, 6...steering sensor, 7...HMI, 8...actuator, 10...ECU, V...vehicle.

Claims

1. Before executing an automatic lane change that automatically changes lanes of a vehicle, a notification regarding the automatic lane change is given to a driver of the vehicle; A driving assistance system that executes the automatic lane change when a waiting time that is set in advance and that is appropriate for the driver of the vehicle has elapsed after the notification.

2. 2. The driving assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the waiting time that is set in advance and that is in accordance with the driver of the vehicle is a time that is set based on a driving operation time history of the driver of the vehicle when changing lanes through manual driving.

3. The driving assistance system according to claim 2 , wherein the driving action time history is a history of time from a preparatory action before a lane change is started by the driver of the vehicle during manual driving to an actual steering operation for the lane change.

4. The driving assistance system according to claim 3 , wherein the driving operation time history is a history of a first time period that is a time period from a turn signal operation by the driver of the vehicle to an actual steering operation for a lane change during manual driving.

5. 4. The driving assistance system according to claim 3, wherein the driving operation time history is a history of a second time period, which is the time from when the driver of the vehicle moves his / her line of sight or head to the door mirror in the direction of a lane change during manual driving and operates a turn signal within a certain time period after the driver moves his / her line of sight or head to the door mirror in the direction of a lane change to when the driver actually steers for a lane change.

6. The driving assistance system according to claim 4 , wherein the waiting time is an average value of a plurality of the first times.

7. The driving assistance system according to claim 5 , wherein the waiting time is an average value of a plurality of the second times.

8. The driving assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein if the driver of the vehicle visually checks the surroundings of the vehicle after the notification, the waiting time is made shorter than when the driver does not visually check the surroundings of the vehicle.

9. When the number of other vehicles present around the vehicle is equal to or greater than an upper threshold, the waiting time is increased compared to when the number of other vehicles is less than an upper threshold; The driving assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein when the number of other vehicles is equal to or less than a lower threshold, the waiting time is made shorter than when the number of other vehicles is greater than a lower threshold.

10. The vehicle has a personal authentication function, the waiting time at the end of the most recent driving for each of the plurality of drivers is stored as a stored value; 2. The driving assistance system according to claim 1, wherein when the driver is personally authenticated by the personal authentication function at the time the driver starts driving the vehicle, the stored value associated with the driver is set as an initial value of the waiting time.

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