Driver assistance control device, driver assistance method, and computer program

Abstract

This aims to prevent situations where, even when the driver is in a normal state, driver malfunction response driving assistance is activated, and the driver is unable to cancel the assistance. [Solution] The driver assistance control device 6 of the vehicle 100 is configured to provide driver assistance to address the driver's abnormality in response to a determination that the driver of the vehicle 100 is in an abnormal state that makes it difficult to continue driving the vehicle 100. If a predetermined termination condition is met during the driver assistance, the driver assistance is terminated. If it is determined that the driver is not in an abnormal state during the driver assistance, the content of the termination condition is changed so that the driver assistance is more likely to be terminated.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to a driving support control device, a driving support method, and a computer program.

Background Art

[0002] In Patent Document 1, as a conventional vehicle travel control device, it is configured to determine whether a driver is in an abnormal state, and when the driver is in an abnormal state, to perform deceleration stop control to decelerate the host vehicle and hold the host vehicle in a stopped state.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] Even though the driver is in a normal state, it is conceivable that the driver is erroneously determined to be in an abnormal state, and driving support (driving support for dealing with driver abnormalities such as deceleration stop control) is implemented. Therefore, it is necessary to be able to cancel the driving support by the driver performing a predetermined operation during the driving support for dealing with driver abnormalities.

[0005] However, if the content of the predetermined operation is simple, for example, the predetermined operation may be unintentionally performed by an unconscious driver who has fallen into an abnormal state, and there is a risk that the driving support for dealing with driver abnormalities will be canceled even though the driver is in an abnormal state. On the other hand, if the content of the predetermined driving operation is complex, it becomes difficult for the driver to cancel the driving support when the driving support for dealing with driver abnormalities is implemented even though the driver is in a normal state.

[0006] This invention was made in view of these problems, and aims to prevent situations in which a driver is unable to cancel driver assistance when driver abnormality response driving assistance is implemented, even though the driver is in a normal state. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] To solve the above problems, a vehicle driving assistance control device according to one aspect of the present invention is configured to respond to a determination that the vehicle driver is in an abnormal state that makes it difficult to continue driving the vehicle, to provide driving assistance to address the driver's abnormality, to discontinue the driving assistance if a predetermined discontinuation condition is met during the driving assistance, and to change the content of the discontinuation condition so that the driving assistance is more likely to be discontinued if it is determined that the driver is not in an abnormal state during the driving assistance.

[0008] Furthermore, a driving assistance method according to a certain aspect of the present invention is implemented by a vehicle control device and, in response to the determination that the vehicle driver is in an abnormal state that makes it difficult to continue driving the vehicle, provides driving assistance to address the driver's abnormality, stops the driving assistance if a predetermined termination condition is met during the driving assistance, and modifies the content of the termination condition so that the driving assistance is more likely to be stopped if it is determined that the driver is not in an abnormal state during the driving assistance.

[0009] Furthermore, a computer program according to one aspect of the present invention, in response to a determination that the vehicle driver is in an abnormal state that makes it difficult to continue driving the vehicle, performs driving assistance to address the driver's abnormality, stops the driving assistance if a predetermined termination condition is met during the driving assistance, and, if it is determined that the driver is not in an abnormal state during the driving assistance, causes the computer to perform a process that modifies the content of the termination condition so that the driving assistance is more likely to be stopped. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to these aspects of the present invention, when driver abnormality response driving assistance is implemented even though the driver is in a normal state, the conditions for discontinuing said driving assistance are relaxed, thereby preventing situations in which the driver is unable to discontinue driver abnormality response driving assistance. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart illustrating the process for terminating driver abnormality response driving assistance according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, similar components will be given the same reference numerals.

[0013] (First Embodiment) Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle 100 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Vehicle 100 includes a peripheral sensor 1, a vehicle sensor 2, a driver sensor 3, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 4, an actuator 5, and a control device 6. The peripheral sensor 1, vehicle sensor 2, driver sensor 3, HMI 4, actuator 5, and control device 6 are each connected to communicate via an in-vehicle network 9 that conforms to standards such as a controller area network.

[0015] The surrounding sensor 1 is a sensor for generating surrounding data that represents the conditions around the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is equipped with one or more external cameras 11 as the surrounding sensor 1 for capturing images of the area around the vehicle 100. The external cameras 11 capture images of the area around the vehicle 100 at a predetermined frame rate (for example, 10 Hz to 40 Hz) and generate surrounding images of the area around the vehicle 100. Each time the external cameras 11 generate surrounding images, they transmit the generated surrounding images to the control device 6 as surrounding data.

[0016] In addition to the external camera 11, the vehicle 100 may also be equipped with a distance measuring sensor as a surrounding sensor 1 to measure the distance to targets and features in its vicinity. Examples of distance measuring sensors include LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), which measures distance based on the reflected light emitted by radar, and millimeter-wave radar sensors, which measure distance based on the reflected waves emitted by radio waves.

[0017] Vehicle sensor 2 is a sensor for acquiring vehicle data representing the state of vehicle 100. Vehicle 100 according to this embodiment includes, as vehicle sensor 2, a speed sensor 21 that acquires speed data indicating the vehicle's speed, a positioning sensor 22 that acquires current position data indicating the vehicle's current position such as latitude and longitude, a steering sensor 23 that acquires data related to steering operations such as steering grip, steering torque, and steering angle, an accelerator sensor 24 that acquires data related to accelerator operations such as the amount the accelerator pedal is depressed, and a brake sensor 25 that acquires data related to brake operations such as the detection of brake pedal input. However, vehicle sensor 2 is not limited to these sensors. The data acquired by each of the sensors 21 to 25 is transmitted to the control device 6 as vehicle data.

[0018] The driver sensor 3 is a sensor for generating driver data representing the state of the driver. The vehicle 100 according to the present embodiment includes, as the driver sensor 3, a driver monitor camera 31 for photographing the appearance of the driver including the driver's face. The driver monitor camera 31 photographs the appearance of the driver at a predetermined frame rate (for example, 10 [Hz] to 40 [Hz]) and generates an appearance image in which the appearance of the driver is captured. Each time the driver monitor camera 31 generates an appearance image of the driver, the generated appearance image is transmitted as driver data to the control device 6.

[0019] The HMI 4 is a user interface for performing information exchange between the vehicle 100 and its passengers. The HMI 4 includes an output device 41 for notifying the vehicle passengers through the physical sensations of the vehicle passengers (for example, vision, hearing, and touch, etc.), and an input device 42 for the vehicle passengers to perform input operations and response operations. The output device 41 is, for example, displays (for example, a meter display, a center display, a head-up display, etc.) or a speaker. The input device 42 is, for example, a touch panel or a microphone.

[0020] The HMI 4 notifies the vehicle passengers of information according to the output signal received from the control device 6 via the output device 41, and transmits the data input by the vehicle passengers via the input device 42 to the control device 6.

[0021] The HMI 4 may be pre-mounted on the vehicle 100, or may be a terminal such as a smartphone owned by the vehicle passengers (driver and passengers). In the latter case, for example, information exchange may be performed by communicating wirelessly at a short distance between the vehicle 100 and the terminal of the vehicle passengers, or communication may be performed between the terminal of the vehicle passengers and an external server (not shown), and information exchange may be performed indirectly via the server.

[0022] The actuator 5 is a device used for the driving control of the vehicle 100. The vehicle 100 according to the present embodiment includes, as the actuator 5, an acceleration actuator 51 (for example, at least one of an engine and a motor) that performs acceleration control of the vehicle 100, a brake actuator 52 (for example, a hydraulic actuator) that performs brake control of the vehicle 100, and a steering actuator 53 (for example, a steering motor) that performs steering control of the vehicle 100.

[0023] The control device 6 is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) including a communication unit 61, a storage unit 62, and a processing unit 63.

[0024] The communication unit 61 includes an interface circuit for connecting the control device 6 to the in-vehicle network 9. The communication unit 61 supplies various data received from the outside to the processing unit 63. Also, the communication unit 61 outputs various signals output from the processing unit 63 to the outside.

[0025] The storage unit 62 has a storage medium such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid Disk Drive), or a semiconductor memory, and stores various computer programs and data used in the processing by the processing unit 63.

[0026] The processing unit 63 has one or more CPUs (Central Processing Unit) and its peripheral circuits, and executes various computer programs stored in the storage unit 62. The processing unit 63 is, for example, a processor. The processing unit 63 may further have other arithmetic circuits such as a logical arithmetic unit, a numerical arithmetic unit, or a graphic processing unit. By executing processing according to a computer program, the processing unit 63 functions as an abnormal state determination unit 71, a recognition unit 72, and a driving support unit 73, and operates as a functional unit (module) that realizes a predetermined function. In the following description, when explaining the processing with each functional unit 71 to 73 as the subject, it indicates that the processing unit 63 is executing a program that realizes each functional unit 71 to 73.

[0027] The following describes the specific processes performed by the control device 6. Specifically, it describes the contents of each functional unit 71 to 73, which are realized by the processing unit 63 executing processes according to the computer program.

[0028] The abnormal state determination unit 71 determines whether the driver is in an abnormal state (hereinafter simply referred to as "abnormal state") that makes it difficult to continue driving, for example, due to a sudden change in physical condition. In this embodiment, the abnormal state determination unit 71 determines that the driver is in an abnormal state if a predetermined abnormal estimated state continues for a predetermined determination time T1[s].

[0029] An abnormal condition is a state in which the driver can be considered to be in an abnormal state. Examples of abnormal conditions include the driver having their eyes closed, the driver having poor posture, and, unless a hands-free driving assistance system is in place, the driver not operating the steering wheel. Poor posture of the driver refers to a state in which the driver is slumped over, looking down, leaning backward, or has their head or upper body tilted or fallen to the side due to muscle relaxation caused by loss of consciousness, etc., or a state in which the driver is arching their back due to rigidity caused by epilepsy, etc.

[0030] Whether the driver has their eyes closed, their posture is poor, or the steering wheel is not being operated can be determined, for example, from the driver's appearance based on the image from the driver monitoring camera 31. Furthermore, whether the steering wheel is not being operated can be determined, for example, based on data acquired by the steering sensor 23, or based on that data and the image from the driver monitoring camera 31.

[0031] The recognition unit 72 recognizes objects and features around the vehicle 100. For example, the recognition unit 72 sequentially inputs the surrounding image received from the external camera 11 into a classifier to recognize objects such as other vehicles, motorcycles, and pedestrians, as well as features such as curbs, fences, and other similar structures (hereinafter referred to as "boundary structures") and road markings (e.g., lane markings defining driving lanes) within the surrounding image. The classifier can be, for example, a convolutional neural network (CNN) having multiple convolutional layers connected in series from the input side to the output side. The recognition unit 72 also calculates the distance from the vehicle 100 to the objects and features and calculates the position of the objects and features by using, for example, the standard size of the objects and features stored in the memory unit 62 for each type of object and feature, and the size of the objects and features recognized in the surrounding image. Note that the method of recognizing objects and features is not limited to this method, and various known methods may be used for recognition.

[0032] The driver assistance unit 73 controls the actuators 5 based on the targets and features recognized by the recognition unit 72, and provides driver assistance that includes vehicle driving control of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the driver assistance unit 73 can provide driver assistance that includes vehicle driving control of the vehicle 100 at a driving control level of Level 3 as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), that is, at a driving control level that does not require the driver to operate each actuator 51 to 53 or monitor the surroundings. The driver assistance unit 73 can also provide driver assistance that includes vehicle driving control of the vehicle 100 at a driving control level in which the driver is involved in driving the vehicle 100, for example, at a driving control level of Level 1 or Level 2 as defined by the SAE.

[0033] The driver assistance unit 73, as one of the driver assistance functions involving vehicle 100 driving control, implements driver abnormality response driver assistance to address driver abnormalities when it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state. Specifically, when the driver assistance unit 73 determines that the driver is in an abnormal state, it first implements notification control, such as a control warning (alarm), to the driver via the HMI 4. Then, after a predetermined time T2[s] has elapsed since the notification began, it implements deceleration stop control (more specifically, deceleration control and stop hold control) to decelerate the vehicle 100 and hold the vehicle 100 in a stopped state. In other words, driver abnormality response driver assistance includes notification control and deceleration stop control (deceleration control and stop hold control).

[0034] The method by which vehicle 100 is decelerated and stopped is not particularly limited, as long as the risk of contact with road users outside the vehicle during deceleration and stopping control is taken into consideration. For example, if the vehicle can recognize the lane markings of its own driving lane, it can decelerate and maintain a stopped state along the lane markings of its own driving lane. If the vehicle cannot recognize the lane markings of its own driving lane, it can decelerate and maintain a stopped state along the trajectory of the vehicle in front. If neither the lane markings of its own driving lane nor the vehicle in front can be recognized, it can decelerate and maintain a stopped state while driving straight. In addition, for example, considering the safety of driver rescue and passenger disembarkation, the vehicle may change lanes and move to a lane on the road side or to the shoulder.

[0035] Furthermore, the driver assistance unit 73 will discontinue driver assistance if a predetermined discontinuation condition is met during driver abnormality response driver assistance. The discontinuation condition is defined as a condition under which it can be determined that the driver's condition is normal and capable of continuing to drive.

[0036] This means that even if the driver is in a normal state but is mistakenly identified as being in an abnormal state and driver abnormality response driving assistance is activated, the driver can stop the driver abnormality response driving assistance by fulfilling the termination conditions.

[0037] However, if the termination conditions are too simple, for example, an unconscious driver experiencing an abnormal state might unintentionally perform an operation that triggers the termination condition, potentially causing the driver abnormality response driving assistance system to be terminated even though the driver is in an abnormal state. On the other hand, if the termination conditions are too complex, it becomes difficult for the driver to terminate the driver abnormality response driving assistance system when it is activated while the driver is in a normal state.

[0038] Therefore, in this embodiment, when it is determined that the driver is not in an abnormal state during driver abnormality response driving support, the conditions for discontinuing the driver abnormality response driving support are modified (relaxed) so that it is easier to discontinue the driver abnormality response driving support. The discontinuation process of the driver abnormality response driving support according to this embodiment will be explained below with reference to Figure 2.

[0039] Figure 2 is a flowchart illustrating the process for terminating driver abnormality response driving support according to this embodiment, which is performed by the driving support unit 73 and, consequently, the control device 6. The control device 6 repeatedly executes this routine at a predetermined calculation cycle.

[0040] In step S1, the control device 6 determines whether or not driver abnormality response driving support is in operation. If driver abnormality response driving support is in operation, the control device 6 proceeds to the process in step S2. On the other hand, if driver abnormality response driving support is not in operation, the control device 6 terminates the current process.

[0041] In step S2, the control device 6 determines from the appearance of the driver whether it can determine that the driver has returned to a normal state in which it can continue to operate. Specifically, the control device 6 determines from the appearance of the driver whether it can determine that the driver has returned to a normal state based on the image from the driver monitor camera 31.

[0042] If the control device 6 cannot determine from the appearance of the driver that the driver has returned to a normal state, it proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, if the control device 6 can determine from the appearance of the driver that the driver has returned to a normal state, that is, if the driver is no longer in an eye-closed state or the driver's posture has returned to normal and the control device 6 can determine from the appearance of the driver that the driver's state is no longer abnormal, it may have mistakenly determined that the driver was in an abnormal state when it was actually in a normal state and started driver abnormality response driving support, so it proceeds to step S4.

[0043] In step S3, the control device 6 sets the conditions for discontinuing driver abnormality response driving assistance to the normal first discontinuation condition.

[0044] In step S4, the control device 6 sets the conditions for discontinuing the driver abnormality response driving assistance to the second discontinuation condition, which is more likely to be met than the normal first discontinuation condition.

[0045] In this embodiment, it is determined that a cancellation operation has been performed each time a steering operation, accelerator operation, or brake operation is performed. The first cancellation condition is that a predetermined first number of cancellation operations N1 (e.g., 3 times) is detected, and the second cancellation condition is that a predetermined second number of cancellation operations N2 (e.g., 2 times) is detected, which is less than the first number of cancellation operations N1. In this embodiment, whether or not a steering operation, accelerator operation, or brake operation has been performed may be determined when the amount of change in the operation of each operation exceeds a predetermined amount, or it may be determined that the operation has been performed simply when the operation input for each operation is detected.

[0046] Thus, in this embodiment, when it can be determined that the driver has returned to a normal state during driver abnormality response driving assistance, that is, when there is a risk that driver abnormality response driving assistance has been started due to a misjudgment that the driver is in an abnormal state even though the driver is in a normal state, the number of cancellation operations required to stop driver abnormality response driving assistance is reduced, so the conditions for stopping are relaxed compared to normal. Therefore, it is possible to suppress situations in which the driver is unable to stop driver abnormality response driving assistance when it is implemented even though the driver is in a normal state.

[0047] Furthermore, since the termination conditions are less likely to be met under normal circumstances, it is possible to suppress the termination of the driver abnormality response driving support system when, for example, a driver who has lost consciousness and is slumped over the steering wheel makes an unintentional steering operation, or a driver who has become rigid due to epilepsy makes an unintentional pedal operation—that is, when a driver in an abnormal state makes an unintentional steering or pedal operation. Therefore, it is possible to suppress situations in which the driving support system is terminated due to an unintentional override during the driver abnormality response driving support system, even though the driver is in an abnormal state.

[0048] In step S5, the control device 6 determines whether the conditions for discontinuing driver abnormality response driving assistance have been met. If the conditions for discontinuing driver abnormality response driving assistance have been met, the control device 6 proceeds to the process in step S6. On the other hand, if the conditions for discontinuing driver abnormality response driving assistance have not been met, the control device 6 proceeds to the process in step S7.

[0049] In step S6, the control device 6 discontinues the driver abnormality response driving assistance.

[0050] In step S7, the control device 6 continues to provide driver abnormality response driving support.

[0051] In this embodiment, as described above, the first termination condition was defined as the detection of a predetermined cancellation operation a predetermined first number of times N1, and the second termination condition was defined as the detection of a predetermined second number of times N2, which is less than the first number of times N1.

[0052] However, the first and second termination conditions are not limited to these conditions. For example, in the above embodiment, the first termination condition may be that a predetermined number of cancellation operations N3 (e.g., 2 times) are detected within a predetermined first time TS1[s], and the second termination condition may be that a predetermined number of cancellation operations N3 are detected within a predetermined second time TS2[s], which is longer than the first time TS1.

[0053] As a result, when the cancellation condition is that a predetermined number of cancellation operations must be performed within a predetermined time, if it is determined that the driver has returned to a normal state during driver abnormality response driving assistance, the predetermined time will be extended, thus relaxing the cancellation condition compared to normal. Therefore, it is possible to prevent situations in which the driver is unable to cancel driver abnormality response driving assistance when it is implemented even though the driver is in a normal state.

[0054] Furthermore, for example, in the above embodiment, it may be determined that an operation has been performed when the amount of change in the operation of each steering operation, accelerator operation, and brake operation exceeds a predetermined amount, with the first termination condition being that the amount of change in the operation of each operation exceeds a predetermined first determination threshold, and the second termination condition being that the amount of change in the operation of each operation exceeds a predetermined second determination threshold that is smaller than the first determination threshold.

[0055] As a result, when it is determined that the driver has returned to a normal state during driver abnormality response driving assistance, the termination condition will be met even if the amount of change in each operation is relatively small, making it easier to meet the termination condition than under normal circumstances. Therefore, it is possible to suppress situations in which the driver is unable to terminate the driving assistance when driver abnormality response driving assistance is implemented even though the driver is in a normal state.

[0056] The control device 6 (driving support control device) of the vehicle 100 according to this embodiment, as described above, is configured to respond to a driver abnormality when it is determined that the driver of the vehicle 100 is in an abnormal state that makes it difficult to continue driving the vehicle 100, to stop the driving support when a predetermined termination condition is met during the driver abnormality driving support, and to change the content of the termination condition so that the driving support is more likely to be stopped when it is determined that the driver is not in the aforementioned abnormal state during the driver abnormality driving support.

[0057] Specifically, the control device 6 according to this embodiment is configured to stop the driver assistance when a predetermined number of cancellation operations are detected during driver abnormality response driving assistance, and to reduce the predetermined number of operations when it is determined that the driver is not in an abnormal state during driver abnormality response driving assistance.

[0058] As a result, when it can be determined that the driver has returned to a normal state during driver abnormality response driving assistance, that is, when there is a possibility that driver abnormality response driving assistance has been started due to a misjudgment that the driver is in an abnormal state even though the driver is in a normal state, the number of cancellation operations required to stop driver abnormality response driving assistance is reduced, thus making the conditions for stopping assistance more relaxed than under normal circumstances. Therefore, it is possible to prevent situations in which the driver is unable to stop driver abnormality response driving assistance when it is implemented even though the driver is in a normal state.

[0059] Furthermore, the control device 6 can be configured to stop the driver assistance when a predetermined cancellation operation is detected a predetermined number of times during driver abnormality response driving assistance, and to extend the predetermined time when it is determined that the driver is not in an abnormal state during driver abnormality response driving assistance.

[0060] As a result, when the cancellation condition is that a predetermined number of cancellation operations must be performed within a predetermined time, the predetermined time is extended if it is determined that the driver has returned to a normal state during driver abnormality response driving assistance, thus relaxing the cancellation condition compared to normal. Therefore, it is possible to prevent situations in which the driver is unable to cancel the driving assistance when driver abnormality response driving assistance is implemented even though the driver is in a normal state.

[0061] Furthermore, the control device 6 may be configured to discontinue the driver assistance in response to a driver abnormality when the amount of change in at least one of the steering operation and / or pedal operation of the vehicle 100 exceeds a predetermined determination threshold, and to reduce the determination threshold when it is determined that the driver is not in an abnormal state during the driver abnormality response driver assistance.

[0062] As a result, when it is determined that the driver has returned to a normal state during driver abnormality response driving assistance, the termination condition will be met even if the amount of change in each operation is relatively small, making it easier to meet the termination condition than under normal circumstances. Therefore, it is possible to suppress situations in which the driver is unable to terminate the driving assistance when driver abnormality response driving assistance is implemented even though the driver is in a normal state.

[0063] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described above, these embodiments only represent a part of the application examples of the present invention, and are not intended to limit the technical scope of the present invention to the specific configurations of the above embodiments.

[0064] For example, a combination of the termination conditions described in each of the above embodiments may be used as the termination condition.

[0065] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, for example, the computer program executed in the control device 6 may be provided in the form of a computer-readable portable recording medium such as a semiconductor memory, a magnetic recording medium, or an optical recording medium, or it may be provided as a computer program product. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0066] 6. Control Device (Driving Assistance Control Device) 100 vehicles

Claims

1. A vehicle driver assistance control device, In response to the determination that the driver of the vehicle is in an abnormal state that makes it difficult to continue driving the vehicle, the system provides driving assistance to address the driver's abnormality. If the predetermined termination conditions are met during the aforementioned driving assistance, the aforementioned driving assistance will be terminated. If the driver is determined not to be in the abnormal state during the aforementioned driving assistance, the system is configured to change the content of the termination condition so that the driving assistance is more likely to be terminated. Driver assistance control system.

2. In response to the detection of a predetermined number of cancellation operations during the aforementioned driving assistance, the driving assistance is stopped. If it is determined that the driver is not in the abnormal state during the aforementioned driving assistance, the predetermined number of times is reduced. The driver assistance control device according to claim 1.

3. In response to a predetermined number of cancellation operations being detected within a predetermined time frame during the aforementioned driving assistance, the driving assistance is stopped. If it is determined that the driver is not in the abnormal state during the aforementioned driving assistance, the predetermined time is configured to be extended. The driver assistance control device according to claim 1.

4. During the aforementioned driving assistance, if the amount of change in at least one of the steering operation of the vehicle and the pedal operation of the vehicle exceeds a predetermined threshold, the driving assistance is discontinued. If the driver is determined not to be in the abnormal state during the aforementioned driving assistance, the determination threshold is set to be reduced. The driver assistance control device according to claim 1.

5. The cancellation operation includes steering the vehicle and pedal operation of the vehicle. The driver assistance control device according to claim 2 or claim 3.

6. The aforementioned driver assistance is Notification control, which is initiated in response to the determination that the driver is in an abnormal state, and which notifies the driver, A deceleration and stop control is initiated after a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the aforementioned notification, which decelerates the vehicle and keeps it in a stopped state. including, A driver assistance control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

7. A method of assisting the driving of a vehicle, In response to the determination that the driver of the vehicle is in an abnormal state that makes it difficult to continue driving the vehicle, the system provides driving assistance to address the driver's abnormality. If the predetermined termination conditions are met during the aforementioned driving assistance, the aforementioned driving assistance will be terminated. If it is determined that the driver is not in the abnormal state during the aforementioned driving assistance, the content of the termination condition will be changed so that the driving assistance is more likely to be terminated. Driving assistance methods.

8. In response to a determination that the vehicle's driver is in an abnormal state that makes it difficult to continue driving the vehicle, the system provides driving assistance to address the driver's abnormality. If the predetermined termination conditions are met during the aforementioned driving assistance, the aforementioned driving assistance will be terminated. If it is determined that the driver is not in the abnormal state during the aforementioned driving assistance, the content of the termination condition will be changed so that the driving assistance is more likely to be terminated. A computer program that instructs a computer to perform a process.

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