Presentation control device, presentation control program, automatic driving control device, and automatic driving control program

Abstract

To provide an information presentation apparatus capable of convenience of an automated driving without a responsibility of peripheral monitoring.SOLUTION: An HCU 100 is used in an own vehicle Am capable of traveling by an automated driving function, and functions as a presentation control apparatus that controls to present information related to the automated driving function. The HCU 100 grasps whether a transition from a driving support control with a responsibility of peripheral monitoring by a driver of the own vehicle Am to an autonomous travel control without the responsibility of the peripheral monitoring by the driver, and whether a lane change by the automated driving function is performed in a state with the responsibility of the peripheral monitoring. When the transition to the autonomous travel control in an LC control period during which the lane change by the driving support control is enabled, a level 3 enable notification indicating that the transition to the autonomous travel control is enabled is performed in the LC control period.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The disclosure in this specification relates to a technology for presenting information related to an autonomous driving function and a technology for enabling driving using the autonomous driving function. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an automatic driving device that starts automatic driving of the vehicle based on an instruction from a driver. When the road on which the vehicle is traveling has multiple lanes, the automatic driving device can control the vehicle to change lanes from the lane in which the vehicle is traveling to another lane. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2011-162132 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In recent years, not only automated driving with the driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings, but also technology that enables automated driving without the driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings is being realized. In a configuration that enables such automated driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings, it is possible to assume that a situation will occur in which the control period for lane change under a state with the obligation to monitor the surroundings as disclosed in Patent Document 1 overlaps with the timing at which the state with the obligation to monitor the surroundings can be shifted to a state without the obligation to monitor the surroundings. In such a situation, if information presentation or vehicle control related to the shift to a state without the obligation to monitor the surroundings is not appropriately implemented, there is a risk that the convenience of the automated driving will be impaired.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide a presentation control device, a presentation control program, an autonomous driving control device, and an autonomous driving control program that can ensure the convenience of autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, one disclosed aspect is a presentation control device that is used in a host vehicle (Am) capable of driving using an autonomous driving function, and controls the presentation of information related to the autonomous driving function, and includes a driving control grasping unit (82) that grasps whether it is possible to transition from driving assistance control, in which the driver of the host vehicle is obligated to monitor the surroundings, to autonomous driving control, in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings, and a notification control unit (88) that issues a transition possible notification indicating that transition to autonomous driving control is possible, and the driving control grasping unit further grasps whether a lane change is being performed by the autonomous driving function in a state in which the driver is obligated to monitor the surroundings, and the notification control unit notifies the host vehicle during a control period in which a lane change is being performed by the driving assistance control. , in the destination lane due to lane change When transition to autonomous driving control becomes possible, the presentation control device issues a notification that transition is possible during the control period. Also, one disclosed aspect is a presentation control device that is used in a host vehicle (Am) capable of driving using an autonomous driving function, and controls the presentation of information related to the autonomous driving function, and includes a driving control grasping unit (82) that grasps whether it is possible to transition from driving assistance control, in which the driver of the host vehicle is obligated to monitor the surroundings, to autonomous driving control, in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings, and a notification control unit (88) that issues a transition possible notification indicating that transition to autonomous driving control is possible, wherein the driving control grasping unit further grasps whether a lane change is performed by the autonomous driving function in a state in which the driver is obligated to monitor the surroundings, and the notification control unit issues a transition possible notification during the control period if transition to autonomous driving control is possible during the control period in which a lane change is performed by the driving assistance control, and if a state in which transition from driving assistance control to autonomous driving control is possible continues after the lane change by the driving assistance control is completed, an transition possible notification is also issued after the end of the control period, and the manner of the first transition possible notification, which is the transition possible notification issued during the control period, is different from the manner of the second transition possible notification, which is the transition possible notification issued after the end of the control period.

[0007] Also, one disclosed aspect is a presentation control program used in a host vehicle (Am) capable of driving using an autonomous driving function, which controls the presentation of information related to the autonomous driving function, and determines whether a transition from driving assistance control, in which the driver of the host vehicle is obligated to monitor the surroundings, to autonomous driving control, in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings, is possible (S101), determines whether a lane change is being performed by the autonomous driving function while the driver is obligated to monitor the surroundings (S102), and determines whether a lane change is being performed by the autonomous driving function during a control period in which a lane change is being performed by the driving assistance control. , in the destination lane due to lane change The presentation control program causes at least one processing unit (11) to execute processing including, when transition to autonomous driving control becomes possible, issuing a transition possibility notification indicating that transition to autonomous driving control is possible during the control period (S105). One disclosed aspect is a presentation control program used in a host vehicle (Am) capable of driving using an autonomous driving function, for controlling the presentation of information related to the autonomous driving function, which determines whether a transition from driving assistance control, in which the driver of the host vehicle is obligated to monitor the surroundings, to autonomous driving control, in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings, is possible (S101), determines whether a lane change is being performed by the autonomous driving function while the driver is obligated to monitor the surroundings (S102), and determines whether a transition to autonomous driving control is possible during a control period in which a lane change is being performed by the driving assistance control. If it becomes necessary to change the lane, a transition possible notification indicating that transition to autonomous driving control is possible is made during the control period (S105), and if the state in which transition from driving assistance control to autonomous driving control is possible continues after the lane change due to driving assistance control is completed, a transition possible notification is made even after the end of the control period (S109).The presentation control program is configured to cause at least one processing unit (11) to execute processing including the above. The presentation control program is configured such that the form of the first transition possible notification, which is the transition possible notification made during the control period, differs from the form of the second transition possible notification, which is the transition possible notification made after the end of the control period.

[0008] In these aspects, when a lane change is performed by the driving assistance control and a transition to autonomous driving control without a periphery monitoring obligation becomes possible, the transition possibility notification is provided during the lane change control period. As a result, the driver can easily secure time to recognize that a transition to autonomous driving control is possible, and can smoothly start using autonomous driving without a periphery monitoring obligation. Therefore, the convenience of autonomous driving without a periphery monitoring obligation can be ensured.

[0009] Also, one disclosed aspect is a presentation control device that is used in a host vehicle (Am) capable of driving using an autonomous driving function, and controls the presentation of information related to the autonomous driving function, and is equipped with a driving control grasping unit (82) that grasps whether it is possible to transition from driving assistance control, in which the driver of the host vehicle is obligated to monitor the surroundings, to autonomous driving control, in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings, and a notification control unit (88) that issues a transition possible notification indicating that transition to autonomous driving control is possible, wherein the driving control grasping unit further grasps whether a lane change is being performed by the autonomous driving function while the driver is obligated to monitor the surroundings, and the notification control unit is a presentation control device that, when it is possible to transition to autonomous driving control during a control period in which a lane change is performed by driving assistance control, suspends the implementation of the transition possible notification during the control period, and issues the transition possible notification after the end of the control period.

[0010] Another disclosed aspect is a presentation control program used in a host vehicle (Am) capable of driving using an automatic driving function, which controls the presentation of information related to the automatic driving function, and causes at least one processing unit (11) to execute processing including: determining whether it is possible to transition from driving assistance control, in which the driver of the host vehicle is obligated to monitor the surroundings, to autonomous driving control, in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings (S201); determining whether a lane change is being performed by the automatic driving function while the driver is obligated to monitor the surroundings (S202); and, if transition to autonomous driving control is possible during a control period in which a lane change is being performed by driving assistance control, withholding the implementation of a transition possibility notification indicating that transition to autonomous driving control is possible during the control period, and issuing the transition possibility notification after the end of the control period (S207).

[0011] In these aspects, when it becomes possible to transition to autonomous driving control without the obligation to monitor the surroundings during the control period in which the lane change is performed by the driving assistance control, the implementation of the transition possibility notification is suspended during the control period of the lane change. Therefore, the presentation of information indicating contents different from the vehicle control being performed is suppressed, so that a situation in which the driver is confused can be avoided. Then, by the transition possibility notification performed after the end of the control period, the driver recognizes that it is possible to transition to autonomous driving control, and can smoothly start using the autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings. By presenting such a series of information, the convenience of autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings can be ensured.

[0012] Another disclosed embodiment is a presentation control device that is used in a host vehicle (Am) that can drive using an autonomous driving function, and controls the presentation of information related to the autonomous driving function, and includes a driving control grasping unit (82) that grasps whether it is possible to transition from driving assistance control, in which the driver of the host vehicle is obligated to monitor the surroundings, to autonomous driving control, in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings, and a notification control unit (88) that issues a transition possible notification indicating that transition to autonomous driving control is possible, wherein the driving control grasping unit further grasps whether a lane change is being performed using the autonomous driving function while the driver is obligated to monitor the surroundings, and the notification control unit, after issuing the transition possible notification, issues the transition possible notification again after the lane change is completed, provided that it is possible to transition to autonomous driving control even after the lane change is completed.

[0013] Also, one disclosed aspect is a presentation control program used in a host vehicle (Am) capable of driving using an autonomous driving function, which controls the presentation of information related to the autonomous driving function, and causes at least one processing unit (11) to execute processing including: determining whether it is possible to transition from driving assistance control, in which the driver of the host vehicle is obligated to monitor the surroundings, to autonomous driving control, in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings (S101); making a transition possible notification indicating that transition to autonomous driving control is possible (S121); after making the transition possible notification, further determining whether a lane change will be initiated by driving assistance control before the transition to autonomous driving control (S122); and, if a lane change is initiated by driving assistance control before the transition to autonomous driving control, making the transition possible notification again after the lane change is completed, provided that transition to autonomous driving control is possible even after the lane change is completed (S109).

[0014] In these aspects, when lane change by driving assistance control is started before transition to autonomous driving control after transition possible notification is performed, transition possible notification is performed again after completion of lane change, provided that transition to autonomous driving control is possible even after completion of lane change. Therefore, even if the lane in which the vehicle is traveling is changed, whether or not the state in which transition to autonomous driving control is possible continues is presented to the driver in an easy-to-understand manner. As a result, even if lane change is performed, the use of autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings can be smoothly started. Therefore, the convenience of autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings can be ensured.

[0015] One disclosed aspect is an automatic driving control device that enables a host vehicle (Am) to travel using an automatic driving function, and includes a transition determination unit (77) that determines whether or not a transition from driving assistance control, in which the driver of the host vehicle is obligated to monitor the surroundings, to autonomous driving control, in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings, is possible, and an assistance control grasping unit (76) that grasps the execution state of lane change by driving assistance control, and the transition determination unit is configured to determine whether or not a control period during which lane change is executed by driving assistance control is possible. At , The lane in which the vehicle is traveling before the lane change begins and the lane to which the vehicle is moving after the lane change are both judged. Determine whether or not the transition from driver assistance control to autonomous driving control is possible The vehicle is transitioned from a state in which the vehicle is moving to a state in which the vehicle is determining whether or not it is possible to transition to autonomous driving control, with the destination lane being the determination target. It is said to be an automatic driving control device.

[0016] One disclosed aspect is an autonomous driving control program that enables a host vehicle (Am) to travel using an autonomous driving function, and grasps the execution state of lane change under driving assistance control, in which the driver of the host vehicle is required to monitor the surroundings (S11), determines whether or not it is possible to transition from driving assistance control to autonomous driving control, in which the driver is not required to monitor the surroundings (S14), and determines a control period during which lane change is executed under driving assistance control. The lane to which the vehicle is traveling before the lane change begins and the lane to which the vehicle is moving after the lane change are both considered as targets for judgment. Determine whether or not the transition from driver assistance control to autonomous driving control is possible The vehicle is transitioned from a state in which the vehicle is moving to a state in which the vehicle is determining whether or not it is possible to transition to autonomous driving control, with the destination lane being the determination target. The automatic operation control program causes at least one processing unit (51) to execute processes including:

[0017] In these aspects, the determination of whether or not to transition from driving assistance control with a periphery monitoring obligation to autonomous driving control without a periphery monitoring obligation continues even during the period in which lane change is performed by driving assistance control. Therefore, even during the lane change control period, it can be determined that transition to autonomous driving control is possible, so that a transition to a state without a periphery monitoring obligation can be implemented early. As a result, the convenience of automated driving without a periphery monitoring obligation can be ensured.

[0018] The reference numbers in parentheses above and in the claims merely indicate an example of a corresponding relationship with a specific configuration in an embodiment described later, and do not limit the technical scope in any way. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an overall view of an in-vehicle network including an HCU according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing details of an autonomous driving ECU. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing details of an HCU. [Figure 4] 13 is a time chart showing a series of information presentations in a scene where autonomous driving is possible without the obligation to monitor the surroundings while changing lanes using LCA. [Diagram 5] 13 is a time chart showing a series of information presented in a scene in which a lane change is performed by LCA after autonomous driving becomes possible without the obligation to monitor the surroundings. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a level 3 possible notification displayed on a meter display or the like. [Figure 7] 13 is a flowchart showing details of a determination target switching process. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing details of a level 3 transition guidance process in conjunction with FIG. 9. [Figure 9] 9 is a flowchart showing details of a level 3 transition guidance process in conjunction with FIG. 8. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing details of a level 3 transition guidance process according to the second embodiment, together with FIG. 9; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, a number of embodiments will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, by assigning the same reference numerals to corresponding components in each embodiment, duplicated descriptions may be omitted. When only a part of the configuration is described in each embodiment, the configuration of the other embodiment described above can be applied to the other parts of the configuration. In addition to the combination of configurations explicitly stated in the description of each embodiment, configurations of multiple embodiments can be partially combined together even if not explicitly stated, as long as there is no particular problem with the combination.

[0021] First embodiment 1 to 3, an HCU (Human Machine Interface Control Unit) according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure is an interface control device used in a vehicle (hereinafter, the host vehicle Am). The HCU 100 constitutes an HMI (Human Machine Interface) system 10 of the host vehicle Am together with a plurality of input / output devices. The HMI system 10 has an input interface function for accepting operations by a passenger such as a driver of the host vehicle Am, and an output interface function for presenting information to the driver.

[0022] The HCU 100 is communicatively connected to a communication bus 99 of an in-vehicle network 1 mounted on the vehicle Am. The HCU 100 is one of a plurality of nodes provided in the in-vehicle network 1. A driver monitor 29, a surroundings monitoring sensor 30, a locator 35, a driving control ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 40, a driving assistance ECU 50a, an automatic driving ECU 50b, and the like are connected to the communication bus 99 of the in-vehicle network 1. These nodes connected to the communication bus 99 can communicate with each other. Specific nodes among these devices and ECUs may be directly electrically connected to each other and can communicate with each other without going through the communication bus 99.

[0023] The driver monitor 29 includes a near-infrared light source, a near-infrared camera, and a control unit for controlling them. The driver monitor 29 is installed, for example, on the upper surface of the steering column or the upper surface of the instrument panel with the near-infrared camera facing the headrest of the driver's seat. The driver monitor 29 uses the near-infrared camera to capture an image of the driver's head illuminated with near-infrared light from the near-infrared light source. The image captured by the near-infrared camera is subjected to image analysis by the control unit. The control unit extracts information such as the position of the driver's eye point and the line of sight from the captured image. The driver monitor 29 provides the information indicating the state of the driver extracted by the control unit as driver status information to the HCU 100, the autonomous driving ECU 50b, and the like.

[0024] The periphery monitoring sensor 30 is an autonomous sensor that monitors the surrounding environment of the host vehicle Am. The periphery monitoring sensor 30 includes, for example, one or more of a camera unit 31, a millimeter wave radar 32, a lidar 33, and a sonar 34. The periphery monitoring sensor 30 can detect moving objects and stationary objects within a detection range around the host vehicle. The periphery monitoring sensor 30 provides detection information of objects around the host vehicle to the driving assistance ECU 50a, the autonomous driving ECU 50b, etc.

[0025] The locator 35 includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver, an inertial sensor, etc. The locator 35 further includes a map database 36 that stores three-dimensional map data and two-dimensional map data. The locator 35 reads map data of the surroundings of the current position from the map database 36, and provides the map data together with the position information and direction information of the host vehicle Am as locator information to the driving assistance ECU 50a, the autonomous driving ECU 50b, etc.

[0026] The driving control ECU 40 is an electronic control device mainly including a microcontroller. The driving control ECU 40 has at least the functions of a brake control ECU, a drive control ECU, and a steering control ECU. The driving control ECU 40 continuously controls the brake force of each wheel, the output control of the in-vehicle power source, and the steering angle control based on one of an operation command based on the driver's driving operation, a control command from the driving assistance ECU 50a, and a control command from the automatic driving ECU 50b.

[0027] The driving assistance ECU 50a and the automatic driving ECU 50b configure an automatic driving system 50 of the host vehicle Am. By installing the automatic driving system 50, the host vehicle Am becomes an automatic driving vehicle equipped with an automatic driving function, and is capable of traveling by the automatic driving function.

[0028] The driving assistance ECU 50a realizes a driving assistance function that assists the driver in driving operations in the automated driving system 50. The driving assistance ECU 50a enables advanced driving assistance of about level 2 or partial automated driving in the automated driving levels defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers. The automated driving performed by the driving assistance ECU 50a is an automated driving with a surrounding monitoring obligation that requires the driver to visually monitor the surroundings of the vehicle.

[0029] The autonomous driving ECU 50b can take over driving operations from the driver and can perform autonomous driving at level 3 or higher, where the system is the main controller, according to the autonomous driving levels stipulated by the Society of Automotive Engineers. The autonomous driving performed by the autonomous driving ECU 50b does not require monitoring of the surroundings of the vehicle, that is, it is eyes-off autonomous driving with no obligation to monitor the surroundings.

[0030] In the above-described automatic driving system 50, the driving control state of the automatic driving function is switched among a plurality of states including at least driving assistance control with a surrounding monitoring obligation by the driving assistance ECU 50a and autonomous driving control without a surrounding monitoring obligation by the automatic driving ECU 50b. In the following description, automatic driving control of level 2 or lower by the driving assistance ECU 50a is described as "driving assistance control", and automatic driving control of level 3 or higher by the automatic driving ECU 50b is described as "autonomous driving control". During the automatic driving period in which the host vehicle Am drives by the autonomous driving control, the driver may be permitted to perform a specific action other than driving that is specified in advance (hereinafter, a second task). The second task is legally permitted to the driver until a request to perform a driving operation performed in cooperation with the automatic driving ECU 50b and the HCU 100, that is, a request to take over driving, occurs. For example, actions such as watching entertainment content such as video content, operating a device such as a smartphone, and eating are assumed as second tasks.

[0031] The driving assistance ECU 50a is a computer mainly including a control circuit equipped with a processing unit, a RAM, a storage unit, an input / output interface, and a bus connecting these. The driving assistance ECU 50a realizes driving assistance functions such as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), LTC (Lane Trace Control), and LCA (Lane Change Assist) by executing a program in the processing unit. The driving assistance ECU 50a performs driving assistance control to drive the host vehicle Am along the host vehicle lane in which the host vehicle Am is currently traveling, by coordinating the functions of ACC and LTC. In addition, the driving assistance ECU 50a uses the function of LCA to change lanes from the host vehicle lane in which the host vehicle Am is currently traveling to another lane adjacent to the host vehicle lane (hereinafter, the destination lane).

[0032] In detail, the driving assistance ECU 50a generates a planned driving line from the vehicle's lane to the adjacent lane to be changed lanes, based on a driver's operation to instruct the execution of LCA (hereinafter, LCA activation operation), while referring to map data, etc. As an example, the driver's operation of pressing the turn signal switch halfway for a predetermined time (for example, about 1 to 3 seconds) while the LTC is activated is regarded as the LCA activation operation. The driving assistance ECU 50a temporarily suspends driving control of in-lane driving by LTC, and performs steering angle control according to the planned driving line for lane change in cooperation with the driving control ECU 40, thereby executing lane change from the vehicle's lane to the adjacent lane. When the lane change is completed, the driving assistance ECU 50a resumes in-lane driving by LTC.

[0033] The driving assistance ECU 50a provides the automatic driving ECU 50b with control status information indicating the state of the driving assistance control. The control status information includes at least information indicating whether the operation state of the LCA is a start-up state, a standby state, or an execution state. The start-up state is a state immediately after the LCA start operation is accepted. In the start-up state, based on the detection information, a check is performed to see whether there is another vehicle in the adjacent lane to which the vehicle will move when changing lanes. When the surrounding check is completed, the operation state of the LCA is set to either a standby state or an execution state. If there is another vehicle that prevents the host vehicle Am from changing lanes, the LCA is in a standby state. On the other hand, if there is no other vehicle that prevents the host vehicle Am from changing lanes, the LCA is in an execution state in which the lane change is started.

[0034] The autonomous driving ECU 50b has a higher computing power than the driving assistance ECU 50a, and can at least perform driving control equivalent to ACC, LTC, and LCA. The autonomous driving ECU 50b is a computer that mainly includes a processing unit 51, a RAM 52, a storage unit 53, an input / output interface 54, and a control circuit including a bus connecting these. The processing unit 51 executes various processes for realizing the autonomous driving control method of the present disclosure by accessing the RAM 52. The storage unit 53 stores various programs (autonomous driving control program, etc.) executed by the processing unit 51. By executing the programs by the processing unit 51, the autonomous driving ECU 50b is configured with an information linking unit 61, an environment recognition unit 62, an action determination unit 63, a control execution unit 64, etc. as multiple functional units for realizing the autonomous driving function (see FIG. 2).

[0035] The information linking unit 61 provides information to the information linking unit 82 of the HCU 100 and acquires information from the information linking unit 82. Through the cooperation of the information linking units 61 and 82, the automatic driving ECU 50b and the HCU 100 share the information acquired by them. The information linking unit 61 generates control status information indicating the operation state of the automatic driving function and provides the generated control status information to the information linking unit 82. In addition, the information linking unit 61 enables the HCU 100 to make an announcement synchronized with the operation state of the automatic driving function by outputting an execution request for an announcement to the information linking unit 82. On the other hand, the information linking unit 61 acquires operation information, driver estimation information, and the like from the information linking unit 82. The information linking unit 61 grasps the driver operation input to the HMI system 10, etc., based on the operation information. In addition, the information linking unit 61 grasps the driver's driving state, etc., based on the driver estimation information.

[0036] The environment recognition unit 62 recognizes the traveling environment of the host vehicle Am by combining locator information acquired from the locator 35 and detection information acquired from the surrounding monitoring sensor 30. Specifically, the environment recognition unit 62 grasps information about the road on which the host vehicle Am is traveling, and the relative positions and relative speeds of dynamic targets (other vehicles, etc.) around the host vehicle. In addition, the environment recognition unit 62 acquires vehicle information indicating the state of the host vehicle Am from the communication bus 99. As an example, the environment recognition unit 62 acquires vehicle speed information indicating the current traveling speed of the host vehicle Am.

[0037] The environment recognition unit 62 grasps the congestion around the host vehicle Am by combining information on other vehicles around the host vehicle with vehicle speed information, etc. When the current traveling speed of the host vehicle Am is equal to or lower than the congestion speed (for example, about 30 km / h) and there are both a vehicle ahead and a vehicle behind the host vehicle traveling in the host vehicle lane, the environment recognition unit 62 determines that the area around the host vehicle is in a congestion state.

[0038] The environment recognition unit 62 determines whether the road on which the vehicle Am is traveling or is scheduled to travel is a pre-set area where automatic driving is possible (hereinafter, AD area). An AD area is an area where traveling using the automatic driving function is permitted. Expressways and motorways are AD areas. On the other hand, the environment recognition unit 62 determines roads that are not included in an AD area as manual driving areas (hereinafter, MD areas) where traveling using the automatic driving function is not permitted. In MD areas, automatic driving (driving assistance control) of level 2 or higher is prohibited. Note that manual driving is equivalent to automatic driving of level 0.

[0039] The behavior determination unit 63 cooperates with the driving assistance ECU 50a and the HCU 100 to control the automatic driving system 50 and the driving changeover between the driver. When the automatic driving system 50 has the control right of the driving operation, the behavior determination unit 63 generates a planned driving line for the host vehicle Am to travel based on the recognition result of the driving environment by the environment recognition unit 62, and outputs the generated planned driving line to the control execution unit 64. The behavior determination unit 63 has an assistance control grasping unit 76 and a control switching unit 77 as sub-functional units for controlling the operating state of the automatic driving function.

[0040] The assist control grasping unit 76 acquires control status information from the driving assist ECU 50a. The assist control grasping unit 76 grasps the operation state of the LCA, in other words, the execution state of the lane change by the driving assist control, based on the acquired control status information.

[0041] The control switching unit 77 cooperates with the driving assistance ECU 50a to control the start and end of driving assistance control with the driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings. In addition, the control switching unit 77 cooperates with the driving assistance ECU 50a to switch between driving assistance control with the driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings and autonomous driving control without the driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings. In detail, the control switching unit 77 has a plurality of transition conditions (hereinafter, level 3 start conditions) set for permitting transition to autonomous driving control. The level 3 start conditions include requirements regarding the driver of the host vehicle Am, requirements regarding the driving state of the host vehicle Am, requirements regarding the driving environment around the host vehicle, and the like. For example, the level 3 start conditions include driving in an AD area, and the fact that traffic congestion around the host vehicle has been recognized. The control switching unit 77 determines whether or not to transition from driving assistance control with the driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings to autonomous driving control without the obligation to monitor the surroundings based on whether or not some or all of the plurality of level 3 start conditions are established.

[0042] When the autonomous driving ECU 50b has control of driving operations, the control execution unit 64 cooperates with the cruise control ECU 40 to execute acceleration / deceleration control, steering control, and the like of the host vehicle Am according to the planned driving line generated by the action determination unit 63. Specifically, the control execution unit 64 generates control commands based on the planned driving line and sequentially outputs the generated control commands to the cruise control ECU 40.

[0043] Next, the multiple display devices, the audio device 24, the ambient light 25, the operation device 26, and the HCU 100 included in the HMI system 10 will be described in detail in turn.

[0044] The display device presents information to the driver's vision by displaying images, etc. The display device includes a meter display 21, a center information display (hereinafter, CID) 22, and a head-up display (hereinafter, HUD) 23, etc. The CID 22 has a touch panel function and detects touch operations on the display screen by the driver, etc.

[0045] The audio device 24 has multiple speakers arranged in the vehicle cabin surrounding the driver's seat, and reproduces notification sounds, voice messages, etc., through the speakers into the vehicle cabin. The ambient light 25 is provided on the instrument panel, steering wheel, etc. The ambient light 25 presents information to the driver using the peripheral vision by changing the light emission color as an ambient display.

[0046] The operation device 26 is an input unit that accepts user operations by a driver or the like. User operations related to, for example, activation and deactivation of an automatic driving function are input to the operation device 26. As an example, a driver operation to instruct the start of driving assistance control (hereinafter, level 2 transition operation), a driver operation to instruct the transition from driving assistance control to autonomous driving control (hereinafter, level 3 transition operation), and the like are input to the operation device 26. The operation device 26 includes a steer switch provided on the spokes of the steering wheel, an operation lever provided on the steering column, and a voice input device that recognizes the contents of the driver's speech.

[0047] The HCU 100 is an information presentation device that comprehensively controls information presentation using a plurality of display devices, an audio device 24, and an ambient light 25. The HCU 100 controls presentation of information related to autonomous driving in cooperation with an autonomous driving system 50. The HCU 100 is a computer that mainly includes a processing unit 11, a RAM 12, a storage unit 13, an input / output interface 14, and a control circuit including a bus connecting these. The processing unit 11 executes various processes for presentation control processing by accessing the RAM 12. The RAM 12 may be configured to include a video RAM for generating video data. The storage unit 13 is configured to include a non-volatile storage medium. The storage unit 13 stores various programs (such as a presentation control program) executed by the processing unit 11. The HCU 100 configures multiple functional units by executing the programs stored in the storage unit 13 by the processing unit 11. The HCU 100 configures functional units such as an information acquisition unit 81, an information linking unit 82, a driver state grasping unit 86, and a presentation control unit 88 (see FIG. 3).

[0048] The information acquisition unit 81 acquires vehicle information (e.g., vehicle speed information, etc.) indicating the state of the host vehicle Am from the communication bus 99. In addition, the information acquisition unit 81 acquires operation information indicating the content of a user operation from the CID 22, the operation device 26, etc.

[0049] The information linking unit 82 links with the autonomous driving ECU 50b to enable information sharing between the autonomous driving system 50 and the HCU 100. The information linking unit 82 provides the autonomous driving ECU 50b with operation information grasped by the information acquisition unit 81, driver estimation information estimated by the driver state grasping unit 86, and the like. In addition, the information linking unit 82 acquires, from the autonomous driving ECU 50b, a request to present information related to the autonomous driving function and control status information indicating the state of the autonomous driving function.

[0050] The information linking unit 82 grasps the operation state of the automatic driving by the automatic driving system 50 based on the control status information. Specifically, the information linking unit 82 grasps whether the driving control being performed is driving assistance control or autonomous driving control, that is, whether the driver has a duty to monitor the surroundings. When the host vehicle Am is traveling in a state in which the driver has a duty to monitor the surroundings, the information linking unit 82 grasps whether a lane change is being performed by the LCA function. In addition, the information linking unit 82 grasps whether a transition from driving assistance control in which the host driver has a duty to monitor the surroundings to autonomous driving control in which the driver does not have a duty to monitor the surroundings has become possible. The information linking unit 82 continues to grasp whether a transition to autonomous driving control has become possible even during a control period in which a lane change is performed by the LCA function (hereinafter, LC control period).

[0051] The driver state ascertaining unit 86 acquires driver status information from the driver monitor 29. Based on the driver status information, the driver state ascertaining unit 86 ascertains the state of the driver's grip on the steering wheel, the state of the driver's monitoring of the surroundings, the contents of the second task performed by the driver, and the like. The estimation result of the driver state ascertained by the driver state ascertaining unit 86 is provided to the presentation control unit 88, the autonomous driving ECU 50b, and the like as driver estimation information.

[0052] The presentation control unit 88 performs integrated provision of information to the driver using each display device, the audio device 24, and the ambient light 25 (hereinafter, information presentation devices). The presentation control unit 88 provides content and presents information according to the operating state of the autonomous driving, based on the control status information and implementation request acquired by the information linking unit 82, and the driver estimation information grasped by the driver state grasping unit 86, etc.

[0053] Specifically, the presentation control unit 88 causes each display device to display a level 2 start notification indicating the start of driving assistance control, an LCA acceptance notification indicating that an LCA startup operation has been accepted, and LCA content indicating the operating state of the LCA, etc. (see Figs. 4 and 5). Furthermore, the presentation control unit 88 issues a transition possible notification indicating that transition to autonomous driving control is possible (hereinafter, Level 3 possible notification), and a transition start notification indicating that autonomous driving control will start (hereinafter, Level 3 start notification).

[0054] In the autonomous driving system 50 described above, lane changing under autonomous driving control and transition to autonomous driving control during lane changing by LCA are assumed to be permitted or prohibited based on the laws and regulations of the country and region in which the vehicle is used. In the autonomous driving system 50 disclosed herein, lane changing under autonomous driving control and transition to autonomous driving control during lane changing by LCA are both permitted. In the host vehicle Am equipped with such an autonomous driving system 50, the LC control period during which lane changing is performed by the function of LCA and the timing at which transition to autonomous driving control is possible may overlap. Hereinafter, the details of vehicle control and information presentation performed in such a scene will be described based on FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 with reference to FIG. 1 to FIG. 3.

[0055] In the scene shown in FIG. 4, the host vehicle Am is traveling by driving assistance control, and lane change is performed by the LCA function based on the driver's LCA activation operation. In the autonomous driving ECU 50b, the control switching unit 77 continues to determine whether or not the transition from driving assistance control to autonomous driving control is possible during the LC control period (see the dotted area in FIG. 4) in which lane change is performed by the LCA function. Therefore, the level 3 start condition may be established during the LC control period. For example, if the host vehicle enters an AD area while performing lane change by LCA, if congestion occurs in the destination lane (passing lane or merging lane, etc.), if the host vehicle enters an AD area while the LCA is in a standby state, etc., the transition to autonomous driving control is possible during the LC control period.

[0056] When it becomes possible to transition to autonomous driving control during the LC control period, the presentation control unit 88 performs a level 3 possible notification during the LC control period. That is, the driver is notified during the LC control period that it is possible to transition to autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings. However, if the driver is monitoring the surroundings in conjunction with a lane change during the LC control period, the presentation control unit 88 can suspend the implementation of the level 3 possible notification.

[0057] The presentation control unit 88 displays, for example, a message such as "2nd task is now available" on the meter display 21 and the CID 22 as the level 3 possible notification during the LC control period. The presentation control unit 88 does not use the HUD 23 for the level 3 possible notification. In addition, the presentation control unit 88 may change the manner of the control status STm (see FIG. 6) displayed on the meter display 21, etc. as the level 3 possible notification during the LC control period.

[0058] The control status STm is an image content that indicates the operating state of the automatic driving function. The control status STm is composed of a lane background Pln, a vehicle icon ICv, a planned driving trajectory Ppr, an LC icon ICm, and the like. The lane background Pln indicates the lane on the road on which the vehicle Am is traveling. The vehicle icon ICv indicates the relative position of the vehicle Am with respect to each lane drawn in the lane background Pln. The planned driving trajectory Ppr indicates the planned driving line of the vehicle Am generated by the automatic driving system 50. The LC icon ICm indicates the moving direction of the vehicle Am when changing lanes by LCA.

[0059] The presentation control unit 88 changes the manner of the planned driving trajectory Ppr displayed in the control status STm as a level 3 possible notification during the LC control period. As an example, when the display colors of green and blue are respectively associated in advance with the driving assistance control and the autonomous driving control, the presentation control unit 88 changes the display color of the planned driving trajectory Ppr from green to blue as a level 3 possible notification. Such a level 3 possible notification may be implemented by changing the display color of the division line or lane portion drawn in the lane background Pln. Furthermore, the level 3 possible notification may be implemented by changing the emission color of the ambient light 25.

[0060] After the level 3 start condition is satisfied, the control switching unit 77 determines whether or not there is a trigger for executing a transition to autonomous driving control (hereinafter, a level 3 transition trigger). The level 3 transition trigger may be an input of a level 3 transition operation by the driver, or may be a start determination by the behavior determination unit 63. If there is a level 3 transition trigger before the end of the LC control period, the control switching unit 77 performs a transition from driving assistance control to autonomous driving control during the LC control period.

[0061] The presentation control unit 88 performs a level 3 start notification in accordance with the control transition during the LC control period. The presentation control unit 88 displays a message such as "Pay attention to information from vehicles. Automated driving will be canceled due to surrounding road conditions" on each display device as the level 3 start notification. In addition, the presentation control unit 88 enables playback of video content, etc. by the CID 22 in accordance with the implementation of the level 3 start notification.

[0062] Here, even if a level 3 transition trigger occurs before the end of the LC control period, the control switching unit 77 may postpone the transition to the autonomous driving control until the end of the lane change by the LCA function. In this case, the presentation control unit 88 performs a level 3 start notification in accordance with the control transition after the end of the lane change.

[0063] On the other hand, if there is no level 3 transition trigger during the LC control period, the presentation control unit 88 performs a level 3 possible notification even after the end of the LC control period, on the condition that the state in which the transition from driving assistance control to autonomous driving control is possible continues. The mode of the level 3 possible notification performed after the end of the LC control period (hereinafter, second transition possible notification) is different from the mode of the level 3 possible notification performed during the LC control period (hereinafter, first transition possible notification).

[0064] Specifically, the second transition possible notification is more conspicuous (more noticeable) than the first transition possible notification. As an example, the presentation control unit 88 uses the HUD 23 for the second transition possible notification and does not use the HUD 23 for the first transition possible notification. As another example, the presentation control unit 88 makes the size of the message image displayed in the second transition possible notification larger than the size of the message image displayed in the first transition possible notification. The presentation control unit 88 presents the second transition possible notification to be more easily perceived by the driver than the first transition possible notification by making differences in the display color, display size, display brightness, and the presence or absence of animation and blinking. Furthermore, in the second transition possible notification, a voice message is played back, which is not played back in the first transition possible notification.

[0065] After the second transition possible notification is started, when the control switching unit 77 grasps the level 3 transition trigger, the presentation control unit 88 issues a level 3 start notification in conjunction with the transition of control to autonomous driving control. In this case, too, the presentation control unit 88 causes each display device to display a message indicating that autonomous driving control is about to start.

[0066] 5, after the transition to autonomous driving control becomes possible based on the satisfaction of the level 3 start condition, but before the transition to autonomous driving control is performed, the driver inputs an LCA start operation. When an LCA start operation is input, the control switching unit 77 suspends the transition to autonomous driving control without the obligation to monitor the surroundings, and selects to change lanes using the LCA function with the obligation to monitor the surroundings, since there is a possibility that the recognition of the driving environment of the destination lane is insufficient.

[0067] The control switching unit 77 continues to determine whether or not a transition from driving assistance control to autonomous driving control is possible during the LC control period (see the dotted area in FIG. 5) in which lane change is performed by the LCA function. Therefore, the level 3 start condition may be satisfied during the LC control period. In this case, the control switching unit 77 transitions to autonomous driving control based on a level 3 transition trigger during the LC control period or after the end of the LC control period.

[0068] The presentation control unit 88 issues a level 3 possible notification (hereinafter, normal transition possible notification) based on the first satisfaction of the level 3 start condition in the vehicle lane. Furthermore, if the presentation control unit 88 determines during the LC control period that the level 3 start condition continues to be satisfied, the presentation control unit 88 issues a level 3 possible notification (hereinafter, third transition possible notification) during the LCA control period. Then, if a level 3 transition trigger occurs during the LCA control period, the presentation control unit 88 issues a level 3 start notification during the LCA control period or after the end of the LCA control period.

[0069] On the other hand, if there is no level 3 transition trigger during the LCA control period, the display control unit 88 issues a level 3 possible notification (hereinafter, a fourth transition possible notification) after the end of the LC control period. After the fourth transition possible notification starts, when the control switching unit 77 detects a level 3 transition trigger, the display control unit 88 issues a level 3 start notification in accordance with the transition of control to autonomous driving control.

[0070] The fourth transition possible notification may be more conspicuous than the third transition possible notification. As an example, the fourth transition possible notification displays substantially the same content as the second transition possible notification and the normal transition possible notification that is implemented first. Furthermore, the fourth transition possible notification presents information by playing a voice message that is not implemented in the normal transition possible notification. On the other hand, the third transition possible notification displays content with reduced conspicuousness, substantially similar to the first transition possible notification. The third transition possible notification does not play a voice message. As with the first transition possible notification, the third transition possible notification may be suspended when the driver is monitoring the surroundings in conjunction with a lane change.

[0071] Next, the details of each process for realizing the autonomous driving control and information presentation control described above will be described below based on Figs. 7 to 9 and with reference to Figs. 1 to 6.

[0072] 7 is started mainly by the action determination unit 63 of the autonomous driving ECU 50b based on the start of driving assistance control. The determination target switching process is repeatedly performed until the end of driving assistance control. Based on the determination target switching process, the autonomous driving ECU 50b transitions the lane that is the target for determining whether or not it is possible to transition to autonomous driving control during the LC control period from the host vehicle lane before moving due to lane change to the destination lane to which the vehicle will move due to the lane change.

[0073] In S11 of the determination target switching process, the execution state of lane change in driving assistance control with the duty of monitoring the surroundings, i.e., the operating state of the LCA, is grasped based on the control status information acquired from the driving assistance ECU 50a, and the process proceeds to S12. In S12, it is determined whether the LCA is activated. If it is determined in S12 that the LCA is not activated, the process proceeds to S14. On the other hand, if it is determined in S12 that the LCA is activated, the process proceeds to S13.

[0074] In S13, it is determined whether or not a lane change by the LCA is being performed. If it is determined in S13 that the LCA is in a startup state or a standby state and is not in an execution state, the process proceeds to S14. In S14, the lane in which the vehicle is traveling is set as the determination target. Then, it is determined whether or not the transition from driving assistance control to autonomous driving control is possible in the vehicle lane, and the determination target switching process is terminated.

[0075] On the other hand, if it is determined in S13 that the LCA is in an execution state, the process proceeds to S15. In S15, it is determined whether or not the host vehicle Am has entered the destination lane based on the current position of the host vehicle Am. As an example, if a part or center of gravity of the host vehicle Am straddles the dividing line between the lanes, it is determined that the host vehicle Am has entered the destination lane. If it is determined in S15 that the host vehicle Am has not entered the destination lane, the process proceeds to S16. In S16, both the host vehicle lane and the destination lane are set as the determination targets. Then, it is determined whether or not the transition from driving assistance control to autonomous driving control is possible for each of the host vehicle lane and the destination lane, and the current determination target switching process is terminated.

[0076] On the other hand, if it is determined in S15 that the host vehicle Am is entering the destination lane, the process proceeds to S17. In S17, the destination lane is set as the determination target. Then, a determination is started as to whether or not a transition from driving assistance control to autonomous driving control is possible in the destination lane, and the current determination target switching process is terminated. According to the above S16 and S17, the determination as to whether or not a transition from driving assistance control to autonomous driving control is possible is continued even during the LC control period in which a lane change is performed by LCA.

[0077] 8 and 9 is started by the HCU 100 based on the start of driving assist control. The HCU 100 sequentially performs one or more level 3 possible notifications and level 3 start notifications based on the level 3 transition guidance processing.

[0078] In S101 of the level 3 transition guidance process, the information linking unit 82 determines whether or not transition from driving assistance control to autonomous driving control is possible. If it is determined in S101 that transition to autonomous driving control is possible based on the establishment of the level 3 start condition, the process proceeds to S102. In S102, the information linking unit 82 determines the operating state of the LCA, specifically, whether or not a lane change is being performed using the LCA function. If it is determined in S102 that the LCA is activated and a lane change is being performed, the process proceeds to S103 (see FIG. 4).

[0079] In S103, the information linking unit 82 mainly determines whether the destination lane in the lane change is satisfied, and grasps whether the level 3 start condition is satisfied. If it is determined in S103 that the transition to autonomous driving control in the destination lane is not possible, the process proceeds to S107. On the other hand, if it is determined in S103 that the transition to autonomous driving control in the destination lane is possible, the process proceeds to S104.

[0080] In S104, the driver state grasping unit 86 grasps the state of the surroundings monitoring by the driver. In S104, if it is determined that the driver's gaze is directed to the destination lane and the driver is monitoring the surroundings in association with the lane change, the process proceeds to S107. On the other hand, if it is determined that the driver's gaze is directed to a position (e.g., a display device, etc.) other than the destination lane and the driver is not monitoring the surroundings in association with the lane change, the process proceeds to S105. In S105, the presentation control unit 88 performs a level 3 possible notification (first transition possible notification) indicating that transition to autonomous driving control is possible in a less conspicuous manner, and the process proceeds to S106.

[0081] In S106, the information linking unit 82 determines whether or not a level 3 transition trigger has been grasped. If it is determined in S106 that a level 3 transition trigger has been grasped, the process proceeds to S111. On the other hand, if it is determined in S106 that a level 3 transition trigger has not been grasped, the process proceeds to S107.

[0082] In S107, the information linking unit 82 determines whether or not the lane change by LCA has been completed. If it is determined in S107 that the lane change has not been completed, the process of S103 to S106 is repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined in S107 that the lane change by LCA has been completed, the process proceeds to S108.

[0083] In S108, similarly to S103, the information linking unit 82 determines whether the level 3 start condition is satisfied, with the destination lane as the determination target. If it is determined in S108 that the transition to autonomous driving control is not possible in the destination lane, the level 3 transition guidance process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined in S108 that the transition to autonomous driving control is possible in the destination lane, the process proceeds to S109.

[0084] In S109, the presentation control unit 88 issues a level 3 possible notification (second transition possible notification) indicating that transition to autonomous driving control is possible, and proceeds to S110. The second transition possible notification implemented in S109 is in a form that is more attractive to the driver than the first transition possible notification implemented in S105.

[0085] In S110, similarly to S106, the information linking unit 82 determines whether or not a level 3 transition trigger has been grasped. If it is determined in S110 that the level 3 transition trigger has not been grasped, the process returns to S109, and the level 3 possible notification is continued. On the other hand, if it is determined in S110 that the level 3 transition trigger has been grasped, the process proceeds to S111. In S111, the presentation control unit 88 issues a level 3 start notification indicating the start of autonomous driving control, and ends the level 3 transition guidance process.

[0086] Furthermore, if it is determined in S102 above that the LCA is not activated, the process proceeds to S121 (see FIG. 5). In S121, similar to S105 and S109, the presentation control unit 88 issues a level 3 possible notification, and the process proceeds to S122. In S122 after starting the level 3 possible notification, the information acquisition unit 81 determines whether or not the driver has input an LCA activation operation. In S122, it is determined whether or not a lane change is initiated by the LCA function before transitioning to autonomous driving control.

[0087] If it is determined in S122 that the LCA startup operation has not been grasped, the process proceeds to S123. In S123, similar to S106 etc., the information linking unit 82 determines whether or not a level 3 transition trigger has been grasped. If it is determined in S123 that a level 3 transition trigger has not been grasped, the process returns to S122. On the other hand, if it is determined in S123 that a level 3 transition trigger has been grasped, a level 3 start notification is made in S111, and the level 3 transition guidance process is terminated.

[0088] On the other hand, if it is determined in S122 that an LCA activation operation has been grasped, the process proceeds to S124. In S124, the presentation control unit 88 performs an LCA reception notification, and the process proceeds to S125. In S125, similar to S103 and the like, the information linking unit 82 determines whether or not the level 3 start condition is satisfied, with the destination lane as the determination target. If it is determined in S124 that transition to autonomous driving control is not possible in the destination lane, the process proceeds to S127. On the other hand, if it is determined in S124 that transition to autonomous driving control is possible in the destination lane as well, the process proceeds to S126.

[0089] In S126, similar to S105, the presentation control unit 88 performs a level 3 possible notification (a third transition possible notification) in a less conspicuous manner, and the process proceeds to S127. In S127, similar to S107, the information linking unit 82 determines whether or not the lane change by LCA has ended. If it is determined in S127 that the lane change has not ended, the processes of S125 and S126 are repeated. On the other hand, if it is determined in S127 that the lane change by LCA has ended, the process proceeds to S108.

[0090] If the state where transition to autonomous driving control is possible continues even in S108 and S109 after S125 to S127 are performed, a level 3 possible notification (fourth transition possible notification) is performed. Then, in S110 and S111, a level 3 start notification is performed based on the detection of the level 3 transition trigger, and the level 3 transition guidance process is terminated.

[0091] In the first embodiment described above, if transition to autonomous driving control becomes possible during the LC control period in which lane changes are performed by the driving assistance control (LCA), the fact that transition to autonomous driving control is possible is presented during the LC control period by a level 3 possible notification. As a result, it becomes easier to ensure time to recognize that transition to autonomous driving control is possible, so that the driver can smoothly start using autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings. Therefore, the convenience of autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings can be ensured.

[0092] In addition, in the first embodiment, when driving assistance control is shifted to autonomous driving control during or after the end of the LC control period, a level 3 start notification is issued, which indicates the start of autonomous driving control. As described above, if the level 3 possible notification and the level 3 start notification are issued in order, the process of shifting to autonomous driving without the autonomous driving system 50's obligation to monitor the surroundings can be conveyed to the driver in an easily understandable manner.

[0093] In the first embodiment, if the state in which the driving assistance control can be switched to the autonomous driving control continues after the lane change by the LCA is completed, the level 3 possible notification (second transition possible notification) is performed even after the LC control period ends. Therefore, even if the driver misses the level 3 possible notification (first transition possible notification) presented during the lane change, the driver can understand that the transition to the autonomous driving control has become possible after the lane change is completed. As a result, the driver can appropriately start using the autonomous driving control. Therefore, the convenience of the automated driving can be further ensured.

[0094] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the manner of the first transition possible notification performed during the LC control period is different from the manner of the second transition possible notification performed after the end of the LC control period. Therefore, the attention of the notification can be adjusted according to each presentation timing. As a result, it is possible to notify the driver that the autonomous driving control is available in an easy-to-understand manner while suppressing the annoyance of the notification.

[0095] In addition, in the first embodiment, when the driver is monitoring the surroundings associated with lane change during the LC control period, the implementation of the level 3 possible notification is suspended. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation in which the level 3 possible notification hinders the driver's monitoring of the surroundings and causes the driver to feel annoyed. Furthermore, if the suspended level 3 possible notification is appropriately resumed, it is possible to properly allow the driver to recognize that it is possible to transition to autonomous driving control.

[0096] In the first embodiment, if a lane change by LCA is started before transition to autonomous driving control after the implementation of the level 3 possible notification, the level 3 possible notification is performed again after the lane change is completed, provided that transition to autonomous driving control is possible even after the lane change is completed. By implementing such a level 3 possible notification (fourth transition possible notification), even if the lane in which the host vehicle Am is traveling is changed, whether or not the state in which transition to autonomous driving control is possible continues is presented to the driver in an easily understandable manner. As a result, even if a lane change is performed, the use of autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings can be smoothly started. Therefore, the convenience of autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings can be ensured.

[0097] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, if it is determined during the LC control period that the vehicle can transition to autonomous driving control even after the lane change is completed, a level 3 possible notification (level 3 transition possible notification) is performed during the LC control period. Therefore, the driver can start using the autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings early. As a result, the convenience of the autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings can be improved.

[0098] In addition, in the first embodiment, the determination of whether or not to transition from driving assistance control with a periphery monitoring obligation to autonomous driving control without a periphery monitoring obligation continues even during the LC control period in which lane changes are performed by driving assistance control. Therefore, even during the LC control period, it can be determined that transition to autonomous driving control is possible, so that a transition to a state without a periphery monitoring obligation can be implemented early. As a result, the convenience of autonomous driving without a periphery monitoring obligation can be ensured.

[0099] In the above embodiment, the control switching unit 77 corresponds to a "transition determination unit", the information linking unit 82 corresponds to a "driving control grasping unit", and the presentation control unit 88 corresponds to a "notification control unit". In addition, the autonomous driving ECU 50b corresponds to an "autonomous driving control device", and the HCU 100 corresponds to a "presentation control device".

[0100] Second Embodiment The second embodiment of the present disclosure is a modified example of the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, the presentation control unit 88 (see FIG. 3) suspends the implementation of the level 3 possible notification during the LC control period when transition to autonomous driving control is possible during the LC control period in which a lane change is performed by the LCA function. The presentation control unit 88 issues the level 3 possible notification after the LC control period ends. Hereinafter, the details of the level 3 transition guidance process of the second embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 10. In the second embodiment, each process of S121 to S127 (see FIG. 9) performed in a scene in which the LCA function is activated immediately after transition to autonomous driving control is possible (see FIG. 5) is substantially the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0101] In S201 and S202, as in the first embodiment (see FIG. 8), it is determined in order whether transition to autonomous driving control is possible and whether the LCA function is activated. If it is determined in S202 that the LCA function is not activated, the process proceeds to S121 (see FIG. 9).

[0102] In S203, the destination lane is used as the determination object to determine whether or not the level 3 start condition is satisfied. If it is determined in S203 that the transition to autonomous driving control is not possible in the destination lane, the process proceeds to S205. On the other hand, if it is determined in S203 that the transition to autonomous driving control is possible in the destination lane, the process proceeds to S204.

[0103] In S204, it is determined whether or not a level 3 transition trigger has been grasped. If it is determined in S204 that a level 3 transition trigger has been grasped, a level 3 possible notification and a level 3 start notification are sequentially performed in S209 and S210, and the current level 3 transition guidance process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined in S204 that a level 3 transition trigger has not been grasped, the process proceeds to S205.

[0104] In S205, it is determined whether lane changing by LCA has been completed. If it is determined in S205 that lane changing has not been completed, the processes of S203 and S204 are repeated. As described above, even if transition to autonomous driving control is possible during the LC control period, the level 3 possible notification is not performed during the LC period. On the other hand, if it is determined in S205 that lane changing by LCA has been completed, the process proceeds to S206.

[0105] In S206, similarly to S203, the destination lane is used as the determination target to determine whether or not the level 3 start condition is satisfied. If it is determined in S206 that transition to autonomous driving control is not possible in the destination lane, the level 3 transition guidance process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is determined in S206 that transition to autonomous driving control is possible in the destination lane, the process proceeds to S207. In S207, a level 3 possible notification is made, and the process proceeds to S208.

[0106] In S208, as in S204, it is determined whether or not a level 3 transition trigger has been grasped. If it is determined in S208 that the level 3 transition trigger has not been grasped, the process returns to S207, and the level 3 possible notification is continued. On the other hand, if it is determined in S208 that the level 3 transition trigger has been grasped, the process proceeds to S210, a level 3 start notification is made, and the level 3 transition guidance process is terminated.

[0107] In the second embodiment described above, when it becomes possible to switch to autonomous driving control without the obligation to monitor the surroundings during the LC control period in which lane changes are performed by the LCA function, the implementation of the level 3 possible notification is suspended during the LC control period. Therefore, the presentation of information that indicates content different from the vehicle control being performed is suppressed, so that a situation in which the driver is confused can be avoided. Then, the level 3 possible notification performed after the end of the LC control period allows the driver to recognize that it is possible to switch to autonomous driving control, and the driver can smoothly start using autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings. This series of information presentations ensures the convenience of autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings.

[0108] (Other embodiments) Although several embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be applied to various embodiments and combinations within the scope not departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0109] The aspects of the normal transition possible notification and the first to fourth transition possible notifications in the above embodiment can be modified as appropriate. For example, in Modification 1 of the above embodiment, the first transition possible notification and the second transition possible notification are displayed continuously. In other words, the display of the first transition possible notification started during the LC control period is continued even after the LC control period ends, and becomes the second transition possible notification. The first transition possible notification and the second transition possible notification may also be displayed continuously. In this case, the display of the third transition possible notification started during the LC control period is continued even after the LC control period ends, and becomes the fourth transition possible notification.

[0110] In the second modification of the above embodiment, the second transition possibility notification is omitted in a scene where a transition to level 3 becomes possible during the LC period. Also, in the third modification of the above embodiment, the third transition possibility notification is omitted in a scene where the LCA is activated immediately after a transition to level 3 becomes possible. Furthermore, in the fourth modification of the above embodiment, the process of withholding the transition possibility notification during the LC control period based on the state of the driver's surroundings monitoring is omitted.

[0111] In the automatic driving system 50 of the above embodiment, lane changing by the autonomous driving control and transition to the autonomous driving control during lane changing by LCA are both permitted. On the other hand, in the modified example 5 of the above embodiment, lane changing by the autonomous driving control and transition to the autonomous driving control during lane changing by LCA are both prohibited. Also, in the modified example 6 of the above embodiment, lane changing by the autonomous driving control is permitted, while transition to the autonomous driving control during lane changing by LCA is prohibited. In these modified examples 5 and 6, the level 3 possible notification during the LC control period and after the LC control period is effective in ensuring the convenience of automatic driving. However, in the modified examples 5 and 6, even if a level 3 transition trigger occurs during the LC control period (see the branch in FIG. 4), the control transition to the autonomous driving control and the level 3 possible notification (second transition possible notification) are performed after the end of the LC control period.

[0112] In the seventh modification of the above embodiment, the functions of the driving assistance ECU 50a and the automatic driving ECU 50b are provided by one automatic driving ECU. That is, the automatic driving ECU 50b of the seventh modification is implemented with the functions of the driving assistance ECU 50a. In this seventh modification, the integrated automatic driving ECU corresponds to the "automatic driving control device." Furthermore, the integrated automatic driving ECU may further be implemented with the functions of the HCU 100. In this modification, the automatic driving ECU corresponds to the "presentation control device."

[0113] In the above embodiment, each function provided by the autonomous driving ECU and HCU can be provided by software and hardware that executes the software, software only, hardware only, or a combination of these. Furthermore, when such a function is provided by an electronic circuit as hardware, each function can also be provided by a digital circuit including a large number of logic circuits, or an analog circuit.

[0114] Each processing unit in the above embodiment is hardware for arithmetic processing coupled with a RAM. The processing unit includes at least one arithmetic core such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). The processing unit may further include an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), an NPU (Neural network Processing Unit), and an IP core having other dedicated functions. Such processing units may be individually mounted on a printed circuit board, or may be mounted on an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) and an FPGA. The form of a storage medium (non-transitory tangible storage medium) for storing various programs and the like may also be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the storage medium is not limited to a configuration provided on a circuit board, and may be provided in the form of a memory card or the like, inserted into a slot, and electrically connected to a control circuit such as an autonomous driving ECU or HCU. The storage medium may also be an optical disk or a hard disk drive that is a source from which a program is copied to the autonomous driving ECU or HCU.

[0115] The vehicle equipped with the above-mentioned automatic driving system and HMI system is not limited to a general private passenger car, but may be a rental car vehicle, a manned taxi vehicle, a ride-sharing vehicle, a freight vehicle, a bus, etc. In addition, the vehicle equipped with the automatic driving system and HMI system may be a right-hand drive vehicle or a left-hand drive vehicle. Furthermore, the traffic environment in which the vehicle runs may be a traffic environment based on left-hand traffic or a traffic environment based on right-hand traffic. The automatic driving control and information presentation control according to the present disclosure may be appropriately optimized according to the road traffic laws of each country and region, and further the steering wheel position of the vehicle, etc.

[0116] The control unit and the method described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer having a processor programmed to execute one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the device and the method described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose hardware logic circuit. Alternatively, the device and the method described herein may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured by a combination of a processor that executes a computer program and one or more hardware logic circuits. The computer program may also be stored in a computer-readable non-transitory tangible recording medium as instructions to be executed by the computer. The technical ideas understood from the embodiment and the modified examples described so far will be described below as supplementary notes. (Appendix 1-1) A presentation control device that is used in a vehicle (Am) that can run by an automatic driving function and controls the presentation of information related to the automatic driving function, A driving control grasping unit (82) that grasps whether or not a transition from a driving assistance control in which a driver of the vehicle is obligated to monitor the surroundings to an autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings has become possible; a notification control unit (88) that issues a transition possibility notification indicating that transition to the autonomous driving control is possible, The driving control grasping unit further grasps whether or not a lane change is being performed by the automatic driving function while the driver has a surrounding monitoring obligation, The notification control unit is a presentation control device that, when it becomes possible to transition to the autonomous driving control during a control period in which a lane change is performed by the driving assistance control, issues the transition possibility notification during the control period. (Appendix 1-6) A presentation control program used in a vehicle (Am) capable of running by an automatic driving function, for controlling presentation of information related to the automatic driving function, It is determined whether or not it is possible to transition from a driving assistance control in which the driver of the vehicle is obligated to monitor the surroundings to an autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings (S101); It is determined whether a lane change is being performed by the automatic driving function while the driver is under a duty to monitor the surroundings (S102); When transition to the autonomous driving control becomes possible during a control period in which a lane change is performed by the driving assistance control, a transition possibility notification indicating that transition to the autonomous driving control is possible is performed during the control period (S105). A presentation control program that causes at least one processing unit (11) to execute a process including the steps of: (Appendix 1-12) An automatic driving control device that enables a vehicle (Am) to travel using an automatic driving function, A transition determination unit (77) that determines whether or not a transition from a driving assistance control in which a driver of the host vehicle is required to monitor the surroundings to an autonomous driving control in which the driver is not required to monitor the surroundings is possible; and an assist control grasping unit (76) that grasps an execution state of the lane change by the driving assist control, The transition determination unit continues to determine whether or not a transition from the driving assistance control to the autonomous driving control is possible even during a control period in which a lane change is performed through the driving assistance control. (Appendix 1-13) An automatic driving control program that enables a vehicle (Am) to travel using an automatic driving function, The execution state of lane change under driving assistance control in which the driver of the vehicle is required to monitor the surroundings is grasped (S11); Determine whether or not it is possible to transition from the driving assistance control to an autonomous driving control in which the driver is not required to monitor the surroundings (S14); During the control period in which the lane change is performed by the driving assistance control, the determination as to whether or not the transition from the driving assistance control to the autonomous driving control is possible is continued (S16, S17). The automatic driving control program causes at least one processing unit (51) to execute a process including the steps of: [Explanation of symbols]

[0117] Am: vehicle; 11, 51: processing unit; 50b: automatic driving ECU (automatic driving control device); 76: assistance control grasping unit; 77: control switching unit (transition determination unit); 82: information linking unit (driving control grasping unit); 86: driver state grasping unit; 88: presentation control unit (notification control unit); 100: HCU (presentation control device)

Claims

1. A presentation control device that is used in a vehicle (Am) that can run by an automatic driving function and controls the presentation of information related to the automatic driving function, A driving control grasping unit (82) that grasps whether or not a transition from a driving assistance control in which a driver of the vehicle is obligated to monitor the surroundings to an autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings is possible; a notification control unit (88) that issues a transition possibility notification indicating that transition to the autonomous driving control is possible, The driving control grasping unit further grasps whether or not a lane change is being performed by the automatic driving function in a state in which the driver has a surrounding monitoring obligation, The notification control unit is a presentation control device that, when it becomes possible to transition to autonomous driving control in the destination lane to which the vehicle will move due to the lane change during a control period in which a lane change is performed due to the driving assistance control, issues the transition possible notification during the control period.

2. The presentation control device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification control unit performs the transition possibility notification even after the end of the control period if a state in which the driving assistance control can be transitioned to the autonomous driving control continues after the lane change due to the driving assistance control is completed.

3. The presentation control device according to claim 2 , wherein the manner of the first transition possible notification, which is the transition possible notification performed during the control period, is different from the manner of the second transition possible notification, which is the transition possible notification performed after the end of the control period.

4. A presentation control device that is used in a vehicle (Am) that can run by an automatic driving function and controls the presentation of information related to the automatic driving function, A driving control grasping unit (82) that grasps whether or not a transition from a driving assistance control in which a driver of the vehicle is obligated to monitor the surroundings to an autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings is possible; a notification control unit (88) that issues a transition possibility notification indicating that transition to the autonomous driving control is possible, The driving control grasping unit further grasps whether or not a lane change is being performed by the automatic driving function in a state in which the driver has a surrounding monitoring obligation, The notification control unit is When it becomes possible to transition to the autonomous driving control during a control period in which a lane change is performed by the driving assistance control, the transition possibility notification is performed during the control period; After the lane change due to the driving assistance control is completed, if a state in which the driving assistance control can be transitioned to the autonomous driving control continues, the transition possibility notification is performed even after the control period ends, A presentation control device in which the form of a first transition possible notification, which is the transition possible notification made during the control period, is different from the form of a second transition possible notification, which is the transition possible notification made after the end of the control period.

5. The presentation control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the notification control unit issues a transition start notification indicating that the autonomous driving control will be started when transitioning from the driving assistance control to the autonomous driving control during the control period or after completion of a lane change due to the driving assistance control.

6. A driver state ascertaining unit (86) for ascertaining a state of surrounding monitoring by the driver, The presentation control device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification control unit suspends the implementation of the transition possible notification when the driver is monitoring surroundings in association with a lane change during the control period.

7. A presentation control program for use in a vehicle (Am) capable of traveling by an automatic driving function, and for controlling presentation of information related to the automatic driving function, It is determined whether or not it is possible to transition from a driving assistance control in which the driver of the vehicle is obligated to monitor the surroundings to an autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings (S101); It is determined whether or not a lane change is being performed by the automatic driving function while the driver is under a duty to monitor the surroundings (S102). When it becomes possible to transition to the autonomous driving control in the destination lane to which the vehicle will move due to the lane change during a control period in which the lane change is performed by the driving assistance control, a transition possibility notification indicating that the transition to the autonomous driving control is possible is performed during the control period (S105). A presentation control program that causes at least one processing unit (11) to execute a process including the steps of:

8. A presentation control program for use in a vehicle (Am) capable of traveling by an automatic driving function, and for controlling presentation of information related to the automatic driving function, It is determined whether or not it is possible to transition from a driving assistance control in which the driver of the vehicle is obligated to monitor the surroundings to an autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings (S101); It is determined whether or not a lane change is being performed by the automatic driving function while the driver is under a duty to monitor the surroundings (S102). When transition to the autonomous driving control becomes possible during a control period in which a lane change is performed by the driving assistance control, a transition possibility notification indicating that transition to the autonomous driving control is possible is performed during the control period (S105). If the state in which the driving assistance control can be switched to the autonomous driving control continues after the lane change due to the driving assistance control is completed, the notification of the possibility of switching is performed even after the control period ends (S109). causing at least one processing unit (11) to execute a process including A presentation control program in which the form of a first transition possible notification, which is the transition possible notification performed during the control period, is different from the form of a second transition possible notification, which is the transition possible notification performed after the end of the control period.

9. A presentation control device that is used in a vehicle (Am) that can run by an automatic driving function and controls the presentation of information related to the automatic driving function, A driving control grasping unit (82) that grasps whether or not a transition from a driving assistance control in which a driver of the vehicle is obligated to monitor the surroundings to an autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings is possible; a notification control unit (88) that issues a transition possibility notification indicating that transition to the autonomous driving control is possible, The driving control grasping unit further grasps whether or not a lane change is being performed by the automatic driving function in a state in which the driver has a surrounding monitoring obligation, The notification control unit is a presentation control device that, when it becomes possible to transition to the autonomous driving control during a control period in which a lane change is performed by the driving assistance control, suspends the implementation of the transition possible notification during the control period, and issues the transition possible notification after the end of the control period.

10. A presentation control program for use in a vehicle (Am) capable of traveling by an automatic driving function, and for controlling presentation of information related to the automatic driving function, It is determined whether or not it is possible to transition from a driving assistance control in which the driver of the vehicle is obligated to monitor the surroundings to an autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings (S201); It is determined whether a lane change is being performed by the automatic driving function while the driver is under a duty to monitor the surroundings (S202). When transition to the autonomous driving control becomes possible during a control period in which a lane change is performed by the driving assistance control, the implementation of a transition possibility notification indicating that transition to the autonomous driving control is possible is suspended during the control period, and the transition possibility notification is performed after the end of the control period (S207). A presentation control program that causes at least one processing unit (11) to execute a process including the steps of:

11. A presentation control device that is used in a vehicle (Am) that can run by an automatic driving function and controls the presentation of information related to the automatic driving function, A driving control grasping unit (82) that grasps whether or not a transition from a driving assistance control in which a driver of the vehicle is obligated to monitor the surroundings to an autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings is possible; a notification control unit (88) that issues a transition possibility notification indicating that transition to the autonomous driving control is possible, The driving control grasping unit further grasps whether or not a lane change is being performed by the automatic driving function in a state in which the driver has a surrounding monitoring obligation, The notification control unit, after making the transition possible notification, if a lane change is initiated by the driving assistance control before the transition to the autonomous driving control, makes the transition possible notification again after the lane change is completed, provided that the transition to the autonomous driving control is possible even after the lane change is completed.

12. The driving control grasping unit grasps whether or not it is possible to transition to the autonomous driving control even after the lane change is completed during a control period in which the lane change is performed by the driving assistance control, The presentation control device according to claim 11 , wherein the notification control unit issues the transition possibility notification during the control period if it is determined during the control period that transition to the autonomous driving control is possible even after completion of a lane change.

13. A presentation control program for use in a vehicle (Am) capable of traveling by an automatic driving function, and for controlling presentation of information related to the automatic driving function, It is determined whether or not it is possible to transition from a driving assistance control in which the driver of the vehicle is obligated to monitor the surroundings to an autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings (S101); A transition possibility notification is given to indicate that transition to the autonomous driving control is possible (S121). After the transition possibility notification is made, it is further determined whether or not a lane change due to the driving assistance control is started before the transition to the autonomous driving control (S122). When a lane change by the driving assistance control is started before the transition to the autonomous driving control, the transition possibility notification is performed again after the lane change is completed, on the condition that the transition to the autonomous driving control is possible even after the lane change is completed (S109). A presentation control program that causes at least one processing unit (11) to execute a process including the steps of:

14. An automatic driving control device that enables a vehicle (Am) to travel using an automatic driving function, A transition determination unit (77) that determines whether or not a transition from a driving assistance control in which the driver of the vehicle is obligated to monitor the surroundings to an autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings is possible; and an assistance control grasping unit (76) that grasps an execution state of the lane change by the driving assistance control, The transition determination unit is an automatic driving control device that transitions from a state in which it determines whether or not a transition from the driving assistance control to the autonomous driving control is possible, using both the vehicle's own lane in which the vehicle is traveling before the start of the lane change and the destination lane to which the vehicle will move during the lane change, as judgment objects, during a control period in which a lane change is executed by the driving assistance control, to a state in which it determines whether or not a transition to the autonomous driving control is possible, using the destination lane as judgment object.

15. An automatic driving control program that enables a vehicle (Am) to travel using an automatic driving function, The execution state of lane change under driving assistance control in which the driver of the vehicle is required to monitor the surroundings is grasped (S11); Determine whether or not it is possible to transition from the driving assistance control to an autonomous driving control in which the driver is not required to monitor the surroundings (S14); During a control period in which a lane change is performed by the driving assistance control, a transition is made from a state in which a determination is made as to whether or not a transition from the driving assistance control to the autonomous driving control is possible, using both the lane in which the vehicle is traveling before the start of the lane change and the lane to which the vehicle will move by the lane change as the determination target, to a state in which a determination is made as to whether or not a transition to the autonomous driving control is possible, using the lane to which the vehicle will move as the determination target (S16, S17). An automatic driving control program that causes at least one processing unit (51) to execute a process including the steps of:

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