Driver Assistance Systems

Abstract

To allow for determining the sleep state of passengers including a driver in a vehicle when the driver starts to drive the vehicle so as to provide appropriate driving assistance for safe driving.SOLUTION: A driving assistance system is provided, comprising a passenger monitoring device 10, a determination device 20, a passenger stimulation device 30, and a driving assistance device 100. When a vehicle is in a stationary state according to determination information from the determination device 20, the driving assistance device 100 changes the operating mode of the passenger stimulation device 30 according to at least a duration and quality of sleep of a driver, among vehicle passengers.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving assistance system. [Background technology]

[0002] In general, it is difficult to determine the sleep state of passengers, including the driver, in a vehicle and to assess the degree of sleep at the start of driving the vehicle. Meanwhile, a technology has been disclosed that detects the driver's drowsiness level, and determines whether or not the driver needs to be awakened based on the detected drowsiness level. If necessary, the technology vibrates the driver's seat for at least a portion of the time with a vibration waveform that superimposes a first frequency that promotes muscle tension and a second frequency that suppresses muscle tension (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2020-82906 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 only determines the driver's drowsiness level while the vehicle is traveling, and has the problem that it cannot determine the sleep state of the occupants, including the driver, in the vehicle at the start of driving the vehicle and provide driving assistance for safe driving of the vehicle.

[0005] Therefore, the present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a driving assistance system that determines the sleep state of occupants, including the driver, in a vehicle when the vehicle starts to drive, and provides appropriate driving assistance for safe driving. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] Form 1: One or more embodiments of the present invention include an occupant monitoring device that monitors the physical state of an occupant of a vehicle, a discrimination device that discriminates between a running state and a stopped state of the vehicle, an occupant stimulating device that stimulates the occupant of the vehicle to encourage awakening, and a driving assistance device that executes control of the occupant stimulating device to ensure safe driving of the occupant of the vehicle when the sleep time of the occupant is less than a predetermined time and the sleep quality is less than a predetermined level based on occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device, the driving assistance device includes one or more processors and one or more memories communicably connected to the one or more processors, the one or more processors receive the occupant monitoring information and discrimination information from the discrimination device, store the received occupant monitoring information in the one or more memories, and when the discrimination information is information indicating the stopped state of the vehicle, change an operation mode of the occupant stimulating device based on the sleep time and the sleep quality of at least a driver among the occupants of the vehicle. The predetermined time is determined based on the accumulated sleeping time in the vehicle for each driver based on the passenger monitoring information acquired by the passenger monitoring device. We are proposing a driving assistance system.

[0008] Form 3: One or more embodiments of the present invention propose a driving assistance system that further includes an information acquisition device that acquires biometric information including sleep information of the occupant inside and outside the vehicle, wherein the one or more processors store the biometric information received from the information acquisition device in the one or more memories, and determine whether the occupant's sleep time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time and the quality of sleep is equal to or higher than a predetermined level based on the occupant monitoring information and the biometric information.

[0009] Form 4: One or more embodiments of the present invention propose a driving assistance system in which the one or more processors determine the specified time based on the cumulative sleep time inside and outside the vehicle each day compiled for each driver, based on at least one piece of occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device or the biometric information acquired by the information acquisition device.

[0010] Form 5: One or more embodiments of the present invention propose a driving assistance system in which the occupant stimulation device is an air conditioning device of the vehicle, and the one or more processors change the operating mode of the air conditioning device when the discrimination information is information indicating the stopped state of the vehicle and the one or more processors determine that the sleep time of at least the driver among the occupants of the vehicle is less than a predetermined time and the sleep quality is less than a predetermined level.

[0011] Form 6: One or more embodiments of the present invention propose a driving assistance system in which the occupant stimulation device is a lighting device in the interior of the vehicle, and the one or more processors change the operation mode of the lighting device when the discrimination information is information indicating the stopped state of the vehicle and the one or more processors determine that the sleep time of at least the driver among the occupants of the vehicle is less than a predetermined time and the sleep quality is less than a predetermined level.

[0012] Form 7: One or more embodiments of the present invention propose a driving assistance system in which the occupant stimulation device is a fragrance emitting device of the vehicle, and the one or more processors change the operation mode of the fragrance emitting device when the discrimination information is information indicating the stopped state of the vehicle and the one or more processors determine that the sleep time of at least the driver among the occupants of the vehicle is less than a predetermined time and the sleep quality is less than a predetermined level.

[0013] Form 8: One or more embodiments of the present invention propose a driving assistance system in which the occupant stimulation device is an audio device of the vehicle, and the one or more processors change the operation mode of the audio device when the discrimination information is information indicating the stopped state of the vehicle and the one or more processors determine that the sleep time of at least the driver among the occupants of the vehicle is less than a predetermined time and the sleep quality is less than a predetermined level.

[0014] Form 9: One or more embodiments of the present invention propose a driving assistance system in which, when the one or more processors determine that the sleep time of at least the driver among the occupants of the vehicle is equal to or longer than the predetermined time and that the quality of the sleep is equal to or higher than a predetermined level, when the discrimination information is information indicating the stopped state of the vehicle, the one or more processors do not change the operation mode of the occupant stimulation device. Effect of the Invention

[0015] According to one or more embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to determine the sleep state of occupants, including the driver, in the vehicle at the start of driving the vehicle, and provide appropriate driving assistance for safe driving. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a driving assistance system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of a driving assistance device in a driving assistance system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a concept of determining a predetermined time in a driving assistance device in the driving assistance system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a process flow diagram of the driving assistance system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a configuration of a driving assistance system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of a driving assistance device in a driving assistance system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a concept of determining a predetermined time in a driving assistance device in a driving assistance system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] FIG. 6 is a process flow diagram of a driving assistance system according to a second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9]FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of a driving assistance system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of a driving assistance device in a driving assistance system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a process flow diagram of a driving assistance system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of a driving assistance system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a configuration of a driving assistance device in a driving assistance system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] FIG. 11 is a process flow diagram of a driving assistance system according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration of a driving assistance system according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a configuration of a driving assistance device in a driving assistance system according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 11 is a process flow diagram of a driving assistance system according to a fifth embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0018] <First embodiment> A driving assistance system 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 4. FIG.

[0019] <Configuration of driving assistance system 1> As shown in FIG. 1, a driving assistance system 1 according to this embodiment includes an occupant monitoring device 10, a discrimination device 20, an occupant stimulation device 30, and a driving assistance device 100.

[0020] The occupant monitoring device 10 monitors the physical condition of a vehicle occupant. The occupant monitoring device 10 monitors the physical condition of the vehicle occupants using a camera that has an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CIS (CMOS Image Sensor) built in and captures images (including moving images and still images) of the vehicle occupants captured by the imaging element. Also, it is preferable that the camera is composed of both an optical camera and a near-infrared camera. Examples of information obtained from the passenger monitoring device 10 include the degree of eye opening, the number of blinks, the sleeping time, the resting time, the number of turns in sleep, and the like.

[0021] The discrimination device 20 discriminates between a running state and a stopped state of the vehicle. The discrimination device 20 is, for example, an ignition key, and when the ignition key is in the ON position, it determines that the vehicle is in a running state, and when the ignition key is in the OFF position, it determines that the vehicle is in a stopped state. The "driving state" includes not only a state in which the vehicle is actually driving, but also a state in which the vehicle can drive.

[0022] The occupant stimulating device 30 operates in response to a control signal from a driving support device 100, which will be described later, to provide a stimulus to the vehicle occupant to encourage awakening. Specifically, the occupant stimulation device 30 switches the operating mode appropriately in accordance with a control signal transmitted by the driving assistance device 100, and operates to give the occupant a certain sense of discomfort by stimulating the occupant's sense of touch, sight, smell, and hearing, for example, to encourage the occupant to wake up from drowsiness, etc. Here, examples of the occupant stimulation device 30 include an air conditioner, a lighting device, a fragrance emitting device, an audio device, and the like.

[0023] Based on the occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device 10, the driving assistance device 100 executes control to change the operation mode of the occupant stimulation device 30 when the occupant's sleep time is less than a predetermined time and the sleep quality is less than a predetermined level. The configuration and processing of the driving assistance device 100 will be described in detail later.

[0024] <Configuration of driving assistance device 100> As shown in FIG. 2, the driving assistance device 100 according to this embodiment includes a processor 110 and a memory 120.

[0025] The processor 110 controls the entire driving assistance device 100 in accordance with a control program stored in the memory 120, which will be described later. In this embodiment, the control unit 110 particularly executes the functions of an information receiving unit 111, a sleep determining unit 112, a driving assistance control unit 113, and the like, which will be described later.

[0026] The memory 120 includes a Read Only Memory (ROM) and a Random Access Memory (RAM), and the like. The ROM stores the above-mentioned control programs and the like, and the RAM stores various data and the like. In this embodiment, for example, passenger monitoring information from the passenger monitoring device 10 and the like are stored in the RAM.

[0027] <Processor 110 Configuration> As shown in FIG. 2, the processor 110 includes an information receiving unit 111, a sleep determining unit 112, and a driving assistance control unit 113.

[0028] The information receiving unit 111 receives occupant monitoring information related to the behavior, facial expression, and physical condition, including health condition, of the vehicle occupant from the occupant monitoring device 10. In this embodiment, in particular, the information receiving unit 111 receives occupant monitoring information related to the sleep state, including the driver's sleep time and sleep quality. The information receiving unit 111 stores the occupant monitoring information received from the occupant monitoring device 10 in the RAM in the memory 120 .

[0029] When the sleep determination unit 112 receives information from the discrimination device 20 that the vehicle is stopped, it determines the sleep state based on the occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device 10 stored in the RAM in the memory 120, in particular by determining whether the occupant's sleeping time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time and the quality of sleep is equal to or higher than a predetermined level. When the sleep determining unit 112 uses the sleeping time (accumulated sleeping time) as an index for determining the sleeping state, the sleep determining unit 112 determines the depth of sleep based on whether the acquired sleeping time is longer than a predetermined time. Here, the "predetermined time" is determined, for example, by the cumulative sleeping time in the vehicle for each driver per day, calculated based on the monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device 10 over the past week, as shown in FIG. Specifically, taking FIG. 3 as an example, the "predetermined time" may be determined based on the average value of the cumulative sleeping time in the vehicle per day collected for each driver, or based on the peak time in the distribution of the cumulative sleeping time in the vehicle per day collected for each driver. Although FIG. 3 shows an example of one specific person, similar data needs to be provided for vehicle occupants who may potentially drive the vehicle. In addition, when the sleep determination unit 112 uses the quality of sleep as an index for determining the sleep state, it determines the depth of sleep based on whether the quality of the driver's sleep obtained from the acquired information on the quality of sleep, such as the number of turns in sleep, REM sleep, non-REM sleep, etc., is at or above a predetermined level. Here, the "predetermined level" may be determined based on information that is already known as knowledge.

[0030] The driving assistance control unit 113 executes control to change the operation mode of the occupant stimulation device 30 when the occupant's sleep time is less than a predetermined time and the sleep quality is less than a predetermined level, based on the occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device 10.

[0031] <Processing of the driving assistance device 100> The process of the driving support device 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0032] The information receiving unit 111 of the driving assistance device 100 receives the occupant monitoring information from the occupant monitoring device 10 (step S110). The information receiving unit 111 then stores the occupant monitoring information received from the occupant monitoring device 10 in the RAM in the memory 120 .

[0033] The sleep determination unit 112 of the driving support device 100 determines whether the vehicle is stopped or not based on the determination information received from the determination device 20 (step S120). If the sleep determination unit 112 determines that the information indicating that the vehicle is stopped has not been received from the determination device 20 ("NO" in step S120), the process returns to step S120 and transitions to the standby mode.

[0034] On the other hand, if the sleep judgment unit 112 determines that it has received information from the discrimination device 20 that the vehicle is stopped ("YES" in step S120), it obtains information for judging the driver's sleep state, including the driver's sleep time and sleep quality, from the information stored in the RAM in the memory 120, and judges whether the driver's sleep state is good or not (step S130).

[0035] If the sleep determination unit 112 determines that the driver's sleep state is good ("YES" in step S130), it outputs information to that effect to the driving assistance control unit 113. Then, the driving assistance control unit 113 that has received the information from the sleep determination unit 112 maintains the operation mode of the occupant stimulating device 30 as before (step S150).

[0036] On the other hand, when the sleep determination unit 112 determines that the driver's sleep state is not good ("NO" in step S130), it outputs information to that effect to the driving assistance control unit 113. Then, the driving assistance control unit 113 that has received the information from the sleep determination unit 112 changes the operation mode of the occupant stimulating device 30 from the previous mode (step S140).

[0037] <Actions and Effects> As described above, in the driving assistance system 1 of this embodiment, the processor 110 receives occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device 10 and discrimination information from the discrimination device 20, stores the received occupant monitoring information in the memory 120, and when the discrimination information indicates that the vehicle is stopped, changes the operation mode of the occupant stimulation device 30 based on the sleep time and sleep quality of at least the driver among the vehicle occupants. In other words, if the driver's sleep is not good, there is a high possibility that the safe driving of the vehicle will be hindered. Therefore, the processor 110 of the driving assistance device 100 judges the sleeping state of the driver, and if the sleeping state is not good, changes the operation mode of the occupant stimulation device 30 to stimulate the vehicle occupant to wake up. This allows appropriate driving assistance to be provided for safe driving.

[0038] In addition, the processor 110 of the driving assistance device 100 determines the predetermined time for the sleeping time of the vehicle occupants based on the occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device 10, for each driver, based on the accumulated sleeping time in the vehicle. Therefore, the sleep state of the driver can be determined based on the predetermined time period for each occupant of the vehicle being driven, thereby enabling a highly accurate determination. This allows appropriate driving assistance to be provided for safe driving.

[0039] In addition, when the processor 110 of the driving assistance device 100 determines that, when the discrimination information from the discrimination device 20 indicates that the vehicle is stopped, the sleep time of at least the driver among the vehicle occupants is equal to or longer than a predetermined time and the quality of sleep is equal to or higher than a predetermined level, the processor 110 does not change the operation mode of the occupant stimulation device 30. In other words, if the cumulative sleep time of at least the driver among the vehicle occupants is equal to or greater than a predetermined time and the quality of sleep is equal to or greater than a predetermined level, it is considered that at least the driver among the vehicle occupants is in a good sleeping state. Therefore, in such a case, the processor 110 of the driving assistance device 100 does not change the operation mode of the occupant stimulation device 30. This allows appropriate driving assistance to be provided for safe driving. <Second embodiment> A driving assistance system 1A according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0040] <Configuration of driving assistance system 1A> As shown in FIG. 5, a driving assistance system 1A according to this embodiment includes an occupant monitoring device 10, a discrimination device 20, an air conditioning device 30A, an information acquisition device 40, and a driving assistance device 100A. In addition, since the components having the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment have the same functions, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0041] The air conditioner 30A as the occupant stimulation device 30 changes its operation mode under the control of the driving assistance device 100A described later, and generates, for example, hot air, cold air, or blowing air to stimulate the vehicle occupants and encourage them to wake up. More specifically, if the air conditioning unit 30A has functions such as adjusting the air direction, temperature, and volume, and switching between outside air intake, examples of changes in operation mode include blowing hot air that is warmer than the set temperature previously registered for the individual near the driver's face in summer, and blowing cool air that is cooler than the set temperature previously registered for the individual near the driver's face in winter, or changing to an outside air intake mode regardless of the season to provide stimulation from the outside temperature, or increasing the amount of oxygen in the vehicle cabin to activate brain activity and promote awakening, etc.

[0042] The information acquisition device 40 acquires biological information including sleep information of occupants inside and outside the vehicle. Here, the biological information includes, for example, vital data of each occupant. Examples of the information acquisition device 40 provided in the vehicle include a device equipped in the vehicle and a device worn by the occupant, such as a smart watch or a smartphone. The information acquisition device 40 provided outside the vehicle includes both fixed and mobile types within the home. Examples of the fixed type include those installed on the ceiling or wall of a bedroom, stationary types, and those embedded in a bed mattress. Examples of the mobile type include those equipped on a robot or the like. Examples of information that can be obtained from the information acquisition device 40 include heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, body temperature, blood pressure, hemoglobin level, activity level, number of turns in sleep, sleep state, and sleep time. Here, the number of times the user turns over, and the sleep state such as REM sleep or non-REM sleep can be exemplified as indexes for detecting the sleep state including the quality of sleep.

[0043] Based on the occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device 10 and the biological information acquired by the information acquisition device 40, the driving assistance device 100A executes control to change the operating mode of the air conditioning device 30A when the occupant's sleep time is less than a predetermined time and the sleep quality is less than a predetermined level. The configuration and processing of the driving assistance device 100A will be described in detail later.

[0044] <Configuration of driving assistance device 100A> As shown in FIG. 6, the driving assistance device 100A according to this embodiment includes a processor 110A and a memory 120.

[0045] <Processor 110A Configuration> As shown in FIG. 6, the processor 110A includes an information receiving unit 111A, a sleep determining unit 112A, and a driving assistance control unit 113A.

[0046] The information receiving unit 111A receives occupant monitoring information related to the behavior, facial expression, and physical condition, including health condition, of the vehicle occupant from the occupant monitoring device 10. In this embodiment, in particular, the information receiving unit 111A receives occupant monitoring information related to the sleep state, including the driver's sleep time and sleep quality. The information receiving unit 111A also receives biological information such as heart rate, blood oxygen saturation, heart rate variability, respiratory rate, body temperature, blood pressure, hemoglobin level, activity level, number of turns in sleep, sleep state, and sleep time from the information acquiring device 40. In this embodiment, in particular, information on the biological condition including the driver's sleep time and sleep quality is received. The information receiving unit 111A stores the occupant monitoring information received from the occupant monitoring device 10 and the biological information received from the information acquiring device 40 in the RAM in the memory 120.

[0047] When the sleep determination unit 112A receives information from the discrimination device 20 that the vehicle is stopped, it determines the sleep state by determining whether the occupant's sleep time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time and whether the sleep quality is equal to or higher than a predetermined level, based on at least one piece of occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device 10 stored in the RAM in the memory 120 or biometric information acquired by the information acquisition device 40. The sleep determining unit 112A determines the predetermined time based on the occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device 10 and the biological information acquired by the information acquiring device 40, and on the accumulated sleeping time inside and outside the vehicle for each driver. As shown in FIG. 7, the “predetermined time” is determined, for example, by the cumulative daily sleeping time inside and outside the vehicle, calculated for each driver based on the occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device 10 over the past week and the biometric information acquired by the information acquisition device 40. Specifically, in the case of FIG. 7 as an example, the "predetermined time" may be determined based on the average value of the cumulative sleep time each day inside and outside the vehicle, collected for each driver, or the "predetermined time" may be determined based on the peak time in the distribution of the cumulative sleep time each day inside and outside the vehicle, collected for each driver. Although FIG. 7 shows an example of one specific person, similar data needs to be provided for vehicle occupants who may potentially drive the vehicle. In addition, when the sleep determination unit 112A uses the quality of sleep as an index for determining the sleep state, it makes a determination based on whether the quality of the driver's sleep obtained from the acquired information on the quality of sleep, such as the number of turns in sleep, REM sleep, non-REM sleep, etc., is at or above a predetermined level. Here, the "predetermined level" may be determined based on information that is already known as knowledge.

[0048] The driving assistance control unit 113A executes control to change the operating mode of the air conditioning unit 30A when the occupant's sleep time is less than a predetermined time and the sleep quality is less than a predetermined level, based on the occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device 10 and the biometric information acquired by the information acquisition device 40.

[0049] <Processing of the driving assistance device 100A> The process of the driving support device 100A according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0050] The information receiving unit 111A of the driving assistance device 100A receives the occupant monitoring information from the occupant monitoring device 10 and the biological information from the information acquiring device 40 (step S110). The information receiving unit 111A then stores the occupant monitoring information and the biological information received from the occupant monitoring device 10 in the RAM in the memory 120.

[0051] The sleep determination unit 112A of the driving support device 100A determines whether the vehicle is stopped or not based on the determination information received from the determination device 20 (step S120). If the sleep determination unit 112A determines that the information indicating that the vehicle is stopped has not been received from the determination device 20 ("NO" in step S120), the process returns to step S120 and transitions to the standby mode.

[0052] On the other hand, if the sleep judgment unit 112A determines that it has received information from the discrimination device 20 that the vehicle is stopped ("YES" in step S120), it obtains information for judging the sleep state, including the driver's sleep time and sleep quality, from the information stored in the RAM in the memory 120, and judges whether the driver's sleep state is good or not (step S210).

[0053] If the sleep determination unit 112A determines that the driver's sleep state is good ("YES" in step S210), it outputs information to that effect to the driving assistance control unit 113A. Then, the driving assistance control unit 113A that has received the information from the sleep determination unit 112A maintains the operation mode of the air conditioner 30A as before (step S150).

[0054] On the other hand, when the sleep determination unit 112A determines that the driver's sleep state is not good ("NO" in step S210), it outputs information to that effect to the driving assistance control unit 113A. Then, the driving assistance control unit 113A, which has received the information from the sleep determination unit 112A, changes the operation mode of the air conditioner 30A from the previous mode (step S220).

[0055] <Actions and Effects> As described above, the driving assistance system 1A according to this embodiment further includes the information acquisition device 40 that acquires biological information including sleep information of the occupants inside and outside the vehicle. In other words, the processor 110A of the driving assistance device 100A is equipped with an information acquisition device 40 in addition to the occupant monitoring device 10, making it possible to acquire biological information regarding the sleeping state outside the vehicle cabin from the information acquisition device 40, in addition to the information inside the vehicle cabin that can be acquired from the occupant monitoring device 10. This makes it possible to grasp the driver's sleep state for almost an entire day, enabling highly accurate judgments to be made regarding the driver's sleep state.

[0056] In addition, the processor 110A receives occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device 10, discrimination information from the discrimination device 20, and biometric information from the information acquisition device 40, stores the received occupant monitoring information and biometric information in the memory 120, and when the discrimination information is information indicating a stopped state of the vehicle, if it determines that the sleep time of at least the driver among the vehicle occupants is less than a predetermined time and that the quality of the sleep is less than a predetermined level, changes the operating mode of the air conditioning device 30A as the occupant stimulation device 30. In other words, if the driver's sleep is not good, there is a high possibility that the safe driving of the vehicle will be hindered. Therefore, when the processor 110A of the driving assistance device 100A determines that the driver's sleep state is not good, it changes the operation mode of the air conditioner 30A and stimulates the driver's tactile sense to encourage awakening. This allows appropriate driving assistance to be provided for safe driving.

[0057] In addition, the processor 110A of the driving assistance device 100A determines the specified time based on at least one piece of information, such as the occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device 10 or the biometric information acquired by the information acquisition device 40, and on the cumulative sleep time per day, calculated inside and outside the vehicle for each driver. Therefore, the sleep state of the driver can be determined based on the predetermined time period for each occupant of the vehicle being driven, thereby enabling a highly accurate determination. This allows appropriate driving assistance to be provided for safe driving. <Third embodiment> A driving assistance system 1B according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0058] <Configuration of driving assistance system 1B> As shown in FIG. 9, a driving assistance system 1B according to this embodiment includes an occupant monitoring device 10, a discrimination device 20, a lighting device 30B, an information acquisition device 40, and a driving assistance device 100B. In addition, since the components having the same reference numerals as those in the first and second embodiments have the same functions, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0059] The lighting device 30B as the occupant stimulation device 30 changes its operation mode under the control of the driving assistance device 100B described later, for example, by changing the hue, brightness, saturation, illuminance, etc. of the illumination light, thereby stimulating the vehicle occupants and encouraging them to wake up. More specifically, in the case where the lighting device 30B has functions of adjusting lighting, hue, brightness, saturation, illuminance, etc., examples of changes in the operating mode include irregularly blinking the interior light or emitting light with a wavelength close to that of sunlight.

[0060] Based on the occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device 10 and the biological information acquired by the information acquisition device 40, the driving assistance device 100B executes control to change the operation mode of the lighting device 30B as the occupant stimulation device 30 when the occupant's sleeping time is less than a predetermined time and the sleep quality is less than a predetermined level. The configuration and processing of the driving assistance device 100B will be described in detail later.

[0061] <Configuration of driving assistance device 100B> 10, the driving assistance device 100B includes a processor 110B and a memory 120. Details of the processor 110B will be described later.

[0062] <Configuration of Processor 110B> As shown in FIG. 10, the processor 110B includes an information receiving unit 111A, a sleep determining unit 112A, and a driving assistance control unit 113B.

[0063] The driving assistance control unit 113B executes control to change the operation mode of the lighting device 30B as the occupant stimulation device 30 when the occupant's sleep time is less than a predetermined time and the sleep quality is less than a predetermined level, based on the occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device 10 and the biological information acquired by the information acquisition device 40.

[0064] <Processing of the driving assistance device 100B> The process of the driving support device 100B according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0065] The information receiving unit 111A of the driving assistance device 100B receives the occupant monitoring information from the occupant monitoring device 10 and the biological information from the information acquiring device 40 (step S110). The information receiving unit 111A then stores the occupant monitoring information and the biological information received from the occupant monitoring device 10 in the RAM in the memory 120.

[0066] The sleep determination unit 112A of the driving support device 100B determines whether the vehicle is stopped or not based on the determination information received from the determination device 20 (step S120). If the sleep determination unit 112A determines that the information indicating that the vehicle is stopped has not been received from the determination device 20 ("NO" in step S120), the process returns to step S120 and transitions to the standby mode.

[0067] On the other hand, if the sleep judgment unit 112A determines that it has received information from the discrimination device 20 that the vehicle is stopped ("YES" in step S120), it obtains information for judging the sleep state, including the driver's sleep time and sleep quality, from the information stored in the RAM in the memory 120, and judges whether the driver's sleep state is good or not (step S210).

[0068] If the sleep determination unit 112A determines that the driver's sleep state is good ("YES" in step S210), it outputs information to that effect to the driving support control unit 113B. The driving support control unit 113B that has received the information from the sleep determination unit 112A maintains the operation mode of the lighting device 30B as before (step S150).

[0069] On the other hand, if the sleep determination unit 112A determines that the driver's sleep state is not good ("NO" in step S210), it outputs information to that effect to the driving support control unit 113B. Then, upon receiving the information from the sleep determination unit 112A, the driving support control unit 113B changes the operation mode of the lighting device 30B from the previous mode (step S310).

[0070] <Actions and Effects> As described above, the processor 110B of the driving assistance device 100B in the driving assistance system 1B of this embodiment receives occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device 10, discrimination information from the discrimination device 20, and biometric information from the information acquisition device 40, stores the received occupant monitoring information and biometric information in memory 120, and when the discrimination information is information indicating a stopped state of the vehicle, if it determines that the sleep time of at least the driver among the vehicle occupants is less than a predetermined time and that the quality of the sleep is less than a predetermined level, changes the operation mode of the lighting device 30B as the occupant stimulation device 30. In other words, if the driver's sleep is not good, there is a high possibility that the safe driving of the vehicle will be hindered. Therefore, when the processor 110B of the driving assistance device 100B determines that the driver's sleeping state is not good, it is possible to change the operation mode of the lighting device 30B to stimulate the driver's vision and encourage him or her to wake up. This allows appropriate driving assistance to be provided for safe driving.

[0071] <Fourth embodiment> A driving assistance system 1C according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0072] <Configuration of driving assistance system 1C> As shown in FIG. 12, a driving assistance system 1C according to this embodiment includes an occupant monitoring device 10, a discrimination device 20, a fragrance emitting device 30C, an information acquisition device 40, and a driving assistance device 100C. In addition, since the components having the same reference numerals as those in the first to third embodiments have the same functions, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0073] The fragrance emitting device 30C as the occupant stimulation device 30 changes its operating mode under the control of the driving assistance device 100C described later, for example, by changing the type of fragrance or the amount of fragrance emitted, thereby stimulating the vehicle occupants and encouraging them to wake up. More specifically, the fragrance emitting device 30C can, for example, select a citrus fragrance as the type of fragrance and adjust the amount of fragrance emitted, thereby changing the operation mode.

[0074] Based on the occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device 10 and the biological information acquired by the information acquisition device 40, the driving assistance device 100C executes control to change the operating mode of the fragrance emitting device 30C as the occupant stimulation device 30 when the occupant's sleeping time is less than a predetermined time and the sleep quality is less than a predetermined level. The configuration and processing of the driving assistance device 100C will be described in detail later.

[0075] <Configuration of driving assistance device 100C> 13, the driving assistance device 100C includes a processor 110C and a memory 120. Details of the processor 110C will be described later.

[0076] <Processor 110C Configuration> As shown in FIG. 13, the processor 110C includes an information receiving unit 111A, a sleep determining unit 112A, and a driving assistance control unit 113C.

[0077] The driving assistance control unit 113C executes control to change the operating mode of the fragrance emitting device 30C as the occupant stimulation device 30 when the occupant's sleep time is less than a predetermined time and the sleep quality is less than a predetermined level, based on the occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device 10 and the biological information acquired by the information acquisition device 40.

[0078] <Processing of the driving assistance device 100C> The process of the driving support device 100C according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0079] The information receiving unit 111A of the driving assistance device 100C receives the occupant monitoring information from the occupant monitoring device 10 and the biological information from the information acquiring device 40 (step S110). The information receiving unit 111A then stores the occupant monitoring information and the biological information received from the occupant monitoring device 10 in the RAM in the memory 120.

[0080] The sleep determination unit 112A of the driving support device 100C determines whether the vehicle is stopped based on the determination information received from the determination device 20 (step S120). If the sleep determination unit 112A determines that the information indicating that the vehicle is stopped has not been received from the determination device 20 ("NO" in step S120), the process returns to step S120 and transitions to the standby mode.

[0081] On the other hand, if the sleep judgment unit 112A determines that it has received information from the discrimination device 20 that the vehicle is stopped ("YES" in step S120), it obtains information for judging the sleep state, including the driver's sleep time and sleep quality, from the information stored in the RAM in the memory 120, and judges whether the driver's sleep state is good or not (step S210).

[0082] If the sleep determination unit 112A determines that the driver's sleep state is good ("YES" in step S210), it outputs information to that effect to the driving assistance control unit 113C. The driving assistance control unit 113C, which has received the information from the sleep determination unit 112A, maintains the previous operation mode of the fragrance emitting device 30C (step S150).

[0083] On the other hand, if the sleep determination unit 112A determines that the driver's sleep state is not good ("NO" in step S210), it outputs information to that effect to the driving assistance control unit 113C. Then, upon receiving the information from the sleep determination unit 112A, the driving assistance control unit 113C changes the operation mode of the fragrance emitting device 30C from the previous mode (step S410).

[0084] <Actions and Effects> As described above, the processor 110C of the driving assistance device 100C in the driving assistance system 1C of this embodiment receives occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device 10, discrimination information from the discrimination device 20, and biometric information from the information acquisition device 40, stores the received occupant monitoring information and biometric information in memory 120, and when the discrimination information is information indicating a stopped state of the vehicle, if it determines that the sleep time of at least the driver among the vehicle occupants is less than a predetermined time and that the quality of the sleep is less than a predetermined level, changes the operating mode of the fragrance generating device 30C as the occupant stimulation device 30. In other words, if the driver's sleep is not good, there is a high possibility that the safe driving of the vehicle will be hindered. Therefore, when the processor 110C of the driving assistance device 100C determines that the driver's sleeping condition is not good, it changes the operating mode of the fragrance emitting device 30C and stimulates the driver's sense of smell, thereby promoting awakening. Therefore, appropriate driving assistance can be provided to ensure safe driving.

[0085] <Fifth embodiment> A driving assistance system 1D according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0086] <Configuration of 1D driving assistance system> As shown in FIG. 15, a driving assistance system 1D according to this embodiment includes an occupant monitoring device 10, a discrimination device 20, an audio device 30D, an information acquisition device 40, and a driving assistance device 100D. In addition, since the components having the same reference numerals as those in the first to fourth embodiments have the same functions, detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0087] The audio device 30D as the occupant stimulation device 30 changes its operating mode under the control of the driving assistance device 100A described later, and changes, for example, the type of music, the type of voice, the electronic sound, the volume, the sound frequency, etc., to stimulate and wake up the vehicle occupants. More specifically, the audio device 30D can change its operating mode to, for example, play deep bass music, play the voice of a person associated with the driver who has been registered in advance by the driver in the vehicle's memory, emit harsh electronic sounds, or play music whose volume changes irregularly.

[0088] Based on the occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device 10 and the biological information acquired by the information acquisition device 40, the driving assistance device 100D executes control to change the operating mode of the acoustic device 30D as the occupant stimulation device 30 when the occupant's sleeping time is less than a predetermined time and the sleep quality is less than a predetermined level. The configuration and processing of the driving assistance device 100D will be described in detail later.

[0089] <Configuration of driving assistance device 100D> As shown in FIG. 16, the driving assistance device 100D includes a processor 110D and a memory 120. The details of the processor 110D will be described later.

[0090] <Processor 110D Configuration> As shown in FIG. 16, the processor 110D includes an information receiving unit 111A, a sleep determining unit 112A, and a driving assistance control unit 113D.

[0091] The driving assistance control unit 113C executes control to change the operating mode of the acoustic device 30D as the occupant stimulation device 30 when the occupant's sleep time is less than a predetermined time and the sleep quality is less than a predetermined level, based on the occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device 10 and the biological information acquired by the information acquisition device 40.

[0092] <Processing of the driving assistance device 100D> The process of the driving assistance device 100D according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0093] The information receiving unit 111A of the driving assistance device 100D receives the occupant monitoring information from the occupant monitoring device 10 and the biological information from the information acquiring device 40 (step S110). The information receiving unit 111A then stores the occupant monitoring information and the biological information received from the occupant monitoring device 10 in the RAM in the memory 120.

[0094] The sleep determination unit 112A of the driving support device 100D determines whether the vehicle is stopped based on the determination information received from the determination device 20 (step S120). If the sleep determination unit 112A determines that the information indicating that the vehicle is stopped has not been received from the determination device 20 ("NO" in step S120), the process returns to step S120 and transitions to the standby mode.

[0095] On the other hand, if the sleep judgment unit 112A determines that it has received information from the discrimination device 20 that the vehicle is stopped ("YES" in step S120), it obtains information for judging the sleep state, including the driver's sleep time and sleep quality, from the information stored in the RAM in the memory 120, and judges whether the driver's sleep state is good or not (step S210).

[0096] If the sleep determination unit 112A determines that the driver's sleep state is good ("YES" in step S210), it outputs information to that effect to the driving assistance control unit 113D. The driving assistance control unit 113D that has received the information from the sleep determination unit 112A maintains the operation mode of the audio device 30D as before (step S150).

[0097] On the other hand, if the sleep determination unit 112A determines that the driver's sleep state is not good ("NO" in step S210), it outputs information to that effect to the driving assistance control unit 113D. Then, upon receiving the information from the sleep determination unit 112A, the driving assistance control unit 113D changes the operation mode of the audio device 30D from the previous mode (step S510).

[0098] <Actions and Effects> As described above, the processor 110D of the driving assistance device 100D in the driving assistance system 1D of this embodiment receives occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device 10, discrimination information from the discrimination device 20, and biometric information from the information acquisition device 40, stores the received occupant monitoring information and biometric information in memory 120, and when the discrimination information is information indicating a stopped state of the vehicle, if it determines that the sleep time of at least the driver among the vehicle occupants is less than a predetermined time and that the quality of the sleep is less than a predetermined level, changes the operating mode of the acoustic device 30D as the occupant stimulation device 30. In other words, if the driver's sleep is not good, there is a high possibility that the safe driving of the vehicle will be hindered. Therefore, when the processor 110D of the driving assistance device 100D determines that the driver's sleeping condition is not good, it is possible to stimulate the driver's hearing and encourage him / her to wake up by changing the operating mode of the audio device 30D. This allows appropriate driving assistance to be provided for safe driving.

[0099] <Modification> For example, in the above embodiment, a configuration is shown in which driving assistance devices 100 to 100D are provided within the driving assistance systems 1 to 1D, but the information from the occupant monitoring device 10 and the information from the information acquisition device 40 may be transferred to a server connected to the vehicle, and the control processing of the driving assistance devices 100 to 100D may be executed in the server. With this configuration, a large amount of information can be processed quickly to encourage the driver to become more alert, thereby reducing the risk of an accident occurring.

[0100] The driving support system of the present invention can be realized by recording the processing of the processors 110 to 110D in a computer-readable recording medium and having the processors 110 to 110D read and execute the programs recorded in the recording medium. The computer system here includes hardware such as an OS and peripheral devices.

[0101] Furthermore, "computer system" also includes the homepage providing environment (or display environment) if a WWW (World Wide Web) system is used. The above program may be transmitted from a computer system in which the program is stored in a storage device or the like to another computer system via a transmission medium, or by transmission waves in the transmission medium. Here, the "transmission medium" that transmits the program refers to a medium that has the function of transmitting information, such as a network (communication network) such as the Internet or a communication line (communication line) such as a telephone line.

[0102] The program may be for implementing some of the functions described above, or may be a so-called differential file (differential program) that can implement the functions described above in combination with a program already recorded in the computer system.

[0103] Although an embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and designs that do not deviate from the gist of the present invention are also included. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] 1. Driving assistance system 1A: Driving assistance system 1B: Driving assistance system 1C: Driving assistance system 1D; Driving assistance system 10. Occupant monitoring device 20;Discrimination device 30; Passenger Stimulation Device 30A;Air conditioner 30B; Lighting equipment 30C: Fragrance generating device 30D;Sound equipment 40; Information acquisition device 100; Driving support device 100A; Driving support device 100B; Driving support device 100C; Driving assistance device 100D; Driving assistance device 110;Processor 110A; Processor 110B; Processor 110C; Processor 110D; Processor 120;Memory 111; Information receiving section 111A; Information receiving section 112;Sleep evaluation section 112A;Sleep determination section 113: Driving assistance control unit 113A: Driving assistance control unit 113B; Driving assistance control unit 113C; Driving assistance control unit 113D: Driving assistance control unit

Claims

1. An occupant monitoring device that monitors the physical condition of an occupant of a vehicle; A discrimination device that discriminates between a traveling state and a stopped state of the vehicle; an occupant stimulating device for stimulating an occupant of the vehicle to encourage awakening; a driving support device that controls the occupant stimulation device to ensure a safe driving of the occupant of the vehicle when the occupant's sleep time is less than a predetermined time and the quality of sleep is less than a predetermined level based on the occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device; Equipped with The driving assistance device includes one or more processors and one or more memories communicatively connected to the one or more processors; The one or more processors receive the occupant monitoring information and the discrimination information from the discrimination device, store the received occupant monitoring information in the one or more memories, and when the discrimination information is information indicating the stopped state of the vehicle, change the operation mode of the occupant stimulation device based on the sleep time and sleep quality of at least the driver among the occupants of the vehicle, and determine the specified time based on the cumulative sleep time in the vehicle for each driver based on the occupant monitoring information acquired by the occupant monitoring device.

2. An information acquisition device for acquiring biological information including sleep information of the occupant inside and outside the vehicle. In addition, The one or more processors storing the one or more memories, and based on the occupant monitoring information and the biological information, Whether the sleep time of the occupant is equal to or longer than the predetermined time and whether the quality of sleep is equal to or higher than a predetermined level The driving assistance system according to claim 1 , further comprising: a driver assistance system for determining whether or not the vehicle is in a collision.

3. The one or more processors acquire the predetermined time in the occupant monitoring device. At least one of the occupant monitoring information acquired by the information acquisition device or the biological information acquired by the information acquisition device Based on one or more pieces of information, the vehicle status inside and outside the vehicle for each day is calculated for each driver. The driving support system according to claim 2 , wherein the driving support is determined based on an accumulated sleep time.

4. the passenger stimulation device is an air conditioning system for the vehicle; The one or more processors detect whether the determination information indicates the stopped state of the vehicle. When the information is the sleep time of at least the driver among the occupants of the vehicle, If it is determined that the sleep time is less than a predetermined time and the quality of the sleep is less than a predetermined level, 4. The driving assistance according to claim 1, wherein the operating mode of the air conditioner is changed. system.

5. the occupant stimulation device is a lighting device for an interior of the vehicle; The one or more processors detect whether the determination information indicates the stopped state of the vehicle. When the information is the sleep time of at least the driver among the occupants of the vehicle, If it is determined that the sleep time is less than a predetermined time and the quality of the sleep is less than a predetermined level, 4. A driving assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the operating mode of the lighting device is changed. system.

6. the occupant stimulation device is a fragrance generating device for the vehicle; The one or more processors detect whether the determination information indicates the stopped state of the vehicle. When the information is the sleep time of at least the driver among the occupants of the vehicle, If it is determined that the sleep time is less than a predetermined time and the quality of the sleep is less than a predetermined level, The operation of any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the operation mode of the fragrance generating device is changed. Support system.

7. the occupant stimulation device is an acoustic device of the vehicle; The one or more processors detect whether the determination information indicates the stopped state of the vehicle. When the information is the sleep time of at least the driver among the occupants of the vehicle, If it is determined that the sleep time is less than a predetermined time and the quality of the sleep is less than a predetermined level, 4. A driving assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the operation mode of the sound device is changed. system.

8. The one or more processors detect whether the determination information indicates the stopped state of the vehicle. When the information is the sleep time of at least the driver among the occupants of the vehicle, If it is determined that the sleep time is equal to or longer than a predetermined time and that the quality of the sleep is equal to or higher than a predetermined level, 4. The driving method according to claim 1, wherein the operation mode of the passenger stimulation device is not changed. Transfer support system.

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