Notification device

Abstract

To provide a notification device which can properly notify a pedestrian or the like at the surroundings of a stop state of a vehicle by a display in addition to a sound.SOLUTION: A notification device arranged at a vehicle traveling by automatic drive, and performing a notification to a periphery of the vehicle comprises: a notification sound output part arranged at the vehicle, and outputting a notification sound toward the outside of the vehicle; a notification display part arranged at the vehicle, and outputting a notification display toward the outside of the vehicle; a notification control part for controlling the notification sound of the notification sound output part, and a notification image of a notification image display part; and a stop state determination part for determining whether or not the vehicle in the automatic drive is brought into a stop state. When it is determined that the vehicle in the automatic drive is brought into the stop state by the stop state determination part, the notification control part outputs a stop-time notification sound as the notification sound by the notification sound output part, and outputs a stop-time notification display as the notification display by the notification display part.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an alarm device. [Background technology]

[0002] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2012-126207 is a known technical document relating to a warning device. This publication describes that a warning device that warns of the presence of a vehicle outputs a predetermined warning sound when it detects that the vehicle has stopped. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2012-126207 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, there are cases where pedestrians cannot accurately grasp the state of the vehicle just by outputting the warning sound as in the case of conventional warning devices.When there are multiple vehicles, there is a risk that pedestrians cannot determine which vehicle is outputting the warning sound just by outputting the warning sound, so there is room for improvement.

[0005] Therefore, in this technical field, it is desirable to provide a notification device that can appropriately notify surrounding pedestrians of the stopped state of a vehicle by displaying a visual in addition to sound. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is an alarm device provided in a vehicle traveling in an autonomous driving mode and which provides an alarm to those around the vehicle, the alarm device comprising: an alarm sound output unit provided in the vehicle and which outputs an alarm sound toward outside the vehicle; an alarm display unit provided in the vehicle and which outputs an alarm display toward outside the vehicle; an alarm control unit which controls the alarm sound of the alarm sound output unit and the alarm image of the alarm image display unit; and a stopped state determination unit which determines whether the vehicle undergoing autonomous driving has entered a stopped state, and when the stopped state determination unit determines that the vehicle undergoing autonomous driving has entered a stopped state, the alarm control unit outputs a stopped alarm sound as the alarm sound by the alarm sound output unit and outputs a stopped alarm display as the alarm display by the alarm display unit.

[0007] According to one aspect of the alarm device of the present invention, when it is determined that a vehicle in autonomous driving has come to a stop, a stop-time alarm sound is output as an alarm sound by the alarm sound output unit, and a stop-time alarm display is output as an alarm display by the alarm display unit, so that surrounding pedestrians can be appropriately notified of the vehicle's stopped state by the display in addition to the sound.

[0008] In the alarm device according to one aspect of the present invention, the stop alarm sound may be an intermittent sound. With this warning device, the stop warning sound is made intermittent, giving pedestrians around the vehicle the impression that the vehicle is stopped, making it easier for pedestrians to perceive the vehicle's stopped state.

[0009] In an alarm device according to one aspect of the present invention, the stop-time alarm sound changes in volume or frequency over time, and the stop-time alarm display changes in brightness or chromaticity over time, and the alarm control unit may correspond to changes in the stop-time alarm sound and changes in the stop-time alarm display. According to this warning device, the change in the stop warning sound, which changes in volume or frequency over time, corresponds to the change in the stop warning display, which changes in brightness or chromaticity over time, so that pedestrians around the vehicle can more easily perceive the stopped state of the vehicle. Also, when there are multiple vehicles, pedestrians can perceive which vehicle is emitting the stop warning sound from the corresponding relationship with the stop warning display.

[0010] In an alarm device according to one aspect of the present invention, the stop-time alarm sound is an intermittent sound and the stop-time alarm display is a flashing display, and the alarm control unit may correspond the timing of sounding the stop-time alarm sound, which is an intermittent sound, with the timing of lighting the stop-time alarm display, which is a flashing display. According to this warning device, by making the timing of the stop warning sound, which is an intermittent sound, correspond to the timing of the lighting of the stop warning display, which is a flashing display, it becomes easier for pedestrians around the vehicle to recognize the stopped state of the vehicle. Also, when there are multiple vehicles, pedestrians can recognize which vehicle is emitting the stop warning sound from the correspondence with the stop warning display.

[0011] In an alarm device according to one aspect of the present invention, the device further includes a deceleration state determination unit that determines whether the vehicle undergoing autonomous driving is in a deceleration state, and the alarm control unit may output a deceleration alarm sound as the alarm sound of the alarm sound output unit when the deceleration state determination unit determines that the vehicle undergoing autonomous driving is in a deceleration state. According to this warning device, when it is determined that a vehicle in autonomous driving is decelerating, a deceleration warning sound is output as a warning sound from the warning sound output unit, so that surrounding pedestrians can be appropriately informed of the vehicle's deceleration state. Effect of the Invention

[0012] According to an aspect of the present invention, the notification device can appropriately notify surrounding pedestrians that the vehicle is stopped by displaying a visual in addition to sound. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an alarm device according to an embodiment; [Diagram 2] 1A is a diagram showing an example of a front mounting position of a notification display unit, FIG. 1B is a diagram showing another example of an image display, and FIG. 1C is a diagram showing yet another example of an image display. [Diagram 3]1A is a diagram showing an example of a side mounting position of the notification display unit, (b) is a diagram showing another example of a side mounting position of the notification display unit, and (c) is a diagram showing yet another example of a side mounting position of the notification display unit. [Figure 4] 10A is a graph for explaining the timing of sounding an intermittent stop notification sound, and FIG. 10B is a graph for explaining the timing of lighting a blinking stop notification display. [Diagram 5] 10A is a flowchart illustrating an example of an alarm sound output process, and FIG.10B is a flowchart illustrating an example of a stop-time alarm process. [Figure 6] 13A and 13B are a flowchart illustrating an example of a deceleration notification process; [Figure 7] 1A and 1B are diagrams illustrating an example of a front mounting position when the notification display unit is a lamp, respectively; [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a left side mounting position when the notification display unit is a lighting device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a notification device according to an embodiment. The notification device 100 shown in FIG. 1 is mounted on a vehicle M such as a passenger car, and notifies pedestrians of the state of the vehicle M. The vehicle M is a vehicle that runs by automatic driving. Automatic driving is vehicle control that automatically drives the vehicle M toward a destination set in advance. The destination may be set by a passenger such as a driver, or may be automatically set by the vehicle M. In automatic driving, the vehicle M runs automatically without the driver having to perform driving operations. The notification device 100 notifies the state of the vehicle M during automatic driving.

[0016] [Configuration of the alarm device] As shown in Fig. 1, the notification device 100 includes a notification control ECU 10. The notification control ECU 10 is an electronic control unit having a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only memory), a RAM (Random Access memory), a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication circuit, and the like. In the notification control ECU 10, for example, a program stored in the ROM is loaded into the RAM, and the program loaded into the RAM is executed by the CPU, thereby realizing various functions. The notification control ECU 10 may be composed of multiple electronic units.

[0017] The notification control ECU 10 is connected to an external sensor 1, an internal sensor 2, a notification sound output unit 3, a notification display unit 4, and an automatic driving ECU 5.

[0018] The external sensor 1 is a detection device that detects the surrounding conditions of the vehicle M. The external sensor 1 detects the position of an object ahead on the roadway on which the vehicle M travels. The external sensor 1 includes at least one of a camera and a radar sensor.

[0019] The camera is an imaging device that captures an image of the external situation of the vehicle M. As an example, the camera is provided on the back side of the windshield of the vehicle M. The camera acquires imaging information related to the external situation of the vehicle M. The camera may be a monocular camera or a stereo camera. The stereo camera has two imaging units arranged to reproduce binocular parallax. The imaging information of the stereo camera also includes information in the depth direction.

[0020] A radar sensor is a detection device that uses radio waves (e.g., millimeter waves) or light to detect objects around the vehicle M. Radar sensors include, for example, millimeter wave radars or LIDARs (Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging). A radar sensor detects objects by transmitting radio waves or light to the periphery of the vehicle M and receiving the radio waves or light reflected by the objects.

[0021] The internal sensor 2 is a detection device that detects the traveling state of the vehicle M. The internal sensor 2 includes a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a yaw rate sensor. The vehicle speed sensor is a detector that detects the speed of the vehicle M. As the vehicle speed sensor, for example, a wheel speed sensor that is provided on the wheels of the vehicle M or a drive shaft that rotates integrally with the wheels and detects the rotation speed of the wheels is used.

[0022] The acceleration sensor is a detector that detects the acceleration of the vehicle M. The acceleration sensor may include a longitudinal acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle M, and a lateral acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration of the vehicle M. The yaw rate sensor is a detector that detects the yaw rate (rotational angular velocity) around the vertical axis of the center of gravity of the vehicle M. As the yaw rate sensor, for example, a gyro sensor can be used.

[0023] The alert sound output unit 3 is a sound output device for outputting an alert sound to the outside of the vehicle M. The alert sound output unit 3 can be, for example, speakers provided on the front and both side surfaces of the vehicle M. The alert sound output unit 3 may be provided only on the front surface or only on both side surfaces of the vehicle M. The alert sound output unit 3 may be provided on the rear surface of the vehicle M or on an upper portion of the vehicle M. The alert sound output unit 3 is not particularly limited as long as it is configured to be able to output sound to the outside of the vehicle M.

[0024] The notification display unit 4 is a display device for displaying notification displays on the outside of the vehicle M. The notification display unit 4 can be, for example, a display device provided on the front and both side surfaces of the vehicle M. The display device displays various images in response to control signals from the notification control ECU 10. The notification display unit 4 may be provided on the rear surface of the vehicle M. The notification display unit 4 may be provided only on the front surface or only on both side surfaces of the vehicle M.

[0025] Here, Fig. 2(a) is a diagram showing an example of a front mounting position of the notification display unit 4. Fig. 2(a) shows a front display device 40 constituting the notification display unit 4 and an icon 50A which is an example of a notification display. As shown in Fig. 2(a), the notification display unit 4 has, as an example, one front display device 40 provided in the grill part of the vehicle M. Note that the notification display unit 4 may be divided into a plurality of display devices. The icon 50A will be described later.

[0026] Fig. 3(a) is a diagram showing an example of a side mounting position of the notification display unit 4. Fig. 3(a) shows a left side display device 41A. As shown in Fig. 3(a), the notification display unit 4 may have, as an example, a left side display device 41A provided under the front door of the vehicle M. A right side display device can also be provided on the right side of the vehicle M in a similar manner.

[0027] Fig. 3(b) is a diagram showing another example of the side mounting position of the notification display unit 4. Fig. 3(b) shows a left side display device 41B. As shown in Fig. 3(b), as another example, the notification display unit 4 may have a left side display device 41B provided on the fender of the vehicle M. A right side display device can also be provided on the right side of the vehicle M in a similar manner.

[0028] FIG. 3(c) is a diagram showing yet another example of the side mounting position of the notification display unit 4. FIG. 3(c) shows the left side display device 41C and the display support unit 60. The display support unit 60 is provided on the upper part of the vehicle M and is a member for mounting the left side display device 41C and the like. The display support unit 60 can be, for example, a rectangular frame body facing the front, both sides, and rear of the vehicle M. The display support unit 60 may be mounted with a front display device or a rear display device. The display support unit 60 may be configured as a circular frame body.

[0029] 3(c), as yet another example, the notification display unit 4 may have a left side display device 41C mounted on a display support portion 60 provided on the upper portion of the vehicle M. A right side display device can also be provided on the right side of the vehicle M. In addition, the notification display unit 4 is not particularly limited as long as it has a configuration capable of displaying a notification display on the outside of the vehicle M.

[0030] The automatic driving ECU 5 is an electronic control unit for performing automatic driving of the vehicle. The automatic driving ECU 5 has a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc. The automatic driving ECU 5 may be an electronic control unit integrated with the notification control ECU 10.

[0031] The autonomous driving ECU 5 generates a course (a course including a route and a vehicle speed profile) along a preset target route based on, for example, the position of the vehicle on a map, map information, the situation around the vehicle obtained from the detection result of the external sensor 1, and the vehicle state (vehicle speed, yaw rate, etc.) obtained from the detection result of the internal sensor 2. The target route may be set manually by a vehicle occupant, or may be set automatically by a well-known navigation system or the autonomous driving ECU 5. The autonomous driving ECU 5 can generate the course by a well-known method. The autonomous driving ECU 5 executes autonomous driving of the vehicle along the course by transmitting control signals to actuators (engine actuator, brake actuator, steering actuator, etc.) of the vehicle. When the autonomous driving ECU 5 generates a course for autonomous driving, it may transmit course information to the notification control ECU 10.

[0032] Next, a description will be given of the functional configuration of the notification control ECU 10. As shown in Fig. 1, the notification control ECU 10 has a notification target recognition unit 11, a stopped state determination unit 12, a deceleration state determination unit 13, a starting state determination unit 14, and a notification control unit 15.

[0033] The notification target recognition unit 11 recognizes notification targets around the vehicle M. The notification targets are pedestrians, bicycles, etc. The notification targets may include two-wheeled vehicles and other vehicles. The notification target recognition unit 11 may be configured to recognize the notification targets only during autonomous driving of the vehicle M.

[0034] The notification target recognition unit 11 recognizes notification targets around the vehicle M based on the detection results of the external sensor 1 (image capture information from the camera, object detection results from the radar sensor). The notification target recognition unit 11 recognizes notification targets such as pedestrians by, for example, pattern matching.

[0035] The stopped state determination unit 12 determines whether the vehicle M during autonomous driving has come to a stop state based on the detection result of the internal sensor 2 (e.g., the detection result of the vehicle speed sensor). Whether the vehicle M is in autonomous driving or not can be recognized by communication with the autonomous driving ECU 5. The stopped state is a state in which the vehicle speed of the vehicle M is near 0 km / h. The stopped state determination unit 12 determines whether the vehicle during autonomous driving has come to a stop state, for example, when the vehicle speed of the vehicle M falls below a stop threshold. The stop threshold is a threshold value close to 0 that is set in advance.

[0036] The deceleration state determination unit 13 determines whether the autonomously driven vehicle M has entered a deceleration state based on the detection result of the internal sensor 2 (e.g., the detection result of an acceleration sensor). The deceleration state is a state in which the vehicle M is decelerating. The deceleration state determination unit 13 determines that the autonomously driven vehicle M has entered a deceleration state when, for example, the acceleration of the vehicle M becomes a negative value.

[0037] The starting state determination unit 14 determines whether the vehicle M during autonomous driving has entered a starting state based on the detection result of the internal sensor 2 (for example, the detection result of a vehicle speed sensor). The starting state is a state when the vehicle M starts from a stopped state. The starting state determination unit 14 determines that the vehicle M has entered a starting state, for example, when the vehicle speed of the vehicle M, which was in a stopped state, becomes equal to or greater than a starting threshold. The starting threshold is a threshold value that is a preset value equal to or greater than 0. The starting state may be determined based on a route in autonomous driving (a route including a vehicle speed profile). The starting state determination unit 14 may determine that the vehicle M is in a starting state regardless of the vehicle speed of the vehicle M, for example, when the vehicle M is scheduled to start within a certain time by autonomous driving.

[0038] The notification control unit 15 issues a notification of the state of the vehicle M during autonomous driving when the notification target recognition unit 11 recognizes a notification target around the vehicle M. The notification control unit 15 issues a notification by a notification sound and a notification display by transmitting a control signal to the notification sound output unit 3 and the notification display unit 4.

[0039] When the state of the autonomously driven vehicle M is a traveling state, the notification control unit 15 outputs a traveling notification sound as the notification sound by the notification sound output unit 3. The traveling state is a state of the vehicle M excluding a stopped state, a decelerating state, and a starting state.

[0040] The driving notification sound may be a sound similar to an engine sound. Note that, when the vehicle M is in a normal state during autonomous driving, the notification control unit 15 may display, via the notification display unit 4, a message indicating that the vehicle M is autonomously driven.

[0041] The notification control unit 15 controls the notification sound from the notification sound output unit 3 and the notification display from the notification display unit 4. When the notification target recognition unit 11 recognizes a notification target around the vehicle M and the stopped state determination unit 12 determines that the autonomously driving vehicle M has entered a stopped state, the notification control unit 15 outputs a stop-time notification sound as the notification sound from the notification sound output unit 3 and displays a stop-time notification display as the notification display from the notification display unit 4.

[0042] The stop alert sound is an alert sound that is output when the vehicle M is stopped. The stop alert sound may be a periodic sound whose volume or frequency changes over time. The stop alert sound may be, for example, an intermittent sound. An intermittent sound is a sound in which sound output and output cessation are repeated alternately over time. The stop alert sound may be a sound that expresses a state in which the vehicle M is stopped and calm. The stop alert sound may be a gradual sound of 1 Hz or less.

[0043] Fig. 4(a) is a graph for explaining the timing of sound generation of the stop notification sound, which is an intermittent sound. The vertical axis of Fig. 4(a) indicates whether the stop notification sound is generated or not, and the horizontal axis indicates time. Fig. 4(a) shows the sound generation timing Ts of the stop notification sound, the sound output time Ta, and the sound stop time Tb. As shown in Fig. 4(a), the stop notification sound, which is an intermittent sound, repeats the sound output time Ta and the sound stop time Tb over time.

[0044] The stop notification display is a display when the vehicle M is stopped. When a pedestrian attempting to cross in front of the vehicle M is recognized, the notification control unit 15 may display a stop notification display to encourage the pedestrian to cross. An icon 50A shown in Fig. 2(a) and Fig. 3(a) to Fig. 3(c) is an example of a display to encourage the pedestrian to cross. The icon 50A may move in the lateral direction of the image over time, or may blink slowly at 1 Hz or less. The displayed image of the icon is not particularly limited.

[0045] FIG. 2(b) is a diagram showing another example of a stop notification display. As shown in FIG. 2(b), the stop notification display may be a display in which three horizontal line or bar image displays are arranged vertically. The number of lines is not particularly limited. FIG. 2(c) is a diagram showing yet another example of a stop notification display. As shown in FIG. 2(c), the stop notification display may be a display in which two circular image displays are arranged horizontally. The number of circles is not particularly limited. These image displays are not limited to stop notification displays, and may be used when the vehicle M is decelerating or starting. The case where the vehicle M is stopped and the case where the vehicle M is decelerating or starting can be distinguished by the presence or absence of flashing, the flashing speed, a change in color, etc.

[0046] The stop notification display may be a periodic display in which the brightness or chromaticity changes over time. The stop notification display may be, for example, a blinking display. A blinking display is a display that alternates between a lighted state and an unlit state. The stop notification display may be a slow blinking display at less than 1 Hz.

[0047] Fig. 4(b) is a graph for explaining the lighting timing of the stop notification display, which is a blinking display. The vertical axis of Fig. 4(b) indicates whether the stop notification display is lit or not, and the horizontal axis indicates time. Fig. 4(a) shows the lighting timing Tp, lighting time T1, and extinguishing time T2 of the stop notification display. As shown in Fig. 4(b), the blinking stop notification display alternates between lighting time T1 and extinguishing time T2 over time.

[0048] The notification control unit 15 makes the change over time of the stop notification sound correspond to the change over time of the stop notification display. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 4(a) and Fig. 4(b), the notification control unit 15 makes the timing of sounding the stop notification sound, which is an intermittent sound, correspond to the timing of lighting the stop notification display, which is a flashing display. That is, in Fig. 4(a) and Fig. 4(b), the timing Ts of sounding the stop notification sound and the timing Tp of lighting the stop notification display are the same timing. Also, the sound output time Ta can be the same time as the lighting time T1, and the sound stop time Tb can be the same time as the lighting time T2.

[0049] When the notification target recognition unit 11 recognizes a notification target around the vehicle M and the deceleration state determination unit 13 determines that the vehicle M during autonomous driving has entered a stopped state, the notification control unit 15 outputs a deceleration notification sound as a notification sound by the notification sound output unit 3 and displays a deceleration notification display as a notification display by the notification display unit 4.

[0050] The deceleration warning sound is a warning sound that is output when the vehicle M is decelerating. The deceleration warning sound may be a periodic sound whose volume or frequency changes over time. The deceleration warning sound may be, for example, an intermittent sound. The deceleration warning sound may be a sound that simulates the running sound or engine sound of the vehicle M, and may give the listener the impression that the vehicle M is approaching. The deceleration warning sound may be a less tense sound around 1 Hz (for example, greater than or equal to 0.8 Hz and less than 1.2 Hz).

[0051] The deceleration notification display is a display when the vehicle M is in a deceleration state. The deceleration notification display can be a periodic display in which the brightness or chromaticity changes over time. The deceleration notification display is, for example, a flashing display. The deceleration notification display may be a slow flashing display of 1 Hz or less, provided that it can be distinguished from the stop notification display. The deceleration notification display may be a flashing display that flashes from the top to the bottom of the front display device 40, or from the outside to the inside. The deceleration notification display may be a display in which an icon indicating the deceleration of the vehicle M moves.

[0052] When the deceleration warning sound is a periodic sound and the deceleration warning display is a periodic display, the warning control unit 15 matches the change over time of the deceleration warning sound with the change over time of the deceleration warning display (see Figures 4(a) and 4(b)).

[0053] When the notification target recognition unit 11 recognizes a notification target around the vehicle M and the start state determination unit 14 determines that the vehicle M, which is being driven autonomously, has entered a starting state, the notification control unit 15 outputs a starting notification sound as the notification sound by the notification sound output unit 3 and displays a starting notification display as the notification display by the notification display unit 4.

[0054] The start-up notification sound is a notification sound that is output when the vehicle M is in a starting state. The start-up notification sound may be a periodic sound whose volume or frequency changes over time. The start-up notification sound may be, for example, an intermittent sound. The start-up notification sound may be a sound that gives the impression that the driver notices that the vehicle M is about to start. The start-up notification sound may be a sound with a somewhat urgent feel, generally at 1.5 Hz or more.

[0055] The starting notification display is a display when the vehicle M is in a starting state. The starting notification display can be a periodic display in which the brightness or chromaticity changes over time. The starting notification display is, for example, a flashing display. The starting notification display may be a fast flashing display of 1 Hz or more. The starting notification display may be a flashing display from the bottom to the top of the front display device 40 or from the inside to the outside. The starting notification display may be a display in which an icon indicating the starting of the vehicle M moves.

[0056] When the starting alarm sound is a periodic sound and the starting alarm display is a periodic display, the alarm control unit 15 matches the change over time of the starting alarm sound with the change over time of the starting alarm display (see Figures 4(a) and 4(b)).

[0057] [Alarm device operation] Next, the operation of the notification device 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 5(a) is a flowchart showing an example of a notification process. The notification sound output process is executed, for example, when the vehicle M is in an autonomous driving state.

[0058] 5(a), the notification control ECU 10 of the notification device 100 performs detection by the external sensor 1 at S10. The notification control ECU 10 recognizes the detection result by the external sensor 1 of objects around the vehicle M, etc.

[0059] In S12, the notification control ECU 10 determines whether or not the notification target has been recognized by the notification target recognition unit 11. The notification target recognition unit 11 recognizes the notification target around the vehicle M based on the detection result of the external sensor 1. If the notification target has been recognized (S12: YES), the notification control ECU 10 proceeds to S14. If the notification target has not been recognized (S12: NO), the notification control ECU 10 ends this processing. After that, the notification control ECU 10 repeats the processing from S10 again after a certain time has elapsed.

[0060] In S14, the notification control ECU 10 performs notification processing by the notification control unit 15. The notification control unit 15 executes notification according to the state of the vehicle M. The notification processing is terminated when the notification target is no longer recognized.

[0061] Fig. 5(b) is a flowchart showing an example of a stop-time notification process, which is executed in the notification process shown in Fig. 5(a).

[0062] As shown in FIG. 5(a), the notification control ECU 10 detects the vehicle speed by the internal sensor 2 in S20. Then, in S22, the notification control ECU 10 determines whether or not the autonomously driven vehicle M has come to a stop by the stopped state determination unit 12. When the notification control ECU 10 determines that the vehicle M has come to a stop (S22: YES), the notification control ECU 10 proceeds to S24. When the notification control ECU 10 does not determine that the vehicle M has come to a stop (S22: NO), the notification control ECU 10 ends this processing. Then, if the notification processing is not released, the notification control ECU 10 repeats the processing from S20 again after a certain time has elapsed.

[0063] In S24, the notification control ECU 10 outputs a stop-time notification sound and a stop-time notification display in correspondence with each other through the notification control unit 15. The notification control unit 15 matches the sounding timing of the stop-time notification sound, which is an intermittent sound, with the lighting timing of the stop-time notification display, which is a flashing display.

[0064] Fig. 6(a) is a flowchart showing an example of the deceleration notification process, which is executed in the notification process shown in Fig. 5(a).

[0065] As shown in Fig. 6(a), the notification control ECU 10 detects acceleration by the internal sensor 2 in S30. Then, in S32, the notification control ECU 10 determines whether or not the vehicle M during automatic driving has entered a deceleration state by the deceleration state determination unit 13. When the notification control ECU 10 determines that the vehicle M has entered a deceleration state (S32: YES), the notification control ECU 10 proceeds to S34. When the notification control ECU 10 does not determine that the vehicle M has entered a deceleration state (S32: NO), the notification control ECU 10 ends this processing. Then, if the notification processing is not released, the notification control ECU 10 repeats the processing from S30 again after a certain time has elapsed.

[0066] In S34, the notification control ECU 10 outputs a deceleration notification sound and a deceleration notification display in correspondence with each other through the notification control unit 15. The notification control unit 15 matches the sounding timing of the stop notification sound, which is a periodic intermittent sound, with the lighting timing of the periodic stop notification display.

[0067] Fig. 6(b) is a flowchart showing an example of a start notification process. The start notification process is executed as part of the notification process shown in Fig. 5(a) when it is determined that the vehicle M is in a stopped state.

[0068] As shown in FIG. 6(b), the notification control ECU 10 detects the vehicle speed by the internal sensor 2 in S40. Then, in S42, the notification control ECU 10 determines whether or not the autonomously driven vehicle M has entered a starting state by the starting state determination unit 14. If the notification control ECU 10 determines that the vehicle M has entered a starting state (S42: YES), the notification control ECU 10 proceeds to S44. If the notification control ECU 10 does not determine that the vehicle M has entered a starting state (S42: NO), the notification control ECU 10 ends this processing. Then, if the notification processing is not canceled, the notification control ECU 10 repeats the processing from S40 again after a certain time has elapsed.

[0069] In S44, the notification control ECU 10 outputs a starting notification sound and a starting notification display in correspondence with each other through the notification control unit 15. The notification control unit 15 matches the timing of the periodic sound generation of the starting notification sound with the timing of the lighting of the starting notification display, which is a flashing display. The starting notification sound and the starting notification display are cancelled after a certain period of time has elapsed.

[0070] When the vehicle M is not in a stopped state, a decelerating state, or a starting state, the notification control ECU 10 may output a normal notification sound as it is in a normal driving state.

[0071] According to the alarm device 100 of this embodiment described above, when it is determined that the vehicle M during autonomous driving has come to a stop, the alarm sound by the alarm sound output unit 3 is switched from a driving alarm sound to a stopped alarm sound, and a stopped alarm display is output as an alarm display by the alarm display unit 4, so that surrounding pedestrians can be appropriately notified of the stopped state of the vehicle M by a display in addition to a sound.

[0072] In addition, by making the stop warning sound an intermittent sound, the alarm device 100 can give pedestrians around the vehicle M the impression that the vehicle M is stopped, making it easier for pedestrians to perceive the stopped state of the vehicle M.

[0073] Furthermore, according to the alarm device 100, a change in the stop alert sound, whose volume or frequency changes over time, corresponds to a change in the stop alert display, whose brightness or chromaticity changes over time, so that it becomes easier for pedestrians around the vehicle M to perceive the stopped state of the vehicle M. Also, when there are multiple vehicles, it becomes possible for pedestrians to perceive which vehicle is emitting the stop alert sound from the correspondence with the stop alert display.

[0074] Furthermore, according to the notification device 100, when it is determined that the autonomously driven vehicle M is in a decelerating state, a deceleration notification sound is output as the notification sound from the notification sound output unit 3 and a deceleration notification display is output as the notification display from the notification display unit 4, so that surrounding pedestrians can be appropriately notified of the deceleration state of the vehicle M. Similarly, according to the notification device 100, when it is determined that the autonomously driven vehicle M is in a starting state, a start-up notification sound is output as the notification sound from the notification sound output unit 3 and a start-up notification display is output as the notification display from the notification display unit 4, so that surrounding pedestrians can be appropriately notified of the starting state of the vehicle M.

[0075] Although the embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited to the above-mentioned embodiment. The present invention can be embodied in various forms including the above-mentioned embodiment and various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0076] The notification display unit 4 is not limited to a display device. The notification display unit 4 may be a lighting device (lamp). The type of lighting device is not particularly limited, but may be, for example, an LED [Light Emitting Diode]. As an example, the notification display unit 4 may be a lighting device for notification.

[0077] Fig. 7(a) is a diagram showing an example of a front mounting position when the notification display unit 4 is a lamp. Fig. 7(a) shows a front lamp 70A for notification. As shown in Fig. 7(a), the notification display unit 4 can have one front lamp 70A provided in the grill portion on the front of the vehicle M.

[0078] Fig. 7(b) is a diagram showing another example of the front mounting position when the notification display unit 4 is a lamp. Fig. 7(a) shows a front lamp 70B for notification. As shown in Fig. 7(b), the notification display unit 4 may have two front lamps 70B provided separately on the left and right sides of the grill portion on the front side of the vehicle M.

[0079] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a left side mounting position when the notification display unit 4 is a lamp. Fig. 8 shows a side lamp 71 for notification. As shown in Fig. 8, the notification display unit 4 may have a row of side lamps 71 extending in the front-to-rear direction of the vehicle M along the side of the vehicle M. The right side of the vehicle M may be similar. The notification display unit 4 may be provided only on the front of the vehicle M, only on both sides, or on the rear.

[0080] The notification device 100 does not necessarily have to include the notification target recognition unit 11. The notification device 100 may be configured to notify the state of the vehicle M during autonomous driving, regardless of whether or not the notification target around the vehicle M is recognized. The notification device 100 may provide notification according to the position of the vehicle M on a map. The notification device 100 may be configured to provide notification on general roads, for example, without providing notification on expressways.

[0081] The notification control unit 15 does not necessarily have to display the deceleration notification and may output only the deceleration notification sound. Similarly, the notification control unit 15 does not necessarily have to display the start notification and may output only the start notification sound.

[0082] Moreover, the notification device 100 does not necessarily have to determine the deceleration state. In this case, the notification device 100 does not necessarily have to include the deceleration state determination unit 13. Similarly, the notification device 100 does not necessarily have to determine the starting state. In this case, the notification device 100 does not necessarily have to include the starting state determination unit 14.

[0083] The stop notification sound is not limited to an intermittent sound. The stop notification sound may be a periodic sound that repeats loudness and volume among continuous sounds that continue to output sound. The stop notification sound may be a periodic sound that repeats high and low tones, or the volume may decrease to a certain value while repeating high and low tones. In addition, the stop notification sound does not necessarily have to change in volume or frequency over time. The stop notification sound may be a continuous sound that does not change over time. The above points are also the same for the deceleration notification sound and the starting notification sound. It is sufficient that the notification sound during normal driving, the stop notification sound, the deceleration notification sound, and the starting notification sound can be distinguished.

[0084] The stop notification display is not limited to a flashing display. The stop notification display may be a periodic display that alternates between high and low brightness without necessarily disappearing. The stop notification display may be a periodic display that alternates between changes in chromaticity (e.g., yellow and green). Furthermore, the stop notification display does not necessarily need to change in luminance or chromaticity over time. The stop notification display may be in a lit state that does not change over time. The above points are also true for the deceleration notification display and the starting notification display. It is sufficient that the stop notification display, deceleration notification display, and starting notification display can be distinguished from one another. [Explanation of symbols]

[0085] 1...external sensor, 2...internal sensor, 3...alarm sound output unit, 4...alarm display unit, 5...autonomous driving ECU, 10...alarm control ECU, 11...alarm target recognition unit, 12...stop state determination unit, 13...deceleration state determination unit, 14...start state determination unit, 15...alarm control unit, 100...alarm device.

Claims

1. An alarm device provided in a vehicle traveling by automatic driving and notifying people around the vehicle, an alarm sound output unit provided in the vehicle and configured to output an alarm sound toward an outside of the vehicle; a notification display unit provided in the vehicle and configured to output a notification display toward an outside of the vehicle; an alert control unit that controls the alert sound of the alert sound output unit and the alert display of the alert display unit; a stop state determination unit that determines whether the vehicle during the autonomous driving has come to a stop; a starting state determination unit that determines whether the vehicle being automatically driven has entered a starting state; Equipped with the starting state determination unit determines that the vehicle has entered the starting state when the vehicle speed of the vehicle that has been stopped becomes equal to or greater than a starting threshold, and determines that the vehicle that has been stopped is scheduled to start within a certain time period based on a vehicle speed profile generated from the position of the vehicle on a map and map information in order to perform the automated driving along a target route manually set by an occupant of the vehicle, regardless of the vehicle speed of the vehicle; When the stop state determination unit determines that the vehicle during the autonomous driving has entered a stop state, the notification control unit outputs a stop-time notification sound as the notification sound by the notification sound output unit and outputs a stop-time notification display as the notification display by the notification display unit, and when the start state determination unit determines that the vehicle during the autonomous driving has entered a start state, the notification control unit outputs a start-time notification sound as the notification sound by the notification sound output unit, The stop warning sound is an intermittent sound directed to the outside of the vehicle, The start-up warning sound is an intermittent sound directed outside the vehicle.

2. 2. The notification device according to claim 1, wherein the notification display unit is a display device provided on a front surface or both sides of the vehicle, and the notification sound output unit is a speaker provided on the front surface or both sides of the vehicle.

3. The volume or frequency of the stop notification sound changes over time, The stop notification display changes in luminance or chromaticity over time, The notification device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification control unit causes the change in the stop notification sound to correspond to the change in the stop notification display.

4. The stop notification display is a flashing display, The notification device according to claim 3 , wherein the notification control unit makes a timing of sounding the stop notification sound, which is an intermittent sound, correspond to a timing of lighting the stop notification display, which is a flashing display.

5. A deceleration state determination unit that determines whether the vehicle during the autonomous driving is in a deceleration state, The notification control unit outputs a deceleration notification sound as the notification sound of the notification sound output unit when the deceleration state determination unit determines that the vehicle during the autonomous driving is in a deceleration state.

6. The notification device according to claim 1 , wherein the stop notification sound is a sound in which sound output and sound output stop are alternately repeated over time.

7. The notification device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the notification control unit outputs a driving notification sound similar to an engine sound when the vehicle is in a driving state during automatic driving.

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