Vehicle control device

Abstract

To secure safety of a vehicle by appropriately executing each kind of control when simultaneously executing a plurality of kinds of control.SOLUTION: A control device 100 comprises: a first control section 120 capable of executing first control for giving a first warning to a crew member of a vehicle in response to establishment of a first execution condition; a second control section 130 capable of executing second control for controlling braking or steering of the vehicle and giving a second warning to the crew member in response to establishment of a second execution condition; a third control section 150 capable of executing third control for reducing a speed of or stopping the vehicle and giving a third warning in response to detection of abnormality of the crew member; and an arbitration section 170 which arbitrates the execution of the first control, the second control and the third control. The arbitration section 170 prioritizes the execution of the third control over the first control in a case where the execution conditions of the first control and the third control are established, and prioritizes the execution of the second control over the third control in a case where the execution conditions of the second control and the third control are established.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, efforts to provide access to sustainable transport systems that also take vulnerable transport participants into consideration have been gaining momentum. As part of these efforts, research and development is being conducted on driver assistance and autonomous driving technologies for automobiles and other vehicles to improve transport safety and convenience.

[0003] One example of driving assistance technology is a technology that automatically stops (or parks) the vehicle when it detects that the driver has fallen into an abnormal state in which he or she has lost the ability to drive the vehicle (for example, falling asleep at the wheel or experiencing mental and physical dysfunction).

[0004] The following Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which the operating mode of deceleration control, which automatically decelerates the vehicle in response to a determination that there is a possibility of a collision, is changed from the normal mode, in which no abnormality is detected, to a special mode when an abnormality in the driver is detected, and in the special mode, the range in which objects around the vehicle are identified as potential collision targets is expanded compared to the normal mode. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-88213 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0006] However, in conventional technology, there has been no sufficient consideration given to which control should be given priority when the conditions for executing multiple driving assistance controls are met at the same time, leaving room for improvement in terms of improving vehicle safety.

[0007] The present invention provides a vehicle control device that can appropriately control the vehicle and improve the safety of the vehicle even if execution conditions for a plurality of controls related to driving assistance are met at the same time. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] One aspect of the present invention is A vehicle control device that controls a vehicle, A recognition unit that recognizes a surrounding situation of the vehicle; a first control unit capable of executing a first control for issuing a first warning to an occupant of the vehicle in response to a first execution condition being established based on a recognition result of the recognition unit; a second control unit capable of executing a second control for controlling braking or steering of the vehicle and issuing a second warning to the occupant in response to a second execution condition being established based on a recognition result of the recognition unit; an occupant abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality of the occupant; a third control unit capable of executing a third control for decelerating or stopping the vehicle and issuing a third warning in response to the abnormality of the occupant being detected by the occupant abnormality detection unit; an arbitration unit that arbitrates execution of the first control, the second control, and the third control; Equipped with The arbitration unit is When the execution conditions of the first control and the third control are satisfied, the third control is executed in preference to the first control; When the execution conditions of the second control and the third control are satisfied, the second control is executed in preference to the third control. 、 When the first execution condition is satisfied during execution of the third control, the third control is continued; When the second execution condition is satisfied during execution of the third control, the third control is interrupted or stopped, and the second control is executed. R, A vehicle control device. Another aspect of the present invention is A vehicle control device that controls a vehicle, A recognition unit that recognizes a surrounding situation of the vehicle; a first control unit capable of executing a first control for issuing a first warning to an occupant of the vehicle in response to a first execution condition being established based on a recognition result of the recognition unit; a second control unit capable of executing a second control for controlling braking or steering of the vehicle and issuing a second warning to the occupant in response to a second execution condition being established based on a recognition result of the recognition unit; an occupant abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality of the occupant; a third control unit capable of executing a third control for decelerating or stopping the vehicle and issuing a third warning in response to the abnormality of the occupant being detected by the occupant abnormality detection unit; an arbitration unit that arbitrates execution of the first control, the second control, and the third control; Equipped with The arbitration unit is When the execution conditions of the first control and the third control are satisfied, the third control is executed in preference to the first control; When the execution conditions of the second control and the third control are satisfied, the second control is executed in preference to the third control; The occupant abnormality detection unit detects an abnormality in the occupant in response to a first detection condition being satisfied and a second detection condition being further satisfied after the first detection condition is satisfied, The vehicle control device includes: a fourth control unit capable of executing a fourth control to issue a fourth warning to the occupant during a period from when the first detection condition is satisfied to when the second detection condition is satisfied, The arbitration unit is The execution of the fourth control is further arbitrated, When the execution conditions of the first control and the fourth control are satisfied, the first control is executed in preference to the fourth control. A vehicle control device. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, a vehicle control device can be provided that can appropriately control the vehicle and improve the safety of the vehicle even if execution conditions for a plurality of controls related to driving assistance are met at the same time. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a vehicle system 1 including a control device 100 according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a forward crossing vehicle warning control performed by the control device 100. FIG. [Diagram 3] 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of collision reduction control by the control device 100. FIG. [Figure 4] 5 is a diagram showing an example of occupant abnormality response control and occupant abnormality detection time control by the control device 100. FIG. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of arbitration of each control by the control device 100. [Figure 6] 1 is a flowchart (part 1) illustrating an example of processing executed by the control device 100. [Figure 7] 11 is a flowchart (part 2) illustrating an example of the process executed by the control device 100. [Figure 8] 11A and 11B are diagrams illustrating an example of execution conditions for collision reduction control when an abnormality in the driver is not detected and when an abnormality in the driver is detected. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle control device of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following embodiment does not limit the invention described in the claims, and not all combinations of features described in the embodiment are necessarily essential to the invention. Two or more features among the multiple features described in the embodiment may be arbitrarily combined. In addition, in the following, the same or similar elements are given the same or similar symbols, and their description may be omitted or simplified as appropriate. In addition, the drawings should be viewed in the direction of the symbols.

[0012] <Overall configuration of vehicle system 1> 1 is a block diagram showing an overall configuration of a vehicle system 1 including a control device 100 which is an embodiment of a vehicle control device of the present invention. A vehicle on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted is hereinafter referred to as "own vehicle M". The own vehicle M is, for example, a two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled automobile, and its drive source is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination of these. The electric motor operates using power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, or discharged power from a secondary battery or a fuel cell.

[0013] The vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, a vehicle sensor 40, a driver monitor camera 50, a navigation device 60, an MPU (Map Positioning Unit) 70, a driving operator 80, a turn signal 91 (hazard lamp 93), a horn device 92, a control device 100, a driving force output device 200, a brake device 210, a steering device 220, and an electric parking brake device 230. These devices and equipment are connected to each other, for example, by a multiplex communication line such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication line, a serial communication line, or a wireless communication network.

[0014] The camera 10 is a digital camera using a solid-state imaging element such as a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS), and captures an image of the surroundings of the host vehicle M. The camera 10 is attached to the host vehicle M at an arbitrary position.

[0015] The radar device 12 emits radio waves such as millimeter waves to the periphery of the host vehicle M and detects radio waves reflected by an object (reflected waves) to detect at least the position (distance and direction) of the object. The radar device 12 is attached to an arbitrary location of the host vehicle M.

[0016] The LIDAR 14 irradiates light (or electromagnetic waves with a wavelength close to that of light) around the host vehicle M and measures the scattered light. The LIDAR 14 detects the distance to the target based on the time between emitting and receiving the light. The irradiated light is, for example, a pulsed laser light. The LIDAR 14 is attached to an arbitrary position of the host vehicle M. Also, the host vehicle M does not necessarily have to be equipped with the LIDAR 14.

[0017] The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on some or all of the detection results of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to recognize the position, type, speed, etc. of an object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition result to the control device 100. The object recognition device 16 may output the detection results of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 directly to the control device 100. In addition, when the host vehicle M is not equipped with the LIDAR 14, the object recognition device 16 may perform sensor fusion processing on the detection results of the camera 10 and the radar device 12 to recognize the position, etc. of an object.

[0018] The communication device 20 communicates with other vehicles in the vicinity of the vehicle M, for example, using a cellular network, a Wi-Fi (registered trademark) network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), etc., or communicates with various server devices via a wireless base station.

[0019] The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupants of the vehicle M and accepts input operations by the occupants. The HMI 30 has various display devices including an MID (Multi Information Display) 31a, various audio devices including a speaker 31b, various operators including an SOS button 32, and the like.

[0020] The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the traveling speed (hereinafter also referred to as "vehicle speed") of the host vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects the angular velocity around a vertical axis, and a direction sensor that detects the direction of the host vehicle M.

[0021] The driver monitor camera 50 is a digital camera using a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD or a CMOS. The driver monitor camera 50 is attached to an arbitrary location of the vehicle M in a position and orientation that allows the head of a passenger (hereinafter also referred to as a "driver") seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle M to be imaged from the front (i.e., in an orientation that images the face).

[0022] The navigation device 60 includes, for example, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver 61, a navigation HMI 62, and a route determination unit 63. The navigation device 60 holds first map information 64 in a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a flash memory.

[0023] The GNSS receiver 61 determines the position of the host vehicle M based on signals received from GNSS satellites. The position of the host vehicle M may be determined or supplemented by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) that uses outputs from the vehicle sensors 40.

[0024] The navigation HMI 62 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, keys, etc. The navigation HMI 62 may be partially or entirely shared with the HMI 30 described above.

[0025] The route determination unit 63 determines, for example, a route (hereinafter also referred to as a "route on the map") from the position of the vehicle M specified by the GNSS receiver 61 (or any input position) to a destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 62, by referring to the first map information 64. The first map information 64 is, for example, information in which road shapes are expressed by links indicating roads and nodes connected by the links. The first map information 64 may include information such as road curvature and POI (Point Of Interest) information. The route on the map is output to the MPU 70.

[0026] The navigation device 60 may provide route guidance based on the route on the map using the navigation HMI 62. The navigation device 60 may transmit the current position and the destination to a navigation server via the communication device 20, and obtain a route equivalent to the route on the map from the navigation server.

[0027] The MPU 70 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 71, and holds second map information 72 in a storage device such as an HDD or a flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 71 divides the route on the map provided by the navigation device 60 into a plurality of blocks (for example, divided into 100 m intervals in the vehicle travel direction), and determines a recommended lane for each block by referring to the second map information 72. The recommended lane determination unit 71 determines, for example, which lane from the left the vehicle should travel in. When a branch point is present on the route on the map, the recommended lane determination unit 71 determines a recommended lane so that the host vehicle M can travel along a reasonable route to proceed to the branch point.

[0028] The second map information 72 is map information with higher accuracy than the first map information 64. The second map information 72 includes, for example, information on the center of lanes or information on boundaries of lanes. The second map information 72 may also include road information, traffic regulation information, address information, facility information, telephone number information, and the like. The second map information 72 may be updated at any time by the communication device 20 communicating with another device.

[0029] The driving operators 80 include, for example, a steering wheel 82, as well as a turn signal lever, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, and other operators. The driving operators 80 are fitted with sensors that detect the amount of operation or the presence or absence of operation, and the detection results are output to some or all of the control device 100, the driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device 220.

[0030] The steering wheel 82 does not necessarily have to be annular, and may be in the form of an irregular steering wheel, a joystick, buttons, etc. A steering grip sensor 84 is attached to the steering wheel 82. The steering grip sensor 84 is realized by a capacitance sensor or the like, and outputs a signal to the control device 100 that can detect whether the driver is gripping the steering wheel 82 or not.

[0031] The turn signals 91 are direction indicators constituted by lamps (lamp bodies) and the like that are provided on the left side (e.g., the left front and left rear) and the right side (e.g., the right front and right rear) of the vehicle M so as to be visible from outside the vehicle M. The turn signals 91 are turned on or off in response to the operation of a turn signal lever that is provided so as to be operable by the driver.

[0032] The turn signals 91 can also function as hazard lamps 93 that notify people outside the vehicle of the presence of the vehicle M or the occurrence of an abnormality by causing the respective lamps provided on the left and right sides of the vehicle M to flash simultaneously (hereinafter also referred to as "hazard flashing"). The hazard lamps 93 are an example of a notification device. Note that, in this embodiment, the hazard lamps 93 are realized by the turn signals 91, but the hazard lamps 93 may be realized by lamps other than the turn signals 91.

[0033] The horn device 92 notifies the outside of the vehicle of the presence of the host vehicle M or the occurrence of an abnormality by blowing the horn (hereinafter also referred to as "horn blowing"). The horn device 92 is another example of a notification device.

[0034] The driving force output device 200 outputs a driving force (torque) for driving the host vehicle M to the wheels (specifically, the drive wheels, for example the front wheels). The driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a transmission, etc., and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls these. The ECU of the driving force output device 200 controls the above configuration according to information input from the control device 100 or information input from the driving operator 80.

[0035] Brake device 210 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor of brake device 210 according to information input from control device 100 or information input from driving operator 80, so that a brake torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel.

[0036] The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor of the steering device 220 applies a force to, for example, a rack and pinion mechanism to change the direction of the steered wheels. The steering ECU drives the electric motor of the steering device 220 in accordance with information input from the control device 100 or information input from the driving operator 80 to change the direction of the steered wheels.

[0037] The electric parking brake device 230 includes, for example, an electric motor that generates a gripping force (braking force) acting on a brake caliper by driving brake pads to grip the brake caliper of a wheel (e.g., a rear wheel, i.e., a non-driven wheel) of the host vehicle M, and an electric parking brake ECU (hereinafter also referred to as "EPB-ECU"). The EPB-ECU controls the electric motor of the electric parking brake device 230 in accordance with information input from the control device 100 or information input from the driving operation device 80, and fixes the wheels of the host vehicle M. In other words, the electric parking brake device 230 is configured to be able to fix the wheels by electronic control.

[0038] The control device 100 is a computer that controls the entire vehicle M, and includes, for example, a recognition unit 110, a first control unit 120, a second control unit 130, an occupant abnormality detection unit 140, a third control unit 150, and a fourth control unit 160. The functional units of the recognition unit 110, the first control unit 120, the second control unit 130, the occupant abnormality detection unit 140, the third control unit 150, the fourth control unit 160, and the arbitration unit 170 are realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). In addition, some or all of these may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by cooperation between software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device such as a HDD or flash memory of the control device 100.

[0039] The recognition unit 110 recognizes the surrounding situation of the host vehicle M based on information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 via the object recognition device 16. Specifically, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the position of an object in the vicinity of the host vehicle M, and the running state of the object, such as the speed and acceleration. The position of the object is recognized as a position on an absolute coordinate system with a representative point of the host vehicle M (such as the center of gravity or the center of the drive shaft) as the origin, and is used for control. The position of the object may be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the object, or may be represented by an area. The "state" of the object may include the acceleration or jerk of the object, or the "behavior state" (for example, whether or not the object is changing lanes or is about to change lanes). The objects recognized by the recognition unit 110 include, for example, another vehicle (hereinafter also referred to as "preceding vehicle") M1 traveling ahead of the host vehicle M. Here, the preceding vehicle can be a vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle M in the same lane as the host vehicle M (for example, the host vehicle lane L1 described later).

[0040] The recognition unit 110 also recognizes, for example, the driving environment in which the host vehicle M is traveling. As an example, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the driving lane of the host vehicle M (hereinafter also referred to as "host vehicle lane L1") by comparing a pattern of road dividing lines (for example, an arrangement of solid lines and dashed lines) obtained from the second map information 72 with a pattern of road dividing lines around the host vehicle M recognized from an image captured by the camera 10. The recognition unit 110 may recognize the driving lane by recognizing road boundaries (road boundaries) including not only road dividing lines but also road dividing lines, road shoulders, curbs, median strips, guard rails, etc. In this recognition, the position of the host vehicle M obtained from the navigation device 60 and the processing results by the INS may be taken into consideration. The recognition unit 110 may further recognize a predetermined stop position where the host vehicle M should stop, such as a stop line (including a stop line), a toll booth, or an obstacle on the road.

[0041] Furthermore, when recognizing the driving lane, for example, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the position and attitude of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane. As an example, the recognition unit 110 may recognize the deviation of the reference point of the host vehicle M from the center of the lane and the angle with respect to a line connecting the centers of the lanes in the traveling direction of the host vehicle M as the relative position and attitude of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane. Alternatively, the recognition unit 110 may recognize the position of the reference point of the host vehicle M with respect to either side end of the driving lane (a road dividing line or a road boundary) as the relative position of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane.

[0042] The first control unit 120 has a function capable of executing a first control to issue a first warning to an occupant (e.g., the driver) of the host vehicle M in response to the first execution condition being established based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 110. Here, the first execution condition is, for example, that an object that may cause a collision with the host vehicle M is detected in the vicinity of the host vehicle M. In addition, the first warning is, for example, a warning that notifies that an object that may cause a collision with the host vehicle M is present in the vicinity of the host vehicle M.

[0043] As an example, the first control will be described below as a front cross traffic alert (FCTA) control. The execution condition of the front cross traffic alert control is that, as shown in Fig. 2, when the host vehicle M is traveling at a low speed through an intersection CP or when the host vehicle M starts from a stopped state at the intersection CP, another vehicle (hereinafter also referred to as a "crossing vehicle") M2 approaching the host vehicle M from the front left or right (in the illustrated example, the front right) is detected.

[0044] When the first control unit 120 executes forward crossing vehicle warning control in response to the above-mentioned execution condition being satisfied, as an example of the first warning, it causes the MID 31a to display a warning image G1 calling attention to the crossing vehicle M2 ahead, and causes the speaker 31b to output a predetermined warning sound.

[0045] The second control unit 130 has a function capable of executing a second control that controls braking or steering of the host vehicle M and issues a second warning to the occupant in response to the second execution condition being established based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 110. Here, the second execution condition is, for example, detection of an object that may collide with the host vehicle M in the vicinity of the host vehicle M, similar to the first execution condition. Also, the second warning is, for example, a warning that notifies the presence of an object that may collide with the host vehicle M in the vicinity of the host vehicle M, similar to the first warning. And, the second control further includes, for example, a driving control of the host vehicle M to avoid a collision with the object that may collide with the host vehicle M.

[0046] As an example, the second control will be described below as a collision mitigation brake system (CMBS). The execution condition of the collision mitigation control is that, as shown in Fig. 3, an object that may collide with the host vehicle M, such as a leading vehicle M1 traveling in the host vehicle lane L1, is detected ahead of the host vehicle M while the host vehicle M is traveling.

[0047] When the second control unit 130 executes the collision mitigation control in response to the establishment of the above-mentioned execution condition, it causes the MID 31a to display an alarm image G2 instructing the driver to perform a braking operation as an example of a second alarm, and causes the speaker 31b to output a predetermined alarm sound. Furthermore, when the second control unit 130 executes the collision mitigation control, it may automatically brake the host vehicle M depending on the distance from the host vehicle M to an object that may collide with the host vehicle M (in the illustrated example, the preceding vehicle M1). Furthermore, at this time, the second control unit 130 may also control the steering of the host vehicle M so as to avoid a collision with the object that may collide with the host vehicle M.

[0048] The occupant abnormality detection unit 140 detects an abnormality in the driver of the vehicle M based on the operation of the SOS button 32, the image of the driver captured by the driver monitor camera 50, and the signal from the steering grip sensor 84. Here, the abnormality in the driver refers to a state in which the driver is highly likely to be unable to perform safe driving operations, such as a state in which the driver loses consciousness due to sudden illness or fainting, or a state in which the driver is unable to concentrate on driving due to dozing or looking away.

[0049] In this embodiment, the occupant abnormality detection unit 140 detects an abnormality in the driver in response to the first detection condition being satisfied and the second detection condition being further satisfied after the first detection condition being satisfied. Here, the first detection condition is, for example, the detection of a predetermined state in which it is considered that the driver cannot perform a safe driving operation, such as the driver losing his / her posture, closing his / her eyes, or removing both hands from the steering wheel 82. In addition, the second detection condition is, for example, the absence of a predetermined cancellation operation within a certain time (for example, within 5 seconds) after the first detection condition is satisfied.

[0050] That is, in this embodiment, the occupant abnormality detection unit 140 detects an abnormality in the driver when a collapse of the driver's posture or the like is detected and a cancel operation is not performed within a certain period of time thereafter. In this embodiment, pressing the SOS button 32 during the period from when the first detection condition is satisfied to when the second detection condition is satisfied is regarded as a cancel operation. Note that, for example, when the SOS button 32 is pressed before the first detection condition is satisfied, the occupant abnormality detection unit 140 may detect an abnormality in the driver at that time point.

[0051] The third control unit 150 has a function capable of executing a third control for decelerating or stopping the host vehicle M and issuing a third warning in response to the detection of an abnormality in the driver by the occupant abnormality detection unit 140, that is, the establishment of the second detection condition. Here, the third warning is, for example, a warning that notifies traffic participants around the host vehicle M that an abnormality has occurred in the driver of the host vehicle M. In addition, the third control includes, for example, a driving control of the host vehicle M, such as gradually decelerating the host vehicle M in the host vehicle lane L1 until the host vehicle M stops. By performing such a third control in response to the detection of an abnormality in the driver, it is possible to safely stop the host vehicle M and quickly rescue the driver of the host vehicle M. Note that the third control may further include a control for fixing the wheels of the stopped host vehicle M by the electric parking brake device 230.

[0052] As an example, the third control will be described below as an occupant abnormality response control. A specific example of the occupant abnormality response control will be described later.

[0053] The fourth control unit 160 has a function capable of executing a fourth control for issuing a fourth warning to the driver during the period from when the first detection condition is satisfied to when the second detection condition is satisfied. Here, the fourth warning is, for example, a warning that notifies the driver that the first detection condition is satisfied and / or a warning that the third control will be started. As an example, the fourth control will be described below as a control at the time of detection of an abnormality in an occupant.

[0054] An example of the occupant abnormality response control and the occupant abnormality detection time control will be specifically described with reference to Fig. 4. In the example of Fig. 4, it is assumed that an abnormality occurs in the driver at time t1, the first detection condition is satisfied at time t2 after time t1, and the second detection condition is satisfied at time t3 after time t2.

[0055] In the example of FIG. 4, the fourth control unit 160 executes the occupant abnormality detection control (i.e., the fourth control) during the period from time t2 to time t3. When the fourth control unit 160 executes the occupant abnormality detection control, as an example of the fourth warning, as shown in FIG. 4(a), it notifies the MID 31a of the start of the occupant abnormality response control and displays a message informing about the cancellation operation (in the illustrated example, the message is "A driver abnormality has been detected. The vehicle will decelerate soon. Press the SOS button to cancel."). This makes it possible to prompt the driver to perform a cancellation operation if no abnormality has occurred in the driver (in other words, if the driver does not want the occupant abnormality response control to be activated).

[0056] Then, if a cancel operation is not performed by time t3 when a certain time has elapsed from time t2, the third control unit 150 executes occupant abnormality response control (i.e., the third control) from time t3. When the third control unit 150 executes the occupant abnormality response control, it gradually decelerates the host vehicle M within the host vehicle lane L1 until the host vehicle M stops. At this time, the third control unit 150 gradually decelerates the host vehicle M while controlling the steering of the host vehicle M so that the host vehicle M does not depart from the host vehicle lane L1, for example. Then, in the example of FIG. 4, at time t4 after time t3, the host vehicle M is stopped in the host vehicle lane L1 by the occupant abnormality response control.

[0057] In addition, when the third control unit 150 executes occupant abnormality response control, as an example of a third alarm, it issues an in-vehicle notification by displaying a message on MID 31a informing the driver that an abnormality in the driver has been detected and therefore occupant abnormality response control is being executed (in the illustrated example, the message is "Driver abnormality has been detected. Decelerating."), as shown in (b) of Figure 4.

[0058] Furthermore, when the third control unit 150 executes the occupant abnormality response control, as another example of the third alarm, it also performs vehicle exterior notification by sounding the horn and flashing the hazard lights. By performing such vehicle exterior notification, it is possible to notify traffic participants around the vehicle M that an abnormality has occurred in the driver of the vehicle M.

[0059] Furthermore, when the third control unit 150 executes the occupant abnormality response control, it may control the communication device 20 or the like to transmit predetermined emergency call information to a predetermined external device, such as a terminal device or a server device of a call center managed by the manufacturer of the vehicle M. Here, the emergency call information includes, for example, information indicating that an abnormality has occurred in the driver of the vehicle M and information indicating the current position of the vehicle M. This makes it possible to urge an employee of the call center or the like to arrange an emergency vehicle such as an ambulance to rescue the driver of the vehicle M. In addition, the third control unit 150 may transmit the emergency call information at the time when an abnormality in the driver is detected by pressing the SOS button 32, and transmit the emergency call information at the time when the vehicle M is stopped when an abnormality in the driver is detected by an image captured by the driver monitor camera 50. This makes it possible to transmit the emergency call information at an appropriate timing.

[0060] However, it may occur that the execution conditions of the forward crossing vehicle warning control (i.e., the first control), the collision mitigation control (i.e., the second control), and the occupant abnormality response control (i.e., the third control) are satisfied at the same time. From the viewpoint of ensuring the safety of the vehicle M, it is desirable to appropriately control the vehicle M even if the execution conditions of a plurality of controls related to driving assistance are satisfied at the same time.

[0061] Therefore, in this embodiment, the control device 100 further includes an arbitration unit 170 that arbitrates the execution of the forward crossing vehicle warning control (i.e., the first control), the collision mitigation control (i.e., the second control), and the occupant abnormality response control (i.e., the third control). Furthermore, the arbitration unit 170 may be configured to be capable of arbitrating the execution of the occupant abnormality detection time control.

[0062] <An example of arbitration of each control by the arbitration unit 170> An example of the arbitration of each control by the arbitration unit 170 will be specifically described with reference to Fig. 5. As shown in (a) of Fig. 5, when an execution condition for collision mitigation control (i.e., the second execution condition) is satisfied while no abnormality in the driver is detected (i.e., before the second detection condition is satisfied), the arbitration unit 170 causes the second control unit 130 to execute the collision mitigation control. That is, in this case, an alarm related to the collision mitigation control (for example, display of the alarm image G2 shown in Fig. 3) is issued, and the host vehicle M may be automatically braked as the travel control of the host vehicle M related to the collision mitigation control.

[0063] 5(b), if the execution condition for collision mitigation control is satisfied when an abnormality in the driver is detected (i.e., after the second detection condition is satisfied), the arbitration unit 170 interrupts or stops the occupant abnormality response control by the third control unit 150 that was started in response to the detection of the abnormality in the driver, and executes the collision mitigation control by the second control unit 130. That is, in this case as well, an alarm related to the collision mitigation control is issued, and the host vehicle M can be automatically braked as the driving control of the host vehicle M related to the collision mitigation control.

[0064] 5(c), when an execution condition for the forward crossing vehicle warning control (i.e., a first execution condition) is satisfied while no abnormality in the driver is detected, the arbitration unit 170 causes the first control unit 120 to execute the forward crossing vehicle warning control. That is, in this case, a warning related to the forward crossing vehicle warning control (for example, display of the warning image G1 shown in FIG. 2) is issued.

[0065] 5(d), if the execution condition for the forward crossing vehicle warning control is satisfied when an abnormality in the driver is detected, the arbitration unit 170 does not cause the first control unit 120 to execute the forward crossing vehicle warning control, and causes the third control unit 150 to continue the occupant abnormality response control. That is, in this case, even after the execution condition for the forward crossing vehicle warning control is satisfied, a warning related to the occupant abnormality response control shown in FIG. 4(b) is issued, and the deceleration of the host vehicle M is continued (or the stopped state is maintained) as the driving control of the host vehicle M related to the occupant abnormality response control.

[0066] <Processing by the control device 100> Next, an example of the process executed by the control device 100 will be described with reference to Fig. 6 and Fig. 7. For example, when the ignition power supply of the host vehicle M is on, the control device 100 executes the process shown in Fig. 6 and Fig. 7 at a predetermined cycle.

[0067] 6, the control device 100 first determines whether or not a first detection condition, which is a condition for executing control when an occupant abnormality is detected, is satisfied (step S1). If it is determined that the first detection condition is not satisfied (step S1: NO), the control device 100 proceeds to processing in step S4, which will be described later.

[0068] If it is determined that the first detection condition is satisfied (step S1: YES), the control device 100 determines whether or not control other than the occupant abnormality detection control, such as forward crossing vehicle warning control or collision reduction control, is being executed (step S2). If it is determined that control other than the occupant abnormality detection control is being executed (step S2: YES), the control device 100 proceeds to processing in step S4, which will be described later. On the other hand, if it is determined that control other than the occupant abnormality detection control is not being executed (step S2: NO), the control device 100 starts the occupant abnormality detection control (step S3).

[0069] Next, the control device 100 judges whether or not a second detection condition, which is a condition for executing occupant abnormality response control, is satisfied (step S4). If it is judged that the second detection condition is not satisfied (step S4: NO), the control device 100 proceeds to the processing of step S9 described later. On the other hand, if it is judged that the second detection condition is satisfied (step S4: YES), the control device 100 judges whether or not collision mitigation control is being executed (step S5). If it is judged that collision mitigation control is being executed (step S5: YES), the control device 100 proceeds to the processing of step S9 described later.

[0070] When it is determined that the collision mitigation control is not being executed (step S5: NO), the control device 100 determines whether or not the forward cross vehicle warning control is being executed (step S6). When it is determined that the forward cross vehicle warning control is being executed (step S6: YES), the control device 100 stops the forward cross vehicle warning control (step S7), starts the occupant abnormality response control (step S8), and proceeds to the processing of step S9 described later. On the other hand, when it is determined that the forward cross vehicle warning control is not being executed (step S6: NO), the control device 100 starts the occupant abnormality response control as it is (step S8), and proceeds to the processing of step S9 described later.

[0071] Next, the control device 100 judges whether or not the execution condition of the collision mitigation control is satisfied. If it is judged that the execution condition of the collision mitigation control is not satisfied (step S9: NO), the control device 100 proceeds to the processing of step S13 described later. On the other hand, if it is judged that the execution condition of the collision mitigation control is satisfied (step S9: YES), the control device 100 judges whether or not a control other than the collision mitigation control, such as an occupant abnormality response control, a forward crossing vehicle warning control, or an occupant abnormality detection time control, is being executed (step S10).

[0072] If it is determined that a control other than the collision reduction control is being executed (step S10: YES), the control device 100 stops the control being executed (step S11), executes the collision reduction control (step S12), and proceeds to the processing of step S13 described later. On the other hand, if it is determined that a control other than the collision reduction control is not being executed (step S10: NO), the control device 100 proceeds directly to the processing of step S13 described later.

[0073] Next, the control device 100 judges whether or not the execution condition of the forward crossing vehicle warning control is satisfied. When it is judged that the execution condition of the forward crossing vehicle warning control is not satisfied (step S13: NO), the control device 100 proceeds to the processing of step S18 described later. On the other hand, when it is judged that the execution condition of the forward crossing vehicle warning control is satisfied (step S13: YES), the control device 100 judges whether or not the collision mitigation control or the occupant abnormality response control is being executed (step S14). When it is judged that the collision mitigation control or the occupant abnormality response control is being executed (step S14: YES), the control device 100 proceeds to the processing of step S18 described later.

[0074] When it is determined that the collision mitigation control or the occupant abnormality response control is not being executed (step S14: NO), the control device 100 determines whether or not the occupant abnormality detection control is being executed (step S15). When it is determined that the occupant abnormality detection control is being executed (step S15: YES), the control device 100 stops the occupant abnormality detection control (step S17) and executes the forward crossing vehicle warning control (step S18). On the other hand, when it is determined that the occupant abnormality detection control is not being executed (step S15: NO), the control device 100 continues to execute the forward crossing vehicle warning control (step S18).

[0075] Next, the control device 100 judges whether or not the occupant abnormality detection control is being executed (step S18). If it is judged that the occupant abnormality detection control is not being executed (step S18: NO), the control device 100 ends the series of processes. If it is judged that the occupant abnormality detection control is being executed (step S18: YES), the control device 100 judges whether or not a cancel operation has been performed (step S19). If it is judged that a cancel operation has not been performed (step S19: NO), the control device 100 ends the series of processes.

[0076] On the other hand, when it is determined that a cancel operation has been performed (step S19: YES), the control device 100 ends the occupant abnormality detection time control (step S20) and ends the series of processes.

[0077] As described above, when the execution conditions of the forward cross vehicle warning control (i.e., the first control) and the occupant abnormality response control (i.e., the third control) are satisfied, the control device 100 executes the occupant abnormality response control in preference to the forward cross vehicle warning control. In a state where an abnormality occurs in the driver, even if the forward cross vehicle warning control is executed, it is difficult for the driver to take some action in response to the warning by the forward cross vehicle warning control. Therefore, when the execution conditions of the forward cross vehicle warning control and the occupant abnormality response control are satisfied, the control device 100 executes the occupant abnormality response control including the driving control of automatically decelerating or stopping the host vehicle M in preference. As a result, even if the execution conditions of the forward cross vehicle warning control and the occupant abnormality response control are satisfied at the same time, the host vehicle M can be appropriately controlled by the occupant abnormality response control that can lead to improved safety, thereby improving safety.

[0078] Furthermore, when the execution conditions for the collision reduction control (i.e., the second control) and the occupant abnormality response control (i.e., the third control) are met, the control device 100 executes the collision reduction control in preference to the occupant abnormality response control. It is considered that the collision reduction control, which includes driving control such as braking or steering the vehicle M, can contribute to improving safety even more than the occupant abnormality response control. Therefore, by executing the collision reduction control in preference to the collision reduction control in preference to the occupant abnormality response control when the execution conditions for the collision reduction control and the occupant abnormality response control are met, the control device 100 can appropriately control the vehicle M by the collision reduction control that can lead to improved safety even if these execution conditions are met at the same time, thereby improving safety.

[0079] Furthermore, when an execution condition (i.e., the first execution condition) of the forward crossing vehicle warning control is satisfied during execution of the occupant abnormality response control (i.e., the third control), the control device 100 continues the occupant abnormality response control without executing the forward crossing vehicle warning control (i.e., the first control). As a result, even if the execution condition of the forward crossing vehicle warning control is satisfied during execution of the occupant abnormality response control, the host vehicle M can continue to be appropriately controlled by the occupant abnormality response control, which can lead to further improvement in safety, thereby improving safety.

[0080] Furthermore, when the execution condition for the collision mitigation control (i.e., the second execution condition) is satisfied during execution of the occupant abnormality response control (i.e., the third control), the control device 100 interrupts or stops the occupant abnormality response control and executes the collision mitigation control. As a result, after the execution condition for the collision mitigation control is satisfied during execution of the occupant abnormality response control, the host vehicle M can be appropriately controlled by the collision mitigation control, which can lead to further improvement in safety, thereby improving safety.

[0081] In addition, the control device 100 is configured to be able to execute an occupant abnormality detection time control (i.e., a fourth control) that notifies the start of an occupant abnormality response control (i.e., a third control) during a period from when the first detection condition is satisfied to when the second detection condition is satisfied. When the execution conditions of the forward crossing vehicle warning control (i.e., the first control) and the occupant abnormality detection time control are satisfied, the control device 100 executes the forward crossing vehicle warning control in preference to the occupant abnormality detection time control. It is considered that the forward crossing vehicle warning control executed based on the recognition result of the surrounding situation of the vehicle M can contribute to improving safety more than the occupant abnormality detection time control. Therefore, when the execution conditions of the forward crossing vehicle warning control and the occupant abnormality detection time control are satisfied, the control device 100 executes the forward crossing vehicle warning control in preference to the forward crossing vehicle warning control, so that the vehicle M can be appropriately controlled by the forward crossing vehicle warning control that can lead to improved safety even if these execution conditions are satisfied at the same time, and thus safety can be improved.

[0082] Furthermore, when the execution condition for the forward crossing vehicle warning control (i.e., the first execution condition) is satisfied during execution of the occupant abnormality detection control (i.e., the fourth control), the control device 100 interrupts or stops the occupant abnormality detection control and executes the forward crossing vehicle warning control. As a result, after the execution condition for the forward crossing vehicle warning control is satisfied during execution of the occupant abnormality detection control, the host vehicle M can be appropriately controlled by the forward crossing vehicle warning control, which can lead to further improvement in safety, thereby improving safety.

[0083] Needless to say, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can come up with various modified or altered examples within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally belong to the technical scope of the present invention. Furthermore, the components in the above-described embodiment may be combined in any manner without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0084] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the second control is described as being collision mitigation control, but the second control is not limited to collision mitigation control and may be road departure mitigation control (RDM: Road Departure Mitigaion) or collision avoidance steering support control (ESS: Evasive Steering Support), etc.

[0085] In addition, the second control unit 130 is configured to be able to change a second execution condition, which is an execution condition for collision mitigation control (i.e., the second control), in response to detection of a driver abnormality by the occupant abnormality detection unit 140, and may change the second execution condition when a driver abnormality is detected so that collision mitigation control is more easily executed than when no driver abnormality is detected.

[0086] For example, as shown in (a) of FIG. 8, when no abnormality of the driver is detected, the second control unit 130 executes the collision mitigation control in response to the fact that the inter-vehicle distance between the traveling host vehicle M and the preceding vehicle M1 in front of the host vehicle M becomes d1. In contrast, as shown in (b) of FIG. 8, when an abnormality of the driver is detected, the second control unit 130 executes the collision mitigation control in response to the fact that the inter-vehicle distance between the traveling host vehicle M and the preceding vehicle M1 in front of the host vehicle M becomes d2, which is larger than d1. This makes it possible to prevent the collision mitigation control from being excessively executed when no abnormality of the driver is detected, while at the same time, to activate the collision mitigation control earlier when an abnormality of the driver is detected, thereby improving the safety of the host vehicle M.

[0087] This specification etc. describes at least the following items. Note that, in parentheses, components etc. corresponding to those in the above-mentioned embodiment are shown, but the present invention is not limited to these.

[0088] (1) A vehicle control device (control device 100) for controlling a vehicle (host vehicle M), A recognition unit (recognition unit 110) that recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle; a first control unit (first control unit 120) capable of executing a first control to issue a first warning to an occupant of the vehicle in response to a first execution condition being established based on a recognition result of the recognition unit; A second control unit (second control unit 130) capable of executing a second control to control braking or steering of the vehicle and to issue a second warning to the occupant in response to a second execution condition being established based on a recognition result of the recognition unit; an occupant abnormality detection unit (occupant abnormality detection unit 140) that detects an abnormality of the occupant; A third control unit (third control unit 150) capable of executing a third control to decelerate or stop the vehicle and issue a third warning in response to the occupant abnormality being detected by the occupant abnormality detection unit; an arbitration unit (arbitration unit 170) that arbitrates execution of the first control, the second control, and the third control; Equipped with The arbitration unit is When the execution conditions of the first control and the third control are satisfied, the third control is executed in preference to the first control; When the execution conditions of the second control and the third control are satisfied, the second control is executed in preference to the third control. Vehicle control device.

[0089] According to (1), it is possible to appropriately execute each of the first control, the second control, and the third control, thereby improving the safety of the vehicle. For example, in a state where an abnormality occurs in an occupant, even if the first control that issues a first warning to the occupant is executed, it is difficult for the occupant to take some kind of action in response to the warning. Therefore, when an abnormality in an occupant is detected, that is, when the execution condition of the third control is satisfied, even if the execution condition of the first control is satisfied, the third control including the driving control of decelerating or stopping the vehicle is executed preferentially, so that the vehicle can be appropriately controlled by the third control even if these execution conditions are satisfied at the same time, thereby improving safety. Furthermore, when the execution conditions of the second control and the third control are satisfied, it may be more effective to prioritize the second control including the driving control of braking or steering the vehicle. Therefore, when the execution conditions of the second control and the third control are satisfied, the second control is executed preferentially, so that the vehicle can be appropriately controlled by the second control even if these execution conditions are satisfied at the same time, thereby improving safety.

[0090] (2) A vehicle control device according to (1), The arbitration unit is When the first execution condition is satisfied during execution of the third control, the third control is continued; When the second execution condition is satisfied during execution of the third control, the third control is interrupted or stopped, and the second control is executed. Vehicle control device.

[0091] According to (2), even if the execution condition for the first control (i.e., the first execution condition) is satisfied while the third control is being executed, the vehicle can continue to be appropriately controlled by the third control which may lead to further improvement in safety, thereby improving safety. Also, according to (2), if the execution condition for the second control (i.e., the second execution condition) is satisfied while the third control is being executed, after the execution condition is satisfied, the vehicle can be appropriately controlled by the second control which may lead to further improvement in safety, thereby improving safety.

[0092] (3) A vehicle control device according to (1) or (2), The occupant abnormality detection unit detects an abnormality in the occupant in response to a first detection condition being satisfied and a second detection condition being further satisfied after the first detection condition is satisfied, The vehicle control device includes: A fourth control unit (fourth control unit 160) capable of executing a fourth control to issue a fourth warning to the occupant during a period from when the first detection condition is satisfied to when the second detection condition is satisfied, The arbitration unit is The execution of the fourth control is further arbitrated, When the execution conditions of the first control and the fourth control are satisfied, the first control is executed in preference to the fourth control. Vehicle control device.

[0093] It is considered that the first control, which is executed based on the recognition result of the surrounding situation of the vehicle, can contribute to improving safety more than the fourth control. According to (3), when the execution conditions of the first control and the fourth control are respectively established, by executing the first control with priority, even if the execution conditions of these controls are established simultaneously, the vehicle can be appropriately controlled by the first control, thereby improving safety.

[0094] (4) A vehicle control device according to (3), The arbitration unit is When the first execution condition is satisfied during execution of the fourth control, the fourth control is interrupted or stopped, and the first control is executed. Vehicle control device.

[0095] According to (4), when the execution condition for the first control (i.e., the first execution condition) is met while the fourth control is being executed, after the execution condition is met, the vehicle can be appropriately controlled by the first control, which can lead to improved safety, thereby improving safety.

[0096] (5) A vehicle control device according to any one of (1) to (4), The second control unit is The second execution condition is changeable in response to the occupant abnormality being detected by the occupant abnormality detection unit, When an abnormality in the occupant is detected, the second execution condition is changed so that the second control is more likely to be executed than when an abnormality in the occupant is not detected. Vehicle control device.

[0097] According to (5), when an occupant abnormality is detected, the second control can be executed more easily than when an occupant abnormality is not detected. This makes it possible to prevent the second control from being executed excessively when an occupant abnormality is not detected, while making it possible to execute the second control earlier when an occupant abnormality is detected, thereby improving the safety of the vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0098] 1 Vehicle Systems 100 Control device (vehicle control device) 110 Recognition part 120 First Control Section 130 Second Control Section 140 Occupant Abnormality Detection Unit 150 Third Control Section 170 Mediation Department 160 4th Control Section M Vehicle (vehicle)

Claims

1. A vehicle control device that controls a vehicle, A recognition unit that recognizes a surrounding situation of the vehicle; a first control unit capable of executing a first control to issue a first warning to an occupant of the vehicle in response to a first execution condition being established based on a recognition result of the recognition unit; a second control unit capable of executing a second control in which, in response to a second execution condition being established based on a recognition result of the recognition unit, a braking or steering of the vehicle is controlled and a second warning is issued to the occupant; an occupant abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality of the occupant; a third control unit capable of executing a third control to decelerate or stop the vehicle and issue a third warning in response to the abnormality of the occupant being detected by the occupant abnormality detection unit; an arbitration unit that arbitrates execution of the first control, the second control, and the third control; Equipped with The arbitration unit is When the execution conditions of the first control and the third control are satisfied, the third control is executed in preference to the first control; When the execution conditions of the second control and the third control are satisfied, the second control is executed in preference to the third control; When the first execution condition is satisfied during execution of the third control, the third control is continued; When the second execution condition is satisfied during execution of the third control, the third control is interrupted or stopped, and the second control is executed. Vehicle control device.

2. A vehicle control device that controls a vehicle, A recognition unit that recognizes a surrounding situation of the vehicle; a first control unit capable of executing a first control to issue a first warning to an occupant of the vehicle in response to a first execution condition being established based on a recognition result of the recognition unit; a second control unit capable of executing a second control in which, in response to a second execution condition being established based on a recognition result of the recognition unit, a braking or steering of the vehicle is controlled and a second warning is issued to the occupant; an occupant abnormality detection unit that detects an abnormality of the occupant; a third control unit capable of executing a third control to decelerate or stop the vehicle and issue a third warning in response to the abnormality of the occupant being detected by the occupant abnormality detection unit; an arbitration unit that arbitrates execution of the first control, the second control, and the third control; Equipped with The arbitration unit is When the execution conditions of the first control and the third control are satisfied, the third control is executed in preference to the first control; When the execution conditions of the second control and the third control are satisfied, the second control is executed in preference to the third control; The occupant abnormality detection unit detects an abnormality in the occupant in response to a first detection condition being satisfied and a second detection condition being further satisfied after the first detection condition being satisfied, The vehicle control device includes: a fourth control unit capable of executing a fourth control to issue a fourth warning to the occupant during a period from when the first detection condition is satisfied to when the second detection condition is satisfied, The arbitration unit is The execution of the fourth control is further arbitrated, When the execution conditions of the first control and the fourth control are satisfied, the first control is executed in preference to the fourth control. Vehicle control device.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, The arbitration unit is When the first execution condition is satisfied during execution of the fourth control, the fourth control is interrupted or stopped, and the first control is executed. Vehicle control device.

4. A vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The second control unit is The second execution condition is changeable in response to the occupant abnormality detection unit detecting an abnormality in the occupant, When an abnormality in the occupant is detected, the second execution condition is changed so that the second control is more likely to be executed than when an abnormality in the occupant is not detected. Vehicle control device.

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