Vehicle Control Method

Abstract

To enable a normal driver to perform operation for cancelling abnormal determination speedily.SOLUTION: A control method of a vehicle includes: a sign detection process which detects an abnormal sign of a driver in the vehicle; a first display process which displays preliminary information when an abnormal sign is detected; an output process which outputs visual impulse with which rhythm is attended when an abnormal sign is detected; an abnormal determination process which determines whether or not the driver is in an abnormal condition after an abnormal sign is detected; a second display process which displays an operation method for allowing the driver to cancel the abnormal determination after the preliminary information is displayed and at the same time the visual impulse is outputted when it is determined that the driver is in the abnormal condition; and a driver abnormal period vehicle control process which executes vehicle control in the abnormal condition of the driver when cancellation operation is not performed during the waiting time after the display is performed in the second display process.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technique for controlling a vehicle when a driver loses the ability to drive. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a driving support device that supports driving a vehicle. The driving support device issues an alarm when it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state, and prohibits automatic driving control if the driver operates to stop the alarm while the alarm is being issued, and executes automatic driving control if the driver does not operate to stop the alarm. The automatic driving control stops the vehicle.

[0003] The driving support device also generates a sound from the speaker that has a directionality toward the driver's seat when it is determined that an abnormal state exists, generates a light from the display unit that has a directionality toward the driver's seat when a first predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the sound generation, and executes a deceleration process that applies a braking force to the vehicle when the driver's line of sight is not directed toward the display unit while the light is being generated and a second predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the sound generation. This allows a normal driver to quickly notice the alarm and stop the alarm. It is possible to suppress the execution of automatic driving control caused by erroneous judgment. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6590299 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Conventional vehicle control technology provides the driver with an operation method for canceling the abnormality determination after determining that the driver is in an abnormal state in which the vehicle cannot be driven. If the driver is normal, the operation method for canceling the abnormality determination is possible, but if the operation method is suddenly provided to the driver, even a normal driver may not be able to quickly perform the operation for canceling the abnormality determination. Therefore, it is necessary to extend the waiting time for the driver's operation after providing the operation method for canceling the abnormality determination.

[0006] However, if the waiting time is extended, and the driver is an abnormal driver who is unable to drive, the vehicle will not be driven normally during the waiting time, and automatic driving control will not be performed during that time.

[0007] Therefore, a measure is required that allows a normal driver to quickly perform an operation to cancel the abnormality determination. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The present inventors have focused on the fact that while a driver goes from a normal state to an abnormal state where he or she is unable to drive, the driver continues to drive but is in a state where his or her driving-related functions are impaired, for example, a state where the driver is in a premonitory state of abnormality such as visual field constriction and / or visual field loss, or hemiplegia. Note that not all drivers who reach an abnormal state where they are unable to drive will necessarily be in a premonitory state of abnormality.

[0009] The inventor of the present invention decided to provide the driver with information and a warning while it is estimated that the driver is in a pre-abnormal state, before it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state. As a result, if the driver is normal, even if the driver is erroneously determined to be in an abnormal state, the driver can quickly take action to cancel the abnormality determination because the warning is given in advance.

[0010] Specifically, the vehicle control method disclosed herein includes: a sign detection step of detecting a sign of an abnormality in a driver of the vehicle; When a sign of an abnormality is detected in the sign detection step, preliminary information is On display a first display step of displaying; When an abnormality sign is detected in the sign detection step, a visual stimulus having a rhythm is applied. , through said display an output step of outputting the image; an abnormality determination step of determining whether or not the driver is in an abnormal state after the abnormality sign is detected in the sign detection step; an operation method for the driver to cancel the abnormality determination after the preliminary information is displayed and the visual stimulus is output when the abnormality determination step determines that an abnormality exists; The display of the preliminary information and the output of the visual stimulus are stopped, and the display A second display step of displaying the a driver abnormality time vehicle control step of executing vehicle control when the driver is abnormal if a cancel operation is not performed during a waiting time after the second display step has performed the display; a driver abnormality vehicle control prohibition step of prohibiting the vehicle control when the driver has an abnormality when a cancel operation is performed during the waiting time after the second display step has performed the display; has.

[0011] According to this configuration, before determining whether the driver of the vehicle is in an abnormal state, the control system detects signs of abnormality in the driver. The control system can detect signs of abnormality based on the driver's driving operations and / or the driver's appearance. Driving operations include at least one of steering operations, accelerator operations, and brake operations. For example, sudden steering operations (so-called abrupt steering) and sudden braking operations (so-called sudden braking) are signs of abnormality in the driver. In addition, the in-car camera captures the driver's head behavior, line of sight, and facial expression, allowing the control system to detect signs of abnormality in the driver.

[0012] When a sign of an abnormality in the driver of the vehicle is detected, the control system displays preliminary information. The preliminary information is not limited to specific information and includes various information. For example, the display unit may display a question message such as "Are you OK?" to the driver, a guidance message such as "We have an important announcement to make," or a suggestion message such as "We recommend that you take a break."

[0013] The control system outputs a visual stimulus together with the display of the preliminary information. The visual stimulus is provided with a rhythm. For example, the display unit blinks a part of the screen. A uniform visual stimulus without rhythm is not very effective in attracting the driver's attention, but a visual stimulus with rhythm can effectively attract the driver's attention. Therefore, by combining the display of the preliminary information with the output of a visual stimulus with rhythm, the driver's attention can be effectively attracted.

[0014] After the driver's abnormality sign is detected, the control system judges whether the driver is in an abnormal state. The control system can also judge whether the driver is in an abnormal state based on the driver's driving operation and / or the driver's appearance. However, since the driver's abnormality sign is not an abnormal state, the criteria for detecting the driver's abnormality sign and the criteria for judging whether the driver is in an abnormal state do not necessarily match.

[0015] When it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state, the control system does not immediately execute vehicle control for when the driver is abnormal, but waits for a preset waiting time for the driver to perform an operation to cancel the abnormality determination. During the waiting time, the control system displays an operation method for the driver to cancel the abnormality determination.

[0016] A normal driver performs an operation to cancel the abnormality determination according to the displayed operation method. Because the preliminary information is displayed and the visual stimulus is output before the operation method for canceling the abnormality determination is displayed, the driver's attention is attracted, and therefore the normal driver can quickly perform the operation to cancel the abnormality determination. Therefore, the waiting time after the operation method is displayed can be shortened.

[0017] If the waiting time is short, the control system can determine the abnormality at an early timing. If the driver is an abnormal driver who is unable to drive, the control system can promptly start the vehicle control when the driver is abnormal. Therefore, the control system can perform the vehicle control when the driver is abnormal, for example, the emergency stop of the vehicle, immediately after the driver becomes unable to drive.

[0018] The output step may include changing a period of a rhythm of the visual stimulation to be output.

[0019] When the period of the rhythm of the visual stimulation is changed, the driver's attention is more effectively aroused. When a normal driver is shown the operation method for canceling the abnormality determination, the normal driver can quickly perform the operation for canceling the abnormality determination.

[0020] The output step may include continuously and gradually shortening a period of the rhythm of the visual stimulation to be output.

[0021] According to the study by the inventors of the present application, it was found that if the period of the rhythm of the output visual stimulation is continuously and gradually shortened, the reaction speed of the operation to cancel the abnormality determination after the operation method for canceling the abnormality determination is displayed is increased compared to the case where only the preliminary information is displayed. By continuously and gradually shortening the period of the rhythm of the output visual stimulation, a normal driver can quickly perform the operation to cancel the abnormality determination, thereby shortening the waiting time. If the driver becomes unable to drive, the control system can immediately perform vehicle control in the event of driver abnormality. Effect of the Invention

[0022] As described above, according to the vehicle control method, even if a normal driver is erroneously determined to be in an abnormal state, the normal driver can quickly perform an operation to cancel the abnormality determination. As a result, when the driver becomes abnormal, vehicle control for when the driver is abnormal can be immediately executed. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a control system for executing a vehicle control method. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram comparing the normal / abnormal judgment by the present control system with that by a conventional control system when the driver transitions from a normal state to an abnormal state. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating the input, processing, and output of the control system. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of preliminary information and visual stimulation displayed by the display unit. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 shows an example of changing the period of the rhythm of visual stimulation. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an example of a screen displaying an operation method for canceling an abnormality determination. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the vehicle control executed by the control system. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] The vehicle control method disclosed herein will be described below with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 illustrates an example of a control system that executes the vehicle control method.

[0025] (Control system configuration) The control system 1 includes a controller 100, a plurality of sensors that output measurement signals to the controller 100, and a plurality of devices that are controlled by control signals output by the controller 100. The control system 1 performs automatic stopping control to automatically stop the vehicle in an emergency when it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state while the vehicle is traveling.

[0026] The controller 100 is configured by a computer equipped with one or more processors (typically a CPU (Central Processing Unit)), memory (ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc.) for storing various programs, and input / output devices.

[0027] The multiple sensors include a forward camera 21, an in-vehicle camera 22, a vehicle speed sensor 23, an acceleration sensor 24, a yaw rate sensor 25, a steering angle sensor 26, a steering torque sensor 27, an accelerator opening sensor 28, a brake pressure sensor 29, and a GPS 210.

[0028] The front camera 21 captures an image of the area in front of the vehicle and outputs image data. Based on the image data captured by the front camera 21, the controller 100 identifies the road on which the vehicle is traveling and markings (lane boundaries, white lines, yellow lines, etc.).

[0029] The in-vehicle camera 22 captures the interior of the vehicle, particularly the driver, and outputs image data. The controller 100 analyzes the driver's head position based on the image data captured by the in-vehicle camera 22, and determines whether the driver is abnormal. For example, the controller 100 determines that the driver is abnormal when the analyzed head position of the driver is in a position that is not possible when the driver normally drives the vehicle. The in-vehicle camera 22 is also used to measure the driver's eyelid shape. The controller 100 analyzes whether the driver's eyelids are continuously closed based on the image data captured by the in-vehicle camera 22, and determines whether the driver is abnormal. The controller 100 also detects a sign of abnormality in the driver based on the image data captured by the in-vehicle camera 22. The detection of a sign of abnormality will be described later.

[0030] The vehicle speed sensor 23 detects the absolute speed of the vehicle. The acceleration sensor 24 detects the acceleration of the vehicle. The yaw rate sensor 25 detects the yaw rate of the vehicle. The steering angle sensor 26 detects the rotation angle of the steering wheel (steering angle). The steering torque sensor 27 detects the steering torque acting on a column shaft that connects the steering wheel and the steered wheels of the vehicle. The accelerator opening sensor 28 detects the accelerator opening corresponding to the operation of the accelerator pedal by the driver. The brake pressure sensor 29 detects the brake pressure that increases due to the operation of the brake pedal by the driver. The steering angle sensor 26, the steering torque sensor 27, the accelerator opening sensor 28, and the brake pressure sensor 29 are sensors that detect the driving operation of the driver. The detection signals of these sensors are used to determine whether the driver is in an abnormal state or not, and are also used to detect whether the driver is in a premonition state of an abnormality.

[0031] A GPS (Global Positioning System) 210 detects the current position of the vehicle. The GPS 210 stores map information internally and can provide the map information to the controller 100. The controller 100 identifies the curvature of the road in the traveling direction of the vehicle based on the map information and the current position information. The map information may be stored in the controller 100.

[0032] The devices controlled by the controller 100 include a center display 31 , a head-up display 32 , a meter device 33 , an audio output device 34 , a steering control device 35 , a brake control device 36 , and an engine control device 37 .

[0033] The center display 31 is provided in the vehicle cabin in front of the driver's seat and the passenger seat and at a substantially central position in the vehicle width direction. The center display 31 is configured by, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display).

[0034] The head-up display 32 displays information by emitting light onto the windshield in front of the driver's seat or onto a combiner provided in front of the driver's seat.

[0035] The meter device 33 is provided in front of the steering wheel and displays the speed, engine RPM, gear range, etc. The meter device 33 also has a display that displays various information. The display of the meter device 33 displays preliminary information (described later) and outputs visual stimuli. The display of the meter device 33 also displays an operating method for canceling an abnormality determination.

[0036] The audio output device 34 provides information to the vehicle occupants by voice. When an abnormal state, which will be described later, is determined and / or when a sign of an abnormality is detected, an audio call is made to the driver. The audio output device 34 also announces to the vehicle occupants by voice that control will be executed when it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state and vehicle control is executed when the driver is abnormal.

[0037] The steering control device 35 controls the steering device based on the control signal output by the controller 100, thereby making it possible to move the vehicle onto the shoulder of the road, for example.

[0038] The brake control device 36 supplies brake fluid pressure to the brake devices provided on each wheel of the vehicle. The brake control device 36 includes an electric hydraulic pump that generates brake fluid pressure, and can generate the brake fluid pressure required to generate a braking force in each brake device even when the brake pedal is not depressed. The brake control device 36 can automatically stop the vehicle by supplying brake fluid pressure to the brake devices of each wheel based on a control signal input from the controller 100.

[0039] The engine control device 37 controls the engine mounted on the vehicle. The engine control device 37 reduces the output of the engine when the vehicle is automatically stopped based on a control signal output by the controller 100.

[0040] Here, the control system 1 is described taking as an example a case where the control system 1 is mounted on a vehicle equipped with an engine, but the control system 1 may be mounted on a hybrid electric vehicle equipped with a motor for driving in addition to an engine, or on an electric vehicle equipped with a motor for driving.

[0041] The control system 1 also includes an operation switch 38. When it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state, as described below, the driver operates the operation switch 38 to cancel the determination. The operation switch 38 may be a dedicated switch for canceling the abnormality determination, or another switch may be used. The operation switch 38 may be, for example, a hazard lamp switch for turning on / off the hazard lamps.

[0042] (Automatic parking control) Next, a specific description will be given of the vehicle control executed by the control system 1. The control system 1 executes automatic stopping control. The automatic stopping control is a control in which, when the driver of the vehicle enters an abnormal state in which the driver is unable to drive, the control system 1 decelerates and stops the vehicle on behalf of the driver. Since the automatic stopping control assists the driver, it is sometimes called Co-Pilot control.

[0043] <Judgment of abnormal conditions and detection of precursor conditions> Here, the normal and abnormal states of the driver determined by the control system 1 will be described with reference to FIG. 2. When the driver is in a normal state, the control system 1 determines that the driver is normal. When the driver is in a normal state, it means that the driver's driving-related functions are normal. When the driver is in a state in which he or she is unable to drive, the control system 1 determines that the driver is in an abnormal state. For example, a state in which the driver is unable to drive includes a state in which the driver is asleep while driving and a state in which the driver's physical and mental functions have stopped. A state in which the driver is unable to drive includes, for example, impaired consciousness and epilepsy.

[0044] The inventors of the present application have noticed that, while a driver is performing driving operations during the period from a normal state to an abnormal state in which the driver is unable to drive, the driver may enter a state in which the driver's driving functions are impaired. This state in which the driver's driving functions are impaired is referred to herein as a premonition state of abnormality. When the driver is in a premonition state of abnormality, the driver's symptoms include, for example, hemiplegia, partial loss of vision, dizziness, and impaired balance maintenance function. If the driver enters a premonition state of abnormality, it is expected that the driver will subsequently enter a state in which the driver is unable to drive.

[0045] Conventional control systems do not detect a predictive state of an abnormality. Conventional control systems only determine an abnormal state. As an example of a conventional control system, there is a system that performs a two-stage abnormality determination, a provisional abnormality determination and a proper abnormality determination, in order to suppress erroneous abnormality determination. This conventional control system presets a first condition for determining an abnormal state and a second condition that is stricter than the first condition. The conventional control system first determines the state of the driver according to the first condition. While the driver is in a predictive state, the driver is not in an abnormal state, so the conventional control system determines that the driver is in a normal state. Then, if the driver actually becomes in an abnormal state, the conventional control system determines that the driver is in an abnormal state according to the first condition (i.e., the provisional abnormality flag becomes 1).

[0046] Then, the conventional control system judges whether or not the driver is in an abnormal state according to the second condition. If it is judged that the driver is in an abnormal state according to the second condition (i.e., if the abnormality flag becomes 1), the conventional control system then stops the vehicle.

[0047] Unlike conventional control systems, the present control system 1 detects a premonition state of an abnormality. Specifically, the present control system 1 detects a premonition state of an abnormality based on the driver's excessive corrective steering, excessive pedal operation, an increase in deviation between the driving path and the vehicle path, a decrease in the degree of gaze, nystagmus, head shaking, and the like. The control system 1 can detect a premonition state of an abnormality based on detection signals from the above-mentioned sensors. If the control system 1 detects a premonition state, it sets the abnormality premonition flag to 1. Note that the present control system 1 also does not determine that the driver is in an abnormal state while the driver is in a premonition state.

[0048] After setting the abnormality prediction flag to 1, the control system 1 determines whether the driver is in an abnormal state based on the fact that the driver is not gripping the steering wheel, the driver is not operating the pedals, the vehicle is leaving its lane, the eyes are closed, or the driver's seated posture is disturbed, etc. The control system 1 can detect an abnormal state based on the detection signals of the sensors described above. If the control system 1 determines that the driver is in an abnormal state, it sets the abnormality flag to 1.

[0049] If both the abnormality prediction flag and the abnormality flag are set to 1 and an operation to cancel the erroneous determination, which will be described later, is not performed, the control system 1 executes vehicle control when the driver is abnormal.

[0050] Incidentally, since the driver may transition from a normal state to an abnormal state without passing through a premonition state of an abnormality, the control system 1 constantly judges whether the driver is in an abnormal state or not.

[0051] <Control system configuration> 3 is a block diagram illustrating inputs, processing, and outputs in the automatic stop control executed by the control system 1. Inputs to the control system 1 are various driving operations and images from the in-vehicle camera 22. The various driving operations are specifically based on detection signals from a steering angle sensor 26, a steering torque sensor 27, an accelerator opening sensor 28, a brake pressure sensor 29, etc.

[0052] The control system 1 detects the driver's premonitory state based on the steering operation, accelerator operation, brake operation, and the driver's line of sight, head behavior, and facial expression (abnormality premonitory detection block 41). When the control system 1 detects the driver's premonitory state, it outputs preliminary information and a visual stimulus.

[0053] The preliminary information is a question message or a guidance message for the driver. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 4, the control system 1 displays a question message such as "Are you OK?" (Fig. 4(a)), a guidance message such as "We have an important notice" (Fig. 4(b)), or a suggestion message such as "Driver Attention Alert, we recommend you take a break" (Fig. 4(c)) on the display of the meter device 33.

[0054] The visual stimuli refer to displays that call the driver's attention. The visual stimuli output by the control system 1 are rhythmically associated with the visual stimuli. Specifically, the control system 1 causes a part of the display of the meter device 33 to blink. For example, in FIG. 4(a), a frame 51 surrounding the message "Are you OK?" blinks. Also, for example, in FIG. 4(b), the upper and lower bars 52 that sandwich the message "We have an important announcement" blink. Also, for example, in FIG. 4(c), an illustration 53 of a coffee cup drawn above the message "Driver Attention Alert: We recommend taking a break" blinks.

[0055] When a predictive state is detected, the control system 1 outputs a visual stimulus with rhythm in addition to displaying the preliminary information, thereby effectively attracting the driver's attention.

[0056] Here, the control system 1 may keep the period of the rhythm of the visual stimulation constant or may change it. FIG. 5 illustrates an example of the period of the rhythm of the visual stimulation. The horizontal axis of FIG. 5 is time, and the vertical axis is the flashing light beam related to the visual stimulation. FIG. 5(a) is an example in which the period of the rhythm is kept constant. The waveform of FIG. 5(a) is a sine wave. FIG. 5(b) is an example in which the period of the rhythm is continuously and gradually shortened. The waveform of FIG. 5(b) is a so-called sine sweep. The waveform of FIG. 5(c) is a square wave. FIG. 5(c) is also an example in which the period of the rhythm is kept constant. FIG. 5(d) is an example in which the period of the rhythm is changed. The period of the rhythm is changed randomly.

[0057] According to the research of the present inventors, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 5(b), when the period of the rhythm of the visual stimulation is continuously and gradually shortened, it has been found that the driver's attention is more aroused than when only preliminary information is displayed without outputting visual stimulation, and a normal driver can quickly perform the operation to cancel the subsequent abnormality determination (i.e., the response of a normal driver is improved).

[0058] The control system 1 may display the preliminary information and output the visual stimulus on the center display 31 or on the head-up display 32. The control system 1 may also output audio using the audio output device 34, in addition to displaying the preliminary information and outputting the visual stimulus.

[0059] 3, after detecting the abnormality sign, the control system 1 judges whether or not the driver is in an abnormal state (abnormality judgment block 42). When the control system 1 judges that the driver is in an abnormal state, it outputs this information.

[0060] 6, this information is a message to inform the driver that the control system 1 will automatically stop the vehicle because an abnormality has been determined ("The control system will automatically stop the vehicle"), and if the abnormality is not present, a message to prompt the driver to cancel the operation ("Please respond to cancel"). This information is displayed on the display of the meter device 33, for example, in the same manner as the preliminary information and visual stimuli.

[0061] After outputting this information, the control system 1 waits for a predetermined waiting time for the driver to perform a cancel operation. If the driver performs a cancel operation, the control system 1 prohibits vehicle control (i.e., automatic stopping) since the driver is in a normal state. Since preliminary information and visual stimuli are output before this information is output and a normal driver is alerted to this, the normal driver can quickly perform a cancel operation, i.e., operate the operation switch 38, after the information is output. Therefore, in this control system 1, the waiting time after the information is output can be short.

[0062] If the driver does not perform a cancel operation (i.e., cancel determination block 43), it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state, and the control system 1 executes vehicle control. The vehicle decelerates and stops. In this control system 1, since the waiting time after the output of this information is short, if the driver is in an abnormal state and unable to drive, vehicle control is executed promptly after the output of this information. As a result, the vehicle is brought to an emergency stop immediately after the driver becomes unable to drive.

[0063] <Control flow chart> 7 illustrates a flowchart executed by the control system 1. First, in step S1, the control system 1 detects an abnormality sign of the driver. In the following step S2, it is determined whether an abnormality sign of the driver has been detected, and if an abnormality sign has been detected, the process proceeds to steps S3, S4, and S5. If an abnormality sign has not been detected, the process returns to step S1.

[0064] In step S3, the control system 1 displays the preliminary information, and in step S4, the control system 1 outputs a visual stimulus (see Figs. 4 and 5). At this time, the audio output device 34 may output a voice corresponding to the message of the preliminary information. The driver's attention is attracted by the presentation of the preliminary information and the output of the visual stimulus. For example, a driver who is about to fall asleep may wake up and change from the premonition state to a normal state. When the driver changes to the normal state, the control system 1 stops displaying the preliminary information and outputting the visual stimulus.

[0065] The control system 1 also determines whether the driver is in an abnormal state in step S5. In the following step S6, the control system 1 determines whether the driver is determined to be in an abnormal state. If the determination in step S6 is NO, that is, if the driver is not determined to be in an abnormal state, the process returns. If the determination in step S6 is YES, that is, if the driver is determined to be in an abnormal state, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0066] In step S7, the control system 1 presents the output of this information, i.e., the cancellation method, to the driver through the display. When outputting this information, the control system 1 stops displaying the preliminary information (step S3) and outputting the visual stimulus (step S4).

[0067] In the next step S8, the control system 1 determines whether or not the driver has performed a cancel operation, and if the driver has performed a cancel operation, the process returns without performing vehicle control. If the driver has not performed a cancel operation, the process proceeds to step S9, where the control system 1 determines whether or not a predetermined waiting time has elapsed since the presentation in step S7. If the waiting time has not elapsed, the process returns to step S7 and waits for the driver's operation. If the waiting time has elapsed, the process proceeds to step S10, where the control system 1 executes vehicle control when the driver is abnormal.

[0068] According to the vehicle control method, the control system 1 detects a premonitory state before determining whether the driver is in an abnormal state, and when the premonitory state is detected, outputs preliminary information and a visual stimulus. This makes it possible to attract the driver's attention. Therefore, if it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state after the output of the preliminary information and the visual stimulus, a normal driver can quickly cancel the determination that the driver is in an abnormal state.

[0069] In addition, since a normal driver can quickly cancel the determination, the waiting time for the canceling operation can be shortened. By shortening the waiting time, when it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state and the driver is unable to drive, vehicle control can be executed quickly. In other words, the period during which the driver is unable to drive and vehicle control is not performed when the driver is abnormal can be shortened.

[0070] In addition, by changing the period of the rhythm of the visual stimulation, particularly by continuously and gradually shortening the period of the rhythm of the visual stimulation, the driver's attention can be effectively aroused and the reaction time of a normal driver can be shortened, so that the time to wait for the cancellation operation can be shortened as much as possible. [Explanation of symbols]

[0071] 1. Control System 21 Front camera 22 In-car camera 26 Steering angle sensor 27 Steering torque sensor 28 Accelerator opening sensor 29 Brake pressure sensor 33 Meter device 35 Steering control device 36 Brake control device 37 Engine control device 38 Operation switch 100 Controller

Claims

1. a sign detection step of detecting a sign of an abnormality in a driver of the vehicle; a first display step of displaying preliminary information on a display when a sign of abnormality is detected in the sign detection step; an output step of outputting a visual stimulus having a rhythm attached thereto through the display when an abnormality sign is detected in the sign detection step; an abnormality determination step of determining whether or not the driver is in an abnormal state after the abnormality sign is detected in the sign detection step; a second display step of displaying, on the display, an operation method for the driver to cancel the abnormality determination after the preliminary information has been displayed and the visual stimulus has been output, by stopping the display of the preliminary information and the output of the visual stimulus when the abnormality determination step determines that an abnormal state exists; a driver abnormality time vehicle control step of executing vehicle control when the driver is abnormal if a cancel operation is not performed during a waiting time after the second display step has performed the display; and a driver abnormality vehicle control prohibition step of prohibiting vehicle control when the driver has an abnormality when a cancel operation is performed during the waiting time after the second display step has performed the display. How to control a vehicle.

2. 2. The vehicle control method according to claim 1, The output step changes a period of the rhythm of the visual stimulation to be output. A vehicle control method comprising:

3. 3. The vehicle control method according to claim 1, further comprising: The output step continuously and gradually shortens a period of the rhythm of the visual stimulation to be output. A vehicle control method comprising:

Images