Presentation control device and presentation control program

Abstract

To provide a presentation control device and the like, which can ensure a convenience of automatic driving.SOLUTION: An HCU is used in a vehicle comprising an automatic driving function which enables eyes-off automatic driving without a driver's obligation to monitor a surrounding, and functions as a presentation control device which controls a presentation of information related to the automatic driving. The HCU grasps a status of implementation in the automatic driving function for a plurality of implementation patterns included in the automatic driving without an obligation to monitor a surrounding. An HCU 100 notifies a status change of the implementation patterns when the status of the implementation pattern changes while the eyes-off automatic driving without the obligation to monitor the surrounding is continued.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 6

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The disclosure in this specification relates to a presentation control device and a presentation control program that present information related to autonomous driving. [Background technology]

[0002] In the autonomous driving system disclosed in Patent Document 1, the driver is permitted to perform secondary tasks such as operating a smartphone and watching television during autonomous driving. When the reliability of the autonomous driving system becomes low, it is determined that autonomous driving cannot be continued, and a warning is issued to the driver. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-107502 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As disclosed in Patent Document 1, the autonomous driving in which the driver is permitted to perform the second task is autonomous driving without the driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings. In recent years, it has been considered to set multiple implementation patterns as autonomous driving without the driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings. In this way, when multiple implementation patterns are set for autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings, a scene may occur in which the state of the implementation pattern changes while the autonomous driving system continues autonomous driving. In such a scene, there is a concern that the convenience of the autonomous driving may be impaired due to the driver's inability to perceive the state of the current implementation pattern.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide a presentation control device and a presentation control program that can ensure convenience for autonomous driving. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, one disclosed aspect is a presentation control device that controls the presentation of information related to autonomous driving without the driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings, comprising an area grasping unit (74) that grasps a plan to move from a non-permitted area (SeM) where autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings is not permitted to a permitted area (SeD, SeA) where autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings is permitted, and when a plan to move to a permitted area is grasped while driving in the non-permitted area, Before entering the permitted area, Driving with self-driving cars without the obligation to monitor surroundings still The presentation control device is provided with a notification control unit (77) that performs a non-permission area notification indicating that permission is not granted.

[0007] Another disclosed aspect is a presentation control program for controlling the presentation of information related to automated driving without the driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings, which includes at least one processing unit (11) for determining a plan to move from a non-permitted area (SeM) where automated driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings is not permitted to a permitted area (SeD, SeA) where automated driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings is permitted (S71, S72), and when the plan to move to the permitted area is determined while driving in the non-permitted area, Before entering the permitted area, Driving with self-driving cars without the obligation to monitor surroundings still The presentation control program executes a process including issuing a non-permitted area notification indicating that the presentation is not permitted (S74).

[0017] In these aspects , non If the vehicle is aware of a plan to move into a permitted area while driving in a permitted area, a non-permitted area notification will be sent to the driver to clearly indicate that the vehicle is not permitted to drive autonomously without the obligation to monitor the surroundings. , Zhou This will prevent the misunderstanding that autonomous driving is now possible without the obligation to monitor surroundings. As a result, it will be easier to grasp the autonomous driving status, ensuring the convenience of autonomous driving.

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

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an overall view of an in-vehicle network including an HCU according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. [Diagram 2] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of an interface layout around the driver's seat. [Diagram 3] 11 is a flowchart showing details of a feasibility determination process for determining whether Level 3 autonomous driving is possible in a traffic jam. [Figure 4] 13 is a flowchart showing details of the feasibility determination process for determining whether autonomous driving is possible in area level 3. [Diagram 5] 11 is a flowchart showing details of a control switching process for switching the implementation pattern of eyes-off autonomous driving. [Figure 6] This is a time chart showing the details of control when entering an authorized area while maintaining Level 3 autonomous driving in a traffic jam. [Figure 7] 6 is a time chart showing details of control in a scene where the vehicle is traveling through a congested section within a permitted area. [Figure 8] This is a time chart showing the details of control when exiting an authorized area while maintaining Level 3 autonomous driving in a traffic jam. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing details of a notification control process for controlling a change notification, a periphery monitoring notification, and the like. [Figure 10] 13 is a time chart showing details of control in a scene in which the vehicle enters an permitted area while remaining at Level 3 autonomous driving in a traffic jam in the second embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an overall view of an in-vehicle network including an HCU according to a third embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 12] 10 is a time chart showing details of control in a scene in which a vehicle enters a restricted permitted area from a congested non-permission area. [Figure 13] 13 is a flowchart showing details of a notification control process for controlling a level 3 impossibility notification, an advance notification, etc. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0020] Hereinafter, multiple embodiments of the present disclosure will be described based on the drawings. In addition, by assigning the same reference numerals to corresponding components in each embodiment, duplicated descriptions may be omitted. When only a part of the configuration is described in each embodiment, the configuration of the other embodiment described above can be applied to the other parts of the configuration. In addition to the combination of configurations explicitly stated in the description of each embodiment, configurations of multiple embodiments can be partially combined even if not explicitly stated, as long as there is no particular problem with the combination. And, combinations of configurations described in multiple embodiments and modified examples that are not explicitly stated are also considered to be disclosed by the following description.

[0021] First embodiment The functions of the presentation control device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure are realized by an HCU (Human Machine Interface Control Unit) 100 shown in Fig. 1. As shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, the HCU 100 configures an HMI (Human Machine Interface) system used in a vehicle A together with a plurality of display devices, an audio device 24, an operation device 26, etc. The HMI system has an input interface function for accepting operations by an occupant (e.g., a driver, etc.) of the vehicle A, and an output interface function for presenting information to the driver.

[0022] The HCU 100 is communicatively connected to a communication bus 99 of an in-vehicle network mounted on the vehicle A. The HCU 100 is one of a plurality of nodes provided in the in-vehicle network. A driver monitor 29, a surroundings monitoring sensor 30, a locator 35, a V2X communication device 39, a driving control ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 40, a driving assistance ECU 50a, an autonomous driving ECU 50b, and the like are connected to the communication bus 99. These nodes connected to the communication bus 99 of the in-vehicle network can communicate with each other. Specific nodes among these devices and ECUs may be directly electrically connected to each other and can communicate with each other without going through the communication bus 99.

[0023] The driver monitor 29 includes a near-infrared light source, a near-infrared camera, and a control unit for controlling them. The driver monitor 29 is installed, for example, on the upper surface of the steering column or the upper surface of the instrument panel 9 with the near-infrared camera facing the headrest of the driver's seat. The near-infrared camera is configured integrally with the meter display 21 or the center information display (hereinafter, CID) 22 described later, and may be provided on either screen.

[0024] The driver monitor 29 uses a near-infrared camera to capture an image of the driver's head illuminated with near-infrared light from a near-infrared light source. The image captured by the near-infrared camera is analyzed by a control unit. The control unit extracts information such as the position of the driver's eye point and the line of sight from the captured image. The driver monitor 29 provides the driver status information extracted by the control unit to the HCU 100, the autonomous driving ECU 50b, etc. via a communication bus 99.

[0025] The periphery monitoring sensor 30 is an autonomous sensor that monitors the environment surrounding the vehicle A. The periphery monitoring sensor 30 can detect predetermined moving objects and stationary objects within a detection range around the host vehicle. The periphery monitoring sensor 30 can detect at least a vehicle ahead, a vehicle behind, a vehicle on one side, and the like that are traveling around the host vehicle. The periphery monitoring sensor 30 provides detection information of objects around the host vehicle to the driving assistance ECU 50a, the autonomous driving ECU 50b, and the like via a communication bus 99.

[0026] The perimeter monitoring sensor 30 includes, for example, a camera unit 31 and a millimeter wave radar 32. The camera unit 31 may be configured to include a monocular camera or may be configured to include a compound eye camera. The camera unit 31 is mounted on the vehicle A so as to be able to capture the range in front of the vehicle A. The camera unit 31 capable of capturing the side and rear ranges of the vehicle A may be mounted on the vehicle A. The camera unit 31 outputs at least one of the imaging data capturing the surroundings of the vehicle and the analysis result of the imaging data as detection information. The millimeter wave radar 32 irradiates millimeter waves or quasi-millimeter waves toward the surroundings of the vehicle. The millimeter wave radar 32 outputs detection information generated by a process of receiving reflected waves reflected by moving objects, stationary objects, etc. The perimeter monitoring sensor 30 may further include a detection configuration such as a lidar and a sonar.

[0027] Locator 35 includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver, an inertial sensor, etc. Locator 35 sequentially determines the position and traveling direction of vehicle A by combining the positioning signal received by the GNSS receiver, the measurement results of the inertial sensor, and the vehicle speed information output to communication bus 99, etc. Locator 35 sequentially outputs position information and direction information of vehicle A based on the positioning results to communication bus 99 as locator information.

[0028] The locator 35 further includes a high-precision map database (hereinafter, high-precision map DB) 36. The high-precision map DB 36 is mainly composed of a large-capacity storage medium that stores a large amount of three-dimensional map data and two-dimensional map data. The three-dimensional map data is in the form of so-called HD (High Definition) data. The 3D map data is data on a high-definition map, and includes road information necessary for autonomous driving control. The 3D map data includes information necessary for advanced driving assistance and autonomous driving, such as 3D road shape information and detailed information on each lane. The locator 35 reads map data around the current position from the high-precision map DB 36, and provides it to the driving assistance ECU 50a, the autonomous driving ECU 50b, etc. together with locator information.

[0029] The V2X (Vehicle to Everything) communication device 39 is an external communication unit mounted on the vehicle A. The V2X communication device 39 transmits and receives information via wireless communication with a roadside device installed on the side of the road. As an example, the V2X communication device 39 receives congestion information around the current position of the vehicle A and in the traveling direction from the roadside device. The congestion information is VICS (registered trademark) information or the like. The V2X communication device 39 provides the received congestion information to the autonomous driving ECU 50b, the HCU 100, and the like.

[0030] The driving control ECU 40 is an electronic control device mainly including a microcontroller. The driving control ECU 40 has at least the functions of a brake control ECU, a drive control ECU, and a steering control ECU. The driving control ECU 40 continuously performs brake force control for each wheel, output control of the in-vehicle power source, and steering angle control based on one of an operation command based on the driver's driving operation, a control command from the driving assistance ECU 50a, and a control command from the automatic driving ECU 50b. In addition, the driving control ECU 40 generates vehicle speed information indicating the current driving speed of the vehicle A based on the detection signal of the wheel speed sensor 41 provided at the hub portion of each wheel, and outputs the generated vehicle speed information to the communication bus 99 sequentially.

[0031] The driving assistance ECU 50a and the automatic driving ECU 50b are mounted on the vehicle A as in-vehicle ECUs that configure the automatic driving system 50. By mounting the automatic driving system 50, the vehicle A becomes an automatic driving vehicle equipped with an automatic driving function.

[0032] The driving assistance ECU 50a is an in-vehicle ECU that realizes a driving assistance function that assists the driver in driving operations in the automated driving system 50. The driving assistance ECU 50a enables advanced driving assistance or partial automated driving control at about level 2 in the automated driving levels defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers. The automated driving performed by the driving assistance ECU 50a is automated driving that requires the driver to monitor the surroundings.

[0033] The driving assistance ECU 50a is a computer mainly including a processing unit, a RAM, a storage unit, an input / output interface, and a control circuit including a bus connecting these units. The driving assistance ECU 50a has a plurality of functional units that realize advanced driving assistance by executing a program by the processing unit. Specifically, the driving assistance ECU 50a has an ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) functional unit, an LTC (Lane Trace Control) functional unit, and an LCA (Lane Change Assist) functional unit.

[0034] The autonomous driving ECU 50b is an in-vehicle ECU that realizes an autonomous driving function capable of taking over driving operations from the driver in the autonomous driving system 50. The autonomous driving ECU 50b is capable of autonomous driving of level 3 or higher, where the system is the main controller. The autonomous driving performed by the autonomous driving ECU 50b is eyes-off autonomous driving, which does not require the driver to visually monitor the surroundings of the vehicle and does not require the driver to monitor the surroundings. The autonomous driving ECU 50b may be capable of autonomous driving of level 4 or higher.

[0035] In the autonomous driving system 50, the driving control state of the autonomous driving function is switched among a plurality of states including at least autonomous driving control with an obligation to monitor the surroundings by the driving assistance ECU 50a and autonomous driving control without an obligation to monitor the surroundings by the autonomous driving ECU 50b. In the following description, autonomous driving control of level 2 or lower by the driving assistance ECU 50a may be referred to as "driving assistance control," and autonomous driving control of level 3 or higher by the autonomous driving ECU 50b may be referred to as "autonomous driving control."

[0036] The autonomous driving ECU 50b is a computer mainly including a control circuit including a processing unit 51, a RAM 52, a storage unit 53, an input / output interface 54, and a bus connecting these. The autonomous driving ECU 50b has a higher computing power than the driving assistance ECU 50a and can at least perform driving control equivalent to ACC, LTC, and LCA. In a scene where the autonomous driving control is temporarily suspended, the autonomous driving ECU 50b may be capable of performing driving assistance control in which the driver is responsible for monitoring the surroundings, instead of the driving assistance ECU 50a. The autonomous driving ECU 50b has an environment recognition unit 61, a behavior determination unit 62, and a control execution unit 63 as multiple functional units that realize eyes-off autonomous driving (autonomous driving control) by executing a program by the processing unit 51.

[0037] The environment recognition unit 61 recognizes the driving environment of the vehicle A based on the locator information and map data acquired from the locator 35 and the detection information acquired from the periphery monitoring sensor 30. Specifically, the environment recognition unit 61 grasps the position of the host vehicle lane in which the host vehicle is traveling among multiple lanes, the lane shape of the host vehicle lane, and the relative positions and relative speeds of other vehicles around the host vehicle. Note that the position of the host vehicle lane may be specified by the locator 35.

[0038] The environment recognition unit 61 has a traffic jam recognition unit 65 and an area recognition unit 66 as sub-functional units. The traffic jam recognition unit 65 recognizes traffic jams around the vehicle. Based on vehicle speed information acquired from the communication bus 99, the traffic jam recognition unit 65 determines that the vehicle A is traveling in a traffic jam when the traveling speed of the vehicle A is equal to or lower than a predetermined speed (hereinafter, traffic jam determination speed) set in advance (see FIG. 3, S11). The traffic jam determination speed is set to, for example, about 10 km / h. The traffic jam recognition unit 65 may use the result of determining whether or not a forward vehicle and a lateral vehicle exist based on the detection information, traffic jam information received by the V2X communication device 39, and the like for traffic jam determination.

[0039] The area recognition unit 66 judges whether the road on which the vehicle is traveling or the road on which the vehicle is scheduled to travel is a preset permission area SeA (see FIG. 4, S21). Furthermore, the area recognition unit 66 judges whether the road on which the vehicle is traveling or the road on which the vehicle is scheduled to travel is a preset restricted permission area SeD. The permission area SeA and the restricted permission area SeD may be limited areas (Operational Design Domain, ODD) in which eyes-off autonomous driving without the driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings is legally permitted. As an example, the permission area SeA and the restricted permission area SeD are set on main roads such as expressways including motorways. In contrast, on roads that are not included in either the permission area SeA or the restricted permission area SeD, such as general roads (hereinafter, non-permission area SeM, see FIG. 12), driving with eyes-off autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings is not permitted.

[0040] Information on whether the area is an allowed area SeA or a limited allowed area SeD may be recorded in map data stored in high accuracy map DB 36, or may be included in received information received by V2X communication device 39. Area recognition unit 66 appropriately combines current location information, map data, received information, etc. to determine whether the area is an allowed area SeA or a limited allowed area SeD. Note that recognition of whether the area is an allowed area SeA or a limited allowed area SeD may be performed by locator 35 instead of area recognition unit 66. In this embodiment, area recognition unit 66 obtains area recognition results for the road currently being traveled and the road to be traveled from locator 35.

[0041] The behavior determination unit 62 cooperates with the HCU 100 to control the automatic driving system 50 and the driving changeover between the driver. When the automatic driving system 50 has the control right of the driving operation, the behavior determination unit 62 generates a driving plan for driving the vehicle A based on the recognition result of the driving environment by the environment recognition unit 61.

[0042] The behavior determination unit 62 has a pattern switching unit 67 and an information linking unit 68 as sub-functional units. The pattern switching unit 67 switches the implementation pattern of the eyes-off autonomous driving among a plurality of implementation patterns. The plurality of implementation patterns include a congestion limited control (hereinafter, congestion level 3) that is implemented only during driving in a congestion, and an area limited control (hereinafter, area level 3) that is implemented only in an allowed area SeA (see FIG. 6). In the congestion level 3 autonomous driving control, a driving plan is generated in which the vehicle A follows the vehicle ahead while maintaining a distance from the vehicle ahead. In the area level 3 autonomous driving control, a driving plan is generated in which the vehicle A follows the vehicle ahead or the vehicle A cruises at a constant speed along the vehicle's lane. As an example, in the congestion level 3 autonomous driving control, driving at a closer inter-vehicle distance than in the area level 3 autonomous driving control is permitted. On the other hand, area level 3 autonomous driving control allows vehicles to drive faster (maximum speed, for example, 60 km / h) than level 3 autonomous driving control in traffic jams.

[0043] The pattern switching unit 67 performs a feasibility determination process (see FIG. 3) that determines whether automated driving at level 3 during congestion is possible, a feasibility determination process (see FIG. 4) that determines whether automated driving at area level 3 is permitted, and a control switching process (see FIG. 5) that switches the implementation pattern of automated driving. Each feasibility determination process is started based on an instruction to start eyes-off automated driving based on the driver's operation, and is repeatedly performed until eyes-off automated driving ends. Each feasibility determination process may be interrupted when driving in a non-permitted area SeM.

[0044] In the process of determining whether or not the congestion level 3 is possible (see FIG. 3), the pattern switching unit 67 refers to the result of the congestion recognition by the congestion recognition unit 65 and determines whether or not the traveling speed of the vehicle is equal to or lower than the congestion determination speed (see S11). Furthermore, the pattern switching unit 67 determines whether or not the driver monitoring by the driver monitor 29 is operating normally based on the driver status information received by the information linking unit 68 (see S12). When the traveling speed of the vehicle is equal to or lower than the congestion determination speed and the driver monitoring by the driver monitor 29 is operating normally, the pattern switching unit 67 permits the implementation of the congestion level 3 autonomous driving (see S13). On the other hand, when the traveling speed of the vehicle exceeds the congestion determination speed or when the driver monitoring is not operating normally, the pattern switching unit 67 does not permit the implementation of the congestion level 3 autonomous driving (see S14).

[0045] In the area level 3 possibility determination process (see FIG. 4), the pattern switching unit 67 refers to the recognition result of the permitted area SeA by the area recognition unit 66 and determines whether the vehicle is traveling in the permitted area SeA (see S21). The pattern switching unit 67 may further determine whether the vehicle is scheduled to enter the permitted area SeA and to exit the permitted area SeA. The pattern switching unit 67 determines whether the driver monitoring is operating normally based on the driver status information received by the information linking unit 68 (see S22). When the vehicle is traveling in the permitted area SeA and the driver monitoring by the driver monitor 29 is operating normally, the pattern switching unit 67 permits the implementation of the area level 3 autonomous driving (see S23). On the other hand, when the vehicle is traveling outside the permitted area SeA or when the driver monitoring is not operating normally, the pattern switching unit 67 does not permit the implementation of the area level 3 autonomous driving (see S24).

[0046] In the control switching process of the implementation pattern (see FIG. 5), the pattern switching unit 67 judges whether or not the congestion level 3 is permitted based on the judgment result of the congestion level 3 permission judgment process (see S31). When the congestion level 3 is permitted, the pattern switching unit 67 sets the congestion level 3 as the implementation pattern of the eyes-off autonomous driving (see S32). On the other hand, when the area level 3 is not permitted, the pattern switching unit 67 judges whether or not the area level 3 is permitted based on the judgment result of the area level 3 permission judgment process (see S33). When the area level 3 is permitted, the pattern switching unit 67 sets the area level 3 as the implementation pattern of the eyes-off autonomous driving (see S34). On the other hand, when both the congestion level 3 and the area level 3 are not permitted, the eyes-off autonomous driving is terminated (see S35). In this case, the autonomous driving system 50 switches to autonomous driving with the driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings.

[0047] The information linking unit 68 performs information linking with the autonomous driving ECU 50b, the driver monitor 29, etc. The information linking unit 68 provides the HCU 100 with control status information indicating the implementation status of autonomous driving in the autonomous driving system 50. Specifically, the information linking unit 68 outputs to the HCU 100 information such as whether or not eyes-off autonomous driving will continue, a schedule for state changes in the implementation pattern, and the availability status of congestion level 3 and area level 3.

[0048] The information linking unit 68 receives driver status information detected by the driver monitor 29. The driver status information includes operation information indicating whether the driver monitoring is operating normally, and behavior information such as whether the driver is appropriately monitoring the surroundings. The behavior information does not affect the switching of the implementation pattern of the eyes-off autonomous driving by the pattern switching unit 67. That is, even if the information linking unit 68 has determined that the driver is not monitoring the surroundings, the pattern switching unit 67 permits the switching of the implementation pattern. Note that the generation of the behavior information may be performed by the HCU 100 (a driver grasping unit 73 described later) based on information detected by the driver monitor 29. In this embodiment, the information linking unit 68 is also capable of information linking with the HCU 100.

[0049] When the autonomous driving system 50 has control of driving operations, the control execution unit 63 executes acceleration / deceleration control, steering control, and the like of the vehicle A in accordance with the driving plan generated by the action determination unit 62 in cooperation with the driving control ECU 40. Specifically, the control execution unit 63 generates control commands based on the driving plan and outputs the generated control commands to the driving control ECU 40 one after another.

[0050] Next, the multiple display devices, the audio device 24, the operation device 26, and the HCU 100 included in the HMI system will be described in detail in turn.

[0051] The multiple display devices include a meter display 21, a CID 22, and a head-up display (hereinafter, HUD) 23. The multiple display devices may further include displays EMB, EML, and EMR (see FIG. 2) of the electronic mirror system.

[0052] The meter display 21, the CID 22, and the HUD 23 present information to the driver through his / her vision. The meter display 21 and the CID 22 are mainly composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display or an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display. The CID 22 has a touch panel function and detects a touch operation on the display screen by the driver or the like. The HUD 23 projects the light of an image formed in front of the driver onto a projection area PA defined on the windshield WS or the like, thereby allowing the driver to visually recognize a virtual image that overlaps with the foreground of the vehicle A.

[0053] The audio device 24 presents information to the driver through his / her sense of hearing. The audio device 24 has a plurality of speakers disposed in the vehicle cabin in an arrangement surrounding the driver's seat, and reproduces notification sounds, voice messages, and the like through the speakers in the vehicle cabin.

[0054] The operation device 26 is an input unit that accepts user operations by the driver, etc. User operations related to, for example, activation and deactivation of an autonomous driving function are input to the operation device 26. The operation device 26 includes a steering switch provided on the spokes of the steering wheel, an operation lever provided on the steering column, and a voice input device that recognizes the contents of the driver's speech.

[0055] The HCU 100 is an in-vehicle computer that controls the meter display 21, the CID 22, the HUD 23, and the audio device 24 in the HMI system. The HCU 100 functions as a presentation control device that comprehensively manages the presentation of information related to autonomous driving to the driver. The HCU 100 mainly includes a control circuit equipped with a processing unit 11, a RAM 12, a storage unit 13, an input / output interface 14, and a bus connecting these.

[0056] The processing unit 11 is hardware for arithmetic processing coupled to the RAM 12. The processing unit 11 includes at least one arithmetic core such as a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphics processing unit (GPU). The processing unit 11 may further include a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a neural network processing unit (NPU), and an IP core having other dedicated functions. The RAM 12 may include a video RAM for generating video data. The processing unit 11 accesses the RAM 12 to execute various processes for realizing the presentation control method of the present disclosure. The storage unit 13 includes a non-volatile storage medium. The storage unit 13 stores various programs (such as a presentation control program) executed by the processing unit 11.

[0057] The HCU 100 has a plurality of functional units that perform integrated control of the presentation of information to the driver using each display device and the audio device 24 by executing a presentation control program stored in the storage unit 13 using the processing unit 11. Specifically, the HCU 100 has functional units such as an information acquisition unit 71, an autonomous driving recognition unit 72, a driver recognition unit 73, and a provision control unit 77.

[0058] The information acquisition unit 71 acquires vehicle information indicating the state of the vehicle A from the communication bus 99. The vehicle information includes, for example, vehicle speed information and control status information indicating the state of the automatic driving function. The information acquisition unit 71 acquires operation information indicating the content of a user operation from the CID 22, the operation device 26, etc. The information acquisition unit 71 acquires driver status information indicating the state of the driver from the driver monitor 29.

[0059] The autonomous driving grasping unit 72 grasps the implementation state of autonomous driving by the autonomous driving system 50 based on the control status information acquired by the information acquisition unit 71. The autonomous driving grasping unit 72 grasps the currently implemented pattern among a plurality of implementation patterns included in the eyes-off autonomous driving, that is, the congestion level 3 and the area level 3. The autonomous driving grasping unit 72 may be capable of grasping not only the current implementation pattern but also the implementation schedule up to a predetermined time ahead. Specifically, the autonomous driving grasping unit 72 grasps the change in the implementation pattern from the congestion level 3 to the area level 3, and the change in the implementation pattern from the area level 3 to the congestion level 3. Furthermore, the autonomous driving grasping unit 72 grasps the entry and exit into and exit from the permitted area SeA in the autonomous driving at the congestion level 3.

[0060] The driver ascertaining unit 73 ascertains whether or not the driver has performed periphery monitoring, based on the driver status information acquired by the information acquiring unit 71. Specifically, the driver ascertaining unit 73 ascertains whether or not the driver has performed periphery monitoring, when the end of eyes-off autonomous driving is scheduled, and when a periphery monitoring notification (described later) based on a schedule for switching the implementation pattern of eyes-off autonomous driving is performed.

[0061] The provision control unit 77 performs integrated control of the provision of information to the driver using each display device and the audio device 24. The provision control unit 77 has an arbitration function for arbitrating information to be presented to the driver, and a data generation function for generating video data and audio data based on the arbitration result.

[0062] The provision control unit 77, as an arbitration function, sets a priority for each content that is a candidate for provision based on various acquired information acquired by the information acquisition unit 71. The provision control unit 77 selects the content that is determined to have a high priority as the content to be provided to the driver. The provision control unit 77, as a data generation function, generates video data to be provided to each display device and audio data to be provided to the audio device 24, etc., based on the content selection results.

[0063] Here, the autonomous driving ECU 50b and the HCU 100 temporarily permit the driver to perform actions other than driving. To explain in detail, during an autonomous driving period in which the vehicle A is autonomously driven by the level 3 autonomous driving function of the autonomous driving ECU 50b, the driver may be permitted to perform a specific action (hereinafter, a second task) other than driving that is specified in advance.

[0064] The second task may be legally permitted to the driver until a request to perform driving operations is made by the automated driving system 50, that is, a request to take over driving (Take Over Request, see time t13 in FIG. 8 ). The second task is also called a secondary activity or other activity. The second task must not prevent the driver from responding to a request to take over driving operations from the automated driving system 50. For example, viewing entertainment content such as video content, operating a smartphone, eating, and other actions are considered as second tasks.

[0065] During the period in which the second task is permitted, the provision control unit 77 displays an autonomous driving status that presents information related to eyes-off autonomous driving. The autonomous driving status may be displayed on a display device (e.g., CID 22) that displays video content, or may be displayed on a display device (e.g., meter display 21) different from the video content. As an example, the autonomous driving status is an overhead display mainly including an image that reproduces the driving environment around the host vehicle using a host vehicle icon, other vehicle icons, lane images, etc. The provision control unit 77 performs change notification, advance notification, and surroundings monitoring notification, etc., by additionally displaying a message window, an icon, etc., to the autonomous driving status. The change notification, advance notification, and surroundings monitoring notification may include playback of a message or notification sound by the audio device 24.

[0066] The change notification is a notification that indicates a change in the state of the implementation pattern of eyes-off autonomous driving. The change notification is issued when the state of the implementation pattern changes while autonomous driving continues. The change in the state of the implementation pattern means a change in the permitted state of congestion level 3 when the permitted state of area level 3 is in the permitted state, and a change in the permitted state of area level 3 when the permitted state of congestion level 3 is in the permitted state. Therefore, the provision control unit 77 is set with four state change scenes of the implementation pattern.

[0067] The first scene (hereinafter, scene 1) is a scene in which congestion level 3 becomes permitted while area level 3 continues, and control switches from area level 3 to congestion level 3 (see time t6 in Fig. 7 and time t10 in Fig. 8). The second scene (hereinafter, scene 2) is a scene in which congestion level 3 becomes prohibited within the permitted area SeA, and control switches from congestion level 3 to area level 3 (see time t8 in Fig. 7). The third scene (hereinafter, scene 3) is a scene in which area level 3 transitions to permitted in the background as the vehicle enters the permitted area SeA while congestion level 3 continues (see time t3 in Fig. 6). In scene 3, after entering the permitted area SeA, control is scheduled to switch from congestion level 3 to area level 3, as in scene 2. The fourth scene (hereinafter, scene 4) is a scene in which area level 3 transitions to unauthorized state in the background as the user exits the permitted area SeA while congestion level 3 continues (see time t12 in FIG. 8). Among the above-mentioned state change scenes 1 to 4, the provision control unit 77 omits a change notification in scene 1 where control switches from area level 3 to congestion level 3.

[0068] The advance notification is a notification that indicates a schedule of a state change of the implementation pattern before the change notification. The advance notification starts at a timing that is a predetermined time (for example, about several seconds) earlier than the change notification, and ends before the change notification starts. The advance notification is also performed in scene 1 where the change notification is omitted.

[0069] The perimeter monitoring notification is content that notifies the driver to monitor the surroundings. Similar to the change notification described above, the perimeter monitoring notification is performed in each scene where the implementation pattern changes from one of area level 3 and congestion level 3 to the other. The provision control unit 77 emphasizes the perimeter monitoring notification in scene 1 where the implementation pattern changes from area level 3 to congestion level 3, more than in scene 2 where the implementation pattern changes from congestion level 3 to area level 3. Furthermore, the provision control unit 77 emphasizes the perimeter monitoring notification in scene 4 where the permitted area SeA is exited while maintaining congestion level 3, more than in scene 3 where the permitted area SeA is entered while maintaining congestion level 3.

[0070] The provision control unit 77 emphasizes the perimeter monitoring notification by increasing the amount of information of the congestion information to be additionally displayed as a perimeter monitoring notification in the autonomous driving status. Specifically, in emphasizing the perimeter monitoring notification in scene 1, a display change is implemented to increase the number of other vehicle icons to be displayed in the autonomous driving status. In emphasizing the perimeter monitoring notification in scene 4, a display change is implemented to notify the end position of the congestion based on the congestion information received by the V2X communication device 39. For example, a message such as "The congestion section will end soon" is additionally displayed in the autonomous driving status. In the above-mentioned highlighting, a display change such as expanding the range of the bird's-eye view display may be implemented in conjunction. On the other hand, in scenes 2 and 3 where the perimeter monitoring notification is not emphasized, the amount of information of the congestion information is reduced. With such a display change, the provision control unit 77 suggests to the occupant a plan to exit the congestion section SeJ while simplifying the display configuration of the autonomous driving status.

[0071] Next, details of control in each scene in which the state of the eyes-off autonomous driving implementation pattern changes will be described below based on Figs. 6 to 8 and with reference to Figs. 1 and 2.

[0072] In a series of scenes shown in FIG. 6, vehicle A enters a congestion section SeJ in the limited permitted area SeD (time t1). The autonomous driving ECU 50b starts eyes-off autonomous driving at congestion level 3 based on congestion recognition by the congestion recognition unit 65 in the limited permitted area SeD. The autonomous driving ECU 50b continues eyes-off autonomous driving at congestion level 3 while entering the permitted area SeA (time t3). The autonomous driving ECU 50b permits the implementation of eyes-off autonomous driving at area level 3 based on the entry into the permitted area SeA. When the autonomous driving ECU 50b recognizes that the congestion around the vehicle has been resolved within the permitted area SeA, it disallows congestion level 3 (time t4). As a result, the implementation pattern of eyes-off autonomous driving switches from congestion level 3 to area level 3.

[0073] Corresponding to the state changes of the above implementation patterns, the provision control unit 77 sets the implementation timing of each of the advance notification, change notification, and periphery monitoring notification. When automated driving at congestion level 3 continues after entering the permitted area SeA, the provision control unit 77 sets the start timing of the change notification and periphery monitoring notification to time t3 at which the permitted area SeA is reached, not time t4 at which congestion level 3 switches to area level 3. In other words, the notification of a state change for which congestion level 3 is not permitted is combined with the notification of a state change for which area level 3 is permitted, and is implemented at the time of entering the permitted area SeA.

[0074] Furthermore, the provision control unit 77 sets the start timing of the advance notification (time t2) to be before time t3. As a result, the provision control unit 77 starts the advance notification at time t2, and then starts the change notification and periphery monitoring notification at time t3. That is, the change notification and periphery monitoring notification that are originally performed at time t4 are issued early at time t3 (scene 3). The change notification at time t3 can not only notify the state change of the implementation pattern, but also notify that vehicle A has entered the permitted area SeA.

[0075] 7, vehicle A enters congested section SeJ in permitted area SeA (time t6). The autonomous driving ECU 50b switches the implementation pattern of eyes-off autonomous driving from area level 3 to congested level 3 based on the recognition of the congestion by the congestion recognition unit 65. Furthermore, at the time when vehicle A leaves the congested section SeJ (time t8), the autonomous driving ECU 50b switches the implementation pattern of eyes-off autonomous driving from congested level 3 to area level 3 based on the recognition of the clearance of the congestion by the congestion recognition unit 65.

[0076] The provision control unit 77 sets the implementation timings of the advance notification, the change notification, and the surrounding monitoring notification based on the state change schedule of the above-mentioned implementation pattern grasped by the autonomous driving grasping unit 72. Specifically, the provision control unit 77 sets the start timings of the advance notification (times t5 and t7) a predetermined time before each of the times t6 and t8 at which the control is switched between the area level 3 and the congestion level 3. Based on such settings, the provision control unit 77 starts the advance notification at time t5, and then starts the surrounding monitoring notification in the emphasis mode at time t6 (scene 1). At this time t6, the change notification is omitted. Furthermore, the provision control unit 77 starts the advance notification at time t7, and then starts the surrounding monitoring notification in the normal mode at time t8 (scene 2).

[0077] In a series of scenes shown in FIG. 8, vehicle A enters a congested section SeJ in the permitted area SeA (time t10). The autonomous driving ECU 50b switches the implementation pattern of eyes-off autonomous driving from area level 3 to congestion level 3 based on the recognition of congestion in the permitted area SeA. The autonomous driving ECU 50b continues eyes-off autonomous driving at congestion level 3 while exiting the permitted area SeA (time t12). Furthermore, when the autonomous driving ECU 50b recognizes that the congestion around the vehicle has cleared in the limited permitted area SeD, it ends eyes-off autonomous driving and switches to autonomous driving with periphery monitoring notification (time t13).

[0078] The provision control unit 77 sets the implementation timings of the advance notification, the change notification, and the periphery monitoring notification based on the state change schedule of the implementation pattern described above. Specifically, the provision control unit 77 sets the start timings of the advance notification (times t9 and t11) a predetermined time before each of time t10 when the control is switched from area level 3 to congestion level 3 and time t12 when the vehicle leaves the permitted area SeA. Based on these settings, the provision control unit 77 starts the advance notification at time t9, and then starts the periphery monitoring notification in normal mode at time t10 (scene 1). Furthermore, the provision control unit 77 starts the advance notification at time t11, and then starts the change notification and the periphery monitoring notification in emphasis mode at time t12 (scene 4). The change notification described above can not only notify the state change of the implementation pattern, but also notify that the vehicle A has left the permitted area SeA.

[0079] Next, the details of the notification control process for controlling the above-mentioned notifications will be described below based on Fig. 9 with reference to Figs. 1, 2, and 6 to 8. The notification control process is started by the autonomous driving recognition unit 72 and the provision control unit 77 based on the start of eyes-off autonomous driving by the autonomous driving ECU 50b, and continues until eyes-off autonomous driving is ended.

[0080] In S51, the latest control status information is obtained, the state of implementation of eyes-off autonomous driving in the autonomous driving ECU 50b is grasped, and the process proceeds to S52. In S52, it is determined whether or not eyes-off autonomous driving is to end based on the implementation state of eyes-off autonomous driving grasped in S51. If it is determined in S51 that eyes-off autonomous driving is to end, the process proceeds to S61. In S61, the autonomous driving status displayed on the display is made non-display, and the notification control process ends. In S61, a request for a change of driving to the driver may be implemented.

[0081] On the other hand, if it is determined in S52 that eyes-off autonomous driving will continue, the process proceeds to S53. In S53, it is determined whether or not a continuous change in the state of the implementation pattern is scheduled. If it is determined that a continuous change in the state of the implementation pattern is not scheduled, the process returns to S51. In this case, the process waits for the occurrence of a continuous change in the implementation pattern by repeating S51 to S53. If it is determined in S53 that a continuous change in the implementation pattern is present, the process proceeds to S54.

[0082] In S54, the scene of the state change is determined and the start timing of each notification is set, and the process proceeds to S55. In S55, advance notification is started based on the start timing set in S54, and the process proceeds to S56. In S56, based on the result of scene determination in S54, it is determined whether or not the scene is one in which the vehicle is leaving the permitted area SeA (scene 4). If it is determined in S56 that the scene is one in which the vehicle is leaving the permitted area SeA, the process proceeds to S58. In S58, a change notification and a periphery monitoring notification in emphasis mode are started when vehicle A leaves the permitted area SeA, and the process returns to S51.

[0083] On the other hand, if it is determined in S56 that the scene is not one in which the vehicle is leaving the permitted area SeA, the process proceeds to S57. In S57, it is determined whether the scene is one in which the eyes-off autonomous driving control is to switch from area level 3 to congestion level 3 (scene 1). If it is determined in S57 that the scene is one in which the control is to switch from area level 3 to congestion level 3, the process proceeds to S59. In S59, a surrounding monitoring notification in emphasis mode is started at the timing when the autonomous driving control is to switch, and the process returns to S51. If there is a change from area level 3 to congestion level 3, no change notification is made to inform the driver that the implementation pattern has changed.

[0084] Furthermore, if it is determined in S57 that the scene is not a scene for switching from area level 3 to congestion level 3, the process proceeds to S60. In S60, a change notification to notify of a state change from congestion level 3 to area level 3 and a periphery monitoring notification in normal mode are started based on the start timing set in S54, and the process returns to S51. The change notification and periphery monitoring notification by S60 are performed when vehicle A enters the permitted area SeA (scene 3) or when congestion level 3 ends within the permitted area SeA (scene 2).

[0085] According to the first embodiment described so far, even if the eyes-off autonomous driving in which the driver is not required to monitor the surroundings includes multiple implementation patterns, the driver or other occupants can perceive the state of the current implementation pattern in the autonomous driving system 50 by the change notification. As a result, it becomes easy to understand what type of autonomous driving is being performed, and convenience of the autonomous driving can be ensured.

[0086] In addition, in the first embodiment, a change in the state of the implementation pattern is notified from the congestion level 3, which is implemented only when driving in a congestion, to the area level 3, which is implemented only in the permitted area SeA (see scene 3 in FIG. 6 and scene 2 in FIG. 7). Therefore, even if the vehicle A automatically accelerates after exiting the congestion section SeJ, the occupants are aware of the control switch and are therefore unlikely to feel uneasy about the change in behavior of the vehicle A.

[0087] In the first embodiment, when eyes-off autonomous driving at congestion level 3 continues after entry into the permitted area SeA, the change notification is issued early, and entry into the permitted area SeA is notified during the duration of congestion level 3. Specifically, the change notification is issued at the timing of entry into the permitted area SeA (see scene 3 in FIG. 6). The above change notification can notify the occupant not only of a change in the state of the implementation pattern, but also of the entry of vehicle A into the permitted area SeA. In this way, if multiple pieces of information can be notified by a single change notification, the inconvenience of information presentation can be reduced. As a result, it is less likely to interfere with the second task performed by the occupant, and convenience is further improved.

[0088] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, notification of a change in the state of the implementation pattern from area level 3 to congestion level 3 is omitted (see scene 1 in FIG. 7). In a scene where the autonomous driving control switches from area level 3 to congestion level 3, the vehicle only transitions to low-speed autonomous driving, so it is difficult for passengers to feel uneasy. Therefore, if the change notification is omitted and reduction in annoyance is prioritized, it becomes easier to continue the second task. This makes it possible to further improve convenience.

[0089] In addition, in the first embodiment, the scheduled change in the implementation pattern is notified in advance before the change notification that notifies the change in the implementation pattern. Such advance notification makes it difficult for the occupant to miss the change notification in the implementation pattern, so that the occupant can more reliably perceive the current state of the implementation pattern. Therefore, a highly convenient change notification is realized.

[0090] In the first embodiment, when the implementation pattern of autonomous driving changes between area level 3, which is implemented only in the permitted area SeA, and congestion level 3, which is implemented only when driving in congestion, the driver or other occupants are prompted to monitor the surroundings. If a notification is issued to encourage surrounding monitoring when there is no obligation to monitor the surroundings, the occupants can easily perceive the current implementation pattern. As a result, the occupants can flexibly respond to changes in vehicle behavior caused by changes in the implementation pattern. Therefore, the convenience of autonomous driving can be ensured.

[0091] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the change in the implementation pattern prompts the occupant to perform peripheral monitoring in a scene where acceleration / deceleration is expected. In this way, if the occupant's attention is directed to driving by performing peripheral monitoring, anxiety about acceleration / deceleration is less likely to be generated.

[0092] In addition, in the first embodiment, even if it is determined that the driver has not performed surroundings monitoring, the autonomous driving ECU 50b allows the change of the implementation pattern. In this way, by keeping the implementation of surroundings monitoring only recommended, it is possible to avoid the switching control of the implementation pattern becoming complicated. As a result, it is possible to perform autonomous driving that ensures convenience.

[0093] In the first embodiment, the perimeter monitoring notification in scene 1 where the area level 3 changes to congestion level 3 is emphasized more than the perimeter monitoring notification in scene 2 where the congestion level 3 changes to area level 3. As a result, the occupants can perceive that they are traveling in the congestion section SeJ because the perimeter monitoring notification can be reduced when it is overlooked. As a result, even if a change in vehicle behavior occurs due to a vehicle cutting in from the side of an adjacent lane, it is possible to reduce the anxiety of the occupants.

[0094] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the amount of traffic congestion information provided to the driver is increased in a scene where the area level changes from level 3 to level 3. By emphasizing the amount of traffic congestion information by increasing the amount of information, the driver can more easily recognize the driving environment around the vehicle. Therefore, a highly convenient surroundings monitoring notification is realized.

[0095] In addition, in the first embodiment, in a scene where the congestion level 3 changes to the area level 3, the amount of congestion information provided to the driver is reduced. This simplification of the congestion information makes it easier for the driver to understand the perimeter monitoring notification. Therefore, a highly convenient perimeter monitoring notification is realized.

[0096] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, when vehicle A exits the permission area SeA while continuing automated driving at congestion level 3, the provision control unit 77 emphasizes the content of the periphery monitoring notification. In such a scene, after exiting the permission area SeA and ending the congestion section SeJ, eyes-off automated driving ends. Therefore, by issuing a periphery monitoring notification while eyes-off automated driving continues, the driver can be smoothly handed over to the other vehicle by quickly directing the driver's attention to driving.

[0097] In the above embodiment, the autonomous driving grasping unit 72 corresponds to a "status grasping unit", the provision control unit 77 corresponds to a "status notification unit" and a "monitoring promotion unit", the permitted area SeA corresponds to a "specific area", and the HCU 100 corresponds to a "presentation control device". Furthermore, autonomous driving control at congestion level 3 corresponds to "congestion limited control", and autonomous driving control at area level 3 corresponds to "area limited control".

[0098] Second Embodiment The second embodiment of the present disclosure shown in Fig. 10 is a modified example of the first embodiment. In a series of scenes shown in Fig. 10, the autonomous driving ECU 50b continues autonomous driving at congestion level 3 after entering the permitted area SeA, and switches the autonomous driving control from congestion level 3 to area level 3 at time t4.

[0099] The provision control unit 77 sets the implementation timing of the change notification and the periphery monitoring notification to time t4 when the implementation pattern switches from congestion level 3 to area level 3. Furthermore, the provision control unit 77 sets the implementation timing of the advance notification to time t3a, which is a predetermined time before time t4.

[0100] As a result of the above, the provision control unit 77 does not implement a change notification or a surrounding monitoring notification at the timing (time t3) of entering the permitted area SeA. After entering the permitted area SeA, the provision control unit 77 starts an advance notification at time t3a. At the timing (time t4) when the automated driving at congestion level 3 ends, the provision control unit 77 implements a change notification that notifies of a change in the state of the implementation pattern from congestion level 3 to area level 3, and a surrounding monitoring notification.

[0101] In the second embodiment described so far, when entering the permitted area SeA in a congestion level 3 state, the notification corresponding to scene 3 (see FIG. 6) in the first embodiment is omitted, and the notification of scene 2 is implemented. In this second embodiment, the same effect as the first embodiment is achieved, and the occupant can understand the current implementation pattern state of the autonomous driving system 50. Therefore, the convenience of autonomous driving can be ensured.

[0102] Additionally, in the second embodiment, a change notification after entry into the permitted area SeA is performed at the end of congestion level 3. Such a change notification can notify the occupants at an appropriate timing of the occurrence of a change in vehicle behavior accompanying the control switch from congestion level 3 to area level 3. This realizes a highly convenient presentation of information that gives the occupants a sense of security.

[0103] Third embodiment The third embodiment of the present disclosure shown in Figs. 11 to 13 is another modified example of the first embodiment. In the third embodiment, in a scene where the vehicle is traveling in a non-permitted area SeM (see Fig. 12), information is presented to prevent the driver from misunderstanding that eyes-off autonomous driving is now possible. In order to realize such information presentation, the HCU 100 further includes an area grasping unit 74 as a functional unit based on a presentation control program. The following describes the details of the autonomous driving grasping unit 72, the area grasping unit 74, and the provision control unit 77 provided in the HCU 100 of the third embodiment in order.

[0104] The autonomous driving grasping unit 72 grasps whether or not congestion around the vehicle is recognized by the congestion recognition unit 65 of the autonomous driving ECU 50b based on the control status information acquired by the information acquisition unit 71. Furthermore, the autonomous driving grasping unit 72 grasps the implementation schedule for the predetermined time ahead, in addition to the implementation pattern currently being implemented, based on the control status information. In this way, the autonomous driving grasping unit 72 grasps the scheduled switching of the implementation pattern to be implemented among the multiple implementation patterns included in the eyes-off autonomous driving.

[0105] Area ascertaining unit 74 ascertains whether the road currently being driven and the road to be driven are the non-permitted area SeM, the limited permitted area SeD, or the permitted area SeA, based on the control status information acquired by information acquisition unit 71. Area ascertaining unit 74 may ascertain which of the above-mentioned areas the road currently being driven and the road to be driven are, based on locator information or 3D map data provided to information acquisition unit 71 from locator 35. In this way, area ascertaining unit 74 ascertains plans to move from the non-permitted area SeM to the permitted area SeA or the limited permitted area SeD. In the following description, both the permitted area SeA and the limited permitted area SeD may be collectively referred to as the "permitted areas SeA, SeD, etc."

[0106] The provision control unit 77 can use the ambient light 25 to present information in addition to the multiple display devices and the audio device 24. The ambient light 25 is provided on the instrument panel 9 (see FIG. 2), the steering wheel, etc. The ambient light 25 presents information using the driver's peripheral vision by ambient display that changes the emitted color. The ambient light 25 notifies the driver, for example, by changing the emitted color, that eyes-off autonomous driving is possible, that the end of eyes-off autonomous driving is scheduled, etc.

[0107] The provision control unit 77, like the first embodiment, implements a change notification, an advance notification, and a surrounding monitoring notification, etc., related to the switching of the implementation pattern of the eyes-off autonomous driving. In addition, the provision control unit 77 implements a level 3 impossible notification, a traffic jam notification, an advance notification, and a level 3 possible notification, etc., as notifications related to entry into the permitted areas SeA, SeD, etc. The provision control unit 77 implements a level 3 impossible notification, a traffic jam notification, an advance notification, and a level 3 possible notification, etc., by additionally displaying a message window, an icon, etc., in the autonomous driving status. These notifications may include the reproduction of a message or a notification sound by the audio device 24. For convenience, an advance notification implemented prior to switching of the implementation pattern (see time t2, etc. in FIG. 6) is described as a "switch advance notification," and an advance notification implemented in association with approaching the permitted areas SeA, SeD, etc. is described as an "area advance notification."

[0108] The level 3 impossible notification and traffic congestion notification are notifications that are issued when vehicle A is traveling in a non-permitted area SeM and a plan to move to a permitted area SeA, SeD, etc. is recognized, and the traffic congestion recognition unit 65 recognizes a traffic congestion state around the vehicle. Even if a plan to move to a permitted area SeA, SeD, etc. is recognized, if there is no traffic congestion around the vehicle, the implementation of the level 3 impossible notification and traffic congestion notification by the provision control unit 77 is omitted.

[0109] The level 3 impossible notification is a notification indicating that eyes-off autonomous driving is not permitted because the vehicle has not yet entered the permitted areas SeA, SeD, etc. and is still traveling in the non-permitted area SeM. The level 3 impossible notification clearly indicates to the driver that the eyes-off autonomous driving function is not yet available. In the level 3 impossible notification, a message such as "2nd task is not available" is additionally displayed in the autonomous driving status on the meter display 21. The level 3 impossible notification serves to prevent the driver from misunderstanding that eyes-off autonomous driving is now available in a scene approaching the permitted areas SeA, SeD, etc.

[0110] The traffic jam notification is implemented together with the level 3 impossible notification, and is a notification indicating that the surroundings of the vehicle are congested. The traffic jam notification clearly indicates to the driver that the automated driving system 50 correctly recognizes the congestion around the vehicle, thereby eliminating the driver's doubt that the reason that eyes-off automated driving cannot be used is because the automated driving system 50 cannot recognize the congestion.

[0111] The area advance notification is a notification to the driver that a plan to move into the permitted area SeA, SeD, etc. has been recognized by the area recognition unit 74. The provision control unit 77 recognizes the scheduled time of entry into the permitted area SeA, SeD, etc., and starts the area advance notification at a timing a predetermined time (e.g., about several seconds) earlier than the scheduled entry time. The provision control unit 77 ends the area advance notification before the vehicle A enters the permitted area SeA, SeD, etc.

[0112] The provision control unit 77 differentiates the manner of the switching advance notification (see time t2 in FIG. 6, etc.) when the state of the eyes-off autonomous driving implementation pattern changes from the manner of the above-mentioned area advance notification. The provision control unit 77 provides the driver with a larger amount of information in the area advance notification than in the switching advance notification.

[0113] Specifically, the number of contents (images) presented in the area advance notification is set to be greater than the number of contents presented in the switching advance notification. As an example, in the switching advance notification, a change in the icon displayed in the autonomous driving status provides advance notification of the switching of the implementation pattern between congestion level 3 and area level 3. On the other hand, in the area advance notification, for example, a message window stating "The second task will be available soon" and a flashing icon indicating the second task are additionally displayed in the autonomous driving status to provide advance notification of entry into permitted areas SeA, SeD, etc.

[0114] In addition, the provision control unit 77 makes the amount of information in the area advance notification larger than the amount of information in the switching advance notification by making the display duration of the area advance notification longer than the display duration of the switching advance notification. In addition, the provision control unit 77 sets the start timing of the area advance notification later than the start timing of the switching advance notification. As described above, the area advance notification starts a predetermined time (hereinafter, the first start time) before the scheduled entry time from the non-permitted area SeM to the permitted area SeA, etc., and ends a predetermined time (hereinafter, the first end time) before the scheduled entry time. On the other hand, the switching advance notification starts a predetermined time (hereinafter, the second start time) before the scheduled movement time from one of the permitted area SeA and the limited permitted area SeD to the other, and ends a predetermined time (hereinafter, the second end time) before the scheduled movement time. The provision control unit 77 sets the second start time longer than the first start time, and sets the second end time longer than the first end time. Furthermore, the provision control unit 77 sets the period from the first start time to the first end time to be longer than the period from the second start time to the second end time. With the above settings, the area advance notification starts later than the switching advance notification and continues longer than the switching advance notification.

[0115] The level 3 possible notification is a notification that indicates to the driver that the eyes-off autonomous driving function is now available. The provision control unit 77 issues the level 3 possible notification based on the detection of entry into the permitted areas SeA, SeD, etc. In the level 3 possible notification, for example, a message such as "2nd task is now available" is additionally displayed in the autonomous driving status on the meter display 21.

[0116] Next, specific scenes in which the above-mentioned notifications are implemented will be described. FIG. 12 illustrates a scene in which, for example, a vehicle passes through an ETC (registered trademark) gate that is the entrance to an expressway and merges with the main roadway of the expressway. The main roadway of the expressway is a restricted permission area SeD in which use of level 3 during congestion is permitted. The main roadway may be a permission area SeA. Meanwhile, the rampway from the ETC gate to the main roadway is a non-permission area SeM in which eyes-off automated driving is prohibited.

[0117] In the scene shown in FIG. 12, the area grasping unit 74 grasps the planned movement from the non-permission area SeM to the limited permission area SeD based on the passage of vehicle A through the ETC gate. After that, vehicle A enters the congested section SeJ while traveling on the ramp way (time t1). At this time, the use of level 3 during congestion remains prohibited. The provision control unit 77 starts a level 3 impossible notification and a congestion notification based on the congestion recognition by the congestion recognition unit 65 (time t2). The level 3 impossible notification and the congestion notification may be ended after a predetermined time has elapsed, or may be continued until the start of the area advance notification.

[0118] When vehicle A approaches the main roadway and it is a first start time before the scheduled entry time (time t4) into the limited permitted area SeD, the provision control unit 77 starts the area advance notification (time t3). The area advance notification continues until it is a first end time before the scheduled entry time. The start and end of the area advance notification may be controlled based on the distance to the limited permitted area SeD. That is, the area advance notification may start at a position a predetermined distance (e.g., several hundred meters) before the entry position into the limited permitted area SeD, and end at a position a predetermined distance (e.g., several tens of meters) behind the entry position.

[0119] Furthermore, when vehicle A merges onto the main roadway, the autonomous driving ECU 50b, which has recognized that vehicle A has entered the limited permission area SeD, permits the use of congestion level 3 (time t4). The provision control unit 77 recognizes that the use of congestion level 3 is permitted based on the control status information, and starts a level 3 possible notification (time t5). After the level 3 possible notification is issued, autonomous driving control at congestion level 3 is started based on the driver's operation or automatically.

[0120] Next, the details of the notification control process for controlling each of the above-mentioned notifications will be described below based on Fig. 13 with reference to Fig. 11 and Fig. 12. The notification control process is started by the HCU 100 when the vehicle A starts traveling, and is continuously performed during a period when the eyes-off autonomous driving is not being performed.

[0121] In S71, based on control status information or 3D map data, etc., information is obtained as to whether or not the road currently being driven and the road to be driven are areas in which eyes-off autonomous driving is permitted (hereinafter, area information), and the process proceeds to S72. In S72, based on the area information obtained in S71, it is determined whether or not there is a plan to move from the non-permitted area SeM to the permitted areas SeA, SeD, etc. If it is determined in S72 that there is no plan to move to the permitted areas SeA, SeD, etc., the process returns to S71. On the other hand, if it is determined in S72 that there is a plan to move to the permitted areas SeA, SeD, etc., the process proceeds to S73.

[0122] In S73, it is determined whether or not there is a traffic jam around the vehicle. If it is determined in S73 that there is no traffic jam around the vehicle, the process returns to S71. On the other hand, if it is determined in S73 that there is a traffic jam around the vehicle, the process proceeds to S74. In S74, a traffic jam notification is issued to indicate that the vehicle is in a traffic jam, and a level 3 impossible notification is issued to indicate that driving with eyes off autonomous driving is not permitted, and the process proceeds to S75.

[0123] In S75, it is determined whether or not driving under driving assistance control of autonomous driving level 2 is being performed. If it is determined in S75 that driving under driving assistance control of level 2 is not being performed, in other words, that driving assistance control of autonomous driving level 1 is being performed or manual driving is in progress, the process proceeds to S77. In S77, area advance warning in a manner associated with the case where driving assistance control of level 1 or manual driving is being performed (hereinafter, area advance warning for manual driving, etc.) is performed.

[0124] On the other hand, if it is determined in S75 that level 2 driving assist control is being performed, the process proceeds to S76. In S76, it is determined whether the driving assist control being performed is a hands-off control in which the driver is not required to hold the steering wheel. If it is determined in S76 that the hands-off control is being performed, the process proceeds to S79. In S79, an area advance notification in a manner associated with the case where the hands-off control is being performed (hereinafter, an area advance notification for hands-off) is performed. On the other hand, if it is determined in S76 that the hands-on control in which the driver is required to hold the steering wheel is being performed, the process proceeds to S78. In S78, an area advance notification in a manner associated with the case where the hands-on control is being performed (hereinafter, an area advance notification for hands-on) is performed.

[0125] Here, the area advance notification for manual driving, etc., the area advance notification for hands-off, and the area advance notification for hands-on are different in form from each other. For example, the area advance notification for hands-off and hands-on is made to be in a more emphasized form than the area advance notification for manual driving, etc. The area advance notification for manual driving, etc. may be omitted. Furthermore, the area advance notification for hands-on may be in a more emphasized form than the area advance notification for hands-off, or may be in a less conspicuous form than the area advance notification for hands-off. As an example, among the area advance notifications for hands-on and hands-off, only the area advance notification for hands-off is made by changing the light emission color of the ambient light 25.

[0126] In S80, it is determined whether or not vehicle A has entered the permitted area SeA, SeD, etc., based on the latest locator information. If it is determined in S80 that vehicle A has entered the permitted area SeA, SeD, etc., the process proceeds to S81. In S81, a level 3 possible notification is implemented. Then, after the level 3 possible notification is implemented, the notification control process ends.

[0127] The third embodiment described so far also has the same effect as the first embodiment, and makes it easier to grasp the state of the current implementation pattern in the autonomous driving system 50, thereby ensuring convenience regarding autonomous driving.

[0128] Specifically, in the third embodiment, the manner of the area advance notification that indicates to the driver the planned movement to the permitted areas SeA, SeD, etc. is different from the manner of the switching advance notification that indicates to the driver the planned change in the implementation pattern of the autonomous driving. Therefore, the area advance notification can be distinguished from the switching advance notification. Therefore, it is possible to avoid a situation where the area advance notification implemented while driving in a congested non-permitted area SeM, etc. is misunderstood as meaning that autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings has become available. As a result, it is possible to ensure the convenience of the autonomous driving by making it easier to grasp the state of the autonomous driving.

[0129] In addition, in the third embodiment, the amount of information provided to the driver in the area advance notification is greater than the amount of information provided to the driver in the switch advance notification. Therefore, the area advance notification is more easily distinguished from the switch advance notification, and the content of the information presented is easier to understand. As a result, the risk of the area advance notification being mistaken for a notification indicating that eyes-off autonomous driving has become available can be further reduced, so the convenience of autonomous driving is less likely to be impaired.

[0130] In the third embodiment, the start timing of the area advance warning is set later than the start timing of the switching advance warning. This shortens the time from the start of the area advance warning to the availability of congestion level 3. Therefore, even if the driver believes that driving at congestion level 3 is now possible and continues to mistakenly interpret the area advance warning as a warning indicating that congestion level 3 is available, it is possible to suppress the driver's discomfort.

[0131] Furthermore, in the third embodiment, when a plan to move to permitted areas SeA, SeD, etc. is recognized while driving in a non-permitted area SeM in a congested state, a level 3 impossible notification and a congestion notification are implemented. The level 3 impossible notification and the congestion notification clearly inform the driver that driving with eyes off autonomous driving is not permitted. This avoids a situation in which the driver mistakenly believes that driving with eyes off autonomous driving is now possible due to a congested state even before entering a permitted area SeA, SeD, etc. As a result, it becomes easier to grasp the state of autonomous driving, and the convenience of autonomous driving can be ensured.

[0132] In addition, in the third embodiment, when the surroundings of the vehicle are not in a traffic jam state, the level 3 impossible notification and the traffic jam notification are omitted. In this way, in a scene where the possibility of the driver misunderstanding is low, the annoyance of the information presentation can be reduced by omitting each notification.

[0133] In the third embodiment, the area advance notification for hands-on when shifting from congestion following in hands-on control to congestion level 3 and the area advance notification for hands-off when shifting from congestion following in hands-off control to congestion level 3 are implemented in different manners. Therefore, an area advance notification that is easily recognized can be implemented according to the state of each driver in hands-on control and hands-off control.

[0134] In the third embodiment, the provision control unit 77 corresponds to the "notification control unit", and the level 3 impossibility notification and the traffic jam notification correspond to the "non-permitted area notification". Furthermore, the permitted area SeA and the limited permitted area SeD correspond to the "permitted area".

[0135] (Other embodiments) Although several embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be applied to various embodiments and combinations within the scope not departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0136] In a first modification of the above embodiment, an implementation pattern for autonomous driving level 4 or higher is set in the autonomous driving ECU 50b. In the first modification, not only switching between congestion level 3 and area level 3, but also switching between autonomous driving level 3 and autonomous driving level 4 is notified to the driver, etc., by a change notification.

[0137] In the second modification of the above embodiment, in addition to the congestion level 3 and area level 3, an implementation pattern of level 3 autonomous driving is set. The autonomous driving ECU 50b of the second modification determines whether or not to perform eyes-off autonomous driving by using the vehicle speed and the operation information of the driver monitor 29, as well as the determination of whether or not the road is a motorway or an expressway, and the determination of the presence or absence of a median strip. The autonomous driving ECU 50b selects an implementation pattern to be executed from among a plurality of implementation patterns based on each determination result. The HCU 100, which cooperates with the autonomous driving ECU 50b, sequentially notifies switching among three or more implementation patterns including the congestion level 3 and area level 3. In the second modification, at least one of the implementation patterns of the congestion level 3 and the area level 3 may be omitted.

[0138] In the third modification of the above embodiment, notification of a change in the implementation pattern is also performed in scene 1 in which the implementation pattern switches from area level 3 to congestion level 3 within the permitted area SeA. Moreover, in the fourth modification of the above embodiment, advance notification is omitted.

[0139] In the fifth modification of the above embodiment, when both congestion level 3 and area level 3 are permitted, control at area level 3 is preferentially selected. Therefore, when entering permitted area SeA with automated driving at congestion level 3, the congestion level 3 changes continuously to area level 3 (see scene 3 in FIG. 6). The provision control unit 77 performs a change notification and a periphery monitoring notification at time t3 when the congestion level 3 switches to area level 3. In the fourth modification, the change notification and the periphery monitoring notification are not performed at time t4 when the congestion level 3 becomes a non-permitted state in the background.

[0140] In the sixth modification of the above embodiment, emphasis on perimeter monitoring notification in scenes 1 and 4 due to an increase in traffic congestion information is omitted. In addition, in the sixth modification, the amount of traffic congestion information is maintained in scenes 2 and 3. That is, in each scene in the sixth modification, the display content of the autonomous driving status is not substantially changed.

[0141] In the seventh modification of the above embodiment, the perimeter monitoring notification in scene 2 where the implementation pattern switches from congestion level 3 to area level 3 is emphasized more than the perimeter monitoring notification in scene 1 where the implementation pattern switches from area level 3 to congestion level 3. Such emphasis of the perimeter monitoring notification may be implemented, for example, by changing the display color and display brightness, displaying an animation, additionally displaying a message window, and switching the display device from the meter display 21 to the HUD 23. According to the seventh modification, it becomes easier for the driver to understand that the autonomous driving is in area level 3, where the driving speed is higher than that of the congestion section SeJ and there is a high possibility of a driver change due to a change in the surrounding conditions.

[0142] In Modification 8 of the third embodiment, when vehicle A is traveling in a congested non-permission area SeM and a plan to move to a limited permitted area SeD is determined, the provision control unit 77 omits the implementation of area advance notification. In more detail, if the congestion is immediately cleared after moving to the limited permitted area SeD, it becomes difficult to start the autonomous driving control at level 3 during congestion. In Modification 8, taking into consideration that it is unknown how long the congestion will continue, the area advance notification is canceled when the road ahead of the vehicle is the limited permitted area SeD. As in Modification 8 above, the area advance notification is canceled, so that the area advance notification and the switching advance notification may be different from each other.

[0143] In the 9th modification of the third embodiment, the amount of information in the switching advance warning is made greater than that in the area advance warning. Also, in the 10th modification of the third embodiment, the start timing of the switching advance warning is made later than that of the area advance warning. Furthermore, in the 11th modification of the embodiment, when a plan to move to an allowed area SeA, SeD, etc. is recognized while traveling in a non-allowed area SeM in a congested state, only the level 3 impossible warning is implemented out of the level 3 impossible warning and the congestion warning.

[0144] In the above embodiment, each function provided by the autonomous driving ECU and HCU can be provided by software and hardware that executes the software, software only, hardware only, or a combination of these. Furthermore, when such a function is provided by an electronic circuit as hardware, each function can also be provided by a digital circuit including a large number of logic circuits, or an analog circuit.

[0145] Each processing unit in the above-mentioned embodiment may be individually mounted on a printed circuit board, or may be mounted on an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit) and an FPGA. The form of a storage medium that stores a program capable of implementing the presentation control method may also be changed as appropriate. For example, the storage medium is not limited to a configuration provided on a circuit board, and may be provided in the form of a memory card or the like, inserted into a slot, and electrically connected to a control circuit of the HCU. Furthermore, the storage medium may be an optical disk or a hard disk drive that is a source from which a program is copied to the HCU.

[0146] The vehicle equipped with the HMI system is not limited to a general private passenger car, but may be a rental car vehicle, a manned taxi vehicle, a ride-sharing vehicle, a freight vehicle, a bus, etc. Furthermore, the HMI system including the HCU may be installed in a driverless vehicle used for a mobility service.

[0147] The vehicle equipped with the HMI system may be a right-hand drive vehicle or a left-hand drive vehicle. Furthermore, the traffic environment in which the vehicle travels may be a traffic environment based on left-hand traffic or a traffic environment based on right-hand traffic. The display of each content for driving assistance according to the present disclosure is appropriately optimized according to the road traffic laws of each country and region, and further the position of the steering wheel of the vehicle, etc.

[0148] The control unit and the method described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer having a processor programmed to execute one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the device and the method described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose hardware logic circuit. Alternatively, the device and the method described herein may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured by a combination of a processor that executes a computer program and one or more hardware logic circuits. The computer program may also be stored in a computer-readable non-transitory tangible recording medium as instructions to be executed by the computer. [Technical feature 1] A presentation control device for use in a vehicle (A) equipped with an automatic driving function capable of performing automatic driving without a driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings, and for controlling the presentation of information related to the automatic driving, A state grasping unit (72) that grasps a state of implementation by the automatic driving function for a plurality of implementation patterns included in the automatic driving that does not have a periphery monitoring obligation; a state notification unit (77) that notifies a state change of the implementation pattern when the state of the implementation pattern changes while the automated driving without a periphery monitoring obligation is continued; A presentation control device comprising: [Technical feature 7] A presentation control program for controlling the presentation of information related to the automatic driving in a vehicle (A) equipped with an automatic driving function capable of performing automatic driving without a driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings, At least one processing section (11) The state of implementation of the autonomous driving function is grasped for a plurality of implementation patterns included in the autonomous driving that does not have a duty to monitor the surroundings (S51); When the state of the implementation pattern changes while the automated driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings is continued, the state change of the implementation pattern is notified (S58 to S60). A presentation control program that causes a process including the above to be performed. [Technical feature 8] A presentation control device for use in a vehicle (A) equipped with an automatic driving function capable of performing automatic driving without a driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings, and for controlling the presentation of information related to the automatic driving, a state grasping unit (72) configured to grasp a state of implementation of the autonomous driving function with respect to the autonomous driving including an area-limited control implemented only in a specific area (SeA) and a congestion-limited control implemented only when driving in a congestion; A monitoring promotion unit (77) that issues a notification to the driver to prompt the driver to monitor the surroundings when the implementation pattern of the autonomous driving is switched from one of the area limiting control and the congestion limiting control to the other; A presentation control device comprising: [Technical feature 15] A presentation control device for use in a vehicle (A) equipped with an automatic driving function capable of performing automatic driving without a driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings, and for controlling the presentation of information related to the automatic driving, At least one processing section (11) The state of implementation by the autonomous driving function of the autonomous driving function, which includes an area-limited control implemented only in a specific area (SeA) and a congestion-limited control implemented only when driving in a congestion, is grasped (S51); When the implementation pattern of the autonomous driving is switched from one of the area limiting control and the traffic congestion limiting control to the other, a notification is issued to encourage the driver to monitor the surroundings (S58 to S60). A presentation control program that causes a process including the above to be performed. [Technical feature 16] A presentation control device that controls the presentation of information related to autonomous driving without a driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings, A state grasping unit (72) that grasps a schedule of switching of an implementation pattern to be implemented among a plurality of implementation patterns included in the autonomous driving that does not have a periphery monitoring obligation; an area grasping unit (74) that grasps a plan to move from a non-permitted area (SeM) where driving by the autonomous driving is not permitted and there is no obligation to monitor the surroundings to a permitted area (SeD, SeA) where driving by the autonomous driving is permitted and there is no obligation to monitor the surroundings; a notification control unit (77) that performs a pre-switching notification to the driver that the scheduled switching of the implementation pattern has been grasped during the autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings, The notification control unit is a presentation control device that, when driving through the non-permitted area in a congested state, changes the manner of the area advance notification, which indicates to the driver that the plan to move to the permitted area has been recognized, from the manner of the switching advance notification. [Technical feature 20] A presentation control device that controls the presentation of information related to autonomous driving without a driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings, At least one processing section (11) A schedule for switching the implementation pattern to be implemented among a plurality of implementation patterns included in the automated driving that does not have a duty to monitor the surroundings is grasped (S51, S53), A movement schedule from a non-permitted area (SeM) where driving by the automated driving is not permitted and there is no obligation to monitor the surroundings to a permitted area (SeD, SeA) where driving by the automated driving is permitted and there is no obligation to monitor the surroundings is grasped (S71, S72), A pre-switching notification is performed to inform the driver that the scheduled switching of the implementation pattern has been grasped during the autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings (S55). When the vehicle is traveling in the non-permitted area in a congested state, a manner of area advance notification that indicates to the driver that the plan to move to the permitted area has been recognized is set to a manner different from that of the switching advance notification (S77 to S79). A presentation control program that causes a process including the above to be performed. [Technical feature 21] A presentation control device that controls the presentation of information related to autonomous driving without a driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings, an area grasping unit (74) that grasps a plan to move from a non-permitted area (SeM) where driving by the autonomous driving is not permitted and there is no obligation to monitor the surroundings to a permitted area (SeD, SeA) where driving by the autonomous driving is permitted and there is no obligation to monitor the surroundings; a notification control unit (77) that, when the plan to move to the permitted area is recognized while the vehicle is traveling in the prohibited area and the surroundings of the vehicle are in a congested state, performs a prohibited area notification indicating that the vehicle is in a congested state and that the vehicle is not permitted to travel in the automated driving mode without the obligation to monitor the surroundings; A presentation control device comprising: [Technical feature 23] A presentation control device that controls the presentation of information related to autonomous driving without a driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings, At least one processing section (11) A movement schedule from a non-permitted area (SeM) where driving by the automated driving is not permitted and there is no obligation to monitor the surroundings to a permitted area (SeD, SeA) where driving by the automated driving is permitted and there is no obligation to monitor the surroundings is grasped (S71, S72), When the plan to move to the permitted area is recognized while the vehicle is traveling in the prohibited area and the surroundings of the vehicle are in a congested state, a prohibited area notification is issued to indicate that the vehicle is in a congested state and that the vehicle is not permitted to travel in the automated driving mode without the obligation to monitor the surroundings (S74). A presentation control program that causes a process including the above to be performed. [Explanation of symbols]

[0149] A vehicle, SeA permission area (specific area), SeD permission area with restrictions (permission area), SeM non-permission area, 11 processing unit, 72 automatic driving recognition unit (state recognition unit), 73 driver recognition unit, 74 area recognition unit, 77 provision control unit (state notification unit, monitoring promotion unit, notification control unit), 100 HCU (presentation control device)

Claims

1. A presentation control device that controls the presentation of information related to autonomous driving without a driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings, an area grasping unit (74) that grasps a movement plan from a non-permission area (SeM) where the autonomous driving is not permitted and there is no obligation to monitor the surroundings to a permission area (SeD, SeA) where the autonomous driving is permitted and there is no obligation to monitor the surroundings; a notification control unit (77) that, when the plan to move to the permitted area is identified while the vehicle is traveling in the unauthorized area, performs a unauthorized area notification indicating that the vehicle has not yet entered the permitted area and that the autonomous driving is not yet permitted without the obligation to monitor the surroundings; A presentation control device comprising:

2. The presentation control device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification control unit performs the non-permitted area notification when the planned movement to the permitted area is detected while the vehicle is traveling in the non-permitted area and there is a traffic jam around the vehicle.

3. A presentation control program for controlling the presentation of information related to automated driving without a driver's obligation to monitor the surroundings, At least one processing section (11) A movement schedule from a non-permission area (SeM) where driving by the automated driving is not permitted and there is no obligation to monitor the surroundings to a permission area (SeD, SeA) where driving by the automated driving is permitted and there is no obligation to monitor the surroundings is grasped (S71, S72), When it is determined that the vehicle is scheduled to move to the permitted area while the vehicle is traveling in the unauthorized area, a prohibited area notification is issued to indicate that the vehicle has not yet entered the permitted area and that the vehicle is not yet permitted to travel in the automated driving mode without the obligation to monitor the surroundings (S74). A presentation control program that causes a process including the above to be performed.

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