Vehicle control device, vehicle lamp system, and program

Abstract

To effectively blink a hazard and a turn signal.SOLUTION: A control device 10 of a vehicle SV including a left lamp unit 60L and a right lamp unit 60R capable of blinking in two or more different patterns includes a blinking control part 140 for controlling blinking the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R, and a behavior control part 130 for executing at least deceleration processing of decelerating the vehicle SV in a traveling traffic lane and course changing processing of making the vehicle SV enter into an adjacent traffic lace or a road shoulder from the traveling traffic lane, when a driver of the vehicle SV is made in an inappropriate continuous driving state, wherein the blinking control part 140 blinks the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R in a same pattern when the behavior control part 130 executes the deceleration processing, and blinks the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R in different patterns when the behavior control part 130 executes the course changing processing.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle lamp system, and a program.

Background Art

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a device that, when an abnormality occurs in the driver of the host vehicle during travel, decelerates the host vehicle within the travel lane while flashing the hazard, moves the host vehicle to the road shoulder while flashing the turn signal, and when the host vehicle moves to the road shoulder, decelerates and stops the host vehicle while flashing the hazard again. Patent Document 2 discloses a device that separately includes a lamp unit for the hazard and a lamp unit for the turn signal so that the hazard and the turn signal can be flashed simultaneously.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Summary of the Invention

[0004] Generally, in a lamp unit for a vehicle, one lamp unit is used for both the hazard and the turn signal. For this reason, in the device described in Patent Document 1, when moving the host vehicle from the travel lane to the road shoulder, the hazard cannot be flashed while the turn signal is flashing. That is, there is a problem that the abnormality of the driver cannot be notified to the surroundings while the turn signal is flashing.

[0005] In the device described in Patent Document 2, although the hazard and the turn signal can be made to blink simultaneously, there is a problem in that the cost increases because the lamp unit is separate. Further, it is necessary to secure a large space for attaching each lamp unit to the vehicle body, which may also affect the design and the like.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems. That is, one of the objects of the present disclosure is to provide a technique capable of effectively blinking a hazard and a turn signal.

[0007] The vehicle control device of the present disclosure is a control device (10) of a vehicle (SV) including left lamp units (60L) and right lamp units (60R) that can blink in at least two different patterns, a blinking control unit (140) that controls the blinking of the left lamp unit (60L) and the right lamp unit (60R), and a behavior control unit (130) that, when the driver of the vehicle (SV) is in a state where continuous driving is inappropriate, executes at least a deceleration process of decelerating the vehicle (SV) within the driving lane and a route change process of causing the vehicle (SV) to enter an adjacent lane or the road shoulder adjacent to the driving lane. The blinking control unit (140) when the behavior control unit (130) executes the deceleration process, blinks the left lamp unit (60L) and the right lamp unit (60R) in the same pattern, and when the behavior control unit (130) executes the route change process, blinks the left lamp unit (60L) and the right lamp unit (60R) in different patterns.

[0008] The program of the present disclosure is for a computer of a vehicle (SV) including left lamp units (60L) and right lamp units (60R) that can blink in at least two different patterns, When the driver of the vehicle (SV) is in a state where continued driving is inappropriate, a deceleration process for decelerating the vehicle (SV) within the driving lane and a route change process for changing the route of the vehicle (SV) to an adjacent lane or the road shoulder adjacent to the driving lane are executed. When executing the deceleration process, the left lamp unit (60L) and the right lamp unit (60R) are blinked in the same pattern. When executing the route change process, the left lamp unit (60L) and the right lamp unit (60R) are blinked in different patterns respectively.

[0009] According to the above configuration, when the driver is in a state where continued driving is inappropriate and the behavior control unit (130) executes the route change process, the blinking control unit (140) and the program blink the left lamp unit (60L) and the right lamp unit (60R) in different patterns respectively. Thereby, while the own vehicle (SV) changes its route, the hazard and the turn signal can be blinked simultaneously, and it becomes possible to effectively notify the surrounding other vehicles and the like of the route change direction of the own vehicle (SV) while notifying that the driver of the own vehicle (SV) is in an abnormal state.

[0010] The vehicle lamp system of the present disclosure is a left lamp unit (60L) and a right lamp unit (60R) each provided with at least one or more light emitting portions (64) within the same unit, a blinking control unit (150) that controls the blinking of the light emitting portions (64) of the left lamp unit (60L) and the right lamp unit (60R) based on the operation states of the turn signal lever (71) and / or the hazard switch (75), and is a vehicle lamp system comprising the blinking control unit (150) is when only the hazard switch (75) is operated, the light emitting portions (64) of the left lamp unit (60L) and the right lamp unit (60R) are blinked in the same pattern. When both the turn signal lever (71) and the hazard switch (75) are operated, the light emitting portions (64) of the left lamp unit (60L) and the right lamp unit (60R) are caused to blink in different patterns.

[0011] The program of the present disclosure is a computer of a vehicle (SV) including a left lamp unit (60L) and a right lamp unit (60R) each provided with at least one or more light emitting portions (64) within the same unit, and a turn signal lever (71) and a hazard switch (75) that are operated to cause the left lamp unit (60L) and / or the right lamp unit (60R) to blink. When only the hazard switch (75) is operated, the light emitting portions (64) of the left lamp unit (60L) and the right lamp unit (60R) are caused to blink in the same pattern. When both the turn signal lever (71) and the hazard switch (75) are operated, the light emitting portions (64) of the left lamp unit (60L) and the right lamp unit (60R) are caused to blink in different patterns.

[0012] According to the above configuration, the blink control unit (150) and the program cause the light emitting portion (64) of the left lamp unit (60L) and the light emitting portion (64) of the right lamp unit (60R) to blink in different patterns when the hazard switch (75) is ON and the driver operates the turn signal lever (71). As a result, when the turn signal lever (71) is operated, even when the hazard switch (75) is ON, the hazard and the turn signal can blink simultaneously, enabling the vehicle (SV) to effectively inform other surrounding vehicles and the like of the direction of the route change of the own vehicle (SV) by the turn signal while providing information by the hazard.

[0013] In the above description, for the purpose of facilitating the understanding of the invention, reference numerals used in the embodiments are appended in parentheses to the constituent elements of the invention corresponding to the embodiments. However, each constituent element of the invention is not limited to the embodiments defined by the above reference numerals.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0014]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Figure 8

Figure 9

Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Figure 13

Figure 14

Figure 15

Figure 16

Figure 17

Figure 18

Figure 19

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0015] Hereinafter, a vehicle control device, a vehicle lamp system, and a program according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0016] [Hardware Configuration] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of a vehicle SV according to the present embodiment. When it is necessary to distinguish the vehicle SV from other vehicles etc., it may also be referred to as the host vehicle.

[0017] The vehicle SV has an ECU10. The ECU is an abbreviation of Electronic Control Unit. The ECU10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, an interface device 14, etc. The CPU11 executes various programs stored in the ROM12. The ROM12 is a non-volatile memory that stores data and the like necessary for the CPU11 to execute various programs. The RAM13 is a volatile memory that provides a working area where various programs are expanded when executed by the CPU11. The interface device 14 is a communication device for communicating with external devices.

[0018] The ECU10 is a central device that performs various controls of the vehicle SV, such as driving support control. The driving support control is a concept that includes autonomous driving control. Connected to the ECU10 in a communicable manner are a vehicle state acquisition device 20, a surrounding recognition device 30, a driver state recognition device 35, a driving device 40, a steering device 41, a braking device 50, a lamp unit 60, a turn signal switch 70, a hazard switch 75, an ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) operation unit 80, an LTA (Lane Trace Asist) switch 85, a display device 90, a speaker 95, a wireless communication device 98, etc.

[0019] The vehicle state acquisition device 20 is a group of sensors that acquire the state of the vehicle SV. Specifically, the vehicle state acquisition device 20 includes a vehicle speed sensor 21, an accelerator sensor 22, a brake sensor 23, a steering angle sensor 24, a steering torque sensor 25, a yaw rate sensor 26, a longitudinal and lateral acceleration sensor 27, etc. The vehicle state acquisition device 20 transmits the state of the vehicle SV acquired by these sensors 21 to 27 to the ECU10 at a predetermined cycle.

[0020] The vehicle speed sensor 21 detects the traveling speed (vehicle speed) of the vehicle SV. The vehicle speed sensor 21 may be a wheel speed sensor. The accelerator sensor 22 detects the operation amount of an accelerator pedal (not shown) by the driver. The brake sensor 23 detects the operation amount of a brake pedal (not shown) by the driver. The steering angle sensor 24 detects the rotation angle of a steering wheel SW or a steering shaft SF described later, that is, the steering angle. The steering torque sensor 25 detects the rotational torque of the steering wheel SW or the steering shaft SF, that is, the steering torque. The yaw rate sensor 26 detects the yaw rate of the vehicle SV. The longitudinal acceleration sensor 27 detects the longitudinal acceleration G of the vehicle SV.

[0021] The surrounding recognition device 30 is sensors that recognize target information regarding targets around the vehicle SV. Specifically, the surrounding recognition device 30 includes a radar sensor 31, a camera sensor 32, and the like. Here, examples of the target information include surrounding vehicles, traffic lights, white lines on the road, signs, falling objects, and the like. The target information around the vehicle SV acquired by the surrounding recognition device 30 is transmitted to the ECU 10.

[0022] The radar sensor 31 is provided, for example, at the front of the vehicle SV and detects targets existing in the front area of the vehicle SV. The radar sensor 31 includes a millimeter-wave radar and / or a lidar. The millimeter-wave radar emits radio waves (millimeter waves) in the millimeter-wave band and receives the millimeter waves (reflected waves) reflected by the targets existing within the radiation range. The millimeter-wave radar obtains the relative distance Dr between the vehicle SV and the target, the relative speed Vr between the vehicle SV and the target, etc., based on the phase difference between the transmitted millimeter waves and the received reflected waves, the attenuation level of the reflected waves, and the time from transmitting the millimeter waves to receiving the reflected waves. The lidar sequentially scans pulsed laser light having a shorter wavelength than millimeter waves in a plurality of directions, and receives the reflected light reflected by the targets, thereby obtaining the shape of the targets detected in front of the vehicle SV, the relative distance between the vehicle SV and the targets, the relative speed between the vehicle SV and the targets, etc.

[0023] The camera sensor 32 is, for example, a stereo camera or a monocular camera, and a digital camera having an imaging device such as a CMOS or a CCD can be used. The camera sensor 32 is disposed, for example, at the upper part of the front windshield glass of the vehicle SV. The camera sensor 32 images the front of the vehicle SV and acquires target information in front of the vehicle SV by processing the captured image data. The target information is information representing the type of the target detected in front of the vehicle SV, the relative distance between the vehicle SV and the target, the relative speed between the vehicle SV and the target, and the like. The type of the target may be recognized by machine learning such as pattern matching, for example.

[0024] The surrounding recognition device 30 repeatedly transmits the acquired target information to the ECU 10 every time a predetermined time elapses. The ECU 10 determines the relative relationship between the vehicle SV and the target by synthesizing the relative relationship between the vehicle SV and the target obtained by the radar sensor 31 and the relative relationship between the vehicle SV and the target obtained by the camera sensor 32. Note that the surrounding recognition device 30 does not necessarily have to include both the radar sensor 31 and the camera sensor 32, and may include, for example, only the radar sensor 31 or only the camera sensor 32.

[0025] The driver state recognition device 35 is a device that recognizes the state of the driver of the vehicle SV, and includes a driver camera 36, a physiological measurement device 37, a seating sensor 38, and the like. The driver camera 36 mainly captures the face of the driver, and detects the driver's line of sight direction, eye opening state, etc. from the captured face image. The physiological measurement device 37 measures the driver's heart rate, pulse rate, etc., and detects the driver's physiological state based on these measurement results. The seating sensor 38 is provided on the driver seat, and detects the seating state of the driver, such as whether the driver is seated on the seat, and if so, the seating position. The driver state recognition device 35 transmits the driver state (hereinafter referred to as driver state information) obtained based on the detection results of these driver camera 36, physiological measurement device 37, and seating sensor 38 to the ECU 10 at a predetermined cycle. Note that the driver state recognition device 35 does not necessarily need to include all of the driver camera 36, physiological measurement device 37, and seating sensor 38, and it may include at least one of these. Further, the driver state recognition device 35 may include other sensors capable of detecting the state of the driver.

[0026] The drive device 40 generates a driving force transmitted to the drive wheels of the vehicle SV. Examples of the drive device 40 include an engine and an electric motor. In the present implementation device, the vehicle SV may be any of a hybrid vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV), a fuel cell vehicle (FCEV), a battery electric vehicle (BEV), and an engine vehicle.

[0027] The steering device 41 includes a steering wheel SW, a steering shaft SF, a steering motor 42, and the like. The steering device 41 may be either a rack and pinion type or a steer-by-wire type. The steering motor 42 is connected to the ECU 10 via a motor driver 45, and its drive is controlled in response to a command from the ECU 10. The steering motor 42 generates a steering torque by the electric power supplied from the motor driver 45. By this steering torque, the left and right steering wheels of the vehicle SV can be steered. That is, the steering motor 42 can change the steering angle (the steering angle of the steering wheel) of the vehicle SV.

[0028] The braking device 50 is, for example, a disc-type braking device that applies a braking force to the wheels of the vehicle SV. The braking device 50 includes a brake actuator 51, a brake mechanism 52 provided for each wheel, and the like. The brake actuator 51 is provided in a hydraulic circuit between a master cylinder (not shown) that pressurizes hydraulic oil by the stepping force of the brake pedal and the brake mechanism 52. The brake mechanism 52 includes a brake disc 53 fixed to the wheel and a brake caliper 54 fixed to the vehicle body. The brake actuator 51 adjusts the hydraulic pressure supplied to a wheel cylinder built in the brake caliper 54 in accordance with an instruction from the ECU 10, and operates the wheel cylinder by that hydraulic pressure. Thereby, the brake actuator 51 presses the brake pad against the brake disc 53 to generate a frictional braking force. Note that the braking device 50 is not limited to the disc-type braking device in the illustrated example, and may be a drum-type braking device or the like.

[0029] The lamp unit 60 serves as both the turn signal lamp and the hazard lamp of the vehicle SV, and includes a left front lamp unit 60LF, a right front lamp unit 60RF, a left rear lamp unit 60LR, and a right rear lamp unit 60RR. The left front lamp unit 60LF is provided on the left side of the front part of the vehicle SV. The right front lamp unit 60LF is provided on the right side of the front part of the vehicle SV. The left rear lamp unit 60LR is provided on the left side of the rear part of the vehicle SV. The right rear lamp unit 60LR is provided on the right side of the rear part of the vehicle SV. Note that the lamp unit 60 may further include lamp units provided on the left and right side mirrors. Hereinafter, when there is no need to distinguish between the left front lamp unit 60LF and the left rear lamp unit 60LR, they are simply referred to as "left lamp unit 60L". Also, when there is no need to distinguish between the right front lamp unit 60RF and the right rear lamp unit 60RR, they are simply referred to as "right lamp unit 60R". Further, the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R may be collectively simply referred to as "lamp unit 60". Details of the lamp unit 60 will be described later.

[0030] The turn signal switch 70 detects the operation direction of the turn signal lever 71 by the driver. The turn signal lever 71 is provided, for example, on the steering column or the like. When the driver operates the turn signal lever 71 counterclockwise, the turn signal switch 70 transmits a left operation signal indicating that the turn signal lever 71 is being operated counterclockwise to the ECU 10. Also, when the driver operates the turn signal lever 71 clockwise, the turn signal switch 70 transmits a right operation signal indicating that the turn signal lever 71 is being operated clockwise to the ECU 10.

[0031] The hazard switch 75 is provided near the driver's seat (for example, on the instrument panel or the like), and is an ON / OFF switch that the driver operates to blink the lamp unit 60 as a hazard. When the hazard switch 75 is turned ON by the driver, it transmits a hazard ON signal indicating that the driver is requesting the blinking of the hazard to the ECU 10.

[0032] The ACC operation unit 80 is provided near the driver's seat (for example, on the steering wheel, steering column, etc.), and is a group of switches operated by the driver. The ACC operation unit 80 includes, for example, a start switch for selecting whether to start or end ACC, a setting switch for setting the target vehicle speed and the target inter-vehicle distance (target inter-vehicle time) of ACC, a cancel switch for temporarily canceling the running ACC, a resume switch for resuming ACC, and the like.

[0033] The LTA switch 85 is provided near the driver's seat (for example, on the steering wheel). The LTA switch 85 is an ON / OFF switch for the driver to select whether to start or end LTA.

[0034] The display device 90 is, for example, a multi-information display, a head-up display, a display of a navigation system, etc., and displays various images in response to a command from the ECU 10. The speaker 95 is, for example, a speaker of an audio system, a speaker of a navigation system, and outputs a warning sound or the like in response to a command from the ECU 10.

[0035] The wireless communication device 98 is a wireless communication terminal for connecting to a help network system and is connected to the ECU 10. When the wireless communication device 98 receives a help network connection command from the ECU 10, it operates and transmits a help signal including the current position information of the vehicle SV, the ID number for identifying the vehicle SV, etc. to the help network center by establishing a communication connection with the help network center. The current position information of the vehicle SV may be obtained, for example, by a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver or the like provided in a navigation system (not shown).

[0036] [Lamp unit] Figure 2 is a schematic configuration diagram of the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R. The left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R each include drive circuits 61L, 61R and LED (Light Emitting Diode) arrays 62L, 62R including a plurality of light emitting elements. The drive circuits 61L, 61R supply power to each light emitting element of the LED arrays 62L, 62R according to commands from the ECU 10. The LED arrays 62L, 62R cause each light emitting element to emit light by the power supplied from the drive circuits 61L, 61R.

[0037] The LED arrays 62L, 62R include a plurality of light emitting portions 64 arranged in the vehicle width direction. Each light emitting portion 64 of the LED array 62L is integrally provided inside the left lamp unit 60L (for example, inside the space defined by a lamp body (not shown) and a lamp cover of the left lamp unit 60L). Each light emitting portion 64 of the LED array 62R is integrally provided inside the right lamp unit 60R (for example, inside the space defined by a lamp body (not shown) and a lamp cover of the right lamp unit 60R). Each light emitting portion 64 is associated with one or a plurality of light emitting elements respectively included in the LED arrays 62L, 62R, and is configured to be individually lit or extinguished according to commands transmitted from the ECU 10 to the drive circuits 61L, 61R.

[0038] Figs. 3 to 6 are schematic diagrams for explaining the blinking patterns that can be displayed by the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R of the present embodiment. In the figures, the light-emitting portions 64 with hatching indicate the lit state. Also, in the figures, the time is assumed to progress from top to bottom. The symbol S in the figures indicates one cycle of blinking.

[0039] Fig. 3(A) shows a blinking pattern in which the light-emitting portions 64 of the lamp units 60L and 60R are sequentially lit in chain from the inner side to the outer side in the vehicle width direction, and then all the light-emitting portions 64 are turned off simultaneously. Hereinafter, the blinking pattern shown in Fig. 3(A) is referred to as "first forward sequential display". Fig. 3(B) shows a blinking pattern in which the light-emitting portions 64 of the lamp units 60L and 60R are sequentially lit in chain from the outer side to the inner side in the vehicle width direction, and then all the light-emitting portions 64 are turned off simultaneously. Hereinafter, the blinking pattern shown in Fig. 3(B) is referred to as "first reverse sequential display".

[0040] Fig. 4(A) shows a blinking pattern in which the light-emitting portions 64 of the lamp units 60L and 60R are sequentially blinked starting from the light-emitting portion 64 on the inner side in the vehicle width direction, so that the light emitted by each light-emitting portion 64 is sequentially moved from the inner side to the outer side in the vehicle width direction. Hereinafter, the blinking pattern shown in Fig. 4(A) is referred to as "second forward sequential display". Fig. 4(B) shows a blinking pattern in which the light-emitting portions 64 of the lamp units 60L and 60R are sequentially blinked starting from the light-emitting portion 64 on the outer side in the vehicle width direction, so that the light emitted by each light-emitting portion 64 is sequentially moved from the outer side to the inner side in the vehicle width direction. Hereinafter, the blinking pattern shown in Fig. 4(B) is referred to as "second reverse sequential display".

[0041] FIG. 5 shows a blinking pattern in which all the light emitting parts 64 of the lamp units 60L and 60R are turned on and then all the light emitting parts 64 are turned off simultaneously. Hereinafter, the blinking pattern shown in FIG. 5 is referred to as "all-blink display". FIG. 6(A) shows a blinking pattern in which each light emitting part 64 of the lamp units 60L and 60R is divided into an outer light emitting part in the vehicle width direction and an inner light emitting part in the vehicle width direction, and after the outer light emitting part is turned on, it is turned off. Hereinafter, the blinking pattern shown in FIG. 6(A) is referred to as "outer divided blink display". FIG. 6(B) shows a blinking pattern in which each light emitting part 64 of the lamp units 60L and 60R is divided into an outer light emitting part in the vehicle width direction and an inner light emitting part in the vehicle width direction, and after the inner light emitting part is turned on, it is turned off. Hereinafter, the blinking pattern shown in FIG. 6(B) is referred to as "inner divided blink display".

[0042] The lamp units 60L and 60R are configured such that by appropriately combining the blinking patterns shown in FIGS. 3 to 6 according to the situation, the hazard and turn signals can be blinked simultaneously by one lamp unit 60L or 60R. In the present disclosure, "blinking the hazard and turn signals simultaneously" does not mean that the blinking timings of the hazard and turn signals are completely coincident, but also includes the meaning of blinking the hazard and turn signals at arbitrary timings within a predetermined time. Details of the blinking control of the lamp units 60L and 60R will be described later.

[0043] [Software Configuration] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the software configuration of the control device (ECU10) according to the present embodiment.

[0044] As shown in FIG. 7, the ECU 10 includes, as functional elements, an ACC control unit 100, an LTA control unit 110, a driver abnormality acquisition unit 120, an emergency avoidance control unit 130, an emergency lighting control unit 140, a normal lighting control unit 150, and the like. These functional elements 100 to 150 are realized by the CPU 11 of the ECU 10 reading out the programs stored in the ROM 12 and executing them in the RAM 13. In the present embodiment, each of the functional elements 100 to 150 is described as being included in the ECU 10 which is integrated hardware, but a part of any of these can be provided in another ECU separate from the ECU 10. Further, all or part of each of the functional elements 100 to 150 of the ECU 10 can be provided in an information processing device of a facility (for example, a management center or the like) capable of communicating with the vehicle SV.

[0045] The ACC control unit 100 executes ACC based on the target vehicle speed and the target inter-vehicle distance (or the target inter-vehicle time). ACC itself is well-known (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2014-148293, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-315491, Japanese Patent No. 4172434, and Japanese Patent No. 4929777, etc.). Therefore, it will be briefly described below. ACC includes two types of control: constant speed running control and following running control. The constant speed running control is a control for running the vehicle SV at a constant speed according to the target vehicle speed without requiring the driver's accelerator operation and brake operation. The following running control is a control for following the preceding vehicle with the vehicle SV while maintaining the inter-vehicle distance between the preceding vehicle and the vehicle SV at the target inter-vehicle distance without requiring the driver's accelerator operation and brake operation. The preceding vehicle is a vehicle that is traveling in the front area of the vehicle SV and immediately in front of the vehicle SV.

[0046] When the activation switch of the ACC operation unit 80 is turned on, the ACC control unit 100 determines whether there is a preceding vehicle to be tracked based on the target information transmitted from the surrounding recognition device 30. When the ACC control unit 100 determines that there is no preceding vehicle, it executes constant-speed driving control. In this case, the ACC control unit 100 controls the driving of the drive device 40 so that the vehicle speed matches the target vehicle speed, and controls the operation of the brake device 50 as necessary. On the other hand, when the ACC control unit 100 determines that there is a preceding vehicle, it executes following driving control. In this case, the ACC control unit 100 controls the driving of the drive device 40 so that the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle SV and the preceding vehicle matches the target inter-vehicle distance, and controls the operation of the brake device 50 as necessary.

[0047] The LTA control unit 110 executes LTA that automatically changes the steering angle (the steering angle of the steered wheels) so that the position of the host vehicle SV is maintained near the target driving line within the driving lane. LTA itself is well known (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-233930, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2018-103863, etc.). Therefore, it will be briefly described below.

[0048] When the LTA switch 85 is turned on, the LTA control unit 110 sets the target driving line of the host vehicle SV based on either or both of the white line recognized by the surrounding recognition device 30 or the driving trajectory of the following target vehicle (i.e., the preceding vehicle) by ACC (hereinafter referred to as the preceding vehicle trajectory). The preceding vehicle trajectory may be obtained based on the target information transmitted from the surrounding recognition device 30. The LTA control unit 110 changes the steering angle of the host vehicle SV by controlling the operation of the steering device 41 so that the lateral position of the host vehicle SV (i.e., the position of the host vehicle SV in the vehicle width direction with respect to the road) is maintained near the target driving line within the driving lane.

[0049] The LTA control unit 110 changes the method of setting the target driving line according to the recognition status of the white lines and the presence or absence of the vehicle to be followed. For example, when the left and right white lines can be recognized up to a distance, the LTA control unit 110 sets the target driving line based on the center line of the driving lane. In other words, the LTA control unit 110 sets the target driving line based only on the white lines. On the other hand, when there is a vehicle to be followed and the left and right white lines cannot be recognized or can only be recognized in the vicinity, the LTA control unit 110 sets the target driving line based on the leading vehicle trajectory alone or both the leading vehicle trajectory and the center line of the driving lane. When there is no vehicle to be followed and the left and right white lines cannot be recognized up to a distance, the LTA control unit 110 cancels (releases) the execution of the LTA.

[0050] Based on the driver state information transmitted from the driver state acquisition device 35, the driver abnormality acquisition unit 120 acquires whether the driver is in an abnormal state in which it is difficult to continuously perform the driving operation of the vehicle SV due to an attack, dozing, or the like. When the driver abnormality acquisition unit 122 acquires that the driver is in an abnormal state, it transmits a "driver abnormality signal" indicating that the driver is in an abnormal state to the emergency evacuation control unit 130.

[0051] The emergency evacuation control unit 130 is an example of the behavior control unit of the present disclosure. When the driver of the own vehicle SV during driving is in an abnormal state in which it is difficult to continuously perform the driving operation, it automatically moves the own vehicle SV to an evacuation place such as a road shoulder and then executes emergency evacuation control to stop it. A system that executes such emergency evacuation control is also referred to as an EDSS (Emergency Driving Stop System).

[0052] The start conditions of the emergency evacuation control are not particularly limited, but examples include the following (1) to (3). Start condition (1): When a system abnormality (e.g., failure of some sensors, etc.) occurs during the running of the host vehicle SV by ACC and / or LTA, and even if the driver is notified of an operation handover request by the display device 90 and the speaker 95, but the driver does not perform driving operations such as brake operation or steering operation within a predetermined period. Start condition (2): When the running state of the host vehicle SV exceeds the system limit where the driving support control cannot be continued during the running of the host vehicle SV by ACC and / or LTA, and even if the driver is notified of an operation handover request by the display device 90 and the speaker 95, but the driver does not perform a driving operation. Start condition (3): When an emergency evacuation control unit 130 receives a driver abnormality signal from a driver abnormality acquisition unit 120 during the running of the host vehicle SV by ACC and / or LTA, or during the running of the host vehicle SV by a manual driving operation in which the authority is transferred to the driver.

[0053] When any of the start conditions (1) to (3) is satisfied, the emergency evacuation control unit 130 starts emergency evacuation control to move the host vehicle SV from the running lane to the road shoulder and stop it by controlling the operations of the drive device 40, the steering device 41, and the brake device 50 based on the target information such as the white line recognized by the surrounding recognition device 30 and other surrounding vehicles. Also, when the help network system is available, the emergency evacuation control unit 130 transmits a help network connection command to the wireless communication device 98 and executes a help network notification process to notify the help network center that the driver of the host vehicle SV is in an abnormal state.

[0054] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram for explaining the operation of emergency evacuation control when an abnormality occurs to the driver while the host vehicle SV is traveling in the second driving lane L2 (for example, an overtaking lane) of a two-lane road on one side. In the example shown in FIG. 8, the emergency evacuation control unit 130 sequentially performs: (1) a deceleration process S1 for decelerating the host vehicle SV within the second driving lane L2 in which the host vehicle SV is traveling; (2) a route change process S2 for changing the lane of the host vehicle SV to the first driving lane L1 while recognizing other vehicles or the like traveling in the adjacent first driving lane L1 by the surrounding recognition device 30; (3) a deceleration process S3 for decelerating the host vehicle SV within the first driving lane L1 in which the host vehicle SV is traveling; (4) a route change process S4 for changing the route of the host vehicle SV to the road shoulder RS while recognizing obstacles or the like on the adjacent road shoulder RS by the surrounding recognition device 30; and (5) a deceleration stop process S5 for decelerating and stopping the host vehicle SV within the road shoulder RS.

[0055] When the emergency evacuation control is started while the host vehicle SV is traveling in the first driving lane L1, the emergency evacuation control unit 160 executes the deceleration process S3 in (3) above, the route change process S4 in (4) above, and the deceleration stop process S5 in (5) above. That is, the emergency evacuation control basically includes at least one deceleration process, at least one route change process, and one deceleration stop process. When a place where the host vehicle SV can be safely evacuated, such as a road shoulder, cannot be detected, the emergency evacuation control may perform a process of decelerating and stopping the host vehicle SV within the driving lane.

[0056] During the execution of the emergency evacuation control, the emergency flashing control unit 140 executes emergency flashing control to appropriately flash the turn signal and hazard by controlling the operation of the lamp unit 60. While the host vehicle SV decelerates within the driving lane after starting the emergency evacuation control, it is desirable to inform the surroundings that the driver of the host vehicle SV is in an abnormal state and that the host vehicle SV is decelerating by flashing the lamp units 60L and 60R as hazards. Also, while the host vehicle SV changes its course by the emergency evacuation control, it is desirable to inform the surroundings that the host vehicle SV is changing its course by flashing the lamp units 60L and 60R as turn signals. In addition, while the host vehicle SV changes its course by the emergency evacuation control, it is desirable to inform the surroundings that the driver of the host vehicle SV is in an abnormal state by flashing the lamp units 60L and 60R as hazards. That is, from the start of the emergency evacuation control until the host vehicle SV stops on the road shoulder, including when the host vehicle SV changes its course to the adjacent lane or the road shoulder, the hazard is constantly flashed, and in particular, when the host vehicle SV changes its course, it is desirable to flash both the turn signal and the hazard.

[0057] During the period when the emergency evacuation control unit 130 executes the deceleration process S1 shown in FIG. 8, the deceleration process S3, and the deceleration stop process S5 after starting the emergency evacuation control, the emergency flashing control unit 140 flashes the hazard by flashing each light emitting unit 64 of the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R in the same pattern. Also, during the period when the emergency evacuation control unit 130 executes the course change process S2 shown in FIG. 6 and the course change process S4, the emergency flashing control unit 140 simultaneously flashes the turn signal and the hazard by flashing each light emitting unit 62 of the left lamp unit 60L and each light emitting unit 62 of the right lamp unit 60R in different patterns.

[0058] Hereinafter, based on FIGS. 9 to 16, the combination of the blinking patterns of the light emitting units 64 of the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R will be described. In FIGS. 9 to 16, for the sake of convenience, an example in which the host vehicle SV starts emergency avoidance control while traveling in the first driving lane L1 will be described. The case of starting emergency avoidance control from the second driving lane L2 or a driving lane closer to the median strip than the second driving lane L2 is the same as the above-described process except that the number of lane change processes and deceleration processes increases, and thus the description thereof will be omitted. Also, in FIGS. 9 to 16, the time is assumed to progress from bottom to top. Also, for the sake of simplicity, each pattern shows only one cycle of blinking.

[0059] In the example shown in FIG. 9, in the deceleration process S3 and the deceleration stop process S5, the emergency blinking control unit 140 blinks the hazard by blinking the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R in the same "all blinking display". Further, in the lane change process S4, the emergency blinking control unit 140 blinks the left lamp unit 60L in the "first forward sequential display" and blinks the right lamp unit 60R in the "all blinking display", thereby blinking the hazard and the turn signal simultaneously. In this way, in the lane change process S4, by blinking the left lamp unit 60L in the "first forward sequential display" flowing from right to left, it is possible to accurately inform other surrounding vehicles and the like of the lane change direction of the host vehicle SV. Further, by blinking both the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R, it is possible to effectively inform other surrounding vehicles and the like that the driver of the host vehicle SV is in an abnormal state.

[0060] Note that in the deceleration process S3 and the deceleration stop process S5, if the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R have the same pattern, they may be blinked in any of the "first forward sequential display", "first reverse sequential display", "second forward sequential display", "second reverse sequential display", "outer split blinking display", and "inner split blinking display".

[0061] The example shown in FIG. 10 is one in which, in the route change process S4 of FIG. 9, the phases of the flashing periods of the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R are shifted by 180°. Also in this case, in the route change process S4, it becomes possible to flash both the hazard and the turn signal. Also in the example shown in FIG. 10, as long as the deceleration process S3 and the deceleration stop process S5 flash the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R in the same pattern, any of "first forward sequential display", "first reverse sequential display", "second forward sequential display", "second reverse sequential display", "outer divided flashing display", and "inner divided flashing display" may be used for flashing.

[0062] In the example shown in FIG. 11, in the deceleration process S3 and the deceleration stop process S5, the emergency flashing control unit 140 causes the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R to flash in the same "first forward sequential display" to flash the hazard. Also, in the route change process S4, the emergency flashing control unit 140 causes the left lamp unit 60L to flash in the "first forward sequential display" and the right lamp unit 60R to flash in the "first reverse sequential display" to flash the hazard and the turn signal simultaneously. In this way, in the route change process S4, by causing the left lamp unit 60L to flash in the "first forward sequential display" flowing from right to left and the right lamp unit 60R to flash in the "first reverse sequential display" also flowing from right to left, it is possible to accurately inform other surrounding vehicles etc. of the route change direction of the own vehicle SV. Also, by flashing both the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R, it becomes possible to effectively inform other surrounding vehicles etc. that the driver of the own vehicle SV is in an abnormal state.

[0063] In the deceleration process S3 and the deceleration stop process S5, if the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R have the same pattern, they may blink in any of "First Reverse Sequential Display", "Second Forward Sequential Display", "Second Reverse Sequential Display", "All Blinking Display", "Outer Split Blinking Display", and "Inner Split Blinking Display".

[0064] In the example shown in FIG. 12, in the route change process S4 of FIG. 11, the phases of the blinking cycles of the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R are shifted by 180°. Also in this case, in the route change process S4, it is possible to blink both the hazard and the turn signal. Also in the example shown in FIG. 12, in the deceleration process S3 and the deceleration stop process S5, if the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R blink in the same pattern, they may blink in any of "First Reverse Sequential Display", "Second Forward Sequential Display", "Second Reverse Sequential Display", "All Blinking Display", "Outer Split Blinking Display", and "Inner Split Blinking Display".

[0065] In the example shown in FIG. 13, in the emergency blinking control unit 140, in the deceleration process S3 and the deceleration stop process S5, the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R blink in the same "First Reverse Sequential Display" pattern to blink the hazard. Also, in the route change process S4, the emergency blinking control unit 140 blinks the left lamp unit 60L in the "All Blinking Display" pattern and blinks the right lamp unit 60R in the "First Reverse Sequential Display" pattern to blink the hazard and the turn signal simultaneously. In this way, in the route change process S4, by blinking the right lamp unit 60R in the "First Reverse Sequential Display" pattern flowing from right to left, it is possible to accurately inform other surrounding vehicles, etc. of the route change direction of the own vehicle SV. Also, by blinking both the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R, it is possible to effectively inform other surrounding vehicles, etc. that the driver of the own vehicle SV is in an abnormal state.

[0066] In the deceleration process S3 and the deceleration stop process S5, if the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R have the same pattern, they may blink in any of "first forward sequential display", "second forward sequential display", "second reverse sequential display", "all blink display", "outer split blink display", and "inner split blink display".

[0067] The example shown in FIG. 14 is obtained by shifting the phase of the blink cycle of the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R by 180° in the route change process S4 of FIG. 13. Also in this case, in the route change process S4, it becomes possible to blink both the hazard and the turn signal. Also in the example shown in FIG. 14, in the deceleration process S3 and the deceleration stop process S5, if the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R blink in the same pattern, they may blink in any of "first forward sequential display", "second forward sequential display", "second reverse sequential display", "all blink display", "outer split blink display", and "inner split blink display".

[0068] In the example shown in FIG. 15, the emergency blink control unit 140 blinks the hazard by blinking the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R in the same "all blink display" in the deceleration process S3 and the deceleration stop process S5. Also, in the route change process S4, the emergency blink control unit 140 blinks the left lamp unit 60L in the "outer split blink display" and blinks the right lamp unit 60R in the "all blink display" to blink the hazard and the turn signal simultaneously. In this way, in the route change process S4, by blinking the left lamp unit 60L in the "outer split blink display" of only the left half, it is possible to accurately inform other surrounding vehicles etc. of the route change direction of the own vehicle SV. Also, by blinking both the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R, it becomes possible to effectively inform other surrounding vehicles etc. that the driver of the own vehicle SV is in an abnormal state.

[0069] In the deceleration process S3 and the deceleration stop process S5, if the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R have the same pattern, they may blink in any of "first forward sequential display", "first reverse sequential display", "second forward sequential display", "second reverse sequential display", "outer split point blink display", and "inner split point blink display".

[0070] In the example shown in FIG. 16, in the deceleration process S3 and the deceleration stop process S5, the emergency blink control unit 140 blinks the hazard by blinking the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R in the same "all blink display". Also, in the route change process S4, the emergency blink control unit 140 blinks the left lamp unit 60L in the "outer split point blink display" and blinks the right lamp unit 60R in the "inner split point blink display" to blink the hazard and the turn signal simultaneously. In this way, in the route change process S4, by blinking the left lamp unit 60L in the "outer split point blink display" only for the left half and blinking the right lamp unit 60R in the "inner split point blink display" only for the left half, the route change direction of the host vehicle SV can be accurately notified to other surrounding vehicles. Also, by blinking both the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R, it becomes possible to effectively notify other surrounding vehicles that the driver of the host vehicle SV is in an abnormal state.

[0071] In the deceleration process S3 and the deceleration stop process S5, if the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R have the same pattern, they may blink in any of "first forward sequential display", "first reverse sequential display", "second forward sequential display", "second reverse sequential display", "outer split point blink display", and "inner split point blink display".

[0072] [Normal blink control] Referring again to FIG. 7, when the normal blink control unit 150 is not performing emergency evacuation control, that is, when the driver of the host vehicle SV can perform normal driving operations, the normal blink control unit 150 executes normal blink control to control the operation of the lamp unit 60 according to the operation of the turn signal lever 71 or the hazard switch 75 by the driver.

[0073] When the normal blink control unit 150 receives a left operation signal from the turn signal switch 70, that is, when the driver operates the turn signal lever 71 counterclockwise, the normal blink control unit 150 blinks each light emitting unit 64 of the left lamp unit 60L while maintaining each light emitting unit 64 of the right lamp unit 60R in the off state, thereby blinking the turn signal in the left direction. Further, when the normal blink control unit 150 receives a right operation signal from the turn signal switch 70, that is, when the driver operates the turn signal lever 71 clockwise, the normal blink control unit 150 blinks each light emitting unit 64 of the right lamp unit 60R while maintaining each light emitting unit 64 of the left lamp unit 60L in the off state, thereby blinking the turn signal in the right direction. The pattern for blinking the turn signal may be any of "first forward sequential display", "first reverse sequential display", "second forward sequential display", "second reverse sequential display", "all blink display", "outer split blink display", and "inner split blink display".

[0074] When the normal blink control unit 150 receives a hazard ON signal from the hazard switch 75, that is, when the driver turns on the hazard switch 75, the normal blink control unit 150 blinks each light emitting unit 64 of the left lamp unit 60L and each light emitting unit 64 of the right lamp unit 60R at the same period and phase, thereby blinking the hazard. The pattern for blinking the hazard may be any of "first forward sequential display", "first reverse sequential display", "second forward sequential display", "second reverse sequential display", "all blink display", "outer split blink display", and "inner split blink display".

[0075] Here, in a general lamp unit for a vehicle, when the hazard switch is ON, even if the driver operates the turn signal lever to the left or right, the turn signal does not blink. For this reason, in the following cases, there is a problem that the driver cannot notify the surrounding area of the intention to change the driving route.

[0076] Case 1: When the driver of the host vehicle allows the following vehicle in the adjacent lane, which intends to change the driving route, to give way to the host vehicle's route and performs a so-called "thank you hazard" to show gratitude to the following vehicle while further changing the driving route of the host vehicle. Case 2: When the host vehicle reaches the end of a traffic jam and the driver changes the driving route of the host vehicle SV to an adjacent lane while notifying the following vehicle of the occurrence of the traffic jam by using the hazard. Case 3: When the host vehicle is stopped on the road shoulder or the like with the hazard blinking and the driver starts the host vehicle SV without turning off the hazard switch.

[0077] In any of Cases 1 to 3, even if the driver operates the turn signal lever without turning off the hazard switch, the turn signal does not blink. For this reason, the driver of the following vehicle cannot predict the change in the driving route of the host vehicle, and there is a possibility that the following vehicle will collide with the host vehicle. Also, in the case of Case 2, if the driver of the host vehicle turns off the hazard switch and operates the turn signal lever, the driver of the following vehicle can be notified of the intention to change lanes. However, if the hazard switch is turned off, the driver of the following vehicle cannot be notified of the occurrence of a traffic jam ahead. For this reason, after the host vehicle changes lanes, there is a possibility that the following vehicle will collide with another vehicle at the end of the traffic jam.

[0078] Normally, when the hazard switch 75 is ON and the driver operates the turn signal lever 71, the blink control unit 150 blinks the hazard and the turn signal by blinking each light emitting unit 64 of the left lamp unit 60L and each light emitting unit 64 of the right lamp unit 60R in different patterns.

[0079] Specifically, when the normal blink control unit 150 receives a left operation signal from the turn signal switch 70 while receiving a hazard ON signal from the hazard switch 75, the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R are blinked in any pattern of the route change process S4 during emergency evacuation control shown in FIGS. 9 to 16. Further, when the normal blink control unit 150 receives a right operation signal from the turn signal switch 70 while receiving a hazard ON signal from the hazard switch 75, the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R are blinked in a pattern obtained by swapping the left and right of any pattern of the route change process S4 during emergency evacuation control shown in FIGS. 9 to 16.

[0080] In this way, when the turn signal lever 71 is operated while the hazard is lit due to the ON of the hazard switch 75, by blinking the turn signal while continuing the blinking of the hazard, in the above case 1, it is possible to effectively notify the following vehicle of the turn signal while performing a thank-you hazard, and also to effectively notify the following vehicle of the route change direction of the own vehicle SV. Further, in the above case 2, it is possible to effectively notify the following vehicle of the route change direction of the own vehicle SV and also to effectively notify the occurrence of a traffic jam ahead. Further, in the above case 3, even when the driver forgets to turn off the hazard switch 75 and starts moving, if the driver operates the turn signal lever 71, it is possible to effectively notify the following vehicle of the lane return of the own vehicle SV.

[0081] [Processing Flow of Emergency Blink Control] FIG. 17 is a flowchart for explaining a routine of emergency blink control. In the flow shown in FIG. 17, the case where the own vehicle SV starts emergency evacuation control while traveling on the first driving lane L1 will be described as an example.

[0082] In step S100, the emergency flashing control unit 140 determines whether the emergency avoidance control unit 130 has started emergency avoidance control, that is, whether the emergency avoidance control unit 130 has started the deceleration process of decelerating the host vehicle SV within the first driving lane L1. If the emergency avoidance control unit 130 has started emergency avoidance control (Yes), the emergency flashing control unit 140 proceeds to the process of step 110. On the other hand, if the emergency avoidance control unit 130 has not started emergency avoidance control (No), the emergency flashing control unit 140 returns from this routine.

[0083] In step S110, the emergency flashing control unit 140 causes the hazard to flash by flashing the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R in the same pattern. Next, in step S120, the emergency flashing control unit 140 determines whether the emergency avoidance control unit 130 has started the route change process of entering the host vehicle SV from the first driving lane L1 to the road shoulder RS. If the emergency avoidance control unit 130 has started the route change process (Yes), the emergency flashing control unit 140 proceeds to the process of step 130. On the other hand, if the emergency avoidance control unit 130 has not started the route change process (No), the emergency flashing control unit 140 returns to step S110 and continues to flash the hazard. That is, while the emergency avoidance control unit 130 executes the deceleration process of decelerating the host vehicle SV within the first driving lane L1, the flashing of the hazard is continued.

[0084] In step S130, the emergency flashing control unit 140 causes the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R to flash in different patterns, thereby flashing the hazard and the turn signal. Next, in step S140, the emergency flashing control unit 140 determines whether the route change of the host vehicle SV to the road shoulder RS by the emergency avoidance control has been completed. If the route change of the host vehicle SV to the road shoulder RS has been completed (Yes), the emergency flashing control unit 140 proceeds to the process of step 150. On the other hand, if the route change of the host vehicle SV to the road shoulder RS has not been completed (No), the emergency flashing control unit 140 returns to step S130 and continues to flash the hazard and the turn signal. That is, until the route change process is completed by the emergency avoidance control unit 130, the flashing of the hazard and the turn signal is continued.

[0085] In step S150, the emergency flashing control unit 140 causes the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R to flash in the same pattern, thereby flashing the hazard. Next, in step S160, the emergency flashing control unit 140 determines whether the host vehicle SV has stopped on the road shoulder RS by the deceleration stop process of the emergency avoidance control unit 140. If the host vehicle SV has stopped on the road shoulder RS (Yes), the emergency flashing control unit 140 proceeds to the process of step 170. On the other hand, if the host vehicle SV has not stopped on the road shoulder RS (No), the emergency flashing control unit 140 returns to step S150 and continues to flash the hazard.

[0086] In step S170, the emergency flashing control unit 140 determines whether a predetermined release condition is satisfied. As an example of the release condition, for example, the hazard switch 75 is turned on a plurality of times continuously (for example, 2 times). If the release condition is not satisfied (No), the emergency flashing control unit 140 returns to step S150 and continues to flash the hazard. On the other hand, if the release condition is satisfied (Yes), the emergency flashing control unit 140 proceeds to the process of step S180, stops the flashing of the hazard, and then returns from this routine.

[0087] According to the embodiment described in detail above, when the emergency flashing control unit 140 executes a route change process in which the emergency avoidance control unit 130 causes the host vehicle SV to enter from the host lane L2 in which the host vehicle SV is traveling into the adjacent lane L1 or the shoulder RS adjacent thereto, the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R are caused to flash in different patterns, thereby flashing both the hazard and the turn signal. As a result, it becomes possible to effectively notify the surrounding other vehicles and the like of the route change direction of the host vehicle SV while notifying that the driver of the host vehicle SV is in an abnormal state.

[0088] Further, when the driver operates the turn signal lever 71 while the hazard switch 75 is in the ON state, the normal flashing control unit 150 causes the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R to flash in different patterns, thereby flashing both the hazard and the turn signal. As a result, it becomes possible to effectively notify the following vehicle of the route change direction of the host vehicle SV while notifying the following vehicle of a thank-you hazard or the occurrence of a traffic jam ahead.

[0089] As described above, the vehicle control device, the vehicle lamp system, and the program according to the present embodiment have been described. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the object of the present disclosure.

[0090] [Modification Example 1] For example, in the above embodiment, the flashing period when flashing both the hazard and the turn signal has been exemplified as being the same period or a period in which the phase of the period is shifted by 180°. However, as shown in FIG. 18, the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R may be caused to flash at different flashing periods.

[0091] In FIG. 18, the upper part shows the blinking cycle (ON·OFF) of the right lamp unit 60R as a hazard, and the lower part shows the blinking cycle (ON·OFF) of the left lamp unit 60L as a turn signal. Note that the upper and lower parts of FIG. 18 can be swapped. That is, the right lamp unit 60R may be used as the turn signal in the lower part, and the left lamp unit 60L may be used as the hazard in the upper part.

[0092] In the example shown in FIG. 18, by setting the blinking cycle of the left lamp unit 60L as the turn signal in the lower part to be longer than the blinking cycle of the right lamp unit 60R as the hazard in the upper part, the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R blink in different patterns. In this way, by setting the blinking cycles to different lengths, even if each lamp unit 60L, 60R includes only one light emitting part 64, or even if the lamp units 60L, 60R include a plurality of light emitting parts 64, and even if these light emitting parts 64 cannot blink in a chain or partially, it is possible to blink the hazard and the turn signal simultaneously. That is, the same operational effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be achieved.

[0093] [Modification Example 2] As shown in FIG. 19, by setting the lighting time (ON time) per cycle of the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R to different lengths, it is also possible to blink these left lamp unit 60L and right lamp unit 60R in different patterns.

[0094] In FIG. 19, the upper part shows the blinking cycle (ON·OFF) of the right lamp unit 60R as a hazard, and the lower part shows the blinking cycle (ON·OFF) of the left lamp unit 60L as a turn signal. Note that the upper and lower parts of FIG. 19 can be swapped. That is, the right lamp unit 60R may be used as the turn signal in the lower part, and the left lamp unit 60L may be used as the hazard in the upper part.

[0095] In the example shown in FIG. 19, for the right lamp unit 60R as the upper hazard, the duty ratio of lighting (ON) and extinguishing (OFF) per cycle is set to, for example, 50:50. Also, for the left lamp unit 60R as the lower turn signal, the duty ratio of lighting (ON) and extinguishing (OFF) per cycle is set to, for example, 70:30. That is, by setting the lighting time per cycle of the turn signal to be longer than the lighting time per cycle of the hazard, the left lamp unit 60L and the right lamp unit 60R blink in different patterns. In this way, by setting the lighting time per cycle to different lengths, even if each lamp unit 60L, 60R includes only one light-emitting part 64, or even if the lamp units 60L, 60R include a plurality of light-emitting parts 64, and even if these light-emitting parts 64 cannot blink in a chain or partially, it becomes possible to blink the hazard and the turn signal simultaneously. That is, the same operational effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be achieved.

Explanation of Signs

[0096] 10…ECU, 20…Vehicle state acquisition device, 30…Surrounding recognition device, 35…Driver state recognition device, 40…Drive device, 41…Steering device, 50…Brake device, 60…Lamp unit, 60LF…Left front lamp unit, 60RF…Right front lamp unit, 60LR…Left rear lamp unit, 60RR…Right rear lamp unit, 61L, 61R…Drive circuit, 62L, 62R…LED array, 64…Light-emitting part, 70…Turn signal switch, 71…Turn signal lever, 75…Hazard switch, 80…ACC operation unit, 85…LTA switch, 90…Display device, 95…Speaker, 98…Wireless communication device, 100…ACC control unit, 110…LTA control unit, 120…Driver abnormality acquisition unit, 130…Emergency avoidance control unit, 140…Emergency blinking control unit, 150…Normal blinking control unit

Claims

1. A left lamp unit and a right lamp unit each provided with at least one or more light emitting parts within the same unit, a turn signal lever and / or a flashing control unit that controls the flashing of the light emitting parts of the left lamp unit and the right lamp unit based on the operating state of the hazard switch, a vehicle lamp system comprising: the light emitting parts of the left lamp unit and the right lamp unit are configured to be able to flash at different length cycles, or to be able to light up with different lighting times per cycle, the flashing control unit, when only the hazard switch is operated, causes the light emitting parts of the left lamp unit and the right lamp unit to flash in the same pattern, when both the turn signal lever and the hazard switch are operated, among the left lamp unit and the right lamp unit, a plurality of the light emitting parts of the lamp unit on the operation direction side of the turn signal lever are made to have a longer flashing cycle or a longer lighting time per cycle than the light emitting parts of the lamp unit on the side opposite to the operation direction with respect to the light emitting parts of the lamp unit on the side opposite to the operation direction, so as to cause the light emitting parts of the left lamp unit and the right lamp unit to flash in different patterns A vehicle lamp system.

2. A left lamp unit and a right lamp unit each provided with at least one or more light emitting parts within the same unit, a turn signal lever and a hazard switch operated to cause the light emitting parts of the left lamp unit and / or the right lamp unit to perform a flashing operation, and the light emitting parts of the left lamp unit and the right lamp unit are configured to be able to flash at different length cycles, or to be able to light up with different lighting times per cycle, in a computer of a vehicle, when only the hazard switch is operated, causes the light emitting parts of the left lamp unit and the right lamp unit to flash in the same pattern, When both the turn signal lever and the hazard switch are operated, among the left lamp unit and the right lamp unit, a plurality of the light emitting parts of the lamp unit on the operation direction side of the turn signal lever are set to have a longer blinking period or a longer lighting time per cycle than the light emitting parts of the lamp unit on the side opposite to the operation direction, so as to blink the light emitting parts of the left lamp unit and the right lamp unit in different patterns Program

Images