Driving assistance device, driving assistance method, and program

Abstract

To provide a driving support device, driving support method, and program capable of effectively performing an acceleration / deceleration guidance.SOLUTION: A driving support device includes: a determination section for determining whether to urge a driver of a mobile body to perform an acceleration or a deceleration based on a state of the mobile body; and a notification control section for allowing a speaker to output notification sound to urge the driver of the mobile body to perform the acceleration or the deceleration based on a determination result. The notification control section allows the speaker to output basic sound and then allows the speaker to output one or more additional sound at a pitch different from that of the basic sound.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving assistance device, a driving assistance method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] A driving assistance device has been disclosed that includes a determination unit that determines a target relative position relative to another vehicle for entering a destination lane, which is a destination for merging or changing lanes, based on the detection results of the other vehicle traveling in the destination lane, and a notification control unit that outputs different notification sounds from a speaker depending on whether the vehicle needs to accelerate or decelerate in order to align the vehicle's direction of travel with the target relative position determined by the determination unit (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-174505 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The invention described in Patent Document 1 is suitable for specific situations such as merging and changing lanes. There are various other situations in which moving bodies such as vehicles travel, and there may be situations in which it is more appropriate to encourage acceleration and deceleration using other methods.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and one of its objects is to provide a driving assistance device, a driving assistance method, and a program that can intuitively convey acceleration / deceleration guidance to the driver. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A driving assistance device, a driving assistance method, and a program according to the present invention employ the following configuration. (1): A driving assistance device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a decision unit that decides whether to prompt the driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate based on the state of the moving body, and a notification control unit that, based on the result of the decision, causes a speaker to output a notification sound prompting the driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate. The notification control unit causes the speaker to output a basic sound, and then causes the speaker to output one or more additional sounds that have a different pitch from the basic sound, and when prompting the driver of the moving body to accelerate, causes the speaker to output the one or more additional sounds that have a higher pitch than the basic sound.

[0007] (2): A driving assistance device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a decision unit that decides whether to prompt the driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate based on the state of the moving body, and a notification control unit that causes a speaker to output a notification sound that prompts the driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate based on the result of the decision, wherein the notification control unit causes the speaker to output a basic sound, and then causes the speaker to output one or more additional sounds that have a different pitch from the basic sound, and when prompting the driver of the moving body to decelerate, causes the speaker to output the one or more additional sounds that have a lower pitch than the basic sound.

[0008] (3): In the above aspect (1) or (2), the notification control unit causes the speaker to output one or more additional sounds having a different pitch from the fundamental sound while the fundamental sound continues to be output.

[0009] (4) In the above aspect (1) or (2), the notification control unit causes the speaker to output the one or more additional sounds in order of pitch from the sound closest to the fundamental sound.

[0010] (5): In the above aspect (4), the notification control unit increases the pitch difference between the basic sound and the additional sound among the one or more additional sounds whose pitch is farthest from the basic sound, the greater the degree to which the driver of the moving body is urged to accelerate or decelerate.

[0011] (6) In the aspect (4) above, the notification control unit increases the number of types of the one or more additional sounds as the degree of acceleration / deceleration to be prompted to the driver of the moving body increases.

[0012] (7): In the above aspect (4), the notification control unit shortens the interval between the start timing of outputting the basic sound and the one or more additional sounds, the greater the degree of acceleration or deceleration that the driver of the moving body is prompted to make.

[0013] (8): In the above aspect (4), the fundamental tone and the one or more additional tones are tones within one octave.

[0014] (9): In the above aspect (1) or (2), the device further includes an urgency setting unit that sets the urgency of adjusting the speed of the moving body based on information indicating the surrounding environment of the moving body, and the notification control unit causes the speaker to output the one or more additional sounds that are dissonant with the basic sound when the urgency is high, and causes the speaker to output the one or more additional sounds that are consonant with the basic sound when the urgency is low.

[0015] (10): In the aspect (9) above, the notification control unit shortens the output cycle of the notification sound when the degree of urgency is high compared to when the degree of urgency is low.

[0016] (11): Another aspect of the present invention provides a driving assistance method in which a driving assistance device determines, based on the state of the moving body, whether to prompt the driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate, and, based on the result of the determination, causes a speaker to output a notification sound prompting the driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate. When outputting the notification sound from the speaker, the device causes the speaker to output a basic sound, and then causes the speaker to output one or more additional sounds having a different pitch from the basic sound, and when prompting the driver of the moving body to accelerate, the device causes the speaker to output the one or more additional sounds having a higher pitch than the basic sound.

[0017] (12): A driving assistance method according to another aspect of the present invention includes a driving assistance device that determines, based on the state of the moving body, whether to prompt the driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate, and based on the result of the determination, causes a speaker to output a notification sound prompting the driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate. When outputting the notification sound from the speaker, the driving assistance device causes the speaker to output a basic sound, and then causes the speaker to output one or more additional sounds that have a different pitch from the basic sound, and when prompting the driver of the moving body to decelerate, causes the speaker to output the one or more additional sounds that have a lower pitch than the basic sound.

[0018] (13): Another aspect of the present invention provides a program for causing a processor of a driving assistance device to determine, based on the state of the moving body, whether to prompt the driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate, and, based on the result of the determination, to output a notification sound from a speaker to prompt the driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate. When outputting the notification sound from the speaker, the processor causes the speaker to output a basic sound, and then causes the speaker to output one or more additional sounds that have a different pitch from the basic sound, and when prompting the driver of the moving body to accelerate, causes the speaker to output the one or more additional sounds that have a higher pitch than the basic sound.

[0019] (14): Another aspect of the present invention provides a program for causing a processor of a driving assistance device to determine, based on the state of the moving body, whether to prompt the driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate, and, based on the result of the determination, to output a notification sound from a speaker to prompt the driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate. When outputting the notification sound from the speaker, the processor causes the speaker to output a basic sound, and then causes the speaker to output one or more additional sounds that have a different pitch from the basic sound, and when prompting the driver of the moving body to decelerate, causes the speaker to output the one or more additional sounds that have a lower pitch than the basic sound. [Effects of the Invention]

[0020] According to the above aspects (1) to (14), the contents of the guidance for acceleration / deceleration can be intuitively conveyed to the driver. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0021] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing devices mounted on a vehicle M, focusing on a driving assistance device 100 according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of emergency scene classification information 182. [Figure 3] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a notification sound when the degree of urgency is low and the degree of urged deceleration is large in a situation where deceleration is urged. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a notification sound when the degree of urgency is low and the degree of deceleration urged is high in a situation where acceleration is urged. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a notification sound when the degree of urgency is low and the degree of urged deceleration is small in a situation where deceleration is urged. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a notification sound when the degree of urgency is low and the degree of acceleration urged is small in a situation where acceleration is urged. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a notification sound when the degree of urgency is high and the degree of urged deceleration is large in a scene where deceleration is urged. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a notification sound when the degree of urgency is high and the degree of urged deceleration is large in a situation where acceleration is urged. [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a notification sound when the degree of urgency is high and the degree of urged deceleration is small in a scene where deceleration is urged. [Figure 10] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating a notification sound when the degree of urgency is high and the degree of acceleration urged is small in a situation where acceleration is urged. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the output period of the fundamental sound BS and the additional sound AS. [Figure 12] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the output period of the fundamental sound BS and the additional sound AS. [Figure 13] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing another example of the output period of the fundamental sound BS and the additional sound AS. [Figure 14] 10A and 10B are diagrams illustrating an example of changing the output cycle of a notification sound. [Figure 15] 10 is a diagram showing devices mounted on a two-wheeled vehicle MB, focusing on a driving assistance device 100B according to a second embodiment. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0022] Hereinafter, with reference to the drawings, embodiments of a driving assistance device, a driving assistance method, and a program of the present invention will be described. The driving assistance device is a device that assists in driving a moving object. The moving object may include any moving object on which a person (driver) rides, such as a three-wheeled or four-wheeled vehicle, a two-wheeled vehicle, or a micromobile. In the first embodiment described below, the moving object is a four-wheeled vehicle, and a vehicle equipped with a driving assistance device is referred to as vehicle M. In the second embodiment, the moving object is a two-wheeled vehicle.

[0023] First Embodiment [composition] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing devices mounted on a vehicle M, focusing on a driving assistance device 100 according to the first embodiment. The vehicle M may be any of an automobile powered by an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric automobile powered by an electric motor, or a hybrid automobile equipped with both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor. In this embodiment, illustrations and descriptions of components for driving the vehicle M, such as driving controls, drive devices such as an engine or a motor, a steering device, and a brake device, are omitted, but these components may be mounted on the vehicle M.

[0024] The vehicle M is equipped with, for example, a vehicle sensor 10, a navigation device 20, an object detection device 30, a speaker 60, a display device 70, a driving assistance device 100, and the like.

[0025] The vehicle sensor 10 includes some or all of a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects the angular velocity around a vertical axis, a direction sensor that detects the direction of the vehicle M, a gradient sensor that detects the gradient of the point where the vehicle M is located, etc.

[0026] The navigation device 20 includes, for example, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver 21, a navigation HMI 22, and a route determination unit 23. The navigation device 20 stores map information in a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or flash memory. The GNSS receiver 21 identifies the position of the vehicle M based on signals received from GNSS satellites. The position of the vehicle M may be identified or supplemented by an inertial navigation system (INS) that uses the output of the vehicle sensors 10. The navigation HMI 22 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, keys, and the like. The route determination unit 23 determines, for example, a route (hereinafter referred to as a map route) from the position of the vehicle M identified by the GNSS receiver 21 (or an arbitrary input position) to a destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 22, with reference to map information. The map information is, for example, information that represents road shapes using links indicating roads and nodes connected by the links. The map information may include road curvature and gradient, the number of lanes, legal speed limits, road classification information (e.g., urban area, expressway, national highway, etc., and information indicating whether the roadway and sidewalk are clearly separated), POI (Point of Interest) information, etc. The navigation device 20 may provide route guidance using the navigation HMI 22 based on the route on the map. The navigation device 20 may be realized, for example, by a terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet device carried by the occupant that is communicatively connected to the driving assistance device 100. The navigation device 20 may transmit the current position and destination to a navigation server via a communication device, and obtain a route equivalent to the route on the map from the navigation server.

[0027] The object detection device 30 includes, for example, a camera, a radar device, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a sensor fusion device, etc. The object detection device 30 uses known functions to detect the type and position of an object (other vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, road dividing lines, signs, markings, etc.) present around the vehicle M. The object detection device 30 may also be capable of detecting the speed of an object.

[0028] The speaker 60 outputs sound into the interior of the vehicle M. The speaker 60 may be a speaker unit including a plurality of sub-speakers, and in that case, the position of the sound image may be set arbitrarily.

[0029] The display device 70 is, for example, a touch panel, and is attached to any location inside the cabin of the vehicle M. The display device 70 accepts various operations for the driving assistance device 100 and displays images instructed by the driving assistance device 100 or the like.

[0030] [Driving assistance devices] The driving assistance device 100 includes, for example, a target speed setting unit 110, an acceleration / deceleration guidance determination unit 120, an urgency setting unit 130, a notification control unit 140, and a storage unit 180. The components other than the storage unit 180 are realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or flash memory, or may be stored in a removable storage medium (a non-transitory storage medium) such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed by inserting the storage medium into a drive device. The storage unit 180 stores information such as emergency scene classification information 182. The acceleration / deceleration guidance determination unit 120 is an example of a determination unit.

[0031] The target speed setting unit 110 sets a target speed V# at which the vehicle M should travel. The target speed setting unit 110, for example, acquires information about the legal speed from the navigation device 20 and sets the legal speed as the target speed V#. The target speed setting unit 110 may set the target speed V# to a value smaller than the legal speed depending on the curvature and gradient of the road. The target speed setting unit 110 may also set the target speed V# to a value smaller than the legal speed depending on the degree of congestion of objects detected by the object detection device 30. For example, on a road where the roadway and the sidewalk are not clearly separated, if the object detection device 30 detects a number of pedestrians equal to or greater than a threshold, the target speed setting unit 110 may set the target speed V# to a value smaller than the legal speed in order to autonomously slow down. Information that the vehicle M is traveling on a road where the roadway and the sidewalk are not clearly separated may be acquired from the navigation device 20, or may be acquired by the driving assistance device 100 analyzing images captured by a camera of the object detection device 30.

[0032] The acceleration / deceleration guidance determination unit 120 determines whether to prompt the driver of the vehicle M to accelerate or decelerate based on the state of the vehicle M. Here, the state includes, for example, the speed V and the target speed #. For example, the acceleration / deceleration guidance determination unit 120 determines whether to prompt the driver of the vehicle M to accelerate or decelerate based on a comparison between the speed V of the vehicle M and the target speed V#. For example, the acceleration / deceleration guidance determination unit 120 determines to prompt the driver of the vehicle M to decelerate when the speed V is greater than the target speed V# and the difference therebetween is equal to or greater than a threshold; when the speed V is smaller than the target speed V# and the difference therebetween is equal to or greater than a threshold; and when the difference between the speed V and the target speed V# is less than the threshold, determines not to prompt the driver of the vehicle M to accelerate or decelerate. Note that, without being limited to this, the acceleration / deceleration guidance determination unit 120 may determine whether to prompt the driver of the vehicle M to accelerate or decelerate based on the curvature and gradient of the road, the degree of congestion around the vehicle M, etc.

[0033] Furthermore, the acceleration / deceleration guidance determination unit 120 may determine the degree of acceleration / deceleration to be prompted to the driver of the vehicle M. For example, the acceleration / deceleration guidance determination unit 120 determines the degree of acceleration / deceleration to be prompted to the driver of the vehicle M in two stages, high and low. For example, the acceleration / deceleration guidance determination unit 120 determines the degree of acceleration / deceleration to be prompted to the driver of the vehicle M to be high when the difference (absolute value) between the speed V and the target speed V# is equal to or greater than a reference value (a value greater than the threshold value described above), and determines the degree of acceleration / deceleration to be prompted to the driver of the vehicle M to be low when the difference is less than the reference value.

[0034] The urgency setting unit 130 sets the urgency of speed adjustment of the vehicle M based on information indicating the surrounding environment of the vehicle M. The information indicating the surrounding environment includes, for example, the relative positions and speed relationships (relative speeds) between the preceding vehicle and the following vehicle, and the scene in which the vehicle M is located. Note that the relative speed is positive in the direction in which the two vehicles approach each other. A preceding vehicle is a vehicle that is ahead of the vehicle M and is traveling in the same lane and in the same direction as the vehicle M. A following vehicle is a vehicle that is behind the vehicle M and is traveling in the same lane and in the same direction as the vehicle M. The scene in which the vehicle is located includes information such as whether the vehicle M is traveling on a straight road or whether it has just passed an intersection (within a predetermined distance after passing through). The urgency setting unit 130 sets the urgency of speed adjustment of the vehicle M to two levels, high and low, by referring to, for example, the information indicating the surrounding environment of the vehicle M and the emergency scene classification information 182. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the emergency scene classification information 182. The emergency scene classification information 182 lists conditions under which the level of urgency is set to high. For example, if the various pieces of information described above meet the conditions listed in the emergency scene classification information 182, the urgency setting unit 130 sets the level of urgency to high, and if not, sets the level of urgency to low. The threshold values ​​Th1 to Th4 shown in the figure may be different from each other, or some of them may be the same.

[0035] [Notification sound] The notification control unit 140 causes the speaker 60 to output a notification sound based on the determination result of the acceleration / deceleration guidance determination unit 120 and the degree of urgency. Note that the driving assistance device 100 of this embodiment may cause the speaker 60 to output a notification sound without taking the degree of urgency into consideration, in which case the urgency setting unit 130 and the emergency scene classification information 182 may be omitted. The notification control unit 140 causes the speaker 60 to output a notification sound via a device capable of generating and synthesizing a desired sound, such as a synthesizer.

[0036] The notification control unit 140 first causes the speaker 60 to output the fundamental sound BS, and then causes the speaker 60 to output one or more additional sounds AS that have a different pitch from the fundamental sound BS. For example, when urging the driver of the vehicle M to accelerate, the notification control unit 140 causes the speaker 60 to output one or more additional sounds AS that have a higher pitch than the fundamental sound BS, and when urging the driver of the vehicle M to decelerate, the notification control unit 140 causes the speaker 60 to output one or more additional sounds AS that have a lower pitch than the fundamental sound BS.

[0037] Furthermore, the notification control unit 140 may cause the speaker 60 to output the one or more additional sounds AS in order of pitch from the one closest to the fundamental sound BS. Furthermore, the notification control unit 140 may increase the pitch difference between the fundamental sound BS and the one or more additional sounds AS whose pitch is farthest from the fundamental sound BS, as the degree to which the driver of the vehicle M is prompted to accelerate or decelerate increases. Furthermore, the notification control unit 140 may increase the types (pitches) of the one or more additional sounds AS, as the degree to which the driver of the vehicle M is prompted to accelerate or decelerate increases. Furthermore, the notification control unit 140 may shorten the interval between the timing at which the fundamental sound BS and the one or more additional sounds AS start to be output, as the degree to which the driver of the vehicle M is prompted to accelerate or decelerate increases. The fundamental sound BS and the one or more additional sounds AS are sounds that fall within, for example, one octave.

[0038] When outputting a notification sound taking into account the level of urgency, the notification control unit 140, for example, causes the speaker 60 to output one or more additional sounds AS that are dissonant with the basic sound BS when the level of urgency set by the urgency setting unit 130 is high, and causes the speaker 60 to output one or more additional sounds AS that are consonant with the basic sound BS when the level of urgency is low.

[0039] [Specific example] The processing of the notification control unit 140 will be described below with reference to the drawings. Figures 3 to 10 are diagrams illustrating examples of sounds that the notification control unit 140 causes the speaker 60 to output depending on whether acceleration or deceleration is encouraged, the level of urgency, and the degree of acceleration or deceleration. In the figures, light hatching represents whole tones, and dark hatching represents semitones. Furthermore, when there are multiple types of additional sounds AS, they are represented as additional sounds AS-1, AS-2, ...

[0040] 3 is a diagram showing the notification sound when the level of urgency is low and the degree of deceleration is high in a scene where deceleration is urged. As shown in the figure, the notification control unit 140 selects a pitch so that the fundamental note BS and the additional notes AS form a consonant tone such as D major, and causes the speaker 60 to output additional notes AS-1, AS-2, and AS-3 while the fundamental note BS continues to be output. In this example, the pitches of the fundamental note BS, additional notes AS-1, AS-2, and AS-3 decrease in order, and additional note AS-3 is an octave lower than the fundamental note BS.

[0041] 4 is a diagram showing the notification sound when the level of urgency is low and the degree of acceleration is high in a situation where acceleration is encouraged. As shown in the figure, the notification control unit 140 selects a pitch so that the fundamental note BS and the additional notes AS form a consonant tone such as D major, and causes the speaker 60 to output the additional notes AS-1, AS-2, and AS-3 while the fundamental note BS continues to be output. In this example, the pitches of the fundamental note BS, the additional notes AS-1, AS-2, and AS-3 increase in order, and the additional note AS-3 is an octave higher than the fundamental note BS.

[0042] 5 is a diagram showing the form of a notification sound when the level of urgency is low and the degree of deceleration is small in a scene where deceleration is urged. As shown in the figure, the notification control unit 140 selects a pitch so that the fundamental note BS and the additional notes AS form a consonant tone such as D major, and while the fundamental note BS continues to be output, causes the speaker 60 to output additional notes AS-1 and AS-2 in sequence, which are fewer in number than when the degree of deceleration is large. In this example, the pitches of the fundamental note BS, the additional notes AS-1, and AS-2 decrease in this order, and the additional note AS-2 is a note more than one octave lower than the fundamental note BS (i.e., a note closer to the fundamental note BS than in the example of FIG. 3).

[0043] 6 is a diagram showing the notification sound when the level of urgency is low and the degree of acceleration is small in a situation where acceleration is encouraged. As shown in the figure, the notification control unit 140 selects a pitch so that the fundamental note BS and the additional notes AS form a consonant tone such as D major, and causes the speaker 60 to output fewer additional notes AS-1 and AS-2 than when the degree of acceleration is large while the fundamental note BS is continuously output. In this example, the pitches of the fundamental note BS, the additional notes AS-1, and AS-2 increase in order, and the additional note AS-3 is a note lower than one octave higher than the fundamental note BS (i.e., a note closer to the fundamental note BS than in the example of FIG. 4).

[0044] 7 is a diagram showing the notification sound when the level of urgency is high and the degree of deceleration is great in a scene where deceleration is urged. As shown in the figure, the notification control unit 140 selects a pitch so that the fundamental sound BS and the additional sounds AS form a dissonant sound such as a D diminished sound, and causes the speaker 60 to output the additional sounds AS-1, AS-2, and AS-3 while the fundamental sound BS continues to be output. In this example, the pitches of the fundamental sound BS, the additional sounds AS-1, AS-2, and AS-3 decrease in order, and the additional sound AS-3 is a higher pitch than the sound one octave below the fundamental sound BS.

[0045] 8 is a diagram showing the notification sound when the level of urgency is high and the degree of deceleration urged is large in a scene where acceleration is urged. As shown in the figure, the notification control unit 140 selects a pitch so that the fundamental sound BS and the additional sounds AS form a dissonant sound such as a D diminished sound, and causes the speaker 60 to output the additional sounds AS-1, AS-2, and AS-3 while the fundamental sound BS continues to be output. In this example, the pitches of the fundamental sound BS, the additional sounds AS-1, AS-2, and AS-3 increase in order, and the additional sound AS-3 is a pitch lower than the note one octave above the fundamental sound BS.

[0046] 9 is a diagram showing the notification sound when the level of urgency is high and the degree of acceleration is low in a situation where deceleration is urged. As shown in the figure, the notification control unit 140 selects a pitch so that the fundamental sound BS and the additional sounds AS form a dissonant sound such as a D diminished sound, and causes the speaker 60 to output additional sounds AS-1 and AS-2 in sequence, which are less frequent than when the degree of deceleration is high, while the fundamental sound BS is continuously output. In this example, the pitches of the fundamental sound BS, the additional sounds AS-1, and AS-2 decrease in this order, and the additional sound AS-2 is closer to the fundamental sound BS than the additional sound AS-3 in FIG. 7.

[0047] 10 is a diagram showing the notification sound when the level of urgency is high and the degree of acceleration is low in a situation where acceleration is urged. As shown in the figure, the notification control unit 140 selects a pitch so that the fundamental sound BS and the additional sounds AS form a dissonant sound such as a D diminished sound, and causes the speaker 60 to output fewer additional sounds AS-1 and AS-2 than when the degree of acceleration is high while the output of the fundamental sound BS is continued. In this example, the pitches of the fundamental sound BS, the additional sounds AS-1, and AS-2 increase in order, and the additional sound AS-3 is closer to the fundamental sound BS than the additional sound AS-3 in FIG. 8.

[0048] The notification control unit 140 causes the speaker 60 to repeatedly output the notification sounds in the manners exemplified in FIGS. 3 to 10 until the state of the vehicle M changes.

[0049] 3 to 10, the additional sound AS is output from the speaker 60 while the fundamental sound BS continues to be output, that is, the notification sound is output from the speaker 60 in the form of an arpeggio, but this is not limiting, and the output period of the fundamental sound BS and the additional sound AS (focusing on one output among repeated outputs) can be changed as follows: Figures 11 to 13 are diagrams showing other examples of the output period of the fundamental sound BS and the additional sound AS.

[0050] As shown in FIG. 11, the notification control unit 140 may configure a broken chord by outputting the next notification sound at the timing when the output of the previous notification sound stops, using the fundamental sound BS and the additional sounds AS-1, AS-2, and AS-3.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 12, the notification control unit 140 may form an overlapping arpeggio by outputting the next notification sound shortly before the output of the previous notification sound stops for each of the fundamental sound BS and the additional sounds AS-1, AS-2, and AS-3.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 13, the notification control unit 140 may configure each of the fundamental sound BS and additional sounds AS-1, AS-2, and AS-3 to form a separated arpeggio by outputting the next notification sound shortly after the output of the previous notification sound has stopped.

[0053] Output Interval The notification control unit 140 may change the output cycle of the notification sound depending on the level of urgency. For example, the notification control unit 140 may shorten the output cycle of the notification sound when the level of urgency is high compared to when the level of urgency is low. FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an example of changing the output cycle of the notification sound. In the illustrated example, in a situation where deceleration is urged, the level of urgency is set to high until timing T1, and is changed to low after timing T1. By each of the above-mentioned measures, the situation of the vehicle M can be intuitively conveyed to the driver.

[0054] According to the first embodiment described above, it is determined whether to prompt the driver of vehicle M to accelerate or decelerate based on the state of vehicle M, and based on the result of the determination, a notification sound prompting the driver of vehicle M to accelerate or decelerate is output from speaker 60, and at that time, a basic sound is first output from speaker 60, and then one or more additional sounds having a different pitch from the basic sound are output from speaker 60, thereby making it possible to intuitively convey to the driver the guidance content for acceleration or deceleration. In particular, by making the additional sound AS a sound with a higher pitch than the basic sound BS, the driver can intuitively recognize that an instruction to accelerate is being given, and by making the additional sound AS a sound with a lower pitch than the basic sound BS, the driver can intuitively recognize that an instruction to decelerate is being given.

[0055] Second Embodiment The second embodiment will be described below. The driving assistance device of the second embodiment is mounted on a motorcycle that is ridden by a rider wearing a helmet. FIG. 15 is a diagram showing devices mounted on a motorcycle MB, focusing on a driving assistance device 100B according to the second embodiment. Instead of controlling the speaker 60, the driving assistance device 100B instructs the wireless communication device 80 to transmit instruction information related to a notification sound. The wireless communication device 80 communicates based on a communication standard such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0056] A receiver 310, a left ear speaker 320-L, and a right ear speaker 320-R are attached to a helmet 300 worn by a driver. Based on instruction information received from the wireless communication device 80, the receiver 310 causes one or both of the left ear speaker 320-L and the right ear speaker 320-R to output a notification sound.

[0057] The control of the notification sound is the same as in the first embodiment. In the second embodiment, earphones with wireless functionality may be used instead of the speaker provided in the helmet.

[0058] According to the second embodiment described above, it is possible to achieve the same effects as the first embodiment.

[0059] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows. a storage medium for storing computer-readable instructions; a processor connected to the storage medium; The processor executes the computer-readable instructions to: determining whether to prompt a driver of the vehicle to accelerate or decelerate based on the state of the vehicle; outputting a notification sound from a speaker to prompt the driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate based on the result of the determination; When outputting the notification sound from the speaker, a basic sound is output from the speaker, and then one or more additional sounds having a pitch different from that of the basic sound are output from the speaker; When urging the driver of the moving body to accelerate, the one or more additional sounds having a higher pitch than the fundamental sound are output from the speaker. Driving assistance device.

[0060] The above-described embodiment can also be expressed as follows. a storage medium storing computer readable instructions; a processor connected to the storage medium; The processor executes the computer-readable instructions to: determining whether to prompt a driver of the vehicle to accelerate or decelerate based on the state of the vehicle; outputting a notification sound from a speaker to prompt the driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate based on the result of the determination; When outputting the notification sound from the speaker, a basic sound is output from the speaker, and then one or more additional sounds having a pitch different from that of the basic sound are output from the speaker; When urging the driver of the moving body to decelerate, the one or more additional sounds having a lower pitch than the fundamental sound are output from the speaker. Driving assistance device.

[0061] The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0062] 10 Vehicle Sensors 20 Navigation devices 30 Object detection device 60 speakers 100, 100B Driving assistance device 110 Target speed setting section 120 Acceleration / Deceleration Guidance Decision Unit 130 Urgency setting section 140 Notification control section 180 Storage section 182 Emergency Scene Classification Information 300 helmet 310 Receiver 320-L Left ear speaker 320-R Right ear speaker

Claims

1. a decision unit that decides whether to prompt a driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate based on a state of the moving body; a notification control unit that outputs a notification sound from a speaker to prompt the driver of the moving object to accelerate or decelerate based on the result of the determination; Equipped with The notification control unit outputting a fundamental sound from the speaker, and then outputting one or more additional sounds from the speaker that are different in pitch from the fundamental sound; When urging the driver of the moving body to accelerate, the one or more additional sounds having a higher pitch than the fundamental sound are output from the speaker while the fundamental sound is being continuously output. Driving assistance device.

2. a decision unit that decides whether to prompt a driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate based on a state of the moving body; a notification control unit that outputs a notification sound from a speaker to prompt the driver of the moving object to accelerate or decelerate based on the result of the determination; Equipped with The notification control unit outputting a fundamental sound from the speaker, and then outputting one or more additional sounds from the speaker that are different in pitch from the fundamental sound; When urging the driver of the moving body to decelerate, the one or more additional sounds having a lower pitch than the fundamental sound are output from the speaker while the fundamental sound is being continuously output. Driving assistance device.

3. A decision unit that decides whether to prompt a driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate based on the state of the moving body; a notification control unit that outputs a notification sound from a speaker to prompt the driver of the moving object to accelerate or decelerate based on the result of the determination; Equipped with The notification control unit outputting a fundamental sound from the speaker, and then outputting one or more additional sounds from the speaker that are different in pitch from the fundamental sound; When urging the driver of the moving body to accelerate, the one or more additional sounds having a higher pitch than the fundamental sound are output from the speaker in order of pitch from the sound closest to the fundamental sound. Driving assistance device.

4. A decision unit that decides whether to prompt a driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate based on the state of the moving body; a notification control unit that outputs a notification sound from a speaker to prompt the driver of the moving object to accelerate or decelerate based on the result of the determination; Equipped with The notification control unit outputting a fundamental sound from the speaker, and then outputting one or more additional sounds from the speaker that are different in pitch from the fundamental sound; When prompting a driver of the moving body to decelerate, the one or more additional sounds having a lower pitch than the fundamental sound are output from the speaker in order of pitch from the sound closest to the fundamental sound. Driving assistance device.

5. The notification control unit increases the pitch difference between the fundamental sound and an additional sound, among the one or more additional sounds, whose pitch is farthest from the fundamental sound, as the degree of acceleration / deceleration to be prompted to the driver of the moving body increases.

5. The driving assistance device according to claim 3 or 4.

6. The notification control unit increases the number of types of the one or more additional sounds as the degree of acceleration / deceleration to be prompted to the driver of the moving body increases.

5. The driving assistance device according to claim 3 or 4.

7. the notification control unit shortens the interval between the output start timings of the basic sound and the one or more additional sounds as the degree of acceleration / deceleration to be prompted to the driver of the moving body increases; 5. The driving assistance device according to claim 3 or 4.

8. The fundamental note and the one or more additional notes are notes within one octave.

5. The driving assistance device according to claim 3 or 4.

9. A decision unit that decides whether to prompt a driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate based on a state of the moving body; a notification control unit that outputs a notification sound from a speaker to prompt the driver of the moving object to accelerate or decelerate based on the result of the determination; an urgency setting unit that sets an urgency of speed adjustment of the moving object based on information indicating the surrounding environment of the moving object; Equipped with the notification control unit causes the speaker to output a fundamental sound, and then causes the speaker to output one or more additional sounds having a pitch different from that of the fundamental sound; When urging a driver of the moving body to accelerate, the one or more additional sounds having a higher pitch than the fundamental sound are output from the speaker; When the urgency is high, the one or more additional sounds that are dissonant with respect to the fundamental sound are output from the speaker, and when the urgency is low, the one or more additional sounds that are consonant with respect to the fundamental sound are output from the speaker. Driving assistance device.

10. A decision unit that decides whether to prompt a driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate based on a state of the moving body; a notification control unit that outputs a notification sound from a speaker to prompt the driver of the moving object to accelerate or decelerate based on the result of the determination; an urgency setting unit that sets an urgency of speed adjustment of the moving object based on information indicating the surrounding environment of the moving object; Equipped with the notification control unit causes the speaker to output a fundamental sound, and then causes the speaker to output one or more additional sounds having a pitch different from that of the fundamental sound; outputting the one or more additional sounds having a pitch lower than that of the fundamental sound from the speaker when prompting the driver of the moving body to decelerate; When the urgency is high, the one or more additional sounds that are dissonant with respect to the fundamental sound are output from the speaker, and when the urgency is low, the one or more additional sounds that are consonant with respect to the fundamental sound are output from the speaker. Driving assistance device.

11. When the degree of urgency is high, the notification control unit shortens the output cycle of the notification sound compared to when the degree of urgency is low. The driving assistance device according to claim 9 or 10.

12. Driving assistance devices, determining whether to prompt a driver of the vehicle to accelerate or decelerate based on the state of the vehicle; outputting a notification sound from a speaker to prompt the driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate based on the result of the determination; When outputting the notification sound from the speaker, a basic sound is output from the speaker, and then one or more additional sounds having a pitch different from that of the basic sound are output from the speaker; When urging the driver of the moving body to accelerate, the one or more additional sounds having a higher pitch than the fundamental sound are output from the speaker while the fundamental sound is being continuously output. Driving assistance methods.

13. Driving assistance devices, determining whether to prompt a driver of the vehicle to accelerate or decelerate based on the state of the vehicle; outputting a notification sound from a speaker to prompt the driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate based on the result of the determination; When outputting the notification sound from the speaker, a basic sound is output from the speaker, and then one or more additional sounds having a pitch different from that of the basic sound are output from the speaker; When urging the driver of the moving body to decelerate, the one or more additional sounds having a lower pitch than the fundamental sound are output from the speaker while the fundamental sound is being continuously output. Driving assistance methods.

14. The processor of the driving assistance device determining whether to prompt a driver of the vehicle to accelerate or decelerate based on a state of the vehicle; and outputting a notification sound from a speaker to prompt the driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate based on the result of the determination, the processor, When outputting the notification sound from the speaker, a basic sound is output from the speaker, and then one or more additional sounds having a pitch different from that of the basic sound are output from the speaker; When urging the driver of the moving body to accelerate, the speaker is caused to output the one or more additional sounds having a higher pitch than the fundamental sound while the fundamental sound is being continuously output. program.

15. The processor of the driving assistance device determining whether to prompt a driver of the vehicle to accelerate or decelerate based on a state of the vehicle; and outputting a notification sound from a speaker to prompt the driver of the moving body to accelerate or decelerate based on the result of the determination, the processor, When outputting the notification sound from the speaker, a basic sound is output from the speaker, and then one or more additional sounds having a pitch different from that of the basic sound are output from the speaker; When urging the driver of the moving body to decelerate, the speaker is caused to output the one or more additional sounds having a lower pitch than the fundamental sound while the fundamental sound is being continuously output. program.

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