Attention warning system and attention warning method

Abstract

To transmit a contact risk with an object in the periphery of an own vehicle in a manner to enable a driver to reliably recognize the contact risk depending on a fatigue degree of the driver.SOLUTION: An attention calling system includes: HMI devices mounted on an own vehicle; and an attention calling device for transmitting a possibility of a contact between the own vehicle and an object to a driver by the HMI devices. The attention calling device includes: a risk identification section for identifying a risk position of occurrence of the contact and a risk level of the contact; a fatigue estimation section for estimating a fatigue degree of the driver; and a transmission section for transmitting the risk position and the risk level to the driver. The transmission section selects the HMI device to be used depending on the fatigue degree of the driver, allows the tactile-type HMI device or the auditory-type HMI device to give a tactile stimulation or an auditory stimulation at a saliency level corresponding to the height of the risk level to the driver, and transmits visual information indicating a direction of the risk position to the driver by the visual-type HMI device.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an attention calling system and an attention calling method for calling the attention of a vehicle driver. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, efforts to provide access to sustainable transport systems that take into consideration vulnerable transport participants have become more active. To achieve this, we are focusing on research and development into preventive safety technologies to further improve road safety and convenience.

[0003] Patent document 1 describes a method for simultaneously issuing an approach warning using a seat belt tension generating device and a sound generating device, with the aim of informing the driver that the vehicle is approaching an object ahead in a reliable and comfortable manner, and for canceling the approach warning when a certain time has passed since the issuance of the approach warning or when braking is detected. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-67301 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In preventive safety technology, it is important to communicate the risk of contact with objects around the vehicle in a manner that allows the driver to more reliably recognize the risk, depending on the driver's condition at the time. In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present application aims to communicate the risk of contact with objects around the vehicle in a manner that the driver can more reliably recognize, depending on the driver's condition, particularly the driver's fatigue level, and ultimately contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is an attention warning system including an HMI device mounted on a host vehicle and an attention warning device that notifies a driver of the possibility of contact between the host vehicle and an object by the HMI device, wherein the HMI device includes a tactile HMI device that stimulates the tactile sense of the driver, an auditory HMI device that outputs sound as an auditory stimulus to the driver, and a visual HMI device that conveys visual information to the driver, and the attention warning device identifies risk positions in the surrounding environment of the host vehicle that are positions where there is a high possibility of contact between the host vehicle and an object, and notifies the driver of the possibility of such contact occurring at the risk positions. a risk identification unit that identifies a risk level, which is the degree of possibility of a collision, a fatigue estimation unit that estimates the fatigue level of the driver, and a transmission unit that transmits the risk location and the risk level to the driver, wherein the transmission unit selects the HMI device to be used according to the fatigue level of the driver, and provides the driver with a tactile stimulus or an auditory stimulus of a salience level according to the degree of possibility of a collision indicated by the risk level, using the tactile HMI device or the auditory HMI device, and transmits visual information indicating the direction of the risk location as seen by the driver, to the driver, using the visual HMI device. And the transmission unit is When the risk position identified by the risk identification unit is in front of the vehicle is before The tactile HMI device provides the driver with a tactile stimulus indicating the level of the risk level, and when the risk position identified by the risk identification unit is in an area other than the front of the vehicle, ,before The auditory HMI device provides the driver with an auditory stimulus indicating the level of the risk. , a warning system. Other aspects of the invention teeth , An attention warning system comprising an HMI device mounted on a vehicle, and an attention warning device that notifies a driver of the possibility of contact between the vehicle and an object by the HMI device, wherein the HMI device includes a tactile HMI device that stimulates the tactile sense of the driver, an auditory HMI device that outputs sound as an auditory stimulus to the driver, and a visual HMI device that transmits visual information to the driver, wherein the attention warning system includes a risk identification unit that identifies a risk position that is a position in the surrounding environment of the vehicle where contact between the vehicle and an object is highly likely to occur, and identifies a risk level that is the degree of likelihood of the contact occurring at the risk position, a fatigue estimation unit that estimates the fatigue level of the driver, and a transmission unit that transmits the risk position and the risk level to the driver, a line-of-sight determination unit that determines whether the line of sight of the driver is directed in the direction of the risk position; and an avoidance determination unit that determines whether the driver is performing an avoidance maneuver, which is a maneuvering action to avoid the possible contact, The transmission unit selects the HMI device to be used according to the driver's fatigue level, and provides the driver with a tactile stimulus or an auditory stimulus of a salience level corresponding to the likelihood of contact indicated by the risk level using the tactile HMI device or the auditory HMI device, and transmits visual information indicating the direction of the risk position as seen by the driver using the visual HMI device, andThe transmission unit distinguishes the state of the driver from a first state in which the driver is not in a fatigue state, has his / her line of sight directed toward the risk position, and is performing an evasive maneuver, a second state in which the driver is not in a fatigue state, has his / her line of sight directed toward the risk position, and is not performing an evasive maneuver, a third state in which the driver is not in a fatigue state, and has his / her line of sight not directed toward the risk position, or a fourth state in which the driver is in a fatigue state, based on the estimation result of the fatigue level of the driver by the fatigue estimation unit and the judgment results by the line of sight judgment unit and the avoidance judgment unit, and provides the tactile stimulus or the auditory stimulus to the driver using the tactile HMI device or the auditory HMI device except when the state of the driver is the first state. , a warning system. According to another aspect of the present invention, the transmission unit sets the salience level of the tactile stimulus or the auditory stimulus provided to the driver using the tactile HMI device or the auditory HMI device higher when the driver is in the third state than when the driver is in the second state, and sets the salience level higher when the driver is in the fourth state than when the driver is in the third state. According to another aspect of the present invention, the transmission unit sets the salience level of the tactile stimulus or the auditory stimulus, and / or the visual information to different levels depending on the driver's level of fatigue, and provides the driver with the tactile stimulus or the auditory stimulus, and / or the visual information at each of the set salience levels. According to another aspect of the present invention, after providing the auditory stimulus and / or the visual information to the driver, if the transmission unit determines that the driver's line of sight is directed toward the risk location, the transmission unit terminates the output of the auditory stimulus and / or the visual information in a different manner depending on the driver's level of fatigue. According to another aspect of the present invention, when the risk location identified by the risk identification unit is in an area other than in front of the vehicle, if the gaze determination unit determines that the driver's gaze is not directed in the direction of the risk location, it determines whether the driver's gaze through a mirror equipped on the vehicle is directed in the direction of the risk location. According to another aspect of the present invention, the tactile HMI device is an electric seat belt that is installed in the driver's seat of the vehicle and that changes the tension of the seat belt worn by the driver to provide the driver with a tactile stimulus, and the salience level of the tactile stimulus corresponds to the magnitude of the tension of the seat belt. According to another aspect of the present invention, the auditory HMI device is a speaker provided in the vehicle interior, and the salience level of the auditory stimulus is determined by the sound output by the speaker. The speaker sound is Intensity of Height , The speaker sound The height of the frequency, The speaker sound Short repetition period , the speaker sound strength The shortness of the change period of the speaker sound This corresponds to a short frequency change period. According to another aspect of the present invention, the visual HMI device is a meter display device provided on the instrument panel of the vehicle, and the transmission unit displays a predetermined graphic on the meter display device to communicate the possibility of contact to the driver, communicates to the driver the direction of the risk position as seen by the driver based on the display position of the graphic on the meter display device, and communicates to the driver the level of the risk level based on the size and / or color of the graphic on the meter display device. Another aspect of the present invention is a computer-implemented attention warning method for an attention warning system including an HMI device mounted on a host vehicle, the HMI device including a tactile HMI device that stimulates the tactile sense of the driver, an auditory HMI device that outputs sound as an auditory stimulus to the driver, and a visual HMI device that transmits visual information to the driver, and an attention warning device that notifies the driver of the possibility of contact between the host vehicle and an object by the tactile HMI device, the auditory HMI device, and / or the visual HMI device, the method including identifying risk positions in the surrounding environment of the host vehicle that are positions where there is a high possibility of contact between the host vehicle and an object, and The method includes a risk identification step of identifying a risk level, which is the degree of possibility of the contact occurring, a fatigue estimation step of estimating the fatigue level of the driver, and a transmission step of transmitting the risk location and the risk level to the driver, wherein the transmission step selects the HMI device to be used according to the fatigue level of the driver, and provides the driver with a tactile stimulus or an auditory stimulus of a salience level according to the degree of possibility of the contact indicated by the risk level using the tactile HMI device or the auditory HMI device, and transmits visual information indicating the direction of the risk location as seen by the driver using the visual HMI device. and in the transmission step, when the risk position identified in the risk identification step is in front of the vehicle, the tactile HMI device provides the driver with a tactile stimulus indicating the level of the risk level, and when the risk position identified in the risk identification step is in an area other than in front of the vehicle, the auditory HMI device provides the driver with an auditory stimulus indicating the level of the risk level. It is a way to raise awareness. Another aspect of the present invention is a computer-executed attention calling method for an attention calling system including an HMI device mounted on a host vehicle, the HMI device including a tactile HMI device that stimulates the tactile sense of the driver, an auditory HMI device that outputs sound as an auditory stimulus to the driver, and a visual HMI device that transmits visual information to the driver, and an attention calling device that transmits a possibility of contact between the host vehicle and an object to the driver by the tactile HMI device, the auditory HMI device, and / or the visual HMI device, the method including a risk identification step of identifying a risk position that is a position in the surrounding environment of the host vehicle where contact between the host vehicle and an object is likely to occur, and identifying a risk level that is a degree of likelihood of the contact occurring at the risk position, a fatigue estimation step of estimating a fatigue level of the driver, a transmission step of transmitting the risk position and the risk level to the driver, a gaze determination step of determining whether the driver's gaze is directed in the direction of the risk position, and an avoidance determination step of determining whether the driver is performing an evasive maneuver that is a maneuvering action to avoid the possible contact, In the step, the HMI device to be used is selected according to the fatigue level of the driver, and the tactile HMI device or the auditory HMI device provides the driver with a tactile stimulus or an auditory stimulus of a salience level corresponding to the likelihood of contact indicated by the risk level, and the visual HMI device transmits visual information indicating the direction of the risk position as seen by the driver to the driver, and in the transmission step, the estimation result of the driver's fatigue level in the fatigue estimation step and the judgment results in the line of sight judgment step and the avoidance judgment step are transmitted to the driver. Based on the information, the state of the driver is identified as being one of the following: a first state in which the driver is not in a fatigued state, has his / her line of sight directed in the direction of the risk position, and is performing an evasive maneuver; a second state in which the driver is not in a fatigued state, has his / her line of sight directed in the direction of the risk position, and is not performing an evasive maneuver; a third state in which the driver is not in a fatigued state, has his / her line of sight not directed in the direction of the risk position; and a fourth state in which the driver is in a fatigued state. Except when the state of the driver is the first state, the tactile HMI device or the auditory HMI device is used toThe method for attracting attention includes providing the tactile stimulus or the auditory stimulus to the driver. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, the risk of contact with an object around the vehicle can be communicated to the driver in a manner that the driver can more reliably recognize, depending on the driver's level of fatigue. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an attention calling system according to one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle equipped with an attention-attention system. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the interior of a vehicle in which an attention-attention system is installed. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of how the HMI device is used depending on the driver's state. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of area divisions around the vehicle that define the direction of the risk position. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a warning graphic displayed on a visual HMI device. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the process of the attention calling method executed by the attention calling system. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the fatigue level-dependent processing in FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an attention calling system 1 according to one embodiment of the present invention. 、 FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle 2 in which the attention calling system 1 is installed, and FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of the interior of the vehicle 2. As shown in FIG.

[0010] The attention warning system 1 is installed in the host vehicle 2 and notifies the driver of a position in the surrounding environment of the host vehicle 2 where there is a high possibility of contact between the host vehicle 2 and an object (hereinafter referred to as a risk position), and a risk level that indicates the degree of possibility of the contact occurring at the risk position. Here, "host vehicle" means a vehicle in which the attention warning system 1 is installed.

[0011] The attention warning system 1 includes an HMI device 3 mounted on the vehicle 2, and an attention warning device 4. The HMI device 3 includes a tactile HMI device 3a that stimulates the driver's tactile sense, an auditory HMI device 3b that outputs sound as an auditory stimulus to the driver, and a visual HMI device 3c that conveys visual information to the driver.

[0012] The tactile HMI device 3a is, for example, an electric seat belt that is provided in the driver's seat 20 of the vehicle 2 and that changes the tension of the seat belt 21 worn by the driver to provide the driver with a tactile stimulus. However, the electric seat belt is just one example, and the tactile HMI device 3a may be any device that can provide a tactile stimulus to the driver. For example, the tactile HMI device 3a may be a vibration actuator that provides vibrations to the driver's hands via the steering wheel 22, or a massage seat that is provided as the driver's seat 20 and provides stimuli such as tapping, kneading, pressing, or vibrating to the driver's back or other body parts.

[0013] In this embodiment, the auditory HMI device 3b is a single speaker, or alternatively, the auditory HMI device 3b may be a speaker system made up of multiple speakers. In this embodiment, the visual HMI device 3c is a meter display device provided on the instrument panel 23 of the vehicle 2. However, the meter display device is just one example, and the visual HMI device 3c may be a general-purpose display device 24 that displays something other than a meter, or a head-up display (not shown) that displays an image on the windshield 25, or the like.

[0014] The host vehicle 2 is also equipped with a vehicle control device 5 that detects the operation state of the vehicle's 2 steering controls such as the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, turn signal lights, steering wheel, etc., as well as the vehicle speed, acceleration, yaw rate, etc.

[0015] The host vehicle 2 further includes a risk detection device 6 that detects the presence of a risk of contact between the host vehicle 2 and an object (including traffic participants) in the environment surrounding the host vehicle 2. The risk detection device 6 identifies risk positions where contact between the host vehicle 2 and an object is highly likely to occur, and calculates a risk level that indicates the degree of likelihood of such contact occurring at the risk positions, based on, for example, information from one or more cameras, radar, lidar, and / or sonars distributed around the body of the host vehicle 2, as well as positioning data and map information acquired from a GPS device or the like (none of which are shown). The map information may include information on road shapes such as intersections, straight roads, and curves, traffic infrastructure such as traffic lights, and building locations.

[0016] The risk detection device 6 predicts the movement path of an object and the host vehicle 2 based on, for example, the position, direction of movement, and speed of an object in the surrounding environment, the position, direction of movement, and speed of the host vehicle 2, the lighting status of traffic lights, etc., according to conventional technology. The risk detection device 6 can then calculate a risk position and risk level from the closest position between the host vehicle 2 and the object and the distance between the host vehicle 2 and the object at that position. According to conventional technology, when predicting the movement path of an object, the risk detection device 6 may take into account the lighting status of the vehicle's turn signal lights and brake lights if the object is a vehicle, or the direction of the pedestrian's face if the object is a pedestrian. Similarly, when predicting the movement path of the host vehicle 2, the risk detection device 6 may take into account the lighting status of the host vehicle's turn signal lights and brake lights obtained from the vehicle control device 5, or, if a navigation device (not shown) is performing route guidance, may take into account the route being guided.

[0017] In addition to detecting the risk of contact between the vehicle 2 and objects that are actually detected in the environment surrounding the vehicle 2, the risk detection device 6 may also be configured to estimate and detect the risk of contact with objects that have not yet been detected but may appear (such as virtual vehicles or pedestrians) based on the visibility at intersections, the number of accidents, etc.

[0018] The vehicle 2 is also provided with an interior camera 7 that captures images of the interior of the vehicle including the driver, a room mirror 8 that allows the driver to view the area behind the vehicle 2, and door mirrors 9a and 9b that allow the driver to view the left and right rearward directions. The room mirror 8 may be a rearview mirror that displays an image from a rear camera (not shown) that captures an image behind the vehicle 2.

[0019] The attention warning device 4 includes a processor 30 and a memory 31. The memory 31 is, for example, configured with a volatile and / or non-volatile semiconductor memory and / or a hard disk drive. The processor 30 is, for example, a computer including a CPU. The processor 30 may be configured to include a ROM in which a program is written, a RAM for temporarily storing data, and the like. The processor 30 includes, as functional elements or units, a risk identification unit 33, a fatigue estimation unit 34, a line of sight determination unit 35, an avoidance determination unit 36, and a transmission unit 37.

[0020] These functional elements of the processor 30 are realized, for example, by the processor 30, which is a computer, executing a program 32 stored in a memory 31. The program 32 can be stored in any computer-readable storage medium. Alternatively, all or part of the functional elements of the processor 30 can be configured by hardware including one or more electronic circuit components.

[0021] The risk identification unit 33 identifies, at predetermined time intervals, risk positions that are positions in the environment surrounding the vehicle 2 where there is a high possibility of contact between the vehicle 2 and an object, and identifies a risk level that is the degree of possibility of the contact occurring at the risk positions. In this embodiment, the risk identification unit 33 acquires information on the risk positions and risk levels from the risk detection device 6 at predetermined time intervals to grasp the existence of a contact risk and identify the current risk position and risk level.

[0022] The fatigue estimation unit 34 estimates the fatigue level of the driver of the vehicle 2. For example, the fatigue estimation unit 34 estimates the driver's fatigue level on a five-level scale by evaluating the driver's drowsiness level. For example, according to conventional technology, the fatigue estimation unit 34 evaluates the driver's drowsiness on a five-level scale: "not at all sleepy," "slightly sleepy," "sleepy," "quite sleepy," and "very sleepy" based on the driver's facial expression, eyelid movement (e.g., blinking frequency, changes in eyelid opening), and pulse wave of the driver detected from the facial image captured by the interior camera 7 (Reference: "Driver Monitoring (Drowsiness / Drowsiness Detection) System Basic Design Document," prepared by the Advanced Safety Vehicle Promotion Study Group, Road Transport Bureau, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, October 2020). The fatigue estimation unit 34 then classifies these drowsiness levels as fatigue levels 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5, in that order. The fatigue estimation unit 34 also determines a state in which the estimated fatigue level is third or higher as a fatigue state, and a state in which the estimated fatigue level is first or second as a non-fatigue state.

[0023] Instead of or in addition to the above evaluation of drowsiness, the fatigue estimation unit 34 can estimate the fatigue level in five stages similar to the above and determine whether the driver is in a fatigued state or not, based on the disturbance in the driving operation performed by the driver on the vehicle 2 and / or the unsteadiness (fluctuation in the direction of travel) of the vehicle 2. The disturbance in the driving operation can be, for example, the driving force of the accelerator pedal, the brake pedal, the throttle, etc., obtained from the vehicle control device 5. Thea The driving sway can be determined from the statistics of the time change in the operation amount of the steering wheel. In addition, the driving sway can be evaluated, for example, according to the prior art, by the steering entropy method based on the time change in the steering angle of the steering wheel obtained from the vehicle control device 5.

[0024] Alternatively, the fatigue estimation unit 34 may estimate the current level of fatigue of the driver based on the time elapsed since the driver started driving the vehicle 2, the type of road on the route traveled (e.g., expressway, city road, narrow road, etc.), the conditions of the road on which the driver traveled (e.g., traffic volume, presence or absence of congestion), etc. For example, the fatigue estimation unit 34 can detect that driving of the vehicle 2 has started based on information obtained from the vehicle control device 5 (e.g., information on whether the vehicle power supply is on, vehicle speed information, etc.). Furthermore, the fatigue estimation unit 34 can obtain information on the type of road on which the vehicle 2 has traveled and the conditions of the road from a vehicle navigation device (not shown) provided in the vehicle 2.

[0025] The line of sight determination unit 35 determines whether the line of sight of the driver, determined from the image of the driver's face captured by the interior camera 7, is directed in the direction of the current risk position identified by the risk identification unit 33. When the risk position is in an area other than the front of the vehicle 2 (for example, to the side or rear), the line of sight determination unit 35 can determine whether the driver's direct line of sight, determined from the image of the driver's face, is directed in the direction of the risk position, as well as whether the driver's line of sight, as seen through mirrors such as the rearview mirror 8 and door mirrors 9a and 9b provided on the vehicle 2, is directed in the direction of the risk position.

[0026] If the risk position is in a blind spot that the driver cannot see even through a mirror, the line-of-sight determination unit 35 can always determine that the driver's line of sight is not directed toward the risk position. Here, information about the position or area of ​​the blind spot in the host vehicle 2 can be stored in the memory 31 in advance.

[0027] The avoidance determination unit 36 ​​determines whether the driver of the host vehicle 2 is performing an evasive maneuver, which is a maneuvering action to avoid contact between the host vehicle 2 and an object that may occur at the current risk position identified by the risk identification unit 33 (i.e., to avoid a contact risk). For example, the avoidance determination unit 36 ​​determines whether the driver is performing an evasive maneuver based on operation information of the brake pedal, accelerator pedal, and / or steering wheel acquired from the vehicle control device 5. Specifically, for example, when the object with the possibility of contact is a preceding vehicle, the avoidance determination unit 36 ​​can determine that the driver is performing an evasive maneuver when it detects all or part of a series of driver actions and host vehicle behaviors, from the driver beginning to release the accelerator pedal pressure, the acceleration of the host vehicle changing from positive (acceleration) to negative (deceleration), the driver taking his / her foot off the accelerator pedal and starting to depress the brake pedal, the brake lights of the host vehicle turning on, and the time between the preceding vehicle changing to an increase.

[0028] The transmission unit 37 transmits to the driver of the host vehicle 2 the current risk position and risk level of the risk of contact between the host vehicle 2 and an object, which has been identified by the risk identification unit 33. In this embodiment, the transmission unit 37 uses the tactile HMI device 3a or the auditory HMI device 3b to provide the driver with tactile or auditory stimuli of a level of salience corresponding to the likelihood of contact indicated by the risk level, and also uses the visual HMI device 3c to transmit to the driver visual information indicating the direction of the risk location as seen by the driver, or visual information indicating the direction of the risk location as seen by the driver and the level of the risk level.

[0029] In this embodiment, in particular, the transmission unit 37 selects the HMI device 3 to use depending on the driver's fatigue level estimated by the fatigue estimation unit 34, and transmits the risk location and / or risk level using the selected HMI device 3.

[0030] According to the above configuration, the presence of a risk of contact can be reliably communicated to the driver even when the driver is inattentive by using tactile or auditory stimuli that the driver can perceive regardless of the driver's state of attention or direction of gaze, while the risk of contact can be reliably communicated to the driver when the driver is able to concentrate on driving, and visual information can be used to additionally communicate the location and size of the risk to the driver.

[0031] Furthermore, according to the above configuration, the HMI device 3 used for transmission is selected depending on the driver's level of fatigue, so that the risk of contact with objects around the vehicle can be transmitted in a manner that the driver can more reliably recognize depending on the driver's level of fatigue at that time.

[0032] Here, the salience level refers to the degree to which a stimulus attracts or attracts a person's attention. For example, if the tactile stimulus is output as tension in an electric seatbelt, the salience level of the tactile stimulus corresponds to the magnitude of the tension: the greater the tension, the higher the salience level of the tactile stimulus provided by the tension. Furthermore, for example, the salience level of an auditory stimulus corresponds to the intensity, frequency, repetition period, and / or intensity or frequency change period of the sound that is the auditory stimulus. The greater the intensity of the sound, the higher the frequency, the shorter the repetition period, and / or the shorter the intensity or frequency change period, the higher the salience level of the auditory stimulus provided by that sound.

[0033] Alternatively, if the tactile stimulus is vibration imparted to the driver's hands from a vibration actuator provided on the steering wheel 22 as described above, the salience level of the tactile stimulus corresponds to the vibration intensity, frequency, repetition period, and / or intensity or frequency change period of the vibration. The greater the vibration intensity, the higher the frequency, the shorter the repetition period, and / or the shorter the intensity or frequency change period, the higher the salience level of the tactile stimulus imparted by the vibration.

[0034] Alternatively, when the visual information is output as a graphic element such as a character or a figure displayed on a display device, the salience level of the visual information may be determined by the brightness, the period of brightness change, the period of blinking, or the color of the displayed graphic element. For example, the higher the brightness, the shorter the period of brightness change or blinking, or the closer the color is to a warm color from a cool color, the higher the salience level of the visual information.

[0035] The correspondence between the details of the aspects of the tactile stimulus, auditory stimulus, and / or visual information (such as the intensity, frequency, tension, brightness, brightness change, etc. of the various stimuli or visual information) and the magnitude of the saliency level may be determined in advance and stored in the memory 31. The communication unit 37 may refer to the information of the correspondence and communicate the risk level and risk location to the driver by the tactile stimulus, auditory stimulus, and / or visual information in a manner corresponding to the magnitude of the saliency level determined based on the risk level.

[0036] Specifically, the communication unit 37 determines whether the state of the driver of the vehicle 2 is one of the following four states based on the determination results of the fatigue estimation unit 34, the line of sight determination unit 35, and the avoidance determination unit 36. A first state in which the driver is not fatigued, has his / her eyes directed in the direction of the risk location, and is performing an evasive maneuver. A second state in which the driver is not fatigued, has his / her eyes directed toward the risk location, and is not performing evasive maneuvers. A third state in which the driver is not fatigued and his / her eyes are not directed in the direction of the risk position. A fourth state in which the driver is fatigued.

[0037] The transmission unit 37 then uses the tactile HMI device 3a, the auditory HMI device 3b, and the visual HMI device 3c depending on which of the four states the driver's state is, to transmit to the driver the risk location and risk level of the risk of contact between the vehicle 2 and an object.

[0038] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the driver's state and how the HMI device 3 used by the transmission unit 37 to transmit information to the driver, depending on whether the risk position is in front of or behind the vehicle 2.

[0039] The leftmost column of the table shown in Figure 4 indicates whether the risk position is in front or behind the vehicle, and to the right of that, the usage of the HMI device 3 when the driver's state is in states 1 to 4 is shown. In the "HMI device selection" column, a field labeled "Use" means that the HMI device 3 is used in that driver state and a stimulus is output. Also, a blank field in the "HMI device selection" column means that the HMI device 3 is not used (no stimulus or information is output) in that driver state.

[0040] 4, for example, when the risk position is in front of the vehicle 2, the transmission unit 37 transmits a tactile stimulus with a salience level corresponding to the level of the risk to the driver using the tactile HMI device 3a, and when the risk position is in the rear of the vehicle 2, the transmission unit 37 transmits an auditory stimulus with a salience level corresponding to the level of the risk to the driver using the auditory HMI device 3b. With this configuration, the HMI device 3 to be used is switched between the tactile HMI device 3a and the auditory HMI device 3b depending on whether the risk position is in front of or behind the vehicle, so the driver can intuitively know whether the risk position is in front of or behind the vehicle depending on whether he or she has received a tactile stimulus or an auditory stimulus.

[0041] Specifically, as shown in the table of Fig. 4, the transmission unit 37 transmits a tactile stimulus or an auditory stimulus to the driver using the tactile HMI device 3a and / or the auditory HMI device 3b, except when the driver is in the first state (i.e., when the driver is in the second, third, or fourth state). According to this configuration, in accordance with the driver's attention state with respect to the contact risk, when the driver is aware of the contact risk and is performing an avoidance maneuver (i.e., when the driver is in the first state), tactile stimulationSince the system does not transmit warnings by visual or auditory stimulation, it is possible to prevent the driver from being bothered by unnecessary communication about the risk of contact.

[0042] Here, the transmission unit 37 can be configured to vary the salience level of the tactile and / or auditory stimuli provided to the driver depending on whether the driving state is the second state, the third state, or the fourth state, even if the risk level is the same.

[0043] In the case of the table shown in Figure 4, the transmission unit 37 sets the salience level of the tactile and / or auditory stimuli provided to the driver using, for example, the tactile HMI device 3a or the auditory HMI device 3b higher when the driver is in the third state than when the driver is in the second state, and higher when the driver is in the fourth state than when the driver is in the third state. According to this configuration, the salience level of the contact and / or auditory stimuli given to the driver is changed depending on the degree of attention the driver pays to the risk of contact, so that information about the risk of contact can be conveyed in a manner that is not bothersome to the driver depending on the degree of attention.

[0044] 4, for example, when the driver is in the third or fourth state, the communication unit 37 uses the visual HMI device 3c to communicate to the driver visual information indicating the direction of the risk position as seen by the driver, regardless of whether the risk position is in front of or behind the vehicle 2. In this case, the communication unit 37 may also communicate the level of the risk level to the driver as visual information in addition to the direction of the risk position.

[0045] For example, the transmitter 37 divides the area around the host vehicle 2 into four areas as shown in Fig. 5, and displays information on the direction of the area where the risk position is located on the visual HMI device 3c. In Fig. 5, four areas are defined with the host vehicle 2 at the center, each with an apex angle of 90 degrees. The forward area FA and the rear area BA are ranges that extend forward and rearward of the host vehicle 2, respectively, and are defined by two lines that form angles of ±45 degrees with respect to the center line CL in the vehicle width direction. In addition, a left area LA and a right area RA are defined to the left and right of the forward area FA and the rear area BA.

[0046] The communication unit 37 displays a predetermined graphic on the visual HMI device 3c, which is, for example, a meter display device, to communicate the possibility of contact between the vehicle 2 and an object. The communication unit 37 communicates to the driver the direction of the risk position as seen by the driver by the display position of the graphic on the meter display device, and communicates the level of the risk level to the driver by the color and / or size of the graphic on the meter display device. With this configuration, the visual HMI device 3c provides visual information in the same manner as the tactile stimulus and / or auditory stimulus communicated by the tactile HMI device 3a and / or auditory HMI device 3b at a saliency level according to the risk level, allowing the driver to more clearly recognize the level of the risk level.

[0047] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of visual information output by the transmission unit 37 to the visual HMI device 3c, which is a meter display device. The example in Fig. 6 shows a case where the risk location is within the left area LA in Fig. 5. The upper (a), middle (b), and lower (c) sections of Fig. 6 show changes in the visual information when the risk level increases in that order.

[0048] When a collision risk has just been detected, the transmission unit 37 first performs the following operation as shown in the upper part (a) of FIG. cormorant Then, a small warning graphic 50 is displayed in light red in the upper left corner of the screen of the visual HMI device 3c to inform the driver that there is a collision risk and that the risk location is in the left area LA of the vehicle 2.

[0049] Thereafter, as the risk level increases, the communication unit 37 expands the warning graphic 50 (the hatched portion in the figure) to the right on the screen of the visual HMI device 3c, as shown in the middle (b) of Figure 6, thereby enlarging the size of the warning graphic 50 and changing its color to a darker red. As a result, the driver can more easily notice the presence of the warning graphic 50 as the color density of the warning graphic 50 increases, and can recognize the degree of increase in the risk level from the degree of enlargement of the size of the warning graphic 50. In Figure 6, the increasing color density of the warning graphic 50 is expressed by the density of the hatching in the figure.

[0050] As time passes and the risk level rises to the point where emergency measures are required, the communication unit 37 further darkens the red color and further enlarges the size of the warning graphic 50, as shown in the lower part of Figure 6(c). In this case, the size and color density of the warning graphic 50 are preferably large enough that even a driver who is not looking at the screen of the visual HMI device 3c can catch the warning graphic 50 at the edge of their line of sight. In the example of the lower part of Figure 6(c), the warning graphic 50 is large enough to reach almost the center of the screen.

[0051] The communication unit 37 can determine the display position of the warning graphic 50 on the screen depending on the direction of the risk position. For example, if the risk position is in the right area RA, front area FA, or rear area BA, the communication unit 37 can display the warning graphic 50 at the upper right corner, the center of the top edge, and the center of the bottom edge on the screen, respectively, and can increase the size of the warning graphic 50 from each position depending on the increase in the risk level.

[0052] Referring to Figure 4, when the driver is in the fourth state, the transmission unit 37 provides the driver with tactile stimuli, auditory stimuli, and visual information via the tactile HMI device 3a, auditory HMI device 3b, and visual HMI device 3c to communicate the risk location and risk level.

[0053] In this embodiment, particularly, when the driver is in the fourth state, the communication unit 37 sets the salience levels of the tactile stimuli, auditory stimuli, and / or visual information output by the HMI device 3 to different levels depending on the driver's fatigue level, and provides the driver with tactile stimuli, auditory stimuli, and / or visual information of the set salience levels. For example, when the driver is in a fatigued state, the communication unit 37 can set the salience levels of the tactile stimuli, auditory stimuli, and / or visual information provided to the driver to be higher as the driver's fatigue level increases.

[0054] In this embodiment, for example, when the driver's fatigue level is level 4, the transmitter 37 sets the saliency levels of the tactile stimuli, auditory stimuli, and visual information output by the HMI device 3 to be higher than when the driver's fatigue level is level 3. Furthermore, when the driver's fatigue level is level 5, the transmitter 37 sets the saliency levels of the tactile stimuli, auditory stimuli, and visual information output by the HMI device 3 to be higher than when the driver's fatigue level is level 4. According to this configuration, the risk of contact with an object around the vehicle can be communicated to the driver in a manner that allows the driver to more reliably recognize it, depending on the driver's level of fatigue at the time.

[0055] In the above configuration, the transmitter 37 does not necessarily need to set the salience level to a different magnitude for all fatigue levels, but may set the salience level to a different magnitude for at least two fatigue levels. For example, the transmitter 37 may set the salience level to the same magnitude when the driver's fatigue level is level 4 or level 3, and may set the salience level to a higher magnitude when the fatigue level is level 5 than when the fatigue level is level 4 or level 3.

[0056] Furthermore, when the transmission unit 37 determines that the driver's gaze is directed toward the risk position after providing the driver with auditory stimuli and / or visual information because the driver is in the fourth state, the transmission unit 37 terminates the output of the auditory stimuli and / or visual information in a manner that differs depending on the driver's level of fatigue.

[0057] In this embodiment, for example, when the driver's fatigue level is third level, the communication unit 37 terminates the output of the auditory stimuli and visual information when it detects that the driver is viewing a risk location. Furthermore, when the driver's fatigue level is fourth level, the communication unit 37 gradually reduces the saliency level of the auditory stimuli and visual information when it detects that the driver is viewing a risk location, and terminates the output of the auditory stimuli and visual information after a predetermined time has elapsed since the detection. Furthermore, when the driver's fatigue level is fifth level, the communication unit 37 continues to output the auditory stimuli and visual information without changing the saliency level for a predetermined time even after it detects that the driver is viewing a risk location. Then, after the predetermined time has elapsed, the communication unit 37 gradually reduces the saliency level of the auditory stimuli and visual information, and terminates the output of the auditory stimuli and visual information after another predetermined time has elapsed.

[0058] According to this configuration, even if auditory stimuli and / or visual information is output to a fatigued driver to notify the driver of the existence, risk level, and / or risk location, if the driver visually recognizes the risk location, the output of the auditory stimuli and / or visual information is terminated in a manner appropriate to the driver's fatigue level, without waiting for the risk to disappear. Therefore, excessive auditory stimuli and / or visual information is not output to a driver who is aware of the risk, thereby avoiding annoyance to the driver. Furthermore, because the auditory stimuli and / or visual information are terminated in a manner appropriate to the driver's fatigue level, for example, the auditory stimuli and / or visual stimuli can be terminated after ensuring the stimulus intensity (intensity of the auditory stimuli or visual stimuli) and / or duration required to awaken the driver from fatigue, thereby guiding the driver to take appropriate avoidance action.

[0059] In the above configuration, the transmission unit 37 is tactile stimulation The above may be continued until the risk level falls below a predetermined level, regardless of whether the driver's line of sight is directed in the direction of the risk position. tactile stimulationSince auditory stimuli and / or visual stimuli are stimuli that humans can perceive more sensitively than auditory or visual stimuli, this allows a tired driver to clearly recognize the existence of the risk as long as the risk remains even after the auditory stimuli and / or visual information have ended.

[0060] Next, the operational procedure of the attention calling system 1 will be described. 7 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the processing of the attention method executed by the processor 30, which is a computer of the attention device 4 constituting the attention system 1. This processing is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals.

[0061] When the process starts, the risk identification unit 33 first identifies risk positions, which are positions in the surrounding environment of the vehicle 2 where there is a high possibility of contact between the vehicle 2 and an object, based on information from the risk detection device 6, and identifies a risk level, which is the degree of possibility of the contact occurring at the risk positions (S100). Next, the risk identification unit 33 determines whether there are any risk positions where the risk level is equal to or higher than a predetermined level (S102).

[0062] If there is a risk position where the risk level is equal to or higher than a predetermined level (S102, YES), the fatigue estimation unit 34 estimates the driver's fatigue level (S104). Furthermore, the line of sight determination unit 35 determines whether the driver's line of sight is directed toward the risk position (i.e., whether the driver is visually recognizing the risk position) (S106), and the avoidance determination unit 36 ​​determines whether the driver is performing an avoidance maneuver (S108).

[0063] Next, the transmission unit 37 determines whether the driver's state is the fourth state described above based on the fatigue level estimation result in step S104 (S110). If the driver's state is the fourth state (S110, YES), the transmission unit 37 executes fatigue level-dependent processing (S112) and ends this processing. In the fatigue level-dependent processing S112, output processing and termination processing of the HMI device 3 are performed according to the driver's fatigue level. Specific processing in the fatigue level-dependent processing will be described later using the flowchart shown in FIG. 8.

[0064] On the other hand, if the driver's state is not the fourth state (S110, NO), the communication unit 37 determines whether the driver's state is the first state (S114) based on the determination results in steps S104, S106, and S108. If the driver's state is the first state (S114, YES), the communication unit 37 ends this process.

[0065] On the other hand, when the driver's state is not the first state (S114, NO), the transmission unit 37 determines the salience level of the tactile stimulus or auditory stimulus to be given to the driver based on the driver's state and the risk level at the above-mentioned risk location (S116).

[0066] Next, the communication unit 37 determines whether the driver's state is the second state (S118). If the driver's state is not the second state, i.e., if the driver's state is the third state (S118, NO), a predetermined warning graphic 50 indicating the risk location is displayed on the visual HMI device 3c in a size according to the risk level (S120). Next, the communication unit 37 communicates the risk level to the driver using the tactile HMI device 3a or the auditory HMI device 3b, depending on whether the risk location is in front of or behind the host vehicle 2, at the saliency level determined in step S116 (S122), and ends this process.

[0067] On the other hand, in step S118, if the driver's state is the second state (S118, YES), the transmission unit 37 transfers the processing to step S122, and only transmits the risk level using the tactile HMI device 3a or the auditory HMI device 3b without displaying the warning graphic 50 using the visual HMI device 3c, and ends this processing.

[0068] On the other hand, if there are no risk locations where the risk level is above the predetermined level in step S102 (S102, NO), the communication unit 37 terminates all output regarding the risk level and risk location output by the HMI device 3 (S124) and terminates this processing.

[0069] Fig. 8 is a flow diagram showing the procedure of the fatigue level-dependent processing executed in step S112 of Fig. 7. As described above, the fatigue level-dependent processing in step S112 is executed when the driver is in the fourth state, i.e., a fatigued state. As described above, the communication unit 37 determines that the driver is in a fatigued state when the driver's fatigue level estimated by the fatigue estimation unit 34 is at the third, fourth, or fifth stage.

[0070] In the fatigue level-dependent processing, the communication unit 37 first determines whether the driver's fatigue level is level 5 based on the result of the fatigue level estimation in step S104 (S200). If the driver's fatigue level is not level 5 (NO in S200), the communication unit 37 determines whether the driver's fatigue level is level 4 (S208). If the driver's fatigue level is not level 4, i.e., if the fatigue level is level 3 (NO in S208), the communication unit 37 performs HMI output of tactile stimuli, auditory stimuli, and visual information for communicating the risk level and / or risk location described above at a first saliency level via the HMI device 3 (S216). In this case, the first saliency level may be greater than the saliency level in the second or third state determined in step S116 of FIG. 7 or the saliency level of the visual display performed in step S120.

[0071] Next, the communication unit 37 determines whether the driver is visually recognizing the risk position (S218) based on the determination result regarding the driver's line of sight in step S106 of Fig. 7. If the driver is visually recognizing the risk position (S218, YES), the communication unit 37 immediately ends the auditory stimulation by the auditory HMI device 3b and the display of visual information by the visual HMI device 3c (S220), and returns to the processing of Fig. 7. On the other hand, in step S218, if the driver does not visually recognize the risk position (S218, NO), the transmission unit 37 maintains the outputs of all HMI devices 3 and returns to the processing of FIG.

[0072] On the other hand, in step S208, if the driver's fatigue level is level 4 (S208, YES), the transmission unit 37 outputs tactile stimuli, auditory stimuli, and visual information to the HMI device 3 to communicate the above-mentioned risk level and / or risk location at a second salience level that is higher than the first level (S210).

[0073] Next, the communication unit 37 determines whether the driver is visually recognizing the risk location (S212), similar to step S218. If the driver is visually recognizing the risk location (S212, YES), the communication unit 37 gradually lowers the saliency levels of the tactile stimulation by the tactile HMI device 3a and the visual information display by the visual HMI device 3c, and terminates them (S214), and returns to the processing of FIG. On the other hand, in step S212, if the driver does not visually recognize the risk position (S212, NO), the transmission unit 37 maintains the outputs of all HMI devices 3 and returns to the processing of FIG.

[0074] On the other hand, in step S200, if the driver's fatigue level is level 5 (S200, YES), the transmission unit 37 outputs tactile stimuli, auditory stimuli, and visual information to the HMI device 3 to communicate the above-mentioned risk level and / or risk location at a salience level of a third level, which is higher than the second level (S202).

[0075] Next, the communication unit 37 determines whether the driver is visually recognizing the risk location (S204), similarly to steps S212 and S218. If the driver is visually recognizing the risk location (S204, YES), the communication unit 37 maintains the saliency levels of the tactile stimulation by the tactile HMI device 3a and the display of visual information by the visual HMI device 3c for a predetermined time, and then gradually lowers the saliency levels to terminate them (S206), and returns to the processing of FIG. On the other hand, in step S204, if the driver does not visually recognize the risk position (S204, NO), the transmission unit 37 maintains the outputs of all HMI devices 3 and returns to the processing of FIG.

[0076] It should be noted that the tactile stimulation initiated in steps S202, S210, and S216 is terminated when the risk level falls below a predetermined level in step S124 of FIG.

[0077] The present invention is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0078] [Configuration supported by the above embodiment] The above-described embodiment supports the following configurations.

[0079] (Configuration 1) An attention warning system including an HMI device mounted on a vehicle and an attention warning device that notifies a driver of the possibility of contact between the vehicle and an object by the HMI device, wherein the HMI device includes a tactile HMI device that stimulates the tactile sense of the driver, an auditory HMI device that outputs sound as an auditory stimulus to the driver, and a visual HMI device that conveys visual information to the driver, and the attention warning device identifies risk positions in the surrounding environment of the vehicle that are positions where there is a high possibility of contact between the vehicle and an object, and determines the degree of possibility of such contact occurring at the risk positions. a fatigue estimation unit that estimates the driver's fatigue level; and a transmission unit that transmits the risk location and the risk level to the driver, wherein the transmission unit selects the HMI device to use depending on the driver's fatigue level, and uses the tactile HMI device or the auditory HMI device to provide the driver with a tactile or auditory stimulus of a salience level that corresponds to the likelihood of contact indicated by the risk level, and transmits to the driver visual information indicating the direction of the risk location as seen by the driver using the visual HMI device. According to the warning system of configuration 1, the HMI device used for transmission is selected depending on the driver's level of fatigue, so that the risk of contact with objects around the vehicle can be transmitted in a manner that the driver can more reliably recognize depending on the driver's level of fatigue at the time.

[0080] (Configuration 2) When the risk location identified by the risk identification unit is in front of the vehicle, the transmission unit notifies the driver of the level of the risk as a tactile stimulus using the tactile HMI device, and when the risk location identified by the risk identification unit is in an area other than in front of the vehicle, the transmission unit notifies the driver of the level of the risk as an auditory stimulus using the auditory HMI device, in the attention warning system described in Configuration 1. According to the attention warning system of configuration 2, the HMI device to be used is switched between the tactile HMI device and the auditory HMI device depending on whether the risk position is in front of the vehicle or in an area other than the front. tactile stimulationDepending on whether a visual or auditory stimulus is received, the user can intuitively grasp whether the risk location is in front or behind.

[0081] (Configuration 3) The attention warning device includes a gaze judgment unit that judges whether the driver's gaze is directed in the direction of the risk location, and an avoidance judgment unit that judges whether the driver is performing an evasive maneuver, which is a maneuvering action to avoid the possible contact, and the transmission unit, based on the estimation result of the driver's fatigue level by the fatigue estimation unit and the judgment results by the gaze judgment unit and the avoidance judgment unit, identifies the driver's state as one of the following: a first state in which the driver is not fatigued, has his gaze directed in the direction of the risk location, and is performing an evasive maneuver; a second state in which the driver is not fatigued, has his gaze directed in the direction of the risk location, and is not performing an evasive maneuver; a third state in which the driver is not fatigued, has his gaze not directed in the direction of the risk location; or a fourth state in which the driver is fatigued, and According to the warning system of the third aspect, if the driver is aware of the risk of contact and is performing an avoidance maneuver, the warning system will notify the driver according to the driver's level of attention to the risk of contact, which is determined from the driver's fatigue state, whether or not the risk position is visible, and whether or not the driver is performing an avoidance maneuver. tactile stimulation Since the system does not transmit warnings by visual or auditory stimulation, it is possible to prevent the driver from being bothered by unnecessary communication about the risk of contact.

[0082] (Configuration 4) The attention warning system described in Configuration 3, wherein the transmission unit sets the salience level of the tactile stimulus or the auditory stimulus provided to the driver using the tactile HMI device or the auditory HMI device higher when the driver is in the third state than when the driver is in the second state, and sets the salience level higher when the driver is in the fourth state than when the driver is in the third state. According to the warning system of configuration 4, the salience level of the contact or auditory stimulus given to the driver is changed depending on the degree of attention the driver pays to the risk of contact, so that information about the risk of contact can be conveyed to the driver in a manner that is not bothersome to the driver depending on the degree of attention.

[0083] (Configuration 5) An attention warning system described in Configuration 3 or 4, in which the transmission unit sets the salience level of the tactile stimulus or the auditory stimulus, and / or the visual information to different levels depending on the driver's level of fatigue, and provides the driver with the tactile stimulus or the auditory stimulus, and / or the visual information of each of the set salience levels. According to the warning system of configuration 5, the risk of contact with an object around the vehicle can be communicated to the driver in a manner that allows the driver to more reliably recognize it, depending on the driver's level of fatigue at the time.

[0084] (Configuration 6) An attention warning system as described in Configuration 5, wherein, after providing the auditory stimulus and / or the visual information to the driver, when it is determined that the driver's line of sight is directed in the direction of the risk location, the transmission unit terminates the output of the auditory stimulus and / or the visual information in a different manner depending on the driver's level of fatigue. According to the warning system of configuration 6, the auditory and / or visual stimuli can be terminated without outputting excessive stimuli to a driver who is aware of the risk, and after ensuring the intensity (intensity of auditory and / or visual stimuli) and / or duration of the stimuli necessary to wake the driver up from a state of fatigue, depending on the driver's level of fatigue, thereby guiding the driver to take appropriate evasive action.

[0085] (Configuration 7) An attention warning system described in any of configurations 3 to 6, wherein when the risk location identified by the risk identification unit is in an area other than in front of the vehicle, the gaze determination unit determines whether the driver's gaze through a mirror equipped on the vehicle is directed in the direction of the risk location if it determines that the driver's gaze is not directed in the direction of the risk location. According to the warning system of configuration 7, it is possible to appropriately determine whether the driver's line of sight is directed toward a risk position in an area other than the front of the vehicle, based on the driver's line of sight through the mirrors equipped on the vehicle.

[0086] (Configuration 8) An attention warning system described in any of configurations 1 to 7, wherein the tactile HMI device is an electric seat belt installed in the driver's seat of the vehicle and changes the tension of the seat belt worn by the driver to provide the driver with a tactile stimulus, and the salience level of the tactile stimulus corresponds to the magnitude of the tension of the seat belt. According to the warning system of configuration 8, the risk of contact can be communicated to the driver through tactile stimulation without requiring any additional special equipment.

[0087] (Configuration 9) An attention warning system described in any of configurations 1 to 8, wherein the auditory HMI device is a speaker installed in the passenger compartment of the vehicle, and the salience level of the auditory stimulus corresponds to the intensity, frequency, shortness of the repetition period, and / or shortness of the period of change in intensity or frequency of the sound output by the speaker. According to the warning system of configuration 9, various types of sounds can be used as auditory stimuli to communicate the risk of contact.

[0088] (Configuration 10) The visual HMI device is a meter display device provided on the instrument panel of the vehicle, and the transmission unit displays a predetermined graphic on the meter display device to communicate the possibility of contact to the driver, communicates the direction of the risk position as seen by the driver based on the display position of the graphic on the meter display device, and communicates the level of the risk level to the driver based on the size and / or color of the graphic on the meter display device, an attention warning system described in any of configurations 1 to 9. According to the warning system of configuration 10, visual information is provided from the visual HMI device in the same manner as the tactile or auditory stimuli transmitted by the tactile HMI device or auditory HMI device at a level of salience corresponding to the risk level, so that the driver can more clearly recognize the high level of risk.

[0089] (Configuration 11) An attention warning method executed by a computer for an attention warning system including an HMI device mounted on a vehicle, the HMI device including a tactile HMI device that stimulates the driver's sense of touch, an auditory HMI device that outputs sound as an auditory stimulus to the driver, and a visual HMI device that transmits visual information to the driver, and an attention warning device that notifies the driver of the possibility of contact between the vehicle and an object by the tactile HMI device, the auditory HMI device, and / or the visual HMI device, the method including identifying risk positions in the surrounding environment of the vehicle where contact between the vehicle and an object is likely to occur, and detecting when the contact will occur at the risk positions. a fatigue estimation step of estimating the driver's fatigue level; and a transmission step of transmitting the risk location and the risk level to the driver, wherein in the transmission step, the HMI device to be used is selected according to the driver's fatigue level, and the tactile HMI device or the auditory HMI device provides the driver with a tactile or auditory stimulus of a salience level according to the degree of possibility of contact indicated by the risk level, and the visual HMI device transmits to the driver visual information indicating the direction of the risk location as seen by the driver. According to the warning method of configuration 11, the HMI device 3 used for transmission is selected depending on the driver's level of fatigue, so that the risk of contact with objects around the vehicle can be transmitted in a manner that the driver can more reliably recognize depending on the driver's level of fatigue at that time. [Explanation of symbols]

[0090] 1...attention system, 2...own vehicle, 3...HMI device, 3a...tactile HMI device, 3b...auditory HMI device, 3c...visual HMI device, 4...attention device, 5...vehicle control device, 6...risk detection device, 7...interior camera, 8...room mirror, 9a, 9b...door mirror, 20...driver's seat, 21...seat belt, 22...steering wheel, 23...instrument panel, 24...display device, 25...windshield, 30...processor, 31...memory, 32...program, 33...risk identification unit, 34...fatigue estimation unit, 35...gaze judgment unit, 36...avoidance judgment unit, 37...communication unit, 50...warning graphic.

Claims

1. An HMI device mounted on a vehicle; an attention alert device that notifies the driver of the possibility of contact between the vehicle and an object via the HMI device; An attention warning system comprising: The HMI device includes a tactile HMI device that stimulates the tactile sense of the driver, an auditory HMI device that outputs sound as an auditory stimulus to the driver, and a visual HMI device that conveys visual information to the driver, The attention-calling device a risk identification unit that identifies a risk position, which is a position in the surrounding environment of the vehicle where contact between the vehicle and an object is highly likely to occur, and that identifies a risk level, which is the degree of likelihood of the contact occurring at the risk position; a fatigue estimation unit that estimates a fatigue level of the driver; a communication unit that communicates the risk location and the risk level to the driver; Equipped with The transmission unit is selecting the HMI device to be used according to the driver's fatigue level; providing the driver with a tactile stimulus or an auditory stimulus of a salience level corresponding to the likelihood of contact indicated by the risk level, using the tactile HMI device or the auditory HMI device; The visual HMI device transmits visual information indicating the direction of the risk location as seen by the driver to the driver, and The transmission unit is When the risk position identified by the risk identification unit is in front of the vehicle, the tactile HMI device provides the driver with a tactile stimulus indicating the level of the risk level; When the risk position identified by the risk identification unit is in an area other than the front of the vehicle, the auditory HMI device notifies the driver of the level of the risk level by auditory stimulation. Attention warning system.

2. An HMI device mounted on a vehicle; an attention alert device that notifies the driver of the possibility of contact between the vehicle and an object via the HMI device; An attention warning system comprising: The HMI device includes a tactile HMI device that stimulates the tactile sense of the driver, an auditory HMI device that outputs sound as an auditory stimulus to the driver, and a visual HMI device that conveys visual information to the driver, The attention-calling device a risk identification unit that identifies a risk position, which is a position in the surrounding environment of the vehicle where contact between the vehicle and an object is highly likely to occur, and that identifies a risk level, which is the degree of likelihood of the contact occurring at the risk position; a fatigue estimation unit that estimates a fatigue level of the driver; a communication unit that communicates the risk location and the risk level to the driver; a line-of-sight determination unit that determines whether the line of sight of the driver is directed in the direction of the risk position; an avoidance determination unit that determines whether the driver is performing an avoidance maneuver, which is a maneuvering action to avoid the possible contact; Equipped with The transmission unit is selecting the HMI device to be used according to the driver's fatigue level; providing the driver with a tactile stimulus or an auditory stimulus of a salience level corresponding to the likelihood of contact indicated by the risk level, using the tactile HMI device or the auditory HMI device; The visual HMI device transmits visual information indicating the direction of the risk location as seen by the driver to the driver, and The transmission unit is The state of the driver is determined based on the result of the estimation of the fatigue level of the driver by the fatigue estimation unit and the determination results by the line of sight determination unit and the avoidance determination unit. A first state in which the driver is not fatigued, has his / her eyes directed toward the risk location, and is performing an avoidance maneuver; A second state in which the driver is not fatigued, has his / her line of sight directed toward the risk position, and is not performing an avoidance maneuver; a third state in which the driver is not fatigued and the driver's line of sight is not directed toward the risk position; a fourth state in which the driver is fatigued; Identify whether it is providing the tactile stimulus or the auditory stimulus to the driver using the tactile HMI device or the auditory HMI device, except when the state of the driver is the first state; Attention warning system.

3. The transmitter is configured to set a salience level of the tactile stimulus or the auditory stimulus to be provided to the driver using the tactile HMI device or the auditory HMI device, When the driver is in the third state, the threshold is set higher than when the driver is in the second state, When the driver is in the fourth state, the threshold is set higher than when the driver is in the third state. The warning system according to claim 2 .

4. the transmission unit sets salience levels of the tactile stimulus or the auditory stimulus, and / or the visual information to different levels depending on the fatigue level of the driver, and provides the tactile stimulus or the auditory stimulus, and / or the visual information of the set respective salience levels to the driver. The warning system according to claim 2 .

5. When it is determined that the driver's line of sight is directed toward the risk position after providing the auditory stimulus and / or the visual information to the driver, the transmission unit terminates the output of the auditory stimulus and / or the visual information in a different manner according to the driver's fatigue level. The warning system according to claim 4 .

6. When the risk position identified by the risk identification unit is in an area other than the area ahead of the vehicle, When determining that the driver's line of sight is not directed toward the risk position, the line of sight determination unit determines whether the driver's line of sight through a mirror provided in the vehicle is directed toward the risk position. The warning system according to claim 2 .

7. the tactile HMI device is an electric seat belt that is provided in a driver's seat of the vehicle and that changes the tension of a seat belt worn by the driver to provide the driver with a tactile stimulus, the salience level of the tactile stimulus corresponds to the magnitude of tension of the seat belt; The warning system according to claim 1 .

8. the auditory HMI device is a speaker provided in the cabin of the vehicle; the saliency level of the auditory stimulation corresponds to a high intensity of a speaker sound output from the speaker, a high frequency of the speaker sound, a short repetition period of the speaker sound, a short change period of the intensity of the speaker sound, and / or a short change period of the frequency of the speaker sound; The warning system according to claim 1 .

9. The visual HMI device is a meter display device provided on an instrument panel of the vehicle, The transmission unit is displaying a predetermined graphic on the meter display device to notify the driver of the possibility of collision; The direction of the risk position as seen from the driver is communicated to the driver by the display position of the graphic on the meter display device, The size and / or color of the graphic on the meter display device is used to convey the level of the risk level to the driver. The warning system according to any one of claims 1 to 8.

10. an HMI device mounted on the vehicle, the HMI device including a tactile HMI device that stimulates the tactile sense of the driver, an auditory HMI device that outputs sound as an auditory stimulus to the driver, and a visual HMI device that conveys visual information to the driver; an attention alert device that alerts the driver of a possibility of contact between the vehicle and an object by the tactile HMI device, the auditory HMI device, and / or the visual HMI device; A computer-implemented alert method for an alert system comprising: a risk identification step of identifying a risk position, which is a position in the surrounding environment of the vehicle where contact between the vehicle and an object is highly likely to occur, and identifying a risk level, which is the degree of likelihood of the contact occurring at the risk position; a fatigue estimation step of estimating a fatigue level of the driver; a notification step of transmitting the risk location and the risk level to the driver; and In the transmitting step, selecting the HMI device to be used according to the driver's fatigue level; providing the driver with a tactile stimulus or an auditory stimulus of a salience level corresponding to the likelihood of contact indicated by the risk level, using the tactile HMI device or the auditory HMI device; The visual HMI device transmits visual information indicating the direction of the risk location as seen by the driver to the driver, and In the transmitting step, When the risk position identified in the risk identification step is in front of the vehicle, the tactile HMI device provides the driver with a tactile stimulus indicating the level of the risk; When the risk position identified in the risk identification step is in an area other than a front area of ​​the vehicle, the auditory HMI device notifies the driver of the level of the risk level by auditory stimulation. How to get attention.

11. An HMI device mounted on a vehicle, the HMI device including a tactile HMI device that stimulates the driver's sense of touch, an auditory HMI device that outputs sound as an auditory stimulus to the driver, and a visual HMI device that transmits visual information to the driver; an attention alert device that alerts the driver of a possibility of contact between the vehicle and an object by the tactile HMI device, the auditory HMI device, and / or the visual HMI device; A computer-implemented alert method for an alert system comprising: a risk identification step of identifying a risk position, which is a position in the surrounding environment of the vehicle where contact between the vehicle and an object is highly likely to occur, and identifying a risk level, which is the degree of likelihood of the contact occurring at the risk position; a fatigue estimation step of estimating a fatigue level of the driver; a notification step of transmitting the risk location and the risk level to the driver; a line-of-sight determination step of determining whether the line of sight of the driver is directed in the direction of the risk position; an avoidance determination step of determining whether the driver is performing an avoidance maneuver, which is a maneuvering action to avoid the possible contact; and In the transmitting step, selecting the HMI device to be used according to the driver's fatigue level; providing the driver with a tactile stimulus or an auditory stimulus of a salience level corresponding to the likelihood of contact indicated by the risk level, using the tactile HMI device or the auditory HMI device; The visual HMI device transmits visual information indicating the direction of the risk location as seen by the driver to the driver, and In the transmitting step, The state of the driver is determined based on the result of estimating the degree of fatigue of the driver in the fatigue estimation step, and the results of determining the line of sight and the avoidance determination step. A first state in which the driver is not fatigued, has his / her eyes directed toward the risk location, and is performing an avoidance maneuver; A second state in which the driver is not fatigued, has his / her line of sight directed toward the risk position, and is not performing an avoidance maneuver; a third state in which the driver is not fatigued and the driver's line of sight is not directed toward the risk position; a fourth state in which the driver is fatigued; Identify whether it is providing the tactile stimulus or the auditory stimulus to the driver using the tactile HMI device or the auditory HMI device, except when the state of the driver is the first state; How to get attention.

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