Driving assistance device and driving assistance method

Abstract

A driving assistance device (60) comprises a vehicle information acquisition unit (632) and a driving assistance information generation unit (633), and assists with driving of a vehicle that is switchable between an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode. The vehicle information acquisition unit (632) acquires current position information of the vehicle and information that indicates whether the vehicle is operating in the automatic driving mode or operating in the manual driving mode. When it is determined on the basis of the acquired information that the vehicle is operating in the manual driving mode and that the current position is not on a preset automatic driving travel route, the driving assistance information generation unit (633) generates driving assistance information for guiding the vehicle to the travel route.

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In recent years, vehicles have been developed that have autonomous driving functions and can switch between autonomous and manual driving modes. Autonomous driving functions for vehicles are classified into five levels based on the proportion of driving tasks performed by the driver and the system. Of the five levels, at level 1, the driver is responsible for many driving tasks, while as the level increases to levels 2, 3, etc., the system is responsible for more driving tasks, and at level 5, the system performs all driving tasks. When autonomous driving is performed at levels 1 to 4, a driver is in the vehicle and drives manually as needed.

[0003] Of the above levels, for example, in level 3 autonomous driving, the system performs all driving tasks in autonomous driving mode, but there are cases where the driver responds in manual driving mode to system requests for intervention, etc. For example, if the vehicle's current location is not at the start position of the autonomous driving, the driver moves the vehicle to the start position in manual driving mode, checks various items for switching modes, and then switches to autonomous driving mode. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-96342 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] One vehicle equipped with an automatic driving function is a towing vehicle, which is a towing vehicle (trailer head or tractor) connected to a towed vehicle (chassis) by a coupling mechanism. The towed vehicle can carry various cargo.

[0006] When the driver moves the towing vehicle to the starting position for automatic driving in order to operate the towing vehicle automatically, if the towed vehicle is loaded with cargo, depending on the turning angle, a large load may be placed on the tires and steering operation.

[0007] As mentioned above, the driver had to check various items when switching between manual and automatic driving modes, and determine the turning angle depending on the load status of the vehicle. There are many items that need to be checked, and checking all of them without omission places a heavy burden on the driver.

[0008] The present disclosure aims to provide a driving assistance device and a driving assistance method that provide driving assistance for safely driving a vehicle whose operating state can be switched between an autonomous driving mode and a manual driving mode. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A driving assistance device according to the present disclosure provides driving assistance for a vehicle whose operating state can be switched between an autonomous driving mode and a manual driving mode. The driving assistance device includes: a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires current position information of the vehicle and information indicating whether the vehicle is operating in the autonomous driving mode or the manual driving mode; a driving assistance information generation unit that, when it is determined that the vehicle is operating in the manual driving mode and the current position is not on a predetermined autonomous driving route based on the information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit, generates driving assistance information for guiding the vehicle to the predetermined autonomous driving route; and an output unit that outputs the driving assistance information generated by the driving assistance information generation unit.

[0010] The vehicle information acquisition unit may further acquire information on whether or not a towed object is being towed by the vehicle and, if the towed object is present, information on the angle between the vehicle and the towed object. The driving assistance information generation unit may determine whether or not the current position of the vehicle is on the driving route based on at least information on the angle between the vehicle and the towed object, determine a driving direction of the vehicle when the vehicle moves to the driving route, and generate the driving assistance information based on at least the determined driving direction.

[0011] Furthermore, the driving assistance information generation unit may further generate, as the driving assistance information, startup checklist information indicating safety check items when the vehicle is started when it is determined that it is within a predetermined time since the start of the vehicle and that the current location of the vehicle is in a parking lot; generate pre-automatic driving checklist information indicating safety check items before automatic driving when it is determined that the vehicle is operating in the manual driving mode and that the current location of the vehicle is on the driving route; generate pre-automatic driving resumption checklist information indicating safety check items before automatic driving is resumed when the vehicle is operating in the automatic driving mode and the vehicle is temporarily stopped by user operation; and generate pre-automatic driving resumption checklist information indicating safety check items before automatic driving is resumed together with information indicating the cause of the emergency stop when it is determined that the vehicle is operating in the automatic driving mode and that the vehicle has made an automatic emergency stop.

[0012] Furthermore, the driving assistance information generation unit may generate the startup checklist information, the pre-automatic driving checklist information, and the pre-automatic driving checklist information, including input button information for a user to input confirmation execution information indicating that a safety check has been made for each safety check item, and after any of the checklist information has been output to the output unit, if it determines that there is a safety check item for which the confirmation execution information has not been input, the driving assistance information generation unit may further generate warning information.The driving assistance information generation unit may generate the startup checklist information, the pre-automatic driving checklist information, and the pre-automatic driving checklist information before resuming checklist information, including input button information for a user to input confirmation execution information indicating that a safety check has been made for each safety check item, and after any of the checklist information has been output to the output unit, if it determines that there is a safety check item for which the confirmation execution information has not been input, the driving assistance information generation unit may further generate warning information.

[0013] In addition, the driving assistance information generation unit may further generate, as the driving assistance information, information prompting the user to set a driving route when it determines that the vehicle is not yet driving under automatic driving and that the driving route has not been set, and may generate operation button information for driving content that can be operated by the user when it determines that the vehicle is currently driving under automatic driving.

[0014] A driving assistance method according to the present disclosure is a driving assistance method using a driving assistance device that assists driving of a vehicle whose operating state can be switched between an autonomous driving mode and a manual driving mode. The driving assistance method includes acquiring current position information of the vehicle and information indicating whether the vehicle is operating in the autonomous driving mode or the manual driving mode, and, when it is determined based on the acquired information that the vehicle is operating in the manual driving mode and the current position is not on a predetermined autonomous driving route, generating driving assistance information for guiding the vehicle to the predetermined autonomous driving route, and outputting the generated driving assistance information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present disclosure, driving assistance can be provided to safely drive a vehicle whose operating state can be switched between an autonomous driving mode and a manual driving mode. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is an overall view of a driving system using an in-vehicle UI device as a driving assistance device according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is an overall view of a driving system using an in-vehicle UI device as a driving assistance device according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle control device that is communicatively connected to a driving assistance device according to an embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of an in-vehicle UI device as a driving assistance device according to an embodiment. [Figure 5A] FIG. 5A is a flowchart showing a process executed by an in-vehicle UI device serving as a driving assistance device according to an embodiment. [Figure 5B] FIG. 5B is a flowchart showing a process executed by the in-vehicle UI device serving as the driving assistance device according to an embodiment. [Figure 5C] FIG. 5C is a flowchart showing a process executed by an in-vehicle UI device serving as a driving assistance device according to an embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is an example of display information of a startup checklist displayed on an in-vehicle UI device serving as a driving assistance device according to an embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an example of route display information displayed on an in-vehicle UI device serving as a driving assistance device according to an embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is an example of guidance display information displayed on an in-vehicle UI device as a driving assistance device according to an embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is an example of information about operation buttons during driving displayed on an in-vehicle UI device as a driving assistance device according to one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] (Configuration of a driving system using a driving assistance device according to one embodiment) The configuration of a driving system using an in-vehicle user interface (UI) device as a driving assistance device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. The driving system ST according to this embodiment is mounted on a towing vehicle 1, the operating state of which can be switched between an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode. In the automatic driving mode, the operating mechanism 40 of the towing vehicle 1 operates under the control of a vehicle control device 50 (described later), while in the manual driving mode, the operating mechanism 40 of the towing vehicle 1 operates according to the driver's driving operations. The towing vehicle 1 comprises a towing vehicle (trailer head or tractor) 2 and a towed vehicle (towed object) (chassis) 3, which is towed by the towing vehicle 2, connected by a coupling mechanism 4. When the towing vehicle 2 travels, a driver is in the vehicle; in the automatic driving mode, the system executes driving tasks, and, as necessary, the driver manually drives the vehicle in the manual driving mode.

[0018] The driving system ST includes a power switch 10, a position detector 20, a wireless communication device 30, an operating mechanism 40, a vehicle control device 50, an on-board UI device 60, and an output device 70, which are installed in the towing vehicle 2, and an angle detector 80 installed in the coupling mechanism 4. The driving system ST is configured to be able to communicate with a geographic information system 90 via a wide area communication network 100.

[0019] The position detector 20, the wireless communication device 30, the operating mechanism 40, and the angle detector 80 are communicatively connected to the vehicle control device 50 via a CAN (Controller Area Network) 200. The vehicle control device 50 and the in-vehicle UI device 60 are communicatively connected to the power switch 10 and the output device 70 via a LAN (Local Area Network) 300.

[0020] The power switch 10 is, for example, a switch that turns the power of the components in the driving system ST on and off, and can be remotely operated via the LAN 300. The position detector 20 is configured using, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiver, a laser radar, or both, and detects the current position of the towing vehicle 2. The laser radar is also called a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) or a Laser Range Finder. The wireless communication device 30 connects to the wide area communication network 100 via wireless communication. The operating mechanism 40 is a mechanism that operates the towing vehicle 2. The angle detector 80 detects the angle formed between the towing vehicle 2 and the towed vehicle 3.

[0021] The vehicle control device 50 controls the devices inside the towing vehicle 2. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle control device 50. The vehicle control device 50 has a first CPU 51 and a memory (not shown) that stores programs. The vehicle control device 50 performs the control described below by executing the programs stored in the memory. The first CPU 51 has a CAN communication control unit 511, a position information acquisition unit 512, a geographic information acquisition unit 513, a driving state information acquisition unit 514, an angle information acquisition unit 515, a first LAN communication control unit 516, a vehicle information transmission unit 517, an operation command reception unit 518, and a driving control unit 519.

[0022] The CAN communication control unit 511 communicates with the wireless communication device 30, position detector 20, operating mechanism 40, and angle detector 80 via the CAN 200. The position information acquisition unit 512 acquires current position information of the towing vehicle 2 based on information detected by the position detector 20. The geographic information acquisition unit 513 acquires geographic information of a predetermined area from the geographic information system 90 via the wireless communication device 30 and the wide area communication network 100.

[0023] The driving state information acquisition unit 514 acquires information indicating the operating state of the towing vehicle 2 caused by the operating mechanism 40. The angle information acquisition unit 515 acquires angle information detected by the angle detector 80. The first LAN communication control unit 516 communicates with the power switch 10 and the in-vehicle UI device 60 via the LAN 300.

[0024] The vehicle information transmission unit 517 transmits the information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 512, the information acquired by the geographical information acquisition unit 513, the information acquired by the driving state information acquisition unit 514, and the information acquired by the angle information acquisition unit 515 to the in-vehicle UI device 60 via the first LAN communication control unit 516.

[0025] The operation command receiving unit 518 receives an operation command input by a user's operation from the in-vehicle UI device 60 via the first LAN communication control unit 516. The driving control unit 519 controls the operating mechanism 40 based on the operation command acquired by the operation command receiving unit 518.

[0026] The in-vehicle UI device 60 is operated by a driver who is a user. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the in-vehicle UI device 60. The in-vehicle UI device 60 has an item information storage unit 61, an input / output unit 62, a second CPU 63, and a memory (not shown) that stores programs. The in-vehicle UI device 60 performs the following control by executing the programs stored in the memory.

[0027] The item information storage unit 61 stores information on confirmation items to be presented to the driver. Details of the information stored in the item information storage unit 61 will be described later. The input / output unit 62 is configured, for example, with a touch panel, and displays information to be presented to the driver and inputs information operated by the driver.

[0028] The second CPU 63 has a second LAN communication control unit 631 , a vehicle information acquisition unit 632 , an output information generation unit 633 as a driving assistance information generation unit, an input information acquisition unit 634 , and an operation command transmission unit 635 .

[0029] The second LAN communication control unit 631 communicates with the vehicle control device 50 and the output device 70 via the LAN 300. The vehicle information acquisition unit 632 acquires the current position information of the towing vehicle 2, geographical information, information indicating the operating status of the towing vehicle 2, and angle information between the towing vehicle 2 and the towed vehicle 3, all of which are transmitted from the vehicle control device 50.

[0030] The output information generation unit 633 generates information to be output by the input / output unit 62 and information to be output from the output device 70 based on the information stored in the item information storage unit 61 and the information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 632.

[0031] The input information acquisition unit 634 acquires command information input from the input / output unit 62. The operation command transmission unit 635 transmits the command information acquired by the input information acquisition unit 634 to the vehicle control device 50.

[0032] The output device 70 is configured by, for example, a signal light, a speaker, or an electronic bulletin board, and outputs output information based on the information generated by the output information generation unit 633.

[0033] (Operation of driving system using driving assistance device according to one embodiment) Next, the operation of the driving system ST according to this embodiment will be described. First, when the driver turns on the power switch 10 of the towing vehicle 1, each device in the driving system ST starts up. At this time, the vehicle control device 50 starts up in a state where it is set to manual driving mode.

[0034] When each device in the driving system ST is activated, the position detector 20 begins processing to detect the distance to surrounding objects at predetermined time intervals. The angle detector 80 also begins processing to detect the angle between the towing vehicle 2 and the towed vehicle 3 at predetermined time intervals. The position information acquisition unit 512 of the vehicle control device 50 also begins processing to acquire information detected by the position detector 20 at predetermined time intervals and acquire current position information of the towing vehicle 2 based on the acquired information. The geographic information acquisition unit 513 also acquires geographic information of a predetermined area from the geographic information system 90 via the wireless communication device 30 based on the current position information of the towing vehicle 2 acquired by the position information acquisition unit 512. The driving status information acquisition unit 514 also begins processing to acquire operating status information of the towing vehicle 2 from the operating mechanism 40. The operating status information of the towing vehicle 2 includes, for example, information indicating whether the towing vehicle 2 is operating in automatic driving mode or manual driving mode, information indicating whether the towing vehicle 2 is traveling, temporarily stopped, or in an emergency stop, and information indicating whether the towing vehicle 2 is towing a towed vehicle 3. Furthermore, the angle information acquisition unit 515 starts the process of acquiring the detection information from the angle detector 80.

[0035] The vehicle information transmission unit 517 transmits information indicating that the vehicle to be controlled is a towing vehicle 1 consisting of a towing vehicle 2 and a towed vehicle 3, as well as the information acquired by the location information acquisition unit 512, the geographic information acquisition unit 513, the driving state information acquisition unit 514, and the angle information acquisition unit 515, to the in-vehicle UI device 60 via the first LAN communication control unit 516.

[0036] 5A, 5B, and 5C are flowcharts showing the processing executed by the in-vehicle UI device 60 while the driving system ST is in operation. After the in-vehicle UI device 60 is started up (YES in step S1), the vehicle information acquisition unit 632 sequentially acquires vehicle position information, geographic information, driving state information, and angle information transmitted from the vehicle control device 50 (step S2).

[0037] Next, based on the vehicle position information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit 632, the output information generation unit 633 determines whether or not a predetermined time has passed since startup, the towing vehicle 2 is operating in manual driving mode, and the current position is within a parking lot (step S3).

[0038] If the output information generation unit 633 determines that these conditions are met (YES in step S3), it generates display information (startup checklist information) of a startup checklist that shows safety check items at startup and displays it on the input / output unit 62 (step S4).

[0039] Fig. 6 is an example of display information of a startup checklist displayed on the input / output unit 62. The startup checklist includes safety check items for the towing vehicle 2 that are performed on a daily basis, and information (input button information) for input buttons B1 to B5 for inputting that the safety check for each item has been completed. The startup checklist in Fig. 6 includes five safety check items, such as item No. 1 "Any passengers in the vehicle?" and No. 2 "Confirmed that there are no problems with the initial state."

[0040] The driver sequentially performs safety checks corresponding to each safety check item in the displayed startup checklist, and for each item that has been checked, operates the corresponding input buttons B1 to B5 to input check execution information from the input / output unit 62. Figure 6 shows a state in which the driver has operated input buttons B1 and B2 to input check execution information for items No. 1 and No. 2, but has not yet input information for items No. 3 to No. 5.

[0041] The output information generation unit 633 monitors whether the confirmation execution information for all safety confirmation items in the startup checklist has been acquired by the input information acquisition unit 634, and if there are any items that have not been input (NO in step S5), it generates and outputs warning information (step S6).

[0042] The output information generation unit 633 generates, as warning information, for example, text information such as "There are items not entered in the checklist. Please check the checklist," and displays it on the input / output unit 62. The output information generation unit 633 may output, as warning information, information corresponding to the above-mentioned text information from a speaker, a signal light, or an electronic bulletin board as the output device 70. When the driver recognizes the output warning information, he or she performs safety checks for the corresponding items and inputs check execution information.

[0043] When confirmation execution information for all safety confirmation items has been input (YES in step S5), the output information generation unit 633 determines whether or not a driving route for automatically driving the towing vehicle 1 has been set (step S7). If a default driving route has been set in advance for the towing vehicle 1, the output information generation unit 633 determines that the driving route has been set (YES in step S7).

[0044] Here, when a travel route has not been set (NO in step S7), the output information generation unit 633 generates display information that prompts the driver to set a travel route and displays the display information on the input / output unit 62 (step S8). When the driver visually recognizes the output display information, the driver performs an operation to set a travel route from the input / output unit 62.

[0045] Once the travel route is set, the output information generation unit 633 generates route display information showing the set travel route and displays it on the input / output unit 62 (step S9). Fig. 7 is an example of the route display information displayed on the input / output unit 62. This route display information includes the set travel route R, temporary stop positions P1 and P2 where cargo is loaded and unloaded from the towed vehicle 3, and an arrow S indicating the travel direction of the towing vehicle 2.

[0046] Once the travel route is set (YES in step S7), the output information generation unit 633 determines whether the current position of the towing vehicle 2 is on the set travel route R (step S10). At this time, if the position information of the towing vehicle 2 is within a predetermined range from the travel route R and the angle formed between the towing vehicle 2 and the towed vehicle 3 is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the output information generation unit 633 determines that "the current position of the towing vehicle 2 is on the set travel route R" (YES in step S10).

[0047] Here, when it is determined that the towing vehicle 2 is not on the driving route R (NO in step S10), the output information generation unit 633 generates information notifying that the towing vehicle 2 is not on the driving route R, and guidance display information, which is driving assistance information for guiding the towing vehicle 2 to the driving route R (step S11).

[0048] When generating guidance display information, the output information generation unit 633 first determines the driving direction of the towing vehicle 2 as it moves to the travel route R. This driving direction is not the direction in which the towing vehicle 2 travels to the travel route R in the shortest distance, but rather a direction determined so as to minimize the load on the tires and steering operation of the towing vehicle 2. Specifically, the output information generation unit 633 determines the driving direction of the towing vehicle 2 based on whether or not there is cargo on the towed vehicle 3, the weight of the cargo if there is cargo, the angle between the towing vehicle 2 and the towed vehicle 3, etc.

[0049] Specifically, the driving direction of the towing vehicle 2 is determined so that the heavier the load on the towed vehicle 3, and the larger the angle between the towing vehicle 2 and the towed vehicle 3, the smaller the turning angle. By determining the driving direction in this manner, the towing vehicle 1 can be safely and reliably guided to the driving route R. Here, the weight of the load loaded on the towed vehicle 3 is obtained, for example, from an external device (not shown) that manages information related to the load to be loaded on the towing vehicle 1. The output information generation unit 633 generates guidance display information that shows the determined driving direction on top of the geographic information, and displays it on the input / output unit 62 (step S11).

[0050] 8 is an example of guidance display information displayed on the input / output unit 62, and includes the set travel route R, the current positions of the towing vehicle 2 and towed vehicle 3, a temporary stop position P1, an arrow D for guiding the towing vehicle 2 to the travel route, and a target position E for the towing vehicle 2 on the travel route R. The arrow D indicates the driving direction for the towing vehicle 2 from the current position toward the travel route R. The target position E indicates the position where the towing vehicle 2 will reach on the travel route R if it travels in the direction of the arrow D.

[0051] While visually checking the output guidance display information, the driver drives the towing vehicle 2 in the direction indicated by the arrow D. As the towing vehicle 2 and towed vehicle 3 move, the guidance display information is updated as appropriate.

[0052] When the output information generation unit 633 determines that the current position of the towing vehicle 2 has reached the destination target position E on the travel route R and that the angle formed between the towing vehicle 2 and the towed vehicle 3 is equal to or less than a predetermined value (YES in step S10), it generates display information for a pre-automatic driving checklist (pre-automatic driving checklist information) that indicates safety check items before automatic driving, and displays it on the input / output unit 62 (step S12). Similar to the display information for the startup checklist, the display information for the pre-automatic driving checklist includes the relevant safety check items and an input button for inputting that safety checks have been performed for each item.

[0053] The driver sequentially performs safety checks corresponding to each safety check item in the displayed pre-automatic driving checklist, and for items that have been checked, inputs the check execution information from the input / output unit 62 by operating the corresponding input button.

[0054] The input information acquisition unit 634 monitors whether check execution information has been input for all safety check items in the pre-automated driving checklist, and if there is an item for which check execution information has not been input (NO in step S13), it generates and outputs warning information (step S14). When the driver recognizes the output warning information, he or she performs a safety check for the corresponding item and inputs the check execution information.

[0055] After the confirmation execution information for all safety confirmation items has been input (YES in step S13), when the driver performs an operation to start automatic driving (YES in step S15), the input information acquisition unit 634 generates an automatic driving start command and transmits it to the vehicle control device 50 (step S16).

[0056] In the vehicle control device 50, the operation command receiving unit 518 receives the automatic driving start command transmitted from the in-vehicle UI device 60. Based on the received automatic driving start command, the driving control unit 519 switches the driving mode from the manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode, and controls the operating mechanism 40 so that the towing vehicle 1 automatically drives along the driving route R.

[0057] When the towing vehicle 1 starts autonomous driving, the driving state information acquisition unit 514 acquires the operating state information of the towing vehicle 2, "driving in autonomous driving mode," and transmits it to the in-vehicle UI device 60. In the in-vehicle UI device 60, the vehicle information acquisition unit 632 acquires the operating state information, "driving in autonomous driving mode," acquired from the vehicle control device 50 (YES in step S17).

[0058] When the vehicle information acquisition unit 632 acquires the operating status information "driving in autonomous driving mode," the output information generation unit 633 generates driving operation button information indicating the operation buttons for driving content that can be operated by the driver while driving in autonomous driving mode, and displays this on the input / output unit 62 (step S18).

[0059] 9 is an example of in-travel operation button information displayed on the input / output unit 62. The in-travel operation button information is generated as display information that enables input operation of only the operation buttons for driving content that the driver can operate while traveling in automatic driving mode, among the driving content that the driver operates when driving the towing vehicle 2.

[0060] Here, the operation button information for the operation button C1 for the driving content "switch to slow driving mode," the operation button C5 for the driving content "make an emergency stop," and the operation button C8 for the driving content "stop driving" are displayed in a state where input operations are enabled. When the driver touches any of these operation buttons, the input information acquisition unit 634 generates the corresponding driving command and transmits it to the vehicle control device 50.

[0061] While the towing vehicle 1 is traveling (NO in step S19), when it approaches a stop position within the travel route R, for example, stop position P2, the automatic driving function causes the towing vehicle 1 to decelerate and stop at stop position P2. When the towing vehicle 1 stops, for example, the driver can load or unload cargo onto the towed vehicle 3.

[0062] Furthermore, when the towing vehicle 1 temporarily stops, the driving status information acquisition unit 514 acquires the operating status information of the towing vehicle 2, "temporarily stopped," and transmits it to the in-vehicle UI device 60. In the in-vehicle UI device 60, the vehicle information acquisition unit 632 acquires the operating status information, "temporarily stopped," transmitted from the vehicle control device 50 (step S20).

[0063] When the vehicle information acquisition unit 632 acquires the operating status information "temporarily stopped" (YES in step S20), the output information generation unit 633 generates display information of a checklist before resuming automatic driving (checklist information before resuming automatic driving) that indicates safety check items before resuming automatic driving, and displays it on the input / output unit 62 (step S21). The display information of the checklist before resuming automatic driving, like the display information of the start-up checklist, includes the relevant safety check items and an input button for inputting that the safety check for each item has been completed.

[0064] For example, when the driver has finished loading and unloading luggage, he or she sequentially performs safety checks corresponding to each safety check item in the displayed checklist before resuming automatic driving, and for items that have been checked, inputs check execution information from the input / output unit 62 by operating the corresponding input button.

[0065] The input information acquisition unit 634 monitors whether or not check execution information has been input for all safety check items in the pre-restart checklist for automatic driving, and if it determines that there is an item for which check execution information has not been input (NO in step S22), it generates and outputs warning information (step S23). When the driver recognizes the output warning information, he or she performs a safety check for the corresponding item and inputs the check execution information.

[0066] After the confirmation execution information for all safety confirmation items has been input (YES in step S22), when the driver performs an operation to resume automatic driving (YES in step S24), the input information acquisition unit 634 generates an automatic driving start command and sends it to the vehicle control device 50 (step S25).

[0067] In the vehicle control device 50, the operation command receiving unit 518 receives the automatic driving start command transmitted from the in-vehicle UI device 60. Based on the received automatic driving start command, the driving control unit 519 controls the operating mechanism 40 to cause the towing vehicle 1 to resume driving.

[0068] When the towing vehicle 1 starts autonomous driving, the driving status information acquisition unit 514 acquires the operating status information of the towing vehicle 2, "driving in autonomous driving mode," and transmits it to the in-vehicle UI device 60. In the in-vehicle UI device 60, the vehicle information acquisition unit 632 acquires the operating status information, "driving in autonomous driving mode," acquired from the vehicle control device 50.

[0069] When the vehicle information acquisition unit 632 acquires the operating state information "driving in autonomous driving mode" (YES in step S26), the output information generation unit 633 generates in-driving operation button information that indicates operation buttons for driving content that can be operated by the driver while driving in autonomous driving mode, and displays this on the input / output unit 62 (step S27). The processing of steps S20 to S27 is repeated until the towing vehicle 1 has finished driving (NO in step S19).

[0070] In the embodiment described above, if a malfunction occurs and the towing vehicle 1 automatically makes an emergency stop while traveling in autonomous driving mode (NO in step S19), the driving state information acquisition unit 514 acquires driving state information "emergency stop in progress" and information indicating the cause of the emergency stop. The driving state information acquisition unit 514 transmits the acquired information to the in-vehicle UI device 60 via the vehicle information transmission unit 517.

[0071] In the in-vehicle UI device 60, the vehicle information acquisition unit 632 acquires the operating status information "emergency stop in progress" and information indicating the cause of the emergency stop transmitted from the vehicle control device 50. Upon acquiring this information (YES in step S20), the vehicle information acquisition unit 632 first causes the input / output unit 62 to display the information indicating the cause of the emergency stop. Furthermore, the output information generation unit 633 generates display information for a checklist before resuming automatic driving that indicates safety check items before resuming automatic driving, and causes the input / output unit 62 to display this information (step S21). Thereafter, the processing executed from step S22 onwards is the same as the processing described above, and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0072] According to the above-described embodiments, driving assistance can be provided to safely drive a vehicle whose operating state can be switched between an autonomous driving mode and a manual driving mode. Specifically, before autonomous driving begins, the driving direction to the position where autonomous driving will begin can be presented in a manner that is easy for the driver to recognize. Furthermore, confirmation items to be performed when switching from manual driving to autonomous driving or when resuming autonomous driving after a temporary stop can be presented to the driver, allowing autonomous driving to be started in a safe state. At this time, safety can be further improved by having the driver input information indicating that they have completed safety confirmation. Furthermore, driving assistance can be provided with even greater precision by presenting, as necessary, information prompting the driver to set a driving route required for autonomous driving or operation button information for driving content that the driver can operate during autonomous driving.

[0073] In the above-described embodiment, the vehicle control device 50 and the in-vehicle UI device 60 are installed in the towing vehicle 2, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the vehicle control device 50 and the item information storage unit 61 and the second CPU 63, which are functional units other than the input / output unit 62 in the in-vehicle UI device 60, may be provided in a management device or the like outside the towing vehicle 2, and the second CPU 63 may be communicatively connected to the input / output unit 62.

[0074] Although several embodiments have been described, the embodiments can be modified or varied based on the above disclosure. All components of the above embodiments and all features described in the claims may be individually extracted and combined, unless they contradict each other.

[0075] The entire contents of Patent Application No. 2022-101669 (filing date: June 24, 2022) are incorporated herein by reference. [Explanation of symbols]

[0076] 1. Towing vehicle 2 Towing vehicle 3 Towed vehicle (towed object) 4 Connection mechanism 10 Power switch 20 Position detector 30 Radio communication device 40 Operating mechanism 50 Vehicle control device 51 1st CPU 60 In-vehicle UI device 61 Item information storage section 62 Input / output section 63 2nd CPU 70 Output Device 80 Angle detector 90 Geographic Information Systems 100 Wide Area Communication Network 511 CAN communication control unit 512 Location information acquisition unit 513 Geographic Information Acquisition Department 514 Operation status information acquisition unit 515 Angle information acquisition unit 516 1st LAN communication control unit 517 Vehicle information transmission unit 518 Operation command receiving unit 519 Operation control unit 631 Second LAN communication control unit 632 Vehicle Information Acquisition Unit 633 Output Information Generation Unit 634 Input information acquisition unit 635 Operation command transmission unit

Claims

1. A driving assistance device that assists driving of a vehicle whose operating state can be switched between an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode, a vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires current location information of the vehicle and information indicating whether the vehicle is operating in the automatic driving mode or the manual driving mode; a driving assistance information generation unit that, when it is determined based on the information acquired by the vehicle information acquisition unit that the vehicle is operating in the manual driving mode and that the current position is not on a predetermined driving route for automatic driving, generates driving assistance information for guiding the vehicle to the driving route; an output unit that outputs the driving assistance information generated by the driving assistance information generation unit, The vehicle information acquisition unit further acquires information on whether or not there is a towed object being towed by the vehicle, and information on the angle formed between the vehicle and the towed object when the towed object is present; The driving assistance information generation unit determines whether the current position of the vehicle is on the driving route based on at least information about the angle between the vehicle and the towed object, determines a driving direction of the vehicle when the vehicle moves to the driving route, and generates the driving assistance information based on at least the determined driving direction.

2. The driving assistance information generation unit further includes, as the driving assistance information: When it is determined that a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the vehicle and that the current location of the vehicle is within a parking lot, a start-up checklist is generated that indicates safety check items to be confirmed when the vehicle is started; When the vehicle is operating in the manual driving mode and it is determined that the current position of the vehicle is on the driving route, pre-automated driving checklist information is generated that indicates safety check items to be confirmed before automatic driving; When the vehicle is operating in the autonomous driving mode and the vehicle is temporarily stopped by a user operation, generating pre-resumption of autonomous driving checklist information indicating safety check items before resuming autonomous driving, When the vehicle is operating in the autonomous driving mode and it is determined that the vehicle has automatically made an emergency stop, a checklist information before resuming autonomous driving is generated, which indicates the cause of the emergency stop and safety check items before resuming autonomous driving. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 .

3. The driving assistance information generation unit generating the startup checklist information, the pre-automated driving checklist information, and the pre-automated driving resumption checklist information, including input button information for a user to input confirmation execution information indicating that the safety confirmation of the safety confirmation items has been completed; If it is determined that there is a safety check item for which the check execution information has not been input after any of the checklist information has been output to the output unit, warning information is further generated as the driving support information. The driving assistance device according to claim 2 .

4. The driving assistance information generation unit further includes, as the driving assistance information: When it is determined that the vehicle has not yet traveled by autonomous driving and the travel route has not been set, information is generated to prompt the user to set the travel route; When it is determined that the vehicle is traveling by automatic driving, operation button information of the driving contents that can be operated by the user is generated. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 .

5. A driving assistance method using a driving assistance device that assists driving of a vehicle whose operating state can be switched between an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode, comprising: obtaining current location information of the vehicle and information indicating whether the vehicle is operating in the automatic driving mode or the manual driving mode; Obtaining information on whether or not there is a towed object being towed by the vehicle, and information on the angle formed between the vehicle and the towed object when there is the towed object; determining whether the current position of the vehicle is on a predetermined autonomous driving route based on at least information on the angle formed between the vehicle and the towed object; determining a driving direction of the vehicle when the vehicle is operating in the manual driving mode and the current position is determined not to be on the driving route; and generating driving assistance information for guiding the vehicle to the travel route based on at least the driving direction; outputting the generated driving assistance information; A driving assistance method comprising:

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