Vehicle control device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device capable of improving energy efficiency.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device comprises one or a plurality of processors. The processor(s) comprises: an information collection part for storing vibration information when an occupant gets motion sickness; a determination part for determining whether, an occupant may get motion sickness on the basis of, current vibration of the vehicle, and the stored vibration information; and a driving control part for controlling the vehicle so as to generate vibration which reduces motion sickness, when it is determined that the occupant may get motion sickness.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of a vehicle control device that controls a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, methods have been proposed that analyze sensor data relating to the physical state of an occupant to determine whether they are experiencing motion sickness, and if so, control components within the vehicle to adjust the current settings for the occupant. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-185378 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the method described in Patent Document 1 makes it difficult to determine whether a passenger is suffering from motion sickness until the passenger's physical condition is such that motion sickness occurs, making it difficult to alleviate motion sickness early on.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and has as its object to alleviate motion sickness at an early stage. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes one or more processors, and the processors include an information collection unit that stores vibration information when a passenger experiences motion sickness, a determination unit that determines whether the passenger is likely to experience motion sickness based on the current vehicle vibration and the stored vibration information, and a driving control unit that controls the vehicle to provide vibrations that alleviate motion sickness when the passenger is likely to experience motion sickness. a notification control unit that notifies the occupant that he or she may experience motion sickness if the occupant is likely to experience motion sickness; Equipped with The notification control unit notifies the occupant that there is a possibility of motion sickness if the occupant continues to be at risk of motion sickness while the driving control unit controls the vehicle to generate vibrations that reduce motion sickness. . This allows the vehicle control device to control the vehicle to reduce motion sickness when there is a possibility that the occupant will experience motion sickness, even before the occupant experiences motion sickness. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, motion sickness can be alleviated early. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment; [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle and a smart watch. [Figure 3] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of information collection processing. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of a motion sickness control process. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of a motion sickness control process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] <1. Vehicle Overview> FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an outline of the configuration of a vehicle 1 according to an embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, an occupant 2 rides in the vehicle 1. The occupant 2 is, for example, a driver and is capable of operating the vehicle 1. However, the occupant 2 does not have to be a driver. Furthermore, the occupant 2 may be one person or multiple people.

[0010] Occupant 2 is wearing a smartwatch 3. Smartwatch 3 is a watch-type wearable device that is worn on the wrist of occupant 2. Smartwatch 3 has a timepiece function and, as will be described in detail later, is capable of measuring information (heart rate, etc.) related to the physical condition of occupant 2. In the following, information related to the physical condition of occupant 2 will be referred to as physical information.

[0011] In addition, the smart watch 3 can communicate with the vehicle 1 wirelessly or via a wired connection, and transmits the acquired physical information to the vehicle 1.

[0012] The vehicle 1 includes a display unit 11 and a speaker 12. The display unit 11 is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) or an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) display, and displays maps and various types of information. The speaker 12 outputs audio.

[0013] The vehicle 1 also includes a vehicle control device 10, which will be described later, and is capable of performing automatic driving based on the control of the vehicle control device 10.

[0014] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of the vehicle 1 and the smart watch 3. As shown in Fig. 2, the vehicle 1 includes a vehicle control device 10, a display unit 11, a speaker 12, a storage unit 13, a communication unit 14, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) device 15, an acceleration sensor 16, an operation unit 17, and a driving assistance device 18.

[0015] The vehicle control device 10 includes one or more processors including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The vehicle control device 10 controls the entire vehicle 1 by expanding a program stored in the ROM or the storage unit 13 onto the RAM and executing the program.

[0016] The vehicle control device 10 functions as an information collection unit 21, a determination unit 22, a driving control unit 23, and a notification control unit 24.

[0017] The information collecting unit 21 acquires physical information of the occupant 2 from the smartwatch 3, and acquires the acceleration of the vehicle 1 from the acceleration sensor 16. Then, as will be described in detail later, the information collecting unit 21 associates the physical information of the occupant 2 when he / she experiences motion sickness with the acceleration (vibration information) of the vehicle 1, and stores them in the storage unit 13. The acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor 16 includes vibration components generated in the vehicle 1, and therefore the acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor 16 is information relating to the vibration of the vehicle 1 (vibration information).

[0018] The determination unit 22 determines whether the occupant 2 is likely to experience motion sickness based on the current vibration of the vehicle 1 and the vibration information stored in the memory unit 13. Specifically, the determination unit 22 determines whether the occupant 2 is likely to experience motion sickness based on the current acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor 16 and the acceleration stored in the memory unit 13 by the information collection unit 21.

[0019] When the determination unit 22 determines that the occupant 2 may experience motion sickness, the driving control unit 23 controls the vehicle 1 to generate vibrations that reduce motion sickness.

[0020] When the determination unit 22 determines that the occupant 2 is likely to experience motion sickness, the notification control unit 24 notifies the occupant 2 that he or she is likely to experience motion sickness. The information collecting unit 21, the determining unit 22, the driving control unit 23, and the notification control unit 24 will be described in detail later.

[0021] The storage unit 13 is a storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or a solid state drive (SSD), and is capable of storing various types of information. For example, map data is stored in the storage unit 13. The storage unit 13 may also store a program executed by the vehicle control device 10.

[0022] The communication unit 14 communicates wirelessly or via a wire with the smart watch 3. The communication unit 14 may also be connectable to the Internet.

[0023] The GNSS device 15 includes, for example, a receiver for the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and acquires the current position of the vehicle 1 .

[0024] The acceleration sensor 16 is, for example, a three-axis acceleration sensor, and measures the acceleration of the vehicle 1 in the front-rear direction, the up-down direction, and the left-right direction.

[0025] The operation unit 17 is made up of, for example, a switch, a touch panel, or the like, and receives input operations from the occupant 2.

[0026] The driving assistance device 18 is a device that enables automatic driving of the vehicle 1, and includes a drive device that drives the engine and motor that serve as the drive source, a braking device that operates the brakes, and a steering device that steers the wheels, and operates based on the control of the vehicle control device 10.

[0027] The smart watch 3 includes a control unit 31, a display unit 32, an operation unit 33, a heart rate sensor 34, and a communication unit 35.

[0028] The control unit 31 includes one or more processors including a CPU, a ROM, and a RAM. The control unit 31 controls the entire smartwatch 3 by expanding a program stored in the ROM or a storage unit (not shown) onto the RAM and executing the program.

[0029] The display unit 32 is made up of an LCD, an OELD display, or the like, and displays, for example, the time and displays information for prompting the wearer (occupant 2) to make predetermined inputs.

[0030] The operation unit 33 is made up of a touch panel or the like provided on the front surface of the display unit 32, and receives input operations from the wearer (occupant 2).

[0031] The heart rate sensor 34 measures the heart rate of the wearer (occupant 2).

[0032] The communication unit 35 communicates wirelessly or via wire with the vehicle 1. The communication unit 35 may also be connectable to the Internet.

[0033] <2. Information collection and processing> Incidentally, for example, when the vehicle 1 is traveling in an autonomous driving mode, the occupant 2 may experience motion sickness due to vibrations of the vehicle 1 caused by the autonomous driving. Motion sickness can cause symptoms such as nausea and headaches.

[0034] Therefore, the vehicle control device 10 first performs an information collection process to acquire (collect) physical information and vibration information when the occupant 2 experiences motion sickness. After that, based on the physical information and vibration information acquired in the information collection process, the vehicle control device 10 performs a motion sickness control process to control the vehicle 1 to alleviate motion sickness or to issue a predetermined notification when there is a possibility that the occupant 2 will experience motion sickness.

[0035] 3 is a flowchart showing the flow of the information collection process. As shown in FIG. 3, when the information collection process starts, in step S1, the information collection unit 21 issues an instruction to the smart watch 3 to input the current physical condition and hunger state of the occupant 2.

[0036] When the control unit 31 of the smart watch 3 receives an instruction from the vehicle control device 10 (information collection unit 21), it causes the control unit 31 to input the physical condition and hunger state of the occupant 2. Here, for example, the control unit 31 displays a plurality of options representing the physical condition and hunger state of the occupant 2 on the display unit 32, and causes the occupant 2 to select from the displayed options. Options for expressing the physical condition of occupant 2 include those that are less susceptible to motion sickness, such as "fun" or "excited," and those that are more susceptible to motion sickness, such as "hangover," "sleep deprived," or "tired." In addition, options for expressing hunger state are provided, which indicate a number of stages from full to hungry. These physical conditions and hunger state will be acquired as parameters closely related to motion sickness.

[0037] When the occupant 2's physical condition and hunger state are input (selected) by the occupant 2 operating the operation unit 33, the control unit 31 of the smart watch 3 transmits the input physical condition and hunger state to the vehicle control device 10. The information collection unit 21 acquires the occupant 2's physical condition and hunger state transmitted from the smart watch 3 and stores them in the memory unit 13 as part of the physical information.

[0038] Thereafter, the acceleration sensor 16 constantly measures the acceleration of the vehicle 1 and outputs the measured acceleration to the vehicle control device 10. In addition, the heart rate sensor 34 of the smart watch 3 constantly measures the heart rate of the occupant 2. Then, the control unit 31 outputs the heart rate of the occupant 2 measured by the heart rate sensor 34 to the vehicle control device 10.

[0039] Therefore, in step S2, the vehicle control device 10 acquires the acceleration of the vehicle 1 as vibration information, and also acquires the heart rate of the occupant 2 as part of the physical information at any time.

[0040] For example, if occupant 2 experiences motion sickness while vehicle 1 is being driven automatically, occupant 2 operates the operating unit 33 of smart watch 3 to input (report) that he or she is experiencing motion sickness.

[0041] When the control unit 31 receives a notification from the occupant 2 that the occupant is suffering from motion sickness, the control unit 31 notifies the vehicle control device 10 of this fact.

[0042] In step S3, the information collecting unit 21 determines whether there has been a report from the smart watch 3 that the occupant 2 is suffering from motion sickness. If there has been a report (Yes in step S3), in step S4 the information collecting unit 21 associates the acceleration and heart rate for a predetermined time (e.g., 5 minutes) until the report that the occupant 2 is suffering from motion sickness with the physical condition and hunger state, and stores them in the storage unit 13. That is, the information collecting unit 21 associates the physical information (physical condition: physical condition, hunger state, heart rate) and vibration information (acceleration) when the occupant 2 suffered from motion sickness with each other, and stores them in the storage unit 13.

[0043] In step S5, the information collection unit 21 determines whether a predetermined condition for ending data collection is met, and ends the information collection process if the predetermined condition is met (Yes in step S5). On the other hand, if the predetermined condition is not met (No in step S5) or if there is no report of motion sickness (No in step S3), the information collection unit 21 returns the process to step S2.

[0044] In this way, when occupant 2 experiences motion sickness, the information collection unit 21 associates the acceleration of vehicle 1, i.e., the vibration information of vehicle 1, with the physical information of occupant 2 and stores it in the memory unit 13, thereby accumulating vibration information and physical information when occupant 2 experiences motion sickness.

[0045] This allows the vehicle control device 10 to learn what physical condition of the occupant 2 makes the occupant 2 prone to motion sickness, what vibrations make the occupant 2 prone to motion sickness, and so on.

[0046] <3. Motion sickness control processing> Fig. 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of the motion sickness control process, and Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the motion sickness control process.

[0047] 4, when the motion sickness control process is started, in step S11 the determination unit 22 determines whether or not the occupant 2 is likely to experience motion sickness, based on the vibrations currently occurring in the vehicle 1 and the vibration information stored in the memory unit 13. Here, the determination unit 22 makes the determination based on whether or not the acceleration of the vehicle 1 measured by the acceleration sensor 16 matches or is similar to the acceleration (vibration information) of the vehicle 1 when the occupant 2 experienced motion sickness, which was stored in the memory unit 13 in the information collection process.

[0048] For example, suppose that occupant 2 experiences motion sickness when vehicle 1 accelerates as shown in the upper part of Fig. 5. Also, suppose that the acceleration of vehicle 1 changes as shown by the solid line in the lower part of Fig. 5. In this case, the determination unit 22 determines that the acceleration in the region surrounded by the dashed line in the lower part of Fig. 5 matches or is similar to the acceleration waveform shown in the upper part of Fig. 5, and that occupant 2 may experience motion sickness.

[0049] If there is a possibility that the occupant 2 will experience motion sickness (Yes in step S11), then in step S12 the driving control unit 23 changes the speed of the vehicle 1 to change the vibration of the vehicle 1. Here, the driving control unit 23 controls the speed of the vehicle 1 to decrease, for example. As a result, as shown by the dashed-dotted line in the lower part of FIG. 5, the acceleration of the vehicle 1 is changed, that is, the vibration frequency of the vehicle 1 is decreased, and the frequency of the vibration that may cause motion sickness in the occupant 2 can be changed to a different frequency.

[0050] Thereafter, in step S13, the determination unit 22 determines whether the possibility of motion sickness continues even after changing the speed of the vehicle 1. Here, the determination unit 22 makes the determination based on the acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor 16 after changing the speed of the vehicle 1 and the vibration information stored in the memory unit 13.

[0051] If the possibility of motion sickness continues even after the speed of vehicle 1 is changed (Yes in step S13), in step S14 the notification control unit 24 notifies occupant 2 that there is a possibility of motion sickness by displaying the information on display unit 11 or outputting it as audio from speaker 12.

[0052] At this time, the notification control unit 24 may change the notification content (notification level) according to the physical condition of the occupant 2. Specifically, the notification control unit 24 changes the notification content (notification level) according to physical information associated with vibration information (acceleration) stored in the memory unit 13 that matches or is similar to the acceleration measured by the acceleration sensor 16 after the speed of the vehicle 1 is changed.

[0053] For example, if the associated physical information indicates a physical condition that is unlikely to cause motion sickness, vibrations that may cause motion sickness will occur in the vehicle 1, even if the physical condition is unlikely to cause motion sickness. In this case, since there is a high possibility of motion sickness, the notification control unit 24 increases the notification level and, for example, notifies the driver that motion sickness may occur, as well as notifies the driver of the location of a pharmacy where motion sickness medication can be purchased. On the other hand, if the associated physical information indicates a physical condition that is prone to motion sickness, then the possibility of motion sickness occurring will be low only when the physical condition is prone to motion sickness. In this case, since the possibility of motion sickness occurring is low, the notification control unit 24 lowers the notification level and, for example, notifies only that there is a possibility of motion sickness occurring.

[0054] Thereafter, in step S15, the notification control unit 24 searches for a location (e.g., a parking lot) where the vehicle 1 can be stopped from the map data stored in the memory unit 13, based on the current position acquired by the GNSS device 15. Then, the notification control unit 24 notifies (suggests) the occupant 2 of the searched location by displaying it on the display unit 11 or outputting it as sound from the speaker 12.

[0055] In step S16, the driving control unit 23 determines whether an instruction to stop the vehicle 1 at the searched location has been input by the occupant 2 operating the operation unit 17. If an instruction to stop the vehicle 1 has been input (Yes in step S16), the driving control unit 23 moves the vehicle 1 to the searched location by automatic driving in step S17 and stops the vehicle 1. This allows the occupant 2 to take a rest at the stopped location, and if the occupant 2 is experiencing motion sickness, the occupant 2 can wait until the motion sickness subsides. Furthermore, even if the occupant 2 is not experiencing motion sickness, stopping the vehicle 1 can further reduce the possibility of motion sickness occurring.

[0056] On the other hand, if an instruction to stop the vehicle 1 has not been input (No in step S16), the process proceeds to step S13.

[0057] Furthermore, if there is no possibility that the occupant 2 will experience motion sickness (No in step S11), and if there is no continuing possibility that the occupant 2 will experience motion sickness after changing the speed of the vehicle 1 (No in step S13), then in step S18 the determination unit 22 acquires the heart rate transmitted from the smart watch 3. Then, in step S19, the determination unit 22 determines whether the acquired heart rate is abnormal.

[0058] If the heart rate is not abnormal (No in step S19), the process returns to step S11. On the other hand, if the heart rate is abnormal (Yes in step S19), in step S20 the notification control unit 24 notifies the occupant 2 that there are signs of poor health by displaying the indication on the display unit 11 or outputting it as a sound from the speaker 12.

[0059] In step S21, the notification control unit 24 searches for a location where the vehicle 1 can stop from the map data stored in the memory unit 13, based on the current location acquired by the GNSS device 15. Then, the notification control unit 24 notifies the occupant 2 of the searched location by displaying it on the display unit 11 or outputting it as sound from the speaker 12.

[0060] In step S22, the driving control unit 23 determines whether an instruction to stop the vehicle 1 at the searched location has been input by the occupant 2 operating the operation unit 17. If an instruction to stop the vehicle 1 has been input (Yes in step S22), in step S17 the driving control unit 23 moves the vehicle 1 to the searched location by automatic driving and stops the vehicle 1.

[0061] On the other hand, if an instruction to stop the vehicle 1 has not been input (No in step S22), in step S23 the determination unit 22 determines whether any operation has been performed on the operation unit 17, that is, whether there has been any reaction from the occupant 2. As a result, if there has been any reaction from the occupant 2 (Yes in step S23), the process returns to step S11.

[0062] If there is no reaction from the occupant 2 (No in step S23), in step S24 the notification control unit 24 reconfirms the reaction of the occupant 2. If there is no reaction even after the reconfirmation, it is determined that an emergency abnormality has occurred in the occupant 2, and the driving control unit 23 stops the vehicle 1, and the notification control unit 24 makes an emergency call to an ambulance or the like.

[0063] <4. Modifications> Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the specific examples described above and can adopt various configurations. For example, in the above embodiment, the various processes described above are executed when the vehicle 1 is driving automatically, but it is not essential that the vehicle is driving automatically. That is, the various processes described above may be executed while the occupant 2 (driver) is driving.

[0064] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, if there is a possibility that the occupant 2 will experience motion sickness, the driving control unit 23 changes the speed of the vehicle 1 (step S12). However, the driving control unit 23 may perform control other than changing the speed of the vehicle 1, as long as it reduces the possibility that the occupant 2 will experience motion sickness. For example, the driving control unit 23 may change the vibration frequency of the vehicle 1 by changing to a route that is less likely to cause motion sickness or by changing the engine frequency.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the smartwatch 3 has been described as an example of a device for measuring the physical condition of the occupant 2. However, the device is not limited to the smartwatch 3 and may be any other device as long as it is capable of measuring the physical condition of the occupant 2.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the physical condition, hunger state, and heart rate of the occupant 2 are used as examples of the physical information of the occupant 2. However, the physical information of the occupant 2 may be other information as long as it is information relating to the physical condition of the occupant 2 that is related to motion sickness.

[0067] <5. Summary of embodiments> As described above, the vehicle control device 10 of the embodiment includes one or more processors, and the processor includes an information collection unit 21 that stores vibration information when the occupant 2 experiences motion sickness, a judgment unit 22 that determines whether the occupant 2 is likely to experience motion sickness based on the current vibration of the vehicle 1 and the stored vibration information, and a driving control unit 23 that controls the vehicle 1 to provide vibrations that will reduce motion sickness if the occupant 2 is likely to experience motion sickness. This allows the vehicle control device 10 to control the vehicle 1 to reduce motion sickness when there is a possibility that the occupant 2 will experience motion sickness, even before the occupant 2 experiences motion sickness. Therefore, the vehicle control device 10 can alleviate the motion sickness of the occupant 2 at an early stage.

[0068] Furthermore, the driving control unit 23 controls the vehicle 1 to change the speed of the vehicle 1 when there is a possibility that the occupant 2 will suffer from motion sickness. This allows the vehicle control device 10 to change the frequency of vibrations from the road surface, which is the main source of vibrations in the vehicle 1, to a frequency that is less likely to cause motion sickness in the occupant 2. Therefore, the vehicle control device 10 can alleviate motion sickness in the occupant 2 at an early stage.

[0069] The processor also includes a notification control unit 24 that notifies the occupant 2 that he or she is likely to experience motion sickness if the occupant 2 is likely to experience motion sickness. This allows the vehicle control device 10 to notify in advance the occupant 2, even if he or she is not actually experiencing motion sickness, that he or she may experience motion sickness. By receiving this notification, the occupant 2 can take measures to prevent motion sickness on his or her own at an early stage, before the occupant experiences motion sickness.

[0070] In addition, if there is a continuing possibility that the occupant 2 will experience motion sickness while the vehicle 1 is being controlled by the driving control unit 23 to produce vibrations that will reduce motion sickness, the notification control unit 24 notifies the occupant 2 that there is a possibility that he or she will experience motion sickness. This allows the vehicle control device 10 to notify the occupant 2 that there is a possibility that the control of the vehicle 1 by the driving control unit 23 will not be able to alleviate the motion sickness of the occupant 2. Then, by receiving this notification, the occupant 2 can know that he or she needs to take measures against motion sickness himself or herself, and can take appropriate measures early on.

[0071] In addition, the information collection unit 21 associates and stores vibration information when the occupant 2 experiences motion sickness with the occupant 2's physical information, and the notification control unit 24 issues a notification according to the physical information associated with the vibration information corresponding to the current vibration of the vehicle 1 when there is a possibility that the occupant 2 will experience motion sickness. This allows the vehicle control device 10 to provide a notification according to the possibility that the occupant 2 will experience motion sickness, and the occupant 2 can then take measures according to the possibility that he or she will experience motion sickness. [Explanation of symbols]

[0072] 1 vehicle 2 crew members 3. Smartwatch 10 Vehicle control device 21 Information Gathering Department 22 Judgment section 23 Operation control unit 24 Notification control section

Claims

1. one or more processors; The processor: an information collecting unit that stores vibration information when a passenger experiences motion sickness; a determination unit that determines whether the occupant is likely to experience motion sickness based on the current vehicle vibration and the stored vibration information; a driving control unit that controls the vehicle to generate vibrations that reduce motion sickness when the occupant is likely to experience motion sickness; a notification control unit that notifies the occupant that he or she may experience motion sickness if the occupant is likely to experience motion sickness; Equipped with The notification control unit notifies the occupant that there is a possibility of motion sickness if there is a continuing possibility of the occupant experiencing motion sickness while the vehicle is being controlled by the driving control unit to generate vibrations that reduce motion sickness. Vehicle control device.

2. A device comprising one or more processors, The processor: an information collecting unit that stores vibration information when a passenger experiences motion sickness; a determination unit that determines whether the occupant is likely to experience motion sickness based on the current vehicle vibration and the stored vibration information; a driving control unit that controls the vehicle to generate vibrations that reduce motion sickness when the occupant is likely to experience motion sickness; a notification control unit that notifies the occupant that he or she may experience motion sickness if the occupant is likely to experience motion sickness; Equipped with the information collecting unit associates the vibration information with physical information of the occupant when the occupant experiences motion sickness and stores the information; The notification control unit performs a notification according to the physical information associated with the vibration information corresponding to the current vibration of the vehicle when the occupant is likely to experience motion sickness. Vehicle control device.

3. The operation control unit Controlling the vehicle to change the speed of the vehicle if the occupant is likely to experience motion sickness. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2.

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