Driving assistance systems
The driving support device uses in-vehicle lighting to guide drivers forward when their vehicle stops, addressing the issue of missed notifications and bothersome sounds, thereby improving safety by ensuring drivers are aware of traffic changes.
Patent Information
- Authority / Receiving Office
- JP · JP
- Patent Type
- Patents
- Current Assignee / Owner
- TOYOTA JIDOSHA KK
- Filing Date
- 2023-02-07
- Publication Date
- 2026-05-19
AI Technical Summary
Drivers may not notice when a preceding vehicle starts moving while their own vehicle remains stopped, and alert sounds can be bothersome.
A driving support device that uses in-vehicle lighting to guide the driver's gaze forward by controlling embedded lights to move towards the front of the vehicle when the forward-facing condition is met, optionally accompanied by a warning display or sound if the driver does not respond.
Effectively encourages drivers to face forward without causing distraction or annoyance, enhancing safety by ensuring they are aware of changes in traffic conditions.
Smart Images
Figure 0007861650000001 
Figure 0007861650000002 
Figure 0007861650000003
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] This disclosure relates to a driving support device.
Background Art
[0002] Conventionally, when the preceding vehicle starts moving despite the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle being stopped, and the host vehicle continues to stop, it is known to notify the driver of the start of the preceding vehicle by causing a display representing the start of the preceding vehicle to be shown on the combination meter or by outputting an alert sound (Patent Document 1).
Prior Art Documents
Patent Documents
[0003]
Patent Document 1
Summary of the Invention
Problems to be Solved by the Invention
[0004] When it is necessary to prompt the driver to face forward, such as when the host vehicle continues to stop despite the preceding vehicle starting to move, the driver may not notice even if the combination meter notifies of this. Also, in such a case, when an alert sound is output, the driver may feel bothered.
[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of this disclosure is to provide a new method for prompting the driver to face forward. [[ID=四十一]]
Means for Solving the Problems
[0006] The gist of this disclosure is as follows.
[0007] (1) A driving support device for assisting the driving of a driver of a vehicle, an in-vehicle lighting device that lights up the inner surface of the interior of the vehicle, It includes a control device for controlling the in-vehicle lighting device, The control device is a driver assistance device comprising: a condition determination unit that determines whether or not the forward-facing condition that the driver should face forward is met; and a light control unit that controls the in-vehicle lighting device so that light moves on the inner surface of the vehicle toward the position in front of the driver when it is determined that the forward-facing condition is met. (2) The driving assistance device according to (1) above, wherein the light control unit controls the in-vehicle lighting device so that when it is determined that the forward-facing condition is met, the light control unit controls the in-vehicle lighting device so that the light moves from the rear of the vehicle to the front of the vehicle on the inner surface of the side of the interior of the vehicle. (3) The driving assistance device according to (1) or (2) above, wherein the light control unit controls the in-vehicle lighting device so that when the forward-facing condition is met and it is determined that the driver is not facing forward, the light moves on the inner surface of the vehicle toward the position in front of the driver. (4) The driving assistance device according to (3) above, further comprising a warning unit which, after the control device controls the in-vehicle lighting device so that light moves on the inner surface of the vehicle toward a position in front of the driver, determines that the driver is not facing forward, causes the control device to display a warning on the vehicle's display device or outputs a warning sound. (5) The forward-facing condition is met when at least one of the following is detected: the vehicle preceding the vehicle has started moving; the traffic light in front of the vehicle has switched from a stop signal to a proceed signal; or the driver is distracted, according to any one of (1) to (4) above.
[0008] This disclosure provides a new method for encouraging drivers to look forward. [Brief explanation of the drawing]
[0009] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the interior of the vehicle. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the component configuration of the vehicle. [Figure 3]Figure 3 is a diagram showing the configuration of an ECU according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] Figure 4 shows the flow of the driver assistance process. [Figure 5] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram similar to Figure 1, showing the interior of a vehicle when the embedded lights are controlled so that the light moves toward a positional flowchart in front of the driver. [Figure 6] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of the driver assistance process according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]
[0010] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, similar components will be given the same reference numeral.
[0011] First Embodiment <Vehicle Configuration> First, with reference to Figure 1, the configuration of the interior of the vehicle 1 equipped with the driver assistance device according to this embodiment will be described. Figure 1 is a schematic diagram showing the interior of the vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 may be a manually driven vehicle in which the driver manually controls the vehicle 1, or it may be an automated vehicle in which the vehicle 1 automatically controls at least partially.
[0012] As shown in Figure 1, Vehicle 1 has a driver's seat 11 where the driver sits, and a passenger seat 12 and rear seats 13 where other occupants sit. Vehicle 1 also has an instrument panel 15, a display 16, a speaker 17, a driver monitor camera 18, and a recessed light 19.
[0013] The meter panel 15 is a device that displays information related to the driving of the vehicle 1 (for example, the speed of the vehicle 1, navigation information, etc.), and is an example of a display device that displays images, etc. The meter panel 15 is positioned in front of the driver's seat 11 so that it can be seen by the driver. In addition, a head-up display device (not shown) that displays driving-related information on the window glass in front of the driver's seat 11 may be provided in front of the driver's seat 11.
[0014] The display 16 is a device that emits light from a screen to project an image, and is an example of a display device that displays an image or the like. The display 16 is disposed in front of the vehicle between the driver's seat 11 and the passenger seat 12 so that the driver and other passengers can visually recognize it. As the display 16, various displays such as a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, etc. can be used. The display 16 may be provided with a touch panel that a passenger can touch and operate. Note that the display 16 may be provided at other locations as long as at least the driver can visually recognize it.
[0015] The speaker 17 is a device that outputs sound. The speaker 17 is disposed, for example, on both front sides inside the vehicle 1 so as to output sound toward the driver and other passengers.
[0016] The driver monitor camera 18 is a photographing device that photographs an image of the driver, particularly a part of the driver's face and upper body. In the present embodiment, the driver monitor camera 18 is provided at the upper part of the steering column 21 to which the steering wheel 20 is attached. Note that the driver monitor camera 18 may be provided at a position different from the upper part of the steering column 21 as long as it can image the driver of the vehicle 1. For example, the driver monitor camera 18 may be provided on the steering wheel 20, the rearview mirror, the meter panel 15, the meter hood 24, etc. of the vehicle 1.
[0017] The driver monitoring camera 18 includes a camera and a projector. For example, the camera is a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) camera or a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) camera, and the projector is an LED (Light Emitting Diode). Also, in order to be able to photograph the driver's face without giving discomfort to the driver even in low illuminance situations such as at night, the projector is preferably a near-infrared LED, and it is also preferable that the camera can detect near-infrared rays. For example, the projector is two near-infrared LEDs arranged on both sides of the camera. Also, a filter such as a visible light cut filter may be provided in the camera.
[0018] The driver monitoring camera 18 photographs the driver at a predetermined photographing cycle and generates an image in which the driver is shown. The driver monitoring camera 18 is connected to an ECU 40 described later via an in-vehicle network 35 described later, and every time an image is generated, the generated image is output to the ECU 40.
[0019] The embedded light 19 is an example of an in-vehicle lighting device that lights up the inner surface of the interior of the vehicle 1. In the present embodiment, the embedded light 19 is embedded in the inner surface of the interior of the vehicle 1 and extends linearly. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 includes two types of embedded lights 19a and 19b.
[0020] Among these, the first embedded light 19a is provided on the side surface of the interior of the vehicle 1. Specifically, in the present embodiment, the first embedded light 19a is arranged on the inner surface of the side door 22 of the vehicle 1 so as to extend in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 1. In particular, in the present embodiment, the first embedded light 19a is provided on the inner surface of the side door 22 of the driver's seat 11 or the passenger seat 12 and on the inner surface of the side door 22 of the rear seat 13. In particular, in the present embodiment, the first embedded light 19a extends linearly over the entire front-rear direction of the side door 22 of the driver's seat 11 or the passenger seat 12. In addition, the first embedded light 19a extends linearly over the entire front-rear direction of the side door 22 of the rear seat 13. In FIG. 1, only the first embedded light 19a provided on one side surface (the side surface on the driver's seat side) of the vehicle is shown, but the first embedded light 19a may also be provided on the opposite side surface.
[0021] On the other hand, the second recessed light 19b is provided on the front of the interior of the vehicle 1. Specifically, in this embodiment, the second recessed light 19b is positioned on the inner surface of the instrument panel 23 (a panel on which the meter panel 15, display 16, steering column 21, etc. are provided) located at the front of the interior of the vehicle 1, so as to extend in the left-right direction of the vehicle 1. In particular, in this embodiment, the second recessed light 19b extends linearly in the left-right direction across the entire front of the passenger seat 12 and the entire front between the passenger seat 12 and the driver's seat 11.
[0022] In this embodiment, the vehicle 1 is provided with two types of embedded lights: a first embedded light 19a and a second embedded light 19b. However, the vehicle 1 may be provided with only the first embedded light 19a or only the second embedded light 19b. Furthermore, the first embedded light 19a may be provided only on the inner surface of the side door 22 of the driver's seat 11 or the passenger seat 12, and not on the inner surface of the side door 22 of the rear seat 13. Also, the first embedded light 19a may extend linearly over only a portion of the front-to-back direction of the side door 22 of the driver's seat 11 and the rear seat 13. In addition, the second embedded light 19b may extend forward in the left-to-right direction over only a portion of the front of the passenger seat 12 and the front between the passenger seat 12 and the driver's seat 11.
[0023] The recessed light 19 is configured to emit light on its own and is positioned so that it can be seen by the occupants when it is lit. The recessed light 19 is composed of multiple lights, each of which can be controlled to emit and extinguish light independently. In particular, in this embodiment, it is composed of multiple LED lights that can emit light on their own. Therefore, in a linearly extending recessed light 19, it is possible to make only any part of the recessed light 19 emit light at any given time. For this reason, the recessed light 19 can be controlled to emit light in such a way that the illuminated portion moves by sequentially emitting light from one end to the other. Note that the recessed light 19 may be a light-emitting device other than an LED light, as long as it can emit light on its own.
[0024] Next, the component configuration of Vehicle 1 will be described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a schematic diagram showing the component configuration of Vehicle 1.
[0025] As shown in Figure 2, Vehicle 1 has an instrument panel 15, a display 16, a speaker 17, and a recessed light 19. In addition, Vehicle 1 has a driver monitor camera 18, an exterior camera 31, a distance measuring sensor 32, and an ECU 40.
[0026] The external camera 31 is a device that photographs the area around the vehicle. The external camera 31 has a two-dimensional detector (CCD, C-MOS, etc.) composed of an array of photoelectric conversion elements sensitive to visible light, and an imaging optical system that forms an image of the area to be photographed on the two-dimensional detector. In this embodiment, the external camera 31 is mounted, for example, inside the vehicle 1 so as to face forward of the vehicle 1. The external camera 31 photographs the area in front of the vehicle 1 at predetermined shooting cycles (e.g., 1 / 30 second to 1 / 10 second) and generates an image of that area. Each time the external camera 31 generates an image, it outputs the generated image to the ECU 40 via the in-vehicle network 35. The external camera 31 may be a monocular camera or a stereo camera. If a stereo camera is used as the external camera 31, the external camera 31 also functions as a distance measuring sensor 32. The vehicle 1 may be provided with multiple external cameras with different shooting directions or focal lengths.
[0027] The distance measuring sensor 32 is a sensor that measures the distance to objects present around the vehicle 1. In this embodiment, the distance measuring sensor 32 can also measure the orientation of objects present around the vehicle 1. The distance measuring sensor 32 is, for example, a radar such as a millimeter-wave radar, a LiDAR, or a sonar. In this embodiment, the distance measuring sensor 32 measures the distance to objects present in front of the vehicle. The distance measuring sensor 32 outputs the measurement results of the distance to surrounding objects to the ECU 40 at predetermined intervals via the in-vehicle network 35.
[0028] The ECU 40 functions as a control device that controls various in-vehicle equipment of the vehicle 1, such as embedded lights 19. Figure 3 is a configuration diagram of the ECU 40 according to one embodiment. As shown in Figure 3, the ECU 40 has a communication interface 41, a memory 42, and a processor 43. The communication interface 41 and the memory 42 are connected to the processor 43 via signal lines. In this embodiment, the vehicle 1 is equipped with only one ECU 40, but it may be equipped with multiple ECUs separated by function.
[0029] The communication interface 41 has an interface circuit for connecting the ECU 40 to an in-vehicle network 35 that conforms to standards such as CAN (Controller Area Network). The ECU 40 communicates with other in-vehicle devices via the communication interface 41. Therefore, data of the driver's image captured by the driver monitor camera 18, data of the surroundings of the vehicle 1 captured by the external camera 31, and data of the distance to objects around the vehicle 1 detected by the distance measuring sensor 32 are input to the ECU 40 via the in-vehicle network 35 and the communication interface 41.
[0030] Memory 42 functions as a data storage unit. Memory 42 includes, for example, volatile semiconductor memory (e.g., RAM) and non-volatile semiconductor memory (e.g., ROM). Memory 42 stores computer programs for executing various processes in the processor 43, and various data used when the processor 43 executes various processes.
[0031] The processor 43 has one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units) and their peripheral circuits. The processor 43 may further have a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or arithmetic circuits such as a logic unit or a numerical unit. The processor 43 executes various processes based on computer programs stored in memory 42.
[0032] As shown in Figure 3, in this embodiment, the processor 43 includes a condition determination unit 431, a light control unit 432, and a warning unit 433. The condition determination unit 431 determines whether the forward-facing condition, which requires the driver to face forward, is met. If the forward-facing condition is determined to be met, the light control unit 432 controls the embedded light 19 so that the light moves on the inner surface of the vehicle 1 toward the position in front of the driver. These parts of the processor 43 are, for example, functional modules realized by a computer program running on the processor 43. Alternatively, these parts of the processor 43 may be realized by a dedicated arithmetic circuit provided on the processor 43.
[0033] <Operation of driver assistance systems> Next, the operation of the driver assistance device of the vehicle 1 configured in this way will be described. The driver assistance device according to this embodiment assists the driver of the vehicle 1 in driving. In particular, in the driver assistance device of this embodiment, when the forward-facing condition is met, the embedded light 19 is controlled so that light moves on the inner surface of the vehicle 1 toward a position in front of the driver so that the driver faces forward. In particular, in this embodiment, when the forward-facing condition is met and it is determined that the driver is not facing forward, the embedded light 19 is controlled so that light moves on the inner surface of the vehicle 1 toward a position in front of the driver.
[0034] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the forward-facing condition is met when at least one of the following is detected: the vehicle preceding vehicle 1 has started moving; the traffic light in front of the vehicle has switched from a stop indicator to a proceed-permission indicator; or the driver is distracted.
[0035] Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the flow of the driver assistance process. The illustrated driver assistance process is executed by the ECU 40 at regular time intervals.
[0036] As shown in Figure 4, the condition determination unit 431 of the ECU 40 first acquires various data from various detection devices of the vehicle 1 (step S11). Specifically, in this embodiment, the condition determination unit 431 of the ECU 40 acquires data of the driver's image captured by the driver monitor camera 18, data of the area around the vehicle 1 captured by the external camera 31, and data of the distance to objects present around the vehicle 1 detected by the distance measuring sensor 32.
[0037] Next, the condition determination unit 431 of the ECU 40 determines, based on the data acquired in step S11, whether or not the forward-facing condition for the driver to face forward is met (step S12). In this embodiment, the condition determination unit 431 of the ECU 40 determines whether or not the vehicle preceding vehicle 1 has started moving, whether or not the traffic light in front of vehicle 1 has switched from a stop display to a proceed permission display, and whether or not the driver is looking away. Note that the forward-facing condition for the driver to face forward may also include other conditions, such as a closed level crossing opening.
[0038] For example, the condition determination unit 431 of the ECU 40 determines whether the preceding vehicle has started moving based on image data of the area around the vehicle 1 captured by the external camera 31 and data on the distance to objects around the vehicle 1 detected by the distance measuring sensor 32. Specifically, the condition determination unit 431 of the ECU 40 recognizes the preceding vehicle immediately in front of the vehicle 1 by image processing based on the data from the external camera 31, and detects the relative distance or relative speed to the recognized preceding vehicle based on the data from the distance measuring sensor 32. Then, based on a vehicle speed sensor (not shown), the condition determination unit 431 of the ECU 40 determines that the preceding vehicle has started moving when the vehicle 1 is stopped and the relative distance between the vehicle 1 and the preceding vehicle increases, or when the relative speed between the vehicle 1 and the preceding vehicle exceeds a predetermined speed.
[0039] Furthermore, the condition determination unit 431 of the ECU 40 determines, for example, whether the traffic light in front of the vehicle 1 has switched from a stop indicator (e.g., red light) to a proceed-allowed indicator (e.g., green light) based on image data of the area around the vehicle 1 captured by the external camera 31. Specifically, the condition determination unit 431 of the ECU 40 recognizes the traffic light in front of the vehicle 1 and its indicator through image processing based on the data from the external camera 31, and determines whether the indicator has switched from a stop indicator to a proceed-allowed indicator based on the recognized indicator.
[0040] Furthermore, the condition determination unit 431 of the ECU 40 determines, for example, whether the driver is distracted based on the image of the driver captured by the driver monitor camera 18. Specifically, the condition determination unit 431 of the ECU 40 detects the direction of the driver's face or the direction of the driver's eyes through image processing based on the image of the driver captured by the driver monitor camera 18. The condition determination unit 431 of the ECU 40 then determines that the driver is distracted if the detected direction of the driver's face or eyes is not in front of the driver.
[0041] If it is determined in step S12 that the forward-facing condition is not met, the light control unit 432 of the ECU 40 stops the operation of the recessed light 19 (step S13). Therefore, the recessed light 19 does not emit light. However, if the recessed light 19 is used as ambient light to illuminate the interior of the vehicle at night, the light control unit 432 of the ECU 40 may be controlled to emit light even if the forward-facing condition is not met. However, in this case, the recessed light 19 is not controlled so that the light moves toward the position in front of the driver, but rather, for example, the entire recessed light 19 emits light with a constant, uniform brightness.
[0042] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S12 that the forward-facing condition is met, the condition determination unit 431 of the ECU 40 determines whether the driver is facing forward or not based on, for example, an image of the driver captured by the driver monitor camera 18 (step S14). Specifically, the condition determination unit 431 of the ECU 40 detects the direction of the driver's face or the direction of the driver's eyes by image processing based on an image of the driver captured by the driver monitor camera 18. The condition determination unit 431 of the ECU 40 then determines that the driver is facing forward if the detected direction of the driver's face or eyes is in front of the driver. If it is determined in step S14 that the driver is facing forward, the light control unit 432 of the ECU 40 stops the operation of the embedded light 19 (step S13).
[0043] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S14 that the driver is not facing forward, the light control unit 432 of the ECU 40 controls the embedded light 19 so that the light moves toward the position in front of the driver (step S15). Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of the interior of the vehicle 1, similar to Figure 1, when the embedded light 19 is controlled so that the light moves toward the position in front of the driver. As shown in Figure 5, in the first embedded light 19a that extends in the front-rear direction of the vehicle 1 on the side of the interior of the vehicle 1, adjacent lights of the first embedded light 19a are sequentially illuminated so that multiple illuminated light portions move from the rear to the front of the vehicle 1. On the other hand, in the second embedded light 19b that extends in the left-right direction of the vehicle 1 on the front of the interior of the vehicle 1, adjacent lights of the second embedded light 19b are sequentially illuminated so that multiple illuminated light portions move from the passenger seat 12 side toward the driver's seat 11 side.
[0044] <Effects and variations> According to the above embodiment, when the forward-facing condition is met, the embedded light 19 is controlled so that light moves across the inner surface of the vehicle 1 toward a position in front of the driver. Because the driver follows the moving light with their eyes through pursuit eye movement, the driver naturally turns forward when the light moves toward a position in front of the driver. Furthermore, since no warning sound is emitted, the likelihood of the driver finding it bothersome can be reduced. Moreover, in this embodiment, the embedded light 19 is provided on the side and front of the interior of the vehicle 1, making it easily noticeable to the driver. Therefore, this embodiment provides a new method for encouraging the driver to face forward.
[0045] In the above embodiment, a recessed light 19 embedded in the interior surface of the interior of the vehicle 1 is used as an interior lighting device to illuminate the interior surface of the interior of the vehicle 1. However, other devices besides the recessed light 19 may be used as an interior lighting device as long as it is possible to partially illuminate the interior surface of the interior of the vehicle 1.
[0046] Specifically, as an in-vehicle lighting device, for example, an illumination light that illuminates the interior surface of the interior of the vehicle 1 may be used. The illumination light is, for example, installed on the ceiling of the vehicle 1 and irradiates laser light at the location where the embedded light 19 is installed in the above embodiment, thereby partially illuminating the interior surface of the interior of the vehicle 1. When using an illumination light, there is no need to embed a light inside the interior of the vehicle 1, and thus manufacturing costs are reduced.
[0047] Furthermore, in the above embodiment, the embedded light 19 is controlled so that when the forward-facing condition is met and it is determined that the driver is not facing forward, the light moves across the inner surface of the vehicle 1 toward the position in front of the driver. However, if the forward-facing condition is met, the embedded light 19 may be controlled so that the light moves across the inner surface of the vehicle 1 toward the position in front of the driver, regardless of whether the driver is facing forward or not.
[0048] Second Embodiment Next, with reference to Figure 6, the driver assistance system according to the second embodiment will be described. The configuration and control of the driver assistance system according to the second embodiment are basically the same as those of the driver assistance system according to the first embodiment. Therefore, the following description will focus on the differences from the driver assistance system according to the first embodiment.
[0049] In the first embodiment described above, the embedded light 19 is controlled to move when the forward-facing condition is met and it is determined that the driver is not facing forward. However, the driver may not notice the movement of light in the embedded light 19 alone. Therefore, in this embodiment, if it is determined that the driver is not facing forward after the embedded light 19 has been controlled to move on the inner surface of the vehicle 1 toward the position in front of the driver, a warning is displayed on the display device of the vehicle 1 (meter panel 15 or display 16) or an audio warning is output.
[0050] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the flow of the driver assistance process according to the second embodiment. The illustrated driver assistance process is executed by the ECU 40 at regular time intervals. Steps S21 to S25 in Figure 6 are the same as steps S11 to S15 in Figure 4, so their explanation is omitted.
[0051] In step S25, when the embedded light 19 is controlled so that the light moves toward a position in front of the driver, the condition determination unit 431 of the ECU 40 then determines whether the control of the embedded light 19 has continued for a predetermined period of time (step S26). The predetermined period of time is, for example, a fixed period of time set in advance, ranging from a few seconds to several tens of seconds. If it is determined in step S26 that the control of the embedded light 19 has not continued for the predetermined period of time, the control of the embedded light 19 continues as is.
[0052] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S26 that the control of the embedded light 19 has continued for a predetermined period of time, the warning unit 433 of the ECU 40 notifies the driver of a warning (step S27). Specifically, the warning unit 433 of the ECU 40 displays a warning on the meter panel 15 or display 16 prompting the driver to look forward. In addition, in this embodiment, the warning unit 433 of the ECU 40 outputs an audio message to the speaker 17 indicating a warning prompting the driver to look forward.
[0053] According to this embodiment, a warning display on the display device or a warning sound is output only if the driver does not face forward even when the embedded light 19 is controlled to move the light. Therefore, it is possible to more reliably get the driver to face forward while minimizing the inconvenience the driver experiences.
[0054] While preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the claims. [Explanation of symbols]
[0055] 1 vehicle 16 displays 17 speakers 18 Driver monitoring camera 31. Exterior car camera 32 Distance measuring sensor 40 ECU 43 processors 431 Condition judgment section 432 Optical Control Unit 433 Warning section
Claims
1. A driver assistance device that assists the driver of a vehicle in driving, An interior lighting device that illuminates the interior surface of the vehicle's interior, It includes a control device for controlling the in-vehicle lighting device, The control device includes a condition determination unit that determines whether the forward-facing condition, which requires the driver to face forward, is met, and a light control unit that controls the in-vehicle lighting device so that, when it is determined that the forward-facing condition is met, light moves on the inner surface of the vehicle toward the position in front of the driver. The light control unit, when it is determined that the forward-facing condition is met and the driver is not facing forward, controls the in-vehicle lighting device so that light moves on the inner surface of the vehicle toward the position in front of the driver. The control device further includes a warning unit that, after controlling the in-vehicle lighting device so that light moves on the inner surface of the vehicle toward a position in front of the driver, determines that the driver is not facing forward, and then causes a warning to be displayed on the vehicle's display device or outputs a warning sound.
2. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the light control unit controls the in-vehicle lighting device so that, when it is determined that the forward-facing condition is met, light moves from the rear of the vehicle to the front of the vehicle on the inner surface of the side of the interior of the vehicle.
3. The forward-facing condition is met when at least one of the following is detected: the vehicle preceding the vehicle has started moving; the traffic light in front of the vehicle has switched from a stop signal to a proceed signal; or the driver is distracted, as described in claim 1 or 2.