Driver assistance systems

Abstract

To provide a driving support system that secures the sense of security of a driver of a vehicle.SOLUTION: A driving support system 1 notifies a driver of a vehicle V of an automatic lane change, before executing an automatic lane change of automatically performing a lane change of the vehicle V, and if a preset standby time according to the driver of the vehicle V has passed after conducting the notification, the automatic lane change is executed.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] One aspect of the present invention relates to a driving support system. [Background Art]

[0002] As a technology related to driving support systems, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for stopping vehicle support control when a driving operation that matches the driving characteristics of a vehicle driver (hereinafter also simply referred to as "driver") is not performed. [Prior Art Documents] [Patent Documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.2002-195063 [Summary of the Invention] [Problem to be Solved by the Invention]

[0004] Meanwhile, as a driving support system, there is known a system that performs automatic lane change to automatically change the lane of the vehicle to overtake another vehicle traveling at a low speed in front of the lane on which the vehicle travels, or performs automatic lane change to head for a destination. In such a driving support system, when an automatic lane change is to be performed, the driver may be notified of this fact in advance. However, depending on the timing of starting the automatic lane change after the notification is issued, the vehicle may start moving laterally before the driver checks the surrounding conditions, which may impair the driver's sense of security.

[0005] Therefore, an object of one aspect of the present invention is to provide a driving support system that can ensure the sense of security of a vehicle driver. [Means for Solving the Problem]

[0006] (1) A driving assistance system according to one aspect of the present invention provides a notification to the vehicle's driver regarding an automatic lane change before performing an automatic lane change, and performs the automatic lane change after a predetermined waiting time, which is appropriate for the vehicle's driver, has elapsed since the notification.

[0007] This driver assistance system can automatically perform lane changes at a timing that matches the driver's perception, thereby ensuring the driver's sense of security.

[0008] (2) In the driver assistance system described in (1) above, the pre-set waiting time, which is appropriate for the vehicle's driver, may be set based on the driving time history of the vehicle's driver when manually changing lanes. In this case, the automatic lane change can be performed at a start timing that matches the driver's usual driving actions when changing lanes.

[0009] (3) In the driver assistance system described in (2) above, the driving operation time history may be a history of the time from the driver's preparatory actions before starting a lane change during manual driving to the actual steering during the lane change. In this case, the above-mentioned effect of being able to perform an automatic lane change at a start timing that matches the driver's usual driving actions during lane changes can be specifically realized.

[0010] (4) In the driver assistance system described in (2) or (3) above, the driving operation time history may be the history of the first hour, which is the time from the driver's turn signal operation to the actual steering for the lane change during manual driving. In this case, the above-mentioned effect of being able to perform an automatic lane change at a start timing that matches the driver's usual driving actions during lane changes can be realized more concretely.

[0011] (5) In the driver assistance system described in (2) or (3) above, the driving operation time history may be a second-hour history, which is the time from when the driver of the vehicle moves their gaze or face toward the door mirror in the direction of the lane change during manual driving until the actual steering of the lane change is performed, in the case when the driver of the vehicle moves their gaze or face toward the door mirror in the direction of the lane change and operates the turn signal within a certain period of time. In this case, the above-mentioned effect of being able to perform an automatic lane change at a start timing that matches the driver's usual driving actions during lane changes can be realized more concretely.

[0012] (6) In the driver assistance system described in (4) above, the waiting time may be the average of multiple first hours. In this case, multiple first hours can be reflected in the waiting time.

[0013] (7) In the driver assistance system described in (5) above, the waiting time may be the average of multiple second times. In this case, multiple second times can be reflected in the waiting time.

[0014] (8) If a driver assistance system described in any of (1) to (7) above has made a notification, the waiting time may be shortened compared to when the driver of the vehicle has made a visual check of the area around the vehicle. In this case, the presence or absence of the driver's visual check can be reflected in the timing of the start of the automatic lane change.

[0015] (9) A driver assistance system described in any of (1) to (8) above may increase the waiting time when the number of other vehicles around the vehicle is greater than or equal to the upper threshold, compared to when the number of other vehicles is less than the upper threshold, and decrease the waiting time when the number of other vehicles is less than or equal to the lower threshold, compared to when the number of other vehicles is greater than the lower threshold. In this case, the congestion status around the vehicle can be reflected in the timing of the start of the automatic lane change.

[0016] (10) In any of the above (1) to (9) driver assistance systems, the vehicle has a personal authentication function, and the waiting time at the end of the most recent driving session for each of the multiple drivers is stored as a memory value. If the driver is personally authenticated by the personal authentication function at the start of driving when the driver starts driving the vehicle, the memory value associated with that driver may be used as the initial value for the waiting time. In this case, it becomes possible to perform automatic lane changes at a start timing that is more in line with the driver's sense. [Effects of the Invention]

[0017] According to one aspect of the present invention, it is possible to provide a driver assistance system that can ensure a sense of security for the vehicle driver. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0018] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a driver assistance system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 shows an example of a notification displayed in the HMI shown in Figure 1. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a flowchart showing the processing of the driver assistance system in Figure 1. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0019] The embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. In the description of the drawings, the same or equivalent elements will be denoted by the same reference numeral, and redundant descriptions will be omitted.

[0020] [First Embodiment] A first embodiment will be described. As shown in Figure 1, the driver assistance system 1 according to this embodiment is mounted on a vehicle V. The vehicle V may be a passenger car or a cargo vehicle. The vehicle V can accommodate one or more occupants. The vehicle V may be an autonomous driving vehicle capable of autonomous driving. The vehicle V can also be manually driven by a driver.

[0021] Driving assistance system 1 is a system capable of performing automatic lane change, which automatically changes the lane of vehicle V. Automatic lane change refers to, for example, control that automatically performs the lane change of vehicle V under specific conditions. As one example, automatic lane change is performed to overtake another vehicle traveling at a low speed when such other vehicle exists ahead of the lane on which vehicle V is traveling. As another example, automatic lane change is performed to head toward a destination. The destination is not particularly limited, and is, for example, an exit of an expressway. Automatic lane change may be, for example, a function in automatic driving, or may be a function in driving assistance such as advanced drive. Driving assistance system 1 includes an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 10.

[0022] The ECU 10 is an electronic control unit including a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory) and the like. In the ECU 10, various functions are implemented by, for example, loading a program stored in the ROM into the RAM and executing the program loaded in the RAM by the CPU. Some of the functions of the ECU 10 may be executed by a server capable of communicating with the vehicle V. The ECU 10 may be composed of a plurality of electronic units. An internal sensor 2, an external sensor 3, a driver monitoring camera 4, a turn signal sensor 5, a steering sensor 6, an HMI 7 and an actuator 8 are connected to the ECU 10.

[0023] Internal sensor 2 is a detection device that detects the driving state of vehicle V. Internal sensor 2 includes a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a yaw rate sensor. The vehicle speed sensor is a detector that detects the speed of vehicle V. For example, a wheel speed sensor that detects the rotational speed of the wheels can be used as the vehicle speed sensor. The vehicle speed sensor transmits the detected vehicle speed information to the ECU 10. The acceleration sensor is a detector that detects the acceleration of vehicle V. For example, the acceleration sensor transmits the acceleration information of vehicle V to the ECU 10. The yaw rate sensor is a detector that detects the yaw rate (rotational angular velocity) of vehicle V around the vertical axis of the center of gravity of vehicle V. For example, a gyro sensor can be used as the yaw rate sensor. The yaw rate sensor transmits the detected yaw rate information of vehicle V to the ECU 10.

[0024] External sensor 3 is a detection device that detects the surrounding environment of vehicle V. External sensor 3 includes a camera and a radar sensor. The camera is, for example, mounted behind the windshield of vehicle V and captures images of the area in front of vehicle V. The camera may also be mounted on the rear and sides of vehicle V. The camera transmits the image information of the area around vehicle V to ECU 10. The camera may be a monocular camera or a stereo camera. The radar sensor is a detection device that detects obstacles around vehicle V using radio waves (e.g., millimeter waves) or light. The radar sensor includes, for example, a millimeter-wave radar or lidar. The radar sensor transmits the detected obstacle information to ECU 10.

[0025] The driver monitoring camera 4 is a camera that monitors the driver. The driver monitoring camera 4, for example, captures an image of the driver's head. Here, the head refers to the part from the neck up, including the entire face. Multiple driver monitoring cameras 4 may be provided to capture images of the driver from multiple directions. The driver monitoring camera 4 transmits the captured driver image to the ECU 10. The turn signal sensor 5 detects the driver's operation of the turn signals (indicators). The turn signal sensor 5 transmits the detected turn signal operation information to the ECU 10. The steering sensor 6 detects the driver's operation of the steering unit. The steering sensor 6 transmits the detected steering information to the ECU 10.

[0026] The HMI7 is an interface for inputting and outputting information to and from the driver. The HMI7 includes, for example, a driver-viewable display and a speaker. The HMI7 outputs images from the display and audio from the speaker in response to control signals from the ECU10. The HMI7 may also include a HUD (Head-Up Display). The HMI7 may be capable of receiving driver input regarding the activation and deactivation of automatic lane changes.

[0027] Actuator 8 is a device used to control the vehicle V. Actuator 8 includes at least a drive actuator, a brake actuator, and a steering actuator. The drive actuator controls the engine and / or motor as power sources in response to a control signal from ECU 10, thereby controlling the driving force of the vehicle V. The brake actuator controls the brake system in response to a control signal from ECU 10, thereby controlling the braking force applied to the wheels of the vehicle V. The steering actuator controls the drive of the assist motor that controls the steering torque of the electric power steering system in response to a control signal from ECU 10. In this way, the steering actuator controls the steering torque of the vehicle V.

[0028] In the driver assistance system 1 according to this embodiment, the driver is notified about the automatic lane change before the automatic lane change is performed. For example, the ECU 10 sends a control signal to the HMI 7 before the automatic lane change is performed, and as a notification, displays a diagram showing the vehicle's movement related to the lane change, the vehicle speed, and text prompting the driver to check the surroundings on the HMI 7's display (see Figure 2). The ECU 10 may also output audio related to the automatic lane change from the HMI 7's speaker.

[0029] The ECU 10 sends a control signal to the actuator 8 and executes the automatic lane change after it has received notification regarding the automatic lane change and a predetermined waiting time corresponding to the driver of vehicle V has elapsed. For example, the execution of the automatic lane change can be achieved by the ECU 10 generating a lane change trajectory from the vehicle V's driving lane to an adjacent lane based on the detection results of the internal sensor 2 and the external sensor 3, and controlling the actuator 8 to drive along that lane change trajectory. The "driver of vehicle V" with respect to the waiting time includes not only the person currently driving vehicle V, but also anyone who has driven vehicle V in the past. In this embodiment, the "driver of vehicle V" with respect to the waiting time is not limited to a specific person; for example, if vehicle V is shared and used by multiple people, each of these multiple people is a "driver of vehicle V".

[0030] In this embodiment, the pre-set waiting time, which is dependent on the driver of vehicle V, is a time set based on the driving operation time history during lane changes performed manually by the driver of vehicle V. In other words, in this embodiment, the "waiting time dependent on the driver of vehicle V" is a waiting time set according to the driving operation time history stored in vehicle V and updated by the current driver of vehicle V. The "waiting time dependent on the driver of vehicle V" is not limited to being dependent on a specific driver.

[0031] The driving action time history is a history of the time from the pre-actions (hereinafter also simply referred to as "pre-actions"), which are the driving actions of the driver of vehicle V before the start of a lane change during manual driving, to the actual steering of the lane change. "From pre-actions" means "from any point in time between the start and end of pre-actions," for example, it could be from the start of pre-actions, from the end of pre-actions, or from an intermediate point between the start and end of pre-actions. "To the actual steering of the lane change" means "up to any point in time between the start and end of the actual steering of the lane change," for example, it could be up to the start of the actual steering of the lane change, up to the end of the actual steering of the lane change, or an intermediate point between the start and end of the actual steering of the lane change.

[0032] The pre-actions include, for example, the driver of vehicle V operating the turn signal, shifting the driver's gaze toward the door mirror in the direction of the lane change, and shifting the driver's face toward the door mirror in the direction of the lane change, all before the actual lane change steering. The turn signal operation can be recognized by a known method based on the turn signal operation information detected by the turn signal sensor 5. The start time of the turn signal operation can be, for example, the time when the turn signal sensor 5 detects the driver's operation of the turn signal lever. The end time of the turn signal operation may be the same time as the start time of the turn signal operation, or it may be a certain amount of time elapsed from the start time of the turn signal operation. The door mirror in the direction of the lane change is the right door mirror when changing lanes to the adjacent lane on the right side of vehicle V, and the left door mirror when changing lanes to the adjacent lane on the left side of vehicle V.

[0033] The driver's gaze shift toward the door mirror of vehicle V can be recognized by a known method based on the driver image captured by the driver monitoring camera 4. For example, when recognizing the driver's gaze shift toward the door mirror, the driver's eyes are detected from the driver image, and the position of the pupil of the detected eye is identified. The driver's gaze is estimated from the shape of the detected eye and the identified pupil position. If, based on the positional relationship between the driver and the door mirror, it is determined that the estimated gaze is located on or to the side beyond the door mirror, it is recognized that the driver's gaze has shifted toward the door mirror. The start point of the driver's gaze shift can be, for example, the point when the driver's gaze, which is facing the front of vehicle V, moves toward the door mirror by a certain angle or more. In this case, the angle of gaze shift can be calculated, for example, as the horizontal rotation angle centered on the driver's head. The end point of the driver's gaze shift is, for example, the point when the driver's gaze reaches the door mirror.

[0034] The movement of the driver's face orientation toward the door mirror of vehicle V can be recognized by a known method based on the driver image captured by the driver monitoring camera 4. For example, when recognizing the movement of the driver's face orientation toward the door mirror, the driver's face is detected from the driver image, and the positional information of the detected facial feature points (e.g., eyes, nose, and mouth) is identified. The driver's face orientation is estimated from the position and size of the detected face and the positional information of the identified feature points. If, based on the positional relationship between the driver and the door mirror, it is determined that the estimated face orientation is located to the side of the door mirror or beyond the door mirror, it is recognized that the driver's face orientation has moved toward the door mirror. The start point of the driver's face orientation can be, for example, when the driver's face orientation, which is facing the front of vehicle V, moves toward the door mirror by a certain angle or more. The end point of the driver's face orientation can be, for example, when the driver's face is facing the door mirror.

[0035] Actual lane change steering can be recognized by a known method based on steering information detected by the steering sensor 6 and changes in the lane the vehicle V is traveling in. Actual lane change steering corresponds to the steering that occurred when the vehicle V's lane actually changed (for example, the steering when the vehicle V crossed the white line of the lane it was traveling in and moved to the adjacent lane) among the past steering detected by the steering sensor 6. Steering when the vehicle V's lane did not change, such as when driving on a curve, is not included in the actual lane change steering. For example, if it is determined from the lane information that the vehicle V's lane has changed, the steering made in conjunction with that change in lane may be recognized as the actual lane change steering. As an example, if it is determined that the vehicle V has changed lanes to the adjacent lane on the right, the point at which the steering wheel began to be turned to the right during that lane change may be considered the start of the actual lane change steering, and the point at which the steering wheel was returned to its original position or center position may be considered the end of the actual lane change steering. Changes in the lane in which vehicle V is traveling may be recognized by various known methods, for example, by determining whether or not vehicle V has crossed a white line based on the detection results of a white line recognition camera.

[0036] The driving time history of this embodiment is a history of the first hour, which is the time from the driver's turn signal operation to the actual steering maneuver for the lane change during manual driving. The driving time history is stored in the ECU 10. The driving time history is updated, for example, when the driver performs a lane change through manual driving. "From the turn signal operation" means "from any point in time between the start and end of the turn signal operation," for example, it may be from the start of the turn signal operation, from the end of the turn signal operation, or from an intermediate point between the start and end of the turn signal operation.

[0037] ECU10 calculates the average of multiple first-hour periods and sets the average of the first-hour periods as the waiting time. ECU10 sets the waiting time each time the operating time history is updated. ECU10 may also set the waiting time at regular intervals. If the operating time history is not stored in ECU10, a predetermined standard value may be used as the initial value of the waiting time. The average value is a value obtained by performing an averaging process such as the arithmetic mean, weighted mean, or geometric mean. The averaging process is not particularly limited, and various averaging processes may be used. ECU10 may also set the median or mode of the first-hour periods as the waiting time instead of the average of the first-hour periods. The mode is, for example, the time length that appears most frequently when the lengths of multiple first-hour periods are divided into predetermined time intervals. The predetermined time is not particularly limited. The predetermined time may be 0.5 seconds or 1 second.

[0038] Next, we will explain the processing of the driver assistance system 1, referring to the flowchart in Figure 3.

[0039] For example, in a scenario where a moving vehicle V performs a lane change, the ECU 10 determines whether or not automatic lane change is in operation (step S1). If the result in step S1 is NO, the lane change is performed manually by the driver. At that time, the first hour, which is the time from when the driver operates the turn signal until the actual steering begins, is stored and updated in the ECU 10 as the driving operation time history (step S2). The ECU 10 averages the stored first hour and sets the average value of the first hour as the waiting time (step S3). After that, the process ends.

[0040] If the answer in step S1 is YES, the ECU 10 determines whether an automatic lane change is possible based on the detection result of the external sensor 3 (step S4). If it is determined in step S4 that an automatic lane change is not possible (if the answer in step S5 is NO), the process ends without performing the automatic lane change.

[0041] On the other hand, if it is determined that automatic lane change is possible (if the answer is YES in step S5), the ECU 10 outputs a notification regarding the automatic lane change via the HMI 7 (step S6). After outputting the notification regarding the automatic lane change, the system waits for the set waiting time (step S7). Then, the ECU 10 executes the automatic lane change (step S8). After that, the process ends.

[0042] In summary, the driver assistance system 1 issues a notification regarding the automatic lane change before executing it. After the notification is issued, the automatic lane change is executed after a predetermined waiting time, which is appropriate for the driver of vehicle V, has elapsed. This allows the automatic lane change to be executed at a start time that matches the driver's preference for vehicle V, thereby ensuring the driver's sense of security.

[0043] In the driver assistance system 1, the pre-set waiting time, which is tailored to the driver of vehicle V, is determined based on the driving time history of the driver of vehicle V during manual lane changes. In this case, automatic lane changes can be performed at a start timing that matches the driver of vehicle V's usual lane change driving behavior.

[0044] In the driver assistance system 1, the driving time history is a record of the time from the driver's preparatory actions before initiating a lane change in vehicle V during manual driving to the actual steering maneuver during the lane change. In this case, the above-mentioned effect of being able to perform an automatic lane change at a start timing that matches the driver's usual lane change driving actions becomes concretely achievable.

[0045] In the driver assistance system 1, the driving time history is the first hour, which is the time from the driver of vehicle V operating the turn signal during manual driving to the actual steering maneuver for the lane change. In this case, the above-mentioned effect of being able to perform an automatic lane change at a start timing that matches the driver's usual lane change driving actions can be realized more concretely.

[0046] In the driver assistance system 1, the waiting time is the average of multiple first-hour periods. In this case, multiple first-hour periods can be reflected in the waiting time.

[0047] [Second Embodiment] A second embodiment will now be described. In the description of the second embodiment, the differences from the first embodiment will be explained, and redundant explanations will be omitted as appropriate.

[0048] The difference between the driver assistance system of this embodiment and the first embodiment is that the pre-set waiting time, which is appropriate for the driver of vehicle V, is a time that can be set by the driver operating vehicle V via HMI7.

[0049] In this embodiment, for example, before the driver starts driving the vehicle V, the ECU 10 displays a waiting time input screen on the HMI 7 display and requests the driver to input the waiting time. The waiting time can be entered as a value directly or selected from a set of different values. At this time, the HMI 7 display may show the driving time history, the average value for the first hour, and the midpoint value for the first hour to support the driver's input of the waiting time. If a value for the waiting time is entered via the HMI 7, the ECU 10 sets that value as the waiting time. If no value for the waiting time is entered via the HMI 7, the ECU 10 sets an initial value as the waiting time.

[0050] In this embodiment as well, automatic lane changes can be performed at a start timing that matches the driver's perception of the vehicle V. This makes it possible to ensure the driver of vehicle V feels safe and secure.

[0051] [Third Embodiment] A third embodiment will now be described. In the description of the third embodiment, the differences from the first embodiment will be explained, and redundant explanations will be omitted as appropriate.

[0052] The difference between the driver assistance system according to this embodiment and the first embodiment is that the driving operation time history is a second-hour history. The second hour is the time from when the driver of vehicle V moves their gaze or face toward the door mirror side in the direction of the lane change during manual driving, until the actual steering of the lane change is performed, in the case where the driver of vehicle V moves their gaze or face toward the door mirror side in the direction of the lane change and operates the turn signal within a certain period of time.

[0053] "After moving the gaze or face direction" means "from any point in time between the start and end of the movement of the gaze or face direction," for example, it could be from the start of the movement of the gaze or face direction, from the end of the movement of the gaze or face direction, or from an intermediate point between the start and end of the movement of the gaze or face direction. The constant time is not particularly limited and can be various times. The constant time may be a fixed value or a variable value that can be changed via HMI7.

[0054] ECU10 calculates the average value over the second period and sets this average value as the waiting time. Alternatively, ECU10 may set the median or mode of the second period as the waiting time instead of the average value.

[0055] In this embodiment as well, automatic lane changes can be performed at a start timing that matches the driver's perception of the vehicle V. This makes it possible to ensure the driver of vehicle V feels safe and secure.

[0056] In this embodiment, the driving time history is the history of the second time period. In this case, the above-mentioned effect of being able to perform automatic lane changes at a start timing that matches the driver's usual driving actions during lane changes can be realized more concretely. Also, in this embodiment, the waiting time is the average value of multiple second time periods. In this case, multiple second time periods can be reflected in the waiting time.

[0057] [Differentiation] Although embodiments have been described above, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. One embodiment of the present invention can be implemented in various forms, starting with the embodiments described above, with various modifications and improvements based on the knowledge of those skilled in the art.

[0058] In the above embodiment, the ECU 10 may shorten the waiting time if the driver visually checks the area around the vehicle V after notification, compared to when there is no such visual check. Whether or not the driver visually checks the area around the vehicle V can be recognized by a known method based on the driver image captured by the driver monitoring camera 4. For example, when recognizing whether or not the driver visually checks the area around the vehicle V, the face of the driver operating the vehicle V is detected based on the driver image, and features such as eye position, pupil size, eyelid opening and closing, and face orientation are extracted. Based on the extracted features, the presence or absence of the driver visually checking the area around the vehicle V is recognized. The ECU 10 recognizes, for example, that a visual check has occurred when the driver's face orientation or gaze direction moves by a certain angle or more to the left or right with respect to the front of the vehicle. The certain angle is not particularly limited. For example, the certain angle may be 60° or 80°. The amount by which the waiting time is shortened is not particularly limited and may be a fixed value or a variable value that can be changed via the HMI 7. In this case, whether or not the driver visually checks the area can be reflected in the start timing of the automatic lane change.

[0059] In the above embodiment, if the number of other vehicles present around vehicle V is greater than or equal to an upper threshold, the ECU 10 may consider the congestion around vehicle V to be dense (mixed) and may increase the waiting time compared to the case where the number of other vehicles is less than the upper threshold. If the number of other vehicles present around vehicle V is less than or equal to a lower threshold, the ECU 10 may consider the congestion around vehicle V to be empty (not mixed) and may decrease the waiting time compared to the case where the number of other vehicles is greater than the lower threshold. The upper and lower thresholds are values ​​defined for determining the congestion around vehicle V, for example, and are not particularly limited and may be various values. The upper and lower thresholds may be fixed values ​​or variable values ​​that can be changed via the HMI 7. The amount by which the waiting time is increased and decreased is not particularly limited and may be fixed values ​​or variable values ​​that can be changed via the HMI 7. For example, other vehicles present around vehicle V may be other vehicles within a certain distance from vehicle V in the adjacent lane to which the lane change will occur. The upper and lower thresholds may be pre-set in the ECU 10 based on factors such as the vehicle V's speed, traffic conditions, road type, and time of day. In this case, the congestion around vehicle V can be reflected in the timing of the automatic lane change.

[0060] In the above embodiment, vehicle V may have a personal authentication function. The ECU 10 may store the waiting time at the end of the most recent driving session for each of the multiple drivers as a stored value. If the driver is authenticated by the personal authentication function at the start of driving when the driver starts driving vehicle V, the ECU 10 may set the stored value associated with that driver as the initial value for the waiting time. This makes it possible to set the initial value of the waiting time for each driver, for example, when multiple people share vehicle V. This makes it possible to perform automatic lane changes at a start timing that is more in line with the driver's sense of vehicle V.

[0061] Personal authentication is implemented when the driver accesses the vehicle V by authentication means including, for example, biometric authentication means, PIN code input means, smart key authentication means, and combinations thereof. As an example, biometric authentication means may include fingerprint authentication means, facial authentication means, iris authentication means, and voiceprint authentication means. These biometric authentication means automatically detect the driver's biometric information using sensors installed around the driver's seat when the driver gets into the vehicle V, and identify the driver by comparing it with the driver's biometric information that has been registered in advance. The PIN code input means identifies the driver by having the driver enter a pre-set PIN code before pressing the start button on the vehicle V. The smart key authentication means identifies the driver by detecting that the smart key carried by the driver is near the vehicle V.

[0062] In the above embodiment, the waiting time may be obtained using a trained machine learning model. For example, the machine learning model may be a model that outputs output data regarding the waiting time when at least parameters relating to the driving operation time history during lane changes by the driver of vehicle V are input as input parameters.

[0063] In the above embodiment, notifications regarding automatic lane changes were provided via display and / or audio through the HMI7, but the system is not limited to this, and various types of notifications may be used. For example, seat vibration notifications may be used as notifications regarding automatic lane changes.

[0064] In the above embodiment, the waiting time may be automatically adjusted depending on the notification method. For example, in the case of an image-only notification, the time required to understand the intention of the automatic lane change may be longer than with an audio notification. When relying solely on visual information, the driver often needs to take their eyes off the road to check the information, which requires additional recognition time. On the other hand, audio notifications allow the driver to receive information without taking their eyes off the road, enabling quicker recognition. Therefore, in the case of an audio-only notification, the waiting time may be set shorter compared to the case of an image-only notification.

[0065] In the above embodiment, the "waiting time according to the driver of vehicle V" may be a time according to the attributes (age, gender, etc.) of the driver operating vehicle V. For example, the waiting time is stored in the ECU 10 in association with the attributes. For example, if the age is above a certain value, a longer waiting time is stored compared to when the age is below a certain value. For example, if the gender is female, a longer waiting time is stored compared to when the gender is male. Then, at the start of driving when the driver starts driving vehicle V, the attributes of the driver are identified by the personal authentication function, and the waiting time stored in association with the identified attributes of the driver may be set as the waiting time in the ECU 10.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the "waiting time corresponding to the driver of vehicle V" may be a time corresponding to the individual driver operating vehicle V. For example, the waiting time may be stored in the ECU 10 in association with multiple individual drivers. For example, the waiting time may be stored for each case: when driver A, when driver B, and when driver C. Then, at the start of driving when a driver begins driving vehicle V, the driver may be authenticated by the personal authentication function, and the waiting time stored in association with the authenticated driver may be set as the waiting time in the ECU 10. The driving assistance system only needs to pre-set the waiting time according to the driver of vehicle V, and it is not essential to use the driving operation time history when setting the waiting time. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0067] 1...Driving assistance system, 2...Internal sensor, 3...External sensor, 4...Driver monitoring camera, 5...Turn signal sensor, 6...Steering sensor, 7...HMI, 8...Actuator, 10...ECU, V...Vehicle.

Claims

1. Before performing an automatic lane change, which automatically changes the vehicle's lane, the driver of the vehicle is notified of the automatic lane change. After the aforementioned notification is given, if a predetermined waiting time, which is appropriate for the driver of the vehicle, has elapsed, the automatic lane change will be executed. A driver assistance system in which the pre-set waiting time, which is appropriate for the driver of the vehicle, is set based on the driving operation time history of the driver of the vehicle during lane changes performed manually.

2. The driving assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the driving operation time history is a history of the time from the driver's preparatory actions before initiating a lane change to the actual steering during the lane change in manual driving.

3. The driving assistance system according to claim 2, wherein the driving operation time history is a history of a first hour, which is the time from the driver of the vehicle operating the turn signal to the actual steering for a lane change during manual driving.

4. The driving assistance system according to claim 2, wherein the driving operation time history is a history of a second time period, which is the time from when the driver of the vehicle moves their gaze or face toward the door mirror in the direction of the lane change during manual driving until the actual steering maneuver for the lane change.

5. The driving support system according to claim 3, wherein the waiting time is the average value of a plurality of first times.

6. The driving support system according to claim 4, wherein the waiting time is the average value of a plurality of second times.

7. Before performing an automatic lane change that automatically changes the vehicle's lane, the driver of the vehicle is notified of the automatic lane change, After the aforementioned notification is given, if a predetermined waiting time, which is appropriate for the driver of the vehicle, has elapsed, the automatic lane change will be executed. A driver assistance system that, when the driver of the vehicle visually checks the area around the vehicle after the notification has been made, shortens the waiting time compared to when such visual check is not performed.

8. Before performing an automatic lane change that automatically changes the vehicle's lane, the driver of the vehicle is notified of the automatic lane change, After the aforementioned notification is given, if a predetermined waiting time, which is appropriate for the driver of the vehicle, has elapsed, the automatic lane change will be executed. The aforementioned vehicle has a personal authentication function, The waiting time at the end of the most recent operation for each of the multiple drivers is stored as a memory value. A driving assistance system in which, if the driver is personally authenticated by the personal authentication function at the start of driving when the driver begins driving the vehicle, the stored value associated with the driver is set as the initial value of the waiting time.

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