Presentation control device for vehicle and presentation control method for vehicle

The vehicle presentation control device and method ensure continuous passenger-side information presentation during driver changeovers in autonomous driving, addressing passenger inconvenience by managing notifications and maintaining device functionality.

WO2025204857A1PCT designated stage Publication Date: 2025-10-02DENSO CORP
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Patent Information

Application Number
PCT/JP2025/009067
Authority / Receiving Office
WO · WO
Patent Type
Applications
Current Assignee / Owner
Priority Date
2024-03-28
Filing Date
2025-03-11
Publication Date
2025-10-02

AI Technical Summary

Technical Problem

Passengers in a vehicle experience inconvenience when a driver changeover notification disrupts the presentation of information on passenger-side devices during autonomous driving, as existing systems often halt such presentations.

Method used

A vehicle presentation control device and method that continue the presentation of information on passenger-side devices even when a driver changeover notification is issued, using a change-related notification identification unit and a presentation control unit to manage the passenger-side information presentation independently of driver change notifications.

Benefits of technology

Minimizes passenger inconvenience by ensuring continuous information presentation on passenger-side devices during driver changeovers in autonomous driving, maintaining convenience and functionality.

✦ Generated by Eureka AI based on patent content.

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Abstract

This presentation control device for a vehicle is provided with: a switching-related notification specification unit (106) that specifies that a switching-related notification, which is a notification regarding switching of driving for a host vehicle from autonomous driving, be provided; and a presentation control unit (107) that controls information presentation by a passenger-side presentation device, which is an information presentation device provided in the host vehicle and available to passengers other than the driver of the host vehicle, and which is different from a driver-side presentation device that is an information presentation device provided in the host vehicle for exclusive use by the driver. Even when the switching-related notification specification unit (106) specifies that the switching-related notification be provided, the presentation control unit (107) causes the passenger-side presentation device to continue specific information presentation, which is information presentation provided for a second-task-equivalent action, which is an action for passengers corresponding to a second task that is an action other than driving and that the driver is permitted to perform during autonomous driving without monitoring obligation.
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Description

Vehicle presentation control device and vehicle presentation control method CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is based on Patent Application No. 2024-54719 filed in Japan on March 28, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a presentation control device for a vehicle and a presentation control method for a vehicle.

[0003] Autonomous driving technologies that allow a vehicle to operate autonomously are known. In unsupervised autonomous driving, where there is no supervisory obligation for safe driving, the system performs the driving task except in emergencies, while the driver takes over driving. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a technology that issues a warning to notify the driver that autonomous driving cannot be continued when it is determined that autonomous driving of the vehicle cannot be continued.

[0004] Furthermore, in automated driving without supervisory obligation, the driver is permitted to perform a second task other than driving. The driver can perform the second task using an in-vehicle information presentation device dedicated to the driver (hereinafter referred to as the driver's side information presentation device). Meanwhile, passengers other than the driver can also perform actions equivalent to the second task using an in-vehicle information presentation device available to passengers (hereinafter referred to as the passenger's side information presentation device). It is known that when a notification regarding a driver handover is issued, the information presentation provided for the second task by the driver's side information presentation device cannot be continued.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-107502

[0006] When a notification regarding a driver change is made, if the passenger-side information presentation device is prevented from continuing to present information used for an action equivalent to a second task (hereinafter, "action equivalent to the second task"), this may cause inconvenience to the passenger. More details are provided below. The notification regarding a driver change may not be necessary for the passenger. In such cases, if the notification regarding a driver change makes it impossible to continue to present information used for an action equivalent to a second task on the passenger-side information presentation device, the passenger may feel inconvenienced.

[0007] One object of this disclosure is to provide a vehicle presentation control device and a vehicle presentation control method that make it possible to minimize the loss of convenience for passengers even when a notification regarding a driver changeover in automatic driving is made.

[0008] The symbols in parentheses in the claims indicate a correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments described below as one aspect, and do not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0009] In order to achieve the above object, the vehicle presentation control device disclosed herein is a vehicle presentation control device that can be used in an autonomously driven vehicle, and is equipped with a change-related notification identification unit that identifies the issuance of a change-related notification, which is a notification regarding a change-over from autonomous driving of the vehicle, and a presentation control unit that controls the presentation of information on a passenger-side presentation device, which is an information presentation device installed in the vehicle that can be used by passengers other than the driver of the vehicle, and is different from the driver-side presentation device, which is an information presentation device installed in the vehicle that is exclusive to the driver, and the presentation control unit continues the presentation of information on the passenger-side presentation device even when the change-related notification identification unit identifies the issuance of a change-related notification for the specific information presentation, which is information presentation provided for a second task-equivalent action, which is an action for passengers, which is equivalent to a second task, which is an action other than driving that the driver is permitted to do during autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings.

[0010] In order to achieve the above object, the vehicle presentation control method disclosed herein is a vehicle presentation control method that can be used in an autonomously driven vehicle, and includes a change-related notification identification process executed by at least one processor that identifies the issuance of a change-related notification, which is a notification regarding a change-over from autonomous driving of the vehicle, and a presentation control process that controls the presentation of information on a passenger-side presentation device, which is an information presentation device installed in the vehicle that can be used by passengers other than the driver of the vehicle and is different from the driver-side presentation device, which is an information presentation device installed in the vehicle exclusively for the driver, and in which the presentation control process continues the presentation of information on the passenger-side presentation device even when the change-related notification identification process identifies the issuance of a change-related notification, which is the presentation of specific information provided for a second task-equivalent action, which is an action for the passenger, which is equivalent to a second task, which is an action other than driving that the driver is permitted to do during autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings.

[0011] According to the above configuration, even when a notification related to a driver change from automated driving is issued, the presentation of specific information used for the second task-equivalent action on the passenger-side presentation device continues. Therefore, the presentation of specific information on the passenger-side presentation device does not become impossible because the notification related to the driver change from automated driving is issued. As a result, it is possible to prevent a loss of convenience for passengers even when a notification related to a driver change from automated driving is issued.

[0012] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle system. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an information presentation device in embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an operation device. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an HCU in embodiment 1. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a correspondence relationship between the stage of a change-related notification and the restriction on information presentation on a passenger-side presentation device. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of specific information presentation-related processing in an HCU. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a correspondence relationship between the state of a passenger and the stage of a change-related notification that causes information presentation. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a correspondence relationship between the type of specific information presentation and whether or not a change-related notification is made from a passenger-side presentation device. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a correspondence relationship between the stage of urgency of a change-related notification and an information presentation device that makes a change-related notification. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of route setting screen transfer-related processing in an HCU. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of route information transfer-related processing in an HCU. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of cooperation-related processing in an HCU. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a correspondence relationship between whether or not information for the driver is displayed on an information presentation device other than the passenger-side presentation device, and the display on the passenger-side presentation device. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence between the presence or absence of a periphery monitoring obligation in autonomous driving and the possibility of operating a passenger side presentation device by a driver. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of an HCU in embodiment 2. FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of notification acceptance / rejection related processing in the HCU. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of operation acceptance / rejection related processing in the HCU. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of an HCU in embodiment 3. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of an HCU in embodiment 4. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of an information presentation device in embodiment 5. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of the schematic configuration of an HCU in embodiment 6.

[0013] A number of embodiments for the purpose of disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. For the sake of convenience, parts having the same functions as parts shown in the drawings used in the previous explanations in the number of embodiments will be given the same reference numerals, and their description may be omitted. For parts given the same reference numerals, the explanations in other embodiments may be referred to.

[0014] (Embodiment 1) <Overview of Vehicle System 1> Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The vehicle system 1 shown in FIG. 1 can be used in a vehicle capable of autonomous driving (hereinafter, referred to as an autonomous vehicle). As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle system 1 includes an HCU (Human Machine Interface Control Unit) 10, a short-range communication module 20, a locator 30, a map database (hereinafter, referred to as a map DB) 40, a vehicle state sensor 50, a perimeter monitoring sensor 60, a vehicle control ECU 70, an autonomous driving ECU 80, an interior camera 91, an information presentation device 92, and an operation device 93. For example, the HCU 10, the short-range communication module 20, the locator 30, the map DB 40, the vehicle state sensor 50, the perimeter monitoring sensor 60, the vehicle control ECU 70, and the autonomous driving ECU 80 may be configured to be connected to an in-vehicle LAN (LAN) (see the LAN in FIG. 1 ). Although the vehicle using the vehicle system 1 is not necessarily limited to an automobile, the following description will be given taking the case of using the system in an automobile as an example.

[0015] There are multiple levels of autonomous driving for autonomous vehicles (hereinafter referred to as "automation levels"), as defined by the SAE, for example. The automation levels are classified into LV0 to LV5 as follows:

[0016] LV0 is a level at which the driver performs all driving tasks without system intervention. The driving task may also be referred to as a dynamic driving task. The driving task may be, for example, steering, acceleration / deceleration, and periphery monitoring. LV0 corresponds to so-called manual driving. LV1 is a level at which the system assists with either steering or acceleration / deceleration. LV1 corresponds to so-called driving assistance. LV2 is a level at which the system assists with both steering and acceleration / deceleration. LV2 corresponds to so-called partial driving automation. LV1 to LV2 are also considered to be part of autonomous driving. Note that in this embodiment, driving with an automation level of LV2 or higher may also be considered autonomous driving. In other words, the explanation will continue using an example where the vehicle system 1 is used in a vehicle that performs autonomous driving with assistance in both steering and acceleration / deceleration.

[0017] For example, automated driving at levels 1 to 2 is automated driving in which the driver has the obligation to monitor the surroundings (hereinafter simply referred to as the monitoring obligation) for safe driving. Automated driving with a monitoring obligation is hereinafter referred to as automated driving with a monitoring obligation. The monitoring obligation includes visual monitoring of the surroundings. Automated driving at levels 1 to 2 can also be described as automated driving in which a second task is not permitted. A second task is a predefined specific action other than driving that the driver is permitted to perform. A second task can also be referred to as a secondary activity, other activity, etc. A second task must not prevent the driver from responding to a request from the automated driving system to take over driving operations. Examples of second tasks include watching content such as videos, operating a smartphone, reading, and eating. In the following, actions equivalent to a second task performed by a passenger in the vehicle other than the driver are referred to as second-task-equivalent actions. A second-task-equivalent action is similar to a second task, except that it is performed by a passenger. The second task equivalent action is an action of a passenger, and can be performed even while the driver is driving.

[0018] Level 3 autonomous driving is a level where the system can perform all driving tasks under certain conditions, with the driver taking over driving operations in an emergency. Level 3 autonomous driving requires the driver to be able to respond quickly when the system requests a driver-to-drive takeover. This driver-to-drive takeover can also be described as the transfer of the responsibility for monitoring the surroundings from the vehicle's system to the driver. Level 3 corresponds to so-called conditional automated driving. Level 4 autonomous driving is a level where the system can perform all driving tasks except under certain circumstances, such as on inoperable roads or in extreme environments. Level 4 corresponds to so-called highly automated driving. Level 5 autonomous driving is a level where the system can perform all driving tasks in any environment. Level 5 corresponds to so-called fully automated driving. Level 4 and LV5 autonomous driving may be performed, for example, on driving sections where high-precision map data is available. High-precision map data will be described later.

[0019] For example, autonomous driving at level 3 or higher is autonomous driving in which the driver does not have a monitoring obligation. Autonomous driving without a monitoring obligation will be referred to hereinafter as autonomous driving without a monitoring obligation. Autonomous driving at level 3 or higher can also be rephrased as autonomous driving in which a second task is permitted. In this embodiment, the presence or absence of a monitoring obligation is switched when switching between an automation level of level 3 or higher and an automation level of level 2 or lower. Therefore, when switching from an automation level of level 3 or higher to an automation level of level 2 or lower, the driver is required to monitor safe driving. The driver may be required to take over driving when switching from an automation level of level 3 or higher to an automation level of level 2 or lower. Automation levels of level 2 or lower include level 0, which corresponds to manual driving.

[0020] The short-range communication module 20 is a communication module for performing short-range wireless communication. When a communication connection is established between the short-range communication module 20 and a portable terminal of an occupant of the vehicle, the short-range communication module 20 performs short-range wireless communication with the portable terminal. The short-range wireless communication is, for example, wireless communication having a maximum communication range of several tens of meters. For example, wireless communication compliant with Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy may be used as the short-range wireless communication. Examples of the portable terminal include a multi-function mobile phone, a tablet terminal, and a notebook PC. The vehicle system 1 may also include a wide-area communication module for transmitting and receiving information via wireless communication with a center external to the vehicle.

[0021] The locator 30 includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver and an inertial sensor. The GNSS receiver receives positioning signals from multiple positioning satellites. The inertial sensor includes, for example, a gyro sensor and an acceleration sensor. The locator 30 sequentially determines the vehicle position of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the vehicle position) by combining the positioning signals received by the GNSS receiver with the measurement results of the inertial sensor. The vehicle position may be expressed, for example, in latitude and longitude coordinates. Note that the vehicle position may also be determined using a travel distance calculated from signals sequentially output from a vehicle speed sensor mounted on the vehicle.

[0022] The map DB 40 is a non-volatile memory that stores high-precision map data. The high-precision map data is map data with higher accuracy than the map data used for route guidance in the navigation function. The high-precision map data includes information usable for automated driving, such as three-dimensional road shape information, information on the number of lanes, and information indicating the permitted driving direction for each lane. The high-precision map data may also include node point information indicating the positions of both ends of road markings such as lane markings. The map DB 40 may also store map data used for route guidance. Note that the locator 30 may be configured to use the three-dimensional road shape information without using a GNSS receiver. For example, the locator 30 may be configured to determine the vehicle's position using the three-dimensional road shape information and the detection results from the perimeter monitoring sensor 60. The three-dimensional road shape information may be generated based on captured images using REM (Road Experience Management).

[0023] Note that map data distributed from an external server may be received by wide-area communication via the wide-area communication module and stored in the map DB 40. In this case, the map DB 40 may be configured as a volatile memory, and the wide-area communication module may successively acquire map data for an area corresponding to the vehicle's position.

[0024] The vehicle condition sensor 50 is a group of sensors for detecting various conditions of the vehicle. The vehicle condition sensor 50 includes a vehicle speed sensor, a steering torque sensor, an accelerator sensor, a brake sensor, a steering wheel grip sensor, and a seating sensor. The vehicle speed sensor detects the speed of the vehicle. The steering torque sensor detects the steering torque applied to the steering wheel. The accelerator sensor detects whether the accelerator pedal is depressed. The brake sensor detects whether the brake pedal is depressed. The grip sensor detects whether the occupant is gripping the steering wheel of the vehicle. For example, the grip sensor may be a pressure-sensitive sensor provided on the steering wheel. Alternatively, the grip sensor may detect whether the occupant is gripping the steering wheel by recognizing the occupant's hands from an image captured by the interior camera 91. The seating sensor detects whether the occupant is seated on each seat. The seating sensor may be a pressure-sensitive sensor provided on the seat surface. The vehicle condition sensor 50 outputs the detected sensing information to the in-vehicle LAN. The sensing information detected by the vehicle condition sensor 50 may be configured to be output to an in-vehicle LAN via an ECU mounted in the vehicle.

[0025] The perimeter monitoring sensor 60 monitors the environment surrounding the vehicle. As an example, the perimeter monitoring sensor 60 detects obstacles around the vehicle. Examples of obstacles include moving objects such as pedestrians and other vehicles. Examples of obstacles include objects fallen on the road and stationary objects such as roadside traffic lights. The perimeter monitoring sensor 60 also detects road markings such as lane markings around the vehicle. The perimeter monitoring sensor 60 is, for example, a perimeter monitoring camera that captures an image of a predetermined area around the vehicle, or a search wave sensor that transmits search waves within a predetermined area around the vehicle. Examples of search wave sensors include millimeter-wave radar, sonar, and LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging / Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging). The predetermined area may be a range that at least partially includes the front, rear, left, and right sides of the vehicle. For example, the predetermined area may be a range that at least includes the area ahead of the vehicle. The perimeter monitoring camera sequentially outputs the captured images to the autonomous driving ECU 80 as sensing information. The search wave sensor sequentially outputs the scanning results based on the received signals obtained when receiving the reflected waves reflected by an obstacle to the automatic driving ECU 80 as sensing information.

[0026] The vehicle control ECU 70 is an electronic control device that controls the driving of the vehicle. Examples of driving control include acceleration / deceleration control and / or steering control. The vehicle control ECU 70 includes a steering ECU that controls steering, a power unit control ECU that controls acceleration / deceleration, and a brake ECU. The vehicle control ECU 70 controls driving by outputting control signals to each driving control device mounted on the vehicle. Examples of driving control devices include an electronically controlled throttle, a brake actuator, and an EPS (Electric Power Steering) motor.

[0027] The autonomous driving ECU 80 includes, for example, a processor, memory, I / O, and a bus connecting these, and executes control programs stored in the memory to perform autonomous driving-related processing. The memory referred to here is a non-transitory tangible storage medium that non-temporarily stores computer-readable programs and data. The non-transitory tangible storage medium is realized by a semiconductor memory, a magnetic disk, or the like. The autonomous driving ECU 80 includes, as functional blocks, a driving environment recognition unit, an action determination unit, and a control execution unit.

[0028] The driving environment recognition unit recognizes the driving environment of the vehicle from the vehicle position acquired from the locator 30, the map data acquired from the map DB 40, and the sensing information acquired from the periphery monitoring sensor 60. As an example, the driving environment recognition unit uses this information to recognize the positions, shapes, and movement states of objects around the vehicle, and generates a virtual space that reproduces the actual driving environment. The driving environment recognition unit may also recognize the presence, relative positions, and relative speeds of vehicles around the vehicle as part of the driving environment from the sensing information acquired from the periphery monitoring sensor 60. The driving environment recognition unit may recognize the vehicle position on the map from the vehicle position and map data.

[0029] The behavior determination unit switches the control entity for driving operations between the driver and the system of the host vehicle. When the system has control of driving operations, the behavior determination unit determines a driving plan for driving the host vehicle based on the recognition results of the driving environment by the driving environment recognition unit. As driving plans, a long-term / mid-term driving plan and a short-term driving plan are generated. In the long-term / mid-term driving plan, a planned driving route for directing the host vehicle to a set destination is generated. This planned driving route is a route consisting of multiple links. The autonomous driving ECU 80 may generate this planned driving route in a manner similar to route search by the navigation function. This route search may be performed, for example, by cost calculation using the Dijkstra algorithm. In the short-term driving plan, the behavior determination unit generates a driving plan for realizing driving in accordance with the long-term / mid-term driving plan using a virtual space around the generated host vehicle. Specifically, it determines the execution of steering for lane changes, acceleration / deceleration for speed adjustment, steering and braking for obstacle avoidance, etc.

[0030] The behavior determination unit also switches the automation level of the host vehicle's autonomous driving as needed. The behavior determination unit may lower the automation level when it determines that a lowering of the automation level is necessary. The behavior determination unit may determine that a lowering of the automation level is necessary when an override is detected, when a planned driving change occurs, or when an unplanned driving change occurs. An override is an operation by which the driver of the host vehicle voluntarily acquires control of the host vehicle. In other words, an override is an operational intervention by the driver of the vehicle. The behavior determination unit may detect an override from sensing information obtained from the vehicle state sensor 50. For example, the behavior determination unit may detect an override when the steering torque detected by the steering torque sensor exceeds a threshold. The behavior determination unit may detect an override when the accelerator sensor detects depression of the accelerator pedal. Alternatively, the behavior determination unit may detect an override when the brake sensor detects depression of the brake pedal. A planned driving change is a planned driving change determined by the system. An unplanned driving change is an unexpected driving change determined by the system. Hereinafter, the operation changeovers determined by the system will be collectively referred to as system-determined operation changeovers.

[0031] When the control authority for driving operations is in the vehicle's system, the control execution unit works in cooperation with the vehicle control ECU 70 to execute acceleration / deceleration control, steering control, etc. of the vehicle in accordance with the driving plan determined by the action judgment unit.

[0032] The interior camera 91 captures an image of a predetermined range within the vehicle interior. Preferably, the interior camera 91 captures an image of at least an area including the driver's seat of the vehicle. Preferably, the interior camera 91 also captures an image of an area including the passenger seat of the vehicle. More preferably, the interior camera 91 also captures an image of an area including the rear seats of the vehicle. The interior camera 91 is configured, for example, with a near-infrared light source, a near-infrared camera, and a control unit that controls them. The interior camera 91 uses the near-infrared camera to capture an image of an occupant of the vehicle illuminated with near-infrared light from the near-infrared light source. The image captured by the near-infrared camera is analyzed by the control unit. The control unit analyzes the captured image to detect features such as the occupant's face. The control unit may detect the occupant's facial orientation, posture, level of alertness, etc. based on the detected features of the occupant's upper body, including the face. The level of alertness may be detected, for example, by the degree of opening and closing of the eyelids.

[0033] The information presentation device 92 is provided in the vehicle and presents information to the interior of the vehicle. That is, the information presentation device 92 notifies the occupants of the vehicle. The information presentation device 92 presents information in accordance with instructions from the HCU 10. As shown in FIG. 2 , the information presentation device 92 includes a display device 921 and an audio output device 922.

[0034] The display device 921 presents information by displaying information. The display device 921 is, for example, a pillar-to-pillar type display (hereinafter, PtoP display). The PtoP display is a display device whose display area extends between the left and right pillars located on both sides of the front windshield. The PtoP display may be realized by arranging multiple displays in a horizontal row on the instrument panel. As shown in FIG. 2 , the display device 921 includes, for example, a meter MID (Multi Information Display) 9211, a CID (Center Information Display) 9212, and a passenger display (hereinafter, passenger DP) 9213. The meter MID 9211 is a display provided in front of the driver's seat in the interior of the vehicle. As an example, the meter MID 9211 may be configured to be provided on a meter panel. The meter MID 9211 is an information presentation device exclusively for the driver. The meter MID 9211 corresponds to a driver's side presentation device. The CID 9212 is a display located in the center of the vehicle's instrument panel. The CID 9212 is an information presentation device that can be used by the driver and passengers. The CID 9212 corresponds to a passenger-side presentation device. The passenger DP 9213 is a display provided in front of the passenger seat inside the vehicle. In the following, the passenger DP 9213 will be described using an example in which the passenger DP 9213 is a display for the passenger seat (hereinafter referred to as the passenger seat DP). Note that the passenger DP 9213 may also include a display provided for passengers in the rear seats (hereinafter referred to as a rear monitor). The passenger DP 9213 also corresponds to a passenger-side presentation device.

[0035] The display device 921 may be a head-up display (HUD). The HUD is provided in the vehicle interior, for example, on an instrument panel. The HUD projects a display image formed by a projector onto a predetermined projection area on a windshield serving as a projection member. The light of the image reflected by the windshield into the vehicle interior is perceived by the occupant sitting in the seat. This allows the occupant to view a virtual image of the display image formed in front of the windshield superimposed on a portion of the foreground. The HUD may be configured to project the display image onto a combiner instead of the windshield. When a HUD is used, the HUD that displays a virtual image for the occupant sitting in the driver's seat corresponds to the driver's side presentation device. On the other hand, the HUD that displays a virtual image for the occupant sitting in the passenger seat corresponds to the passenger's side presentation device.

[0036] The audio output device 922 presents information by outputting audio. A speaker or the like may be used as the audio output device 922. As shown in FIG. 2 , the audio output device 922 includes, for example, a driver's side speaker (hereinafter referred to as driver SP) 9221 and a passenger's side speaker (hereinafter referred to as passenger SP) 9222. The driver SP 9221 is a speaker provided on the driver's seat side of the interior of the vehicle. The driver SP 9221 also corresponds to a driver's side presentation device. The passenger SP 9222 is a speaker provided on the passenger's seat side of the interior of the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as passenger seat SP). Note that the passenger SP 9222 may also include a speaker provided on the rear seat side (hereinafter referred to as rear SP). The passenger SP 9222 also corresponds to a passenger's side presentation device. For example, audio related to the display on the meter MID 9211 may be output from the driver SP 9221. For example, audio related to the display on the passenger DP 9213 may be output from the passenger SP 9222. For example, audio related to the display on the CID 9212 may be output from the driver SP 9221 and the passenger SP 9222.

[0037] The operation device 93 receives operation input from the occupant. The operation device 93 may be a mechanical switch or a touch switch integrated with a display. As shown in Fig. 3 , the operation device 93 includes, for example, a driver's side operation device (hereinafter referred to as driver OD) 931, a center side operation device (hereinafter referred to as center OD) 932, and a passenger's side operation device (hereinafter referred to as passenger OD) 933.

[0038] The driver OD 931 accepts operational input from the driver. An example of the driver OD 931 is a steering switch provided on the steering wheel. The driver OD 931 may also include a driver changeover switch that confirms the driver changeover. When the driver changeover switch is operated during manual driving, the driver changeover from the driver to the system is confirmed. On the other hand, when the driver changeover switch is operated in a situation where the system requests the handover of control during automated driving, the driver changeover from the automated driving function to the driver is confirmed. In other words, when the driver changeover switch is operated in a situation where a driver changeover request is made during automated driving, the driver changeover to the driver is completed. The central OD 932 accepts operational input from both the driver and a passenger. An example of the central OD 932 is a switch provided on the center cluster or center console of the instrument panel. The central OD 932 may be a touch panel of the CID 9212. The passenger OD 933 receives operation input from a passenger. An example of the passenger OD 933 is a touch panel of the passenger DP 9213.

[0039] The HCU 10 is mainly composed of a computer including, for example, a processor, a volatile memory, a non-volatile memory, an I / O, and a bus connecting these. The HCU 10 executes various processes related to the interaction between the occupant and the vehicle's system by executing a control program stored in the non-volatile memory. This HCU 10 corresponds to a vehicle presentation control device. The configuration of the HCU 10 will be described in detail below. The HCU 10 controls the presentation of information from the information presentation device 92. The HCU 10 acquires the imaging results and detection results from the interior camera 91. The HCU 10 acquires information on operation inputs received from the occupant via the operation device 93.

[0040] <Overall Configuration of HCU 10> Next, the overall configuration of the HCU 10 will be described using FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 4, the HCU 10 includes functional blocks, such as an AD information acquisition unit 101, a driver state identification unit 102, a passenger state identification unit 103, a commissioned operation detection unit 104, a setting operation detection unit 105, a shift-related notification identification unit 106, and a presentation control unit 107. The execution of processing by a computer of each functional block of the HCU 10 corresponds to the execution of a vehicle presentation control method. Some or all of the functions executed by the HCU 10 may be configured as hardware using one or more integrated circuits (ICs), etc. Some or all of the functional blocks included in the HCU 10 may be implemented by a combination of software executed by a processor and hardware components.

[0041] The AD information acquisition unit 101 acquires information output from the autonomous driving ECU 80. For example, the AD information acquisition unit 101 may acquire information on the automation level currently set by the autonomous driving ECU 80. For example, the AD information acquisition unit 101 may acquire information on a driving plan planned by the autonomous driving ECU 80. For example, the AD information acquisition unit 101 may acquire a determination result of switching the automation level determined by the autonomous driving ECU 80.

[0042] The driver state identification unit 102 identifies the state of the driver of the vehicle. The driver state identification unit 121 may identify the state of the driver from the imaging results and detection results of the interior camera 91. The driver state identification unit 102 may identify the state of the driver from sensing information detected by the vehicle state sensor 14. Examples of the driver state identified by the driver state identification unit 102 include the driver's posture, the state of gripping the steering wheel, and the operation state of the information presentation device 92. The driver's posture may at least be identified as to whether or not the driver is in a posture to take over driving. The posture in which the driver takes over driving may be a posture that satisfies conditions such as facing forward and with the upper body upright. These postures may be identified from the facial posture and posture detected by the interior camera 91. The upright state of the upper body may be determined from the reclining angle. The reclining angle may be detected from the rotation angle of the reclining motor. The posture in which the driver takes over driving may be determined from the gripping of the steering wheel using a grip sensor. The operation state of the information presentation device 92 is a state of which operation device 93 the driver is trying to operate. Which operation device 93 the driver is trying to operate can be determined by the driver state identification unit 102 from the position of the finger recognized by the image.

[0043] The passenger state identification unit 103 identifies the state of a passenger of the vehicle. The passenger state identification unit 103 may identify the state of the passenger from the image capture results of the interior camera 91. The passenger state identification unit 103 may identify the presence or absence of the passenger, the seating position of the passenger, whether or not the passenger is wearing headphones, etc. Whether or not the passenger is wearing headphones may be identified using image recognition technology. The presence or absence of the passenger and the seating position of the passenger may be identified from the detection results of seating sensors for each seat.

[0044] The entrusted operation detection unit 104 detects an entrusted operation performed by the driver when the driver's route setting is interrupted, to request the passenger to continue route setting. Route setting is the setting of the planned driving route of the long- to medium-term driving plan described above. For example, route setting includes inputting a destination, inputting intermediate points, and selecting a planned driving route from multiple recommended routes obtained by route search. Route setting can be performed via the operation device 93. The entrusted operation may be a specific operation on the operation device 93 that the driver can operate. The entrusted operation may be, for example, a specific operation on the driver OD 931. As an example, it may be an operation of a switch assigned to the entrusted operation among the steering switches. Alternatively, the entrusted operation may be, for example, a specific operation on the center OD 932. As an example, it may be a sliding operation on the touch panel of the CID 9212 toward the passenger DP 9213.

[0045] The setting operation detection unit 105 detects a route setting operation via the operation device 93. The operation device 93 on which the route setting operation is performed may be any of the driver OD 931, the central OD 932, and the passenger OD 933. The setting operation detection unit 105 detects the route setting operation and outputs the detection result to the autonomous driving ECU 80. The autonomous driving ECU 80 reflects the detection result input from the setting operation detection unit 105 and generates a planned driving route in the long- to medium-term driving plan described above.

[0046] The changeover-related notification specification unit 106 specifies that a notification regarding a changeover from autonomous driving of the host vehicle (hereinafter, a changeover-related notification) should be made. The changeover-related notification specification unit 106 may specify that a changeover-related notification should be made based on the determination result of the automation level switching acquired by the AD information acquisition unit 101. The processing by the changeover-related notification specification unit 106 corresponds to a changeover-related notification specification step.

[0047] It is preferable that the change-related notification identifying unit 106 be able to distinguish and identify change-related notifications of different levels of urgency. Examples of change-related notifications include, in order of decreasing urgency, a driver change notification, a driver change warning, and an MRM warning. A change-related notification is issued when either a timing value of the remaining time until a driver change is required or the remaining distance until a point where a driver change is required reaches a threshold. The threshold may be lower for a change-related notification of higher urgency. Note that the threshold may be set lower for unplanned driver changes than for planned driver changes. The change-related notification identifying unit 106 may identify the level of change-related notification to be issued depending on the level of the threshold reached by the timing value. The driver change notification may be information that notifies the driver that a driver change will be made. The driver change warning may be information that warns the driver to change drivers. The MRM warning may be information that warns the driver that an MRM (Minimal Risk Maneuver) will be initiated. The MRM corresponds to automatic evacuation. The changeover-related notification may be only some of the driver change notification, driver change warning, and MRM warning. For example, the changeover-related notification may be the driver change notification and the driver change warning, and the MRM warning may be a different type of notification from the changeover-related notification.

[0048] The presentation control unit 107 controls the presentation of information by the information presentation device 92. The presentation control unit 107 controls the presentation of information by the meter MID 9211, the CID 9212, the passenger DP 9213, the driver SP 9221, and the passenger SP 9222. When the change-related notification specification unit 106 specifies that a change-related notification is to be made, the presentation control unit 107 causes the driver's side presentation device to make a change-related notification. As a specific example, the change-related notification may be made by the meter MID 9211 and the driver SP 9221. The presentation control unit 107 may cause the driver's side presentation device to make a change-related notification that is specified by the change-related notification specification unit 106 to be made, among multiple levels of change-related notifications with different levels of urgency. Note that a change-related notification is made when autonomous driving of LV3 or higher, which is autonomous driving without a monitoring obligation, is being performed.

[0049] The presentation control unit 107 continues the presentation of information (hereinafter, "specific information presentation") on the passenger-side presentation device for the second task-equivalent action, even when the changeover-related notification specification unit 106 specifies that a changeover-related notification be made. The processing by the presentation control unit 107 corresponds to a presentation control process. Specific examples of the passenger-side presentation device include the CID 9212, the passenger DP 9213, and the passenger SP 9222. Note that the passenger-side presentation device may be configured without including the CID 9212. In this manner, the presentation of specific information on the passenger-side presentation device continues even when a changeover-related notification is made. Therefore, the changeover-related notification does not prevent the presentation of specific information on the passenger-side presentation device from being disabled. As a result, even when a notification regarding a driver changeover in automated driving is made, it is possible to minimize the loss of convenience for passengers. Examples of specific information presentation include the display and audio output of content such as video, and the display of a mirrored screen other than video. Mirroring refers to synchronously displaying the screen contents of a mobile terminal that is connected for communication via the short-range communication module 20 on the display device 921. An example of a mirrored screen display other than a video is the operation screen of a notebook PC.

[0050] It is preferable that the presentation control unit 107 gradually limits the continuation of the presentation of specific information on the passenger-side presentation device in accordance with the increasing level of urgency of the shift-related notification identified by the shift-related notification identification unit 106. The shift-related notification is information presented to the driver, but as the urgency increases, the need for the information presentation to the passenger also increases, for example, to prepare for changes in vehicle behavior. In contrast, with the above configuration, the lower the need for the shift-related notification for the passenger, the less likely it is that the presentation of the specific information will be obstructed, thereby improving convenience. On the other hand, the higher the need for the shift-related notification for the passenger, the more easily the shift-related notification can be presented to the passenger.

[0051] For example, the continuation of information presentation on the passenger-side presentation device may be limited according to the level of urgency of the change-related notification, as shown in FIG. 5 . FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of the correspondence between the level of the change-related notification and the limit on information presentation on the passenger-side presentation device. As shown in FIG. 5 , when the type of change-related notification is a driving change notification, which has the lowest level of urgency, both the display and audio output of the specific information presentation on the passenger-side presentation device may be continued. As a specific example, when specific information presentation is being performed by passenger DP9213 and passenger SP9222, the presentation of the specific information on both passenger DP9213 and passenger SP9222 may be continued. As shown in FIG. 5 , when the type of change-related notification is a driving change warning, which has the next lowest level of urgency, the display of the specific information presentation on the passenger-side presentation device may be interrupted, but the audio output of the specific information presentation may be continued. As a specific example, when the passenger DP 9213 and the passenger SP 9222 are presenting specific information, the presentation of the specific information on the passenger DP 9213 may be suspended, while the presentation of the specific information on the passenger SP 9222 may continue. As shown in FIG. 5 , when the type of the changeover-related notification is the MRM warning, which has the highest level of urgency, both the display and audio output of the specific information on the passenger-side presentation device may be suspended. As a specific example, when the passenger DP 9213 and the passenger SP 9222 are presenting specific information, both the presentation of the specific information on the passenger DP 9213 and the passenger SP 9222 may be suspended. The changeover-related notification may be provided by display on the passenger-side presentation device, for example, regardless of the level of urgency of the changeover-related notification. The presence or absence of the changeover-related notification on the passenger-side presentation device may be varied depending on various situations. This point will be described in detail later.

[0052] The presentation control unit 107 does not have to be configured to wait until the driver changeover is complete before releasing the restriction on information presentation on the passenger side presentation device. The presentation control unit 107 preferably releases this restriction when the driver state identification unit 102 identifies that the driver is ready to take over as the driver. Even if the driver changeover is not complete, if the driver is ready to take over as the driver, the driver changeover is certain, and there is little need to continue the restriction on the presentation of specific information. Continuing the restriction on the presentation of specific information, even when there is little need to continue the restriction, may cause inconvenience to the passenger. In contrast, the above configuration can reduce inconvenience to the passenger compared to releasing the restriction on the presentation of specific information after the driver changeover is complete. The timing of the completion of the driver changeover may be, for example, the timing when the driver changeover switch described above receives an operation.

[0053] Here, an example of the flow of processing related to the presentation of specific information by the passenger-side presentation device (hereinafter, "specific information presentation related processing") in the HCU 10 will be described using the flowchart in Figure 6. The flowchart in Figure 6 may be configured to be started when the presentation of specific information is started by the passenger-side presentation device during autonomous driving without a monitoring obligation.

[0054] First, in step S1, if the change-related notification specifying unit 106 specifies that a driver change notification will be performed (YES in S1), the process proceeds to step S2. On the other hand, if the change-related notification specifying unit 106 does not specify that a driver change notification will be performed (NO in S1), the process proceeds to step S4.

[0055] In step S2, the presentation control unit 107 continues both display and audio output as specific information presentation on the passenger side presentation device, and then proceeds to step S3. In step S3, if the driver changeover from automatic driving without monitoring obligation has been completed (YES in S3), the specific information presentation related processing ends. On the other hand, if the driver changeover from automatic driving without monitoring obligation has not been completed (NO in S3), the process returns to S1 and repeats.

[0056] In step S4, if the change-related notification specifying unit 106 specifies that a driver change warning will be issued (YES in S4), the process proceeds to step S5. On the other hand, if the change-related notification specifying unit 106 does not specify that a driver change warning will be issued (NO in S4), the process proceeds to step S9.

[0057] In step S5, the presentation control unit 107 suspends the display of the specific information on the passenger side presentation device while continuing the audio output of the specific information, and the process proceeds to step S6. In step S6, if the driver state identification unit 102 identifies that the driver is ready to take over driving (YES in S6), the process proceeds to step S7. On the other hand, if the driver state identification unit 102 does not identify that the driver is ready to take over driving (NO in S6), the process proceeds to step S11.

[0058] In step S7, the presentation control unit 107 releases the restriction on the presentation of specific information, and the process proceeds to step S8. In step S8, if the transition from autonomous driving without a monitoring obligation to the driving mode has been completed (YES in S8), the process related to the presentation of specific information is terminated. On the other hand, if the transition from autonomous driving without a monitoring obligation to the driving mode has not been completed (NO in S8), the process of S8 is repeated.

[0059] In step S9, if the replacement-related notification specifying unit 106 specifies that an MRM warning will be issued (YES in S9), the process proceeds to step S10. On the other hand, if it does not specify that an MRM warning will be issued (NO in S9), the process returns to S1 and repeats the process.

[0060] In step S10, the presentation control unit 107 suspends the display and audio output of the specific information presentation on the passenger side presentation device, and proceeds to step S6. In step S11, if it is time to end the specific information presentation-related process (YES in S11), the specific information presentation-related process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is not time to end the specific information presentation-related process (NO in S11), the process returns to S1 and is repeated. Examples of timings to end the specific information presentation-related process include the start of automatic evacuation of the vehicle, the end of specific information presentation due to an operation by the occupant, etc.

[0061] It is preferable that the presentation control unit 107 changes the stage at which the passenger-side presentation device issues a change-related notification, among the multiple stages of change-related notifications with different levels of urgency, depending on the passenger's state identified by the passenger state identification unit 103. It is considered that the passenger's state may cause different levels of annoyance even if a change-related notification is issued when specific information is being presented. In contrast, with the above configuration, it is possible to start information presentation from a change-related notification with a level that is least likely to be annoyed, among the multiple stages of change-related notifications with different levels of urgency, depending on the passenger's state. As a result, it is possible to further reduce the loss of convenience for the passenger.

[0062] For example, the stage of the change-related notification at which information is presented depending on the passenger's state may be as shown in FIG. 7 . FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of the correspondence between the passenger's state and the stage of the change-related notification at which information is presented. As shown in FIG. 7 , when the passenger is not wearing headphones, the change-related notification may be provided by the passenger-side presentation device from the driver change warning stage. In other words, when a driver change warning or an MRM warning is provided, the driver change warning or the MRM warning may also be provided by the passenger-side presentation device. On the other hand, when a driver change notification is provided, the driver change notification may not be provided by the passenger-side presentation device. This is because when the passenger is not wearing headphones, the passenger is less likely to focus on the presentation of specific information, and therefore, starting information presentation from a change-related notification at a less urgent stage is less likely to be annoyed. As shown in FIG. 7 , when the passenger is wearing headphones, the change-related notification may be provided by the passenger-side presentation device from the MRM warning stage. In other words, when an MRM warning is issued, the MRM warning may also be issued by the passenger-side presentation device. On the other hand, when a driver change notification or driver change warning is issued, the driver change notification or driver change warning may not be issued by the passenger-side presentation device. This is because, when a passenger is wearing headphones, they tend to concentrate on the presentation of specific information, and are likely to feel annoyed if information presentation does not start from the driver change-related notification, which is at a higher level of urgency.

[0063] The presentation control unit 107 preferably determines whether or not to cause the passenger-side presentation device to provide a changeover-related notification depending on the type of specific information presented. Depending on the type of specific information presented, the degree of annoyance felt when a changeover-related notification is provided may vary. In contrast, the above configuration makes it possible to cause the passenger-side presentation device to provide a changeover-related notification only when a type of specific information that is less likely to be annoyed is presented. As a result, it is possible to further reduce the loss of convenience for the passenger.

[0064] For example, whether or not a change-related notification is provided from the passenger-side presentation device depending on the type of specific information presented may be as shown in FIG. 8 . FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of the correspondence between the type of specific information presented and whether or not a change-related notification is provided from the passenger-side presentation device. As shown in FIG. 8 , when the type of specific information presented is video, the passenger-side presentation device need not provide a change-related notification. This is because, when a passenger is using a video, they tend to be highly focused on the specific information presented and are likely to find the change-related notification annoying. As shown in FIG. 8 , when the type of specific information presented is a mirrored screen other than video, the passenger-side presentation device need only provide a change-related notification. In this case, in combination with the above-described configuration, the change-related notification may be provided depending on the level of urgency of the change-related notification or the state of the passenger. This is because, when a passenger is using a mirrored screen other than video, they tend to be less focused on the specific information presented and are less likely to find the change-related notification annoying compared to when they are using a video.

[0065] The presentation control unit 107 preferably performs the following with respect to the changeover-related notification, depending on the level of urgency of the changeover-related notification identified by the changeover-related notification identification unit 106. The presentation control unit 107 preferably gradually expands the information presentation from only the driver's presentation device to information presentation by information presentation devices other than the driver's presentation device. As described above, the changeover-related notification is information presented to the driver. However, as the urgency increases, the need for information presentation for passengers also increases. In contrast, with the above configuration, the lower the need for the changeover-related notification for passengers, the more likely it is that the information presentation device that provides the changeover-related notification will be limited to the driver's presentation device. This makes it possible to minimize the loss of convenience for passengers. On the other hand, the higher the need for the changeover-related notification for passengers, the more likely it is that the information presentation device that provides the changeover-related notification will be expanded to include devices other than the driver's presentation device, making it easier to convey the changeover-related notification that is more necessary to passengers.

[0066] For example, the switching of the information presentation device that performs the changeover-related notification according to the level of urgency of the changeover-related notification may be performed as shown in FIG. 9 . FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of the correspondence between the level of urgency of the changeover-related notification and the information presentation device that performs the changeover-related notification. For convenience, FIG. 9 illustrates a display on a display device 921 as an example of the information presentation device. As shown in FIG. 9 , when the type of the changeover-related notification is a driving change notification, which has the lowest level of urgency, the driving change notification may be performed only from the meter MID 9211. As shown in FIG. 9 , when the type of the changeover-related notification is a driving change warning, which has the next lowest level of urgency, the driving change warning may be performed from the meter MID 9211 and the CID 9212. As shown in FIG. 9 , when the type of the changeover-related notification is an MRM warning, which has the highest level of urgency, the MRM warning may be performed from the meter MID 9211, the CID 9212, and the passenger DP 9213. In other words, the MRM warning can be displayed on all displays.

[0067] When the driver sets a route, the presentation control unit 107 displays a route setting screen for route setting on an information presentation device other than the passenger-side presentation device. The driver's route setting may be accepted by an operation device 93 that the driver can operate. That is, the driver's route setting may be accepted by the driver OD 931 or the central OD 932. The route setting screen may be a screen for inputting a destination, inputting intermediate points, selecting a planned driving route from a searched recommended route, etc. The information presentation device other than the passenger-side presentation device that displays the route setting screen may be the meter MID 9211 or the CID 9212. Then, when the entrusted operation detection unit 104 detects an entrusted operation, the presentation control unit 107 preferably displays the route setting screen that was displayed on the information presentation device other than the passenger-side presentation device on the passenger-side presentation device. For example, if the route setting screen was displayed on the meter MID 9211, the route setting screen may be transferred to the passenger DP 9213 for display. For example, even if a route setting screen is displayed on the CID 9212, the route setting screen can be transferred to the passenger DP 9213 for display. An example of a situation in which a delegated operation is performed is when the driver needs to take over driving while setting a route. According to the above configuration, even if the driver's route setting needs to be interrupted, the passenger can continue setting the route. Furthermore, by transferring the route setting screen to the passenger DP 9213, it becomes clear who is setting the route, the driver or the passenger, and it is possible to reduce the impact on the driving task due to a misunderstanding by the driver.

[0068] 10, an example of the flow of processing related to the transfer of a route setting screen in the HCU 10 (hereinafter referred to as route setting screen transfer related processing) will be described. The flowchart in FIG. 10 may be configured to be started, for example, when a route setting screen is displayed on an information presentation device other than the passenger side presentation device due to a route setting by the driver during automated driving without a monitoring obligation.

[0069] First, in step S21, if the route setting is completed (YES in S21), the screen transfer-related processing is terminated. On the other hand, if the route setting is not completed (NO in S21), the processing proceeds to step S22. In step S22, if the entrustment operation detection unit 104 detects an entrustment operation (YES in S22), the processing proceeds to step S24. On the other hand, if the entrustment operation detection unit 104 has not detected an entrustment operation (NO in S22), the processing proceeds to step S23.

[0070] In step S23, if it is time to end the route setting screen transfer related process (YES in S23), the screen transfer related process is ended. On the other hand, if it is not time to end the route setting screen transfer related process (NO in S23), the process returns to S21 and is repeated. Here, the timing to end the route setting screen transfer related process may be when the user's vehicle is parked, etc.

[0071] In step S24, the presentation control unit 107 transfers the route setting screen that was displayed on the information presentation device other than the passenger-side presentation device to the passenger-side presentation device for display. In step S25, if it is time to end the route setting screen transfer-related process (YES in S25), the screen transfer-related process is terminated. On the other hand, if it is not time to end the route setting screen transfer-related process (NO in S25), the process of S25 is repeated. Here, the end of the route setting screen transfer-related process can be, for example, when the passenger ends the route setting. The route setting by the passenger can be received by the passenger OD933.

[0072] The presentation control unit 107 is capable of displaying information about the vehicle's planned driving route (hereinafter, route information) on the information presentation device. For example, the route information may be information that provides guidance for driving along the planned driving route. For example, the route information may be information in which the planned driving route is superimposed on a map. Furthermore, in a situation where route information is only displayed on an information presentation device other than the driver's side presentation device, when the presentation control unit 107 terminates the display of the route information to display a new information on the information presentation device, it is preferable that the presentation control unit 107 cause the driver's side presentation device to display the route information. This allows the driver to continue checking the route information even if the display of the route information is terminated when a passenger starts using the information presentation device that was displaying the route information. The presentation control unit 107 may identify the route information from information about the driving plan acquired from the AD information acquisition unit 101.

[0073] 11, an example of the flow of processing related to the transfer of the display of route information in the HCU 10 (hereinafter referred to as route information transfer related processing) will be described. The flowchart in FIG. 11 may be configured to be started when, for example, route information is displayed on at least one of the CID 9212 and the passenger DP 9213 in a situation where route information is not displayed on the meter MID 9211.

[0074] First, in step S41, if the display of the route information on the information presentation device displaying the route information of CID9212 or passenger DP9213 has ended (YES in S41), the process proceeds to step S42. A situation in which the display of the route information on CID9212 or passenger DP9213 ends is when the display of content such as a video is started on CID9212 or passenger DP9213 by an operation by the passenger. On the other hand, if the display of the route information on the information presentation device displaying the route information of CID9212 or passenger DP9213 has not ended (NO in S41), the process proceeds to step S43.

[0075] In step S42, the presentation control unit 107 displays the route information on the meter MID 9211, and ends the route information transfer-related process. When displaying the route information on the meter MID 9211, the route information may be displayed in addition to the content already displayed on the meter MID 9211.

[0076] In step S43, if it is time to end the route information transfer-related process (YES in S43), the route information transfer-related process is ended. On the other hand, if it is not time to end the route information transfer-related process (NO in S43), the process returns to S41 and is repeated. The route information transfer-related process can be ended when the vehicle arrives at the destination, for example.

[0077] The presentation control unit 107 preferably enables cooperation between the passenger-side presentation device and the portable terminal carried by the passenger, so that the display of specific information is synchronized. An example of this cooperation is the aforementioned mirroring. In mirroring, the screen of the portable terminal is synchronously displayed on the display device 921. The portable terminal carried by the passenger is hereinafter referred to as the passenger terminal. Furthermore, when the presentation control unit 107 performs this cooperation and causes the passenger-side presentation device to display a change-related notification, it preferably also causes the passenger terminal to display the change-related notification. This makes it easier to convey the change-related notification to the passenger, even when the passenger is looking at the passenger terminal.

[0078] Here, an example of the flow of processing related to a change-related notification on the passenger-side presentation device when the HCU 10 is linked with the passenger terminal (hereinafter, "linkage-related processing") will be described using the flowchart of Figure 12. The flowchart of Figure 12 may be configured to be started, for example, when the change-related notification specification unit 106 specifies that a change-related notification should be made. The flowchart of Figure 12 will be described using an example in which the passenger-side presentation device is only the passenger DP 9213. Note that the passenger-side presentation device may also be configured to include a CID 9212.

[0079] First, in step S61, if the presentation control unit 107 causes the passenger DP 9213 to display a change-related notification (YES in S61), the process proceeds to step S62. On the other hand, if the presentation control unit 107 does not cause the passenger DP 9213 to display a change-related notification (NO in S61), the cooperation-related process ends.

[0080] In step S62, if the passenger DP 9213 and the passenger terminal are linked (YES in S62), the process proceeds to step S63. On the other hand, if the passenger DP 9213 and the passenger terminal are not linked (NO in S62), the process proceeds to step S64.

[0081] In step S63, the display control unit 107 causes the passenger terminal to display the change-related notification in addition to the passenger DP 9213, and then ends the linked-related processing. In step S64, the display control unit 107 causes the passenger DP 9213 to display the change-related notification, and then ends the linked-related processing.

[0082] When the presentation control unit 107 is causing the passenger-side presentation device to perform display and when the presentation control unit 107 is causing an information presentation device other than the passenger-side presentation device to display information intended for the driver, it is preferable to do the following. The presentation control unit 107 preferably changes the display to be performed by the passenger-side presentation device to an inconspicuous display mode. This reduces the driver's attention to the passenger-side presentation device and makes it easier to convey information intended for the driver to the driver. Examples of an inconspicuous display mode include lowering the brightness of the display or graying out the display. The information intended for the driver may be a change-related notification, route information, etc. Note that the information intended for the driver here may be limited to information estimated to be of high urgency to the driver. For example, a configuration may be adopted in which change-related notifications are targeted but route information is not targeted. This makes it easier to convey information intended for the driver by limiting the information to information estimated to be of high urgency to the driver, while less compromising the comfort of passengers.

[0083] For example, the display on the passenger-side presentation device may be switched depending on whether or not information for the driver is displayed on an information presentation device other than the passenger-side presentation device, as shown in FIG. 13 . FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence between whether or not information for the driver is displayed on an information presentation device other than the passenger-side presentation device and the display on the passenger-side presentation device. In FIG. 13 , the passenger-side presentation device is the passenger DP 9213, and the information presentation devices other than the passenger-side presentation device are the meter MID 9211 and the CID 9212. Furthermore, an example of changing to a less conspicuous display mode will be described using a case where brightness is reduced. As shown in FIG. 13 , if no information for the driver is displayed on the meter MID 9211 and the CID 9212, the brightness of the display on the passenger DP 9213 may be set to the default. As shown in FIG. 13 , if information for the driver is displayed on either the meter MID 9211 or the CID 9212, the brightness of the display on the passenger DP 9213 may be reduced. 13, the passenger-side presentation device is the passenger DP 9213, and the information presentation devices other than the passenger-side presentation device are the meter MID 9211 and the CID 9212. However, this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the passenger-side presentation device may be the passenger DP 9213 and the CID 9212, and the information presentation device other than the passenger-side presentation device may be the meter MID 9211.

[0084] When autonomous driving with a monitoring obligation is being performed, the presentation control unit 107 preferably prohibits the driver from changing the information presented on the passenger-side presentation device through operation by the driver. On the other hand, when autonomous driving without a monitoring obligation is being performed, the presentation control unit 107 preferably allows the driver to change the information presented on the passenger-side presentation device through operation by the driver. This allows the driver to take over operation of the passenger-side presentation device even if the passenger is a child or other passenger who has difficulty operating the passenger-side presentation device during autonomous driving that does not require the driver to perform the driving task. The driver's operation of the passenger-side presentation device may be received, for example, by the driver OD 931 or the central OD 932. The presentation control unit 107 may determine whether autonomous driving with a monitoring obligation or autonomous driving without a monitoring obligation is being performed based on the automation level information acquired by the AD information acquisition unit 101.

[0085] For example, whether or not the driver can operate the passenger-side presentation device depending on whether or not there is a periphery monitoring obligation during automated driving may be as shown in FIG. 14 . FIG. 14 is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence between whether or not there is a periphery monitoring obligation during automated driving and whether or not the driver can operate the passenger-side presentation device. In FIG. 14 , the passenger-side presentation device is assumed to be the passenger DP 9213. As shown in FIG. 14 , during automated driving without a monitoring obligation, the driver may be permitted to operate the passenger DP 9213. As shown in FIG. 14 , during automated driving with a monitoring obligation, the driver may be prohibited from operating the passenger DP 9213. In the example of FIG. 14 , the passenger-side presentation device is assumed to be the passenger DP 9213, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, the passenger-side presentation device may be the passenger DP 9213 and the CID 9212.

[0086] (Embodiment 2) The configuration of the vehicle system 1 of the embodiment 2 may be adopted instead of the configuration of the above-described embodiment. An example of the configuration of the embodiment 2 will be described below with reference to the drawings. The vehicle system 1 of the embodiment 2 is similar to the vehicle system 1 of the embodiment 1, except that the vehicle system 1 of the embodiment 2 includes an HCU 10a instead of the HCU 10.

[0087] <General Configuration of HCU 10a> Next, the general configuration of the HCU 10a will be described using FIG. 15 . The HCU 10a is similar to the HCU 10 of the first embodiment, except for some differences in processing. The HCU 10a includes, as functional blocks, an AD information acquisition unit 101, a driver state identification unit 102, a passenger state identification unit 103, a commissioned operation detection unit 104, a setting operation detection unit 105, a change-related notification identification unit 106, a presentation control unit 107a, and a passenger type identification unit 108. The HCU 10a includes the presentation control unit 107a instead of the presentation control unit 107. The HCU 10a includes the passenger type identification unit 108. Except for these differences, the HCU 10a is similar to the HCU 10 of the first embodiment. This HCU 10a also corresponds to a presentation control device for a vehicle. In addition, the execution of the processing of each functional block of the HCU 10a by the computer corresponds to the execution of the vehicular presentation control method. In the second embodiment, the passenger-side presentation device is described as an information presentation device that can be used by a passenger sitting in the passenger seat of the vehicle.

[0088] The passenger type identification unit 108 identifies the type of passenger sitting in the passenger seat. The passenger type identification unit 108 may identify the type of passenger from the image capture results of the interior camera 91. The passenger type may be a type categorized by approximate age range, whether it is a pet or a person, etc. The passenger type identification unit 108 may identify the type of passenger by, for example, image recognition.

[0089] The presentation control unit 107a is similar to the presentation control unit 107 of the first embodiment, except for some differences in processing. The following describes these differences. The processing by the presentation control unit 107a also corresponds to a presentation control step. When the passenger type identified by the passenger type identification unit 108 is a type that is undesirable for being involved in driving the vehicle, the presentation control unit 107a may prohibit the passenger-side presentation device from issuing a change-related notification. A type that is undesirable for being involved in driving the vehicle is hereinafter referred to as a driving unsuitability type. Examples of driving unsuitability types include children, elderly people, and pets. Types other than the driving unsuitability type are hereinafter referred to as driving suitability types. According to the above configuration, unnecessary change-related notifications are prohibited for passengers of a type that is undesirable for being involved in driving the vehicle, thereby preventing the viewing of the content on the passenger-side presentation device by the passenger. Furthermore, by not interfering with viewing on the passenger-side presentation device, it is possible to reduce the likelihood of a passenger of a type who is not desirable to be involved in driving the vehicle causing problems related to driving.

[0090] Here, using the flowchart of FIG. 16 , an example of the flow of processing related to whether or not to accept a change-related notification on the passenger-side presentation device depending on the type of passenger in the front passenger seat (hereinafter, notification acceptance / rejection related processing) in the HCU 10a will be described. The flowchart of FIG. 16 may be configured to be started, for example, when the change-related notification specification unit 106 specifies that the passenger-side presentation device will also issue a change-related notification at a stage where information is presented by default. For example, the flowchart may be started when the change-related notification specification unit 106 specifies that a driving change warning will be issued. Furthermore, in the flowchart of FIG. 16 , the passenger-side presentation device will be described as a passenger DP9213.

[0091] First, in step S81, if the passenger state identification unit 103 identifies that a passenger is present in the passenger seat (YES in S81), the process proceeds to step S82. On the other hand, if the passenger state identification unit 103 does not identify that a passenger is present in the passenger seat (NO in S81), the process proceeds to step S84.

[0092] In step S82, if the passenger type identification unit 108 identifies the type of the passenger sitting in the passenger seat as an unsuitable driving type (YES in S82), the process proceeds to step S83. On the other hand, if the passenger type identification unit 108 identifies the type of the passenger sitting in the passenger seat as a suitable driving type (NO in S82), the process proceeds to step S84.

[0093] In step S83, the presentation control unit 107a prohibits the fellow passenger DP 9213 from making a driving change-related notification, and ends the notification acceptance / rejection-related processing. In S83, the fellow passenger DP 9213 does not make a change-related notification, which is made by default. In step S84, the presentation control unit 107a makes the fellow passenger DP 9213 make a driving change-related notification, and ends the notification acceptance / rejection-related processing.

[0094] When the passenger type identified by the passenger type identification unit 108 is a type that is estimated to have difficulty operating the information presented on the passenger-side presentation device, the presentation control unit 107a may permit the driver to operate the passenger-side presentation device to change the information presented. A type that is estimated to have difficulty operating the information presented on the passenger-side presentation device will be referred to as an operation-incompatible type below. Examples of operation-incompatible types include children and pets. Types other than the operation-incompatible type will be referred to as operation-compatible types below. On the other hand, when the passenger type identified by the passenger type identification unit 108 is not an operation-incompatible type, the presentation control unit 107a may prohibit the driver from operating the passenger-side presentation device to change the information presented on the passenger-side presentation device. With the above configuration, when a passenger of a type that is estimated to have difficulty operating the information presented on the passenger-side presentation device is sitting in the front passenger seat, the driver can operate the information presented on the passenger-side presentation device on behalf of the passenger. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the comfort of passengers of a type who are estimated to have difficulty operating the passenger-side presentation device in response to information presentation from being impaired.

[0095] Here, an example of the flow of processing related to whether or not to accept a change in information presentation by a driver's operation in the HCU 10a depending on the type of passenger in the passenger seat (hereinafter, referred to as operation acceptance / rejection related processing) will be described using the flowchart of Figure 17. The flowchart of Figure 17 may be configured to start, for example, when information presentation from the passenger-side presentation device is started in a state in which the passenger state identification unit 103 has identified the presence of a passenger in the passenger seat. Furthermore, in the flowchart of Figure 17, the passenger-side presentation device will be described as the passenger DP9213.

[0096] First, in step S101, if the passenger type identification unit 108 identifies the type of the passenger sitting in the passenger seat as an operation incompatible type (YES in S101), the process proceeds to step S102. On the other hand, if the passenger type identification unit 108 identifies the type of the passenger sitting in the passenger seat as an operation compatible type (NO in S101), the process proceeds to step S103.

[0097] In step S102, the presentation control unit 107a permits a change in the information presentation on the passenger-side presentation device due to an operation by the driver, and terminates the operation acceptance / rejection-related processing. In step S103, the presentation control unit 107a prohibits a change in the information presentation on the passenger-side presentation device due to an operation by the driver, and terminates the operation acceptance / rejection-related processing. The presentation control unit 107a may determine whether a change in the information presentation on the passenger-side presentation device is due to an operation by the driver, for example, as follows. When a change in the information presentation on the passenger-side presentation device is being made by a signal from the driver OD 931, the presentation control unit 107a may determine that this change is due to an operation by the driver. When a change in the information presentation on the passenger-side presentation device is being made by a signal from the center OD 932, the presentation control unit 107a may perform the following. When the driver state identification unit 102 identifies that the driver is about to operate the central OD 932, the presentation control unit 107a determines that the change in information presentation on the passenger side presentation device is due to the driver's operation.

[0098] (Embodiment 3) The configuration of the vehicle system 1 of the embodiment 3 is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiment, and may be the configuration of the following embodiment 3. An example of the configuration of embodiment 3 will be described below with reference to the drawings. The vehicle system 1 of embodiment 3 is similar to the vehicle system 1 of embodiment 1, except that it includes an HCU 10b instead of the HCU 10.

[0099] <General Configuration of HCU 10b> Next, the general configuration of the HCU 10b will be described using FIG. 18 . The HCU 10b is similar to the HCU 10 of the first embodiment, except for some differences in processing. The HCU 10b includes, as functional blocks, an AD information acquisition unit 101, a driver state identification unit 102, a passenger state identification unit 103, a commissioned operation detection unit 104, a setting operation detection unit 105, a change-related notification identification unit 106, a presentation control unit 107b, and a driver type identification unit 109. The HCU 10b includes a presentation control unit 107b instead of the presentation control unit 107. The HCU 10b includes the driver type identification unit 109. Except for these differences, the HCU 10b is similar to the HCU 10 of the first embodiment. This HCU 10b also corresponds to a presentation control device for a vehicle. The vehicle presentation control method is performed by executing the processing of each functional block of the HCU 10b by the computer. As described in the first embodiment, specific examples of the passenger side presentation device include the CID 9212, the passenger DP 9213, and the passenger SP 9222.

[0100] The driver type identification unit 109 identifies the type of driver. A driver is a passenger sitting in the driver's seat. The driver type may be classified into at least a type presumed to be unfamiliar with vehicle driving and a type presumed to be accustomed to vehicle driving. Hereinafter, the type presumed to be unfamiliar with vehicle driving will be referred to as an unsuitable type, and the type presumed to be accustomed to vehicle driving will be referred to as a suitable type. As an example, elderly people may be classified into the unsuitable type, and people other than elderly people may be classified into the suitable type. Furthermore, beginners may be classified into the unsuitable type, and experienced drivers may be classified into the suitable type. Alternatively, elderly people and beginners may be classified into the unsuitable type, and experienced drivers may be classified into the suitable type.

[0101] The driver type identification unit 109 may identify the type of driver from, for example, the image capture results from the interior camera 91. In this case, image recognition technology may be used to distinguish between elderly and non-elderly drivers from the image capture results. The driver type identification unit 109 may also identify the type of driver from sensing information detected by the vehicle condition sensor 50, for example. In this case, a learning device that has learned the correlation between trends in changes in the amount of operation of the accelerator pedal, brake pedal, etc. and the type of driver, such as novice, elderly, or experienced, may be used to distinguish between novice, elderly, and experienced drivers. The driver type identification unit 109 may also identify the type of driver from input received by, for example, the operation device 93. In this case, a novice, elderly, or experienced driver may be distinguished from input personal information, such as the driver's age and driving history.

[0102] The presentation control unit 107b is similar to the presentation control unit 107 of the first embodiment, except for some differences in processing. The following describes these differences. The processing by the presentation control unit 107b also corresponds to a presentation control step. When the driver type identified by the driver type identification unit 109 is an unsuitable type, the presentation control unit 107b limits the continuation of the presentation of specific information on the passenger-side presentation device when the change-related notification identification unit 106 specifies that a change-related notification should be issued, compared to when the driver type is a suitable type. For example, the limitation may be to not continue the presentation of specific information. For example, the limitation may be to suspend the display of the specific information presentation but continue the audio output of the specific information presentation. When the continuation of the presentation of specific information on the passenger-side presentation device is limited, the passenger-side presentation device also issues a change-related notification. For example, when the limitation is to suspend the display of the specific information presentation but continue the audio output of the specific information presentation, it is sufficient that the display of the change-related notification is issued but the audio output is not issued.

[0103] According to the above configuration, when the driver is of an unsuitable type, the continuation of the presentation of specific information is limited more than when the driver is of a suitable type. Therefore, when it is estimated that the driver is not accustomed to driving a vehicle, it is possible to prioritize making it easier for passengers to support the driver's driving over preventing passengers from losing convenience by continuing the presentation of specific information. As a result, a driver who is not accustomed to driving a vehicle can easily receive support from passengers and drive with peace of mind. On the other hand, when it is estimated that the driver is accustomed to driving a vehicle, it is possible to prevent passengers from losing convenience by continuing the presentation of specific information.

[0104] (Fourth embodiment) The configuration of the vehicle system 1 of the fourth embodiment is not limited to the configuration of the above-described embodiments, and may be the configuration of the following fourth embodiment. An example of the configuration of the fourth embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The vehicle system 1 of the fourth embodiment is similar to the vehicle system 1 of the first embodiment, except that it includes an HCU 10c instead of the HCU 10.

[0105] <General Configuration of HCU 10c> Next, the general configuration of HCU 10b will be described using FIG. 19 . HCU 10b is similar to HCU 10 of embodiment 1 except for some differences in processing. HCU 10b includes, as functional blocks, an AD information acquisition unit 101, a driver state identification unit 102c, a passenger state identification unit 103, a commissioned operation detection unit 104, a setting operation detection unit 105, a change-related notification identification unit 106c, and a presentation control unit 107c. HCU 10c includes the driver state identification unit 102c instead of the driver state identification unit 102. HCU 10c includes the change-related notification identification unit 106c instead of the change-related notification identification unit 106. HCU 10c includes the presentation control unit 107c instead of the presentation control unit 107. Except for these points, the HCU 10c is similar to the HCU 10 of the first embodiment. This HCU 10c also corresponds to a vehicle presentation control device. Furthermore, the execution of processing of each functional block of the HCU 10c by a computer corresponds to the execution of a vehicle presentation control method. As described in the first embodiment, specific examples of the passenger-side presentation device include the CID 9212, the passenger DP 9213, and the passenger SP 9222.

[0106] The driver state identification unit 102c is similar to the driver state identification unit 102 of the first embodiment, except for some differences in processing. The differences will be described below. The driver state identification unit 102c may also identify the driver's state, such as drowsiness, looking aside, hands-off, stress, or panic. Drowsiness may be identified from the degree of eye opening in the face detected by the interior camera 91. Looking aside may be identified from the direction of the face detected by the interior camera 91. Hands-off is a state in which the driver has taken their hands off the steering wheel and may be identified from the state of gripping the steering wheel as described above. A stress state is a state in which the driver is under stress. A stress state may also be referred to as a psychological state such as anger or tension. A panic state may also be referred to as a psychological state such as surprise. Psychological states such as a stress state and a panic state may be identified from facial features detected by the interior camera 91. For example, the driver's state may be identified from the facial features by using a learning device that has learned the correspondence between the facial features and the psychological state through machine learning. The driver's state identification unit 102c may identify whether the driver is dozing, the psychological state, etc., not only from the detection results of the interior camera 91 but also from the detection results of a biosensor that detects breathing, pulse, heart rate, etc.

[0107] The change-related notification specification unit 106c is similar to the change-related notification specification unit 106 of the first embodiment, except for some differences in processing. The following describes these differences. The processing by the change-related notification specification unit 106c also corresponds to a change-related notification specification process. The change-related notification specification unit 106c may specify that a change-related notification should be issued even when the driver is in a specific state. For example, the specific state may be a state in which it is preferable to direct the driver's attention to driving in advance before a driving changeover is actually required. The specific state of the driver is specified by the driver state specification unit 102c. Examples of the specific state of the driver include the driver's drowsiness, inattentiveness, hands-off driving, stress, panic, etc.

[0108] The shift-related notification specifying unit 106c may also be capable of specifying a reason for issuing a shift-related notification (hereinafter referred to as the notification reason). When the shift-related notification specifying unit 106c specifies that a shift-related notification should be issued based on the determination result of switching the automation level, the notification reason may be switching the automation level. When the shift-related notification specifying unit 106c specifies that a shift-related notification should be issued because it has determined that the driver is dozing off, the notification reason may be "drowsy." When the shift-related notification specifying unit 106c specifies that a shift-related notification should be issued because it has determined that the driver is looking away, the notification reason may be "looking away." When the shift-related notification specifying unit 106c specifies that a shift-related notification should be issued because it has determined that the driver is hands-off, the notification reason may be "hands-off." When the shift-related notification specifying unit 106c specifies that a shift-related notification should be issued because it has determined that the driver is stressed, the notification reason may be "stressed." When the change-related notification specifying unit 106c specifies that a change-related notification should be made because it has specified that the driver is in a panicked state, the reason for the notification may be set to be a panicked state.

[0109] The presentation control unit 107c is similar to the presentation control unit 107 of the first embodiment, except for some differences in processing. The following describes these differences. The processing by the presentation control unit 107c also corresponds to a presentation control process. The presentation control unit 107c switches whether to continue presenting specific information on the passenger-side presentation device when the change-related notification specification unit 106c specifies that a change-related notification should be made, depending on the notification reason specified by the change-related notification specification unit 106c. This makes it possible to prevent passengers from losing convenience by continuing to present the specific information, or to make it easier for passengers to support the driver by not continuing to present the specific information, depending on the reason for making the change-related notification.

[0110] When the reason for notification identified by the shift-related notification identifying unit 106c is dozing, the presentation control unit 107c preferably does not continue to present specific information on the passenger-side presentation device when the shift-related notification identifying unit 106c identifies that a shift-related notification should be made. On the other hand, when the reason for notification identified by the shift-related notification identifying unit 106c is hands-off or looking aside, the presentation control unit 107c preferably continues to present specific information on the passenger-side presentation device when the shift-related notification identifying unit 106c identifies that a shift-related notification should be made. Dozing is a state from which it is more difficult to recover immediately compared to hands-off or looking aside, and therefore can be considered a more urgent state compared to hands-off or looking aside. With the above configuration, even when a shift-related notification is made, it is possible to make it easier for passengers to support the driver in more urgent states, while making it less convenient for passengers in less urgent states.

[0111] When the reason for notification identified by the changeover-related notification identifying unit 106c is a panic state, the presentation control unit 107c preferably does not continue to present the specific information on the passenger-side presentation device when the changeover-related notification identifying unit 106c identifies that a changeover-related notification is to be made. On the other hand, when the reason for notification identified by the changeover-related notification identifying unit 106c is a stress state, the presentation control unit 107c preferably continues to present the specific information on the passenger-side presentation device when the changeover-related notification identifying unit 106c identifies that a changeover-related notification is to be made. A panic state is a state in which passenger support is more necessary than a stress state, and therefore can be considered a more urgent state than a stress state. With the above configuration, even when a changeover-related notification is made, it is possible to make it easier for passengers to support the driver in more urgent states, while minimizing the inconvenience to passengers in less urgent states. In addition, not limited to the example described here, the configuration may also be such that when the shift-related notification identification unit 106c identifies that a shift-related notification should be made, the passenger-side presentation device switches whether or not to continue presenting specific information depending on the urgency of the driving support indicated by the reason for the notification.

[0112] (Embodiment 5) The configuration of the vehicle system 1 of the embodiment 5 is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and may be configured as the following embodiment 5. An example of the configuration of embodiment 5 will be described below with reference to the drawings. The vehicle system 1 of embodiment 5 is similar to the vehicle system 1 of embodiment 1, except that it includes an HCU 10d and an information presentation device 92d instead of the HCU 10 and the information presentation device 92.

[0113] Here, the schematic configuration of the information presentation device 92d will be described using FIG. 20 . The information presentation device 92d is similar to the information presentation device 92 of embodiment 1, except for some differences. The information presentation device 92d includes a display device 921d and an audio output device 922d. The display device 921d includes a meter MID 9211, a CID 9212, and a passenger DP 9213d. The display device 921d is similar to the display device 921 of embodiment 1, except for including a passenger DP 9213d instead of the passenger DP 9213. The audio output device 922d includes a driver SP 9221 and a passenger SP 9222d. The audio output device 922d is similar to the audio output device 922 of embodiment 1, except for including a passenger SP 9222d instead of the passenger SP 9222.

[0114] The passenger DP 9213d includes a passenger seat DP 92131 and a rear monitor 92132. The passenger DP 9213d is similar to the passenger DP 9213 of embodiment 1, except that the passenger DP 9213d must include both the passenger seat DP 92131, which is a display for the passenger seat, and the rear monitor 92132, which is a display for the rear seat. In the example of this embodiment, the passenger seat DP 92131 is located closer to the driver's seat than the rear monitor 92132. The passenger SP 9222d includes a passenger seat SP 92221 and a rear SP 92222. The passenger SP 9222d is similar to the passenger SP 9222 of embodiment 1, except that the passenger SP 9222d must include both the passenger seat SP 92221, which is a speaker for the passenger seat, and the rear SP 92222, which is a speaker for the rear seat. In this embodiment, the passenger seat SP 92221 is located closer to the driver's seat than the rear SP 92222. The passenger seat DP 92131 and the passenger seat SP 92221 are information presentation devices that can be used by a passenger sitting in the passenger seat of the vehicle, and are hereinafter referred to as first passenger side presentation devices. The rear monitor 92132 and the rear SP 92222 are information presentation devices that can be used by a passenger sitting in the rear seat of the vehicle, and are hereinafter referred to as second passenger side presentation devices.

[0115] <General Configuration of HCU 10d> Next, the general configuration of the HCU 10d will be described using FIG. 21 . The HCU 10d is similar to the HCU 10 of the first embodiment, except for some differences in processing. The HCU 10d includes, as functional blocks, an AD information acquisition unit 101, a driver state identification unit 102, a passenger state identification unit 103, a commissioned operation detection unit 104, a setting operation detection unit 105, a shift-related notification identification unit 106, and a presentation control unit 107d. The HCU 10d is similar to the HCU 10 of the first embodiment, except for the fact that the HCU 10d includes the presentation control unit 107d instead of the presentation control unit 107. This HCU 10d also corresponds to a presentation control device for a vehicle. Furthermore, the execution of processing by a computer of each functional block of the HCU 10d corresponds to the execution of a presentation control method for a vehicle.

[0116] The presentation control unit 107d is similar to the presentation control unit 107 of the first embodiment, except for some differences in processing. The following describes these differences. The processing by the presentation control unit 107d also corresponds to a presentation control step. When the changeover-related notification specification unit 106 specifies that a changeover-related notification should be made, the presentation control unit 107d makes it easier for the changeover-related notification to be made by the passenger side presentation device that is closer to the driver's seat of the vehicle, out of the first passenger side presentation device and the second passenger side presentation device. In the example of this embodiment, the changeover-related notification by the passenger seat DP 92131 and the passenger seat SP 92221 is made easier to make than the changeover-related notification by the rear monitor 92132 and the rear SP 92222. As one example, the change-related alerts at the passenger seat DP 92131 and passenger seat SP 92221 may be made at a lower level of urgency than the change-related alerts at the rear monitor 92132 and rear SP 92222. For example, the change-related alerts at the passenger seat DP 92131 and passenger seat SP 92221 may be made when the level of the change-related alert has reached a driver change warning, whereas the change-related alerts at the rear monitor 92132 and rear SP 92222 may not be made until the level of the change-related alert has reached an MRM warning.

[0117] Between a passenger in the front passenger seat and a passenger in the rear seat, the passenger in the front passenger seat, who is closer to the driver's seat, is more likely to support the driver's driving. Therefore, with the above configuration, it is possible to make it easier for the passenger who is more likely to support the driver's driving to receive a change-related notification on the passenger-side presentation device, while prioritizing the passenger who is less likely to support the driver's driving to avoid reducing convenience.

[0118] Sixth Embodiment The configuration of the vehicle system 1 of the sixth embodiment is not limited to the configurations of the above-described embodiments, and may be the configuration of the following sixth embodiment. An example of the configuration of the sixth embodiment will be described below with reference to the drawings. The vehicle system 1 of the sixth embodiment is similar to the vehicle system 1 of the first embodiment, except that it includes an HCU 10e instead of the HCU 10.

[0119] <General Configuration of HCU 10e> Next, the general configuration of the HCU 10e will be described using FIG. 22 . The HCU 10e is similar to the HCU 10 of embodiment 1 except for some differences in processing. The HCU 10e includes, as functional blocks, an AD information acquisition unit 101, a driver state identification unit 102, a passenger state identification unit 103e, a commissioned operation detection unit 104, a setting operation detection unit 105, a change-related notification identification unit 106, a presentation control unit 107e, and a viewing target estimation unit 110. The HCU 10e includes the passenger state identification unit 103e instead of the passenger state identification unit 103. The HCU 10e includes the presentation control unit 107e instead of the presentation control unit 107. The HCU 10e includes the viewing target estimation unit 110. Except for these differences, the HCU 10e is similar to the HCU 10 of embodiment 1. The HCU 10e also corresponds to a vehicle presentation control device. The execution of the processing of each functional block of the HCU 10e by a computer corresponds to the execution of a vehicle presentation control method. As described in the first embodiment, specific examples of the passenger-side presentation device include the CID 9212, the passenger DP 9213, and the passenger SP 9222.

[0120] The passenger state identification unit 103e is similar to the passenger state identification unit 103 of the first embodiment, except for some differences in processing. The differences will be described below. The passenger state identification unit 103e identifies the facial direction of the passenger from the image capture results of the interior camera 91. The passenger state identification unit 103e may also identify the line of sight of the passenger from the image capture results of the interior camera 91. Note that the driver state identification unit 102 may also identify the line of sight of the driver from the image capture results of the interior camera 91.

[0121] The viewing target estimation unit 110 estimates the information presentation device that the driver and passengers are viewing. The viewing target estimation unit 110 may estimate the information presentation device that the driver is viewing from the driver's facial orientation, line of sight, etc., identified by the driver state identification unit 102. The viewing target estimation unit 110 may estimate the information presentation device that the passenger is viewing from the passenger's facial orientation, line of sight, etc., identified by the passenger state identification unit 103e. In addition, when the driver OD 931 receives an operation on the meter MID 9211, which is a display for the driver, the viewing target estimation unit 110 may estimate that the driver is viewing the meter MID 9211. In addition, when the passenger OD 933 receives an operation on the passenger DP 9213, which is a display for the passenger seat or rear seat, the viewing target estimation unit 110 may estimate that the passenger is viewing the passenger DP 9213. Alternatively, the viewing target estimation unit 110 may estimate that a fellow passenger is viewing CID 9212 when the power of the fellow passenger DP 9213 is off but the power of CID 9212 is on.

[0122] The presentation control unit 107e is similar to the presentation control unit 107 of the first embodiment, except for some differences in processing. The following describes these differences. The processing by the presentation control unit 107e also corresponds to a presentation control step. When the change-related notification identification unit 106 identifies that a change-related notification is to be made and the viewing target estimation unit 110 estimates that the driver and the passenger are viewing the same passenger-side presentation device, the presentation control unit 107e does not continue to present the specific information on the passenger-side presentation device. An example of a case in which the driver and the passenger are viewing the same passenger-side presentation device is when the driver and the passenger are both viewing CID9212.

[0123] On the other hand, when the change-related notification specifying unit 106 specifies that a change-related notification should be made, and the viewing target estimation unit 110 estimates that the driver and the passenger are viewing different information presentation devices, the presentation control unit 107e continues to present the specific information on the passenger-side presentation device estimated by the viewing target estimation unit 110 to be the passenger's viewing device. In this embodiment, the following three cases can be cited as examples of cases in which the driver and the passenger are viewing different information presentation devices. The first case is when the driver is viewing the meter MID 9211, while the passenger is viewing the CID 9212. In this case, the meter MID 9211 is caused to issue a driving change notification, and the presentation of the specific information on the CID 9212 is continued. The second case is when the driver is viewing the meter MID 9211, while the passenger is viewing the passenger DP 9213. In this case, the meter MID 9211 is caused to issue a driver change notification, and the passenger DP 9213 is caused to continue presenting specific information. A third case is when the driver is watching CID 9212, while the passenger is watching passenger DP 9213. In this case, CID 9212 is caused to issue a driver change notification, and the passenger DP 9213 is caused to continue presenting specific information.

[0124] With the above configuration, when the driver and passenger are viewing the same passenger-side presentation device, it is possible to prioritize warning the driver over minimizing the inconvenience to the passenger. On the other hand, when the driver and passenger are viewing different information presentation devices, it is possible to minimize the inconvenience to the passenger by continuing to present specific information on the passenger-side presentation device that the passenger is viewing.

[0125] Seventh Embodiment In the above-described embodiment, the HCUs 10, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, and 10e correspond to the vehicle presentation control devices, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, an ECU other than the HCUs 10, 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, and 10e may correspond to the vehicle presentation control devices. As an example, the autonomous driving ECU 80 may perform the functions of the vehicle presentation control device. In this case, the autonomous driving ECU 80 may indirectly control the information presentation devices 92 and 92d by issuing instructions to an ECU that controls the information presentation devices 92 and 92d. Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the autonomous driving ECU 80 includes a driving environment recognition unit, but this is not necessarily limited to this. For example, an ECU other than the autonomous driving ECU 80 may perform the functions of the driving environment recognition unit.

[0126] (Disclosed Technical Ideas) This specification discloses multiple technical ideas described in the following multiple clauses. Some clauses may be described in a multiple dependent form, with the subsequent clause alternatively referring to the preceding clause. Furthermore, some clauses may be described in a multiple dependent form, referring to another multiple dependent clause. These multiple dependent clauses define multiple technical ideas.

[0127] (Technical Idea 1) A vehicle presentation control device that can be used in an autonomously driven vehicle, comprising: a change-related notification specification unit (106, 106c) that specifies that a change-related notification be made, which is a notification regarding a change of driving from autonomous driving of the vehicle; and a presentation control unit (107, 107a, 107b, 107c, 107d, 107e) that controls information presentation on a passenger-side presentation device that is an information presentation device provided in the vehicle and can be used by passengers other than the driver of the vehicle, different from a driver-side presentation device that is an information presentation device provided in the vehicle exclusively for the driver; and the vehicle presentation control device continues to present information on the passenger-side presentation device even when the change-related notification specification unit specifies that the change-related notification be made, with regard to specific information presentation that is information presentation provided for a second task-equivalent action, which is an action for the passenger, which is equivalent to a second task, which is an action other than driving that the driver is permitted to do during the autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings.

[0128] (Technical Idea 2) A presentation control device for a vehicle as described in Technical Idea 1, wherein the changeover-related notification identification unit is capable of distinguishing and identifying each of the changeover-related notifications of different levels of urgency, and the presentation control unit gradually limits the continuation of information presentation on the passenger side presentation device for the presentation of the specific information as the level of urgency of the changeover-related notification identified by the changeover-related notification identification unit increases.

[0129] (Technical Idea 3) A vehicle presentation control device as described in Technical Idea 2, comprising a driver state identification unit (102) that identifies the state of the driver, and the presentation control unit does not wait until the driving changeover is completed, but rather releases the restriction on information presentation on the passenger side presentation device when the driver state identification unit identifies that the driver is in a position to perform the driving changeover.

[0130] (Technical Idea 4) A presentation control device for a vehicle described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 3, comprising a passenger state identification unit (103) that identifies the state of the passenger, wherein the change-related notification identification unit is capable of distinguishing and identifying each of the change-related notifications of multiple levels of different urgency, and the presentation control unit changes at which level of the change-related notifications of multiple levels of different urgency the passenger-side presentation device will issue the change-related notification, depending on the state of the passenger identified by the passenger state identification unit.

[0131] (Technical Idea 5) A presentation control device for a vehicle described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 4, wherein the presentation control unit changes whether or not the change-related notification is also made from the passenger side presentation device depending on the type of the specific information presentation.

[0132] (Technical Idea 6) A presentation control device for a vehicle described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 5, wherein the changeover-related notification identification unit is capable of distinguishing and identifying each of the changeover-related notifications having different levels of urgency, and the presentation control unit is capable of controlling the presentation of information on multiple types of information presentation devices including not only the passenger-side presentation device but also the driver-side presentation device, and the presentation control device for a vehicle gradually expands the presentation of information on the changeover-related notifications from only on the driver-side presentation device to information presentation on information presentation devices other than the driver-side presentation device as the level of urgency of the changeover-related notification identified by the changeover-related notification identification unit increases.

[0133] (Technical Idea 7) A presentation control device for a vehicle described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 6, wherein the presentation control unit is capable of controlling information presentation on multiple types of information presentation devices including not only the passenger-side presentation device but also the driver-side presentation device, and when the driver sets a route, a route setting screen for route setting is displayed on an information presentation device other than the passenger-side presentation device, and the vehicle presentation control device is equipped with a commissioned operation detection unit (104) that detects a commissioned operation performed by the driver when the driver's route setting is interrupted to request the passenger to continue the route setting, and when the commissioned operation detection unit detects the commissioned operation, the presentation control device causes the route setting screen that was being displayed on an information presentation device other than the passenger-side presentation device to be displayed on the passenger-side presentation device.

[0134] (Technical Idea 8) A presentation control device for a vehicle described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 7, wherein the presentation control unit is capable of controlling information presentation on multiple types of information presentation devices including not only the passenger side presentation device but also the driver side presentation device, and is capable of displaying route information, which is information about the planned driving route of the vehicle, on an information presentation device, and in a situation where the route information is only displayed on an information presentation device other than the driver side presentation device, when the display of the route information is terminated in order to display a new information on this information presentation device, the vehicle presentation control device causes the driver side presentation device to display the route information.

[0135] (Technical Idea 9) A presentation control device for a vehicle described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 8, wherein the presentation control unit causes the passenger side presentation device to present information at least by display, and is capable of linking the passenger side presentation device and a mobile terminal carried by the passenger to synchronously display the specific information presentation, and when the linking is performed and the passenger side presentation device is caused to display the change-related notification, the vehicle presentation control device also causes the mobile terminal to display the change-related notification.

[0136] (Technical Idea 10) A presentation control device for a vehicle described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 9, wherein the presentation control unit is capable of controlling information presentation on multiple types of information presentation devices including not only the passenger side presentation device but also the driver side presentation device, and causes the information presentation device to present information at least by display, and when the passenger side presentation device is caused to perform a display and information intended for the driver is to be displayed on an information presentation device other than the passenger side presentation device, the vehicle presentation control device changes the display performed by the passenger side presentation device to an inconspicuous display mode.

[0137] (Technical Idea 11) A presentation control device for a vehicle described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 10, wherein the passenger side presentation device is an information presentation device that can be used by a passenger sitting in the passenger seat of the vehicle, and is equipped with a passenger type identification unit (108) that identifies the type of passenger sitting in the passenger seat, and the presentation control unit prohibits the passenger side presentation device from making the change-related notification when the type of passenger identified by the passenger type identification unit is a type that is undesirable for being involved in driving the vehicle.

[0138] (Technical Idea 12) A presentation control device for a vehicle described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 11, wherein the presentation control unit prohibits the driver from operating the passenger-side presentation device to change the information presentation when the automated driving is performed and there is an obligation to monitor the surroundings, and allows the driver to operate the passenger-side presentation device to change the information presentation when the automated driving is performed and there is no obligation to monitor the surroundings.

[0139] (Technical Idea 13) A vehicle presentation control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 12, wherein the passenger side presentation device is an information presentation device usable by a passenger sitting in the passenger seat of the vehicle, and comprises a passenger type identification unit (108) that identifies the type of the passenger sitting in the passenger seat, and the presentation control unit allows the driver to operate the passenger side presentation device to change the information presentation on the passenger side presentation device if the type of passenger identified by the passenger type identification unit is a type that is estimated to be difficult to operate regarding the information presentation on the passenger side presentation device, while prohibiting the driver from operating the driver to change the information presentation on the passenger side presentation device if the type of passenger identified by the passenger type identification unit is not a type that is estimated to be difficult to operate regarding the information presentation on the passenger side presentation device.

[0140] (Technical Idea 14) A presentation control device for a vehicle described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 13, comprising a driver type identification unit (109) that identifies the type of driver, and the presentation control unit (107b) limits the continuation of the presentation of the specific information on the passenger side presentation device when the change-over related notification identification unit identifies that the change-over related notification should be made if the type of driver identified by the driver type identification unit is a type that is estimated to be unfamiliar with driving a vehicle, compared to a case where the type is estimated to be accustomed to driving a vehicle.

[0141] (Technical Idea 15) A presentation control device for a vehicle described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 14, wherein the changeover-related notification identification unit (106c) is also capable of identifying the reason for making the changeover-related notification, and the presentation control unit (107c) switches whether or not to continue presenting the specific information on the passenger side presentation device when the changeover-related notification identification unit identifies that the changeover-related notification should be made, depending on the reason for making the changeover-related notification identified by the changeover-related notification identification unit.

[0142] (Technical Idea 16) A presentation control device for a vehicle as described in Technical Idea 15, wherein the presentation control unit does not continue the presentation of the specific information on the passenger side presentation device when the change-related notification identification unit identifies that the change-related notification should be made if the reason for making the change-related notification identified by the change-related notification identification unit is that the driver is dozing off, whereas the presentation control device for a vehicle continues the presentation of the specific information on the passenger side presentation device when the change-related notification identification unit identifies that the change-related notification should be made if the reason for making the change-related notification identified by the change-related notification identification unit is that the driver is hands-off and has taken their hands off the steering wheel or the driver is looking away.

[0143] (Technical Idea 17) A presentation control device for a vehicle described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 16, wherein the passenger side presentation device is a first passenger side presentation device (92131, 92221) that is an information presentation device that can be used by the passenger sitting in the front passenger seat of the vehicle, and a second passenger side presentation device (92132, 92222) that is an information presentation device that can be used by the passenger sitting in the rear seat of the vehicle, and when the change-over related notification identification unit specifies that the change-over related notification should be made, the presentation control device for a vehicle makes it easier for the change-over related notification to be made by the passenger side presentation device that is closer to the driver's seat of the vehicle, out of the first passenger side presentation device and the second passenger side presentation device.

[0144] (Technical Idea 18) A presentation control device for a vehicle according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 17, comprising: a viewing target estimation unit (110) that estimates the information presentation devices that the driver and the passenger are each viewing; wherein the presentation control unit (107e) does not continue to present the specific information on the passenger-side presentation device when the change-related notification identification unit determines that the change-related notification will be made and, if the viewing target estimation unit estimates that the driver and the passenger are viewing the same passenger-side presentation device, on the other hand, when the change-related notification identification unit determines that the change-related notification will be made and, if the viewing target estimation unit estimates that the driver and the passenger are viewing different information presentation devices, continues to present the specific information on the passenger-side presentation device that the viewing target estimation unit estimates that the passenger is viewing.

[0145] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. Embodiments obtained by appropriately combining the technical means disclosed in different embodiments are also within the technical scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, the control unit and method described in the present disclosure may be implemented by a special-purpose computer comprising a processor programmed to execute one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the apparatus and method described in the present disclosure may be implemented by a special-purpose hardware logic circuit. Alternatively, the apparatus and method described in the present disclosure may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured by combining a processor executing a computer program with one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by a computer on a computer-readable non-transitory tangible recording medium.

Claims

1. A vehicle presentation control device that can be used in an autonomously driven vehicle, comprising: a change-related notification specification unit (106, 106c) that specifies that a change-related notification be made, which is a notification regarding a change of driving from autonomous driving of the vehicle; and a presentation control unit (107, 107a, 107b, 107c, 107d, 107e) that controls information presentation on a passenger-side presentation device that is an information presentation device provided in the vehicle and can be used by passengers other than the driver of the vehicle, different from a driver-side presentation device that is an information presentation device provided in the vehicle exclusively for the driver; wherein the presentation control unit continues to present information on the passenger-side presentation device even when the change-related notification specification unit specifies that the change-related notification be made, with regard to specific information presentation that is information presentation provided for a second task-equivalent action, which is an action for the passenger, which is equivalent to a second task, which is an action other than driving that the driver is permitted to do during the autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor surroundings.

2. A presentation control device for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the changeover-related notification identification unit is capable of distinguishing and identifying each of the changeover-related notifications of different levels of urgency, and the presentation control unit gradually limits the continuation of information presentation on the passenger-side presentation device for the specific information presentation as the level of urgency of the changeover-related notification identified by the changeover-related notification identification unit increases.

3. A presentation control device for a vehicle as described in claim 2, comprising a driver state identification unit (102) that identifies the state of the driver, and the presentation control unit does not wait until the driving changeover is completed, but rather releases the restriction on information presentation on the passenger side presentation device when the driver state identification unit identifies that the driver is in a position to perform the driving changeover.

4. A presentation control device for a vehicle as described in claim 1, comprising a passenger state identification unit (103) that identifies the state of the passenger, wherein the change-related notification identification unit is capable of distinguishing and identifying each of the change-related notifications of multiple levels of different urgency, and the presentation control unit changes at which level of the change-related notifications of multiple levels of different urgency the passenger-side presentation device will issue the change-related notification, depending on the state of the passenger identified by the passenger state identification unit.

5. A presentation control device for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the presentation control unit changes whether or not the change-related notification is also made from the passenger side presentation device depending on the type of specific information presentation.

6. A presentation control device for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the changeover-related notification identification unit is capable of distinguishing and identifying each of the changeover-related notifications having different levels of urgency, and the presentation control unit is capable of controlling the presentation of information on multiple types of information presentation devices including not only the passenger-side presentation device but also the driver-side presentation device, and the presentation control device for a vehicle gradually expands the presentation of information on the changeover-related notifications from only on the driver-side presentation device to information presentation on information presentation devices other than the driver-side presentation device as the level of urgency of the changeover-related notification identified by the changeover-related notification identification unit increases.

7. A presentation control device for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the presentation control unit is capable of controlling information presentation on multiple types of information presentation devices including not only the passenger-side presentation device but also the driver-side presentation device, and when the driver sets a route, a route setting screen for route setting is displayed on an information presentation device other than the passenger-side presentation device, and the vehicle presentation control device is equipped with a commissioned operation detection unit (104) that detects a commissioned operation performed by the driver when the driver's route setting is interrupted to request the passenger to continue the route setting, and when the commissioned operation detection unit detects the commissioned operation, the presentation control unit causes the route setting screen that was being displayed on an information presentation device other than the passenger-side presentation device to be displayed on the passenger-side presentation device.

8. A presentation control device for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the presentation control unit is capable of controlling the presentation of information on multiple types of information presentation devices including not only the passenger-side presentation device but also the driver-side presentation device, and is capable of displaying route information, which is information on the planned driving route of the vehicle, on an information presentation device, and in a situation where the route information is only displayed on an information presentation device other than the driver-side presentation device, when the display of the route information is terminated in order to display a new information on this information presentation device, the vehicle presentation control device causes the driver-side presentation device to display the route information.

9. A presentation control device for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the presentation control unit causes the passenger-side presentation device to present information at least by display, and is capable of linking the passenger-side presentation device and a portable terminal carried by the passenger to synchronously display the specific information as the presentation, and when the linking is performed and the passenger-side presentation device is caused to display the change-related notification, the vehicle presentation control device also causes the portable terminal to display the change-related notification.

10. A presentation control device for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the presentation control unit is capable of controlling information presentation on multiple types of information presentation devices including not only the passenger-side presentation device but also the driver-side presentation device, and causes the information presentation device to present information at least by display, and when the passenger-side presentation device is caused to perform a display and information intended for the driver is to be displayed on an information presentation device other than the passenger-side presentation device, the vehicle presentation control device changes the display performed by the passenger-side presentation device to an inconspicuous display mode.

11. A presentation control device for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the passenger side presentation device is an information presentation device available to the passenger sitting in the passenger seat of the vehicle, and is equipped with a passenger type identification unit (108) that identifies the type of passenger sitting in the passenger seat, and the presentation control unit prohibits the passenger side presentation device from making the change-related notification if the type of passenger identified by the passenger type identification unit is a type that is undesirable for being involved in driving the vehicle.

12. A presentation control device for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the presentation control unit prohibits the driver from changing the information presentation on the passenger side presentation device through operation by the driver when the automated driving is being performed and there is an obligation to monitor the surrounding area, while allowing the driver to change the information presentation on the passenger side presentation device through operation by the driver when the automated driving is being performed and there is no obligation to monitor the surrounding area.

13. A vehicle presentation control device as described in claim 1, wherein the passenger-side presentation device is an information presentation device available to the passenger sitting in the passenger seat of the vehicle, and is equipped with a passenger type identification unit (108) that identifies the type of the passenger sitting in the passenger seat, and the presentation control unit allows the driver to operate the passenger-side presentation device to change the information presentation on the passenger-side presentation device if the type of passenger identified by the passenger type identification unit is one for which it is estimated that it will be difficult to operate the information presentation on the passenger-side presentation device, but prohibits the driver from operating the passenger-side presentation device to change the information presentation on the passenger-side presentation device if the type of passenger identified by the passenger type identification unit is not one for which it is estimated that it will be difficult to operate the information presentation on the passenger-side presentation device.

14. A presentation control device for a vehicle as described in claim 1, comprising a driver type identification unit (109) that identifies the type of driver, and wherein the presentation control unit (107b) limits the continuation of the presentation of the specific information on the passenger side presentation device when the change-over related notification identification unit identifies that the change-over related notification should be made if the type of driver identified by the driver type identification unit is a type that is estimated to be unfamiliar with driving a vehicle, compared to a type that is estimated to be accustomed to driving a vehicle.

15. A presentation control device for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the changeover-related notification identification unit (106c) is also capable of identifying the reason for making the changeover-related notification, and the presentation control unit (107c) switches whether or not to continue presenting the specific information on the passenger-side presentation device when the changeover-related notification identification unit identifies that the changeover-related notification should be made, depending on the reason for making the changeover-related notification identified by the changeover-related notification identification unit.

16. A presentation control device for a vehicle as described in claim 15, wherein the presentation control unit does not continue the presentation of the specific information on the passenger-side presentation device when the change-related notification specification unit specifies that the change-related notification should be made if the reason for making the change-related notification specified by the change-related notification specification unit is that the driver is dozing off, but continues the presentation of the specific information on the passenger-side presentation device when the change-related notification specification unit specifies that the change-related notification should be made if the reason for making the change-related notification specified by the change-related notification specification unit is that the driver is hands-off (having taken his / her hands off the steering wheel) or the driver is looking away.

17. A presentation control device for a vehicle as described in claim 1, wherein the passenger side presentation device is a first passenger side presentation device (92131, 92221) that is an information presentation device available to the passenger sitting in the front passenger seat of the vehicle, and a second passenger side presentation device (92132, 92222) that is an information presentation device available to the passenger sitting in the rear seat of the vehicle, and when the changeover related notification identification unit specifies that the changeover related notification should be made, the presentation control device for a vehicle makes it easier for the changeover related notification to be made on the passenger side presentation device that is closer to the driver's seat of the vehicle, out of the first passenger side presentation device and the second passenger side presentation device.

18. A presentation control device for a vehicle as described in claim 1, comprising a viewing target estimation unit (110) that estimates the information presentation device that the driver and the passenger are each viewing, wherein the presentation control unit (107e) does not continue to present the specific information on the passenger side presentation device when the change-related notification identification unit specifies that the change-related notification will be made and, if the viewing target estimation unit estimates that the driver and the passenger are viewing the same passenger side presentation device, but continues to present the specific information on the passenger side presentation device that the viewing target estimation unit estimates that the passenger is viewing when the change-related notification identification unit specifies that the change-related notification will be made and, if the viewing target estimation unit estimates that the driver and the passenger are viewing different information presentation devices.

19. A presentation control method for a vehicle that can be used in an autonomously driven vehicle, comprising: a change-related notification identification step executed by at least one processor that identifies the issuance of a change-related notification, which is a notification regarding a change-over from autonomous driving of the vehicle; and a presentation control step that controls the presentation of information on a passenger-side presentation device, which is an information presentation device provided in the vehicle and usable by passengers other than the driver of the vehicle, different from a driver-side presentation device, which is an information presentation device provided in the vehicle and is exclusively for the driver; wherein the presentation control step continues the presentation of information on the passenger-side presentation device even when the change-related notification identification step identifies the issuance of the change-related notification, with regard to specific information presentation that is provided for a second task-equivalent action, which is an action for the passenger, which is equivalent to a second task, which is an action other than driving that the driver is permitted to do during autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor surroundings.

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