Driving control device, notification device, driving control method, and driving control program

Abstract

According to the present invention, a driving control device that performs driving control of a vehicle 100 includes, as control modes of emergency braking control for braking the vehicle in an emergency, a first emergency braking control mode in which the emergency braking control is autonomously performed without a brake input being received from the vehicle operator, and a second emergency braking control mode in which the emergency braking control is performed by enabling a brake input from the operator to be received. The driving control device performs the emergency braking control of the vehicle in the second emergency braking control mode when an occupant not wearing a seat belt is detected among the occupants of the vehicle.

Description

Operation control device, notification device, operation control method, and operation control program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an operation control device, a notification device, an operation control method, and an operation control program.

[0002] It has been known for some time that if it is detected that the driver is not wearing a seat belt, the driving mode is prohibited from being changed to a mode that activates an emergency automatic brake (Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2004-203387).

[0003] The device described in Patent Document 1 does not enter a mode in which emergency automatic braking is activated unless the driver is fastening their seat belt. Therefore, if the driver is not fastening their seat belt, the effect of emergency automatic braking in reducing the risk of collision with an obstacle in an emergency cannot be expected.

[0004] In addition, while the system determines whether the driver is wearing a seat belt, it does not make any particular judgment regarding other passengers. However, if autonomous driving operations such as emergency automatic braking are performed while passengers other than the driver are in an unstable state, there is a possibility that the passengers other than the driver may become unsteady.

[0005] In view of the above problems, an object of the present disclosure is to prevent occupants other than the driver from becoming unsteady while enabling automatic emergency braking in an emergency.

[0006] The gist of the present disclosure is as follows.

[0007] (1) A driving control device that controls driving of a vehicle, comprising: a first emergency braking control mode that autonomously performs emergency braking control without accepting a brake operation from a driver of the vehicle; and a second emergency braking control mode that allows acceptance of a brake operation from the driver and performs emergency braking control, wherein if an occupant of the vehicle is detected not wearing a seat belt, the driving control device performs the emergency braking control of the vehicle in the second emergency braking control mode. (2) The driving control device described in (1) above, in which, when the driver operates the brakes in an emergency, the second emergency braking control mode performs the emergency braking control of the vehicle so that the braking force in response to the brake operation is greater than that in normal times other than when the emergency braking control is being performed. (3) The driving control device described in (2) above, in which, when the driver does not operate the brakes in an emergency, the second emergency braking control mode performs the emergency braking control of the vehicle so that the vehicle is autonomously braked. (4) The driving control device according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein, when it is detected that all occupants of the vehicle are wearing seat belts, the emergency braking control of the vehicle is performed in the first emergency braking control mode. (5) The driving control device according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein, as control modes for braking control that brakes the vehicle in a non-emergency situation and accelerator control that adjusts the output of the prime mover of the vehicle to accelerate or decelerate the vehicle, the driving control device includes a first driving control mode that autonomously controls the vehicle and a second driving control mode that controls the vehicle through driving operations by the driver, and when it is detected that occupants are standing and supported by body support equipment, at least one of the braking control and the accelerator control of the vehicle is performed in the second driving control mode. (6) A driving control device as described in (5) above, which has, as control modes for steering control to steer the vehicle, a first driving control mode for autonomously controlling the vehicle and a second driving control mode for controlling the vehicle through driving operations by the driver, and when a standing occupant supported by a body support facility is detected, performs the steering control of the vehicle in the first driving control mode.(7) The driving control device according to (6) above, wherein, when an occupant in a standing state supported by body support equipment is detected and the control mode for the steering control is set to the first driving control mode, the steering control of the vehicle is performed so that the change in the steering angle is more gradual than when all occupants are detected to have their seat belts fastened and the control mode for the steering control is set to the first driving control mode. (8) The driving control device according to any one of (1) to (7) above, wherein, as control modes for braking control that brakes the vehicle except in an emergency, accelerator control that accelerates or decelerates the vehicle by adjusting the output of the prime mover of the vehicle, and steering control that steers the vehicle, the driving control includes a first driving control mode that performs autonomous driving control of the vehicle and a second driving control mode that performs driving control of the vehicle through driving operation by the driver, and when an occupant not supported by body support equipment is detected, the braking control, the accelerator control, and the steering control of the vehicle are performed in the second driving control mode. (9) The driving control device according to any one of (1) to (8), comprising a second driving control mode for autonomously controlling the vehicle and a first driving control mode for controlling the vehicle through driving operations by the driver, as control modes for braking control for braking the vehicle except in emergencies, accelerator control for accelerating and decelerating the vehicle by adjusting the output of a prime mover of the vehicle, and steering control for steering the vehicle, wherein when it is detected that all occupants are seated, the braking control, the accelerator control, and the steering control are performed in the first driving control mode. (10) The driving control device according to (9), wherein when it is detected that all occupants are seated and the control modes for the accelerator control and the steering control are set to the first driving control mode, the driving control of the vehicle is performed so that changes in acceleration / deceleration and steering angle due to changes in output of the prime mover are more gradual than when it is detected that all occupants are fastening their seat belts and the control modes for the accelerator control and the steering control are set to the first driving control mode.(11) A driving control device as described in (9) or (10) above, in which, when it is detected that all occupants are seated and the control mode of the braking control is set to the first driving control mode, the driving control of the vehicle is performed so that the change in braking force is not gradual compared to when it is detected that all occupants are fastening their seat belts and the control mode of the braking control is set to the first driving control mode. (12) A driving control device according to any one of (1) to (11) above, which includes a first driving control mode for autonomously controlling the vehicle and a second driving control mode for controlling the vehicle through the driving operation of the driver, as control modes for braking control for braking the vehicle except in emergencies, accelerator control for accelerating and decelerating the vehicle by adjusting the output of the prime mover of the vehicle, and steering control for steering the vehicle, wherein, when the state of the occupants is in a predetermined state and at least one control mode of the braking control, the accelerator control, and the steering control is set to the first driving control mode, if an occupant riding in the opposite direction to the traveling direction of the vehicle is detected, the driving control device performs driving control of the vehicle so that at least one of the change in braking force corresponding to the driving control set to the first driving control mode, the change in acceleration / deceleration due to the change in output of the prime mover, and the change in steering angle is gentler than when it is detected that all occupants are riding in the traveling direction of the vehicle.(13) A driving control device according to any one of (1) to (12) above, comprising: a first driving control mode for autonomously controlling the vehicle; and a second driving control mode for controlling the vehicle through the driving operation of the driver, as control modes for braking control for braking the vehicle except in emergencies, accelerator control for accelerating and decelerating the vehicle by adjusting the output of the prime mover of the vehicle, and steering control for steering the vehicle; wherein, when the state of the occupant is in a predetermined state and at least one control mode of the braking control, accelerator control, and steering control is set to the first driving control mode, if an occupant riding in the direction of travel of the vehicle is detected and it is detected that the vehicle is traveling downhill, the driving control of the vehicle is performed so that at least one of the change in braking force corresponding to the driving control set to the first driving control mode, the change in acceleration / deceleration due to a change in the output of the prime mover, and the change in steering angle is gentler than when an occupant riding in the direction of travel of the vehicle is not detected or when it is not detected that the vehicle is traveling downhill. (14) A driving control device according to any one of (1) to (13) above, which includes a first driving control mode for autonomously controlling the vehicle and a second driving control mode for controlling the vehicle through the driving operation of the driver, as control modes for braking control for braking the vehicle except in emergencies, accelerator control for accelerating and decelerating the vehicle by adjusting the output of the prime mover of the vehicle, and steering control for steering the vehicle, and when the state of the occupant is in a predetermined state and at least one control mode of the braking control, the accelerator control, and the steering control is set to the first driving control mode, if a child occupant is detected, the driving control of the vehicle is performed so that at least one of the change in braking force corresponding to the driving control set to the first driving control mode, the change in acceleration / deceleration due to a change in the output of the prime mover, and the change in steering angle is gentler than when a child occupant is not detected.(15) A driving control device according to any one of (1) to (14) above, which includes a second driving control mode for autonomously controlling the vehicle and a first driving control mode for controlling the vehicle through the driving operation of the driver, as control modes for braking control for braking the vehicle except in emergencies, accelerator control for accelerating and decelerating the vehicle by adjusting the output of the prime mover of the vehicle, and steering control for steering the vehicle, and when the state of the occupant is in a predetermined state and at least one control mode of the braking control, the accelerator control, and the steering control is set to the first driving control mode, if an elderly occupant is detected, the driving control of the vehicle is performed so that at least one of the change in braking force corresponding to the driving control set to the first driving control mode, the change in acceleration / deceleration due to the change in output of the prime mover, and the change in steering angle is gentler than when an elderly occupant is not detected. (16) A notification device that provides notifications regarding vehicle driving control, wherein the vehicle is capable of setting a control mode of emergency braking control for braking the vehicle in an emergency between a first emergency braking control mode in which emergency braking control is performed autonomously without accepting a brake operation from the driver of the vehicle, and a second emergency braking control mode in which emergency braking control is performed by being able to accept a brake operation from the driver, and the notification device notifies the driver that the control mode of the emergency braking control will be set to the first emergency braking control mode when an occupant of the vehicle who is not wearing a seat belt is detected. (17) The vehicle can set the control modes of braking control, which brakes the vehicle except in emergencies, and accelerator control, which adjusts the output of the vehicle's prime mover to accelerate or decelerate the vehicle, to a first driving control mode, which performs autonomous driving control of the vehicle, and a second driving control mode, which performs driving control of the vehicle through driving operations by the driver, and the notification device described in (16) above notifies the driver that the control modes of at least one of the braking control and the accelerator control will be set to the second driving control mode when a standing occupant supported by body support equipment is detected.(18) The vehicle can be set to a second driving control mode in which autonomous driving control of the vehicle is performed, and a second driving control mode in which driving control of the vehicle is performed by the driving operation of the driver, as control modes for braking control that brakes the vehicle except in an emergency, accelerator control that adjusts the output of the vehicle's prime mover to accelerate or decelerate the vehicle, and steering control that steers the vehicle; and the notification device notifies the driver that the control modes of the braking control, accelerator control, and steering control will be set to the second driving control mode when an occupant not supported by body support equipment is detected, as described in (16) or (17) above. (19) A driving control method for controlling the driving of a vehicle, comprising: a first emergency braking control mode for autonomously performing emergency braking control without accepting a brake operation from a driver of the vehicle; and a second emergency braking control mode for performing emergency braking control by accepting a brake operation from the driver; and when an occupant of the vehicle is detected not wearing a seat belt, the driving control method includes performing the emergency braking control of the vehicle in the second emergency braking control mode. (20) A driving control program for controlling the driving of a vehicle, comprising: a first emergency braking control mode for autonomously performing emergency braking control without accepting a brake operation from the driver of the vehicle; and a second emergency braking control mode for performing emergency braking control by accepting a brake operation from the driver of the vehicle; and when an occupant of the vehicle is detected not wearing a seat belt, the driving control program causes a computer to execute the emergency braking control of the vehicle in the second emergency braking control mode.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to prevent occupants other than the driver from becoming unsteady while enabling automatic emergency braking to be activated in an emergency.

[0009] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration of a driving control system in which a driving control device according to one embodiment is implemented. FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an ECU processor. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a setting manner of a control mode for each driving operation according to the state of an occupant. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating upper limits of the rate of change of braking force, the rate of change of acceleration / deceleration, and the rate of change of steering angle according to the state of an occupant. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating coefficients according to the attributes of an occupant and the riding state. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating coefficients according to the attributes of an occupant and the riding state. FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of a mode setting process. FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of a determination process. FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of a braking process. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of an acceleration / deceleration process. FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating the flow of a steering process.

[0010] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In the following description, like components are designated by like reference numerals.

[0011] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a driving control system 1 in which a driving control device and a notification device according to a first embodiment are implemented. The driving control system 1 is mounted on a vehicle 100 and performs driving control including emergency braking control for braking the vehicle 100 in an emergency, braking control for braking the vehicle 100 under normal circumstances (when there is no emergency), accelerator control for accelerating or decelerating the vehicle 100 by adjusting the output of the prime mover of the vehicle 100, and steering control for steering the vehicle 100. The prime mover of the vehicle 100 may be an internal combustion engine or an electric motor.

[0012] Furthermore, the vehicle 100 is a vehicle that can accommodate passengers other than a driver. In particular, in this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is a vehicle that can travel without any passengers seated. The vehicle 100 is, for example, a bus. However, the vehicle 100 may also be a vehicle that basically travels with passengers seated, such as a passenger car.

[0013] In this embodiment, the driving control system 1 has a surrounding environment information sensor 10, a vehicle information sensor 20, a driver operation sensor 30, an occupant status sensor 40, a human-machine interface (hereinafter referred to as "HMI") 50, an external vehicle communication module 55, a vehicle actuator 60, and an electronic control unit (hereinafter referred to as "ECU") 70.

[0014] The surrounding environment information sensor 10, the host vehicle information sensor 20, the driver operation sensor 30, the occupant status sensor 40, the HMI 50, the exterior communication module 55, and the ECU 70 are communicatively connected via an in-vehicle network 5. The in-vehicle network 5 is a network that complies with standards such as CAN (Controller Area Network). The ECU 70 is also connected to a vehicle actuator 60 via a signal line. The ECU 70 may be connected to the vehicle actuator 60 via the in-vehicle network 5, or may be connected to the surrounding environment information sensor 10, the host vehicle information sensor 20, the driver operation sensor 30, the occupant status sensor 40, the HMI 50, or the exterior communication module 55 via a signal line.

[0015] The surrounding environment information sensor 10 is a sensor that detects the environment or situation around the vehicle 100 and generates surrounding data that represents the environment or situation around the vehicle 100. The surrounding environment information sensor 10 includes, for example, an exterior camera 11 and a distance measurement sensor 12. The surrounding environment information sensor 10 outputs surrounding data (e.g., image data of the surroundings of the vehicle 100, measurement data of distances to surrounding objects, etc.) to the ECU 70 via the in-vehicle network 5 at predetermined intervals.

[0016] The exterior camera 11 captures images of the area around the vehicle 100, and in this embodiment, captures images of the area ahead of the vehicle 100. The exterior camera 11 is, for example, a CMOS camera or a CCD camera that is sensitive to visible light. The exterior camera 11 captures images of the area ahead of the vehicle 100 at predetermined imaging intervals and generates image data depicting the area ahead. The exterior camera 11 may be a monocular camera or a stereo camera. If a stereo camera is used as the exterior camera 11, the exterior camera 11 also functions as a distance sensor 12. The vehicle 100 may be provided with multiple exterior cameras with different imaging directions or focal lengths.

[0017] The ranging sensor 12 measures the distance to an object present around the vehicle 100, which in this embodiment is an object present in front of the vehicle 100. The ranging sensor 12 can also measure the direction and relative speed of an object present around (in front of) the vehicle 100. The ranging sensor 12 is, for example, a radar such as a millimeter-wave radar, a LiDAR, or a sonar.

[0018] The host vehicle information sensor 20 is a sensor that detects the status of the vehicle 100 and generates vehicle data that represents the status of the vehicle 100. The host vehicle information sensor 20 includes, for example, a positioning sensor 21 and a driving state sensor 22. The host vehicle information sensor 20 outputs vehicle data (e.g., vehicle position data of the vehicle 100, driving state data of the vehicle 100, etc.) to the ECU 70 via the in-vehicle network 5 at predetermined intervals.

[0019] The positioning sensor 21 measures the self-position of the vehicle 100. The positioning sensor 21 is, for example, a GNSS receiver. The GNSS receiver receives GNSS signals from a plurality of GNSS satellites and measures the self-position of the vehicle 100 based on the received GNSS signals. Note that the positioning sensor 21 may be a receiver conforming to another satellite positioning system as long as it can measure the self-position of the vehicle 100.

[0020] The running condition sensor 22 detects the running condition of the vehicle 100. The running condition sensor 22 detects, for example, the speed of the vehicle 100, the acceleration of the vehicle 100, the rate of change of the yaw angle when the vehicle 100 turns (yaw rate), and the like.

[0021] The driver operation sensor 30 is a sensor that detects the operation status of the vehicle 100's operating devices (e.g., brake pedal, accelerator pedal, and steering wheel) by the driver and generates operation data representing the operation status of the operating devices. The driver operation sensor 30 includes, for example, a brake sensor 31, an accelerator sensor 32, and a steering sensor 33. The driver operation sensor 30 outputs the operation data to the ECU 70 via the in-vehicle network 5 at predetermined intervals.

[0022] The brake sensor 31 detects the amount of brake pedal depression by the driver and outputs brake operation data corresponding to the amount of depression. The accelerator sensor 32 detects the amount of accelerator pedal depression by the driver and outputs accelerator operation data corresponding to the amount of depression. The steering sensor 33 detects the amount of steering wheel operation by the driver and outputs steering data corresponding to the amount of operation.

[0023] The occupant status sensor 40 is a sensor that detects the status of occupants of the vehicle 100, particularly occupants other than the driver of the vehicle 100, and generates occupant status data that represents the status of the occupants. The occupant status sensor 40 includes, for example, an in-vehicle camera 41, a seating sensor 42, a seat belt sensor 43, and a grip sensor 44. The occupant status sensor 40 outputs the occupant status data to the ECU 70 via the in-vehicle network 5 at predetermined intervals.

[0024] The in-vehicle camera 41 captures images of the interior of the vehicle 100. In particular, in this embodiment, the in-vehicle camera 41 is installed so as to be able to capture images of all occupants in the vehicle 100, i.e., so as to be able to detect the status of all occupants in the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the vehicle 100 is provided with a plurality of in-vehicle cameras 41. For example, two in-vehicle cameras 41 are provided at the front, center, and rear of the vehicle 100. The in-vehicle cameras 41 are, for example, CMOS cameras or CCD cameras that are sensitive to visible light. The in-vehicle cameras 41 capture images of the interior of the vehicle 100 at predetermined imaging intervals and generate image data showing the interior of the vehicle 100.

[0025] The seating sensor 42 determines whether an occupant is seated in each seat of the vehicle 100. The seating sensor 42 is, for example, a weight sensor provided on the seat surface of each seat to measure the weight of an object on each seat. When the weight sensor of each seat detects a weight equal to or greater than a predetermined weight, it is determined that an occupant is seated in that seat. Note that any sensor other than a weight sensor may be used as the seating sensor 42 as long as it can detect whether an occupant is seated.

[0026] The seat belt sensor 43 determines whether or not the seat belt of each seat is fastened. The seat belt sensor 43 is provided in the seat belt buckle and outputs a signal when the tongue of the seat belt is fastened in the buckle. Note that any sensor other than an in-vehicle camera may be used as the seat belt sensor 43 as long as it can detect whether or not the seat belt is fastened.

[0027] The grip sensor 44 determines whether an occupant is gripping a given location within the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the grip sensor 44 determines whether an occupant is gripping a body support facility that a standing occupant grips to support their body. The body support facility includes, for example, a strap or a handrail (handrail). Specifically, the grip sensor 44 is a pressure sensor provided at a given location, and when the occupant grips a given location and a predetermined amount of pressure or more is applied to that location, it is determined that the occupant is gripping that location. Note that any sensor other than a pressure sensor may be used as the grip sensor 44 as long as it can determine whether an occupant is gripping a given location within the vehicle 100.

[0028] The HMI 50 is a user interface for exchanging information between the ECU 70 of the vehicle 100 and an occupant of the vehicle 100. The HMI 50 has an input device 51 that receives input from the occupant of the vehicle 100 and an output device 52 that notifies the occupant of the vehicle 100. The input device 51 is a device that receives physical operations or audio operations by the occupant as input, and includes at least one of a touch panel, a switch, a button, a microphone, etc. On the other hand, the output device 52 is a device that notifies the occupant through the occupant's five senses (e.g., sight, hearing, touch, etc.), and includes at least one of a display device (e.g., a liquid crystal display, a head-up display, a warning light, etc.), a speaker, a vibration unit, etc.

[0029] The HMI 50 transmits input data received from the occupant via the input device 51 to the ECU 70 via the in-vehicle network 5. The HMI 50 also notifies the occupant via the output device 52 of information corresponding to a signal received from the ECU 70 via the in-vehicle network 5.

[0030] The exterior communication module 55 communicates with devices outside the vehicle. The exterior communication module 55 is a device that performs wireless communication with a wireless base station in accordance with a predetermined mobile communication standard. The exterior communication module 55 receives, for example, information about disasters and the like from the wireless base station.

[0031] Vehicle actuators 60 are actuators used to control the operation of vehicle 100. Specifically, vehicle actuators 60 include, for example, a braking actuator 61 that controls the brakes that brake vehicle 100, a drive actuator 62 that controls a prime mover (an internal combustion engine or an electric motor) for driving vehicle 100, and a steering actuator 63 that controls the steering of vehicle 100. Vehicle actuators 60 control the acceleration, braking, and steering of vehicle 100 in accordance with control signals transmitted from ECU 70 via signal lines.

[0032] <Outline of ECU> The ECU 70 functions as a driving control device that controls driving of the vehicle 100 and a notification device that provides notifications related to the driving control of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the ECU 70 performs driving control including emergency braking control, braking control, accelerator control, and steering control. In the example shown in FIG. 1 , the driving control system 1 includes one ECU 70, but may also include multiple ECUs 70 that are separated by function. The ECU 70 has a communication interface 71, a storage unit 72, and a processor 73. Note that the communication interface 71, the storage unit 72, and the processor 73 may be separate circuits, or may be configured as a single integrated circuit.

[0033] The communication interface 71 has a communication interface circuit and a device interface circuit. The communication interface circuit is a circuit for connecting the ECU 70 to the in-vehicle network 5. The device interface circuit is a circuit for outputting control signals to the vehicle actuators 60. The communication interface 71 transmits signals received from the surrounding environment information sensor 10, the host vehicle information sensor 20, the driver operation sensor 30, the occupant status sensor 40, and the input devices 51 of the HMI 50 to the processor 73. The communication interface 71 also transmits signals output from the processor 73 to the output devices 52 of the HMI 50 and the vehicle actuators 60.

[0034] The storage unit 72 stores data. The storage unit 72 includes, for example, at least one of a volatile semiconductor memory, a non-volatile semiconductor memory, a hard disk drive (HDD), and a solid state drive (SSD). The storage unit 72 stores programs executed by the processor 73. The storage unit 72 also stores data transmitted from various sensors. The storage unit 72 may also store map information.

[0035] The processor 73 includes one or more central processing units (CPUs) and their peripheral circuits. The processor 73 may further include other arithmetic circuits such as a logic operation unit or a numerical operation unit. The processor 73 executes computer programs stored in the storage unit 72.

[0036] 2 is a functional block diagram of the processor 73 of the ECU 70. As shown in FIG. 2, the processor 73 includes a state detection unit 731, an abnormality determination unit 732, a mode setting unit 733, a control mode setting unit 734, an operation control unit 735, and a notification unit 736. Each of these units included in the processor 73 is a functional module realized by, for example, a computer program running on the processor 73. Alternatively, each unit included in the processor 73 may be implemented in the ECU 70 as an independent integrated circuit, microprocessor, or firmware.

[0037] The state detection unit 731 detects the state and attributes of occupants including those other than the driver of the vehicle 100. In particular, in this embodiment, the state detection unit 731 detects the state and attributes of occupants other than the driver of the vehicle 100. The state detection unit 731 detects the state and attributes of occupants of the vehicle 100 based on occupant state data generated by the occupant state sensor 40. Note that the state detection unit 731 may detect only the state of the occupant of the vehicle 100, without detecting the attributes.

[0038] In this embodiment, the state detection unit 731 detects the occupants in the vehicle 100 and the attributes of each occupant based on image data received from the in-vehicle camera 41. For example, the state detection unit 731 sequentially inputs the image data to a classifier to detect the occupants depicted in the images of each image data and the attributes of the occupants (e.g., adult, elderly, child, able-bodied, disabled, etc.). The classifier is, for example, a convolutional neural network (CNN) having multiple convolution layers connected in series from the input side to the output side. Furthermore, the state detection unit 731 may detect the state of each occupant based on the image data received from the in-vehicle camera 41 using the classifier described above.

[0039] In the present embodiment, the state detection unit 731 detects the state of the occupant in the vehicle 100 based on the occupant state data generated by the seating sensor 42, the seat belt sensor 43, and the grip sensor 44. Specifically, the state detection unit 731 detects whether an occupant is seated in each seat based on, for example, output data from the seating sensor 42. The state detection unit 731 also detects whether an occupant seated in each seat is fastening a seat belt based on, for example, output data from the seat belt sensor 43. The state detection unit 731 also detects whether an occupant is gripping any body support equipment of the vehicle 100 based on, for example, output data from the grip sensor 44. Note that in the present embodiment, the state of the occupant in the vehicle 100 may be detected based on data other than the occupant state data generated by the seating sensor 42, the seat belt sensor 43, and the grip sensor 44.

[0040] The state detection unit 731 may also detect the riding state of the occupants based on image data received from the in-vehicle camera 41. The riding state of the occupants includes, for example, a state in which each occupant is riding facing the direction of travel and a state in which each occupant is riding facing opposite to the direction of travel. The state detection unit 731 detects the riding state of the occupants shown in the image of each image data by, for example, sequentially inputting the image data to a classifier.

[0041] The abnormality determination unit 732 determines whether the state related to the operation of the vehicle 100 (hereinafter also referred to as the "operational state") is normal or abnormal. The normal state is a state in which the state inside and outside the vehicle 100 is suitable for operating the vehicle 100. On the other hand, the abnormal state is a state in which the state inside and outside the vehicle 100 is not suitable for operating the vehicle 100. Specifically, for example, if a fire has broken out near the vehicle 100 or if an earthquake or tsunami has occurred, the operation state is determined to be abnormal. Furthermore, for example, if someone has fallen or is suddenly ill inside the vehicle 100, the operation state is determined to be abnormal.

[0042] The abnormality determination unit 732 makes a determination based on, for example, information about a disaster or the like received via the exterior communication module 55, surrounding data generated by the surrounding environment information sensor 10, the state of the occupants detected by the state detection unit 731, etc. For example, the abnormality determination unit 732 determines that the operating state is abnormal when, for example, information indicating the occurrence of an earthquake or tsunami is received via the exterior communication module 55. Furthermore, the abnormality determination unit 732 determines that the operating state is abnormal when, for example, image data from the exterior camera 11 detects that a fire has broken out around the vehicle 100. Furthermore, the abnormality determination unit 732 determines that the operating state is abnormal when, for example, the state detection unit 731 detects that a person has fallen or fallen ill inside the vehicle 100.

[0043] The mode setting unit 733 sets a control mode for each driving control of the vehicle 100 based on the state of the occupant detected by the state detection unit 731. The control modes include a first mode in which the degree of driver intervention in driving is relatively low, and a second mode in which the degree of driver intervention in driving is relatively high.

[0044] The control mode is set for each driving control. Therefore, in this embodiment, a control mode is set for each of emergency braking control, braking control, accelerator control, and steering control. In this embodiment, in emergency braking control, the first mode is a non-acceptance mode (first emergency braking control mode) in which emergency braking control of the vehicle 100 is autonomously performed by the driving control unit 735 without accepting a brake operation from the vehicle driver. In addition, in emergency braking control, the second mode is an acceptance mode (second emergency braking control mode) in which operation from the driver can be accepted and emergency braking control of the vehicle 100 is performed by the driving control unit 735. Therefore, the mode setting unit 733 can set the control mode for emergency braking control to the non-acceptance mode and the acceptance mode.

[0045] In addition, in the present embodiment, for braking control, accelerator control, and steering control, the first mode is an autonomous control mode (first driving control mode) in which each driving control of the vehicle 100 is autonomously executed by the driving control unit 735 basically without based on operation data from the driver operation sensor 30. Furthermore, for braking control, accelerator control, and steering control, the second mode is a driver control mode (second driving control mode) in which each driving control is executed by the driving control unit 735 based on operation data from the driver operation sensor 30. Therefore, the mode setting unit 733 can set the control mode for braking control, accelerator control, and steering control to either the autonomous control mode or the driver control mode. Note that, in the present embodiment, the control mode is set to one of two modes, the first mode and the second mode, but may also be set to one of three or more modes. When the control mode includes three or more modes, the degree of driver intervention in driving differs for each mode. In addition, even in the autonomous control mode, each driving control of the vehicle 100 may be partially executed autonomously by the driving control unit 735 based in part on the operation data from the driver operation sensor 30.

[0046] Furthermore, the mode setting unit 733 sets the control mode of the driving control to a first mode (in this embodiment, the non-acceptance mode or the autonomous control mode) when the stability of the occupant's state is relatively high, and sets the control mode of the driving control to a second mode (in this embodiment, the acceptance mode or the driver control mode) when the stability of the occupant's state is relatively low. The stability of the occupant's state is determined based on the occupant's state detected by the state detection unit 731. The stability of the occupant's state is determined based on whether or not the occupant is wearing a seat belt, whether or not the occupant is seated, whether or not the occupant is supported by a body support facility, etc.

[0047] In particular, in this embodiment, the state in which the occupant is seated and fastened with a seat belt is considered to be the most stable state. The state in which the occupant is seated but not fastened with a seat belt is considered to be the next most stable state. The state in which the occupant is seated in a wheelchair and the wheelchair is fastened to the vehicle 100 is considered to be the next most stable state. The state in which the occupant is standing and holding on to a body support facility such as a strap or handrail and is supported by the body support facility is considered to be the next most stable state. The state in which the occupant is not holding on to a body support facility such as a strap or handrail and is not supported by the body support facility is considered to be the least stable state.

[0048] In this embodiment, the control mode is set based on the state of the occupants other than the driver. Therefore, autonomous driving control is prevented from being performed when the occupants other than the driver are in an unstable state. As a result, it is possible to prevent the occupants other than the driver from becoming unsteady.

[0049] In this embodiment, the mode setting unit 733 sets the driving mode based on the stability of the recognition of the occupant state and / or occupant attributes. The driving modes include a cautious mode in which the proportion of the first mode (autonomous control mode) relative to the occupant state is relatively low, and a normal mode in which the proportion of the second mode (driver control mode) relative to the occupant state is relatively high. Therefore, for example, when the occupant is standing and supported by the body support equipment, the control mode of the accelerator control is set to the driver control mode in the cautious mode, whereas the control mode of the accelerator control is set to the autonomous control mode in the normal mode.

[0050] In this embodiment, the stability of the recognition of the occupant state and / or occupant attribute is determined based on whether the occupant state and / or occupant attribute in the vehicle 100 has remained unchanged for a certain period of time. Therefore, when the occupant state and / or occupant attribute in the vehicle 100 is not maintained but is fluctuating, the mode setting unit 733 determines that the stability of the recognition of the occupant state and / or occupant attribute is low, and sets the driving mode to the cautious mode. On the other hand, when the occupant state and / or occupant attribute in the vehicle 100 has remained unchanged for a certain period of time, the mode setting unit 733 determines that the stability of the recognition of the occupant state and / or occupant attribute is high, and sets the driving mode to the normal mode.

[0051] The control mode setting unit 734 sets the control mode of each driving control in the autonomous control mode based on the state and attributes of the occupant detected by the state detection unit 731. In this embodiment, the control mode setting unit 734 changes the degree of change in braking force, the degree of change in acceleration / deceleration (hereinafter simply referred to as "acceleration / deceleration") associated with changes in the output of the prime mover, and the degree of change in steering angle based on the state and attributes of the occupant. Specifically, the control mode setting unit 734 sets, for example, an upper limit for the amount of change in braking force per unit time (hereinafter referred to as the "rate of change in braking force"), an upper limit for the amount of change in acceleration / deceleration per unit time (hereinafter referred to as the "rate of change in acceleration / deceleration"), and an upper limit for the amount of change in steering angle per unit time (hereinafter referred to as the "rate of change in steering angle") based on the state and attributes of the occupant. Furthermore, the control mode setting unit 734 sets, for example, coefficients to be multiplied by the reference rates of change of braking force, acceleration / deceleration, and steering angle calculated in the usual manner based on the riding state and attributes of the occupant.

[0052] In this embodiment, when the stability of the occupant's state is relatively low, the control mode setting unit 734 sets the control mode so that the changes in braking force, acceleration / deceleration, and steering angle are more gradual than when the stability of the occupant's state is relatively high. For example, when it is detected that all occupants are seated and the control mode for accelerator control and steering control is set to the autonomous control mode, the control mode setting unit 734 sets an upper limit value and / or a coefficient for the rate of change of acceleration / deceleration and / or an upper limit value and / or a coefficient for the rate of change of steering angle so that the changes in acceleration / deceleration and / or steering angle are more gradual than when it is detected that all occupants are fastening their seatbelts and the control mode for accelerator control and steering control is set to the autonomous control mode.

[0053] In this embodiment, the control mode setting unit 734 sets the control mode so that changes in braking force, acceleration / deceleration, and steering angle are more gradual when the stability of the occupant's attributes and riding state is relatively low compared to when the stability of the occupant's attributes and riding state is relatively high. Examples of cases where the stability of the occupant's attributes is low include cases where the occupant includes a child, an elderly person, or a physically disabled person. Examples of cases where the stability of the occupant's riding state is low include cases where the occupant is riding facing the opposite direction to the traveling direction, or where the occupant is riding facing the traveling direction while traveling downhill. For example, when the stability of the occupant's attributes and riding state is relatively low, the control mode setting unit 734 sets an upper limit value and / or a coefficient for the rate of change of acceleration / deceleration and / or an upper limit value and / or a coefficient for the rate of change of steering angle so that changes in acceleration / deceleration and / or steering angle are more gradual compared to when the stability of the occupant's attributes and riding state is relatively high.

[0054] The driving control unit 735 controls the driving of the vehicle 100 in the set control mode. When the control mode is set to the first mode (non-acceptance mode or autonomous control mode in this embodiment), the driving control unit 735 controls the driving of the vehicle 100 so that the degree of driver intervention in driving is relatively low. When the control mode is set to the second mode (acceptance mode or driver control mode in this embodiment), the driving control unit 735 controls the driving of the vehicle 100 so that the degree of driver intervention in driving is relatively high.

[0055] In this embodiment, when the control mode of the emergency braking control is set to the non-acceptance mode (first emergency braking control mode), even if the driver operates the brake pedal in an emergency (when an emergency braking control condition described below is met), the driving control unit 735 does not accept such an operation. Therefore, in such a case, the driving control unit 735 controls the brake actuator 61 so as to achieve the target braking force and braking force change rate calculated by the driving control unit 735 based on the distance to an obstacle ahead of the vehicle 100, the relative speed, etc.

[0056] On the other hand, when the control mode of the emergency braking control is set to the acceptance mode (second emergency braking control mode), if the driver operates the brake pedal in an emergency, the driving control unit 735 controls the braking force of the vehicle 100 based on such operation. In particular, in this embodiment, the driving control unit 735 assists the braking control so that the braking force is increased in response to the amount of brake pedal operation. In other words, when the driver operates the brake pedal in an emergency, the driving control unit 735 autonomously controls the brake actuator 61 so that the braking force in response to the brake pedal operation is increased compared to that during normal control other than emergency braking control.

[0057] Furthermore, when the control mode of the emergency braking control is set to the reception mode, if the driver does not operate the brake pedal in an emergency, the driving control unit 735 autonomously controls the braking force of the vehicle 100 based on the distance to, and relative speed of, an obstacle in front of the vehicle 100. Therefore, in this embodiment, if the driver does not operate the brake pedal in an emergency, the driving control unit 735 autonomously controls the brake actuator 61 based on the distance to, and relative speed of, an obstacle in front of the vehicle 100 so that the target braking force and braking force change rate are achieved as calculated by the driving control unit 735.

[0058] In this embodiment, when the stability of the occupant's state is relatively low, the control mode of the emergency braking control is set to a reception mode in which the driving control unit 735 controls the vehicle 100 in response to an operation from the driver. In particular, in the reception mode, when the driver does not operate the brake pedal, the vehicle 100 is braked autonomously. Therefore, when an occupant who is not wearing a seat belt or an occupant who is less stable than the occupant is detected, the vehicle 100 is braked in a control mode in which autonomous braking is performed while an operation from the driver is received. This makes it possible to prevent the occupant from becoming unsteady.

[0059] On the other hand, in this embodiment, in the reception mode, when the driver operates the brake pedal, the driving control unit 735 assists in controlling the brake pedal. This allows the vehicle 100 to be braked in accordance with the driver's operation, while preventing the braking force from being too weak in an emergency.

[0060] When the control mode for any driving control (braking control, accelerator control, steering control) other than emergency braking control is set to the autonomous control mode, the driving control unit 735 controls the driving of the vehicle 100 so that the vehicle 100 is controlled autonomously for that driving control. On the other hand, when the control mode for any driving control other than emergency braking control is set to the driver control mode, the driving control unit 735 controls the driving of the vehicle 100 so that the vehicle 100 is manually controlled based on an operation from the driver for that driving control. For example, in this embodiment, when the control mode for braking control is set to the autonomous control mode, the driving control unit 735 controls the driving of the vehicle 100 so that the vehicle 100 is braked autonomously except in an emergency. In addition, when the control mode for braking control is set to the driver control mode, the driving control unit 735 controls the driving of the vehicle 100 so that the vehicle 100 is manually braked based on an operation from the driver except in an emergency.

[0061] The notification unit 736 notifies the occupant, particularly the driver, of the control mode and / or driving mode. In this embodiment, the notification unit 736 notifies the occupant of the control mode and / or driving mode currently set by the mode setting unit 733. This allows the occupant to know the currently set control mode and / or driving mode. In addition, the notification unit 736 notifies the occupant when the control mode and / or driving mode has been changed. The notification unit 736 notifies the occupant via the output device 52 of the HMI 50. Therefore, the notification unit 736 displays the fact that the control mode or driving mode has been changed on a display device or outputs a sound notifying the fact from a speaker. This allows the occupant to immediately know when the control mode or driving mode has been changed.

[0062] <Setting of Control Mode> Next, setting of the control mode will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a diagram showing how the control mode is set for each driving control depending on the state of the occupant.

[0063] In Figure 3, the horizontal axis indicates whether the operating condition is abnormal and the state of the occupant in the vehicle 100. In particular, in Figure 3, the occupant state becomes less stable from left to right. Therefore, the occupant state becomes less stable in the following order: a state in which the occupant is seated ("Seated" state in the figure), a state in which the occupant is not seated but is supported by a body support system ("Body Secured" state in the figure), and a state in which the occupant is not seated but is not supported by a body support system ("Body Unsecured" state in the figure). Furthermore, even within the "Seated" state, the stability becomes less stable in the following order: a state in which the occupant is seated and wearing a seat belt ("Seat Belt Fastened" state in the figure), a state in which the occupant is seated but not wearing a seat belt ("Seat Belt Unfastened" state in the figure), and a state in which the occupant is sitting in a wheelchair and the wheelchair is secured to the vehicle 100 ("Wheelchair Secured" state in the figure). Even in the "body fixed" state, stability decreases in the order of a state where the occupant is gripping a strap ("strap gripping" state in the figure) to a state where the occupant is gripping a handrail ("handrail gripping" state in the figure). Furthermore, even in the "body unfixed" state, stability decreases in the order of a state where the occupant is not gripping any body support equipment ("no gripping" state in the figure) to a state where the occupant is sitting in a wheelchair and the wheelchair is not secured to the vehicle 100 ("unfixed wheelchair" state in the figure).

[0064] The occupant state shown in Fig. 3 represents the least stable occupant state among the occupant states of the vehicle 100. Therefore, for example, if all occupants except one are seated with their seat belts fastened and only one occupant is standing while holding onto a strap, the occupant state is "holding onto strap." Also, in Fig. 3, the vertical axis represents the driving mode and driving control.

[0065] First, a case where it is determined that the driving state is abnormal will be described. When it is determined that the driving state is abnormal, regardless of the driving mode and the type of driving control, the control mode for emergency braking control is set to reception mode, and the control modes for driving control other than emergency braking control are set to driver control mode. When the driving state is abnormal, there is a possibility that autonomous driving learning has not necessarily been performed appropriately, and therefore safety can be ensured by having control performed by the driver.

[0066] Next, a case where the operating state is determined to be normal will be described. First, a case where the driving mode is set to the careful mode will be described. As shown in FIG. 3 , in this case, when the state of the least stable occupant is the "seat belt fastened" state, the control mode of the emergency braking control is set to the non-acceptance mode. In other words, when all occupants are in the "seat belt fastened" state, i.e., when it is detected that all occupants are fastening their seat belts, the control mode of the emergency braking control is set to the non-acceptance mode. On the other hand, when the state of the least stable occupant is the "seat belt unfastened" state or a state less stable than this, i.e., when it is detected that an occupant is not fastening a seat belt, the control mode of the emergency braking control is set to the acceptance mode. As such, in this embodiment, the control mode of the emergency braking control is set to the non-acceptance mode only when all occupants are fastening their seat belts. When emergency braking control is performed, a relatively large G (acceleration) occurs. However, according to this embodiment, the autonomous control is prevented from performing inappropriate control and generating an inappropriately large G.

[0067] When the driving mode is set to the careful mode, if the least stable occupant state is the "unbelted" state or a state with higher stability, the control mode of the braking control is set to the autonomous control mode. On the other hand, if the least stable occupant state is the "wheelchair restrained" state or a state with lower stability, the control mode of the braking control is set to the driver control mode.

[0068] Furthermore, when the driving mode is set to the careful mode, if the least stable occupant state is the "wheelchair restrained" state or a state of greater stability, the control mode for accelerator control is set to the autonomous control mode. On the other hand, if the least stable occupant state is the "strap-holding" state or a state of less stability, the control mode for accelerator control is set to the driver control mode.

[0069] In addition, when the driving mode is set to the careful mode, if the least stable occupant state is the "handrail grip" state or a state with higher stability, the control mode of the steering control is set to the autonomous control mode. On the other hand, if the least stable occupant state is the "no grip" state or a state with lower stability, the control mode of the steering control is set to the driver control mode.

[0070] As described above, in this embodiment, the first mode (non-reception mode or autonomous control mode) is set when the stability of the occupant's condition is higher in the order of emergency braking control, braking control, accelerator control, and steering control. Here, the G (acceleration) associated with driving control decreases in the order of emergency braking control, braking control, accelerator control, and steering control. The smaller the G associated with driving control, the smaller the impact will be even if inappropriate control is performed by autonomous control. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the impact of inappropriate control performed by autonomous control can be minimized, thereby making it possible to perform driving control that is appropriate for the occupant's condition.

[0071] Next, a case where the driving mode is set to the normal mode will be described. As shown in Figure 3, the control mode of the emergency braking control is set in this case as well as when the driving mode is set to the careful mode. Therefore, when the least stable occupant is in the "seat belt fastened" state, the control mode of the emergency braking control is set to the non-acceptance mode. On the other hand, when the least stable occupant is in the "seat belt unfastened" state or a state less stable than this, the control mode of the emergency braking control is set to the acceptance mode.

[0072] Furthermore, when the driving mode is set to the normal mode, if the least stable occupant state is the "wheelchair restrained" state or a state with higher stability, the control mode of the braking control is set to the autonomous control mode. On the other hand, if the least stable occupant state is the "strap-holding" state or a state with lower stability, the control mode of the braking control is set to the driver control mode.

[0073] Furthermore, when the driving mode is set to the normal mode, if the least stable occupant state is the "handrail grip" state or a state with higher stability, the control mode for the accelerator control and steering control is set to the autonomous control mode. On the other hand, if the least stable occupant state is the "no grip" state or a state with lower stability, the control mode for the accelerator control and steering control is set to the driver control mode.

[0074] As described above, in this embodiment, the autonomous control mode is set more frequently in the normal mode than in the careful mode. As a result, the more stably the occupant status is recognized, the more autonomously each driving control is performed, and driving control can be executed in accordance with the recognized status.

[0075] As described above, in this embodiment, when the least stable occupant state is the "unclasped" state or the "unsecured wheelchair" state, i.e., when an occupant not supported by the body support equipment is detected, the mode setting unit 733 sets the control modes for braking control, acceleration control, and steering control to the driver control mode. As a result, when the occupant's state is unstable, braking control, acceleration control, and steering control are performed by the driver, and autonomous control is used to prevent the occupant from falling, etc. Therefore, it becomes possible to execute driving control appropriate for the occupant's state.

[0076] On the other hand, in this embodiment, when the least stable occupant state is "without seat belt" or a state with higher stability, i.e., when it is detected that all occupants are seated, the mode setting unit 733 sets the control modes for braking control, acceleration control, and steering control to autonomous control mode. As a result, when the occupant state is stable, braking control, acceleration control, and steering control are performed autonomously, reducing the operational burden on the driver. Therefore, it becomes possible to execute driving control appropriate for the occupant state.

[0077] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the least stable occupant state is the "holding on a strap" state or the "holding on a handrail" state, i.e., when a standing occupant supported by body support equipment is detected, the mode setting unit 733 sets at least one of the control modes of the braking control and the accelerator control to the driver control mode. As a result, when the occupant's state is somewhat unstable, the driver performs braking control and / or accelerator control, and autonomous control prevents the occupant from falling, etc. This makes it possible to execute driving control appropriate for the occupant's state.

[0078] On the other hand, in this embodiment, when the least stable occupant state is the "holding on a strap" state or the "holding on a handrail" state, that is, when an occupant is detected standing and supported by body support equipment, the mode setting unit 733 sets the control mode of steering control to the autonomous control mode. As a result, even if the occupant's state is somewhat unstable, steering control is performed autonomously when the G force associated with steering control is small, reducing the control burden on the driver. Therefore, it becomes possible to execute driving control that is appropriate for the occupant's state.

[0079] In this embodiment, the control mode is set to the first mode (non-reception mode or autonomous control mode) when the stability of the occupant's state is higher in the order of emergency braking control, braking control, accelerator control, and steering control. However, the control mode may be set to the first mode when the stability of the occupant's state is higher in a different order. Furthermore, the control mode may be switched between the autonomous control mode and the driver control mode for at least some of the emergency braking control, braking control, accelerator control, and steering control when the stability of the occupant's state is about the same.

[0080] In this embodiment, the driving mode is set to two modes, the careful mode and the normal mode. However, the driving mode may be set to three or more modes. In this case, the proportion of the autonomous control mode set according to the state of the occupant differs among the three or more modes.

[0081] <Setting of Control Mode> Next, setting of the control mode will be described with reference to Fig. 4 to Fig. 6. As described above, the control mode setting unit 734 sets the control mode of each driving control in the autonomous control mode based on the state of the occupant, the attributes of the occupant, and the riding state detected by the state detection unit 731.

[0082] <<Setting of Upper Limit Values>> Figure 4 is a diagram showing upper limits of the rate of change of braking force, the rate of change of acceleration / deceleration, and the rate of change of steering angle according to the state of the occupant. The upper limit values ​​in Figure 4 are numerical values ​​when the maximum rate of change allowed in the autonomous control of each driving control is set to 100%. Therefore, 50% in Figure 4 means that the upper limit value is set to 50% of the maximum rate of change allowed in the autonomous control of each driving control. In this way, by setting the upper limit value smaller than the maximum rate of change, sudden changes in driving control (e.g., sudden braking, sudden acceleration / deceleration, and sudden steering) are suppressed.

[0083] Furthermore, the upper limits of the rate of change of the braking force, the rate of change of the acceleration / deceleration, and the rate of change of the steering angle are not set when the control mode is the reception mode or the driver control mode. This is because when the control mode is the reception mode or the driver control mode, braking, acceleration / deceleration, and steering are controlled at least in part based on operation data from the driver operation sensor 30. Therefore, the upper limits of the rate of change of the braking force, the rate of change of the acceleration / deceleration, and the rate of change of the steering angle are set only when the control mode is the non-reception mode or the autonomous control mode.

[0084] 4, in this embodiment, the upper limit values ​​of the change rates are basically set lower as the stability of the occupant's state decreases. Also, in this embodiment, the upper limit values ​​of the change rates are basically set lower for the acceleration / deceleration change rate and the steering angle change rate than for the braking force change rate.

[0085] Specifically, in this embodiment, when the control mode is set to the non-reception mode or the autonomous control mode, the upper limit of the change rate for emergency braking control and braking control is always set to 100%. Therefore, although abrupt changes in braking force are not suppressed, collision of the vehicle 100 with an obstacle or the like is suppressed.

[0086] In addition, in this embodiment, with regard to accelerator control when the driving mode is in the careful mode, when the least stable occupant state is the "seat belt fastened" state, the "seat belt unfastened" state, or the "wheelchair restrained" state, the upper limit value is set to 100%, 80%, and 70%, respectively.

[0087] In addition, in this embodiment, for steering control when the driving mode is in the cautious mode, when the least stable occupant state is the "seat belt fastened" state, "seat belt not fastened" state, "wheelchair restrained" state, "hanging strap holding" state, or "handrail holding" state, the upper limit value is set to 100%, 80%, 70%, 50%, and 50%, respectively.

[0088] In addition, in this embodiment, for accelerator control and steering control when the driving mode is in normal mode, when the least stable occupant state is the "seat belt fastened" state, "seat belt not fastened" state, "wheelchair restrained" state, "hanging strap holding" state, or "handrail holding" state, the upper limit values ​​are set to 100%, 90%, 80%, 70%, and 70%, respectively.

[0089] As described above, in this embodiment, when the state of the least stable occupant is the "seat belt unfastened" state, the control mode setting unit 734 sets lower upper limits for the rate of change of acceleration / deceleration and the rate of change of steering angle compared to when the state of the least stable occupant is the "seat belt fastened" state. That is, in this embodiment, when it is detected that all occupants are seated, the driving control unit 735 controls the driving of the vehicle 100 so that changes in acceleration / deceleration and steering are more gradual compared to when it is detected that all occupants are fastened with seat belts. This prevents sudden changes in acceleration / deceleration or steering when the stability of the occupants is relatively low, and appropriate driving control is executed according to the state of the occupants.

[0090] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the state of the least stable occupant is the "seat belt unfastened" state, the control mode setting unit 734 sets the upper limit of the rate of change of the braking force to the same level as when the state of the least stable occupant is the "seat belt fastened" state. That is, in this embodiment, when it is detected that all occupants are seated, the driving control unit 735 controls the driving of the vehicle 100 so that the change in braking is not gradual compared to when it is detected that all occupants are fastened. This prevents the vehicle 100 from colliding with an obstacle or the like due to a delayed braking regardless of the state of the occupants.

[0091] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the state of the least stable occupant is the "holding strap" state or the "holding handrail" state, the control mode setting unit 734 sets the upper limit value of the rate of change of the steering angle lower than when the state of the least stable occupant is the "seat belt fastened" state. That is, in this embodiment, when a standing occupant supported by body support equipment is detected, the driving control unit 735 controls the driving of the vehicle 100 so that the steering changes more gradually than when it is detected that all occupants are fastening their seat belts. This prevents sudden changes in acceleration / deceleration or steering when the stability of the occupants is relatively low, and appropriate driving control is executed according to the state of the occupants.

[0092] The upper limit of the rate of change for each driving control does not have to be set lower as the stability of the occupant's condition decreases. Therefore, the upper limit of the rate of change for each driving control may be constant regardless of the stability of the occupant's condition, or may be set higher as the stability of the occupant's condition decreases. Furthermore, the upper limit of the rate of change for the acceleration / deceleration and the steering angle does not have to be set lower than the upper limit of the rate of change for the braking force. Therefore, the upper limit of the rate of change for the acceleration / deceleration and the steering angle may be set equal to the upper limit of the rate of change for the braking force, or may be set higher than the upper limit of the rate of change for the braking force. Alternatively, the upper limit of the rate of change for each driving control may always be constant (100%) regardless of the stability of the occupant's condition, etc.

[0093] In this embodiment, the upper limits of the rate of change of the braking force, the rate of change of the acceleration / deceleration, and the rate of change of the steering angle are changed depending on the state of the occupant. However, any parameter may be changed as long as the change in each driving control becomes gentler when the stability of the occupant's state decreases. For example, the coefficients by which the normally calculated rate of change of the braking force, the acceleration / deceleration, and the steering angle are multiplied may be changed depending on the state of the occupant. This allows the overall driving control to be gentler when the stability of the occupant is low.

[0094] <<Coefficient Setting>> As described above, the control mode setting unit 734 sets the control mode for each driving control in the autonomous control mode based on the occupant's attributes and riding state. Figures 5 and 6 are diagrams showing coefficients according to the occupant's attributes and riding state. Tables A to F in Figure 5 correspond to coefficient tables A to F in Figure 6. The coefficients represent values ​​by which the reference change rates for emergency braking control, braking control, accelerator control, and steering control calculated in the normal manner should be multiplied. Therefore, the smaller the coefficients, the smaller the change rates of braking force, acceleration / deceleration, and steering angle, and therefore the more gradual the changes in braking force, acceleration / deceleration, and steering angle.

[0095] Furthermore, the rates of change of braking force, acceleration / deceleration, and steering angle are not set when the control mode is the reception mode or the driver control mode. This is because when the control mode is the reception mode or the driver control mode, braking, acceleration / deceleration, and steering are controlled at least in part based on operation data from the driver operation sensor 30. Therefore, the rates of change of braking force, acceleration / deceleration, and steering angle are set only when the control mode is the autonomous control mode.

[0096] 5 and 6, in this embodiment, the coefficient by which the reference change rate is multiplied is basically set lower when the stability of the occupant's attribute is relatively low than when the stability of the occupant's attribute is relatively high. Therefore, when the occupant's attribute is a child, an elderly person, or a physically disabled person, the coefficient is set lower than when the occupant's attribute is a healthy adult.

[0097] 5 and 6 , in this embodiment, the coefficient is basically set lower when the stability of the occupant's riding state is relatively low than when the stability of the occupant's riding state is relatively high. Therefore, when an occupant is riding in the opposite direction to the traveling direction or when an occupant is riding in the traveling direction while traveling downhill, the coefficient is set lower than when an occupant is not riding in the opposite direction to the traveling direction or when an occupant is not riding in the traveling direction while traveling downhill. Note that whether the vehicle 100 is traveling downhill is determined based on vehicle data from the traveling state sensor 22 that detects the acceleration of the vehicle 100. Alternatively, whether the vehicle 100 is traveling downhill may be determined based on the vehicle's own position detected by the positioning sensor 21 and map information stored in the memory unit 72.

[0098] Specifically, in this embodiment, for emergency braking control, the coefficient is set to 1.0 as shown in coefficient table A of Fig. 6. Also, for braking control, when the occupant state with the lowest stability is the "seat belt fastened" state, the coefficient is set to 1.0 as shown in coefficient table A of Fig. 6.

[0099] Furthermore, with regard to braking control, when the state of the occupant with the lowest stability is the "unbelted" state or the "wheelchair restrained" state, the coefficient is set as shown in coefficient table B of FIG. 6 . Therefore, when the occupant's attribute is a child and the occupant is riding in the opposite direction to the direction of travel (hereinafter referred to as the "child / opposite direction case"), the coefficient is set to 0.8. When the occupant's attribute is a child and the occupant is riding in the direction of travel while traveling downhill (hereinafter referred to as the "child / downhill direction case"), the coefficient is set to 0.7. When the occupant's attribute is an elderly person and the occupant is riding in the opposite direction to the direction of travel while traveling downhill (hereinafter referred to as the "elderly person / opposite direction case"), the coefficient is set to 0.7. When the occupant's attribute is an elderly person and the occupant is riding in the direction of travel while traveling downhill (hereinafter referred to as the "elderly person / downhill direction case"), the coefficient is set to 0.5. Therefore, in this embodiment, when the occupant's attribute is elderly, and when the occupant is riding facing the direction of travel while traveling downhill, the change in braking in the autonomous control is made gentler.

[0100] Furthermore, for accelerator control, when the driving mode is the careful mode, the coefficients are set as shown in coefficient table C in Figure 6. Thus, the coefficients are set to 0.5 for child / wrong-way, 0.7 for child / downhill, 0.4 for elderly / wrong-way, and 0.7 for elderly / downhill. Therefore, when the driving mode is the careful mode, the change in acceleration / deceleration (especially acceleration) in autonomous control is made gentler when the occupant attribute is elderly and when the occupant is riding in the opposite direction to the traveling direction.

[0101] Additionally, for accelerator control, when the driving mode is normal mode, the coefficients are set as shown in coefficient table F in Figure 6. Thus, the coefficients are set to 0.7 for child / reverse direction, 0.8 for child / downhill, 0.6 for elderly / reverse direction, and 0.8 for elderly / downhill. Therefore, when the driving mode is normal mode, the decrease in the coefficients is suppressed compared to when the driving mode is cautious mode, and therefore the change in acceleration / deceleration (especially acceleration) in autonomous control is greater.

[0102] Furthermore, with regard to steering control, when the driving mode is the cautious mode and all occupants are seated, and when the driving mode is the normal mode, the coefficients are set as shown in coefficient table D in Figure 6. Thus, the coefficients are set to 0.9 for children and going in the wrong direction, 0.9 for children and going downhill, 0.8 for elderly people and going in the wrong direction, and 0.8 for elderly people and going downhill. Therefore, steering changes in autonomous control are not made as gradual as changes in braking and acceleration / deceleration.

[0103] In addition, with regard to steering control, when the driving mode is the cautious mode and at least some of the occupants are in the "holding strap" state or the "holding handrail" state, the coefficients are set as shown in coefficient table E in FIG. 6. Thus, the coefficients are set to 0.5 for child / wrong-way, 0.5 for child / downhill, 0.5 for elderly / wrong-way, and 0.5 for elderly / downhill. Therefore, when the driving mode is the cautious mode and an occupant is standing, steering changes in the autonomous control are made particularly gradual so as to prevent sudden changes in direction.

[0104] As described above, in this embodiment, when an occupant riding in the opposite direction to the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 is detected, the control mode setting unit 734 sets a lower coefficient for at least one of the braking control, the accelerator control, and the steering control compared to when it is detected that all occupants are riding in the traveling direction. That is, in this embodiment, when an occupant riding in the opposite direction to the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 is detected, the driving control unit 735 controls the driving of the vehicle 100 so that at least one of the change in braking force, the change in acceleration / deceleration, and the change in steering angle is more gradual compared to when it is detected that all occupants are riding in the traveling direction. This prevents occupants riding in the opposite direction to the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 from losing their posture due to large G (acceleration).

[0105] Furthermore, in the present embodiment, when an occupant riding in the direction of travel of the vehicle 100 is detected while the vehicle 100 is traveling downhill, the control mode setting unit 734 sets a lower coefficient for at least one of the braking control, the accelerator control, and the steering control compared to when an occupant riding in the direction of travel of the vehicle 100 is not detected or when it is not detected that the vehicle 100 is traveling downhill. That is, in the present embodiment, when an occupant riding in the direction of travel of the vehicle 100 is detected while the vehicle 100 is traveling downhill, the driving control unit 735 controls the driving of the vehicle 100 so that at least one of the change in braking force, the change in acceleration / deceleration, and the change in steering angle is more gradual compared to when an occupant riding in the direction of travel of the vehicle 100 is not detected or when it is not detected that the vehicle 100 is traveling downhill. This prevents an occupant riding in the direction of travel of the vehicle 100 from losing their balance due to a large G (acceleration) while traveling downhill.

[0106] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when a child occupant is detected, the control mode setting unit 734 sets a lower coefficient for at least one of the braking control, the accelerator control, and the steering control compared to when a child occupant is not detected. That is, in this embodiment, when a child occupant is detected, the driving control unit 735 controls the driving of the vehicle 100 so that at least one of the changes in the braking force, the acceleration / deceleration, and the steering angle is more gradual compared to when a child occupant is not detected. This prevents the child occupant from losing their balance due to a large G (acceleration).

[0107] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when an elderly occupant is detected, the control mode setting unit 734 sets a lower coefficient for at least one of the braking control, the accelerator control, and the steering control compared to when an elderly occupant is not detected. That is, in this embodiment, when an elderly occupant is detected, the driving control unit 735 controls the driving of the vehicle 100 so that at least one of the changes in the braking force, the acceleration / deceleration, and the steering angle is more gradual compared to when an elderly occupant is not detected. This prevents a child occupant from losing their balance due to a large G (acceleration).

[0108] In this embodiment, the coefficient is set to be lower than 1.0 when the stability of the occupant's attributes is low and the stability of the occupant's riding state is low. Therefore, for example, when the occupant is a child and the occupant is riding in the opposite direction to the traveling direction, the coefficient is set to be lower than 1.0. However, both conditions do not necessarily have to be satisfied. Therefore, the coefficient may be set to be lower than 1.0 when the stability of the occupant's attributes is low regardless of the stability of the occupant's riding state. Furthermore, the coefficient may be set to be lower than 1.0 when the stability of the occupant's riding state is low regardless of the stability of the occupant's attributes.

[0109] In addition, in this embodiment, the coefficient by which the reference change rate is multiplied is changed depending on the stability of the occupant's attributes and the stability of the occupant's riding state. However, any parameter may be changed as long as the change in each driving control becomes more gradual when the stability of the occupant's attributes or the stability of the occupant's riding state decreases. For example, the upper limits of the rate of change of the braking force, the rate of change of the acceleration / deceleration, and the rate of change of the steering angle may be changed depending on the stability of the occupant's attributes and the stability of the occupant's riding state. Furthermore, the coefficient by which the reference change rate is multiplied may always be constant (1.0) regardless of the stability of the occupant's attributes and the stability of the occupant's riding state.

[0110] <Specific Control> Next, specific control executed by the processor 73 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0111] <Mode Setting Process> First, the mode setting process for setting the control mode will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is a flowchart showing the flow of the mode setting process. The illustrated mode setting process is executed by the processor 73.

[0112] When the mode setting process starts, first, the abnormality determination unit 732 determines whether the driving state is abnormal (step S11). The abnormality determination unit 732 makes the determination based on information such as disaster information received via the exterior communication module 55, surrounding data generated by the surrounding environment information sensor 10, the state of the occupant detected by the state detection unit 731, etc. If it is determined in step S11 that the driving state is abnormal, the mode setting unit 733 sets the control mode for emergency braking control to the reception mode and sets the control modes for driving control other than emergency braking control to the driver control mode (step S12).

[0113] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S11 that the operating state is normal, the state detection unit 731 and the mode setting unit 733 execute a process for determining the state and attributes of each occupant and the driving mode (step S13). The determination process will be described with reference to Fig. 8. Fig. 8 is a flowchart showing the flow of the determination process. The illustrated determination process is executed by the processor 73.

[0114] When the determination process is started, first, the state detection unit 731 detects occupants in the vehicle 100 based on the image data received from the in-vehicle camera 41 (step S21). Next, the state detection unit 731 detects the attributes of each occupant in the vehicle 100 based on the image data received from the in-vehicle camera 41 (step S22). Next, the state detection unit 731 detects the state of each occupant based on occupant state data other than the image data (step S23).

[0115] Thereafter, the state detection unit 731 determines whether the states of all occupants detected in step S21 have been detected in step S23 (step S24). For example, the state detection unit 731 determines whether the states of all occupants have been detected based on whether the number of occupants detected in step S21 matches the number of occupants whose states have been detected in step S23. Alternatively, the state detection unit 731 may determine whether the states of all occupants have been detected based on whether occupant state data is available from the occupant state sensors 40 at positions corresponding to the positions of each occupant detected in step S21.

[0116] If it is determined in step S24 that the states of all occupants have not been detected, the state detection unit 731 detects the states of the occupants in the vehicle 100 based on the image data received from the in-vehicle camera 41 (step S25). For example, if there is a standing occupant in the vehicle 100 who is not supported by a body support facility, and if the seating sensor 42 does not detect that the occupant is seated in the seat but the image data indicates that the occupant is seated in that seat, the state of the occupant is detected in step S25. Thereafter, the state detection unit 731 determines whether the states of all occupants detected in step S21 have been detected in steps S23 and S25 (step S24).

[0117] If it is determined in step S24 that the states of all occupants have been detected, the mode setting unit 733 counts the number of occupants in each state detected in steps S23 and S25 and the number of occupants with each attribute detected in step S22 (step S26). Next, the mode setting unit 733 determines whether the number of occupants in each state or the number of occupants with each attribute counted in step S26 is fluctuating (particularly, whether the number repeatedly increases and decreases) (step S27). The mode setting unit 733 determines that the number of occupants in any state is fluctuating if, for example, the number of occupants in any attribute is fluctuating within a predetermined time period. Furthermore, the mode setting unit 733 determines that the number of occupants in any attribute is fluctuating if the number repeatedly increases and decreases within a predetermined time period.

[0118] If it is determined in step S27 that the number of people has changed, the mode setting unit 733 sets the driving mode to the careful mode (step S28). On the other hand, if it is determined in step S27 that the number of people has not changed, the mode setting unit 733 sets the driving mode to the normal mode (step S29).

[0119] 7, after the determination process is executed in step S13, the mode setting unit 733 then sets the control mode for each driving control (step S14). The mode setting unit 733 sets the control mode for each driving control using a map such as that shown in FIG. 3 based on the state of each occupant detected in the determination process and the driving mode set in the determination process.

[0120] When the control mode is set in step S12 or S14, the control mode setting unit 734 sets the upper limit of the change rate for each driving control and a coefficient by which the reference change rate should be multiplied, i.e., the control mode for each driving control (step S15). The control mode setting unit 734 sets the control mode for each driving control using maps such as those shown in Figures 4 to 6 based on, for example, the state and attributes of each occupant detected in the determination process, the driving mode set in the determination process, and the riding state of each occupant detected by the state detection unit 731.

[0121] Next, the notification unit 736 notifies the occupant, particularly the driver, of the current control mode set in step S14 (step S15). In addition, the notification unit 736 may notify the occupant of information other than the current control mode, such as the current driving mode set in step S12. Furthermore, if there is a change in the control mode or the driving mode, the notification unit 736 may notify the occupant of that fact. The notification unit 736 notifies the occupant via the output device 52 of the HMI 50.

[0122] <Braking Process> Next, the braking process for performing emergency braking control and braking control will be described with reference to Fig. 9. Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing the flow of the braking process. The illustrated braking process is executed by the processor 73.

[0123] When the braking process is started, the driving control unit 735 first determines whether or not an emergency braking control condition is met (whether or not an emergency situation exists) (step S31). The emergency braking control condition is a condition that is met when emergency braking control is necessary, and includes, for example, conditions related to the distance and relative speed between the vehicle 100 and an obstacle ahead of the vehicle 100. The distance and relative speed between the vehicle 100 and an obstacle ahead of the vehicle 100 are calculated based on, for example, surrounding data generated by the exterior camera 11 and the distance measurement sensor 12.

[0124] When it is determined in step S31 that the emergency braking control conditions are met (when an emergency occurs), the driving control unit 735 determines whether the control mode for emergency braking control is set to the non-acceptance mode in the mode setting process (step S32). If it is determined in step S32 that the control mode for emergency braking control is set to the non-acceptance mode, the driving control unit 735 calculates a target braking force and a braking force change rate corresponding to the emergency braking control based on, for example, the distance and relative speed between the vehicle 100 and an obstacle ahead of the vehicle 100 (step S33). The target braking force is a target value of the braking force applied by the brake actuator 61, and the braking force change rate is a rate of change of the braking force until the braking force applied by the brake actuator 61 reaches the target braking force. Next, the driving control unit 735 calculates an instructed braking force to be instructed to the brake actuator 61 based on the target braking force and the braking force change rate calculated in step S33 (step S34). The brake actuator 61 is controlled based on the calculated instructed braking force.

[0125] If it is determined in step S32 that the control mode of the emergency braking control is not set to the non-acceptance mode (it is set to the acceptance mode), the driving control unit 735 determines whether or not the driver is operating the brake pedal (step S35). Whether or not the driver is operating the brake pedal is determined based on the brake operation data generated by the brake sensor 31. If it is determined in step S35 that the brake pedal is not being operated, the driving control unit 735 calculates a target braking force and a braking force change rate corresponding to the emergency braking operation based on, for example, the distance to and relative speed of an obstacle ahead of the vehicle 100, so that autonomous braking is performed (step S33).

[0126] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S35 that the brake pedal is being operated, the driving control unit 735 calculates the command braking force to be commanded to the brake actuator 61 in consideration of the brake operation data output by the brake sensor 31 (step S36). At this time, the driving control unit 735 calculates the command braking force so that the braking force by the brake actuator 61 is greater than usual relative to the amount of depression of the brake pedal, for example.

[0127] If it is determined in step S31 that the emergency braking control condition is not satisfied (if the vehicle is not in an emergency), the driving control unit 735 determines whether the control mode for braking control is set to the driver-controlled mode in the mode setting process (step S37). If it is determined in step S37 that the control mode is set to the driver-controlled mode, the driving control unit 735 calculates the command braking force to be commanded to the brake actuator 61 based on the brake operation data output by the brake sensor 31 (step S38).

[0128] On the other hand, when it is determined in step S37 that the control mode is not set to the driver control mode (it is set to the autonomous control mode), the driving control unit 735 calculates a target braking force and a reference braking force change rate (reference braking force change rate) based on the distance to an obstacle ahead of the vehicle 100, the relative speed, etc. (step S39). Next, the driving control unit 735 calculates a coefficient by which to multiply the reference braking force change rate based on the maps shown in Figures 5 and 6, and calculates the braking force change rate by multiplying the calculated coefficient by the reference braking force change rate (step S40).

[0129] Next, the driving control unit 735 determines whether the braking force change rate calculated in step S40 is equal to or greater than the upper limit braking force change rate (step S41). The upper limit braking force change rate is calculated based on a map such as that shown in FIG. 4. If it is determined in step S41 that the braking force change rate is less than the upper limit braking force change rate, the braking force change rate is left unchanged. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S41 that the braking force change rate is equal to or greater than the upper limit braking force change rate, the braking force change rate is set to the upper limit braking force change rate (step S42).

[0130] Next, the driving control unit 735 calculates the command braking force to be commanded to the brake actuator 61 based on the target braking force calculated in step S39 and the braking force change rate calculated or set in step S40 or S42 (step S34).

[0131] When the command braking force is calculated in step S34, S36 or S38, the driving control unit 735 transmits a control signal based on the calculated command braking force to the brake actuator 61 (step S42).

[0132] <Acceleration / Deceleration Processing> Next, the acceleration / deceleration processing for controlling the accelerator will be described with reference to Fig. 10. Fig. 10 is a flowchart showing the flow of the acceleration / deceleration processing. The illustrated acceleration / deceleration processing is executed by the processor 73.

[0133] When the acceleration / deceleration process is started, the driving control unit 735 first determines whether the control mode of the accelerator control is set to the driver control mode in the mode setting process (step S51). If it is determined in step S51 that the control mode is set to the driver control mode, the driving control unit 735 calculates the accelerator control amount to be instructed to the drive actuator 62 based on the accelerator control data output by the accelerator sensor 32 (step S52).

[0134] On the other hand, when it is determined in step S51 that the control mode is set to the autonomous control mode, the driving control unit 735 calculates a target acceleration / deceleration and a reference acceleration / deceleration change rate (reference acceleration / deceleration change rate) based on the distance to and relative speed of an obstacle ahead of the vehicle 100 (step S53). Next, the driving control unit 735 calculates a coefficient to be multiplied by the reference acceleration / deceleration change rate based on maps such as those shown in Figures 5 and 6, and calculates the acceleration / deceleration change rate by multiplying the calculated coefficient by the reference acceleration / deceleration change rate (step S54).

[0135] Next, the driving control unit 735 determines whether the acceleration / deceleration change rate calculated in step S54 is equal to or greater than the upper limit acceleration / deceleration change rate (step S55). The upper limit acceleration / deceleration change rate is calculated based on a map such as that shown in FIG. 4. If it is determined in step S55 that the acceleration / deceleration change rate is less than the upper limit acceleration / deceleration change rate, the acceleration / deceleration change rate is left unchanged. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S55 that the acceleration / deceleration change rate is equal to or greater than the upper limit acceleration / deceleration change rate, the acceleration / deceleration change rate is set to the upper limit acceleration / deceleration change rate (step S56).

[0136] Next, the driving control unit 735 calculates the accelerator control amount to be instructed to the drive actuator 62 based on the target acceleration / deceleration calculated in step S53 and the acceleration / deceleration change rate calculated or set in step S54 or S56 (step S57). Next, the driving control unit 735 transmits a control signal based on the accelerator control amount calculated in step S52 or S57 to the drive actuator 62 (step S58).

[0137] <Steering Processing> Next, the steering processing for controlling the steering will be described with reference to Fig. 11. Fig. 11 is a flowchart showing the flow of the steering processing. The steering processing shown in the figure is executed by the processor 73.

[0138] When the steering process is started, the driving control unit 735 first determines whether the control mode of the steering control is set to the driver control mode in the mode setting process (step S61). If it is determined in step S61 that the control mode is set to the driver control mode, the driving control unit 735 calculates the steering control amount to be instructed to the steering actuator 63 based on the steering data output by the steering sensor 33 (step S62).

[0139] On the other hand, when it is determined in step S61 that the control mode is set to the autonomous control mode, the driving control unit 735 calculates a future reference planned driving trajectory based on the position of the lanes around the vehicle 100, the distance and relative speed to obstacles around the vehicle 100, etc. (step S63). Next, the driving control unit 735 calculates a target planned driving trajectory by correcting the reference planned driving trajectory as necessary based on the upper limit value of the change rate of the steering angle and the coefficient related to the steering angle calculated based on the maps such as those shown in FIGS. 5 and 6 (step S64). For example, if the change rate of the steering angle when steering control is performed along the reference planned driving trajectory exceeds the upper limit value, the driving control unit 735 corrects the reference planned driving trajectory so that the change rate of the steering angle is within the calculated upper limit value. Furthermore, the driving control unit 735 corrects the reference planned driving trajectory so that the steering angle changes at a change rate obtained by multiplying the change rate of the steering angle when steering control is performed along the reference planned driving trajectory by the calculated coefficient, for example.

[0140] Next, the driving control unit 735 calculates a steering control amount necessary for the vehicle 100 to travel along the target planned driving trajectory based on the target planned driving trajectory calculated in step S64 (step S65). Next, the driving control unit 735 transmits a control signal based on the steering control amount calculated in step S62 or S65 to the steering actuator 63 (step S66).

[0141] <Modification> In the above embodiment, when the control mode is the reception mode or the driver control mode, the driver aboard the vehicle 100 at least partially controls the driving of the vehicle 100. However, when the control mode is the reception mode or the driver control mode, the driving of the vehicle 100 may be at least partially controlled by a remote operator outside the vehicle 100. In this case, the vehicle 100 transmits data generated by various sensors of the vehicle 100 to an external server (not shown) via the exterior communication module 55. The remote operator operates the brake pedal, accelerator pedal, and steering wheel based on the received data, and data related to the amount of operation is transmitted from the server to the vehicle 100. The processor of the vehicle 100 controls the vehicle actuator 60 based on the received data related to the amount of operation. As described above, when the control mode is the reception mode or the driver control mode, the driving of the vehicle 100 is at least partially controlled by the driving operations of the driving operators, including the driver and the remote operator.

[0142] Although preferred embodiments according to the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the claims.

Claims

1. A driving control device that controls the driving of a vehicle, comprising: control modes for emergency braking control that brakes the vehicle in an emergency, a first emergency braking control mode that autonomously performs emergency braking control without accepting brake operation from the vehicle driver, and a second emergency braking control mode that performs emergency braking control by accepting brake operation from the driver; and when an occupant of the vehicle is detected not wearing a seat belt, the driving control device performs the emergency braking control of the vehicle in the second emergency braking control mode.

2. A driving control device as described in claim 1, wherein in the second emergency braking control mode, when the driver operates the brakes in an emergency, the emergency braking control of the vehicle is performed so that the braking force in response to the brake operation is greater than that in normal times other than when the emergency braking control is being performed.

3. A driving control device as described in claim 2, wherein in the second emergency braking control mode, when the driver does not operate the brakes in an emergency, the emergency braking control of the vehicle is performed so that the vehicle is braked autonomously.

4. A driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein when it is detected that all occupants of the vehicle are wearing seat belts, the emergency braking control of the vehicle is performed in the first emergency braking control mode.

5. A driving control device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, comprising a first driving control mode for autonomously controlling the vehicle and a second driving control mode for controlling the vehicle through driving operations by the driver as control modes for braking control for braking the vehicle except in emergencies and accelerator control for accelerating and decelerating the vehicle by adjusting the output of the vehicle's prime mover, wherein when a standing occupant supported by body support equipment is detected, at least one of the braking control and the accelerator control of the vehicle is performed in the second driving control mode.

6. A driving control device as described in claim 5, which has, as control modes for steering control to steer the vehicle, a first driving control mode in which the vehicle is controlled autonomously, and a second driving control mode in which the vehicle is controlled by driving operations by the driver, and when a standing occupant supported by body support equipment is detected, the steering control of the vehicle is performed in the first driving control mode.

7. A driving control device as described in claim 6, wherein when a standing occupant supported by a body support facility is detected and the control mode of the steering control is set to the first driving control mode, the steering control of the vehicle is performed so that the change in steering angle is gentler than when it is detected that all occupants are wearing seat belts and the control mode of the steering control is set to the first driving control mode.

8. A driving control device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 7, comprising control modes for braking control for braking the vehicle except in emergencies, accelerator control for accelerating and decelerating the vehicle by adjusting the output of the vehicle's prime mover, and steering control for steering the vehicle, the control modes being a first driving control mode for autonomously controlling the vehicle and a second driving control mode for controlling the vehicle through driving operations by the driver, and wherein when an occupant not supported by body support equipment is detected, braking control, accelerator control, and steering control of the vehicle are performed in the second driving control mode.

9. A driving control device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 8, comprising control modes for braking control for braking the vehicle except in emergencies, accelerator control for accelerating and decelerating the vehicle by adjusting the output of the vehicle's prime mover, and steering control for steering the vehicle, the control modes being a second driving control mode for autonomously controlling the vehicle and a first driving control mode for controlling the vehicle through driving operations by the driver, and wherein when it is detected that all occupants are seated, the braking control, accelerator control, and steering control are performed in the first driving control mode.

10. A driving control device as described in claim 9, wherein when it is detected that all occupants are seated and the control mode for the accelerator control and the steering control is set to the first driving control mode, the driving control of the vehicle is performed so that changes in acceleration / deceleration and steering angle due to changes in the output of the prime mover are more gradual than when it is detected that all occupants are fastening their seat belts and the control mode for the accelerator control and the steering control is set to the first driving control mode.

11. A driving control device as described in claim 9 or 10, wherein when it is detected that all occupants are seated and the control mode of the braking control is set to the first driving control mode, the driving control of the vehicle is performed so that the change in braking force is not gradual compared to when it is detected that all occupants are fastening their seat belts and the control mode of the braking control is set to the first driving control mode.

12. A driving control device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 11, comprising a first driving control mode for autonomously controlling the vehicle and a second driving control mode for controlling the vehicle through driving operations by the driver, as control modes for braking control for braking the vehicle except in emergencies, accelerator control for accelerating and decelerating the vehicle by adjusting the output of the prime mover of the vehicle, and steering control for steering the vehicle, wherein, when the state of the occupants is in a predetermined state and at least one control mode of the braking control, accelerator control, and steering control is set to the first driving control mode, if an occupant riding facing opposite to the traveling direction of the vehicle is detected, the driving control device performs driving control of the vehicle so that at least one of the change in braking force corresponding to the driving control set to the first driving control mode, the change in acceleration / deceleration due to the change in output of the prime mover, and the change in steering angle is gentler than when it is detected that all occupants are riding facing the traveling direction of the vehicle.

13. A driving control device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 12, comprising a first driving control mode for autonomously controlling the vehicle and a second driving control mode for controlling the vehicle through driving operations by the driver, as control modes for braking control for braking the vehicle except in emergencies, accelerator control for accelerating and decelerating the vehicle by adjusting the output of the prime mover of the vehicle, and steering control for steering the vehicle, wherein, when the state of the occupant is in a predetermined state and at least one control mode of the braking control, accelerator control, and steering control is set to the first driving control mode, if an occupant riding in the direction of travel of the vehicle is detected and it is detected that the vehicle is traveling downhill, driving control of the vehicle is performed so that at least one of the change in braking force corresponding to the driving control set to the first driving control mode, the change in acceleration / deceleration due to a change in the output of the prime mover, and the change in steering angle associated with a change in the output of the prime mover is gentler than when an occupant riding in the direction of travel of the vehicle is not detected or when it is not detected that the vehicle is traveling downhill.

14. A driving control device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 13, comprising control modes for braking control for braking the vehicle except in emergencies, accelerator control for accelerating and decelerating the vehicle by adjusting the output of the prime mover of the vehicle, and steering control for steering the vehicle, the control modes comprising a first driving control mode for autonomously controlling the driving of the vehicle, and a second driving control mode for controlling the driving of the vehicle through driving operations by the driver, wherein when the state of the occupant is in a predetermined state and at least one control mode of the braking control, accelerator control, and steering control is set to the first driving control mode, if a child occupant is detected, the driving control of the vehicle is performed so that at least one of the change in braking force corresponding to the driving control set to the first driving control mode, the change in acceleration / deceleration due to a change in the output of the prime mover, and the change in steering angle is gentler than when a child occupant is not detected.

15. A driving control device as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 14, comprising control modes for braking control for braking the vehicle except in emergencies, accelerator control for accelerating and decelerating the vehicle by adjusting the output of the prime mover of the vehicle, and steering control for steering the vehicle, the control modes comprising a second driving control mode for autonomously controlling the driving of the vehicle, and a first driving control mode for controlling the driving of the vehicle through driving operations by the driver, wherein when the state of the occupant is in a predetermined state and at least one control mode of the braking control, accelerator control, and steering control is set to the first driving control mode, if an elderly occupant is detected, the driving control of the vehicle is performed so that at least one of the change in braking force corresponding to the driving control set to the first driving control mode, the change in acceleration / deceleration due to a change in the output of the prime mover, and the change in steering angle is gentler than when an elderly occupant is not detected.

16. A notification device that provides notifications regarding vehicle driving control, wherein the vehicle is capable of setting a control mode of emergency braking control, which brakes the vehicle in an emergency, between a first emergency braking control mode in which emergency braking control is performed autonomously without accepting brake operation from the driver of the vehicle, and a second emergency braking control mode in which emergency braking control is performed by being able to accept brake operation from the driver, and the notification device notifies the driver that the control mode of the emergency braking control will be set to the first emergency braking control mode when an occupant of the vehicle who is not wearing a seat belt is detected.

17. The notification device according to claim 16, wherein the vehicle is capable of setting the control modes of braking control for braking the vehicle except in emergencies and accelerator control for accelerating and decelerating the vehicle by adjusting the output of the vehicle's prime mover to a first driving control mode for autonomous driving control of the vehicle and a second driving control mode for driving control of the vehicle by driving operation of the driver, and wherein, when a standing occupant supported by body support equipment is detected, the notification device notifies the driver that the control modes of at least one of the braking control and the accelerator control will be set to the second driving control mode.

18. The vehicle can be set to a second driving control mode in which autonomous driving control of the vehicle is performed, and a second driving control mode in which driving control of the vehicle is performed by driving operations of the driver, as control modes for braking control that brakes the vehicle except in emergencies, accelerator control that adjusts the output of the vehicle's prime mover to accelerate or decelerate the vehicle, and steering control that steers the vehicle; and the notification device notifies the driver that the control modes of the braking control, accelerator control, and steering control will be set to the second driving control mode when an occupant not supported by body support equipment is detected.

19. A driving control method for controlling the driving of a vehicle, comprising: as control modes for emergency braking control for braking the vehicle in an emergency, a first emergency braking control mode in which emergency braking control is performed autonomously without accepting brake operation from the driver of the vehicle; and a second emergency braking control mode in which emergency braking control is performed by allowing brake operation from the driver, and when an occupant of the vehicle is detected not wearing a seat belt, the driving control method includes performing the emergency braking control of the vehicle in the second emergency braking control mode.

20. A driving control program for controlling the driving of a vehicle, comprising: a first emergency braking control mode for autonomously performing emergency braking control without accepting brake operation from the driver of the vehicle; and a second emergency braking control mode for performing emergency braking control by accepting brake operation from the driver; and when an occupant of the vehicle is detected not wearing a seat belt, the driving control program causes a computer to perform the emergency braking control of the vehicle in the second emergency braking control mode.

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