Vehicle

Abstract

This vehicle comprises: an operation unit used for steering operation; an information presentation device for presenting information to an occupant; and a control device having one or more processors and one or more memories connected to the processor. The processor executes processing including: performing information presentation control for causing the information presentation device to present information according to the steering amount of the steering operation; and in the information presentation control, changing the information according to the distribution of the amplitude of steering torque.

Description

vehicle

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle.

[0002] Conventionally, there have been information display devices that display information about a driving situation to a driver so that the driver can understand the driving situation of the vehicle. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses an information display device that displays information about the steering angle and steering direction of a steering wheel on an instrument panel.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2007-62706

[0004] However, human senses vary depending on individual factors such as age. Therefore, the ease with which information presented by an information presentation device can be recognized varies from person to person. Therefore, it is desirable to make information easy to recognize regardless of individual differences.

[0005] The present invention aims to make it easier for people to recognize information regardless of individual differences.

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the vehicle of the present invention comprises: an operating unit used for steering operations; an information presentation device that presents information to an occupant; and a control device having one or more processors and one or more memories connected to the processors, wherein the processor performs processing including: performing information presentation control to cause the information presentation device to present information according to the steering amount of the steering operation; and changing the information in the information presentation control according to the distribution of the amplitude of the steering torque.

[0007] According to the present invention, information can be easily recognized regardless of individual differences.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating the system configuration of an information presentation device according to this embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically illustrating first and second examples of excitation waveforms according to this embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the pressure of a stimulus applied to an occupant and time, the relationship between the time and an electrical pulse generated when Merkel cells are stimulated, the relationship between the time and an electrical pulse generated when Meissner's corpuscles are stimulated, and the relationship between the time and an electrical pulse generated when Pacinian corpuscles are stimulated. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating the frequency sensitivity distribution of Pacinian corpuscles and Meissner's corpuscles. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of gain adjustment in a first gain adjustment unit. FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of a microphone output history. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of a correlation between the sound pressure and frequency of environmental sound. FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of gain adjustment in a second gain adjustment unit. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a waveform of steering torque detected by a torque sensor. FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a control device according to this embodiment. Fig. 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device according to this embodiment, and Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the distribution of amplitude and frequency of steering torque.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Specific dimensions, materials, numerical values, etc. shown in the embodiments are merely examples for facilitating understanding of the invention and do not limit the present invention unless otherwise specified. In this specification and drawings, elements having substantially the same functions and configurations are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant explanation, and elements not directly related to the present invention are not shown.

[0010] 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle 100 according to this embodiment. In FIG. 1, the Z direction indicates the vertical direction, the X direction indicates a predetermined horizontal direction, and the Y direction indicates a horizontal direction perpendicular to the X direction. The X direction is, for example, the forward / rearward direction of the vehicle 100, and the Y direction is, for example, the left / right direction of the vehicle 100.

[0011] The vehicle 100 includes a driving source 200, an operation unit 300, an information presentation device 400, a control device 500, an air pressure sensor 600, and an environmental sensor 700. The vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle equipped with a motor as the driving source 200. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the vehicle 100 may be an engine vehicle equipped with an engine as the driving source 200. The vehicle 100 may also be a hybrid vehicle equipped with two driving sources 200, an engine and a motor. The vehicle 100 travels on a road surface by transmitting driving force generated by the driving source 200 to wheels 110 via a power transmission mechanism (not shown). Here, configurations related to the features of this embodiment will be described in detail, and configurations unrelated to the features of this embodiment will not be described.

[0012] The operation unit 300 is an operation unit used to drive the vehicle 100. The operation unit 300 is, for example, a steering wheel used for steering operations. The steering wheel receives operation inputs from the driver to control the traveling direction of the vehicle 100. The steering wheel is connected to the wheels 110 via a steering mechanism (not shown). The steering mechanism changes the direction of the wheels 110 in accordance with the rotation of the steering wheel. Hereinafter, the operation of the steering wheel will also be referred to as handle operation or steering operation.

[0013] 2 is a diagram schematically illustrating the system configuration of an information display device 400 according to this embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 2 , the information display device 400 includes a waveform generation unit 410, a differential calculation unit 420, a first gain adjustment unit 430, a microphone 440, a sensing value calculation unit 450, a second gain adjustment unit 460, a standard deviation calculation unit 470, a third gain adjustment unit 480, and an output unit 490.

[0014] The information presentation device 400 presents information to a passenger on board the vehicle 100. The information presentation device 400 presents to the passenger a sign of an upcoming behavior of the vehicle 100, for example, by a sound or vibration output from the output unit 490. The waveform generation unit 410 generates an excitation waveform, which is the waveform of the vibration output by the output unit 490.

[0015] 3 is a diagram showing a first example and a second example of the excitation waveform according to the present embodiment, in which the horizontal axis represents time and the vertical axis represents voltage, which is the amplitude of the excitation waveform.

[0016] The excitation waveform may be, for example, a sine wave, as shown in the first example in the upper part of Fig. 3. Furthermore, the excitation waveform may be, for example, a waveform obtained by combining a plurality of sine waves with different wavelengths, as shown in the second example in the lower part of Fig. 3. However, the excitation waveform is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a rectangular wave, a triangular wave, a waveform simulating the running sound of the vehicle 100, or any other waveform. Furthermore, the excitation waveform may be a waveform obtained by combining a variety of waveforms.

[0017] In this embodiment, the frequency of the excitation waveform is, for example, in the range of 100 to 400 Hz. More preferably, the frequency of the excitation waveform is in the range having a dominant frequency of 150 to 300 Hz. Here, the occupants of the vehicle 100 have sensory receptors such as Merkel cells, Meissner's corpuscles, and Pacinian corpuscles.

[0018] Figure 4 shows the relationship between the pressure of a stimulus applied to a human and time, the relationship between the electrical pulse generated when Merkel cells are stimulated and time, the relationship between the electrical pulse generated when Meissner's corpuscles are stimulated and time, and the relationship between the electrical pulse generated when Pacinian corpuscles are stimulated and time. In the top row of Figure 4, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents pressure. In all rows except the top row of Figure 4, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the state of electrical pulse generation.

[0019] As shown in Figure 4, Merkel cells have a slower response than Meissner's corpuscles and Pacinian corpuscles, and are highly sensitive to low-frequency stimuli ranging from direct current to a few Hz. Meissner's corpuscles also have a faster response than Merkel cells, and are highly sensitive to stimuli with frequencies ranging from a few Hz to 200 Hz. Meissner's corpuscles emit electrical pulses when there is a rate of change in contact pressure. Pacinian corpuscles have a faster response than Merkel cells and Meissner's corpuscles, and are highly sensitive to stimuli with frequencies ranging from 70 Hz to 1000 Hz. Pacinian corpuscles emit electrical pulses at the moment of a transient change in contact pressure. Among Merkel cells, Meissner's corpuscles, and Pacinian corpuscles, Pacinian corpuscles are considered to be the most sensitive. Therefore, Pacinian corpuscles are considered to be the most sensitive receptors for humans to perceive minute vibrations as combined auditory and tactile information.

[0020] Figure 5 shows the frequency sensitivity distribution of Pacinian corpuscles and Meissner corpuscles. In Figure 5, the dashed line shows the sensitivity distribution of Meissner corpuscles, and the solid line shows the sensitivity distribution of Pacinian corpuscles. In Figure 5, the horizontal axis shows frequency, and the vertical axis shows amplitude above threshold, with smaller values ​​indicating better sensitivity.

[0021] As shown in Figure 5, Pacinian corpuscles exhibit good sensitivity in the range of 100 to 400 Hz, and even better sensitivity in the range of 150 to 300 Hz. This range is included in the range of 20 Hz to 20 kHz, which is generally considered to be the human audible range. The dominant frequency of the excitation waveform can be set to 250 Hz, for example.

[0022] The operation unit sensor 310 is provided in the operation unit 300. The operation unit sensor 310 is a sensor that detects the amount of operation of the operation unit 300. Specifically, the operation unit sensor 310 includes a steering angle sensor that detects the amount of operation of the steering wheel. Information indicating the amount of operation of the steering wheel detected by the steering angle sensor is transmitted to the differential calculation unit 420.

[0023] The differential calculation unit 420 acquires information indicating the amount of operation of the operation unit 300, and calculates a differential value by time-differentiating the amount of operation of the operation unit 300. For example, the differential calculation unit 420 acquires information indicating the steering angle θ, which is the amount of operation of the steering wheel, from a steering angle sensor, and calculates a differential value Δθ, which is the amount of change in the steering angle θ per time. The differential calculation unit 420 sequentially transmits the calculated differential value Δθ to the first gain adjustment unit 430.

[0024] The first gain adjustment unit 430 performs a first gain adjustment on the fundamental wave of the excitation waveform generated by the waveform generation unit 410. The first gain adjustment changes the gain G1, which is a first gain by which the voltage of the excitation waveform is multiplied, in accordance with the differential value of the operation amount of the operation unit 300. For example, the first gain adjustment changes the gain G1 by which the voltage of the excitation waveform is multiplied in accordance with the differential value Δθ of the steering angle θ of the steering wheel.

[0025] FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of gain adjustment in the first gain adjuster 430. In FIG. 6, the horizontal axis represents the absolute value of the differential value Δθ of the steering angle θ, and the vertical axis represents the gain G1 by which the voltage of the excitation waveform is multiplied. Note that the voltage of the excitation waveform is a value that depends on the amplitude of the excitation waveform. Therefore, the larger the voltage of the excitation waveform, the larger the amplitude of the excitation waveform. Also, the smaller the voltage of the excitation waveform, the smaller the amplitude of the excitation waveform.

[0026] 6, the gain G1 increases as the absolute value of the differential value Δθ increases. The rate of increase of the gain G1 is maximum in a region where the absolute value of the differential value Δθ is small, and decreases as the absolute value of the differential value Δθ increases.

[0027] The gain G1 can be calculated, for example, from the absolute value of the differential value Δθ of the steering angle θ using a logarithmic function. For example, the gain G1 is expressed by the following equation 1: Gain G1=log(absolute value of differential value Δθ×coefficient k) (Equation 1)

[0028] Here, the coefficient k is a value set during the development stage of the vehicle 100 in accordance with the characteristics of the vehicle 100. The characteristics of the vehicle 100 include, for example, the yaw gain relative to the steering angle θ, the center of gravity position, etc. The first gain adjustment unit 430 sets the gain G1 based on the derivative value of the operation amount of the operation unit 300, with reference to the graph shown in FIG.

[0029] The microphone 440 is a sound collecting device provided in the cabin of the vehicle 100 and collects environmental sounds of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the microphone 440 collects environmental sounds in the cabin. The microphone 440 is disposed, for example, in a position close to the ears of the occupants. Specifically, the microphone 440 is provided in a headrest portion of a seat of the vehicle 100. The output of the microphone 440 is transmitted to the sensing value calculation unit 450.

[0030] The sensing value calculation unit 450 extracts components of a predetermined frequency band from the environmental sound of the vehicle 100 acquired by the microphone 440, and transmits the sound pressure of the extracted components to the second gain adjustment unit 460 as a sensing value.

[0031] 7 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of the output history of the microphone 440. In FIG. 7, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the sound pressure of the environmental sound acquired by the microphone 440.

[0032] The sensing value calculation unit 450 performs a fast Fourier transform (FFT) on the acoustic signal of the environmental sound acquired by the microphone 440 to convert it into the frequency domain. The sensing value calculation unit 450 also performs a band-pass filter process to extract components of a predetermined frequency band from the converted frequency domain. Here, the frequency band to be extracted is set so as to include the dominant frequency of the excitation waveform output by the waveform generation unit 410. The sensing value calculation unit 450 sets the average sound pressure of the extracted frequency band as the sensing value to be used for the second gain adjustment.

[0033] Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of the correlation between sound pressure and frequency of environmental sound. In Fig. 8, the horizontal axis represents frequency and the vertical axis represents sound pressure. The band-pass filter extracts, for example, a frequency band near 250 Hz, which is the dominant frequency of the excitation waveform in the waveform generation unit 410. The average value of the sound pressure in the extracted frequency band is provided to the second gain adjustment unit 460 as a sensing value.

[0034] The second gain adjustment unit 460 performs a second gain adjustment on the excitation waveform after the first gain adjustment. The second gain adjustment changes the gain of the excitation waveform in accordance with the sensed value of cabin noise in order to adjust the output amplitude of the excitation waveform in accordance with changes in environmental noise while the vehicle 100 is traveling. Examples of environmental noise while the vehicle 100 is traveling include drivetrain noise, aerodynamic noise, and road noise. The second gain adjustment unit 460 performs the second gain adjustment based on the output of the sensing value calculation unit 450. Specifically, the second gain adjustment unit 460 sets a gain G2, which is a second gain, based on the sensing value output by the sensing value calculation unit 450.

[0035] FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically illustrating an example of gain adjustment by the second gain adjustment unit 460. In FIG. 9, the horizontal axis represents the sensed value, and the vertical axis represents the gain G2 multiplied by the voltage of the excitation waveform. As shown in FIG. 9, the gain G2 increases as the sensed value increases. The gain G2 is set, for example, so that the sound pressure of the sound generated by the excitation amplitude output from the output unit 490 does not dominate the sound pressure of the ambient sound at the occupant's ear. Preferably, the gain G2 is set so that the sound generated by the excitation amplitude blends in with the ambient sound of the vehicle and reaches a sound pressure level that the occupant can unconsciously hear. The second gain adjustment unit 460 sets the gain G2 based on the sensed value of the interior noise by referring to the graph shown in FIG. 9.

[0036] The torque sensor 320 is provided in the operation unit 300. The torque sensor 320 is a sensor that detects the steering torque of the steering wheel. Information indicating the steering torque detected by the torque sensor 320 is sent to the standard deviation calculation unit 470.

[0037] The standard deviation calculation unit 470 calculates the standard deviation of the amplitude of the steering torque based on the information indicating the steering torque. Specifically, the standard deviation calculation unit 470 first calculates the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the steering torque in the transition of the steering torque as the amplitude of the steering torque. This amplitude of the steering torque is calculated each time a maximum value and a minimum value are obtained in the transition of the steering torque. Then, the standard deviation calculation unit 470 calculates the standard deviation of the amplitude of the steering torque based on the calculated multiple amplitudes of the steering torque. Furthermore, the standard deviation calculation unit 470 transmits the calculated standard deviation of the amplitude of the steering torque to the third gain adjustment unit 480.

[0038] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the waveform of the steering torque detected by the torque sensor 320. In FIG. 10, the horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the steering torque. For example, the standard deviation calculation unit 470 constantly determines whether the steering torque is increasing or decreasing in the transition of the steering torque shown in FIG. 10. This determination of whether the steering torque is increasing or decreasing is performed using a threshold value Th. Note that in FIG. 10, the threshold value Th is shown enlarged for ease of understanding.

[0039] For example, if the amount of torque change per unit time is a positive value and the absolute value of the amount of torque change is equal to or greater than a threshold value Th, the standard deviation calculation unit 470 determines that the steering torque is increasing. For example, in the steering torque waveform shown in Fig. 10, the steering torque increases from a first steering torque T1 to a second steering torque T2 after a unit time has elapsed. The absolute value of the amount of torque change from the first steering torque T1 to the second steering torque T2 is equal to or greater than a threshold value Th. In such a case, the standard deviation calculation unit 470 determines that the steering torque is increasing.

[0040] Furthermore, for example, if the amount of torque change per unit time is a negative value and the absolute value of the amount of torque change is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th, the standard deviation calculation unit 470 determines that the steering torque is decreasing. For example, in the steering torque waveform shown in FIG. 10 , the steering torque decreases from the third steering torque T3 to the fourth steering torque T4 after a unit time has elapsed. Furthermore, the absolute value of the amount of torque change from the third steering torque T3 to the fourth steering torque T4 is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th. In such a case, the standard deviation calculation unit 470 determines that the steering torque is decreasing.

[0041] Here, the threshold value Th is a value greater than the fluctuation value of the steering torque due to noise, so that it is possible to prevent the steering torque from being erroneously determined to be increasing or decreasing due to fluctuations in the steering torque due to noise.

[0042] Then, the standard deviation calculation unit 470 sets the value when the steering torque changes from an increasing state to a decreasing state as the maximum value MA, and the value when the steering torque changes from a decreasing state to an increasing state as the minimum value MI. The standard deviation calculation unit 470 sequentially calculates, as the amplitude of the steering torque, the difference between the maximum value MA and the minimum value MI next to the maximum value MA, and the difference between the minimum value MI and the maximum value MA next to the minimum value MI.

[0043] The third gain adjustment unit 480 performs a third gain adjustment on the vibration waveform after the first gain adjustment and the second gain adjustment. The third gain adjustment unit 480 compares the standard deviation acquired from the standard deviation calculation unit 470 with a reference value. If the standard deviation acquired from the standard deviation calculation unit 470 is greater than the reference value, the third gain adjustment unit 480 sets a value greater than 1, which is the specified value, as gain G3, which is the third gain. On the other hand, if the standard deviation acquired from the standard deviation calculation unit 470 is equal to or less than the reference value, the third gain adjustment unit 480 sets the value of 1, which is the specified value, as gain G3.

[0044] The output value A, which is the voltage of the vibration waveform after the first gain adjustment, the second gain adjustment, and the third gain adjustment, is expressed by the following equation 2. Output value A = waveform generator output value × gain G1 × gain G2 × gain G3 = waveform generator output value × log (absolute value of differential value of manipulated variable × coefficient k) × gain G2 × gain G3 (equation 2)

[0045] The output unit 490 is a vibration device disposed in the cabin of the vehicle 100. The output unit 490 uses the output value A to vibrate the area around the occupants in the cabin, generating vibrations. The output unit 490 includes, for example, a speaker that generates sound and a vibrator that generates vibrations. The speaker is, for example, a speaker used for audio playback in an in-car audio device. However, the speaker is not limited to this, and may be a speaker separate from the in-car audio device. The vibrator is, for example, provided in the steering wheel and vibrates at least a portion of the steering wheel.

[0046] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a control device 500 according to this embodiment. The control device 500 controls the entire vehicle 100. Specifically, the control device 500 controls the information presentation device 400. As shown in FIG. 11 , the control device 500 includes an I / F 510, a storage device 520, a system bus 530, one or more processors 540, and one or more memories 550. The I / F 510 is an interface for communicating with the drive source 200, the operation unit 300, the information presentation device 400, the air pressure sensor 600, and the environmental sensor 700. For example, the I / F 510 acquires data transmitted from the operation unit sensor 310, the torque sensor 320, the air pressure sensor 600, and the environmental sensor 700 of the operation unit 300. The I / F 510 also transmits control signals to the information presentation device 400.

[0047] The storage device 520 is composed of RAM, flash memory, HDD, etc., and holds various information necessary for the processing of the processor 540 described below. The system bus 530 electrically connects the I / F 510, storage device 520, processor 540, and memory 550, and is a transmission path for transmitting data among them.

[0048] The processor 540 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The memory 550 includes, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) and a RAM (Random Access Memory). The ROM is a storage element that stores programs and calculation parameters used by the CPU. The RAM is a storage element that temporarily stores data such as variables and parameters used in processing executed by the CPU.

[0049] 12 is a block diagram showing an example of the functional configuration of the control device 500 according to this embodiment. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the control device 500 includes an acquisition unit 500a and a control unit 500b.

[0050] The processor 540 cooperates with the programs contained in the memory 550 and executes the programs contained in the memory 550 to realize various processes including the processes described below that are performed by the acquisition unit 500a and the control unit 500b.

[0051] The acquisition unit 500a acquires information indicating the amount of steering operation and the steering torque of the steering operation.

[0052] The control unit 500b performs information presentation control to cause the information presentation device 400 to present information according to the amount of steering operation. For example, as described above with reference to Figures 2 to 9, the control unit 500b determines an output according to the amount of steering operation and causes the output to be output to a speaker or a vibrator.

[0053] However, human senses vary depending on individuals such as age, and therefore the ease with which information presented by the information presentation device 400 can be recognized also varies from person to person. Therefore, it is desirable to make information easy to recognize regardless of individual differences.

[0054] Therefore, in the information presentation control, the control unit 500b changes the information presented according to the distribution of the amplitude of the steering torque. If the presented information is difficult to recognize, the driver will feel uneasy about his / her own steering operation and will drive while searching for the steering force. Therefore, when the presented information is difficult to recognize, the amplitude of the steering torque by the driver will be larger than when the presented information is easy to recognize.

[0055] Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of the distribution of amplitude and frequency of steering torque. In Fig. 13, the horizontal axis represents the amplitude of steering torque, and the vertical axis represents the frequency. In Fig. 13, the dashed line represents the distribution of amplitude and frequency of steering torque by the driver when the presented information is easy to recognize, and the solid line represents the distribution of amplitude and frequency of steering torque by the driver when the presented information is difficult to recognize.

[0056] 13, when the presented information is difficult to recognize, the frequency of small amplitude steering torque by the driver decreases, while the frequency of large amplitude increases, compared to when the presented information is easy to recognize. Generally, since humans perceive steering torque around 1 N m, when a driver drives while searching for steering force, the frequency of steering torque amplitude around ±1 N m increases.

[0057] In this embodiment, the standard deviation of the amplitude of the steering torque indicated by the dashed line in Fig. 13 is set as the reference value. The third gain adjustment unit 480 compares this reference value with the standard deviation acquired from the standard deviation calculation unit 470. If the standard deviation acquired from the standard deviation calculation unit 470 is greater than the reference value, the third gain adjustment unit 480 sets a value greater than 1 as the gain G3. This makes it easier for the driver to recognize the information presented to them.

[0058] As described above, according to the information presentation device 400 of this embodiment, the control unit 500b performs information presentation control to cause the information presentation device 400 to present information corresponding to the steering amount of the steering operation. For example, if the output unit 490 is a speaker, the speaker can be used to emit a sound to the occupant with an amplitude corresponding to the amount of operation of the operation unit 300. Furthermore, if the output unit 490 is a vibrator, the vibrator can be used to emit a vibration to the occupant with an amplitude corresponding to the amount of operation of the operation unit 300. This allows the occupant to predict the occurrence of vehicle behavior involving the occurrence of lateral acceleration, longitudinal acceleration, yaw rate, and pitch angle. As a result, the occupant's predictability of vehicle behavior is improved, and the occupant can be prevented from feeling abrupt about the vehicle behavior. Furthermore, in the information presentation control, the control unit 500b changes the information to be presented according to the distribution of the amplitude of the steering torque. As a result, when the information presented to the driver is difficult to recognize, the driver feels uneasy about his / her own steering operation, and drives while searching for steering force, the information presented to the driver can be made easier to recognize by increasing the vibration output from output unit 490. As a result, even when there are individual differences in the ease with which the presented information can be recognized, the information can be made easier to recognize regardless of individual differences.

[0059] Furthermore, when the standard deviation of the amplitude of the steering torque is greater than a reference value, the control unit 500b changes the information so that the occupant can more easily recognize the information than when the standard deviation is smaller than the reference value. Specifically, the control unit 500b sets a value greater than 1 as the gain G3. This makes it possible to determine whether the driver is driving while searching for the steering force, and by increasing the vibration output from the output unit 490, it is possible to make it easier for the driver to recognize the information presented to the driver.

[0060] Furthermore, the control unit 500b calculates the difference between the maximum and minimum values ​​of the steering torque in the transition of the steering torque as the amplitude of the steering torque, thereby making it possible to accurately calculate the standard deviation of the amplitude of the steering torque and accurately determine the driving that is performed while searching for the steering force of the driver.

[0061] Furthermore, when the output unit 490 is a speaker, sound vibrations can be presented to the occupants as information in the information presentation control using the speaker. When a speaker is used as the output unit 490, an existing speaker installed in the vehicle 100 can be used, and information can be presented to the occupants without adding a new component. Furthermore, information can be presented to occupants other than the driver, such as in the passenger seat of the vehicle 100.

[0062] Furthermore, when the output unit 490 is a vibrator, vibrations as information can be presented to the occupants using the vibrator in the information presentation control. When a vibrator is used as the output unit 490, information can be presented only to the driver without being presented to occupants other than the driver, such as in the passenger seat of the vehicle 100.

[0063] Furthermore, the control unit 500b controls the vibration frequency to a range of 100 to 400 Hz during information presentation control. This allows the use of Pacinian corpuscles, which are highly sensitive to the audible range and cutaneous sensation, and improves the occupant's perception of the vibration. This allows for more reliable information transmission to the occupant.

[0064] While the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above with reference to the accompanying drawings, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to such embodiments. It is clear that those skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that such modifications and alterations also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0065] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the control unit 500b changes the information in accordance with the distribution of the amplitude of the steering torque. However, this is not limiting. The control unit 500b may change the information in accordance with, for example, the output of the air pressure sensor 600 that detects the tire air pressure, in addition to the distribution of the amplitude of the steering torque. For example, the control unit 500b changes the information so that the greater the output of the air pressure sensor 600, i.e., the higher the tire air pressure, the easier it is for the occupant to recognize the information. Specifically, the gain G3 is set to a value greater than 1. As the tire air pressure increases, the tire contact area decreases, making it easier for a small steering force to change the direction of the wheel 110. Therefore, the value of the gain G3 is increased as the tire air pressure increases.

[0066] In the above embodiment, the control unit 500b changes the information according to the distribution of the amplitude of the steering torque. However, this is not limiting. The control unit 500b may change the information according to, for example, the output of the environmental sensor 700 that detects the external environment in addition to the distribution of the amplitude of the steering torque. The environmental sensor 700 may include, for example, a rainfall sensor that detects the amount of rainfall and a sunshine sensor that detects the amount of solar radiation. For example, when the amount of rainfall detected by the rainfall sensor is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value, the control unit 500b determines that the driver's visibility level due to rain has exceeded a predetermined value and changes the information so that the occupant can easily recognize the information. Furthermore, for example, when the amount of solar radiation detected by the sunshine sensor is less than a second predetermined value, the control unit 500b determines that the driver's visibility level has exceeded a predetermined value at night and changes the information so that the occupant can easily recognize the information. Specifically, the gain G3 is set to a value greater than 1.

[0067] In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the frequency of the sound or vibration presented by the information presentation device 400 is in the range of 100 to 400 Hz. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the frequency of the sound or vibration presented by the information presentation device 400 may be outside the range of 100 to 400 Hz.

[0068] 100 Vehicle 300 Operation unit 400 Information presentation device 500 Control device

Claims

1. A vehicle comprising: an operating unit used for steering operations; an information presentation device that presents information to an occupant; and a control device having one or more processors and one or more memories connected to the processors, wherein the processor performs information presentation control to cause the information presentation device to present information according to the steering amount of the steering operation; and in the information presentation control, changes the information according to the distribution of the amplitude of the steering torque.

2. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the processor executes processing including changing the information when the standard deviation of the amplitude of the steering torque is greater than a reference value so that the information is easier for the occupant to recognize than when the standard deviation is smaller than the reference value.

3. The vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the processor executes processing including calculating the difference between the maximum value and the minimum value of the steering torque in the transition of the steering torque as the amplitude of the steering torque.

4. The vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the processor executes processing including changing the information in accordance with an output of an air pressure sensor that detects air pressure in a tire.

5. The vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the processor executes processing including changing the information in accordance with an output of an environmental sensor that detects an external environment of the vehicle.

6. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the information presentation device includes a speaker, and the processor executes processing in the information presentation control that includes presenting vibration as the information using the speaker.

7. The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the information presentation device includes a vibrator, and the processor executes processing in the information presentation control that includes presenting vibration as the information using the vibrator.

8. The vehicle according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the processor executes processing in the information presentation control that includes controlling the frequency of the vibration to be in a range of 100 to 400 Hz.

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