Abnormality handling device, vehicle, and abnormality handling method

Abstract

This abnormality handling device which handles an abnormality occurring in a driver of a vehicle includes one or a plurality of processors, wherein the processors: when a driver abnormality is detected and the vehicle is located outside the communication range of an external network, determine whether or not it is possible to cause the vehicle to travel autonomously to a predetermined position without intervention by a driver; when it is determined that autonomous driving is not possible, determine whether or not a fellow passenger capable of manually driving the vehicle is on board the vehicle; when it is determined that the fellow passenger is not on board, determine whether or not it is possible to cause the vehicle to travel semi-autonomously on the basis of an instruction from the driver or the fellow passenger; and when it is determined that semi-autonomous driving is not possible, determine to cause the vehicle to follow a dynamic object in front of the vehicle.

Description

Abnormality handling device, vehicle, and abnormality handling method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an abnormality handling device, a vehicle, and an abnormality handling method.

[0002] Countermeasures have been taken to deal with communication abnormalities that occur between a vehicle and an external network.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle control device that includes a recognition unit that recognizes the driving environment around the vehicle, an estimation unit that estimates the position of the vehicle based on the driving environment, a communication unit that communicates with external equipment of the vehicle, a determination unit that determines whether or not there is a communication abnormality in the communication unit, a trajectory generation unit that generates a target trajectory for the vehicle, and a vehicle control unit that causes the vehicle to drive along the target trajectory, and further includes an evacuation position determination unit that determines a evacuation position for the vehicle based on the communication state of the communication unit and the driving environment, and when the determination unit determines that there is a communication abnormality, the trajectory generation unit generates the target trajectory that causes the vehicle to drive to the evacuation position.

[0004] Patent Document 2 also discloses a management system in which an autonomous driving assistance center manages the vehicle status of an autonomously driving vehicle by periodically communicating with the autonomously driving vehicle, the management system including: a vehicle-side device provided in the autonomous vehicle and having a vehicle-side decision unit that decides whether to continue autonomous driving based on communication status information, which is information indicating the status of communication between the autonomous driving assistance center and the autonomous vehicle at each location where the autonomous vehicle can drive within an area managed by the management system, if communication with the autonomous driving assistance center is interrupted; and a center-side device provided in the autonomous driving assistance center and having a center-side decision unit that decides whether to contact an assistant who provides assistance to the autonomous vehicle based on the communication status information, if communication with the autonomous vehicle is interrupted.

[0005] JP 2022-024900 A JP 2021-071753 A

[0006] When a driver of a vehicle experiences an abnormality, it is important to rescue the driver as quickly as possible in order to improve the driver's survival rate. In particular, when the vehicle is not located within the communication range of an external network or when there are no other vehicles with which vehicle-to-vehicle communication is possible, it is important to guide the vehicle carrying such a driver into the communication range as quickly as possible.

[0007] According to the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, it is possible to grasp the evacuation position of a vehicle after a communication failure occurs. Also, according to the technology disclosed in Patent Document 2, if communication is not restored, control is performed to stop the vehicle on the nearest road shoulder. However, simply evacuation of the vehicle when an abnormality occurs in the driver of the vehicle is not sufficient to improve the survival rate of the driver.

[0008] The purpose of the present disclosure, made in consideration of such circumstances, is to provide technology that appropriately deals with an abnormality that occurs in a vehicle driver, even when the abnormality occurs in the driver and the vehicle is located outside the communication range of an external network.

[0009] An abnormality handling device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is an abnormality handling device that handles an abnormality that occurs in a driver of a vehicle, and includes one or more processors and one or more memories that can communicate with the one or more processors. When the one or more processors detect an abnormality in the driver and the vehicle is located outside the communication range of an external network, the one or more processors determine whether it is possible to automatically drive the vehicle to a predetermined location without intervention by the driver, and if it is determined that the automatic driving is not possible, determine whether a passenger who is capable of manually driving the vehicle is in the vehicle or not, and if it is determined that the passenger is not in the vehicle, determine whether it is possible to semi-automatically drive the vehicle based on instructions from the driver or the passenger, and if it is determined that the semi-automatic driving is not possible, determine to have the vehicle follow a dynamic object in front of the vehicle.

[0010] A vehicle according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is a vehicle including at least an abnormality determination unit, a communication range determination unit, and a driving mode determination unit, wherein the abnormality determination unit determines whether an abnormality has occurred in a driver of the vehicle, the communication range determination unit determines whether the vehicle is located outside the communication range of an external network, and when the abnormality determination unit determines that an abnormality has occurred in the driver and the communication range determination unit determines that the vehicle is located outside the communication range of the external network, the driving mode determination unit determines whether it is possible to automatically drive the vehicle to a predetermined position without intervention by the driver, and when it is not determined that the automatic driving is possible, determines whether a passenger who is capable of manually driving the vehicle is in the vehicle, and when it is not determined that the passenger is in the vehicle, determines whether it is possible to semi-automatically drive the vehicle based on instructions from the driver or the passenger, and when it is not determined that the semi-automatic driving is possible, determines to cause the vehicle to follow a dynamic object in front of the vehicle.

[0011] An abnormality handling method according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is an abnormality handling method for handling an abnormality that occurs in a driver of a vehicle, and includes: when a computer detects an abnormality in the driver and the vehicle is located outside the communication range of an external network, determining whether it is possible to automatically drive the vehicle to a predetermined location without intervention by the driver; if it is determined that the automatic driving is possible, determining whether a passenger who is capable of manually driving the vehicle is in the vehicle; if it is determined that the passenger is in the vehicle, determining whether it is possible to semi-automatically drive the vehicle based on instructions from the driver or the passenger; and if it is determined that the semi-automatic driving is possible, determining to cause the vehicle to follow a dynamic object in front of the vehicle.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, even if an abnormality occurs in the driver of a vehicle and the vehicle is located outside the communication range of an external network, the abnormality occurring in the driver can be appropriately dealt with.

[0013] Fig. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle equipped with an abnormality handling device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating communication between a vehicle and an external network; Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of an abnormality handling device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operation example of an abnormality handling device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure; Fig. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation example of an abnormality handling device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0015] (1. Overall Configuration of Vehicle) With reference to FIG. 1 , an example of the overall configuration of a vehicle 1 equipped with an abnormality handling device 20 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0016] The vehicle 1 is a two-wheel drive four-wheel vehicle that transmits drive torque output from a drive power source 2 that generates drive torque to the left and right front wheels. The drive power source 2 may include an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, a drive motor, or both an internal combustion engine and a drive motor.

[0017] Vehicle 1 may be a four-wheel drive vehicle that transmits drive torque to the front and rear wheels. Vehicle 1 may also be an electric vehicle equipped with two drive motors, for example, a front-wheel drive motor and a rear-wheel drive motor, or an electric vehicle equipped with drive motors corresponding to the respective wheels. If vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle or hybrid electric vehicle, vehicle 1 is equipped with a secondary battery that stores power supplied to the drive motors, a motor that generates power to charge the battery, and the like.

[0018] In addition to the driving force source 2 described above, the vehicle 1 is equipped with an electric steering device 3 and brake devices 4LF, 4RF, 4LR, and 4RR (hereinafter collectively referred to as "brake devices 4" unless a distinction is required), as devices used to control the operation of the vehicle 1. The driving force source 2 outputs driving torque that is transmitted to a front-wheel drive shaft 6F via a transmission (not shown) and a differential mechanism 5. The operation of the driving force source 2 and the transmission is controlled by a vehicle control unit 7 that includes one or more electronic control units (ECUs: Electronic Control Units).

[0019] An electric steering device 3 is provided on the front wheel drive shaft 6F. The electric steering device 3 includes an electric motor (not shown) and a gear mechanism (not shown), and adjusts the steering angle of the front wheels by being controlled by a vehicle control unit 7. The vehicle control unit 7 controls the electric steering device 3 based on the steering angle of the steering wheel 8 operated by the driver. Note that, as will be described in detail later, when the driving mode of the vehicle 1 is the automatic driving mode, the semi-automatic driving mode, or the follow-up driving mode, the vehicle control unit 7 controls the electric steering device 3 based on an appropriately set steering angle or steering angular velocity.

[0020] The brake devices 4 apply braking force to each wheel. The brake devices 4 may be, for example, hydraulic brake devices. In this case, the vehicle control unit 7 controls the drive of the hydraulic unit 9 to adjust the hydraulic pressure supplied to each brake device 4. If the vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle, the brake devices 4 are used in combination with regenerative braking using a drive motor.

[0021] The vehicle control unit 7 includes one or more electronic control units (ECUs) that control the operation of the driving force source 2, the electric steering device 3, and the brake device 4. If the vehicle 1 is equipped with a transmission that changes the speed of the output from the driving force source 2 and transmits it to the wheels, the vehicle control unit 7 has a function of controlling the operation of the transmission. Note that, as will be described in detail later, if the driving mode of the vehicle 1 is an automatic driving mode, a semi-automatic driving mode, or a following driving mode, the vehicle control unit 7 controls the driving of the vehicle 1 based on information transmitted from the abnormality handling device 20.

[0022] The vehicle 1 further includes an ambient environment sensor 10, an interior imaging camera 11, a vehicle state sensor 12, a communication device 13, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) sensor 14, a vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 15, and an input / output device 16.

[0023] The surrounding environment sensor 10 includes front imaging cameras 10LF and 10RF. The front imaging cameras 10LF and 10RF capture images of the area in front of the vehicle 1 and generate image data. The surrounding environment sensor 10 may further include a rear imaging camera 10R. The rear imaging camera 10R captures images of the area behind the vehicle 1 and generates image data. The front imaging cameras 10LF and 10RF and the rear imaging camera 10R are equipped with imaging elements such as CCDs (Charged Coupled Devices) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductors), and transmit the generated image data to the abnormality handling device 20. In the vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1, the front imaging cameras 10LF and 10RF are configured as stereo cameras including a pair of left and right cameras, but the front imaging cameras 10LF and 10RF may also be monocular cameras.

[0024] The ambient environment sensor 10 may further include one or more ranging sensors selected from a radar sensor such as a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) or a millimeter wave radar, and an ultrasonic sensor. Information indicating the detection results by the ranging sensors is transmitted to the abnormality handling device 20.

[0025] The in-vehicle image capturing camera 11 captures an image of the driver or passengers of the vehicle 1 inside the vehicle 1 and generates image data. The in-vehicle image capturing camera 11 includes an image capturing element such as a CCD (Charged Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), and transmits the generated image data to the abnormality handling device 20. Note that the in-vehicle image capturing camera 11 may be a camera included in a so-called DMS (Driver Monitor System).

[0026] The vehicle condition sensor 12 includes at least one sensor that detects the operating state and behavior of the vehicle 1. The vehicle condition sensor 12 may include, for example, at least one of a steering angle sensor, an accelerator position sensor, a brake stroke sensor, a brake pressure sensor, or an engine rotation speed sensor. The vehicle condition sensor 12 may also include, for example, at least one of a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, or an angular velocity sensor. The vehicle condition sensor 12 transmits information indicating the detection result to the abnormality handling device 20.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2 , the communication device 13 includes a communication interface for communication between the vehicle 1 and the external server 30 via base stations 40-1 and 40-2 (hereinafter, collectively referred to as "base stations 40" unless otherwise specified) of the external server 30. Note that while FIG. 2 shows two base stations 40, the present disclosure is not limited to this number and may include any number. Examples of the communication interface include an interface compatible with a mobile communication standard such as the 4th generation (4G) standard, the 5th generation (5G) standard, or the Long Term Evolution (LTE) standard, or a local area network (LAN) interface. The vehicle 1 transmits and receives various information between the vehicle 1 and the external server 30 via the communication device 13.

[0028] The external server 30 may be a publicly known or arbitrary server that, upon receiving an emergency call from the vehicle 1 via the external network 50, is capable of transmitting the emergency call to a police station, a fire station, or the like within a predetermined range from the current location of the vehicle 1. Here, the emergency call includes information requesting rescue of the driver of the vehicle 1, and can be made via the input / output device 16, which will be described later. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the external server 30 may be a publicly known or arbitrary server that provides the vehicle 1 with control information related to the autonomous driving or the like of the vehicle 1, which is generated based on various information from the vehicle 1 (preferably including other vehicles).

[0029] The GNSS sensor 14 receives satellite signals from positioning satellites such as GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites. The GNSS sensor 14 transmits the position information of the vehicle 1 contained in the received satellite signals to the abnormality handling device 20. Note that the GNSS sensor 14 may be provided with an antenna, in addition to the GPS sensor, that receives satellite signals from other satellite systems that identify the position of the vehicle 1.

[0030] The vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 15 includes a known or arbitrary communication interface for communicating with other vehicles that are present within a predetermined distance from the vehicle 1. As will be described in detail later, the abnormality handling device 20 transmits and receives various information between the vehicle 1 and the other vehicles via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 15.

[0031] The input / output device 16 outputs various information obtained by the operation of the abnormality handling device 20 to the driver or passengers of the vehicle 1 by image display, text display, audio output, or the like. The input / output device 16 also receives various information necessary for the operation of the abnormality handling device 20 from the driver or passengers of the vehicle 1 through input operations by the driver or passengers of the vehicle 1. The input / output device 16 may include, for example, a known or arbitrary display, microphone, speaker, or the like provided in an instrument panel. The input / output device 16 may be integrated with a display, etc. provided in a navigation system, or may include a HUD (Head Up Display) that displays information on the front window of the vehicle 1.

[0032] (2. Abnormality Handling Device) The abnormality handling device 20 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.

[0033] (2-1. Configuration Example) The abnormality handling device 20 functions as a device that handles an abnormality that occurs in the driver of the vehicle 1 by having one or more processors, such as CPUs (Central Processing Units), execute a computer program. The computer program is a computer program that causes the processor to execute the operations, described below, that should be performed by the abnormality handling device 20. The computer program executed by the processor may be recorded on a recording medium that functions as a storage unit (memory) 28, described below, or may be recorded on a recording medium built into the abnormality handling device 20 or any recording medium that can be externally attached to the abnormality handling device 20.

[0034] The recording medium for recording a computer program may be a magnetic medium such as a hard disk, a floppy disk, or a magnetic tape; an optical recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD, or a Blu-ray (registered trademark); a magneto-optical medium such as a floptical disk; a memory element such as a RAM or a ROM; a flash memory such as a USB memory or an SSD; or any other medium capable of storing a program.

[0035] The vehicle control unit 7, ambient environment sensor 10, in-vehicle image capturing camera 11, vehicle state sensor 12, communication device 13, GNSS sensor 14, vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 15, and input / output device 16 are connected to the abnormality handling device 20 via communication means such as a dedicated line, a CAN (Controller Area Network), or a LIN (Local Interconnect Network). Note that some or all of the components of the abnormality handling device 20 may be provided in the vehicle 1. In this case, each unit of the abnormality handling device 20 may be integrally incorporated into a device mounted on the vehicle 1, or may be mounted on the vehicle 1 separately so as to be able to communicate with each other. Furthermore, some or all of the abnormality handling device 20 may be incorporated into the vehicle control unit 7.

[0036] The abnormality handling device 20 includes a processing unit 21 and a storage unit 28 .

[0037] (Processing Unit) The processing unit 21 includes one or more processors such as a CPU and various peripheral components. Part or all of the processing unit 21 may be configured with updatable components such as firmware, or may be a program module or the like that is executed by instructions from the CPU or the like.

[0038] (Storage Unit) The storage unit 28 is configured with one or more storage elements such as RAM or ROM connected to the processing unit 21 so as to be able to communicate with the processing unit 21. However, there are no particular limitations on the type and number of storage units 28. The storage unit 28 stores information such as computer programs executed by the processing unit 21, various parameters used in arithmetic processing, detection data, and arithmetic results.

[0039] (2-2. Functional Configuration of Processing Unit) The functional configuration of the processing unit 21 of the abnormality handling device 20 will be described. The processing unit 21 includes an abnormality determination unit 22, a communication range determination unit 23, a vehicle-to-vehicle communication determination unit 24, a driving mode determination unit 25, a driving control unit 26, and a notification processing unit 27. Each of these units is a function realized by execution of a computer program by one or more processors such as a CPU. However, some or all of the abnormality determination unit 22, communication range determination unit 23, vehicle-to-vehicle communication determination unit 24, driving mode determination unit 25, driving control unit 26, and notification processing unit 27 may be configured using analog circuits.

[0040] (Abnormality Determination Unit) The abnormality determination unit 22 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the driver of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the abnormality determination unit 22 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the driver by applying a publicly known or arbitrary image analysis technique to an image including the driver captured by the in-vehicle image capture camera 11 provided in the vehicle 1.

[0041] However, the method of determining an abnormality in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the abnormality determination unit 22 may determine whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the driver based on a detection value of a publicly known or arbitrary biosensor (not shown) attached to the driver and capable of communicating with the abnormality handling device 20. Specifically, the abnormality determination unit 22 may determine that an abnormality has occurred in the driver when the detection value of the biosensor exceeds a reference value indicating normality. Furthermore, the abnormality determination unit 22 may determine whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the driver based on information indicating the depression amount of the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal or the steering angle of the steering wheel 8, which can be obtained via the vehicle control unit 7. Specifically, the abnormality determination unit 22 may determine that an abnormality has occurred in the driver when the rate of change per time of the depression amount of the accelerator pedal or the brake pedal or the steering angle of the steering wheel 8 exceeds a reference value.

[0042] (Communication Range Determination Unit) The communication range determination unit 23 determines whether the vehicle 1 is located outside the communication range of the external network 50. Specifically, the communication range determination unit 23 searches for radio waves from the external network 50 and determines whether the vehicle 1 is located outside the communication range of the external network 50 based on the reception strength of the radio waves. More specifically, with reference to FIG. 2 as well, the communication range determination unit 23 may determine that the vehicle 1 is located outside the communication range of the external network 50 if the reception strength of the radio waves transmitted from the base stations 40-1 and 40-2 of the external server 30 is less than a threshold. On the other hand, the communication range determination unit 23 may determine that the vehicle 1 is not located outside the communication range of the external network 50 (i.e., the vehicle 1 is located within the communication range) if the reception strength of the radio waves transmitted from the base stations 40-1 and 40-2 of the external server 30 is equal to or greater than a threshold. Note that the threshold can be set as appropriate taking into account the stability of communication between the vehicle 1 and the external network 50.

[0043] The communication range determination unit 23 may search for radio waves from the external network 50 while one of the driving modes of automatic driving, semi-automatic driving, and following driving, which will be described in detail later, is being executed. Furthermore, the communication range determination unit 23 may search for radio waves from the external network 50 when an instruction to stop the vehicle 1 is given by the driver or a passenger while semi-automatic driving or following driving is being executed.

[0044] (Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communication Determination Unit) The vehicle-to-vehicle communication determination unit 24 determines whether vehicle-to-vehicle communication is possible between the vehicle 1 and another vehicle (not shown). Specifically, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication determination unit 24 generates a request signal indicating a communication request from the vehicle 1 to the other vehicle. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication determination unit 24 then transmits the generated request signal to the other vehicle via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 15. If the vehicle-to-vehicle communication determination unit 24 is able to receive a response signal in response to the transmitted request signal from the other vehicle via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 15, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication determination unit 24 determines that vehicle-to-vehicle communication is possible between the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle. On the other hand, if the vehicle-to-vehicle communication determination unit 24 is unable to obtain a response signal in response to the transmitted request signal from the other vehicle via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 15, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication determination unit 24 determines that vehicle-to-vehicle communication is not possible between the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle. The other vehicle refers to a vehicle that is present within a range where vehicle-to-vehicle communication is possible from the vehicle 1, and may have a configuration similar to that of the vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1.

[0045] (Driving mode determination unit: automatic driving mode) The driving mode determination unit 25 determines whether or not the vehicle 1 can be automatically driven to a predetermined location. Hereinafter, a driving mode in which the vehicle 1 automatically drives may be referred to as an "automatic driving mode." Note that "automatic driving" means that the vehicle 1 automatically drives to a predetermined location without intervention by the driver of the vehicle 1, and refers to, for example, level 4 or higher in the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) level classification, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Furthermore, examples of the "predetermined location" include a location within the communication range of the external network 50, a hospital, etc., but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0046] Here, when the communication range determination unit 23 determines that the vehicle 1 is located outside the communication range of the external network 50, the driving mode determination unit 25 determines whether or not it is possible to automatically drive the vehicle 1 to a predetermined location based on information transmitted from the surrounding environment sensor 10 and the vehicle state sensor 12 provided in the vehicle 1, without using external information acquired from the external server 30 or the like via the external network 50. Specifically, the driving mode determination unit 25 determines whether or not it is possible to automatically drive the vehicle 1 to a predetermined location by applying a publicly known or arbitrary image recognition technology to captured images of the area ahead of the vehicle 1 transmitted from the surrounding environment sensor 10 at a predetermined sampling period.

[0047] (Driving Mode Determination Unit: Manual Driving Mode) The driving mode determination unit 25 determines whether a passenger capable of manually driving the vehicle 1 is riding in the vehicle 1. Hereinafter, the driving mode in which the vehicle 1 is manually driven may be referred to as the "manual driving mode." Specifically, the driving mode determination unit 25 outputs a notification to the passenger via the input / output device 16 provided in the vehicle 1, inquiring whether the vehicle 1 can be manually driven. Then, when the driving mode determination unit 25 receives an input operation from the passenger via the input / output device 16 indicating that the vehicle 1 can be manually driven, the driving mode determination unit 25 determines that a passenger capable of manually driving the vehicle 1 is riding in the vehicle 1. On the other hand, when the driving mode determination unit 25 receives an input operation from the passenger via the input / output device 16 indicating that the vehicle 1 cannot be manually driven, or when the driving mode determination unit 25 does not receive any input operation from the passenger, the driving mode determination unit 25 determines that a passenger capable of manually driving the vehicle 1 is not riding in the vehicle 1. It should be noted that information exchange with passengers does not necessarily have to be carried out via the input / output device 16, but may also be carried out via a terminal device (not shown) carried by the passenger using short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0048] However, the present disclosure is not limited to this, and the driving mode determination unit 25 may determine whether or not a passenger in a captured image is capable of manually driving the vehicle 1 by applying publicly known or any arbitrary image recognition technology to a captured image including the passenger captured by the interior image capture camera 11 provided in the vehicle 1. More specifically, the driving mode determination unit 25 may determine that a passenger capable of manually driving the vehicle 1 is riding in the vehicle 1 when it recognizes that a facial image of the passenger identified from the captured image matches a facial image of a person who is permitted to drive the vehicle 1 and which is stored in advance in the memory unit 28. Alternatively, the driving mode determination unit 25 may determine whether or not a passenger capable of manually driving the vehicle 1 is riding in the vehicle 1 based on the age of the passenger that can be identified from the captured image using publicly known or any arbitrary image recognition technology.

[0049] (Driving mode determination unit: semi-automated driving mode) The driving mode determination unit 25 determines whether or not semi-automated driving of the vehicle 1 is possible based on instructions from the driver or passenger of the vehicle 1. Hereinafter, the driving mode in which the vehicle 1 drives semi-automatically may be referred to as the "semi-automated driving mode." Hereinafter, "semi-automated driving" means that the driver or passenger has the final say on the route of the vehicle 1, but the vehicle control unit 7 provided in the vehicle 1 controls the acceleration / deceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 1. Therefore, depending on the situation, the vehicle 1 can be driven semi-automatically even if there is a passenger (including a child) who does not have a driver's license.

[0050] Specifically, the driving mode determination unit 25 outputs a notification inquiring whether or not semi-automated driving of the vehicle 1 is possible to the driver or passenger via the input / output device 16 provided in the vehicle 1. Then, when the driving mode determination unit 25 receives an input operation from the driver or passenger via the input / output device 16 indicating that semi-automated driving of the vehicle 1 is possible, the driving mode determination unit 25 determines that semi-automated driving of the vehicle 1 is possible. On the other hand, when the driving mode determination unit 25 receives an input operation from the driver or passenger via the input / output device 16 indicating that semi-automated driving of the vehicle 1 is not possible, or when the driving mode determination unit 25 does not receive any input operation from the driver or passenger, the driving mode determination unit 25 determines that semi-automated driving of the vehicle 1 is not possible. Note that information exchange with the passenger does not necessarily need to be performed via the input / output device 16, and may be performed via a terminal device carried by the passenger using, for example, short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0051] (Driving Control Unit: Autonomous Driving Mode) When the driving mode determination unit 25 determines that the vehicle 1 is to be driven autonomously, the driving control unit 26 performs, for example, the following control. That is, the driving control unit 26 detects the environment surrounding the vehicle 1 based on captured images transmitted from the ambient environment sensor 10 at a predetermined sampling period, and sets a target acceleration / deceleration and a target steering angle for driving the vehicle 1 to a predetermined position. The driving control unit 26 then transmits the set target acceleration / deceleration and target steering angle to the vehicle control unit 7. As a result, the vehicle control unit 7 controls the driving of the vehicle 1 based on the acquired information on the target steering angle and target acceleration / deceleration. Here, when the vehicle 1 is located within the communication range of the external network 50, the driving control unit 26 may additionally use various information obtainable from the external server 30 to control the driving of the vehicle 1. In addition, if the driving control unit 26 is unable to autonomously determine the driving position of vehicle 1 due to an unpaved road or unclear lanes (i.e., boundaries on the road) while the automatic driving mode is running, it may terminate the automatic driving mode and control the driving of vehicle 1 using the following driving mode described below.

[0052] (Driving control unit: manual driving mode) When the driving mode determination unit 25 determines that the vehicle 1 is to be driven manually, the driving control unit 26 outputs a notification indicating that manual driving will be performed to the passenger via the input / output device 16. Note that information exchange with the passenger does not necessarily have to be performed via the input / output device 16, and may be performed via a terminal device carried by the passenger using short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), for example.

[0053] When the driving control unit 26 detects an obstacle around the vehicle 1 by applying known or arbitrary image recognition technology to captured images transmitted from the surrounding environment sensor 10 at a predetermined sampling period while the manual driving mode is being executed, the driving control unit 26 may perform control to bring the vehicle 1 to an emergency stop via the vehicle control unit 7. Therefore, "manual driving" may mean level 1 or lower in the SAE level classification, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0054] (Driving control unit: semi-automatic driving mode) When the driving mode determination unit 25 determines that the vehicle 1 is to be driven semi-automatically, the driving control unit 26 performs, for example, the following control. That is, the driving control unit 26 detects the environment surrounding the vehicle 1 based on captured images transmitted from the surrounding environment sensor 10 at a predetermined sampling period, and sets a target acceleration / deceleration and a target steering angle for driving the vehicle 1 while avoiding collisions with obstacles around the vehicle 1. The driving control unit 26 then transmits the set target acceleration / deceleration and target steering angle to the vehicle control unit 7. As a result, the vehicle control unit 7 controls the driving of the vehicle 1 based on the acquired information on the target steering angle and target acceleration / deceleration. However, in semi-automatic driving, control is performed that differs from that in the automatic driving mode in the following respects.

[0055] That is, while the semi-automatic driving mode is being executed, the driving control unit 26 applies known or arbitrary image recognition technology to captured images transmitted from the ambient environment sensor 10 at a predetermined sampling period. As a result, the driving control unit 26 determines whether or not a location, such as an intersection or a fork, where a decision regarding the path of the vehicle 1 is required (hereinafter, sometimes referred to as a "path decision location") is present ahead of the vehicle 1. If the driving control unit 26 determines that a path decision location is present ahead of the vehicle 1, the driving control unit 26 generates a notification inquiring about the target path of the vehicle 1 after passing the path decision location and outputs the notification to the driver or passenger via the input / output device 16. If the driving control unit 26 is able to acquire an input operation from the driver or passenger regarding the target path of the vehicle 1 after passing the path decision location via the input / output device 16, the driving control unit 26 sets a target acceleration / deceleration and a target steering angle so that the path of the vehicle 1 after passing the path decision location matches the target path. As a result, the vehicle control unit 7 controls the driving of the vehicle 1 based on the set target steering angle and target acceleration / deceleration. In addition, information exchange with passengers does not necessarily have to be carried out via the input / output device 16, but may also be carried out via a terminal device carried by the passenger using short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0056] If the driving control unit 26 is unable to obtain an input operation from the driver or passenger of the target course of the vehicle 1 after passing through the course determination point described above, the driving control unit 26 may terminate the semi-automatic driving mode and control the driving of the vehicle 1 in a following driving mode described later. Furthermore, if the driving control unit 26 is unable to autonomously determine the driving position of the vehicle 1 due to an unpaved road or unclear lane marks (i.e., boundary lines on the road) while the semi-automatic driving mode is being executed, the driving control unit 26 may terminate the semi-automatic driving mode and control the driving of the vehicle 1 in a following driving mode described later.

[0057] (Driving Control Unit: Follow-Up Driving Mode) When the driving mode determination unit 25 does not determine that semi-automatic driving of the vehicle 1 is possible, the driving control unit 26 performs, for example, the following control. Note that the driving mode in which the vehicle 1 drives in a follow-up driving mode may be referred to as the "follow-up driving mode."

[0058] That is, the driving control unit 26 identifies a dynamic object ahead of the vehicle 1 based on an image of the area ahead of the vehicle 1 transmitted from the surrounding environment sensor 10. The driving control unit 26 then sets driving conditions for causing the vehicle 1 to follow the dynamic object ahead of the vehicle 1 while maintaining a target distance preset by the driver or the like. The driving control unit 26 then transmits information indicating the set driving conditions to the vehicle control unit 7. The dynamic object is preferably another vehicle traveling in the same direction as the vehicle 1, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto. For example, the dynamic object may be a person (e.g., a pedestrian) outside the vehicle 1 traveling in the same direction as the vehicle 1, or a terminal device (e.g., a mobile phone or a smartphone) carried by the person. When following the terminal device, screen light emitted from the screen of the terminal device may be used to identify the terminal device.

[0059] Specifically, the driving control unit 26 identifies dynamic objects in the environment surrounding the vehicle 1 by applying known or arbitrary image recognition technology to captured images transmitted from the ambient environment sensor 10 at a predetermined sampling period. At this time, information for pattern recognition of the posture, movement, etc. of the dynamic object, which is pre-stored in the storage unit 28, may be used. The driving control unit 26 then sets a target acceleration / deceleration for causing the vehicle 1 to follow the identified dynamic object while maintaining a pre-set target distance from the identified dynamic object. The driving control unit 26 also sets a target steering angle for causing the vehicle 1 to follow the identified dynamic object along the driving lane. The driving control unit 26 then transmits the set target acceleration / deceleration and target steering angle to the vehicle control unit 7. The vehicle control unit 7 then controls the following driving of the vehicle 1 based on the acquired information on the target steering angle and target acceleration / deceleration. The vehicle 1 follows the dynamic object without departing from the driving lane.

[0060] If the vehicle reaches a situation where it is no longer possible to continue following a dynamic object ahead while performing follow-up traveling, the traveling control unit 26 may terminate the follow-up traveling mode and stop the vehicle 1. In this case, the driver or passenger of the vehicle 1 may be notified via the input / output device 16 that follow-up traveling cannot be continued. Note that information exchange with the passenger does not necessarily have to be performed via the input / output device 16, and may be performed via a terminal device carried by the passenger using short-range wireless communication such as Bluetooth (registered trademark), for example.

[0061] Furthermore, the driving control unit 26 may perform control to switch from the follow driving mode to the semi-automated driving mode when follow driving cannot be continued due to a step located ahead of the vehicle 1. Here, the step located ahead of the vehicle 1 can be detected by applying a publicly known or arbitrary image recognition technology to captured images transmitted from the surrounding environment sensor 10 at a predetermined sampling period. In this case, the driving control unit 26 may control the driving of the vehicle 1 to, for example, reverse the vehicle 1 to an intersection or branch point that the vehicle 1 passed through before (preferably just before) detecting the step located ahead of the vehicle 1, and may perform control to switch from the semi-automated driving mode to the follow driving mode when the vehicle 1 returns to the intersection or branch point.

[0062] In addition, when the communication range determination unit 23 determines that the vehicle 1 has arrived within the communication range of the external network 50, the driving control unit 26 may set a destination of the vehicle 1 based on the driver abnormality determined by the abnormality determination unit 22. The driving control unit 26 may then determine to automatically drive the vehicle 1 to the set destination. Specifically, the driving control unit 26 uses the position information of the vehicle 1 acquired from the GNSS sensor 14 and map information pre-stored in the storage unit 28 to set a driving route of the vehicle 1 to the set destination and position coordinates of a reference path that serves as a reference when the vehicle 1 drives the driving route. The driving control unit 26 then sets a target acceleration / deceleration and a target steering angle for the vehicle 1 to drive along the reference path. The driving control unit 26 then outputs the target acceleration / deceleration and the target steering angle to the vehicle control unit 7. The vehicle control unit 7 then controls the driving of the vehicle 1 based on the target acceleration / deceleration and the target steering angle, causing the vehicle 1 to automatically drive to the destination. While a hospital or the like is exemplified as the destination, the present disclosure is not limited thereto. Note that setting a destination and the various functions associated therewith are not essential and can be omitted as appropriate.

[0063] (Notification Processing Unit) The notification processing unit 27 generates information indicating an emergency notification that notifies the outside of the vehicle 1 of the driver abnormality determined by the abnormality determination unit 22. Then, the notification processing unit 27 outputs the generated information indicating the emergency notification to the outside of the vehicle 1. Here, if the vehicle 1 is within the communication range of the external network 50, the outside may be the external server 30, or if the vehicle 1 is outside the communication range of the external network 50 but is capable of vehicle-to-vehicle communication with another vehicle, the outside may be another vehicle. Note that the notification processing unit 27 is not an essential component of the present disclosure and may be omitted as appropriate.

[0064] (2-3. Example of Operation of the Abnormality Handling Device) An example of operation of the abnormality handling device 20 according to this embodiment will be described along with a flowchart with reference to Figures 4 and 5. This example of operation is an example of an abnormality handling method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0065] In step S10, the abnormality determination unit 22 determines whether or not an abnormality has occurred in the driver of the vehicle 1. If it is determined that an abnormality has occurred (step S10: YES), the process proceeds to step S11. On the other hand, if it is determined that an abnormality has not occurred (step S10: NO), the process ends.

[0066] In step S11, the communication range determination unit 23 determines whether or not the vehicle 1 is located outside the communication range of the external network 50. If it is determined that the vehicle 1 is located outside the communication range of the external network 50 (step S11: YES), the process proceeds to step S12. On the other hand, if it is not determined that the vehicle 1 is located outside the communication range of the external network 50 (step S11: NO), the process proceeds to step S21.

[0067] If the process returns to step S11 while one of the driving modes, automatic driving, semi-automatic driving, or follow-up driving, which will be described in detail later, is in operation, it will be determined whether the vehicle 1 moving in that driving mode has reached the communication range of the external network 50.

[0068] In step S12, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication determination unit 24 determines whether vehicle-to-vehicle communication (V2V) is possible between the vehicle 1 and another vehicle. If it is determined that vehicle-to-vehicle communication is possible (step S12: YES), the process proceeds to step S13. On the other hand, if it is not determined that vehicle-to-vehicle communication is possible (step S12: NO), the process proceeds to step S14.

[0069] When the process proceeds from step S12 to S13 (when vehicle-to-vehicle communication is possible), in step S13, the notification processor 27 generates information indicating an emergency notification for outputting the driver abnormality determined by the abnormality determination unit 22 to another vehicle. Then, the notification processor 27 transmits the information indicating the emergency notification to the other vehicle via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 15. This allows the occupants of the other vehicle to recognize that an abnormality has occurred in the driver of vehicle 1, which leads to the driver of vehicle 1 being rescued promptly. Then, the process ends.

[0070] If the process proceeds from step S12 to S14 (if vehicle-to-vehicle communication is not possible), in step S14, the driving mode determination unit 25 determines whether or not the vehicle 1 can be driven autonomously. If it is determined that the vehicle 1 can be driven autonomously (step S14: YES), the process proceeds to step S15. On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle 1 cannot be driven autonomously (step S14: NO), the process proceeds to step S16. Examples of a negative determination in step S14 include a case where some or all of the in-vehicle functions required for the vehicle 1 to be driven autonomously cannot be used, or a case where the vehicle 1 cannot autonomously determine its driving position due to an unpaved road or unclear lane marks (i.e., boundary lines on the road), but the present disclosure is not limited to these. Note that an example of an in-vehicle function required for the vehicle 1 to be driven autonomously is a navigation function provided in the vehicle 1.

[0071] If the process proceeds from step S14 to S15 (if automatic driving is possible), in step S15, the driving control unit 26 controls the vehicle 1 to automatically drive. Details of automatic driving are as described above, and therefore will not be described again. Thereafter, the process returns to step S11.

[0072] The timing at which the process returns to step S11 can be set arbitrarily, and may be, for example, the timing at which vehicle 1 has automatically traveled the distance from the position of vehicle 1 immediately before the reception strength of radio waves from a certain base station 40-1 shown in Figure 2 becomes below the threshold to the communication area of ​​another base station 40-2 with which vehicle 1 should next communicate (for example, base station 40-2 adjacent to base station 40-1).

[0073] If the process proceeds from step S14 to S16 (if automatic driving is not possible), in step S16, the driving mode determination unit 25 determines whether or not a passenger who is capable of manually driving the vehicle 1 is in the vehicle 1. If it is determined that the passenger is in the vehicle 1 (step S16: YES), the process proceeds to step S17. On the other hand, if it is not determined that the passenger is in the vehicle 1 (step S16: NO), the process proceeds to step S18.

[0074] If the process proceeds from step S16 to S17 (if manual driving is possible), in step S17, the driving control unit 26 outputs a message to the passenger via the input / output device 16 indicating that manual driving will be performed. Note that this step is not essential and can be omitted. Thereafter, the process ends.

[0075] If the process proceeds from step S16 to S18 (if manual driving is not possible), in step S18, the driving mode determination unit 25 determines whether or not semi-automated driving of the vehicle 1 is possible, based on an instruction from the driver or passenger of the vehicle 1. If it is determined that semi-automated driving of the vehicle 1 is possible (step S18: YES), the process proceeds to step S19. On the other hand, if it is not determined that semi-automated driving of the vehicle 1 is possible (step S18: NO), the process proceeds to step S20.

[0076] If the process proceeds from step S18 to S19 (if semi-automated driving is possible), in step S19, the driving control unit 26 controls the vehicle 1 to drive semi-automatically. This allows the vehicle 1 to move even if some or all of the in-vehicle functions required for the vehicle 1 to drive automatically cannot be used. Furthermore, the vehicle 1 can move even if the passenger cannot drive manually because they do not have a driver's license, for example. Details of semi-automated driving are as described above, so a detailed explanation will be omitted. The process then returns to step S11.

[0077] The timing at which the process returns to step S11 can be set arbitrarily, and may be, for example, the timing at which the vehicle 1 has traveled semi-automatically for a distance from the position of the vehicle 1 immediately before the reception strength of radio waves from a certain base station 40-1 became less than the threshold to the communication area of ​​another base station 40-2 with which the vehicle 1 should next communicate (for example, a base station 40-2 adjacent to the base station 40-1). Alternatively, the timing at which the process returns to step S11 may be when the driver or a passenger issues an instruction to stop the vehicle 1 via the input / output device 16.

[0078] If the process proceeds from step S18 to S20 (if semi-automated driving is not possible), in step S20, the driving control unit 26 controls the vehicle 1 to follow the dynamic object in front of the vehicle 1. This allows the vehicle 1 to move even if some or all of the in-vehicle functions required for semi-automated driving of the vehicle 1 cannot be used. Furthermore, the vehicle 1 can move even if the driver or passenger cannot give instructions to the vehicle 1 to drive the vehicle 1 semi-automatically. Details of the following driving are as described above, and therefore will not be described again. The process then returns to step S11.

[0079] The timing at which the process returns to step S11 can be set arbitrarily, and may be, for example, the timing at which the vehicle 1 has traveled a distance from the position of the vehicle 1 immediately before the reception strength of the radio waves from a certain base station 40-1 became less than the threshold to the communication area of ​​another base station 40-2 with which the vehicle 1 should next communicate (for example, a base station 40-2 adjacent to the base station 40-1). Alternatively, the timing at which the process returns to step S11 may be when the driver or a passenger issues an instruction to stop the vehicle 1 via the input / output device 16.

[0080] 5, a case where the process proceeds from step S11 to S21 will be described. In this case, the vehicle 1, which has been traveling in any one of the autonomous traveling, semi-autonomous traveling, and following traveling modes, has arrived within the communication range of the external network 50. In other words, the vehicle 1 has been traveling in any one of the autonomous traveling, semi-autonomous traveling, and following traveling modes to a position where the external network 50, which is an example of a predetermined position, is within the communication range.

[0081] In step S21, the notification processing unit 27 determines whether to output an emergency notification to notify the external server 30 of the driver's abnormality based on the driver's abnormality determined by the abnormality determination unit 22. Specifically, the notification processing unit 27 may make this determination based on the degree of the driver's abnormality, and may determine to output an emergency notification when the degree of the driver's abnormality is equal to or greater than a threshold, for example. If it is determined that an emergency notification should be output (step S21: YES), the process proceeds to step S22. On the other hand, if it is not determined that an emergency notification should be output (step S21: NO), the process proceeds to step S23.

[0082] When the process proceeds from step S21 to S22 (when an emergency report is to be output), in step S22, the report processing unit 27 generates information indicating an emergency report that reports the driver's abnormality to the external server 30, and outputs the information to the external server 30 via the communication device 13. This allows the police station, fire department, or the like, which is the administrator of the external server 30, to recognize that an abnormality has occurred in the driver of the vehicle 1, and to rescue the driver of the vehicle 1. Then, the process ends.

[0083] If the process proceeds from step S21 to S23 (if an emergency call is not to be output), in step S23, the driving control unit 26 sets a destination for the vehicle 1 based on the driver abnormality determined by the abnormality determination unit 22. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S24.

[0084] In step S24, the driving control unit 26 automatically drives the vehicle 1 to the destination set in step S23. Then, the process ends. As a result, the driver of the vehicle 1 takes appropriate measures at the destination set in accordance with the abnormality.

[0085] Alternatively, instead of the above-described embodiment, the process may omit step S21 and proceed directly from step S11 to S22 and terminate, or may omit steps S21 and S22 and proceed directly from step S11 to S23 (and ultimately S24) and terminate.

[0086] (3. Summary) As described above, the processing unit 21 of the abnormality handling device 20 according to this embodiment performs the following processing when it detects an abnormality in the driver of the vehicle 1 and the vehicle 1 is located outside the communication range of the external network 50. That is, the processing unit 21 determines whether or not it is possible to automatically drive the vehicle 1 to a predetermined location without intervention by the driver. Furthermore, if it is determined that automatic driving is not possible, the processing unit 21 determines whether or not a passenger who is capable of manually driving the vehicle 1 is in the vehicle 1. Furthermore, if it is determined that a passenger is not in the vehicle 1, the processing unit 21 determines whether or not it is possible to semi-automatically drive the vehicle 1 based on instructions from the driver or the passenger. Furthermore, if it is determined that semi-automatic driving is not possible, the processing unit 21 determines that the vehicle 1 should be caused to follow a dynamic object ahead of the vehicle 1.

[0087] According to this configuration, even if an abnormality occurs in the driver of the vehicle 1 and the vehicle 1 is located outside the communication range of the external network 50, a driving mode is selected in order from the automatic driving mode, the manual driving mode, the semi-automatic driving mode, and the follow driving mode in order as needed depending on the situation to guide the vehicle 1 into the communication range of the external network 50. Therefore, the vehicle 1 can move autonomously or semi-autonomously into the communication range of the external network 50. Therefore, even if an abnormality occurs in the driver of the vehicle 1 and the vehicle 1 is located outside the communication range of the external network 50, the abnormality that has occurred in the driver can be appropriately dealt with.

[0088] Furthermore, even if an abnormality occurs in the driver of vehicle 1, vehicle 1 is located outside the communication range of external network 50, and there are no other vehicles around vehicle 1 with which vehicle-to-vehicle communication is possible, for the same reason, the abnormality that has occurred in the driver can be dealt with appropriately.

[0089] Furthermore, a passenger in the vehicle 1 does not need to get out of the vehicle 1 and walk or otherwise travel to the communication range of the external network 50 to report an abnormality that has occurred in the driver to the outside, and can provide emergency treatment to the driver while the vehicle is running automatically, semi-automatically, or following the vehicle 1. This can also improve the survival rate of the driver.

[0090] Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art to which the present disclosure pertains can conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and multiple components or steps can be combined or divided into one.

[0091] The technology disclosed herein can also be realized as a vehicle 1 equipped with the abnormality handling device 20 described in the above-mentioned embodiment, an abnormality handling method executed by a computer functioning as the above-mentioned abnormality handling device 20, a computer program that causes a computer to function as the above-mentioned abnormality handling device 20, and a non-temporary tangible recording medium on which the computer program is recorded.

[0092] 1: Vehicle, 20: Abnormality handling device, 21: Processing unit, 22: Abnormality determination unit, 23: Communication range determination unit, 24: Vehicle-to-vehicle communication determination unit, 25: Driving mode determination unit, 26: Driving control unit, 27: Report processing unit, 28: Storage unit, 50: External network

Claims

1. An abnormality handling device that handles an abnormality that occurs in a driver of a vehicle, comprising one or more processors and one or more memories that can communicate with the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors: detect an abnormality in the driver and, when the vehicle is located outside the communication range of an external network, determine whether or not it is possible to automatically drive the vehicle to a predetermined location without intervention by the driver; if it is determined that the automatic driving is not possible, determine whether or not a passenger who is capable of manually driving the vehicle is in the vehicle; if it is determined that the passenger is not in the vehicle, determine whether or not it is possible to semi-automatically drive the vehicle based on instructions from the driver or the passenger; if it is determined that the semi-automatic driving is not possible, determine to have the vehicle follow a dynamic object in front of the vehicle.

2. The abnormality handling device described in claim 1, wherein the one or more processors, while executing any one of the driving modes of the automatic driving, the semi-automatic driving, and the following driving, search for radio waves from the external network, and determine whether the vehicle moving in the driving mode has reached the communication range of the external network based on the reception strength of the radio waves.

3. The abnormality handling device according to claim 2, wherein the one or more processors search for the radio waves when the driver or the passenger issues an instruction to stop the vehicle while the semi-automated driving or the following driving is being performed.

4. An abnormality handling device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the one or more processors, when it is determined that the vehicle has arrived within the communication range of the external network, set a destination for the vehicle based on an abnormality of the driver, and determine to automatically drive the vehicle to the set destination.

5. An abnormality handling device as described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the one or more processors determine to output an emergency call to report the driver's abnormality to the outside of the vehicle when it is determined that the vehicle has arrived within the communication range of the external network.

6. A vehicle comprising at least an abnormality determination unit, a communication range determination unit, and a driving mode determination unit, wherein the abnormality determination unit determines whether an abnormality has occurred in the driver of the vehicle, the communication range determination unit determines whether the vehicle is located outside the communication range of an external network, and when the abnormality determination unit determines that an abnormality has occurred in the driver and the communication range determination unit determines that the vehicle is located outside the communication range of the external network, the driving mode determination unit determines whether the vehicle can be automatically driven to a predetermined location without intervention by the driver, and when it is not determined that the automatic driving is possible, determines whether a passenger who is capable of manually driving the vehicle is present in the vehicle, and when it is not determined that the passenger is present in the vehicle, determines whether the vehicle can be semi-automatically driven based on instructions from the driver or the passenger, and when it is not determined that the semi-automatic driving is possible, determines to have the vehicle follow a dynamic object in front of the vehicle.

7. An abnormality handling method for dealing with an abnormality that occurs in a driver of a vehicle, comprising: when a computer detects an abnormality in the driver and the vehicle is located outside the communication range of an external network, determining whether or not it is possible to automatically drive the vehicle to a predetermined location without intervention by the driver; if it is determined that the automatic driving is possible, determining whether or not a passenger who is capable of manually driving the vehicle is in the vehicle; if it is determined that the passenger is not in the vehicle, determining whether or not it is possible to semi-automatically drive the vehicle based on instructions from the driver or the passenger; and if it is determined that the semi-automatic driving is possible, determining to have the vehicle follow a dynamic object in front of the vehicle.

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