Vehicle control device

Abstract

When it is assessed, on the basis of a vital evaluation value V pertaining to a driver, that the psychological state of the driver is stable, a travel control unit 26 permits switching from an autonomous driving mode to a manual driving mode. In such instances, when it is assessed, on the basis of the vital evaluation value V, that the psychological state of the driver before switching to the manual driving mode was unstable, the travel control unit 26 executes a restricted manual driving mode in which intervention of driving assistance control using travel control is permitted for driving operations performed by the driver after switching to the manual driving mode. However, when out-of-vehicle noise that contributes to a change in the vital evaluation value V is occurring, the travel control unit 26 executes an unrestricted manual driving mode in which intervention of driving assistance control is prohibited, even in cases where it is assessed that the psychological state of the driver before switching to the manual driving mode was unstable.

Description

Vehicle control device

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device having an automatic driving control function.

[0002] In recent years, in the field of vehicle control devices, many technologies related to automatic driving control that do not require intervention by a driver's driving operation have been proposed.

[0003] Such a vehicle control device can shift the vehicle control mode from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode according to preset conditions. For example, in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.\ 2020-44938, when an abnormality determination unit determines an abnormal state of a disturbance to the host vehicle, such as a failure of the host vehicle, the occurrence of a large yaw rate, a rapid change in the yaw rate, or the detection of an obstacle such as a dropped object on the road, the execution of the automatic driving mode is avoided and a technique for executing a switch to the manual driving mode is disclosed. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.\ 2020-44938 discloses a technique for performing drive force distribution based on the steering amount during automatic driving when switching to the manual driving mode to prevent a sudden steering operation by the driver from being reflected in the behavior of the vehicle.

[0004] However, the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No.\ 2020-44938 uniformly restricts the intervention of the driving operation when switching to the manual driving mode regardless of the state of the driver. Therefore, it is difficult to reflect the driver's intention in the behavior of the vehicle.

[0005] The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a vehicle control device that can accurately reflect the driver's intention in the behavior of the vehicle while ensuring safety after switching from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode.

[0006] A vehicle control device according to one aspect of the present invention is a vehicle control device that can switch between an automatic driving mode that does not require driver operation and a manual driving mode that requires driver operation as the driving mode of the vehicle, and comprises: a first detection means for detecting vital information of the driver; a second detection means for detecting noise that contributes to changes in the vital information; a driving control means for performing driving control according to the driving mode of the vehicle; a first determination means for permitting switching from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode when it is determined that the driver's psychological state is stable based on the vital information; and a second determination means for permitting intervention of a specific driving control with respect to the driving operation after switching to the manual driving mode when it is determined that the driver's psychological state was unstable before switching to the manual driving mode based on the vital information, wherein even if the second determination means determines that the driver's psychological state was unstable before switching to the manual driving mode, it prohibits intervention of the specific driving control when a specific noise that contributes to changes in the vital information occurs.

[0007] Schematic diagram of the vehicle control system Flowchart showing the driving mode switching control routine (Part 1) Flowchart showing the driving mode switching control routine (Part 2) Flowchart showing the noise detection subroutine

[0008] The present invention will be described below with reference to the illustrated embodiments. The drawings used in the following description are schematic, and in order to show each component at a size that can be recognized on the drawing, the dimensional relationships and scales of each component may differ for each component. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the illustrated forms with respect to the quantity of each component, the shape of each component, the ratio of the sizes of each component, and the relative positional relationships of each component as shown in each drawing.

[0009] One embodiment of the present invention, the vehicle control device 1, is mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile (the vehicle itself). This vehicle control device 1 performs various driving controls on the vehicle itself.

[0010] First, the schematic configuration of the vehicle control device 1 of one embodiment of the present invention will be described below using the block diagram in Figure 1.

[0011] As shown in Figure 1, the vehicle control device 1 of this embodiment comprises a locator unit 11, a camera unit 21, a surrounding area monitoring unit 22, and a driving control unit 26.

[0012] Here, the locator unit 11, camera unit 21, and surrounding monitoring unit 22 are component units that function as a driving environment recognition device for recognizing the external driving environment, including objects in front of and around the vehicle. Each of these units 11, 21, and 22 exists as a completely independent component unit, without depending on each other.

[0013] The locator unit 11 estimates the position of the vehicle on the road map (vehicle position). Furthermore, the locator unit 11 acquires road map information, etc., mainly in front of the estimated vehicle position.

[0014] The locator unit 11 includes a map locator calculation unit 12 and a high-precision road map database 17 (road map DB) as a map information storage unit.

[0015] The map locator calculation unit 12 includes a vehicle position estimation calculation unit 12a and a driving route setting calculation unit 12b.

[0016] The vehicle position estimation calculation unit 12a performs calculations to estimate the vehicle's position. Based on the positioning signal received by the GNSS receiver 13 (described later), the vehicle position estimation calculation unit 12a acquires the vehicle's current position coordinates (latitude and longitude), and maps these position coordinates onto map information to estimate the vehicle's position (current position) on the road map.

[0017] Furthermore, the vehicle position estimation calculation unit 12a identifies the vehicle's driving lane, acquires road shapes such as driving lanes and merging lanes stored in the map information, and stores them sequentially.

[0018] Furthermore, the vehicle position estimation calculation unit 12a can also perform vehicle position estimation using autonomous navigation based on various data acquired by the autonomous driving sensor 14 (described later). Such vehicle position estimation using autonomous navigation is performed, for example, in situations where the sensitivity of the GNSS receiver 13 is reduced and it is not possible to receive effective positioning signals from positioning satellites, such as when driving in a tunnel.

[0019] The driving route setting calculation unit 12b performs calculations to set a driving route from the vehicle's current position to the destination (and waypoints). Based on the vehicle's position information (latitude, longitude) estimated by the vehicle position estimation calculation unit 12a and the location information (latitude, longitude) of the destination and waypoints input from the route information input device 15 (described later), the driving route setting calculation unit 12b refers to the local dynamic map stored in the high-precision road map database 17. The driving route setting calculation unit 12b then constructs a driving route connecting the vehicle's current position and the destination on the local dynamic map of the high-precision road map database 17 according to pre-set route conditions.

[0020] In this way, the map locator calculation unit 12 maps the vehicle's position estimated by the vehicle position estimation calculation unit 12a onto a map to determine the vehicle's current location. The map locator calculation unit 12 also acquires road map information, including environmental information around the vehicle's current location. Furthermore, the map locator calculation unit 12 connects the input location coordinates (latitude, longitude) of the destination, etc., with the vehicle's position to construct the vehicle's target driving route (target driving route).

[0021] Furthermore, the map locator calculation unit 12 sets a target driving route for autonomous driving on the constructed target driving route, extending several kilometers ahead of the vehicle. The items set as the target driving route include the lane the vehicle will travel in, the timing of lane changes to overtake the preceding vehicle, and the timing of initiating lane changes.

[0022] The high-precision road map database 17 is mainly composed of large-capacity storage media such as HDDs (Hard Disk Drives) and SSDs (Solid State Drives). This high-precision road map database 17 stores well-known high-precision road map information (local dynamic maps). This high-precision road map information has the same layer structure as global dynamic maps provided on, for example, cloud servers (not shown). Specifically, the high-precision road map information has a layered structure in which additional map information necessary to support autonomous driving is superimposed on the lowest layer of static information that forms the basis.

[0023] Here, additional map information includes static location information such as road type, road shape, left and right lane markings, exits for expressways and bypasses, junctions, service areas, and the length of entrances and exits for diverging and merging lanes leading to parking areas. Furthermore, additional map information includes dynamic location information such as traffic congestion information and traffic restrictions due to accidents or construction.

[0024] When the map locator calculation unit 12 sets a target driving route, surrounding information necessary for autonomous driving of the vehicle along the set target driving route is continuously acquired from the global dynamic map, and additional map information is updated sequentially.

[0025] Furthermore, high-precision road map information also contains lane data necessary for autonomous driving, such as lane width data, lane center position coordinate data, lane direction angle data, and speed limit information. This lane data and other information are stored at intervals of several meters for each lane on the road map.

[0026] The map locator calculation unit 12 is connected to a GNSS receiver 13, an autonomous driving sensor 14, a route information input device 15, and an external communication device 16, among others.

[0027] The GNSS receiver 13 functions as a vehicle position acquisition unit and receives various information, for example, from the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System). This GNSS receiver 13 receives positioning signals transmitted from multiple positioning satellites. The GNSS receiver 13 outputs the acquired positioning signals to the map locator calculation unit 12 of the locator unit 11. The map locator calculation unit 12 estimates the vehicle's position (latitude and longitude) based on the positioning signals from multiple positioning satellites received by the GNSS receiver 13. Therefore, this GNSS receiver 13 is connected to the input side of the map locator calculation unit 12.

[0028] The autonomous driving sensor 14 is a group of sensors that enables autonomous driving in situations where the reception sensitivity from GNSS satellites is low and positioning signals cannot be effectively received, such as when driving in a tunnel. The autonomous driving sensor 14 is composed of, for example, a longitudinal acceleration sensor, a vehicle speed sensor, a gyroscope sensor, a yaw rate sensor, etc. Therefore, the map locator calculation unit 12 performs localization from the distance traveled and direction based on the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor, the yaw rate (yaw angular velocity) detected by the yaw rate sensor, and the longitudinal acceleration detected by the longitudinal acceleration sensor, etc., and estimates the vehicle's position. For this reason, the autonomous driving sensor 14 is connected to the input side of the map locator calculation unit 12.

[0029] The route information input device 15 is a terminal device operated by personnel on board the vehicle, such as the driver or passengers. This route information input device 15 can collect and input a series of information necessary for setting the target driving route in the map locator calculation unit 12, such as setting the destination and waypoints (such as highway service areas).

[0030] The route information input device 15 is specifically an input unit of a car navigation system (e.g., a touch panel on a monitor), a mobile terminal such as a smartphone, or a personal computer. The route information input device 15 is connected to the map locator calculation unit 12 via a wired or wireless connection. As a result, when the driver or passenger operates the route information input device 15 to input destination and waypoint information (facility name, address, telephone number, etc.), that input information is read into the map locator calculation unit 12. The map locator calculation unit 12 sets the position coordinates (latitude, longitude) of the destination and waypoints input from the route information input device 15. Therefore, the route information input device 15 is connected to the input side of the map locator calculation unit 12.

[0031] The external communication device 16 communicates wirelessly with devices located outside the vehicle. Specifically, the external communication device 16 communicates with other vehicles traveling in the vicinity of the vehicle, for example. It also communicates with infrastructure installed along the roadside on which the vehicle is traveling, for example. Through these communications, the external communication device 16 acquires various information such as other vehicles ahead of the vehicle, accidents, traffic congestion, and weather conditions as driving environment information. The acquired driving environment information is superimposed on the lowest-level static information layer as dynamic additional map information necessary to support automated driving.

[0032] The camera unit 21 recognizes the driving environment in the direction of the vehicle's travel (mainly forward) and acquires and collects this information as driving environment data. Specifically, the camera unit 21 recognizes various landmarks and other objects present around the road on which the vehicle is traveling as driving environment data. The landmarks recognized by the camera unit 21 include, for example, other vehicles traveling in front of or to the side of the vehicle (such as preceding vehicles or vehicles traveling alongside), three-dimensional objects including pedestrians walking in front or attempting to cross in front, bicycles, motorcycles and other moving objects, traffic signals (lighting color, flashing state, arrow direction, etc.), road signs, stop lines, lane markings and other road markings. Furthermore, landmarks also include buildings, walls, sound barriers, guardrails, etc. adjacent to the road.

[0033] Therefore, the camera unit 21 is configured to include an in-vehicle camera (stereo camera) consisting of a main camera 21a and a sub-camera 21b, an image processing unit 21c (IPU; hereinafter referred to as IPU 21c), a forward driving environment recognition unit 21d, and the like.

[0034] The camera unit 21 is fixed to the upper center of the front part of the vehicle's interior. The main camera 21a and sub-camera 21b are positioned symmetrically on either side of the center in the width direction of the vehicle. The main camera 21a captures reference image data, and the sub-camera 21b captures comparison image data. The two image data acquired by these two cameras 21a and 21b are subjected to predetermined image processing by the IPU 21c.

[0035] Each camera 21a and 21b may also be equipped with a function to acquire sound information simultaneously with image information. In this case, the sound information acquired simultaneously with the image information is included in the forward driving environment information as sound information related to the forward driving environment of the vehicle.

[0036] The IPU 21c reads the reference image data and the comparison image data, and recognizes the same object (target) in both images. The IPU 21c also calculates the distance from the vehicle to the object (target) based on the parallax between the two images, using the principle of triangulation. The IPU 21c then outputs the image information, including the distance to the target, as distance image information to the forward driving environment recognition unit 21d.

[0037] The forward driving environment recognition unit 21d recognizes the driving environment information in front of the vehicle based on distance image information.

[0038] Forward driving environment information includes various types of information such as road shape of the path the vehicle is traveling on, lane width between lane markings on merging and diverging lanes leading to entrances and exits of expressways and bypasses, junctions, intersections, pedestrian crossings, traffic lights, road signs, and roadside obstacles (utility poles, telephone poles, parked vehicles, etc.). In addition, forward driving environment information also includes the lateral position deviation of the vehicle in the width direction relative to the center of the left and right lane markings in the driving lane the vehicle is traveling in.

[0039] Furthermore, the forward driving environment recognition unit 21d performs predetermined pattern matching on the distance image information. As a result, the forward driving environment recognition unit 21d recognizes guardrails, curbs, and various other three-dimensional objects along the road as forward driving environment information. In this recognition of three-dimensional objects by the forward driving environment recognition unit 21d, for example, the type of three-dimensional object, the distance to the three-dimensional object, the speed of the three-dimensional object, and the relative speed between the three-dimensional object and the vehicle are recognized.

[0040] In addition to the camera unit 21, the vehicle control device 1 of this embodiment may also include, for example, a radar device as an autonomous sensor for detecting path information. Specifically, this radar device has an autonomous sensor as a detection means using various radars such as millimeter-wave radar, laser radar, and LIDER (Light Detection and Ranging).

[0041] The surrounding monitoring unit 22 recognizes information about the driving environment around the vehicle. This surrounding monitoring unit 22 is configured to include a surrounding environment recognition sensor 22a and a surrounding driving environment recognition unit 22b, etc.

[0042] The surrounding environment recognition sensor 22a is a group of autonomous sensors that serve as a means for detecting the surrounding environment, consisting of sensing devices such as ultrasonic sensors, millimeter-wave radar, lidar (light detection and ranging), and cameras, and combinations thereof.

[0043] Specifically, for example, multiple millimeter-wave radars, acting as surrounding environment recognition sensors 22a, are installed at the four corners of the vehicle (for example, the left front side, right front side, left rear side, right rear side, etc.). Of these, the left and right front side millimeter-wave radars are installed, for example, on the left and right sides of the front bumper. The left and right front side millimeter-wave radars are used to monitor certain areas around the vehicle (the areas diagonally in front of and to the sides of the vehicle) that are difficult to recognize by images acquired by the two cameras 21a and 21b of the camera unit 21.

[0044] Further, the millimeter-wave radars on the left and right rear sides are provided, for example, on the left and right sides of the rear bumper. The millimeter-wave radars on the left and right rear sides are used to monitor a partial area around the vehicle (the area from the side to the rear of the vehicle) that cannot be monitored by the millimeter-wave radars on the left and right front sides.

[0045] The surrounding driving environment recognition unit 22b acquires surrounding environment information, which is information about moving objects (such as pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, accompanying vehicles, following vehicles traveling in the own lane or an adjacent lane, oncoming vehicles, etc.) around the host vehicle based on the output signal from the surrounding environment recognition sensor 22a. Such moving objects include, for example, pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, accompanying vehicles, following vehicles, and oncoming vehicles.

[0046] The surrounding driving environment recognition unit 22b specifies moving targets such as pedestrians from the recognized objects. Further, the surrounding driving environment recognition unit 22b calculates the moving direction, moving speed, etc. of the specified target.

[0047] Here, the forward driving environment recognition unit 21d of the camera unit 21 and the surrounding driving environment recognition unit 22b of the surrounding monitoring unit 22 are bidirectionally communicably connected to the driving control unit 26 through an in-vehicle communication line (for example, CAN: Controller Area Network). Similarly, the driving control unit 26 and the map locator calculation unit 12 are bidirectionally communicably connected through the in-vehicle communication line.

[0048] The driving control unit 26 performs driving control of the host vehicle based on the driving environment information acquired and collected by the camera unit 21, the surrounding monitoring unit 22, and the locator unit 11. Note that these various driving environment information includes out-of-vehicle noise information that can affect the vital signs of the driver (described later). The noise information includes, for example, deteriorated visibility ahead (night, fog, whiteout, etc.), sudden appearance of pedestrians, etc., sudden stop of the preceding vehicle, and various information about specific vehicles (instructor vehicles, taxis, etc.). Thus, in this embodiment, the camera unit 21, the surrounding monitoring unit 22, and the locator unit 11 correspond to a specific example of the second detection means.'

[0049] The driving control unit 26 is connected to an integrated control unit 30, a steering control unit 31, a brake control unit 32, and an acceleration / deceleration control unit 33.

[0050] The integrated control unit 30 integrates the entire system and functions of the vehicle. A human-machine interface (HMI) 35 and air conditioning equipment 36 are connected to this integrated control unit 30.

[0051] The HMI35 includes a display device and a speaker as notification means for informing the driver of various information. The display device is, for example, a touch panel display device. Thus, the display device also functions as an interface for the driver to input various setting information.

[0052] Furthermore, the HMI35 includes switches and sensors related to the driver's operation, such as a mode selector switch, steering angle sensor, steering torque sensor, accelerator pedal position sensor, and brake pedal stroke sensor.

[0053] Furthermore, HMI35 includes sensors for detecting the driver's vital information, such as a steering wheel touch sensor, a driver monitoring system (DMS), a seating sensor, and an infrared sensor. Here, vital information in this embodiment refers to vital information in a broad sense, including, for example, the driver's pulse, blood pressure, respiration, body temperature, and level of consciousness. Such vital information can be used to estimate the driver's psychological state (level of arousal). Each sensor directly or indirectly acquires information related to the driver's vitals. For example, the steering wheel touch sensor detects the driver's pulse and grip strength. Also, for example, the driver monitoring system detects the driver's facial expression and gaze. Information such as the driver's facial expression and gaze can contribute to estimating the driver's level of alertness and arousal. Also, for example, the seating sensor detects the driver's seating posture. Information such as the driver's seating posture can contribute to estimating the driver's level of alertness. Also, the infrared sensor detects the driver's body temperature. Thus, in this embodiment, HMI35 corresponds to one specific example of the first detection means.

[0054] Furthermore, the HMI 35 includes sensors for detecting noise information related to the driver, such as a microphone and an in-vehicle communication device. For example, the microphone detects the driver's conversation content as noise information. The in-vehicle communication device detects the driver's call content and email content from the driver's mobile device as noise information. This noise information can contribute to estimating the cause of changes in the driver's vital signs. Thus, in this embodiment, the HMI 35 corresponds to one specific example of the second detection means.

[0055] The various pieces of information detected by the HMI 35 are output to the driving control unit 26 via the integrated control unit 30.

[0056] The steering control unit 31 performs, for example, drive control to the electric power steering motor of a steering mechanism (not shown). This drive control is performed, for example, based on control signals from the driving control unit 26 and detection signals from the switches and sensors of the HMI 35 (steering angle sensor, steering torque sensor, etc.). As a result, the steering control unit 31 performs steering control of the steering mechanism.

[0057] In this embodiment, for example, a drive-by-wire steering mechanism is employed. Therefore, the steering control unit 31 can limit the actual steering angle based on a control signal from the driving control unit 26 when a sudden change in the steering angle occurs, for example, due to the driver's steering operation.

[0058] The brake control unit 32 performs, for example, drive control to a brake actuator (not shown). This drive control to the brake actuator is performed, for example, based on a control signal from the driving control unit 26 and detection signals from the switches and sensors of the HMI 35 (such as a brake pedal stroke sensor). As a result, the brake control unit 32 decelerates the vehicle by applying the brakes forcibly.

[0059] In this embodiment, for example, a drive-by-wire type brake actuator is employed. Therefore, the brake control unit 32 can, for example, limit the rapid deceleration of its own vehicle based on a control signal from the driving control unit 26 when a sudden change occurs in the brake stroke due to the driver's brake operation.

[0060] The acceleration / deceleration control unit 33 performs drive control to a power source of a power unit (not shown), for example. The power source may be an engine, a motor, or a combination thereof. Drive control to the power source is performed, for example, based on control signals from the driving control unit 26 and detection signals from the switches and sensors of the HMI 35 (accelerator opening sensor, brake stroke sensor, etc.). As a result, the acceleration / deceleration control unit 33 performs acceleration and deceleration control of the vehicle using the power unit.

[0061] In this embodiment, a drive-by-wire power unit is employed. Therefore, the acceleration / deceleration control unit 33 can, for example, limit the rapid acceleration of its own vehicle based on a control signal from the driving control unit 26 when a sudden change occurs in the accelerator opening due to the driver's accelerator operation.

[0062] The driving control unit 26 sets a target path on the driving route set by the driving route setting calculation unit 12b. Then, based on driving environment information and vehicle position information, the driving control unit 26 can make the vehicle drive along the target path. Such driving control is achieved by controlling the steering control unit 31, brake control unit 32, acceleration / deceleration control unit 33, etc., in a predetermined manner.

[0063] In other words, the driving control unit 26 controls each control unit 31 to 33, etc., to a predetermined degree, thereby performing adaptive cruise control (ACC), active lane keep centering control (ALKC), active lane keep bouncing (ALKB), and sway suppression control. The driving control unit 26 also performs collision avoidance control for targets that are likely to collide with the vehicle, as needed. The driving control unit 26 also performs lane change control, as needed. Furthermore, the driving control unit 26 performs output suppression control of the vehicle in response to sudden driving operations by the driver, as needed. In this output suppression control, for example, if there is a sudden change in steering angle and accelerator opening due to the driver's driving operation, predetermined limits are placed on the actual steering angle and acceleration. As these various driving controls are well known, a detailed explanation is omitted.

[0064] Here, the driving control unit 26 can select between an automatic driving mode and a manual driving mode as the driving control mode.

[0065] The autonomous driving mode in this embodiment refers to, for example, a driving control mode of Level 4 or higher as defined by the SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers). This autonomous driving mode is a mode for performing autonomous driving control that does not require driver intervention. Autonomous driving control can be achieved by appropriately combining the various driving control methods described above.

[0066] In contrast, the manual driving mode in this embodiment is, for example, a driving control mode of level 2 or lower as defined by the SAE. This manual driving mode is a mode that requires driver intervention under certain conditions.

[0067] This manual driving mode includes an "unrestricted manual driving mode" in which the vehicle's behavior in response to the driver's driving operations is not restricted, and a "restricted manual driving mode" in which driver assistance control using the various driving controls described above intervenes as appropriate during the driver's driving operations. In the restricted manual driving mode, predetermined driver assistance control is intervened. Driver assistance control can be realized by appropriately combining the various driving controls described above. As a result, in the restricted manual driving mode, restrictions are appropriately applied by the driver assistance control to the vehicle's behavior in response to the driver's driving operations.

[0068] The driving control unit 26 basically switches between automatic driving mode and manual driving mode based on a signal from the mode switching switch of the HMI 35. Furthermore, if the driver performs a predetermined driving operation (accelerator operation, steering wheel operation, brake operation, etc.) for a set time (for example, 3 seconds) or longer while the automatic driving mode is running, the driving control unit 26 determines that an override has occurred and switches from automatic driving mode to manual driving mode.

[0069] However, the driving control unit 26 appropriately restricts the switching from automatic driving mode to manual driving mode based on the driver's vital information obtained from the HMI 35.

[0070] To determine the limitations on switching to such manual driving mode, the driving control unit 26 calculates a vital evaluation value V from the driver's vital information. Specifically, the driving control unit 26 calculates a vital evaluation value V from the driver's vital information, for example, by referring to a pre-set map. A larger vital evaluation value V indicates that the driver's psychological state is unstable and unsuitable for driving.

[0071] The driving control unit 26 determines whether to switch from automatic driving mode to manual driving mode based on the calculated vital evaluation value V. For example, when the driver attempts to switch to manual driving mode while automatic driving mode is running, the driving control unit 26 compares the current vital evaluation value V with a preset first threshold Vth1. If the vital evaluation value V is less than the first threshold Vth1, the driving control unit 26 determines that the driver's psychological state is stable and permits switching to manual driving mode. On the other hand, if the vital evaluation value V is greater than or equal to the first threshold Vth1, the driving control unit 26 determines that the driver's psychological state is unstable and prohibits switching to manual driving mode.

[0072] Furthermore, when permission is granted to switch to manual driving mode, the driving control unit 26 evaluates the driver's psychological state before switching to manual driving mode. This evaluation of the psychological state before switching is performed, for example, based on the vital evaluation value V0 (for example, the maximum value of the vital evaluation value V) at the set time before switching to manual driving mode. That is, the driving control unit 26 compares the vital evaluation value V0 at the set time before switching to manual driving mode with a preset second threshold Vth2. Here, the second threshold Vth2 is set to a value greater than the first threshold Vth1.

[0073] Then, when the vital assessment value V0 before switching to manual driving mode is less than the second threshold Vth2, the driving control unit 26 determines that there was no event (noise) that would cause a sudden change in the driver's psychological state, and executes the unrestricted manual driving mode.

[0074] On the other hand, if the vital assessment value V0 before switching to manual driving mode is greater than or equal to the second threshold Vth2, the driving control unit 26 determines that there was noise that caused a sudden change in the driver's psychological state. In this case, the driving control unit 26 evaluates the noise that caused a sudden change in the driver's psychological state. Then, depending on the evaluation result for the noise, the driving control unit 26 selectively executes either the unrestricted manual driving mode or the restricted manual driving mode.

[0075] For example, if only external noise is detected as a specific type of noise, it can be assumed that the driver's psychological state is only temporarily unstable. Also, if only external noise is detected, it can be assumed that the driver is willing to actively perform manual driving in manual driving mode in response to that external noise. Therefore, if only external noise is detected, the driving control unit 26 executes the unrestricted manual driving mode.

[0076] On the other hand, if, for example, the content of communication directed to the driver is detected as in-vehicle noise, depending on the content of that communication, it is conceivable that the driver's psychological state may become unstable again after switching to manual driving mode. Therefore, the driving control unit 26 evaluates whether the content of the communication affects the driver's emotions. If the in-vehicle noise contains communication content that affects the driver's emotions, the driving control unit 26 executes a limited manual driving mode with intervention from driving control (driving assistance control). In other words, if other noises affecting the driver's emotions are detected as in-vehicle noise, the driving control unit 26 ignores the external noise and executes a limited manual driving mode.

[0077] Thus, in this embodiment, the driving control unit 26 corresponds to one specific example of the driving control means, the first determination means, and the second determination means.

[0078] Next, the control of switching the driving mode will be explained according to the driving mode switching control routine shown in Figures 2 and 3. This routine is repeatedly executed at set intervals in the driving control unit 26.

[0079] When the routine starts, in step S101, the driving control unit 26 checks whether the current driving mode is automatic driving mode.

[0080] Then, if it is determined in step S101 that the driving mode is not the automatic driving mode (step S101: NO), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S113.

[0081] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S101 that the driving mode is automatic driving mode (step S101: YES), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S102.

[0082] In step S102, the driving control unit 26 checks whether an off operation for automatic driving has been performed. That is, the driving control unit 26 checks, for example, whether the mode switching switch has been operated by the driver, and whether an override has been determined by the driver's driving operation. If at least one of these is determined, the driving control unit 26 determines that an off operation for automatic driving has been performed.

[0083] Then, if it is determined in step S102 that no off operation has been performed for automatic driving (step S102: NO), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S104.

[0084] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S102 that an off operation for automatic driving has been performed (step S102: YES), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S103.

[0085] In step S103, the driving control unit 26 checks whether the current vital assessment value V is less than a preset first threshold Vth1.

[0086] Then, in step S103, if it is determined that the current vital assessment value V is equal to or greater than the first threshold Vth1 (step S103: NO), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S104.

[0087] When the process proceeds from step S102 or step S103 to step S104, the driving control unit 26 continues to execute the current automatic driving mode and then exits the routine.

[0088] On the other hand, if in step S103 it is determined that the current vital assessment value V is less than the first threshold Vth1, the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S105.

[0089] In step S105, the driving control unit 26 checks whether the vital evaluation value V0 at the set time before the off operation for automatic driving is less than a preset second threshold Vth2 (where Vth2 > Vth1).

[0090] Then, in step S105, if it is determined that the vital assessment value V0 is less than the second threshold Vth2 (step S105: YES), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S110.

[0091] On the other hand, if in step S105 it is determined that the vital evaluation value V0 is equal to or greater than the second threshold Vth2 (step S105: NO), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S106.

[0092] In step S106, the driving control unit 26 checks whether at least one of external noise or internal noise was detected during the set time before the off operation for automatic driving.

[0093] Then, if it is determined in step S106 that neither external nor internal noise is detected (step S106: NO), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S110.

[0094] On the other hand, if in step S106 it is determined that at least one of external noise or internal noise has been detected (step S106: YES), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S107.

[0095] In step S107, the driving control unit 26 checks whether the noise detected at the set time before the off operation for automatic driving includes in-vehicle noise.

[0096] Then, if it is determined in step S107 that there is no in-vehicle noise (step S107: NO), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S110.

[0097] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S107 that in-vehicle noise is present (step S107: YES), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S108.

[0098] In step S108, the driving control unit 26 makes a determination regarding in-vehicle noise. This determination is performed, for example, according to the flowchart showing the noise determination subroutine shown in Figure 4.

[0099] When the subroutine starts, the driving control unit 26 checks in step S201 whether or not in-vehicle conversations were detected as in-vehicle noise. These in-vehicle conversations include, for example, conversations between the driver and other passengers, and conversations by the driver using a mobile device.

[0100] Then, if it is determined in step S201 that no conversation was detected inside the vehicle (step S201: NO), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S203.

[0101] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S201 that a conversation inside the vehicle was detected (step S201: YES), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S202.

[0102] In step S202, the driving control unit 26 checks whether the conversation inside the vehicle affected the driver's emotions (joy, anger, sadness, etc.).

[0103] Then, in step S202, if it is determined that the conversation inside the vehicle affected the driver's emotions (emotions of joy, anger, sadness, etc.), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S206.

[0104] On the other hand, if in step S202 it is determined that the conversation inside the vehicle did not affect the driver's emotions (step S202: NO), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S203.

[0105] When the system proceeds from step S201 or step S202 to step S203, the driving control unit 26 checks whether or not a message has been sent or received by the driver. That is, in step S203, the driving control unit 26 checks whether or not a message has been sent or received by the driver using a mobile terminal or the like.

[0106] Then, if it is determined in step S203 that no message was sent or received (step S203: NO), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S207.

[0107] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S203 that a message was sent or received (step S203: YES), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S204.

[0108] In step S204, the driving control unit 26 checks whether the content of the transmitted and received message affected the driver's emotions (joy, anger, sadness, etc.).

[0109] Then, in step S204, if it is determined that the content of the message affected the driver's emotions (emotions such as joy, anger, sadness, or happiness), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S206.

[0110] When the system proceeds from step S202 or step S204 to step S206, the driving control unit 26 determines that it will prioritize in-vehicle noise and then exits the subroutine. Here, "prioritizing in-vehicle noise" means that in-vehicle noise will be prioritized not only when only in-vehicle noise is detected, but also when both in-vehicle noise and external noise are detected.

[0111] Furthermore, if in step S204 it is determined that the content of the message does not affect the driver's emotions (step S204: NO), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S207.

[0112] When the system proceeds from step S203 or step S204 to step S207, the driving control unit 26 determines that external noise should be prioritized and then exits the subroutine. Here, "prioritizing external noise" means that if both internal and external noise are detected, external noise will be prioritized. Furthermore, "prioritizing external noise" means that even if only internal noise is detected, internal noise will be ignored as it is considered noise that affects the driver's emotions.

[0113] In the main routine shown in Figure 2, when the process proceeds from step S108 to step S109, the driving control unit 26 checks whether or not it has been determined that in-vehicle noise should be prioritized.

[0114] Then, if it is not determined in step S109 that in-vehicle noise should be prioritized (step S109: NO), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S110.

[0115] After step S105, step S106, step S107, or step S109 to step S110, the travel control unit 26 executes the unrestricted manual driving mode and then exits the routine.

[0116] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S109 that in-vehicle noise should be prioritized (step S109: YES), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S111.

[0117] In step S111, the driving control unit 26 executes the restricted manual driving mode and then exits the routine. When the restricted manual driving mode is executed, driver assistance controls such as lane departure prevention control and vehicle output suppression control in response to the driver's manual driving operations are intervened as needed.

[0118] Furthermore, when the system proceeds from step S101 to step S112, the driving control unit 26 checks whether the driver has performed an ON operation for automatic driving. That is, the driving control unit 26 checks, for example, whether the driver has operated the mode switching switch.

[0119] Then, if it is determined in step S112 that no ON operation for self-propelled driving has been performed (step S112: NO), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S115.

[0120] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S112 that an ON operation for automatic driving has been performed (step S112: YES), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S113.

[0121] In step S113, the driving control unit 26 checks whether the system conditions for executing the automatic driving mode are met.

[0122] Then, if it is determined in step S113 that the system conditions are met (step S113: YES), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S114.

[0123] In step S114, the driving control unit 26 exits the routine after executing the automatic driving mode.

[0124] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S113 that the system conditions are not met (step S113: NO), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S115.

[0125] When the system proceeds from step S112 or step S113 to step S115, the travel control unit 26 checks whether or not the restricted manual driving mode is currently in operation.

[0126] Then, if it is determined in step S115 that the unrestricted manual driving mode is in operation (step S115: NO), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S118.

[0127] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S115 that the restricted manual driving mode is in operation (step S115: YES), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S116.

[0128] In step S116, the driving control unit 26 checks whether the current vital assessment value V is less than a preset third threshold Vth3. Here, the third threshold Vth3 is set to a value smaller than the first threshold Vth1. This third threshold Vth3 is a threshold for determining whether the driver's psychological state is sufficiently stable. That is, when the vital assessment value V is less than the third threshold Vth3, the driving control unit 26 can determine that the driver's psychological state is sufficiently stable.

[0129] Then, in step S116, if it is determined that the vital evaluation value V is equal to or greater than the third threshold Vth3 (step S116: NO), the driving control unit 26 exits the routine while maintaining the execution of the restricted manual driving mode.

[0130] On the other hand, if in step S116 it is determined that the vital assessment value V is less than the third threshold Vth3 (step S116: YES), the driving control unit 26 proceeds to step S117.

[0131] In step S117, the travel control unit 26 executes the unrestricted manual driving mode and then exits the routine. That is, the travel control unit 26 switches the driving mode from the restricted manual driving mode to the unrestricted manual driving mode and then exits the routine.

[0132] Furthermore, when the process proceeds from step S115 to step S118, the driving control unit 26 checks whether the change in the vital evaluation value V, ΔV, is greater than a preset threshold ΔVth. Here, the case where the change in the vital evaluation value V, ΔV, is greater than the threshold ΔVth is when it is anticipated that the driver's psychological state, which was stable, will transition to an unstable state.

[0133] Then, in step S118, if it is determined that the change in the vital evaluation value V ΔV is less than or equal to the threshold ΔVth (step S118: NO), the driving control unit 26 exits the routine while maintaining the execution of the unrestricted manual driving mode.

[0134] On the other hand, if in step S118 it is determined that the change in vital evaluation value V ΔV is greater than or equal to the threshold ΔVth (step S118: YES), the travel control unit 26 executes the restricted manual driving mode and then exits the routine. That is, the travel control unit 26 switches the driving mode from the unrestricted manual driving mode to the restricted manual driving mode and then exits the routine.

[0135] According to this embodiment, the driving control unit 26 permits switching from automatic driving mode to manual driving mode when it determines that the driver's psychological state is stable based on the driver's vital evaluation value V (vital information). At that time, if the driving control unit 26 determines, based on the vital evaluation value V, that the driver's psychological state was unstable before switching to manual driving mode, it executes a restricted manual driving mode in which it permits intervention by driving support control using driving control to the driver's driving operations after switching to manual driving mode. However, even if the driving control unit 26 determines that the driver's psychological state was unstable before switching to manual driving mode, if external noise that contributes to the change in the vital evaluation value V occurs, it executes an unrestricted manual driving mode in which intervention by driving control (driving support control) is prohibited.

[0136] This allows the driver's intentions to be accurately reflected in the vehicle's behavior while ensuring safety after switching from automatic driving mode to manual driving mode. In other words, external noise is generally noise that only temporarily destabilizes the driver's psychological state. In response to such noise, the driving control unit 26 executes an unrestricted manual driving mode, prohibiting intervention by driving control (driving assistance control), when switching from automatic driving mode to manual driving mode. This allows the driver's intentions to be accurately reflected in the vehicle's behavior.

[0137] In this case, even if external noise is present, the driving control unit 26 ignores external noise if it detects internal noise that contributes to changes in the vital evaluation value V. In other words, internal noise such as communication that affects the driver's emotions is generally noise that destabilizes the driver's psychological state for a relatively long period of time. When a driver is in such a psychological state, it is conceivable that the driver may perform sudden driving operations. Therefore, if internal noise that affects the driver's emotions is present, the driving control unit 26 ignores external noise and executes a limited manual driving mode that permits intervention by driving control (driving assistance control). This ensures safety even when the manual driving mode is in operation.

[0138] In the above-described embodiment, the locator calculation unit 12, forward driving environment recognition unit 21d, surrounding driving environment recognition unit 22b, driving control unit 26, steering control unit 31, brake control unit 32, and acceleration / deceleration control unit 33, etc., are composed of a well-known microcomputer equipped with a CPU, RAM, ROM, non-volatile memory, etc., and its peripheral devices. The ROM, which is a non-temporary recording medium, stores in advance programs executed by the CPU and fixed data such as data tables. Note that all or part of the functions of the processor may be composed of logic circuits or analog circuits, and the processing of various programs may be realized by electronic circuits such as FPGAs.

[0139] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and various modifications and changes are possible, all of which fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device capable of switching between an automatic driving mode that does not require driver operation and a manual driving mode that requires driver operation, comprising: a first detection means for detecting vital information of the driver; a second detection means for detecting noise that contributes to changes in the vital information; a driving control means for performing driving control according to the vehicle's driving mode; a first determination means for permitting switching from the automatic driving mode to the manual driving mode when it is determined that the driver's psychological state is stable based on the vital information; and a second determination means for permitting intervention of driving support control using the driving control for the driving operation after switching to the manual driving mode when it is determined that the driver's psychological state was unstable before switching to the manual driving mode based on the vital information, wherein the second determination means prohibits intervention of the driving support control when it is determined that the driver's psychological state was unstable before switching to the manual driving mode, but a specific noise that contributes to changes in the vital information is present.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, characterized in that the specific noise is external noise.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, characterized in that, even if external noise is occurring, if communication containing content that contributes to changes in vital information is occurring as internal noise, the second determination means ignores the external noise and permits intervention of the driver assistance control.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, characterized in that the communication is a conversation.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, characterized in that the communication is by email.

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