JP6212992B2 - Driver abnormality support device and driver abnormality support method - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a driver abnormality support device and a driver abnormality support method for assisting a driver when an abnormality occurs in the driver.

  In general, a drowsiness driving can be considered as a representative example in a case where the health of the driver is lowered. Conventionally, Patent Document 1 has been disclosed as an apparatus for preventing drowsy driving. In Patent Document 1, an alarm is issued when it is detected from a driver's face image that eyes are closed for a predetermined time or more. Prevented drowsy driving.

JP 2008-77189 A

  However, since the conventional drowsiness prevention device described above only issues an alarm when a drowsiness driving is detected, appropriate assistance should be provided if the driver cannot be revived due to a heart attack or epileptic seizure. I couldn't. That is, since the conventional drowsy driving prevention device described above cannot change the support to the driver in accordance with the degree of decrease in the driver's health, appropriate support according to the driver's health can be performed. There was a problem that it was not possible.

 Therefore, the present invention has been proposed in view of the above-described circumstances, and a driver abnormality support device and a driver abnormality support that can perform appropriate support according to the degree of decrease in the health of the driver. It aims to provide a method.

The present invention monitors the state of the driver during traveling of the host vehicle, determines the driver's health based on the monitoring result, and determines that the driver's health is reduced in the determination result. In such a case, the driver is supported according to the degree of decrease in the driver's health. If the driver's health is significantly reduced and it is determined that the driver is abnormal, the driver is asked to determine that there is no response, and then the vehicle is automatically evacuated, driving To wait for a response from the driver, to determine the start of the response by the driver, and to determine the end of the response by the driver The response end determination threshold value and the response execution time during which the response by the driver is executed are used. Thereby, this invention solves the subject mentioned above.

  According to the present invention, when it is determined that the driver's health is reduced, the driver is supported according to the degree of decrease in the driver's health. Can provide support.

It is a block diagram which shows the structure of the assistance apparatus at the time of driver | operator abnormality which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the driver | operator abnormality time assistance process by the driver abnormality time assistance apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the setting method of the driver | operator state level by the driver | operator abnormality time assistance apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the setting method of the accident possibility level by the driver | operator abnormality support apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the health recovery process according to the driver | operator state level by the driver | operator abnormal time assistance apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the method to determine the presence or absence of the response from the driver | operator by the assistance apparatus at the time of driver | operator abnormality which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the execution method of the automatic evacuation according to the accident possibility level by the driver | operator abnormality assistance device which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the method to determine the presence or absence of the response from the driver | operator by the assistance apparatus at the time of driver | operator abnormality which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the driver | operator abnormality time assistance process by the driver abnormality time assistance apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the default value of the method of determining the presence or absence of the response from the driver | operator by the driver | operator abnormality assistance device which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the setting change according to the driver | operator state level of the method which determines the presence or absence of the response from the driver | operator by the assistance apparatus at the time of driver | operator abnormality which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the setting change according to the accident possibility level of the method of determining the presence or absence of the response from the driver | operator by the assistance apparatus at the time of driver | operator abnormality which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention.

  Hereinafter, first and second embodiments to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to the drawings.

[First Embodiment]
[Configuration of a driver abnormality support device]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of a driver abnormality support device according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, a driver abnormality support device 1 according to this embodiment includes a processing unit 2 that executes a driver abnormality support process and a storage unit that stores information necessary for the driver abnormality support process. 3, an ACC (adaptive cruise control) controller 4, an LKA (lane keep assist) controller 5, and an LCA (lane change assist) controller 6.

  Here, the driver abnormality assist device 1 according to the present embodiment acquires information from various sensors and devices mounted on the vehicle to monitor the driver's state, and the driver's health is reduced. It is a device that assists the driver by performing recovery of health and automatic evacuation when the vehicle is in the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 1, the driver abnormality support device 1 is connected to various sensors and devices 31 to 49 to acquire information and signals, and outputs information and signals to the devices 51 to 60 shown in FIG. 1. To assist the driver.

  In addition, the processing unit 2 acquires a driver state monitoring unit 21 that monitors the state of the driver when the host vehicle is traveling, and information indicating the traveling state of the host vehicle, so that an accident may occur in the host vehicle. Based on the monitoring results of the accident state monitoring unit 22 to be monitored, the system state monitoring unit 23 for monitoring the operating state of the driving assist system mounted on the host vehicle, and the driver state monitoring unit 21, the health of the driver is monitored. A driver health determination unit 24, an accident possibility determination unit 25 that determines the possibility of an accident occurring in the host vehicle based on the monitoring result by the accident possibility monitoring unit 22, and a driver health determination unit 24. And a driver support unit 26 that assists the driver according to the degree of decrease in the driver's health when it is determined that the driver's health is decreased. Here, the processing unit 2 includes a general-purpose electronic circuit including a microcomputer, a microprocessor, and a CPU and peripheral devices, and operates as the above-described units by executing a specific program.

  The memory | storage part 3 is comprised with volatile memory, and stores the information acquired from the various sensors and apparatuses mounted in the vehicle.

  The ACC controller 4 outputs a drive signal to the electronic throttle control unit 58 and the brake actuator 57 in order to maintain a constant inter-vehicle distance when the front sensor 42 detects a preceding vehicle. Further, when a preceding vehicle is not detected, control is performed so as to maintain a predetermined vehicle speed.

  The LKA controller 5 outputs a drive signal to the steering actuator 59 so as to travel in the center of the lane based on the output from the lane recognition camera 43.

  When the turn signal is output, the LCA controller 6 drives the steering actuator 59 to automatically change the lane to the next lane if the rear side sensor 44 does not detect the rear side vehicle. Output a signal. The LCA operates only when the LKA is activated.

  Next, each part which comprises the process part 2 is demonstrated.

  First, the driver state monitoring unit 21 monitors the state of the driver using the output video of the driver camera 32 and information from the steering angle sensor 33. In particular, the driver's condition is monitored by extracting feature values of the driver's face and eyes from the output video of the driver camera 32. Also. Information acquired from the steering angle sensor 33 includes a steering angle, a steering angular velocity, a steering angular acceleration, a frequency component of the steering angle, a statistical index of the steering angular velocity, and the like. Is monitoring.

  The accident possibility monitoring unit 22 includes a vehicle speed sensor 37, a front sensor 42, a lane recognition camera 43, a rear side sensor 44, a clock 45, an ABS (anti-lock brake system) 46, a VSC (vehicle stability control system) 47, a car The information from the navigation system 38 and the wiper switch 48 is used to monitor the possibility of an accident occurring in the own vehicle.

  The system state monitoring unit 23 acquires and monitors the operating states of ACC, LKA, and LCA from the ACC controller 4, LKA controller 5, and LCA controller 6, respectively.

  The driver health determination unit 24 sets a driver state level indicating the degree of driver health based on the monitoring result by the driver state monitoring unit 21. At this time, the driver health determination unit 24 sets the driver state level using information output from the driver camera 32 and information from the steering angle sensor 33.

  The accident possibility determination unit 25 sets an accident possibility level indicating the possibility that an accident will occur in the host vehicle based on the monitoring result by the accident possibility monitoring unit 22. At this time, the accident possibility determination unit 25 includes at least one of the vehicle speed sensor 37, the front sensor 42, the lane recognition camera 43, the rear side sensor 44, the clock 45, the ABS 46, the VSC 47, the car navigation system 38, and the wiper switch 48. Accident probability level is set based on two outputs.

  The driver support unit 26 executes a health recovery process for recovering the driver's health when the driver health determination unit 24 determines that the driver's health is reduced. When it is determined that the driver's health is significantly reduced and the driver has an abnormality, the vehicle is automatically retracted. In particular, when it is determined that there is an abnormality in the driver, the driver is asked to determine that there is no response, and then the vehicle is automatically retracted.

  Next, various sensors and devices connected to the input side of the driver abnormality support device 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

  The storage device 31 is configured by a non-volatile memory, and stores initial values of a health deterioration determination threshold value and an abnormality determination threshold value.

  The driver camera 32 is an image pickup means for picking up a driver's image by the CCD, and from the image picked up by the driver camera 32, the presence / absence of the driver's face, the face direction, and facial feature points (the corner of the eye, the head of the eye, the nasal cavity) Center, mouth edge, etc.) and eye open / closed state are detected.

  The steering angle sensor 33 detects the steering movement of the host vehicle and outputs a steering angle. From this steering angle, a steering angular velocity, a steering angular acceleration, a frequency component of the steering angle, a statistical index of the steering angular velocity, and the like are obtained. .

  The accelerator pedal stroke sensor 34 outputs the stroke amount of the accelerator pedal.

  The brake pedal stroke sensor 35 outputs the stroke amount of the brake pedal.

  The turn signal switch 36 outputs a turn signal state.

  The vehicle speed sensor 37 calculates and outputs the vehicle speed from the wheel speed sensor.

  The car navigation system 38 outputs the operation state of the system and the current position of the host vehicle.

  The car audio 39 outputs the operation state of the car audio.

  The air conditioner 40 outputs the operation state of the air conditioner.

  The voice command device 41 obtains the driver's voice, performs frequency analysis, and outputs text.

  The front sensor 42 outputs an inter-vehicle distance and a relative speed with respect to the preceding vehicle, and this output value is used for ACC control.

  The lane recognition camera 43 images the white line drawn on the road and outputs the distance from the left and right lanes to the camera position. The output value is used for LKA control.

  The rear side sensor 44 images the rear side of the host vehicle and outputs the presence / absence of a vehicle traveling on the rear side of the host vehicle. This output value is used for LCA control.

  The clock 45 outputs the current time.

  The ABS 46 outputs the operating state of the ABS.

  The VSC 47 outputs the operating state of the VSC.

  The wiper switch 48 outputs the operating state of the wiper.

  The automatic save release switch 49 outputs ON / OFF of the switch.

  Next, each device connected to the output side of the driver abnormality support device 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

  The display device 51 displays a message for restoring health and a message for prompting the driver to respond.

  The speaker 52 outputs a message for restoring the health and a message for prompting the driver to respond by voice.

  The seat belt hoisting device 53 is a device for hoisting the seat belt by an electric motor, and is used for assisting when the seat belt is pulled out, winding up the slack after the seat belt is tightened, restraining the driver at the time of collision, and the like. is there. In this embodiment, when it is determined that the driver's health is lowered, the seat belt is used to roll up the seat belt as one of the health recovery procedures.

  The seat moving device 54 is a device for adjusting the seat position by an electric motor, and in this embodiment, when it is determined that the health of the driver has been lowered, Used to shake the body by moving the seat up and down.

  The steering vibration device 55 has a vibrator embedded in a spoke of the steering wheel. In this embodiment, the steering vibration device 55 is used to apply vibration to a driver's hand holding the steering wheel as one of the health recovery measures.

  The seat vibration device 56 has a vibrator embedded in the seating surface of the seat, and in this embodiment, the seat vibration device 56 is used to apply vibration to the driver's buttocks seated as one of the health recovery procedures.

  The brake actuator 57 is used for automatically applying a brake when executing automatic retraction. Moreover, when it determines with the driver | operator's health falling, it is used also when applying an intermittent weak brake (warning brake) as one of the health recovery procedures. Furthermore, it is used for the control for maintaining the distance between vehicles and maintaining the vehicle speed when the ACC is activated.

  The electronic throttle control unit 58 is used for accelerator control for maintaining the distance between the preceding vehicle and the vehicle speed when there is no preceding vehicle when the ACC is activated.

  The steering actuator 59 is used for maintaining the lane when the LKA is activated and for changing the lane when the LCA is activated.

  The automatic parking brake device 60 is a device that winds up the parking brake with an electric motor in order to maintain the stop state of the vehicle. In this embodiment, it is used at the end of automatic saving.

[Procedures for assistance processing in case of driver abnormality]
Next, a procedure for driver abnormality support processing by the driver abnormality support device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, when the ignition switch of the host vehicle is turned on, a driver abnormality support process according to the present embodiment is started. As shown in FIG. 2, the processing unit 2 stores various determination values in step S101. Are stored in the storage unit 3. The determination value read here includes, for example, an initial value (for example, level 3) of the driver's health deterioration determination threshold, an initial value (for example, level 6) of the driver's abnormality determination threshold, and the like.

  Next, in step S102, the driver state monitoring unit 21 acquires information from various sensors and devices to monitor the driver state. Here, information used to calculate the driver state level such as the face direction of the driver camera 32, the eye closed state, the steering state of the steering by the steering angle sensor 33, and the like is acquired.

  Next, in step S103, the accident possibility monitoring unit 22 acquires information from various sensors and devices and monitors the possibility of the accident. Here, the information output from the vehicle speed sensor 37, the front sensor 42, the lane recognition camera 43, the rear side sensor 44, the clock 45, the ABS 46, the VSC 47, the car navigation system 38, and the wiper switch 48 is used to calculate the accident possibility level. Acquired as information to be used.

  Next, in step S104, the system state monitoring unit 23 monitors the state of the driving assist system. Here, information about the operating states of ACC, LKA, and LCA is acquired from ACC controller 4, LKA controller 5, and LCA controller 6.

  When each monitoring unit acquires various types of information in this way, in step S105, the driver health determination unit 24 determines the driver's health based on the monitoring result by the driver state monitoring unit 21, and sets the driver state level. Set. As shown in FIG. 3, the driver state level setting method sets points for each determination item, and assigns points based on the information indicating the driver state acquired in step S102 for these determination items. The total value of the judgment items is set as the driver state level. In FIG. 3, determination items include presence / absence of detection of the driver's face, driver's face orientation, driver's eye opening rate, 3σ of steering angular velocity distribution, and 50% ile value of frequency distribution of non-steering duration. Is set. In these determination items, 0 points are set when the driver's health is high, and 1 to 2 points are added as the health becomes low. Thereby, in FIG. 3, the value of 0-10 points | pieces will be set as a driver | operator state level, and a score will become high as healthiness falls. In addition to the determination items shown in FIG. 3, a steering angle, a steering angular velocity, a steering angular acceleration, a frequency component of the steering angle, a statistical index of the steering angular velocity, and the like may be used.

  Next, in step S106, the accident possibility determination unit 25 determines the possibility that an accident will occur in the host vehicle based on the monitoring result by the accident possibility monitoring unit 22, and sets the accident possibility level. As shown in FIG. 4, the accident possibility level setting method sets points for each determination item, and assigns points based on the information indicating the possibility of accidents acquired in step S103 for these determination items. The total value of the judgment items is set as the accident possibility level. In FIG. 4, the determination items include vehicle speed, presence / absence of a preceding vehicle, lane shape, presence / absence of a rear side vehicle, time zone, presence / absence of ABS operation within the past 10 minutes, presence / absence of VSC operation within the past 10 minutes, own vehicle position The operating state of the wiper is set. These determination items are set so that 0 points are added when the possibility of an accident is low, and 1 to 2 points are added as the possibility of an accident increases. Accordingly, in FIG. 4, a value of 0 to 14 points is set as the accident possibility level, and the score increases as the possibility of an accident increases.

  Next, in step S107, the driver health determination unit 24 determines whether or not the driver's health is significantly reduced. In this abnormality determination, the driver's abnormality is determined based on whether or not the driver state level set in step S105 is 6 or more of the abnormality determination threshold. As a result, if the driver state level is less than the abnormality determination threshold of 6, the driver determines that the abnormality is not abnormal and proceeds to step S108. If the driver state level is 6 or more of the abnormality determination threshold, the driver is abnormal. It determines with there existing and it progresses to step S111.

  First, when it is determined that the driver state level is less than the abnormality determination threshold and the driver is not abnormal, the process proceeds to step S108, and the driver health determination unit 24 determines a decrease in the driver's health. In this decrease determination of health, the decrease in the driver's health is determined based on whether or not the driver state level is 3 or more of the health decrease determination threshold. As a result, when the driver state level is less than 3 of the health deterioration determination threshold, it is determined that the driver's health is not decreased, and the process returns to step S102, and is 3 or more of the health deterioration determination threshold. In this case, it is determined that the driver's health is lowered, and the process proceeds to step S109.

  In step S109, the driver support unit 26 sets the health recovery procedure according to the driver state level. The health recovery treatment is a treatment that gives stimulation to the driver's five senses, and is set for each of the driver state levels 3 to 5 as shown in FIG. You may choose according to it.

  FIG. 5 shows a case where the display device 51, the speaker 52, the seat belt hoisting device 53, the seat moving device 54, the steering vibration device 55, the seat vibration device 56, and an alarm brake are used as the health recovery procedure. In either case, the driver is set to give a stronger stimulus as the driver state level increases. In addition, the number of devices used for restoration of health may be changed according to the driver state level separately from the health restoration treatment shown in FIG.

  When the health recovery procedure is set, next, in step S110, the driver support unit 26 executes the set health recovery procedure and returns to step S102.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S107 that the driver state level exceeds the abnormality determination threshold value and the driver is abnormal, the process proceeds to step S111, and the driver support unit 26 notifies the driver of an abnormality regarding the abnormality. To do. Specifically, a warning message such as “A suspicion of continued driving has been detected” is output from the display device 51 and the speaker 52.

  Next, in step S112, the driver support unit 26 sets a method for inquiring the driver. Here, the number of executions for inquiring the driver according to the driver state level is set to 3 times when the driver state level is 6 and 2 times when the driver state level is 7 or more. The reason why the number of executions of questions is reduced as the driver state level is higher in this way is that if the driver state level is high and the driver's condition is more problematic, the number of executions of questions is reduced as soon as possible. This is because it is better to execute automatic saving later.

  When the method for inquiring the driver is set, in step S113, the driver support unit 26 makes an inquiry to the driver using the set inquiring method. Here, a warning message such as “automatic evacuation starts. Automatic evacuation can be canceled by operating some device” is output from the display device 51 and the speaker 52 for the set number of executions.

  Next, in step S114, the driver support unit 26 determines whether or not the driver has responded within a predetermined time (in this embodiment, within 10 seconds). The predetermined time may be variably set according to the driver state level. In this embodiment, it is set to 5 seconds if the driver state level is 9 or more, and 8 seconds if it is 7 or more. This is because it is considered that the higher the driver state level, the lower the possibility of responding. As shown in FIG. 6, a determination threshold value is set for each device and detection value, and a determination is made based on whether or not a determination threshold value is exceeded in any item. In FIG. 6, determination thresholds are set for the automatic retraction cancel switch 49, accelerator stroke, brake stroke, steering angle, turn signal, air conditioner 40 setting, car navigation system 38, car audio 39, voice command device 41, and wiper, respectively. Yes. If any of the items exceeds the determination threshold, it is determined that there is a response from the driver, and the process returns to step S102. If any item does not exceed the determination threshold, it is determined that there is no response from the driver, and the process proceeds to step S115.

  Next, in step S115, the driver support unit 26 sets an execution method of automatic evacuation according to the accident possibility level. Here, as shown in FIG. 7, since the strength of the brake control is set according to the accident possibility level, the strength of the brake control is set as a method for executing the automatic evacuation.

  In step S116, the driver support unit 26 executes automatic retraction with the strength of the brake control set in step S115. At this time, the driver support unit 26 performs automatic braking by performing brake control and steering control while turning on the hazard lamp 61 and sounding the intermittent horn 62 in order to notify the outside of the host vehicle of automatic withdrawal. If either ACC or LKA is not in the activated state according to the monitoring result of the system state monitoring unit 23, the brake control is executed so that the vehicle does not come into contact with the preceding vehicle in the lane after the activated state. Stop your vehicle. In addition, if the LCA is not in the activated state, confirm that the vehicle on the rear side has not been detected, change the lane by steering control towards the road shoulder, and then enter the road shoulder before braking. Control may be performed.

  Next, in step S117, the driver support unit 26 determines whether or not to cancel the automatic evacuation. The determination method for canceling the automatic evacuation is performed in the same manner as the method for determining the presence or absence of the driver's response shown in FIG. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, determination thresholds are set for the respective devices and detection values, and the release of automatic evacuation is determined depending on whether or not any of the items exceeds the determination threshold. In FIG. 6, determination thresholds are set for the automatic retraction cancel switch 49, accelerator stroke, brake stroke, steering angle, turn signal, air conditioner 40 setting, car navigation system 38, car audio 39, voice command device 41, and wiper, respectively. Yes. If any item exceeds the determination threshold, the automatic saving is canceled and the process returns to step S102. If any item does not exceed the determination threshold, the automatic saving is continued and the process proceeds to step S118.

  Next, in step S118, the driver assistance unit 26 determines whether or not the vehicle speed is 0 km / h and determines whether or not the automatic evacuation is finished. Here, if the vehicle speed is not 0 km / h, the process returns to step S116 to continue automatic retreat, and if the vehicle speed is 0 km / h, the automatic parking brake device 60 is operated. The automatic evacuation is finished after holding the stop state of the host vehicle. The automatic evacuation is set in advance for a predetermined time (for example, 10 seconds), and is controlled so that the automatic evacuation is completed within the predetermined time.

  When the automatic evacuation is finished in this way, the driver abnormality support processing according to the present embodiment is finished.

[Effect of the first embodiment]
As described above in detail, according to the driver abnormality support device according to the present embodiment, when it is determined that the driver's health is reduced, the driver's health is reduced according to the degree of decrease. Since the driver is supported, appropriate support according to the health of the driver can be performed.

  In addition, in the driver abnormality support device according to the present embodiment, the health recovery process is performed to recover the driver's health when it is determined that the driver's health is reduced. Further, when it is determined that the driver's health is significantly reduced and the driver has an abnormality, the vehicle is automatically retracted. Thereby, appropriate assistance can be performed according to the health of the driver.

  Further, according to the driver abnormality support device according to the present embodiment, since the driver state level indicating the degree of the driver's health is set, the health of the driver can be expressed by expressing the driver's health numerically. Judgment can be made easily.

  In the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, when it is determined that the driver's health is significantly reduced and the driver has an abnormality, the driver is asked to determine that there is no response. Execute automatic evacuation of the vehicle from As a result, it is possible to execute automatic evacuation after confirming that the driver's state is such that it cannot be revived.

  According to the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, the time required to make an inquiry and determine that there is no response is variable according to the driver state level, and therefore appropriate according to the health of the driver. Can ask questions.

  According to the driver abnormality support device according to the present embodiment, the inquiry is performed using at least one of the display device and the speaker, so that the inquiry can be reliably transmitted to the driver.

  According to the driver abnormality support device according to the present embodiment, since the method for performing the inquiry is set according to the driver state level, it is possible to make an appropriate inquiry according to the health of the driver.

  According to the driver abnormality support device according to the present embodiment, when the driver operates the device installed in the host vehicle, it is determined that there is a response from the driver and the automatic evacuation is canceled. The automatic evacuation can be canceled promptly when the system is restored.

  In the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, the automatic evacuation is canceled when the driver operates at least one of devices such as an automatic evacuation release switch, an accelerator, a brake, a steering, and a turn signal switch. Thereby, when a driver | operator revives, automatic evacuation can be cancelled | released easily.

  According to the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, the automatic evacuation of the host vehicle is completed within a predetermined time, and therefore the host vehicle can be quickly moved to a safe place.

  According to the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, the automatic evacuation is executed using the brake control and the steering control of the host vehicle, and therefore, the host vehicle can be moved to a safe place and reliably stopped. .

  According to the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, the brake control and the steering control are executed according to the monitoring result of the system state monitoring unit, so that the host vehicle can be moved more safely using the driving assist system. Can be stopped.

  The driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment includes at least one of an adaptive cruise control system, a lane keep assist system, and a lane change assist system as a driving assist system. Thereby, the own vehicle can be moved and stopped more safely using these driving assist systems.

  According to the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, since the automatic evacuation is notified to the outside of the own vehicle when the automatic evacuation is being executed, the own vehicle is notified to pedestrians and other vehicles around the own vehicle. The situation can be informed and the surrounding safety can be secured.

  According to the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, since the automatic evacuation is notified to the outside of the own vehicle by operating the hazard lamp and the horn, the own vehicle is notified to pedestrians and other vehicles around the own vehicle. You can be sure of the situation.

  According to the driver abnormality support device according to the present embodiment, the automatic evacuation is terminated after the host vehicle is stopped. Therefore, the automatic evacuation can be terminated while the host vehicle is stopped and safety is ensured.

  According to the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, the automatic parking brake device is operated after the host vehicle is stopped, and then the automatic evacuation is terminated. Therefore, the stop state of the host vehicle can be maintained.

  According to the driver abnormality assisting device according to the present embodiment, the health recovery process is set according to the driver state level, and therefore an appropriate health recovery process can be performed according to the driver's health. .

  According to the driver abnormality support device according to the present embodiment, the health recovery process is a process that stimulates the five senses of the driver, and thus the driver's health can be reliably recovered.

  In the driver abnormality support device according to the present embodiment, at least one of a display device, a speaker, a seat belt hoisting device, a seat moving device, a steering vibration device, a seat vibration device, and an alarm brake is operated to operate the driver's Stimulate the senses. Thereby, a driver | operator can be easily given a stimulus using the existing apparatus.

  According to the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, the automatic evacuation execution method is set according to the possibility of an accident occurring in the own vehicle, and therefore appropriate automatic evacuation is performed according to the situation of the own vehicle. be able to.

  In the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, an accident possibility level indicating the possibility of an accident occurring in the host vehicle is set, and an automatic evacuation execution method is set according to the accident possibility level. As a result, the possibility that an accident will occur in the host vehicle can be easily digitized and easily recognized, and appropriate automatic evacuation according to the situation of the host vehicle can be performed.

  In the driver abnormality assistance device according to the present embodiment, there is a possibility of an accident based on the output of at least one of a vehicle speed sensor, a front sensor, a lane recognition camera, a rear side sensor, a clock, an antilock brake system, and the like. Set the level. Thereby, the appropriate accident possibility level according to the situation of the own vehicle can be set.

  According to the driver abnormality support device according to the present embodiment, the driver's state is monitored using the output video of the driver camera that images the driver of the host vehicle, so the driver's state is acquired in detail. Can be monitored.

  According to the driver abnormality support device according to the present embodiment, the driver's health is noticeable because the driver's face and eye feature amounts are extracted from the output video of the driver camera to monitor the driver's state. Can be obtained and monitored.

  According to the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, since the driver's state is monitored using information from the steering angle sensor, the driver's situation is reliably monitored according to the driver's operation state. be able to.

  In the driver abnormality assist device according to this embodiment, at least one of the steering angle, the steering angular velocity, the steering angular acceleration, the frequency component of the steering angle, and the statistical index of the steering angular velocity is used as information from the steering angle sensor. Monitor driver status. Accordingly, the driver's situation can be reliably monitored according to the driver's operation state.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a driver abnormality assist device according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, in the present embodiment, only the processing of the driver support unit 26 is different, and the configuration of the driver abnormality support device is the same as that of the first embodiment, and thus detailed description thereof is omitted.

  In the present embodiment, the method for asking the driver and determining the presence or absence of a response is different from the first embodiment.

  The driver support unit 26 of the present embodiment uses a response waiting time, a response start determination threshold, a response end determination threshold, and a response execution time in order to ask the driver and determine that there is no response. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, when an inquiry is made to the driver, a response exceeding the response start determination threshold S within the response waiting time t, for example, input of the accelerator opening, the brake stroke amount, the steering angle, etc. It is determined that the response starts when there is a response from the person. Then, when the response from the driver falls below the response end determination threshold F within the response execution time T from the start of the response, it is determined that there is a response from the driver. Otherwise, it is determined that there is no response from the driver.

  In the first embodiment, if there is any response from the driver within a predetermined time, it is determined that the driver has indicated an intention to refuse automatic evacuation, and automatic evacuation is cancelled. However, in such a determination method, even when the driver loses consciousness and the posture is lost, it may be determined that there is a response from the driver and automatic evacuation may be canceled.

  Therefore, the driver support unit 26 according to the present embodiment makes the determination as described above so that the response to the inquiry can accurately determine whether the driver's posture is broken or the intention to refuse automatic evacuation is rejected. This method is used to determine whether there is a response from the driver.

[Procedures for assistance processing in case of driver abnormality]
Next, the procedure of driver abnormality support processing by the driver abnormality support device according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. However, since the process of step S201-S213 is the same process as step S101-S113 of the driver | operator abnormality time assistance process of 1st Embodiment shown in FIG. 2, detailed description is abbreviate | omitted.

  When the processing from step S201 to step S213 is executed and an inquiry is made to the driver in step S213, the process proceeds to step S214. In step S214, the driver support unit 26 reads a default value of each value set to determine whether or not there is a response to the inquiry.

  In this embodiment, in order to determine whether or not there is a response to the question, the response waiting time, the response start determination threshold, the response end determination threshold, and the response execution time are set as described with reference to FIG. Further, as the response from the driver, the accelerator opening, the brake stroke amount, and the steering angle are used in the present embodiment.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 10, default values of the accelerator opening, the brake stroke amount, and the steering angle are set for the response waiting time, the response start determination threshold, the response end determination threshold, and the response execution time, respectively. The driver support unit 26 reads these default values. However, as a response from the driver, any one or two of the accelerator opening, the brake stroke amount, and the steering angle may be used, or other than these may be used.

  Next, in step S215, the driver support unit 26 changes the response waiting time, the response start determination threshold, the response end determination threshold, and the response execution time according to the driver state level. As shown in FIG. 11, the response waiting time, the response start determination threshold, the response end determination threshold, and the response execution time are set variably for each of the accelerator opening, the brake stroke amount, and the steering angle. For example, in FIG. 11 (a), the change amount when the response is the accelerator opening is set, and when the driver state level is 6, 7 to 8, and 9 or more cases are respectively set. Yes. Therefore, when the driver state level is 9, the change amount of the response waiting time at the accelerator opening is “−1 second” with reference to FIG. Therefore, since the default value of the response waiting time at the accelerator opening is “4 seconds” as shown in FIG. 10, the response waiting time after the change is 4-1 = 3 seconds. Similarly, since the change amounts for the brake stroke amount and the steering angle are respectively set in FIGS. 11B and 11C, the default values shown in FIG. 10 are changed according to the driver state level. . The driver state level can take a value from 0 to 10, but when the driver state level is 6 or more, the driver is asked. Therefore, the case where the driver state level is less than 6 is considered. do not have to.

  In FIG. 11, the response waiting time is set to be shorter as the driver state level is higher. This is because if the driver's condition level is high, the driver is less likely to respond even if waiting for a long time, and it is more effective to set a short response waiting time to prevent the accident from spreading. is there.

  Furthermore, in FIG. 11, the response start determination threshold value is set to be lower as the driver state level is higher. This is because when the driver state level is high, the driver is less likely to actively drive, so the response start determination threshold value is lowered corresponding to the driver's state.

  In FIG. 11, the response end determination threshold is set to be higher as the driver state level is higher. This is because there is no possibility of returning to the original operation position when there is an abnormality in the driver and the posture has collapsed, so there is no misjudgment even if the response end determination threshold is set high. is there. On the other hand, if the driver is normal, it is possible to easily determine the intention to refuse automatic evacuation by the driver.

  Further, in FIG. 11, the response execution time is set to be shorter as the driver state level becomes higher. This is because when the driver state level is high, the possibility of completing the response is low even if waiting for a long time, so the response execution time is set short so that the presence or absence of the response can be determined early. .

  Next, in step S216, the driver support unit 26 changes the response waiting time, the response start determination threshold, the response end determination threshold, and the response execution time according to the accident possibility level. These set values are variably set according to the accident possibility level. For example, as shown in FIG. 12, the response waiting time, the response start determination threshold, the response end determination threshold, and the change amount of the response execution time are set for each of the accelerator opening, the brake stroke amount, and the steering angle. Accordingly, the driver support unit 26 changes each set value with reference to the change amount of FIG.

  In FIG. 12, the response waiting time is set to be shorter as the accident possibility level becomes higher. This is because, in a situation where the accident possibility level is high, if the driver is normal, he / she should be actively operating in order to avoid the accident. The presence or absence can be determined.

  In FIG. 12, the response start determination threshold is set to increase as the accident possibility level increases. This is because in a situation where the accident possibility level is high, if the driver is normal, he / she should be actively operating to avoid the accident. This is because the start can be determined. On the other hand, since it is necessary to prevent the automatic evacuation from being canceled accidentally when the driver is out of posture, the response start determination threshold is set to increase as the accident possibility level increases. Can improve safety.

  Further, in FIG. 12, the response end determination threshold is set to be lower as the accident possibility level is higher. This is because in a situation where the accident possibility level is high, if the driver is normal, he / she should be actively operating to avoid the accident, and even if the response end judgment threshold is lowered, the response end is easy This is because it can be determined. On the other hand, since it is necessary to prevent the automatic evacuation from being canceled accidentally when the driver is out of position, the response end determination threshold is set lower as the accident possibility level increases. Can improve safety.

  In FIG. 12, the response execution time is set to be shorter as the accident possibility level becomes higher. This is because in a situation where the accident possibility level is high, if the driver is normal, he / she should be actively operating to avoid the accident, so there is no need to lengthen the response execution time, but to shorten it quickly. The presence or absence of a response can be determined. On the other hand, when the posture of the driver is broken, if the response execution time is lengthened, the possibility that the accident will increase is increased. Therefore, the safety can be improved by setting the response time short.

  Next, in step S217, the driver support unit 26 determines whether the driver has responded to the question. The driver support unit 26 determines the presence or absence of a response using the response waiting time, the response start determination threshold value, the response end determination threshold value, and the response execution time set in the processes of steps S214 to S216 described above. That is, as shown in FIG. 8, when an inquiry is made to the driver, a response exceeding the response start determination threshold S within the response waiting time t, for example, input of the accelerator opening, the brake stroke amount, the steering angle, etc. It is determined that the response starts when there is a response from the person. When the response from the driver falls below the response end determination threshold F within the response execution time T from the start of the response, it is determined that there is a response from the driver, and the process returns to step S202. In other cases, it is determined that there is no response from the driver, and the process proceeds to step S218.

  Hereinafter, the processing from step S218 to S221 is executed, and the driver abnormality support processing according to the present embodiment is completed, but these processing are the driver abnormality support processing of the first embodiment shown in FIG. Since the process is the same as steps S115 to S118, detailed description thereof is omitted.

[Effects of Second Embodiment]
As described in detail above, in the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, in order to determine that there is no response by asking the driver, a response waiting time, a response start determination threshold, and a response end determination threshold And response execution time. As a result, it is possible to accurately determine whether the response to the question is a collapse of the driver's posture or an intention display that refuses automatic evacuation.

  In the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, it is determined that the response is started when the driver gives a response exceeding the response start determination threshold within the response waiting time. Then, when the response from the driver falls below the response end determination threshold within the response execution time from the response start, it is determined that there is a response from the driver. As a result, it is possible to accurately determine whether the response to the question is a collapse of the driver's posture or an intention display that refuses automatic evacuation.

  In the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, at least one of the accelerator opening, the brake stroke amount, and the steering angle is used as the driver's response to the inquiry. This makes it possible to reliably grasp the response from the driver to the question.

  In the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, at least one of the response waiting time, the response start determination threshold, the response end determination threshold, and the response execution time is variable according to the driver state level. Thereby, it can set to an appropriate value according to a driver's health.

  In the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, the response waiting time is shortened as the driver state level increases. As a result, when the driver state level is high and the driver is unlikely to respond, it is possible to promptly determine whether or not there is a response from the driver, and to effectively prevent the spread of accidents. .

  In the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, the response start determination threshold is lowered as the driver state level increases. Thereby, even when the driver state level is high and the possibility that the driver actively drives is low, the response start determination threshold value can be set corresponding to the driver state.

  In the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, the response end determination threshold is increased as the driver state level increases, so that an intention to refuse automatic evacuation by the driver when the driver is normal is displayed. It can be easily determined.

  In the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, the response execution time is shortened as the driver state level increases. Thereby, when the driver state level is high and it is unlikely that the response will be completed over a long period of time, the presence or absence of the response can be determined early.

  In the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, at least one of the response waiting time, the response start determination threshold, the response end determination threshold, and the response execution time is variable according to the accident possibility level. Thereby, it can set to an appropriate value according to the possibility that an accident will occur in the host vehicle.

  In the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, the response waiting time is shortened as the accident possibility level increases. Accordingly, if the driver is normal, the operation should be positively performed in order to avoid an accident, so it is possible to quickly determine whether or not the driver has responded.

  In the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, the response start determination threshold is increased as the accident possibility level increases. Thus, it is possible to reliably prevent the automatic evacuation from being canceled accidentally when the driver is out of posture.

  In the driver assistance device according to the present embodiment, the response end determination threshold is lowered as the accident possibility level increases. Thus, it is possible to reliably prevent the automatic evacuation from being canceled accidentally when the driver is out of posture.

  In the driver abnormality assist device according to the present embodiment, the response execution time is shortened as the accident possibility level increases. As a result, if the driver is normal, the operation should be positively performed to avoid an accident, and therefore it is possible to quickly determine whether there is a response.

  The above-described embodiment is an example of the present invention. For this reason, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and even if it is a form other than this embodiment, as long as it does not depart from the technical idea of the present invention, it depends on the design and the like. Of course, various modifications are possible.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Driver | operator abnormality support device 2 Processing part 3 Memory | storage part 4 ACC (adaptive cruise control) controller 5 LKA (lane keep assist) controller 6 LCA (lane change assist) controller 21 Driver state monitoring part 22 Accident possibility monitoring part 23 System state monitoring unit 24 Driver health determination unit 25 Accident possibility determination unit 26 Driver support unit

Claims (40)

A driver state monitoring unit that monitors the state of the driver when the host vehicle is traveling;
A driver health determination unit that determines the health of the driver based on a monitoring result by the driver state monitoring unit;
A driver support unit that assists the driver in accordance with the degree of decrease in the driver's health when the driver's health determination unit determines that the driver's health is decreased; ,
The driver support unit determines that there is no response by asking the driver when the driver's health determination unit determines that the driver's health is significantly reduced and the driver has an abnormality. And then automatically evacuate the vehicle,
In order to make an inquiry to the driver and determine that there is no response, a response waiting time waiting for a response from the driver, a response start determination threshold for determining the start of the response by the driver, and the end of the response by the driver A driver abnormality support device using a response end determination threshold value to be determined and a response execution time during which a response by the driver is executed.   The driver support unit performs a health recovery process for recovering the driver's health when the driver health determination unit determines that the driver's health is reduced. The assistance apparatus at the time of driver abnormality according to claim 1.   The driver according to claim 2, wherein the driver health determination unit sets a driver state level indicating a degree of driver health based on a monitoring result by the driver state monitoring unit. An emergency support device.   The said driver assistance part makes variable time according to the said driver | operator state level until it makes the said inquiry and determines that there is no response, The driver | operator abnormality time assistance apparatus of Claim 3 characterized by the above-mentioned. .   The driver assistance unit according to claim 3 or 4, wherein the driver support unit makes the inquiry using at least one of a display device and a speaker.   The driver assistance unit according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the driver support unit sets an execution method of the inquiry according to the driver state level.   The driver support unit determines that there is a response from the driver when the driver operates a device installed in the host vehicle, and cancels the automatic evacuation. The driver abnormality support device according to any one of the preceding claims.   The device installed in the vehicle is at least one of an automatic evacuation release switch, an accelerator, a brake, a steering, a turn signal switch, an air conditioner, a car navigation system, a car audio, a voice command, and a wiper switch. The driver abnormality support device according to claim 7, wherein the driver is abnormal.   The driver support unit determines that the response starts when a response exceeding the response start determination threshold is received from the driver within the response waiting time, and the response from the driver within the response execution time from the response start. The driver abnormality support device according to any one of claims 3 to 8, wherein when the vehicle speed falls below the response end determination threshold, it is determined that there is a response from the driver.   The said driver | operator assistance part uses at least 1 of an accelerator opening degree, a brake stroke amount, and a steering angle as a driver | operator's response with respect to an inquiry, The any one of Claims 3-9 characterized by the above-mentioned. Support device for driver abnormalities.   The driver support unit makes at least one of the response waiting time, the response start determination threshold, the response end determination threshold, and the response execution time variable according to the driver state level. The driver abnormality support device according to any one of claims 3 to 10.   The driver assistance unit according to claim 11, wherein the driver support unit shortens the response waiting time as the driver state level increases.   The driver assistance unit according to claim 11 or 12, wherein the driver support unit lowers the response start determination threshold as the driver state level increases.   The driver assistance unit according to any one of claims 11 to 13, wherein the driver support unit increases the response end determination threshold as the driver state level increases.   The driver assistance unit according to any one of claims 11 to 14, wherein the driver support unit shortens the response execution time as the driver state level increases.   The driver assistance unit according to any one of claims 3 to 15, wherein the driver support unit ends the automatic evacuation within a predetermined time.   The driver assistance unit according to any one of claims 3 to 16, wherein the driver support unit performs the automatic retraction using brake control and steering control of the host vehicle.   The system further includes a system state monitoring unit that monitors an operation state of a driving assist system mounted on the host vehicle, and the driver support unit executes the brake control and the steering control according to a monitoring result of the system state monitoring unit. 18. The driver abnormality assist device according to claim 17, wherein the driver is abnormal.   The apparatus according to claim 18, wherein the driving assist system is at least one of an adaptive cruise control system, a lane keep assist system, and a lane change assist system.   The driver assistance unit according to any one of claims 3 to 19, wherein the driver assistance unit notifies the automatic evacuation to the outside of the host vehicle when the automatic evacuation is being executed. apparatus.   21. The driver abnormality support device according to claim 20, wherein the driver support unit notifies the automatic evacuation to the outside of the host vehicle by operating a hazard lamp and a horn.   The driver assistance unit according to any one of claims 3 to 21, wherein the driver assistance unit terminates the automatic evacuation after the host vehicle stops.   The driver assistance unit according to claim 22, wherein the driver assistance unit terminates the automatic evacuation after activating an automatic parking brake device after the host vehicle is stopped.   The driver assistance unit according to any one of claims 3 to 23, wherein the driver support unit sets the health recovery procedure according to the driver state level.   The driver's abnormality support device according to any one of claims 2 to 24, wherein the health recovery process is a process for stimulating the five senses of the driver.   The driver support unit activates at least one of a display device, a speaker, a seat belt hoisting device, a seat moving device, a steering vibration device, a seat vibration device, and an alarm brake to give a stimulus to the driver's five senses. The driver's abnormality support device according to claim 25, wherein a treatment is executed. A driver state monitoring unit that monitors the state of the driver when the host vehicle is traveling;
A driver health determination unit that determines the health of the driver based on a monitoring result by the driver state monitoring unit;
When it is determined that the driver's health is reduced by the driver health determination unit, a driver support unit that supports the driver according to the degree of decrease in the driver's health,
An accident possibility monitoring unit that obtains information indicating the running state of the host vehicle and monitors the possibility of an accident occurring in the host vehicle;
An accident possibility determination unit that determines the possibility of an accident occurring in the host vehicle based on the monitoring result by the accident possibility monitoring unit;
The accident possibility determination unit sets an accident possibility level indicating the possibility of an accident occurring in the host vehicle based on the monitoring result by the accident possibility monitoring unit,
The driver support unit determines that there is no response by asking the driver when the driver's health determination unit determines that the driver's health is significantly reduced and the driver has an abnormality. Then, the automatic evacuation of the own vehicle is executed, and the execution method of the automatic evacuation is set according to the accident possibility level,
In order to make an inquiry to the driver and determine that there is no response, a response waiting time waiting for a response from the driver, a response start determination threshold for determining the start of the response by the driver, and the end of the response by the driver A driver abnormality characterized by using a response end determination threshold value to be determined and a response execution time during which a response by the driver is executed, and making at least one of these variable according to the accident possibility level Time support device.   The accident possibility determination unit outputs at least one of a vehicle speed sensor, a front sensor, a lane recognition camera, a rear side sensor, a clock, an antilock brake system, a vehicle stability control system, a car navigation system, and a wiper switch. 28. The apparatus according to claim 27, wherein the accident possibility level is set based on the abnormality level.   The driver assistance unit according to claim 27 or 28, wherein the driver assistance unit shortens the response waiting time as the accident possibility level increases.   30. The driver abnormality support device according to claim 27, wherein the driver support unit increases the response start determination threshold value as the accident possibility level increases.   The driver assistance unit according to any one of claims 27 to 30, wherein the driver support unit lowers the response end determination threshold value as the accident possibility level increases.   The driver assistance unit according to any one of claims 27 to 31, wherein the driver support unit shortens the response execution time as the accident possibility level increases.   The driver support unit performs a health recovery process for recovering the driver's health when the driver health determination unit determines that the driver's health is reduced. 33. The driver abnormality assist device according to any one of claims 27 to 32.   The driver according to claim 33, wherein the driver health determination unit sets a driver state level indicating a degree of driver health based on a monitoring result of the driver state monitoring unit. An emergency support device. The driver assistance unit according to claim 34 , wherein the driver support unit makes the time required to make the inquiry and determine that there is no response according to the driver state level. . 36. The driving according to any one of claims 1 to 35 , wherein the driver state monitoring unit monitors a driver's state using an output image of an imaging unit that images the driver of the host vehicle. Support system for people with abnormalities. The driver state monitoring unit according to claim 36 , wherein the driver state monitoring unit extracts a feature amount of a driver's face and eyes from an output image of the imaging unit and monitors the state of the driver. Support device. The said driver | operator state monitoring part monitors a driver | operator's state using the information from the sensor which detects the motion of the steering of the own vehicle, The driving | operation of any one of Claims 1 to 37 characterized by the above-mentioned. Support system for people with abnormalities. The driver state monitoring unit includes at least one of a steering angle, a steering angular velocity, a steering angular acceleration, a frequency component of the steering angular, and a statistical index of the steering angular velocity as information from a sensor that detects a steering movement of the host vehicle. The driver's abnormality support device according to claim 38 , wherein the driver's condition is monitored using the driver. A driver abnormality support method in a driver abnormality support device that supports the driver when an abnormality occurs in the driver of the own vehicle,
The driver state monitoring unit of the driver abnormality support device monitors the state of the driver when the host vehicle is running,
The driver health determination unit of the driver abnormality support device determines the driver's health based on the monitoring result of the driver state monitoring unit,
When the driver support unit of the driver abnormality support device determines that the driver's health is reduced in the determination result of the driver health determination unit, the driver's health is reduced. Assist the driver according to the degree,
The driver support unit determines that there is no response by asking the driver when the driver's health determination unit determines that the driver's health is significantly reduced and the driver has an abnormality. And then automatically evacuate the vehicle,
In order to make an inquiry to the driver and determine that there is no response, a response waiting time waiting for a response from the driver, a response start determination threshold for determining the start of the response by the driver, and the end of the response by the driver A driver abnormality support method characterized by using a response end determination threshold value to be determined and a response execution time during which a response by the driver is executed.

Images