JP6812876B2 - Information input system and information input program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an information input system and an information input program that accepts information input using a touch device of a steering operation unit.

A technique for accepting a driver's operation on a touch panel display of a steering operation unit is known (see Patent Document 1). In Patent Document 1, operations are accepted at the four corners of the touch panel display so that the operation can be performed while holding the steering operation unit.

JP-A-2009-96210

However, the need to grip the steering operation unit is reduced during automatic driving. Nevertheless, there is a problem that the driver feels inconvenient if only the four corners of the touch panel display can be operated.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a technique capable of operating a touch device of a steering operation unit suitable for automatic driving.

In order to achieve the above object, in the information input system of the present invention, whether the operation reception unit for receiving the operation for the touch device provided in the steering operation unit and the moving body steered by the steering operation unit are in automatic operation. A state determination unit that determines whether or not manual operation is in progress, and an operation area setting unit that makes the operation area that accepts operations on the touch device larger when in automatic operation than in the case of manual operation. Be prepared.

In order to achieve the above object, in the information input program of the present invention, the computer is automatically operated by an operation receiving unit that receives an operation on a touch device provided in the steering operation unit and a moving body steered by the steering operation unit. As a state determination unit that determines whether or not there is manual operation, and an operation area setting unit that enlarges the operation area that accepts operations on the touch device when it is in automatic operation than when it is in manual operation. Make it work.

In the above configuration, the operation area can be made larger than that during the manual operation during the automatic operation in which the necessity of gripping the steering operation unit is reduced, and the degree of freedom of the acceptable operation can be increased. On the other hand, during manual driving, where it is highly necessary to grip the steering operation unit, the possibility that the driver's attention is drawn to the touch device can be reduced by making the operation area smaller than during automatic driving.

It is a block diagram of an information input system. 2A to 2C are front views of the steering operation unit. It is a flowchart of information input processing.

Here, embodiments of the present invention will be described in the following order.
(1) Information input system configuration:
(2) Information input processing:
(3) Other embodiments:

(1) Information input system configuration:
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of an information input system 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The information input system 10 is an in-vehicle device such as a car navigation device mounted on a vehicle. The information input system 10 includes a control unit 20 and a recording medium 30. The control unit 20 includes a CPU, RAM, ROM, and the like, and executes the information input program 21 stored in the recording medium 30 and the ROM.

The recording medium 30 records the map information 30a and the operation plan information 30b. The map information 30a includes node data, link data, and facility data. Node data mainly provides information about intersections. Specifically, the node data indicates the coordinates of the node corresponding to the intersection and the shape of the intersection. The link data shows various information such as the section length, the speed limit, the number of lanes, and the width of the link corresponding to the road section. A road section is a unit of road separated by continuous intersections in the length direction, and nodes exist at both ends of the link. A node to which three or more links are connected corresponds to an intersection. The section length is the length of the road section, and means the mileage when traveling on the road section.

The link data includes shape interpolation point data. The shape interpolation point data is data indicating the coordinates of the shape interpolation point set at the center in the width direction of the road section. The control unit 20 acquires the coordinates of the node and the coordinates of the shape interpolation point, and acquires a polygonal line connecting these coordinates or an approximate curve of these coordinates as the shape of the road section.

The driving plan information 30b is data in which control target values are defined for each target position, which is the current location of the target vehicle. In the present embodiment, it is assumed that the target vehicle speed, the target acceleration / deceleration, and the target steering angle are recorded in the driving plan information 30b as control target values. The control target value may be recorded for each time during automatic operation. The control unit 20 controls each part of the vehicle so that the current location reaches each target position, and also controls each part of the vehicle so that each control target value is realized at the timing when the current location reaches each target position. The driving plan information 30b may be appropriately modified according to the traveling condition of the vehicle. The technology for automatically driving the vehicle is not particularly limited, known automatic driving technology can be applied, and the control target value is not limited to that described above.

In the present embodiment, the planned movement route is searched as the optimum route to the destination, and the operation plan information 30b for traveling on the planned movement route is created. That is, the target positions indicated by the operation plan information 30b are, for example, a plurality of positions set at regular intervals on the planned movement route, and the vehicle travels on the planned movement route by traveling so as to follow the target positions. can do. However, the target position indicated by the operation plan information 30b does not necessarily have to be set in the entire planned movement route, and the target position is not set in the manual operation section in which the automatic operation is not performed in the planned movement route.

Here, the manual driving section is a section where automatic driving becomes difficult for some reason, for example, a section where the road shape is complicated, a section where the accuracy of specifying the current location is lowered, or a section where there are many obstacles such as pedestrians. Alternatively, it may be a section in which the behavior of the vehicle becomes unstable. Further, the manual driving section may be set according to a dynamic factor such as the weather. In the manual operation section, the driver will perform the manual operation.

The target vehicle speed is set so that the vehicle can travel at a constant speed at the limited vehicle speed indicated by the link data of the map information 30a. In addition, the target vehicle speed is set so as to gradually decelerate toward the planned stop point or gradually accelerate from the planned stop point to the limit vehicle speed. Further, the target vehicle speed is set based on the curve shape of the road section specified based on the shape interpolation point data.

The vehicle includes a GPS receiving unit 41, a vehicle speed sensor 42, a gyro sensor 43, a vehicle control ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 44, a steering unit 44a, an acceleration / deceleration unit 44b, a steering operation unit 45, a touch panel display 46, and a touch sensor 47. ing. The GPS receiving unit 41 receives radio waves from GPS satellites and outputs a signal for calculating the position of the vehicle via an interface (not shown). The vehicle speed sensor 42 outputs a signal corresponding to the rotational speed of the wheels provided in the vehicle. The control unit 20 acquires the vehicle speed based on the signal from the vehicle speed sensor 42. The gyro sensor 43 detects the angular acceleration for turning in the horizontal plane of the vehicle, and outputs a signal corresponding to the direction of the vehicle. The control unit 20 acquires the traveling direction of the vehicle based on the signal from the gyro sensor 43. The control unit 20 acquires the current location of the vehicle based on the output signals of the GPS receiving unit 41, the vehicle speed sensor 42, and the gyro sensor 43.

The vehicle control ECU 44 is a computer for controlling each controlled device of the vehicle. The controlled device includes at least a steering unit 44a and an acceleration / deceleration unit 44b. The steering unit 44a is a mechanism for controlling the direction of the wheels (steering wheels), and includes a steering gearbox and the like that operate based on the control of the vehicle control ECU 44. During automatic operation, the steering unit 44a operates the steering gearbox to automatically steer. The steering gearbox and the steering operation unit 45 are mechanically connected, and the steering operation unit 45 rotates so as to follow the operation of the steering gearbox during automatic driving. The steering operation unit 45 is a so-called steering wheel. During manual operation, the driver can manually steer by grasping and rotating the steering operation unit 45 to operate the steering gearbox.

The acceleration / deceleration unit 44b includes an acceleration unit and a deceleration unit that operate under the control of the vehicle control ECU 44. The acceleration unit is a mechanism for increasing the output of a drive source such as an engine or a motor. The reduction gear is a mechanism for controlling friction brakes, engine brakes, and regenerative brakes. The vehicle is provided with an accelerator pedal and a brake pedal (not shown), and the acceleration / deceleration unit 44b can also be controlled by the driver operating the accelerator pedal and the brake pedal.

The vehicle control ECU 44 acquires a signal indicating the control state of the steering unit 44a and the acceleration / deceleration unit 44b, and feedback-controls the steering unit 44a and the acceleration / deceleration unit 44b based on the signal to automatically control according to the operation plan information 30b. Driving can be realized.

FIG. 2A shows the steering operation unit 45 when traveling straight and during manual operation. The steering operation unit 45 includes a touch panel display 46 and a touch sensor 47. The steering operation unit 45 has an annular grip portion H that can be gripped by the driver, and is provided with a rectangular touch panel display 46 so as to be inscribed in the grip portion H. The touch panel display 46 serves both as a touch device that detects the contact position of the driver's finger and a display that displays an image under the control of the control unit 20. That is, in the present embodiment, the touch device is composed of the touch panel display 46. The touch sensor 47 is also a touch device that detects the contact position of the driver's hand, and detects the grip position of the driver's hand in the entire grip portion H. The upper and lower sides of the touch panel display 46 are horizontal when traveling straight.

The information input program 21 includes an automatic operation module 21a, an operation reception module 21b, a state determination module 21c, an operation area setting module 21d, and a display control module 21e. The operation reception module 21b, the state determination module 21c, the operation area setting module 21d, and the display control module 21e are program modules that cause the control unit 20 as a computer to function as an operation reception unit, a state determination unit, and an operation area setting unit, respectively. ..

The control unit 20 creates the above-mentioned operation plan information 30b by the function of the automatic operation module 21a, and controls the vehicle control ECU 44 according to the operation plan information 30b. That is, by the function of the automatic driving module 21a, the control unit 20 creates the driving plan information 30b that defines the target position and the control target value for automatically controlling the vehicle for each target position by the known automatic driving technology. To do. Then, the control unit 20 realizes automatic driving of the vehicle by sequentially outputting the control target values defined in the operation plan information 30b to the vehicle control ECU 44. Further, when creating the operation plan information 30b, the control unit 20 searches for the optimum planned travel route to the destination in advance by a known method such as Dijkstra's algorithm, and sets the target position on the planned travel route. As a result, the operation plan information 30b for traveling on the planned movement route is created.

By the function of the automatic driving module 21a, the control unit 20 starts automatic driving when the current location of the vehicle passes the start point (first target position) specified in the operation plan information 30b in advance. Similarly, when the control unit 20 passes the end point (final target position) defined in the operation plan information 30b, the control unit 20 ends the automatic operation and shifts to the manual operation. During automatic operation, steering of the steering unit 44a and acceleration / deceleration of the acceleration / deceleration unit 44b are automatically controlled. The final target position is the destination of the planned travel route or the starting point of the manual driving section.

The control unit 20 receives an operation on the touch device (touch panel display 46) provided in the steering operation unit 45 by the function of the operation reception module 21b. Specifically, the control unit 20 acquires the movement vector of the finger contact position on the touch panel display 46 by the function of the operation reception module 21b, and converts the direction of the movement vector into the direction of the vehicle interior space coordinate system. The control unit 20 acquires the rotation angle θ (clockwise on the paper is positive) from the straight running of the steering operation unit 45 from the vehicle control ECU 44, and corrects the direction of the movement vector by −θ degree. As a result, the direction in which the driver moves the finger can be acquired as the direction of the movement vector. The vehicle interior space coordinate system is a coordinate system that is independent of the rotation angle θ of the steering operation unit 45, and is a coordinate system that indicates a position in the vehicle interior space.

By the function of the operation reception module 21b, the control unit 20 receives an operation associated with the direction of the movement vector in the vehicle interior space coordinate system. For example, when a movement vector in which the contact position moves upward in the operation area OR of FIG. 2A is acquired, the control unit 20 performs an operation of increasing the volume of the sound output by the speaker (not shown) or a music playback unit (not shown). The operation of advancing the music being played by (not shown) may be accepted. Since the direction of the movement vector is rotationally corrected based on the rotation angle θ of the steering operation unit 45, even if the steering operation unit 45 is rotated by the rotation angle θ from the time of going straight as shown in FIGS. 2B and 2C, the driver Can accept operations according to the direction in which the finger is moved.

By the function of the state determination module 21c, the control unit 20 determines whether the vehicle as a moving body steered by the steering operation unit 45 is in automatic driving or manual driving. The control unit 20 determines whether or not the automatic operation is performed by the function of the automatic operation module 21a by the function of the state determination module 21c. That is, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the steering unit 44a and the acceleration / deceleration unit 44b are automatically controlled.

By the function of the operation area setting module 21d, the control unit 20 increases the operation area for receiving the operation on the touch device (touch panel display 46) when the automatic operation is performed, as compared with the case where the operation area is manually operated. FIG. 2A shows the steering operation unit 45 during manual operation, and FIG. 2B shows the steering operation unit 45 during automatic operation. In FIGS. 2A and 2B, the operation areas OL, OR, and OA are shown by a broken line frame. The operation area OA during automatic operation shown in FIG. 2B is larger than the operation areas OL and OR during manual operation shown in FIG. 2A. It should be noted that the control unit 20 does not accept any operation even if it acquires the movement vector of the contact position in the area other than the operation areas OL, OR, and OA on the touch panel display 46 by the function of the operation reception module 21b.

By the function of the operation area setting module 21d, the control unit 20 corrects the directions of the operation areas OL and OR on the touch panel display 46 based on the rotation angle θ. That is, the control unit 20 corrects the directions of the operation areas OL and OR so that the directions of the operation areas OL and OR in the vehicle interior space coordinate system do not depend on the rotation angle θ of the steering operation unit 45. Therefore, even if the steering operation unit 45 is rotated by the rotation angle θ as shown in FIG. 2C, the operation areas OL and OR are not rotated from the direction of FIG. 2A.

By the function of the operation area setting module 21d, the control unit 20 detects the gripping position of the steering operation unit 45 by the driver during manual operation, and causes the operation areas OL and OA to follow the gripping position. During manual operation, the control unit 20 uses the function of the operation area setting module 21d to cause the control unit 20 to hold the grip position TL of the grip unit H based on the output signal of the touch sensor 47 provided in the grip unit H. ， TR is detected. Basically, since the grip portion H is gripped by both hands, the left and right grip positions TL and TR are detected.

During manual operation, the control unit 20 sets the positions of the operation areas OL and OR on the touch panel display 46 so that the operation areas OL and OR are closest to the gripping positions TL and TR, respectively. For example, during manual operation, the control unit 20 has the entire operation areas OL and OR within the touch panel display 46, and the distance between the center of gravity of the gripping positions TL and TR and the center of gravity of the operation areas OL and OR is the shortest. The positions of the operation areas OL and OR are set so as to be. The operation areas OL and OR are maintained in a predetermined fixed shape.

By the function of the operation area setting module 21d, the control unit 20 sets the entire touch device (touch panel display 46) as the operation area OA when the automatic operation is in progress. That is, as shown in FIG. 2B, the control unit 20 is set so that the entire touch panel display 46 on which the map is displayed can be operated by the function of the operation area setting module 21d. For example, the control unit 20 may accept an operation of scrolling the map in the direction of the flick operation when the flick operation is performed at any position of the operation area OA by the function of the operation area setting module 21d. Further, the control unit 20 may accept an operation of changing the scale of the map when a pinch operation (pinch-in operation / pinch-out operation) is performed at any position of the operation area OA.

Due to the function of the display control module 21e, the control unit 20 makes the display area for displaying information on the touch device (touch panel display 46) larger when the automatic operation is in progress than when the manual operation is in progress. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B, the control unit 20 sets the same areas as the operation areas OL and OR as the display areas DL and DR during manual operation, and sets the same areas as the display areas DL and DR and at the top of the screen of the touch panel display 46. The area is set as the display area DU (two-dot chain line frame). The control unit 20 corrects the direction of the display area DU on the touch panel display 46 based on the rotation angle θ. That is, the control unit 20 corrects the direction of the display area DU so that the direction of the display area DU in the vehicle interior space coordinate system does not depend on the rotation angle θ of the steering operation unit 45. Then, the control unit 20 sets the display area DU so as to be in contact with the upper side of the touch panel display 46. Even if the steering operation unit 45 is rotated by the rotation angle θ as shown in FIG. 2C, the display area DU is not rotated from the direction of FIG. 2A.

Here, since the display area DU is set so as to be in contact with the upper side of the touch panel display 46, there is a high possibility that the display area DU is set at a position higher than the display areas DL and DR. Therefore, during manual operation, the display area DU can be set at a position higher than the gripping positions TL and TR, and the display area DU can be set at a position where the hand holding the grip portion H is unlikely to interfere with visual recognition. .. In addition, the display area DU can be set at a position where the movement of the line of sight from the state of visually recognizing the front is small. The display area DU at the upper part of the screen is an area for displaying only, and no operation can be performed on the display area DU.

By the function of the display control module 21e, the control unit 20 indicates an arrow indicating the operation direction (movement direction of the finger contact position) that can be accepted in the display areas DL and DR (operation areas OL and OR) during manual operation. It is displayed in the display areas DL and DR. Further, the control unit 20 displays the vehicle speed and the steering direction of the vehicle in the display area DU at the upper part of the screen.

On the other hand, during automatic operation, the control unit 20 sets the display area DA in the entire touch panel display 46 as in the operation area OA. In the present embodiment, the control unit 20 displays the map, the vehicle speed, and the steering direction of the vehicle in the display area DA.

By the function of the display control module 21e, the control unit 20 generates image data of an image to be displayed in the display areas DL, DR, DU, and DA, and rotates the image data based on the rotation angle θ of the steering operation unit 45. to correct. That is, the control unit 20 corrects the direction of the image data so that the image in the vehicle interior spatial coordinate system is independent of the rotation angle θ of the steering operation unit 45. As a result, even if the steering operation unit 45 is rotated, the images displayed in the display areas DL, DR, DU, and DA can be made to appear as if they are not rotated.

In the present embodiment described above, the operation area OA can be made larger than that during the manual operation during the automatic operation in which the necessity of gripping the steering operation unit 45 is reduced, and the degree of freedom of the acceptable operation is increased. Can be done. On the other hand, during manual driving, where it is highly necessary to grip the steering operation unit 45, the possibility that the driver's attention is drawn to the touch panel display 46 can be reduced by making the operation areas OL and OR smaller than during automatic driving. .. In particular, since the entire touch panel display 46 is set as the operation area OA during automatic operation, the degree of freedom of operations that can be accepted by the touch panel display 46 can be increased during automatic operation.

Further, during manual operation, the steering operation unit 45 is moved by making the operation areas OL and OR follow the gripping positions TL and TR of the steering operation unit 45 during manual operation in which it is highly necessary to grip the steering operation unit 45. The operation area can be set at a position where it is easy to operate even while holding it. Further, since the operation areas OL and OL follow the gripping positions TL and TR, it is possible to maintain a state in which the steering operation unit 45 is easy to operate even if the gripping positions TL and TR change. Further, in the automatic driving in which the need to visually recognize the front of the vehicle is reduced, by enlarging the display area as compared in the manual driving, it is possible to enable a wide variety of displays during the automatic driving.

(2) Information input processing:
FIG. 3 is a flowchart of information input processing. The information input process is, for example, a process that starts when the accessory power supply of the vehicle is turned on. The fact that the accessory power supply is turned on means that the power supply of the information input system 10 is turned on. In addition, it is assumed that the automatic operation has not started when the accessory power is turned on. That is, the information input process is started during the manual operation.

First, by the functions of the operation area setting module 21d and the display control module 21e, the control unit 20 sets the display areas DL, DR, and DU near the grip positions TL and TR and at the upper part of the screen, and sets the operation areas near the grip positions TL and TR. OL and OR are set (step S100). That is, as shown in FIGS. 2A and 2C, the control unit 20 sets the operation areas OL and OR (display areas DL and DR) so that the distance from the gripping positions TL and TR is the shortest. Further, the control unit 20 corrects the directions of the operation areas OL and OR and the display areas DL, DR and DU on the touch panel display 46 based on the rotation angle θ of the steering operation unit 45.

Next, the control unit 20 monitors the display and the operation by the functions of the display control module 21e and the operation reception module 21b (step S110). That is, the control unit 20 generates image data to be displayed in the display areas DL, DR, and DU by the function of the display control module 21e, corrects the rotation of the image data based on the rotation angle θ of the steering operation unit 45, and then corrects the rotation. Output to the touch panel display 46. In addition, the control unit 20 monitors the movement of the finger contact position in the operation areas OL and OR by the function of the operation reception module 21b. Here, when the movement of the contact position of the finger in the operation areas OL and OR is detected, the movement vector of the contact position is acquired, and the movement vector is rotated and corrected based on the rotation angle θ of the steering operation unit 45. Accepts operations corresponding to.

When step S110 is continued for a predetermined period (for example, 1 second), the control unit 20 determines whether or not the operation has shifted to automatic operation by the function of the state determination module 21c (step S120). That is, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the state has been shifted to the state in which the automatic operation is performed by the function of the automatic operation module 21a by the function of the state determination module 21c.

If it is not determined that the operation has shifted to automatic operation (step S120: N), the control unit 20 returns to step S100. As a result, the image displayed in the display areas DL, DR, and DU can be updated during the manual operation. Further, by sequentially performing rotation correction according to the rotation angle θ of the steering operation unit 45, it is possible to prevent the display areas DL, DR, DU and the operation areas OL, OR from rotating in the vehicle interior space coordinate system.

When it is determined that the operation has shifted to automatic operation (step S120: Y), the control unit 20 sets the operation area OA and the display area DA on the entire screen by the functions of the operation area setting module 21d and the display control module 21e (step S120: Y). S130). That is, as shown in FIG. 2B, the control unit 20 sets the operation area OA and the display area DA on the entire touch panel display 46.

Next, the control unit 20 monitors the display and the operation by the functions of the display control module 21e and the operation reception module 21b (step S140). That is, the control unit 20 generates image data to be displayed in the display area DA by the function of the display control module 21e, corrects the rotation of the image data based on the rotation angle θ of the steering operation unit 45, and then displays the image data on the touch panel display 46. Output. In addition, the control unit 20 monitors the movement of the finger contact position in the operation area OA by the function of the operation reception module 21b. Here, when the movement of the finger contact position in the operation area OA is detected, the movement vector of the contact position is acquired, and the movement vector corresponds to the direction in which the rotation is corrected based on the rotation angle θ of the steering operation unit 45. Accepts operations to be performed.

When step S140 is continued for a predetermined period (for example, 1 second), the control unit 20 determines whether or not the operation has shifted to manual operation by the function of the state determination module 21c (step S150). That is, the control unit 20 determines whether or not the automatic operation has been performed by the function of the automatic operation module 21a by the function of the state determination module 21c.

If it is not determined that the operation has shifted to the manual operation (step S150: N), the control unit 20 returns to the step S130. As a result, the image displayed in the display area DA can be updated during the automatic operation. On the other hand, when it is determined that the operation has shifted to the manual operation (step S150: Y), the control unit 20 returns to the step S100 and executes the process during the manual operation.

(3) Other embodiments:
The above embodiment is an example for carrying out the present invention, and various other embodiments can be adopted. For example, due to the function of the operation area setting module 21d, the control unit 20 may not set the operation area when the rotation angle θ of the steering operation unit 45 when traveling straight is equal to or greater than the threshold value. Specifically, in the manual operation, when the absolute value of the rotation angle θ from the straight running of the steering operation unit 45 is equal to or more than a threshold value (for example, 70 degrees), the control unit 20 sets the operation areas OL and OR and the display area DL. ， DR may not be set. Not setting the operation areas OL and OR means that the touch panel display 46 does not accept any operation.

With the above configuration, the driver's attention is drawn to the operation of the touch device in a state where the absolute value of the rotation angle θ from the straight running of the steering operation unit 45 is equal to or more than the threshold value and the traveling direction of the vehicle is significantly changed. The possibility can be reduced. Even during automatic operation, the control unit 20 may not set the operation area OA and the display area DA when the absolute value of the rotation angle θ from the straight-ahead travel of the steering operation unit 45 is equal to or greater than the threshold value. Good. Further, the rotation angle θ of the steering operation unit 45 does not necessarily have to be the current rotation angle, and may be, for example, a rotation angle in the near future. For example, the control unit 20 predicts the steering angle in front of a certain distance (for example, 10 m) based on the curve shape of the road section in which the vehicle is traveling, and the rotation angle of the steering operation unit 45 corresponding to the steering angle. When the absolute value is equal to or greater than the threshold value, the operation area may not be set.

The content of the above-mentioned operation is merely an example, and the content of the operation received by the control unit 20 is not particularly limited. Further, the content displayed by the control unit 20 is not particularly limited. Further, the control unit 20 does not necessarily have to set the entire touch panel display 46 as the operation area OA when the automatic operation is in progress. For example, the control unit 20 may set an area in which the operation areas OL and OR in the manual operation are enlarged by a predetermined magnification when shifting to the automatic operation as the operation area.

Further, the operating areas OL and OR during manual operation do not necessarily have to follow the gripping positions TL and TR. For example, during manual operation, when one hand is separated from the steering operation unit 45, the control unit 20 may fix the operation areas OL and OR. Further, the control unit 20 may set an operation area that follows the gripping positions TL and TR even during automatic operation.

Further, the touch device does not necessarily have to be the touch panel display 46. That is, the steering operation unit 45 may be provided with a touch device that does not display. Even in this case, since the range in which the finger can be moved on the steering operation unit 45 during manual driving can be limited, the possibility that the driver's attention is drawn to the touch device can be reduced.

The steering operation unit may be any operation unit that the driver grips and rotates for steering, and does not necessarily have to be circular. The moving body steered by the steering operation unit does not necessarily have to be a vehicle, but may be a ship or an aircraft. Further, the touch device may be provided in the steering operation unit and may be provided at any position in the steering operation unit. For example, a touch device may be provided inside the steering wheel as a steering operation unit, or the steering wheel itself may be a touch device. The operation reception unit may accept operations for the touch device, and the types of operations (tap operation, double tap operation, drag & drop operation, flick operation) to be accepted are not particularly limited.

The term "automatic driving" means at least a state in which steering is automatically controlled, and not only steering but also acceleration / deceleration may be automatically controlled. The term “during manual operation” means at least a state in which steering is not automatically controlled, and acceleration / deceleration may be in a state in which control is automatically performed. In the case of automatic operation, the operation area setting unit may have a larger operation area for receiving operations on the touch device than in the case of manual operation, and at the same time, the operation area can be increased and the operations that can be accepted can be performed. The types may be increased. However, it is not always necessary to increase the types of operations received by the touch device during automatic operation, and it is possible to facilitate the operation by enlarging the operation area even for the same operation. The operation area setting unit may notify the driver that the size of the operation area is changed when changing the size of the operation area that accepts the operation on the touch device.

Further, the operation area setting unit may set the entire touch device as the operation area when the automatic operation is in progress. As a result, it is possible to increase the degree of freedom of operations that can be accepted by the touch device during automatic operation.

Further, the operation area setting unit may detect the gripping position of the steering operation unit by the driver during manual operation and make the operation area follow the gripping position. As a result, the operation area can be set at a position where it is easy to operate even while gripping the steering operation unit during manual operation in which it is highly necessary to grip the steering operation unit. Further, since the operation area follows the gripping position, it is possible to maintain a state in which it is easy to operate even if the gripping position of the steering operating portion changes.

Further, the operation area setting unit may not set the operation area when the rotation angle of the steering operation unit from the time of straight movement is equal to or larger than the threshold value. As a result, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the driver's attention is drawn to the operation of the touch device in a state where the rotation angle of the steering operation unit from the straight running is equal to or more than the threshold value and the traveling direction of the vehicle is significantly changed.

Further, the touch device is a touch panel display, and may further include a display control unit that enlarges the display area for displaying information on the touch device when it is in automatic operation as compared with the case where it is in manual operation. As described above, in the automatic driving in which the necessity of visually recognizing the front of the vehicle is reduced, by making the display area larger than in the manual driving, it is possible to enable a wide variety of displays during the automatic driving.

Further, the method of guiding the switching to the manual operation at the stop point as in the present invention can also be applied as a program or a method. In addition, the above systems, programs, and methods may be realized as a single device or may be realized by using parts shared with each part provided in the vehicle, including various aspects. It is a program. For example, it is possible to provide a navigation system, an information input system, a method, and a program equipped with the above devices. In addition, some of them are software and some of them are hardware, which can be changed as appropriate. Further, the invention is also established as a recording medium for a program that controls an apparatus. Of course, the recording medium of the software may be a magnetic recording medium or an optical magnetic recording medium, and any recording medium to be developed in the future can be considered in exactly the same way.

10 ... Information input system, 20 ... Control unit, 21 ... Information input program, 21a ... Automatic operation module, 21b ... Operation reception module, 21c ... Status determination module, 21d ... Operation area setting module, 21e ... Display control module, 30 ... Recording medium, 30a ... Map information, 30b ... Driving plan information, 41 ... GPS receiver, 42 ... Vehicle speed sensor, 43 ... Gyro sensor, 44 ... Vehicle control ECU, 44a ... Steering unit, 44b ... Acceleration / deceleration unit, 45 ... Steering Operation unit, 46 ... Touch panel display, 47 ... Touch sensor, DA ... Display area, DL ... Display area, DU ... Display area, H ... Grip part, OA, OL, OR ... Operation area, TL ... Grip position, θ ... Rotation Horn

Claims (6)

An operation reception unit that accepts operations on the touch device provided in the steering operation unit,
A state determination unit that determines whether the moving body steered by the steering operation unit is in automatic operation or manual operation, and
An operation area setting unit that enlarges the operation area for receiving operations on the touch device when the automatic operation is in progress, as compared with the case where the manual operation is in progress.
Information input system equipped with. The operation area setting unit sets the entire touch device as an operation area when the automatic operation is in progress.
The information input system according to claim 1. The operation area setting unit detects the gripping position of the steering operation unit by the driver when the manual operation is in progress, and causes the operation area to follow the gripping position.
The information input system according to claim 1 or 2. The operation area setting unit does not set the operation area when the rotation angle of the steering operation unit from straight ahead is equal to or greater than a threshold value.
The information input system according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The touch device is a touch panel display.
A display control unit that enlarges the display area for displaying information on the touch device when the automatic operation is in progress is further provided as compared with the case where the manual operation is in progress.
The information input system according to any one of claims 1 to 4. Computer,
Operation reception unit that accepts operations on the touch device provided in the steering operation unit,
A state determination unit that determines whether the moving body steered by the steering operation unit is in automatic operation or manual operation.
An operation area setting unit that enlarges the operation area for receiving operations on the touch device when the automatic operation is in progress, as compared with the case where the manual operation is in progress.
An information input system that functions as.