JP7175321B2 - Driving support device and driving support method - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a driving assistance device and a driving assistance method for assisting a driver's driving by automatically switching between manual driving and automatic driving.

For example, when a vehicle is traveling in a tunnel and approaches the exit of the tunnel, a sudden change in illuminance may occur. At this time, the driver of the vehicle may be blinded by the sudden change in illumination, and the vehicle may collide with the vehicle ahead due to poor visibility. Alternatively, if the driver slows down the vehicle due to poor visibility, it may induce a traffic jam for following vehicles.

Conventionally, a technology has been disclosed that automatically switches from manual operation to automatic operation when it becomes difficult for the driver to see the surroundings, and switches from automatic operation to manual operation when the surrounding environment improves (for example, see Patent Document 1).

JP 2017-188127 A

A sudden change in illumination may cause temporary poor visibility for the driver.

In Patent Literature 1, for example, automatic operation is not switched to manual operation while the vehicle is traveling toward the setting sun. Therefore, in Patent Literature 1, automatic driving is continued even after the driver's poor visibility is alleviated. In this case, the driver may be confused about driving because he/she does not know when to return to manual operation because automatic operation is continued even though manual operation is possible. Thus, conventionally, it cannot be said that switching from automatic operation to manual operation is performed smoothly.

The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a driving assistance device and a driving assistance method capable of smoothly switching from automatic driving to manual driving. .

In order to solve the above-described problems, the driving support system according to the present invention includes an illuminance change estimating unit for estimating an illuminance change around the vehicle that is so sudden that the driver's vision cannot follow it instantaneously; an effect mitigation estimator for estimating the mitigation of the visual impact of the change in illuminance estimated by the change estimator on the visual acuity of the driver driving the vehicle; a driving switching unit that switches from automatic driving to manual driving when the impact mitigation estimating unit estimates mitigation of the impact after switching from driving to automatic driving, and mitigation of the impact estimated by the impact mitigation estimating unit. is alleviation of poor visibility of the driver caused by the illumination change estimated by the illumination change estimation unit, and includes at least one of a vehicle position acquisition unit that acquires the current position of the vehicle, and a road structure and a road shape It further includes a map information acquiring unit that acquires map information, and an illuminance change acquiring unit that acquires a surrounding illuminance change indicating an illuminance change around the vehicle.

Further, the driving support method according to the present invention provides driving support realized by the operation of a computer including an illumination change estimation unit, an effect mitigation estimation unit, a driving switching unit, a vehicle position acquisition unit, a map information acquisition unit, and an illumination change acquisition unit. In the method, the illuminance change estimator estimates a change in illuminance around the vehicle that is so sudden that the driver's vision cannot follow it instantaneously, and the effect mitigation estimator estimates the illuminance change estimator. Estimates the mitigation of the impact on the vision of the driver driving the vehicle caused by the illumination change, and the driving switching unit switches the vehicle from manual driving to automatic driving when the illumination change estimating unit estimates a sudden illumination change. After that, when the impact mitigation estimator estimates that the impact will be mitigated, the vehicle operation is switched from automatic to manual driving, and the mitigation of the impact estimated by the impact mitigation estimator is based on the illuminance change estimated by the illuminance change estimator. a vehicle position obtaining unit obtains the current position of the vehicle; and a map information obtaining unit obtains map information including at least one of road structure and road shape. Then, the illuminance change acquiring unit acquires a surrounding illuminance change indicating an illuminance change around the vehicle .

According to the present invention, the driving support device includes an illuminance change estimating unit for estimating an illuminance change around the vehicle that is so abrupt that the driver's vision cannot follow it instantaneously; When the impact mitigation estimation unit that estimates the mitigation of the impact of the change on the vision of the driver driving the vehicle and the illuminance change estimation unit estimate a sudden illuminance change, the vehicle is switched from manual driving to automatic driving, After that, when the impact mitigation estimating unit estimates mitigation of the impact, a driving switching unit that switches the driving of the vehicle from automatic driving to manual driving, and the mitigation of the impact estimated by the impact mitigation estimating unit is performed by the illuminance change estimating unit. A vehicle position acquiring unit that acquires the current position of the vehicle, and map information that acquires map information including at least one of road structure and road shape, which alleviates poor visibility of the driver caused by the estimated illumination change. Since the vehicle further includes an acquisition unit and an illuminance change acquisition unit that acquires the ambient illuminance change indicating the illuminance change around the vehicle, it is possible to smoothly switch from automatic driving to manual driving.

Further, the driving support method is realized by the operation of a computer including an illumination change estimation unit, an effect mitigation estimation unit, a driving switching unit, a vehicle position acquisition unit, a map information acquisition unit, and an illumination change acquisition unit. the illuminance change estimating unit estimates illuminance changes around the vehicle that are so sudden that the driver's vision cannot follow them instantaneously; estimates the reduction of the visual impact of the driver driving the vehicle, and the driving switching unit switches the driving of the vehicle from manual driving to automatic driving when the illuminance change estimating unit estimates a sudden illuminance change, and then , when the impact mitigation estimator estimates the mitigation of the impact, the driving of the vehicle is switched from automatic to manual driving, and the mitigation of the impact estimated by the impact mitigation estimator occurs due to the illuminance change estimated by the illuminance change estimator. A vehicle position acquisition unit acquires the current position of the vehicle, a map information acquisition unit acquires map information including at least one of road structure and road shape, and illuminance Since the change acquisition unit acquires the ambient illumination change indicating the illumination change in the vicinity of the vehicle , it is possible to smoothly switch from automatic driving to manual driving.

Objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of the driving assistance device by Embodiment 1 of this invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS It is a block diagram which shows an example of a structure of the driving assistance device by Embodiment 1 of this invention. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a driving assistance device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the driving assistance device according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention; FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a driving assistance device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention; FIG. 10 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of a driving assistance device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of a driving assistance device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a driving assistance device according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of a driving assistance device according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention; FIG. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a driving assistance device according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention; FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of a driving assistance device according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention; FIG. It is a block diagram showing an example of composition of a driving support system by an embodiment of the invention.

An embodiment of the present invention will be described below based on the drawings.

<Embodiment 1>
<Configuration>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a driving assistance device 1 according to Embodiment 1 of the present invention. It should be noted that FIG. 1 shows the minimum required configuration of the driving support system according to the first embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1 , the driving support device 1 includes an illuminance change estimation unit 2 , an influence mitigation estimation unit 3 , and a driving switching unit 4 . The illuminance change estimator 2 estimates illuminance changes around the vehicle that are so sudden that the driver's vision cannot follow them instantaneously. The effect mitigation estimator 3 estimates mitigation of the effect of the change in illuminance estimated by the illuminance change estimator 2 on the vision of the driver driving the vehicle. A driving switching unit 4 switches the driving of the vehicle from automatic driving to manual driving when the impact mitigation estimating unit 3 estimates mitigation of the impact.

Next, another configuration of the driving assistance device including the driving assistance device 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the driving assistance device 5 according to another configuration.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the driving support device 5 includes an illuminance change estimator 2 , an effect mitigation estimator 3 , a driving switcher 4 , and a state change acquirer 6 . The state change acquisition unit 6 is connected to a DMS (Driver Monitoring System) 9 . The operation switching unit 4 is connected to the automatic operation control device 10 . It is assumed that the driving support device 5, the DMS 9, and the automatic driving control device 10 are installed in the vehicle.

The DMS 9 detects changes in the state of at least one of the driver's face and eyes. For example, the DMS 9 captures an image of the driver's entire face at predetermined intervals, and performs image processing on the captured entire face to detect changes in the state of at least one of the face and the eyes. A change in the state of the driver's face includes a change in the expression of the driver's face and a change in the direction of the driver's face. In addition, changes in the driver's eye condition include changes in the size of the driver's pupils and changes in the opening and closing of the driver's eyelids.

The state change acquisition unit 6 acquires state changes of at least one of the driver's face and eyes from the DMS 9 . Specifically, the state change acquisition unit 6 obtains, from the DMS 9, changes in the driver's facial expression, changes in the driver's facial orientation, changes in the driver's pupil size, and changes in the driver's eyelid opening/closing. obtain at least one of the changes in

The illuminance change estimating unit 2 detects changes in illuminance around the vehicle based on the state change of at least one of the driver's face and eyes acquired by the state change acquiring unit 6, and the driver's vision cannot follow the change instantaneously. Estimates the illuminance change as abrupt as Here, the sudden change in illuminance includes a sudden change in illuminance around the vehicle from dark to bright and a sudden change in illuminance around the vehicle from bright to dark.

Specifically, when the condition of at least one of the driver's face and eyes changes momentarily, the illuminance change estimator 2 estimates that there has been a sudden change in illuminance around the vehicle. That is, the illuminance change estimator 2 estimates that the driver has poor visibility when estimating that the illuminance around the vehicle has changed abruptly from bright to dark or from dark to bright.

The illuminance change estimator 2 estimates that there has been a sudden change in illuminance around the vehicle when the pupil size of the driver becomes smaller than a predetermined size. That is, when the illuminance change estimating unit 2 estimates that the illuminance around the vehicle has changed abruptly from dark to bright, it estimates that the driver has poor visibility. Further, the illuminance change estimator 2 estimates that there has been a sudden change in illuminance around the vehicle when the pupil size of the driver becomes larger than a predetermined size. That is, when the illuminance change estimator 2 estimates that the illuminance around the vehicle has changed abruptly from bright to dark, it estimates that the driver has poor visibility.

The illuminance change estimating unit 2 detects a sudden illuminance around the vehicle based on at least one of a change in the opening and closing of the driver's eyelids, a change in the expression of the driver's face, and a change in the orientation of the driver's face. Change may be estimated. For example, the illuminance change estimating unit 2 determines that when the opening of the driver's eyelids suddenly narrows, when the driver looks dazzled, or when the driver turns away, the illuminance around the vehicle changes to It is presumed that there was a sudden change from dark to bright, and that the driver's visibility was poor. Alternatively, the illuminance change estimating unit 2 determines that the illuminance around the vehicle suddenly changes from dark to bright when the driver's eyelids suddenly widen or when the driver makes a squinting expression. It is estimated that the driver's visibility was poor.

The effect mitigation estimating unit 3 determines whether a sudden change in illuminance around the vehicle estimated by the illuminance change estimating unit 2 is based on the state change of at least one of the driver's face and eyes acquired by the state change acquiring unit 6. Estimate the mitigation of the impact on human vision. Specifically, after the illuminance change estimating unit 2 estimates a sudden illuminance change around the vehicle, the effect mitigation estimating unit 3 determines whether at least one of the face and eyes of the driver acquired by the state change acquiring unit 6 Based on the state change, it estimates the mitigation of the influence of the sudden change in illumination around the vehicle estimated by the illumination change estimation unit 2 on the driver's vision. Here, the mitigation of the impact on the driver's vision caused by a sudden change in illumination around the vehicle means that the poor visibility of the driver caused by a sudden change in illumination around the vehicle is alleviated. It means to return to normal.

For example, after the driver's pupil size becomes smaller than a predetermined size due to a sudden change in illuminance around the vehicle, the effect mitigation estimation unit 3 determines that the driver's pupil size is reduced to the normal size. It is presumed that the impact on the driver's vision of the sudden change in illuminance around the vehicle eased when the vehicle returned to normal. Further, the effect mitigation estimating unit 3 detects a sudden change in the vicinity of the vehicle based on at least one of a change in the opening and closing of the driver's eyelids, a change in the expression of the driver's face, and a change in the orientation of the driver's face. It is also possible to estimate the mitigation of the impact of the illuminance change on the driver's vision.

The operation switching unit 4 has a manual operation switching unit 7 and an automatic operation switching unit 8 . The automatic driving switching unit 8 instructs the automatic driving control device 10 to switch the driving of the vehicle from manual driving to automatic driving when the illuminance change estimating unit 2 estimates a sudden illuminance change around the vehicle. The automatic driving control device 10 controls automatic driving of the vehicle according to instructions from the automatic driving switching unit 8 .

For example, the automatic driving switching unit 8 may instruct the automatic driving control device 10 to drive at a predetermined automatic driving level. For example, when the automatic driving level is the automatic driving level defined by SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers), the automatic driving switching unit 8 instructs the automatic driving control device 10 to change the automatic driving level from 0 to 3. do. In addition, the automatic driving level demonstrated below shall be an automatic driving level defined by SAE.

In addition, when the vehicle has a function of automatic driving level 1, the automatic driving switching unit 8 may change the control parameters related to automatic driving without raising the automatic driving level. For example, if the vehicle has a lane deviation prevention function, the automatic driving switching unit 8 strongly controls the steering operation to return the vehicle to the center of the lane when the vehicle is about to cross the white line. The automatic operation control device 10 is instructed. Further, for example, when the vehicle has an automatic braking function, the automatic driving switching unit 8 instructs the automatic driving control device 10 to brake earlier than usual. Thus, in the first embodiment, the degree of control related to automatic driving is strengthened without changing the automatic driving level, that is, even when performing control closer to automatic driving, the concept of switching to automatic driving is adopted. include.

The automatic driving switching unit 8 may change the automatic driving level or control parameters related to automatic driving according to the speed of the vehicle, the surrounding environment of the vehicle, or the degree of luminance change estimated by the illumination change estimating unit 2 .

The manual driving switching unit 7 automatically switches the driving of the vehicle from automatic driving to manual driving when the effect mitigation estimating unit 3 estimates the mitigation of the impact on the driver's vision caused by the sudden change in illumination around the vehicle. The control device 10 is instructed. The automatic driving control device 10 performs control so that the automatic driving control of the vehicle is canceled and the vehicle shifts to manual driving in accordance with the instruction from the manual driving switching unit 7 . Specifically, the manual driving switching unit 7 sets the automatic driving level changed by the automatic driving switching unit 8 during automatic driving to automatic driving level 0 corresponding to manual driving, or sets the control parameters related to automatic driving to The automatic operation control device 10 is instructed to return to the original state.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the driving support device 5. As shown in FIG.

Each function of the illuminance change estimation unit 2, the influence mitigation estimation unit 3, the state change acquisition unit 6, the manual driving switching unit 7, and the automatic driving switching unit 8 in the driving support device 5 is realized by a processing circuit. That is, the driving support device 5 estimates a sudden change in illumination around the vehicle that the driver's vision cannot follow instantaneously, and the sudden change in illumination around the vehicle estimated by the illumination change estimation unit 2 estimates the mitigation of the impact on the driver's vision, and the mitigation estimator 3 estimates the mitigation of the impact on the driver's vision caused by sudden changes in illumination around the vehicle. A processing circuit is provided for switching the driving of the vehicle from manual driving to automatic driving when the illuminance change estimating unit 2 estimates a sudden illuminance change around the vehicle when switching to driving. The processing circuit is a processor 11 (also called a central processing unit, a processing unit, an arithmetic unit, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor)) that executes programs stored in a memory 12 .

Each function of the illuminance change estimation unit 2, the influence mitigation estimation unit 3, the state change acquisition unit 6, the manual operation switching unit 7, and the automatic operation switching unit 8 in the driving support device 5 is software, firmware, or software and firmware It is realized by combination. Software or firmware is written as a program and stored in memory 12 . The processing circuit reads out and executes a program stored in the memory 12 to realize the function of each section. That is, the driving support device 5 estimates a change in illumination around the vehicle that is so abrupt that the driver's vision cannot follow it instantaneously. In the step of estimating the mitigation of the impact of the change on the driver's vision, when the impact mitigation estimating unit 3 estimates the mitigation of the impact of the sudden illuminance change around the vehicle on the driver's vision, the vehicle is automatically driven. a step of switching from manual operation to manual operation, and a step of switching vehicle operation from manual operation to automatic operation when illumination change estimation unit 2 estimates a sudden change in illumination around the vehicle. A memory 12 is provided for In addition, these programs cause the computer to execute the procedures or methods of the illuminance change estimation unit 2, the effect mitigation estimation unit 3, the state change acquisition unit 6, the manual operation switching unit 7, and the automatic operation switching unit 8. I can say. Here, memory means non-volatile or volatile memories such as RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory). semiconductor memory, magnetic disk, flexible disk, optical disk, compact disk, DVD, etc., or any storage medium that will be used in the future.

<Action>
FIG. 4 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the driving support device 5. As shown in FIG. As a premise for the operation of FIG. 4, it is assumed that the vehicle is running in manual operation.

In step S101, the illuminance change estimation unit 2 determines whether or not the driver's visibility is poor. As described above, the illuminance change estimator 2 determines that the driver's visibility is poor when estimating that there has been a sudden change in illuminance around the vehicle. The process of step S101 is repeated until it is determined that the visibility of the driver is poor, and when it is determined that the visibility of the driver is poor, the process proceeds to step S102.

In step S102, the automatic driving switching unit 8 instructs the automatic driving control device 10 to switch the driving of the vehicle from manual driving to automatic driving.

In step S103, the effect mitigation estimation unit 3 determines whether or not the driver's visibility is normal. As described above, the effect mitigation estimating unit 3 estimates that the driver's vision is normal when estimating the mitigation of the impact on the driver's vision caused by the sudden illuminance change around the vehicle estimated by the illuminance change estimating unit 2. to decide. The process of step S103 is repeated until it is determined that the driver's field of vision is normal, and when it is determined that the driver's field of vision is normal, the process proceeds to step S104.

In step S104, the manual driving switching unit 7 instructs the automatic driving control device 10 to switch the driving of the vehicle from automatic driving to manual driving.

From the above, according to the first embodiment, when a sudden change in brightness around the vehicle is estimated, the manual operation is switched to the automatic operation, and then the reduction in the impact of the sudden change in illumination on the driver's vision is estimated. Then switch from automatic to manual. As a result, it is possible to prevent the automatic operation from being continued even though the driver is in a state where the manual operation can be performed, and it is possible to smoothly switch from the automatic operation to the manual operation.

Note that the illuminance change estimating unit 2 may estimate a sudden illuminance change around the vehicle in consideration of the surrounding environment such as a tunnel or an oncoming vehicle detected by an external sensor (not shown). In this case, the illuminance change estimator 2 can estimate the illuminance change more accurately. The vehicle exterior sensor is, for example, a camera capable of photographing the surroundings of the vehicle, and is capable of photographing surrounding environments such as tunnels and oncoming vehicles.

<Embodiment 2>
FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the driving assistance device 13 according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 5, the driving support device 13 includes a driving switching unit 4, a vehicle position acquisition unit 14, a map information acquisition unit 15, an illumination change acquisition unit 16, a time information acquisition unit 17, an illumination change estimation and an impact mitigation estimation unit 19 . The operation switching unit 4 is connected to the automatic operation control device 10 . The vehicle position acquisition unit 14 is connected to the high precision locator 20 . The map information acquisition unit 15 is connected to the map information storage device 22 . It is assumed that the driving support device 13, the high-precision locator 20, and the automatic driving control device 10 are installed in the vehicle. Since the operation switching unit 4 is the same as that of the first embodiment, detailed description thereof is omitted here.

The high-precision locator 20 includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) 21 and a map information storage device 22 . GNSS21 acquires a positional information from a GNSS satellite. As for GNSS21, it is desirable to acquire highly precise position information from a GNSS satellite. The map information storage device 22 is composed of a storage device such as a hard disk or a semiconductor memory, for example, and stores map information including at least one of road structure and road shape. The road structure includes at least one of a tunnel entrance, an underground parking garage entrance, a parking garage entrance, and near the top of an uphill. Thus, the map information storage device 22 stores three-dimensional map information. The high-precision locator 20 detects the current position of the vehicle on the map based on the position information acquired by the GNSS 21 and the map information stored by the map information storage device 22 .

The vehicle position acquisition unit 14 acquires the current position of the vehicle from the high precision locator 20 . The map information acquisition unit 15 acquires map information including at least one of road structure and road shape from the map information storage device 22 .

The illuminance change acquisition unit 16 acquires a surrounding illuminance change that indicates an illuminance change around the vehicle. Specifically, the illuminance change acquisition unit 16 acquires the ambient illuminance change from a sensor outside the vehicle (not shown). The vehicle exterior sensor is, for example, a sensor or a camera that detects the illuminance outside the vehicle. When the sensor outside the vehicle is a camera, it is possible to detect changes in ambient illumination by processing images captured by the camera.

The time information acquisition unit 17 acquires time information including the current date and time. Note that the time information acquisition unit 17 may acquire the time information held by the driving support device 13, or may acquire the time information from the outside.

The illumination change estimation unit 18 acquires the current position of the vehicle acquired by the vehicle position acquisition unit 14, the map information acquired by the map information acquisition unit 15, the ambient illumination change acquired by the illumination change acquisition unit 16, and the time information acquisition unit. Based on the time information acquired by 17, the illuminance change around the vehicle is estimated to be so sudden that the driver's vision cannot follow it instantaneously.

For example, the illuminance change estimation unit 18 estimates that when a vehicle approaches an exit while traveling in a tunnel and the illuminance changes, a sudden change in illuminance occurs around the vehicle at the tunnel exit. In this case, the illuminance changes from dark to bright. The fact that the illuminance has changed when approaching the exit of the tunnel can be grasped from the ambient illuminance change acquired by the illuminance change acquiring unit 16 . Also, the illuminance at the tunnel exit can be grasped by estimating the direction of the sun at the tunnel exit from the time information acquired by the time information acquisition unit 17 . The same is true when the vehicle travels toward a tunnel. In this case, the illuminance changes from bright to dark.

The illuminance change estimator 18 estimates that when the vehicle travels toward the sun after turning a curve, there will be a sudden change in illuminance around the vehicle after turning the curve. Alternatively, the illuminance change estimating unit 2 estimates that when the vehicle moves toward the sun after coming out of the shadow of the building, a sudden change in illuminance occurs around the vehicle after coming out of the shadow of the building. In these cases, the illuminance changes from dark to bright. Here, the case of running toward the sun includes the case of running toward the afternoon sun at dusk, the case of running toward the morning sun, and the like.

Note that the illuminance change estimating unit 18 may estimate a sudden illuminance change around the vehicle based only on the surrounding illuminance change acquired by the illuminance change acquiring unit 16 . For example, the illuminance change estimating unit 18 may estimate that a sudden illuminance change has occurred around the vehicle when the illuminance change acquiring unit 16 acquires a surrounding illuminance change due to the headlights of an oncoming vehicle. In this case, the illuminance changes from dark to bright.

Further, the illuminance change estimating unit 18 may estimate that a sudden illuminance change has occurred around the vehicle when the illuminance change acquiring unit 16 acquires a surrounding illuminance change due to reflected light from a forward vehicle. In this case, the illuminance changes from dark to bright. Reflected light from a forward vehicle includes, for example, a glossy tank of a tank truck, a vehicle with a glossy body, and reflected light from a magic mirror attached to the rear glass of the vehicle.

The effect mitigation estimating unit 19 estimates mitigation of the effect of the rapid illuminance change around the vehicle estimated by the illuminance change estimating unit 18 on the driver's vision based on the estimation result of the illuminance change estimating unit 18 . Humans generally have a light adaptation time, which is the time it takes for vision to adjust when the illuminance changes from dark to bright, and a scotopic adaptation time, which is the time it takes for the eyesight to get used to when the illuminance changes from light to dark. It is fixed, and the light adaptation time is shorter than the dark adaptation time.

If the estimation result of the illuminance change estimating unit 18 is a change in illuminance from dark to bright, the effect mitigation estimating unit 19 detects a sudden change in illuminance around the vehicle after the light adaptation time elapses from when the illuminance changes. It is estimated that the impact on Further, when the estimation result of the illuminance change estimating unit 18 is a change in illuminance from bright to dark, the effect mitigation estimating unit 19 causes the driver to notice a sudden change in illuminance around the vehicle after the lapse of the dark adaptation time from when the illuminance has changed. It is presumed that the effect on the visual perception of Information on the light adaptation time and the dark adaptation time may be held by the influence mitigation estimation unit 19 or may be held by the illuminance change estimation unit 18 . Also, the light adaptation time and the dark adaptation time may differ according to the age of the driver.

The automatic driving switching unit 8 instructs the automatic driving control device 10 to switch the driving of the vehicle from manual driving to automatic driving when the illuminance change estimating unit 18 estimates a sudden illuminance change around the vehicle. At this time, the automatic operation switching unit 8 instructs the automatic operation control device 10 to switch from manual operation to automatic operation a predetermined time before the time when the illumination change estimated by the illumination change estimation unit 18 occurs. good too. As described above, for example, when a vehicle approaches the exit of a tunnel, or drives towards the sun after turning a curve, or when the vehicle leaves the shadow of a building and drives towards the sun, illumination change estimation is performed. The unit 18 can preliminarily estimate sudden changes in illuminance around the vehicle. In such a case, the automatic operation switching unit 8 can switch from manual operation to automatic operation before an abrupt change in illuminance actually occurs.

The manual driving switching unit 7 automatically switches the driving of the vehicle from automatic driving to manual driving when the effect mitigation estimating unit 19 estimates the mitigation of the impact on the driver's vision caused by the sudden change in illumination around the vehicle. The control device 10 is instructed. Specifically, when the adaptive time for automatic driving estimated based on the light adaptation time or the dark adaptation time elapses, the manual driving switching unit 7 detects the influence of a sudden change in illuminance around the vehicle on the driver's vision. is estimated to have eased. The adaptive time for automatic driving will be described later.

Each function of the vehicle position acquisition unit 14, the map information acquisition unit 15, the illumination change acquisition unit 16, the time information acquisition unit 17, the illumination change estimation unit 18, and the effect mitigation estimation unit 19 in the driving support device 13 is realized by a processing circuit. be done. That is, the driving support device 13 acquires the current position of the vehicle, acquires map information including at least one of the road structure and road shape, acquires the surrounding illumination change, and time information including the current date and time. and estimates a sudden change in illuminance around the vehicle that the driver's vision cannot follow instantaneously, and based on the estimation result of the illuminance change estimating unit 18, A processing circuit is provided for estimating the mitigation of the driver's visual impact. The processing circuit is a processor 11 executing a program stored in a memory 12 as shown in FIG. The manual operation switching unit 7 and the automatic operation switching unit 8 are the same as the manual operation switching unit 7 and the automatic operation switching unit 8 shown in FIG.

Each function of the vehicle position acquiring unit 14, the map information acquiring unit 15, the illumination change acquiring unit 16, the time information acquiring unit 17, the illumination change estimating unit 18, and the influence mitigation estimating unit 19 in the driving support device 13 includes software, firmware, Alternatively, it is implemented by a combination of software and firmware. As shown in FIG. 3, software or firmware is written as a program and stored in memory 12 . The processing circuit reads out and executes a program stored in the memory 12 to realize the function of each section. That is, the driving support device 13 acquires the current position of the vehicle, acquires map information including at least one of road structure and road shape, acquires changes in ambient illumination, and acquires the current date and time. a step of estimating a change in illuminance around the vehicle that is so sudden that the driver's vision cannot follow it instantaneously; A memory 12 is provided for storing a program that results in the execution of the step of estimating the mitigation of the impact of sudden illumination changes on the driver's vision. In addition, these programs provide the procedures or methods of the vehicle position acquisition unit 14, the map information acquisition unit 15, the illumination change acquisition unit 16, the time information acquisition unit 17, the illumination change estimation unit 18, and the impact mitigation estimation unit 19 to the computer. It can be said that it is something to be executed. The manual operation switching unit 7 and the automatic operation switching unit 8 are the same as the manual operation switching unit 7 and the automatic operation switching unit 8 shown in FIG.

<Action>
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the driving assistance device 13. As shown in FIG. As a premise for the operation of FIG. 6, the vehicle is assumed to be running in manual operation.

In step S201, the illuminance change estimator 18 determines whether or not the vehicle is traveling at a point where a sudden change in illuminance occurs. Examples of points where a sudden change in illuminance occurs include the vicinity of the exit of a tunnel as described above, a point approaching a curve, and a point coming out of the shade of a building. The process of step S201 is repeated until it is determined that the vehicle is traveling at a point where a sudden change in illumination occurs, and when it is determined that the vehicle is traveling at a point where a sudden change in illumination occurs, the process proceeds to step S202.

In step S202, the impact mitigation estimating unit 19 estimates the adaptation time for automatic driving, which is the time during which automatic driving is performed. Specifically, the influence mitigation estimator 19 estimates the adaptive time for automatic driving based on the light adaptation time or the dark adaptation time described above. Note that the adaptive time for automatic driving may be changed as appropriate. For example, when the degree of illumination change is large, the start of automatic operation may be advanced, and when the degree of illumination change is small, the start of automatic operation may be delayed. The adaptation time for automatic driving may be estimated by the illuminance change estimation unit 18 instead of the effect mitigation estimation unit 19 .

In step S203, the automatic driving switching unit 8 instructs the automatic driving control device 10 to switch the driving of the vehicle from manual driving to automatic driving.

In step S204, the impact mitigation estimating unit 19 determines whether or not the adaptive time for automatic driving has elapsed. The process of step S204 is repeated until the adaptive time for automatic driving passes, and when the adaptive time for automatic driving passes, the process proceeds to step S205.

In step S205, the manual driving switching unit 7 instructs the automatic driving control device 10 to switch the driving of the vehicle from automatic driving to manual driving.

From the above, according to the second embodiment, when it is determined that the vehicle is traveling at a point where a sudden change in illuminance occurs, the manual operation is switched to the automatic operation. Switch from automatic to manual operation. As a result, it is possible to prevent the automatic operation from being continued even though the driver is in a state where the manual operation can be performed, and it is possible to smoothly switch from the automatic operation to the manual operation. In addition, since it is possible to estimate in advance the point where a sudden change in illuminance occurs, it is possible to switch from manual operation to automatic operation before a sudden change in illuminance actually occurs.

<Embodiment 3>
<Configuration>
The configuration of the driving assistance device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention is the same as that of the driving assistance device 13 described in Embodiment 2 and shown in FIG. In the following description, it is assumed that the driving assistance device according to the third embodiment is the driving assistance device 13 shown in FIG.

<Action>
FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the driving assistance device 13 according to the third embodiment. As a premise for the operation of FIG. 7, it is assumed that the vehicle is running in manual operation. Steps S301, S304, and S305 in FIG. 7 correspond to steps S201, S204, and S205 in FIG. 6, so description thereof is omitted here. Steps S302 and S303 will be described below.

In step S302, the automatic driving switching unit 8 instructs the automatic driving control device 10 to switch the driving of the vehicle from manual driving to automatic driving.

In step S303, the impact mitigation estimating unit 19 estimates the adaptation time of automatic driving, which is the time during which automatic driving is performed. The estimation is the same as step S202 in FIG.

As described above, according to the third embodiment, as in the second embodiment, it is possible to smoothly switch from automatic operation to manual operation.

<Embodiment 4>
<Configuration>
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the driving assistance device 23 according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 8, the driving support device 23 includes the effect mitigation estimation unit 3 and the state change acquisition unit 6 shown in FIG. 2 described in the first embodiment, and the vehicle position shown in FIG. The acquisition unit 14, the map information acquisition unit 15, the illumination change acquisition unit 16, the time information acquisition unit 17, and the illumination change estimation unit 18 are combined. Note that the operation switching unit 4 has the same functions as in the first and second embodiments. It is assumed that the driving support device 23, the DMS 9, the high-precision locator 20, and the automatic driving control device 10 are mounted on the vehicle.

<Action>
FIG. 9 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the driving support device 23. As shown in FIG. As a premise for the operation in FIG. 9, it is assumed that the vehicle is running in manual operation.

In step S401, the illuminance change estimator 18 determines whether or not the vehicle is traveling at a point where a sudden change in illuminance occurs. The determination is the same as step S201 in FIG. The process of step S401 is repeated until it is determined that the vehicle is traveling at a point where a sudden change in illumination occurs, and when it is determined that the vehicle is traveling at a point where a sudden change in illumination occurs, the process proceeds to step S402.

In step S402, the automatic driving switching unit 8 instructs the automatic driving control device 10 to switch the driving of the vehicle from manual driving to automatic driving.

In step S403, the effect mitigation estimation unit 3 determines whether or not the driver's visibility is normal. The determination is the same as step S103 in FIG. The process of step S403 is repeated until it is determined that the driver's field of vision is normal, and when it is determined that the driver's field of vision is normal, the process proceeds to step S404.

In step S404, the manual driving switching unit 7 instructs the automatic driving control device 10 to switch the driving of the vehicle from automatic driving to manual driving.

As described above, according to the fourth embodiment, when the driver's field of vision returns to normal after the vehicle is switched to automatic operation, automatic operation is switched to manual operation. As a result, it is possible to prevent the automatic operation from being continued even though the driver is in a state where the manual operation can be performed, and it is possible to smoothly switch from the automatic operation to the manual operation.

In Embodiment 2, automatic driving is switched to manual driving when the adaptive time for automatic driving elapses, but the driver may be in a state where manual driving can be performed before the adaptive time for automatic driving elapses. it is conceivable that. In such a case, according to the fourth embodiment, when the driver's visibility returns to normal, the automatic driving is switched to the manual driving. can.

<Embodiment 5>
<Configuration>
FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a driving assistance device 24 according to Embodiment 5 of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 10, the driving support device 24 includes the state change acquisition unit 6 described in the first embodiment and shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle position acquisition unit 14 shown in FIG. It is characterized in that it is configured by combining an acquisition unit 15 , an illuminance change acquisition unit 16 and a time information acquisition unit 17 . Further, the impact mitigation estimation unit 25 has a function of combining the impact mitigation estimation unit 3 shown in FIG. 2 described in the first embodiment and the impact mitigation estimation unit 19 shown in FIG. 5 described in the second embodiment. is doing. Note that the operation switching unit 4 has the same functions as in the first and second embodiments. It is assumed that the driving support device 24, the DMS 9, the high-precision locator 20, and the automatic driving control device 10 are mounted on the vehicle.

<Action>
FIG. 11 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the driving support device 24. As shown in FIG. As a premise for the operation of FIG. 11, it is assumed that the vehicle is running in manual operation.

In step S501, the illuminance change estimator 18 determines whether the vehicle is traveling at a point where a sudden change in illuminance occurs. The determination is the same as step S201 in FIG. The process of step S501 is repeated until it is determined that the vehicle is traveling at a point where a sudden change in illumination occurs, and if it is determined that the vehicle is traveling at a point where a sudden change in illumination occurs, the process proceeds to step S502.

In step S502, the impact mitigation estimating unit 25 estimates the adaptation time of automatic driving, which is the time during which automatic driving is performed. The estimation is the same as step S202 in FIG.

In step S503, the automatic driving switching unit 8 instructs the automatic driving control device 10 to switch the driving of the vehicle from manual driving to automatic driving.

In step S504, the impact mitigation estimation unit 25 determines whether or not the adaptive time for automatic driving has elapsed. The process of step S504 is repeated until the adaptive time for automatic driving elapses, and when the adaptive time for automatic driving elapses, the process proceeds to step S505.

In step S505, the effect mitigation estimation unit 25 determines whether or not the driver's visibility is normal. The determination is the same as step S103 in FIG. The process of step S505 is repeated until it is determined that the driver's field of vision is normal, and when it is determined that the driver's field of vision is normal, the process proceeds to step S506.

In step S506, the manual driving switching unit 7 instructs the automatic driving control device 10 to switch the driving of the vehicle from automatic driving to manual driving.

From the above, according to the fifth embodiment, after the vehicle is switched to automatic operation, the adaptation time of automatic operation has passed, and when the driver's visibility has returned to normal, automatic operation is changed to manual operation. switch to As a result, if the driver's field of vision has not returned to normal even after the adaptive time for automatic driving has elapsed, the automatic driving is not switched to manual driving, so safer driving switching can be performed. That is, it is possible to smoothly switch from automatic operation to manual operation.

The above-described driving assistance device is a system that combines not only an in-vehicle navigation device, that is, a car navigation device, but also a PND (Portable Navigation Device) that can be mounted on a vehicle, a server provided outside the vehicle, etc. as appropriate. It can also be applied to constructed navigation devices or devices other than navigation devices. In this case, each function or each component of the driving assistance device is distributed to each function that constructs the above system.

Specifically, as an example, the functions of the driving assistance device can be arranged in the server. For example, as shown in FIG. 12 , the user side has a DMS 9 and an automatic driving control device 10 . The server 26 also includes a state change acquisition unit 6 , an illuminance change estimation unit 2 , an influence mitigation estimation unit 3 , and an operation switching unit 4 . By setting it as such a structure, a driving assistance system can be constructed|assembled. The same applies to the driving assistance device 13 shown in FIG. 5, the driving assistance device 23 shown in FIG. 8, and the driving assistance device 24 shown in FIG.

In this manner, even with a configuration in which each function of the driving support device is distributed to each function constituting the system, the same effects as those of the above-described embodiment can be obtained.

Also, the software that performs the operations in the above embodiments may be incorporated into a server, for example. A driving support method realized by running this software on a server estimates changes in illumination around the vehicle that are so sudden that the driver's vision cannot follow them instantaneously. It is to estimate the mitigation of the impact on the vision of the driver who drives the vehicle, and when the mitigation of the impact is estimated, switch the driving of the vehicle from automatic driving to manual driving.

In this way, the same effect as the above embodiment can be obtained by installing the software for executing the operation in the above embodiment into the server and operating it.

In addition, within the scope of the invention, each embodiment can be freely combined, and each embodiment can be appropriately modified or omitted.

While the present invention has been described in detail, the foregoing description is, in all its aspects, illustrative and not intended to limit the invention. It is understood that numerous variations not illustrated can be envisioned without departing from the scope of the invention.

1 driving support device, 2 illuminance change estimation unit, 3 effect mitigation estimation unit, 4 driving switching unit, 5 driving support device, 6 state change acquiring unit, 7 manual driving switching unit, 8 automatic driving switching unit, 9 DMS, 10 automatic Operation control device 11 Processor 12 Memory 13 Driving support device 14 Vehicle position acquisition unit 15 Map information acquisition unit 16 Illumination change acquisition unit 17 Time information acquisition unit 18 Illumination change estimation unit 19 Impact mitigation estimation unit , 20 high-precision locator, 21 GNSS, 22 map information storage device, 23, 24 driving support device, 25 impact mitigation estimation unit, 26 server.

Claims (18)

an illuminance change estimating unit for estimating an illuminance change around the vehicle that is so sudden that the driver's vision cannot follow it instantaneously;
an impact mitigation estimating unit that estimates mitigation of the impact of the illuminance change estimated by the illuminance change estimating unit on the vision of the driver driving the vehicle;
When the illuminance change estimating unit estimates the abrupt illuminance change, switching the driving of the vehicle from manual driving to automatic driving, and thereafter, when the impact mitigation estimating unit estimates mitigation of the impact, driving the vehicle an operation switching unit that switches from automatic operation to manual operation;
with
The mitigation of the impact estimated by the impact mitigation estimating unit is mitigation of poor visibility of the driver caused by the illumination change estimated by the illumination change estimating unit,
a vehicle position acquisition unit that acquires the current position of the vehicle;
a map information acquisition unit that acquires map information including at least one of road structure and road shape;
an illuminance change acquisition unit that acquires a peripheral illuminance change indicating an illuminance change around the vehicle;
A driving assistance device further comprising : 2. The driving support device according to claim 1, further comprising a state change acquisition unit that acquires a state change of at least one of the driver's face and eyes. 3. The illuminance change estimator according to claim 2, wherein the illuminance change estimator estimates the illuminance change based on the state change of at least one of the driver's face and eyes acquired by the state change acquisition unit. driving assistance device. The state change acquisition unit acquires a change in pupil size of the driver,
3. The driving assistance device according to claim 2, wherein the illumination change estimation unit estimates that the illumination has changed when the size of the pupil becomes smaller than a predetermined size. The state change acquisition unit acquires at least one of a change in the opening and closing of the driver's eyelids, a change in the facial expression of the driver, and a change in the orientation of the driver's face,
The illuminance change estimating unit estimates the illuminance change based on at least one of a change in the opening and closing of the driver's eyelids, a change in the facial expression of the driver, and a change in the orientation of the driver's face. 3. The driving support device according to claim 2, wherein the estimation is performed. 3. The effect mitigation estimation unit estimates the mitigation based on the state change of at least one of the driver's face and eyes acquired by the state change acquisition unit. Driving assistance device. The driving switching unit switches the driving of the vehicle from the manual driving to the automatic driving when the illumination change estimating unit estimates the illumination change, and changes a control parameter or an automatic driving level related to the automatic driving. Driving assistance device according to claim 2, characterized in that. The illuminance change estimating unit performs the above based on the current position acquired by the vehicle position acquiring unit, the map information acquired by the map information acquiring unit, and the surrounding illuminance change acquired by the illuminance change acquiring unit. 2. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 , wherein the illumination change is estimated. 2. The driving support device according to claim 1 , wherein the road structure includes at least one of a tunnel entrance, an underground parking lot entrance, a multi-storey parking lot entrance, and the vicinity of the top of an uphill. . The illuminance change estimator estimates that the illuminance has changed when the vehicle travels toward the sun after turning a curve, or when the vehicle travels toward the sun after leaving behind a building. The driving assistance device according to claim 8 , wherein: 2. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 , wherein said influence mitigation estimating section estimates said mitigation based on an estimation result of said illumination change estimating section. The effect mitigation estimator determines a light adaptation time, which is the time required for the driver's vision to become accustomed when the illuminance changes from dark to bright, or the driver's visual acuity when the illuminance changes from light to dark. 12. The driving assistance device according to claim 11 , wherein said relaxation is estimated when a dark adaptation time, which is a time for acclimatization, has elapsed. 13. The driving support device according to claim 12 , wherein the light adaptation time and the dark adaptation time differ according to the age of the driver. The driving switching unit switches the driving of the vehicle from the manual driving to the automatic driving when the illumination change estimating unit estimates the illumination change, and changes a control parameter or an automatic driving level related to the automatic driving. 9. Driving assistance device according to claim 8 . further comprising a state change acquisition unit that acquires a state change of at least one of the driver's face and eyes,
9. The driving support device according to claim 8 , wherein the driving switching unit switches driving of the vehicle from the manual driving to the automatic driving when the illumination change estimating unit estimates the illumination change. 16. The method according to claim 15 , wherein the effect mitigation estimator estimates the mitigation based on the state change of at least one of the driver's face and eyes acquired by the state change acquisition unit. Driving assistance device. The effect mitigation estimating unit is also based on the current position acquired by the vehicle position acquiring unit, the map information acquired by the map information acquiring unit, and the ambient illumination change acquired by the illumination change acquiring unit. 17. Driving assistance device according to claim 16 , characterized in that the mitigation is estimated. A driving support method realized by the operation of a computer including an illumination change estimation unit, an impact mitigation estimation unit, a driving switching unit, a vehicle position acquisition unit, a map information acquisition unit, and an illumination change acquisition unit,
The illuminance change estimating unit estimates an illuminance change around the vehicle that is so sudden that the driver's vision cannot follow it instantaneously,
The effect mitigation estimating unit estimates mitigation of the effect of the illumination change estimated by the illumination change estimating unit on the vision of the driver driving the vehicle,
The driving switching unit switches the driving of the vehicle from manual driving to automatic driving when the illuminance change estimating unit estimates the sudden illuminance change, and then the impact mitigation estimating unit estimates mitigation of the impact. When switching the operation of the vehicle from automatic operation to manual operation,
The mitigation of the impact estimated by the impact mitigation estimating unit is mitigation of poor visibility of the driver caused by the illumination change estimated by the illumination change estimating unit ,
The vehicle position acquisition unit acquires the current position of the vehicle,
the map information acquisition unit acquires map information including at least one of road structure and road shape;
The driving support method , wherein the illumination change acquisition unit acquires a surrounding illumination change indicating an illumination change around the vehicle .

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