JP7488689B2 - Vehicle driving support device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle driving assistance device.

When driving a vehicle such as an automobile, it can be uncomfortable for the following vehicle to follow for a long period of time while maintaining a certain distance between the vehicles. In response to this, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which the leading vehicle receives a notification via vehicle-to-vehicle communication that the following vehicle is performing following control to follow the leading vehicle while maintaining a certain distance between the vehicles, and the leading vehicle then notifies the leading vehicle.

JP 2013-069178 A

However, in the following cruise control system described in Patent Document 1, even if the driver or operator of the leading vehicle (hereinafter collectively referred to as the "operator") does not care about or is unaware of the following vehicle, frequent notifications are issued in the leading vehicle, which may be annoyed to the operator. On the other hand, if the following vehicle is attempting to overtake the leading vehicle, smooth traffic will be impeded if the operator of the leading vehicle is unaware of the following vehicle's intention to overtake. In such a case, even if the operator of the leading vehicle has already noticed the following vehicle and is attempting to have the following vehicle overtake, frequent notifications of the presence of the following vehicle may be annoyed to the operator.

The present invention was made in consideration of the above problems, and the purpose of the present invention is to provide a vehicle driving assistance device that controls notifications to the occupants of the vehicle regarding the driving of the following vehicle based on whether or not the operator of the preceding vehicle recognizes the following vehicle, thereby reducing the annoyance felt by the occupants of the preceding vehicle.

In order to solve the above problem, according to one aspect of the present invention, a driving assistance device for a vehicle is provided that includes a vehicle distance determination unit that determines the vehicle distance between the vehicle itself and a following vehicle, a mirror visibility determination unit that determines whether an occupant of the vehicle itself has seen the rearview mirror, a notification control unit that controls notifications to an occupant of the vehicle itself regarding the driving of the following vehicle based on the vehicle distance and the determination result of whether the occupant of the vehicle itself has seen the rearview mirror, and a driving mode determination unit that determines whether the following vehicle is in automatic driving or manual driving, and the notification control unit notifies the occupant that the following vehicle is in automatic driving when the vehicle distance between the vehicle itself and the following vehicle is less than a first threshold value, the following vehicle is determined to be in automatic driving, and the occupant of the vehicle itself has seen the rearview mirror.

In addition, in the driving assistance device for the vehicle, the driving mode determination unit may determine that the following vehicle is in autonomous driving mode when the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the following vehicle is less than a first threshold value, the relative speed of the following vehicle to the host vehicle is less than a first vehicle speed threshold value for a predetermined time or more, and the variation in the relative speed within the predetermined time is within a predetermined range.

In addition, in the driving assistance device for the vehicle, the notification control unit may superimpose a notification for the vehicle occupants on the rearview mirror.

In addition, in the driving assistance device for the vehicle, when the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the following vehicle is less than a first threshold value and it is determined that the following vehicle is being manually driven, the notification control unit may notify the presence of the following vehicle regardless of the determination result of the mirror visibility determination unit.

In addition, in the driving assistance device for the vehicle, the notification control unit may notify that a following vehicle is approaching when the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the following vehicle is greater than a first threshold value and less than a second threshold value greater than the first threshold value, the relative speed of the following vehicle to the host vehicle is equal to or greater than the first vehicle speed threshold value, and an occupant of the host vehicle is not looking at the rearview mirror.

In addition, in the driving assistance device for the vehicle, the notification control unit may notify that the following vehicle is in an overtaking operation, regardless of the determination result of the mirror visibility determination unit, when the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the following vehicle is greater than a first threshold value and less than a third threshold value that is smaller than the second threshold value, and the relative speed of the following vehicle with respect to the host vehicle exceeds a second vehicle speed threshold value that is greater than the first vehicle speed threshold value.

In addition, in the driving assistance device for the vehicle, the notification control unit may notify the following vehicle that it is attempting to overtake, and may also notify the occupants of the vehicle to urge them not to interfere with the following vehicle's overtaking.

As described above, according to the present invention, notifications to the vehicle occupants regarding the driving of the following vehicle can be controlled based on whether or not the operator of the leading vehicle is aware of the following vehicle, thereby reducing the annoyance felt by the occupants of the leading vehicle.

1 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of a vehicle driving assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention; 11 is an explanatory diagram showing whether or not a notification can be executed by a notification control unit and the contents of the notification. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of an operation of the vehicle driving assistance device according to the embodiment.

The preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached drawings. Note that in this specification and the drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are designated by the same reference numerals to avoid redundant description.

1. Configuration example of a vehicle driving assistance device
First, a configuration example of a vehicle driving support device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of a vehicle driving support device 10 according to the present embodiment.

The driving assistance device 10 includes a following vehicle detector 41, a vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 43, a notification unit 31, and an electronic control unit 50.

The following vehicle detector 41 is a detector used to confirm the presence of a following vehicle and to calculate the distance and relative speed between the following vehicle and the vehicle itself. The output signal of the following vehicle detector 41 is transmitted to the electronic control unit 50. The following vehicle detector 41 includes, for example, at least one of a radar sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a camera. The radar sensor and the ultrasonic sensor transmit electromagnetic waves or ultrasonic waves toward the rear of the vehicle and receive reflected waves of the transmitted electromagnetic waves or ultrasonic waves to detect the distance to the following vehicle. The camera captures an image of the rear of the vehicle and detects the distance to the following vehicle based on the captured image. The following vehicle detector 41 may include a detector other than a radar sensor, an ultrasonic sensor, or a camera.

The vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 43 is a device for transmitting and receiving signals between other vehicles that are within a predetermined distance from the vehicle. In this embodiment, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 43 receives predetermined information from at least the following vehicle. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 43 outputs the received information to the electronic control device 50. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 43 may include at least one of a communication device that transmits and receives signals of a predetermined communication standard, or a communication device that transmits or receives visible light such as infrared light.

The occupant detector 45 is installed so as to be able to detect at least the line of sight of the person operating the vehicle. The occupant detector 45 includes a camera installed inside the vehicle cabin. The output signal of the occupant detector 45 is transmitted to the electronic control unit 50. The electronic control unit 50 determines whether the person operating the vehicle recognizes a following vehicle based on the output signal of the occupant detector 45. The occupant detector 45 may be provided in an inner mirror installed inside the vehicle cabin so that the person operating the vehicle can check the rear.

The notification unit 31 is controlled by the electronic control unit 50 and notifies the occupants of the vehicle of information related to the traveling of the following vehicle. The notification unit 31 notifies the occupants by at least one of sound, voice, light emission, and display. In this embodiment, the notification unit 31 includes a speaker and a display device. The display device includes at least one of a display device provided in the inner mirror, a meter panel in the instrument panel, or a multi-function display (MFD: Multi-Function Display) that displays the navigation display of the navigation system and various other displays. The display device provided in the inner mirror is configured as a display device such as a liquid crystal panel that displays an image captured by a rear camera, and may have a function as the notification unit 31 that displays information related to the traveling of the following vehicle superimposed on the captured image. The display device may be a HUD (Head Up Display) that projects on the front window. In addition, the notification unit 31 may be a warning lamp that lights up or flashes a light, or a vibration device that transmits vibrations to the operator. The notification unit 31 is not limited to the above example, and may be any device capable of notifying the operator.

The electronic control device 50 is configured with, for example, an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), and storage elements such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory). A part or all of the electronic control device 50 may be configured with updatable elements such as firmware, or may be a program module executed by commands from the CPU, etc.

In this embodiment, the electronic control device 50 includes a calculation processing device 53 and a storage unit 55. The calculation processing device 53 is configured with at least one CPU or MPU as described above, and executes various calculation processes by executing programs stored in the storage unit 55. The calculation processing device 53 includes a vehicle distance determination unit 61, a driving mode determination unit 63, a mirror visibility determination unit 65, and a notification control unit 67. Specifically, each of these units of the calculation processing device 53 is a function realized by the execution of a program by the calculation processing device 53. The storage unit 55 may include a storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a compact disc (CD), a digital versatile disc (DVD), a solid state drive (SSD), a universal serial bus (USB) flash, a storage device, etc., in addition to, or instead of, a storage element such as a RAM or ROM.

The electronic control unit 50 is connected to the following vehicle detector 41, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 43, the occupant detector 45, and the notification unit 31 directly or via a communication line such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) or a LIN (Local Inter-Net).

The vehicle distance determination unit 61 determines the vehicle distance between the vehicle itself and the following vehicle based on the output signal of the following vehicle detector 41. The vehicle distance determination unit 61 may obtain information on the vehicle distance calculated by the following vehicle detector 41, or may calculate the vehicle distance itself based on the output signal of the following vehicle detector 41. The vehicle distance determination unit 61 calculates the vehicle distance between the vehicle itself and the following vehicle at a predetermined time interval.

The driving mode determination unit 63 determines whether the following vehicle is in automatic driving or manual driving based on the output signal of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 43. Specifically, the driving mode determination unit 63 determines whether the driving mode of the following vehicle is in a following driving mode. The following driving mode is an automatic driving mode that controls the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle so that a predetermined distance is maintained between the following vehicle and the preceding vehicle. The driving mode determination unit 63 determines that the driving mode of the following vehicle is in the following driving mode based on a signal indicating that the following vehicle is in the following driving mode, which is transmitted from the following vehicle via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 43.

In addition, in cases where the manufacturer of the following vehicle is the same as the manufacturer of the vehicle itself, the driving mode determination unit 63 may refer to the setting information of the control program software of the following vehicle's following driving mode stored in advance in the storage unit 55, and estimate the current setting of the following driving mode based on the position and speed of the following vehicle. Alternatively, if the driving mode determination unit 63 is capable of transmitting and receiving information by visible light communication such as infrared light, it may determine whether the following vehicle is in the following driving mode based on information transmitted from the following vehicle. In addition, the driving mode determination unit 63 may determine whether the following vehicle is capable of automatic driving control in the following driving mode from the model of the following vehicle based on image information from the rear camera.

Alternatively, the driving mode determination unit 63 may determine that the following vehicle is in autonomous driving when the vehicle distance between the vehicle itself and the following vehicle is less than a predetermined first threshold, the relative speed of the following vehicle to the vehicle itself is less than a predetermined first vehicle speed threshold for a predetermined time or more, and the variation in the relative speed within the predetermined time is within a predetermined range. The first threshold for the vehicle distance can be determined according to the vehicle distance that is normally formed when the vehicle is set to the following driving mode of the autonomous driving. For example, when the vehicle is set to the following driving mode, if the operator can select a guideline for the vehicle distance from multiple levels, the first threshold is set to a value that exceeds the maximum vehicle distance. This makes it possible to suppress erroneous determinations in which the following vehicle is not determined to be in autonomous driving even though it is in autonomous driving. The first threshold may be variable according to the vehicle speed of the vehicle itself or the following vehicle.

The first vehicle speed threshold for the relative speed can be determined according to the relative speed that can normally occur when the autonomous driving is set to the following driving mode. Specifically, in the following driving mode, the acceleration/deceleration of the following vehicle is controlled so that the inter-vehicle distance becomes a predetermined target value even when the speed of the leading vehicle changes, and the first vehicle speed threshold can be set taking into consideration the maximum value of the relative speed that can occur at that time. The relative speed of the following vehicle with respect to the host vehicle can be obtained based on the amount of change in the inter-vehicle distance detected using the following vehicle detector 41. The first vehicle speed threshold may be variable according to the speed of the host vehicle or the following vehicle.

Furthermore, the predetermined time is set in advance, for example, statistically or through simulation, as the time when it is estimated that the person operating the vehicle will begin to feel annoyed.

The mirror visibility determination unit 65 determines whether the subject of operation has looked at the rearview mirror. The mirror visibility determination unit 65 identifies the direction of the subject of operation's gaze based on the image information output from the camera serving as the occupant detector 45, and determines whether the subject of operation is looking at the inner mirror or side mirror. The method of identifying the direction of the subject of operation's gaze based on the captured image can be performed by conventionally known image processing. For example, the mirror visibility determination unit 65 may determine that the subject of operation has viewed the mirror when the subject of operation's gaze is directed toward the inner mirror or side mirror for 0.5 to 1.0 seconds or more. If it is determined that the subject of operation has viewed the mirror, it is presumed that the subject of operation recognizes the following vehicle through the inner mirror or side mirror.

The notification control unit 67 controls the notification unit 31, and controls notifications to the occupants of the vehicle regarding the driving of the following vehicle based on the distance between the vehicle and the following vehicle and the result of the determination of whether the main operator has looked at the rearview mirror. The notification control unit 67 determines whether or not to execute a notification and the content of the notification depending on whether the following vehicle is attempting to overtake or is following at a certain distance, and further depending on whether the main operator has looked at the rearview mirror.

The notification by the notification control unit 67 may be a sound or voice notification, or may be a display on the display. The display on the display may be a display using symbols or animation, or may be a text display.

2 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of whether or not the notification by the notification control unit 67 can be executed and the content of the notification. When the vehicle distance L between the vehicle and the following vehicle is less than a predetermined first threshold value X1, the following vehicle is determined to be in automatic driving, and an occupant of the vehicle looks at the rearview mirror, the notification control unit 67 notifies the subject of the operation of the vehicle that the following vehicle is in automatic driving by displaying and sounding the following distance. In other words, when the following vehicle is following the vehicle while maintaining a certain vehicle distance by automatic driving, when the subject of the operation of the vehicle looks at the rearview mirror and can determine that the subject of the operation of the vehicle is concerned about the following vehicle, the notification control unit 67 notifies the subject of the operation of the vehicle that the following vehicle distance is acquired via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 43 or may also be notified of the set vehicle distance detected by the vehicle distance determination unit 61. This notifies the subject of the operation of the vehicle that the driver of the following vehicle is not intentionally following the vehicle by manual driving, and can reduce the discomfort of the subject of the operation of the vehicle.

If the notification at this time includes display on a display device, the notification control unit 67 preferably superimposes the notification for the occupants of the vehicle on a rearview mirror such as an inner mirror or a side mirror. In this case, the notification control unit 67 preferably superimposes the display on the mirror that the subject operator of the vehicle is looking at. This allows the subject operator to view the display without changing their field of view when looking at the mirror.

In addition, when the vehicle distance L between the vehicle and the following vehicle is less than the first threshold value X1 and the following vehicle is determined to be manually driven, the notification control unit 67 notifies the operator of the vehicle by voice and display that the following vehicle is manually driven, regardless of the determination result of the mirror visibility determination unit 65. In other words, when the following vehicle is manually driven while maintaining a certain distance from the vehicle, the notification control unit 67 notifies the operator of the vehicle of the presence of a manually driven following vehicle. At this time, if the vehicle is traveling at a speed below the speed limit, the notification control unit 67 also notifies the operator to accelerate the vehicle up to the speed limit or to allow the following vehicle to overtake. This makes it possible to encourage the operator not to disrupt smooth traffic.

In the case where the notification at this time includes display on a display device, it is preferable that the notification control unit 67 superimposes the display on a rearview mirror such as an inner mirror or a side mirror at least when the occupant of the vehicle is looking at the rearview mirror, thereby enabling the operator to view the display without changing his/her field of vision when looking at the mirror.
In addition, the notification control unit 67 may generate a control command to a control device that controls the driving force, braking force, and steering angle of the electric power steering of the vehicle to accelerate the vehicle up to the speed limit when the vehicle is traveling at a speed below the speed limit, or generate a control command to change the vehicle's traveling position to allow a following vehicle to overtake.

In addition, the notification control unit 67 notifies the driver of the approaching vehicle by voice and display when the vehicle distance L between the vehicle and the following vehicle is equal to or greater than the first threshold value X1 and less than the second threshold value X2 that is greater than the first threshold value X1, the relative speed ΔV of the following vehicle with respect to the vehicle is equal to or greater than the first vehicle speed threshold value ΔV1, and the driver of the vehicle is not looking at the rearview mirror. In other words, when the following vehicle is approaching the vehicle by manual driving, the notification control unit 67 notifies the driver of the possibility that the following vehicle is about to overtake the vehicle. This allows the driver of the vehicle who is unaware of the following vehicle to be informed of the approach of the following vehicle, thereby making it possible to smooth traffic. The second threshold value X2 of the vehicle distance can be set to a value of the vehicle distance L that allows sufficient time to prepare for the following vehicle's overtaking action. The second threshold value X2 may be variable depending on the vehicle speed of the vehicle or the following vehicle.

Even if the inter-vehicle distance L between the host vehicle and the following vehicle is equal to or greater than the first threshold value X1 and less than the second threshold value X2, and the relative speed ΔV of the following vehicle to the host vehicle is equal to or greater than the first vehicle speed threshold ΔV1, if an occupant of the host vehicle is looking at the rearview mirror, the operator of the host vehicle is considered to have already noticed the approach of the following vehicle, and therefore the notification control unit 67 does not issue a notification. Therefore, the discomfort of the driver can be suppressed. Also, even if the inter-vehicle distance L between the host vehicle and the following vehicle is equal to or greater than the first threshold value X1 and less than the second threshold value X2, if the relative speed ΔV of the following vehicle to the host vehicle is less than the first vehicle speed threshold ΔV1, the inter-vehicle distance L is secured and the following vehicle is not approaching suddenly, so no notification is issued.

Furthermore, the notification control unit 67 may notify the following vehicle by voice and display that the following vehicle is in an overtaking operation regardless of the judgment result of the mirror visibility judgment unit 65 when the vehicle distance L between the host vehicle and the following vehicle is equal to or greater than the first threshold value X1 and less than the third threshold value X3 smaller than the second threshold value X2, and the relative speed ΔV of the following vehicle with respect to the host vehicle is equal to or greater than the second vehicle speed threshold value ΔV2 larger than the first vehicle speed threshold value ΔV1. In other words, when the following vehicle is overtaking the host vehicle by manual driving, the notification is made so that the following vehicle does not get in the way of the following vehicle. This allows the following vehicle to smoothly overtake the host vehicle, thereby making traffic smooth. The third threshold value X3 of the vehicle distance L can be set to an appropriate value assuming the vehicle distance that the following vehicle may approach the host vehicle immediately before overtaking the host vehicle. In addition, the second vehicle speed threshold value ΔV2 of the relative speed can be set according to the value of the relative vehicle speed that the following vehicle may form immediately before overtaking the host vehicle. The third threshold value X3 and the second vehicle speed threshold value ΔV2 may also be variable depending on the vehicle speed of the host vehicle or the following vehicle.

In the case where the notification at this time includes display on a display device, it is preferable that the notification control unit 67 superimposes the display on a rearview mirror such as an inner mirror or a side mirror at least when the occupant of the vehicle is looking at the rearview mirror, etc. This allows the operator to view the display without changing his/her field of vision when looking at the mirror.
In addition, the notification control unit 67 may generate a control command to a control device that controls the driving force, braking force, and steering angle of the electric power steering of the vehicle to accelerate the vehicle up to the speed limit when the vehicle is traveling at a speed below the speed limit, or generate a control command to change the vehicle's traveling position to allow a following vehicle to overtake.

2. Operational Example of Vehicle Driving Assistance Device
Next, an example of the operation of the vehicle driving assistance device 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a flow chart that shows an outline of an example of the operation of the electronic control unit 50 of the vehicle driving assistance device 10.

First, the vehicle distance determination unit 61 of the electronic control unit 50 determines whether or not a following vehicle is present based on the output signal from the following vehicle detector 41 (step S11). Specifically, the vehicle distance determination unit 61 determines whether or not a following vehicle is present based on the shape and position of an object detected by the rear radar sensor. Alternatively, the vehicle distance determination unit 61 determines whether or not a following vehicle is present based on an image captured by the rear camera.

If step S11 is judged as negative (S11/No), the routine is terminated. On the other hand, if step S11 is judged as positive (S11/Yes), the vehicle distance judgment unit 61 calculates the vehicle distance L between the vehicle and the following vehicle based on the output signal from the following vehicle detector 41, and calculates the relative speed ΔV of the following vehicle with respect to the vehicle based on the change in the vehicle distance L (step S13).

Next, the notification control unit 67 of the electronic control unit 50 calculates whether the calculated inter-vehicle distance L is less than the first threshold value X1 and the relative speed ΔV is less than the first vehicle speed threshold value Y1 (step S15). If step S15 is judged to be positive (S15/Yes), the notification control unit 67 judges that the following vehicle is following the host vehicle while maintaining a constant inter-vehicle distance (step S17).

Next, the notification control unit 67 determines whether the elapsed time t1 since the state in which the judgment condition of step S15 is satisfied reaches a preset predetermined time Z and whether the variation in the relative speed ΔV within the predetermined time Z is within a predetermined range (step S19). In the example of the flowchart shown in FIG. 3, whether the variation in the relative speed ΔV is within the predetermined range is determined by whether the standard deviation of the relative speed ΔV is less than a predetermined threshold value YSD.

If step S19 is a positive judgment (S19/Yes), the notification control unit 67 determines whether or not the subject of operation of the vehicle is viewing the rearview mirror based on the output signal from the occupant detector 45 (step S21). Specifically, the notification control unit 67 determines whether or not the mirror viewing judgment unit 65 has determined that the subject of operation is looking toward the rearview mirror based on the output signal from the occupant detector 45.

If step S21 is a negative judgment (S21/No), this routine is terminated as is, whereas if step S21 is a positive judgment (S21/Yes), the notification control unit 67 notifies the subject that the following vehicle is following the subject's vehicle in the following driving mode of the automatic driving (step S23). At this time, the notification control unit 67 displays a superimposed message on the rearview mirror to notify the subject that the following vehicle is following the subject's vehicle in the following driving mode of the automatic driving, in accordance with the timing when the subject of operation is looking at the rearview mirror. This allows the specified notification to be sent only when the subject of operation is looking at the rearview mirror, making it possible to prevent the subject of operation from feeling uncomfortable.

On the other hand, if step S19 is negative (S19/No), the notification control unit 67 notifies the following vehicle that it is following the vehicle by manual driving (step S25). Next, if the vehicle is traveling below the speed limit, the notification control unit 67 issues at least one of a notification urging the vehicle to accelerate up to the speed limit or a notification urging the following vehicle to give way (step S27). This reduces the risk of disrupting smooth traffic. Note that if the vehicle is under automatic driving control, in step S27, the notification is issued and a command to accelerate or decelerate the vehicle or change its traveling position may be output.

Returning to step S15 above, if step S15 is judged negative (S15/No), the notification control unit 67 determines whether the vehicle distance L is less than the second threshold X2 that is greater than the first threshold X1, the relative speed ΔV is equal to or greater than the first vehicle speed threshold Y1, and the operator is not looking at the rearview mirror (step S29). If step S29 is judged negative (S29/No), the routine is terminated, whereas if step S29 is judged positive (S29/Yes), the notification control unit 67 notifies the operator that a following vehicle is approaching the vehicle (step S31).

Next, the notification control unit 67 determines whether the inter-vehicle distance L is less than a third threshold X3 that is greater than the first threshold X1 and less than the second threshold X2, and whether the relative speed ΔV is equal to or greater than a second vehicle speed threshold Y2 that is greater than the first vehicle speed threshold Y1 (step S33). If the result of step S33 is negative (S33/No), the routine ends. If the result of step S33 is positive (S33/Yes), the notification control unit 67 notifies the driver that the following vehicle is overtaking the driver's vehicle (step S35). Furthermore, the notification control unit 67 issues a notification urging the driver not to interfere with the overtaking operation of the following vehicle (step S37). This reduces the risk of disrupting smooth traffic.

As described above, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 according to this embodiment determines whether the following vehicle is attempting to overtake or is following at a certain distance when there is a following vehicle, and notifies the operator of the vehicle. At that time, whether or not the notification is issued and the content of the notification differ depending on whether the operator is viewing the rearview mirror. This makes it possible to prevent the operator of the vehicle from feeling uncomfortable due to the notification, and also reduces the risk of disrupting smooth traffic.

For example, if a following vehicle is following the vehicle at a fixed distance in autonomous driving following mode, the operator is notified that the following vehicle is driving autonomously if he or she is looking at the rearview mirror. Therefore, if there is no risk of a rear-end collision with the vehicle due to the autonomous driving control of the following vehicle, notification is only given if the operator of the vehicle is looking at the rearview mirror, ensuring safety and reducing the operator's discomfort.

In addition, if a following vehicle is manually driving and following the vehicle at a certain distance, the operator is notified that the following vehicle is manually driving, and is notified of the vehicle's speed and urged to yield to the following vehicle. This makes it possible to urge the operator not to allow the vehicle to interfere with smooth traffic flow.

In addition, if a following vehicle is approaching or attempting to overtake the vehicle through manual driving, the operator is notified of the approach of the following vehicle or is prompted not to interfere with the following vehicle's attempt to overtake. This makes it possible to prompt the operator not to allow the vehicle to interfere with smooth traffic flow.

The above describes in detail preferred embodiments of the present invention with reference to the attached drawings, but the present invention is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person with ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present invention pertains can conceive of various modified or revised examples within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

10...vehicle driving assistance device, 31...notification unit, 41...following vehicle detector, 43...vehicle-to-vehicle communication device, 45...occupant detector, 50...electronic control device, 53...control unit, 55...storage unit, 61...inter-vehicle distance determination unit, 63...driving mode determination unit, 65...mirror visibility determination unit, 67...notification control unit

Claims (7)

a vehicle distance determination unit that determines a vehicle distance between the host vehicle and a following vehicle;
a mirror visibility determination unit that determines whether or not an occupant of the vehicle looks at a rearview mirror;
a notification control unit that controls a notification to an occupant of the host vehicle regarding the traveling of the following vehicle based on the vehicle-to-vehicle distance and a determination result of whether or not an occupant of the host vehicle has looked at a rearview mirror;
A driving mode determination unit that determines whether the following vehicle is in an automatic driving mode or a manual driving mode,
The notification control unit is a vehicle driving assistance device that notifies the driver that the following vehicle is operating autonomously when the vehicle-to-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the following vehicle is less than a first threshold value, the following vehicle is determined to be operating autonomously, and an occupant of the vehicle looks at the rearview mirror. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the driving mode determination unit determines that the following vehicle is in autonomous driving mode when the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the following vehicle is less than the first threshold, the relative speed of the following vehicle to the host vehicle is less than a first vehicle speed threshold for a predetermined time or more, and the variation in the relative speed within the predetermined time is within a predetermined range. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the notification control unit superimposes a notification for an occupant of the vehicle on the rearview mirror. The vehicle driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the notification control unit notifies the driver of the presence of the following vehicle when the vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the following vehicle is less than the first threshold value and the following vehicle is determined to be manually driven, regardless of the determination result of the mirror visibility determination unit. 3. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 2, wherein the notification control unit notifies the driver that the following vehicle is approaching when a vehicle-to-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the following vehicle is greater than the first threshold value and less than a second threshold value greater than the first threshold value, a relative speed of the following vehicle with respect to the host vehicle is equal to or greater than the first vehicle speed threshold value, and an occupant of the host vehicle is not looking at a rearview mirror. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 5, wherein the notification control unit notifies the following vehicle that the following vehicle is in an overtaking operation regardless of the determination result of the mirror visibility determination unit when the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the following vehicle is greater than the first threshold value and less than a third threshold value that is smaller than the second threshold value, and the relative speed of the following vehicle with respect to the host vehicle exceeds a second vehicle speed threshold value that is greater than the first vehicle speed threshold value. The vehicle driving assistance device according to claim 6, wherein the notification control unit notifies the driver of the vehicle that the following vehicle is in an overtaking operation and notifies the driver of the vehicle not to interfere with the overtaking operation of the following vehicle.

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