JP2014071628A - Drive support system, drive support program, and drive support method - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To support driving appropriately considering not only a state of a driver but also a driving condition.SOLUTION: A drive support system includes: a state information obtainment unit 11 for obtaining driver state information; a drowsiness determination unit 12 for determining a degree of drowsiness on the basis of the driver state information; a self position identification unit 13 for identifying a present vehicle position; a destination information obtainment unit 14 for obtaining destination information; a required-time calculation unit 15 for calculating required-time on the basis of the self position information and destination information; a support content determination unit 17 for determining a support content including a continuous travel support for continuing travelling and a rest support for prompting the driver to rest, on the basis of a determining condition including the destination information and required-time in a case where the driver is determined to be sustaining a degree of drowsiness more than a determination reference value; and a stimulus provision unit 5 for providing the driver with various stimuli in accordance with the support content.

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving support technology that supports driving of a vehicle by a driver.

  There has been proposed a driving support system that detects a driver's state and biological information, determines the condition (physical condition) of the driver, and supports safe driving. Such support includes, for example, providing a stimulus for awakening to a driver who is drowsy. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2008-186181 (Patent Document 1) proposes a wakefulness maintaining apparatus configured so that a driver can accept a stimulus without a sense of incongruity. This wakefulness maintenance device divides the drowsiness level into three ranges (stimulus non-presentation range / conditional stimulus presentation range / stimulus presentation range), and provides stimuli with awakening effect in three different modes depending on each range. Configured to give to the driver. As is clear from the fact that the stimulus non-presentation range is set, these forms include forms that do not give a stimulus (paragraphs 30 to 34, summary, etc.). Thus, in this wakefulness maintenance device, the way of applying stimuli having a wakefulness effect is varied in different forms depending on the sleepiness level. However, the necessity and effect of arousal due to stimulation are not limited to the driver's condition such as sleepiness level, and may vary depending on the driving situation such as the destination and the time zone.

JP 2008-186181 A

  In view of the above-described background, it is desired to provide a technique for appropriately supporting driving in consideration of not only the driver's condition but also driving conditions.

The characteristic configuration of the driving support system according to the present invention in view of the above problems is as follows.
A state information acquisition unit for acquiring driver state information indicating a state of a driver driving the vehicle;
A drowsiness determination unit that determines the degree of drowsiness of the driver based on the driver status information;
A self-position identifying unit that identifies the current position of the vehicle and generates self-position information;
A destination information acquisition unit for acquiring destination information indicating a destination of the vehicle;
A required time calculation unit for calculating a required time to the destination based on the self-location information and the destination information;
When the drowsiness determination unit determines that the driver is drowsiness stronger than a predetermined criterion value, the vehicle continues to travel based on the determination condition including the destination information and the required time. A support content determination unit for determining support content including continuous travel support for performing and rest support for prompting the driver to take a break;
And a stimulus providing unit that provides the driver with different stimuli according to the support content determined by the support content determination unit.

  According to this feature configuration, when it is determined that the driver is drowsy, the support content is determined based on the determination condition including the destination information and the required time. Then, different stimuli are provided to the driver according to the determined support content. In other words, when the driver is drowsy, the same stimulus is not provided uniformly, but the stimulus according to the support content based on the decision condition that considers the driving situation such as destination information and required time Provided. As a result, driving assistance can be appropriately performed in consideration of driving conditions as well as driver conditions such as sleepiness.

  By the way, if the required time is relatively short, the driver is more likely to want to arrive at the destination early. On the contrary, if the required time is relatively long, the driver goes to the destination with a break. There is a higher chance of thinking about going. Therefore, it is preferable that the support content determination unit determines the support content according to the required time. Also, if the estimated arrival time at the destination is relatively late, the driver is likely to want to arrive at the destination early, and conversely, if the estimated arrival time is relatively early, the time Since there is a certain margin, the driver is more likely to think about heading to the destination with a break. Therefore, it is preferable that the support content determination unit determines the support content in consideration of the estimated arrival time in addition to the required time. As one such preferable aspect, the driving support system according to the present invention further includes a date and time information acquisition unit that acquires date and time information, and the support content determination unit includes a reference required time that is defined in advance. When the time is less than or equal to the time, the support content is determined to be the continuous travel support, and when the time is longer than the reference required time, the support content is determined to be the break support. Based on the date and time information and the required time, it may be set to a longer time in accordance with the expected arrival time at the destination being delayed.

  In addition, when the destination is at home, the driver may want to go home early and settle down, and may be annoyed by prompting a break. Therefore, it is preferable that the driving support system is configured such that continuous travel support is more easily selected than rest support when the destination is at home. As one such aspect, the support content determination unit determines the support content to be the continuous travel support when the required time is equal to or less than a predetermined reference required time, If it is long, the support content is determined to be the break support, and the reference required time is determined based on the destination information when the destination is determined to be the driver's home, It is preferable that the time is set longer than when the destination is determined to be other than home.

  From another point of view, if the next day is the driver's work day, the driver may arrive at the destination early and want to settle down. In addition, this destination is likely to be at home, and it may be annoying when a break is encouraged. Therefore, when the next day is a driver's work day, it is preferable that the continuous travel support is more easily selected than the break support, as in the case where the destination is at home. As one such preferable aspect, the driving support system according to the present invention further includes a date and time information acquisition unit that acquires date and time information, and the support content determination unit includes a reference required time that is defined in advance. When the time is less than or equal to the time, the support content is determined to be the continuous travel support, and when the time is longer than the reference required time, the support content is determined to be the break support. When it is determined that the next day is the driver's working day based on the date / time information, it may be set to a longer time than when it is determined that the next day is not the working day.

  As another point of view, when the destination is the driver's workplace, if the driver is encouraged to take a break on the way to work, the driver may feel annoyed. Therefore, when the destination is the driver's workplace, it is preferable that the continuous travel support is more easily selected than the rest support. In many cases, when going to work, it is considered that driving is started after taking a rest at home, so it is configured so that continuous driving support is easier to select than rest support than when the destination is at home. It is preferable. As one such aspect, the support content determination unit determines the support content to be the continuous travel support when the required time is equal to or less than a predetermined reference required time, If it is long, the support content is determined to be the break support, and the reference required time is determined based on the destination information when the destination is determined to be the driver's home, When it is determined that the destination is at home when the destination is set to be longer than when the destination is determined to be other than home and the destination is determined to be the driver's workplace It is preferable to set a longer time than.

  By the way, the stimulus providing unit of the driving support system according to the present invention provides a stimulus that guides the driver to awakening when the support content is the continuous running support, and when the support content is the rest support. It is preferable to provide a stimulus that guides the driver to a break. When the continuous driving support is executed, the driver continues driving. Therefore, it is effective to provide a stimulus for awakening the driver so that the drowsiness generated by the driver is eliminated or suppressed. On the other hand, in the case of break support, it is effective to give a stimulus to the driver for a break, for example, guidance on a break method, in order to cause the driver to stop driving and take a break.

  Here, it is preferable that the stimulus providing unit provides information on a break point when the support content is the break support. As described above, in the case of break support, it is effective to guide a break method, for example. The driver can quickly take an effective break when information on the location of a resting place and a provided service, that is, information on a resting point, is provided as guidance on a resting method. In other words, the driver can efficiently carry out drinks with high arousal effects such as coffee and tea, and washing his face.

  In the case where the driver is very sleepy, it is preferable to encourage a break regardless of the destination or the required time. On the other hand, even if weak sleepiness that does not require continuous driving support or break support is generated, it may be possible to suppress a decrease in the arousal level by warning that sleepiness has started to occur. is there. Therefore, it is preferable that driving assistance based on different assistance contents is performed with a reference value higher or lower than a determination reference value for which continuous driving assistance or rest assistance is implemented. As one such aspect, in the driving content determination unit of the driving support system according to the present invention, the driver produces sleepiness stronger than a high level reference value corresponding to sleepiness stronger than the determination reference value. And the sleepiness determination unit, regardless of the determination condition, to determine the support content forced rest support that prompts the driver to take a quick break, the driver is weaker than the determination reference value, When the drowsiness determination unit determines that drowsiness stronger than the low level reference value corresponding to sleepiness weaker than the determination reference value is generated, the driver is warned that drowsiness is generated. It is preferable that warning support is determined as the support content.

  Various technical features of the driving support system according to the present invention described above can be applied to a driving support program and a driving support method. Therefore, the present invention can also cover such driving support programs and driving support methods. For example, the driving support program according to the present invention can cause a computer to execute various steps having the characteristics of the driving support system described above. The typical aspect is illustrated below. Naturally, such a driving support program can also provide the operational effects of the driving support system described above. Furthermore, various additional features exemplified as preferred modes of the driving support system can also be incorporated into the driving support program, and the program can also provide operational effects corresponding to the respective additional features. The same applies to the driving support method according to the present invention.

In that case, the characteristics of the driving support program according to the present invention are as follows:
A status information acquisition function for acquiring driver status information indicating the status of the driver driving the vehicle;
A drowsiness determination function for determining the degree of drowsiness of the driver based on the driver status information;
A self-location identifying function for identifying the current location of the vehicle and generating self-location information;
A destination information acquisition function for acquiring destination information indicating a destination of the vehicle;
A required time calculation function for calculating a required time to the destination based on the self-location information and the destination information;
When the drowsiness determination unit determines that the driver is drowsiness stronger than a predetermined criterion value, the vehicle continues to travel based on the determination condition including the destination information and the required time. A support content determination function for determining support content including continuous travel support to perform and rest support for encouraging the driver to take a break;
A stimulus providing function for providing the driver with different stimuli according to the support content determined by the support content determining unit via the stimulus providing unit is executed by the computer.

The characteristic configuration of the driving support method according to the present invention is as follows.
A state information acquisition step of acquiring driver state information indicating a state of a driver driving the vehicle;
A drowsiness determining step of determining a degree of drowsiness of the driver based on the driver status information;
A local position identifying step of identifying the current position of the vehicle and generating local position information;
A destination information acquisition step of acquiring destination information indicating a destination of the vehicle;
A required time calculating step for calculating a required time to the destination based on the self-location information and the destination information;
When the drowsiness determination unit determines that the driver is drowsiness stronger than a predetermined criterion value, the vehicle continues to travel based on the determination condition including the destination information and the required time. A support content determination step for determining support content including continuous travel support for performing and rest support for prompting the driver to take a break;
A stimulus providing step of providing the driver with different stimuli according to the support content determined by the support content determination unit.

Schematic block diagram showing the configuration of the driving support system Flow chart showing the procedure for driving support The figure which shows the example of alerting | reporting of warning assistance mode The figure which shows the example of a report of forced break support mode The figure which shows the example of a report of break support mode The figure which shows the alerting | reporting example of the information of the break point in break support mode The figure which shows the example of alerting | reporting of continuous driving assistance mode Flow chart showing the procedure for determining the support mode The figure which shows an example of the driving scene table for determining assistance mode

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The driving support system 1 is a system that supports driving operations by a driver, and includes, for example, a parking support system that supports driving operations during parking, a driving support system that supports driving operations so as to achieve efficient driving, and the like. System. In the present embodiment, the driving support system 1 is configured to provide support for eliminating or suppressing drowsiness or weak sleepiness depending on the driver's state, the destination of the vehicle, the required time to the destination, and the like. Provide support to continue driving.

  In the present embodiment, the driving support system 1 is integrated with the navigation system. As is well known, a navigation system is a system that provides a driver with route information to a destination, vehicle periphery information, traffic information, and the like. In FIG. 1, for the sake of convenience, a driving support calculation unit 3 configured with various functional units serving as the core of the driving support system 1 and a navigation calculation unit 4 configured with functional units (not shown) serving as the core of the navigation system are provided. For example, functional units having the same function may be shared.

  The driving support system 1 constitutes a part of the in-vehicle system as shown in FIG. 1 and cooperates with the travel control system 30 and the face recognition system 9. The travel control system 30 is a system that controls a drive device for a vehicle such as an internal combustion engine or a rotating electrical machine. As shown in FIG. 1, the traveling control system 30 includes an accelerator sensor 31 that detects an operation amount of an accelerator pedal (accelerator operation unit), a brake sensor 32 that detects an operation amount of a brake pedal (brake operation unit), and a steering wheel. Based on the detection results of the steering angle sensor 33 that detects the operation amount, the rotation sensor 34 that detects the rotation speed and direction of the traveling wheel, the shift position sensor (not shown) that detects the position of the shift lever, and the like, Control. Specifically, the traveling control system 30 includes a detection result of a sensor that detects an operation amount of these driving devices, a rotation sensor 34 that detects a rotation speed and a rotation direction of a traveling wheel, and an acceleration sensor that detects a vehicle acceleration. 35. Based on the detection result of a sensor that detects the behavior of the vehicle, such as an orientation sensor (not shown), the travel command value is calculated to control the vehicle drive device. The face recognition system 9 is a system for recognizing a driver's face as will be described later.

  As shown in FIG. 1, each system including the driving support system 1 and various sensors are connected via an in-vehicle network 100 so that information can be transmitted to each other. In addition, the connection form via this in-vehicle network 100 is typical, and each system and each sensor are not limited to the form of FIG. 1, and may be connected directly or indirectly.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the driving support system 1 is configured with a navigation ECU 2 having a logical operation processor such as a microcomputer as a core. That is, the driving support system 1 is configured to have a plurality of functional units that realize various functions as shown in FIG. 1 in cooperation with hardware such as the processor and software such as a program. The driving support system 1 includes a state information acquisition unit 11, a drowsiness determination unit 12, a self location specifying unit 13, a destination information acquisition unit 14, a required time calculation unit 15, a date and time information acquisition unit 16, and a support content. The determining unit 17 and the stimulus providing unit 5 are included.

  The state information acquisition unit 11 is a functional unit that acquires driver state information indicating the state of the driver driving the vehicle. The sleepiness determination unit 12 is a functional unit that determines the degree of sleepiness of the driver based on the driver state information. The own position specifying unit 13 is a functional unit that specifies the current position of the vehicle and generates own position information. The destination information acquisition unit 14 is a functional unit that acquires destination information indicating the destination of the vehicle. The required time calculation unit 15 is a functional unit that calculates the required time to the destination based on the own position information and the destination information. The date information acquisition unit 16 is a functional unit that acquires date information.

  The support content determination unit 17 determines the support content (support mode) based on the determination condition when it is determined that the driver is drowsy stronger than a predetermined reference value (standard reference value). It is a functional part. This support content includes at least continuous travel support (continuous travel support mode) and break support (rest support mode). The determination conditions include destination information and required time. Among the support modes, the continuous travel support mode is a mode for performing support for continuing the travel even when it is determined that the driver is drowsy stronger than the determination reference value (standard reference value). The break support mode is a mode for prompting the driver to take a break. As will be described later, in addition to these, the support mode may include a forced break support mode that prompts the driver to take a quick break, and a warning support mode that simply warns the driver that sleepiness has occurred. it can. The determination condition can also include an estimated arrival time at the destination.

  The stimulus providing unit 5 is a functional unit that provides different stimuli to the driver according to the support content (support mode) determined by the support content determining unit 17. The substance of the stimulus providing unit 5 is a display device 50 that functions as the information providing unit 6, a seat vibration control device 61 that functions as the actual stimulus providing unit 7, a seat vibrating unit 62, and an odor generating device 71. Based on the support mode determined by the support content determination unit 17, for example, a stimulus provision control unit (not shown) configured in the driving support calculation unit 3 outputs an operation command and information to a device that actually provides the stimulus. Based on this operation command and information, each device that is the substance of the stimulus providing unit 5 provides a stimulus to the driver.

  The display device 50 is, for example, a flat panel display (FPD) installed on a vehicle control panel or dashboard. This FPD is also used as a display device of a navigation system. Such a display device 50 includes a display 50d and a speaker 50s. When the display of navigation information provided from the navigation calculation unit 4 and the display of driving support information (stimulus) provided from the driving support calculation unit 3 are performed on the same display 50d, the display screen of the display 50d is divided. Is preferred. Alternatively, when it is necessary to display the driving support information, the driving support information may be superimposed on the display screen on which the navigation information is displayed. Further, the display device 50 may be a head-up display (HUD) in which information (here, support information) is displayed on the front window so as to overlap a normal field of view. If both FPD and HUD installed on the dashboard are provided, navigation information is displayed on the FPD, and driving support information is displayed on the HUD. Good.

  Although details will be described later, the stimulus provided to the driver via the display device 50 is the determined degree of sleepiness or a message to the driver. Therefore, the stimulus can also be referred to as “information (support information)”, and the display device 50 also functions as the information providing unit 6. Note that the speaker 50 s provided in the display device 50 also functions as the information providing unit 6 because it conveys the degree of sleepiness and a message to the driver by voice. However, the speaker 50s can sound an alarm sound in addition to such a message. This is equivalent to providing stimuli for awakening directly to the driver's hearing rather than showing specific information. In other words, it provides the same stimulus as a so-called alarm clock bell or alarm. Therefore, the speaker 50s also functions as the actual stimulus providing unit 7 that directly gives a stimulus to the five senses of the driver. Of course, by displaying the support information on the display 50d, it can be said that an unusual stimulus is visually provided to the driver. Therefore, in FIG. 1, although not included in the actual stimulus providing unit 7, the display 50 d can also function as the actual stimulus providing unit 7.

  In the present embodiment, the actual stimulus providing unit 7 includes a seat vibration control device 61, a seat vibration unit 62, and an odor generating device 71 in addition to the speaker 50s. The seat vibration control device 61 is a functional unit that performs control for generating vibration in the seat on which the driver is seated. The seat vibration unit 62 drives the actuator to vibrate the seat based on the control of the seat vibration control device 61. The driver will receive a tactile stimulus directly from the seat. Further, the odor generating device 71 generates a wasabi odor, for example, and directly provides a stimulus to the olfactory sense of the driver. Wasabi odor is known as a stimulus that can be noticed even while sleeping. Therefore, it is suitable as a stimulus for awakening. In addition, although a control apparatus and an actuator (vibration part) are not shown in FIG. 1, vibrating a steering wheel is also suitable as a stimulus for awakening.

  Here, with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 2, the procedure of the driving assistance by the driving assistance system 1 is demonstrated. First, the driver status information indicating the driver status is acquired by the status information acquisition unit 11 (# 1: status information acquisition function / step). The driver status information is the respiration rate and respiration depth detected by the biometric information sensor 38, the heart rate (pulse), the gaze movement of the driver recognized by the face recognition system 9, the gaze position, and the degree of eye opening. (The position of the eyelids), the direction of the face, the movement of the face, etc. The biological information sensor 38 is realized by, for example, a seat backrest, a load sensor or a piezoelectric sensor provided on a seating surface. For example, the respiration rate, the depth of respiration, and the heart rate can be detected by a sensor provided in the backrest near the lungs and heart, and the pulse (heart rate) can be detected by a sensor provided on the seat surface near the blood vessel in the thigh. ) Can be detected. In addition, the face recognition system 9 performs image recognition by photographing the driver's face with an in-vehicle camera 91 installed above the control panel or the sun visor.

  Next, sleepiness determination processing for determining the degree of sleepiness (sleepiness level) of the driver based on the acquired driver state information is performed by the sleepiness determination unit 12 (# 2: sleepiness determination function / step). As one aspect, the degree of sleepiness can be quantitatively expressed by the degree of opening of the eyes and the progress of the degree of opening of the eyes. In addition, the degree of sleepiness can be expressed by the number of blinks and the movement of the pupil. It is also possible to estimate the degree of tension and sleepiness from changes in breathing and heart rate. Of course, drowsiness may be comprehensively determined using both the recognition result of the face recognition system 9 and the detection result of the biological information sensor 38. Subsequently, the sleepiness determination unit 12 determines whether or not the calculated sleepiness exceeds a low level reference value corresponding to sleepiness lower than the standard reference value (determination reference value) (# 3: sleepiness determination). Function / step). If the drowsiness is below the low level reference value, return to function / step # 1 and repeat # 1 to # 3.

  If the sleepiness exceeds the low level reference value, the sleepiness determination unit 12 determines whether the sleepiness exceeds the standard reference value (determination reference value) (# 4: sleepiness determination function / step). . When the drowsiness is below the standard reference value, the support content determination unit 17 determines the support content as “warning support” (# 11: support content determination function / step). Then, the stimulus providing unit 5 performs driving support (provision of stimulation) in the warning support mode (stimulus providing function / step). The warning support mode is a support mode that warns the driver that sleepiness is occurring. That is, when it is determined in the drowsiness determination unit 12 that the driver has drowsiness that is weaker than the standard reference value (determination reference value) and stronger than the low level reference value corresponding to sleepiness weaker than the standard reference value, The support content determination unit 17 determines warning support as support content.

  FIG. 3 shows an example of an image displayed on the display 50d and an example of a message issued from the speaker 50s when the warning support mode is executed. On the display 50d, the degree of sleepiness is drawn in an indicator shape. The position indicated by the needle mark indicates the degree of sleepiness (sleepiness level) determined. By this screen display, the driver can visually perceive that he / she is lightly sleepy and the degree of sleepiness. In addition, a warning message such as “Caution! Sleepiness is rising!” Is issued from the speaker 50s, so that the sleepiness is audibly perceived and the sleepiness is slightly reduced by stimulation from the ear. But it can be resolved.

  The description will be continued again with reference to the flowchart of FIG. If it is determined in function / step # 4 that sleepiness is stronger than the standard reference value, then the sleepiness determination unit 12 determines whether the sleepiness is equal to or lower than the high level reference value (# 5: sleepiness). Judgment function / step). When the drowsiness is stronger than the high level reference value, the support content determination unit 17 determines the support content as “forced break support” (# 14: support content determination function / step). Then, driving support in the forced break support mode is executed by the stimulus providing unit 5 (stimulus providing function / step). The forced break support mode is a support mode that prompts the driver to take a quick break regardless of the determination conditions including the destination information and the required time. That is, when the drowsiness determination unit 12 determines that the driver has drowsiness stronger than the high level reference value corresponding to drowsiness stronger than the standard reference value (determination reference value), the support content determination unit 17 Regardless of the decision conditions, forced rest support that strongly encourages the driver to rest is determined as the support content.

  FIG. 4 shows an example of an image displayed on the display 50d when the forced support mode is executed and an example of a message issued from the speaker 50s. The display form is the same as in the warning support mode. This screen display allows the driver to visually perceive that he / she is very sleepy. In addition, the speaker 50s gives a message that encourages a break, such as “I have very strong sleepiness! Stop driving immediately!” Or “Please take a break immediately!”. It is possible to perceive this as well as to eliminate drowsiness even by a strong stimulus from the ear. In addition, the speaker 50s may provide an actual stimulus to the driver's ear by sounding an alarm sound with a message interval or with the message. Furthermore, when the stimulus is provided by the actual stimulus providing unit 7 such as the vibration of the seat by the seat vibrating unit 62, the generation of an irritating odor by the odor generating device 71, the vibration of the steering wheel, etc., until the driver stops the vehicle. , You can keep the driver awakened to some extent.

  The description will be continued again with reference to the flowchart of FIG. If it is determined in function / step # 5 that sleepiness is equal to or lower than the high level reference value, a driving scene determination process is executed in the support content determination unit 17 (# 6: support content determination function / step). The traveling scene determination process is a process for determining a traveling scene of the vehicle based on a determination condition including destination information and required time. The support content determination unit 17 determines the support content according to the determined traveling scene. As a large direction, the support content determination unit 17 determines the support content as “continuous travel support” when the required time is equal to or less than a predetermined reference time, and when the required time is longer than the reference required time, The support content is determined as “rest support”. Details will be described later with reference to FIGS.

  When the support content is determined to be break support in the running scene determination process, the support content determination unit 17 determines the support content as “rest support” (# 7, # 12: support content determination function / step). . Then, the stimulus providing unit 5 performs driving support (providing stimulus) in the break support mode (stimulus providing function / step). On the other hand, when the support content is determined to be continuous travel support in the travel scene determination process (# 6), the support content determination unit 17 determines the support content as “continuous travel support” (# 7, # 13). : Support content determination function / step). Then, driving support (provision of stimulation) in the continuous travel support mode is executed by the stimulus providing unit 5. When the support content is determined, the process returns to (# 1) again and the above-described processing is repeated.

  FIG. 5 shows an example of an image displayed on the display 50d when the break support mode is executed and an example of a message issued from the speaker 50s. The display form is the same as in the warning support mode and the forced break support mode. By this screen display, the driver can visually perceive that he / she has a relatively strong sleepiness. In addition, a message prompting you to take a break, such as “I have a strong sleepiness! I recommend a break!” Or “Please take a break early!” From the speaker 50s. Can be aurally perceived, and sleepiness can be reduced by a stimulus from the ear. Note that the above-described message for prompting a break corresponds to provision of a stimulus for guiding the driver to the break. Similarly to the forced break support mode, an alarm sound may be sounded from the speaker 50s or an irritating odor may be generated from the odor generating device 71. However, when the break support mode is selected, a detection error is considered. The driver's arousal level may be relatively high. For this reason, providing many actual stimuli may cause the driver to feel troublesome. Therefore, such actual stimulation may be suppressed in the break support mode.

  In the break support mode, the stimulus providing unit 5 may further provide information on the break point in cooperation with the navigation calculation unit 4. That is, as shown in FIG. 6, information on a place suitable for a break may be displayed on the display 50d. For example, it is preferable that the nearest coffee shop, fast food shop, convenience store, etc. are displayed on the map. At this time, if coupon information of each shop, new product information, and the like are further displayed, the driver is motivated to stop by and take a break. In addition, when a resting point to be displayed is selected from history information such as a past stop by the driver, the amount of information presented is suppressed to an appropriate amount, and the visibility is enhanced.

  Such information on the break point may be automatically displayed, or may be displayed after confirming the driver's intention. For example, information may be displayed by touching a message box such as “Would you like to display a breakpoint candidate?” Displayed on an FPD configured with a touchpad. In addition, the display which shows the degree of sleepiness may be displayed on HUD, and the information of a rest point may be displayed on FPD. The provision of information on the break point corresponds to the provision of a stimulus that guides the driver to a break.

  FIG. 7 shows an example of an image displayed on the display 50d when the continuous driving support mode is executed and an example of a message issued from the speaker 50s. The display form is the same as in the warning support mode, the forced break support mode, and the break support mode. By this screen display, the driver can visually perceive that he / she has a relatively strong sleepiness. In addition, the speaker 50s issues a warning message such as “There is drowsiness! Please drive with caution!” So that you can hear the drowsiness audibly and hear from your ears. Stimulation can eliminate drowsiness even a little.

  In this support mode, as will be described later with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9, support for driving continuously without recommending breaks while respecting the driver's will to arrive at the destination early. Is implemented. That is, in the continuous running support mode, in the state where sleepiness is almost the same as that in the break support mode, the action for taking a break is not supported, but the action for continuously driving safely is supported. For this reason, compared with the execution of the break support mode, the necessity for providing the driver with an actual stimulus and improving the arousal level is increased. That is, in the continuous running support mode, it is more effective if a stimulus that leads the driver to awakening is provided. For example, it is also preferable to give an actual stimulus by sounding an alarm sound from the speaker 50s, generating an irritating odor from the odor generating device 71, or vibrating the seat or the steering wheel to such an extent that the driver does not feel bothered. It is. Alternatively, the repetition frequency of messages such as “There is drowsiness! Please drive carefully!” From the speaker 50s is higher than when the break support mode is executed (the repetition interval is shortened). Then, the auditory stimulus may be strengthened.

  As described above, in the driving support system 1 of the present invention, “rest support” and “continuous driving support” are selected on the basis of the determination condition (driving scene) in a state where the driver has the same level of sleepiness. Characterized by points. Hereinafter, this point will be described. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing details of the traveling scene determination process (# 6) of FIG. First, the current position of the vehicle is specified by the own position specifying unit 13 (# 61: own position specifying function / step). The identification of the own position is performed in cooperation with the navigation calculation unit 4. For example, the own position specifying unit 13 (and the own position specifying function / step) may be the same as the navigation calculation unit 4 (and the navigation program / method).

  As is well known, the navigation system searches for a route from a departure point to a destination, provides route guidance, provides information around the vehicle being guided, and the like. As shown in FIG. 1, the navigation ECU 2 is connected to a map database 42, a GPS receiver 41, an orientation sensor (not shown), a distance sensor, and the like so as to be able to transmit information. The navigation ECU 2 performs calculations using GPS (Global Positioning System) surveying or dead-reckoning autonomous control using information acquired by the GPS receiver 41, direction sensor, distance sensor, and the like. To identify the vehicle position (own position). Moreover, although illustration is abbreviate | omitted, in order to improve position accuracy, navigation ECU2 may be further provided with the feature recognition function. The feature recognition function uses a photographed image by an in-vehicle camera such as the camera 36 to recognize a feature such as road display (paint) on a road surface, a road sign, a structure such as a traffic light, a tunnel, etc. This is a function for collating with feature information (coordinate information) stored in the database 42.

  The map database 42 stores map data divided for each predetermined section. The map data includes road network data configured by a connection relationship between a plurality of nodes corresponding to intersections and a plurality of links corresponding to roads connecting the nodes. Each node has position information on the map expressed by latitude and longitude. Each link has information such as road type, link length, road width, and road shape as attribute information. In addition, the map database 42 stores information on various features (for example, road markings, road signs, traffic lights, signs, overpasses, tunnels, etc.) provided on or around the road, that is, feature information. ing.

  The own position specifying unit 13 provided in common with or independently of the navigation calculation unit 4 specifies the current position of the vehicle by the above-described GPS surveying, dead reckoning, feature recognition, etc. Generate information. Next, the destination information acquisition unit 14 acquires destination information indicating the destination of the vehicle (# 62: destination information acquisition function / step). Acquisition of destination information is also performed in cooperation with the navigation calculation unit 4. For example, when the driver sets a destination for the navigation system, the destination is acquired as destination information. When the destination is not set in the navigation system, the destination is estimated and acquired as the destination information from the travel history of the vehicle, the current time, the current traveling direction, the latest travel route, and the like. For example, in the case of a daily commute route, based on these pieces of information, it can be estimated with a relatively high probability whether the user is heading to the workplace or home. The driving support system 1 of the present embodiment is configured such that it can be estimated with a relatively high probability that at least the destination is home, more preferably the destination is home or work.

  Subsequently, the required time calculation unit 15 calculates the required time to the destination based on the own position information and the destination information (# 63: required time calculation function / step). Furthermore, the date information acquisition unit 16 acquires date information (# 64: date information acquisition function / step). The driving support calculation unit 3 and the navigation calculation unit 4 also cooperate in calculating the required time and acquiring the date / time information. The date / time information may be acquired from a clock mounted on the navigation ECU 2 or may be acquired from a GPS signal received by the GPS receiver 41. Also, as described above, when estimating the destination, date / time information may also be used, so the order of the functions / steps # 61 to # 64 is not limited to the order shown in FIG. For example, function / step # 64 may be performed first.

  When the generation and acquisition of necessary information is completed, the travel scene table shown in FIG. 9 is referred to using these pieces of information as arguments (# 65: support content determination function / step). The conditions specified in the travel scene table are the conditions for determining the support content. The support content determination unit 17 selects the support content based on the determination condition (# 66: support content determination function / step).

  Hereinafter, a configuration example of the travel scene table as the determination condition will be described. In this embodiment, the table according to the life pattern of a general salary earner is illustrated. In other words, the table is tailored to the daily life patterns of drivers who commute to work from home to work by working two days a week on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays on holidays, Monday to Friday during the daytime (morning to evening) It is. This table is preferably configured to be set according to the circumstances of each driver. A configuration in which a plurality of tables can be registered in the driving support system 1 and can be selectively used is also suitable.

  As shown in FIG. 9, there are four categories according to the destination information: “home”, “workplace”, “other than home / workplace”, and “unknown”. For example, when commuting by car from home to a railway station, it is preferable that “station” is set instead of “workplace”. When the destination is “unknown”, the driver's intention is also unclear, so “rest support” is set as the support content without taking other conditions into consideration. In addition, when the destination is “workplace”, in the case of this example, taking into account the driving after waking up in the morning, the support content is “continuous driving support without considering other conditions” "Is set.

  When the destination is “other than home / work”, there is a high possibility that another destination is intentionally set for the navigation system. Therefore, setting according to the characteristics of the destination is difficult, and the support content is simply set according to the required time. That is, the support content is set such that “continuous running support” and “rest support” are selected according to the relationship between the required time Tref and the required time Treq. Based on the travel scene table, the support content determination unit 17 determines the support content as “continuous travel support” when the required time Treq is equal to or less than the predetermined reference time Tref, and the support content determination unit 17 determines the support content from the reference required time Tref. If it is long, the support content is determined as “rest support”. In other words, when the required time Tref is relatively long, driving assistance with a break in the middle is selected, and when the required time Tref is relatively short, it is possible to safely reach the purpose without a break. Driving assistance is selected. At this time, the reference required time Tref is set to the most standard value (here, 30 minutes) in the traveling scene table.

  When the destination is “home”, a finer classification is set. For example, as described above, when the destination is “other than home / work”, the reference required time Tref is set to 30 minutes. On the other hand, when it is determined that the destination is “home”, the reference required time Tref is set to a longer time (45 minutes here) than when the destination is determined to be other than home. May be. As shown in FIG. 9, when the day information included in the date / time information is a weekday (here, Monday to Friday), the reference required time Tref is set to 45 minutes longer than the standard value of 30 minutes. ing. When the destination is a home on weekdays, there is a high possibility that the user is on his way home from work. In general, there are many drivers who want to go home faster than a break during commuting. Accordingly, the reference required time Tref is set to a long time so that the continuous travel support can be more easily selected from the break support and the continuous travel support.

  By the way, when the destination is a workplace during commuting, as described above, the continuous travel support is set without considering the reference required time Tref. In other words, the reference required time Tref is set to an infinite value. That is, the reference required time Tref is set to a longer time when it is determined that the destination is the driver's workplace than when the destination is determined to be home.

  When the day information is a holiday, two types of values are selectively used as the reference required time Tref. For example, if the current day is a holiday and the next day is not a work day (when the next day is also a holiday), there is no hindrance to the next day's work even if going home at a late night time, so the reference required time Tref is The standard time is set to 30 minutes. On the other hand, when the next day is a work day, it is preferable to come home early and take a rest so that there is no effect on the next day's work. Therefore, in this case, the reference required time Tref is set to 45 minutes, which is a longer time, so that the continuous travel support is easily selected. That is, the reference required time Tref is set to a longer time when it is determined that the next day is the driver's work day based on the date / time information, compared to when it is determined that the next day is not the work day.

  Even if it is determined that the next day is the driver's working day, if the estimated arrival time calculated from the current time and the required time Treq is relatively early, the standard required time Tref is standard. A long time (30 minutes) is set. This is because even if there is a break on the way, it is possible to go home at a relatively early time, so it is considered that there is little impact on work the next day. In other words, the reference required time Tref is set to a longer time based on the expected arrival time at the destination based on the date information and the required time.

[Other Embodiments]
Hereinafter, other embodiments of the present invention will be described. Note that the configuration of each embodiment described below is not limited to being applied independently, and can be applied in combination with the configuration of other embodiments as long as no contradiction arises.

(1) In the above description, the case where one support content is determined from the four support contents is illustrated, but one support content may be selected and determined from the two support contents. . For example, one may be determined from two of continuous running support and rest support.

(2) In the above description, an example in which the support content is selected with reference to the travel scene table has been shown. However, the support content may be determined by a logical operation (conditional branch) based on the same determination condition without referring to the table.

(3) In the above description, a plurality of types of reference required time Tref are set and different values are set according to conditions. However, the reference required time Tref may be of one type. Further, although the example in which the reference required time Tref is set to 30 minutes or 45 minutes has been shown, it may be set to other times, for example, 15 minutes or 20 minutes in consideration of safety.

(4) Items serving as arguments in the travel scene table are not limited to those illustrated in FIG. It is preferable that the contents of support can be determined with higher accuracy in consideration of other elements. In addition, it is also suitable to extract information from the driver's schedule in cooperation with cloud computing technology and decide the support contents in consideration of destination estimation, schedule after driving, schedule for the next day, etc. It is a form.

(5) In the above description, an example is shown in which the driving support system 1 is configured to be fixedly mounted on a vehicle (see, for example, FIG. 1). However, the driving support system 1 is not limited to the one fixedly mounted on the vehicle, and a part or all of the functions may be provided in a place different from the vehicle, such as a server. For example, the driving support system 1 may be a portable system that can be arbitrarily moved, such as being brought into a vehicle only during use.

  The present invention can be used in a driving support system that supports driving of a vehicle by a driver.

1: Driving support system 5: Stimulus providing unit 11: State information acquiring unit 12: Drowsiness determining unit 13: Own position specifying unit 14: Destination information acquiring unit 15: Required time calculating unit 16: Date information acquiring unit 17: Support content Determination unit Tref: reference required time Tref: required time Treq: required time

Claims (10)

A state information acquisition unit for acquiring driver state information indicating a state of a driver driving the vehicle;
A drowsiness determination unit that determines the degree of drowsiness of the driver based on the driver status information;
A self-position identifying unit that identifies the current position of the vehicle and generates self-position information;
A destination information acquisition unit for acquiring destination information indicating a destination of the vehicle;
A required time calculation unit for calculating a required time to the destination based on the self-location information and the destination information;
When the drowsiness determination unit determines that the driver is drowsiness stronger than a predetermined criterion value, the vehicle continues to travel based on the determination condition including the destination information and the required time. A support content determination unit for determining support content including continuous travel support for performing and rest support for prompting the driver to take a break;
A stimulus providing unit that provides the driver with different stimuli according to the support content determined by the support content determination unit;
A driving support system comprising: Furthermore, a date and time information acquisition unit for acquiring date and time information is provided,
The support content determination unit determines the support content as the continuous travel support when the required time is equal to or less than a predetermined reference time, and determines the support content when longer than the reference required time. To determine the break support,
2. The driving support system according to claim 1, wherein the reference required time is set to a long time based on the date and time information and the required time, as the estimated arrival time at the destination is delayed. The support content determination unit determines the support content as the continuous travel support when the required time is equal to or less than a predetermined reference time, and determines the support content when longer than the reference required time. To determine the break support,
The reference required time is longer when the destination is determined to be the driver's home based on the destination information than when the destination is determined to be other than the home. The driving support system according to claim 1 or 2, which is set. Furthermore, a date and time information acquisition unit for acquiring date and time information is provided,
The support content determination unit determines the support content as the continuous travel support when the required time is equal to or less than a predetermined reference time, and determines the support content when longer than the reference required time. To determine the break support,
The reference required time is set to a longer time when it is determined that the next day is a work day of the driver based on the date and time information, compared to a case where the next day is determined not to be a work day. The driving support system according to any one of 1 to 3. The support content determination unit determines the support content as the continuous travel support when the required time is equal to or less than a predetermined reference time, and determines the support content when longer than the reference required time. To determine the break support,
The reference required time is longer when the destination is determined to be the driver's home based on the destination information than when the destination is determined to be other than the home. 5. If the destination is determined to be the driver's workplace, the time is set to be longer than when the destination is determined to be home. The driving support system according to one item.   The stimulus providing unit provides a stimulus that leads the driver to awakening when the support content is the continuous running support, and a stimulus that leads the driver to a break when the support content is the rest support. The driving support system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, which is provided.   The driving support system according to claim 6, wherein the stimulus providing unit provides information on a break point when the support content is the break support. When the driver determines that the drowsiness determination unit determines that the driver has drowsiness higher than a high level reference value corresponding to sleepiness stronger than the determination reference value, the support content determination unit satisfies the determination condition. Regardless, the support content is determined to be forced rest support that prompts the driver to take a quick break,
When the driver determines that the drowsiness determination unit determines that the driver has drowsiness weaker than the determination reference value and stronger than the low level reference value corresponding to drowsiness weaker than the determination reference value, the driver The driving support system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein warning support for performing warning of drowsiness is determined as the support content. A status information acquisition function for acquiring driver status information indicating the status of the driver driving the vehicle;
A drowsiness determination function for determining the degree of drowsiness of the driver based on the driver status information;
A self-location identifying function for identifying the current location of the vehicle and generating self-location information;
A destination information acquisition function for acquiring destination information indicating a destination of the vehicle;
A required time calculation function for calculating a required time to the destination based on the self-location information and the destination information;
When the drowsiness determination unit determines that the driver is drowsiness stronger than a predetermined criterion value, the vehicle continues to travel based on the determination condition including the destination information and the required time. A support content determination function for determining support content including continuous travel support to perform and rest support for encouraging the driver to take a break;
A stimulus providing function for providing different stimuli to the driver via a stimulus providing unit according to the support content determined by the support content determining unit;
A driving support program that causes a computer to execute. A state information acquisition step of acquiring driver state information indicating a state of a driver driving the vehicle;
A drowsiness determining step of determining a degree of drowsiness of the driver based on the driver status information;
A local position identifying step of identifying the current position of the vehicle and generating local position information;
A destination information acquisition step of acquiring destination information indicating a destination of the vehicle;
A required time calculating step for calculating a required time to the destination based on the self-location information and the destination information;
When the drowsiness determination unit determines that the driver is drowsiness stronger than a predetermined criterion value, the vehicle continues to travel based on the determination condition including the destination information and the required time. A support content determination step for determining support content including continuous travel support for performing and rest support for prompting the driver to take a break;
A stimulus providing step of providing the driver with different stimuli according to the support content determined by the support content determination unit;
A driving support method comprising:

Images