JP7585701B2 - Vehicle control method and control device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a technology for slowing down a vehicle when the driver of the vehicle loses the ability to drive.

Conventionally, devices have been proposed that determine whether a driver of a vehicle is in an abnormal state in which he or she has lost the ability to drive (for example, a state of drowsiness while driving or a state of mental and physical dysfunction, etc.), and that slow down and stop the vehicle if such a determination is made (hereinafter referred to as "conventional devices"). (See, for example, Patent Document 1.)

Whether or not the driver is in an abnormal state can be determined by determining whether or not the driver has lost the ability to drive for a predetermined period of time.

JP 2018-0206092 A

It takes a relatively long time to determine whether or not the driver is in an abnormal state. Therefore, when the driver is in an abnormal state, there is a risk that the vehicle will continue to run for a relatively long time until it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state.

On the other hand, if the sensitivity of the abnormality judgment is increased in order to shorten the time it takes to judge an abnormality, the system may mistakenly judge the driver to be in an abnormal state when in fact the driver is normal, and cause the car to stop on the road. This could result in disruption to other traffic.

To solve the above problem, some conventional devices have a function that allows the driver to cancel the deceleration control after the driver mistakenly determines that the vehicle is in an abnormal state. In these devices, a predetermined period of time (hereinafter also referred to as the "cancellation period") is provided during which the cancellation action is permitted.

By setting this cancellation period, the driver can return to driving the vehicle if they are normal, thereby minimizing disruption to other traffic.

However, if the driver is truly abnormal, setting a cancellation period will delay the start of deceleration of the car from the point at which it should actually decelerate. In other words, the car will continue to drive even though the driver is in an abnormal state.

On the other hand, if deceleration is started to stop the vehicle during the cancellation period, the vehicle's body posture will change significantly, which may hinder the driver's cancellation action. This deceleration to stop the vehicle is at the same level that an average driver would experience when braking to a stop during daily driving, so the maximum deceleration itself does not pose a significant burden to a driver who may be in an abnormal state.

In general, the pitch angle of a car body supported by a suspension that is partially made up of springs is proportional to the longitudinal acceleration. In other words, during steady deceleration, where the car is decelerating at a constant deceleration rate, the pitch angle is constant.

In addition, if the jerk of the vehicle (the rate of change or time derivative of the deceleration) is increased in order to make the vehicle reach steady deceleration as quickly as possible, the pitch angular velocity of the vehicle body will increase. If the pitch angular velocity of the vehicle body is large, the driver's posture, particularly the head position, will change significantly. As a result, there is a risk that the body of an abnormal driver will be subjected to excessive strain. Furthermore, even if the driver is in a normal state and attempts to perform an undo action, the undo action may be hindered by the large change in line of sight that accompanies the change in head position.

On the other hand, if the jerk is reduced so that the maximum deceleration is reached at the end of the cancellation period, the deceleration is constantly changing during the cancellation period. In this state, the pitch angular velocity of the vehicle body is relatively small, but it is constantly changing, and the head position is constantly changing accordingly, making it difficult to determine the line of sight, which can also hinder the driver's cancellation action.

Therefore, there is room for improvement in the way in which vehicles are controlled during the cancellation period, including decelerating.

After extensive research into the nature of deceleration when the cancellation period is set, the inventors discovered that during the cancellation period, the deceleration is set to a small value so as to suppress changes in the vehicle pitch angle without impeding the cancellation operation, and after the cancellation period ends, the deceleration is set to a large value to prioritize stopping the vehicle in a short period of time, even if a large vehicle pitch angular velocity occurs. This allows a driver who is mistakenly judged to be in an abnormal state to reliably cancel the judgment, while maximizing the safety of the driver when an abnormal state is correctly judged.

The first invention, which is an automobile control method that embodies this concept, includes an abnormality determination step for determining whether or not the driver of the automobile is in an abnormal state in which he or she has lost the ability to drive, a display step for displaying that a cancellation operation is possible when the abnormality determination step determines that the driver is in an abnormal state, a first deceleration step for decelerating the automobile at a first deceleration when the abnormality determination step determines that the driver is in an abnormal state, a cancellation operation determination step for determining whether or not a cancellation operation has been performed for a predetermined period after deceleration in the first deceleration step has started, and a second deceleration step for decelerating the automobile at a second deceleration rate greater than the first deceleration rate to stop the automobile when the cancellation operation determination step determines that a cancellation operation has been performed before the predetermined period has elapsed. And when the cancellation operation determination step determines that a cancellation operation has been performed before the predetermined period has elapsed, the deceleration at the first deceleration rate in the first deceleration step is stopped.

According to this first invention, if the abnormality determination step determines that the driver is in an abnormal state, the display step displays that the determination can be cancelled. At the same time, the process proceeds to a first deceleration step and a cancellation operation determination step, where the vehicle is decelerated at a first deceleration. Then, if the cancellation operation determination step determines that a cancellation operation has not been performed within a predetermined period of time, the process proceeds to a second deceleration step, where the vehicle is decelerated at a second deceleration rate that is greater than the first deceleration rate. On the other hand, if the cancellation operation determination step determines that a cancellation operation has been performed within the predetermined period of time, the deceleration at the first deceleration rate in the first deceleration step is stopped.

As a result, the deceleration during the cancellation period (first deceleration), which begins when the vehicle decelerates based on a determination that the driver is in an abnormal state, can be set small so as not to impede the cancellation operation, while the deceleration after this period (second deceleration) can be set large so as to shorten the time it takes for the vehicle to stop, thereby ensuring both the cancellation operation and stopping the vehicle in a short time.

More specifically, the first deceleration is smaller than the second deceleration. In the first deceleration process, the jerk of the vehicle from zero deceleration to the first deceleration is relatively small. Because the jerk is small, the pitch angular velocity of the vehicle body is small, and the change in the driver's posture, particularly the change in head position, is small. If a driver in a normal state attempts to perform a cancellation action, the action is unlikely to be hindered.

In addition, the cancellation operation determination process continues for a predetermined period after deceleration has begun in the first deceleration process, during which the deceleration is constant at the first deceleration. During the predetermined period, the jerk is zero. Since the driver's posture is unlikely to change, a driver in a normal state is unlikely to be hindered from performing a cancellation operation even during the predetermined period in the cancellation operation determination process.

The first deceleration process and the cancellation operation determination process allow a driver in a normal state to perform the cancellation operation reliably.

On the other hand, if the cancellation operation determination process determines that no cancellation operation has been performed within the specified period, the automobile is decelerated at a second deceleration in the second deceleration process. Since the automobile has already decelerated at the first deceleration in the first deceleration process, the deceleration changes from the first deceleration to the second deceleration in the second deceleration process. The jerk of the automobile until the second deceleration is reached is kept relatively small. In this case as well, the pitch angular velocity of the vehicle body is small, and the change in the driver's posture is small. When the second deceleration process is reached, it is estimated that the driver is in an abnormal state, but because the jerk is small, excessive strain on the driver's body can be suppressed. Then, by decelerating the automobile at a relatively large second deceleration in the second deceleration process, the automobile comes to a stop in a short time.

As described above, the first invention can significantly reduce the possibility of a vehicle continuing to travel when the driver is in an abnormal state, or of the vehicle being erroneously determined to be in an abnormal state when the driver is normal, causing the vehicle to stop on the road and disrupt other traffic.

This effect can be further enhanced by improving the sensitivity of the anomaly detection process and shortening the detection time.

When a vehicle driver is in an abnormal state, there is a discrepancy between the steering torque input by the vehicle driver and the reference steering torque determined according to the vehicle's driving state.

Based on this knowledge, the abnormality determination process of the first invention may include a reference steering torque calculation process for calculating a reference steering torque required for the current running of the vehicle, a steering torque detection process for detecting an actual steering torque acting on a column shaft connected to the steering wheel of the vehicle, a steering torque deviation calculation process for calculating the deviation between the reference steering torque calculated by the reference steering torque calculation process and the actual steering torque by the driver detected by the steering torque detection process, and a grip force determination process for determining that the driver is in an abnormal state based on the deviation calculated in the steering torque deviation calculation process being greater than a predetermined value.

When a car driver is in an abnormal state, it is difficult for the driver to maintain posture because the driver's muscles are relaxed. However, even when the driver is in an abnormal state, the torso is secured to the seat with a seat belt, so it is difficult to determine from the torso whether the driver is maintaining posture. However, the head is not secured to a headrest, and the position of the driver's head when the driver is in an abnormal state is significantly different from the position of the head when the driver is in a normal state and driving facing forward.

Based on this knowledge, the abnormality determination process of the first invention may include an initial head position identification process for identifying the position of the driver's head when the driver begins driving, a head position detection process for detecting the position of the driver's head while the vehicle is traveling, a position deviation calculation process for calculating the deviation between the position stored by the initial head position identification process and the position detected by the head position detection process, and a driving posture determination process for determining that the driver is in an abnormal state when the deviation calculated by the position deviation calculation process exceeds a predetermined range.

Furthermore, when a car driver is in an abnormal state, the driver's eyes are often closed.

Based on this knowledge, the abnormality determination process of the first invention may include an initial eyelid shape identification process for identifying the shape characteristics of the driver's eyelids when the driver begins driving, an eyelid shape characteristic detection process for detecting the shape characteristics of the driver's eyelids while the vehicle is traveling, a shape characteristic deviation calculation process for calculating the deviation between the shape characteristics stored by the initial eyelid shape identification process and the shape characteristics detected by the eyelid shape characteristic detection process, and a driving alertness determination process for determining that the driver is in an abnormal state when the deviation calculated by the shape characteristic deviation calculation process exceeds a predetermined range.

As mentioned above, there are several possible specific methods for determining whether a driver is abnormal. The determination sensitivity and determination time of these methods vary depending on the vehicle speed. Therefore, by using a specific method for determining whether a driver is abnormal from several methods depending on the vehicle speed, it is possible to achieve both improved determination sensitivity and reduced determination time at a high level.

Based on this finding, the abnormality judgment process of the first invention includes the traveling vehicle speed judgment process of determining the speed of the vehicle, the grip force judgment process of determining whether or not the driver is in an abnormal state based on a steering torque acting on a column shaft connected to the steering wheel of the vehicle, the driving posture judgment process of determining whether or not the driver is in an abnormal state based on the position of the driver 's head, and the driving alertness judgment process of determining whether or not the driver is in an abnormal state based on the shape characteristics of the driver's eyelids, and executes the grip force judgment process when it is determined in the traveling vehicle speed judgment process that the speed of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a first vehicle speed, executes the driving posture judgment process when it is determined in the traveling vehicle speed judgment process that the speed of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a second vehicle speed that is lower than the first vehicle speed, and executes the driving alertness judgment process when it is determined in the traveling vehicle speed judgment process that the speed of the vehicle is lower than the second vehicle speed.

In the second deceleration process, the second jerk when the vehicle decelerating at the first deceleration is decelerated at the second deceleration may be greater than the first jerk when the vehicle is decelerated at the first deceleration in the first deceleration process.

By doing this, in the second deceleration process, the vehicle can be decelerated quickly to the second deceleration, and as a result, the vehicle can be stopped quickly.

The second invention is a deceleration control device that executes the deceleration control method of the first invention. That is, the vehicle control device has a driving state detector that detects the driving state of a driver of the vehicle, a display that displays information inside the vehicle, a deceleration mechanism that imparts deceleration to the vehicle, an operation switch that can be operated by an occupant of the vehicle, and a controller electrically connected to the driving state detector, the display, the deceleration mechanism, and the deceleration mechanism. The controller is configured to determine whether or not the driver of the vehicle is in an abnormal state in which he or she has lost the ability to drive based on the input signal from the driving state detector, and when it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state, control the display to display that a cancellation operation is possible, when it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state, control the speed reduction mechanism to operate to decelerate the vehicle at a first deceleration, when it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state based on the input signal from the operation switch within a predetermined period after the start of deceleration of the vehicle, control the speed reduction mechanism to decelerate the vehicle at a second deceleration that is greater than the first deceleration until the vehicle stops, and when it is determined that the vehicle occupant has operated the operation switch based on the input signal from the operation switch within a predetermined period after the start of deceleration of the vehicle, control the speed reduction mechanism to stop the operation of decelerating the vehicle at the first deceleration.

According to this second invention, when it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state, the display indicates that the determination can be cancelled, and the vehicle decelerates at a first deceleration. If the driver does not operate the operation switch within a predetermined period of time, the vehicle decelerates at a second deceleration that is greater than the first deceleration.

On the other hand, if the driver operates the operation switch within the specified period, the deceleration of the vehicle at the first deceleration rate is stopped.

As a result, the deceleration during the cancellation period (first deceleration) that begins when the vehicle decelerates based on a determination that the driver is in an abnormal state is set to a small value so as not to impede the cancellation operation, while the deceleration after this period (second deceleration) can be controlled to a large value so as to shorten the time it takes for the vehicle to stop, thereby ensuring both the cancellation operation and stopping the vehicle in a short time.

As described above, the second invention can significantly reduce the possibility of a situation in which a vehicle continues to travel when the driver is in an abnormal state, or a situation in which a driver is erroneously determined to be in an abnormal state when the driver is normal, causing the vehicle to stop on the road and disrupt other traffic.

This effect can be further enhanced by improving the sensitivity of the operating state detector's judgment and shortening the time required.

When the driver of a vehicle is in an abnormal state, there is a discrepancy between the steering torque applied by the driver as detected by the steering torque detector and the reference steering torque appropriate for the vehicle's driving state as calculated by the controller.

For this reason, the driving condition detector of the second invention may include a steering torque detection unit that detects the steering torque acting on a column shaft connected to the steering wheel of the vehicle, and the controller may determine that the driver is in an abnormal state when the deviation between a reference steering torque required for the current running of the vehicle and the detected steering torque exceeds a predetermined value based on an input signal from the steering torque detection unit.

In addition, when a car driver falls into an abnormal state, it is difficult for the driver to maintain posture. Whether or not the driver is unable to maintain posture is clearly indicated by head movement, and the driving state can be detected by comparing the past and current head positions.

In view of this, the driving condition detector of the second invention may include a head position detection unit that detects the head position of the driver of the vehicle, and the controller may determine that the driver is in an abnormal state when the deviation between the current head position and the head position at the start of driving exceeds a predetermined range based on the input signal from the head position detection unit.

Furthermore, when a car driver is in an abnormal state, the driver's eyes are often closed.

For this reason, the driving condition detector of the second invention may include an eyelid shape detection unit that detects the shape characteristics of the eyelids of the driver of the vehicle, and the controller may determine that the driver is in an abnormal state when the deviation between the current eyelid shape and the eyelid shape at the beginning of driving exceeds a predetermined range based on the input signal from the eyelid shape detection unit.

In the second invention, it is preferable to electrically connect multiple types of driving state detectors to the controller. This is because the judgment sensitivity and judgment time of the driver's abnormality judgment made based on the input from these driving state detectors vary depending on the vehicle speed. Therefore, by inputting signals from multiple types of driving state detectors to the controller and using these signals depending on the vehicle speed, it is possible to achieve both improved judgment sensitivity and shorter judgment time in abnormality judgment at a high level.

Based on this, the driving condition detector of the second invention has a speed detector that detects the vehicle speed of the vehicle, a steering torque detection unit that detects the steering torque acting on a column shaft connected to the steering wheel of the vehicle, the head position detection unit that detects the position of the head of the driver of the vehicle, and the eyelid shape detection unit that detects the shape characteristics of the eyelids of the driver of the vehicle, and the controller determines whether or not the driver is in an abnormal state based on the input signal from the steering torque detection unit when it detects that the speed of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a first vehicle speed based on the input signal from the speed detector, determines whether or not the driver is in an abnormal state based on the input signal from the head position detection unit when it detects that the speed of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a second vehicle speed that is lower than the first vehicle speed, and determines whether or not the driver is in an abnormal state based on the input signal from the eyelid shape detection unit when it detects that the speed of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a second vehicle speed that is lower than the first vehicle speed,

The controller may set the second jerk when decelerating the vehicle at the second deceleration, which is decelerating at the first deceleration, to be greater than the first jerk when decelerating the vehicle at the first deceleration.

This allows the vehicle to quickly decelerate from the first deceleration to the second deceleration, and if no cancellation operation is performed using the operating switch, the vehicle can be quickly stopped.

As explained above, the present invention can significantly reduce the possibility of a vehicle continuing to travel when the driver is in an abnormal state, or of the vehicle being erroneously determined to be in an abnormal state when the driver is normal, causing the vehicle to stop on the road and disrupt other traffic.

1 is a schematic diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle in which a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is implemented; 1 is a schematic diagram showing an interior space of an automobile to which a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied; 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a control device for an automobile according to an embodiment of the present invention; 4 is a flowchart of an abnormality determination process for determining whether or not a driver of a vehicle is in an abnormal state according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a flowchart of a control of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a time chart showing time variations of parameters related to abnormality determination and parameters related to deceleration control until the vehicle comes to a stop in the control of the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a time chart showing time variations of parameters related to abnormality determination and parameters related to deceleration control until the vehicle comes to a stop in the control of the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a time chart showing time variations of parameters related to abnormality determination and parameters related to deceleration control until the vehicle comes to a stop in the control of the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention. 4 is a time chart showing time variations of parameters related to abnormality determination and parameters related to deceleration control until the vehicle comes to a stop in the control of the vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention. 13 is an example of a screen displayed according to an embodiment of the present invention.

<System Configuration>
First, the system configuration of an automobile equipped with an automobile control device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Fig. 1. Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of an automobile equipped with an automobile control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes an automobile equipped with an automobile control device according to this embodiment. A power source 4, such as an engine or an electric motor, that drives the drive wheels (left and right front wheels 2 in the example of FIG. 1) is mounted on the front of the body of the automobile 1.

The vehicle 1 also includes a steering device (such as a steering wheel 6) for steering the vehicle 1, a steering angle sensor 8 for detecting the rotation angle of a steering column connected to the steering wheel 6 in the steering device, a steering torque sensor 9 for detecting the steering torque acting on a column shaft connecting the steering wheel 6 and the front wheels 2, an accelerator opening sensor 11 for detecting the amount of accelerator pedal depression corresponding to the opening of the accelerator pedal, a brake depression amount sensor 12 for detecting the amount of brake pedal depression, a vehicle speed sensor 23 for detecting the vehicle speed, and an acceleration sensor 24 for detecting acceleration. Each of these sensors outputs its detection value to a controller 100. The controller 100 is configured to include, for example, an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) and the like.

The automobile 1 also includes a brake control device 47 that supplies brake fluid pressure to the wheel cylinders and brake calipers of the brake devices (braking devices) 16 provided on each wheel. The brake control device 47 includes a hydraulic pump 17 that generates the brake fluid pressure required to generate a braking force in the brake devices 16 provided on each wheel. The hydraulic pump 17 is driven by power supplied from, for example, a battery, and is capable of generating the brake fluid pressure required to generate a braking force in each brake device 16 even when the brake pedal is not depressed. The brake control device 47 also includes a valve unit 18 (specifically, a solenoid valve) that is provided in a hydraulic pressure supply line to the brake devices 16 of each wheel for controlling the hydraulic pressure supplied from the hydraulic pump 17 to the brake devices 16 of each wheel. For example, the opening degree of the valve unit 18 is changed by adjusting the amount of power supplied from the battery to the valve unit 18. The brake control device 47 also includes a hydraulic pressure sensor 19 that detects the hydraulic pressure supplied from the hydraulic pump 17 to the brake devices 16 of each wheel. The hydraulic pressure sensor 19 is disposed, for example, at the connection between each valve unit 18 and the hydraulic pressure supply line downstream of the valve unit 18, detects the hydraulic pressure downstream of each valve unit 18, and outputs the detected value to the controller 100.

The brake control device 47 calculates the hydraulic pressure to be supplied independently to each wheel cylinder and brake caliper of each wheel based on the braking force command value input from the controller 100 and the detection value of the hydraulic pressure sensor 19, and controls the rotation speed of the hydraulic pump 17 and the opening degree of the valve unit 18 according to these hydraulic pressures.

The power source control device 46 controls the power source 4 mounted on the automobile 1. The power source control device 46 is a component that can adjust the power (driving force), and includes, for example, a spark plug, a fuel injection valve, a throttle valve, and a variable valve mechanism that changes the opening and closing timing of the intake and exhaust valves. When it is necessary to decelerate the automobile 1, the controller 100 sends a control signal to the power source control device 46 to change the power.

2 is a schematic diagram showing the interior space of a vehicle to which an automobile control system according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. As shown in FIG. 2, the interior of the vehicle includes an instrument panel 40 incorporating a center display 41 and a meter device 42, a center console 32, and the like. The center display 41 is provided in front of the driver's seat and passenger seat and at a substantially central position in the vehicle width direction, and is configured with an LCD (liquid crystal display). The meter device 42 is provided in front of the steering wheel 6 and includes display devices for displaying speed, engine RPM, gear range, and the like. The center console 32 is provided with a cancel operation device 34 that allows the driver to cancel an abnormality determination. In one example, the cancel operation device 34 is configured with a dial-type rotary switch. The operation device 34 is also used for various operations other than the cancel operation performed through the center display 41.

Next, as shown in FIG. 3, the automobile control device has a controller 100 including an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) and the like, a number of sensors that output predetermined signals to the controller 100, and a number of devices that are controlled by control signals input from the controller 100. The controller 100 is configured to perform automatic stopping control that automatically stops the automobile 1 in an emergency when it detects an abnormality in the driver while the automobile 1 is traveling.

Specifically, the multiple sensors include an in-vehicle camera 20, an outside-vehicle camera 21, a radar 22, and a vehicle speed sensor 23, an acceleration sensor 24, a yaw rate sensor 25, a steering angle sensor 8, a steering torque sensor 9, an accelerator opening sensor 11, and a brake depression amount sensor 12 for detecting the behavior of the automobile 1 and driving operations by the occupants. In addition, the multiple sensors include a positioning system 30 for detecting the position of the automobile 1, a navigation system 31, and the above-mentioned cancellation operation device 34. The multiple devices controlled by the controller 100 include a center display 41, a power source control device 46, and a brake control device 47. The controller 100 is composed of a computer equipped with one or more processors (typically a CPU), memories (ROM, RAM, etc.) that store various programs, and input/output devices.

The in-vehicle camera 20 captures images of the interior of the vehicle, particularly of the driver, and outputs the image data. The controller 100 analyzes the driver's head position and other information based on the image data received from the in-vehicle camera 20 to determine whether the driver is acting abnormally. For example, the controller 100 determines that the driver is acting abnormally when the analyzed head position of the driver is in a position that would not be possible when the driver normally drives the automobile 1.

The in-vehicle camera 20 is also used to measure the shape of the driver's eyelids. Based on the image data received from the in-vehicle camera 20, the controller 100 analyzes whether the driver's eyelids are continuously closed and determines whether the driver is abnormal. The in-vehicle camera 20 corresponds to an example of the "driving state detector" in the present invention.

The exterior camera 21 captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1 and outputs image data. The controller 100 identifies objects (e.g., leading vehicle (vehicle in front), following vehicle (vehicle behind), road, dividing lines (lane boundary lines, white lines, yellow lines), etc.) based on the image data received from the exterior camera 21. The controller 100 may also obtain information about objects from outside via traffic infrastructure, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, etc. This allows the type, relative position, movement direction, etc. of the object to be identified.

The radar 22 measures the position and speed of an object (particularly a preceding vehicle, a following vehicle, etc.). For example, a millimeter wave radar can be used as the radar 22. The radar 22 transmits radio waves in the traveling direction of the automobile 1 and receives reflected waves generated when the transmitted waves are reflected by the object. Then, based on the transmitted waves and received waves, the radar 22 measures the distance between the automobile 1 and the object (e.g., the distance between the automobiles) and the relative speed of the object with respect to the automobile 1. Note that instead of such a radar 22, a laser radar, an ultrasonic sensor, etc. may be used to measure the distance to the object and the relative speed. Furthermore, a position and speed measuring device may be configured using multiple sensors.

The vehicle speed sensor 23 detects the absolute speed of the automobile 1. The acceleration sensor 24 detects the acceleration of the automobile 1. This acceleration includes acceleration in the forward/rearward direction and acceleration in the lateral direction (i.e., lateral acceleration). Note that acceleration includes not only the rate of change of speed in the direction in which the speed increases, but also the rate of change of speed in the direction in which the speed decreases (i.e., deceleration).

The yaw rate sensor 25 detects the yaw rate of the automobile 1. The steering angle sensor 8 detects the rotation angle (steering angle) of the steering wheel of the automobile 1. The controller 100 can obtain the yaw angle and vehicle body slip angle of the automobile 1 by performing a predetermined calculation based on the absolute speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 23 and the steering angle detected by the steering angle sensor 8.

The positioning system 30 is a GPS system and/or a gyro system, and detects the position of the automobile 1 (current vehicle position information). The navigation system 31 stores map information internally and can provide the map information to the controller 100. The controller 100 identifies the curvature of the roads around the automobile 1 (particularly in the direction of travel) based on the map information and the current automobile position information. The map information may be stored in the controller 100. The navigation system 31 also acquires the above-mentioned driving path information.

The cancel operation device 34 is provided on the center console 32 as shown in FIG. 2, and is operated to execute options displayed on the center display 41, etc.

The center display 41 is incorporated in the instrument panel 40 as described above. Here, in the present invention, the center display 41 is used to determine whether the driver is in an abnormal state and to display the cancellation operation means.

<Automatic parking control>
Next, the control of the automobile according to the embodiment of the present invention will be specifically described with reference to Figures 4 to 8. The automatic stop control is a control for decelerating and stopping the automobile 1 when the driver of the automobile 1 is in an abnormal state in which the automobile is unable to drive.

Figure 4 is a flowchart of an abnormality determination process for determining whether or not the driver of a vehicle is in an abnormal state according to an embodiment of the present invention, and Figure 5 is a flowchart of a deceleration control process for a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The abnormality determination process shown in FIG. 4 is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle by the controller 100. First, in step S1, the controller 100 acquires information from the various sensors shown in FIG. 3.

Then, the process proceeds to step S2, where it is determined whether the vehicle speed Vx acquired from the vehicle speed sensor 23 is 5 km/h or more. If it is determined in step S2 that the vehicle speed is less than 5 km/h, the abnormality determination process is started again and repeated until the vehicle speed is 5 km/h or more. If the vehicle speed is 5 km/h or more, the process proceeds to step S3, where it is determined whether the vehicle speed Vx is 10 km/h or more. If it is determined in step S3 that the vehicle speed is 10 km/h or more, the process proceeds to step S4, where it is determined whether the vehicle speed Vx is 60 km/h or more. If it is determined in step S4 that the vehicle speed is 60 km/h or more, the process proceeds to grip force determination steps S5 to S7.

In step S5, the controller 100 calculates the reference steering torque required for the current driving based on the outputs of the exterior camera 21, the radar 22, the steering angle sensor 8, the acceleration sensor 24, etc. Then, in step S6, the deviation between the actual steering torque obtained from the steering torque sensor 9 and the reference steering torque is calculated. In step S7, this deviation is compared with a threshold value of the steering torque deviation stored in the memory provided in the controller 100, and if the deviation is greater than the threshold value, the process proceeds to step S13 and an abnormality determination flag is set (flag_1 = 1). When the driver's gripping force on the steering wheel 6 decreases, the actual steering torque becomes significantly smaller than the required reference steering torque. When determining whether the driver has lost the ability to drive, there is a correlation between the gripping force and the steering torque.

If the abnormality determination flag is set in step S13, the control process transitions to deceleration control processing.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S4 that the vehicle speed is less than 60 km/h, the process proceeds to driving posture determination steps S8 to S10. In step S8, the controller 100 determines the current head position of the driver based on the output of the image of the driver captured by the in-vehicle camera 20. The driver's head position is determined by two or more measurement positions. Each measurement position is set in advance. Once the driver's head position is determined, the deviation from the head position of the same driver that has been learned and stored in the past is calculated. The head position of the same driver that has been learned and stored in the past is, for example, the head position at the beginning of the driver's driving, that is, when the driver in the vehicle turns on the start switch and begins driving the vehicle.

When the driver is in an abnormal state, the position of the driver's head, which is not secured by a seat belt, is significantly different from the position of the head when the driver is in a normal state and facing forward while driving. Based on the position of the driver's head, it is possible to accurately determine whether the driver is in an abnormal state.

In step S9, this deviation is compared with a threshold value for head position deviation that has been learned and stored in the past. If the deviation is greater than the threshold value (step S9: Yes), the process proceeds to step S10. In step S10, the actual steering torque obtained from the steering torque sensor 9 is compared with the steering torque threshold value. If the actual steering torque is less than the threshold value (step S10: Yes), the process proceeds to step S13 and an abnormality determination flag is set (flag_1 = 1). Based on both the head position and steering torque, it can be accurately determined that the driver is not actually performing driving operations.

On the other hand, if the vehicle speed is determined to be less than 10 km/h in step S3, the process proceeds to wakefulness determination steps S11 and S12. In step S11, the controller 100 obtains the current eyelid shape of the driver based on the output of the image of the driver captured by the in-vehicle camera 20. The eyelid shape specifically includes at least the vertical distance between the driver's upper eyelid and lower eyelid. Then, the deviation from the eyelid shape of the same driver learned and stored in the past is calculated. The eyelid shape of the same driver learned and stored in the past is the eyelid shape at the beginning of the driver's driving, that is, when the driver who got into the car turned on the start switch and started driving the car. In other words, if the deviation is large, the driver is likely to have his eyelids closed. In step S12, this deviation is compared with the threshold value of the eyelid shape deviation learned and stored in the past, and if the deviation is greater than the threshold value (step S12: Yes), the process proceeds to step S13 and sets an abnormality determination flag (flag_1 = 1).

Next, the flow after proceeding to the deceleration control process is shown in Figure 5.

If it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the driver (step S21: Yes), the CPU time (time elapsed since IG ON) (t1) at the time when the deceleration control process started is stored in a memory provided in the controller 100. The control process proceeds in parallel to steps S22 and S23. If it is not determined that an abnormality has occurred in the driver (step S21: No), the process returns to the abnormality determination process.

In step S22, the controller 100 controls the center display 41 to display that the deceleration control process is proceeding and how to cancel the determination that the driver is in an abnormal state, as shown in FIG. 8(a). During this time, the controller 100 periodically acquires the current CPU time (t2).

In step S23, the controller 100 controls the power source control device 46 and the brake control device 47 so that the value detected by the acceleration sensor 24 becomes 0.1 g (first deceleration). In other words, the first deceleration process is started.

In step S24, the controller 100 acquires a signal from the cancellation operation device 34. If it is determined that a cancellation operation has been performed (step S25: Yes), the controller 100 proceeds to step S26, and if it is determined that a cancellation operation has not been performed (step S25: No), the controller 100 proceeds to step S27.

In step S26, the cancellation operation determination flag is set (flag_2 = 1). The default cancellation operation determination flag flag_2 is 0.

In step S27, if the cancellation operation determination flag (flag_2) is 0 (step S27: Yes), proceed to S28; if the cancellation determination flag (flag_2) is 1 (step S27: No), proceed to S32.

In step S28, the absolute value (Δt) of the difference between the time (t1) when the deceleration control process started and the current time (t2) is calculated. In step S29, the calculated elapsed time Δt is compared with a predetermined period of time Tth. The predetermined period of time Tth may be set to a time that ensures sufficient time for the driver to cancel the abnormality even if the abnormality is incorrectly determined. By setting the predetermined period of time Tth to an appropriate time, if the abnormality is correctly determined, the second deceleration process described below can be performed quickly, and the vehicle can be stopped quickly.

If the absolute value of the difference is less than the predetermined period (step S29: No), the process returns to step S24. If the absolute value of the difference is equal to or greater than the predetermined period (step S29: Yes), the process proceeds to step S30. It is preferable to make the sampling period from step S24 to step S29 as short as possible.

In step S30, the controller 100 controls the power source control device 46 and the brake control device 47 so that the value detected by the acceleration sensor 24 becomes 0.4 g (second deceleration). In other words, the second deceleration process is started. At this time, the controller 100 displays on the center display 41 as shown in FIG. 8(b) that deceleration has begun at 0.4 g (second deceleration), informing the driver that deceleration is being performed with the aim of stopping.

If the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 23 is 0 (step S31: Yes), the controller 100 determines that the vehicle has stopped and ends the deceleration control process. If the vehicle speed is not 0 (step S31: No), the controller 100 returns to step S30 and continues to control the power source control device 46 and the brake control device 47.

When the controller 100 receives a signal from the cancel operation device 34 (step S27: No), in step S32, the controller 100 ends the first deceleration control started in step S23 and switches the control of the power source control device 46 and the brake control device 47 from automatic control to control by the driver. At this time, the controller 100 displays on the center display 41 that the deceleration at the first deceleration has been canceled, as shown in FIG. 8(c), to inform the driver that control has been transferred.

Next, the operation of the vehicle control device according to the embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 6A, 6B, 7A, and 7B. Figures 6A and 6B illustrate time charts showing the time changes of various parameters related to the control of the vehicle and the time changes of various physical quantities related to the vehicle when it is determined that the driver of the vehicle 1 equipped with the vehicle control device according to the embodiment of the present invention is in an abnormal state and has not performed a cancel operation (i.e., step S27: Yes in Figure 5).

In FIG. 6A, chart (a) shows the steering torque deviation, which is the deviation between the actual steering torque and the reference steering torque, chart (b) shows the position deviation, which is the deviation between the actual position of the driver's head and the stored head position, chart (c) shows the shape characteristic deviation, which is the deviation between the actual shape of the driver's eyelids and the stored shape, chart (d) shows the abnormality determination flag, and chart (e) shows the cancellation operation determination signal. In FIG. 6B, chart (f) shows the vehicle speed, chart (g) shows the deceleration, (h) shows the jerk, and chart (i) shows the pitch angle of the vehicle body.

Chart (a) illustrates the steering torque deviation when step S4 in FIG. 4 is judged as Yes. As shown in chart (a), at the time (t1) when the steering torque deviation exceeds the threshold, the abnormality judgment flag shown in chart (d) becomes 1. At this time, deceleration at 0.1 g begins as shown in chart (g). Accordingly, the speed decreases as shown in chart (f). Furthermore, as shown in chart (h), a jerk occurs as shown in chart (h), and the pitch angle changes as shown in chart (i). Since the first deceleration is relatively small, the jerk and pitch angle changes are small. The effect on the cancellation operation is minimal. In addition, the various physical quantities related to the vehicle shown in charts (g) to (i) quickly become constant after the start of the first deceleration control. In other words, since the pitch angle is substantially constant within the predetermined period Tth during which the cancellation operation can be performed, the effect on the cancellation operation is minimal.

As shown in chart (e), if the cancellation operation determination signal remains at 0 after the predetermined period Tth has elapsed (i.e., step S29: Yes in FIG. 5), deceleration at 0.4 g is started as shown in chart (g). At this time, as shown in chart (f), the speed falls faster than the deceleration at 0.1 g. Also, as shown in chart (h), the jerk (second jerk) is larger than the jerk (first jerk) when deceleration at 0.1 g is started. As shown in chart (i), the pitch angle is also larger than when deceleration is performed at 0.1 g. This is because the driver is in an abnormal state and it is preferable to stop the vehicle quickly, and because the driver or passenger does not perform the cancellation operation. However, since deceleration has already been performed at the first deceleration, the changes in the second jerk and pitch angle are small. This prevents excessive strain from being placed on the driver in an abnormal state.

Chart (b) illustrates an example of head position deviation when step S4 in FIG. 4 is judged as No. As shown in chart (b), when the position deviation exceeds the threshold (t1), the abnormality judgment flag shown in chart (d) becomes 1. At this time, deceleration at 0.1 g begins as shown in chart (g). As a result, the speed decreases as shown in chart (f). Furthermore, as shown in chart (h), a jerk occurs, and as shown in chart (i), a change occurs in the pitch angle. As shown in chart (e), when the cancellation operation judgment signal is 0 after the predetermined period Tth has elapsed (i.e., step S29: Yes in FIG. 5), deceleration at 0.4 g begins as shown in chart (g). At this time, the speed decreases faster than the deceleration at 0.1 g as shown in chart (f).

Chart (c) illustrates an example of the shape characteristic deviation of the eyelid when step S3 in FIG. 4 is judged as No. As shown in chart (c), at the time (t1) when the shape characteristic deviation exceeds the threshold, the abnormality judgment flag shown in chart (d) becomes 1. At this time, deceleration at 0.1 g is started as shown in chart (g). Accordingly, the speed decreases as shown in chart (f). Furthermore, as shown in chart (h), a jerk increases, and as shown in chart (i), a change occurs in the pitch angle. As shown in chart (e), when the cancellation operation judgment signal is 0 at the time when the predetermined period Tth has elapsed (i.e., step S29: Yes in FIG. 5), deceleration at 0.4 g is started as shown in chart (g). At this time, the speed decreases faster than the deceleration at 0.1 g as shown in chart (f).

Figures 7A and 7B are time charts showing the time changes of various parameters related to the control of the vehicle and the time changes of various physical quantities related to the vehicle when the driver of the vehicle 1 equipped with the vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is determined to be in an abnormal state and to have performed a cancel operation (i.e., step S27 in Figure 5: No). In Figure 7A, chart (a) shows the steering torque deviation, chart (b) shows the position deviation of the driver's head, chart (c) shows the shape characteristic deviation of the driver's eyelids, chart (d) shows the abnormality determination flag, and chart (e) shows the cancel operation determination signal. In Figure 7B, chart (f) shows the vehicle speed, chart (g) shows the deceleration, (h) shows the jerk, and chart (i) shows the pitch angle.

Chart (a) illustrates the steering torque deviation when step S4 in FIG. 4 is judged as Yes. As shown in chart (a), when the steering torque deviation exceeds the threshold (t1), the abnormality judgment flag shown in chart (d) becomes 1. At this time, deceleration at 0.1 g begins as shown in chart (g). As a result, the speed decreases as shown in chart (f). Furthermore, as shown in chart (h), a jerk occurs, and as shown in chart (i), a change occurs in the pitch angle. Because the first deceleration is relatively small, the jerk and pitch angle changes are small. The effect on the cancellation operation is minimal. In addition, the various physical quantities related to the vehicle shown in charts (g) to (i) quickly become constant after the start of the first deceleration control. In other words, the effect on the cancellation operation is minimal.

As shown in chart (e), if the cancel operation judgment signal becomes 1 before the predetermined period Tth has elapsed (i.e., step S27 in FIG. 5: No), the abnormality judgment is canceled as shown in chart (d) and deceleration at 0.1 g is stopped as shown in chart (g), and the abnormality judgment flag becomes the same as when it was 0. At this time, as shown in chart (f), the speed also recovers to the level before the abnormality judgment flag became 1 (note that this chart shows an example in which the driver is not operating the accelerator, but if the driver operates the accelerator, the speed will recover more quickly to the level before the abnormality judgment flag became 1). Also, as shown in chart (i), the pitch angle also becomes the same as before the abnormality judgment flag became 1.

Chart (b) illustrates an example of head position deviation when step S4 in Figure 4 is judged as No. As shown in chart (b), at the time (t1) when the position deviation exceeds the threshold, the abnormality judgment flag shown in chart (d) becomes 1. At this time, deceleration at 0.1 g begins as shown in chart (g). As a result, the speed decreases as shown in chart (f). Furthermore, a jerk occurs as shown in chart (h), and a change occurs in the pitch angle as shown in chart (i).

As shown in chart (e), if the cancel operation judgment signal becomes 1 before the predetermined period Tth has elapsed (i.e., step S27 in FIG. 5: No), the abnormality judgment is canceled as shown in chart (d) and deceleration at 0.1 g is stopped as shown in chart (g), and the abnormality judgment flag becomes the same as when it was 0. At this time, as shown in chart (f), the speed also recovers to the level before the abnormality judgment flag became 1 (note that this chart shows an example in which the driver is not operating the accelerator, but if the driver operates the accelerator, the speed will recover more quickly to the level before the abnormality judgment flag became 1). Also, as shown in chart (i), the pitch angle also becomes the same as before the abnormality judgment flag became 1.

Chart (c) illustrates an example of the deviation in eyelid shape characteristics when step S3 in FIG. 4 is judged as No. As shown in chart (c), at the time (t1) when the deviation in shape characteristics exceeds the threshold, the abnormality judgment flag shown in chart (d) becomes 1. At this time, deceleration at 0.1 g begins as shown in chart (g). As a result, the speed decreases as shown in chart (f). Furthermore, a jerk occurs as shown in chart (h), and a change occurs in the pitch angle as shown in chart (i).

As shown in chart (e), if the cancellation operation judgment flag becomes 1 before the predetermined period Tth has elapsed (i.e., step S27 in FIG. 5: No), the abnormality judgment is canceled as shown in chart (d), and deceleration at 0.1 g is stopped as shown in chart (g), and the abnormality judgment signal becomes the same as when it was 0. At this time, as shown in chart (f), the speed also recovers to the level before the abnormality judgment flag became 1 (note that this chart shows an example in which the driver is not operating the accelerator, but if the driver operates the accelerator, the speed will recover more quickly to the level before the abnormality judgment flag became 1). In addition, as shown in chart (i), the pitch angle also becomes the same as before the abnormality judgment flag became 1.

According to the automatic vehicle stopping control, the deceleration during the cancellation period (first deceleration), which begins when the vehicle decelerates based on the determination that the driver is in an abnormal state, is set to a small value so as not to impede the cancellation operation, while the deceleration after this period (second deceleration) is set to a large value so as to shorten the time it takes for the vehicle to stop, thereby ensuring both the cancellation operation and a quick stop.

The automatic vehicle stop control described above can therefore significantly reduce the possibility of the vehicle continuing to drive when the driver is in an abnormal state, or of the vehicle being erroneously determined to be in an abnormal state when the driver is normal, causing the vehicle to stop on the road and disrupting other traffic.

1 Automobile 2 Left and right front wheels 4 Power source 6 Steering wheel 8 Steering angle sensor 9 Steering torque sensor 11 Accelerator opening sensor 12 Brake depression amount sensor 16 Brake device 17 Hydraulic pressure pump 18 Valve unit 19 Hydraulic pressure sensor 20 In-vehicle camera 21 Outside-vehicle camera 22 Radar 23 Vehicle speed sensor 24 Acceleration sensor 25 Yaw rate sensor 30 Positioning system 31 Navigation system 32 Center console 34 Cancel operation device 40 Instrument panel 41 Center display 42 Meter device 46 Power source control device 47 Brake control device 100 Controller

Claims (10)

an abnormality determination step of determining whether or not a driver of a vehicle is in an abnormal state in which the driver has lost the ability to drive;
a display step of displaying information indicating that a cancel operation is possible when it is determined in the abnormality determination step that the driver is in an abnormal state;
a first deceleration step of decelerating the vehicle at a first deceleration when it is determined in the abnormality determination step that the driver is in an abnormal state;
a cancel operation determination step of determining whether or not a cancel operation is performed for a predetermined period of time after deceleration is started in the first deceleration step;
a second deceleration step of decelerating the vehicle at a second deceleration that is greater than the first deceleration, thereby stopping the vehicle, when it is determined in the canceling operation determination step that a canceling operation has not been performed before the predetermined period has elapsed;
having
when it is determined in the canceling operation determination step that a canceling operation has been performed before the predetermined period has elapsed, the deceleration at the first deceleration in the first deceleration step is stopped;
The abnormality determination step includes:
a travelling vehicle speed determination step of determining a speed of the automobile;
a gripping force determination step of determining whether or not the driver is in an abnormal state based on a steering torque acting on a column shaft connected to a steering wheel of the automobile;
a driving posture determination step of determining whether the driver is in an abnormal state based on the position of the driver's head;
A driving awareness determination step of determining whether the driver is in an abnormal state based on a shape characteristic of the driver's eyelids,
When it is determined in the traveling vehicle speed determination step that the speed of the automobile is equal to or higher than a first vehicle speed, the gripping force determination step is executed;
When it is determined in the traveling vehicle speed determination step that the speed of the automobile is equal to or higher than a second vehicle speed which is lower than the first vehicle speed, the driving attitude determination step is executed;
A method for controlling an automobile, comprising the steps of: executing the driver alertness determination step when it is determined in the traveling vehicle speed determination step that the speed of the automobile is lower than the second vehicle speed . 2. The method for controlling a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the abnormality determination step comprises:
a reference steering torque calculation step of calculating a reference steering torque required for a current running of the vehicle;
a steering torque detection step of detecting an actual steering torque acting on a column shaft connected to a steering wheel of the automobile;
a steering torque deviation calculation step of calculating a deviation between the reference steering torque calculated in the reference steering torque calculation step and the actual steering torque detected in the steering torque detection step;
a gripping force determination step of determining that the driver is in an abnormal state based on the deviation calculated in the steering torque deviation calculation step being greater than a predetermined value;
13. A method for controlling an automobile, comprising: 2. The method for controlling a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the abnormality determination step comprises:
a head initial position identifying step of identifying a position of the head of the driver at the start of driving by the driver;
a head position detection step of detecting a position of the head of the driver while the vehicle is moving;
a position deviation calculation step of calculating a deviation between the position stored in the head initial position identification step and the position detected in the head position detection step;
a driving posture determination step of determining that the driver is in an abnormal state when the deviation calculated by the position deviation calculation step exceeds a predetermined range;
13. A method for controlling an automobile, comprising: 2. The method for controlling a vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the abnormality determination step comprises:
An initial eyelid shape specifying step of specifying a shape characteristic of an eyelid of a driver at the beginning of driving of the driver;
an eyelid shape characteristic detection step of detecting a shape characteristic of an eyelid of the driver while the vehicle is traveling;
a shape characteristic deviation calculation step of calculating a deviation between the shape characteristic stored in the eyelid initial shape specification step and the shape characteristic detected in the eyelid shape characteristic detection step;
a driving alertness determination step of determining that the driver is in an abnormal state when the deviation calculated by the shape characteristic deviation calculation step exceeds a predetermined range;
13. A method for controlling an automobile, comprising: 5. A method for controlling a vehicle according to claim 1, further comprising the steps of:
In the second deceleration step, a second jerk when the vehicle decelerating at the first deceleration is decelerated at the second deceleration is greater than a first jerk when the vehicle is decelerated at the first deceleration in the first deceleration step.
23. A method for controlling an automobile, comprising: a driving state detector for detecting a driving state of a driver of a vehicle;
A display for displaying information inside the vehicle;
a speed reduction mechanism for applying a deceleration to the vehicle;
an operating switch operable by a passenger of the vehicle; and a controller electrically connected to the driving state detector, the display, the reduction mechanism, and the reduction mechanism.
A control device for a vehicle having a controller, the controller comprising:
Based on the input signal from the driving condition detector, determine whether the driver of the vehicle is in an abnormal state in which he or she has lost the ability to drive;
When it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state, the display is controlled to display that a cancellation operation is possible;
When it is determined that the driver is in an abnormal state, the deceleration mechanism is controlled to decelerate the vehicle at a first deceleration;
when it is determined based on the input signal from the operation switch that an occupant of the vehicle has not operated the operation switch within a predetermined period of time after the start of deceleration of the vehicle, the speed reduction mechanism is controlled to decelerate the vehicle at a second deceleration that is greater than the first deceleration until the vehicle stops; and when it is determined based on the input signal from the operation switch that an occupant of the vehicle has operated the operation switch within a predetermined period of time after the start of deceleration of the vehicle, the speed reduction mechanism is controlled to stop the operation of decelerating the vehicle at the first deceleration ,
The operating condition detector includes:
a speed detector for detecting a traveling speed of the automobile;
a steering torque detection unit that detects a steering torque acting on a column shaft connected to a steering wheel of the automobile;
a head position detection unit for detecting a head position of a driver of the vehicle;
an eyelid shape detection unit that detects a shape characteristic of an eyelid of the driver of the vehicle;
The controller, based on an input signal from the speed detector,
when it is detected that the speed of the vehicle is equal to or higher than a first vehicle speed, based on an input signal from the steering torque detection unit, it is determined whether or not the driver is in an abnormal state;
when it is detected that the speed of the vehicle is equal to or higher than a second vehicle speed which is lower than the first vehicle speed, determining whether or not the driver is in an abnormal state based on an input signal from the head position detection unit;
when it is detected that the speed of the automobile is lower than the second vehicle speed, it is determined whether or not the driver is in an abnormal state based on an input signal from the eyelid shape detection unit .
A control device for an automobile. 7. The vehicle control device according to claim 6 ,
The controller determines that the driver is in an abnormal state when a deviation between a reference steering torque required for the current running of the vehicle and the detected steering torque exceeds a predetermined value based on an input signal from the steering torque detection unit.
A control device for an automobile. 7. The vehicle control device according to claim 6 ,
the controller determines that the driver is in an abnormal state when a deviation between a current head position and a head position at an initial stage of driving exceeds a predetermined range based on an input signal from the head position detection unit;
A control device for an automobile. 7. The vehicle control device according to claim 6 ,
The controller determines that the driver is in an abnormal state when a deviation between a current eyelid shape and an eyelid shape at the beginning of driving exceeds a predetermined range based on an input signal from the eyelid shape detection unit.
A control device for an automobile. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 6 to 9 ,
The controller makes a second jerk when decelerating the vehicle, which is decelerating at the first deceleration, at the second deceleration greater than a first jerk when decelerating the vehicle at the first deceleration.
A control device for an automobile.

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