Vehicle control system, traffic control system, vehicle control method, and vehicle control program

A traffic control system comprising:

• a vehicle control system configured to control a vehicle which has an vehicle occupant;
• and
• a server which stores and manages information associated with the vehicle occupant, the information including a proficiency level of the vehicle occupant for driving, the proficiency level being determined based on a driving history which includes a cumulative amount of time that the automated driving of the vehicle was performed or a number of times the automated driving of the vehicle was performed in a state in which the vehicle occupant was seated in a driving seat, wherein
• the vehicle control system comprises:
• an automated driving controller configured to perform automated driving in which at least one out of speed control or steering control of the vehicle is performed automatically in a driving mode selected from a plurality of driving modes which require different degrees of automated driving;
• and
• a vehicle-side communication section configured to communicate with the server, and
• the automated driving controller is configured to control the automated driving based on the information associated with the vehicle occupant received from a server-side communication section of the server through the vehicle-side communication section, and
• the vehicle control system further comprises a mode controller configured to select the automated driving mode to be executed by the automated driving controller from a preset range of selectable modes and to expand the range of selectable modes more the higher the proficiency level received from the server-side communication section through the vehicle-side communication section.

A vehicle control method performed by an onboard computer of a vehicle, the method comprising:

• reading user information that identifies a vehicle occupant;
• transmitting a request including the read user information to a server for managing the user information;
• receiving information associated with the vehicle occupant from the server, which is stored in the server in a manner associated with the user information, the information associated with the vehicle occupant including a proficiency level of the vehicle occupant for driving, the proficiency level being determined based on a driving history which includes a cumulative amount of time that the automated driving of the vehicle was performed or a number of times the automated driving of the vehicle was performed in a state in which the vehicle occupant was seated in a driving seat;
• and
• controlling automated driving in which at least one out of speed control or steering control of the vehicle is performed automatically in a driving mode selected from a plurality of driving modes which require different degrees of automated driving, based on the information associated with the vehicle occupant received from the server, wherein
• the controlling of the automated driving further comprises allowing the vehicle occupant to select the automated driving mode from a preset range of selectable modes, while expanding the range of selectable modes more the higher the proficiency level received from the server.

A non-transitory computer readable media storing therein a vehicle control program executable by an onboard computer of a vehicle, comprising instructions to:

• read user information that identifies a vehicle occupant;
• transmit a request including the read user information to a server for managing the user information;
• receive information associated with the vehicle occupant from the server, which is stored in the server in a manner associated with the user information, the information associated with the vehicle occupant including a proficiency level of the vehicle occupant for driving, the proficiency level being determined based on a driving history which includes a cumulative amount of time that the automated driving of the vehicle was performed or a number of times the automated driving of the vehicle was performed in a state in which the vehicle occupant was seated in a driving seat;
• and
• control automated driving in which at least one out of speed control or steering control of the vehicle is performed automatically in a driving mode selected from a plurality of driving modes which require different degrees of automated driving, based on the information associated with the vehicle occupant received from the server, wherein
• the control of automated driving further comprises allowing the vehicle occupant to select the automated driving mode from a preset range of selectable modes, while expanding the range of selectable modes more the higher the proficiency level received from the server.