Drive assistance device and drive assistance method, and moving body

A drive assistance method, comprising:

• detecting a condition of a driver in an automatic driving mode of a vehicle;
• controlling a first timing of a notification of switching of driving modes of the vehicle, wherein
• the control of the first timing is based on the detected condition of the driver, and
• the driver corresponds to a first passenger of the vehicle;
• notifying the switching of the driving modes of the vehicle to the first passenger at the first timing;
• setting a second passenger of the vehicle as a new driver of the vehicle based on no reaction of the first passenger to the notification of the switching of the driving modes of the vehicle;
• detecting a condition of the new driver;
• and
• controlling, based on the detected condition of the new driver, a second timing of the notification of the switching of the driving modes of the vehicle.

A moving body, comprising:

• a condition detector configured to detect a condition of a driver in an automatic driving mode of the moving body;
• and
• a microcomputer configured to:
• control a driving system to drive the moving body to travel in one of a plurality of driving modes;
• control a first timing of a notification of switch of the plurality of driving modes, wherein
• the control of the first timing is based on the detected condition of the driver, and
• the driver corresponds to a first passenger of the moving body;
• notify the switch of the plurality of driving modes to the first passenger at the first timing;
• and
• set a second passenger of the moving body as a new driver of the moving body based on no reaction of the first passenger to the notification of the switch of the plurality of driving modes, wherein
• the condition detector is further configured to detect a condition of the new driver, and
• the microcomputer is further configured to control, based on the detected condition of the new driver, a second timing of the notification of the switch of the plurality of driving modes.