Notice management apparatus and notice management method

A notice management method for managing a notice by a notice instrument providing a notice to an occupant of a vehicle, the notice instrument being mounted to the vehicle together with a vehicle control apparatus providing a lane change assistance function assisting a lane change of the vehicle by generating a steering force to move the vehicle to an adjacent lane,

• the notice management method being executed by at least one processor,
• the notice management method comprising:
• obtaining (i) information indicating a steering start point of time at which a lane change of the vehicle is started by the lane change assistance function of the vehicle control apparatus, and (ii) information indicating at least a state of the vehicle to calculate a notice start point of time at which a notice to the occupant is started before the steering start point of time;
• and
• causing the notice instrument to provide the notice to the occupant continuously in a notice continued duration from the notice start point of time to the steering start point of time, the notice indicating a decrease in a residual period of time up to the steering start point of time in the notice continued duration.

A notice management apparatus controlling a notice instrument configured to provide notice to an occupant of a vehicle such that the occupant recognizes when the vehicle will start a lane change, the notice instrument being mounted to the vehicle together with a vehicle control apparatus configured to provide an assistance function for assisting the lane change of the vehicle, the notice management apparatus comprising:

• a control circuit configured to
• obtain information indicating a steering start point of time at which a lane change of the vehicle will be started by the vehicle control apparatus, and
• cause the notice instrument to continuously provide a notice indicating a decrease in a residual period of time up to the steering start point of time, the decrease in the residual period of time indicating to the occupant of the vehicle that the lane change will start at the steering start point of time such that the occupant recognizes when the vehicle will start the lane change,
• wherein
• when the occupant is under states of needing more time to recognize a notice indicating a lane change, the control circuit sets a notice start point of time to have a longer interval up to the steering start point of time, the notice start point of time being a point of time at which a notice of the residual period of time is started before the steering start point of time.

A notice management apparatus controlling a notice instrument that provides a notice to an occupant of a vehicle, the notice instrument being mounted to the vehicle together with a vehicle control apparatus providing a lane change assistance function assisting a lane change of the vehicle by generating a steering force to move the vehicle to an adjacent lane, the notice management apparatus comprising:

• a control circuit configured to
• obtain (i) control information on a steering control to a lane change of the vehicle started by the lane change assistance function of the vehicle control apparatus, and (ii) peripheral monitoring information on a different vehicle in the adjacent lane,
• cause the notice instrument to provide continuously a notice indicating an approach up to start of movement for the lane change by the lane change assistance function of the vehicle control apparatus, based on the obtained control information, by performing countdown up to the start of movement using at least one of (i) a change of a notice sound, (ii) a decrease of a numeric value, and (iii) a progress bar, and
• change, based on the obtained peripheral monitoring information, a notice start point of time at which the notice is started by the notice instrument.

A notice management apparatus controlling a notice instrument that provides a notice to an occupant of a vehicle, the notice instrument being mounted to the vehicle together with a vehicle control apparatus achieving an assistance function assisting a lane change of the vehicle, the notice management apparatus comprising:

• a start time obtainer section configured to obtain information indicating a steering start point of time at which a lane change of the vehicle is started by the vehicle control apparatus;
• and
• a notice adjuster section configured to cause the notice instrument to provide continuously a notice indicating a decrease in a residual period of time up to the steering start point of time obtained by the start time obtainer section, wherein
• when the occupant is under states of needing more time to recognize a notice indicating a lane change, the notice adjuster section sets a notice start point of time to have a longer interval up to the steering start point of time, the notice start point of time being a point of time at which a notice of the residual period of time is started before the steering start point of time.