Automatic driving control apparatus for vehicle based on driving skill of driver

An automatic driving control apparatus for a vehicle, the vehicle having a driving mode that switches between 1) a manual driving mode in which a driver manually performs driving operation of the vehicle and 2) an automatic driving mode in which driving operation is performed automatically along a set target traveling route, the automatic driving control apparatus comprising:

• at least one processor configured to:
• acquire information associated with the driver;
• determine, based on the acquired information associated with the driver, whether the driver of the vehicle has previously been permitted to drive the vehicle under the automatic driving mode;
• in response to determining that the driver of the vehicle has not previously been permitted to drive the vehicle under the automatic driving mode:
• monitor the driving operation of the vehicle performed manually by the driver while the vehicle travels in the manual driving mode;
• evaluate a driving skill of the driver based on the monitored driving operation of the vehicle performed manually by the driver;
• when an evaluation value of the driving skill of the driver is higher than or equal to a threshold level required to operate the vehicle in the manual driving mode, control the driving mode of the vehicle to switch from the manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode;
• and
• when the evaluation value of the driving skill of the driver is lower than the threshold level, calculate, based on the evaluation value, a shift permission time period required for the driver to drive the vehicle under the manual driving mode prior to being permitted to switch from the manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode;
• and
• permit the driving mode of the vehicle to switch from the manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode for the driver having the evaluation value of the driving skill lower than the threshold level when the driver drives the vehicle under the manual driving mode for the calculated shift permission time period;
• and
• in response to determining that the driver of the vehicle has previously been permitted to drive the vehicle under the automatic driving mode:
• skip the evaluation of the driving skill of the driver;
• and
• proceed to control the driving mode of the vehicle to switch from the manual driving mode to the automatic driving mode without performing the evaluation of the driving skill of the driver.