Driving control device and HMI control device

A driving control device configured to control an operation of a vehicle capable of performing automated driving, the driving control device comprising:

• a traveling situation acquisition portion that is configured to acquire a traveling situation of the vehicle from various sensors as various information;
• an automation level determining portion that is configured to determine an autonomous driving level based on the traveling situation acquired by the traveling situation acquisition portion;
• and
• a vehicle control portion that is configured to provide at least vehicle speed control, steering control, or braking control, according to the autonomous driving level settled by the automation level determining portion, wherein
• the automation level determining portion is configured to:
• terminate a high autonomous driving level as the autonomous driving level under the automated driving;
• temporarily transition to a low autonomous driving level as the autonomous driving level lower than a middle autonomous level and the high autonomous driving level;
• and then
• transition to the middle autonomous level as the autonomous driving level between the high autonomous driving level and the low autonomous driving level;
• the automation level determining portion is further configured to set a mode of changing the autonomous driving level from the high autonomous driving level to the middle autonomous level based on one of a duration for which the high autonomous driving level is performed and a determination on whether a driver state of a driver of the vehicle is a sleeping state during the high autonomous driving level;
• when the duration for which the high autonomous driving level is performed is shorter than a specified time, the automation level determining portion is further configured to transition from the high autonomous driving level to the middle autonomous level without transitioning to the low autonomous driving level.

An HMI control device configured to control an HMI device that displays an image visibly recognized by a driver of a vehicle, the vehicle being capable of performing automated driving, the HMI control device comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory storing a program that comprises instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to:
• acquire an autonomous driving level determined based on a traveling situation acquired at least by a driving control device that is configured to control an operation of the vehicle;
• control an image display operation of the HMI device according to the acquired autonomous driving level;
• when terminating a high autonomous driving level as the autonomous driving level under the automated driving, control the HMI device to provide an action instruction display that instructs the driver to take a low-level associated state as a driver state so as to handle a low autonomous driving level, which is an autonomous driving level at which an in-vehicle system does not provide at least lateral motion control based on steering or longitudinal motion control based on acceleration/deceleration, wherein the low autonomous driving level is the autonomous driving level lower than the high autonomous driving level and a middle autonomous level;
• and
• control the HMI device to provide the action instruction display that instructs the driver to take the low-level associated state without actually transitioning the vehicle to the low autonomous driving level when terminating the high autonomous driving level and transitioning to the middle autonomous level as the autonomous driving level between the high autonomous driving level and the low autonomous driving level.

A driving control device configured to control an operation of a vehicle capable of performing automated driving, the driving control device comprising:

• at least one processor;
• and
• at least one memory storing a program that comprises instructions, when executed by the at least one processor, causing the at least one processor to:
• acquire a traveling situation of the vehicle from various sensors as various information;
• determine an autonomous driving level based on the acquired traveling situation;
• provide at least vehicle speed control, steering control or braking control, according to the determined autonomous driving level;
• terminate a high autonomous driving level as the autonomous driving level under the automated driving;
• temporarily transition to a low autonomous driving level as the autonomous driving level lower than a middle autonomous level and the high autonomous driving level;
• and then
• transition to the middle autonomous level as the autonomous driving level between the high autonomous driving level and the low autonomous driving level;
• wherein the instructions of the program, when executed by the at least one processor, further cause the at least one processor to:
• set a mode of changing the autonomous driving level from the high autonomous driving level to the middle autonomous level based on one of a duration for which the high autonomous driving level is performed and a determination on whether a driver state of a driver of the vehicle is a sleeping state during the high autonomous driving level;
• and
• when the duration for which the high autonomous driving level is performed is shorter than a specified time, transition from the high autonomous driving level to the middle autonomous level without transitioning to the low autonomous driving level.