Vehicle control device

A vehicle control device comprising:

• a control unit configured to perform switching control, in automatic driving of a vehicle, between a first automatic driving state of an automatic driving level 2 or lower with manual driving or surrounding monitoring obligation, and a second automatic driving state of an automatic driving level 4 or higher with no surrounding monitoring obligation and allowing sleep, depending on a road on which the vehicle travels;
• a detection unit configured to detect a status of at least one occupant of the vehicle;
• and
• a notification unit configured to notify information on the automatic driving, wherein
• when the control unit determines that a driver among the at least one occupant is in an asleep state based on a detection result of the detection unit in the second automatic driving state, the control unit is configured to perform acceleration control to adjust second vehicle speed in the second automatic driving state,
• to be higher than first vehicle speed in the first automatic driving state,
• to be equal to the first vehicle speed, or
• to be lower than the first vehicle speed and higher than the second vehicle speed in a current state, and
• after executing the acceleration control, when the control unit determines from detection results of the detection unit that the driver and at least one passenger among the at least one occupant are in an awake state, the control unit is configured to cause the notification unit to give a notification to the driver to allow the driver to select whether to perform second deceleration control to reduce the vehicle speed after the acceleration control to a predetermined vehicle speed.

A vehicle control device comprising:

• a control unit configured to perform switching control, in automatic driving of a vehicle, between a first automatic driving state of an automatic driving level 2 or lower with manual driving or surrounding monitoring obligation, and a second automatic driving state of an automatic driving level 4 or higher with no surrounding monitoring obligation and allowing sleep, depending on a road on which the vehicle travels;
• a detection unit configured to detect a status of at least one occupant of the vehicle;
• and
• an autonomous sensor configured to detect surrounding environment of the vehicle, wherein
• when the control unit determines that the occupant is in an awake state based on a detection result of the detection unit in the second automatic driving state, the control unit is configured to change vehicle speed in the second automatic driving state depending on
• the surrounding environment acquired by the autonomous sensor or
• an execution status of a second task of the occupant acquired by the detection unit, the second task being allowed in the second automatic driving state.

A vehicle control device comprising:

• a control unit configured to perform switching control, in automatic driving of a vehicle, between a low automatic driving state of an automatic driving level 2 or lower with manual driving or surrounding monitoring obligation, and a high automatic driving state of an automatic driving level 3 or higher with no surrounding monitoring obligation, depending on a road on which the vehicle travels, wherein
• the control unit is configured to shift from the low automatic driving state to the high automatic driving state, when determining that an area, in which the vehicle is allowed to travel in the high automatic driving state, approaches, and determining that permission input from a driver is confirmed,
• the control unit is configured to increase vehicle speed to reach a second maximum speed, which is set for a road for traveling at the high automatic driving state, after shift from the low automatic driving state to the high automatic driving state, and
• the control unit is configured to reduce the vehicle speed to be equal to or lower than a first maximum speed, which is set for a road for traveling at the low automatic driving state, when determining that an area, in which the vehicle is required to travel in the low automatic driving state, approaches, before shift from the high automatic driving state to the low automatic driving state.

A vehicle control device comprising:

• a control unit configured to perform switching control, in automatic driving of a vehicle, between a low automatic driving state of an automatic driving level 2 or lower with manual driving or surrounding monitoring obligation, and a high automatic driving state of an automatic driving level 3 or higher with no surrounding monitoring obligation, depending on a road on which the vehicle travels;
• and
• a notification unit configured to notify information on the automatic driving, wherein
• after shift from the low automatic driving state to the high automatic driving state in response to determining that an area, in which the vehicle is allowed to travel in the high automatic driving state, approaches, the control unit is configured to continue traveling at a vehicle speed in the low automatic driving state,
• when the vehicle speed as continued is lower than a maximum speed, which is set for a road for traveling in the high automatic driving state, the control unit is configured to cause the notification unit to notify a driver of the maximum speed, and
• when the driver gives permission to accelerate, the control unit is configured to increase the vehicle speed to reach the maximum speed.

A vehicle control device comprising:

• a control unit configured to perform switching control, in automatic driving of a vehicle, between a low automatic driving state of an automatic driving level 2 or lower with manual driving or surrounding monitoring obligation, and a high automatic driving state of an automatic driving level 3 or higher with no surrounding monitoring obligation, depending on a road on which the vehicle travels;
• and
• a notification unit configured to notify information on the automatic driving, wherein
• when speed regulation is executed due to traveling environment in a high automatic area, which allows the high automatic driving state, the control unit is configured to cause the notification unit to notify a driver of regulated speed, and
• when the driver gives permission to decelerate, the control unit is configured to perform deceleration to the regulated speed.