Vehicle control device and vehicle control method

A vehicle control device for controlling a vehicle comprising:

• a posture measuring unit configured to measure a posture indicating a state of at least one of a femoral region, a buttock region, and a lumbar to back region above a pelvis of a driver;
• a posture change detection unit configured to detect a posture change which is a change of a posture measured by said posture measuring unit;
• a preparatory movement identification unit configured to identify whether or not the posture change is caused by a preparatory movement for a steering operation, based on whether or not the posture change detected by said posture change detection unit satisfies a predetermined condition, the preparatory movement being a movement made spontaneously by the driver before performing the steering operation;
• and
• a vehicle control unit configured to control the vehicle in a case where said preparatory movement identification unit identifies that the posture change has been caused by the preparatory movement for the steering operation.

A vehicle control method comprising:

• measuring a posture indicating a state of at least one of a buttock region, an upper pelvic region, and a leg of a driver, the leg on an opposite side of other leg with which the driver performs a brake operation or an accelerator operation;
• detecting a posture change which is a change of a posture measured by said posture measuring unit;
• identifying, using a control device, whether or not the posture change is caused by a preparatory movement for the brake operation or the accelerator operation, based on whether or not the posture change detected by said posture change detection unit satisfies a predetermined condition, the preparatory movement being a movement made spontaneously by the driver before performing the brake operation or the accelerator operation;
• and
• controlling the vehicle in a case where said preparatory movement identification unit identifies that the posture change has been caused by the preparatory movement for the brake operation or the accelerator operation,
• wherein in a case where a magnitude of the posture change is greater than or equal to a threshold value, said identifying identifies that the posture change has been caused by the preparatory movement for the brake operation or the accelerator operation.

A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having stored thereon a program for causing a computer to execute a vehicle control method comprising:

• measuring a posture indicating a state of at least one of a buttock region, an upper pelvic region, and a leg of a driver, the leg on an opposite side of other leg with which the driver performs a brake operation or an accelerator operation;
• detecting a posture change which is a change of a posture measured by said posture measuring unit;
• identifying whether or not the posture change is caused by a preparatory movement for the brake operation or the accelerator operation, based on whether or not the posture change detected by said posture change detection unit satisfies a predetermined condition, the preparatory movement being a movement made spontaneously by the driver before performing the brake operation or the accelerator operation;
• and
• controlling the vehicle in a case where said preparatory movement identification unit identifies that the posture change has been caused by the preparatory movement for the brake operation or the accelerator operation,
• wherein in a case where a magnitude of the posture change is greater than or equal to a threshold value, said identifying identifies that the posture change has been caused by the preparatory movement for the brake operation or the accelerator operation.

A vehicle control method comprising:

• measuring a posture indicating a state of at least one of a femoral region, a buttock region, and a lumbar to back region above a pelvic region of a driver;
• detecting a posture change which is a change of a posture measured by said posture measuring unit;
• identifying, using a control device, whether or not the posture change is caused by a preparatory movement for a steering operation, based on whether or not the posture change detected by said posture change detection unit satisfies a predetermined condition, the preparatory movement being a movement made spontaneously by the driver before performing the steering operation;
• and
• controlling the vehicle in a case where said preparatory movement identification unit identifies that the posture change has been caused by the preparatory movement for the steering operation.

A non-transitory computer readable recording medium having stored thereon a program for causing a computer to execute a vehicle control method comprising:

• measuring a posture indicating a state of at least one of a femoral region, a buttock region, and a lumbar to back region above a pelvic region of a driver;
• detecting a posture change which is a change of a posture measured by said posture measuring unit;
• identifying whether or not the posture change is caused by a preparatory movement for a steering operation, based on whether or not the posture change detected by said posture change detection unit satisfies a predetermined condition, the preparatory movement being a movement made spontaneously by the driver before performing the steering operation;
• and
• controlling the vehicle in a case where said preparatory movement identification unit identifies that the posture change has been caused by the preparatory movement for the steering operation.