US 12,263,845 B2
Vehicle control apparatus, vehicle, acceleration-and-deceleration control method, and vehicle control program
Yuma Ito, Obu (JP)
Assigned to TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed by TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, Toyota (JP)
Filed on Dec. 8, 2022, as Appl. No. 18/077,961.
Claims priority of application No. 2021-205822 (JP), filed on Dec. 20, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2023/0192097 A1, Jun. 22, 2023
Int. Cl. B60W 40/08 (2012.01); B60W 30/08 (2012.01); B60W 30/16 (2020.01)
CPC B60W 40/08 (2013.01) [B60W 30/08 (2013.01); B60W 30/16 (2013.01); B60W 2420/403 (2013.01); B60W 2540/229 (2020.02)] 9 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A vehicle control apparatus comprising a control unit, capable of communicating with a driver's seat camera device configured to obtain a driver's seat image by taking a picture of a driver sitting in a driver's seat of a vehicle, which controls an acceleration and a deceleration of said vehicle, said control unit configured to:
perform an acceleration suppressing control to suppress an acceleration of said vehicle, when a distracted state detected based on said driver's seat image continues for a predetermined first time, said distracted state being a state in which an attentiveness for driving of said driver is impaired; and
perform a deceleration control to decelerate said vehicle to stop said vehicle, when said distracted state continues for a predetermined second time that is longer than said first time,
wherein, said control unit is configured to:
start a second alert notification for enhancing said attentiveness at a start time point of said acceleration suppressing control; and
determine that said distracted state continues for said second time so as to start performing said deceleration control, when said distracted state continues for a predetermined third determination time from a start time point of said second alert notification.