Patent ID: 9740203
Date: 2017-08-22
CPC Classifications: B60K,B60Q,B60W,G05D,G07C

Claim:
1. A drive assist apparatus configured to execute switching of a driving mode of a vehicle from autonomous driving to manual driving at a switching completion point, the apparatus comprising: an electronic control unit (ECU) programmed to: a stimulator configured to provide stimulation to the driver according to the driving concentration degree; wherein, in a case where the driving concentration degree is equal to or less than a threshold value set in advance, the stimulator is configured to provide a stimulus to the driver, wherein the stimulus has a strength stronger than another strength in a case where the driving concentration degree is greater than the threshold value, or the stimulator is configured to provide the stimulus to the driver having a strength in accordance with reduction in the driving concentration degree; and wherein the ECU is further programmed to estimate a psychological side return time which is a time required for a state of psychological side of the driver to be returned to a state suitable for the manual driving, a cognitive side return time which is a time required for a state of cognitive side of the driver to be returned to the state suitable for the manual driving, and an operative side return time which is a time required for a state of operative side of the driver to be returned to the state suitable for the manual driving, based on the driving concentration degree, wherein, in a case where a total time of the psychological side return time, the cognitive side return time, and the operative side return time is equal to or shorter than the predetermined time, the stimulator is configured to provide to the driver a psychological side returning stimulus which returns the state of psychological side of the driver to the state suitable for the manual driving, a cognitive side returning stimulus which returns the state of cognitive side of the driver to the state suitable for the manual driving, and an operative side returning stimulus which returns the state of operative side of the driver to the state suitable for the manual driving, in an order of the psychological side returning stimulus the cognitive side returning stimulus and the operative side returning stimulus, and wherein, in a case where the total time is longer than the predetermined time, the stimulator is configured to provide the psychological side returning stimulus, the cognitive side returning stimulus and the operative side returning stimulus to the driver by overlapping one or more of the psychological side returning stimulus, the cognitive side returning stimulus, and the operative side returning stimulus such that an aggregated time of providing the psychological side returning stimulus the cognitive side returning stimulus and the operative side returning stimulus becomes the predetermined time.