Position displacement device, storage medium storing computer program for position displacement and position displacement method

1 . A position displacing device comprising:

a processor programmed to:

control displaceably a seat position of a seat on which a driver is seated;

set a recommendation range of the seat position, capable of displacing the seat position to a manual control position representing the seat position in response to the driver operating a vehicle manually within a predetermined time, based on the manual control position;

set an intermediate position between the manual control position and an automatic control position representing the seat position in response to the vehicle being controlled at a predetermined automatic driving level set within the recommendation range;

receive data including a detected physical condition of the driver; and

based on the received data, compare a level to which the driver is contributing to driving to a predetermined reference threshold,

wherein in response to a determined level that is equal to or below the reference threshold, displace the seat position from the automatic control position to the intermediate position, and the intermediate position is located closer to a steering wheel than the automatic control position is.

2 . The position displacement device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to displace the seat position to the manual control position in response to a request to transfer primary control of driving of the vehicle from an automatic control device to the driver.

3 . The position displacement device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to:

determine whether there exists a control transition zone where a primarily controller of driving of the vehicle is transferred from an automated control device to the driver within a predetermined distance from a current location of the vehicle, based on the current location of the vehicle, a navigation route of the vehicle, and map information; and

displace the seat position from the current position to the manual control position over a time longer than the predetermined time when the control transition zone exists and the seat position is at the automatic control position and time taken for the vehicle to reach the control transition zone is estimated to be longer than the predetermined time.

4 . The position displacement device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to:

determine whether the seat position requested by the driver is included in the recommendation range;

notify the driver through a notification unit that the seat position requested by the driver is not included in the recommendation range when the seat position requested by the driver is not included in the recommendation range; and

store in a storage unit that the seat position not included in the recommendation range was requested and set the seat position not included in the recommendation range as the automatic control position, when it is determined that the seat position not included in the recommendation range is requested again by the driver after the driver was notified through the notification unit that the seat position requested by the driver is not included in the recommendation range.

5 . The position displacement device according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further programmed to impart a stimulus to the driver through a stimulating unit to improve the level to which the driver is contributing to driving when displacing the seat position from the automatic control position to the intermediate position.

6 . The position displacement device according to claim 1 , wherein the intermediate position is set based upon a predetermined control transition time from the automatic control position to the manual control position.

7 . A computer-readable, non-transitory storage medium storing a computer program for displacing position, which causes a processor to execute a process, and the process comprising:

controlling displaceably a seat position of a seat on which a driver is seated;

setting a recommendation range of the seat position, capable of displacing the seat position to a manual control position representing the seat position in response to the driver operating a vehicle manually within a predetermined time, based on the manual control position;

setting an intermediate position between the manual control position and an automatic control position representing the seat position in response to the vehicle being controlled at a predetermined automatic driving level set within the recommendation range;

receiving data including a detected physical condition of the driver; and

based on the received data, comparing a level to which the driver is contributing to driving to a predetermined reference threshold,

wherein in response to a determined level that is equal to or below the reference threshold, displacing the seat position from the automatic control position to the intermediate position, and the intermediate position is located closer to a steering wheel than the automatic control position is.

8 . A method for displacing position carried out by a position displacement device, and the method comprising:

controlling displaceably a seat position of a seat on which a driver is seated;

setting a recommendation range of the seat position, capable of displacing the seat position to a manual control position representing the seat position in response to the driver operating a vehicle manually within a predetermined time, based on the manual control position;

setting an intermediate position between the manual control position and an automatic control position representing the seat position in response to the vehicle being controlled at a predetermined automatic driving level set within the recommendation range;

receiving data including a detected physical condition of the driver; and

based on the received data, comparing a level to which the driver is contributing to driving to a predetermined reference threshold,

wherein in response to a determined level that is equal to or below the reference threshold, displacing the seat position from the automatic control position to the intermediate position, and the intermediate position is located closer to a steering wheel than the automatic control position is.