Seat control device, state estimation device, and non-transitory computer-readable medium

1 . A seat control device for a subject vehicle equipped with a driver monitor to monitor a driver's state, the seat control device configured to control a state of a driver's seat on which a driver is to be seated, the seat control device comprising:

a control grasping unit configured to grasp whether the subject vehicle travels under an automated driving control that does not oblige the driver to monitor surroundings; and

a reclining control unit configured to, when the subject vehicle travels under the automated driving control, implement a control of a reclining state of the driver's seat, such that the driver is included in a detection range of the driver monitor;

wherein the reclining control unit is further configured to:

implement the control of the reclining state of the driver's seat when a transition schedule from the automated driving control to a driving assistance control that obliges the driver to monitor the surroundings is grasped and the driver is not included in the detection range of the driver monitor;

request posture improvement to the driver such that the driver is included in the detection range of the driver monitor when the transition schedule from the automated driving control to the driving assistance control is not grasped; and

subsequently implement the control of the reclining state of the driver's seat when the driver is not included in the detection range of the driver monitor.

2 . The seat control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the reclining control unit is configured to, when start of the automated driving control is grasped, control the reclining state, such that the driver is at a predetermined position at which the driver monitor is capable of appropriately monitoring the driver's state.

3 . The seat control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the control grasping unit is configured to grasp a transition schedule from the automated driving control to a driving assistance control that obliges the driver to monitor the surroundings, and

the reclining control unit is configured to, when the transition schedule from the automated driving control to the driving assistance control is grasped, implement a control to return the reclining state to a state before start of the automated driving control.

4 . The seat control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a monitoring state grasping unit configured to grasp whether the driver monitor is capable of detecting the driver; and

a notification control unit configured to, when the driver monitor is incapable of detecting the driver, implement an interruption notification that indicates interruption of detection of the driver monitor to the driver, wherein

the reclining control unit is configured to start a reclining control, when a state in which the driver monitor is incapable of detecting the driver continues after the interruption notification.

5 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a seat control program for a subject vehicle equipped with a driver monitor to monitor a driver's state, the seat control program configured to control a state of a driver's seat on which a driver is to be seated, the seat control program comprising instructions configured to, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

grasp whether the subject vehicle travels under an automated driving control that does not oblige the driver to monitor surroundings;

implement a control of a reclining state of the driver's seat when the subject vehicle travels under the automated driving control, such that the driver is included in a detection range of the driver monitor;

implement the control of the reclining state of the driver's seat, when a transition schedule from the automated driving control to a driving assistance control that obliges the driver to monitor the surroundings is grasped and the driver is not included in the detection range of the driver monitor; and

request posture improvement to the driver such that the driver is included in the detection range of the driver monitor when the transition schedule from the automated driving control to the driving assistance control is not grasped; and

subsequently implement the control of the reclining state of the driver's seat, when the driver is not included in the detection range of the driver monitor.

6 . A state estimation device for a subject vehicle configured to travel under an automated driving control that does not oblige a driver to monitor surroundings, the state estimation device configured to estimate a driver's state and comprising:

a monitoring state grasping unit configured to grasp, based on a driver captured image acquired by capturing a detection range defined to include at least a head of the driver seated on a driver's seat,

head information, which relates to a shape of a head in the driver captured image, and

face information, which relates to parts of a face in the driver captured image; and

a driver state estimation unit configured to, estimate the driver's state by combining the head information and the face information;

wherein the driver state estimation unit is configured to change weighting of the head information and the face information in estimating of the driver's state between a case in which the vehicle travels under a driving assistance control that obliges the driver to monitor surroundings, and a case in which the subject vehicle travels under the automated driving control.

7 . The state estimation device according to claim 6 , wherein

the driver state estimation unit is configured to increase a weight of the head information in estimating of the driver's state when the subject vehicle travels under the automated driving control more than the weight of the head information when the subject vehicle travels under the driving assistance control.

8 . The state estimation device according to claim 6 , further comprising:

a reclining control unit configured to, when estimation of the driver's state is interrupted, control a reclining state of the driver's seat, such that the head is located in the detection range.

9 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a state estimation program for a subject vehicle configured to travel under an automated driving control that does not oblige a driver to monitor surroundings, the state estimation program configured to estimate a driver's state, the state estimation program comprising instructions configured to, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

grasp, based on a driver captured image acquired by capturing a detection range defined to include at least a head of the driver seated on the driver's seat, head information, which relates to a shape of a head in the driver captured image, and face information, which relates to parts of a face in the driver captured image;

estimate a state of the driver by combining the head information and the face information; and

change weighting of the head information and the face information in estimating of the driver's state between a case in which the vehicle travels under a driving assistance control that obliges the driver to monitor surroundings and a case in which the subject vehicle travels under the automated driving control.

10 . The seat control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

a monitoring state grasping unit configured to grasp whether the driver monitor is capable of monitoring the driver in an automated driving period in which the subject vehicle travels under the automated driving control, wherein

the reclining control unit is configured to, when the driver monitor is incapable of detecting the driver in the automated driving period, control the reclining state of the driver's seat, such that the driver is included in the detection range of the driver monitor.

11 . The seat control device according to claim 1 , wherein

the reclining control unit is configured to, when a transition schedule from the automated driving control to a driving assistance control, which obliges the driver to monitor the surroundings, is grasped,

set a criteria, which is for determining whether to control the reclining state, stricter than the criteria when the transition schedule is not grasped.

12 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 5 , wherein the instructions further configured to, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

grasp whether the driver monitor is capable of monitoring the driver in an automated driving period in which the subject vehicle travels under the automated driving control; and

control, when the driver monitor is incapable of detecting the driver in the automated driving period, the reclining state of the driver's seat, such that the driver is included in the detection range of the driver monitor.

13 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium according to claim 5 , wherein the instructions further configured to, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

set, when a transition schedule from the automated driving control to a driving assistance control, which obliges the driver to monitor the surroundings, is grasped, a criteria, which is for determining whether to control the reclining state, stricter than the criteria when the transition schedule is not grasped.