Occupant monitoring apparatus for vehicle

1 . An occupant monitoring apparatus for a vehicle, the occupant monitoring apparatus comprising:

an imager configured to acquire an image of a driver who drives the vehicle; and

an occupant monitoring controller comprising control circuitry including behavior change detection circuitry and alarm output circuitry,

the behavior change detection circuitry being configured to detect a change in a behavior of the driver based on the image acquired by the imager,

the alarm output circuitry being configured to output predetermined alarm information based on a result of the detection performed by the behavior change detection circuitry, wherein

the behavior change detection circuitry is configured to set a detection duration time for detecting the change in the behavior of the driver, depending on a traveling speed of the vehicle and a type of a driving assistance control that is in execution of the vehicle.

2 . The occupant monitoring apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the type of the driving assistance control comprises:

a first driving assistance control configured to perform acceleration and deceleration controls;

a second driving assistance control configured to perform the acceleration and deceleration controls and a steering control at a steering angle smaller than a predetermined steering angle; and

a third driving assistance control configured to perform the acceleration and deceleration controls and a steering control at a steering angle equal to or larger than the predetermined steering angle.

3 . The occupant monitoring apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the behavior change detection circuitry is configured to:

perform the detection based on a reference detection duration time when none of the first driving assistance control, the second driving assistance control, and the third driving assistance control is executed, the reference detection duration time being set depending on the traveling speed of the vehicle;

perform the detection based on a first detection duration time when the first driving assistance control is in execution, the first detection duration time being the reference detection duration time plus first time;

perform the detection based on a second detection duration time when the second driving assistance control is in execution, the second detection duration time being the reference detection duration time plus second time; and

perform the detection based on a third detection duration time when the third driving assistance control is in execution, the third detection duration time being the reference detection duration time plus third time.

4 . The occupant monitoring apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein

the first time is equal to or less than the second time,

the second time is equal to or more than the first time and equal to or less than the third time,

the third time is equal to or more than the second time,

the reference detection duration time is shorter than the first detection duration time,

the first detection duration time is shorter than the second detection duration time, and

the second detection duration time is shorter than the third detection duration time.

5 . The occupant monitoring apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein

the third driving assistance control comprises an auto lane changing control that is to be started upon reception of an ON signal of a direction indicator, and

the behavior change detection circuitry, during the execution of the third driving assistance control, is configured to:

perform the detection based on the third detection duration time when a facial direction of the driver and a direction indicated by the direction indicator coincide with each other; and

perform the detection based on the reference detection duration time when the facial direction of the driver and the direction indicated by the direction indicator do not coincide with each other.

6 . The occupant monitoring apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the behavior change detection circuitry is configured to:

start time counting by a timer when the detection duration time is set, and

determine, based on the time counting by the timer, whether the detection duration time has elapsed.

7 . The occupant monitoring apparatus for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the behavior change detection circuitry is configured to set the detection duration time depending only on the traveling speed of the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling in a manual driving mode and no driving assistance control is executed.

8 . An occupant monitoring apparatus for a vehicle, the occupant monitoring apparatus comprising circuitry configured to;

acquire an image of a driver who drives the vehicle;

detect a change in a behavior of the driver based on the acquired image;

output predetermined alarm information based on a result of the detection of the change in the behavior, and

set, upon the detection of the change in the behavior, a detection duration time for detecting the change in the behavior of the driver, depending on a traveling speed of the vehicle and a type of a driving assistance control that is in execution of the vehicle.

9 . An occupant monitoring apparatus for a vehicle, the occupant monitoring apparatus comprising:

an imager configured to acquire an image of a driver who drives the vehicle; and

an occupant monitoring controller comprising control circuitry including:

(i) behavior-change-detection circuitry configured to detect a change in a behavior of the driver based on the image acquired by the imager; and

(ii) alarm-output circuitry configured to output predetermined alarm information based on a result of the detection,

wherein the behavior-change-detection circuitry is configured to:

determine a reference detection duration time that varies depending on a traveling speed of the vehicle; and

set a detection duration time for detecting the change in the behavior of the driver, the detection duration time being selected from a first detection duration time, a second detection duration time, and a third detection duration time depending on which one of a first driving assistance control, a second driving assistance control, or a third driving assistance control is in execution,

wherein:

the first driving assistance control performs acceleration and deceleration controls,

the second driving assistance control performs the acceleration and deceleration controls and a steering control at a steering angle smaller than a predetermined steering angle,

the third driving assistance control performs the acceleration and deceleration controls and a steering control at a steering angle equal to or greater than the predetermined steering angle, and

wherein:

the first detection duration time is the reference detection duration time plus a first time,

the second detection duration time is the reference detection duration time plus a second time,

the third detection duration time is the reference detection duration time plus a third time, and

the first time, the second time, and the third time satisfy a relationship in which the first time is equal to or less than the second time, and the second time is equal to or less than the third time.