JP7743938B2 - Driving assistance method and driving assistance device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a driving assistance method and a driving assistance device.

A vehicle surround view system is known that generates a three-dimensional model of the vehicle's surrounding environment based on vehicle surrounding environment data and maps visual data to each part of the three-dimensional model, thereby reducing distortion in the generated virtual surround view (Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-200781

The process of mapping the above-mentioned visual data onto a 3D model places a heavy load on the processing device. As a result, the above-mentioned conventional technology is unable to adequately reduce distortion in the virtual surround view in driving scenes where the conditions around the vehicle are constantly changing, and is unable to accurately recognize the driving conditions of other vehicles around the vehicle. As a result, unnecessary evasive maneuvers are performed based on the incorrectly recognized driving conditions of other vehicles, disrupting the behavior of the vehicle.

The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a driving assistance method and driving assistance device that can reduce the impact that erroneous recognition of the driving state of other vehicles has on the driving state of the vehicle itself.

The present invention solves the above problem by autonomously controlling the driving of the vehicle so that the position of the other vehicle is not included in the edge of the detection range of the imaging device when the other vehicle is detected driving next to the vehicle and it is determined that the other vehicle is located at the edge of the detection range of the imaging device or will enter the edge within a predetermined time.

According to the present invention, the impact of erroneous recognition of the driving conditions of other vehicles on the driving conditions of the own vehicle can be reduced.

1 is a block diagram showing an example of a driving assistance system including a driving assistance device according to the present invention; FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of the imaging device of FIG. 1 . FIG. 3 is a plan view (part 1) showing an example of a result of detection of another vehicle by the imaging device shown in FIG. 2 . FIG. 3 is a plan view (part 2) showing an example of a result of detection of another vehicle by the imaging device shown in FIG. 2 . FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. 1 (part 1); FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. 1 (part 2); FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. 1 (part 3). 1. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing another example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. FIG. 10 is a plan view (part 1) showing still another example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. 1 . FIG. 2 is a plan view (part 2) showing still another example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. 1 . 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure in the driving assistance system of FIG. 1 . 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a subroutine of step S6 in FIG. 7. 8 is a flowchart showing another example of the subroutine of step S6 of FIG. 7. 10 is a flowchart showing yet another example of the subroutine of step S6 of FIG. 7.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. The following description is based on the assumption that vehicles drive on the left side of the road in countries with left-hand traffic regulations. In countries with right-hand traffic regulations, vehicles drive on the right side of the road, so the left and right in the following description should be interpreted as symmetrical.

[Configuration of driving assistance system]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a driving assistance system 10 according to the present invention. The driving assistance system 10 is an in-vehicle system that drives a vehicle to a destination set by the vehicle's occupants (including the driver) through autonomous driving control. Autonomous driving control refers to autonomously controlling the vehicle's driving operations using a driving assistance device (described later), and the driving operations include all driving operations such as acceleration, deceleration, starting, stopping, steering to the right or left, changing lanes, and pulling over. Furthermore, autonomously controlling driving operations refers to the driving assistance device controlling the driving operations using a device in the vehicle. The driving assistance device controls these driving operations within a predetermined range, and driving operations that are not controlled by the driving assistance device are manually operated by the driver.

As shown in Figure 1, the driving assistance system 10 comprises an imaging device 11, a distance measuring device 12, a vehicle state detection device 13, map information 14, a vehicle position detection device 15, a navigation device 16, a vehicle control device 17, a display device 18, and a driving assistance device 19. The devices that make up the driving assistance system 10 are connected via a CAN (Controller Area Network) or other in-vehicle LAN, and can exchange information with each other.

The imaging device 11 is a device that recognizes objects around the vehicle using images, and is, for example, a camera equipped with an imaging element such as a CCD, an ultrasonic camera, or an infrared camera. Multiple imaging devices 11 can be installed on a single vehicle, and can be placed, for example, near the front grille, the bottom of the left and right door mirrors, and the rear bumper. This reduces blind spots when recognizing objects around the vehicle.

The ranging device 12 is a device for calculating the relative distance and relative speed between the vehicle and an object, and is, for example, a radar device or sonar such as laser radar, millimeter-wave radar (such as LRF), a LiDAR (light detection and ranging) unit, or ultrasonic radar. Multiple ranging devices 12 can be installed on a single vehicle, and can be placed, for example, at the front, right side, left side, and rear of the vehicle. This allows the relative distance and relative speed between the vehicle and surrounding objects to be accurately calculated.

Objects detected by the imaging device 11 and distance measuring device 12 include road lane boundaries, center lines, road markings, medians, guardrails, curbs, highway sidewalls, road signs, traffic lights, crosswalks, construction sites, accident sites, traffic restrictions, etc. Objects also include obstacles that may affect the vehicle's travel, such as automobiles (other vehicles) other than the subject vehicle, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, etc. The detection results of the imaging device 11 and distance measuring device 12 are obtained by the driving assistance device 19 at predetermined time intervals as needed. The predetermined time intervals can be set to an appropriate value depending on the processing capacity of the driving assistance device 19.

In addition, the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the ranging device 12 can be integrated or synthesized (so-called sensor fusion) by the driving assistance device 19, thereby supplementing missing information about detected objects. For example, the driving assistance device 19 can calculate the position information of an object using the vehicle's self-position information, which is the position where the vehicle is traveling, obtained by the vehicle position detection device 15, and the relative position (distance and direction) between the vehicle and the object. The calculated position information of the object is integrated by the driving assistance device 19 with multiple pieces of information, such as the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the ranging device 12 and the map information 14, to become information about the driving environment around the vehicle. In addition, the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the ranging device 12 and the map information 14 can be used to recognize objects around the vehicle and predict their movement.

The vehicle state detection device 13 is a device for detecting the vehicle's driving state, and may include a vehicle speed sensor, acceleration sensor, yaw rate sensor (e.g., gyro sensor), steering angle sensor, inertial measurement unit, etc. There are no particular limitations on these devices, and known devices can be used. Furthermore, the placement and number of these devices can be set appropriately within a range that allows appropriate detection of the vehicle's driving state. The detection results of each device are obtained by the driving assistance device 19 at predetermined time intervals as necessary.

Map information 14 is information used for generating driving routes, controlling driving operations, etc., and includes road information, facility information, and their attribute information. Road information and road attribute information include information such as road width, road curvature radius, roadside structures, road traffic regulations (speed limits, whether lane changes are permitted), road merging and branching points, and locations where the number of lanes increases or decreases. Map information 14 is high-definition map information that allows for understanding the movement trajectory for each lane, and includes two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional position information at each map coordinate, road/lane boundary information at each map coordinate, road attribute information, lane incline/decline information, lane identification information, and destination lane information. High-precision maps are also called HD (High-Definition) maps.

Road/lane boundary information in high-resolution map information indicates the boundaries between the lane on which a vehicle travels and other roads. A lane on which a vehicle travels is a road along which the vehicle travels, and there are no particular restrictions on the form of the lane. Boundaries exist on both the left and right sides of the vehicle's direction of travel, and there are no particular restrictions on the form. Boundaries are, for example, road markings or road structures. Road markings include lane boundaries and center lines, and road structures include medians, guardrails, curbs, tunnels, and highway sidewalls. At points where lane boundaries cannot be clearly identified, such as within intersections, boundaries are set for the lane in advance. These boundaries are imaginary and are not actually existing road markings or road structures.

The map information 14 is stored in a readable state on a recording medium provided in the driving assistance device 19, an in-vehicle device, or a server on the network. The driving assistance device 19 acquires the map information 14 as needed.

The vehicle position detection device 15 is a positioning system for detecting the current position of the vehicle, and is not particularly limited and any known system can be used. The vehicle position detection device 15 calculates the current position of the vehicle, for example, from radio waves received from a GPS (Global Positioning System) satellite. The vehicle position detection device 15 may also estimate the current position of the vehicle from vehicle speed information and acceleration information obtained from the vehicle state detection device 13, which includes a vehicle speed sensor, acceleration sensor, and gyro sensor, and compare the estimated current position with the map information 14 to calculate the current position of the vehicle.

The navigation device 16 is a device that refers to map information 14 and calculates a driving route from the current position of the vehicle detected by the vehicle position detection device 15 to a destination set by the occupants (including the driver). The navigation device 16 uses road information, facility information, etc. from the map information 14 to search for a driving route for the vehicle to reach the destination from its current position. The driving route includes at least information on the road the vehicle is traveling on, the driving lane, and the vehicle's driving direction, and is displayed, for example, linearly. Depending on the search conditions, there may be multiple driving routes. The driving route calculated by the navigation device 16 is output to the driving assistance device 19.

The vehicle control device 17 is an on-board computer such as an electronic control unit (ECU), which electronically controls on-board equipment that governs the vehicle's driving. The vehicle control device 17 includes a vehicle speed control device 171 that controls the vehicle's speed, and a steering control device 172 that controls the vehicle's steering operation. The vehicle speed control device 171 and the steering control device 172 autonomously control the operation of these drive devices and steering devices in response to control signals input from the driving assistance device 19. This allows the vehicle to drive autonomously along a set driving route. Information necessary for autonomous control by the vehicle speed control device 171 and the steering control device 172, such as the vehicle's speed, acceleration, steering angle, and attitude, is obtained from the vehicle state detection device 13.

The drive devices controlled by the vehicle speed control device 171 include electric motors and/or internal combustion engines that serve as drive sources for driving, power transmission devices including drive shafts and automatic transmissions that transmit output from these drive sources to the drive wheels, and drive devices that control the power transmission devices. Furthermore, the braking devices controlled by the vehicle speed control device 171 are, for example, braking devices that brake the wheels. A control signal corresponding to the set vehicle speed is input to the vehicle speed control device 171 from the driving assistance device 19. The vehicle speed control device 171 generates signals to control these drive devices based on the control signals input from the driving assistance device 19, and transmits these signals to the drive devices, thereby autonomously controlling the vehicle speed.

On the other hand, the steering device controlled by the steering control device 172 is a steering device that controls the steered wheels according to the rotation angle of the steering wheel, and examples include a steering actuator such as a motor attached to the steering column shaft. Based on control signals input from the driving assistance device 19, the steering control device 172 autonomously controls the operation of the steering device so that the vehicle travels while maintaining a predetermined lateral position (the left-right position of the vehicle) relative to the set travel route. This control uses at least one of the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12, the vehicle's travel state acquired by the vehicle state detection device 13, and information on the map information 14 and the current position of the vehicle acquired by the vehicle position detection device 15.

The display device 18 is a device for providing necessary information to vehicle occupants, and may be, for example, a liquid crystal display mounted on the instrument panel, a projector such as a head-up display (HUD), or the like. The display device 18 may also include an input device for vehicle occupants to input instructions to the driving assistance device 19. Examples of input devices include a touch panel that receives input by the user's finger or a stylus pen, a microphone that receives instructions by voice from the user, and switches attached to the vehicle's steering wheel. The display device 18 may also include a speaker as an output device.

The driving assistance device 19 is a device that controls the driving of the vehicle by controlling and coordinating the devices that make up the driving assistance system 10, and drives the vehicle to a set destination. The destination is set, for example, by the vehicle's occupants. The driving assistance device 19 is, for example, a computer, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 191, which is a processor, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 192 in which programs are stored, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 193, which functions as an accessible storage device. The CPU 191 is an operating circuit that executes the programs stored in the ROM 192 and realizes the functions of the driving assistance device 19.

The driving assistance device 19 has a driving assistance function that drives the vehicle to a set destination using autonomous driving control. The driving assistance functions of the driving assistance device 19 include a route generation function that generates a driving route, an environment recognition function that recognizes the driving environment around the vehicle, a determination function that makes decisions necessary to execute autonomous driving control based on the recognized driving environment, and a driving control function that generates a driving trajectory and drives the vehicle along the driving trajectory. The programs stored in ROM 192 include programs for realizing these functions, and these functions are realized by the CPU 191 executing the programs stored in ROM 192. Figure 1 conveniently shows the functional blocks that realize each function.

[Functions of each function block]
The functions of the respective functional blocks of the support unit 20, the recognition unit 21, the determination unit 22, and the control unit 23 shown in FIG. 1 will be described below.

The assistance unit 20 has a driving assistance function that drives the vehicle to a set destination through autonomous driving control. Figure 2 is a plan view showing an example of a driving scene in which the driving assistance device 19 autonomously controls the vehicle's driving using the driving assistance function. In the driving scene shown in Figure 2, a three-lane road extends vertically in the drawing, and the vehicle travels on the road from the bottom to the top of the drawing. As shown in Figure 2, the lanes are designated L1, L2, and L3, starting from the lane on the left side of the driving direction. In the driving scene shown in Figure 2, the host vehicle V1 is traveling at position P1 on lane L2 and is traveling straight toward a destination (not shown) ahead that has been set by the occupant of the host vehicle V1.

The recognition unit 21 has an environmental recognition function that recognizes the driving environment around the vehicle. The driving assistance device 19 recognizes the driving environment around the vehicle using the imaging device 11 and distance measuring device 12, using the environmental recognition function of the recognition unit 21. The driving environment is information used to determine whether the vehicle can maintain its current driving state or whether it needs to change its driving state, and includes information such as the type and position of objects, the type and position of obstacles (if any), road conditions such as road surface conditions, and weather. The driving assistance device 19 recognizes the driving environment by performing appropriate processing such as pattern matching and sensor fusion on the detection results of the imaging device 11 and distance measuring device 12.

The imaging device 11 is composed of multiple imaging devices 11. For example, the host vehicle V1 shown in Figure 2 is equipped with a front camera that detects obstacles within a detection range A1 in front of the host vehicle V1, and a rear camera that detects obstacles within a detection range A2 behind the host vehicle V1. In addition, the host vehicle V1 is equipped with a front wide-angle camera that detects obstacles within a detection range B1 in front of the host vehicle V1, a rear wide-angle camera that detects obstacles within a detection range B2 behind the host vehicle V1, a left wide-angle camera that detects obstacles within a detection range B3 to the left of the host vehicle V1, and a right wide-angle camera that detects obstacles within a detection range B4 to the right of the host vehicle V1.

A wide-angle camera has a wide-angle lens, so it has a wider angle of view and a shorter focal length than a normal camera. Therefore, the detection range B1 of the front wide-angle camera is shorter in distance along the lane L2 than the detection range A1 of the front camera, and has a wider angle of view in the width direction of lane L2. Similarly, the detection range B2 of the rear wide-angle camera is shorter in distance along the lane L2 than the detection range A2 of the rear camera, and has a wider angle of view in the width direction of lane L2. The angle of view is the range that can be captured by the imaging device 11 (i.e., the detection range) expressed in degrees. For example, the angle centered on the imaging device 11 indicates the horizontal detection range of the imaging device 11.

The driving assistance device 19 uses the recognition unit 21 to integrate and process the detection results from the front wide-angle camera, rear wide-angle camera, left side wide-angle camera, and right side wide-angle camera using sensor fusion to thoroughly detect obstacles around the vehicle V1. These wide-angle cameras are positioned so that a portion of the detection ranges of adjacent cameras overlap (for example, a range of approximately 10 to 15% of the angle of view from the horizontal end of the detection range) to prevent blind spots around the vehicle V1 where obstacles cannot be detected.

The detection ranges of adjacent cameras overlap at the edges of the angle of view of the imaging device 11 within the detection range. The edges of the angle of view refer, for example, to a range of 10 to 15% of the angle of view from the horizontal edge of the detection range. As an example of the edges of the detection range, Figure 2 shows edges C1 to C4 of the detection range of each camera. Edges C1 and C3 are the edges of detection range B1, and edges C2 and C4 are the edges of detection range B2. In the driving scene shown in Figure 2, edges C1 and C2 overlap with the edge of detection range B3, and edges C3 and C4 overlap with the edge of detection range B4. It is known that the state of an obstacle cannot be accurately detected at these edges C1, C2, C3, and C4. This is because the shape of an obstacle photographed at the edges of the angle of view of a wide-angle lens is distorted due to the characteristics of the lens.

Detection of an obstacle at the edge of the detection range will be explained using Figures 3A and 3B. Figure 3A is a plan view showing the driving scene shown in Figure 2 in which another vehicle V2 is driving on lane L3. In the driving scene shown in Figure 3A, the other vehicle V2 is driving at position Q1 on lane L3, and the vehicle speed of the other vehicle V2 is assumed to be faster than the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1. In other words, the other vehicle V2 travels straight from position Q1 to position Q2 along the driving trajectory U1, overtaking the host vehicle V1. Note that positions Q1 and Q2 are relative positions to position P1.

For the sake of explanation, Figures 3A and 3B only show the ends C1, C2, C3, and C4 of the detection range of the imaging device 11 shown in Figure 2, but this does not mean that obstacles are not detected in other detection ranges; obstacles are also detected in detection ranges not shown in Figures 3A and 3B. The same applies to Figures 4A to 4C, Figure 5, and Figures 6A to 6B, which will be described later.

It is known that obstacles are perceived as being closer at the ends of the detection range of the imaging device 11 than at other locations. Therefore, in the driving scene shown in Figure 3A, the driving assistance device 19 recognizes that the other vehicle V2 is traveling from position Q1 to position Q2 along the traveling trajectory Ux shown in Figure 3B. In other words, the driving assistance device 19 erroneously recognizes the other vehicle V2 traveling straight along the traveling trajectory U1 as meandering along the traveling trajectory Ux and approaching the host vehicle V1 at the ends C3 and C4.

In this case, the driving assistance device 19 may mistakenly predict that the other vehicle V2 will approach the host vehicle V1 along the driving trajectory Uy and perform evasive maneuvers to avoid the other vehicle V2. That is, if the other vehicle V2 traveling straight approaches from behind, the driving assistance device 19 may use the vehicle speed control device 171 to decelerate the host vehicle V1 or use the steering control device 172 to change lanes from lane L2 to lane L1. Such evasive maneuvers are unnecessary driving operations intended to avoid the other vehicle V2 traveling straight, and these driving operations disrupt the behavior of the host vehicle V1 and cause discomfort to the occupants of the host vehicle V1.

Therefore, in order to suppress the impact of the erroneously recognized driving state of the other vehicle V2 on the driving state of the own vehicle V1, the driving assistance device 19 of this embodiment autonomously controls the driving of the own vehicle V1 so that the position of the other vehicle V2 is not included at the edge of the detection range of the imaging device 11.

Figure 4A is a plan view showing an example of a driving scene in which autonomous driving control is performed by the driving assistance device 19 of this embodiment. The driving scene shown in Figure 4A is a driving scene in which the host vehicle V1 and other vehicles V3 and V4 are traveling on the road shown in Figure 2, with the host vehicle V1 traveling at position P2 in lane L2, the other vehicle V3 traveling at position Q3 in lane L3, and the other vehicle V4 traveling at position Q4 in lane L3. In the driving scene shown in Figure 4A, the host vehicle V1 is traveling at a constant speed using lane keeping control, and the other vehicles V3 and V4 are traveling straight at the same vehicle speed as the host vehicle V1. As shown in Figure 4A, position Q3 of the other vehicle V3 is included in the range of end C3, and position Q4 of the other vehicle V4 is included in the range of end C4. Below, the functions performed by the recognition unit 21, determination unit 22, and control unit 23 of this embodiment in the driving scene shown in Figure 4A will be described.

The recognition unit 21 has the function of detecting other vehicles traveling to the side of the host vehicle V1 using the imaging device 11. The side of the host vehicle V1 refers, for example, to the detection range of the imaging device 11 installed on the left side of the host vehicle V1 and the detection range of the imaging device 11 installed on the right side. In the driving scene shown in Figure 4A, the detection ranges B3 and B4 shown in Figure 2 are the side of the host vehicle V1. Furthermore, the side of the host vehicle V1 may be the range of the adjacent lane to the host vehicle V1 in which the host vehicle V1 is traveling and the adjacent lane next to the adjacent lane, in which an obstacle can be detected using the detection device of the host vehicle V1 (for example, the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12).

Another vehicle traveling beside the host vehicle V1 is, for example, another vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane or the lane next to it. In the driving scene shown in Figure 4A, the driving assistance device 19 uses the recognition unit 21 to recognize other vehicles V3 and V4 traveling in the adjacent lane, lane L3, using the imaging device 11 and distance measurement device 12. The positions of the other vehicles V3 and V4 are recognized by combining the detection results of the imaging device 11 and distance measurement device 12 (sensor fusion). Note that in the driving scene shown in Figure 4A, when the host vehicle V1 is traveling in lane L2, lane L2 is the host vehicle's lane, and lanes L1 and L3 are adjacent lanes. Furthermore, when the host vehicle V1 is traveling in lane L1, lane L2 is the adjacent lane, and lane L3 is the next-to-adjacent lane.

The determination unit 22 has a determination function of determining whether the other vehicle is at the edge of the detection range of the imaging device 11 or will enter that edge within a predetermined time. The driving assistance device 19 determines, using the function of the determination unit 22, whether the other vehicle is at the edge of the detection range of the imaging device 11 based on driving environment information around the vehicle V1 acquired using the function of the recognition unit 21. Alternatively or in addition to this, the driving assistance device 19 may determine whether the other vehicle is likely to enter that edge within a predetermined time.

When determining whether the position of another vehicle is at the end of the detection range, the driving assistance device 19 determines whether the position of the detected other vehicle is included in the end of the detection range of the imaging device 11. The end of the detection range is defined when the imaging device 11 is installed, and the end range is registered in advance in the ROM 192 of the driving assistance device 19, etc. Therefore, the driving assistance device 19 detects the position of the other vehicle and determines whether the position of the other vehicle is included in the end of the registered detection range. In the driving scene shown in Figure 4A, the position Q3 of the other vehicle V3 is included in the range of end C3, and the position Q4 of the other vehicle V4 is included in the range of end C4, so the driving assistance device 19 determines that the positions of the other vehicles V3 and V4 are at the ends of the detection range.

On the other hand, when determining whether the position of another vehicle will enter the edge of the detection range within a predetermined time, the driving assistance device 19 recognizes the driving state of the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle, for example, from driving environment information acquired by the function of the recognition unit 21. The driving state of the vehicle refers to the vehicle's direction of travel and vehicle speed, and includes states such as a state in which the vehicle is traveling straight, a state in which the vehicle is steering to the right or left, a state in which the vehicle is accelerating or decelerating, and a state in which the vehicle is traveling at a constant speed. The driving state of the vehicle also includes the state of the driving operations performed by the vehicle. Examples include a state in which the vehicle's turn signals are flashing, a state in which the vehicle's headlights are on, etc.

Regarding the driving state of the host vehicle V1, the driving assistance device 19 acquires information such as the vehicle speed, acceleration, yaw rate, steering angle, and steering wheel rotation angle of the host vehicle V1 from various sensors in the host vehicle state detection device 13, and recognizes the current driving state of the host vehicle V1. Alternatively or in addition, the driving assistance device 19 may acquire road information from the map information 14, the current position of the host vehicle V1 from the host vehicle position detection device 15, and the driving route from the navigation device 16, and recognize the traveling direction and/or vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 from the shape of the road at the current position of the host vehicle V1 and/or the driving route.

The driving assistance device 19 also acquires control signals output from the vehicle control device 17 to the drive device and/or steering device, and recognizes how to control (change) the direction of travel and/or vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1. Based on this, it predicts how the driving condition of the host vehicle V1 will change after a predetermined time. Alternatively, the driving assistance device 19 may acquire road information from the map information 14, the current position of the host vehicle V1 from the host vehicle position detection device 15, and the driving route from the navigation device 16, and predict the direction of travel and/or vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 after a predetermined time based on the shape of the road ahead of the current position of the host vehicle V1 and/or the driving route.

In response to this, with regard to the driving state of the other vehicle V2, the driving assistance device 19 acquires image data, for example, from the imaging device 11, extracts and identifies obstacles through pattern matching, and recognizes the type, position, and state of the obstacle. It also acquires information obtained by scanning the area around the subject vehicle V1 from the distance measuring device 12, and recognizes the position and direction of the obstacle from this information. If it recognizes from the image data acquired from the imaging device 11 that the obstacle is another vehicle, it recognizes from its shape how much the vehicle body is tilted (i.e., how much it is steered). It also acquires the position and relative speed of the other vehicle relative to the subject vehicle V1 from the scan results of the distance measuring device 12. Then, it recognizes the driving position, direction of travel, and speed of the other vehicle based on these detection results.

When predicting the driving state of another vehicle V2 after a predetermined time, the driving assistance device 19 obtains information from a scan of the area around the vehicle V1 from the distance measuring device 12 and recognizes the position and direction of an obstacle from that information. The driving assistance device 19 repeats the process of recognizing the position and direction of the obstacle from the scan results of the distance measuring device 12 multiple times (e.g., three or more times) at time intervals shorter than the predetermined time, recognizes the trend in changes in the obstacle's position, and predicts the state of the obstacle (i.e., the driving state of the other vehicle V2) after the predetermined time from that trend.

Based on the recognized driving states of the subject vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2, the driving assistance device 19 determines whether the position of the other vehicle V2 will enter the edge of the detection range within a predetermined time. Based on the positional relationship between the subject vehicle V1 and the other vehicle, the speed difference between the subject vehicle V1 and the other vehicle, and the traveling direction of the subject vehicle V1 and the other vehicle, the driving assistance device 19 determines whether the other vehicle will enter the edge of the detection range.

The specified time can be set to an appropriate value, for example, 10 to 20 seconds, within the range in which autonomous driving control can be initiated to prevent the other vehicle's position from being included in the edge of the detection range between the time the other vehicle is detected and the time the other vehicle's position actually enters the edge of the detection range. If the specified time is shorter than this, the start of autonomous driving control will be delayed, resulting in greater changes in the behavior of the vehicle V1. Conversely, if the specified time is longer than this, it will be impossible to accurately predict the driving state, and there is a risk that autonomous driving control will be executed to prevent the other vehicle's position from being included in the edge of the detection range in a driving scene in which normal autonomous driving control should be used.

For example, in a driving scene in which another vehicle is located behind the subject vehicle V1 and is traveling at a position other than the edge of the detection range, if the other vehicle's speed is faster than the subject vehicle V1, the other vehicle catches up with the subject vehicle V1 within a predetermined time, and the other vehicle's direction of travel is toward the edge of the detection range, it is determined that the other vehicle will enter that edge within the predetermined time. In contrast, in the same driving scene, if the other vehicle's speed is equal to or slower than the subject vehicle V1, it is determined that the other vehicle will not enter the edge within the predetermined time.

Furthermore, in a driving scene in which the other vehicle is located ahead of the subject vehicle V1 and is traveling at a position other than the end of the detection range, if the vehicle speed of the other vehicle is equal to or greater than the vehicle speed of the subject vehicle V1, it is determined that the other vehicle will not enter the end of the detection range within a predetermined time. In contrast, in the same driving scene, if the vehicle speed of the other vehicle is slower than the vehicle speed of the subject vehicle V1, the subject vehicle V1 catches up with the other vehicle within the predetermined time, and the subject vehicle V1 (particularly the end of the detection range) moves toward the other vehicle, it is determined that the other vehicle will enter the end within the predetermined time.

Alternatively, the driving assistance device 19 may determine whether the position of the other vehicle will enter the edge of the detection range within a predetermined time based on the predicted driving state of the subject vehicle V1 and the driving state of the other vehicle. Specifically, the driving assistance device 19 determines whether the position of the other vehicle will enter the edge based on the relative positions of the subject vehicle V1 and the other vehicle after a predetermined time. Alternatively or in addition, the driving assistance device 19 may predict the path of the other vehicle based on the recognized driving state of the other vehicle, and determine whether the position of the other vehicle will enter the edge of the detection range within a predetermined time based on the path of the other vehicle. The path of the other vehicle may, for example, be the direction of travel of the other vehicle as described above, and may also be the driving route of the other vehicle obtained from the other vehicle if vehicle-to-vehicle communication is possible between the subject vehicle V1 and the other vehicle.

For example, in the driving scene shown in FIG. 4A, if another vehicle V4 is traveling behind position Q4, and its speed is faster than that of the subject vehicle V1, and the subject vehicle V4 can catch up with the subject vehicle V1 within a predetermined time, the driving assistance device 19 recognizes the driving state (particularly its direction of travel) of the other vehicle V4. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 4A, the other vehicle V4 is traveling straight along lane L3, so its direction of travel is toward end C4. Therefore, the driving assistance device 19 determines that the position of the other vehicle V4 will enter end C4 within the predetermined time. Note that predicting the path of the other vehicle based on the driving state of the other vehicle and determining whether the position of the other vehicle will enter the end of the detection range within the predetermined time based on the path of the other vehicle are not essential components of the present invention, and may be added or omitted as needed.

If the control unit 23 determines that the other vehicle is at the edge of the detection range of the imaging device 11 or will enter that edge within a predetermined time, it has the function of autonomously controlling the driving of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle's position is not included in that edge. If the driving assistance device 19 determines, through the function of the determination unit 22, that the other vehicle is not at the edge of the detection range of the imaging device 11 and will not enter that edge within the predetermined time, it executes normal autonomous driving control. On the other hand, if it determines that the other vehicle is at the edge or will enter that edge within the predetermined time, it uses the function of the control unit 23 to autonomously control the driving of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle's position is not included in that edge. Hereinafter, autonomous driving control that prevents the other vehicle's position from being included in the edge of the detection range of the imaging device 11 is also referred to as edge avoidance control.

Edge avoidance control includes, for example, autonomously controlling the driving of the host vehicle V1 so that the speed difference between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle increases. For example, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 obtained from the host vehicle state detection device 13 is compared with the vehicle speed of the other vehicle obtained from the driving environment information, and if the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is slower than that of the other vehicle, the host vehicle V1 is decelerated via the vehicle speed control device 171; if the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is faster than that of the other vehicle, the host vehicle V1 is accelerated via the vehicle speed control device 171; and if the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 and the vehicle speed of the other vehicle are the same, the host vehicle V1 is accelerated or decelerated via the vehicle speed control device 171.

Alternatively or additionally, edge avoidance control may include setting the path of the host vehicle V1 based on the direction of travel (or the path of the other vehicle) of the other vehicle. For example, if the path of the other vehicle is heading toward the edge of the detection range of the imaging device 11, the path (direction of travel) of the host vehicle V1 is changed away from the other vehicle, and the host vehicle V1 is caused to change lanes from the lane in which the host vehicle V1 is currently traveling to an adjacent lane away from the other vehicle. Note that autonomously controlling the travel of the host vehicle V1 so as to increase the speed difference between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle when it is determined that the other vehicle's position will enter the edge of the detection range within a predetermined time, and setting the path of the host vehicle V1 based on the path of the other vehicle in the same case, are not essential components of the present invention and may be added or omitted as needed.

Furthermore, when the driving assistance device 19 detects another vehicle traveling alongside the host vehicle V1, it may determine whether the other vehicle is traveling behind the host vehicle V1. If the driving assistance device 19 determines that the other vehicle is traveling behind the host vehicle V1 and that the other vehicle is at the edge of the detection range or will enter the edge within a predetermined time, it autonomously controls the traveling of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle's position is not included in the edge of the detection range located behind the host vehicle V1. This is because the imaging device 11 that captures images behind the host vehicle V1 has a shorter focal length than the imaging device 11 that captures images in front of the host vehicle V1, making it more likely that the traveling state of the other vehicle will not be accurately recognized.

In addition, when it is determined that the position of another vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle V1 is at the edge of the detection range or will enter that edge within a predetermined time, autonomously controlling the traveling of the host vehicle V1 so that the position of the other vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle V1 is not included in that edge behind the host vehicle V1 is not an essential configuration of the present invention, and may be added or omitted as necessary.

In the driving scene shown in Figure 4A, the other vehicle V3 is traveling at position Q3 of end C3, and the other vehicle V4 is traveling at position Q4 of end C4. Therefore, as edge avoidance control, the driving assistance device 19 compares the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 with the vehicle speeds of the other vehicles V3 and V4. If the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is faster than the vehicle speeds of the other vehicles V3 and V4, the host vehicle V1 is accelerated and travels along the travel trajectory T1 from position P2 to position P3, as shown in Figure 4B. In other words, if the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is faster than the vehicle speeds of the other vehicles V3 and V4, the host vehicle V1 is accelerated to move the positions of the other vehicles V3 and V4 away from the ends C3 and C4 so that they are not included in the ends C3 and C4, regardless of whether the other vehicle V3 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1 or the other vehicle V4 is traveling behind the host vehicle V1.

In contrast, when the vehicle speed of the subject vehicle V1 is slower than the vehicle speeds of the other vehicles V3 and V4, the subject vehicle V1 is decelerated and driven along the driving trajectory T2 from position P2 to position P4, as shown in Figure 4C. In other words, when the vehicle speed of the subject vehicle V1 is slower than the vehicle speeds of the other vehicles V3 and V4, the subject vehicle V1 is decelerated to move the positions of the other vehicles V3 and V4 away from ends C3 and C4, so that they are not included in ends C3 and C4, regardless of whether the other vehicle V3 is driving ahead of the subject vehicle V1 or whether the other vehicle V4 is driving behind the subject vehicle V1. Note that positions P3 and P4 are relative to position P2, and the subject vehicle V1 does not move backward in the driving scene shown in Figure 4C.

Furthermore, when the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is the same as the vehicle speed of the other vehicles V3 and V4, the host vehicle V1 is accelerated or decelerated. In other words, when the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is the same as the vehicle speed of the other vehicles V3 and V4, the host vehicle V1 may be accelerated or decelerated as long as the positions of the other vehicles V3 and V4 move away from the ends C3 and C4 and do not enter the ends C3 and C4. Note that the positions of the other vehicles V3 and V4 not included in the ends C3 and C4 of the detection range means that the entire body of the other vehicles V3 and V4 is not included in the ends C3 and C4 when viewed from above, and that a large portion (e.g., 90% or more) of the body of the other vehicles V3 and V4 is not included in the ends C3 and C4. In other words, only a portion (e.g., 10% or less) of the body of the other vehicles V3 and V4 may be included in the ends C3 and C4.

Alternatively, the driving assistance device 19 may maintain the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 when the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is faster than the vehicle speeds of the other vehicles V3 and V4 in the driving scene shown in FIG. 4A. Alternatively or in addition, the driving assistance device 19 may determine whether the positions of the other vehicles V3 and V4 are at the edge of the detection range when the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is the same as the vehicle speed of the other vehicles V3 and V4 in the driving scene shown in FIG. 4A. Then, as in the driving scene shown in FIG. 4A, when it is determined that the positions of the other vehicles V3 and V4 are at the edge, the driving assistance device 19 accelerates or decelerates the host vehicle V1. On the other hand, when it is determined that the positions of the other vehicles V3 and V4 are not at the edge, the driving assistance device 19 maintains the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1. This is because edge avoidance control is performed only when there is a possibility that the other vehicle V4 will enter a position ahead of the host vehicle V1. In other words, in a driving scene where the vehicle speed of the subject vehicle V1 is slower than that of the other vehicle V4, it is predicted that the other vehicle V4 will overtake the subject vehicle V1 and change lanes toward a position ahead of the subject vehicle V1, but in a driving scene where the vehicle speed of the subject vehicle V1 is faster than that of the other vehicle V4, it is difficult to predict that the other vehicle will change lanes toward a position ahead of the subject vehicle V1.

Next, we will explain edge avoidance control in different driving situations using Figure 5.

Figure 5 is a plan view showing an example of a driving scene in which edge avoidance control is executed. The driving scene shown in Figure 5 is a driving scene in which the host vehicle V1 and other vehicles V5 and V6 are traveling on the road shown in Figure 2, with the host vehicle V1 traveling at position P5 in lane L1 and the other vehicle V5 traveling ahead of it at position Q5 in lane L1. The other vehicle V6 is also traveling at position Q6 in lane L3. In the driving scene shown in Figure 5, the host vehicle V1 is traveling at a constant speed using lane keeping control, and the other vehicles V5 and V6 are traveling straight at the same vehicle speed as the host vehicle V1.

In the driving scene shown in Figure 5, an obstacle ahead in lane L1 cannot be detected due to being blocked by another vehicle V5, so the host vehicle V1 changes lanes from lane L1 to lane L2 to overtake the other vehicle V5. In this case, the driving assistance device 19 acquires the driving state of the other vehicle from driving environment information using the function of the recognition unit 21. At the same time, the driving assistance device 19 determines, based on the other vehicle detection results, whether or not another vehicle is present in the adjacent lane and the adjacent-to-next-lane lane using the function of the determination unit 22. If it is determined that there is no other vehicle in the adjacent lane but there is one in the adjacent-to-next-lane lane, the driving assistance device 19 performs edge avoidance control by determining whether the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent-to-next-lane lane is at the edge of the detection range or will enter that edge within a predetermined time. On the other hand, if there is another vehicle in the adjacent lane, lane change assistance is not performed regardless of whether there is another vehicle in the adjacent-to-next-lane lane.

In the driving scene shown in Figure 5, another vehicle V6 is detected traveling at position Q6 in lane L3, which is the next-to-next-to lane, and therefore it is determined that another vehicle V6 is present in the next-to-next-to lane. In contrast, there is no other vehicle in lane L2, which is the adjacent lane. Therefore, the driving assistance device 19 determines whether position Q6 of another vehicle V6 traveling in lane L3, which is the next-to-next-to lane, is at the edge of the detection range or will enter that edge within a predetermined time. Specifically, when the host vehicle V1 generates a driving trajectory T3 for changing lanes from lane L1 to lane L2 and travels along the driving trajectory T3, it determines whether position Q6 of the other vehicle V6 will enter any of the edges C1 to C4 within the predetermined time.

As shown in Figure 5, when the host vehicle V1 travels from position P5 to position P6 along the travel trajectory T3, position Q6 of the other vehicle V6 will enter end C4. Therefore, in the travel scene shown in Figure 5, the driving assistance device 19 determines that position Q6 of the other vehicle V6 traveling in the adjacent lane L3 will enter end C4 within a predetermined time, and does not assist the host vehicle V1 in changing lanes using autonomous driving control. In this case, the lane change will be performed manually by the driver. In contrast, if it is determined that position Q6 of the other vehicle V6 traveling in the adjacent lane will not enter the end of the detection range within the predetermined time, the driving assistance device 19 uses autonomous driving control to change lanes from lane L1 to lane L2 in order to overtake the leading vehicle, other vehicle V5.

However, in this embodiment, lane change assistance for the host vehicle V1 is not always provided in the driving scene shown in Figure 5. For example, when the host vehicle V1 overtakes a vehicle ahead of the host vehicle V1, it is determined whether there are other vehicles in the lane adjacent to the lane in which the host vehicle V1 is traveling and in the adjacent lane. If it is determined that there is no other vehicle in the adjacent lane but there is another vehicle in the adjacent lane, it is determined whether the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is at the edge of the detection range or will enter the edge of the detection range within a predetermined time.

In the driving scene shown in Figure 5, the host vehicle V1 attempts to overtake the preceding vehicle, vehicle V5, and determines whether there are other vehicles in lane L2 adjacent to lane L1 in which the host vehicle V1 is traveling, and in lane L3 adjacent to lane L2. In the driving scene shown in Figure 5, there are no other vehicles in lane L2, which is the adjacent lane, but there is other vehicle V6 in lane L3, which is the adjacent lane, so it is determined whether the position Q6 of other vehicle V6 is at end C4 or will enter end C4 within a predetermined time.

As described above, in the driving scenario shown in Figure 5, position Q6 of the other vehicle V6 enters end C4 within a predetermined time. Therefore, as shown in Figure 6A, the driving assistance device 19 decelerates the host vehicle V1 using autonomous driving control and causes the host vehicle V1 to travel from position P5 to position P7 along driving trajectory T4. Then, in conjunction with this deceleration control, the host vehicle V1 changes lanes from its own lane, lane L1, to adjacent lane L2, as shown in Figure 6B. The host vehicle V1 travels along driving trajectory T5 from position P7 on lane L1 to position P8 on lane L2, but during the lane change, position Q6 of the other vehicle V6 traveling in the adjacent lane, lane L3, does not enter any of the ends C1 to C4 of the detection range. Note that positions P7 and P8 are relative positions with respect to position P5. In the driving scenario shown in Figure 6A, the host vehicle V1 decelerates but does not reverse.

Note that it is not necessary for the subject vehicle V1 to travel to position P7 behind the other vehicle V6 as shown in Figure 6B. The vehicle speed of the subject vehicle V1 may be set so that the subject vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V6 travel side by side, and the lane change may be performed while the subject vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V6 are traveling side by side. This is because, as long as the subject vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V6 are traveling side by side, position Q6 of the other vehicle V6 will not enter the ends C3 and C4. Furthermore, the timing of decelerating the subject vehicle V1 using autonomous driving control and the timing of the lane change from lane L1 to lane L2 may be such that lane change assistance is performed after the deceleration control is completed, as shown in Figures 6A and 6B, or the two controls may be performed simultaneously. In other words, the subject vehicle V1 may change lanes from lane L1 to lane L2 while decelerating.

Note that the edge avoidance control in each driving scene shown in Figures 4A to 4C, 5, and 6A to 6B is merely an example, and edge avoidance control other than the edge avoidance control described above may be executed in each driving scene. Furthermore, in the driving assistance device 19 of this embodiment, it is not necessary to execute edge avoidance control for all of the driving scenes shown in Figures 4A to 4C, 5, and 6A to 6B, and the driving assistance device 19 may execute edge avoidance control for some of the driving scenes.

[Processing in the system]
The procedure for information processing by the driving assistance device 19 will be described with reference to Fig. 7. Fig. 7 is an example of a flowchart showing information processing executed in the driving assistance system 10 of this embodiment. The processing described below is executed at predetermined time intervals by the CPU 191, which is a processor of the driving assistance device 19. Note that the flowchart shown in Fig. 7 is based on the premise that the host vehicle V1 is traveling on a road using lane keeping control.

First, in step S1 of Figure 7, the recognition unit 21 detects another vehicle using the imaging device 11. In step S2, it is determined from the detection results whether another vehicle V2 is present to the side of the host vehicle V1. If another vehicle V2 is not present to the side of the host vehicle V1, the process proceeds to step S7, where the control unit 23 executes normal autonomous driving control and then proceeds to step S8. On the other hand, if another vehicle is present to the side of the host vehicle V1, the process proceeds to step S3, where the determination unit 22 determines whether the other vehicle is located at the edge of the detection range of the imaging device 11. If it is determined that the other vehicle is located at the edge of the detection range, the process proceeds to step S6. On the other hand, if it is determined that the other vehicle is not located at the edge of the detection range, the process proceeds to step S4.

In step S4, the function of the determination unit 22 predicts the driving state of the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle after a predetermined time, and in the following step S5, it is determined whether the position of the other vehicle will enter the edge of the detection range of the imaging device 11 within the predetermined time. If it is determined that the position of the other vehicle will not enter the edge of the detection range within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S7, where normal autonomous driving control is executed, and then to step S8. On the other hand, if it is determined that the position of the other vehicle will enter the edge of the detection range within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S6, where the function of the control unit 23 autonomously controls the driving of the host vehicle V1 so that the position of the other vehicle is not included in the edge of the detection range. Then, the process proceeds to step S8.

In step S8, the assistance unit 20 determines whether the vehicle V1 has reached the destination. If it is determined that the vehicle V1 has reached the destination, the routine is terminated and the display device 18 is used to prompt the driver of the vehicle V1 to drive manually. On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle V1 has not reached the destination, the process proceeds to step S1. Note that manual driving refers to the driving assistance device 19 not performing autonomous driving control of the driving operations, but rather controlling the vehicle's driving through driver operation.

Next, referring to Figure 8, an example of a subroutine for step S6 in Figure 7 will be described.

First, in step S11 of FIG. 8, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is compared with the vehicle speed of the other vehicle, and then in step S12, it is determined whether the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is faster than the vehicle speed of the other vehicle. If the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is faster than the vehicle speed of the other vehicle, the process proceeds to step S13, where the vehicle speed control device 171 is used to accelerate the host vehicle V1 or maintain the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1. On the other hand, if the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is not faster than the vehicle speed of the other vehicle (i.e., if the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is equal to or lower than the vehicle speed of the other vehicle), the process proceeds to step S14, where it is determined whether the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is the same as the vehicle speed of the other vehicle.

If the vehicle speed of the subject vehicle V1 and the vehicle speed of the other vehicle are different (i.e., if the vehicle speed of the subject vehicle V1 is slower than the vehicle speed of the other vehicle), the process proceeds to step S15, where the vehicle speed control device 171 is used to decelerate the subject vehicle V1. On the other hand, if the vehicle speed of the subject vehicle V1 and the vehicle speed of the other vehicle are the same, the process proceeds to step S16, where it is determined whether the position of the other vehicle is at the edge of the detection range of the imaging device 11. If it is determined that the position of the other vehicle is at the edge of the detection range, the process proceeds to step S17, where the vehicle speed control device 171 is used to accelerate or decelerate the subject vehicle V1. On the other hand, if it is determined that the position of the other vehicle is not at the edge of the detection range, the process proceeds to step S18, where the vehicle speed of the subject vehicle is maintained. Note that steps S16 and S18 are not required steps and may be provided as needed.

Next, referring to Figure 9, another example of the subroutine of step S6 in Figure 7 will be described.

First, in step S21 of FIG. 9, it is determined whether the host vehicle V1 will change lanes to an adjacent lane. If it is determined that the host vehicle V1 will not change lanes to an adjacent lane, the process proceeds to step S7 of FIG. 7, where normal autonomous driving control is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the host vehicle V1 will change lanes to an adjacent lane, the process proceeds to step S22, where the recognition unit 21 uses the imaging device 11 to detect other vehicles traveling in the adjacent lane and the lane next to it. In step S23, it is determined whether other vehicles are traveling in the adjacent lane. If it is determined that other vehicles are traveling in the adjacent lane, the process proceeds to step S24, where a lane change to the adjacent lane is not executed, and the control unit 23 performs autonomous control, for example, to maintain lane keeping control. On the other hand, if it is determined that no other vehicles are traveling in the adjacent lane, the process proceeds to step S25.

In step S25, it is determined whether or not there is another vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane. If it is determined that there is no other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane, the process proceeds to step S27, where a lane change to the adjacent lane is performed using the function of the control unit 23. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is another vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane, the process proceeds to step S26, where it is determined whether or not the position of the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane will enter the edge of the detection range of the imaging device 11 within a predetermined time. If it is determined that the position of the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane will enter the edge of the detection range within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S24. If it is determined that the position of the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane will not enter the edge of the detection range within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S27.

Next, referring to Figure 10, another example of the subroutine of step S6 in Figure 7 will be described.

First, in step S31 of FIG. 10, the recognition unit 21 detects a preceding vehicle using the imaging device 11. Then, in step S32, the determination unit 22 determines whether the host vehicle V1 will overtake the preceding vehicle. If it is determined that the host vehicle V1 will not overtake the preceding vehicle, the process proceeds to step S7 of FIG. 7, where normal autonomous driving control is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the host vehicle V1 will overtake the preceding vehicle, the process proceeds to step S33, where the recognition unit 21 uses the imaging device 11 to detect other vehicles traveling in the adjacent lane and the adjacent lane next to it. In step S34, the recognition unit 21 determines whether other vehicles traveling in the adjacent lane are present. If it is determined that other vehicles traveling in the adjacent lane are present, the process proceeds to step S35, where overtaking of the preceding vehicle is not performed, and the control unit 23 causes the preceding vehicle to follow, for example, by following control. On the other hand, if it is determined that no other vehicles are traveling in the adjacent lane, the process proceeds to step S36.

In step S36, it is determined whether or not there is another vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane. If it is determined that there is no other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane, the process proceeds to step S39, where the control unit 23 functions to overtake the preceding vehicle. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is another vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane, the process proceeds to step S37, where it is determined whether the position of the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane will enter the edge of the detection range of the imaging device 11 within a predetermined time. If it is determined that the position of the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane will enter the edge of the detection range within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S38, where the vehicle speed control device 171 is used to decelerate the host vehicle V1, and then the process proceeds to step S39. On the other hand, if it is determined that the position of the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane will not enter the edge of the detection range within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S39.

The driving assistance device 19 and driving assistance method of the present invention can be used in any of the following cases: autonomous control of only the vehicle's driving speed; autonomous control of only the vehicle's steering operation; and autonomous control of both the vehicle's driving speed and steering operation. Furthermore, the driving assistance device 19 and driving assistance method of the present invention can be used not only for autonomous driving control, but also to assist the driver in manual driving.

[Embodiments of the present invention]
As described above, according to this embodiment, a driving assistance method is provided, in which the processor uses an image capture device 11 to detect another vehicle traveling alongside the host vehicle V1, determines whether the other vehicle is located at an edge of a detection range of the image capture device 11 or will enter the edge within a predetermined time, and, if it is determined that the other vehicle is located at the edge or will enter the edge within the predetermined time, autonomously controls the driving of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle is not located within the edge. This embodiment is referred to as embodiment (1). This reduces the impact of erroneous recognition of the driving state of the other vehicle on the driving state of the host vehicle V1.

Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, the processor predicts the path of the other vehicle based on the driving state of the other vehicle, determines whether the position of the other vehicle will enter the edge within the predetermined time based on the path of the other vehicle, and, if it determines that the position of the other vehicle will enter the edge within the predetermined time, autonomously controls the driving of the host vehicle V1 so as to increase the speed difference between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle, or sets the path of the host vehicle V1 based on the path of the other vehicle. This embodiment is referred to as embodiment (2). This allows the edge avoidance control to be set in advance and executed smoothly.

Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, if the processor determines that one of the other vehicles traveling beside the host vehicle V1, traveling behind the host vehicle V1, is located at the edge or will enter the edge within the predetermined time, the processor may autonomously control the traveling of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle V1 is not located at the edge behind the host vehicle V1. This embodiment is referred to as embodiment (3). As a result, edge avoidance control can be performed even when an obstacle present behind the host vehicle V1 is detected by an imaging device 11 with a short focal length.

Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, when the processor determines that the other vehicle is located at the edge or will enter the edge within the predetermined time, it compares the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 with the vehicle speed of the other vehicle, and if the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is faster than the vehicle speed of the other vehicle, it may accelerate the host vehicle V1, if the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is slower than the vehicle speed of the other vehicle, it may decelerate the host vehicle V1, and if the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is the same as the vehicle speed of the other vehicle, it may accelerate or decelerate the host vehicle V1. This embodiment is referred to as embodiment (4). This enables edge avoidance control to be performed according to the driving situation.

Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, if the processor determines that the other vehicle is located at the edge or will enter the edge within the predetermined time, it compares the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 with the vehicle speed of the other vehicle, and if the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is faster than the vehicle speed of the other vehicle, it maintains the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1, and if the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is slower than the vehicle speed of the other vehicle, it decelerates the host vehicle V1, and if the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is the same as the vehicle speed of the other vehicle, it determines whether the other vehicle is located at the edge, and if it determines that the other vehicle is located at the edge, it accelerates or decelerates the host vehicle V1, and if it determines that the other vehicle is not located at the edge, it maintains the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1. This embodiment is referred to as embodiment (5). This enables edge avoidance control to be performed according to the driving scene.

Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, when the host vehicle V1 changes lanes from the host vehicle's own lane to an adjacent lane, the processor determines, based on the other vehicle detection result, whether the other vehicle is present in the adjacent lane and the adjacent lane adjacent to the adjacent lane. If it is determined that the other vehicle is not present in the adjacent lane but is present in the adjacent lane, the processor determines whether the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is located at the edge or will enter the edge within the predetermined time. If it is determined that the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is located at the edge or will enter the edge within the predetermined time, it is not necessary to provide lane change assistance through autonomous driving control. This embodiment is referred to as embodiment (6). This makes it possible to avoid driving situations in which edge avoidance control is performed during lane changes.

Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, when the host vehicle V1 overtakes a preceding vehicle of the host vehicle V1, the processor determines, from the detection result of the other vehicle, whether the other vehicle is present in the lane adjacent to the host vehicle V1's own lane and in the adjacent lane adjacent to the adjacent lane, and if it is determined that the other vehicle is not present in the adjacent lane and that the other vehicle is present in the adjacent lane, determines whether the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is at the edge or will enter the edge within the predetermined time. and when it is determined that the other vehicle traveling in the next-next-to-the-other-lane is not at the edge and will not enter the edge within the predetermined time, the autonomous driving control may be used to change lanes from the own lane to the adjacent lane in order to overtake the preceding vehicle, and when it is determined that the other vehicle traveling in the next-next-to-the-other-lane is at the edge or will enter the edge within the predetermined time, the autonomous driving control may be used to decelerate the own vehicle V1 and change lanes from the own lane to the adjacent lane. This embodiment is referred to as embodiment (7). This makes it possible to overtake a preceding vehicle while avoiding a driving situation in which edge avoidance control is performed during lane change.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a driving assistance device 19 is provided, which includes: a recognition unit 21 that uses an imaging device 11 to detect other vehicles traveling alongside the host vehicle V1; a determination unit 22 that determines whether the other vehicle is located at the edge of the detection range of the imaging device 11 or will enter the edge within a predetermined time; and a control unit 23 that, if the determination unit 22 determines that the other vehicle is located at the edge or will enter the edge within the predetermined time, autonomously controls the traveling of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle's position is not included in the edge. This embodiment is referred to as embodiment (8). This reduces the impact of erroneous recognition of the traveling state of other vehicles on the traveling state of the host vehicle V1.

The position of the other vehicle may be considered to be the entire vehicle, or a specific position (for example, the center of the vehicle or a specific part) along the entire length (or longitudinal direction) of the other vehicle. The same reference may always be used for the position of the other vehicle, or the reference may be changed depending on the situation (driving scene). For example, specific parts such as headlights, taillights, or the front and/or rear bumpers of the other vehicle may be used as the reference. Furthermore, for other vehicles approaching the host vehicle V1 from behind, a specific part in front of the other vehicle (front of the vehicle body) may be used as the reference, and for other vehicles approaching the host vehicle V1 from behind, a specific part in the rear of the other vehicle (rear of the vehicle body) may be used as the reference.

[Combination of embodiments]
According to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (2), embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (3), or embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiments (2) and (3). Also, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (4), embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiments (2) and (4), embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiments (3) and (4), or embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiments (2), (3), and (4).

The same applies to the driving assistance device 19 of this embodiment; embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiment (2), embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiment (3), or embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiments (2) and (3). Furthermore, according to the driving assistance device 19 of this embodiment, embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiment (4), embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiments (2) and (4), embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiments (3) and (4), or embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiments (2), (3), and (4).

According to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (5), embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiments (2) and (5), embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiments (3) and (5), or embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiments (2), (3), and (5). Similarly, according to the driving assistance device 19 of this embodiment, embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiment (5), embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiments (2) and (5), embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiments (3) and (5), or embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiments (2), (3), and (5).

According to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (6), embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (2) and (6), embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (3) and (6), embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (4) and (6), or embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (5) and (6). Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (2), (3), and (6), embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (2), (4), and (6), embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (2), (5), and (6), embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (3), (4), and (6), or embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (3), (5), and (6). Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiments (2), (3), (4), and (6), embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiments (2), (3), (5), and (6), embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiments (3), (4), (5), and (6), and embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiments (2) to (6).

The same applies to the driving assistance device 19 of this embodiment; embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiment (6), embodiment (8) with embodiment (2) and (6), embodiment (8) with embodiment (3) and (6), embodiment (8) with embodiment (4) and (6), or embodiment (8) with embodiment (5) and (6). Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiment (2), (3), and (6), embodiment (8) with embodiment (2), (4), and (6), embodiment (8) with embodiment (2), (5), and (6), embodiment (8) with embodiment (3), (4), and (6), or embodiment (8) with embodiment (3), (5), and (6). Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiments (2), (3), (4), and (6), embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiments (2), (3), (5), and (6), embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiments (3), (4), (5), and (6), and embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiments (2) to (6).

According to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (7), embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (2) and (7), embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (3) and (7), embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (4) and (7), or embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (5) and (7). Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (2), (3), and (7), embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (2), (4), and (7), embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (2), (5), and (7), embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (3), (4), and (7), or embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiment (3), (5), and (7). Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiments (2), (3), (4), and (7); embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiments (2), (3), (5), and (7); embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiments (3), (4), (5), and (7); or embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiments (2) to (5) and (7).

The same applies to the driving assistance device 19 of this embodiment; embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiment (7), embodiment (8) with embodiment (2) and (7), embodiment (8) with embodiment (3) and (7), embodiment (8) with embodiment (4) and (7), or embodiment (8) with embodiment (5) and (7). Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiment (2), (3), and (7), embodiment (8) with embodiment (2), (4), and (7), embodiment (8) with embodiment (2), (5), and (7), embodiment (8) with embodiment (3), (4), and (7), or embodiment (8) with embodiment (3), (5), and (7). Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiments (2), (3), (4), and (7), embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiments (2), (3), (5), and (7), embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiments (3), (4), (5), and (7), and embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiments (2) to (5) and (7).

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10... Driving assistance system 11... Imaging device 12... Distance measuring device 13... Vehicle state detection device 14... Map information 15... Vehicle position detection device 16... Navigation device 17... Vehicle control device 171... Vehicle speed control device 172... Steering control device 18... Display device 19... Driving assistance device 191... CPU (processor)
192...ROM
193...RAM
20... Support unit 21... Recognition unit 22... Determination unit 23... Control unit A1, A2, B1, B2, B3, B4... Detection ranges C1, C2, C3, C4... Ends L1, L2, L3... Lanes P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, P7, P8... Position (host vehicle)
Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6...Position (other vehicle)
T1, T2, T3, T4, T5...Travel trajectory (own vehicle)
U1, Ux, Uy...Travel trajectory (other vehicles)
V1...own vehicle V2, V3, V4, V5, V6...other vehicle

Claims (8)

A driving assistance method executed by a processor, comprising:
The processor:
Using an imaging device, another vehicle traveling beside the vehicle is detected;
determining whether the other vehicle is at an edge of a detection range of the imaging device or will enter the edge within a predetermined time;
A driving assistance method that autonomously controls the driving of the vehicle so that the position of the other vehicle is not included in the edge when it is determined that the other vehicle is located at the edge or will enter the edge within the specified time. The processor:
predicting a course of the other vehicle based on a traveling state of the other vehicle;
determining whether the position of the other vehicle will enter the edge portion within the predetermined time based on the path of the other vehicle;
2. The driving assistance method according to claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that the position of the other vehicle will enter the edge within the predetermined time, the driving of the subject vehicle is autonomously controlled so that a speed difference between the subject vehicle and the other vehicle increases, or a path of the subject vehicle is set based on a path of the other vehicle. The processor:
3. The driving assistance method according to claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that the position of the other vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle among the other vehicles traveling beside the host vehicle is at the edge or will enter the edge within the predetermined time, the driving of the host vehicle is autonomously controlled so that the position of the other vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle is not included in the edge behind the host vehicle. The processor:
When it is determined that the other vehicle is at the edge or will enter the edge within the predetermined time, the vehicle speed of the own vehicle is compared with the vehicle speed of the other vehicle;
When the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is faster than the vehicle speed of the other vehicle, the host vehicle is accelerated;
When the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is slower than the vehicle speed of the other vehicle, the host vehicle is decelerated;
The driving assistance method according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein when the speed of the host vehicle is the same as the speed of the other vehicle, the host vehicle is accelerated or decelerated. The processor:
When it is determined that the other vehicle is at the edge or will enter the edge within the predetermined time, the vehicle speed of the own vehicle is compared with the vehicle speed of the other vehicle;
When the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is faster than the vehicle speed of the other vehicle, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is maintained;
When the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is slower than the vehicle speed of the other vehicle, the host vehicle is decelerated;
When the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is the same as the vehicle speed of the other vehicle, it is determined whether the other vehicle is located at the edge;
When it is determined that the position of the other vehicle is at the edge, the host vehicle is accelerated or decelerated;
The driving assistance method according to claim 1 or 2 , wherein when it is determined that the other vehicle is not at the edge, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is maintained. The processor:
When the host vehicle changes lanes from the host lane in which the host vehicle is traveling to an adjacent lane of the host lane, it is determined from the detection result of the other vehicle whether or not the other vehicle is present in the adjacent lane and a lane adjacent to the adjacent lane;
If it is determined that the other vehicle is not present in the adjacent lane and that the other vehicle is present in the adjacent lane, it is determined whether the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is at the edge or will enter the edge within the predetermined time;
3. The driving assistance method according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the position of the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is at the edge or will enter the edge within the predetermined time , lane change assistance is not provided by autonomous driving control. The processor:
When the host vehicle is overtaking a preceding vehicle of the host vehicle, it is determined from the detection result of the other vehicle whether or not the other vehicle is present in an adjacent lane to the host vehicle lane in which the host vehicle is traveling and in a lane adjacent to the adjacent lane;
If it is determined that the other vehicle is not present in the adjacent lane and that the other vehicle is present in the adjacent lane, it is determined whether the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is at the edge or will enter the edge within the predetermined time;
when it is determined that the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is not at the edge and will not enter the edge within the predetermined time, changing lanes from the own lane to the adjacent lane by autonomous driving control in order to overtake the preceding vehicle;
3. The driving assistance method according to claim 1, wherein when it is determined that the position of the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is at the edge or will enter the edge within the predetermined time, the autonomous driving control causes the vehicle to decelerate and change lanes from the own lane to the adjacent lane. a recognition unit that detects other vehicles traveling beside the vehicle using an imaging device;
a determination unit that determines whether the other vehicle is located at an edge of a detection range of the imaging device or will enter the edge within a predetermined time;
a control unit that, when the determination unit determines that the other vehicle is located at the edge or will enter the edge within the specified time, autonomously controls the driving of the vehicle so that the other vehicle's position is not included in the edge.