JP7787015B2 - Control device - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a control device that is installed in a vehicle and controls the operation of the vehicle.

Patent Document 1 below discloses technology that provides driving assistance tailored to the timing at which a vehicle can enter an intersection. The driving assistance device references a map database 211 that stores multiple pieces of light pattern data, each of which contains multiple types of transition cycle data that define the transition cycles for the light states of multiple traffic lights at the intersection, and application period data that defines the periods during which the multiple light pattern data apply to the intersection. The device then determines the current light pattern data based on which of the periods defined by the application period data the current day falls into. The device then estimates the timing at which a vehicle can enter the intersection based on the current light states of the traffic lights at the intersection and the current light pattern data for the intersection, and provides driving assistance to the vehicle based on the timing at which the vehicle can enter.

Patent Document 2 below discloses technology in which, after an autonomously driving vehicle begins a left turn and before it reaches the stop line of a pedestrian crossing on its travel route, it detects a moving object moving toward the crosswalk within a monitoring area set up on the sidewalk, and if it detects that the moving speed of the moving object is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed, it causes a speed control unit to temporarily stop the vehicle in front of the stop line of the pedestrian crossing.

Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-17034 Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2021-62768

Traffic signals include arrow-type signals that display arrows. Vehicles, whether driver-driven or self-driving, may turn left or right according to the arrow-type signals.
However, when a vehicle turns in a direction that does not cross the oncoming lane according to an arrow-type traffic light, such as a left turn in Japan (or a right turn in the United States), there may be a situation where the pedestrian traffic light at the crosswalk ahead of the vehicle turns green. Naturally, the vehicle must stop and allow pedestrians to cross, but when turning left according to an arrow-type traffic light (a turn that does not cross the oncoming lane), the driver's attention may be reduced, and technology to further improve safety is needed.

Therefore, we propose technology that provides effective control in such situations.

A control device according to one embodiment of the present invention is a control device mounted on a vehicle and includes one or more processors and one or more storage media storing a program executed by the one or more processors. The program includes one or more instructions that cause the one or more processors to determine, as a target intersection, an intersection where an arrow-type traffic light that issues instructions to the vehicle in the direction of travel of the vehicle exists and where a pedestrian traffic light for pedestrians crossing the lane in the direction of the arrow of the arrow-type traffic light exists. If the target intersection is determined to be the target intersection, the control device determines whether the pedestrian traffic light is issuing a stop instruction and the vehicle is traveling in accordance with the arrow-type traffic light. If the target intersection is determined to be the target intersection, the control device executes a first safety support process that includes either occupant warning control or driving suppression control.

This invention can improve the safety of pedestrians, cyclists, and other crossing pedestrians in situations where it is difficult for the driver to focus on other things, such as when a vehicle is turning according to the arrows of an arrow-type traffic light, or in situations where more precise control is required in automated driving.

1 is a block diagram of a control configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of an intersection that is a target of control according to the embodiment. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the situation of an intersection that is the subject of control according to the embodiment; FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram of the situation of an intersection that is the subject of control according to the embodiment; 10 is a flowchart of a processing example according to an embodiment. 10 is a flowchart of another processing example according to the embodiment.

The following describes an embodiment of a control device of the present invention. The control device is installed in a vehicle and constitutes part of the vehicle control system. In particular, it is a control device that performs control processing (safety support processing) to improve safety under specific conditions. In this embodiment, we will explain an example in which safety support processing is performed as one function of the driving control device 2.

In the embodiments, the terms "left turn" and "right turn" are used, but in countries and regions such as Japan where vehicles drive on the left side, a "left turn" refers to a turn in a direction that does not cross the lane of oncoming vehicles. A "right turn" refers to a turn in a direction that crosses the lane of oncoming vehicles. Therefore, the situation of a "left turn" in the embodiments should be understood to mean a right turn in countries and regions such as the United States where vehicles drive on the right side.

1. Vehicle control system configuration
1 shows an example of a vehicle control system 1 mounted on a vehicle 100. The vehicle control system 1 includes a cruise control device 2.
The cruise control device 2 is configured by a processor that performs driving assistance control such as making the vehicle 100 cruise at a constant speed at a set speed or making the vehicle 100 follow a preceding vehicle.
Alternatively, the driving control device 2 may be configured as a processor that realizes an autonomous driving function of so-called autonomous driving level 3 or higher.

Note that Figure 1 mainly illustrates the essential components of the present invention among the components of vehicle control system 1. Therefore, vehicle control system 1 may also include components not shown in Figure 1. Furthermore, vehicle control system 1 may not necessarily include all of the components shown.

The vehicle control system 1 includes a cruise control device 2, an external environment recognition device 3, a map locator 4, a communication unit 5, a display/sound control unit 6, an engine control unit 7, a transmission control unit 8, a brake control unit 9, and a steering control unit 10. These units are interconnected via a bus 17, and communicate various control signals and information.

In addition to the map locator 4, FIG. 1 also shows a GNSS receiver 21, which is a receiver for a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), and a map database (DB) 22 in which high-precision map data is stored.
In this embodiment, the vehicle control system 1 may be configured without the map locator 4, the GNSS receiver 21, and the map DB 22.
The map locator 4 is not limited to a locator in the narrow sense used for determining a driving route in an automated driving system, but also includes a navigation system using GNSS, etc. In other words, it refers to a system that can acquire information on the current position and surrounding intersections.

The external environment recognition device 3 represents one or more devices having a function for recognizing the external environment of the vehicle 100 and acquiring external environment information.
For example, the external environment recognition device 3 is configured with a camera 18 that can capture images of the area ahead of the vehicle 100 within a predetermined field of view, and an image processing unit 19 that performs various processes on images acquired from the camera 18. The external environment recognition device 3 may also include a distance detection unit 20 that can detect the relative distance to an object (such as a person, a bicycle, or something that follows a pedestrian traffic light), such as a millimeter-wave radar or LiDAR.

Camera 18 may be a stereo camera or a monocular camera. It is assumed to be a camera that captures images to at least confirm the status of traffic signals and the presence of pedestrians or other crossing vehicles.

The camera 18 has one or more imaging units. The imaging unit is composed of an optical system and an imaging element. The optical system forms an image of the subject on the imaging surface of the imaging element, and an electrical signal corresponding to the amount of received light is obtained on a pixel-by-pixel basis. The electrical signal obtained by the imaging unit is then subjected to A/D conversion and predetermined correction processing, and is supplied to the image processing unit 19 as a digital image signal (captured image data) representing a luminance value at a predetermined gradation on a pixel-by-pixel basis.

The image processing unit 19 is composed of a microcomputer equipped with a CPU (Central Processing Unit), ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), etc., and performs predetermined image processing related to the recognition of the external environment based on image data obtained by an imaging unit such as the camera 18.

The image processing unit 19 performs various image analysis processes based on the captured image data, recognizing forward information such as data on three-dimensional objects ahead of the vehicle and dividing lines (center lines, lane boundaries, etc.). Then, based on this recognition information, it detects the road and lane (the vehicle's lane) on which the vehicle is traveling, as well as objects on the vehicle's lane. For example, it detects preceding vehicles traveling ahead of the vehicle, white line data, guardrails along the road, sidewall data such as curbs, three-dimensional object data on vehicles, stop lines, traffic lights, railroad crossings, crosswalks, lanes, etc. Furthermore, depending on the viewing angle and positioning of the camera 18, the image processing unit 19 can also detect vehicles traveling parallel to the vehicle.

The image processing unit 19 can also recognize surrounding objects based on images captured by the camera 18, as well as their behavior. For example, it can recognize the speed, acceleration (positive and negative acceleration due to acceleration or deceleration) of preceding vehicles and vehicles moving in parallel, changes in direction of travel, the flashing of turn signal lamps, the lighting status and color of traffic lights, etc.

The image processing unit 19 calculates various types of surrounding environmental information such as those described above, for example, for each frame of captured image data, and sequentially stores the calculated information in the memory unit or transmits it to the driving control device 2.

The driving control device 2 includes one or more processors and one or more storage media storing programs executed by the processors. For example, the driving control device 2 is configured with a microcomputer including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, etc.
The driving control device 2 executes various control processes for driving assistance or autonomous driving based on information obtained from the external environment recognition device 3, the map locator 4, the communication unit 5, and various sensors equipped in the sensors and operators 16, as well as operational input information.

This cruise control device 2 is connected via bus 17 to the engine control unit 7, transmission control unit 8, brake control unit 9, and steering control unit 10, all of which are also made up of microcomputers, and is able to communicate data with each of these control units. The cruise control device 2 issues instructions to the necessary control units among the above to perform operations related to driving assistance (driving assistance control) or automatic driving control.

Examples of driving assistance controls that the driving control device 2 may perform include automatic lane keeping control, autonomous emergency braking (AEB), adaptive cruise control with distance control (ACC), lane change control, and overtaking control.
Alternatively, the autonomous driving control performed by the driving control device 2 may be level 3 conditional autonomous driving control, level 4 fully autonomous driving control under specific conditions, or level 5 fully autonomous driving control.

In this embodiment, in addition to the driving assistance control or autonomous driving control, the driving control device 2 also functions as a safety assistance processing unit 2a that performs safety assistance processing in specific situations. Examples of safety assistance processing will be described later.

The communication unit 5 is capable of network communication, so-called V2V communication (vehicle-to-vehicle communication), and road-to-vehicle communication. The driving control device 2 can acquire various types of information received by the communication unit 5. The communication unit 5 can also acquire various types of information, such as information about the surrounding environment of the current location and road information, via network communication such as the Internet.

The display/sound control unit 6 controls various notifications for the occupants. That is, the display/sound control unit 6 controls the display unit 23, such as a display on the front console of the vehicle 100, and the sound output unit 24, to execute various displays and sound outputs. For example, the display/sound control unit 6 can control the display and sound output for messages, warnings, etc. Specifically, it outputs warnings through the safety support processing described below.

Sensors and operators 16 collectively refer to the various sensors and operators provided on vehicle 100. The sensors included in sensors and operators 16 include a vehicle speed sensor 16a that detects the speed of the vehicle, an engine speed sensor 16b that detects the engine speed, an accelerator position sensor 16c that detects the accelerator position from the amount of depression of the accelerator pedal, a steering angle sensor 16d that detects the steering angle, a yaw rate sensor 16e that detects the yaw rate, and a brake switch 16f that is turned ON or OFF depending on whether the brake pedal is operated or not.

In addition, although not shown, the sensors and operators 16 include an ignition switch for instructing the start/stop of the engine, a turn signal operating lever, and an operator for switching driving modes as an operation related to driving assistance control.
These are merely examples, and various other sensors and controls may be provided.

Various detection signals and operation signals from the sensors and controls 16 are supplied to necessary parts such as the cruise control device 2, engine control unit 7, transmission control unit 8, brake control unit 9, and steering control unit 10.

The engine control unit 7 controls various actuators provided as engine-related actuators 12 based on instructions from the driving control device 2, detection signals from specified sensors in the sensors and operators 16, and operation input information from the operators.
The engine-related actuators 12 include various actuators related to engine driving, such as a throttle actuator that drives a throttle valve and an injector that injects fuel.

The transmission control unit 8 controls various actuators provided as transmission-related actuators 13 based on instructions from the cruise control device 2, detection signals from specific sensors in the sensors and controls 16, and operational input information from the controls. The transmission-related actuators 13 include, for example, actuators for controlling the shifting of an automatic transmission.

The brake control unit 9 controls various actuators provided as brake-related actuators 14 based on instructions from the driving control device 2, detection signals from specified sensors in the sensors and operators 16, and operation input information from the operators.
The brake-related actuator 14 includes various brake-related actuators, such as a hydraulic pressure control actuator for controlling the output hydraulic pressure from the brake booster to the master cylinder and the hydraulic pressure in the brake fluid pipes.

The steering control unit 10 calculates the required steering torque according to the target steering angle provided, for example, by the cruise control device 2, and controls the steering-related actuator 15 to achieve the required automatic steering.

The map locator 4 is capable of determining the current position of the vehicle 100 with high accuracy using the GNSS receiver 21 and the map DB 22. For example, the map locator 4 is capable of determining not only the road on which the vehicle 100 is traveling, but also the driving lane.

<2. Situations in which safety support processing is performed>
A situation in which the driving control device 2 performs safety support processing using the function of the safety support processing unit 2a in this embodiment will be described.

This safety support process is intended to improve safety at an intersection where there is an arrow-type traffic light 90 with a left-turn arrow 90L, as shown in FIGS.
There are various types of intersections, such as crossroads, T-junctions, and five-way intersections, but safety support processing may be activated in any case. Since a T-junction is a typical situation, Figures 2, 3, and 4 use a T-junction as an example.

2 shows a T-junction intersection, and an arrow-type traffic light 90 is provided for a lane 93 that ends at the T-junction. It is assumed that a vehicle 100, which is the subject vehicle, enters from the lane 93 that ends at the T-junction.
Traffic light 92 is provided for lane 94 where lane 93 meets.
It is also assumed that there is a crosswalk 95 for crossing the lane 94, and that the crosswalk 95 is equipped with a traffic light 91 for pedestrians.
In other words, this intersection is an intersection where a pedestrian traffic light 91 is located in the left-hand direction as viewed from the lane 93 side.

For the sake of explanation, traffic lights that give instructions to pedestrians, such as pedestrian signals and bicycle signals, will be collectively referred to as "traffic lights for pedestrians."
Also, "crossing people" refers to people who obey crossing traffic lights, such as pedestrians and cyclists.

In Figure 2, the arrow-type traffic light 90 is red and the left-turn arrow 90L is not lit. A vehicle 100 is traveling in lane 93 and is about to enter the intersection. The traffic light 92 on the lane 94 side is green, the pedestrian traffic light 91 is red, and a pedestrian 120 is waiting for the light to change.

3 shows a state in which the left turn arrow 90L of the arrow-type traffic light 90 is lit, indicating that a left turn is permitted. The pedestrian traffic light 91 remains red.
Vehicle 100 is entering the intersection from lane 93 and is about to turn left.
The dotted line in front of the vehicle 100 indicates the field of view of the camera 18, and within this field of view, the vehicle 100 can detect, for example, the lighting status of the arrow-type traffic light 90 and the pedestrian traffic light 91, as well as pedestrians 120 (including those waiting to cross).

Figure 4 shows the state of the arrow-type traffic light 90, where the left-turn arrow 90L changes from a steady light to "green" while the vehicle 100 is turning left. At roughly the same time that the arrow-type traffic light 90 turns "green," the pedestrian traffic light 91 also turns "green." Furthermore, the traffic light 92 turns "red."

In this embodiment, safety support processing is performed in the situations shown in FIGS.
In other words, when vehicle 100 is heading towards an intersection with an arrow-type traffic light 90 and turns left according to the left turn arrow 90L, the pedestrian traffic light 91 changes from "red" to "green" during the left turn.
From the perspective of the vehicle 100, it can be said that while the vehicle 100 is turning left according to the left turn arrow 90L, the pedestrian 120 suddenly begins crossing the crosswalk 95.

In this case, when vehicle 100 is traveling at a certain speed and has begun to turn left according to left turn arrow 90L, pedestrian traffic light 91 may suddenly turn green and pedestrian 120 may begin to cross the street, which may lead to a dangerous situation.
Therefore, the safety support process determines a situation in which a pedestrian 120 appears midway during a turn, and avoids danger.
Specifically, it will issue warnings to drivers, and in the case of autonomous vehicles, it will perform driving suppression control.
This ensures the safety of the pedestrian 120 in a situation where it is difficult for the driver to focus on other things, such as when turning left in accordance with the left turn arrow 90L.

<3. Examples of safety support processing>
A specific example of the safety support process performed by the driving control device 2 will be described with reference to FIG.
The processor (CPU) in the driving control device 2 periodically and repeatedly executes the process shown in FIG. 5, for example, in accordance with a program stored in a storage medium.

In step S101, the driving control device 2 determines the target intersection. Target intersections include intersections such as those shown in Figure 2. In other words, an intersection is determined to be the target intersection if there is an arrow-type traffic light 90 in the direction of travel of the host vehicle 100, which gives instructions to the vehicle 100, and there is a pedestrian traffic light 91 for a pedestrian 120 crossing a lane 94 in the direction of the arrow on the arrow-type traffic light 90.

The driving control device 2 can determine whether or not such a target intersection exists ahead based on information from the external environment recognition device 3, for example, analysis information by the image processing unit 19 on an image captured by the camera 18. The driving control device 2 may also determine whether or not a target intersection exists ahead based on information from the map locator 4.
If it is determined that the intersection is not such a target intersection, the driving control device 2 ends the processing of FIG.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the intersection is a target intersection, the driving control device 2 proceeds to step S102 and determines whether or not it is currently possible to drive with the left turn arrow 90L in the arrow-type traffic light 90. In other words, it determines whether or not the left turn arrow 90L in the arrow-type traffic light 90 is lit, for example, from analysis information by the image processing unit 19 of the external environment recognition device 3 regarding the image captured by the camera 18.
If it is determined that the left turn arrow 90L is currently not lit, the driving control device 2 proceeds to step S110, and ends the processing of Figure 5 because the light has not switched to "green" and it is not the time for the vehicle 100 to proceed.

If it is determined that the left turn arrow 90L is currently illuminated, the driving control device 2 proceeds from step S102 to step S103.
In step S103, the driving control device 2 determines whether or not the vehicle 100 is currently turning left and the pedestrian traffic light 91 is red.
The situation in which the vehicle 100 makes a left turn is a situation in which the vehicle 100 is in a lane where a left turn is possible, or a situation in which the vehicle 100 has actually started to make a left turn in a lane where a left turn is possible. A situation in which this situation occurs and the pedestrian traffic light 91 is issuing a stop command is considered to be a situation in which the safety support process is performed.
If such a "corresponding situation" does not exist, the driving control device 2 ends the processing of FIG.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the current situation is "applicable," the driving control device 2 proceeds to step S104 and determines whether there are any people or cyclists waiting to cross the road in accordance with the pedestrian traffic light 91. This can also be determined, for example, based on information from the external environment recognition device 3.

If there is no one waiting to cross, the driving control device 2 performs the first safety support process in step S105. In other words, in this case, the left turn arrow 90L of the arrow-type traffic light 90 is detected to be lit, and the "red" light of the pedestrian traffic light 91 is detected to the left of it, but no one is detected waiting to cross. However, there is a possibility that the pedestrian traffic light 91 will change to "green" during a left turn.

Therefore, as a first safety support process, the driving control device 2 notifies the driver of "watch out for pedestrian signal change" or performs driving suppression control more than when making a normal left turn when in an autonomous driving situation.
When the driver is driving, the above notification alerts the driver to be careful of the crosswalk 95 after turning left, thereby drawing the driver's attention.
In the case of autonomous driving, speed reduction control or acceleration suppression control is performed as the driving suppression control, thereby controlling the vehicle not to make a left turn at a relatively high speed and enabling it to stop even if a pedestrian 120 appears.

If it is determined in step S104 that there is a person waiting to cross, the driving control device 2 performs a second safety support process in step S106. This is a more powerful safety support process than the first safety support process by detecting people, bicycles, etc. who are actually attempting to cross.

For example, as the second safety support processing, the driving control device 2 also notifies the driver of the presence of pedestrians, etc., which is not done in the first safety support processing, such as "Watch out for changing pedestrian signals, pedestrians present," so that the driver can recognize the pedestrian 120. In addition, the driving control device 2 controls the driver to suppress the acceleration response caused by the accelerator operation.
In the case of autonomous driving, stronger driving suppression control is performed by implementing stronger speed reduction control or acceleration suppression control than in the first safety support process, thereby significantly reducing the left-turn speed and enabling immediate stopping even when a pedestrian starts crossing (i.e., when the pedestrian traffic light 91 turns green before the left turn is completed).

While turning left, the process of FIG. 5 is repeated while the above steps S105 and S106 are being performed. However, during the left turn, the left-turn arrow 90L of the arrow-type traffic light 90 may turn off and turn green, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4. Naturally, the vehicle 100 may continue turning left, but in anticipation of such a situation, the process of FIG. 5 may proceed from step S102 to step S110.

In other words, even if it is determined in step S102 that the left turn arrow 90L has been turned off, if it has switched to "green", the driving control device 2 will proceed from step S110 to step S111 and determine whether the pedestrian traffic light 91 is "green".
If the pedestrian traffic light 91 is red, the situation for the vehicle 100 is the same as it was immediately before. That is, the vehicle 100 is turning left at the left turn arrow 90L, and the crosswalk 95 is ahead of the left turn. Therefore, the driving control device 2 proceeds from step S104 to step S105 or step S106, and continues the first or second safety support process.

On the other hand, if the pedestrian traffic light 91 is determined to be "green" in step S111, the driving control device 2 proceeds to step S112, and while continuing the first or second safety support processing up to that point, additionally executes the third safety support processing.
Since this is a situation in which the pedestrian 120 starts crossing while making a left turn, the third safety support process may be, for example, a process of issuing a collision warning to the pedestrian 120 earlier than usual. This is because, if a left turn is started when the left turn arrow 90L is lit, the driver may be driving carelessly because the left turn is given priority, and the driver's reaction time may be longer.
Even during autonomous driving, the third safety support process may be to perform control to accelerate the timing of starting collision avoidance, for example, by temporarily increasing the time-to-collision (TTC) control start threshold for collision avoidance brake control.

By performing the above processing in Figure 5, when making a left turn according to the left turn arrow 90L and there is a crosswalk 95 ahead, safety support processing can be appropriately activated.

Figure 6 shows a modified example of the processing of the driving control device 2. Note that the same processing as in Figure 5 is assigned the same step numbers to avoid redundant explanation.

In this Figure 6, when the driving control device 2 determines in step S103 that the vehicle is turning left and the pedestrian traffic light 91 is red, which is a "relevant situation," it determines in step S120 whether the situation is an excluded case.
An exception case is a case in which safety support processing is not required. For example, if the current intersection is an intersection in which the pedestrian traffic light 91 at the left turn destination does not turn green during a left turn of the vehicle 100 that started with a left turn arrow 90L, this becomes an exception case.

For example, in an arrow-type traffic light with omnidirectional arrows, arrows pointing in other directions may also be lit along with the left-turn arrow, and the pedestrian traffic light 91 may be "red." This is the case, including in crossroads and other intersections, when the "green" lights for both the vehicle and the pedestrian end, and the oncoming traffic or intersecting vehicles turn "red" to temporarily stop vehicles going in the other direction, allowing the vehicle to continue along the pedestrian traffic light's side. Even in such cases, it can be assumed that the pedestrian traffic light 91 will not turn "green" during a left turn, so this is an excluded case.

Furthermore, assuming a driving control device 2 for a general vehicle, even if the vehicle 100 is in the left turn lane at the target intersection and the arrow on the arrow-type traffic light 90 is lit, if the arrow is a yellow arrow for streetcars, for example, this may be an excluded case.

In the United States and other countries, there are traffic lights with a flashing yellow arrow, which indicates that you can proceed if there are no oncoming vehicles. In this case, it is natural for drivers to exercise caution, so this can be considered an exception case.

If the case is not one of these exclusion cases, the driving control device 2 proceeds from step S120 to step S104, and performs the same processing as in FIG.
On the other hand, if the case falls under the exclusion case, the process of Fig. 6 ends from step S120, i.e., the first or second safety support process is not performed.
This makes it possible to prevent warnings and speed suppression controls from being activated unnecessarily.

4. Effects of the embodiment
In the above embodiment, the cruise control device 2 as a control device mounted on a vehicle determines, as a target intersection, an intersection where an arrow-type traffic light 90 that instructs the vehicle 100 in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 is present and a pedestrian traffic light 91 for pedestrians crossing a lane 94 in the direction of the arrow of the arrow-type traffic light 90 is present (S101). If the intersection is determined to be a target intersection, the cruise control device 2 determines whether the pedestrian traffic light 91 is issuing a stop instruction and the vehicle 100 is to travel in accordance with the arrow-type traffic light 90 (S102, S103). If the intersection is determined to be a target intersection, the cruise control device 2 executes a first safety support process that includes either a warning control for the occupants or a travel suppression control (S105).

This improves the safety of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists in situations where it is difficult for drivers to focus their attention on other roads, such as turning left at the arrow of the arrow-type traffic light 90.
In particular, when proceeding with a left-turn arrow 90L of an arrow-type traffic light 90, the driver is likely to be tempted to quickly follow the left-turn arrow 90L and pass through the intersection. Providing a warning in such a situation is effective in improving safety. In the case of automated driving, performing driving suppression control (control of speed reduction and acceleration limit) is also effective in improving safety.
Even in the case of an autonomous vehicle 100, when turning left according to the arrow of the arrow-type traffic light 90, the pedestrian traffic light 91 may turn green in the middle of the left turn, which is a situation that requires precise control. In such a case, performing driving suppression control (speed reduction or acceleration restriction) can contribute to improving safety.
Furthermore, the first safety support process is executed when the vehicle 100 is traveling in the direction of the arrow on the arrow-type traffic light 90 and the pedestrian traffic light 91 is red, and this first safety support process is not executed frequently. Therefore, warnings and driving restrictions are not issued frequently, and smooth driving is not unnecessarily hindered.

Furthermore, if the driving control device 2 determines in step S103 that the situation is relevant and determines that there is a pedestrian stopped by a pedestrian traffic light 91, it executes a second safety support process which includes either notifying the occupants of the presence of the pedestrian or driving suppression control with a higher degree of suppression than the first safety support process (S106).
This allows for strong safety support processing to be executed when there is a pedestrian or the like stopped at a "red" light, that is, when greater safety is required.

In the embodiment, the arrow-type traffic light 90 is a traffic light that allows the vehicle 100 to turn in a direction that does not cross the path of oncoming vehicles, and the pedestrian traffic light 91 is a traffic light that is different from the arrow-type traffic light and is located in the direction of the turn.
In other words, in the case of Japan, the arrow-type traffic light 90 is a traffic light that displays a left-turn arrow, and the pedestrian traffic light 91 is a traffic light (for example, a pedestrian-only traffic light, a bicycle-only traffic light, etc.) for pedestrians who cross the driving lane when the vehicle 100 turns left.
When turning left using the arrow on the arrow-type traffic light 90, the pedestrian traffic light 91 may turn green along the way, so it is preferable to perform the first, second, and third safety support processes for such intersections.
In countries and regions where the vehicle 100 drives on the right, a turn in a direction that does not cross the lane of oncoming vehicles is considered a right turn. In such countries and regions, the first, second, and third safety support processes are performed in a situation where a pedestrian traffic light 91 is located at the destination of the right turn following the arrow of the arrow-type traffic light 90.

In the embodiment, the vehicle 100 has been described including a case where the vehicle 100 is an autonomous driving vehicle.
In the case of autonomous vehicles, reducing speed or limiting acceleration in appropriate situations can promote safer autonomous driving.
Note that an autonomous vehicle refers to a vehicle with autonomous driving at level 3 or higher, but it may also be considered to be an autonomous vehicle at level 2 or lower, for example, one that uses ACC.

In the embodiment, the arrow-type traffic light 90 is a traffic light that indicates that the vehicle 100 can proceed in the direction of the arrow by lighting up green in the shape of an arrow.
That is, in the case of an arrow-type traffic light 90 for vehicles traveling on public roads, the first, second, and third safety support processes are performed depending on the situation, thereby increasing safety on public roads.

Note that the processing examples in Figures 5 and 6 described as embodiments are merely examples. The processing procedures of the control device of the present technology are not limited to the examples in Figures 5 and 6, and different processing procedures may also be used.

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 Vehicle control system 2 Travel control device 2a Safety support processing unit 3 External environment recognition device 4 Map locator 6 Display/sound control unit 18 Camera 19 Image processing unit 20 Distance detection unit 90, 92 Traffic light 91 Pedestrian traffic light 100 Vehicle 120 Pedestrian

Claims (5)

A control device mounted on a vehicle,
one or more processors;
one or more storage media storing a program to be executed by the one or more processors;
The program includes one or more instructions:
The instructions may cause the one or more processors to:
determining, as a target intersection, an intersection where there is an arrow-type traffic light that gives instructions to the vehicle in the traveling direction of the vehicle and where there is a traffic light for pedestrians who are crossing the lane in the direction of the arrow of the arrow-type traffic light;
When the intersection is determined to be the target intersection, the system determines whether the pedestrian traffic light is in a stop command and the vehicle is traveling in accordance with the arrow-type traffic light;
When it is determined that the situation is one of the above, the control device executes a first safety support process including either a warning control for an occupant or a driving suppression control. The instruction further comprises:
the one or more processors;
2. The control device according to claim 1, wherein when the relevant situation is determined and when it is determined that a pedestrian is present who is stopped by the pedestrian traffic light, a second safety support process is executed, which includes either notifying the occupant of the presence of a pedestrian or driving suppression control with a higher degree of suppression than the driving suppression control in the first safety support process. The arrow-type traffic light is a traffic light that allows the vehicle to turn in a direction that does not cross an oncoming vehicle lane,
The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pedestrian traffic light is a traffic light different from the arrow traffic light and is provided in the direction of the turn. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle. The control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the arrow-type traffic light is a traffic light that indicates that the vehicle can proceed in the direction of the arrow by lighting up green in the shape of an arrow.