WO2024069690A1 - Driving assistance method and driving assistance device - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a driving assistance method and a driving assistance device (19) that, in a case in which another vehicle that is traveling beside a host vehicle (V1) has been detected and when it is determined that the position of the other vehicle (V2) is in an edge portion (C3, C4) of a detection range of an imaging device (11) or will enter the edge portion (C3, C4) within a predetermined time, perform autonomous control of travel of the host vehicle (V1) so that the position of the other vehicle (V2) is not included in the edge portion (C3, C4) of the detection range.

Description

Driving assistance method and driving assistance device

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

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

JP 2019-200781 A

The process of mapping the above-mentioned visual data onto a three-dimensional model places a large 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 action is taken based on the misrecognized 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 of erroneous recognition of the driving conditions of other vehicles on the driving conditions 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 traveling beside 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.

The present invention can reduce the impact of erroneous recognition of the driving conditions of other vehicles on the driving conditions of the vehicle itself.

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

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description is based on the assumption that vehicles drive on the left side of the road in countries that have laws stipulating left-hand traffic. In countries that have laws stipulating right-hand traffic, vehicles drive on the right side of the road, so the following description should be interpreted as symmetrical between right and left.

[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 a vehicle occupant (including a driver) by autonomous driving control. The autonomous driving control means that the driving operation of the vehicle is autonomously controlled using a driving assistance device described later, and the driving operation includes all driving operations such as acceleration, deceleration, starting, stopping, steering to the right or left, lane changing, and pulling over. In addition, autonomously controlling the driving operation means that the driving assistance device controls the driving operation using a device of the vehicle. The driving assistance device controls these driving operations within a predetermined range, and the driving operations that are not controlled by the driving assistance device are manually operated by the driver.

As shown in FIG. 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 by a CAN (Controller Area Network) or other in-vehicle LAN, and can send and receive information between 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, an infrared camera, or the like. A single vehicle can be provided with multiple imaging devices 11, and they can be placed, for example, in the vehicle's front grille, under the left and right door mirrors, and near the rear bumper. This makes it possible to reduce 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 a laser radar, millimeter wave radar (LRF, etc.), a LiDAR (light detection and ranging) unit, or an ultrasonic radar. A single vehicle can be provided with multiple ranging devices 12, and can be positioned, for example, at the front, right side, left side, and rear of the vehicle. This makes it possible to accurately calculate the relative distance and relative speed between the vehicle and objects around it.

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 travel of the vehicle, such as automobiles (other vehicles) other than the vehicle itself, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, etc. The detection results of the imaging device 11 and distance measuring device 12 are obtained at predetermined time intervals by the driving assistance device 19 as necessary. 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 distance measuring device 12 can be integrated or synthesized (so-called sensor fusion) by the driving assistance device 19, which makes it possible to supplement missing information about the detected object. For example, the driving assistance device 19 can calculate the position information of the object based on the self-position information, which is the position where the vehicle is traveling, acquired 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 distance measuring 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 distance measuring device 12 and the map information 14 can be used to recognize objects around the vehicle and predict their movements.

The vehicle state detection device 13 is a device for detecting the vehicle's running state, and examples of such devices include a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a yaw rate sensor (e.g., a gyro sensor), a steering angle sensor, and an inertial measurement unit. There are no particular limitations on these devices, and any known device can be used. Furthermore, the placement and number of these devices can be set appropriately within a range in which the vehicle's running state can be appropriately detected. The detection results of each device are obtained by the driving assistance device 19 at specified 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, road shoulder structures, road traffic regulations (speed limit, whether lane changes are permitted), road junctions and branching points, and locations where the number of lanes increases or decreases. Map information 14 is high-definition map information that allows the movement trajectory of each lane to be grasped, and includes two-dimensional position information and/or three-dimensional position information at each map coordinate, road/lane boundary information at each map coordinate, road attribute information, lane uphill/downhill information, lane identification information, connecting lane information, etc. Note that high-precision maps are also called HD (High-Definition) maps.

The road/lane boundary information in the high-resolution map information is information that indicates the boundary between the lane on which the vehicle travels and other lane. The lane on which the vehicle travels is the road on which the vehicle travels, and the form of the lane is not particularly limited. The boundary exists on both the left and right sides of the vehicle's direction of travel, and the form is not particularly limited. The boundary is, for example, a road marking or a road structure. Examples of road markings include lane boundaries and center lines, and examples of road structures include medians, guard rails, curbs, tunnels, and side walls of expressways. Note that at points where the lane boundary cannot be clearly identified, such as within intersections, a boundary is set for the lane in advance. This boundary is imaginary, and is not an actual road marking or road structure.

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 a network. The driving assistance device 19 acquires map information 14 as necessary.

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 from radio waves received from a satellite for the Global Positioning System (GPS), for example. The vehicle position detection device 15 may also estimate the current position of the vehicle from vehicle speed information and acceleration information acquired from the vehicle state detection device 13, which includes a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a gyro sensor, and calculate the current position of the vehicle by comparing the estimated current position with the map information 14.

The navigation device 16 is a device that refers to the 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 and facility information in the map information 14 to search for a driving route for the vehicle to reach the destination from the 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. There may be multiple driving routes depending on the search conditions. 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), and electronically controls on-board equipment that governs the driving of the vehicle. The vehicle control device 17 is equipped with a vehicle speed control device 171 that controls the vehicle speed, and a steering control device 172 that controls the steering operation of the vehicle. 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 according to a set driving route. Information required for autonomous control by the vehicle speed control device 171 and the steering control device 172, such as the vehicle 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 an electric motor and/or an internal combustion engine that are driving sources for driving, a power transmission device including a drive shaft and an automatic transmission that transmits the output from these driving sources for driving to the drive wheels, and a drive device that controls the power transmission device. In addition, the braking device controlled by the vehicle speed control device 171 is, for example, a braking device that brakes 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 the signals to the drive devices, thereby autonomously controlling the vehicle speed of the vehicle.

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 an example of this is a steering actuator such as a motor attached to the steering column shaft. Based on a control signal 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 (left-right position of the vehicle) with respect to the set travel route. For this control, at least one of the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12, the vehicle's travel state obtained by the vehicle state detection device 13, the map information 14, and the information on the current position of the vehicle obtained by the vehicle position detection device 15 is used.

The display device 18 is a device for providing necessary information to vehicle occupants, and is, for example, a liquid crystal display provided on the instrument panel, a projector such as a head-up display (HUD), etc. The display device 18 may also be equipped with an input device for the 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 the user's voice, and a switch attached to the steering wheel of the vehicle. The display device 18 may also be equipped with 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 occupant. 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 that 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 of driving the vehicle to a set destination by autonomous driving control. The driving assistance device 19 has, as driving assistance functions, a route generation function of generating a driving route, an environment recognition function of recognizing the driving environment around the vehicle, a determination function of making a determination necessary for executing autonomous driving control based on the recognized driving environment, and a driving control function of generating a driving trajectory and driving the vehicle along the driving trajectory. The programs stored in ROM 192 include programs for realizing these functions, and these functions are realized by CPU 191 executing the programs stored in ROM 192. Figure 1 shows functional blocks that realize each function extracted for convenience.

[Functions of each functional block]
The functions of each of the functional blocks, ie, 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 support unit 20 has a driving support function that drives the vehicle to a set destination by autonomous driving control. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a driving scene in which the driving support device 19 autonomously controls the driving of the vehicle by the driving support function. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 2, a three-lane road extends in the vertical direction of the drawing, and the vehicle drives on the road from the bottom to the top of the drawing. As shown in FIG. 2, the lanes are designated as lanes L1, L2, and L3 in order from the lane on the left side of the driving direction. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 2, the host vehicle V1 is driving at position P1 on lane L2, and is driving 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 through the environmental recognition function of the recognition unit 21. The driving environment is information for determining whether the vehicle can maintain its current driving state or needs to change its driving state, and includes information such as the type and position of an object, the type and position of an obstacle if one exists, 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 FIG. 2 is equipped with a front camera that detects obstacles present within a detection range A1 in front of the host vehicle V1, and a rear camera that detects obstacles present 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 present within a detection range B1 in front of the host vehicle V1, a rear wide-angle camera that detects obstacles present within a detection range B2 behind the host vehicle V1, a left side wide-angle camera that detects obstacles present within a detection range B3 to the left of the host vehicle V1, and a right side wide-angle camera that detects obstacles present within a detection range B4 to the right of the host vehicle V1.

Wide-angle cameras have a wide-angle lens, and therefore a wider angle of view and a shorter focal length than normal cameras. 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 photographed by the imaging device 11 (i.e., the detection range) expressed in degrees, and for example, indicates the horizontal detection range of the imaging device 11 by the angle centered on 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 about 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 ends of the angle of view of the imaging device 11 within the detection range. The ends of the angle of view refer to, for example, a range of 10 to 15% of the angle of view from the horizontal end of the detection range. As an example of the ends of the detection range, FIG. 2 shows ends C1 to C4 of the detection range of each camera. Ends C1 and C3 are ends of detection range B1, and ends C2 and C4 are ends of detection range B2. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 2, ends C1 and C2 overlap with the end of detection range B3, and ends C3 and C4 overlap with the end of detection range B4. It is known that the state of an obstacle cannot be accurately detected at these ends C1, C2, C3, and C4. This is because the shape of the obstacle photographed at the ends of the angle of view of a wide-angle lens is distorted due to the characteristics of the lens.

The detection of an obstacle at the end 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 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, and overtakes the host vehicle V1. Note that positions Q1 and Q2 are relative positions to position P1.

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

It is known that obstacles are recognized as being closer at the ends of the detection range of the imaging device 11 than at other parts. Therefore, in the driving scene shown in FIG. 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 FIG. 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 by traveling along the travel trajectory Uy, and may execute evasive action to avoid the other vehicle V2. In other words, when the other vehicle V2 traveling straight approaches from behind, the driving assistance device 19 may decelerate the host vehicle V1 using the vehicle speed control device 171, or may change lanes of the host vehicle V1 from lane L2 to lane L1 using the steering control device 172. Such evasive actions are unnecessary driving actions to avoid the other vehicle V2 traveling straight, and these driving actions disrupt the behavior of the host vehicle V1 and cause the occupants of the host vehicle V1 to feel uncomfortable.

The driving assistance device 19 of this embodiment therefore autonomously controls the driving of the vehicle V1 so that the position of the other vehicle V2 is not included in the edge of the detection range of the imaging device 11, in order to reduce the effect that the erroneously recognized driving state of the other vehicle V2 has on the driving state of the vehicle V1.

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

The recognition unit 21 has a function of detecting other vehicles traveling on the side of the host vehicle V1 using the imaging device 11. The side of the host vehicle V1 refers to, for example, 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 FIG. 4A, the detection ranges B3 and B4 shown in FIG. 2 are the sides of the host vehicle V1. In addition, the side of the host vehicle V1 may be the range 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) of the host vehicle V1 among the adjacent lanes of the host vehicle V1 traveling on the adjacent lanes and the adjacent lanes adjacent to the adjacent lanes.

Another vehicle traveling to the side of the vehicle V1 is, for example, another vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane or the lane adjacent to the vehicle. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 4A, the driving assistance device 19 recognizes the other vehicles V3 and V4 traveling in the adjacent lane L3 using the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12 through the function of the recognition unit 21. The positions of the other vehicles V3 and V4 are recognized by combining (sensor fusion) the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 4A, when the vehicle V1 is traveling in lane L2, lane L2 is the vehicle's lane, and lanes L1 and L3 are adjacent lanes. Also, when the vehicle V1 is traveling in lane L1, lane L2 is the adjacent lane, and lane L3 is the lane adjacent to the vehicle.

The determination unit 22 has a determination function of determining whether the position of 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 uses the function of the determination unit 22 to determine whether the position of the other vehicle is at the edge of the detection range of the imaging device 11 based on the driving environment information around the vehicle V1 acquired by the function of the recognition unit 21. Alternatively or in addition to this, the driving assistance device 19 may determine whether the position of the other vehicle will 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, so 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 FIG. 4A, the position Q3 of the other vehicle V3 is included in the range of the end C3, and the position Q4 of the other vehicle V4 is included in the range of the 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 the other vehicle will enter the end of the detection range within a specified time, the driving assistance device 19 recognizes the driving states of the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle from driving environment information acquired by the function of the recognition unit 21, for example. The driving state of the vehicle refers to the state of the vehicle's traveling direction 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 operation performed by the vehicle. Examples include a state in which the vehicle's turn indicators 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 of the host vehicle state detection device 13, and recognizes the current driving state of the host vehicle V1. Alternatively or in addition to this, the driving assistance device 19 may acquire road information from the map information 14, acquire the current position of the host vehicle V1 from the host vehicle position detection device 15, acquire 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 traveling direction and/or vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1. Then, based on these, it predicts how the traveling state 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, acquire the current position of the host vehicle V1 from the host vehicle position detection device 15, acquire the traveling route from the navigation device 16, and predict the traveling direction and/or vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 after a predetermined time from the shape of the road ahead of the current position of the host vehicle V1 and/or the traveling 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 by pattern matching, and recognizes the type, position, and state of the obstacle. It also acquires information obtained by scanning the area around the vehicle V1 from the distance measuring device 12, and recognizes the position and direction of the obstacle from this information. If it recognizes that the obstacle is another vehicle from the image data acquired from the imaging device 11, it recognizes from its shape how much the vehicle body is tilted (i.e. how much it is being steered). It also acquires the position and relative speed of the other vehicle with respect to the 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 the other vehicle V2 after a predetermined time, the driving assistance device 19 obtains information obtained by scanning the surroundings of the vehicle V1 from the distance measuring device 12, and recognizes the position and direction of the 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 a predetermined time, recognizes the tendency of changes in the obstacle position, and predicts the state of the obstacle after a predetermined time (i.e. the driving state of the other vehicle V2) from that tendency.

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 recognized driving state of the subject vehicle V1 and the driving state of the other vehicle V2. The driving assistance device 19 determines whether the other vehicle will enter the edge of the detection range 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 specified time can be set to an appropriate value within the range in which autonomous driving control can be initiated to prevent the position of the other vehicle 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, for example 10 to 20 seconds. If the specified time is shorter than this, the start of the autonomous driving control will be delayed and the behavior of the vehicle V1 will change significantly. 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 position of the other vehicle 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 the other vehicle is located behind the host vehicle V1 and is traveling at a position other than the end of the detection range, if the other vehicle's speed is faster than the host vehicle V1, the other vehicle catches up with the host vehicle V1 within a specified time, and the other vehicle's direction of travel is toward the end of the detection range, it is determined that the other vehicle will enter that end within the specified time. In contrast, in the same driving scene, if the other vehicle's speed is equal to or slower than the host vehicle V1, it is determined that the other vehicle will not enter that end within the specified time.

Furthermore, in a driving scene in which the other vehicle is located in front of the host 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 faster than the vehicle speed of the host 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 host vehicle V1, the host vehicle V1 catches up with the other vehicle within the predetermined time, and the host vehicle V1 (particularly the end of the detection range) moves toward the other vehicle, it is determined that the other vehicle will enter that 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 vehicle V1 and the driving state of the other vehicle. Specifically, it determines whether the position of the other vehicle will enter the edge from the positional relationship between the vehicle V1 and the other vehicle after a predetermined time. Alternatively or in addition, the path of the other vehicle may be predicted based on the recognized driving state of the other vehicle, and based on the path of the other vehicle, it may determine whether the position of the other vehicle will enter the edge of the detection range within a predetermined time. The path of the other vehicle is, for example, the traveling direction of the other vehicle described above, and may be the driving route of the other vehicle obtained from the other vehicle if vehicle-to-vehicle communication is possible between the vehicle V1 and the other vehicle.

For example, in the driving scene shown in FIG. 4A, when the other vehicle V4 is traveling at a position behind position Q4, the vehicle speed of the other vehicle V4 is faster than the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1, and the other vehicle V4 can catch up with the host vehicle V1 within a predetermined time, the driving assistance device 19 recognizes the driving state (particularly the traveling direction) of the other vehicle V4. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 4A, the other vehicle V4 is traveling straight along lane L3, so the traveling direction of the other vehicle V4 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 course 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 course of the other vehicle are not essential components of the present invention, and may be added or omitted as necessary.

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 said edge within a predetermined time, it has the function of autonomously controlling the driving of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle is not included in said edge. If the driving assistance device 19 determines, by 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 said edge within a predetermined time, it executes normal autonomous driving control. In contrast, if it determines that the other vehicle is at said edge or will enter said edge within a 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 is not included in said edge. Hereinafter, the autonomous driving control that prevents the other vehicle from being included in the edge of the detection range of the imaging device 11 is also referred to as edge avoidance control.

The edge avoidance control includes, for example, autonomously controlling the traveling 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 traveling environment information, and if the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is slower than the vehicle speed 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 the vehicle speed 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 in addition, the edge avoidance control may include setting the path of the host vehicle V1 based on the traveling direction (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 (travel direction) of the host vehicle V1 is changed in a direction away from the other vehicle, and the host vehicle V1 is changed from the lane in which the host vehicle V1 is currently traveling to an adjacent lane in a direction away from the other vehicle. Note that when it is determined that the position of the other vehicle will enter the edge of the detection range within a predetermined time, autonomously controlling the traveling of the host vehicle V1 so that the speed difference between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle increases, 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 necessary.

Furthermore, when the driving assistance device 19 detects another vehicle traveling to the side of the host vehicle V1, it may determine whether the other vehicle is traveling behind the host vehicle V1. Then, when it is determined that the other vehicle is traveling behind the host vehicle V1 and that the position of the other vehicle is at the end of the detection range or will enter the end within a predetermined time, the driving assistance device 19 autonomously controls the driving of the host vehicle V1 so that the position of the other vehicle is not included in the end of the detection range that exists behind the host vehicle V1. This is because the imaging device 11 that captures the rear of the host vehicle V1 has a shorter focal length than the one that captures the front of the host vehicle V1, and it is easy for a situation to occur in which the driving state of the other vehicle cannot be accurately recognized.

Note that when it is determined that the position of another vehicle traveling behind the vehicle V1 is at the edge of the detection range or will enter that edge within a predetermined time, autonomous control of the traveling of the vehicle V1 so that the position of the other vehicle traveling behind the vehicle V1 is not included in the edge behind the 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 FIG. 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, so 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 as end avoidance control. Then, when 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 as shown in FIG. 4B, and travels from position P2 to position P3 along the travel trajectory T1. In other words, when 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 out of the ends C3 and C4 so that they are not included in the ends C3 and C4, even if the other vehicle V3 is traveling in front 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 host vehicle V1 is slower than the vehicle speed of the other vehicles V3 and V4, the host vehicle V1 is decelerated as shown in FIG. 4C and driven along the driving trajectory T2 from position P2 to position P4. In other words, when the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is slower than the vehicle speeds of the other vehicles V3 and V4, the host vehicle V1 is decelerated to move the positions of the other vehicles V3 and V4 away from the ends C3 and C4 and away from being included in the ends C3 and C4, even if the other vehicle V3 is driving ahead of the host vehicle V1 or the other vehicle V4 is driving behind the host vehicle V1. Note that positions P3 and P4 are relative positions to position P2, and the host vehicle V1 does not move backward in the driving scene shown in FIG. 4C.

Furthermore, when the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is the same as the vehicle speed of the other vehicles V3, 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, V4, the host vehicle V1 may be accelerated or decelerated as long as the positions of the other vehicles V3, V4 leave the ends C3, C4 and do not enter the ends C3, C4. Note that the positions of the other vehicles V3, V4 are not included in the ends C3, C4 of the detection range when viewed from above means that the entire body of the other vehicles V3, V4 is not included in the ends C3, C4, and that most of the body of the other vehicles V3, V4 (e.g., 90% or more) is not included in the ends C3, C4. In other words, a part of the body of the other vehicles V3, V4 (e.g., 10% or less) may be included in the ends C3, 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 speed 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 ends 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 ends, the host vehicle V1 is accelerated or decelerated. On the other hand, when it is determined that the positions of the other vehicles V3 and V4 are not at the ends, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is maintained. This is because the end avoidance control is performed only when there is a possibility that the other vehicle V4 will enter a position in front of the host vehicle V1. In other words, in a driving scene where the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is slower than that of the other vehicle V4, it is predicted that the other vehicle V4 will overtake the host vehicle V1 and change lanes to a position ahead of the host vehicle V1, but in a driving scene where the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is faster than that of the other vehicle V4, it is difficult to predict that the other vehicle will change lanes to a position ahead of the host vehicle V1.

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

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

In the driving scene shown in FIG. 5, the vehicle V1 cannot detect an obstacle ahead of the lane L1 due to being blocked by the other vehicle V5, so the vehicle V1 changes lanes from lane L1 to lane L2 to overtake the other vehicle V5. In this case, the driving support device 19 acquires the driving state of the other vehicle from the driving environment information using the function of the recognition unit 21. At the same time, the driving support device 19 uses the function of the determination unit 22 to determine whether or not there is another vehicle in the adjacent lane and the adjacent lane next to the other vehicle based on the detection result of the other vehicle. If it is determined that there is no other vehicle in the adjacent lane but there is another vehicle in the adjacent lane, the driving support device 19 performs edge avoidance control to determine whether or not the position of the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is at the edge of the detection range or will enter the 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 lane next to the other vehicle.

In the driving scene shown in FIG. 5, another vehicle V6 is detected traveling at position Q6 in lane L3, which is the next adjacent lane, and it is determined that the other vehicle V6 is present in the next adjacent lane. In contrast, there is no other vehicle in lane L2, which is the adjacent lane. Therefore, the driving assistance device 19 determines whether or not the position Q6 of the other vehicle V6 traveling in lane L3, which is the next adjacent lane, is at the edge of the detection range or will enter said edge within a predetermined time. Specifically, it generates a driving trajectory T3 in which the host vehicle V1 changes lanes from lane L1 to lane L2, and determines whether or not the position Q6 of the other vehicle V6 will enter any of the edges C1 to C4 within a predetermined time when the host vehicle V1 travels along the driving trajectory T3.

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

However, in this embodiment, lane change assistance for the host vehicle V1 is not always performed in the driving scene shown in FIG. 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. Then, 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 FIG. 5, the host vehicle V1 attempts to overtake the other vehicle V5, which is a preceding vehicle, and determines whether there are other vehicles in the lane L2 adjacent to the lane L1 in which the host vehicle V1 is traveling, and in the lane L3 adjacent to lane L2. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 5, there is no other vehicle in the adjacent lane L2, but there is another vehicle V6 in the adjacent lane L3, so it is determined whether the position Q6 of the other vehicle V6 is at end C4 or will enter end C4 within a predetermined time.

As described above, in the driving scene shown in FIG. 5, position Q6 of the other vehicle V6 enters end C4 within a predetermined time, so the driving assistance device 19 decelerates the host vehicle V1 by autonomous driving control and drives it along the driving trajectory T4 from position P5 to position P7, as shown in FIG. 6A. Then, in conjunction with the deceleration control, as shown in FIG. 6B, the host vehicle V1 changes lanes from lane L1, which is the host vehicle's lane, to lane L2, which is the adjacent lane. The host vehicle V1 drives along the driving trajectory T5 from position P7 of lane L1 to position P8 of lane L2, but during the lane change, position Q6 of the other vehicle V6 driving in lane L3, which is the adjacent lane, does not enter any of the ends C1 to C4 of the detection range. Note that positions P7 and P8 are relative positions to position P5, and in the driving scene shown in FIG. 6A, the host vehicle V1 decelerates but does not move backward.

Note that it is not necessary to drive the host vehicle V1 to position P7 behind the other vehicle V6 as shown in FIG. 6B. The vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 may be set so that the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V6 run side by side, and the lane change may be performed while the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V6 are running side by side. This is because as long as the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V6 are running side by side, the position Q6 of the other vehicle V6 will not enter the ends C3 and C4. In addition, the timing of decelerating the host vehicle V1 by the autonomous driving control and the timing of changing lanes from lane L1 to lane L2 may be such that the lane change assistance is performed after the deceleration control is completed as shown in FIGS. 6A-6B, or the two controls may be performed simultaneously. In other words, the host vehicle V1 may be changed 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 essential 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 the processor of the driving assistance device 19. Note that the flowchart shown in Fig. 7 is premised on a driving scene in which the host vehicle V1 is driving on a road using lane keeping control.

First, in step S1 of FIG. 7, the recognition unit 21 detects another vehicle using the imaging device 11. In step S2, it is determined from the detection result whether or not another vehicle V2 is present to the side of the host vehicle V1. If the other 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 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 or not 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 the process proceeds 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 support 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 ends and the display device 18 is used to prompt the driver of the vehicle V1 to drive the vehicle manually. In contrast, 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 support device 19 not performing autonomous driving control of the driving operation, but rather controlling the vehicle's driving through the driver's operation.

Next, an example of a subroutine of step S6 in FIG. 7 will be described with reference to FIG. 8.

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 in the subsequent 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 host vehicle V1 is different from the vehicle speed of the other vehicle (i.e., if the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is slower than the vehicle speed of the other vehicle), the process proceeds to step S15, where the host vehicle V1 is decelerated using the vehicle speed control device 171. On the other hand, if the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1 is the same as the vehicle speed of the other vehicle, the process proceeds to step S16, where it is determined whether the position of the other vehicle is at the end of the detection range of the imaging device 11. If it is determined that the position of the other vehicle is at the end of the detection range, the process proceeds to step S17, where the host vehicle V1 is accelerated or decelerated using the vehicle speed control device 171. On the other hand, if it is determined that the position of the other vehicle is not at the end of the detection range, the process proceeds to step S18, where the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is maintained. Note that steps S16 and S18 are not essential steps and may be provided as necessary.

Next, another example of the subroutine of step S6 in FIG. 7 will be described with reference to FIG. 9.

First, in step S21 of FIG. 9, it is determined whether the vehicle V1 will change lanes to the adjacent lane. If it is determined that the vehicle V1 will not change lanes to the 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 vehicle V1 will change lanes to the 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 adjacent lane next to it. In step S23, it is determined whether there are other vehicles traveling in the adjacent lane, and if it is determined that there are other vehicles traveling in the adjacent lane, the process proceeds to step S24, where the lane change to the adjacent lane is not executed, and the control unit 23 performs autonomous control to maintain lane keeping control, for example. On the other hand, if it is determined that there are no other vehicles 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 the control unit 23 functions to execute a lane change to the adjacent lane. 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, and 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, with reference to FIG. 10, another example of the subroutine of step S6 in FIG. 7 will be described.

First, in step S31 of FIG. 10, the function of the recognition unit 21 detects a preceding vehicle using the imaging device 11, and in the following step S32, the function of 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 function of the recognition unit 21 detects other vehicles traveling in the adjacent lane and the adjacent lane next to it using the imaging device 11. In step S34, it is determined whether there is another vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane, and if it is determined that there is another vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane, the process proceeds to step S35, where overtaking of the preceding vehicle is not executed, and the function of the control unit 23 is used to make the preceding vehicle follow, for example, by following control. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no other vehicle 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 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 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 according to 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 according to the present invention can be used not only for autonomous driving control, but also to assist the driver in manual driving.

[Embodiments of the invention]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, a driving assistance method is provided, in which the processor detects another vehicle traveling beside the vehicle V1 using the imaging device 11, determines whether the position of the other vehicle is at the edge of the detection range of the imaging device 11 or will enter the edge within a predetermined time, and, if it is determined that the position of the other vehicle is at the edge or will enter the edge within the predetermined time, autonomously controls the traveling of the vehicle V1 so that the position of the other vehicle is not included in the edge. This embodiment is referred to as embodiment (1). This makes it possible to suppress the influence of erroneous recognition of the traveling state of the other vehicle on the traveling state of the vehicle V1.

Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, the processor predicts the course of the other vehicle based on the traveling state of the other vehicle, and determines whether the position of the other vehicle will enter the edge within the predetermined time based on the course of the other vehicle. If it is determined that the position of the other vehicle will enter the edge within the predetermined time, the processor may autonomously control the traveling of the host vehicle V1 so that the speed difference between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle increases, or may set the course of the host vehicle V1 based on the course of the other vehicle. This embodiment is referred to as embodiment (2). Thereby, the edge avoidance control to be executed can be set in advance and executed smoothly.

Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, when the processor determines that the position of the other vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle V1 among the other vehicles traveling to the side of the host vehicle V1 is 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 position of the other vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle V1 is not included in the edge behind the host vehicle V1. This embodiment is referred to as embodiment (3). Thereby, edge avoidance control can be executed 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 when 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, when 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 when 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). Thereby, edge avoidance control according to the driving scene can be executed.

Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, when the processor determines that the other vehicle is 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 when 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 when 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 when 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 at the edge, and when it determines that the other vehicle is at the edge, it accelerates or decelerates the host vehicle V1, and when it determines that the other vehicle is not at the edge, it may maintain the vehicle speed of the host vehicle V1. This embodiment is called embodiment (5). Thereby, edge avoidance control according to the driving scene can be executed.

In addition, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, when the host vehicle V1 changes lanes from the host vehicle V1's own lane to an adjacent lane of the host vehicle V1, the processor determines whether the other vehicle is present in the adjacent lane and the adjacent lane adjacent to the adjacent lane from the detection result of the other vehicle, and if it is determined that the other vehicle is not present in the adjacent lane and the other vehicle is present in the adjacent lane, it determines whether the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is at the edge or will enter the edge within the specified time, and if it is determined that the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is at the edge or will enter the edge within the specified time, it is not necessary to perform lane change assistance by autonomous driving control. This embodiment is referred to as embodiment (6). This makes it possible to avoid a driving scene in which edge avoidance control is performed during lane change.

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

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a driving assistance device 19 is provided that includes a recognition unit 21 that detects other vehicles traveling beside the host vehicle V1 using an imaging device 11, a determination unit 22 that determines whether the position of the other vehicle is 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 autonomously controls the traveling of the host vehicle V1 so that the position of the other vehicle is not included in the edge when the determination unit 22 determines that the position of the other vehicle is at the edge or will enter the edge within the predetermined time. This embodiment is referred to as embodiment (8). This makes it possible to suppress the effect of erroneous recognition of the traveling state of the other vehicle on the traveling state of the host vehicle V1.

The position of the other vehicle may be regarded as the whole vehicle or as a specific position in the overall length (or longitudinal direction) of the other vehicle (for example, the center of the vehicle or a specific part). The same reference may always be used for the position of the other vehicle, or the reference may be changed for each situation (driving scene). For example, specific parts such as headlights, taillights, and 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 the 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 the present embodiment, the embodiment (1) may be combined with the embodiment (2), the embodiment (1) may be combined with the embodiment (3), or the embodiment (1) may be combined with the embodiments (2) and (3). Also, according to the driving assistance method of the present embodiment, the embodiment (1) may be combined with the embodiment (4), the embodiment (1) may be combined with the embodiments (2) and (4), the embodiment (1) may be combined with the embodiments (3) and (4), or the embodiment (1) may be combined with the embodiments (2), (3), and (4).

The same is true for 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). Also, 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). 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, and embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiment (6), embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiment (2) and (6), embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiment (3) and (6), embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiment (4) and (6), or embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiment (5) and (6). Also, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiment (2), (3), and (6), embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiment (2), (4), and (6), embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiment (2), (5), and (6), embodiment (8) may be combined with embodiment (3), (4), and (6), or embodiment (8) may be combined 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). 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), and embodiment (1) may be combined with embodiments (2) to (5) and (7).

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

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 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 (own vehicle)
Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4, Q5, Q6...position (other vehicles)
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 vehicles

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 position of 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 position of the other vehicle is 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 or not 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 end portion within the predetermined time, the driving of the host vehicle is autonomously controlled so that a speed difference between the host vehicle and the other vehicle increases, or a path of the host vehicle is set based on a path of the other vehicle. The processor,
3. The driving assistance method according to claim 1, further comprising: when it is determined that the position of the other vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle among the other vehicles traveling to the side of the host vehicle is at the edge or will enter the edge within the predetermined time, autonomously controlling the traveling of the host vehicle 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 position of the other vehicle is at the edge or will enter the edge within the predetermined time, a vehicle speed of the host vehicle is compared with a 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 support method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising: accelerating or decelerating the host vehicle when a vehicle speed of the host vehicle is the same as a vehicle speed of the other vehicle. The processor,
When it is determined that the position of the other vehicle is at the edge or will enter the edge within the predetermined time, a vehicle speed of the host vehicle is compared with a 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 or not 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 any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising the step of: maintaining a vehicle speed of the host vehicle when it is determined that the position of the other vehicle is not at the end portion. The processor,
When the host vehicle changes lanes from a lane in which the host vehicle is traveling to an adjacent lane of the host vehicle, it is determined whether or not the other vehicle is present in the adjacent lane and a lane adjacent to the adjacent lane, based on a detection result of the other vehicle;
when 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 or not the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is at the edge or will enter the edge within the predetermined time;
The driving assistance method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, 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 performed by autonomous driving control. The processor,
When the host vehicle is overtaking a preceding vehicle of the host vehicle, it is determined from a 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;
when 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 or not 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 position of 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;
The driving assistance method according to any one of claims 1 to 5, 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 decelerates the host vehicle and changes lanes from the host vehicle lane to the adjacent lane. A recognition unit that detects another vehicle traveling beside the vehicle by using an imaging device;
a determination unit that determines whether the position of 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 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.