Vehicle driving assistance systems

Abstract

The present invention provides a driving assistance system for a vehicle, which improves safety when passing through an intersection where the intersection is a blind spot and reduces the sense of unease of passengers. The driving assistance system (1) for a vehicle comprises: a storage unit (11) storing map information; a driving environment recognition unit (20) connected to an autonomous sensor (22) detecting information about a driving path ahead; and a control unit (25) which, at a predetermined location before reaching the intersection, determines whether the intersection is a blind spot based on the driving path information from the driving environment recognition unit (20) and the presence or absence of an obstruction (100), and changes the lateral position movement amount of the vehicle M's travel path when passing through the intersection in a direction away from the intersection.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving assistance system for a vehicle that performs following vehicle distance control and lane keeping control. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, driver assistance systems have become common. These systems utilize autonomous sensors installed on vehicles to detect the driving environment ahead of the vehicle, thereby identifying preceding vehicles and / or various obstacles and measuring the distance between the vehicle and the objects. Examples of these autonomous sensors include stereo camera systems consisting of a pair of left and right stereo cameras and / or various radar devices.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a vehicle driving support system (control) deviates the vehicle's path while assuming that a vehicle enters the vehicle's lane from a secondary road at an intersection.

[0004] The prior art described in Patent Document 1 assumes vehicles on side roads and sets a distance between them for each vehicle speed, decelerating the vehicle or shifting the route accordingly. The amount of this shift is determined based on a speed profile determined for objects such as vehicles and / or people. Furthermore, the technique describes a technique for taking oncoming vehicles into account when shifting the route, and setting the amount of shift to a level that does not exceed the oncoming lane if oncoming vehicles are present.

[0005] Prior art literature

[0006] Patent Literature

[0007] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-34709 Summary of the Invention

[0008] Technical issues

[0009] However, there is a problem in the prior art: when passing through an intersection where there is a blind spot near the intersection due to a wall, etc., when there are other vehicles trying to enter the intersection from the intersection, the stereo camera device and the radar device cannot identify the other vehicles trying to enter from the auxiliary road.

[0010] Furthermore, even if the stereo camera device and the radar device recognize another vehicle about to enter the intersection, the passenger may still feel uneasy about whether the vehicle will exit the intersection.

[0011] Therefore, in view of the above circumstances, an object of the present invention is to provide a driving assistance system that improves safety when passing through an intersection where the intersection is a blind spot and reduces the sense of anxiety of passengers.

[0012] Technical Solution

[0013] To solve the above-mentioned problem, a driving assistance system for a vehicle in one embodiment of the present invention comprises: map information of an intersection, at least one intersection intersecting with the plane of the vehicle's driving path; a storage unit storing the map information; an autonomous sensor detecting information of the driving path in front of the vehicle; a driving environment recognition unit communicating the information of the autonomous sensor; and a control unit which, at a predetermined location before reaching the intersection, determines whether the intersection becomes a blind spot based on the information of the driving path from the driving environment recognition unit and the presence or absence of obstructions, and in the event that the intersection becomes a blind spot, changes the lateral position movement amount of the vehicle's travel path in a direction away from the intersection when the vehicle passes through the intersection.

[0014] Technical Effects

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a driving assistance system that improves safety when passing through an intersection where the intersection is a blind spot and reduces the sense of anxiety of passengers. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 This is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a driving assistance system for a vehicle.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a front view of a vehicle equipped with a stereo camera device.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a diagram for explaining the setting of the target travel path of the host vehicle when passing through an intersection.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a flowchart showing a control example executed when passing through an intersection.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a flowchart showing a control example executed when an intersection is recognized.

[0021] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing a control example executed when an intersection becomes a blind spot due to an obstruction.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating a target travel path of a host vehicle when passing through an intersection on a two-lane road where oncoming vehicles exist.

[0023] Figure 8 This is a diagram illustrating a target travel path of the host vehicle when passing through an intersection on a single-lane road without meeting an oncoming vehicle within the intersection.

[0024] Figure 9This is a diagram illustrating a target travel path of a host vehicle when passing through a single-lane intersection when meeting an oncoming vehicle within the intersection.

[0025] Figure 10 This is a flowchart showing a control example executed when passing through an intersection on a two-lane road with no oncoming vehicles.

[0026] Figure 11 This is a diagram illustrating a target travel path of a host vehicle when passing through an intersection on a two-lane road with no oncoming vehicles.

[0027] Figure 12 This is a flowchart showing a control example executed when passing through a T-junction intersection of a single-lane road with no oncoming vehicles.

[0028] Figure 13 This is a diagram illustrating a target travel path of the host vehicle when passing through a T-junction intersection of a single-lane road with no oncoming vehicles.

[0029] Figure 14 This is a flowchart showing a control example executed when passing through an intersection of a single-lane road with no oncoming vehicles.

[0030] Figure 15 This is a diagram illustrating a target travel path of a host vehicle when passing through an intersection of a single-lane road with no oncoming vehicles.

[0031] Explanation of symbols

[0032] 1: Driving assistance system

[0033] 10: Autonomous sensor department

[0034] 11: Positioning unit

[0035] 12: Map positioning calculation unit

[0036] 12a: Vehicle position estimation calculation unit

[0037] 12b: Map information acquisition unit

[0038] 12c: Target travel path setting calculation unit

[0039] 13: Receiver

[0040] 14: Autonomous driving sensors

[0041] 16: High-precision road map database

[0042] 20: Driving environment recognition unit

[0043] 21: Stereo camera rig

[0044] 22: Autonomous sensor unit

[0045] 22a, 22b: Camera

[0046] 24: Forward driving environment recognition unit

[0047] 25: Driving control unit

[0048] 31: Steering control unit

[0049] 32: Brake control unit

[0050] 33: Acceleration and deceleration control unit

[0051] 34: Alarm device

[0052] 100: Obstruction

[0053] A, B, C, D: Target travel path

[0054] M: This vehicle

[0055] X: Road width

[0056] Y: vertical distance

[0057] a: road width

[0058] b: vehicle width DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0059] An embodiment of the present invention is described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that in the drawings used for the following description, the proportions of each component are varied to ensure that the components are sized to be recognizable in the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the number of components, the shapes of the components, the ratios of the sizes of the components, and the relative positional relationships of the components depicted in these drawings.

[0060] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figure 1 The driving assistance system 1 shown is mounted on the vehicle M (see Figure 2 The driving assistance system 1 includes: a positioning unit 11 for detecting the position of the vehicle; and an autonomous sensor unit 22 as an autonomous detection unit composed of a stereo camera device 21 for recognizing the driving environment in front of the vehicle M.

[0061] The positioning unit 11 and autonomous sensor unit 22 are configured as a redundant system, allowing the other unit to temporarily continue driving assistance if one fails. Furthermore, the driving assistance system 1 uses the positioning unit 11 and autonomous sensor unit 22 to constantly monitor whether the road shape during driving remains the same, and continues driving assistance if the road shape remains the same.

[0062] The positioning unit 11 estimates the position of the host vehicle M on the road map (host vehicle position) and acquires road map data ahead of the host vehicle position. Meanwhile, the stereo camera device 21 of the autonomous sensor unit 22 determines the road curvature at the center of the left and right dividing lines that separate the host vehicle M's lane and detects the lateral position deviation of the host vehicle M in the vehicle width direction relative to the center of the left and right dividing lines.

[0063] Furthermore, the stereo camera device 21 identifies the preceding vehicle in front of the vehicle M, three-dimensional objects including pedestrians and / or two-wheeled vehicles (bicycles, two-wheeled motorbikes) attempting to cross in front, signal displays (light colors), road signs, etc.

[0064] The positioning unit 11 includes a map positioning calculation unit 12 and a high-precision road map database 16 as a storage unit. The map positioning calculation unit 12, the forward driving environment recognition unit 24 (described later), and the driving control unit 25 are composed of a well-known microcomputer including a CPU, RAM, ROM, and non-volatile storage, as well as its peripheral devices. The ROM stores programs executed by the CPU and / or fixed data such as data tables.

[0065] A GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 13 and an autonomous driving sensor 14 are communicatively connected to the input side of the map positioning calculation unit 12 .

[0066] The GNSS receiver 13 receives positioning signals transmitted from multiple positioning satellites. Furthermore, the autonomous driving sensor 14 enables autonomous driving in environments such as tunnels, where the sensitivity of GNSS satellite information reception is low and positioning signals cannot be effectively received. It consists of a vehicle speed sensor, a yaw rate sensor, and a longitudinal acceleration sensor.

[0067] Specifically, the map positioning calculation unit 12 performs positioning based on the travel distance and orientation based on the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor, the yaw rate detected by the yaw rate sensor, and the longitudinal acceleration detected by the longitudinal acceleration sensor.

[0068] The map positioning operation unit 12 includes: a vehicle position estimation operation unit 12a having the function of estimating the position of the vehicle; a map information acquisition unit 12b that performs map matching on a road map to determine the current location of the vehicle M and obtains road map information including environmental information about its surroundings; and a target travel path setting operation unit 12c that sets a travel path (target travel path) as the target of the vehicle M.

[0069] The high-precision road map database 16 is a large-capacity storage medium such as an HDD and stores high-precision, publicly known road map information (local dynamic map). This high-precision road map information is structured in a hierarchical structure where additional map information required to support autonomous driving is superimposed on a static information layer as the base.

[0070] The map information acquisition unit 12b acquires road map information of the current location and the road ahead from the road map information stored in the high-precision road map database 16. This road map information includes surrounding environment information. This surrounding environment information includes not only static location information such as road type (general road, expressway, etc.), road shape, left and right dividing lines, road signs, stop signs, intersections, and traffic lights, but also dynamic location information such as congestion information and / or traffic control caused by accidents or construction.

[0071] Then, for example, based on the destination set by the driver during automatic driving, the route map information from the vehicle position (current location) estimated by the above-mentioned vehicle position estimation operation unit 12a to the destination is obtained from the road map information, and the obtained route map information (lane data on the route map and its surrounding information) is sent to the vehicle position estimation operation unit 12a.

[0072] The vehicle position estimation operation unit 12a obtains the position coordinates of the vehicle M based on the positioning signal received by the GNSS receiver 13, and performs map matching on the route map information to estimate the vehicle position (current location) on the road map, and determines the driving lane, obtains the road shape of the driving lane stored in the route map information, and stores them in sequence.

[0073] Furthermore, in an environment such as driving in a tunnel where the GNSS receiver 13 has reduced sensitivity and cannot receive effective positioning signals from positioning satellites, the vehicle position estimation calculation unit 12 a switches to autonomous navigation and performs positioning using the autonomous driving sensor 14 .

[0074] The target route setting calculation unit 12c first sets a target route for automatically driving the host vehicle M along the dividing line, using the current position obtained by map matching by the map information acquisition unit 12b as a reference. Furthermore, if the driver inputs a destination, the target route is set along a driving route connecting the current position and the destination.

[0075] The target route is set several hundred to several thousand meters ahead of the host vehicle M and is sequentially updated during travel. The target route set by the target route setting calculation unit 12 c is read by the driving control unit 25 as an automatic driving control unit.

[0076] On the other hand, the stereo camera device 21 includes: a first camera 22a and a second camera 22b which are autonomous sensors and imaging units for imaging the front of the vehicle M; an image processing unit (IPU) 23 and a front driving environment recognition unit 24 which serves as a driving environment recognition unit.

[0077] like Figure 2 As shown, the first camera 22a and the second camera 22b are fixed in the front part of the interior of the vehicle M near the upper part of the front windshield and in the same horizontal row.

[0078] The plurality of images captured by the first camera 22 a and the second camera 22 b are subjected to image processing in a predetermined manner by the IPU 23 and are output to the forward driving environment recognition unit 24 .

[0079] The front driving environment recognition unit 24 recognizes the road shape of the travel path of the vehicle M (the vehicle's travel path), the presence or absence of a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle M, three-dimensional objects including pedestrians attempting to cross in front of the vehicle M, two-wheeled vehicles (bicycles, motorized two-wheeled vehicles), and other moving bodies, signal displays (light colors), road signs, etc. based on the stereoscopic image.

[0080] Then, the distance to the object is calculated using the principle of triangulation based on the focal length of the cameras, the baseline length between the cameras, and the parallax of the object. It should be noted that object recognition based on stereo images and the calculation of the distance to the object are well-known technologies, so a detailed description is omitted here.

[0081] In this embodiment, the first camera 22 a and the second camera 22 b constitute the autonomous sensor unit 10 as a detection unit for detecting travel path information, and the front travel environment recognition unit 24 constitutes the travel environment recognition unit 20 as a travel environment recognition unit.

[0082] It should be noted that in addition to the stereo camera device 21, a radar device can also be provided. The radar device is a device having an autonomous sensor as a detection unit composed of various radars such as millimeter wave radar, laser radar, and light radar (LIDAR: Light Detection and Ranging) sensing devices.

[0083] The host vehicle M having autonomous sensors is provided with a surrounding running environment recognition unit that recognizes surrounding environmental information such as surrounding moving objects, and a signal from the autonomous sensors is input to the surrounding running environment recognition unit.

[0084] The driving control unit 25 is communicatively connected to the target route setting calculation unit 12c of the map positioning calculation unit 12 and the forward driving environment recognition unit 24 of the stereo camera device 21 on its input side. If a radar device is included, the driving control unit 25 is communicatively connected to the surrounding driving environment recognition unit. It should be noted that any communication is sufficient, not limited to physical contact; for example, electrical and / or wireless connections may be used.

[0085] In addition, on the output side of the driving control unit 25, a steering control unit 31 for causing the vehicle M to travel along the target travel path, a braking control unit 32 for decelerating the vehicle M through forced braking, an acceleration and deceleration control unit 33 for controlling the speed of the vehicle M, and an alarm device 34 are connected in a communicative manner.

[0086] The driving control unit 25 controls the steering control unit 31, the braking control unit 32, and the acceleration / deceleration control unit 33 in a predetermined manner, and based on the positioning signal indicating the position of the vehicle received by the GNSS receiver 13, causes the vehicle M to automatically travel along the target travel path on the road map set by the target travel path setting operation unit 12c.

[0087] At this time, based on the forward driving environment identified by the forward driving environment recognition unit 24, well-known following vehicle distance control (ACC: Adaptive Cruise Control) and lane keeping control (ALK: Active Lane Keep) are performed. If a preceding vehicle is detected, the vehicle follows the preceding vehicle. If no preceding vehicle is detected, the vehicle travels within the speed limit. Furthermore, if a moving object attempting to cross in front of the host vehicle M is detected, the brake control unit 32 is activated to stop the host vehicle M.

[0088] The following describes in detail an example of control executed when the host vehicle M passes through an intersection while autonomous driving, following vehicle distance control, or lane keeping control is in effect. This description uses the example of a T-junction intersection where the path of the host vehicle M intersects the intersection on the left.

[0089] First, the control for setting the target travel path of the host vehicle M will be briefly described below.

[0090] like Figure 3As shown, if the driving control unit 25 of the vehicle M recognizes the intersection ahead based on the information of the autonomous sensor unit 10 and the road map data, it obtains the vehicle speed of the vehicle M, the predetermined longitudinal distance Y (m) to the entrance of the intersection based on the information of the autonomous sensor unit 10 and the road map data, the road width a (m) of the intersection, the road width X (m) of the road on which the vehicle M is traveling, etc.

[0091] The target travel path setting calculation unit 12c calculates a hypothetical target travel path B from the roadside or dividing line (including the roadside strip and the center line) on the right side of the travel road in the direction away from the intersection as a margin to half the vehicle body width b(m) b / 2(m), and calculates a target travel path C that deviates from the target travel path B to the center of the road by half the vehicle body width b(m) b / 2(m).

[0092] At this time, the target path setting calculation unit 12c calculates the lateral position shift amount (offset amount) by integrating the lateral acceleration corresponding to the speed of the host vehicle M and setting the yaw angle, based on the lateral acceleration corresponding to the vehicle speed of the host vehicle M. The predetermined distance α is set to an arbitrary distance of, for example, approximately 1 m, in order to draw a path that reaches a corrected distance Y-α(m) obtained by subtracting a predetermined distance α(m) from a predetermined longitudinal distance Y(m) to the entrance of the intersection. The predetermined distance α is set to an arbitrary distance of approximately 1 m.

[0093] The target path setting calculation unit 12c then corrects the lateral acceleration so that the center of the host vehicle M moves to the target path C when passing through the intersection, resulting in smooth lateral movement. Furthermore, the unit determines whether or not there is a violation of regulations, thereby setting a path for moving from the target path A to the target path C. Based on this path, the host vehicle M is steered under the control of the steering control unit 31.

[0094] It should be noted that control is performed to move the host vehicle M from the target travel path C to the original target travel path A after passing the road width a (m) on the intersection side.

[0095] Here, the following describes an example of control executed when the host vehicle M passes through an intersection during automatic driving. Note that similar control is also performed when following vehicle distance control and lane keeping control are performed.

[0096] like Figure 4 As shown in the flowchart, the driving control unit 25 of the vehicle M determines whether it is approaching an intersection based on information from the autonomous sensor unit 10 and the road map data (S1). The routine of step S1 is repeatedly executed until it is recognized that the vehicle is approaching an intersection.

[0097] When the vehicle M approaches an intersection, the driving control unit 25 determines whether the vehicle's travel path is a priority road relative to the left intersection based on information from the autonomous sensor unit 10 and the road map data (S2). If the travel path is not a priority road, the vehicle decelerates (S3), and in accordance with the stop sign immediately preceding the intersection, the braking control unit 32 is activated to temporarily stop the vehicle (S4). Safety recognition is performed (S5), and if it is safe, the vehicle starts (S6), enters the intersection, and continues autonomous driving. The process then returns to step S1.

[0098] It should be noted that in the safety identification of step S5, the driving control unit 25 temporarily stops the vehicle M in front of the intersection until the status of other vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians and other moving objects traveling on the priority road is no longer detected based on the information of the driving environment identification unit 20, and then executes step S6 to allow the vehicle M to start.

[0099] On the other hand, if the driving control unit 25 determines that the road type of the driving route is prioritized based on information from the autonomous sensor unit 10 and the road map data, it then determines whether an intersection has been identified based on information from the driving environment recognition unit 20 (S7). The intersection identification determination in step S7 involves the driving control unit 25 determining, based on information from the driving environment recognition unit 20, whether the intersection is a clear intersection with no obstructions 100, such as buildings, walls, or trees. A clear intersection refers to a situation where, for example, a range including the stop line of the intersection can be identified from a distance of approximately 10 meters ahead.

[0100] When the driving control unit 25 recognizes an intersection based on the information from the driving environment recognition unit 20, that is, when it is determined that the autonomous sensor unit 10 can detect an intersection with good visibility, as shown in FIG. Figure 5 As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 1 , based on the information from the driving environment recognition unit 20, it is determined whether another vehicle is parked or approaching at the intersection (S8).

[0101] If the driving control unit 25 determines, based on the information from the driving environment recognition unit 20, that another vehicle is parked or approaching at the intersection, it performs safety recognition (S9) and returns to step S1. It should be noted that in the safety recognition of step S9, if the driving control unit 25 detects another vehicle, bicycle, pedestrian, or other moving object parked or approaching at the intersection based on the information from the driving environment recognition unit 20, it calls the driver's attention through a warning display such as an audible sound or on the instrument panel or navigation monitor, and then continues automatic driving at a predetermined legal speed, returning to step S1.

[0102] On the other hand, when the driving control unit 25 determines based on the information from the driving environment recognition unit 20 that there is no other vehicle parked or approaching at the intersection, the driving control unit 25 continues the automatic driving and returns to step S1 .

[0103] If the driving control unit 25 cannot identify an intersection based on the information from the driving environment recognition unit 20, that is, if it is determined that the intersection is an intersection where the main sensor unit 10 cannot detect the poor visibility of the intersection due to an obstruction 100 such as a building or wall, it then determines whether an oncoming vehicle has been identified (S10). In this step S10, the driving control unit 25 calculates whether the host vehicle M is about to meet the oncoming vehicle when entering the intersection based on the relative speed between the host vehicle M and the oncoming vehicle.

[0104] When the driving control unit 25 recognizes an oncoming vehicle based on the information from the driving environment control unit 20, Figure 6 As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 1 , the number of lanes (dividing lines) of the travel road is recognized based on information of the road map data to determine whether it is a single-lane road ( S11 ).

[0105] If the driving control unit 25 determines that the travel road is not a single-lane road based on the information from the autonomous sensor unit 10 and the road map data, Figure 7 As shown in FIG. 1 , the route is changed from the target travel path A to the target travel path C (S12) in which the host vehicle M is set to a margin of half the vehicle width b (m) b / 2 (m) so as to make the host vehicle M approach the dividing line (here, the center line) on the road center side away from the intersection. Then, after the host vehicle M passes the intersection, the driving control unit 25 Figure 4 As shown in the flowchart of , the route is returned to the target travel path A ( S24 ), and the process returns to step S1 .

[0106] On the other hand, when the driving control unit 25 determines that it is a single-lane road based on the information from the autonomous sensor unit 10 and the road map data, it calculates the relative speed between the speed of the vehicle M and the speed of the oncoming vehicle to determine whether the vehicle M will meet the oncoming vehicle when entering the intersection (S13).

[0107] When the driving control unit 25 determines that the host vehicle M and the oncoming vehicle will not pass each other at the intersection, Figure 8 As shown in FIG. 1 , the route is changed from the target travel path A to the target travel path C (S14) in which the vehicle M approaches the right side away from the intersection and a margin of half the vehicle width b (m) b / 2 (m) is set from the right side. Then, after the vehicle M passes the intersection, the driving control unit 25 Figure 4 As shown in the flowchart of , the route is returned to the target travel path A ( S24 ), and the process returns to step S1 .

[0108] It should be noted that the situation where the vehicle M and the oncoming vehicle do not meet in the intersection is a situation where the distance between the vehicle M and the oncoming vehicle is still sufficient even if the vehicle M passes through the intersection and returns to the target travel path A, or a situation where the vehicle M starts to move toward the target travel path C after the oncoming vehicle meets the vehicle M.

[0109] On the other hand, when the driving control unit 25 determines that the host vehicle M and the oncoming vehicle are meeting at the intersection, Figure 9 As shown, the host vehicle M is decelerated (S15) without moving from the target travel path A. Then, after the host vehicle M passes the intersection, the driving control unit 25 returns the vehicle M to a predetermined legal speed (S16) and returns to step S1.

[0110] In step S10, when the driving control unit 25 fails to identify an oncoming vehicle based on the information from the driving environment recognition unit 20, it also identifies the number of lanes (dividing lines) of the driving road based on the information from the autonomous sensor unit 10 and the road map data to determine whether it is a single-lane road (S17).

[0111] If the driving control unit 25 determines that the travel road is not a single-lane road based on the information from the autonomous sensor unit 10 and the road map data, Figure 10 Flowchart and Figure 11 As shown in FIG. 1 , the route is changed from the target travel path A to a target travel path B (S18) in which the vehicle M is as close as possible to the dividing line (here, the center line) on the road center side away from the intersection and half the vehicle width b (m) b / 2 (m) is set from the dividing line. Then, after the vehicle M passes the intersection, the driving control unit 25 Figure 4 As shown in the flowchart of , the target travel path A (S24) is returned to step S1.

[0112] On the other hand, if the driving control unit 25 determines that the travel road is a single lane road based on the information of the autonomous sensor unit 10 and the road map data, Figure 4 As shown in the flowchart of , it is determined whether the intersection is a multi-way road (S19). It should be noted that here, the intersection is exemplified as a four-way road as a crossroad.

[0113] When the driving control unit 25 determines that the intersection is not a multi-way intersection based on the information of the autonomous sensor unit 10 and the road map data, the driving control unit 25 Figure 12 Flowchart and Figure 13As shown, the route is changed from the target travel path A to the target travel path C (S20) in which the vehicle M approaches the right side away from the intersection and a margin of half the vehicle width b (m) b / 2 (m) is set from the right side. Then, after the vehicle M passes the intersection, the driving control unit 25 Figure 4 As shown in the flowchart of , the route is returned to the target travel path A ( S24 ), and the process returns to step S1 .

[0114] On the other hand, when the driving control unit 25 determines that the intersection is a multi-way intersection based on the information of the autonomous sensor unit 10 and the road map data, the driving control unit 25 Figure 14 As shown in the flowchart of FIG. 1 , it is determined based on information from the road map data whether there is a temporary stop at the right intersection ( S21 ).

[0115] If there is no temporary stop at the right intersection, the driving control unit 25 decelerates the vehicle M regardless of the presence of other vehicles (S22), and changes the target travel path A to the target travel path D in the center of the travel path (S23). It should be noted that if there is a temporary stop at the right intersection, the driving control unit 25 does not decelerate the vehicle M, but changes the target travel path A to the target travel path D in the center of the travel path (S23).

[0116] Then, after the vehicle M passes the intersection, the driving control unit 25 Figure 4 As shown in the flowchart of , the route is returned to the target travel path A ( S24 ), and the process returns to step S1 .

[0117] As described above, when executing automated driving control, following vehicle distance control, or lane keeping control, the vehicle driving assistance system of this embodiment determines whether an intersection at grade from the left has poor visibility due to a blind spot caused by obstructions 100 such as buildings, walls, or trees. When passing through an intersection with poor visibility, the system controls the lateral position of the host vehicle M's path toward the right roadside or center dividing line. Furthermore, the system controls the lateral position of the host vehicle M's path to pass through the intersection, depending on the road type (e.g., single-lane or two-lane road), the presence of oncoming vehicles, and their relative speeds.

[0118] With this configuration, the vehicle driving assistance system can improve safety when passing through an intersection where the intersection is a blind spot, and can reduce passengers' sense of unease.

[0119] It should be noted that the vehicle's driving assistance system can also perform control to maintain the lateral position movement of the vehicle M and continue driving at a predetermined distance (about 100 meters) based on the information of the road map data when passing through an intersection, and further when there is an intersection.

[0120] Furthermore, the vehicle's driving assistance system may also control the host vehicle M to follow the preceding vehicle if the preceding vehicle moves laterally toward the center of the road while executing following vehicle distance control. It should be noted that in this case, if the preceding vehicle's direction indicator is detected and the preceding vehicle moves toward the center or outside of the road by turning left or right, the vehicle's driving assistance system controls the host vehicle M so that it does not follow the preceding vehicle.

[0121] The vehicle's driving assistance system does not move the lateral position of the vehicle M when passing through an intersection due to meeting an oncoming vehicle, etc., but improves the response of emergency braking by applying preload to the brake device, thereby avoiding contact even if other vehicles slightly extend from the intersection.

[0122] The driving control unit 25 includes a processor including a central processing unit (CPU), ROM, RAM, and other storage devices. Furthermore, all or part of the various circuits in the processor may be implemented using software. For example, the CPU may read and execute various programs corresponding to various functions stored in the ROM.

[0123] Furthermore, all or part of the functions of the processor may be constituted by a logic circuit or an analog circuit, or the processing of various programs may be realized by an electronic circuit such as an FPGA.

[0124] It should be noted that while this example illustrates a road with left-hand traffic, the technology of this application can be applied to roads with right-hand traffic by reversing the left and right directions. Furthermore, the vehicle referred to herein includes vehicles that receive assistance from a vehicle's driving assistance system, and the vehicle's driving assistance system may be separate from the vehicle. The vehicle's location information, etc., can be obtained from a mobile phone, etc.

[0125] The invention described in the above embodiments is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be implemented in other implementation stages without departing from the scope of the present invention. Furthermore, each of the above embodiments includes inventions at various stages, and various inventions can be extracted based on appropriate combinations of the disclosed multiple constituent elements.

[0126] For example, even if some constituent elements are deleted from all the constituent elements shown in each embodiment, if the problem can be solved and the effect can be achieved, the configuration without the constituent elements can be extracted as an invention.

Claims

1. A driving assistance system for a vehicle, characterized in that: have: Map information of intersections, where at least one intersection intersects the vehicle's travel path; a storage unit storing the map information; an autonomous sensor for detecting information of the driving path ahead of the host vehicle; a driving environment recognition unit that communicates information from the autonomous sensor; as well as a control unit that, at a predetermined location before reaching the intersection, determines whether the intersection is a blind spot based on the information about the driving path from the driving environment recognition unit and the presence or absence of obstructions; and, if the intersection is a blind spot, determines the presence or absence of an oncoming vehicle based on the information from the driving environment recognition unit and determines whether the driving path is a single-lane road. When it is determined that the oncoming vehicle exists and the travel road is not a single-lane road, the control unit sets the travel path of the host vehicle to a second target travel path, the second target travel path being a path further away from the intersection than the first target travel path set before the host vehicle reaches the predetermined location. When it is determined that there is no oncoming vehicle and the travel path is not a single-lane road, the control unit sets the travel path of the host vehicle to a third target travel path that is farther away from the intersection than the second target travel path.

2. The vehicle driving assistance system according to claim 1, characterized in that: When it is determined that there is the oncoming vehicle and the driving road is a single-lane road, the control unit determines whether the host vehicle will meet the oncoming vehicle at the intersection based on the relative speed of the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle. When it is determined that the host vehicle will meet the oncoming vehicle at the intersection, the travel path of the host vehicle is set to the first target travel path. When it is determined that the host vehicle will not meet the oncoming vehicle at the intersection, the travel path of the host vehicle is set to a fourth target travel path. The fourth target travel path is a path that is farther away from the intersection than the first target travel path.

3. The driving assistance system for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that: The information on the travel path includes a dividing line of the travel path, a type of the intersection, an oncoming vehicle, and / or the presence or absence of other vehicles at the intersection.

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