Driving assistance system for a vehicle and driving assistance external device

Abstract

The present application provides a driving assistance system for a vehicle and a driving assistance external device, which can appropriately select a vehicle to be monitored as an object for collision avoidance from other vehicles, thereby achieving driving assistance with low computational load. A control device (15) sets a vehicle passing in front of a host vehicle (1) among other vehicles (2) as a reference vehicle (ST7), sets a vehicle different from the reference vehicle having a prescribed correlation with a travel trajectory of the reference vehicle as an object vehicle, which is a vehicle to be monitored as an object for collision avoidance (ST17), and controls a driving assistance device (14) based on position information of the object vehicle to avoid collision between the host vehicle (1) and the object vehicle (ST20).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a driving assistance system and external driving assistance devices for assisting in driving a vehicle. Background Technology

[0002] Conventionally, as a driving assistance device that notifies the driver and automatically applies braking actions in the event of a predicted collision with another vehicle, a known device (Patent Document 1) receives driving status information including the location information of other vehicles via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. This driving assistance device estimates the road shape around the vehicle based on the trajectory of the location information of other vehicles received by the receiving unit, sets a monitoring area around the vehicle based on the road shape, and assists the vehicle's driving based on the driving status information of other vehicles located within the monitoring area.

[0003] Furthermore, a known vehicle control device determines the possibility of a collision between the vehicle and other vehicles using a limited amount of information and provides the determination result to the driver (Patent Document 2). This vehicle control device obtains the vehicle's position and direction of travel via a GPS system, obtains the positions and directions of other vehicles via vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and obtains the location of intersections and the directions of intersecting roads from its built-in storage unit. When the vehicle's position falls within a defined area centered on the intersection, the vehicle control device compares the vehicle's direction of travel with the road's direction of travel; if they match, the road is identified as the target road. Alternatively, when the vehicle's position, the positions of other vehicles, and the intersection form a defined positional relationship, the vehicle control device compares the directions of travel of other vehicles with the road's direction of travel; if they match, the other vehicle is identified as the target vehicle. When the vehicle control device identifies both the road and other vehicles as target vehicles, it determines that there is a possibility of a collision between the vehicle and other vehicles.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2018-101376

[0007] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-025624 Summary of the Invention

[0008] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0009] However, when multiple other vehicles are within the communication range, processing all the information acquired by the device regarding these vehicles for driver assistance would increase the computational load on the device. Therefore, in such cases, it is necessary to filter out the vehicles that should be monitored as potential collision avoidance targets in order to provide driver assistance.

[0010] Even without map information, the aforementioned conventional driver assistance devices or vehicle control devices can use the location information of other vehicles obtained through vehicle-to-vehicle communication to estimate road shape and determine the target road. However, when GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) location information contains errors, these devices cannot properly grasp the road shape or the target road, and therefore cannot properly filter other vehicles.

[0011] In view of the above background, the present invention aims to enable driving assistance under low computational load by appropriately filtering out vehicles that should be monitored as objects to be avoided from other vehicles, even when there are errors in the location information of other vehicles obtained through communication.

[0012] Methods for solving problems

[0013] To address the aforementioned issues, one aspect of the present invention is a vehicle driving assistance system 10, comprising: a driving assistance device 14 for assisting the driving of the vehicle 1; an information acquisition device 12 for acquiring position information of other vehicles 2 traveling around the vehicle; and a control device 15 for controlling the driving assistance device, wherein the control device sets a vehicle that has passed in front of the vehicle as a reference vehicle (ST7), and sets a vehicle different from the reference vehicle whose trajectory, i.e., the travel trajectory, has a predetermined correlation with the position information of the reference vehicle as a position trajectory, and the target vehicle is a vehicle that should be monitored as an object to avoid collision (ST17), and the control device controls the driving assistance device based on the position information of the target vehicle to avoid a collision between the vehicle and the target vehicle (ST20).

[0014] According to this method, since vehicles with a defined correlation to the trajectories of vehicles passing in front of the current vehicle are designated as target vehicles, it is possible to appropriately filter out the vehicles to be monitored even if there are errors in the position information of other vehicles obtained through communication. The control device controls the driving assistance device based on the position information of the appropriately filtered vehicles, thus enabling driving assistance with low computational load.

[0015] In the above-described manner, an external sensor 13 is also provided, which detects other vehicles traveling around the vehicle, and the control device detects through the external sensor that the other vehicles have passed in front of the vehicle.

[0016] According to this method, the reference vehicle can be set more appropriately, and the target vehicle can be set appropriately based on the driving trajectory of the reference vehicle.

[0017] In the above manner, the control device estimates the probability of a collision between the vehicle and the target vehicle based on the position of the target vehicle (ST18), and controls the driving assistance device based on the probability of a collision.

[0018] This method can assist in driving the vehicle to avoid collisions with other vehicles.

[0019] In the above-described manner, the control device estimates the probability of a collision based on the distance along the driving trajectory from the target vehicle to the position in front of the vehicle.

[0020] This method can assist in driving the vehicle to avoid collisions with other vehicles.

[0021] In the above-described manner, the control device compares the direction of travel of the other vehicles with the orientation of a portion of the travel trajectory to determine whether the correlation exists (ST16).

[0022] According to this method, it is possible to more appropriately designate the target vehicles that should be monitored as objects to be avoided from collisions.

[0023] In the above-described manner, the control device determines that the correlation exists based on the condition that the angle between the direction of travel of the other vehicle and the orientation of a portion of the travel trajectory is less than a predetermined threshold (ST16).

[0024] According to this method, it is possible to more appropriately designate the target vehicles that should be monitored as objects to be avoided from collisions.

[0025] In the above-described manner, the control device compares the driving trajectory with the positions of other vehicles to determine whether the other vehicles are correlated with the driving trajectory.

[0026] According to this method, it is possible to appropriately designate the target vehicles that should be monitored as objects to be avoided from collisions.

[0027] In the above-described manner, the driving assistance device includes at least one of the following devices: a first notification device 17, 18 mounted on the vehicle and notifying passengers or the outside; a second notification device 17 mounted on the target vehicle and notifying passengers; and a driving device 16 mounted on the vehicle, wherein, in order to avoid a collision between the vehicle and the target vehicle, the control device performs at least one of the following: notification to passengers of the vehicle based on the first notification device; notification to the outside of the vehicle based on the first notification device; notification to passengers of the target vehicle based on the second notification device; and collision suppression control (ST20) for the driving device to suppress a collision between the vehicle and the target vehicle.

[0028] According to this method, the driving of the vehicle can be assisted by any of the following: notification based on the first notification device, notification based on the second notification device, and collision suppression control for the driving device.

[0029] The effects of the invention

[0030] Based on the above method, even if there are errors in the location information of other vehicles obtained through communication, it is possible to appropriately filter out the vehicles that should be monitored as objects to avoid collisions from other vehicles, thereby achieving driving assistance with low computational load. Attached Figure Description

[0031] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the driving assistance system according to the first embodiment.

[0032] Figure 2 This is a top view showing the position of this vehicle relative to other vehicles.

[0033] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the driver assistance control system, which is mainly based on past time sequences.

[0034] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the future routes of this vehicle and other vehicles.

[0035] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the relationship between the future travel routes of this vehicle and other vehicles and the road.

[0036] Figure 6 This is a diagram showing the relationship between the future travel routes of this vehicle and other vehicles and the road.

[0037] Figure 7 This is an explanatory diagram of the baseline vehicle conditions.

[0038] Figure 8 This is an explanatory diagram of the baseline vehicle conditions.

[0039] Figure 9 This is a flowchart of the driver assistance control performed by the control device according to the current time sequence.

[0040] Figure 10 This is an illustration of the current time series processing.

[0041] Figure 11 It is a diagram showing the monitored area and other vehicles.

[0042] Figure 12 This is a diagram illustrating the relationship between the direction of travel of other vehicles and the correlation.

[0043] Figure 13 This is an illustration of the relationship between the positions of other vehicles and their correlations.

[0044] Figure 14 This is an illustration of the method for calculating the probability of collision.

[0045] Figure 15 This is a structural diagram of the driving assistance system according to the second embodiment.

[0046] Figure 16 This is a flowchart of the driver assistance control system, which is mainly based on past time sequences.

[0047] Figure 17 This is a flowchart of the driver assistance control performed by the control device according to the current time sequence.

[0048] Label Explanation

[0049] 1: This vehicle

[0050] 2: Other vehicles

[0051] 10: Driver Assistance Systems

[0052] 11: GNSS device

[0053] 12: Train-to-train communication device (information acquisition unit)

[0054] 13: External Sensors

[0055] 14: Driving assistance devices

[0056] 15: Control device

[0057] 16: Driving device

[0058] 17: In-vehicle notification devices (first notification device, second notification device)

[0059] 18: External notification device (first notification device)

[0060] CP: Intersection

[0061] MA: Monitored Area Detailed Implementation

[0062] Hereinafter, several embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0063] Implementation Method 1

[0064] First, refer to Figures 1 to 14 The first embodiment of the present invention will now be described. Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of the driving assistance system 10 according to the first embodiment. In this embodiment, the driving assistance system 10 for a vehicle of the present invention is mounted on the vehicle receiving assistance (hereinafter referred to as the vehicle 1). Hereinafter, vehicles other than the vehicle receiving assistance are referred to as other vehicles 2. The vehicle 1 and other vehicles 2 may be, for example, four-wheeled cars, two-wheeled cars, three-wheeled cars, etc.

[0065] First, the vehicle 1 will be described. The vehicle 1 is equipped with a GNSS device 11, a vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 12 (an example of an information acquisition device), an external sensor 13, a driving assistance device 14, and a control device 15. These together constitute a driving assistance system 10.

[0066] The GNSS device 11 determines the current position (latitude and longitude) of the vehicle 1 based on GNSS signals received from artificial satellites (positioning satellites). The GNSS device 11 can also be integrated into a navigation device. The navigation device stores map information, sets a route to the destination input by the driver, and provides the set route to the driver. The more artificial satellites the GNSS device 11 can receive GNSS signals from, the more accurately it can determine the current position. Due to a limited number of artificial satellites capable of receiving GNSS signals, or other reasons, there are instances where the GNSS device 11 determines a position that deviates from the vehicle's actual position as the current position.

[0067] The vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 12 communicates with other vehicles 2 traveling around the vehicle 1 via wireless communication based on a prescribed communication standard. The communicated information includes the vehicle's current position, driving trajectory, and speed. The vehicle's current position is determined by the GNSS device 11. The driving trajectory is a line (track) formed by connecting multiple vehicle positions, including past positions determined by the GNSS device 11, in chronological order using straight lines or curves. The vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 12 communicates with all other vehicles 2 within the communication area that are equipped with the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 12.

[0068] External sensor 13 is a sensor that detects the state of the external environment surrounding vehicle 1. For example, external sensor 13 detects the relative position of objects existing around vehicle 1 with respect to vehicle 1. In other words, external sensor 13 acquires the position information of objects. Objects include other vehicles 2 such as vehicles in front, pedestrians, bicycles, obstacles, etc. External sensor 13 outputs the detection results to control device 15.

[0069] The external sensor 13 preferably includes multiple external cameras, multiple radars, and multiple lidar (LiDAR) sensors. The external cameras capture images of objects existing around the vehicle 1. The radars emit millimeter-wave or other radio waves around the vehicle 1 and capture the reflected waves, thereby detecting the relative position of objects around the vehicle 1 relative to the vehicle 1. The lidars illuminate infrared or other light around the vehicle 1 and capture the reflected light, thereby detecting the relative position of objects around the vehicle 1 relative to the vehicle 1.

[0070] The driving assistance device 14 assists in driving the vehicle 1 so as to prevent the vehicle 1 from colliding with other vehicles 2. The driving assistance device 14 includes a driving device 16, an in-vehicle notification device 17, and an external notification device 18.

[0071] The driving device 16 includes at least one of a drive unit, a braking unit, and a steering unit. The drive unit is a device that imparts driving force to the vehicle 1, and may include, for example, an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, and / or an electric motor. The braking unit is a device that imparts braking force to the vehicle 1, and may include, for example, a brake caliper that presses brake pads against a brake disc, and an electric cylinder that supplies hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper. The steering unit is a device that changes the steering angle of the wheels, and may include, for example, a rack and pinion mechanism that steers the wheels, and an electric motor that drives the rack and pinion mechanism.

[0072] The in-vehicle notification device 17 is a device for notifying passengers of the vehicle 1, including the driver, and preferably includes a display and a speaker. The display is a notification unit that visually conveys information to passengers. The display can be positioned, for example, like a HUD (Head-Up Display), in a location easily accessible to the driver and passengers, or it can be positioned on the dashboard in front of the driver's seat. The speaker is a notification unit that audibly conveys information to passengers. The speaker can be a dedicated notification speaker, a speaker integrated into the audio system of the vehicle 1, or a speaker shared with navigation devices, etc.

[0073] The external notification device 18 is a device for notifying the outside of the vehicle 1, preferably including a horn and / or an alarm. The horn and / or alarm is a device for warning other road users, including other vehicles 2 present in the vicinity of the vehicle 1.

[0074] The control device 15 is an electronic control unit (ECU) configured as a computer to perform various processes. The control device 15 includes a processing unit (CPU, MPU, etc.) and a storage unit (ROM, RAM, etc.). The processing unit reads necessary software from the storage unit and executes prescribed processing according to the read software. The control device 15 can be configured as a single hardware unit or as a unit composed of multiple hardware components. The control device 15 is connected to various structural elements of the vehicle 1 via a communication network such as CAN (Controller Area Network) and controls these structural elements.

[0075] The control device 15 includes an external identification unit 19, a driving control unit 20, and a notification control unit 21 as functional units. At least a portion of each functional unit of the control device 15 can be implemented using hardware such as LSI, ASIC, or FPGA, or through a combination of software and hardware.

[0076] The external identification unit 19 identifies the external state of the vehicle 1 based on information about other vehicles 2 obtained from the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 12 and the detection results of the external sensors 13. For example, the external identification unit 19 identifies other vehicles 2 around the vehicle 1 based on the current position and speed of other vehicles 2 obtained from the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 12, and predicts the future behavior of other vehicles 2. In addition, the external identification unit 19 identifies objects around the vehicle 1 based on the detection results of the external sensors 13, and identifies the relative position of the object with respect to the vehicle 1, the relative speed of the object with respect to the vehicle 1, the distance from the vehicle 1 to the object, etc.

[0077] The external identification unit 19, by using information about other vehicles 2 obtained from the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 12, can predict the presence and future behavior of other vehicles 2 located in shaded areas such as buildings that cannot be detected by the external sensors 13. Based on the driving information of the vehicle 1 and the predicted future behavior of other vehicles 2, the external identification unit 19 estimates the probability of a collision between the vehicle 1 and other vehicles 2. The external identification unit 19 performs collision prediction between the vehicle 1 and other vehicles 2 without using map information from a navigation device. The collision prediction will be described in detail later.

[0078] The driving control unit 20 controls the drive unit, braking unit, and steering unit required for driving the vehicle 1 based on information related to the driving operations performed by the driver on the driving operation components of the vehicle 1. For example, the driving control unit 20 controls the output of the drive unit based on the amount of accelerator pedal depressed, controls the hydraulic pressure of the braking unit based on the amount of brake pedal depressed, and controls the electric motor of the steering unit based on the steering wheel rotation angle.

[0079] In addition, the driving control unit 20 performs driving assistance control on the driving devices 16, such as the drive unit, braking unit, and steering unit, to assist driving operations. For example, the driving control unit 20 performs collision suppression control on the driving devices 16 based on the probability of collision with other vehicles 2 estimated by the external recognition unit 19. In collision suppression control, the driving control unit 20 performs deceleration control to slow down the vehicle 1 and / or steering control to avoid other vehicles 2.

[0080] The notification control unit 21 performs notification control for the in-vehicle notification device 17 and the external notification device 18 based on the collision probability estimated by the external identification unit 19. In the notification control, the notification control unit 21 performs display control and / or sound control to notify passengers of the collision prediction via the in-vehicle notification device 17. Additionally, the notification control unit 21 performs siren control to notify other vehicles 2 of the collision prediction via the external notification device 18.

[0081] For ease of explanation, the various functional parts of the control device 15 will not be distinguished and will be referred to simply as "control device 15".

[0082] Next, the other vehicle 2 will be described. The other vehicle 2 is equipped with at least a GNSS device 11 and a vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 12. In this embodiment, the other vehicle 2 also includes an in-vehicle notification device 17. This GNSS device 11, vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 12, and in-vehicle notification device 17 can be the same as the devices described above for this vehicle 1. In the other vehicle 2, there may be a situation where the GNSS device 11 determines a position that deviates from the actual position as the current position. In this case, the position information and driving trajectory information of the other vehicle 2 transmitted from the other vehicle 2 to this vehicle 1 via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 12 may be inaccurate.

[0083] Next, refer to Figures 2 to 14 The driver assistance controls performed by the control device 15 to avoid collisions with other vehicles 2 will be explained.

[0084] Figure 2 This is a top view showing the position of vehicle 1 and other vehicles 2. (Example) Figure 2 As shown, vehicle 1 obtains location information from multiple other vehicles 2 (2A, 2B, 2C, 2D) traveling around it via vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 12. When there are many other vehicles 2 in the area where vehicle-to-vehicle communication is possible, predicting the future behavior of all other vehicles 2 to predict collisions places a heavy computational load on the control device 15 of vehicle 1. For example, in... Figure 2There is another vehicle 2A traveling on a road parallel to the road on which vehicle 1 is traveling. The probability of this other vehicle 2A colliding with vehicle 1 is low. On the other hand, there is another vehicle 2B on a road intersecting in front of vehicle 1. This other vehicle 2B has the potential to collide with vehicle 1 in the future. Another vehicle 2C located in the parking lot next to vehicle 1 is unlikely to collide with vehicle 1 as long as it is traveling in the parking lot. It can be assumed that the other vehicle 2D represented by the imaginary line is sending incorrect position information. Therefore, the control device 15 performs a process to appropriately filter the number of other vehicles 2 that should be included in collision prediction.

[0085] Figure 3 This is a flowchart of the driving assistance control mainly performed by the control device 15 according to past time sequences. Most of the processing performed in this control is based on past time sequences, but as will be described later, there are also cases where the processing is based on the current time sequence.

[0086] like Figure 3 As shown, the control device 15 obtains information containing the location of its own vehicle 1 from the GNSS device 11 (step ST1). Next, the control device 15 predicts the future travel route of its own vehicle 1 based on the location information (step ST2). Additionally, the control device 15 obtains information containing the location of other vehicles 2 from the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 12 (step ST3). Next, the control device 15 predicts the future travel route of other vehicles 2 based on the location information of other vehicles 2 (step ST4). The processing of steps ST1 and ST2, and steps ST3 and ST4, can be performed in any order. Figure 4 As shown, the future travel path of vehicle 1 can be a straight line extending from vehicle 1 in the direction of travel of vehicle 1. Similarly, the future travel path of other vehicles 2 can also be a straight line extending from other vehicles 2 in the direction of travel of other vehicles 2.

[0087] Next, the control device 15 calculates the intersection point (CP) of the future travel route of the vehicle 1 with the future travel routes of other vehicles 2 (step ST5). The intersection point (CP) is calculated as mutually orthogonal XY coordinates (e.g., longitude and latitude) on a plane. Then, the control device 15 determines whether there is a vehicle among the other vehicles 2 that meets the prescribed reference vehicle conditions (step ST6). Here, the reference vehicle conditions are the conditions used to determine whether a vehicle can use the position information of other vehicles 2 obtained by the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 12 as road information.

[0088] The baseline vehicle condition could be, for example, that the future travel route of vehicle 1 intersects with the future travel route of other vehicle 2, i.e., there exists an intersection point CP that can be calculated. However, in this case, such as Figure 5As shown, although the intersection point CP can be calculated, it also satisfies the baseline vehicle condition when the roads do not intersect.

[0089] Therefore, the baseline vehicle condition should preferably include one of the following: vehicle 1 and the corresponding other vehicle 2 passing through the intersection point CP. However, in this case, as... Figure 6 As shown, although the intersection point CP can be calculated, it also satisfies the baseline vehicle conditions in the case of a grade-separated intersection and the fact that vehicle 1 is unlikely to collide with other vehicles 2.

[0090] Therefore, the baseline vehicle conditions should preferably also include the following conditions. That is, such as Figure 7 As shown in (A) and (B), while one of the other two vehicles 1 is stopped or decelerating near the intersection CP, the aforementioned vehicle 1 and vehicle 2 passes through the intersection CP. Afterwards, as... Figure 7 As shown in (C), vehicle 1 and the other of the other vehicles 2 pass through the intersection CP. By satisfying this condition, it is ensured that the other vehicle 2 is highly likely to be a vehicle traveling on a road where a collision is possible.

[0091] The baseline vehicle condition preferably includes the condition that another vehicle 2 passes in front of vehicle 1, i.e., crosses in front of it. Alternatively, the baseline vehicle condition preferably includes the condition that when one of vehicle 1 and the corresponding other vehicle 2 passes the intersection CP (from... Figure 7 During the transition from (A) to (B), other vehicles 2 are detected by external sensor 13. This ensures that other vehicles 2 are traveling on a road where a collision is possible.

[0092] Under the baseline vehicle conditions, including when another vehicle 2 has passed in front of this vehicle 1, such as Figure 8 As shown, in step ST17 (described later), the control device 15 can designate another vehicle 2 traveling in the same direction as the other vehicle 2 behind it that has passed in front as the target vehicle. Thus, the control device 15 can perform the collision avoidance driving assistance in step ST20 (described later) in the current time sequence. If other baseline vehicle conditions are met, the control device 15 saves the trajectory in step ST9 (described later) so that when driving in the same location later (in the current time sequence), it can use the trajectory of the other vehicle 2 processed in the past time sequence. Figure 9 The control shown is in progress.

[0093] return Figure 3In step ST6, if there is a vehicle among the other vehicles 2 that meets the specified reference vehicle conditions including at least one of them (yes), the control device 15 sets the other vehicle 2 that meets the reference vehicle conditions as the reference vehicle (step ST7).

[0094] Then, the control device 15 generates a trajectory of the reference vehicle within a specified range up to the intersection point CP based on the position information. Figure 7 (C) solid line arrow (step ST8), save the intersection point CP and the trajectory of the generated reference vehicle (step ST9), and repeat the above steps.

[0095] Figure 9 This is a flowchart illustrating the driver assistance control performed by control device 15 according to the current time sequence. (For example...) Figure 9 As shown, the control device 15 obtains information from the vehicle-to-vehicle communication device 12 regarding the positions of other vehicles 2 in the vicinity of the vehicle 1 (step ST11). Next, the control device 15 selects a corresponding reference vehicle based on the current position and direction of travel of the vehicle 1 (step ST12). Here, as... Figure 10 As shown in (A), the corresponding reference vehicle refers to another vehicle 2 traveling along a track that intersects with the front of vehicle 1 in the stored track. After selecting the reference vehicle, the control device 15 sets the monitoring target area MA to be monitored to assist the driving of vehicle 1 based on the past driving track of the reference vehicle (step ST13). That is, in steps ST12 and ST13, the control device 15 selects one driving track from the stored driving tracks based on the position and direction of travel of vehicle 1, and sets the monitoring target area MA based on the selected driving track. Figure 10 As shown in (B), the monitored area MA is set as a rectangular area with a specified width and length that includes the stored intersection CP.

[0096] Next, the control device 15 determines whether other vehicles 2 exist in the monitored area MA (step ST14). The presence of other vehicles 2 in the monitored area MA is one of the patterns exhibiting the correlation described later (the correlation between other vehicles 2 and the past driving trajectory of the reference vehicle). If no other vehicles 2 exist in the monitored area MA (No), the control device 15 repeats the above process. Figure 11 As shown, when multiple other vehicles 2 exist in the monitored area MA, the control device 15 sequentially excludes vehicles 2 that are farther away from the vehicle 1 by a straight-line distance from the vehicle 1 from among the other vehicles 2 present in the monitored area MA. In step ST14, if other vehicles 2 exist in the monitored area MA (yes), as follows: Figure 10As shown in (C), the control device 15 segments the past trajectory of the reference vehicle and approximates it as a straight line (step ST15).

[0097] Then, the control device 15 determines whether there is a prescribed correlation with the past trajectory of the reference vehicle (refer to...). Figure 10 Other vehicles 2 of (D) (step ST16). At this time, as Figure 12 As shown in the enlarged view, the control device 15 compares the orientation of the travel direction and part of the travel trajectory of other vehicles 2 to determine whether there is a correlation. Specifically, the control device 15 determines that there is a correlation if the angle between the travel direction of other vehicles 2 and the orientation of part of their travel trajectory is less than a predetermined threshold. Furthermore, as... Figure 13 As shown, the control device 15 compares the driving trajectory with the positions of other vehicles 2 to determine whether other vehicles 2 are related to the driving trajectory. Specifically, if there are multiple portions of the driving trajectory with an angle less than a predetermined threshold relative to the direction of travel of other vehicles 2, the control device 15 determines that the portion of the driving trajectory closest to other vehicles 2 is related.

[0098] return Figure 9 If no other vehicle 2 with the prescribed relationship exists in step ST16 (No), the control device 15 repeats the above process. If other vehicle 2 with the prescribed relationship exists in step ST16 (Yes), the control device 15 sets the other vehicle 2 with the relationship as the target vehicle (Step ST17). Here, the target vehicle refers to the vehicle that the control device 15 should monitor as an object to avoid collision.

[0099] Then, control device 15 estimates the probability of a collision with the target vehicle (step ST18). Specifically, as Figure 14 As shown, the control device 15 calculates the intersection point by drawing perpendicular lines from other vehicles 2 to a portion of the driving trajectory, and calculates the distance along the driving trajectory from that intersection point to the intersection point CP where a collision is likely. The control device 15 calculates the TTC (Time To Crush) based on the calculated distance and the speeds of other vehicles 2. The smaller the difference between the time calculated based on the distance from vehicle 1 to intersection point CP and the speed of vehicle 1 and the TTC, the higher the collision probability estimate by the control device 15.

[0100] Then, the control device 15 determines whether the estimated probability of a collision exceeds a predetermined threshold (step ST19). If the probability of a collision does not exceed the predetermined threshold (No), the control device 15 repeats the above process. If the probability of a collision exceeds the predetermined threshold (Yes), the control device 15 executes driving assistance for the driving assistance device 14 to avoid a collision between the vehicle 1 and the target vehicle (step ST19), and repeats the above process.

[0101] The driving assistance in step ST19 includes at least one of the following: Control device 15 performs notification control based on in-vehicle notification device 17 for passengers of vehicle 1 to avoid a collision between vehicle 1 and an object vehicle. Control device 15 performs notification control based on external notification device 18 for external components of vehicle 1. Control device 15 performs collision suppression control for the driving device 16 to prevent a collision between vehicle 1 and the object vehicle.

[0102] The effects of the driving assistance system 10, in which the control device 15 performs driving assistance control as described above, will be explained below.

[0103] In step ST7, control device 15 sets other vehicles 2 that meet the specified reference vehicle conditions as reference vehicles, and in step ST9, stores the driving trajectory of the reference vehicles. In step ST17, control device 15 sets vehicles 2 that are different from the reference vehicles and have a specified correlation with the stored driving trajectory as target vehicles. Therefore, even if there are errors in the location information of other vehicles 2 obtained through communication, other vehicles 2 that should be monitored can be appropriately selected. Based on the location information of the appropriately selected target vehicles, control device 15 controls driving assistance device 14 in step ST20 to avoid collisions between the vehicle 1 and the target vehicles. Thus, control device 15 can assist driving with low computational load.

[0104] In step ST15, the control device 15 selects a driving trajectory from the stored driving trajectories based on the position and direction of travel of the vehicle 1. In step ST16, the control device 15 determines the relevance of the selected driving trajectory. Thus, the control device 15 can appropriately set the target vehicle to be monitored as an object to be avoided from collision.

[0105] In steps ST2 and ST4, control device 15 predicts the future travel routes of its own vehicle 1 and other vehicles 2 based on location information. The reference vehicle conditions include the intersection of the future travel routes of its own vehicle 1 with those of other vehicles 2. In step ST5, control device 15 stores the points where the future travel routes of its own vehicle 1 intersect with those of other vehicles 2 as intersection points CP. Thus, control device 15 can appropriately set the reference vehicle and appropriately set the target vehicle based on the travel trajectory of the reference vehicle.

[0106] The reference vehicle conditions also include one of the vehicle 1 and the corresponding other vehicle 2 passing through the intersection point CP. Therefore, the control device 15 can more appropriately set the reference vehicle and appropriately set the target vehicle based on the reference vehicle's travel trajectory.

[0107] like Figure 7 As shown, the reference vehicle conditions also include: during the period when one of the other two vehicles 1 stops or decelerates near the intersection CP, one of the other two vehicles 1 passes through the intersection CP, and then the other two vehicles 1 passes through the intersection CP. Therefore, the control device 15 can more appropriately set the reference vehicle and appropriately set the target vehicle based on the travel trajectory of the reference vehicle.

[0108] The reference vehicle condition includes the detection of the other vehicle 2 by the external sensor 13 when one of the vehicle 1 and the corresponding other vehicle 2 passes the intersection CP. Therefore, the control device 15 can more appropriately set the reference vehicle and appropriately set the target vehicle based on the reference vehicle's travel trajectory.

[0109] In step ST18, control device 15 estimates the probability of collision between vehicle 1 and the target vehicle based on the position of the target vehicle and the position of the intersection point CP, and controls driving assistance device 14 in step ST20 based on the collision probability. Thus, control device 15 can assist driving vehicle 1 to avoid collision with the target vehicle.

[0110] In step ST18, control device 15 estimates the probability of collision based on the distance along the driving trajectory from the target vehicle to the intersection point CP. Thus, control device 15 can assist the driving of vehicle 1 in avoiding a collision with the target vehicle.

[0111] When the control device 15 sets a vehicle that has passed in front of the current vehicle 1 as a reference vehicle in step ST7 of the current time sequence, it also achieves the same effect as described above. That is, in step ST17, the control device 15 sets vehicles that are different from the reference vehicle and whose direction of travel has a predetermined correlation with the trajectory of the reference vehicle as target vehicles to be monitored as objects to be avoided from collision. Thus, even if there are errors in the position information of other vehicles 2 obtained through communication, it is possible to appropriately filter out other vehicles 2 that should be monitored. Based on the position information of the appropriately filtered target vehicles, the control device 15 controls the driving assistance device 14 in step ST20 to avoid a collision between the current vehicle 1 and the target vehicles. Thus, the control device 15 can assist driving with low computational load.

[0112] In step ST16, control device 15 compares the orientation of the travel direction and part of the travel trajectory of other vehicles 2 to determine whether they are related. Thus, control device 15 can more appropriately set the target vehicles to be monitored as objects to be avoided from collisions.

[0113] In step ST16, control device 15 determines that there is correlation based on the condition that the angle between the direction of travel of other vehicles 2 and the orientation of a portion of their travel trajectory is less than a predetermined threshold. Therefore, control device 15 can more appropriately set the target vehicles to be monitored as objects to be avoided from collisions.

[0114] In step ST16, the control device 15 compares the driving trajectory with the positions of other vehicles 2 to determine whether the other vehicles 2 are related to the driving trajectory. Thus, the control device 15 can appropriately set the target vehicles to be monitored as objects to be avoided from collisions.

[0115] To avoid a collision between the vehicle 1 and the target vehicle, the control device 15 performs at least one of the following in step ST20: notification to the passengers of the vehicle 1 via the in-vehicle notification device 17 (an example of the first notification device); notification to the outside of the vehicle 1 via the external notification device 18 (an example of the first notification device); and collision suppression control of the driving device 16 to prevent a collision between the vehicle 1 and the target vehicle. Thus, the control device 15 can assist the driving of the vehicle 1 through any one of the notifications via the in-vehicle notification device 17, the notifications via the external notification device 18, and the collision suppression control of the driving device 16.

[0116] Implementation Method 2

[0117] Next, refer to Figures 15-17The second embodiment of the present invention will now be described. Structures identical to those in the first embodiment will be labeled with the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions will be omitted.

[0118] Figure 15 This is a structural diagram of the driving assistance system 10 according to the second embodiment. In this embodiment, the driving assistance external device 110 for a vehicle of the present invention is configured as a server provided outside the assistance vehicle 101 receiving assistance. The driving assistance external device 110 is configured to be able to wirelessly communicate with multiple assistance vehicles 101. Hereinafter, in order to explain driving assistance for one assistance vehicle 101, the other assistance vehicles 101 will be described as other vehicles 2.

[0119] The auxiliary vehicle 101 includes a GNSS device 11, a communication device 112, an external sensor 13, a driving assistance device 14, and a control device 15. The structure and function of the GNSS device 11, the external sensor 13, the driving assistance device 14, and the control device 15 are the same as in the first embodiment. The communication device 112 is capable of wireless communication with the external driving assistance device 110 via the Internet 113. Other vehicles 2 also have the same structure as the auxiliary vehicle 101.

[0120] The driver assistance external device 110 includes a communication unit 114 and a driver assistance control unit 115. The communication unit 114 communicates with the assistance vehicle 101 and other vehicles 2 via the Internet 113 to obtain their location information. Based on the location information received from the assistance vehicle 101 and other vehicles 2, the driver assistance control unit 115 sends driver assistance information for assisting the driving of the assistance vehicle 101 to the assistance vehicle 101.

[0121] Next, refer to Figure 16 and Figure 17 The driver assistance control performed by the driver assistance control unit 115 of the driver assistance external device 110 to avoid collisions with other vehicles 2 will be described. Figure 16 Is with Figure 3 The corresponding flowchart, Figure 17 Is with Figure 9 The corresponding flowchart.

[0122] like Figure 16As shown, the driver assistance control unit 115 obtains information including the location of the assistance vehicle 101 from the assistance vehicle 101 via the communication unit 114 (step ST21). Next, the driver assistance control unit 115 predicts the future travel route of the assistance vehicle 101 based on the location information of the assistance vehicle 101 (step ST22). Additionally, the driver assistance control unit 115 obtains information including the location of other vehicles 2 via the communication unit 114 (step ST23). Next, the driver assistance control unit 115 predicts the future travel route of other vehicles 2 based on the location information of the other vehicles 2 (step ST24).

[0123] Next, the driver assistance control unit 115 calculates the intersection point (CP) of the future travel route of the assisted vehicle 101 with the future travel routes of other vehicles 2 (step ST25). Then, the driver assistance control unit 115 determines whether there is a vehicle among the other vehicles 2 that meets the prescribed reference vehicle conditions (step ST26). If there is no vehicle among the other vehicles 2 that meets the reference vehicle conditions (No), the driver assistance control unit 115 repeats the above steps. On the other hand, if there is at least one vehicle among the other vehicles 2 that meets the reference vehicle conditions (Yes), the driver assistance control unit 115 sets the other vehicle 2 that meets the reference vehicle conditions as the reference vehicle (step ST27). Then, the driver assistance control unit 115 generates a trajectory of the reference vehicle within a prescribed range up to the intersection point (CP) based on the location information (step ST28), stores the intersection point (CP) and the generated trajectory of the reference vehicle (step ST29), and repeats the above steps.

[0124] like Figure 17 As shown, the driver assistance control unit 115 obtains information from the communication device 112 regarding the positions of other vehicles 2 in the vicinity of the assistance vehicle 101 (step ST31). Next, the driver assistance control unit 115 selects a corresponding reference vehicle based on the current position and direction of travel of the assistance vehicle 101 (step ST32). After selecting the reference vehicle, the driver assistance control unit 115 sets a monitoring target area MA that should be monitored to assist the driving of the vehicle 1 based on the past driving trajectory of the reference vehicle (step ST33).

[0125] Next, the driver assistance control unit 115 determines whether there are other vehicles 2 in the monitored target area MA (step ST34). If there are no other vehicles 2 in the monitored target area MA (No), the driver assistance control unit 115 repeats the above process. If there are other vehicles 2 in the monitored target area MA (Yes), the driver assistance control unit 115 segments the past trajectory of the reference vehicle and approximates it as a straight line (step ST35). Next, the driver assistance control unit 115 determines whether there are other vehicles 2 that have a prescribed correlation with the past trajectory of the reference vehicle (step ST36).

[0126] If no other vehicle 2 with the prescribed relationship exists in step ST36 (No), the driver assistance control unit 115 repeats the above process. If other vehicle 2 with the prescribed relationship exists in step ST36 (Yes), the driver assistance control unit 115 sets the other vehicle 2 with the relationship as the target vehicle (step ST37).

[0127] Next, the driver assistance control unit 115 estimates the probability of a collision with the target vehicle (step ST38). Then, the driver assistance control unit 115 determines whether the estimated probability of a collision exceeds a predetermined threshold (step ST39). If the probability of a collision does not exceed the predetermined threshold (No), the driver assistance control unit 115 repeats the above process. If the probability of a collision exceeds the predetermined threshold (Yes), the driver assistance control unit 115 sends driver assistance information for the driver assistance device 14 to avoid a collision between the assistance vehicle 101 and the target vehicle (step ST39), and repeats the above process. The driver assistance information is sent at least to the assistance vehicle 101. Additionally, the driver assistance information may also be sent to the target vehicle.

[0128] In the assisted vehicle 101 that receives driving assistance information, the control device 15 assists the driving of the assisted vehicle 101 by performing at least one of the following actions based on the driving assistance information: That is, the control device 15 performs notification control based on the in-vehicle notification device 17 for the passengers of the vehicle 1 to avoid a collision between the vehicle 1 and the target vehicle. The control device 15 performs notification control based on the external notification device 18 for the outside of the vehicle 1. The control device 15 performs collision suppression control for the driving device 16 to prevent a collision between the vehicle 1 and the target vehicle.

[0129] In the other vehicle 2 (the target vehicle) that receives the driving assistance information, the control device 15 notifies the passengers of the target vehicle via the in-vehicle notification device 17 (an example of the second notification device) based on the driving assistance information. Thus, through the driving operations of the passengers of the target vehicle, a collision between the assist vehicle 101 and the target vehicle is prevented, and the driving of the assist vehicle 101 is assisted.

[0130] Thus, in step ST27, the driving assistance external device 110, based on location information, selects vehicles from the other vehicles 2 (excluding the assistance vehicle 101) that meet the prescribed reference vehicle conditions relative to the assistance vehicle 101 as reference vehicles. In step ST29, the driving assistance external device 110 stores the driving trajectory of the reference vehicle. In step ST37, the driving assistance external device 110 selects vehicles from the other vehicles 2 that have a prescribed correlation with the stored driving trajectory and are different from the reference vehicle as target vehicles. Therefore, even if there are errors in the location information of the other vehicles 2 obtained through communication, it is possible to appropriately filter out the other vehicles 2 that should be monitored. In step ST40, based on the location information of the assistance vehicle 101 and the target vehicle, the driving assistance external device 110 sends driving assistance information to at least one vehicle in the vehicle to prevent a collision between the assistance vehicle 101 and the target vehicle. Therefore, the driving assistance external device 110 can assist driving with low computational load.

[0131] The above description of specific embodiments concludes here. However, the present invention is not limited to the above embodiments and modifications, and can be widely modified. For example, in the first embodiment, the driving assistance system 10 is mounted on the vehicle 1; in the second embodiment, the driving assistance system 10 is configured as a driving assistance external device 110. However, a portion of the function can also be achieved through the vehicle 1 and the driving assistance external device 110 respectively. Furthermore, the structural elements and steps shown in the above embodiments are not essential and can be appropriately selected and omitted as long as they do not depart from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A driving assistance system, wherein, is a driving assistance system for a vehicle, The driving assistance system includes: Driving assistance devices, which are used to assist in driving the vehicle; An information acquisition device that acquires the location information of other vehicles traveling around the vehicle; and Control device, which controls the driving assistance device, The control device sets the vehicle that has passed in front of the vehicle among the other vehicles as the reference vehicle. The control device designates vehicles whose travel direction, relative to the position information contained in the position information of the reference vehicle, differs from the reference vehicle as target vehicles. These target vehicles are those that should be monitored as objects to be avoided from collisions. The control device controls the driving assistance device based on the location information of the target vehicle in order to avoid a collision between the vehicle and the target vehicle.

2. The driving assistance system according to claim 1, wherein, The driver assistance system also includes external sensors that detect other vehicles traveling in the vicinity of the vehicle. The control device detects that other vehicles have passed in front of the vehicle through the external sensors.

3. The driving assistance system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The control device estimates the probability of a collision between the vehicle and the target vehicle based on the position of the target vehicle, and controls the driving assistance device based on the probability of a collision.

4. The driving assistance system according to claim 3, wherein, The control device estimates the probability of a collision based on the distance along the driving trajectory from the target vehicle to the position in front of the vehicle.

5. The driving assistance system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The control device compares the direction of travel of the other vehicles with the orientation of a portion of the travel trajectory to determine whether there is a correlation.

6. The driving assistance system according to claim 5, wherein, The control device determines that the correlation exists based on the condition that the angle between the direction of travel of the other vehicle and the orientation of a portion of the travel trajectory is less than a predetermined threshold.

7. The driving assistance system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The control device compares the driving trajectory with the positions of other vehicles to determine whether the other vehicles are correlated with the driving trajectory.

8. The driving assistance system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The driving assistance device includes at least one of the following: a first notification device mounted on the vehicle and notifying passengers or the outside; a second notification device mounted on the target vehicle and notifying passengers; The running gear mounted on this vehicle. In order to avoid a collision between the vehicle and the target vehicle, the control device performs at least one of the following: notification to passengers of the vehicle based on the first notification device; notification to the outside of the vehicle based on the first notification device; notification to passengers of the target vehicle based on the second notification device; and collision suppression control for the driving device to suppress a collision between the vehicle and the target vehicle.

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