Auxiliary device, vehicle, computer readable storage medium, and auxiliary method

Abstract

The invention provides an assistance apparatus, a vehicle, a computer readable storage medium, and an assistance method. The assist device is provided with: a reception unit that receives information indicating the position of a preceding vehicle traveling forward in the direction of travel of the vehicle; a setting unit that, when it is determined that the preceding vehicle is dangerous during the travel of the vehicle, sets a reference point, which is a reference for assisting the travel of the vehicle, on the basis of the position of the preceding vehicle; and an assistance control unit that performs travel assistance on the basis of the reference point, the setting unit updating the reference point when a predetermined condition for determining that the preceding vehicle is dangerous is satisfied after determining that the preceding vehicle is dangerous.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an assisting device, a vehicle, a computer-readable storage medium and an assisting method. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, efforts to provide access to sustainable transportation systems for disadvantaged people among traffic participants have become increasingly active. In order to achieve this goal, research and development are being devoted to further improving the safety and convenience of traffic through research and development related to driving assistance technology. Patent documents 1 and 2 describe technologies related to the range of detecting objects and other vehicles.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2015-45622

[0004] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-253241 Summary of the invention

[0005] However, in driving assistance technology, when judging that the preceding vehicle is dangerous, it is a problem to provide appropriate driving assistance according to the position of the preceding vehicle. In order to solve the above problem, the purpose of this application is to provide appropriate driving assistance according to the position of the preceding vehicle. Moreover, it also contributes to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0006] In a first aspect of the present invention, an assist device is provided. The assist device includes a receiving unit that receives information indicating the position of a leading vehicle traveling ahead of a vehicle in a traveling direction. The assist device includes a setting unit that sets a reference point as a reference for assisting the vehicle based on the position of the leading vehicle when the leading vehicle is determined to be dangerous during driving of the vehicle. The assist device includes an assist control unit that performs driving assistance based on the reference point. After the leading vehicle is determined to be dangerous, the setting unit updates the reference point while a predetermined condition for determining that the leading vehicle is dangerous is satisfied.

[0007] In the above-mentioned auxiliary device, it can be configured that after it is determined that the leading vehicle is dangerous during the driving of the vehicle, the setting unit updates the reference point while the predetermined condition is met, and the setting unit stops updating the reference point when the predetermined condition is no longer met.

[0008] In any of the above-mentioned auxiliary devices, it can be configured that, after it is determined that the leading vehicle is dangerous during the driving of the vehicle, the setting unit updates the reference position while the predetermined conditions are met, and when the predetermined conditions are no longer met, the setting unit stops updating the reference position and fixes the reference position.

[0009] In any of the above-mentioned assistance devices, it can be configured that after determining that the preceding vehicle is dangerous during the driving of the vehicle, the setting unit updates the reference point while the predetermined condition is satisfied, and when the predetermined condition is no longer satisfied, the setting unit stops updating the reference point and fixes the reference point. The assistance control unit can perform driving assistance based on the fixed reference point at least until the vehicle passes the fixed reference point.

[0010] In any of the above-mentioned assisting devices, it may be configured that the predetermined condition includes a condition related to at least one of a speed and an acceleration of the leading vehicle.

[0011] In any of the above-mentioned assist devices, the predetermined condition may include a condition that the magnitude of the acceleration of the preceding vehicle is equal to or smaller than a predetermined acceleration value.

[0012] In any of the above-mentioned assist devices, the predetermined condition may include a condition that the speed of the leading vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined first speed value.

[0013] In any of the above-mentioned assistance devices, the setting unit may be configured so that, when the speed of the leading vehicle is lower than a second speed value that is lower than the first speed value, the setting unit determines that the traveling of the leading vehicle is dangerous.

[0014] In any of the above-mentioned assisting devices, the predetermined condition may include a condition that the speed of the leading vehicle is not constant.

[0015] In any of the above-mentioned assistance devices, a calculation unit may be provided for calculating the distance and direction from the vehicle to the reference point based on the reference point and the current position of the vehicle. The assistance device may be provided with a detection unit for detecting the reference point within a detection range set in advance according to the current position of the vehicle. When the reference point is detected within the detection range, the assistance control unit may perform driving assistance.

[0016] According to a second aspect of the present invention, a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes any one of the above-mentioned assist devices.

[0017] In a third aspect of the present invention, an assisting method is provided. The assisting method comprises a step of receiving information indicating the position of a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle in the direction of travel. The assisting method comprises a step of setting a reference point as a reference for performing driving assist for the vehicle based on the position of the preceding vehicle when the preceding vehicle is judged to be dangerous during driving of the vehicle. The assisting method comprises a step of performing driving assist based on the reference point. In the step of setting the reference point, after the preceding vehicle is judged to be dangerous, the reference point is updated while a predetermined condition for judging that the preceding vehicle is dangerous is satisfied.

[0018] According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a program that causes a computer to function as any one of the above-mentioned supporting devices.

[0019] In addition, the above summary of the invention does not list all the features of the present invention. In addition, a sub-combination of these feature groups may also be an invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0020] Figure 1 The following schematically shows a usage scenario of the auxiliary device 40 according to one embodiment.

[0021] Figure 2 The state in which the vehicle 20 approaches the preceding vehicle 21 is shown.

[0022] Figure 3 This shows a state where the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 exceeds a predetermined speed value.

[0023] Figure 4 The system configuration of the vehicle 20 is shown.

[0024] Figure 5 An example of a period during which the setting unit 220 updates the reference point is shown.

[0025] Figure 6 Another example of the period during which the setting unit 220 updates the reference point is shown.

[0026] Figure 7 Another example of the period during which the setting unit 220 updates the reference point is shown.

[0027] Figure 8 An example of a flowchart related to the support method executed by the support device 40 is shown.

[0028] Fig. 9 An example of a computer 2000 is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0029] Hereinafter, the present invention will be described by way of the embodiments of the invention, but the following embodiments do not limit the claimed invention. In addition, not all combinations of features described in the embodiments are essential to the solution means of the invention.

[0030] Figure 1 The following schematically shows a usage scenario of the assist device 40 according to one embodiment. The vehicle 20 is provided with the assist device 40. The preceding vehicle 21 is provided with the assist device 41. The assist devices 40 and 41 have a driving assist function of performing control related to driving assist of each vehicle.

[0031] The preceding vehicle 21 is a preceding vehicle traveling in front of the traveling path of the vehicle 20. The auxiliary device 40 and the auxiliary device 41 periodically transmit to the outside driving information including identification information of each vehicle, current position, current acceleration and deceleration, and current speed. In this embodiment, a method of performing control related to driving assistance of the vehicle 20 by the auxiliary device 40 based on the driving information transmitted from the auxiliary device 41 is described.

[0032] When the assist device 40 determines that the front vehicle 21 has decelerated suddenly based on the acceleration / deceleration included in the driving information sent from the assist device 41, it determines whether the location Q1 indicating the current location of the front vehicle 21 included in the driving information exists within the detection range 100, which is a range for detecting a reference location that is a reference for driving assistance of the vehicle 20. The detection range 100 is a range that is located ahead of the vehicle 20 from the current location P of the vehicle 20 along the traveling direction of the vehicle 20. The detection range 100 is, for example, a rectangular range. The faster the speed of the vehicle 20, the longer the length of the detection range 100 in the direction along the traveling direction of the vehicle 20 can be set by the assist device 40.

[0033] When the location Q1 is within the detection range 100, the assist device 40 performs driving assistance. Figure 1 As shown, since there is a point Q within the detection range 100, the assistance device 40 performs driving assistance. Specifically, the assistance device 40 performs driving assistance with the point Q as a reference point. For example, the assistance device 40 displays information indicating the distance from the current position P of the vehicle 20 to the point P using the HMI (Human Machine Interface) function of the assistance device 40. Figure 1 An example is shown in which “200 m” is displayed as information indicating the distance from the current position P1 of the vehicle 20 to the reference point Q1.

[0034] Figure 2Indicates the state of the vehicle 20 approaching the preceding vehicle 21. The assistance device 40 determines whether the preceding vehicle 21 is dangerous to the vehicle 20 based on the driving information periodically transmitted from the assistance device 41. For example, when the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 included in the driving information is less than a predetermined speed value, the assistance device 40 determines that the preceding vehicle 21 is dangerous to the vehicle 20. During the period when the preceding vehicle 21 is determined to be dangerous to the vehicle 20, the assistance device 40 updates the reference point at the latest position of the preceding vehicle 21 and performs driving assistance based on the reference point.

[0035] exist Figure 2 In the example of FIG. 1 , it is shown that the preceding vehicle 21 is determined to be dangerous to the vehicle 20, and the latest position Q2 of the preceding vehicle 21 is set as the reference point for driving assistance. Specifically, an example of displaying "180 m" as information indicating the distance from the current position P2 of the vehicle 20 to the reference point Q2 is shown.

[0036] Figure 3 When the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 included in the driving information sent from the assist device 41 exceeds the predetermined speed value, the assist device 40 fixes the point Q3 where the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 exceeds the predetermined speed value as the reference point and performs driving assistance.

[0037] exist Figure 3 In the example of FIG. 1 , a state in which driving assistance is performed with the position Q3 set as the reference point is shown. Specifically, an example in which "140 m" is displayed as information indicating the distance from the current position P3 of the vehicle 20 to the reference point Q3 is shown. The assistance device 40 performs driving assistance based on the reference point Q3 until the current position of the vehicle 20 reaches the reference point Q3. When the current position of the vehicle 20 exceeds the reference point Q3, the assistance device 40 stops driving assistance based on the reference point Q3.

[0038] In this way, after the preceding vehicle 21 suddenly decelerates, the assist device 40 can perform driving assistance while updating the reference point according to the movement of the preceding vehicle 21. Therefore, when the preceding vehicle 21 continues to move after suddenly decelerating, even after the vehicle 20 reaches the point where the preceding vehicle 21 suddenly decelerates, driving assistance can be continued without stopping, so that the distance from the vehicle 20 to the preceding vehicle 21 can be appropriately notified to the occupants of the vehicle 20. As a result, the usability of the vehicle 20 can be improved, and traffic safety can be improved.

[0039] Figure 4 1 shows a system configuration of a vehicle 20. The vehicle 20 includes a sensor 29, an auxiliary device 40, a communication device 250, and an alarm device 270.

[0040] The sensor 29 includes a GNSS receiver 25, a vehicle speed sensor 26, an acceleration sensor 27, and the like. The vehicle speed sensor 26 detects the speed of the vehicle 20. The acceleration sensor 27 detects the acceleration of the vehicle 20. The GNSS receiver 25 obtains the current position information of the vehicle 20 through the global navigation satellite system (GNSS). For example, the alarm device 270 is a device having an HMI (Human Machine Interface) function. The communication device 250 is responsible for communication with the outside of the vehicle 20. The communication device 250 performs vehicle-to-vehicle communication through direct communication such as PC 5. The communication device 250 can communicate through a mobile communication base station to communicate with other vehicles. The communication device 250 has a receiving unit 251 and a sending unit 252.

[0041] The auxiliary device 40 includes a processing unit 200 and a storage unit 290. The processing unit 200 is implemented by, for example, a calculation processing device including a processor. The storage unit 290 is implemented by including a non-volatile storage medium. The processing unit 200 performs processing using information stored in the storage unit 290. The processing unit 200 can be implemented by an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) having a microcomputer including a CPU, ROM, RAM, I / O, and a bus.

[0042] The processing unit 200 includes a calculation unit 210 , a setting unit 220 , a detection unit 230 , and an assist control unit 240 .

[0043] The receiving unit 251 receives information indicating the position of the preceding vehicle 21 traveling ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle 20. For example, the receiving unit 251 receives travel information continuously transmitted from the assist device 41 included in the preceding vehicle 21.

[0044] When determining that the preceding vehicle 21 is dangerous during the travel of the vehicle 20 , the setting unit 220 sets a reference point as a reference for performing travel assistance for the vehicle 20 based on the position of the preceding vehicle 21 .

[0045] The assist control unit 240 performs driving assistance based on the reference point. For example, the calculation unit 210 calculates the distance and direction from the vehicle 20 to the reference point based on the reference point and the current position of the vehicle 20. The detection unit 230 detects the reference point within a detection range that is set in advance according to the current position of the vehicle 20. When the reference point is detected within the detection range, the assist control unit 240 performs driving assistance.

[0046] Specifically, the auxiliary control unit 240 notifies the occupants of the vehicle 20 of the existence of a dangerous location through the HMI function of the alarm device 270. Specifically, the auxiliary control unit 240 notifies the occupants of the vehicle 20 of information indicating the distance from the current position of the vehicle 20 to the reference location through the HMI function of the alarm device 270. The auxiliary control unit 240 can assist the driving of the vehicle 20 itself. The auxiliary control unit 240 can assist the control of the driving speed of the vehicle 20. The auxiliary control unit 240 can assist the steering of the vehicle 20.

[0047] After determining that the preceding vehicle 21 is dangerous, the setting unit 220 updates the reference point while the predetermined conditions for determining that the preceding vehicle 21 is dangerous are satisfied. Specifically, after determining that the preceding vehicle 21 is dangerous during the driving of the vehicle 20, the setting unit 220 updates the reference point while the predetermined conditions are satisfied, and stops updating the reference point when the predetermined conditions are no longer satisfied. More specifically, after determining that the preceding vehicle 21 is dangerous during the driving of the vehicle 20, the setting unit 220 updates the reference point while the predetermined conditions are satisfied, and stops updating the reference point and fixes the reference point when the predetermined conditions are no longer satisfied. For example, after determining that the preceding vehicle 21 is dangerous during the driving of the vehicle 20, the setting unit 220 updates the reference point while the predetermined conditions are satisfied, and stops updating the reference point and fixes the reference point when the predetermined conditions are no longer satisfied, and the assistance control unit 240 performs driving assistance based on the fixed reference point at least until the vehicle 20 passes the fixed reference point. After the vehicle 20 passes the fixed reference point, the assist control unit 240 may perform driving assistance until the distance from the fixed reference point to the current position of the vehicle 20 reaches a predetermined distance. The “predetermined distance” may be determined based on the positioning error of the GNSS receiver 25 .

[0048] The predetermined condition includes a condition related to at least one of the speed and the acceleration of the preceding vehicle 21. The predetermined condition may include a condition that the magnitude of the acceleration of the preceding vehicle 21 is equal to or smaller than a predetermined acceleration value.

[0049] The predetermined condition may include a condition that the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 is less than a predetermined first speed value. The setting unit 220 may determine that the preceding vehicle 21 is dangerous during the travel of the vehicle 20 when the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 is less than a second speed value lower than the first speed value.

[0050] The predetermined condition may include a condition that the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 is not constant. Thus, when the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 is substantially constant after the preceding vehicle 21 decelerates suddenly, the assist control unit 240 can perform driving control by fixing the point where the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 is substantially constant as the reference point.

[0051] The transmission unit 252 transmits the driving information to the outside of the vehicle 20. For example, the transmission unit 252 periodically transmits the driving information including the vehicle identification information, the current position, the current acceleration / deceleration, and the current speed to the outside of the vehicle 20.

[0052] Figure 5 FIG. 2 shows an example of a period during which the setting unit 220 updates the reference point. When the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 included in the driving information reaches a speed value V2 that is a predetermined value lower than the speed value V0 before the preceding vehicle 21 suddenly decelerates, the setting unit 220 sets the location of the preceding vehicle 21 when the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 becomes less than the speed value V2 as the reference point. Figure 5 In the example of , the setting unit 220 sets the point Q1 as the reference point.

[0053] Thereafter, until the speed value V1 of the preceding vehicle 21 is reached, the setting unit 220 updates the reference point at the current position of the preceding vehicle 21, and the assistance control unit 240 performs driving assistance based on the updated reference point. V1 may be set to a value faster than V2.

[0054] That is, in Figure 5 In the example shown, the setting unit 220 starts to accelerate after the front vehicle 21 decelerates, and continues to update the reference point even when the speed of the front vehicle 21 reaches V2. When the speed of the front vehicle 21 reaches V1 which is faster than V2, the updating of the reference point is stopped and the reference point is fixed at point Q3.

[0055] Thus, when the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 is indeed faster than the speed V2 of the preceding vehicle 21 when the reference point is initially set, it can be determined that the preceding vehicle 21 has begun to substantially accelerate, and thus the updating of the reference point can be stopped. Therefore, in a case where the risk of the vehicle 20 rapidly approaching the preceding vehicle 21 is reduced, the updating of the reference point can be stopped, and the reference point can be fixed at the point Q3. It can be expected that the preceding vehicle 21 reaches a sufficient speed when the vehicle 20 reaches the reference point Q3. Therefore, even if the auxiliary control unit 240 ends the driving assistance when the vehicle 20 reaches the reference point Q3, it can be said that the risk of the vehicle 20 rapidly approaching the preceding vehicle 21 is substantially low. Therefore, the reference point of the driving assistance can be appropriately updated according to the driving of the preceding vehicle 21, while avoiding unnecessary extension of the period of driving assistance.

[0056] Figure 6 FIG. 2 shows another example of the period during which the setting unit 220 updates the reference point. Figure 5 Similarly to the example of , the setting unit 220 sets the point Q1 of the preceding vehicle 21 when the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 becomes equal to or less than V2 as the initial reference point.

[0057] After that, the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 becomes the minimum value at the location Q5, and the preceding vehicle 21 starts to accelerate from the location Q5. When the travel distance during the continuous acceleration of the preceding vehicle 21 reaches the predetermined distance, the setting unit 220 ends the updating of the reference location and fixes the reference location at the location Q6 which has traveled the predetermined distance from the location Q5. That is, the setting unit 220 updates the reference location at the current position of the preceding vehicle 21 while the preceding vehicle 21 is traveling in the section from the location Q1 to the location Q6, and the auxiliary control unit 240 performs driving assistance based on the updated reference location. For example, the "predetermined distance" for ending the updating of the reference location can be set based on the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 when it starts to accelerate. In this way, the setting unit 220 updates the reference location when at least the condition that the magnitude of the acceleration of the preceding vehicle 21 is less than the predetermined acceleration value is satisfied, and stops updating the reference location and fixes the reference location when the magnitude of the acceleration of the preceding vehicle 21 exceeds the predetermined acceleration value for a period longer than the predetermined period.

[0058] Thus, when the acceleration of the preceding vehicle 21 continues within a predetermined period, the updating of the reference point can be stopped. When the acceleration of the preceding vehicle 21 continues within a predetermined period, it can be determined that the preceding vehicle 21 is accelerating intentionally. Therefore, it can be expected that the preceding vehicle 21 is accelerated to a sufficient speed when the vehicle 20 reaches the reference point Q6. Therefore, even if the auxiliary control unit 240 ends the driving assistance when the vehicle 20 reaches the reference point Q6, it can be said that the danger of the vehicle 20 rapidly approaching the preceding vehicle 21 is substantially low. Therefore, the reference point of the driving assistance can be appropriately updated according to the driving of the preceding vehicle 21, while avoiding unnecessary extension of the period of driving assistance.

[0059] Figure 7 FIG. 2 shows another example of the period during which the setting unit 220 updates the reference point. Figure 5 Similarly to the example of , the setting unit 220 sets the point Q10 of the preceding vehicle 21 when the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 becomes equal to or less than V2 as the initial reference point.

[0060] After that, the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 is decelerated to V10 at the location Q11, and the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 is substantially constant from the location Q11. When the travel distance of the preceding vehicle 21 after the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 becomes substantially constant reaches a predetermined distance, the setting unit 220 ends the updating of the reference location and fixes the reference location at the location Q12 which has traveled the predetermined distance from the location Q11. That is, the setting unit 220 updates the reference location at the current position of the preceding vehicle 21 while the preceding vehicle 21 is traveling in the section from the location Q10 to the location Q12, and the assist control unit 240 performs driving assistance based on the updated reference location. For example, the "predetermined distance" for ending the updating of the reference location can be set based on the substantially constant speed of the preceding vehicle 21. In this way, the setting unit 220 updates the reference location when at least the condition that the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 is substantially non-constant is satisfied, and stops the updating of the reference location and fixes the reference location when the magnitude of the acceleration of the preceding vehicle 21 is substantially constant.

[0061] Thus, when the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 remains constant within a predetermined period, the updating of the reference point can be stopped. When the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 remains constant within a predetermined period, it can be determined that the preceding vehicle 21 intentionally continues to travel. Therefore, it can be expected that the preceding vehicle 21 continues to travel even when the vehicle 20 reaches the reference point Q12. Therefore, even if the auxiliary control unit 240 ends the driving assistance when the vehicle 20 reaches the reference point Q12, it can be expected that the risk of the vehicle 20 rapidly approaching the preceding vehicle 21 is low. Therefore, the reference point for driving assistance can be appropriately updated according to the travel of the preceding vehicle 21, while avoiding unnecessary extension of the period for driving assistance.

[0062] Figure 8 An example of a flowchart related to the assist method executed by the assist device 40 is shown. The processing of this flowchart starts when the assist device 40 determines that the preceding vehicle 21 is decelerating suddenly based on the travel information transmitted from the assist device 41 .

[0063] In S802, the detection unit 230 sets the detection range 100 corresponding to the speed of the vehicle 20. As the speed of the vehicle 20 is faster, the detection range 100 is set longer along the traveling direction of the vehicle 20.

[0064] In S804, the detection unit 230 determines whether the position of the preceding vehicle 21 indicated by the position information included in the sudden deceleration information is detected within the detection range 100. For example, the detection unit 230 determines whether the position of the preceding vehicle 21 when the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 is lower than a predetermined second speed value is detected within the detection range 100. The detection unit 230 determines whether the position of the preceding vehicle 21 indicated by the position information included in the sudden deceleration information is detected within the detection range 100 based on the distance and the azimuth to the reference point calculated by the calculation unit 210 and the detection range 100.

[0065] In S804, when the position of the preceding vehicle 21 is not detected within the detection range 100, the processing of this flowchart ends. When the position of the preceding vehicle 21 is detected within the detection range 100, in S806, the setting unit 220 sets the position of the preceding vehicle 21 as the reference point. In S808, the assist control unit 240 performs driving assist based on the reference point.

[0066] In S810, the setting unit 220 determines whether a predetermined condition for determining that the preceding vehicle 21 is dangerous is satisfied. As described above, the predetermined condition may include: the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 is less than a predetermined speed value V1, the magnitude of the acceleration of the preceding vehicle 21 is less than a predetermined acceleration value, the speed of the preceding vehicle 21 is not constant, etc. The speed value V1 may be the current speed of the vehicle 20.

[0067] When it is determined in S810 that the predetermined condition for determining that the preceding vehicle 21 is dangerous is satisfied, the setting unit 220 updates the reference point at the current position of the preceding vehicle 21 in S812, performs driving assistance based on the reference point in S814, and transfers the processing to S810. Each time the setting unit 220 receives new rapid deceleration information from the preceding vehicle 21, the processing of S810 is repeated.

[0068] If it is determined in S810 that the predetermined condition for determining that the preceding vehicle 21 is dangerous is not satisfied, the setting unit 220 stops updating the reference point based on the current position of the preceding vehicle 21 in S822 and fixes the reference point. Next, in S824, the auxiliary control unit 240 performs driving assistance based on the fixed reference point. The auxiliary control unit 240 continues to perform driving assistance based on the fixed reference point until the current position of the vehicle 20 reaches the fixed reference point, and when the current position of the vehicle 20 reaches the fixed reference point, the processing of this flowchart ends.

[0069] According to the assisting device 40 described above, after the preceding vehicle 21 suddenly decelerates, when it is determined that the preceding vehicle 21 is dangerous to the driving of the vehicle 20 based on the driving state of the preceding vehicle 21, the reference point can be updated, and the driving control can be performed based on the updated reference point. In addition, when it is no longer determined that the preceding vehicle 21 is dangerous to the driving of the vehicle 20, the updating of the reference point can be stopped. Thus, the reference point of the driving assistance can be appropriately updated according to the driving of the preceding vehicle 21, while avoiding unnecessary extension of the period of driving assistance.

[0070] In the present embodiment, the sudden deceleration information is sent and received through vehicle-to-vehicle communication. However, a form may be adopted in which a server is also provided to store the sudden deceleration information. For example, when the server receives the sudden deceleration information sent from each vehicle, the server may store the sudden deceleration information for a predetermined period. The server may also send the stored sudden deceleration information to the vehicle traveling toward the location indicated by the sudden deceleration information. A vehicle having a communication obstacle with the preceding vehicle that sends the sudden deceleration information or a vehicle traveling at a position far from the preceding vehicle may sometimes be unable to receive the sudden deceleration information through vehicle-to-vehicle communication. By providing a server that stores the sudden deceleration information, the sudden deceleration information can be provided to the vehicle more reliably.

[0071] In addition, the vehicle 20 is a vehicle as an example of a transportation device. The vehicle may be a car having an internal combustion engine, an electric car, a fuel cell vehicle (FCV), or the like. Cars include buses, trucks, two-wheeled vehicles, and the like. The vehicle may be a saddle-type vehicle, or a motorcycle. As transportation devices, in addition to vehicles, there are also devices such as aircraft including unmanned aerial vehicles and ships. The transportation device may be any device that transports people or goods. The transportation device is an example of a mobile body. The mobile body may be any movable device, and is not limited to the transportation device.

[0072] Fig. 9 An example of a computer 2000 that can fully or partially embody multiple embodiments of the present invention is shown. The program installed in the computer 2000 can cause the computer 2000 to function as a system or each unit of the system involved in the embodiment, or as a device such as the auxiliary device 40 or each unit of the device, perform operations associated with the system, each unit of the system, the device or each unit of the device, and / or perform a process or steps of the process involved in the embodiment. Such a program can be executed by the CPU 2012 in order to cause the computer 2000 to perform the processing flow described in this specification and specific operations associated with some or all of the functional blocks in the block diagram.

[0073] The computer 2000 according to the present embodiment includes a CPU 2012 and a RAM 2014, which are connected to each other via a main controller 2010. The computer 2000 further includes a ROM 2026, a flash memory 2024, a communication interface 2022, and an input / output chip 2040. The ROM 2026, the flash memory 2024, the communication interface 2022, and the input / output chip 2040 are connected to the main controller 2010 via the input / output controller 2020.

[0074] The CPU 2012 operates according to the programs stored in the ROM 2026 and the RAM 2014 , thereby controlling each unit.

[0075] The communication interface 2022 communicates with other electronic devices via a network. The flash memory 2024 stores programs and data used by the CPU 2012 in the computer 2000. The ROM 2026 stores a startup program executed by the computer 2000 when activated, and / or a program dependent on the hardware of the computer 2000. The input / output chip 2040 can also connect various input / output units such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a monitor to the input / output controller 2020 via an input / output port such as a serial port, a parallel port, a keyboard port, a mouse port, a monitor port, a USB port, and an HDMI (registered trademark) port.

[0076] The program is provided via a computer-readable storage medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or a USB flash drive, or a network. RAM 2014, ROM 2026, or flash memory 2024 is an example of a computer-readable storage medium. The program is installed in flash memory 2024, RAM 2014, or ROM 2026 and executed by CPU 2012. The information processing described in these programs is read by computer 2000, and the cooperation between the program and the various types of hardware resources described above is realized. The device or method can be constructed by implementing the operation or processing of information in accordance with the use of computer 2000.

[0077] For example, when the computer 2000 communicates with an external device, the CPU 2012 may execute a communication program loaded into the RAM 2014, and based on the processing described in the communication program, instruct the communication interface 2022 to perform communication processing. Under the control of the CPU 2012, the communication interface 2022 reads the transmission data stored in the transmission buffer processing area provided in the RAM 2014 and the recording medium such as the flash memory 2024, transmits the read transmission data to the network, and writes the reception data received from the network to the reception buffer processing area provided on the recording medium.

[0078] In addition, the CPU 2012 can read all or a necessary part of a file or database stored in a recording medium such as the flash memory 2024 to the RAM 2014, and execute various processes on the data in the RAM 2014. The CPU 2012 then writes the processed data back to the recording medium.

[0079] Various types of information such as programs, data, tables, and databases can be saved to a recording medium and applied to information processing. CPU2012 can perform various operations, information processing, conditional judgment, conditional branching, unconditional branching, information retrieval / replacement, etc., which are specified by the instruction sequence of the program, on the data read from RAM2014, and write the results back to RAM2014. In addition, CPU2012 can retrieve information in files, databases, etc. in the recording medium. For example, when multiple items having attribute values ​​of the first attribute associated with the attribute value of the second attribute are stored in the recording medium, CPU2012 can retrieve an item that specifies the attribute value of the first attribute and is consistent with the condition from the multiple items, read the attribute value of the second attribute stored in the item, and thereby obtain the attribute value of the second attribute associated with the first attribute that meets the pre-set condition.

[0080] The program or software module described above can be stored in a computer-readable storage medium on or near the computer 2000. A recording medium such as a hard disk or RAM provided in a server system connected to a dedicated communication network or the Internet can be used as a computer-readable storage medium. The program stored in the computer-readable storage medium can be provided to the computer 2000 via a network.

[0081] The programs installed in the computer 2000 and causing the computer 2000 to function as the auxiliary device 40 can be run in the CPU 2012 or the like, thereby causing the computer 2000 to function as each unit of the auxiliary device 40. The information processing described in these programs is read into the computer 2000, thereby functioning as specific units in which software and the various hardware resources described above cooperate, that is, each unit of the auxiliary device 40. And, by realizing the calculation or processing of information corresponding to the purpose of use of the computer 2000 in this embodiment using these specific units, a unique auxiliary device 40 corresponding to the purpose of use is constructed.

[0082] Various embodiments are described with reference to block diagrams, etc. In the block diagram, each functional block may represent (1) a step of a process for performing an operation or (2) each unit of a device having the function of performing an operation. Specific steps and each unit may be implemented by a dedicated circuit, a programmable circuit supplied together with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium, and / or a processor supplied together with computer-readable instructions stored on a computer-readable storage medium. The dedicated circuit may include digital and / or analog hardware circuits, and may also include integrated circuits (ICs) and / or discrete circuits. The programmable circuit may include reconfigurable hardware circuits including logical AND, logical OR, logical XOR, logical NAND, logical NOR, and other logical operations, flip-flops, registers, field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic arrays (PLAs), etc., including memory elements.

[0083] The computer-readable storage medium may include any tangible device capable of storing instructions to be executed by an appropriate device, and as a result, the computer-readable storage medium having the instructions stored therein constitutes at least a part of a product containing instructions executable to implement a unit for performing the operations specified in the process flow or block diagram. As examples of computer-readable storage media, electrical storage media, magnetic storage media, optical storage media, electromagnetic storage media, semiconductor storage media, etc. may be included. As more specific examples of computer-readable storage media, floppy disks (registered trademark), floppy disks, hard disks, random access memories (RAM), read-only memories (ROM), erasable programmable read-only memories (EPROM or flash memory), electrically erasable programmable read-only memories (EEPROM), static random access memories (SRAM), compact disk read-only memories (CD-ROM), digital versatile disks (DVD), Blu-ray (registered trademark) optical disks, memory sticks, integrated circuit cards, etc. may be included.

[0084] Computer-readable instructions may include assembly instructions, instruction set architecture (ISA) instructions, machine instructions, machine delegate instructions, microcode, firmware instructions, state setting data, or any source code or object code described in any combination of one or more programming languages ​​including object-oriented programming languages ​​such as Smalltalk (registered trademark), JAVA (registered trademark), C++, and conventional procedural programming languages ​​such as the "C" programming language or similar programming languages.

[0085] Computer readable instructions are provided to a processor or programmable circuit of a general-purpose computer, a special-purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device via a local or local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet, and the computer readable instructions can be executed to implement a unit for performing the operations specified in the described processing flow or block diagram. Examples of processors include computer processors, processing units, microprocessors, digital signal processors, controllers, microcontrollers, etc.

[0086] The present invention has been described above using the embodiments, but the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments. It is obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes or improvements can be made to the above embodiments. It is obvious from the description of the claims that such changes or improvements can also be included in the technical scope of the present invention.

[0087] Regarding the execution order of each process of actions, processes, steps, and steps in the devices, systems, programs, and methods shown in the claims, specifications, and drawings, it should be noted that there is no special indication of "before", "preceding", etc., and in addition, as long as the output of the previous process is not used in the subsequent process, it can be implemented in any order. For the action flow in the claims, specifications, and drawings, even if "first", "next", etc. are used for convenience, it does not mean that it must be implemented in such an order.

[0088] [Description of Reference Numerals]

[0089] 20 vehicles

[0090] 21 front car

[0091] 29 Sensors

[0092] 25GNSS receiver

[0093] 26 Vehicle speed sensor

[0094] 40 auxiliary devices

[0095] 41 Auxiliary devices

[0096] 100 detection range

[0097] 200 Processing Department

[0098] 210 Computing Department

[0099] 220 Setting Department

[0100] 230 Detection Department

[0101] 240 Auxiliary Control Unit

[0102] 250 communication device

[0103] 251 Receiving Department

[0104] 252 Sending Department

[0105] 270 alarm device

[0106] 290 Storage Department

[0107] 2000 Computer

[0108] 2010 Main Controller

[0109] 2012CPU

[0110] 2014 RAM

[0111] 2020 Input / Output Controller

[0112] 2022 Communication Interface

[0113] 2024 Flash

[0114] 2026ROM

[0115] 2040 input / output chips.

Claims

1. An auxiliary device, characterized in that: have: a receiving unit that receives information indicating a position of a second vehicle traveling ahead of the first vehicle in a traveling direction; a setting unit that sets a reference point as a reference for performing driving assistance for the first vehicle based on the position of the second vehicle when it is determined that the second vehicle is dangerous during driving of the first vehicle; as well as an assist control unit that performs driving assistance based on the reference point, After determining that the second vehicle is dangerous, the setting unit updates the reference point while a predetermined condition for determining that the second vehicle is dangerous is satisfied.

2. The auxiliary device according to claim 1, wherein: After determining that the second vehicle is dangerous during the running of the first vehicle, the setting unit updates the reference point while the predetermined condition is satisfied, and stops updating the reference point when the predetermined condition is no longer satisfied.

3. The auxiliary device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: After determining that the second vehicle is dangerous during the travel of the first vehicle, the setting unit updates the reference point while the predetermined condition is satisfied, and stops updating the reference point and fixes the reference point when the predetermined condition is no longer satisfied.

4. The auxiliary device according to claim 3, wherein: After determining that the second vehicle is dangerous during the travel of the first vehicle, the setting unit updates the reference point while the predetermined condition is satisfied, and when the predetermined condition is no longer satisfied, the setting unit stops updating the reference point and fixes the reference point. The assist control unit performs driving assist based on the fixed reference point at least until the first vehicle passes the fixed reference point.

5. The auxiliary device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The predetermined condition includes a condition related to at least one of a speed and an acceleration of the second vehicle.

6. The auxiliary device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The predetermined condition includes a condition that the magnitude of the acceleration of the second vehicle is equal to or smaller than a predetermined acceleration value.

7. The auxiliary device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The predetermined condition includes a condition that the speed of the second vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined first speed value.

8. The auxiliary device according to claim 7, wherein: The setting unit determines that the second vehicle is dangerous during travel of the first vehicle when the speed of the second vehicle is lower than a second speed value that is lower than the first speed value.

9. The auxiliary device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The predetermined condition includes a condition that the speed of the second vehicle is not constant.

10. The auxiliary device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: have: a calculation unit that calculates a distance and a direction from the first vehicle to the reference point based on the reference point and the current position of the first vehicle; as well as a detection unit configured to detect the reference point within a detection range that is set in advance according to the current position of the first vehicle, The assist control unit performs driving assist when the reference point is detected within the detection range.

11. A vehicle, characterized in that: A support device according to any one of claims 1 to 10.

12. An auxiliary method, characterized in that: have: the step of receiving information indicating the position of a second vehicle traveling ahead of the first vehicle in the direction of travel; If it is determined that the second vehicle is dangerous during the running of the first vehicle, a reference point is set based on the position of the second vehicle as a reference for performing driving assistance for the first vehicle; as well as The step of performing driving assistance based on the reference point, In the step of setting the reference point, after determining that the second vehicle is dangerous, the reference point is updated while a predetermined condition for determining that the second vehicle is dangerous is satisfied.

13. A computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: A program for causing a computer to function as the assisting device according to any one of claims 1 to 10 is stored.

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