Driving assistance device, driving assistance method, computer program product, and computer-readable storage medium

Abstract

The invention provides a driving assistance apparatus, a driving assistance method, a computer program product, and a computer readable storage medium. A driving assistance device for assisting the driving of a host vehicle on the basis of each of a plurality of intersection positions, said driving assistance device being provided with: an acquisition means for acquiring, by means of vehicle-to-vehicle communication, peripheral vehicle information including the travel trajectory of a peripheral vehicle present in the periphery of the host vehicle; a determination means for determining, as a candidate point, a point at which the host vehicle begins to accelerate after decelerating to a speed threshold value or a point at which the host vehicle temporarily stops; a specifying means for specifying, as a new intersection position, a position where the travel trajectory of the host vehicle and the travel trajectory of the surrounding vehicle intersect when it is determined, on the basis of the surrounding vehicle information acquired by the acquiring means, that the surrounding vehicle has passed the predetermined region set for the candidate point; and a registration means for registering the new intersection position when the new intersection position is identified by the identification means.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving assistance device, a driving assistance method, a computer program product and a computer-readable storage medium. Background Art

[0002] There are known devices that provide driving assistance for preventing collisions with other vehicles (surrounding vehicles) without using map information. Patent document 1 discloses a driving assistance device that pre-registers position information of an intersection where the driving track of the own vehicle intersects the driving track of other vehicles in a storage unit and provides driving assistance for the own vehicle when the vehicle passes through the intersection again.

[0003] Prior Art Literature Patent Literature Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent No. 7054636 Summary of the invention Problem that the invention aims to solve The driving assistance device predicts the possibility of collision of the vehicle in the target area in front of the vehicle, and performs driving assistance for the vehicle based on the prediction result. In addition, the driving assistance device changes the degree of driving assistance for the vehicle according to whether the intersection position of the driving track of the vehicle and the driving track of other vehicles determined and registered (stored) in the past exists in the target area. However, if the intersection position is not properly determined for a location where the need for driving assistance is relatively low, or the intersection position is not determined for a location where the need for driving assistance is relatively high, it may become difficult to properly perform driving assistance.

[0004] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a technology that can contribute to appropriate driving assistance of a host vehicle.

[0005] Means used to solve problems To achieve the above-mentioned object, one aspect of the present invention is a driving assistance device, which has a storage device storing a plurality of intersection positions indicating positions where a driving track of a host vehicle and a driving track of other vehicles have intersected in the past, respectively, and performs driving assistance for the host vehicle based on each of the plurality of intersection positions, characterized in that the driving assistance device includes: an acquisition device that acquires surrounding vehicle information including the driving track of the surrounding vehicle from surrounding vehicles existing around the host vehicle through inter-vehicle communication; a determination device that determines a position where the host vehicle starts to accelerate after decelerating to a speed threshold or a position where the host vehicle temporarily stops as a candidate position for determining a position where the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle have intersected; a determination device that determines a position where the driving track of the host vehicle and the driving track of the surrounding vehicle have intersected as a new intersection position when it is determined that the surrounding vehicle has passed through a predetermined area set for the candidate position based on the surrounding vehicle information acquired by the acquisition device; and a registration device that registers the new intersection position in the storage device when the determination device determines the new intersection position.

[0006] To achieve the above-mentioned object, one aspect of the present invention is a driving assistance method, which performs driving assistance for the host vehicle based on each of a plurality of intersection positions respectively indicating positions where the driving trajectory of the host vehicle and the driving trajectory of other vehicles have intersected in the past, characterized in that the driving assistance method includes: an acquisition step, in which surrounding vehicle information including the driving trajectory of the surrounding vehicle is acquired from surrounding vehicles existing around the host vehicle through inter-vehicle communication; a determination step, in which a location where the host vehicle starts to accelerate after decelerating to a speed threshold or a location where the host vehicle temporarily stops is determined as a candidate location for determining the location where the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle have intersected; a determination step, in which, in a case where it is determined that the surrounding vehicle has passed through a predetermined area set for the candidate location based on the surrounding vehicle information acquired in the acquisition step, the location where the driving trajectory of the host vehicle and the driving trajectory of the surrounding vehicle have intersected is determined as a new intersection location; and a registration step, in which, in a case where the new intersection location is determined in the determination step, the new intersection location is registered.

[0007] To achieve the above object, one aspect of the present invention is a computer program product, comprising a computer program for causing a computer to execute a driving assistance method for performing driving assistance of the host vehicle based on each of a plurality of intersection positions respectively indicating positions where the driving track of the host vehicle and the driving tracks of other vehicles have intersected in the past, characterized in that the driving assistance method comprises: an acquisition step, in which surrounding vehicle information including the driving tracks of the surrounding vehicles is acquired from surrounding vehicles existing around the host vehicle through inter-vehicle communication; a determination step, in which a location where the host vehicle starts to accelerate after decelerating to a speed threshold or a location where the host vehicle temporarily stops is determined as a candidate location for determining a location where the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles have intersected; a determination step, in which, in a case where it is determined that the surrounding vehicles have passed through a predetermined area set for the candidate location based on the surrounding vehicle information acquired in the acquisition step, a location where the driving track of the host vehicle and the driving tracks of the surrounding vehicles have intersected is determined as a new intersection location; and a registration step, in which, in a case where the new intersection location is determined in the determination step, the new intersection location is registered.

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, one aspect of the present invention is a computer-readable storage medium for storing a computer program, wherein the computer program is used to cause a computer to execute a driving assistance method for performing driving assistance on the vehicle based on each of a plurality of intersection positions respectively representing positions where the driving trajectory of the vehicle and the driving trajectory of other vehicles have intersected in the past, characterized in that the driving assistance method comprises: an acquisition step, in which surrounding vehicle information including the driving trajectory of the surrounding vehicles existing around the vehicle is acquired through vehicle-to-vehicle communication; a decision step, in which the vehicle a step of determining a location where the host vehicle starts to accelerate after decelerating to below a speed threshold or a location where the host vehicle temporarily stops as a candidate location for determining a location where the host vehicle intersects with the surrounding vehicles; a step of determining, in the step of determining, when it is determined based on the surrounding vehicle information acquired in the step of acquiring that the surrounding vehicles have passed through a predetermined area set for the candidate location, determining a location where the driving track of the host vehicle intersects with the driving track of the surrounding vehicles as a new intersection location; and a step of registering, in the step of registering, when the new intersection location is determined in the step of determining, registering the new intersection location.

[0009] Effects of the Invention According to the present invention, for example, a technique that contributes to appropriate driving assistance of a host vehicle can be provided. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 It is a diagram showing a configuration example of a driving assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0011] Figure 2 It is a diagram showing an example of the structure of a cross position database.

[0012] Figure 3 This is a diagram for explaining the intersection position.

[0013] Figure 4 This is a flowchart showing a driving assistance process according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0014] Figure 5 This is a diagram for explaining the presence or absence of a registered intersection position in a target area in front of the host vehicle.

[0015] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing a learning process according to one embodiment of the present invention.

[0016] Figure 7 It is used for Figure 6 FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining step ( S202 ) of the flowchart.

[0017] Figure 8 It is used for Figure 6 FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining step (S204) of the flowchart.

[0018] Fig. 9 It is used for Figure 6 FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining step (S205) of the flowchart.

[0019] Fig.10 It is used for Figure 6 A diagram for explaining steps (S206 to S207) of the flowchart.

[0020] Fig.11 It is used for Figure 6 FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining step ( S209 ) of the flowchart.

[0021] Fig.12 This is a diagram for explaining another example regarding the setting of the predetermined area ( S205 ).

[0022] Description of Reference Numerals 11: sensor group; 12: GNSS antenna; 13: inter-vehicle communication antenna; 14: notification device; 15: braking device; 20: control device; 21: processing unit; 22: storage unit; 23: GNSS module; 23: inter-vehicle communication module; 100: driving assistance device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0023] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The present invention is not limited to the following embodiments, but also includes changes and deformations of the configuration within the scope of the gist of the present invention. In addition, the combination of features described in the present embodiments is not necessarily required for the present invention. It should be noted that the same components are marked with the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0024] <Configuration of driving assistance devices> Figure 1 1 is a diagram showing a configuration example of a driving assistance device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The driving assistance device 100 is a device mounted on the vehicle in order to assist driving of the vehicle. In the case of the present embodiment, the driving assistance device 100 performs collision prevention assistance for preventing (reducing) collision with surrounding vehicles as driving assistance of the vehicle without using map information. In addition, the driving assistance device 100 according to the present embodiment can include a sensor group 11, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) antenna 12, an inter-vehicle communication antenna 13, a notification device 14, a braking device 15, and a control device 20. It should be noted that in the following description, "other vehicles" means all vehicles different from the vehicle, and specifically, can be defined as vehicles that have performed inter-vehicle communication with the vehicle. In addition, "surrounding vehicles" means vehicles currently existing around the vehicle, and specifically, can be defined as vehicles that are currently performing inter-vehicle communication with the vehicle.

[0025] The sensor group 11 includes various sensors mounted on the vehicle for performing driving assistance of the vehicle. For example, the sensor group 11 can include a speed sensor for detecting the speed of the vehicle, an acceleration sensor for detecting the acceleration of the vehicle, etc. In addition, the sensor group 11 can also include external detection sensors such as cameras, millimeter wave radars, and laser radars (LIDAR: Light Detection and Ranging) that can detect objects around the vehicle. The sensor group 11 outputs its detection results to the control device 20.

[0026] The GNSS antenna 12 receives radio waves for position determination sent from GNSS satellites. For example, the GNSS antenna 12 can be used to obtain information related to the current position of the vehicle. In addition, the inter-vehicle communication antenna 13 is an antenna that can send and receive various data with surrounding vehicles. For example, the inter-vehicle communication antenna 13 can be used to obtain information related to the current position, speed, and driving trajectory of surrounding vehicles.

[0027] The notification device 14 is a device for notifying passengers (e.g., the driver) of the vehicle. When the vehicle may collide with surrounding vehicles, the driving assistance device 100 of the present embodiment can notify passengers of the vehicle of the possibility of collision with surrounding vehicles through the notification device 14 as driving assistance. For example, the notification device 14 may include a display unit such as a display and display information indicating the possibility of collision with surrounding vehicles on the display unit, or may include a sound output unit such as a speaker and output information indicating the possibility of collision with surrounding vehicles from the sound output unit through sound or the like.

[0028] The braking device 15 is, for example, a brake, and is a device for performing a braking action of the vehicle. When the vehicle may collide with a surrounding vehicle, the driving assistance device 100 of this embodiment can assist in decelerating the vehicle and avoid a collision with the surrounding vehicle as driving assistance by actuating the braking device 15.

[0029] The control device 20 is a device (computer) for controlling driving assistance of the vehicle, and can be composed of, for example, an ECU (Electric Control Unit). The control device 20 of this embodiment performs driving assistance through inter-vehicle communication with other vehicles (surrounding vehicles) and processing within the vehicle. That is, the control device 20 performs driving assistance without using map information. The control device 20 includes a processing unit 21, a storage unit 22, a GNSS module 23, and an inter-vehicle communication module 24, which are connected by a bus not shown.

[0030] The processing unit 21 is a processor represented by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and executes a program stored in the storage unit 22. The storage unit 22 includes, for example, a RAM, a ROM, a hard disk, etc., and stores various data on the basis of storing a program (driving assistance program) for the processing unit 21 to execute driving assistance processing of the vehicle and a program (learning program) for the processing unit 21 to learn a new intersection position. In the case of the present embodiment, the storage unit 22 stores a database (information) of multiple intersection positions, each of which represents a position where the driving trajectory of the vehicle and the driving trajectory of other vehicles have intersected in the past. In addition, the GNSS module 23 receives the position information of the vehicle from the GNSS satellite via the GNSS antenna 12. In addition, the inter-vehicle communication module 24 receives various information from other vehicles via the inter-vehicle communication antenna 13.

[0031] The processing unit 21 of this embodiment can include an acquisition unit 21a, a driving assistance unit 21b, a determination unit 21c, a determination unit 21d, and a registration unit 21e in order to perform driving assistance (collision prevention assistance in this embodiment) of the vehicle. It should be noted that the processing unit 21 is not limited to the configuration including the parts 21a to 21e, and other units may be added or some units may be omitted corresponding to the type of driving assistance performed by the vehicle.

[0032] The acquisition unit 21a acquires surrounding vehicle information including the current position, speed and driving track of the surrounding vehicles from the surrounding vehicles via the inter-vehicle communication antenna 13 (inter-vehicle communication module 24). The acquisition unit 21a may also include a function of acquiring the vehicle information including the current position, speed and driving track of the own vehicle via the sensor group 11 and the GNSS antenna 12 (GNSS module 23).

[0033] The driving assistance unit 21b predicts the possibility of collision of the vehicle in the target area in front of the vehicle based on the vehicle information and the surrounding vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 21a, and controls the driving assistance (collision prevention assistance) of the vehicle based on the prediction result. The target area can be understood as the area (driving assistance area) where driving assistance is performed to prevent the vehicle from colliding with the surrounding vehicles, and is sometimes simply referred to as the "target area" below. In the case of this embodiment, the driving assistance unit 21b can perform at least one of notification to the passengers of the vehicle based on the notification device 14 and deceleration assistance of the vehicle based on the braking device 15 as driving assistance of the vehicle.

[0034] In addition, the driving assistance unit 21b of the present embodiment changes the degree of driving assistance (collision prevention assistance) of the host vehicle according to whether at least one intersection position among a plurality of intersection positions stored in the storage unit 22 (database) exists in the target area. Specifically, when at least one intersection position exists in the target area, the driving assistance unit 21b increases the degree of driving assistance of the host vehicle compared to when there is no intersection position in the target area. Examples of increasing the degree of driving assistance of the host vehicle include relaxing the operating conditions of driving assistance to make it easier for driving assistance to operate, increasing the notification level of the notification device 14, and increasing the deceleration of the host vehicle by the brake device 15. As examples of relaxing the operating conditions of driving assistance, there is an increase in the time threshold for operating driving assistance with respect to the collision margin time (TTC: Time To Collision) calculated as the possibility of collision of the host vehicle.

[0035] The decision unit 21c determines a candidate location (hereinafter, sometimes simply referred to as a "candidate location") for determining the position where the host vehicle crosses the surrounding vehicles. In the case of the present embodiment, the decision unit 21c determines the location where the host vehicle starts to accelerate after (immediately after) the vehicle decelerates to below the speed threshold or the location where the vehicle temporarily stops as the candidate location. The speed threshold is used, for example, to detect the situation where the host vehicle temporarily decelerates in order to confirm the safety of the surroundings, such as turning right or left, entering other roads or areas, or temporarily stopping near a stop line, and can be set to 20 km / h as an example.

[0036] When the determination unit 21d determines that the surrounding vehicles have passed through the predetermined area set as the candidate location based on the vehicle information and the surrounding vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 21a, the location where the driving track of the vehicle intersects with the driving track of the surrounding vehicles is determined as a new intersection location. The details of the predetermined area will be described later. It is an area set to determine the passage of the surrounding vehicles as a trigger for executing the determination of the new intersection location, and can also be understood as a passing judgment area. In addition, in the case of the present embodiment, the determination unit 21d has a function as a setting unit for setting the predetermined area for the candidate location and a function as a judgment unit for judging whether the surrounding vehicles have passed through the predetermined area, but it is not limited to this, and the setting unit and the judgment unit may also be provided separately from the determination unit 21d.

[0037] When a new intersection position is determined by the determination unit 21d, the registration unit 21e registers the new intersection position in the storage unit 22 (database). The registration unit 21e may register the new intersection position by adding the new intersection position determined by the determination unit 21d to the storage unit 22 (database), or may modify at least one of the multiple intersection positions stored in the storage unit 22 with the new intersection position to register the new intersection position. It should be noted that the registration unit 21e may also be understood as an updating unit that updates the database of multiple intersection positions stored in the storage unit 22 based on the new intersection position determined by the determination unit 21d.

[0038] Next, the database of a plurality of intersection positions stored in the storage unit 22 will be described. Figure 2 The following is an example of a structure of a database of a plurality of intersection positions stored in the storage unit 22. In addition, in the following, the database of a plurality of intersection positions stored in the storage unit 22 is sometimes referred to as an "intersection position database", and the intersection position registered in the intersection position database is sometimes referred to as a "registered intersection position". It should be noted that Figure 2 The intersection position database shown is merely an example, and the items included in the intersection position database can be changed as appropriate.

[0039] The intersection position database can include information related to the intersection position ID, registration date and time, coordinates, and passing direction for each registered intersection position. The intersection position ID is an identification number for each registered intersection position. The registration date and time is the date and time when the registered intersection position is registered in the intersection position database. Coordinates are data used to determine the registered intersection position, for example, represented by latitude and longitude data. The coordinates can also include altitude data such as altitude on the basis of latitude and longitude data. The passing direction is the direction (direction, angle) that the vehicle faces when passing through the registered intersection position, and can also be understood as the direction of travel of the vehicle when entering the registered intersection position (entry direction). In this embodiment, the passing direction of the vehicle at the registered intersection position is specified as 0° for the north direction, 90° for the east direction, 180° for the south direction, and 270° for the west direction.

[0040] Here, refer to Figure 3 The intersection position is described. Figure 3 1 is a diagram for explaining the intersection position. As mentioned above, the intersection position refers to the position where the driving track of the own vehicle and the driving track of other vehicles have crossed in the past. It should be noted that in this embodiment, right-hand traffic is illustrated and explained, but the same applies to left-hand traffic.

[0041] exist Figure 3 In the example shown in (a), the position where the driving trajectory 31a of the host vehicle SV traveling straight in the north direction intersects with the driving trajectory 32a of the other vehicle OVa traveling straight in the west is determined as the "intersection position CPa" and registered in the intersection position database of the storage unit 22. It should be noted that since the time point (moment) when the host vehicle SV passes through the intersection position CPa and the time point (moment) when the other vehicle OVa passes through the intersection position CPa are different, there will be no collision between the host vehicle SV and the other vehicle OVa. In addition, the driving trajectory 31a of the host vehicle SV is included in the host vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 21a via the sensor group 11 and the GNSS antenna 12 (GNSS module 23). The driving trajectory 32a of the other vehicle OVa is included in the other vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 21a via the inter-vehicle communication antenna 13 (inter-vehicle communication module 24). Since the other vehicle OVa at the time of acquisition is a surrounding vehicle existing around the host vehicle SV, the other vehicle information can also be understood as surrounding vehicle information.

[0042] exist Figure 3In the example shown in (b), the position where the driving trajectory 31b of the host vehicle SV, which is traveling straight in the north direction and turning left, intersects with the driving trajectory 32b of the other vehicle OVb, which is traveling straight in the south direction, is determined as the "intersection position CPb" and is registered in the intersection position database of the storage unit 22. It should be noted that since the time point (moment) when the host vehicle SV passes through the intersection position CPb is different from the time point (moment) when the other vehicle OVb passes through the intersection position CPb, there is no collision between the host vehicle SV and the other vehicle OVb. In addition, the driving trajectory 31b of the host vehicle SV is included in the host vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 21a via the sensor group 11 and the GNSS antenna 12 (GNSS module 23) in the same way as the driving trajectory 31a. The driving trajectory 32b of the other vehicle OVb is included in the other vehicle information (surrounding vehicle information) acquired by the acquisition unit 21a via the inter-vehicle communication antenna 13 (inter-vehicle communication module 24) in the same way as the driving trajectory 32a.

[0043] It should be noted that the functions of the control device 20 can be implemented by either hardware or software. For example, the functions of the control device 20 can be implemented by the processing unit 21 (CPU) executing the driving assistance program and / or the learning program as described above, or can be implemented by a well-known semiconductor device such as a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). In addition, in the present embodiment, the control device 20 is represented as a single element, but it can also be divided into two or more elements as needed.

[0044] <Driving Assistance Process> Hereinafter, the driving assistance process according to the present embodiment will be described. Figure 4 : is a flowchart showing the driving assistance process according to the present embodiment. Figure 4 The driving assistance process shown in the flowchart is executed by the processing unit 21 in the driving assistance device 100 according to the driving assistance program read from the storage unit 22 . Figure 4 The flowchart can be repeatedly executed, for example, until the setting of the driving assistance is turned off or the ignition of the host vehicle SV is turned off.

[0045] In step S101, the processing unit 21 (driving assistance unit 21b) determines whether there is a registered intersection position CP in the target area TA in front of the host vehicle SV by referring to the plurality of registered intersection positions CP stored in the storage unit 22. For example, the processing unit 21 can determine whether there is a registered intersection position CP in the target area TA by comparing the current position of the host vehicle SV acquired by the acquisition unit 21a via the GNSS antenna 12 (GNSS module 23) and the coordinates (latitude, longitude) of each registered intersection position CP stored in the storage unit 22. Figure 5 (a) shows an example in which there is no registered intersection position CP in the target area TA in front of the host vehicle SV. Figure 5 (b) shows an example in which the registered intersection position CP exists in the target area TA in front of the host vehicle SV.

[0046] When there is no registered intersection position CP in the target area TA, the process proceeds to step S102, and the processing unit 21 (driving assistance unit 21b) sets the driving assistance level, which is the degree of driving assistance, to the first level. On the other hand, when there is a registered intersection position CP in the target area TA, the process proceeds to step S103, and the processing unit 21 (driving assistance unit 21b) sets the driving assistance level to the second level. The second level is set to a greater degree of driving assistance (driving assistance level) than the first level, such as the relaxation of the working conditions of the driving assistance. It should be noted that in the present embodiment, two types of driving assistance levels, the first level and the second level, are exemplified, but the driving assistance level is not limited to two, and may be three or more.

[0047] In step S104, the processing unit 21 determines whether there is a surrounding vehicle RV. As described above, the surrounding vehicle RV refers to a vehicle currently existing around the host vehicle SV. For example, the processing unit 21 can determine that there is a surrounding vehicle RV when inter-vehicle communication is performed via the inter-vehicle communication antenna 13 (inter-vehicle communication module 24). If it is determined that there is no surrounding vehicle RV, the process proceeds to step S101, and if it is determined that there is a surrounding vehicle RV, the process proceeds to step S105.

[0048] In step S105, the processing unit 21 (acquisition unit 21a) acquires the vehicle information and the surrounding vehicle information. For example, the processing unit 21 acquires the surrounding vehicle information including the current position, speed and driving track of the surrounding vehicle RV from the surrounding vehicle RV via the inter-vehicle communication antenna 13 (inter-vehicle communication module 24). In addition, the processing unit 21 acquires the vehicle information including the current position, speed and driving track of the vehicle SV via the sensor group 11 and the GNSS antenna 12 (GNSS module 23).

[0049] In step S106, the processing unit 21 (driving assistance unit 21b) predicts the possibility of collision between the host vehicle SV and the surrounding vehicle RV in the target area TA based on the host vehicle information and the surrounding vehicle information acquired in step S105. Next, in step S107, the processing unit 21 (driving assistance unit 21b) determines whether there is a possibility of collision between the host vehicle SV and the surrounding vehicle RV based on the prediction result of step S106. If it is determined that there is no possibility of collision, the process proceeds to step S101, and if it is determined that there is a possibility of collision, the process proceeds to step S108.

[0050] In step S108, the processing unit 21 (driving assistance unit 21c) determines whether the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV is within a prescribed range based on the surrounding vehicle information acquired in step S105. The prescribed range can be preset based on the speed lower limit value and the speed upper limit value related to the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV. When the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV is below the speed lower limit value of the prescribed range, it is highly likely that the driver of the surrounding vehicle RV notices the own vehicle SV and decelerates the surrounding vehicle RV without colliding with the own vehicle SV. In other words, the speed lower limit value of the prescribed range related to the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV can be set to a value that can decelerate the surrounding vehicle RV without colliding with the own vehicle SV. In addition, when the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV is above the upper limit value of the prescribed range, it is highly likely that the surrounding vehicle RV is not a vehicle traveling on a highway near the road entered by the own vehicle SV, etc., or a vehicle traveling on a road entered by the own vehicle SV. In other words, the upper limit value of the prescribed range related to the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV can be set to a value that can distinguish whether it is a vehicle traveling on the road entered by the own vehicle SV or a vehicle traveling on a highway near the road. In this way, by executing or suppressing driving assistance in accordance with whether the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV is within a predetermined range, it is possible to reduce the situation where the driver of the host vehicle SV feels annoyed by driving assistance.

[0051] In step S108, when it is determined that the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV is not within the prescribed range, that is, outside the prescribed range, the process proceeds to step S101. In other words, in the case of the present embodiment, the processing unit 21 is not related to the collision possibility predicted in steps S106 to S107, and when the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV is outside the prescribed range, the driving assistance of the host vehicle SV is not performed. On the other hand, when it is determined that the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV is within the prescribed range, the process proceeds to step S109, and the processing unit 21 (driving assistance unit 21c) performs driving assistance of the host vehicle SV. The processing unit 21 can notify the passengers of the host vehicle SV of the collision possibility through the notification device 14 or perform the braking action of the host vehicle SV through the braking device 15 as driving assistance of the host vehicle SV.

[0052] In this way, the driving assistance device 100 of the present embodiment changes the degree of driving assistance (driving assistance level) of the host vehicle SV according to whether there is a registered intersection position CP in the target area TA in front of the host vehicle SV. However, if the intersection position is not properly determined / registered, such as excessive determination / registration of the intersection position for a location where the need for driving assistance is relatively low, or the intersection position is not determined / registered for a location where the need for driving assistance is relatively high, it may be difficult to properly perform driving assistance for the host vehicle SV based on a plurality of registered intersection positions CP in the intersection position database.

[0053] Therefore, the driving assistance device 100 of the present embodiment determines the location where the host vehicle SV starts accelerating after decelerating to a speed threshold or the location where the host vehicle SV temporarily stops as the candidate location. Moreover, when the driving assistance device 100 determines that the surrounding vehicle RV has passed through a predetermined area (passing judgment area) set for the candidate location based on the surrounding vehicle information, the location where the driving track of the host vehicle SV intersects with the driving track of the surrounding vehicle RV is determined as a new intersection location. That is, the driving assistance device 100 determines the new intersection location using the situation that the surrounding vehicle RV has passed through the predetermined area set for the candidate location as a trigger. In addition, when the new intersection location is determined, the driving assistance device 100 registers the new intersection location in the storage unit 22 (intersection location database).

[0054] <Learning Process of New Crossing Position> The following describes the learning process of the new intersection position in the present embodiment. The learning process of the new intersection position can be understood as a process of determining a new intersection position and registering the determined new intersection position in the intersection position database. Figure 6 A flowchart showing a new intersection position learning process in this embodiment. Figure 6 The learning process shown in the flowchart is performed according to the learning program read from the storage unit 22. Figure 4 The flowchart is executed by the processing unit 21 in parallel. Figure 6 The flowchart can be repeatedly executed until the ignition of the vehicle SV is turned off. Figure 7~Figure 11 It is used for Figure 6 1 and 2. The figures are figures for explaining the steps of the flowchart, wherein (a) to (b) in each figure show examples of situations different from each other.

[0055] In step S201, the processing unit 21 determines whether there is a surrounding vehicle RV. Figure 4Similarly, in step S104 of the flowchart, the processing unit 21 can determine that there is a surrounding vehicle RV when inter-vehicle communication is performed via the inter-vehicle communication antenna 13 (inter-vehicle communication module 24). If it is determined that there is no surrounding vehicle RV, step S201 is repeated, and if it is determined that there is a surrounding vehicle RV, the process proceeds to step S202.

[0056] In step S202 , the processing unit 21 (the acquisition unit 21 a ) acquires the own vehicle information and the surrounding vehicle information. Figure 7 (a) in ~ Figure 7 (b) in FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining step S202. The vehicle information includes the driving track 33 of the vehicle SV based on the current position and speed of the vehicle SV. In addition, the surrounding vehicle information includes the driving track 34 of the surrounding vehicle RV based on the current position and speed of the surrounding vehicle RV. Figure 7 (a) in ~ Figure 7 As shown in (b) of FIG. 1 , the driving trajectory 34 of the surrounding vehicle RV is composed of a data column of a plurality of passing points 34a passed by the surrounding vehicle RV, that is, a data column of the current position included in the surrounding vehicle information acquired so far. The plurality of passing points 34a are sometimes referred to as the passing history records (path history records) related to the surrounding vehicle RV. It should be noted that in Figure 6 In the flowchart of FIG. 1 , the acquisition of the vehicle information and the surrounding vehicle information is only performed in step S202, but is not limited thereto. The acquisition of the vehicle information and the surrounding vehicle information can also be performed in step S203. Figure 6 is performed sequentially (periodically) during the execution of the flowchart.

[0057] In step S203, the processing unit 21 (determining unit 21c) determines whether there is a place where the vehicle SV decelerates to below the speed threshold and then starts to accelerate (including a place where the vehicle SV temporarily stops) based on the vehicle information acquired in step S202. As mentioned above, the speed threshold is used to detect the situation where the vehicle SV temporarily decelerates in order to confirm the safety of the surroundings, and as an example, it can be set to 20km / h. In the case where there is no place where the vehicle SV decelerates to below the speed threshold and then starts to accelerate, the process proceeds to step S201. On the other hand, in the case where there is a place where the vehicle SV decelerates to below the speed threshold and then starts to accelerate, the process proceeds to step S204, and the processing unit 21 (determining unit 21c) determines the place as a candidate place 35 for determining the position where the vehicle SV intersects with the surrounding vehicles RV. Figure 8 (a) in ~ Figure 8 (b) is a diagram for explaining step S204.

[0058] In step S205 , the processing unit 21 (determining unit 21 d ) sets the predetermined area 40 for the candidate point 35 determined in step S204 . Fig. 9 (a) in ~ Fig. 9 (b) in the figure is a diagram for explaining the present step S205. As described above, the predetermined area 40 is an area (passing judgment area) set to judge the passage of the surrounding vehicle RV as a trigger for determining the new intersection position. In the case of the present embodiment, the predetermined area 40 is defined as an area of ​​a quadrilateral (U-shaped) having three sides including a first imaginary line 41, a second imaginary line 42 connected to one end point of the first imaginary line 41, and a third imaginary line 43 connected to the other end point of the first imaginary line 41, and the remaining side being open (open). For example, Fig. 9 (a) in ~ Fig. 9 As shown in (b) in FIG. 2 , when the processing unit 21 determines that there is a surrounding vehicle RV in front of the host vehicle SV based on the surrounding vehicle information acquired in step S202, the line including the candidate point 35 and extending in the vehicle width direction of the host vehicle SV is set as the first imaginary line 41, and the predetermined area 40 open to the direction (front) where the surrounding vehicle RV exists is set. In this case, the second imaginary line 42 and the third imaginary line 43 may also be respectively defined as lines extending in front of the host vehicle SV.

[0059] On the other hand, when the processing unit 21 determines that there is a surrounding vehicle RV to the left of the host vehicle SV based on the surrounding vehicle information acquired in step S202, the processing unit 21 Fig.12 As shown in (a) of FIG. 2 , a predetermined area 40 open to the direction (left direction) where the surrounding vehicle RV exists is set by setting a line including the candidate point 35 and extending in the vehicle width direction of the host vehicle SV as a second imaginary line 42. In addition, when the processing unit 21 determines that there is a surrounding vehicle RV to the right of the host vehicle SV based on the surrounding vehicle information acquired in step S202, as shown in FIG. Fig.12 As shown in (b) of FIG. 1 , a line including the candidate point 35 and extending in the vehicle width direction of the host vehicle SV is set as a second virtual line 42 , thereby setting a predetermined area 40 open in the direction (right direction) in which the surrounding vehicle RV exists.

[0060] Here, the processing unit 21 may set the predetermined area 40 in such a manner that the second imaginary line 42 is parallel to the third imaginary line 43. For example, the processing unit 21 may set a rectangular area with the first imaginary line 41, the second imaginary line 42, and the third imaginary line 43 as three sides as the predetermined area 40. In addition, the processing unit 21 may set the predetermined area 40 in such a manner that the length of the second imaginary line 42 and the length of the third imaginary line 43 are greater than the length of the first imaginary line 41. For example, when it is determined that there is a surrounding vehicle RV in front of the host vehicle SV, the processing unit 21 can set a quadrilateral area whose front-to-rear direction is longer than the vehicle width direction of the host vehicle SV as the predetermined area 40. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is a surrounding vehicle RV in the left direction or the right direction of the host vehicle SV, the processing unit 21 can set a quadrilateral area whose vehicle width direction is longer than the front-to-rear direction of the host vehicle SV as the predetermined area 40.

[0061] In step S206, the processing unit 21 (determining unit 21d) determines whether the surrounding vehicle RV has passed through the predetermined area 40 set in step S205 based on the surrounding vehicle information acquired in step S202. Fig.10 (a) in ~ Fig.10 As shown in (b) in FIG. 1 , the processing unit 21 can determine that the surrounding vehicle RV has passed through the predetermined area 40 when the surrounding vehicle RV crosses any one of the first imaginary line 41, the second imaginary line 42, and the third imaginary line 43 from the inside to the outside of the predetermined area 40 based on the driving track 34 of the surrounding vehicle RV included in the surrounding vehicle information. That is, the processing unit 21 can determine that the surrounding vehicle RV has passed through the predetermined area 40 when the driving track 34 of the surrounding vehicle RV intersects any one of the first imaginary line 41, the second imaginary line 42, and the third imaginary line 43. When it is determined that the surrounding vehicle RV has passed through the predetermined area 40, the process proceeds to step S207, and when it is determined that the surrounding vehicle RV has not passed through the predetermined area 40, the process proceeds to step S210.

[0062] In addition, in step S206, the processing unit 21 (determining unit 21d) may also determine whether the host vehicle SV has also passed through the predetermined area 40 based on the host vehicle information acquired in step S202. That is, the processing unit 21 may also determine whether both the host vehicle SV and the surrounding vehicle RV have passed through the predetermined area 40. In this case, if it is determined that both the host vehicle SV and the surrounding vehicle RV have passed through the predetermined area 40, the process proceeds to step S207, and if it is determined that the host vehicle SV or the surrounding vehicle RV has not passed through the predetermined area 40, the process proceeds to step S210.

[0063] In step S207, the processing unit 21 (determining unit 21d) determines, based on the vehicle information and surrounding vehicle information acquired in step S202, if there is a position where the driving trajectory 33 of the vehicle SV intersects with the driving trajectory 34 of the surrounding vehicle RV, such as Fig.10 (a) in ~ Fig.10 As shown in (b) in FIG. 2 , the position is determined as the new intersection position CPn. Next, in step S208, the processing unit 21 (determining unit 21d) determines whether the new intersection position CPn has been determined in step S207. If the new intersection position CPn has been determined, the process proceeds to step S209, and if the new intersection position CPn has not been determined, the process proceeds to step S210.

[0064] Here, it is assumed that, depending on the traffic conditions, a plurality of surrounding vehicles RV will pass through the predetermined area 40 set in step S205. In this case, for each of the plurality of surrounding vehicles RV, the position where the driving trajectory 33 of the host vehicle SV intersects with the driving trajectory 34 of the surrounding vehicle RV is determined. That is, a plurality of intersection positions are determined. Therefore, when the processing unit 21 (determination unit 21d) determines that a plurality of surrounding vehicles RV have passed through the predetermined area 40, the representative value of the position where the driving trajectory 33 of the host vehicle SV intersects with the driving trajectory 34 of each of the plurality of surrounding vehicles RV, that is, the representative value of the plurality of intersection positions, may be determined as a new intersection position CPn. It should be noted that as representative values, average values, median values, or most frequent values ​​may be listed.

[0065] In step S209, the processing unit 21 (registering unit 21e) registers the new intersection position CPn determined in step S207 in the intersection position database (storage unit 22). For example, the processing unit 21 can register the new intersection position CPn determined in step S207 in the intersection position database by adding the new intersection position CPn determined in step S207 to the intersection position database. In addition, the processing unit 21 can also modify the intersection position database with the new intersection position CPn determined in step S207 and register the new intersection position CPn in the intersection position database. For example, Fig.11 (a) in ~ Fig.11 As shown in (b) in the figure, when a new intersection position CPn is determined within a predetermined range R from at least one intersection position CPr among a plurality of registered intersection positions CP in the intersection position database, the processing unit 21 can modify the at least one intersection position CPr with the new intersection position CPn and register the new intersection position CPn in the intersection position database. As a modification method, a method of calculating representative values ​​of the at least one intersection position CPr and the new intersection position CPn and registering the calculated representative values ​​as the at least one intersection position CPr can be cited. It should be noted that in Fig.11 (a) in ~ Fig.11 In (b) of FIG. 1 , only one intersection position CPr is illustrated. In addition, as a representative value, an average value, a median value, or a mode value, etc. can be cited.

[0066] Here, in step S209, the processing unit 21 (registration unit 21e) may also register the driving trajectory 34 (data column of multiple passing points 34a) of the surrounding vehicle RV until reaching the new intersection position CPn in the intersection position database together with the new intersection position CPn based on the surrounding vehicle information. Furthermore, the processing unit 21 may also register the travel direction (passing direction, entry direction) of the own vehicle SV when entering the new intersection position CPn in the intersection position database together with the new intersection position CPn based on the own vehicle information. The processing unit 21 may also register the travel direction (passing direction, entry direction) of the surrounding vehicle RV when entering the new intersection position CPn in the intersection position database together with the new intersection position CPn based on the surrounding vehicle information.

[0067] In step S210, the processing unit 21 (determining unit 21d) determines whether a release condition for releasing the setting of the predetermined area 40 for the candidate location 35 determined in step S204 is satisfied. In the case of the present embodiment, in order to reduce the computational load of the processing unit 21, the number of predetermined areas 40 that can be set is limited to a predetermined number (for example, one). In other words, when a predetermined number of predetermined areas 40 have already been set, the processing unit 21 (determining unit 21d) does not set a new predetermined area 40. Therefore, in this step S210, it is determined whether a release condition for releasing the setting of the predetermined area 40 is satisfied. The release condition can include at least one of a condition that the new intersection position CPn is registered in the intersection position database, a condition that the host vehicle SV has traveled a predetermined distance from the candidate location 35, and a condition that the elapsed time after the setting of the predetermined area 40 exceeds a time threshold. If it is determined that the release condition is not satisfied, the process proceeds to step S206, and if it is determined that the release condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S211. In step S211 , the processing unit 21 (determining unit 21 d ) cancels the setting of the predetermined area 40 .

[0068] As described above, the driving assistance device 100 of the present embodiment determines the location where the host vehicle SV starts accelerating after decelerating to a speed threshold value as the candidate location 35, and determines the location where the driving trajectory 33 of the host vehicle SV intersects with the driving trajectory 34 of the surrounding vehicle RV as the new intersection position CPn when it is determined that the surrounding vehicle RV has passed through the predetermined area 40 set for the candidate location 35. Thus, since the intersection position can be appropriately determined (learned), driving assistance for the host vehicle SV can be appropriately performed.

[0069] <Other embodiments> In the above embodiment, Figure 6 In step S205 of the flowchart, an example is described in which a quadrilateral (U-shaped) area with one side open is set as the predetermined area 40, but it is not limited to this. For example, the processing unit 21 may also set an area in which none of the four sides is open, that is, an area of ​​a quadrilateral closed by four sides as the predetermined area 40. In this case, the processing unit 21 sets an area in step S205 that includes the candidate location 35 and is a quadrilateral (preferably a rectangular shape) with an imaginary line extending in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle SV as one side as the predetermined area 40. As an example, in Fig. 9 (a) in ~ Fig. 9 In (b), a first imaginary line 41, a second imaginary line 42, and a third imaginary line 43 are defined, and on this basis, a fourth imaginary line connecting the end points of the second imaginary line and the end points of the third imaginary line is defined, and a quadrilateral region with the first to fourth imaginary lines as four sides is set as the predetermined region 40. Then, in step S206, the processing unit 21 can determine that the surrounding vehicle RV has passed through the predetermined region 40 when the surrounding vehicle RV crosses any one of the four sides of the predetermined region 40 from the inside to the outside of the predetermined region 40.

[0070] <Summary of implementation methods> 1. The driving assistance device of the above embodiment is a driving assistance device (e.g., 100) having a storage device (e.g., 22) storing a plurality of intersection positions (e.g., CP) respectively indicating positions where the driving trajectory of the host vehicle (e.g., SV) and the driving trajectory of another vehicle (e.g., OV) have intersected in the past, and performs driving assistance of the host vehicle based on each of the plurality of intersection positions, and is characterized in that: The driving assistance device (for example, 100) includes: an acquisition unit (eg, 21 a ) for acquiring surrounding vehicle information including a travel track of the surrounding vehicle (eg, RV) from surrounding vehicles existing around the host vehicle through inter-vehicle communication; a determination unit (e.g., 21c) that determines a point where the host vehicle decelerates to below a speed threshold and then starts to accelerate, or a point where the host vehicle temporarily stops, as a candidate point for determining a position where the host vehicle intersects with the surrounding vehicle (e.g., 35); a determination unit (e.g., 21d) that determines, when it is determined based on the surrounding vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit that the surrounding vehicle has passed through a predetermined area (e.g., 40) set for the candidate location, a position where the driving track of the own vehicle (e.g., 33) and the driving track of the surrounding vehicle (e.g., 34) intersect as a new intersection position (e.g., CPn); and A registration unit (eg, 21e) registers the new intersection position in the storage unit when the new intersection position is determined by the determination unit.

[0071] According to this embodiment, the location where the intersection position of the driving track of the host vehicle and the driving track of the surrounding vehicles is to be determined (learned) is determined as a candidate location, and the crossing position is determined (learned) using the situation that the surrounding vehicles pass through a predetermined area set for the candidate location as a trigger. In other words, since the crossing position can be appropriately determined (learned), the driving assistance of the host vehicle can be appropriately performed.

[0072] 2. Based on the above implementation, The predetermined area is a quadrilateral area with a first imaginary line (for example, 41), a second imaginary line (for example, 42) connected to one end point of the first imaginary line, and a third imaginary line (for example, 43) connected to the other end point of the first imaginary line as three sides, and the remaining side is open. When the determination unit determines that the surrounding vehicle exists in front of the host vehicle based on the surrounding vehicle information, the determination unit sets the predetermined area open to the direction where the surrounding vehicle exists by using a line including the candidate location and extending in the vehicle width direction of the host vehicle as the first imaginary line. The determination unit determines that the surrounding vehicle has passed through the predetermined area when the surrounding vehicle crosses any one of the first imaginary line, the second imaginary line, and the third imaginary line from the inside to the outside of the predetermined area.

[0073] According to this embodiment, since it is possible to accurately determine whether surrounding vehicles have passed through a predetermined area as a trigger for determining (learning) the intersection position, it is possible to reduce excessive determination of the intersection position (overlearning) or undetermined intersection position (unlearning) and appropriately determine the intersection position.

[0074] 3. Based on the above implementation method, The predetermined area is a quadrilateral area with a first imaginary line (for example, 41), a second imaginary line (for example, 42) connected to one end point of the first imaginary line, and a third imaginary line (for example, 43) connected to the other end point of the first imaginary line as three sides, and the remaining side is open. When the determination unit determines that the surrounding vehicle exists in the left direction or the right direction of the host vehicle based on the surrounding vehicle information, the predetermined area opened in the direction where the surrounding vehicle exists is set by using a line including the candidate location and extending in the vehicle width direction of the host vehicle as the second imaginary line. The determination unit determines that the surrounding vehicle has passed through the predetermined area when the surrounding vehicle crosses any one of the first imaginary line, the second imaginary line, and the third imaginary line from the inside to the outside of the predetermined area.

[0075] According to this embodiment, since it is possible to accurately determine whether surrounding vehicles have passed through a predetermined area as a trigger for determining (learning) the intersection position, it is possible to reduce excessive determination of the intersection position (overlearning) or undetermined intersection position (unlearning) and appropriately determine the intersection position.

[0076] 4. Based on the above implementation methods, The determination means sets a quadrilateral region including the candidate point and having a virtual line extending in the vehicle width direction of the host vehicle as one side as the predetermined region, The identification unit determines that the surrounding vehicle has passed through the predetermined area when the surrounding vehicle crosses any one of the four sides of the predetermined area from the inside to the outside of the predetermined area.

[0077] According to this embodiment, since it is possible to accurately determine whether surrounding vehicles have passed through a predetermined area as a trigger for determining (learning) the intersection position, it is possible to reduce excessive determination of the intersection position (overlearning) or undetermined intersection position (unlearning), and appropriately determine the intersection position.

[0078] 5. Based on the above implementation methods, The determination unit sets the predetermined area so that the length of the second imaginary line and the length of the third imaginary line are equal to or greater than the length of the first imaginary line.

[0079] According to this embodiment, the predetermined area can be appropriately set.

[0080] 6. Based on the above implementation methods, The specifying means cancels the setting of the predetermined area for the candidate point when the new intersection position is registered in the storage means by the registration means or when the host vehicle travels a predetermined distance from the candidate point.

[0081] According to this embodiment, the setting of the used scheduled area can be cancelled and the calculation load related to the determination (learning) of the intersection position can be reduced.

[0082] 7. Based on the above implementation method, The determination unit does not set a new predetermined area when a predetermined number of the predetermined areas have already been set.

[0083] According to this embodiment, the calculation load related to the determination (learning) of the intersection position can be reduced by limiting the settable predetermined areas to a predetermined number.

[0084] 8. Based on the above implementation method, The registration unit registers the travel track of the surrounding vehicle until reaching the new intersection position in the storage unit in association with the new intersection position based on the surrounding vehicle information.

[0085] According to this embodiment, the travel trajectory of the surrounding vehicles can be utilized in the driving assistance of the host vehicle to be performed later based on the new intersection position registered in the intersection position database.

[0086] 9. Based on the above implementation methods, The registration unit registers the direction toward which the host vehicle is directed when entering the new intersection position in association with the new intersection position in the storage unit based on the travel trajectory of the host vehicle.

[0087] According to this embodiment, since the direction of the vehicle (entry direction) when entering a new intersection position can be registered as a registration item in the intersection position database together with the new intersection position, the intersection position corresponding to the entry direction (entry direction) of the vehicle can be appropriately utilized in driving assistance of the vehicle.

[0088] 10. Based on the above implementation method, When the registration mechanism determines that the new intersection position is within a predetermined range (e.g., R) from at least one intersection position (e.g., CPr) among the multiple intersection positions stored in the storage mechanism, the registration mechanism modifies the at least one intersection position by the new intersection position and registers the new intersection position in the storage mechanism.

[0089] According to this embodiment, when there is a registered intersection position near the new intersection position among the multiple registered intersection positions in the intersection position database, the new intersection position is avoided to be registered separately from the registered intersection position, so that the intersection position database can be appropriately updated to reduce the amount of data in the intersection position database.

[0090] 11. Based on the above implementation method, The determination unit determines, when it is determined that the plurality of surrounding vehicles have passed through the predetermined area, a representative value of a position where the travel tracks of the plurality of surrounding vehicles intersect the travel track of the host vehicle as the new intersection position.

[0091] According to this embodiment, since a new intersection position is avoided from being registered in the intersection position database for each surrounding vehicle that has passed through the same predetermined area, the intersection position database can be appropriately updated to reduce the amount of data in the intersection position database.

[0092] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various changes and modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A driving assistance device, comprising a storage device storing a plurality of intersection positions respectively indicating positions where a driving track of a host vehicle and a driving track of another vehicle have intersected in the past, and performing driving assistance for the host vehicle based on each of the plurality of intersection positions, characterized in that: The driving assistance device comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires surrounding vehicle information including a driving track of the surrounding vehicle from surrounding vehicles existing around the host vehicle through inter-vehicle communication; a determination unit that determines a point where the host vehicle decelerates to a speed below a threshold value and then starts to accelerate or a point where the host vehicle temporarily stops as a candidate point for determining a position where the host vehicle intersects the surrounding vehicles; a determination unit that determines, when it is determined based on the surrounding vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit that the surrounding vehicle has passed through a predetermined area set for the candidate location, a position where the driving track of the host vehicle intersects with the driving track of the surrounding vehicle as a new intersection position; as well as A registration unit is configured to register the new intersection position in the storage unit when the new intersection position is determined by the determination unit.

2. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The predetermined area is a quadrilateral area whose three sides are a first imaginary line, a second imaginary line connected to one end point of the first imaginary line, and a third imaginary line connected to the other end point of the first imaginary line, and the remaining one side is open. When the determination unit determines that the surrounding vehicle exists in front of the host vehicle based on the surrounding vehicle information, the determination unit sets the predetermined area open to the direction where the surrounding vehicle exists by using a line including the candidate location and extending in the vehicle width direction of the host vehicle as the first imaginary line. The determination unit determines that the surrounding vehicle has passed through the predetermined area when the surrounding vehicle crosses any one of the first imaginary line, the second imaginary line, and the third imaginary line from the inside to the outside of the predetermined area.

3. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The predetermined area is a quadrilateral area whose three sides are a first imaginary line, a second imaginary line connected to one end point of the first imaginary line, and a third imaginary line connected to the other end point of the first imaginary line, and the remaining one side is open. When the determination unit determines that the surrounding vehicle exists in the left direction or the right direction of the host vehicle based on the surrounding vehicle information, the predetermined area opened in the direction where the surrounding vehicle exists is set by using a line including the candidate location and extending in the vehicle width direction of the host vehicle as the second imaginary line. The determination unit determines that the surrounding vehicle has passed through the predetermined area when the surrounding vehicle crosses any one of the first imaginary line, the second imaginary line, and the third imaginary line from the inside to the outside of the predetermined area.

4. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The determination means sets a quadrilateral region having a virtual line including the candidate point and extending in the vehicle width direction of the host vehicle as one side as the predetermined region, The identification unit determines that the surrounding vehicle has passed through the predetermined area when the surrounding vehicle crosses any one of the four sides of the predetermined area from the inside to the outside of the predetermined area.

5. The driving assistance device according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that: The determination unit sets the predetermined area so that the length of the second imaginary line and the length of the third imaginary line are equal to or greater than the length of the first imaginary line.

6. The driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The specifying means cancels the setting of the predetermined area for the candidate point when the new intersection position is registered in the storage means by the registration means or when the host vehicle travels a predetermined distance from the candidate point.

7. The driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The determination unit does not set a new predetermined area when a predetermined number of the predetermined areas have already been set.

8. The driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The registration unit registers the travel track of the surrounding vehicle until reaching the new intersection position in the storage unit in association with the new intersection position based on the surrounding vehicle information.

9. The driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The registration unit registers the direction toward which the host vehicle is directed when entering the new intersection position in association with the new intersection position in the storage unit based on the travel trajectory of the host vehicle.

10. The driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: When the registration unit determines the new intersection position within a predetermined range from at least one intersection position among the plurality of intersection positions stored in the storage unit, the registration unit modifies the at least one intersection position by the new intersection position and registers the new intersection position in the storage unit.

11. The driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that: The determination unit determines, when it is determined that the plurality of surrounding vehicles have passed through the predetermined area, a representative value of a position where the travel tracks of the plurality of surrounding vehicles intersect the travel track of the host vehicle as the new intersection position.

12. A driving assistance method for performing driving assistance on a host vehicle based on each of a plurality of intersection positions respectively indicating positions where a driving track of the host vehicle and a driving track of another vehicle have intersected in the past, characterized in that: The driving assistance method comprises: an acquisition step, in which surrounding vehicle information including a driving track of the surrounding vehicle is acquired from surrounding vehicles existing around the host vehicle through inter-vehicle communication; a determination step, in which a location where the host vehicle decelerates to below a speed threshold and then starts to accelerate or a location where the host vehicle temporarily stops is determined as a candidate location for determining a position where the host vehicle intersects the surrounding vehicles; a determining step, in which, when it is determined based on the surrounding vehicle information acquired in the acquiring step that the surrounding vehicle has passed through a predetermined area set for the candidate location, a position where the driving track of the host vehicle intersects with the driving track of the surrounding vehicle is determined as a new intersection position; and A registration step, in which, when the new intersection position is determined in the determination step, the new intersection position is registered.

13. A computer program product comprising a computer program for causing a computer to execute a driving assistance method for performing driving assistance of the host vehicle based on each of a plurality of intersection positions respectively representing positions where the driving track of the host vehicle and the driving tracks of other vehicles have intersected in the past, characterized in that: The driving assistance method comprises: an acquisition step, in which surrounding vehicle information including a driving track of the surrounding vehicle is acquired from surrounding vehicles existing around the host vehicle through inter-vehicle communication; a determination step, in which a location where the host vehicle decelerates to below a speed threshold and then starts to accelerate or a location where the host vehicle temporarily stops is determined as a candidate location for determining a position where the host vehicle intersects the surrounding vehicles; a determining step, in which, when it is determined based on the surrounding vehicle information acquired in the acquiring step that the surrounding vehicle has passed through a predetermined area set for the candidate location, a position where the driving track of the host vehicle intersects with the driving track of the surrounding vehicle is determined as a new intersection position; and A registration step, in which, when the new intersection position is determined in the determination step, the new intersection position is registered.

14. A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer program for causing a computer to execute a driving assistance method for performing driving assistance for the vehicle based on each of a plurality of intersection positions respectively representing positions where a driving track of the vehicle and a driving track of other vehicles have intersected in the past, wherein: The driving assistance method comprises: an acquisition step, in which surrounding vehicle information including a driving track of the surrounding vehicle is acquired from surrounding vehicles existing around the host vehicle through inter-vehicle communication; a determination step, in which a location where the host vehicle decelerates to below a speed threshold and then starts to accelerate or a location where the host vehicle temporarily stops is determined as a candidate location for determining a position where the host vehicle intersects the surrounding vehicles; a determining step, in which, when it is determined based on the surrounding vehicle information acquired in the acquiring step that the surrounding vehicle has passed through a predetermined area set for the candidate location, a position where the driving track of the host vehicle intersects with the driving track of the surrounding vehicle is determined as a new intersection position; and A registration step, in which, when the new intersection position is determined in the determination step, the new intersection position is registered.

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