Driving assistance device, driving assistance method, program product, and storage medium

Abstract

The invention relates to a driving assistance device, a driving assistance method, a program product, and a storage medium. Whether a road is a confluent road is determined based on shape information of the road. And acquiring map information. On the basis of map information, shape information of a road in a predetermined range with respect to the moving body is acquired. On the basis of the shape information, a confluence road among the roads in the predetermined range is determined. When a confluence road is specified among roads in a predetermined range, control of notification relating to confluence in the specified confluence road in the moving body is performed.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] There is a technique for assisting a vehicle in changing lanes. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for estimating the length of a merging section based on the distance between two points identified in a merging section captured by an in-vehicle camera.

[0003] Prior Art Documents Patent Documents Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2010-198468 Summary of the Invention Problems to be Solved by the Invention In the technique described in Patent Document 1, the position data of the merging road and the exit road on a highway is included in the map data. Therefore, there is a problem that, in order to perform each process including the estimation of the length of the merging section, the merging section needs to be represented as a merging road in the map data.

[0004] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to determine whether a road is a merging road based on the shape information of the road.

[0005] Means for Solving the Problems According to the present invention, there is provided a driving assistance device, The driving assistance device includes: a first acquisition unit that acquires map information; a second acquisition unit that acquires the shape information of a road in a predetermined range with respect to a moving body based on the map information; a determination unit that determines a merging road in the road in the predetermined range based on the shape information; and a control unit that controls the notification related to the merging in the determined merging road in the moving body when a merging road is determined in the road in the predetermined range.

[0006] In addition, according to the present invention, there is provided a driving assistance method, The driving assistance method includes the following steps: acquiring map information; acquiring the shape information of a road in a predetermined range with respect to a moving body based on the map information; determining a merging road in the road in the predetermined range based on the shape information; and When a merging road is determined in the road within the predetermined range, control is performed to notify, in the moving body, about the merging related to the determined merging road.

[0007] Furthermore, according to the present invention, there is provided a program product including a program, which, when the program is executed, causes a computer to perform the following steps: Obtain map information; Based on the map information, obtain shape information of a road within a predetermined range relative to the moving body; Based on the shape information, determine a merging road in the road within the predetermined range; and When a merging road is determined in the road within the predetermined range, control is performed to notify, in the moving body, about the merging related to the determined merging road.

[0008] Still further, according to the present invention, there is provided a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, which stores a program that, when executed, causes a computer to perform the following steps: Obtain map information; Based on the map information, obtain shape information of a road within a predetermined range relative to the moving body; Based on the shape information, determine a merging road in the road within the predetermined range; and When a merging road is determined in the road within the predetermined range, control is performed to notify, in the moving body, about the merging related to the determined merging road.

[0009] Advantages of the Invention According to the present invention, it is possible to determine whether a road is a merging road based on the shape information of the road. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0010] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle M equipped with a driving assistance device.

[0011] Figure 2 is a diagram for explaining the determination of a merging assistance section.

[0012] Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of a notification related to the merging in a merging road.

[0013] Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of merging assistance in an acceleration section.

[0014] Figure 5A diagram showing other examples of merging assistance in the acceleration section.

[0015] Figure 6 A diagram showing other examples of merging assistance in the acceleration section.

[0016] Figure 7 A diagram showing other examples of merging assistance in the merging section.

[0017] Figure 8 A flowchart showing an example of control processing for notifications related to merging performed by a driving assistance device.

[0018] Figure 9 A flowchart showing an example of merging assistance processing performed by a driving assistance device.

[0019] Explanation of reference numerals 100: Driving assistance device; 110: Driving assistance device; 120: Imaging device. Detailed implementation mode

[0020] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In addition, the embodiments below do not limit the invention related to the technical solution. Also, not all of the feature combinations described in the embodiments are essential for the invention. Two or more of the multiple features described in the embodiments can be arbitrarily combined. In addition, the same reference numerals are assigned to the same or similar components, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0021] The driving assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention acquires map information and acquires shape information of a road within a predetermined range from the moving body based on the acquired map information. Next, based on the acquired shape information, a merging road in the road within the predetermined range is determined, and when the merging road is determined, control of notifications related to merging in the merging road in the moving body is performed.

[0022] The driving assistance device according to the present embodiment is an in-vehicle device (ECU) mounted on a moving body, i.e., a vehicle, and can control the vehicle based on each processing result. However, if the same operation can be performed, it can be a portable terminal or a server, etc., and is not limited to these. The moving body according to the present embodiment refers to a structure that can move autonomously through a driving mechanism provided in itself, such as a vehicle (four-wheel or two-wheel), a micro-moving vehicle, or an autonomous walking robot. In the following description, a vehicle moving on the ground is described as the moving body.

[0023] [System] Figure 1It is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of a vehicle M equipped with the driving assistance device 100 according to this embodiment. In Figure 1 it, the vehicle M includes a camera 10, a radar device 12, a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 14, an object recognition device 16, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, a vehicle sensor 40, a driving operation member 80, a driving assistance device 100, a driving force output device 200, a braking device 210, and a steering device 220. Each component included in the vehicle M is connected via an overlapping communication line such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication line, a serial communication line, or a wireless communication network so as to be able to receive and transmit mutual information. Figure 1 The configuration shown is an example, and a part of the configuration may be omitted, and other configurations may be added.

[0024] The camera 10 is a digital camera using an individual imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Couple Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is installed at an arbitrary position of the vehicle M. When photographing the front of the vehicle M, the camera 10 is installed on the upper part of the windshield or the back of the in-vehicle rearview mirror, etc. The camera 10 periodically repeats photographing the periphery of the vehicle M. The camera 10 may be a stereo camera.

[0025] The radar device 12 radiates radio waves such as millimeter waves to the periphery of the vehicle M and detects the radio waves (reflected waves) reflected by an object to at least detect the position (distance and azimuth) of the object. The radar device 12 is installed at an arbitrary position of the vehicle M. The radar device 12 detects the position and speed of an object by the FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

[0026] The LIDAR 14 irradiates light (or an electromagnetic wave having a wavelength close to light) to the periphery of the vehicle M and measures the scattered light. The LIDAR 14 detects the distance to an object based on the time from light emission to light reception. The irradiated light is, for example, pulsed laser light. The LIDAR 14 is installed at an arbitrary position of the vehicle M.

[0027] The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results detected by a part or all of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14, thereby recognizing the position, type, speed, etc. of the object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition result to the driving assistance device 100. The object recognition device 16 may output the detection results of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to the driving assistance device 100 as they are. Additionally, the object recognition device 16 may be omitted.

[0028] The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupants of the vehicle M and accepts input operations performed by the occupants. The HMI 30 includes various display devices, speakers, buzzers, vibration generating devices (vibrators), touch panels, switches, or buttons, etc. The HMI 30 is an example of a "notification device". As described above, in the present embodiment, since the driving assistance device 100 is an in-vehicle device, the HMI 30 is an in-vehicle display device, etc. For example, when the driving assistance device 100 is a portable terminal (not shown) such as a smartphone owned by the user, the HMI 30 may be a display and speakers, etc. provided in such a portable terminal. Additionally, in addition to the in-vehicle display device and speakers, it may also be a method of simultaneously performing notifications such as vibrations by the portable terminal.

[0029] The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects the angular velocity about the vertical axis, and an azimuth sensor that detects the orientation of the vehicle M, etc.

[0030] The navigation device 50 has, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver, a guidance control unit, and a storage unit that stores map information, etc. The GNSS receiver determines the position of the vehicle M based on the signals received from the GNSS satellites. The position of the vehicle M can be determined or supplemented by using an INS (Inertial Navigation System) that outputs the vehicle sensor 40. The guidance control unit, for example, determines a path from the position of the vehicle M determined by the GNSS receiver (or an arbitrary input position) to the destination input by the occupant with reference to the map information, and outputs guidance information to the HMI 30 to make the vehicle M travel along the path. The map information is, for example, information that represents the shape of the road by showing road segments and nodes connected by the road segments. The map information may include information such as the curvature of the road or POI (Point Of Interest) information. The navigation device 50 may send the current position and destination of the vehicle M to the navigation server via the communication device and obtain a path from the navigation server.

[0031] The driving operation members 80 include, for example, an accelerator pedal 82, a brake pedal, a steering wheel, a shift lever, and other operation members. The accelerator pedal 82 is an example of an acceleration operation member. Sensors for detecting the operation amount or the presence or absence of an operation are installed on the driving operation members 80, and the detection results are output to a part or all of the traveling driving force output device 200, the braking device 210, and the steering device 220.

[0032] The traveling driving force output device 200 outputs a traveling driving force (torque) for the vehicle to travel to the drive wheels. The traveling driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and a transmission, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) for controlling these. The ECU is configured as described above based on the information input from the driving assistance device 100 or the information input from the driving operation members 80.

[0033] The braking device 210 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a hydraulic cylinder for transmitting hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor for generating hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic cylinder, and an ECU. The ECU controls, based on the electric motor, the information input from the driving assistance device 100 or the information input from the driving operation members 80, and outputs a braking torque corresponding to the braking operation to each wheel. The braking device 210 may include a mechanism for transmitting the hydraulic pressure generated by the operation of the brake pedal included in the driving operation members 80 to the hydraulic cylinder via a master hydraulic cylinder, and use this mechanism as a backup. In addition, the braking device 210 is not limited to the configuration described above, and may be an electronically controlled hydraulic braking device that controls an actuator based on the information input from the driving assistance device 100 and transmits the hydraulic pressure of the master hydraulic cylinder to the hydraulic cylinder.

[0034] The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor, for example, acts on a rack and pinion mechanism to change the orientation of the steered wheels. The steering ECU drives the electric motor and changes the orientation of the steered wheels based on the information input from the driving assistance device 100 or the information input from the driving operation members 80.

[0035] [Driving Assistance Device] The driving assistance device 100 acquires map information and acquires shape information of a road in a predetermined range based on the map information. Next, the driving assistance device 100 determines a merging road in the road in the predetermined range based on the acquired shape information. Further, when a merging road is determined in the road in the predetermined range, the driving assistance device 100 controls the notification related to the merging in the merging road in the vehicle M. Hereinafter, with reference to Figures 1 to 9 , the configuration and the processes executed by such a driving assistance device 100 will be described.

[0036] Regardless of the situation where the vehicle M is placed, the recognition unit 130 among the components included in the driving assistance device 100 always operates. For example, the recognition unit 130 can recognize a situation where the vehicle M changes lanes from the lane to be merged into the merging lane by comparing the position of the vehicle M obtained by positioning the navigation device 50 with the map information.

[0037] The driving assistance device 100 according to the present embodiment includes an acquisition unit 110, a determination unit 120, a recognition unit 130, a determination unit 140, and a control unit 150. These functional units are implemented, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). In addition, some or all of these components can be implemented by hardware (circuit unit; including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or can be implemented by a combination of software and hardware. The program can be pre-stored in a storage device (a storage device having a non-temporary storage medium) such as an HDD (mechanical hard disk) or a flash memory of the driving assistance device 100, a removable storage medium such as a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) or a CD-ROM (Compact Disc Read Only Memory), or can be installed in the HDD or flash memory of the driving assistance device 100 by assembling a storage medium (non-transient storage medium) to a drive device.

[0038] The acquisition unit 110 acquires map information. The map information may be in a manner where the acquisition unit 110 acquires it from the navigation device 50 and the navigation device 50 is included in the driving assistance device 100. The map information according to the present embodiment can be acquired based on the position of the vehicle M, can be acquired based on a user input, or can be acquired based on preset information.

[0039] In addition, the acquisition unit 110 acquires the shape information of roads within a predetermined range based on the acquired map information. In subsequent processing, the roads within this predetermined range are used as the processing objects for determining the merging roads. Hereinafter, such a predetermined range is referred to as a "reference range". The shape information related to this embodiment is information representing the road shape. For example, the map information included above can also be the road shape represented by road segments and nodes connected by the road segments. If the shape of the road that can be referred to is acquired, the road shape can be acquired by any method.

[0040] The acquisition unit 110 can set the above-mentioned reference range. Hereinafter, the setting of the reference range acquired by the acquisition unit 110 will be described. The acquisition unit 110 can set the reference range based on the position of the vehicle M. For example, the acquisition unit 110 can set a rectangular range of a predetermined size (e.g., 5 km × 5 km) centered on the vehicle M in the map information as the reference range. Hereinafter, the reference range is set as a single rectangular range, but it can also be a circular range, for example, and there can also be multiple. In addition, when setting the reference range based on the position of the vehicle M, the position of the vehicle M does not need to be the center of the reference range. For example, the reference range can be set in such a way that it more widely includes the traveling direction of the vehicle M. In this case, as the vehicle M moves, the position of the reference range also changes, and subsequent processing is performed based on the road shape within such a dynamically changing reference range.

[0041] In addition, the size of the reference range can be fixed or can vary according to the state of the vehicle M. For example, the size of the reference range can be determined based on the speed of the vehicle M. In this case, the acquisition unit 110 can set it in such a way that the larger the speed of the vehicle M, the larger the reference range (for example, when the speed of the vehicle is 40 km / h, the length of one side of the square range, that is, the reference range, is set to 5 km, and when the speed of the vehicle is 60 km / h, it is set to 6 km, etc.). In addition, the acquisition unit 110 can set the reference range in such a way as to include the position of the vehicle M and the candidates for the merging roads described later.

[0042] In addition, the acquisition unit 110 can set a reference range in such a way that candidates for the merging road are set in the map information and such candidates are included within the range. For example, the acquisition unit 110 can set the positions of the nodes included in the map information as candidates for the merging road. Additionally, for example, the acquisition unit 110 can set the nodes that satisfy a predetermined condition among the nodes included in the map information as candidates for the merging road. Here, the nodes that satisfy one or more of the specific conditions described later can be set as candidates for the merging road. Furthermore, in this way, when setting candidates for the merging road, if the range searched for setting such candidates is equal to or larger than the reference range, there is no particular limitation. For example, the acquisition unit 110 can set candidates for the merging road based on the entire map information obtained as the processing object. Additionally, for example, when the reference range is a rectangular area that varies in size within a predetermined range according to the speed of the vehicle M, etc., the acquisition unit 110 can set candidates for the merging road from the range of the largest size (for example, when the reference range is a square area that varies from 3 km × 3 km to 10 km × 10 km, from the range of 10 km × 10 km centered on the vehicle M).

[0043] In addition, when the density of roads or intersections is high and roads are merging, it is considered that there is a high probability of misjudging as a merging road. From this perspective, the acquisition unit 110 can determine the number of roads and the number of intersections in the reference range, and based on such the number of roads and the number of intersections, change the size of the reference range. For example, when the total value of the number of roads and the number of intersections exceeds a predetermined threshold (for example, 100), the acquisition unit 110 can reduce the size of the reference range. When the weighted sum such as the sum of twice the number of roads and the number of intersections exceeds a predetermined threshold, the acquisition unit 110 can also reduce the size of the reference range. In this case, for example, when the above total value exceeds a predetermined threshold, the size of the reference range can be changed to a predetermined size smaller than the current reference range (for example, 5 km × 5 km to 3 km × 3 km), but the reference range can also be set in such a way that the larger the total value, the smaller the reference range. In addition, the "intersection" in this embodiment is the point where roads intersect, and is set to include the points of merging roads and non-merging roads.

[0044] In this embodiment, the road segments included in the map information are determined as roads, and the nodes are intersections. However, well-known techniques using maps can be arbitrarily used to determine intersections and roads in the map, and the method is not particularly limited.

[0045] The determination unit 120 determines a merging road in the reference range of the road based on the shape information. In the reference range, the determination unit 120 according to the present embodiment determines a part that satisfies a predetermined condition as a merging road. Hereinafter, such a predetermined condition is referred to as a "specific condition", and such a specific condition will be described.

[0046] In the case where two roads are combined into one road, the number of lanes after the combination decreases. From this perspective, for example, the determination unit 120 may determine such a part as a merging road for the part where the roads are combined (the part where the number of roads decreases before and after this location). In addition, it is considered that, for example, the number of lanes of the road combined with the main road in the merging road is two or less. Therefore, the determination unit 120 may determine such a part as a merging road for the part where the roads are combined when the number of lanes of any one of the roads before the combination is two or less. In addition, it is considered that in the case of a merging road at a non-intersection, the angle at which the roads are combined becomes smaller to some extent. From this perspective, when the combination angle when the roads are combined is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold value (for example, 60 degrees), the determination unit 120 may determine such a combination part as a merging road. As the angle at which the roads are combined, the angle between the road segments with respect to the node is used. Similarly, if the combination angle of the roads can be evaluated, values calculated by different methods may also be used.

[0047] In addition, when a specific attribute is attached to the combined roads in the map information, the determination unit 120 may determine the part where the roads are combined as a merging road. For example, when an attribute indicating an expressway or an attribute indicating a main road is attached to the combined road, the determination unit 120 may determine such a combination part as a merging road. In addition, for example, when an attribute indicating an entrance / exit to an expressway is attached to at least one of the roads before the combination, the determination unit 120 may set such a combination part as a merging road. In addition, for example, when no co-riding use attribute and express travel use attribute are attached to any of the roads before the combination as an added specific condition, the determination unit 120 may set the combination part as a merging road.

[0048] In the present embodiment, a part that satisfies any of the above specific conditions is determined as a merging road. However, in the case where multiple such specific conditions (for example, two or more) are satisfied, such a part may also be determined as a merging road. In addition, in the case where a part of the above specific conditions is satisfied, such a part may be determined as a merging road. By adopting a configuration in which a merging road is determined when multiple specific conditions are satisfied, the accuracy of the presumption of whether it is a merging road can be improved. In addition, the specific conditions given here are just examples, and other specific conditions may be set if they are conditions for determining a merging road.

[0049] When a merging road is determined in the road within the reference range, the control unit 150 controls the notification related to the merging in the merging road in the vehicle M. For example, in the determined merging road, the control unit 150 according to the present embodiment can control the notification for confirming whether to execute the merging assistance process described later, or the notification for indicating the intention to execute the merging assistance process. Hereinafter, the notification for confirming whether to execute the merging assistance process will be described as the notification related to the merging.

[0050] An example of such a notification is as follows Figure 3 shown. In Figure 3 , a diagram showing an example of a notification related to the merging in the merging road displayed on the HMI 30 provided in the vehicle M is shown. In Figure 3 , on the screen of the display device, the meaning that there is a merging road near the vehicle M is displayed, and the display for selecting whether to perform the merging assistance in this merging road is shown. Here, the HMI 30 accepts the user input. When the input to perform the merging assistance is made, the merging assistance process in this merging road is executed. When the input not to perform the merging assistance is made, it is recorded that the merging assistance is not performed in this merging road, and the determination of the merging road within the reference range is continued. In addition, here, the case where the user makes an input via a mechanical switch or a touch panel is described, but for example, the input can also be made by voice recognition, and any other method for obtaining the input made by the user can also be used.

[0051] Here, in addition to the display of the notification, a notification by voice is also made. When a predetermined time limit (for example, 10 seconds) is set and no user input is received at the time point after such a time has elapsed since the display of the notification, the control unit 150 can make a re-notification (especially a notification by voice). In addition, when no user input is received at the time point after such a time has elapsed since the display of the notification, the control unit can continue the display of the notification, or can end the display of the notification in a manner of not performing (or performing) the merging assistance. Whether or not a notification is made, when no user input is made, a re-notification or the continuation of the notification is performed, thereby enabling a user who has not noticed the start of the notification to be given an opportunity to recognize the notification. In addition, when there are a plurality of merging roads within the reference range, the control unit 150 can make notifications for the plurality of merging roads respectively, or can make a single notification for confirming whether to execute the merging assistance process for all of them as an object.

[0052] In addition, for example, the control unit 150 displays a notification, and when no user input is received at the time point when the vehicle M enters an acceleration section described later, a re-notification can be made. According to such processing, the possibility that the user ends without noticing the notification before entering the merging point can be reduced.

[0053] In addition, in the case where a merging road is determined, the control of notifications related to merging in the determined merging road will be described. However, if the control of notifications related to merging in the determined merging is performed, no other conditions need to be set. For example, by obtaining the planned route of vehicle M in the map information, the control of notifications related to merging can be performed only for the determined merging roads on this route.

[0054] In addition, for example, the control unit 150 can estimate the merging point in the merging road and perform notifications at the timing based on the estimated merging point. For example, the control unit 150 can perform notifications when vehicle M has reached a distance (e.g., 3 km) from the estimated merging point, and can perform notifications at a location where the expected arrival time at the estimated merging point is a predetermined time (e.g., 5 minutes). Here, the merging point is set as the point of the node in the map information of the merging road, but the merging point can also be estimated through different processes such as using the surrounding conditions of the vehicle. According to such processing, notifications can be executed at an appropriate timing based on the estimated merging point.

[0055] In addition, for example, when it is determined by the determination unit 140 described later that vehicle M is traveling in the merging section, the control of notifications related to merging in the merging road corresponding to this merging section can be performed. In addition, when it is determined by the determination unit 140 that vehicle M is traveling in the merging assistance section described later, the control of notifications related to merging in the merging road corresponding to this merging section can be performed, but the description related to this processing will be described later. In this way, the determination unit 140 determines whether the determined merging road is an object for which notification control is to be performed. For the merging roads determined to be such objects, the control unit 150 can perform notifications related to merging.

[0056] The recognition unit 130 recognizes the positions, speeds, accelerations, and other states of the objects located around vehicle M based on the information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 via the object recognition device 16. The position of the object is recognized, for example, as the position on the absolute coordinates with the representative point (center of gravity, center of drive shaft, etc.) of vehicle M as the origin and is used for control. The position of the object can be represented by the representative points such as the center of gravity and corner points of the object, and can be represented by the exhibited area. The "state" of the object can include the acceleration or jerk of the object.

[0057] In addition, the recognition unit 130 recognizes, for example, the lane (travel lane) in which the vehicle M is traveling. For example, the recognition unit 130 compares the pattern of the road division lines obtained from the map information of the navigation device 50 (for example, the arrangement of solid lines and dashed lines) with the pattern of the road division lines around the vehicle M recognized from the image captured by the camera 10, thereby recognizing the travel lane. In addition, the recognition unit 130 is not limited to recognizing road division lines, and can also recognize the boundaries of the travel road including road division lines, shoulders, curbs, median strips, or guardrails, etc., whereby the travel lane can be recognized. In this recognition, the position of the vehicle M acquired from the navigation device 50 and the processing result by the INS can also be considered.

[0058] Based on the surrounding conditions of the vehicle M recognized by the recognition unit 130, the determination unit 140 can determine whether it is a situation for notifying the confirmation of whether to perform the merging assistance process. Here, for example, based on the surrounding conditions of the vehicle M, the determination unit 140 can determine whether the vehicle M is located in the merging assistance section for performing the merging assistance. The merging assistance section according to the present embodiment is composed of a preparation section, an acceleration section, and a merging section.

[0059] The determination unit 140 according to the present embodiment can first estimate the merging point in the merging road for merging, and can determine whether the vehicle M is traveling in the merging assistance section based on the estimated merging point and the current position of the vehicle M. Here, when the vehicle M is within a predetermined distance (for example, 3 km) from the estimated merging point, the determination unit 140 can determine that it is traveling in the merging assistance section, and when the estimated arrival time at the estimated merging point is within a predetermined time (for example, 5 minutes), the determination unit 140 can determine that it is traveling in the merging assistance section. Next, when it is determined that the vehicle M is traveling in the merging assistance section, when the vehicle M changes lanes from the merging lane to the merged lane based on the surrounding conditions of the vehicle M, the vehicle M determines whether it is traveling in the acceleration section of the merging lane, or in the merging section, or not traveling in either of them. Here, the acceleration section means the section in which the occupant of the vehicle M performs acceleration (i.e., steps on the accelerator) to prepare for changing lanes from the merging lane to the merged lane, and the merging section means the section actually used for changing lanes from the merging lane to the merged lane after the acceleration. In addition, when it is determined that the vehicle M is traveling in the merging assistance section and not traveling in the acceleration section and the merging section, it is determined that the vehicle M is traveling in the preparation section.

[0060] Figure 2 It is a diagram for explaining the determination process executed by the determination unit 140. Figure 2As an example, a case where the vehicle M merges from the merging lane L1 into the merged lane L2 is shown. As described above, for example, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the case where the vehicle M merges from the merging lane L1 into the merged lane L2 by comparing the position of the vehicle M obtained by positioning the navigation device 50 with the map information.

[0061] When at least one of the zebra crossing area (diversion strip) and the isolation fence is recognized by the recognition unit 130, the determination unit 140 determines the first location where at least one of the zebra crossing area and the isolation fence exists as the start location of the acceleration section (i.e., the end location of the preparation section), and determines the last location where at least one of the zebra crossing area and the isolation fence exists as the end location of the acceleration section. Therefore, the section from entering the merging assistance section to the location P1 is determined as the preparation section. When the vehicle M is between the start location and the end location, the determination unit 140 determines that the vehicle M is traveling in the acceleration section. In Figure 2 In the case of, the determination unit 140 determines the section between the first location where the zebra crossing area exists, that is, between the location P1 and the last location of the zebra crossing area, that is, the location P2, as the acceleration section.

[0062] When the recognition unit 130 recognizes that the vehicle M has passed the end location of the acceleration section, the determination unit 140 determines that the vehicle M is traveling in the merging section. Additionally, for example, when the recognition unit 130 recognizes the location where the road dividing line of the merging lane changes from a solid line to a dashed line, the determination unit 140 can determine this location as the start location of the merging section, and when the vehicle M has passed this start location, the determination unit 140 can determine that the vehicle M is traveling in the merging section. In Figure 2 In the case of, using any method, when the vehicle M has passed the location P2, the determination unit 140 determines that the vehicle M is traveling in the merging section.

[0063] When it is determined that the vehicle M is traveling in the acceleration section and when it is determined that the vehicle M is traveling in the merging section, the control unit 150 performs merging assistance processing with different notification contents. Here, when it is determined that the vehicle M is traveling in the acceleration section, the control unit 150 can perform merging assistance on the HMI 30 by means of images and sounds. Figure 4 It is a diagram showing an example of the merging assistance executed by the control unit 150 when the vehicle M is traveling in the acceleration section. As Figure 4As shown, for example, when it is determined by the recognition unit 130 that the risk for the vehicle M is low based on the recognized surrounding conditions, the control unit 150 causes the HMI 30 to display an image IM1 that strongly urges the accelerator operation in cooperation with the output of the electronic sound. Here, the risk refers to, for example, the TTC (time to collision) related to the traveling direction of another vehicle M1 relative to the vehicle M. The control unit 150 determines that the risk for the vehicle M is low, for example, when the TTC is equal to or greater than the first threshold. When the vehicle M is traveling in an acceleration section, it is generally highly likely that the occupants of the vehicle M have the spare capacity to check the screen of the HMI 30. Therefore, the control unit 150 causes the HMI 30 to perform driving assistance using both an image and sound.

[0064] Figure 5 FIG. is a diagram showing another example of the merging assistance executed by the control unit 150 when the vehicle M is traveling in an acceleration section. As Figure 5 shown, for example, when the control unit 150 determines that the risk for the vehicle M is moderate based on the surrounding conditions recognized by the recognition unit 130, the control unit 150 causes the HMI 30 to display an image IM2 that mildly urges the accelerator operation for the occupants in cooperation with the output of the electronic sound. For example, when the TTC is less than the first threshold and equal to or greater than the second threshold, the control unit 150 determines that the risk for the vehicle M is moderate.

[0065] In addition, the idea of recommending the accelerator operation based on the value of the TTC can be opposite to the Figure 4 case and the Figure 5 case. More specifically, when the TTC is equal to or greater than the first threshold, the control unit 150 causes the HMI 30 to display an image IM2 that mildly urges the accelerator operation in cooperation with the output of the electronic sound. On the other hand, when the TTC is less than the first threshold and equal to or greater than the second threshold, the control unit 150 causes the HMI 30 to display an image IM1 that strongly urges the accelerator operation for the occupants in cooperation with the output of the electronic sound.

[0066] Figure 6 FIG. is a diagram showing another example of the merging assistance executed by the control unit 150 when the vehicle M is traveling in an acceleration section. As Figure 6 shown, for example, when it is determined that the risk for the vehicle M is high based on the surrounding conditions recognized by the recognition unit 130, the control unit 150 causes the HMI 30 to display an image IM3 that does not recommend the accelerator operation in cooperation with the output of the electronic sound. For example, when the TTC is less than the second threshold, the control unit 150 determines that the risk for the vehicle M is high.

[0067] When it is determined that the vehicle M is traveling in the merging section, the control unit 150 can cause the HMI 30 to perform merging assistance by voice and cause the HMI 30 not to perform merging assistance by image. Figure 7 FIG. is a diagram showing an example of merging assistance performed by the control unit 150 when the vehicle M is traveling in the merging section. As Figure 7 shown, for example, when the control unit 150 determines that the risk for the vehicle M is low based on the surrounding conditions recognized by the recognition unit 130, the control unit 150 causes the HMI 30 to output a voice in natural language such as "Attention to the rear". On the other hand, when it is determined that the risk for the vehicle M is high, the control unit 150 causes the HMI 30 to output a voice in natural language such as "Danger on the right", "Danger on the left", or "Danger to the rear". When the vehicle M is traveling in the merging section, since the occupants of the vehicle M generally have little spare capacity to confirm the screen of the HMI 30, the control unit 150 causes the HMI 30 to perform driving assistance by voice. In the present embodiment, such notifications of voices that urge the user to monitor the surroundings, such as "Attention to the rear" or "Danger on the right" ("Direction of urging monitoring" + "Content of notification to the user"), can be made in the merging section.

[0068] In this way, when the vehicle M is traveling in the acceleration section and it is assumed that the occupants have a high spare capacity to confirm the screen of the HMI 30, the control unit 150 emphasizes acceleration assistance and causes the HMI 30 to perform driving assistance by both image and voice. On the other hand, when the vehicle M is traveling in the merging section and it is determined that the occupants have a low spare capacity to confirm the screen of the HMI 30, the control unit 150 emphasizes attention to the risk to the rear and causes the HMI 30 to perform driving assistance by voice without performing merging assistance by image. Thereby, during a lane change, the discomfort felt by the occupants regarding the manner of driving assistance can be reduced.

[0069] In addition, in the above description, it is described that when the determination unit 140 determines that the vehicle M is traveling in the acceleration section, the control unit 150 causes the HMI 30 to perform driving assistance by both image and voice. In order for the occupants to have spare capacity to be able to assist in the movement of the vehicle M, when the recognition unit 130 recognizes the start point of the acceleration section ( Figure 2 location P1), before a predetermined time when the vehicle M enters the acceleration section (i.e., before the predetermined time for performing merging assistance), the control unit 150 can cause the HMI 30 to notify the start of merging assistance. When the determination unit 120 determines that the vehicle M is traveling in the acceleration section, the control unit 150 can cause the HMI 30 to output instruction information related to the throttle operation by voice to make the occupants aware of the start of merging assistance, and then output instruction information by image. Thereby, during a lane change, the discomfort felt by the occupants regarding the manner of driving assistance can be reduced.

[0070] In particular, when the vehicle M has entered the preparation section, the control unit 150 can issue a notification. Additionally, for example, when it is determined that the vehicle M has entered the preparation section and is traveling on the merging road, the control unit 150 can issue a notification. In this way, when issuing a notification, by setting multiple judgment criteria, the possibility of false notifications can be reduced.

[0071] Furthermore, the control unit 150 can obtain an execution history including the number of times the merging assistance process is used by the user, and determine whether to issue a notification regarding whether to execute the merging assistance process based on such an execution history. For example, when the number of times the merging assistance process is used by the user within a predetermined period (e.g., two months) is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value, the control unit 150 can issue a notification regarding whether to execute the merging assistance process. Therefore, the driving assistance device 100 can include a storage unit (not shown), and can record the execution history of the merging assistance process performed by the user by date and save this execution history in a database. Through such processing, it is possible to expect a reduction in unnecessary notifications to users with a decreasing number of times of using the merging assistance process.

[0072] In addition, when only referring to the number of times the merging assistance process is used during a predetermined period, it is considered that it is not possible to determine whether the frequency of execution of the merging assistance process has decreased or the utilization frequency of the vehicle itself has decreased. From this perspective, for example, in addition to obtaining the number of times the merging assistance device is used by the user, the control unit 150 also obtains the driving history of the vehicle M by this user. When the utilization ratio of the merging assistance process during the driving of this user is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value (e.g., 30%), a notification regarding whether to execute the merging assistance process can be issued. Therefore, the driving assistance device 100 can save a database that records the driving history of the vehicle M by the user by date through a storage unit (not shown). Through such processing, it is possible to expect a reduction in unnecessary notifications to users with a decreasing utilization frequency of the merging assistance process.

[0073] In addition, when performing merging assistance processing, it is considered that the user's habits and dislikes corresponding to the shape of the merging road are generated, and the utilization rate of the merging assistance processing also changes through such a shape. From this perspective, the user classifies the merging roads for which merging assistance processing has been performed according to the shape. According to such classification, when the utilization ratio of the merging assistance processing in the user's driving is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold (for example, 30%), the control unit 150 can notify whether to perform the merging assistance processing. For example, the classification of the shape of the merging road can be classified according to the combination angle between roads in the merging road (for example, three classifications of 0 to 30 degrees / 30 to 70 degrees / 70 to 90 degrees, etc.), and can be classified according to whether there is a characteristic shape, etc. If it can be classified by this shape, there is no particular limitation. According to such processing, in the types of merging roads with a reduced utilization frequency, unnecessary notifications to the user can be avoided.

[0074] Next, with reference to Figure 8 , the process of the processing executed by the driving assistance device 100 according to the present embodiment will be described. Figure 8 FIG. is a flowchart showing an example of the driving assistance processing executed by the driving assistance device 100. Figure 8 The processing shown, for example, starts when the vehicle M or the driving assistance device 100 is started, and is repeatedly executed in a predetermined cycle during the driving of the vehicle M.

[0075] In S801, the acquisition unit 110 acquires map information. In the present embodiment, the acquisition unit 110 acquires map information from the navigation device 50. In S802, the acquisition unit 110 acquires the shape information of the roads in the reference range based on the acquired map information. Here, as the shape information of the roads, information on a 5 km × 5 km road section and nodes centered on the vehicle M in the map information is acquired.

[0076] In S803, the determination unit 120 determines the merging roads in the roads in the reference range based on the shape information acquired in S802. In S804, the determination unit 140 determines whether there is a merging road that is the object of the control for notification based on the determination result of the merging road in S803. If there is such a merging road, the process proceeds to S805, and if there is no such merging road, the process ends. Here, all the merging roads in the roads in the reference range are set as the merging roads determined to be the objects of the control for notification.

[0077] In S805, for the merging road determined in S804 to be the object of the control for notification, the control unit 150 controls the notification related to merging. Here, the control unit 150 displays, via the HMI 30, a confirmation of whether to execute the merging assistance process on this merging road. In S806, the control unit 150 determines whether to execute the merging assistance process. If the merging assistance process is to be executed, the process proceeds to S807; if the merging assistance process is not to be executed, the process ends. Here, when a user input is received and an input to execute the merging assistance process has been made, the control unit 150 executes the merging assistance process.

[0078] In S807, the control unit 150 executes the merging assistance process and ends Figure 8 the process. Refer to Figure 9 The merging assistance process will be described later.

[0079] Figure 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the process of the merging assistance process executed by the driving assistance device 100 in S807.

[0080] In S901, the recognition unit 130 compares the position of the vehicle M measured by the navigation device 50 with the map information, thereby determining whether the driving lane is recognized as a merging lane. If the driving lane is recognized as a merging lane, the recognition unit 130 executes the process of S901 again after a predetermined time. If it is recognized as a merging lane, the process proceeds to S902.

[0081] In S902, the determination unit 140 determines whether the vehicle M is traveling in an acceleration section based on the surrounding conditions recognized by the recognition unit 130. If it is determined that the vehicle M is not traveling in an acceleration section, the determination unit 140 executes the process of S902 again after a predetermined time. If it is determined that the vehicle M is traveling in an acceleration section, the process proceeds to S903.

[0082] In S903, the control unit 150 causes the HMI 30 to output indication information related to the throttle operation through both an image and a sound. In S904, the determination unit 140 determines whether the vehicle M is traveling in a merging section based on the surrounding conditions recognized by the recognition unit 130. If it is not determined that the vehicle M is traveling in a merging section, the determination unit 140 executes the process of S904 again after a predetermined time. If it is determined that the vehicle M is traveling in a merging section, the process proceeds to S905.

[0083] In S905, the process in which the control unit 150 causes the HMI 30 to output indication information related to the throttle operation only through a sound ends.

[0084] With such a configuration, it is possible to obtain the shape information of roads within a predetermined range based on the acquired map information, and determine a merging road based on the shape information. Next, when a merging road is determined among the roads within the predetermined range, it is possible to control the notification related to the merging in the merging road in the vehicle M. Therefore, it is possible to determine whether a road is a merging road based on the shape information of the road. In addition, by proceeding from the roads within a specific predetermined range of the merging road, it is expected to reduce the processing load.

[0085] [Summary of the Embodiment] In the above-described embodiment, at least the following driving assistance device, driving assistance method, and program are disclosed.

[0086] 1. The driving assistance device (e.g., 100) of the above-described embodiment includes: A first acquisition unit that acquires map information; A second acquisition unit that acquires the shape information of roads within a predetermined range relative to the moving body based on the map information; A determination unit that determines a merging road among the roads within the predetermined range based on the shape information; and A first control unit that, when a merging road is determined among the roads within the predetermined range, controls the notification related to the merging in the determined merging road in the moving body.

[0087] According to this embodiment, it is possible to determine a merging road based on the shape information of the road and reduce the processing load.

[0088] 2. The driving assistance device of the above-described embodiment, wherein The predetermined range is an area determined based on the position of the moving body.

[0089] According to this embodiment, it is possible to dynamically determine a merging road according to the movement of the moving body.

[0090] 3. In the driving assistance device of the above-described embodiment, The predetermined range is an area further determined based on the speed of the moving body.

[0091] According to this embodiment, it is possible to determine a merging road within an appropriate range according to the speed of the moving body.

[0092] 4. In the driving assistance device of the above-described embodiment, The predetermined range is a rectangular range centered on the moving body.

[0093] According to this embodiment, it is possible to determine a merging road within a rectangular range.

[0094] 5. The driving assistance device according to the above-described embodiment further includes a first setting unit that sets candidates for merging roads in the map information. The second acquisition unit acquires the shape of a road within a predetermined range including the candidates for merging roads as the shape of the road within the predetermined range.

[0095] According to this embodiment, on the basis of candidates being set in advance, a merging road can be determined within a range including such candidates.

[0096] 6. The driving assistance device according to the above-described embodiment, wherein the determination unit further determines the number of roads and the number of intersections within the predetermined range, and the driving assistance device further includes a change unit that changes the predetermined range based on the number of roads and the number of intersections determined by the determination unit within the roads in the predetermined range.

[0097] According to this embodiment, the possibility of false estimation in the area where roads merge can be reduced.

[0098] 7. In the driving assistance device according to the above-described embodiment, when the total value of the number of roads and the number of intersections determined by the determination unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the change unit changes the predetermined range in such a manner that the size of the predetermined range becomes smaller.

[0099] According to this embodiment, a merging road is determined within a smaller range in the area where roads merge, thereby enabling improvement in the accuracy of determination.

[0100] 8. In the driving assistance device according to the above-described embodiment, the number of roads is the number of road segments representing roads in the map information, and the number of intersections is the number of nodes connected by the road segments.

[0101] According to this embodiment, the reference range can be determined based on the road segments and nodes included in the map information.

[0102] 9. In the driving assistance device according to the above-described embodiment, the driving assistance device further includes a second setting unit that sets a plurality of conditions related to the shape information for determining the merging road, and the determination unit determines a portion that satisfies the conditions set by the second setting unit as the merging road.

[0103] According to this embodiment, appropriate conditions for determining a merging road can be set in advance.

[0104] 10. In the driving assistance device according to the above-described embodiment, the determination unit determines a part that satisfies at least two conditions set by the second setting unit as the merging road.

[0105] According to this embodiment, based on a plurality of judgment conditions, the possibility of making a notification related to an incorrect merging road can be reduced.

[0106] 11. In the driving assistance device according to the above-described embodiment, the condition set by the second setting unit is any one of the following conditions: the number of lanes of the road after the combination of roads is two or more; the number of lanes of any one of the roads before the combination of roads is two or less; the angle of combination of roads is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold; and the attribute of the road before combination or the road after combination attached in the map information is a predetermined attribute.

[0107] According to this embodiment, appropriate conditions can be set to determine the merging road.

[0108] 12. The driving assistance device according to the above-described embodiment, wherein the condition related to the shape information includes a condition based on a road section representing a road and a node connected by the road section in the map information.

[0109] According to this embodiment, the merging road can be determined based on the information included in the map information.

[0110] 13. In the driving assistance device according to the above-described embodiment, when it is determined that the moving body is traveling on the merging road, the first control unit controls the notification.

[0111] According to this embodiment, the notification can be started when traveling on the merging road.

[0112] 14. In the driving assistance device according to the above-described embodiment, the driving assistance device further includes a presumption unit that presumes a merging point in the determined merging road, and the first control unit controls the notification based on the presumed merging point.

[0113] According to this embodiment, the notification of the merging point can be started at an appropriate timing.

[0114] 15. In the driving assistance device according to the above-described embodiment, At a location that is a predetermined distance from the meeting point or at a location where the expected time to reach the meeting point is a predetermined time, the first control unit controls the notification.

[0115] According to this embodiment, it is possible to start the notification at an appropriate timing.

[0116] 16. The driving assistance device according to the above embodiment further includes: An identification unit that identifies the surrounding conditions of the moving body; and A first determination unit that determines whether the identified surrounding conditions of the moving body are conditions for the notification made by the first control unit. When the first determination unit determines that it is a condition for the notification, the first control unit performs the notification.

[0117] According to this embodiment, it is possible to determine whether to perform the notification while also considering the surrounding conditions of the moving body.

[0118] 17. In the driving assistance device according to the above embodiment, When the first determination unit determines that it is a condition for the notification and the moving body is traveling on the meeting road, the first control unit performs the notification.

[0119] According to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce the possibility of false notifications by setting multiple conditions.

[0120] 18. In the driving assistance device according to the above embodiment, When a meeting road is determined in the road within the predetermined range, the first control unit notifies whether to perform the meeting assistance process at the meeting point on the meeting road.

[0121] According to this embodiment, it is possible to perform the notification when the meeting road can be determined.

[0122] 19. In the driving assistance device according to the above embodiment, When a user input for notifying whether to perform the meeting assistance process is not received within a predetermined time, the first control unit continues or notifies again whether to perform the meeting assistance process.

[0123] According to this embodiment, it is possible to give a user who has not noticed the start of the notification an opportunity to recognize the notification.

[0124] 20. The driving assistance device according to the above embodiment further includes: An identification unit that identifies the surrounding conditions of the moving body; A second determination unit that determines, based on the recognized surrounding conditions, whether the moving body is traveling in an acceleration section or a merging section of the merging lane when the moving body changes lanes from the merging lane to the merged lane; and A second control unit that controls notifications, which are the merging assistance process, performed by a notification device mounted on the moving body as different notifications when it is determined that the moving body is traveling in the acceleration section and when it is determined that the moving body is traveling in the merging section, At a time point when the moving body enters the acceleration section, if no user input for notifying whether to perform the merging assistance process is received, the first control unit notifies again whether to perform the merging assistance process.

[0125] According to this embodiment, it is possible to give a user who has not noticed the start of the notification an opportunity to recognize the notification.

[0126] 21. The driving assistance device according to the above embodiment further includes a third acquisition unit that acquires the number of times the merging assistance process is used by the user of the moving body, When the number of times of use is less than a predetermined threshold, the first control unit notifies whether to perform the merging assistance process.

[0127] According to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce unnecessary notifications for users with a decreasing number of times of using the merging assistance process.

[0128] 22. The driving assistance device according to the above embodiment further includes a fourth acquisition unit that acquires the number of times the merging assistance process is used by the user of the moving body and the driving history record of the moving body, When the utilization ratio of the merging assistance process in the driving of the moving body by the user is less than a predetermined threshold, the first control unit notifies whether to perform the merging assistance process.

[0129] According to this embodiment, it is possible to reduce unnecessary notifications for users with a decreasing frequency of using the merging assistance process.

[0130] 23. The driving assistance device according to the above embodiment further includes a classification unit that classifies the shape of the merging road, When the utilization ratio of the merging assistance process in the driving of the moving body by the user for each classification of the merging road is less than a predetermined threshold, the first control unit notifies whether to perform the merging assistance process.

[0131] According to this embodiment, in a merging road having a reduced usage frequency of merging assistance, unnecessary notifications to the user can be reduced.

[0132] 24. The driving assistance method performed by the driving assistance device (e.g., 100) according to the above embodiment includes the following steps: Obtain map information; Based on the map information, obtain shape information of a road within a predetermined range relative to the moving body; Based on the shape information, determine a merging road in the road within the predetermined range; and When a merging road is determined in the road within the predetermined range, perform control of a notification related to merging in the determined merging road in the moving body.

[0133] According to this embodiment, it is possible to determine a merging road based on the shape information of the road and reduce the processing load.

[0134] 25. The program product according to the above embodiment includes a program, When the program is executed, the program product causes a computer to execute the following steps: Obtain map information; Based on the map information, obtain shape information of a road within a predetermined range relative to the moving body; Based on the shape information, determine a merging road in the road within the predetermined range; and When a merging road is determined in the road within the predetermined range, perform control of a notification related to merging in the determined merging road in the moving body.

[0135] According to this embodiment, it is possible to determine a merging road based on the shape information of the road and reduce the processing load.

[0136] 26. The storage medium according to the above embodiment causes a computer to execute the following steps: Obtain map information; Based on the map information, obtain shape information of a road within a predetermined range relative to the moving body; Based on the shape information, determine a merging road in the road within the predetermined range; and When a merging road is determined in the road within the predetermined range, perform control of a notification related to merging in the determined merging road in the moving body.

[0137] According to this embodiment, it is possible to determine a merging road based on the shape information of the road and reduce the processing load.

[0138] As described above, the embodiments of the invention have been explained. The invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the gist of the invention.

Claims

1. A driving assistance device, characterized in that: The driving assistance device comprises: A first acquisition unit, which acquires map information; a second acquisition unit that acquires shape information of a road within a predetermined range relative to the mobile body based on the map information; a determining unit that determines a merging road among the roads in the predetermined range based on the shape information; as well as The first control unit controls, when a merging road is specified in the road within the predetermined range, a notification related to merging in the specified merging road in the moving body.

2. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The predetermined range is an area determined based on the position of the moving object.

3. The driving assistance device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The predetermined range is an area determined also based on the speed of the moving object.

4. The driving assistance device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The predetermined range is a rectangular range centered on the moving object.

5. The driving assistance device according to claim 2, characterized in that: The driving assistance device further includes a first setting unit that sets a candidate for a merging road in the map information. The second acquisition unit acquires the shape of a road in a predetermined range including the candidate for the merging road as the shape of the road in the predetermined range.

6. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The determining unit further determines the number of roads and intersections within the predetermined range. The driving assistance device further includes a changing unit that changes the predetermined range based on the number of roads and the number of intersections specified by the specifying unit among the roads in the predetermined range.

7. The driving assistance device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The changing unit changes the predetermined range so that the size of the predetermined range becomes smaller when the total value of the number of the roads and the number of the intersections determined by the determining unit is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold value.

8. The driving assistance device according to claim 6, characterized in that: The number of roads is the number of links representing roads in the map information, and the number of intersections is the number of nodes connected by the links.

9. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving assistance device further includes a second setting unit that sets a plurality of conditions related to the shape information for determining the merging road. The determining unit determines a location satisfying the condition set by the second setting unit as the merging road.

10. The driving assistance device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The determining unit determines a location that satisfies at least two conditions set by the second setting unit as the merging road.

11. The driving assistance device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The condition set by the second setting unit is any of the following conditions: the number of lanes of the road after the roads are combined is more than two; the number of lanes of any road before the roads are combined is less than two; the angle at which the roads are combined is below a predetermined threshold; and the attributes of the road before the combination or the road after the combination attached to the map information are predetermined attributes.

12. The driving assistance device according to claim 9, characterized in that: The conditions related to the shape information include conditions based on links representing roads in the map information and nodes connected by the links.

13. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The first control unit performs control of the notification when it is determined that the mobile body is traveling on the merging road.

14. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving assistance device further includes an estimating unit that estimates a merging point in the determined merging road. The first control unit performs control of the notification at a timing based on the estimated meeting point.

15. The driving assistance device according to claim 14, characterized in that: The first control unit performs control of the notification at a location that is a predetermined distance away from the meeting point or at a location where an expected time to arrive at the meeting point is a predetermined time.

16. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, characterized in that: The driving assistance device further comprises: an identification unit that identifies a peripheral condition of the mobile body; and a first determination unit for determining whether the identified surrounding condition of the mobile body is a condition for the notification made by the first control unit; When the first determination unit determines that the notification is in the condition, the first control unit performs the notification.

17. The driving assistance device according to claim 16, characterized in that: The first control unit makes the notification when the first determination unit determines that the notification is in place and the mobile body is traveling on the merging road.

18. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, characterized in that: When a merging road is determined in the predetermined range of roads, the first control unit notifies whether to execute a merging assist process at a merging point in the merging road.

19. The driving assistance device according to claim 18, characterized in that: The first control unit continues or re-performs the notification of whether to execute the merging assistance process when a user input regarding whether to execute the merging assistance process is not accepted within a predetermined time.

20. The driving assistance device according to claim 18, characterized in that: The driving assistance device further comprises: an identification unit for identifying a surrounding condition of the mobile body; a second determination unit that determines, based on the recognized surrounding conditions, whether the mobile body is traveling in an acceleration section of the merging lane or in a merging section when the mobile body changes lanes from the merging lane to the merged lane; as well as a second control unit configured to control the notification device mounted on the mobile body to perform the merging auxiliary processing as different notifications when it is determined that the mobile body is traveling in the acceleration section and when it is determined that the mobile body is traveling in the merging section, When the moving body enters the acceleration zone, if the user input for notifying whether to execute the merging assistance process is not received, the first control unit again notifies whether to execute the merging assistance process.

21. The driving assistance device according to claim 18, characterized in that: The driving assistance device further includes a third acquisition unit that acquires a number of times the merging assistance process is used by a user of the mobile body. When the number of times of use is less than a predetermined threshold, the first control unit notifies whether to execute the merging support process.

22. The driving assistance device according to claim 18, characterized in that: The driving assistance device further includes a fourth acquisition unit that acquires the number of times the merging assistance process is used by the user of the mobile body and a driving history record of the mobile body. The first control unit notifies whether to execute the merging assistance process when the utilization rate of the merging assistance process in driving of the mobile body by the user is less than a predetermined threshold value.

23. The driving assistance device according to claim 19, characterized in that: The driving assistance device further includes a classification unit that classifies the shape of the merging road. The first control unit notifies whether to execute the merging assistance process when the utilization ratio of the merging assistance process in driving the mobile body by the user for each classification of the merging road is less than a predetermined threshold value.

24. A driving assistance method, characterized in that: The driving assistance method comprises the following steps: Get map information; Based on the map information, acquiring shape information of a road within a predetermined range relative to the moving body; Based on the shape information, determining a merging road among the roads in the predetermined range; as well as When a merging road is identified in the roads within the predetermined range, control is performed to notify the moving body of merging with the identified merging road.

25. A program product comprising a program, characterized in that When the program is executed, the program product causes the computer to execute the following steps: Get map information; Based on the map information, acquiring shape information of a road within a predetermined range relative to the moving body; Based on the shape information, determining a merging road among the roads in the predetermined range; as well as When a merging road is identified in the roads within the predetermined range, control is performed to notify the moving body of merging with the identified merging road.

26. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, characterized in that: The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium stores a program that, when executed, causes a computer to perform the following steps: Get map information; Based on the map information, acquiring shape information of a road within a predetermined range relative to the moving body; Based on the shape information, determining a merging road among the roads in the predetermined range; as well as When a merging road is identified in the roads within the predetermined range, control is performed to notify the moving body of merging with the identified merging road.

Images