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

Abstract

The invention provides a driving assistance device, a driving assistance method, a program product, and a storage medium. The driving assistance device includes: an acquisition unit that acquires, from a peripheral vehicle existing around a host vehicle on which the driving assistance device is mounted, peripheral vehicle information indicating a vehicle speed, a position, a travel trajectory, and an instruction state of a turn light of the peripheral vehicle by vehicle-to-vehicle communication; a prediction unit that predicts the possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle on the basis of host vehicle information and surrounding vehicle information, said host vehicle information indicating the vehicle speed, position, travel trajectory, and indication state of the turn light of the host vehicle; and a reporting unit that reports to the occupant of the vehicle on the basis of the prediction result of the prediction unit. The prediction unit predicts the possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle based on at least the indication state of the turn light of the host vehicle, the indication state of the turn light of the surrounding vehicle, and the position of the surrounding vehicle with respect to the host vehicle.

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] In recent years, research has been continuously developing to provide access to a sustainable transportation system for people in a vulnerable position among traffic participants. To achieve this goal, research and development efforts are being made to further improve traffic safety and convenience through research and development of preventive safety technologies. There is known a device that performs driving assistance for preventing collisions with other vehicles (surrounding vehicles) and the like. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-16950 describes content for determining whether a state is a dangerous state based on the state of the direction indicator of another vehicle. Japanese Patent No. 7274991 describes content for determining whether a preceding vehicle is changing lanes or changing its travel route based on the state of the turn signal. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2013-134567 describes content for determining the possibility of a collision between the own vehicle and other vehicles based on a right or left turn of the own vehicle. International Publication No. 2015 / 008380 describes content for suppressing collision avoidance assistance according to the steering condition of the driver of a vehicle. It is difficult to accurately obtain the indication state of the turn signal of other vehicles with high precision by a sensor such as a camera. Summary of the Invention

[0003] One aspect of the present invention provides a technology that facilitates appropriate driving assistance for the present vehicle. Moreover, the present invention further contributes to the development of a sustainable transportation system. According to some embodiments, a driving assistance device is provided, the driving assistance device comprising: an acquisition mechanism that acquires, via vehicle-to-vehicle communication, information of surrounding vehicles indicating the vehicle speed, position, driving trajectory, and turn signal indication state of the surrounding vehicles existing around the present vehicle on which the driving assistance device is mounted; a prediction mechanism that predicts the possibility of collision between the present vehicle and the surrounding vehicles based on information of the present vehicle indicating the vehicle speed, position, driving trajectory, and turn signal indication state of the present vehicle and the information of the surrounding vehicles; and a reporting mechanism that reports to the occupants of the present vehicle based on the prediction result of the prediction mechanism, wherein the prediction mechanism predicts the possibility of collision between the present vehicle and the surrounding vehicles based at least on the turn signal indication state of the present vehicle, the turn signal indication state of the surrounding vehicles, and the position of the surrounding vehicles relative to the present vehicle. According to another embodiment, a driving assistance method is provided, the driving assistance method having: an acquisition step in which an acquisition mechanism acquires, via vehicle-to-vehicle communication, information of surrounding vehicles indicating the vehicle speed, position, driving trajectory, and turn signal indication state of the surrounding vehicles existing around the present vehicle; a prediction step in which a prediction mechanism predicts the possibility of collision between the present vehicle and the surrounding vehicles based on information of the present vehicle indicating the vehicle speed, position, driving trajectory, and turn signal indication state of the present vehicle and the information of the surrounding vehicles; and a reporting step in which a reporting mechanism reports to the occupants of the present vehicle based on the prediction result in the prediction step, wherein in the prediction step, the possibility of collision between the present vehicle and the surrounding vehicles is predicted based at least on the turn signal indication state of the present vehicle, the turn signal indication state of the surrounding vehicles, and the position of the surrounding vehicles relative to the present vehicle. According to yet another embodiment, a program product is provided, the program product for causing a computer to execute the following steps: an acquisition step in which, via vehicle-to-vehicle communication, information of surrounding vehicles indicating the vehicle speed, position, driving trajectory, and turn signal indication state of the surrounding vehicles existing around the present vehicle is acquired; a prediction step in which the possibility of collision between the present vehicle and the surrounding vehicles is predicted based on information of the present vehicle indicating the vehicle speed, position, driving trajectory, and turn signal indication state of the present vehicle and the information of the surrounding vehicles; and a reporting step in which, based on the prediction result in the prediction step, a report is made to the occupants of the present vehicle, wherein in the prediction step, the possibility of collision between the present vehicle and the surrounding vehicles is predicted based at least on the turn signal indication state of the present vehicle, the turn signal indication state of the surrounding vehicles, and the position of the surrounding vehicles relative to the present vehicle.According to another embodiment, a storage medium is provided, and the storage medium stores a program for causing a computer to execute the following steps: an acquisition step in which surrounding vehicle information indicating the vehicle speed, position, driving trajectory, and the indicated state of the turn signal of a surrounding vehicle is acquired from the surrounding vehicles existing around the own vehicle through vehicle-to-vehicle communication; a prediction step in which, based on the own vehicle information indicating the vehicle speed, position, driving trajectory, and the indicated state of the turn signal of the own vehicle and the surrounding vehicle information, the possibility of a collision between the own vehicle and the surrounding vehicle is predicted; and a reporting step in which, based on the prediction result in the prediction step, a report is made to the occupants of the own vehicle. In the prediction step, the possibility of a collision between the own vehicle and the surrounding vehicle is predicted based on at least the indicated state of the turn signal of the own vehicle, the indicated state of the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle, and the position of the surrounding vehicle relative to the own vehicle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0004] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a vehicle according to a part of the embodiments.

[0005] Figure 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of risk position information according to a part of the embodiments.

[0006] Figure 3A 、 Figure 3B is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a trajectory intersection according to a part of the embodiments.

[0007] Figure 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a method for registering a surrounding vehicle according to a part of the embodiments.

[0008] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a range including surrounding vehicles according to a part of the embodiments.

[0009] Figure 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a driving assistance operation related to a surrounding vehicle on the side according to a part of the embodiments.

[0010] Figure 7A 、 Figure 7B is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a driving assistance operation related to a surrounding vehicle on the side according to a part of the embodiments.

[0011] Figure 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of a driving assistance operation related to a surrounding vehicle on the side according to a part of the embodiments.

[0012] Figure 9A 、Figure 9B This is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a driving assistance operation related to surrounding vehicles on the side for some embodiments.

[0013] Figure 10 This is a flowchart for explaining an example of a driving assistance operation related to surrounding vehicles in front for some embodiments.

[0014] Figure 11 This is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a driving assistance operation related to surrounding vehicles in front for some embodiments.

[0015] Figure 12 This is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a driving assistance operation related to surrounding vehicles in front for some embodiments.

[0016] Figure 13 This is a schematic diagram for explaining an example of a method for determining surrounding vehicles to be determined for some embodiments. Specific Embodiments

[0017] Hereinafter, the embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. In addition, the following embodiments 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 or similar components are labeled with the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0018] <Example of Vehicle Configuration> Refer to Figure 1 to explain an example of the configuration of vehicle 100 for some embodiments. As Figure 1 shown, vehicle 100 may include a sensor group 101, a turn signal lever 102, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) antenna 103, a vehicle-to-vehicle communication antenna 104, a reporting device 105, a braking device 106, a turn signal 107, and a control device 108. Figure 1 The components referred to in the following description are shown, but vehicle 100 may also include other components for the operation of the vehicle, such as a drive device, a transmission, etc. Vehicle 100 may also not include some of the components shown Figure 1 on the basis of or instead of the above components. Vehicle 100 may be a four-wheeled vehicle, a two-wheeled vehicle, or other forms of vehicles. Hereinafter, the driver of vehicle 100 may sometimes be simply referred to as the driver.

[0019] The control device 108 controls the overall operation of the vehicle 100. As will be described later, the control device 108 performs driving assistance for the vehicle 100 on which the control device 108 is mounted. Therefore, the control device 108 may also be referred to as a driving assistance device. The driving assistance provided by the control device 108 may be collision prevention assistance for preventing (reducing) collisions with other vehicles. In some embodiments, the control device 108 may perform collision prevention assistance without using map information. In the following description, for ease of distinction from other vehicles, the vehicle 100 is sometimes referred to as the host vehicle 100. In addition, a vehicle different from the vehicle 100 is sometimes referred to as another vehicle. Among other vehicles, a vehicle currently present in the vicinity of the host vehicle 100 is sometimes referred to as a surrounding vehicle. The surrounding vehicle may also refer to a vehicle that can currently perform vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the host vehicle 100.

[0020] The sensor group 101 includes various sensors for performing driving assistance for the vehicle 100. For example, the sensor group 101 may include a speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle 100, an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration of the vehicle 100, and the like. In addition, the sensor group 101 may also include external detection sensors such as a camera, a millimeter-wave radar, and a lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) that can detect objects around the vehicle 100. The sensor group 101 outputs its detection results to the control device 108.

[0021] The turn signal lever 102 is an operating member for receiving an operation for changing the indication state of the turn signal 107 (which may also be referred to as a direction indicator) from the driver. The indication state of the turn signal 107 may include a state indicating the right side of the vehicle 100, a state indicating the left side of the vehicle 100, and a state of not indicating either side. The control device 108 switches the indication state of the turn signal 107 according to the operation of the turn signal lever 102 by the driver. The turn signal 107 may be located on both the right and left sides of the vehicle 100. For example, when the driver operates the turn signal lever 102 in a manner to indicate the right side, the control device 108 causes the turn signal 107 located on the right side of the vehicle 100 to blink. When the driver operates the turn signal lever 102 in a manner to indicate the left side, the control device 108 causes the turn signal 107 located on the left side of the vehicle 100 to blink. When the driver operates the turn signal lever 102 in a manner to not indicate any direction, the control device 108 causes the turn signals 107 on both sides of the vehicle 100 to turn off. The control device 108 may also change the indication state of the turn signal 107 without depending on the operation of the turn signal lever 102 by the driver. For example, the control device 108 may cause the blinking turn signal 107 to turn off according to the completion of the turning of the vehicle 100.

[0022] The GNSS antenna 103 receives radio waves for position determination transmitted from GNSS satellites. For example, the GNSS antenna 103 can be used to obtain information related to the current position and / or driving trajectory (driving history) of the vehicle 100. In addition, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication antenna 104 is an antenna for transmitting and receiving various data with surrounding vehicles. For example, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication antenna 104 can be used to obtain information related to the current position, speed, and driving trajectory of surrounding vehicles.

[0023] The reporting device 105 is a device for reporting to the occupants (such as the driver) of the vehicle 100. In the case where there is a possibility of a collision between the vehicle 100 and surrounding vehicles, as a driving assistance, the control device 108 can report the collision possibility with surrounding vehicles to the occupants of the vehicle 100 through the reporting device 105. For example, the reporting device 105 may include a display unit such as a display, so as to display information indicating the collision possibility with surrounding vehicles on the display unit, or may include a sound output unit such as a speaker, so as to output information indicating the collision possibility with surrounding vehicles from the sound output unit by sound or the like.

[0024] The braking device 106 is a device for performing a braking action of the vehicle 100, such as a brake. In the case where there is a possibility of a collision between the vehicle 100 and surrounding vehicles, as a driving assistance, the control device 108 performs deceleration assistance of the vehicle 100 by operating the braking device 106, and can avoid a collision with surrounding vehicles.

[0025] The control device 108 is a device (computer) for controlling the vehicle 100, and can be constituted by, for example, an ECU (Electric Control Unit). The control device 108 can perform driving assistance through vehicle-to-vehicle communication with other vehicles and processing within the vehicle 100. For example, the control device 108 can perform driving assistance without using map information. The control device 108 includes a processing unit 110, a storage unit 111, a GNSS module 113, and a vehicle-to-vehicle communication module 114, which are connected by a bus (not shown).

[0026] The processing unit 110 is a processor represented by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and executes programs stored in the storage unit 111. The storage unit 111 includes, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a hard disk, etc., and stores programs (driving assistance programs) for the processing unit 110 to execute driving assistance processing of the vehicle 100, programs (learning programs) for the processing unit 110 to learn risk positions, various data, etc. The storage unit 111 may also store risk position information 112 created based on the intersection of the formal trajectories of the vehicle 100 and other vehicles. The risk position information 112 may include multiple risk positions. The risk position may refer to a position where there is a possibility of collision between the vehicle 100 and other vehicles or a position where the possibility is high. The risk position information 112 may also be managed as a database.

[0027] The GNSS module 113 receives the position information of the vehicle 100, etc. from GNSS satellites via the GNSS antenna 103. In addition, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication module 114 receives various information from other vehicles via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication antenna 104.

[0028] To execute driving assistance (collision prevention assistance in some embodiments) of the vehicle 100, the processing unit 110 may include an acquisition unit 110a, a prediction unit 110b, an assistance unit 110c, and an update unit 110d. In addition, the processing unit 110 is not limited to the configuration including the units 110a to 110d. Other units may be added or some units may be omitted according to the type of driving assistance executed in the vehicle 100.

[0029] The acquisition unit 110a acquires information of surrounding vehicles indicating the current position, vehicle speed, driving trajectory, and the indicated state of the turn signal of the surrounding vehicles existing around the vehicle 100 via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication antenna 104 (vehicle-to-vehicle communication module 114). The information of the surrounding vehicles can explicitly represent the current position, vehicle speed, driving trajectory, and the indicated state of the turn signal of the surrounding vehicles, or can implicitly represent the current position, vehicle speed, driving trajectory, and the indicated state of the turn signal of the surrounding vehicles. For example, the information of the surrounding vehicles can directly include the vehicle speed itself, or can include information for calculating the vehicle speed (the current and the previous two geographical positions and their positioning times). The acquisition unit 110a can also acquire information of the own vehicle indicating the current position, speed, driving trajectory, and the indicated state of the turn signal 107 of the vehicle 100 via the sensor group 101 and the GNSS antenna 103 (GNSS module 113). The acquisition unit 110a can acquire the indicated state of the turn signal 107 from the turn signal 107, or can store the most recent change command for the turn signal 107 and acquire the indicated state based on the stored change command.

[0030] The prediction unit 110b predicts the possibility of a collision between the vehicle 100 and other vehicles based on the information of the own vehicle and the information of the surrounding vehicles acquired by the acquisition unit 110a. The prediction unit 110b can also set a determination area and predict the possibility of a collision between the vehicle 100 and other vehicles in the determination area. In addition, the prediction unit 110b can also perform driving assistance for the vehicle 100 based on the risk position information 112. For example, it can be that when at least one of the plurality of risk positions included in the risk position information 112 is located near the own vehicle, the prediction unit 110b sets the determination area so as to include the risk position.

[0031] The assistance unit 110c performs driving assistance (collision prevention assistance) for the own vehicle 100 based on the prediction result of the prediction unit 110b. In some embodiments, as driving assistance for the vehicle 100, the assistance unit 110c can perform at least one of reporting to the occupants of the vehicle 100 based on the reporting device 105 and deceleration assistance for the vehicle 100 based on the braking device 106. The deceleration assistance can also include the case of assisting in decelerating the vehicle 100 to a stop, that is, stop assistance. The stop assistance can include not only the deceleration of the vehicle 100, but also the determination of the stop position of the vehicle 100, the path planning towards the stop position, and the automatic steering along the path.

[0032] The update unit 110d determines the intersection points of the driving trajectory of the vehicle 100 and the driving trajectories of surrounding vehicles. Hereinafter, the intersection points of the driving trajectory of the vehicle 100 and the driving trajectories of surrounding vehicles are referred to as trajectory intersection points. There is a possibility that there is a road intersection near the trajectory intersection points. In addition, the update unit 110d updates the risk position information 112 stored in the storage unit 111 based on the determined trajectory intersection points. For example, the update unit 110d may update the risk position information 112 by adding the trajectory intersection points to the risk position information 112. Instead of or in addition to this, the update unit 110d may also update the risk position information 112 by correcting any risk positions included in the risk position information 112 based on the trajectory intersection points.

[0033] Next, refer to Figure 2 for an example of the risk position information 112. In the Figure 2 example, the risk position information 112 is recorded in a table form, but the risk position information 112 may also be in other forms. The risk position information 112 has a record for each risk position. Figure 2 The columns of the risk position information 112 shown are only one example. The risk position information 112 may include other columns or may not include Figure 2 a part of the columns shown.

[0034] The risk position information 112 may include information related to a risk position ID, a registration date, coordinates, and a passing azimuth for each risk position. The risk position ID is a serial number that uniquely identifies the risk position. The registration date is the date when the risk position is registered in the risk position information 112. The coordinates are data used to determine the risk position, for example, represented by data of latitude and longitude. The coordinates may also include altitude data such as altitude on the basis of the data of latitude and longitude. The passing azimuth is the azimuth (direction, angle) in which the vehicle 100 is facing when passing through the trajectory intersection point used to determine the risk position. The passing azimuth may also be understood as the traveling direction (entry azimuth) of the vehicle 100 when entering the trajectory intersection point. In the Figure 2 example, the passing azimuth of the vehicle 100 is defined such that north is 0°, east is 90°, south is 180°, and west is 270°.

[0035] Next, refer to Figure 3A and Figure 3BAn example of a trajectory intersection will be described. As described above, a trajectory intersection refers to the intersection of the driving trajectory of vehicle 100 and the driving trajectories of other vehicles. In this specification, the case where vehicle 100 is located in an area where driving on the right side is specified will be described. In this case, among the left side and the right side, the side of the road where driving is specified in the area where vehicle 100 is located is the right side, and the opposite side is the left side. In addition, the oncoming lane side of vehicle 100 is the left side of vehicle 100. The embodiments described in this specification can also be applied to the case where vehicle 100 is located in an area where driving on the left side is specified. In this case, the left and right in the following processes (for example, the right and left turns of vehicle 100 and other vehicles, and the right and left sides of the indication state of the turn signal) are swapped. Specifically, among the left side and the right side, the side of the road where driving is specified in the area where vehicle 100 is located is the left side, and the opposite side is the right side. In addition, the oncoming lane side of vehicle 100 is the right side of vehicle 100.

[0036] In Figure 3A In the example shown, the position where the driving trajectory 301a of the host vehicle 100 going straight north intersects the driving trajectory 302a of the other vehicle OVa going straight west is the trajectory intersection CPa. In addition, since the timing (moment) at which the host vehicle 100 passes through the trajectory intersection CPa and the timing (moment) at which the other vehicle OVa passes through the trajectory intersection CPa are different from each other, a collision between the host vehicle 100 and the other vehicle OVa does not occur. In addition, the driving trajectory 301a of the host vehicle 100 is included in the host vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 110a via the sensor group 101 and the GNSS antenna 103 (GNSS module 113). The driving trajectory 302a of the other vehicle OVa is included in the other vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 110a via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication antenna 104 (vehicle-to-vehicle communication module 114). Since the other vehicle OVa at the time of acquisition is a surrounding vehicle existing around the host vehicle 100, this other vehicle information can also be understood as surrounding vehicle information.

[0037] In Figure 3BIn the example shown, the position where the travel trajectory 301b of the host vehicle 100 going straight north and turning left intersects with the travel trajectory 302b of another vehicle OVb going straight south is the trajectory intersection point CPb. In addition, since the timing (moment) at which the host vehicle 100 passes through the trajectory intersection point CPb and the timing (moment) at which the other vehicle OVb passes through the trajectory intersection point CPb are different from each other, a collision between the host vehicle 100 and the other vehicle OVb does not occur. Further, similarly to the travel trajectory 301a, the travel trajectory 301b of the host vehicle 100 is also included in the host vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 110a via the sensor group 101 and the GNSS antenna 103 (GNSS module 113). Similarly to the travel trajectory 302a, the travel trajectory 302b of the other vehicle OVb is also included in the other vehicle information (surrounding vehicle information) acquired by the acquisition unit 110a via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication antenna 104 (vehicle-to-vehicle communication module 114).

[0038] The functions of the control device 108 can be implemented by either hardware or software. For example, the functions of the control device 108 can be implemented by the processing unit 110 (CPU) executing a driving assistance program and / or a learning program as described above, or can be implemented by an integrated circuit such as a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Further, in Figure 1 the example, the control device 108 is shown as a single element, but it may be divided into two or more elements as needed.

[0039] <Management Processing of Surrounding Vehicles> Refer to Figure 4 an example of the process of managing surrounding vehicles will be described. Figure 4 The process shown in the flowchart of Figure 4 is executed by the processing unit 110 according to the learning program read from the storage unit 111. Figure 4 The process of

[0040] In step S401, the processing unit 110 (for example, its acquisition unit 110a) determines whether there are other vehicles around the own vehicle 100. When the processing unit 110 determines that there are other vehicles around the own vehicle 100, the processing proceeds to step S402, and in other cases, the processing proceeds to step S404. For example, the processing unit 110 may also determine that there are other vehicles around the own vehicle 100 when vehicle-to-vehicle communication can be performed via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication antenna 104 (vehicle-to-vehicle communication module 114).

[0041] In step S402, the processing unit 110 (for example, its acquisition unit 110a) registers the other vehicles found in step S401 as surrounding vehicles. For example, the storage unit 111 may store a list of surrounding vehicles, and the processing unit 110 may also add the information of the found surrounding vehicles to the list. As will be described later, the surrounding vehicles become the objects of determination of the collision possibility. In the process of repeatedly executing instead of managing the information of the surrounding vehicles through a list, information can be obtained from all other vehicles capable of vehicle-to-vehicle communication at the start of each cycle, and the information obtained in that cycle is discarded at the end of each cycle.

[0042] In step S403, the processing unit 110 (for example, its acquisition unit 110a) starts acquiring the surrounding vehicle information based on the vehicle-to-vehicle communication from the surrounding vehicles. As described above, the surrounding vehicle information may also indicate the vehicle speed, position, and driving trajectory of the surrounding vehicles. After the processing unit 110 starts acquiring the surrounding vehicle information in step S403, the surrounding vehicle information is repeatedly acquired regularly (for example, every 100 milliseconds) until vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the surrounding vehicles is no longer possible.

[0043] After starting to acquire the surrounding vehicle information, in step S404, the processing unit 110 (for example, its acquisition unit 110a) determines whether there is a vehicle among the registered one or more surrounding vehicles that cannot perform vehicle-to-vehicle communication. If there is such a vehicle, the processing unit 110 makes the processing proceed to step S405, and in other cases, the processing proceeds to step S401. For example, when the surrounding vehicle deviates from the communication range of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication or the power supply of the surrounding vehicle is turned off, the vehicle 100 cannot perform vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the surrounding vehicle.

[0044] In step S405, the processing unit 110 (for example, its acquisition unit 110a) cancels the registration of the surrounding vehicle that cannot perform vehicle-to-vehicle communication. In other words, the processing unit 110 does not process the vehicle that cannot perform vehicle-to-vehicle communication as a surrounding vehicle. For example, the processing unit 110 deletes the information of the surrounding vehicle that cannot perform vehicle-to-vehicle communication from the list of surrounding vehicles stored in the storage unit 111.

[0045] As described above, the processing unit 110 can periodically obtain the latest surrounding vehicle information from other vehicles (i.e., surrounding vehicles) located around the vehicle 100 by executing Figure 4 the processing of

[0046] <Driving assistance processing> Refer to Figures 5 - 13 the driving assistance processing of some embodiments will be described. As referred to Figure 3A as described, when other vehicles are within the range on the side of the vehicle 100, if both the vehicle 100 and other vehicles go straight, there is a possibility of collision between these vehicles. On the other hand, as referred to Figure 3B as described, when other vehicles are within the range in front of the vehicle 100, if the vehicle 100 turns left and other vehicles go straight, there is a possibility of collision between these vehicles. As described above, depending on the position of other vehicles relative to the vehicle 100, the situations where there is a possibility of collision between these vehicles are different. Therefore, in some embodiments, the control device 108 performs different driving assistance according to whether the surrounding vehicle is within the range in front of or on the side of the vehicle 100.

[0047] Refer to Figure 5 the range for the method of selecting driving assistance will be described. The range 500 is located in front of the vehicle 100. The front of the vehicle 100 may refer to the range including the front of the vehicle 100. As Figure 5 shown, the range 500 may be a fan-shaped range or may have other shapes. The fan-shaped range can be defined by a predetermined distance and a predetermined angle. The predetermined distance can be, for example, 800 m or more and 1000 m or less, for example, 900 m. The same applies to the predetermined distance for the following fan-shaped ranges. The range 500 may be symmetric with respect to the front direction of the vehicle 100. The central angle of the range 500 can be, for example, about 100 degrees to 110 degrees.

[0048] The range 501 is located on the side of the vehicle 100. The side of the vehicle 100 may refer to the range including the obliquely front of the vehicle 100. The range 501 may include the direction of the right side of the vehicle 100. As Figure 5 shown, the range 501 may be a fan-shaped range or may have other shapes. The fan-shaped range can be defined by a predetermined distance and a predetermined angle. In Figure 5 the example of

[0049] In Figure 5In the example, a part of range 500 overlaps with a part of range 501. The central angle of the overlapping part can be, for example, about 10 degrees to 20 degrees. When a surrounding vehicle is present in this overlapping part, the surrounding vehicle becomes the object of both driving assistance in the situation of Figure 3A and driving assistance in the situation of Figure 3B . Instead of the example of Figure 5 , range 500 and range 501 can merely touch each other or be separated from each other. Range 500, range 501 on the right side of vehicle 100, and range 501 on the left side of vehicle 100 can all be of the same size, or at least partly of different sizes.

[0050] When a surrounding vehicle is included in range 501, as shown in Figure 3A , the host vehicle 100 will collide with other vehicles when going straight. Therefore, control device 108 predicts the possibility of collision caused by the host vehicle 100 going straight. For this operation, reference will be made to Figures 6 - 9B which will be described later. On the other hand, when a surrounding vehicle is included in range 500, as shown in Figure 3B , the host vehicle 100 will collide with other vehicles when turning left. Therefore, control device 108 predicts the possibility of collision caused by the host vehicle 100 turning left. For this operation, reference will be made to Figures 10 - 12 which will be described later. The positions of range 500 and range 501 relative to the host vehicle 100 can be set in advance (for example, at the time of manufacturing vehicle 100 or updating software) and stored in storage unit 111.

[0051] Figure 6 In Figure 7A , an example of the process for performing driving assistance when a surrounding vehicle RV ( Figure 6 ) is present within range 501 on the side of the host vehicle 100 will be described. The process of the flowchart shown in Figure 6 is executed by processing unit 110 according to the driving assistance program read from storage unit 111. Figure 6 The process of Figure 6 can also be executed for each newly registered surrounding vehicle RV each time a new surrounding vehicle RV is registered in step S602 of Figure 6 during the period when the setting of driving assistance is turned on. In the process of

[0052] In step S601, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) determines whether the surrounding vehicle RV exists within the range 501 on the side of the host vehicle 100. When the processing unit 110 determines that the vehicle RV exists within the range 501 on the side of the host vehicle 100, the process proceeds to step S602. Otherwise, step S601 is repeated. This determination can also be made based on the current position of the surrounding vehicle RV included in the latest surrounding vehicle information obtained from the surrounding vehicle RV. In Figure 7A the example shown, the surrounding vehicle RV exists within the range 501.

[0053] In step S602, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) determines whether the predicted travel route of the host vehicle 100 and the predicted travel route of the surrounding vehicle RV cross each other. When the processing unit 110 determines that the predicted travel routes of these two vehicles cross, the process proceeds to step S603. Otherwise, step S602 is repeated. The predicted travel route may also refer to a half-line extending forward from the vehicle. In Figure 7A the example shown, the predicted travel route 700 of the host vehicle 100 crosses the predicted travel route 701 of the surrounding vehicle RV. The intersection point of the predicted travel route 700 of the host vehicle 100 and the predicted travel route 701 of the surrounding vehicle RV is expressed as the predicted intersection point 702. The predicted travel route 700 of the host vehicle 100 can also be determined based on the host vehicle information (specifically, the current position and the travel trajectory). The processing unit 110 can also acquire the latest host vehicle information at this time point. The predicted travel route 701 of the surrounding vehicle RV can also be determined based on the latest surrounding vehicle information (specifically, the current position and the travel trajectory).

[0054] In step S603, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) sets a determination area with the predicted intersection point 702 as the reference position and stores the determination area in the storage unit 111. The determination area may also refer to an area for predicting the possibility of a collision. Refer to Figure 7A , an example of the determination area 703 set with the predicted intersection point 702 as the reference position will be described. It may be that the determination area 703 includes the predicted intersection point 702 and is a rectangle including sides parallel to the predicted travel route 700 of the host vehicle 100. The determination area 703 may have other shapes instead. The position and shape of the determination area 703 relative to the predicted intersection point 702 can be set in advance (for example, at the time of manufacturing the vehicle 100 or when updating the software) and stored in the storage unit 111. It may also be that when there is a risk position near the determination area 703, the processing unit 110 expands the determination area 703 so as to include the risk position.

[0055] It may also be that the processing unit 110 is as inFigure 7A a situation where a surrounding vehicle RV is located on the right side of the host vehicle 100 (i.e., the side opposite to the oncoming lane side) as shown, and as Figure 7B shown, when the surrounding vehicle RV is located on the left side of the host vehicle 100 (i.e., the oncoming lane side), determination regions 703 with different shapes (sizes) are set. It is also possible that, regardless of whether the surrounding vehicle RV is on the right or left side of the host vehicle 100, the vehicle width direction length 704 of the determination region 703 is the same length (for example, a length equivalent to one lane, i.e., 3 m to 4 m). It is also possible that the vehicle length direction length 705 of the determination region 703 when the surrounding vehicle RV is on the right side of the host vehicle 100 is longer than the vehicle length direction length 705 of the determination region 703 when the surrounding vehicle RV is on the left side of the host vehicle 100. It is also possible that the vehicle length direction length 705 of the determination region 703 when the surrounding vehicle RV is on the right side of the host vehicle 100 is, for example, a length equivalent to three lanes, i.e., 9 m to 11 m. It is also possible that the vehicle length direction length 705 of the determination region 703 when the surrounding vehicle RV is on the left side of the host vehicle 100 is, for example, a length equivalent to two lanes, i.e., 6 m to 8 m.

[0056] It is also possible that, regardless of whether the surrounding vehicle RV is on the right or left side of the host vehicle 100, the distance between the edge of the determination region 703 far from the host vehicle 100 and the predicted intersection point 702 is the same (for example, about 1.5 m equivalent to half a lane). As a result, the length 706 of the portion of the determination region 703 on the host vehicle 100 side of the predicted intersection point 702 when the surrounding vehicle RV is on the right side of the host vehicle 100 is greater than the length 706 of the portion of the determination region 703 on the host vehicle 100 side of the predicted intersection point 702 when the surrounding vehicle RV is on the left side of the host vehicle 100. When the surrounding vehicle RV is on the right side of the host vehicle 100, there may be an oncoming lane of the lane in which the surrounding vehicle RV is traveling between the predicted intersection point 702 and the host vehicle 100. Therefore, by extending the determination region 703 to the side of the host vehicle 100, collisions with other vehicles (which may not have vehicle-to-vehicle communication functions) traveling in the oncoming lane can be suppressed.

[0057] In step S604, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) predicts the possibility of a collision between the host vehicle 100 and the surrounding vehicle RV in the determination region 703. When the processing unit 110 predicts that there is a possibility of a collision between the host vehicle 100 and the surrounding vehicle RV, the process proceeds to step S605, and in other cases, the process proceeds to step S607.

[0058] The possibility of collision can also be determined based on the predicted time for the surrounding vehicle RV to reach the predicted intersection 702 (hereinafter simply referred to as "arrival time"). This arrival time can be calculated, for example, based on the latest surrounding vehicle information obtained from the surrounding vehicle RV. For example, the processing unit 110 can predict the predicted time for the surrounding vehicle RV to reach the predicted intersection 702 by dividing the distance between the surrounding vehicle RV and the predicted intersection 702 by the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV.

[0059] Alternatively, when the arrival time is below the time threshold, the processing unit 110 predicts a possibility of collision, and when the arrival time is greater than the time threshold, the processing unit 110 determines that there is no possibility of collision. The time threshold can also be set by the occupant of the host vehicle 100.

[0060] The processing unit 110 can also change the time threshold according to the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV. Figure 8 is a graph showing the relationship between the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV and the stop time of the surrounding vehicle RV. The stop time of the surrounding vehicle RV is the time until the surrounding vehicle RV stops when decelerating (e.g., at 0.4G) by a general braking operation. In Figure 8 shows the specified range (speed upper limit value, speed lower limit value) for the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV, the time upper limit value and the time lower limit value for the collision margin time (TTC). The specified range is the speed range of the surrounding vehicle RV for which the driving assistance of the host vehicle 100 is performed. The time upper limit value is the upper limit value of the collision margin time arbitrarily set by the driver, and the time lower limit value is the lower limit value of the collision margin time set according to the measurement position accuracy of the GNSS.

[0061] The processing unit 110 is based on the Figure 8The "relationship between the speed and stop time of the surrounding vehicle RV" indicated by the line 800 sets the stop time corresponding to the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV as the time threshold. The line 800 represents the boundary between general braking operations (i.e., operations normally used to decelerate the vehicle) and emergency braking operations (i.e., operations used to suddenly stop the vehicle). For example, since the deceleration of general braking operations is 0.4G or less, the line 800 may have an inclination corresponding to 0.4G. In the region 801 above the line 800, the arrival time is longer than the stop time. If the driver of the surrounding vehicle RV performs a general braking operation, the surrounding vehicle RV can be stopped before reaching the predicted intersection point 702. Therefore, when the arrival time is longer than the time threshold (stop time), the driving assistance of the own vehicle SV can be suppressed. On the other hand, in the region 802 below the line 800, the arrival time is shorter than the stop time. Even if the driver of the surrounding vehicle RV performs a general braking operation (e.g., deceleration is 0.4G), the vehicle will reach the predicted intersection point 702 before the surrounding vehicle RV stops. Therefore, when the arrival time is equal to or less than the time threshold (stop time), the driving assistance of the own vehicle SV can be executed. In addition, the processing unit 110 may continuously change the time threshold according to the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV, or may change the time threshold step by step.

[0062] Alternatively, instead of or in addition to the arrival time until the surrounding vehicle RV reaches the predicted intersection point 702, the collision possibility may be determined based on the situation where the own vehicle 100 enters the determination region 703. For example, the processing unit 110 may predict a collision possibility when the own vehicle 100 enters the determination region 703, and determine that there is no collision possibility when the own vehicle 100 does not enter the determination region 703.

[0063] Furthermore, the collision possibility may be determined based on the difference between the predicted time until the surrounding vehicle RV reaches the predicted intersection point 702 and the predicted time until the own vehicle 100 reaches the predicted intersection point 702 (hereinafter referred to as "arrival time difference"). The processing unit 110 may predict a collision possibility when the arrival time difference is equal to or less than the time threshold, and determine that there is no collision possibility when the arrival time difference is greater than the time threshold. The time threshold may also be set by the occupant of the own vehicle 100.

[0064] Furthermore, the possibility of collision may be predicted based on the indication state of the turn signal lamp 107 of the host vehicle 100, the indication state of the turn signal lamp of the surrounding vehicle RV, and the position of the surrounding vehicle RV relative to the host vehicle 100. For example, the possibility of collision may be predicted based on at least any one of the situation that the surrounding vehicle RV is located on the right or left side relative to the host vehicle 100, the situation that the turn signal lamp 107 of the host vehicle 100 indicates the right or left side, and the situation that the turn signal lamp of the surrounding vehicle RV indicates the right or left side.

[0065] Reference Figure 9A and Figure 9B , a specific example of predicting the possibility of a collision based on the indication state of a turn signal is described. Figure 9A , a case where the surrounding vehicle RV is located within the range 501 on the left side relative to the host vehicle 100 is described. When the turn signal 107 of the host vehicle 100 does not indicate a direction (for example, the turn signal 107 is off), it is expected that the host vehicle 100 has selected a route 901S for going straight at the intersection in front of the host vehicle 100. When the turn signal 107 of the host vehicle 100 indicates the right side (for example, the turn signal 107 on the right side of the host vehicle 100 is flashing), it is expected that the host vehicle 100 has selected a route 901R for turning right at the intersection in front of the host vehicle 100. When the turn signal 107 of the host vehicle 100 indicates the left side (for example, the turn signal 107 on the left side of the host vehicle 100 is flashing), it is expected that the host vehicle 100 has selected a route 901L for turning left at the intersection in front of the host vehicle 100.

[0066] When the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV does not indicate a direction, it is expected that the surrounding vehicle RV has selected a travel route 902S for going straight at the intersection in front of the surrounding vehicle RV. When the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV indicates the right side, it is expected that the surrounding vehicle RV has selected a travel route 902R for turning right at the intersection in front of the surrounding vehicle RV. When the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV indicates the left side, it is expected that the surrounding vehicle RV has selected a travel route 902L for turning left at the intersection in front of the surrounding vehicle RV.

[0067] Alternatively, the processing unit 110 may predict, among the three travel routes 901S, 901R, and 901L predicted for the own vehicle 100 and the three travel routes 902S, 902R, and 902L predicted for the surrounding vehicle RV, that there is a possibility of collision for the pairs where the travel routes of the two vehicles intersect or coincide, and predict that there is no possibility of collision for the other pairs. Figure 9ATable 910 above summarizes the above description. In Table 910, "Yes" indicates a case predicted to have a collision possibility, and "No" indicates a case predicted to have no collision possibility. The same applies to Table 911 and Table 1210 described later. For example, it may also be that when the turn signal 107 of the own vehicle 100 indicates the left side and the turn signal of the other vehicle indicates the left side, the processing unit 110 predicts a collision possibility. On the other hand, it may also be that when the turn signal 107 of the own vehicle 100 indicates the right side and the turn signal of the other vehicle indicates the right side, the processing unit 110 predicts no collision possibility.

[0068] Figure 9B describes the case where the surrounding vehicle RV is within the range 501 on the right side with respect to the own vehicle 100. Regarding the predicted travel route for the own vehicle 100, it is the same as Figure 9A the same. When the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV does not indicate a direction, it is assumed that the surrounding vehicle RV has selected the travel route 903S of going straight through the intersection in front of the surrounding vehicle RV. When the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV indicates the right side, it is assumed that the surrounding vehicle RV has selected the travel route 903R of turning right at the intersection in front of the surrounding vehicle RV. When the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV indicates the left side, it is assumed that the surrounding vehicle RV has selected the travel route 903L of turning left at the intersection in front of the surrounding vehicle RV.

[0069] It may also be that the processing unit 11 predicts a collision possibility for pairs in which the three predicted travel routes 901S, 901R, and 901L for the own vehicle 100 and the three predicted travel routes 903S, 903R, and 903L for the surrounding vehicle RV cross or coincide, and predicts no collision possibility for pairs other than these. Figure 9B Table 911 above summarizes the above description.

[0070] It is also possible to arbitrarily combine the above four conditions (i.e., the case where the arrival time is below the time threshold, the case where the own vehicle 100 enters the determination area 703, the case where the arrival time difference is below another time threshold, and the case where the indication state of the turn signal satisfies the above conditions) to determine the collision possibility. For example, it may also be that the processing unit 110 determines that there is a collision possibility when all of the above four conditions are satisfied, and determines that there is no collision possibility in other cases. Instead of this, it may also be that the processing unit 110 determines that there is a collision possibility when at least one of the above four conditions is satisfied, and determines that there is no collision possibility in other cases. Instead of this, it may also be that the processing unit 110 determines that there is a collision possibility when at least one of the two preset conditions among the above four conditions is satisfied, and determines that there is no collision possibility in other cases. Specifically, it may also be that when the predicted time until the surrounding vehicle RV reaches the predicted intersection 702 is less than the first time threshold, if the arrival time difference is less than the second time threshold, the processing unit 110 predicts that there is a collision possibility, and if the arrival time difference is greater than the second time threshold, the processing unit 110 predicts that there is no collision possibility.

[0071] In step S605, the processing unit 110 (for example, its auxiliary unit 110c) determines whether the auxiliary conditions are satisfied. When the processing unit 110 determines that the auxiliary conditions are satisfied, the process proceeds to step S606, and in other cases, the process proceeds to step S607. The auxiliary conditions may also refer to the conditions that should be satisfied for performing driving assistance. For example, the auxiliary conditions may also be based on whether the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV is within a specified range. The specified range can be preset according to 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 specified range, it is highly likely that the driver of the surrounding vehicle RV notices the own vehicle 100 and decelerates the surrounding vehicle RV without colliding with the own vehicle 100. That is, the speed lower limit value of the specified 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 100. In addition, when the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV is above the upper limit value of the specified range, it is highly likely that the surrounding vehicle RV is not a vehicle traveling on the road where the own vehicle 100 enters, such as traveling on a highway near the road where the own vehicle 100 enters. That is, the speed upper limit value of the specified range related to the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV can be set to a value that can distinguish whether the vehicle is traveling on the road where the own vehicle 100 enters or on a highway near that road. As described above, by performing / suppressing driving assistance according to whether the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV is within the specified range, it is possible to reduce the situation where the driver of the own vehicle 100 feels that the driving assistance is cumbersome.

[0072] In step S606, the processing unit 110 (for example, its auxiliary unit 110c) performs driving assistance for the own vehicle 100. As driving assistance for the own vehicle 100, the processing unit 110 can report the possibility of a collision to the occupants of the own vehicle 100 through the reporting device 105, or perform a braking operation of the own vehicle 100 through the braking device 150.

[0073] In step S608, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) deletes the determination area (the determination area stored in step S603) that has become unnecessary due to the execution of driving assistance from the storage unit 111. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the situation where the capacity of the storage unit 111 is consumed by unnecessary information.

[0074] When it is determined in step S604 that there is no possibility of a collision, or when it is determined in step S605 that the assistance condition is not satisfied, step S607 is executed. In step S607, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) determines Figure 6 whether the surrounding vehicle RV that is the processing object of the Figure 4 method has been deregistered in step S405 of

[0075] When it is determined in step S607 that the registration of the surrounding vehicle RV has not been canceled, the process returns to step S602. In this case, when the predicted travel route of the host vehicle 100 still intersects with the predicted travel route of the surrounding vehicle RV, the determination area is set with the predicted intersection point 702 as the reference position in step S603. When a vehicle (the host vehicle 100 or the surrounding vehicle RV) changes its position within the lane or changes lanes, the position of the predicted intersection point 702 may change. Since the surrounding vehicle information is repeatedly acquired, the processing unit 110 can detect such a change in the position of the predicted intersection point 702. Therefore, in step S603, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) re-sets the reference position based on the newly acquired surrounding vehicle information, and at the same time, updates the determination area stored in the storage unit 111. Then, the determination in step S604 is performed based on the updated determination area. In step S603, when the predicted intersection point 702 cannot be determined (for example, when the predicted travel route 700 of the host vehicle 100 no longer intersects with the predicted travel route 701 of the surrounding vehicle RV), the most recently determined reference position and determination area may be maintained.

[0076] According to Figure 6 the method, when there are a plurality of surrounding vehicles within the range 501 on the side of the host vehicle 100, separate reference positions are used for each of the plurality of surrounding vehicles. Specifically, Figure 6 the method is separately executed for each of the plurality of surrounding vehicles. As a result, the predicted intersection points of the predicted travel route of the host vehicle 100 and the predicted travel routes of the surrounding vehicles are also determined for each of the plurality of surrounding vehicles. As a result, for each of the plurality of surrounding vehicles, separate determination areas are set based on separate reference positions. Thereby, the possibility of collision with each of the plurality of surrounding vehicles can be appropriately predicted.

[0077] Figure 10 In Figure 11 ), an example of the process for performing driving assistance when the surrounding vehicle RV ( Figure 10 is present within the range 500 in front of the host vehicle 100 is described. Figure 10 The process shown in the flowchart of Figure 10 is executed by the processing unit 110 according to the learning program read from the storage unit 111.

[0078] In step S1001, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) determines whether the vehicle speed of the host vehicle 100 is within a threshold range. When the processing unit 110 determines that the vehicle speed of the host vehicle 100 is within the threshold range, it advances the processing to step S1002, and in other cases, it advances the processing to step S1003. This determination can also be made based on the vehicle speed and acceleration of the host vehicle 100 included in the latest host vehicle information. It is also possible that the upper limit of the threshold used in step S1001 is a value lower than the vehicle speed after the vehicle 100 decelerates for steering (for example, turning left or right), for example, 20 km / h. It is also possible that the lower limit of the threshold used in step S1001 is a value lower than the vehicle speed in a stopped state or a substantially stopped state of the vehicle 100, for example, 2 km / h. The position where it is determined that the host vehicle 100 is within the threshold range is represented as the steering preparation position 1101 ( Figure 11 ). In addition, the host vehicle 100 can also be within the threshold range even when not steering. Even in this case, the processing unit 110 detects the steering preparation position 1101 and executes the processing after step S1002.

[0079] In step S1002, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) sets a determination area with the steering preparation position 1101 as the reference position, and stores the reference position and the determination area in the storage unit 111. The determination area can also refer to an area for predicting the possibility of a collision. Referring to Figure 11 , an example of the determination area 1102 set with the steering preparation position 1101 as the reference position will be described. It is also possible that the determination area 1102 is a rectangle centered on the position in the front left of the steering preparation position 1101 and including sides parallel to the longitudinal direction of the host vehicle 100. The length of the determination area 1102 in the vehicle width direction of the host vehicle 100 can also be, for example, the length equivalent to one lane, i.e., 3 m to 4 m. The length of the determination area 1102 in the vehicle length direction of the host vehicle 100 can also be, for example, the length equivalent to three lanes, i.e., 9 m to 11 m. The lower right corner of the determination area 1102 can also overlap with the steering preparation position 1101. Instead of this, the determination area 1102 can have other shapes. It is also possible that the position of the determination area 1102 relative to the reference position is set in advance (for example, at the time of manufacturing the vehicle 100 or updating the software) and stored in the storage unit 111. It is also possible that when there is a risk position near the determination area 1102, the processing unit 110 expands the determination area 1102 so as to include the risk position. The processing unit 110 includes the steering preparation position 1101 (that is, the reference position), and in the direction orthogonal to the predicted travel route of the host vehicle 100, relative to the host vehicle 100, toward the oncoming lane side (in Figure 11The determination area 1102 is set in a way that is offset to the left (in the example) of the vehicle. Thus, it is possible to appropriately predict the possibility of a collision occurring due to the left turn of the host vehicle 100.

[0080] The processing after step S1003 is executed using the reference position and the determination area set in step S1002. As described above, since Figure 13 the method is repeatedly executed, steps S1001 and S1002 are also repeatedly executed. Therefore, during the period when the vehicle speed of the host vehicle 100 is within the threshold range (for example, more than 2 km / h and less than 20 km / h), the reference position and the determination area are continuously updated, and the processing after step S1003 is executed using the latest reference position and determination area. According to the situation where the vehicle speed of the host vehicle 100 becomes outside the threshold range (for example, less than 2 km / h or 20 km / h or more), the update of the reference position and the determination area is stopped, and the processing after step S1003 is executed using the reference position and the determination area at the time when the update is stopped. In the case where the reference position and the determination area are not set at the execution time of step S1003, the processing unit 110 may also omit steps S1003 to S1010 and return the processing to S1001.

[0081] In step S1003, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) determines the predicted turning trajectory 1104 of the host vehicle 100. The predicted turning trajectory 1104 may also refer to the turning trajectory predicted when the host vehicle 100 turns to the oncoming lane side (for example, makes a left turn). The predicted turning trajectory 1104 may also be set and stored in the storage unit 111 in advance (for example, at the time of manufacturing the vehicle 100 or updating the software). The predicted turning trajectory 1104 set in this way in advance may also be referred to as the default predicted turning trajectory 1104.

[0082] Alternatively, a plurality of candidates for the predicted turning trajectory 1104 are stored in the storage unit 111. The processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) may also select one predicted turning trajectory 1104 from the plurality of candidates for the predicted turning trajectory 1104 based on the steering angle of the host vehicle 100 at the steering preparation position 1101 for subsequent processing. For example, when the steering angle of the host vehicle 100 is small, the processing unit 110 considers that the host vehicle 100 intends to make a left turn at a small intersection, so it may also select a predicted turning trajectory 1104 with a small radius of curvature. On the other hand, when the steering angle of the host vehicle 100 is large, the processing unit 110 considers that the host vehicle 100 intends to make a left turn at a large intersection, so it may also select a predicted turning trajectory 1104 with a large radius of curvature.

[0083] In step S1004, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) determines the surrounding vehicle RV within the range 500 in front of the host vehicle 100 as the target vehicle for subsequent processing. If there is no surrounding vehicle RV within the range 500, no target vehicle is determined. If there are multiple surrounding vehicles RV within the range 500, these multiple surrounding vehicles RV are all determined as target vehicles. This determination can also be made based on the current position of the surrounding vehicle RV included in the latest surrounding vehicle information obtained from the surrounding vehicle RV. In Figure 11 In the example shown, one surrounding vehicle RV exists within the range 500.

[0084] In step S1005, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) predicts the possibility of collision between the host vehicle 100 and the surrounding vehicle RV in the determination area 1102. When the processing unit 110 determines that there is a possibility of collision between the host vehicle 100 and the surrounding vehicle RV, the processing proceeds to step S1006, and in other cases, the processing proceeds to step S1008.

[0085] It is also possible to determine the collision possibility based on the case where the intersection point 1105 of the predicted turning trajectory 1104 determined in step S1003 and the predicted travel route 1103 of the surrounding vehicle RV is included in the determination area 1102. For example, it may be that the processing unit 110 determines that there is a possibility of collision when the intersection point 1105 is included in the determination area 1102, and determines that there is no possibility of collision when the intersection point 1105 is not included in the determination area 1102.

[0086] Furthermore, it is also possible to predict the collision possibility based on the indication state of the turn signal 107 of the host vehicle 100, the indication state of the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV, and the position of the surrounding vehicle RV relative to the host vehicle 100. For example, it is also possible to predict the collision possibility based on at least any one of the cases where the surrounding vehicle RV is located on the right or left side relative to the host vehicle 100, the case where the turn signal 107 of the host vehicle 100 indicates the right or left side, and the case where the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV indicates the right or left side.

[0087] Figure 12 In, the case where the surrounding vehicle RV is within the range 500 in front of the host vehicle 100 is described. Regarding the predicted travel route of the host vehicle 100, it is the same as Figure 9AWhen the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV does not indicate a direction, it is expected that the surrounding vehicle RV has selected a route 1201S for going straight at the intersection in front of the surrounding vehicle RV. When the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV indicates the right side, it is expected that the surrounding vehicle RV has selected a route 1201R for turning right at the intersection in front of the surrounding vehicle RV. When the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV indicates the left side, it is expected that the surrounding vehicle RV has selected a route 1201L for turning left at the intersection in front of the surrounding vehicle RV.

[0088] Alternatively, the processing unit 110 may predict, among the three travel routes 901S, 901R, and 901L predicted for the own vehicle 100 and the three travel routes 1201S, 1201R, and 1201L predicted for the surrounding vehicle RV, that there is a possibility of collision for the pairs in which the travel routes of the two vehicles intersect or coincide, and predict that there is no possibility of collision for the other pairs. Figure 12 Table 1210 summarizes the above description.

[0089] In step S1006, the processing unit 110 (for example, the auxiliary unit 110c thereof) determines whether the auxiliary condition is satisfied. If the processing unit 110 determines that the auxiliary condition is satisfied, the processing proceeds to step S1007, and otherwise proceeds to step S1008. Since step S1006 may be the same as step S605, repeated descriptions are omitted.

[0090] In step S1007, the processing unit 110 (for example, the assisting unit 110c thereof) performs driving assistance for the host vehicle 100. As driving assistance for the host vehicle 100, the processing unit 110 may report the possibility of collision to the occupant of the host vehicle 100 through the reporting device 105, or perform braking operation on the host vehicle 100 through the braking device 150.

[0091] In step S1010, the processing unit 110 (for example, the prediction unit 110b thereof) deletes the reference position and determination area (the reference position and determination area stored in step S603) that become unnecessary due to the execution of driving assistance from the storage unit 111. This can prevent the capacity of the storage unit 111 from being consumed by unnecessary information.

[0092] When it is determined in step S1005 that there is no possibility of collision, or when it is determined in step S1006 that the auxiliary condition is not satisfied, step S1008 is executed. In step S1008, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) determines whether the host vehicle 100 has left a predetermined distance (for example, 30 m) or more from the reference position stored in step S1002. When the processing unit 110 determines that the host vehicle 100 has left the reference position by a predetermined distance or more, the process proceeds to step S1010, and in other cases, the process proceeds to step S1009. When the host vehicle 100 has left the reference position by a predetermined distance or more, it is considered that there is no possibility of collision between the host vehicle 100 and the surrounding vehicle RV at this location. Therefore, the processing unit 110 ends the process without performing driving assistance for collision with the surrounding vehicle RV. In this case, in step S1010, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) also deletes the unnecessary reference position and determination area from the storage unit 111.

[0093] When it is determined in step S1008 that the host vehicle 100 has not left the reference position by a predetermined distance or more, step S1009 is executed. In step S1009, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) may update the predicted turning trajectory 1104 according to the change in the steering angle of the host vehicle 100. For example, when the host vehicle 100 turns left at a steering angle larger than the steering angle assumed in the predicted turning trajectory 1104, the processing unit 110 updates the predicted turning trajectory 1104 in such a way as to reduce the radius of curvature. On the other hand, when the host vehicle 100 turns left at a steering angle smaller than the steering angle assumed in the predicted turning trajectory 1104, the processing unit 110 updates the predicted turning trajectory 1104 in such a way as to increase the radius of curvature. The predicted turning trajectory 1104 may be updated when the current steering angle of the host vehicle 100 becomes equal to or greater than the steering angle of the default predicted turning trajectory 1104. After that, the processing unit 110 makes the process proceed to step S1004, and determines the surrounding vehicle RV newly included within the range 500 as the target vehicle for subsequent processing. In addition, the possibility of collision in step S1005 is determined based on the updated predicted turning trajectory 1104.

[0094] According to Figure 10 the method, when there are a plurality of surrounding vehicles within the range 500 in front of the host vehicle 100, a common reference position (i.e., the turning preparation position 1101) is used for the plurality of surrounding vehicles. As a result, a common determination area is set for the plurality of surrounding vehicles based on the common reference position. Thereby, it is possible to appropriately estimate the possibility of collision when the host vehicle 100 turns toward the oncoming lane side (for example, when turning left).

[0095] According to the above-described embodiments, it is possible to appropriately predict the collision possibility based on the positions of surrounding vehicles. As a result, it is possible to appropriately perform the driving assistance of the host vehicle 100. Further, even in a situation where the driving assistance based on the surrounding vehicle information obtained from the surrounding vehicles through vehicle-to-vehicle communication is not executed, the driving assistance based on other criteria (for example, the detection results of a camera and a radar) can be executed.

[0096] Alternatively, when predicting the collision possibility based on the indication state of the above-described turn signal, the processing unit 110 determines whether the surrounding vehicle RV has performed a lane change based on the traveling trajectory of the surrounding vehicle included in the surrounding vehicle information. When the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV continues to indicate the direction even after the lane change of the surrounding vehicle RV is completed (for example, when the turn signal continues to blink), there is a possibility that the driver of the surrounding vehicle RV has forgotten to turn off the indicator. In this case, the indication state of the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV and the predicted traveling route of the surrounding vehicle RV do not necessarily match. Therefore, alternatively, when the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV continues to indicate the direction even after the lane change of the surrounding vehicle RV is completed, the processing unit 110 predicts the collision possibility without relying on the indication state of the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV. Specifically, as Figure 9B shown, when the surrounding vehicle RV is within the range 501 on the right side of the host vehicle 100 and the turn signal of the host vehicle 100 indicates the right side, since the traveling routes of the two vehicles do not cross or coincide regardless of the direction in which the surrounding vehicle RV advances, it can be predicted that there is no collision possibility. On the other hand, when the surrounding vehicle RV is within the range 501 on the right side of the host vehicle 100 and the turn signal of the host vehicle 100 indicates the left side, the traveling routes of the two vehicles cross or coincide depending on the traveling route of the surrounding vehicle RV. Therefore, the processing unit 110 can also predict a collision possibility in consideration of safety.

[0097] The prediction of the above-described collision possibility can be performed using the latest surrounding vehicle information (including the indication state of the turn signal) obtained from the surrounding vehicle RV and the latest host vehicle information (including the indication state of the turn signal 107) obtained from the host vehicle 100. Therefore, the processing unit 110 can also report to the occupants of the host vehicle 100 based on the prediction result of the collision possibility during the change of the indication of the start direction of the turn signal of the host vehicle 100 or the surrounding vehicle RV. In this way, by the prediction result of the collision possibility at the time point of the change of the direction indication of the turn signal, it is possible to monitor the direction of the turn signal in real time and report the collision possibility to the driver at an early stage. The change of the direction indication of the turn signal can be based on the start of the direction indication of the turn signal or the end of the direction indication of the turn signal.

[0098] In the above-described driving assistance method, based on the case where the surrounding vehicle RV is within the range 500 or 501 of Figure 5 , the surrounding vehicle RV is set as an object for predicting the collision possibility. The processing unit 110 may also determine whether to set the surrounding vehicle RV as an object for predicting the collision possibility based on other information. Refer to Figure 13 to illustrate an example of the determination method of the surrounding vehicle RV that is an object for predicting the collision possibility.

[0099] The processing unit 110 may also determine whether to set the surrounding vehicle RV as an object for predicting the collision possibility based on the rotation angle 1303 of the travel route vector 1302 of the surrounding vehicle RV with respect to the travel route vector 1301 of the own vehicle 100. The travel route vector 1301 may also be a unit vector in the traveling direction of the vehicle. For illustration, the rotation angle 1303 is positive in the clockwise direction and negative in the counterclockwise direction.

[0100] Even if the surrounding vehicle RV is included in the range 500 in front of the own vehicle 100, when the surrounding vehicle RV travels in the same direction as the own vehicle 100, or travels right or left with respect to the own vehicle 100, it can be considered that there is no possibility of collision between the own vehicle 100 and the surrounding vehicle RV. Therefore, when the surrounding vehicle RV is within the range 500 in front of the own vehicle 100 and the rotation angle 1303 is within a predetermined range (for example, 160° to 200°), the processing unit 110 may also set the surrounding vehicle RV as an object for determining the collision possibility in the Figure 6 and Figure 10 processing.

[0101] Even if the surrounding vehicle RV is included in the range 501 on the right side of the own vehicle 100, when the surrounding vehicle RV travels in the same direction or the opposite direction as the own vehicle 100, or travels right with respect to the own vehicle 100, it can be considered that there is no possibility of collision between the own vehicle 100 and the surrounding vehicle RV. Therefore, when the surrounding vehicle RV is within the range 501 on the right side of the own vehicle 100 and the rotation angle 1303 is within a predetermined range (for example, -110° to -70°), the processing unit 110 may also set the surrounding vehicle RV as an object for determining the collision possibility in the Figure 6 and Figure 10 processing.

[0102] Even if the surrounding vehicle RV is included in the range 501 on the left side of the host vehicle 100, when the surrounding vehicle RV travels in the same direction as or in the opposite direction to the host vehicle 100, or travels leftward with respect to the host vehicle 100, it can be considered that there is no possibility of collision between the host vehicle 100 and the surrounding vehicle RV. Therefore, when the surrounding vehicle RV is within the range 501 on the left side of the host vehicle 100 and the rotation angle 1303 is within a predetermined range (for example, 70° to 110°), the processing unit 110 can also regard the surrounding vehicle RV as an object for determining the possibility of collision in the Figure 6 and Figure 10 processing of collision possibility.

[0103] <Summary of the Embodiment> <Item 1> A driving assistance device (108), wherein, the driving assistance device (108) includes: an acquisition mechanism (110a) that acquires surrounding vehicle information indicating the vehicle speed, position, travel trajectory, and turn signal indication state of a surrounding vehicle (RV) existing around the host vehicle (100) on which the driving assistance device is mounted through vehicle-to-vehicle communication; a prediction mechanism (110b) that predicts the possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle based on host vehicle information indicating the vehicle speed, position, travel trajectory, and turn signal (107) indication state of the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle information; and a reporting mechanism (110c) that reports to the occupant of the host vehicle based on the prediction result of the prediction mechanism, the prediction mechanism predicts the possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle at least based on the indication state of the turn signal of the host vehicle, the indication state of the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle, and the position of the surrounding vehicle relative to the host vehicle.

[0104] According to this item, it is possible to accurately acquire the indication state of the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle through vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Using the indication state of this turn signal, it is possible to accurately predict the possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle. As a result, it is possible to suppress the situation of excessive reporting to the driver.

[0105] <Item 2> The driving assistance device according to Item 1, wherein, Among the right side and the left side, the side on which the road for regulating traffic in the area where the host vehicle is located is the first side, and the side opposite to the first side is the second side, The prediction mechanism predicts the possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle based on at least any one of the situation where the surrounding vehicle is located on the first side or the second side relative to the host vehicle, the situation where the turn signal of the host vehicle indicates the first side or the second side, and the situation where the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle indicates the first side or the second side.

[0106] According to this item, in a specific situation, it is possible to suppress the situation of excessive reporting to the driver.

[0107] <Item 3> The driving assistance device according to Item 2, wherein When the surrounding vehicle is within a first range (501) existing on the first side or a second range (501) existing on the second side relative to the host vehicle, the turn signal of the host vehicle indicates the second side, and the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle indicates the first side The prediction mechanism predicts that there is no possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle.

[0108] According to this item, in a specific situation, it is possible to suppress the situation of excessive reporting to the driver.

[0109] <Item 4> The driving assistance device according to Item 2 or 3, wherein When the surrounding vehicle is within a second range (501) existing on the second side relative to the host vehicle and the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle indicates the first side, or When the surrounding vehicle is within a second range existing on the second side relative to the host vehicle, the turn signal of the host vehicle indicates the first side, and the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle indicates the first side or the second side The prediction mechanism predicts that there is no possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle.

[0110] According to this item, in a specific situation, it is possible to suppress the situation of excessive reporting to the driver.

[0111] <Item 5> The driving assistance device according to any one of Items 2 to 4, wherein When the surrounding vehicle is within a first range (501) existing on the first side relative to the host vehicle and the turn signal of the host vehicle indicates the first side The prediction mechanism predicts that there is no possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle.

[0112] According to this item, in a specific situation, the situation of excessive reporting to the driver can be suppressed.

[0113] <Item 6> The driving assistance device according to any one of Items 2 to 5, wherein When the surrounding vehicle is within the third range (500) in front of the own vehicle, and the turn signal of the own vehicle indicates the second side and the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle indicates the second side, The prediction mechanism predicts that there is no possibility of collision between the own vehicle and the surrounding vehicle.

[0114] According to this item, in a specific situation, the situation of excessive reporting to the driver can be suppressed.

[0115] <Item 7> The driving assistance device according to any one of Items 2 to 6, wherein When the surrounding vehicle is within the third range (500) in front of the own vehicle, and the turn signal of the own vehicle does not indicate a direction or indicates the first side, and the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle does not indicate a direction or indicates the first side, The prediction mechanism predicts that there is no possibility of collision between the own vehicle and the surrounding vehicle.

[0116] According to this item, in a specific situation, the situation of excessive reporting to the driver can be suppressed.

[0117] <Item 8> The driving assistance device according to any one of Items 1 to 7, wherein The reporting mechanism reports to the occupant of the own vehicle based on the prediction result of the prediction mechanism at the time point when the turn signal of the own vehicle or the surrounding vehicle changes direction.

[0118] According to this item, the possibility of collision can be predicted at an early stage.

[0119] <Item 9> The driving assistance device according to any one of Items 1 to 8, wherein The driving assistance device further includes a determination mechanism that determines whether the surrounding vehicle has performed a lane change based on the driving trajectory of the surrounding vehicle included in the surrounding vehicle information, When the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle continues to indicate a direction even after the lane change of the surrounding vehicle is completed, the prediction mechanism predicts the possibility of collision between the own vehicle and the surrounding vehicle regardless of the indication state of the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle.

[0120] According to this item, even when the driver forgets to turn off the turn signal after changing lanes, appropriate driving assistance can be provided.

[0121] <Item 10> The driving assistance device according to Item 3, wherein the first range is a fan-shaped range that is located on the first side with respect to the host vehicle and is defined by a predetermined distance and a predetermined angle, the second range is a fan-shaped range that is located on the second side with respect to the host vehicle and is defined by a predetermined distance and a predetermined angle.

[0122] According to this item, surrounding vehicles within an appropriate range can be used as prediction targets for the possibility of collision.

[0123] <Item 11> The driving assistance device according to Item 6 or 7, wherein the third range is a fan-shaped range that is located in front of the host vehicle and is defined by a predetermined distance and a predetermined angle.

[0124] According to this item, surrounding vehicles within an appropriate range can be used as prediction targets for the possibility of collision.

[0125] <Item 12> A driving assistance method, wherein the driving assistance method includes: an acquisition step (S403), in which an acquisition mechanism acquires surrounding vehicle information indicating the vehicle speed, position, driving trajectory, and turn signal indication state of a surrounding vehicle (RV) existing around the host vehicle (100) through vehicle-to-vehicle communication; a prediction step (S604, S1005), in which a prediction mechanism predicts the possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle based on host vehicle information indicating the vehicle speed, position, driving trajectory, and turn signal indication state of the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle information; and a reporting step, in which a reporting mechanism reports to an occupant of the host vehicle based on the prediction result in the prediction step, In the prediction step, the possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle is predicted based on at least the turn signal indication state of the host vehicle, the turn signal indication state of the surrounding vehicle, and the position of the surrounding vehicle relative to the host vehicle.

[0126] According to this item, it is possible to suppress the situation of over-reporting to the driver.

[0127] <Item 13> A program, wherein the program causes a computer to perform the following steps: An acquisition step (S403), in which vehicle-to-vehicle communication is used to acquire vehicle information of surrounding vehicles (RV) existing around the own vehicle (100), the vehicle information indicating the vehicle speed, position, travel trajectory, and the indicated state of the turn signal of the surrounding vehicles; A prediction step (S604, S1005), in which, based on the own vehicle information indicating the vehicle speed, position, travel trajectory, and the indicated state of the turn signal of the own vehicle and the vehicle information of the surrounding vehicles, the possibility of a collision between the own vehicle and the surrounding vehicles is predicted; and A reporting step (S606, S1007), in which, based on the prediction result in the prediction step, a report is made to the occupants of the own vehicle. In the prediction step, the possibility of a collision between the own vehicle and the surrounding vehicles is predicted based on at least the indicated state of the turn signal of the own vehicle, the indicated state of the turn signal of the surrounding vehicles, and the position of the surrounding vehicles relative to the own vehicle.

[0128] According to this item, it is possible to suppress a situation where an excessive report is made to the driver.

[0129] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications and changes can be made within the scope of the gist of the invention.

Claims

1. A driving assistance device, wherein: The driving assistance device comprises: an acquisition unit that acquires surrounding vehicle information indicating a vehicle speed, position, driving track, and indication status of a turn signal lamp of a surrounding vehicle existing around a host vehicle equipped with the driving assistance device through inter-vehicle communication; A prediction unit that predicts the possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles based on the host vehicle information indicating the vehicle speed, position, driving track and indication state of the turn signal lamp of the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle information; and a reporting unit that reports to an occupant of the host vehicle based on the prediction result of the prediction unit, The prediction unit predicts a possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles based at least on an indication state of a turn signal of the host vehicle, an indication state of a turn signal of the surrounding vehicles, and a position of the surrounding vehicles relative to the host vehicle.

2. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein: Of the right side and the left side, a side of a road specified for passage in the area where the host vehicle is located is a first side, and a side opposite to the first side is a second side. The prediction mechanism predicts the possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles based on at least any one of a situation in which the surrounding vehicles are located on the first side or the second side relative to the host vehicle, a situation in which the turn signal of the host vehicle indicates the first side or the second side, and a situation in which the turn signal of the surrounding vehicles indicates the first side or the second side.

3. The driving assistance device according to claim 2, wherein: When the surrounding vehicle is located within a first range on the first side or within a second range on the second side relative to the host vehicle, the turn signal lamp of the host vehicle indicates the second side, and the turn signal lamp of the surrounding vehicle indicates the first side, The prediction unit predicts that there is no possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles.

4. The driving assistance device according to claim 2, wherein: When the surrounding vehicle is located within a second range existing on the second side relative to the host vehicle and a turn signal lamp of the surrounding vehicle indicates the first side, or When the surrounding vehicle is located within a second range existing on the second side relative to the host vehicle, the turn signal lamp of the host vehicle indicates the first side, and the turn signal lamp of the surrounding vehicle indicates the first side or the second side, The prediction unit predicts that there is no possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles.

5. The driving assistance device according to claim 2, wherein: The prediction unit predicts that there is no possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle when the surrounding vehicle is located within a first range existing on the first side relative to the host vehicle and the turn signal of the host vehicle indicates the first side.

6. The driving assistance device according to claim 2, wherein: In a case where the surrounding vehicle is located in a third range in front of the host vehicle, the turn signal lamp of the host vehicle indicates the second side, and the turn signal lamp of the surrounding vehicle indicates the second side, The prediction unit predicts that there is no possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles.

7. The driving assistance device according to claim 2, wherein: In a case where the surrounding vehicles are located in a third range in front of the host vehicle, the turn signal lamp of the host vehicle does not indicate a direction or indicates the first side, and the turn signal lamp of the surrounding vehicles does not indicate a direction or indicates the first side, The prediction unit predicts that there is no possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles.

8. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein: The reporting means reports to the occupant of the host vehicle based on the prediction result of the prediction means at the time when the turn signal of the host vehicle or the surrounding vehicle indicates a change of direction.

9. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein: The driving assistance device further includes a determination unit that determines whether the surrounding vehicle has executed a lane change based on a travel trajectory of the surrounding vehicle included in the surrounding vehicle information. When the turn signal lamp of the surrounding vehicle continues to indicate a direction even after the lane change of the surrounding vehicle is completed, the prediction unit predicts the possibility of the collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle without depending on the indication state of the turn signal lamp of the surrounding vehicle.

10. The driving assistance device according to claim 3, wherein: The first range is a fan-shaped range located on the first side with respect to the host vehicle and defined by a predetermined distance and a predetermined angle. The second range is a fan-shaped range that is located on the second side with respect to the host vehicle and is defined by a predetermined distance and a predetermined angle.

11. The driving assistance device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein: The third range is a fan-shaped range that is located in front of the host vehicle and is defined by a predetermined distance and a predetermined angle.

12. A driving assistance method, wherein: The driving assistance method comprises: an acquisition step, in which the acquisition means acquires surrounding vehicle information indicating the speed, position, driving track and indication status of the turn signal lamp of the surrounding vehicles from the surrounding vehicles existing around the host vehicle through inter-vehicle communication; a prediction step, in which a prediction unit predicts the possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles based on the host vehicle information indicating the speed, position, driving trajectory and indication status of the turn signal lamp of the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle information; and a reporting step, in which a reporting unit reports to an occupant of the host vehicle based on the prediction result in the prediction step, In the prediction step, the possibility of the collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles is predicted based on at least the indication state of the turn signal of the host vehicle, the indication state of the turn signal of the surrounding vehicles, and the position of the surrounding vehicles relative to the host vehicle.

13. A program product, wherein The program product is used to make the computer execute the following steps: an acquisition step, in which surrounding vehicle information indicating the speed, position, driving track and indication status of the turn signal lamp of the surrounding vehicles is acquired from the surrounding vehicles existing around the own vehicle through inter-vehicle communication; A prediction step, in which the possibility of the host vehicle colliding with the surrounding vehicles is predicted based on the host vehicle information indicating the speed, position, driving track and indication state of the turn signal lamp of the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle information; and a reporting step, in which a report is made to an occupant of the host vehicle based on the prediction result in the prediction step, In the prediction step, the possibility of the collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles is predicted based on at least the indication state of the turn signal of the host vehicle, the indication state of the turn signal of the surrounding vehicles, and the position of the surrounding vehicles relative to the host vehicle.

14. A storage medium, wherein: The storage medium stores a program for causing a computer to execute the following steps: an acquisition step, in which surrounding vehicle information indicating the speed, position, driving track and indication status of the turn signal lamp of the surrounding vehicles is acquired from the surrounding vehicles existing around the own vehicle through inter-vehicle communication; A prediction step, in which the possibility of the host vehicle colliding with the surrounding vehicles is predicted based on the host vehicle information indicating the speed, position, driving track and indication state of the turn signal lamp of the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle information; and a reporting step, in which a report is made to an occupant of the host vehicle based on the prediction result in the prediction step, In the prediction step, the possibility of the collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles is predicted based on at least the indication state of the turn signal of the host vehicle, the indication state of the turn signal of the surrounding vehicles, and the position of the surrounding vehicles relative to the host vehicle.

Images