Driving assistance system

Abstract

The invention provides a driving support system capable of improving safety in a cross scene. A driving assistance system includes a time prediction unit that predicts an arrival time, a position prediction unit that predicts a front end position and a rear end position, and a margin distance setting unit that sets a margin distance. A driving assistance system is provided with: a determination position setting unit that sets a front-end determination position, a rear-end determination position, a crossing front-end position, and a crossing rear-end position; and a determination unit. The determination unit determines that the assist is not required when the front end determination position is located rearward of the intersecting rear end position in the traveling direction of the traversing moving body or the rear end determination position is located forward of the intersecting front end position in the traveling direction of the traversing moving body. When the front end determination position is located forward of the crossing rear end position in the traveling direction of the traversing moving body and the rear end determination position is located rearward of the crossing front end position in the traveling direction of the traversing moving body, the determination unit determines that the assist is necessary.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The disclosures in this specification relate to driver assistance systems. Background Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a collision determination device that determines a collision by whether the vehicle's three-dimensional path intersects with the movement path of an object. The contents of prior art documents are incorporated herein by reference as explanations of technical elements.

[0003] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-8288

[0004] In the existing technical literature, collision detection between the vehicle and an object is performed, and collision mitigation control is implemented to reduce the vehicle's speed as needed. However, driver assistance in non-collision intersection scenarios is not assumed. Even in non-collision intersection scenarios, extremely close intersections can sometimes create a sense of impending collision for the object and for the driver. Therefore, driver assistance systems require the avoidance of extremely close intersections to improve safety in intersection scenarios. Further improvements to driver assistance systems are required from the above perspectives or from other perspectives not mentioned. Summary of the Invention

[0005] One of the disclosed objectives is to provide a driver assistance system that can improve safety in cross-traffic scenarios.

[0006] The driver assistance systems disclosed here include:

[0007] The detection device (51) detects surrounding objects;

[0008] The vehicle trajectory prediction unit (72A) predicts the movement trajectory of the vehicle (10), which is also the vehicle trajectory (K1).

[0009] The object trajectory prediction unit (72B) predicts the object trajectory (K2), which is the movement trajectory of the moving body (20) detected by the detection device;

[0010] The time prediction unit (72C) predicts the arrival time, which is the time until the vehicle reaches the intersection area (CA) where the vehicle's trajectory intersects with the object's trajectory;

[0011] The position prediction unit (72D) predicts the position of crossing the front end (SPf) and the position of crossing the rear end (SPr), wherein the position of crossing the front end is the position of crossing the front end of the moving body at the time of arrival, and the position of crossing the rear end is the position of crossing the rear end of the moving body at the time of arrival.

[0012] The margin distance setting unit (73) sets the required margin distance (ML) between the vehicle and the cross-moving object at the time point after the arrival time.

[0013] The position setting unit (76) sets the front judging position (HPf) and the rear judging position (HPr), and sets the cross front position (CAf) and the cross rear position (CAr). The front judging position is the position obtained by adding a margin distance to the direction of travel of the transverse moving body for the front judging position, and the rear judging position is the position obtained by adding a margin distance to the direction of travel of the transverse moving body for the rear judging position for the rear judging position in the opposite direction to the direction of travel of the transverse moving body. The cross front position is the end in the cross area located in front of the direction of travel of the transverse moving body, and the cross rear position is the end in the cross area located in the cross area located in the direction of travel of the transverse moving body.

[0014] The judgment unit (74) determines that an auxiliary state is not needed when the front judgment position is located behind the cross-moving body in the direction of travel of the cross-moving body compared to the cross-rear position, or when the rear judgment position is located in front of the cross-moving body in the direction of travel of the cross-moving body compared to the cross-front position; and determines that an auxiliary state is needed when the front judgment position is in front of the cross-moving body in the direction of travel of the cross-moving body compared to the cross-rear position and the rear judgment position is located behind the cross-moving body in the direction of travel of the cross-moving body compared to the cross-front position.

[0015] The auxiliary control unit (75) implements driving assistance using the driving assistance device (80) when the judgment unit determines that an assistance state is required, and stops driving assistance when the judgment unit determines that an assistance state is not required.

[0016] According to the disclosed driving assistance system, a determination unit is included. When the front determination position is located behind the traveling direction of the crossing moving object compared to the rear end position of the intersection, or when the rear determination position is located in front of the traveling direction of the crossing moving object compared to the front end position of the intersection, the determination unit determines that assistance is not needed. Conversely, when the front determination position is in front of the traveling direction of the crossing moving object compared to the rear end position of the intersection and the rear determination position is behind the traveling direction of the crossing moving object compared to the front end position of the intersection, the determination unit determines that assistance is needed. Therefore, driving assistance can be implemented in intersection scenarios where there is an extremely close distance, such as a crossing area, between the front and rear determination positions. Thus, ensuring a sufficient distance between the vehicle and the crossing moving object easily improves safety in intersection scenarios. Therefore, a driving assistance system that improves safety in intersection scenarios can be provided.

[0017] The various methods disclosed in this specification employ different technical solutions to achieve their respective purposes. The claims and the parenthetical reference numerals within them illustratively show the correspondence with portions of the embodiments described later, and are not intended to limit the scope of the technology. The purposes, features, and effects disclosed in this specification become clearer with reference to the following detailed description and accompanying drawings. Attached Figure Description

[0018] Figure 1 This is a block diagram of a driver assistance system.

[0019] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing the current position of the vehicle and the moving objects crossing it.

[0020] Figure 3 It is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the vehicle and the moving object crossing it at the point in time of arrival.

[0021] Figure 4 This is a flowchart related to cross-auxiliary control.

[0022] Figure 5 Is with Figure 4 The flowchart related to step S130.

[0023] Figure 6 It is a feature mapping that represents the relationship between the vehicle speed and the additional distance.

[0024] Figure 7 This is an explanatory diagram used to illustrate the front-end and back-end position determination methods.

[0025] Figure 8 This diagram represents the case where the front-end judgment position is located behind the intersection area.

[0026] Figure 9 This is a diagram illustrating the situation where the front-end determines the location to be within the intersection area.

[0027] Figure 10 This is a diagram showing the situation where a moving object is located within the intersection area at the point in time after the arrival time.

[0028] Figure 11 This is a diagram illustrating the situation where the backend determines the location to be within the intersection area.

[0029] Figure 12 This diagram represents the case where the backend's judgment position is located further ahead than the intersection area.

[0030] Figure 13 This is a flowchart related to the cross-assist control involved in the second embodiment.

[0031] Figure 14 Is with Figure 13 The flowchart related to step S230.

[0032] Figure 15 This is a diagram illustrating the situation where the front-end determines the location to be within the intersection area.

[0033] Figure 16 It is a diagram showing the current position of the moving object and the position at the time of arrival.

[0034] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0035] 10…This vehicle; 20…Crossing a moving object; 51…Detection device; 52…Steering angle sensor; 53…Yaw rate sensor; 54…Wheel speed sensor; 70…Control unit; 71…Acquisition unit; 72…Prediction unit; 72A…Vehicle trajectory prediction unit; 72B…Object trajectory prediction unit; 72C…Time prediction unit; 72D…Position prediction unit; 73…Margin distance setting unit; 74…Judgment unit; 75…Auxiliary control unit; 76…Judgment position setting unit; 80…Driving assistance device; 100…Driving assistance System; CA…intersection area; CAf…intersection front position; CAr…intersection rear position; GPf…current front position; GPr…current rear position; HPf…front judgment position; HPr…rear judgment position; K1…vehicle trajectory; K2…object trajectory; MA…margin area; MAf…pass through the margin area before; MAr…pass through the margin distance after; ML…margin distance; MLf…pass through the margin distance before; MLr…pass through the margin distance after; SPf…pass through the front position; SPr…pass through the rear position. Detailed Implementation

[0036] Referring to the accompanying drawings, several embodiments will be described. In these embodiments, sometimes the same reference numerals are used for functionally and / or structurally corresponding and / or associated parts, or for different reference numerals in hundreds or higher digits. For corresponding and / or associated parts, reference can be made to the description of other embodiments.

[0037] (First Implementation)

[0038] exist Figure 1 In this system, the driving assistance system 100 is a system that assists driving based on the conditions of the vehicle and its surroundings. As a driving assistance, it can employ braking assistance, steering assistance, and other methods to change the vehicle's behavior. Furthermore, as a driving assistance, it can employ collision warning assistance and other methods to attract the driver's attention in situations where a collision with surrounding objects is possible.

[0039] The driver assistance system 100 includes a detection device 51, a steering angle sensor 52, a yaw rate sensor 53, and wheel speed sensors 54. The steering angle sensor 52 is mounted on the vehicle's steering column. The steering angle sensor 52 outputs a steering angle signal corresponding to changes in the steering angle of the steering wheel as operated by the driver. The yaw rate sensor 53 is located at the center of the vehicle and outputs a yaw rate signal corresponding to the rate of change of the vehicle's steering input. The wheel speed sensors 54 are mounted on the vehicle's wheels. The wheel speed sensors 54 output wheel speed signals corresponding to the vehicle's wheel speeds.

[0040] The detection device 51 is a sensor used to detect surrounding objects. The objects to be detected include moving objects or objects that may move. More specifically, the objects to be detected include vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, animals, etc. Additionally, although not objects that are subject to the cross-assistance control described later, stationary objects such as parked vehicles and guardrails can also be detected.

[0041] The detection device 51 includes a millimeter-wave radar 51A, a laser sensor 51B, and an image sensor 51C. The millimeter-wave radar 51A transmits millimeter waves and receives reflected waves generated by objects reflecting the transmitted millimeter waves. The laser sensor 51B transmits laser light with a wavelength shorter than that of the millimeter-wave radar 51A and receives reflected waves generated by objects reflecting the transmitted laser light. Based on their respective reflected waves, the millimeter-wave radar 51A and the laser sensor 51B detect the position of objects around the vehicle and the relative speed of the objects relative to the vehicle. The image sensor 51C uses images captured by an imaging device to detect the position of objects and the relative speed of the objects relative to the vehicle. Alternatively, the detection device 51 can be configured to acquire information about surrounding vehicles using vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

[0042] The object detected by the detection device 51 that is expected to cross the road in the direction of travel of this vehicle is detected as a moving object 20. The moving object 20 can be said to be an object that moves in a manner that intersects with this vehicle. As a moving object 20, it is assumed that other vehicles are traveling in a direction that intersects with the direction of travel of this vehicle at the intersection. More specifically, it is assumed that other vehicles are traveling straight on the intersecting road when this vehicle is going straight at the intersection, and other vehicles are traveling straight in the opposite lane when this vehicle is turning left or right. In addition, as a moving object 20, it is assumed that pedestrians, animals, etc. are crossing the road in which this vehicle is traveling, or the road ahead of this vehicle after it turns left or right.

[0043] The driver assistance system 100 includes a driver assistance device 80. The driver assistance device 80 is a device that assists in driving the vehicle. The driver assistance device 80 includes a brake assist device for braking assistance and a steering assist device for steering operation assistance. Furthermore, the driver assistance device 80 includes a collision warning device that activates attention when the presence of objects around the vehicle is detected and a collision is possible.

[0044] The driver assistance system 100 includes a control unit 70. The control unit 70 includes an acquisition unit 71, a prediction unit 72, a margin distance setting unit 73, a position setting unit 76, a judgment unit 74, and an auxiliary control unit 75. The acquisition unit 71 acquires vehicle information and object information from sensors mounted on the vehicle. The vehicle information includes information related to the vehicle's behavior, such as its speed and direction of travel. The object information includes information related to the object, such as its position, size, speed, and direction of travel.

[0045] The prediction unit 72 predicts the traffic conditions around the vehicle, including the vehicle's behavior, based on vehicle information and object information. The prediction unit 72 includes a vehicle trajectory prediction unit 72A, an object trajectory prediction unit 72B, a time prediction unit 72C, and a position prediction unit 72D.

[0046] The vehicle trajectory prediction unit 72A predicts the vehicle's trajectory, i.e., the vehicle trajectory K1. The vehicle trajectory prediction unit 72A predicts the vehicle trajectory K1 based on the vehicle's current position, current speed, acceleration, and yaw rate. However, the information used to predict the vehicle trajectory K1 is not limited to the above examples; map information from the navigation system, past driving data, etc., may also be used.

[0047] The object trajectory prediction unit 72B predicts the object's movement trajectory, i.e., object trajectory K2. Object trajectory K2 also includes the object's movement trajectory from its past location to its current position. The object trajectory prediction unit 72B predicts object trajectory K2 based on the object's current position, current velocity, and acceleration. However, the information used to predict object trajectory K2 is not limited to the examples mentioned above; additional information such as the shape of surrounding roads and the condition of surrounding objects may also be used.

[0048] The time prediction unit 72C predicts the time until the vehicle reaches the intersection area CA where the vehicle's trajectory K1 intersects with the target trajectory K2, which is also the arrival time. The intersection area CA will be explained below using attached diagrams.

[0049] exist Figure 2In this context, the forward position of the transverse moving body 20 at the current time is the current forward position GPf. Conversely, the rearward position of the transverse moving body 20 at the current time is the current rearward position GPr. The current forward position GPf and the current rearward position GPr are determined by the direction of travel of the transverse moving body 20. That is, the current rearward position GPr is always located behind the current forward position GPf in the direction of travel of the transverse moving body 20.

[0050] The predicted trajectory of vehicle 10, i.e., vehicle trajectory K1, and the predicted trajectory of the object crossing the moving body 20, i.e., the target trajectory K2, intersect each other. The rectangular area centered at this intersection point is the intersection region CA. Assuming that vehicle 10 and the crossing moving body 20 exist in the intersection region CA at the same time, vehicle 10 collides with the crossing moving body 20. In the attached figures, the intersection region CA is shaded with dots.

[0051] The length of one side of the rectangular intersection area CA is the width of the vehicle 10, and the length of the other side is the lateral width of the moving body 20. Assuming that the moving body 20 is a vehicle, the length of the lateral width becomes the width of the vehicle 20.

[0052] The end of the intersection area CA that is in front of the moving body 20 in the direction of travel is the intersection front position CAf. The intersection front position CAf can also be described as the position where the moving body 20 finally exits the intersection area CA. The intersection front position CAf can also be described as the point that is furthest forward in the direction of travel of the moving body 20 among the points where the intersection area CA and the object trajectory K2 intersect.

[0053] The rear end of the intersection region CA, located in the direction of travel of the transverse moving body 20, is the intersection rear end position CAr. The intersection rear end position CAr can also be described as the position where the transverse moving body 20 initially enters the intersection region CA. The intersection rear end position CAr can also be described as the point where the intersection region CA intersects with the object trajectory K2, located furthest rearward in the direction of travel of the transverse moving body 20.

[0054] Assuming a one-dimensional coordinate system extending along the target trajectory K2, with the intersection of the vehicle trajectory K1 and the target trajectory K2 as the origin. Here, the region on the side of the travel direction crossing the moving body 20, with the origin as the reference, is defined as the positive region, and the region on the side opposite to the travel direction crossing the moving body 20, with the origin as the reference, is defined as the negative region. In this case, the intersection front position CAf is the position where the vehicle 10 has moved half the width of the vehicle 10 in the positive direction from the origin. On the other hand, the intersection rear position CAr is the position where the vehicle 10 has moved half the width of the vehicle 10 in the negative direction from the origin. However, the method of setting the coordinate system is not limited to the above example. Hereinafter, the travel direction crossing the moving body 20 is sometimes referred to as the positive direction, and the direction opposite to the travel direction crossing the moving body 20 is sometimes referred to as the negative direction.

[0055] The margin distance setting unit 73 sets a margin region MA and a margin distance ML for the transverse moving body 20. The margin region MA is the part marked with a diagonal line in the attached drawing. The margin region MA includes a front margin region MAf and a rear margin region MAr. The margin region MA and the margin distance ML will be explained in detail later.

[0056] exist Figure 1 In this system, the time prediction unit 72C predicts the arrival time based on the distance from the current position of the vehicle 10 to the intersection CA and the speed of the vehicle 10, i.e., its current speed. Here, the arrival time is the predicted time required for the vehicle 10 to reach the intersection CA. If a portion of the vehicle 10 reaches the intersection CA, the elapsed time up to that moment of arrival is predicted as the arrival time. The information used for predicting the arrival time is not limited to the examples described above; information such as the acceleration of the vehicle 10 may also be used.

[0057] The position prediction unit 72D predicts the position of the transverse moving body 20 at the elapsed arrival time, i.e., the crossing position. The crossing position includes two locations: the crossing front position SPf and the crossing rear position SPr. The crossing front position SPf is the position at the front end of the transverse moving body 20 at the elapsed arrival time. The crossing rear position SPr is the position at the rear end of the transverse moving body 20 at the elapsed arrival time. The crossing positions will be explained below using the accompanying drawings.

[0058] exist Figure 3In the diagram, dashed lines represent the vehicle 10 and the crossing moving body 20 at the current time, while solid lines represent the vehicle 10 and the crossing moving body 20 at the elapsed arrival time. At the elapsed arrival time, the front end of the vehicle 10 reaches the intersection area CA. The front end position of the crossing moving body 20 at the elapsed arrival time is the crossing front end position SPf. The rear end position of the crossing moving body 20 at the elapsed arrival time is the crossing rear end position SPr. The distance from crossing the front end position SPf to crossing the rear end position SPr is equal to the length of the crossing moving body 20 in the forward and backward direction. Crossing the front end position SPf, crossing the rear end position SPr, intersecting the front end position CAf, and intersecting the rear end position CAr are all located on the same straight line along the object trajectory K2.

[0059] The position prediction unit 72D predicts the crossing position based on the arrival time, the current position of the traversing moving body 20, and the speed at which it traverses the moving body 20. However, the information used to predict the crossing position is not limited to the examples described above; information such as the acceleration of the traversing moving body 20 may also be used.

[0060] exist Figure 1 In this configuration, the margin distance setting unit 73 sets the required margin distance ML between the vehicle 10 and the crossing vehicle 20 at the point of arrival. The margin distance ML is the distance at which the driver of the vehicle 10 can pass without feeling excessive fear at the intersection of the vehicle 10 and the crossing vehicle 20. Alternatively, the margin distance ML can also be described as the distance at which the driver of the vehicle 10 can pass without causing excessive fear to the crossing vehicle 20 at the intersection. The margin distance ML can also be described as the allowance for lateral movement at the intersection of the vehicle 10 and the crossing vehicle 20. The method for setting the margin distance ML will be explained in detail later.

[0061] The position setting unit 76 sets the intersection front position CAf, intersection rear position CAr, front judgment position HPf, and rear judgment position HPr. The front judgment position HPf and rear judgment position HPr serve as reference positions for determining whether driving assistance is required. Details of the front judgment position HPf and rear judgment position HPr will be explained later.

[0062] The determination unit 74 determines whether driving assistance is needed regarding the intersection of the vehicle 10 and the crossing mobile body 20. If the vehicle 10 and the crossing mobile body 20 can safely intersect with ample margin, the determination unit 74 determines that assistance is not needed. Conversely, if the vehicle 10 and the crossing mobile body 20 cannot safely intersect with ample margin, the determination unit 74 determines that assistance is needed. Specific examples of the determination unit 74's judgment will be explained later.

[0063] The assistance control unit 75 implements driving assistance using the driving assistance device 80 as needed. When the determination unit 74 determines that assistance is needed, the assistance control unit 75 implements driving assistance that is cross-related to the vehicle 10 and the traversing moving body 20. Conversely, when the determination unit 74 determines that assistance is not needed, the assistance control unit 75 stops driving assistance that is cross-related to the vehicle 10 and the traversing moving body 20.

[0064] The following is a detailed explanation of cross-assist control. Figure 4 In step S101, the vehicle 10 begins driving. If cross-traffic assist control is initiated, the acquisition unit 71 acquires sensor information. This sensor information includes necessary information such as vehicle information required for predicting vehicle trajectory K1 and object information required for predicting object trajectory K2. After acquiring the sensor information, the process proceeds to step S102.

[0065] In step S102, the vehicle trajectory prediction unit 72A predicts the vehicle trajectory K1 up to the end of a predetermined time. Furthermore, the object trajectory prediction unit 72B predicts the object trajectory K2 up to the end of a predetermined time. The object trajectory prediction unit 72B predicts the object trajectory K2 for each detected object. For example, if a vehicle and a pedestrian are detected as objects, the vehicle's object trajectory K2 and the pedestrian's object trajectory K2 are predicted respectively. After predicting the object trajectory K2, the process proceeds to step S111.

[0066] In step S111, the determination unit 74 determines whether the vehicle trajectory K1 and the object trajectory K2 intersect. If the vehicle trajectory K1 and the object trajectory K2 intersect, the process proceeds to step S121. On the other hand, if the vehicle trajectory K1 and the object trajectory K2 do not intersect, the process proceeds to step S161. Here, if there are multiple object trajectories K2, the process proceeds to step S121 even if there is only one object trajectory K2 that intersects the vehicle trajectory K1. On the other hand, if there are no object trajectories K2 that intersect the vehicle trajectory K1, the process proceeds to step S161. Furthermore, if there are no surrounding objects and no predicted object trajectory K2, this is equivalent to the case where there are no object trajectories K2 that intersect the vehicle trajectory K1. Therefore, even if there are no surrounding objects, the process proceeds to step S161.

[0067] In step S121, the arrival time is predicted by the time prediction unit 72C. If there are multiple object trajectories K2 intersecting with the vehicle's trajectory K1, there are multiple intersection areas CA. In this case, the arrival time of each of the multiple intersection areas CA is predicted. After predicting the arrival time, the process proceeds to step S122.

[0068] In step S122, the crossing position is predicted by the position prediction unit 72D. The predicted crossing positions are the front end position SPf and the rear end position SPr. If there are multiple object trajectories K2 intersecting with the vehicle trajectory K1, the crossing position for each object trajectory K2 is predicted. After predicting the crossing position, the process proceeds to step S130.

[0069] In step S130, the margin distance setting unit 73 sets the margin distance ML. The margin distance setting unit 73 sets the margin distance ML based on the vehicle speed, the target speed, etc. The margin distance setting process will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0070] exist Figure 5 If the margin distance setting process begins, in step S131, the margin distance setting unit 73 sets the basic distance to the margin distance ML. Here, the basic distance is the minimum value allowed as the margin distance ML, and is a preset distance. After setting the basic distance to the margin distance ML, the process proceeds to step S132.

[0071] In step S132, the margin distance setting unit 73 sets an additional distance based on the vehicle speed. Here, the additional distance is the distance added to the basic distance when setting the margin distance ML. The margin distance ML becomes the distance obtained by adding the basic distance and the additional distance. Assuming that the basic distance is set to zero, the additional distance directly becomes the margin distance ML.

[0072] exist Figure 6 In the diagram, the horizontal axis represents the additional distance, and the vertical axis represents the vehicle speed. As shown in the figure, the higher the vehicle speed, the larger the additional distance should be. This is because the higher the vehicle speed, the lower the prediction accuracy is, so it is best to ensure a larger additional distance. Furthermore, even if the distance from the vehicle 10 to the crossing moving body 20 is the same when the vehicle 10 intersects with the crossing moving body 20, the higher the vehicle speed, the more alarming the intersection will be. This is one of the reasons why the additional distance should be set to a larger value for the higher the vehicle speed. The relationship between the additional distance based on the vehicle speed and the lateral distance required for the vehicle to pass the side of a stationary object is the same. After setting the additional distance based on the vehicle speed, proceed to step S133.

[0073] exist Figure 5In step S133, the margin distance setting unit 73 sets an additional distance based on the target speed. The higher the target speed crossing the moving body 20, the larger the additional distance is set. This is because the higher the target speed, the easier it is for the prediction accuracy to decrease, so it is best to ensure a larger additional distance. In addition, even if the distance from the vehicle 10 to the moving body 20 when it intersects with the moving body 20 is the same, the higher the target speed, the more likely it is to cause a sense of panic when crossing. This is also one of the reasons why a larger value is set as the additional distance for a higher target speed. After setting the additional distance based on the target speed, the process proceeds to step S134.

[0074] In step S134, the margin distance setting unit 73 sets an additional distance based on the target movement distance. The target movement distance is the distance moved from the current position of the traversing moving body 20 to the position at the time point after the arrival time of the traversing moving body 20. The larger the target movement distance, the larger the value is set as the additional distance. This is because the larger the target movement distance, the greater the prediction error related to the traversing moving body 20, and it is best to ensure a larger additional distance. After setting the additional distance based on the target movement distance, the process proceeds to step S139.

[0075] In step S139, the margin distance setting unit 73 sets the margin distance ML. The margin distance setting unit 73 sets the final additional distance by adding the additional distance based on the vehicle speed, the additional distance based on the target speed, and the additional distance based on the target movement distance. The distance obtained by adding the final additional distance to the basic distance is set as the margin distance ML.

[0076] exist Figure 7 In this configuration, a margin region MA and a margin distance ML are defined for the transverse moving body 20. The margin region MA is set at the front and rear of the transverse moving body 20 along the object trajectory K2. The margin region MA set at the front of the transverse moving body 20 extends forward along the object trajectory K2 by the length of the margin distance ML. The length of the margin region MAf along the object trajectory K2 is the same as the length of the margin distance ML.

[0077] The margin region MA, located behind the transverse moving body 20, is the rear margin region MAr. The rear margin region MAr is the region that extends the margin distance ML backward along the object trajectory K2 from the rear end of the transverse moving body 20. The length of the rear margin region MAr along the object trajectory K2 is the same as the length of the margin distance ML. By setting the margin distance ML, the margin distance setting process ends, and the process proceeds to step S140.

[0078] exist Figure 4In step S140, the determination position setting unit 76 sets the front determination position HPf and the rear determination position HPr. The front determination position HPf is the position obtained by adding a margin distance ML in the positive direction after passing through the front determination position SPf. In other words, it is the position after moving forward by a margin distance ML along the object trajectory K2 from the starting point of passing through the front determination position SPf. In addition, the front determination position HPf is the position that coincides with the front end of the object passing through the previous margin region MAf.

[0079] The rear-end determination position HPr is the position obtained by adding a margin distance ML in the negative direction after passing through the rear-end position SPr. In other words, it is the position after moving backward along the object trajectory K2 with a margin distance ML from the starting point of passing through the rear-end position SPr. In addition, the rear-end determination position HPr is the position that coincides with the rear end of the object after passing through the rear margin region MAr. After setting the front-end determination position HPf and the rear-end determination position HPr, proceed to step S141.

[0080] In step S141, the determination unit 74 determines whether the front determination position HPf is located further forward than the intersection rear position CAr in the traveling direction of the transverse moving body 20. If the front determination position HPf is located further forward than the intersection rear position CAr, it is determined that there may not be enough distance to ensure the intersection with the transverse moving body 20, and the process proceeds to step S142. On the other hand, if the front determination position HPf is located further backward than the intersection rear position CAr, it is determined that there is enough distance to ensure the intersection with the transverse moving body 20, and the process proceeds to step S161.

[0081] In step S142, the determination unit 74 determines whether the rear determination position HPr is located further back than the front intersection position CAf in the traveling direction of the transverse moving body 20. If the rear determination position HPr is located further back than the front intersection position CAf, it is determined that there may not be enough distance to ensure the intersection with the transverse moving body 20, and the process proceeds to step S151. On the other hand, if the rear determination position HPr is located further forward than the front intersection position CAf, it is determined that there is enough distance to ensure the intersection with the transverse moving body 20, and the process proceeds to step S161.

[0082] When multiple transverse moving bodies 20 exist, steps S141 and S142 are performed for each transverse moving body 20. Therefore, even if there is only one transverse moving body 20 whose front-end judgment position HPf is located ahead of the intersection rear-end position CAr and whose rear-end judgment position HPr is located behind the intersection front-end position CAf, the process proceeds to step S151. On the other hand, if there are no transverse moving bodies 20 whose front-end judgment position HPf is located ahead of the intersection rear-end position CAr and whose rear-end judgment position HPr is located behind the intersection front-end position CAf, the process proceeds to step S161.

[0083] exist Figure 8 In the diagram, the front-end position CAf, the rear-end position CAr, the front-end judgment position HPf, and the rear-end judgment position HPr are all located on the same line along the object trajectory K2. In this diagram, the front-end judgment position HPf is located further back than the rear-end position CAr. In other words, both the front-end judgment position HPf and the rear-end judgment position HPr are located outside the intersection area CA. In other words, the passage through the front margin area MAf and the passage through the rear margin area MAr do not overlap with the intersection area CA. This state can be described as a state where sufficient distance can be ensured during the intersection when the vehicle 10 passes in front of the traversing moving body 20.

[0084] exist Figure 9 In this context, the front-end judgment position HPf is located ahead of the intersection rear-end position CAr, and the rear-end judgment position HPr is located behind the intersection front-end position CAf. More specifically, the front-end judgment position HPf is located within the intersection area CA. In other words, it is a state where a portion of the front margin area MAf overlaps with the intersection area CA. This state can be described as a state where the vehicle 10 may pass in front of the traversing moving body 20 at a very close distance and cross, without being able to ensure sufficient distance during the crossing.

[0085] exist Figure 10 In this context, the forward detection position HPf is located ahead of the intersection rearward position CAr, and the rearward detection position HPr is located behind the intersection forward position CAf. More specifically, this refers to the state at the time of arrival where the traversing moving body 20 is located within the intersection area CA. In other words, it is the state where the intersection forward position CAf and the intersection rearward position CAr are located between the forward position SPf and the rearward position SPr. This state can be described as a state where the vehicle 10 and the traversing moving body 20 may collide, and sufficient distance cannot be guaranteed during the intersection.

[0086] exist Figure 11In this context, the front-end judgment position HPf is located ahead of the intersection rear-end position CAr, and the rear-end judgment position HPr is located behind the intersection front-end position CAf. More specifically, the rear-end judgment position HPr is located within the intersection area CA. In other words, it is a state where a portion of the rear margin area MAr overlaps with the intersection area CA. This state can be described as a state where the vehicle 10 may pass behind the traversing moving body 20 at a very close distance and cross, making it impossible to ensure sufficient distance during the crossing.

[0087] exist Figure 12 In this configuration, the rear-end judgment position HPr is located further forward than the front-end judgment position CAf. In other words, both the front-end judgment position HPf and the rear-end judgment position HPr are located outside the intersection area CA. Furthermore, neither the forward margin area MAf nor the rear margin area MAr overlaps with the intersection area CA. This state can be described as ensuring sufficient distance at the intersection where the vehicle 10 passes behind the traversing moving body 20.

[0088] exist Figure 4 In step S151, the assistance control unit 75 implements driving assistance. More specifically, by applying braking assistance, the vehicle speed is reduced, delaying the arrival time. This results in the rear-end determination position HPr being located further forward than the intersection front-end position CAf. Alternatively, by applying steering assistance, a greater distance from the crossing vehicle 20 is ensured during intersections. Alternatively, by applying collision warning assistance, the driver performs driving operations to ensure a greater distance from the crossing vehicle 20 during intersections. If multiple crossing vehicles 20 are determined to require driving assistance, priority is given to driving assistance for the crossing vehicle 20 whose intersection area CA is set at the position closest to the vehicle 10. After implementing driving assistance, the process proceeds to step S171.

[0089] In step S161, the driver assistance control unit 75 stops the driving assistance. More specifically, if driving assistance is already in effect, the in effect driving assistance is stopped. On the other hand, if driving assistance is not in effect at the current time, the state of not having driving assistance is maintained while driving assistance is stopped. After stopping the driving assistance, the process proceeds to step S171.

[0090] In step S171, the determination unit 74 determines whether the vehicle 10 has ended its journey. For example, if the gear shift lever of the vehicle 10 is in the parking state, it can be determined that the vehicle 10 has ended its journey. If the journey is determined to have ended, the cross-assist control is terminated. On the other hand, if the journey is determined not to have ended, the process returns to step S101, and a series of cross-assist controls are repeated. Thus, the implementation of driving assistance can be switched according to the changing surrounding conditions over time. For example, suppose that driving assistance is implemented and the vehicle trajectory K1 and the object trajectory K2 do not intersect, or the rear judgment position HPr is located ahead of the intersection front position CAf. In this case, by repeatedly performing a series of cross-assist controls, unnecessary driving assistance can be quickly stopped.

[0091] The effects of the above-described embodiments will now be explained. According to the above-described embodiments, when the front-end determination position HPf is located ahead of the traveling direction of the crossing moving body 20 compared to the rear-end determination position CAr, and the rear-end determination position HPr is located behind the traveling direction of the crossing moving body 20 compared to the front-end determination position CAf, the determination unit 74 determines that an assistance state is required. Therefore, in intersection scenarios where there is an extremely close distance, such as an intersection area CA, between the front-end determination position HPf and the rear-end determination position HPr, driving assistance can be implemented. Therefore, ensuring sufficient distance between the vehicle 10 and the crossing moving body 20 easily improves safety in intersection scenarios. Thus, a driving assistance system 100 that improves safety in intersection scenarios can be provided.

[0092] Furthermore, the judgment unit 74 determines whether driving assistance is required based on the judgment position obtained by adding the margin distance ML to the crossing position. Therefore, compared to the case where driving assistance is determined solely by predicting whether the vehicle 10 and the crossing moving object 20 will collide without considering the margin distance ML, it is easier to implement driving assistance. In other words, it is easier to suppress situations where driving assistance is actually required but is judged not to be required. Here, the arrival time changes due to the change in the vehicle speed, and consequently, the position of the crossing moving object 20 at the time point after the arrival time also changes. At this time, the greater the speed of the crossing moving object 20, the greater the change in the position of the crossing moving object 20 at the time point after the arrival time. That is, the greater the speed of the crossing moving object 20, the more difficult it is to accurately predict the position of the crossing moving object 20 at the time point after the arrival time, making it difficult to accurately determine whether driving assistance is required. Therefore, determining whether driving assistance is required by considering the margin distance ML and thus easily implementing driving assistance is particularly useful when the target speed of the crossing moving object 20 is large.

[0093] The higher the speed of vehicle 10, the larger the margin distance setting unit 73 sets the margin distance ML. Here, the higher the vehicle speed, the easier it is to reduce the accuracy of the crossing position prediction. Therefore, even when the crossing position changes significantly due to changes in vehicle speed, a safe crossing can be achieved.

[0094] The greater the speed at which the object crosses the moving body 20, i.e., the greater the target speed, the larger the margin distance setting unit 73 sets the margin distance ML. Here, the greater the target speed, the easier it is for the accuracy of the crossing position prediction to decrease. For example, assuming a 1-second change in arrival time, in this case, with a target speed of 60 km / h, the crossing position changes by 16.7 m. On the other hand, with a target speed of 120 km / h, the crossing position changes by 33.3 m. Therefore, even when the crossing position changes significantly due to variations in arrival time and target speed, a safe crossing can be easily achieved.

[0095] The greater the distance the target moves, the larger the margin distance setting unit 73 sets the margin distance ML. In other words, the farther the traversing moving object 20 is from the vehicle 10, the larger the margin distance setting unit 73 sets the margin distance ML. Here, the greater the target moves, the easier it is for the prediction accuracy to decrease. Therefore, even when the crossing position changes significantly, a safe crossing can be easily achieved.

[0096] During the implementation of driving assistance, if the determination unit 74 determines that assistance is not required, the assistance control unit 75 stops the driving assistance in progress. For example, if the vehicle trajectory K1 and the target trajectory K2 do not intersect during the implementation of driving assistance, the driving assistance in progress is stopped. Therefore, even during driving assistance, if it is not required, the driving assistance can be quickly stopped, thus suppressing unnecessary actions of the driving assistance.

[0097] When the moving body 20 passes through the intersection area CA, even if the front judgment position HPf is ahead of the moving body 20 in the direction of travel compared to the rear judgment position CAr, and the rear judgment position HPr is behind the moving body 20 in the direction of travel compared to the front judgment position CAf, the judgment unit 74 determines that no assistance is needed. This is because the moving body 20 passes through the intersection area CA, while the vehicle trajectory K1 and the object trajectory K2 do not intersect. Therefore, even during the implementation of driving assistance, driving assistance can be stopped at the point when it is not needed. Thus, unnecessary actions of driving assistance can be suppressed.

[0098] (Second Implementation)

[0099] This embodiment is a variation of the previous embodiment as a basic approach. In this embodiment, different distances are used, namely, a front margin distance MLf and a back margin distance MLr, to set the front-end judgment position HPf and the back-end judgment position HPr.

[0100] exist Figure 13 In step S122, after predicting the passage through the front end position SPf and the passage through the rear end position SPr, the process proceeds to step S230, where the margin distance setting unit 73 sets the margin distance ML. The margin distance setting process in this embodiment will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0101] exist Figure 14 If the margin distance setting process begins, the basic distance is set in step S131, and the process proceeds to step S132. In step S132, an additional distance based on the current vehicle speed is set, and the process proceeds to step S133. In step S133, an additional distance based on the target speed is set, and the process proceeds to step S134. In step S134, an additional distance based on the target's movement distance is set, and the process proceeds to step S235.

[0102] In step S235, the margin distance setting unit 73 sets an additional distance based on the cross timing. Here, the cross timing indicates whether the traversing moving body 20 has passed the cross region CA at the time of arrival. More specifically, it indicates whether the passing rear position SPr is located ahead of the cross front position CAf. If the passing rear position SPr is located ahead of the cross front position CAf, it can be determined that the traversing moving body 20 has passed the cross region CA at the time of arrival. On the other hand, if the passing rear position SPr is located behind the cross front position CAf, it can be determined that the traversing moving body 20 has not passed the cross region CA at the time of arrival.

[0103] If, at the point of arrival, the crossing vehicle 20 has already passed the intersection area CA, then the vehicle 10 arrives at the intersection area CA after the crossing vehicle 20 has passed. In this case, the intersection timing is via a rear crossing. Conversely, if, at the point of arrival, the crossing vehicle 20 has not yet passed the intersection area CA, then the vehicle 10 arrives at the intersection area CA before the crossing vehicle 20 has passed. In this case, the intersection timing is via a front crossing.

[0104] When passing through a rear intersection, the transverse moving body 20 crosses in front of the vehicle 10. Therefore, it can be said that the vehicle 10 is expected to wait for the transverse moving body 20 to cross. In this situation, the vehicle 10 needs to guard against the transverse moving body 20's speed being lower than expected due to unexpected deceleration or other reasons.

[0105] When passing through a crossroads, vehicle 10 crosses in front of the moving body 20. Therefore, it can be said that the moving body 20 is waiting for vehicle 10 to cross. In this situation, vehicle 10 needs to guard against the possibility that the speed of the moving body 20 crossing the moving body 20 may be greater than expected due to unexpected acceleration or other reasons.

[0106] In the case of a predicted passage through a pre-crossing intersection, assuming that the crossing vehicle 20 may unexpectedly accelerate, it may be insufficient to ensure the distance between the arriving vehicle 10 and the crossing vehicle 20. In this case, the vehicle 10 needs to decelerate so that the crossing timing switches from passing through a pre-crossing intersection to passing through a rear-crossing intersection. Therefore, in the case of passing through a pre-crossing intersection, the additional distance is preset to be larger than that for passing through a rear-crossing intersection to cope with the switch from passing through a pre-crossing intersection to passing through a rear-crossing intersection. The additional distance set to prevent the switch from passing through a pre-crossing intersection to passing through a rear-crossing intersection is an additional distance based on the crossing timing. After setting the additional distance based on the crossing timing, proceed to step S236.

[0107] In step S236, a pre-pass margin distance MLf is set. The pre-pass margin distance MLf is the margin distance ML required in the same direction as the traveling direction of the traversing moving body 20. The pre-pass margin distance MLf is set by adding the additional distance based on the vehicle speed, the additional distance based on the target speed, the additional distance based on the target's travel distance, and the additional distance based on the cross-timing. After setting the pre-pass margin distance MLf, the process proceeds to step S237.

[0108] In step S237, the post-passage margin MLr is set. The post-passage margin MLr is the margin ML required in the direction opposite to the travel direction of the traversing moving body 20. The post-passage margin MLr is set by adding the additional distance based on the vehicle speed, the additional distance based on the target speed, and the additional distance based on the target movement distance. In other words, the additional distance is set without adding the additional distance based on the cross timing. Therefore, the post-passage margin MLr is set to a value smaller than the pre-passage margin MLf. After setting the post-passage margin MLr, the process proceeds to step S240.

[0109] exist Figure 13 In step S240, the determination position setting unit 76 sets the front determination position HPf and the rear determination position HPr. The front determination position HPf is the position obtained by adding the front margin distance MLf to the positive direction after passing through the front position SPf. In other words, it is the position after moving forward along the object trajectory K2 by the front margin distance MLf from the starting point of passing through the front position SPf.

[0110] The rear-end judgment position HPr is the position obtained by adding the rear-end margin distance MLr in the negative direction after passing the rear-end position SPr. In other words, it is the position after moving backward along the object trajectory K2 from the point of passing the rear-end position SPr by the rear margin distance MLr. Since the front margin distance MLf is greater than the rear margin distance MLr, the front-end judgment position HPf is set at a position 10 further away from the vehicle than the rear-end judgment position HPr. After setting the front-end judgment position HPf and the rear-end judgment position HPr, proceed to step S141.

[0111] In step S141, the determination unit 74 determines whether the front determination position HPf is located further forward than the cross rear position CAr in the direction of travel across the moving body 20. Since the front determination position HPf also takes into account the additional distance based on the cross timing, it is easier to determine that it is located further forward than the cross rear position CAr compared to the case where the additional distance based on the cross timing is not considered. If it is determined that the front determination position HPf is located further forward than the cross rear position CAr in the direction of travel across the moving body 20, the process proceeds to step S142.

[0112] In step S142, the determination unit 74 determines whether the rear determination position HPr is located further behind the front intersection position CAf in the direction of travel of the transverse moving body 20. If the rear determination position HPr is located further behind the front intersection position CAf, it is determined that it may be impossible to ensure sufficient distance in the intersection of the vehicle 10 and the transverse moving body 20, and proceeds to step S244.

[0113] exist Figure 15 In the diagram, the forward margin distance MLf is greater than the backward margin distance MLr. Therefore, the area of ​​the forward margin region MAf is larger than the area of ​​the backward margin region MAr. The diagram shows a state where a portion of the forward margin region MAf overlaps with the intersection region CA. This state can be described as a situation where the vehicle 10 could potentially cross in front of the moving body 20 at extremely close range, making it impossible to ensure sufficient distance during the intersection.

[0114] exist Figure 13 In step S244, the determination unit 74 determines whether the current rear end position GPR is located further behind the front end position CAf in the direction of travel of the transverse moving body 20. This determination can also be described as determining whether the current position of the transverse moving body 20 has passed the intersection area CA. If the current rear end position GPR is located ahead of the front end position CAf, it is determined that the transverse moving body 20 has passed the intersection area CA and there is no possibility of collision, and the process proceeds to step S161. On the other hand, if the current rear end position GPR is located further behind the front end position CAf, it is determined that the transverse moving body 20 has not yet passed the intersection area CA, and the process proceeds to step S245.

[0115] In step S245, the determination unit 74 determines whether the current front position GPf is located further back than the rear position CAr in the direction of travel across the moving body 20. This determination can also be described as determining whether the current position of the moving body 20 is before entering the intersection area CA. If the current front position GPf is located further back than the rear position CAr in the direction of travel across the moving body 20, then step S151 is performed. On the other hand, if the current front position GPf is located further forward than the rear position CAr in the direction of travel across the moving body 20, then step S246 is performed.

[0116] In step S246, the determination unit 74 determines whether the position SPr at the rear end of the crossing is located further forward than the front end of the intersection position CAf in the direction of travel of the traversing moving body 20. In other words, it can also be said to determine whether the position of the traversing moving body 20 at the point of arrival is outside the intersection area CA. The position SPr at the rear end of the crossing is located further forward than the rear end determination position HPr. Therefore, compared with the rear end determination position HPr, the position SPr at the rear end of the crossing is more likely to be located further forward than the front end of the intersection position CAf.

[0117] exist Figure 16 In the diagram, the current position of the traversing moving body 20 is represented by a dashed line, and the elapsed arrival time of the traversing moving body 20 is represented by a solid line. In this diagram, at least the front end of the traversing moving body 20 is located between the intersection rear end position Car and the intersection front end position CAf. That is, the current position of the traversing moving body 20 is within the intersection area CA. Furthermore, the intersection rear end position SPr is located further forward than the intersection front end position CAf in the direction of travel of the traversing moving body 20. In this state, during the period from the current time point to the elapsed arrival time, the moment when the trajectory K1 of the vehicle and the trajectory K2 of the object do not intersect occurs.

[0118] exist Figure 13 In step S246, if the rear-end position SPr is located further rearward than the front-end position CAf in the direction of travel of the crossing moving body 20, it is determined that an assistance state is required, and the process proceeds to step S151 to implement driving assistance. On the other hand, if the rear-end position SPr is located further forward than the front-end position CAf in the direction of travel of the crossing moving body 20, it is determined that an assistance state is not required, and the process proceeds to step S161 to stop driving assistance. This is because after the arrival time has elapsed, at least the vehicle 10 and the crossing moving body 20 will not come into contact, and it can be determined that driving assistance related to the intersection is not required.

[0119] The effects of the above-described embodiment will now be explained. According to the above-described embodiment, the position setting unit 76 sets the position obtained by adding a forward margin distance MLf to the forward position SPf in the direction of travel across the moving body 20 as the forward determination position HPf. Furthermore, the position setting unit 76 sets the position obtained by adding a rear margin distance MLr to the rear position SPr in the direction opposite to the direction of travel across the moving body 20 as the rear determination position HPr. Therefore, it is possible to individually set the margin distance ML corresponding to passing a forward intersection (i.e., the forward margin distance MLf) and the margin distance ML corresponding to passing a rear intersection (i.e., the rear margin distance MLr). Therefore, it is possible to appropriately set the forward determination position HPf and the rear determination position HPr corresponding to different intersection scenarios, such as passing a forward intersection and passing a rear intersection. Thus, it is easy to implement appropriate driving assistance for different intersection scenarios, such as passing a forward intersection and passing a rear intersection.

[0120] The margin distance setting unit 73 sets the forward margin distance MLf to be larger than the backward margin distance MLr. Therefore, it is easier to handle the transition from passing the front intersection to passing the rear intersection due to acceleration of the moving body 20. Therefore, it is easy to implement appropriate driving assistance in response to various intersection scenarios.

[0121] When the current rear-end position GPR is ahead of the intersection front-end position CAf, the determination unit 74 determines that no assistance is needed. In other words, when the current position of the traversing moving body 20 has passed through the intersection area CA, the determination unit 74 determines that no assistance is needed. Therefore, when the traversing moving body 20 is completed through the intersection area CA, at a point in time when a collision between the traversing moving body 20 and the vehicle 10 is unlikely, it can be determined that no assistance is needed. Thus, unnecessary actions of the driving assistance can be suppressed.

[0122] If the current rear-end position GPr is located behind the intersection front-end position CAf, the current front-end position GPf is located ahead of the intersection rear-end position CAr, and the passing rear-end position SPr is located ahead of the intersection front-end position CAf, the determination unit 74 determines that the assistance is not required. In other words, if the current position of the crossing moving body 20 is within the intersection area CA, and the point at which the crossing moving body 20 and the vehicle 10 are expected not to collide at the expected arrival time, it can be determined that the assistance is not required. Therefore, even during the implementation of driving assistance, driving assistance can be stopped at the point at which it is not required, suppressing unnecessary actions of driving assistance. In addition, if the crossing moving body 20 is determined to be in an assistance-unrequired state because the passing rear-end position SPr is located ahead of the intersection front-end position CAf before entering the intersection area CA, the collision prediction result is prone to change due to the change in the speed of the crossing moving body 20 and the vehicle 10. On the other hand, if the crossing moving body 20 is within the intersection area CA, the time required for the crossing moving body 20 to pass through the intersection area CA is shorter, and the collision prediction result is less likely to change. Therefore, appropriately determining that assistance is not needed can easily suppress unnecessary actions of driving assistance.

[0123] Steps S141 and S142 are equivalent to determining whether the intersection area line segment and the judgment position line segment overlap in the one-dimensional coordinate system along the object trajectory K2. Here, the intersection area line segment refers to the line segment that starts at the intersection rear end position CAr and ends at the intersection front end position CAf. Similarly, the judgment position line segment refers to the line segment that starts at the rear judgment position HPr and ends at the front judgment position HPf. A "yes" result for both steps S141 and S142 is equivalent to the intersection area line segment and the judgment position line segment overlapping. A "no" result for either step S141 or S142 is equivalent to the intersection area line segment and the judgment position line segment not overlapping. The size of the judgment position line segment is the length obtained by adding the length of the transverse moving body 20 along the direction of the object trajectory K2, the front margin distance MLf, and the rear margin distance MLr. Therefore, the larger the length of the transverse moving body 20 along the direction of the object trajectory K2, the larger the size of the judgment position line segment. Therefore, it can be said that the length of the transverse moving body 20 affects the judgment of whether driving assistance is needed in cross-assist control.

[0124] (Other implementation methods)

[0125] The disclosure in this specification and accompanying drawings is not limited to the illustrated embodiments. The disclosure includes the illustrated embodiments and modifications made by those skilled in the art based on these embodiments. For example, the disclosure is not limited to the combination of components and / or elements shown in the embodiments. The disclosure can be implemented in various combinations. The disclosure can have additional portions that can be added to the embodiments. The disclosure includes content after omitting components and / or elements of the embodiments. The disclosure includes substitutions or combinations of components and / or elements between one embodiment and other embodiments. The scope of the disclosed technology is not limited to the description of the embodiments. The several technical scopes disclosed should be understood to be expressed by the description of the claims, and thus include all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the description of the claims.

[0126] The disclosures in the specification and drawings are not limited by the claims. The disclosures in the specification and drawings include the technical ideas described in the claims, and thus encompass a wider and more diverse range of technical ideas than those described in the claims. Therefore, without being limited by the claims, diverse technical ideas can be extracted from the disclosures in the specification and drawings.

[0127] The control unit and method described in this disclosure can also be implemented using a dedicated computer, which is configured as a processor programmed to perform one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the apparatus and method described in this disclosure can also be implemented using dedicated hardware logic circuitry. Alternatively, the apparatus and method described in this disclosure can also be implemented using one or more dedicated computers, which are configured as a combination of a processor executing a computer program and one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program can also be stored as instructions to be executed by a computer on a computer-readable non-transferable tangible recording medium.

[0128] (The disclosure of technical ideas)

[0129] This specification discloses several technical ideas described in the following list of items. Some items are sometimes described by selectively referencing a previous item in a multiple dependent form in a subsequent item. Furthermore, some items are sometimes described by referring to another multiple dependent form of an item. Items described in these multiple dependent forms define several technical ideas.

[0130] (Technical Idea 1)

[0131] A driving assistance system, comprising:

[0132] The detection device (51) detects surrounding objects;

[0133] The vehicle trajectory prediction unit (72A) predicts the movement trajectory of the vehicle (10), which is also the vehicle trajectory (K1).

[0134] The object trajectory prediction unit (72B) predicts the object trajectory (K2), which is the movement trajectory of the moving body (20) detected by the detection device.

[0135] The time prediction unit (72C) predicts the arrival time, which is the time until the vehicle reaches the intersection area (CA) where the vehicle trajectory and the object trajectory intersect.

[0136] The position prediction unit (72D) predicts the position of passing through the front end (SPf) and the position of passing through the rear end (SPr). The position of passing through the front end is the position of the front end of the transverse moving body at the time point after the arrival time, and the position of passing through the rear end is the position of the rear end of the transverse moving body at the time point after the arrival time.

[0137] The margin distance setting unit (73) sets the required margin distance (ML) between the vehicle and the transverse moving body at the time point after the arrival time.

[0138] The position setting unit (76) sets the front judging position (HPf) and the rear judging position (HPr), and sets the cross front position (CAf) and the cross rear position (CAr). The front judging position is the position obtained by adding the margin distance to the travel direction of the transverse moving body relative to the front passing position. The rear judging position is the position obtained by adding the margin distance to the rear passing position in the opposite direction to the travel direction of the transverse moving body. The cross front position is the end in the cross area located in front of the travel direction of the transverse moving body. The cross rear position is the end in the cross area located in the cross area located in the rear of the travel direction of the transverse moving body.

[0139] The determination unit (74) determines that an auxiliary state is not required when the aforementioned front-end determination position is located behind the aforementioned cross-rear-end position in the direction of travel of the transverse moving body, or when the aforementioned rear-end determination position is located in front of the aforementioned cross-front position in the direction of travel of the transverse moving body. Conversely, it determines that an auxiliary state is required when the aforementioned front-end determination position is in front of the aforementioned cross-rear-end position in the direction of travel of the transverse moving body and the aforementioned rear-end determination position is located behind the aforementioned cross-front position in the direction of travel of the transverse moving body.

[0140] The auxiliary control unit (75) implements driving assistance using the driving assistance device (80) when the determination unit determines that the above-mentioned assistance is required, and stops the driving assistance when the determination unit determines that the above-mentioned assistance is not required.

[0141] (Technical Idea 2)

[0142] According to the driving assistance system described in Technical Concept 1, among which,

[0143] The higher the speed of the vehicle, the greater the margin distance setting unit will set the margin distance.

[0144] (Technical Idea 3)

[0145] According to the driving assistance system described in Technical Concept 1 or Technical Concept 2, wherein,

[0146] The greater the speed at which the object moves across the target, the greater the margin distance setting unit will set the margin distance.

[0147] (Technical Idea 4)

[0148] According to any one of the technical concepts 1 to 3, the driving assistance system described therein,

[0149] The farther the traversing moving object is from the vehicle, the greater the margin distance set by the margin distance setting unit.

[0150] (Technical Idea 5)

[0151] According to any one of the technical concepts 1 to 4, the driving assistance system described therein,

[0152] The aforementioned margin distance setting unit sets a pre-pass margin distance (MLf) and a post-pass margin distance (MLr). The pre-pass margin distance is the margin distance when the position of the traversing moving body at the time of arrival is before passing through the intersection area, and the post-pass margin distance is the margin distance when the position of the traversing moving body at the time of arrival is after passing through the intersection area.

[0153] The aforementioned position setting unit sets the position obtained by adding the aforementioned forward margin distance to the traveling direction of the transverse moving body at the aforementioned front end position as the aforementioned front end position, and sets the position obtained by adding the aforementioned rear margin distance to the aforementioned rear end position in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the transverse moving body as the aforementioned rear end position.

[0154] (Technical Idea 6)

[0155] According to the driving assistance system described in Technical Concept 5, among which,

[0156] The aforementioned margin distance setting unit sets the pre-pass margin distance to be larger than the post-pass margin distance.

[0157] (Technical Idea 7)

[0158] According to any one of the technical concepts 1 to 6, the driving assistance system described therein,

[0159] If the determination unit determines that the above-mentioned driving assistance is not required during the implementation of the above-mentioned driving assistance, the above-mentioned assistance control unit stops the implementation of the above-mentioned driving assistance.

[0160] (Technical Idea 8)

[0161] According to the driving assistance system described in Technical Concept 7, among which,

[0162] When the current rear end position (GPr) is located ahead of the traveling direction of the transverse moving body compared to the aforementioned front end position, even if the aforementioned front end judgment position is located ahead of the traveling direction of the transverse moving body compared to the aforementioned rear end position and the aforementioned rear end judgment position is located behind the traveling direction of the transverse moving body compared to the aforementioned front end position, the aforementioned judgment unit also determines that the aforementioned auxiliary state is not required. Here, the aforementioned current rear end position is the rear end position of the transverse moving body at the current time point.

[0163] (Technical Idea 9)

[0164] According to the driving assistance system described in Technical Concept 8, among which,

[0165] When the current rear end position is located behind the traveling direction of the transverse moving body compared to the aforementioned front end position, and the current front end position (GPf) is located ahead of the traveling direction of the transverse moving body compared to the aforementioned rear end position, and the aforementioned passing rear end position is located ahead of the traveling direction of the transverse moving body compared to the aforementioned front end position, even if the aforementioned front end judgment position is located ahead of the traveling direction of the transverse moving body compared to the aforementioned rear end position, and the aforementioned rear end judgment position is located behind the traveling direction of the transverse moving body compared to the aforementioned front end position, the aforementioned judgment unit also determines that the aforementioned auxiliary state is not required. Here, the aforementioned current front end position is the front end position of the transverse moving body at the current time point.

Claims

1. A driving assistance system, comprising: The detection device detects surrounding objects; The vehicle trajectory prediction unit predicts the movement trajectory of this vehicle, i.e., the vehicle trajectory itself. The object trajectory prediction unit predicts the object trajectory, which is the movement trajectory across the moving body detected by the detection device. The time prediction unit predicts the arrival time, which is the time until the vehicle reaches the intersection area where the vehicle's trajectory and the object's trajectory intersect. The position prediction unit predicts the position of passing through the front end and the position of passing through the rear end; the position of passing through the front end is the position of the front end of the transverse moving body at the time point after the arrival time, and the position of passing through the rear end is the position of the rear end of the transverse moving body at the time point after the arrival time. The margin distance setting unit sets the required margin distance between the vehicle and the transverse moving body at the time point after the aforementioned arrival time. The position setting unit sets the front-end judgment position and the back-end judgment position, and sets the cross-front-end position and the cross-back-end position; wherein, The aforementioned front end determination position is the position obtained by adding the aforementioned margin distance to the aforementioned front end position in the direction of travel of the transverse moving body. The aforementioned rear end determination position is the position obtained by adding the aforementioned margin distance to the aforementioned rear end position in the direction opposite to the direction of travel of the transverse moving body. The aforementioned front end position is the end in the aforementioned intersection area located in front of the transverse moving body in the direction of travel. The aforementioned rear end position is the end in the aforementioned intersection area located in the aforementioned intersection area located in the direction of travel of the transverse moving body. The determination unit determines that the auxiliary state is not needed when the aforementioned front-end determination position is located behind the aforementioned cross-rear-end position in the direction of travel of the transverse moving body, or when the aforementioned rear-end determination position is located in front of the aforementioned cross-front position in the direction of travel of the transverse moving body. Conversely, it determines that the auxiliary state is needed when the aforementioned front-end determination position is located in front of the aforementioned cross-rear-end position in the direction of travel of the transverse moving body and the aforementioned rear-end determination position is located behind the aforementioned cross-front position in the direction of travel of the transverse moving body. as well as The auxiliary control unit implements driving assistance using the driving assistance device when the determination unit determines that the above-mentioned assistance is required, and stops the driving assistance when the determination unit determines that the above-mentioned assistance is not required.

2. The driving assistance system according to claim 1, wherein, The higher the speed of the vehicle, the greater the margin distance setting unit will set the margin distance.

3. The driving assistance system according to claim 1, wherein, The greater the speed at which the object traverses the moving body, i.e. the greater the target speed, the greater the margin distance setting unit will set the margin distance.

4. The driving assistance system according to claim 1, wherein, The farther the traversing moving object is from the vehicle, the greater the margin distance set by the margin distance setting unit.

5. The driving assistance system according to claim 1, wherein, The aforementioned margin distance setting unit sets a pre-pass margin distance and a post-pass margin distance. The pre-pass margin distance is the margin distance when the position of the traversing moving body at the time of arrival is before passing through the intersection area. The post-pass margin distance is the margin distance when the position of the traversing moving body at the time of arrival is after passing through the intersection area. The aforementioned position setting unit sets the position obtained by adding the aforementioned forward margin distance to the traveling direction of the transverse moving body at the aforementioned front end position as the aforementioned front end position, and sets the position obtained by adding the aforementioned rear margin distance to the aforementioned rear end position in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the transverse moving body as the aforementioned rear end position.

6. The driving assistance system according to claim 5, wherein, The aforementioned margin distance setting unit sets the pre-pass margin distance to be larger than the post-pass margin distance.

7. The driving assistance system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein, If the determination unit determines that the above-mentioned driving assistance is not required during the implementation of the above-mentioned driving assistance, the above-mentioned assistance control unit stops the implementation of the above-mentioned driving assistance.

8. The driving assistance system according to claim 7, wherein, When the current rear end position is ahead of the traveling direction of the transverse moving body compared to the aforementioned front end position, even if the aforementioned front end position is ahead of the traveling direction of the transverse moving body compared to the aforementioned rear end position and the aforementioned rear end position is behind the traveling direction of the transverse moving body compared to the aforementioned front end position, the aforementioned determination unit determines that the aforementioned auxiliary state is not required. Here, the aforementioned current rear end position is the rear end position of the transverse moving body at the current time point.

9. The driving assistance system according to claim 8, wherein, When the current rear end position is located behind the traveling direction of the transverse moving body compared to the aforementioned front end position, and the current front end position is located in front of the traveling direction of the transverse moving body compared to the aforementioned rear end position, and the aforementioned passing rear end position is located in front of the traveling direction of the transverse moving body compared to the aforementioned front end position, even if the aforementioned front end judgment position is located in front of the traveling direction of the transverse moving body compared to the aforementioned rear end position, and the aforementioned rear end judgment position is located behind the traveling direction of the transverse moving body compared to the aforementioned front end position, the aforementioned judgment unit also determines that the aforementioned auxiliary state is not required. Here, the aforementioned current front end position is the front end position of the transverse moving body at the current time point.

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