Vehicle control device and vehicle control system

Abstract

To improve availability while securing safety in a vehicle control system for performing drive support and automatic drive in backlight environment.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle includes: a solar position calculation unit for calculating position information of the sun at a predetermined time; an invisible area calculation unit for calculating an invisible area in which it is difficult to visually recognize a visual recognition target object from the position information of the sun and the position information of the visual recognition target object; and an invisible area output unit for outputting the calculated invisible area. The vehicle control device further includes an invisible area acquisition unit for acquiring information on the invisible area, and a vehicle control information output unit for identifying the invisible area on a route of the vehicle based on the acquired information on the invisible area to output control information on the vehicle based on the identified invisible area.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device and a vehicle control system. [Background technology]

[0002] A vehicle control system installed in a vehicle and performing driving assistance or automatic driving recognizes the situation around the vehicle based on information acquired from sensor devices, and performs driving assistance or automatic driving based on the surrounding situation. Surrounding situation recognition using a camera device, which is one type of sensor device, has a performance limit in that backlighting causes parts of the captured image to be blown out, making it impossible to recognize objects around the vehicle. If this performance limit occurs when using a camera device to recognize the color of traffic lights, it can lead to dangerous situations such as accidents. Vehicle control systems are required to avoid such dangerous situations in backlit environments. To ensure safety, vehicle control systems are required to either avoid environments where performance limits occur, or take measures to prevent problems even if performance limits occur. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-207340 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2019-121307 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Patent Document 1 discloses a technique for searching for a route that maintains the angle difference between the forward camera shooting direction and the direction of the sun outside a predetermined range. The predetermined range is the range of the angle difference that is estimated to make it impossible to recognize the surrounding situation due to backlight. Patent Document 1 ensures safety by avoiding dangerous areas where the camera shooting direction and the sun direction are within a predetermined range. However, according to Patent Document 1, all roads heading west in the evening are outside the range, greatly reducing the availability of the vehicle control system.

[0005] Patent Document 2 discloses a technology for setting a dangerous area where it is difficult to recognize a traffic light due to backlighting or the like, and determining whether the line of sight of the camera to the traffic light is blocked by surrounding vehicles outside the dangerous area. Patent Document 2 mentions a dangerous area where the traffic light cannot be recognized, but does not disclose how to set the position of this dangerous area. In order to ensure safety, it is desirable to set the dangerous area more sufficiently than necessary, but if it is set wider than necessary, the availability of the vehicle control system decreases accordingly. Furthermore, the position of the sun changes from moment to moment, and the dangerous area due to backlighting also changes from moment to moment. Patent Document 2 mentions the association of the dangerous area with the time period, but does not disclose how to set the position of the dangerous area due to backlighting in accordance with the time period. The area that may be dangerous in the evening time period may be set wide enough, but the availability of the vehicle control system decreases accordingly.

[0006] The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, and takes into consideration an object (hereinafter, a visual target object) that must be visually recognized by a sensor device mounted on a vehicle or a driver of the vehicle (hereinafter, a visual recognition subject). The visual target object corresponds to, for example, a traffic light. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] In the present invention, the vehicle control system or the vehicle control device included in the vehicle control system performs a process of detecting the position information of the visually recognized object and a predetermined timeThe position of the sun in the area is calculated. Then, based on the calculated position information of the sun and the position information of the visual target object, an area on the road where the visual target object is difficult to see due to backlight (hereinafter, "invisible area") is calculated. Furthermore, based on the calculated invisible area, safety is ensured by controlling the running of the vehicle or a device for dealing with backlighting. For example, the speed of the vehicle is adjusted so that the position of the vehicle at the time when the visual target object needs to be seen, such as when entering an intersection, does not fall within the range of the invisible area. For example, if it is determined that the sun is to the right of the visual target object when viewed from the viewing subject within the invisible area, the sun visor is controlled so that it overlaps with the position of the sun when viewed from the viewing subject.

[0008] In the present invention, it is possible to determine whether sunlight is blocked based on meteorological information or map information, and to select not to calculate the invisible region. For example, when it is cloudy or rainy, or when it is determined that a high-rise building or the like is present behind the visible object, the invisible region is not calculated. Effect of the Invention

[0009] According to the present invention, by accurately calculating the dangerous area where the visual target object is difficult to see due to backlight for a given time and visual target object, it is possible to improve the availability while ensuring the safety of the vehicle control system in a backlight environment. Furthermore, the safety of the vehicle control system can be improved by taking measures based on the information on the dangerous area.

[0010] Further features related to the present invention will become apparent from the description of the present specification and the accompanying drawings. In addition, problems, configurations, and effects other than those described above will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle control system including a vehicle control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] 13 is an example of information of a visually recognized object data group. [Diagram 3]13 is an example of information of a group of invisible area data. [Figure 4] 4 is a processing flow of the solar position calculation unit. [Diagram 5] 4 is a processing flow of the unvisible area calculation unit. [Figure 6] 1 shows an example of a viewed object and a surrounding area of ​​the viewed object. [Figure 7] 13 shows an example of a method for calculating an unviewable area. [Figure 8] 4 is a processing flow of a vehicle control information generating unit. [Figure 9] 13 is a specific example of a process flow of a part of a vehicle control information generating unit (related to a backlight countermeasure device). [Figure 10] 13 is a specific example of a process flow of a vehicle control information generating unit (related to adjusting a stopping position of a vehicle). [Figure 11] 13 is a specific example of a part of a process flow of a vehicle control information generating unit (related to vehicle speed adjustment). [Figure 12] FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle control system according to a third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, a first embodiment of a vehicle control device will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0013] [First embodiment] (System Configuration) 1 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle control system 101 including a vehicle control device 110 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle control system 101 is mounted on a vehicle 102. The vehicle control system 101 is a system that recognizes the conditions of roads on which the vehicle 102 is traveling and surrounding vehicles around the vehicle 102, and performs driving assistance and driving control of the vehicle 102. The vehicle control system 101 includes a vehicle control device 110, a map information management device 111, a sensor device group 112, an actuator group 113, and a backlight countermeasure device group 114. The vehicle control device 110, the map information management device 111, the sensor device group 112, the actuator group 113, and the backlight countermeasure device group 114 are connected to each other via an in-vehicle network.

[0014] The vehicle control device 110 is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). The vehicle control device 110 generates driving control information for driving assistance or automatic driving of the vehicle 102 based on various input information provided from the map information management device 111, the sensor device group 112, etc., and generates control information for the backlight countermeasure device group 114. Then, the vehicle control device 110 outputs the control information to the actuator group 113, the backlight countermeasure device group 114, etc.

[0015] The vehicle control device 110 has a processing unit 120 and a storage unit 121. The processing unit 120 is configured to include, for example, a central processing unit (CPU). However, in addition to the CPU, the processing unit 120 may be configured to include, or may be configured to include, a graphics processing unit (GPU), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or the like, or may be configured to include only one of them. The storage unit 121 is configured to include, for example, a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a flash memory, or a read only memory (ROM), or a memory such as a random access memory (RAM). The storage unit 121 stores a program to be processed by the processing unit 120, a data group required for the processing, and the like. The storage unit 121 is also used as a main memory when the processing unit 120 executes a program, and is also used to temporarily store data required for the calculation of the program.

[0016] The map information management device 111 is a device that manages and provides digital map information on the periphery of the vehicle 102, information on the travel route of the vehicle 102, and information on visually recognized objects. The map information management device 111 is, for example, configured with a navigation device or the like. The map information management device 111 is, for example, provided with digital road map data of a predetermined area including the periphery of the vehicle 102, and is configured to specify the current position of the vehicle 102 on the map, that is, the road and lane on which the vehicle 102 is traveling, based on the position information of the vehicle 102 output from the sensor device group 112. In addition, the map information management device 111 is provided with information on visually recognized objects, and the visually recognized objects are associated with, for example, various object information (traffic signals, landmarks, etc.) in the digital road map data. In addition, the map information management device 111 outputs the specified current position of the vehicle 102, the surrounding map data, route information, and visually recognized object information to the vehicle control device 110 via the in-vehicle network.

[0017] The sensor device group 112 is a collection of devices that detect the situation around the vehicle 102 and various states of the vehicle 102. Examples of the sensor device group 112 include a camera device, a millimeter wave radar, a LiDAR, a sonar, and a wheel odometry. The sensor device group 112 outputs, to the vehicle control device 110 via an in-vehicle network, information on the sensing observation information around the vehicle 102 and information on environmental elements such as obstacles, road markings, signs, and signals identified based on the observation information. The "obstacles" are, for example, other vehicles other than the vehicle 102, pedestrians, objects fallen on the road, road edges, and the like. In addition, the sensor device group 112 detects the position information, driving speed, steering angle, accelerator operation amount, brake operation amount, and the like of the vehicle 102, and outputs the information to the vehicle control device 110 via the in-vehicle network.

[0018] The actuator group 113 is a group of devices that control control elements such as steering, braking, and accelerator that determine the movement of the vehicle. The actuator group 113 controls the movement of the vehicle based on operation information of the steering wheel, brake pedal, accelerator pedal, etc. by the driver and control command values ​​output from the vehicle control device 110.

[0019] The backlight countermeasure device group 114 is an in-vehicle device that blocks or reduces sunlight (direct sunlight) on the viewing subject in the vehicle within the specified invisible area. The backlight countermeasure device group 114 includes, for example, an electric lens hood for the sensor device group 112, an electric sun visor for the driver of the vehicle 102, and a light control glass device that changes the transmittance of sunlight.

[0020] The processing unit 120 included in the vehicle control device 110 has, as its functions, a map information acquisition unit 130, a sun position calculation unit 131, an invisible area calculation unit 132, an invisible area output unit 133, a vehicle surroundings situation recognition unit 134, an invisible area acquisition unit 135, a vehicle control information generation unit 136, and a vehicle control information output unit 137. The processing unit 120 realizes these functions by executing a predetermined operation program stored in the storage unit 121.

[0021] The map information acquisition unit 130 acquires information from the map information management device 111 via the in-vehicle network, and stores the information in the map data group 141 and the visually recognized object data group 142 in the storage unit 121 .

[0022] The sun position calculation unit 131 calculates the position of each visual target object on the route of the vehicle 102 and the position information of the sun at a predetermined time from the map data group 141 and the visual target object data group 142. The predetermined time is, for example, the time when the vehicle 102 is expected to pass around the visual target object based on the speed of the vehicle 102 that can be acquired from the sensor data group 144 and the distance on the route to the visual target object that can be acquired from the map data group 141. Alternatively, it is the time when the vehicle 102 is expected to pass around the visual target object based on the distance on the route to the visual target object and the legal maximum speed information on the road on the route based on the map data group 141. Alternatively, it is the current time. Alternatively, it is the time after a predetermined time has elapsed from the current time. The predetermined time may be expressed as a single time, or may be expressed as time information having a range consisting of two values, a start time and an end time. The position of the sun calculated by the sun position calculation unit 131 is calculated as a single position information if the specified time is a single time, and is expressed as a range of positions that the sun can take within that time if the time information is expressed by two values, a start time and an end time.

[0023] The invisible area calculation unit 132 calculates an invisible area at a specific time and at a specific position of a visually recognized target object, based on the position information of the sun calculated by the sun position calculation unit 131 and the position information of the visually recognized target object included in the visually recognized target object data group 142. Then, the invisible area calculation unit 132 stores the result in the invisible area data group 143.

[0024] The invisible area output unit 133 outputs the information stored in the invisible area data group 143. If the output is to the same vehicle control device 110, the information may be output as pointer information to the invisible area data group 143 instead of the invisible area information itself.

[0025] The vehicle surroundings situation recognition unit 134 recognizes the situations of the roads on which the vehicle 102 is traveling, other vehicles, and the like, around the vehicle 102, based on information from the map data group 141 and the sensor data group 144. The vehicle surroundings situation recognition unit 134 is realized by known technology in driving assistance and autonomous driving.

[0026] The invisible area acquisition unit 135 acquires information about the invisible area from the invisible area output unit 133, and stores it in the invisible area data group 143 if necessary. When the invisible area output unit 133 outputs pointer information to the invisible area data group 143, it is sufficient to only hold the pointer information.

[0027] First, the vehicle control information generation unit 136 generates driving control information required for driving assistance and autonomous driving based on the situation around the vehicle 102 recognized by the vehicle surroundings recognition unit 134, and stores the information in the driving control data group 145. The generation of this driving control information is realized by known technology in the fields of driving assistance and autonomous driving.

[0028] Furthermore, the vehicle control information generating unit 136 updates the driving control information included in the driving control data group 145 based on the situation around the vehicle 102, the map data group 141, and the invisible area data group 143. Specifically, based on the route information included in the map data group 141 and the driving control data group 145, it is determined whether the vehicle 102 will pass through the invisible area. If it is determined that the vehicle 102 will pass through the invisible area, driving control that will not lead to a dangerous situation in the invisible area is considered, and the driving control data group 145 is updated. For example, if the vehicle 102 stops in the invisible area and must visually recognize the visual object at that time, the driving control data group 145 is updated so that the vehicle 102 stops in front of or on the other side of the invisible area. For example, if the vehicle 102 traveling at a predetermined speed must visually recognize the visual object in the invisible area, the driving control data group 145 is updated so that the speed of the vehicle 102 is accelerated or decelerated.

[0029] In addition, when the vehicle control information generating unit 136 determines that the vehicle 102 is passing through an invisible area, the vehicle control information generating unit 136 may generate control information for controlling the backlight countermeasure device group 114 so that the viewing subject can view the viewed object by blocking or reducing backlight in the invisible area. In this case, the vehicle control information generating unit 136 stores the generated control information in the backlight countermeasure device control data group 146. For example, in a situation where the viewing subject is the driver of the vehicle 102 and the sun is to the right of the viewed object as seen by the viewing subject, subject Information is generated to control the movement of an electric sun visor so that it overlaps with the right area of ​​the object.

[0030] The processing of the vehicle control information generating unit 136 is not limited to the above description. For example, instead of updating the information of the driving control data group 145 based on the information of the invisible area after generating the information of the driving control data group 145 necessary for driving assistance and automatic driving, the information of the driving control data group 145 may be generated from the beginning taking the invisible area into consideration. In addition, other processing necessary for safe driving assistance and automatic driving may be added based on the information of the invisible area.

[0031] The vehicle control information output unit 137 outputs driving control information included in the driving control data group 145 to the actuator group 113. In addition, the vehicle control information output unit 137 outputs control information included in the backlight countermeasure device control data group 146 to the backlight countermeasure device group 114. In other words, the vehicle control information output unit 137 outputs information for operating the backlight countermeasure device group 114 as vehicle control information.

[0032] The memory unit 121 includes a map data group 141, a visually recognized object data group 142, a non-visible area data group 143, a sensor data group 144, a driving control data group 145, and a backlight countermeasure device control data group 146.

[0033] The map data group 141 is a collection of digital map information about the area around the vehicle 102 output by the map information management device 111, and data related to the travel route of the vehicle 102. The map data group 141 includes road information, lane information, sign information, traffic light information, landmark information, etc. This information is expressed using known technology.

[0034] The visual recognition target object data group 142 is a collection of data related to visual recognition target objects output by the map information management device 111. The visual recognition target object data group 142 includes information such as the ID, position, size, direction, type, and corresponding road of the visual recognition target object. The type is information indicating what type the visual recognition target object is, for example, a traffic light. The corresponding road is information on the road corresponding to the visual recognition target object. For example, if the visual recognition target object is a traffic light, the traffic light in the straight direction at the intersection is visually recognized, and the traffic light in the perpendicular direction is not visually recognized. In this way, the visual recognition target object data group 142 includes information for association to specify the visual recognition target object according to the road. The configuration of the visual recognition target object data group 142 is not limited to FIG. 1 and the above-mentioned description. For example, the visual recognition target object data group 142 may be included in the map data group 141. For example, it may be expressed in a form in which flag information indicating that it is a visual recognition target object is added to various object information such as traffic lights included in the map data group 141.

[0035] The invisible area data group 143 is a collection of data related to the invisible area. The invisible area data group 143 includes, for example, the ID of the invisible area, the ID of the corresponding visual target object, and the position information of the vertices that constitute the invisible area. The information of the invisible area data group 143 is generated and stored by the invisible area calculation unit 132.

[0036] The sensor data group 144 is a collection of data related to detection information by the sensor device group 112. The detection information includes, for example, information related to environmental elements such as obstacles, road markings, signs, and traffic lights identified based on observation information from sensing by the sensor device group 112, as well as information such as the position of the vehicle 102, the traveling speed, the steering angle, the amount of accelerator operation, and the amount of brake operation.

[0037] The driving control data group 145 is a collection of data related to planning information for controlling the driving of the vehicle 102, and includes a planned trajectory of the vehicle 102, control command values ​​to be output to the actuator group 113, etc. The information of the driving control data group 145 is generated and stored by the vehicle control information generation unit 136.

[0038] The backlight countermeasure device control data group 146 is a collection of data related to the control of the backlight countermeasure device group 114, and includes control command values ​​and the like to be output to the backlight countermeasure device group 114. The information in the backlight countermeasure device control data group 146 is generated and stored by the vehicle control information generation unit 136.

[0039] (Data configuration example) FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of information related to the visual recognition target object data group 142. As shown in FIG.

[0040] A column 201 is an ID that uniquely identifies a visually recognized object. A column 202 is a value that indicates the type of the visually recognized object. Examples of values ​​indicated by the column 202 include values ​​corresponding to a traffic light, a sign, an electric display board, and the like.

[0041] Column 203, column 204, and column 205 are information indicating the position, size, and direction of the visually recognized object, respectively. Column 203 is composed of, for example, information on the horizontal position, vertical position, and altitude information in map data group 141. Column 203 may be expressed in the same coordinate system as that expressed in map data group 141, or may be expressed in another coordinate system that is in one-to-one correspondence with that coordinate system. Column 204 is composed of information on the width, depth, and height of the visually recognized object. Column 205 is expressed as an angle relative to a predetermined direction or a predetermined coordinate axis in map data group 141 as a reference.

[0042] A column 206 is information for identifying a road to which the visually recognized object is related, and is set with a road ID stored in the map data group 141. A plurality of columns 206 may be set in anticipation of cases where the visually recognized object is related to multiple roads, and a lane ID may be set as a value for identifying a related lane.

[0043] The information on the visually recognized object is not limited to the contents of Fig. 2. For example, in the case of a traffic light, information on a sub-type that identifies a pedestrian traffic light, a traffic light with a right turn arrow, etc. may be included. For example, in order to associate the visually recognized object with each piece of object information in the map data group 141, information on the ID of each object included in the map data group 141 may be included. Furthermore, as described above, instead of preparing the table shown in Fig. 2, information similar to that in Fig. 2 may be expressed by adding a flag indicating that the object is a visually recognized object to each piece of object information included in the map data group 141.

[0044] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing an example of information related to the unvisible area data group 143. Column 301 is an ID for uniquely identifying an unvisible area. Column 302 is set with any value present in column 201 of the visually recognized object data group 142, and associates the visually recognized object with the unvisible area. In Fig. 2, in the case where flag information indicating that the object is a visually recognized object is added to the various object information of the map data group 141 instead of preparing the visually recognized object data group 142, the ID of the various object information is set here.

[0045] Column 303 is the number of vertices included in each unviewable area. Columns 304 to 307 are position information of each vertex when the number of vertices is 4. Columns 304 to 307 are composed of, for example, information on horizontal and vertical positions and altitude information in map data group 141. Columns 304 to 307 may be expressed in the same coordinate system as that expressed in map data group 141, or may be expressed in a different coordinate system that is in one-to-one correspondence with that coordinate system.

[0046] The information on the invisible area data group 143 is not limited to the contents of FIG. 3. For example, when the invisible area is 5 or more, Have a vertex Assuming it is a polygon, it may contain information about five or more vertices.

[0047] (Calculation of invisible areas) The process of calculating the invisible area performed by the sun position calculation unit 131 and the invisible area calculation unit 132 will be described with reference to Figs.

[0048] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a processing flow of the solar position calculation unit 131. The sun position calculation unit 131 refers to the map data group 141 and the visually recognized object data group 142 to acquire all visually recognized objects on the route of the vehicle 102 (step S401). For example, when the route information of the vehicle 102 is given as a list of road IDs, the list information of the road IDs and the column 206 of the visually recognized object data group 142 may be searched for to acquire the objects. Even if the route information is a list of lane IDs and the column 206 of the visually recognized object data group 142 is a lane ID, the search can be performed in the same way. Alternatively, when the route information of the vehicle 102 is given as a list of road IDs, the list of road IDs and the position information of the road area may be acquired from the map data group 141, and visually recognized objects existing within a predetermined distance from the position may be acquired to acquire the objects.

[0049] Then, the sun position calculation unit 131 selects one of the acquired visual recognition target objects (step S402). The following steps S403 to S404 are performed on the visual recognition target object selected here (hereinafter, selected visual recognition target object).

[0050] The sun position calculation unit 131 sets the time when the vehicle 102 visually recognizes the selected visual identification target object (step S403). For example, the speed of the vehicle 102 is acquired from the sensor data group 144, and the time when the vehicle 102 passes near the selected visual identification target object is predicted and set based on the speed or an average speed calculated therefrom and route information of the vehicle 102 included in the map data group 141. Alternatively, the time when the vehicle 102 passes near the selected visual identification target object may be predicted and set based on route information of the vehicle 102 included in the map data group 141 and information on the legal maximum speed of the road on the route. Alternatively, the current time may be set assuming that the selected visual identification target object is present in the vicinity of the vehicle 102. Alternatively, the time after a predetermined time has passed from the current time may be set. In addition, the time may be expressed as a single time, or may be expressed as time information having a range by two pieces of information, a start time and an end time.

[0051] Next, the sun position calculation unit 131 calculates the position of the sun based on the time information and the position information of the selected visual recognition target object (step S404). This calculation method is realized by a known technology, and the calculated position of the sun is expressed, for example, by an elevation angle and an azimuth. Furthermore, the expression of the sun position information calculated in step S404 differs depending on the expression of the time information in step S403. If the time information is expressed as a single time, the position of the sun corresponding to that time is expressed as a single piece of position information. If the time information is expressed as information having a range of a start time and an end time, the position of the sun is also expressed as a range of the sun's position that can be between the start time and the end time.

[0052] Then, the sun position calculation unit 131 checks whether there is a visual target object that has not yet been subjected to the processing of steps S403 to S404 among the visual target objects acquired in step S401 (step S405). If there is a visual target object (YES in step S405), the process returns to step S402 and another visual target object is selected. If there is no visual target object (NO in step S405), the process of the sun position calculation unit 131 ends.

[0053] However, steps S403 to S404 do not necessarily have to be performed for all visual identification objects. When multiple visual identification objects are close to each other, the times set for these visual identification objects in steps S403 to S404 are likely to be almost the same, and the positions of the sun calculated based on the times are likely to be almost the same. Therefore, when the selected visual identification object is close to another visual identification object for which the processing of steps S403 to S404 has already been completed, the information calculated for the other visual identification object may be duplicated instead of steps S403 to S404.

[0054] FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a processing flow of the unviewable area calculation unit 132. As shown in FIG. The unrecognizable area calculation unit 132 selects one visual recognition target object again from among the visual recognition target objects processed by the sun position calculation unit 131 (step S501). The following steps S502 to S504 are performed on the visual recognition target object selected here (hereinafter, the selected visual recognition target object).

[0055] The invisible region calculation unit 132 judges whether the sunlight is blocked when the selected visual identification target object is visually identified (step S502). For example, when the map information management device 111 outputs weather information of the area included in the map data in addition to the information of the map data group 141 as dynamic information, it may judge whether it is cloudy or rainy from the weather information and judge that the sunlight is blocked. In other words, it may acquire weather information of the area to which the selected visual identification target object belongs at a predetermined time, and judge not to calculate the invisible region when it is judged from the weather information that the influence of backlight is small. Alternatively, it may judge whether the sunlight is blocked based on the position and size of the landmark information on a high-rise building or the like included in the map data group 141 and the positional relationship with the selected visual identification target object. In other words, the invisible region calculation unit 132 may judge not to calculate the invisible region when it is judged that an obstacle blocking the sunlight exists between the selected visual identification target object and the sun based on the position information of the sun, the position information of the selected visual identification target object, and the map information. For example, if there is a large landmark such as a high-rise building between the selected visual recognition object and the sun and the landmark is close to the selected visual recognition object, the sunlight may be determined to be blocked. If the invisible region calculation unit 132 determines that the sunlight is blocked (YES in step S502), the process proceeds to step S505. If the invisible region calculation unit 132 determines that the sunlight is not blocked (NO in step S502), the process proceeds to step S503.

[0056] In step S503, the invisibility region calculation unit 132 sets a peripheral region of the selected visual identification target object for the selected visual identification target object. The invisibility region calculation unit 132 sets a peripheral region of the selected visual identification target object including a space surrounding the selected visual identification target object for a region in the space occupied by the selected visual identification target object based on the position information of the selected visual identification target object, and calculates an invisibility region from the position information of the sun and the peripheral region of the visual identification target object. Specifically, taking backlight into consideration, a region including a space surrounding the selected visual identification target object is set for the space occupied by the selected visual identification target object. Details of the peripheral region of the visual identification target object will be described below.

[0057] The viewing subject has difficulty in viewing the selected viewing target object due to backlighting when the sun is present around the selected viewing target object when the viewing subject views the selected viewing target object. In other words, this is the case when a line connecting the sun and the viewing subject passes through the periphery of the selected viewing target object. Therefore, a viewing target object peripheral area is introduced, and when a line connecting the sun and the viewing subject passes through the viewing target object peripheral area, the viewing subject considers the selected viewing target object to be difficult to view. The size of the viewing target object peripheral area may be calculated by multiplying the size of the selected viewing target object by a predetermined coefficient, or may be calculated by adding a predetermined value to the size of the selected viewing target object. The viewing target object peripheral area will be described in detail later with reference to FIG. 6.

[0058] The invisible area calculation unit 132 calculates the invisible area based on the visible object surrounding area set in step S503 and the sun position information calculated in step S404 (step S504). An example of this calculation method will be described later with reference to Fig. 7. The invisible area calculated here is stored in the invisible area data group 143.

[0059] In step S505, the invisible region calculation unit 132 checks whether there is a visual target object for which the processes in steps S502 to S504 have not yet been performed. If there is a visual target object for which the processes in steps S502 to S504 have not yet been performed (YES in step S505), the process returns to step S501 and another visual target object is selected. If there is no visual target object for which the processes in steps S505 to S504 have not yet been performed (NO in step S505), the process in the invisible region calculation unit 132 ends.

[0060] Figure 6 shows a traffic light as an example of a visually recognized object and the corresponding visually recognized object. object1 is a diagram showing a peripheral region. The viewed object 601 is a traffic light, and information regarding its position and size is included in the viewed object data group 142. In step S503, the unviewable region calculation unit 132 generates a viewed object peripheral region 602 for the viewed object 601. The size of the viewed object peripheral region 602 may be calculated by multiplying the size of the viewed object 601 by a predetermined coefficient, or may be calculated by adding a predetermined size. The center of the viewed object 601 is configured to be the same as the center of the viewed object peripheral region 602.

[0061] The space of the visually recognized object 601 may be considered as a plane based on the surface visually recognized by the visual subject as shown in Fig. 6, or may be considered as a solid shape including depth. Fig. 7 illustrates the case where the space is considered as a plane based on the visually recognized surface. The concept of the solid shape will be supplemented as necessary in the explanation of Fig. 7.

[0062] An example of a specific method for calculating the invisible region will be described with reference to FIG. 7, taking a visually recognized object 601 and a peripheral region 602 of the visually recognized object as an example.

[0063] 7 is a diagram showing a road 701 on which a visually recognized object 601 is installed, viewed from above. The visually recognized object 601 and its corresponding visually recognized object peripheral area 602 are set. When viewed from the near side of the road 701 (the lower side of FIG. 7), the sun 702 exists on the other side of the visually recognized object 601. The position of the sun 702 (elevation angle θ1, azimuth θ2) is calculated by the sun position calculation unit 131.

[0064] The non-visible area calculation unit 132 calculates the non-visible area 703 based on the position information of the visually recognized object surrounding area 602 and the sun 702. An example of a method for calculating the non-visible area 703 will be described below.

[0065] The vertices of the visually recognized object surrounding area 602 are vertices 704, 705, 706, and 707 in a counterclockwise direction from the upper left. First, a line is drawn from the vertex 704 toward the sun with an elevation angle θ1 and an orientation θ2. This line is the line that is directed from the vertex 704 toward the sun. Next, the line is extended in the opposite direction, and the point where it intersects with the surface of the road 701 is calculated, and this point becomes the vertex 708. This can be calculated based on the position information (including altitude information) of an arbitrary point on the road included in the map data group 141, and the position information (including altitude information) and size of the visually recognized object surrounding area 602 set in step S503. Similar to calculating the vertex 708 corresponding to the vertex 704, the vertex 709 corresponding to the vertex 705, the vertex 710 corresponding to the vertex 706, and the vertex 711 corresponding to the vertex 707 are calculated. The invisible area 703 is given as a quadrangle with these vertices 708 to 711 as vertices. The example in Figure 7 is explained assuming that the area around the visually recognized object is a rectangle, but even in the case of other polygons, it can be easily calculated by calculating each vertex of the area around the visually recognized object and its corresponding vertices on the road 701.

[0066] Even if the road 701 is an uphill or downhill road, the invisible area 703 can be easily calculated because the map data group 141 includes altitude information at each position on the road, and this information is taken into consideration.

[0067] When the position information of the sun 702 is expressed as a range of possible positions of the sun between a specified start time and end time, the calculation can be easily performed by calculating the invisible areas 703 corresponding to each position of the sun 702 within that position range and superimposing each invisible area 703.

[0068] When the visually recognized object peripheral region 602 is a solid body including depth, the invisible region 703 can be easily calculated by considering the shape of the solid body projected from the sun 702 onto the road 701. For example, when the sun's direction is parallel to the traveling direction of the road 701, the vertices 704 and 707 are the two vertices at the upper end of the front side of the visually recognized object peripheral region 602 when viewed from the front side of the road 701, and the vertices 705 and 706 are the two vertices at the lower end of the rear side of the visually recognized object peripheral region 602 when viewed from the front side of the road 701. Furthermore, if necessary, it is also possible to calculate points on the road 701 corresponding to other vertices or points on the sides of the visually recognized object peripheral region 602, and calculate the invisible region 703 based on the results.

[0069] (Calculation of invisible areas taking into account height information of the visible subject) 7 has explained a method for calculating an unrecognizable area 703 on a surface of a road 701. Here, a method for calculating an unrecognizable area taking into account height information of a visual subject will also be mentioned.

[0070] The height information of the viewing subject is the eye height of the driver of the vehicle 102, and is the height information of the sensor device group 112 in the case of the sensor device group 112. These are expressed as heights from the tire contact surface of the vehicle 102, for example.

[0071] In FIG. 7, the invisible region 703 is calculated by calculating the point where an extension of a line drawn from the visual target object surrounding region 602 toward the sun intersects with the surface of the road 701. Here, instead of the surface of the road 701, a surface that is parallel to the road 701 and exists at a position where the height information from the tire ground contact surface of the vehicle 102 is added from the surface of the road 701 is considered. In the explanation of FIG. 7, instead of the point where it intersects with the surface of the road 701, the invisible region is calculated by calculating vertices 708 to 711 that intersect with this surface. That is, the invisible region calculation unit 132 calculates the invisible region based on the height information of the position of the viewing subject who views the visual target object on the vehicle. The invisible region 703 calculated by this method is an invisible region according to the height at which the viewing subject views, and is a region with higher accuracy that takes into account the viewing subject's viewing.

[0072] (Generation of vehicle control information) The processing of the vehicle control information generating unit 136 will be described with reference to Fig. 8 to Fig. 11. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing the overall processing flow of the vehicle control information generating unit 136.

[0073] In step S801, the vehicle control information generation unit 136 generates driving control information based on the information in the map data group 141, the information on the vehicle 102 obtainable from the sensor device group 112, and the situation around the vehicle 102 recognized by the host vehicle surroundings situation recognition unit 134, and stores the generated driving control information in the driving control data group 145. The processing in step S801 is realized by known technology related to driving assistance and autonomous driving.

[0074] In step S802, the vehicle control information generating unit 136 refers to the route information, the invisible area data group 143, and the driving control data group 145 included in the map data group 141, and determines whether there is a possibility that the vehicle 102 will pass through the invisible area. For example, it may refer to the driving control data group 145 to determine whether there is an invisible area on the planned driving path of the vehicle 102, or it may refer to the route information to determine whether there is an invisible area on the route of the vehicle 102. If it is determined that there is a possibility of passing through (YES in step S802), the process proceeds to step S803. If it is determined that there is no possibility of passing through (NO in step S802), the process of the vehicle control information generating unit 136 ends.

[0075] In step S803, the vehicle control information generation unit 136 modifies the driving control information included in the driving control data group 145 based on the non-visible area. Alternatively, the vehicle control information generation unit 136 generates control information for controlling the backlight countermeasure device group 114 based on the non-visible area, and stores it in the backlight countermeasure device control data group 146. An example of this step S803 will be described later with reference to Figures 9 to 11. Then, the processing of the vehicle control information generation unit 136 ends. Hereinafter, an example of the process in step S803 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0076] 9 is a diagram showing a processing flow for controlling the backlight countermeasure device group 114 as an example of step S803. This processing is performed so that the viewing subject of the vehicle 102 can view the viewing target object even in the invisible area by blocking sunlight entering the viewing subject by the backlight countermeasure device group 114.

[0077] In step S901, the vehicle control information generator 136 calculates the positional relationship between the sun and the viewed object when the viewed subject of the vehicle 102 views the object in the invisible area. For example, the vehicle control information generator 136 calculates the positional relationship such that the sun is present to the right of the viewed object as seen by the viewed subject in the invisible area. Vehicle When you enter the invisible zone, The sun, From the viewpoint of the viewer, it is initially located above the object being viewed, Vehicle As you drive The sun A change over time, such as moving from above the viewed object to below the viewed object, may also be calculated here.

[0078] In step S902, the vehicle control information generator 136 generates control information for the backlight countermeasure device group 114 in accordance with the positional relationship calculated in step S901. For example, if the sun is present to the right of the viewed object when viewed from the viewing subject within the invisible area, the vehicle control information generator 136 generates control information to position the backlight countermeasure device group 114 in the right area of ​​the viewed object in the viewing subject's field of view, and stores the information in the backlight countermeasure device control data group 146. Then, the process of step S803 ends.

[0079] 10 is a diagram showing, as an example of step S803, a processing flow relating to driving control of the vehicle 102. This processing is performed to avoid problems caused by making it difficult to visually recognize the visual target object when the vehicle 102 stops by adjusting the stopping position of the vehicle 102.

[0080] In step S1001, the vehicle control information generation unit 136 determines whether a problem may occur in which appropriate processing is difficult regarding the driving assistance or automatic driving provided by the vehicle control system 101 when the vehicle 102 stops in an invisible area.

[0081] Here, consider an example where the visual target object is a traffic light. Whether or not to take this traffic light use case into consideration can be determined according to the information in column 202 of the visual target object data group. A problem may occur, for example, when a stop line corresponding to a traffic light is present within an unvisible area. This can be easily determined by utilizing the information in the map data group 141. In this case, when the vehicle 102 stops in an unvisible area, the color of the traffic light becomes difficult to see due to backlighting, so it becomes unclear when the vehicle 102 should start. mosquito It becomes difficult to judge.

[0082] On the other hand, a case where no problem occurs is, for example, when the stop line corresponding to the traffic light and the invisible area are separated by a certain distance. This can also be easily determined based on the information in the map data group 141. In this case, the vehicle 102 may determine whether or not to start depending on the situation of surrounding vehicles on the road, without depending on the color of the traffic light, so that no problem may occur.

[0083] If it is determined that a problem may occur (YES in step S1001), the process proceeds to step S1002. If it is determined that a problem will not occur (NO in step S1001), the process in step S803 ends.

[0084] In step S1002, the vehicle control information generation unit 136 modifies the driving control information included in the driving control data group 145 so that the vehicle 102 does not stop in the invisible area. For example, if it is determined that the vehicle 102 must stop in the invisible area, the driving control information is modified so that the vehicle 102 stops before the invisible area. Alternatively, if it is determined that the vehicle 102 can stop on the other side of the invisible area as seen from the vehicle 102, the driving control information is modified so that the vehicle 102 stops on the other side of the invisible area. Alternatively, after confirming that the vehicle 102 does not need to stop in or around the invisible area, the driving control information is modified so that the vehicle 102 passes through the invisible area. Then, the vehicle control information generation unit 136 ends the process of step S803.

[0085] 11 is a diagram showing, as an example of step S803, a processing flow relating to driving control of the vehicle 102. This processing is performed to adjust the speed of the vehicle 102 in order to avoid problems caused by difficulty in visually recognizing a visual target object when traveling at a predetermined speed.

[0086] In step S1101, the vehicle control information generating unit 136 determines whether a problem that makes it difficult to perform appropriate processing related to driving assistance or automatic driving of the vehicle control system 101 may occur when the vehicle 102 passes through an invisible area at a predetermined speed. The predetermined speed is a speed assumed based on the current speed of the vehicle 102 obtainable from the sensor device group 112, the legal maximum speed on the road obtainable from the map data group 141, the traveling speed of vehicles surrounding the vehicle 102 recognized by the vehicle surrounding situation recognition unit 134, and the like. In addition, the predetermined speed does not need to be uniquely determined, and the range of the predetermined speed may be determined by two pieces of information, the legal minimum speed and the legal maximum speed. In this case, the same processing can be easily realized by repeating the same processing for each value within the range in the following description.

[0087] Here, as in Fig. 10, consider an example in which the visually recognized object is a traffic light. A problem may occur, for example, when the position of the vehicle 102 at the timing of visually recognizing the color of the traffic light and deciding whether to enter the intersection overlaps with the invisible area at a predetermined speed. This can be easily determined from the distance on the route from the invisible area to the traffic light, which can be obtained from the map data group 141 and the invisible area data group 143, and the predetermined speed. In this case, the color of the traffic light is difficult to see due to backlighting, making it difficult for the vehicle 102 to decide whether to enter the intersection.

[0088] On the other hand, a case where no problem occurs is, for example, when the position of the vehicle 102 at the timing when the vehicle visually recognizes the color of the traffic light and decides whether or not to enter the intersection does not overlap with the invisible area at a given speed. In this case, the color of the traffic light can be recognized at the required timing, so appropriate processing is possible.

[0089] If it is determined that a problem may occur (YES in step S1101), the process proceeds to step S1102. If it is determined that a problem will not occur (NO in step S1101), the process in step S803 ends.

[0090] In step S1102, the vehicle control information generating unit 136 modifies the driving control information included in the driving control data group 145, and adjusts the speed of the vehicle 102 in and around the invisible area. For example, the speed of the vehicle 102 is reduced so that the position of the vehicle 102 at the timing when the vehicle 102 visually recognizes the color of the traffic light and decides whether or not to enter the intersection is on the other side of the invisible area (i.e., closer to the traffic light than the invisible area). Alternatively, the speed of the vehicle 102 is increased so that the position of the vehicle 102 at that timing is on the near side of the invisible area (i.e., further away from the traffic light than the invisible area). Then, the vehicle control information generating unit 136 ends the process of step S803.

[0091] 9 to 11 are diagrams showing an example of the process of step S803, but the process performed in step S803 is not limited to any of the processes shown in FIGS. 9 to 11. For example, a plurality of processes may be performed simultaneously by integrating the processes shown in FIGS. 9 to 11. For example, in addition to the processes shown in FIGS. 9 to 11, some kind of correction may be made to the driving control data group 145 based on information about the invisible area in order to improve the safety of the vehicle control system 101.

[0092] 1 to 11, the vehicle control device 110 calculates an invisible region corresponding to a visually recognized object, and outputs information for controlling the actuator group 113 and the backlight countermeasure device group 114 based on the invisible region. This makes it possible to improve the availability of driving assistance and automatic driving in a backlight environment while ensuring the safety of the driving assistance and automatic driving.

[0093] [Second embodiment] (System Configuration) The second embodiment of the present invention is configured as a part of the vehicle control device 110 in the first embodiment. The second embodiment is the vehicle control device 110 configured such that the processing unit 120 includes a map information acquisition unit 130, a sun position calculation unit 131, a non-visible area calculation unit 132, and a non-visible area output unit 133 in Fig. 1, and further includes a map data group 141, a visible object data group 142, and a non-visible area data group 143 in the storage unit 121.

[0094] (Processing of the second embodiment) In the second embodiment, the map information acquisition unit 130, the sun position calculation unit 131, and the invisible area calculation unit 132 perform the same processing as in the first embodiment. The invisible area output unit 133 outputs information on the invisible area to other vehicle control devices in the vehicle 102. The other vehicle control devices perform processing such as generating driving control for the vehicle based on the invisible area. That is, in the second embodiment, the vehicle control device 110 has a role of calculating the invisible area based on the map data group 141 and the visible target object data group 142, and outputting information on the invisible area.

[0095] [Third embodiment] (System Configuration) A third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIG.

[0096] 12 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle control system 1201 according to a third embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle control system 1201 includes a server device 1202, a vehicle 102, and a vehicle control device 110 mounted on the vehicle 102. The server device 1202 is a device that is placed in a remote location that is independent of the location of the vehicle 102, and the server device 1202 and the vehicle 102 are connected via a network 1203. The vehicle control system 1201 realizes the same things as the first embodiment of the present invention by the server device 1202 and the vehicle control device 110 mounted on the vehicle 102.

[0097] The server device 1202 is an information processing device, and includes a processing unit 1210 and a storage unit 1211. The processing unit 1210 includes a central processing unit (CPU). However, in addition to the CPU, the processing unit 1210 may include a graphics processing unit (GPU), a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), or any one of them. The storage unit 1211 includes, for example, a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a flash memory, or a read only memory (ROM), or a memory such as a random access memory (RAM). The storage unit 1211 stores a program to be processed by the processing unit 1210, a data group required for the processing, and the like. The storage unit 1211 is also used as a main memory when the processing unit 1210 executes a program, and is also used for temporarily storing data required for the program's operation.

[0098] The processing unit 1210 included in the server device 1202 has, as its functions, a server-side map information management unit 1221, a sun position calculation unit 131, an invisible area calculation unit 132, and an invisible area output unit 133. The processing unit 1210 realizes these functions by executing a predetermined operation program stored in the storage unit 1211.

[0099] The server-side map information management unit 1221 manages the information of the map data group 141 and the visual recognition target object data group 142 in the storage unit 1211, and outputs this information to other functions of the processing unit 1210 and other devices.

[0100] The sun position calculation unit 131 and the invisible area calculation unit 132 are the same as those in the first embodiment of the present invention. Unlike the first embodiment, the invisible area output unit 133 outputs information on the invisible area to the vehicle control device 110 via the network 1203. The memory unit 1211 includes a map data group 141, a visible object data group 142, and an invisible area data group 143. These have the same role as the data groups held by the memory unit 121 of the vehicle control device 110.

[0101] As in the first embodiment, the vehicle 102 includes a vehicle control device 110, a map information management device 111, a sensor device group 112, an actuator group 113, and a backlight countermeasure device group 114. However, in the third embodiment, the map information management device 111 is not necessarily included.

[0102] The processing unit 120 included in the vehicle control device 110, unlike the first embodiment, includes a map information acquisition unit 130, a vehicle surroundings situation recognition unit 134, an invisible area acquisition unit 135, a vehicle control information generation unit 136, and a vehicle control information output unit 137.

[0103] The map information acquisition unit 130 acquires information relating to the map data group 141 and the visually recognized object data group 142, similarly to the first embodiment, and stores the information in the map data group 141 and the visually recognized object data group 142 in the storage unit 121. The map information acquisition unit 130 may acquire the information from the map information management device 111, similarly to the first embodiment, or may acquire the information from the server-side map information management unit 1221 via the network 1203.

[0104] Unlike the first embodiment, the invisible area acquisition unit 135 acquires the information on the invisible area output by the invisible area output unit 133 via the network 1203, and stores it in the invisible area data group 143. The host vehicle surroundings situation recognition unit 134, the vehicle control information generation unit 136, and the vehicle control information output unit 137 are the same as those in the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0105] The storage unit 121 included in the vehicle control device 110 includes a map data group 141, a visually recognized object data group 142, a non-visible area data group 143, a sensor data group 144, a driving control data group 145, and a backlight countermeasure device control data group 146. These data groups are the same as those in the first embodiment.

[0106] In the third embodiment of the present invention, unlike the first embodiment, the server device 1202 is responsible for the process of calculating the invisible area, and the vehicle control device 110 is responsible for the process of generating and correcting driving control information for the vehicle 102 based on the invisible area and the process of generating control information for the backlight countermeasure device group 114. A feature of the third embodiment of the present invention is that the server device 1202 is responsible for calculating the invisible area. For example, by calculating the invisible area at the current time or a predetermined time after a predetermined time has elapsed without relying on information about the vehicle 102, it becomes possible to distribute information about the invisible area to a large number of vehicles 102.

[0107] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above in detail, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various design changes can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention described in the claims. For example, the above-described embodiments have been described in detail to clearly explain the present invention, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to those having all of the configurations described. In addition, it is possible to replace a part of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add the configuration of another embodiment to the configuration of one embodiment. Furthermore, it is possible to add, delete, or replace a part of the configuration of each embodiment with another configuration. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 101: vehicle control system, 102: vehicle, 110: vehicle control device, 111: map information management device, 112: sensor device group, 113: actuator group, 114: backlight countermeasure device group, 120: processing unit, 121: memory unit, 130: map information acquisition unit, 131: sun position calculation unit, 132: invisible area calculation unit, 133: invisible area output unit, 134: vehicle surroundings situation recognition unit, 135: invisible area acquisition unit, 136: vehicle control information generation unit, 137: vehicle control information output unit, 141: map data group, 142: visually recognized object data group, 143: invisible area data group, 144: sensor data group, 145: driving control data group, 146: backlight countermeasure device control data group, 601: visually recognized object, 602: surrounding area of ​​visually recognized object, 701: road, 702: sun, 703: invisible area, 1201: vehicle control system, 1202: server device, 1203: network, 1210: processing unit, 1211: storage unit, 1221: server side map information management unit

Claims

1. A vehicle control device mounted on a vehicle, a solar position calculation unit that calculates solar position information at a predetermined time; an invisible area calculation unit that calculates an invisible area on a map where the visually recognized object is difficult to visually recognize based on the position information of the sun and the position information of the visually recognized object; and an invisibility area output unit that outputs the invisibility area calculated by the invisibility area calculation unit.

2. The invisible area calculation unit 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the invisible area is calculated based on height information of a position of a visual recognition subject who visually recognizes the visual recognition target object on the vehicle.

3. The invisible area calculation unit a peripheral area of ​​the visually recognized object including a space surrounding the visually recognized object is set for a spatial area occupied by the visually recognized object based on position information of the visually recognized object; 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the invisible area is calculated from the position information of the sun and the surrounding area of ​​the visible object.

4. The invisible area calculation unit Obtaining meteorological information for a region to which the visually recognized object belongs at a predetermined time; 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the invisible area is not calculated when it is determined from the meteorological information that the effect of backlight is small.

5. The invisible area calculation unit 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the invisible area is not calculated when it is determined from the position information of the sun, the position information of the viewed object, and map information that an obstacle blocking sunlight is present between the viewed object and the sun.

6. The solar position calculation unit is 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the vehicle control device calculates the position information of the sun at a predetermined time from the vehicle position information and the time information.

7. The solar position calculation unit, the invisible area calculation unit, and the invisible area output unit, an invisibility area acquisition unit that acquires information about the invisibility area from the invisibility area output unit; Identifying the invisible area on a route of the vehicle based on the acquired information of the invisible area; a vehicle control information output unit that outputs control information for the vehicle based on the identified invisible area; The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , further comprising:

8. The vehicle control information output unit The vehicle control device according to claim 7, further comprising: information for activating an in-vehicle device that blocks or reduces sunlight on a visual subject in the vehicle within the identified invisible area as control information for the vehicle.

9. The vehicle control information output unit When the vehicle stops within the identified invisible area, The vehicle control device according to claim 7, wherein information for stopping the vehicle before the invisible area or on the other side of the invisible area is output as control information for the vehicle.

10. The vehicle control information output unit When the vehicle passes through the identified invisible area, The vehicle control device according to claim 7, characterized in that it outputs, as control information for the vehicle, information for adjusting the speed of the vehicle so that the position of the vehicle at the time when the vehicle needs to view the target object does not overlap with the invisible area.

11. A vehicle control system including a server device installed in a location independent of a vehicle and a vehicle control device mounted in the vehicle, The server device includes a sun position calculation unit that calculates position information of the sun at a predetermined time, an invisibility area calculation unit that calculates an invisibility area on a map where the visually-identified object is difficult to visually recognize based on the sun position information and the visually-identified object position information, and an invisibility area output unit that outputs information on the invisibility area, The vehicle control system is characterized in that the vehicle control device includes an invisible area acquisition unit that acquires information about the invisible area from the invisible area output unit, and a vehicle control information output unit that identifies the invisible area on the path of the vehicle based on the acquired information about the invisible area, and outputs control information for the vehicle based on the identified invisible area.

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