Stop-line position estimation device

Abstract

To provide a stop-line position estimation device capable of estimating a position of a stop-line, not only when a vehicular traffic signal is installed before an intersection but also when the vehicular traffic signal is only installed at a depth side of the intersection.SOLUTION: A stop-line position estimation device 10 determines whether an object-vehicular traffic signal 400 is a near side traffic signal installed on the near side of an object intersection 200, or a depth side traffic signal installed on the depth side of the object intersection, from a positional relation between object targets 500, 600 and the object-vehicular traffic signal; estimates a position at a predetermined first distance away from the near side traffic signal in a direction of approaching a self vehicle 100 as the position of an object stop-line 300 when the object-vehicular traffic signal is the near side traffic signal; and estimates a position at a predetermined second distance longer than the predetermined first distance away from the depth side traffic signal in the direction of approaching the self vehicle as the position of the object stop-line when the object-vehicular traffic signal is the depth side traffic signal.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a stop line position estimation device. [Background technology]

[0002] A deceleration support device is known that detects a stop line using a camera image and supports the deceleration of the vehicle so that the vehicle can reliably stop at the stop line. Also, a stop line position estimation device is known that, when a stop line is provided but the stop line cannot be detected using a camera image, detects a vehicle traffic light installed in front of an intersection using a camera image and estimates the position of the stop line from the position of the vehicle traffic light. Another such stop line position estimation device is known that, when multiple vehicle traffic lights are detected, detects a pedestrian traffic light using a camera image, identifies a vehicle traffic light installed in front of the intersection from the position of the pedestrian traffic light, and estimates the position of the stop line from the position of the vehicle traffic light (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-33772 Summary of the Invention

[0004] The conventional stop line position estimation device described above uses the position of the pedestrian traffic light to identify the vehicle traffic light installed in front of the intersection, but at some intersections, the vehicle traffic light is installed only on the far side of the intersection. In this case, the conventional stop line position estimation device cannot identify the vehicle traffic light installed in front of the intersection, and as a result, cannot estimate the position of the stop line.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a stop line position estimation device that can estimate the position of a stop line not only when a vehicle traffic light is installed in front of an intersection, but also when the vehicle traffic light is installed only on the far side of the intersection.

[0006] The stop line position estimation device according to the present invention includes a detection means for detecting a target vehicle signal that is a vehicle signal installed at a target intersection that is an intersection ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle and that is a vehicle signal that restricts the vehicle, and a target object that is a target object other than the target vehicle signal and has a predetermined positional relationship with the target vehicle signal, and an estimation means for estimating the position of a target stop line that is a stop line that restricts the vehicle and is installed in front of the target intersection corresponding to the target vehicle signal, based on the position of the target vehicle signal. The estimation means determines whether the target vehicle signal is a near side signal installed on the near side of the target intersection or a far side signal installed on the far side of the target intersection, based on the positional relationship between the target object and the target vehicle signal. The estimation means is configured to, when the traffic light for the target vehicle is the near traffic light, estimate the position of the target stop line to be a position that is a predetermined first distance away from the near traffic light in the direction approaching the vehicle, and when the traffic light for the target vehicle is the far traffic light, estimate the position of the target stop line to be a position that is a predetermined second distance away from the far traffic light in the direction approaching the vehicle, the distance being longer than the predetermined first distance.

[0007] According to the stop line position estimation device of the present invention, it is possible to estimate the position of the stop line even when vehicle traffic signals are installed only on the far side of the intersection.

[0008] In the stop line position estimation device according to the present invention, the target landmark is, for example, a target pedestrian traffic light that is a pedestrian traffic light installed at the target intersection in correspondence with the target vehicle traffic light. In this case, the estimation means is configured to determine that the target vehicle traffic light is the rear traffic light when the target vehicle traffic light is installed within a predetermined first range in the traveling direction of the vehicle with the target pedestrian traffic light as a reference, and to determine that the target vehicle traffic light is the near traffic light when the target vehicle traffic light is not installed within the predetermined first range and is installed at a distance of a predetermined third distance or more from the target pedestrian traffic light in a direction approaching the vehicle. In this case, the predetermined first range is a range between a position at a predetermined fourth distance from the target pedestrian traffic light in a direction approaching the vehicle and a position at a predetermined fifth distance from the target pedestrian traffic light in a direction away from the vehicle.

[0009] According to the stop line position estimation device of the present invention, it is possible to determine whether a detected vehicle traffic light is a vehicle traffic light installed on the back side of an intersection based on a pedestrian traffic light.

[0010] In the stop line position estimation device according to the present invention, the estimation means may be configured to determine that a pedestrian traffic light detected by the detection means is the target pedestrian traffic light when the pedestrian traffic light is installed within a predetermined second range in the traveling direction of the host vehicle with the target vehicle traffic light as a reference. In this case, the predetermined second range is a range between a position a predetermined sixth distance away from the target vehicle traffic light in a direction approaching the host vehicle and a predetermined seventh distance away from the target vehicle traffic light in a direction away from the host vehicle.

[0011] According to the stop line position estimation device of the present invention, it is possible to determine whether a detected pedestrian traffic light is a pedestrian traffic light installed in correspondence with a vehicular traffic light, based on the vehicular traffic light.

[0012] In addition, in the stop line position estimation device according to the present invention, the target object is, for example, a crossing vehicle passing through the target intersection, which is a crossing vehicle that passes through the target intersection in a direction that crosses the traveling direction of the host vehicle. In this case, the estimation means is configured to determine that the target vehicle traffic light is the far side traffic light when the target vehicle traffic light is installed a predetermined eighth distance or more away from the target crossing vehicle in a direction away from the host vehicle, and to determine that the target vehicle traffic light is the near side traffic light when the target vehicle traffic light is installed a predetermined ninth distance or more away from the target crossing vehicle in a direction approaching the host vehicle.

[0013] According to the stop line position estimation device of the present invention, it is possible to determine whether or not a detected vehicle traffic light is a vehicle traffic light installed on the far side of the intersection, based on crossing vehicles.

[0014] The components of the present invention are not limited to the embodiments of the present invention described below with reference to the drawings. Other objects, other features, and associated advantages of the present invention will be easily understood from the description of the embodiments of the present invention. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a vehicle driving assistance device including a stop line position estimating device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an intersection. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a routine executed by the vehicle driving assistance device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a diagram similar to FIG. 2, showing the first distance range. [Diagram 5] FIG. 5 is a diagram similar to FIG. 2, illustrating the first distance range. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the second distance range and the third proximal distance. [Figure 7]FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the fourth front distance and the fifth front distance. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the fourth front distance and the sixth front distance. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a routine executed by the vehicle driving assistance device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the seventh distance range. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the seventh distance range. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the eighth back distance. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a view similar to FIG. 2, illustrating the third near side distance. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the third front distance and the eleventh front distance. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the third front distance and the eleventh front distance. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the fifth front distance and the twelfth front distance. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the fifth front distance and the eleventh front distance. [Figure 18] FIG. 18 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the fifth front distance and the eleventh front distance. [Figure 19] FIG. 19 is a view similar to FIG. 2, showing the sixth near side distance. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, a vehicle driving support device including a stop line position estimation device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a vehicle driving support device 10 according to an embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle driving support device 10 is mounted on a host vehicle 100. Hereinafter, the vehicle driving support device 10 will be described using as an example a case in which the operator of the host vehicle 100 is a person who gets in the host vehicle 100 and drives the host vehicle 100 (i.e., the driver of the host vehicle 100).

[0017] However, the operator of the vehicle 100 may be a person who drives the vehicle 100 remotely without being in the vehicle 100 (i.e., a remote operator of the vehicle 100). When the operator of the vehicle 100 is a remote operator, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 is mounted on the vehicle 100 and on a remote operation facility installed outside the vehicle 100 in order to remotely drive the vehicle 100, and the functions of the vehicle driving assistance device 10 described below are shared between the vehicle driving assistance device 10 mounted on the vehicle 100 and the vehicle driving assistance device 10 mounted on the remote operation facility.

[0018] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 includes an ECU (electronic control unit) 90 as a control device and an estimation means. The ECU 90 includes a microcomputer as a main part. The microcomputer includes a CPU, a storage medium such as a ROM, a RAM, and a non-volatile memory, and an interface. The CPU is adapted to realize various functions by executing instructions, programs, or routines stored in the storage medium. In particular, in this example, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 stores in the storage medium a program that realizes various controls executed by the vehicle driving assistance device 10.

[0019] In this example, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 has only one ECU 90, but it may also be configured to have multiple ECUs and to share the functions of the vehicle driving assistance device 10 described below among each ECU.

[0020] Furthermore, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 may be configured so that the program stored in the storage medium can be updated through wireless communication with an external device (for example, Internet communication).

[0021] The host vehicle 100 is equipped with a traveling device 20, an alarm device 30, and an image information acquisition device 40.

[0022] The traveling device 20 includes a driving device 21, a braking device 22, and a steering device 23.

[0023] <Drive unit> The drive device 21 is a device that outputs a drive torque (drive force) applied to the host vehicle 100 to make the host vehicle 100 travel, and is, for example, an internal combustion engine, a motor, etc. The drive device 21 is electrically connected to the ECU 90. The ECU 90 can control the drive torque output from the drive device 21 by controlling the operation of the drive device 21.

[0024] <Brake device> The braking device 22 is a device that outputs a braking torque (braking force) applied to the host vehicle 100 in order to brake the host vehicle 100, and is, for example, a brake device. The braking device 22 is electrically connected to the ECU 90. The ECU 90 can control the braking torque output from the braking device 22 by controlling the operation of the braking device 22.

[0025] <Steering system> The steering device 23 is a device that outputs a steering torque (steering force) applied to the host vehicle 100 in order to steer the host vehicle 100, and is, for example, a power steering device. The steering device 23 is electrically connected to the ECU 90. The ECU 90 can control the steering torque output from the steering device 23 by controlling the operation of the steering device 23.

[0026] <Alarm device> The warning device 30 is a device that issues various notifications to the driver, and in this example, includes an audio device 31 and a display device 32. The display device 32 is, for example, a display that displays various images. The audio device 31 is, for example, a buzzer that outputs various warning sounds or a speaker that outputs various sounds.

[0027] <Sound equipment> The audio device 31 is electrically connected to the ECU 90. The ECU 90 can cause the audio device 31 to output various alarm sounds and voices.

[0028] <Display device> The display device 32 is electrically connected to the ECU 90. The ECU 90 can cause the display device 32 to display various images.

[0029] <Image information acquisition device> The image information acquisition device 40 is a device (detection means in the present invention) that captures an image of the area ahead of the vehicle 100, acquires an image of the area ahead of the vehicle 100, and acquires data of the image (image information IC). In this example, the image information acquisition device 40 includes an image sensor 41. The image sensor 41 is, for example, a camera.

[0030] <Image sensor> The image sensor 41 is electrically connected to the ECU 90. The image sensor 41 captures an image of the area ahead of the host vehicle 100, and transmits data of the image (image information IC) to the ECU 90.

[0031] <Operation of vehicle driving support device> Next, the operation of the vehicle driving assistance device 10 will be described.

[0032] As shown in Figure 2, when approaching a target intersection 200, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 acquires the position of the target stop line 300 as the stop line position Pstop, and performs driving assistance control based on the acquired stop line position Pstop.

[0033] The target intersection 200 is the intersection closest to the vehicle 100 among the intersections ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100. The target stop line 300 is a stop line set up just before the target intersection 200, and is a stop line that restricts the vehicle 100.

[0034] The driving assistance control executed by the vehicle driving assistance device 10 includes, for example, automatic braking control and warning control.

[0035] Automatic braking control is a control in which, for example, when the vehicle 100 should stop before the target stop line 300, when the distance between the vehicle 100 and the stop line position Pstop becomes short to a predetermined distance, the operation of the braking device 22 is autonomously or automatically controlled to apply braking force to the vehicle 100 so that the vehicle 100 stops before the target stop line 300.

[0036] In addition, the warning control is a control in which, when the distance between the vehicle 100 and the stop line position Pstop becomes short to a predetermined distance, an alarm is generated from the audio device 31 of the warning device 30 to notify the driver of the presence of the target stop line 300, and an image is displayed on the display device 32 of the warning device 30 to notify the driver of the presence of the target stop line 300.

[0037] In this specification, unless otherwise defined, distance is the distance along the traveling direction of the host vehicle 100.

[0038] The vehicle driving assistance device 10 executes the routine shown in FIG. 3 at a predetermined calculation period, and thereby acquires the stop line position Pstop when a predetermined condition is met.

[0039] In addition, as described below, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 detects a target vehicle traffic light 400, which is a vehicle traffic light that is installed at a target intersection 200, which is an intersection ahead of the host vehicle 100 in the direction of travel, and which is a vehicle traffic light that restricts the host vehicle 100, and detects a target object (a target pedestrian traffic light 500 or a target crossing vehicle 600, which will be described later), which is an object other than the target vehicle traffic light 400 and has a predetermined positional relationship with the target vehicle traffic light 400, and estimates the position of a target stop line 300, which is a stop line that restricts the host vehicle 100 and is installed in front of the target intersection 200 in correspondence with the target vehicle traffic light 400, based on the position of the target vehicle traffic light 400.

[0040] At a predetermined timing, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 starts processing from step S300 of the routine shown in Fig. 3, proceeds to step S305, and determines whether or not the target vehicle traffic light 400 is recognized. The target vehicle traffic light 400 is the vehicle traffic light that is closest to the host vehicle 100 among the vehicle traffic lights installed ahead of the host vehicle 100 in the traveling direction, and is the vehicle traffic light that restricts the host vehicle 100. After being started, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 executes processing to recognize the target vehicle traffic light 400 from the image information IC at a predetermined calculation cycle.

[0041] If the vehicle driving assistance device 10 determines "Yes" in step S305, the process proceeds to step S310, where it determines whether or not it has recognized the target stop line 300. After being started, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 executes a process of recognizing the target stop line 300 from the image information IC at a predetermined calculation cycle.

[0042] If the vehicle driving assistance device 10 determines "Yes" in step S310, the process proceeds to step S315, where the vehicle driving assistance device 10 acquires the position of the recognized target stop line 300 as the stop line position Pstop. Next, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 proceeds to step S395, where the process of this routine is temporarily terminated. In this case, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 executes driving assistance control using the stop line position Pstop acquired in step S315.

[0043] On the other hand, if the vehicle driving assistance device 10 determines "No" in step S310, the process proceeds to step S320, where it determines whether or not it recognizes the target pedestrian traffic light 500. After being started up, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 executes a process of recognizing the target pedestrian traffic light 500 from the image information IC at a predetermined calculation cycle.

[0044] 4 and 5, the target pedestrian traffic light 500 is a pedestrian traffic light installed within a first distance range RD1 with the target vehicle traffic light 400 as a reference in the traveling direction of the host vehicle 100, and is a pedestrian traffic light installed corresponding to the target vehicle traffic light 400. The pedestrian traffic light installed corresponding to the target vehicle traffic light 400 is a pedestrian traffic light installed for pedestrians crossing the intersection in the same direction as the traveling direction of the host vehicle 100. In addition, in this specification, the pedestrian traffic light corresponding to the target vehicle traffic light 400 is a pedestrian traffic light installed corresponding to the target vehicle traffic light 400.

[0045] Generally, a pedestrian traffic light installed corresponding to a vehicle traffic light that regulates vehicles passing through an intersection is installed on the back side of the intersection in the traveling direction of the vehicle. Therefore, in this example, it is assumed that the target pedestrian traffic light 500 is installed on the back side of the target intersection 200.

[0046] In addition, the first distance range RD1 is a predetermined second range in the present invention, and is a range that is predetermined for determining whether the pedestrian traffic light recognized based on the image information IC is the target pedestrian traffic light 500 or not.

[0047] In particular, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the first distance range RD1 is the range in the direction of travel of the vehicle 100, from a position at a first front distance DF1 in front of the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle (in the direction approaching the vehicle 100) to a position at a first rear distance DB1 behind the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle (in the direction away from the vehicle 100).

[0048] The first front distance DF1 and the first rear distance DB1 are respectively the predetermined sixth distance and the predetermined seventh distance in the present invention, and are distances that are predetermined for determining whether the pedestrian traffic light recognized based on the image information IC is the target pedestrian traffic light 500 or not.

[0049] In particular, the first front distance DF1 and the first rear distance DB1 are each predetermined distances so that a pedestrian traffic light installed corresponding to the target vehicle traffic light 400 is recognized as the target pedestrian traffic light 500, regardless of whether the target vehicle traffic light 400 is installed on the front side of the target intersection 200 or on the rear side of the target intersection 200.

[0050] As described above, a pedestrian traffic light that is installed corresponding to a vehicle traffic light that regulates vehicles passing through an intersection is generally installed on the far side of the intersection in the traveling direction of the vehicle. Therefore, the first far distance DB1 is longer than the first near distance DF1.

[0051] In this example, the first near side distance DF1 corresponding to the size of the target intersection 200 is selected from the first near side distances for each size of intersection stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10 and used.

[0052] The first front distance for each size of the intersection stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10 is acquired by the method or statistical method described below. That is, the first front distance for each size of the intersection is an appropriate first front distance determined for each size of the intersection by acquiring data on the distance (first front distance) between a target vehicle traffic light installed on the back side of the intersection and a target pedestrian traffic light installed on the front side of the target vehicle traffic light for various intersections, and taking into consideration the distribution of the first front distances. Alternatively, the first front distance for each size of the intersection is the average value of the first front distances acquired for each size of the intersection for various intersections. Alternatively, the first front distance for each size of the intersection is a value obtained by adding 3σ to the average value of the first front distances acquired for each size of the intersection. Note that σ is the standard deviation in statistics.

[0053] Also, in this example, the first rear distance DB1 is selected and used from the first rear distances for each intersection size stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10, the first rear distance corresponding to the size of the target intersection 200.

[0054] The first rear distance for each size of intersection stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10 is acquired by a method similar to the method for acquiring the first front distance described above or a statistical method.

[0055] The first rear distance DB1 is a distance equal to the intersection width W or a distance longer than the intersection width W by a predetermined distance. The intersection width W is the distance of the target intersection 200 in the traveling direction of the host vehicle 100.

[0056] The size of the target intersection 200 is acquired based on the image information IC.

[0057] If the vehicle driving assistance device 10 determines "Yes" in step S320, the process proceeds to step S325, where it determines whether or not a first rear-side installation condition CB1 is satisfied. The first rear-side installation condition CB1 is a condition that the target vehicle traffic light 400 is a traffic light installed on the rear side of the target intersection 200 (a rear-side traffic light).

[0058] 6, in this example, the first rear-side installation condition CB1 is met when the target vehicle traffic light 400 is installed within the second distance range RD2 based on the target pedestrian traffic light 500. Therefore, when the absolute value of the traffic light distance difference ΔDS is equal to or smaller than the predetermined traffic light distance difference ΔDSth, the first rear-side installation condition CB1 is met.

[0059] The traffic light distance difference ΔDS is the value obtained by subtracting the vehicle traffic light distance DVS from the pedestrian traffic light distance DPS (ΔDS=DPS-DVS). The pedestrian traffic light distance DPS is the distance between the host vehicle 100 and the target pedestrian traffic light 500. The vehicle traffic light distance DVS is the distance between the host vehicle 100 and the target vehicle traffic light 400.

[0060] Moreover, the second distance range RD2 is a predetermined first range in the present invention, and is a range that is determined in advance for determining whether the target vehicle traffic light 400 is installed on the far side of the target intersection 200 or not.

[0061] In particular, the second distance range RD2, as shown in Figure 6, is the range in the direction of travel of the vehicle 100, from a position at a second front distance DF2 in front of the target pedestrian traffic light 500 to a position at a second rear distance DB2 behind the target pedestrian traffic light 500.

[0062] The second near side distance DF2 and the second far side distance DB2 are respectively the predetermined fourth distance and the predetermined fifth distance in the present invention, and are distances that are predetermined to determine whether the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle is a traffic light installed on the far side of the target intersection 200.

[0063] In particular, the second near side distance DF2 and the second far side distance DB2 are each predetermined distances such that when the target vehicle traffic light 400 is installed on the far side of the target intersection 200, the target vehicle traffic light 400 is determined to be installed within the second distance range RD2 based on the target pedestrian traffic light 500.

[0064] In this example, the second front distance DF2 and the second rear distance DB2 are selected and used from the second front distances and second rear distances for each size of intersection stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10, and the second front distance and second rear distance corresponding to the size of the target intersection 200 are selected and used.

[0065] The second front distance and the second rear distance for each size of intersection stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10 are obtained by a method similar to the method for obtaining the first front distance described above or a statistical method.

[0066] The second near side distance DF2 and the second far side distance DB2 may be equal to each other or may be different from each other. When the second near side distance DF2 and the second far side distance DB2 are equal to each other, the predetermined traffic light distance difference ΔDSth is equal to the second near side distance DF2 and the second far side distance DB2.

[0067] The second rear distance DB2 is shorter than the first rear distance DB1. In this example, the second front distance DF2 is equal to the first front distance DF1, but may be different from the first front distance DF1. However, the second front distance DF2 is shorter than a fourth front distance DF4, which will be described later.

[0068] If the vehicle driving assistance device 10 determines "Yes" in step S325, the process proceeds to step S330, and acquires a position that is the third near distance DF3 ahead of the target vehicle traffic light 400 as the stop line position Pstop, as shown in Fig. 6. Next, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 proceeds to step S395, and temporarily ends the processing of this routine. In this case, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 executes various driving assistance controls using the stop line position Pstop acquired in step S330.

[0069] The third near side distance DF3 is a predetermined second distance in the present invention, and is a distance that is predetermined for estimating the stop line position Pstop from the position of the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle when the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle is installed on the back side of the target intersection 200.

[0070] In this example, the third near side distance DF3 is selected and used from the third near side distances for each intersection size stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10, and the third near side distance corresponding to the size of the target intersection 200.

[0071] The third near side distance for each size of intersection stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10 is a distance obtained by the method or statistical method described below. That is, the third near side distance DF3 for each size of intersection is an appropriate third near side distance determined for each size of intersection by acquiring data on the distance (third near side distance) between a target vehicle traffic light installed on the back side of the intersection and a target stop line for various intersections, and taking into consideration the distribution of the third near side distances for each size of intersection. Alternatively, the third near side distance for each size of intersection is the average value of the third near side distances acquired for various intersections for each size of intersection.

[0072] On the other hand, if the vehicle driving assistance device 10 determines "No" in step S325, the process proceeds to step S335, where it determines whether or not a first near side installation condition CF1 is satisfied. The first near side installation condition CF1 is a condition that the target vehicle traffic light 400 is a traffic light installed on the near side of the target intersection 200 (near side traffic light).

[0073] 7, in this example, the first near side installation condition CF1 is met when the target vehicle traffic light 400 is installed at a distance equal to or greater than the fourth near side distance DF4 closer than the target pedestrian traffic light 500. Therefore, when the distance between the target vehicle traffic light 400 and the target pedestrian traffic light 500 is greater than the fourth near side distance DF4, the first near side installation condition CF1 is met.

[0074] The fourth near side distance DF4 is a predetermined third distance in the present invention, and is a distance that is set in advance to determine whether the target vehicle traffic light 400 is a traffic light installed on the near side of the target intersection 200.

[0075] In particular, the fourth near side distance DF4 is a distance that is determined in advance so that when the target vehicle traffic light 400 is installed on the near side of the target intersection 200, the target vehicle traffic light 400 is determined to be installed at least the fourth near side distance DF4 closer to the target pedestrian traffic light 500.

[0076] In this example, the fourth near side distance DF4 corresponding to the size of the target intersection 200 is selected and used from the fourth near side distances for each size of intersection stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10.

[0077] The fourth near side distance for each size of intersection stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10 is acquired by a method similar to the method for acquiring the first near side distance described above or a statistical method.

[0078] The fourth front distance DF4 is greater than the second front distance DF2.

[0079] If the vehicle driving assistance device 10 determines "Yes" in step S335, the process proceeds to step S340, and acquires a position that is the fifth near distance DF5 ahead of the target vehicle traffic light 400 as the stop line position Pstop, as shown in Fig. 7. Next, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 proceeds to step S395, and temporarily ends the processing of this routine. In this case, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 executes driving assistance control using the stop line position Pstop acquired in step S340.

[0080] The fifth near side distance DF5 is a predetermined first distance in the present invention, and is a distance that is predetermined for estimating the stop line position Pstop from the position of the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle when the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle is installed on the near side of the target intersection 200.

[0081] In this example, the fifth near side distance DF5 is selected and used from the fifth near side distances for each size of intersection stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10, the fifth near side distance corresponding to the size of the target intersection 200.

[0082] The fifth near side distance for each size of intersection stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10 is acquired by a method similar to the method for acquiring the third near side distance described above or a statistical method.

[0083] The fifth front distance DF5 is shorter than the third front distance DF3.

[0084] On the other hand, if the vehicle driving assistance device 10 determines "No" in step S335, the process proceeds to step S345, and acquires a position that is the sixth near distance DF6 ahead of the target vehicle traffic light 400 as the stop line position Pstop, as shown in Fig. 8. Next, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 proceeds to step S395, and temporarily ends the processing of this routine. In this case, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 executes driving assistance control using the stop line position Pstop acquired in step S345.

[0085] The sixth near side distance DF6 is a predetermined distance for estimating the stop line position Pstop from the position of the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle when it is not certain whether the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle is installed on the far side or the near side of the target intersection 200.

[0086] The sixth front distance DF6 is an appropriate distance that is at least greater than the third front distance DF3 and less than the fifth front distance DF5.

[0087] Furthermore, even if the vehicle driving assistance device 10 judges "No" in step S320, the process proceeds to step S345, and acquires a position that is the sixth near distance DF6 ahead of the target vehicle traffic light 400 as the stop line position Pstop. Next, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 proceeds to step S395, and temporarily ends the processing of this routine. In this case as well, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 executes driving assistance control using the stop line position Pstop acquired in step S345.

[0088] Moreover, if the vehicle driving assistance device 10 determines "No" in step S305, the process proceeds directly to step S395, and ends the process of this routine for the time being.

[0089] Furthermore, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 executes the routine shown in FIG. 9 at a predetermined calculation period, and thereby acquires the stop line position Pstop when a predetermined condition is met.

[0090] At a predetermined timing, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 starts the process from step S900 of the routine shown in FIG. 9, and proceeds to step S905 to determine whether or not the target vehicle traffic light 400 is recognized.

[0091] If the vehicle driving assistance device 10 determines "Yes" in step S905, the process proceeds to step S910, where it determines whether the target stop line 300 has been recognized.

[0092] If the vehicle driving assistance device 10 determines "Yes" in step S910, the process proceeds to step S915, where the vehicle driving assistance device 10 acquires the position of the recognized target stop line 300 as the stop line position Pstop. Next, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 proceeds to step S995, where the process of this routine is temporarily terminated. In this case, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 executes driving assistance control using the stop line position Pstop acquired in step S915.

[0093] On the other hand, if the vehicle driving assistance device 10 determines "No" in step S910, the process proceeds to step S920, where it determines whether or not it has recognized the target crossing vehicle 600. The vehicle driving assistance device 10 executes the process of recognizing the target crossing vehicle 600 from the image information IC at a predetermined calculation cycle.

[0094] As shown in Figures 10 and 11, the target intersecting vehicle 600 is a vehicle (intersecting vehicle) traveling through the target intersection 200 in a direction intersecting (particularly, perpendicular) to the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, and is a vehicle traveling within the seventh distance range RD7 from the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle.

[0095] The seventh distance range RD7 is a range that is determined in advance for determining whether or not the vehicle recognized based on the image information IC is the target intersecting vehicle 600.

[0096] In particular, as shown in Figures 10 and 11, the seventh distance range RD7 is the range in the direction of travel of the host vehicle 100, from the position of the seventh front distance DF7 in front of the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle (in the direction approaching the host vehicle 100) to the position of the seventh rear distance DB7 behind the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle (in the direction away from the host vehicle 100).

[0097] The seventh front distance DF7 and the seventh rear distance DB7 are distances that are set in advance for determining whether or not the vehicle recognized based on the image information IC is the target intersecting vehicle 600.

[0098] In particular, the seventh front distance DF7 and the seventh rear distance DB7 are each predetermined distances so that a vehicle passing through the target intersection 200 in a direction intersecting the travel direction of the host vehicle 100 is recognized as a target intersecting vehicle 600, regardless of whether the target vehicle traffic light 400 is installed on the front side of the target intersection 200 or on the rear side of the target intersection 200.

[0099] In this example, the seventh near side distance DF7 is selected and used from the seventh near side distances for each intersection size stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10, and is the seventh near side distance that corresponds to the size of the target intersection 200.

[0100] The seventh near side distance for each size of the intersection stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10 is a distance obtained by the method or statistical method described below. That is, the seventh near side distance DF7 for each size of the intersection is an appropriate seventh near side distance determined for each size of the intersection by acquiring data on the distance (seventh near side distance) between the target vehicle traffic light installed on the back side of the intersection and the near side boundary of the intersection for various intersections, and taking into consideration the distribution of the seventh near side distances. Alternatively, the seventh near side distance for each size of the intersection is the average value of the seventh near side distances acquired for each size of the intersection for various intersections. Alternatively, the seventh near side distance for each size of the intersection is a value obtained by adding 3σ to the average value of the seventh near side distances acquired for each size of the intersection. Note that σ is the standard deviation in statistics.

[0101] Also, in this example, as the seventh rear distance DB7, the seventh rear distance corresponding to the size of the target intersection 200 is selected and used from the seventh rear distances for each size of intersection stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10.

[0102] The seventh rear distance for each size of intersection stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10 is acquired by a method similar to the method for acquiring the seventh front distance described above or a statistical method.

[0103] The seventh front distance DF7 and the seventh rear distance DB7 are each a distance equal to the intersection width W or a distance longer than the intersection width W by a predetermined distance.

[0104] If the vehicle driving assistance device 10 determines "Yes" in step S920, the process proceeds to step S925, where it determines whether or not the second rear side installation condition CB2 is satisfied. The second rear side installation condition CB2 is a condition that the target vehicle traffic light 400 is a traffic light installed on the rear side of the target intersection 200 (a rear side traffic light).

[0105] 12, in this example, the second rear installation condition CB2 is met when the target vehicle traffic light 400 is installed at a distance equal to or greater than the eighth rear distance DB8 from the target intersecting vehicle 600. Therefore, when the intersecting vehicle distance difference ΔDCV is a positive value and is equal to or greater than the eighth rear distance DB8, the second rear installation condition CB2 is met.

[0106] The intersecting vehicle distance difference ΔDCV is a value obtained by subtracting the intersecting vehicle distance DCV from the vehicle-use traffic light distance DVS (ΔDCV=DVS-DCV). The vehicle-use traffic light distance DVS is the distance between the host vehicle 100 and the target vehicle-use traffic light 400. The intersecting vehicle distance DCV is the distance between the host vehicle 100 and the target intersecting vehicle 600.

[0107] Further, the eighth rear distance DB8 is a predetermined eighth distance in the present invention, and is a distance that is determined in advance for determining whether the target vehicle traffic light 400 is installed on the rear side of the target intersection 200 or not.

[0108] In particular, the eighth rear distance DB8 is a distance that is determined in advance so that when the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle is installed on the rear side of the target intersection 200, the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle is determined to be installed at least the eighth rear distance DB8 further back than the target intersecting vehicle 600.

[0109] In this example, the 8th rear distance DB8 is selected from the 8th rear distances for each intersection size stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10 and used as the 8th rear distance corresponding to the size of the target intersection 200.

[0110] The eighth rear distance for each size of intersection stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10 is acquired by a method similar to the method for acquiring the seventh front distance described above or a statistical method.

[0111] The eighth rear distance DB8 is shorter than the seventh front distance DF7 and the seventh rear distance DB7.

[0112] In addition, in this example, it may be determined whether the second rear installation condition CB2 is satisfied depending on whether the target intersection vehicle 600 is a vehicle passing on the near side of the target intersection 200 or a vehicle passing on the far side of the target intersection 200.

[0113] In this case, the second rear installation condition CB2 is met when the target crossing vehicle 600 is a crossing vehicle traveling on the near side of the target intersection 200 and the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle is installed more than the 9th rear distance DB9 further back than the target crossing vehicle 600, or when the target crossing vehicle 600 is a crossing vehicle traveling on the rear side of the target intersection 200 and the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle is installed more than the 10th rear distance DB10 further back than the target crossing vehicle 600.

[0114] Therefore, when the target intersecting vehicle 600 is a vehicle traveling on the near side of the target intersection 200, the second rear installation condition CB2 is met when the intersecting vehicle distance difference ΔDCV is a positive value and is greater than or equal to the ninth rear distance DB9, and when the target intersecting vehicle 600 is a vehicle traveling on the rear side of the target intersection 200, the second rear installation condition CB2 is met when the intersecting vehicle distance difference ΔDCV is a positive value and is greater than or equal to the tenth rear distance DB10.

[0115] The ninth rear distance DB9 is a distance determined in advance for determining whether or not the target vehicle traffic light 400 is installed on the rear side of the target intersection 200 when the target intersecting vehicle 600 is a vehicle traveling on the near side of the target intersection 200. The tenth rear distance DB10 is a distance determined in advance for determining whether or not the target vehicle traffic light 400 is installed on the rear side of the target intersection 200 when the target intersecting vehicle 600 is a vehicle traveling on the rear side of the target intersection 200.

[0116] In particular, the 9th rear distance DB9 and the 10th rear distance DB10 are each predetermined distances such that when the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle is installed on the rear side of the target intersection 200, the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle is determined to be installed on the rear side of the target intersection 200.

[0117] In this example, the 9th rear distance DB9 and the 10th rear distance DB10 are selected and used from the 9th rear distance and the 10th rear distance for each intersection size stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10, and the 9th rear distance and the 10th rear distance corresponding to the size of the target intersection 200 are selected and used.

[0118] The 9th rear distance and the 10th rear distance for each size of intersection stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10 are obtained by a method similar to the method for obtaining the 7th front distance described above or a statistical method.

[0119] Whether the target intersection vehicle 600 is a vehicle traveling on the near side of the target intersection 200 or a vehicle traveling on the far side of the target intersection 200 is determined based on the image information IC.

[0120] If the vehicle driving assistance device 10 determines "Yes" in step S925, the process proceeds to step S930, and acquires a position that is the third near distance DF3 ahead of the target vehicle traffic light 400 as the stop line position Pstop, as shown in Fig. 13. Next, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 proceeds to step S995, and temporarily ends the processing of this routine. In this case, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 executes various driving assistance controls using the stop line position Pstop acquired in step S930.

[0121] The third near distance DF3 is a third near distance that is selected depending on the size of the target intersection 200, as described above.

[0122] Furthermore, in step S930, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 may be configured to compare a position that is the third near distance DF3 ahead of the target vehicle traffic light 400 in the direction of travel of the host vehicle 100 with a position that is the eleventh near distance DF11 ahead of the target intersecting vehicle 600, and acquire the closer position (the position closer to the host vehicle 100) as the stop line position Pstop.

[0123] That is, as shown in FIG. 14, if, in the direction of travel of the host vehicle 100, a position that is the third distance DF3 forward from the traffic light for the target vehicle 400 is a closer position (closer to the host vehicle 100) than a position that is the 11th distance DF11 forward from the traffic light for the target vehicle 600, the position that is the third distance DF3 forward from the traffic light for the target vehicle 400 is acquired as the stop line position Pstop, and as shown in FIG. 15, if, in the direction of travel of the host vehicle 100, a position that is the 11th distance DF11 forward from the target crossing vehicle 600 is a closer position (closer to the host vehicle 100) than a position that is the third distance DF3 forward from the traffic light for the target vehicle 400, the position that is the 11th distance DF11 forward from the target crossing vehicle 600 may be acquired as the stop line position Pstop.

[0124] The eleventh near side distance DF11 is a distance determined in advance for estimating the stop line position Pstop from the position of the target intersecting vehicle 600 traveling on the near side of the target intersection 200.

[0125] In this example, as the 11th near side distance DF11, the 11th near side distance corresponding to the size of the target intersection 200 is selected and used from the 11th near side distances for each size of intersection stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10.

[0126] The 11th near side distance for each size of intersection stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10 is obtained by the method or statistical method described below. That is, the 11th near side distance for each size of intersection is an appropriate 11th near side distance determined for each size of the target intersection by acquiring data on the distance (11th near side distance) between a target crossing vehicle traveling on the near side of the intersection and the stop line position for various intersections, and taking into consideration the distribution of the 11th near side distances. Alternatively, the 11th near side distance for each size of intersection is the average value of the 11th near side distances acquired for various intersections for each size of the intersection.

[0127] The eleventh front distance DF11 is shorter than the third front distance DF3.

[0128] On the other hand, if the vehicle driving assistance device 10 determines "No" in step S925, the process proceeds to step S935, where it determines whether or not a second near side installation condition CF2 is satisfied. The second near side installation condition CF2 is a condition that the target vehicle traffic light 400 is a traffic light installed on the near side of the target intersection 200 (near side traffic light).

[0129] 16, in this example, the second near side installation condition CF2 is met when the target vehicle traffic light 400 is installed at a distance equal to or greater than the 12th near side distance DF12 in front of the target intersecting vehicle 600. Therefore, when the intersecting vehicle distance difference ΔDCV is a negative value and the absolute value of the intersecting vehicle distance difference ΔDCV is equal to or greater than the 12th near side distance DF12, the second near side installation condition is met.

[0130] The twelfth near side distance DF12 is a ninth predetermined distance in the present invention, and is a distance that is set in advance for determining whether the target vehicle traffic light 400 is installed on the near side of the target intersection 200 or not.

[0131] In particular, the 12th near side distance DF12 is a distance that is determined in advance so that when the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle is installed on the near side of the target intersection 200, the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle is determined to be installed at least the 12th near side distance DF12 from the target intersecting vehicle 600.

[0132] In this example, the 12th near side distance DF12 corresponding to the size of the target intersection 200 is selected and used from the 12th near side distances for each intersection size stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10.

[0133] The twelfth near side distance for each size of intersection stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10 is a distance obtained by a method similar to the method for obtaining the seventh near side distance described above or a statistical method.

[0134] The twelfth front distance DF12 is shorter than the seventh front distance DF7.

[0135] In addition, the second near side installation condition CF2 may be satisfied when the target crossing vehicle 600 is a crossing vehicle traveling on the near side of the target intersection 200 and the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle is installed at a 13th near side distance DF13 or more in front of the target crossing vehicle 600, or when the target crossing vehicle 600 is a crossing vehicle traveling on the far side of the target intersection 200 and the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle is installed at a 14th near side distance DF14 or more in front of the target crossing vehicle 600.

[0136] The thirteenth near side distance DF13 and the fourteenth near side distance DF14 are distances that are determined in advance for determining whether or not the target vehicle traffic light 400 is installed on the near side of the target intersection 200.

[0137] In particular, the thirteenth near side distance DF13 is a distance determined in advance such that, when the target vehicle traffic light 400 is installed on the near side of the target intersection 200, it is determined that the target vehicle traffic light 400 is installed at the thirteenth near side distance DF13 or more closer to the target crossing vehicle 600 based on the position of the target crossing vehicle 600 traveling on the near side of the target intersection 200. Also, the fourteenth near side distance DF14 is a distance determined in advance such that, when the target vehicle traffic light 400 is installed on the near side of the target intersection 200, it is determined that the target vehicle traffic light 400 is installed at the fourteenth near side distance DF14 or more closer to the target crossing vehicle 600 based on the position of the target crossing vehicle 600 traveling on the back side of the target intersection 200.

[0138] In this case, the 13th near side distance DF13 and the 14th near side distance DF14 corresponding to the size of the target intersection 200 are selected and used from the 13th near side distance and the 14th near side distance for each intersection size stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10.

[0139] The 13th near side distance and the 14th near side distance for each size of intersection stored in the storage medium of the vehicle driving assistance device 10 are obtained by a method similar to the method for obtaining the 7th near side distance described above or a statistical method.

[0140] If the vehicle driving assistance device 10 determines "Yes" in step S935, the process proceeds to step S940, and acquires a position that is the fifth near distance DF5 ahead of the target vehicle traffic light 400 as the stop line position Pstop, as shown in Fig. 16. Next, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 proceeds to step S995, and temporarily ends the processing of this routine. In this case, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 executes various driving assistance controls using the stop line position Pstop acquired in step S940.

[0141] The fifth near side distance DF5 is a fifth near side distance that is selected depending on the size of the target intersection 200 as described above.

[0142] Alternatively, in step S940, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 may be configured to compare a position that is the fifth near distance DF5 from the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle with a position that is the eleventh near distance DF11 from the target intersecting vehicle 600, and acquire the closer position (a position closer to the host vehicle 100) as the stop line position Pstop.

[0143] That is, as shown in FIG. 17, if a position that is the fifth distance DF5 forward from the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle is a closer position (closer to the target vehicle 100) than a position that is the 11th distance DF11 forward from the target intersecting vehicle 600 in the direction of travel of the target vehicle 100, the position that is the fifth distance DF5 forward from the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle is acquired as the stop line position Pstop, and as shown in FIG. 18, if a position that is the 11th distance DF11 forward from the target intersecting vehicle 600 is a closer position (closer to the target vehicle 100) than a position that is the fifth distance DF5 forward from the traffic light 400 for the target vehicle in the direction of travel of the target vehicle 100, the position that is the 11th distance DF11 forward from the target intersecting vehicle 600 may be acquired as the stop line position Pstop.

[0144] The eleventh near side distance DF11 is the eleventh near side distance that is selected according to the size of the target intersection 200, as described above.

[0145] On the other hand, if the vehicle driving assistance device 10 determines "No" in step S935, the process proceeds to step S945, and acquires a position that is the sixth near side distance DF6 ahead of the target vehicle traffic light 400 as the stop line position Pstop, as shown in FIG. 19. The sixth near side distance DF6 is the sixth near side distance selected according to the size of the target intersection 200, as described above. Next, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 proceeds to step S995, and temporarily ends the processing of this routine. In this case, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 executes various driving assistance controls using the stop line position Pstop acquired in step S945.

[0146] Furthermore, even if the vehicle driving assistance device 10 judges "No" in step S920, the process proceeds to step S945, and acquires a position that is the sixth near distance DF6 ahead of the target vehicle traffic light 400 as the stop line position Pstop. The sixth near distance DF6 is the sixth near distance selected according to the size of the target intersection 200, as described above. Next, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 proceeds to step S995, and temporarily ends the processing of this routine. In this case, the vehicle driving assistance device 10 executes driving assistance control using the stop line position Pstop acquired in step S945.

[0147] Moreover, if the vehicle driving assistance device 10 determines "No" in step S905, the process proceeds directly to step S995, and the process of this routine ends for the time being.

[0148] The operation of the vehicle driving assistance device 10 has been described above.

[0149] According to the vehicle driving assistance device 10, the position of the stop line can be estimated not only when a vehicle traffic light is installed on the near side of the intersection, but also when the vehicle traffic light is installed only on the far side of the intersection.

[0150] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made within the scope of the present invention.

[0151] The present invention is also applicable to vehicles that can be driven by manual driving operations and automatic driving control, vehicles that are driven only by manual driving operations, and vehicles that are driven only by automatic driving control. Manual driving operations are driving operations that an operator performs himself / herself to drive the vehicle. Automatic driving control is control in which a control device such as an ECU automatically drives the vehicle without the operator performing driving operations to drive the vehicle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0152] 10...vehicle driving assistance device (stop line position estimation device), 20...traveling device, 30...alarm device, 40...image information acquisition device (detection means), 90...ECU (estimation means), 100...own vehicle, 200...intersection (target intersection), 300...stop line (target stop line), 400...vehicle traffic light (target vehicle traffic light), 500...pedestrian traffic light (target pedestrian traffic light), 600...crossing vehicle (target crossing vehicle)

Claims

1. a detection means for detecting a target vehicle traffic light which is a vehicle traffic light that is installed at a target intersection which is an intersection ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle and which is a target of regulation of the vehicle, and for detecting a target object which is a target object other than the target vehicle traffic light and has a predetermined positional relationship with the target vehicle traffic light; A stop line position estimation device including an estimation means for estimating a position of a target stop line, which is a stop line that is a restriction target for the host vehicle and is provided in front of the target intersection in correspondence with a traffic light for the target vehicle, based on a position of the traffic light for the target vehicle, The estimation means includes: determining whether the target vehicle's traffic light is a near traffic light installed on the near side of the target intersection or a far traffic light installed on the far side of the target intersection based on a positional relationship between the target object and the target vehicle's traffic light; When the target vehicle traffic light is the near side traffic light, a position away from the near side traffic light in a direction approaching the host vehicle by a predetermined first distance is estimated as the position of the target stop line; When the traffic light for the target vehicle is the rear traffic light, a position that is a predetermined second distance, which is longer than the predetermined first distance, away from the rear traffic light in a direction approaching the vehicle is estimated as the position of the target stop line. It is configured as follows: Stop line position estimation device.

2. The stop line position estimation device according to claim 1, the target object is a target pedestrian traffic light that is installed at the target intersection in correspondence with the target vehicle traffic light, The estimation means includes: When the target vehicle traffic light is installed within a predetermined first range in the traveling direction of the host vehicle with respect to the target pedestrian traffic light, the target vehicle traffic light is determined to be the rear traffic light, When the target vehicle traffic light is not installed within the predetermined first range and is installed at a distance of a predetermined third distance or more from the target pedestrian traffic light in a direction approaching the vehicle, the target vehicle traffic light is determined to be the near side traffic light. It is structured as follows: the predetermined first range is a range between a position that is a predetermined fourth distance away from the target pedestrian traffic light in a direction approaching the host vehicle and a position that is a predetermined fifth distance away from the target pedestrian traffic light in a direction away from the host vehicle. Stop line position estimation device.

3. The stop line position estimation device according to claim 2, the estimation means is configured to determine that the pedestrian traffic light detected by the detection means is the target pedestrian traffic light when the pedestrian traffic light is installed within a predetermined second range in the traveling direction of the host vehicle with the target vehicle traffic light as a reference; the predetermined second range is a range between a position that is a predetermined sixth distance away from the target vehicle traffic light in a direction approaching the host vehicle and a position that is a predetermined seventh distance away from the target vehicle traffic light in a direction away from the host vehicle. Stop line position estimation device.

4. The stop line position estimation device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The target is a crossing vehicle that passes through the target intersection, and is a crossing vehicle that passes through the target intersection in a direction that crosses the traveling direction of the host vehicle, The estimation means includes: When the target vehicle traffic light is installed at a distance of a predetermined eighth distance or more from the target crossing vehicle in a direction away from the vehicle, the target vehicle traffic light is determined to be the far side traffic light, When the traffic light for the target vehicle is installed at a distance of a ninth distance or more from the target intersecting vehicle in a direction approaching the vehicle, the traffic light for the target vehicle is determined to be the near side traffic light. It is configured as follows: Stop line position estimation device.

Images