Supporting system, supporting method, and supporting program

Abstract

To provide a supporting system and the like that enables fair traveling arbitration.SOLUTION: A supporting system has a processor and remotely supports driving of a host vehicle and a target vehicle capable of automatic driving. The processor is configured to perform an operation of acquiring target image related data. The target image related data is data related to an image of the target vehicle that is output from the host vehicle when a target vehicle which is in a driving fault condition that impedes the driving of the host vehicle is sensed in response to a user's intention to board the host vehicle. The processor is configured to perform the operation of outputting arbitration data being output, which is a result of arbitration between a resolving maneuver that resolves the travel fault condition and a corresponding behavior that corresponds to the continuation of the travel fault condition for the host vehicle with respect to the target vehicle that matches the target image related data. The arbitration data is output to sides of the host vehicle and the target vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an assistance technology that remotely assists the driving of a host vehicle and a target vehicle capable of autonomous driving. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle driving management system that controls the operation of unmanned vehicles in an environment where manned and unmanned vehicles run together. This vehicle driving management system stops the unmanned vehicle from driving when the inter-vehicle distance between the manned and unmanned vehicles is shorter than the unconditional stopping distance. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2023-19126 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, when an autonomous vehicle becomes an obstacle to the driving of other vehicles, the user of the vehicle whose driving is obstructed may be inconvenienced. However, it is difficult to constantly avoid obstructing the driving of other vehicles by controlling the autonomous vehicle by grasping the inter-vehicle distance, for example, by applying the technology of Patent Document 1. Therefore, even when an autonomous vehicle becomes an obstacle to the driving of other vehicles, it may be necessary to appropriately execute driving arbitration for each vehicle.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an assistance system capable of proper driving coordination. Another object of the present disclosure is to provide an assistance method capable of proper driving coordination. Yet another object of the present disclosure is to provide an assistance program capable of proper driving coordination. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The technical means of the present disclosure for solving the problems will be described below. Note that the claims and the reference characters in parentheses in this section indicate the corresponding relationship with the specific means described in the embodiments described later in detail, and do not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0007] A first aspect of the present disclosure is an assistance system that remotely assists a host vehicle (10) and an autonomously operable target vehicle (20) in traveling, the assistance system having a processor (5), The processor Acquiring target image related data relating to an image of a target vehicle, which is output from the host vehicle side by sensing a target vehicle in a traveling obstacle state that obstructs the traveling of the host vehicle in response to the intention of a user (U) aboard the host vehicle; outputting, to the host vehicle side and the target vehicle side, arbitration data obtained by arbitrating between a resolution driving action for causing a target vehicle matching the target image related data to resolve the driving obstacle state and a response action for causing the host vehicle to respond to the continuation of the driving obstacle state; The apparatus is configured to execute the following steps:

[0008] A second aspect of the present disclosure is a method for remotely assisting a host vehicle (10) and a target vehicle (20) capable of autonomous driving, the method comprising: Acquiring target image related data relating to an image of a target vehicle, which is output from the host vehicle side by sensing a target vehicle in a traveling obstacle state that obstructs the traveling of the host vehicle in response to the intention of a user (U) aboard the host vehicle; outputting, to the host vehicle side and the target vehicle side, arbitration data obtained by arbitrating between a resolution driving action for causing a target vehicle matching the target image related data to resolve the driving obstacle state and a response action for causing the host vehicle to respond to the continuation of the driving obstacle state; Includes.

[0009] A third aspect of the present disclosure is an assistance program stored in a storage medium (4) for remotely assisting a host vehicle (10) and a target vehicle (20) capable of autonomous driving in traveling, the assistance program including instructions to be executed by a processor (5), The command is, In response to the intention of a user (U) aboard the host vehicle, a target vehicle in a traveling obstacle state that obstructs the traveling of the host vehicle is sensed, and target image related data relating to an image of the target vehicle is acquired, which is output from the host vehicle side; outputting, to the host vehicle side and the target vehicle side, arbitration data obtained by arbitrating between a resolution driving action for the target vehicle matching the target image related data to resolve the driving obstacle state and a response action for the host vehicle to respond to the continuation of the driving obstacle state; Includes.

[0010] According to the first to third aspects, arbitration data that arbitrates between a resolution driving that causes the target vehicle matching the target image related data to resolve the driving obstacle state and a response action that causes the host vehicle to respond to the continuation of the driving obstacle state is output to the host vehicle side and the target vehicle side. Therefore, even if the target vehicle capable of automatic driving becomes a driving obstacle state of the host vehicle, it is possible to arbitrate whether the target vehicle will perform a resolution driving or the host vehicle will perform a response action. Therefore, appropriate driving arbitration can be made possible for both the host vehicle and the target vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a host-side system according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a traveling environment to which a first embodiment is applied; [Figure 4] 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a target image acquired in the first embodiment. FIG. [Diagram 5]FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a target-side system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the support system according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] 4 is a flowchart showing a support flow according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a driving obstacle state. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a driving obstacle state. [Figure 10] 13 is a flowchart showing a support flow according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] 13 is a flowchart showing a support flow according to a third embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a host image acquired in the third embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a fourth embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Hereinafter, multiple embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, by assigning the same reference numerals to corresponding components in each embodiment, duplicated descriptions may be omitted. In addition, when only a part of the configuration is described in each embodiment, the configuration of the other embodiment described above can be applied to the other parts of the configuration. Furthermore, in addition to the combination of configurations explicitly stated in the description of each embodiment, configurations of multiple embodiments can be partially combined together even if not explicitly stated, as long as there is no particular problem with the combination.

[0013] First embodiment The assistance system 3 of the first embodiment shown in FIG. 1 remotely assists the traveling of a host vehicle 10 and a target vehicle 20 capable of autonomous driving. The assistance system 3 is constructed, for example, in a remote center 1 that manages the operation of the target vehicle 20. The assistance system 3 may be constructed to manage the operation of a plurality of target vehicles 20 as assistance targets. From a perspective centered on the host vehicle 10, the host vehicle 10 can also be said to be an ego-vehicle. The host vehicle 10 is a moving body, such as an automobile, that can travel on a travel route with a user U on board. The host vehicle 10 is, for example, a manually-driven vehicle that travels under manual driving by the user U.

[0014] The host vehicle 10 is equipped with a host side system 11 shown in FIG. 2. The host side system 11 includes a communication system 12, a sensor system 13, a map database 16, an input system 17, an information presentation system 18, and an information processing unit 19. The communication system 12 acquires communication information available to the host vehicle 10 by wireless communication. The communication system 12 may be a V2X type that transmits and receives communication signals between the host vehicle 10 and a V2X system present in the outside world of the host vehicle 10. The V2X type communication system 12 is at least one of, for example, a Dedicated Short Range Communications (DSRC) communication device and a Cellular V2X (C-V2X) communication device. The V2X type communication system 12 enables the host vehicle 10 to communicate wirelessly with the remote center 1.

[0015] The communication system 12 may be of a positioning type that receives positioning signals from artificial satellites of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) that exist outside the vehicle 10. The positioning type communication system 12 is, for example, a GNSS receiver.

[0016] The sensor system 13 acquires sensor information for the external and internal worlds of the host vehicle 10, which can be used by the host-side system 11. To this end, the sensor system 13 includes an external sensor 14 and an internal sensor 15.

[0017] The external sensor 14 acquires external information as sensor information from the external environment surrounding the host vehicle 10. The external sensor 14 is a target detection type that detects targets present in the external world of the host vehicle 10. The target detection type external sensor 14 includes, for example, a camera that captures an image of the external world. The camera outputs the captured image to the information processing unit 19 at each capture cycle. The external sensor 14 may include a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging / Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging) that can detect reflected light of irradiated laser light as point cloud data. The external sensor 14 may include at least one of radar, sonar, etc.

[0018] The internal sensor 15 acquires internal information as sensor information from the internal world, which is the internal environment of the host vehicle 10. The internal sensor 15 may be a physical quantity detection type that detects a specific physical quantity of motion in the internal world of the vehicle 10. The physical quantity detection type internal sensor 15 is, for example, at least one of a driving speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a gyro sensor, etc. The internal sensor 15 may be an occupant detection type that detects a specific state of an occupant in the internal world of the host vehicle 10. The occupant detection type internal sensor 15 is, for example, at least one of a driver status monitor (registered trademark), a biological sensor, a seating sensor, an actuator sensor, an in-vehicle equipment sensor, etc.

[0019] The map database 16 stores map information that can be used by the information processing unit 19. The map database 16 includes at least one type of non-transitory tangible storage medium, such as a semiconductor memory, a magnetic medium, or an optical medium. The map database 16 may be a database of a locator that estimates a self-state quantity including a self-position of the host vehicle 10. The map database 16 may be a database of a navigation unit that navigates the travel route of the host vehicle 10. The map database 16 may be a combination of multiple types of these databases.

[0020] The map database 16 acquires and stores the latest map information by communication with an external center via, for example, a V2X type communication system 12. Here, the map information is digitized in two dimensions or three dimensions as information representing the driving environment of the host vehicle 10. In particular, as the three-dimensional map data, digital data of a high-precision map is preferably adopted. The map information may include road information representing at least one of the position, shape, and road surface condition of the road itself. The map information may include marking information representing at least one of the positions and shapes of signs and dividing lines attached to the road. The map information may include structure information representing at least one of the positions and shapes of buildings and traffic lights facing the road.

[0021] The input system 17 receives an input operation by the user U, thereby acquiring input information that can be used by the information processing unit 19. The input system 17 may be, for example, a touch panel, a physical button, or other contact-operated device that recognizes a contact input by the user U. Alternatively, the input system 17 may be a non-contact-operated device that recognizes a voice operation, a gesture operation, or the like by the user U.

[0022] The information presentation system 18 presents notification information to the user U of the host vehicle 10. The information presentation system 18 may be of a visual stimulation type that stimulates the user U's vision through a display. The visual stimulation type information presentation system 18 is, for example, at least one of a head-up display (HUD), a multi-function display (MFD), a combination meter, a navigation unit, etc. The information presentation system 18 may be of an auditory stimulation type that stimulates the user U's hearing through sound. The auditory stimulation type information presentation system 18 is, for example, at least one of a speaker, a buzzer, a vibration unit, etc.

[0023] The information processing unit 19 is connected to the communication system 12, the sensor system 13, the map database 16, and the information presentation system 18 via at least one of, for example, a LAN (Local Area Network) line, a wire harness, an internal bus, and a wireless communication line. The information processing unit 19 is configured to include at least one dedicated computer.

[0024] The dedicated computer constituting the information processing unit 19 may be an integrated ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that integrates the driving control of the vehicle 10. The dedicated computer constituting the information processing unit 19 may be a judgment ECU that judges a driving task in the driving control of the vehicle 10. The dedicated computer constituting the information processing unit 19 may be a monitoring ECU that monitors the driving control of the vehicle 10. The dedicated computer constituting the information processing unit 19 may be an evaluation ECU that evaluates the driving control of the vehicle 10.

[0025] The dedicated computer constituting the information processing unit 19 may be a navigation ECU that navigates the driving route of the vehicle 10. The dedicated computer constituting the information processing unit 19 may be a locator ECU that estimates the self-state quantity of the vehicle 10. The dedicated computer constituting the information processing unit 19 may be an actuator ECU that controls the driving actuator of the vehicle 10. The dedicated computer constituting the information processing unit 19 may be an HCU (Human Machine Interface (HMI) Control Unit) that controls the presentation of information in the vehicle 10.

[0026] The dedicated computer constituting the information processing unit 19 has at least one memory 19a and one processor 19b. The memory 19a is at least one type of non-transitory tangible storage medium, such as a semiconductor memory, a magnetic medium, or an optical medium, that non-temporarily stores computer-readable programs and data. Here, the term "storage" may refer to accumulation in which data is retained even when the host vehicle 10 is turned off, or temporary storage in which data is erased when the host vehicle 10 is turned off. The processor 19b includes at least one type of core, such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), a RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer)-CPU, a CISC (Complex Instruction Set Computer)-CPU, a DFP (Data Flow Processor), and a GSP (Graph Streaming Processor).

[0027] Furthermore, in the information processing unit 19, the processor 19b executes a plurality of instructions included in the information processing program stored in the memory 19a in order to provide the assistance system 3 with information usable for remote assistance. As a result, the information processing unit 19 constructs a plurality of functional blocks for providing information usable for remote assistance of the vehicle 10. The plurality of functional blocks constructed in the information processing unit 19 include an acquisition block 190, a recognition block 191, a communication control block 192, and a presentation control block 193, as shown in Fig. 2. These functional blocks realize the operation of an application for requesting the target vehicle 20 to travel to a resolution.

[0028] In the following, as a specific example of a situation in which a request is made for the target vehicle 20 to travel to resolve the problem, a situation will be assumed in which the target vehicle 20 is stopped in the oncoming lane of the host vehicle 10, as shown in Fig. 3. In the situation in Fig. 3, another vehicle OV is stopped ahead of the host vehicle 10 in the travel lane in the direction of travel. Here, it is assumed that traveling while avoiding the other vehicle OV is difficult because the distance between the other vehicle OV and the target vehicle 20 is narrow. Also, it is assumed that it is impossible to move the other vehicle OV because a stationary object (e.g., a utility pole) OS is present ahead of the other vehicle.

[0029] The acquisition block 190 acquires input information of a request (resolution request) for the target vehicle 20 to carry out a resolution drive to resolve a driving obstacle state via the input system 17. The input information is manually input by the user U who drives the host vehicle 10 when the user U determines that a driving obstacle state has occurred due to the target vehicle 20. The acquisition block 190 acquires the input information by accepting, via the input system 17, a designation input of the target vehicle 20 that is the subject of the resolution request in an external world image displayed in the visual stimulation type information presentation system 18. For example, the acquisition block 190 acquires designation information Is of the target vehicle 20 by input from the user U in the image (target image) It of the target vehicle 20 in FIG. 4 presented in the information presentation system 27.

[0030] In addition, the acquisition block 190 may receive, as input information, input of specific action contents requested of the target vehicle 20. The action contents are, for example, backing up, proceeding, pulling over to the side, leaving the vicinity of the host vehicle 10, etc. The acquisition block 190 acquires input information in response to the intention of the user U in the host vehicle 10 in which a sensing condition that allows sensing of the target vehicle 20 is established. The sensing condition is a condition for acquiring a target image It that is permitted in a request for resolution driving, and is, for example, stopping of the host vehicle 10, etc.

[0031] The communication control block 192 transmits resolution request information of the target vehicle 20 according to the input information acquired by the acquisition block 190 to the assistance system 3 via the communication system 12. The resolution request information includes at least target image related data regarding the target image It. For example, the target image related data is the target image It itself. The target image related data may include position and orientation information of the external sensor 14 that captured the target image It. The resolution request may include position information of the host vehicle 10 in addition to the target image related data. The communication control block 192 also acquires arbitration data from the assistance system 3 in response to the resolution request.

[0032] The presentation control block 193 presents information related to the resolution driving to the user U via the information presentation system 18. The presentation control block 193 presents the target image It to the user U before the resolution request is transmitted. The presentation control block 193 starts presenting the target image It, for example, when the user U executes an operation to start an application. In addition, when the user U designates and inputs the target vehicle 20 in the target image It, the presentation control block 183 displays the designation information Is as a frame surrounding the target vehicle 20 added to the target image It (see FIG. 4).

[0033] Furthermore, after transmitting the resolution request, the presentation control block 193 presents the mediation result according to the mediation data to the user U. When the presentation control block 193 acquires mediation data including at least information that the resolution driving is possible, the presentation control block 193 presents the information to the user U via the information presentation system 18. On the other hand, when the presentation control block 193 acquires mediation data including at least information that the resolution driving is impossible (modified mediation data), the presentation control block 193 presents the information to the user U via the information presentation system 18. In this way, the presentation control block 193 makes the user U aware that a response action is required to deal with the continuation of the driving obstacle state. When the modified mediation data includes an instruction for a specific response action, the presentation control block 193 may present the content of the instruction to the user U.

[0034] The target vehicle 20 is a moving body, such as an automobile, capable of traveling on a road with an occupant on board. The target vehicle 20 is provided with an autonomous driving mode, the level of which is determined according to the degree of manual intervention of the occupant in a dynamic driving task (DDT). The autonomous driving mode may be realized by autonomous driving control, such as conditional driving automation, high driving automation, or full driving automation, in which a system performs all dynamic driving tasks when activated. The autonomous driving mode may be realized by advanced driving assistance control, such as driving assistance or partial driving automation, in which an occupant performs some dynamic driving tasks. The autonomous driving mode may be realized by either one of the autonomous driving control and the advanced driving assistance control, or by a combination or switching between them. The target vehicle 20 may also be referred to as an autonomous device (autonomous robot), an autonomous vehicle (autonomous vehicle), or the like.

[0035] A target side system 21 shown in Fig. 5 is configured in the target vehicle 20. The target side system 21 includes a communication system 22, a sensor system 23 including an external sensor 24 and an internal sensor 25, a map database 26, an information presentation system 27, and a driving control unit 28.

[0036] The communication system 22, the sensor system 23, and the map database 26 in the target-side system 21 have substantially the same configurations as the communication system 12, the sensor system 13, and the map database 16. In other words, the communication system 22, the sensor system 23, and the map database 26 are similar to those in the above-mentioned explanation of the communication system 12, the sensor system 13, and the map database 16, except that the host vehicle 10 is replaced with the target vehicle 20 and the host-side system 11 is replaced with the target-side system 21.

[0037] The information presentation system 27 presents notification information to the occupants of the target vehicle 20. Like the information presentation system 18 of the host-side system 11, the information presentation system 27 may be a visual stimulation type that stimulates the occupant's vision with a display, or an auditory stimulation type that stimulates the occupant's hearing with a sound.

[0038] Furthermore, the information presentation system 27 may be an exterior presentation type that presents the notification information to the outside of the target vehicle 20. The exterior presentation type information presentation system 27 may perform presentation by stimulating the vision of a person outside the vehicle with a display, or may perform presentation by stimulating the hearing of a person outside the vehicle by a user.

[0039] The driving control unit 28 is connected to the communication system 22, the sensor system 23, the map database 26, and the information presentation system 27 via at least one of, for example, a LAN line, a wire harness, an internal bus, and a wireless communication line. The driving control unit 28 is configured to include at least one dedicated computer.

[0040] The dedicated computer constituting the cruise control unit 28 may be an integrated ECU or a judgment ECU. The dedicated computer constituting the cruise control unit 28 may be a monitoring ECU or an evaluation ECU. The dedicated computer constituting the cruise control unit 28 may be a navigation ECU or a locator ECU. The dedicated computer constituting the cruise control unit 28 may be an actuator ECU or an HCU. The dedicated computer constituting the cruise control unit 28 may be a computer other than that of the target vehicle 20.

[0041] The dedicated computer constituting the driving control unit 28 has at least one memory 28a and one processor 28b. The memory 28a is at least one type of non-transient substantial storage medium, such as a semiconductor memory, a magnetic medium, or an optical medium, that non-temporarily stores computer-readable programs and data. Here, storage may be accumulation in which data is retained even when the target vehicle 20 is turned off, or temporary storage in which data is erased when the target vehicle 20 is turned off. The processor 28b includes at least one type of core, such as a CPU, a GPU, a RISC-CPU, a CISC-CPU, a DFP, or a GSP.

[0042] Furthermore, in the driving control unit 28, the processor 28b executes a plurality of instructions included in a driving control program stored in the memory 28a in order to execute driving control of the target vehicle 20 corresponding to remote assistance by the assistance system 3. In this way, the driving control unit 28 constructs a plurality of functional blocks for driving control of the target vehicle 20 corresponding to remote assistance by the assistance system 3. The plurality of functional blocks constructed in the driving control unit 28 include a communication control block 280, a recognition block 281, a planning block 282, a driving control block 283, and a presentation control block 284, as shown in FIG.

[0043] The communication control block 280 receives arbitration data inquiring about resolution driving from the assistance system 3 via the communication system 22. The communication control block 280 also transmits response data (described below) generated in the planning block 282 in response to the arbitration data to the remote center 1 via the communication system 22.

[0044] The recognition block 281 acquires sensor information from the external sensor 24 and the internal sensor 25 of the sensor system 23. The recognition block 281 acquires communication information from the communication system 22. The recognition block 281 acquires map information from the map database 26. The recognition block 281 fuses these acquired information as inputs to determine the internal and external environments of the target vehicle 20 and recognize the driving scene.

[0045] Specifically, the recognition block 281 recognizes objects including other road users, obstacles, and structures in the external world of the target vehicle 20. At this time, the recognition block 281 may further recognize at least one of, for example, distance, relative speed, relative acceleration, and attributes, etc., of the recognized objects. The recognition block 281 recognizes the current and future travel paths of the target vehicle 20. At this time, the recognition block 281 may further recognize at least one of, for example, road surface, lane, road edge, free space, traffic light, and marking, etc., of the recognized travel path.

[0046] The recognition block 281 estimates the self-state quantity including the self-position of the target vehicle 20 by localization. The recognition block 281 recognizes the time of each driving scene of the target vehicle 20. At this time, the recognition block 281 may output time information on the recognized time in association with other recognition results.

[0047] The planning block 282 acquires recognition information representing the recognition result from the recognition block 281. The planning block 282 acquires communication information including arbitration data from the assistance system 3 through the communication system 22. The planning block 282 judges and chronologically plans the future route, future trajectory, dynamic driving task in future action of the target vehicle 20, and future transition of interactions between the target vehicle 20 and other road users for each driving scene based on the acquired recognition information and arbitration data. At this time, the planning block 282 may execute judgment and planning using a vehicle driving model such as a simulation model or a machine learning model. Here, the DDT among the planning targets may be defined as real-time operation functions and tactical functions for operating the target vehicle 20 in traffic. Or, the DDT may be defined as all real-time operation functions and tactical functions required to operate the target vehicle 20 in road traffic.

[0048] The planning block 282, which has acquired the arbitration data, judges whether the target vehicle 20 can transition to the DDT representing the resolution drive included in the arbitration data. As a result, if the transition is judged to be positive, the planning block 282 executes the plan to realize the transition to the DDT represented by the arbitration data. On the other hand, if the transition is judged to be negative, the planning block 282 executes the plan to realize the transition to the DDT determined by its own judgment. If it is not possible to transition to the DDT representing the specific action content of the resolution drive included in the arbitration data, the planning block 282 judges whether it is possible to transition to the DDT representing the other action content included in the resolution drive. The planning block 282 generates information regarding whether it is possible to transition to these DDTs representing the resolution drive as response data to the inquiry for the resolution drive, and provides it to the communication control block 280.

[0049] The presentation control block 284 presents information related to the resolution driving to the user U via the outside-vehicle presentation type information presentation system 27. For example, when the resolution driving according to the arbitration data is not executable, the presentation control block 284 presents information to that effect to the user U of the host vehicle 10.

[0050] Next, the remote center 1 that supports the host vehicle 10 and the target vehicle 20 will be described in detail. The remote center 1 includes a communication system 2 and a support system 3. The communication system 2 acquires communication information transmitted from the vehicles 10, 20 by wireless communication. The communication system 2 transmits communication information output from the support system 3 to the destination vehicles 10, 20 by wireless communication.

[0051] The assistance system 3 is connected to the communication system 2 via at least one of, for example, a LAN line, a wire harness, an internal bus, and a wireless communication line. The assistance system 3 includes at least one dedicated computer. The dedicated computer constituting the assistance system 3 may be a monitoring server that monitors the autonomous driving of the target vehicle 20. The dedicated computer constituting the assistance system 3 may be a management server that comprehensively manages the operation of a plurality of target vehicles 20. The dedicated computer constituting the assistance system 3 may be composed of a plurality of servers, and its functions may be distributed.

[0052] The dedicated computer constituting the assistance system 3 has at least one memory 4 and one processor 5. The memory 4 is at least one type of non-transient substantial storage medium, such as a semiconductor memory, a magnetic medium, or an optical medium, that non-temporarily stores computer-readable programs and data. Here, storage may be accumulation in which data is retained even when the assistance system 3 is turned off, or temporary storage in which data is erased when the assistance system 3 is turned off. The processor 5 includes at least one type of core, such as a CPU, a GPU, a RISC-CPU, a CISC-CPU, a DFP, or a GSP.

[0053] In the assistance system 3, the processor 5 executes a plurality of instructions included in a remote assistance program stored in the memory 4 in order to remotely assist the driving of the vehicles 10 and 20. In this way, the assistance system 3 constructs a plurality of function blocks for remotely assisting the driving of the vehicles 10 and 20. The plurality of function blocks constructed in the assistance system 3 include an acquisition block 6, a specification block 7, a judgment block 8, and an output block 9, as shown in FIG.

[0054] A remote assistance method in which the assistance system 3 remotely assists the traveling of the vehicles 10, 20 by cooperation of these blocks 6 to 8 is executed according to a remote assistance flow shown in Fig. 7. This remote assistance flow is executed repeatedly while the assistance system 3 is running. Note that each "S" in this remote assistance flow means a plurality of steps executed by a plurality of commands included in the remote assistance program.

[0055] First, in S10, the acquisition block 6 acquires a resolution request including target image related data and host side data transmitted from the host vehicle 10 via the communication system 2. Next, in S20, the identification block 7 identifies the target vehicle 20 based on the resolution request.

[0056] In detail, the identification block 7 first identifies a vehicle to be assisted that exists within a specific azimuth angle range and a specific distance range from the host vehicle 10 as a candidate vehicle for the target vehicle 20. The specific azimuth angle range is a range of azimuth angles with respect to the host vehicle 10, including an estimated azimuth angle at which the presence of the target vehicle 20 shown in the target image It is estimated. The specific azimuth angle range is a range of azimuth angles that is equal to or exceeds a first threshold azimuth angle and equal to or exceeds a second threshold azimuth angle. The specific azimuth angle range is determined, for example, in correlation with the position of the target vehicle 20 in the image, and the position and orientation information of the external sensor 14 that captured the image. For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the target vehicle 20 is captured in the right half of the target image It captured by a camera that captures an image in front of the host vehicle 10, 0 to 45 degrees is set as the specific azimuth angle range. The specific azimuth angle range may be changed as appropriate in correlation with the angle of view and zoom ratio of the camera at the time of capturing the image. The specific distance range is a range that includes the predicted distance of the target vehicle 20 from the host vehicle 10. The specific distance range is, for example, a range in which the distance from the host vehicle 10 is equal to or less than a threshold distance that is larger than the predicted distance. A threshold distance that defines the lower limit of the specific distance range may be set.

[0057] For example, the identification block 7 acquires the azimuth angle of the supported vehicle relative to the host vehicle 10 from the trigonometric relationship based on the position of the host vehicle 10, the position of the supported vehicle, and a reference position (e.g., due north). In addition, the identification block 7 acquires the distance between the host vehicle 10 and the supported vehicle by Pythagoras' theorem based on the positions of the host vehicle 10 and the supported vehicle in the geographic coordinate system. The identification block 7 identifies the supported vehicle whose azimuth angle acquired as above falls within a specific azimuth angle range and whose distance falls within a specific distance range as a candidate vehicle whose position data matches the target vehicle 20.

[0058] Then, the identification block 7 identifies a candidate vehicle that matches the target image related data as the target vehicle 20. Specifically, the identification block 7 executes image recognition processing on the target image It to extract vehicle information related to the target vehicle 20. The identification block 7 identifies a candidate vehicle having vehicle information that matches the extracted vehicle information as the target vehicle 20. For example, the identification block 7 extracts the number information of the target vehicle 20 written on the license plate of the target vehicle 20 as vehicle information by image recognition processing. The identification block 7 identifies a candidate vehicle having the matching number information as the target vehicle 20.

[0059] On the other hand, if the number information cannot be extracted because the license plate is not shown in the target image It, the identification block 7 identifies the target vehicle 20 based on other information. For example, the identification block 7 identifies the target vehicle 20 by a vehicle identification model that outputs the degree of coincidence between the target vehicle 20 shown in the target image It and the candidate vehicles in response to the input of the target image It.

[0060] In detail, the identification block 7 uses a plurality of types of vehicle identification models according to the scene in identifying the target vehicle 20. For example, the vehicle identification model may include a first model that outputs a degree of match between the target vehicle 20 and a candidate vehicle identified by the vehicle type, model, and body color. The vehicle identification model may include a second model that outputs a degree of match between the target vehicle 20 and a candidate vehicle identified by the vehicle type and model. The vehicle identification model includes a third model that outputs a degree of match between the target vehicle 20 and a candidate vehicle identified by the vehicle type and body color. The vehicle identification model may include a fourth model that outputs a degree of match between the target vehicle 20 and a candidate vehicle identified by the vehicle type. The vehicle identification model may include a fifth model that outputs a degree of match between the target vehicle 20 and a candidate vehicle identified by the body color. The identification block 7 may use the above five types of vehicle identification models. As an example, the identification block 7 uses the second model when it is difficult to recognize the vehicle color, such as at night.

[0061] When a candidate vehicle with a degree of coincidence within a specified range is present, the identification block 7 identifies that vehicle as the target vehicle 20. When there are multiple candidate vehicles with a degree of coincidence within a specified range, the identification block 7 identifies the candidate vehicle with the azimuth angle closest to the estimated azimuth angle of the target vehicle 20 as the target vehicle 20.

[0062] When the positional relationship between the host vehicle 10 and the target vehicle 20 is an oncoming vehicle passing pattern as shown in Fig. 3, the specific block 7 may correct the degree of match according to the shortest width when the host vehicle 10 passes by the side of the target vehicle 20. For example, the specific block 7 may multiply the degree of match by a correction factor so that the shorter the shortest width, the greater the degree of match, and determine whether the corrected degree of match is within a specified range. The specific block 7 may determine the oncoming vehicle passing pattern based on at least one of the directions of the host vehicle 10 and the target vehicle 20 and the road shape.

[0063] As a result, in S20, the identification block 7 acquires the result of identifying the target vehicle 20 based on the license plate information or the vehicle identification model. Then, in S30, the identification block 7 determines whether or not it has succeeded in identifying the target vehicle 20. If there is a candidate vehicle that the identification block 7 has identified as the target vehicle 20, the identification block 7 determines that the identification has been successful. If it is determined that the identification has been successful, the flow proceeds to S40.

[0064] In S40, the decision block 8 decides whether or not an obstacle condition is satisfied for the identified target vehicle 20. Here, the obstacle condition is a condition that acknowledges that the target vehicle 20 that matches the target image related data is in a traveling obstacle state. In addition, the obstacle condition is a condition according to sensing of at least one of the host vehicle 10 and the target vehicle 20.

[0065] For example, the obstacle condition occurs when the distance between the host vehicle 10 and the target vehicle 20 is within an obstacle distance range. The obstacle distance range is a range in which the distance between the host vehicle 10 and the target vehicle 20 is equal to or less than a threshold distance. The threshold distance of the obstacle distance range is less than a threshold distance that defines the upper limit of a particular distance range.

[0066] Furthermore, the obstacle condition may be met when, in the case of an oncoming vehicle passing pattern, the shortest width at which the host vehicle 10 passes beside the target vehicle 20 is shorter than the width of the target vehicle 20 multiplied by a specific margin rate.

[0067] If it is determined that the obstacle condition is met, the flow proceeds to S50. In S50, the output block 9 outputs arbitration data to the target vehicle 20. The arbitration data includes at least an instruction for the target vehicle 20 to drive to resolve the problem. The arbitration data may include host information, which is information about the host vehicle 10, such as the position information of the host vehicle 10. In other words, the output block 9 first attempts to mediate driving between the host vehicle 10 and the target vehicle 20 by asking the target vehicle 20 to drive to resolve the problem in accordance with the resolution request.

[0068] In the next S60, the acquisition block 6 acquires response data from the target vehicle 20. The response data includes at least whether or not the resolving driving is possible. If the resolving driving is possible, the response data further includes the type of resolving driving that is actually performed by the target vehicle 20.

[0069] Then, in S70, the judgment block 8 judges whether or not the resolving driving is possible based on the response data. If it is judged that the resolving driving is possible, the flow proceeds to S80. Judging that the resolving driving is possible based on the response data corresponds to the establishment of an instruction condition that allows the target vehicle 20 to instruct the resolving driving. In S80, the output block 9 outputs arbitration data including at least information that the resolving driving is possible to the host vehicle 10. If the type of resolving driving to be performed is different from that specified in the resolving request, the output block 9 adds information that the type of resolving driving has been changed to the arbitration data and outputs it. In other words, if the execution of the resolving driving is permitted by the target vehicle 20, the output block 9 realizes the driving arbitration of both vehicles 10, 20 by notifying the host vehicle 10 side, i.e., the host side system 11, of the execution of the resolving driving as the arbitration result.

[0070] On the other hand, if it is determined that the resolution driving is impossible, the flow proceeds to S90. In S90, the output block 9 outputs arbitration data to the host vehicle 10, which forces the host vehicle 10 to take a corresponding action corresponding to the continuation of the driving obstacle state. That is, the output block 9 outputs modified arbitration data obtained by modifying the arbitration data output in S50. In other words, when the execution of the resolution driving is rejected by the target vehicle 20, the output block 9 realizes the driving arbitration of both vehicles 10, 20 by notifying the host vehicle 10 to execute the corresponding action. This modified arbitration data includes, for example, notification information that the resolution driving is impossible. The modified arbitration data may include, for example, instruction information for a specific response action, such as the host vehicle 10 continuing to stop or detouring.

[0071] It should be noted that this flow is not limited to the situation shown in FIG. 3, and can of course be executed in various situations. For example, as shown in FIG. 8, this flow can be executed even in a state where the host vehicle 10, which is about to depart from a parking lot P, is obstructed from traveling by the target vehicle 20 parked so as to block the exit of the parking lot. Also, as shown in FIG. 9, this flow can be executed even in a state where the host vehicle 10 is obstructed from traveling by another vehicle OV parked in parallel behind the host vehicle 10 after the host vehicle 10 has been parallel parked behind the target vehicle 20. That is, in FIG. 9, the target vehicle 20 is not in a traveling obstruction state when the host vehicle 10 stops, and changes to a traveling obstruction state after the host vehicle 10 stops due to the parking of the other vehicle OV. This flow can also execute traveling arbitration in a situation that cannot be avoided by simply controlling the target vehicle 20 so as not to become a traveling obstruction state before stopping.

[0072] In the above description, the target vehicle 20 that becomes an obstacle to the host vehicle 10 is a target vehicle 20 that is stopped at a position that obstructs the host vehicle 10. However, the target vehicle 20 can become an obstacle to the host vehicle 10 even when the target vehicle 20 is moving, for example, when the target vehicle 20 is moving slowly in front of the host vehicle 10. This embodiment also enables travel arbitration between the host vehicle 10 and the target vehicle 20 that becomes an obstacle to the host vehicle 10 during an operation other than stopping.

[0073] According to the first embodiment described above, in response to the intention of the user U aboard the host vehicle 10, the target vehicle 20 in the host vehicle 10's traveling obstacle state is sensed, and target image related data output from the host vehicle 10 is acquired. Then, arbitration data that arbitrates between the resolution driving and the response action for the host vehicle 10 to deal with the continuation of the traveling obstacle state is output to the host vehicle 10 and the target vehicle 20. Therefore, even if the target vehicle 20 capable of automatic driving falls into the host vehicle 10's traveling obstacle state, it is possible to arbitrate whether the target vehicle 20 will perform the resolution driving or the host vehicle 10 will perform the response action. Therefore, appropriate driving arbitration can be performed for both the host vehicle 10 and the target vehicle 20.

[0074] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, the target image related data includes an image of the target vehicle 20 captured by a camera provided on the host vehicle 10. The position and attitude of the camera provided on the host vehicle 10 with respect to the host vehicle 10 are specified. Therefore, by matching the target image It with the target vehicle 20, it may be easier to identify the target vehicle 20. Therefore, travel arbitration may be reliably performed on the target vehicle 20 that is in a travel obstacle state.

[0075] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, target image related data is acquired by sensing in response to the intention of the host vehicle 10 when the sensing condition that allows sensing of the target vehicle 20 is established. Therefore, acquisition of target image related data related to the target image It captured in a scene that is inappropriate for sensing can be avoided. Therefore, since the accuracy of matching can be improved, traveling arbitration can be reliably performed on the target vehicle 20 in a traveling obstacle state.

[0076] In addition, according to the first embodiment, when the obstacle condition is not satisfied, the output of the arbitration data to the target vehicle side is stopped. The obstacle condition is a condition according to sensing of at least one of the host vehicle 10 and the target vehicle 20 that recognizes that the target vehicle 20 matching the target image related data is in a traveling obstacle state. Therefore, the implementation of traveling arbitration between the host vehicle 10 and the target vehicle 20 that is not recognized as being in a traveling obstacle state can be avoided. Therefore, it can be avoided that the target vehicle 20 performs unnecessary resolution driving due to mischief or misjudgment.

[0077] Moreover, according to the first embodiment, arbitration data is output that is obtained by arbitrating the resolution travel of the target vehicle 20 that matches the image-related data and the position data of the target vehicle 20 and the corresponding action of the host vehicle 10. Therefore, the target vehicle 20 can be identified using the position data in addition to the image-related data. Therefore, the identification accuracy can be improved, and therefore the travel arbitration can be reliably performed on the target vehicle 20 that is in a travel obstacle state.

[0078] Furthermore, according to the first embodiment, when the instruction condition for instructing the target vehicle 20 matching the target image related data to perform resolution driving is not satisfied, arbitration data for forcing the host vehicle 10 to take a corresponding action is output to the host vehicle 10. Therefore, when resolution driving is not possible in the target vehicle 20, it may be possible to force the host vehicle 10 to take a corresponding action against the driving obstacle state instead. Therefore, a more appropriate driving arbitration can be implemented taking into account the conditions of both the target vehicle 20 and the host vehicle 10.

[0079] Second Embodiment As shown in FIG. 10, the second embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment.

[0080] In the second embodiment, if it is determined in S40 that the obstacle condition is satisfied, the flow proceeds to S45. In S45, the judgment block 8 determines whether or not there is target information that meets the rejection condition. The rejection condition is a condition that the target vehicle 20 rejects the resolution driving, stored in the assistance system 3. The rejection condition is set according to a predefined rule. As an example, the rejection condition is that the time from the arrival of the target vehicle 20 at the destination is within a predetermined time, that the target vehicle 20 is an emergency vehicle, etc. That is, in S45, the judgment block 8 determines whether or not the target vehicle 20 is capable of resolution driving on the assistance system 3 side.

[0081] In the next S60, the acquisition block 6 acquires response data from the target vehicle 20. The response data includes at least whether or not the resolving driving is possible. If the resolving driving is possible, the response data further includes the type of resolving driving that is actually performed by the target vehicle 20.

[0082] Third embodiment As shown in FIGS. 11 and 12, the third embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment.

[0083] In the assistance flow in the third embodiment, when it is determined in S30 that the target vehicle 20 has been successfully identified, the flow proceeds to S31. In S31, the output block 9 outputs a sensing request to the target vehicle 20 that is predicted to match the target image It, requesting sensing of the host vehicle 10. The sensing request includes host information, which is information related to the host vehicle 10. The host information includes, for example, vehicle type information and body color information of the host vehicle 10. By outputting the sensing request, the output block 9 causes the target vehicle 20 to sense the host vehicle 10.

[0084] Here, the target vehicle 20 that has acquired the sensing request detects the presence or absence of the host vehicle 10 by sensing in the recognition block 281. For example, the target vehicle 20 acquires host image data Ih (see FIG. 12) that captures an image of a vehicle assumed to be the host vehicle 10 by the external sensor 24, and judges whether the host image data Ih actually matches the host vehicle 10 based on the host information. The target vehicle 20 transmits sensing data including at least the judgment result to the assistance system 3 via the communication system 22 by the communication control block 280.

[0085] In S32 following S31, the acquisition block 6 acquires the sensing data transmitted from the target vehicle 20 in response to the sensing request via the communication system 2. Then, in the following S40, the judgment block 8 judges whether the obstacle condition is established. In this embodiment, the judgment block 8 determines that the obstacle condition is established by acquiring sensing data that detects the presence of a vehicle matching the host vehicle 10.

[0086] The output block 9 in S31 may simply output a request for the host image data Ih as a sensing request for the host vehicle 10. In this case, the judgment block 8 in S40 judges whether or not the acquired host image data Ih matches the host vehicle 10. If the judgment result indicates a match, the judgment block 8 judges that the obstacle condition is established.

[0087] According to the third embodiment described above, in response to acquisition of target image related data, a sensing result is acquired in which the target vehicle 20 predicted to match the target image related data senses the host vehicle 10. Then, when an obstacle condition for acquiring a sensing result detecting the presence of the host vehicle 10 is established, arbitration data is output to the target vehicle 20. Therefore, when false or erroneous target image related data is acquired from the host vehicle 10, it may be possible to avoid outputting driving arbitration to a target vehicle 20 that is not in a driving obstacle state based on such information.

[0088] (Fourth embodiment) As shown in FIG. 13, the fourth embodiment is a modification of the first embodiment.

[0089] In the fourth embodiment, the host side system 11 is constructed in a terminal device 100 carried by a user U who boards the host vehicle 10 shown in FIG. 13. The terminal device 100 is, for example, a smartphone or tablet terminal of the user U. The host side system 11 constructed in the terminal device 100 is also configured to include a communication system 12, a sensor system 13, a map database 16, an information presentation system 18, an information processing unit 19, and the like, as in the first embodiment. The communication system 12, the sensor system 13, the map database 16, and the information presentation system 18 are substantially the same as those described in the first embodiment, except that the host vehicle 10 is replaced with the terminal device 100. That is, in this embodiment, the host side system 11 mounted on the terminal device 100 acquires the arbitration data output from the assistance system 3 as the host vehicle 10 side.

[0090] The dedicated computer constituting the information processing unit 19 is provided by a control circuit provided in the terminal device 100. The information processing unit 19 can configure the functional blocks 190 to 193 in the same manner as in the first embodiment, for example, by a user U preinstalling a software application including an information processing program. In this case, the communication control block 192 transmits an image of the target vehicle 20 captured by a camera in the terminal device 100 brought by the user U aboard the host vehicle 10, as the target image related data to be transmitted.

[0091] According to the above-described fourth embodiment, the target image related data includes an image of the target vehicle 20 captured by a camera brought by the user U who is on board the host vehicle 10. This allows the user U to acquire a target image It of the target vehicle 20 captured at a relatively free camera angle. This makes it easier to avoid a situation in which the target vehicle 20 is not captured in the center of the angle of view due to the camera being fixed.

[0092] (Other embodiments) Although several embodiments have been described above, the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to those embodiments, and can be applied to various embodiments and combinations within the scope not departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0093] In a modified example, the host vehicle 10 may be an autonomous vehicle capable of realizing an autonomous driving mode by either one of, a combination of, or switching between the autonomous driving control and the advanced driving assistance control. In this case, the information processing unit 19 that has acquired the arbitration data from the assistance system 3 may execute vehicle control according to the arbitration data in the autonomous driving mode.

[0094] In a modified example, the acquisition block 6 may acquire, as the target image related data, recognition data obtained by image recognition of the target image It, instead of the target image It itself. For example, the acquisition block 6 may acquire, as the target image related data, license plate information of the target vehicle 20 recognized from the target image It.

[0095] In a modified example, the acquisition block 6 may acquire data related to the target image It captured by an external sensor 14 other than a camera as the target image related data. For example, the acquisition block 6 may acquire target image related data related to a point cloud image of the target vehicle 20 captured by a LiDAR. Or, the acquisition block 6 may acquire target image related data related to a point cloud image of the target vehicle 20 captured by an imaging radar. Furthermore, the acquisition block 6 may acquire position data of the target vehicle 20 detected by the external sensor 14 from the host vehicle 10 side.

[0096] In a variant, if the acquisition block 6 is unable to acquire the target image related data, it may acquire other data related to the target vehicle 20. For example, the acquisition block 6 may acquire license plate information of the target vehicle 20 manually input by the user U.

[0097] In a modified example, the specific block 7 may define the specific distance range based on a predicted distance to the target vehicle 20 shown in the target image It, which is estimated by image recognition processing on the target image It. Also, in a modified example, the obstacle distance range and the specific distance range may substantially coincide with each other.

[0098] In a modified example, the dedicated computer constituting the support system 3 may have at least one of a digital circuit and an analog circuit as a processor. Here, the digital circuit is at least one of ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), SOC (System on a Chip), PGA (Programmable Gate Array), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), etc. Furthermore, such a digital circuit may have a memory that stores a program.

[0099] In a modified example, the target vehicle 20 may be, for example, a vehicle for transporting passengers, or an autonomous robot capable of transporting luggage or collecting information by autonomous or remote driving.

[0100] In addition to the above-described embodiments and modifications, the assistance system 3 may be implemented as a control device having at least one processor 5 and one memory 4. Specifically, the assistance system 3 may be implemented in the form of a processing circuit (e.g., a processing ECU) or a semiconductor device (e.g., a semiconductor chip). [Explanation of symbols]

[0101] 3: assistance system, 4: memory (storage medium), 5: processor, 10: host vehicle, 20: target vehicle, U: user

Claims

1. A support system having a processor (5) for remotely supporting the running of a host vehicle (10) and an autonomously operable target vehicle (20), comprising: The processor, In response to the intention of a user (U) riding in the host vehicle, the target vehicle is sensed as being in a driving obstacle state that impedes the driving of the host vehicle, and target image related data is acquired from the host vehicle side, the target image related data being related to an image of the target vehicle; outputting, to the host vehicle side and the target vehicle side, arbitration data obtained by arbitrating between a resolution driving action for causing the target vehicle matching the target image related data to resolve the driving obstacle state and a response action for causing the host vehicle to respond to the continuation of the driving obstacle state; A support system configured to execute the above steps.

2. The assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the target image related data includes an image of the target vehicle captured by a camera provided on the host vehicle.

3. The assistance system according to claim 1 , wherein the target image related data includes an image of the target vehicle taken by a camera carried by the user who is in the host vehicle.

4. Obtaining the target image-related data includes: The assistance system according to claim 1 , further comprising acquiring the target image related data by sensing in response to the intention in the host vehicle when a sensing condition is met under which sensing of the target vehicle is permitted.

5. outputting the arbitration data The assistance system of claim 1, further comprising: stopping output of the arbitration data to the target vehicle when a fault condition corresponding to sensing of at least one of the host vehicle and the target vehicle that certifies that the target vehicle matching the target image-related data is in the driving fault state is not met.

6. The processor, In response to acquiring the target image-related data, the system is further configured to acquire a sensing result of sensing the host vehicle to the target vehicle predicted to match the target image-related data; outputting the arbitration data The assistance system according to claim 5 , further comprising: outputting the arbitration data to the target vehicle side when the obstacle condition for acquiring the sensing result for detecting the presence of the host vehicle is satisfied.

7. Obtaining the target image-related data includes: acquiring position data of the target vehicle together with the target image related data; outputting the arbitration data The assistance system according to claim 1 , further comprising outputting the reconciliation data obtained by reconciling the resolving movement of the target vehicle that matches the target image related data and the position data and the corresponding action of the host vehicle.

8. outputting the arbitration data The assistance system according to claim 1, further comprising: outputting, to the host vehicle, the arbitration data for forcing the host vehicle to take the corresponding action when the instruction condition for instructing the resolution driving is not satisfied for the target vehicle matching the target image related data.

9. A method for remotely assisting a host vehicle (10) and a target vehicle (20) capable of autonomous driving, the method comprising the steps of: In response to the intention of a user (U) riding in the host vehicle, the target vehicle is sensed as being in a driving obstacle state that impedes the driving of the host vehicle, and target image related data is acquired from the host vehicle side, the target image related data being related to an image of the target vehicle; outputting, to the host vehicle side and the target vehicle side, arbitration data obtained by arbitrating between a resolution driving action for causing the target vehicle matching the target image related data to resolve the driving obstacle state and a response action for causing the host vehicle to respond to the continuation of the driving obstacle state; Methods of support include:

10. An assistance program stored in a storage medium (4) for remotely assisting the traveling of a host vehicle (10) and an autonomously operable target vehicle (20), the assistance program including instructions to be executed by a processor (5), The instruction: In response to the intention of a user (U) riding in the host vehicle, the target vehicle is sensed as being in a driving obstacle state that impedes the driving of the host vehicle, and target image related data relating to an image of the target vehicle is acquired, which is output from the host vehicle side; outputting, to the host vehicle side and the target vehicle side, arbitration data obtained by arbitrating between a resolution driving action for causing the target vehicle matching the target image related data to resolve the driving obstacle state and a response action for causing the host vehicle to respond to the continuation of the driving obstacle state; Support programs including:

Images