Driving assistance device

Abstract

To provide a technology that enables a crew member of a vehicle to visually grasp causes of various traffic jams and enables reduction of a processing load when presenting an image captured by a preceding vehicle to the crew member of the vehicle.SOLUTION: One or a plurality of processors provided in a driving assistance device detects that a vehicle is included in a vehicle train which includes a plurality of preceding vehicles located ahead of the vehicle in a traveling direction, acquires information indicating a captured image captured by any preceding vehicle of the plurality of preceding vehicles from at least one preceding vehicle of the plurality of preceding vehicles, and performs processing that displays the acquired information about the captured image.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a driving assistance device.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, a technique for notifying a following vehicle of traffic accident information has been known.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technique in which when a vehicle reaches a location where a traffic accident has occurred, a running image at the location acquired by the vehicle is transmitted to a following vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] It is desired to reduce the stress of vehicle occupants by visually making them aware of various causes of traffic jams including traffic accidents. According to the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, by directly transmitting the running image captured by the vehicle that has passed through the location where the traffic accident has occurred to the following vehicle, the occupants of the following vehicle can visually grasp the current situation. However, when vehicle-to-vehicle communication is used for transmitting the running image, the processing load when displaying the running image captured by the preceding vehicle on the own vehicle becomes a problem.

[0006] In view of such circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique that enables vehicle occupants to visually grasp various causes of traffic jams and reduces the processing load when presenting a captured image from a preceding vehicle to the vehicle occupants.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] The driving assistance device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is a driving assistance device that assists in driving a vehicle, and includes one or more processors and one or more memories communicably connected to the one or more processors. The one or more processors detect that the vehicle is included in a vehicle platoon including a plurality of preceding vehicles located in front of the traveling direction of the vehicle, obtain information indicating an imaging image captured by any of the plurality of preceding vehicles from at least one of the plurality of preceding vehicles, and perform a process of displaying the information indicating the obtained imaging image.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, the vehicle occupants can visually grasp the causes of various traffic jams, and the processing load when presenting the imaging image from the preceding vehicle to the vehicle occupants can be reduced.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0009]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Modes for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the present specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description is omitted.

[0011] (1. Overall Configuration of Vehicle) With reference to FIG. 1, an example of the overall configuration of a vehicle 1 equipped with a driving assistance device 50 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0012] Vehicle 1 is a two-wheel drive four-wheel vehicle that transmits the driving torque output from a driving power source 9 that generates driving torque to the left front wheel and the right front wheel. The driving power source 9 may include an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, may include a driving motor, or may include both an internal combustion engine and a driving motor.

[0013] Note that the vehicle 1 may be a four-wheel drive vehicle that transmits the driving torque to the front wheels and the rear wheels. Also, the vehicle 1 may be an electric vehicle including, for example, two driving motors, a front-wheel driving motor and a rear-wheel driving motor, or may be an electric vehicle including a driving motor corresponding to each wheel. Further, when the vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle, the vehicle 1 is equipped with a secondary battery that stores electric power supplied to the driving motor, a motor that generates electric power for charging the battery, or a generator such as a fuel cell.

[0014] As devices used for the driving control of the vehicle 1, the vehicle 1 includes a driving power source 9, an electric power steering device 15, and brake devices 17LF, 17RF, 17LR, 17RR (hereinafter, collectively referred to as "brake device 17" when no particular distinction is required). The driving power source 9 outputs a driving torque that is transmitted to the front-wheel drive shaft 5F via a transmission (not shown) and a differential mechanism 7. The driving of the driving power source 9 and the transmission is controlled by a vehicle control unit 41 including one or more electronic control units (ECUs: Electronic Control Unit).

[0015] An electric steering device 15 is provided on the front-wheel drive shaft 5F. The electric steering device 15 includes an electric motor (not shown) and a gear mechanism (not shown), and adjusts the steering angle of the front wheels by being controlled by the vehicle control unit 41. The vehicle control unit 41 controls the electric steering device 15 based on the steering angle of the steering wheel 13 by the driver. When the vehicle 1 is a vehicle capable of executing automatic driving control, the vehicle control unit 41 controls the electric steering device 15 based on the steering angle of the steering wheel 13 by the driver during manual driving. On the other hand, during automatic driving, the vehicle control unit 41 controls the electric steering device 15 based on the steering angle or the steering angular velocity set by the vehicle control unit 41.

[0016] The brake devices 17LF, 17RF, 17LR, and 17RR apply braking force to the respective wheels. The brake device 17 may be, for example, a hydraulic brake device. In this case, by controlling the drive of the hydraulic unit 16 by the vehicle control unit 41, the hydraulic pressure supplied to each brake device 17 is adjusted. When the vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle, the brake device 17 is used in combination with the regenerative brake by the drive motor.

[0017] The vehicle control unit 41 includes one or more electronic control units (ECUs: Electronic Control Unit) that control the drive of the power source 9, the electric steering device 15, and the hydraulic unit 16. When the vehicle 1 is provided with a transmission that shifts the output output from the power source 9 and transmits it to the wheels, the vehicle control unit 41 has a function of controlling the drive of the transmission. When the vehicle 1 is a vehicle capable of executing automatic driving control, the vehicle control unit 41 is configured to be able to acquire the information transmitted from the driving support device 50 and is configured to be able to execute the automatic driving control of the vehicle 1.

[0018] In addition to the vehicle control unit 41 described above, the vehicle 1 includes a surrounding environment sensor 31, a vehicle state sensor 33, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) sensor 35, a vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 37, and a notification device 43.

[0019] The surrounding environment sensor 31 includes front cameras 31LF and 31RF. The front cameras 31LF and 31RF capture the front of the vehicle 1 and generate data indicating the captured images. Also, the surrounding environment sensor 31 may include a rear camera 31R. In this case, the rear camera 31R captures the rear of the vehicle 1 and generates data indicating the captured image. The front cameras 31LF and 31RF and the rear camera 31R are equipped with imaging elements such as CCD (Charged Coupled Devices) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), and transmit the data indicating the generated captured images to the driving support device 50. In the vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 1, the front cameras 31LF and 31RF are configured as a stereo camera including a pair of left and right cameras, but the front cameras 31LF and 31RF may be monocular cameras.

[0020] In addition to the front cameras 31LF and 31RF, the surrounding environment sensor 31 may include, for example, a camera provided on a side mirror that captures the left rear or right rear. In addition, the surrounding environment sensor 31 may include any one or a plurality of ranging sensors such as a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) or a millimeter wave radar and an ultrasonic sensor.

[0021] The vehicle state sensor 33 includes at least one sensor that detects the operation state and behavior of the vehicle 1. The vehicle state sensor 33 includes at least one of, for example, a steering angle sensor, an accelerator position sensor, a brake stroke sensor, a brake pressure sensor, or an engine speed sensor. Also, the vehicle state sensor 33 includes at least one of, for example, a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, or an angular velocity sensor. The vehicle state sensor 33 transmits a sensor signal indicating the detected information to the driving support device 50.

[0022] The GNSS sensor 35 receives satellite signals from positioning satellites such as GPS (Global Positioning System) satellites. The GNSS sensor 35 transmits the position information of the vehicle 1 included in the received satellite signals to the driving support device 50. Note that the GNSS sensor 35 may be provided with an antenna that receives satellite signals from other satellite systems for identifying the position of the vehicle 1 in addition to the GPS sensor.

[0023] The vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 37 includes an interface for communicating with other vehicles existing within a predetermined distance from the vehicle 1. The driving support device 50 transmits and receives information to and from other vehicles (preceding vehicle or following vehicle) via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 37.

[0024] The notification device 43 is driven by the driving support device 50 and notifies various information to the driver of the vehicle 1 by means such as image display or voice output. The notification device 43 includes, for example, a display device provided in the instrument panel and a speaker provided in the vehicle 1. The display device may be a display device included in the navigation system. Further, the notification device 43 may include a HUD (Head Up Display) that performs display on the front window of the vehicle 1.

[0025] (2. Driving support device) Referring to FIG. 2, the driving support device 50 according to the present embodiment will be described.

[0026] (2-1. Configuration example) The driving support device 50 functions as a device for supporting the driving of the vehicle 1 when one or more processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) execute a computer program. The computer program is a computer program for causing the processor to execute operations to be described later that the driving support device 50 should execute. The computer program executed by the processor may be recorded on a recording medium that functions as a storage unit (memory) 52 to be described later, or may be recorded on a recording medium built in the driving support device 50 or any recording medium externally attachable to the driving support device 50.

[0027] As a recording medium for recording a computer program, magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, and Blu-ray (registered trademark), magneto-optical media such as floppy optical disks, storage elements such as RAM and ROM, and flash memories such as USB memories and SSDs, and other media capable of storing programs may be used.

[0028] To the driving support device 50, the surrounding environment sensor 31, the vehicle state sensor 33, the GNSS sensor 35, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 37, the vehicle control unit 41, and the notification device 43 are connected via dedicated lines or communication means such as CAN (Controller Area Network) or LIN (Local Inter Net).

[0029] The driving support device 50 includes a processing unit 51 and a storage unit 52.

[0030] The processing unit 51 includes one or more processors such as a CPU and various peripheral components. Part or all of the processing unit 51 may be configured by updatable components such as firmware, or may be program modules executed according to instructions from a CPU or the like.

[0031] The storage unit 52 is composed of one or more storage elements such as RAM or ROM communicably connected to the processing unit 51. However, the type and number of the storage unit 52 are not particularly limited. The storage unit 52 stores information such as a computer program executed by the processing unit 51, various parameters used for arithmetic processing, detection data, and arithmetic results.

[0032] (2-2. Functional Configuration of Processing Unit) The functional configuration of the processing unit 51 of the driving support device 50 will be described. The processing unit 51 includes a detection unit 61, a request unit 62, an acquisition unit 63, a selection unit 64, a display processing unit 65, a transmission unit 66, and a cause determination unit 67. Each of these units is a function realized by executing a computer program by one or more processors such as a CPU. However, a part or all of these units may be configured using analog circuits. Note that the processing unit 51 may not include the cause determination unit 67.

[0033] (Detection Unit) The detection unit 61 detects whether the vehicle 1 is included in a vehicle platoon including a plurality of preceding vehicles located in front of the traveling direction of the vehicle (own vehicle) 1. Specifically, the detection unit 61 performs image processing on the captured images transmitted from the surrounding environment sensors 31 (front cameras 31LF and 31RF) provided in the vehicle 1, and uses pattern matching or the like to detect a vehicle platoon including a plurality of preceding vehicles located in front of the traveling direction of the vehicle 1.

[0034] (Request Unit) The request unit 62 requests each of the plurality of preceding vehicles to transmit information (hereinafter also referred to as "flag information") indicating whether to permit information sharing from the preceding vehicle to the vehicle 1 to the vehicle 1. Specifically, the request unit 62 generates a transmission request for the flag information. Also, the request unit 62 transmits the generated transmission request to each of the plurality of preceding vehicles existing within a predetermined distance from the vehicle 1 via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 37.

[0035] The request unit 62 requests the preceding vehicle selected by the selection unit 64, which will be described later, to transmit information indicating the captured image to the vehicle 1. Specifically, the request unit 62 generates a transmission request for the information indicating the captured image. Also, the request unit 62 transmits the generated transmission request to the preceding vehicle selected by the selection unit 64 via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 37. Note that the captured image is an image captured by the surrounding environment sensors 31 (front cameras 31LF and 31RF) provided in the preceding vehicle and indicates a situation such as a traffic jam.

[0036] (Acquisition Unit) The acquisition unit 63 acquires flag information from a plurality of preceding vehicles respectively. Specifically, the acquisition unit 63 acquires flag information from a plurality of preceding vehicles existing within a predetermined distance from Vehicle 1 via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 37. Note that the flag information acquired by the acquisition unit 63 is stored in the storage unit 52 in association with identification information that can identify the preceding vehicle that transmitted the flag information.

[0037] The acquisition unit 63 acquires information indicating a captured image from the preceding vehicle selected by a selection unit 64 described later. Specifically, the acquisition unit 63 acquires information indicating a captured image from the preceding vehicle selected by the selection unit 64 via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 37. Note that the information indicating the captured image acquired by the acquisition unit 63 is stored in the storage unit 52 in association with identification information that can identify the preceding vehicle that transmitted the captured image.

[0038] In addition to these, the acquisition unit 63 may acquire information indicating the position of each of a plurality of preceding vehicles that permit information sharing from the preceding vehicles to Vehicle 1. Note that the information indicating the position of the preceding vehicle 2 can be acquired by the GNSS sensor 35. Further, the acquisition unit 63 may acquire information indicating the vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle from at least one of the plurality of preceding vehicles. Note that these pieces of information are also acquired via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 37 provided in Vehicle 1 and are stored in the storage unit 52 in association with identification information that can identify the preceding vehicle.

[0039] (Selection unit) The selection unit 64 selects, from among the plurality of preceding vehicles, the preceding vehicles whose flag information acquired by the acquisition unit 63 indicates permission for information sharing. That is, the selection unit 64 selects a specific preceding vehicle from among the plurality of preceding vehicles that transmitted information indicating permission for information sharing. For example, when information indicating the position of each of the plurality of preceding vehicles is acquired by the acquisition unit 63, the selection unit 64 may select, from among the plurality of preceding vehicles, the preceding vehicle that transmits information indicating a captured image to Vehicle 1 based on the information indicating the position. Details will be described later.

[0040] (Display processing unit) The display processing unit 65 performs a process of displaying information indicating the captured image acquired by the acquisition unit 63. Specifically, the display processing unit 65 controls the driving of the notification device 43 to display the captured image for the occupant of the vehicle 1 as an image.

[0041] The display processing unit 65 may determine whether the information indicating the captured image acquired by the acquisition unit 63 is suitable for display. Further, when the display processing unit 65 determines that the information indicating the captured image is not suitable for display, the display processing unit 65 may allow the occupant of the vehicle 1 to select whether to display the captured image. Note that the selection may be made by an input operation of the occupant on a touch panel of a display device (not shown) provided in the navigation system, or may be made by a voice input of the occupant to a voice input device (not shown) such as a microphone provided in the vehicle 1, but the present disclosure is not limited thereto.

[0042] (Transmission unit) When the transmission unit 66 is requested by a following vehicle to transmit information indicating whether to permit information sharing from the vehicle 1 to the following vehicle, the transmission unit 66 transmits information indicating whether to permit information sharing from the vehicle 1 to the following vehicle to the following vehicle. Specifically, the transmission unit 66 transmits information indicating whether to permit information sharing from the vehicle 1 to the following vehicle to the following vehicle via the inter-vehicle communication unit 37.

[0043] When the transmission unit 66 is requested by a following vehicle to transmit information indicating the captured image captured by the vehicle 1, the transmission unit 66 transmits the information indicating the captured image to the following vehicle. Specifically, the transmission unit 66 transmits the information indicating the captured image to the following vehicle via the inter-vehicle communication unit 37.

[0044] (Cause determination unit) The cause determination unit 67 determines the cause of the vehicle queue based on the information indicating the vehicle speed acquired by the acquisition unit 63. Specifically, the cause determination unit 67 determines the cause of the vehicle queue based on a comparison between the vehicle speed and a speed corresponding to the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling (for example, the legal speed). Details will be described later.

[0045] In addition to the above-described components, the processing unit 51 may include a inter-vehicle distance setting unit (not shown) and a following control unit (not shown) that enable automatic driving control of the vehicle 1. The inter-vehicle distance setting unit sets a target inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle 1 and the preceding vehicle during following control. The following control unit sets driving conditions for causing the vehicle 1 to follow the preceding vehicle at the inter-vehicle distance set by the inter-vehicle distance setting unit, and transmits the conditions to the vehicle control unit 41. For example, the following control unit detects the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 based on information indicating captured images transmitted from the front cameras 31LF and 31RF at a predetermined sampling period, avoids collisions with obstacles and other vehicles, and sets a target acceleration / deceleration speed for causing the vehicle 1 to follow the preceding vehicle while maintaining the target inter-vehicle distance. The following control unit may set a target steering angle for causing the vehicle to follow the preceding vehicle along the driving lane. The following control unit transmits the set target steering angle and target acceleration / deceleration speed to the vehicle control unit 41. Thereby, the vehicle control unit 41 controls the running of the vehicle 1 based on the acquired information on the target steering angle and target acceleration / deceleration speed.

[0046] (2-3. Operation Example of Driving Support Device) With reference to FIG. 3, an operation example of the driving support device 50 according to the present embodiment will be described along a sequence diagram. In this operation example, a case will be described where preceding vehicles 2-1, 2-2, and 2-3 (hereinafter, collectively referred to as "preceding vehicle 2" when no particular distinction is required) are located in front of the vehicle (own vehicle) 1 in the traveling direction. However, the number of preceding vehicles 2 is not limited to this and can take any value.

[0047] In step S10, the detection unit 61 on the vehicle 1 side detects whether the vehicle 1 is included in a vehicle string including a plurality of preceding vehicles 2 located in front of the vehicle 1 in the traveling direction. If the detection unit 61 detects that the vehicle 1 is included in a vehicle string including a plurality of preceding vehicles 2, the process proceeds to step S11. If the detection unit 61 does not detect that the vehicle 1 is included in a vehicle string including a plurality of preceding vehicles 2, the process repeats step S10.

[0048] In step S11, the request unit 62 on the vehicle 1 side requests each of the plurality of preceding vehicles 2 to transmit flag information to the vehicle 1. Specifically, the request unit 62 generates a transmission request for the flag information. Then, the request unit 62 transmits the generated transmission request to each of the plurality of preceding vehicles 2 existing within a predetermined distance from the vehicle 1 via the inter-vehicle communication unit 37. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S12. This step is performed, for example, at the timing when the vehicle (own vehicle) 1 is included in the vehicle platoon, and at this timing, the flag information is transmitted from the vehicle 1 to each of the preceding vehicles 2.

[0049] In step S12, the transmission unit 66 on the side of the preceding vehicle 2 transmits the flag information to the vehicle 1. Specifically, the transmission unit 66 transmits the flag information to the vehicle 1 that transmitted the transmission request in step S11 via the inter-vehicle communication unit 37.

[0050] The processes of steps S11 and S12 (flag search process) will be described in detail.

[0051] First, a transmission request for flag information is transmitted from the vehicle 1 to the nearest preceding vehicle 2-1 to the vehicle 1 (step S11-1). Then, the flag information is transmitted from the preceding vehicle 2-1 to the vehicle 1 (step S12-1). And the processing unit 51 on the vehicle 1 side determines whether information sharing from the preceding vehicle 2-1 to the vehicle 1 is permitted based on the flag information transmitted from the preceding vehicle 2-1. In this operation example, it is assumed that information sharing from the preceding vehicle 2-1 is not permitted. However, the present disclosure is not limited to this.

[0052] In this case, a transmission request for flag information is sent from the vehicle 1 to the leading vehicle 2-2 located ahead of the leading vehicle 2-1 (step S11-2). Then, the flag information is sent from the leading vehicle 2-2 to the vehicle 1 (step S12-2). And the processing unit 51 on the vehicle 1 side determines whether information sharing from the leading vehicle 2-2 to the vehicle 1 is permitted based on the flag information sent from the leading vehicle 2-2. In this operation example, it is assumed that information sharing from the leading vehicle 2-2 is permitted. Also in this operation example, it is assumed that information indicating the position of the leading vehicle 2-2 and information indicating the vehicle speed are also acquired together with the flag information. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these.

[0053] In this operation example, even when information sharing from the leading vehicle 2-2 is permitted as described above, if there is a leading vehicle 2-3 ahead of the leading vehicle 2-2, a transmission request for flag information is sent from the vehicle 1 to the leading vehicle 2-3 (step S11-3). Then, the flag information is sent from the leading vehicle 2-3 to the vehicle 1 (step S12-3). And the processing unit 51 on the vehicle 1 side determines whether information sharing from the leading vehicle 2-3 to the vehicle 1 is permitted based on the flag information sent from the leading vehicle 2-3. In this operation example, it is assumed that information sharing from the leading vehicle 2-3 is permitted. Also in this operation example, it is assumed that information indicating the position of the leading vehicle 2-3 and information indicating the vehicle speed are also acquired together with the flag information. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these.

[0054] In this way, the acquisition unit 63 on the vehicle 1 side acquires, from each of the plurality of leading vehicles 2, information indicating whether information sharing from the plurality of leading vehicles 2 to the vehicle 1 is permitted. Then, the process proceeds to step S13. Note that the flag information may be acquired in parallel for the plurality of leading vehicles 2, or may be acquired in an arbitrary order, instead of being sequentially acquired from the leading vehicles 2 close to the vehicle (own vehicle) 1 as in this operation example.

[0055] In step S13, the selection unit 64 on the side of vehicle 1 selects a preceding vehicle 2 whose flag information acquired by the acquisition unit 63 indicates permission for information sharing from among the plurality of preceding vehicles 2. In this operation example, the selection unit 64 selects the preceding vehicle 2-2 and the preceding vehicle 2-3 that permit information sharing from among the preceding vehicle 2-1, the preceding vehicle 2-2, and the preceding vehicle 2-3. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S14.

[0056] Note that in step S13, the selection unit 64 on the side of vehicle 1 may select, from among the plurality of preceding vehicles 2, a preceding vehicle that transmits information indicating the captured image to vehicle 1 based on the information indicating the positions of the plurality of preceding vehicles 2. Specifically, the selection unit 64 selects, from among the preceding vehicles 2 that indicate permission for information sharing, the preceding vehicle 2 (preceding vehicle 2-3 in this operation example) that is at the position farthest from vehicle 1 (or the position closest to the cause of the vehicle queue).

[0057] In step S14, the request unit 62 on the side of vehicle 1 requests the preceding vehicle 2 (preceding vehicle 2-3 in this operation example) selected in step S14 to transmit information indicating the captured image to vehicle 1. Specifically, the request unit 62 generates a transmission request for information indicating the captured image. Then, the request unit 62 transmits the generated transmission request to the preceding vehicle 2 (preceding vehicle 2-3 in this operation example) via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 37. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S15.

[0058] In step S15, the transmission unit 66 on the side of the preceding vehicle 2 (preceding vehicle 2-3 in this operation example) transmits information indicating the captured image to vehicle 1. Specifically, the transmission unit 66 transmits information indicating the captured image to vehicle 1 that transmitted the transmission request in step S14 via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 37. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step S16.

[0059] In step S16, the acquisition unit 63 on the vehicle 1 side acquires information indicating a captured image from the preceding vehicle 2 (in this operation example, the preceding vehicle 2-3) in step S15. Specifically, the acquisition unit 63 acquires information indicating a captured image from the preceding vehicle 2 (in this operation example, the preceding vehicle 2-3) in step S15 via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication unit 37. Then, the display processing unit 65 on the vehicle 1 side performs a process of displaying the information indicating the captured image acquired by the acquisition unit 63. Specifically, the display processing unit 65 controls the driving of the notification device 43 to display the captured image as an image to the occupant of the vehicle 1.

[0060] Here, in step S16, the display processing unit 65 on the vehicle 1 side may determine whether the information indicating the captured image acquired by the acquisition unit 63 is suitable for display. And when the display processing unit 65 on the vehicle 1 side determines that the information indicating the captured image is not suitable for display, it may let the occupant of the vehicle 1 select whether to display the captured image. Specifically, a plurality of levels preset according to various traffic jam causes that the vehicle 1 may encounter during driving and the traffic jam cause (or the severity of the cause) are pre-stored in the storage unit 52 of the driving support device 50 on the vehicle 1 side. For example, a property damage accident (partial damage) is set to level 1, a property damage accident (total loss) is set to level 2, and a personal accident is set to level 3. The display processing unit 65 specifies the cause of the traffic jam indicated by the captured image by performing image processing on the captured image and using pattern matching or the like. Then, the display processing unit 65 selects a level corresponding to the specified cause of the traffic jam from levels 1 to 3 by referring to the storage unit 52. And when the selected level is equal to or higher than the threshold value, the display processing unit 65 determines that the information indicating the captured image is not suitable for display. In this case, the display processing unit 65 may notify the occupant of the vehicle 1 of the outline of the image that may be displayed according to the selected level by text display such as "Such an image may be displayed" or voice output. And the display processing unit 65 may let the occupant of the vehicle 1 select whether to display the captured image via an input operation on a touch panel or the like or a voice input on a microphone or the like. And when it is selected by the occupant of the vehicle 1 not to display the captured image, the display processing unit 65 may notify the occupant of the vehicle 1 of the cause of the traffic jam indicated by the captured image by text display such as "There seems to be an accident ahead" or voice output instead of image display. Note that the above-described levels, the number of levels, and the threshold value can be set as appropriate respectively.

[0061] Also, in step S16, the cause determination unit 67 on the vehicle 1 side may determine the cause of the traffic jam based on the information indicating the vehicle speed acquired by the acquisition unit 63. Then, the display processing unit 65 may perform processing to display the determination result by the cause determination unit 67. Specifically, the cause determination unit 67 determines the cause of the traffic jam based on a comparison between the vehicle speed and the speed according to the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling (for example, the legal speed). Note that the speed according to the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling can be acquired by performing image processing on road signs and the like imaged by the front cameras 31LF and 31RF provided on the vehicle 1. As an example, when the vehicle speed is slower than the legal speed by a first predetermined value or more, and when the vehicle speed is slower than the legal speed by a second predetermined value or more, the cause determination unit 67 determines that the cause of the traffic jam is likely to be a sudden traffic jam. On the other hand, when the vehicle speed is slower than the legal speed by a first predetermined value or more, and when the vehicle speed is not slower than the legal speed by a second predetermined value or more, the cause determination unit 67 determines that the cause of the traffic jam is likely to be a natural traffic jam. Here, the second predetermined value can be set to be larger than the first predetermined value. As another example, when the vehicle 1 is traveling on a highway, if the vehicle speed is slower than the legal speed and the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than a third predetermined value (such as 60 km / h), the cause determination unit 67 determines that the cause of the traffic jam is likely to be a natural traffic jam. On the other hand, when the vehicle speed is slower than the legal speed and the vehicle speed is equal to or higher than a fourth predetermined value (such as 40 km / h) and less than the third predetermined value, the cause determination unit 67 determines that the cause of the traffic jam is likely to be a sudden traffic jam. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these, and the conditions related to the vehicle speed can be arbitrarily set. Note that a sudden traffic jam means a traffic jam caused by a sudden event such as a traffic accident or a vehicle breakdown. Also, a natural traffic jam means a traffic jam caused by a cause other than a sudden event, for example, a traffic jam caused by a road structure (gradient, merge, intersection, etc.) or a vehicle with a slower vehicle speed compared to other vehicles.

[0062] Furthermore, in addition to the vehicle speed described above, map information and the position information of the vehicle 1 may be used. As an example, the cause determination unit 67 may determine whether there is a road structure such as a slope, a merge, or an intersection in front of the vehicle 1 based on the map information pre-stored in the storage unit 52 and the position information of the vehicle 1 acquired by the GNSS sensor 35 provided in the vehicle 1. Then, when the cause determination unit 67 determines that there is a high possibility of natural traffic congestion based on the vehicle speed described above, and also determines that there is a road structure such as a slope, a merge, or an intersection in front of the vehicle 1, it may determine that the cause of the vehicle queue is due to natural traffic congestion caused by the road structure.

[0063] Also, in step S16, the cause determination unit 67 on the vehicle 1 side may determine the cause of the vehicle queue based on the information indicating the position of the vehicle 1 acquired by the acquisition unit 63. Specifically, the cause determination unit 67 identifies the position of the vehicle 1 on the map based on the information indicating the position of the vehicle 1 acquired by the GNSS sensor 35 provided in the vehicle 1 and the map information pre-stored in the storage unit 52. Then, the cause determination unit 67 identifies the surrounding environment within a predetermined distance ahead from the identified position of the vehicle 1 based on the map information. Then, the cause determination unit 67 determines the cause of the vehicle queue based on the identified surrounding environment. As an example, when the cause determination unit 67 identifies a surrounding facility such as a commercial facility (e.g., a shopping center) as the surrounding environment, it may determine that the cause of the vehicle queue is due to the leading vehicle 2 heading towards the entrance of the parking lot of the surrounding facility. As another example, when the cause determination unit 67 identifies a road structure such as a slope, a merge, or an intersection as the surrounding environment, it may determine that the cause of the vehicle queue is due to natural traffic congestion caused by the road structure.

[0064] (Effect) As described above, the processing unit 51 of the driving assistance device 50 according to the present embodiment detects that the vehicle 1 is included in a vehicle platoon including a plurality of preceding vehicles 2 located ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle 1. Then, the processing unit 51 acquires information indicating a captured image captured by any one of the plurality of preceding vehicles 2 from at least one of the plurality of preceding vehicles 2. Then, the processing unit 51 displays the information indicating the acquired captured image. Note that when selecting at least one preceding vehicle, the processing unit 51 may acquire information indicating permission for information sharing from the plurality of preceding vehicles 2 to the vehicle 1, and select at least one preceding vehicle based on the acquired information indicating permission for information sharing.

[0065] According to such a configuration, the occupant of the vehicle 1 can timely and visually grasp various causes of traffic jams that cannot be directly recognized by the occupant himself / herself, for example, by checking a captured image from the preceding vehicle 2 acquired by vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Therefore, the stress on the occupant of the vehicle 1 is reduced. In addition, the vehicle 1 receives a captured image only from the preceding vehicle 2 that permits information sharing to the vehicle 1. Therefore, the processing load when presenting the captured image to the occupant of the vehicle 1 is reduced.

[0066] As described above, the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, but the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is obvious that those having ordinary knowledge in the technical field to which the present disclosure pertains can conceive of various modification examples or correction examples within the scope of the technical idea described in the claims, and it is naturally understood that these also belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure. For example, the functions included in each component or each step, etc. can be rearranged so as not to be logically contradictory, and it is possible to combine or divide a plurality of components or steps, etc. into one.

[0067] As a modification example, the processing unit 51 of the driving support device 50 may receive information indicating captured images from a plurality of preceding vehicles that permit information sharing, and determine which of the plurality of preceding vehicles to display the information indicating the captured images based on the reception time when the information indicating the captured images is received. Specifically, instead of steps S13 to S15 described above, the processing unit 51 determines to display the information indicating the captured images from the preceding vehicle with the latest reception time. The subsequent processing is the same as that in step S16. Note that the processing unit 51 may delete the information indicating the captured images from the preceding vehicles other than the preceding vehicle.

[0068] As a modification, the processing unit 51 of the driving support device 50 may propose a detour route for the vehicle 1 included in the vehicle platoon to bypass the cause location of the vehicle platoon. Specifically, the processing unit 51 acquires, for example, information indicating the position of the preceding vehicle 2 that transmitted the captured image in step S15 from the preceding vehicle 2. Further, the processing unit 51 specifies the cause of the vehicle platoon indicated by the captured image in the same manner as in step S16. Further, the processing unit 51 acquires information indicating the current position of the vehicle 1. Then, the processing unit 51 calculates a first time required for the vehicle 1 to travel on the current route until passing through the cause location of the vehicle platoon based on the acquired information indicating the positions of the vehicle 1 and the preceding vehicle 2 and the specified cause of the vehicle platoon. In this calculation, the current vehicle speeds of the vehicle 1 and the preceding vehicle 2 may be considered, or the vehicle speeds specified in advance according to the cause of the vehicle platoon and stored in advance in the storage unit 52 may be considered. Further, the processing unit 51 calculates a second time required for the vehicle 1 to travel on the detour route until passing beyond the cause location of the vehicle platoon based on the acquired information indicating the positions of the vehicle 1 and the preceding vehicle 2 and the map information stored in advance in the storage unit 52. In this calculation, the legal speed of the detour route and the like may be considered. Then, the processing unit 51 determines whether to propose continuing to travel on the current route or to propose traveling on the detour route based on the calculated first time and second time. More specifically, the processing unit 51 determines to propose traveling on the detour route when the second time is shorter than the first time. Then, the processing unit 51 notifies the driver of the vehicle 1 of the determination result via the notification device 43. As a result, even when a traffic jam occurs, the driver of the vehicle 1 is prevented from arbitrarily selecting a detour route, so that a further deterioration of the traffic jam is suppressed.

[0069] The technology of the present disclosure can also be realized as a vehicle including the driving support device 50 described in the above embodiment, a driving support method executed by the driving support device 50, a computer program that causes a computer to function as the driving support device 50 described above, and a non-temporary tangible recording medium on which the computer program is recorded.

[0070] Note that the following aspects also belong to the technical scope of the present disclosure. An information sharing system including a vehicle and a plurality of preceding vehicles located in front of the vehicle in the traveling direction thereof, wherein the vehicle includes one or more processors and one or more memories communicably connected to the one or more processors, the one or more processors detect that the vehicle is included in a vehicle platoon including the plurality of preceding vehicles, acquire information indicating an imaging image captured by any of the plurality of preceding vehicles from at least one of the plurality of preceding vehicles, and display the acquired information indicating the imaging image, and perform processing. An information sharing system.

Explanation of Signs

[0071] 1: Vehicle (own vehicle), 2: Preceding vehicle, 31: Surrounding environment sensor, 31LF·31RF: Front imaging camera, 33: Vehicle state sensor, 35: GNSS sensor, 37: Inter-vehicle communication unit, 41: Vehicle control unit, 43: Notification device, 50: Driving support device, 51: Processing unit, 52: Storage unit, 61: Detection unit, 62: Request unit, 63: Acquisition unit, 64: Selection unit, 65: Display processing unit, 66: Transmission unit, 67: Cause determination unit

Claims

1. A driving assistance device for assisting in the driving of a vehicle, comprising: one or more processors; and one or more memories communicatively connected to the one or more processors, wherein the one or more processors: detect that the vehicle is included in a vehicle column including a plurality of preceding vehicles located in front of the traveling direction of the vehicle; acquire information indicating an imaging image captured by any one of the plurality of preceding vehicles from at least one of the plurality of preceding vehicles; perform a process of displaying the acquired information indicating the imaging image. A driving assistance device.

2. The one or more processors: acquire information indicating permission for information sharing from the plurality of preceding vehicles to the vehicle; select the at least one preceding vehicle based on the acquired information indicating permission for information sharing. The driving assistance device according to claim 1.

3. The one or more processors further: perform a process of transmitting the information indicating the imaging image to a following vehicle located behind the traveling direction. The driving assistance device according to claim 1.

4. The one or more processors further: determine whether the acquired information indicating the imaging image is suitable for display; when it is determined that the information indicating the imaging image is not suitable for display, cause an occupant of the vehicle to select whether to display the imaging image. The driving assistance device according to claim 1.

5. The one or more processors further: acquire information indicating a vehicle speed from at least one of the plurality of preceding vehicles; determine the cause of the vehicle column based on the acquired information indicating the vehicle speed. The driving assistance device according to claim 1.

Images