Driving support device

Abstract

To optimize deceleration support according to an expectation value of a driver.SOLUTION: A driving support device comprises: an intersection recognition unit 100 that recognizes an intersection ahead of a vehicle VH in a traveling direction; a right / left turn prediction unit 110 that predicts whether the vehicle VH will make a right turn or a left turn at the intersection recognized by the intersection recognition unit 100; deceleration control units 120, 130, 140 for performing deceleration control to decelerate the vehicle VH to a target vehicle speed Vt until the vehicle VH reaches a target position Pt when the right / left turn prediction unit 110 predicts that the vehicle will turn right or left; and external information acquisition units 40, 60, 70, 80 that acquire information on an oncoming vehicle, a pedestrian, and a signal lamp color. The deceleration control units 130, 140 set the target vehicle speed and or the start timing for initiating the deceleration control based on information acquired by the external information acquisition units 40, 60, 70, 80.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a driving support device, and particularly to a technique suitable for deceleration support of a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] For example, in Patent Document 1, when a vehicle turns right or left at an intersection and passes through, deceleration support is performed to decelerate the vehicle to a target vehicle speed until the vehicle reaches a deceleration target point. When it is predicted that the vehicle will turn left, a device is disclosed that sets the deceleration target point closer to the front side than when it is predicted that the vehicle will turn right.

Prior Art Document

Patent Document

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0004] The vehicle speed expected by the driver for deceleration support varies depending on the presence or absence of oncoming vehicles and pedestrians crossing the road when the vehicle turns right or left at an intersection, or the timing at which the traffic signal color changes. Therefore, simply changing the deceleration target point based on whether the vehicle turns right or left at an intersection, as in the device described in Patent Document 1, may result in the deceleration of the vehicle by deceleration support being excessive or insufficient compared to the driver's expected value. That is, there is room for improvement in optimizing the deceleration support according to the driver's expected value.

[0005] The technology of the present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to optimize deceleration support according to the driver's expected value.

[0006] The driving support device of the present disclosure an intersection recognition means for recognizing an intersection in front of the traveling direction of the vehicle, A right / left turn prediction means for predicting whether the vehicle will turn right or left at the intersection recognized by the intersection recognition means; A deceleration control means for performing deceleration control to decelerate the vehicle to a predetermined target vehicle speed until the vehicle reaches a predetermined target position when it is predicted by the right / left turn prediction means that the vehicle will turn right or left at the intersection, and is a driving support device comprising: Further comprising an external information acquisition means for acquiring information on oncoming vehicles and / or information on pedestrians and / or information on the traffic signal colors at the intersection, The deceleration control means sets the target vehicle speed and / or the start timing for starting the deceleration control based on the information acquired by the external information acquisition means Characterized by this.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, a driving support device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0009] [Hardware Configuration] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the hardware configuration of a vehicle VH according to the present embodiment. Hereinafter, when it is necessary to distinguish the vehicle VH from other vehicles or the like, it may be referred to as the host vehicle.

[0010] The vehicle VH has an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 10. The ECU 10 includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 11, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 12, a RAM (Random Access Memory) 13, an interface device 14, and the like. The CPU 11 is a processor that executes various programs stored in the ROM 12. The ROM 12 is a non-volatile memory that stores data and the like necessary for the CPU 11 to execute various programs. The RAM 13 is a volatile memory that provides a work area in which various programs are expanded when executed by the CPU 11. The interface device 14 is a communication device for communicating with an external device.

[0011] The ECU 10 is a central device that performs driving assistance such as deceleration assistance. Driving assistance is a concept that includes autonomous driving. The following devices are communicably connected to the ECU 10: a driving device 20, a steering device 21, a braking device 22, an in-vehicle sensor device 30, an external sensor device 40, a turn signal switch 50, turn signals 58L and 58R, a position information acquisition device 60, a map database 70, a communication device 80, and the like.

[0012] The driving device 20 generates a driving force transmitted to the driving wheels of the vehicle VH. Examples of the driving device 20 include an electric motor and an engine. In the present embodiment, the vehicle VH may be any of a hybrid vehicle (HEV), a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV), a fuel cell vehicle (FCEV), a battery electric vehicle (BEV), and an engine vehicle. The steering device 21 applies a steering force to the wheels of the vehicle VH. The braking device 22 applies a braking force to the wheels of the vehicle VH.

[0013] The in-vehicle sensor device 30 is sensors for detecting the state of the vehicle VH. Specifically, the in-vehicle sensor device 30 includes a vehicle speed sensor 31, an accelerator sensor 32, a brake sensor 33, a steering angle sensor 34, a yaw rate sensor 35, etc.

[0014] The vehicle speed sensor 31 detects the traveling speed of the vehicle VH (hereinafter referred to as the vehicle speed). The accelerator sensor 32 detects the operation amount of an accelerator pedal (not shown) by the driver. The brake sensor 33 detects the operation amount of a brake pedal (not shown) by the driver. The steering angle sensor 34 detects the rotation angle of a steering wheel or a steering shaft (not shown) of the vehicle VH, that is, the steering angle. The yaw rate sensor 35 detects the yaw rate of the vehicle VH. The in-vehicle sensor device 30 transmits the state of the vehicle VH detected by each of the sensors 31 to 35 to the ECU 10 at a predetermined cycle.

[0015] The external sensor device 40 is sensors for recognizing target information regarding targets around the vehicle VH. Specifically, the external sensor device 40 includes a radar sensor 41, a camera sensor 42, etc. Here, examples of the target information include surrounding vehicles, pedestrians, traffic lights, white lines on the road, signs, etc.

[0016] The radar sensor 41 detects targets existing around the vehicle VH. The radar sensor 41 includes a millimeter-wave radar and / or a lidar. The millimeter-wave radar emits radio waves in the millimeter-wave band (millimeter waves), and receives the millimeter waves (reflected waves) reflected by the targets existing within the radiation range. The millimeter-wave radar obtains the relative distance between the vehicle VH and the target, the relative speed between the vehicle VH and the target, etc. based on the phase difference between the transmitted millimeter waves and the received reflected waves, the attenuation level of the reflected waves, and the time from transmitting the millimeter waves to receiving the reflected waves. The lidar sequentially scans pulsed laser light having a shorter wavelength than millimeter waves in a plurality of directions, and receives the reflected light reflected by the targets, thereby obtaining the shape of the targets detected in front of the vehicle VH, the relative distance between the vehicle VH and the targets, the relative speed between the vehicle VH and the targets, etc.

[0017] The camera sensor 42 images the surroundings of the vehicle VH, and acquires target information around the vehicle VH by processing the captured image data. As the camera sensor 42, for example, a digital camera having an image sensor such as a CMOS or a CCD can be used. The target information is information indicating the type of the target detected around the vehicle VH, the relative distance between the vehicle VH and the target, the relative speed between the vehicle VH and the target, and the like. The type of the target may be recognized by machine learning such as pattern matching, for example.

[0018] The external sensor device 40 repeatedly transmits the acquired target information to the ECU 10 every time a predetermined time elapses. The ECU 10 determines the relative relationship between the vehicle VH and the target by synthesizing the relative relationship between the vehicle VH and the target obtained by the radar sensor 41 and the relative relationship between the vehicle VH and the target obtained by the camera sensor 42. Note that the external sensor device 40 does not necessarily have to include both the radar sensor 41 and the camera sensor 42, and may include only the camera sensor 42, for example.

[0019] The turn signal lever 51 is an operator for the driver to blink the left and right turn signals 58L, 58R. The turn signal switch 50 detects the operation direction of the turn signal lever 51 by the driver. When the driver operates the turn signal lever 51, the turn signal switch 50 transmits a blink instruction signal corresponding to the operation direction to the ECU 10. When receiving the blink instruction signal, the ECU 10 blinks the turn signals 58L, 58R corresponding to the operation direction of the turn signal lever 51.

[0020] The position information acquisition device 60 acquires the current position information of the vehicle VH. As the position information acquisition device 60, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System), GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System), etc. provided in a navigation system (not shown) can be used. The position information acquisition device 60 transmits the acquired current position information of the vehicle VH to the ECU 10 at a predetermined cycle. Note that the position information of the vehicle VH may be acquired by V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) communication using a communication device 80 described later.

[0021] The map database 70 is a database of map information and is stored in a storage device (hard disk, flash memory, etc.) provided in the vehicle VH. The map information includes the positions of road intersections and the like. Note that the map database 70 may be stored in an external server capable of communicating with the vehicle VH. In this case, the vehicle VH may acquire the map information from the external server using the communication device 80.

[0022] The communication device 80 performs V2X communication. Specifically, the communication device 80 performs V2V communication (Vehicle to Vehicle) between the own vehicle VH and other vehicles, V2I communication (Vehicle to Infrastructure) between the own vehicle VH and infrastructure, and V2P communication (Vehicle to Pedestrian) between the own vehicle VH and pedestrians. The communication device 80 can acquire information around the own vehicle VH through V2X communication. The surrounding information includes, for example, the position of intersections, the traffic light colors of signal lights, route information such as straight-ahead or right / left turns of other vehicles, and the position information of pedestrians. The communication device 80 transmits the acquired surrounding information to the ECU 10 at a predetermined cycle.

[0023] [Software Configuration] FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram showing the software configuration of the ECU 10 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2A, the ECU 10 includes, as functional elements, an intersection recognition unit 100, a right / left turn prediction unit 110, a target deceleration calculation unit 120, a deceleration control unit 130, a target vehicle speed change unit 140, and the like. These functional elements 100 to 140 are realized by the CPU 11 of the ECU 10 reading out the programs stored in the ROM 12 and executing them in the RAM 13. Note that all or part of the functional elements 100 to 140 can also be provided in another ECU separate from the ECU 10 or in an information processing device of a facility (such as a management center) capable of communicating with the vehicle VH.

[0024] Based on the target information acquired by the external sensor device 40, the intersection recognition unit 100 recognizes the position of an intersection (when there are a plurality of intersections in front of the vehicle VH in succession, the nearest intersection) in front of the traveling direction of the vehicle VH. The camera sensor 42 of the external sensor device 40 acquires the traffic signal and signs installed at the intersection earlier than acquiring the stop line of the intersection. For this reason, the intersection recognition unit 100 recognizes the intersection by acquiring the traffic signal and signs from the image data in front of the vehicle VH photographed by the camera sensor 42. The traffic signal and signs may be discriminated based on machine learning such as pattern matching. When the intersection recognition unit 100 recognizes the intersection, it processes the image data photographed by the camera sensor 42 to recognize the position of the intersection (relative position with respect to the vehicle VH) using a known method.

[0025] Note that the intersection recognition unit 100 may recognize the position of the intersection based on the target information acquired by the radar sensor 41. Alternatively, the intersection recognition unit 100 may recognize the position of the intersection based on the information received by the communication device 80 from an advanced road traffic system (ITS: Intelligent Transport Systems) or the like through V2I communication. Alternatively, the intersection recognition unit 100 may recognize the position of the intersection based on the current position of the vehicle VH acquired by the position information acquisition device 60 and the map database 70.

[0026] When the intersection recognition unit 100 recognizes an intersection in front of the vehicle VH, the right / left turn prediction unit 110 predicts whether the vehicle VH will turn right or left at the intersection. After the intersection recognition unit 100 recognizes an intersection in front of the vehicle VH, when the right / left turn prediction unit 110 receives a blinking indication signal in either the right direction or the left direction from the direction indicator switch 50, it predicts that the vehicle VH will turn right or left at the intersection. Further, when the right / left turn prediction unit 110 predicts that the vehicle VH will turn right or left at the intersection, it determines whether the vehicle VH will turn right or left toward the oncoming lane side based on the detection result of the external sensor device 40.

[0027] Note that after the intersection recognition unit 100 recognizes an intersection in front of the vehicle VH, the right / left turn prediction unit 110 may predict that the vehicle VH will turn right or left at the intersection when the driver releases the depression of the accelerator pedal (accelerator OFF). Alternatively, when the external sensor device 40 acquires that the vehicle VH is traveling in a right-turn only lane or a left-turn only lane at the intersection, the right / left turn prediction unit 110 may predict that the vehicle VH will turn right or left at the intersection. Alternatively, when the route set by the navigation system is set to a route that turns right or left at the intersection, the right / left turn prediction unit 110 may predict that the vehicle VH will turn right or left at the intersection.

[0028] As shown in FIG. 2B, the target deceleration calculation unit 120 calculates a target deceleration Gt required to decelerate the vehicle VH to a predetermined reference target vehicle speed Vt suitable for a right turn or a left turn by the time the vehicle VH reaches a predetermined target position Pt on the near side of the intersection from a predetermined deceleration start position Ps. The deceleration start position Ps is not particularly limited. For example, the position on the vehicle VH side by a predetermined first distance D1 from the position Pc of the intersection recognized by the intersection recognition unit 100 can be set as the deceleration start position Ps. The first distance D1 is at least longer than the distance from the position Pc of the intersection to the position of the stop line. The target position Pt is also not particularly limited. In the present embodiment, the position of the stop line of the intersection where the vehicle VH is about to make a right turn or a left turn is set as the target position Pt. Note that at the timing when the intersection recognition unit 100 recognizes the intersection, the camera sensor 42 of the external sensor device 40 has not acquired the stop line of the intersection. Therefore, the target deceleration calculation unit 120 recognizes the position on the vehicle VH side by a predetermined second distance D2 (where D2 is shorter than the first distance D1) from the position Pc of the intersection recognized by the intersection recognition unit 100 as the position of the stop line, for example.

[0029] The target deceleration calculation unit 120 calculates the target deceleration Gt based on a deceleration setting map M (see FIG. 2C) stored in advance in the ROM 12 or the like of the ECU 10. The deceleration setting map M is a map referred to based on, for example, the distance D from the deceleration start position Ps to the target position Pt and the current vehicle speed V of the vehicle VH, and is set such that the higher the vehicle speed V and the shorter the distance D, the larger the target deceleration Gt (absolute value). The target deceleration calculation unit 120 calculates the target deceleration Gt by referring to the deceleration setting map M based on the distance D from the deceleration start position Ps to the target position Pt and the vehicle speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor 31.

[0030] When the right / left turn prediction unit 110 predicts that the vehicle VH will turn right or left at an intersection, the deceleration control unit 130 performs deceleration control to decelerate the vehicle VH at the target deceleration Gt calculated by the target deceleration calculation unit 120. When the vehicle VH reaches the deceleration start position Ps, the deceleration control unit 130 starts deceleration control to decelerate the vehicle VH at the target deceleration Gt. Whether the vehicle VH has reached the deceleration start position Ps may be recognized based on, for example, the moving amount of the vehicle VH calculated by odometry from the detection results of the vehicle speed sensor 31 and the yaw rate sensor 35, or may be recognized based on the movement trajectory of the vehicle VH acquired by the position information acquisition device 60.

[0031] The deceleration control unit 130 performs deceleration control by controlling the operation of the braking device 22 based on the deviation between the actual deceleration Ga of the vehicle VH and the target deceleration Gt. Note that the deceleration control may use not only the braking force by the braking device 22 but also engine braking when the driving device 21 is an engine or regenerative braking when the driving device 21 is an electric motor. The actual deceleration Ga of the vehicle VH may be obtained by differentiating the vehicle speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor 31, or may be obtained by the acceleration sensor if the internal sensor device 30 includes an acceleration sensor.

[0032] When the vehicle VH reaches the target position Pt, the deceleration control unit 130 ends the deceleration control. Whether the vehicle VH has reached the target position Pt may be recognized based on, for example, the moving amount of the vehicle VH calculated by odometry from the detection results of the vehicle speed sensor 31 and the yaw rate sensor 35, or may be recognized based on the movement trajectory of the vehicle VH acquired by the position information acquisition device 60. Note that in the process of the vehicle VH approaching the target position Pt, the camera sensor 42 of the external sensor device 40 starts to acquire the stop line of the intersection. When the camera sensor 42 starts to acquire the stop line of the intersection, the deceleration control unit 130 switches the target position Pt to the position of the stop line recognized from the image data of the camera sensor 42.

[0033] Here, if the deceleration control is performed based on a uniform reference target vehicle speed Vt, depending on the surrounding conditions such as the presence or absence of oncoming vehicles or pedestrians crossing the road, or the switching timing of the traffic signal color, etc., the deceleration of the vehicle VH by the deceleration control may be excessive or insufficient compared to the driver's expected value. The target vehicle speed changing unit 140 changes the target vehicle speed used for the deceleration control from the reference target vehicle speed Vt according to the surrounding conditions, so as to optimize the deceleration assistance according to the driver's expected value. Hereinafter, based on FIG. 3, a specific example of the target vehicle speed change process performed by the target vehicle speed changing unit 140 will be described. In FIG. 3, the case of left-hand traffic is described. In the case of right-hand traffic, since only the left and right are reversed, the description is omitted.

[0034] FIG. 3A shows a case where there is an oncoming lane L2 in the direction in which the host vehicle VH is about to turn right from the host lane L1, and there is another vehicle VH2 (oncoming vehicle) approaching the host vehicle VH from the oncoming lane L2. When the host vehicle VH reaches the target position Pt, if the deceleration control is performed based on a uniform reference target vehicle speed Vt in a situation where the oncoming vehicle VH2 enters the intersection, the driver of the host vehicle VH may feel that the deceleration is insufficient. That is, the deceleration of the vehicle VH by the deceleration control may be too small compared to the driver's expected value, which may cause anxiety to the driver.

[0035] When it is predicted that the oncoming vehicle VH2 will enter the intersection within a range around a predetermined time before the host vehicle VH reaches the target position Pt, the target vehicle speed changing unit 140 changes the target vehicle speed used for the deceleration control to a first target vehicle speed Vt1 (<Vt) lower than the reference target vehicle speed Vt. Thereby, in a situation where it is predicted that the oncoming vehicle VH2 will enter the intersection, the deceleration of the vehicle VH close to the driver's expected value is realized. That is, it is possible to effectively prevent the deceleration of the vehicle VH by the deceleration control from being too small compared to the driver's expected value. The timing at which the oncoming vehicle VH2 enters the intersection may be recognized based on the information received from the oncoming vehicle VH2 through V2V communication by the communication device 80, or may be recognized based on the relative position and relative speed of the oncoming vehicle VH2 acquired by the external sensor device 40.

[0036] When the target vehicle speed changing unit 140 determines that the oncoming vehicle VH2 is not predicted to enter the intersection within a range around a predetermined time before or after the timing when the host vehicle VH reaches the target position Pt, and when the oncoming vehicle VH2 turns right toward the host vehicle lane L1, the target vehicle speed used for the deceleration control is not changed. That is, the deceleration control based on the normal reference target vehicle speed Vt is implemented. Whether the oncoming vehicle VH2 turns right toward the host vehicle lane L1 may be recognized based on the information received from the oncoming vehicle VH2 through V2V communication by the communication device 80, or may be recognized based on the blinking state of the turn signal of the oncoming vehicle VH2 acquired by the external sensor device 40 or the like.

[0037] FIG. 3B shows a case where crosswalks PC1 and PC2 exist on the traveling path of the host vehicle VH that is about to turn right or left at an intersection, and there are pedestrians (including bicycles) who are passing or about to pass through the crosswalks PC1 and PC2. When the host vehicle VH reaches the target position Pt and the pedestrians are in a situation where they are passing or about to pass through the crosswalks PC1 and PC2, if the deceleration control is performed based on the uniform reference target vehicle speed Vt, the driver of the host vehicle VH may feel that the deceleration is insufficient. That is, the deceleration of the vehicle VH by the deceleration control may be too small compared to the driver's expected value, which may cause anxiety to the driver.

[0038] When it is predicted that a pedestrian (including a moving body such as a bicycle) will cross the crosswalks PC1 and PC2 within a range around a predetermined time before or after the timing when the host vehicle VH reaches the target position Pt, the target vehicle speed changing unit 140 changes the target vehicle speed used for deceleration control to a second target vehicle speed Vt2 (<Vt) lower than the reference target vehicle speed Vt. Thereby, in a situation where it is predicted that a pedestrian will cross or attempt to cross the crosswalks PC1 and PC2, deceleration of the vehicle VH close to the driver's expectation value is achieved. That is, it becomes possible to effectively prevent the deceleration of the vehicle VH due to the deceleration control from becoming too small with respect to the driver's expectation value. The second target vehicle speed Vt2 may be the same vehicle speed as the first target vehicle speed Vt1, or may be a different vehicle speed. Whether a pedestrian crosses the crosswalks PC1 and PC2 may be recognized based on information received by the communication device 80 from a portable terminal or the like possessed by the pedestrian through V2P communication, or may be recognized based on the relative position and relative speed of the pedestrian acquired by the external sensor device 40.

[0039] When it is not predicted that a pedestrian will cross or attempt to cross the crosswalks PC1 and PC2 within a range around a predetermined time before or after the timing when the host vehicle VH reaches the target position Pt, the target vehicle speed changing unit 140 does not change the target vehicle speed used for deceleration control. That is, deceleration control based on the normal reference target vehicle speed Vt is performed. Note that the distance from the target position Pt to the crosswalk PC2 on the oncoming lane L2 side is longer than the distance from the target position Pt to the crosswalk PC1 on the host lane L1 side. For this reason, when the crosswalk PC2 on the oncoming lane L2 side exists on the driving route where the host vehicle VH is about to travel, that is, when the host vehicle VH makes a right turn, the target vehicle speed changing unit 140 may set a wider range of the predetermined time used for pedestrian determination.

[0040] FIG. 3C shows a case where, at the timing when the host vehicle VH enters an intersection, the traffic signal TL installed at the intersection changes to a signal color (e.g., red) that prohibits the host vehicle VH from entering the intersection. When the traffic signal TL changes to red at the timing when the host vehicle VH reaches the target position Pt, if the deceleration control is performed based on a uniform reference target vehicle speed Vt, the deceleration of the vehicle VH by the deceleration control may be excessive compared to the driver's expectation. That is, if the host vehicle VH cannot pass through the intersection due to the activation of the deceleration control, it will cause annoyance to the driver.

[0041] When it is predicted that the traffic signal TL will change to a signal color (e.g., red) that prohibits the host vehicle VH from entering the intersection within a range around a predetermined time before the host vehicle VH reaches the target position Pt, the target vehicle speed change unit 140 changes the target vehicle speed used for the deceleration control to a third target vehicle speed Vt3 (>Vt) that is higher than the reference target vehicle speed Vt. Thereby, in a situation where it is predicted that the traffic signal TL will change to a signal color that prohibits the host vehicle VH from entering the intersection, deceleration of the vehicle VH close to the driver's expectation is realized. That is, it becomes possible to effectively prevent the deceleration of the vehicle VH by the deceleration control from becoming excessive compared to the driver's expectation. Whether the traffic signal TL changes to a signal color that prohibits the host vehicle VH from entering the intersection may be predicted from the change in the signal color of the pedestrian traffic signal acquired by the external sensor device 40, the lighting of the arrow lamp permitting a right turn, etc., or may be recognized based on the information received by the communication device 80 from an ITS or the like through V2I communication.

[0042] When it is predicted that the traffic signal TL's lighting color will not change to a lighting color that prohibits the host vehicle VH from entering the intersection within a range around a predetermined time before or after the timing when the host vehicle VH reaches the target position Pt, the target vehicle speed used for deceleration control is not changed. That is, deceleration control is performed based on the normal reference target vehicle speed Vt. Note that when it is predicted that the traffic signal TL's lighting color is already a lighting color that prohibits the host vehicle VH from entering the intersection at the timing when the host vehicle VH reaches the target position Pt, stop control for stopping the host vehicle VH at the target position Pt may be performed.

[0043] Next, based on FIG. 4, a routine of the deceleration support process by the CPU 11 of the ECU 10 will be described. This routine starts when the vehicle VH is traveling.

[0044] In step S100, the ECU 10 determines whether an intersection is recognized in front of the host vehicle VH. If an intersection is recognized (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S110. On the other hand, if an intersection is not recognized (No), the ECU 10 returns to the determination process of step S100.

[0045] In step S110, the ECU 10 predicts whether the vehicle VH will turn right or left at the intersection. If it is predicted that the vehicle VH will turn right or left at the intersection (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S120. On the other hand, if it is not predicted that the vehicle VH will turn right or left at the intersection (No), the ECU 10 returns to the determination process of step S100.

[0046] In step S120, the ECU 10 determines whether the host vehicle VH will turn right (turn left in the case of left-hand traffic) to the oncoming lane L2 side. If the host vehicle VH will turn right to the oncoming lane L2 side (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S130. On the other hand, if the host vehicle VH will not turn right to the oncoming lane L2 side (No), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S140.

[0047] In step S130, the ECU 10 determines whether it is predicted that the oncoming vehicle VH2 will enter the intersection within a range around a predetermined time before the timing when the host vehicle VH reaches the target position Pt. If it is predicted that the oncoming vehicle VH2 will enter the intersection (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S135. On the other hand, if it is not predicted that the oncoming vehicle VH2 will enter the intersection (No), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S140.

[0048] In step S135, the ECU 10 changes the target vehicle speed to a first target vehicle speed Vt1 lower than the reference target vehicle speed Vt, executes deceleration control, and then returns to this routine.

[0049] When proceeding from step S120 or step S130 to the process of step S140, the ECU 10 determines whether it is predicted that a pedestrian will pass or attempt to pass the crosswalks PC1 and PC2 within a range around a predetermined time before the timing when the host vehicle VH reaches the target position Pt. If it is predicted that the pedestrian will pass or attempt to pass the crosswalks PC1 and PC2 (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S145. On the other hand, if it is not predicted that the pedestrian will pass or attempt to pass the crosswalks PC1 and PC2 (No), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S150. Note that when the host vehicle VH turns right (turns left in the case of left-hand traffic) to the oncoming lane L2 side, the range of the predetermined time used for the pedestrian determination in step S140 may be set wider.

[0050] In step S145, the ECU 10 changes the target vehicle speed to a second target vehicle speed Vt2 lower than the reference target vehicle speed Vt, executes deceleration control, and then returns to this routine.

[0051] When proceeding to the process from step S140 to step S150, the ECU 10 determines whether it is predicted that the lighting color of the traffic signal TL will change to a lighting color (red) that prohibits the host vehicle VH from entering the intersection within a range around a predetermined time before the timing when the host vehicle VH reaches the target position Pt. If it is predicted that the lighting color will change to a lighting color that prohibits entry (Yes), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S155. On the other hand, if it is not predicted that the lighting color will change to a lighting color that prohibits entry (No), the ECU 10 proceeds to the process of step S160.

[0052] In step S155, the ECU 10 changes the target vehicle speed to a third target vehicle speed Vt3 that is higher than the reference target vehicle speed Vt, executes deceleration control, and then returns to this routine. On the other hand, when proceeding to the process from step S150 to step S160, the ECU 10 executes deceleration control using the normal reference target vehicle speed Vt without changing the target vehicle speed, and then returns to this routine. In addition, in the determination process of step S150, if it is predicted that the lighting color of the traffic signal TL is already a lighting color that prohibits the host vehicle VH from entering the intersection at the timing when the host vehicle VH reaches the target position Pt, stop control for stopping the host vehicle VH at the target position Pt may be implemented.

[0053] As described above, the driving support device according to the present embodiment has been described. However, the present disclosure is not limited to the above embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the object of the present disclosure.

[0054] [Modification Example 1] For example, in the above embodiment, in step S135, step S145, and step S155 shown in FIG. 4, it is assumed that a process of changing the target vehicle speed from the reference target vehicle speed Vt (target vehicle speed change process) is performed. However, in addition to the target vehicle speed change process, or instead of the target vehicle speed change process, a start timing change process of changing the deceleration start position Ps (that is, changing the start timing of deceleration control) may be performed.

[0055] Specifically, in steps S135 and S145, the start timing is advanced by bringing the deceleration start position Ps closer to the front side of the host vehicle VH. If the start timing of the deceleration control is advanced, the time required for the host vehicle VH to reach the target position Pt becomes longer, and it becomes possible to effectively prevent the deceleration of the host vehicle VH by the deceleration control from becoming too small compared to the driver's expected value. Also, in step S155, the start timing is delayed by moving the deceleration start position Ps farther from the host vehicle VH. If the start timing of the deceleration control is delayed, the time required for the host vehicle VH to reach the target position Pt becomes shorter, and it becomes possible to effectively prevent the host vehicle VH from being unable to pass through the intersection due to the deceleration support being activated.

[0056] [Modification Example 2] FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram for explaining Modification Example 2. Modification Example 2 is a case where there is a straight-ahead lane L3 for driving a priority vehicle such as a bus (including a tram, etc.) between the host lane L1 and the oncoming lane L2. In such a case, the target vehicle speed change process and / or the start timing change process may be performed based on the information of other vehicles traveling in the straight-ahead lane L3. Specifically, when the host vehicle VH is about to turn right toward the oncoming lane L2 side, if it is predicted that a following vehicle traveling in the straight-ahead lane L3 will enter the intersection, the target vehicle speed may be changed to the first target vehicle speed Vt1, or the start timing may be advanced. By doing so, it becomes possible to effectively prevent the deceleration of the host vehicle VH by the deceleration control from becoming too small compared to the driver's expected value.

Claims

1. An intersection recognition means for recognizing an intersection ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle, A right / left turn prediction means for predicting whether the vehicle will turn right or left at the intersection recognized by the intersection recognition means, A deceleration control means for performing deceleration control to decelerate the vehicle to a predetermined target vehicle speed until the vehicle reaches a predetermined target position when it is predicted by the right / left turn prediction means that the vehicle will turn right or left at the intersection, and is a driving support device comprising: Further comprising an external information acquisition means for acquiring information on oncoming vehicles and / or information on pedestrians and / or information on the signal light color of the intersection, The deceleration control means sets the target vehicle speed and / or the start timing for starting the deceleration control based on the information acquired by the external information acquisition means A driving support device characterized by this.

2. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein The deceleration control means, When the right / left turn prediction means predicts that the vehicle will turn right or left toward the oncoming lane side, and the external information acquisition means acquires information on an oncoming vehicle predicted to enter the intersection within a range around a predetermined time before the timing when the vehicle reaches the target position, executes a target vehicle speed change process for lowering the target vehicle speed and / or a start timing change process for advancing the start timing A driving support device characterized by this.

3. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein The deceleration control means, When the external information acquisition means acquires information on a pedestrian predicted to cross a crosswalk on the travel path of the vehicle turning right or left within a range around a predetermined time before the timing when the vehicle reaches the target position, executes a target vehicle speed change process for lowering the target vehicle speed and / or a start timing change process for advancing the start timing A driving support device characterized by this.

4. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein The deceleration control means, Based on the information on the signal light color acquired by the external information acquisition means, when it is predicted that the signal light color will change to a light color that prohibits the vehicle from entering the intersection within a range around a predetermined time before the timing when the vehicle reaches the target position, executes a target vehicle speed change process for increasing the target vehicle speed and / or a start timing change process for delaying the start timing A driving support device characterized by this.

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