Driving assistance device and driving assistance method

Abstract

To provide a technique advantageous for appropriately performing driving assistance of a self-vehicle.SOLUTION: A driving assistance device includes: an acquisition section that acquires peripheral vehicle information indicating vehicle speed, a position, a traveling track, and an indication state of a blinker of a peripheral vehicle from the peripheral vehicle existing around a self-vehicle mounted with the driving assistance device by vehicle-to-vehicle communication; a prediction section that predicts a possibility of collision between the self-vehicle and the peripheral vehicle on the basis of self-vehicle information indicating vehicle speed, a position, a traveling track, and an indication state of a blinker of the self-vehicle and the peripheral vehicle information; and a notification section that notifies an occupant of the self-vehicle on the basis of a prediction result by the prediction section. The prediction section predicts a possibility of collision between the self-vehicle and the peripheral vehicle on the basis of at least the indication state of the blinker of the self-vehicle, the indication state of the blinker of the peripheral vehicle, and the position of the peripheral vehicle with respect to the self-vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 9

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving support device and a driving support method.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, efforts have been actively made to provide access to a sustainable transport system that takes into account people in vulnerable positions among traffic participants. In order to achieve this, research and development efforts are focused on further improving traffic safety and convenience through research and development on preventive safety technologies. Devices for providing driving support to prevent collisions with other vehicles (surrounding vehicles) are known. Patent Document 1 describes determining whether a dangerous state exists based on the state of the direction indicator of another vehicle. Patent Document 2 describes determining whether a preceding vehicle will change lanes or change its course based on the state of the turn signal. Patent Document 3 describes determining whether there is a possibility of collision between the host vehicle and other vehicles based on whether the host vehicle turns right or left. Patent Document 4 describes suppressing collision avoidance support according to the steering situation by the driver of the vehicle.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Patent Document 2

Patent Document 3

Patent Document 4

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] It is difficult to accurately obtain the indication state of the turn signal of other vehicles by a sensor such as a camera. Some aspects of the present disclosure aim to provide advantageous techniques for appropriately performing driving assistance for a host vehicle. And, by extension, contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0005] According to some embodiments, a driving assistance device includes an acquisition means for acquiring, by vehicle-to-vehicle communication, peripheral vehicle information representing the vehicle speed, position, travel trajectory, and turn signal indication state of a peripheral vehicle from a peripheral vehicle existing around a host vehicle on which the driving assistance device is mounted; a host vehicle information representing the vehicle speed, position, travel trajectory, and turn signal indication state of the host vehicle; and a prediction means for predicting the possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and the peripheral vehicle based on the host vehicle information and the peripheral vehicle information. The prediction means predicts the possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and the peripheral vehicle based on at least the turn signal indication state of the host vehicle, the turn signal indication state of the peripheral vehicle, and the position of the peripheral vehicle relative to the host vehicle. A driving assistance device is provided.

Advantages of the Invention

[0006] According to some embodiments, advantageous techniques for appropriately performing driving assistance for a host vehicle are provided.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Figure 9

Figure 10

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Figure 12

Figure 13

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that the following embodiments do not limit the invention according to the claims, and not all combinations of the features described in the embodiments are essential for the invention. Two or more of the plurality of features described in the embodiments may be arbitrarily combined. Also, the same or similar configurations are assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions are omitted.

[0009] <Example of Vehicle Configuration> Referring to FIG. 1, a configuration example of a vehicle 100 according to some embodiments will be described. As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 100 may include a sensor group 101, a turn signal lever 102, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) antenna 103, an inter-vehicle communication antenna 104, a notification device 105, a braking device 106, a turn signal 107, and a control device 108. FIG. 1 shows the components referred to in the following description, but the vehicle 100 may include other components for operating as a vehicle, such as a driving device, a transmission, etc. In addition to or instead of this, the vehicle 100 may not include some of the components shown in FIG. 1. The vehicle 100 may be a four-wheeled vehicle, a two-wheeled vehicle, or another type of vehicle. Hereinafter, the driver of the vehicle 100 may sometimes be simply referred to as the driver.

[0010] The control device 108 controls the overall operation of the vehicle 100. As will be described later, the control device 108 executes driving support for the vehicle 100 on which the control device 108 is mounted. Therefore, the control device 108 may be called a driving support device. The driving support provided by the control device 108 may be collision prevention support for preventing (reducing) collisions with other vehicles. In some embodiments, the control device 108 can execute collision prevention support without using map information. In the following description, to facilitate the distinction from other vehicles, the vehicle 100 may sometimes be referred to as the host vehicle 100. Also, a vehicle different from the vehicle 100 may sometimes be referred to as another vehicle. Among other vehicles, a vehicle currently present around the host vehicle 100 may sometimes be referred to as a surrounding vehicle. The surrounding vehicle may be a vehicle that can communicate with the host vehicle 100 via inter-vehicle communication at present.

[0011] The sensor group 101 includes various sensors for performing driving assistance of the vehicle 100. For example, the sensor group 101 may include a speed sensor for detecting the speed of the vehicle 100, an acceleration sensor for detecting the acceleration of the vehicle 100, and the like. Further, the sensor group 101 may include external detection sensors such as a camera, a millimeter-wave radar, and a lidar (Light Detection and Ranging) capable of detecting objects around the vehicle 100. The sensor group 101 outputs its detection result to the control device 108.

[0012] The turn signal lever 102 is an operator for receiving an operation for changing the instruction state of the turn signal 107 (which may also be called a direction indicator) from the driver. The instruction state of the turn signal 107 may include a state of indicating the right side of the vehicle 100, a state of indicating the left side of the vehicle 100, and a state of indicating neither side. The control device 108 switches the instruction state of the turn signal 107 according to the operation of the turn signal lever 102 by the driver. The turn signal 107 may be located on both the right side and the left side of the vehicle 100. For example, when the driver operates the turn signal lever 102 to indicate the right side, the control device 108 blinks the turn signal 107 on the right side of the vehicle 100. When the driver operates the turn signal lever 102 to indicate the left side, the control device 108 blinks the turn signal 107 on the left side of the vehicle 100. When the driver operates the turn signal lever 102 so as not to indicate any direction, the control device 108 turns off the turn signals 107 on both sides of the vehicle 100. The control device 108 may change the instruction state of the turn signal 107 regardless of the operation of the turn signal lever 102 by the driver. For example, the control device 108 may turn off the blinking turn signal 107 in response to the completion of the turning of the vehicle 100.

[0013] The GNSS antenna 103 receives radio waves for position measurement transmitted from GNSS satellites. For example, the GNSS antenna 103 can be used to acquire information regarding the current position and / or driving trajectory (driving history) of the vehicle 100. Also, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication antenna 104 is an antenna that transmits and receives various data with surrounding vehicles. For example, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication antenna 104 can be used to acquire information regarding the current position, speed, and driving trajectory of surrounding vehicles.

[0014] The notification device 105 is a device that notifies the passengers (e.g., the driver) of the vehicle 100. When there is a possibility that the vehicle 100 may collide with surrounding vehicles, the control device 108 can, as driving support, notify the passengers of the vehicle 100 of the possibility of collision with surrounding vehicles by the notification device 105. For example, the notification device 105 may include a display unit such as a display, and display information indicating the possibility of collision with surrounding vehicles on the display unit, or may include an audio output unit such as a speaker, and output information indicating the possibility of collision with surrounding vehicles from the audio output unit by audio or the like.

[0015] The braking device 106 is a device for executing the braking operation of the vehicle 100, such as a brake, for example. When there is a possibility that the vehicle 100 may collide with surrounding vehicles, the control device 108 can, as driving support, perform deceleration support of the vehicle 100 by operating the braking device 106 and avoid collision with surrounding vehicles.

[0016] The control device 108 is a device (computer) that controls the vehicle 100 and can be configured by, for example, an ECU (Electric Control Unit). The control device 108 can execute driving support by vehicle-to-vehicle communication with other vehicles and processing within the vehicle 100. For example, the control device 108 can execute driving support without using map information. The control device 108 includes a processing unit 110, a storage unit 111, a GNSS module 113, and a vehicle-to-vehicle communication module 114, and these are connected by a bus (not shown).

[0017] The processing unit 110 is a processor represented by a CPU (Central Processing Unit), and executes programs stored in the storage unit 111. The storage unit 111 includes, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a hard disk, etc., and stores a program (driving support program) for the processing unit 110 to execute driving support processing for the vehicle 100, a program (learning program) for the processing unit 110 to learn risk positions, various data, etc. The storage unit 111 may store risk position information 112 created based on the intersection of the driving trajectory of the vehicle 100 and the driving trajectories of other vehicles. The risk position information 112 may include a plurality of risk positions. The risk position may be a position where the vehicle 100 may collide with other vehicles or a position with a high possibility thereof. The risk position information 112 may be managed as a database.

[0018] The GNSS module 113 receives the position information of the vehicle 100, etc. from GNSS satellites via the GNSS antenna 103. Also, the vehicle-to-vehicle communication module 114 receives various information from other vehicles via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication antenna 104.

[0019] The processing unit 110 may include an acquisition unit 110a, a prediction unit 110b, a support unit 110c, and an update unit 110d in order to execute driving support (collision prevention support in some embodiments) for the vehicle 100. Note that the processing unit 110 is not limited to a configuration including each of the units 110a to 110d. Depending on the type of driving support executed by the vehicle 100, other units may be added or some units may be omitted.

[0020] The acquisition unit 110a acquires, via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication antenna 104 (vehicle-to-vehicle communication module 114), information on surrounding vehicles existing around the vehicle 100, including the current position, vehicle speed, driving trajectory, and the indicating state of the turn signal of the surrounding vehicles. The information on surrounding vehicles may explicitly or implicitly represent the current position, vehicle speed, driving trajectory, and the indicating state of the turn signal of the surrounding vehicles. For example, the information on surrounding vehicles may include the vehicle speed as it is, or may include information for calculating the vehicle speed (the current and the two immediately preceding geographical positions and their positioning times). The acquisition unit 110a may acquire information on the host vehicle, including the current position, speed, driving trajectory, and the indicating state of the turn signal 107 of the vehicle 100, via the sensor group 101 and the GNSS antenna 103 (GNSS module 113). The acquisition unit 110a may acquire the indicating state of the turn signal 107 from the turn signal 107, or may store the most recent change command to the turn signal 107 and acquire the indicating state based on the stored change command.

[0021] The prediction unit 110b predicts the possibility of the vehicle 100 colliding with other vehicles based on the information on the host vehicle and the information on surrounding vehicles acquired by the acquisition unit 110a. The prediction unit 110b may set a determination area and predict the possibility of the vehicle 100 colliding with other vehicles in the determination area. Further, the prediction unit 110b may perform driving support for the vehicle 100 based on the risk position information 112. For example, the prediction unit 110b may set the determination area to include at least one risk position among a plurality of risk positions included in the risk position information 112 when the at least one risk position is located near the host vehicle.

[0022] Based on the prediction result by the prediction unit 110b, the support unit 110c performs driving support (collision prevention support) for the host vehicle 100. In some embodiments, the support unit 110c can execute at least one of notification to the passengers of the vehicle 100 by the notification device 105 and deceleration support of the vehicle 100 by the braking device 106 as driving support for the vehicle 100. The deceleration support may support decelerating until the host vehicle 100 stops, that is, may include stop support. The stop support may include not only deceleration of the host vehicle 100 but also determination of the stop position of the host vehicle 100, route planning toward the stop position, and automatic steering along the route.

[0023] The update unit 110d identifies an intersection of the travel trajectory of the vehicle 100 and the travel trajectories of surrounding vehicles. The intersection of the travel trajectory of the vehicle 100 and the travel trajectories of surrounding vehicles is hereinafter referred to as a trajectory intersection. There may be a road intersection near the trajectory intersection. Further, the update unit 110d updates the risk position information 112 stored in the storage unit 111 based on the identified trajectory intersection. For example, the update unit 110d may update the risk position information 112 by adding the trajectory intersection to the risk position information 112. Instead of or in addition to this, the update unit 110d may update the risk position information 112 by correcting any risk position included in the risk position information 112 based on the trajectory intersection.

[0024] Subsequently, with reference to FIG. 2, an example of the risk position information 112 will be described. In the example of FIG. 2, the risk position information 112 is described in a table format, but the risk position information 112 may be in other formats. The risk position information 112 has a record for each risk position. The columns of the risk position information 112 shown in FIG. 2 are an example. The risk position information 112 may include other columns or may not include some of the columns shown in FIG. 2.

[0025] The risk position information 112 may include information regarding a risk position ID, a registration date and time, coordinates, and a passing direction for each risk position. The risk position ID is a number that uniquely identifies the risk position. The registration date and time is the date and time when the risk position was registered in the risk position information 112. The coordinates are data for specifying the risk position and are represented by, for example, latitude and longitude data. The coordinates may include altitude data such as elevation in addition to the latitude and longitude data. The passing direction is the direction (orientation, angle) in which the vehicle 100 was facing at the time of passing through the trajectory intersection used to determine the risk position. The passing direction may be understood as the traveling direction (entry orientation) of the vehicle 100 when entering the trajectory intersection. In the example of FIG. 2, the passing direction of the vehicle 100 is defined with north being 0°, east being 90°, south being 180°, and west being 270°.

[0026] Subsequently, with reference to FIG. 3, an example of a trajectory intersection will be described. As described above, a trajectory intersection is an intersection between the traveling trajectory of the vehicle 100 and the traveling trajectories of other vehicles. In this specification, a case where the vehicle 100 is located in an area where driving on the right side is mandatory will be described. In this case, of the left side and the right side, the side of the road on which driving is mandatory in the area where the vehicle 100 is located is the right side, and the opposite side is the left side. Also, the oncoming lane side of the vehicle 100 is the left side of the vehicle 100. The embodiments described in this specification are also applicable to the case where the vehicle 100 is located in an area where driving on the left side is mandatory. In this case, the left and right in the processes described below (for example, the right turn and left turn of the vehicle 100 and other vehicles, and the right side and left side of the indicator state of the turn signal) are swapped. Specifically, of the left side and the right side, the side of the road on which driving is mandatory in the area where the vehicle 100 is located is the left side, and the opposite side is the right side. Also, the oncoming lane side of the vehicle 100 is the right side of the vehicle 100.

[0027] In the example shown in Fig. 3(a), the position where the driving trajectory 301a of the host vehicle 100 moving straight northward intersects with the driving trajectory 302a of the other vehicle OVa moving straight westward becomes the trajectory intersection point CPa. Note that since the timing (time) at which the host vehicle 100 passes through the trajectory intersection point CPa and the timing (time) at which the other vehicle OVa passes through the trajectory intersection point CPa are different from each other, there is no collision between the host vehicle 100 and the other vehicle OVa. Also, the driving trajectory 301a of the host vehicle 100 is included in the host vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 110a via the sensor group 101 and the GNSS antenna 103 (GNSS module 113). The driving trajectory 302a of the other vehicle OVa is included in the other vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 110a via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication antenna 104 (vehicle-to-vehicle communication module 114). Since the other vehicle OVa exists in the vicinity of the host vehicle 100 at the time of acquisition, the other vehicle information may be understood as surrounding vehicle information.

[0028] In the example shown in Fig. 3(b), the position where the driving trajectory 301b of the host vehicle 100 moving straight northward and then turning left intersects with the driving trajectory 302b of the other vehicle OVb moving straight southward becomes the trajectory intersection point CPb. Note that since the timing (time) at which the host vehicle 100 passes through the trajectory intersection point CPb and the timing (time) at which the other vehicle OVb passes through the trajectory intersection point CPb are different from each other, there is no collision between the host vehicle 100 and the other vehicle OVb. Also, the driving trajectory 301b of the host vehicle 100, similar to the driving trajectory 301a, is included in the host vehicle information acquired by the acquisition unit 110a via the sensor group 101 and the GNSS antenna 103 (GNSS module 113). The driving trajectory 302b of the other vehicle OVb, similar to the driving trajectory 302a, is included in the other vehicle information (surrounding vehicle information) acquired by the acquisition unit 110a via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication antenna 104 (vehicle-to-vehicle communication module 114).

[0029] The functions of the control device 108 can be realized by either hardware or software. For example, the functions of the control device 108 may be realized by the processing unit 110 (CPU) executing the driving support program and / or the learning program as described above, or may be realized by an integrated circuit such as a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) or an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit). Also, in the example of FIG. 1, the control device 108 is shown as a single element, but it may be divided into two or more elements as needed.

[0030] <Management Process of Surrounding Vehicles> With reference to FIG. 4, an example of the process of managing surrounding vehicles will be described. The process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 4 is executed by the processing unit 110 according to the learning program read from the storage unit 111. The process of FIG. 4 may be started, for example, in response to the ignition of the vehicle 100 being turned on. The process of FIG. 4 can be repeatedly executed until the ignition of the vehicle 100 is turned off.

[0031] In step S401, the processing unit 110 (for example, its acquisition unit 110a) determines whether there are other vehicles around the host vehicle 100. If the processing unit 110 determines that there are other vehicles around the host vehicle 100, the process proceeds to step S402, and in other cases, the process proceeds to step S404. For example, when the processing unit 110 can perform vehicle-to-vehicle communication via the vehicle-to-vehicle communication antenna 104 (vehicle-to-vehicle communication module 114), it may determine that there are other vehicles around the host vehicle 100.

[0032] In step S402, the processing unit 110 (for example, its acquisition unit 110a) registers the other vehicles discovered in step S401 as surrounding vehicles. For example, the storage unit 111 may store a list of surrounding vehicles, and the processing unit 110 may add the information of the discovered surrounding vehicles to this list. As will be described later, the surrounding vehicles are objects for determining the possibility of collision. Instead of managing the information of the surrounding vehicles in a list, in the repeatedly executed process, information may be acquired from all other vehicles capable of vehicle-to-vehicle communication at the start of each cycle, and the information acquired in this cycle may be discarded at the end of each cycle.

[0033] In step S403, the processing unit 110 (for example, its acquisition unit 110a) starts acquiring surrounding vehicle information through vehicle-to-vehicle communication from the surrounding vehicles. As described above, the surrounding vehicle information may represent the vehicle speed, position, and driving trajectory of the surrounding vehicles. After starting to acquire the surrounding vehicle information in step S402, the processing unit 110 repeatedly acquires the surrounding vehicle information periodically (for example, every 100 milliseconds) until vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the surrounding vehicles becomes impossible.

[0034] After starting to acquire the surrounding vehicle information, in step S403, the processing unit 110 (for example, its acquisition unit 110a) determines whether there is a vehicle for which vehicle-to-vehicle communication with one or more registered surrounding vehicles has become impossible. If such a vehicle exists, the processing unit 110 transitions the process to step S405; otherwise, the processing unit 110 transitions the process to step S401. For example, when a surrounding vehicle moves out of the communication range of vehicle-to-vehicle communication or the power of the surrounding vehicle is turned off, vehicle 100 cannot perform vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the surrounding vehicle.

[0035] In step S405, the processing unit 110 (for example, its acquisition unit 110a) cancels the registration of the surrounding vehicle for which vehicle-to-vehicle communication has become impossible. In other words, the processing unit 110 does not treat the vehicle for which vehicle-to-vehicle communication has become impossible as a surrounding vehicle. For example, the processing unit 110 deletes the information of the surrounding vehicle for which vehicle-to-vehicle communication has become impossible from the list of surrounding vehicles stored in the storage unit 111.

[0036] As described above, by executing the process of FIG. 4, the processing unit 110 can periodically acquire the latest surrounding vehicle information from other vehicles (i.e., surrounding vehicles) around the host vehicle 100.

[0037] <Driving assistance process> With reference to FIGS. 5 to 13, the driving assistance process of some embodiments will be described. As described with reference to FIG. 3(a), when another vehicle is included in the lateral range of the host vehicle 100, if both the host vehicle 100 and the other vehicle go straight, there is a possibility that these vehicles will collide. On the other hand, as described with reference to FIG. 3(b), when another vehicle is included in the front range of the host vehicle 100, if the host vehicle 100 turns left and the other vehicle goes straight, there is a possibility that these vehicles will collide. Thus, depending on the position of the other vehicle relative to the host vehicle 100, the situations in which these vehicles may collide can vary. Therefore, in some embodiments, the control device 108 performs different driving assistance according to whether a surrounding vehicle exists within the front range or the lateral range with respect to the host vehicle 100.

[0038] With reference to FIG. 5, the range for selecting a driving assistance method will be described. The range 500 is located in front of the vehicle 100. The front of the vehicle 100 may be a range including the front of the vehicle 100. The range 500 may be a fan-shaped range as shown in FIG. 5, or may have other shapes. The fan-shaped range may be defined by a predetermined distance and a predetermined angle. The predetermined distance may be, for example, 800 m or more and 1000 m or less, for example, 900 m. The same applies to the predetermined distance of the following fan-shaped ranges. The range 500 may be symmetric with respect to the front direction of the vehicle 100. The central angle of the range 500 may be, for example, about 100 degrees to 110 degrees.

[0039] Range 501 is located on the side of vehicle 100. The side of vehicle 100 may be a range including the diagonally front of vehicle 100. Range 501 may include the directly lateral direction of vehicle 100. As shown in FIG. 5, range 501 may be a fan-shaped range, or may have other shapes. The fan-shaped range may be defined by a predetermined distance and a predetermined angle. In the example of FIG. 5, range 501 is located on each of the right side and the left side of vehicle 100. The central angle of range 501 may be, for example, about 80 degrees to 90 degrees.

[0040] In the example of FIG. 5, a part of range 500 and a part of range 501 overlap. The central angle of this overlapping part may be, for example, about 10 degrees to 20 degrees. When a surrounding vehicle exists in this overlapping part, this surrounding vehicle becomes an object of both the driving support in the situation of FIG. 3(a) and the driving support in the situation of FIG. 3(b). Instead of the example of FIG. 5, range 500 and range 501 may only be in contact with each other, or may be separated from each other. Range 500, the range 501 on the right side of vehicle 100, and the range 501 on the left side of vehicle 100 may all have the same size, or at least a part may have different sizes.

[0041] When the surrounding vehicle is included in range 501, as shown in FIG. 3(a), the control device 108 determines that the host vehicle 100 may collide with other vehicles when the host vehicle 100 goes straight. Therefore, the control device 108 predicts the possibility of a collision when the host vehicle 100 goes straight. This operation will be described later with reference to FIGS. 6 to 9. On the other hand, when the surrounding vehicle is included in range 500, as shown in FIG. 3(b), the control device 108 determines that the host vehicle 100 may collide with other vehicles when the host vehicle 100 turns left. Therefore, the control device 108 predicts the possibility of a collision when the host vehicle 100 goes straight. This operation will be described later with reference to FIGS. 10 to 12. The positions of ranges 500 and 501 with respect to the host vehicle 100 may be set in advance (for example, at the time of manufacturing vehicle 100 or when software is updated) and stored in the storage unit 111.

[0042] FIG. 6 illustrates an example of a process for performing driving assistance when a surrounding vehicle RV (FIG. 7(a)) exists within the range 501 on the side of the host vehicle 100. The process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 6 is executed by the processing unit 110 according to a driving assistance program read from the storage unit 111. The process of FIG. 6 may be executed for each surrounding vehicle RV, for example, each time a new surrounding vehicle RV is registered in step S602 of FIG. 6 while the driving assistance setting is on. In the process of FIG. 6, a plurality of other vehicles may be registered as surrounding vehicles. The process of FIG. 6 is executed for each of these plurality of surrounding vehicles.

[0043] In step S601, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) determines whether the surrounding vehicle RV exists within the range 501 on the side of the host vehicle 100. If the processing unit 110 determines that the surrounding vehicle RV exists within the range 501 on the side of the host vehicle 100, the process proceeds to step S602; otherwise, step S601 is repeated. This determination may be made based on the current position of the surrounding vehicle RV included in the latest surrounding vehicle information acquired from the surrounding vehicle RV. In the example shown in FIG. 7(a), the surrounding vehicle RV exists within the range 501.

[0044] In step S602, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) determines whether the predicted travel route of the host vehicle 100 and the predicted travel route of the surrounding vehicle RV intersect. If the processing unit 110 determines that the travel routes of these two predicted vehicles intersect, the process proceeds to step S603; otherwise, step S602 is repeated. The predicted travel route may be a semi-infinite line extending forward from the vehicle. In the example shown in FIG. 7(a), the predicted travel route 700 of the host vehicle 100 and the predicted travel route 701 of the surrounding vehicle RV intersect. The intersection of the predicted travel route 700 of the host vehicle 100 and the predicted travel route 701 of the surrounding vehicle RV is represented as the predicted intersection 702. The predicted travel route 700 of the host vehicle 100 may be determined based on the host vehicle information (specifically, the current position and the travel trajectory). The processing unit 110 may acquire the latest host vehicle information at this time. The predicted travel route 701 of the surrounding vehicle RV may be determined based on the latest surrounding vehicle information (specifically, the current position and the travel trajectory).

[0045] In step S603, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) sets a determination area with the predicted intersection 702 as a reference position, and stores the determination area in the storage unit 111. The determination area may be an area where a prediction of the possibility of collision is made. With reference to FIG. 7(a), an example of the determination area 703 set with the predicted intersection 702 as a reference position will be described. The determination area 703 may be a rectangle that includes the predicted intersection 702 and has sides parallel to the predicted travel path 700 of the host vehicle 100. Alternatively, the determination area 703 may have other shapes. The position and shape of the determination area 703 with respect to the predicted intersection 702 may be set in advance (for example, at the time of manufacturing the vehicle 100 or at the time of software update) and stored in the storage unit 111. The processing unit 110 may expand the determination area 703 so as to include the risk position when a risk position exists near the determination area 703.

[0046] As shown in FIG. 7(a), when the surrounding vehicle RV is on the right side of the host vehicle 100 (that is, the side opposite to the oncoming lane side), and as shown in FIG. 7(b), when the surrounding vehicle RV is on the left side of the host vehicle 100 (that is, the oncoming lane side), the processing unit 110 may set determination areas 703 having different shapes (sizes). Whether the surrounding vehicle RV is on the right side or the left side of the host vehicle 100, the length 704 of the determination area 703 in the vehicle width direction may be the same length (for example, a length corresponding to one lane, which is 3 m to 4 m). The length 705 of the determination area 703 in the vehicle length direction when the surrounding vehicle RV is on the right side of the host vehicle 100 may be longer than the length 705 of the determination area 703 in the vehicle length direction when the surrounding vehicle RV is on the left side of the host vehicle 100. The length 705 of the determination area 703 in the vehicle length direction when the surrounding vehicle RV is on the right side of the host vehicle 100 may be, for example, a length corresponding to three lanes, which is 9 m to 11 m. The length 705 of the determination area 703 in the vehicle length direction when the surrounding vehicle RV is on the left side of the host vehicle 100 may be, for example, a length corresponding to two lanes, which is 6 m to 8 m.

[0047] Whether the surrounding vehicle RV is on the right or left side of the host vehicle 100, the distance between the side of the determination region 703 that is far from the host vehicle 100 and the predicted intersection 702 may be the same (for example, about 1.5 m corresponding to half a lane). As a result, among the determination region 703 when the surrounding vehicle RV is on the right side of the host vehicle 100, the length 706 of the portion closer to the host vehicle 100 than the predicted intersection 702 is greater than the length 706 of the portion closer to the host vehicle 100 than the predicted intersection 702 among the determination region 703 when the surrounding vehicle RV is on the left side of the host vehicle 100. When the surrounding vehicle RV is on the right side of the host vehicle 100, there may be a possibility that the oncoming lane of the lane in which the surrounding vehicle RV is traveling exists between the predicted intersection 702 and the host vehicle 100. Therefore, by expanding the determination region 703 toward the host vehicle 100, it is possible to suppress a collision with another vehicle (which may not have a vehicle-to-vehicle communication function) traveling in this oncoming lane.

[0048] In step S604, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) predicts the possibility of collision between the host vehicle 100 and the surrounding vehicle RV in the determination region 703. When it is predicted that there is a possibility of collision between the host vehicle 100 and the surrounding vehicle RV, the processing unit 110 transitions the process to step S605, and in other cases, transitions the process to step S607.

[0049] The possibility of collision may be determined based on the predicted time until the surrounding vehicle RV reaches the predicted intersection 702 (hereinafter simply referred to as "arrival time"). This arrival time may be calculated based on, for example, the latest surrounding vehicle information acquired from the surrounding vehicle RV. For example, the processing unit 110 can predict the predicted time of the surrounding vehicle RV to the predicted intersection 702 by dividing the distance between the surrounding vehicle RV and the predicted intersection 702 by the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV.

[0050] The processing unit 110 may predict that there is a possibility of collision when this arrival time is less than or equal to the time threshold, and determine that there is no possibility of collision when this arrival time is greater than the time threshold. The time threshold may be settable by the occupant of the host vehicle 100.

[0051] The processing unit 110 may change the time threshold according to the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing the relationship between the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV and the stop time of the surrounding vehicle RV. The stop time of the surrounding vehicle RV is the time until the surrounding vehicle RV stops at a deceleration (e.g., 0.4G) by a general braking operation. In FIG. 8, a specified range (speed upper limit value, speed lower limit value) regarding the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV and a time upper limit value and a time lower limit value regarding the collision margin time (TTC) are shown. The specified range is the speed range of the surrounding vehicle RV in which the driving support of the host vehicle 100 is performed. The time upper limit value is the upper limit value of the collision margin time arbitrarily set by the driver or the like, and the time lower limit value is the lower limit value of the collision margin time set from the measurement position accuracy of GNSS.

[0052] Based on the "relationship between the speed and stop time of the surrounding vehicle RV" represented by the line 800 in FIG. 8, the processing unit 110 sets the stop time corresponding to the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV as the time threshold. The line 800 indicates the boundary between a general braking operation (i.e., an operation for decelerating the vehicle in normal times) and an emergency braking operation (i.e., an operation for suddenly stopping the vehicle). For example, since the deceleration of a general braking operation is 0.4G or less, the line 800 may have a slope corresponding to 0.4G. In the region 801 above the line 800, the arrival time is longer than the stop time, and if the driver of the surrounding vehicle RV performs a general braking operation, the surrounding vehicle RV can be stopped before reaching the predicted intersection 702. Therefore, when the arrival time is greater than the time threshold (stop time), the driving support of the host vehicle SV may be suppressed. On the other hand, in the region 802 below the line 800, the arrival time is shorter than the stop time, and even if the driver of the surrounding vehicle RV performs a general braking operation (e.g., deceleration of 0.4G), the surrounding vehicle RV may reach the predicted intersection 702 before stopping. Therefore, when the arrival time is equal to or less than the time threshold (stop time), the driving support of the host vehicle SV may be executed. Note that the processing unit 110 may continuously change the time threshold according to the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV, or may change it stepwise.

[0053] The possibility of collision may be determined based on the entry of the host vehicle 100 into the determination area 703 instead of or in addition to the arrival time until the surrounding vehicle RV reaches the predicted intersection 702. For example, when the host vehicle 100 enters the determination area 703, the processing unit 110 may predict that there is a possibility of collision, and when the host vehicle 100 has not entered the determination area 703, it may determine that there is no possibility of collision.

[0054] Furthermore, the possibility of collision may be determined based on the difference (hereinafter referred to as "arrival time difference") between the predicted time until the surrounding vehicle RV reaches the predicted intersection 702 and the predicted time until the host vehicle 100 reaches the predicted intersection 702. When the arrival time difference is equal to or less than the time threshold, the processing unit 110 may predict that there is a possibility of collision, and when the arrival time difference is greater than the time threshold, it may determine that there is no possibility of collision. The time threshold may be settable by the occupant of the host vehicle 100.

[0055] Furthermore, the possibility of collision may be predicted based on the indication state of the turn signal 107 of the host vehicle 100, the indication state of the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV, and the position of the surrounding vehicle RV relative to the host vehicle 100. For example, the possibility of collision may be predicted based on at least any one of the surrounding vehicle RV being on the right or left side of the host vehicle 100, the turn signal 107 of the host vehicle 100 indicating the right or left side, and the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV indicating the right or left side.

[0056] Referring to FIG. 9, a specific example of predicting the possibility of collision based on the indication state of the turn signal will be described. FIG. 9(a) illustrates the case where the surrounding vehicle RV is located within the range 501 on the left side of the host vehicle 100. When the turn signal 107 of the host vehicle 100 is not indicating a direction (for example, the turn signal 107 is turned off), the host vehicle 100 is expected to take the straight-ahead route 901S through the intersection ahead of the host vehicle 100. When the turn signal 107 of the host vehicle 100 is indicating the right side (for example, the turn signal 107 on the right side of the host vehicle 100 is flashing), the host vehicle 100 is expected to take the right-turn route 901R through the intersection ahead of the host vehicle 100. When the turn signal 107 of the host vehicle 100 is indicating the left side (for example, the turn signal 107 on the left side of the host vehicle 100 is flashing), the host vehicle 100 is expected to take the left-turn route 901L through the intersection ahead of the host vehicle 100.

[0057] When the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV is not indicating a direction, the surrounding vehicle RV is expected to take the straight-ahead route 902S through the intersection ahead of the surrounding vehicle RV. When the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV is indicating the right side, the surrounding vehicle RV is expected to take the right-turn route 902R through the intersection ahead of the surrounding vehicle RV. When the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV is indicating the left side, the surrounding vehicle RV is expected to take the left-turn route 902L through the intersection ahead of the surrounding vehicle RV.

[0058] The processing unit 110 may predict that there is a possibility of collision for pairs in which the driving routes of both vehicles cross or match among the pairs of the three predicted driving routes 901S, 901R, and 901L for the host vehicle 100 and the three predicted driving routes 902S, 902R, and 902L for the surrounding vehicle RV, and predict that there is no possibility of collision for other pairs. Table 910 in Fig. 9(a) summarizes the above description. In Table 910, "YES" indicates that it is predicted that there is a possibility of collision, and "NO" indicates that it is predicted that there is no possibility of collision. The same applies to Tables 911 and 1210 described later. For example, when the turn signal 107 of the host vehicle 100 indicates the left side and the turn signal of the other vehicle indicates the left side, the processing unit 110 may predict that there is a possibility of collision. On the other hand, when the turn signal 107 of the host vehicle 100 indicates the right side and the turn signal of the other vehicle indicates the right side, the processing unit 110 may predict that there is no possibility of collision.

[0059] Fig. 9(b) illustrates the case where the surrounding vehicle RV is located within the range 501 on the right side of the host vehicle 100. The predicted driving routes for the host vehicle 100 are the same as those in Fig. 9(a). When the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV does not indicate a direction, it is expected that the surrounding vehicle RV will take the driving route 903S of going straight through the intersection ahead of the surrounding vehicle RV. When the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV indicates the right side, it is expected that the surrounding vehicle RV will take the driving route 903R of turning right at the intersection ahead of the surrounding vehicle RV. When the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV indicates the left side, it is expected that the surrounding vehicle RV will take the driving route 903L of turning left at the intersection ahead of the surrounding vehicle RV.

[0060] The processing unit 110 may predict that there is a possibility of collision for pairs in which the driving routes of both vehicles cross or match among the pairs of the three predicted driving routes 901S, 901R, and 901L for the host vehicle 100 and the three predicted driving routes 903S, 903R, and 903L for the surrounding vehicle RV, and predict that there is no possibility of collision for other pairs. Table 911 in Fig. 9(b) summarizes the above description.

[0061] The above four conditions (i.e., the arrival time being less than or equal to the time threshold, the host vehicle 100 entering the determination area 703, the arrival time difference being less than or equal to another time threshold, and the indication state of the turn signal satisfying the above conditions) may be arbitrarily combined to determine the possibility of collision. For example, the processing unit 110 may determine that there is a possibility of collision when all of these four conditions are satisfied, and determine that there is no possibility of collision in other cases. Alternatively, the processing unit 110 may determine that there is a possibility of collision when at least one of these four conditions is satisfied, and determine that there is no possibility of collision in other cases. Alternatively, the processing unit 110 may determine that there is a possibility of collision when at least one of the two pre-set conditions among these four conditions is satisfied, and determine that there is no possibility of collision in other cases. Specifically, when the predicted time until the surrounding vehicle RV reaches the predicted intersection 702 is less than the first time threshold, the processing unit 110 may predict that there is a possibility of collision if the arrival time difference is less than the second time threshold, and predict that there is no possibility of collision if the arrival time difference is greater than the second time threshold.

[0062] In step S605, the processing unit 110 (for example, its support unit 110c) determines whether the support conditions are met. When it is determined that the support conditions are met, the processing unit 110 transitions the process to step S606, and in other cases, transitions the process to step S607. The support conditions may be conditions that need to be satisfied in order to execute driving support. For example, the support conditions may be based on whether the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV is within a specified range. The specified range can be set in advance by a speed lower limit value and a speed upper limit value related to the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV. When the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV is equal to or lower than the speed lower limit value of the specified range, the driver of the surrounding vehicle RV is likely to notice the host vehicle 100 and decelerate the surrounding vehicle RV without colliding with the host vehicle 100. That is, the speed lower limit value of the specified range related to the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV can be set to a value that can decelerate the surrounding vehicle RV without colliding with the host vehicle 100. Also, when the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV is equal to or higher than the upper limit value of the specified range, the surrounding vehicle RV is likely not to be a vehicle traveling on the road where the host vehicle 100 is about to enter, such as traveling on a highway near the road where the host vehicle 100 is about to enter. That is, the speed upper limit value of the specified range related to the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV can be set to a value that can determine whether the vehicle is traveling on the road where the host vehicle 100 is about to enter or on a highway near that road. Thus, by executing / suppressing driving support according to whether the speed of the surrounding vehicle RV is within the specified range, it is possible to reduce the driver of the host vehicle 100 from feeling the annoyance of driving support.

[0063] In step S606, the processing unit 110 (for example, its support unit 110c) performs driving support for the host vehicle 100. As driving support for the host vehicle 100, the processing unit 110 may notify the passengers of the host vehicle 100 of the possibility of collision by the notification device 105, or perform a braking operation of the host vehicle 100 by the braking device 150.

[0064] In step S608, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) deletes from the storage unit 111 the determination area (the determination area stored in step S603) that has become unnecessary due to the execution of the driving support. Thereby, it is possible to suppress the consumption of the capacity of the storage unit 111 by unnecessary information.

[0065] When it is determined in step S604 that there is no possibility of collision, or when it is determined in step S605 that the support conditions are not satisfied, step S607 is executed. In step S607, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) determines whether the surrounding vehicle RV that is the processing target of the method in FIG. 6 has been unregistered in step S405 of FIG. 4. When the processing unit 110 determines that the registration of the surrounding vehicle RV has been canceled, the process transitions to step S608, and in other cases, the process transitions to step S602. When the registration of the surrounding vehicle RV has been canceled, it is considered that the surrounding vehicle RV no longer exists around the host vehicle 100. Therefore, the processing unit 110 ends the process without executing the driving support regarding the collision with this surrounding vehicle RV. Also in this case, in step S608, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) deletes the unnecessary determination area from the storage unit 111.

[0066] When it is determined in step S607 that the registration of the surrounding vehicle RV has not been canceled, the process returns to step S602. In this case, when the predicted path of the host vehicle 100 and the predicted path of the surrounding vehicle RV still intersect, in step S603, a determination area is set with the predicted intersection 702 as the reference position. When a vehicle (the host vehicle 100 or the surrounding vehicle RV) changes its position within the lane or changes lanes, the position of the predicted intersection 702 may change. Since the surrounding vehicle information is repeatedly acquired, the processing unit 110 can detect such a change in the position of the predicted intersection 702. Therefore, in step S603, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) re-sets the reference position based on the newly acquired surrounding vehicle information, and accordingly updates the determination area stored in the storage unit 111. As a result, the determination in step S604 is executed based on the updated determination area. If the predicted intersection 902 cannot be determined in step S603 (for example, when the predicted path 900 of the host vehicle 100 and the predicted path 901 of the surrounding vehicle RV no longer intersect), the most recently determined reference position and determination area may be maintained.

[0067] According to the method of FIG. 6, when a plurality of surrounding vehicles exist within the range 501 on the side of the host vehicle 100, individual reference positions are used for each of the plurality of surrounding vehicles. Specifically, the method of FIG. 6 is executed individually for each of the plurality of surrounding vehicles. As a result, the predicted intersections between the predicted path of the host vehicle 100 and the predicted paths of the surrounding vehicles are also determined for each of the plurality of surrounding vehicles. As a result, for each of the plurality of surrounding vehicles, an individual determination area is set based on the individual reference position. Thereby, the possibility of collision with each of the plurality of surrounding vehicles can be appropriately predicted.

[0068] FIG. 10 illustrates an example of a process for performing driving assistance when a surrounding vehicle RV (FIG. 11) exists within a range 500 in front of the host vehicle 100. The process shown in the flowchart of FIG. 10 is executed by the processing unit 110 according to a learning program read from the storage unit 111. The process of FIG. 10 may be started, for example, in response to the driving assistance setting being turned on. The process of FIG. 10 can be repeatedly executed until the driving assistance setting is turned off or the ignition of the vehicle 100 is turned off.

[0069] In step S1001, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) determines whether the vehicle speed of the host vehicle 100 is within a threshold range. When it is determined that the vehicle speed of the host vehicle 100 is within the threshold range, the processing unit 110 transfers the process to step S1002, and in other cases, transfers the process to step S1003. This determination may be made based on the vehicle speed and acceleration of the host vehicle 100 included in the latest host vehicle information. The upper end of the threshold value used in step S1001 is a value below which the vehicle speed is after the vehicle 100 decelerates to turn (for example, make a left turn or a right turn), and may be, for example, 20 km / h. The lower end of the threshold value used in step S1001 is a value below which the vehicle speed is when the vehicle 100 is stopped or almost stopped, and may be, for example, 2 km / h. The position where the host vehicle 100 is determined to be within the threshold range is represented as a turning preparation position 1101 (FIG. 11). Note that even if the host vehicle 100 does not turn, it can be within the threshold range. Even in this case, the processing unit 110 detects the turning preparation position 1101 and executes the processes after step S1002.

[0070] In step S1002, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) sets a determination area with the turning preparation position 1101 as the reference position, and stores the reference position and the determination area in the storage unit 111. The determination area may be an area where the possibility of collision is predicted. Referring to FIG. 11, an example of the determination area 1102 set with the turning preparation position 1101 as the reference position will be described. The determination area 1102 may be a rectangle centered on the position in front of and to the left of the turning preparation position 1101 and including sides parallel to the vehicle length direction of the host vehicle 100. The length of the determination area 1102 in the vehicle width direction of the host vehicle 100 may be, for example, 3 m to 4 m, which is equivalent to the length of one lane. The length of the determination area 1102 in the vehicle length direction of the host vehicle 100 may be, for example, 9 m to 11 m, which is equivalent to the length of three lanes. The lower right corner of the determination area 1102 may overlap the turning preparation position 1101. Alternatively, the determination area 1102 may have other shapes. The position of the determination area 1102 relative to the reference position may be set in advance (for example, at the time of manufacturing the vehicle 100 or when software is updated) and stored in the storage unit 111. When there is a risk position near the determination area 1102, the processing unit 110 may expand the determination area 1102 to include the risk position. The processing unit 110 sets the determination area 1102 to include the turning preparation position 1101 (that is, the reference position) and offset it to the oncoming lane side (the left side in the example of FIG. 11) with respect to the host vehicle 100 in a direction orthogonal to the predicted travel path of the host vehicle 100. Thereby, the possibility of a collision that may occur when the host vehicle 100 turns left can be appropriately predicted.

[0071] The processes after step S1003 are executed using the reference position and the determination area set in step S1002. As described above, since the method in FIG. 13 is repeatedly executed, steps S1001 and S1002 are also repeatedly executed. Therefore, while the vehicle speed of the host vehicle 100 is within the threshold range (for example, 2 km / h or more and less than 20 km / h), the reference position and the determination area are continuously updated, and the processes after step S1003 are executed using the latest reference position and determination area. In response to the vehicle speed of the host vehicle 100 being outside the threshold range (for example, less than 2 km / h or 20 km / h or more), the update of the reference position and the determination area is stopped, and the processes after step S1003 are executed using the reference position and the determination area at the time of the update stop. When the reference position and the determination area are not set at the time of executing step S1003, the processing unit 110 may omit steps S1003 to S1010 and return the process to S1001.

[0072] In step S1003, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) determines the predicted turning trajectory 1104 of the host vehicle 100. The predicted turning trajectory 1104 may be the turning trajectory predicted when the host vehicle 100 turns toward the oncoming lane side (for example, makes a left turn). The predicted turning trajectory 1104 may be set in advance (for example, at the time of manufacturing the vehicle 100 or at the time of software update) and stored in the storage unit 111. The predicted turning trajectory 1104 set in advance in this way may be called the default predicted turning trajectory 1104.

[0073] A plurality of candidates for the predicted turning trajectory 1104 may be stored in the storage unit 111. The processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) may select one predicted turning trajectory 1104 from the plurality of candidates for the predicted turning trajectory 1104 based on the steering angle of the host vehicle 100 at the turning preparation position 1101 and use it for subsequent processing. For example, when the steering angle of the host vehicle 100 is small, since it is considered that the host vehicle 100 is about to turn left at a small intersection, the processing unit 110 may select a predicted turning trajectory 1104 with a small radius of curvature. On the other hand, when the steering angle of the host vehicle 100 is large, since it is considered that the host vehicle 100 is about to turn left at a large intersection, the processing unit 110 may select a predicted turning trajectory 1104 with a large radius of curvature.

[0074] In step S1004, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) identifies the surrounding vehicle RV existing within the range 500 in front of the host vehicle 100 as the target vehicle for subsequent processing. If there is no surrounding vehicle RV within the range 500, the target vehicle is not identified. If there are a plurality of surrounding vehicles RV within the range 500, any of these plurality of surrounding vehicles RV is identified as the target vehicle. This identification may be performed based on the current position of the surrounding vehicle RV included in the latest surrounding vehicle information acquired from the surrounding vehicle RV. In the example shown in FIG. 11, one surrounding vehicle RV exists within the range 500.

[0075] In step S1005, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) predicts the possibility of collision between the host vehicle 100 and the surrounding vehicle RV in the determination region 1102. When it is determined that there is a possibility of collision between the host vehicle 100 and the surrounding vehicle RV, the processing unit 110 transitions the process to step S1006, and in other cases, the processing unit 110 transitions the process to step S1008.

[0076] The possibility of collision may be determined based on the fact that the intersection 1105 between the predicted turning trajectory 1104 determined in step S1003 and the predicted traveling route 1103 of the surrounding vehicle RV is included in the determination area 1102. For example, when the intersection 1105 is included in the determination area 1102, the processing unit 110 may determine that there is a possibility of collision, and when the intersection 1105 is not included in the determination area 1102, the processing unit 110 may determine that there is no possibility of collision.

[0077] Furthermore, the possibility of collision may be predicted based on the indication state of the turn signal 107 of the host vehicle 100, the indication state of the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV, and the position of the surrounding vehicle RV with respect to the host vehicle 100. For example, the possibility of collision may be predicted based on at least any one of the following: the surrounding vehicle RV is on the right side or the left side with respect to the host vehicle 100, the turn signal 107 of the host vehicle 100 indicates the right side or the left side, and the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV indicates the right side or the left side.

[0078] FIG. 12 illustrates a case where the surrounding vehicle RV is located within the range 500 in front of the host vehicle 100. The predicted traveling route of the host vehicle 100 is the same as that in FIG. 9(a). When the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV does not indicate a direction, it is expected that the surrounding vehicle RV will take the straight-ahead route 1201S through the intersection in front of the surrounding vehicle RV. When the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV indicates the right side, it is expected that the surrounding vehicle RV will take the right-turn route 1201R through the intersection in front of the surrounding vehicle RV. When the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle RV indicates the left side, it is expected that the surrounding vehicle RV will take the left-turn route 1201L through the intersection in front of the surrounding vehicle RV.

[0079] The processing unit 110 may predict that there is a possibility of collision for pairs in which the traveling routes of both vehicles intersect or coincide among the pairs of the three predicted traveling routes 901S, 901R, and 901L of the host vehicle 100 and the three predicted traveling routes 1201S, 1201R, and 1201L of the surrounding vehicle RV, and may predict that there is no possibility of collision for other pairs. Table 1210 in FIG. 12 summarizes the above description.

[0080] In step S1006, the processing unit 110 (for example, its support unit 110c) determines whether the support conditions are satisfied. When it is determined that the support conditions are satisfied, the processing unit 110 transitions the process to step S1007, and otherwise, transitions the process to step S1008. Since step S1006 may be the same as step S605, duplicate explanations are omitted.

[0081] In step S1007, the processing unit 110 (for example, its support unit 110c) performs driving support for the host vehicle 100. As driving support for the host vehicle 100, the processing unit 110 can notify the passengers of the host vehicle 100 of the possibility of collision by the notification device 105, or perform a braking operation of the host vehicle 100 by the braking device 150.

[0082] In step S1010, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) deletes from the storage unit 111 the reference position and the determination area (the reference position and the determination area stored in step S603) that have become unnecessary due to the execution of the driving support. This suppresses the consumption of the capacity of the storage unit 111 by unnecessary information.

[0083] If it is determined in step S1005 that there is no possibility of collision, or if it is determined in step S1006 that the assistance conditions are not satisfied, step S1008 is executed. In step S1008, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) determines whether the host vehicle 100 has moved away from the reference position stored in step S1002 by a predetermined distance (for example, 30 m) or more. If the processing unit 110 determines that the host vehicle 100 has moved away from the reference position by a predetermined distance or more, the process transitions to step S1010; otherwise, the process transitions to step S1009. When the host vehicle 100 has moved away from the reference position by a predetermined distance or more, it is considered that there is no possibility of the host vehicle 100 colliding with the surrounding vehicle RV at that point. Therefore, the processing unit 110 ends the process without performing driving assistance regarding this collision with the surrounding vehicle RV. Also in this case, in step S1010, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) deletes the unnecessary reference position and determination area from the storage unit 111.

[0084] If it is determined in step S1009 that the host vehicle 100 has not moved away from the reference position by a predetermined distance or more, step S1009 is executed. In step S1009, the processing unit 110 (for example, its prediction unit 110b) may update the predicted turning trajectory 1104 based on the change in the steering angle of the host vehicle 100. For example, when the host vehicle 100 is turning left at a steering angle larger than that assumed in the predicted turning trajectory 1104, the processing unit 110 may update the predicted turning trajectory 1104 so that the radius of curvature becomes smaller. On the other hand, when the host vehicle 100 is turning left at a steering angle smaller than that assumed in the predicted turning trajectory 1104, the processing unit 110 may update the predicted turning trajectory 1104 so that the radius of curvature becomes larger. The update of the predicted turning trajectory 1104 may be performed when the current steering angle of the host vehicle 100 becomes equal to or greater than the steering angle of the default predicted turning trajectory 1104. Thereafter, the processing unit 110 transitions the process to step S1004 and identifies the surrounding vehicle RV newly included within the range 500 as the target vehicle for subsequent processing. Also, the possibility of collision in step S1005 is determined based on the updated predicted turning trajectory 1104.

[0085] According to the method of FIG. 10, when there are a plurality of surrounding vehicles within the range 500 in front of the host vehicle 100, a common reference position (i.e., the turning preparation position 1101) is used for the plurality of surrounding vehicles. As a result, for each of the plurality of surrounding vehicles, a common determination area is set based on the common reference position. Thereby, the possibility of collision when the host vehicle 100 turns toward the oncoming lane side (for example, when making a left turn) can be appropriately estimated.

[0086] According to the above-described embodiment, the possibility of collision can be appropriately predicted according to the positions of the surrounding vehicles. As a result, the driving support of the host vehicle 100 can be appropriately performed. Note that even in a situation where the driving support based on the surrounding vehicle information acquired from the surrounding vehicles through vehicle-to-vehicle communication is not executed, the driving support based on other criteria (for example, based on the detection results of a camera or a radar) may be executed.

[0087] When predicting the possibility of a collision based on the above blinker indication state, the processing unit 110 may determine whether the surrounding vehicle RV has executed a lane change based on the driving trajectory of the surrounding vehicle included in the surrounding vehicle information. When the blinker of the surrounding vehicle RV continues to indicate a direction even after the completion of the lane change of the surrounding vehicle RV (for example, when the blinker continues to blink), there is a possibility that the driver of the surrounding vehicle RV has forgotten to turn off the blinker. In this case, the indication state of the blinker of the surrounding vehicle RV does not necessarily match the predicted travel route of the surrounding vehicle RV. Therefore, when the blinker of the surrounding vehicle RV continues to indicate a direction even after the completion of the lane change of the surrounding vehicle RV, the processing unit 110 may predict the possibility of a collision without relying on the indication state of the blinker of the surrounding vehicle RV. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 9(b), when the surrounding vehicle RV is located within the range 501 on the right side with respect to the host vehicle 100 and the blinker of the host vehicle 100 indicates the right side, no matter which direction the surrounding vehicle RV is going to move, the travel routes of the two vehicles do not intersect or coincide, so it may be predicted that there is no possibility of a collision. On the other hand, when the surrounding vehicle RV is located within the range 501 on the right side with respect to the host vehicle 100 and the blinker of the host vehicle 100 indicates the left side, depending on the travel route of the surrounding vehicle RV, the travel routes of the two vehicles may intersect or coincide. Therefore, the processing unit 110 may predict that there is a possibility of a collision in consideration of safety.

[0088] The above prediction of the possibility of a collision can be performed using the latest surrounding vehicle information (including the indication state of the blinker) obtained from the surrounding vehicle RV and the latest host vehicle information (including the indication state of the blinker 107) obtained from the host vehicle 100. Therefore, the processing unit 110 may notify the occupant of the host vehicle 100 based on the prediction result of the possibility of a collision in the change where the blinker of the host vehicle 100 or the surrounding vehicle RV starts to indicate a direction. By basing on the prediction result of the possibility of a collision at the time when the blinker changes the direction indication in this way, the direction of the blinker can be monitored in real time, and the driver can be notified of the possibility of a collision at an early stage. The change of the direction indication by the blinker may be the start of the direction indication by the blinker or the end of the direction indication by the blinker.

[0089] In the above driving support method, based on the fact that the surrounding vehicle RV is located within the range 500 or 501 in FIG. 5, this surrounding vehicle RV is targeted for prediction of the possibility of collision. The processing unit 110 may determine whether to target the surrounding vehicle RV for prediction of the possibility of collision based on other information. With reference to FIG. 13, an example of a method for determining the surrounding vehicle RV to be targeted for prediction of the possibility of collision will be described.

[0090] The processing unit 110 may further determine whether to target the surrounding vehicle RV for prediction of the possibility of collision based on the rotation angle 1303 of the path vector 1302 of the surrounding vehicle RV with respect to the path vector 1301 of the host vehicle 100. The path vector 1301 may be a unit vector facing the traveling direction of the vehicle. For the sake of explanation, the rotation angle 1303 is positive in the clockwise direction and negative in the counterclockwise direction.

[0091] Even if the surrounding vehicle RV is included within the range 500 in front of the host vehicle 100, if the surrounding vehicle RV is traveling in the same direction as the host vehicle 100, or is traveling in the right or left direction with respect to the host vehicle 100, it is considered that there is no possibility of collision between the host vehicle 100 and the surrounding vehicle RV. Therefore, when the surrounding vehicle RV is within the range 500 in front of the host vehicle 100 and the rotation angle 1303 is within a predetermined range (for example, 160° to 200°), the processing unit 110 may target the surrounding vehicle RV as an object for determination of the possibility of collision in the processes of FIGS. 6 and 10.

[0092] Even if the surrounding vehicle RV is included within the range 501 on the right side of the host vehicle 100, if the surrounding vehicle RV is traveling in the same or opposite direction as the host vehicle 100, or is traveling in the right direction with respect to the host vehicle 100, it is considered that there is no possibility of collision between the host vehicle 100 and the surrounding vehicle RV. Therefore, when the surrounding vehicle RV is within the range 501 on the right side of the host vehicle 100 and the rotation angle 1303 is within a predetermined range (for example, -110° to -70°), the processing unit 110 may target the surrounding vehicle RV as an object for determination of the possibility of collision in the processes of FIGS. 6 and 10.

[0093] Even if the surrounding vehicle RV is included within the range 501 on the left side of the host vehicle 100, if the surrounding vehicle RV is traveling in the same direction as or in the opposite direction to the host vehicle 100, or is traveling in the left direction with respect to the host vehicle 100, it is considered that there is no possibility of collision between the host vehicle 100 and the surrounding vehicle RV. Therefore, when the surrounding vehicle RV is within the range 501 on the left side of the host vehicle 100 and the rotation angle 1303 is within a predetermined range (for example, 70° to 110°), the processing unit 110 may use the surrounding vehicle RV as an object for determining the possibility of collision in the processes of FIGS. 6 and 10.

[0094] <Summary of the embodiment> <Item 1> A driving support device (108), acquisition means (110a) for acquiring, by vehicle-to-vehicle communication, surrounding vehicle information representing the vehicle speed, position, travel locus, and turn signal indication state of a surrounding vehicle (RV) existing around a host vehicle (100) on which the driving support device is mounted; prediction means (110b) for predicting the possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle based on host vehicle information representing the vehicle speed, position, travel locus, and turn signal (107) indication state of the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle information; notification means (110c) for notifying an occupant of the host vehicle based on a prediction result by the prediction means, wherein the prediction means predicts the possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle based on at least the turn signal indication state of the host vehicle, the turn signal indication state of the surrounding vehicle, and the position of the surrounding vehicle with respect to the host vehicle. According to this item, the turn signal indication state of the surrounding vehicle can be accurately acquired by vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Using this turn signal indication state, the possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle can be accurately predicted. As a result, it is possible to suppress excessive notification to the driver. <Item 2> Of the right side and the left side, the side of the road for which passage is obligatory in the area where the host vehicle is located is defined as the first side, and the side opposite to the first side is defined as the second side. The prediction means, that the surrounding vehicle is on the first side or the second side with respect to the host vehicle, that the turn signal of the host vehicle indicates the first side or the second side, that the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle indicates the first side or the second side, The driving support device according to item 1, which predicts the possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle based on at least any one of the above. According to this item, in a specific situation, it is possible to suppress excessive notification to the driver. <Item 3> The prediction means when the surrounding vehicle is located within a first range (501) on the first side or within a second range (501) on the second side with respect to the host vehicle, the turn signal of the host vehicle indicates the second side, and the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle indicates the first side, The driving support device according to item 2, which predicts that there is no possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle. According to this item, in a specific situation, it is possible to suppress excessive notification to the driver. <Item 4> The prediction means when the surrounding vehicle is located within a second range (501) on the second side with respect to the host vehicle and the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle indicates the first side, or when the surrounding vehicle is located within a second range on the second side with respect to the host vehicle, the turn signal of the host vehicle indicates the first side, and the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle indicates the first side or the second side, The driving support device according to item 2 or 3, which predicts that there is no possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle. According to this item, in a specific situation, it is possible to suppress excessive notification to the driver. <Item 5> The prediction means When the surrounding vehicle is located within a first range (501) on the first side with respect to the host vehicle and the turn signal of the host vehicle indicates the first side, The driving support device according to any one of items 2 to 4, which predicts that there is no possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle. According to this item, in a specific situation, it is possible to suppress excessive notification to the driver. <Item 6> The prediction means When the surrounding vehicle is located within a third range (500) in front of the host vehicle, the turn signal of the host vehicle indicates the second side, and the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle indicates the second side, The driving support device according to any one of items 2 to 5, which predicts that there is no possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle. According to this item, in a specific situation, it is possible to suppress excessive notification to the driver. <Item 7> The prediction means When the surrounding vehicle is located within a third range (500) in front of the host vehicle, the turn signal of the host vehicle does not indicate a direction or indicates the first side, and the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle does not indicate a direction or indicates the first side, The driving support device according to any one of items 2 to 6, which predicts that there is no possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle. According to this item, in a specific situation, it is possible to suppress excessive notification to the driver. <Item 8> The notification means The driving support device according to any one of items 1 to 7, which notifies the passengers of the host vehicle based on the prediction result by the prediction means when the turn signal of the host vehicle or the surrounding vehicle changes the direction indication. According to this item, the possibility of collision can be predicted at an early stage. <Item 9> The driving support device further includes a determination unit that determines whether or not the surrounding vehicle has executed a lane change based on the driving trajectory of the surrounding vehicle included in the surrounding vehicle information. The prediction unit predicts the possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle without relying on the indication state of the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle when the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle continues to indicate a direction even after completion of the lane change of the surrounding vehicle. The driving support device according to any one of Items 1 to 8. According to this item, appropriate driving support can be provided even when the driver forgets to turn off the turn signal after a lane change. <Item 10> The first range is a fan-shaped range that is on the first side of the host vehicle and is defined by a predetermined distance and a predetermined angle. The second range is a fan-shaped range that is on the second side of the host vehicle and is defined by a predetermined distance and a predetermined angle. The driving support device according to Item 3. According to this item, surrounding vehicles within an appropriate range can be made targets for predicting the possibility of collision. <Item 11> The third range is a fan-shaped range that is in front of the host vehicle and is defined by a predetermined distance and a predetermined angle. The driving support device according to Item 6 or 7. According to this item, surrounding vehicles within an appropriate range can be made targets for predicting the possibility of collision. <Item 12> A driving support method, An acquisition step (S403) in which an acquisition unit acquires, by vehicle-to-vehicle communication, from a surrounding vehicle (RV) existing around the host vehicle (100), surrounding vehicle information representing the vehicle speed, position, driving trajectory, and turn signal indication state of the surrounding vehicle; A prediction step (S604, S1005) in which a prediction unit predicts the possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle based on host vehicle information representing the vehicle speed, position, driving trajectory, and turn signal indication state of the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle information; An informing step in which an informing unit informs the passengers of the host vehicle based on the prediction result in the prediction step. In the prediction process, a driving support method for predicting the possibility of collision between the host vehicle and surrounding vehicles based on at least the indication state of the turn signal of the host vehicle, the indication state of the turn signal of the surrounding vehicles, and the positions of the surrounding vehicles relative to the host vehicle. According to this item, it is possible to suppress excessive notification to the driver. <Item 13> To a computer, An acquisition step (S403) of acquiring, from surrounding vehicles (RV) existing around the host vehicle (100) by vehicle-to-vehicle communication, surrounding vehicle information representing the vehicle speed, position, travel trajectory, and turn signal indication state of the surrounding vehicles; A prediction step (S604, S1005) of predicting the possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles based on the host vehicle information representing the vehicle speed, position, travel trajectory, and turn signal indication state of the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle information; A program for causing execution of a notification step (S606, S1007) of notifying the passengers of the host vehicle based on the prediction result in the prediction step, In the prediction step, a program for predicting the possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles based on at least the indication state of the turn signal of the host vehicle, the indication state of the turn signal of the surrounding vehicles, and the positions of the surrounding vehicles relative to the host vehicle. According to this item, it is possible to suppress excessive notification to the driver.

[0095] The invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention.

Explanation of Reference Numerals

[0096] 100: Vehicle, 101: Sensor group, 102: Turn signal lever, 103: GNSS antenna, 104: Vehicle-to-vehicle communication antenna, 105: Notification device, 106: Braking device, 107: Turn signal, 108: Control device

Claims

1. A driving support device, comprising: an acquisition means for acquiring, by vehicle-to-vehicle communication, from surrounding vehicles existing around the host vehicle on which the driving support device is mounted, surrounding vehicle information representing the vehicle speed, position, travel locus, and turn signal indication state of the surrounding vehicles; a prediction means for predicting the possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles based on the host vehicle information representing the vehicle speed, position, travel locus, and turn signal indication state of the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle information; a notification means for notifying the occupants of the host vehicle based on the prediction result by the prediction means. The prediction means predicts the possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles based on at least the turn signal indication state of the host vehicle, the turn signal indication state of the surrounding vehicles, and the position of the surrounding vehicles relative to the host vehicle.

2. With the side of the road where passage is obligatory in the area where the host vehicle is located being defined as the first side, and the side opposite the first side being defined as the second side, among the right side and the left side, the prediction means predicts the possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles based on at least any one of the surrounding vehicle being on the first side or the second side with respect to the host vehicle, the turn signal of the host vehicle indicating the first side or the second side, and the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle indicating the first side or the second side.

3. The prediction means predicts that there is no possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle when the surrounding vehicle is located within a first range on the first side or within a second range on the second side with respect to the host vehicle, the turn signal of the host vehicle indicates the second side, and the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle indicates the first side. The driving support device according to Claim 2.

4. The prediction means predicts that there is no possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle when the surrounding vehicle is located within the second range on the second side with respect to the host vehicle and the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle indicates the first side, or predicts that there is no possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle when the surrounding vehicle is located within the second range on the second side with respect to the host vehicle, the turn signal of the host vehicle indicates the first side, and the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle indicates the first side or the second side. The driving support device according to Claim 2.

5. The prediction means when the surrounding vehicle is located within a first range on the first side with respect to the host vehicle, and the turn signal of the host vehicle indicates the first side, the driving support device according to claim 2, which predicts that there is no possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle.

6. The prediction means when the surrounding vehicle is located within a third range in front of the host vehicle, the turn signal of the host vehicle indicates the second side, and the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle indicates the second side, the driving support device according to claim 2, which predicts that there is no possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle.

7. The prediction means when the surrounding vehicle is located within a third range in front of the host vehicle, the turn signal of the host vehicle does not indicate a direction or indicates the first side, and the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle does not indicate a direction or indicates the first side, the driving support device according to claim 2, which predicts that there is no possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle.

8. The notification means notifies the occupant of the host vehicle based on the prediction result by the prediction means when the turn signal of the host vehicle or the surrounding vehicle changes the direction indication, according to claim 1.

9. The driving support device further includes a determination means for determining whether the surrounding vehicle has executed a lane change based on the travel locus of the surrounding vehicle included in the surrounding vehicle information, the prediction means predicts the possibility of collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle without relying on the indication state of the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle when the turn signal of the surrounding vehicle continues to indicate a direction even after the completion of the lane change of the surrounding vehicle, according to claim 1.

10. The first range is a sector range on the first side with respect to the host vehicle and is defined by a predetermined distance and a predetermined angle, the driving support device according to claim 3, wherein the second range is a sector range on the second side with respect to the host vehicle and is defined by a predetermined distance and a predetermined angle.

11. The third range is a sector range in front of the host vehicle and is defined by a predetermined distance and a predetermined angle, according to claim 6 or 7.

12. A driving support method An acquisition step in which an acquisition means acquires, from surrounding vehicles existing around the host vehicle, via vehicle-to-vehicle communication, surrounding vehicle information representing the vehicle speed, position, travel trajectory, and turn signal indication state of the surrounding vehicles; A prediction step in which a prediction means predicts the possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles based on host vehicle information representing the vehicle speed, position, travel trajectory, and turn signal indication state of the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle information; An informing step in which an informing means informs the passengers of the host vehicle based on the prediction result in the prediction step, and A driving support method for predicting the possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles based at least on the turn signal indication state of the host vehicle, the turn signal indication state of the surrounding vehicles, and the position of the surrounding vehicles relative to the host vehicle in the prediction step.

13. A program for causing a computer to execute an acquisition step in which surrounding vehicle information representing the vehicle speed, position, travel trajectory, and turn signal indication state of the surrounding vehicles is acquired from surrounding vehicles existing around the host vehicle via vehicle-to-vehicle communication; a prediction step in which the possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles is predicted based on host vehicle information representing the vehicle speed, position, travel trajectory, and turn signal indication state of the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicle information; and an informing step in which an informing is performed to the passengers of the host vehicle based on the prediction result in the prediction step, the program predicting the possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles based at least on the turn signal indication state of the host vehicle, the turn signal indication state of the surrounding vehicles, and the position of the surrounding vehicles relative to the host vehicle in the prediction step.

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