Merging support system, merging support method, and program

Abstract

To provide a merging support system, a merging support method, and a program that can appropriately support an action suitable for a merging scene.SOLUTION: A merging support system comprises: a main lane monitoring device that monitors a traveling mode of a main lane vehicle traveling on a main lane road on the upstream of or near a merging point where a merging lane merges with the main lane road; a display unit that displays information for the main lane vehicle on the upstream of or near the merging point; a merging lane monitoring device that monitors a traveling mode of a merging lane vehicle traveling on the merging lane; and a control unit that, on the basis of a result of monitoring of the traveling mode of the main lane vehicle and a result of monitoring of the traveling mode of the merging lane vehicle, when an expected time when the main lane vehicle traveling on the main lane road adjacent to the merging lane reaches the merging point and an expected time when the merging lane vehicle reaches the merging point are within a predetermined range, displays predetermined information on the display unit according to the situation of the main lane vehicle and another main lane vehicle other than the main lane vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a merging assistance system, a merging assistance method, and a program. [Background technology]

[0002] The processing system described in Patent Document 1 estimates a merging point between an autonomously driving host vehicle traveling on a main lane and an opposing vehicle traveling in a merging lane, predicts a minimum arrival time for each vehicle to reach the merging point, and assigns priority to the vehicle with the shortest minimum arrival time. The processing system described in Patent Document 1 estimates the merging point when the opposing vehicle traveling in the merging lane is detected. The presence or absence of the opposing vehicle traveling in the merging lane is monitored based on data acquired by a sensor system, a communication system, and the like mounted on the host vehicle. The sensor system includes, for example, a camera, a light detection and ranging (LiDAR), a laser radar, a millimeter-wave radar, an ultrasonic sonar, and the like. The communication system includes, for example, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver, a vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication device, and the like. According to the processing system described in Patent Document 1, priority can be clearly given to vehicles that arrive at the merging point earlier, which is said to facilitate appropriate responses to merging situations. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2022 / 244604 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] As described above, the processing system described in Patent Document 1 is a system that assumes that the vehicle is an autonomous vehicle and is equipped with a means for acquiring information about other vehicles, etc. However, during the period when wireless communication-enabled vehicles, such as autonomous vehicles, are becoming more common, it is possible that the information cannot be properly acquired because either the vehicle or the other vehicle does not support vehicle-to-vehicle communication, making it impossible to estimate a merging point or a minimum arrival time, and even if it can, it is impossible to determine which vehicle to prioritize. In such cases, there is a potential problem of not being able to properly support a response appropriate to the merging scene.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above-mentioned problem, and aims to provide a merging support system, a merging support method, and a program that can appropriately support responses appropriate to merging scenes. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problem, the merging assistance system of the present disclosure includes a main line monitoring device that monitors the driving behavior of main line vehicles traveling on a main line roadway upstream of or near a merging point where a merging lane merges into the main line roadway; a display device that displays information on the main line vehicle upstream of or near the merging point; a merging lane monitoring device that monitors the driving behavior of merging vehicles traveling on the merging lane; and a control device that, based on the monitoring results of the driving behavior of the main line vehicle and the monitoring results of the driving behavior of the merging vehicle, causes the display device to display predetermined information depending on the status of the main line vehicle and other main line vehicles other than the main line vehicle, if the predicted time at which the main line vehicle traveling on a main line lane adjacent to the merging lane will reach the merging point and the predicted time at which the merging vehicle will reach the merging point are within a predetermined range.

[0007] The merging assistance method according to the present disclosure uses a main line monitoring device that monitors the driving behavior of main line vehicles traveling on a main line roadway upstream of or near a merging point where a merging lane merges into the main line roadway, a display device that displays information on the main line vehicle upstream of or near the merging point, and a merging lane monitoring device that monitors the driving behavior of merging vehicles traveling on the merging lane, and based on the monitoring results of the driving behavior of the main line vehicle and the monitoring results of the driving behavior of the merging vehicle, if the predicted time at which the main line vehicle traveling on the main line lane adjacent to the merging lane will reach the merging point and the predicted time at which the merging vehicle will reach the merging point are within a predetermined range, displays predetermined information on the display device according to the status of the main line vehicle and other main line vehicles other than the main line vehicle.

[0008] The program of the present disclosure uses a main line monitoring device that monitors the driving behavior of main line vehicles traveling on a main line roadway upstream of or near a merging point where a merging lane merges into the main line roadway, a display device that displays information on the main line vehicle upstream of or near the merging point, and a merging lane monitoring device that monitors the driving behavior of merging vehicles traveling on the merging lane, and, based on the monitoring results of the driving behavior of the main line vehicle and the monitoring results of the driving behavior of the merging vehicle, if the predicted time at which the main line vehicle traveling on the main line lane adjacent to the merging lane will reach the merging point and the predicted time at which the merging vehicle will reach the merging point are within a predetermined range, causes a computer to execute a step of displaying predetermined information on the display device depending on the status of the main line vehicle and other main line vehicles other than the main line vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] The merging assistance system, merging assistance method, and program of the present disclosure can appropriately assist in taking appropriate measures in response to a merging scene. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a merging assistance system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2]1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of a merging assistance system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 4] 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operation of the merging assistance system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, together with FIG. 5 . [Figure 5] 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of operation of the merging assistance system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, together with FIG. 4. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating a configuration of a computer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0011] A merging assistance system, a merging assistance method, and a program according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example configuration of a merging assistance system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing an example configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram showing an example configuration of a merging assistance system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing an example operation of the merging assistance system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure together with FIG. 5. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example operation of the merging assistance system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure together with FIG. 4. FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a computer according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Note that the same or corresponding components in each drawing are designated by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

[0012] (Configuration of merging support system 10) As shown in FIG. 1 , a merging assistance system 10 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a control device 1, one or more monitoring devices 2, one or more wireless devices 3, and one or more display devices 4. Note that the one or more display devices 4 may be omitted depending on the configuration of the merging assistance system 10. Also, as shown in FIG. 2 , a vehicle 5 targeted for assistance by the merging assistance system 10 shown in FIG. 1 includes a control device 51 and a wireless device 52. The control device 51 is, for example, a device that controls the automatic driving of the vehicle 5, or a device that inputs and outputs predetermined information to and from the device that controls the automatic driving of the vehicle 5. Also, the wireless device 52 is a device that transmits and receives predetermined information to and from the wireless device 3 under the control of the control device 51. However, since the wireless device 52 does not support vehicle-to-vehicle communication, it cannot directly communicate wirelessly with other vehicles. Note that, when an embodiment of the present disclosure is implemented using only the display device 4, the vehicle 5 does not need to include the control device 51 and the wireless device 52.

[0013] FIG. 3 shows an example of application of the merging assistance system 10 shown in FIG. 1 to a road 7. FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram of a portion of the road 7, such as a highway. The road 7 shown in FIG. 3 includes a main roadway 71 and a merging lane 72. Note that FIG. 3 only shows one direction of the road 7, either uphill or downhill. In this case, the traveling direction of the main roadway 71 is the Y direction (direction of the arrow), and the X direction is the width direction. Furthermore, the left direction (or left diagonal direction) in FIG. 3 is the upstream direction of the main roadway 71 or the merging lane 72, and the right direction (or right diagonal direction) is the downstream direction. The main roadway 71 includes a main lane 711 and a main lane 712. The merging lane 72 includes a connecting lane 721 and an acceleration lane 722. The main lane 711 is a lane adjacent to the merging lane 72. The main lane 712 is a lane adjacent to the main lane 711. The sidewall 741 of the main roadway 71 and the sidewall 742 of the merging lane 72 are connected by a hard nose 751, which is a common edge. The outer white line 751 of the main roadway 711 and the inner white line 752 of the connecting road 721 are connected by a soft nose 752, which is the start of a merging section on road markings. In this embodiment, the soft nose 752 is the merging point where the merging lane 72 merges with the main roadway 71. However, the merging point of the main roadway 71 and the merging lane 72 may be, for example, the hard nose 751 or a predetermined position on the acceleration lane 722. In this case, the predetermined position on the acceleration lane 722 is, for example, a position that leaves a predetermined distance downstream of the acceleration lane 722 when changing lanes from the acceleration lane 722 to the adjacent main lane 711. In the example shown in Figure 3, the main roadway 71 has two lanes, but the number of lanes may be one or more than two. Also, the merging lane 72 has one lane, but the number of lanes may be more than one.

[0014] 3, monitoring devices 2a1 and 2a2 corresponding to the monitoring device 2 shown in FIG. 1 are provided on main roadway 71 (for example, outside main lane 711). Monitoring devices 2a1 and 2a2 are monitoring devices (hereinafter, monitoring devices 2a1 and 2a2 are also collectively referred to as main roadway monitoring devices 2a) that monitor the traveling behavior of vehicles 5a1 to 5a5 (hereinafter, vehicles 5a1 to 5a5 are also collectively referred to as main roadway vehicles 5a) traveling on main roadway 71 upstream of or near a merging point (soft nose 752) where merging lane 72 merges with main roadway 71. The monitoring devices 2a1 and 2a2 are, for example, sensors such as cameras, LiDAR, laser radar, millimeter-wave radar, ultrasonic sonar, or a combination of a plurality of such sensors, and repeatedly acquire information indicating the position, speed (speed vector), vehicle length, vehicle width, etc. of each main line vehicle 5a as the traveling mode of each main line vehicle 5a traveling in predetermined monitoring ranges R2a1 and R2a2 at predetermined intervals, and output the information to the control device 1. Note that, hereinafter, the monitoring results of the main line monitoring device 2a are also referred to as main line lane monitoring data.

[0015] In this embodiment, "upstream of or near the merging point" includes the area upstream of the merging point and a certain range from the merging point downstream of the merging point. Here, the certain range from the merging point downstream of the merging point refers to a range within which, when information is monitored or provided (displayed and wirelessly transmitted), the monitored or provided information can be useful as information to assist a vehicle 5 traveling in the range from the merging point to the end of the acceleration lane 722 in the merging lane 72 to merge into the main lane 711.

[0016] 3, monitoring devices 2b1 and 2b2 corresponding to the monitoring device 2 shown in FIG. 1 are provided in merging lane 72 (for example, outside connecting road 721). Monitoring devices 2b1 and 2b2 are monitoring devices (hereinafter, monitoring devices 2b1 and 2b2 are also collectively referred to as merging lane monitoring devices 2b) that monitor the traveling behavior of vehicles 5b1 and 5b2 (hereinafter, vehicles 5b1 and 5b2 are also collectively referred to as merging vehicles 5b) traveling in merging lane 72. Monitoring devices 2b1 and 2b2 are monitoring devices similar to main lane monitoring device 2a, and repeatedly acquire information indicating the position, speed (speed vector), vehicle length, vehicle width, etc. of each merging vehicle 5b at a predetermined cycle as the traveling behavior of each merging vehicle 5b traveling within predetermined monitoring ranges R2b1 and R2b2, and output the information to control device 1. In the following description, the monitoring results of the merging lane monitoring device 2b are also referred to as merging lane monitoring data.

[0017] 3, wireless devices 3a1 and 3a2 corresponding to the wireless devices 3 shown in FIG. 1 are provided on the main roadway 71 (on the main lane 711). The wireless devices 3a1 and 3a2 wirelessly transmit information instructed by the control device 1 to a main roadway vehicle 5a traveling on the main roadway 71 upstream of or near a merging point (soft nose 752) where the merging lane 72 merges with the main roadway 71. Hereinafter, the wireless devices 3a1 and 3a2 are also collectively referred to as main roadway wireless devices 3a. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the wireless device 3a1 transmits predetermined information to one vehicle 5a2 traveling on the main lane 711. The wireless device 3a2 transmits predetermined information to one vehicle 5a1 traveling on the main lane 711.

[0018] 3, wireless devices 3b1 and 3b2 corresponding to the wireless devices 3 shown in FIG. 1 are provided in the merging lane 72 (on the connecting road 721 and the acceleration lane 722). The wireless devices 3b1 and 3b2 wirelessly transmit information instructed by the control device 1 to a merging vehicle 5b traveling in the merging lane 72 upstream of or near a merging point (soft nose 752) where the merging lane 72 merges with the main roadway 71. Hereinafter, the wireless devices 3b1 and 3b2 are also collectively referred to as merging lane wireless devices 3b. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the wireless device 3b1 transmits predetermined information to one vehicle 5b2 traveling in the merging lane 72. The wireless device 3b2 transmits predetermined information to one vehicle 5b1 traveling in the merging lane 72.

[0019] In the example shown in FIG. 3, display devices 4a1 and 4a2 corresponding to the display device 4 shown in FIG. 1 are provided on the main roadway 71 (on the main lane 711). The display devices 4a1 and 4a2 are, for example, LED (light-emitting diode) electronic display boards. The display devices 4a1 and 4a2 display information instructed by the control device 1 to a main roadway vehicle 5a traveling on the main roadway 71 upstream of or near a merging point (soft nose 752) where the merging lane 72 merges with the main roadway 71. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the display device 4a1 displays predetermined information near one vehicle 5a2 traveling on the main lane 711. The display device 4a2 displays predetermined information near one vehicle 5a1 traveling on the main lane 711.

[0020] Furthermore, the control device 1 controls, for example, the wireless device 3 and the display device 4 as follows, based on the monitoring results of the monitoring device 2. That is, for example, based on the monitoring results of the driving mode of the main line vehicle 5a and the monitoring results of the driving mode of the merging vehicle 5b, if the predicted time at which the main line vehicle 5a traveling in the main line lane 711 adjacent to the merging lane 72 will reach the merging point and the predicted time at which the merging vehicle 5b will reach the merging point are within a predetermined range, the control device 1 causes the display device 4 to display predetermined information according to the status of the main line vehicle 5a and other main line vehicles 5a other than the main line vehicle 5a.

[0021] In addition, for example, when the situation between the main line vehicle 5a and another main line vehicle 5a other than the main line vehicle 5a is such that there is enough space in the other main line lane 712 for the main line vehicle 5a to change lanes from the main line lane 711 in which the main line vehicle 5a is traveling to another main line lane 712 adjacent to the main line lane 711, the control device 1 causes the display device 4 to display information requesting a lane change due to a merging vehicle 5b. Furthermore, when the situation between the main line vehicle 5a and another main line vehicle 5a other than the main line vehicle 5a is such that there is not enough space in the other main line lane 712 to allow the main line vehicle 5a to change lanes from the main line lane 711 on which the main line vehicle 5a is traveling to another main line lane 712 adjacent to the main line lane 711, and there is not a predetermined amount of space in front of and behind the main line vehicle 5a on the main line lane 711 on which the main line vehicle 5a is traveling, the control device 1 causes the display device 4 to display information requesting an increase in the inter-vehicle space to allow for the merging vehicle 5b. Here, the predetermined amount of space in front of or behind the main line vehicle 5a means an appropriate inter-vehicle space that allows the merging vehicle 5b to change lanes and merge either in front of or behind the main line vehicle 5a.

[0022] In addition, for example, when the situation between the main line vehicle 5a and another main line vehicle 5a other than the main line vehicle 5a is such that there is enough space in the other main line lane 712 for the main line vehicle 5a to change lanes from the main line lane 711 in which the main line vehicle 5a is traveling to another main line lane 712 adjacent to the main line lane 711, the control device 1 causes the wireless device 3 to wirelessly transmit information requesting a lane change for the merging vehicle 5b. In addition, if the situation between the main line vehicle 5a and another main line vehicle 5a other than the main line vehicle 5a is such that there is not enough space in the other main line lane 712 to allow the main line vehicle 5a to change lanes from the main line lane 711 in which the main line vehicle 5a is traveling to another main line lane 712 adjacent to the main line lane 711, and there is not a specified amount of space in front of and behind the main line vehicle 5a on the main line lane 711 in which the main line vehicle 5a is traveling, the control device 1 wirelessly transmits information to the radio device 3 (main line radio device 3a) requesting an increase in the distance between the vehicles to allow for a merging vehicle 5b.

[0023] Furthermore, for example, based on the monitoring results of the driving behavior of the main line vehicle 5a and the monitoring results of the driving behavior of the merging vehicle 5b, if the predicted time at which the main line vehicle 5a traveling in the main line lane 711 adjacent to the merging lane 72 will reach the merging point and the predicted time at which the merging vehicle 5b will reach the merging point are within a predetermined range, the control device 1 causes the radio device 3 (main line radio device 3a) to wirelessly transmit predetermined information according to the status of the main line vehicle 5a and other main line vehicles 5a other than the main line vehicle 5a.

[0024] Furthermore, for example, based on the monitoring results of the traveling modes of the main line vehicles 5a, when the average inter-vehicle distance between the main line vehicles 5a on the main line roadway 71 is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, the control device 1 causes the radio device 3 (main line radio device 3a) to wirelessly transmit information requesting an increase in the inter-vehicle distance for the merging vehicle 5b. Here, when the average inter-vehicle distance between the main line vehicles 5a is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold, this means, for example, when the inter-vehicle distance between the main line vehicles 5a is small such that the merging vehicle 5b cannot merge without increasing the inter-vehicle distance from the current state due to a congested state such as a traffic jam.

[0025] In addition, for example, when the situation between the main line vehicle 5a and another main line vehicle 5a other than the main line vehicle 5a is such that there is enough space in the other main line lane 712 for the main line vehicle 5a to change lanes from the main line lane 711 in which the main line vehicle 5a is traveling to another main line lane 712 adjacent to the main line lane 711 in which the main line vehicle 5a is traveling to change lanes, the control device 1 causes the radio device (main line radio device 3a) to radio-transmit information requesting a lane change for the merging vehicle 5b, and when the situation is not such that there is enough space in the other main line lane 712 for the main line vehicle 5a to change lanes from the main line lane 711 in which the main line vehicle 5a is traveling to another main line lane 712 adjacent to the main line lane 711 in which the main line vehicle 5a is traveling to change lanes and there is not a specified amount of space in front of and behind the main line vehicle 5a on the main line lane 711 in which the main line vehicle 5a is traveling to radio-transmit information requesting an increase in the distance between the vehicles to allow for the merging vehicle 5b to be increased.

[0026] Furthermore, the control device 1 causes the merging lane wireless device 3b to wirelessly transmit information based on the monitoring results of the traveling mode of the main lane vehicle 5a to the merging vehicle 5b, for example, upstream of or near the merging point.

[0027] (Example of operation of merging support system 10) Next, an example of the operation of the merging support system 10 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 4 and Fig. 5. The process shown in Fig. 4 and the process shown in Fig. 5 are connected to each other by a connector C1 and are also connected to each other by a connector C2.

[0028] 4 starts, the control device 1 determines whether a merging vehicle 5b is present within the monitoring ranges R2b1 and R2b2 based on the merging lane monitoring data D21 (step S101). If a merging vehicle 5b is not present (step S101: No), the control device 1 executes the process of step S101 again after a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0029] If a merging vehicle 5b is present (step S101: Yes), the control device 1 determines whether or not a main lane vehicle 5a is present within the monitoring ranges R2a1 and R2a2 based on the main lane monitoring data D22 (step S102). If a main lane vehicle 5a is not present (step S102: No), the control device 1 executes the process of step S101 again after a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0030] If a main line vehicle 5a is present (step S102: Yes), the control device 1 uses the merging lane wireless device 3b to notify the merging vehicle 5b of main line travel information (step S103). Here, the wireless device (merging lane wireless device 3b) notifies the merging vehicle 5b of the main line travel information (step S301). The main line travel information is, for example, information such as the number, position, and speed of the main line vehicles 5a, and includes information that can be used as a reference for driving when merging if the merging vehicle 5b is an autonomous vehicle, for example.

[0031] Next, the control device 1 determines whether the main lane is congested (step S104). In step S104, the control device 1 determines whether the main lane is congested, for example, by determining whether the average inter-vehicle distance of the main lane vehicles 5a is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold. If the average inter-vehicle distance is equal to or less than the predetermined threshold, the control device 1 determines that the main lane is congested. However, whether the main lane is congested may also be determined based on criteria such as the occupancy rate of the vehicle area relative to the road area, the number of vehicles passing per unit time, the average speed, or the average passing time within a predetermined range.

[0032] If the main lane is congested (step S104: Yes), the control device 1 instructs the radio device (main lane radio device 3a) to transmit information requesting the main lane vehicle 5a to increase the inter-vehicle distance (step S105), and causes the radio device (main lane radio device 3a) to wirelessly transmit information requesting "lane widening due to a merging vehicle" to the main lane vehicle 5a (step S302). Note that in step S302, the control device 1 can also cause the main lane vehicle 5a to transmit merging lane driving information. The merging lane driving information is, for example, information on the number, position, speed, etc. of merging vehicles 5b, and includes information that can be used as a reference for driving when merging if the main lane vehicle 5a is an autonomous vehicle, for example. After step S105, the control device 1 executes the process of step S101 again after a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0033] If the main line is not congested (step S104: No), the control device 1 calculates the expected merging point arrival time T0 for the merging vehicle 5b (step S106). Next, the control device 1 calculates the expected merging point arrival time Ti for the main line vehicle 5a (step S107). In step S107, the control device 1 calculates the expected merging point arrival time Ti for n vehicles traveling on the main line (i = 1 to n).

[0034] Next, the control device 1 determines whether there is a merging point arrival predicted time Ti of the main line vehicle 5a that matches the merging point arrival predicted time T0 of the merging vehicle 5b within a predetermined range (step S108). If there is no such time (step S108: No), the control device 1 executes the process of step S101 again after a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0035] If there is (step S108: Yes), the control device 1 determines based on the merging lane monitoring data D23 whether there is sufficient space for merging in front of or behind the main line vehicle 5a (main line vehicle 5a with Ti that matches T0 within a predetermined range) (step S109).

[0036] If there is sufficient space (step S109: Yes), the control device 1 instructs the display device 4 to display a merging warning and instructs the wireless device (main line wireless device 3a) to distribute a merging warning (step S110). In response to the instruction from the control device 1, the display device 4 displays "Merging Warning" (step S401), and the wireless device (main line wireless device 3a) distributes the "Merging Warning" (step S303). Note that in step S303, the control device 1 can also cause the main line vehicle 5a to transmit merging lane traveling information. After step S110, the control device 1 executes the process of step S101 again after a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0037] On the other hand, if there is not enough space (step S109: No), the control device 1 determines whether there is space in the lane adjacent to the main line vehicle 5a (step S111). If there is space in the adjacent lane (step S111: Yes), the control device 1 instructs the display device 4 to display a lane change and instructs the wireless device (main line wireless device 3a) to distribute lane change information (step S112). In response to the instruction from the control device 1, the display device 4 displays "Merging vehicle present, lane change" (step S402), and the wireless device (main line wireless device 3a) distributes "Merging vehicle present, lane change" (step S304). Note that in step S304, the control device 1 can also cause the main line vehicle 5a to transmit merging lane traveling information. After step S112, the control device 1 executes the process of step S101 again after a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0038] Furthermore, if there is no space in the lane adjacent to the main line vehicle (step S111: No), the control device 1 instructs the display device 4 to display lane widening and instructs the wireless device (main line wireless device 3a) to distribute lane widening information (step S113). In response to the instruction from the control device 1, the display device 4 displays "Merging vehicle present, lane widening" (step S403), and the wireless device (main line wireless device 3a) distributes "Merging vehicle present, lane widening" (step S305). Note that in step S305, the control device 1 can also cause the main line vehicle 5a to transmit merging lane traveling information. After step S113, the control device 1 executes the process of step S101 again after a predetermined time has elapsed.

[0039] 3, it is determined that the arrival time to the merging point of vehicle 5a1 coincides with that of vehicle 5b1 within a predetermined range, and there is free space in adjacent main lane 712, so a message is displayed and information is distributed to vehicle 5a1 requesting that vehicle 5a1 change lanes. Also, it is determined that the arrival time to the merging point of vehicle 5a2 coincides with that of vehicle 5b2 within a predetermined range, and there is sufficient free space in front of and behind vehicle 5b2 on main lane 711, so a message warning vehicle 5a2 to merge is displayed and information to that effect is distributed to vehicle 5a2.

[0040] (Actions and Effects) As described above, the merging assistance system 10 according to the present disclosure includes a main line monitoring device 2a that monitors the driving behavior of a main line vehicle 5a traveling on a main line roadway 71 upstream of or near a merging point where the merging lane 72 merges with the main line roadway 71; a display device 4 that displays information on the main line vehicle 5a upstream of or near the merging point; a merging lane monitoring device 2b that monitors the driving behavior of a merging vehicle 5b traveling on the merging lane 72; and a control device 1 that, based on the monitoring results of the driving behavior of the main line vehicle 5a and the monitoring results of the driving behavior of the merging vehicle 5b, causes the display device 4 to display predetermined information according to the status of the main line vehicle 5a and other main line vehicles 5a other than the main line vehicle 5a, if the predicted time at which the main line vehicle 5a traveling on the main line lane 711 adjacent to the merging lane 72 will reach the merging point and the predicted time at which the merging vehicle 5b will reach the merging point are within a predetermined range. With this configuration, even if one of the host vehicle and the other vehicle does not support vehicle-to-vehicle communication, for example, when the host vehicle and the other vehicle arrive at a merging point at the same time, predetermined information can be displayed on the display device 4. Therefore, the merging assistance system 10, merging assistance method, and program of the present embodiment can appropriately assist in taking appropriate measures for the merging scene.

[0041] (Other embodiments) The above describes in detail the embodiments of the present disclosure with reference to the drawings, but the specific configuration is not limited to this embodiment, and design changes and the like are also included within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0042] <Computer Configuration> FIG. 6 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the configuration of a computer according to at least one embodiment. The computer 90 includes a processor 91 , a main memory 92 , a storage 93 , and an interface 94 . The above-described control device 1 is implemented in a computer 90. The operations of the above-described processing units are stored in the form of a program in a storage 93. A processor 91 reads the program from the storage 93, loads it into a main memory 92, and executes the above-described processing in accordance with the program. The processor 91 also allocates storage areas in the main memory 92 corresponding to the above-described storage units in accordance with the program.

[0043] The program may be for realizing some of the functions to be performed by the computer 90. For example, the program may be combined with other programs already stored in storage or other programs implemented in other devices to perform the functions. In other embodiments, the computer may include a custom LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit) such as a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) in addition to or instead of the above configuration. Examples of PLDs include PAL (Programmable Array Logic), GAL (Generic Array Logic), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), and FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). In this case, some or all of the functions realized by the processor may be realized by the integrated circuit.

[0044] Examples of storage 93 include a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disc read-only memory (DVD-ROM), and a semiconductor memory. Storage 93 may be an internal medium directly connected to the bus of computer 90, or an external medium connected to computer 90 via interface 94 or a communication line. Furthermore, when this program is distributed to computer 90 via a communication line, computer 90 that receives the program may load the program into main memory 92 and execute the above-described processing. In at least one embodiment, storage 93 is a non-transitory tangible storage medium.

[0045] <Additional Notes> The merging assistance system 10 described in this embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0046] (1) The merging assistance system 10 according to the first aspect includes a main line monitoring device 2a that monitors the driving behavior of a main line vehicle 5a traveling on a main line roadway 71 upstream of or near a merging point (soft nose 752) where a merging lane 72 merges into a main line roadway 71; a display device 4 that displays information on the main line vehicle 5a upstream of or near the merging point; a merging lane monitoring device 2b that monitors the driving behavior of a merging vehicle 5b traveling on the merging lane 72; and a control device 1 that, based on the monitoring results of the driving behavior of the main line vehicle 5a and the monitoring results of the driving behavior of the merging vehicle 5b, causes the display device 4 to display predetermined information according to the status of the main line vehicle 5a and other main line vehicles 5a other than the main line vehicle 5a, if the predicted time at which the main line vehicle traveling on a main line lane adjacent to the merging lane will reach the merging point and the predicted time at which the merging vehicle 5b will reach the merging point are within a predetermined range. According to this aspect and the following aspects, it is possible to appropriately support a response appropriate to a merging scene.

[0047] (2) The merging assistance system 10 according to the second aspect is the merging assistance system 10 of (1), wherein the main roadway 71 includes a plurality of the main lanes 711 and 712, and the control device 1, when the situation is that there is sufficient space in the other main lane 712 for the main vehicle 5a to change lanes from the main lane 711 in which the main vehicle 5a is traveling to another main lane 712 adjacent to the main lane 711, transmits information requesting a lane change for the merging vehicle 5b in advance. The display device 4 displays information requesting an increase in the inter-vehicle distance due to the merging vehicle 5b, and if the situation is such that there is not enough space in the other main lane 712 to allow the main vehicle 5a to change lanes from the main lane 711 in which the main vehicle 5a is traveling to the other main lane 712 adjacent to the main lane 711, and there is not a specified amount of space in front of and behind the main vehicle 5a on the main lane 711 in which the main vehicle 5a is traveling, the display device 4 displays information requesting an increase in the inter-vehicle distance due to the merging vehicle 5b.

[0048] (3) The merging assistance system 10 according to a third aspect is the merging assistance system 10 of (1) or (2), further comprising a wireless device 3 that wirelessly transmits information to the main line vehicle 5a upstream of or near the merging point, and the control device 1 requests a lane change for the merging vehicle 5b when the situation is such that there is sufficient space in the other main line lane 712 for the main line vehicle 5a to change lanes from the main line lane 711 in which the main line vehicle 5a is traveling to another main line lane 712 adjacent to the main line lane 711. When the situation is such that there is not enough space in the other main lane 712 to allow the main vehicle 5a to change lanes from the main lane 711 in which the main vehicle 5a is traveling to the other main lane 712 adjacent to the main lane 711, and there is not a predetermined amount of space in front of and behind the main vehicle 5a on the main lane 711 in which the main vehicle 5a is traveling, information requesting an increase in inter-vehicle space for the merging vehicle 5b is wirelessly transmitted to the wireless device 3. According to this aspect, more comprehensive support can be provided to vehicles capable of wireless communication, such as autonomous vehicles. [Explanation of symbols]

[0049] 1...Control device 2...Monitoring device 2a…Main line monitoring device 2b...Merging lane monitoring device 3...Wireless device 3a…Main wireless device 3b...Merging lane radio device 4, 4a1, 4a2...Display device 5...Vehicle 5a...Main line vehicles 5b...Merging vehicle 10. Merging assistance system

Claims

1. a main roadway monitoring device that monitors the traveling behavior of a main roadway vehicle traveling on the main roadway upstream of or near a merging point where a merging lane merges into the main roadway; a display device that displays information on the main line vehicle upstream of or near the merging point; a merging lane monitoring device that monitors the traveling behavior of a merging vehicle traveling in the merging lane; a control device that, based on the monitoring results of the running modes of the main line vehicle and the merging vehicle, when the predicted time at which the main line vehicle running on the main line lane adjacent to the merging lane will reach the merging point and the predicted time at which the merging vehicle will reach the merging point are within a predetermined range, causes the display device to display predetermined information according to the status of the main line vehicle and other main line vehicles other than the main line vehicle; A merging assistance system equipped with

2. the main roadway includes a plurality of the main lanes; The control device When the situation is that there is sufficient space in the other main lane to allow the main lane vehicle to change lanes from the main lane in which the main lane vehicle is traveling to another main lane adjacent to the main lane in question, displaying information on the display device requesting a lane change due to the merging vehicle, When the situation is such that there is not enough space in the other main lane to allow the main lane on which the main lane vehicle is traveling to change lanes to another main lane adjacent to the main lane on which the main lane vehicle is traveling, and there is not a predetermined amount of space in front of and behind the main lane on which the main lane vehicle is traveling, information requesting an increase in vehicle spacing due to the merging vehicle is displayed on the display device. The merging assistance system according to claim 1 .

3. a wireless device that wirelessly transmits information to the main line vehicle upstream of or near the merging point; The control device If the situation is that there is sufficient space in the other main lane to allow the main lane vehicle to change lanes from the main lane in which the main lane vehicle is traveling to another main lane adjacent to the main lane in question, wirelessly transmit information to the wireless device requesting a lane change for the merging vehicle; If the situation is such that there is not enough space in the other main lane to allow the main lane in which the main lane vehicle is traveling to change lanes to another main lane adjacent to the main lane in which the main lane vehicle is traveling, and there is not a predetermined amount of space in front of and behind the main lane in which the main lane vehicle is traveling, information requesting an increase in the distance between vehicles due to the merging vehicle is wirelessly transmitted to the wireless device. The merging assistance system according to claim 2 .

4. a main roadway monitoring device that monitors the traveling behavior of a main roadway vehicle traveling on the main roadway upstream of or near a merging point where a merging lane merges into the main roadway; a display device that displays information on the main line vehicle upstream of or near the merging point; a merging lane monitoring device that monitors the traveling behavior of a merging vehicle traveling in the merging lane; Using Based on the monitoring results of the running behavior of the main line vehicle and the merging vehicle, if the predicted time at which the main line vehicle running on the main line lane adjacent to the merging lane will reach the merging point and the predicted time at which the merging vehicle will reach the merging point are within a predetermined range, predetermined information is displayed on the display device according to the status of the main line vehicle and other main line vehicles other than the main line vehicle. Confluence support method.

5. a main roadway monitoring device that monitors the traveling behavior of a main roadway vehicle traveling on the main roadway upstream of or near a merging point where a merging lane merges into the main roadway; a display device that displays information on the main line vehicle upstream of or near the merging point; a merging lane monitoring device that monitors the traveling behavior of a merging vehicle traveling in the merging lane; Using a step of displaying predetermined information on the display device according to the status of the main line vehicle and other main line vehicles other than the main line vehicle when the predicted time at which the main line vehicle traveling on the main line lane adjacent to the merging lane will arrive at the merging point and the predicted time at which the merging vehicle will arrive at the merging point are within a predetermined range based on the monitoring result of the running mode of the main line vehicle and the monitoring result of the running mode of the merging vehicle. A program that a computer runs.

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