Traffic safety support system

Abstract

To provide a safety driving support system that enables riders of saddle-type vehicles to properly perform safety confirmation actions when entering intersections.SOLUTION: A traffic safety support system includes: a risk notification setting unit that determines whether predetermined analog notification activation conditions are met based on head movement state information of a rider of a motorcycle 3; and a risk notification control device that activates an HMI installed on the motorcycle 3 in an analog notification mode when the analog notification activation conditions are determined to be met. The risk notification setting unit determines that the analog notification activation conditions are met when the rider fails to perform a safety confirmation action regarding another vehicle V while a first road R1, on which the other vehicle V is traveling, intersects with a second road R2, on which the motorcycle 3 is traveling, at a specific intersection P ahead in each respective direction of travel, and the motorcycle 3 is within a predetermined analog notification activation range B2 centered on the specific intersection P.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a traffic safety support system, and more particularly to a traffic safety support system that supports driving by a driver of a vehicle that is a target for support. [Background technology]

[0002] In public transportation, various traffic participants, such as moving objects such as four-wheeled automobiles, motorcycles, and bicycles, as well as pedestrians, travel at different speeds based on their own will. As a technology for improving the safety and convenience of such traffic participants in public transportation, for example, Patent Document 1 discloses a driving assistance device that executes driving assistance control based on predicted dangerous situations, as well as information on the vehicle's driving state when the occupant senses danger and information on the vehicle's surrounding environment, thereby issuing a warning or intervening in driving control without disrupting smooth driving even when multiple objects are present. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-136001 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] At intersections where a relatively busy main road intersects with a side road, drivers of vehicles entering the intersection from the side road are required to visually check for vehicles traveling on the main road before entering the intersection. Furthermore, because saddle-type vehicles such as motorcycles and saddle-type three-wheeled vehicles are lighter than four-wheeled automobiles, riders of such vehicles are particularly required to properly perform such safety checks.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide a safe driving support system that enables riders of saddle-type vehicles to properly perform safety confirmation actions when entering an intersection, and ultimately to contribute to the development of sustainable transportation systems. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] (1) The traffic safety support system according to the present invention supports driving by a rider of an assistance target, which is a saddle-ride type vehicle (e.g., a motorcycle 3 described later), and includes a recognition means (e.g., a target traffic area recognition unit 60 described later) that recognizes traffic participants and the traffic environment around the assistance target, a man-machine interface (e.g., an HMI 320 described later) that operates in a manner that can be recognized by the rider, a driving characteristic acquisition means (e.g., a rider state sensor 33 and a driver subject information acquisition unit 61 described later) that acquires head movement state information of the rider, and a traffic safety support system that, while the recognition means recognizes the presence of another moving body (e.g., another vehicle V described later) outside a first range (e.g., an ADAS operation range B1 described later) centered on the assistance target or ahead in the direction of travel of the assistance target, determines whether a first notification activation condition (e.g., an analog notification activation condition described later) is met based on the recognition result by the recognition means and the head movement state information. The system is equipped with a judgment means (e.g., a risk notification setting unit 64 described below) that judges whether or not a notification is present, and a notification control means (e.g., an HMI control device 325 described below) that operates the man-machine interface in a first notification mode (e.g., an analog notification mode described below) when the judgment means judges that the first notification activation condition is met, and the judgment means determines that the first notification activation condition is met when a first road (e.g., a first road R1 described below) on which the other moving body is traveling and a second road (e.g., a second road R2 described below) on which the support target is traveling intersect at a specific intersection (e.g., a specific intersection P described below) ahead in each direction of travel, and when the support target is located within a second range (e.g., an analog notification activation range B2 described below) that is defined around the specific intersection and encompasses the first range, and the rider does not perform a confirmation action against the other moving body.

[0007] (2) In this case, it is preferable that the determination means obtains at least one of the number of times the rider's head is turned from the front of the direction of travel toward the other moving body and the confirmation time during which the head is turned toward the other moving body based on the recognition result by the recognition means and the head movement state information, and determines whether or not the confirmation behavior is occurring based on at least one of the number of times the rider's head is turned toward the other moving body and the confirmation time.

[0008] (3) In this case, it is preferable that no traffic lights are installed at the specific intersection.

[0009] (4) In this case, it is preferable that the second road has a narrower road width than the first road.

[0010] (5) In this case, it is preferable that the second road has fewer lanes than the first road.

[0011] (6) In this case, when the determination means determines that a second notification activation condition (e.g., a presence notification activation range B3 described later) is established, the notification control means preferably operates the man-machine interface in a second notification mode (e.g., a presence notification mode described later) having a lower notification intensity than the first notification mode, and the determination means preferably determines that the second notification activation condition is established when the assistance target enters a third range (e.g., a presence notification activation range B3 described later) that is defined with the specific intersection as its center and includes the second range.

[0012] (7) In this case, it is preferable that the determination means determines, based on information about the rider's past driving history, whether the rider is a specific rider who requires a warning when entering the specific intersection, and determines that the second notification activation condition is met when the support target driven by the specific rider enters the third range.

[0013] (8) In this case, it is preferable that the driving characteristics acquisition means acquires, as the head motion state information, a detection value of an acceleration sensor or an angular acceleration sensor attached to the rider's head or a helmet protecting the head.

[0014] (9) In this case, it is preferable that the assistance target is equipped with a driving assistance device that automatically operates at least one of a braking device and a steering device, provided that there is a moving object that may be in contact with the assistance target within the first range. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] (1) In the present invention, the recognition means recognizes traffic participants and the traffic environment around the assistance target, which is a saddle-riding vehicle, the driving characteristic acquisition means acquires head movement state information of the rider of the assistance target, which is a saddle-riding vehicle, the determination means determines whether a predetermined first notification activation condition is met based on the recognition result by the recognition means and the head movement state information while the recognition means recognizes the presence of another moving object outside a first range centered on the assistance target or ahead of the assistance target in the direction of travel, and the notification control means operates the man-machine interface in the first notification mode when the determination means determines that the first notification activation condition is met. In particular, in the present invention, in a case where a first road on which the other moving object is traveling and a second road on which the assistance target is traveling intersect at a specific intersection ahead of each road in the direction of travel, if the rider does not take any action to check the other moving object while the assistance target is within a second range centered on the specific intersection and encompassing the first range, the first notification activation condition is met, and the notification control means operates the man-machine interface in the first notification mode. Therefore, according to the present invention, when the rider to be assisted enters a specific intersection, if the rider to be assisted fails to perform a safety confirmation action to check for the presence of another moving object on the first road that is about to enter the specific intersection, the man-machine interface can be operated in the first mode, thereby encouraging the rider to be assisted to perform appropriate safety confirmation action, which can ultimately contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0016] (2) In the present invention, the determination means acquires at least one of the number of times the rider's head is turned from the front in the direction of travel toward another moving object and the time spent checking that the head is turned toward the other moving object based on the recognition result by the recognition means and the head movement state information, and determines whether or not the rider has performed a checking behavior based on at least one of the number of times and the time spent checking. Thus, according to the present invention, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not the rider has performed a safety checking behavior when entering an intersection.

[0017] (3) At specific intersections without traffic lights, riders of saddle-type vehicles are particularly required to take safety confirmation actions. The present invention targets specific intersections without traffic lights and encourages riders to take safety confirmation actions, thereby supporting safe traffic at such specific intersections without traffic lights.

[0018] (4) At specific intersections where no traffic lights are installed, a rider to be assisted traveling on a second road that is narrower than a first road on which other moving objects travel is particularly required to perform safety confirmation actions. In the present invention, by encouraging a rider to be assisted who is about to enter the specific intersection from such a second road to perform safety confirmation actions, it is possible to support safe traffic at such specific intersections where no traffic lights are installed.

[0019] (5) At specific intersections where no traffic lights are installed, a rider to be assisted traveling on a second road that has fewer lanes than a first road on which other moving objects travel is particularly required to perform safety confirmation actions. In the present invention, by encouraging a rider to be assisted who is about to enter the specific intersection from such a second road to perform safety confirmation actions, it is possible to support safe traffic at such specific intersections where no traffic lights are installed.

[0020] (6) In the present invention, the determination means determines that the second notification activation condition is met when the assistance target enters a third range that is defined around the specific intersection and encompasses the second range, and the notification control means, when the determination means determines that the second notification activation condition is met, operates the man-machine interface in a second notification mode with a lower notification intensity than the first notification mode. Thus, according to the present invention, when the assistance target is about to enter the specific intersection, the rider can be casually notified that he or she is approaching a specific intersection where a safety confirmation action is required to be taken before the rider is urged to take a safety confirmation action in the first notification mode with a stronger notification intensity than the second notification mode, thereby making it possible to urge the rider to take a safety confirmation action without causing annoyance to the rider.

[0021] (7) In the present invention, the determination means determines whether the rider of the assistance target is a specific rider who requires a warning when entering a specific intersection based on information about the rider's past driving history, and when the assistance target driven by the specific rider enters the third range, determines that the second notification activation condition is met and causes the notification control means to operate the man-machine interface in the second notification mode. Therefore, according to the present invention, the man-machine interface can be operated in the second notification mode only for riders who require a warning, taking into account the rider's past driving history, thereby preventing unnecessary warnings from being issued to riders who do not require a warning.

[0022] (8) In the present invention, the driving characteristics acquisition means acquires, as the head movement state information, detection values ​​of an acceleration sensor or angular acceleration sensor attached to the rider's head or a helmet protecting the head. Thus, according to the present invention, head movement state information can be acquired with a simple configuration.

[0023] (9) In the present invention, the notification control means activates the man-machine interface in the first notification mode while the assistance target is present within a second range that is wider than the first range in which the driving assistance device can operate, and activates the man-machine interface in the second notification mode while the assistance target is present within a third range that is even wider than the second range. Therefore, according to the present invention, the rider can be prompted to perform a safety confirmation action before the driving assistance device operates, thereby minimizing opportunities for the driving assistance device to operate and thereby supporting safe traffic at specific intersections. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a traffic safety support system according to an embodiment of the present invention and a portion of a target traffic area that is a support target of this traffic safety support system. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a collaboration support device and a plurality of area terminals communicably connected to the collaboration support device. [Figure 3A] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a notification device mounted on a four-wheeled vehicle. [Figure 3B] 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a notification device mounted on a motorcycle. [Figure 3C] 10 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a notification device mounted on a portable information processing terminal carried by a pedestrian. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a specific intersection area. [Figure 5A] 10 is a flowchart showing a specific procedure for notification mode setting processing for a motorcycle moving within a specific intersection area (part 1). [Figure 5B] 10 is a flowchart showing a specific procedure for notification mode setting processing for a motorcycle moving within a specific intersection area (part 1). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0025] Hereinafter, a traffic safety support system according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0026] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a traffic safety support system 1 according to this embodiment and a part of a target traffic area 9 in which traffic participants to be supported by this traffic safety support system 1 exist.

[0027] The traffic safety support system 1 recognizes pedestrians 4, who are people moving in the target traffic area 9, and moving bodies such as four-wheeled vehicles 2 and motorcycles 3, as individual traffic participants, and notifies each traffic participant of the support information generated through this recognition, thereby supporting the safe and smooth traffic of each traffic participant in the target traffic area 9 by encouraging communication between each traffic participant moving based on their own will (specifically, for example, mutual recognition between each traffic participant) and recognition of the surrounding traffic environment.

[0028] FIG. 1 illustrates a case where a target traffic area 9 is the vicinity of an intersection 52 in an urban area, which includes a roadway 51, an intersection 52, a sidewalk 53, and traffic lights 54 as traffic infrastructure facilities. FIG. 1 shows a case where a total of seven four-wheeled vehicles 2 and a total of two motorcycles 3 are moving on the roadway 51 and within the intersection 52, and a total of three pairs of pedestrians 4 are moving on the sidewalk 53 and within the intersection 52. FIG. 1 also shows a case where a total of three infrastructure cameras 56 are installed.

[0029] The traffic safety support system 1 comprises a group of on-board devices 20 (including on-board devices mounted on the four-wheeled vehicles 2 as well as portable information processing terminals held or worn by the drivers of the four-wheeled vehicles 2) that travel with each four-wheeled vehicle 2, a group of on-board devices 30 (including on-board devices mounted on the motorcycles 3 as well as portable information processing terminals held or worn by the drivers of the motorcycles 3) that travel with each motorcycle 3, a portable information processing terminal 40 held or worn by each pedestrian 4, a plurality of infrastructure cameras 56 installed in the target traffic area 9, a signal control device 55 that controls traffic lights 54, and a collaboration support device 6 that is communicatively connected to a plurality of terminals (hereinafter simply referred to as "area terminals") present in the target traffic area 9, such as the on-board device groups 20, 30, the portable information processing terminal 40, the infrastructure cameras 56, and the signal control device 55.

[0030] The cooperative support device 6 is configured by one or more computers communicably connected to the above-mentioned multiple area terminals via a base station 57. More specifically, the cooperative support device 6 is configured by a server connected to the multiple area terminals via the base station 57, a network core, and the Internet, an edge server connected to the multiple area terminals via the base station 57 and an MEC (Multi-access Edge Computing) core, etc.

[0031] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a collaboration support device 6 and a plurality of area terminals connected to the collaboration support device 6 so as to be able to communicate with each other.

[0032] The group of on-board devices 20 mounted on four-wheeled vehicles 2 in the target traffic area 9 includes, for example, an on-board driving assistance device 21 that assists the driver in driving, a notification device 22 that notifies the driver of various information, a driver subject state sensor 23 that detects the state of the driver while driving, an on-board communication device 24 that performs wireless communication between the vehicle and the collaborative assistance device 6 or other vehicles in the vicinity of the vehicle, and a portable information processing terminal 25 owned or worn by the driver.

[0033] The in-vehicle driving assistance device 21 includes an external sensor unit, a vehicle status sensor, a navigation device, a driving assistance ECU, etc. The external sensor unit includes an exterior camera unit that captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle, multiple in-vehicle external sensors mounted on the vehicle, such as a radar unit and a Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) unit that detect objects outside the vehicle by using electromagnetic waves, and an external recognition device that acquires information about the surroundings of the vehicle by performing sensor fusion processing on the detection results of these in-vehicle external sensors. The vehicle status sensor includes sensors that acquire information about the driving status of the vehicle, such as a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a steering angle sensor, a yaw rate sensor, a position sensor, and a direction sensor. The navigation device includes, for example, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver that identifies the current position of the vehicle based on signals received from GNSS satellites, a storage device that stores map information, etc.

[0034] The driving assistance ECU executes driving assistance controls such as lane departure prevention control, lane change control, leading vehicle following control, false start prevention control, collision mitigation brake control, and collision avoidance control based on information acquired by the external sensor unit, the vehicle state sensor, the navigation device, etc. The driving assistance ECU also generates driving assistance information for assisting the driver in safe driving based on the information acquired by the external sensor unit, the vehicle state sensor, the navigation device, etc. and transmits the information to the notification device 22.

[0035] Here, the driving assistance ECU initiates collision mitigation brake control, which automatically operates the braking device of the host vehicle to mitigate damage caused by contact between the host vehicle and the other moving object, on the condition that a moving object that may come into contact with the host vehicle is present within a predetermined collision mitigation brake operation range centered on the host vehicle or the predicted collision point ahead of the host vehicle in the direction of travel. The driving assistance ECU also initiates collision avoidance control, which automatically operates the steering device of the host vehicle to avoid contact between the host vehicle and the other moving object, on the condition that a moving object that may come into contact with the host vehicle is present within a predetermined collision avoidance steering operation range centered on the host vehicle or the predicted collision point ahead of the host vehicle in the direction of travel. Hereinafter, the collision mitigation brake operation range and the collision avoidance steering operation range are collectively referred to as the "ADAS operation range."

[0036] The driver's subject state sensor 23 is composed of various devices that acquire time-series data of information correlated with the driver's driving ability while driving. The driver's subject state sensor 23 is composed of, for example, an in-vehicle camera that detects the direction of the driver's line of sight and whether the driver's eyes are open while driving, a seat belt sensor attached to the seat belt worn by the driver that detects the driver's pulse and whether the driver is breathing, a steering sensor attached to the steering wheel held by the driver that detects the driver's skin potential, an in-vehicle microphone that detects whether the driver is talking to a passenger, etc.

[0037] The in-vehicle communication device 24 has a function of transmitting information acquired by the driving assistance ECU (including information acquired by the external sensor unit, the vehicle status sensor, and the navigation device, etc., and control information related to driving assistance control currently being performed), and information related to the driver acquired by the driver's status sensor 23, to the collaborative assistance device 6, and a function of receiving collaborative assistance information transmitted from the collaborative assistance device 6 and transmitting the received collaborative assistance information to the notification device 22.

[0038] The notification device 22 is composed of various devices that notify the driver of various information through the driver's hearing, vision, touch, etc. by operating a man-machine interface (hereinafter sometimes abbreviated as "HMI (Human Machine Interface)") in a manner determined based on the driving assistance information transmitted from the in-vehicle driving assistance device 21 and the collaborative assistance information transmitted from the collaborative assistance device 6.

[0039] 3A is a block diagram showing the configuration of notification device 22 mounted on a four-wheeled vehicle. Note that Fig. 3A illustrates only the blocks of notification device 22 that are particularly related to control based on the collaboration support information transmitted from collaboration support device 6.

[0040] The notification device 22 includes an HMI 220 that operates in a manner that can be recognized by the driver, and an HMI control device 225 that operates the HMI 220 based on the collaboration support information transmitted from the collaboration support device 6.

[0041] The HMI 220 includes an acoustic device 221 that operates in a manner that the driver can hear, a head-up display 222 that operates in a manner that the driver can see, and a seat belt control device 223 and a seat vibration device 224 that operate in a manner that the driver can feel.

[0042] The sound device 221 includes a headrest speaker 221a that is provided on the headrest of the driver's seat where the driver sits and is capable of emitting directional binaural sound, and a main speaker 221b that is provided near the driver's seat and the passenger seat. The headrest speaker 221a and the main speaker 221b emit sounds in response to commands from the HMI control device 225. The head-up display 222 displays an image in response to commands from the HMI control device 225 within the field of view of the driver while driving (for example, on the windshield). The seat belt control device 223 changes the tension of the seat belt worn by the driver in response to commands from the HMI control device 225. The seat vibration device 224 vibrates the seat where the driver sits with an amplitude and / or frequency in response to commands from the HMI control device 225.

[0043] The HMI control device 225 includes a soundness control device 226 that operates the HMI 220 in a predetermined manner to sounden the driving ability (particularly, cognitive ability) of the driver, and a risk notification control device 227 that operates the HMI 220 in a predetermined manner to make the driver aware of the presence of an imminent risk. As will be described later, the collaboration support information transmitted from the collaboration support device 6 to the four-wheeled vehicle 2 includes information on a soundness notification setting value for setting on / off of the soundness notification by the soundness control device 226, information on a risk notification setting value for setting on / off of the risk notification by the risk notification control device 227 and the type of notification mode described later, information on an imminent risk for the driver (hereinafter also referred to as "risk information"), etc.

[0044] The health notification setting value input to the health control device 226 is set to either “0” which turns off the health notification by the health control device 226, or “1” which turns on the health notification by the health control device 226.

[0045] When the health notification setting value is "0", the health control device 226 sets the health notification to off. That is, when the health notification setting value is "0", the health control device 226 does not operate the HMI 220. Note that this does not prevent the risk notification control device 227 from operating the HMI 220.

[0046] When the health notification setting value is "1", the health control device 226 sets the health notification to ON. More specifically, the health control device 226 improves the driving ability of the driver by playing music that attracts the driver's interest through, for example, the headrest speaker 221a or the main speaker 221b. At this time, the BPM (Beats Per Minute) of the music may be changed or the bass may be emphasized in order to increase the driver's level of awareness.

[0047] In this way, the health improvement control device 226 activates the HMI 220 to improve the driver's driving ability. Therefore, when the risk notification by the risk notification control device 227 described below is set to on (i.e., when the risk notification setting value is "1" or "2"), the health improvement notification may be turned off so as not to bother the driver. In addition, in this embodiment, the health improvement control device 226 activates the headrest speaker 221a and the main speaker 221b to improve the driver's driving ability mainly through the driver's hearing, but the present invention is not limited to this. The health improvement control device 226 may also activate, for example, the seat belt control device 223 or the seat vibration device 224.

[0048] The risk notification control device 227 can provide risk notifications in multiple notification modes that differ in at least one of the operation target device and operation mode of the HMI 220. More specifically, the risk notification control device 227 can provide risk notifications in at least one of a warning notification mode intended to make the driver aware of the existence of a potential risk, an analog notification mode intended to make the driver aware of the existence of an actual risk and / or the degree of this risk, and a predictive support notification mode intended to notify the driver of useful information for avoiding a predicted risk. Therefore, the risk notification setting value input to the risk notification control device 227 is set to one of the following values: “0” that turns off risk notification by the risk notification control device 227; “1” that turns on risk notification by the risk notification control device 227 and sets the notification mode to warning notification mode and predictive support notification mode; and “2” that turns on risk notification by the risk notification control device 227 and sets the notification mode to analog notification mode and predictive support notification mode.

[0049] The risk notification control device 227 sets the risk notification to off when the risk notification setting value is "0." That is, the risk notification control device 227 does not operate the HMI 220 when the risk notification setting value is "0." Note that this does not prevent the health control device 226 from operating the HMI 220.

[0050] When the risk notification setting value is "1", the risk notification control device 227 sets the notification mode to the appearance notification mode and the prediction support notification mode, and turns on risk notification under these set notification modes.

[0051] Furthermore, when the risk notification setting value is "2", the risk notification control device 227 sets the notification mode to the analog notification mode and the predicted assistance notification mode, and turns on risk notification under these set notification modes.

[0052] Here, when the notification mode is set to the predictive support notification mode, the risk notification control device 227 generates risk avoidance support information that is useful for the driver to avoid an imminent risk based on the risk information transmitted from the collaboration support device 6, and activates the audio device 221 and head-up display 222 of the HMI 220 in a manner that allows the driver to perceive this risk avoidance support information audibly and visually. Here, the risk avoidance support information includes information regarding the positions of traffic participants (hereinafter also referred to as "risk targets") that may come into contact with the vehicle, and information that alerts the driver to the risk targets.

[0053] More specifically, when a motorcycle driven by a rider in an unhealthy state is present ahead of a four-wheeled vehicle driven by a driver, the risk notification control device 227 issues a message such as "Watch out for the dangerous right turn of the motorcycle" as risk avoidance support information for avoiding contact with the motorcycle by sounding it through the audio device 221 or displaying it on the head-up display 222. In addition, at this time, the risk notification control device 227 may also display an image of an arrow pointing to the current position or predicted position of the motorcycle on the head-up display 222 as risk avoidance support information for avoiding contact with the motorcycle.

[0054] Furthermore, when the notification mode is set to the presence notification mode, the risk notification control device 227 operates the HMI 220 in a manner that does not bother the driver, thereby allowing the driver to naturally recognize the presence of a risk target extracted from the risk information transmitted from the collaboration support device 6. In this manner, in the presence notification mode, in order to naturally allow the driver to recognize the presence of a risk target without feeling bothered, it is preferable that the risk notification control device 227 activates the headrest speaker 221a, which is particularly appealing to the driver's hearing, among the multiple devices included in the HMI 220. More specifically, when the notification mode is set to the presence notification mode, the risk notification control device 227 causes the headrest speaker 221a to emit familiar sound effects at a low volume using binaural sound that is set to naturally direct the driver's gaze toward the location of the risk target.

[0055] Furthermore, when the notification mode is set to the analog notification mode, the risk notification control device 227 operates the HMI 220 in a manner different from that of the presence notification mode described above, thereby making the driver more aware of the presence of a risk object extracted from the risk information transmitted from the collaboration support device 6 and the degree of risk associated with this risk object. In this manner, in the analog notification mode, in order to make the driver more aware of the presence of a risk object, the risk notification control device 227 operates the HMI 220 in a manner with a higher notification intensity than that specified in the presence notification mode. Here, notification intensity refers to the strength of the notification that attracts the driver's interest and attention. More specifically, when the notification mode is set to the analog notification mode, the risk notification control device 227 causes the headrest speaker 221a and the main speaker 221b to emit a buzzer sound or pulse sound at a volume higher than the sound effects emitted in the presence notification mode. These buzzer sounds and pulse sounds are louder and less familiar to the driver than the sound effects emitted in the presence notification mode, and therefore have a higher notification intensity than the sound effects emitted in the presence notification mode.

[0056] Furthermore, when the risk notification control device 227 changes the notification intensity according to the degree of risk in this manner, it is preferable to operate the HMI 220 so that the notification intensity is maximized at the point when the above-mentioned driving assistance ECU begins to execute collision mitigation braking control or collision avoidance steering control, in other words, at the point when the risk object enters the ADAS operating range of the vehicle.

[0057] In this embodiment, the risk notification control device 227 activates the sound device 221 when the notification mode is set to the analog notification mode, but the present invention is not limited to this. When the notification mode is set to the analog notification mode, the risk notification control device 227 may activate the seat belt control device 223 to change the tension of the seat belt or activate the seat vibration device 224 to vibrate the seat instead of activating the sound device 221. In this way, the seat belt control device 223 and the seat vibration device 224 operate in a manner that appeals to the driver's tactile sense, and therefore have a higher notification intensity than the sound effect emitted in the presence notification mode. Furthermore, when the notification mode is set to the analog notification mode, the risk notification control device 227 may activate the sound device 221, the seat belt control device 223, and the seat vibration device 224 in combination.

[0058] Furthermore, in the analog notification mode as described above, in order to strongly notify the driver of the presence of a risk object as well as the degree of risk associated with this risk object, it is preferable that the risk notification control device 227 varies the notification intensity according to the degree of risk associated with the risk object (e.g., the predicted time to collision with the risk object) extracted from the risk information transmitted from the collaboration support device 6. Specifically, the risk notification control device 227 may increase the volume of the buzzer sound, increase the volume of the pulse sound, or shorten the interval between pulse sounds as the degree of risk increases (i.e., as the predicted time to collision decreases). When activating the seat belt control device 223 as described above, the risk notification control device 227 may increase the tension of the seat belt as the degree of risk increases. Furthermore, when activating the seat vibration device 224 as described above, the risk notification control device 227 may increase the amplitude of the seat vibration as the degree of risk increases.

[0059] Returning to FIG. 2 , the mobile information processing terminal 25 is configured, for example, by a wearable terminal worn by the driver of the four-wheeled vehicle 2, a smartphone carried by the driver, or the like. The wearable terminal has a function to measure the driver's biological information, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen saturation, and transmit the measurement data of this biological information to the collaboration support device 6, and a function to receive collaboration support information transmitted from the collaboration support device 6 and notify the driver of a message corresponding to the collaboration support information by means of an image, voice, a warning sound, a melody, a vibration, or the like. The smartphone also has a function to transmit information related to the driver, such as the driver's location information, movement acceleration, and schedule information, to the collaboration support device 6, and a function to receive collaboration support information transmitted from the collaboration support device 6 and notify the driver of a message corresponding to the collaboration support information by means of an image, voice, a warning sound, a melody, a vibration, or the like.

[0060] The group of on-board devices 30 mounted on motorcycles 3 in the target traffic area 9 includes, for example, an on-board driving assistance device 31 that assists the rider in driving, a notification device 32 that notifies the rider of various information, a rider status sensor 33 that detects the rider's status while driving, and a portable information processing terminal 35 that is owned or worn by the rider.

[0061] The in-vehicle driving assistance device 31 includes an external sensor unit, a vehicle status sensor, a navigation device, and a driving assistance ECU. The external sensor unit includes an exterior camera unit that captures images of the vehicle's surroundings, multiple on-board external sensors such as a radar unit or a lidar unit that detects objects outside the vehicle using electromagnetic waves, and an external recognition device that acquires information about the vehicle's surroundings by performing sensor fusion processing on the detection results from these on-board external sensors. The vehicle status sensor includes sensors that acquire information about the vehicle's driving status, such as a vehicle speed sensor and a 5-axis or 6-axis inertial measurement unit. The navigation device includes, for example, a GNSS receiver that identifies the vehicle's current location based on signals received from GNSS satellites, a storage device that stores map information, and the like.

[0062] The driving assistance ECU executes driving assistance controls such as lane keeping control, lane departure prevention control, lane change control, leading vehicle following control, false start prevention control, and collision mitigation brake control based on information acquired by the external sensor unit, the vehicle status sensor, the navigation device, etc. The driving assistance ECU also generates driving assistance information to assist the rider in safe driving based on the information acquired by the external sensor unit, the vehicle status sensor, the navigation device, etc. and transmits the information to the notification device 32.

[0063] Here, the driving assistance ECU initiates collision mitigation brake control, which automatically operates the braking device of the host vehicle to mitigate damage caused by contact between the host vehicle and the other moving object, on the condition that a moving object that may come into contact with the host vehicle is present within a predetermined collision mitigation brake operation range centered on the host vehicle or the predicted collision point ahead of the host vehicle in the direction of travel. The driving assistance ECU also initiates collision avoidance control, which automatically operates the steering device of the host vehicle to avoid contact between the host vehicle and the other moving object, on the condition that a moving object that may come into contact with the host vehicle is present within a predetermined collision avoidance steering operation range centered on the host vehicle or the predicted collision point ahead of the host vehicle in the direction of travel. Hereinafter, the collision mitigation brake operation range and the collision avoidance steering operation range are collectively referred to as the "ADAS operation range."

[0064] The rider condition sensor 33 is composed of various devices that acquire information correlated with the driving ability of the rider while driving. The rider condition sensor 33 is composed of, for example, a seat sensor that is provided in the seat on which the rider sits and detects the rider's pulse, presence or absence of breathing, etc., and a head movement condition sensor that detects the movement condition of the rider's head. Here, the head movement condition sensor is composed of, for example, an acceleration sensor or angular acceleration sensor that is built into a headset worn by the rider or a helmet that protects the rider's head. The detection values ​​of these acceleration sensors and angular acceleration sensors fluctuate as the rider shakes his or her head, so hereinafter the detection values ​​of these acceleration sensors and angular acceleration sensors will also be referred to as head movement condition information that indicates the movement condition of the rider's head.

[0065] The in-vehicle communication device 34 has a function of transmitting to the collaborative assistance device 6 information acquired by the driving assistance ECU (including information acquired by the external sensor unit, the vehicle status sensor, and the navigation device, etc., and control information related to driving assistance control currently being performed), and information related to the rider's status including head movement status information acquired by the rider status sensor 33, and a function of receiving collaborative assistance information transmitted from the collaborative assistance device 6 and transmitting the received collaborative assistance information to the notification device 32.

[0066] The notification device 32 is composed of various devices that notify the rider of various information through the rider's hearing, vision, touch, etc. by operating the HMI in a predetermined manner based on the driving assistance information transmitted from the in-vehicle driving assistance device 21 and the collaborative assistance information transmitted from the collaborative assistance device 6.

[0067] Fig. 3B is a block diagram showing the configuration of notification device 32 mounted on a motorcycle. Note that Fig. 3B illustrates only the blocks of notification device 32 that are particularly related to control based on the collaboration support information transmitted from collaboration support device 6.

[0068] The notification device 32 includes an HMI 320 that operates in a manner that can be recognized by the rider, and an HMI control device 325 that operates the HMI 320 based on the collaboration support information transmitted from the collaboration support device 6.

[0069] The HMI 320 includes a head-mounted speaker 321 that operates in a manner that the rider can hear, and a head-up display 322 that operates in a manner that the rider can see.

[0070] The head-mounted speaker 321 is mounted on a helmet worn by the rider and is capable of emitting directional binaural sound. The head-mounted speaker 321 emits sound in response to commands from the HMI control device 325. The head-up display 322 displays an image in response to commands from the HMI control device 325 within the field of view of the rider while driving (for example, on the helmet shield).

[0071] The HMI control device 325 includes a soundness control device 326 that operates the HMI 320 in a predetermined manner to soundness the rider's driving ability (particularly, cognitive ability), and a risk notification control device 327 that operates the HMI 320 in a predetermined manner to make the rider aware of the presence of an imminent risk. As will be described later, the collaboration assistance information transmitted from the collaboration assistance device 6 to the motorcycle 3 includes information on a soundness notification setting value for setting on / off of the soundness notification by the soundness control device 326, information on a risk notification setting value for setting on / off of the risk notification by the risk notification control device 327 and the type of notification mode, risk information on a risk that is imminent for the rider, etc.

[0072] The health notification setting value input to the health control device 326 is set to either “0” which turns off the health notification by the health control device 326, or “1” which turns on the health notification by the health control device 326.

[0073] When the health notification setting value is "0", the health control device 326 sets the health notification to off. In other words, when the health notification setting value is "0", the health control device 326 does not operate the HMI 320. Note that this does not prevent the risk notification control device 327 from operating the HMI 320.

[0074] When the fitness notification setting value is "1", the fitness control device 326 sets the fitness notification to ON. More specifically, the fitness control device 326 improves the rider's driving ability by playing music that attracts the rider's interest, for example, through the head-mounted speaker 321. At this time, the BPM of the music may be changed or the bass may be emphasized in order to increase the rider's level of awareness.

[0075] Since the improvement control device 326 operates the HMI 320 to improve the rider's driving ability in this way, if the risk notification by the risk notification control device 327 described below is set to on (i.e., if the risk notification setting value is "1" or "2"), the improvement notification may be turned off so that the rider does not feel bothered.

[0076] The risk notification control device 327 can provide risk notifications in multiple notification modes that differ in at least one of the target device and operation mode of the HMI 320. More specifically, the risk notification control device 327 can provide risk notifications in at least one of a warning notification mode intended to make the rider aware of the existence of a potential risk, an analog notification mode intended to make the rider aware of the existence of an actual risk and / or the severity of that risk, and a predictive support notification mode intended to notify the rider of useful information for avoiding a predicted risk. Therefore, the risk notification setting value input to the risk notification control device 327 is set to one of the following values: “0” that turns off risk notification by the risk notification control device 327; “1” that turns on risk notification by the risk notification control device 327 and sets the notification mode to warning notification mode and predictive support notification mode; and “2” that turns on risk notification by the risk notification control device 327 and sets the notification mode to analog notification mode and predictive support notification mode.

[0077] The risk notification controller 327 sets the risk notification to off when the risk notification setting value is "0." That is, the risk notification controller 327 does not operate the HMI 320 when the risk notification setting value is "0." Note that this does not prevent the health control device 326 from operating the HMI 320.

[0078] When the risk notification setting value is "1", the risk notification control device 327 sets the notification mode to the appearance notification mode and the prediction support notification mode, and turns on risk notification under these set notification modes.

[0079] Furthermore, when the risk notification setting value is "2", the risk notification control device 327 sets the notification mode to analog notification mode and predicted assistance notification mode, and turns on risk notification under these set notification modes.

[0080] Here, when the notification mode is set to the predictive assistance notification mode, the risk notification control device 327 generates risk avoidance support information that is useful for the rider to avoid an approaching risk based on the risk information transmitted from the collaboration support device 6, and activates the head-mounted speaker 321 and head-up display 322 of the HMI 320 in a manner that allows the rider to perceive this risk avoidance support information audibly and visually. Here, the risk avoidance support information includes information regarding the location of risk objects that may come into contact with the vehicle, and information that alerts the rider to the risk objects.

[0081] More specifically, when there is a four-wheeled vehicle driven by a driver in an unhealthy state ahead of the motorcycle driven by the rider, the risk notification control device 327 issues a message such as "Watch out for the dangerous right turn of the four-wheeled vehicle" as risk avoidance support information for avoiding contact with the four-wheeled vehicle by voicing it through the head-mounted speaker 321 or displaying it on the head-up display 322. In this case, the risk notification control device 327 may also display an image of an arrow pointing to the current position or predicted position of the four-wheeled vehicle on the head-up display 322 as risk avoidance support information for avoiding contact with the four-wheeled vehicle.

[0082] Furthermore, when the notification mode is set to the presence notification mode, the risk notification control device 327 operates the HMI 320 in a manner that does not bother the rider, thereby allowing the rider to naturally recognize the presence of a risk target extracted from the risk information transmitted from the collaboration support device 6. In this way, in the presence notification mode, in order to naturally allow the rider to recognize the presence of a risk target without feeling bothered, it is preferable that the risk notification control device 327 activates, among the multiple devices included in the HMI 320, the head-mounted speaker 321, which particularly appeals to the rider's hearing. More specifically, when the notification mode is set to the presence notification mode, the risk notification control device 327 causes the head-mounted speaker 321 to emit familiar sound effects at a low volume using binaural sound that is set to naturally direct the rider's gaze toward the location of the risk target.

[0083] Furthermore, when the notification mode is set to the analog notification mode, the risk notification control device 327 operates the HMI 320 in a manner different from that of the presence notification mode described above, thereby making the rider more aware of the presence of a risk object extracted from the risk information transmitted from the collaboration support device 6 and the degree of risk associated with this risk object. In this manner, in the analog notification mode, in order to make the rider more aware of the presence of a risk object, the risk notification control device 327 operates the HMI 320 in a manner with a higher notification intensity than that determined in the presence notification mode. More specifically, when the notification mode is set to the analog notification mode, the risk notification control device 327 causes the head-mounted speaker 321 to emit a buzzer sound or pulse sound at a volume higher than the sound effects emitted in the presence notification mode. These buzzer sounds and pulse sounds are louder and less familiar to the rider than the sound effects emitted in the presence notification mode, and therefore have a higher notification intensity than the sound effects emitted in the presence notification mode.

[0084] Furthermore, in the analog notification mode as described above, in order to make the rider more aware of the risk level associated with a risk object in addition to the presence of the risk object, it is preferable that the risk notification control device 327 changes the notification intensity according to the risk level associated with the risk object (for example, the predicted time to collision with the risk object) extracted from the risk information transmitted from the collaboration support device 6. Specifically, the risk notification control device 327 may increase the volume of the buzzer sound, increase the volume of the pulse sound, or shorten the interval between the pulse sounds as the risk level increases (i.e., as the predicted time to collision decreases).

[0085] Furthermore, when the risk notification control device 327 changes the notification intensity according to the degree of risk in this manner, it is preferable to operate the HMI 320 so that the notification intensity is maximized at the time when the above-mentioned driving assistance ECU begins to execute collision mitigation brake control, in other words, at the time when the risk object enters the ADAS operating range of the vehicle.

[0086] Returning to FIG. 2 , the mobile information processing terminal 40 owned or worn by the pedestrian 4 in the target traffic area 9 is configured, for example, as a wearable terminal worn by the pedestrian 4 or a smartphone held by the pedestrian 4. The wearable terminal has the function of measuring biometric information of the pedestrian 4, such as heart rate, blood pressure, and blood oxygen saturation, transmitting the measurement data of this biometric information to the collaboration support device 6, and receiving collaboration support information transmitted from the collaboration support device 6. The smartphone also has the function of transmitting pedestrian information about the pedestrian 4, such as location information, movement acceleration, and schedule information of the pedestrian 4, to the collaboration support device 6, and receiving collaboration support information transmitted from the collaboration support device 6.

[0087] The mobile information processing terminal 40 also includes a notification device 42 that notifies pedestrians of various information through their hearing, vision, touch, etc. by operating the HMI in a predetermined manner based on the received collaborative support information.

[0088] 3C is a block diagram showing the configuration of notification device 42 installed in mobile information processing terminal 40. Note that FIG. 3C illustrates only the blocks of notification device 42 that are particularly involved in control based on collaboration support information transmitted from collaboration support device 6.

[0089] The notification device 42 includes an HMI 420 that operates in a manner that can be recognized by pedestrians, and an HMI control device 425 that operates the HMI 420 based on the collaboration support information transmitted from the collaboration support device 6.

[0090] The HMI 420 includes a speaker 421 that operates in a manner that can be heard by pedestrians, and a vibration device 424 that operates in a manner that can be heard by pedestrians through their sense of touch.

[0091] The speaker 421 produces a sound in response to a command from the HMI control device 425. The vibration device 424 vibrates the main body of the portable information processing terminal 40 with an amplitude and / or a frequency in a manner in response to a command from the HMI control device 425.

[0092] As will be explained later, the collaborative support information sent from the collaborative support device 6 to the mobile information processing terminal 40 carried by the pedestrian includes information regarding the risk notification setting value for turning risk notifications on / off by the HMI control device 425 and setting the type of notification mode, as well as risk information regarding risks approaching the pedestrian.

[0093] The HMI control device 425 can provide risk notifications under multiple notification modes that differ in at least one of the target device and operation mode of the HMI 420. More specifically, the HMI control device 425 can provide risk notifications under at least one of a presence notification mode intended to make pedestrians aware of the presence of a potential risk and an analog notification mode intended to make pedestrians aware of the presence and / or severity of an actual risk. For this reason, the risk notification setting value input to the HMI control device 425 is set to one of the following values: “0” that turns off the risk notification by the HMI control device 425; “1” that turns on the risk notification by the HMI control device 425 and sets the notification mode to the presence notification mode; and “2” that turns on the risk notification by the HMI control device 425 and sets the notification mode to the analog notification mode.

[0094] The HMI control device 425 sets the risk notification to off when the risk notification setting value is "0." That is, the HMI control device 425 does not operate the HMI 420 when the risk notification setting value is "0."

[0095] If the risk notification setting value is "1", the HMI control device 425 sets the notification mode to the presence notification mode and turns on risk notification under the set notification mode.

[0096] Furthermore, if the risk notification setting value is "2", the HMI control device 425 sets the notification mode to the analog notification mode and turns on risk notification under the set notification mode.

[0097] Here, when the notification mode is set to the presence notification mode, the HMI control device 425 operates the HMI 420 in a manner that does not bother the pedestrian, thereby allowing the pedestrian to naturally recognize the presence of a risk target extracted from the risk information transmitted from the collaboration support device 6. More specifically, when the notification mode is set to the presence notification mode, the HMI control device 425 operates the vibration device 424 to vibrate the main body of the mobile information processing terminal 40 at a predetermined amplitude and frequency.

[0098] Furthermore, when the notification mode is set to the analog notification mode, the HMI control device 425 operates the HMI 420 in a manner different from the above-described presence notification mode, thereby making pedestrians more aware of the presence of a risk condition extracted from the risk information transmitted from the collaboration support device 6 and the degree of risk associated with this risk object. In this way, in the analog notification mode, in order to make pedestrians more aware of the presence of a risk object, the HMI control device 425 operates the HMI 420 in a manner with a higher notification intensity than the manner determined in the presence notification mode. More specifically, when the notification mode is set to the analog notification mode, the HMI control device 425 causes the speaker 421 to emit a buzzer sound, a pulse sound, a message indicating the presence of a risk, or the like.

[0099] Furthermore, in the analog notification mode as described above, in order to make pedestrians more aware of the presence of a risk object as well as the degree of risk associated with this risk object, it is preferable that the HMI control device 425 changes the notification intensity according to the degree of risk associated with the risk object (for example, the predicted time to collision with the risk object) extracted from the risk information transmitted from the collaboration support device 6. Specifically, the HMI control device 425 may increase the volume of the buzzer sound, increase the volume of the pulse sound, shorten the interval between the pulse sounds, increase the volume of the message, or change the content of the message as the degree of risk increases (i.e., as the predicted time to collision decreases).

[0100] Returning to Figure 2, the infrastructure camera 56 captures images of traffic infrastructure facilities including roadways, intersections, and sidewalks in the target traffic area, as well as moving objects and pedestrians moving on these roadways, intersections, sidewalks, etc., and transmits the obtained image information to the collaboration support device 6.

[0101] The signal control device 55 controls the traffic lights and transmits to the cooperation support device 6 traffic light status information relating to the current lighting color of the traffic lights installed in the target traffic area and the timing for changing the lighting color.

[0102] The collaboration support device 6 is a computer that supports safe and smooth traffic for traffic participants in the target traffic area by generating collaboration support information for each traffic participant to be supported, based on information acquired from multiple area terminals present in the target traffic area as described above, to promote communication between traffic participants and awareness of the surrounding traffic environment, and notifying each traffic participant of the information. In this embodiment, the collaboration support device 6 targets traffic participants among the multiple traffic participants present in the target traffic area who are equipped with means (e.g., notification devices 22, 32, 42) to receive the collaboration support information generated by the collaboration support device 6 and operate their HMI in a manner determined based on the received collaboration support information.

[0103] The collaborative assistance device 6 includes a target traffic area recognition unit 60 that recognizes people and moving objects in the target traffic area as individual traffic participants, a driving subject information acquisition unit 61 that acquires driving subject state information correlated with the driving ability of the driving subject of the moving object recognized as a traffic participant by the target traffic area recognition unit 60, a prediction unit 62 that predicts the future of the traffic participants in the target traffic area, a health notification setting unit 63 that sets the health notification on / off for each traffic participant recognized by the target traffic area recognition unit 60 as a support target, a risk notification setting unit 64 that sets the notification mode of the risk notification for each traffic participant recognized by the target traffic area recognition unit 60 as a support target, a collaborative assistance information notification unit 65 that transmits collaborative assistance information generated for each traffic participant recognized by the target traffic area recognition unit 60 as a support target, a traffic environment database 67 that stores information about the traffic environment in the target traffic area, and a driving history database 68 that stores information about the past driving history of pre-registered driving subjects.

[0104] The traffic environment database 67 stores information related to the traffic environment of traffic participants in the target traffic area, such as map information of the target traffic area that has been registered in advance (for example, roadway width, number of lanes, speed limit, sidewalk width, presence or absence of guardrails between the roadway and sidewalk, and location of crosswalks), and risk area information related to particularly high-risk areas within the target traffic area. Hereinafter, the information stored in the traffic environment database 67 is also referred to as registered traffic environment information.

[0105] The driving history database 68 stores information about the driving history of pre-registered drivers in association with the registration number of the vehicle owned by the driver. Therefore, if the target traffic area recognition unit 60 (described later) can identify the registration number of a recognized vehicle, the driving history database 68 can be searched based on the registration number to obtain the driving history of the recognized vehicle's driver. As described later in detail, the head movement state information transmitted from the motorcycle's rider state sensor 33 correlates with whether or not the rider performed a safety confirmation behavior when entering an intersection. Therefore, if the driver is a motorcycle rider, the driving history database preferably stores information about the driving history, such as the number of safety confirmation behaviors performed when entering an intersection in the past and the confirmation time, which is the time the safety confirmation behavior was performed. Here, the number of safety confirmation behaviors, confirmation time, etc. are calculated based on the traffic participant recognition information acquired by the target traffic area recognition unit 60 and the rider's head movement state information acquired by the driver information acquisition unit 61, using the same procedure as the processing in step ST5 (described later with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B). Hereinafter, the information stored in the driving history database 68 is also referred to as registered driving history information.

[0106] The target traffic area recognition unit 60 recognizes recognition objects including each traffic participant who is a person or a moving object in the target traffic area and the traffic environment of each traffic participant in the target traffic area based on information transmitted from the above-mentioned area terminals (the in-vehicle device group 20, 30, the mobile information processing terminal 40, the infrastructure camera 56, and the signal control device 55) in the target traffic area and registered traffic environment information read from the traffic environment database 67, and obtains recognition information regarding these recognition objects.

[0107] The information transmitted from the on-board driving assistance device 21 and on-board communication device 24 included in the on-board device group 20 to the target traffic area recognition unit 60, and the information transmitted from the on-board driving assistance device 31 and on-board communication device 34 included in the on-board device group 30 to the target traffic area recognition unit 60, include information on the status of traffic participants and the traffic environment around the vehicle acquired by the external sensor unit, and information on the status of the vehicle as a traffic participant acquired by the vehicle status sensor, navigation device, etc. The information transmitted from the mobile information processing terminal 40 to the target traffic area recognition unit 60 also includes information on the status of pedestrians as traffic participants, such as their position and movement acceleration. The image information transmitted from the infrastructure camera 56 to the target traffic area recognition unit 60 also includes information on each traffic participant and their traffic environment, such as the appearance of traffic infrastructure facilities in the target traffic area, such as roadways, intersections, and sidewalks, and the appearance of traffic participants moving through the target traffic area. The traffic light status information transmitted from the signal control device 55 to the target traffic area recognition unit 60 also includes information on the traffic environment of each traffic participant, such as the current lighting color of the traffic light and the timing for changing the lighting color. The registered traffic environment information that the target traffic area recognition unit 60 reads from the traffic environment database 67 includes information about the traffic environment of each traffic participant, such as map information of the target traffic area and risk area information.

[0108] Therefore, based on the information transmitted from these area terminals, the target traffic area recognition unit 60 can acquire recognition information of each traffic participant in the target traffic area, such as the position in the target traffic area of ​​each traffic participant, moving speed, moving acceleration, moving direction, vehicle type of the moving body, vehicle class of the moving body, registration number of the moving body, the number of pedestrians, and the age group of the pedestrians (hereinafter also referred to as "traffic participant recognition information").Furthermore, based on the information transmitted from these area terminals, the target traffic area recognition unit 60 can acquire recognition information of the traffic environment of each traffic participant in the target traffic area (hereinafter also referred to as "traffic environment recognition information"), such as the width of the roadway, the number of lanes, the speed limit, the width of the sidewalk, the presence or absence of guardrails between the roadway and the sidewalk, the color of traffic lights and their switching timing, and risk area information.

[0109] Therefore, in this embodiment, the recognition means for recognizing traffic participants and the traffic environment in the target traffic area is composed of a target traffic area recognition unit 60, an on-board driving assistance device 21, an on-board communication device 24, and a portable information processing terminal 25 included in the on-board device group 20 of the four-wheeled vehicle 2, an on-board driving assistance device 31, an on-board communication device 34, and a portable information processing terminal 35 included in the on-board device group 30 of the motorcycle 3, the portable information processing terminal 40 of the pedestrian 4, an infrastructure camera 56, a traffic light control device 55, and a traffic environment database 67.

[0110] The target traffic area recognition unit 60 transmits the traffic participant recognition information and traffic environment recognition information acquired in the above manner to the driving subject information acquisition unit 61, the prediction unit 62, the health notification setting unit 63, the risk notification setting unit 64, and the collaborative support information notification unit 65, etc.

[0111] The driving subject information acquisition unit 61 acquires driving subject state information and driving subject characteristic information that are correlated with the current driving ability of the driving subject of the mobile body recognized as a traffic participant by the target traffic area recognition unit 60 based on information transmitted from the area terminals (particularly, the vehicle-mounted device group 20, 30) in the target traffic area and registered driving history information read from the driving history database 68.

[0112] More specifically, when the driver of a four-wheeled vehicle recognized as a traffic participant by the target traffic area recognition unit 60 is a human, the driver subject information acquisition unit 61 acquires information transmitted from the on-board device group 20 mounted on the four-wheeled vehicle as driver subject state information of the driver. Furthermore, when the driver of a motorcycle recognized as a traffic participant by the target traffic area recognition unit 60 is a human, the driver subject information acquisition unit 61 acquires information transmitted from the on-board device group 30 mounted on the motorcycle as driver subject state information of the rider.

[0113] The information transmitted from the driver's subject state sensor 23 and the in-vehicle communication device 24 included in the in-vehicle device group 20 to the driver's subject information acquisition unit 61 includes information correlated with the driver's driving ability while driving, such as appearance information, such as the driver's gaze direction and whether or not the eyes are open, biological information, such as pulse, whether or not breathing, and skin potential, and audio information, such as whether or not the driver is talking. The information transmitted from the rider's state sensor 33 and the in-vehicle communication device 34 included in the in-vehicle device group 30 to the driver's subject information acquisition unit 61 also includes information correlated with the rider's driving ability while driving, such as biological information, such as pulse, whether or not breathing, and skin potential, and head movement state information, such as head movement state information. The information transmitted from the mobile information processing terminals 25 and 35 included in the in-vehicle device groups 20 and 30 to the driver's subject information acquisition unit 61 also includes personal schedule information of the driver and rider. For example, when a driver or rider is driving a vehicle under a tight schedule, they may become impatient, which may result in a decline in their driving ability. Therefore, the schedule information of an individual driver or rider can be said to be information that correlates with their own driving ability.

[0114] The driver subject information acquisition unit 61 acquires driver subject characteristic information regarding the driver subject's driving characteristics (e.g., excessive sudden lane changes, excessive sudden acceleration / deceleration, etc.) that are correlated with the driver subject's current driving ability while driving, by using both or either of the driver subject state information for the driver subject acquired by the above procedure and the registered driving history information read from the driving history database 68.

[0115] The driver subject information acquisition unit 61 transmits the driver subject state information and driver subject characteristic information of the driver subject acquired in the manner described above to the prediction unit 62, the health notification setting unit 63, the risk notification setting unit 64, and the collaborative support information notification unit 65, etc.

[0116] The prediction unit 62 extracts a part of the target traffic area as a monitoring area and predicts the future of multiple traffic participants in this monitoring area based on the traffic participant recognition information and traffic environment recognition information acquired by the target traffic area recognition unit 60 and the driving subject state information and driving subject characteristic information acquired by the driving subject information acquisition unit 61. More specifically, the prediction unit 62 constructs a virtual space simulating the monitoring area based on the traffic participant recognition information and traffic environment recognition information acquired by the target traffic area recognition unit 60, and predicts the future of each traffic participant in the monitoring area by performing a simulation in the virtual space based on the traffic participant recognition information, traffic environment recognition information, driving subject state information, and driving subject characteristic information. Note that a detailed description of the specific procedure by which the prediction unit 62 predicts the future of each traffic participant in the monitoring area will be omitted.

[0117] Here, the target traffic area is a relatively wide traffic area determined, for example, by a city, town, or village. In contrast, the monitoring area is a traffic area that a four-wheeled vehicle traveling at the legal speed can pass through in about several tens of seconds, such as an intersection or near a specific facility. In other words, the monitoring area is narrower than the target traffic area, but wider than the ADAS operation range of the driving assistance ECU installed in each moving object.

[0118] The health notification setting unit 63 sets traffic participants who are recognized as support targets and moving bodies by the target traffic area recognition unit 60 among multiple traffic participants present in the target traffic area as setting targets, and sets the health notification on / off for each individual setting target.

[0119] More specifically, the soundness notification setting unit 63 first acquires driver-subject state information and driver-subject characteristic information associated with the driver of each setting target, which is a moving object, from the driver-subject information acquisition unit 61. The soundness notification setting unit 63 then calculates the current soundness of the driver for each setting target based on the acquired driver-subject state information and driver-subject characteristic information. If the soundness calculated for each setting target is less than a predetermined soundness threshold, the soundness notification setting unit 63 determines that the driver of that setting target is in an unsound state and sets the soundness notification setting value for that setting target to "1" to turn on the soundness notification for that setting target. If the soundness calculated for each setting target is equal to or greater than the soundness threshold, the soundness notification setting unit 63 determines that the driver of that setting target is in a sound state and sets the soundness notification setting value for that setting target to "0" to turn off the soundness notification for that setting target.

[0120] The driver's subject state information acquired from a motorcycle includes head movement state information regarding the rider's head movement state. Generally, when a rider is feeling drowsy, head movement tends to decrease, whereas after the rider wakes up, head movement tends to increase. In other words, the rider's level of alertness is thought to be correlated with the head movement state information. Therefore, when the target of the setting is a motorcycle, the soundness notification setting unit 63 calculates the rider's level of alertness based on the head movement state information transmitted from the target of the setting. If the calculated level of alertness is less than a predetermined alertness threshold, the soundness notification setting unit 63 determines that the rider is in an unsound state and sets the soundness notification setting value for the target of the setting to "1" to turn on the soundness notification for the target of the setting, thereby waking up the rider. Furthermore, if the calculated level of alertness is equal to or greater than the alertness threshold, the soundness notification setting unit 63 determines that the rider is in a sound state and sets the soundness notification setting value for the target of the setting to "0" to turn off the soundness notification for the target of the setting.

[0121] The health notification setting unit 63 sets the health notification for multiple setting targets in the target traffic area to on or off by the above procedure. Information on the health notification setting value set for each setting target by the health notification setting unit 63 is transmitted to the collaboration support information notification unit 65.

[0122] The risk notification setting unit 64 sets traffic participants who are recognized as support targets by the target traffic area recognition unit 60 among multiple traffic participants present in the monitoring area extracted from the target traffic area by the prediction unit 62 as setting targets, and sets the on / off and notification mode of risk notification for each individual setting target.

[0123] More specifically, the risk notification setting unit 64 sets the on / off and notification mode of risk notifications for individual setting targets present in the monitoring area based on information related to the monitoring area from among the traffic participant recognition information and traffic environment recognition information acquired by the target traffic area recognition unit 60, information related to the monitoring area from among the driving subject state information and driving subject characteristic information acquired by the driving subject information acquisition unit 61, and the prediction results for the monitoring area by the prediction unit 62.

[0124] In the following, the specific procedure for setting the risk notification on / off and notification mode for a specified setting target using the risk notification setting unit 64 will be explained using the example of when the motorcycle 3 to be set enters a predetermined specific intersection area.

[0125] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a specific intersection area A. The specific intersection area A is defined as a traffic area including a first road R1, a second road R2 that is narrower or has fewer lanes than the first road R1, and a specific intersection P where the first road R1 and the second road R2 intersect. More specifically, the specific intersection area A is defined as a traffic area within a predetermined radius centered on the specific intersection P. The specific intersection P does not have a traffic light. In addition, because an obstacle O exists on the sidewalk adjacent to the second road R2, it is difficult for a vehicle entering the specific intersection P from the second road R2 to recognize the presence of a vehicle entering the specific intersection P from the first road R1.

[0126] Generally, in such a specific intersection area A, vehicles entering the specific intersection P from the first road R1 side have priority over vehicles entering the specific intersection P from the second road R2 side. For this reason, the driver of a vehicle entering the specific intersection P from the second road R2 side is required to temporarily stop just before the specific intersection P and to properly perform safety confirmation actions to check for the presence of other vehicles entering the specific intersection P from the first road R1 side.

[0127] For this reason, in the specific intersection area A, so-called head-on collisions tend to occur between a vehicle traveling straight on the first road R1 and attempting to pass through the specific intersection P and a vehicle that has entered the specific intersection P from the second road R2 without properly performing the safety confirmation actions described above. The risk notification setting unit 64 has pre-registered, as specific intersection areas, a number of traffic areas where such head-on collisions are likely to occur.

[0128] 5A and 5B are flowcharts showing specific steps of the notification mode setting process for a motorcycle moving within a specific intersection area. The notification mode setting process shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B is repeatedly executed at a predetermined cycle by the risk notification setting unit 64 when the motorcycle for which the notification mode is to be set enters a registered specific intersection area. The specific steps of the notification mode setting process shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B will be described below using the specific intersection area A shown in FIG. 4 as an example.

[0129] First, in step ST1, the risk notification setting unit 64 determines whether the motorcycle 3 for which the notification mode is to be set is traveling on a second road R2 within the specific intersection area A, where appropriate performance of safety confirmation actions is required. If the determination result in step ST1 is YES, the risk notification setting unit 64 proceeds to step ST2. If the determination result in step ST1 is NO, that is, if the setting target is traveling on the first road R1, the risk notification setting unit 64 determines that there is no need to provide a risk notification regarding the specific intersection A to the rider for which the notification mode is to be set, and proceeds to step ST21.

[0130] In step ST21, the risk notification setting unit 64 sets the risk notification setting value for the setting target to "0" to turn off risk notification for the setting target, and terminates the notification mode setting process shown in Figures 5A and 5B.

[0131] In step ST2, the risk notification setting unit 64 determines whether the setting target is located within a sign notification activation range B3 defined around the specific intersection P. Here, as shown in FIG. 4, the sign notification activation range B3 is defined so as to encompass the ADAS activation range B1 defined around the specific intersection P and the analog notification activation range B2, which will be described later. If the determination result in step ST2 is YES, the risk notification setting unit 64 proceeds to step ST3. If the determination result in step ST2 is NO, the risk notification setting unit 64 determines that the setting target and the specific intersection P are far apart, and therefore there is no need to provide a risk notification regarding the specific intersection A to the rider of the setting target, at least at this point in time, and proceeds to step ST21.

[0132] In step ST3, the risk notification setting unit 64 determines whether the setting target is within an analog notification activation range B2 defined around the specific intersection P. Here, as shown in FIG. 4, the analog notification activation range B2 is defined to encompass the ADAS activation range B1 defined around the specific intersection P, and to be narrower than the above-mentioned presence notification activation range B3. If the determination result in step ST3 is YES, the risk notification setting unit 64 proceeds to step ST4. If the determination result in step ST3 is NO, that is, if the setting target is approaching the specific intersection P where appropriate safety confirmation behavior is required, the risk notification setting unit 64 proceeds to step ST11.

[0133] In step ST11, the risk notification setting unit 64 obtains information about the driving history of the target rider from the driving history database 68, and proceeds to step ST12. As described above, the information about the rider's driving history includes information such as the number of times and duration of safety confirmation actions when entering an intersection in the past.

[0134] In step ST12, the risk notification setting unit 64 determines, based on information such as the number of times the rider has confirmed the safety confirmation behavior in the past and the confirmation time acquired in step ST11, whether the rider to be set is a specific rider who needs to be warned when entering the specific intersection P. More specifically, if the risk notification setting unit 64 determines, based on the number of times the rider has confirmed the safety confirmation behavior in the past and the confirmation time, etc., that the target rider tends not to properly perform safety confirmation behavior when entering an intersection, it determines that this rider is a specific rider who needs to be warned when entering the specific intersection P.

[0135] If the determination result of step ST12 is NO, the risk notification setting unit 64 determines that the rider to be set has a tendency to appropriately perform safety confirmation behavior without being alerted, and proceeds to step ST21. That is, in this case, the risk notification setting unit 64 sets the risk notification for the rider to be set to OFF.

[0136] Furthermore, if the determination result of step ST12 is YES, the risk notification setting unit 64 determines that the presence / absence notification activation conditions (the determination conditions of steps ST1, ST2, ST3, and ST12) for initiating risk notification to the rider in the presence / absence notification mode are met, and proceeds to step ST13. In step ST13, the risk notification setting unit 46 sets the risk notification setting value to "1" and terminates the notification mode setting process shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. In this way, when a set target driven by a specific rider who requires a warning when entering a specific intersection P enters within the presence / absence notification activation range B3 defined around the specific intersection P, the risk notification setting unit 64 determines that the presence / absence notification activation conditions are met and sets the risk notification setting value to "1." As a result, the risk notification control device 327 of the set target operates the HMI 320 in the presence / absence notification mode, thereby indicating to the rider that the specific intersection P, at which the rider needs to appropriately perform safety confirmation actions, is approaching.

[0137] In step ST4, the risk notification setting unit 64 determines whether there is another vehicle V traveling on the first road R1 and which may come into contact with the set target at the specific intersection P. If the determination result of step ST4 is YES, the risk notification setting unit 64 proceeds to step ST5. If the determination result of step ST4 is NO, the risk notification setting unit 64 determines that there is no need to issue a risk notification to the set target rider moving toward the specific intersection P, and proceeds to step ST21.

[0138] In step ST5, the risk notification setting unit 64 calculates the number of times the rider's head is turned toward the other vehicle V from the front of the target's direction of travel and the time the rider's head is turned toward the other vehicle V as the number of confirmations and the confirmation time, respectively, based on the traffic participant recognition information acquired by the target traffic area recognition unit 60 and the head movement state information of the target rider acquired by the driver information acquisition unit 61, and then proceeds to step ST6. More specifically, the risk notification setting unit 64 calculates the number of confirmations and the confirmation time from the time the target rider first enters the analog notification activation range B2 until a predetermined time has elapsed. Here, the risk notification setting unit 64 can calculate the position and orientation of the other vehicle V as seen by the target rider based on the traffic participant recognition information. The risk notification setting unit 64 can also calculate the rider's head orientation, i.e., the rider's line of sight, based on the head movement state information. Therefore, the risk notification setting unit 64 can calculate the number of times and the confirmation time of the other vehicle V by the target rider by comparing the position and orientation of the other vehicle V as seen from the rider calculated as described above with the orientation of the rider's head. Note that, although the following describes a case in which the risk notification setting unit 64 calculates both the number of times and the confirmation time of the other vehicle V by the rider, the present invention is not limited to this. The risk notification setting unit 64 may calculate at least either the number of times or the confirmation time.

[0139] In step ST6, the risk notification setting unit 64 determines whether the rider of the setting target appropriately performed safety confirmation behavior regarding the other vehicle V while the setting target was within the analog notification activation range B2, based on at least one of the number of confirmations and the confirmation time calculated in step ST5. More specifically, the risk notification setting unit 64 determines whether the rider appropriately performed safety confirmation behavior regarding the other vehicle V, for example, by comparing the number of confirmations and the confirmation time calculated in step ST5 with a predetermined confirmation count threshold and confirmation time threshold. That is, the risk notification setting unit 64 determines that the rider appropriately performed safety confirmation behavior regarding the other vehicle V when the number of confirmations is equal to or greater than the confirmation count threshold, when the confirmation time is equal to or greater than the confirmation time threshold, or when both the number of confirmations and the confirmation time are equal to or greater than the confirmation count threshold and the confirmation time threshold.

[0140] In addition, when an obstacle O exists between the second road R2 and the first road R1, as in the specific intersection area A shown in FIG. 4 , it is difficult for the target rider traveling on the second road R2 to confirm the presence of another vehicle V traveling on the first road R1. Similarly, in bad weather or during specific time periods when the first road R1 is backlit when viewed from the second road R2, the target rider also has difficulty confirming the presence of another vehicle V traveling on the first road R1. In such cases, the target rider needs to perform safety confirmation actions more carefully before entering the specific intersection P. Therefore, it is preferable that the risk notification setting unit 64 set the above-mentioned confirmation count threshold and confirmation time threshold to values ​​larger than usual when an obstacle O exists, when the weather is bad, or during specific time periods when the first road R1 is backlit when viewed from the second road R2. This allows the rider to perform safety confirmation actions more carefully than usual.

[0141] If the determination result of step ST6 is YES, the risk notification setting unit 64 determines that there is no need to issue a risk notification to the target rider who is about to enter the specific intersection P, and proceeds to step ST21.

[0142] Furthermore, if the determination result of step ST6 is NO, the risk notification setting unit 64 determines that the analog notification activation condition (the determination conditions of steps ST1, ST2, ST3, ST4, and ST6) for initiating risk notification to the rider in the analog notification mode is satisfied, and proceeds to step ST7. In step ST7, the risk notification setting unit 64 sets the risk notification setting value to "2" and terminates the notification mode setting process shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. In this way, when the rider of the set target is traveling on the first road R1 toward a specific intersection P and there is another vehicle V at this specific intersection P that may come into contact with the set target, and when the rider of the set target does not appropriately perform safety confirmation action for the other vehicle V while the set target is within the analog notification activation range B2 defined around the specific intersection P, the risk notification setting unit 64 determines that the analog notification activation condition is satisfied and sets the risk notification setting value to "2." As a result, the risk notification control device 327 to be set operates the HMI 320 in analog notification mode, which has a stronger notification intensity than the presence notification mode, thereby strongly warning the rider to properly perform safety checks for other vehicles V before entering the specific intersection P.

[0143] Returning to Figure 2, the collaborative assistance information notification unit 65 generates collaborative assistance information for each traffic participant recognized as a support target by the target traffic area recognition unit 60, based on the traffic participant recognition information and traffic environment recognition information acquired by the target traffic area recognition unit 60, the driving subject state information and driving subject characteristic information acquired by the driving subject information acquisition unit 61, the prediction result by the prediction unit 62, information regarding the soundness setting value set by the soundness notification setting unit 63, and information regarding the risk notification setting value set by the risk notification setting unit 64, to encourage communication between surrounding traffic participants and awareness of the surrounding traffic environment, and transmits the generated collaborative assistance information to each traffic participant.

[0144] The collaborative assistance information transmitted from the collaborative assistance information notification unit 65 to each assistance target includes information on the health setting value, information on the risk notification setting value, and risk information on the risk approaching each assistance target. Here, the risk information includes, for example, the prediction results by the prediction unit 62 and information on the locations of traffic participants around each traffic participant.

[0145] The traffic safety support system 1 according to this embodiment has the following advantages. (1) The target traffic area recognition unit 60 recognizes traffic participants and the traffic environment around the assistance target, which is the motorcycle 3, the driver information acquisition unit 61 acquires head movement state information of the rider of the assistance target, and the risk notification setting unit 64 determines whether the analog notification activation condition is met based on the recognition result by the target traffic area recognition unit 60 and the head movement state information, etc., while the target traffic area recognition unit 60 recognizes the presence of another moving body V outside the ADAS operation range B1 centered on the specific intersection A, and if it determines that the analog notification activation condition is met, sets the risk notification setting value to "2." When the risk notification setting value is set to "2," the risk notification control device 327 operates the HMI 320 in analog notification mode. In particular, when a first road R1 on which another vehicle V is traveling and a second road R2 on which the assistance target is traveling intersect at a specific intersection P located ahead of each other in their respective traveling directions, and the rider of the assistance target does not take a safety confirmation action for the other vehicle V while the assistance target is within an analog notification activation range B2 centered on the specific intersection P and encompassing the ADAS activation range B1, the risk notification setting unit 64 determines that the analog notification activation condition is met and causes the risk notification control device 327 to operate the HMI 320 in the analog notification mode. Thus, according to this embodiment, when the assistance target enters the specific intersection P, if the rider of the assistance target does not take a safety confirmation action to confirm the presence of another vehicle V on the first road R1 about to enter the specific intersection P, the HMI 320 can be operated in the analog notification mode. This makes it possible to prompt the assistance target rider to take appropriate safety confirmation action before entering the specific intersection P, thereby contributing to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0146] (2) The risk notification setting unit 64 acquires at least one of the number of times the rider's head is turned from the front of the vehicle in the direction of travel toward the other vehicle V and the time it is confirmed that the rider's head is turned toward the other vehicle V, based on the traffic participant recognition information and head movement state information acquired by the target traffic area recognition unit 60, and determines whether or not the safety confirmation action has been appropriately performed based on at least one of the number of times and the time it is confirmed. Therefore, according to this embodiment, it is possible to accurately determine whether or not the rider has performed a safety confirmation action when entering a specific intersection P.

[0147] (3) At specific intersections P where no traffic lights are installed, riders of saddle-type vehicles are particularly strongly required to take safety confirmation actions. In this embodiment, the specific intersections P where no traffic lights are installed are targeted, and by encouraging riders to take appropriate safety confirmation actions, safe traffic at such specific intersections P where no traffic lights are installed can be supported.

[0148] (4) At a specific intersection P where no traffic lights are installed, a rider to be assisted who is traveling on a second road R2 that is narrower than a first road R1 on which the other vehicle V is traveling is particularly strongly required to perform safety confirmation actions. In this embodiment, by urging a rider to be assisted who is about to enter the specific intersection P from the second road R2 side to perform safety confirmation actions, safe traffic at such a specific intersection P where no traffic lights are installed can be supported.

[0149] (5) At a specific intersection P where no traffic lights are installed, a rider to be assisted who is traveling on a second road R2 that has fewer lanes than a first road R1 on which the other vehicle V is traveling is particularly strongly required to perform safety confirmation actions. In this embodiment, by urging a rider to be assisted who is about to enter the specific intersection P from the second road R2 to perform safety confirmation actions, safe traffic at such a specific intersection P where no traffic lights are installed can be supported.

[0150] (6) When the assistance target enters within a presence notification activation range B3 that is defined around the specific intersection P and further encompasses the analog notification activation range B2, the risk notification setting unit 64 determines that the presence notification activation condition is met, and when the risk notification setting unit 64 determines that the presence notification activation condition is met, the risk notification control device 327 operates the HMI 320 in a presence HMI notification mode with lower notification intensity than the analog notification mode. Thus, according to this embodiment, when the assistance target is about to enter the specific intersection P, the rider can be casually notified that he or she is approaching the specific intersection P where a safety confirmation action is required to be taken before the rider is prompted to take a safety confirmation action in the analog notification mode with stronger notification intensity than the presence notification mode, and therefore the rider can be prompted to take a safety confirmation action without feeling annoyed.

[0151] (7) The risk notification setting unit 64 determines whether the rider of the assistance target is a specific rider who requires a warning when entering the specific intersection P, based on information about the rider's past driving history, and determines that the warning activation condition is met when the assistance target driven by the specific rider enters the presence notification activation range B3, and causes the risk notification control device 327 to operate the HMI 320 in the presence notification mode. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the rider's past driving history is taken into consideration, and the HMI 320 can be operated in the presence notification mode only for riders who require a warning, thereby preventing unnecessary warnings from being issued to riders who do not require a warning.

[0152] (8) The driver information acquisition unit 61 acquires the detection values ​​of an acceleration sensor or angular acceleration sensor attached to the rider's head or the helmet protecting the head as head movement state information indicating the movement state of the rider's head. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the head movement state information can be acquired with a simple configuration.

[0153] (9) The risk notification setting unit 64 sets the risk notification setting value to "2" to operate the HMI 320 in analog notification mode while the assistance target is present within the analog notification activation range B2, which is wider than the ADAS activation range B1 in which the driving assistance device of the motorcycle 3 can activate, and also sets the risk notification setting value to "1" to operate the HMI 320 in presence notification mode while the assistance target is present within the presence notification activation range B3, which is even wider than the analog notification activation range B2. Therefore, according to this embodiment, the rider can be prompted to perform safety confirmation actions before the driving assistance device of the motorcycle 3 activates, thereby minimizing opportunities for the driving assistance device to activate and ultimately supporting safe traffic at the specific intersection P.

[0154] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, the present invention is not limited thereto. Detailed configurations may be modified as appropriate within the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, in the above embodiment, the recognition means for recognizing traffic participants and traffic environments in a monitoring area surrounding the assistance target, which is a moving object, and the notification mode setting means for setting a notification mode for the assistance target are respectively provided as the target traffic area recognition unit 60 and the risk notification setting unit 64 in the collaborative assistance device 6 capable of wireless communication with the assistance target. However, the present invention is not limited thereto. The recognition means and the notification mode setting means may be configured as on-board devices mounted on the assistance target. In this case, the range of the monitoring area recognized by the recognition means is limited to the range recognizable by the external sensors mounted on the assistance target, but there is an advantage in that communication delays are small.

[0155] In the above embodiment, the motorcycle 3 is described as the target of support, but the present invention is not limited to this. In addition to the motorcycle 3, the present invention may also support saddle-type vehicles such as a saddle-type three-wheeled vehicle, a saddle-type four-wheeled vehicle, and a motorized bicycle. [Explanation of symbols]

[0156] 1. Traffic safety support system 9...Targeted transportation area 3. Motorcycles (saddle-type vehicles, eligible for support) 30…In-vehicle equipment group 31...In-vehicle driving assistance device (recognition means, driving assistance device) 32…Notification device 33... Rider status sensor (driving characteristic acquisition means) 34...In-vehicle communication device 35...Portable information processing terminal 6…Coordination support device 60...Target traffic area recognition unit (recognition means) 61...Driver subject information acquisition unit (driving characteristic acquisition means) 62...Prediction unit (prediction means) 63...Health Notification Setting Unit 64...Risk notification setting unit (determination means) 65... Cooperative Support Information Notification Unit 67...Transportation Environment Database 68...Driving history database 320...HMI (Man-Machine Interface) 325...HMI control device 326...Soundness control device 327...Risk notification control device (notification control means) A: Specific intersection area P…Specific intersection R1: First Road R2…Second road B1…ADAS operating range (first range) B2: Analog notification operating range (second range) B3…Presence notification activation range (third range) V...Other vehicles (other moving bodies)

Claims

1. A traffic safety support system that supports driving by a rider who is a saddle-ride type vehicle, a recognition means for recognizing traffic participants and a traffic environment around the assistance target; a man-machine interface that operates in a manner that is perceptible to the rider; a driving characteristic acquisition means for acquiring information on the head movement state of the rider; a determination means for determining whether a first notification activation condition is met or not based on the recognition result by the recognition means and the head movement state information while the recognition means recognizes the presence of another moving object outside a first range centered on the support target or ahead in the direction of travel of the support target; a notification control means for operating the man-machine interface in a first notification mode when the determination means determines that the first notification activation condition is established, The determination means A first road on which the other moving body is traveling and a second road on which the support target is traveling intersect at a specific intersection ahead in the traveling direction of each of the first road and the second road on which the support target is traveling, and A safe driving support system characterized by determining that the first notification activation condition is met if the rider does not take any confirmation action toward the other moving object while the support target is within a second range that is defined around the specific intersection and includes the first range.

2. The safety driving support system according to claim 1, characterized in that the determination means acquires at least one of the number of times that the rider's head has been turned from ahead in the direction of travel toward the other moving body and the confirmation time that the head has been turned toward the other moving body based on the recognition result by the recognition means and the head movement state information, and determines whether or not the confirmation behavior has been performed based on at least one of the number of times and the confirmation time.

3. 3. The safe driving support system according to claim 2, wherein the specific intersection does not have a traffic light.

4. 4. The safe driving support system according to claim 3, wherein the second road has a narrower road width than the first road.

5. 4. The safe driving support system according to claim 3, wherein the second road has fewer lanes than the first road.

6. the notification control means, when it is determined by the determination means that a second notification activation condition is established, operates the man-machine interface in a second notification mode having a notification intensity lower than that of the first notification mode; The safety driving support system according to claim 2, characterized in that the determination means determines that the second notification activation condition is met when the support target enters a third range that is defined around the specific intersection and includes the second range.

7. The safe driving support system according to claim 6, wherein the determination means determines whether the rider is a specific rider who requires a warning when entering the specific intersection based on information about the rider's past driving history, and determines that the second notification activation condition is met when the support target driven by the specific rider enters the third range.

8. 8. A safe driving support system according to claim 1, wherein the driving characteristics acquisition means acquires, as the head movement state information, detection values ​​of an acceleration sensor or an angular acceleration sensor attached to the rider's head or a helmet protecting the head.

9. A traffic safety support system as described in any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the support target is equipped with a driving support device that automatically operates at least one of a braking device and a steering device, on the condition that there is a moving object that may be in contact within the first range.

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