Merge support system, and merge support method

Abstract

To provide a merge support system capable of switching whether a merging vehicle is to merge so as not to reduce efficiency of a traffic flow of a main line or to merge so as not to apply a stress to a driver of a main line vehicle in accordance with whether a driving state of the main line vehicle is automatic driving or manual driving.SOLUTION: A merge support system comprises: a sensor which detects a main line vehicle; a main line control device which generates main line vehicle information; a merge lane control device which generates merge support information including attribute information including a driving state of the main line vehicle and the main line vehicle information; a merge lane communication device which distributes the merge support information toward a merging vehicle; and an on-vehicle unit of the merging vehicle which sets a merge space satisfying a first condition that efficiency reduction of a traffic flow of a main line is suppressed in a case where the main line vehicle is automatically driven, and sets a merge space satisfying a second condition that an application of a stress to a driver of the main line vehicle is suppressed in a case where the main line vehicle is manually driven.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In a merging section of an expressway, a vehicle traveling in the merging lane (merging vehicle) needs to merge into the main lane while checking the status of vehicles traveling on the main lane (main lane vehicles). For example, Patent Document 1 describes a technology in which a sensor installed on the main lane determines the position, speed, arrival time of a main lane vehicle at the start of the merging section (merging start point), etc., and provides this information to the merging vehicle as merging support information. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-060839 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Document 1 describes that, when an automatic driving control unit of a merging vehicle determines, based on merging support information, that there is sufficient merging space (inter-vehicle distance) between main line vehicles for the vehicle to merge, the automatic driving control unit automatically controls the position and speed of the merging vehicle to merge into this merging space. However, even if the automatic driving control unit (computer) of the merging vehicle determines that there is sufficient merging space, the driver (human) of the main line vehicle may feel that there is not enough merging space in front of the vehicle. In this case, particularly when the main line vehicle is a manually driven vehicle, the merging vehicle may feel as if it has suddenly cut in front of the main line vehicle, which may cause stress to the driver of the main line vehicle. On the other hand, if the merging vehicle attempts to merge in a way that minimizes stress to the driver of the main line vehicle, it is necessary to ensure a large inter-vehicle distance between the merging vehicle and the main line vehicle, which may result in a decrease in the efficiency of traffic flow in the merging section (main line) compared to when the vehicle is automatically driven.

[0005] An object of the present disclosure is to provide a merging assistance system and a merging assistance method that can switch between merging in a way that does not reduce the efficiency of traffic flow on the main line and merging in a way that does not cause stress to the driver of the main line vehicle, depending on whether the driving state of the main line vehicle is automatic or manual. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a merging assistance system for a road including a main lane and a merging lane merging into the main lane includes: a sensor for detecting a main lane vehicle traveling on the main lane; a main lane control device for generating main lane vehicle information including a position and a speed of the main lane vehicle based on sensor information acquired from the sensor; a merging lane control device for generating merging assistance information including attribute information including a driving state indicating whether the main lane vehicle is autonomously driven or manually driven and the main lane vehicle information acquired from the main lane control device; and a merging lane control device for generating merging assistance information for a merging vehicle traveling on the merging lane. and an on-board unit of the merging vehicle that sets a merging space in front of or behind the main line vehicle where the merging vehicle can merge based on the received merging assistance information, wherein the on-board unit of the merging vehicle sets a merging space that satisfies a first condition to suppress a decrease in efficiency of traffic flow on the main line when the main line vehicle is in an autonomous driving state, and sets a merging space that satisfies a second condition to suppress stress on the driver of the main line vehicle when the main line vehicle is in a manual driving state.

[0007] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a merging assistance method includes the steps of: detecting a main line vehicle traveling on the main line of a road including a main line and a merging lane merging into the main line; generating main line vehicle information including the position and speed of the main line vehicle based on sensor information detecting the main line vehicle; generating merging assistance information including attribute information including a driving state indicating whether the main line vehicle is being driven automatically or manually and the main line vehicle information; distributing the merging assistance information to a merging vehicle traveling on the merging lane; and setting a merging space in front of or behind the main line vehicle so that the merging vehicle can merge based on the received merging assistance information, wherein the step of setting the merging space sets a merging space that satisfies a first condition that suppresses a decrease in efficiency of traffic flow on the main line when the driving state of the main line vehicle is autonomous, and sets a merging space that satisfies a second condition that suppresses stress on the driver of the main line vehicle when the driving state of the main line vehicle is manual. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the above aspect, depending on whether the driving state of the main line vehicle is automatic or manual, it is possible to switch between whether the merging vehicle merges in a way that does not reduce the efficiency of traffic flow on the main line, or whether it merges in a way that does not cause stress to the driver of the main line vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a merging assistance system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the flow of processing of the merging assistance system according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the main line control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by an on-board device of a main line vehicle according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5]4 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the merging lane control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing performed by an on-board device of a merging vehicle according to the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 2 is a first diagram showing an example of a merging space for merging vehicles according to the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 4 is a second diagram showing an example of a merging space for merging vehicles according to the first embodiment. [Figure 9] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by an on-board device of a merging vehicle according to a modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a merging assistance system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram for explaining the flow of processing of a merging assistance system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by an on-board device of a merging vehicle according to the second embodiment. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by a merging lane control device according to a second embodiment. [Figure 14] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by an on-board device of a main line vehicle according to the second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a schematic block diagram illustrating the configuration of a computer according to at least one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] First Embodiment Hereinafter, the embodiment will be described in detail with reference to FIGS.

[0011] (Overall configuration of the merging assistance system) FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a merging assistance system according to a first embodiment. The merging assistance system 1 is a system for assisting vehicles in merging on a road HW that includes a main line L1 and a merging lane L2 that merges into the main line L1 at a merging section Z1. A vehicle traveling on the main line L1 is referred to as a main line vehicle V1, and a vehicle traveling on the merging lane L2 is referred to as a merging vehicle V2. Note that while the example in FIG. 1 shows an example in which the main line L1 has two lanes, in other examples the main line L1 may have one lane or three or more lanes.

[0012] The merging support system 1 includes a sensor 2, a main line communication device 3, a merging lane communication device 4, an on-board device 5 of a main line vehicle V1, an on-board device 6 of a merging vehicle V2, a main line control device 10, and a merging lane control device 20.

[0013] The sensor 2 is installed on the roadside of the main line L1 or above the road. The sensor 2 provides the main line control device 10 with sensor information capable of detecting a main line vehicle V1 traveling in the monitoring section Z2. The monitoring section Z2 is set upstream of the merging section Z1 on the main line L1, in a range capable of simultaneously detecting multiple main line vehicles V1. The sensor 2 is, for example, an area sensor such as a laser scanner, LiDAR, or camera, or a combination of these. As shown in the example of FIG. 1 , the sensor 2 is composed of two sensors, a first sensor 2A and a second sensor 2B. The first sensor 2A is installed from the upstream side of the monitoring section Z2 (the entrance side of the monitoring section Z2) to face downstream, and provides the main line control device 10 with sensor information capable of detecting a main line vehicle V1 within a detection range R2A. The second sensor 2B is installed from the downstream side of the monitoring section Z2 (the exit side of the monitoring section Z2) to face upstream, and provides the main line control device 10 with sensor information capable of detecting a main line vehicle V1 within a detection range R2B. 1, by adjusting the orientations and detection ranges R2A, R2B of the first sensor 2A and the second sensor 2B, it is possible to compensate for areas within the monitoring section Z2 where the detection accuracy of one sensor is reduced, such as near the sensor installation positions, or areas outside the detection range, with sensor information from the other sensor. In another embodiment, the range R2A of the first sensor 2A and the detection range R2B of the second sensor 2B may be arranged side by side, upstream and downstream, without overlapping, thereby expanding the range of the monitoring section Z2 (length in the lane direction).

[0014] The main line communication device 3 is installed on the roadside or above the road upstream of the monitoring section Z2 of the main line L1 (at the entrance to the monitoring section Z2). The main line communication device 3 performs wireless communication with the on-board device 5 of the main line vehicle V1 located in the communication area R3 based on short-range communication (DSRC) technology or the like. It is desirable that the length of the communication area R3 in the lane direction be set so that it does not include two or more main line vehicles V1 traveling consecutively in front and behind. The main line communication device 3 receives attribute information from the on-board device 5 of the main line vehicle V1, including driving status indicating whether the main line vehicle V1 is being driven autonomously or manually, and provides this information to the merging lane control device 20. In the autonomous driving mode, the ECU of the main line vehicle V1 automatically adjusts the position, speed, etc. of the main line vehicle V1. In the manual driving mode, the driver adjusts the position, speed, etc. of the main line vehicle V1.

[0015] The merging lane communication device 4 is installed on the roadside of or above the merging lane L2. The merging lane communication device 4 performs wireless communication based on short-range communication (DSRC) technology or the like with the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 located within the communication range R4. The merging lane communication device 4 distributes merging assistance information generated by the merging lane control device 20 to the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2.

[0016] The main lane control device 10 detects the position, speed, etc. of each main lane vehicle V1 traveling in the monitoring section Z2 of the main lane L1 based on sensor information acquired from the sensor 2. The main lane control device 10 provides information including the detected position and speed of the main lane vehicle V1 to the merging lane control device 20 as main lane vehicle information.

[0017] The merging lane control device 20 acquires attribute information of the main line vehicle V1 via the main line communication device 3. The merging lane control device 20 acquires main line vehicle information including the position and speed of the main line vehicle V1 in the monitoring section Z2 from the main line control device 10. The merging lane control device 20 generates merging assistance information including the position, speed, and attribute information of the main line vehicle V1, and distributes it to the in-vehicle device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 via the merging lane communication device 4.

[0018] When the on-board device 5 mounted on the main line vehicle V1 receives a response request signal from the main line communication device 3 within the communication area R3, it transmits a response signal including attribute information of the main line vehicle V1 to the main line communication device 3. Note that the main line vehicle V1 does not necessarily have to be equipped with the on-board device 5.

[0019] The on-board device 6 mounted on the merging vehicle V2 receives merging support information generated by the merging lane control device 20 from the merging lane communication device 4 within the communication area R4. Based on the merging support information, the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 sets a merging space in front of or behind the main line vehicle V1 where the merging vehicle V2 can merge. At this time, if the main line vehicle V1 is being driven autonomously, the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 sets a merging space that satisfies a first condition that suppresses a decrease in the efficiency of traffic flow on the main line L1. Furthermore, if the main line vehicle V1 is being driven manually, the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 sets a merging space that satisfies a second condition that suppresses stress on the driver of the main line L1.

[0020] In this embodiment, a case where the merging vehicle V2 is in an autonomous driving state will be described as an example. The ECU of the merging vehicle V2 automatically adjusts the position and speed of the merging vehicle V2 so that the merging vehicle V2 can merge into the merging space set by the on-board device 6. Specifically, if the main line vehicle V1 is also autonomously driven and the inter-vehicle distance between the merging vehicle V2 and another main line vehicle (preceding vehicle) traveling ahead of the merging vehicle V2 is equal to or greater than a first threshold, the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2, for example, accelerates the merging vehicle V2 to actively merge into the space ahead of the main line vehicle V1. On the other hand, if the main line vehicle V1 is manually driven, the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 avoids actively merging ahead of the main line vehicle V1 if the inter-vehicle distance between the main line vehicle V1 and the preceding vehicle is less than a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold. In this case, the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2, for example, decelerates the merging vehicle to set the merging space so that the merging vehicle V2 merges behind the main line vehicle V1. In addition, the onboard device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 may set up a merging space in front of the main line vehicle V1 if the inter-vehicle distance between the main line vehicle V1 and the preceding vehicle is equal to or greater than a second threshold (i.e., if a sufficient inter-vehicle distance can be secured between the main line vehicle V1 and the merging vehicle V2).

[0021] (Example of processing by main line control device) Fig. 2 is a schematic diagram for explaining the processing flow of the merging assistance system according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the main line control device according to the first embodiment. The processing flow of the main line control device 10 will be explained with reference to Figs. 2 and 3.

[0022] As shown in FIG. 3, the main line control device 10 acquires the sensor information D1 from the sensor 2 (step S101).

[0023] The main lane control device 10 detects the main lane vehicle V1 that has entered the monitoring section Z2 based on the sensor information D1, and thereafter tracks the time-varying position and speed of the main lane vehicle V1 until the main lane vehicle V1 exits the monitoring section Z2 (step S102). For example, the main lane control device 10 detects the position and characteristic information of each main lane vehicle V1 from the sensor information D1, and if a vehicle with the same characteristic information is detected at a different position from the sensor information D1 at the next time, it associates this vehicle as the same main lane vehicle V1. The characteristic information includes geometric characteristics of the main lane vehicle V1, such as its length and height. Furthermore, if the sensor 2 is a camera, the characteristic information may also include its body color. The position of the main lane vehicle V1 may be, for example, expressed as coordinates (latitude and longitude, or three-dimensional coordinates based on the start point of the merging section Z1, etc.) of the head position of the main lane vehicle V1 in the monitoring section Z2, or expressed as a distance from a reference position, such as the start point of the merging section Z1. Furthermore, if the main lane L1 has multiple lanes, the information may include information (such as a lane number) that can identify the lane in which the main lane vehicle V1 is traveling. The main lane control device 10 also calculates the speed of each main lane vehicle V1 from the amount of change in position. The calculated speed may be used for tracking at the next time. For example, if multiple main lane vehicles V1 with similar characteristic information are detected, the one detected within a movement range predicted from the position and speed at the previous time is associated as the same main lane vehicle V1.

[0024] Next, the main lane control device 10 generates main lane vehicle information D2 (FIG. 2) including the position and speed of each main lane vehicle V1 and transmits it to the merging lane control device 20 (step S103). As shown in FIG. 2, the main lane vehicle information D2 may include a tracking number and characteristic information in addition to the position and speed of each main lane vehicle V1. The tracking number is an identification number assigned to each main lane vehicle V1 by the main lane control device 10. Note that the inter-vehicle distance between the main lane vehicles V1 can be determined from the position (head position) and characteristic information (vehicle length) of each main lane vehicle V1.

[0025] (Example of processing by on-board equipment on main line vehicles) 4 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the on-board device of the main line vehicle according to embodiment 1. The flow of processing by the on-board device 5 of the main line vehicle V1 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0026] As shown in FIG. 4, when the vehicle-mounted device 5 of the main line vehicle V1 enters the communication area R3 of the main line communication device 3, the vehicle-mounted device 5 receives a response request signal from the main line communication device 3 (step S201).

[0027] Upon receiving the response request signal, the on-board device 5 of the main line vehicle V1 transmits a response signal including attribute information D3 (FIG. 2) to the main line communication device 3 (step S202). As shown in FIG. 2, the attribute information D3 includes the driving state of the main line vehicle V1. The driving state indicates whether the main line vehicle V1 is being driven automatically or manually. The driving state may be stored by the on-board device 5 after receiving a setting operation from the driver, or may be the current state acquired by the on-board device 5 from the ECU of the main line vehicle V1. Furthermore, as shown in the example of FIG. 2, the attribute information D3 may further include at least one of the speed, position coordinates, and vehicle type of the main line vehicle V1. When the on-board device 5 is connected to the CAN bus of the main line vehicle V1, the on-board device 5 may acquire the vehicle speed from the main line vehicle V1 via the CAN bus and include the vehicle speed in the attribute information D3. Furthermore, if the vehicle-mounted device 5 has a GNSS antenna, it may calculate the speed and position coordinates (latitude and longitude) of the main line vehicle V1 based on satellite signals received by the GNSS antenna and include them in the attribute information D3. Furthermore, the vehicle-mounted device 5 may read out the vehicle type (classification of light vehicle, standard vehicle, large vehicle, etc.) of the main line vehicle V1 that has been registered in advance and include it in the attribute information D3.

[0028] (Example of processing by a merging lane control device) 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of the merging lane control device according to the first embodiment. The flow of processing of the merging lane control device 20 will be described with reference to FIGS.

[0029] As shown in FIG. 5, the merging lane control device 20 acquires the main lane vehicle information D2 (FIG. 2) from the main lane control device 10 (step S301).

[0030] The merging lane control device 20 updates (adds, changes, or deletes) the content of the merging support information for the previous time with the content of the acquired main line vehicle information D2 and attribute information D3, and generates merging support information D4 (FIG. 2) for the current time (step S302). As shown in FIG. 2, the merging support information D4 is information that combines the main line vehicle information D2 and the attribute information D3.

[0031] The merging lane control device 20 also determines whether or not the attribute information D3 (FIG. 2) has been acquired from the in-vehicle device 5 of the main line vehicle V1 via the main line communication device 3 (step S303).

[0032] If attribute information D3 is acquired (step S303; YES), a main line vehicle V1 located in the communication area R3 of the main line communication device 3 is extracted from main line vehicle information D2 acquired at the same time as the attribute information D3 (e.g., the information acquired most recently), and a matching process is performed to associate the attribute information D3 with the main line vehicle V1 (step S304). As shown in the examples of FIGS. 1 and 2, assume that a main line vehicle V1b was located in the communication area R3 when the attribute information D3 was acquired. In this case, the merging lane control device 20 matches the acquired attribute information D3 with information on the main line vehicle V1b included in the main line vehicle information D2 and adds it to the merging support information D4. Note that if the attribute information D3 includes position information and speed, these pieces of information may be used to assist the matching process. For example, if the position information and speed included in the attribute information D3 approximately match the position and speed of the main line vehicle V1b in the main line vehicle information D2 (e.g., within a predetermined range), the main line vehicle V1b is matched with the attribute information D3. This makes it possible to distinguish which of the two main line vehicles V1 has attribute information D3 when the main line L1 has two lanes and two main line vehicles V1 are traveling side by side within the communication area R3, as in the example of Figure 1.

[0033] On the other hand, if attribute information D3 has not been acquired (step S303; NO), it is determined from the time series of main line vehicle information D2 whether there is a main line vehicle V1 that has passed through the communication area R3 and does not have attribute information D3 associated with it (step S305).

[0034] If the main line vehicle V1 has passed through the communication area R3 and the attribute information D3 is not associated (step S305; YES), it is considered that the main line vehicle V1 is not equipped with an on-board unit 5 or that the attribute information D3 could not be acquired due to an error in the on-board unit 5 or the like. For the main line vehicle V1 for which the attribute information D3 cannot be acquired and the driving state is unknown, the merging lane control device 20 generates attribute information D3 in which the driving state is set to manual driving and other information is set to unknown, and adds this to the merging support information D4 (step S306). In the example of FIG. 2, the main line vehicle V1a has passed through the communication area R3 and the attribute information D3 is not associated (could not be acquired), so attribute information is added in which the driving state of the main line vehicle V1a is set to manual driving and the vehicle type is set to unknown (blank).

[0035] Next, the merging lane control device 20 distributes the merging support information D4 to the in-vehicle device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 via the merging lane communication device 4 (step S307).

[0036] (Example of processing by the on-board unit of a merging vehicle) Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the on-board device of a merging vehicle according to the first embodiment. Fig. 7 is a first diagram showing an example of a merging space for a merging vehicle according to the first embodiment. Fig. 8 is a second diagram showing an example of a merging space for a merging vehicle according to the first embodiment. The flow of processing by the on-board device 6 of a merging vehicle V2 will be described with reference to Figs. 6 to 8.

[0037] First, the vehicle-mounted device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 acquires the merging support information D4 (FIG. 2) from the merging lane control device 20 via the merging lane communication device 4 (step S401).

[0038] Furthermore, the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 extracts a merging space candidate that satisfies a first condition based on the merging support information D4 (step S402). The merging space candidate is a space between two main line vehicles V1 traveling in succession one behind the other. The first condition includes two conditions: "(1) the space is one in which the inter-vehicle distance d1 between the two main line vehicles V1 (the front vehicle and the rear vehicle) is equal to or greater than a first threshold value TH1" and "(2) the merging vehicle V2 can reach the space by adjusting its acceleration and deceleration from its current position."

[0039] For example, as in the examples of FIGS. 1 and 7, assume that two main line vehicles V1a (front vehicle) and V1b (rear vehicle) are traveling consecutively one behind the other. The vehicle-mounted device 6 predicts the arrival times of the front vehicle V1a and the rear vehicle V1b at the merging section Z1 and the inter-vehicle distance d1 at that time from the merging support information D4. If the predicted inter-vehicle distance d1 is equal to or greater than a first threshold value TH1, the vehicle-mounted device 6 extracts the space between these vehicles as a merging space candidate (step S402). Note that if the inter-vehicle distance d1 between the main line vehicles V1a and V1b is less than the first threshold value TH1, the vehicle-mounted device 6 extracts a merging space candidate behind the main line vehicle V1b that satisfies the first condition.

[0040] Next, the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 determines whether the vehicle V1b behind the merging space candidate is driving autonomously (step S403). If the driving state of the rear vehicle V1b is driving autonomously (step S403; YES), the on-board device 6 sets the extracted merging space candidate as the merging space SP of the merging vehicle V2 (step S404), as in the example of FIG. 7. The on-board device 6 also notifies the ECU of the merging vehicle V2 of the set merging space SP (step S405). The ECU of the merging vehicle V2 then automatically adjusts the position and speed of the merging vehicle V2 so that the merging vehicle V2 will merge at the notified merging space SP. If vehicle-to-vehicle communication with the on-board device 5 of the rear vehicle V1b is possible in the merging section Z1, the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 may notify the rear vehicle V1b that they will merge at the merging space SP. In this case, the merging vehicle V2 may merge onto the main line L1 at the same time by coordinating the position and speed of the vehicle V1b behind it via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. This allows the merging vehicle V2 to merge smoothly onto the main line L1 without reducing the efficiency of traffic flow on the main line L1, while maintaining a safe distance to avoid collision, if the vehicle V1b behind it on the main line L1 is autonomous.

[0041] On the other hand, if the driving state of the vehicle V1b behind the candidate merging space is manual driving (step S403; YES), it is determined whether the candidate merging space satisfies a second condition (step S406). The second condition includes the condition that "(1) the space is one in which the inter-vehicle distance d1 between two main lane vehicles V1 (the front vehicle and the rear vehicle) is equal to or greater than a second threshold value TH2." The second threshold value TH2 is greater than the first threshold value TH1. Note that a table is prepared in advance in which different first and second threshold values ​​are set according to, for example, the speed of the main lane vehicle V1 and the traffic flow (average speed) on the main lane L1, and the on-board device 6 may change the first and second threshold values ​​based on this table and the merging support information D4 each time processing is performed.

[0042] If the merging space candidate satisfies the second condition (step S406; YES), the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 sets the extracted merging space candidate as the merging space SP of the merging vehicle V2 (step S404). The on-board device 6 also notifies the ECU of the merging vehicle V2 of the set merging space SP (step S405). The ECU of the merging vehicle V2 automatically adjusts the position and speed of the merging vehicle V2 so that the merging vehicle V2 merges at the notified merging space SP. By doing so, when the vehicle behind the merging vehicle V2 on the main lane L1 is manually driven, the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 can merge onto the main lane L1 while maintaining a sufficient distance from the vehicle behind by securing a wider merging space than when the vehicle behind is automatically driven. This prevents the driver of the vehicle behind from feeling as if the merging vehicle V2 has suddenly cut in front of them. In other words, stress on the driver of the vehicle behind can be reduced.

[0043] On the other hand, if the merging space candidate does not satisfy the second condition (step S406; NO), the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 extracts the next merging space candidate (step S407). As in the example of FIG. 8, if the inter-vehicle distance d1 between the leading vehicle V1a and the trailing vehicle V1b on the main lane L1 is less than the second threshold value TH2, the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 extracts a merging space candidate behind the trailing vehicle V1b. In the example of FIG. 8, the on-board device 6 extracts the space between the leading vehicle V1b and the trailing vehicle V1c as the new merging space candidate (step S407). The on-board device 6 performs the determinations of steps S403 and S406 on the newly extracted merging space candidate. That is, if the driving state of the trailing vehicle V1c is autonomous (step S403; YES), the on-board device 6 sets the newly extracted merging space candidate as the merging space SP (step S404). Furthermore, if the driving state of the rear vehicle V1c is manual driving (step S403; NO), the on-board device 6 determines whether the newly extracted merging space candidate satisfies the second condition (step S406). If the second condition is satisfied (inter-vehicle distance d1≧second threshold TH2), the on-board device 6 sets the newly extracted merging space candidate as the merging space SP (step S404), as in the example of FIG. 8. If neither this merging space candidate nor the second condition is satisfied, a new merging space candidate is extracted behind the rear vehicle V1c (step S407), and the processing from step S403 onwards is repeated again. In this way, the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 can set an appropriate merging space without reducing the efficiency of traffic flow on the main line L1 and without causing stress to vehicles behind on the main line L1.

[0044] (Action and effect) As described above, the merging assistance system 1 of this embodiment includes a sensor 2 that detects main line vehicles traveling on the main line L1, a main line control device 10 that generates main line vehicle information D2 including the position and speed of the main line vehicle V1 based on sensor information D1 acquired from the sensor 2, a merging lane control device 20 that generates merging assistance information D4 including attribute information D3 including the driving state indicating whether the main line vehicle V1 is being driven automatically or manually and the main line vehicle information D2 acquired from the main line control device 10, a merging lane communication device 4 that distributes the merging assistance information D4 to the merging vehicle V2 traveling on the merging lane L2, and an on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 that sets a merging space SP in front of or behind the main line vehicle V1 so that the merging vehicle V2 can merge based on the received merging assistance information D4. The on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 sets a merging space SP that satisfies a first condition to suppress a decrease in the efficiency of traffic flow on the main line L1 when the driving state of the main line vehicle V1 is automatic driving, and sets a merging space SP that satisfies a second condition to suppress stress on the driver of the main line vehicle V1 when the driving state of the main line vehicle V1 is manual driving.

[0045] In this way, the merging support system 1 can switch between merging the merging vehicle V2 in a way that does not reduce the efficiency of traffic flow on the main line L1, and merging in a way that does not cause stress to the driver of the main line vehicle V1, depending on whether the driving state of the main line vehicle V1 is automatic driving or manual driving.

[0046] The merging assistance system 1 also includes a main line communication device 3 that performs wireless communication with the on-board device 5 of the main line vehicle V1. When the merging lane control device 20 acquires attribute information D3 from the on-board device 5 of the main line vehicle V1 via the main line communication device 3, the merging lane control device 20 associates the attribute information D3 with the main line vehicle V1 located in a communication area R3 of the main line communication device 3 based on main line vehicle information D2 acquired at the same time as the attribute information D3, and adds the attribute information D3 to the merging assistance information D4; and when there is a main line vehicle V1 that has passed through the communication area R3 of the main line communication device 3 and is not associated with attribute information D3, it generates attribute information D3 that sets the driving state of the main line vehicle V1 to manual driving and adds the attribute information D3 to the merging assistance information D4.

[0047] In this manner, if the main line vehicle V1 is equipped with an on-board device 5, the merging assistance system 1 can obtain the attribute information D3 from the on-board device 5 of the main line vehicle V1. On the other hand, if the main line vehicle V1 is not equipped with an on-board device 5 or if the attribute information D3 cannot be obtained due to an error in the on-board device 5 or the like, the merging assistance system 1 can provide the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 with merging assistance information D4 assuming that the driving state of the main line vehicle V1 is manual driving. As a result, if there is a main line vehicle V1 whose driving state is unknown, the merging vehicle V2 can be guided to merge while prioritizing not causing stress to the driver of the main line vehicle V1. As a result, even if the main line vehicle V1 is not equipped with an on-board device 5, it is possible to prevent merging-related problems from occurring between the main line vehicle V1 and the merging vehicle V2.

[0048] In addition, the onboard device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 sets a space where the inter-vehicle distance between the main line vehicle V1 (rear vehicle) in an autonomous driving state and the front vehicle traveling in front of the main line vehicle V1 is equal to or greater than a first threshold as a merging space SP that satisfies the first condition, and sets a space where the inter-vehicle distance between the main line vehicle V1 (rear vehicle) in an autonomous driving state and the front vehicle traveling in front of the main line vehicle V1 is equal to or greater than a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold as a merging space SP that satisfies the second condition.

[0049] In this way, when the rear vehicle of the main line vehicle V1 is manually driven, the merging support system 1 ensures a wider merging space SP than when the main line vehicle V1 is automatically driven, thereby allowing the merging vehicle to merge onto the main line L1 with a sufficient distance from the rear vehicle. This prevents the driver of the main line vehicle V1 (rear vehicle) from feeling as if the merging vehicle V2 has suddenly cut in front of their own vehicle.

[0050] Furthermore, when there is no merging space that satisfies the first condition or the second condition ahead of the main line vehicle V1, the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 sets a merging space SP that satisfies the first condition or the second condition behind the main line vehicle V1.

[0051] By doing this, the merging support system 1 can prevent the merging vehicle V2 from merging into the narrow space in front of the main line vehicle V1, thereby reducing stress on the driver of the main line vehicle V1 and preventing the main line vehicle V1 from slowing down to allow the merging vehicle V2 to merge, thereby causing traffic flow on the main line L1 to stagnate (reduced efficiency).

[0052] <Modification of the first embodiment> In this embodiment, an example has been described in which the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 sets the merging space SP taking into consideration the driving state of the main line vehicle V1 (the vehicle behind), but this is not limiting. In other embodiments, the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 may set the merging space SP taking into consideration the vehicle type of the main line vehicle V1 (the vehicle behind) in addition to the driving state.

[0053] FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the on-board device of a merging vehicle according to a modification of the first embodiment. For example, in this modification, as shown in FIG. 9, step S408 is added to the flowchart of the on-board device 6 according to the first embodiment (FIG. 6). When the on-board device 6 extracts a merging space candidate that satisfies the first condition (step S402), it determines whether the rear vehicle of the two main line vehicles V1 that make up this merging space candidate is a predetermined vehicle type (step S408). The predetermined vehicle type is a vehicle type (e.g., a large vehicle or an extra-large vehicle) that includes vehicles that have difficulty in sudden acceleration and deceleration, such as large trucks. In addition, even if the vehicle type is unknown (attribute information D3 has not been acquired), it is treated as a predetermined vehicle type. If the rear vehicle is a vehicle type that does not fall under the predetermined vehicle type, such as a standard-sized car (step S408; YES), the process proceeds to step S403. The processing from step S403 onwards is the same as the processing in the first embodiment (FIG. 6) described above. On the other hand, if the rear vehicle is a predetermined vehicle type such as a large vehicle (step S408; NO), the vehicle-mounted device 6 prevents the rear vehicle from merging ahead. That is, the vehicle-mounted device 6 abandons this merging space candidate and extracts the next merging space candidate (step S407). The processing from step S407 onwards is the same as the processing in the first embodiment (FIG. 6) described above.

[0054] By doing this, if the main line vehicle V1 is a specified vehicle type that has difficulty in sudden acceleration and deceleration, the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 can avoid merging in front of the main line vehicle V1, thereby making it unnecessary for the main line vehicle V1 to accelerate or decelerate when the merging vehicle V2 merges.

[0055] <Second embodiment> The second embodiment will be described below with reference to Figures 10 to 14. Note that, among the configurations of the second embodiment, the same configurations as those of the first embodiment will be described using the same reference numerals as those of the first embodiment. Note that, in this embodiment, the driving state of the merging vehicle V2 may be manual driving.

[0056] (Overall configuration of the merging assistance system) Fig. 10 is a schematic diagram showing the overall configuration of a merging assistance system according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 10, the main line communication device 3 of this embodiment includes a first main line communication device 3A and a second main line communication device 3B.

[0057] Similar to the main line communication device 3 of the first embodiment, the first main line communication device 3A is installed on the roadside or above the road upstream of the monitoring section Z2 of the main line L1 (at the entrance to the monitoring section Z2). The first main line communication device 3A wirelessly communicates with the on-board device 5 of the main line vehicle V1 located in the communication area R3A and receives attribute information D3 of the main line vehicle V1. The first main line communication device 3A provides the attribute information D3 of the main line vehicle V1 received from the on-board device 5 to the merging lane control device 20.

[0058] The second main lane communication device 3B is installed downstream of the monitoring section Z2 (at the exit side of the monitoring section Z2) from the first main lane communication device 3A. The second main lane communication device 3B wirelessly communicates with the on-board device 5 of the main lane vehicle V1 located in the communication area R3B, and distributes the merging vehicle information generated by the merging lane control device 20 to the on-board device 5 of the main lane vehicle V1.

[0059] In this embodiment, the merging lane communication device 4 communicates wirelessly with the in-vehicle device 6 of the merging vehicle V2, and receives attribute information including the driving state of the merging vehicle V2 and information indicating the merging space SP set by the in-vehicle device 6. The merging lane communication device 4 provides the information received from the in-vehicle device 6 to the merging lane control device 20.

[0060] The merging lane control device 20 generates merging lane information including attribute information of the merging vehicle V2 and information indicating the merging space SP received via the merging lane communication device 4. The merging lane control device 20 distributes the generated merging lane information to the on-board device 5 of the main line vehicle V1 via the second main line communication device 3B.

[0061] (Example of processing by the on-board unit of a merging vehicle) FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating the processing flow of the merging assistance system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the on-board device of a merging vehicle according to the second embodiment. For example, in this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 12, step S410 is added to the flowchart (FIG. 6) of the on-board device 6 of the first embodiment. Note that in other embodiments, step S410 may be added to the flowchart (FIG. 9) of the on-board device 6 of the first embodiment. The processing other than step S410 is the same as in the first embodiment (or its modified example), and therefore description thereof will be omitted.

[0062] After setting the merging space SP, the in-vehicle device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 transmits attribute information D5 of the merging vehicle V2 and merging space information D6 ( FIG. 11 ) indicating the set merging space SP to the merging lane communication device 4 (step S410). The merging lane communication device 4 transmits the received attribute information D5 and merging space information D6 to the merging lane control device 20.

[0063] As shown in Fig. 11, the attribute information D5 of the merging vehicle V2 includes at least the driving status of the merging vehicle V2. Similarly to the attribute information D3 (Fig. 2) of the main line vehicle V1, the attribute information D5 of the merging vehicle V2 may also include the speed, position, and vehicle type of the merging vehicle V2. For example, as shown in Fig. 11, the merging space information D6 is represented by a combination of the tracking numbers (V1a-V1b) of the leading vehicle V1a and the trailing vehicle V1b that make up the set merging space SP.

[0064] (Example of processing by a merging lane control device) Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing of the merging lane control device according to the second embodiment. As shown in Fig. 13, the merging lane control device 20 acquires attribute information D5 and merging space information D6 from the in-vehicle device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 via the merging lane communication device 4 (step S501).

[0065] The merging lane control device 20 also generates merging vehicle information D7 including the acquired attribute information D5 and merging space information D6 (step S502). At this time, the merging lane control device 20 may predict the arrival time of the merging vehicle V2 at the merging section Z1 based on, for example, the speed and position coordinates included in the attribute information D5 of the merging vehicle V2, and include the predicted arrival time in the merging vehicle information D7.

[0066] Furthermore, the merging lane control device 20 distributes merging vehicle information D7 to the main line vehicle V1 that constitutes the merging space SP in the merging space information D6 via the second main line communication device 3B. For example, the merging lane control device 20 detects the main line vehicle V1 located in the communication range R3B of the second main line communication device 3B based on the main line vehicle information D2. If the tracking number of the detected main line vehicle V1 matches the tracking number in the merging space information D6, the merging lane control device 20 causes the second main line communication device 3B to distribute the merging vehicle information D7. In the example of FIG. 11, the merging space SP for the merging vehicle V2 is the space between the main line vehicle V1a (the vehicle in front) and the main line vehicle V1b (the vehicle in the rear). Therefore, when the main line vehicles V1a and V1b are each located in the communication range R3B, the merging lane control device 20 causes the second main line communication device 3B to distribute the merging vehicle information D7 for the merging vehicle V2. As a result, the merging lane control device 20 can make the on-board devices 5 of the main line vehicles V1a and V1a aware in advance that the merging vehicle V2 will merge before the main line vehicles V1a and V1b reach the merging section Z1.

[0067] (Example of processing by on-board equipment on main line vehicles) Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing an example of processing by the on-board devices of the main line vehicles according to embodiment 2. For example, as shown in Fig. 14, the on-board devices 5 of the main line vehicles V1a and V1b acquire merging vehicle information D7 from the merging lane control device 20 via the second main line communication device 3B (step S601).

[0068] Next, the in-vehicle device 5 determines whether the host vehicle is being manually driven (step S602). If the driving state of the host vehicle is manually driven (step S602; YES), the in-vehicle device 5 presents the merging vehicle information D7 to the driver (step S603). Based on the merging vehicle information D7, the driver can recognize that the merging vehicle V2 will merge in front of or behind the host vehicle. Furthermore, if the merging vehicle information D7 includes a predicted arrival time, the in-vehicle device 5 may notify the driver of how much time is left until the merging vehicle V2 merges.

[0069] On the other hand, if the host vehicle is autonomously driven (step S602; NO), the vehicle-mounted device 5 instructs the ECU of the host vehicle to adjust its speed so as to maintain the merging space SP according to the driving state of the merging vehicle V2 (step S603). For example, if the driving state of the merging vehicle V2 is autonomously driven, the in-vehicle device 5 adjusts the speed of at least one of the leading vehicle V1a and the trailing vehicle V1b so as to keep the inter-vehicle distance constant (for example, to maintain a first threshold value). Also, if the driving state of the merging vehicle V2 is manually driven, the in-vehicle device 5 adjusts the speed of at least one of the leading vehicle V1a and the trailing vehicle V1b so as to prevent the inter-vehicle distance from becoming too narrow (for example, to maintain a second threshold value or greater).

[0070] (Action and effect) As described above, the merging assistance system 1 according to this embodiment further includes the on-board device 5 mounted on the main line vehicle V1. The merging lane communication device 4 acquires attribute information D5 including the driving state of the merging vehicle V2 and merging space information D6 of the merging vehicle V2 from the onboard device 6 of the merging vehicle V2, the merging lane control device 20 generates merging vehicle information D7 including the attribute information D5 and merging space information D6 of the merging vehicle V2 acquired via the merging lane communication device 4, the main line communication device 3 has a first main line communication device 3A that acquires the attribute information D3 from the onboard device 5 of the main line vehicle V1, and a second main line communication device 3B that is provided downstream of the first main line communication device 3A and distributes the merging vehicle information D7 generated by the merging lane control device 20 to the main line vehicle V1, and the onboard device 5 of the main line vehicle V1 instructs its ECU to maintain the merging space SP of the merging vehicle V2 based on the merging vehicle information D7 when the driving state of the main line vehicle V1 is autonomous driving.

[0071] By doing this, the merging support system 1 can prevent the merging space SP set by the onboard device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 from changing as the main line vehicle V1 moves, making it difficult for the merging vehicle V2 to merge.

[0072] Furthermore, the on-board device 5 of the main line vehicle V1 may present the merging vehicle information D7 to the driver of the vehicle when the driving state of the vehicle is manual driving.

[0073] In this way, the merging support system 1 can make the driver of the main line vehicle V1 aware in advance that the merging vehicle V2 is about to merge. In other words, the driver of the main line vehicle V1 can be prevented from feeling that the merging vehicle V2 has suddenly cut in. Furthermore, the driver of the main line vehicle V1 can drive so as to maintain the merging space SP based on the merging vehicle information D7, allowing the merging vehicle V2 to merge safely onto the main line L1.

[0074] <Other embodiments> Although one embodiment has been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to the above, and various design modifications are possible. That is, in other embodiments, the order of the above-described processes may be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, some processes may be executed in parallel.

[0075] <Computer configuration> FIG. 15 is a schematic block diagram showing the configuration of a computer according to at least one embodiment. The computer 900 includes a processor 901, a main storage device 902, an auxiliary storage device 903, and an interface 904. The on-board device 5 of the main lane vehicle V1, the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2, the main lane control device 10, and the merging lane control device 20 are implemented in the computer 900. The operations of the above-described processing units are stored in the auxiliary storage device 903 in the form of a program. The processor 901 reads the program from the auxiliary storage device 903, loads it into the main storage device 902, and executes the above-described processing in accordance with the program. The processor 901 also allocates a storage area in the main storage device 902 to be used in the above-described processing in accordance with the program.

[0076] The program may be for realizing some of the functions to be performed by the computer 900. For example, the program may be combined with other programs already stored in the auxiliary storage device 903 or other programs implemented in other devices to perform the functions. In other embodiments, the computer may include a custom LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit) such as a PLD (Programmable Logic Device) in addition to or instead of the above configuration. Examples of PLDs include PAL (Programmable Array Logic), GAL (Generic Array Logic), CPLD (Complex Programmable Logic Device), and FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array). In this case, some or all of the functions realized by the processor may be realized by the integrated circuit.

[0077] Examples of the auxiliary storage device 903 include a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), a digital versatile disc read-only memory (DVD-ROM), and a semiconductor memory. The auxiliary storage device 903 may be an internal medium directly connected to the bus of the computer 900, or an external medium (external storage device 910) connected to the computer 900 via the interface 904 or a communication line. Furthermore, when this program is distributed to the computer 900 via a communication line, the computer 900 that receives the program may load the program into the main storage device 902 and execute the above-described processing. In at least one embodiment, the auxiliary storage device 903 is a non-transitory tangible storage medium.

[0078] <Additional Notes> The above-described embodiment can be understood, for example, as follows.

[0079] (1) According to a first aspect, a merging assistance system 1 is provided on a road HW including a main line L1 and a merging lane L2 merging into the main line L1, and includes: a sensor 2 that detects a main line vehicle V1 traveling on the main line L1; a main line control device 10 that generates main line vehicle information D2 including the position and speed of the main line vehicle V1 based on sensor information D1 acquired from the sensor 2; a merging lane control device 20 that generates merging assistance information D4 including attribute information D3 including a driving state indicating whether the main line vehicle V1 is being driven automatically or manually, and the main line vehicle information D2 acquired from the main line control device 10; a merging lane communication device 4 that distributes the merging assistance information D4 to a merging vehicle V2 traveling on the merging lane L2; and an on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 that sets a merging space SP in front of or behind the main line vehicle V1 so that the merging vehicle V2 can merge based on the received merging assistance information D4. The on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 sets a merging space SP that satisfies a first condition to suppress a decrease in the efficiency of traffic flow on the main line L1 when the driving state of the main line vehicle V1 is automatic driving, and sets a merging space SP that satisfies a second condition to suppress stress on the driver of the main line vehicle V1 when the driving state of the main line vehicle V1 is manual driving.

[0080] In this way, the merging support system 1 can switch between merging the merging vehicle V2 in a way that does not reduce the efficiency of traffic flow on the main line L1, and merging in a way that does not cause stress to the driver of the main line vehicle V1, depending on whether the driving state of the main line vehicle V1 is automatic driving or manual driving.

[0081] (2) According to the second aspect, the merging assistance system 1 according to the first aspect further includes a main line communication device 3 that acquires attribute information D3 from the on-board device 5 of the main line vehicle V1 via wireless communication. When the merging lane control device 20 acquires the attribute information D3 from the on-board device 5 of the main line vehicle V1 via the main line communication device 3, the merging lane control device 20 associates the attribute information D3 with the main line vehicle V1 located in the communication area R3 of the main line communication device 3 based on main line vehicle information D2 acquired at the same time as the attribute information D3, and adds the attribute information D3 to the merging assistance information D4. When there is a main line vehicle V1 that has passed through the communication area R3 of the main line communication device 3 and is not associated with attribute information D3, the merging lane control device 20 generates attribute information D3 that sets the driving state of the main line vehicle V1 to manual driving and adds the attribute information D3 to the merging assistance information D4.

[0082] In this manner, if the main line vehicle V1 is equipped with an on-board device 5, the merging assistance system 1 can obtain the attribute information D3 from the on-board device 5 of the main line vehicle V1. On the other hand, if the main line vehicle V1 is not equipped with an on-board device 5 or if the attribute information D3 cannot be obtained due to an error in the on-board device 5 or the like, the merging assistance system 1 can provide the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 with merging assistance information D4 assuming that the driving state of the main line vehicle V1 is manual driving. As a result, if there is a main line vehicle V1 whose driving state is unknown, the merging vehicle V2 can be guided to merge while prioritizing not causing stress to the driver of the main line vehicle V1. As a result, even if the main line vehicle V1 is not equipped with an on-board device 5, it is possible to prevent merging-related problems from occurring between the main line vehicle V1 and the merging vehicle V2.

[0083] (3) According to the third aspect, in the merging assistance system 1 relating to the first or second aspect, the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 sets a space where the inter-vehicle distance between the main line vehicle V1, which is in an autonomous driving state, and the preceding vehicle traveling in front of the main line vehicle V1 is equal to or greater than a first threshold as a merging space SP that satisfies the first condition, and sets a space where the inter-vehicle distance between the main line vehicle V1, which is in an autonomous driving state, and the preceding vehicle traveling in front of the main line vehicle V1 is equal to or greater than a second threshold that is greater than the first threshold as a merging space SP that satisfies the second condition.

[0084] In this way, when the rear vehicle of the main line vehicle V1 is manually driven, the merging support system 1 ensures a wider merging space SP than when the main line vehicle V1 is automatically driven, thereby allowing the merging vehicle to merge onto the main line L1 with a sufficient distance from the rear vehicle. This prevents the driver of the main line vehicle V1 (rear vehicle) from feeling as if the merging vehicle V2 has suddenly cut in front of their own vehicle.

[0085] (4) According to the fourth aspect, in the merging support system 1 relating to any one of the first to third aspects, when there is no merging space that satisfies the first or second condition ahead of the main line vehicle V1, the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 sets a merging space SP that satisfies the first or second condition behind the main line vehicle V1.

[0086] By doing this, the merging support system 1 can prevent the merging vehicle V2 from merging into the narrow space in front of the main line vehicle V1, thereby reducing stress on the driver of the main line vehicle V1 and preventing the main line vehicle V1 from slowing down to allow the merging vehicle V2 to merge, thereby causing traffic flow on the main line L1 to stagnate (reduced efficiency).

[0087] (5) According to the fifth aspect, in the merging support system 1 relating to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the attribute information D3 of the main line vehicle V1 further includes information indicating the vehicle type of the main line vehicle V1, and the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 sets a merging space SP behind the main line vehicle V1 that satisfies the first condition or the second condition when the main line vehicle V1 is a specified vehicle type.

[0088] By doing this, if the main line vehicle V1 is a specified vehicle type that has difficulty in sudden acceleration and deceleration, the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 can avoid merging in front of the main line vehicle V1, thereby making it unnecessary for the main line vehicle V1 to accelerate or decelerate when the merging vehicle V2 merges.

[0089] (6) According to a sixth aspect, the merging assistance system 1 according to any one of the second to fifth aspects further includes an on-board device 5 mounted on the main line vehicle V1. The merging lane communication device 4 acquires attribute information D5 including the driving state of the merging vehicle V2 and information D6 indicating the merging space SP of the merging vehicle V2 from the on-board device 6 of the merging vehicle V2, the merging lane control device 20 generates merging vehicle information D7 including the attribute information D5 of the merging vehicle V2 acquired via the merging lane communication device 4 and the information D6 indicating the merging space SP, the main line communication device 3 has a first main line communication device 3A that acquires the attribute information D3 from the on-board device 5 of the main line vehicle V1, and a second main line communication device 3B that is provided downstream of the first main line communication device 3A and distributes the merging vehicle information D7 generated by the merging lane control device 20 to the main line vehicle V1, and the on-board device 5 of the main line vehicle V1 instructs the main line vehicle V1 to maintain the merging space SP of the merging vehicle V2 based on the merging vehicle information D7 when the driving state of the main line vehicle V1 is autonomous driving.

[0090] By doing this, the merging support system 1 can prevent the merging space SP set by the onboard device 6 of the merging vehicle V2 from changing as the main line vehicle V1 moves, making it difficult for the merging vehicle V2 to merge.

[0091] (7) According to the seventh aspect, a merging assistance method includes the steps of detecting a main line vehicle V1 traveling on a main line L1 on a road HW including a main line L1 and a merging lane L2 merging into the main line L1, generating main line vehicle information D2 including the position and speed of the main line vehicle V1 based on sensor information D1 detecting the main line vehicle V1, generating merging assistance information D4 including attribute information D3 including a driving state indicating whether the main line vehicle V1 is being driven automatically or manually, and the main line vehicle information D2, distributing the merging assistance information D4 to a merging vehicle V2 traveling on the merging lane L2, and setting a merging space SP in front of or behind the main line vehicle V1 so that the merging vehicle V2 can merge based on the received merging assistance information D4. The step of setting a merging space SP sets a merging space SP that satisfies a first condition that suppresses a decrease in the efficiency of traffic flow on the main line L1 when the driving state of the main line vehicle V1 is automatic driving, and sets a merging space SP that satisfies a second condition that suppresses stress on the driver of the main line vehicle V1 when the driving state of the main line vehicle V1 is manual driving. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 1. Merging support system 2 sensors 2A First sensor 2B Second sensor 3-line communication device 3A First Main Line Communication Device 3B 2nd main line communication device 4 Merging lane communication device 5 On-board equipment for main line vehicles 6. On-board unit of merging vehicle 10 Mains control device 20 Merging lane control device D1 Sensor information D2 Main Line Vehicle Information D3 Main line vehicle attribute information D4 Merge support information D5 Attribute information of merging vehicles D6 Meeting space information D7 Merging vehicle information HW road L1 Main Line L2 Merging lane V1 Main Line Vehicles V2 Merging vehicle

Claims

1. a sensor for detecting a main lane vehicle traveling on a road including a main lane and a merging lane merging into the main lane; a main line control device that generates main line vehicle information including a position and a speed of the main line vehicle based on the sensor information acquired from the sensor; a merging lane control device that generates merging assistance information including attribute information including a driving state indicating whether the main line vehicle is being driven automatically or manually, and the main line vehicle information acquired from the main line control device; a merging lane communication device that distributes the merging assistance information to a merging vehicle traveling in the merging lane; an on-board device of a merging vehicle that sets a merging space in front of or behind the main line vehicle so that the merging vehicle can merge based on the received merging assistance information; Equipped with The on-board device of the merging vehicle is setting a merging space that satisfies a first condition for suppressing a decrease in efficiency of traffic flow on the main line when the driving state of the main line vehicle is automatic driving; and setting a merging space that satisfies a second condition for suppressing stress on a driver of the main line vehicle when the driving state of the main line vehicle is manual driving. Merge support system.

2. a main line communication device that acquires the attribute information from an on-board device of the main line vehicle by wireless communication; The merging lane control device includes: When the attribute information is acquired from the on-board device of the main line vehicle via the main line communication device, the attribute information is associated with a main line vehicle located in a communication area of ​​the main line communication device based on the main line vehicle information acquired at the same time as the attribute information, and the attribute information is added to the merging assistance information; If there is a main line vehicle that has passed through the communication area of ​​the main line communication device and is not associated with the attribute information, attribute information indicating that the driving state of the main line vehicle is manual driving is generated and added to the merging assistance information. The merging assistance system according to claim 1 .

3. The on-board device of the merging vehicle is A space in which the inter-vehicle distance between a main line vehicle in an autonomous driving state and a front vehicle traveling ahead of the main line vehicle is equal to or greater than a first threshold is set as a merging space that satisfies the first condition; a space where the inter-vehicle distance between a main line vehicle in an autonomous driving state and a forward vehicle traveling ahead of the main line vehicle is equal to or greater than a second threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value, is set as a merging space that satisfies the second condition; The merging assistance system according to claim 1 .

4. When there is no merging space in front of the main line vehicle that satisfies the first condition or the second condition, the on-board device of the merging vehicle sets a merging space in rear of the main line vehicle that satisfies the first condition or the second condition. The merging assistance system according to claim 3 .

5. The attribute information of the main line vehicle further includes information indicating a vehicle type of the main line vehicle, the on-board device of the merging vehicle sets a merging space that satisfies the first condition or the second condition behind the main line vehicle when the main line vehicle is a predetermined vehicle type. The merging assistance system according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

6. Further, an on-board device is provided which is mounted on the main line vehicle, the merging lane communication device acquires attribute information including a driving state of the merging vehicle and information indicating a merging space of the merging vehicle from an on-board device of the merging vehicle; the merging lane control device generates merging vehicle information including the attribute information of the merging vehicle and information indicating the merging space acquired via the merging lane communication device; the main line communication device includes a first main line communication device that acquires the attribute information from an on-board device of the main line vehicle, and a second main line communication device that is provided downstream of the first main line communication device and distributes the merging vehicle information generated by the merging lane control device to the main line vehicle, the on-board device of the main line vehicle instructs the main line vehicle to maintain a merging space for the merging vehicle based on the merging vehicle information when the driving state of the main line vehicle is automatic driving. The merging assistance system according to claim 2 .

7. Detecting a main lane vehicle traveling on a road including a main lane and a merging lane merging into the main lane; generating main line vehicle information including a position and a speed of the main line vehicle based on sensor information detecting the main line vehicle; generating attribute information including a driving state indicating whether the main line vehicle is automatically driven or manually driven, and merging assistance information including the main line vehicle information; distributing the merging assistance information to a merging vehicle traveling in the merging lane; setting a merging space in front of or behind the main line vehicle based on the received merging assistance information, where the merging vehicle can merge; and The step of setting the joining space includes: setting a merging space that satisfies a first condition for suppressing a decrease in efficiency of traffic flow on the main line when the driving state of the main line vehicle is automatic driving; and setting a merging space that satisfies a second condition for suppressing stress on a driver of the main line vehicle when the driving state of the main line vehicle is manual driving. Confluence support method.

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