Automatic driving assistance method and automatic driving assistance device

Abstract

To provide an automatic driving assistance method and automatic driving assistance device, which offer reduced workload and improved work efficiency of controllers.SOLUTION: A control device 20 provided herein is configured to receive assistance request information transmitted from an autonomously driven vehicle requesting assistance when the vehicle stops and, if the assistance request information is received from multiple vehicles, set the priority of assistance for each vehicle based on the likelihood that the vehicle will be naturally taken out of the stopped state.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 10

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic driving assistance method and an automatic driving assistance device for assisting automatic driving. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART As a system for assisting automatic driving, for example, a system in which a controller assists an automatic driving when an automatically driving vehicle satisfies a predetermined condition is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the system of Patent Document 1, if an abnormality occurs in an autonomously driving vehicle, the vehicle notifies a server of the abnormality. The server then tracks the vehicle based on the location received from the vehicle, and upon receiving a notification of the abnormality from the vehicle, sends driving instructions to the vehicle in response to the abnormality. In this case, the server sets a priority for the vehicle to which the driving instructions are sent based on the risk level and the allowable time set for the abnormality that has occurred in the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-102159 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The system of Patent Document 1 prioritizes vehicles for sending driving instructions based on the risk level corresponding to an abnormality detected in the vehicle and the allowable time. However, this system does not fully consider the vehicle's surrounding conditions. For example, when a vehicle is stopped at an intersection facing an oncoming vehicle making a right turn, the risk level is the same regardless of the closure status of surrounding lanes. Therefore, when there are multiple vehicles in the same situation, it is not possible to assign priorities to these vehicles. In this case, the controller must check the status of each vehicle and reset the priority, which increases the controller's workload and reduces work efficiency.

[0005] The present invention aims to provide an automatic driving assistance method and an automatic driving assistance device that can reduce the workload of controllers and improve work efficiency. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] An autonomous driving assistance method according to one aspect of the present disclosure receives assistance request information from a vehicle traveling autonomously when the vehicle stops, requesting assistance for the vehicle, and, when assistance request information is received from multiple vehicles, sets an assistance priority for each vehicle according to the likelihood that the vehicle will naturally resolve its stopped state. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] Even if multiple assistance request information is received for the same traffic situation, a higher priority is assigned to vehicles that are unlikely to resolve the situation naturally. This eliminates the need for controllers to check the status of each vehicle and re-determine which vehicles should be prioritized, reducing the burden on controllers and improving work efficiency. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an autonomous driving assistance system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of an intersection point where the travel path of a vehicle and the travel path of a blocking vehicle intersect. [Figure 5] (A) is an example of a vehicle that has become stuck with part of its front end entering the intersection, and (B) is an example of a vehicle that has become stuck with more than half of its front end entering the intersection. [Figure 6] (A) is an example of a vehicle that is stuck near an intersection, and (B) is an example of a vehicle that is stuck far from the intersection. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of setting a priority based on the road or lane where the vehicle 10 is stuck. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining priorities based on the possibility of spontaneous resolution of a stuck state in the present embodiment; [Figure 9] 10A and 10B are diagrams for explaining priorities based on the possibility of spontaneous resolution of a stuck state in the present embodiment; [Figure 10] 3 is a flowchart showing an autonomous driving assistance method according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] An automated driving assistance method and an automated driving assistance device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of an automatic driving assistance system including a control device 20 which is an automatic driving assistance device according to this embodiment. As shown in FIG. 1, an automatic driving assistance system 1 of this embodiment is a system in which a vehicle 10 and a control device 20 are communicably connected via a wireless communication line such as the Internet.

[0010] First, an overview of the automatic driving assistance system 1 of this embodiment will be described. In the autonomous driving assistance system 1, the vehicle 10 is an autonomous vehicle equipped with a controller 16 configured by a computer, and configured to be capable of autonomous driving under the control of the controller 16. The autonomous driving of such vehicle 10 is implemented by detecting surrounding objects using a surrounding detection sensor 111 and setting a driving path so as to avoid collision with the surrounding objects. For example, a driving path for the vehicle 10 is set based on lane markings detected by the surrounding detection sensor 111, and when a leading vehicle is detected, the vehicle 10 is made to follow the leading vehicle while maintaining a certain distance from the leading vehicle.

[0011] However, in such automated driving, there are cases where the vehicle 10 stops for a long time even though no system abnormality has occurred in the vehicle 10. Such a state is hereinafter referred to as a stuck state, the vehicle 10 that has stopped for a long time is referred to as a stuck vehicle 10, and the location where the vehicle 10 is stuck is sometimes referred to as a stuck location. There are various reasons why the vehicle 10 may become stuck, and an example of such a case is when the travel route of the vehicle 10 is blocked by an obstacle. An example of an obstacle is a blocking vehicle that has entered and blocked the travel route of the vehicle 10 at an intersection, etc. When the vehicle 10 becomes stuck due to such an obstacle, the vehicle 10 transmits assistance request information to the control device 20, requesting assistance with driving control. As a result, the control device 20 of the control center 2 performs assistance operations for the stuck vehicle 10 based on the received assistance request information. Here, the assistance operation in this disclosure means that a controller waiting at the control center operates the control device 20 to remotely drive the vehicle 10 that is being driven autonomously, or the controller operates the control device 20 to send information such as warnings and guidance to the vehicle 10 that is being driven autonomously.

[0012] Furthermore, when the control device 20 receives assistance request information from multiple vehicles 10, it sets priorities for the vehicles 10 that will provide assistance. For example, if the vehicle 10 is stopped due to a traffic jam that will resolve naturally, there is no need for a controller to provide assistance. However, if the vehicle 10 is stopped in an intersection and the lane in the direction of travel of the vehicle 10 is blocked by an obstacle such as another vehicle, it is necessary for a controller to provide assistance sooner. For this reason, in this embodiment, the control device 20 sets priorities for the assistance request information transmitted from each vehicle, and guides the controller to provide assistance for the vehicle 10 in order of highest priority. The automatic driving assistance system 1 and the automatic driving assistance method will be described in detail below.

[0013] [General configuration of vehicle 10] As described above, the vehicle 10 is an autonomous vehicle capable of autonomous driving. As shown in Fig. 2, the vehicle 10 includes a sensor group 11, a navigation device 12, a driving drive unit 13, a driving control unit 14, a communication unit 15, and a controller 16. The sensor group 11 is made up of various sensors that measure the conditions of the vehicle 10 and the surroundings of the vehicle 10. The sensor group 11 includes, for example, a surroundings detection sensor 111, a position detection sensor 112, a travel detection sensor 113, and the like. As described above, the surroundings detection sensor 111 is a sensor that detects objects around the vehicle, for example, objects within a predetermined distance range around the vehicle. The objects to be detected include, for example, vehicles around the vehicle, road markings, signs, traffic lights, obstacles on the road that may hinder driving, etc. The specific configuration of the surroundings detection sensor 111 is not particularly limited, and for example, a general imaging camera, laser radar, millimeter-wave radar, etc. may be used.

[0014] The position detection sensor 112 is a sensor that detects the current position of the vehicle. An example of the position detection sensor 112 is a receiver that receives satellite signals of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to determine the current position.

[0015] The travel detection sensor 113 detects various information related to the travel of the vehicle. For example, the travel detection sensor 113 includes a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, etc., and detects the vehicle speed and acceleration of the vehicle. In addition, sensors such as an accelerator opening detection sensor that detects the accelerator opening, and sensors that detect the rotation speed of the engine, drive motor, etc. may also be provided.

[0016] The navigation device 12 acquires map information within a predetermined distance around the vehicle. For example, the navigation device 12 may be an information recording device in which map information is recorded on a recording medium mounted on the vehicle and the map information is acquired from the recording medium. Alternatively, the navigation device 12 may receive map information by communicating with a data server in which map information is stored via a communication line such as the Internet.

[0017] This map information includes various types of information related to roads. For example, the map information includes nodes and links connecting the nodes. Nodes include information about specific locations such as intersections, railroad crossings, highway interchanges and toll booths, and parking entrances and exits. Links are information about roads connecting nodes, and may also include information about the number of lanes on the roads and the possible directions of travel for vehicles on each lane.

[0018] The navigation device 12 further generates a driving plan for the vehicle. For example, when a destination is set by the user, the navigation device 12 calculates driving plan information from the current position detected by the position detection sensor 112 to the destination.

[0019] The driving unit 13 is a mechanism for driving the vehicle 10, and includes a driving source such as an engine or a motor, a drive transmission unit that reduces the driving force of the driving source at a predetermined reduction ratio and transmits it to the driving wheels, driving wheels, a steering mechanism, a braking mechanism, etc. The traveling control unit 14 controls each component of the traveling drive unit 13 based on commands from the controller 16, and causes the vehicle 10 to travel (autonomously drive).

[0020] The communication unit 15 communicates with other devices connected to a network via a communication line such as the Internet. For example, in this embodiment, the vehicle 10 communicates with the control device 20 via the communication unit 15 to transmit and receive various information.

[0021] The controller 16 is a computer for controlling automatic driving of the vehicle, and is configured to include, for example, a vehicle-side storage unit 161 configured with a memory or the like, a vehicle-side processor 17 configured with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like, and an input / output interface (not shown). The vehicle-side processor 17 reads and executes various programs stored in the vehicle-side storage unit 161, thereby functioning as a driving control unit 171, a surroundings detection unit 172, a request transmission unit 173, an assistance processing unit 174, and the like, as shown in Fig. 2. An example is shown in which the vehicle-side processor 17 executes the programs to realize the respective functional configurations of the driving control unit 171, the surroundings detection unit 172, the request transmission unit 173, and the assistance processing unit 174, but some or all of these may be realized by individual hardware configurations.

[0022] The driving control unit 171 performs automatic driving of the vehicle 10. For example, the driving control unit 171 sets a route along the route of the vehicle 10 that will actually travel, based on route information obtained from the navigation device 12. Then, the driving control unit 171 appropriately modifies the set route based on information obtained from the surroundings detection sensor 111, such as vehicles and obstacles around the vehicle 10, road markings, traffic lights, and signs, and outputs a driving command to the driving control unit 14 to cause the vehicle 10 to travel along the route. This allows the vehicle 10 to automatically drive along the route. For example, when a preceding vehicle is present, the driving control unit 171 causes the vehicle 10 to travel following the preceding vehicle while maintaining a certain distance from the preceding vehicle. Furthermore, when an obstacle is present on the road, the driving control unit 171 causes the vehicle 10 to travel while avoiding the obstacle by setting a route that avoids the obstacle. Furthermore, when the preceding vehicle is stopped due to traffic congestion or the like, the driving control unit 171 causes the vehicle 10 to stop while maintaining a predetermined distance from the preceding vehicle. Furthermore, when a stop command is issued based on the detection of a traffic light, a railroad crossing, or the like, the driving control unit 171 causes the vehicle 10 to stop.

[0023] The surroundings detection unit 172 monitors the situation around the vehicle 10 using the surroundings detection sensor 111. Specifically, the surroundings detection unit 172 detects other vehicles, obstacles, road markings, signs, traffic lights, and the like around the vehicle 10. The surroundings detection unit 172 also detects the positions of other vehicles and obstacles on the road. As other vehicles, the surroundings detection unit 172 can detect other vehicles in the lane in which the vehicle 10 is traveling, other vehicles traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to the lane in which the vehicle 10 is traveling, and other vehicles on roads that intersect with the road in which the vehicle 10 is traveling. Therefore, it is possible to determine traffic conditions such as, for example, whether the lane ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 is blocked by another vehicle at an intersection, whether there is another vehicle traveling in the oncoming lane waiting to turn right at the intersection, and whether the lane ahead of the traveling route of the vehicle 10 or another vehicle is blocked by another vehicle.

[0024] The request sending unit 173 sends assistance request information to the control device 20 requesting assistance with autonomous driving when the vehicle 10 is stopped at the same location and the stopping time is longer than a predetermined time (i.e., when the vehicle 10 is detected as stuck). Additionally, the request transmission unit 173 transmits, together with the assistance request station information, driving status information for a controller to determine whether or not the autonomous driving of the vehicle 10 is normal. The driving status information includes measurement values ​​measured by various sensors of the sensor group 11, such as the current position of the vehicle 10, the presence or absence of other vehicles or obstacles in the vicinity, and the positions of the other vehicles and obstacles.

[0025] The support processing unit 174 receives support command information returned from the control device 20 in response to the transmission of the support request information, and performs processing in accordance with the support command information. The support command information may include not only a command to have the controller carry out a support operation, but also information indicating that no support is required, ie, that no support operation is to be carried out. When the support command information includes support-unnecessary information, the support processing unit 174 does not perform any particular processing, and the automatic driving control by the driving control unit 171 continues. Furthermore, when the assistance command information includes assistance operation content, the assistance processing unit 174 performs processing according to the assistance operation content. For example, when the assistance operation content is remote operation content by a controller, the remote command transmitted from the control device 20 is input to the driving control unit 171. As a result, the vehicle 10 is remotely operated by the controller. Alternatively, the assistance operation content may include a notification command to issue a warning or guidance, and in this case, the assistance processing unit 174 issues the warning or guidance to the occupant of the vehicle 10 by voice or image based on the notification command.

[0026] [Configuration of control device 20] FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the control device 20 provided in the control center 2. As shown in FIG. The control device 20 is an automated driving assistance device of the present disclosure and is configured by a computer. The control device 20 is configured to include a control-side storage unit 21 configured by a memory or the like, a control-side processor 22 configured by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like, an input / output interface (not shown), a monitor 23 connected via the input / output interface, a control-side communication unit 24, and the like. The control-side processor 22 reads and executes various programs stored in the control-side storage unit 21, thereby functioning as an information receiving unit 221, a priority setting unit 222, a vehicle state notification unit 223, an assistance command acquisition unit 224, a command transmission unit 225, and the like, as shown in FIG. 3 . An example is shown in which the control-side processor 22 executes the programs to realize the respective functional configurations of the information receiving unit 221, the priority setting unit 222, the vehicle state notification unit 223, the assistance command acquisition unit 224, and the command transmission unit 225, but some or all of these may be realized by individual hardware configurations.

[0027] The information receiving unit 221 functions as a request receiving unit of the present disclosure and receives various information transmitted from the vehicle 10. The various information includes assistance request information requesting assistance for autonomous driving of the vehicle 10, driving status information indicating the driving status of the vehicle 10, and the like.

[0028] When assistance request information is received from multiple vehicles 10, the priority setting unit 222 sets priorities for the vehicles 10 for which the controller should provide assistance. The priority setting unit 222 sets priorities according to the likelihood that the vehicle 10 will naturally become unstuck, based on the conditions around the vehicle 10 that sent the assistance request information. Alternatively, the priority setting unit 222 may set priorities according to the stuck position of the vehicle 10, and then set priorities according to the likelihood that the vehicle 10 will naturally become unstuck. In this embodiment, an example of setting priorities in the latter case will be described.

[0029] (Priority setting according to stack position) Examples of priority settings by the priority setting unit 222 according to the stuck position include a priority based on the positional relationship between the stuck position of the vehicle 10 and the intersection point, and a priority based on the road or lane on which the vehicle 10 is stuck. Here, the intersection point refers to a point where the travel path of the vehicle 10 intersects with the travel path of another vehicle.

[0030] First, the priority based on the positional relationship between the stuck position of the vehicle and the intersection point will be described. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an intersection point where the travel path of the vehicle 10 intersects with the travel path of another vehicle. As shown in FIG. 4, examples of the intersection point include an intersection, a merging point, and an entrance / exit of a facility. An example of a case where vehicle 10 gets stuck at an intersection is when the travel route is blocked by another vehicle (blocked vehicle 81A) in the oncoming lane waiting to turn right at intersection A, as shown by vehicle 10A in Fig. 4. An example of a case where vehicle 10 gets stuck at a merging point is when another vehicle (blocked vehicle 81B) tries to cut in front of vehicle 10B at merging point B, as shown by vehicle 10B in Fig. 4, or when vehicle 10B and blocked vehicle 81B give way to each other. An example of a case where vehicle 10 gets stuck at an entrance / exit of a facility is when blocked vehicle 81C tries to enter facility C from the oncoming lane of the lane in which vehicle 10 is traveling, blocking the travel route of vehicle 10C, as shown by vehicle 10C in Fig. 4.

[0031] When setting the priority of the vehicle 10, the priority setting unit 222 identifies an intersection ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 or an intersection where the vehicle 10 has become stuck. Then, the priority setting unit 222 sets a priority based on the area of ​​the area where the vehicle 10 has entered the identified intersection when the vehicle 10 has entered the identified intersection, and based on the distance to the identified intersection when the vehicle 10 has not entered the identified intersection. 5 and 6 illustrate the positional relationship between an intersection and a vehicle 10, exemplifying an intersection as an intersecting point. Here, FIG. 5(A) is an example of a vehicle 10D in which a portion of the front of the vehicle enters the intersection and becomes stuck, and FIG. 5(B) is an example of a vehicle 10E in which more than half of the vehicle enters the intersection and becomes stuck. In FIG. 5, the area surrounded by a dashed line indicates the interior of the intersection. FIG. 6(A) is an example of a vehicle 10F that becomes stuck just before the intersection, and FIG. 6(B) is an example of a vehicle 10G that becomes stuck at a position further away from the intersection. 5 and 6, it is assumed that the vehicle 10 (10D to 10G) is stuck at an intersection because the travel route of the vehicle is blocked by an oncoming vehicle (blocking vehicle 81) waiting to turn right. The shaded area in Fig. 5 indicates the area where the vehicle 10 (10D, 10E) has entered the intersection. When vehicle 10 has already entered an intersection (intersection), the larger the area of ​​the area in which vehicle 10 has entered the intersection, the higher the priority is set. For example, in the example of FIG. 5(A), only a portion of the front of vehicle 10D has entered the intersection, while more than half of vehicle 10E has entered the intersection. In this case, priority setting unit 222 sets a higher priority for vehicle 10E than for vehicle 10D.

[0032] On the other hand, when the vehicle 10 has not entered the intersection, the priority setting unit 222 sets a higher priority depending on the distance between the vehicle 10 and the intersection, the closer the distance is. For example, the vehicle 10F shown in FIG. 6(A) stacks at a position at a distance L1 from the intersection, and the vehicle 10G shown in FIG. 6(B) stacks at a position at a distance L2 (where L1 < L2) from the intersection. In this case, the priority setting unit 222 sets the priority of the vehicle 10F to be higher than the priority of the vehicle 10G.

[0033] Next, the priority based on the road or lane where the vehicle 10 stacks will be described. FIG. 7 is a diagram showing an example of setting the priority based on the road or lane where the vehicle 10 stacks. For example, as shown in FIG. 7(A), when the stacking position of the vehicle 10 is a road with one lane on one side, there is a possibility that traffic congestion may occur due to the stacking of the vehicle 10. Therefore, when the stacking position of the vehicle 10 is a road with one lane on one side, the priority is set higher than when the vehicle 10 stacks on a road having two or more lanes on one side. Also, when the stacking position of the vehicle 10 is a two-way traffic road without a median strip, there is also a possibility of disturbing the traffic flow for oncoming vehicles. Therefore, compared with the vehicle 10 stacking on a road including a plurality of lanes, the priority may be set even higher.

[0034] Next, as shown in Figures 7(B) and (C), a case where the vehicle 10 is stuck on a road with two or more lanes on each side will be described. As shown in Figure 7(C), when the stuck position of the vehicle 10 is in the leftmost lane, the priority is lowered compared to when the stuck position is in other lanes (the second lane from the left end or later), as shown in Figure 7(B). In other words, the leftmost lane is often filled with parked or stopped vehicles due to operations such as loading and unloading of luggage, and drivers often avoid such vehicles. Furthermore, when such stopped or parked vehicles are present in the leftmost lane, drivers usually use the second lane from the left end or later to avoid the stuck vehicle by changing lanes, such as by overtaking. The same applies when the vehicle 10 is stuck in the leftmost lane, and following vehicles traveling behind the vehicle 10 usually use the second lane from the left end or later to avoid the stuck vehicle 10. On the other hand, in the second lane from the left end and thereafter, vehicles rarely remain stopped for long periods of time compared to the leftmost lane, and if vehicle 10 becomes stuck in such a lane, subsequent vehicles often follow vehicle 10 and stop, which is likely to cause traffic disruptions such as congestion. Therefore, in this embodiment, the priority setting unit 222 assigns a higher priority to a vehicle 10 that becomes stuck in a lane second from the left end and thereafter than to a vehicle 10 that becomes stuck in the leftmost lane. Therefore, the priority setting unit 222 sets priorities based on the road or lane where the vehicle is stuck, so that the priority decreases in the order of Figure 7(A), (B), and (C).

[0035] In setting the priority according to the stuck position of the vehicle 10 as described above, it is preferable to set the added points in advance in order of the need for quick assistance. For example, the following are recorded in advance as priority information in the control-side memory unit 21: an intersection ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 (when the vehicle 10 gets stuck before the intersection), or a bonus point corresponding to the intersection where the vehicle 10 gets stuck; an bonus point corresponding to the area of ​​the area where the vehicle 10 entered the intersection when the vehicle 10 gets stuck at the intersection; an bonus point corresponding to the distance from the intersection to the stuck position; an bonus point corresponding to the road where the vehicle 10 gets stuck; and an bonus point corresponding to the lane where the vehicle 10 gets stuck. The bonus points may differ for each intersection, merging point, facility, etc. Also, the bonus points may differ for each road where the vehicle 10 gets stuck.

[0036] The priority setting unit 222 calculates the priority by adding up an added point value according to the positional relationship between the stack position and the intersection point and an added point value based on the road or lane of the stack position, based on the priority information. Alternatively, the priority setting unit 222 may calculate the priority of each vehicle 10 using a point value based on the positional relationship between the vehicle 10 and the intersection point, and if there are multiple vehicles 10 with the same priority, the priority may be calculated so that an order of priority is further set among the vehicles 10 with the same priority based on a point value based on the road or lane in which the vehicle 10 is stuck. In this case, the priority setting unit 222 may further separate the vehicles 10 that have already entered the intersection from the vehicles 10 that have not entered the intersection, and set a higher priority for the vehicles 10 that have already entered the intersection than for the vehicles 10 that have not entered the intersection. For example, the priority setting unit 222 calculates a priority for the vehicles 10 that have already entered the intersection based on the positional relationship between the vehicles 10 and the intersection, according to the area of ​​the region that has entered the intersection. If there are vehicles 10 among them that have the same priority, the priority (order of priority) is further set among the multiple vehicles 10 with the same priority based on the road or lane in which the vehicle 10 is stuck. Furthermore, the priority of the vehicles 10 that have not entered the intersection is set lower than that of the vehicles 10 that have already entered the intersection, and the priority of these vehicles 10 that have not entered the intersection is calculated based on the distance from the intersection. If there are vehicles 10 among them that have the same priority, the priority (order of precedence) among the multiple vehicles 10 that have the same priority is further set based on the road or lane on which the vehicle 10 is stuck.

[0037] (Priority based on the likelihood of spontaneous unstack) On the other hand, the priority setting by the priority setting unit 222 according to the possibility that the vehicle 10 will naturally become unstuck is a priority based on the situation around the vehicle 10. In this embodiment, when the same priority is set for multiple vehicles 10 in the priority setting according to the stuck position, the priority setting unit 222 further sets a priority among the vehicles 10 that have been given the same priority according to the possibility that the stuck state will naturally be unstuck. Specifically, the priority setting unit 222 sets a priority based on the positions of other vehicles around the vehicle 10 when the stuck position of the vehicle 10 is an intersection (intersection, merging point, entrance / exit of a facility, etc.).

[0038] An intersection will be taken as an example of the intersection point. 8 and 9 are diagrams for explaining priorities based on the possibility of spontaneous resolution of a stuck state. When the travel route of the vehicle 10 is blocked by a blocked vehicle 81 waiting to turn right, the driving control unit 171 of the vehicle 10 may determine that the vehicle 10 is unable to travel and wait for the blocked vehicle 81 to turn right. However, as shown in FIG. 8 , if the lane 91 ahead of the travel route of the blocked vehicle 81 is blocked by another vehicle 82, the blocked vehicle 81 cannot turn right, and as a result, the vehicle 10 will be stopped for a long period of time. In other words, the probability that the vehicle 10 will become unstuck naturally is low, and it will take a long time to become unstuck. The priority setting unit 222 sets a high priority for a vehicle 10 in such surrounding conditions where the probability of the vehicle 10 becoming unstuck naturally is low.

[0039] 9, if a lane 92 ahead of the vehicle 10 on its own lane route is blocked by another vehicle 83, the vehicle 10 cannot enter the lane 92 even if it is possible to avoid the blocked vehicle 81. On the other hand, if the lane 92 is not blocked as shown in FIG. 8, the vehicle 10 can be quickly released from being stuck by, for example, instructing the vehicle 10 to take a route that avoids the blocked vehicle 81, or by having a traffic controller remotely control the vehicle to avoid the blocked vehicle 81. Therefore, when the lane 92 is blocked, the priority is lowered compared to when the lane 92 is not blocked. That is, in this embodiment, when the travel route of the vehicle 10 is blocked by the blocking vehicle 81 and the lane 91 ahead of the blocking vehicle 81 is blocked, the priority setting unit 222 sets a higher priority compared to when the lane 92 ahead of the vehicle 10 is not blocked. In this priority setting, when there are vehicles 10 with the same priority among the vehicles 10, the priority setting unit 222 further sets a higher priority among the vehicles 10 with the same priority when the lane 92 ahead of the vehicle 10 is not blocked compared to when the lane 92 ahead of the vehicle 10 is blocked.

[0040] While the above description has been given using an intersection as an example, the same applies to other intersecting points, such as merging points and entrances / exits to facilities. Furthermore, while the above example shows an example in which the travel route of vehicle 10 is blocked by oncoming lane-blocking vehicle 81 waiting to turn right, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, another vehicle traveling on a road intersecting the road on which vehicle 10 is traveling may enter an intersection without realizing that the lane ahead is blocked, thereby blocking the travel route of vehicle 10. In such a case, too, the priority setting unit 222 can set a priority based on the likelihood of spontaneous resolution of the stuck situation, as described above. Furthermore, the priority setting unit 222 detects a blocked state in the lane 91 ahead of the blocked vehicle 81 by determining that the lane is blocked when, for example, the position of another vehicle 82 closest to the intersection point in the lane 91 is within a predetermined distance from the intersection point. Similarly, the priority setting unit 222 detects a blocked state in the lane 92 ahead of the vehicle 10 by determining that the lane is blocked when, for example, the position of another vehicle 83 closest to the intersection point in the lane 92 is within a predetermined distance from the intersection point.

[0041] The vehicle state notification unit 223 notifies the controller of the driving state of the vehicle 10 that transmitted the assistance request information by, for example, displaying the driving state information transmitted together with the assistance request information on the monitor 23. At this time, the vehicle state notification unit 223 notifies the controller of the driving state of the vehicle 10 in descending order of priority set by the priority setting unit 222.

[0042] The assistance command acquisition unit 224 functions as a necessity determination unit of the present disclosure. The assistance command acquisition unit 224 acquires whether an assistance operation by a controller is necessary for the vehicle 10, and the details of the assistance operation if assistance is necessary. Specifically, the controller checks the driving state information of the vehicle 10 displayed on the monitor 23, and inputs the results to the control device 20. For example, if the controller determines that an assist operation is necessary, the controller inputs to the control device 20 that an assist operation is necessary and the details of the assist operation. In addition, if the controller determines that an assist operation is not necessary, the controller inputs to the control device 20 that an assist operation is not necessary.

[0043] The command transmitting unit 225 transmits the input information on whether or not assistance is required and the content of the assistance operation if an assistance operation is required to the vehicle 10. If an assistance operation is required, the vehicle state notification unit 223 acquires driving state information, the assistance command acquisition unit 224 acquires the content of the assistance operation, and the command transmitting unit 225 transmits the content of the assistance operation in a coordinated manner, thereby enabling the controller to remotely operate the vehicle 10. Furthermore, if the content of the assistance operation is only to notify information such as a warning or guidance, the command transmitting unit 225 transmits to the vehicle 10 information on the need for assistance, indicating that an assistance operation is required, and the content of the notification. On the other hand, when the assist operation is unnecessary, the command transmitting unit 225 transmits support-no-required information indicating that the assist operation is unnecessary as support command information.

[0044] [Autonomous driving assistance method] Next, an automatic driving assistance method in the automatic driving assistance system 1 will be described. FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the automatic driving assistance method in the control device 20 of this embodiment. In the autonomous driving assistance system 1 of this embodiment, when the vehicle 10 performing autonomous driving stops and a preset time has elapsed, the request sending unit 173 of the vehicle 10 detects that the vehicle 10 is stuck and sends assistance request information and driving status information to the control device 20. In the control device 20, when the information receiving unit 221 receives support request information (step S1: request receiving step), the priority setting unit 222 determines whether support request information has been received from multiple vehicles 10 (step S2). If the determination in step S2 is NO, the vehicle state notification unit 223 notifies the controller by, for example, displaying the driving state information on the monitor 23 (step S3). This allows the controller at the control center 2 to determine whether the vehicle 10 is in a situation requiring assistance or not requiring assistance.

[0045] If the determination in step S2 is YES, the priority setting unit 222 acquires the position information of the vehicle 10 included in the traveling state information (step S4: position acquisition step). Then, the priority setting unit 222 sets a priority based on the acquired stuck position of the vehicle 10 (step S5). Specifically, as described above, the priority setting unit 222 identifies a point ahead in the direction of travel of the vehicle 10, and based on the priority information recorded in the control side memory unit 21, reads out the priority addition value corresponding to the identified point and adds it to the priority for the corresponding vehicle 10. As described above, priority setting based on the stuck location involves calculating an added point value for each vehicle 10 based on the stuck location of each vehicle 10 that transmitted assistance request information, thereby calculating the priority. For example, the priority setting unit 222 calculates the priority by adding up an added point value based on the positional relationship between the stuck location and the intersection point and an added point value based on the road or lane of the stuck location. Alternatively, the priority setting unit 222 may calculate the priority based on an added point value based on the positional relationship between the stuck location and the intersection point, and further set a priority (order of priority) among vehicles 10 that have the same priority based on the road or lane on which the vehicle 10 is stuck.

[0046] After that, the priority setting unit 222 further determines whether or not there are multiple vehicles 10 with the same priority (step S6). If the determination in step S6 is YES, the priority setting unit 222 sets priorities based on the possibility of spontaneous resolution of the stuck state (step S7). That is, among vehicles 10 with the same priority, priority setting is performed according to the status of other vehicles around each vehicle 10.

[0047] In this step S7, as described above, the priority setting unit 222 detects a blocking vehicle 81 that is blocking the travel route of the vehicle 10, and sets a priority based on the blocked state of the lane 91 ahead of the blocking vehicle 81 on its travel route and the blocked state of the lane 92 ahead of the vehicle 10. That is, if the lane 91 ahead of the travel route of the blocking vehicle 81 that blocks the travel route of the vehicle 10 is blocked, the priority is set higher than when the lane 91 is not blocked. Also, if the priority is set based on the blocked state of the lane 91 and multiple vehicles 10 have the same priority, among these vehicles 10 with the same priority, if the lane 92 ahead of the vehicle 10 is not blocked, the priority is set higher than when the lane 92 is blocked. The determination in step S2 and steps S4 to S7 correspond to the priority setting step of the present disclosure.

[0048] After step S7, or if step S6 returns NO, the vehicle state notification unit 223 notifies the controller of the driving state of the vehicle 10 that transmitted the support request information, for example by displaying the driving state information transmitted from the vehicle 10 on the monitor 23 in descending order of priority (step S8: notification step). This allows the controller at the control center 2 to determine whether the vehicle 10 is in a state requiring support or a state not requiring support, in descending order of priority. At this time, the vehicle state notification unit 223 notifies the controller of the priority of the vehicle 10 that transmitted the support request information. This allows the controller to know whether the vehicle 10 has a high priority when checking it.

[0049] Furthermore, it is preferable that the driving condition information notified to the controller is various kinds of real-time information about the vehicle 10. Therefore, it is preferable that the driving condition information of the vehicle 10 is not limited to various kinds of information detected by the sensor group 11 only when the vehicle 10 transmits the assistance request information, but that the vehicle 10 continuously transmits the driving condition information after transmitting the assistance request information, and that the information receiving unit 221 continuously receives the driving condition information. For example, when transmitting images of the area around the vehicle 10, the vehicle 10 continuously transmits images of the situation after the assistance request information is transmitted, rather than transmitting still images at the time the assistance request information is transmitted. This allows the controller to check the status of the vehicle 10 based on live streaming video. At this time, the information receiving unit 221 requests the vehicle 10 that transmitted the assistance request information to transmit driving condition information with a data volume based on the priority. That is, the information receiving unit 221 requests each vehicle 10 to transmit driving state information so that the amount of data transmitted by a vehicle 10 with a lower priority is smaller than that transmitted by a vehicle 10 with a higher priority. For example, a vehicle 10 with a lower priority may be requested to transmit only its current location, and as the priority increases, an image showing the state of the vehicle 10's surroundings and the distance to nearby obstacles (including other vehicles) may be requested. Alternatively, a vehicle with a lower priority may be requested to reduce the frame rate of the image information (video) to be transmitted. Note that even when the information receiving unit 221 has requested a reduction in the amount of data of the driving state information to be transmitted, if a controller inputs an instruction to increase the amount of data of the driving state information, the information receiving unit 221 returns to normal driving state information.

[0050] After step S3 or step S8, the controller checks the driving state information to determine whether or not an assist operation should be performed, and inputs the determination result to the control device 20. For example, if an assist operation is necessary, the controller inputs the details of the assist operation, and if an assist operation is not necessary, the controller inputs no-assist information indicating that no assistance is required. As a result, the assistance command acquisition unit 224 of the control device 20 acquires the input determination result (step S9). Furthermore, the command transmitting unit 225 transmits assistance command information according to the determination result to the vehicle 10 (step S10).

[0051] [Effects of this embodiment] The control device 20 functioning as the autonomous driving assistance device of this embodiment includes a control-side storage unit 21 and a control-side processor 22. The control-side processor 22 functions as an information receiving unit 221 and a priority setting unit 222 by reading and executing a program stored in the control-side storage unit 21. The control device 20 then performs a request receiving step (step S1) and a priority setting step (step S2, steps S4 to S7). In step S1, the information receiving unit 221 receives assistance request information transmitted from the vehicle 10 when the vehicle 10 has stopped. If the priority setting unit 222 determines in step S2 that assistance request information has been received from multiple vehicles 10, it sets an assistance priority for each vehicle 10 in step S7 according to the likelihood that the vehicle will naturally resolve its stopped state. As a result, even when assistance request information is received from multiple vehicles 10 that are stuck in the same traffic situation, a high priority is set to a vehicle that is unlikely to spontaneously resolve itself among these multiple vehicles 10. This eliminates the need for the controller to check the situation of each vehicle and re-determine which vehicle 10 should be prioritized, reducing the burden on the controller and improving work efficiency.

[0052] In this embodiment, in step S7, the priority setting unit 222 sets a priority based on the blocked state of the lane 92 ahead of the driving route on which the vehicle 10 is traveling and the blocked state of the lane 91 ahead of the driving route of the blocking vehicle 81 that blocks the driving route of the vehicle 10. By checking the blocked state of lane 91 on the travel route along which the blocked vehicle 81 is traveling, it can be determined whether the blocked vehicle 81 can immediately begin traveling, and once the blocked vehicle 81 begins traveling, vehicle 10 can also begin traveling and become unstuck. Furthermore, by checking the blocked state of lane 92 on the travel route along which vehicle 10 is traveling, it can be determined whether vehicle 10 can avoid the blocked vehicle 81 and enter the destination lane 92. If the destination lane 92 is not blocked, vehicle 10 can avoid the blocked vehicle 81 and travel toward the destination lane 92, thereby becoming unstuck. Therefore, it is possible to determine the possibility of the stuck condition being naturally resolved based on the blocked state of the travel routes of vehicle 10 and blocked vehicle 81.

[0053] In this embodiment, in step S7, if the vehicle 10 is stuck due to a blocked vehicle 81 and the lane 91 ahead on the travel route of the blocked vehicle 81 is blocked, the priority setting unit 222 sets a higher priority for the vehicle 10 than if the lane 91 is not blocked. If the lane 91 ahead of the blocked vehicle 81 is not blocked, the blocked vehicle 81 will start moving toward the destination lane, which will likely unblock the lane for the vehicle 10 and quickly resolve the stuck state of the vehicle 10. In contrast, if the lane ahead of the blocked vehicle 81 is blocked, the blocked vehicle 81 will be unable to move, and it is less likely that the stuck state of the vehicle 10 will quickly resolve. Therefore, by increasing the priority of assistance for the vehicle 10 when the lane 91 is blocked, it is possible to quickly notify the controller of assistance for the vehicle 10 in an emergency. Furthermore, the controller does not need to determine the priority of assistance based on driving status information transmitted from multiple vehicles 10 in the same situation, which reduces the burden on the controller and improves work efficiency.

[0054] In this embodiment, in step S7, if the lane 92 ahead of the vehicle 10 on its travel route is not blocked, the priority setting unit 222 sets a higher priority than if the lane 92 is blocked. As described above, when the blocked vehicle 81 cannot start traveling due to the blockage of the destination lane 91, it is preferable to assist the vehicle 10 by having the vehicle 10 avoid the blocked vehicle 81 and travel toward the destination lane 92. However, if the destination lane 92 of the vehicle 10 is blocked, the vehicle 10 cannot enter the destination lane 92 even if it avoids the blocked vehicle 81. Therefore, by setting a higher priority when the destination lane 92 of the vehicle 10 is not blocked compared to when the lane 92 is blocked, it is possible to quickly resolve the stuck vehicle 10. Furthermore, since the controller does not need to determine the priority of the assistance described above based on the driving state information transmitted from multiple vehicles 10 in the same situation, it is possible to reduce the burden on the controller and improve work efficiency.

[0055] In this embodiment, the priority setting unit 222 acquires the stop position where the vehicle 10 stopped in step S4, and sets a priority based on the stuck position in step S5. Then, in step S6, if there are multiple vehicles 10 with the same priority in the setting of the priority based on the stuck position, the priority is set based on the possibility that the stuck vehicle 10 will naturally be resolved in step S7. In this way, by setting a priority based on the stuck position of the vehicle 10, it is possible to increase the priority of assistance for vehicles 10 with higher urgency, such as vehicles 10 stuck in a highly dangerous position or vehicles 10 stuck in a position with a high possibility of disrupting traffic flow. This allows the assistance request information of vehicles 10 with high urgency to be quickly notified to the controller. In addition, the controller does not need to check multiple pieces of assistance request information to determine which vehicle 10 has the highest urgency, which reduces the burden on the controller and improves work efficiency.

[0056] In this embodiment, in step S5, the priority setting unit 222 sets a priority based on the stack position, such that the closer the distance between the stack position and the intersection point, the higher the priority. If the stuck position is an intersection (such as an intersection, a delayed merge, or an entrance / exit to a facility) where the travel path of the vehicle 10 intersects with the travel path of another vehicle, the stuck vehicle 10 may increase the risk of an accident or cause a traffic disruption such as a traffic jam. Furthermore, for example, in a traffic jam at an intersection, multiple vehicles 10 often become stuck, and the following vehicle 10 cannot proceed unless the preceding vehicle 10 is cleared of being stuck. Therefore, it is necessary to provide assistance to a preceding vehicle 10 that is closer to the intersection than to a following vehicle 10 that is farther from the intersection. In this embodiment, as described above, it is possible to give priority to vehicles 10 that are close to the intersection and notify a traffic controller of assistance request information and travel status information, thereby quickly clearing the traffic disruption.

[0057] In this embodiment, the priority setting unit 222 sets a higher priority in step S5 as the area in which the vehicle 10 has entered the intersection point becomes larger. For example, if the intersection is an intersection, when vehicle 10 becomes stuck in the intersection, not only the lane in which vehicle 10 is traveling but also other lanes that intersect with the lane at the intersection are blocked by vehicle 10, which makes it more likely that traffic flow disruptions such as congestion will occur in those other lanes as well, increasing the risk of accidents at the intersection. Furthermore, the larger the area of ​​vehicle 10 entering the intersection, the more likely traffic flow will be disrupted and the higher the risk of accidents. Therefore, by setting priorities based on the area of ​​the vehicle 10 entering the intersection, assistance request information for vehicles 10 that are stuck in positions that pose a high risk or are likely to cause traffic flow disruptions can be more quickly notified to traffic controllers, allowing for early resolving the stuck situation.

[0058] In this embodiment, in step S5, the priority setting unit 222 sets a higher priority when the vehicle 10 stops on a road with one lane on each side compared to when the vehicle 10 stops on a road with two or more lanes on each side. On roads with two or more lanes on each side, even if a vehicle 10 becomes stuck, the following vehicle can avoid the stuck vehicle 10 by changing lanes into an adjacent lane traveling in the same direction. On the other hand, on roads with one lane on each side, a stuck vehicle 10 is likely to cause traffic flow disruptions such as congestion, and if the vehicle 10 uses the adjacent oncoming lane to overtake or pass a following vehicle, the risk of an accident increases. Therefore, if a vehicle 10 becomes stuck on a road with one lane on each side, the priority is given to the stuck vehicle 10 higher than if the vehicle 10 becomes stuck on a road with two or more lanes on each side, and traffic flow disruptions such as congestion can be quickly supported by a traffic controller.

[0059] In this embodiment, in step S5, when the vehicle 10 is stuck in the leftmost lane on a road with two or more lanes on each side, the priority setting unit 222 sets a lower priority compared to when the vehicle 10 is stuck in a lane other than the leftmost lane. On roads with two or more lanes on each side, vehicles may be parked or stopped in the leftmost lane due to construction work, etc., and if a vehicle 10 becomes stuck in the leftmost lane, it is less likely to impede traffic and cause disruption to traffic flow than if a vehicle 10 becomes stuck in another lane. Therefore, as described above, by giving a lower priority to a vehicle 10 that becomes stuck in the leftmost lane than to a vehicle 10 that becomes stuck in another lane, assistance request information for a vehicle 10 that is more urgent can be quickly notified to a traffic controller.

[0060] In this embodiment, in step S8, the vehicle state notification unit 223 notifies the controller of the reception of the assistance request information from the vehicle 10 in descending order of priority. This allows the controller to check the status of the vehicles 10 in descending order of priority and provide support to the vehicles 10. Since the controller does not need to set priorities based on the statuses of multiple vehicles 10, it is possible to reduce the burden on the controller and improve operational efficiency.

[0061] In this embodiment, in step S8, the vehicle state notification unit 223 notifies the controller of the vehicle 10 to be assisted and its priority. This allows the controller to know the priority of the vehicle 10 that is the notified support target, and to grasp in advance the urgency of the support for the vehicle 10.

[0062] In this embodiment, the information receiving unit 221 receives the driving state information together with the assistance request information. The driving state information is continuously received from the vehicle 10, and after a priority is set for the vehicle 10, the information receiving unit 221 requests transmission of the driving state information with a data amount according to the priority. This reduces the amount of data transmission of driving status information to vehicles 10 that have a lower priority and will be provided with assistance later, thereby reducing communication delays due to an increase in the amount of communication data and processing delays due to an increase in the amount of data processed by the control device 20.

[0063] [Variations] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but also includes the following modifications within the scope of achieving the object of the present invention.

[0064] [Variation 1] In the above embodiment, in step S2, if multiple pieces of support request information are received, the determination is YES. However, if multiple controllers are present at the control center 2, the determination may be made as to whether or not the number of pieces of support request information received is equal to or exceeds the number that allows for allocation of the pieces of support request information to controllers. For example, if there are X controllers present, the determination may be made as to whether or not the number of pieces of support request information received exceeds X. Alternatively, the number of backup controllers among the X controllers may be Y, and the determination may be made as to whether or not the number of pieces of support request information received exceeds XY.

[0065] [Variation 2] In the above embodiment, when the priority setting unit 222 judges YES in step S2 (receives assistance request information from multiple vehicles 10), it first sets priorities based on the stuck positions of the vehicles 10 in steps S4 and S5, and then, when it is judged in step S6 that there are vehicles 10 with the same priority, it sets priorities between the vehicles 10 with the same priority based on the possibility of the stuck state being resolved naturally in step S7. Alternatively, steps S4 to S6 may be omitted, and if the determination in step S2 is YES, priority setting based on the possibility of spontaneous resolution of the stuck state in step S7 may be performed.

[0066] Alternatively, if the answer to step S2 is YES, priority setting based on the possibility of the stuck state being resolved naturally in step S7 may be performed first, and then, if there are vehicles 10 with the same priority, priority setting based on the stuck position in steps S4 and S5 may be performed between the vehicles 10 with the same priority.

[0067] Alternatively, when the travel route of the vehicle 10 is blocked by the blocking vehicle 81, the priority information may further record an added point value based on the blocked state of the lane ahead of the travel route of the blocking vehicle 81 and an added point value based on the blocked state of the lane ahead of the travel route of the vehicle 10. In this case, the priority setting unit 222 may calculate the priority by adding up the added point value based on the stuck position and the added point value based on the possibility of the stuck state being resolved naturally, and set the priority of the vehicle 10 in descending order of the total added point value.

[0068] [Variation 3] In the above embodiment, the priority setting unit 222 uses the blocked state of the lane 91 ahead of the blocking vehicle 81 blocking the travel path of the vehicle 10 and the blocked state of the lane 92 ahead of the vehicle 10 to set the priority based on the possibility of spontaneously resolving the stuck state. In contrast, when the vehicle 10 is traveling on a road with two or more lanes in each direction, the priority may be set using the position of another vehicle (adjacent vehicle) in an adjacent lane traveling in the same direction as the vehicle 10's own lane and the blocked state of the lane ahead of the adjacent vehicle. For example, even if the lane ahead of the vehicle 10 is not blocked, if there is an adjacent vehicle in the adjacent lane, the vehicle 10 may not be able to avoid the blocking vehicle 81 blocking the travel path of the vehicle 10 by changing lanes. Therefore, the priority setting unit 222 may lower the priority when there is an adjacent vehicle in the area of ​​the adjacent lane used by the vehicle 10 to avoid the blocking vehicle 81 compared to when there is no adjacent vehicle in that area. In addition, if the lane in which the adjacent vehicle is traveling is blocked by another vehicle, the adjacent vehicle cannot move. Therefore, if the lane in which the adjacent vehicle is traveling is blocked, the priority may be increased compared to when the lane in which the adjacent vehicle is traveling is not blocked. [Explanation of symbols]

[0069] 1...Automatic driving assistance system, 10...Vehicle, 20...Control device (automatic driving assistance device), 21...Control side memory unit, 22...Control side processor, 23...Monitor, 24...Control side communication unit, 221...Information receiving unit, 222...Priority setting unit, 223...Vehicle state notification unit, 224...Assistance command acquisition unit, 225...Command sending unit.

Claims

1. An automatic driving assistance method for assisting a vehicle traveling by automatic driving using a computer, comprising: The computer a request receiving step of receiving assistance request information, which is transmitted from the vehicle when the vehicle stops, requesting assistance for the vehicle; a priority setting step of setting a priority of assistance for each of the vehicles in accordance with a possibility that the stopped state of the vehicle will be resolved naturally when the assistance request information is received from a plurality of the vehicles; An automated driving assistance method that implements the above.

2. In the priority setting step, when the travel route of the vehicle intersects with the travel route of a blocking vehicle that blocks the travel route of the vehicle, the priority is set based on a blocked state of a lane ahead of the travel route of the blocking vehicle and a blocked state of a lane ahead of the travel route of the vehicle, as a possibility that the stop of the vehicle will be resolved naturally. The method for assisting automatic driving according to claim 1 .

3. In the priority setting step, when a destination lane on the travel route of the blocked vehicle is blocked, the priority of the blocked vehicle is set higher than when the destination lane on the travel route of the blocked vehicle is not blocked. The automatic driving assistance method according to claim 2.

4. In the priority setting step, when a destination lane on the travel route of the vehicle is not blocked, the priority is set higher than when a destination lane on the travel route of the vehicle is blocked. The automatic driving assistance method according to claim 2.

5. A position acquisition step of acquiring a stop position where the vehicle has stopped is further performed; In the priority setting step, priorities are set based on the stopping positions, and when there are a plurality of vehicles with the same priority in the setting of priorities based on the stopping positions, the priorities are further set based on a possibility that the stopping of the vehicles will be resolved naturally. The method for assisting automatic driving according to claim 1 .

6. In the priority setting step, a point where a travel path of another vehicle present around the vehicle intersects with the travel path of the vehicle is set as an intersection point, and the priority based on the stop position is set so that the closer the distance from the intersection point to the vehicle, the higher the priority. The automatic driving assistance method according to claim 5.

7. In the priority setting step, a point where a travel path of another vehicle present around the vehicle intersects with the travel path of the vehicle is set as an intersection point, and the priority based on the stop position is set so that the larger the area in which the vehicle enters the intersection point, the higher the priority. The automatic driving assistance method according to claim 5.

8. In the priority setting step, when the vehicle stops on a road with one lane in each direction, the priority is set higher than when the vehicle stops on a road with two or more lanes in each direction. The automatic driving assistance method according to claim 5.

9. In the priority setting step, when the vehicle is stopped in the leftmost lane of a road with two or more lanes in each direction, the priority is set lower than when the vehicle is stopped in a lane other than the leftmost lane of the road. The automatic driving assistance method according to claim 5.

10. The computer a notification step of notifying a controller of the reception of the assistance request information from the vehicle in descending order of priority; The method for assisting automatic driving according to claim 1 .

11. In the notification step, a controller is notified of the reception of the assistance request information from the vehicle and the priority of the vehicle. The method for assisting automatic driving according to claim 10.

12. The computer receiving driving state information related to the driving state of the vehicle together with the assistance request information, and after the priority is set in the priority setting step, requesting the vehicle to reduce the amount of data of the driving state information as the priority becomes lower; The method for assisting automatic driving according to claim 1 .

13. An automatic driving assistance device that provides driving assistance for a vehicle traveling by automatic driving, a request receiving unit that receives assistance request information, which is transmitted from the vehicle when the vehicle stops, requesting assistance for the vehicle; a priority setting unit that sets a priority of assistance for each of the vehicles in accordance with a possibility that the stopped state of the vehicle will be resolved naturally when the assistance request information is received from a plurality of the vehicles; An autonomous driving assistance device equipped with:

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