Driving assistance server, driving assistance system, and notification control device

Abstract

To perform appropriate driving support at an intersection.SOLUTION: The driving assistance server generates an accident occurrence distribution of a survey area on a map based on the vehicle information, divides the survey area into a first area in which the number of occurrences of accidents is relatively large in the survey area and a second area in which the number of occurrences of accidents is relatively small in the survey area based on the accident occurrence distribution, and extracts an intersection at which the number of times of unsafe behavior of vehicles is small as an intersection to be excluded from intersections in the first area based on the vehicle information. Set an intersection other than the to-be-excluded intersection in the first region as the specific intersection of the first region, extract an intersection where vehicles perform unsafe behaviors frequently from intersections in the second region based on the vehicle information, and set the extracted intersection as the specific intersection of the second region. The specific intersection is an intersection at which predetermined driving assistance is to be performed in the vehicle.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving assistance server, a driving assistance system, and a notification control device. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a risk estimation system that estimates the risk at an intersection based on map information stored in a storage medium. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-89698 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the conventional risk estimation system described above acquires data on road structures and buildings around an intersection from map information and estimates the risk of the intersection based on that data. Therefore, there is a risk that an intersection with a low frequency of traffic accidents may be estimated as a high-risk intersection, or conversely, an intersection with a high frequency of traffic accidents may be estimated as a low-risk intersection. Therefore, when using the conventional risk estimation system described above to provide driving assistance to a vehicle to prevent traffic accidents at intersections, there is a risk that unnecessary driving assistance may be provided at intersections that are estimated to be high-risk but actually have a low frequency of traffic accidents. Furthermore, there is a risk that necessary driving assistance may not be provided at intersections that are estimated to be low-risk but actually have a high frequency of traffic accidents.

[0005] The present invention was made with an eye on these problems, and aims to prevent unnecessary driving assistance from being provided at intersections where traffic accidents occur less frequently, and to provide necessary driving assistance at intersections where traffic accidents occur more frequently. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] To solve the above problems, a driving assistance server according to one aspect of the present invention includes a communication unit configured to communicate with multiple vehicles, a memory unit that stores information, and a processing unit. The processing unit is configured to generate an accident occurrence distribution for a survey area on a map based on predetermined vehicle information collected from the multiple vehicles and stored in the memory unit, divide the survey area into a first area in which the number of accidents is relatively high within the survey area and a second area in which the number of accidents is relatively low within the survey area based on the accident occurrence distribution, extract intersections in the first area where unsafe behavior by vehicles is rare as excluded intersections based on the vehicle information, set intersections in the first area other than the excluded intersections as specific intersections for the first area, extract intersections in the second area where unsafe behavior by vehicles is common based on the vehicle information, and set the extracted intersections as specific intersections for the second area. The specific intersections are intersections where predetermined driving assistance is to be provided to the vehicle.

[0007] In addition, according to one aspect of the present invention, a notification control device that notifies vehicle occupants determines whether the vehicle is traveling in a first area within a specified survey area on a map, where the number of accidents is relatively high, or a second area within the survey area, where the number of accidents is relatively low; and, if the vehicle is traveling in the first area, notifies the vehicle that it is traveling in the first area and the type of collision accident that occurs most frequently in the first area in which the vehicle is traveling; and, if the vehicle is traveling in the first area and heading toward a specific intersection within the first area that is within a specified range from the vehicle, notifies the vehicle that it is traveling in the first area, the type of collision accident that is likely to occur at the specific intersection within the first area, and that it is approaching the specific intersection within the first area; and, if the vehicle is traveling in a second area, notifies the vehicle that it is traveling in the second area, the type of collision accident that is likely to occur at the specific intersection in the second area, and that it is approaching the specific intersection in the second area, when the vehicle is traveling toward a specific intersection within a second area that is within a specified range from the vehicle. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to these aspects of the present invention, unnecessary driving assistance can be prevented from being provided at intersections where traffic accidents occur less frequently, and necessary driving assistance can be provided at intersections where traffic accidents occur more frequently. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a driving assistance system according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 2] 1 is a schematic system configuration diagram of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a driving assistance server according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 4] This is a diagram generated by dividing the number of collision accidents that occurred at each intersection within a specified survey area on a map into regional mesh units. [Figure 5]10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for setting a specific intersection according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is executed between each vehicle and a driving assistance server. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an intersection assistance process according to an embodiment of the present invention, which is executed between each vehicle and a driving assistance server. [Figure 7] 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of notification control according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an estimation process for estimating a type of collision accident that is likely to occur at a specific intersection that the vehicle is approaching. [Figure 9] 5A to 5C are diagrams illustrating examples of notifications based on first notification control, second notification control, and third notification control. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following description, like components are designated by like reference numerals.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a driving assistance system 1 according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0012] The driving assistance system 1 includes a plurality of vehicles 100 and a driving assistance server 200.

[0013] The vehicle 100 and the driving assistance server 200 can communicate with each other via a network 3 configured by optical communication lines or the like. The vehicle 100 is connected to the network 3 via, for example, a wireless base station 4 or the like. The driving assistance server 200 is connected to the network 3 via, for example, a gateway or the like (not shown).

[0014] Although details will be described later, each vehicle 100 periodically transmits vehicle information related to that vehicle 100 to the driving assistance server 200. The driving assistance server 200 stores the received vehicle information in a database, extracts intersections that are the target of intersection assistance from among the intersections on the map based on the stored vehicle information (hereinafter referred to as "specific intersections"), and transmits intersection assistance information including information about the specific intersections to each vehicle 100. Each vehicle 100 performs intersection assistance based on the driving assistance information.

[0015] Intersection assistance refers to driving assistance provided to each vehicle 100, and is driving assistance that provides at least one of the following as necessary when driving on a road leading to a specific intersection: notification to the driver, brake assist, and automatic braking.

[0016] The configurations of the vehicle 100 and the driving assistance server 200 will be described below with reference to FIGS.

[0017] FIG. 2 is a schematic system configuration diagram of the vehicle 100.

[0018] The vehicle 100 includes a surrounding sensor 10, a vehicle sensor 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, an actuator 40, a communication device 50, and a control device 60. The surrounding sensor 10, the vehicle sensor 20, the HMI 30, the actuator 40, the communication device 50, and the control device 60 are communicatively connected to each other via an in-vehicle network 80 that conforms to a standard such as a controller area network.

[0019] The surroundings sensor 10 is a sensor for generating surroundings data that represents the situation around the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the surroundings sensor 10 includes one or more external cameras 11 for capturing images of the surroundings of the vehicle 100. The external cameras 11 capture images of the surroundings of the vehicle 100 at a predetermined frame rate (for example, 10 [Hz] to 40 [Hz]) and generate surroundings images that show the surroundings of the vehicle 100. Every time the external cameras 11 generate a surroundings image, they transmit the generated surroundings image to the control device 60 as surroundings data.

[0020] Instead of or in addition to the external camera 11, a distance measurement sensor that measures the distance to a target such as the vehicle 100 or a pedestrian present around the vehicle 100 may be provided as the surrounding sensor 10. Examples of distance measurement sensors include a LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) that emits radar light and measures distance based on the reflected light, and a millimeter wave radar sensor that emits radio waves and measures distance based on the reflected waves.

[0021] The vehicle sensors 20 are sensors for generating various data related to the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the vehicle sensors 20 include a speed sensor 21 that generates speed data indicating the traveling speed of the vehicle 100, a positioning sensor 22 that generates current position data indicating the current position of the vehicle 100, such as latitude and longitude, an acceleration sensor 23 that generates acceleration data indicating the acceleration of the vehicle 100, a brake sensor 24 that generates brake operation data indicating whether the brake pedal of the vehicle 100 has been depressed, and an impact detection sensor 25 that generates airbag activation data indicating whether the airbag of the vehicle 100 has been activated. However, the vehicle sensors 20 are not limited to these sensors 21 to 25. Each of the sensors 21 to 25 transmits acquired data to the control device 60.

[0022] The HMI 30 is a user interface for exchanging information between the vehicle 100 and its occupants. The HMI 30 includes an output device 31 for notifying the vehicle occupant through the vehicle occupant's bodily senses (for example, sight, hearing, touch, etc.), and an input device 32 for the vehicle occupant to perform input operations and response operations. In this embodiment, the output device 31 includes displays such as a meter display, a center display, and a head-up display, as well as speakers, and the input device 32 includes a touch panel and a microphone.

[0023] The HMI 30 displays information (e.g., text information or image information) on a display in response to a display signal received from the control device 60, and outputs sound from a speaker in response to a sound signal. The HMI 30 also transmits data input by a vehicle occupant via the input device 32 to the control device 60.

[0024] The HMI 30 may be pre-installed in the vehicle 100, or may be a terminal such as a smartphone owned by a vehicle occupant. In the latter case, for example, information may be exchanged between the vehicle 100 and the vehicle occupant's terminal by short-range wireless communication, or information may be exchanged indirectly via communication between the vehicle occupant's terminal and an external server (not shown).

[0025] The actuator 40 is a device used for driving control of the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the actuator 40 includes an acceleration actuator 41 (for example, at least one of an engine and a motor) that controls acceleration of the vehicle 100, a brake actuator 42 (for example, a hydraulic actuator) that controls braking of the vehicle 100, and a steering actuator 43 (for example, a steering motor) that controls steering of the vehicle 100.

[0026] The communication device 50 has a communication interface circuit for connecting the vehicle 100 to the network 3 (see Figure 1) via a wireless base station 4 (see Figure 1), and is configured to be able to communicate with the driving assistance server 200 via the network 3.

[0027] The control device 60 is an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that includes a communication unit 61, a storage unit 62, and a processing unit 63.

[0028] The communication unit 61 includes an interface circuit for connecting the control device 60 to the in-vehicle network 80. The communication unit 61 supplies various data received from the surrounding sensors 10, the vehicle sensors 20, the communication device 50, etc. to the processing unit 63. The communication unit 61 also outputs various signals output from the processing unit 63 to the HMI 30, the actuator 40, the communication device 50, etc.

[0029] The storage unit 62 has a storage medium such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid disk drive (SSD), or a semiconductor memory, and stores various computer programs and data used for processing by the processing unit 63.

[0030] The processing unit 63 has one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units) and their peripheral circuits, and executes various computer programs stored in the storage unit 62. The processing unit 63 is, for example, a processor. The processing unit 63 executes processing in accordance with the computer programs, thereby functioning as a driving assistance unit 71, a vehicle information acquisition unit 72, and a vehicle information transmission unit 73, and operates as functional units (modules) that realize predetermined functions. In the following description, when processing is described using each of the functional units 71 to 73 as the subject, it indicates that the processing unit 63 is executing a program that realizes each of the functional units 71 to 73.

[0031] The driving assistance unit 71 provides driving assistance to the driver. As driving assistance, the driving assistance unit 71 provides, for example, a pre-crash safety system (PCS) and intersection assistance.

[0032] Pre-crash safety is a driving assistance system that provides at least one of the following: warning the driver, brake assist, automatic braking, and steering assistance when there is a possibility of a collision with various objects (other vehicles, motorcycles, two-wheeled vehicles, pedestrians, walls, etc.) detected by the surrounding sensor 10.

[0033] As mentioned above, intersection assistance is a driving assistance function that provides at least one of the following as needed when driving on a road leading to a specific intersection, for example, in the area just before the specific intersection: notification to the driver, brake assist, and automatic braking.

[0034] The vehicle information acquisition unit 72 periodically acquires vehicle information about the vehicle 100 to be transmitted to the driving assistance server 200 .

[0035] The vehicle information includes, for example, data (first data) required by the driving assistance server 200 to determine whether a collision accident has occurred in the vehicle 100 that is the source of the vehicle information, and data (second data) required to determine whether an action to avoid a collision (hereinafter referred to as a "collision avoidance action") has been taken in the vehicle 100.

[0036] In this embodiment, the acquired vehicle information includes speed data, acceleration data, current position data, brake operation data, airbag activation data, pre-crash safety activation data (whether or not an alarm is activated, whether or not brake assist is activated, whether or not automatic braking is activated, whether or not steering assistance is activated), and intersection assistance activation data (whether or not an alarm is activated, whether or not brake assist is activated, whether or not automatic braking is activated), etc. However, the vehicle data is not limited to these data.

[0037] The vehicle information transmitting unit 73 transmits the acquired vehicle information to the driving assistance server 200 in association with the vehicle ID (vehicle number), the time of acquisition of the vehicle information, and the like.

[0038] FIG. 3 is a schematic configuration diagram of the driving assistance server 200.

[0039] The driving assistance server 200 includes a server communication unit 210, a server storage unit 220, and a server processing unit 230.

[0040] The server communication unit 210 has a communication interface circuit for connecting the driving assistance server 200 to the network 3 (see Figure 1) via, for example, a gateway, and is configured to be able to communicate with each vehicle 100 (more specifically, the communication device 50 of each vehicle 100) via the network 3.

[0041] The server storage unit 220 has a storage medium such as an HDD, an SSD, or a semiconductor memory, and stores various computer programs and data used in the processing by the server processing unit 230.

[0042] The server processing unit 230 has one or more central processing units (CPUs) and their peripheral circuits, and executes various computer programs stored in the server storage unit 220. The server processing unit 230 is, for example, a processor. By executing processing in accordance with the computer programs, the server processing unit 230 functions as a vehicle information accumulation unit 231, an accident distribution generation unit 232, a sparse / dense determination unit 233, a first specific intersection setting unit 234, and a second specific intersection setting unit 235, and operates as functional units (modules) that realize predetermined functions. In the following description, when processing is described using each of the functional units 231 to 235 as the subject, it indicates that the server processing unit 230 is executing a program that realizes each of the functional units 231 to 235.

[0043] The vehicle information accumulation unit 231 accumulates the vehicle information received from each vehicle 100 in a database for each area mesh based on the current position data in the vehicle information. An area mesh is a map divided into meshes of approximately the same size based on latitude and longitude. The vehicle information accumulated in the database can be, for example, vehicle information for the most recent predetermined period.

[0044] As shown in Fig. 4, the accident distribution generation unit 232 generates a distribution of the number of collision accidents occurring at each intersection within the survey area for each regional mesh based on vehicle information for each regional mesh within a specified survey area (for example, data such as airbag deployment data that can estimate the occurrence of a collision accident within the vehicle information), using a known distribution estimation method such as kernel density estimation. Note that in Fig. 4, the darker the regional mesh, the greater the number of collision accidents that have occurred.

[0045] The sparse / dense determination unit 233 divides the survey area into a first area where collision accidents occur "densely" (the number of collision accidents in the survey area is relatively high) and a second area where collision accidents occur "sparsely" (the number of collision accidents in the survey area is relatively low), based on the distribution of the number of collision accidents that occur within the survey area, as shown in Fig. 4. In this embodiment, the sparse / dense determination unit 233 classifies the top predetermined percentage of areas in the distribution of the number of traffic accidents that occur within the survey area as the first area, and the rest as the second area.

[0046] The first specific intersection setting unit 234 extracts intersections with few unsafe behaviors from among the intersections in the first area as excluded intersections, and sets intersections in the first area other than the excluded intersections as specific intersections. An unsafe behavior is, for example, a collision avoidance operation by the vehicle 100. In this embodiment, the first specific intersection setting unit 234 extracts, from among the intersections in the first area, intersections where the number of collision avoidance operations occurring is less than a predetermined threshold as excluded intersections.

[0047] The number of occurrences of collision avoidance operations can be grasped and tallied, for example, as follows. That is, if any of the pre-crash safety warning, brake assist, automatic braking, and steering assist has been activated, it can be considered that a collision avoidance operation has been performed by the driving assistance function. Therefore, the number of occurrences of collision avoidance operations can be grasped, for example, based on pre-crash safety operation data. Also, if sudden deceleration has been performed, it can be considered that a collision avoidance operation has been performed. Therefore, the number of occurrences of collision avoidance operations can also be grasped, for example, based on acceleration data. Of course, the number of occurrences of collision avoidance operations can also be grasped based on pre-crash safety operation data and acceleration data.

[0048] The number of occurrences of collision avoidance operations may be counted collectively without distinguishing between each operation of the collision avoidance operations (for example, pre-crash safety warning, brake assist, automatic braking, steering assist, etc.), or each operation may be counted separately. When each operation of the collision avoidance operations is counted separately, the number of occurrences of each operation of the collision avoidance operations may be compared with a predetermined threshold value set for each operation, and, for example, intersections where the number of occurrences of some or all of each operation of the collision avoidance operations is less than the predetermined threshold value can be extracted as excluded intersections.

[0049] Intersections where collision avoidance actions are frequently taken are considered to be intersections where the surrounding road environment forms an accident-prone environment and where there is a high possibility of a collision accident occurring in the future. In other words, intersections where collision avoidance actions are frequently taken are intersections with a high accident risk, and collision accidents at those intersections are likely to be highly reproducible, meaning that there is a high possibility of similar collision accidents occurring in the future.

[0050] On the other hand, intersections where collision avoidance actions are rare are considered to be intersections where the surrounding road environment forms an environment where accidents are unlikely to occur, and where the likelihood of a collision accident occurring in the future is low. In other words, intersections where collision avoidance actions are rare are intersections with a low accident risk, and even if a collision does occur at that intersection, the accident is considered to be an accidental accident with low reproducibility, and the likelihood of a similar collision occurring in the future is considered to be low.

[0051] Even though the intersections in Area 1 have a relatively high number of collision accidents within the survey area, if intersection assistance is implemented at intersections where collision avoidance actions are rare and the risk of accidents is low, some drivers may find the intersection assistance annoying.

[0052] Therefore, in this embodiment, the first specific intersection setting unit 234 extracts, from among the intersections in the first area, intersections where the number of collision avoidance operations occurring is less than a predetermined number as excluded intersections, and sets intersections in the first area other than the excluded intersections as specific intersections. This makes it possible to prevent unnecessary implementation of intersection assistance at intersections where the number of collision avoidance operations occurring is low and the risk of accidents is low in the first area, where the number of collision accidents occurring is relatively high among the survey areas.

[0053] The second specific intersection setting unit 235 extracts intersections where unsafe behaviors occur frequently from among the intersections in the second area, and sets the extracted intersections as specific intersections. In this embodiment, the second specific intersection setting unit extracts, from among the intersections in the second area, intersections where collision avoidance actions have occurred a predetermined number of times or more, as specific intersections.

[0054] This makes it possible to set intersections in the second area, where the number of collision accidents is relatively low even within the survey area, where intersections where collision avoidance actions are frequently taken and where the accident risk is high as specific intersections.As a result, intersection assistance can be implemented at intersections in the second area, where the number of collision accidents is relatively low even within the survey area, where intersection assistance has a high accident reduction effect (assistance effect), where intersection assistance has a high accident risk.

[0055] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process for setting a specific intersection, which is executed between each vehicle 100 and the driving assistance server 200. In FIG.

[0056] In step S1, the control device 60 of the vehicle 100 periodically (for example, every minute) acquires vehicle information of the vehicle 100 and transmits the acquired vehicle information to the driving assistance server 200.

[0057] In step S2, when the driving assistance server 200 receives the vehicle information from the vehicle 100, the driving assistance server 200 classifies the vehicle information for each regional mesh based on the current position data in the vehicle information and stores the vehicle information in a database.

[0058] In step S3, the driving assistance server 200 determines whether it is time to extract a specific intersection. For example, if a predetermined period has passed since the previous extraction time of the specific intersection, the driving assistance server 200 can determine that it is time to extract a specific intersection. If it is time to extract a specific intersection, the driving assistance server 200 proceeds to the processing of step S4. On the other hand, if it is not time to extract a specific intersection, the driving assistance server 200 ends the processing.

[0059] In step S4, the driving assistance server 200 generates a distribution of the number of collision accidents occurring at each intersection in the survey area for each area mesh based on the vehicle information of each area mesh in the predetermined survey area.

[0060] In step S5, the driving assistance server 200 divides the survey area into a first area where traffic accidents occur "densely" (the number of collision accidents occurring in the survey area is relatively high) and a second area where collision accidents occur "sparsely" (the number of collision accidents occurring in the survey area is relatively low) based on the distribution of the number of collision accidents occurring in the survey area.

[0061] In step S6, the driving assistance server 200 extracts intersections in the first area that have few unsafe behaviors as excluded intersections, and sets intersections in the first area other than the excluded intersections as specific intersections. The driving assistance server 200 also extracts intersections in the second area that have many unsafe behaviors, and sets the extracted intersections as specific intersections.

[0062] FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an intersection assistance process executed between each vehicle 100 and the driving assistance server 200. As shown in FIG.

[0063] In step S11, the control device 60 of the vehicle 100 determines whether it is time to request intersection assistance information. For example, if a predetermined period has passed since the vehicle 100 last requested intersection assistance information, the vehicle 100 can determine that it is time to request intersection assistance information. If it is time to request intersection assistance information, the control device 60 proceeds to the processing of step S12. On the other hand, if it is not time to request intersection assistance information, the control device 60 ends the current processing.

[0064] In step S12, the control device 60 of the vehicle 100 transmits an assistance information request signal to the driving assistance server 200. The assistance information request signal includes, for example, the current position data of the vehicle.

[0065] In step S13, when the driving assistance server 200 receives the assistance information request signal, it identifies the regional mesh in which the vehicle that sent the assistance information request signal is traveling based on the current position data included in the signal, and returns intersection assistance information related to the regional mesh to the vehicle that sent the assistance information request signal. The intersection assistance information includes, for example, data on whether the regional mesh corresponds to the first area or the second area, position data of specific intersections within the regional mesh, and data on the type of collision accidents that have most frequently occurred in the past within the regional mesh (for example, whether it is a collision with a pedestrian, a collision with a bicycle, a collision with a vehicle, etc.).

[0066] In step S14, the control device 60 of the vehicle 100 performs intersection assistance based on the received intersection assistance information. For example, when the control device 60 determines that the vehicle is traveling on a road heading toward a specific intersection based on the intersection assistance information and the current position data, the control device 60 can perform notification control to alert the driver via the HMI 30 as intersection assistance. Furthermore, when the traveling speed of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed, the control device 60 can control the brake actuator 42 to perform brake assist or automatic braking.

[0067] FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating an example of notification control performed as intersection assistance.

[0068] In step S21, the control device 60 of the vehicle 100 determines whether the vehicle is traveling in the first area or the second area based on the intersection assistance information and the current position data. If the vehicle is traveling in the first area, the control device 60 proceeds to the processing of step S22. On the other hand, if the vehicle is traveling in the second area, the control device 60 proceeds to the processing of step S26.

[0069] In step S22, the control device 60 of the vehicle 100 performs first notification control. In the first notification control, the driver is notified via the HMI 30 that the host vehicle is traveling in a first area, i.e., an area where the number of collision accidents is relatively high, and the type of collision accident that has occurred most frequently in the past in the first area where the host vehicle is traveling. (A) of Fig. 9 is an example of a notification by the first notification control. In the example shown in Fig. 9, whether the vehicle is traveling in the first area or the second area is indicated by a difference in background color (light dots and dark dots), and the type of collision accident is displayed by a pictogram, but this is not limited to this example. In (A) of Fig. 9, a pictogram is displayed indicating that there are many collision accidents involving pedestrians.

[0070] In step S23, the control device 60 of the vehicle 100 identifies the nearest specific intersection that is within a predetermined range from the vehicle based on the intersection assistance information and the current position data, and determines whether the vehicle is traveling toward the nearest specific intersection, i.e., whether the vehicle is approaching the specific intersection. If the vehicle is approaching the specific intersection, the control device 60 proceeds to processing in step S24. On the other hand, if the vehicle is not approaching the specific intersection, the control device 60 ends the current processing.

[0071] In step S24, the control device 60 of the vehicle 100 performs processing to estimate the type of collision accident (for example, a collision accident with a pedestrian, a collision accident with a bicycle, a collision accident with a vehicle, etc.) that is likely to occur at the nearest specific intersection in the first area identified in step S23, i.e., the specific intersection being approached. Details of this estimation processing will be described with reference to FIG. 8.

[0072] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an example of an estimation process for estimating the type of collision accident that is likely to occur at a specific intersection that the vehicle is approaching.

[0073] In step S241, the control device 60 of the vehicle 100 determines whether it has acquired information about the presence and type of moving objects, such as pedestrians, bicycles, and vehicles, approaching the specific intersection that the vehicle is approaching. The presence and type of moving objects approaching the specific intersection can be acquired, for example, through road-to-vehicle communication with infrastructure equipment having a camera or the like installed at the specific intersection, or through vehicle-to-vehicle communication or pedestrian-to-vehicle communication with vehicles, pedestrians, and bicycle drivers approaching the specific intersection. If the control device 60 has acquired information about the presence and type of moving objects approaching the specific intersection that the vehicle is approaching, it proceeds to processing in step S242. On the other hand, if the control device 60 has not acquired information about the presence and type of moving objects approaching the specific intersection that the vehicle is approaching, it proceeds to processing in step S243.

[0074] In step S242, the control device 60 of the vehicle 100 compares the type of moving object approaching the specific intersection that the vehicle is approaching with the type of moving object that has most frequently caused collisions in the first area (regional mesh) in which the vehicle is traveling, and determines that a collision with a moving object that is most difficult to avoid is the type of collision that is most likely to occur at the specific intersection that the vehicle is approaching. In this embodiment, collision types are classified into three types: collisions with pedestrians, collisions with bicycles, and collisions with vehicles. It is considered that collision avoidance becomes more difficult as the moving object travels faster. In other words, the difficulty of collision avoidance is lowest for pedestrians, followed by bicycles and then vehicles. Therefore, for example, if the type of moving object approaching the specific intersection that the vehicle is approaching is a pedestrian, and the type of moving object that has most frequently caused collisions in the first area in which the vehicle is traveling is a vehicle, a collision with a vehicle is determined to be the type of collision that is most likely to occur at the nearest specific intersection.

[0075] In step S243, the control device 60 of the vehicle 100 classifies the collision accident with a moving object that has caused the most collision accidents in the past within the first area (regional mesh) in which the vehicle is traveling as the type of collision accident that is most likely to occur at the specific intersection that the vehicle is approaching.

[0076] Returning to FIG. 7, in step S25, the control device 60 of the vehicle 100 performs second notification control. In the second notification control, the driver is notified via the HMI 30 that the vehicle is traveling in a first area, i.e., an area with a relatively high number of collision accidents, the type of collision that is likely to occur at the specific intersection the vehicle is approaching, and that the vehicle is approaching the specific intersection. (B) of FIG. 9 is an example of a notification by the second notification control. In (B) of FIG. 9, a pictogram indicating that there are many bicycle-to-bicycle collisions is displayed, and a triangular arrow in front of the vehicle indicates that the vehicle is approaching the specific intersection.

[0077] In step S26, the control device 60 of the vehicle 100 determines whether the vehicle is approaching a specific intersection, similar to the process in step S23. If the vehicle is approaching a specific intersection, the control device 60 proceeds to the process in step S27. On the other hand, if the vehicle is not approaching a specific intersection, the control device 60 ends the process.

[0078] In step S27, the control device 60 of the vehicle 100 performs the same processing as in step S24 to estimate the type of collision accident that is likely to occur at the specific intersection that the vehicle is approaching in the second area.

[0079] In step S28, the control device 60 of the vehicle 100 performs third notification control. In the third notification control, the driver is notified via the HMI 30 that the host vehicle is traveling in the second area, i.e., an area with a relatively low number of collision accidents, the type of collision accident that is likely to occur at the specific intersection the host vehicle is approaching, and that the vehicle is approaching the specific intersection, as shown in (C) of FIG. 9 . (C) of FIG. 9 is an example of a notification example based on the third notification control. In the example shown in (C) of FIG. 9 , the host vehicle is traveling in the second area, so the background color is different from the background color in (A) and (B) of FIG. 9 .

[0080] The driving assistance server 200 according to the present embodiment described above includes a server communication unit 210 (communication unit) configured to be able to communicate with a plurality of vehicles 100, a server storage unit 220 (storage unit) that stores information, and a server processing unit 230 (processing unit). The server processing unit 230 is configured to generate an accident occurrence distribution of a survey area on a map based on predetermined vehicle information collected from the plurality of vehicles 100 and stored in the server storage unit 220, divide the survey area into a first area in which the number of accidents in the survey area is relatively high and a second area in which the number of accidents in the survey area is relatively low based on the accident occurrence distribution, extract intersections in the first area where there are few unsafe behaviors by vehicles 100 as excluded intersections based on the vehicle information, set intersections in the first area other than the excluded intersections as specific intersections for the first area, extract intersections where there are many unsafe behaviors by vehicles 100 based on the vehicle information, and set the extracted intersections as specific intersections for the second area. The specific intersection is an intersection where predetermined driving assistance is to be provided to the vehicle 100.

[0081] This makes it possible to prevent unnecessary implementation of driving assistance at intersections with a low accident risk and little unsafe behavior by the vehicle 100 in the first area, which has a relatively high number of accidents among the survey areas. On the other hand, in the second area, which has a relatively low number of collision accidents among the survey areas, driving assistance can be implemented only at intersections with a high accident risk and lots of unsafe behavior by the vehicle 100, i.e., intersections where the accident reduction effect (assistance effect) of driving assistance is high.

[0082] Specifically, the driving assistance server 200 according to this embodiment collects vehicle information from the vehicle 100 via the server communication unit 210, including first data that can be used to determine whether a collision accident has occurred in the vehicle 100 and second data that can be used to determine whether a collision avoidance operation has been performed to avoid a collision in the vehicle 100. The server processing unit 230 is configured to generate an accident occurrence distribution based on the first data, and to extract, based on the second data, intersections in the first area with few unsafe behaviors by the vehicle 100 as excluded intersections, and to extract intersections in the second area with many unsafe behaviors by the vehicle 100.

[0083] In addition, the vehicle 100 of the driving assistance system 1 according to this embodiment is configured to receive information on the first area, the second area, and the specific intersection transmitted from the driving assistance server 200 via the server communication unit 210, and when traveling in the first area, notify the vehicle occupants in the vehicle that they are traveling in the first area and the type of collision accident that occurs most frequently in the first area in which the vehicle 100 is traveling; when traveling in the first area and traveling toward a specific intersection in the first area that is within a predetermined range from the vehicle 100, notify the vehicle occupants in the vehicle that they are traveling in the first area, the type of collision accident that is likely to occur at the specific intersection in the first area, and that they are approaching the specific intersection in the first area; and when traveling in the second area, when traveling toward a specific intersection in the second area that is within a predetermined range from the vehicle 100, notify the vehicle occupants in the vehicle that they are traveling in the second area, the type of collision accident that is likely to occur at the specific intersection in the second area, and that they are approaching the specific intersection in the second area.

[0084] As a result, in the first area where the number of accidents is relatively high among the survey areas, the vehicle occupants can be constantly notified that they are traveling through the first area and of the types of accidents that are likely to occur in the first area, and can also be notified of the approaching specific intersection when approaching the specific intersection. Therefore, when traveling through the first area, a warning is always given, and when approaching the specific intersection, a warning is further given to increase the attention of the vehicle occupants, so that the driver can be encouraged to drive safely when passing through intersections.

[0085] Furthermore, in the second area where the number of accidents occurring is relatively low among the survey areas, notifications regarding intersection assistance can be limited to when the vehicle is approaching a specific intersection, which can prevent vehicle occupants from feeling annoyed by frequent notifications regarding intersection assistance. Furthermore, if notifications regarding intersection assistance are given frequently, vehicle occupants are likely to lose their attention to the notifications, but by limiting notifications regarding intersection assistance to when the vehicle is approaching a specific intersection, it can prevent vehicle occupants from losing their attention to the notifications.

[0086] More specifically, the vehicle 100 of the driving assistance system 1 according to this embodiment is configured to compare the type of moving object approaching the specific intersection that the vehicle 100 is approaching with the type of moving object that most frequently causes collision accidents in the first area in which the vehicle 100 is traveling, and to use the type of moving object with the higher degree of difficulty in collision avoidance set for each type of moving object as the type of collision accident that is most likely to occur at the specific intersection in the first area, and to compare the type of moving object approaching the specific intersection that the vehicle 100 is approaching with the type of moving object with the higher degree of difficulty in collision avoidance set for each type of moving object as the type of collision accident that is most likely to occur at the specific intersection in the second area in which the vehicle 100 is traveling.

[0087] Furthermore, the control device 60 (notification control device) of the vehicle 100 according to this embodiment determines whether the vehicle 100 is traveling in a first area within a predetermined survey area on a map where the number of accidents is relatively high, or whether the vehicle is traveling in a second area within the survey area where the number of accidents is relatively low, and if the vehicle is traveling in the first area, notifies the vehicle that it is traveling in the first area and the type of collision accident that occurs most frequently within the first area in which the vehicle 100 is traveling, and if the vehicle is traveling in the first area, notifies the vehicle that it is traveling toward a specific intersection within the first area that is located within a predetermined range from the vehicle. When the vehicle is traveling in a first area, the notification is sent to the driver of the vehicle regarding the type of collision accident that is likely to occur at a specific intersection in the first area (an intersection where the vehicle is to be provided with predetermined driving assistance), and the fact that the vehicle is approaching the specific intersection in the first area; when the vehicle is traveling in a second area, the notification is sent to the driver of the vehicle regarding the type of collision accident that is likely to occur at a specific intersection in the second area that is within a predetermined range from the vehicle 100, and the fact that the vehicle is approaching the specific intersection in the second area.

[0088] Although the embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the above embodiments merely illustrate some of the application examples of the present invention, and it is not intended that the technical scope of the present invention be limited to the specific configurations of the above embodiments.

[0089] For example, when performing intersection assistance, the control timing and the control amount may be changed depending on the type of collision accident that is likely to occur at a specific intersection that the host vehicle is approaching. For example, when performing notification control as intersection assistance, the timing of the notification can be made earlier and the control amount of the notification sound, etc. can be increased as the type of collision becomes more difficult to avoid. Furthermore, when controlling the brake actuator 42 to perform brake assist or automatic braking as intersection assistance, the control timing of the brake actuator 42 can be made earlier and the control amount can be increased as the type of collision becomes more difficult to avoid.

[0090] 6 has been described using an example in which the driving assistance server 200 passively transmits intersection assistance information to the vehicle 100 when requested by the vehicle 100, but this is not limiting, and the driving assistance server 200 may actively transmit intersection assistance information to vehicles 100 that have a high need for intersection assistance information. Also, for example, the driving assistance server 200 may transmit intersection assistance information to infrastructure equipment that is installed at each intersection and is capable of communicating with vehicles 100 around the intersections, so that the intersection assistance information is transmitted to vehicles 100 around a specific intersection via the infrastructure equipment installed at the specific intersection.

[0091] In addition, in the above embodiment, the computer program executed in the control device 60 or the driving assistance server 200 may be provided in a form recorded on a computer-readable portable recording medium such as a semiconductor memory, a magnetic recording medium, or an optical recording medium. [Explanation of symbols]

[0092] 1. Driving assistance systems 60 Control device 100 vehicles 200 Driving assistance server (server) 210 Server Communication Department (Communication Department) 220 Server memory unit (memory unit) 230 Server processing unit (processing unit)

Claims

1. a communication unit configured to be able to communicate with a plurality of vehicles; a storage unit that stores information; a processing unit; A driving assistance server comprising: The processing unit generating an accident occurrence distribution for a survey area on a map based on predetermined vehicle information collected from the vehicles and stored in the storage unit; Based on the accident occurrence distribution, the survey area is divided into a first area in which the number of accidents is relatively high within the survey area, and a second area in which the number of accidents is relatively low within the survey area; extracting, from the intersections in the first area based on the vehicle information, intersections where there is little unsafe behavior by the vehicle as excluded intersections, and setting intersections in the first area other than the excluded intersections as specific intersections of the first area; an intersection in which there is a high rate of unsafe behavior by the vehicle is extracted from the intersections in the second area based on the vehicle information, and the extracted intersection is set as the specific intersection in the second area; The specific intersection is an intersection where a predetermined driving assistance is to be performed in the vehicle. Driving assistance server.

2. collects, via the communication unit, vehicle information from the vehicle, the vehicle information including first data that can determine whether a collision accident has occurred in the vehicle and second data that can determine whether a collision avoidance operation has been performed in the vehicle; The processing unit generating the accident occurrence distribution based on the first data; based on the second data, extracting intersections in the first area where there is little unsafe behavior by the vehicle as excluded intersections, and extracting intersections in the second area where there is a lot of unsafe behavior by the vehicle. The driving assistance server according to claim 1 .

3. The driving assistance server according to claim 1 or 2; A plurality of the vehicles; A driving assistance system comprising: The vehicle is receiving information about the first area, the second area, and the specific intersection transmitted from the driving assistance server via the communication unit; When the vehicle is traveling in the first area, notify a vehicle occupant in the vehicle of the fact that the vehicle is traveling in the first area and the type of collision accident that most frequently occurs in the first area in which the vehicle is traveling; When the vehicle is traveling in the first area and traveling toward the specific intersection in the first area that is located within a predetermined range from the vehicle, a vehicle occupant in the vehicle is notified that the vehicle is traveling in the first area, a type of collision accident that is likely to occur at the specific intersection in the first area, and that the vehicle is approaching the specific intersection in the first area, When the vehicle is traveling in the second area, and the vehicle is traveling toward the specific intersection in the second area that is within a predetermined range from the vehicle, the vehicle is configured to notify a vehicle occupant in the vehicle of the fact that the vehicle is traveling in the second area, the type of collision accident that is likely to occur at the specific intersection in the second area, and the fact that the vehicle is approaching the specific intersection in the second area. Driver assistance system.

4. The vehicle is comparing a type of moving object approaching the specific intersection where the vehicle is approaching with a type of moving object that most frequently causes collision accidents within the first area where the vehicle is traveling, and determining the type of moving object with a higher degree of difficulty in collision avoidance set for each type of moving object as the type of collision accident that is likely to occur at the specific intersection within the first area; The system is configured to compare the type of moving object approaching the specific intersection that the vehicle is approaching with the type of moving object that most frequently causes collision accidents in the second area in which the vehicle is traveling, and to classify the type of moving object that has a higher degree of difficulty in collision avoidance set for each type of moving object as the type of collision accident that is likely to occur at the specific intersection in the second area. The driving assistance system according to claim 3 .

5. A notification control device that notifies a vehicle occupant, determining whether the vehicle is traveling in a first area within a predetermined survey area on a map where the number of accidents is relatively high, or in a second area within the survey area where the number of accidents is relatively low; If the vehicle is traveling in the first area, notify the vehicle that it is traveling in the first area and the type of collision accident that most frequently occurs in the first area in which the vehicle is traveling; When the vehicle is traveling in the first area and traveling toward a specific intersection in the first area that is within a predetermined range from the vehicle, a notification is given that the vehicle is traveling in the first area, a type of collision accident that is likely to occur at the specific intersection in the first area, and that the vehicle is approaching the specific intersection in the first area, When the vehicle is traveling in the second area, when the vehicle is traveling toward the specific intersection in the second area that is within a predetermined range from the vehicle, the vehicle is configured to notify the vehicle that it is traveling in the second area, the type of collision accident that is likely to occur at the specific intersection in the second area, and the vehicle is approaching the specific intersection in the second area, The specific intersection is an intersection where a predetermined driving assistance is to be performed in the vehicle. Notification control device.

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