Driving assistance device and driving assistance method

Abstract

The purpose of the present invention is to provide a technology capable of appropriately controlling a light device that irradiates a road from a vehicle. An acquisition unit acquires location information for the vehicle, travel lane information indicating the travel lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and road information. When the control unit has determined, on the basis of the location information, the travel lane information, and the road information, that there is a branch road directly connected to the travel lane and the vehicle is traveling in a first irradiation section satisfying a predetermined locational relationship with regard to the branching point of the travel lane and the branch road, the control unit controls the light device to cause the same to irradiate the branch road according to a first irradiation mode.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a driving assistance device and a driving assistance method. [Background technology]

[0002] A technology has been proposed that swivels the headlights to direct the headlights toward the branch road when the lane in which the vehicle is traveling is connected to the branch road, and does not perform the control when the lane in which the vehicle is traveling is not connected to the branch road (for example, Patent Document 1). With such a technology, the driver can easily recognize the existence of the branch road. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2010-105580 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the above technology, in order to swivel the vehicle so that the branch road is illuminated at a point far from the branch point, the swivel angle needs to be small. However, if the swivel angle is small, the driver may not notice the swivel of the headlights and may not be able to recognize the existence of the branch road. In addition, if the swivel angle is small, the driver may not be able to understand the shape of the branch road because the part of the branch road behind the branch point cannot be illuminated.

[0005] On the other hand, in order to swivel the vehicle close to the branch point so as to illuminate a wide area of ​​the branch road, it is necessary to increase the swivel angle. However, if the swivel angle is increased, there is a problem that even if the headlights can illuminate the branch road, they cannot illuminate the road ahead of the vehicle.

[0006] Therefore, the present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and has an object to provide a technology capable of appropriately controlling lighting devices that illuminate the road from a vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A driving assistance device according to the present disclosure is a driving assistance device that controls a lighting device that illuminates a road from a vehicle, and includes an acquisition unit that acquires vehicle position information, driving lane information indicating a driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and road information, and a control unit that controls the lighting device to illuminate the branch road in a first illumination mode when it is determined, based on the position information, the driving lane information, and the road information, that the driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling is a lane that is directly connected to a branch road among a road having multiple lanes on one side, and that the vehicle is traveling in a first illumination section that satisfies a predetermined positional relationship with respect to a branch point between the driving lane and the branch road. When it is determined based on the position information, the driving lane information, and the road information that an indirect branch road exists, which is a branch road indirectly connected to the driving lane, and the vehicle is traveling in a third illumination section that satisfies a predetermined positional relationship with respect to an indirect branch point between the driving lane and the indirect branch road, the control unit controls the lighting device to illuminate the indirect branch road in a third illumination mode different from the first illumination mode. . Effect of the Invention

[0008] According to the present disclosure, when it is determined that there is a branch road directly connected to the driving lane and the vehicle is traveling in the first illumination section, the lighting device is controlled to illuminate the branch road in the first illumination mode. With this configuration, it is possible to appropriately control the lighting device that illuminates the road from the vehicle.

[0009] The objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a driving assistance device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a driving assistance device according to a second embodiment. [Diagram 3] 7 is a flowchart showing the operation of the driving assistance device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 4]FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the driving support device according to the second embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the driving support device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the driving support device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the driving support device according to the third modification of the second embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the driving support device according to the third modification of the second embodiment. [Figure 9] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the driving support device according to the third modification of the second embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the driving support device according to the third modification of the second embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the driving support device according to the third modification of the second embodiment. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a driving assistance device according to a sixth modification of the second embodiment. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a driving assistance device according to a sixth modification of the second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a driving assistance device according to a sixth modification of the second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a driving assistance device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a driving assistance device according to a second modification of the third embodiment. [Figure 17] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the driving assistance device according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the driving support device according to the first modification of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the driving support device according to the first modification of the fourth embodiment. [Figure 20] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the driving support device according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 21] 13 is a flowchart showing the operation of the driving assistance device according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 22] FIG. 23 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the driving support device according to the fourth modification of the fifth embodiment. [Diagram 23] FIG. 23 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the driving support device according to the seventh modification of the fifth embodiment. [Figure 24] FIG. 23 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the driving support device according to the seventh modification of the fifth embodiment. [Diagram 25] FIG. 23 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a driving support device according to Modification 8 of the fifth embodiment. [Figure 26] FIG. 23 is a diagram for explaining the operation of a driving support device according to Modification 8 of the fifth embodiment. [Figure 27] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a driving assistance device according to another modified example. [Figure 28] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of a driving assistance device according to another modified example. [Figure 29] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a server according to another modified example. [Diagram 30] FIG. 13 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a communication terminal according to another modified example. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] <Embodiment 1> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a driving assistance device 1 according to the first embodiment. The driving assistance device 1 in FIG. 1 includes an acquisition unit 11 and a control unit 12, and controls a lighting device 3 that illuminates a road from a vehicle. The lighting device 3 may include a headlight of the vehicle, a sub-light of the vehicle, or both. The sub-light is a secondary lighting device that performs auxiliary illumination such as a small lamp and a fog lamp. The road may include only one lane, or may include multiple lanes.

[0012] The acquisition unit 11 acquires vehicle position information. For this function of the acquisition unit 11, a device that detects vehicle position information based on signals from an artificial satellite such as a GPS (Global Positioning System) may be used, an image processing device that recognizes vehicle position information based on images of the surroundings of the vehicle may be used, or an interface of these devices may be used.

[0013] The acquisition unit 11 acquires driving lane information indicating the driving lane the vehicle is driving in. For this function of the acquisition unit 11, for example, a high-precision locator device using a high-precision map may be used, or an image processing device that recognizes the position information of the vehicle based on an image of the surroundings of the vehicle may be used, or an interface of these devices may be used.

[0014] The acquisition unit 11 acquires road information. The road information includes information indicating the connection relationship between roads. The function of the acquisition unit 11 to acquire road information may use an interface that acquires road information from a storage device of the vehicle, or may use a communication device that receives road information from a server outside the vehicle, or may use an interface of the communication device. The control unit 12 judges whether there is a branch road directly connected to the driving lane and whether the vehicle is traveling in the first illumination section, based on the position information, driving lane information, and road information acquired by the acquisition unit 11. An example of the judgment will be described below.

[0015] First, the control unit 12 determines whether or not there is a branch road directly connected to the driving lane the vehicle is traveling in, based on the driving lane information and road information. A branch road directly connected to the driving lane is a branch road that has no other lanes between it and the driving lane.

[0016] When it is determined that there is a branch road directly connected to the driving lane, the control unit 12 determines whether the vehicle is traveling in the first illumination section based on the branch road and the position information. The first illumination section is a section that satisfies a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the branch point between the driving lane and the branch road. The predetermined positional relationship may be, for example, a road between the branch point and a point that is a predetermined distance away from the branch point toward the vehicle, or may be another positional relationship.

[0017] If the above judgment result indicates that there is a branch road directly connected to the driving lane and that the vehicle is traveling in the first illumination section, the control unit 12 controls the lighting device 3 to illuminate the branch road in the first illumination mode.

[0018] <Summary of the first embodiment> According to the driving assistance device 1 of the first embodiment as described above, when it is determined that there is a branch road directly connected to the driving lane and the vehicle is traveling in the first illumination section, the lighting device 3 is controlled to illuminate the branch road in the first illumination mode. With this configuration, it is possible to control the lighting device 3 to illuminate the branch road in a section where the vehicle is an appropriate distance away from the branch point, so that an appropriate angle can be used as the swivel angle of the lighting device 3. As a result, it is possible to appropriately balance between illuminating the driving lane ahead of the vehicle and illuminating a wide range of the branch road, so that the lighting device 3 can be appropriately controlled.

[0019] <Embodiment 2> 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the driving support device 1 according to the present embodiment 2. In the following, among the components according to the present embodiment 2, components that are the same as or similar to the components described above are given the same or similar reference numerals, and different components will be mainly described.

[0020] 2 is included in a vehicle system 4. The vehicle system 4 includes not only the driving assistance device 1, but also a high accuracy locator device 2 and a lighting device 3.

[0021] The high-precision locator device 2 includes a high-precision map database (DB) 21 and a high-precision positioning unit 22. The high-precision map DB 21 stores road information for each lane. The road information may include not only the connection relationship between the roads and lanes, but also the planar shape, gradient, and type of the roads and lanes, and may also include the angle between the lane and the road at the connection point. The high-precision positioning unit 22 detects vehicle position information for each lane and vehicle driving lane information for each lane based on the road information stored in the high-precision map DB 21 and a signal from an artificial satellite such as a GPS.

[0022] The lighting device 3 is similar to the lighting device 3 described in the first embodiment, and includes a headlight 31 and a sublight 32. In the second embodiment, the sublight 32 is capable of freely changing the direction and width of its illumination range. The direction and width of the illumination range of the sublight 32 can be controlled, for example, by controlling the illumination direction of the light source of the sublight 32 relative to the reflector of the sublight 32. The sublight 32 may be capable of illuminating at least one of characters, figures, and symbols onto the road.

[0023] The driving assistance device 1 includes a road information acquisition unit 11a, a vehicle position acquisition unit 11b, and an illumination control unit 12a. The road information acquisition unit 11a and the vehicle position acquisition unit 11b are included in the concept of the acquisition unit 11 in FIG. 1, and the illumination control unit 12a is included in the concept of the control unit 12 in FIG. 1.

[0024] The road information acquisition unit 11a acquires road information from the high accuracy map DB 21 of the high accuracy locator device 2. The vehicle position acquisition unit 11b acquires position information and driving lane information from the high accuracy positioning unit 22 of the high accuracy locator device 2.

[0025] The illumination control unit 12a has the same function as the control unit 12 in the embodiment 1. The illumination control unit 12a determines whether there is a branch road directly connected to the traveling lane and whether the vehicle is traveling in the first illumination section, based on the position information and the traveling lane information acquired by the vehicle position acquisition unit 11b and the road information acquired by the road information acquisition unit 11a.

[0026] The first illumination section is, for example, a driving lane between a branch point of the driving lane and a branch road and a point that is a predetermined distance (for example, 100 m) away from the branch point toward the vehicle. The first illumination section may be changed depending on the shape of the driving lane, the shape of the branch road, the vehicle's traveling speed, and the like. For example, when the road curvature of the driving lane is large, it is difficult to see ahead of the vehicle, so the first illumination section may be changed so that the predetermined distance of the first illumination section is greater than 100 m. Also, for example, the first illumination section may be changed so that the higher the vehicle's traveling speed becomes, the greater the predetermined distance of the first illumination section becomes, that is, so that the first illumination mode is irradiated at an earlier stage.

[0027] If the above judgment result indicates that there is a branch road directly connected to the driving lane and that the vehicle is traveling in the first illumination section, the illumination control unit 12a controls the sub-light 32 to illuminate the branch road in the first illumination mode.

[0028] <Operation> Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the driving support device 1 according to the embodiment 2. The operation in Fig. 3 is performed whenever necessary while the vehicle is traveling.

[0029] First, in step S1, the illumination control unit 12a judges whether the headlights 31 are turned on and illuminating. The illumination of the headlights 31 may be a high beam that illuminates a road, for example, 100 m ahead of the vehicle, or a low beam that illuminates a road, for example, 40 m ahead of the vehicle. In the following, the illumination of the headlights 31 will be described as being a high beam. If it is judged that the headlights 31 are illuminating, the process proceeds to step S2, and if it is not judged that the headlights 31 are illuminating, the process of step S1 is performed again.

[0030] In step S2, the vehicle position acquisition unit 11b acquires the position information and the driving lane information from the high-accuracy positioning unit 22 of the high-accuracy locator device 2.

[0031] In step S3, the road information acquisition unit 11a acquires road information from the high accuracy map DB 21 of the high accuracy locator device 2. Note that the road information acquisition unit 11a may acquire only road information around the vehicle from the high accuracy map DB 21.

[0032] In step S4, the illumination control unit 12a judges whether or not there is a branch road directly connected to the driving lane based on the driving lane information and the road information. If it is judged that there is a branch road, the process proceeds to step S5, and if it is not judged that there is a branch road, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0033] In step S5, the illumination control unit 12a judges whether or not the vehicle is traveling in the first illumination section based on the branch road judged in step S4 and the position information. If it is judged that the vehicle is traveling in the first illumination section, the process proceeds to step S6, and if it is not judged that the vehicle is traveling in the first illumination section, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0034] In step S6, the illumination control unit 12a turns on the sub-light 32 and controls the sub-light 32 to illuminate the branch road in the first illumination mode. Illumination of the headlight 31 is maintained unless the driver performs an operation to turn off the headlight 31. Then, the process proceeds to step S8.

[0035] In step S7, the illumination control unit 12a stops illumination in the first illumination mode by the sub-light 32. Illumination by the headlight 31 is maintained unless the driver performs an operation to turn off the headlight 31. Then, the process proceeds to step S8.

[0036] In step S8, the illumination control unit 12a judges whether or not the headlights 31 are turned off. If it is judged that the headlights 31 are turned off, the operation in Fig. 3 ends, and if it is not judged that the headlights 31 are turned off, the process returns to step S2.

[0037] 4 to 6 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the driving support device 1 according to the second embodiment. The road 52 includes a left lane 52a and a right lane 52b. The left lane 52a is directly connected to a branching road 53. On the other hand, the right lane 52b is not directly connected to the branching road 53, but is indirectly connected to the branching road 53.

[0038] In Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, the vehicle 51 is traveling in a left lane 52a directly connected to a branch road 53, and the vehicle 51 is traveling in a location within 100 m of a branch point Q1 between the left lane 52a and the branch road 53, that is, in a first illumination section. In this case, the processes of steps S4, S5, and S6 in Fig. 3 are performed, so that the headlight 31 illuminates an illumination range 31a including the lane ahead of the vehicle 51, and the sub-light 32 illuminates an illumination range 32a including a point Q2 on the branch road 53. The point Q2 is a point a predetermined distance (for example, 10 m) away from the branch point Q1. The illumination control unit 12a according to the second embodiment controls the first illumination mode of the sub-light 32 based on the planar shape of the branch road 53 included in the road information so that the point Q2 is included in the illumination range 32a.

[0039] The illumination control unit 12a may control the first illumination mode of the sublight 32 based on the distance between the position of the vehicle 51 and the branch point Q1. For example, as shown in FIG. 4 and FIG. 5, the illumination control unit 12a may control the direction of the illumination range 32a of the sublight 32 so that the illumination range 32a of the sublight 32 approaches the left direction of the vehicle 51 as the distance between the position of the vehicle 51 and the branch point Q1 decreases. The illumination control unit 12a may also control the width of the illumination range 32a of the sublight 32 so that the width of the illumination range of the sublight 32 increases as the distance between the position of the vehicle 51 and the branch point Q1 decreases. The illumination control unit 12a may also control the illumination of the sublight 32 so that the time interval for controlling the illumination range 32a of the sublight 32 decreases as the distance between the position of the vehicle 51 and the branch point Q1 decreases.

[0040] When the vehicle 51 passes the branch point Q1, the vehicle 51 stops traveling in the first illumination section, and the processing of steps S4, S5, and S7 in FIG. 3 is performed, so that the headlight 31 illuminates the illumination range 31a but the sublight 32 does not illuminate.

[0041] In Fig. 6, the branch road 53 is indirectly connected to the driving lane, because a left lane 52a other than the driving lane exists between the right lane 52b, which is the driving lane of the vehicle 51, and the branch road 53. In this case, the processing of steps S4 and S7 in Fig. 3 is performed, so that the headlight 31 illuminates the illumination range 31a, but the sub-light 32 does not illuminate. Note that, if the vehicle 51 changes lanes from the right lane 52b to the left lane 52a from the state in Fig. 6, the processing of steps S4, S5, and S6 in Fig. 3 is performed, so that the headlight 31 illuminates the illumination range 31a, and the sub-light 32 illuminates the illumination range 32a.

[0042] In the above, the road 52 includes two lanes (the left lane 52a and the right lane 52b), and the left lane 52a is directly connected to the branch road. Even if the road includes three or more lanes, or the right lane is directly connected to the branch road, the sub-light 32 performs illumination in the first illumination mode when the lane on which the vehicle 51 is traveling is directly connected to the branch road, as in the above example.

[0043] <Summary of the second embodiment> According to the driving assistance device 1 of the present embodiment 2 as described above, it is possible to appropriately control the lighting device 3 in the same manner as in embodiment 1. Furthermore, in the present embodiment 2, since the lighting device 3 includes the headlight 31 and the sub-light 32, it is possible to illuminate the branching road with the sub-light 32 while illuminating the driving lane ahead of the vehicle with the headlight 31.

[0044] In the second embodiment, when a branch road directly connected to the driving lane exists and it is not determined that the vehicle is traveling in the first illumination section, illumination of the first illumination mode of the sub-light 32 is stopped. Since the visual difference for the driver between a state in which the sub-light 32 is illuminating and a state in which the sub-light 32 is not illuminating is relatively large, according to the above configuration, the driver can easily recognize the existence of the branch road when the sub-light 32 is illuminating.

[0045] <First Modification of the Second Embodiment> In the second embodiment, the lighting device 3 includes a headlight 31 that illuminates the area ahead of the vehicle and a sub-light 32 that provides auxiliary illumination to the branching road, but is not limited to this. For example, the lighting device 3 may be a single light that has both a function of forward illumination and a function of auxiliary illumination. The sub-light 32 may also include a left light that illuminates the left front of the vehicle and a right light that illuminates the right front of the vehicle.

[0046] <Modification 2 of the second embodiment> In the second embodiment, one branch road exists in the first illumination section. When multiple branch roads exist in the first illumination section, the illumination control unit 12a may cause the sub-light 32 to illuminate the multiple branch roads simultaneously. When the sub-light 32 does not have a function of illuminating multiple branch roads simultaneously, the illumination control unit 12a may cause the sub-light 32 to illuminate the branch roads in order from the branch road closest to the vehicle.

[0047] <Modification 3 of the Second Embodiment> In the second embodiment, the illumination control unit 12a controls the first illumination mode of the sub-light 32 based on the planar shape of the branch road so that the sub-light 32 illuminates the point Q2 of the branch road, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the illumination control unit 12a may calculate an angle between the driving lane and the branch road at the branch point based on road information, and control the first illumination mode of the sub-light 32 based on the calculated angle.

[0048] In the case of Figs. 7 to 10, the illumination control unit 12a obtains an angle θ1 between the left lane 52a, which is the driving lane, and the branch road 53 at the branch point Q1 based on map information. Then, the illumination control unit 12a controls the major axis of the illumination range 32a of the sub-light 32 to face a direction rotated left by the angle θ1 from the front of the vehicle 51 at the branch point Q1. Note that, for example, by the technology of JP2016-30515A, the illumination control unit 12a controls the sub-light 32 to spot illuminate the illumination range 32 that matches the shape of the branch road 53 even if the vehicle 51 is not located near the branch point Q1. In Figs. 7 to 9, the branch road 53 has a substantially straight shape, so the illumination range 32 of the sub-light 32 has a substantially straight shape, and in Fig. 10, the branch road 53 has a curved shape, so the illumination range 32 of the sub-light 32 has a substantially curved shape.

[0049] In the case of Figure 11, the illumination control unit 12a controls the long axis of the illumination range 32a of the sub-light 32 to be rotated left by the angle θ2 at the branch point Q1 from the front of the vehicle 51, based on the angle θ2 that the left lane 52a, which is the driving lane, makes with the branch road 53 at the branch point Q1.

[0050] <Fourth Modification of the Second Embodiment> In the second embodiment, the headlights 31 illuminate the area in front of the vehicle in a straight line, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the illumination control unit 12a may control the illumination mode of the headlights 31 based on the planar shape of the travel lane, and control the first illumination mode of the sub-lights 32 based on the planar shape of the branch road.

[0051] As the illumination mode of the headlights 31, the illumination control unit 12a may control the direction and shape of the illumination range of the headlights 31 based on the planar shape of the driving lane. For example, when the driving lane is a lane that curves to the right (or left), the illumination control unit 12a may control the illumination range of the headlights 31 so that the shape of the illumination range of the headlights 31 corresponds to the shape of the curve of the driving lane. Also, for example, when the road information indicates the gradient of the driving lane, that is, the inclination of the driving lane, the illumination control unit 12a may control the up-down direction of the illumination of the headlights 31. According to such a fourth modification, the driving lane can be appropriately illuminated by the headlights 31.

[0052] <Fifth Modification of the Second Embodiment> In the second embodiment, the gradient of the travel lane and the gradient of the branch road are described as being the same, but in reality, these gradients often differ from each other. Therefore, the illumination control unit 12a may read the gradient of the travel lane and the gradient of the branch road from the road information, and control the up and down direction of illumination of the sub-light 32 based on the difference between these gradients, thereby controlling the first illumination mode of the sub-light 32. According to the fifth modification, the sub-light 32 can illuminate the branch road up to an appropriate distance.

[0053] In addition, when the road information indicates that the difference between the gradient of the driving lane and the gradient of the branch road is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the first illumination mode of the sub-light 32 may include illumination of at least one of a letter, a figure, and a symbol indicating the difference.

[0054] <Sixth Modification of the Second Preferred Embodiment> The driving assistance device 1 may include a route information acquisition unit (not shown) included in the concept of the acquisition unit 11, similar to the road information acquisition unit 11a and the vehicle position acquisition unit 11b in Fig. 2. The route information acquisition unit acquires driving route information indicating a route along which the vehicle should travel. The route along which the vehicle should travel is, for example, a route searched for by a navigation system.

[0055] The illumination control unit 12a may control the first illumination mode of the sub-light 32 based on whether or not the route of the driving route information acquired by the route information acquisition unit proceeds to a branch road. In other words, the illumination control unit 12a may control the first illumination mode of the sub-light 32 based on whether or not the vehicle should proceed to a branch road.

[0056] 12 to 14 are diagrams for explaining the operation of the driving support device 1 according to the sixth modification.

[0057] Fig. 12 is a diagram showing a case where the route in the travel route information proceeds to the branch road, that is, the vehicle 51 should proceed to the branch road 53. Figs. 13 and 14 are diagrams showing a case where the route in the travel route information does not proceed to the branch road, that is, the vehicle 51 should not proceed to the branch road 53.

[0058] 12 includes a portion slightly further inward from the connection to the branching road 53, whereas the illumination range 32a of the sub-light 32 in Fig. 13 and Fig. 14 includes only the connection to the branching road 53. According to this configuration, the illumination range 32a of the sub-light 32 in Fig. 12 is larger and more noticeable than the illumination range 32a of the sub-light 32 in Fig. 13 and Fig. 14, so that the driver can easily know whether or not to proceed to the branching road 53.

[0059] When the route in the driving route information does not proceed to the branch road, the sub-light 32 may spotlight an elliptical range as shown in Fig. 13, or may illuminate a normal shaped range as shown in Fig. 14. The first illumination mode of the sub-light 32 may include illumination encouraging driving in the driving lane, or may include illumination of at least one of letters, figures, and symbols encouraging driving on the branch road.

[0060] When the lane in which the vehicle 51 is traveling is the right lane 52b which is indirectly connected to the branch road 53 but not directly connected thereto, the headlight 31 illuminates the illumination range 31a but the sublight 32 does not illuminate the range, as in the second embodiment.

[0061] <Seventh Modification of the Second Embodiment> The first illumination section may be changed depending on whether the headlights 31 are high beam or low beam. For example, when the headlights 31 are high beam, the first illumination section may be a section of the driving lane within 100 m from the branch point. When the headlights 31 are low beam, the first illumination section may be a section of the driving lane within 40 m from the branch point.

[0062] <Embodiment 3> 15 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a driving assistance device 1 according to the present embodiment 3. In the following, among the components according to the present embodiment 3, components that are the same as or similar to the components described above are given the same or similar reference numerals, and different components will be mainly described.

[0063] The configuration of the driving assistance device 1 in FIG. 15 is the same as that of the driving assistance device 1 in FIG. 2, except that the high accuracy locator device 2 is replaced with an in-vehicle information system 6 and an image processing device 7.

[0064] The in-vehicle information system 6 includes a normal-accuracy map database (DB) 61 and a locator 62. The normal-accuracy map DB 61 stores road information for each road. The locator 62 detects vehicle position information for each road based on a signal from an artificial satellite such as a GPS. The locator 62 may perform map matching processing based on the detected position information and the road information in the normal-accuracy map DB 61. The normal-accuracy map DB 61 and the locator 62 may be a map DB and a locator dedicated to the driving assistance device 1, or may be a map DB and a locator shared with a navigation system.

[0065] The image processing device 7 recognizes driving lane information indicating the driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling, based on an image of the periphery of the vehicle (for example, an image in front of the vehicle).

[0066] The road information acquisition unit 11a acquires road information from the normal accuracy map DB 61. The vehicle position acquisition unit 11b acquires position information and driving lane information from the locator 62 and the image processing device 7, respectively. The illumination control unit 12a and the lighting device 3 are similar to the illumination control unit 12a and the lighting device 3 of the second embodiment.

[0067] <Summary of the Third Embodiment> According to the driving assistance device 1 according to the third embodiment as described above, since the inexpensive normal-accuracy map DB 61 and normal locator 62 are used, the cost of the driving assistance device 1 can be reduced.

[0068] <First Modification of Third Embodiment> The road information in the normal accuracy map DB 61 may include the number of lanes, and the image processing device 7 may recognize the driving lane information based on the image of the vehicle surroundings and the number of lanes. With this configuration, the accuracy of the driving lane information can be improved.

[0069] <Modification 2 of the third embodiment> In the third embodiment, the position information and road information can be acquired from the in-vehicle information system 6, but the present invention is not limited to this.

[0070] 16, for example, an image processing device 7 may recognize not only driving lane information but also position information and road information based on an image of the surroundings of the vehicle (for example, an image in front of the vehicle) without providing an in-vehicle information system 6. Then, the road information acquisition unit 11a may acquire road information from the image processing device 7, and the vehicle position acquisition unit 11b may acquire position information and driving lane information from the image processing device 7.

[0071] The image processing device 7 may include the functions of the road information acquisition unit 11a and the vehicle position acquisition unit 11b, and part of the functions of the illumination control unit 12a. For example, the image processing device 7 may determine whether or not a branch road directly connected to the driving lane exists based on the driving lane information and the road information. Then, when it is determined that a branch road directly connected to the driving lane exists, the image processing device 7 may calculate the distance between the vehicle position and the branch point based on the position information and the branch point of the branch road. The illumination control unit 12a may control the sub-light 32 to illuminate the branch road in the first illumination mode based on the distance calculated by the image processing device 7.

[0072] In the third embodiment, one of the normal-accuracy map DB 61 and the normal locator 62 included in the in-car information system 6 may be provided, while the function of the other may be realized by the image processing device 7.

[0073] <Fourth embodiment> A block diagram of the driving support device 1 according to the present embodiment 4 is similar to the block diagram (see FIG. 2) of the driving support device 1 according to the embodiment 2. Hereinafter, among the components according to the present embodiment 4, components that are the same as or similar to the components described above are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and different components will be mainly described.

[0074] The illumination control unit 12a according to the fourth embodiment performs the same process for the merging road as for the branching road. That is, the illumination control unit 12a determines whether there is a merging road directly connected to the traveling lane and whether the vehicle is traveling in the second illumination section based on the position information, the traveling lane information, and the road information.

[0075] The second illumination section is a section that satisfies a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the junction of the driving lane and the merging road. In the fourth embodiment, the second illumination section is the same as the first illumination section, and is, for example, a driving lane between the junction of the driving lane and the merging road and a point that is a predetermined distance (for example, 100 m) away from the junction toward the vehicle side.

[0076] When it is determined as the above-mentioned determination result that there is a merging road directly connected to the driving lane and the vehicle is traveling in the second illumination section, the illumination control unit 12a controls the sub-light 32 to illuminate the merging road in the second illumination mode. In the fourth embodiment, the second illumination mode is the same as the first illumination mode. For example, the illumination control unit 12a may control the second illumination mode of the sub-light 32 based on the distance between the position of the vehicle and the merging point.

[0077] <Operation> Fig. 17 is a flowchart showing the operation of the driving support device 1 according to the embodiment 4. The operation in Fig. 3 is performed whenever necessary while the vehicle is traveling.

[0078] First, in steps S1 to S7, the same operations as those in steps S1 to S7 in Fig. 3 are performed. After step S6 or step S7, the process of step S11 is performed.

[0079] In step S11, the illumination control unit 12a judges whether or not there is a merging road directly connected to the driving lane based on the driving lane information and the road information. If it is judged that there is a merging road, the process proceeds to step S12, and if it is not judged that there is a merging road, the process proceeds to step S14.

[0080] In step S12, the illumination control unit 12a judges whether or not the vehicle is traveling in the second illumination section based on the merging road judged in step S11 and the position information. If it is judged that the vehicle is traveling in the second illumination section, the process proceeds to step S13, and if it is not judged that the vehicle is traveling in the second illumination section, the process proceeds to step S14.

[0081] In step S13, the illumination control unit 12a turns on the sub-light 32 and controls the sub-light 32 to illuminate the merging road in the second illumination mode. The illumination of the headlight 31 is maintained unless the driver performs an operation to turn off the headlight 31. Then, the process proceeds to step S8.

[0082] In step S14, the illumination control unit 12a stops illumination in the second illumination mode by the sub-light 32. Illumination by the headlight 31 is maintained unless the driver performs an operation to turn off the headlight 31. Then, the process proceeds to step S8.

[0083] In step S8, the illumination control unit 12a judges whether or not the headlights 31 are turned off. If it is judged that the headlights 31 are turned off, the operation in Fig. 17 ends, and if it is not judged that the headlights 31 are turned off, the process returns to step S2.

[0084] As a result of the above operations, if the traveling lane is not directly connected to either a branch road or a merging road, the sub-light 32 is not irradiated, and in principle only the headlight 31 is irradiated. If there are both a branch road and a merging road directly connected to the traveling lane, the irradiation control unit 12a may cause the sub-light 32 to irradiate the branch road and the merging road simultaneously. If the sub-light 32 does not have the function of irradiating the branch road and the merging road simultaneously, the sub-light 32 may irradiate the branch road and the merging road in order of the road closest to the vehicle, or with priority given to the branch road.

[0085] <Summary of the fourth embodiment> According to the driving support device 1 of the fourth embodiment as described above, when it is determined that there is a merging road directly connected to the driving lane and the vehicle is traveling in the second illumination section, control is performed to cause the sub-light 32 to illuminate the merging road in the second illumination mode. With this configuration, it is possible to control the sub-light 32 to illuminate the merging road in a section where the vehicle is an appropriate distance away from the merging point, so that the sub-light 32 can be appropriately controlled.

[0086] <Modification 1 of the fourth embodiment> In the fourth embodiment, the second irradiation mode has been described as being similar to the first irradiation mode, but the first irradiation mode and the second irradiation mode may be different from each other.

[0087] As a first example, the color tone of the irradiation in the first irradiation mode may be different from the color tone of the irradiation in the second irradiation mode.

[0088] As a second example, the illumination range 32a of the first illumination mode for the branching road includes a portion slightly further from the connection port of the branching road as shown in Fig. 4 and Fig. 5, but the illumination range 32b of the second illumination mode for the merging road may be only the connection port of the merging road 54 as shown in Fig. 18 and Fig. 19. As the second illumination mode for the merging road, the sub-light 32 may spot illuminate an elliptical range as shown in Fig. 18, or the sub-light 32 may illuminate a normal shaped range as shown in Fig. 19. Note that Fig. 18 and Fig. 19 show the merging point Q3 between the left lane 52a, which is the driving lane, and the merging road 54.

[0089] For example, the first illumination mode for a branching road may include illumination of at least one of letters, figures, and symbols indicating the branching road, and the second illumination mode for a merging road may include illumination of at least one of letters, figures, and symbols indicating the merging road.

[0090] <Modification 2 of the fourth embodiment> In the fourth embodiment, the second illumination section is described as being the same as the first illumination section, but the first illumination section and the second illumination section may be different from each other. For example, at a merging point, there is a possibility of a collision between a vehicle traveling in the driving lane and a vehicle traveling on the merging road, and there is a tendency for lanes to be changed to avoid the merging road. In consideration of this, the second illumination section may be longer than the first illumination section.

[0091] <Modification 3 of the fourth embodiment> In the fourth embodiment, the illumination control unit 12a has been described on the assumption that the sub-light 32 continuously illuminates the merging road as the second illumination mode, but the illumination control unit 12a may also illuminate the merging road intermittently with the sub-light 32 when the distance between the merging point and the vehicle becomes equal to or smaller than a threshold. Also, the illumination control unit 12a may appropriately increase or decrease the size of the illumination range 32b of the sub-light 32 in the second illumination mode.

[0092] <Fourth Modification of Fourth Preferred Embodiment> 2, the driving assistance device 1 may include a moving object detection unit (not shown) included in the concept of the acquisition unit 11. The moving object detection unit is, for example, any type of radar, and is configured to be able to detect a moving object such as a vehicle heading toward the merging point from the merging road.

[0093] The illumination control unit 12a may control the second illumination mode based on whether or not a moving object is detected by the moving object detection unit. For example, the illumination control unit 12a may make the illumination range of the sub-light 32 when a moving object is detected larger than the illumination range of the sub-light 32 when a moving object is not detected, so that the moving object stands out. For example, the illumination control unit 12a may cause the sub-light 32 to illuminate the merging road in the second illumination mode when a moving object is detected, and may stop the illumination of the sub-light 32 in the second illumination mode when a moving object is not detected. With this configuration, it is possible to call the driver's attention to the moving object and to suppress unnecessary illumination of the sub-light 32.

[0094] <Fifth Modification of Fourth Preferred Embodiment> In the fourth modification of the fourth embodiment, the illumination control unit 12a may control the second illumination mode based on the type of the moving object detected by the moving object detection unit. For example, when the moving object is a vehicle that performs headlight illumination, the illumination control unit 12a may stop illumination of the sub-light 32 in the second illumination mode, and when the moving object is not a vehicle that performs headlight illumination, the illumination control unit 12a may cause the sub-light 32 to illuminate the merging road in the second illumination mode. Also, when the moving object is a pedestrian or a bicycle, the illumination control unit 12a may make the moving object more noticeable by increasing the illumination range of the sub-light 32. In this case, the merging road may be a sidewalk at an intersection or a bicycle-only road.

[0095] <Sixth Modification of Fourth Preferred Embodiment> The illumination control unit 12a may read out the type of the merging road from the road information and control the second illumination mode based on the type of the merging road. For example, if the width of the merging road is equal to or less than a threshold, there is a relatively high possibility that a pedestrian or bicycle will suddenly appear from the merging road. Therefore, the illumination control unit 12a may make the merging road more noticeable by increasing the illumination range of the sub-light 32 as the width of the merging road becomes narrower. Also, for example, if the merging road is a highway for motor vehicles, there is a relatively high possibility that a pedestrian or bicycle will suddenly appear from the merging road. low Therefore, the illumination control unit 12a may reduce the illumination range of the sub-light 32 so that it is not too noticeable.

[0096] <Fifth Preferred Embodiment> A block diagram of the driving support device 1 according to the fifth embodiment is similar to the block diagram of the driving support device 1 according to the second embodiment (see FIG. 2). Hereinafter, among the components according to the fifth embodiment, components that are the same as or similar to the components described above are denoted by the same or similar reference numerals, and different components will be mainly described.

[0097] The illumination control unit 12a according to the fifth embodiment performs the same process for a branch road indirectly connected to a driving lane as for a branch road directly connected to the driving lane. Hereinafter, a branch road directly connected to a driving lane may be referred to as a "direct branch road" and a branch road indirectly connected to a driving lane may be referred to as an "indirect branch road".

[0098] The illumination control unit 12a determines whether an indirect branch road exists and whether the vehicle is traveling in the third illumination section, based on the position information, the driving lane information, and the road information.

[0099] The third illuminated section is a section that satisfies a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the indirect branch point between the driving lane and the indirect branch road. The indirect branch point Q4 is a point on the driving lane (the right lane 52b in FIG. 20) where the connection port of the indirect branch road 55 exists in the width direction of the driving lane as shown in FIG. 20. In the fifth embodiment, the third illuminated section is the same as the first illuminated section, and is, for example, a driving lane between the indirect branch point Q4 and a point that is a predetermined distance (for example, 100 m) away from the indirect branch point toward the vehicle side.

[0100] When it is determined as the above-mentioned determination result that an indirect branch road exists and the vehicle is traveling in the third illumination section, the illumination control unit 12a controls the sub-light 32 to illuminate the indirect branch road in a third illumination mode different from the first illumination mode. For example, the illumination range 32a of the first illumination mode for the branch road 53 includes a part slightly further back from the connection port of the branch road 53 as shown in FIG. 4, but the illumination range 32c of the third illumination mode for the indirect branch road 55 is only a part near the connection port of the indirect branch road 55 as shown in FIG. 20. As the third illumination mode for the indirect branch road 55, the sub-light 32 may spot illuminate an elliptical range as shown in FIG. 20, or may illuminate in other ways.

[0101] The first illumination mode for the direct branch road and the third illumination mode for the indirect branch road may have different colors or illuminances. The first illumination mode may include illumination of at least one of a character, a figure, and a symbol indicating the direct branch road, and the third illumination mode may include illumination of at least one of a different character, a figure, and a symbol indicating the indirect branch road.

[0102] <Operation> Fig. 21 is a flowchart showing the operation of the driving support device 1 according to the embodiment 5. The operation in Fig. 3 is performed whenever necessary while the vehicle is traveling.

[0103] First, in steps S1 to S7, operations similar to those in steps S1 to S7 in Fig. 3 are performed. After step S6 or step S7, the process of step S21 is performed.

[0104] In step S21, the illumination control unit 12a judges whether or not an indirect branch road exists. If it is judged that an indirect branch road exists, the process proceeds to step S22, and if it is not judged that an indirect branch road exists, the process proceeds to step S24.

[0105] In step S22, the illumination control unit 12a judges whether or not the vehicle is traveling in the third illumination section based on the indirect branch road judged in step S21 and the position information. If it is judged that the vehicle is traveling in the third illumination section, the process proceeds to step S23, and if it is not judged that the vehicle is traveling in the third illumination section, the process proceeds to step S24.

[0106] In step S23, the illumination control unit 12a turns on the sub-light 32 and controls the sub-light 32 to illuminate the indirect branch road in the third illumination mode. Illumination of the headlight 31 is maintained unless the driver performs an operation to turn off the headlight 31. Then, the process proceeds to step S8.

[0107] In step S24, the illumination control unit 12a stops illumination in the third illumination mode by the sub-light 32. Illumination by the headlight 31 is maintained unless the driver performs an operation to turn off the headlight 31. Then, the process proceeds to step S8.

[0108] In step S8, the illumination control unit 12a judges whether or not the headlights 31 are turned off. If it is judged that the headlights 31 are turned off, the operation in Fig. 21 ends, and if it is not judged that the headlights 31 are turned off, the process returns to step S2.

[0109] As a result of the above operations, if the driving lane is not directly connected to either the direct branch road or the indirect branch road, the sub-light 32 is not illuminated, and in principle only the headlight 31 is illuminated. If both a direct branch road and an indirect branch road exist, the illumination control unit 12a may cause the sub-light 32 to illuminate the direct branch road and the indirect branch road simultaneously. If the sub-light 32 does not have the function of illuminating the direct branch road and the indirect branch road simultaneously, the sub-light 32 may illuminate the direct branch road and the indirect branch road in order of the road closest to the vehicle, or with priority given to the direct branch road.

[0110] <Summary of the fifth embodiment> According to the driving assistance device 1 of the fifth embodiment as described above, when it is determined that an indirect branch road exists and the vehicle is traveling in the third illumination section, control is performed to cause the sub-light 32 to illuminate the indirect branch road in a third illumination mode different from the first illumination mode. According to such a configuration, it is possible to control the sub-light 32 to illuminate the indirect branch road in a section where the vehicle is an appropriate distance away from the indirect branch point, so that the sub-light 32 can be appropriately controlled.

[0111] <Modification 1 of the fifth embodiment> In the fifth embodiment, the road has two lanes, but it may have three or more lanes, and the illumination control unit 12a may control the third illumination mode for the indirect branch road based on which of the three or more lanes the driving lane is. For example, the illumination range of the third illumination mode may be made less noticeable as the number of other lanes between the indirect branch road and the driving lane increases, and when the number of other lanes is equal to or greater than a threshold, the illumination of the sub-light 32 in the third illumination mode may be stopped.

[0112] <Modification 2 of the fifth embodiment> In the fifth embodiment, the illumination control unit 12a has been described on the assumption that the sub-light 32 continuously illuminates the indirect branch road as the third illumination mode, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the illumination control unit 12a may cause the sub-light 32 to intermittently illuminate the indirect branch road when the distance between the indirect branch point and the vehicle becomes equal to or smaller than a threshold value. Furthermore, the illumination control unit 12a may appropriately increase or decrease the size of the illumination range 32c of the third illumination mode of the sub-light 32. Furthermore, the third illumination mode for the indirect branch road may include illumination of at least any one of a character, a figure, and a symbol indicating the indirect branch road.

[0113] <Modification 3 of the fifth embodiment> In the fifth embodiment, the third illumination section is described as being the same as the first illumination section, but the first illumination section and the third illumination section may be different from each other. For example, the third illumination section may be longer than the first illumination section, taking into consideration that it takes time for a vehicle to change lanes to head toward an indirect branch road.

[0114] <Fourth Modification of Fifth Preferred Embodiment> The illumination control unit 12a may determine whether the vehicle can proceed to the indirect branch road based on the road information and the vehicle position information, and may control the third illumination mode based on the determination result. For example, when the vehicle is located at a point where the vehicle cannot proceed to the indirect branch road even if the vehicle changes lanes, the illumination control unit 12a may stop the illumination of the sub-light 32 in the third illumination mode. Specifically, since the vehicle needs to turn on the blinker three seconds before changing lanes, when the vehicle 51 reaches the point where it will reach the indirect branch point Q4 in three seconds as shown in FIG. 22, the illumination control unit 12a may stop the illumination of the sub-light 32 in the third illumination mode.

[0115] <Fifth Modification of the Fifth Preferred Embodiment> In the fifth embodiment, the illumination control unit 12a may determine whether or not the vehicle is prohibited from traveling onto the indirect branch road by laws and regulations based on the road information and the vehicle position information, and control the third illumination mode based on the determination result.

[0116] For example, assume that the lane in which the vehicle is traveling is the right lane, and there is a branch road directly connected to the left lane. Since the branch road directly connected to the left lane is an indirect branch road for the right lane, the sub-light 32 is irradiated in the third irradiation mode to the indirect branch road in principle. However, if lane changing from the right lane to the left lane is prohibited by law, the irradiation control unit 12a may stop irradiating the sub-light 32 in the third irradiation mode to the indirect branch road.

[0117] <Sixth Modification of the Fifth Preferred Embodiment> In the fifth embodiment, similarly to the sixth modification of the second embodiment, the driving assistance device 1 may include a route information acquisition unit that acquires driving route information indicating a route along which the vehicle should travel. The illumination control unit 12a may control the third illumination mode of the sub-light 32 based on whether or not the route of the driving route information acquired by the route information acquisition unit proceeds to an indirect branch road. For example, the illumination range of the sub-light 32 when the vehicle should proceed to the indirect branch road may be made larger and more noticeable than the illumination range of the sub-light 32 when the vehicle should not proceed to the indirect branch road.

[0118] <Seventh Modification of the Fifth Preferred Embodiment> The illumination of the branching road in the first illumination mode of the second embodiment, the illumination of the merging road in the second illumination mode of the fourth embodiment, and the illumination of the indirect branching road in the third illumination mode of the fifth embodiment may be combined.

[0119] In the example of Fig. 23, there is a branch road 53 directly connected to the left lane 52a, which is the driving lane. In such a case, the branch road 53 is illuminated in the first illumination mode. In the example of Fig. 24, there is a merging road 54 directly connected to the right lane 52b, which is the driving lane, and an indirect branch road 55 indirectly connected to the right lane 52b. In such a case, the merging road 54 may be illuminated in the second illumination mode and the indirect branch road 55 may be illuminated in the third illumination mode in parallel.

[0120] <Eighth Modification of Fifth Preferred Embodiment> The illumination control unit 12a may also perform the same process as the indirect branch road for the junction road, which is a merging road indirectly connected to the travel lane. That is, the illumination control unit 12a may determine whether the vehicle is traveling in the fourth illumination section that has a junction road and satisfies a predetermined positional relationship with respect to the junction point between the travel lane and the junction road, based on the position information, the travel lane information, and the road information.

[0121] As shown in Fig. 25, the inter-section junction flow point Q5 is a point on a travel lane (left lane 52a in Fig. 25) where a connection port of the inter-section junction flow road 56 exists in the width direction of the travel lane. The fourth illumination section may or may not be the same as any of the first illumination section, the second illumination section, and the third illumination section.

[0122] When it is determined that an indirect branch road exists and the vehicle is traveling in the fourth illumination section, the illumination control unit 12a may perform control to cause the sub-light 32 to illuminate the indirect branch road in a fourth illumination mode different from the first to third illumination modes.

[0123] The first irradiation mode applied to the branching road in embodiment 2, the second irradiation mode applied to the merging road in embodiment 4, the third irradiation mode applied to the indirect branching road in embodiment 5, and the fourth irradiation mode applied to the junction road in this variant example 8 may be combined.

[0124] In the example of Fig. 25, there is a branch road 53 directly connected to the left lane 52a, which is a travel lane, and an inter-junction flow road 56 indirectly connected to the left lane 52a. In such a case, irradiation of the branch road 53 in the first irradiation mode and irradiation of the inter-junction flow road 56 in the fourth irradiation mode may be performed in parallel. Also, as shown in Fig. 25, the irradiation range 32d of the fourth irradiation mode for the inter-junction flow road may be made less noticeable than the irradiation range 32a of the first irradiation mode for the branch road.

[0125] In addition, modifications similar to those of direct merging roads or indirect branching roads may be made to inter-junction roads.

[0126] For example, the same modification as that of the fourth modification of the fourth embodiment (i.e., the modification of the direct merging road) may be performed on the inter-junction flow road. Specifically, the moving body detection unit may be capable of detecting a moving body moving from the inter-junction flow road toward the inter-junction flow point, and the irradiation control unit 12a may control the fourth irradiation mode based on whether or not the moving body detection unit detects a moving body moving from the inter-junction flow road toward the inter-junction flow point. More specifically, the irradiation control unit 12a may cause the sub-light 32 to irradiate the inter-junction flow road in the fourth irradiation mode when a moving body is detected, and may stop the irradiation of the fourth irradiation mode of the sub-light 32 when a moving body is not detected.

[0127] For example, the same modification as the modification 5 of the embodiment 5 (i.e., the modification of the indirect branch road) may be performed on the inter-connection flow road. Specifically, the illumination control unit 12a may determine whether or not the advancement of the vehicle to the inter-connection flow road is prohibited by law or the like based on the road information and the vehicle position information, and control the fourth illumination mode based on the determination result.

[0128] For example, as shown in Fig. 26, assume that the lane in which the vehicle 51 is traveling is the left lane 52a, and there is a merging road directly connected to the right lane 52b. Since the merging road directly connected to the right lane 52b is an inter-junction flow road 56 for the left lane 52a, the sub-light 32 is irradiated in the fourth irradiation mode onto the inter-junction flow road 56 in principle. However, as shown in Fig. 26, when there is a center line 58 between the left lane 52a and the right lane 52b where lane changing is prohibited by law, the irradiation control unit 12a may stop irradiating the sub-light 32 in the fourth irradiation mode onto the inter-junction flow road 56.

[0129] <Other Modifications> The acquisition unit 11 and the control unit 12 in FIG. 1 described above will be hereinafter referred to as "acquisition unit 11, etc." The acquisition unit 11, etc. are realized by a processing circuit 81 shown in FIG. 27. That is, the processing circuit 81 includes the acquisition unit 11 that acquires vehicle position information, driving lane information indicating the driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and road information, and the control unit 12 that controls the lighting device to illuminate the branch road in a first illumination mode when it is determined that a branch road directly connected to the driving lane exists and that the vehicle is traveling in a first illumination section that satisfies a predetermined positional relationship with respect to a branch point between the driving lane and the branch road based on the position information, the driving lane information, and the road information. The processing circuit 81 may be implemented with dedicated hardware or a processor that executes a program stored in a memory. The processor may be, for example, a central processing unit, a processing unit, an arithmetic unit, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or the like.

[0130] When the processing circuit 81 is a dedicated hardware, the processing circuit 81 corresponds to, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), or a combination of these. Each function of the acquisition unit 11 and the like may be realized by a circuit in which the processing circuits are distributed, or the functions of each unit may be realized by a single processing circuit.

[0131] When the processing circuit 81 is a processor, the functions of the acquisition unit 11 and the like are realized by a combination with software and the like. The software and the like corresponds to, for example, software, firmware, or software and firmware. The software and the like are described as a program and stored in a memory. As shown in FIG. 28, the processor 82 applied to the processing circuit 81 realizes the functions of each unit by reading and executing a program stored in the memory 83. That is, the driving support device 1 includes a memory 83 for storing a program that, when executed by the processing circuit 81, results in the execution of the steps of: acquiring vehicle position information, driving lane information indicating the driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and road information; and, when it is determined based on the position information, the driving lane information, and the road information that a branch road directly connected to the driving lane exists and that the vehicle is traveling in a first illumination section that satisfies a predetermined positional relationship with respect to a branch point between the driving lane and the branch road, controlling the lighting device to illuminate the branch road in a first illumination mode. In other words, this program can be said to cause a computer to execute the procedure or method of the acquisition unit 11 and the like. Here, the memory 83 may be, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as a Random Access Memory (RAM), a Read Only Memory (ROM), a flash memory, an Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EPROM), an Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a mini disk, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), a drive device for any of these, or any storage medium to be used in the future.

[0132] The above describes a configuration in which each function of the acquisition unit 11, etc. is realized either by hardware or software, etc. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which a part of the acquisition unit 11, etc. is realized by dedicated hardware and another part is realized by software, etc. For example, the functions of the acquisition unit 11 can be realized by a processing circuit 81, an interface, a receiver, etc. as dedicated hardware, and the functions of the other units can be realized by the processing circuit 81 as a processor 82 reading and executing a program stored in a memory 83.

[0133] As described above, the processing circuitry 81 can realize each of the above-mentioned functions by hardware, software, or a combination of these.

[0134] The driving assistance device described above can also be applied to a driving assistance system that is constructed as a system by appropriately combining various vehicle devices, communication terminals including mobile terminals such as mobile phones, smartphones, and tablets, functions of applications installed in at least one of the vehicle devices and the communication terminals, and a server. In this case, each function or each component of the driving assistance device described above may be distributed among the devices that construct the system, or may be concentrated in one of the devices.

[0135] Fig. 29 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a server 91 according to this modification. The server 91 in Fig. 29 includes a communication unit 91a and a control unit 91b, and is capable of wireless communication with a vehicle device 93 of a vehicle 92.

[0136] The communication unit 91a, which is an acquisition unit, receives vehicle position information, driving lane information, and road information acquired by the vehicle device 93 by wirelessly communicating with the vehicle device 93.

[0137] The control unit 91b has the same function as the control unit 12 in FIG. 1 by executing a program stored in a memory (not shown) of the server 91 by a processor (not shown) of the server 91. That is, when the control unit 91b determines based on the position information, the driving lane information, and the road information that there is a branch road directly connected to the driving lane and that the vehicle is traveling in the first illumination section, the control unit 91b generates a control signal for controlling the lighting device 3 to illuminate the branch road in the first illumination mode. Then, the communication unit 91a transmits the control signal of the control unit 91b to the vehicle device 93. According to the server 91 configured in this manner, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the driving support device 1 described in the first embodiment.

[0138] Fig. 30 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a communication terminal 96 according to this modification. The communication terminal 96 in Fig. 30 includes a communication unit 96a similar to the communication unit 91a and a control unit 96b similar to the control unit 91b, and is capable of wireless communication with a vehicle device 98 of a vehicle 97. Note that the communication terminal 96 may be, for example, a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, or a tablet carried by the driver of the vehicle 97. According to the communication terminal 96 configured in this manner, it is possible to obtain the same effect as the driving assistance device 1 described in the first embodiment.

[0139] It should be noted that the embodiments and modifications may be freely combined, and the embodiments and modifications may be modified or omitted as appropriate.

[0140] The above description is illustrative in all respects and is not restrictive. It is understood that countless variations not illustrated can be envisioned. [Explanation of symbols]

[0141] 1 driving assistance device, 2 high-precision locator device, 3 lighting device, 7 image processing device, 11 acquisition unit, 12 control unit, 21 high-precision map database, 22 high-precision positioning unit, 31 headlight, 32 sub-light, 51 vehicle, 53 branching road, 54 merging road, 55 indirect branching road, 61 normal precision map database, Q1 branching point, Q3 merging point, Q4 indirect branching point.

Claims

1. A driving assistance device that controls a lighting device that illuminates a road from a vehicle, an acquisition unit that acquires position information of the vehicle, driving lane information indicating a driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and road information; a control unit that controls the lighting device to illuminate the branch road in a first illumination mode when it is determined based on the position information, the driving lane information, and the road information that the driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling is a lane directly connected to a branch road among a road having a plurality of lanes on one side, and the vehicle is traveling in a first illumination section that satisfies a predetermined positional relationship with respect to a branch point between the driving lane and the branch road; Equipped with The control unit is a third illumination mode that is different from the first illumination mode and that is used for illuminating the indirect branch road; a third illumination mode that is different from the first illumination mode and that is used for illuminating the indirect branch road; a third illumination mode that is different from the first illumination mode and that is used for illuminating the indirect branch road;

2. A driving assistance device that controls a lighting device that illuminates a road from a vehicle, an acquisition unit that acquires position information of the vehicle, lane information indicating a lane in which the vehicle is traveling, road information, and route information indicating a route along which the vehicle should travel; a control unit that controls the lighting device to illuminate the branch road in a first illumination mode when it is determined based on the position information, the driving lane information, and the road information that the driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling is a lane directly connected to a branch road among a road having a plurality of lanes on one side, and the vehicle is traveling in a first illumination section that satisfies a predetermined positional relationship with respect to a branch point between the driving lane and the branch road; Equipped with The control unit is A driving assistance device that, when the route in the driving route information proceeds to the branch road, illuminates from the branch point to a point in front of the branch road including a connecting port, and when the route in the driving route information does not proceed to the branch road, illuminates the connecting port of the branch road.

3. A driving assistance device that controls a lighting device that illuminates a road from a vehicle, an acquisition unit that acquires position information of the vehicle, driving lane information indicating a driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and road information; a control unit that controls the lighting device to illuminate the branch road in a first illumination mode when it is determined based on the position information, the driving lane information, and the road information that the driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling is a lane directly connected to a branch road among a road having a plurality of lanes on one side, and the vehicle is traveling in a first illumination section that satisfies a predetermined positional relationship with respect to a branch point between the driving lane and the branch road; Equipped with The control unit is When it is determined based on the position information, the driving lane information, and the road information that a merging road directly connected to the driving lane exists and that the vehicle is traveling in a second illumination section that satisfies a predetermined positional relationship with respect to a merging point between the driving lane and the merging road, control is performed to cause the lighting device to illuminate the merging road in a second illumination mode; A driving assistance device, wherein in the first illumination mode, illumination is provided to a distance including a connection port of the branching road, and in the second illumination mode, illumination is provided to a connection port of the merging road.

4. A driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The control unit is A driving assistance device that, when the driving lane is a lane directly connected to the branch road, causes the lighting device to illuminate the branch road in the first illumination mode, and, when the driving lane is not a lane directly connected to the branch road, does not cause the lighting device to illuminate the branch road in the first illumination mode.

5. A driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The acquisition unit is A driving assistance device that acquires road information from a high-precision map database of a high-precision locator device that stores the road information on a lane-by-lane basis, and acquires the location information and the driving lane information from a high-precision positioning unit of the high-precision locator device that detects the location information and the driving lane information.

6. A driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The acquisition unit is A driving assistance device that acquires the road information, the position information, and the driving lane information from an image processing device that recognizes the road information, the position information, and the driving lane information based on an image of a periphery of the vehicle.

7. A driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The control unit is A driving assistance device that causes the lighting device to illuminate an area including a point on the branching road that is a predetermined distance away from the branching point.

8. A driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The lighting device includes a headlight and a sublight, The control unit is A driving assistance device that controls an illumination mode of the headlights based on a planar shape of the driving lane, and controls the first illumination mode of the sub-lights based on a planar shape of the branching road.

9. A driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The control unit is A driving assistance device that controls the first illumination mode based on a difference between a gradient of the driving lane and a gradient of the branch road.

10. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 or 3, The acquisition unit is Further acquiring travel route information indicating a route along which the vehicle should travel; The control unit is A driving assistance device that controls the first illumination mode based on whether the route in the driving route information proceeds to the branch road.

11. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 or 2, The control unit is a driving assistance device that, when it is determined based on the position information, the driving lane information, and the road information that a merging road directly connected to the driving lane exists and that the vehicle is traveling in a second illumination section that satisfies a predetermined positional relationship with respect to a merging point between the driving lane and the merging road, controls the lighting device to illuminate the merging road in a second illumination mode.

12. A driving assistance device according to claim 11, A driving assistance device, wherein the second illumination section is longer than the first illumination section.

13. A driving assistance device according to claim 11, The acquisition unit is A moving object heading toward the junction point from the junction road can be detected, The control unit is A driving assistance device that controls the second illumination mode based on whether the moving object is detected by the acquisition unit.

14. A driving assistance device according to claim 11, The control unit is A driving assistance device that controls the second illumination mode when there is a high possibility that a pedestrian or bicycle will suddenly jump out onto the merging road based on the type of the merging road so that the second illumination mode is more noticeable than the second illumination mode when the possibility is low.

15. The driving assistance device according to claim 3, The control unit is a third illumination mode that is different from the first illumination mode and that is used for illuminating the indirect branch road; a third illumination mode that is different from the first illumination mode and that is used for illuminating the indirect branch road; a third illumination mode that is different from the first illumination mode and that is used for illuminating the indirect branch road;

16. A driving assistance device according to claim 15, A driving assistance device, wherein the third illumination manner includes illumination of at least one of a character, a figure, and a symbol.

17. A driving assistance device according to claim 15, A driving assistance device, wherein the first illumination section and the third illumination section are different from each other.

18. A driving assistance device according to claim 15, The control unit is A driving assistance device that controls the third illumination manner based on whether the vehicle can proceed onto the indirect branch road.

19. A driving assistance device according to claim 15, The control unit is a driving assistance device that controls the third illumination manner based on whether or not the vehicle is prohibited from traveling onto the indirect branch road.

20. A driving assistance device according to claim 15, The acquisition unit is Further acquiring travel route information indicating a route along which the vehicle should travel; The control unit is A driving assistance device that controls the third illumination manner based on whether the route in the driving route information proceeds to the indirect branch road.

21. A driving assistance method for controlling a lighting device that illuminates a road from a vehicle, comprising: The acquisition unit acquires position information of the vehicle, driving lane information indicating a driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and road information; the control unit, when it is determined based on the position information, the driving lane information, and the road information that the driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling is a lane directly connected to a branch road among a road having a plurality of lanes on one side, and the vehicle is traveling in a first illumination section that satisfies a predetermined positional relationship with respect to a branch point between the driving lane and the branch road, controls the lighting device to illuminate the branch road in a first illumination mode; The control unit is a third illumination mode that is different from the first illumination mode and that is used for illuminating the indirect branch road; a third illumination mode that is different from the first illumination mode and that is used for illuminating the indirect branch road; a third illumination mode that is different from the first illumination mode and that is used for illuminating the indirect branch road;

22. A driving assistance method for controlling a lighting device that illuminates a road from a vehicle, comprising: The acquisition unit acquires position information of the vehicle, driving lane information indicating a driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling, road information, and driving route information indicating a route along which the vehicle should travel; the control unit, when it is determined based on the position information, the driving lane information, and the road information that the driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling is a lane directly connected to a branch road among a road having a plurality of lanes on one side, and the vehicle is traveling in a first illumination section that satisfies a predetermined positional relationship with respect to a branch point between the driving lane and the branch road, controls the lighting device to illuminate the branch road in a first illumination mode; The control unit is A driving assistance method comprising: when the route in the driving route information proceeds to the branch road, illuminating from the branch point to a point farther into the road including a connection port of the branch road; and when the route in the driving route information does not proceed to the branch road, illuminating the connection port of the branch road.

23. A driving assistance method for controlling a lighting device that illuminates a road from a vehicle, comprising: The acquisition unit acquires position information of the vehicle, driving lane information indicating a driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and road information; the control unit, when it is determined based on the position information, the driving lane information, and the road information that the driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling is a lane directly connected to a branch road among a road having a plurality of lanes on one side, and the vehicle is traveling in a first illumination section that satisfies a predetermined positional relationship with respect to a branch point between the driving lane and the branch road, controls the lighting device to illuminate the branch road in a first illumination mode; The control unit is When it is determined based on the position information, the driving lane information, and the road information that a merging road directly connected to the driving lane exists and that the vehicle is traveling in a second illumination section that satisfies a predetermined positional relationship with respect to a merging point between the driving lane and the merging road, control is performed to cause the lighting device to illuminate the merging road in a second illumination mode; In the first illumination mode, illumination is provided to a distance including a connection port of the branching road, and in the second illumination mode, illumination is provided to a connection port of the merging road.

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