Driving assistance device and driving assistance method

Abstract

The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a driving assistance device and a driving assistance method with which it is possible to cast illumination such that a backing-up location is clear to a driver. A driving assistance device according to the present disclosure comprises: a map information acquisition unit that acquires map information including backing-up locations; a host vehicle position identification unit that identifies the position of a host vehicle; a backing-up location setting unit that sets a backing-up location on the basis of the map information and the position of the host vehicle; an illumination assessment unit that assesses whether headlights of the host vehicle are illuminating the backing-up location; and an assistance control unit that, if it is assessed by the illumination assessment unit that the backing-up location is not illuminated, controls a lamp device so as to illuminate the backing-up location in an assistive manner.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a driving assistance device and a driving assistance method that notify an evacuation area on a road. [Background technology]

[0002] On narrow roads such as mountain roads, it can be difficult to pass an oncoming vehicle in some places. To avoid such situations, a technology has been disclosed that estimates a position where the vehicle can pass another vehicle based on the vehicle's position and road map information, and presents the position to the driver (for example, see Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2006-106945 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Evacuation areas, which are places where it is possible to pass oncoming vehicles on mountain roads, are often located in places with many curves or in places that are difficult to see due to the influence of vegetation, etc. In particular, there is a problem that it is difficult for drivers to see the location and shape of such evacuation areas at night. In addition, there is a method of detecting the existence of an evacuation area and providing support lighting with a sub-light so that the evacuation area can be seen, but there is a problem that even if the evacuation area is clearly illuminated by the main headlight, the support lighting may be used, making it more difficult to see.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made to solve such problems, and aims to provide a driving assistance device and a driving assistance method that are capable of illuminating an evacuation location so that it is clear to the driver. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above problems, the driving assistance device disclosed herein includes a map information acquisition unit that acquires map information including an evacuation location, a vehicle position identification unit that identifies the position of the vehicle, an evacuation location setting unit that sets an evacuation location based on the map information and the position of the vehicle, an illumination determination unit that determines whether the headlights of the vehicle are illuminating the evacuation location, and an assistance control unit that controls the lighting device to provide assistance illumination to the evacuation location when the illumination determination unit determines that the evacuation location is not illuminated. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present disclosure, it is possible to illuminate an evacuation area so that it is clear to the driver.

[0008] 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]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a driving assistance device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a vehicle system including a driving assistance device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the driving assistance device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining support irradiation according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining support irradiation according to the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining additional irradiation according to the first modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining additional irradiation according to the second modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 8] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining additional irradiation according to the second modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 9]13 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the driving assistance device according to the third modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an assistive irradiation according to the third modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an assistive irradiation according to the fourth modification of the first embodiment. [Figure 12] 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle system including a driving assistance device according to a second embodiment. FIG. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the driving support device according to the second embodiment. [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an assistive irradiation according to the third modification of the second embodiment. [Figure 15] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining an assistive irradiation according to the third modification of the second embodiment. [Figure 16] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the support irradiation according to the fourth modification of the second embodiment. [Figure 17] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the support irradiation according to the fourth modification of the second embodiment. [Figure 18] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining the support irradiation according to the fifth modification of the second embodiment. [Figure 19] FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle system including a driving assistance device according to a third embodiment. [Figure 20] 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the driving assistance device according to the third embodiment. [Figure 21] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a driving support device according to first to third embodiments. [Figure 22] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of a driving support device according to first to third embodiments. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] <Embodiment 1> <Configuration> Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a driving support device 1 according to embodiment 1. As shown in Fig. 1, the driving support device 1 includes a host vehicle position identifying unit 2, a map information acquiring unit 3, an evacuation place setting unit 4, an illumination determining unit 5, and a support control unit 6.

[0011] The vehicle position identifying unit 2 identifies the position of the vehicle. The map information acquiring unit 3 acquires map information including evacuation places. The evacuation place setting unit 4 sets an evacuation place based on the map information and the vehicle position.

[0012] The illumination determination unit 5 determines whether the headlights of the host vehicle are illuminating the evacuation area. When the illumination determination unit 5 determines that the evacuation area is not illuminated, the assistance control unit 6 controls the lighting device to illuminate the evacuation area with assistance light.

[0013] Next, other configurations including the driving support device 1 shown in FIG. 1 will be described.

[0014] 2 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle system 7 including a driving assistance device 8 according to another embodiment. As shown in FIG. 2, the vehicle system 7 includes the driving assistance device 8, a positioning device 9, and a lighting device 10.

[0015] The positioning device 9 measures the position of the vehicle by a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The positioning device 9 may be mounted on the driving assistance device 8.

[0016] The lighting device 10 has a headlight 11 and a sublight 12. The headlight 11 is a light (headlamp) that illuminates the area ahead of the vehicle. The sublight 12 is a light for assisting the driver of the vehicle, and is capable of changing the illumination direction and illumination mode.

[0017] The driving support device 8 includes a vehicle position identifying unit 2, a map information acquiring unit 3, an evacuation place setting unit 4, an illumination determining unit 5, and a support control unit 6. The driving support device 8 may be configured as a system by appropriately combining not only an in-vehicle navigation device, i.e., a car navigation device, but also a PND (Portable Navigation Device) that can be mounted on a vehicle, and a server provided outside the vehicle system 7. In this case, each function or each component of the driving support device 8 is distributed and arranged among the functions that configure the system.

[0018] The vehicle position identifying unit 2 identifies the position of the vehicle based on the information on the vehicle's position acquired from the positioning device 9. At this time, the vehicle position identifying unit 2 may perform map matching using map information, or may acquire vehicle speed information and acceleration information via an in-vehicle LAN (Local Area Network) (not shown) to correct the vehicle's position. The map information used by the vehicle position identifying unit 2 when performing map matching may be the map information acquired by the map information acquiring unit 3.

[0019] The vehicle position identifying unit 2 identifies the orientation of the vehicle. For example, the vehicle position identifying unit 2 may identify the orientation of the vehicle based on a change in the position of the vehicle over time, or may identify the orientation of the vehicle based on angular velocity information acquired via an in-vehicle LAN (not shown).

[0020] The map information acquisition unit 3 acquires map information including evacuation places based on the position of the host vehicle identified by the host vehicle position identification unit 2. The evacuation places include places where the host vehicle or an oncoming vehicle evacuates to pass an oncoming vehicle, and places where the host vehicle evacuates to allow a rear vehicle to pass. Here, an oncoming vehicle refers to another vehicle traveling toward the host vehicle from the front on the road on which the host vehicle is traveling. A rear vehicle refers to another vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle on the same lane as the lane on which the host vehicle is traveling.

[0021] The map information acquisition unit 3 may acquire map information from a map DB (database) (not shown) mounted on the vehicle system 7, or may acquire map information by downloading the map information from a map DB held by a cloud server using a communication device (not shown). The map DB may be mounted on the driving assistance device 8. The map information may include road shapes, road widths, and shapes of evacuation places in addition to the evacuation places.

[0022] The evacuation location setting unit 4 sets an evacuation location based on the position of the host vehicle identified by the host vehicle position identifying unit 2 and the map information acquired by the map information acquiring unit 3.

[0023] The illumination determination unit 5 determines whether the headlights 11 are illuminating the evacuation location based on the position and orientation of the vehicle identified by the vehicle position identification unit 2 and the evacuation location set by the evacuation location setting unit 4.

[0024] The assistance control unit 6 determines whether assistance illumination by the sublight 12 is necessary or not, according to the determination result by the illumination determination unit 5. Specifically, when the illumination determination unit 5 determines that the headlights 11 are not illuminating the evacuation site, the assistance control unit 6 controls the sublight 12 to provide assistance illumination to the evacuation site, based on the position and orientation of the host vehicle identified by the host vehicle position identification unit 2 and the evacuation site set by the evacuation site setting unit 4. Here, assistance illumination means illumination of the evacuation site by the sublight 12, not by the headlights 11.

[0025] <Operation> FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the driving support device 8.

[0026] In step S101, the vehicle position identifying unit 2 identifies the position of the vehicle based on the information on the position of the vehicle acquired from the positioning device 9.

[0027] In step S102, the map information acquisition unit 3 acquires map information of the area ahead of the vehicle based on the vehicle position identified by the vehicle position identification unit 2. For example, the map information acquisition unit 3 acquires map information of the area ahead of the vehicle by a predetermined distance from the vehicle position. The map information acquisition unit 3 may acquire map information within a predetermined range centered on the vehicle position.

[0028] In step S103, the evacuation location setting unit 4 sets, from among one or more evacuation locations included in the map information acquired by the map information acquisition unit 3, the evacuation location that is in front of the host vehicle and closest to the host vehicle position.

[0029] In step S104, the support control unit 6 judges whether or not a shelter is present within the support irradiation range based on the position of the vehicle identified by the vehicle position identification unit 2, the map information acquired by the map information acquisition unit 3, the shelter set by the shelter setting unit 4, and the support irradiation range of the sub-light 12. That is, the support control unit 6 judges whether or not the sub-light 12 can provide support irradiation to the shelter from the position of the vehicle. Here, the support irradiation range is the range that the support irradiation by the sub-light 12 reaches, and is, for example, 200 m. If a shelter is present within the support irradiation range, the process proceeds to step S105. On the other hand, if a shelter is not present within the support irradiation range, the process proceeds to step S107.

[0030] In step S105, the illumination determination unit 5 determines whether or not the headlights 11 are illuminating the evacuation location based on the position and orientation of the host vehicle identified by the host vehicle position identification unit 2 and the evacuation location set by the evacuation location setting unit 4. If the headlights 11 are not illuminating the evacuation location, the process proceeds to step S106. On the other hand, if the headlights 11 are illuminating the evacuation location, the process proceeds to step S107.

[0031] Methods for determining whether the headlights 11 are illuminating the evacuation area include, for example, an indirect method and a direct method.

[0032] An example of a method for indirectly judging this is a method for estimating whether or not the headlights 11 are illuminating the evacuation location based on the evacuation location set by the evacuation location setting unit 4 and the position and orientation of the host vehicle identified by the host vehicle position identifying unit 2. If there is a function for swivel-type direction of the headlights 11, it is estimated whether or not the evacuation location is illuminated taking the orientation of the headlights into consideration.

[0033] As a direct method of determination, there is a method in which an image captured in front of the vehicle is subjected to image recognition processing, and if it is detected that the evacuation site in the image has a predetermined illuminance or more, it is determined that the headlights 11 are illuminating the evacuation site. At this time, the evacuation site in the image is identified based on the evacuation site set by the evacuation site setting unit 4 and the position and orientation of the vehicle identified by the vehicle position identifying unit 2. Note that if a lighting facility on the road is illuminating the evacuation site, it may be considered that the headlights 11 are illuminating the evacuation site.

[0034] The above-described indirect and direct determination methods are merely examples, and these two methods may be used in combination.

[0035] In step S106, the assistance control unit 6 controls the sub-light 12 to provide assistance illumination to the evacuation location based on the evacuation location set by the evacuation location setting unit 4, the position of the vehicle identified by the vehicle position identification unit 2, and the map information acquired by the map information acquisition unit 3.

[0036] 4 and 5 are diagrams for explaining support illumination by the sublight 12. As shown in Fig. 4, when the headlights 11 of the host vehicle 13 are performing headlight illumination 14 on the evacuation site 15, the support control unit 6 controls the sublight 12 not to perform support illumination on the evacuation site 15 (not to perform confusing support illumination). On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 5, when the headlights 11 of the host vehicle 13 are not performing headlight illumination 14 on the evacuation site 15, the support control unit 6 controls the sublight 12 to perform support illumination 16 on the evacuation site 15. This makes it easier for the driver to recognize the evacuation site 15.

[0037] In step S107, the assistance control unit 6 determines whether assistance irradiation is being performed by the headlights 11. If assistance irradiation is being performed, the process proceeds to step S108. On the other hand, if assistance irradiation is not being performed, the process proceeds to step S109.

[0038] In step S108, the support control unit 6 controls the sub-light 12 to end the support irradiation.

[0039] In step S109, the driving support device 8 judges whether or not the traveling of the host vehicle has ended. If the traveling of the host vehicle has ended, the operation of Fig. 3 ends. On the other hand, if the traveling of the host vehicle has not ended, the process returns to step S101.

[0040] 3, the case where the sub-light 12 provides support illumination when the headlights 11 do not illuminate the evacuation area regardless of the brightness of the surroundings of the vehicle has been described, but support illumination may not be provided when the evacuation area is sufficiently bright, such as during the day. In other words, support illumination may be provided by the sub-light 12 only when the headlights 11 of the vehicle are turned on and the headlights 11 are not illuminating the evacuation area. Examples of situations in which the vehicle turns on the headlights 11 include situations where the driver's visibility is poor due to nighttime or bad weather.

[0041] 5 shows a mode in which support illumination 16 is performed over a relatively wide range so that a certain range of the evacuation location can be seen, but spot support illumination or support illumination expressed by letters or figures may also be used. In addition, since the illuminance when the evacuation location is illuminated decreases when the distance from the vehicle to the evacuation location is long, the range of support illumination may be narrowed and the illumination brightness increased as the distance from the vehicle to the evacuation location increases, so that the illuminance of the support illumination for the evacuation location does not decrease.

[0042] FIG. 2 shows an example in which the headlight 11 and the sub-light 12 are provided separately to clarify the division of functions, but a configuration in which the headlight 11 has a lighting mechanism for providing auxiliary illumination (a configuration in which the headlight 11 includes the sub-light 12) may also be adopted.

[0043] <Effects> When the headlights 11 are illuminating the evacuation place, the driving support device 8 does not perform support illumination by the sublights 12, and when the headlights 11 are not illuminating the evacuation place, the driving support device 8 performs support illumination by the sublights 12. This makes it possible to illuminate the evacuation place so that it is clear to the driver, which contributes to safe driving by the driver.

[0044] <Variation 1> In the first embodiment, a case has been described in which support illumination is not provided by the sub-light 12 when the headlight 11 is illuminating the evacuation site, but the present invention is not limited to this. Even when the headlight 11 is illuminating the evacuation site, additional illumination may be provided to a predetermined position including the evacuation site in an illumination mode different from the support illumination.

[0045] For example, as shown in Fig. 6, when the headlights 11 of the host vehicle 13 are performing headlight illumination 14 toward the evacuation site 15, the assistance control unit 6 controls the sub-lights 12 to perform spot additional illumination 17 to indicate the presence or absence of the evacuation site 15. In addition, when the headlights 11 of the host vehicle 13 are not illuminating the evacuation site 15, the assistance control unit 6 may control the sub-lights 12 to perform assistance illumination 16 as shown in Fig. 5.

[0046] The additional illumination may be expressed by characters or graphics, and the support illumination may be a relatively wide-area illumination. Also, the support illumination may be close to the hue of the illumination of the headlight 11, and the additional illumination may be different from the hue of the illumination of the headlight 11.

[0047] According to the present first modification, it is possible to illuminate the evacuation area so that it is more clearly visible to the driver.

[0048] <Variation 2> In addition to the first embodiment, a guideline-like additional projection 17 may be performed using the shape of the evacuation site included in the map information, making it possible to identify the range of the evacuation site 15 (the shape of the evacuation site 15) as shown in FIG.

[0049] 7 shows a case where the headlight 11 performs headlight illumination 14 on the evacuation site 15 and performs additional illumination 17 without performing support illumination, but the situation in which the additional illumination 17 is performed is not limited to this. For example, in a situation in which the headlight 11 is not performing headlight illumination 14 on the evacuation site 15, the additional illumination 17 may be performed on the evacuation site 15 together with support illumination.

[0050] Furthermore, when it is possible to determine that there is a step between the road and the evacuation place, additional illumination 17 in the form of a guideline that allows the step to be identified may be performed as shown in Fig. 8. The step that exists between the road and the evacuation place may be included in map information, may be recognized by image recognition from an image captured in front of the vehicle, or may be detected by Lidar. Lidar can detect the step between the road and the evacuation place that is located higher than the road.

[0051] In addition to the above examples, if the road is paved but the evacuation site is not, additional illumination may be performed in a manner that expresses the presence or absence of paving, such as a polka dot pattern. The above examples of additional illumination may be combined in any manner.

[0052] The shape of the evacuation site may be recognized from an image captured in front of the vehicle. In this case, road information that does not include the shape of the evacuation site may be used.

[0053] According to the present modification 2, it is possible to clearly identify the ends of the evacuation area that require caution.

[0054] <Variation 3> In addition to embodiment 1, when there is an obstruction such as a natural object such as a mountain or an artificial structure such as a wall between the vehicle and the evacuation location, advance support illumination (hereinafter referred to as "advance support illumination") may be provided in a manner that enables the direction of the evacuation location to be recognized in relation to the obstruction.

[0055] Fig. 9 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the driving support device according to the third modification of the first embodiment. Note that steps S201 to S205 and steps S208 to S211 in Fig. 9 correspond to steps S101 to S109 in Fig. 3, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here. Steps S206 and S207 will be described below.

[0056] In step S206, the assistance control unit 6 judges whether or not an obstruction exists between the vehicle and the evacuation site. The method of judging whether or not an obstruction exists may be to use map information including altitude information, or to judge whether or not an obstruction exists in the scenery ahead by performing image recognition from an image captured in front of the vehicle. If it is judged that an obstruction exists, the process proceeds to step S207. On the other hand, if it is judged that an obstruction does not exist, the process proceeds to step S208.

[0057] In step S207, the support control unit 6 controls the sublight 12 to perform advance support illumination on the obstruction in such a manner that the direction of the evacuation site can be recognized. At this time, it is desirable to perform advance support illumination on the obstruction on the line connecting the position of the vehicle and the evacuation site so that the driver can grasp the direction of the evacuation site. FIG. 10 shows an example of performing circular advance support illumination 19 on a mountain 18 located in front of the vehicle 13. The dashed arrow shown in FIG. 10 indicates the line connecting the position of the vehicle and the evacuation site, and advance support illumination 19 is performed on the mountain 18 located on the line. Note that the shape of advance support illumination 19 may be other than circular.

[0058] According to the present modified example 3, even if the driver cannot see the evacuation site directly, the driver can predict in advance the direction in which the evacuation site is located.

[0059] <Modification 4> In variant example 3, we have described a case where advance support irradiation is performed without taking into account the number of obstacles between the vehicle and the evacuation location, but if there are multiple obstacles, advance support irradiation may be performed only on the obstacle closest to the evacuation location.

[0060] 11, in the case where there is an evacuation site 15 beyond a plurality of curves, the vehicle 13 performs advance support illumination 19 on the object closest to the evacuation site 15. This allows the driver of the vehicle 13 to know in advance that there is an evacuation site 15 beyond the curve where the object for which advance support illumination 19 has been performed is located.

[0061] The mode of advance support illumination may be changed according to the number of obstacles between the vehicle and the evacuation site. For example, advance support illumination may be performed with numbers according to the number of obstacles between the vehicle and the evacuation site, or advance support illumination may be performed on the obstacle closest to the evacuation site in a more conspicuous manner than other obstacles. Conspicuous advance support illumination may be any illumination, such as illumination over a wide range or illumination using multiple colors.

[0062] <Embodiment 2> <Configuration> In the first embodiment, a case has been described in which support illumination is performed regardless of the presence or absence of another vehicle. In the second embodiment, support illumination is performed when another vehicle is present in the vicinity of the host vehicle.

[0063] Fig. 12 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a vehicle system 20 including a driving support device 21 according to embodiment 2. As shown in Fig. 12, the vehicle system 20 is characterized by including a surroundings detection device 22, and the driving support device 21 is characterized by including an other vehicle detection unit 23 and an evacuation place setting unit 24. Other configurations and operations are similar to those of embodiment 1 (see Fig. 2), and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0064] The periphery detection device 22 detects other vehicles present around the vehicle. Examples of the periphery detection device 22 include an image recognition device, Lidar, or millimeter wave radar. The periphery detection device 22 mainly detects the presence of a vehicle body. The other vehicles include an oncoming vehicle and a rear vehicle.

[0065] The other vehicle detection unit 23 detects the presence of another vehicle around the host vehicle based on the detection result by the periphery detection device 22. The evacuation place setting unit 24 sets an evacuation place when the other vehicle detection unit 23 detects another vehicle.

[0066] <Operation> Fig. 13 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the driving support device 21. Note that steps S302 to S310 in Fig. 13 correspond to steps S101 to S109 in Fig. 3, and therefore a description thereof will be omitted here. Step S301 will be described below.

[0067] In step S301, the other vehicle detection unit 23 determines whether or not another vehicle is present around the vehicle based on the detection result by the periphery detection device 22. If another vehicle is present, the process proceeds to step S302. On the other hand, if no other vehicle is present, the process proceeds to step S308.

[0068] <Effects> When there is another vehicle around the vehicle, the driving support device 21 performs support illumination to the evacuation area if the evacuation area is within the support illumination range and the headlights are not illuminating the evacuation area. On the other hand, when there is no other vehicle around the vehicle, the driving support device 21 does not set an evacuation area and does not perform support illumination. This prevents unnecessary support illumination, making it possible to realize a more energy-efficient system than the first embodiment.

[0069] <Variation 1> In the second embodiment, a case has been described in which the periphery detection device 22 directly detects other vehicles existing around the host vehicle, but other vehicles existing around the host vehicle may be indirectly detected.

[0070] Specifically, in the vehicle system 20 shown in Fig. 12, a driver sensing device may be provided instead of the surroundings detection device 22. The driver sensing device is a device that captures a face image of the driver of the vehicle and detects the state of the driver by image processing the captured image. The driver sensing device is, for example, a DMS (Driver Monitoring System).

[0071] For example, when the driver sensing device detects the driver's line of sight, if the driver's line of sight is not only directed to a position corresponding to a general forward visibility distance according to the speed of the vehicle, but also directed intermittently to a position farther away, the other vehicle detection unit 23 may determine that an oncoming vehicle is present in the distance. In this case, the evacuation place setting unit 24 sets an evacuation place, and the assistance control unit 6 controls the sub-light 12 to perform assistance illumination for the evacuation place.

[0072] In addition, when the driver sensing device detects the driver's line of sight intermittently looking at the rearview mirror multiple times, or when the driver's line of sight intermittently looking at the display of the electronic mirror, the other vehicle detection unit 23 may determine that another vehicle (rear vehicle) is following behind the vehicle. In this case, the evacuation place setting unit 24 sets an evacuation place where the vehicle will evacuate to allow the vehicle to overtake the rear vehicle, and the assistance control unit 6 controls the sub-light 12 to perform assistance illumination for the evacuation place.

[0073] In addition, if the driver sensing device detects that the driver's expression becomes stern, the driver frowns, or the driver narrows his or her eyes, the other vehicle detection unit 23 may also determine that another vehicle is present.

[0074] Furthermore, when a camera provided in the driver sensing device captures a bright image of the driver or captures light reflected from the driver's cornea, the other vehicle detection unit 23 may determine that an oncoming vehicle is present.

[0075] <Variation 2> In the second embodiment, when an image recognition device is adopted as the surrounding detection device 22, it is assumed that the body of another vehicle is recognized, but the presence of another vehicle may be detected by recognizing the illumination light from the headlights of the other vehicle.

[0076] The brightness of headlight illumination is high, so it is possible to detect the presence of other vehicles even at great distances, such as several hundred meters ahead. A method that detects the headlight illumination of oncoming vehicles can capture the illumination light for just a moment, making it possible to detect oncoming vehicles at a distance even on mountain roads with many curves.

[0077] In addition, based on the difference in color tone between the illumination light of the headlights and the illumination light of the taillights, it is possible to identify whether another vehicle detected ahead of the vehicle is a preceding vehicle (another vehicle traveling ahead in the same lane as the vehicle is traveling in) or an oncoming vehicle. In this case, when the other vehicle detection unit 23 detects an oncoming vehicle, support illumination may be performed, and when the other vehicle detection unit 23 detects a preceding vehicle, support illumination may not be performed.

[0078] <Variation 3> In embodiment 2, there is no mention of whether the other vehicle detected by the other vehicle detection unit 23 is an oncoming vehicle or a rear vehicle, but when the other vehicle detection unit 23 detects a rear vehicle, support illumination may be provided to an evacuation location where the host vehicle retreats to allow the rear vehicle to overtake.

[0079] For example, as shown in Fig. 14, when the other vehicle detection unit 23 does not detect a rear vehicle, it does not perform support illumination to the evacuation site 15. On the other hand, as shown in Fig. 15, when the other vehicle detection unit 23 detects a rear vehicle 25 (overtaking vehicle), it performs support illumination 16 to the evacuation site 15. Note that, although the headlight illumination of the rear vehicle 25 is omitted in Fig. 15, it is assumed that the rear vehicle 25 actually illuminates its headlights.

[0080] It goes without saying that when the other vehicle detection unit 23 detects an oncoming vehicle, support illumination is provided to the evacuation site regardless of whether or not a rear vehicle is detected.

[0081] Also, when the other vehicle detection unit 23 does not detect a rear vehicle or an oncoming vehicle, but detects only a leading vehicle, support illumination may not be performed for the evacuation site.

[0082] According to the present modification 3, even if a rear vehicle is detected, the driving assistance can be appropriately irradiated to the evacuation site, so that smooth driving assistance can be achieved.

[0083] <Modification 4> When the vehicle is retreating to a shelter to pass an oncoming vehicle, assistance illumination may be provided to the vehicle behind to indicate that the vehicle is retreating to the shelter to pass an oncoming vehicle. This makes it possible to avoid a situation in which the vehicle behind retreats to the shelter following the vehicle behind and has difficulty passing an oncoming vehicle after overtaking the vehicle behind.

[0084] For example, as shown in Fig. 16, the support control unit 6 may control the sublight 12 to perform support irradiation 16 expressed by characters. In the example of Fig. 16, support irradiation 16 expressed by characters is shown, but support irradiation 16 expressed by a figure may also be performed.

[0085] Also, as shown in FIG. 17, in order to make it easier for the vehicle behind to evacuate following the host vehicle, the sub-lights 12 may be controlled to provide support illumination 16 over a wide area of ​​the evacuation area.

[0086] 16 and 17, the illumination of the headlights of the rear vehicle 25 is omitted, but it is assumed that the rear vehicle 25 actually illuminates its headlights.

[0087] According to the fourth modification, assistance illumination is provided to other vehicles, making it possible to facilitate smooth traffic flow.

[0088] <Variation 5> When the vehicle faces an oncoming vehicle and there is an evacuation area behind the oncoming vehicle, the evacuation area or the road leading to the evacuation area may be assisted with illumination so that the oncoming vehicle can easily retreat to the evacuation area.

[0089] For example, as shown in Fig. 18, when the host vehicle 13 and an oncoming vehicle 26 are facing each other and there is a shelter 15 behind the oncoming vehicle 26, the assistance control unit 6 controls the sub-light 12 to perform assistance illumination 16 toward the shelter 15. Note that, although the headlight illumination of the oncoming vehicle 26 is omitted in Fig. 18, it is assumed that the oncoming vehicle 26 is actually illuminating its headlights.

[0090] According to the fifth modification, it is possible to provide assistance when another vehicle backs up and moves to a shelter.

[0091] <Embodiment 3> <Configuration> The third embodiment is characterized in that it detects the position of an oncoming vehicle, estimates the position where the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle will pass each other, and determines the optimal place to take shelter and performs support irradiation.

[0092] Fig. 19 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle system 27 including a driving support device 28 according to the embodiment 3. As shown in Fig. 19, the vehicle system 27 is characterized by including a communication device 29, and the driving support device 28 is characterized by including a passing place estimation unit 30 and an evacuation place setting unit 31. The other configurations and operations are similar to those of the embodiment 2 (see Fig. 12), and therefore detailed description thereof will be omitted here.

[0093] The communication device 29 is a device that communicates with the outside of the vehicle and acquires position information of other vehicles that are present at least in the vicinity of the vehicle. The communication device 29 communicates with, for example, other vehicles, a roadside system, or a cloud server.

[0094] The passing place estimation unit 30 estimates a position (passing place) where the host vehicle and another vehicle pass each other. The evacuation place setting unit 31 sets an evacuation place that exists within a predetermined range from the passing place estimated by the passing place estimation unit 30.

[0095] <Operation> Fig. 20 is a flowchart showing an example of the operation of the driving support device 28. Steps S402, S403, and S406 to S411 in Fig. 20 correspond to steps S101, S102, and S104 to S109 in Fig. 3, and therefore descriptions thereof will be omitted here. Steps S401, S404, and S405 will be described below.

[0096] In step S401, the other vehicle detection unit 23 acquires position information of another vehicle present in the vicinity of the host vehicle via the communication device 29. The other vehicle detection unit 23 then determines whether or not an oncoming vehicle is present within a predetermined distance from the host vehicle (for example, within 1 km ahead of the host vehicle). The determination of whether or not the other vehicle is an oncoming vehicle can be made based on, for example, changes over time in the position information of the other vehicle. If an oncoming vehicle is present, the process proceeds to step S402. On the other hand, if no other vehicle is present, the process proceeds to step S409.

[0097] In step S404, the passing location estimation unit 30 estimates the passing location between the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle based on the position of the vehicle identified by the vehicle position identification unit 2, the position of the oncoming vehicle detected by the other vehicle detection unit 23, and the map information acquired by the map information acquisition unit 3.

[0098] Any method may be used to estimate the passing place. For example, the passing place may be estimated to be a midpoint on the road between the position of the vehicle and the position of the oncoming vehicle, or the possible travel speed may be estimated based on the road width and road type between the position of the vehicle and the position of the oncoming vehicle, and the passing place may be estimated based on the possible travel speed. Also, the passing place may be estimated based on the travel speed of the vehicle and the travel speed of the oncoming vehicle.

[0099] In step S405, the evacuation location setting unit 31 sets an evacuation location based on the position of the vehicle identified by the vehicle position identification unit 2, the map information acquired by the map information acquisition unit 3, and the passing location estimated by the passing location estimation unit 30.

[0100] Specifically, when the road width in the vicinity of the passing place is wide enough that evacuation is not necessary, the evacuation place setting unit 31 does not set an evacuation place.

[0101] On the other hand, when the road width near the passing place is so narrow that passing is difficult, the evacuation place setting unit 31 searches for candidate evacuation places existing between the host vehicle and the other vehicle. Then, when there are multiple candidate evacuation places, the evacuation place setting unit 31 sets the candidate evacuation place closest to the passing place as the evacuation place.

[0102] The evacuation location setting unit 31 may update the set evacuation location in accordance with the traveling speed of the vehicle itself and the traveling speed of other vehicles.

[0103] <Effects> The driving support device 28 estimates the place where the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle will pass each other, and sets an evacuation area based on the estimated place. This allows the system to realize an energy-saving system without unnecessary evacuation because the driving support device 28 performs evacuation illumination only when an evacuation area is required when passing an oncoming vehicle.

[0104] <Variation 1> In the third embodiment, the communication device 29 is used to detect the position of an oncoming vehicle, but the means for detecting the position of an oncoming vehicle is not limited to the communication device 29.

[0105] For example, when headlight illumination from an oncoming vehicle is detected in front of the vehicle, the direction of the detected headlight illumination from the oncoming vehicle may be compared with the shape of the road in front of the vehicle to detect where in front of the vehicle the oncoming vehicle is located.

[0106] As another example, a distance measuring device equipped with two cameras may be used to detect the distance between the host vehicle and an oncoming vehicle, and the direction of the oncoming vehicle relative to the host vehicle.

[0107] <Variation 2> In the third embodiment, the waiting time from when the vehicle retreats to the evacuation area until the oncoming vehicle arrives at the evacuation area is not taken into consideration, but the driver of the vehicle may be notified to adjust the speed of the vehicle so as to shorten this waiting time. Also, the driver may be notified by displaying the relationship between the speed and the waiting time.

[0108] At this time, the navigation system may display the position of the oncoming vehicle, the position of the vehicle itself, evacuation locations, passing positions, waiting times, and the like, together with a map.

[0109] If the vehicle can take shelter at a shelter with a short waiting time by increasing the speed reasonably, the driver may be notified of this. Also, the vehicle may be notified of the shelter where the vehicle is waiting by vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and the oncoming vehicle may be notified of the shelter to slow down in order to take shelter at the shelter with a short waiting time.

[0110] <Hardware configuration> The functions of the vehicle position identification unit 2, the map information acquisition unit 3, the evacuation place setting unit 4, the illumination determination unit 5, and the assistance control unit 6 in the driving assistance device 8 described in the first embodiment are realized by a processing circuit. That is, the driving assistance device 8 includes a processing circuit for identifying the position of the vehicle, acquiring map information, setting the evacuation place, determining whether the headlights of the vehicle are illuminating the evacuation place, and controlling the sublights to illuminate the evacuation place with assistance when the headlights are not illuminating the evacuation place. The processing circuit may be dedicated hardware, or may be a processor (also called a CPU, a central processing unit, a processing unit, an arithmetic unit, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor)) that executes a program stored in a memory.

[0111] When the processing circuit is a dedicated hardware, the processing circuit 32 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, as shown in Fig. 21. Each function of the vehicle position identification unit 2, the map information acquisition unit 3, the evacuation place setting unit 4, the illumination determination unit 5, and the assistance control unit 6 may be realized by the processing circuit 32 individually, or each function may be realized collectively by one processing circuit 32.

[0112] When the processing circuit 32 is the processor 33 shown in FIG. 22, the functions of the vehicle position identification unit 2, the map information acquisition unit 3, the evacuation place setting unit 4, the illumination determination unit 5, and the assistance control unit 6 are realized by software, firmware, or a combination of software and firmware. The software or firmware is written as a program and stored in the memory 34. The processor 33 realizes each function by reading and executing the program recorded in the memory 34. That is, the driving assistance device 8 includes a memory 34 for storing a program that results in the execution of a step of identifying the position of the vehicle, a step of acquiring map information, a step of setting an evacuation place, a step of determining whether the headlights of the vehicle are illuminating the evacuation place, and a step of controlling a sublight to illuminate the evacuation place with assistance when the headlights are not illuminating the evacuation place. In addition, it can be said that these programs cause a computer to execute the procedures or methods of the vehicle position identification unit 2, the map information acquisition unit 3, the evacuation place setting unit 4, the illumination determination unit 5, and the assistance control unit 6. Here, the memory may be, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as RAM (Random Access Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), flash memory, EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), or any storage medium that will be used in the future.

[0113] In addition, with regard to each function of the vehicle position identification unit 2, the map information acquisition unit 3, the evacuation location setting unit 4, the lighting determination unit 5, and the assistance control unit 6, some functions may be realized by dedicated hardware, and other functions may be realized by software or firmware.

[0114] Thus, the processing circuitry may implement the functions described above through hardware, software, firmware, or a combination of these.

[0115] Although the hardware configuration of the driving support device 8 shown in FIG. 2 has been described above, the hardware configuration of the driving support device 21 shown in FIG. 12 and the hardware configuration of the driving support device 28 shown in FIG. 19 are similar.

[0116] Within the scope of the present disclosure, the embodiments can be freely combined, and each embodiment can be modified or omitted as appropriate.

[0117] Although the present disclosure has been described in detail, 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]

[0118] 1 driving assistance device, 2 vehicle position identification unit, 3 map information acquisition unit, 4 evacuation place setting unit, 5 lighting judgment unit, 6 assistance control unit, 7 vehicle system, 8 driving assistance device, 9 positioning device, 10 lighting device, 11 headlight, 12 sub-light, 13 vehicle, 14 headlight illumination, 15 evacuation place, 16 assistance illumination, 17 additional illumination, 18 mountain, 19 advance assistance illumination, 20 vehicle system, 21 driving assistance device, 22 surrounding detection device, 23 other vehicle detection unit, 24 evacuation place setting unit, 25 rear vehicle, 26 oncoming vehicle, 27 vehicle system, 28 driving assistance device, 29 communication device, 30 passing place estimation unit, 31 evacuation place setting unit, 32 processing circuit, 33 processor, 34 memory.

Claims

1. a map information acquisition unit that acquires map information including an evacuation location; a vehicle position identifying unit that identifies a position of the vehicle; an evacuation location setting unit that sets an evacuation location based on the map information and the position of the host vehicle; an illumination determination unit that determines whether or not a headlight of the host vehicle is illuminating the evacuation area; a support control unit that controls a lighting device to provide support illumination to the evacuation area when the illumination determination unit determines that the evacuation area is not illuminated; A driving assistance device comprising:

2. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 , wherein, when the illumination determination unit determines that the evacuation area is illuminated, the assistance control unit controls the lighting device to provide additional illumination to the evacuation area in a manner different from the assistance illumination.

3. The driving assistance device according to claim 2 , wherein the additional illumination includes illumination that allows a shape of the evacuation area to be identified, and illumination that allows a step between the evacuation area and a road to be identified.

4. 2. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the assistance control unit determines whether or not an obstruction exists between the vehicle and the evacuation location, and, if the obstruction exists, controls the lighting device to provide advance assistance illumination to the obstruction in a manner that allows the direction of the evacuation location to be recognized.

5. The driving assistance device according to claim 4, wherein when a plurality of the obstructions are present between the host vehicle and the evacuation location, the assistance control unit controls the lighting device to perform the advance assistance illumination only on the obstruction that is closest to the evacuation location.

6. Further, a vehicle detection unit is provided to detect the presence of another vehicle around the vehicle. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 , wherein the assistance control unit controls the lighting device to perform the assistance illumination when the other vehicle detection unit detects the other vehicle.

7. A passing place estimation unit that estimates a passing place between the host vehicle and the other vehicle, The driving assistance device according to claim 6, wherein the assistance control unit controls the lighting device to perform the assistance illumination when the passing place estimated by the passing place estimation unit and the evacuation place are within a predetermined range.

8. The driving assistance device according to claim 6 , wherein the assistance control unit controls the lighting device to emit the assistance light when the other vehicle is an overtaking vehicle that is overtaking the host vehicle.

9. The driving assistance device according to claim 6 , wherein the assistance control unit controls the lighting device to illuminate the evacuation area of ​​the other vehicle with the assistance illumination.

10. The driving assistance device according to claim 6 , wherein the assistance control unit controls the lighting device to provide assistance illumination to the evacuation area present behind the other vehicle.

11. Obtain map information including evacuation locations, Identifying the location of the vehicle, setting an evacuation location based on the map information and the position of the vehicle; determining whether or not the headlights of the host vehicle are illuminating the evacuation area; The driving assistance method includes controlling a lighting device to provide assistance illumination to the evacuation area when it is determined that the evacuation area is not illuminated.

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