Driving support method and driving support device

Abstract

A travel assistance device comprising: a travel boundary acquisition unit (101) that acquires lane information around a vehicle; a surrounding object acquisition unit (102) that acquires surrounding object information related to objects around the vehicle; an obstacle determination unit (104) that determines, on the basis of the lane information and the surrounding object information, whether or not there is an obstacle that prevents the vehicle from traveling in the lane in which the vehicle travels; an avoidance determination unit (105) that, if it is determined by the obstacle determination unit that there is an obstacle, determines, on the basis of the lane information, whether or not the vehicle can avoid the obstacle by steering control in the avoidance direction to avoid the obstacle; a blind spot determination unit (108) that, if it is determined that the vehicle can avoid the obstacle, determines whether or not there is a blind spot area that is a blind spot from the vehicle, on an oncoming lane that is located in the avoidance direction with respect to the lane in which the vehicle travels, and that faces the direction in which the vehicle travels; an avoidance interval setting unit (107) that sets the avoidance end position of an avoidance interval for executing avoidance control including the steering control in the avoidance direction according to the result of determining whether or not there is a blind spot area; and a vehicle control unit (112) that generates a travel route for the vehicle to travel from the avoidance start position of the avoidance interval to the avoidance end position.

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] When a driving avoidance area is set where the host vehicle must avoid traveling, a technology is known in which a driving area is set for traveling to avoid the driving avoidance area, virtual obstacles are set between the driving avoidance area and the opposite side of the driving area, and a driving route that passes between the virtual obstacles is generated (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2015-057688 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When there is a blind spot area on the oncoming lane in the traveling direction of the host vehicle, which is a blind spot from the host vehicle, there is a possibility that a moving object on the oncoming lane may enter the driving route generated to avoid the host vehicle from the blind spot area. However, the technology of Patent Document 1 does not take into account the blind spot area on the oncoming lane in the traveling direction of the host vehicle, and therefore has a problem in that it is not possible to generate an appropriate driving route according to the blind spot area.

[0005] The problem that the present invention aims to solve is to provide a driving assistance method and a driving assistance device that can generate an appropriate driving route according to a blind spot area that is a blind spot from the host vehicle in the oncoming lane in the direction of travel of the host vehicle when generating a driving route to avoid driving avoidance locations. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention solves the above problem by acquiring lane information around the host vehicle, acquiring surrounding object information related to objects around the host vehicle, and determining whether or not there is an obstacle that impedes travel of the host vehicle in the host vehicle's lane based on the lane information and the surrounding object information, and if it is determined that there is an obstacle, determining whether or not the host vehicle can avoid the obstacle by steering control in an avoidance direction to avoid the obstacle based on the lane information, and if it is determined that the host vehicle can avoid the obstacle, determining whether or not there is a blind spot area that is a blind spot from the host vehicle on an oncoming lane that is located in the avoidance direction relative to the host vehicle's lane and faces the direction of travel of the host vehicle, and setting an avoidance end position of an avoidance section for executing avoidance control including steering control in the avoidance direction, and generating a driving route for the host vehicle to travel from the avoidance start position to the avoidance end position of the avoidance section. Effect of the Invention

[0007] According to the present invention, when generating a driving route to avoid a driving avoidance area, an appropriate driving route can be generated according to a blind spot area that is a blind spot from the host vehicle in the oncoming lane in the direction of travel of the host vehicle. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of the configuration of a driving assistance system according to this embodiment. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2A shows an example of a situation in which avoidance assistance control according to this embodiment is executed. [Figure 2B] FIG. 2B is an example of a situation in which the avoidance assistance control according to this embodiment is executed. [Figure 2C] FIG. 2C shows an example of a situation in which the avoidance assistance control according to this embodiment is executed. [Diagram 3] FIG. 3 shows an example of a situation in which the avoidance assistance control according to this embodiment is executed. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a control flow for executing the avoidance assistance control according to this embodiment. [Diagram 5]FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a control flow for executing the avoidance section update control according to this embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] An embodiment of a driving support device according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The configuration of the driving support device according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a driving support system 10 including the driving support device according to the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the driving support system 10 includes a detection device 1, a map DB 2, a vehicle information detection device 3, a navigation device 4, a vehicle control device 5, and a driving support device 6. The detection device 1 includes an imaging device 11 and a distance measurement device 12. The vehicle information detection device 3 includes a vehicle speed detection device 31, a steering angle detection device 32, and a vehicle position detection device 33. The vehicle control device 5 includes a vehicle speed control device 51 and a steering control device 52. The devices included in the driving support system 10 are connected by a CAN (Controller Area Network) or other in-vehicle LAN, and can exchange information with each other.

[0010] The driving assistance system 10 according to the present invention can be applied not only to the driving of a vehicle by autonomous driving control, but also to the case of supporting the driving of a vehicle by manual driving by a driver. When the driving assistance system 10 is applied to the autonomous driving control of a vehicle, it can be applied to the case where both the speed control and the steering control are autonomously controlled, or where one of the speed control and the steering control is autonomously controlled and the other is manually controlled.

[0011] In the following explanation, it is assumed that in countries with laws stipulating left-hand traffic, vehicles drive on the left side of the road. In countries with laws stipulating right-hand traffic, vehicles drive on the right side of the road, so the following explanation should be interpreted as symmetrical between right and left.

[0012] The detection device 1 is a sensor for detecting objects around the vehicle. The objects include, for example, lane boundaries on a road, zebra zone guidance strips, center lines, road markings, median strips, guard rails, curbs, highway side walls, road signs, traffic lights, pedestrian crossings, construction sites, accident sites, and traffic restrictions. The objects also include automobiles (other vehicles) other than the vehicle itself, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians. The objects also include obstacles that may affect the travel of the vehicle itself. The detection device 1 acquires the position, attitude (direction), and speed of the detected moving object.

[0013] The object is detected, for example, by an imaging device 11 and / or a distance measuring device 12. The detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12 are acquired by the driving support device 6 at a predetermined time interval. The imaging device 11 is a device that recognizes objects around the vehicle using images, and is a camera or the like. A single vehicle may be provided with a plurality of imaging devices 11.

[0014] The distance measuring device 12 is a device for calculating the relative distance and relative speed between the vehicle and an object, and is, for example, a laser radar, etc. A single vehicle may be provided with a plurality of distance measuring devices 12.

[0015] The map DB2 is an HD map in which road structures including road surface markings showing lanes and destinations are described. The map DB2 is a database including information used for generating driving routes and / or driving control. The map DB2 includes two-dimensional position information and / or three-dimensional position information at each map coordinate, road information at each map coordinate, lane boundary information, road attribute information, lane up / down information, lane identification information, connecting lane information, facility information, and attribute information thereof. The road information includes information such as road width, curvature radius, road shoulder structures, road traffic regulations (speed limit, lane change permission / prohibition), road junctions, branching points, and positions where the number of lanes increases or decreases. The map DB2 is stored in a readable state in a recording medium provided in the driving support device 6, the in-vehicle device, or the server device.

[0016] Furthermore, the map DB2 includes information on lane boundaries that indicate boundaries between the lane on which the vehicle is traveling and other lanes. Lane boundaries exist on both the left and right sides of the vehicle's traveling direction. The form of the lane boundaries is not particularly limited, and examples thereof include road markings and road structures. Examples of lane boundaries that are road markings include lane boundary lines and center lines. Examples of road structure road boundaries include median strips, guard rails, curbs, tunnels, or side walls of expressways. Note that lane boundaries are preset in the map DB2 for points where lane boundaries cannot be clearly identified (for example, within intersections). The preset lane boundaries are imaginary road boundaries and are not actually existing road markings or road structures.

[0017] The vehicle information detection device 3 is a device that detects information related to the state of the vehicle. The state of the vehicle includes the running speed, acceleration, steering angle, position, attitude, etc. of the vehicle. The running speed and acceleration are detected using a vehicle speed detection device 31. The steering angle is detected using a steering angle detection device 32. The current position is calculated based on information acquired from a vehicle position detection device 33. The attitude is detected using an inertial measurement unit (IMU). The driving assistance device 6 acquires the detection results of these devices via an in-vehicle LAN as necessary.

[0018] The vehicle speed detection device 31 is not particularly limited as long as it is a sensor that can detect the vehicle's traveling speed, and a known sensor can be used. Similarly, the steering angle detection device 32 is not particularly limited as long as it is a sensor that can detect the vehicle's steering angle. Alternatively, the vehicle's traveling speed and steering angle may be obtained from the vehicle control device 5. The vehicle position detection device 33 is a positioning system including a GPS unit, and is not particularly limited as long as it is a known sensor.

[0019] The navigation device 4 is a device that refers to the map DB 2 and calculates a driving route from the current position of the vehicle detected by the vehicle position detection device 33 of the vehicle information detection device 3 to a destination set by the driver. The calculated driving route is output to the driving support device 6. The driving route is a linear route that identifies the road, direction (uphill / downhill) and lanes on which the vehicle is traveling. The driving route includes information on the driving lanes.

[0020] The vehicle control device 5 is an in-vehicle computer such as an electronic control unit (ECU) that electronically controls in-vehicle devices that govern the running of the vehicle. The vehicle control device 5 includes a vehicle speed control device 51 that controls the running speed of the host vehicle, and a steering control device 52 that controls the steering operation of the host vehicle.

[0021] The vehicle speed control device 51 controls drive devices such as an electric motor and / or an internal combustion engine, an automatic transmission, etc. The vehicle speed control device 51 autonomously controls the traveling speed of the vehicle based on a control signal input from the traveling support device 6.

[0022] The steering control device 52 controls the steering device. Based on a control signal input from the driving support device 6, the steering control device 52 autonomously controls the operation of the steering device using at least one of the detection result of the detection device 1, the map DB 2, and the host vehicle information acquired by the host vehicle information detection device 3, so that the host vehicle travels while maintaining a predetermined lateral position (position in the left-right direction of the vehicle) with respect to the set travel route.

[0023] The driving support device 6 is a device that controls the driving of the vehicle by controlling and cooperating with devices included in the driving support system 10, and supports the driving of the vehicle, particularly the avoidance control for avoiding an obstacle that impedes the driving of the vehicle on the vehicle's lane. The obstacle is an object that cannot be avoided unless the vehicle protrudes into an adjacent lane or a guidance strip on the left or right of the vehicle's lane. The obstacle is a stationary object on the vehicle's lane, such as a parked vehicle or a construction sign. In this embodiment, the driving support device 6 sets an avoidance section for executing avoidance control including steering control in the avoidance direction to avoid the obstacle. Then, the driving support device 6 performs avoidance control to avoid the obstacle within the avoidance section by passing through an adjacent lane or a guidance strip on either the left or right of the vehicle's lane. The avoidance section is a section along the traveling direction of the vehicle's lane, from an avoidance start position where the vehicle starts avoidance control to an avoidance end position where the vehicle ends avoidance control.

[0024] A situation will be described where the host vehicle executes avoidance control to avoid an obstacle on the host lane. FIGS. 2A to 2C are diagrams showing situations where the host vehicle executes avoidance control to avoid a parked vehicle on the host lane. In FIG. 2A, when a vehicle V1 is approaching a parked vehicle V2 on the host lane L1, the driving support device 6 sets an avoidance section S to avoid the parked vehicle V2. The avoidance section S is a section from the avoidance start position PS to the avoidance end position PE1 along the traveling direction of the host vehicle. The driving support device 6 then expands the drivable area TA in which the host vehicle V1 can travel onto the guidance zone Z adjacent to the host lane L1. At this time, within the drivable area TA, Direction The length of the expanded portion expanded onto the lane corresponds to the avoidance section S. The driving assistance device 6 generates a driving route TL for avoidance control within the avoidance section S. The driving route TL is a route along which the host vehicle V1 starts avoidance control from the avoidance start position PS, travels within the drivable area TA expanded onto the guidance zone Z, and reaches the avoidance end position PE1 on the host lane L1. Note that the avoidance start position PS and the avoidance end position PE1 in the width direction of the lane are, for example, positions on the center line of the host lane.

[0025] In FIG. 2A, a blind spot object OB that creates a blind spot is present on the oncoming lane L2 adjacent to the guidance strip Z, and a blind spot area BA that is a blind spot from the host vehicle V1 is generated on the oncoming lane L2 by the blind spot object OB. There is a possibility that a moving object is hiding in the blind spot area BA and enters the avoidance section S on the guidance strip Z from the blind spot area BA during the avoidance control of the vehicle V1. For example, there is a possibility that a moving object moving on the oncoming lane travels along a trajectory TL2 to avoid the blind spot object OB. Therefore, the driver feels a sense of fear for the blind spot area BA. In this embodiment, as described below, when the host vehicle executes the avoidance control, an appropriate driving route is generated according to the blind spot area on the oncoming lane. This can reduce the driver's sense of fear for the blind spot area.

[0026] FIG. 2B is a diagram showing a scene t seconds after the scene in FIG. 2A, in which the driving support device 6 detects a blind spot object OB located on the oncoming lane L2 around the avoidance section S. In such a scene, the driving support device 6 calculates a blind spot risk indicating the possibility that a moving object moving on the oncoming lane will enter the avoidance section S from the blind spot area BA. Then, the driving support device 6 updates the avoidance end position of the avoidance section S from the avoidance end position PE1 to the avoidance end position PE2 according to the blind spot risk. In other words, the driving support device 6 sets the avoidance section S to be shorter than the avoidance section S that was initially set. The driving support device 6 generates a driving route TL for avoidance control within the set avoidance section S.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2B, in this embodiment, when there is a high possibility that a moving object will enter the avoidance section from a blind spot area on the oncoming lane, the avoidance end position is set to a position closer to the vehicle. This allows the avoidance control to be completed at an early timing and the vehicle to return to its own lane, reducing the driver's fear of the blind spot area. In addition, the curvature of the travel route set within the drivable area increases as the distance of the avoidance section becomes shorter. When traveling on a travel route with a large curvature, the vehicle decelerates. Therefore, for example, even if an oncoming vehicle enters the guidance strip from the oncoming lane, the deceleration when braking the vehicle can be reduced.

[0028] FIG. 2C shows a scene t seconds after the scene in FIG. 2B, in which the vehicle V1 is approaching a blind spot object OB on the oncoming lane L2. In FIG. 2C, the blind spot area BA is smaller than the blind spot area BA in the scene in FIG. 2B. Therefore, the moving object cannot hide in the blind spot area BA. In such a scene, the driving support device 6 sets the avoidance end position of the avoidance section S from the avoidance end position PE2 to the avoidance end position PE1. In other words, the driving support device 6 resets the avoidance section S to the avoidance section S that was initially set. The driving support device 6 generates a driving route TL for avoidance control within the set avoidance section S.

[0029] As shown in Fig. 2C, in this embodiment, when a moving object is lurking in a blind spot area on the oncoming lane and the possibility of the moving object entering the avoidance section from the blind spot area is low, the driver's fear of the blind spot area is also reduced, so the distance of the avoidance section is set long to prioritize improving the smoothness of driving. As a result, the curvature of the driving route set within the drivable area becomes small, so there is no need to reduce the speed of the vehicle, and the smoothness of driving can be improved.

[0030] As described above, when the vehicle executes avoidance control, the blind spot area on the oncoming lane changes over time. In this embodiment, in response to such changes in the blind spot area, avoidance control that prioritizes responding to a moving object on the oncoming lane that may enter the avoidance section and avoidance control that prioritizes smooth driving are both achieved.

[0031] In this embodiment, the driving support device 6 realizes the avoidance control support by the processor 7. The processor 7 is a computer including a ROM 72 in which a program is stored, a CPU 71 which is an operating circuit for functioning as the driving support device 6 by executing the program stored in the ROM 72, and a RAM 73 which functions as an accessible storage device. The processor 7 according to this embodiment executes each function by cooperation between software for realizing the above functions and the above-mentioned hardware. The processor 7 includes, as functional blocks, a vehicle position estimation unit 100, a traveling boundary acquisition unit 101, a surrounding object acquisition unit 102, an object tracking unit 103, an obstacle determination unit 104, an avoidance determination unit 105, a boundary setting unit 106, an avoidance section setting unit 107, a blind spot determination unit 108, a blind spot risk calculation unit 109, an avoidance section update unit 110, a moving object trajectory storage unit 111, and a vehicle control unit 112.

[0032] The vehicle position estimation unit 100 estimates the position and attitude of the vehicle on a map. The vehicle position estimation unit 100 estimates the current position and attitude of the vehicle on a map based on map information acquired from a map DB 2 and the position and attitude acquired from the vehicle information detection device 3. Although various methods for estimating the vehicle's position have been proposed, the present invention is not limited to any particular method as long as it is possible to estimate the position and attitude of the vehicle.

[0033] The traveling boundary acquisition unit 101 acquires lane information around the vehicle. For example, the traveling boundary acquisition unit 101 acquires lane information of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling. In addition, the traveling boundary acquisition unit 101 acquires the boundary of an adjacent lane or a guidance strip through which the vehicle can travel to avoid an obstacle such as a parked vehicle in the lane. The traveling boundary acquisition unit 101 first acquires the road structure around the vehicle from the map DB2 based on the position and attitude of the vehicle estimated by the vehicle position estimation unit 100. Then, the traveling boundary acquisition unit 101 determines the presence or absence of an adjacent lane or a guidance strip of the vehicle lane based on the road structure, for example, and when it is determined that the adjacent lane or the guidance strip exists, acquires lane information including the lane boundary of the adjacent lane or the boundary of the guidance strip from the map DB2.

[0034] The surrounding object acquisition unit 102 acquires surrounding object information related to objects around the vehicle based on the detection information detected by the detection device 1. The surrounding object information includes the position, attitude, and speed of the surrounding object. For example, the surrounding object acquisition unit 102 acquires surrounding object information related to objects located in the traveling direction of the vehicle's lane. In addition, the surrounding object acquisition unit 102 acquires position information of the surrounding object based on the current position information of the vehicle and the relative positions (distance and direction) between the vehicle and the surrounding object.

[0035] The object tracking unit 103 integrates the current object detection result and past object detection results output from the detection device 1 in a chronological order to track the positions and orientations of surrounding objects and estimate the speed of the surrounding objects from the positions and orientations.

[0036] The obstacle determination unit 104 determines whether or not there is an obstacle that impedes the running of the vehicle in the own lane based on the lane information and the surrounding object information. For example, the obstacle determination unit 104 determines whether or not there is an object that satisfies the conditions described below on the own lane based on the positions of the left and right boundaries of the own lane, the width of the own lane, and the positions and states of the surrounding objects, which are included in the lane information of the own lane. If there is an object that satisfies the conditions described below on the own lane, the obstacle determination unit 104 identifies the object as an obstacle and determines that there is an obstacle on the own lane. If there is no object that satisfies the conditions on the own lane, the obstacle determination unit 104 determines that there is no obstacle on the own lane. If it is determined that there is an obstacle, the obstacle determination unit 104 determines whether the obstacle is closer to the left or right on the own lane based on the positions of the boundaries of the own lane and the position of the obstacle. For example, the obstacle determination unit 104 determines the direction of the lane boundary that is closer to the obstacle from the left or right lane boundary of the own lane as the direction in which the obstacle is approaching on the own lane. The obstacle determination unit 104 outputs a flag indicating the presence of an obstacle, the left or right direction in which the obstacle is approaching on the own lane, and the distance from the position of the own vehicle to the obstacle. If it is determined that there is no obstacle, the obstacle determination unit 104 outputs a flag indicating that there is no obstacle.

[0037] The condition for determining whether an obstacle is present is, for example, that an object exists in the travel direction of the own vehicle's lane and that the object is in a stopped state. The condition for determining whether an obstacle is present may be that the following three conditions are satisfied. The first condition is that an object exists in the travel direction of the own vehicle's lane and that the object is in a stopped state, the second condition is that the object is closer to either the left or right side of the center of the own vehicle's lane by a predetermined value or more, and the third condition is that the length obtained by subtracting the width of the object from the width of the own vehicle's lane is equal to or less than a predetermined length. The predetermined length is a width length required for the own vehicle to pass the side of the object in the own vehicle's lane. For example, even if a stopped object exists in the travel direction of the own vehicle's lane and the own vehicle cannot travel on the own vehicle's lane, the object may be a preceding vehicle waiting for a traffic light. By setting the condition that the stopped object is closer to either the left or right side on the own vehicle's lane, the obstacle determination unit 104 determines that an obstacle is present on the own vehicle's lane when the object is a parked vehicle.

[0038] The avoidance determination unit 105 determines whether or not the host vehicle can avoid the obstacle by steering control in the avoidance direction to avoid the obstacle, based on the lane information. For example, when the obstacle determination unit 104 determines that there is an obstacle, the avoidance determination unit 105 determines whether or not the host vehicle can avoid the obstacle, based on the adjacent lane or guidance strip acquired by the traveling boundary acquisition unit 101. When there is either an adjacent lane or a guidance strip in which the host vehicle can travel in the avoidance direction relative to the host lane, the avoidance determination unit 105 determines that the host vehicle can avoid the obstacle in the avoidance direction. Also, when there is no adjacent lane or guidance strip in which the host vehicle can travel in the avoidance direction relative to the host lane, the avoidance determination unit 105 determines that the host vehicle cannot avoid the obstacle.

[0039] Furthermore, when the obstacle determination unit 104 determines that there is an obstacle, the avoidance determination unit 105 may specify, as the avoidance direction, the direction opposite to the direction in which the obstacle is approaching on the own lane. The avoidance determination unit 105 then determines whether or not the own vehicle can avoid the obstacle, assuming that the direction opposite to the direction in which the obstacle is approaching on the own lane. The avoidance determination unit 105 determines that the own vehicle can avoid the obstacle when there is either an adjacent lane or a guidance strip in which the own vehicle can travel on the own lane in the direction opposite to the direction in which the obstacle is approaching on the own lane. The avoidance determination unit 105 determines that the own vehicle cannot avoid the obstacle when there is neither an adjacent lane or a guidance strip in which the own vehicle can travel on the own lane in the direction opposite to the direction in which the obstacle is approaching on the own lane.

[0040] For example, assume that the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a one-way road with two-way traffic and a guidance strip between the vehicle's lane and the oncoming lane, and a parked vehicle is shifted to the left on the vehicle's lane, and a guidance strip is present on the opposite side, to the right. Two-way traffic is a state in which lanes are not separated for each direction of travel due to the road structure, such as when there is no central divider, on a road where traffic travels in both directions. In such a situation, the avoidance determination unit 105 specifies the opposite direction from the direction in which the parked vehicle is shifted (to the right of the vehicle's traveling direction) as the avoidance direction. Then, the avoidance determination unit 105 determines that the vehicle can avoid the obstacle because there is a guidance strip in the avoidance direction.

[0041] Also, for example, assume that the road on which the vehicle is traveling is a road that connects to an intersection and that branches from one lane into a straight lane and a right turn lane just before the intersection. In such a situation, for example, if multiple vehicles are stopped on the right turn lane to wait for a traffic light and the rear vehicle among the multiple vehicles protrudes into the straight lane, the avoidance determination unit 105 specifies the left direction with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle as the avoidance direction.

[0042] The boundary setting unit 106 sets boundaries in the left and right direction of a drivable area in which the host vehicle can travel. In this embodiment, a travel route for the host vehicle is generated within the drivable area, and the host vehicle travels along the travel route. For example, the boundary setting unit 106 sets the boundaries in the left and right direction of the drivable area to the lane boundaries on the left and right of the host vehicle's lane. In addition, when the avoidance determination unit 105 determines that the host vehicle can avoid an obstacle on the host vehicle's lane, the boundary setting unit 106 sets the boundary on the avoidance direction side of the drivable area to the lane boundary on the avoidance direction side of an adjacent lane or the boundary on the avoidance direction side of a guidance strip. That is, when performing avoidance control, the boundary setting unit 106 extends the boundary on the avoidance direction side of the drivable area to the boundary on the avoidance direction side of an adjacent lane or a guidance strip adjacent to the host vehicle's lane.

[0043] When the boundary setting unit 106 determines that the host vehicle can avoid the obstacle, it first identifies the category of the lane on the avoidance direction side. The category is either an adjacent lane or a guidance strip. The adjacent lane includes an adjacent lane in the same direction as the traveling direction of the host vehicle lane and an adjacent lane in the opposite direction to the traveling direction of the host vehicle lane (oncoming lane). For example, if the road on which the host vehicle is traveling is a road with two lanes on each side and traffic in a two-way direction, the adjacent lane to the host vehicle lane is a lane in the same direction as the traveling direction of the host vehicle lane. Also, for example, if the road on which the host vehicle is traveling is a road with one lane on each side and traffic in a two-way direction, the adjacent lane to the host vehicle lane is an oncoming lane.

[0044] Next, if there is an adjacent lane on the avoidance direction side, the boundary setting unit 106 sets the boundary on the avoidance direction side of the drivable area to the lane boundary on the avoidance direction side of the adjacent lane. Also, if there is a guidance strip on the avoidance direction side, the boundary setting unit 106 sets the boundary on the avoidance direction side of the drivable area to the boundary on the avoidance direction side of the guidance strip. As described above, in this embodiment, the boundary setting unit 106 sets the boundary on the avoidance direction side of the drivable area to the boundary on the avoidance direction side of the adjacent lane or the guidance strip.

[0045] When the avoidance determination unit 105 determines that the host vehicle can avoid the obstacle, the avoidance section setting unit 107 sets an avoidance section for executing avoidance control including steering control in the avoidance direction. The avoidance section is a section from an avoidance start position to an avoidance end position along the traveling direction of the host vehicle. The avoidance section corresponds to a distance along the traveling direction of the host vehicle of a drivable area set in an adjacent lane or a guidance strip. The avoidance section setting unit 107 sets an avoidance end position of the avoidance section according to a determination result by the blind spot determination unit 108 as to whether or not there is a blind spot area on the oncoming lane. For example, when it is determined that there is a blind spot area on the oncoming lane, the avoidance section setting unit 107 sets the avoidance end position closer to the host vehicle and on the forward side in the traveling direction than when it is determined that there is no blind spot area.

[0046] First, a case where it is determined that there is no blind spot area will be described. The avoidance section setting unit 107 acquires the vehicle speed of the vehicle and calculates a first avoidance distance by multiplying the vehicle speed by a first predetermined time that has been determined in advance. The first predetermined time is a time required for avoidance control, and is, for example, 4.0 seconds. The first predetermined time may be a value obtained experimentally. By setting the first predetermined time to 3.0 to 4.0 seconds, which is said to be the time required for lane change, the vehicle can change lanes smoothly without decelerating. In Figs. 2A to 2C, the first avoidance distance calculated here corresponds to the distance d.

[0047] Here, the first avoidance distance will be explained. The avoidance control is divided into two controls. The first control is a control to avoid an obstacle, and the second control is a control to avoid an obstacle. control is a control to return to the own lane. In the first control, the own vehicle changes lanes from the own lane to an adjacent lane or a guidance strip before the obstacle. Then, in the second control, the own vehicle changes lanes from the adjacent lane or the guidance strip back to the own lane. In this embodiment, the first avoidance distance is a distance required to execute the first control and the second control.

[0048] After calculating the first avoidance distance, the avoidance section setting unit 107 sets an avoidance start position at a position that is the first avoidance distance away from the position of the obstacle in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the host vehicle. Then, the avoidance section setting unit 107 sets an avoidance end position at a position that is the first avoidance distance away from the position of the obstacle in the traveling direction of the host vehicle. As described above, by setting the avoidance start position and the avoidance end position, the avoidance section setting unit 107 sets an avoidance section when it is determined that there is no blind spot area on the oncoming lane.

[0049] The avoidance control may be divided into three types of control. The first control is a control for avoiding an obstacle, the second control is a control for driving on the side of the obstacle, and the third control is a control for returning to the own lane. In the second control, the own vehicle drives on an adjacent lane or a guidance strip and drives on the side of the obstacle. For example, when multiple parked vehicles located on the own lane are arranged in parallel in the traveling direction of the own vehicle, the avoidance section setting unit 107 sets a section for driving on the side of the multiple parked vehicles as the second control. This is to prevent the own vehicle from returning to the own lane before the obstacle avoidance is completed when the area in which the obstacle exists in the own lane is long, causing anxiety to the occupants.

[0050] In this case, the avoidance section setting unit 107 sets the distance required for the second control as the second avoidance distance. Then, the avoidance section setting unit 107 sets a second avoidance section specified by the second avoidance distance along the traveling direction of the host vehicle, with the position of the obstacle as the starting point. The second avoidance distance is a distance set in advance, for example, 10 m. The avoidance section setting unit 107 sets the second avoidance section with the position of the obstacle as the center point of the second avoidance section. For example, the avoidance section setting unit 107 sets the start position of the second avoidance section at a position 5 m away from the rear end of the obstacle in the direction opposite to the traveling direction of the host vehicle, with the rear end of the obstacle as the reference, and sets the end position of the second avoidance section at a position 5 m away from the rear end of the obstacle in the traveling direction of the host vehicle.

[0051] Furthermore, the avoidance section setting unit 107 sets first avoidance sections for the first control and the third control before and after the second avoidance section, respectively. For example, the avoidance section setting unit 107 sets the avoidance start position of the first avoidance section at a position that is a first avoidance distance away in the direction opposite to the traveling direction from the start position of the second avoidance section, and sets the avoidance end position of the first avoidance section at a position that is the first avoidance distance away in the traveling direction from the end position of the second avoidance section. In this case, the section from the avoidance start position of the first avoidance section to the avoidance end position of the first avoidance section becomes the avoidance section.

[0052] FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an avoidance section when a second avoidance section is set. In FIG. 3, parked vehicles V2 and V3 exist on the own lane L1 in which vehicle V1 is traveling. In such a case, a second avoidance section is set for traveling to the side of parked vehicles V2 and V3. In FIG. 3, the section corresponding to distance d2 is the second avoidance section in which the second control is executed. The sections corresponding to distance d1 are the first sections in which the first control and the third control are executed, respectively. The avoidance section S is composed of the second avoidance section and the first avoidance sections before and after the second avoidance section.

[0053] Next, a case where it is determined that there is a blind spot area will be described. When it is determined that there is a blind spot area on the oncoming lane, the avoidance section setting unit 107 determines whether or not there is an entry possibility that a moving body moving on the oncoming lane will enter the avoidance section from the blind spot area, and sets the avoidance section according to the determination result. When it is determined that there is an entry possibility, the avoidance section setting unit 107 sets the avoidance end position on the near side in the traveling direction compared to when it is determined that there is no entry possibility. Also, when it is determined that there is no entry possibility, the avoidance section setting unit 107 sets the avoidance end position on the far side in the traveling direction compared to when it is determined that there is an entry possibility.

[0054] For example, the avoidance section setting unit 107 sets the avoidance section according to the blind spot risk that quantitatively indicates the possibility of entry. The blind spot risk is a value that indicates the possibility that a moving body moving on an oncoming lane will enter the avoidance section from a blind spot area. A method of calculating the blind spot risk will be described later. In this embodiment, when the blind spot risk is high, the avoidance section setting unit 107 sets the avoidance end position closer to the front in the traveling direction than when the blind spot risk is low. Also, when the blind spot risk is low, the avoidance section setting unit 107 sets the avoidance end position farther back in the traveling direction than when the blind spot risk is high. Note that this embodiment is not limited to setting the avoidance section according to the blind spot risk, and any other method may be used as long as it is a method of setting the avoidance section according to the possibility of entry. Below, the setting of the avoidance section according to the blind spot risk will be described in detail.

[0055] The avoidance section setting unit 107 corrects the first avoidance distance when it is determined that there is no blind spot area according to the blind spot risk. First, the avoidance section setting unit 107 sets a subtraction time for subtracting the first predetermined time according to the blind spot risk. For example, the avoidance section setting unit 107 sets the value of the blind spot risk to the subtraction time. When the blind spot risk is 1 point, the subtraction time is set to 1 second.

[0056] Next, the avoidance section setting unit 107 subtracts the subtraction time from the first predetermined time. Then, the avoidance section setting unit 107 multiplies the first predetermined time after subtraction by the vehicle speed of the host vehicle to calculate a first avoidance distance. The avoidance section setting unit 107 sets the avoidance end position at a position away from the obstacle position in the traveling direction of the host vehicle by the corrected first avoidance distance. In other words, the avoidance end position is set to a position before the position when it is determined that there is no blind spot area. In FIG. 2B, the first avoidance distance subtracted according to the blind spot risk corresponds to distance d'.

[0057] When there is no blind spot risk, that is, when the blind spot risk is zero, the avoidance section setting unit 107 sets the subtraction time to zero seconds. In this case, since the first avoidance distance is calculated by multiplying the first predetermined time by the vehicle speed of the vehicle, the avoidance section setting unit 107 sets the avoidance end position to the same position as when it is determined that there is no blind spot area. In addition, in this embodiment, the subtraction time for subtracting the first predetermined time is set according to the blind spot risk, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the subtraction distance for subtracting the first avoidance distance may be set according to the blind spot risk.

[0058] As described above, the greater the blind spot risk, the shorter the first avoidance distance is set. Also, as described above, the avoidance section setting unit 107 sets the avoidance end position at a position that is the first avoidance distance away from the position of the obstacle in the traveling direction of the vehicle. Therefore, when the blind spot risk is large, that is, when the possibility of entry is high, the avoidance end position is set closer to the vehicle in the traveling direction than when the blind spot risk is small, that is, when the possibility of entry is low.

[0059] When it is determined that there is a blind spot area, the avoidance section setting unit 107 may set the avoidance end position earlier than the avoidance end position that would be set when it is determined that there is no blind spot area.

[0060] Also, the avoidance section setting unit 107 may set both the avoidance start position and the avoidance end position according to the blind spot risk. For example, when the vehicle is located in front of the obstacle and the blind spot risk is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the avoidance section setting unit 107 sets both the avoidance start position and the avoidance end position according to the blind spot risk. Also, when the blind spot risk is less than a predetermined value, the avoidance section setting unit 107 sets the avoidance end position based on the first avoidance distance subtracted according to the blind spot risk, while calculating the first avoidance distance without subtracting according to the blind spot risk and setting the avoidance start position.

[0061] The blind spot determination unit 108 determines whether or not there is a blind spot area that is a blind spot from the own vehicle due to a blind spot object on an oncoming lane that is located in the avoidance direction with respect to the own lane and faces the traveling direction of the own vehicle, based on the detection result of an object around the own vehicle. First, the blind spot determination unit 108 detects a blind spot object that exists on the oncoming lane within a range based on the avoidance section (hereinafter referred to as a blind spot evaluation range) based on the surrounding object information. The blind spot evaluation range is a range in which, when a blind spot object exists within the range, the traveling trajectory of a moving body that avoids the blind spot object to the own lane interferes with the avoidance section. For example, the blind spot evaluation range is a range on the oncoming lane that corresponds to the avoidance section. The blind spot evaluation range may be determined experimentally. Then, the blind spot determination unit 108 determines whether or not there is a blind spot area that is a blind spot from the own vehicle due to the detected blind spot object. In this embodiment, the blind spot determination unit 108 determines, at regular intervals, whether or not a blind spot area that is a blind spot from the host vehicle due to a blind spot object is occurring on the oncoming lane within a range detectable by the detection device 1.

[0062] When the blind spot determination unit 108 determines that there is a blind spot area on the oncoming lane, it acquires blind spot information regarding the blind spot area on the oncoming lane. The blind spot information includes the size of the detected blind spot area, the size of the blind spot object, and the position of the blind spot object. For example, the blind spot determination unit 108 acquires at least one of the height, width, and length of the blind spot object as the size of the blind spot object. The width of the blind spot object is the length of the blind spot object in the width direction of the lane, and the length of the blind spot object is the length of the blind spot object in the traveling direction of the lane.

[0063] Known techniques can be applied to the method of acquiring the presence or absence of a blind spot area, the range of the blind spot area, and the size of the blind spot area. The blind spot area is assumed to be an area that can be detected by LiDAR, which is a sensor that outputs a point cloud. For this reason, for example, an Occupancy Grid Map technique in the field of robotics may be used to acquire an area on an HD map where a point cloud is not generated as a blind spot area. The blind spot determination unit 108 acquires blind spot information at a constant cycle. That is, the blind spot determination unit 108 acquires blind spot information of a blind spot area that changes as the position of the host vehicle moves relative to a blind spot object in a time series.

[0064] The blind spot risk calculation unit 109 calculates a blind spot risk based on the blind spot information of the blind spot area acquired by the blind spot determination unit 108. The blind spot risk is a value indicating the possibility that a moving object moving on the oncoming lane will enter the avoidance section from the blind spot area. For example, the blind spot risk is a value that evaluates the possibility that a moving object that may enter the avoidance section is hidden in the blind spot area based on the situation of the blind spot area. The higher the possibility, the higher the blind spot risk is calculated, and the lower the possibility, the lower the blind spot risk is calculated. For example, when the blind spot risk calculation unit 109 determines that there is a blind spot area on the oncoming lane, it determines whether or not there is a possibility that a moving object will enter the avoidance section from the blind spot area.

[0065] The blind spot risk calculation unit 109 calculates the blind spot risk as high when it is determined that there is a possibility that the moving object will enter the avoidance section from the blind spot area, and calculates the blind spot risk as low when it is determined that there is no possibility that the moving object will enter the avoidance section from the blind spot area. Whether or not there is a possibility that the moving object will enter the avoidance section from the blind spot area is determined by evaluating the elements that constitute the blind spot area. The elements that constitute the blind spot area include, for example, the size of the blind spot area, the distance between the blind spot object and the vehicle, the size of the blind spot object, and the traveling trajectory of the oncoming vehicle that causes the blind spot area. Note that the blind spot risk calculation unit 109 may evaluate any one of the elements that constitute the blind spot area to determine whether or not there is a possibility that the moving object will enter the avoidance section from the blind spot area, or may evaluate two or more elements respectively and integrate the evaluation results.

[0066] The blind spot risk calculation unit 109 determines whether the blind spot area is large enough to hide an oncoming vehicle. When the size of the blind spot area is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, the blind spot risk calculation unit 109 determines that the blind spot area is large enough to hide an oncoming vehicle. When the size of the blind spot area is less than a predetermined value, the blind spot risk calculation unit 109 determines that the blind spot area is not large enough to hide an oncoming vehicle. The predetermined value is, for example, the size of one vehicle. When the blind spot risk calculation unit 109 determines that the blind spot area is large enough to hide an oncoming vehicle, it adds an additional value to the blind spot risk. The additional value is, for example, 1.0 point. When the blind spot risk calculation unit 109 determines that the blind spot area is not large enough to hide an oncoming vehicle, it does not add an additional value to the blind spot risk.

[0067] Further, the blind spot risk calculation unit 109 calculates the distance between the blind spot object and the host vehicle based on the position of the blind spot object and the position of the host vehicle. The blind spot risk calculation unit 109 calculates the blind spot risk higher as the distance between the blind spot object and the host vehicle is shorter, and calculates the blind spot risk lower as the distance is longer. For example, the blind spot risk calculation unit 109 determines whether the distance between the blind spot object and the host vehicle is less than a predetermined value. If the distance between the blind spot object and the host vehicle is less than the predetermined value, the blind spot risk calculation unit 109 adds an additional value to the blind spot risk. The additional value here is, for example, 0.5 points. If the distance between the blind spot object and the host vehicle is not less than the predetermined value, the blind spot risk calculation unit 109 does not add an additional value to the blind spot risk.

[0068] Moreover, the blind spot risk calculation unit 109 calculates the blind spot risk higher as the size of the blind spot object is larger, and calculates the blind spot risk lower as the size of the blind spot object is smaller. For example, the blind spot risk calculation unit 109 judges whether the size of the blind spot object is equal to or larger than a predetermined value. When the blind spot risk calculation unit 109 judges that the size of the blind spot object is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, it adds an additional value to the blind spot risk. When a blind spot area is caused by a large blind spot object, it is often difficult to detect a moving object in the oncoming lane, so the blind spot risk is set high. When the blind spot risk calculation unit 109 judges that the size of the blind spot object is not equal to or larger than a predetermined value, it does not add an additional value to the blind spot risk. Note that the blind spot risk calculation unit 109 may evaluate any one of the height, width, and length of the blind spot object as the size of the blind spot object, or may evaluate a combination of two or more elements of the height, width, and length of the blind spot object.

[0069] In this embodiment, the added value is a value greater than 0. The added value may be weighted differently for each element constituting the blind spot area. In this embodiment, the blind spot risk is calculated by adding up points, but this is not limited to this, and the blind spot risk may be multiplied by a scalar. For example, the blind spot risk may be multiplied by 1.2. The method is not limited to these methods, so long as it is a method that calculates the blind spot risk to be higher as the possibility of a moving body entering the avoidance section from the blind spot area increases.

[0070] Furthermore, when the blind spot object is an oncoming vehicle traveling in the oncoming lane, the blind spot risk calculation unit 109 calculates the blind spot risk of the blind spot area on the oncoming lane caused by the oncoming vehicle. The blind spot risk calculation unit 109 determines whether or not an oncoming vehicle exists on the oncoming lane and whether or not there is a blind spot area on the oncoming lane caused by the oncoming vehicle, based on the surrounding object information. When it is determined that an oncoming vehicle exists on the oncoming lane and that there is a blind spot area on the oncoming lane caused by the oncoming vehicle, the blind spot risk calculation unit 109 determines whether or not the oncoming vehicle has entered the avoidance section, based on the travel trajectory of the oncoming vehicle stored by the moving object trajectory storage unit 111. The blind spot risk calculation unit 109 compares the past travel trajectory of the oncoming vehicle with the avoidance section, and when the past travel trajectory of the oncoming vehicle passes through an adjacent lane adjacent to the own lane or a guidance strip within the avoidance section, it determines that the oncoming vehicle has entered the avoidance section. The blind spot risk calculation unit 109 determines that the oncoming vehicle has not entered the avoidance section if the past driving trajectory of the oncoming vehicle has not passed through an adjacent lane adjacent to the own lane or over a guidance strip within the avoidance section.

[0071] When it is determined that an oncoming vehicle has entered the avoidance section, the blind spot risk calculation unit 109 adds an additional value to the blind spot risk. When an oncoming vehicle has entered the avoidance section, it means that there is a blind spot object on the oncoming lane, and when there is another oncoming vehicle in the blind spot area on the oncoming lane, the other oncoming vehicle is likely to enter the avoidance section and avoid the blind spot object in the same way as the preceding oncoming vehicle, so the blind spot risk is calculated to be high. When it is determined that an oncoming vehicle has not entered the avoidance section, the blind spot risk calculation unit 109 does not add an additional value to the blind spot risk.

[0072] In addition, the blind spot risk calculation unit 109 may calculate the blind spot risk higher as the possibility that a second oncoming vehicle traveling behind the first oncoming vehicle will enter the avoidance section from the blind spot area caused by the first oncoming vehicle increases, and may calculate the blind spot risk lower as the possibility decreases. For example, the blind spot risk calculation unit 109 evaluates the size of the first oncoming vehicle, which is a blind spot object, the distance between the first oncoming vehicle and the vehicle, and the size of the blind spot area caused by the first oncoming vehicle as elements constituting the blind spot area, and calculates the blind spot risk indicating the possibility that the second oncoming vehicle will enter the avoidance section from the blind spot area. A specific method for calculating the blind spot risk is the same as the above-mentioned calculation method.

[0073] After the avoidance section is set by the avoidance section setting section 107, the avoidance section update section 110 updates the avoidance section at a predetermined cycle in accordance with the blind spot risk. For example, in this embodiment, when it is determined that an obstacle on the own lane can be avoided, the avoidance section setting section 107 sets the avoidance section. Then, after it is determined that there is a blind spot area, the avoidance section update section 110 updates the avoidance section at a constant cycle in accordance with the blind spot risk of the blind spot area. Thereby, in this embodiment, the avoidance section can be updated in accordance with the change in blind spot risk. The method of updating the avoidance section in accordance with the blind spot risk is the same as the method of setting the avoidance section in accordance with the blind spot risk.

[0074] The moving object trajectory storage unit 111 stores, as a travel trajectory, the positions of other vehicles for each time series obtained from the object tracking unit 103. For example, the moving object trajectory storage unit 111 stores, for each time series, the positions of the moving object from the present time forward as the travel trajectory of the moving object traveled in the past.

[0075] The vehicle control unit 112 controls the host vehicle so that the host vehicle executes avoidance control in the avoidance section. Specifically, the vehicle control unit 112 sets a travel route for the host vehicle to travel from the avoidance start position to the avoidance end position in the avoidance section based on a travelable area set in an adjacent lane or guidance strip in the avoidance section. The travel route is a route in which the host vehicle starts avoidance control from the avoidance start position, travels within the travelable area expanded onto the adjacent lane or guidance strip, and reaches the avoidance end position. The avoidance start position and the avoidance end position in the width direction of the lane are, for example, positions on the center line of the host lane. The vehicle control unit 112 calculates a target vehicle speed and a target steering angle for traveling along the set travel route, and generates a control signal for causing the host vehicle to travel based on the calculated target vehicle speed and target steering angle. The generated control signal is output to the vehicle control device 5.

[0076] Next, a control process related to the avoidance support control executed by the driving support device 6 will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a control flow for executing the control process related to the avoidance support control in the driving support device 6. In this embodiment, when the host vehicle starts traveling, the control flow starts from step S1. The driving support device 6 sets a drivable area in the host vehicle lane on which the host vehicle is traveling, and generates a traveling route on the host vehicle lane. The host vehicle is controlled to travel on the traveling route. Note that in this embodiment, if the avoidance control cannot be started and the avoidance support control flow ends, the driving control is switched to manual driving by the driver.

[0077] In step S1, the processor 7 acquires lane information around the host vehicle. In step S2, the processor 7 acquires surrounding object information relating to objects around the host vehicle. In step S3, the processor 7 determines whether or not there is an obstacle in the host lane based on the lane information and the surrounding object information. If it is determined that there is an obstacle, the processor 7 proceeds to step S4. If it is determined that there is no obstacle, the processor 7 returns to step S1 and repeats the flow. That is, in this embodiment, the processor 7 determines whether or not there is an obstacle on the host lane at a constant cycle while the host vehicle is traveling.

[0078] In step S4, the processor 7 acquires obstacle information regarding the obstacle. The obstacle information includes the direction (left or right) in which the obstacle is approaching on the own vehicle lane and the distance from the position of the own vehicle to the obstacle. In step S5, the processor 7 acquires a traveling boundary around the own vehicle. For example, the processor 7 acquires the boundary of an adjacent lane or a guidance strip adjacent to the own vehicle lane.

[0079] In step S6, the processor 7 determines whether the host vehicle can avoid the obstacle by steering control in the avoidance direction to avoid the obstacle. For example, the processor 7 specifies the direction opposite to the direction in which the obstacle is approaching on the host vehicle lane as the avoidance direction based on the left or right direction in which the obstacle is approaching included in the obstacle information, and determines whether an adjacent lane or a guiding lane acquired by the traveling boundary acquisition unit 101 is present in the avoidance direction. If it is determined that the host vehicle can avoid the obstacle, the processor 7 proceeds to step S7. If it is determined that the host vehicle cannot avoid the obstacle, the processor 7 ends the flow of the avoidance assistance control.

[0080] In step S7, the processor 7 identifies the category of the lane on the avoidance direction side. That is, the processor 7 identifies whether the lane on the avoidance direction side is an adjacent lane or a guidance strip.

[0081] In step S8, processor 7 sets the avoidance direction side boundary of the drivable area to the avoidance direction side boundary of the adjacent lane or the guidance strip according to the category identified in step S7. That is, when there is an adjacent lane on the avoidance direction side, processor 7 sets the avoidance direction side boundary of the drivable area to the avoidance direction side boundary of the adjacent lane. When there is a guidance strip on the avoidance direction side, processor 7 sets the avoidance direction side boundary of the drivable area to the avoidance direction side boundary of the guidance strip. In step S9, processor 7 sets an avoidance section specified by the avoidance start position and the avoidance end position. Note that when setting the avoidance section in step S9, if a blind spot area is detected on the oncoming lane in the traveling direction of the host vehicle, the avoidance section may be set taking the blind spot area into consideration.

[0082] In step S10, the processor 7 starts the avoidance control from the avoidance start position. Specifically, the processor 7 generates a driving route for executing the avoidance control within the driving area, and calculates a target vehicle speed and a target steering angle for driving along the driving route. Then, the processor 7 outputs a control signal to the vehicle control device 5 to drive the vehicle at the calculated target vehicle speed and target steering angle.

[0083] In step S11, the processor 7 determines whether or not the avoidance control has ended. The processor 7 compares the position of the host vehicle with the avoidance end position, and determines whether or not the host vehicle has reached the avoidance end position. If the host vehicle has reached the avoidance end position, the processor 7 determines that the avoidance control has ended. If the host vehicle has not reached the avoidance end position, the processor 7 determines that the avoidance control has not ended. If it is determined that the avoidance control has ended, the processor 7 ends the flow of the avoidance assistance control. The host vehicle returns to traveling along the host lane. If it is determined that the avoidance control has not ended, the processor 7 proceeds to step S12.

[0084] In step S12, the processor 7 executes the avoidance section update control. A specific procedure of the avoidance section update control will be described later with reference to FIG.

[0085] In step S13, the processor 7 executes avoidance control based on the avoidance end position set in step S12. Specifically, the processor 7 generates a driving route according to the updated avoidance section, and calculates a target vehicle speed and a target steering angle for driving along the driving route. Then, the processor 7 outputs a control signal to the vehicle control device 5 for driving the vehicle at the calculated target vehicle speed and target steering angle. Then, the processor 7 returns to step S11 and repeats the flow from step S11 onward. That is, in this embodiment, after the avoidance control is started, it is determined at a certain period whether the avoidance control has ended, and until it is determined that the avoidance control has not ended, the blind spot risk at that time is calculated, and the avoidance section is updated according to the blind spot risk.

[0086] Next, a description will be given of the control process of the avoidance section update control executed by the driving support device 6. Fig. 5 is a flowchart showing a control flow for executing the control process of the avoidance section update control in the driving support device 6. In this embodiment, when it is determined in step S11 of Fig. 4 that the avoidance has not ended, the processor 7 starts the control flow from step S21.

[0087] In step S21, the processor 7 determines whether or not there is a blind spot area on an oncoming lane that is located in the avoidance direction with respect to the own lane and faces the traveling direction of the own vehicle. If it is determined that there is a blind spot area on the oncoming lane, the processor 7 proceeds to step S22. If it is determined that there is no blind spot area on the oncoming lane, the processor 7 proceeds to step S13 in FIG. 4 without executing the avoidance section update control.

[0088] In this embodiment, after the avoidance control is started, it is determined whether or not there is a blind spot area on the oncoming lane, but this is not limiting. For example, before setting the avoidance section (step S9), it may be determined whether or not there is a blind spot area, and the avoidance section may be set according to the blind spot area, or after the avoidance section is set, it may be determined whether or not there is a blind spot area, and the avoidance section may be updated to the avoidance section according to the blind spot area before the avoidance control is started. Also, if it is not possible to determine whether or not there is a blind spot area based on the detection result of the blind spot area due to a malfunction of the sensor, etc., the processor 7 may redirect the control flow and switch the driving control to manual driving by the driver.

[0089] In step S22, the processor 7 initializes the blind spot risk by setting it to zero. In step S23, the processor 7 acquires blind spot information of a blind spot area caused by a blind spot object located near the avoidance section. The processor 7 identifies a blind spot object present in the blind spot evaluation range based on the surrounding object information, and acquires blind spot information of the blind spot area caused by the blind spot object.

[0090] In step S24, the processor 7 determines whether or not the blind spot area is large enough to hide an oncoming vehicle. If it is determined that the blind spot area is large enough to hide an oncoming vehicle, the processor 7 proceeds to step S25. If it is determined that the blind spot area is not large enough to hide an oncoming vehicle, the processor 7 proceeds to step S13 in FIG. 4 without updating the avoidance section. In step S25, the processor 7 adds an additional value to the initialized blind spot risk (0 points). The additional value is, for example, 1 point.

[0091] In step S26, the processor 7 calculates the distance between the blind spot object and the host vehicle. In step S27, the processor 7 determines whether or not the distance between the blind spot object and the host vehicle is less than a predetermined value. If it is determined that the distance between the blind spot object and the host vehicle is less than the predetermined value, the processor 7 proceeds to step S28. If it is determined that the distance between the blind spot object and the host vehicle is not less than the predetermined value, the processor 7 proceeds to step S34.

[0092] In step S28, the processor 7 adds an additional value to the blind spot risk. The additional value here is, for example, 0.5 points. In step S29, the processor 7 determines whether or not the size of the blind spot object is equal to or larger than a predetermined value. If it is determined that the size of the blind spot object is equal to or larger than the predetermined value, the processor 7 proceeds to step S30. If it is determined that the size of the blind spot object is not equal to or larger than the predetermined value, the processor 7 proceeds to step S34. In step S30, the processor 7 adds an additional value to the blind spot risk.

[0093] In step S31, the processor 7 determines whether the blind spot object is an oncoming vehicle. That is, the processor 7 determines whether there is an oncoming vehicle on the oncoming lane and whether a blind spot area is caused by the oncoming vehicle. If it is determined that the blind spot object is an oncoming vehicle, the processor 7 proceeds to step S32. If it is determined that the blind spot object is not an oncoming vehicle, the processor 7 proceeds to step S34.

[0094] In step S32, the processor 7 determines whether or not the traveling trajectory of the oncoming vehicle was a traveling trajectory that entered the avoidance section of the host vehicle based on the past traveling trajectory of the oncoming vehicle stored by the moving object trajectory storage unit 111. If it is determined that the traveling trajectory of the oncoming vehicle was a traveling trajectory that entered the avoidance section of the host vehicle, the processor 7 proceeds to step S33. If it is determined that the traveling trajectory was not a traveling trajectory that entered the avoidance section of the host vehicle, the processor 7 proceeds to step S34. In step S33, the processor 7 adds an additional value to the blind spot risk.

[0095] In step S34, the processor 7 calculates a first avoidance distance according to the calculated blind spot risk. The processor 7 calculates a subtraction time of the first predetermined time according to the blind spot risk, and calculates the first avoidance distance by multiplying the first predetermined time subtracted by the subtraction time by the vehicle speed of the host vehicle. In step S35, the processor 7 updates the avoidance end position based on the calculated first avoidance distance. After updating the avoidance end position, the processor 7 proceeds to step S13 in FIG. 4.

[0096] As described above, in this embodiment, lane information around the host vehicle is acquired, surrounding object information on objects around the host vehicle is acquired, and based on the lane information and the surrounding object information, it is determined whether or not there is an obstacle that impedes the travel of the host vehicle in the host lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, and if it is determined that there is an obstacle, it is determined whether or not the host vehicle can avoid the obstacle by steering control in the avoidance direction to avoid the obstacle based on the lane information, and if it is determined that the host vehicle can avoid the obstacle, it is determined whether or not there is a blind spot area that is a blind spot from the host vehicle on the opposing lane that is located in the avoidance direction with respect to the host lane and facing the traveling direction of the host vehicle, and depending on the determination result of whether or not there is a blind spot area, an avoidance end position of the avoidance section for executing avoidance control including steering control in the avoidance direction is set, and a travel route for the host vehicle to travel from the avoidance start position to the avoidance end position of the avoidance section is generated. As a result, when generating a travel route to avoid the travel avoidance point, an appropriate travel route can be generated according to the blind spot area that is a blind spot from the host vehicle on the opposing lane in the traveling direction of the host vehicle.

[0097] In addition, in this embodiment, when it is determined that there is a blind spot area, it is determined whether or not there is a possibility that a moving body moving on the oncoming lane will enter the avoidance section from the blind spot area, and when it is determined that there is a possibility of entry, the avoidance end position is set to the front side in the traveling direction compared to when it is determined that there is no possibility of entry, and when it is determined that there is no possibility of entry, the avoidance end position is set to the back side in the traveling direction compared to when it is determined that there is a possibility of entry. This makes it possible to change the avoidance end position at which the avoidance control ends in the forward and backward directions depending on whether or not there is a possibility of another moving body entering the avoidance section from the blind spot. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both a scene in which priority is given to responding to a moving body that may enter the avoidance section and a scene in which priority is given to the smoothness of the avoidance control.

[0098] In this embodiment, the shorter the distance between the obstacle and the blind spot area in the traveling direction of the vehicle, the closer the avoidance end position is set in the traveling direction, and the longer the distance between the obstacle and the blind spot area in the traveling direction of the vehicle, the further the avoidance end position is set in the traveling direction. As a result, the closer the avoidance end position is set, the more likely it is that another moving object will enter the avoidance section, so a trajectory is generated that returns the vehicle to its own lane as soon as possible after the vehicle has avoided the obstacle. Also, since the curvature of the obstacle avoidance travel path becomes larger, the vehicle will travel at a reduced speed, and the deceleration when a moving object enters the avoidance section can be reduced.

[0099] In this embodiment, the travel trajectory of the moving body in the past is stored, and whether or not the first moving body has entered the avoidance section in the past is determined based on the travel trajectory of the first moving body stored. When it is determined that the first moving body has entered the avoidance section in the past, the higher the possibility of the second moving body entering the avoidance section from the blind spot area caused by the first moving body, the closer the avoidance end position is set in the traveling direction, and the lower the possibility of entry, the further the avoidance end position is set in the traveling direction. As a result, since the trajectory of the moving body on the oncoming lane is the one in which the moving body enters the own lane, it is assumed that a blind spot object that creates a blind spot exists in the oncoming lane, and an avoidance section according to the possibility of entry can be set. For example, even in a situation where the moving body on the oncoming lane has a blind spot behind the moving body from the own vehicle and the blind spot object on the oncoming lane cannot be detected, it is determined that a blind spot object exists in the oncoming lane from the trajectory of the moving body on the oncoming lane, and an avoidance section according to the possibility of entry can be set.

[0100] In addition, in this embodiment, at least one of the height, width, and length of the blind spot object is acquired as the size of the blind spot object that causes the blind spot area, and the larger the size of the blind spot object, the closer the avoidance end position is set in the traveling direction, and the smaller the size of the blind spot object, the further the avoidance end position is set in the traveling direction. This makes it possible to reflect the possibility of entry according to the size of the blind spot object that causes the blind spot. For example, consider a scene in which a tall blind spot object such as a truck is parked on the oncoming lane side. At this time, if there is a moving object behind the blind spot object, it is difficult for the moving object and the vehicle to detect each other, so there is a possibility that the moving object will interfere with the vehicle during the avoidance control of the vehicle. Therefore, by setting the possibility of entry to be large according to the size of the blind spot object in such a situation, it becomes possible to travel in response to the moving object entering the avoidance section.

[0101] In addition, in this embodiment, when it is determined that there is a blind spot area, it is determined whether there is a possibility of entry, and when it is determined that there is a possibility of entry, the blind spot risk indicating the possibility of a moving body entering the avoidance section from the blind spot area is calculated to be high, and when it is determined that there is no possibility of entry, the blind spot risk is calculated to be low, and when the blind spot risk is high, the avoidance end position is set to the front side in the traveling direction than when the blind spot risk is low, and when the blind spot risk is low, the avoidance end position is set to the back side in the traveling direction than when the blind spot risk is high. As a result, when there is a possibility that another moving body will enter the avoidance section from the blind spot, the blind spot risk is increased, and when there is no possibility, the blind spot risk is decreased, and the avoidance end position at which the avoidance control is ended can be set according to the blind spot risk. Therefore, it is possible to achieve both a scene in which priority is given to responding to a moving body that may enter the avoidance section and a scene in which priority is given to the smoothness of the avoidance control.

[0102] In addition, in this embodiment, when it is determined that there is no blind spot area, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is acquired, a first avoidance distance is calculated based on the vehicle speed and a first predetermined time required for avoidance control, an avoidance start position where the avoidance section starts is set at a position that is the first avoidance distance away from the position of the obstacle in the direction opposite to the traveling direction, and an avoidance end position is set at a position that is the first avoidance distance away from the position of the obstacle in the traveling direction. This makes it possible to generate a smooth running trajectory and run the host vehicle during avoidance control.

[0103] In this embodiment, a second avoidance section is set with the position of the obstacle as a starting point, and is specified by a second avoidance distance for the host vehicle to travel to the side of the obstacle, and an avoidance start position of the avoidance section is set at a position that is a first avoidance distance away in the opposite direction to the traveling direction from the start position of the second avoidance section, and an avoidance end position of the avoidance section is set at a position that is a first avoidance distance away in the traveling direction from the end position of the second avoidance section. This allows the avoidance section to be set with the obstacle on the host vehicle's lane as a starting point, so the host vehicle can smoothly avoid and pass the obstacle.

[0104] In addition, in this embodiment, when it is determined that there is a blind spot area, a blind spot risk indicating the possibility that a moving object traveling on the oncoming lane will enter the avoidance section from the blind spot area is calculated, the first avoidance distance is corrected according to the blind spot risk, and the avoidance end position is set at a position that is the corrected first avoidance distance away from the obstacle position in the traveling direction. In this way, by updating the first avoidance distance according to the blind spot risk, it is possible to achieve both a scene in which a response to a moving object that may enter the avoidance section is prioritized and a scene in which the smoothness of the avoidance control is prioritized. For example, the greater the blind spot risk, the shorter the avoidance section, and the avoidance control that prioritizes a response to a moving object that may enter the avoidance section is executed. On the other hand, the smaller the blind spot risk, the longer the avoidance section, and the avoidance control that prioritizes smoothness is executed.

[0105] In this embodiment, when there is either an adjacent lane or a guidance strip in the avoidance direction relative to the own lane, it is determined that the own vehicle can avoid the obstacle in the avoidance direction. As a result, when there is an adjacent lane or a guidance strip adjacent to the own lane, the avoidance control is executed, so that the own vehicle can avoid the obstacle by leaving a sufficient space between the own vehicle and the obstacle.

[0106] In this embodiment, the system determines whether the obstacle is to the left or right on the vehicle's lane, and determines whether the vehicle can avoid the obstacle by setting the direction opposite to the direction the obstacle is to the vehicle's lane as the avoidance direction. This allows the vehicle to avoid the obstacle in the necessary direction depending on the position of the obstacle on the vehicle's lane. For example, if the parked vehicle is to the left on the vehicle's lane, the vehicle can avoid the obstacle in the right direction.

[0107] In this embodiment, the boundary of the drivable area in which the vehicle can travel is set to the lane boundary of the vehicle's own lane, and when it is determined that the vehicle can avoid the obstacle, if there is an adjacent lane in the avoidance direction, the boundary of the drivable area on the avoidance direction side is set to the lane boundary of the adjacent lane in the avoidance direction. As a result, when correcting the boundary of the drivable area for the vehicle to avoid an obstacle, if there is an adjacent lane of the vehicle's own lane, the boundary of the drivable area can be set to the lane boundary of the oncoming lane of the vehicle's own lane on the avoidance direction side. For example, in a scene where the vehicle needs to avoid an obstacle to the right of a parked vehicle while driving on the left side of the road, the boundary of the drivable area can be set to the lane on the right side of the oncoming lane of the vehicle's own lane, so that the obstacle can be avoided with a sufficient space between the obstacle and the obstacle.

[0108] In this embodiment, the boundary of the drivable area in which the host vehicle can travel is set to the lane boundary of the host lane, and when it is determined that the host vehicle can avoid an obstacle, if there is a guidance strip in the avoidance direction, the boundary of the drivable area on the avoidance direction side is set to the boundary of the guidance strip on the avoidance direction side. This makes it possible to set the boundary of the drivable area to the boundary of the guidance strip. Therefore, even if there is an obstacle in the host lane, a travel route for avoidance is generated on the guidance strip, and the host vehicle can pass through.

[0109] The above-described embodiments are described for the purpose of facilitating understanding of the present invention, and are not described for the purpose of limiting the present invention. Therefore, the elements disclosed in the above embodiments are intended to include all design modifications and equivalents that fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0110] In this embodiment, the blind spot risk is calculated, and the avoidance end position of the avoidance section is set according to the blind spot risk. However, it is not necessary to calculate the blind spot risk. For example, the avoidance end position may be set according to the detection result of the presence or absence of a blind spot area. [Explanation of symbols]

[0111] 6…Driving support device 7…Processor 100... Vehicle position estimation unit 101…Travel boundary acquisition section 102... Surrounding object acquisition unit 103…Object Tracking Unit 104…Obstacle detection section 105...Avoidance judgment section 106…Boundary setting section 107...Avoidance zone setting section 108...Blind spot determination section 109…Blind Spot Risk Calculation Section 110...Avoidance section update section 111…Mobile trajectory storage unit 112...Vehicle control unit

Claims

1. A driving assistance method executed by a processor, comprising: The processor, Acquire lane information around the vehicle, Obtain surrounding object information regarding objects around the host vehicle; determining whether or not there is an obstacle that obstructs the travel of the host vehicle in the host vehicle's lane based on the lane information and the surrounding object information; When it is determined that the obstacle is present, based on the lane information, it is determined whether or not the host vehicle can avoid the obstacle by steering the host vehicle to an oncoming lane that is located in an avoidance direction for avoiding the obstacle and that faces the traveling direction of the host vehicle; determining whether or not there is a blind spot area on the oncoming lane that is a blind spot from the host vehicle; when it is determined that there is a blind spot area, it is determined whether or not there is a possibility that a moving object moving on the oncoming lane will enter from the blind spot area into an avoidance section in which the host vehicle executes avoidance control including the steering control, when it is determined that the host vehicle can avoid the obstacle and that there is the possibility of entry, an avoidance end position of the avoidance section is set on the nearer side in the traveling direction than when it is determined that the host vehicle can avoid the obstacle and that there is no possibility of entry; A driving assistance method that generates a driving route for the host vehicle to travel from an avoidance start position of the avoidance section to the avoidance end position.

2. The processor, The driving support method according to claim 1 , wherein, when it is determined that there is no possibility of entry, the avoidance end position is set to be further back in the traveling direction than when it is determined that there is a possibility of entry.

3. The processor, the shorter the distance in the traveling direction of the host vehicle between the obstacle and the blind spot area, the further forward in the traveling direction of the host vehicle the avoidance end position is set; The driving support method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the avoidance end position is set farther in the traveling direction of the host vehicle as the distance between the obstacle and the blind spot area in the traveling direction of the host vehicle becomes longer.

4. The processor, storing a travel path of the moving body in the past; determining whether or not the first moving object has entered the avoidance section in the past based on the stored travel trajectory of the first moving object; when it is determined that the first moving body has entered the avoidance section in the past, the greater the possibility that a second moving body will enter the avoidance section from the blind spot area generated by the first moving body, the further forward in the traveling direction the avoidance end position is set; The driving support method according to claim 2 , wherein the avoidance end position is set farther in the traveling direction as the possibility of entry becomes lower.

5. The processor, At least one of a height, a width, and a length of the blind spot object is acquired as a size of the blind spot object causing the blind spot area; The larger the size of the blind spot object, the further forward in the traveling direction the avoidance end position is set; The driving support method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the smaller the size of the blind spot object, the further back in the traveling direction the avoidance end position is set.

6. The processor, When it is determined that the blind spot area exists, it is determined whether or not there is a possibility of the entry; When it is determined that there is a possibility of the moving object entering the avoidance section, a blind spot risk indicating the possibility of the moving object entering the avoidance section from the blind spot area is calculated to be high; When it is determined that there is no possibility of entry, the blind spot risk is calculated to be low, When the blind spot risk is high, the avoidance end position is set closer to the front in the traveling direction than when the blind spot risk is low, The driving support method according to claim 2 , wherein when the blind spot risk is low, the avoidance end position is set further back in the traveling direction than when the blind spot risk is high.

7. The processor, When it is determined that there is no blind spot area, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is acquired; Calculating a first avoidance distance based on the vehicle speed and a first predetermined time required for the avoidance control; an avoidance start position where the avoidance section starts is set at a position separated by the first avoidance distance in a direction opposite to the traveling direction from the position of the obstacle; The driving support method according to claim 1 , wherein the avoidance end position is set at a position separated from the position of the obstacle by the first avoidance distance in the traveling direction.

8. The processor, setting a second avoidance section, the second avoidance section being specified by a second avoidance distance for the host vehicle to travel to the side of the obstacle, with the position of the obstacle as a starting point; setting the avoidance start position of the avoidance section at a position separated by the first avoidance distance in a direction opposite to the traveling direction from a start position of the second avoidance section; The driving support method according to claim 7 , wherein the avoidance end position of the avoidance section is set at a position separated from an end position of the second avoidance section in the traveling direction by the first avoidance distance.

9. The processor, When it is determined that there is a blind spot area, a blind spot risk indicating a possibility that a moving object traveling on the oncoming lane will enter the avoidance section from the blind spot area is calculated; Correcting the first avoidance distance according to the blind spot risk; The driving support method according to claim 7 or 8, wherein the avoidance end position is set at a position away from the position of the obstacle in the traveling direction by the corrected first avoidance distance.

10. The processor, The driving support method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, further comprising determining that the host vehicle can avoid the obstacle in the avoidance direction when there is either an adjacent lane or a guidance strip in the avoidance direction with respect to the host vehicle lane.

11. The processor, determining whether the obstacle is located to the left or right on the own lane; The driving support method according to any one of claims 1 to 10, wherein the avoidance direction is a direction opposite to a direction in which the obstacle is approaching on the own vehicle lane, and whether or not the own vehicle can avoid the obstacle is determined.

12. The processor, setting a boundary of a travelable area in which the host vehicle can travel to a lane boundary of the host lane; 11. The driving support method according to claim 10, wherein, when it is determined that the host vehicle can avoid the obstacle, if the adjacent lane is in the avoidance direction, a boundary in the avoidance direction side of the drivable area is set to a lane boundary in the avoidance direction side of the adjacent lane.

13. The processor, setting a boundary of a travelable area in which the host vehicle can travel to a lane boundary of the host lane; 11. The driving support method according to claim 10, wherein, when it is determined that the host vehicle can avoid the obstacle, if the guidance strip is in the avoidance direction, the boundary of the drivable area on the avoidance direction side is set to the boundary of the guidance strip on the avoidance direction side.

14. A traveling boundary acquisition unit that acquires lane information around the host vehicle; a surrounding object acquisition unit that acquires surrounding object information relating to objects around the host vehicle; an obstacle determination unit that determines whether or not there is an obstacle that obstructs travel of the host vehicle in the host vehicle's own lane based on the lane information and the surrounding object information; an avoidance determination unit that, when it is determined by the obstacle determination unit that there is an obstacle, determines, based on the lane information, whether or not the host vehicle can avoid the obstacle by steering to an oncoming lane that is located in an avoidance direction for avoiding the obstacle and that faces a traveling direction of the host vehicle; a blind spot determination unit that determines whether or not there is a blind spot area on the oncoming lane that is a blind spot from the host vehicle; a blind spot risk calculation unit that, when it is determined that there is a blind spot area, determines whether or not there is a possibility that a moving object moving on the oncoming lane will enter from the blind spot area into an avoidance section in which the host vehicle executes avoidance control including the steering control; an avoidance section setting unit that, when it is determined that the host vehicle can avoid the obstacle and that there is a possibility of the entry, sets an avoidance end position of the avoidance section further forward in a traveling direction than when it is determined that the host vehicle can avoid the obstacle and that there is no possibility of the entry; a vehicle control unit that generates a driving route for the host vehicle to travel from an avoidance start position of the avoidance section to the avoidance end position.

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