Driving condition determination device, method, and program

Abstract

To enable more accurate estimation of whether a vehicle traveling ahead of the own vehicle in an adjacent lane travels with the flow of traffic or not.SOLUTION: A vehicle detection unit (101) detects a plurality of vehicles traveling in an adjacent lane, which is adjacent to a lane in which an own vehicle is traveling, based on a sensor (200) mounted on the vehicle. A speed information acquisition unit (102) acquires speed information of a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of a target vehicle traveling immediately in front of the own vehicle in the adjacent lane among the plurality of vehicles. A deceleration factor determination unit (103) determines whether there is a deceleration factor ahead of the preceding vehicle or not. A traveling state determination unit (104) determines whether the target vehicle travels with the flow of traffic or not, based on the speed information of the preceding vehicle and presence or absence of the deceleration factor.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a driving condition determination device, a cut-in warning device, a method, and a computer-readable medium. [Background technology]

[0002] There is a known technology that predicts a dangerous event that may occur in the future that has not yet been seen from the surrounding situation while driving a car, and issues a warning or controls driving to avoid the danger before the event occurs. As one such technology, Patent Document 1 discloses a cut-in prediction device that predicts a cut-in of a vehicle. The cut-in prediction device described in Patent Document 1 acquires a driving environment related to the vehicle. The cut-in prediction device compares the acquired driving environment with a driving environment acquired immediately before the cut-in occurred when a surrounding vehicle cut-in occurred in the past. The cut-in prediction device calculates a cut-in occurrence probability based on a similarity between the current driving environment and the driving environment of a past vehicle cut-in scene. When the cut-in occurrence probability is high, the cut-in prediction device predicts that a surrounding vehicle will cut in front of the vehicle, and issues a warning to the driver before the cut-in occurs.

[0003] As another related technique, Patent Document 2 discloses a vehicle control device that performs overtaking prediction. The vehicle control device described in Patent Document 1 detects the speed and acceleration or deceleration of multiple adjacent vehicles traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to the own lane as traveling information. The vehicle control device estimates a traffic flow indicating the traveling state of multiple adjacent vehicles based on the traveling information of the multiple adjacent vehicles. The vehicle control device estimates an adjacent vehicle among the multiple adjacent vehicles, in which the difference between the estimated traffic flow and the traveling information of the adjacent vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, as a vehicle that is not in the traffic flow. The vehicle control device predicts that a vehicle following the adjacent vehicle that is not in the traffic flow (an overtaking vehicle) will overtake the adjacent vehicle. The vehicle control device predicts the position where the overtaking vehicle will overtake the adjacent vehicle in front of it, and the timing when the overtaking vehicle will start overtaking. When the vehicle control device estimates that the own vehicle and the overtaking vehicle will collide, the vehicle control device controls the own vehicle to avoid the collision. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2014-41434 A [Patent Document 2] JP 2016-030512 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] In Patent Document 1, when the driving environment is similar to that of a past vehicle cut-in scene, it is predicted that the surrounding vehicle will cut in front of the vehicle. In this case, even if the surrounding vehicle, which is the cut-in target vehicle, has no intention to cut in, if the similarity between the current driving environment and the driving environment of the past vehicle cut-in scene is high, the surrounding vehicle is predicted to cut in front of the vehicle and a warning is issued. For example, even if the surrounding vehicle running in front of the vehicle in the adjacent lane is running following the vehicle in front of it, if the similarity with the past vehicle cut-in scene is high, a warning is issued even if the surrounding vehicle has no intention to cut in. If a warning is issued but the surrounding vehicle does not actually cut in front of the vehicle, it appears to the driver as a false alarm. If there are many false alarms, the driver feels bothered by the warning and is more likely to turn off the cut-in prediction function.

[0006] In Patent Document 2, a vehicle that is not in the traffic flow is estimated based on a combination of the speeds and accelerations of multiple vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes, and the vehicle that is not in the traffic flow is predicted to be overtaken by a vehicle following the vehicle. However, Patent Document 2 does not take into consideration the reason why each vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is accelerating or decelerating. For this reason, when the traffic situation is complicated, it may not be possible to correctly estimate whether a vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is in the traffic flow.

[0007] In consideration of the above circumstances, the present disclosure aims to provide a driving condition determination device, a cut-in warning device, a method, and a computer-readable medium that can more accurately estimate whether a vehicle traveling in front of a vehicle in an adjacent lane is traveling in line with the flow of traffic. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to achieve the above object, the present disclosure provides, as a first aspect, a driving condition determination device, which includes a vehicle detection means for detecting a plurality of vehicles traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to a lane in which the host vehicle is traveling based on a sensor mounted on the vehicle, a speed information acquisition means for acquiring speed information of a forward vehicle traveling ahead of a target vehicle traveling just before the host vehicle in the adjacent lane among the plurality of vehicles, a deceleration factor determination means for determining whether or not there is a deceleration factor ahead of the forward vehicle, and a driving condition determination means for determining whether or not the target vehicle is traveling in line with the flow of traffic based on the speed information of the forward vehicle and the presence or absence of the deceleration factor.

[0009] The present disclosure provides, as a second aspect, a driving condition determination method, which includes: detecting a plurality of vehicles traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to a lane in which a host vehicle is traveling based on a sensor mounted on the vehicle, acquiring speed information of a forward vehicle traveling ahead of a target vehicle traveling just before the host vehicle in the adjacent lane among the plurality of vehicles, determining whether or not there is a deceleration factor ahead of the forward vehicle, and determining whether or not the target vehicle is traveling in line with the flow of traffic based on the speed information of the forward vehicle and the presence or absence of the deceleration factor.

[0010] The present disclosure provides, as a third aspect, a computer-readable medium, which stores a program for causing a processor to execute a process of detecting, based on a sensor mounted on a vehicle, a plurality of vehicles traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to a lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, acquiring speed information of a forward vehicle traveling ahead of a target vehicle traveling just before the host vehicle in the adjacent lane among the plurality of vehicles, determining whether or not there is a deceleration factor ahead of the forward vehicle, and determining whether or not the target vehicle is traveling in line with the flow of traffic based on the speed information of the forward vehicle and the presence or absence of the deceleration factor.

[0011] The present disclosure provides, as a fourth aspect, a cut-in warning device, which includes a vehicle detection means for detecting a plurality of vehicles traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to a lane in which the host vehicle is traveling based on a sensor mounted on the vehicle, a speed information acquisition means for acquiring speed information of a forward vehicle traveling ahead of a target vehicle traveling just before the host vehicle in the adjacent lane among the plurality of vehicles, a deceleration factor determination means for determining whether or not there is a deceleration factor ahead of the forward vehicle, a driving state determination means for determining whether or not the target vehicle will travel with the flow of traffic based on the speed information of the forward vehicle and the presence or absence of the deceleration factor, a cut-in prediction means for predicting that the target vehicle will cut in ahead of the host vehicle based on the status of the host vehicle and the plurality of vehicles traveling in the adjacent lane, and a notification means for warning a driver of the host vehicle of the occurrence of a cut-in when the cut-in prediction means predicts that the target vehicle will cut in and the driving state determination means does not determine that the target vehicle will travel with the flow of traffic.

[0012] The present disclosure provides, as a fifth aspect, a cut-in warning method, which includes: detecting a plurality of vehicles traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to a lane in which a vehicle is traveling, based on a sensor mounted on the vehicle, acquiring speed information of a forward vehicle traveling ahead of a target vehicle traveling just before the vehicle in the adjacent lane among the plurality of vehicles, determining whether or not there is a deceleration factor ahead of the forward vehicle, determining whether or not the target vehicle will travel with the flow of traffic based on the speed information of the forward vehicle and the presence or absence of the deceleration factor, predicting that the target vehicle will cut in ahead of the vehicle based on the status of the vehicle and the plurality of vehicles traveling in the adjacent lane, and warning a driver of the vehicle of the cut-in occurrence when the target vehicle is predicted to cut in ahead of the vehicle and it is not determined that the target vehicle will travel with the flow of traffic.

[0013] The present disclosure provides a computer-readable medium as a sixth aspect. The computer-readable medium stores a program for causing a processor to execute a process of detecting a plurality of vehicles traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to a lane in which the host vehicle is traveling based on a sensor mounted on the vehicle, acquiring speed information of a forward vehicle traveling ahead of a target vehicle traveling just before the host vehicle in the adjacent lane among the plurality of vehicles, determining whether or not there is a deceleration factor ahead of the forward vehicle, determining whether or not the target vehicle will travel with the flow of traffic based on the speed information of the forward vehicle and the presence or absence of the deceleration factor, predicting that the target vehicle will cut in ahead of the host vehicle based on the status of the host vehicle and the plurality of vehicles traveling in the adjacent lane, and warning the driver of the host vehicle of the occurrence of a cut-in if the target vehicle is predicted to cut in ahead of the host vehicle and it is not determined that the target vehicle will travel with the flow of traffic. Effect of the Invention

[0014] The driving condition determination device, cut-in warning device, method, and computer-readable medium disclosed herein can more accurately estimate whether a vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle in an adjacent lane is traveling in line with the flow of traffic. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a traveling condition determination device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the positional relationship between the host vehicle and a plurality of vehicles traveling on approaching and separating lanes. [Diagram 3] 4 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the traveling state determination device. [Figure 4] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an interrupt warning device (interrupt occurrence prediction device). [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure in the interrupt occurrence prediction device. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a hardware configuration of an electronic control device. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Fig. 1 shows a driving state determination device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. The driving state determination device 100 includes a vehicle detection unit 101, a speed information acquisition unit 102, a deceleration factor determination unit 103, and a driving state determination unit 104. The driving state determination device 100 is mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile.

[0017] The traveling condition determination device 100 is connected to a sensor 200 mounted on a vehicle. The sensor 200 includes at least one of a camera for capturing an image of the area ahead of the vehicle, a radar, and a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). The traveling condition determination device 100 acquires sensor information from the sensor 200 through a network such as a Controller Area Network (CAN).

[0018] The vehicle detection unit (vehicle detection means) 101 acquires sensor information from the sensor 200 and detects other vehicles present ahead in lanes adjacent to the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling. For example, when the host vehicle is traveling in the second lane from the left (second traveling lane), the vehicle detection unit 101 detects multiple vehicles traveling in the same direction as the host vehicle in the lane on the left (first traveling lane). The traveling state determination device 100 determines whether or not a vehicle traveling immediately before the host vehicle in the adjacent lane, among the multiple detected vehicles, is traveling in the flow of traffic.

[0019] The speed information acquisition unit (speed information acquisition means) 102 acquires speed information of the vehicle (foremost vehicle) traveling in the adjacent lane furthest ahead as viewed from the own vehicle among the multiple vehicles detected by the vehicle detection unit 101. The speed information acquisition unit 102 also acquires the traveling speed of the own vehicle. The speed information acquisition unit 102 acquires, for example, the speed and acceleration of the foremost vehicle. The speed of the foremost vehicle can be calculated, for example, based on the relative speed between the own vehicle and the foremost vehicle and the traveling speed of the own vehicle.

[0020] Furthermore, the speed information acquisition unit 102 acquires the maximum speed (maximum speed information) permitted for the road on which the vehicle is traveling. The speed information acquisition unit 102 may recognize traffic signs (speed signs) from an image captured by a camera, for example, and acquire the speed limit (regulated speed) as the permitted maximum speed. Alternatively, the speed information acquisition unit 102 may acquire the maximum speed information from map information or VICS (registered trademark) (Vehicle Information and Communication System) information. In general, the maximum speed permitted for the road on which the vehicle is traveling is the speed limit or the legal speed.

[0021] The deceleration factor determination unit (deceleration factor determination means) 103 determines whether or not there is a factor ahead that will slow down or stop the vehicle on the road on which the vehicle is traveling. The deceleration factor determination unit 103 acquires, for example, the light state of a traffic light ahead in the traveling direction. The deceleration factor determination unit 103 recognizes the traffic light from, for example, an image captured by a camera, and acquires the light state of the traffic light. The deceleration factor determination unit 103 may acquire the light state by performing road-to-vehicle communication with the traffic light. The deceleration factor determination unit 103 determines that there is a deceleration factor when the traffic light is red or yellow. The deceleration factor determination unit 103 determines that there is no deceleration factor when the traffic light is green.

[0022] The driving state determination unit (driving state determination means) 104 determines whether or not a vehicle (a determination target vehicle) traveling immediately before the vehicle in the adjacent lane is traveling along the traffic flow, based on the speed information of the foremost vehicle acquired by the speed information acquisition unit 102 and the determination result of the deceleration factor determination unit 103. The driving state determination unit 104 determines whether or not the target vehicle is traveling along the traffic flow, based on the speed or acceleration of the foremost vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane and the lighting state of the traffic lights.

[0023] FIG. 2 shows the positional relationship between the host vehicle and a number of vehicles traveling in the approaching and separating lanes. In FIG. 2, vehicle (host vehicle) 300 is traveling in the second travel lane. Assume that vehicle detection unit 101 detects three vehicles 301 to 303 traveling in the first travel lane. Vehicle 303 is a target vehicle, and travels immediately before host vehicle 300 in the first travel lane. Vehicle 302 is a vehicle traveling one vehicle ahead of target vehicle 303, and vehicle 301 is a vehicle traveling two vehicles ahead of target vehicle 303.

[0024] The speed information acquisition unit 102 acquires the speed and acceleration of the vehicle 301, which is the foremost vehicle. The speed information acquisition unit 102 also acquires the speed limit from a traffic sign 310 installed on the side of the road. In the example of Fig. 2, the speed information acquisition unit 102 acquires a speed limit of 50 km / h from the traffic sign 310. The deceleration cause determination unit 103 acquires the lighting state of a traffic light 320 installed further ahead of the foremost vehicle 301.

[0025] The vehicle from which the speed information acquisition unit 102 acquires speed information may be any vehicle ahead of the vehicle (target vehicle 303 in FIG. 2) traveling just before the host vehicle in the adjacent lane, and is not necessarily limited to the foremost vehicle 301. For example, when a total of five vehicles are detected in the adjacent lane, the speed information acquisition unit 102 may acquire speed information of the second, third, or fourth vehicle from the front among the four vehicles excluding the target vehicle.

[0026] When the light state of the traffic light 320 indicates a stop, the foremost vehicle 301 is considered to decelerate in order to stop in front of the traffic light 320. The vehicle 302 decelerates in accordance with the deceleration of the foremost vehicle 301, and the target vehicle 303 is also considered to decelerate in accordance with the deceleration of the vehicle 302 in front. In this case, the target vehicle 303 is considered to follow the traffic flow and travel following the vehicle in front. Therefore, it can be said that the driver of the target vehicle 303 has no intention of changing lanes to the second driving lane and cutting in front of the host vehicle 300.

[0027] On the other hand, when the light state of the traffic light 320 indicates that the vehicle can proceed, the vehicle 301 at the front does not need to decelerate in front of the traffic light 320. In such a case, if the speed of the vehicle 301 at the front is approximately the speed limit, the target vehicle 303 is considered to follow the vehicle ahead. In this case, it can be said that the driver of the target vehicle 303 has no intention of changing lanes to the second driving lane and cutting in front of the vehicle 300. In contrast, if the speed of the vehicle 301 at the front is slower than the speed limit, the target vehicle 303 may change lanes to the second driving lane to overtake the vehicles 301 and 302 without following the vehicle ahead.

[0028] Furthermore, when the light state of the traffic light 320 indicates that it is OK to proceed, and the foremost vehicle 301 is accelerating from a low speed state, it is considered that the target vehicle 303 will travel following the vehicle ahead. In this case, it can be said that the driver of the target vehicle 303 has no intention of changing lanes to the second driving lane and cutting in front of the vehicle 300. In contrast, when the foremost vehicle 301 is not accelerating from a low speed state, the target vehicle 303 may change lanes to the second driving lane to overtake the vehicles 301 and 302 without following the vehicle ahead.

[0029] In this embodiment, the running state determination unit 104 determines whether the light state of the traffic light indicates stop or indicates OK to proceed. If the light state of the traffic light 320 indicates stop, the running state determination unit 104 determines whether the foremost vehicle 301 is decelerating. If the foremost vehicle is decelerating, that is, if the acceleration is negative, the running state determination unit 104 determines that the target vehicle 303 will run with the flow of traffic.

[0030] When the light state of the traffic light 320 indicates that the vehicle is permitted to proceed, the traveling state determination unit 104 determines whether the speed of the vehicle 301 at the forefront is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed. The predetermined speed is set to, for example, "speed limit - α" as a margin for speed determination. When the speed of the vehicle at the forefront is equal to or greater than "speed limit - α", the traveling state determination unit 104 determines that the target vehicle 303 is traveling in the flow of traffic. When the speed of the vehicle at the forefront is slower than "speed limit - α", the traveling state determination unit 104 determines whether the vehicle at the forefront is accelerating. When the vehicle at the forefront is accelerating, the traveling state determination unit 104 determines that the target vehicle 303 is traveling in the flow of traffic.

[0031] Next, the operation procedure (driving condition determination method) of the driving condition determination device 100 will be described. Fig. 3 shows the operation procedure of the driving condition determination device 100. The vehicle detection unit 101 acquires sensor information from the sensor 200 and detects vehicles traveling in an adjacent lane (step A1). The speed information acquisition unit 102 acquires speed information of the forefront vehicle among the detected vehicles (step A2). In step A2, the speed information acquisition unit 102 acquires, for example, the speed and acceleration of the forefront vehicle.

[0032] The deceleration factor determination unit 103 acquires the light state of the traffic light (step A3). The deceleration factor determination unit 103 acquires the light state of the traffic light installed in front of the foremost vehicle from, for example, an image captured by a camera capturing an image in front of the vehicle. The deceleration factor determination unit 103 judges whether the light state of the traffic light indicates a stop (step A4). If the light state of the traffic light indicates a stop, the deceleration factor determination unit 103 notifies the running condition determination unit 104 of that effect. If the light state of the traffic light does not indicate a stop, that is, indicates that proceeding is permitted, the deceleration factor determination unit 103 notifies the running condition determination unit 104 of that effect.

[0033] If the light state of the traffic light indicates that the vehicle can proceed, the driving state determination unit 104 determines whether the speed of the vehicle at the front is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed or whether the vehicle is accelerating (step A5). If the speed of the vehicle at the front is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed or the vehicle is accelerating, the driving state determination unit 104 determines that the target vehicle traveling immediately before the vehicle in the adjacent lane will travel with the traffic flow (step A6). If the driving state determination unit 104 determines that the target vehicle will travel with the traffic flow, it outputs a notification to that effect to a subsequent processing unit (not shown). If the speed of the vehicle at the front is lower than a predetermined speed and the vehicle is not accelerating, the driving state determination unit 104 determines that it is unclear whether the target vehicle will travel with the traffic flow. In this case, the driving state determination unit 104 does not need to output a signal to the subsequent processing unit.

[0034] If the light state of the traffic light indicates a stop, the driving state determination unit 104 determines whether the vehicle at the front is decelerating (step A7). If the vehicle at the front is decelerating, the driving state determination unit 104 proceeds to step A6 and determines that the target vehicle traveling immediately before the host vehicle in the adjacent lane will travel with the flow of traffic. If the vehicle at the front is not decelerating, the driving state determination unit 104 determines that it is unclear whether the target vehicle will travel with the flow of traffic.

[0035] In this embodiment, the driving state determination unit 104 determines whether or not a target vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle in the approaching lane is traveling in the flow of traffic based on the light state of the traffic light and the speed information of the foremost vehicle in the adjacent lane. For example, even if the foremost vehicle is decelerating, if the light state of the traffic light indicates that the target vehicle is stopped, the driving state determination unit 104 determines that the target vehicle is traveling in the flow of traffic. In this embodiment, by combining the light state of the traffic light, which is a deceleration factor, and the speed information, it is possible to correctly estimate whether or not a vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is traveling in the flow of traffic even in cases where traffic conditions are complicated, such as on a general road.

[0036] Next, an interruption warning device according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. FIG. 4 shows an interruption warning device (interruption occurrence prediction device). The interruption occurrence prediction device 400 has a driving state determination device 100, an interruption occurrence prediction unit 410, and a notification unit 420. In the interruption occurrence prediction device 400, the driving state determination device 100 and the interruption occurrence prediction unit 410 are not necessarily separated. Some functions of the driving state determination device 100 and some functions of the interruption occurrence prediction unit 410 may be shared. The driving state determination device 100 and the interruption occurrence prediction unit 410 may be configured as physically separated devices, or may be configured as the same device.

[0037] The cut-in occurrence prediction unit (cut-in prediction means) 410 predicts that a vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle in an adjacent lane will change lanes and cut in ahead of the host vehicle. The cut-in occurrence prediction unit 410 acquires the situation around the host vehicle, for example, using the sensor 200. The cut-in occurrence prediction unit 410 detects, for example, a plurality of vehicles traveling in an adjacent lane, and acquires the relative positions and relative speeds of each vehicle, and the speed of the host vehicle. The cut-in occurrence prediction unit 410, for example, compares the current situation around the vehicle with a dangerous scene prediction model, and predicts the possibility of a cut-in occurrence. The dangerous scene prediction model is created, for example, by learning the relative positions, relative speeds, and speed of each vehicle when a cut-in has occurred in the past.

[0038] The cut-in occurrence prediction unit 410 uses a dangerous scene prediction model to calculate the probability that a target vehicle traveling immediately before the host vehicle in an adjacent lane will cut in front of the host vehicle (cut-in occurrence probability). When the cut-in occurrence probability is equal to or greater than a threshold value, the cut-in occurrence prediction unit 410 predicts that a cut-in will occur. When the cut-in occurrence prediction unit 410 predicts that a cut-in will occur, it outputs a notice to that effect to the notification unit 420. Note that the method of predicting whether or not the target vehicle will cut in is arbitrary and is not limited to the above-mentioned method. The cut-in occurrence prediction unit 410 may predict the cut-in of the target vehicle using other known methods.

[0039] As described in the first embodiment, the driving condition determination device 100 determines whether or not a target vehicle traveling immediately before the vehicle in the adjacent lane will travel with the flow of traffic. This target vehicle is the same as the target vehicle in the cut-in occurrence prediction unit 410. When the driving condition determination device 100 determines that the target vehicle will travel with the flow of traffic, it outputs a notice to that effect to the notification unit 420.

[0040] The notification unit (notification means) 420 issues a warning to the driver of the vehicle when it receives a warning from the cut-in occurrence prediction unit 410 that a cut-in will occur, but does not receive a warning from the driving state determination device 100 that the target vehicle is in the traffic flow. The notification unit 420 issues a warning, for example, by displaying a mark or making a sound, before a cut-in actually occurs. Even when the notification unit 420 receives a warning from the cut-in occurrence prediction unit 410 that a cut-in will occur, if it receives a warning from the driving state determination device 100 that the target vehicle is in the traffic flow, the notification unit 420 does not issue a warning.

[0041] 5 shows an operation procedure (cut-in warning method) in the cut-in occurrence prediction device 400. The cut-in occurrence prediction unit 410 acquires sensor information from the sensor 200 and acquires the situation around the host vehicle (step B1). The cut-in occurrence prediction unit 410 applies the acquired situation to a prediction model (step B2). In step B2, the cut-in occurrence prediction unit 410 calculates, for example, the probability that a target vehicle traveling immediately before the host vehicle in an adjacent lane will cut in front of the host vehicle.

[0042] The driving condition determination device 100 determines the driving condition of a target vehicle that is driving immediately before the vehicle in the adjacent lane (step B3). The driving condition determination device 100 determines whether the target vehicle is driving in the flow of traffic or not according to the manual operation procedure shown in Fig. 3. The prediction of the cut-in occurrence in steps B1 and B2 and the determination of the driving condition in step B3 can be performed in parallel.

[0043] The notification unit 420 judges whether the cut-in prediction unit 410 has predicted that the target vehicle will cut in front of the vehicle (step B4). When the notification unit 420 has predicted that the target vehicle will cut in front of the vehicle, the notification unit 420 judges whether the target vehicle is determined to travel in the traffic flow (step B5). When the notification unit 420 has predicted that the target vehicle will cut in front of the vehicle and has not determined that the target vehicle will travel in the traffic flow, the notification unit 420 issues a warning (step B6). When the notification unit 420 has not predicted that the target vehicle will cut in front of the vehicle or has determined that the target vehicle will travel in the traffic flow, the notification unit 420 does not issue a warning.

[0044] In this embodiment, even if the occurrence of cutting in is predicted, if it is determined that the target vehicle is traveling in the flow of traffic, the driver's attention is not issued. In this embodiment, even if the current situation is similar to a past vehicle cutting in scene, if the target vehicle has no intention to cut in, the attention is suppressed. In this way, it is possible to suppress a warning of cutting in when there is actually no cutting in, and to eliminate the inconvenience to the driver. As a result, it is possible to reduce the possibility that the cutting in prediction function is turned off.

[0045] In the present disclosure, the driving state determination device 100 and the interrupt occurrence prediction device 400 may be configured as an electronic control unit. FIG. 6 shows a hardware configuration of an electronic control device that may be used for the driving state determination device 100 and the interrupt occurrence prediction device 400. The electronic control unit 500 has a processor 501, a read only memory (ROM) 502, and a random access memory (RAM) 503. In the electronic control unit 500, the processor 501, the read only memory (ROM) 502, and the random access memory (RAM) 503 are connected to each other via a bus 504. The electronic control unit 500 may include other circuits such as peripheral circuits, communication circuits, and interface circuits, although not shown.

[0046] The ROM 502 is a non-volatile storage device. For example, a semiconductor storage device having a relatively small capacity, such as a flash memory, is used for the ROM 502. The ROM 502 stores the programs executed by the processor 501.

[0047] The above program can be stored and provided to the electronic control unit 500 using various types of non-transitory computer readable media. The non-transitory computer readable media include various types of tangible storage media. Examples of the non-transitory computer readable media include magnetic recording media such as a flexible disk, a magnetic tape, or a hard disk, magneto-optical recording media such as a magneto-optical disk, optical disk media such as a compact disc (CD) or a digital versatile disk (DVD), and semiconductor memories such as a mask ROM, a programmable ROM (PROM), an erasable PROM (EPROM), a flash ROM, or a RAM. The program may also be provided to the electronic control unit using various types of temporary computer readable media. Examples of the temporary computer readable media include an electric signal, an optical signal, and an electromagnetic wave. The temporary computer readable medium can provide the program to the electronic control unit via a wired communication path such as an electric wire and an optical fiber, or via a wireless communication path.

[0048] The RAM 503 is a volatile storage device. Various semiconductor memory devices such as a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) or a static random access memory (SRAM) are used for the RAM 503. The RAM 540 can be used as an internal buffer that temporarily stores data and the like.

[0049] The processor 501 loads a program stored in the ROM 502 into the RAM 503 and executes the program. When the CPU 501 executes the program, the functions of each part of the traveling state determination device 100 or the interrupt occurrence prediction device 400 can be realized.

[0050] In the above embodiment, the deceleration factor determination unit 103 determines that there is a deceleration factor when the light state of the traffic light indicates a stop, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. For example, the deceleration factor determination unit 103 may recognize a crosswalk where no traffic light is installed and detect the presence or absence of a pedestrian at the crosswalk. When there is a pedestrian, the deceleration factor determination unit 103 may determine that there is a deceleration factor, similar to when the light state of the traffic light indicates a stop. When there is no pedestrian, the deceleration factor determination unit 103 may determine that there is no deceleration factor, similar to when the effect state of the traffic light indicates that proceeding is possible.

[0051] Although the embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and changes and modifications to the above-described embodiments that do not deviate from the spirit of the present disclosure are also included in the present disclosure.

[0052] For example, some or all of the above embodiments may be described as, but are not limited to, the following supplementary notes.

[0053] [Appendix 1] a vehicle detection means for detecting a plurality of vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes adjacent to the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, based on a sensor mounted on the vehicle; a speed information acquisition means for acquiring speed information of a forward vehicle, which is traveling ahead of a target vehicle traveling immediately before the host vehicle in an adjacent lane, among the plurality of vehicles; a deceleration factor determination means for determining whether or not there is a deceleration factor ahead of the forward vehicle; and a driving condition determination means for determining whether the target vehicle is traveling in line with the flow of traffic based on the speed information of the preceding vehicle and the presence or absence of the deceleration factor.

[0054] [Appendix 2] 2. The driving condition determination device according to claim 1, wherein the speed information acquisition means acquires speed information of a foremost vehicle among the plurality of vehicles.

[0055] [Appendix 3] 3. The driving condition determination device according to claim 1, wherein the speed information acquisition means acquires a speed and an acceleration of the forward vehicle as the speed information.

[0056] [Appendix 4] The driving condition determination device according to any one of appendices 1 to 3, wherein the deceleration factor determination means determines that there is a deceleration factor when a traffic light is present in front of the forward vehicle and the light state of the traffic light indicates a stop.

[0057] [Appendix 5] 5. The driving condition determination device according to claim 1, wherein the deceleration factor determination means determines that there is a deceleration factor when a crosswalk is present in front of the forward vehicle and a person is crossing the crosswalk.

[0058] [Appendix 6] The driving condition determination device according to any one of appendices 1 to 5, wherein the driving condition determination means determines that the target vehicle is driving in line with the flow of traffic when the deceleration factor determination means determines that there is a deceleration factor and when the vehicle ahead is decelerating.

[0059] [Appendix 7] The driving condition determination device according to any one of appendices 1 to 6, wherein the driving condition determination means determines that the target vehicle is driving in line with the flow of traffic when the deceleration factor determination means determines that there is no deceleration factor and when the speed of the vehicle ahead is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed.

[0060] [Appendix 8] 8. The driving condition determination device according to claim 7, wherein the predetermined speed is set to a speed that is lower than the speed limit or the legal speed of the road on which the vehicle is traveling by a predetermined margin.

[0061] [Appendix 9] The driving condition determination device according to any one of appendices 1 to 8, wherein the driving condition determination means determines that the target vehicle is driving in line with the flow of traffic when the deceleration factor determination means determines that there is no deceleration factor and when the vehicle ahead is accelerating.

[0062] [Appendix 10] a vehicle detection means for detecting a plurality of vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes adjacent to the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, based on a sensor mounted on the vehicle; a speed information acquisition means for acquiring speed information of a forward vehicle, which is traveling ahead of a target vehicle traveling immediately before the host vehicle in an adjacent lane, among the plurality of vehicles; a deceleration factor determination means for determining whether or not there is a deceleration factor ahead of the forward vehicle; a driving condition determination means for determining whether the target vehicle is traveling in line with the flow of traffic based on the speed information of the forward vehicle and the presence or absence of the deceleration factor; a cut-in prediction means for predicting that the target vehicle will cut in ahead of the host vehicle based on the status of the host vehicle and a plurality of vehicles traveling in the adjacent lane; and an alerting means for alerting the driver of the vehicle of an occurrence of an interruption when the interruption prediction means predicts that the target vehicle will interrupt and the driving state determination means does not determine that the target vehicle will travel in line with the flow of traffic.

[0063] [Appendix 11] 11. The cut-in warning device according to claim 10, wherein the notification means does not warn the driver of the cut-in occurrence when the cut-in prediction means predicts that the target vehicle will cut in and the driving state determination means determines that the target vehicle will drive in line with the flow of traffic.

[0064] [Appendix 12] The cut-in warning device according to claim 10 or 11, wherein the cut-in prediction means acquires a situation between the vehicle and a plurality of vehicles traveling in the adjacent lane, compares the acquired situation with a dangerous scene prediction model, and predicts the possibility of a cut-in occurring.

[0065] [Appendix 13] Detecting a plurality of vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes adjacent to the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling based on a sensor mounted on the vehicle; acquiring speed information of a forward vehicle that is traveling ahead of a target vehicle that is traveling immediately before the host vehicle in an adjacent lane among the plurality of vehicles; determining whether there is a deceleration factor in front of the forward vehicle; A driving condition determination method for determining whether the target vehicle is traveling in line with the flow of traffic based on the speed information of the preceding vehicle and the presence or absence of the deceleration factor.

[0066] [Appendix 14] Detecting a plurality of vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes adjacent to the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling based on a sensor mounted on the vehicle; acquiring speed information of a forward vehicle that is traveling ahead of a target vehicle that is traveling immediately before the host vehicle in an adjacent lane among the plurality of vehicles; determining whether there is a deceleration factor in front of the forward vehicle; determining whether the target vehicle is traveling in a traffic flow based on the speed information of the forward vehicle and the presence or absence of the deceleration factor; predicting whether the target vehicle will cut in front of the host vehicle based on the status of the host vehicle and a plurality of vehicles traveling in the adjacent lane; This method warns the driver of a vehicle of the occurrence of a cut-in when it is predicted that the target vehicle will cut in ahead of the vehicle and it is not determined that the target vehicle will run in line with the traffic flow.

[0067] [Appendix 15] Detecting a plurality of vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes adjacent to the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling based on a sensor mounted on the vehicle; acquiring speed information of a forward vehicle that is traveling ahead of a target vehicle that is traveling immediately before the host vehicle in an adjacent lane among the plurality of vehicles; determining whether there is a deceleration factor in front of the forward vehicle; A program for causing a processor to execute a process for determining whether the target vehicle is traveling in line with the flow of traffic based on the speed information of the vehicle ahead and the presence or absence of the deceleration factor.

[0068] [Appendix 16] Detecting a plurality of vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes adjacent to the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling based on a sensor mounted on the vehicle; acquiring speed information of a forward vehicle that is traveling ahead of a target vehicle that is traveling immediately before the host vehicle in an adjacent lane among the plurality of vehicles; determining whether there is a deceleration factor in front of the forward vehicle; determining whether the target vehicle is traveling in a traffic flow based on the speed information of the forward vehicle and the presence or absence of the deceleration factor; predicting whether the target vehicle will cut in front of the host vehicle based on the status of the host vehicle and a plurality of vehicles traveling in the adjacent lane; This program causes a processor to execute a process of warning a driver of a vehicle of an occurrence of an intrusion when the target vehicle is predicted to cut in ahead of the vehicle and it is not determined that the target vehicle will travel with the flow of traffic.

[0069] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-026581, filed on February 19, 2020, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety. [Explanation of symbols]

[0070] 100: Driving condition determination device 101: Vehicle detection unit 102: Speed ​​information acquisition section 103: Deceleration factor determination unit 104: Driving state determination unit 200: Sensor 300: Vehicle 301~303: Vehicle 310: Traffic sign 320: Traffic lights 400: Interruption prediction device 410: Interrupt occurrence prediction unit 420: Information Department

Claims

1. a vehicle detection means for detecting a plurality of vehicles traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling; a speed information acquisition means for acquiring speed information of a forward vehicle, which is traveling ahead of a target vehicle traveling immediately before the host vehicle in an adjacent lane, among the plurality of vehicles; a deceleration factor determination means for determining whether or not there is a deceleration factor ahead of the forward vehicle; a driving state determination means for determining whether or not the target vehicle will change lanes into the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, based on the speed information of the forward vehicle and the presence or absence of the deceleration factor, The deceleration factor determination means determines that there is a deceleration factor when a traffic light is present in front of the forward vehicle and the light state of the traffic light indicates a stop, or when a pedestrian crossing is present in front of the forward vehicle and someone is crossing the crosswalk.

2. 2. The driving condition determination device according to claim 1, wherein the speed information acquisition means acquires the speed and acceleration of the forward vehicle as the speed information.

3. A vehicle detection means for detecting a plurality of vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes adjacent to a lane in which the host vehicle is traveling; a speed information acquisition means for acquiring speed information of a forward vehicle, which is traveling ahead of a target vehicle traveling immediately before the host vehicle in an adjacent lane, among the plurality of vehicles; a deceleration factor determination means for determining whether or not there is a deceleration factor ahead of the forward vehicle; a driving state determination means for determining whether or not the target vehicle will change lanes into the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, based on the speed information of the forward vehicle and the presence or absence of the deceleration factor, The driving condition determination means determines that the target vehicle is traveling in line with the flow of traffic when the deceleration factor determination means determines that there is a deceleration factor and when the forward vehicle is decelerating.

4. A vehicle detection means for detecting a plurality of vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes adjacent to a lane in which the host vehicle is traveling; a speed information acquisition means for acquiring speed information of a forward vehicle, which is traveling ahead of a target vehicle traveling immediately before the host vehicle in an adjacent lane, among the plurality of vehicles; a deceleration factor determination means for determining whether or not there is a deceleration factor ahead of the forward vehicle; a driving state determination means for determining whether or not the target vehicle will change lanes into the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, based on the speed information of the forward vehicle and the presence or absence of the deceleration factor, The driving condition determination means determines that the target vehicle will change lanes into the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling when the deceleration factor determination means determines that there is no deceleration factor and when the forward vehicle is decelerating.

5. The computer Detecting a plurality of vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes adjacent to the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling; acquiring speed information of a forward vehicle that is traveling ahead of a target vehicle that is traveling immediately before the host vehicle in an adjacent lane among the plurality of vehicles; determining whether there is a deceleration factor in front of the forward vehicle; determining whether the target vehicle will change lanes into the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, based on the speed information of the forward vehicle and the presence or absence of the deceleration factor; The driving condition determination method determines that there is a factor that causes deceleration when a traffic light is present in front of the vehicle in front and the light state of the traffic light indicates a stop, or when a pedestrian crossing is present in front of the vehicle in front and someone is crossing the pedestrian crossing.

6. A computer comprising: Detecting a plurality of vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes adjacent to the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling; acquiring speed information of a forward vehicle that is traveling ahead of a target vehicle that is traveling immediately before the host vehicle in an adjacent lane among the plurality of vehicles; determining whether there is a deceleration factor in front of the forward vehicle; determining whether the target vehicle will change lanes into the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, based on the speed information of the forward vehicle and the presence or absence of the deceleration factor; The method for determining a driving condition includes determining that the target vehicle is traveling in line with the flow of traffic if it is determined that there is a deceleration factor and if the forward vehicle is decelerating.

7. A computer comprising: Detecting a plurality of vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes adjacent to the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling; acquiring speed information of a forward vehicle that is traveling ahead of a target vehicle that is traveling immediately before the host vehicle in an adjacent lane among the plurality of vehicles; determining whether there is a deceleration factor in front of the forward vehicle; determining whether the target vehicle will change lanes into the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, based on the speed information of the forward vehicle and the presence or absence of the deceleration factor; The driving condition determination method determines that the target vehicle will change lanes into the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling if it is determined that there is no deceleration factor and if the forward vehicle is decelerating.

8. Detecting a plurality of vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes adjacent to the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling; acquiring speed information of a forward vehicle that is traveling ahead of a target vehicle that is traveling immediately before the host vehicle in an adjacent lane among the plurality of vehicles; determining whether there is a deceleration factor in front of the forward vehicle; determining whether the target vehicle will change lanes into the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, based on the speed information of the forward vehicle and the presence or absence of the deceleration factor; A program for causing a processor to execute a process of determining that there is a factor that causes deceleration when a traffic light is present in front of the vehicle in front and the light state of the traffic light indicates a stop, or when a crosswalk is present in front of the vehicle in front and someone is crossing the crosswalk.

9. Detecting a plurality of vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes adjacent to a lane in which the host vehicle is traveling; acquiring speed information of a forward vehicle that is traveling ahead of a target vehicle that is traveling immediately before the host vehicle in an adjacent lane among the plurality of vehicles; determining whether there is a deceleration factor in front of the forward vehicle; determining whether the target vehicle will change lanes into the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, based on the speed information of the forward vehicle and the presence or absence of the deceleration factor; A program for causing a processor to execute a process of determining that the target vehicle is traveling in line with the flow of traffic when it is determined that there is a factor for deceleration and when the vehicle ahead is decelerating.

10. Detecting a plurality of vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes adjacent to a lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, acquiring speed information of a forward vehicle that is traveling ahead of a target vehicle that is traveling immediately before the host vehicle in an adjacent lane among the plurality of vehicles; determining whether there is a deceleration factor in front of the forward vehicle; determining whether the target vehicle will change lanes into the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, based on the speed information of the forward vehicle and the presence or absence of the deceleration factor; A program for causing a processor to execute a process for determining that the target vehicle will change lanes into the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling if it is determined that there is no factor for deceleration and if the vehicle ahead is decelerating.

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