Driving support device and driving support program

Abstract

This driving assistance device (40) comprises: a travel trajectory calculation unit (42) which executes driving assistance in an own vehicle and calculates the traveling trajectory of the own vehicle on the basis of periphery monitoring information about an own vehicle (60) that is acquired from a periphery monitoring device (20); an operation area calculation unit (43) which calculates an operation area of the periphery of the own vehicle; and an operation determination unit (48) which, when an object is detected within the operation area on the basis of the periphery monitoring information, determines a driving assistance operation of the own vehicle, wherein the operation determination unit sets the detected object as an object to be determined, for which the driving assistance operation is to be determined, when an angle difference between the current proceeding direction of the detected object detected within the operation area and a proceeding direction in the past traveling trajectory of the own vehicle is smaller than a prescribed angle difference threshold value.

Description

Cross - reference to related applications

[0001] This application is based on Japanese Application No. 2022 - 028176 filed on February 25, 2022, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a driving support device and a driving support program.

Background Art

[0003] Patent Document 1 describes a driving support device that sets an operation area in an adjacent lane, which is a lane different from the lane in which the host vehicle is present, monitors the presence of other vehicles in the operation area, and executes driving support. In this driving support device, a host vehicle travel trajectory is calculated based on odometry information indicating the operating state of the host vehicle, and the operation area is estimated based on the calculated host vehicle travel trajectory.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0005] Due to a change in the traveling direction of the host vehicle, the host vehicle's traveling trajectory may become curved. When the host vehicle's traveling trajectory becomes curved because the host vehicle changes lanes, the operation area calculated based on the host vehicle's traveling trajectory may be different from the lane shape. Therefore, the operation area may be set in an area with a low risk level for the host vehicle. In this case, it is preferable not to set the other vehicle detected within the operation area as an object to be determined for the operation of driving support so that the other vehicle that has entered the operation area does not activate an alarm or the like despite having a low risk level for the host vehicle. On the other hand, when the host vehicle's traveling trajectory becomes curved because the host vehicle is traveling on a curved road, if the other vehicle detected within the operation area is not set as an object to be determined in the same manner as when changing lanes, there is a concern that the other vehicle, which has a high risk level for the host vehicle, may be excluded from the objects to be determined.

[0006] In view of the above, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a technique capable of appropriately setting an object to be determined when the traveling direction of the host vehicle changes.

[0007] The present disclosure provides a driving support device that executes driving support for the host vehicle based on surrounding monitoring information of the host vehicle acquired from a surrounding monitoring device. This driving support device includes a traveling trajectory calculation unit that calculates the traveling trajectory of the host vehicle, an operation area calculation unit that calculates an operation area around the host vehicle, and an operation determination unit that determines the operation of the driving support for the host vehicle when an object is detected within the operation area based on the surrounding monitoring information. The operation determination unit sets the detected object as an object to be determined for the operation of the driving support when an angular difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object detected within the operation area and the traveling direction in the past traveling trajectory of the host vehicle is less than a predetermined angular difference threshold value.

[0008] According to the present disclosure, when the angular difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object and the traveling direction in the past travel trajectory of the host vehicle is less than a predetermined angular difference threshold, the detected object is set as a determination target. For example, when the host vehicle changes its traveling direction by changing lanes or the like, the angular difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object and the traveling direction in the past travel trajectory of the host vehicle tends to increase and may become equal to or greater than the angular difference threshold. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a detected object with a low risk to the host vehicle from being set as a determination target and causing unnecessary activation of an alarm or the like. On the other hand, for example, when the host vehicle changes its traveling direction by traveling on a curved road or the like, the angular difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object and the traveling direction in the past travel trajectory of the host vehicle tends to decrease and may become less than the angular difference threshold. Therefore, it is possible to suppress a detected object with a high risk to the host vehicle from being excluded from the determination target. That is, according to the present disclosure, when the traveling direction of the host vehicle changes, the determination target can be appropriately set, and the driving support can be activated more appropriately.

[0009] The present disclosure can also provide a driving support program applied to a driving support device that executes driving support for the host vehicle based on the surrounding monitoring information of the host vehicle acquired from a surrounding monitoring device. This program includes a travel trajectory calculation step for calculating the travel trajectory of the host vehicle, an operation area calculation step for calculating an operation area around the host vehicle, and an operation determination step for determining the activation of the driving support of the host vehicle when an object is detected in the operation area based on the surrounding monitoring information. The operation determination step sets the detected object as a determination target for determining the activation of the driving support when the angular difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object detected in the operation area and the traveling direction in the past travel trajectory of the host vehicle is less than a predetermined angular difference threshold.

[0010] According to the above driving support program, similarly to the driving support device, since the determination target can be appropriately set when the traveling direction of the host vehicle changes by the operation determination step, the driving support can be activated more appropriately.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0011] The above objects, other objects, features, and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are

Figure 1

Figure 2

Figure 3

Figure 4

Figure 5

Figure 6

Figure 7

Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0012] (First Embodiment) As shown in FIG. 1, a driving support system 10 according to the embodiment includes a peripheral monitoring device 20, odometry sensors 30, an ECU 40, and a controlled device 50. The driving support system 10 is mounted on a vehicle, and the ECU 40 functions as a driving support device that executes driving support for the vehicle based on peripheral monitoring information, which is information about the periphery of the vehicle acquired from the peripheral monitoring device 20.

[0013] The peripheral monitoring device 20 is composed of devices that acquire peripheral monitoring information, which is information about the periphery of the host vehicle. The peripheral monitoring device 20 includes a radar device 21, a camera device 22, a sonar device 23, and a receiving device 24.

[0014] The radar device 21 is, for example, a known millimeter-wave radar that uses a high-frequency signal in the millimeter-wave band as a transmission wave. The radar device 21 may be installed only one on the host vehicle, or may be installed in plurality. The radar device 21 is provided, for example, at the front end or the rear end of the host vehicle, etc., and sets a region that enters a predetermined detection angle as a detection range in which an object can be detected, and detects the position of an object within the detection range. Specifically, it transmits a search wave at a predetermined cycle, and receives a reflected wave by a plurality of antennas. Based on the transmission time of this search wave and the reception time of the reflected wave, the distance to the object can be calculated. Also, the relative speed is calculated based on the frequency changed by the Doppler effect of the reflected wave reflected by the object. In addition, the azimuth of the object can be calculated based on the phase difference of the reflected waves received by the plurality of antennas. Note that if the position and azimuth of the object can be calculated, the relative position of the object with respect to the host vehicle can be specified.

[0015] The camera device 22 may be, for example, a monocular camera such as a CCD camera, a CMOS image sensor, or a near-infrared camera, or may be a stereo camera. The camera device 22 may be installed only one on the host vehicle, or may be installed in plurality. The camera device 22 is attached, for example, at a predetermined height at the center in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle, and images a region that spreads in a predetermined angle range toward the front, rear, or side of the vehicle from an overhead viewpoint. The camera device 22 extracts feature points indicating the presence of an object in the captured image. Specifically, edge points are extracted based on the luminance information of the captured image, and a Hough transform is performed on the extracted edge points. In the Hough transform, for example, points on a straight line where a plurality of edge points are arranged continuously, or points where straight lines are orthogonal to each other are extracted as feature points. The camera device 22 sequentially outputs the captured images captured sequentially as sensing information.

[0016] The sonar device 23 is, for example, a radar that uses ultrasonic waves as detection waves, and is mounted on the front end, rear end, and both side surfaces of the host vehicle, respectively, and is suitably used for measuring the distance to an object around the host vehicle. Specifically, for example, the sonar device 23 transmits detection waves at a predetermined cycle and receives reflected waves by a plurality of antennas. Based on the transmission time of this detection wave and the reception time of the reflected wave, a plurality of detection points on the object are detected, and thereby the distance to the object is measured. In addition, the azimuth of the object is calculated based on the phase difference of the reflected waves received by the plurality of antennas. If the distance to the object and the azimuth of the object can be calculated, the relative position of the object with respect to the host vehicle can be specified. Further, according to the sonar device 23, the relative speed of the object can be calculated based on the frequency of the reflected wave reflected by the object and changed by the Doppler effect.

[0017] The receiving device 24 is a GPS receiving device and is an example of a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiving device. The receiving device 24 can receive a positioning signal from a satellite positioning system that determines the current position on the ground by artificial satellites.

[0018] The radar device 21, the camera device 22, the sonar device 23, and the receiving device 24 are an example of a peripheral monitoring device 20 that acquires information about the periphery of the host vehicle. In addition to the above, the peripheral monitoring device 20 may include various detection devices and communication devices capable of acquiring information about the periphery of the host vehicle. As the peripheral monitoring device, for example, it may be provided with a sensor that transmits detection waves such as LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging / Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging). Further, for example, it may be provided with a communication device related to V2X (Vehicle-to-Everything) communication including vehicle-to-vehicle communication called V2V. The peripheral monitoring device 20 sequentially outputs information about an object around the host vehicle detected or received and a road on which the host vehicle travels as peripheral monitoring information to the ECU 40.

[0019] Each of the above-described various peripheral monitoring devices may detect not only objects behind or on the rear side of the host vehicle 60 but also objects in front of or on the front side thereof and use them as position information. Further, depending on the type of peripheral monitoring device to be used, the target object to be monitored may be changed. For example, when using the camera device 22, it is suitable when the target object is a stationary object such as a road sign or a building or a moving object such as a pedestrian. Further, when using the radar device 21 or the sonar device 23, it is suitable when the target object is an object with a large reflected power. Further, depending on the type, position, and moving speed of the target object, the peripheral monitoring device to be used may be selected.

[0020] FIG. 2 illustrates regions that can be monitored by various peripheral monitoring devices mounted on the host vehicle 60. Regions 61FN, 61FL, 61FS, 61BS, and 61B indicated by solid lines represent regions that can be preferably monitored by the radar device 21 or LIDAR. Regions 62F, 62L, 62R, and 62B indicated by dashed lines represent regions that can be preferably monitored by the camera device 22. Regions 63F and 63B indicated by one-dot chain lines represent regions that can be preferably monitored by the sonar device 23.

[0021] Region 61FN is suitable for, for example, parking assist. Region 61FL is suitable for, for example, adaptive cruise control (ACC). Region 61FS is suitable for, for example, emergency braking, pedestrian detection, and collision avoidance. Regions 61BS and 61B are suitable for, for example, rear-end collision warning and blind spot monitoring. Region 62F is suitable for road sign recognition and lane departure warning. Regions 62L and 62R are suitable for peripheral monitoring (surround view). Region 62B is suitable for parking assist and peripheral monitoring.

[0022] The odometry sensors 30 are composed of sensors capable of acquiring odometry information indicating the operating state of the host vehicle. The odometry sensors 30 include a vehicle speed sensor 31, a steering angle sensor 32, and a yaw rate sensor 33. Examples of the odometry information include the vehicle speed, yaw rate, steering angle, turning radius, etc. of the host vehicle 60.

[0023] The vehicle speed sensor 31 is a sensor that detects the traveling speed of the host vehicle 60. Although not limited, for example, a wheel speed sensor capable of detecting the rotational speed of a wheel can be used. The wheel speed sensor used as the vehicle speed sensor 31 is, for example, attached to the wheel portion of the wheel and outputs a wheel speed signal corresponding to the wheel speed of the vehicle to the ECU 40.

[0024] The steering angle sensor 32 is, for example, attached to the steering rod of the vehicle and outputs a steering angle signal corresponding to the change in the steering angle of the steering wheel accompanying the driver's operation to the ECU 40.

[0025] The yaw rate sensor 33 may be installed only one or a plurality may be installed. When only one is installed, for example, it is provided at the center position of the host vehicle 60. The yaw rate sensor 33 outputs a yaw rate signal corresponding to the change speed of the steering amount of the host vehicle 60 to the ECU 40.

[0026] The controlled device 50 operates based on a control command from the ECU 40 and is configured to operate by the driver's operation input. Note that the driver's operation input may be input to the controlled device 50 as a control command after being appropriately processed by the ECU 40. The controlled device 50 includes, for example, a drive device, a braking device, a steering device, an alarm device, and a display device.

[0027] The drive device is a device for driving the vehicle and is controlled by the driver's operation of an accelerator or the like or a command from the ECU 40. Specifically, the drive source of the vehicle such as an internal combustion engine, a motor, and a storage battery, and each component related thereto can be cited as the drive device. The ECU 40 has a function of automatically controlling the drive device according to the travel plan and vehicle state of the host vehicle 60.

[0028] The braking device is a device for braking the host vehicle 60, and is composed of a group of devices (actuators) related to brake control, such as sensors, motors, valves, and pumps. The braking device is controlled by the driver's braking operation or a command from the ECU 40. The ECU 40 determines the timing of applying the brake and the amount of brake (braking amount), and controls the braking device so that the determined amount of brake can be obtained at the determined timing.

[0029] The steering device is a device for steering the host vehicle 60, and is controlled by the driver's steering operation or a command from the ECU 40. The ECU 40 has a function of automatically controlling the steering device for collision avoidance or lane change.

[0030] The warning device is a device for notifying the driver and the like. For example, it can be exemplified by an auditory notification device such as a speaker or a buzzer installed in the passenger compartment of the host vehicle 60, a visual notification device such as a display, etc., but is not limited thereto. The warning device emits a warning sound or the like based on a control command from the ECU 40 to notify the driver, for example, that there is a risk of collision with an object.

[0031] The display device is a device for visually notifying the driver and the like, and is, for example, a display and instruments installed in the passenger compartment of the host vehicle 60. The display device displays a warning message or the like based on a control command from the ECU 40 to notify the driver, for example, that there is a risk of collision with an object.

[0032] The controlled device 50 may include devices controlled by the ECU 40 other than the above. For example, it may include a safety device for ensuring the safety of the driver. Specifically, examples of the safety device include a door lock device that controls the unlocking and locking of the vehicle door, a seat belt device provided with a pretensioner mechanism that retracts the seat belt provided on each seat of the host vehicle 60, etc.

[0033] The ECU 40 includes an information acquisition unit 41, a travel trajectory calculation unit 42, an operation area calculation unit 43, a white line recognition unit 44, a target recognition unit 45, a lane change detection unit 46, an operation area correction unit 47, and an operation determination unit 48. The ECU 40 includes a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an I / O, etc. The CPU realizes these functions by executing the programs installed in the ROM. As a result, the ECU 40 functions as a driving support device that executes driving support for the host vehicle 60 by creating and outputting a control command to the controlled device 50 based on the information acquired from the peripheral monitoring device 20 and the odometry sensors 30.

[0034] The information acquisition unit 41 acquires peripheral monitoring information from the peripheral monitoring device 20 and acquires odometry information from the odometry sensors 30. The ECU 40 may include a storage unit for storing various data acquired by the information acquisition unit 41 and calculated values calculated based on the various data. The ECU 40 may further be configured to store the history of the position, rotation angle, etc. of the host vehicle 60 in the travel trajectory of the host vehicle 60, and the position and rotation angle of the host vehicle 60 may be stored in association with each other. The position and rotation angle of the host vehicle 60 can be obtained from the detection values of a vehicle speed sensor 31, a steering angle sensor 32, a yaw rate sensor 33, etc.

[0035] The travel trajectory calculation unit 42 calculates the travel trajectory of the host vehicle 60 based on, for example, the odometry information acquired from the odometry sensors 30. Note that the travel trajectory calculation unit 42 may calculate the host vehicle travel trajectory using information other than the odometry information. For example, other information such as map information acquired from the receiving device 24 may be used. Specifically, the travel trajectory of the host vehicle 60 is calculated from a predetermined cycle (for example, n cycles. n is a natural number of 2 or more) before the current control cycle Tc to the present. For example, the estimated position of the host vehicle, which is the estimated value of the host vehicle position at each control timing from 1 cycle before to n cycles before based on the current position, is calculated using the acquired odometry information (the acquired values at each control timing up to n cycles before). Then, a line connecting the current position and the calculated estimated positions of the host vehicle at each cycle is calculated as the host vehicle travel trajectory.

[0036] Note that the odometry information such as the vehicle speed and yaw rate of the host vehicle 60 contains errors due to various factors such as detection errors and noise of the vehicle speed sensor and yaw rate sensor. Therefore, for the estimated position of the host vehicle at the past control timing up to n cycles ago, the estimated existence range of the estimated position of the host vehicle considering the error of the odometry information may be calculated. The estimated existence range can be expressed as the error variance based on the estimated position of the host vehicle. Further, by projecting the error variance in the lane width direction (i.e., the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction), the existence probability of the host vehicle's estimated position in the lane width direction can be expressed as a predetermined probability distribution centered on the estimated position of the host vehicle. For example, the error variance of the estimated position of the host vehicle due to the error factors of the odometry information may be modeled as a normal distribution (Gaussian distribution). In this case, the existence probability of the estimated position of the host vehicle calculated using the odometry information becomes the peak value with the highest probability in the normal distribution, and the existence probability decreases according to the normal distribution as the distance from the estimated position of the host vehicle in the lane width direction increases.

[0037] The operation area calculation unit 43 sets an operation area in at least one of the rear and the rear side of the host vehicle 60. The operation area is set as an area where, when an object that has entered the area is detected, driving support such as braking, steering, and notification is activated based on predetermined conditions. The operation area can be set to any shape and size within the detection area of the radar device 21. For example, when setting the operation area on the right rear side of the host vehicle 60, it is preferable to set it in a strip shape with a lateral width of about the lane width on the right rear side of the host vehicle 60.

[0038] The operation area calculation unit 43 may set the operation area based on information on the host lane in which the host vehicle 60 is traveling and the adjacent lanes. For example, based on the object information around the host vehicle 60 (e.g., surrounding vehicles, pedestrians, road markings such as lane lines, road signs, etc.) acquired from the camera device 22, the position information acquired from the receiving device 26, the geographical information, the traffic information, the traveling trajectory of the host vehicle 60 calculated by the traveling trajectory calculation unit 42, etc., the operation area may be set.

[0039] The white line recognition unit 44 recognizes the lane lines of the road on which the host vehicle 60 travels. The lane lines include various dividing lines such as yellow lines and double white lines in addition to white lines. In this specification, the lane lines may be simply referred to as "white lines". Specifically, the white line recognition unit 44 extracts edge points, which are pixels with large changes in luminance values, from the image captured by the camera device 22. By repeating the extraction of edge points while shifting the position in the vertical direction of the image, that is, in the depth direction of the image, edge points are extracted from almost the entire area of the image. By connecting the extracted edge points to each other, a white line paint, which is a mass of paint constituting the lane line, is extracted. Note that the white line paint is paint that constitutes lines such as white lines and yellow lines formed by broken lines or solid lines on the road along the extending direction of the road in order to divide the area in the width direction of the road. By connecting the extracted white line paints to each other in the traveling direction of the host vehicle 60, a lane line that exists so as to extend along the traveling direction of the host vehicle 60 is extracted.

[0040] The target recognition unit 45 recognizes targets around the host vehicle 60 based on the surrounding monitoring information acquired from the surrounding monitoring device 20. Specifically, an object is identified based on the size and moving speed of the object detected around the host vehicle 60 and is recognized as a target. The target recognition unit 45 performs target recognition at least on an object detected on at least one of the rear and the rear side of the host vehicle 60.

[0041] The lane change detection unit 46 detects a lane change of the host vehicle 60. The lane change can be detected based on, for example, information on the lane lines on the road recognized by the white line recognition unit 44, information on road structures obtained by detecting structures around the road, map information that can be acquired by the receiving device 26, and the like. Specifically, for example, the lane change detection unit 46 may be configured to detect a lane change of the host vehicle 60 based on the change in the distance between the lane lines of the road on which the host vehicle 60 travels recognized by the white line recognition unit 44 and the host vehicle 60.

[0042] Further, for example, the lane change detection unit 46 may be configured to detect a lane change of the host vehicle 60 based on a change in the distance between the host vehicle 60 and road structures such as guardrails or road walls installed on the road shoulder.

[0043] Further, for example, the lane change detection unit 46 may be configured to detect a lane change of the host vehicle 60 based on the map information received by the receiving device 24. Specifically, the shape of the road and lanes on which the host vehicle 60 travels is acquired from the map information and compared with the host vehicle travel locus of the host vehicle 60. When the host vehicle travel locus of the host vehicle 60 exceeds the lane obtained from the map information, it may be detected that the host vehicle 60 has changed lanes.

[0044] The lane change detection unit 46 may be configured to be able to detect a lane change based on a plurality of pieces of information, and may be configured to detect a lane change by assigning a priority to the information to be acquired. For example, when the lane change detection unit 46 can detect a lane change based on information regarding lane lines, information regarding road structures, and map information, when it is difficult to detect a lane change based on information regarding lane lines, it may be configured to detect a lane change based on information regarding road structures and map information.

[0045] When the lane change detection unit 46 detects a lane change of the host vehicle, the operation area correction unit 47 corrects the operation area based on lane information regarding the travel lane after the lane change of the host vehicle 60. The lane information is information regarding the lane on which the host vehicle 60 travels, and includes information regarding lane lines, information regarding road structures, map information, and the like. The correction of the operation area may be executed after the lane change is completed, or may be sequentially executed from the start to the completion of the lane change.

[0046] When the object recognition unit 45 detects an object within the operation area, the operation determination unit 48 sets the detected object as a determination target for determining the operation of the driving support when the angular difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object detected within the operation area and the traveling direction in the past driving trajectory of the host vehicle 60 is less than a predetermined angular difference threshold. Then, for the determination target, an operation determination for determining the operation of the driving support of the host vehicle 60 is executed, and the result of the operation determination is commanded to the controlled device 50 to execute driving support control as appropriate.

[0047] The angular difference threshold is a positive number and is set based on experiments, simulations, etc. The angular difference threshold may be adjusted based on various parameters such as the moving speeds, sizes, and lane shapes of the host vehicle 60 and the detected object.

[0048] As the driving support control, for example, control for activating safety devices such as a notification command to an alarm device, an automatic brake command to a braking device, a steering avoidance command to a steering device, etc., collision suppression control and collision avoidance control, and an automatic lock command for a vehicle door may be executed. The operation determination unit 48 may be configured to determine the operation of various driving support systems such as a secondary collision brake that applies an automatic brake to reduce secondary damage when a rear-end collision cannot be avoided, a hazard blink that blinks hazard lights to notify the following vehicle of the danger of a rear-end collision, a blind spot monitoring that detects a vehicle existing in a blind spot and notifies the driver, a prevention warning for being involved when turning right or left, a trailer blind spot monitoring that automatically detects the connection of a trailer and expands the operation area, and a getting-off warning that detects a vehicle approaching the host vehicle 60 and notifies the driver who is opening the door for getting off.

[0049] As shown in FIG. 3(a), the road 80a has two straight lanes 82a and 83a partitioned by a lane line 81a. When the host vehicle 60 is traveling along the left lane 83a in the lane shape, based on the host vehicle travel trajectory calculated by the travel trajectory calculation unit 42, a substantially rectangular operation area 70a calculated by the operation area calculation unit 43 is set in the adjacent right lane 82a. When another vehicle 66a traveling along the lane 82a in the lane shape behind the host vehicle 60 enters the operation area 70a, the target recognition unit 45 detects the other vehicle 66a as a vehicle detected within the operation area 70a.

[0050] The operation determination unit 48 calculates the angular difference between the current traveling direction of the other vehicle 66a, which is the detected object, and the traveling direction of the host vehicle 60. The current traveling direction of the other vehicle 66a is the direction of the arrow shown in S20. The current traveling direction of the host vehicle 60 is S10, and the traveling direction has not changed from S10 from when it passed the current position of the other vehicle 66a to the present. Since the traveling direction S20 of the other vehicle 66a and the traveling direction S10 of the host vehicle 60 are generally parallel, the angular difference becomes zero and is less than the angular difference threshold. For this reason, the other vehicle 66a is set as the determination target.

[0051] As shown in FIG. 3(b), the host vehicle 60 is traveling in the lane 83a of the road 80a in the same manner as in FIG. 3(a). Although the other vehicle 66b is traveling in the lane 82a of the road 80a, unlike FIG. 3(a), it is in the direction of the traveling direction S21b. When the other vehicle 66b enters the operation area 70a, the target recognition unit 45 detects the other vehicle 66b as a vehicle detected within the operation area 70a. When the angle of the traveling direction S21b of the other vehicle 66b is greatly inclined with respect to the traveling direction of the host vehicle 60, it is not necessary to activate driving support such as an alarm for the host vehicle 60. In such a case, according to the operation determination unit 48, when the angular difference between the traveling direction S21b of the other vehicle 66b and the traveling direction S10 of the host vehicle 60 is equal to or greater than the angular difference threshold, the other vehicle 66a is not set as the determination target, so that unnecessary driving support for the host vehicle 60 can be suppressed from being activated.

[0052] As shown in FIG. 3(c), the road 80c has two straight lanes 82c and 83c partitioned by a dividing line 81c. When the host vehicle 60 is traveling while turning along the lane shape in the left lane 83c, based on the host vehicle travel trajectory calculated by the travel trajectory calculation unit 42, a substantially annular fan-shaped operation area 70c calculated by the operation area calculation unit 43 is set in the adjacent right lane 82c. When another vehicle 66c traveling along the lane shape in the lane 82c behind the host vehicle 60 enters the operation area 70c, the target recognition unit 45 detects the other vehicle 66c as a vehicle detected within the operation area 70c.

[0053] In such a case, the traveling directions of the host vehicle 60 and the other vehicle 66c change over time. The current traveling direction S10 of the host vehicle 60 is different from the traveling direction of the host vehicle 60 in the past host vehicle travel trajectory. For this reason, when comparing the angle difference between the current traveling direction S21c of the other vehicle 66c and the current traveling direction S10 of the host vehicle 60 with the angle difference threshold, the angle difference becomes equal to or greater than the angle difference threshold, and although it is necessary to activate driving support such as an alarm for the host vehicle 60, the other vehicle 66c may not be set as the determination target. However, according to the operation determination unit 48, based on the comparison of the angle difference between the current traveling direction of the other vehicle 66a and the traveling direction in the past travel trajectory of the host vehicle 60, when the angle difference is less than the angle difference threshold, the other vehicle 66c is set as the determination target, so that both the activation of unnecessary driving support for the host vehicle 60 and the non-activation of necessary driving support for the host vehicle 60 can be suppressed.

[0054] According to the operation determination unit 48, it also contributes to the realization of appropriate operation determination in the above-described various driving support systems. For example, if the ECU 40 is applied to the hazard flasher system, it is possible to avoid executing the hazard flasher although there is no need for notification, which is useful in countries and regions where there are legal regulations or the like regarding the hazard flasher.

[0055] The operation determination unit 48 is preferably configured to set the detected object as a determination target when the angular difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object and the traveling direction of the host vehicle 60 when the host vehicle 60 passed the current position of the detected object in the past is less than the angular difference threshold. In the case shown in FIG. 3(c), by comparing the angular difference between the current position of the other vehicle 66c as the detected object and the traveling direction of the host vehicle 60c when the host vehicle 60c passed the current position of the other vehicle 66c in the past, and determining whether to set the other vehicle 66c as a determination target, it is possible to determine whether to set the other vehicle 66c as a determination target with the same degree of certainty as in the cases shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b).

[0056] Note that "when the host vehicle 60 passed the current position of the detected object in the past" is not limited to the time point when the host vehicle 60 passed the current position of the detected object, and may have a certain width in terms of time or distance with respect to that time point. Further, statistical processing may be performed on the angular differences before and after the time point when the host vehicle 60 passed the current position of the detected object, and the average value of the angular differences or the like may be compared with the angular difference threshold to determine whether to set the detected object as a determination target.

[0057] The operation determination unit 48 may be configured to set the detected object as a determination target when the angular difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object and the traveling direction of the host vehicle 60 at the time when the traveling trajectory of the host vehicle 60 is traced back according to the current distance between the detected object and the host vehicle 60 is less than a predetermined angular difference threshold. For example, the longer the current distance (the distance in the direction following the lane shape) between the other vehicle 66c shown in FIG. 3(c) and the host vehicle 60, the more the traveling trajectory of the host vehicle 60 may be traced back to the past.

[0058] Fig. 4 exemplarily shows the self-vehicle travel trajectory when n = 9, calculated by the travel trajectory calculation unit 42. Points A0 to A9 are points on the travel trajectory of the self-vehicle 60. More specifically, they indicate the positions of the midpoints of the line segments connecting the left and right rear wheels of the self-vehicle 60 at present or in the past. The current position of the self-vehicle 60 is indicated by point A0, and it shows the positions of the self-vehicle 60 retrogressed in the order of A1, A2, …, A9 at a predetermined time interval. Points A0 to A9 may all be the actually measured positions of the self-vehicle 60, or some of them may be positions calculated interpolatively based on the measured data. When points A0 to A9 are acquired at a predetermined time interval, the distance of each point can be calculated by the product of the average speed of the self-vehicle 60 in that section and the time interval.

[0059] In Fig. 4, points B0 to B9 and points C0 to C9 are points on the transverse lines L0 to L9 that extend in the radial direction of the turning radius of the self-vehicle 60 at points A0 to A9, respectively. When i = 0 to 9, on the transverse line Li, the intervals between point Ai and point Bi are all equal to Y1, and the intervals between point Bi and point Ci are all equal to Y2.

[0060] The operation area calculation unit 43 sets a transverse line Li that extends in the normal direction passing through point Ai from the rotation angle αi (not shown) at point Ai on the travel trajectory of the self-vehicle 60. Then, when the lane width of the lane in which the self-vehicle 60 travels is SH, for example, the operation area calculation unit 43 sets the intervals Y1 = SH / 2 and Y2 = SH, and estimates the position of point Bi as the left end of the adjacent lane on the right side of the self-vehicle 60 and the position of point Ci as the right end. Then, the area surrounded by points B0 to B9 and points C0 to C9 is estimated as the operation area. The operation area is set as an area with a lane width SH that changes by drawing a trajectory similar to the travel trajectory on the right side of the travel trajectory of the self-vehicle 60. As shown in Fig. 4, the operation area is set in a shape where substantially annular sector-shaped areas centered on the rotation center of the self-vehicle 60 are connected along the self-vehicle travel trajectory of the self-vehicle 60. As a result, the operation area becomes smaller towards the inside and larger towards the outside when the self-vehicle 60 is turning.

[0061] Incidentally, if necessary, the left rear operation area set at the left rear of the host vehicle 60 can be set or changed in the same manner as the operation area which is the right rear operation area. The operation area calculation unit 43 linearly extends the lateral lines L0 to L9 to the left side of the traveling locus of the host vehicle 60, and sets points D0 to D9 (not shown) and points E0 to E9 (not shown) on the lateral lines L0 to L9. Then, the area surrounded by the points D0 to D9 and the points E0 to E9 is calculated as the operation area. Thereby, an operation area of the lane width SH that changes by drawing a locus similar to the traveling locus can be set on the left side of the traveling locus of the host vehicle 60. Incidentally, on the lateral line Li, the intervals between the point Ai and the point Di are all equal to SH / 2, and the intervals between the point Di and the point Ei are all equal to SH.

[0062] Incidentally, the lateral width (width in the lateral line direction) of the operation area may be set based on the lane width SH of the host lane as described above, or may be set respectively based on the actual lane widths of the adjacent lanes. The lane width may be measured by detecting the white line by the camera device 22, or may be obtained by the receiving device 24. Also, in the above, the width (width along the lateral line) of each operation area is set as the lane width SH, but it is not limited to this.

[0063] As shown in FIG. 4, when another vehicle 66 intrudes into the operation area surrounded by the points B0 to B9 and the points C0 to C9, the target recognition unit 45 detects the other vehicle 66 as a vehicle detected within the operation area.

[0064] As shown in FIG. 5, when the angle difference θ1 between the current traveling direction S23 of the other vehicle 66, which is the detected object, and the traveling direction S13 of the host vehicle 60 when the host vehicle 60 passed the current position of the other vehicle 66 is less than the angle difference threshold value, the other vehicle 66 is set as the determination target. The current position of the other vehicle 66 is the position of point T shown in FIG. 4 and is the center position of the front end of the other vehicle 66. Since point T exists between the lateral line L8 and the lateral line L9, as shown in FIG. 5, using the angle difference θ1 between the current traveling direction S23 of the other vehicle 66 on the lateral line L8 closer to the host vehicle 60 than point T and the traveling direction S13 of the host vehicle 60, it is compared with the angle difference threshold value θt to determine whether or not the other vehicle 66 is to be the determination target. The current traveling direction of the host vehicle 60 shown in FIG. 4 is the traveling direction S12 shown in FIG. 5. The angle difference θ0 between the current traveling direction S23 of the other vehicle 66 and the current traveling direction S12 of the host vehicle 60 is larger than the angle difference θ1. Therefore, since the lane shape of the road on which the host vehicle 60 travels is a curved road, even when θ0 ≧ θt, since θ1 < θt, the other vehicle 66 can be set as the determination target.

[0065] Note that a lateral line LT passing through point T may be complementarily estimated between the lateral line L8 and the lateral line L9, and the intersection point of the host vehicle traveling locus and the lateral line LT may be estimated as the time point when the host vehicle 60 passed the point T, which is the current position of the other vehicle 66, in the past.

[0066] Further, when the operation determination unit 48 calculates the angular difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object and the traveling direction of the host vehicle 60 at the time when the traveling locus of the host vehicle 60 is traced back according to the current distance between the detected object and the host vehicle 60, the current distance between the other vehicle 66 and the host vehicle 60 may be calculated as the distance between point T and point A0. This distance may be a straight-line distance, but is preferably calculated as the distance in the direction along the lane shape. For example, the angular difference between the traveling direction of the host vehicle 60 at the time when the traveling locus of the host vehicle is traced back by the distance in the direction along the lane shape between point T and point A0 and the traveling direction of the current other vehicle 66 may be calculated. Also in this case, with respect to the time when the traveling locus of the host vehicle is traced back by the distance in the direction along the lane shape between point T and point A0, a certain width may be provided in terms of time or distance, and the angular difference may be calculated. Further, statistical processing may be performed on the angular differences before and after the time when the traveling locus of the host vehicle is traced back by the distance in the direction along the lane shape between point T and point A0 to calculate the angular difference.

[0067] When it is determined that the traveling locus of the host vehicle 60 of the operation determination unit 48 deviates from the lane shape of the traveling lane of the host vehicle 60 obtained from the surrounding monitoring information, the operation determination unit 48 may be configured not to execute the determination as to whether or not to set the detected object as the determination target and to set it as the determination target. A typical example of the case where the traveling locus of the host vehicle 60 deviates from the lane shape of the traveling lane of the host vehicle 60 is the case where the host vehicle 60 changes lanes. That is, when the lane change detection unit 46 detects that the host vehicle 60 has changed lanes, the determination as to whether or not to set the detected object as the determination target may not be executed and the detected object may be set as the determination target. The operation determination unit 48 is preferably configured to determine whether or not the traveling locus of the host vehicle deviates from the lane shape of the traveling lane of the host vehicle 60 based on the lane line information obtained by the white line recognition unit 44. The lane line information is information about the lane lines of the road on which the host vehicle 60 travels. The lane line information can be obtained by calculation or the like based on the imaging information acquired from the camera device 22. Further, the lane line information may be included in the map information acquired from the receiving device 24.

[0068] When various parameters used for determination are unstable during determination, the operation determination unit 48 may be configured not to execute the determination of whether to set the detected object as the determination target, but to set it as the determination target. For example, when it is determined that the fluctuation of the odometry information exceeds a predetermined fluctuation threshold value, or when the reliability of the lane line information is low, the operation determination unit 48 may be configured not to execute the determination of whether to set the detected object as the determination target, but to set it as the determination target.

[0069] Further, when the surrounding monitoring information includes lane line information and information other than the lane line information, if the reliability of the lane line information is low, the operation determination unit 48 may be configured to determine whether the host vehicle travel locus deviates from the lane shape of the travel lane of the host vehicle 60 based on the information other than the lane line information.

[0070] Preferably, the operation determination unit 48 is configured to determine whether the host vehicle travel locus deviates from the lane shape of the travel lane of the host vehicle 60 based on at least the imaging information. The imaging information is the surrounding monitoring information that can be obtained from the camera device 22. The camera device 22 can accurately detect the lane shape of the lane in which the host vehicle 60 actually travels, and a determination better corresponding to the actual lane shape can be made. Further, the operation determination unit 48 may be configured to determine whether the host vehicle travel locus deviates from the lane shape of the travel lane of the host vehicle 60 based on the map information. The map information is the surrounding monitoring information that can be obtained from the receiving device 24. Also, when the reliability of the lane line information is low, the operation determination unit 48 may be configured not to execute the determination of whether to set the detected object as the determination target, but to set it as the determination target.

[0071] The ECU 40 executes a driving support program, which is a computer program stored in a storage device such as a ROM, to detect an object existing in the operation area and control the vehicle. FIG. 6 shows a flowchart of the driving support process executed by the ECU 40. The processes shown in this flowchart are continuously executed at a predetermined interval. Also, this process is continuously executed regardless of whether the host vehicle 60 is running or stopped.

[0072] First, in step S101, odometry information is acquired. For example, detection values of various sensors are appropriately acquired from the vehicle speed sensor 31, the steering angle sensor 32, and the yaw rate sensor 33, and odometry information regarding the running state of the host vehicle 60 is acquired. The acquired odometry information is appropriately stored in the ECU 40. The ECU 40 stores the position of the host vehicle 60 and the odometry information in association with each other. Then, the process proceeds to step S102.

[0073] In step S102, based on the odometry information stored in the ECU 40, a host vehicle travel trajectory, which is the travel trajectory of the host vehicle 60, is calculated. For example, the measured position of the host vehicle 60 in the past and the estimated position between adjacent measured positions estimated based on the odometry information are connected to calculate the host vehicle travel trajectory. For example, a trajectory obtained by connecting points A0 to A9 shown in FIG. 4 is calculated as the host vehicle travel trajectory. Then, based on the calculated host vehicle travel trajectory, an operation area is calculated within the adjacent lane area of the host vehicle 60. For example, based on the odometry information, points B0 to B9 and points C0 to C9 shown in FIG. 4 are calculated, and the area surrounded by points B0 to B9 and points C0 to C9 is set as the operation area. Then, the process proceeds to step S103.

[0074] In step S103, peripheral monitoring information is acquired. The peripheral monitoring information is acquired from at least one of the devices included in the peripheral monitoring device 20 such as the radar device 21, the camera device 22, the sonar device 23, and the receiving device 24. Then, the process proceeds to step S104.

[0075] In step S104, based on the peripheral monitoring information acquired in step S103, it is determined whether a target is detected within the operation area of the host vehicle 60. For example, for an object detected around the host vehicle 60, target recognition is executed. For example, moving objects such as automobiles, motorcycles, bicycles, and pedestrians, and stationary objects such as road structures are recognized as targets. Then, it is determined whether the detected target is a target existing within the operation area. If a target is detected within the operation area, the process proceeds to step S105. If no target is detected within the operation area, the process ends.

[0076] In step S105, an angular difference θi between the current traveling direction of the target recognized within the operation area in step S104 and the traveling direction in the past travel trajectory of the host vehicle 60 is calculated. For example, the angular difference θ1 shown in FIG. 5 is calculated.

[0077] In step S106, it is determined whether the angular difference θi is less than the angular difference threshold θt. If θi < θt, the process proceeds to step S107. If θi ≥ θt, the process ends.

[0078] In step S107, the target detected within the operation area in step S104 is set as a determination target that is the target for determining the operation of the driving support. Then, based on a predetermined condition, it is determined whether to activate the driving support control for the determination target. If it is determined to activate the driving support control, a command is given to the controlled device 50 to execute the driving support control.

[0079] As described above, the processing according to this driving support program includes a travel trajectory calculation step (corresponding to step S102) for calculating the travel trajectory of the host vehicle, an operation area calculation step (corresponding to step S102) for calculating the operation area around the host vehicle, and an operation determination step for determining the operation of the driving support of the host vehicle when an object is detected within the operation area based on the surrounding monitoring information. When the angular difference θi between the current traveling direction of the detected object within the operation area and the traveling direction in the past travel trajectory of the host vehicle 60 is less than a predetermined angular difference threshold θt, the detected object is set as a determination target that is the target for determining the operation of the driving support (corresponding to steps S105 to S107).

[0080] According to the driving support process according to the first embodiment, as shown in steps S101 and S102, based on the odometry information acquired from the odometry sensors 30, the own vehicle travel trajectory of the own vehicle 60 is calculated, and based on the calculated own vehicle travel trajectory of the own vehicle 60, the operation area around the own vehicle 60 is calculated. In addition to the measured position of the position of the own vehicle 60, using the estimated position obtained by estimating the position of the own vehicle 60 using the odometry information, the own vehicle travel trajectory can be calculated accurately, and thus, the operation area can be calculated accurately.

[0081] Also, as shown in steps S104 to S107, when a target is detected in the operation area of the own vehicle 60 based on the surrounding monitoring information acquired from the surrounding monitoring device 20, the angle difference θi between the current traveling direction of the detected target (corresponding to the detected object) and the traveling direction in the past travel trajectory of the own vehicle 60 is calculated. When θi < θt, the process proceeds to step S107, and the target recognized in the operation area is set as a determination target for determining the operation of the driving support, and the operation determination is executed. When θi ≥ θt, the process ends without executing step S107. Therefore, the target detected in the operation area is not set as the determination target, and the operation determination is not executed either.

[0082] According to the ECU 40 and the driving support program executed in the ECU 40 according to the first embodiment, for example, when the traveling direction of the own vehicle 60 or another vehicle 66 as the detected object changes due to, for example, a lane change, the angle difference between the current traveling direction of the other vehicle 66 and the traveling direction in the past travel trajectory of the own vehicle 60 becomes large and can be equal to or greater than the angle difference threshold. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the unnecessary activation of an alarm or the like for another vehicle 66 with a low risk level for the own vehicle 60 being set as the determination target. On the other hand, for example, when the traveling direction of the own vehicle 60 changes due to traveling on a curved road, the angle difference between the current traveling direction of the other vehicle 66 as the detected object and the traveling direction in the past travel trajectory of the own vehicle 60 becomes small and tends to be less than the angle difference threshold. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the exclusion of another vehicle 66 with a high risk level for the own vehicle 60 from the determination target. That is, even when the traveling direction of the own vehicle 60 changes, the determination target can be set appropriately, and the driving support can be activated more appropriately.

[0083] (Second Embodiment) FIG. 7 shows a flowchart of the driving support process according to the second embodiment. In the driving support process shown in FIG. 7, as shown in steps S205 and S206, based on the detection reliability of the shape of the road on which the host vehicle 60 travels and whether the host vehicle's travel route matches the road shape, it is different from the driving support process shown in FIG. 6 in that it selects whether to execute steps S207 and S208 related to the determination of whether to set the detected object as a determination target. Since the processes shown in steps S201 to S203, S207 to S209 are the same as the processes shown in steps S101 to S103, S107 to S109, the description thereof is omitted.

[0084] In step S204, if a target is detected within the operation area, the process proceeds to step S205. If no target is detected within the operation area, the process ends.

[0085] In step S205, the road shape is detected, and further, it is determined whether the detection is reliable. Specifically, based on the surrounding monitoring information acquired in step S203, for example, the lane lines of the road on which the host vehicle 60 travels are recognized, and lane line information, which is information about the lane lines of the road on which the host vehicle 60 travels, is created. Then, it is determined whether the reliability of the created lane line information is high. Specifically, it is determined whether the reliability of the lane line information is equal to or higher than a predetermined threshold. If the reliability is equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold, the detection reliability of the road shape is considered high, and the process proceeds to step S206. If the reliability is less than the predetermined threshold, the detection reliability of the road shape is considered low, and the process proceeds to step S209.

[0086] In step S206, it is determined whether the traveling route of the host vehicle 60 matches the road shape. For example, when there is a lane change of the host vehicle 60, it is determined that the traveling route of the host vehicle 60 does not match the road shape. For example, based on the lane line information created in step S205, it is possible to detect whether the host vehicle 60 has changed lanes based on the change in the distance between the lane lines of the road on which the host vehicle 60 is traveling and the host vehicle 60. If the traveling route of the host vehicle 60 matches the road shape, the process proceeds to step S207. If they do not match, the process proceeds to step S209.

[0087] According to the ECU 40 according to the first embodiment and the driving support program executed in the ECU 40 according to the second embodiment, as shown in steps S205 and S206, when the detection reliability of the shape of the road on which the host vehicle 60 is traveling is low, or when the host vehicle traveling route and the road shape do not match, the determination of whether to set the detected object shown in steps S207 and S208 as the determination target is not executed, and the operation determination shown in step S209 is executed. That is, the target detected within the operation area in step S204 is set as the determination target without performing the processes shown in steps S207 and S208. It is possible to suppress the situation where the necessary driving support for the host vehicle 60 does not operate when the detection reliability of the road shape is low or when the host vehicle traveling locus of the host vehicle 60 temporarily deviates from the lane shape, such as during a lane change.

[0088] Although not shown in FIG. 7, when it is determined that the variation in the odometry information exceeds a predetermined variation threshold value, the determination of whether to set the detected object shown in steps S207 and S208 as the determination target may not be executed, and the operation determination shown in step S209 may be executed.

[0089] Also, in step S205, although it is preferable to detect the road shape based on the lane line information, it is not limited thereto. For example, it may be configured to detect the road shape based on the distance between the on-vehicle structure such as a guardrail or a road wall installed on the road shoulder and the host vehicle 60. Further, for example, it may be configured to detect the road shape based on the map information received by the receiving device 24. When a plurality of means can be used as the means for detecting the road shape, the determination in step S205 may be executed for the means with the highest detection reliability.

[0090] Also, in step S206, although it is preferable to determine whether or not the traveling path of the host vehicle 60 matches the road shape based on the lane line information, it is not limited thereto. For example, it may be configured to determine whether or not the traveling path of the host vehicle 60 matches the road shape based on the change in the distance between the on-vehicle structure such as a guardrail or a road wall installed on the road shoulder and the host vehicle 60, or the relationship between the map information received by the receiving device 24 and the traveling locus of the host vehicle. When both the lane line information and information other than the lane line information can be used, the operation determination unit 48 may be configured to determine whether or not the traveling locus of the host vehicle deviates from the lane shape of the traveling lane of the host vehicle 60 based on information other than the lane line information when the reliability of the lane line information is low.

[0091] In each of the above embodiments, the case where a strip-shaped operation area is set on the right rear side of the host vehicle 60 has been illustrated and described, but it is not limited thereto. Depending on specific driving support such as a notification command to the warning device, an automatic brake command to the braking device, collision suppression control or collision avoidance control, control to activate a safety device, secondary collision brake, hazard lamp flashing to notify the following vehicle of the risk of collision, blind spot monitoring to detect a vehicle in a blind spot and notify the driver, anti-entrapment warning when turning right or left, trailer blind spot monitoring to automatically detect the connection of a trailer and expand the operation area, and alighting warning to detect a vehicle approaching the host vehicle 60 and notify the driver opening the door for alighting, etc., the size, shape, and set position of the operation area calculated by the operation area calculation unit 43 are changed.

[0092] According to each of the above embodiments, the following effects can be obtained.

[0093] Based on the surrounding monitoring information of the host vehicle 60 acquired from the surrounding monitoring device 20, the ECU 40 functions as a driving support device that executes driving support for the host vehicle 60, and includes a travel trajectory calculation unit 42, an operation area calculation unit 43, and an operation determination unit 48.

[0094] The travel trajectory calculation unit 42 calculates the travel trajectory of the host vehicle 60. The operation area calculation unit 43 calculates the operation area around the host vehicle 60. When the angle difference (for example, θ1) between the current traveling direction (for example, S23) of a detected object (for example, another vehicle 66) detected within the operation area and the traveling direction (for example, S13) in the past travel trajectory of the host vehicle 60 is less than a predetermined angle difference threshold θt, the operation determination unit 48 sets the detected object as a determination target that is a target for determining the operation of driving support. Further, when it is determined that the detected object is a determination target, the operation determination unit 48 determines the operation of driving support for the host vehicle 60.

[0095] According to each of the above units provided in the ECU 40, for example, when the traveling direction of the host vehicle 60 or another vehicle 66 as a detected object changes due to, for example, a lane change, the angle difference between the current traveling direction of the other vehicle 66 and the traveling direction in the past travel trajectory of the host vehicle 60 becomes large and may become equal to or greater than the angle difference threshold, so it is possible to suppress unnecessary activation of an alarm or the like when another vehicle 66 with a low risk to the host vehicle 60 becomes a determination target. On the other hand, for example, when the traveling direction of the host vehicle 60 changes due to traveling on a curved road or the like, the angle difference between the current traveling direction of another vehicle 66 as a detected object and the traveling direction in the past travel trajectory of the host vehicle 60 tends to become small and may become less than the angle difference threshold, so it is possible to suppress the exclusion of another vehicle 66 with a high risk to the host vehicle 60 from the determination target. That is, the determination target can be appropriately set even when the traveling direction of the host vehicle 60 changes, and the driving support can be more appropriately activated.

[0096] The operation determination unit 48 may be configured to set a detected object as an object to be determined when an angular difference (for example, θ1) between the current traveling direction of the detected object (for example, S23) and the traveling direction of the host vehicle 60 (for example, S13) when the host vehicle passed the current position of the detected object (for example, point T) in the past is less than an angular difference threshold θt. For example, as shown in FIGS. 3(a) and 3(b), it is possible to determine whether to set the detected object as an object to be determined with the same degree of certainty as when the host vehicle 60 continues to travel along a straight road.

[0097] The operation determination unit 48 may be configured to set a detected object as an object to be determined when an angular difference (for example, θ1) between the current traveling direction of the detected object (for example, S23) and the traveling direction of the host vehicle 60 (for example, S13) at a time when the traveling trajectory of the host vehicle 60 is traced back according to the current distance between the detected object and the host vehicle 60 is less than an angular difference threshold θt. It is possible to determine whether to set the detected object as an object to be determined with the same degree of certainty as when the host vehicle 60 continues to travel along a straight road.

[0098] The operation determination unit 48 may be configured to set a detected object as an object to be determined when it is determined that the traveling trajectory of the host vehicle 60 deviates from the lane shape of the traveling lane of the host vehicle 60 obtained from the surrounding monitoring information. When the traveling trajectory of the host vehicle 60, such as a lane change, temporarily deviates from the lane shape, it is possible to prevent necessary driving support for the host vehicle 60 from being deactivated. When the surrounding monitoring information includes lane line information, which is information about the lane lines of the road on which the host vehicle travels, the operation determination unit 48 is preferably configured to determine whether the traveling trajectory of the host vehicle 60 deviates from the lane shape of the traveling lane of the host vehicle based on the lane line information. Further, the operation determination unit 48 may be configured to set a detected object as an object to be determined when the reliability of the lane line information is low. On the other hand, when the surrounding monitoring information includes at least lane line information and information other than the lane line information, the operation determination unit 48 may be configured to determine whether the traveling trajectory of the host vehicle 60 deviates from the lane shape of the traveling lane of the host vehicle based on the information other than the lane line information when the reliability of the lane line information is low.

[0099] The travel locus calculation unit 42 may be configured to calculate the travel locus of the host vehicle 60 based on the odometry information indicating the operating state of the host vehicle 60. In addition to the actually measured position of the host vehicle 60, since the position of the host vehicle 60 can be calculated interpolatively based on the odometry information, the host vehicle travel locus can be calculated with high accuracy. Also, in this case, the operation determination unit 48 may be configured to set the detected object as the determination target when it is determined that the variation in the odometry information exceeds a predetermined variation threshold value. It is possible to suppress the situation where the necessary driving support for the host vehicle 60 is not activated when the traveling direction of the host vehicle 60 varies greatly.

[0100] The driving support program applied to the ECU 40 includes a travel locus calculation step (steps S102, S202) for calculating the travel locus of the host vehicle 60, an operation area calculation step (steps S102, S202) for calculating the operation area around the host vehicle 60, and an operation determination step (steps S107 to 109, S207 to 209) for determining the activation of the driving support of the host vehicle 60 when an object is detected in the operation area based on the surrounding monitoring information. The operation determination step includes a step (steps S107, S108, S207, S208) of setting the detected object as a determination target for determining the activation of the driving support when the angular difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object detected in the operation area and the traveling direction in the past travel locus of the host vehicle 60 is less than a predetermined angular difference threshold value.

[0101] The control unit and its method described in the present disclosure may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor and a memory programmed to execute one or more functions embodied by a computer program. Alternatively, the control unit and its method described in the present disclosure may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor with one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Or, the control unit and its method described in the present disclosure may be implemented by one or more dedicated computers configured by a combination of a processor programmed to execute one or more functions and a memory and a processor configured by one or more hardware logic circuits. Further, the computer program may be stored in a computer-readable non-transitory tangible recording medium as instructions to be executed by a computer.

[0102] The present disclosure has been described based on embodiments, but it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to such embodiments or structures. The present disclosure also includes various modifications and modifications within an equivalent range. In addition, various combinations and forms, and further other combinations and forms including only one element, more than one, or less than one thereof, are within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

[0103] Hereinafter, characteristic configurations extracted from each of the above-described embodiments will be described. [Configuration 1] A driving support device (40) that executes driving support for the host vehicle based on surrounding monitoring information of the host vehicle (60) acquired from a surrounding monitoring device (20), A travel trajectory calculation unit (42) that calculates the travel trajectory of the host vehicle, An operation area calculation unit (43) that calculates an operation area around the host vehicle, An operation determination unit (48) that determines the operation of driving support for the host vehicle when an object is detected in the operation area based on the surrounding monitoring information, and The operation determination unit is a driving support device that sets the detected object as a determination target for determining the operation of the driving support when an angular difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object detected within the operation area and the traveling direction in the past traveling trajectory of the host vehicle is less than a predetermined angular difference threshold value. [Configuration 2] The operation determination unit of the driving support device according to Configuration 1 sets the detected object as the determination target when an angular difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object and the traveling direction of the host vehicle when the host vehicle passed the current position of the detected object in the past is less than the angular difference threshold value. [Configuration 3] The operation determination unit of the driving support device according to Configuration 1 or 2 sets the detected object as the determination target when an angular difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object and the traveling direction of the host vehicle at a time when the traveling trajectory of the host vehicle is traced back according to the current distance between the detected object and the host vehicle is less than the angular difference threshold value. [Configuration 4] The operation determination unit of the driving support device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 3 sets the detected object as the determination target when it is determined that the traveling trajectory of the host vehicle deviates from the lane shape of the traveling lane of the host vehicle obtained from the surrounding monitoring information. [Configuration 5] The traveling trajectory calculation unit calculates the traveling trajectory of the host vehicle based on odometry information indicating the operation state of the host vehicle. The operation determination unit of the driving support device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 4 sets the detected object as the determination target when it is determined that the variation of the odometry information exceeds a predetermined variation threshold value. [Configuration 6] The surrounding monitoring information includes lane line information which is information about lane lines of the road on which the host vehicle travels. The operation determination unit of the driving support device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 5 determines whether or not the traveling trajectory of the host vehicle deviates from the lane shape of the traveling lane of the host vehicle based on the lane line information. [Configuration 7] The surrounding monitoring information includes lane line information which is information about lane lines of the road on which the host vehicle travels. When the reliability of the lane line information is low, the operation determination unit sets the detected object as the determination target. The driving support device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 6. [Configuration 8] The surrounding monitoring information includes at least lane line information about the lane lines of the road on which the host vehicle travels and information other than the lane line information. When the reliability of the lane line information is low, the operation determination unit determines, based on the information other than the lane line information, whether the travel trajectory of the host vehicle deviates from the lane shape of the travel lane of the host vehicle. The driving support device according to any one of Configurations 1 to 6. [Configuration 9] A driving support program applied to a driving support device that executes driving support for the host vehicle based on surrounding monitoring information of the host vehicle acquired from a surrounding monitoring device, A travel trajectory calculation step of calculating the travel trajectory of the host vehicle, An operation area calculation step of calculating an operation area around the host vehicle, When an object is detected in the operation area based on the surrounding monitoring information, an operation determination step of determining the operation of the driving support of the host vehicle, In the operation determination step, when the angle difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object detected in the operation area and the traveling direction in the past travel trajectory of the host vehicle is less than a predetermined angle difference threshold value, the detected object is set as a determination target that is a target for determining the operation of the driving support. Driving support program.

Claims

1. A driving support device (40) that executes driving support for the host vehicle based on surrounding monitoring information of the host vehicle (60) acquired from a surrounding monitoring device (20), a travel trajectory calculation unit (42) that calculates a travel trajectory of the host vehicle, an operation area calculation unit (43) that calculates an operation area around the host vehicle, an operation determination unit (48) that determines the operation of the driving support of the host vehicle when an object is detected in the operation area based on the surrounding monitoring information, comprising: when the angle difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object detected in the operation area and the traveling direction in the past travel trajectory of the host vehicle is less than a predetermined angle difference threshold value, the operation determination unit sets the detected object as a determination target for determining the operation of the driving support, while when it is determined that the travel trajectory of the host vehicle deviates from the lane shape of the travel lane of the host vehicle obtained from the surrounding monitoring information, the driving support device that sets the detected object as the determination target.

2. The surrounding monitoring information includes lane line information which is information about lane lines of the road on which the host vehicle travels, The operation determination unit determines whether or not the travel trajectory of the host vehicle deviates from the lane shape of the travel lane of the host vehicle based on the lane line information, according to the driving support device of Claim 1.

3. The surrounding monitoring information includes at least lane line information which is information about lane lines of the road on which the host vehicle travels and information other than the lane line information, When the reliability of the lane line information is low, the operation determination unit determines whether or not the travel trajectory of the host vehicle deviates from the lane shape of the travel lane of the host vehicle based on information other than the lane line information, according to the driving support device described in Claim 1.

4. A driving support device (40) that executes driving support for the host vehicle based on surrounding monitoring information of the host vehicle (60) acquired from a surrounding monitoring device (20), a travel trajectory calculation unit (42) that calculates a travel trajectory of the host vehicle, an operation area calculation unit (43) that calculates an operation area around the host vehicle, an operation determination unit (48) that determines the operation of the driving support of the host vehicle when an object is detected in the operation area based on the surrounding monitoring information, comprising: The travel trajectory calculation unit calculates the travel trajectory of the host vehicle based on odometry information indicating the operating state of the host vehicle. The operation determination unit sets the detected object as a determination target for determining the operation of the driving support when the angular difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object detected within the operation area and the traveling direction in the past traveling trajectory of the host vehicle is less than a predetermined angular difference threshold value. On the other hand, when it is determined that the variation in the odometry information exceeds a predetermined variation threshold value, the driving support device sets the detected object as the determination target.

5. A driving support device (40) that executes driving support for the host vehicle based on the surrounding monitoring information of the host vehicle (60) acquired from a surrounding monitoring device (20), A traveling trajectory calculation unit (42) that calculates the traveling trajectory of the host vehicle, An operation area calculation unit (43) that calculates an operation area around the host vehicle, An operation determination unit (48) that determines the operation of the driving support of the host vehicle when an object is detected within the operation area based on the surrounding monitoring information, comprising: The surrounding monitoring information includes lane line information which is information about lane lines of the road on which the host vehicle travels, The operation determination unit sets the detected object as a determination target for determining the operation of the driving support when the angular difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object detected within the operation area and the traveling direction in the past traveling trajectory of the host vehicle is less than a predetermined angular difference threshold value. On the other hand, when the reliability of the lane line information is low, the driving support device sets the detected object as the determination target.

6. A driving support device (40) that executes driving support for the host vehicle based on the surrounding monitoring information of the host vehicle (60) acquired from a surrounding monitoring device (20), A traveling trajectory calculation unit (42) that calculates the traveling trajectory of the host vehicle, An operation area calculation unit (43) that calculates an operation area around the host vehicle, An operation determination unit (48) that determines the operation of the driving support of the host vehicle when an object is detected within the operation area based on the surrounding monitoring information, comprising: The surrounding monitoring information includes at least lane line information which is information about lane lines of the road on which the host vehicle travels and information other than the lane line information. When the angle difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object detected within the operation area and the traveling direction in the past travel trajectory of the host vehicle is less than a predetermined angle difference threshold, the operation determination unit sets the detected object as a determination target that is a target for determining the operation of the driving support. On the other hand, when the reliability of the lane line information is low, based on information other than the lane line information, it is determined whether the travel trajectory of the host vehicle deviates from the lane shape of the travel lane of the host vehicle. A driving support device.

7. The operation determination unit sets the detected object as the determination target when the angle difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object and the traveling direction of the host vehicle when the host vehicle passed the current position of the detected object in the past is less than the angle difference threshold. The driving support device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

8. The operation determination unit sets the detected object as the determination target when the angle difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object and the traveling direction of the host vehicle at the time when the travel trajectory of the host vehicle is traced back according to the current distance between the detected object and the host vehicle is less than the angle difference threshold. The driving support device according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

9. A driving support program applied to a driving support device that executes driving support for the host vehicle based on surrounding monitoring information of the host vehicle acquired from a surrounding monitoring device, causing a computer to a travel trajectory calculation step of calculating the travel trajectory of the host vehicle; an operation area calculation step of calculating an operation area around the host vehicle; an operation determination step of determining the operation of the driving support of the host vehicle when an object is detected within the operation area based on the surrounding monitoring information; be executed, In the operation determination step, when the angle difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object detected within the operation area and the traveling direction in the past travel trajectory of the host vehicle is less than a predetermined angle difference threshold, the detected object is set as a determination target that is a target for determining the operation of the driving support. On the other hand, when it is determined that the travel trajectory of the host vehicle deviates from the lane shape of the travel lane of the host vehicle obtained from the surrounding monitoring information, the detected object is set as the determination target. A driving support program.

10. A driving support program applied to a driving support device that executes driving support for the host vehicle based on surrounding monitoring information of the host vehicle acquired from a surrounding monitoring device, causing a computer to a travel trajectory calculation step of calculating the travel trajectory of the host vehicle; An operation area calculation step for calculating an operation area around the host vehicle; An operation determination step for determining the operation of the driving support of the host vehicle when an object is detected in the operation area based on the surrounding monitoring information; to execute, In the travel trajectory calculation step, based on the odometry information indicating the operation state of the host vehicle, calculate the travel trajectory of the host vehicle, In the operation determination step, when the angular difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object detected in the operation area and the traveling direction in the past travel trajectory of the host vehicle is less than a predetermined angular difference threshold value, the detected object is set as a determination target that is a target for determining the operation of the driving support. On the other hand, when it is determined that the variation of the odometry information exceeds a predetermined variation threshold value, a driving support program for setting the detected object as the determination target.

11. A driving support program applied to a driving support device that executes driving support for the host vehicle based on surrounding monitoring information of the host vehicle acquired from a surrounding monitoring device, to a computer, A travel trajectory calculation step for calculating the travel trajectory of the host vehicle; An operation area calculation step for calculating an operation area around the host vehicle; An operation determination step for determining the operation of the driving support of the host vehicle when an object is detected in the operation area based on the surrounding monitoring information; to execute, The surrounding monitoring information includes lane line information that is information about lane lines on the road on which the host vehicle travels, In the operation determination step, when the angular difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object detected in the operation area and the traveling direction in the past travel trajectory of the host vehicle is less than a predetermined angular difference threshold value, the detected object is set as a determination target that is a target for determining the operation of the driving support. On the other hand, when the reliability of the lane line information is low, a driving support program for setting the detected object as the determination target.

12. A driving support program applied to a driving support device that executes driving support for the host vehicle based on surrounding monitoring information of the host vehicle acquired from a surrounding monitoring device, to a computer, A travel trajectory calculation step for calculating the travel trajectory of the host vehicle; An operation area calculation step for calculating an operation area around the host vehicle; An operation determination step for determining the operation of the driving support of the host vehicle when an object is detected in the operation area based on the surrounding monitoring information; to execute, The surrounding monitoring information includes at least lane line information which is information about lane lines on the road on which the host vehicle travels, and information other than the lane line information. In the operation determination step, when the angular difference between the current traveling direction of the detected object detected within the operation region and the traveling direction in the past traveling trajectory of the host vehicle is less than a predetermined angular difference threshold value, the detected object is set as a determination target which is a target for determining the operation of the driving support. On the other hand, when the reliability of the lane line information is low, based on the information other than the lane line information, a driving support program for determining whether the traveling trajectory of the host vehicle deviates from the lane shape of the traveling lane of the host vehicle.

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