Driving Support Device and Driving Support Method

Abstract

The purpose of the present disclosure is to present, to a driver of a vehicle, information on a section ahead where the vehicle can overtake a small moving object. A driving assistance device (101) according to the present disclosure comprises: a small moving object information acquisition unit (11) that acquires small moving object information including the position and the width of at least one small moving object (Q) running ahead of a subject vehicle (P); a subject vehicle information acquisition unit (12) that acquires subject vehicle information including the position and the width of the subject vehicle (P); a road information acquisition unit (14) that acquires road information including the width of a travel road ahead of the subject vehicle (P); an overtaking determination unit (15) that determines a section, of a travel road, where the subject vehicle (P) can overtake the at least one small moving object (Q), as a section where overtaking is possible, on the basis of the small moving object information, the subject vehicle information, and the road information; and an assistance control unit (16) that displays, on a display device (23) mounted in the subject vehicle (P), driving assistance information including the position of the section where overtaking is possible or a time required for the subject vehicle to reach the section where overtaking is possible.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to driving assistance for vehicles.

Background Art

[0002] When a small moving object such as a bicycle or a motorcycle is traveling in front of a vehicle, the driver of the vehicle may be confused as to whether it is possible to safely overtake the small moving object (hereinafter referred to as overtaking determination). As a technology for assisting overtaking determination, Patent Document 1 discloses a driving assistance system that determines whether a vehicle can safely overtake a small moving object and notifies the driver of the determination result.

[0003] The driving assistance system of Patent Document 1 determines whether a vehicle can currently overtake a small moving object based on the positions of the vehicle and the small moving object on a one-lane road on one side. When this driving assistance system determines that the overtaking vehicle can overtake the small moving object, it displays a notification to that effect and the remaining time until overtaking is possible. When it determines that overtaking is impossible, it displays a notification to that effect.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] According to the driving assistance system of Patent Document 1, there is a problem that when it is currently impossible to overtake a small moving object, information on a section ahead where overtaking is possible is not provided to the driver.

[0006] The present disclosure has been made to solve the above problems, and an object thereof is to present information on a section ahead where a vehicle can overtake a small moving object to the driver of the vehicle.

Means for Solving the Problems

[0007] According to the present disclosure, In one aspect the driving support device includes a small moving object information acquisition unit that acquires small moving object information including the position and width of at least one small moving object that travels in front of the target vehicle and has a width equal to or less than half of the lane width of the driving road of the target vehicle, a target vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires target vehicle information including the position and width of the target vehicle, a road information acquisition unit that acquires road information including the width in front of the driving road of the target vehicle, and a passing determination unit that determines, based on the small moving object information, the target vehicle information, and the road information, a section on the driving road where the target vehicle can overtake at least one small moving object in a two-lane road on both sides as a passable section, and a support control unit that causes a display device mounted on the target vehicle to display driving support information including the position of the passable section or the required time for the target vehicle to reach the passable section. , the small moving object information acquisition unit acquires sensor signals of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor mounted on the vehicle ahead, determines whether the vehicle ahead is a small moving object based on the sensor signals, determines the type of the small moving object when the vehicle ahead is a small moving object, and estimates the width of the small moving object based on the type of the small moving object It is provided with.

Advantages of the Invention

[0008] According to the driving support device of the present disclosure, information on a passable section where a small moving object can be overtaken is notified to the driver of the target vehicle by display. The object, features, aspects, and advantages of the present disclosure will become clearer from the following detailed description and the accompanying drawings.

Brief Description of the Drawings

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Mode for Carrying Out the Invention

[0010] <A. Embodiment 1> <A-1. Configuration> FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a driving support device 101 according to Embodiment 1 and a vehicle system 1001 including the driving support device 101.

[0011] The vehicle system 1001 is a system mounted on a vehicle. Hereinafter, the vehicle on which the vehicle system 1001 is mounted is referred to as a target vehicle P. The vehicle system 1001 includes a driving support device 101, a peripheral detection device 21, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 22, and a display device 23. The driving support device 101 is connected to the peripheral detection device 21, the GNSS receiver 22, and the display device 23 and is configured to be able to use them.

[0012] In FIG. 1, the driving support device 101 is shown as being mounted on the target vehicle. However, as will be described later, some configurations of the driving support device 101 may be provided outside the target vehicle, such as a server.

[0013] The peripheral detection device 21 detects information on the periphery of the target vehicle (hereinafter, "peripheral information"). This peripheral information includes, for example, information on the position and width of a small moving object traveling in front of the target vehicle. In addition, the "periphery" of the target vehicle detected by the peripheral detection device 21 includes at least the front of the target vehicle. The peripheral detection device 21 is configured by, for example, a vehicle-to-vehicle communication device, an image recognition device, a millimeter-wave radar, or a LIDAR (light detection and ranging).

[0014] The GNSS receiver 22 receives signals from GNSS satellites (hereinafter, "GNSS signals").

[0015] The display device 23 acquires and displays driving support information from the driving support device 101. The display device 23 is configured by, for example, a head-up display (HUD), an augmented reality head-up display (AR HUD), a driver information console, a transmissive display, or a smart glass display.

[0016] The driving support device 101 includes a small moving object information acquisition unit 11, a target vehicle information acquisition unit 12, a map data storage unit 13, a road information acquisition unit 14, an overtaking determination unit 15, and a support control unit 16.

[0017] Based on the surrounding information of the target vehicle acquired from the surrounding detection device 21, the small moving object information acquisition unit 11 detects small moving objects traveling around the target vehicle, typically in the front. A small moving object is a moving object having a width equal to or less than half of the lane width of the traveling road of the target vehicle. When the small moving object information acquisition unit 11 detects a small moving object, it outputs small moving object information including the position and width information of the small moving object to the overtaking determination unit 15.

[0018] The target vehicle information acquisition unit 12 acquires target vehicle information including the position information of the target vehicle and outputs it to the overtaking determination unit 15. The target vehicle information acquisition unit 12 acquires the position information of the target vehicle from the GNSS 22. The target vehicle information may include speed information or information on the planned travel route in addition to the position information of the target vehicle. The target vehicle information acquisition unit 12 can acquire the speed information of the target vehicle from an in-vehicle LAN (not shown). Further, the target vehicle information acquisition unit 12 can acquire information on the planned travel route of the target vehicle from a navigation device (not shown) mounted on the target vehicle.

[0019] Map data is stored in the map data storage unit 13. This map data includes information on the width of the road as road information.

[0020] Based on the position information of the target vehicle acquired by the target vehicle information acquisition unit 12, the road information acquisition unit 14 acquires road information of the road on which the target vehicle is traveling from the map data storage unit 13.

[0021] Based on the small moving object information acquired from the small moving object information acquisition unit 11, the target vehicle information acquired from the target vehicle information acquisition unit 12, and the road information acquired from the road information acquisition unit 14, the overtaking determination unit 15 determines whether the target vehicle can currently overtake the small moving object. If the overtaking determination unit 15 determines that the target vehicle cannot currently overtake the small moving object, it determines whether there is a section (hereinafter, "overtaking possible section") where the target vehicle can overtake the small moving object ahead on the road on which the target vehicle is traveling. If there is an overtaking possible section, the overtaking determination unit 15 outputs information on the overtaking possible section to the support control unit 16.

[0022] Based on the information on the overtaking possible section acquired from the overtaking determination unit 15, the support control unit 16 creates driving support information to be notified to the driver of the target vehicle and causes it to be displayed on the display device 23. The driving support information includes, for example, information on the time required for the target vehicle to reach the overtaking possible section or position information on the overtaking possible section.

[0023] <A-2. Operations> FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing the processing of the driving support device 101. FIG. 3 shows a situation where a small moving object Q is traveling in front of the target vehicle P and there is an overtaking possible section E ahead on the road. Hereinafter, the processing of the driving support device 101 will be described with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3.

[0024] The flow in FIG. 2 starts with the start of the travel of the target vehicle P. First, the small moving object information acquisition unit 11 determines whether there is a small moving object Q in front of the target vehicle P based on the surrounding information of the target vehicle P (step S101).

[0025] If there is no small moving object Q in step S101, the process of the driving support device 101 proceeds to step S107. In step S107, the driving support device 101 determines whether the target vehicle has finished traveling. If the target vehicle P is in motion in step S107, the process of the driving support device 101 returns to step S101. If the traveling of the target vehicle P has ended in step S107, the process of the driving support device 101 ends.

[0026] If there is a small moving object Q in step S101, the small moving object information acquisition unit 11 acquires small moving object information from the surrounding information of the target vehicle P and outputs it to the overtaking determination unit 15 (step S102). The small moving object information includes the position and width information of the small moving object Q. Also, the target vehicle information acquisition unit 12 acquires target vehicle information and outputs it to the overtaking determination unit 15.

[0027] After step S102, based on the position information of the target vehicle P included in the target vehicle information acquired in step S102, the overtaking determination unit 15 acquires road information in front of the target vehicle P (hereinafter, "front road information") from the map data storage unit 13 (step S103).

[0028] After step S103, based on the small moving object information, the target vehicle information, and the front road information, the overtaking determination unit 15 determines whether the target vehicle P can currently overtake the small moving object Q (step S104).

[0029] If the target vehicle P can overtake the small moving object Q in step S104, the process of the driving support device 101 proceeds to step S107. While the target vehicle P can overtake the small moving object Q but does not overtake it, the processes of steps S101, S102, S103, S104, S107, and S101 loop. When the target vehicle P overtakes the small moving object Q, there is no small moving object Q in front of the target vehicle P, so the processes of steps S101, S107, and S101 loop. After that, when the next small moving object Q appears in front of the target vehicle P, the process shifts from step S101 to step S102.

[0030] Figure 3 shows a situation where the target vehicle P cannot currently overtake the small moving object Q. The width of the road on which the target vehicle P is currently traveling is not sufficient for the widths of the target vehicle P and the small moving object Q. When the target vehicle P cannot overtake the small moving object Q in step S104, the overtaking determination unit 15 determines a section where the target vehicle P can overtake the small moving object Q as an overtaking possible section E (step S105).

[0031] As shown in Figure 4, the overtaking possible section E is a section where the road width is sufficiently large with respect to the widths of the target vehicle P and the small moving object Q. The overtaking determination unit 15 determines a section where (road width) ≥ (width of target vehicle P + width of small moving object Q + margin distance Th1) as the overtaking possible section. The margin distance Th1 is, for example, 1.5 m. Alternatively, the overtaking determination unit 15 may set the margin distance Th1 longer as the traveling speed of the target vehicle P is higher or the curvature of the road is greater.

[0032] After step S105, the support control unit 16 creates information on the overtaking possible section and causes it to be displayed on the display device 23 (step S106). The information on the overtaking possible section displayed here includes, for example, the position information of the overtaking possible section or the information on the time required for the target vehicle P to reach the overtaking possible section.

[0033] Figure 5 shows an example of the display of the information on the overtaking possible section. In the example of Figure 5, it is displayed that "Overtaking possible in 100 m", and the driver can grasp the distance to the overtaking possible section. Here, the distance from the target vehicle P to the overtaking possible section is displayed, but the time required for the target vehicle P to reach the overtaking possible section, such as "Overtaking possible in 2 seconds later", may also be displayed.

[0034] While the target vehicle P cannot overtake the small moving object Q, the driving support device 101 loops through the processes of steps S101, S102, S103, S104, S105, S106, S107, and S101. When it becomes possible to overtake the small moving object Q, the support control unit 16 may display that fact on the display device 23.

[0035] After step S106, the driving support device 101 determines whether the running of the target vehicle P has ended (step S107). If the target vehicle P is running in step S107, the process of the driving support device 101 returns to step S101. If the running of the target vehicle P has ended in step S107, the process of the driving support device 101 ends.

[0036] <A-3. Effect> The driving support device 101 according to the first embodiment includes a small moving object information acquisition unit 11 that acquires small moving object information including the position and width of at least one small moving object Q that travels in front of the target vehicle P and has a width of half or less of the lane width of the driving road of the target vehicle P, a target vehicle information acquisition unit 12 that acquires target vehicle information including the position and width of the target vehicle P, a road information acquisition unit 14 that acquires road information including the width in front of the driving road of the target vehicle P, an overtaking determination unit 15 that determines, based on the small moving object information, the target vehicle information, and the road information, a section on the driving road where the target vehicle P can overtake at least one small moving object Q as an overtaking possible section, and a support control unit 16 that causes a display device 23 mounted on the target vehicle P to display driving support information including the position of the overtaking possible section or the required time for the target vehicle P to reach the overtaking possible section. With the above configuration, when the small moving object Q exists in front of the target vehicle P, the information on the overtaking possible section is displayed on the display device 23. Therefore, the driver of the target vehicle P can safely overtake the small moving object Q with reference to the information on the overtaking possible section.

[0037] <A-4. First Modification Example> The small moving object information may include the planned travel route of the small moving object Q, and the target vehicle information may include the planned travel route of the target vehicle P. When the planned travel route of the target vehicle P is different from the planned travel route of the small moving object Q in front of the current position of the target vehicle P, the overtaking determination unit 15 may determine that the target vehicle P can overtake the small moving object Q at the destination where the target vehicle P enters a different planned travel route from the small moving object Q. In this case, the support control unit 16 may cause the display device 23 to display that the target vehicle P will travel on a different route from the small moving object Q later.

[0038] According to this modification example, it becomes possible to provide driving support in consideration of the fact that the small moving object Q will not be in front of the target vehicle P in the future.

[0039] <A-5. Second Modification Example> In this modification example, an HUD is used as the display device 23, and information on the overtaking possible section is displayed on the HUD. FIG. 6 shows an example of the display of information on the overtaking possible section by the HUD. As shown in FIG. 6, on the area of the HUD that overlaps the actual scene of the overtaking possible section, an object 32 of an arrow indicating the position of the overtaking possible section and a text object 33 representing the distance to the overtaking possible section are displayed. These objects are created by the support control unit 16.

[0040] <A-6. Third Modification Example> In this modification example, information on the overtaking possible section is displayed on the map screen. That is, in this modification example, the display device 23 is a display device of a navigation device (not shown) that guides the driver of the target vehicle P along the planned travel route. FIG. 7 shows an example of the display of the overtaking possible section on the map screen of the navigation device. An overtaking possible section E is displayed on the travel route 34 of the target vehicle P.

[0041] In this way, by superimposing and displaying the overtaking possible section E on the map, information is presented to the driver in an easy-to-understand manner.

[0042] Note that in addition to the overtaking possible section E, an overtaking caution section D is also displayed in FIG. 7. The overtaking caution section D represents a section that requires more driving skills for overtaking than the overtaking possible section E. For example, the overtaking caution section D may be displayed in yellow or red, and the overtaking possible section E may be displayed in green.

[0043] In order to achieve the above display, the passing determination unit 15 sets the margin distance between the target vehicle P and the small moving object Q, which is necessary for the target vehicle P to overtake the small moving object Q, in two stages: a first margin distance Th11 and a second margin distance Th12 greater than the first margin distance Th11. Then, a section on the planned driving route where (road width) ≥ (width of target vehicle P + width of small moving object Q + second margin distance Th12) is defined as a passable section E, and a section on the planned driving route where (width of target vehicle P + width of small moving object Q + first margin distance Th11) ≤ (road width) < (width of target vehicle P + width of small moving object Q + second margin distance Th12) is defined as a passing caution section D.

[0044] The passing caution section D can also be regarded as a passable section with a low safety level where a higher driving skill is required for passing than in the passable section E. Thus, in the display example of FIG. 7, the passing determination unit 15 sets two passable sections with different safety levels. The passing determination unit 15 may set three or more passable sections with different safety levels. Thereby, the driver of the target vehicle P can grasp the passable section according to the driving skill.

[0045] <A-7. Fourth Modified Example> As shown in FIG. 8, the support control unit 16 may cause the display device 23 to display a graph representing the safety levels of the passable section E and the passing caution section D. For example, the passing determination unit 15 can use ((road width) - (total width of target vehicle P and small moving object Q)) as the safety level. The higher the safety level, the easier it is for a driver without advanced driving skills to overtake.

[0046] In the display example of FIG. 8, the horizontal bar reflects the section length and informs the driver of the lengths of the non-passable section, the passable section E, and the passing caution section D. This display may be performed on any display device 23 such as a CID, HUD, or meter cluster.

[0047] In this way, by displaying the safety level such as the overtaking possible section E on the display device 23, even a driver without advanced driving skills can easily determine whether to overtake in a section according to his or her own driving skills.

[0048] <A-8. Fifth Modification Example> In the first embodiment, the driving support device 101 has been described as determining whether it is possible to overtake a single small moving object Q. However, there may be a plurality of small moving objects Q. For example, assume that two small moving objects Q1 and Q2 are running side by side in front of the target vehicle P. In this case, the overtaking determination unit 15 determines a section on the driving road where (road width) ≥ (width of target vehicle P + width of small moving object Q1 + width of small moving object Q2 + margin distance for two vehicles (Th1 × 2)) as an overtaking possible section.

[0049] <A-9. Sixth Modification Example> In the first embodiment, the support control unit 16 creates driving support information based on the information of the overtaking possible section set by the overtaking determination unit 15 and displays it on the display device 23. This driving support information may be transmitted from the driving support device 101 to a wireless terminal mounted on the small moving object Q via a communication device (not shown in FIG. 1). Thereby, the information of the overtaking possible section can be transmitted not only to the driver of the target vehicle P but also to the driver of the small moving object Q. The driver of the small moving object Q can receive this information and can consider overtaking the target vehicle, such as driving at the edge instead of the center of the road in the overtaking possible section.

[0050] <A-10. Seventh Modification Example> In the first embodiment, the small moving object information acquisition unit 11 acquires the small moving object information of the small moving object Q running immediately in front of the target vehicle P. However, the small moving object information acquisition unit 11 may acquire the small moving object information of the small moving object Q far from the target vehicle P through vehicle-to-vehicle communication or communication via a server provided outside the target vehicle P. Here, being far from the target vehicle P means being so far away from the target vehicle P that it cannot be detected by the image recognition device, millimeter wave radar, or LIDAR mounted on the target vehicle P.

[0051] The support control unit 16 may calculate the position where the target vehicle P catches up with the distant small moving object Q or the distance until it catches up, and cause the display device 23 to display it. Further, the support control unit 16 may display the current position of the small moving object Q on the map or the position where the target vehicle P catches up with the small moving object Q. Thereby, the driver of the target vehicle P can know in advance the small moving object Q on the planned travel route of the target vehicle P. Further, when the target vehicle P catches up with the small moving object Q, the support control unit 16 may cause the display device 23 to display the overtaking possible section.

[0052] <A-11. Eighth Modification Example> The overtaking determination unit 15 determines the overtaking possible section based on the target vehicle P, the small moving object Q, and the width of the road. Here, the overtaking determination unit 15 may estimate the width of the small moving object Q according to the type of the small moving object Q included in the small moving object information, and determine the overtaking possible section.

[0053] The small moving object information acquisition unit 11 can acquire the type of the preceding vehicle by communicating with the preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the target vehicle P, and can determine whether the preceding vehicle is a small moving object according to the acquired type.

[0054] Further, even when the small moving object information acquisition unit 11 can communicate with the preceding vehicle but cannot acquire the type of the preceding vehicle, if it can acquire the sensor signal of the acceleration sensor or the gyro sensor mounted on the preceding vehicle, it can determine the type of the preceding vehicle based on the sensor signal. The acceleration of the preceding vehicle can be obtained from the sensor signal of the acceleration sensor, and the inclination of the preceding vehicle can be obtained from the sensor signal of the gyro sensor. For example, since a motorcycle has the characteristics that the lateral acceleration increases and the inclination increases when traveling on a curve, the small moving object information acquisition unit 11 can determine whether the preceding vehicle is a motorcycle from the magnitude of the lateral acceleration and the inclination. A bicycle tilts when traveling on a curve but has a small lateral acceleration and a slower speed than a motorcycle. A four-wheel automobile has a small inclination when traveling on a curve. Based on this information, the small moving object information acquisition unit 11 can determine whether the preceding vehicle is a small moving object and further determine the type of the small moving object.

[0055] In this way, by detecting the small moving object from the information obtained through communication with the vehicle ahead and estimating the vehicle width from the type of the small moving object, it becomes possible to preliminarily determine the overtaking possible section of the target vehicle P with respect to the distant small moving object Q.

[0056] Moreover, a center constituted by a server provided outside the target vehicle P may monitor the positions of the target vehicle P and the small moving object Q and determine the type of the small moving object Q. Then, the small moving object information acquisition unit 11 may acquire the small moving object information including the type of the small moving object Q from the center. Here, the center only needs to have a function of communicating with the mobile communication terminal mounted on each vehicle without directly communicating with the communication device mounted on each vehicle. In that case, the center can acquire the position information, acceleration information, and inclination information from the mobile communication terminal and estimate the vehicle type of the vehicle on which the owner of the mobile communication terminal is riding.

[0057] <B. Embodiment 2> <B-1. Configuration> FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a driving support device 102 and a vehicle system 1002 including the driving support device 102 according to Embodiment 2.

[0058] The vehicle system 1002 is a system mounted on a vehicle. In the present embodiment, the vehicle on which the vehicle system 1002 is mounted is referred to as the target vehicle P. The vehicle system 1002 includes a driving support device 102, a surrounding detection device 21, a GNSS receiver 22, a display device 23, and a communication device 24. The driving support device 102 is connected to the surrounding detection device 21, the GNSS receiver 22, the display device 23, and the communication device 24 and is configured to be able to utilize them.

[0059] In FIG. 9, the driving support device 102 is shown as being mounted on the target vehicle P. However, as will be described later, some configurations of the driving support device 102 may be provided outside the target vehicle P, such as a server.

[0060] The communication device 24 communicates with the oncoming vehicle and acquires its position information, speed information, and vehicle width information from the oncoming vehicle.

[0061] In addition to the configuration of the driving support device 101 according to the first embodiment, the driving support device 102 includes an oncoming vehicle information acquisition unit 17. The oncoming vehicle information acquisition unit 17 acquires oncoming vehicle information including the position information, speed information, and vehicle width information of the oncoming vehicle from the communication device 24, and outputs the oncoming vehicle information to the overtaking determination unit 15. Note that the oncoming vehicle information may include the planned travel route information of the oncoming vehicle. When the oncoming vehicle information acquisition unit 17 cannot acquire the vehicle width information of the oncoming vehicle, it may use a typical vehicle width of a passenger car as a default value. Further, when the oncoming vehicle information acquisition unit 17 can acquire the vehicle type information of the oncoming vehicle, it may obtain the vehicle width from the vehicle type.

[0062] The overtaking determination unit 15 makes an overtaking determination considering the oncoming vehicle based on the small moving object information, target vehicle information, road information, and oncoming vehicle information.

[0063] <B-2. Operation> FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing the processing of the driving support device 102. FIG. 11 shows a situation where the target vehicle P overtakes the small moving object Q and passes by the oncoming vehicle R simultaneously in the overtaking possible section. FIG. 12 shows a situation where the road width is narrow and the target vehicle P cannot overtake the small moving object Q because it passes by the oncoming vehicle R. In this case, the driving support device 102 notifies the driver of the information on the previous overtaking possible section. FIG. 13 shows a state where the target vehicle P overtakes the small moving object Q after passing by the oncoming vehicle R. Hereinafter, the processing of the driving support device 102 corresponding to the situations shown in FIGS. 11 to 13 will be described according to the flowchart shown in FIG. 10.

[0064] The flow of FIG. 10 starts with the start of the travel of the target vehicle P. Steps S201, S202, S203, and S213 are the same as steps S101, S102, S103, and S107 in FIG. 2, and thus the description thereof is omitted.

[0065] When there is a small moving object Q in front of the target vehicle P, the overtaking determination unit 15 determines a plurality of overtaking possible section candidates E1, E2, … En based on the target vehicle information, the small moving object information, and the forward road information (step S204). The overtaking possible section candidates E1, E2, … En are sections on the driving road where the target vehicle P can overtake the small moving object Q without considering the passing of oncoming vehicle R, and are obtained in the same manner as the overtaking possible section in Embodiment 1. They are arranged as E1, E2, … En in the order from the closest to the target vehicle P. The range for calculating the overtaking possible section candidates may be limited to a predetermined distance, for example, a range of 10 km from the target vehicle P, or a range that the target vehicle P can reach within 30 minutes. Also, the overtaking determination unit 15 may calculate at least n sections.

[0066] After step S204, the overtaking determination unit 15 determines whether the target vehicle P is currently traveling in the overtaking possible section candidate E1 (step S205). As shown in FIG. 14, when the target vehicle P is traveling in the overtaking possible section candidate E1, the process of the driving support device 102 proceeds to step S206. As shown in FIG. 15, when the target vehicle P is not traveling in the overtaking possible section candidate E1, the process of the driving support device 102 proceeds to step S209.

[0067] When the target vehicle P is traveling in the overtaking possible section candidate E1, the oncoming vehicle information acquisition unit 17 acquires oncoming vehicle information from the communication device 24. The overtaking determination unit 15 calculates the section where the target vehicle P passes the oncoming vehicle R based on the target vehicle information and the oncoming vehicle information. Then, the overtaking determination unit 15 determines whether the target vehicle P passes the oncoming vehicle R in the overtaking possible section candidate E1 (step S206).

[0068] If it is determined in step S206 that the target vehicle P will pass by the oncoming vehicle R in the overtaking possible section candidate E1, the overtaking determination unit 15 currently determines whether the distance between the target vehicle P and the oncoming vehicle R is short (step S207). For example, as shown in FIG. 16, when the distance between the target vehicle P and the oncoming vehicle R is within the threshold Th2, the overtaking determination unit 15 determines that the distance between the target vehicle P and the oncoming vehicle R is short. The threshold Th2 is, for example, 100 m. The threshold Th2 may be longer as the speeds of the target vehicle P and the oncoming vehicle R are higher, or as the curvature of the road is greater.

[0069] If it is determined in step S206 that the target vehicle P will not pass by the oncoming vehicle R in the overtaking possible section candidate E1, and if it is determined in step S207 that the distance to the oncoming vehicle R is short, the process of the driving support device 102 proceeds to step S213. In this case, no special display is performed on the display device 23. In step S213, the driving support device 102 determines whether the target vehicle P is in motion, and if it is in motion, the process proceeds to step S201.

[0070] If the distance to the oncoming vehicle R is short in step S207, the overtaking determination unit 15 determines whether it is possible to overtake the small moving object Q in the overtaking possible section candidate E1 in consideration of the passing of the target vehicle P by the oncoming vehicle R (step S208). As shown in FIG. 17, the overtaking determination unit 15 determines that it is possible to overtake the small moving object Q in consideration of the passing by the oncoming vehicle R when (road width) ≥ (width of target vehicle P + width of small moving object Q + width of oncoming vehicle R + margin distance (Th1 × 2)). As shown in FIG. 12, if the road width of the overtaking possible section candidate E1 is insufficient for the widths of the target vehicle P, the small moving object Q, and the oncoming vehicle R, it is not possible to overtake the small moving object Q.

[0071] While the target vehicle P can overtake the small moving object Q but does not overtake it, the processes of steps S201, S202, S203, S204, S205, S206, S207, S213, S201, or the processes of steps S201, S202, S203, S204, S205, S206, S207, S208, S213, S201 loop. When the target vehicle P overtakes the small moving object Q, since there is no small moving object Q ahead, the loop of steps S201, S213, S201 occurs. When the next small moving object appears ahead again, the process shifts from step 201 to step 202.

[0072] If overtaking is not possible in step S208, the overtaking determination unit 15 determines whether there are other overtaking possible section candidates E2,... En where the small moving object Q can be overtaken considering the passing of the oncoming vehicle R (step S211). If there are other overtaking possible section candidates E2,... En where the small moving object Q can be overtaken considering the passing of the oncoming vehicle R in step S211, the support control unit 16 determines the other overtaking possible section candidate as the overtaking possible section and causes the display device 23 to display the information of the overtaking possible section (step S212). If there are no other overtaking possible section candidates E2,... En where the small moving object Q can be overtaken considering the passing of the oncoming vehicle R in step S211, the process of the driving support device 102 shifts to step S213.

[0073] If the target vehicle P is not traveling in the overtaking possible section candidate E1 in step S205, the oncoming vehicle information acquisition unit 17 acquires oncoming vehicle information from the communication device 24. The overtaking determination unit 15 calculates a section where the target vehicle P passes the oncoming vehicle R based on the target vehicle information and the oncoming vehicle information. Then, the overtaking determination unit 15 determines whether the target vehicle P passes the oncoming vehicle R in the overtaking possible section candidate E1 (step S209).

[0074] If it is determined in step S209 that the target vehicle P will not pass by the oncoming vehicle R in the overtaking possible section candidate E1, the support control unit 16 determines the overtaking possible section candidate E1 as the overtaking possible section, and causes the display device 23 to display the information on the overtaking possible section (step S212).

[0075] If it is determined in step S209 that the target vehicle P will pass by the oncoming vehicle R in the overtaking possible section candidate E1, the overtaking determination unit 15 determines, in the same manner as in step S208, whether the target vehicle P can overtake the small moving object Q in the overtaking possible section candidate E1 in consideration of the passing by with the oncoming vehicle R (step S210).

[0076] If it is possible to overtake in the overtaking possible section candidate E1 in step S210, the support control unit 16 determines the overtaking possible section candidate as the overtaking possible section, and causes the display device 23 to display the information on the overtaking possible section (step S212).

[0077] If it is not possible to overtake in the overtaking possible section candidate E1 in step S210, the overtaking determination unit 15 determines whether there are other overtaking possible section candidates E2,... En in which the small moving object Q can be overtaken in consideration of the passing by with the oncoming vehicle R (step S211). If there are other overtaking possible section candidates E2,... En in which the small moving object Q can be overtaken in consideration of the passing by with the oncoming vehicle R in step S211, the support control unit 16 determines the other overtaking possible section candidate as the overtaking possible section, and causes the display device 23 to display the information on the overtaking possible section (step S212). If there are no other overtaking possible section candidates E2,... En in which the small moving object Q can be overtaken in consideration of the passing by with the oncoming vehicle R in step S211, the process of the driving support device 102 proceeds to step S213.

[0078] If it is impossible to overtake in all overtaking - possible section candidates E1, E2, …, En (No in step S211), the support control unit 16 may cause the display device 23 to display that overtaking is impossible. For example, the display device 23 may display a message such as "There is no overtaking - possible section within 10 km." Also, a display may be made such that a section where the on - coming vehicle passes by in the overtaking - possible section as shown in FIG. 14 or FIG. 15 is superimposed. Further, the overtaking determination unit 15 may additionally calculate an overtaking - possible section candidate that is located at a point farther from the target vehicle P than the overtaking - possible section candidates E1, E2, …, En, and determine an overtaking - possible section in which the small moving object Q can be overtaken considering the passing - by with the on - coming vehicle R from among the additional overtaking - possible sections.

[0079] <B - 3. Effect> In addition to the configuration of the driving support device 101, the driving support device 102 according to the second embodiment includes an on - coming vehicle information acquisition unit 17 that acquires on - coming vehicle information including the position, speed, and width of an on - coming vehicle R traveling on the driving road opposite to the target vehicle P. The overtaking determination unit 15 determines an overtaking - possible section E based on the small moving object information, the target vehicle information, the road information, and the on - coming vehicle information. According to the above configuration, when there are a small moving object Q and an on - coming vehicle R in front of the target vehicle P, information on an overtaking - possible section in which the target vehicle P can safely overtake the small moving object Q considering the passing - by with the on - coming vehicle R is presented to the driver of the target vehicle P. Therefore, even in the above - mentioned situation, the driver can drive the target vehicle P to safely overtake the small moving object Q.

[0080] When the target vehicle P is traveling on a two - lane - per - side road, compared with the case of a one - lane - per - side road, more attention should be paid to avoiding by steering operation with respect to the presence of the on - coming vehicle R. Therefore, especially when the target vehicle P is traveling on a two - lane - per - side road, the effect of presenting information to the driver for safely overtaking the small moving object Q considering the on - coming vehicle R is great.

[0081] <B - 4. First Modification Example> Figure 18 shows a situation where the target vehicle P, the small moving object Q, and the oncoming vehicle R are traveling on a two-lane road with one lane in each direction. In such a situation, when the overtaking determination unit 15 determines that the target vehicle P can overtake the small moving object Q, the support control unit 16 may use the communication device 24 to transmit information to the oncoming vehicle R to prompt attention to the overtaking of the small moving object Q by the target vehicle P. Thereby, the driver of the oncoming vehicle R can be made aware of the overtaking of the small moving object Q by the target vehicle P.

[0082] <B-5. Second Modification Example> Assume a situation shown in Figure 18 where the overtaking determination unit 15 determines that the target vehicle P can overtake the small moving object Q, and the target vehicle P overtakes the small moving object Q. If it is predicted that the oncoming vehicle R will be traveling at the overtaking position at the timing when the target vehicle P overtakes the small moving object Q, the support control unit 16 may use the communication device 24 to negotiate with the oncoming vehicle R to retreat to the overtaking possible section E and display the negotiation result. In other words, the "information to prompt attention" in the first modification example may be information to prompt retreat to the overtaking possible section E. Thereby, the driver does not need to rush to overtake the small moving object Q and can overtake safely.

[0083] Also, when the overtaking possible section becomes closer or wider due to the oncoming vehicle R adjusting its traveling speed, the support control unit 16 may use the communication device 24 to request the oncoming vehicle R to adjust its speed. And when permission for the speed adjustment request is obtained from the oncoming vehicle R, the support control unit 16 may change the overtaking possible section based on the new speed of the oncoming vehicle R and display the information on the changed overtaking possible section on the display device 23.

[0084] <B-6. Third Modification Example> In the second modification of Embodiment 2, the negotiation by the support control unit 16 with respect to one oncoming vehicle R has been described. In contrast, FIGS. 19 and 20 show a situation where a plurality of oncoming vehicles RA, RB, RC, and RD exist. Here, the overtaking determination unit 15 identifies the oncoming vehicle RC that is scheduled to pass by the target vehicle P in the overtaking possible section E based on the target vehicle information and the oncoming vehicle information of the oncoming vehicles RA, RB, RC, and RD. Then, the support control unit 16 negotiates with the oncoming vehicle RC that is scheduled to pass by the target vehicle P in the overtaking possible section E so that the oncoming vehicle RC retreats to the overtaking possible section E.

[0085] FIG. 20 shows a state where the oncoming vehicle RC has retreated to the overtaking possible section E in response to this negotiation. As a result, the target vehicle P can safely overtake the small moving object Q and pass by the oncoming vehicle RC in the overtaking possible section E.

[0086] <B-7. Fourth Modification> In this modification, information on the overtaking possible section is displayed on the map screen. That is, in this modification, the display device 23 is a display device of a navigation device (not shown) that guides the driver of the target vehicle P along the planned travel route. FIG. 21 shows an example of the display of the overtaking possible section on the map screen of the navigation device. The oncoming vehicle R, the overtaking possible section E, and the overtaking caution section D are displayed on the travel route 34 of the target vehicle P. In this way, by superimposing and displaying the overtaking possible section E on the map, information is presented to the driver in an easy-to-understand manner. The display of the overtaking possible section E and the overtaking caution section D is as described with reference to FIG. 7.

[0087] <B-8. Fifth Modification> When the support control unit 16 displays the information on the overtaking possible section on the map screen, it may also display the passing positions with the oncoming vehicle R. FIG. 22 shows an example in which the overtaking possible section E of the small moving object Q and the passing positions 38, 39 with the oncoming vehicle R are displayed on the map. For example, the overtaking possible section E is displayed in green, and the passing positions 38, 39 with the oncoming vehicle R are displayed in purple. In this way, by superimposing the overtaking possible section E and the passing positions 38, 39 with the oncoming vehicle R on the map, the driver can easily grasp the positional relationship between the overtaking possible section E and the passing positions 38, 39, and can determine the overtaking position in consideration of the passing with the oncoming vehicle R.

[0088] <B-9. Sixth Modification Example> In the second embodiment, the overtaking determination unit 15 determines whether the small moving object Q can overtake in consideration of the width of the oncoming vehicle R regardless of whether the traveling road of the target vehicle P is a one-lane road on one side or a one-lane road on both sides. However, in this modification example, the overtaking determination unit 15 determines whether overtaking is possible considering the width of the oncoming vehicle R on a one-lane road on one side, and unconditionally determines that overtaking is impossible at the point where it passes the oncoming vehicle on a one-lane road on both sides.

[0089] <B-10. Seventh Modification Example> In FIG. 10, the flow of obtaining the overtaking possible section in the procedure of obtaining the candidate for the overtaking possible section without considering the passing with the oncoming vehicle R by the overtaking determination unit 15 and then narrowing down the candidate for the overtaking possible section in consideration of the passing with the oncoming vehicle R was explained. However, the overtaking determination unit 15 may directly calculate the overtaking possible section considering the passing with the oncoming vehicle R without calculating the candidate for the overtaking possible section.

[0090] <C. Hardware Configuration> In the above-described driving support devices 101 and 102, the small moving body information acquisition unit 11, the target vehicle information acquisition unit 12, the map data storage unit 13, the road information acquisition unit 14, the overtaking determination unit 15, the support control unit 16, and the oncoming vehicle information acquisition unit 17 are realized by the processing circuit 81 in FIG. 23. That is, the processing circuit 81 includes the small moving body information acquisition unit 11, the target vehicle information acquisition unit 12, the map data storage unit 13, the road information acquisition unit 14, the overtaking determination unit 15, the support control unit 16, and the oncoming vehicle information acquisition unit 17 (hereinafter, "the small moving body information acquisition unit 11, etc."). For the processing circuit 81, dedicated hardware may be applied, or a processor that executes a program stored in a memory may be applied. The processor is, for example, a central processing unit, a processing device, an arithmetic device, a microprocessor, a microcomputer, a DSP (Digital Signal Processor), or the like.

[0091] When the processing circuit 81 is dedicated hardware, the processing circuit 81 corresponds to, for example, a single circuit, a composite circuit, a programmed processor, a parallel programmed processor, an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a combination thereof. The functions of each part such as the small moving body information acquisition unit 11, etc. may be realized by a plurality of processing circuits 81, or the functions of each part may be realized by a single processing circuit collectively.

[0092] When the processing circuit 81 is a processor, functions such as the small moving object information acquisition unit 11 are realized by a combination with software etc. (software, firmware or software and firmware). The software etc. is described as a program and stored in a memory. As shown in FIG. 24, the processor 82 applied to the processing circuit 81 realizes the functions of each part by reading and executing the program stored in the memory 83. That is, when the driving support devices 101 and 102 are executed by the processing circuit 81, a step of acquiring small moving object information including the position and width of at least one small moving object Q that travels in front of the target vehicle P and has a width of half or less of the lane width of the traveling road of the target vehicle P, a step of acquiring target vehicle information including the position and width of the target vehicle P, a step of acquiring road information including the width in front of the traveling road of the target vehicle P, a step of determining, based on the small moving object information, the target vehicle information and the road information, a passing possible section E on the traveling road where the target vehicle P can overtake at least one small moving object Q, and a step of causing a display device 23 mounted on the target vehicle P to display driving support information including the position of the passing possible section E or the required time for the target vehicle P to reach the passing possible section E. In other words, this program can be said to cause a computer to execute procedures or methods such as the small moving object information acquisition unit 11. Here, the memory 83 may be, for example, a non-volatile or volatile semiconductor memory such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a flash memory, an EPROM (Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), a magnetic disk, a flexible disk, an optical disk, a compact disk, a mini disk, a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk) and its drive device, etc., or any storage medium to be used in the future.

[0093] The configurations in which each function such as the small moving object information acquisition unit 11 is realized by either hardware or software have been described above. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and a configuration in which a part of the small moving object information acquisition unit 11 and the like is realized by dedicated hardware and another part is realized by software or the like may be employed. For example, for the overtaking determination unit 15, its function may be realized by a processing circuit as dedicated hardware, and for the rest, the processing circuit 81 as a processor 82 reads and executes a program stored in the memory 83 to realize its function.

[0094] As described above, the processing circuit can realize each of the above functions by hardware, software, or a combination thereof. Note that the map data storage unit 13 is composed of the memory 83.

[0095] In the above description, the driving support devices 101 and 102 have been described as in-vehicle devices. However, the present invention can also be applied to a system appropriately constructed by combining a PND (Portable Navigation Device), a communication terminal (such as a mobile phone, a smartphone, and a tablet), functions of applications installed in these devices, and a server or the like. In this case, each function or each component of the driving support devices 101 and 102 described above may be distributed and arranged in each device constructing the system, or may be concentrated and arranged in any one of the devices.

[0096] It should be noted that it is possible to freely combine each embodiment or appropriately modify or omit each embodiment. The above description is illustrative in all aspects. It is understood that an innumerable number of variations not illustrated can be assumed.

Description of Reference Numerals

[0097] 11 Small moving object information acquisition unit, 12 Target vehicle information acquisition unit, 13 Map data storage unit, 14 Road information acquisition unit, 15 Overtaking determination unit, 16 Support control unit, 17 Oncoming vehicle information acquisition unit, 23 Display device, 24 Communication device, 81 Processing circuit, 82 Processor, 83 Memory, 101, 102 Driving support devices, D Overtaking caution section, E Overtaking possible section, P Target vehicle, Q, Q1, Q2 Small moving objects, R, RA, RB, RC, RD Oncoming vehicles.

Claims

1. A small moving object information acquisition unit that travels in front of the target vehicle and acquires small moving object information including the position and width of at least one small moving object having a width equal to or less than half of the lane width of the driving road of the target vehicle; A target vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires target vehicle information including the position and width of the target vehicle; A road information acquisition unit that acquires road information including the width in front of the driving road of the target vehicle; An overtaking determination unit that determines, based on the small moving object information, the target vehicle information, and the road information, a section on the driving road where the target vehicle can overtake the at least one small moving object in a two-lane road on both sides as an overtaking possible section; A support control unit that causes a display device mounted on the target vehicle to display driving support information including the position of the overtaking possible section or the required time for the target vehicle to reach the overtaking possible section; and The small moving object information acquisition unit acquires sensor signals of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor mounted on a preceding vehicle, determines whether the preceding vehicle is the small moving object based on the sensor signals, determines the type of the small moving object when the preceding vehicle is the small moving object, and estimates the width of the small moving object based on the type of the small moving object. A driving support device.

2. The at least one small moving object includes a plurality of small moving objects traveling side by side. The driving support device according to Claim 1.

3. The support control unit transmits the driving support information to a wireless communication terminal mounted on the at least one small moving object. The driving support device according to Claim 1.

4. The support control unit causes the display device to display the type of the small moving object. The driving support device according to Claim 1.

5. The driving support device further includes an oncoming vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires oncoming vehicle information including the position, speed, and width of an oncoming vehicle traveling on the driving road in the opposite direction to the target vehicle. The overtaking determination unit determines the overtaking possible section based on the small moving object information, the target vehicle information, the road information, and the oncoming vehicle information. The driving support device according to Claim 1.

6. A small moving object information acquisition unit that travels in front of the target vehicle and acquires small moving object information including the position and width of at least one small moving object having a width equal to or less than half of the lane width of the driving road of the target vehicle; A target vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires target vehicle information including the position and width of the target vehicle; A road information acquisition unit that acquires road information including the width of the road ahead of the target vehicle's traveling road; An overtaking determination unit that determines, based on the small moving body information, the target vehicle information, and the road information, a section on the traveling road where the target vehicle can overtake the at least one small moving body in a one-lane road on both sides as an overtaking possible section; A support control unit that causes a display device mounted on the target vehicle to display driving support information including the position of the overtaking possible section or the time required for the target vehicle to reach the overtaking possible section; and Further comprising an oncoming vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires oncoming vehicle information including the position, speed, and width of an oncoming vehicle traveling on the traveling road in the opposite direction to the target vehicle; The overtaking determination unit determines the overtaking possible section based on the small moving body information, the target vehicle information, the road information, and the oncoming vehicle information; The overtaking determination unit calculates a passing position between the target vehicle and the oncoming vehicle based on the target vehicle information and the oncoming vehicle information; When the passing position is included in the overtaking possible section, the support control unit transmits information prompting attention to the oncoming vehicle; A driving support device.

7. The information prompting attention to the oncoming vehicle is information prompting the oncoming vehicle to retreat to the overtaking possible section; The driving support device according to claim 6.

8. A small moving body information acquisition unit that acquires small moving body information including the position and width of at least one small moving body traveling in front of the target vehicle and having a width equal to or less than half of the lane width of the traveling road of the target vehicle; A target vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires target vehicle information including the position and width of the target vehicle; A road information acquisition unit that acquires road information including the width of the road ahead of the traveling road of the target vehicle; An overtaking determination unit that determines, based on the small moving body information, the target vehicle information, and the road information, a section on the traveling road where the target vehicle can overtake the at least one small moving body in a one-lane road on both sides as an overtaking possible section; A support control unit that causes a display device mounted on the target vehicle to display driving support information including the position of the overtaking possible section or the time required for the target vehicle to reach the overtaking possible section; and The support control unit causes the display device to display the overtaking possible section in a display mode according to the safety level of the overtaking possible section; The safety level of the overtaking possible section is obtained by subtracting the sum of the width of the target vehicle and the width of the small moving object from the road width of the overtaking possible section. The driving support device according to claim 1.

9. A small moving object information acquisition unit that acquires small moving object information including the position and width of at least one small moving object that travels in front of the target vehicle and has a width equal to or less than half of the lane width of the road on which the target vehicle travels; A target vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires target vehicle information including the position and width of the target vehicle; A road information acquisition unit that acquires road information including the width in front of the road on which the target vehicle travels; An overtaking determination unit that determines, based on the small moving object information, the target vehicle information, and the road information, a section on the traveling road where the target vehicle can overtake the at least one small moving object in a two-lane road on both sides as an overtaking possible section; A support control unit that causes a display device mounted on the target vehicle to display driving support information including the position of the overtaking possible section or the time required for the target vehicle to reach the overtaking possible section; The support control unit causes the display device to display a graph representing the safety level of the overtaking possible section; The safety level of the overtaking possible section is obtained by subtracting the sum of the width of the target vehicle and the width of the small moving object from the road width of the overtaking possible section. The driving support device according to claim 1.

10. A small moving object information acquisition unit that acquires small moving object information including the position and width of at least one small moving object that travels in front of the target vehicle and has a width equal to or less than half of the lane width of the road on which the target vehicle travels; A target vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires target vehicle information including the position and width of the target vehicle; A road information acquisition unit that acquires road information including the width in front of the road on which the target vehicle travels; An overtaking determination unit that determines, based on the small moving object information, the target vehicle information, and the road information, a section on the traveling road where the target vehicle can overtake the at least one small moving object in a two-lane road on both sides as an overtaking possible section; A support control unit that causes a display device mounted on the target vehicle to display driving support information including the position of the overtaking possible section or the time required for the target vehicle to reach the overtaking possible section; Further provided is an oncoming vehicle information acquisition unit that acquires oncoming vehicle information including the position, speed, and width of an oncoming vehicle traveling on the traveling road in the opposite direction to the target vehicle. The overtaking determination unit determines the overtaking possible section based on the small moving body information, the target vehicle information, the road information, and the oncoming vehicle information. The overtaking determination unit calculates the passing position between the target vehicle and the oncoming vehicle based on the target vehicle information and the oncoming vehicle information. The support control unit causes the display device to display the overtaking possible section in a display mode according to the safety level of the overtaking possible section, and causes the display device to display the passing position. The safety level of the overtaking possible section is obtained by subtracting the sum of the width of the target vehicle and the width of the small moving body from the road width of the overtaking possible section. Driving support device.

11. The small moving body information acquisition unit acquires small moving body information including the position and width of at least one small moving body that travels in front of the target vehicle and has a width equal to or less than half of the lane width of the road on which the target vehicle travels. The target vehicle information acquisition unit acquires target vehicle information including the position and width of the target vehicle. The road information acquisition unit acquires road information including the width in front of the road on which the target vehicle travels. The overtaking determination unit determines, based on the small moving body information, the target vehicle information, and the road information, a section on the traveling road where the target vehicle can overtake the at least one small moving body in a two-lane road on both sides as the overtaking possible section. The support control unit causes a display device mounted on the target vehicle to display driving support information including the position of the overtaking possible section or the required time for the target vehicle to reach the overtaking possible section. The small moving body information acquisition unit acquires sensor signals of an acceleration sensor and a gyro sensor mounted on a preceding vehicle, determines whether the preceding vehicle is the small moving body based on the sensor signals, determines the type of the small moving body when the preceding vehicle is the small moving body, and estimates the width of the small moving body based on the type of the small moving body. Driving support method.

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