Driving assistance devices

Abstract

To provide useful information to a driver of a vehicle, who is attempting to pass through a crosswalk.SOLUTION: A driving support device 10 comprises: a camera 11 that detects an object located in a traveling direction of a vehicle; a vehicle speed sensor 13 that detects a vehicle speed of the vehicle; a distance detector 12 that detects a distance from the vehicle to the crosswalk; an area setting unit 22 that sets a detection area around the crosswalk, including an area outside the crosswalk in a road width direction, based on a predetermined moving speed of the object, the detected vehicle speed, and the detected distance; and a notification unit 14 that notifies a driver of the vehicle of information when the object is detected by the camera 11 within the detection area set by the area setting unit 22.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving assistance device that notifies information about objects around a pedestrian crossing. [Background technology]

[0002] One known example of this type of device is one that sets a first obstacle detection area in the traveling direction of the vehicle, and when a specific road component is present within the first obstacle detection area, deforms the first obstacle detection area in accordance with the shape of the specific road component to set a second obstacle detection area (see, for example, Patent Document 1). In the device described in Patent Document 1, when the specific road component is a crosswalk, the second obstacle detection area is set to an area expanded along the crosswalk so as to detect pedestrians on the crosswalk as obstacles. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2009-271766 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, the device described in Patent Document 1 sets an obstacle area to detect pedestrians on a crosswalk, but does not detect pedestrians approaching a crosswalk. In this regard, it is desirable to provide drivers with more useful information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0005] A driving assistance device that is one aspect of the present invention includes an object detection unit that detects objects located in the direction of travel of the vehicle, a vehicle speed detection unit that detects the speed of the vehicle, a distance detection unit that detects the distance from the vehicle to a crosswalk in the direction of travel of the vehicle, an area setting unit that sets a detection area around the crosswalk that includes the outer area of ​​the crosswalk in the road width direction based on a predetermined movement speed of the object, the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection unit, and the distance detected by the distance detection unit, and an alarm unit that alerts the driver of the vehicle when an object is detected by the object detection unit within the detection area set by the area setting unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0006] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide useful information to a driver of a vehicle that is about to pass through a pedestrian crossing. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0007] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an example of a road to which a driving assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied; [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a main part of a driving assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention; [Figure 3] 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the controller of FIG. 2; [Figure 4] 3A and 3B are diagrams illustrating the operation of the driving assistance device according to the embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5A] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a modified example of the detection area in FIG. 1. [Figure 5B] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing another modified example of the detection area in FIG. 1. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing a further modification of the detection region of FIG. 1; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0008] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 6. A driving assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention is configured to notify the driver of a vehicle, when the vehicle is approaching a crosswalk, of the presence of a pedestrian or the like (pedestrian, cyclist, etc.) who is crossing or is likely to cross the crosswalk. Figure 1 is a diagram showing an example of a road to which a driving assistance device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied.

[0009] As shown in Fig. 1, vehicle 100 is traveling at a vehicle speed Va on road 200 defined by, for example, a pair of left and right dividing lines 201, toward a crosswalk 202 without traffic lights. When vehicle 100 approaches crosswalk 202, it must stop just before stop line 203 before crosswalk 202 unless it is clear that there are no pedestrians or other pedestrians attempting to cross crosswalk 202; in other words, if there are pedestrians or other pedestrians currently crossing or attempting to cross crosswalk 202, vehicle 100 must stop just before stop line 203 before crosswalk 202.

[0010] Near the crosswalk 202, for example, on the side of the road 200, a sign 204 indicating the presence of the crosswalk 202 is installed. A pair of roughly diamond-shaped marks 211, 212 are marked on the road surface of the road 200 to indicate the presence of the crosswalk 202 in the direction of vehicle travel. Each diamond mark 211, 212 is marked just before the crosswalk 202, that is, at a predetermined distance D1, D2 from a position (reference line L0) just before the side edge of the crosswalk 202. D1 is 50 m, and D2 is 30 m.

[0011] The road 200 is, for example, a single-lane, one-way road, and the crosswalk 202 extends in the width direction of the road to connect sidewalks 206, shown by hatching on both the left and right sides of the road 200. Note that the road 200 may also be a two-way road. In FIG. 1, multiple pedestrians P1, P2, and P3 near the crosswalk 202 are shown by circles for convenience. Pedestrian P1 is located on the crosswalk 202, and pedestrians P2 and P3 are located on the sidewalk 206. The intersection of an imaginary line L1 passing through the center of the crosswalk 202 in the length direction and an imaginary line L2 passing through the center of the road in the width direction is the center point P0 of the crosswalk 202. The center point P0 is located a predetermined distance D3 in the direction of vehicle travel from the reference line L0, which serves as the reference for the marking positions of the diamond marks 211 and 212.

[0012] In such a situation, when the vehicle 100 passes through the crosswalk 202 and it is predicted that a pedestrian is crossing or about to cross the crosswalk 202, it is preferable to notify the driver of the vehicle 100 of specific information that calls his or her attention. However, if specific information were always notified when a pedestrian is present around the crosswalk 202, there is a risk that unnecessary specific information would be excessively notified, which would be annoying for the driver. Therefore, in this embodiment, the driving assistance device is configured as follows so as to notify the driver of specific information that is useful to the driver.

[0013] 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a main part of a driving assistance device 10 according to this embodiment. The driving assistance device 10 is mounted on a vehicle 100. As shown in FIG. 2, the driving assistance device 10 includes a camera 11, a distance detector 12, a vehicle speed sensor 13, a controller 20, and a notification unit 14.

[0014] Camera 11 is a monocular camera having an imaging element (image sensor) such as a CCD or CMOS. Camera 11 may also be a stereo camera. Camera 11 is attached, for example, to a predetermined position at the front of vehicle 100, and continuously captures images of the space ahead of vehicle 100 to obtain images (camera images) of objects that are targets. Targets include diamond marks 211 and 212 on the road surface, crosswalk 202, roadside sign 204, and pedestrians P1 to P3 in FIG. 1.

[0015] The distance detector 12 is a detector that detects the distance to an object. The distance detector 12 is configured by a lidar that detects the position (distance and direction from the vehicle 100) of an object around the vehicle 100 by emitting laser light and detecting reflected light, or a radar that detects the position of an object around the vehicle 100 by emitting electromagnetic waves and detecting reflected waves. In this case, the object includes both a moving object (such as a pedestrian) and a non-moving object (such as a sign). That is, the distance detector 12 detects the distance from the vehicle 100 to the sign 204 and the distance from the vehicle 100 to the pedestrians P1 to P3. The distance from the sign 204 to the crosswalk 202 (e.g., the reference line L0) is stored in advance in a storage unit as known information, and the distance detector 12 can also detect the distance to the reference line L0 by adding this distance to the distance to the sign 204. The vehicle speed sensor 13 detects the vehicle speed Va of the vehicle 100.

[0016] Distance detector 12 can also be configured with camera 11 that detects diamond marks 211, 212. That is, since diamond marks 211, 212 are marked at positions that are a predetermined distance D1, D2 away from crosswalk 202, the distance from crosswalk 202 can be detected by detecting diamond marks 211, 212. Distance detector 12 may also detect the distance to an object by odometry. For example, the vehicle speed detected by vehicle speed sensor 13 may be integrated to calculate the amount of movement of vehicle 100 from diamond marks 211, 212, and the yaw angle may be calculated by integrating the yaw rate detected by a yaw rate sensor, and the amount and direction of movement of vehicle 100 may be calculated to detect the distance to the object.

[0017] The notification unit 14 is configured, for example, by a monitor provided in front of the driver's seat. The monitor displays various specific information to alert the driver. For example, the specific information displayed may include information indicating that the vehicle is approaching a crosswalk and should slow down, or information indicating that a pedestrian is passing or about to pass through the crosswalk and that the vehicle should stop before the crosswalk. The notification unit 14 may also be configured to include a speaker installed in the vehicle cabin. That is, the specific information may be notified to the driver by voice in addition to or instead of a display.

[0018] The controller 20 is configured by an electronic control unit (ECU). More specifically, the controller 20 includes a computer having a calculation unit such as a CPU (microprocessor), a storage unit such as a ROM and a RAM, and other peripheral circuits (not shown) such as an I / O interface. The controller 20 controls the notification unit 14 based on signals from the camera 11, the distance detector 12, and the vehicle speed sensor 13.

[0019] The controller 20 has, as functional components carried out by the calculation unit, an object recognition unit 21, an area setting unit 22, and a notification control unit 23. The controller 20 stores in advance the standard moving speed Vb of an object (pedestrian, bicycle, etc.), the distance from the sign 204 in Fig. 1 to the reference line L0, the distance D3 from the reference line L0 to the center point P0 of the crosswalk 202, and the like.

[0020] The object recognition unit 21 recognizes an object ahead of the vehicle 100 based on the camera image acquired by the camera 11. For example, by performing pattern matching processing, the object recognition unit 21 recognizes whether the object included in the camera image is one of the diamond marks 211, 212, the crosswalk 202, the roadside sign 204, or the pedestrians P1 to P3.

[0021] The area setting unit 22 sets a detection area AR around the crosswalk 202 to be used for determining whether to activate the alarm unit 14, based on the object's moving speed Vb stored in advance in the storage unit, the distance from the vehicle 100 to the object detected by the distance detector 12, and the vehicle speed Va detected by the vehicle speed sensor 13. As shown in Fig. 1 , the detection area AR is a square area that is centered at the center point P0 of the crosswalk 202 and extends in the length and width directions of the road 200.

[0022] More specifically, the area setting unit 22 first calculates the arrival time t required for the vehicle 100 to reach the reference line L0, using the vehicle speed Va detected by the vehicle speed sensor 13 and the distance D from the vehicle 100 to the reference line L0 just before the crosswalk 202, detected by the distance detector 12. For example, the arrival time t is calculated assuming that the vehicle speed Va is constant. Next, the arrival time t is multiplied by the object's movement speed Vb to calculate the travel distance A that the object will travel within the arrival time t. The area setting unit 22 sets the detection area AR by doubling the travel distance A (2×A) as one side of a square.

[0023] As described above, the detection area AR is set according to the distance D from the vehicle 100 to the reference line L0, so that as the distance D becomes shorter, the movement distance A and the detection area AR become smaller. In FIG. 1 , AR1 is the detection area set when the vehicle 100 detects the diamond mark 211, i.e., the detection area when the distance D to the reference line L0 is D1. AR2 is the detection area set when the vehicle 100 detects the diamond mark 212, i.e., the detection area when the distance D to the reference line L0 is D2. The detection area AR1 is shown as a square with sides twice the movement distance A1, and the detection area AR2 is shown as a square with sides twice the movement distance A2. The detection area AR1 not only includes the entire area of ​​the crosswalk 202, but also includes the sidewalk 206 extending in the length direction of the road 200 outside the crosswalk 202 in the width direction (on both the left and right sides).

[0024] The notification control unit 23 detects the position of an object (pedestrian) recognized by the object recognition unit 21 and determines whether the object is located within the detection area AR set by the area setting unit 22. The position of the object can be detected using the distance and direction from the vehicle 100 to the object detected by the distance detector 12. If it is determined that the object is located within the detection area AR set by the area setting unit 22, the notification control unit 23 outputs a control signal to the notification unit 14 to notify the driver of specific information related to the crosswalk. On the other hand, if it is determined that the object is not located within the detection area AR, the notification control unit 23 controls the notification unit 14 so as not to notify the driver of specific information related to the crosswalk.

[0025] When it is determined that the object is located within the detection area AR, the notification control unit 23 may change the content of the notification depending on the distance to the crosswalk 202 or the object. That is, the closer the vehicle 100 is to the crosswalk 202 and the closer the vehicle 100 is to the object, the more strongly the specific information may be changed to call the driver's attention.

[0026] Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by controller 20 of Fig. 2 in accordance with a pre-stored program. The processing shown in this flowchart is started, for example, when diamond mark 211 on the road surface is detected by camera 11, that is, when distance D from vehicle 100 to crosswalk 202 reaches predetermined distance D1, and is repeated thereafter at a predetermined interval until vehicle 100 passes crosswalk 202.

[0027] First, in step S1, signals are read from the camera 11, distance detector 12, and vehicle speed sensor 13. Next, in step S2, based on the signals from the camera 11 and distance detector 12, objects in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 are recognized, and the position of the object (distance and direction from the vehicle 100) is detected. At this time, the distance from the vehicle 100 to the point in front of the crosswalk 202 (reference line L0) is also detected.

[0028] Next, in step S3, a detection area AR is set with the center point P0 of the crosswalk 202 as its center based on the object's moving speed Vb stored in advance in the storage unit, the distance from the vehicle 100 to the object detected by the distance detector 12, and the vehicle speed Va detected by the vehicle speed sensor 13. Next, in step S4, it is determined whether the object (pedestrian) detected in step S2 is present within the detection area AR set in step S3.

[0029] If the result in step S4 is affirmative, the process proceeds to step S5, and if the result is negative, the process ends. In step S5, a control signal is output to the notification unit 14 so as to notify the driver of specific information indicating that there may be a pedestrian attempting to cross or walk across the crosswalk 202 when the vehicle 100 passes through the crosswalk 202. In this case, the content of the specific information may be changed depending on the distance from the vehicle 100 to the object (pedestrian) or the crosswalk 202.

[0030] The operation of the driving assistance device 10 according to this embodiment will be described in more detail. When the vehicle 100 recognizes the diamond mark 211 shown in Fig. 1 while traveling toward the crosswalk 202 and passes through the diamond mark 211, a square detection area AR1 is set with the center point P0 of the crosswalk 202 as its center (step S3). At this time, as shown in Fig. 4, if pedestrian P4, of pedestrians P4 and P5 around the crosswalk 202, is present within the detection area AR1, there is a risk that pedestrian P4 will cross the crosswalk when the vehicle 100 passes through the crosswalk 202, and therefore specific information is notified to the driver from the vehicle 100 (step S5).

[0031] That is, even if there are no pedestrians on the crosswalk at the moment, if there is pedestrian P4 on the sidewalk 206 within the detection area AR1 outside the crosswalk 202, specific information is issued to the driver urging them to slow down the vehicle 100 and stop in front of the crosswalk 202. As a result, when the vehicle 100 passes through the crosswalk 202, the presence of pedestrian P4 who is crossing or about to cross the crosswalk 202 is predicted and specific information is issued, so the driver can obtain useful information with a high level of safety.

[0032] That is, when pedestrian P2 is expected to cross the crosswalk 202 at the time when vehicle 100 passes through the crosswalk 202, specific information is notified to the driver of vehicle 100. This makes it possible to improve traffic safety and prevent a decrease in traffic smoothness without disrupting the surrounding traffic flow.

[0033] As the vehicle 100 approaches the crosswalk 202, the detection area AR centered on the center point P0 becomes smaller than the initial detection area AR1. That is, when the vehicle 100 recognizes the diamond mark 212 shown in FIG. 1 and passes through the diamond mark 212, a detection area AR2 centered on the center point P0 is set, which is smaller than the detection area AR1 and has a shape similar to the detection area AR1 (step S3). At this time, as shown in FIG. 4, if a pedestrian P4 is not present within the detection area AR2, notification of specific information to the driver is stopped. In this case, since it is estimated that the pedestrian P4 is still away from the crosswalk 202 when the vehicle 100 passes through the crosswalk 202, there is no need to notify the driver of the specific information. This makes it possible to prevent the driver from being notified of specific information that may alert them to the crosswalk 202 more than necessary.

[0034] According to this embodiment, the following effects can be achieved. (1) The driving assistance device 10 includes a camera 11 that detects an object (such as a pedestrian) located in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, a vehicle speed sensor 13 that detects the vehicle speed Va of the vehicle 100, a distance detector 12 that detects the distance D from the vehicle 100 to a crosswalk 202 (more precisely, the reference line L0) in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, an area setting unit 22 that sets a detection area AR around the crosswalk 202 including the outer area of ​​the crosswalk 202 in the road width direction based on the pre-stored object movement speed Vb, the vehicle speed Va detected by the vehicle speed sensor 13, and the distance D detected by the distance detector 12, and a notification unit 14 that notifies the driver of information when the camera 11 detects an object within the detection area AR set by the area setting unit 22 (Figure 2).

[0035] As a result, the object detection area AR includes the sidewalk 206 outside the crosswalk 202, and so when the vehicle 100 passes through the crosswalk 202, the driver can be notified early on that there is a pedestrian or the like who may cross the crosswalk 202. As a result, the vehicle 100 can smoothly stop before the stop line 203 without obstructing the pedestrian from crossing.

[0036] (2) Distance detector 12 is a camera 11 that detects diamond marks 211, 212 on the road surface, and is configured to detect, based on the detected diamond marks 211, 212, that distance D from vehicle 100 to crosswalk 202 is predetermined distance D1, D2 (FIG. 1). When distance detector 12 detects that distance D from vehicle 100 to crosswalk 202 is predetermined distance D1, area setting unit 22 starts the processing of FIG. 3 and sets detection area AR around crosswalk 202. This makes it possible to easily detect distance D from vehicle 100 to crosswalk 202 using camera 11. Furthermore, it is possible to start notifying the driver of specific information at an appropriate time when distance D from vehicle 100 to crosswalk 202 reaches predetermined distance D1.

[0037] (3) The area setting unit 22 sets the detection area AR so that it further includes an area that is connected to the outer area of ​​the crosswalk 202 in the road width direction and extends in the road length direction (FIG. 1). As a result, the detection area AR includes the sidewalk 206, which is outside the crosswalk 202 in the road width direction and extends further in the road length direction than the crosswalk 202, so that the driver can be notified early of specific information indicating the presence of a pedestrian who may be crossing the crosswalk 202.

[0038] (4) The area setting unit 22 sets a square detection area AR centered on the center point P0 in the center of the crosswalk 202 (FIG. 1). This makes it easy to set the detection area AR, and also makes it possible to set an appropriate detection area AR corresponding to the crosswalk 202.

[0039] The above embodiment can be modified in various ways. Some modifications will be described below. In the above embodiment, the moving distance A of the moving object (pedestrian) is calculated by multiplying the moving speed Vb of the moving object (pedestrian) by the arrival time t required for the vehicle 100 to reach the reference line L0, and a detection area AR is set (FIG. 1) with a square having a side twice the length of the moving distance A and centered on the center point P0 of the crosswalk 202. However, the detection area AR may be set by other methods. FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams showing examples of such a method.

[0040] In Figures 5A and 5B, the initial area AR0 is set as a square with a center point P0 and a side length twice the predetermined length A3, A4. The movement distances A1, A2 are added to the predetermined lengths A3, A4, and the detection areas AR1, AR2 are set as squares with a side length twice the added length. The predetermined lengths A3, A4 are stored in advance in a memory unit. The predetermined length A3 is shorter than the predetermined length A4. Twice the predetermined length A4 is equal to the length of the crosswalk 202 in the road width direction.

[0041] Comparing FIG. 5A with FIG. 1, the detection areas AR1 and AR2 in FIG. 5A are larger than those in FIG. 1 by the amount of the initial area AR0 set. This allows the detection area AR to be set to a wider range, making it easier to notify the driver of specific information. Comparing FIG. 5B with FIG. 5A, the detection areas AR1 and AR2 in FIG. 5B are set to include at least the entire area of ​​the crosswalk 202. This allows specific information to be notified when there is a pedestrian who may be crossing the crosswalk 202, even when the vehicle 100 approaches the crosswalk 202 and the pedestrian's travel distance A becomes shorter than A2, making it possible to provide useful information to the driver.

[0042] In the above embodiment, the detection area AR is set with the center at the center point P0 of the crosswalk 202, but the detection area may also be set with the center at another position. Fig. 6 is a diagram showing one example. In Fig. 6, the intersection point of an imaginary line L2 passing through the center of the width of the road 200 and a reference line L0 immediately before the crosswalk 202 is set as the center point P0, and the detection areas AR1 and AR2 are set as squares with sides twice the length of the travel distances A1 and A2 and centered at the center point P0. By setting the detection area AR with the reference line L0 immediately before the crosswalk 202 as the reference point in this way, the detection area AR is shifted toward the vehicle more than in Fig. 1, and a moving object on the vehicle side is more likely to be included in the detection area AR.

[0043] In the above embodiment, the camera 11 is used to detect an object located in the traveling direction of the vehicle 100, but the object detection unit may be something other than a camera (for example, a lidar). In the above embodiment, the distance from the vehicle 100 to the sign 204 is detected by the distance detector 12, and the distance D from the vehicle 100 to the crosswalk 202 (reference line L0) is thereby detected. However, the distance D to the crosswalk 202 may be detected using known information (for example, information about a structure at a known position from the reference line L0) without detecting the sign 204, and the configuration of the distance detection unit is not limited to that described above. When the distance detection unit is configured using the camera 11, the distance detector 12 may be omitted.

[0044] In the above embodiment, the detection area AR is set around the crosswalk based on the object's moving speed Vb, the vehicle speed Va of the vehicle 100, and the distance D to the crosswalk 202. That is, the faster the moving speed Vb and the slower the vehicle speed Va, the longer the moving distance A of the moving object within the arrival time t, thereby enlarging the detection area; however, the setting of the detection area AR by the area setting unit is not limited to the above. The detection area AR does not need to have the same length in the road length direction and the road width direction. For example, the length in the road length direction may be longer than the length in the road width direction, or the length in the road length direction may be shorter than the length in the road width direction. That is, the detection area AR may be a rectangular shape other than a square or a substantially rectangular shape. The detection area AR may have a shape other than a rectangle.

[0045] In the above embodiment, the moving distance A of an object is calculated and the detection area AR is set using the moving speed Vb of each object stored in advance, but the moving speed Vb of an object may be calculated by detecting the amount of movement of the object per unit time, and this moving speed Vb may be used to calculate the moving distance A and set the detection area AR. This makes it possible to set the detection area AR appropriately taking into account the characteristics of individual pedestrians, such as when a pedestrian is walking quickly or running.

[0046] In the above embodiment, a pedestrian near the crosswalk 202 is described as an example of an object. However, the object may also be a bicycle that may cross the crosswalk 202, or the crosswalk 202 may include a bicycle crossing object. In this case, the movement speed Vb is faster than the movement speed of the pedestrian. When both a pedestrian and a bicycle are present around the crosswalk 202, the movement distance A within the arrival time t for each may be calculated, and the detection area may be set by selecting the one with the longer movement distance A. In the above embodiment, the detection area AR is constantly changed according to the distance D from the vehicle 100 to the crosswalk 202. However, the detection area AR may also be changed each time the vehicle 100 approaches the crosswalk 202 by a predetermined distance. In other words, the detection area AR may be changed in stages.

[0047] The above description is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and modifications as long as the features of the present invention are not impaired. One or more of the above-described embodiment and modifications can be arbitrarily combined, and modifications can also be combined with each other. [Explanation of symbols]

[0048] 10 driving assistance device, 11 camera, 12 distance detector, 13 vehicle speed sensor, 14 notification unit, 20 controller, 21 object recognition unit, 22 area setting unit, 23 notification control unit, 100 vehicle, 202 crosswalk, AR detection area

Claims

1. an object detection unit that detects an object located in the traveling direction of the vehicle; a vehicle speed detection unit that detects the vehicle speed; a distance detection unit that detects a distance from the vehicle to a crosswalk in the traveling direction of the vehicle; an area setting unit that sets a detection area around the crosswalk, including an outer area of ​​the crosswalk in a road width direction, based on a predetermined moving speed of the object, the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection unit, and the distance detected by the distance detection unit; a notification unit that notifies a driver of the vehicle of information when the object is detected by the object detection unit within the detection area set by the area setting unit.

2. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, the distance detection unit is configured to detect a marking on a road surface and, based on the detected marking, detect that the distance from the vehicle to the crosswalk is a predetermined distance; the area setting unit sets the detection area around the crosswalk when the distance detection unit detects that the distance from the vehicle to the crosswalk is the predetermined distance.

3. The driving assistance device according to claim 1 or 2, The driving assistance device, wherein the area setting unit sets the detection area so as to further include an area that is connected to an outer area of ​​the crosswalk in a road width direction and extends in a road length direction.

4. The driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The driving assistance device is characterized in that the area setting unit sets the detection area to be a substantially rectangular area centered on a center of the crosswalk.

5. The driving assistance device according to claim 4, The driving assistance device is characterized in that the area setting unit sets the detection area as a square centered on the center of the crosswalk and extending in the width direction and length direction of the road.

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