Vehicle driving control system

Abstract

[Problem] To increase a sense of security and safety during traveling even when a first vehicle is traveling from a converging road to an arterial road and a second vehicle is traveling toward a converging section of the arterial road. [Solution] A traveling control system 1 for vehicles 7 has: a plurality of vehicles 7; and a server device 6 that generates traveling control information relating to the plurality of vehicles 7. The plurality of vehicles 7 execute traveling control using traveling control information generated by the server device 6. In the traveling control system 1, the server device 6 is provided with a prediction unit that predicts convergence interference between a first vehicle 8 on the converging side of a second vehicle 9 on the main road side. When the first vehicle receives, from the server device 6, prediction information relating to convergence interference with the second vehicle 9, the first vehicle 8 transmits an interference inhibition request to the second vehicle 9. When the second vehicle 9 receives the interference inhibition request from the first vehicle 8, the second vehicle 9 executes interference inhibition control for inhibiting approach to the first vehicle 7 on the converging side.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle driving control system. Mu Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] The control system provided in the vehicle of Patent Document 1 transmits a plan of no-go areas, which are defined as areas where an autonomous vehicle will not travel, between vehicles. Patent Document 2 discloses a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system for communicating between moving vehicles. When changing lanes, a sensor mounted on the vehicle identifies a following vehicle traveling straight in the lane to which the vehicle is to change, and transmits information requesting a lane change to the following vehicle traveling straight by unicast using the identification number of the following vehicle traveling straight. After the on-board communication device receives a reply from the following vehicle traveling straight by unicast, agreeing to the lane change, the vehicle controls the traveling of the vehicle to change lanes. In this way, technological development is underway for automobiles to communicate with other automobiles when driving autonomously. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2018 / 179237 [Patent Document 2] International Publication No. 2016 / 147622 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, simply having each vehicle autonomously control its driving and notify other vehicles around it does not guarantee that each vehicle performing automated or driver-assisted driving control will drive appropriately. For example, on a road, there may be a situation where a first vehicle is traveling from a merging road toward a main road, and a second vehicle is traveling toward a merging section of the main road. In this merging situation, even if a first vehicle merging onto a main road and a second vehicle traveling toward the merging section of the main road notify each other of their driving conditions, there is a possibility that the first vehicle and the second vehicle may approach each other in the merging section, or even come into contact with each other. In order for the first and second vehicles to communicate with each other, they must be within a certain distance, but even if the first vehicle issues a notification to the second vehicle after they are already in close proximity, the second vehicle may not be able to adequately execute driving control in response to the notification before the first vehicle enters the main lane. For example, if the first vehicle that sent the notification travels from the merging lane toward the main lane and merges, the first and second vehicles may become closer than usual. In this way, it is difficult to say that the driving of automobiles and other vehicles will be appropriate if each vehicle simply controls itself during autonomous driving and notifies other vehicles around it of the details of that autonomous driving. Additionally, the occupants may feel uneasy about the proximity of other vehicles.

[0005] In this way, vehicle driving control is required to improve the safety and sense of security of the driving of these vehicles, even when a first vehicle is driving from a merging road toward a main road using automatic driving or driving assistance driving control, and a second vehicle is driving toward a merging section of that main road. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A vehicle driving control system according to one aspect of the present invention includes a plurality of vehicles each having a control unit capable of executing automatic driving or driving assistance driving control when driving on a road, and a server device having a generation unit that generates driving control information for the plurality of vehicles, and the system transmits the driving control information generated by the generation unit of the server device to the plurality of vehicles, causing the control units of the plurality of vehicles to execute driving control using the driving control information. The system includes a predictor provided in the server device that predicts merging interference between a first vehicle among the plurality of vehicles traveling from a merging road toward a main road and a second vehicle traveling on the main road. a transmitter provided in the first vehicle traveling on the merging road that transmits an interference suppression request to the second vehicle traveling on the main road when the first vehicle receives predicted information of merging interference with the second vehicle from the server device; and a receiver provided in the second vehicle traveling on the main road that receives the interference suppression request from the first vehicle traveling on the merging road, and when the receiver receives the interference suppression request from the first vehicle, the control unit of the second vehicle traveling on the main road executes interference suppression control to suppress approach of the first vehicle traveling from the merging road towards the main road.

[0007] Preferably, the prediction unit of the server device predicts merging interference between the first vehicle traveling from the merging road toward the main road and the second vehicle traveling on the main road by determining that the first vehicle and the second vehicle will approach each other within a predetermined distance.

[0008] Preferably, when the prediction unit predicts merging interference between the first vehicle traveling from the merging road toward the main road and the second vehicle traveling on the main road, the generation unit of the server device generates driving control information to decelerate the second vehicle traveling on the main road.

[0009] Preferably, the control unit of the first vehicle traveling on the merging road performs driving that maintains a minimum speed greater than 0 on the merging road when the first vehicle receives predicted information on merging interference with the second vehicle along with the driving control information from the server device.

[0010] Preferably, the transmitter of the first vehicle traveling on the merging road transmits an interference suppression request to the second vehicle traveling on the main road in a merging section where travel from the merging road to the main road is possible.

[0011] Preferably, the transmitter of the first vehicle and the receiver of the second vehicle transmit and receive the interference suppression request via vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

[0012] Preferably, the transmitter of the first vehicle transmits, as the interference suppression request, information indicating a speed that is at least equal to or less than the speed of the vehicle itself, and the control unit of the second vehicle controls the speed of the vehicle itself so that it is equal to or less than the speed of the first vehicle received by the receiver of the second vehicle as the interference suppression request.

[0013] Preferably, when the control unit of the first vehicle receives multiple pieces of predicted information about merging interference with the second vehicle from the server device, it controls the driving of the first vehicle so that the first vehicle stops in the middle of the merging road. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] In the present invention, a server device of a vehicle cruise control system generates cruise control information for multiple vehicles and transmits it to the multiple vehicles. The multiple vehicles use the cruise control information in their respective autonomous driving or driving assistance cruise controls. By controlling the basic cruise of the multiple vehicles using the vehicle cruise control system in this way, the multiple vehicles can, in principle, travel while ensuring high safety and peace of mind. Furthermore, in the present invention, a prediction unit that predicts merging interference between a first vehicle of the plurality of vehicles traveling from the merging road toward the main road and a second vehicle traveling on the main road is provided not in each vehicle but in a server device of a vehicle cruise control system that manages the traveling of the plurality of vehicles. The vehicle cruise control system transmits the merging interference predicted by the server device to at least the first vehicle traveling from the merging road toward the main road. When the first vehicle receives prediction information of merging interference with the second vehicle from the server device, the transmitter transmits an interference suppression request to the second vehicle traveling on the main road. When the receiver of the second vehicle traveling on the main road receives the interference suppression request from the first vehicle, the second vehicle executes interference suppression control to suppress approach of the first vehicle traveling from the merging road toward the main road. This makes it possible to avoid merging interference by performing direct communication between the vehicles that are actually merging, even in situations where merging interference cannot be sufficiently avoided by cruise management by the server device of the vehicle cruise control system. In this way, the present invention ensures basic safety and a sense of security in a server device of a vehicle cruise control system that controls the driving of multiple vehicles, while suppressing merging interference so that even greater safety and a sense of security can be achieved by vehicle-to-vehicle communication at the site where vehicles merge. As a result, the present invention ensures high safety and a sense of security for the driving of these vehicles, even when a first vehicle is driving from a merging road toward a main road under autonomous driving or driving assistance cruise control, and a second vehicle is driving toward a merging section of the main road. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of an automobile driving control system according to a first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of the server device of FIG. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system that controls the running of the automobile of FIG. [Figure 4]FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a process in which the vehicle system of the automobile of FIG. 3 transmits vehicle information. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a process in which the server device of FIG. 2 collects field information such as vehicle information of a plurality of automobiles. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a process in which the server device of FIG. 2 generates driving control information to be used in a plurality of automobiles. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the current road map used for the mapping in FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a process in which the server device of FIG. 2 transmits information to a plurality of vehicles. [Figure 9] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a process for receiving information from a server device in each of a plurality of automobiles. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the automatic driving control executed by each of the plurality of automobiles in the first embodiment. [Figure 11] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a state in which a first vehicle is traveling on a merging road toward a main road. [Figure 12] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the current road map immediately after FIG. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a flowchart of V2V transmission processing by a first vehicle on the merging side traveling on the merging road toward the main road. [Figure 14] FIG. 14 is a flowchart of V2V reception processing by a second vehicle on the main road traveling toward the merging section on the main road. [Figure 15] FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a current road map, replacing the one in FIG. 12, in a case where an interference suppression request is transmitted and received by V2V communication. [Figure 16] FIG. 16 is a flowchart of the automatic driving control executed by each of a plurality of automobiles in the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 17] FIG. 17 is a flowchart of automatic driving control executed by each of a plurality of automobiles in the third embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0018] [First embodiment] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a cruise control system 1 for an automobile 7 according to a first embodiment of the present invention. The driving control system 1 in FIG. 1 includes a vehicle system 2 for a plurality of automobiles 7 and a management system 3 for managing the driving of the plurality of automobiles 7. 1 also shows GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellites. GNSS satellites 110 are located in satellite orbits around the Earth and emit radio waves toward the Earth's surface. The radio waves from the GNSS satellites 110 include latitude, longitude, and altitude information that indicates the position of each satellite, as well as absolute time information that is synchronized between multiple satellites. By receiving radio waves from multiple GNSS satellites 110, it is possible to obtain latitude, longitude, and altitude information that accurately indicates the position of the receiving point, as well as the accurate time at the receiving point.

[0019] The automobile 7 is an example of a vehicle. Other examples of vehicles include motorcycles, carts, and personal mobility vehicles. The automobile 7 may be a vehicle that travels using the driving force of an engine or motor as a power source under the travel control of a vehicle system 2 provided in the automobile 7, changes its direction of travel by operating a steering device, and decelerates and stops by operating a braking device. The automobile 7 travels on a road, for example, under the automatic driving control of the vehicle system 2. When the occupant manually controls the driving, the automobile 7 may travel on a road under the driving assistance control of the vehicle system 2. Furthermore, the vehicle system 2 may be capable of controlling the driving of the automobile 7 through manual operation by the occupant itself.

[0020] The management system 3 includes a plurality of wireless base stations 4 , a communication network 5 , and a server device 6 .

[0021] The multiple wireless base stations 4 may be, for example, wireless base stations 4 for mobile communication network services for mobile terminals and the like, or base stations for ITS services for automobiles 7. The wireless base stations 4 for mobile communication network services include, for example, fourth-generation base stations and fifth-generation base stations. The wireless base stations 4 may be fixedly installed on roadsides, road surfaces, or buildings, or may be installed on moving objects such as automobiles 7, ships, drones, and airplanes. The wireless base station 4 establishes a wireless communication path for transmitting and receiving information with the AP communication device 70 of the vehicle system 2 of the automobile 7 located within its radio wave coverage area. When the automobile 7 travels along a road and moves out of its radio wave coverage area, the wireless base station 4 with which the wireless communication path is established switches among the multiple wireless base stations 4. This allows the automobile 7 to continuously establish a wireless communication path while traveling, for example, with multiple wireless base stations 4 lined up along the road. Wireless communication paths established with fifth-generation base stations can transmit and receive significantly more information than those established with fourth-generation base stations. Furthermore, fifth-generation base stations can have advanced information processing capabilities and the ability to transmit and receive information between base stations. In V2V communication between automobiles 7, automobiles 7 may transmit and receive information directly to each other, or they may transmit and receive information via fifth-generation base stations.

[0022] A plurality of wireless base stations 4 and a server device 6 are connected to the communication network 5. The communication network 5 may be configured, for example, by a communication network 5 dedicated to mobile communication network services, a communication network 5 dedicated to ITS services, the Internet connecting the communication networks 5, etc. The communication network 5 may include a new dedicated communication network 5 provided for the cruise control system 1. The Internet is a public, open wide-area communication network. Other examples of wide-area communication networks include dedicated communication networks 5 used in intelligent transportation systems such as ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) and ATM switching networks used exclusively for telephone switching. The cruise control system 1 may use these wide-area communication networks instead of or in addition to a dedicated network. Open networks tend to have larger transmission delays than closed networks, but a certain degree of confidentiality can be maintained by encoding data, such as by encrypting it. However, using a dedicated network enables stable, high-capacity, high-speed data communication with multiple wireless base stations 4 and server devices 6, with low latency, compared to the Internet. Dedicated networks transmit and receive information using asynchronous frames based on protocols such as TCP / IP, and even if frames are retransmitted due to collision detection, transmission delays caused by these mechanisms are unlikely to be excessive. Dedicated networks can minimize transmission delays compared to the Internet, where large amounts of data are often transmitted and received asynchronously.

[0023] The server device 6 is a computer device that manages the traveling of a plurality of automobiles 7 . Unlike the server device 6 shown in FIG. 1, the server device 6 may be configured from multiple computer devices. The server device 6 may be configured with a plurality of computer devices for each function of the server device 6 . The plurality of computer devices serving as the server device 6 may be distributed among the plurality of wireless base stations 4, for example. The plurality of computer devices serving as the server device 6 may be multi-tiered. The plurality of computer devices serving as the server device 6 may be configured with lower-level devices that are distributed and placed in multiple wireless base stations 4, for example, and a higher-level device that manages the distributed devices in an integrated manner. In any case, by having a plurality of computers cooperate to function as the server device 6, the processing load on each computer can be reduced. Furthermore, by distributing a plurality of server devices 6 appropriately across the communication network 5, the range within which each piece of information is transmitted can be limited, thereby reducing the transmission load and transmission delay. The server devices 6, which are distributed to correspond to the wireless base stations 4, may be integrated with the wireless base stations 4 and may be provided as one of the functions of the wireless base stations 4. A wireless base station 4 having the functions of such a distributed server device 6 can minimize information transmission delays. A wireless base station 4 having the functions of a distributed server device 6 can, for example, perform part of the processing of the vehicle system 2 of the automobile 7 on behalf of the automobile 7 and function as a part of the components of the vehicle system 2 of the automobile 7. The multiple wireless base stations 4 may, for example, realize the processing of the server device 6 or the processing of the vehicle system 2 of the automobile 7 by cooperative processing through communication with each other without going through the server device 6. In this case, the multiple wireless base stations 4 fixedly installed relative to the roads may, for example, classify information on the multiple automobiles 7 accommodated in their respective communication areas into multiple road maps based on their locations within the communication areas, group the automobiles 7 based on the road classifications, and relay the grouped information to multiple other wireless base stations 4. A server device 6 separate from the multiple wireless base stations 4 may not be necessary. Furthermore, the processing of the server device 6 may be distributed and realized by cooperative processing between a plurality of wireless base stations 4 and the server device 6.

[0024] In such a driving control system 1, each automobile 7 establishes a wireless communication path with at least one wireless base station 4. Each automobile 7 can keep the wireless communication path established by switching wireless base stations 4 even while traveling. This allows information to be sent and received between multiple automobiles 7 and the server device 6. Each of the multiple automobiles 7 can repeatedly transmit information about its own driving situation to the server device 6 at relatively short intervals. The information about the driving situation transmitted by each automobile 7 includes, for example, driving information about each automobile 7, passenger information about the user, and information about the surroundings of each automobile 7. The driving information about each automobile 7 includes, for example, not only the direction of travel and traveling speed, but also the current location, destination, and vehicle body attitude and movement. The vehicle body attitude includes, for example, yaw rate. The server device 6 can repeatedly receive and collect field information including the driving conditions of each of the multiple automobiles 7 at relatively short intervals from the multiple automobiles 7. In addition to the vehicle information transmitted by each of the multiple automobiles 7, the field information may include, for example, road monitoring information obtained from cameras installed on the road, information indicating the driving conditions of the multiple automobiles 7 obtained from other server devices 6, local traffic information, and the like. The server device 6 can map the collected driving conditions of the multiple automobiles 7 onto a current road map or the like, and generate driving control information for each of the multiple automobiles 7. Here, the driving control information may be, for example, the path (travel distance) or driving range of the automobile 7 over a short period of time or a short section. The driving control information may also include the speed or acceleration / deceleration amount, steering amount, or direction of travel of the automobile 7. The server device 6 can repeatedly transmit the driving control information of each of the multiple automobiles 7 at relatively short intervals to the multiple automobiles 7. Furthermore, the server device 6 may transmit the driving control information of the multiple automobiles 7 to other server devices 6. Each of the plurality of automobiles 7 can repeatedly receive its own driving control information from the server device 6 at relatively short intervals. Each of the plurality of automobiles 7 can use the driving control information received from the server device 6 to execute its own driving control. As a result, each of the multiple automobiles 7 can continue traveling using the travel control information that is repeatedly received from the server device 6 at relatively short intervals. The server device 6 continues to generate driving control information for the plurality of automobiles 7 that, for example, will not cause collisions or close encounters with other automobiles, so that the plurality of automobiles 7 can continue to execute driving control that is basically safe and gives passengers peace of mind. Each automobile 7 continuously and repeatedly acquires driving control information for each small section and controls its driving accordingly, thereby enabling it to execute driving from its current position to a desired destination in a safe manner that gives passengers peace of mind.

[0025] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the hardware configuration of the server device 6 shown in FIG. The server device 6 in FIG. 2 includes a server communication device 11, a server GNSS receiver 12, a server memory 13, a server CPU 14, and a server bus 15 to which these are connected.

[0026] The server communication device 11 is connected to the communication network 5. The server communication device 11 transmits and receives information to and from other devices connected to the communication network 5, such as the wireless base station 4 and the vehicle system 2 of the automobile 7. The server GNSS receiver 12 receives radio waves from the GNSS satellites 110 to obtain the current time. The server device 6 may include a server timer (not shown) that is calibrated using the current time of the server GNSS receiver 12. The server memory 13 stores programs and data executed by the server CPU 14 . The server CPU 14 reads and executes the program from the server memory 13. In this way, the server device 6 realizes a server control unit. The server CPU 14 as a server control unit manages the overall operation of the server device 6 . Furthermore, the server CPU 14 as a server control unit functions as an overall control unit of the driving control system 1. The server CPU 14 manages and controls the driving of the multiple automobiles 7. The server CPU 14 collects field information including the driving conditions of the multiple automobiles 7, generates driving control information for the multiple automobiles 7 basically to ensure smooth driving of the multiple automobiles 7 and maximize the safety and security of the driving of the multiple automobiles 7, and transmits this information to each of the multiple automobiles 7.

[0027] FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 2 that controls the running of the automobile 7 of FIG. In the vehicle system 2 provided in the automobile 7 in Fig. 3, a plurality of control devices are represented by a control ECU (Electronic Control Unit) incorporated therein. Similar to the server device 6 in Fig. 2, the control device may have, in addition to the control ECU, for example, a memory for recording control programs and data, an input / output port, a timer for measuring time and clock time, and an internal bus to which these are connected. 3 shows, for example, a drive ECU 21, a steering ECU 22, a braking ECU 23, a cruise control ECU 24, a driving operation ECU 25, a detection ECU 26, an AP communication ECU 27, and a V2V communication ECU 28 as a plurality of control ECUs for the vehicle system 2 of the automobile 7. The vehicle system 2 of the automobile 7 may include other control ECUs not shown.

[0028] The multiple control ECUs are connected to a vehicle network 30, such as a Controller Area Network (CAN) or a Local Interconnect Network (LIN), which is used in the automobile 7. The vehicle network 30 may be composed of multiple bus cables 31 that can connect the multiple control ECUs, and a central gateway (CGW) 32 that serves as a relay device to which the multiple bus cables 31 are connected. The multiple control ECUs are assigned IDs as mutually distinct identification information. Basically, a control ECU periodically outputs data to another control ECU. The data is accompanied by the ID of the control ECU that is the output source and the ID of the control ECU that is the output destination. The other control ECUs monitor the bus cable 31, and if the ID of the output destination is, for example, their own, acquire the data and perform processing based on the data. The central gateway 32 monitors each of the multiple connected bus cables 31, and when it detects a control ECU connected to a bus cable 31 different from the control ECU that is the output source, it outputs the data to that bus cable 31. Such relay processing by the central gateway 32 allows a plurality of control ECUs to input and output data to and from other control ECUs connected to bus cables 31 different from the bus cables 31 to which they are connected.

[0029] The driving operation ECU 25 is connected to operation members such as a steering wheel 51, a brake pedal 52, an accelerator pedal 53, and a shift lever 54 that allow the user to control the driving of the automobile 7. When an operation member is operated, the driving operation ECU 25 outputs data including whether or not the operation was performed and the amount of operation to the vehicle network 30. The driving operation ECU 25 may also execute processing on the operation of the operation member and include the processing results in the data. For example, if the accelerator pedal 53 is operated when there is another automobile or a fixed object in the direction of travel of the automobile 7, the driving operation ECU 25 may determine that the operation is abnormal and include the determination results in the data.

[0030] The detection ECU 26 is connected to various detectors for detecting the traveling state of the automobile 7, including a speed sensor 61 for detecting the speed of the automobile 7, an acceleration sensor 62 for detecting the acceleration of the automobile 7, a stereo camera 63 for capturing images of the surroundings of the automobile 7, a LIDAR 64 for detecting objects around the automobile 7 by emitting laser light, a 360-degree camera 65 for capturing images of the surroundings of the automobile 7 in a 360-degree angle, and a GNSS receiver 66 for detecting the position of the automobile 7. The GNSS receiver 66 receives radio waves from multiple GNSS satellites 110, similar to those of the server GNSS receiver 12, and obtains the latitude, longitude, and altitude of the automobile's current position, as well as the current time. This allows the current time of the automobile 7 to be expected to match the current time measured by the server GNSS receiver 12 of the server device 6 with high accuracy. The detection ECU 26 acquires detection information from the detectors and outputs data including the detection information to the vehicle network 30. The detection ECU 26 may also perform processing based on the detection information and include the processing results in the data. For example, when the acceleration sensor 62 detects acceleration exceeding a collision detection threshold, the detection ECU 26 may determine that a collision has been detected and include the collision detection result in the data. The detection ECU 26 may extract automobiles 7, such as pedestrians and other automobiles, present around the vehicle based on images from the stereo camera 63, determine the type and attributes of the automobiles 7, estimate the relative direction, relative distance, and traveling direction of the automobiles 7 based on the position, size, and changes of the automobiles 7 in the images, and include information on these estimation results in the data and output the data to the vehicle network 30.

[0031] An AP communication device 71 and an AP communication memory 72 are connected to the AP communication ECU 27. The AP communication ECU 27, the AP communication device 71, and the AP communication memory 72 constitute an AP communication apparatus 70 that establishes a wireless communication link with the wireless base station 4 in the automobile 7. The AP communication device 71 transmits and receives data to and from the wireless base station 4 outside the vehicle, to and from the AP communication ECU 27. The AP communication memory 72 is a computer-readable recording medium that records programs executed by the AP communication ECU 27, setting values, and data transmitted and received by the AP communication ECU 27. The AP communication ECU 27 transmits and receives data to and from the server device 6 using the AP communication device 71. The AP communication ECU 27 collects vehicle information, for example, via the vehicle network 30, and transmits the information to the server device 6. The AP communication ECU 27 obtains, for example, driving control information transmitted to the vehicle by the server device 6 from the AP communication device 71 and records the information in the AP communication memory 72. The host vehicle information collected by the AP communication ECU 27 includes, for example, vehicle interior information such as the status of the occupant, information about the vehicle's driving state, surrounding information such as the vehicle's driving environment, and information about the area in which the vehicle is traveling. The surrounding information may include information about other vehicles in the vicinity. The host vehicle's driving state information may include, for example, the above-mentioned autonomous sensors (vehicle-mounted sensors: acceleration, GPS, gyro, electronic compass, air pressure, camera, radar, ultrasonic waves, infrared, etc.) installed in the host vehicle. The autonomous sensors may detect information indicating the vehicle's driving status, vehicle information such as the vehicle's user information and vehicle number, and surrounding or regional information about the vehicle. The host vehicle's driving state information may also include driving state information that can be calculated based on the detection by these sensors, such as yaw rate. The host vehicle information transmitted by the AP communication ECU 27 may be the host vehicle information collected by the AP communication ECU 27 as is, or may be information that has been processed, filtered, encoded, or quantized from the collected information. The AP communication ECU 27 periodically and repeatedly transmits the vehicle information to be transmitted to the server device 6 to the wireless base station 4 . The information that the AP communication ECU 27 acquires from the server device 6 includes driving control information used to control driving of the host vehicle. The AP communication ECU 27 periodically and repeatedly receives the driving control information acquired from the server device 6 from the wireless base station 4.

[0032] A V2V communication device 41 and a V2V communication memory 42 are connected to the V2V communication ECU 28. The V2V communication ECU 28, the V2V communication device 41, and the V2V communication memory 42 configure a V2V communication device 40 in the automobile 7 that performs direct communication with other automobiles. The V2V communication device 41 transmits and receives data transmitted and received by the V2V communication ECU 28 to and from the V2V communication device 40 of the other automobile via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The V2V communication memory 42 is a computer-readable recording medium that stores programs executed by the V2V communication ECU 28, setting values, and data transmitted and received by the V2V communication ECU 28. The V2V communication ECU 28 transmits and receives data to and from the V2V communication device 40 of the other automobile using the V2V communication device 41. The V2V communication ECU 28 collects V2V communication information generated in the vehicle system 2, for example, via the vehicle network 30, and transmits the information to the V2V communication device 40 of the other automobile. The V2V communication ECU 28 acquires, for example, information transmitted to its own vehicle by a V2V communication device 40 of another vehicle from a V2V communication device 41 and records the information in a V2V communication memory 42. It should be noted that a mobile terminal or the like can be used as the AP communication device 70 or the V2V communication device 40. In this case, the mobile terminal may be connected to the vehicle network 30 by a bus cable 31, or may be connected via a wireless router (not shown) connected to the vehicle network 30.

[0033] A control memory 79 is connected to the cruise control ECU 24. The control memory 79 is a computer-readable recording medium that stores programs executed by the cruise control ECU 24, setting values, and the like. Information on the control content performed by the cruise control ECU 24 may be stored in the control memory 79. The cruise control ECU 24 reads and executes the programs from the control memory 79. This allows the cruise control ECU 24 to function as a control unit for controlling the cruise of the automobile 7. The cruise control ECU 24 acquires information from, for example, the AP communication ECU 27, the V2V communication ECU 28, the detection ECU 26, the driving operation ECU 25, etc. via the vehicle network 30, and controls the driving of the automobile 7 in an automated driving or manual driving assistance manner. The cruise control ECU 24 generates cruise control data for controlling the driving of the automobile 7 based on the acquired information. For example, the cruise control ECU 24 generates cruise control data based on the driving control information acquired from the AP communication ECU 27, etc., that basically controls the driving of the automobile 7 in accordance with the driving control information. The cruise control ECU 24 outputs the generated cruise control data to the drive ECU 21, the steering ECU 22, and the braking ECU 23. The drive ECU 21, the steering ECU 22, and the braking ECU 23 control the driving of the automobile 7 in accordance with the input cruise control data.

[0034] FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a process in which the vehicle system 2 of the automobile 7 in FIG. 3 transmits its own vehicle information. In the vehicle system 2 of the automobile 7 in Fig. 3, for example, the AP communication ECU 27 may execute the process of transmitting the vehicle information in Fig. 4. When the AP communication ECU 27 is in a state where it can communicate with the wireless base station 4, for example, it periodically and repeatedly executes the process of transmitting the vehicle information in Fig. 4. The period in which the AP communication ECU 27 transmits the vehicle information may be in the range of, for example, several tens of milliseconds to several seconds.

[0035] In step ST1, the AP communication ECU 27 collects and acquires vehicle information from various parts of the automobile 7. The AP communication ECU 27 collects the vehicle information from the cruise control ECU 24, the detection ECU 26, the driving operation ECU 25, and the like, for example, via the vehicle network 30. The vehicle information may include, for example, the vehicle's current location, current time, traveling direction, traveling speed, yaw rate, and other vehicle traveling conditions, the status of the passenger, information about the vehicle's surroundings, and information about the area in which the vehicle is traveling. The AP communication ECU 27 records the collected vehicle information in the AP communication memory 72.

[0036] In step ST2, the AP communication ECU 27 determines whether it is time to transmit the vehicle information. The transmission timing of the vehicle information may occur at regular intervals. The AP communication ECU 27 may determine whether the time elapsed since the previous transmission timing has exceeded a predetermined transmission period, for example, based on the current time of the GNSS receiver 66 or the time of a timer installed in the automobile 7, and may determine that it is time to transmit the vehicle information if the transmission period has passed. In this case, the AP communication ECU 27 proceeds to step ST3. If it is not time to transmit the vehicle information, the AP communication ECU 27 returns the processing to step ST1.

[0037] In step ST3, the AP communication ECU 27 transmits the information collected in step ST1 from the AP communication device 71 to the server device 6. The AP communication device 71 reads its own vehicle information from the AP communication memory 72 and transmits it to the server device 6 via the base station with which a wireless communication path has been established. The information transmitted by the AP communication device 71 of the automobile 7 is received by the wireless base station 4 and then transmitted to the server device 6 via the communication network 5. The information transmitted by the AP communication device 71 may include information such as the position, time, and ID of the automobile 7 when the AP communication device 71 performs transmission.

[0038] FIG. 5 is a flowchart of a process in which the server device 6 of FIG. 2 collects field information such as vehicle information of a plurality of automobiles 7. In FIG. The server CPU 14 of the server device 6 in FIG. 2 may execute the field information collection process in FIG. 5 every time the server communication device 11 receives new information.

[0039] In step ST11, the server CPU 14 determines whether the server communication device 11 has received new field information, such as vehicle information for multiple automobiles 7. If the server communication device 11 has not received any field information, the server CPU 14 repeats this process. If the server communication device 11 has received the field information, the server CPU 14 proceeds to step ST12.

[0040] In step ST12, the server CPU 14 stores the received field information in the server memory 13. The server CPU 14 may classify the received field information, for example, by vehicle 7, and store it in the server memory 13. As a result, information indicating the driving status of multiple vehicles 7 whose driving is managed by the server device 6 is stored in the server memory 13 of the server device 6. Furthermore, the information stored in the server memory 13 may be continuously updated to the latest information, for example, at each transmission period of the vehicle information of the vehicle system 2 of the vehicle 7.

[0041] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a process in which the server device 6 of FIG. 2 generates driving control information to be used in a plurality of automobiles 7. In FIG. The server CPU 14 of the server device 6 of FIG. 2 may execute the process of generating the driving control information of FIG. 6 at each predetermined generation timing.

[0042] In step ST21, the server CPU 14 determines whether it is time to generate new cruise control information for the multiple vehicles 7. The server CPU 14 may determine whether the time elapsed since the previous generation timing has passed a predetermined generation period, based on the current time of the server GNSS receiver 12. If the generation period has not passed, the server CPU 14 repeats the determination process of step ST21. If the generation period has passed, the server CPU 14 determines that it is time to generate new cruise control information, and proceeds to step ST22.

[0043] In step ST22, the server CPU 14 acquires from the server memory 13 the latest field information about the driving conditions of the multiple automobiles 7 that has been received by the server communication device 11 and accumulated.

[0044] In step ST23, the server CPU 14 identifies the current positions of the multiple automobiles 7 using the latest field information and maps the current driving conditions of the multiple automobiles 7 onto a current road map. The current road map may also map future driving conditions predicted based on current information about each automobile 7, such as a trajectory based on the current speed. In this case, the current road map maps not only the current position of each automobile 7 but also the predicted future position. The server CPU 14 may record the current road map onto which the current driving conditions of the multiple automobiles 7 are mapped, into the server memory 13.

[0045] In step ST24, the server CPU 14, as a prediction unit, predicts and determines merging interference for each vehicle 7 using a current road map on which the current driving conditions of the multiple vehicles 7 are mapped. When, for example, a first vehicle 8 among the multiple vehicles 7 traveling under driving control using the driving control information is traveling to merge from a merging road onto a main road as shown in FIG. 11 described below, the server CPU 14 predicts and determines merging interference with each second vehicle 9 traveling on the main road toward the merging section, with the merging first vehicle 8. In predicting merging interference, the server CPU 14 may determine contact between the first vehicle 8 on the merging side and the second vehicle 9 on the main road, but preferably determines approach within a predetermined distance. Here, the predetermined distance may be fixed or may vary depending on, for example, the speed of the vehicle 7. Determining approach in predicting merging interference not only avoids collisions and ensures safety, but also prevents abnormal approach of other vehicles, increasing the sense of security of occupants. The server CPU 14 may record the predicted merging interference of the vehicle 7 in the server memory 13.

[0046] In step ST25, the server CPU 14 uses a current road map on which the current driving conditions of the multiple vehicles 7 are mapped to generate driving control information to be used for driving control by each of the multiple vehicles 7 managed by the driving control system 1. The server CPU 14 generates driving control information for each vehicle 7 that realizes driving as safely and securely as possible. For example, the server CPU 14 may generate driving control information that ensures sufficient vehicle spacing, at least a predetermined distance, from other vehicles traveling in front and behind in the same lane. In addition, for example, the server CPU 14 may generate driving control information that reduces the speed of the second vehicle 9 so as to maintain a sufficient distance from the first vehicle 8 on the merging side and suppress merging interference. The server CPU 14 may record the driving control information generated for the multiple vehicles 7 in the server memory 13.

[0047] FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram of the current road map used for the mapping in FIG. FIG. 7(A) is an explanatory diagram of a driving situation in which a plurality of automobiles 7 are driving in a line on a single-lane road. FIG. 7(B) is a current road map 80 for the single lane road of FIG. 7(A). The current road map 80 may be provided for each lane of the area or road where the cruise control system 1 manages the travel of the automobile 7. In other words, for a road with multiple lanes, there may be multiple current road maps 80, one for each lane. Furthermore, if a merging road is connected to a main road, there may be a current road map 80 corresponding to the main road and a current road map 80 corresponding to the merging road. In the current road map 80 of FIG. 7(B), the horizontal axis 81 represents the position on the lane (road). The vertical axis represents time. Time flows from bottom to top. The origin is the current point.

[0048] In FIG. 7(A), three cars 7 are traveling on a single lane road. In this case, the server CPU 14 generates the current road map 80 of Fig. 7(B) in step ST23 of Fig. 6. Three trajectories 82 to 84 corresponding to the three automobiles 7 are mapped on the current road map 80 of Fig. 7(B). A trajectory 84 corresponding to the car 7 at the left end of Fig. 7(A) is mapped to the left portion close to the origin of Fig. 7(B). The car 7 at the left end of Fig. 7(A) is traveling at a non-zero speed, so the trajectory 84 is tilted. The tilt of the trajectory 84 increases or decreases depending on the current speed of the car 7. A trajectory 83 corresponding to the center car 7 in Figure 7(A) is mapped to the central portion of Figure 7(B). The center car 7 in Figure 7(A) is traveling at a non-zero speed, so the trajectory 83 is tilted. Because the speed of the center car 7 is high, the trajectory 83 is tilted significantly relative to the vertical axis. The trajectory 82 corresponding to the car 7 at the right end of Fig. 7(A) is mapped to the right part of Fig. 7(B). Since the car 7 at the right end of Fig. 7(A) is stopped and its speed is 0, the trajectory 82 is parallel to the vertical axis.

[0049] In this case, the server CPU 14 may generate, in step ST25 of FIG. 6, driving control information for the automobile 7 on the left side of FIG. 7(A) to continue driving while maintaining the current speed. In addition, if the vehicle 7 in the middle of Figure 7(A) continues to drive in its current state, it is predicted that it will reach the deceleration and stop section 85 for the vehicle 7 at the right end of Figure 7(A), which is stopped, so the server CPU 14 may generate driving control information to decelerate so that the vehicle can stop in the deceleration and stop section 85 just before the vehicle 7 at the right end of Figure 7(A). In this way, the server CPU 14 generates, based on the collected field information, driving control information for the plurality of automobiles 7, which can suppress abnormal closeness and merging interference and ensure safety and security as much as possible.

[0050] FIG. 8 is a flowchart of a process in which the server device 6 of FIG. The server CPU 14 of the server device 6 in FIG. 2 may execute the transmission process in FIG. 8 at each predetermined transmission timing.

[0051] In step ST31, the server CPU 14 acquires the latest driving control information of the automobile 7 recorded in the server memory 13.

[0052] In step ST32, the server CPU 14 determines whether merging interference is predicted for the vehicle 7 for which the driving control information has been acquired. The server CPU 14 may acquire the latest merging interference prediction judgment result recorded in the server memory 13, and determine whether merging interference is predicted for the vehicle 7 for which the driving control information has been acquired. If merging interference is not predicted for the vehicle 7 for which the driving control information has been acquired, the server CPU 14 proceeds to step ST33. If merging interference is predicted for the vehicle 7 for which the driving control information has been acquired, the server CPU 14 proceeds to step ST34.

[0053] In step ST33, the server CPU 14 transmits the acquired driving control information to the corresponding vehicle 7. The server communication device 11 transmits the driving control information acquired by the server CPU 14 to the vehicle 7 via the communication network 5 and the wireless base station 4. Thereafter, the server CPU 14 proceeds to step ST35.

[0054] In step ST34, the server CPU 14 transmits the acquired driving control information and the predicted result of merging interference to the corresponding vehicle 7. The server communication device 11 transmits the driving control information and the predicted result of merging interference acquired by the server CPU 14 to the vehicle 7 via the communication network 5 and the wireless base station 4. Thereafter, the server CPU 14 proceeds to step ST35.

[0055] In step ST35, the server CPU 14 determines whether the process of transmitting driving control information to the multiple automobiles 7 under its management has been completed. If the process of transmitting driving control information to the multiple automobiles 7 has not been completed, the server CPU 14 returns the process to step ST31. The server CPU 14 repeats the processes from step ST31 to step ST35 for the next automobile 7. When the process of transmitting driving control information to the multiple automobiles 7 has been completed, the server CPU 14 ends this process.

[0056] FIG. 9 is a flowchart of a process for receiving information from the server device 6 in each of the plurality of automobiles 7. In the vehicle system 2 of the automobile 7 in Fig. 3, for example, the AP communication ECU 27 may execute the reception process in Fig. 9. The AP communication ECU 27 can receive information from the server device 6 when it is in a state where it can communicate with the wireless base station 4, for example.

[0057] In step ST41, the AP communication ECU 27 determines whether the AP communication device 71 has received new information addressed to its own vehicle. The AP communication device 71 can receive new information from the server device 6. If the AP communication device 71 has not received new information from the server device 6, the AP communication ECU 27 determines that new information has not been received and repeats this process. If the AP communication device 71 has received new information from the server device 6, the AP communication ECU 27 proceeds to step ST42.

[0058] In step ST42, the AP communication ECU 27 stores the received information in the AP communication memory 72. As a result, the AP communication memory 72 stores and records the information that the AP communication device 71 receives from the server apparatus 6, such as the above-mentioned driving control information and predicted results of merging interference. The AP communication ECU 27 may overwrite previously received information already recorded in the AP communication memory 72 with newly received information.

[0059] FIG. 10 is a flowchart of the automatic driving control executed by each of the plurality of automobiles 7 in the first embodiment. In the vehicle system 2 of the automobile 7 in Fig. 3, for example, the cruise control ECU 24 may execute the automatic driving control of Fig. 10. The cruise control ECU 24 may repeatedly execute the automatic driving control of Fig. 10, for example, at the cycle in which the server device 6 generates cruise control information.

[0060] In step ST51, the cruise control ECU 24 determines whether it is time to update the control. The cruise control ECU 24 may determine whether the time elapsed since the previous control timing has exceeded a predetermined update period, based on the current time of the GNSS receiver 66. The cruise control ECU 24 may also estimate the end time of the currently executed control on the route, and determine whether the remaining time until the estimated end time is less than a threshold. If it is not time to update the control, the cruise control ECU 24 repeats this process. If the control update timing has passed, the cruise control ECU 24 proceeds to step ST52.

[0061] In step ST52, the cruise control ECU 24 acquires the latest information. The cruise control ECU 24 acquires the latest cruise control information, etc. from the AP communication memory 72. The cruise control ECU 24 may acquire information detected by the autonomous sensor of the host vehicle, etc. The information detected by the autonomous sensor of the host vehicle may include, for example, the current position of the vehicle 7, the current time, the current speed of the vehicle 7 as a result of the previous cruise control, the driving direction, and information on other vehicles in the vicinity.

[0062] In step ST53, the cruise control ECU 24 executes cruise control of the host vehicle based on the latest information acquired in step ST52. For example, if an autonomous sensor indicates that there are no problems with the vehicle's driving conditions, the driving control ECU 24 may perform driving control of the vehicle in accordance with the latest driving control information obtained so that the vehicle travels along the route indicated in the latest driving control information. The driving control ECU 24 generates driving control data for controlling the driving of the automobile 7 based on the acquired information, and outputs the data to the drive ECU 21, the steering ECU 22, and the braking ECU 23. The drive ECU 21, the steering ECU 22, and the braking ECU 23 control the driving of the automobile 7 in accordance with the input driving control data.

[0063] In this way, each of the multiple automobiles 7 controls its own driving so as to comply with the driving control information received from the respective server devices 6, making it less likely that collisions or abnormal closeness will occur between the multiple automobiles 7. On the other hand, if multiple automobiles 7 were to each independently control their own driving, the possibility of collisions or close encounters between the multiple automobiles 7 would increase due to, for example, different decisions being made by the multiple automobiles 7. In this case, it would be difficult to achieve a high level of safety and security, even if each automobile 7 were driving autonomously or using driving assistance. Even if multiple automobiles 7 were to communicate their own decisions and driving control details to each other through V2V communication, there is still a significant possibility that the automobiles 7 would come close to each other in merging sections, or even come into contact with each other in some cases. It would be difficult to say that the driving of vehicles such as automobiles 7 would be sufficiently safe. Furthermore, occupants would feel uneasy about other vehicles approaching each other.

[0064] FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a state in which a first vehicle 8 is traveling on a merging road toward a main road.

[0065] 11(A) shows a one-lane main road and a one-lane branch road that merges into the main road. The branch road and the main road have a merging section where they run parallel to each other. A first vehicle 8 is traveling on the branch road toward the merging section with the main road. In this case, the first vehicle 8 can proceed to the merging section on the branch road and merge onto the main road by changing lanes from the branch road to the main road in the merging section. A second vehicle 9 is traveling on the main road toward the junction with the branch road. The first vehicle 8 and the second vehicle 9 may be traveling under automatic driving or driving assistance driving control using the driving control information.

[0066] FIG. 11(B) shows a current road map 90 of the main road, which is generated by the server CPU 14 of the server device 6 in step ST23 of FIG. When the driving situation at the current time T is the situation shown in FIG. 11(A), the second vehicle 9 traveling on the main road toward the merging section is mapped on the current road map 90 of the main road. The second vehicle 9 is mapped onto a current road map 90 of the main road by a trajectory 92 extending diagonally upward from a horizontal axis 91 indicating the position on the main road at the current time T. Here, the trajectory 92 of the second vehicle 9 is shown as traveling at the current speed of the second vehicle 9. The trajectory 92 is a prediction of the movement of the second vehicle 9.

[0067] FIG. 11(C) shows a current road map 93 of branch roads generated by the server CPU 14 of the server device 6 in step ST23 of FIG. When the driving situation at the current time T is the situation shown in FIG. 11(A), the first vehicle 8 traveling on the merging road toward the merging section is mapped on the current road map 93 of the merging road. The first vehicle 8 is mapped on a current road map 93 of the merging road by a trajectory 95 extending diagonally upward from a horizontal axis 94 indicating the position on the merging road at the current time T. Here, the trajectory 95 of the first vehicle 8 is shown as traveling at the current speed of the first vehicle 8. The trajectory 95 is a prediction of the movement of the first vehicle 8 on the merging road. Furthermore, the first vehicle 8 is traveling from the branch road toward the main road. Therefore, a trajectory 96 of the rear half of the first vehicle 8 is mapped onto the current road map 90 of the main road in Figure 11(B). Only a trajectory 95 of the front half of the first vehicle 8 is mapped onto the current road map 93 of the merging road in Figure 11(C). The trajectories 95, 96 of the first vehicle 8 are mapped separately onto the current road map 93 of the merging road in Figure 11(C) and the current road map 90 of the main road in Figure 11(B).

[0068] In the current road map 90 of the main road in Figure 11 (B), the traveling speed of the second vehicle 9 is higher than that of the first vehicle 8, so the trajectory 96 of the first vehicle 8 after merging onto the main road intersects with the trajectory 92 of the second vehicle 9 traveling on the main road toward the merging section. In this case, in step ST24 of Figure 6, the server CPU 14 of the server device 6 predicts that the first vehicle 8 and the second vehicle 9 will merge and interfere with each other in the position range 97 based on the current road map 90 of the main road in Figure 11 (B). Note that the server CPU 14 may predict that the multiple automobiles 7 will merge and interfere with each other if they are close enough that the inter-vehicle distance is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, even if the trajectories of the multiple automobiles 7 do not intersect with each other.

[0069] When merging interference between the first vehicle 8 and the second vehicle 9 is predicted, the server CPU 14 generates driving control information for the first vehicle 8 and driving control information for the second vehicle 9 in step ST25 of Figure 6 so as to suppress the merging interference. The server CPU 14 generates driving control information for the first vehicle 8 that merges onto the main road in front of the second vehicle 9, for example, to drive toward the main road while maintaining the current speed. In addition, the server CPU 14 generates driving control information for the second vehicle 9, which the first vehicle 8 is to merge in front of, to temporarily slow down to a speed lower than the current speed, so as to ensure a distance between the vehicles that allows the first vehicle 8 to merge in front. Preferably, the server CPU 14 generates driving control information that ensures a distance that allows the first vehicle 8 to merge ahead, and further decelerates the first vehicle 8 to travel at a speed equal to or lower than its current speed. Furthermore, when merging interference between the first vehicle 8 and the second vehicle 9 is predicted, the server CPU 14 transmits the predicted result of merging interference together with the driving control information to at least the first vehicle 8 on the merging side out of the first vehicle 8 and the second vehicle 9 predicted to cause merging interference in step ST34 of Fig. 8. The server CPU 14 may transmit the predicted result of merging interference together with the driving control information of each of the first vehicle 8 and the second vehicle 9 predicted to cause merging interference.

[0070] FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the current road map immediately after FIG. FIG. 12(A) shows a current road map 100 of main roads generated by the server CPU 14 of the server device 6 in step ST23 of FIG. FIG. 12(B) shows the current road map 103 of the merging road generated by the server CPU 14 of the server device 6 in step ST23 of FIG. The current road maps 100 and 103 in Figure 12 are for a later time point than the current time point of the current road maps 90 and 93 in Figure 11. Therefore, the current time point of the current road maps 100 and 103 in Figure 12 is (T+1).

[0071] Therefore, the position of the first vehicle 8 on the merging road (horizontal axis 104) at the current time (T+1) is ahead of the position at the current time T in FIG. 11(C), as shown in the current road map 103 of FIG. 12(B). The inclination of the trajectory 105 of the first vehicle 8 is the same as in FIG. 11(C). In addition, the trajectory 106 of the rear half of the first vehicle 8 is mapped on the current road map 100 of the main road in FIG. 12(A).

[0072] Furthermore, the position on the main road (horizontal axis 101) at the current time (T+1) of the second vehicle 9, which has been instructed to decelerate by the driving control information, is ahead of the position at the current time T in FIG. 11(B) in the direction of travel, as shown in the current road map 100 in FIG. 12(A). However, because the second vehicle 9 is decelerating, the inclination of the track 102 corresponds to a lower speed compared to FIG. 11(B). The inclination of the track 102 of the second vehicle 9 is approximately the same as the inclination of the track 106 of the first vehicle 8. In this case, the track 106 of the first vehicle 8 and the track 102 of the second vehicle 9 basically do not intersect or approach each other on the current road map 100 of the main road in Figure 12(A). No merging interference between the first vehicle 8 and the second vehicle 9 is predicted. As a result, the server CPU 14 generates driving control information for both the first vehicle 8 and the second vehicle 9 that basically causes them to continue driving in the current manner. In this way, the first vehicle 8 and the second vehicle 9 can avoid or suppress merging interference and travel stably by performing driving control in accordance with driving control information generated based on the current road map.

[0073] However, as shown by the dotted line trajectory 107 on the current road map 100 of the main road in Figure 12(A), if there is a delay in the deceleration control of the second vehicle 9, the trajectory 102 of the second vehicle 9 will approach the trajectory 106 of the first vehicle 8. This means that the second vehicle 9 will approach the first vehicle 8 on the main road. Then, when the inter-vehicle distance between the second vehicle 9 and the first vehicle 8 becomes equal to or less than a predetermined distance, the server CPU 14 does not avoid or suppress the merging interference between them. In this case, the server CPU 14 generates the driving control information for the first vehicle 8 and the driving control information for the second vehicle 9 so as to suppress merging interference, similarly to the case of FIG. The server CPU 14 will generate driving control information for, for example, the second vehicle 9, to decelerate to a speed even lower than the current speed. The speed of the second vehicle 9 will decrease significantly due to continuous deceleration control. If the second vehicle 9 is already decelerating to a speed lower than the speed of the first vehicle 8, the second vehicle 9 will decelerate excessively to a speed that is significantly lower than the speed of the first vehicle 8. At least the second vehicle 9, out of the first vehicle 8 and the second vehicle 9, will change speed significantly, making it difficult for the vehicle to drive stably. The driving of the second vehicle 9 will be difficult to be smooth and stable. The excessive speed fluctuations will likely cause the occupants of the second vehicle 9 to become anxious or dissatisfied with the automated or driver-assisted driving.

[0074] Therefore, in this embodiment, in addition to the series of driving controls described above, V2V communication (vehicle-to-vehicle communication) is performed between the first vehicle 8 and the second vehicle 9 where merging interference is expected, to suppress driving fluctuations caused by the merging interference suppression control. As a result, excessive speed fluctuations are less likely to occur between the first vehicle 8 and the second vehicle 9, which are expected to merge and interfere with each other. The first vehicle 8 and the second vehicle 9 can travel smoothly. Passengers are less likely to feel anxious or dissatisfied due to the smooth travel with excessive speed fluctuations suppressed.

[0075] FIG. 13 is a flowchart of V2V transmission processing by the first vehicle 8 on the merging side traveling on the merging road toward the main road. Any control ECU of the vehicle system 2 of the first vehicle 8 on the merging side, for example, the V2V communication ECU 28, may repeatedly execute the V2V transmission process of Fig. 13. The V2V communication ECU 28 may execute the V2V transmission process of Fig. 13 at the generation cycle of the driving control information in the server device 6, for example. In the multiple automobiles 7 that travel based on the travel control information, the V2V communication ECU 28 may repeatedly execute the V2V transmission process of FIG.

[0076] In step ST61, the V2V communication ECU 28 on the merging side determines whether the AP communication device 70 of the host vehicle has received new merging interference prediction information. When the AP communication device 71 receives the new merging interference prediction information, the merging interference prediction information is recorded in the AP communication memory 72. The V2V communication ECU 28 may obtain from the AP communication ECU 27 whether or not the merging interference prediction information is recorded in the AP communication memory 72, and determine whether or not the new merging interference prediction information has been received. If the host vehicle has not received the new merging interference prediction information, the V2V communication ECU 28 proceeds to step ST62. If the host vehicle has received the new merging interference prediction information, the V2V communication ECU 28 proceeds to step ST63.

[0077] In step ST62, the V2V communication ECU 28 on the merging side determines whether the cruise control ECU 24 is performing autonomous cruise control that is not based on cruise control information while receiving the merging interference prediction information. The cruise control ECU 24 must continue to perform cruise control even when, for example, it is unable to receive cruise control information. The cruise control ECU 24 must also perform cruise control according to the situation even during the cruise control information reception cycle. If such autonomous cruise control is being performed by the cruise control ECU 24 while receiving the merging interference prediction information, the V2V communication ECU 28 on the merging side proceeds to step ST64. Otherwise, the V2V communication ECU 28 on the merging side returns to step ST61.

[0078] In step ST63, the V2V communication ECU 28 on the merging side determines whether the host vehicle is traveling in the merging section of the merging road. A vehicle 7 traveling under autonomous driving or driving assistance cruise control basically uses information about the host vehicle's current position and the road or lane it is traveling on, based on detection information from autonomous sensors. The V2V communication ECU 28 may acquire this information from the cruise control ECU 24 and determine whether the host vehicle is traveling in the merging section of the merging road. If the host vehicle is not traveling in the merging section of the merging road, the V2V communication ECU 28 ends this process. If the host vehicle is traveling in the merging section of the merging road, the V2V communication ECU 28 proceeds to step ST64.

[0079] In step ST64, the V2V communication ECU 28 on the merging side, as a transmitter, transmits a request to suppress interference due to merging to other vehicles on the main road traveling in the merging section of the main road, particularly to other vehicles on the main road traveling behind the vehicle. The V2V communication device 41 identifies the V2V communication device 40 that will be the other party in the V2V communication and transmits the interference suppression request to the identified V2V communication device 40. When the V2V communication ECU 28, as a transmitter, has acquired from the server device 6 the cruise control information and a predicted result of merging interference when the vehicle travels from the merging road to the trunk road, the V2V communication ECU 28 transmits a request to suppress interference to other vehicles traveling on the trunk road that will cause merging interference. In FIG. 11 , the V2V communication ECU 28 of the first vehicle 8 on the merging side transmits an interference suppression request to the V2V communication device 40 of the second vehicle 9. The V2V communication ECU 28 then terminates this process. Here, the interference suppression request preferably includes at least information indicating the current speed of the vehicle or a speed slower than the current speed. The interference suppression request may also include, for example, source information, destination information, current position information of the vehicle, merging position information of the intended merging point, merging timing information, and lane information of the merging destination. This information can be used by other vehicles that have received the interference suppression request to perform driving control to suppress merging interference.

[0080] FIG. 14 is a flowchart of V2V reception processing by the second vehicle 9 on the main road side traveling on the main road toward the merging section. Any control ECU of the vehicle system 2 of the second vehicle 9 on the main road side, for example, the V2V communication ECU 28, may repeatedly execute the V2V reception process of Fig. 14. The V2V communication ECU 28 may execute the V2V transmission process of Fig. 14, for example, at the generation cycle of the driving control information in the server device 6. In the multiple automobiles 7 that travel based on the travel control information, the V2V communication ECU 28 may repeatedly execute the V2V reception process of FIG.

[0081] In step ST71, the V2V communication ECU 28 on the main line side, as a receiving unit, determines whether or not an interference suppression request has been received via V2V communication. When the V2V communication device 41 on the merging side transmits an interference suppression request, the V2V communication device 41 on the main line side receives the request. The V2V communication device 41 on the main line side may receive an interference suppression request addressed to the vehicle itself transmitted by the V2V communication device 41 on the merging side. This allows the first vehicle 8 and the second vehicle 9 to send and receive interference suppression requests via V2V communication. If an interference suppression request has not been received, the V2V communication ECU 28 proceeds to step ST72. If an interference suppression request has been received, the V2V communication ECU 28 proceeds to step ST74.

[0082] In step ST72, the V2V communication ECU 28 on the main line side determines whether or not new driving control information has been received from the server device 6. If new driving control information has not been received, the V2V communication ECU 28 returns the process to step ST71. If new driving control information has been received, the V2V communication ECU 28 proceeds to step ST73.

[0083] In step ST73, the V2V communication ECU 28 on the main line side determines whether or not it has received a prediction result of merging interference along with new cruise control information from the server device 6. If it has received a prediction result of merging interference, the V2V communication ECU 28 returns the process to step ST71. If it has not received a prediction result of merging interference, the V2V communication ECU 28 proceeds to step ST75.

[0084] Step ST74 is a process executed when an interference suppression request is received via V2V communication. The V2V communication ECU 28 stores the received interference suppression request in the V2V communication memory 42. As a result, information indicating the speed of the first vehicle 8 on the merging side or a speed slower than that, which information was transmitted as an interference suppression request by the V2V communication ECU 28 on the merging side, is recorded in the V2V communication memory 42.

[0085] Step ST75 is a process executed when a new interference suppression request is no longer received through V2V communication. The V2V communication ECU 28 deletes the interference suppression request stored in the V2V communication memory 42.

[0086] In the vehicle system 2 of the second vehicle 9 on the main road traveling toward the merging section on the main road, the V2V communication ECU 28 executes the reception process of the interference suppression request via the above-mentioned V2V communication, and the driving control ECU 24 executes driving control of the vehicle using the automatic driving control of Figure 10.

[0087] 10, the cruise control ECU 24 determines whether or not an interference suppression request has been received through V2V communication. If an interference suppression request has not been received, the cruise control ECU 24 proceeds to step ST55. If an interference suppression request has been received, the cruise control ECU 24 proceeds to step ST56.

[0088] Step ST55 is a driving control of the host vehicle when an interference suppression request is not received via V2V communication. If the driving conditions of the host vehicle are determined to be problem-free by, for example, an autonomous sensor, the driving control ECU 24 basically controls driving in accordance with the driving control information using the latest driving control information acquired from the server device 6. For example, if the driving control information involves deceleration, the driving control ECU 24 can execute driving control to decelerate the vehicle based on, for example, the merging interference prediction result in the server device 6.

[0089] Step ST56 is driving control of the host vehicle when an interference suppression request is received via V2V communication. In this case, the driving control ECU 24 executes driving control in accordance with the interference suppression request within the driving range defined by the driving control information acquired from the server device 6. For example, if the speed of the first vehicle 8 included in the interference suppression request is lower than the speed defined in the driving control information, the driving control ECU 24 executes driving control to decelerate the speed of the host vehicle to be equal to or lower than the speed of the first vehicle 8. Furthermore, the cruise control ECU 24 continues to execute cruise control to decelerate the speed of the host vehicle so that the speed is equal to or lower than the speed of the first vehicle 8 until the interference suppression request is deleted from the V2V communication memory 42.

[0090] As a result, when the second vehicle 9 on the main road traveling toward the merging section receives an interference suppression request from the first vehicle 8 on the merging side, it can execute interference suppression control to suppress approaching the first vehicle 8 on the merging side traveling from the merging road toward the main road. Thereafter, when the interference suppression request is deleted from the V2V communication memory 42, the cruise control ECU 24 determines in step ST54 that the interference suppression request has not been received, and executes cruise control in accordance with the cruise control information in step ST55.

[0091] FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a current road map, replacing the one in FIG. 12, in a case where an interference suppression request is transmitted and received by V2V communication. FIG. 15(A) is a current road map 100 of main roads, replacing FIG. 12(A). FIG. 15(B) is a current road map 103 of merging roads, replacing FIG. 12(B).

[0092] The first vehicle 8 transmits an interference suppression request to the second vehicle 9 via V2V communication, and the second vehicle 9 receives the interference suppression request. The second vehicle 9, which has received the interference suppression request, stores the received interference suppression request. Furthermore, the cruise control ECU 24 of the second vehicle 9 executes cruise control to decelerate the speed of the second vehicle 9 so that the speed of the second vehicle 9 is equal to or less than the speed of the first vehicle 8, based on the reception of the interference suppression request. As a result, in the current road map 100 of the main road in Figure 15 (A), the trajectory 108 of the second vehicle 9 bends at the timing of receiving the interference suppression request, and after the timing of receiving the interference suppression request, it takes on a slope that decelerates more significantly. Although a control delay occurs in the trajectory 108 of the second vehicle 9, similar to the trajectory 107 shown by the dotted line in FIG. 12(A), the trajectory 108 of the second vehicle 9 becomes difficult to approach the trajectory 106 of the first vehicle 8. Furthermore, the server CPU 14 will no longer predict merging interference between the second vehicle 9 and the first vehicle 8.

[0093] As described above, in this embodiment, the server CPU 14 serving as the generation unit of the server device 6 generates driving control information for the multiple automobiles 7 and transmits it to the multiple automobiles 7. The multiple automobiles 7 that are capable of performing automated driving or driving assistance driving control when traveling on roads perform driving control using the driving control information in their respective vehicle systems 2. By managing the driving of the multiple automobiles 7 based on such driving control systems 1 for the automobiles 7, the multiple automobiles 7 can, in principle, travel while ensuring a high level of safety and security.

[0094] Moreover, in this embodiment, the server CPU 14 in the server device 6, rather than each of the multiple vehicles 7, functions as a prediction unit and predicts merging interference between a first vehicle 8, of the multiple vehicles 7 currently traveling, traveling from the merging road toward the main road, and a second vehicle 9 traveling on the main road toward the merging section, by using travel control information to control the traveling of the multiple vehicles 7. Here, the server CPU 14 determines, as merging interference, whether the first vehicle 8 and the second vehicle 9 will approach each other within a predetermined distance if they continue traveling at their current speed. Then, the server CPU 14 of the server device 6 transmits the predicted merging interference to at least the first vehicle 8 traveling from the merging road toward the main road. When the first vehicle 8 receives the predicted information of merging interference with the second vehicle 9 along with the driving control information from the server device 6, it transmits an interference suppression request to the second vehicle 9 via V2V communication. When the second vehicle 9 on the main road receives the interference suppression request from the first vehicle 8 on the merging side, it executes interference suppression control to suppress approaching the first vehicle 8 traveling from the merging road toward the main road. As a result, in this embodiment, even if a situation arises in which the driving management by the server device 6 of the driving control system 1 of the vehicle 7 is not sufficient to avoid merging interference, the vehicles 7 that actually merge can communicate directly with each other and effectively avoid merging interference.

[0095] In this way, in this embodiment, the server device 6 of the automobile 7 driving control system 1, which manages the driving of multiple automobiles 7, ensures basic vehicle-to-vehicle safety and security, while performing vehicle-to-vehicle communication at the site where the automobiles 7 merge, thereby effectively suppressing merging interference. As a result, in this embodiment, for example, even if a first vehicle 7 is traveling from a merging road toward a main road due to automatic driving or driving assistance driving control, and a second vehicle 7 is traveling toward a merging section of that main road, high safety and a sense of security can be ensured for the traveling of these vehicles 7.

[0096] In particular, in this embodiment, the transmitter of the first vehicle 8 on the merging side transmits, as an interference suppression request, information indicating a speed equal to or lower than the speed of the vehicle itself, and the second vehicle 9 on the main lane side controls the speed of its vehicle so that it is equal to or lower than the speed of the first vehicle 8 received as the interference suppression request. As a result, the speed of the second vehicle 9 traveling on the main road is more likely to be controlled to be slower than that of the first vehicle 8 traveling in the merging lane. By controlling the second vehicle 9 on the main lane side to approximately the same speed, the first vehicle 8 on the merging side is more likely to merge from the merging lane onto the main road. Furthermore, after the first vehicle 8 merges from the merging lane onto the main road, the distance between the merged first vehicle 8 and the second vehicle 9 on the main lane is less likely to narrow. This reduces the likelihood of the occupants feeling uneasy about the merge.

[0097] In this way, the driving control system 1 for automobiles 7 of this embodiment can increase the safety and sense of security of the driving of these automobiles 7, even when a first automobile 7 is driving from a merging road toward a main road using automatic driving or driving assistance driving control, and a second automobile 7 is driving toward a merging section of that main road.

[0098] [Second embodiment] Next, a cruise control system 1 for an automobile 7 according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the above-described embodiment, when the server device 6 determines that merging interference is predicted, the first vehicle 8 on the merging side transmits an interference suppression request based on the notification, and the second vehicle on the main line executes control to match its speed to that of the first vehicle 8 on the merging side included in the interference suppression request. In this case, the first vehicle 8 on the merging side can basically maintain its own speed and travel smoothly from the merging road toward the main road without accelerating or decelerating, and merge onto the main road. If the travel control information that the server device 6 transmits to the first vehicle 8 on the merging side is not adjusted based on the predicted result of merging interference, the first vehicle 8 on the merging side can maintain its own speed on the merging road and travel smoothly from the merging road toward the main road without accelerating or decelerating, and merge onto the main road. However, if the number of vehicles heading toward the merging section on the main road increases, especially if there is congestion at the merging section of the main road, it becomes difficult for the first vehicle 8 on the merging side to merge onto the main road without accelerating or decelerating while maintaining its own speed on the merging road. If merging onto the main road is not possible, the first vehicle 8 on the merging side will travel to the end of the merging section of the merging road and slow down and stop at the end of the merging section. The first vehicle 8 on the merging side that is stopped at the end of the merging section may basically not be able to merge onto the main road until the second vehicle 9 on the main road has left. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the automatic driving control of the first vehicle 8 traveling on the merging road toward the main road is modified so as to prevent the occurrence of such a dilemma. In the description of this embodiment, the same reference numerals as in the above-described embodiment are used for configurations and processes common to the above-described embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted. The following description will mainly focus on the differences from the above-described embodiment.

[0099] FIG. 16 is a flowchart of the automatic driving control executed by each of the plurality of automobiles 7 in the second embodiment of the present invention. In the vehicle system 2 of the automobile 7 in Fig. 3, for example, the cruise control ECU 24 may execute the automatic driving control of Fig. 16. The cruise control ECU 24 may repeatedly execute the automatic driving control of Fig. 16, for example, at the cycle in which the server device 6 generates cruise control information. In step ST54 of FIG. 16, if the cruise control ECU 24 determines that it has not received an interference suppression request, it proceeds to step ST81.

[0100] In step ST81, the cruise control ECU 24 determines whether or not it has received a prediction result of merging interference along with the cruise control information from the server device 6. If it has not received a prediction result of merging interference, the cruise control ECU 24 proceeds to step ST55. If it has received a prediction result of merging interference, the cruise control ECU 24 proceeds to step ST82.

[0101] In step ST82, the cruise control ECU 24 determines whether the host vehicle is on the merging side or the main lane side. If the host vehicle is on the main lane side but not the merging side, the cruise control ECU 24 proceeds to step ST55. If the host vehicle is on the merging side, the cruise control ECU 24 proceeds to step ST83.

[0102] Step ST83 is a cruise control of the host vehicle when the host vehicle is traveling on the merging side and has received a predicted result of merging interference along with cruise control information from the server device 6. The cruise control ECU 24 executes cruise control to suppress merging interference based on the predicted result of merging interference from the server device 6. For example, even if the cruise control information instructs the host vehicle to maintain its speed, the cruise control ECU 24 executes cruise control to decelerate the host vehicle's speed. The decelerated speed in this control may be as low as possible below the speed limit, for example, a minimum speed that is not zero. By continuing to travel at the minimum speed, the host vehicle on the merging side can travel through the merging section for a long time, and is expected to have more opportunities to merge onto the main road during this travel. For example, the first vehicle 8 on the merging side can continue traveling at the minimum speed on the merging road without stopping, and can then accelerate from that minimum speed to smoothly merge onto the main road. Here, the minimum speed may be greater than 0 so long as the vehicle can continue traveling without stopping on the merging road. The minimum speed may be, for example, a fixed speed for each merging point, or a speed that varies depending on the traveling conditions at the merging point. Specifically, the minimum speed may be set to a speed close to the speed of the main lane of the merging point, for example, the average speed of multiple vehicles 7 on the main lane, in order to ensure a smooth subsequent merging. Alternatively, the minimum speed may be set to a low speed of approximately 5 to 20 km / h in order to ensure a long period during which the minimum speed can be maintained. Furthermore, the minimum speed may be variable within this range depending on the congestion or congestion on the main road of the merging point. In this case, the minimum speed should preferably be lower when multiple vehicles 7 are traveling closely together on the main road than when multiple vehicles 7 are traveling closely together on the main road. In addition, it is preferable that the value be lower when multiple automobiles 7 are traveling closely together on the main road, traveling at a very slow speed or stopped, without leaving any space between them, than when multiple automobiles 7 are traveling closely together on the main road, traveling continuously.

[0103] As described above, in this embodiment, when the first vehicle 8 traveling on the merging road receives predicted information about merging interference with the second vehicle 9 along with driving control information from the server device 6, it can travel on the merging road maintaining a minimum speed that is greater than 0 but as low as possible below the speed limit. Furthermore, the first vehicle 8 traveling on the merging road continues to transmit an interference suppression request to the second vehicle 9 traveling behind it on the main road in a merging section where it is possible to travel from the merging road to the main road. This increases the likelihood that the first vehicle 8 traveling on the merging road will be able to merge onto the main road while continuing to travel slowly at the minimum vehicle speed without stopping in the merging section of the merging road. When the second vehicle 9 on the main road receives an interference suppression request via V2V communication, it basically controls its driving to slow down and increase the distance between itself and the vehicle in front, so that the first vehicle 8 traveling on the merging road will be able to merge onto the main road even if the main road is congested. Furthermore, since the first vehicle 8 merges onto the main road while maintaining a minimum speed at least greater than 0, the second vehicle 9 traveling on the main road can also continue traveling at a speed greater than 0 without coming to a complete stop behind the merging first vehicle 8.

[0104] In contrast, if the first vehicle 8 were to stop on the merging road, the stopped first vehicle 8 would be unable to enter the main road until the vehicles 7 traveling on the main road had cleared. If the first vehicle 8 accelerates from a stopped state on the merging road and merges onto the main road, the second vehicle 9 traveling on the main road from behind it may need to significantly slow down or stop in order to avoid getting too close to the first vehicle 8, even if it accelerates. In this embodiment, these situations that hinder smooth driving are less likely to occur.

[0105] In this embodiment, when the server device 6 determines that merging interference is predicted, the first vehicle 8 on the merging side will send an interference suppression request and slow down based on the notification, and further, the second vehicle on the main line can be controlled to match its speed to that of the first vehicle 8 on the merging side included in the interference suppression request. In this case, the first vehicle 8 on the merging side can autonomously travel through the merging section of the merging lane at a low speed for a long time, and the second vehicle on the main road can match its speed during that time, allowing the first vehicle 8 to travel smoothly from the merging road to the main road while maintaining its own traveling state and merge onto the main road.The first vehicle 8 on the merging side can merge smoothly onto the main road while maintaining its own traveling state, even if the traveling control information transmitted by the server device 6 to the first vehicle 8 on the merging side is not adjusted to travel through the merging section of the merging lane at a low speed for a long time based on the predicted result of merging interference. In this embodiment, it is possible to effectively prevent the first vehicle 8 on the merging side from being unable to merge onto the main road due to congestion on the main road, and further from slowing down and stopping at the beginning of the merging section as a result. It is possible to prevent the occurrence of a dilemma in which the first vehicle 8 on the merging side stops at the beginning of the merging section and is basically unable to merge onto the main road until the second vehicle 9 on the main road has cleared.

[0106] In addition, when the main road is congested, the interference suppression request may include information about the cut-in area for the first vehicle 8 traveling on the merging road to merge with the second vehicle 9 traveling on the main road. Upon receiving the information on the cut-in area, the driving control ECU 24 of the second vehicle 9 on the main road can control its driving by slowing down or remaining stopped so as to secure the requested cut-in area between it and the vehicle in front.

[0107] In this embodiment, the first vehicle 8 on the merging side executes travel control so as to autonomously travel through the merging section of the merging lane at a low speed over a long period of time. Alternatively, for example, the server device 6 may generate driving control information based on the result of the merging interference judgment so that the first vehicle 8 on the merging side travels through the merging section of the merging lane at a low speed for a long time, and the first vehicle 8 on the merging side may perform similar driving control based on instructions from the server device.

[0108] [Third embodiment] Next, a cruise control system 1 for an automobile 7 according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the second embodiment described above, the first vehicle 8 on the merging side can travel at a low speed for a long time in the merging section of the merging lane, while the second vehicle 9 on the main lane matches its speed with the first vehicle 8 on the merging side, thereby facilitating a smooth merging. However, there may be a situation where, for example, when the first vehicle 8 attempts to merge onto the main road, a traffic jam has already occurred in the merging section of the main road. The main road traffic jam may be moving very slowly without stopping. In this case, the first vehicle 8 on the merging side may not be able to merge even if it slows down to the minimum speed, and may end up traveling to the end of the merging section of the merging road. Furthermore, the first vehicle 8 on the merging side that has stopped at the beginning of the merging section of the merging road must then accelerate again to merge onto the main road. If the first vehicle 8 on the merging side cannot adjust its speed to match the flow of traffic on the main road, it will continue to be stopped. In this embodiment, an example is described in which the automatic driving control of the first vehicle 8 traveling along the merging road toward the main road is modified so that merging can be achieved as smoothly as possible even when the main road is congested. In the description of this embodiment, the same reference numerals as in the above-described embodiment are used for configurations and processes common to the above-described embodiment, and the description thereof will be omitted. The following description will mainly focus on the differences from the above-described embodiment.

[0109] FIG. 17 is a flowchart of the automatic driving control executed by each of the plurality of automobiles 7 in the third embodiment of the present invention. In the vehicle system 2 of the automobile 7 in Fig. 3, for example, the cruise control ECU 24 may execute the automatic driving control of Fig. 17. The cruise control ECU 24 may repeatedly execute the automatic driving control of Fig. 17, for example, at the generation cycle of cruise control information in the server device 6. In step ST82 of FIG. 17, if the host vehicle is on the merging side, the cruise control ECU 24 advances the process to step ST91.

[0110] In step ST91, the cruise control ECU 24 determines whether or not the predicted result of merging interference has been continuously received from the server device 6. The cruise control ECU 24 may determine whether or not the predicted result of merging interference has been continuously received from the server device 6 in the merging section of the merging road. If the predicted result of merging interference has been continuously received from the server device 6 a predetermined number of times, for example, two or more times, the cruise control ECU 24 proceeds to step ST93. Otherwise, the cruise control ECU 24 proceeds to step ST92.

[0111] In step ST92, the cruise control ECU 24 determines whether there will be an insufficient merging section on the merging road on which the host vehicle is traveling. The cruise control ECU 24 may determine whether there will be an insufficient merging section, for example, based on whether there is a remaining merging section where the host vehicle can start decelerating from its current speed and stop. If there is an insufficient merging section, the cruise control ECU 24 proceeds to step ST83. If there is an insufficient merging section, the cruise control ECU 24 proceeds to step ST93.

[0112] Step ST93 is a travel control of the host vehicle when the host vehicle continues traveling in the merging section of the merging road. The travel control ECU 24 executes travel control to decelerate and stop the host vehicle in the middle of the merging section before the merging section of the merging road is insufficient. This allows the vehicle 8 traveling on the merging side to stop midway through the merging section of the merging road before stopping at the leading end of the merging section of the merging road. A re-acceleration section that allows for moderate acceleration remains in front of the stopped vehicle 8 on the merging side. Even if a slow-moving traffic jam occurs on the main road, the vehicle 8 on the merging side can smoothly merge onto the congested main road by re-accelerating to, for example, the traffic jam speed of the main road using the remaining re-acceleration section.

[0113] As described above, in this embodiment, if the first vehicle 8 on the merging side traveling through the merging section of the merging road continues to receive prediction information on merging interference with the second vehicle 9 from the server device 6 without being able to merge after transmitting an interference suppression request to the second vehicle 9 based on the initial merge interference prediction result, i.e., if the first vehicle 8 receives prediction information on merging interference with the second vehicle 9 from the server device 6 multiple times in succession, the first vehicle 8 can decelerate and stop midway through the merging section of the merging road before the merging section of the merging road runs out of space. As a result, even if the first vehicle 8 on the merging side traveling through the merging section of the merging road cannot smoothly merge onto the main road while maintaining its speed on the merging road, it can use the remaining re-acceleration section after stopping to accelerate, for example, to the congestion speed of the main road and smoothly merge onto the main road. This reduces the anxiety of the occupants of the first vehicle 8 about not being able to merge.

[0114] In this embodiment, when the first vehicle 8 on the merging side receives prediction results of merging interference from the server device 6 multiple times in succession while traveling at a low speed through the merging section of the merging lane for a long time, or when there is not enough merging section on the merging road, the first vehicle 8 autonomously performs driving control to decelerate and stop in the middle of the merging section. Alternatively, for example, server device 6 may generate driving control information for first vehicle 8 on the merging side to drive a long time at a low speed through the merging section of the merging lane based on the determination result of merging interference, and then determine the number of consecutive predictions of merging interference or the lack of a merging section on the merging road, and if the predictions are consecutive or the merging section is insufficient, generate driving control information for decelerating and stopping in the merging section of the merging road. Even in this case, first vehicle 8 on the merging side can decelerate and stop in the merging section of the merging road, and after stopping can use the remaining re-acceleration section to accelerate to, for example, the congestion speed of the main road and merge smoothly onto the main road.

[0115] The above-described embodiment is an example of a preferred embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of the gist of the invention.

[0116] In the above-described embodiment, the first vehicle 8 on the merging side and the second vehicle 9 on the main line side directly transmit and receive interference suppression requests through V2V communication. Alternatively, for example, a first vehicle 8 on the merging side and a second vehicle 9 on the main line side may transmit and receive an interference suppression request via a third vehicle using V2V communication. Even if the third vehicle is a large vehicle, the first vehicle 8 on the merging side and the second vehicle 9 on the main line side can appropriately transmit and receive an interference suppression request. Furthermore, as an advanced form of V2V communication, for example, the first vehicle 8 on the merging side and the second vehicle 9 on the main road side may transmit and receive interference suppression requests via wireless base station 4. By transmitting via wireless base station 4, even when line-of-sight communication is poor due to the presence of an obstruction such as a building, the first vehicle 8 on the merging side and the second vehicle 9 on the main road side can properly transmit and receive interference suppression requests. Such wireless base station 4 may be installed, for example, near the merging section of the merging road and the main road. In either case, the first vehicle 8 on the merging side and the second vehicle 9 on the main line side can send and receive interference suppression requests without going through the server device 6, thereby preventing delays in sending and receiving interference suppression requests.

[0117] In the above-described embodiment, the prediction of merging interference is performed only by the server device 6. Alternatively, for example, the prediction of merging interference may be performed by the server device 6 and also by the vehicle system 2 of each vehicle 7 . [Explanation of symbols]

[0118] 1...cruising control system, 2...vehicle system, 3...management system, 4...wireless base station, 5...communication network, 6...server device, 7...automobile (vehicle), 8...first automobile, 9...second automobile, 11...server communication device, 12...server GNSS receiver, 13...server memory, 14...server CPU, 15...server bus, 21...driving ECU, 22...steering ECU, 23...braking ECU, 24...cruising control ECU, 25...driving operation ECU, 26...detection ECU, 27...AP communication ECU, 28...V2V communication ECU, 30...vehicle network, 31...bus cable, 32...central gateway, 40...V2V communication device (vehicle-to-vehicle communication device), 41...V2V Communication device, 42...V2V communication memory, 51...steering wheel, 52...brake pedal, 53...accelerator pedal, 54...shift lever, 61...speed sensor, 62...acceleration sensor, 63...stereo camera, 64...LIDAR, 65...360-degree camera, 66...GNSS receiver, 70...AP communication device, 71...AP communication device, 72...AP communication memory, 79...control memory, 80,90,93,100,103...current road map, 81,91,94,101,104...horizontal axis, 82,83,84,92,95,96,102,105,106,107,108...trajectory, 85...deceleration and stop section, 97...position range, 110...GNSS satellite

Claims

1. A plurality of vehicles each having a control unit capable of executing autonomous driving or driving assistance driving control when traveling on a road; a server device having a generation unit that generates driving control information for the plurality of vehicles; A vehicle driving control system that transmits the driving control information generated by the generation unit of the server device to a plurality of the vehicles, and allows the control units of the plurality of the vehicles to perform driving control using the driving control information, a prediction unit provided in the server device, which predicts merging interference between a first vehicle, among the plurality of vehicles, traveling from a merging road toward a main road, and a second vehicle traveling on the main road; a transmitter provided in the first vehicle traveling on a merging road, the transmitter transmitting an interference suppression request to the second vehicle traveling on the main road when the first vehicle receives prediction information of merging interference with the second vehicle from the server device; a receiving unit provided in the second vehicle traveling on the main road, the receiving unit receiving the interference suppression request from the first vehicle traveling on the merging road; and When the receiving unit of the second vehicle traveling on the main road receives the interference suppression request from the first vehicle, the control unit of the second vehicle performs interference suppression control to suppress approach between the second vehicle and the first vehicle traveling from the merging road toward the main road. Vehicle driving control system.

2. the prediction unit of the server device predicts merging interference between the first vehicle traveling from the merging road toward the main road and the second vehicle traveling on the main road by determining an approach of the first vehicle and the second vehicle that will be within a predetermined distance from each other; 2. The vehicle cruise control system according to claim 1.

3. When the prediction unit predicts merging interference between the first vehicle traveling from the merging road toward the main road and the second vehicle traveling on the main road, the generation unit of the server device generating driving control information for decelerating the second vehicle traveling on the main road; 3. A vehicle driving control system according to claim 1 or 2.

4. the control unit of the first vehicle traveling on the merging road executes traveling at a speed that maintains a minimum speed greater than 0 on the merging road when the first vehicle receives, from the server device, the traveling control information and prediction information of merging interference with the second vehicle. The vehicle cruise control system according to any one of claims 1 to 3.

5. the transmitter of the first vehicle traveling on the merging road transmits an interference suppression request to the second vehicle traveling on the main road in a merging section where travel from the merging road to the main road is possible.

5. A vehicle cruise control system according to claim 1.

6. the transmitter of the first vehicle and the receiver of the second vehicle transmit and receive the interference suppression request through vehicle-to-vehicle communication; The vehicle cruise control system according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. the transmitter of the first vehicle transmits, as the interference suppression request, information indicating at least a speed equal to or lower than a speed of the first vehicle; the control unit of the second vehicle controls the speed of the second vehicle so that the speed is equal to or less than the speed of the first vehicle received by the receiving unit of the second vehicle as the interference suppression request.

7. A vehicle cruise control system according to claim 1.

8. the control unit of the first vehicle controls the traveling of the first vehicle so that the first vehicle stops midway on the merging road when the control unit receives prediction information of merging interference with the second vehicle from the server device multiple times. The vehicle cruise control system according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

Images