Driving assistance devices

Abstract

To improve a technique for diagnosing a drive tendency.SOLUTION: A drive support device 10 has control unit 11 that acquires target information indicating a target on a road crossing an intersection from a road side device 30, determines collision possibility between the target and a vehicle 20 at an intersection based on the target information and own vehicle information indicating a state of the vehicle 20, determines to perform drive support for a driver of the vehicle 20 based on determination results, acquires vehicle operation information indicating drive operation by the driver relative to the drive support, and diagnoses a drive tendency of the driver based on the vehicle operation information.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving assistance device. [Background technology]

[0002] There are known techniques for diagnosing a driver's driving habits. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a driving assistance device that diagnoses driving characteristics that indicate the tendency of driving operations while a vehicle is running and provides advice to improve those habits. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 5359665 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Advice based solely on the results of driving operations could be inappropriate because it does not know the relationship with other objects (vehicles, pedestrians, etc.) that existed while driving. For this reason, it is possible to detect other objects using on-board sensors, determine the possibility of a collision with that object, and provide driving assistance. However, if another object suddenly appears at an intersection with poor visibility, the driving operation could result in incorrect advice, for example, because there is little the driver can do to prevent a collision. As such, there is room for improvement in technology for diagnosing driving tendencies.

[0005] In view of the above circumstances, an object of the present disclosure is to improve the technology for diagnosing driving habits. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A driving assistance device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure includes a control unit that acquires target object information indicating targets on a road intersecting with an intersection from a roadside device, determines the possibility of a collision between the target object at the intersection and the vehicle based on the target object information and host vehicle information indicating the state of the vehicle, decides to provide driving assistance to the driver of the vehicle based on the result of the determination, acquires vehicle operation information indicating the driving operation by the driver in response to the driving assistance, and diagnoses the driving tendencies of the driver based on the vehicle operation information. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to an embodiment of the present disclosure, it is possible to improve the technique for diagnosing driving habits. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a system according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] 4 is a flowchart showing the operation of the driving assistance device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of a situation in which target information is acquired according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4A] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of vehicle operation by a driver. [Figure 4B] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining an example of vehicle operation by a driver. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining an example of a situation in which target information is acquired according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] (First embodiment) A first embodiment of the present invention will be described below. First, an overview of a system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The system 1 includes a driving assistance device 10, a vehicle 20, and a roadside device 30. The devices are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a network 40 including, for example, the Internet.

[0010] The driving assistance device 10 is mounted on a vehicle 20 as shown in FIG. 1 . However, the present invention is not limited to this, and at least a part of the driving assistance device 10 may be configured by an external server device. The functions of the driving assistance device 10 may be realized by an ECU of the vehicle 20 or other devices such as a navigation device mounted on the vehicle 20. "ECU" is an abbreviation for Electronic Control Unit.

[0011] The vehicle 20 may be any type of automobile, such as a gasoline vehicle, a diesel vehicle, a hydrogen vehicle, an HEV, a PHEV, a BEV, or an FCEV. "HEV" is an abbreviation for hybrid electric vehicle. "PHEV" is an abbreviation for plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. "BEV" is an abbreviation for battery electric vehicle. "FCEV" is an abbreviation for fuel cell electric vehicle. In this embodiment, the vehicle 20 is driven by a driver, but it may also be an AV, or may have any level of automated driving. "AV" is an abbreviation for autonomous vehicle. The level of automation is, for example, any of levels 1 to 5 in the SAE classification. "SAE" is an abbreviation for Society of Automotive Engineers.

[0012] The roadside device 30 is installed within a predetermined range from the intersection I and is capable of detecting the conditions of roads intersecting the intersection I. The roadside device 30 is capable of transmitting information indicating the detection results to the driving assistance device 10.

[0013] The network 40 may include short-range communication, the Internet, at least one WAN, at least one MAN, or a combination thereof. "Short-range communication" refers to direct communication between vehicles 20 or between vehicles 20 and roadside devices 30, such as ITS Connect. "ITS" is an abbreviation for intelligent transport systems. "WAN" is an abbreviation for wide area network. "MAN" is an abbreviation for metropolitan area network. The network 40 may include at least one wireless network, at least one optical network, or a combination thereof. The wireless network may be, for example, an ad hoc network, a cellular network, a wireless LAN, a satellite communication network, or a terrestrial microwave network. "LAN" is an abbreviation for local area network.

[0014] First, an overview of this embodiment will be described, and details will be provided later. The driving assistance device 10 acquires target object information indicating targets on roads intersecting with intersection I from roadside devices 30, and determines the possibility of a collision between target M and vehicle 20 at intersection I based on the target object information and host vehicle information indicating the state of the vehicle 20. Based on the result of the determination, the driving assistance device 10 provides driving assistance such as notifying the driver of the vehicle 20 that there is a possibility of a collision with intersecting target M. The driving assistance device 10 also acquires vehicle operation information indicating driving operations by the driver in response to the driving assistance, and diagnoses the driver's driving tendency based on the vehicle operation information.

[0015] The driving assistance device 10 communicates with the roadside device 30, receives images captured and generated by the roadside device 30, and acquires them as target information. The driving assistance device 10 detects targets shown in the images using any image analysis technology. Targets include moving objects such as pedestrians, bicycles, and other vehicles.

[0016] Intersection I includes areas where at least two roads intersect, such as crossroads, T-junctions, three-way intersections, and multi-junctions. As will be described below, the driving assistance device 10 determines the possibility of a collision between the vehicle 20 and a target object based on target object information. If the driving assistance device 10 determines that there is a possibility of a collision, it decides to provide driving assistance, such as a notification, to the driver of the vehicle 20. As will be described below, the diagnosis of the driver's driving tendency includes a diagnosis of at least one of the creeping speed, deceleration, and reaction time to driving assistance of the vehicle 20 after driving assistance.

[0017] According to this embodiment, the driving assistance device 10 can accurately diagnose the driving tendency when the driver operates the vehicle 20 in response to driving assistance. Based on the results of this diagnosis, the driving assistance device 10 can appropriately advise the driver on which vehicle operation-related parameters need to be improved to ensure safe driving. This makes it possible to improve the technology for diagnosing driving tendencies.

[0018] Next, each component of the system 1 will be described in detail.

[0019] <Driving assistance device 10> The driving assistance device 10 includes a control unit 11, a storage unit 12, and a communication unit 13.

[0020] The control unit 11 includes at least one processor, at least one dedicated circuit, or a combination of these. The processor is a general-purpose processor such as a CPU or GPU, or a dedicated processor specialized for specific processing. "CPU" is an abbreviation for central processing unit. "GPU" is an abbreviation for graphics processing unit. The dedicated circuit is, for example, an FPGA or ASIC. "FPGA" is an abbreviation for field-programmable gate array. "ASIC" is an abbreviation for application specific integrated circuit. The control unit 11 may include an ECU. The control unit 11 controls each part of the driving assistance device 10 and executes processing related to the operation of the driving assistance device 10.

[0021] The memory unit 12 includes at least one semiconductor memory, at least one magnetic memory, at least one optical memory, or a combination of at least two of these. The semiconductor memory is, for example, RAM or ROM. "RAM" is an abbreviation for random access memory. "ROM" is an abbreviation for read only memory. RAM is, for example, SRAM or DRAM. "SRAM" is an abbreviation for static random access memory. "DRAM" is an abbreviation for dynamic random access memory. ROM is, for example, EEPROM. "EEPROM" is an abbreviation for electrically erasable programmable read only memory. The memory unit 12 functions, for example, as a main memory device, an auxiliary memory device, or a cache memory. The memory unit 12 stores information used in the operation of the driving assistance device 10 and information obtained by the operation of the driving assistance device 10. For example, the memory unit 12 may store a system program, an application program, a database, map information, etc. The information stored in the memory unit 12 may be updatable with information obtained from the network 40 via the communication unit 13.

[0022] The communication unit 13 includes at least one communication interface. The communication interface is an interface compatible with a mobile communication standard such as LTE, 4G standard, or 5G standard. For example, an in-vehicle communication device such as a DCM (Data Communication Module) may function as the communication unit 13. The communication unit 13 receives information used in the operation of the driving assistance device 10 and transmits information obtained by the operation of the driving assistance device 10.

[0023] The functions of the driving assistance device 10 are realized by executing a control program according to this embodiment on a processor corresponding to the control unit 11. That is, the functions of the driving assistance device 10 are realized by software. The control program causes a computer to execute the operations of the driving assistance device 10, thereby causing the computer to function as the driving assistance device 10. That is, the computer functions as the driving assistance device 10 by executing the operations of the driving assistance device 10 in accordance with the control program.

[0024] The program can be stored in a non-transitory computer-readable medium. In this embodiment, the non-transitory computer-readable medium is a ROM. Non-transitory computer-readable media are not limited to this, and include, for example, magnetic recording devices, optical discs, and magneto-optical recording media. The program is distributed, for example, by selling, transferring, or lending portable media such as DVDs or CD-ROMs that store the program. "DVD" is an abbreviation for digital versatile disc. "CD-ROM" is an abbreviation for compact disc read only memory. The program may be distributed by storing it in the storage of a server and transferring it from the server to another computer. The program may also be provided as a program product.

[0025] A computer temporarily stores a program stored on a portable medium or transferred from a server in its main storage device. The computer then reads the program stored in the main storage device using a processor and executes processing in accordance with the read program. The computer may also read the program directly from a portable medium and execute processing in accordance with the program. The computer may also execute processing in accordance with the received program each time a program is transferred from a server to the computer. Processing may also be executed through a so-called ASP-type service that achieves its function simply by issuing an execution command and obtaining the results, without transferring the program from the server to the computer. "ASP" is an abbreviation for application service provider. Programs include information used for processing by a computer that is equivalent to a program. For example, data that does not directly instruct a computer but has properties that define computer processing falls under the category of "equivalent to a program."

[0026] Some or all of the functions of the driving assistance device 10 may be realized by a programmable circuit or a dedicated circuit as the control unit 11. In other words, some or all of the functions of the driving assistance device 10 may be realized by hardware.

[0027] <Vehicle 20> Vehicle 20 includes a control unit 21, a storage unit 22, a communication unit 23, an input unit 24, an output unit 25, a positioning unit 26, and a vehicle sensor unit 27. The components of vehicle 20 are connected to each other so that they can communicate with each other, for example, via dedicated lines.

[0028] The hardware configurations of the control unit 21, the storage unit 22, and the communication unit 23 of the vehicle 20 may be similar to the hardware configurations of the control unit 11, the storage unit 12, and the communication unit 13 of the driving assistance device 10, respectively, and will not be described here.

[0029] The input unit 24 includes at least one input interface. The input interface is, for example, a physical key, a capacitive key, a pointing device, a touch screen integrated with a display, or a microphone. The input unit 24 accepts an operation to input data used for operating the vehicle 20. The input unit 24 may be connected to the vehicle 20 as an external input device instead of being provided in the vehicle 20. Any connection method may be used, for example, USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark). "USB" is an abbreviation for Universal Serial Bus. "HDMI (registered trademark)" is an abbreviation for High-Definition Multimedia Interface.

[0030] The output unit 25 includes at least one output interface. The output interface is, for example, a display or a speaker. The display is, for example, an LCD or an organic EL display. "LCD" is an abbreviation for liquid crystal display. "EL" is an abbreviation for electroluminescence. The output unit 25 outputs data obtained by the operation of the vehicle 20. The output unit 25 may be connected to the vehicle 20 as an external output device instead of being provided in the vehicle 20. Any connection method may be used, for example, USB, HDMI (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0031] The positioning unit 26 includes one or more devices that acquire position information of the vehicle 20. Specifically, the positioning unit 26 includes, for example, a receiver compatible with GPS, but is not limited to this and may include a receiver compatible with any satellite positioning system. The positioning unit 26 outputs position information indicating the position of the vehicle 20 to the control unit 21.

[0032] The vehicle sensor unit 27 includes one or more sensors that detect information related to the operation of the vehicle 20 or the surrounding environment. The vehicle sensor unit 27 may include any sensors, such as a speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a steering angle sensor, a direction sensor, and an external or internal camera as an image sensor. The vehicle sensor unit 27 outputs the detected information to the control unit 21 as host vehicle information. For example, the vehicle sensor unit 27 outputs the speed, acceleration, direction angle, and images captured by the external or internal camera of the vehicle 20 to the control unit 21 as host vehicle information indicating the state of the vehicle 20.

[0033] <Roadside equipment 30>

[0034] The roadside device 30 includes a control unit 31, a storage unit 32, a communication unit 33, and a sensor unit .

[0035] The hardware configurations of the control unit 31, the storage unit 32, and the communication unit 33 of the roadside device 30 may be similar to the hardware configurations of the control unit 11, the storage unit 12, and the communication unit 13 of the driving assistance device 10, respectively, and will not be described here.

[0036] The sensor unit 34 is capable of detecting conditions within a predetermined range from the intersection I, including roads intersecting the intersection I. The sensor unit 34 includes, for example, a camera, millimeter-wave radar, and LiDAR. "LiDAR" is an abbreviation for Light Detection And Ranging. The sensor unit 34 may be a visible light camera or an infrared camera. The sensor unit 34 outputs information indicating the detection result to the control unit 31. The information indicating the detection result includes, for example, whether or not there is a target within a predetermined range from the intersection I, the position, speed, or direction of the target, etc. In this embodiment, the sensor unit 34 captures an image of the conditions within a predetermined range from the intersection I and outputs the generated image to the control unit 31.

[0037] 2 to 4B, the operation of the control unit 11 of the driving assistance device 10 according to this embodiment will be described. In the following, the driving assistance device 10 transmits and receives information to and from each device via the communication unit 13 and the network 40. The driving assistance device 10 constantly or periodically acquires from the vehicle 20 its own vehicle information indicating the position, speed, acceleration, angular velocity, steering angle, etc. of the vehicle 20 detected by the positioning unit 26 and the vehicle sensor unit 27 of the vehicle 20.

[0038] In step S1 of FIG. 2, the control unit 11 of the driving assistance device 10 acquires target object information. Any method may be used to acquire the target object information. For example, when it is determined that the vehicle 20 is within a predetermined range from the roadside device 30 based on the position information of the vehicle 20, the control unit 31 of the roadside device 30 transmits information indicating the detection result to the driving assistance device 10. The control unit 11 of the driving assistance device 10 may acquire the information by receiving it as target object information. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 acquires the target object information by receiving an image transmitted from the roadside device 30. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 3, the vehicle 20 and a person as a target object M are each heading toward an intersection I, and the target object M is difficult to see from the vehicle 20 because it is hidden by a building. The roadside device 30, which is installed on a road intersecting the intersection I, captures an image of the target object M on the road and transmits the image to the driving assistance device 10. The control unit 11 acquires the image as target object information indicating the target object M.

[0039] In step S2, the control unit 11 determines, based on the target object information, the possibility of a collision between the target object M and the vehicle 20 at the intersection I that intersects with the road. If it is determined that there is a possibility of a collision (step S2: YES), the processing of the control unit 11 proceeds to step S3, and if it is determined that there is no possibility of a collision (step S2: NO), the processing of the control unit 11 returns to the beginning.

[0040] Any method may be adopted to determine the possibility of a collision. For example, the control unit 11 analyzes an image as target information using any image analysis technology, acquires any one or more of the position, speed, direction, and acceleration of the target M indicated in the image, and calculates a first time Ta, which is an estimated time of arrival of the target M at the intersection I. The control unit 11 may calculate the first time Ta assuming that the position, speed, direction, or acceleration of the target M is constant. However, this is not limiting, and the control unit 11 may calculate the first time Ta based on the position, speed, direction, or acceleration of the target M included in the information indicating the detection result. The control unit 11 acquires any one or more of the position, speed, direction, and acceleration of the vehicle 20 indicated in the host vehicle information, and calculates a second time Tb for the vehicle 20, which is an estimated time of arrival of the vehicle 20 at the intersection I. The control unit 11 may calculate a first value TG, which is the difference between the first time Ta and the second time Tb, and determine that there is a possibility of collision if the first value TG is less than a predetermined value, and determine that there is no possibility of collision if the first value TG is greater than or equal to the predetermined value.

[0041] In step S3, the control unit 11 determines to provide driving assistance to the driver of the vehicle. For example, the control unit 11 may calculate a second value TTC, which is a value obtained by subtracting the current time from the second time Tb, and determine to provide driving assistance if the second value TTC is less than a predetermined value required to avoid a collision. The control unit 11 may also determine not to provide driving assistance if the second value TTC is equal to or greater than the predetermined value required to avoid a collision. The predetermined value required to avoid a collision may be set freely. In this way, the control unit 11 determines to provide driving assistance to the driver of the vehicle 20 based on the result of the collision possibility determination.

[0042] Specifically, driving assistance includes providing a notification to the driver to warn that there is a possibility of a collision. Any method of notification may be adopted. For example, the control unit 11 generates notification information indicating the notification and outputs it to the vehicle 20. The control unit 21 of the vehicle 20 acquires the notification information and notifies the driver by voice or the like via the output unit 25. The notification is not limited to voice, and may be, for example, vibration applied to the steering wheel or seat of the vehicle 20.

[0043] In step S4, the control unit 11 acquires vehicle operation information indicating the driver's operation in response to the driving assistance. Any method may be used to acquire the vehicle operation information. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 acquires, from the host vehicle information acquired from the vehicle 20, the operation performed by the driver after the notification of the driving assistance is made, as the vehicle operation information.

[0044] In step S5, the control unit 11 diagnoses the driving tendency of the driver based on the vehicle operation information. Any method may be used to diagnose the driving tendency. In this embodiment, the control unit 11 diagnoses at least one of the creeping speed, deceleration, and time to react to driving assistance of the vehicle 20 as the driving tendency. Hereinafter, the time to react to driving assistance is also referred to as reaction time.

[0045] 4A is a graph showing the driving operation of vehicle 20 by the driver after notification as driving assistance, indicated by the vehicle operation information, with the horizontal axis representing time and the vertical axis representing speed. The shaded area in the graph represents the distance of vehicle 20 to intersection I, calculated by integrating speed over time. FIG. 4A shows three types of operation: slow speed indicated by (1), deceleration indicated by (2), and reaction time indicated by (3). More specifically, reaction time is the time from the completion of notification to the start of deceleration, as shown in FIG. 4A.

[0046] The control unit 11 may diagnose the driving tendency by comparing the creep speed, deceleration, and reaction time with predetermined values ​​set for each. The predetermined value for the creep speed may be set based on the Road Traffic Act. For example, if the reaction time is less than a predetermined value and the creep speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined value or the deceleration is less than a predetermined value, the control unit 11 may diagnose the driving tendency as being quick to react but lacking the force to brake. For example, if the creep speed is less than a predetermined value and the deceleration is equal to or greater than a predetermined value and the reaction time is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the control unit 11 may diagnose the driving tendency as being sufficient to brake but taking a long time to react after notification. For example, the control unit 11 may diagnose the driving tendency as being safe driving if the reaction time is less than a predetermined value, the creep speed is less than a predetermined value, and the deceleration is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. For example, the control unit 11 may diagnose the driving tendency as being safe driving regardless of the deceleration and reaction time if the creep speed is less than a predetermined value.

[0047] FIG. 4B is a graph showing an example of a driver's driving operation in response to a notification made after a target object is detected by the vehicle sensor unit 27, such as a camera mounted on the vehicle 20, rather than a notification based on target object information acquired from the roadside device 30. Compared to FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B shows that the distance from the vehicle 20 to the intersection I is short, and there is almost no time between the completion of the notification and the start of deceleration of the vehicle 20. In FIG. 4B, the deceleration rate has a steep slope, as shown by (2)'. As shown by (1)', the vehicle 20 does not move at a slow speed, but rather decelerates suddenly until it comes to a complete stop. From the graph in FIG. 4B, it can be seen that the driver suddenly applied the brakes and reduced the speed until it came to a complete stop. Thus, the driving operation after the notification based on target object information acquired from the roadside device 30 shown in FIG. 4A contains multiple pieces of information that can be used to diagnose driving tendencies. However, after the target object is detected and notified by the vehicle 20's own sensors, the driver's possible driving operations are limited to avoid a collision, and there is little information that can be used to diagnose driving tendencies. Based on the acquired vehicle operation information, if the detection of the target itself is delayed and the notification is delayed as shown in Fig. 4B, the control unit 11 may terminate the process without diagnosing the driving tendency, thereby preventing an erroneous diagnosis of the driving tendency.

[0048] In step S6, the control unit 11 infers whether the driver visually recognized the target based on the vehicle operation information, and diagnoses the driving tendency using the inference result. Any method may be used to infer whether the driver visually recognized the target. For example, the control unit 11 acquires and analyzes an image captured by a camera serving as the vehicle sensor unit 27 mounted on the vehicle 20, and identifies the time when the target at the intersection I was detected from the image. If the driver started to decelerate after that time, the control unit 11 may consider the visual range of the camera and the driver to be equivalent, and infer that the driver visually recognized the target. If the driver started to decelerate before that time, the control unit 11 may infer that the driver did not visually recognize the target.

[0049] When the control unit 11 estimates that the driver recognized the target object visually, it may diagnose, as a driving tendency, that the driver tends to drive by relying on vision rather than driving assistance by the driving assistance device 10. When the control unit 11 estimates that the driver did not recognize the target object visually, it may diagnose, as a driving tendency, that the driver tends to drive by relying on driving assistance by the driving assistance device 10.

[0050] The control unit 11 may store and accumulate the diagnosed driving tendency in the memory unit 12. Without being limited to this, the control unit 11 may transmit information indicating the diagnosed driving tendency to an external device and accumulate the driving tendency in the external device. The control unit 11 may accumulate the diagnosed driving tendency in association with an ID that identifies the driver. The control unit 11 may acquire the time when the target actually arrives at the intersection I and the time when the vehicle 20 arrives by any method, calculate the time difference between the times, and further store the time difference in the memory unit 12. The control unit 11 may learn the driving tendency of the driver by any machine learning method.

[0051] In step S7, the control unit 11 determines to provide feedback on the driving tendency to the driver based on the diagnosis of the driving tendency. The control unit 11 may determine the content of the feedback based on the history of past driving tendency diagnoses stored in the memory unit 12. For example, if the control unit 11 diagnoses that the driving tendency is that the driver does not slow down slowly enough, the control unit 11 may determine to provide feedback that advises the driver to slow down sufficiently. For example, if the control unit 11 diagnoses that the driver does not apply enough force to the brakes, the control unit 11 may determine to provide feedback that advises the driver to apply the brakes more forcefully. For example, if the control unit 11 diagnoses that the driver tends to take a long time to respond after a notification, the control unit 11 may determine to provide feedback that advises the driver to apply the brakes more quickly or to advance the timing of the notification. For example, if the control unit 11 diagnoses that the driver tends to rely on visual inspection rather than driving assistance by the driving assistance device 10, the control unit 11 may determine to provide feedback that suggests changing the driving assistance method. For example, when the control unit 11 diagnoses that the driving tendency is a tendency toward safe driving, the control unit 11 may decide to provide feedback informing the driver that the driving is safe.

[0052] Any feedback method may be adopted. The timing of providing feedback may be freely set. For example, the control unit 11 generates feedback information indicating the content of the feedback and outputs it to the vehicle 20. The control unit 21 of the vehicle 20 may acquire the feedback information and notify the driver via the output unit 25. Thereafter, the processing of the control unit 11 ends.

[0053] As described above, the driving assistance device 10 according to this embodiment includes a control unit 11 that acquires target information indicating a target M on a road intersecting with the intersection I from the roadside device 30, determines the possibility of a collision between the target M and the vehicle 20 at the intersection I based on the target information and host vehicle information indicating the state of the vehicle 20, decides to provide driving assistance to the driver of the vehicle 20 based on the determination result, acquires vehicle operation information indicating the driver's driving operation in response to the driving assistance, and diagnoses the driver's driving tendency based on the vehicle operation information. According to this embodiment, the target information received from the roadside device 30 broadens the driver's recognition range compared to when the target M is detected using only an on-board sensor. Therefore, even at intersections with poor visibility, the presence of the target M can be notified to the driver earlier, and more vehicle operation information can be obtained after the notification. This facilitates diagnosis of driving tendency, resulting in improved accuracy of the diagnosis. Providing feedback based on the diagnosis result increases the likelihood that the driver will drive safely. This enables improvements to be made to the technology for diagnosing driving tendency.

[0054] As described above, in the driving assistance device 10 according to this embodiment, the roadside device 30 includes a sensor unit 34 that detects road conditions, and the control unit 11 acquires information indicating the detection results of the sensor unit 34 as target information. According to this embodiment, it is possible to detect the presence of the target M earlier and notify the driver, thereby improving the accuracy of diagnosing driving tendencies. This makes it possible to improve the technology for diagnosing driving tendencies.

[0055] As described above, in the driving assistance device 10 according to this embodiment, the control unit 11 diagnoses at least one of the creeping speed, deceleration, and time to respond to driving assistance of the vehicle 20 as a driving tendency. According to this embodiment, it is possible to diagnose the driving tendency of the driver with respect to a plurality of items, thereby improving the accuracy of the diagnosis. Therefore, it is possible to improve the technology for diagnosing driving tendencies.

[0056] As described above, in the driving assistance device 10 according to this embodiment, the control unit 11 infers whether the driver visually recognized the target M based on the vehicle operation information, and diagnoses the driving tendency using the inference result. According to this embodiment, it is possible to diagnose, as a driving tendency, that there is a high possibility that the driver performed a driving operation only after visually recognizing the target M, without relying on driving assistance from the driving assistance device 10. This improves the accuracy of the driving tendency diagnosis, thereby enabling an improvement in the technology for diagnosing driving tendencies.

[0057] (Second embodiment) A second embodiment of the present invention will now be described. In this embodiment, the roadside device 30 is a traffic light installed at an intersection I. The traffic light serving as the roadside device 30 transmits traffic light information indicating the display content of the traffic light to the driving assistance device 10. The traffic light information includes signs such as colors or shapes indicated by signal lights, and the time when the signs such as colors or shapes change. The roadside device 30 may transmit the traffic light information to the driving assistance device 10 when the distance from the vehicle 20 becomes less than a predetermined value. The roadside device 30 may transmit, as target information, an image of a road within a predetermined range from the intersection I to the driving assistance device 10.

[0058] The control unit 11 acquires the traffic light information and target object information by receiving them. If the difference between the time indicated by the traffic light information when the signal light changes to a sign indicating that the vehicle should stop, such as red, and a second time Tb that is the estimated arrival time of the vehicle 20 at the intersection I is within a predetermined value, the control unit 11 may determine that the vehicle 20 will enter the intersection I while the traffic light is indicating that the vehicle should stop entering. As in the first embodiment, the control unit 11 may further calculate a second value TTC by subtracting the current time from the second time Tb, and if the second value TTC is less than a predetermined value, determine to perform driving assistance.

[0059] The control unit 11 may decide to provide driving assistance to the driver of the vehicle 20 based on the traffic light information, even if it determines that there is no possibility of collision with the target based on the acquired target information. The control unit 11 may diagnose the driving tendency after driving assistance, as in the first embodiment described above. The control unit 11 may also estimate whether the driver visually recognized the color of the traffic light. Any method may be used to estimate whether the driver visually recognized the color of the traffic light.

[0060] As described above, the control unit 11 of the driving assistance device 10 according to this embodiment acquires traffic light information indicating the contents of traffic lights at the intersection I, and determines to provide driving assistance to the driver of the vehicle 20 based on the traffic light information. According to this embodiment, the control unit 11 can also diagnose the driver's driving tendency in response to notifications when traffic light signs change. Because the driving tendency in response to notifications made in advance can be diagnosed before the vehicle enters the intersection I where it is required to stop, it is possible to acquire vehicle operation information over a longer period of time and diagnose the driving tendency. This improves the accuracy of the driving tendency diagnosis, thereby enabling improvements to the technology for diagnosing driving tendencies.

[0061] (Third embodiment) A third embodiment of the present invention will now be described. In this embodiment, the roadside device 30 is a traffic light installed at an intersection I. As in the second embodiment, the control unit 11 of the driving assistance device 10 acquires traffic light information and target information by receiving them from the traffic light.

[0062] When the traffic light sign indicated by the traffic light information indicates that the traffic light is green or otherwise indicating that the vehicle 20 is about to turn right at the intersection I, the control unit 11 determines the presence of a straight-oncoming vehicle V1 that is traveling straight into the intersection I, based on the traffic light information and the target information. The control unit 11 may determine that the vehicle 20 is about to turn right at the intersection I based on host vehicle information acquired from the vehicle 20. When the straight-oncoming vehicle V1 is present, the control unit 11 analyzes an image as target information using any image analysis technology, as in the first embodiment, to acquire any one or more of the position, speed, direction, and acceleration of the straight-oncoming vehicle V1 as the target, and calculates a first time Ta, which is an estimated arrival time of the vehicle 20 at the intersection I. The control unit 11 also calculates a second time Tb, which is an estimated arrival time of the vehicle 20 at the intersection I. The control unit 11 may calculate a first value TG, which is the difference between the first time Ta and the second time Tb, and determine that there is a possibility of a collision when the first value TG is less than a predetermined value. As in the first embodiment, the control unit 11 calculates a second value TTC by subtracting the current time from the second time Tb, and if the second value TTC is less than a predetermined value required to avoid a collision, it decides to provide driving assistance and provides driving assistance.

[0063] Referring to FIG. 5, the traffic light of the roadside device 30 indicates green, and the vehicle 20 according to this embodiment is attempting to turn right at intersection I in the direction indicated by the solid black arrow. In FIG. 5, there are two oncoming vehicles V1 traveling straight toward intersection I in the direction indicated by the white arrow, and another oncoming vehicle V2 attempting to turn left in front of the vehicle 20. The oncoming vehicle V1 is difficult to see from the vehicle 20 because it is obscured by the oncoming vehicle V2. The roadside device 30 transmits target object information obtained by photographing the oncoming vehicle V1 and traffic light information indicating a green traffic light to the driving assistance device 10. Based on the received target object information and traffic light information, the control unit 11 determines the possibility of a collision between the vehicle 20 and the oncoming vehicle V1 traveling straight, and provides driving assistance to the vehicle 20 based on the result of the determination. As in the first embodiment described above, the control unit 11 may diagnose the driver's driving tendency after driving assistance is provided. The control unit 11 may also estimate whether the driver visually recognized the traffic light display or the oncoming vehicle V1 traveling straight. Any method may be used to infer whether or not the object has been visually recognized.

[0064] Without being limited to the above, when the vehicle 20 is about to turn left at the intersection I, the control unit 11 may acquire target object information indicating, as a target object, an oncoming vehicle V2 that is about to turn right by receiving it from the roadside device 30, determine the possibility of a collision with the oncoming vehicle V2, and decide to provide driving assistance to the vehicle 20. For example, the control unit 11 may analyze an image as the target object information and determine that the oncoming vehicle V2 is about to turn right based on the display of a turn signal of the oncoming vehicle V2, etc.

[0065] According to this embodiment, even when the vehicle 20 is about to turn left or right at the intersection I and an oncoming vehicle is approaching, it is possible to determine the possibility of a collision and provide driving assistance based on the result of the determination. Even when the traffic light indicates permission to proceed, if an oncoming vehicle is present, it is possible to diagnose the driving tendency in response to a previously notified notification, thereby improving the accuracy of the driving tendency diagnosis. Therefore, it is possible to improve the technology for diagnosing driving tendency.

[0066] Although the present invention has been described based on the drawings and examples, it should be noted that those skilled in the art may make various modifications and alterations based on the present disclosure. Therefore, it should be noted that these modifications and alterations are included in the scope of the present invention. For example, the functions included in each component or step can be rearranged so as not to be logically inconsistent, and multiple components or steps can be combined or divided into one. [Explanation of symbols]

[0067] 1 System 10 Driving assistance devices 11 Control section 12 Storage section 13 Communications Department 14 Input section 15 Output section 20 vehicles 21 Control section 22 Memory section 23 Communications Department 24 Input section 25 Output section 26 Positioning unit 27 Vehicle sensor unit 30 Roadside equipment 31 Control Unit 32 Storage section 33 Communications Department 34 Sensor unit 40 Network

Claims

1. acquiring target object information indicating a target object on a road intersecting with an intersection from a roadside device, and determining a possibility of a collision between the target object and the vehicle at the intersection based on the target object information and host vehicle information indicating a state of the vehicle; Based on the result of the judgment, it is determined to provide driving assistance to the driver of the vehicle; A driving assistance device comprising: a control unit that acquires vehicle operation information indicating a driving operation by the driver in response to the driving assistance, and diagnoses a driving tendency of the driver based on the vehicle operation information, The control unit notifies the driver of the possibility of a collision as the driving assistance, As the driving tendency, If the time until the reaction to the driving assistance is less than a predetermined value and the creep speed of the vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, or if the time is less than a predetermined value and the deceleration of the vehicle is less than a predetermined value, diagnosing that the force of applying the brake is insufficient; diagnosing safe driving when the time is less than a predetermined value, the creep speed is less than a predetermined value, and the deceleration is equal to or greater than a predetermined value; A driving assistance device notifies the driver of information indicating the content of feedback based on the diagnosed driving tendency.

2. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, The roadside device includes a sensor unit that detects the road conditions, and the control unit acquires information indicating the detection results by the sensor unit as the target information.

3. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, The control unit makes an inference as to whether the driver visually recognized the target based on the vehicle operation information, and diagnoses the driving tendency using the result of the inference.

4. The driving assistance device according to claim 1, The control unit acquires traffic light information indicating the display content of traffic lights at the intersection, and determines to provide driving assistance to the driver of the vehicle based on the traffic light information.

Images