Driver assistance systems

Abstract

To provide a driving assistance system that assists in driving an automatic driving vehicle by making a more proper determination as to dilemma avoidance on an infrastructure side, according to an individual characteristic of the automatic driving vehicle.SOLUTION: A driving assistance system 100 includes: a determination unit 52a that determines whether an automatic driving vehicle VE being directed to a signal light device SG is present in a dilemma area or not, based on individual characteristic information including information on a driving performance peculiar to the automatic driving vehicle VE; an adjustment unit 52b that, according to a determination result in the determination unit 52a, adjusts a lamp color operation of the signal light device SG required to avoid the dilemma; and a communication unit 30 that transmits information on an adjustment result in the adjustment unit 52b to the automatic driving vehicle VE.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving assistance system for providing driving assistance from a facility (roadside) installed along a road, for example, during autonomous driving by an autonomous vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] For example, with regard to signal control at an intersection where signal lamps are installed, there is known a technique for controlling traffic by communicating with passing vehicles at the intersection (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).

[0003] However, in the above Patent Documents 1 and 2, depending on, for example, the performance of the vehicles communicating, it is possible that the judgment as to whether so-called dilemma control is necessary or, if so, whether to switch the timing of signals, etc., may not be appropriate. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-27416 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-34964 Summary of the Invention

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned points, and aims to provide a driving assistance system that enables the infrastructure to make more accurate decisions regarding dilemma avoidance in accordance with the individual characteristics of the autonomously driven vehicle, thereby providing driving assistance to the autonomously driven vehicle.

[0006] A driving assistance system for achieving the above-mentioned objectives includes a judgment unit that judges whether an autonomous vehicle heading towards a traffic light will be in a dilemma area based on individual characteristic information including information on driving performance specific to the autonomous vehicle, an adjustment unit that adjusts the light color operation of the traffic light required to avoid the dilemma based on the judgment result of the judgment unit, and a communication unit that transmits information on the adjustment result of the adjustment unit to the autonomous vehicle.

[0007] The above-mentioned driving assistance system determines whether or not an autonomous vehicle will be in a dilemma area based on the individual characteristic information of the vehicle, and adjusts the light color operation of the traffic lights to avoid the dilemma, thereby providing driving assistance that takes into account the characteristics of each individual vehicle and enables more accurate dilemma avoidance.

[0008] In a specific aspect of the present invention, the adjustment unit includes a calculation unit that calculates an adjustment time for switching the light color of the signal lamp required to avoid the dilemma when the determination unit determines that the autonomously driven vehicle will be in a dilemma area. In this case, the calculation unit calculates an appropriate adjustment time for switching the light color according to the driving performance of the autonomously driven vehicle, etc.

[0009] In another aspect of the present invention, the adjustment unit causes a traffic signal controller that controls a traffic light to reserve the adjustment time calculated by the calculation unit, and the communication unit transmits information about the reserved adjustment time to the autonomous vehicle. In this case, the autonomous vehicle can avoid the dilemma based on the transmitted information about the adjustment time.

[0010] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the calculation unit selects, as the adjustment time, either a time to extend the green light state of the signal lamp to allow the autonomous vehicle to pass or a time to accelerate the change of the signal lamp to red to stop the autonomous vehicle in front of the signal lamp, depending on the range of time adjustment available in the traffic signal controller. In this case, it is appropriately determined whether to allow the autonomous vehicle to pass or to stop the autonomous vehicle in front of the signal lamp.

[0011] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the determination unit determines whether an autonomously driven vehicle heading toward an intersection where a traffic light is installed will be in a dilemma area based on future position information of the autonomously driven vehicle extracted based on the individual characteristic information, and the future position information includes information on a predicted passage time of the autonomously driven vehicle through the intersection. In this case, it becomes possible to determine whether processing to avoid the dilemma is necessary based on the predicted passage time included in the future position information.

[0012] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the future location information based on the individual characteristic information is updated at predetermined intervals. In this case, the infrastructure side can make a decision in response to the update of the future location information.

[0013] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the individual characteristic information is continuously transmitted from the autonomous vehicle until the autonomous vehicle passes through the intersection and updated each time. In this case, the light color operation can be adjusted according to the content of the individual characteristic information.

[0014] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the individual characteristic information includes information on the current location and speed of the autonomous vehicle, as well as information on driving performance based on any of the vehicle type, weather, and number of occupants. In this case, the infrastructure's decision can be made based on the current driving performance of the autonomous vehicle.

[0015] In yet another aspect of the present invention, the determination unit determines whether the autonomous vehicle is in a dilemma area based on the length of a group of vehicles including vehicles that are within a predetermined inter-vehicle distance from the autonomous vehicle. In this case, processing to avoid the dilemma can be performed on the group of vehicles as a whole.

[0016] In yet another aspect of the present invention, a sensor unit is provided on the infrastructure side and detects an autonomously driven vehicle, and the determination unit compares self-position estimation information transmitted from the autonomously driven vehicle with the detection result of the sensor unit to identify the autonomously driven vehicle as a target of determination. In this case, the autonomously driven vehicle to be identified can be reliably detected on the infrastructure side. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an outline of an example of operation at an intersection where the driving assistance system according to the first embodiment is installed. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a driving assistance system. [Figure 3] FIG. 1A is a data diagram showing an example of an outline of communication content, and FIGS. 1B to 1D are diagrams conceptually showing future position information. [Figure 4] 10A and 10B are conceptual diagrams for explaining the case where a dilemma area is avoided by blue extension. [Figure 5] (A) to (C) are conceptual graphs to explain dilemma areas and their avoidance. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a block diagram for explaining an example of generation of future position information in an autonomous driving vehicle. [Figure 7] FIG. 10 is a data diagram showing another example of an outline of communication content. [Figure 8] 10A and 10B are flowcharts illustrating a series of operations in the driving assistance system. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an outline of another example of operation at an intersection where a driving assistance system is installed. [Figure 10] 10(A) to 10(C) are conceptual diagrams for explaining a dilemma area and how to avoid it in a driving assistance system according to a second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0018] [First embodiment] An example of the driving assistance system according to the first embodiment will be described below with reference to Fig. 1 etc. Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram for providing an overview of an intersection CS to which a driving assistance system 100 according to this embodiment has been introduced, and Fig. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of the driving assistance system 100. Here, an example will be described in which the driving assistance system 100 provides information for driving assistance from the roadside to vehicles passing through the intersection CS.

[0019] FIG. 1 shows an example of an operation in which an autonomous vehicle VE, which is a target of assistance by driving assistance system 100, is about to pass through an intersection CS ahead by traveling straight ahead. Specifically, in the figure, the current location of the autonomous vehicle VE is indicated by a solid line, and the planned location (future location) is indicated by a dashed line. At the current time indicated by the solid line, the autonomous vehicle VE transmits information about itself (future location information, etc.) to a driving assistance device SS, which is a roadside device constituting driving assistance system 100. Communication is then initiated between the autonomous vehicle VE and driving assistance device SS, thereby making the autonomous vehicle a target of assistance by driving assistance system 100. Here, as information about itself (future location information, etc.), the autonomous vehicle VE transmits to driving assistance device SS, for example, latitude and longitude information indicating its current location (self-location estimation information) indicated by a solid line, as well as a planned future driving route and a predicted time to arrive at each location (predicted arrival time) indicated by a dashed line, and further, this communication is continuously performed until the autonomous vehicle VE passes through the intersection CS. In other words, the autonomous vehicle VE continuously transmits future location information. Therefore, for example, when the autonomous vehicle VE actually reaches the dashed line position transmitted as the first future position information, that position is set as the vehicle's current position, and new future position information is transmitted to the driving assistance device SS, and this process is repeated.

[0020] The driving assistance system 100 is primarily comprised of a driving assistance device SS, a roadside device attached to a traffic light TL that controls traffic at an intersection CS. More specifically, the driving assistance device SS receives information about itself (self-location estimation information) transmitted from the autonomously driven vehicle VE that is the target of assistance. It then monitors a detection area DD that includes the intersection CS or its surroundings to sense the autonomously driven vehicle VE, and compares the sensing results with the information from the autonomously driven vehicle VE to identify the autonomously driven vehicle VE that is the target of assistance. The driving assistance device SS also functions as a determination device JD that determines whether the autonomously driven vehicle VE is in a so-called dilemma area (a dilemma zone: a region where the driver is unsure whether to proceed or stop when the traffic light turns yellow) by taking into account information from the autonomously driven vehicle VE and traffic light color information at the traffic light TL. Furthermore, the driving assistance device SS adjusts the traffic light color operation of the traffic light TL required to avoid the dilemma based on the determination result, thereby providing driving assistance for the autonomous driving of the autonomously driven vehicle VE.

[0021] In the illustrated example, the traffic light TL is composed of four traffic light devices SG installed at the intersection CS and a traffic signal controller SC, which is a traffic signal controller that performs overall control of all four traffic light devices SG. In particular, in this embodiment, adjustment of the traffic light indication information is possible. That is, the green time of each traffic light device SG can be extended or shortened. The driving assistance device SS acquires information (light color information, traffic signal schedule information) about the traffic light devices SG installed at the intersection CS via the traffic light controller SC and requests the traffic light controller SC to adjust the time of the green light operation (extending or shortening the green light), thereby enabling adjustments to avoid dilemmas. Note that in the illustrated example, of the four traffic light devices SG, the one involved in the passage of the autonomously driven vehicle VE that is the target of assistance is designated as traffic light device SGα.

[0022] As described above, the driving assistance system 100 functions as a result of the cooperation of each unit, with the driving assistance device SS at the center. In the illustrated example, the driving assistance device SS is provided close to the traffic light controller SC, and is connected to it by wire, thereby enabling the acquisition of information (light color information, etc.) necessary for controlling the traffic lights as described above. Note that in the above configuration, the driving assistance device SS alone can also be considered as the driving assistance system 100.

[0023] There are various possible definitions for the arrival of an autonomous vehicle VE at an intersection CS, such as using the center point (center coordinates) of the intersection CS as the representative point, or using the installation position of the signal light SGα as the reference point, i.e., using either of these as the reference position.

[0024] As shown in FIG. 2, in the driving assistance system 100, the driving assistance device SS (determination device JD) includes, for example, a sensor unit 10, a communication unit 30, and a main control unit 50 to achieve the above-mentioned aspects.

[0025] First, the sensor unit 10 of the driving assistance system 100 is composed of a camera unit 11 and a distance measurement unit 12. It detects moving objects MB and obstacles within a detection area DD, which is a predetermined range to be monitored, thereby enabling detection of various vehicles, including the autonomously driven vehicle VE, which is the target of assistance. The moving objects MB may include not only vehicles, including the autonomously driven vehicle VE, but also bicycles and pedestrians. The camera unit (infrastructure camera) 11 captures images and generates image data to monitor the intersection CS. The distance measurement unit 12 may employ, for example, a LiDAR, a millimeter-wave sensor, or a radar, and performs distance measurement to generate distance data, thereby enabling acquisition of the position of the moving object MB. While only one sensor unit 10 is shown in the figure, multiple cameras can be installed within the intersection CS to provide comprehensive driving assistance to the target of assistance passing through the intersection CS from various directions. Furthermore, if the detection area DD changes depending on the direction of travel of the autonomously driven vehicle VE, the camera to be used can be appropriately selected accordingly. Here, the detection results acquired by the sensor unit 10 and various types of information such as image data and ranging data relating to a moving object MB present in the detection area DD are referred to as target information. That is, the target information includes information on the operating conditions of pedestrians and various vehicles present in the detection area DD, the presence of obstacles, etc. Furthermore, in this case, it is expected that the target information will include information on other vehicles traveling in front of and behind the autonomously driven vehicle VE that should be the support target, in addition to information specifying the autonomously driven vehicle VE.

[0026] As described above, the sensor unit 10 is provided on the infrastructure side and detects the autonomously driven vehicle VE. The driving assistance device SS (determination device JD) compares information (self-position estimation information) transmitted from the autonomously driven vehicle VE with the detection results of the sensor unit 10 to identify the autonomously driven vehicle VE as the target for determining whether a dilemma area exists.

[0027] In the driving assistance system 100, the communication unit 30 is a wireless unit for wireless communication with the autonomously driven vehicle VE. Here, as described above, the autonomously driven vehicle VE, which is the communication partner, transmits future position information indicating its own future position to the driving assistance device SS, which is the determination device JD, as data for determining whether a dilemma will occur and how to avoid it. More specifically, the autonomously driven vehicle VE has an autonomous driving control unit AO, which is composed of various circuit mechanisms and the like, to perform various controls for autonomous driving. In particular, the autonomous driving control unit AO has a future position information generation unit FG. The future position information generation unit FG generates future position information composed of information about the autonomously driven vehicle VE's own current position and its future route plan based on the current position. Therefore, this future position information includes the autonomously driven vehicle VE's current position (position at the current time) and a future position (including a predicted arrival time) created based on the current position, as well as information such as its speed and direction (azimuth angle) at each of these times (planned times). That is, the future position information includes the predicted time that automatically driven vehicle VE will arrive at a reference position (the center point of intersection CS or the installation position of signal lamp SGα), the time required to pass through intersection CS, etc. Communication unit 30 receives the future position information from automatically driven vehicle VE via communication unit (wireless unit) TT of automatically driven vehicle VE. Furthermore, the time at which automatically driven vehicle VE will pass through intersection CS (predicted passage time) may also be included in the future position information as something similar to the predicted arrival time.

[0028] Here, as described above, when the future position information generation unit FG of the autonomous vehicle VE generates information on the predicted arrival time (or predicted passage time), the predicted arrival time (predicted passage time) of the autonomous vehicle VE at the reference position (such as the installation position of the signal lamp SGα) is calculated based on individual characteristic information, including information on driving performance unique to the autonomous vehicle VE. As a result, the driving assistance device SS, which subsequently serves as the determination device JD, can appropriately determine whether the autonomous vehicle VE will eventually enter a dilemma zone, and further, if it does enter a dilemma zone, determine the amount of adjustment to be made to the signal schedule information to avoid this, in accordance with standards standardized on the infrastructure side, while indirectly taking into account the performance, etc., of each autonomous vehicle VE. In this case, the predicted arrival time (predicted passage time) calculated by the autonomous vehicle VE also reflects the weather of the day, the number of occupants of the autonomous vehicle VE, the load, etc. Furthermore, due to the origin of its generation, future position information consequently contains information about the driving performance specific to the autonomous vehicle VE, and from that perspective, future position information can also be considered a type of individual characteristic information.

[0029] Of the driving assistance system 100, the main control unit 50 is composed of, for example, various circuit mechanisms, and in the example shown in the figure, has or functions as a sensor control unit 51 and a dilemma zone avoidance judgment unit (judgment unit) 52.

[0030] The sensor control unit 51 controls the operation of each unit constituting the sensor unit 10 and outputs target information acquired by the sensor unit 10 to the dilemma zone avoidance determination unit 52.

[0031] The dilemma zone avoidance determination unit 52 includes a determination section 52a and an adjustment section 52b. The adjustment section 52b further includes an adjustment time calculation section (calculation section) CC.

[0032] The determination unit 52a determines whether the autonomous vehicle VE, heading toward the intersection CS where the signal lamp SGα is installed, will be in a dilemma zone based on future position information received by the communication unit 30, including the predicted time the autonomous vehicle VE will arrive at the intersection CS, and the timing of the light color change of the corresponding signal lamp SGα (signal schedule information). Typically, as shown in FIG. 1, in the case of a case where the autonomous vehicle VE is going to pass through the intersection CS by traveling straight, the determination unit 52a compares the predicted arrival position of the autonomous vehicle VE at each predicted time and the predicted speed at that time with the light color operation of the signal lamp SGα, i.e., the timing at which the light color of the signal lamp SGα changes from green to yellow and then to red, to predict and determine whether the autonomous vehicle VE will enter a dilemma zone if it approaches the intersection CS according to the content indicated in the future position information. If the prediction determines that there is a risk of the autonomous vehicle VE being in a dilemma zone, the dilemma zone avoidance determination unit 52 causes the adjustment unit 52b to adjust (time adjustment) the light color operation of the signal lamp SGα required to avoid the dilemma.

[0033] In addition, as a prerequisite for making the above judgment, the judgment unit 52a is able to identify the autonomously driven vehicle VE from among multiple detected moving bodies MB such as vehicles, based on target information, etc., as a detection result by the sensor unit 10 received from the sensor control unit 51.

[0034] As described above, when the judgment unit 52a judges that the autonomous vehicle VE will be in a dilemma area, the adjustment unit 52b first calculates, in an adjustment time calculation unit (calculation unit) CC, the adjustment time ΔT for switching the light color of the signal light unit SGα required to avoid the dilemma, in order to make a time adjustment according to this judgment result.

[0035] In the following, as an example of dilemma avoidance, a case will be described in which dilemma avoidance is achieved by extending the time that the green light is displayed at the signal lamp SGα, and maintaining the green light so that the automatically driven vehicle VE can pass through the intersection CS. In this case, the adjustment time calculation unit (calculation unit) CC calculates the extension time required for the automatically driven vehicle VE to pass through the intersection CS from the future position information and the signal schedule information in order to avoid the dilemma.

[0036] The adjustment unit 52b sets the result calculated as the extension time in the adjustment time calculation unit (calculation unit) CC as the adjustment time ΔT, and the dilemma zone avoidance judgment unit 52 transmits an adjustment request including information on the adjustment time ΔT to the signal controller (traffic signal controller) SC.

[0037] In response to the adjustment request from dilemma zone avoidance determination unit 52, signal controller SC creates new signal schedule information (updates the signal schedule information) that extends the time period for displaying a green signal at signal lamp device SGα, and returns the new signal schedule information to dilemma zone avoidance determination unit 52. In response to this, dilemma zone avoidance determination unit 52 transmits the result (new signal schedule information) to automatically driven vehicle VE via communication unit 30.

[0038] To summarize the above series of operations from a different perspective, the adjustment unit 52b causes the signal controller (traffic signal controller) SC that controls the signal lamp SGα to reserve the adjustment time ΔT calculated by the calculation unit CC, and the communication unit 30 transmits information about the reserved adjustment time ΔT (new signal schedule information) to the autonomously driven vehicle VE.

[0039] 3(A) is a data diagram showing an example of an outline of the content of communication between the vehicle side and the road side in the above-described embodiment, and shows information transmitted from the vehicle side to the road side, i.e., information mainly consisting of future position information, etc. In the example shown, the road side is identified by the ID (traffic light ID) of the signal lamp SG etc. installed at the intersection CS, and the vehicle side uses a vehicle ID to identify the autonomously driven vehicle VE.

[0040] Also, FIGS. 3(B) to 3(D) are conceptual diagrams for explaining the future position information exemplified in FIG. 3(A).

[0041] First, as shown in FIG. 3(A) and as described above, the vehicle transmits to the roadside location information (current location) and future location information of the autonomous vehicle VE, in addition to various IDs and creation dates and times. In the illustrated example, the location information (current location) includes not only the latitude and longitude indicating the location of the autonomous vehicle VE at the current time (time of transmission), but also information on the autonomous vehicle VE's speed (traveling speed) and direction (azimuth angle). Although not shown, these information may be calculated, for example, by the autonomous vehicle VE using self-location estimation using GNSS (GPS, etc.) or various arithmetic processing. In contrast, the future location information includes the same information as the location information (current location), but also further includes information on an offset (distance) from the location information (current location). The future location information includes multiple (n) predicted values ​​at regular time intervals (e.g., every 100 milliseconds) from the current time. In other words, the roadside equipment can grasp the planned route of the autonomous vehicle VE up to, for example, n × 0.1 seconds from now.

[0042] Next, Figures 3(B) to 3(D) conceptually illustrate the above-described future position information. First, Figure 3(B) illustrates the initial future position information transmitted from autonomous vehicle VE to driving assistance device SS. The position where autonomous vehicle VE is depicted is assumed to be the current position, and points FP1 to FP4 depicted along the traveling direction (Z direction) indicate the future positions of autonomous vehicle VE. More specifically, assuming that time T at the current position (present time) is T = T0, point FP1 indicates the position of autonomous vehicle VE at time T1 = T0 + t, t seconds after the present time (e.g., 100 milliseconds after). Similarly, point FP2 indicates the position of autonomous vehicle VE 2t seconds after the present time (T2 = T0 + 2t), point FP3 indicates the position of autonomous vehicle VE 3t seconds after the present time (T3 = T0 + 3t), and point FP4 indicates the position of autonomous vehicle VE 4t seconds after the present time (T4 = T0 + 4t).

[0043] Next, Figure 3(C) shows the second future position information transmitted from automatically driven vehicle VE to driving assistance system SS t seconds after the state of Figure 3(B). In this case, since t seconds have passed since the state of Figure 3(B), automatically driven vehicle VE has traveled to a position corresponding to point FP1 in Figure 3(B). Then, automatically driven vehicle VE transmits its own new future position information, i.e., information on new points FP1 to FP4, to driving assistance system SS. Similarly, as shown in Figure 3(D), a third future position information (information on points FP1 to FP4) is transmitted after a further t seconds.

[0044] In the above cases, the distance between each of the points FP1 to FP4 indicates the physical distance traveled and also indicates the change in speed. Furthermore, the line (trajectory) connecting each point indicates the route and direction (azimuth angle) of the autonomous vehicle VE.

[0045] In the drawing, only the case up to point FP4 is shown, and anything beyond point FP4 is omitted, but an embodiment may be adopted in which information about future positions further ahead is also included.

[0046] Furthermore, from the perspective of the driving assistance device SS on the infrastructure side, as shown in FIGS. 3(B) to 3(D), new future position information is transmitted from the autonomously driven vehicle VE at regular intervals (e.g., every t = 100 milliseconds) as the autonomously driven vehicle VE continues to travel, and the future position information is updated accordingly. In other words, a more accurate planned driving route that is revised as needed is continuously transmitted from the autonomously driven vehicle VE. In this embodiment, by using this information, the possibility of a dilemma occurring is accurately predicted in advance, and signal adjustments are made to avoid the dilemma area before a dilemma occurs, thereby enabling driving assistance for the autonomously driven vehicle VE.

[0047] An example of a method for avoiding the above-described dilemma region will be described below with reference to the conceptual diagram shown in Fig. 4. In the drawing, the traveling speed of the autonomous vehicle VE is V (km / h), and the distance from the signal lamp SGα is x (m).

[0048] First, in the example of FIG. 4(A), it is assumed that communication between the driving support device SS and the autonomously driven vehicle VE is started at a time (T=T0) when the autonomously driven vehicle VE is located at a position (distance) considerably in front of the signal lamp SGα. In FIG. 4(A), as a result of calculation based on the future position information and the signal schedule information in the driving support device SS, if the autonomously driven vehicle VE travels according to the future position information and the current signal schedule information is maintained, the autonomously driven vehicle VE will arrive just in front of the signal lamp SGα at a time (T=T k >T0), the signal lamp SGα changes from green to yellow, and it is determined that the vehicle will enter the dilemma zone DZ.

[0049] In such a case, in this embodiment, the signal schedule information is updated, that is, the green display time of the signal lamp SGα is extended by an adjustment time ΔT (seconds) from the normal time, thereby avoiding entering the dilemma area DZ. Specifically, as shown in an example in FIG. 4(B), the signal controller (traffic signal controller) SC extends the green display time so that the timing at which the signal lamp SGα changes from green to yellow is set to T=T k It has been changed to +ΔT (slower timing).

[0050] Here, we will consider the above dilemma areas and how to avoid them with reference to the conceptual graph shown in Figure 5.

[0051] First, in Figure 5(A) and other figures, the horizontal axis indicates the distance x (m) of the autonomous vehicle VE from the signal lamp SGα, and the vertical axis indicates the traveling speed V (km / h) of the autonomous vehicle VE. Figure 5(A) shows the case where the traffic light TL is operating normally, that is, the time when the signal lamp SGα changes from green to yellow (T = T k ) indicates the range in which the autonomous vehicle VE becomes a dilemma area and the range in which it does not become a dilemma area. More specifically, in the figure, first, of the curve C1 and the straight line L1, the curve C1 indicates the limit at which the autonomous vehicle VE can safely stop by normal deceleration operation. On the other hand, the straight line L1 indicates the limit at which the autonomous vehicle VE can safely stop by normal deceleration operation at that point (T=T k ) indicates the limit at which a vehicle can pass the reference position of the intersection CS (for example, the installation position of the signal light SGα) before the signal light SGα turns red.

[0052] In this case, among the four regions in the figure separated by the curve C1 and the straight line L1, the region Z1 represents the dilemma region (dilemma zone). For example, the regions Z2 and Z4 are above the straight line L1 (traveling at a high speed close to the intersection CS), and as illustrated in FIG. 4(B), they represent the regions where the autonomous vehicle VE can complete passing through the intersection CS. Also, the regions Z3 and Z4 are below the curve C1 (being far from the intersection CS and traveling at a low speed), and they represent the regions where the autonomous vehicle VE can be stopped in front of the intersection CS. Note that the region Z4 represents the range where both passing and stopping are possible. Different from the above regions Z2 to Z4, the region Z1 does not conform to any of the above modes, and when the signal turns yellow, it represents the range where one is confused whether to proceed or stop, that is, the dilemma region (dilemma zone).

[0053] For example, in FIG. 5(A), if the autonomous vehicle VE is at a speed V (e.g., Vα: legal maximum speed, designated speed) and a position (distance) x (e.g., xα) shown by the point Q1 belonging to the region Z1, it means that the autonomous vehicle VE exists in the dilemma region. Looking at it from another perspective, as shown in the figure, at time T = T k if the autonomous vehicle VE is traveling at the legal maximum speed (or designated speed) Vα, the distance between the intersection points of the dashed line PP, the straight line L1, and the curve C1 corresponding to the distances x1 to x2 corresponds to the dilemma region DZ (see FIG. 4). If it is determined that the autonomous vehicle VE is located within this region, accordingly, the dilemma avoidance process will be performed.

[0054] More specifically, as illustrated in FIG. 5(B), if the timing when the traffic signal device SGα changes from green to yellow is changed to T = T k +ΔT, when the autonomous vehicle VE reaches a position shown by the point Q2 belonging to the region Z2, that is, a position (distance) xβ (<x1) closer to the traffic signal device SGα compared to the point Q1, the signal will switch, and dilemma avoidance can be achieved.

[0055] Although the above has explained how to avoid the dilemma by extending the green light, it is also possible to avoid the dilemma by shortening the green light, that is, by switching the signal to yellow and then red earlier and stopping the autonomous vehicle VE before the intersection CS. More specifically, as shown in Figure 5(C), the timing when the signal lamp SGα changes from green to yellow is set to T = T k By changing to -ΔT, the signal will change when the autonomous vehicle VE is at a position such as that shown in point Q3 belonging to area Z3, that is, at a position (distance) xγ (>x2) that is still farther from the signal light SGα than point Q1, thereby avoiding the dilemma.

[0056] Whether to avoid the dilemma by extending the green light or by shortening the green light can be determined in various ways depending on the conditions, etc. For example, the selection can be made based on the limit of time that traffic light TL allows for extension or shortening. In this case, for example, adjustment unit 52b can be configured such that calculation unit CC, in accordance with the range of time adjustment available in signal controller (traffic signal controller) SC, selects, as adjustment time ΔT, either a time to extend the green light state of signal lamp SGα to allow the automatically driven vehicle VE to pass, or a time to accelerate the change of signal lamp SGα to red to stop the automatically driven vehicle VE in front of the signal lamp.

[0057] An example of generation of future position information in an autonomously driven vehicle VE will be described below with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG.

[0058] As described above, the future position information is generated by a future position information generation unit FG provided in an automatic driving control unit AO of an automatically driven vehicle VE. Here, a more specific example of the generation of the future position information by the future position information generation unit FG will be described.

[0059] As shown in the figure, in this example, the autonomous driving control unit AO of the autonomous driving vehicle VE includes a data reception unit DR in addition to a future position information generation unit FG. The data reception unit DR receives information from each unit constituting the autonomous driving control unit AO. In this example, the autonomous driving control unit AO generally includes an external information acquisition unit OR that acquires information about the external environment of the autonomous driving vehicle VE (external information), and an internal information acquisition unit IR that acquires information about the internal environment of the autonomous driving vehicle VE (internal information). The data reception unit DR receives information from these units. The internal information acquisition unit IR includes, for example, a passenger number detection unit DTa that detects the current number of passengers in the autonomous driving vehicle VE and a weight detection unit DTb that detects the current total weight of the autonomous driving vehicle VE, which acquire various information about the current state of the autonomous driving vehicle VE. The internal information acquisition unit IR also includes a vehicle information storage unit VD that stores information specific to the autonomous driving vehicle VE itself, such as the vehicle model, vehicle size, engine type, and driving history. On the other hand, the external information acquisition unit OR typically includes various sensing systems and communication systems with the outside, and the external environment detected by these includes information on various matters such as object position, road surface conditions, temperature, humidity, weather, etc.

[0060] On the other hand, the future position information generation unit FG has or functions as an individual characteristic information extraction unit ES and a future position information calculation unit CF.

[0061] The individual characteristic information extraction unit ES extracts individual characteristic information including information on driving performance specific to the autonomously driven vehicle VE from the various pieces of information received by the data reception unit DR. Here, the individual characteristic information may include various pieces of information indicating the characteristics of the autonomously driven vehicle VE, and as described above, includes, for example, information on the current location and current speed of the autonomously driven vehicle VE, as well as driving performance information based on any of the vehicle type, weather, and number of passengers. Here, the individual characteristic information extraction unit ES appropriately distinguishes the various pieces of information obtained via the data reception unit DR, and extracts information related to driving performance as the individual characteristic information.

[0062] The future position information calculation unit CF calculates an offset (distance) value from the current position as predicted position information for each unit time (e.g., every 100 milliseconds) based on the information to be used as future position information, i.e., latitude and longitude information indicating the current location (self-location estimation information) as illustrated in FIG. 3(A), from the individual characteristic information extracted by the individual characteristic information extraction unit ES. When calculating such a value, various factors, such as the current number of passengers, road surface conditions, and weather, may be involved in addition to information inherent to the autonomously driven vehicle VE. Calculating the future position information after taking these factors into account enables more accurate future position prediction. Furthermore, using future position information based on such individual characteristic information enables various processes to more appropriately prevent and avoid dilemmas. As mentioned above, the future position information can also be considered a type of individual characteristic information, since it inherently contains information about the driving performance inherent to the autonomously driven vehicle VE.

[0063] In driving assistance system 100 of this embodiment, determination unit 52a determines whether an autonomously driven vehicle VE heading toward signal lamp SGα (toward intersection CS where signal lamp SGα is installed) will be in dilemma zone DZ based on individual characteristic information including information on driving performance unique to the autonomously driven vehicle VE, more specifically, from future position information of the autonomously driven vehicle extracted based on the individual characteristic information. This makes it possible to provide driving assistance that enables more accurate dilemma avoidance based on the characteristics of each individual vehicle.

[0064] Furthermore, in the above example, the future position information of the autonomously driven vehicle VE that is ultimately extracted based on the individual characteristic information is transmitted from the autonomously driven vehicle VE to the driving assistance device SS, but this is not limiting, and for example, the individual characteristic information itself may be transmitted from the autonomously driven vehicle VE to the driving assistance device SS together with other information, as in another example shown in Figure 7 corresponding to Figure 3(A). That is, in the above example, the future position information based on the individual characteristic information is updated at predetermined intervals, but this is not limiting, and for example, the individual characteristic information may be continuously transmitted from the autonomously driven vehicle VE to the driving assistance device SS and updated each time until the autonomously driven vehicle VE passes through the intersection CS.

[0065] For example, the curve C1 shown in FIG. 5(A) indicates the limit at which an autonomous vehicle VE can safely stop by normal deceleration. The shape of this curve could be set in advance as a fixed average for a normal vehicle, but more precisely, it differs for each autonomous vehicle VE and for each situation of the autonomous vehicle VE. Therefore, by taking into account the individual characteristic information itself when setting the curve C1, which serves as a criterion for determining whether a dilemma occurs or is avoided on the driving assistance device SS side, i.e., the infrastructure side, the determination unit 52a can make a more appropriate determination. In particular, when the autonomous vehicle VE is stopped before the intersection CS by shortening the green light as shown in FIG. 5(C), the accuracy of the determination can be improved by setting the curve C1 more appropriately.

[0066] An example of a series of operations in the dilemma zone avoidance determination unit (determination unit) 52 constituting the driving assistance device SS (determination device JD) and the signal controller (traffic signal controller) SC constituting the traffic light TL in the driving assistance system 100 will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in Fig. 8. In Fig. 8, Fig. 8(A) is a flowchart showing a series of operations in the determination unit 52, and Fig. 8(B) is a flowchart showing a series of operations in the signal controller SC.

[0067] 8(A), the determination unit 52 constituting the driving assistance device SS, which is a roadside device, continues a confirmation operation until it confirms whether or not it has received (acquired) future position information from a vehicle that is the target of driving assistance (step S101: Yes). In particular, when it receives (acquires) the first future position information that serves as a trigger for starting communication, the determination unit 52 transmits a notification (vehicle detection notification) to the signal controller SC that it has detected an automatically driven vehicle VE that is to be the target of driving assistance.

[0068] In step S101, when it is confirmed that the future position information has been acquired (step S101: Yes), the determination unit 52 predicts and determines a dilemma for the automatically driven vehicle VE from the future position information (step S102). That is, the determination unit 52, as the determination section 52a, predicts and determines whether the automatically driven vehicle VE is about to pass through the intersection CS and whether it will be in a dilemma area (whether a dilemma will occur) before the intersection CS.

[0069] If it is determined in step S102 that a dilemma will occur (step S103: Yes), the judgment unit 52, as the adjustment unit 52b, calculates the extension (or shortening) time of the green display for the signal light SG corresponding to the route of the autonomous vehicle VE (step S104), and sends an adjustment request based on the calculated time, i.e., a request to update the signal schedule information (time adjustment request), to the signal controller SC (step S105).

[0070] Thereafter, the judgment unit 52 waits for a response from the signal controller SC (step S106), and when new signal schedule information arrives as a response (step S106: Yes), it updates the signal schedule information (step S107) and transmits the updated signal schedule information to the autonomously driven vehicle VE (step S108).

[0071] Thereafter, the determination unit 52 checks whether the autonomous vehicle VE has passed through the intersection CS (step S109), and if completion is confirmed (step S109: Yes), the series of processes ends. Note that if completion is confirmed in step S109, the determination unit 52 notifies the signal controller SC of that fact (passage completion notification).

[0072] On the other hand, if completion is not confirmed in step S109 (step S109: No), the process returns to step S101 and waits for the next future position information (second or subsequent future position information), and repeats the subsequent operations until it is confirmed that the autonomous vehicle VE has completely passed through the intersection CS.

[0073] Furthermore, if it is determined in step S103 that a dilemma will not occur (step S103: No), the determination unit 52 maintains the current signal schedule information as is without performing any special processing, and transmits the maintained signal schedule information to the autonomously driven vehicle VE (step S108). In this case, if there is no change in the future position information from the second time onwards, the transmission in step S108 may be omitted.

[0074] Next, as shown in Figure 8(B), the signal controller (traffic signal controller) SC constituting the traffic light TL, which is another roadside device, waits for a vehicle detection notification from the judgment unit 52, i.e., a notification that an autonomously driven vehicle VE that should be the target of driving assistance has been detected (step S201), and upon receiving the vehicle detection notification (step S201: Yes), it checks whether there is an adjustment request shown in step S105, i.e., a request to update the signal schedule information (time adjustment request) (step S202).

[0075] In step S202, when it is confirmed that there is a time adjustment request (step S202: Yes), the signal controller SC performs processing to extend (or shorten) the green display time of the corresponding signal lamp SG in accordance with the request (step S203). That is, the signal controller SC updates the signal schedule information. Furthermore, the signal controller SC transmits the updated signal schedule information to the determination unit 52 (step S204). That is, the signal controller SC replies to the time adjustment request from the determination unit 52.

[0076] Thereafter, the signal controller SC confirms receipt of the passage completion notification transmitted from the determination unit 52 when completion is confirmed in step S109 (step S205).

[0077] Furthermore, even if it is confirmed in step S202 that there is no time adjustment request (step S202: No), the signal controller SC confirms receipt of the passage completion notification (step S205). In this case, the signal controller SC confirms receipt of the passage completion notification without performing any special processing.

[0078] If it is confirmed in step S205 that the passage completion notification has been received (step S205: Yes), the signal controller SC determines that the processing related to the dilemma for the corresponding one autonomously driven vehicle VE has been completed, performs initialization processing (step S206), and ends the series of processing. Note that the initialization processing includes, for example, clearing information related to the autonomously driven vehicle VE, and performing consistency processing when the green display time has been changed.

[0079] On the other hand, if reception of the passing completion notification is not confirmed in step S205 (step S205: No), the signal controller SC repeats the operations from step S202. That is, it resumes the process of checking whether or not there is a time adjustment request due to the occurrence of a dilemma, and repeats the series of operations until reception of the passing completion notification is confirmed, that is, until the processing related to the dilemma for one autonomously driven vehicle VE is completed.

[0080] 9 is a conceptual diagram showing an overview of the configuration and operation of the above-described driving assistance system 100. As shown in the figure and as described above, the above-described driving assistance system 100 communicates with the automatically driven vehicle VE to acquire, from the automatically driven vehicle VE, individual characteristic information including information on driving performance specific to the automatically driven vehicle VE, or future position information based on the individual characteristic information including information on driving performance specific to the automatically driven vehicle VE, and a determination unit 52a determines whether the automatically driven vehicle VE will be in a dilemma area based on the acquired future position information. Furthermore, in the driving assistance system 100, the adjustment unit 52b adjusts the operation of the signal lamps SG to avoid the dilemma in accordance with the determination result of the determination unit 52a, and transmits signal schedule information as the adjustment result to the automatically driven vehicle VE via the communication unit 30.

[0081] As described above, driving assistance system 100 according to this embodiment includes determination unit 52a that determines whether autonomously driven vehicle VE heading toward signal lamp SG will be in a dilemma area based on individual characteristic information including information on driving performance unique to autonomously driven vehicle VE, adjustment unit 52b that adjusts the light color operation of signal lamp SG required to avoid the dilemma in accordance with the determination result of determination unit 52a, and communication unit 30 that transmits information on the adjustment result of adjustment unit 52b to autonomously driven vehicle VE. As a result, driving assistance system 100 can provide driving assistance that enables more accurate dilemma avoidance based on the characteristics of each individual vehicle by determining in advance whether autonomously driven vehicle VE will be in a dilemma area based on the individual characteristic information of autonomously driven vehicle VE and adjusting the light color operation of signal lamp SG to avoid the dilemma.

[0082] Second Embodiment An example of a driving assistance system according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to FIG. 10. FIGS. 10(A) to 10(C) are conceptual diagrams for outlining an example of operation at an intersection CS equipped with a driving assistance system 100 according to this embodiment, and are particularly diagrams for explaining a dilemma area and how to avoid it in the driving assistance system 100. FIGS. 10(A) to 10(C) correspond to FIG. 4(A) and other figures. The driving assistance system 100 according to this embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that, when there are vehicles following an autonomously driven vehicle VE that is to be assisted, these vehicles are treated as a group (a vehicle group). Apart from the above differences, the second embodiment is similar to the first embodiment, and therefore a description of the overall configuration of the driving assistance system 100 will be omitted, and other figures will be used as necessary.

[0083] To specifically describe one aspect of this embodiment, first, as illustrated in FIG. 10(A), assume that communication between driving assistance device SS and autonomously driven vehicle VE has begun, and that there are one or more following vehicles VV (e.g., general vehicles that do not communicate with driving assistance device SS) following autonomously driven vehicle VE. Furthermore, assume that driving assistance device SS detects not only autonomously driven vehicle VE but also the following vehicles VV, for example, through monitoring using sensor unit 10 (see FIG. 2, etc.). In this case, driving assistance system 100, for example, on the condition that the following vehicles VV are located within a certain distance from autonomously driven vehicle VE, treats them as a group, i.e., as a single vehicle group GV, as illustrated in FIG. 10(B), and determines whether or not the vehicle group GV belongs to a dilemma zone DZ.

[0084] In this case, the length LL (distance in the direction of travel) from the leading autonomous vehicle VE to the end of the following vehicle VV may be, for example, several tens of meters or more. Therefore, in addition to the same factors as in the first embodiment, the determination is made taking into account the length LL. In other words, in the above aspect, the determination unit 52a (see FIG. 2, etc.) determines whether the autonomously driven vehicle VE will be in a dilemma area based on the length LL of the vehicle group GV, including the vehicles VV that are present within a predetermined inter-vehicle distance from the autonomously driven vehicle VE. For example, in FIG. 10(B), the determination unit 52 (determination unit 52a) of the driving assistance system 100 determines whether a dilemma area DZ exists for the vehicle group GV from the future position information of the autonomously driven vehicle VE, taking into account the range of the length LL. 10(C), the judgment unit 52 (calculation unit CC of the adjustment unit 52b) calculates the adjustment time ΔT based on whether or not the end of the vehicle group GV, which has a length LL, will pass through the target signal lamp SGα. For example, as shown in the figure, in the case of dilemma avoidance by extending the green light, the adjustment time ΔT can be calculated by dividing the length LL by the standard speed Vs when passing through the intersection CS to the normal extension time, and then adding a time Te (>LL / Vs) that takes into account the margin time.

[0085] In this embodiment as well, it is possible to determine in advance whether an autonomous vehicle VE will be in a dilemma area based on individual characteristic information of the autonomous vehicle VE, and to adjust the light color operation of the signal lamp SG to avoid the dilemma, thereby providing driving assistance that enables more accurate dilemma avoidance based on the characteristics of each individual vehicle. In particular, in this embodiment, it is possible to collectively take measures to avoid a dilemma for multiple vehicles in a line.

[0086] In the above example, the autonomous vehicle VE is the lead vehicle, but this is not limited to this. The second or subsequent vehicle in the vehicle group GV may also be an autonomous vehicle VE that receives driving assistance from the driving assistance system 100.

[0087] 〔others〕 The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be embodied in various forms without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0088] First, in the above, in order to simplify the explanation, an autonomous vehicle VE going straight through an intersection CS has been described, but the locations where the driving assistance system 100 can be introduced are not limited to such cases, and the driving assistance system 100 can be introduced in various locations that have traffic lights.

[0089] Furthermore, the shape and configuration of the intersection CS are merely examples, and are not limited to these and can be applied to intersections with various shapes and structures.

[0090] In addition, various other configurations are possible for configuring the driving assistance system 100 besides those described above. For example, if a monitoring sensor unit is provided in the signal light SG, this may be used as the sensor unit 10. [Explanation of symbols]

[0091] 10...sensor unit, 11...camera unit, 12...distance measurement unit, 30...communication unit, 50...main control unit, 51...sensor control unit, 52...dilemma zone avoidance judgment unit (judgment unit), 52a...judgment unit, 52b...adjustment unit, 100...driving assistance system, AO...autonomous driving control unit, C1...curve, CC...adjustment time calculation unit (calculation unit), CF...future position information calculation unit, CS...intersection, DD...detection area, DR...data reception unit, DTa...passenger number detection unit, DTb...weight detection unit, DZ...dilemma area, ES...individual characteristic information extraction unit, FG...future position information generation unit, F P1~FP4...points, GV...vehicle group, IR...internal information acquisition unit, JD...judgment device, L1...straight line, MB...moving body, OR...external information acquisition unit, PP...dashed line, Q1~Q3...points, SC...signal controller (traffic signal controller), SG, SGα...signal lamp, SS...driving assistance device, T...time, TL...traffic light, TT...communication unit (radio unit), Te...time, V...driving speed (speed), VD...vehicle information storage unit, VE...autonomous vehicle, VV...following vehicle (general vehicle), Vs...standard speed, Vα...legal maximum speed (designated speed), Z1~Z4...area, x...position (distance), ΔT...adjustment time

Claims

1. a determination unit that determines whether an autonomously driven vehicle heading toward a traffic light will be in a dilemma area based on individual characteristic information including information on driving performance specific to the autonomously driven vehicle; an adjustment unit that adjusts the light color operation of the signal lamp device required to avoid the dilemma according to the determination result of the determination unit; a communication unit that transmits information about the adjustment result in the adjustment unit to the autonomous driving vehicle; Equipped with The determination unit performs a determination each time future position information continuously transmitted from the autonomously driven vehicle as the individual characteristic information is updated.

2. 2. The driving assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment unit includes a calculation unit that calculates an adjustment time for switching the light color of the signal light device required to avoid the dilemma when the determination unit determines that the autonomously driven vehicle will be in a dilemma area.

3. the adjusting unit causes a traffic signal controller that controls the signal lamp to secure the adjustment time calculated by the calculating unit, The driving assistance system according to claim 2 , wherein the communication unit transmits information about the secured adjustment time to the autonomous driving vehicle.

4. The driving assistance system of claim 3, wherein the calculation unit selects, as the adjustment time, either a time to extend the green light state of the signal light to allow the autonomous vehicle to pass, or a time to accelerate the change of the signal light to red to allow the autonomous vehicle to stop in front of the signal light, depending on the range of time adjustment available in the traffic signal controller.

5. The determination unit determines, from the future position information, whether the autonomous vehicle heading toward the intersection where the traffic light is installed will be in a dilemma area; 5. The driving assistance system according to claim 1, wherein the future position information includes information about a predicted time at which the autonomous vehicle will pass through the intersection.

6. The driving assistance system according to claim 5 , wherein the future position information is transmitted from the autonomous vehicle until the autonomous vehicle passes through the intersection.

7. A driving assistance system as described in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the future position information is updated at predetermined intervals.

8. The driving assistance system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the individual characteristic information includes, in addition to the future position information, information on the current position and current speed of the autonomous driving vehicle, as well as information on the driving performance based on any one of the vehicle type, weather, and number of passengers.

9. The driving assistance system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the determination unit determines whether the autonomously driven vehicle will be in a dilemma area based on the length of a group of vehicles including vehicles that are within a predetermined inter-vehicle distance from the autonomously driven vehicle.

10. A sensor unit is provided on the infrastructure side and detects the autonomous driving vehicle, The driving assistance system according to any one of claims 1 to 9, wherein the determination unit compares self-position estimation information transmitted from the autonomous driving vehicle with the detection results of the sensor unit to identify the autonomous driving vehicle as the target of determination.

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