Information Provision System

Abstract

To provide an information provision system that can prevent collisions with oncoming vehicles, etc., while taking into account a case where an automatic driving vehicle veers into an oncoming lane in a range that includes blind spots of the automatic driving vehicle.SOLUTION: An information provision system 100 includes: a monitoring unit 10 that monitors a range BA including blind spots of an automatic driving vehicle VE; a communication unit 30 that receives future location information from the automatic driving vehicle VE; and a determination unit JU that determines whether or not the automatic driving vehicle VE veers into an oncoming lane OL. When determining that the automatic driving vehicle VE veers, the determination unit JU sends travel control information according to a monitoring result in the monitoring unit 10 to the automatic driving vehicle VE via the communication unit 30.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an information provision system that provides driving assistance information from an infrastructure side to an autonomous vehicle traveling in an area including a blind spot. [Background technology]

[0002] Due to the turning characteristics of vehicles, if the vehicle must travel with its body protruding into the oncoming lane when traveling around a curve, there is a risk that the autonomous vehicle may collide with an oncoming vehicle. This is particularly true when large vehicles such as buses travel around curves on narrow roads or when traveling around sharp curves.

[0003] In the driving control of an autonomous vehicle, even when there is an obstacle that cannot be seen by the vehicle, such as around a blind corner, there is a system that uses vehicle-to-vehicle communication to cooperate with other autonomous vehicles to create an obstacle avoidance plan and avoid the obstacle that cannot be seen by the vehicle (Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 uses vehicle-to-vehicle communication to avoid obstacles that exist in blind spots, but does not consider the danger that may occur if the autonomous vehicle strays from its lane.

[0004] Another example of driving control for autonomous vehicles involves determining the upper limit of a turning speed of an autonomous vehicle by comprehensively considering the safe stopping distance between the autonomous vehicle and the boundary of a curve within the detection area of ​​the autonomous vehicle in the direction of travel, the braking parameters of the autonomous vehicle, and the curvature of the curve, and calculating the upper limit of vehicle speed and controlling the vehicle speed in real time according to the driving environment on different curves, thereby improving the success rate of passing through curves and ensuring driving safety (Patent Document 2). In Patent Document 2, the detection area in the autonomous vehicle's current direction of travel is determined based on the arrangement of sensors on the autonomous vehicle, and the curve boundary located within the detection area is determined based on the autonomous vehicle's current position on the curve, but this does not take into account oncoming vehicles or the danger of the autonomous vehicle veering out of its lane. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-190969 [Patent Document 2] Patent Publication No. 2021-66429 Summary of the Invention

[0006] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned background, and aims to provide an information provision system that can prevent collisions with oncoming vehicles, etc., while taking into account cases where an autonomous vehicle strays into an oncoming lane in an area that includes the autonomous vehicle's blind spot.

[0007] In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the information provision system of the present invention comprises a monitoring unit that monitors an area including the blind spots of the autonomous vehicle, a communication unit that receives future position information from the autonomous vehicle, and a judgment unit that determines whether the autonomous vehicle will stray into an oncoming lane, and if the judgment unit determines that the autonomous vehicle will stray, it transmits driving control information according to the monitoring results of the monitoring unit to the autonomous vehicle via the communication unit.

[0008] In the above information provision system, if the determination unit determines that the autonomous vehicle will stray into the lane, it transmits driving control information to the autonomous vehicle according to the monitoring results of the monitoring unit, thereby preventing a collision with an oncoming vehicle, etc., even if the autonomous vehicle may stray into the oncoming lane in an area that includes the autonomous vehicle's blind spot. This allows the autonomous vehicle to travel safely even when traveling in an area that includes a blind spot.

[0009] According to a specific aspect of the present invention, in the information provision system, the monitoring unit transmits target object information obtained from an oncoming vehicle in an area including a blind spot as a monitoring result to a determination unit, and the determination unit transmits driving control information according to the driving state of the oncoming vehicle based on the target object information to the autonomous vehicle. In this case, the determination unit can easily set driving control information based on the target object information of the oncoming vehicle so as to avoid a collision with the oncoming vehicle even if the oncoming vehicle is in an area including a blind spot.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present invention, the determination unit performs the first protrusion determination based on future position information. In this case, since the future position information received from the autonomously driven vehicle is used, the calculation process for the determination can be simplified and the determination time can be shortened.

[0011] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the determination unit performs the second protrusion determination based on at least the specifications of the autonomously driven vehicle, the minimum turning radius, and the road shape. In this case, a comprehensive determination can be made taking into account the specifications of the autonomously driven vehicle, etc., thereby improving the accuracy of the protrusion determination.

[0012] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the determination unit performs a second protrusion determination when the first protrusion determination determines that no protrusion occurs. In this case, by performing the two-stage protrusion determination, the protrusion determination can be performed with high accuracy.

[0013] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, when the determination unit determines that the autonomous vehicle will protrude, it sets a protrusion area based on at least one of the future position information, the specifications of the autonomous vehicle, the minimum turning radius, and the road shape. For example, setting the protrusion area based on the future position information can be done with simple calculation processing. Furthermore, setting the protrusion area based on the specifications of the autonomous vehicle, the minimum turning radius, and the road shape can set an area with high accuracy. Furthermore, by combining information such as the future position information and the specifications of the autonomous vehicle, it is possible to set an area with even higher accuracy.

[0014] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, if the determination unit determines, based on the target information of the oncoming vehicle, that an oncoming vehicle is in the protrusion area when the autonomously driven vehicle reaches the protrusion area, the determination unit transmits danger information warning of a possibility of a collision with the oncoming vehicle as driving control information to the autonomously driven vehicle via the communication unit. In this case, it is possible to warn the autonomously driven vehicle that there is a risk of the autonomously driven vehicle colliding with an oncoming vehicle in the protrusion area in the future.

[0015] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, if the determination unit determines, based on target information about the oncoming vehicle, that an oncoming vehicle is in the protrusion area when the autonomously driven vehicle reaches the protrusion area, the determination unit sets the position of a virtual stop line and transmits the position information of the virtual stop line to the autonomously driven vehicle via the communication unit as driving control information. In this case, by causing the autonomously driven vehicle to stop at the virtual stop line, it is possible to prevent the autonomously driven vehicle from colliding with an oncoming vehicle in the protrusion area in the future.

[0016] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the determination unit includes a calculation unit that calculates a possible departure time at which the autonomously driven vehicle stopped at the virtual stop line can start based on the future position information and target information of the oncoming vehicle, and transmits the possible departure time calculated by the calculation unit to the autonomously driven vehicle via the communication unit as driving control information. In this case, it is possible to indicate an appropriate departure timing to the autonomously driven vehicle stopped at the virtual stop line.

[0017] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, when the autonomous vehicle is stopped and the determination unit determines that the oncoming vehicle is in the protrusion area based on the target information of the oncoming vehicle, the determination unit transmits start prohibition information as driving control information to the autonomous vehicle via the communication unit. In this case, a collision between the autonomous vehicle and the oncoming vehicle can be avoided.

[0018] According to yet another aspect of the present invention, the range including the blind spot is a range including a curve in the road and an area beyond the curve in the direction of travel of the autonomously driven vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a plan view conceptually showing a curve where an information provision system according to a first embodiment is installed and the surrounding area thereof. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an information providing system. [Figure 3] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a determination device in the information providing system. [Figure 4] 10 is a conceptual diagram illustrating interference between target information of an autonomously driven vehicle and an oncoming vehicle in a protruding area. FIG. [Figure 5] 10A and 10B are data diagrams showing an example of an outline of communication content. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are flowcharts illustrating a series of operations in the information providing system. [Figure 7] 10A and 10B are flowcharts illustrating a series of operations in the information providing system. [Figure 8] FIG. 10 is a plan view conceptually showing a curve where an information provision system according to a second embodiment is installed and the surrounding area. [Figure 9] 9(A) and 9(B) are flowcharts for explaining a series of operations in the information providing system of FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] [First embodiment] An example of an information provision system according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to Fig. 1 etc. Fig. 1 is a conceptual diagram for explaining an overview of a curve CU on a road RA to which an information provision system 100 according to this embodiment has been introduced and the surroundings of the curve CU.

[0021] The information provision system 100 monitors the presence of potentially dangerous vehicles (specifically, the presence of an oncoming vehicle OC that may collide with the automatically driven vehicle VE around the curve CU, for example, a vehicle that is traveling in an area that includes a blind spot for the automatically driven vehicle VE) at a curve CU or the like on the road RA, and provides assistance to the automatically driven vehicle VE. In this embodiment, an example will be described in which the information provision system 100 provides information for driving assistance from the roadside to the automatically driven vehicle VE that is passing through a curve CU on the road RA.

[0022] FIG. 1 shows an example of an operation when an autonomous vehicle VE, which is a target of assistance from information provision system 100, passes through a curve CU ahead. While the figure shows a bus BU traveling along a predetermined route as an example of an autonomous vehicle VE, information provision system 100 can provide necessary information to various autonomous vehicles VE of different vehicle sizes, such as passenger cars, trucks, trailers, and towing vehicles, in addition to buses BU. In this example, as shown in the figure, the autonomous vehicle VE, which is a target for receiving information from information provision system 100, travels straight in the Z direction indicated by arrow A1, turns left at curve CU, and, after turning curve CU, continues straight in the X direction indicated by arrow A2. It is also assumed that the moving object MB traveling in the oncoming lane OL (specifically, an oncoming vehicle OC) is not an autonomous vehicle. In Figure 1 etc., X, Y, and Z are a right-handed Cartesian coordinate system, and the +Z direction indicates the direction of travel of the autonomously driven vehicle VE as indicated by arrow A1, as already described, the X direction indicates the left-right direction relative to the direction of travel, and the Y direction indicates the up-down direction.

[0023] In the example of FIG. 1, the range including the curve CU ahead in the driving direction of the autonomously driven vehicle VE and the area beyond the curve CU is the range BA including the blind spot, which serves as the detection range for driving assistance in the information provision system 100. Note that the actual detection range may be the range of the range BA including the blind spot that includes the oncoming lane OL, which serves as the detection range SA. The detection range SA shown in the figure is the range of the range BA including the blind spot that extends in the +X direction from the left end of the curve CU in the oncoming lane OL. Note that the range BA including the blind spot and the detection range SA may be changed as appropriate.

[0024] Information provision system 100 monitors traffic conditions in range BA, including blind spots, and detection range SA to acquire target information, and also acquires information from automatically driven vehicle VE indicating the curve CU and the planned driving route TR when passing through the vicinity thereof (future position information, described later).Based on this, information provision system 100 determines whether automatically driven vehicle VE is straying into an oncoming lane OL in order to avoid a collision with a moving object MB (oncoming vehicle OC) in detection range SA, which is the range beyond the curve CU for automatically driven vehicle VE, and transmits information regarding the determination result to automatically driven vehicle VE.This allows automatically driven vehicle VE to avoid a collision with moving object MB even if the vehicle body strays from the curve CU.

[0025] Here, the autonomous vehicle VE is capable of autonomous driving and is equipped with various sensors for driving (see, for example, Figure 2), allowing it to detect various aspects of its surrounding environment. However, there are limitations to the autonomous vehicle VE's own sensing capabilities. For example, it is unable to detect anything ahead of the range that the sensors installed on the autonomous vehicle VE can sense. The same is true when the road on which the autonomous vehicle VE is traveling is curved and visibility is poor. As described above, the detection range SA includes areas beyond the autonomous vehicle VE's detectable range, such as areas beyond the capabilities of the sensors installed on the autonomous vehicle VE or areas where road visibility is poor and the sensors installed on the autonomous vehicle VE cannot detect. By monitoring this range from the infrastructure side, i.e., a side fixed in place, it is possible to provide information that the autonomous vehicle VE alone cannot detect. This enables more appropriate decisions to be made during autonomous driving by the autonomous vehicle VE.

[0026] To achieve the above-described objectives, the information provision system 100 is configured primarily with the information provision device PV. More specifically, the information provision device PV is a roadside device installed near the curve CU. The information provision device PV acquires various information by capturing images and measuring distances within the detection range SA, and also communicates with the automatically driven vehicle VE to acquire information about the automatically driven vehicle VE (such as future position information and vehicle VE specifications) from the automatically driven vehicle VE itself. The information provision device PV also functions as a determination device JD that makes various determinations, such as whether or not to proceed, based on the information about the automatically driven vehicle VE. As described above, the functions of the information provision system 100 are realized by the cooperation of each unit centered around the information provision device PV. In the illustrated example, the information provision device PV is provided on a convex mirror CM. The information provision device PV may also be provided on a utility pole, a lamp, or the like. The information provision device PV may also be installed on an existing object or may be installed separately as an independent entity. In the above-described configuration, the information provision device PV alone can be considered to be the information provision system 100.

[0027] In this embodiment, based on the various types of information acquired as described above, information provision system 100 determines whether or not autonomously driven vehicle VE will stray into an oncoming lane OL in detection range SA when autonomously driven vehicle VE travels along planned driving route TR as shown in FIG. 1 . If information provision system 100 determines that autonomously driven vehicle VE will stray into the oncoming lane OL, it transmits to autonomously driven vehicle VE driving control information corresponding to the monitoring results in detection range SA. That is, if information provision system 100 determines that autonomously driven vehicle VE will stray into oncoming lane OL in detection range SA, it transmits information of a virtual stop line VL to autonomously driven vehicle VE so as to stop autonomously driven vehicle VE before curve CU. On the other hand, if information provision system 100 determines that autonomously driven vehicle VE will not stray into oncoming lane OL, it outputs information to autonomously driven vehicle VE that it is permitted to travel through curve CU.

[0028] The virtual stop line VL indicates a predetermined position using an area or line segment, and is shown as a dashed line in the figure, but is not actually drawn on the road surface; it is position data that is stored in the information provision device PV. The position data (position information) of the virtual stop line VL is provided to the automatically driven vehicle VE from the roadside as needed. As described above, the information provision system 100 provides the virtual stop line VL as a unified standard for safely stopping the automatically driven vehicle VE when it is necessary to stop (pause) while the automatically driven vehicle VE is traveling (driving).

[0029] Here, various methods can be employed for determining whether or not the information provision system 100 will extend into the oncoming lane OL, which determines whether or not to display the virtual stop line VL. For example, a method (first determination) based on future position information of the autonomously driven vehicle VE can be considered. More specifically, the information provision system PV determines whether or not the planned driving route TR of the autonomously driven vehicle VE will extend into the oncoming lane OL based on the future position information of the autonomously driven vehicle VE. The first extension determination uses the future position information of the autonomously driven vehicle VE, which simplifies the calculation process for the determination and reduces the determination time. The future position information (planned driving route TR) created by the autonomously driven vehicle VE is created based on route information held by the autonomously driven vehicle VE, the current speed of the autonomously driven vehicle, and time. If it is determined that the autonomously driven vehicle VE will extend into the oncoming lane OL, an extension area PA is created based on the future position information, and a determination is made as to whether or not there is a possibility of collision between the autonomously driven vehicle VE and a moving object MB or an obstacle detected in the detection range SA when the autonomously driven vehicle VE passes through the extension area PA. If it is determined that there is a possibility of collision, information on the virtual stop line VL is transmitted from the information provision system 100, and if it is determined that there is no possibility of collision, information on the virtual stop line VL is not transmitted from the information provision system 100. Here, the protrusion area PA created based on the future position information is an area PAm surrounded by the center line CL of the road RA, which indicates the boundary between the driving direction and the oncoming lane OL, and the part of the planned driving route TR that protrudes into the oncoming lane OL. When setting the protrusion area PA based on the future position information, the area PAm can be set by simple calculation processing. Note that the protrusion area PA may be the area PAm plus a margin.

[0030] Another possible method for determining whether or not the autonomous vehicle VE is running into an oncoming lane OL is a method (second determination) based on, for example, vehicle body information of the autonomous vehicle VE, road shape, and the like. More specifically, the information provision device PV determines whether or not the autonomous vehicle VE is running into an oncoming lane OL at a curve CU of interest based on the specifications, minimum turning radius, and road shape of the autonomous vehicle VE. The second running-out determination can perform a comprehensive determination that takes into account the specifications, etc., of the autonomous vehicle VE, thereby improving the accuracy of the running-out determination. Note that, although not shown in the figure, the trajectory based on the specifications, etc., of the autonomous vehicle VE actually has a predetermined width. In the second determination, as in the first determination, a running-out area PA is created, and a collision possibility in the running-out area PA is determined to determine whether or not to display a virtual stop line VL. Note that the second determination may also take into account a planned driving route TR based on future position information. The running-out area PA created after the second determination is based on the specifications, minimum turning radius, and road shape of the autonomous vehicle VE. The protrusion area PA created based on the specifications, etc. of the vehicle VE is an area PAo surrounded by the center line CL and the portion of the trajectory based on the specifications, etc. of the vehicle VE that protrudes into the oncoming lane OL. Setting the protrusion area PA based on the specifications, etc. of the autonomously driven vehicle VE makes it possible to set an area PAo with high accuracy.

[0031] Note that a second determination may be made after the first determination has determined that the area does not protrude. By performing a two-stage protrusion determination, the protrusion determination can be made with high accuracy. Furthermore, when setting the protrusion area PA, by combining information such as future position information and specifications of the autonomously driven vehicle VE, it is possible to set an area with higher accuracy.

[0032] Furthermore, when the information provision system 100 stops the automatically driven vehicle VE at the virtual stop line VL, it subsequently generates information regarding the time when the possibility of collision with a moving body MB or the like in the protruding area PA will be resolved (possible departure time) by making a determination based on information obtained by continuing to monitor whether the possibility of collision with a moving body MB or the like will be resolved, and provides the generated information to the automatically driven vehicle VE. Note that the possible departure time may be shown, for example, as a set time (from what hour, minute, second to what hour, minute, second the vehicle can depart) or as a length of time (from what number of seconds after the present the vehicle can depart).

[0033] On the other hand, when automatically driven vehicle VE receives information about virtual stop line VL from information provision system 100, it determines that there is a possibility of collision with moving body MB or the like in protrusion area PA and that it should not enter curve CU, and performs autonomous driving so as to stop at virtual stop line VL. Furthermore, when automatically driven vehicle VE stops at virtual stop line VL, it waits for information about the possible departure time from information provision system 100 and then resumes driving.

[0034] An example of a configuration for performing the above-described operations in the information providing system 100 will be described below with reference to the block diagrams shown in Figures 2 and 3. First, an overview of the overall configuration, including not only the road side but also the vehicle side (vehicle side), will be described with reference to Figure 2. Then, an example of the details of the operations, etc., of the information providing device PV will be described with reference to Figure 3.

[0035] As shown in Figure 2, the autonomous vehicle VE is equipped with a driving operation unit DO, which is composed of various parts necessary for various operations during normal driving such as steering, accelerating, and braking; an autonomous driving program AO, which controls engine operation and other operations corresponding to these operations; a monitoring sensor SE, which is composed of an imaging unit (camera) that detects the surrounding conditions and a distance measurement unit such as LiDAR; a GNSS acquisition medium RE, which is composed of a GPS receiver; a communication unit TT, which communicates with external devices such as an information provision device PV; a route data unit RO, which stores information about the planned driving route TR; and a map data unit MPv, which is used to grasp the location indicated as the planned driving route TR in the route data unit RO.

[0036] The map data unit MPv stores map data for at least the area that can be included in the planned driving route TR, and is assumed to incorporate, for example, nationwide road map data. The autonomously driving vehicle VE travels along one planned driving route TR set from the route data unit RO, according to the map data stored in the map data unit MPv.

[0037] In the case of an autonomous vehicle VE configured as described above, for example, the autonomous driving program AO controls the operation of each component of the monitoring sensor SE in addition to the various programs required for autonomous driving, to obtain information about the situation around the vehicle VE (for example, information about the positions of white lines defining lanes on the road and stop lines), and obtains information about the vehicle's own position by GNSS (GPS, etc.) via a GNSS acquisition medium RE (GPS receiver, etc.). This enables the vehicle to accurately estimate its own position and perform autonomous driving based on the estimation results.

[0038] In particular, the autonomous driving program AO includes a future position information generation unit FG for generating future position information, which is composed of information such as the current position of the autonomous driving vehicle VE itself on one planned driving route TR set from the route data unit RO, using a GNSS acquisition medium RE, as described above, and information on the future planned route based on the current position.

[0039] In this example, the autonomously driven vehicle VE is assumed to have a predetermined planned driving route TR, such as a sightseeing bus route that passes through a set of predetermined locations, and to turn left (in the +X direction shown in FIG. 1 ) around a curve CU along the planned driving route TR. In other words, the autonomously driven vehicle VE automatically drives along the planned driving route TR stored in the route data unit RO according to the map data unit MPv. During this process, the autonomously driven vehicle VE transmits future position information corresponding to the planned driving route TR during the autonomous driving to an information provision device PV (determination device JD) installed near the curve CU via the communication unit TT before arriving at the curve CU. This allows the autonomously driven vehicle VE to obtain information about driving control, such as a virtual stop line VL and a possible departure time, from the information provision device PV.

[0040] Meanwhile, in the information provision system 100, the information provision device PV includes a main control unit 50, a communication unit 30, and a map data unit MPj to perform various operations to achieve the above-mentioned aspects. Furthermore, the main control unit 50 is configured with a determination unit JU that is configured with various circuit boards, a CPU, a storage device, etc., and a sensor interface (information acquisition unit) SEi for connecting to a monitoring unit 10 that is installed to monitor the detection range SA. Note that, in the above, the information provision device PV can also be considered to include the monitoring unit 10.

[0041] Of the above, the map data unit MPj stores data (topographical information) relating to the detailed shape of the location where the information provision device PV is installed and its surroundings. That is, in this example, the topographical information includes the shape of the curve CU and its surroundings, as well as the road leading to the curve CU. Specifically, the topographical information includes the curvature of the curve CU, the width of the road, the number of lanes, and incidental facilities (guardrails, etc.).

[0042] As described above, in the above-described embodiment, the autonomously driven vehicle VE and the information provision device PV communicate with each other to transmit and receive information about future positions, virtual stop lines, possible departure times, and the like, when entering and passing through the curve CU.

[0043] Hereinafter, with reference to the block diagram shown in FIG. 3, a detailed description will be given of an example of the configuration and operation of the information providing device PV including the monitoring unit 10.

[0044] First, the monitoring unit (roadside sensor) 10 is a sensor unit composed of a camera unit 11 and a distance measurement unit 12, and detects moving objects MB and obstacles within a detection range SA, which is a predetermined range to be monitored. Moving objects MB may include vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, and even obstacles. The camera unit (infrastructure camera) 11 captures images and generates image data to monitor the detection range SA, which is the range beyond the curve CU. 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 the location of the moving object MB to be obtained. The monitoring unit 10 may be configured to include either the camera unit 11 or the distance measurement unit 12, as long as it can acquire target information such as the moving object MB. While only one monitoring unit 10 is shown in the figure, multiple cameras can be installed within the site to thoroughly monitor the curve CU and its surroundings. Furthermore, although the detection range SA is shown here as an example, if the detection range SA changes depending on the traveling direction of the autonomously driven vehicle VE to which information is to be provided, it is also possible to appropriately select the camera or the like to be used accordingly. Here, the detection results acquired by the monitoring unit 10 and various information such as image data and ranging data regarding the moving object MB present in the detection range SA are referred to as target information. In other words, the target information includes information on the operation status of various vehicles, pedestrians, etc. present in the detection range SA as well as the presence of obstacles, etc.

[0045] In the main control unit 50, the sensor interface (information acquisition unit) SEi takes in the information acquired by the monitoring unit 10, i.e., the target information, and outputs it to the judgment unit JU. That is, the information acquisition unit SEi is for acquiring the target information for the detection range SA as a predetermined range.

[0046] The communication unit 30 is a wireless unit for wireless communication with the autonomously driven vehicle VE. The communication unit 30 uses a communication method using a mobile communication line, such as 5G or 4G LTE, a mid-range wireless communication method, such as wireless LAN, a short-range wireless communication method, such as DSRC, or a spot communication method, such as a beacon, and performs digital data communication with the autonomously driven vehicle VE located in a predetermined communication zone while identifying the other device. As described above, the autonomously driven vehicle VE, which is the communication partner, transmits future position information indicating its own future position to the information provision device PV, which is the determination device JD, as data for making a determination. More specifically, the autonomously driven vehicle VE first generates future position information, including information about its own current position and its planned future route based on the current position, in a future position information generation unit FG of the autonomous driving program AO in order to perform various controls for autonomous driving. This future position information includes the current position of the autonomously driven vehicle VE (the position at the current time), a future position (including the predicted arrival time) created based on this, and information such as the speed and direction (azimuth angle) at each of these times (scheduled times). Therefore, by receiving the future position information from the autonomously driven vehicle VE, the determination device JD or the information provision device PV can ascertain, for example, the predicted arrival time of the autonomously driven vehicle VE at the curve CU, the time required to pass through the curve CU, etc.

[0047] Using the example of FIG. 1, the position where autonomous vehicle VE is depicted is designated as current position FP1, and points FP2, FP3, ..., FPn, which are shown in order from current position FP1 in the direction of autonomous vehicle VE's travel, indicate the future positions of autonomous vehicle VE. More specifically, with time T at the current position (present time) designated as 0 (T = 0), point FP2 indicates the position of autonomous vehicle VE t seconds from the present time (T = t). Similarly, point FP3 indicates the position of autonomous vehicle VE 2t seconds from the present time (T = 2t), and point FPn indicates the position of autonomous vehicle VE nt seconds from the present time (T = nt). Points FP1 to FPn in FIG. 1 connected by solid lines form the planned travel route TR based on the future position information. The future position information of autonomous vehicle VE changes as appropriate depending on the travel state, and updated information is transmitted to information providing device PV as appropriate.

[0048] Returning to FIG. 3, the judgment unit JU in the main control unit 50 has a protrusion judgment unit 52a and a calculation unit 52b.

[0049] The deviation determination unit 52a collects, from the communication unit 30, the predicted arrival time of the autonomous vehicle VE at the curve CU, the vehicle VE's specifications (information related to vehicle size such as vehicle length and width), minimum turning radius, road shape information, and target information detected by the monitoring unit 10, and performs deviation determination based on these. Typically, as shown in FIG. 1, it is possible to determine whether the autonomous vehicle VE will deviate into the oncoming lane OL in the detection range SA by acquiring a planned driving route TR based on future position information, extracting the driving status of an oncoming vehicle OC, which is a moving object MB, as target information through image analysis processing, and acquiring data related to the road shape and the like in the detection range SA stored in the map data unit MPj. If, as a result of the determination, it is determined that there is a risk of deviation and that there is a possibility of a collision with the oncoming vehicle OC in the deviation area PA, a signal recommending or instructing the autonomous vehicle VE to stop (temporarily stop) at the virtual stop line VL is transmitted from the information provision device PV to the autonomous vehicle VE. Specifically, when the communication unit 30 determines in the protrusion determination unit 52a that there is a possibility of collision with the oncoming vehicle OC in the protrusion area PA, the communication unit 30 sets the position in front of the curve CU as the position of the virtual stop line VL, and transmits information (a stop signal) to the automatically driven vehicle VE that the automatically driven vehicle VE should stop at that position. The above applies similarly even when the protrusion determination is based on the specifications of the vehicle VE, etc.

[0050] In the above, it is possible to consider an embodiment in which the image analysis process and the like for grasping the traffic situation in the detection range SA is started when, for example, a notification of various information such as the first future position information is received from the autonomously driven vehicle VE. In another embodiment, these processes may be performed in advance, and the final result of the determination as to whether or not there is a possibility of a collision may be output based on the notification from the autonomously driven vehicle VE.

[0051] The following describes the temporal interference between the future position information of the automatically driven vehicle VE and the target information of the moving body MB in the oncoming lane OL. Fig. 4 is a diagram showing, in time series, the timing at which the automatically driven vehicle VE and the moving body MB pass through the out-of-bounds area PA. As shown in Fig. 4, if there is temporal interference between the future position information and the target information when the automatically driven vehicle VE passes through the out-of-bounds area PA, the out-of-bounds determination unit 52a determines that there is a possibility of a collision between the automatically driven vehicle VE and the moving body MB in the out-of-bounds area PA in the future.

[0052] Returning to Fig. 3, calculation unit 52b calculates the possible departure time (possible departure time) at which automatically driven vehicle VE, which is stopped at virtual stop line VL, can depart from virtual stop line VL. A typical possible calculation of the possible departure time is to calculate the time at which automatically driven vehicle VE can safely resume traveling from virtual stop line VL based on future position information of vehicle VE and target information of moving object MB. With regard to the future position information of automatically driven vehicle VE, the time it takes for the vehicle to pass through curve CU is taken into consideration.

[0053] Communication unit 30 transmits information about the possible departure time calculated by calculation unit 52b in the above manner to automatically driven vehicle VE.

[0054] As will be described in detail later, as a result of the protrusion determination, the determination unit JU can provide the autonomously driven vehicle VE with driving control information (e.g., pass permission information, danger information, start prohibition information, etc.) corresponding to the driving state of the oncoming vehicle OC based on the target information acquired by the monitoring unit 10, in addition to the position information of the virtual stop line VL and the possible departure time as described above. Here, the pass permission information is control information that causes the autonomously driven vehicle VE to maintain its driving state. The danger information is control information that warns the autonomously driven vehicle VE that there is a risk that the autonomously driven vehicle VE will collide with the oncoming vehicle OC in the protrusion area PA in the future. The start prohibition information is control information that causes the autonomously driven vehicle VE to maintain its stopped state.

[0055] 5(A) and 5(B) are data diagrams showing an example of an outline of the communication content between the vehicle side and the roadside in the above-described manner, where FIG. 5(A) shows information transmitted from the vehicle side to the roadside, and FIG. 5(B) shows information transmitted from the roadside to the vehicle side. In the illustrated example, the roadside is identified by an installation ID for an installation (specifically, a convex mirror CM) or the like installed on the curve CU. On the vehicle side, a vehicle ID is used to identify the autonomously driven vehicle VE.

[0056] First, as shown in Fig. 5(A), the vehicle transmits various IDs, creation dates and times, as well as location information (current location) and future location information of the autonomously driven vehicle VE to the roadside. That is, the information provision device PV installed on the roadside receives this information. The future location information is used for the first protrusion determination by the protrusion determination unit 52a.

[0057] In particular, in the illustrated example, specification data of the vehicle VE is transmitted along with the vehicle ID (source ID). That is, data is transmitted from the vehicle side to enable the infrastructure side to grasp numerical values ​​such as the vehicle size of the autonomously driven vehicle VE. From another perspective, the communication unit 30 of the information provision device PV receives information such as the vehicle size from the autonomously driven vehicle VE, and furthermore, the protrusion determination unit 52a determines whether or not there is protrusion in the second protrusion determination based on the vehicle information such as the vehicle size.

[0058] Furthermore, the position information (current position) of the autonomous vehicle VE includes the latitude and longitude indicating the location of the autonomous vehicle VE at the present time (time of transmission), as well as information on the autonomous vehicle VE's speed (traveling speed) and direction (azimuth angle). In contrast, the future position information includes the same information as the position information (current position), but also includes information on the offset (distance) from the position information (current position). The future position information includes multiple (n) predicted values ​​at regular time intervals (e.g., every t seconds; t=1) from the current time. In other words, roadside equipment can grasp the planned route TR of the autonomous vehicle VE up to, for example, n seconds from now.

[0059] On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 5(B), the roadside, i.e., the information providing device PV, transmits to the vehicle VE, in addition to various IDs and creation dates and times, information on the virtual stop line VL, whether the virtual stop line VL has been transmitted (i.e., whether it has been determined that there is a possibility of a collision), information on the possible departure time, and other driving control information. In the illustrated example, with respect to the virtual stop line VL, information on the coordinates (latitude and longitude) of the start and end points indicating the positions of both ends is provided to indicate its position as a line (line segment). Regarding the possible departure time, it is possible to provide literal time information. However, for example, a mode in which a notification that it is possible to start departure, i.e., a mode in which a possible departure signal is transmitted to the autonomously driven vehicle VE, can also be considered as providing information equivalent to the possible departure time. Note that here, information such as whether it is possible to calculate the possible departure time, i.e., whether the possibility of a collision has been resolved, may also be provided.

[0060] It should be noted that the provision of information to the autonomously driven vehicle VE by the information provision device PV as described above can be considered to be solely for the purpose of driving assistance for the autonomously driven vehicle VE. In other words, the information provided from the roadside is not necessarily compulsory for the autonomously driven vehicle VE, and the final decision on how to drive can be left to the autonomously driven vehicle VE itself.

[0061] An example of a series of operations in the information provision system 100 will be described below with reference to the flowcharts shown in Figures 6(A), 6(B), 7(A), and 7(B). Figures 6(A) and 7(A) are flowcharts showing a series of operations on the road side, i.e., on the information provision device PV, and Figures 6(B) and 7(B) are flowcharts showing a series of operations on the car side (vehicle side), i.e., on the automatically driven vehicle VE.

[0062] First, a series of operations in the information providing device PV, which is a roadside device, will be described with reference to FIGS. 6(A) and 7(A).

[0063] The information providing device PV confirms the presence of a vehicle to which information is to be provided, that is, performs vehicle detection (step S101). More specifically, in step S101, the main control unit 50 of the information providing device PV continues to confirm whether various information, such as initial future position information that serves as a trigger for starting communication, has been received (acquired) from the automatically driven vehicle VE to which information is to be provided, until confirmation is made (step S101: Yes). Note that in step S101, the main control unit 50 of the information providing device PV may also acquire specification data of the automatically driven vehicle VE.

[0064] Next, the main control unit 50, as the determination unit JU (stretching determination unit 52a), performs a first straddle determination as to whether the automatically driven vehicle VE will straddle the oncoming lane OL based on the future position information acquired as described above (step S102). Specifically, it determines whether the planned driving route TR based on the future position information of the automatically driven vehicle VE is on the oncoming lane OL.

[0065] In step S102, if it is determined that there is protrusion (step S102: Yes), the main control unit 50, functioning as the protrusion determination unit 52a, creates a protrusion area PA (step S103). In this case, the protrusion determination unit 52a creates the protrusion area PA based on the future position information.

[0066] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S102 that there is no deviation (step S102: No), the main control unit 50, as deviation determination unit 52a, performs a second deviation determination as to whether or not the autonomously driven vehicle VE is deviation into the oncoming lane OL, based on the specifications of the autonomously driven vehicle VE obtained as described above (step S104). Specifically, the deviation determination unit 52a determines whether or not the trajectory or planned driving route obtained based on the specifications of the autonomously driven vehicle VE, the minimum turning radius calculated from the specifications of the vehicle VE, and the road shape is on the oncoming lane OL. The road shape is obtained from topographical information corresponding to the periphery of the curve CU obtained from the map data unit MPj.

[0067] In step S104, when it is determined that there is protrusion (step S104: Yes), the main control unit 50 functions as the protrusion determination unit 52a and creates a protrusion area PA (step S103). In this case, the protrusion determination unit 52a creates the protrusion area PA based on the specifications of the autonomously driven vehicle VE, the minimum turning radius, and the road shape.

[0068] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S104 that there is no overhang (step S104: No), the main control unit 50, as the overhang determination unit 52a, provides the autonomously driven vehicle VE with information regarding permission to pass (driving control information), which is information indicating that it is possible to proceed around the curve CU (step S105), and terminates the series of processes.

[0069] After creating the protrusion area PA in step S103, the main control unit 50, as the protrusion determination unit 52a, determines whether or not the target information of the automatically driven vehicle VE and the oncoming vehicle OC in the protrusion area PA will interfere in the future (step S106). Note that the main control unit 50, as the information acquisition unit SEi, acquires, from the monitoring unit 10, target information for a detection area (e.g., detection range SA) corresponding to the destination included in the future position information.

[0070] In step S106, if it is determined that interference has occurred (step S106: Yes), the main control unit 50, functioning as the protrusion determination unit 52a, provides the automatically driven vehicle VE with danger information and position information of the virtual stop line VL as driving control information (step S107). Note that provision of the danger information in step S107 may be omitted.

[0071] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S106 that there is no interference (step S104: No), the main control unit 50, as the overhang determination unit 52a, does not provide the position information of the virtual stop line VL, but instead provides information regarding permission to pass as driving control information to the autonomous vehicle VE (step S105), and ends the series of processes.

[0072] After step S107, the main control unit 50, functioning as the protrusion determination unit 52a, determines whether or not the interference between the automatically driven vehicle VE and the target information has ended or its end can be predicted (step S108).

[0073] In step S108, when it is determined that the process has ended or that the end is predictable (step S108: Yes), the main control unit 50, functioning as the protrusion determination unit 52a, transmits the calculation result of the possible departure time by the calculation unit 52b or a corresponding possible departure signal to the automatically driven vehicle VE (step S109). That is, the main control unit 50 provides the possible departure time to the automatically driven vehicle VE as driving control information.

[0074] In step S108, if it is determined that the process has not ended or that the end cannot be predicted (step S108: No), the process proceeds to step S110, which will be described later.

[0075] After step S108 or step S109, the main control unit 50, functioning as the protrusion determination unit 52a, determines whether or not there is currently interference between the target information of the automatically driven vehicle VE and the oncoming vehicle OC in the protrusion area PA (step S110).

[0076] In step S110, if it is determined that interference has occurred (step S110: Yes), departure impossible information is transmitted as driving control information (step S111), and the process returns to step S108 to again determine whether the end of interference can be predicted.

[0077] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S110 that there is no interference (step S110: No), the main control unit 50, as the protrusion determination unit 52a, determines whether the automatically driven vehicle VE has been notified of the possible departure time (step S112).

[0078] In step S112, if the possible departure time has been notified (step S112: Yes), the main control unit 50, as the protrusion determination unit 52a, determines whether the automatically driven vehicle VE has passed the virtual stop line VL (step S113).

[0079] On the other hand, if the departure time has not been notified in step S112 (step S112: No), the main control unit 50, as the overshoot determination unit 52a, provides information regarding permission to pass (driving control information) to the autonomously driven vehicle VE (step S114), and then determines whether the autonomously driven vehicle VE has passed the virtual stop line VL (step S115).

[0080] If it is determined in step S115 that the automatically driven vehicle VE has passed the position of the virtual stop line VL (step S115: Yes), it is assumed that there is no more information that can be provided from the information providing device PV, and the processing ends. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S115 that the automatically driven vehicle VE has not passed the position of the virtual stop line VL (step S115: No), the operation of step S115 is repeated until the automatically driven vehicle VE has passed the position of the virtual stop line VL.

[0081] If it is determined in step S113 that the automatically driven vehicle VE has passed the position of the virtual stop line VL (step S113: Yes), it is determined that there is no more information that can be provided from the information providing device PV, and the process ends. At this time, the automatically driven vehicle VE continues traveling without changing its traveling mode.

[0082] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S113 that the automatically driven vehicle VE has not passed the position of the virtual stop line VL (step S113: No), the operations from step S108 are repeated.

[0083] In the above, when new future position information is transmitted from the automatically driven vehicle VE, the main control unit 50 updates the future position information and performs various processes based on the updated future position information.

[0084] Next, a series of operations in the automatically driven vehicle VE when receiving information from the information providing device PV will be described with reference to Figures 6(B) and 7(B). Note that while the automatically driven vehicle VE is receiving information from the information providing device PV, the automatically driven vehicle VE is continuously transmitting its own future location information to the information providing device PV.

[0085] First, the automatically driven vehicle VE transmits its first future position information to the information providing device PV (step S201). At this time, the automatically driven vehicle VE transmits the specification data of the vehicle VE together with an ID that identifies the vehicle VE.

[0086] Next, the autonomously driven vehicle VE checks whether or not it has acquired information about the virtual stop line VL (step S202). That is, triggered by the transmission in step S201, the information providing device PV performs a determination process (steps S102 to S110 in FIGS. 6A and 7A) to determine whether or not there is protrusion and, based on this, to determine the possibility of a collision, and then transmits the information about the virtual stop line indicating that it is possible to proceed.

[0087] In step S202, if information on the virtual stop line VL is acquired (step S202: Yes), the automatically driven vehicle VE changes its driving behavior accordingly. As a result of driving with the changed behavior, the automatically driven vehicle VE stops at the position of the virtual stop line VL (step S203). Changing the driving behavior to one that allows the vehicle to stop at the virtual stop line VL results in a change to the future position information. In this case, the changed future position information is transmitted to the information provision device PV.

[0088] After stopping at the position of the virtual stop line VL in step S203, the automatically driven vehicle VE waits for the departure possible time to be provided by the information provision device PV (step S204), and continues to do so. That is, the automatically driven vehicle VE stops at the position of the virtual stop line VL and waits until the departure possible time has elapsed or the results of various processes in the information provision device PV are available.

[0089] In step S204, when the available departure time is received from the information providing device PV (step S204: Yes), driving is resumed from the position of the virtual stop line VL (step S205), and the vehicle passes through the curve CU, and the operation processing for receiving information from the information providing device PV is terminated.

[0090] On the other hand, if automatically driven vehicle VE does not acquire information about the virtual stop line VL in step S202 (step S202: No), the automatically driven vehicle VE ends the operation process for receiving information from the information provision device PV. In this case, the automatically driven vehicle VE acquires information indicating that it is possible to proceed (passing permission information) from the information provision device PV as driving control information, and the automatically driven vehicle VE continues driving without changing its driving mode. Note that the automatically driven vehicle VE may check whether it has passed the curve CU as a result of continuing driving, for example, by detecting its own position.

[0091] Note that the above-described operational mode is one example, and various modifications are possible. For example, in the above mode, the transmission of future position information from the autonomously driven vehicle VE triggers the information providing device PV to perform various determination processes regarding deviation from the planned driving route TR and the presence or absence of a collision. However, the present invention is not limited to this mode, and as described above, for example, a configuration may be adopted in which the analysis of traffic conditions in the detection range SA is constantly performed, and a route based on target information is always kept in a calculated state, and various data is acquired from the autonomously driven vehicle VE, and determination results can be quickly produced.

[0092] Furthermore, in the above description, when information about a virtual stop line is not transmitted, information indicating that it is possible to proceed is transmitted, but, for example, when information about a virtual stop line is not transmitted, nothing in particular may be transmitted to the autonomously driven vehicle VE, and the absence of transmission may be used to determine that it is possible to continue traveling. In this case, by performing a confirmation process regarding the delivery of future position information transmitted at predetermined intervals, this may be treated as a substitute for a signal indicating that it is possible to proceed.

[0093] In the information provision system 100 of the embodiment described above, when the determination unit JU determines that the autonomously driven vehicle VE will stray into the oncoming lane OL, the system transmits to the autonomously driven vehicle VE driving control information according to the monitoring results of the monitoring unit 10, thereby making it possible to prevent a collision with an oncoming vehicle OC, etc., even if the autonomously driven vehicle VE may stray into the oncoming lane OL in the range BA that includes the blind spot of the autonomously driven vehicle VE. This allows the autonomously driven vehicle VE to travel safely even when traveling in the range BA that includes the blind spot.

[0094] Second Embodiment An example of an information provision system according to the second embodiment will be described below with reference to Figs. 8 and 9. Fig. 8 is a conceptual diagram showing a curve CU in which an information provision system 100 according to the present embodiment is installed, and the surrounding area. The information provision system 100 according to the present embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the moving object MB traveling in the oncoming lane OL is an autonomously driven vehicle VEx, and both autonomously driven vehicles VEz and VEx travel through the curve CU. In Fig. 8, the symbols TRz, PAz, and Lz respectively indicate the planned driving route, protrusion area, and virtual stop line of autonomously driven vehicle VEz, and the symbols TRx, PAx, and Lx respectively indicate the planned driving route, protrusion area, and virtual stop line of autonomously driven vehicle VEx.

[0095] 8, in the second embodiment, an autonomously driven vehicle VEz that is a first support target of the information provision system 100 is traveling in a lane C1 that starts traveling in the +Z direction and turns left at a curve CU relative to the traveling direction. An autonomously driven vehicle VEx that is a second support target of the information provision system 100 is traveling in an oncoming lane OL of the lane C1, that is, a lane C2 that starts traveling in the -X direction and turns right at a curve CU relative to the traveling direction. An example in which the planned traveling route TRx of the autonomously driven vehicle VEx strays into the lane C1, which is the oncoming lane OL of the vehicle VEx, is not shown in the figure.

[0096] When autonomous vehicles VEz and VEx are traveling in both lane C1 and the opposing lane C2 and there is a possibility that they may pass each other near curve CU and collide, the information provision device PV gives priority to one of the autonomous vehicles according to predetermined criteria, notifies the prioritized autonomous vehicle that it has permission to pass, and provides a virtual stop line VL to the other autonomous vehicle.

[0097] In this embodiment, one information providing device PV can process two lanes C1 and C2. The monitoring unit 10 is composed of a first monitoring unit 10a that monitors a detection range SA1 that includes a range BAz that includes a blind spot on the lane C1 side, and a second monitoring unit 10b that monitors a detection range SA2 that includes a range BAx that includes a blind spot on the lane C2 side. Note that both detection ranges SA1 and SA2 may be monitored by a single monitoring unit 10.

[0098] Figures 9(A) and 9(B) illustrate an example of a series of operations in the information provision system 100 of the second embodiment. The first part of the flowchart is the same as that of Figures 6(A) and 6(B), and therefore will be omitted. Figure 9(A) is a flowchart showing a series of operations on the road side, i.e., on the information provision device PV, and Figure 9(B) is a flowchart showing a series of operations on the car side (vehicle side), i.e., on the automatically driven vehicles VEz, VEx. Note that Figure 9(B) is the same as that of the first embodiment, and therefore its explanation will be omitted.

[0099] As shown in FIG. 9(A), in the second embodiment, in the operation of the information providing device PV, the main control unit 50, as the overshoot determination unit 52a, determines which of the automatically driven vehicles VEz, VEx should have priority before providing the virtual stop line VL (step S301).

[0100] In step S301, if priority is given to the autonomous vehicle VEz traveling from the +Z direction and turning left at the curve CU relative to the direction of travel (step S301: Yes), the main control unit 50, as the overshoot determination unit 52a, provides information regarding permission to depart to the autonomous vehicle VEx (step S105), and terminates the series of processes.

[0101] On the other hand, in step S301, if priority is not given to the autonomous vehicle VEx traveling from the -X direction and turning to the right of the curve CU relative to the direction of travel (step S301: No), the main control unit 50, as the overshoot determination unit 52a, provides the autonomous vehicle VEx with position information of the virtual stop line VL (step S107).

[0102] In the above, in the case of the automatically driven vehicles VEz and VEx, the presence or absence of interference in the protruding areas PAz and PAx may be determined based on future position information of the vehicles, rather than target information of the vehicles.

[0103] In the above embodiment, when autonomous vehicles VEz and VEx are traveling on both lane C1 and the opposing lane C2, collisions between the autonomous vehicles can be avoided near the curve CU or in the detection range SA by prioritizing the autonomous vehicles. In this case, because the oncoming vehicle OC is also an autonomous vehicle, future position information can be used instead of target information for the oncoming vehicle OC.

[0104] 〔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.

[0105] First, in the above embodiment, the location where the information provision system 100 is installed is a curve CU on a two-lane road (one lane on each side), but the location is not limited to this and the information provision system 100 can be installed in various locations. For example, the present application can also be applied to a location where the detection range SA has a range that includes a blind spot for the autonomously driven vehicle VE. Also, although the road RA has been described as having one lane on each side, similar processing is possible even if the road RA has two lanes on each side.

[0106] In the above embodiment, the shape of the curve CU of the road is merely an example, and the present invention is not limited to this and can be applied to cases where the curve has various shapes and structures.

[0107] In the above embodiment, the second determination is performed after the first determination, but it is also possible to configure the system so that either the first determination or the second determination is performed independently.

[0108] In the above embodiment, the reference point of the planned driving route TR is the center of the front of the autonomously driven vehicle VE, but it can be changed as appropriate, for example, to the center of the body of the autonomously driven vehicle VE or the center of the rear end.

[0109] In the above embodiment, the monitoring range of the monitoring unit 10 is the detection range SA, but this may be wider or narrower than the illustrated example, and the area in which the autonomously driven vehicle VE travels (the area on the opposite side of the curve CU from the detection range SA) may also be monitored. In this case, the number of monitoring units 10 can be increased or decreased as appropriate depending on the monitoring range.

[0110] In the above embodiment, even when cruise control information is transmitted from the information providing device PV, the autonomously driven vehicle VE can respond appropriately depending on the actual traffic conditions. For example, if there are other vehicles blocking the path in the autonomously driven vehicle VE's direction of travel, the autonomously driven vehicle VE may stop so as not to extend into the oncoming lane OL. Furthermore, even if there is a possibility of a collision with an oncoming vehicle OC, if the oncoming vehicle OC is actually stopped and waiting before the curve CU outside the extension area PA, the autonomously driven vehicle VE may be caused to depart appropriately and pass through the curve CU.

[0111] In the above description, the information provision devices PV and the like constituting the information provision system 100 are installed near the site, i.e., near the curve CU, but this is not limiting. For example, locations responsible for various information processing and data management may be installed in a remote location as a management center (management server), or various processes and data storage may be performed on the cloud. For example, the position data (position information) of the virtual stop line VL that is stored in the information provision device PV may be stored in a remote management center (management server) or on the cloud. [Explanation of symbols]

[0112] 10,10a,10b...monitoring unit, 11...camera unit, 12...distance measuring unit, 30...communication unit, 50...main control unit, 52a...determination unit, 52b...calculation unit, 100...information provision system, AO...automatic driving program, BA,BAz,BAx...area including blind spots, BU...bus, C1,C2...lane, CM...convex mirror, CU...curve, DO...driving operation unit, FG...future position information generation unit, JD...determination device, JU...determination unit, MB...moving body, MPj...map data unit, MPv...map data unit, OC...oncoming vehicle, OL...oncoming lane, PA,PAz,PAx...exceeding area, PV...information provision device, RA...road, RE...acquisition medium, RO...route data unit, SA,SA1,SA2...detection range, SE...monitoring sensor, SEi...information acquisition unit, TR, TRz, TRx... planned driving route, TT... communication unit, VE, VEz, VEx... autonomous vehicle, VL, VLz, VLx... virtual stop line

Claims

1. a monitoring unit that monitors a range including a blind spot of the autonomous driving vehicle; a communication unit that receives future position information from the autonomous driving vehicle; a determination unit that determines whether the autonomously driven vehicle will stray into an oncoming lane based on a first stray-out determination or a second stray-out determination based on a determination criterion different from that of the first stray-out determination; Equipped with When the judgment unit determines that the autonomous vehicle will stray from the lane, it sets a stray area in the oncoming lane based on the judgment criteria of the first stray judgment or the second stray judgment used in the judgment, and transmits driving control information to the autonomous vehicle via the communication unit according to the monitoring results of the monitoring unit.

2. the monitoring unit transmits target information obtained from an oncoming vehicle in a range including the blind spot as a result of the monitoring to the determination unit; The information providing system according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit transmits to the automatically driven vehicle the driving control information according to a driving state of the oncoming vehicle based on the target information.

3. The information providing system according to claim 1 , wherein the determination unit performs the first protrusion determination based on the future position information.

4. The information provision system according to claim 3 , wherein the determination unit performs the second protrusion determination based on at least specifications of the autonomously driven vehicle, a minimum turning radius, and a road shape.

5. The information providing system according to claim 4 , wherein the determining unit performs the second protrusion determination when it determines that no protrusion occurs in the first protrusion determination.

6. The information provision system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein, when the determination unit determines that the vehicle will protrude, the protrusion area is set based on the future position information and at least one of the specifications of the autonomous driving vehicle, the minimum turning radius, and the road shape.

7. the monitoring unit transmits target information obtained from an oncoming vehicle in a range including the blind spot as a result of the monitoring to the determination unit; The information provision system of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein if the judgment unit determines, based on the target information of the oncoming vehicle, that the oncoming vehicle is in the protrusion area when the autonomous vehicle reaches the protrusion area, it transmits danger information warning of a possibility of a collision with the oncoming vehicle as the driving control information to the autonomous vehicle via the communication unit.

8. the monitoring unit transmits target information obtained from an oncoming vehicle in a range including the blind spot as a result of the monitoring to the determination unit; The information provision system of any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein if the judgment unit determines, based on the target information of the oncoming vehicle, that the oncoming vehicle is in the protrusion area when the autonomous vehicle reaches the protrusion area, it sets the position of a virtual stop line and transmits position information of the virtual stop line to the autonomous vehicle via the communication unit as the driving control information.

9. 9. The information provision system according to claim 8, wherein the determination unit has a calculation unit that calculates a departure time at which the autonomous vehicle stopped at the virtual stop line can start based on the future position information and the target information of the oncoming vehicle, and transmits the departure time calculated by the calculation unit to the autonomous vehicle as the driving control information via the communication unit.

10. the monitoring unit transmits target information obtained from an oncoming vehicle in a range including the blind spot as a result of the monitoring to the determination unit; The information provision system according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein when the autonomous vehicle is stopped, the judgment unit determines that the oncoming vehicle is in the protrusion area based on the target information of the oncoming vehicle, and transmits start-impossible information as the driving control information to the autonomous vehicle via the communication unit.

11. 11. The information provision system according to claim 1, wherein the range including the blind spot is a range including a curve in a road and beyond the curve in the direction of travel of the autonomously driven vehicle.

Images