Driving assistance method and driving assistance device

Abstract

Provided are a driving assistance method and a driving assistance device (19) that perform risk handling control in which, when a portion of detection ranges of a plurality of imaging devices (11) that are mounted on a host vehicle (V1) overlap in a lane adjacent to a host vehicle lane in which the host vehicle (V1) travels, it is determined whether or not another vehicle (V2) will enter the overlapping portion of the detection ranges within a prescribed time, and when it has been determined that said other vehicle (V2) will enter the overlapping portion within the prescribed time, the host vehicle (V1) is controlled to handle the risk that the state of travel of said other vehicle (V2) will be incorrectly recognized from the detection results of the plurality of imaging devices (11).

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] A surround view system for a vehicle is known that generates a three-dimensional model of the vehicle's surrounding environment based on vehicle surrounding environment data and maps visual data to each part of the three-dimensional model, thereby reducing distortion in the generated virtual surround view (Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-200781 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] The process of mapping the visual data onto a 3D model places a heavy load on the processing unit. Therefore, the conventional technology cannot adequately reduce distortion in the virtual surround view in driving scenes where the surrounding conditions of the vehicle change from moment to moment, and therefore cannot accurately recognize the driving conditions of other vehicles around the vehicle. As a result, unnecessary avoidance maneuvers are performed based on the misidentified driving conditions of other vehicles, disrupting the behavior of the vehicle.

[0005] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a driving assistance method and a driving assistance device that can suppress the influence of erroneous recognition of the driving state of another vehicle on the driving state of the subject vehicle. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The present invention solves the above problem by executing risk management control to control the vehicle so as to address the risk of misrecognizing the driving state of another vehicle from the detection results of the multiple imaging devices when it is determined that another vehicle will enter the overlapping area within a specified time period when part of the detection ranges of multiple imaging devices mounted on the vehicle overlap in a lane adjacent to the lane in which the vehicle is traveling. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the present invention, it is possible to suppress the influence of erroneous recognition of the driving state of another vehicle on the driving state of the own vehicle. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a driving assistance system including a driving assistance device according to the present invention; [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of the imaging device of FIG. [Figure 3] 3 is a plan view showing an example of a result of detection of another vehicle by the imaging device shown in FIG. 2. FIG. [Figure 4A] 2 is a plan view (part 1) showing an example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. 1. FIG. [Figure 4B] 2 is a plan view showing an example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. 1 (part 2). FIG. [Figure 4C] 3 is a plan view showing an example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. 1 (part 3). FIG. [Figure 5A] 1. FIG. 4 is a plan view (part 1) showing another example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. [Figure 5B] 1. FIG. 4 is a plan view (part 2) showing another example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. [Figure 5C] 1. FIG. 4 is a plan view (part 3) showing another example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. [Figure 6A]1. FIG. 4 is a plan view (part 1) showing still another example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. [Figure 6B] 1. FIG. 5 is a plan view (part 2) showing still another example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. [Figure 6C] 1. FIG. 4 is a plan view (part 3) showing still another example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. [Figure 7A] 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure in the driving assistance system of FIG. 1 (part 1). [Figure 7B] 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure in the driving assistance system of FIG. 1 (part 2). [Figure 7C] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure in the driving assistance system of FIG. 1 (part 3). DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The following description is based on the assumption that vehicles are driven on the left side of the road in countries with laws stipulating left-hand traffic. In countries with laws stipulating right-hand traffic, vehicles are driven on the right side of the road, so the terms right and left in the following description should be interpreted as symmetrical.

[0010] [Driver assistance system configuration] FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a driving assistance system 10 according to the present invention. The driving assistance system 10 is an in-vehicle system that drives a vehicle to a destination set by the vehicle's occupants (including the driver) through autonomous driving control. Autonomous driving control refers to autonomously controlling the vehicle's driving operations using a driving assistance device (described later), and such driving operations include all driving operations such as acceleration, deceleration, starting, stopping, steering to the right or left, changing lanes, and pulling over. Furthermore, autonomously controlling driving operations refers to the driving assistance device controlling the driving operations using a device in the vehicle. The driving assistance device controls these driving operations within a predetermined range, and driving operations that are not controlled by the driving assistance device are manually operated by the driver.

[0011] 1, a driving assistance system 10 includes an imaging device 11, a distance measuring device 12, a vehicle state detection device 13, map information 14, a vehicle position detection device 15, a navigation device 16, a vehicle control device 17, a display device 18, and a driving assistance device 19. The devices that make up the driving assistance system 10 are connected by a CAN (Controller Area Network) or other in-vehicle LAN, and can exchange information with each other.

[0012] The imaging device 11 is a device that recognizes objects around the vehicle using images, and is, for example, a camera equipped with an imaging element such as a CCD, an ultrasonic camera, or an infrared camera. A single vehicle can be provided with multiple imaging devices 11, and they can be located, for example, near the front grille, under the left and right door mirrors, and near the rear bumper. This reduces blind spots when recognizing objects around the vehicle.

[0013] The distance measuring device 12 is a device for calculating the relative distance and relative speed between the vehicle and an object, and is, for example, a radar device or sonar such as a laser radar, a millimeter wave radar (such as LRF), a LiDAR (light detection and ranging) unit, or an ultrasonic radar. A plurality of distance measuring devices 12 can be provided on one vehicle, and can be arranged, for example, at the front, right side, left side, and rear of the vehicle. This allows the relative distance and relative speed between the vehicle and objects around it to be accurately calculated.

[0014] The objects detected by the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12 include road lane boundaries, center lines, road markings, medians, guardrails, curbs, highway sidewalls, road signs, traffic lights, crosswalks, construction sites, accident sites, traffic restrictions, etc. The objects also include obstacles that may affect the vehicle's travel, such as automobiles (other vehicles) other than the vehicle itself, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, etc. The detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12 are acquired by the driving assistance device 19 at predetermined time intervals as needed. The predetermined time intervals can be set to an appropriate value depending on the processing capacity of the driving assistance device 19.

[0015] Furthermore, the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12 can be integrated or synthesized (so-called sensor fusion) by the driving assistance device 19, thereby supplementing missing information about the detected object. For example, the driving assistance device 19 can calculate the position information of the object based on the self-position information, which indicates the position where the vehicle is traveling and is acquired by the vehicle position detection device 15, and the relative position (distance and direction) between the vehicle and the object. The calculated position information of the object is integrated by the driving assistance device 19 with multiple pieces of information, such as the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12 and the map information 14, to become information about the driving environment around the vehicle. Furthermore, the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12 and the map information 14 can be used to recognize objects around the vehicle and predict their movements.

[0016] The vehicle state detection device 13 is a device for detecting the running state of the vehicle, and includes a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a yaw rate sensor (e.g., a gyro sensor), a steering angle sensor, an inertial measurement unit, etc. These devices are not particularly limited, and known devices can be used. The arrangement and number of these devices can be set appropriately within a range that allows the running state of the vehicle to be appropriately detected. The detection results of each device are acquired by the driving assistance device 19 at predetermined time intervals as necessary.

[0017] Map information 14 is information used for generating driving routes, controlling driving behavior, etc., and includes road information, facility information, and their attribute information. Road information and road attribute information include information such as road width, road curvature radius, roadside structures, road traffic regulations (speed limits, whether lane changes are permitted), road merging and branching points, and locations where the number of lanes increases or decreases. Map information 14 is high-definition map information that allows the movement trajectory of each lane to be grasped, and includes two-dimensional and / or three-dimensional position information at each map coordinate, road / lane boundary information at each map coordinate, road attribute information, lane incline / decline information, lane identification information, and destination lane information. Note that high-precision maps are also called HD (High-Definition) maps.

[0018] Road and lane boundary information in high-resolution map information is information that indicates the boundaries between the lane on which a vehicle travels and other roads. A lane on which a vehicle travels is a road along which the vehicle travels, and the form of the lane is not particularly limited. Boundaries exist on both the left and right sides of the vehicle's direction of travel, and the form is not particularly limited. Boundaries are, for example, road markings or road structures. Examples of road markings include lane boundaries and center lines, and examples of road structures include medians, guardrails, curbs, tunnels, and highway sidewalls. Note that at points where lane boundaries cannot be clearly identified, such as within intersections, boundaries are set for the lane in advance. These boundaries are imaginary and are not actually existing road markings or road structures.

[0019] The map information 14 is stored in a readable state in a recording medium provided in the driving assistance device 19, an in-vehicle device, or a server on a network. The driving assistance device 19 acquires the map information 14 as needed.

[0020] The vehicle position detection device 15 is a positioning system for detecting the current position of the vehicle, and is not particularly limited, and any known system can be used. The vehicle position detection device 15 calculates the current position of the vehicle from, for example, radio waves received from a satellite for a GPS (Global Positioning System). Alternatively, the vehicle position detection device 15 may estimate the current position of the vehicle from vehicle speed information and acceleration information acquired from the vehicle state detection device 13, which includes a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a gyro sensor, and compare the estimated current position with the map information 14 to calculate the current position of the vehicle.

[0021] The navigation device 16 is a device that refers to map information 14 and calculates a driving route from the current position of the vehicle detected by the vehicle position detection device 15 to a destination set by the occupants (including the driver). The navigation device 16 searches for a driving route for the vehicle to reach the destination from the current position using road information, facility information, etc. in the map information 14. The driving route includes at least information on the road on which the vehicle is traveling, the driving lane, and the vehicle's traveling direction, and is displayed, for example, as a linear diagram. There may be multiple driving routes depending on the search conditions. The driving route calculated by the navigation device 16 is output to the driving assistance device 19.

[0022] The vehicle control device 17 is an on-board computer such as an electronic control unit (ECU), and electronically controls on-board devices that govern the driving of the vehicle. The vehicle control device 17 includes a vehicle speed control device 171 that controls the driving speed of the vehicle, and a steering control device 172 that controls the steering operation of the vehicle. The vehicle speed control device 171 and the steering control device 172 autonomously control the operation of these drive devices and steering devices in response to control signals input from the driving assistance device 19. This allows the vehicle to drive autonomously along a set driving route. Information required for autonomous control by the vehicle speed control device 171 and the steering control device 172, such as the vehicle's driving speed, acceleration, steering angle, and attitude, is obtained from the host vehicle state detection device 13.

[0023] Examples of the drive devices controlled by the vehicle speed control device 171 include an electric motor and / or an internal combustion engine as a driving source for traveling, a power transmission device including a drive shaft and an automatic transmission that transmits the output from these driving sources for traveling to the driving wheels, and a drive device that controls the power transmission device. In addition, the braking device controlled by the vehicle speed control device 171 is, for example, a braking device that brakes the wheels. A control signal corresponding to a set traveling speed is input to the vehicle speed control device 171 from the driving assistance device 19. The vehicle speed control device 171 generates signals to control these drive devices based on the control signals input from the driving assistance device 19 and transmits the signals to the drive devices, thereby autonomously controlling the traveling speed of the vehicle.

[0024] On the other hand, the steering device controlled by the steering control device 172 is a steering device that controls the steered wheels according to the rotation angle of the steering wheel, and an example of this is a steering actuator such as a motor attached to a steering column shaft. Based on a control signal input from the driving assistance device 19, the steering control device 172 autonomously controls the operation of the steering device so that the vehicle travels while maintaining a predetermined lateral position (position of the vehicle in the left-right direction) with respect to the set travel route. For this control, at least one of the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12, the vehicle travel state acquired by the host vehicle state detection device 13, the map information 14, and information on the current position of the vehicle acquired by the host vehicle position detection device 15 is used.

[0025] The display device 18 is a device for providing necessary information to vehicle occupants, and is, for example, a liquid crystal display provided on the instrument panel, a projector such as a head-up display (HUD), etc. The display device 18 may also include an input device for the vehicle occupant to input instructions to the driving assistance device 19. Examples of the input device include a touch panel that receives input by the user's finger or a stylus pen, a microphone that receives instructions by the user's voice, and switches attached to the steering wheel of the vehicle. The display device 18 may also include a speaker as an output device.

[0026] The driving assistance device 19 is a device that controls the driving of the vehicle by controlling and cooperating with the devices that make up the driving assistance system 10, and drives the vehicle to a set destination. The destination is set, for example, by a vehicle occupant. The driving assistance device 19 is, for example, a computer, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 191 that is a processor, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 192 that stores programs, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 193 that functions as an accessible storage device. The CPU 191 is an operating circuit that executes the programs stored in the ROM 192 and realizes the functions of the driving assistance device 19.

[0027] The driving assistance device 19 has a driving assistance function of driving the vehicle to a set destination by autonomous driving control. The driving assistance functions of the driving assistance device 19 include a route generation function of generating a driving route, an environment recognition function of recognizing the driving environment around the vehicle, a determination function of making a determination necessary for executing autonomous driving control based on the recognized driving environment, and a driving control function of generating a driving trajectory and driving the vehicle along the driving trajectory. The programs stored in the ROM 192 include programs for realizing these functions, and the CPU 191 executes the programs stored in the ROM 192 to realize these functions. FIG. 1 shows functional blocks that realize each function, extracted for convenience.

[0028] [Functions of each function block] The functions of the respective functional blocks of the support unit 20, the recognition unit 21, the determination unit 22, and the control unit 23 shown in FIG. 1 will be described below.

[0029] The assistance unit 20 has a driving assistance function that drives the vehicle to a set destination through autonomous driving control. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a driving scene in which the driving assistance device 19 autonomously controls the driving of the vehicle through the driving assistance function. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 2, a three-lane road extends in the vertical direction of the drawing, and the vehicle travels on the road from the bottom to the top of the drawing. As shown in FIG. 2, the lanes are designated as lanes L1, L2, and L3 in order from the left lane in the driving direction. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 2, the host vehicle V1 is traveling on lane L2 and is heading toward a destination (not shown) ahead that has been set by the occupant of the host vehicle V1.

[0030] The recognition unit 21 has an environment recognition function that recognizes the driving environment around the vehicle. The driving assistance device 19 recognizes the driving environment around the vehicle using the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12 through the environment recognition function of the recognition unit 21. The driving environment is information for determining whether the vehicle can maintain its current driving state or needs to change its driving state, and includes information such as the type and position of an object, the type and position of an obstacle if present, road conditions such as road surface conditions, and weather. The driving assistance device 19 recognizes the driving environment by performing appropriate processing such as pattern matching and sensor fusion on the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12.

[0031] The recognition unit 21 of this embodiment has a function of detecting obstacles using multiple image capture devices 11 mounted on the host vehicle V1. For example, as shown in Fig. 2, the host vehicle V1 is equipped with a front camera that detects obstacles present within a detection range A1 in front of the host vehicle V1 and a rear camera that detects obstacles present within a detection range A2 behind the host vehicle V1. In addition, the host vehicle V1 is equipped with a front wide-angle camera that detects obstacles present within a detection range B1 in front of the host vehicle V1, a rear wide-angle camera that detects obstacles present within a detection range B2 behind the host vehicle V1, a left wide-angle camera that detects obstacles present within a detection range B3 on the left side of the host vehicle V1, and a right wide-angle camera that detects obstacles present within a detection range B4 on the right side of the host vehicle V1.

[0032] The wide-angle camera has a wide-angle lens, which means it has a wider angle of view and a shorter focal length than a regular camera. Therefore, the detection range B1 of the front wide-angle camera is shorter in distance along the lane L2 than the detection range A1 of the front camera, and has a wider angle of view in the width direction of the lane L2. Similarly, the detection range B2 of the rear wide-angle camera is shorter in distance along the lane L2 than the detection range A2 of the rear camera, and has a wider angle of view in the width direction of the lane L2.

[0033] The driving assistance device 19 uses the function of the recognition unit 21 to integrate and process the detection results from the front wide-angle camera, rear wide-angle camera, left side wide-angle camera, and right side wide-angle camera using sensor fusion to thoroughly detect obstacles present around the host vehicle V1. These wide-angle cameras are arranged so that the detection ranges of adjacent cameras partially overlap (for example, a range of about 10 to 15% of the angle of view from the horizontal end of the detection range) to prevent blind spots around the host vehicle V1 where obstacles cannot be detected. In this embodiment, the detection ranges of multiple image capture devices 11 mounted on the host vehicle V1 are arranged so that they partially overlap in a lane adjacent to the host vehicle V1's lane. Hereinafter, the overlapping portions of the detection ranges of the image capture devices 11 are referred to as overlapping portions.

[0034] For example, in the driving scene shown in Figure 2, the forward detection range B1 and the left-side detection range B3 overlap in the range indicated by overlapping portion C1, and the rearward detection range B2 and the left-side detection range B3 overlap in the range indicated by overlapping portion C2. Both overlapping portions C1 and C2 are located in the lane L1 adjacent to the lane L2 on which the host vehicle V1 is traveling. Furthermore, the forward detection range B1 and the right-side detection range B4 overlap in the range indicated by overlapping portion C3, and the rearward detection range B2 and the right-side detection range B4 overlap in the range indicated by overlapping portion C4. Both overlapping portions C3 and C4 are located in the lane L3 adjacent to the lane L2 on which the host vehicle V1 is traveling.

[0035] It is known that the state of an obstacle cannot be accurately detected in the overlapping areas C1, C2, C3, and C4 described above in many cases. This is because the overlapping areas are located at the edge of the angle of view of the wide-angle lens, and the shape of the obstacle photographed in the overlapping area is distorted due to the characteristics of the lens. Furthermore, if an obstacle exists in an adjacent lane, extending both before and after the overlapping area, no camera can photograph the entire obstacle, and the detection results from multiple cameras mounted on the host vehicle V1 must be integrated to recognize the obstacle. This is because the integration of the detection results may result in an inaccurate estimation of the state of the obstacle.

[0036] The driving scene shown in Figure 3 is a driving scene in which another vehicle V2 is driving on lane L1 in the driving scene shown in Figure 2. The other vehicle V2 is a truck, a large vehicle different from the host vehicle V1, which is a passenger car. In other words, the overall length of the other vehicle V2 is longer than the overall length of the host vehicle V1. In the driving scene shown in Figure 3, the other vehicle V2 is driving at a position on the overlapping portion C1 of lane L1, and the body of the other vehicle V2 is located both in front of and behind the overlapping portion C1.

[0037] For example, in the driving scene shown in FIG. 3, when the driving state of the other vehicle V2 is recognized by integrating image data acquired from a forward camera and distance data to an obstacle acquired from a distance measuring device, the driving assistance device 19 recognizes that the other vehicle V2 is traveling in the state of V2 shown in FIG. 3. That is, the driving assistance device 19 correctly recognizes that the other vehicle V2 is traveling straight in lane L1. In this case, the driving assistance device 19 uses its driving control function to drive straight in lane L1 by lane keeping control and does not perform a driving operation to avoid the other vehicle V2. Also, for example, if the other vehicle V2 changes lanes toward a position ahead of the host vehicle V1, as indicated by V2x in FIG. 3, the driving assistance device 19 performs a driving operation to avoid the other vehicle V2 based on the recognized driving state of the other vehicle V2. For example, the driving assistance device 19 decelerates the host vehicle V1 using the vehicle speed control device 171, and instead of or in addition to this, the driving assistance device 19 uses the steering control device 172 to change lanes from lane L2 to lane L3.

[0038] In this way, when the driving state of the other vehicle V2 is recognized using a single imaging device 11 and a detection device such as a distance measuring device 12, erroneous recognition due to overlapping detection ranges of the multiple imaging devices 11 mounted on the host vehicle V1 does not occur. In contrast, in the driving scene shown in FIG. 3 , when the recognition unit 21 recognizes the driving state of the other vehicle V2 by integrating image data acquired from the front wide-angle camera and the left wide-angle camera, the driving assistance device 19 recognizes that the other vehicle V2 is driving in a state such as V2x shown in FIG. 3 . In other words, when the driving state of the other vehicle V2 is recognized by integrating image data from the multiple imaging devices 11 mounted on the host vehicle V1, the other vehicle V2, which is actually traveling straight, is mistakenly recognized as having steered to the right and changed lanes from lane L1 to lane L2. In this case, the driving assistance device 19 uses its driving control function to perform driving operations to avoid the other vehicle V2 based on the erroneously recognized driving state of the other vehicle V2. This avoidance operation is actually an unnecessary driving operation to avoid the other vehicle V2 that is traveling straight, and this driving operation disrupts the behavior of the host vehicle V1 and causes discomfort to the occupants of the host vehicle V1.

[0039] Therefore, the driving assistance device 19 of this embodiment executes autonomous driving control that addresses the risk of erroneously recognizing the driving state of the other vehicle V2 in order to reduce the impact of an erroneously recognized driving state of the other vehicle V2 on the driving state of the host vehicle V1. This autonomous driving control is controlled mainly by functions of the determination unit 22 and the control unit 23. The functions of the determination unit 22 and the control unit 23 will be described below with reference to Figures 4A to 4C. In the following description, the overlapping portion of the detection ranges of the multiple image capture devices 11 mounted on the host vehicle V1 will also be simply referred to as the "overlapping portion."

[0040] The determination unit 22 has a determination function of determining whether the other vehicle V2 will enter an overlapping portion of the detection ranges of the multiple imaging devices 11. The driving assistance device 19 determines, using the function of the determination unit 22, based on the driving environment information around the host vehicle V1 acquired by the function of the recognition unit 21, whether the other vehicle V2 will enter an overlapping portion of the detection ranges of the multiple imaging devices 11. This makes it possible to start control to reduce the risk of erroneous detection before the other vehicle V2, which may exceed the overlapping range, enters the overlapping portion where erroneous detection is likely to occur.

[0041] When determining whether the other vehicle V2 is entering an overlapping area of ​​the detection ranges of the multiple imaging devices 11, the driving assistance device 19 recognizes the driving states of the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2, for example, from driving environment information acquired by the function of the recognition unit 21. The driving state of the vehicle refers to the state of the vehicle's traveling direction and driving speed, and includes states such as a state in which the vehicle is traveling straight, a state in which the vehicle is steering to the right or left, a state in which the vehicle is accelerating or decelerating, and a state in which the vehicle is traveling at a constant speed. The driving state of the vehicle also includes states of driving actions performed by the vehicle. Examples include a state in which the vehicle's turn signals are flashing, a state in which the vehicle's headlights are on, etc.

[0042] Regarding the traveling state of the host vehicle V1, the driving assistance device 19 recognizes the current traveling state of the host vehicle V1 by using the function of the determination unit 22 to acquire information such as the traveling speed, acceleration, yaw rate, steering angle, and steering wheel rotation angle of the host vehicle V1 from various sensors of the host vehicle state detection device 13. Alternatively or in addition to this, the driving assistance device 19 may acquire road information from map information 14, acquire the current position of the host vehicle V1 from the host vehicle position detection device 15, and acquire the traveling route from the navigation device 16, and recognize the traveling direction and / or traveling speed of the host vehicle V1 from the shape of the road at the current position of the host vehicle V1 and / or the traveling route.

[0043] In response to this, in predicting the driving state of the other vehicle V2, the driving assistance device 19 uses the function of the determination unit 22 to, for example, acquire image data from the imaging device 11, extract and identify obstacles by pattern matching, and recognize the type, position, and state of the obstacle. The driving assistance device 19 also acquires information obtained by scanning the surroundings of the vehicle V1 from the distance measuring device 12, and recognizes the position and direction of the obstacle from this information. If it is recognized from the image data acquired from the imaging device 11 that the obstacle is the other vehicle V2, it recognizes the degree to which the vehicle body is tilted (i.e., the degree to which it is steered) from its shape. The driving assistance device 19 also acquires the position and relative speed of the other vehicle V2 with respect to the vehicle V1 from the scan results of the distance measuring device 12. Based on these detection results, it then recognizes the driving position, traveling direction, and driving speed of the other vehicle V2.

[0044] The driving assistance device 19 determines whether the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion based on the recognized driving states of the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2. The driving assistance device 19 determines whether the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion based on the positional relationship between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2, the speed difference between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2, and the traveling directions of the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2.

[0045] For example, when the other vehicle V2 is traveling behind the host vehicle V1, if the traveling speed of the other vehicle V2 is faster than the traveling speed of the host vehicle V1 and the traveling direction of the other vehicle V2 is toward the overlapping portion, it is determined that the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion. On the other hand, when the other vehicle V2 is traveling behind the host vehicle V1 and the traveling speed of the other vehicle V2 is equal to or lower than the traveling speed of the host vehicle V1, it is determined that the other vehicle V2 will not enter the overlapping portion. Also, when the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1 and the traveling speed of the other vehicle V2 is equal to or higher than the traveling speed of the host vehicle V1, it is determined that the other vehicle V2 will not enter the overlapping portion. On the other hand, when the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1 and the traveling speed of the other vehicle V2 is slower than the traveling speed of the host vehicle V1 and the host vehicle V1 (especially the overlapping portion) is toward the other vehicle V2, it is determined that the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion.

[0046] The method by which the driving assistance device 19 determines whether the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion is not limited to the above, and other methods may be used. For example, the driving assistance device 19 may predict the traveling states of the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 after a predetermined time, and determine whether the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion within the predetermined time based on the predicted traveling states of the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2.

[0047] The predetermined time can be set to an appropriate value within a range in which autonomous driving control that addresses the risk of misidentifying the driving state can be initiated before the other vehicle V2 actually enters the overlapping portion, for example, 10 to 20 seconds. If the predetermined time is shorter than this, the start of autonomous driving control that addresses the risk of misidentifying the driving state will be delayed, resulting in greater changes in the behavior of the host vehicle V1. Conversely, if the predetermined time is longer than this, the driving state cannot be accurately predicted, and there is a risk that autonomous driving control that addresses the risk of misidentifying the driving state will be executed in a driving scene in which such control is not necessary.

[0048] When predicting the driving state of the host vehicle V1 after a predetermined time, the driving assistance device 19 recognizes the current driving state of the host vehicle V1 based on information obtained from the host vehicle state detection device 13. In addition, the driving assistance device 19 obtains control signals output to the drive device and / or steering device from the vehicle control device 17 and recognizes how to control (change) the traveling direction and / or traveling speed of the host vehicle V1. Then, based on these, the driving assistance device 19 predicts how the traveling state of the host vehicle V1 will change after a predetermined time. Alternatively, the driving assistance device 19 may obtain road information from the map information 14, the current position of the host vehicle V1 from the host vehicle position detection device 15, and the traveling route from the navigation device 16, and predict the traveling direction and / or traveling speed of the host vehicle V1 after a predetermined time based on the shape of the road ahead of the current position of the host vehicle V1 and / or the traveling route.

[0049] On the other hand, when predicting the driving state of the other vehicle V2 after a predetermined time, the driving assistance device 19 acquires information obtained by scanning the surroundings of the host vehicle V1 from the distance measuring device 12, and recognizes the position and direction of an obstacle from the information. The driving assistance device 19 repeats the process of recognizing the position and direction of the obstacle from the scan results of the distance measuring device 12 multiple times (for example, three or more times) at time intervals shorter than the predetermined time, recognizes the tendency of changes in the obstacle position, and predicts the state of the obstacle after the predetermined time (i.e., the driving state of the other vehicle V2) from the tendency.

[0050] Then, the driving assistance device 19 determines whether the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion within a predetermined time based on the predicted driving states of the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2. Specifically, the driving assistance device 19 determines whether the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion based on the positional relationship between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 after the predetermined time. This makes it possible to determine whether the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion even if the driving states of both the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 change.

[0051] The prediction of the driving state will be specifically explained using Figure 4A. The driving scene shown in Figure 4A is a driving scene in which another vehicle V2 is present in lane L3 in the driving scene shown in Figure 2. The other vehicle V2 is traveling at position P1 behind the host vehicle V1, and the driving assistance device 19 of the host vehicle V1 recognizes the other vehicle V2 present in the detection range A2 of the rear camera through the function of the recognition unit 21. Furthermore, it is assumed that the host vehicle V1 is traveling at a constant speed through lane keeping control, the other vehicle V2 is traveling straight at a faster speed than the host vehicle V1, and the other vehicle V2 will overtake the host vehicle V1 within a predetermined time.

[0052] In this case, the driving assistance device 19 acquires vehicle speed information of the host vehicle V1 from the vehicle speed sensor (host vehicle state detection device 13) and calculates the traveling position of the host vehicle V1 when constant speed traveling by lane keeping control continues for a predetermined time (10 to 20 seconds). The driving assistance device 19 also acquires image data from the imaging device 11 and recognizes by pattern matching that the obstacle is a truck (other vehicle V2) and that it is traveling in lane L3. In addition, the driving assistance device 19 recognizes from the detection result of the rear camera (imaging device 11) that the other vehicle V2 is traveling straight without turning. Furthermore, the driving assistance device 19 acquires the relative speed of the other vehicle V2 with respect to the host vehicle V1 from the relative speed of the other vehicle V2 with respect to the host vehicle V1 and predicts where the other vehicle V2 traveling straight will be traveling after a predetermined time. In the driving scene shown in Figure 4A, the other vehicle V2 will overtake the host vehicle V1 within a predetermined time, so the driving assistance device 19 determines that the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portions C3 and C4 within the predetermined time based on the relationship between the calculated driving position of the host vehicle V1 and the predicted driving position of the other vehicle V2.

[0053] In addition, predicting the driving state of the subject vehicle V1 and the driving state of the other vehicle V2 after a predetermined time, and determining whether the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion within the predetermined time based on the predicted driving states of the subject vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 are not essential components of the present invention, and may be provided as needed.

[0054] When the control unit 23 determines, through the function of the determination unit 22, that the other vehicle V2 is entering the overlapping portion, the control unit 23 has a function of executing autonomous driving control that addresses the risk of erroneously recognizing the driving state of the other vehicle V2 from the detection results of the multiple imaging devices 11 mounted on the host vehicle V1. Autonomous driving control that addresses the risk of erroneously recognizing the driving state is, for example, autonomous driving control that reduces the possibility of erroneously recognizing the driving state of the other vehicle V2 traveling in the overlapping portion, as shown in FIG. 3, or, even if the driving state is erroneously recognized, reduces the impact that this erroneous recognition has on the driving state of the host vehicle V1. Hereinafter, autonomous driving control that controls the host vehicle V1 to address the risk of erroneously recognizing the driving state of the other vehicle V2 from the detection results of the imaging devices 11 mounted on the host vehicle V1 will also be referred to as risk handling control.

[0055] As risk response control, the driving assistance device 19 autonomously controls the traveling of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle V2 does not enter the overlapping portion. Alternatively or in addition to this, as risk response control, the driving assistance device 19 may autonomously control the traveling of the host vehicle V1 so that the traveling state of the other vehicle V2, which has been erroneously recognized from the detection result of the imaging device 11, does not affect the traveling state of the host vehicle V1.

[0056] Autonomously controlling the traveling of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle V2 does not enter the overlapping portion includes setting the traveling speed of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle V2 is not included in the detection range (particularly the overlapping portion of the detection ranges) of the imaging device 11, setting the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 so that the other vehicle V2 is not included in the detection range (particularly the overlapping portion of the detection ranges) of the imaging device 11, and changing the host vehicle V1 to an adjacent lane. Furthermore, autonomously controlling the traveling of the host vehicle V1 so that the erroneously recognized traveling state of the other vehicle V2 does not affect the traveling state of the host vehicle V1 includes autonomously controlling the traveling of the host vehicle V1 without using the detection result of the imaging device 11, and autonomously controlling the traveling of the host vehicle V1 by setting a small weight for the detection result of the imaging device 11.

[0057] The driving assistance device 19 executes risk response control according to the driving scene, and may execute an appropriate combination of the above-mentioned multiple risk response controls. Specifically, the driving assistance device 19 executes appropriate risk response control based on the positional relationship between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2, the speed difference between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2, the traveling directions of the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2, the driving behavior of the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2, etc.

[0058] As an example, the driving assistance device 19 determines whether another vehicle V2 is traveling behind the host vehicle V1. If it determines that the other vehicle V2 is traveling behind the host vehicle V1, it autonomously controls the traveling of the host vehicle V1 without using the detection result of the imaging device 11 or by reducing the weighting of the detection result. On the other hand, if it determines that the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1 or that the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 are traveling side by side, it determines whether the host vehicle V1 will overtake or pass the other vehicle V2. If it determines that the host vehicle V1 will not overtake or pass, it autonomously controls the traveling of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle V2 is not included in the overlapping portion. On the other hand, if it determines that the host vehicle V1 will overtake or pass, it sets a traveling speed higher than a predetermined traveling speed and performs the overtaking or passing without using the detection result of the imaging device 11 or by reducing the weighting of the detection result.

[0059] In this embodiment, a driving scene in which the host vehicle V1 overtakes another vehicle V2 is, for example, a driving scene in which the other vehicle V2 is a preceding vehicle of the host vehicle V1 traveling in the same lane as the host vehicle V1, and the traveling speed of the other vehicle V2 is slow, making it impossible to continue autonomous driving control of the host vehicle V1, so the host vehicle V1 changes lanes to an adjacent lane to overtake the other vehicle V2. Also, in the above example, when it is determined that the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 are traveling side by side, the traveling of the host vehicle V1 may be autonomously controlled without using the detection result of the imaging device 11 or by reducing the weighting of the detection result.

[0060] In the driving scene shown in Fig. 4A, the driving assistance device 19 determines that the other vehicle V2 has entered the overlapping portions C3 and C4 within a predetermined time and that the overall length D1 of the other vehicle V2 is longer than the length D2 of the overlapping portion C4 along the lane L3, and therefore executes risk response control using the function of the control unit 23. First, the driving assistance device 19 determines whether the other vehicle V2 is traveling behind the host vehicle V1. In the driving scene shown in Fig. 4A, the driving assistance device 19 determines that the other vehicle V2 is traveling behind the host vehicle V1 based on the positional relationship shown in the figure.

[0061] In this case, the driving assistance device 19 autonomously controls the traveling of the host vehicle V1 without using the detection results of the imaging device 11, or autonomously controls the traveling of the host vehicle V1 by setting a small weighting for the detection results of the imaging device 11. In the traveling scene shown in FIG. 4A, the traveling of the host vehicle V1 is autonomously controlled without using the detection results of the imaging device 11. As shown in FIG. 4B, while the other vehicle V2 travels from position P1 to position P2 along the traveling trajectory T1, the driving assistance device 19 performs lane keeping control of the host vehicle V1 without using the detection results of the imaging device 11. Specifically, lane keeping control is performed using the detection results of a ranging device 12, including a radar device, a sonar, etc., instead of the imaging device 11. However, the detection results of a normal camera other than a wide-angle camera may be used among the imaging devices 11. This is because there is no risk of misrecognition due to overlapping portions.

[0062] Then, as shown in Fig. 4C, after the other vehicle V2 has traveled to position P2, the driving assistance device 19 autonomously controls the traveling of the host vehicle V1 as usual using the detection results of the imaging device 11, including the wide-angle camera. At position P2 shown in Fig. 4C, the other vehicle V2 has passed through overlapping portions C3 and C4 and is included in the detection range A1 of the front camera, so there is no risk that the driving assistance device 19 will erroneously recognize the traveling state of the other vehicle V2.

[0063] Furthermore, when autonomously controlling the traveling of the host vehicle V1 by setting a small weight on the detection result of the imaging device 11, the weight on the detection result of the imaging device 11 is set relatively small compared to the detection results of other detection devices such as the distance measuring device 12 so that the detection result of the imaging device 11 (especially the wide-angle camera) does not affect the traveling state of the host vehicle V1 (i.e., traveling speed and steering operation). In other words, the weight on the detection result of the imaging device 11 may be set small, or the weight on the detection result of other detection devices such as the distance measuring device 12 may be set large. The weighting coefficient can be set to an appropriate value within a range in which the detection result of the imaging device 11 does not affect the traveling state of the host vehicle V1.

[0064] Next, risk handling control in different driving situations will be described with reference to FIGS. 5A to 5C.

[0065] Fig. 5A is a plan view showing an example of a driving scene in which risk response control is executed. The driving scene shown in Fig. 5A is a driving scene in which the host vehicle V1 and other vehicles V2 and V3 are traveling on the road shown in Fig. 2, with the host vehicle V1 traveling at position P3 in lane L2, and the other vehicles V2 and V3 traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1 in lane L1 and lane L2, respectively. In the driving scene shown in Fig. 5A, the host vehicle V1 is traveling at a constant speed by lane keeping control, and the other vehicles V2 and V3 are traveling straight ahead at a slower speed than the host vehicle V1. In other words, the host vehicle V1 is assumed to catch up with the other vehicle V3 within a predetermined time.

[0066] In the driving scene shown in Fig. 5A, the traveling speed of the host vehicle V1 is faster than the traveling speeds of the other vehicles V2 and V3, so the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicles V2 and V3 decreases over time. Then, when the host vehicle V1 travels to position P4 shown in Fig. 5B, the driving assistance device 19 recognizes the other vehicles V2 and V3 that are included in the detection range A1 from the detection results of the front camera using the function of the recognition unit 21.

[0067] Next, the driving assistance device 19, using the function of the determination unit 22, acquires vehicle speed information of the host vehicle V1 from the vehicle speed sensor and calculates the traveling position of the host vehicle V1 when constant speed traveling by lane keeping control is continued for a predetermined time. The driving assistance device 19 also acquires image data from the imaging device 11 and recognizes through pattern matching that the obstacles are a truck (other vehicle V2) and a passenger car (other vehicle V3), that the other vehicle V2 is traveling in lane L1, and that the other vehicle V3 is traveling in lane L2. In addition, from the detection result of the front camera (imaging device 11), it recognizes that the other vehicles V2 and V3 are traveling straight without turning. Furthermore, from the scan result of the distance measuring device 12, it acquires the relative speeds of the other vehicles V2 and V3 with respect to the host vehicle V1. Based on this information, the driving assistance device 19 predicts the traveling state of the other vehicles V2 and V3 after a predetermined time.

[0068] In the driving scene shown in Figure 5B, the host vehicle V1 will catch up with the other vehicles V2 and V3 within a predetermined time, so the driving assistance device 19 determines that the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion C1 within the predetermined time based on the relationship between the calculated driving position of the host vehicle V1 and the predicted driving positions of the other vehicles V2 and V3.

[0069] Next, the driving assistance device 19 determines whether the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1 using the function of the control unit 23. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 5B, it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1 based on the positional relationship shown in the same figure. In this case, the driving assistance device 19 determines whether the host vehicle V1 will overtake or pass the other vehicle V2. For example, the driving assistance device 19 determines whether the host vehicle V1 will overtake the other vehicle V2 after a predetermined time based on the traveling states of the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 predicted by the function of the determination unit 22. Alternatively or additionally, the driving assistance device 19 may determine whether it is necessary to overtake the other vehicle V2 in order to continue autonomous driving control of the host vehicle V1.

[0070] In the driving scene shown in FIG. 5B, after approaching the other vehicle V3, the host vehicle V1 only needs to follow the other vehicle V3. Since there is no need for the host vehicle V1 to overtake the other vehicle V3 in order to continue the autonomous driving control (following control) of the host vehicle V1, the host vehicle V1 determines not to overtake the other vehicle V2. In this case, the driving assistance device 19 autonomously controls the driving of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle V2 is not included in the overlapping portion C1. For example, the driving assistance device 19 sets the distance D3 shown in FIG. 5C as the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V3. In addition (for example, simultaneously), the driving assistance device 19 also sets the distance D4 shown in FIG. 5C as the virtual inter-vehicle distance between the position P6 corresponding to the host vehicle V1 in the adjacent lane L1 and the other vehicle V2.

[0071] Distance D3, which is the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V3, can be set to an appropriate value within a range that allows the host vehicle V1 to avoid contact with the other vehicle V3. Furthermore, distance D4, which is the virtual inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2, can be set to an appropriate value within a range that allows the other vehicle V3 to avoid entering the overlapping portion C1. By performing autonomous driving control (following control) that maintains the virtual inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 and the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V3, the driving assistance device 19 can avoid the risk of erroneously recognizing the driving state of the other vehicle V2.

[0072] Next, risk handling control in different driving situations will be described with reference to FIGS. 6A to 6C.

[0073] Fig. 6A is a plan view showing an example of a driving scene in which risk response control is executed. The driving scene shown in Fig. 6A is a driving scene in which the host vehicle V1 and another vehicle V2 are traveling on the road shown in Fig. 2, with the host vehicle V1 traveling at position P7 in lane L2 and the other vehicle V2 traveling ahead in lane L1. In the driving scene shown in Fig. 6A, the host vehicle V1 is traveling at a constant speed by lane keeping control, and the other vehicle V2 is traveling straight at a slower speed than the host vehicle V1. In other words, the host vehicle V1 is assumed to overtake the other vehicle V2 within a predetermined time.

[0074] In the driving scene shown in Fig. 6A, the driving assistance device 19 recognizes another vehicle V2 included in the detection range A1 from the detection result of the front camera using the function of the recognition unit 21. Next, the driving assistance device 19 calculates the driving state of the host vehicle V1 after a predetermined time and predicts the driving state of the other vehicle V2 after the predetermined time using the function of the determination unit 22 in the same manner as in the driving scene shown in Fig. 5A.

[0075] In the driving scene shown in Figure 6A, the host vehicle V1 will overtake the other vehicle V2 within a predetermined time, and the driving assistance device 19 determines that the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion C1 within the predetermined time based on the relationship between the calculated driving position of the host vehicle V1 and the predicted driving position of the other vehicle V2.

[0076] Next, the driving assistance device 19 determines whether or not another vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1 using the function of the control unit 23. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 6A, the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1, so it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1. In this case, the driving assistance device 19 determines whether or not the host vehicle V1 will overtake or be overtaken by the other vehicle V2. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 6A, the host vehicle V1 will overtake the other vehicle V2 within a predetermined time, so it is determined that the host vehicle V1 will be overtaking the other vehicle V2.

[0077] In this case, the driving assistance device 19 sets a traveling speed higher than a predetermined traveling speed and overtakes the other vehicle V2 without using the detection result of the image capture device 11 or by weighting the detection result lightly. The predetermined traveling speed is, for example, a traveling speed set by a passenger of the host vehicle V1, and a traveling speed higher than the predetermined traveling speed is, for example, a traveling speed that is 5 to 25 km / h higher than the traveling speed set by the passenger of the host vehicle V1. By setting an appropriate traveling speed higher than the predetermined traveling speed within a range in which the passenger of the host vehicle V1 does not feel uncomfortable, the driving assistance device 19 can shorten the time during which erroneous recognition of the traveling state of the other vehicle V2 affects the traveling state of the host vehicle V1.

[0078] 6B, the driving assistance device 19 sets a traveling speed higher than that set by the occupant of the vehicle V1, and at the same time, sets a small weighting on the detection result of the image capture device 11. Then, the vehicle V1 travels at a constant speed along the traveling locus T3 from position P5 to position P6. In this case, the processing of the detection result of the image capture device 11 is the same as in the case of the traveling scenes shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C.

[0079] As shown in Fig. 6C, when the other vehicle V2 reaches position P9, the driving assistance device 19 autonomously controls the driving of the host vehicle V1 as usual using the detection results of the imaging device 11, including the wide-angle camera. Position P9 shown in Fig. 6C is a position where the other vehicle V2 passes through overlapping portions C1 and C2 and is included in the detection range A2 of the rear camera, so there is no risk that the driving assistance device 19 will erroneously recognize the driving state of the other vehicle V2.

[0080] 4A to 4C, 5A to 5C, and 6A to 6C are merely examples, and risk response control other than the above-mentioned risk response control may be executed in each driving scene. Furthermore, in the driving assistance device 19 of this embodiment, it is not essential to execute risk response control for all of the driving scenes shown in Figures 4A to 4C, 5A to 5C, and 6A to 6C, and the driving assistance device 19 may execute risk response control for some of the driving scenes.

[0081] So far, the basic embodiment of the present invention has been described. However, when the driving assistance device 19 determines that the other vehicle V2 is entering the overlapping portion of the detection range, the driving assistance device 19 may calculate the overall length of the other vehicle V2, i.e., the length in the traveling direction of the other vehicle V2, from the detection results of various cameras (imaging devices 11) and the detection results of the distance measuring device 12, such as radar, LiDAR, or sonar. Then, it may determine whether the calculated overall length of the other vehicle V2 is longer than the length of the overlapping portion in the direction along the adjacent lane. Furthermore, instead of the length of the overlapping portion in the direction along the adjacent lane, the length of the portion of the overlapping portion that is on the adjacent lane in the direction along the adjacent lane may be used.

[0082] The driving assistance device 19 performs image analysis, including edge extraction and shape recognition, on image data acquired from the imaging device 11, to calculate the overall length of the other vehicle V2. For example, in the driving scene shown in FIG. 4A , the driving assistance device 19 performs image analysis on image data within the detection range A2 to calculate the overall length D1 of the other vehicle V2. Furthermore, for an overlapping portion C4 existing in the lane L3 adjacent to the lane L2 on which the host vehicle V1 is traveling, a length D2 along the lane L3 is pre-registered in the ROM 192 of the driving assistance device 19. When the driving assistance device 19 compares the overall length D1 of the other vehicle V2 with the length D2 of the overlapping portion C4 along the lane L3, the overall length D1 is found to be longer, and therefore the driving assistance device 19 determines that the overall length D1 is longer than the length D2.

[0083] 5B, the driving assistance device 19 performs image analysis on image data acquired from the imaging device 11 to calculate the overall length D1 of the other vehicle V2. In addition, for an overlapping portion C1 that exists on the lane L1 adjacent to the lane L2 on which the host vehicle V1 is traveling, a length D2a of the portion of the overlapping portion C1 that exists on the lane L1 in the direction along the lane L1 is registered in advance in the ROM 192 of the driving assistance device 19. When the driving assistance device 19 compares the overall length D1 of the other vehicle V2 with the length D2a of the portion of the overlapping portion C1 that exists on the lane L1 in the direction along the lane L1, the overall length D1 is found to be longer, and therefore the driving assistance device 19 determines that the overall length D1 is longer than the length D2a.

[0084] In the driving scene shown in Fig. 6A, the driving assistance device 19 calculates the overall length D1 of the other vehicle V2 in the same manner as in the driving scene shown in Fig. 5B. Furthermore, for an overlapping portion C1 existing in a lane L1 adjacent to the lane L2 on which the host vehicle V1 is traveling, a length D2 of the overlapping portion C1 in the direction along the lane L1 is pre-registered in the ROM 192 of the driving assistance device 19. Therefore, the driving assistance device 19 compares the overall length D1 of the other vehicle V2 with the length D2 of the overlapping portion C1 in the direction along the lane L1. Since the overall length D1 is longer in the driving scene shown in Fig. 6A, the driving assistance device 19 determines that the overall length D1 is longer than the length D2.

[0085] The total length of the other vehicle V2 does not necessarily need to be calculated accurately; it is sufficient that the range of the total length can be calculated. That is, it is sufficient that it is possible to determine whether the total length of the other vehicle V2 is longer or shorter than the length of the overlapping portion into which the other vehicle V2 will enter, in the direction along the adjacent lane. Furthermore, the length of the overlapping portion in the direction along the adjacent lane is set as a fixed value for each overlapping portion when the imaging device 11 (particularly the wide-angle camera) is installed, and is registered in advance in the driving assistance device 19. Note that calculating the total length of the other vehicle V2 when it is determined that the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion of the detection range, and determining whether the calculated total length of the other vehicle V2 is longer than the length of the overlapping portion in the direction along the adjacent lane, are not essential components of the present invention, and may be added or omitted as necessary.

[0086] The driving assistance device 19 may determine the vehicle type of the other vehicle V2 using the function of the determination unit 22, and execute risk response control according to the determined vehicle type. Specifically, the driving assistance device 19 may determine whether the other vehicle V2 is a large vehicle, and if it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is a large vehicle, execute risk response control using the function of the control unit 23. Note that determining whether the other vehicle V2 is a large vehicle and executing risk response control using the function of the control unit 23 when it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is a large vehicle are not essential configurations for the present invention, and may be added or omitted as necessary.

[0087] Examples of vehicle types include private passenger cars such as light cars, small cars (compact cars), and standard cars, as well as manned or unmanned taxis, buses, and trucks. A large vehicle is a vehicle whose overall length is longer than that of the host vehicle V1, for example, a vehicle whose overall length is 1.25 times or more longer than that of the host vehicle V1. As for vehicle types, commercial vehicles that transport passengers or cargo, such as buses and trucks, fall under the category of large vehicles. For example, if the other vehicle V2 is a large vehicle such as a bus or truck, the driving assistance device 19 executes risk response control, but if the other vehicle V2 is a small private passenger car such as a compact car, the driving assistance device 19 does not execute risk response control.

[0088] When the driving assistance device 19 determines that the other vehicle V2 is not a large vehicle, the driving assistance device 19 may use the function of the control unit 23 to determine whether or not a single imaging device 11 capable of detecting the entire other vehicle V2 is present among the multiple imaging devices 11 mounted on the host vehicle V1. Furthermore, when it is determined that a single imaging device 11 capable of detecting the entire other vehicle V2 is not present, risk response control may be executed. This is because, if the entire body of the other vehicle V2 is detected by a single imaging device 11, the risk of erroneously recognizing the traveling state of the other vehicle V2 can be reduced. Note that, when it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is not a large vehicle, determining whether or not a single imaging device 11 capable of detecting the entire other vehicle V2 is present among the multiple imaging devices 11 mounted on the host vehicle V1, and executing risk response control when it is determined that a single imaging device 11 capable of detecting the entire other vehicle V2 is not present, are not essential components of the present invention, and may be added or omitted as necessary.

[0089] The driving assistance device 19 may use the function of the control unit 23 to acquire the luminance value of each pixel from an image captured using the imaging device 11, calculate the average luminance value of the image by dividing the sum of the luminance values ​​by the total number of pixels, and execute risk response control if the average luminance value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. This is because when a strong light source such as sunlight or reflected light enters the camera, the luminance values ​​of the acquired image saturate, making the entire image bright (white), and making it impossible to accurately recognize the shape of an obstacle from the image contrast. In other words, if the entire image becomes white, it becomes impossible to accurately recognize the driving state of the other vehicle V2. The predetermined value can be set to an appropriate value (e.g., 200 or greater) within a range in which the driving state of the other vehicle V2 can be accurately recognized. Note that acquiring the luminance value of each pixel from an image captured using the imaging device 11, calculating the average luminance value of the image by dividing the sum of the luminance values ​​by the total number of pixels, and executing risk response control if the average luminance value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value are not essential components of the present invention and may be added or omitted as needed.

[0090] [System processing] The procedure for information processing by the driving assistance device 19 will be described with reference to Figures 7A to 7C. Figures 7A to 7C are an example of a flowchart showing information processing executed in the driving assistance system 10 of this embodiment. The processing described below is executed at predetermined time intervals by the CPU 191, which is the processor of the driving assistance device 19. Note that the flowcharts shown in Figures 7A to 7C are premised on a driving scene in which the host vehicle V1 is traveling on a road using lane keeping control.

[0091] First, in step S1 of Fig. 7A, the function of the recognition unit 21 is to detect another vehicle V2 using the multiple imaging devices 11 mounted on the host vehicle V1. In step S2, it is determined from the detection result whether or not another vehicle V2 is present around the host vehicle V1. If another vehicle V2 is not present around the host vehicle V1, the process proceeds to step S3, where normal autonomous driving control is executed, and the process proceeds to step S20 of Fig. 7C. On the other hand, if another vehicle V2 is present around the host vehicle V1, the process proceeds to step S4, where the function of the determination unit 22 is to predict the driving states of the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 after a predetermined time.

[0092] If it is determined from the traveling states of the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 after the predetermined time that the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 will be traveling in the same lane after the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S6, where the control unit 23 determines whether the host vehicle V1 will overtake the other vehicle V2. If it is determined that the host vehicle V1 will not overtake the other vehicle V2, the process proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, if it is determined that the host vehicle V1 will overtake the other vehicle V2, the process proceeds to step S18 in FIG. 7C. Note that step S6 is not an essential step for the present invention and may be provided as needed.

[0093] On the other hand, if it is determined in step S5 that the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 will not be traveling in the same lane after the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S7, where it is determined whether the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion within the predetermined time. If it is determined that the other vehicle V2 will not enter the overlapping portion within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, if it is determined that the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S8, where the function of the determination unit 22 calculates the total length D1 of the other vehicle V2 and the length D2 of the overlapping portion in the direction along the adjacent lane.

[0094] Following step S8, in step S9 of Fig. 7B, the function of the determination unit 22 determines whether the total length D1 of the other vehicle V2 is longer than the length D2 of the overlapping portion. If the total length D1 of the other vehicle V2 is longer than the length D2 of the overlapping portion, the process proceeds to step S14 of Fig. 7C. On the other hand, if the total length D1 of the other vehicle V2 is equal to or shorter than the length D2 of the overlapping portion, the process proceeds to step S10.

[0095] In step S10, the function of the determination unit 22 is used to determine whether or not the other vehicle V2 is a large vehicle. If it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is a large vehicle, the process proceeds to step S14 in FIG. 7C. On the other hand, if it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is not a large vehicle, the process proceeds to step S11. In step S11, the function of the determination unit 22 is used to determine whether or not the other vehicle V2 can be entirely detected by a single imaging device 11. If the other vehicle V2 cannot be entirely detected by a single imaging device 11, the process proceeds to step S14 in FIG. 7C. On the other hand, if the other vehicle V2 can be entirely detected by a single imaging device 11, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0096] In step S12, the average brightness value of the image is calculated using the function of determination unit 22, and in the following step S13, it is determined whether the average brightness value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If the average brightness value is less than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step S3 in Fig. 7A. On the other hand, if the average brightness value is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step S14 in Fig. 7C. Note that steps S9 to S13 are not essential steps for the present invention and may be provided as needed.

[0097] 7C, the control unit 23 determines whether the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1. If it determines that the other vehicle V2 is not traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1, the process proceeds to step S15, where the traveling of the host vehicle V1 is autonomously controlled without using the detection result of the imaging device 11 or by reducing the weighting of the detection result. Then, the process proceeds to step S20.

[0098] On the other hand, if it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1, the process proceeds to step S16, where it is determined whether the host vehicle V1 will overtake the other vehicle V2. If it is determined that the host vehicle V1 will not overtake the other vehicle V2, the process proceeds to step S17, where the traveling of the host vehicle V1 is autonomously controlled so that the other vehicle V2 is not included in the overlapping portion of the detection range. On the other hand, if it is determined that the host vehicle V1 will overtake the other vehicle V2, the process proceeds to step S18, where a traveling speed higher than a predetermined traveling speed is set, and in the subsequent step S19, the overtaking or passing is performed without using the detection result of the imaging device 11 or by setting a small weight for the detection result. Then, the process proceeds to step S20.

[0099] In step S20, the support unit 20 determines whether the host vehicle V1 has reached the destination. If it is determined that the host vehicle V1 has reached the destination, the routine ends, and the display device 18 prompts the driver of the host vehicle V1 to drive manually. On the other hand, if it is determined that the host vehicle V1 has not reached the destination, the process proceeds to step S1 in FIG. 7A. Note that manual driving refers to the driving support device 19 not performing autonomous driving control of the driving behavior but controlling the vehicle's driving through the driver's operation. Note that the driving support device 19 and driving support method according to the present invention can be used in any of the following cases: autonomous control of only the vehicle's driving speed; autonomous control of only the vehicle's steering operation; and autonomous control of both the vehicle's driving speed and steering operation. Furthermore, the driving support device 19 and driving support method according to the present invention can be used not only for autonomous driving control but also to support the driver's driving operation during manual driving.

[0100] [Embodiments of the present invention] As described above, according to the present embodiment, in a driving assistance method executed by a processor in which detection ranges of multiple image capture devices 11 mounted on the host vehicle V1 overlap in a lane adjacent to the host vehicle V1 in which the host vehicle V1 is traveling, the processor determines whether another vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion of the detection ranges within a predetermined time, and if it determines that the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion within the predetermined time, executes risk management control to control the host vehicle V1 so as to address the risk of erroneously recognizing the traveling state of the other vehicle V2 from the detection results of the multiple image capture devices 11. This makes it possible to reduce the impact of erroneous recognition of the traveling state of the other vehicle V2 on the traveling state of the host vehicle V1.

[0101] Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, the risk response control includes at least one of autonomously controlling the traveling of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle V2 does not enter the overlapping portion, and autonomously controlling the traveling of the host vehicle V1 so that the traveling state of the other vehicle V2, which has been erroneously recognized from the detection result, does not affect the traveling state of the host vehicle V1. This makes it possible to suppress the effect of erroneous recognition of the traveling state of the other vehicle V2 on the traveling state of the host vehicle V1, depending on the traveling scene.

[0102] Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, autonomously controlling the traveling of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle V2 does not enter the overlapping portion includes setting the traveling speed of the host vehicle V1 and / or the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 so that the other vehicle V2 is not included in the detection range, and changing the host vehicle V1 to the adjacent lane, and autonomously controlling the traveling of the host vehicle V1 so that the erroneously recognized traveling state of the other vehicle V2 does not affect the traveling state of the host vehicle V1 includes autonomously controlling the traveling of the host vehicle V1 without using the detection result, and autonomously controlling the traveling of the host vehicle V1 by setting a small weight for the detection result. This makes it possible to reduce the impact of erroneous recognition of the traveling state of the other vehicle V2 on the traveling state of the host vehicle V1 depending on the traveling scene.

[0103] According to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, the processor determines whether the overall length D1 of the other vehicle V2 is longer than the length D2 of the overlapping portion along the adjacent lane, and if it determines that the overall length D1 is longer than the length D2 of the overlapping portion, executes the risk response control, thereby making it possible to more accurately predict whether the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion.

[0104] According to the driving assistance method of the present embodiment, the processor determines whether the other vehicle V2 is a large vehicle, and if it determines that the other vehicle V2 is a large vehicle, executes the risk response control, thereby enabling risk response control to be executed according to the vehicle type of the other vehicle V2.

[0105] Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, when the processor determines that the other vehicle V2 is not the large vehicle, it determines whether or not there is a single imaging device 11 among the multiple imaging devices 11 that can detect the other vehicle V2 in its entirety, and when it determines that there is no single imaging device 11 that can detect the other vehicle V2 in its entirety, it executes the risk response control. This makes it possible to suppress the execution of risk response control when the risk of erroneously recognizing the traveling state of the other vehicle V2 is low.

[0106] Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, the processor acquires the brightness value of each pixel from an image captured using the imaging device 11, calculates the average brightness value of the image by dividing the sum of the brightness values ​​by the total number of pixels, and executes the risk response control if the average brightness value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. This makes it possible to execute risk response control when the shape of an obstacle cannot be accurately recognized from the contrast of the image.

[0107] Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, the processor determines whether the other vehicle V2 is traveling behind the host vehicle V1, and if it determines that the other vehicle V2 is traveling behind the host vehicle V1, autonomously controls the traveling of the host vehicle V1 without using the detection result or by reducing the weighting of the detection result, thereby enabling risk response control to be performed according to the traveling scene.

[0108] Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, the processor determines whether the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1, and if it determines that the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1, determines whether the host vehicle V1 will overtake or pass the other vehicle V2, and if it determines that the host vehicle V1 will not overtake or pass the other vehicle V2, autonomously controls the traveling of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle V2 is not included in the overlapping portion. This makes it possible to execute risk response control according to the traveling scene.

[0109] Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, when the processor determines that the host vehicle V1 will overtake or be overtaken, the processor sets a traveling speed higher than a predetermined traveling speed and performs the overtaking or be overtaken without using the detection result or by setting a small weight on the detection result, thereby enabling risk response control to be performed according to the traveling scene.

[0110] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a driving assistance device 19 is provided, which includes: a plurality of imaging devices 11 mounted on the host vehicle V1, the detection ranges of which partially overlap in a lane adjacent to the host vehicle V1 traveling on the host vehicle V1; a determination unit 22 that determines whether another vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion of the detection ranges within a predetermined time; and a control unit 23 that, when it is determined that the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion within the predetermined time, executes risk management control to control the host vehicle V1 so as to address the risk of erroneously recognizing the traveling state of the other vehicle V2 from the detection results of the plurality of imaging devices 11. This makes it possible to reduce the impact of erroneous recognition of the traveling state of the other vehicle V2 on the traveling state of the host vehicle V1.

[0111] [Combination of implementations] The driving assistance method and driving assistance device 19 according to the present invention include the following embodiments (1) to (11).

[0112] Embodiment (1): In a driving assistance method in which the detection ranges of multiple imaging devices 11 mounted on the host vehicle V1 overlap in a lane adjacent to the host vehicle V1 in which the host vehicle V1 is traveling, the method determines whether another vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion of the detection ranges within a predetermined time, and if it is determined that the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion within the predetermined time, executes risk management control to control the host vehicle V1 so as to address the risk of misrecognizing the driving state of the other vehicle V2 from the detection results of the multiple imaging devices 11.

[0113] Embodiment (2): The risk response control includes at least one of autonomously controlling the driving of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle V2 does not enter the overlapping portion, and autonomously controlling the driving of the host vehicle V1 so that the driving state of the other vehicle V2, which has been erroneously recognized from the detection result, does not affect the driving state of the host vehicle V1.

[0114] Embodiment (3): Autonomously controlling the driving of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle V2 does not enter the overlapping portion includes setting the driving speed of the host vehicle V1 and / or the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 so that the other vehicle V2 is not included in the detection range, and changing lanes of the host vehicle V1 to the adjacent lane, and autonomously controlling the driving of the host vehicle V1 so that the erroneously recognized driving state of the other vehicle V2 does not affect the driving state of the host vehicle V1 includes autonomously controlling the driving of the host vehicle V1 without using the detection results, and autonomously controlling the driving of the host vehicle V1 by setting a small weighting for the detection results.

[0115] Embodiment (4): Determine whether the total length D1 of the other vehicle V2 is longer than the length D2 of the overlapping portion in the direction along the adjacent lane, and if it is determined that the total length D1 is longer than the length D2 of the overlapping portion, execute the risk response control.

[0116] Embodiment (5): It is determined whether the other vehicle V2 is a large vehicle, and if it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is a large vehicle, the risk handling control is executed.

[0117] Embodiment (6): Among the plurality of imaging devices 11, it is determined whether there is a single imaging device 11 that can detect the entire other vehicle V2, and when it is determined that there is no single imaging device 11 that can detect the entire other vehicle V2, the risk response control is executed.

[0118] Embodiment (7): The brightness value of each pixel is obtained from an image captured using the imaging device 11, and the sum of the brightness values ​​is divided by the total number of pixels to calculate the average brightness value of the image, and if the average brightness value is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the risk response control is executed.

[0119] Embodiment (8): A determination is made as to whether the other vehicle V2 is traveling behind the host vehicle V1, and if it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is traveling behind the host vehicle V1, the traveling of the host vehicle V1 is autonomously controlled without using the detection result or by reducing the weighting of the detection result.

[0120] Embodiment (9): Determine whether the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1, and if it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1, determine whether the host vehicle V1 will overtake or pass the other vehicle V2, and if it is determined that the host vehicle V1 will not overtake or pass the other vehicle V2, autonomously control the traveling of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle V2 is not included in the overlapping area.

[0121] Embodiment (10): Determine whether the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1, and if it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1, determine whether the host vehicle V1 will overtake or pass the other vehicle V2, and if it is determined that the host vehicle V1 will overtake or pass, set a traveling speed higher than a predetermined traveling speed that has been set in advance, and perform the overtaking or pass without using the detection result or by setting the weighting of the detection result to a small value.

[0122] Embodiment (11): A driving assistance device 19 comprising: a plurality of imaging devices 11 mounted on a host vehicle V1, the detection ranges of which overlap in a lane adjacent to the host vehicle V1 in which the host vehicle V1 is traveling; a determination unit 22 that determines whether another vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion of the detection ranges within a predetermined time; and a control unit 23 that, if it is determined that the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion within the predetermined time, executes risk response control to control the host vehicle V1 so as to address the risk of misrecognizing the driving state of the other vehicle V2 from the detection results of the plurality of imaging devices 11.

[0123] The embodiment (1) relates to a driving assistance method, and may be combined with the embodiments (2) to (10). Specific combinations include the following: A combination of embodiment (1) with any one of embodiments (2) and (4) to (10). A combination of embodiment (1) with any two of embodiments (2) and (4) to (10). A combination of embodiment (1) with any three of embodiments (2) and (4) to (10). A combination of embodiment (1) with any four of embodiments (2) and (4) to (10). A combination of embodiment (1) with any five of embodiments (2) and (4) to (10). A combination of embodiment (1) with any six of embodiments (2) and (4) to (10). A combination of embodiment (1) with any seven of embodiments (2) and (4) to (10). Combinations of embodiment (1) and embodiments (2) and (4) to (10) A combination of any one of the embodiments (1) to (3) and any one of the embodiments (4) to (10) A combination of any two of the embodiments (1) to (3) and the embodiments (4) to (10) A combination of any three of the embodiments (1) to (3) and the embodiments (4) to (10) A combination of any four of the embodiments (1) to (3) and the embodiments (4) to (10) A combination of any five of the embodiments (1) to (3) and the embodiments (4) to (10) A combination of any six of the embodiments (1) to (3) and the embodiments (4) to (10) Combination of embodiments (1) to (10)

[0124] The embodiment (11) relates to the driving support device 19, and may be combined with the embodiments (2) to (10). Specific combinations include the following. A combination of embodiment (11) with any one of embodiments (2) and (4) to (10). A combination of embodiment (11) and any two of embodiments (2) and (4) to (10). A combination of embodiment (11) with any three of embodiments (2) and (4) to (10). A combination of embodiment (11) with any four of embodiments (2) and (4) to (10). A combination of embodiment (11) with any five of embodiments (2) and (4) to (10). A combination of embodiment (11) with any six of embodiments (2) and (4) to (10). A combination of embodiment (11) with any seven of embodiments (2) and (4) to (10). Combination of embodiment (11) with embodiments (2) and (4) to (10) Combinations of the embodiment (11) and (2) to (3) with any one of the embodiments (4) to (10) A combination of any two of the embodiments (11) and (2) to (3) and the embodiments (4) to (10) A combination of the embodiment (11) and (2) to (3) with any three of the embodiments (4) to (10) A combination of any four of the embodiments (11) and (2) to (3) and the embodiments (4) to (10) A combination of any five of the embodiments (11) and (2) to (3) and the embodiments (4) to (10) A combination of any six of the embodiments (11) and (2) to (3) and the embodiments (4) to (10) Combination of embodiments (2) to (11) [Explanation of symbols]

[0125] 10...Driver assistance system 11...imaging device 12…Distance measuring device 13... Vehicle state detection device 14...Map information 15...Vehicle position detection device 16...Navigation device 17...Vehicle control device 171...Vehicle speed control device 172...Steering control device 18...Display device 19...Driving assistance device 191...CPU (processor) 192...ROM 193...RAM 20…Support Department 21...Recognition part 22…Judgment section 23...Control unit A1, A2...Detection range B1, B2, B3, B4...Detection range C1,C2,C3,C4…overlapping parts D1…Full length D2, D2a...length D3, D4...Distance L1, L2, L3...lanes P1,P2,P3,P4,P5,P6,P7,P8,P9…Position T1, T2, T3...Travel trajectory V1...own vehicle V2, V2x, V3...other vehicles

Claims

1. A driving assistance method executed by a processor, comprising: The processor: determining whether another vehicle will enter an overlapping area in a lane adjacent to the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, where detection ranges of a plurality of image capture devices mounted on the host vehicle partially overlap; A driving assistance method that, if it is determined that the other vehicle is entering the overlapping portion, executes risk management control to control the vehicle so as to address the risk of misrecognizing the driving state of the other vehicle from the detection results of the multiple imaging devices.

2. 2. The driving assistance method according to claim 1, wherein the risk response control includes at least one of autonomously controlling the driving of the host vehicle so that the other vehicle does not enter the overlapping portion, and autonomously controlling the driving of the host vehicle so that the driving state of the other vehicle, which has been erroneously recognized from the detection result, does not affect the driving state of the host vehicle.

3. Autonomously controlling the traveling of the host vehicle so that the other vehicle does not enter the overlapping portion setting a traveling speed of the host vehicle and / or a vehicle-to-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the other vehicle so that the other vehicle is not included in the detection range; changing the host vehicle into the adjacent lane; Autonomously controlling the running of the host vehicle so that the erroneously recognized running state of the other vehicle does not affect the running state of the host vehicle, autonomously controlling the running of the host vehicle without using the detection result; The driving assistance method according to claim 2 , further comprising: setting a small weighting for the detection result and autonomously controlling the traveling of the host vehicle.

4. The processor: determining whether the overall length of the other vehicle is longer than the length of the overlapping portion in a direction along the adjacent lane; The driving assistance method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the risk treatment control is executed when it is determined that the total length is longer than the length of the overlapping portion.

5. The processor: determining whether the other vehicle is a large vehicle; The driving assistance method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the risk handling control is executed when it is determined that the other vehicle is a large vehicle.

6. The processor: If it is determined that the other vehicle is not the large vehicle, it is determined whether or not there is a single imaging device among the plurality of imaging devices that can detect the other vehicle in its entirety; The driving assistance method according to claim 5 , wherein when it is determined that there is no single imaging device that can detect the other vehicle in its entirety, the risk handling control is executed.

7. The processor: Acquire a luminance value of each pixel from an image captured using the imaging device; Calculating an average luminance value of the image by dividing the sum of the luminance values ​​by the total number of pixels; The driving assistance method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the risk handling control is executed when the average luminance value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

8. The processor: determining whether the other vehicle is traveling behind the host vehicle; 4. The driving assistance method according to claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that the other vehicle is traveling behind the host vehicle, the driving of the host vehicle is autonomously controlled without using the detection result or by reducing the weighting of the detection result.

9. The processor: determining whether the other vehicle is traveling ahead of the host vehicle; When it is determined that the other vehicle is traveling ahead of the host vehicle, it is determined whether the host vehicle will overtake or pass the other vehicle; 4. The driving assistance method according to claim 1, wherein, when it is determined that the host vehicle will not overtake or be overtaken, the driving of the host vehicle is autonomously controlled so that the other vehicle is not included in the overlapping portion.

10. The processor:

10. The driving assistance method according to claim 9, wherein, when it is determined that the host vehicle will overtake or be overtaken, a traveling speed higher than a predetermined traveling speed is set, and the host vehicle performs the overtaking or be overtaken without using the detection result or by setting a small weight on the detection result.

11. a plurality of imaging devices mounted on the host vehicle, the imaging devices having detection ranges that partially overlap in lanes adjacent to the host vehicle's own lane; a determination unit that determines whether another vehicle is entering an overlapping portion of the detection ranges; a control unit that, when it is determined that the other vehicle is entering the overlapping portion, executes risk management control to control the host vehicle so as to address the risk of erroneously recognizing the driving state of the other vehicle from the detection results of the multiple imaging devices.

Images