Automated driving start system and automated driving start method

Abstract

To provide an automatic operation starting system and an automatic operation starting method for realizing smooth passage by notifying a driver and a pedestrian in the periphery of appropriate starting information of an own vehicle when the automatically operated own vehicle starts.SOLUTION: An automatic operation starting system includes: a peripheral state recognition section 4 for acquiring peripheral information, a distance to an object in the periphery of an own vehicle, and position information of the own vehicle when the own vehicle begins starting, deriving a travel route where the own vehicle travels from the peripheral information, the distance to the obstacle, and the position information of the own vehicle, and detecting a peripheral state when the own vehicle begins starting; a vehicle starting determination section 5 for determining propriety of starting of the own vehicle based on the travel route and the peripheral state; and a notification method determination section 6 for notifying an external side of the starting of the own vehicle by notification means. When the own vehicle begins starting, at least one or more of a light generation device, a sound emitting device, and a display device perform notification of the starting of the own vehicle as the notification means.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application relates to an automatic driving start system and an automatic driving start method.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, vehicles having an automatic driving function have attracted attention. In an autonomous vehicle, when detecting another vehicle or a pedestrian at an intersection without signals and a crosswalk, the vehicle automatically stops in front of the vehicle and the pedestrian at a predetermined distance. When starting the vehicle after the automatic stop, the driver of another vehicle or the pedestrian may give way. However, even if the automatic driving vehicle that has automatically stopped is given way, if it detects that another vehicle or a pedestrian exists within the predetermined distance of the automatic driving vehicle, it is determined that there is a possibility of collision with another vehicle or a pedestrian, and the vehicle cannot start.

[0003] In response to such a situation, in the automatic driving control device described in Patent Document 1, even when an obstacle exists, it is asked of the occupant whether to exclude the possibility of collision between the obstacle and the vehicle from the determination target in the automatic driving control device, and if there is a response operation by the occupant, a technique has been proposed to exclude other vehicles and pedestrians that have given way from the automatic stop control target.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, when an autonomous vehicle using the prior art described in Patent Document 1 stops automatically at an intersection or pedestrian crossing without traffic lights and then starts moving again, surrounding drivers and pedestrians do not know when the autonomous vehicle will start moving or remain stopped, making it impossible for them to decide whether it is safe to cross or proceed, or whether they should wait. As a result, there is a problem in that both parties may continue to wait or proceed at the same time, potentially leading to collisions.

[0006] On the other hand, surrounding drivers and pedestrians may not know if the autonomous vehicle intends to start moving after coming to a stop, and may continue to pass or cross the road without yielding to the vehicle, resulting in a problem where the autonomous vehicle is unable to start moving.

[0007] This invention was made to solve the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide an automated driving start system and method that enables smooth passage for the autonomous vehicle and surrounding drivers and pedestrians by notifying surrounding drivers and pedestrians of appropriate vehicle departure information when the autonomous vehicle starts moving. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] The automated driving start system disclosed herein comprises: an ambient conditions recognition unit that detects the ambient conditions at the time of starting from a standstill; a vehicle start determination unit that determines whether or not to start the vehicle based on the driving path and the ambient conditions; and a notification method determination unit that notifies the outside of the vehicle's start using notification means, wherein when the vehicle starts to start, the notification means uses one or more of a light generator, a sound generator, and a display device to notify the vehicle's start. The surrounding situation recognition unit acquires surrounding information when the vehicle starts moving, the distance to obstacles around the vehicle, and the vehicle's position information. From the surrounding information, the distance to obstacles, and the vehicle's position information, it derives the driving path the vehicle will take, detects the surrounding conditions when the vehicle starts moving, and notifies that the vehicle is starting. After that, it determines whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification content based on the acquired surrounding information. If it determines that the person is aware, the notification method determination unit notifies the person to a lower intensity than the previous notification. It is characterized by doing so. The automated driving start system disclosed herein comprises: an ambient conditions recognition unit that detects the ambient conditions at the time of starting from a standstill; a vehicle start determination unit that determines whether the vehicle can start based on the driving path and the ambient conditions; and a notification method determination unit that notifies the outside of the vehicle's start using notification means. When the vehicle starts to start, the notification means notifies the vehicle's start using one or more of a light generator, a sound generator, or a display device, and the ambient conditions recognition unit determines when the vehicle starts to start. The system acquires surrounding information, the distance to obstacles around the vehicle, and the vehicle's position information. From the surrounding information, the distance to obstacles, and the vehicle's position information, it derives the driving path the vehicle will take. It detects the surrounding conditions when the vehicle starts moving, and after notifying the vehicle that it is moving, it determines, based on the acquired surrounding information, whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification. If it determines that the person is not aware, the notification method determination unit notifies the person with a stronger signal than the previous notification. It is characterized by doing so. The automated driving start system disclosed herein includes: an ambient conditions recognition unit that detects the ambient conditions at the time of starting from a standstill; a vehicle start determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle can start based on the driving path and the ambient conditions; and a notification method determination unit that notifies the outside of the vehicle's start using notification means. When the vehicle starts to start, the notification means notifies the vehicle's start using one or more of a light generator, a sound generator, or a display device. The ambient conditions recognition unit detects ambient information at the time the vehicle starts to start, the distance to obstacles around the vehicle, and the vehicle's The vehicle departure determination unit acquires location information, derives the driving path the vehicle will take from the surrounding information, the distance to obstacles, and the vehicle's location information, detects the surrounding conditions when the vehicle starts moving, notifies that the vehicle is about to start moving, then determines whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification based on the acquired surrounding information, and if it determines that the person is aware, the vehicle departure determination unit updates the time until the vehicle starts moving, the vehicle departure determination unit determines the time until the vehicle starts moving, and the notification method determination unit notifies the time to the outside using the notification means. The automated driving start system disclosed herein includes: an ambient conditions recognition unit that detects the ambient conditions at the time of starting from a standstill; a vehicle start determination unit that determines whether the vehicle can start based on the driving path and the ambient conditions; and a notification method determination unit that notifies the outside of the vehicle's start using notification means. When the vehicle starts to start, the notification means notifies the vehicle's start using one or more of a light generator, a sound generator, or a display device. The ambient conditions recognition unit takes ambient information at the time the vehicle starts to start, the distance to obstacles around the vehicle, and the vehicle's position information. The vehicle departure determination unit obtains the surrounding information, the distance to obstacles, and the vehicle's position information, derives the driving path the vehicle will take, detects the surrounding conditions when the vehicle starts moving, notifies that the vehicle is about to start moving, then determines whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification based on the acquired surrounding information, and if it determines that the person is not aware, the vehicle departure determination unit sets the time until the vehicle starts moving to be longer than the required time, determines the time until the vehicle starts moving, and the notification method determination unit notifies the time to the outside using the notification means. The automated driving start system disclosed herein comprises: an ambient conditions recognition unit that detects the ambient conditions at the time of starting from a standstill; a vehicle start determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle can start based on the driving path and the ambient conditions; and a notification method determination unit that notifies the outside of the vehicle's start using notification means. The notification means notifies the vehicle's start using one or more of a light generator, a sound generator, or a display device when the vehicle starts to start; and the notification method determination unit notifies the vehicle that it wants to start if the vehicle start determination unit determines that there will be no interruption for a certain period of time or longer of pedestrians crossing the road or other vehicles passing that could potentially collide with the vehicle during its start. The automated driving start system disclosed herein comprises: an ambient conditions recognition unit that detects the ambient conditions at the time of starting from a standstill; a vehicle start determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle can start based on the driving path and the ambient conditions; and a notification method determination unit that notifies the outside of the vehicle's start using notification means. The notification means notifies the vehicle's start using one or more of a light generator, a sound generator, or a display device when the vehicle starts to start; and if the vehicle start determination unit determines that there will be no interruption for a certain period of time or longer of pedestrians crossing the road or other vehicles passing that could potentially collide with the vehicle during its start, and the vehicle cannot start, the notification method determination unit notifies the waiting time.

[0009] The automated driving start method disclosed herein includes the steps of: acquiring surrounding information when the vehicle starts to move, detecting obstacles around the vehicle and detecting the distance to the obstacles, and acquiring the position information of the vehicle; deriving a driving path for the vehicle from the surrounding information, the distance to the obstacles, and the position information of the vehicle, detecting the surrounding conditions when the vehicle starts to move; determining whether or not the vehicle can start based on the driving path and the surrounding conditions; and notifying the outside of the vehicle's start using a notification means. The process of determining whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification content based on the surrounding information, Includes Furthermore, if it is determined that the person being notified has noticed the vehicle starting to move, the notification will be sent to the person being notified with a lower intensity than the previous notification. It is characterized by the following: The automated driving start method disclosed in this application includes the steps of: acquiring ambient information when the vehicle starts to move, detecting obstacles around the vehicle and detecting the distance to the obstacles, and acquiring the vehicle's position information; deriving a driving path from the ambient information, the distance to the obstacles, and the vehicle's position information, detecting the ambient conditions when the vehicle starts to move; determining whether the vehicle can start based on the driving path and the ambient conditions; notifying the outside of the vehicle's start using a notification means; and determining whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification based on the ambient information, wherein if it is determined after notifying that the vehicle is starting that the person to be notified is not aware, the notification is given to the person to be notified with a stronger intensity than the previous notification. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] The automated driving start system disclosed herein can enable smooth passage of the vehicle itself, as well as surrounding pedestrians and drivers of other vehicles. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the automated driving start system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the automated driving start system according to Embodiment 1. [Figure 3] This is a block diagram showing the configuration of the automated driving start system according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the automated driving start system according to Embodiment 2. [Figure 5] This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the automated driving start system according to Embodiment 3. [Figure 6] This is a flowchart illustrating the operation of the automated driving start system according to Embodiment 4. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Embodiment 1. FIG. 1 is a system configuration diagram showing the configuration of an automatic driving start system 101 according to Embodiment 1 of the present application. This system is an automatic driving start system mounted on a host vehicle that travels in automatic driving, and the vehicle equipped with this automatic driving start system is taken as the host vehicle.

[0013] As shown in FIG. 1, the automatic driving start system 101 includes a camera 1, a distance sensor 2, a host vehicle position information acquisition device 3, a surrounding situation recognition unit 4, a vehicle start determination unit 5, a notification method determination unit 6, an automatic driving control unit 7, a brake control device 8, a drive control device 9, a steering control device 10, a light generation device 11, a sound generation device 12, and a display device 13 mounted on the host vehicle.

[0014] One or more optical cameras of the camera 1 are attached inside or outside the vehicle, and an imaging image in the front, rear, left, and right directions of the host vehicle is acquired. From the acquired imaging image, surrounding information such as obstacles in front of and around the vehicle, the driving lane of the host vehicle, signals, and signs is detected by a well-known image recognition technique. The surrounding information detected by the camera is notified to the surrounding situation recognition unit 4. Note that the camera 1 may be either a monocular camera or a stereo camera.

[0015] The distance sensor 2 detects an object around the host vehicle and calculates the distance to the object by, for example, a millimeter wave radar using radio waves or a lidar (LiDAR: Light Detection And Ranging) using light. The distance sensor 2 transmits radio waves or light and receives the radio waves or light reflected by the object to detect the object and calculate the distance. The detection information of the distance sensor 2 is notified to the surrounding situation recognition unit 4.

[0016] The host vehicle position information acquisition device 3 determines, as the host vehicle position information, where on which lane of which road the host vehicle is traveling based on the vehicle position information of the latitude and longitude of the host vehicle measured by a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor and the map information. The determined host vehicle position information is notified to the surrounding situation recognition unit 4.

[0017] The surrounding situation recognition unit 4 determines the situation around the vehicle based on detection information from the camera 1 and distance sensor 2, and the vehicle's position information from the vehicle position information acquisition device 3. It then calculates the vehicle's driving path and detects pedestrians and other vehicles that may be obstacles when the vehicle starts moving. The calculated driving path information and surrounding situation information are notified to the vehicle start decision unit 5 and the automatic driving control unit 7.

[0018] The vehicle departure decision unit 5 uses the driving path information and surrounding situation information received from the surrounding situation recognition unit 4 to determine whether the vehicle can depart and, if departed, calculate the time until the vehicle begins to depart. Even if the vehicle can depart immediately, the autonomous vehicle does not depart suddenly. Instead, it begins to depart a certain time after being notified of the departure. Therefore, the time until the vehicle begins to depart may be set to a predetermined time, or it may depart without any waiting time. Furthermore, "departure" includes all actions in which the vehicle starts moving from a stopped state. For example, in addition to stopping before an intersection and proceeding straight through the intersection after departing, turning right or left also constitutes a departure action. The calculated vehicle departure decision information is notified to the notification method decision unit 6 and the autonomous driving control unit 7.

[0019] The notification method determination unit 6, based on the vehicle departure determination information received from the vehicle departure determination unit 5, decides that if the vehicle is to depart, it will notify the light generator 11 and the sound generator 12 that the vehicle is to depart, and will display the vehicle's departure and the time until departure on the display device 13. It notifies the light generator 11 of the light generation instruction, the sound generator 12 of the voice notification instruction for the vehicle's departure and the time until departure, and the display device 13 of the display instruction for the vehicle's departure and the time until departure.

[0020] The automatic driving control unit 7 determines the brake control amount, drive control amount, and steering control amount based on the driving path information and surrounding situation information received from the surrounding situation recognition unit 4, and the vehicle start decision information received from the vehicle start decision unit 5. The automatic driving control unit 7 also checks the time until departure in the vehicle start decision information, and sets the brake control amount so that the vehicle remains stopped by brake control until the time until departure becomes 0 seconds, and sets the drive control amount and steering control amount so that the vehicle starts moving when it reaches 0 seconds. The determined brake control amount is notified to the brake control device 8, the drive control amount to the drive control device 9, and the steering control amount to the steering control device 10.

[0021] The brake control device 8 controls the braking operation of its own vehicle based on the brake control amount received from the automatic driving control unit 7.

[0022] The drive control device 9 controls the driving operation of its own vehicle based on the drive control amount received from the automatic driving control unit 7.

[0023] The steering control device 10 controls the steering operation of its own vehicle based on the steering control amount received from the automatic driving control unit 7.

[0024] The light generator 11 is, for example, a device like a Patlite (registered trademark), and when it receives a light generation instruction from the vehicle departure decision unit 5 when the vehicle is about to depart, it generates light to notify that the vehicle is about to depart. Regarding the generation of light, it may simply generate light, or it may distinguish between the departure waiting period (when departure has been decided and the vehicle is waiting to depart) and the actual departure period by the color, brightness, and flashing of the light. Also, if the time until departure becomes shorter during the departure waiting period, the method of generating light may be changed in the same way.

[0025] The sound generating device 12 is, for example, a device that generates sound from a speaker. When the vehicle receives a sound generation instruction from the vehicle departure determination unit 5 when the vehicle is about to depart, it will announce by voice that the vehicle will depart in X seconds. Furthermore, if the stopping location is an intersection and the vehicle will turn right or left after departing, it will announce that the vehicle will turn right or left in X seconds. Examples of announcements include "We will depart in XX seconds" or "We will turn right in XX seconds," which will be emitted from the speaker. Note that the sound announcement may be an alarm sound instead of a voice message.

[0026] The display device 13 is, for example, an LED display. When the vehicle starts moving, the LED display receives a display instruction from the vehicle start determination unit 5, and it notifies the vehicle that it will start moving or turn left or right in X seconds using text, images, and pictures. An example of the display is "Starting in XX seconds" or "Turning right in XX seconds," which can be displayed on the LED display. The display device and its contents only need to be such that people in the vicinity can visually recognize that the vehicle is starting to move.

[0027] Next, the operation of the automated driving start system 101 according to Embodiment 1 of the present application will be described with reference to Figure 2. Figure 2 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the operation of the automated driving start system 101 according to Embodiment 1.

[0028] First, when autonomous driving is started, camera 1 acquires captured images and detects obstacles in the surroundings (step S201). The obstacle information detected by camera 1 is notified to the surroundings situation recognition unit 4. Distance sensor 2 detects obstacles in the surroundings and calculates the distance to the detected obstacles (step S202). The obstacle distance information detected by distance sensor 2 is notified to the surroundings situation recognition unit 4. Vehicle position information acquisition device 3 acquires vehicle position information (step S203) and notifies the surroundings situation recognition unit 4.

[0029] Next, the surrounding situation recognition unit 4 calculates the vehicle's travel path and detects pedestrians and other vehicles that may become obstacles when the vehicle starts moving, based on the obstacle information detected by the camera 1, the obstacle distance information detected by the distance sensor 2, and the vehicle position information acquired by the vehicle position information acquisition device 3, and determines the surrounding situation of the vehicle (step S204). The calculated travel path information and surrounding situation information are notified to the vehicle start decision unit 5 and the automatic driving control unit 7.

[0030] Next, the vehicle departure decision unit 5 determines whether departure is permitted based on the driving path information and surrounding conditions information received from the surrounding conditions recognition unit 4 (step S205). If it is determined that departure is not permitted (No in step S205), the process returns to step S201, where obstacle information and obstacle distance information are acquired again by the camera 1 and distance sensor 2, and the surrounding conditions recognition unit 4 determines the surrounding conditions of the vehicle. If it is determined that departure is permitted (Yes in step S205), the vehicle departure decision unit 5 calculates the time until the vehicle begins to depart (step S206). The calculated vehicle departure decision information is notified to the notification method determination unit 6 and the automatic driving control unit 7.

[0031] Next, the notification method determination unit 6 determines the notification method for the light generator 11, sound generator 12, and display device 13 based on the vehicle departure determination information received from the vehicle departure determination unit 5 (step S207). It then notifies the light generator 11 of a light generation instruction, the sound generator 12 of an audible notification instruction regarding the vehicle departure and the time until departure, and the display device 13 of a display instruction regarding the vehicle departure and the time until departure.

[0032] Next, when the light generator 11 receives a light generation instruction from the notification method determination unit 6, it generates light to notify that the vehicle will start moving (step S208). When the sound generator 12 receives a sound generation instruction from the notification method determination unit 6, it notifies by voice that the vehicle will start moving in X seconds (step S209). When the display device 13 receives a display instruction from the notification method determination unit 6, it displays on the display device, using characters, images, and pictures, that the vehicle will start moving or turn left or right in X seconds (step S210).

[0033] Next, the automatic driving control unit 7 determines whether the vehicle should start moving based on the time until departure from the driving path information, surrounding situation information received from the surrounding situation recognition unit 4, and the vehicle start decision information received from the vehicle start decision unit 5 (step S211). If the time until departure is not 0 seconds, that is, if it is determined that the vehicle cannot start (No in step S211), the brake control amount, drive control amount, and steering control amount are set to keep the vehicle stopped by brake control. The determined brake control amount is notified to the brake control device 8, the drive control amount to the drive control device 9, and the steering control amount to the steering control device 10, and the vehicle returns to step S201 while continuing to stop. If the time until departure is 0 seconds, that is, if it is determined that the vehicle can start (Yes in step S211), the brake control amount, drive control amount, and steering control amount are set to start moving. The determined brake control amount is notified to the brake control device 8, the drive control amount to the drive control device 9, and the steering control amount to the steering control device 10, and the drive control device 9 and the steering control device 10 start automatic driving (step S212).

[0034] Once autonomous driving begins, the autonomous driving control unit 7 continues autonomous driving (step S212) as long as the vehicle does not come to a complete stop (No in step S213). If the vehicle comes to a complete stop (Yes in step S213), and autonomous driving is not terminated (No in step S214), the process returns to step S201, and the same operation (repeating steps S201 to S214) continues. If autonomous driving is terminated (Yes in step S214), all processing of the autonomous driving start system is terminated.

[0035] By using this method, when the autonomous vehicle starts moving, it notifies surrounding drivers and pedestrians of the vehicle's future starting behavior, including the time until the vehicle starts moving. This allows surrounding drivers and pedestrians to recognize when the autonomous vehicle will start moving or remain stationary, enabling them to make appropriate decisions about when to cross and pass through the road, or whether it is better to wait for the autonomous vehicle to start moving. As a result, smooth passage for the autonomous vehicle and surrounding drivers and pedestrians can be achieved.

[0036] As described above, the automatic driving start system 101 according to this embodiment 1 acquires surrounding information when the vehicle starts to start, the distance to obstacles around the vehicle, and the vehicle's position information, derives a driving path for the vehicle from the surrounding information, the distance to obstacles, and the vehicle's position information, and includes a surrounding situation recognition unit 4 that detects the surrounding conditions when the vehicle starts to start, a vehicle start determination unit 5 that determines whether or not the vehicle can start based on the driving path and surrounding conditions, and a notification method determination unit 6 that notifies the outside of the vehicle's start using a notification means, and when the vehicle starts to start, the notification means notifies the vehicle's start using one or more of the light generator 11, sound generator 12, and display device 13. Furthermore, according to the automatic driving start method according to this embodiment 1, surrounding information is acquired when the vehicle starts to start, obstacles around the vehicle are detected and the distance to the obstacles is detected, and the vehicle's position information is acquired The system includes a process for obtaining information, a process for deriving the driving path the vehicle will take from surrounding information, distance to obstacles, and the vehicle's position information, a process for detecting the surrounding conditions when the vehicle starts to move, a process for deciding whether or not to start the vehicle based on the driving path and the surrounding conditions, and a process for notifying the outside of the vehicle's start using a light generator 11, a sound generator 12, and a display device 13. As a result, when the autonomous vehicle starts to move, it notifies surrounding drivers and pedestrians of the vehicle's future starting behavior, including the time until the vehicle starts to move. This allows surrounding drivers and pedestrians to recognize when the autonomous vehicle will start to move or remain stopped, enabling them to make appropriate decisions about when to cross and pass, or whether it is better to wait for the autonomous vehicle to start, thus enabling smooth passage for the vehicle and surrounding drivers and pedestrians.

[0037] Embodiment 2. Embodiment 2 describes a case in which the notification means and notification content are changed depending on whether or not pedestrians and drivers of other vehicles in the vicinity are aware of the vehicle's departure when the vehicle begins to move.

[0038] Figure 3 is a system configuration diagram showing the configuration of the automated driving start system 102 according to Embodiment 2 of the present application. As shown in Figure 3, in Embodiment 2, the surrounding situation recognition unit 4 is configured to directly notify the notification method determination unit 6 of surrounding situation information. The other configurations of the automated driving start system 102 according to Embodiment 2 are the same as those of the automated driving start system 101 according to Embodiment 1, and corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0039] In Embodiment 2, the surrounding situation recognition unit 4 calculates the vehicle's driving path and detects surrounding pedestrians and vehicle drivers when the vehicle starts moving, similar to Embodiment 1. Furthermore, after notifying the vehicle of its departure, it determines whether the notified person(s), who are surrounding pedestrians and vehicle drivers, are aware of the notification. The determination of whether the notified person(s) are aware of the notification is made based on the notification awareness status information. For example, it may be determined whether the notified person(s) are aware of the vehicle's notification from the orientation of their face and gaze in the video from camera 1, or it may be determined that they are aware of the vehicle's notification if they are making a specific movement such as a gesture. Other methods are also acceptable as long as they can determine whether the notified person(s) are aware of the notification. The calculated driving path information and surrounding situation information are notified to the vehicle departure decision unit 5, the notification method decision unit 6, and the automatic driving control unit 7. The notification awareness status information is notified to the notification method decision unit 6.

[0040] The notification method determination unit 6 appropriately changes the notification means and departure behavior information according to the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, based on the driving path information, surrounding conditions information, and notification recognition status information received from the surrounding conditions recognition unit 4, and the vehicle departure judgment information received from the vehicle departure determination unit 5. Specifically, it determines from the notification recognition status information whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification content, and if the person to be notified is not aware of the notification content, it increases the notification intensity for the vehicle departure. Conversely, if the person to be notified is aware of the notification content, it decreases the notification intensity for the vehicle departure. Increasing the notification intensity means making the notification method easier for the person to recognize the notification content, and as an example, this could be done by increasing the volume of the sound from the sound generator 12, making the sound generated a warning sound, making the light from the light generator 11 brighter, or displaying the content of the display device 13 in an emphasized manner. Furthermore, reducing the notification intensity means making the notification method less likely to cause discomfort or annoyance to the person being notified. Examples include reducing the volume of the sound generated by the sound generator 12, not using warning sounds, stopping sound generation altogether, dimming the light from the light generator 11, stopping light generation altogether, or displaying the content of the display device 13 in an unemphasized manner.

[0041] Once the notification method is determined, the light generation instruction is sent to the light generation device 11, the voice notification instruction for the vehicle's departure and the time until departure is sent to the sound generation device 12, and the display device 13 is sent a display instruction for the vehicle's departure and the time until departure is sent, similar to Embodiment 1.

[0042] Next, the operation of the automated driving start system 102 according to Embodiment 2 of the present application will be described with reference to Figure 4. Figure 4 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the operation of the automated driving start system 102 according to Embodiment 2.

[0043] Steps S401 to S406 are the same as steps S201 to S206 in Embodiment 1, and their description will be omitted.

[0044] After step S406, the notification method determination unit 6 determines whether or not the vehicle's departure has been notified based on the driving path information, surrounding situation information, and notification recognition status information received from the surrounding situation recognition unit 4, and the vehicle departure judgment information received from the vehicle departure determination unit 5 (step S407). If the vehicle's departure has not been notified (No in step S407), the notification method for the light generator 11, sound generator 12, and display device 13 is determined based on the vehicle departure judgment information received from the vehicle departure determination unit 5, similar to Embodiment 1 (step S408). If the vehicle's departure has been notified (Yes in step S407), the surrounding situation recognition unit 4 determines whether the notification target persons, such as pedestrians and drivers of other vehicles, are aware of the notification content (step S409). The determined notification recognition status information is notified to the notification method determination unit 6.

[0045] The surrounding situation recognition unit 4 determines whether the person to be notified of the notification status information is aware of the notification content (step S410). If the person to be notified is not aware of the notification content (No in step S410), the notification method determination unit 6 selects a notification method that increases the notification intensity of the vehicle starting (step S411). If the person to be notified is aware of the notification content (Yes in step S410), it selects a notification method that decreases the notification intensity of the vehicle starting (step S412).

[0046] After step S408, or after step S411 or step S412, steps S413 to S419 are the same as steps S208 to S214 in Embodiment 1, and their description is omitted.

[0047] By using this method, when the autonomous vehicle starts moving, the notification means and starting behavior information can be appropriately changed according to the surrounding conditions of the vehicle. This allows for increased notification intensity to alert pedestrians and drivers of other vehicles who are unaware of the vehicle's departure, while conversely, for pedestrians and drivers of other vehicles who are aware of the vehicle's departure, the notification intensity can be reduced to minimize the annoyance of the notification.

[0048] As described above, according to the automatic driving start system 102 of this embodiment 2, the surrounding situation recognition unit 4, after notifying that the vehicle is starting, determines whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification content based on the surrounding information acquired, and if it is determined that the person is aware, the notification method determination unit 6 notifies the person with a lower intensity than the previous notification, and if it is determined that the person is not aware, it notifies with a higher intensity than the previous notification. Furthermore, according to the automatic driving start method of this embodiment 2, the process includes determining whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification content based on the surrounding information, and after notifying that the vehicle is starting, if it is determined that the person is aware, In some cases, the notification intensity is lowered compared to the previous notification for the person to be notified, and if it is determined that the person has not noticed, the notification intensity is increased compared to the previous notification for the person to be notified. Therefore, in addition to the effects of Embodiment 1, when the autonomous vehicle starts moving, the notification means and starting behavior information can be appropriately changed according to the surrounding conditions of the vehicle. This makes it possible to increase the notification intensity to make pedestrians and drivers of other vehicles in the vicinity who have not noticed the notification of the vehicle starting to notice, and conversely, to reduce the annoyance of the notification to pedestrians and drivers of other vehicles in the vicinity who have noticed the notification of the vehicle starting to notice.

[0049] Embodiment 3. Embodiment 3 describes a case in which the ability to start the vehicle or the time until the vehicle starts to move is changed.

[0050] The configuration diagram of the automated driving start system according to Embodiment 3 of this application is the same as the configuration diagram of the automated driving start system 102 according to Embodiment 2, and will be described with reference to Figure 3.

[0051] In Embodiment 3, if the vehicle has already been notified of its departure, the surrounding situation recognition unit 4 determines from the notification recognition status information whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification content. If the person to be notified is not aware of the notification content, the vehicle departure decision unit 5 sets a longer time until the vehicle starts to depart. Furthermore, if the surrounding situation information indicates that the distance to the person to be notified has decreased, or that the possibility of collision with the person to be notified has increased, the time until the vehicle starts to depart is set to a longer duration. The calculated vehicle departure decision information is notified to the notification method decision unit 6 and the automatic driving control unit 7. Note that, as an example, the time until the vehicle starts to depart is set to a longer duration when the person to be notified is not aware of the notification content, but this is not the only option. The vehicle departure decision unit 5 may also determine that the vehicle cannot depart if the person to be notified is not aware of the notification content, and may not depart if the vehicle does not depart.

[0052] Other components of the automated driving start system according to Embodiment 3 of the present application are the same as those of the automated driving start system 102 according to Embodiment 2, and corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0053] Next, the operation of the automated driving start system 102 according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention will be described with reference to Figure 5. Figure 5 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the operation of the automated driving start system 102 according to Embodiment 3. In Embodiment 3, the system changes whether or not to start the vehicle or the time until the vehicle starts moving based on the surrounding conditions recognized by the surrounding conditions recognition unit 4.

[0054] Steps S501 to S505 are the same as steps S201 to S205 in Embodiment 1, and their description will be omitted.

[0055] After a Yes in step S505, the notification method determination unit 6 determines whether or not the vehicle has already been notified of its departure based on the driving route information, surrounding situation information, and notification recognition status information received from the surrounding situation recognition unit 4, and the vehicle departure judgment information received from the vehicle departure determination unit 5 (step S506). If the vehicle has not been notified of its departure (No in step S506), the vehicle departure determination unit 5 calculates the time until the vehicle starts to depart, similar to Embodiment 1, based on the driving route information and surrounding situation information received from the surrounding situation recognition unit 4 (step S507). If the vehicle has already been notified of its departure (Yes in step S506), the surrounding situation recognition unit 4 determines whether the notification target persons, such as pedestrians and drivers of other vehicles in the vicinity, are aware of the notification content (step S508). The determined notification recognition status information is then notified to the notification method determination unit 6.

[0056] The surrounding situation recognition unit 4 determines whether the person to whom the notification of the notification awareness status information is aware of the notification content (step S509). If the person to whom the notification is aware of the notification content (No in step S509), the vehicle departure decision unit 5 sets a longer time until the vehicle starts to depart (step S510). If the person to whom the notification is aware of the notification content (Yes in step S509), the time until the vehicle starts to depart is updated by the amount of time that has elapsed without resetting the time until the vehicle starts to depart (step S511).

[0057] After processing to determine whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification content (after step S510 or step S511), the vehicle departure decision unit 5 determines from the surrounding situation information received from the surrounding situation recognition unit 4 whether the possibility of collision with the person to be notified has increased (step S512). If the possibility of collision with the person to be notified has increased (Yes in step S512), it sets a longer time until the vehicle starts to depart (step S513). If there is no possibility of collision with the person to be notified (No in step S512), it updates the time until the vehicle starts to depart by the amount of time that has elapsed without resetting the time until the vehicle starts to depart (step S514). The calculated vehicle departure decision information is notified to the notification method decision unit 6 and the automatic driving control unit 7.

[0058] After step S507, or after step S513 or step S514, steps S515 to S522 are the same as steps S207 to S214 in Embodiment 1, and their description is omitted.

[0059] By using this method, when an autonomous vehicle starts moving, the time it takes for the vehicle to start, stop, or begin moving can be changed depending on the surrounding conditions. If pedestrians and drivers of other vehicles are unaware of the vehicle's departure notification, or if the likelihood of a collision increases, the vehicle's departure can be delayed, thereby avoiding a collision with pedestrians and drivers of other vehicles who are unaware of the vehicle's departure notification or for whom a collision is likely to occur.

[0060] As described above, according to the automated driving start system 102 of this embodiment 3, the surrounding situation recognition unit 4, after notifying that the vehicle is about to start, determines whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification content based on the surrounding information acquired, and if it is determined that the person is aware, the vehicle start decision unit 5 updates the time until the vehicle starts to start, and if it is determined that the person is not aware, it sets the time until the vehicle starts to start to be longer than the required time. Furthermore, according to the automated driving start method of this embodiment 3, the process includes determining whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification content based on the surrounding information, and after notifying that the vehicle is about to start, if it is determined that the person is aware, In some cases, the time until the vehicle starts moving is updated, and if it is determined that the vehicle has not been notified, the time until the vehicle starts moving is set to be longer than the necessary time. Therefore, in addition to the effects of Embodiment 1, when the autonomous vehicle starts moving, by changing the time until the vehicle starts, stops, or starts moving depending on the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, if pedestrians and drivers of other vehicles in the vicinity have not been notified of the vehicle's departure, or if the possibility of collision has increased, the vehicle will be delayed, thereby avoiding collisions with pedestrians and drivers of other vehicles who have not been notified of the vehicle's departure or with whom a collision is likely to occur.

[0061] Embodiment 4. Embodiment 4 describes a case where, based on the surrounding conditions of the vehicle recognized by the surrounding conditions recognition unit 4, the vehicle starts moving at an appropriate moment when there is a break in traffic, and the vehicle starts moving at that moment when there is a break in traffic, in which case the vehicle starts moving.

[0062] The configuration diagram of the automated driving start system according to Embodiment 4 of the present application is the same as the configuration diagram of the automated driving start system 102 according to Embodiment 2, and will be described with reference to Figure 3.

[0063] In Embodiment 4, the vehicle departure decision unit 5 determines whether the vehicle can depart and calculates the time until the vehicle starts moving if it is possible to depart, based on the driving path information and surrounding situation information received from the surrounding situation recognition unit 4. In determining whether the vehicle can depart and calculating the time until the vehicle starts moving if it is possible, if there are pedestrians crossing and other vehicles passing that could potentially cause a collision during the vehicle's departure, the unit estimates the situation in which the pedestrian crossing and other vehicle traffic will cease. If it is determined that the pedestrian crossing and other vehicle traffic will cease and the vehicle can depart, the unit calculates the time until the pedestrian crossing and other vehicle traffic will cease, and sets the calculated time until the vehicle starts moving. The calculated vehicle departure decision information is notified to the notification method determination unit 6 and the automatic driving control unit 7, as in Embodiment 1.

[0064] Furthermore, if the vehicle departure decision unit 5 determines that there is a possibility of collision with pedestrians crossing the road or other vehicles passing by when the vehicle is departing, and that the traffic will not be interrupted for a certain period of time or longer, it notifies the notification method decision unit 6 and the automatic driving control unit 7 of the vehicle departure decision information, including that departure is not possible due to the continuous traffic for a certain period of time or longer.

[0065] The notification method determination unit 6, based on the vehicle departure determination information received from the vehicle departure determination unit 5, sets a notification method that allows pedestrians and drivers of other vehicles who may be hit by the vehicle during departure to recognize that the vehicle wants to depart if traffic is interrupted for a certain period of time or longer. One example of a notification method that allows the vehicle to recognize that it wants to depart is to emit the message "Waiting to depart" from the sound generator 12 or to display it on the display device 13. Furthermore, if traffic remains interrupted even after the vehicle has been notified that it wants to depart and it is determined that it cannot depart, a notification method with increased notification intensity is set, similar to Embodiment 2. In addition, a notification method is set to emit the departure waiting time from the sound generator 12 or to display it on the display device 13. Once the notification method is determined, the light generation instruction is sent to the light generation device 11, the voice notification instruction for the vehicle's departure and the time until departure is sent to the sound generation device 12, and the display device 13 is sent a display instruction for the vehicle's departure and the time until departure is sent, similar to Embodiment 2.

[0066] Other components of the automated driving start system according to Embodiment 4 of the present application are the same as those of the automated driving start system 102 according to Embodiment 2, and corresponding parts are denoted by the same reference numerals and their descriptions are omitted.

[0067] Next, the operation of the automated driving start system 102 according to Embodiment 4 of the present application will be described with reference to Figure 6. Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the procedure for the operation of the automated driving start system 102 according to Embodiment 4.

[0068] Steps S601 to S604 are the same as steps S201 to S204 in Embodiment 1, and their description will be omitted.

[0069] After a Yes in step S604, the vehicle departure decision unit 5 uses the driving path information and surrounding situation information received from the surrounding situation recognition unit 4 to determine whether the vehicle can depart and, if departed, to calculate the time until the vehicle begins to depart. In doing so, it uses the driving path information and surrounding situation information received from the surrounding situation recognition unit 4 to determine whether there are still pedestrians crossing the road and other vehicles passing by that could potentially cause a collision when the vehicle departs (step S605). If there are no pedestrians crossing the road and other vehicles passing by that could potentially cause a collision when the vehicle departs (No in step S605), the vehicle departure decision unit 5 uses the driving path information and surrounding situation information received from the surrounding situation recognition unit 4 to determine whether the vehicle can depart (step S606). If the system determines that it cannot start the vehicle because there are pedestrians crossing the road and other vehicles passing by that could potentially cause a collision during the vehicle's departure (No in step S606), it returns to step S601 and again acquires obstacle information and obstacle distance information using camera 1 and distance sensor 2, and the surrounding situation recognition unit 4 determines the situation around the vehicle. If it determines that it can start the vehicle (Yes in step S606), the vehicle departure decision unit 5 calculates the time until the pedestrian crossing and other vehicles are no longer passing, that is, the time until the vehicle can start moving (step S607). The calculated vehicle departure decision information is notified to the notification method decision unit 6 and the automatic driving control unit 7.

[0070] If there are pedestrians crossing the road and other vehicles passing by that could potentially cause a collision when the vehicle starts moving (Yes in step S605), the system estimates when the pedestrian crossing and other vehicle traffic will cease (step S608), and determines whether the vehicle can start moving once the pedestrian crossing and other vehicle traffic have ceased (step S609). If it is determined that the vehicle can start moving once the pedestrian crossing and other vehicle traffic have ceased (Yes in step S609), the system calculates the time until the pedestrian crossing and vehicle traffic cease, and sets the calculated time until the vehicle starts moving as the time until the vehicle starts moving (step S611). The calculated vehicle start determination information is notified to the notification method determination unit 6 and the automatic driving control unit 7, as in Embodiment 1.

[0071] After step S611, steps S617 to S624 are the same as steps S207 to S214 in Embodiment 1, and their description is omitted.

[0072] If the vehicle departure decision unit 5 determines that it is impossible to start its own vehicle because there are pedestrians crossing the road and other vehicles passing by that could potentially cause a collision when the vehicle starts moving, and the traffic continues uninterrupted for a certain period of time or longer (No in step S609), it notifies the notification method decision unit 6 and the automatic driving control unit 7 of the vehicle departure decision information, including that it is impossible to start the vehicle because the traffic has continued uninterrupted for a certain period of time or longer.

[0073] The notification method determination unit 6, based on the vehicle departure determination information received from the vehicle departure determination unit 5, determines whether the vehicle will remain unable to depart for a certain period of time after announcing its intention to depart (step S610). If the vehicle is not unable to depart for a certain period of time (No in step S610), it sets a notification method that allows pedestrians and drivers of other vehicles who may be hit by the vehicle during its departure to recognize that the vehicle intends to depart (step S612). If the vehicle is unable to depart for a certain period of time (Yes in step S610), it sets a notification method with increased notification intensity (step S613). Once the notification method is determined, it notifies the light generator 11 of a light generation instruction, the sound generator 12 of an audio notification instruction regarding the vehicle's departure and the time until departure, and the display device 13 of a display instruction regarding the vehicle's departure and the time until departure.

[0074] When the light generator 11 receives a light generation instruction from the vehicle start determination unit 5, it generates light to indicate that the vehicle is waiting to start (step S614). When the sound generator 12 receives a sound generation instruction from the vehicle start determination unit 5, it announces by voice that the vehicle is waiting to start (step S615). When the display device 13 receives a display instruction from the vehicle start determination unit 5, it displays that the vehicle is waiting to start using characters, images, and pictures (step S616). After each notification means has been used (after steps S614, S615, and S616), the process returns to step S601.

[0075] By using this method, when an autonomous vehicle starts moving, if there is continuous traffic of pedestrians and other vehicles, it is possible to start moving at an appropriate moment when there is a break in traffic and to notify the driver that the vehicle will start moving at that moment. Furthermore, if the vehicle is unable to start moving for a certain period of time due to continuous traffic, the vehicle can notify pedestrians and drivers of other vehicles that it wants to start moving, and by recognizing this, pedestrians and drivers of other vehicles can yield to each other, achieving smooth traffic flow similar to that between pedestrians and other vehicles.

[0076] As described above, according to the automatic driving start system 102 of this embodiment 4, when there is a possibility of collision with pedestrians crossing and other vehicles passing by during the vehicle's start, the vehicle start determination unit 5 estimates the situation in which pedestrians crossing and other vehicles will stop passing, and when it determines that the pedestrians crossing and other vehicles will stop passing and the vehicle can start, it determines the time until the pedestrians crossing and other vehicles stop passing. Furthermore, according to the automatic driving start method of this embodiment 4, in the process of determining the time until the vehicle starts to start, the vehicle starts In cases where there is a possibility of collision with pedestrians crossing the road and other vehicles are passing by, the system estimates when the pedestrian crossing and other vehicle traffic will cease. If it determines that the pedestrian crossing and other vehicle traffic will cease and the vehicle can depart, it determines the time until the pedestrian crossing and other vehicle traffic cease. Therefore, in addition to the effects of Embodiment 1, when the autonomous vehicle departs, if there is continuous pedestrian and other vehicle traffic, it can depart at the appropriate moment when the traffic ceases and notify the driver that the vehicle will depart at that moment. Furthermore, if the vehicle is unable to depart for a certain period of time due to continuous traffic, it can notify pedestrians and drivers of other vehicles that the vehicle intends to depart, and when pedestrians and drivers of other vehicles recognize this, they can yield to each other and achieve smooth passage similar to that between people.

[0077] While this application describes various exemplary embodiments and examples, the various features, aspects, and functions described in one or more embodiments are not limited to the application of a particular embodiment, but are applicable individually or in various combinations to the embodiments. Accordingly, countless variations not illustrated are envisioned within the scope of the art disclosed herein. For example, these include modifying, adding, or omitting at least one component, or even extracting at least one component and combining it with components of other embodiments.

[0078] The various aspects of this disclosure are summarized below as an appendix.

[0079] (Note 1) When the vehicle starts moving from a standstill, an ambient conditions recognition unit detects the surrounding conditions at the time the start of the start, A vehicle start determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle can start based on the travel route and the surrounding conditions, The system includes a notification method determination unit that notifies the outside of the vehicle's departure by notification means, An automated driving start system characterized in that, when the vehicle starts to move, the notification means uses one or more of the following to notify the vehicle of the start of movement: a light generator, a sound generator, and a display device. (Note 2) The automatic driving start system according to Appendix 1, characterized in that the surrounding situation recognition unit acquires surrounding information when the vehicle starts to move, the distance to obstacles around the vehicle, and the position information of the vehicle, derives the driving path that the vehicle will take from the surrounding information, the distance to obstacles, and the position information of the vehicle, and detects the surrounding conditions when the vehicle starts to move. (Note 3) The automatic driving start system according to Appendix 2, characterized in that the vehicle start determination unit determines the time until the vehicle starts to start moving, and the notification method determination unit notifies the time to the outside using the notification means. (Note 4) The automatic driving start system according to Appendix 2 or Appendix 3, characterized in that the surrounding situation recognition unit notifies the vehicle that it is starting to move, and then, based on the surrounding information acquired, determines whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification content, and if it determines that the person is aware, the notification method determination unit notifies the person to be notified with a lower intensity than the previous notification. (Note 5) The automatic driving start system according to Appendix 2 or Appendix 3, characterized in that, after the surrounding situation recognition unit notifies that the vehicle is starting to move, the unit determines, based on the acquired surrounding information, whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification content, and if it determines that the person is not aware, the notification method determination unit notifies the person to be notified with a stronger intensity than the previous notification. (Note 6) The automatic driving start system according to Appendix 3, characterized in that, after the vehicle start determination unit notifies that the vehicle is about to start, it determines the possibility of collision with the notified person based on the surrounding conditions obtained from the surrounding conditions recognition unit, and changes the time until the vehicle stops or starts moving. (Note 7) The automatic driving start system according to Appendix 3, characterized in that, after the surrounding situation recognition unit notifies that the vehicle is about to start moving, it determines from the acquired surrounding information whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification, and if it determines that the person is aware, the vehicle start decision unit updates the time until the vehicle starts moving. (Note 8) The automatic driving start system according to Appendix 3, characterized in that, after the surrounding situation recognition unit notifies that the vehicle is about to start moving, it determines from the acquired surrounding information whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification, and if it determines that the person is not aware, the vehicle start decision unit sets the time until the vehicle starts moving to be longer than the required time. (Note 9) The automatic driving start system according to Appendix 3, characterized in that, when there is a possibility of collision with pedestrians crossing the road and other vehicles passing by during the vehicle's start-up, the vehicle start-up determination unit estimates the situation in which the pedestrian crossing and other vehicle traffic will cease, and if it determines that the pedestrian crossing and other vehicle traffic will cease and the vehicle can start, it determines the time until the pedestrian crossing and other vehicle traffic cease. (Note 10) The automatic driving start system according to any one of the appendices 1 to 3, characterized in that when the vehicle start determination unit determines that there will be no interruption for a certain period of time or longer for pedestrians crossing the road or other vehicles passing that could potentially collide with the vehicle during its start, the notification method determination unit notifies that the vehicle wants to start. (Note 11) The automatic driving start system according to Appendix 10, characterized in that, after the vehicle start determination unit notifies that the vehicle wants to start, if a certain period of time has elapsed and the vehicle determines that there is no interruption in the crossing of pedestrians or the passage of other vehicles that could potentially collide with the vehicle during its start, the notification method determination unit notifies the person to be notified with a stronger intensity than the previous notification. (Note 12) The automatic driving start system according to any one of the appendices 1 to 3, characterized in that, if the vehicle start determination unit determines that there will be no interruption for a certain period of time or longer for pedestrians crossing the road or other vehicles passing that could potentially collide with the vehicle during its start, and the vehicle is unable to start, the notification method determination unit notifies the waiting time. (Note 13) The automatic driving start system according to Appendix 10, characterized in that, if the vehicle start determination unit determines that there will be no interruption for a certain period of time or longer for pedestrians crossing the road or other vehicles passing that could potentially collide with the vehicle during its start, and the vehicle is unable to start, the notification method determination unit notifies the waiting time. (Note 14) The automatic driving start system according to any one of the appendices 2 to 13, characterized in that the surrounding information when the vehicle starts moving is acquired by a camera. (Note 15) The automatic driving start system according to any one of the appendices 1 to 13, characterized in that the distance to obstacles around the vehicle is obtained by a distance sensor. (Note 16) The automatic driving start system according to any one of the appendices 1 to 13, characterized in that the position information of the vehicle is acquired by a vehicle position information acquisition device. (Note 17) The automatic driving start system according to any one of the appendices 2 to 9, characterized in that the surrounding information includes information on obstacles in front of and around the vehicle, the vehicle's driving lane, and signals and signs in front of the vehicle. (Note 18) The process includes acquiring surrounding information when the vehicle starts moving, detecting obstacles around the vehicle, determining the distance to the obstacles, and acquiring the vehicle's position information. The process involves deriving the travel path of the vehicle from the surrounding information, the distance to the obstacle, and the position information of the vehicle, and detecting the surrounding conditions when the vehicle starts moving. A step of determining whether or not the vehicle can start based on the aforementioned travel route and the aforementioned surrounding conditions, An automated driving start method characterized by including the step of notifying the outside of the vehicle's start using a notification means. (Note 19) The automatic driving start method according to Appendix 18, characterized in that the determination step involves determining the time until the vehicle starts moving, and the notification step involves notifying the time until the vehicle starts moving. (Note 20) The automatic driving start method according to Appendix 18 or Appendix 19, which includes a step of determining whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification content based on the surrounding information, and after notifying the person that the vehicle is starting to move, if it is determined that the person is aware, the method further notifies the person with a lower intensity than the previous notification. (Note 21) The automatic driving start method according to Appendix 18 or Appendix 19, which includes a step of determining whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification content based on the surrounding information, and if it is determined that the person is not aware after notifying that the vehicle is starting to move, the method further increases the intensity of the notification to the person to be notified compared to the previous notification. (Note 22) The automatic driving start system according to Appendix 19, which includes a step of determining whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification content based on the surrounding information, and if it is determined that the person is aware after notifying that the vehicle will start moving, updates the time until the vehicle starts moving. (Note 23) The automatic driving start method according to Appendix 19, which includes a step of determining whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification content based on the surrounding information, and if it is determined that the person is not aware after notifying that the vehicle is starting to move, the time until the vehicle starts to move is set to be longer than the required time. (Note 24) The automatic driving start method according to Appendix 23, characterized in that, if the time until the vehicle starts moving is set to be longer than the required time, the possibility of collision with the person to be notified is determined based on the surrounding conditions, and the time until the vehicle starts moving, stops, or starts moving is changed. (Note 25) The automatic driving start method according to Appendix 19, characterized in that, in the step of determining the time until the vehicle starts moving, if there is a continuous flow of pedestrians crossing and other vehicles passing that could potentially cause a collision during the vehicle's start, the system estimates the conditions under which the pedestrian crossing and other vehicles will cease, and if it is determined that the pedestrian crossing and other vehicles have ceased and the vehicle can start moving, the system determines the time until the pedestrian crossing and other vehicles cease. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0080] 1 Camera, 2 Distance sensor, 3 Vehicle position information acquisition device, 4 Surrounding situation recognition unit, 5 Vehicle start decision unit, 6 Notification method decision unit, 11 Light generator, 12 Sound generator, 13 Display device, 101, 102 Automated driving start system.

Claims

1. When the vehicle starts moving from a standstill, an ambient conditions recognition unit detects the surrounding conditions at the time the start of the start, A vehicle start determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle can start based on the travel route and the surrounding conditions, The system includes a notification method determination unit that notifies the outside of the vehicle's departure by notification means, When the vehicle starts moving, the notification means uses one or more of the following to notify the vehicle of its departure: a light generator, a sound generator, or a display device. The surrounding situation recognition unit acquires surrounding information when the vehicle starts moving, the distance to obstacles around the vehicle, and the position information of the vehicle. The unit derives the driving path that the vehicle will take from the surrounding information, the distance to obstacles, and the position information of the vehicle. The unit detects the surrounding conditions when the vehicle starts moving and notifies the vehicle that it is starting. After notifying the vehicle that it is starting, the unit determines whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification based on the acquired surrounding information. If it determines that the person is aware, the notification method determination unit notifies the person to be notified with a lower intensity than the previous notification. This is an automated driving start system.

2. The automatic driving start system according to claim 1, characterized in that the vehicle start determination unit determines the time until the vehicle starts to start moving, and the notification method determination unit notifies the time to the outside using the notification means.

3. When the vehicle starts moving from a standstill, an ambient conditions recognition unit detects the surrounding conditions at the time the start of the start, A vehicle start determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle can start based on the travel route and the surrounding conditions, The system includes a notification method determination unit that notifies the outside of the vehicle's departure by notification means, When the vehicle starts moving, the notification means uses one or more of the following to notify the vehicle of its departure: a light generator, a sound generator, or a display device. The surrounding situation recognition unit acquires surrounding information when the vehicle starts moving, the distance to obstacles around the vehicle, and the position information of the vehicle, derives the driving path the vehicle will take from the surrounding information, the distance to obstacles, and the position information of the vehicle, detects the surrounding situation when the vehicle starts moving, notifies that the vehicle is starting, and then determines whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification content based on the acquired surrounding information, and if it is determined that the person is not aware, the notification method determination unit notifies the person to be notified with a stronger intensity than the previous notification.

4. The automatic driving start system according to claim 3, characterized in that the vehicle start determination unit determines the time until the vehicle starts to start moving, and the notification method determination unit notifies the time to the outside using the notification means.

5. When the vehicle starts moving from a standstill, an ambient conditions recognition unit detects the surrounding conditions at the time the start of the start, A vehicle start determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle can start based on the travel route and the surrounding conditions, The system includes a notification method determination unit that notifies the outside of the vehicle's departure by notification means, When the vehicle starts moving, the notification means uses one or more of the following to notify the vehicle of its departure: a light generator, a sound generator, or a display device. The surrounding situation recognition unit acquires surrounding information when the vehicle starts moving, the distance to obstacles around the vehicle, and the vehicle's position information. From the surrounding information, the distance to obstacles, and the vehicle's position information, it derives the driving path the vehicle will take, detects the surrounding conditions when the vehicle starts moving, and notifies that the vehicle is about to start moving. After that, it determines, based on the acquired surrounding information, whether the person being notified is aware of the notification. If it determines that the person is aware, the vehicle start decision unit updates the time until the vehicle starts moving. The automatic driving start system is characterized in that the vehicle start determination unit determines the time until the vehicle starts moving, and the notification method determination unit notifies the time to the outside using the notification means.

6. When the vehicle starts moving from a standstill, an ambient conditions recognition unit detects the surrounding conditions at the time the start of the start, A vehicle start determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle can start based on the travel route and the surrounding conditions, The system includes a notification method determination unit that notifies the outside of the vehicle's departure by notification means, When the vehicle starts moving, the notification means uses one or more of the following to notify the vehicle of its departure: a light generator, a sound generator, or a display device. The surrounding situation recognition unit acquires surrounding information when the vehicle starts moving, the distance to obstacles around the vehicle, and the vehicle's position information. From the surrounding information, the distance to obstacles, and the vehicle's position information, it derives the driving path the vehicle will take, detects the surrounding conditions when the vehicle starts moving, and notifies the vehicle that it is about to start moving. After that, it determines, based on the acquired surrounding information, whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification. If it determines that the person is not aware, the vehicle start decision unit sets the time until the vehicle starts moving to be longer than the required time. The automatic driving start system is characterized in that the vehicle start determination unit determines the time until the vehicle starts moving, and the notification method determination unit notifies the time to the outside using the notification means.

7. The automatic driving start system according to any one of claims 2, 4 to 6, characterized in that the vehicle start determination unit, after notifying that the vehicle is about to start, determines the possibility of collision with the notified person based on the surrounding conditions obtained from the surrounding conditions recognition unit, and changes the time until the vehicle stops or starts moving.

8. The vehicle departure determination unit, when there is a possibility of collision with pedestrians crossing the road and other vehicles passing by during the vehicle's departure, estimates the situation in which the pedestrian crossing and other vehicle traffic will cease, and when it determines that the pedestrian crossing and other vehicle traffic will cease and the vehicle can depart, determines the time until the pedestrian crossing and other vehicle traffic cease, as described in claim 2, the automatic driving departure system according to any one of claims 4 to 6.

9. The automatic driving start system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the surrounding information when the vehicle starts to move is acquired by a camera.

10. The automatic driving start system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the distance to obstacles around the vehicle is obtained by a distance sensor.

11. The automatic driving start system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the location information of the vehicle is acquired by a vehicle location information acquisition device.

12. The automatic driving start system according to any one of claims 1 to 6, characterized in that the surrounding information includes information on obstacles in front of and around the vehicle, the vehicle's driving lane, and signals and signs in front of the vehicle.

13. When the vehicle starts moving from a standstill, an ambient conditions recognition unit detects the surrounding conditions at the time the start of the start, A vehicle start determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle can start based on the travel route and the surrounding conditions, The system includes a notification method determination unit that notifies the outside of the vehicle's departure by notification means, When the vehicle starts moving, the notification means uses one or more of the following to notify the vehicle of its departure: a light generator, a sound generator, or a display device. An automated driving start system characterized in that, when the vehicle start determination unit determines that there will be no interruption for a certain period of time or longer for pedestrians crossing the road or other vehicles passing that could potentially collide with the vehicle during its start, the notification method determination unit notifies that the vehicle wants to start.

14. The automatic driving start system according to claim 13, characterized in that the surrounding situation recognition unit acquires surrounding information when the vehicle starts to move, the distance to obstacles around the vehicle, and the position information of the vehicle, derives the driving path that the vehicle will take from the surrounding information, the distance to obstacles, and the position information of the vehicle, and detects the surrounding situation when the vehicle starts to move.

15. The automatic driving start system according to claim 14, characterized in that the vehicle start determination unit determines the time until the vehicle starts to start moving, and the notification method determination unit notifies the time to the outside using the notification means.

16. The automatic driving start system according to any one of claims 13 to 15, characterized in that, after the vehicle start determination unit notifies that the vehicle wants to start, if a certain period of time has elapsed and the vehicle determines that there is no interruption in the crossing of pedestrians or the passage of other vehicles that could potentially collide with the vehicle during its departure, the notification method determination unit notifies the person to be notified with a stronger intensity than the previous notification.

17. When the vehicle starts moving from a standstill, an ambient conditions recognition unit detects the surrounding conditions at the time the start of the start, A vehicle start determination unit that determines whether or not the vehicle can start based on the travel route and the surrounding conditions, The system includes a notification method determination unit that notifies the outside of the vehicle's departure by notification means, When the vehicle starts moving, the notification means uses one or more of the following to notify the vehicle of its departure: a light generator, a sound generator, or a display device. An automated driving start system characterized in that, when the vehicle start determination unit determines that there will be no interruption for a certain period of time or longer for pedestrians crossing the road or other vehicles passing that could potentially collide with the vehicle during its start, and the vehicle is unable to start, the notification method determination unit notifies the waiting time.

18. The automatic driving start system according to claim 17, characterized in that the surrounding situation recognition unit acquires surrounding information when the vehicle starts to move, the distance to obstacles around the vehicle, and the position information of the vehicle, derives the driving path that the vehicle will take from the surrounding information, the distance to obstacles, and the position information of the vehicle, and detects the surrounding situation when the vehicle starts to move.

19. The automatic driving start system according to claim 18, characterized in that the vehicle start determination unit determines the time until the vehicle starts to start moving, and the notification method determination unit notifies the time to the outside using the notification means.

20. The process includes acquiring surrounding information when the vehicle starts moving, detecting obstacles around the vehicle, determining the distance to the obstacles, and acquiring the vehicle's position information. The process involves deriving the travel path of the vehicle from the surrounding information, the distance to the obstacle, and the position information of the vehicle, and detecting the surrounding conditions when the vehicle starts moving. A step of determining whether or not the vehicle can start based on the aforementioned travel route and the aforementioned surrounding conditions, The process of notifying the outside of the vehicle's departure by notification means, The process includes determining whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification content based on the surrounding information, An automated driving start method characterized by, after notifying the person that the vehicle is starting to move, if it is determined that the person is aware of the start, notifying the person with a lower intensity than the previous notification.

21. The automatic driving start method according to claim 20, characterized in that the determination step determines the time until the vehicle starts moving, and the notification step notifies the time until the vehicle starts moving.

22. The process includes acquiring surrounding information when the vehicle starts moving, detecting obstacles around the vehicle, determining the distance to the obstacles, and acquiring the vehicle's position information. The process involves deriving the travel path of the vehicle from the surrounding information, the distance to the obstacle, and the position information of the vehicle, and detecting the surrounding conditions when the vehicle starts moving. A step of determining whether or not the vehicle can start based on the aforementioned travel route and the aforementioned surrounding conditions, The process of notifying the outside of the vehicle's departure by notification means, The process includes determining whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification content based on the surrounding information, An automated driving start method characterized by, after notifying the person that the vehicle is starting to move, if it is determined that the person has not noticed, then notifying the person with a stronger intensity than the previous notification.

23. The automatic driving start method according to claim 20, characterized in that the determination step determines the time until the vehicle starts moving, and the notification step notifies the time until the vehicle starts moving.

24. The automatic driving start method according to claim 21 or 23, further comprising the step of determining whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification content based on the surrounding information, and if it is determined that the person is aware after notifying that the vehicle is starting, the time until the vehicle starts to start is updated.

25. The automatic driving start method according to claim 21 or 23, further comprising the step of determining whether the person to be notified is aware of the notification content based on the surrounding information, wherein if it is determined that the person is not aware after notifying that the vehicle is starting, the time until the vehicle starts to move is set to be longer than the required time.

26. The automatic driving start method according to 25, characterized in that, if the time until the vehicle starts moving is set to be longer than the required time, the possibility of collision with the person to be notified is determined based on the surrounding conditions, and the time until the vehicle starts, stops, or starts moving is changed.

27. The automatic driving start method according to claim 21 or 23, characterized in that, in the step of determining the time until the vehicle starts moving, if there is a continuous flow of pedestrians crossing and other vehicles passing that could potentially cause a collision during the vehicle's start, the system estimates the situation in which the pedestrian crossing and other vehicles will cease, and if it is determined that the pedestrian crossing and other vehicles have ceased and the vehicle can start moving, the system determines the time until the pedestrian crossing and other vehicles cease.

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