Driving assistance systems

Abstract

To provide a driving support device which can select information required for driving support of an own vehicle without reducing required information and by excluding unnecessary information.SOLUTION: A driving support device is loaded on a vehicle and comprises: a peripheral environment recognition unit which recognizes peripheral environment of an own vehicle on the basis of map information and on-vehicle sensor information; a driving support determination unit which determines driving support of the own vehicle on the basis of information of the peripheral environment recognition unit; a communication information acquisition unit which acquires communication information from the outside of the own vehicle; a driving behavior determination unit which determines a driving behavior which can be taken by the own vehicle on the basis of the on-vehicle sensor information and the map information; a communication information acquisition region setting unit which sets an acquisition region of the communication information on the basis of the driving behavior; and a communication information acquisition determination unit which selects communication information which is possible to affect the driving behavior of the own vehicle among pieces of the communication information existing in the acquisition region, wherein the peripheral environment recognition unit recognizes the peripheral environment of the own vehicle by using the communication information selected by the communication information acquisition determination unit.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving support device that acquires information around the host vehicle, particularly using communication, in a moving body such as a vehicle, and performs driving support using this information.

Background Art

[0002] Various techniques have been proposed for detecting objects (such as vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, structures, etc.) around the host vehicle using external recognition sensors such as in-vehicle cameras and radars. Also, since the detection range of these external recognition sensors is limited in these techniques, communication technologies such as vehicle-to-vehicle communication and roadside-to-vehicle communication are used to obtain information necessary for driving support of the host vehicle from vehicles that possess other communication terminals and infrastructure installed on the roadside, etc., and techniques for performing driving support using this information have been developed.

[0003] The information obtained by the above communication includes information on objects sensed by vehicles that possess communication terminals and infrastructure installed on the roadside, etc., and thus includes a very large amount of information. On the other hand, since the driving support device on the host vehicle side that receives this information has limitations in the amount of memory and computing resources available, it cannot receive all the information, and a mechanism for receiving only the necessary information is required.

[0004] As a prior art having such a mechanism, there is Patent Document 1. Patent Document 1 discloses an in-vehicle electronic control device that obtains a traveling area based on the traveling route of the host vehicle and stores, in a storage unit, information on objects that exist within the traveling route area among the objects detected by other vehicles acquired by vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0005]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0006] Memory usage can be reduced by using the prior art disclosed in Patent Document 1. However, in Patent Document 1, since the route area is set to acquire information based on the planned route of the vehicle, there is a high possibility that information will be insufficient when implementing the following types of driving assistance, which may prevent the implementation of appropriate driving assistance. For example, when implementing lane change assistance as a driving assistance, information on the adjacent lane behind the vehicle is essential, but the route area in Patent Document 1 does not include the area behind the vehicle, making it difficult to properly implement lane change assistance. Also, for example, when implementing automatic emergency braking for a vehicle approaching perpendicularly at an intersection (orthogonal vehicle) as a driving assistance, information from a state where the orthogonal vehicle is located further away is essential, especially for vehicles traveling at high speeds, but the route area in Patent Document 1 takes the area in the direction of the vehicle's planned route at an intersection, and does not include roads in other intersecting directions, making it difficult to properly implement automatic emergency braking.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the circumstances described above, and aims to provide a driver assistance device that, when acquiring information about the vehicle's surroundings using communication, can select information from the acquired information without deleting information necessary for driver assistance, while excluding unnecessary information. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] A typical example of the invention disclosed in this application is as follows: A driving assistance device mounted on a vehicle, comprising: a surrounding environment recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle based on map information and on-board sensor information from sensors mounted on the vehicle; a driving assistance determination unit that determines driving assistance for the vehicle based on the information from the surrounding environment recognition unit; a communication information acquisition unit that acquires communication information transmitted from outside the vehicle; a driving behavior determination unit that determines possible driving actions for the vehicle based on the on-board sensor information and the map information; a communication information acquisition area setting unit that sets an acquisition area for the communication information based on the driving actions; and a communication information acquisition determination unit that selects communication information from the communication information present in the acquisition area that may affect the driving actions of the vehicle, wherein the surrounding environment recognition unit recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle using the communication information selected by the communication information acquisition determination unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0009] According to one aspect of the present invention, by incorporating only the information necessary for driving assistance from information obtained through communication, it is possible to prevent an increase in computational load and memory usage, and to perform appropriate situational judgment and driving assistance.

[0010] Other issues, configurations, and effects not mentioned above will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0011] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram of a driver assistance device in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a flowchart of the overall processing of the driver assistance device in one embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] The figures illustrate a specific example of the present invention (passing through an intersection), where (a) is an example of setting the acquisition area and selecting target information when the distance from the vehicle to the intersection is sufficiently far, and (b) is an example of setting the acquisition area and selecting target information when the vehicle approaches the intersection from the situation in Figure 3(a) and the distance to the intersection is within a predetermined value. [Figure 4] The diagram illustrates a specific example of the present invention (passing through a merging point), where (a) is an example of setting the acquisition area and selecting target information when the distance from the vehicle to the merging start point is sufficiently far, and (b) is an example of setting the acquisition area and selecting target information when the vehicle approaches the merging point from the situation in Figure 4(a) and the distance to the merging start point is within a predetermined value. [Figure 5] This figure illustrates a specific example of the present invention (driving in the left lane of an expressway), where (a) is an example of setting the acquisition area and selecting target information, and (b) is another example of setting the acquisition area and selecting target information. [Figure 6] The figures illustrate a specific example of the present invention (passing through an intersection), where (a) is an example of setting the acquisition area and selecting target information when the distance from the vehicle to the intersection is sufficiently far, and (b) is an example of setting the acquisition area and selecting target information when the vehicle approaches the intersection from the situation in Figure 6(a) and the distance to the intersection is within a predetermined value. [Figure 7] This figure illustrates a specific example of target information obtained by the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0013] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a driver assistance device according to one embodiment of the present invention. The control device 100a, which is a driver assistance device illustrated in Figure 1, is a computer that controls the vehicle and functions as a communication information acquisition unit 1, a map information acquisition unit 2, a driving behavior determination unit 3, a communication information acquisition area setting unit 4, a communication information acquisition determination unit 5, a surrounding environment recognition unit 6, a driver assistance determination unit 7, a vehicle control unit 8, and an HMI control unit 9 by executing a program stored in a storage medium (not shown).

[0014] The control device 100a is connected to the vehicle's steering system 111, drive system 112, braking system 113, and transmission system 114, as well as to the communication device 101, external environment recognition device 102, sound generator 115, and display device 116 installed in the vehicle. The control device 100a is also connected to the vehicle's CAN (not shown) or dedicated lines, and vehicle information such as vehicle speed, steering angle, and shift position, as well as user operation information such as switch inputs and touch panel inputs, are input via these transmission lines.

[0015] The communication device 101 communicates with the outside of the vehicle using wireless communication methods such as Wi-Fi (IEEE802.11), 4G, and 5G, and receives information necessary for assisting the driving of its own vehicle. The communication partners with the outside of the vehicle include communication devices mounted on other vehicles, communication devices of various infrastructure installed on the roadside (traffic lights, ETC gates, dedicated equipment, etc.), mobile phones held by people, data centers (equipment that stores multiple pieces of information and transmits necessary information), etc. The information received by the own vehicle includes landmark information (information about the communication partner itself, information sensed by the communication partner, etc.), traffic light information (current signal color, time until the signal color changes to another color, etc.), speed limit information (restricted speed, restricted section, etc.), lane restriction information (restricted lane, restricted section, etc.), congestion information (congested section, end of congestion, etc.), road construction information (construction location, restriction details, etc.), accident information (accident location, restriction details, etc.), weather information (weather details, section information, etc.), and road surface condition information (road surface condition, section / location information, etc.). Furthermore, target information includes the type of target (passenger car, large vehicle, emergency vehicle, motorcycle, bicycle, person, or other unidentifiable object), location, speed, direction of movement, and reliability (a measure of how reliable the information is, for example, a numerical value from 1 to 100, with 100 being the most reliable).

[0016] The external environment recognition device 102 is a device that acquires information about the surrounding environment of the host vehicle, and is, for example, an in-vehicle camera such as a monocular camera or a stereo camera that captures the vehicle surrounding environment. The image obtained by the in-vehicle camera is output to the control device 100a as analog data or after being A / D converted via a transmission path such as a dedicated line. In addition to the in-vehicle camera, a radar that measures the distance to an object using millimeter waves or laser light, a sonar that measures the distance to an object using ultrasonic waves, etc. can also be used. These devices such as the in-vehicle camera may be configured to output information such as the distance to the detected object, its azimuth, speed, and the type of the object to the control device 100a via a transmission path such as a dedicated line.

[0017] The steering device 111 is composed of an electric power steering, a hydraulic power steering, etc. that can control the steering angle by an electric or hydraulic actuator, etc. according to a drive command from the outside.

[0018] The drive device 112 is composed of an engine system that can control the engine torque by an electric throttle, etc. according to a drive command from the outside, an electric power train system that can control the driving force of a motor, etc. according to a drive command from the outside, etc.

[0019] The braking device 113 is composed of an electric brake, a hydraulic brake, etc. that can control the braking force by an electric or hydraulic actuator, etc. according to a braking command from the outside.

[0020] The transmission device 114 is composed of a transmission, etc. that can switch between forward and reverse by an electric or hydraulic actuator, etc. according to a transmission command from the outside.

[0021] The sound generation device 115 is composed of a speaker, etc. and functions as an information notification unit that outputs an alarm to the driver, voice guidance, etc.

[0022] The display device 116 consists of a display for a navigation system, an instrument panel, warning lights, etc. The display device 116 functions as an information notification unit that notifies the driver of information such as the operation screen for the control device 100a and warning screens that visually inform the driver of the risk of the vehicle colliding with an obstacle.

[0023] The communication information acquisition unit 1 acquires information (communication information) necessary for driving assistance of the vehicle, which is received by the communication device 101 (transmitted from outside the vehicle).

[0024] Map information acquisition unit 2 acquires map information about the area around the vehicle. The acquired map information includes shape data that closely resembles the actual road shape, represented by polygons or polylines, traffic restriction information (speed limits, types of vehicles permitted, etc.), lane divisions (main lane, overtaking lane, climbing lane, straight lane, left-turn lane, right-turn lane, etc.) and the type and location of their lane markings, and information such as the presence or absence of traffic lights and signs (and their location information if present).

[0025] The driving behavior determination unit 3 uses information about the vehicle's surrounding environment recognized by the external environment recognition device 102 and map information about the vehicle's surroundings acquired by the map information acquisition unit 2 to determine the possible driving actions the vehicle can take. Specifically, the driving actions of the vehicle include the type of road the vehicle is traveling on (expressway, general road, etc.), the speed limit, the lane the vehicle is currently in, the shape and distance to intersections and merging points the vehicle is planning to travel through, and the vehicle's current speed. For example, it might say that the vehicle is traveling at 45 km / h in the right lane of a general road with two lanes in each direction and a speed limit of 50 km / h, and is about to enter a four-way intersection 100m ahead. Another example would be that the vehicle is traveling at 38 km / h on a connecting road with one lane and a speed limit of 40 km / h that leads to an expressway, and is about to merge onto the main road from a merging point 150m ahead.

[0026] The communication information acquisition area setting unit 4 sets an area (acquisition area) in which information (communication information) acquired by the communication information acquisition unit 1 is selected based on the driving actions that the vehicle can take, as determined by the driving action determination unit 3. For example, if the vehicle's driving action is to enter a four-way intersection, the acquisition area is set to include the intersecting road in addition to the road the vehicle is traveling on. Also, if the vehicle's driving action is to enter a merging lane, the acquisition area is set to include the main lanes before and after the merging point in addition to the connecting road the vehicle is traveling on.

[0027] The communication information acquisition determination unit 5 selects information from within the area set by the communication information acquisition area setting unit 4 that may influence the driving actions that the vehicle can take, as determined by the driving action determination unit 3. For example, if the vehicle is about to enter a crossroads, it selects information such as vehicles traveling on the intersecting road in the direction of the intersection, people walking on the crosswalk at the intersection, and the color information of the traffic lights in the direction the vehicle is traveling.

[0028] The surrounding environment recognition unit 6 uses information input from the external environment recognition device 102, map information acquired by the map information acquisition unit 2, and communication information selected by the communication information acquisition and judgment unit 5 to detect obstacles and free spaces where a vehicle can travel around the vehicle. Regarding obstacles, it detects their type, location, direction of movement, and speed of movement. Types of obstacles include vehicles such as passenger cars, large vehicles, and emergency vehicles, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, guardrails, curbs, walls, fences, plants, and fallen objects. The type and location of obstacles can be detected using pattern matching, a known technique, but other techniques may also be used. Regarding free spaces, it detects areas where a vehicle can travel using lane markings, road edges, road surface information where vehicles can travel, obstacle information, etc.

[0029] The driver assistance judgment unit 7 determines appropriate driver assistance based on the output of the surrounding environment recognition unit 6. Examples of driver assistance include automatic emergency braking, which predicts collisions with obstacles and provides warnings and applies the brakes; lane change / merging assistance, which considers the positional relationship with vehicles in adjacent lanes and assists in changing lanes at the appropriate time; slow vehicle overtaking assistance, which assists in overtaking slow vehicles ahead by crossing into the oncoming lane; and traffic light passing assistance, which assists in passing through locations with traffic lights based on information about the current color and future color changes of traffic lights.

[0030] The vehicle control unit 8 controls the vehicle's movement based on the driver assistance determined by the driver assistance judgment unit 7. For example, when providing lane change / merging assistance, such as steering assistance to an adjacent lane and speed adjustment, the vehicle control unit 8 calculates a target steering angle and target speed according to the situation. The vehicle control unit 8 then outputs a target steering torque to the steering device 111 to achieve that target steering angle. The vehicle control unit 8 also outputs a target engine torque and target brake pressure to the drive unit 112 and braking device 113 to achieve the target speed. Furthermore, if it is necessary to change the direction of travel of the vehicle in another driver assistance function, it outputs a gear shift command to the transmission 114.

[0031] The HMI control unit 9 generates information to notify the user as appropriate, based on the content of the driving assistance determined by the driving assistance judgment unit 7, and outputs it to the sound generator 115 and the display device 116. For example, when outputting an automatic emergency braking warning, it sends an automatic emergency braking warning output signal to both the sound generator 115 and the display device 116.

[0032] Next, the processing procedure of the control device 100a will be explained using a flowchart.

[0033] Figure 2 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing procedure of the control device 100a.

[0034] In process S201 shown in Figure 2, the control device 100a acquires communication information received via communication from the communication device 101.

[0035] In process S202, the control device 100a acquires the recognition result of the external environment from the external environment recognition device 102.

[0036] In process S203, vehicle information such as the vehicle's speed, steering angle, and shift position is acquired.

[0037] In process S204, map information of the area around the vehicle is acquired.

[0038] In process S205, the driving behavior of the vehicle is determined based on the external environment recognition results obtained in process S202 and the map information obtained in process S204.

[0039] In process S206, an acquisition area is set to select communication information acquired in process S201 based on the driving action determined in process S205.

[0040] In process S207, information within the acquisition area set in process S206 that may influence the driving behavior determined in process S205 is selected.

[0041] In process S208, the communication information acquired in process S201, the map information acquired in process S204, and the communication information selected in process S207 are used to detect obstacles around the vehicle and free space where the vehicle can travel.

[0042] In process S209, appropriate driving assistance is determined based on the output of process S208.

[0043] In process S210, the vehicle's movement is controlled based on the driver assistance determined in process S209. Information is also output to inform the user, and the series of processes ends.

[0044] By executing the flow described above, it is possible to prevent an increase in computational load and memory usage by extracting only the information necessary for driving assistance from the information obtained through communication, thereby enabling appropriate situational judgment and driving assistance.

[0045] Next, we will explain the specific operation using Figures 3(a) to 6(b).

[0046] Figures 3(a) and 3(b) show a scenario in which vehicle 300 is traveling towards an intersection. Here, all information about vehicles other than vehicle 300, pedestrians, and bicycles is assumed to be acquired by the communication information acquisition unit 1.

[0047] Figure 3(a) shows the case where the distance Xc from the vehicle 300 to the intersection is sufficiently far, and the vehicle 300 is traveling on a one-lane road in the direction shown to the left in the figure. The driving behavior of the vehicle 300 at this time is "driving on a one-lane road in the direction shown," and other possible driving behaviors include swerving into the oncoming lane to avoid something or to overtake a slow vehicle, crossing the oncoming lane to enter a commercial facility parking lot, turning left and crossing the sidewalk to enter a commercial facility parking lot, or pulling over to the left sidewalk and stopping. Considering these driving behaviors, the communication information acquisition area setting unit 4 sets the dashed line area 301 as the acquisition area. The size of this area is set such that the width Wl in the left direction of the vehicle 300 covers the area up to the left sidewalk, the width Wr in the right direction covers the area up to the right sidewalk, the length Lf in the forward direction covers the area that can avoid a head-on collision with an oncoming vehicle, and the length Lr in the rear direction covers the area that can avoid a collision with a following vehicle. For Wl and Wr, if the width of the sidewalk can be obtained from map information, that value is used. If it cannot be obtained from map information (including cases where there is no sidewalk information in the map information), the width of the sidewalk is calculated based on the information recognized by the external environment recognition device 102, or a predetermined width (e.g., 5m) from the boundary of the roadway is used as the width of the sidewalk. For Lf, the value at which the relative speed between the oncoming vehicle and the own vehicle is maximized is determined using the speed limit information from the map information or the speed information of the own vehicle, and the calculation is made considering, for example, the timing of the automatic emergency braking warning. Specifically, if the speed limit is 50km / h, the maximum relative speed is 100km / h (both the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle are at 50km / h), and if the timing of the automatic emergency braking warning is 3 seconds before the predicted time until collision, Lf = 100 ÷ 3.6 × 3 ≈ 83 [m]. However, since there is a possibility of driving above the speed limit, the maximum relative speed may be calculated to be slightly larger. For Lr, similar to Lf, the value that maximizes the relative speed between the following vehicle and the own vehicle is determined using map information on speed limits or the speed of the own vehicle, and the calculation takes into account, for example, the timing of the automatic emergency braking warning.Specifically, if the speed limit is 50 km / h, the maximum relative speed is 50 km / h (the vehicle is stopped, and the following vehicle is traveling at 50 km / h). If the timing of the automatic emergency braking warning is 3 seconds before the predicted time to collision, then Lr = 50 ÷ 3.6 × 3 ≈ 42 [m]. However, since there is a possibility of driving above the speed limit, it is acceptable to calculate the maximum relative speed by making it slightly larger. Furthermore, if the speed limit of the road being traveled on changes, Lf will change abruptly at the point of change, and the inflow and outflow of target information at the boundary of the range will also change abruptly. Therefore, when setting the acquisition area based on the speed of the vehicle being driven or the speed limit of the road being traveled on, the acquisition area should be set wider when the vehicle's speed or the speed limit is high, and narrower when the vehicle's speed or the speed limit is low (in other words, the acquisition area should be expanded or contracted according to the vehicle's speed or the speed limit). When expanding or contracting the acquisition area, abrupt changes can be suppressed by limiting the amount of change in terms of time or distance.

[0048] Next, the communication information acquisition and determination unit 5 selects target information within the dashed area 301 that may interfere with the driving behavior of the vehicle 300 (in Figure 3(a), selected targets are marked with a circle and unselected targets with an X). Regarding targets in the vicinity of the vehicle 300, all target information within a predetermined range (for example, within 10m) from the vehicle 300 is selected, taking into consideration the possibility of sudden changes in the driving behavior of the vehicle 300 or sudden changes in the movement of the targets. Regarding targets located in front of the vehicle 300, since they are targets in the direction of travel of the vehicle 300, basically all targets are selected. However, targets moving in the same direction as the vehicle 300 and far from the vehicle 300 (for example, farther than Lf / 2) may be excluded if the risk of interference with the vehicle 300 is deemed small. Similarly, targets approaching the vehicle 300 and with a long predicted time to reach the vehicle 300 (for example, a predicted time of 3 seconds or more) may also be excluded if the risk of interference with the vehicle 300 is deemed small. In other words, targets whose time or distance to reach the vicinity of the vehicle (a predetermined distance from the vehicle) is within a predetermined value may be selected. Regarding targets located behind the vehicle 300, basically all targets moving in the same direction as the vehicle 300 are selected, but targets of the type "person" are excluded (because the selection of people in the vicinity of the vehicle 300 is sufficient). In other words, the selection conditions may be changed based on the target type. Furthermore, objects (such as vehicles in the oncoming lane) that are moving behind the vehicle 300 in the direction of travel and away from the vehicle 300 (in the opposite direction to the vehicle 300's direction of travel) are not selected because there is no possibility of interference with the vehicle 300.

[0049] Figure 3(b) shows the situation in Figure 3(a) where the vehicle 300 is approaching the intersection and the distance Xc to the intersection is within a predetermined value. At this time, the driving behavior of the vehicle 300 is "driving on a road with one lane in each direction and about to enter a four-way intersection," and additional actions such as going straight, turning right, or turning left at the four-way intersection can be considered in addition to the content in Figure 3(a). Taking these driving actions into consideration, the communication information acquisition area setting unit 4 sets a dashed line area 303 as an acquisition area in addition to a dashed line area 302 equivalent to the dashed line area 301 in Figure 3(a). The method for setting the dashed line area 302 is the same as for the dashed line area 301, and for the size of the dashed line area 303, the width Wc of the intersecting road is set to cover the area up to the sidewalks on both sides, and the length Lc of the intersecting road is set to a range that can avoid collision with intersecting vehicles. For Wc, if the width of the sidewalk can be obtained from map information, that value is used. If it cannot be obtained from map information (including cases where there is no sidewalk information in the map information), the width of the sidewalk is calculated based on the information recognized by the external environment recognition device 102, or a predetermined width (e.g., 5m) from the boundary of the roadway is used as the width of the sidewalk. For Lc, the value at which the speed of the intersecting vehicle is maximum is determined using the speed limit information from the map information, and the calculation is made considering, for example, the timing of the automatic emergency braking warning. Specifically, if the speed limit is 50km / h, the maximum speed of the intersecting vehicle is also 50km / h, and if the timing of the automatic emergency braking warning is 3 seconds before the predicted time until collision, and the road width on which the vehicle 300 is traveling is 6m, then Lc = (50 ÷ 3.6 × 3) × 2 + 6 ≈ 89 [m]. However, since there is a possibility of traveling at a speed above the speed limit, the maximum value of the relative speed may be calculated to be slightly larger. The timing for setting the dashed-dotted area 303 is determined by the distance Xc from the vehicle 300 to the intersection being within a predetermined value. This predetermined value can be set as a fixed value (e.g., 100m), or it can be set by setting the time it takes for the vehicle 300 to reach the intersection (e.g., 3 seconds) and multiplying this time by the vehicle speed of the vehicle 300 to determine the predetermined value. The latter method allows for setting the dashed-dotted area 303 at a more appropriate timing.However, in this case, if the vehicle speed of the vehicle 300 decreases after the dashed-dotted line area 303 has been set, the predetermined value mentioned above will decrease, thus deviating from the conditions for setting the dashed-dotted line area 303. If the dashed-dotted line area 303 is deleted after it has been set, the target information selected within the dashed-dotted line area 303 will also be lost, resulting in a lot of information coming in and out, which is inefficient. Therefore, it is desirable not to delete the dashed-dotted line area 303 after setting it in an intersection area until the vehicle 300 has passed through that intersection.

[0050] Next, the communication information acquisition and determination unit 5 selects target information within the dashed line area 302 and the dashed-dotted line area 303 that may interfere with the driving actions of the vehicle 300 (in Figure 3(b), selected targets are marked with a circle and unselected targets with an X). The selection method within the dashed line area 302 is the same as the method described in Figure 3(a). The selection method within the dashed-dotted line area 303 is as follows: For targets located in the area starting from the intersection (for example, the overlapping area of ​​the dashed line area 302 and the dashed-dotted line area 303), all are selected because they have a high probability of interfering with the driving actions of the vehicle 300. For targets entering the intersection, basically all are selected, but targets with a long predicted time to reach the intersection (for example, a predicted time of 3 seconds or more) may be unselected if it is judged that the risk of interference with the vehicle 300 is small. In other words, targets within a predetermined range from the intersection may be selected. Regarding landmarks that move away from the intersection, they are not selected because there is no possibility of interference with our vehicle 300.

[0051] Figures 4(a) and 4(b) illustrate a scenario in which vehicle 400 is traveling on a connecting road (without a sidewalk) towards a merging point on an expressway. Here, all information about vehicles other than vehicle 400 is assumed to be acquired by the communication information acquisition unit 1.

[0052] Figure 4(a) shows the case where the distance Xm from the vehicle 400 to the merging point is sufficiently far, and the vehicle 400 is heading towards the merging point on a single-lane connecting road. The driving behavior of the vehicle 400 at this time is "driving on a single-lane connecting road," and other possible driving behaviors include decelerating / accelerating / stopping in accordance with the situation of the preceding vehicle. Considering these driving behaviors, the communication information acquisition area setting unit 4 sets the dashed line area 401 as the acquisition area. The size of this area is set such that the length in the forward direction is the range in which a collision with the preceding vehicle can be avoided, the length in the rear direction is the range in which a collision with a following vehicle can be avoided, and the width is the width of the road, as there is no sidewalk on this connecting road. For the length in the forward direction, the value that maximizes the relative speed between the preceding vehicle and the vehicle is determined using the speed limit information from the map information or the speed information of the vehicle itself, and is calculated considering, for example, the timing of issuing an automatic emergency braking warning. Specifically, if the speed limit is 50 km / h, the maximum relative speed is 50 km / h (your vehicle is at 50 km / h, the preceding vehicle is stopped), and if the timing for the automatic emergency braking warning is 3 seconds before the predicted time until collision, then Lf = 50 ÷ 3.6 × 3 ≈ 42 [m]. However, since there is a possibility of driving above the speed limit, it is also acceptable to calculate the maximum relative speed by making it slightly larger. For the length in the rear direction, similar to the length in the front direction, the value at which the relative speed between the following vehicle and your vehicle is maximized is determined using the speed limit information from the map information or the speed information of your vehicle, and the calculation is made considering, for example, the timing for the automatic emergency braking warning to be issued. Specifically, if the speed limit is 50 km / h, the maximum relative speed is 50 km / h (your vehicle is stopped, the following vehicle is at 50 km / h), and if the timing for the automatic emergency braking warning is 3 seconds before the predicted time until collision, then Lr = 50 ÷ 3.6 × 3 ≈ 42 [m]. However, since there is a possibility of driving above the speed limit, it is also acceptable to calculate the maximum relative speed by making it slightly larger. Furthermore, if the speed limit of the road being traveled changes, Lf will change abruptly at the point of change, and the inflow and outflow of target information at the boundary of the range will also change abruptly.Therefore, when setting the acquisition area based on the vehicle's speed or the speed limit of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, the acquisition area should be set wider when the vehicle's speed or the speed limit is high, and narrower when the vehicle's speed or the speed limit is low (in other words, the acquisition area should be expanded or contracted according to the vehicle's speed or the speed limit). When expanding or contracting the acquisition area, it is possible to suppress sudden changes by imposing temporal or geographical restrictions on the amount of change.

[0053] Next, the communication information acquisition and determination unit 5 selects target information within the dashed area 401 that may interfere with the driving actions of the vehicle 400 (in Figure 4(a), selected targets are marked with a circle and unselected targets are marked with an X). Regarding targets in front of the vehicle 400, since they are targets in the direction of travel of the vehicle 400, basically all targets are selected. However, if there are multiple vehicles lined up in front of the vehicle 400, targets beyond a predetermined number (for example, beyond the third vehicle) may be deemed to have a small risk of interference with the vehicle 400 and may be unselected. Similarly, regarding targets behind the vehicle 400, since they are targets moving in the same direction as the vehicle 400, basically all targets are selected. However, if there are multiple vehicles lined up behind the vehicle 400, targets beyond a predetermined number (for example, beyond the third vehicle) may be deemed to have a small risk of interference with the vehicle 400 and may be unselected. In other words, a predetermined number of targets (for example, up to the second target in front of and behind the vehicle 400) that move in the same direction as the vehicle 400 are moving may be selected in order of proximity to the vehicle 400.

[0054] Figure 4(b) shows the situation in Figure 4(a) where the vehicle 400 is approaching the merging point and the distance Xm to the merging start point is within a predetermined value. At this time, the driving behavior of the vehicle 400 is "driving on a single-lane connecting road and attempting to merge from the merging lane onto the main road," and additional actions such as changing lanes from the merging lane to merge onto the main road, or stopping on the merging lane because it is unable to merge from the merging lane onto the main road, can be considered in addition to the content in Figure 4(a). Taking these driving actions into consideration, the communication information acquisition area setting unit 4 sets a dashed line area 402 equivalent to the dashed line area 401 in Figure 4(a), as well as a dashed-dotted line area 403 as the acquisition area. The method for setting the dashed line area 402 is almost the same as that for the dashed line area 401, but because the area ahead extends beyond the merging start point, the area beyond the merging start point also includes the main road. The size of the dashed-dotted area 403 is set such that the width covers the width of the main road, and the length Lm is set to the range necessary for the vehicle 400 to change lanes while avoiding collision with vehicles traveling on the main road. For Lm, in addition to the length of the merging route with the main road (from the merging start point to the merging end point) that can be obtained from the map information (if it cannot be obtained from the map information, a fixed value, for example, 200m), the range before the merging start point is also included, using the main road speed limit from the map information. Specifically, the range before the merging start point can be set to a length proportional to the main road speed limit, or by referring to a table based on the main road speed limit. For example, if the former is used, the length [m] can be expressed as: length [m] = main road speed limit [km / h] × proportionality constant. When the main road speed limit is 100km / h and the proportionality constant is 1.5, the length is 150m, and if the length of the merging route obtained from the map information is 180m, then Lm = 180 + 150 = 330 [m]. The timing for setting the dashed-dotted area 403 is set when the distance Xm from the vehicle 400 to the merging start point is within a predetermined value. This predetermined value can be set to a fixed value (e.g., 100m), or it can be set to the distance obtained by multiplying the time it takes for the vehicle 400 to reach the merging start point (e.g., 3 seconds) by the vehicle speed of the vehicle 400. The latter method allows for setting the dashed-dotted area 403 at a more appropriate timing.However, in this case, if the vehicle speed of the vehicle 400 decreases after the dashed-dotted line area 403 has been set, the predetermined value mentioned above will decrease, thus deviating from the conditions for setting the dashed-dotted line area 403. If the dashed-dotted line area 403 is deleted after it has been set, the target information selected within the dashed-dotted line area 403 will also be lost, resulting in a lot of information coming in and out, which is inefficient. Therefore, it is desirable not to delete the set dashed-dotted line area 403 in the main line area until the vehicle 400 has passed the merging point.

[0055] Next, the communication information acquisition and determination unit 5 selects target information within the dashed line area 402 and the dashed-dotted line area 403 that may interfere with the driving behavior of the vehicle 400 (in Figure 4(b), selected targets are marked with a circle and unselected targets with an X). The selection method within the dashed line area 402 is the same as the method described in Figure 4(a). As for the selection method within the dashed-dotted line area 403, since vehicles traveling in the main lane (left lane) are directly affected when merging, and vehicles traveling in the overtaking lane (right lane) may also change lanes into the driving lane, basically all targets are selected. However, if the main lane is congested and the driving speed on the main lane is slow, selecting all targets may be inefficient. For example, targets with a long predicted time to reach the merging start point (e.g., predicted time of 3 seconds or more) may be judged to have a small risk of interference with the vehicle 400 and may be unselected. In other words, targets within a predetermined range from the merging point may be selected.

[0056] Figures 5(a) and (b) assume that vehicle 500 is traveling in the left lane of a two-lane expressway, which is physically separated from the oncoming lane by a median strip 510. Here, all information about vehicles other than vehicle 500 is assumed to be acquired by the communication information acquisition unit 1.

[0057] In both Figures 5(a) and (b), the driving behavior of the vehicle 500 at this time is "driving in the driving lane of a two-lane expressway," and other possible driving behaviors include changing lanes to the overtaking lane, decelerating / accelerating / stopping according to the situation of the preceding vehicle, etc. Considering these driving behaviors, the communication information acquisition area setting unit 4 sets the dashed line area 501 as the acquisition area. The size of this area is set such that the forward length Lf is the range in which a collision with the preceding vehicle can be avoided, the rearward length Lr is the range in which a collision with the following vehicle can be avoided, and the width does not include the oncoming lane because the oncoming lane is physically separated by the median strip 510, and is set to the range of only the width of the two lanes on which the vehicle 500 is traveling. For the forward length Lf, the value in which the relative speed between the preceding vehicle and the vehicle is maximized is determined using the speed limit information from the map information or the speed information of the vehicle itself, and it is calculated considering, for example, the timing of issuing an automatic emergency braking warning. Specifically, if the speed limit is 100 km / h, the maximum relative speed is 100 km / h (the vehicle is traveling at 100 km / h, and the preceding vehicle is stopped). If the timing for the automatic emergency braking warning is 3 seconds before the predicted time to collision, then Lf = 100 ÷ 3.6 × 3 ≈ 83 [m]. However, since there is a possibility of traveling above the speed limit, it is acceptable to calculate the maximum relative speed by making it slightly larger. For the rearward length Lr, similar to the forward length Lf, the value at which the relative speed between the following vehicle and the vehicle is maximized is determined using the speed limit information from the map information or the vehicle's own speed information, and the calculation is made considering, for example, the timing for the automatic emergency braking warning to be issued. Specifically, if the speed limit is 100 km / h, the maximum relative speed is 100 km / h (the vehicle is stopped, and the following vehicle is traveling at 100 km / h). If the timing of the automatic emergency braking warning is 3 seconds before the predicted time to collision, then Lr = 100 ÷ 3.6 × 3 ≈ 83 [m]. However, since there is a possibility of traveling at a speed exceeding the speed limit, it may be better to calculate with a slightly larger maximum relative speed. Note that if the speed limit of the road being traveled changes, Lf will change abruptly at the point of change, and the inflow and outflow of landmark information at the boundary of the range will also change abruptly.Therefore, when setting the acquisition area based on the vehicle's speed or the speed limit of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, the acquisition area should be set wider when the vehicle's speed or the speed limit is high, and narrower when the vehicle's speed or the speed limit is low (in other words, the acquisition area should be expanded or contracted according to the vehicle's speed or the speed limit). When expanding or contracting the acquisition area, it is possible to suppress sudden changes by imposing temporal or geographical restrictions on the amount of change.

[0058] Next, the communication information acquisition and determination unit 5 selects target information within the dashed area 501 that may interfere with the driving actions of the vehicle 500 (in Figures 5(a) and (b), selected targets are marked with a circle and unselected targets are marked with an X). Regarding targets located in front of the vehicle 500, since they are targets located in the direction of travel of the vehicle 500, basically all targets are selected as shown in Figure 5(a). However, if there are multiple vehicles lined up in front of the vehicle 500, targets beyond a predetermined number of vehicles (for example, beyond the third vehicle) may be deemed to have a small risk of interference with the vehicle 500 and may be unselected as shown in Figure 5(b). Similarly, with respect to targets located behind the vehicle 500, since these targets move in the same direction as the vehicle 500, basically all targets are selected as shown in Figure 5(a). However, if there are multiple vehicles lined up behind the vehicle 500, targets behind a predetermined number of vehicles (for example, behind the third vehicle) may be excluded from selection, as shown in Figure 5(b), due to the perceived low risk of interference with the vehicle 500. In other words, for targets moving in the same direction as the vehicle 500 in front of and behind the vehicle 500, a predetermined number of targets (for example, up to the second vehicle in front and behind) may be selected in order of proximity to the vehicle 500. Furthermore, as mentioned above, if a median strip 510 exists between the road on which the vehicle 500 is traveling and the oncoming lane, the width of the dashed area 501 is set to include only the width of the two lanes on which the vehicle 500 is traveling, and does not include the oncoming lane. Therefore, targets in the oncoming lane are excluded from selection.

[0059] Figures 6(a) and (b) show a scenario in which vehicle 600 is traveling in the left lane of a two-lane road towards an intersection. Here, all information about vehicles other than vehicle 600, pedestrians, and bicycles is assumed to be acquired by the communication information acquisition unit 1.

[0060] Figure 6(a) shows a situation where the distance Xc from the vehicle 600 to the intersection is sufficiently far, and the vehicle 600 is in the left lane of a two-lane road heading in the direction to the left in the figure. The driving action of the vehicle 600 at this time is "driving in the left lane of a two-lane road," and other possible driving actions include changing lanes to the right lane, turning left and crossing the sidewalk to enter a commercial facility parking lot, or pulling over to the left sidewalk and stopping. Taking these driving actions into consideration, the communication information acquisition area setting unit 4 sets the dashed line area 601 as the acquisition area. The size of this area is set such that the width Wl in the left direction of the vehicle 600 covers the area up to the left sidewalk, the width Wr in the right direction covers the area up to the right sidewalk, the length Lf in the forward direction is set to cover the area that can avoid a head-on collision with an oncoming vehicle, and the length Lr in the rear direction is set to cover the area that can avoid a collision with a following vehicle. For Wl and Wr, if the width of the sidewalk can be obtained from map information, that value is used. If it cannot be obtained from map information (including cases where there is no sidewalk information in the map information), the width of the sidewalk is calculated based on the information recognized by the external environment recognition device 102, or a predetermined width (e.g., 5m) from the boundary of the roadway is used as the width of the sidewalk. For Lf, the value at which the relative speed between the oncoming vehicle and the own vehicle is maximized is determined using the speed limit information from the map information or the speed information of the own vehicle, and the calculation is made considering, for example, the timing of the automatic emergency braking warning. Specifically, if the speed limit is 50km / h, the maximum relative speed is 100km / h (both the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle are at 50km / h), and if the timing of the automatic emergency braking warning is 3 seconds before the predicted time until collision, Lf = 100 ÷ 3.6 × 3 ≈ 83 [m]. However, since there is a possibility of driving above the speed limit, the maximum relative speed may be calculated to be slightly larger. For Lr, similar to Lf, the value that maximizes the relative speed between the following vehicle and the own vehicle is determined using map information on speed limits or the speed of the own vehicle, and the calculation takes into account, for example, the timing of the automatic emergency braking warning.Specifically, if the speed limit is 50 km / h, the maximum relative speed is 50 km / h (the vehicle is stopped, and the following vehicle is traveling at 50 km / h). If the timing of the automatic emergency braking warning is 3 seconds before the predicted time to collision, then Lr = 50 ÷ 3.6 × 3 ≈ 42 [m]. However, since there is a possibility of driving above the speed limit, it is acceptable to calculate the maximum relative speed by making it slightly larger. Furthermore, if the speed limit of the road being traveled on changes, Lf will change abruptly at the point of change, and the inflow and outflow of target information at the boundary of the range will also change abruptly. Therefore, when setting the acquisition area based on the speed of the vehicle being driven or the speed limit of the road being traveled on, the acquisition area should be set wider when the vehicle's speed or the speed limit is high, and narrower when the vehicle's speed or the speed limit is low (in other words, the acquisition area should be expanded or contracted according to the vehicle's speed or the speed limit). When expanding or contracting the acquisition area, abrupt changes can be suppressed by limiting the amount of change in terms of time or distance.

[0061] Next, the communication information acquisition and determination unit 5 selects target information within the dashed area 601 that may interfere with the driving behavior of the vehicle 600 (in Figure 6(a), selected targets are marked with a circle and unselected targets are marked with an X). Regarding targets in the vicinity of the vehicle 600, all target information within a predetermined range (for example, within 10m) from the vehicle 600 is selected, taking into consideration the possibility of sudden changes in the driving behavior of the vehicle 600 or sudden changes in the movement of the targets. If there are multiple vehicles lined up in front of the vehicle 600, targets beyond a predetermined number of vehicles (for example, beyond the third vehicle) may be deemed to have a small risk of interference with the vehicle 600 and may be unselected. Targets further away from the vehicle 600 (the left lane of the oncoming lane and the sidewalk beyond it) may also be deemed to have a small risk of interference with the vehicle 600 and may be unselected. Regarding targets located behind vehicle 600, all targets moving in the same direction as vehicle 600 will be selected, but targets of the type "person" will not be selected (as selecting people in the vicinity of vehicle 600 is sufficient). Additionally, targets moving behind vehicle 600 in the direction of travel and away from vehicle 600 (in the opposite direction of vehicle 600's travel), such as vehicles in the oncoming lane, will not be selected as they are unlikely to interfere with vehicle 600.

[0062] Figure 6(b) shows the situation in Figure 6(a) where the vehicle 600 is approaching the intersection and the distance Xc to the intersection is within a predetermined value. At this time, the driving behavior of the vehicle 600 is "driving in the left lane of a two-lane road and about to enter a four-way intersection," and additional considerations such as going straight or turning left at the four-way intersection (assuming that right turns are prohibited from the left lane) can be added to the content in Figure 6(a). Taking these driving behaviors into consideration, the communication information acquisition area setting unit 4 sets a dashed line area 603 as an acquisition area in addition to a dashed line area 602 equivalent to the dashed line area 601 in Figure 6(a). The method for setting the dashed line area 602 is the same as for the dashed line area 601, and for the size of the dashed line area 603, the width Wc of the intersecting road is set to cover the area up to the sidewalks on both sides, and the length Lc of the intersecting road is set to a range that can avoid collisions with intersecting vehicles. For Wc, if the width of the sidewalk can be obtained from map information, that value is used. If it cannot be obtained from map information (including cases where there is no sidewalk information in the map information), the width of the sidewalk is calculated based on the information recognized by the external environment recognition device 102, or a predetermined width (e.g., 5m) from the boundary of the roadway is used as the width of the sidewalk. For Lc, the value at which the speed of the intersecting vehicle is maximum is determined using the speed limit information from the map information, and the calculation is made considering, for example, the timing of the automatic emergency braking warning. Specifically, if the speed limit is 50km / h, the maximum speed of the intersecting vehicle is also 50km / h, and if the timing of the automatic emergency braking warning is 3 seconds before the predicted time until collision, and the road width on which the vehicle 600 is traveling is 6m, then Lc = (50 ÷ 3.6 × 3) × 2 + 6 ≈ 89 [m]. However, since there is a possibility of traveling at a speed above the speed limit, the maximum value of the relative speed may be calculated to be slightly larger. The timing for setting the dashed-dotted area 603 is determined by the distance Xc from the vehicle 600 to the intersection being within a predetermined value. This predetermined value can be set as a fixed value (e.g., 100m), or it can be set by setting the time it takes for the vehicle 600 to reach the intersection (e.g., 3 seconds) and multiplying this time by the vehicle speed of the vehicle 600 to determine the predetermined value. The latter method allows for setting the dashed-dotted area 603 at a more appropriate timing.

[0063] Next, the communication information acquisition and determination unit 5 selects target information within the dashed line area 602 and the dashed-dotted line area 603 that may interfere with the driving actions of the vehicle 600 (in Figure 6(b), selected targets are marked with a circle and unselected targets with an X). The selection method within the dashed line area 602 is the same as the method described in Figure 6(a). The selection method within the dashed-dotted line area 603 is as follows: Regarding targets located in the area starting from the intersection (for example, the overlapping area of ​​the dashed line area 602 and the dashed-dotted line area 603), all are basically selected because they are highly likely to interfere with the driving actions of the vehicle 600. However, since the vehicle 600 cannot turn right from its current position, pedestrians on the right side from the perspective of the vehicle 600 are not selected. Regarding landmarks entering the intersection, all landmarks are selected in principle. However, if the predicted time until vehicle 600 reaches the intersection is long (for example, 3 seconds or more), it may be determined that the risk of interference with vehicle 600 is small, and only the landmark closest to the intersection may be selected, or all landmarks may be not selected. In other words, landmarks within a predetermined range from the intersection may be selected. As for landmarks moving away from the intersection, they are not selected because there is no possibility of interference with vehicle 600.

[0064] As explained above, by incorporating only the information necessary for driving assistance from the information obtained through communication, it is possible to prevent an increase in computational load and memory usage, making it possible to perform appropriate situational judgments and driving assistance.

[0065] Furthermore, considering the hardware and software required to implement this method, it is assumed that there will be an upper limit on memory usage. Therefore, an upper limit will be set on the number of selectable target information items, and driving assistance will be performed using information within that limit. When limiting the number in this way, it is desirable to prioritize the target information items for selection. When using only the detection results of the external environment recognition device 102 without using conventional communication information, the general method is to select targets in order from those closest to the vehicle. When using communication information, an efficient way to determine this priority is to base it on the interference risk between the vehicle and the target. That is, when the communication information acquisition judgment unit 5 limits the number of selectable target information items, it is desirable to determine the priority of the target information items based on the interference risk with the vehicle and select (store) them in order of priority. This interference risk is calculated based on the distance between the vehicle and the target, the time it takes for the target to reach the vicinity of the vehicle, the relationship between the vehicle's and the target's lane positions, the type of target, etc. As explained using Figures 3(a) to 6(b), interference risk is determined by considering the direction of movement of objects, such as objects moving in the same direction as the vehicle and objects moving away from the vehicle (in the opposite direction to the vehicle's direction of travel). Furthermore, regarding the type of object, if an emergency vehicle can be acquired, it is necessary to prioritize the emergency vehicle as a driving assistance measure and to notify the user at an early stage. Therefore, if an emergency vehicle is located within the acquisition area set by the communication information acquisition area setting unit 4, it is effective to set the interference risk to the highest level and give it a high priority. In such cases, it is also effective to set the acquisition area to be larger than the range explained in Figures 3(a) to 6(b), but it is desirable to set it while also considering the upper limit of memory usage.

[0066] Next, using Figure 7, we will explain a method for further selecting the information obtained through communication.

[0067] Figure 7 shows a portion of the communication information regarding a target acquired by the vehicle at a certain time. The target information includes ID, type, location (X, Y), speed (Vx, Vy), and confidence level. Here, in the ID "A-1", A is a unique ID representing the source, and 1 is the ID of the target detected and output by this unique ID. Comparing ID:A-1 and ID:B-2 in Figure 7, both are of the same type (automobile), but their locations differ by 0.7m for X and 0.1m for Y, and by 0.5km / h for Vx and 0.1km / h for Vy. Therefore, the communication information acquisition determination unit 5 determines that ID:A-1 and ID:B-2 are of the same type, and their locations and speeds are almost the same (the difference in location and speed is within a predetermined range), making it highly likely that they are the same target. As a result, it selects the information for ID:A-1, which has a higher confidence level, and rejects the information for ID:B-2, which has a lower confidence level. Similarly, when comparing ID:A-3 and ID:B-3, since they are of the same type and their position and speed are almost the same (the difference in position and speed is within a predetermined range), there is a very high probability that they are the same target. Therefore, the information for ID:A-3, which has a higher confidence value, is selected, and the information for ID:B-3, which has a lower confidence value, is not selected. Also, when comparing ID:C-1 and ID:D-1, since they are of the same type and their position and speed are almost the same (the difference in position and speed is within a predetermined range), there is a very high probability that they are the same target. Therefore, the information for ID:D-1, which has a higher confidence value, is selected, and the information for ID:C-1, which has a lower confidence value, is not selected. In other words, when there are two or more pieces of target information within the acquisition area that are of the same type and whose position and speed differences are within a predetermined range, the communication information acquisition determination unit 5 selects the one with the higher confidence value. Here, the difference in position and velocity is used to determine whether or not they are the same target. For example, the threshold for determination is set to a difference of 1m or less between the X and Y positions, and a difference of 1km / h or less between the Vx and Vy velocities. Furthermore, the threshold for determination may be set to a different value for each type of target, and may even be changed based on the distance from the vehicle (for example, the further away the target is, the higher the threshold).

[0068] As described above, by considering the possibility that different sources may detect the same target, and by using target reliability information to select and filter the information obtained from the sources (in other words, by using target reliability information to eliminate duplicate information), it is possible to further prevent increases in computational load and memory usage, and to perform appropriate situational judgment and driving support.

[0069] Furthermore, in the configuration shown in Figure 1, the communication information acquisition unit 1 acquires communication information, the communication information acquisition area setting unit 4 sets the acquisition area, and then the communication information acquisition determination unit 5 selects and discards the acquired communication information. However, it is also possible to set the acquisition area first in the communication information acquisition area setting unit 4, and then have the communication information acquisition unit 1 acquire the communication information within the set acquisition area. By adopting such a configuration, it becomes possible to reduce the amount of communication information acquired by the communication information acquisition unit 1 when the amount of information received by the communication device 101 is enormous.

[0070] Furthermore, while the configuration in Figure 1 is for implementing driver assistance, the present invention is also applicable to a configuration for implementing autonomous driving. Compared to the configuration in Figure 1, when implementing autonomous driving, the driver assistance decision unit 7 is replaced with an autonomous driving decision unit. Also, when implementing autonomous driving, since autonomous driving plans and controls the route to be traveled at the lane level, the driver action decision unit 3 in Figure 1 provides feedback on detailed driving actions (e.g., turn left at the next intersection, proceed right at the next fork), which allows the acquisition area set by the communication information acquisition area setting unit 4 to be set efficiently.

[0071] The above explanation used landmark information as an example of specific operation, but by performing similar processing on traffic signal information, speed limit information, lane restriction information, congestion information, road construction information, accident information, weather information, and road surface condition information other than landmark information acquired by the communication information acquisition unit 1, it becomes possible to acquire only the information necessary for driving assistance. This prevents an increase in computational load and memory usage, and enables appropriate situational judgment and driving assistance.

[0072] Furthermore, the communication information acquired by the communication information acquisition unit 1 is expected to be received periodically from the communication partner. Therefore, the computational load can be reduced by calculating the distance from the vehicle to the location information (e.g., object location, traffic light location, etc.) included in the communication information and reducing the reception interval based on the distance. In other words, if the distance between the vehicle and the object information is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, or if the time it takes for the object information to reach the vicinity of the vehicle (a predetermined distance from the vehicle) is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, the communication information acquisition unit 1 increases the reception interval (acquisition interval) of the object information, thereby selectively acquiring distant objects in terms of time. Specifically, if the distance to the object is 200m or more, the reception interval is reduced to about 1 second (reducing 4 times if the period is 200ms), if it is between 100m and 200m, it is reduced to about 0.5 seconds (reducing 2 times if the period is 200ms), and if it is less than 100m, it is received without reduction.

[0073] As described above, the control device 100a of this embodiment includes: a surrounding environment recognition unit 6 that recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle based on map information and on-board sensor information from sensors (such as on-board cameras) mounted on the vehicle; a driving assistance determination unit 7 that determines driving assistance for the vehicle based on the information from the surrounding environment recognition unit 6; a communication information acquisition unit 1 that acquires communication information transmitted from outside the vehicle; a driving behavior determination unit 3 that determines possible driving actions for the vehicle based on the on-board sensor information and the map information; a communication information acquisition area setting unit 4 that sets an acquisition area for the communication information based on the driving actions; and a communication information acquisition determination unit 5 that selects communication information from the communication information present in the acquisition area that may affect the driving actions of the vehicle. The surrounding environment recognition unit 6 recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle using the communication information selected by the communication information acquisition determination unit 5.

[0074] The communication information acquisition area setting unit 4 sets an acquisition area for target information included in the communication information based on the driving behavior, the communication information acquisition determination unit 5 selects target information from among the target information present in the acquisition area that may interfere with the driving behavior of the vehicle, and the surrounding environment recognition unit 6 recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle using the target information selected by the communication information acquisition determination unit 5.

[0075] The driving behavior determination unit 3 determines the driving behavior based on at least one of the following: the type of road the vehicle is traveling on, the speed limit, or the lane position; the merging road or intersection the vehicle is scheduled to travel on in the future; or the vehicle's speed.

[0076] The communication information acquisition area setting unit 4 sets an acquisition area starting from the intersection based on the time or distance until the vehicle reaches the intersection when the driving action involves passing through an intersection (Figures 3(a), (b), 6(a), (b)).

[0077] The communication information acquisition area setting unit 4 sets an acquisition area starting from the merging point based on the time or distance it takes for the vehicle to reach the merging point when the driving action involves passing through a merging point (Figures 4(a), (b)).

[0078] When the communication information acquisition area setting unit 4 sets the acquisition area based on the vehicle's speed during the driving action or the speed limit of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, it expands or shrinks the acquisition area according to the vehicle's speed or the speed limit (setting the acquisition area wider when the vehicle's speed or the speed limit is high, and setting the acquisition area narrower when the vehicle's speed or the speed limit is low), and when expanding or shrinking the acquisition area, it places a limit on the amount of change.

[0079] When the communication information acquisition area setting unit 4 sets an acquisition area starting from an intersection or merging point, it will not delete the set acquisition area until the vehicle passes the intersection or merging point (even if there are changes in vehicle speed, etc.).

[0080] The communication information acquisition determination unit 5 may select target information within a predetermined range from the vehicle within the acquisition area, select a predetermined number of target information moving in the same direction as the vehicle's direction of travel in front of and behind the vehicle in order of proximity to the vehicle, select target information for which the time or distance to reach a predetermined distance (near the vehicle) is within a predetermined value, or select based on the type of target information, or the conditions for selection may differ.

[0081] The communication information acquisition determination unit 5 excludes (does not select) target information that is located behind the direction of travel of the vehicle and is moving in the opposite direction of travel of the vehicle, or, if there is a median strip between the road the vehicle is traveling on and the oncoming lane, it excludes (does not select) target information on the oncoming lane.

[0082] The communication information acquisition determination unit 5 selects target information within a predetermined range from the intersection or merging point if the acquisition area includes an intersection or merging point (Figures 3(a), (b), 4(a), (b), 6(a), (b)).

[0083] The communication information acquisition determination unit 5, when limiting the number of selectable target information items, determines the priority order of the target information items based on the risk of interference with the vehicle, and selects (stores) them in the order of priority. The risk of interference is calculated based on at least one of the following: the distance between the vehicle and the target information item, the time it takes for the target information item to reach a predetermined distance (near the vehicle) from the vehicle, the lane positions of the vehicle and the target information item, or the type of target information item.

[0084] The communication information acquisition unit 1 increases the acquisition interval (reception interval) of the target information if the distance between the vehicle and the target information is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, or if the time it takes for the target information to reach a predetermined distance (near the vehicle) from the vehicle is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

[0085] The communication information acquisition determination unit 5, when it finds two or more target information within the acquisition area that are of the same type and whose position and velocity differences are within a predetermined range, selects the target information with the higher reliability.

[0086] The aforementioned communication information includes at least one of the following: landmark information, traffic signal information, speed limit information, lane restriction information, traffic congestion information, road construction information, accident information, weather information, or road surface condition information.

[0087] In other words, the control device 100a in this embodiment sets an area for acquiring information via communication based on the driving actions the vehicle can take, selects objects within that area that may interfere with the vehicle's driving actions, and outputs them to the surrounding environment recognition unit 6.

[0088] According to this embodiment, by incorporating only the information necessary for driving assistance from the information obtained through communication, it is possible to prevent an increase in computational load and memory usage, and to perform appropriate situational judgment and driving assistance.

[0089] Although this embodiment has been described using several patterns as examples, the present invention is applicable to other patterns as well. Furthermore, the invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

[0090] Furthermore, the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, but includes various modifications and equivalent configurations within the spirit of the attached claims. For example, the embodiments described above are described in detail to make the present invention easier to understand, and the present invention is not necessarily limited to having all the configurations described. Also, some of the configurations of one embodiment may be replaced with those of another embodiment. Also, some of the configurations of another embodiment may be added to the configuration of one embodiment. Also, some of the configurations of each embodiment may be added, deleted, or replaced with those of other embodiments.

[0091] Furthermore, each of the aforementioned configurations, functions, processing units, and processing means may be implemented in hardware, for example, by designing them as integrated circuits, or they may be implemented in software by having a processor interpret and execute programs that realize each function.

[0092] Information such as programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in memory, hard disks, SSDs (Solid State Drives), or other storage media such as IC cards, SD cards, and DVDs.

[0093] Furthermore, the control lines and information lines shown are those deemed necessary for explanation purposes and do not necessarily represent all control lines and information lines required for implementation. In reality, it can be assumed that almost all components are interconnected. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0094] 1. Communication Information Acquisition Unit 2. Map Information Acquisition Unit 3. Driving Action Decision Unit 4. Communication Information Acquisition Area Setting Unit 5. Communication Information Acquisition Decision Unit 6. Surrounding Environment Recognition Unit 7. Driving Support Decision Unit 8. Vehicle Control Unit 9 HMI Control Unit 100a Control device (driving support device) 300, 400, 500, 600 (own vehicle)

Claims

1. A surrounding environment recognition unit recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle based on map information and on-board sensor information from sensors installed in the vehicle. A driving assistance determination unit that determines the driving assistance for the vehicle based on the information from the surrounding environment recognition unit, A communication information acquisition unit that acquires communication information transmitted from outside the vehicle, A driving behavior determination unit that determines possible driving actions for the vehicle based on the in-vehicle sensor information and the map information, A communication information acquisition area setting unit sets the area for acquiring communication information based on the aforementioned driving behavior, The system includes a communication information acquisition determination unit that selects communication information from among the communication information present in the acquisition area that may affect the driving behavior of the vehicle, The surrounding environment recognition unit recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle using the communication information selected by the communication information acquisition determination unit. The aforementioned communication information acquisition area setting unit is characterized in that, when the driving action involves passing through an intersection, it sets an acquisition area starting from the intersection based on the time or distance until the vehicle reaches the intersection.

2. A surrounding environment recognition unit recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle based on map information and on-board sensor information from sensors installed in the vehicle. A driving assistance determination unit that determines the driving assistance for the vehicle based on the information from the surrounding environment recognition unit, A communication information acquisition unit that acquires communication information transmitted from outside the vehicle, A driving behavior determination unit that determines possible driving actions for the vehicle based on the in-vehicle sensor information and the map information, A communication information acquisition area setting unit sets the area for acquiring communication information based on the aforementioned driving behavior, The system includes a communication information acquisition determination unit that selects communication information from among the communication information present in the acquisition area that may affect the driving behavior of the vehicle, The surrounding environment recognition unit recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle using the communication information selected by the communication information acquisition determination unit. The communication information acquisition area setting unit is characterized in that, when the driving action involves passing through a merging point, it sets an acquisition area starting from the merging point based on the time or distance until the vehicle reaches the merging point.

3. A surrounding environment recognition unit recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle based on map information and on-board sensor information from sensors installed in the vehicle. A driving assistance determination unit that determines the driving assistance for the vehicle based on the information from the surrounding environment recognition unit, A communication information acquisition unit that acquires communication information transmitted from outside the vehicle, A driving behavior determination unit that determines possible driving actions for the vehicle based on the in-vehicle sensor information and the map information, A communication information acquisition area setting unit sets the area for acquiring communication information based on the aforementioned driving behavior, The system includes a communication information acquisition determination unit that selects communication information from among the communication information present in the acquisition area that may affect the driving behavior of the vehicle, The surrounding environment recognition unit recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle using the communication information selected by the communication information acquisition determination unit. The communication information acquisition area setting unit sets the acquisition area based on the vehicle's speed during the driving action or the speed limit of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, and expands or contracts the acquisition area according to the vehicle's speed or the speed limit, and when expanding or contracting the acquisition area, it limits the amount of change.

4. A surrounding environment recognition unit recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle based on map information and on-board sensor information from sensors installed in the vehicle. A driving assistance determination unit that determines the driving assistance for the vehicle based on the information from the surrounding environment recognition unit, A communication information acquisition unit that acquires communication information transmitted from outside the vehicle, A driving behavior determination unit that determines possible driving actions for the vehicle based on the in-vehicle sensor information and the map information, A communication information acquisition area setting unit sets the area for acquiring communication information based on the aforementioned driving behavior, The system includes a communication information acquisition determination unit that selects communication information from among the communication information present in the acquisition area that may affect the driving behavior of the vehicle, The surrounding environment recognition unit recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle using the communication information selected by the communication information acquisition determination unit. The aforementioned communication information acquisition area setting unit is characterized in that, when an acquisition area is set starting from an intersection or merging point, the set acquisition area is not deleted until the vehicle passes through the said intersection or merging point.

5. The communication information acquisition area setting unit sets the acquisition area for target information included in the communication information based on the driving behavior, The communication information acquisition determination unit selects, from among the target information present in the acquisition area, target information that may interfere with the driving actions of the vehicle, The driver assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the surrounding environment recognition unit recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle using the target information selected by the communication information acquisition determination unit.

6. The driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the driving behavior determination unit determines the driving behavior based on at least one of the type of road the vehicle is traveling on, the speed limit, or the lane position, the merging route or intersection the vehicle is scheduled to travel on in the future, or the vehicle speed of the vehicle.

7. The driving assistance device according to claim 5, characterized in that the communication information acquisition determination unit selects target information within a predetermined range from the vehicle within the acquisition area, selects a predetermined number of target information moving in the same direction as the vehicle's direction of travel in front of and behind the vehicle in order of proximity to the vehicle, selects target information for which the time or distance to reach a predetermined distance from the vehicle is within a predetermined value, or the conditions for selection differ based on the type of target information.

8. The driving assistance device according to claim 5, characterized in that the communication information acquisition determination unit excludes target information that is located behind the direction of travel of the vehicle and is moving in the opposite direction of travel of the vehicle, or, if there is a median strip between the road on which the vehicle is traveling and the oncoming lane, it excludes target information on the oncoming lane.

9. The driving support device according to claim 5, characterized in that the communication information acquisition determination unit selects landmark information within a predetermined range from the intersection or merging point when the acquisition area includes an intersection or merging point.

10. The driving assistance device according to claim 5, wherein, when the number of selectable target information is limited, the communication information acquisition determination unit determines the priority order of the target information based on the risk of interference with the vehicle and selects them in the order of priority, and the interference risk is calculated based on at least one of the distance between the vehicle and the target information, the time until the target information reaches a predetermined distance from the vehicle, the lane positions of the vehicle and the target information, or the type of the target information.

11. The driving support device according to claim 5, characterized in that the communication information acquisition unit increases the acquisition interval of the target information when the distance between the vehicle and the target information is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, or when the time it takes for the target information to reach a predetermined distance from the vehicle is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

12. The driving support device according to claim 5, characterized in that, when there are two or more pieces of target information within the acquisition area that are of the same type and whose position and speed differences are within a predetermined range, the communication information acquisition determination unit selects the one with the higher reliability among the attribute values ​​of the target information.

13. The driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized in that the communication information includes at least one of landmark information, traffic signal information, speed limit information, lane restriction information, traffic congestion information, road construction information, accident information, weather information, or road surface condition information.

14. A surrounding environment recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle based on map information and on-board sensor information from sensors mounted on the vehicle, A driving assistance determination unit that determines the driving assistance for the vehicle based on the information from the surrounding environment recognition unit, A communication information acquisition unit that acquires communication information transmitted from outside the vehicle, A driving behavior determination unit that determines possible driving actions for the vehicle based on the in-vehicle sensor information and the map information, A communication information acquisition area setting unit sets the area for acquiring communication information based on the aforementioned driving behavior, The system includes a communication information acquisition determination unit that selects communication information from among the communication information present in the acquisition area that may affect the driving behavior of the vehicle, The communication information acquisition area setting unit sets the acquisition area for target information included in the communication information based on the driving behavior, The communication information acquisition determination unit selects, from among the target information present in the acquisition area, target information that may interfere with the driving actions of the vehicle, The surrounding environment recognition unit recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle using the target information selected by the communication information acquisition determination unit. The communication information acquisition unit is characterized by increasing the interval for acquiring the target information when the distance between the vehicle and the target information is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, or when the time it takes for the target information to reach a predetermined distance from the vehicle is greater than or equal to a predetermined value.

15. A surrounding environment recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle based on map information and on-board sensor information from sensors mounted on the vehicle, A driving assistance determination unit that determines the driving assistance for the vehicle based on the information from the surrounding environment recognition unit, A communication information acquisition unit that acquires communication information transmitted from outside the vehicle, A driving behavior determination unit that determines possible driving actions for the vehicle based on the in-vehicle sensor information and the map information, A communication information acquisition area setting unit sets the area for acquiring communication information based on the aforementioned driving behavior, The system includes a communication information acquisition determination unit that selects communication information from among the communication information present in the acquisition area that may affect the driving behavior of the vehicle, The communication information acquisition area setting unit sets the acquisition area for target information included in the communication information based on the driving behavior, The communication information acquisition determination unit selects, from among the target information present in the acquisition area, target information that may interfere with the driving actions of the vehicle, The surrounding environment recognition unit recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle using the target information selected by the communication information acquisition determination unit. The aforementioned communication information acquisition determination unit is characterized in that, when there are two or more pieces of target information within the acquisition area that are of the same type and whose position and speed differences are within a predetermined range, it selects the one with the higher reliability among the target information.

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