Driving control device, driving control method, and driving control program

Abstract

To provide a travel control device that is able to estimate predicted tracks of an own vehicle and an oncoming vehicle without requiring information on the presence / absence of steering operations performed by drivers of the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle at an intersection and is able to determine the possibility of collision on the basis of the predicted tracks.SOLUTION: A travel control device 10 includes a motion information acquisition device 32 that acquires motion information of an own vehicle, a target information acquisition device 26 that acquires target information around the own vehicle, a control unit 14, and a communication device 36 that wirelessly communicates with a data server 42. The data server 42 stores, for each intersection, a relationship between an average travel track and at least one of position information of a passing vehicle and motion information and blinker operation information of the passing vehicle. The control unit 14 acquires from the data server 42 an average travel track corresponding to at least one of current position information of the own vehicle 12 and motion information and blinker operation information of the own vehicle 12 and estimates a predicted track of the own vehicle 12 on the basis of the acquired average travel track.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving control device, a driving control method, and a driving control program for vehicles such as automobiles.

Background Art

[0002] When a host vehicle passes through an intersection, it is known to estimate the predicted trajectory of another vehicle in order to determine the risk of collision between the host vehicle and the other vehicle. For example, Patent Document 1 below describes a technique for estimating the predicted trajectory of another vehicle based on the road structure of an intersection. When at least a part of the road structure cannot be recognized, the predicted trajectory of the other vehicle is estimated based on the past driving trajectory of the other vehicle obtained based on the past recognition results. According to this type of predicted trajectory estimation technique, the predicted trajectory of another vehicle can be estimated even when at least a part of the road structure cannot be recognized.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0004] 〔Problems to be Solved by the Invention〕 In the conventional predicted trajectory estimation technique as described above, when determining the risk of collision between the host vehicle and another vehicle, in addition to the current position of the host vehicle and its change, the predicted trajectory of the host vehicle is estimated based on the presence or absence of a steering operation and a wiper operation by the driver. Therefore, the predicted trajectory of the host vehicle cannot be estimated until the presence or absence of a steering operation by the driver is determined. Therefore, if it is determined that there is a risk of collision between the host vehicle and another vehicle at the stage where the presence or absence of a steering operation by the driver is determined and the predicted trajectory of the host vehicle is estimated, the deceleration of the host vehicle by automatic braking may not be in time, and it may not be possible to effectively achieve the reduction of the collision and the damage caused by the collision.

[0005] The present invention provides a driving control device that can estimate the predicted trajectories of the own vehicle and an oncoming vehicle at an intersection, without requiring information on whether or not the drivers of the own vehicle and the oncoming vehicle are steering, and can determine the risk of collision based on those predicted trajectories.

[0006] [Means for solving the problem and the effects of the invention] According to the present invention, a driving control device (10) is provided which includes a location information acquisition device (navigation device 20) that acquires location information of the vehicle (12), a motion information acquisition device (32) that acquires motion information of the vehicle, a target information acquisition device (26) that acquires target information around the vehicle, a control unit (driving support ECU 14) that controls the driving of the vehicle, and an in-vehicle communication device (36) that exchanges information with a data server (42) via wireless communication.

[0007] The data server (42) is a server communication device (44) that exchanges information with the in-vehicle communication device (36) via wireless communication, and for each intersection, it exchanges information with at least one of the following: the position information of passing vehicles, the motion information of passing vehicles, and the turn signal operation information. It is the average single driving trajectory statistically determined for multiple vehicles. A memory device (48) that stores the relationship with the average driving trajectory, The control unit (driving support ECU 14) obtains the average driving trajectory corresponding to the current position information of the vehicle and at least one of the vehicle's motion information and turn signal operation information from the data server (42), and the obtained average driving trajectory Of these, the part that is later in time than the current position of the vehicle Predicted trajectory of your vehicle and It is configured to make estimations, The control unit acquires the current location information of other vehicles and at least one of the motion information and turn signal operation information of other vehicles based on the target information acquired by the target information acquisition device (26) and the position information and motion information of its own vehicle, and acquires the average driving trajectory corresponding to the acquired information from the data server (42), and the acquired average driving trajectory Of these, the part that is later in time than the current position of other vehicles Predicted trajectories of other vehicles and It is configured to make estimations, Furthermore, the control unit predicts the trajectories of its own vehicle and other vehicles. and exercise information Based on this, the system is configured to determine the likelihood of its own vehicle colliding with another vehicle.

[0008] Furthermore, the present invention provides a driving control method for a vehicle comprising: a location information acquisition device (navigation device 20) for acquiring location information of the vehicle (12); a motion information acquisition device (32) for acquiring motion information of the vehicle; a target information acquisition device (26) for acquiring target information around the vehicle; a control unit (driving support ECU 14) for controlling the driving of the vehicle; and an in-vehicle communication device (36) for exchanging information with a data server (42) via wireless communication.

[0009] The data server (42) is a server communication device (44) that exchanges information with the in-vehicle communication device (36) via wireless communication, and for each intersection, it exchanges information with at least one of the following: the position information of passing vehicles, the motion information of passing vehicles, and the turn signal operation information. It is the average single driving trajectory statistically determined for multiple vehicles. A memory device (48) that stores the relationship with the average driving trajectory, The driving control method is, The average driving trajectory corresponding to the vehicle's current location information and at least one of the vehicle's motion information and turn signal operation information is obtained from the data server (42), and the obtained average driving trajectory Of these, the part that is later in time than the current position of the vehicle Predicted trajectory of your vehicle and The estimation steps (S60-S80), Based on the target information acquired by the target information acquisition device (26) and the position information and motion information of the own vehicle, the current position information of other vehicles and at least one of the motion information and turn signal operation information of other vehicles are acquired, and the average driving trajectory corresponding to the acquired information is acquired from the data server (42), and the acquired average driving trajectory Of these, the part that is later in time than the current position of other vehicles Predicted trajectories of other vehicles and The estimation steps (S100~S130), Predicted trajectories of your vehicle and other vehicles and exercise information Based on this, the step of determining whether the vehicle is likely to collide with another vehicle (S140) Includes.

[0010] Furthermore, the present invention provides a driving control program for a vehicle comprising: a location information acquisition device (navigation device 20) for acquiring the location information of the vehicle; a motion information acquisition device (32) for acquiring motion information of the vehicle; a target information acquisition device (26) for acquiring target information around the vehicle; a control unit (driving support ECU 14) for controlling the driving of the vehicle; and an in-vehicle communication device (36) for exchanging information with a data server (42) via wireless communication.

[0011] The data server (42) is a server communication device (44) that exchanges information with the in-vehicle communication device (36) via wireless communication, and for each intersection, it exchanges information with at least one of the following: the position information of passing vehicles, the motion information of passing vehicles, and the turn signal operation information. It is the average single driving trajectory statistically determined for multiple vehicles. A memory device (48) that stores the relationship with the average driving trajectory, The driving control program is The average driving trajectory corresponding to the vehicle's current location information and at least one of the vehicle's motion information and turn signal operation information is obtained from the data server (42), and the obtained average driving trajectory Of these, the part that is later in time than the current position of the vehicle Predicted trajectory of your vehicle and The estimation steps (S60-S80), Based on the target information acquired by the target information acquisition device (26) and the position information and motion information of the own vehicle, the current position information of other vehicles and at least one of the motion information and turn signal operation information of other vehicles are acquired, and the average driving trajectory corresponding to the acquired information is acquired from the data server (42), and the acquired average driving trajectory Of these, the part that is later in time than the current position of other vehicles Predicted trajectories of other vehicles and The estimation steps (S100~S130), Predicted trajectories of your vehicle and other vehicles and exercise information Based on this, the step of determining whether the vehicle is likely to collide with another vehicle (S140) This command is then executed by the vehicle's electronic control unit (driver assistance ECU14).

[0012] According to the above-described driving control device, driving control method, and driving control program, For each intersection, the relationship between the location information of passing vehicles, at least one of the motion information and turn signal activation information of passing vehicles, and the average driving trajectory, which is a statistically determined average driving trajectory for multiple vehicles, is stored in the data server's memory.An average travel trajectory corresponding to at least one of the current position information of the host vehicle, the movement information of the host vehicle, and the wiper operation information is acquired from a data server, and the acquired average travel trajectory Of these, the part that is later in time than the current position of the vehicle the predicted trajectory of the host vehicle and is estimated. Therefore, the predicted trajectory of the host vehicle can be estimated without requiring information on whether or not there is a steering operation by the driver of the host vehicle. Therefore, the predicted trajectory of the host vehicle can be estimated earlier than in the conventional case where information on whether or not there is a steering operation by the driver of the host vehicle is required.

[0013] Also, based on the target information acquired by the target information acquisition device, the position information and movement information of the host vehicle, at least one of the current position information of the other vehicle, the movement information of the other vehicle, and the wiper operation information is acquired, and the average travel trajectory corresponding to the acquired information is acquired from the data server, and the acquired average travel trajectory Of these, the part that is later in time than the current position of other vehicles the predicted trajectory of the other vehicle and is estimated. Therefore, the predicted trajectory of the other vehicle can be estimated earlier without requiring information on whether or not there is a steering operation by the driver of the other vehicle.

[0014] Furthermore, based on the predicted trajectories of the host vehicle and the other vehicle estimated as described above and exercise information it is determined whether there is a risk of the host vehicle colliding with the other vehicle. Therefore, the predicted trajectories of the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle can be estimated earlier without requiring information on whether or not there is a steering operation by the drivers of the host vehicle and the oncoming vehicle, and and exercise information based on those predicted trajectories, the risk of collision can be determined earlier. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the risk that the deceleration of the host vehicle by automatic braking is delayed due to a delay in the determination of the risk of collision, and it becomes impossible to effectively achieve the reduction of the collision and the damage caused by the collision.

[0015] 〔Aspects of the Invention〕 In one aspect of the present invention, for each intersection, the data server (42) statistically calculates and processes the position information, movement information, and at least one of the wiper operation information of a plurality of passing vehicles and the information on the travel trajectory, thereby Multiple passages the position information of the vehicle and Multiple passagesThe system includes a calculation device (calculation control device 46) that determines the relationship between at least one of the vehicle's motion information and turn signal operation information and the average driving trajectory.

[0016] According to the above embodiment, for each intersection, by statistically processing the position information, motion information, and turn signal activation information of multiple passing vehicles, and the information of their driving trajectories, Multiple passages Vehicle location information and Multiple passages The relationship between at least one of the vehicle's motion information and turn signal activation information and the average driving trajectory can be determined. Therefore, based on the position information, motion information, turn signal activation information, and driving trajectory information for multiple passing vehicles, Multiple passages Vehicle location information and Multiple passages The relationship between at least one of the vehicle's motion information and turn signal operation information and the average driving trajectory can be determined.

[0017] In another embodiment of the present invention, the data server (42) is a cloud server.

[0018] According to the above configuration, since the data server is a cloud server, there is no need to install a data server corresponding to each intersection. Therefore, the cost of the data server can be reduced compared to the case where a data server is installed corresponding to each intersection.

[0019] In the above description, to aid in understanding the present invention, the names and / or reference numerals used in the embodiments of the invention corresponding to those embodiments described later are indicated in parentheses. However, the components of the present invention are not limited to the components of the embodiments corresponding to the names and / or reference numerals indicated in parentheses. Other objects, other features and incidental advantages of the present invention will be readily apparent from the description of embodiments of the present invention, which will be described with reference to the following drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0020] [Figure 1] This is a schematic diagram showing an embodiment of the driving control device according to the present invention. [Figure 2] This figure shows a list of information such as vehicle ID numbers and a list of information such as average driving trajectories (B) stored in the data server's storage device in the embodiment. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the information storage area at the intersection. [Figure 4] This is a flowchart showing the driving control routine in the embodiment. [Figure 5] This figure shows examples of average and predicted driving trajectories. [Figure 6] This figure shows an example of easily estimating a predicted trajectory based on lane information, turn signal activation information, etc. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0021] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the attached figures.

[0022] As shown in Figure 1, the driving control device 10 according to this embodiment is applied to a vehicle 12, which may be a vehicle capable of autonomous driving. The driving control device 10 includes a driver assistance electronic control unit 14, which is abbreviated as ECU (Electric Control Unit). The driver assistance ECU 14 includes a microcomputer (not shown), which includes a CPU, ROM, RAM, and an interface (I / F), etc.

[0023] The driver assistance ECU 14 controls the driving of the vehicle 12, as will be described in detail later. The driver assistance ECU 14 is connected to a navigation device 20, a camera sensor 22, and a radar sensor 24. The camera sensor 12 and radar sensor 14 each include multiple camera devices and multiple radar devices, respectively, and function as a target information acquisition device 26 that acquires target information around the vehicle 12. Furthermore, the driver assistance ECU 14 is connected to a driving operation sensor 28, a vehicle status sensor 30, a display device 34, a communication device (in-vehicle communication device) 36, and a braking control device 38.

[0024] Although not shown in Figure 1, the navigation device 20 includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver, a control unit, and a display. The GNSS receiver receives signals from satellites (e.g., GNSS signals) to detect the current location of the vehicle 12, and obtains the vehicle's current location (e.g., latitude and longitude) based on the GNSS signals. Therefore, the navigation device 20 functions as a location information acquisition device that obtains the location information of the vehicle 12. Furthermore, when the vehicle 12 passes through an intersection, the navigation device 20 identifies the intersection's code number, as described later.

[0025] Each camera device of the camera sensor 22, although not shown in the figure, includes a camera unit that photographs the area around the vehicle 12 and a recognition unit that analyzes the image data obtained from the camera unit to recognize road markings, other vehicles, and other objects. The recognition unit transmits information about the recognized objects to the driver assistance ECU at predetermined intervals. 14 To supply.

[0026] Each radar device of the radar sensor 24 is equipped with a radar transceiver and a signal processing unit (not shown). The radar transceiver emits millimeter-wave radio waves (hereinafter referred to as "millimeter waves") and receives millimeter waves (i.e., reflected waves) reflected by three-dimensional objects (e.g., other vehicles, bicycles, etc.) within its radiation range. The signal processing unit, based on the phase difference between the emitted millimeter waves and the received reflected waves, the attenuation level of the reflected waves, and the time from the emission of the millimeter waves to the reception of the reflected waves, provides information representing the relative distance and relative speed between the vehicle and the three-dimensional object, and the relative position (direction) of the three-dimensional object relative to the vehicle, to the driver assistance ECU at predetermined intervals. 14 To supply.

[0027] Furthermore, the target information acquisition device 26 may be any device known in the art, as long as it can acquire target information around the vehicle 12. For example, each camera device of the camera sensor 22 may be either a monocular camera or a stereo camera, and LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging) may be used instead of the radar sensor 24.

[0028] The driving operation sensor 28 includes a drive operation amount sensor and a brake operation amount sensor. Furthermore, the driving operation sensor 28 includes a turn signal switch, a steering angle sensor, a steering torque sensor, and the like. The vehicle state sensor 30 includes a vehicle speed sensor, a longitudinal acceleration sensor, a lateral acceleration sensor, and a yaw rate sensor. The driving operation sensor 28 and the vehicle state sensor 30 function as a motion information acquisition device 32 that acquires motion information of the vehicle 12.

[0029] The display device 34 may be, for example, a head-up display or a multi-information display that displays meters and various information, or it may be the display of the navigation device 20. The communication device 36 communicates wirelessly with the data server 42 via the network 40 and functions as an in-vehicle communication device that sends and receives various data with the data server 42, as will be described in detail later.

[0030] The braking control device 38, although not shown in Figure 1, includes a braking ECU and a braking device. Under normal circumstances, the braking ECU controls the braking device so that the braking force generated by the braking device changes according to the amount of braking operation performed by the driver, and the driver assistance ECU controls the braking device. 14 Upon receiving a command signal, the system automatically applies the brakes by controlling the braking device based on the command signal.

[0031] In this embodiment, the data server 42 is a cloud server and includes a communication device 44, an arithmetic control unit 46, and a storage device 48. The communication device 44 wirelessly communicates with the communication device 36 of vehicle 12 and other vehicles V2, V3… via the network 40, thereby functioning as a server communication device that sends and receives various data with the driver assistance ECU 14 of vehicle 12, etc., as will be described in detail later. The functions of the arithmetic control unit 46 and the storage device 48 will be described later.

[0032] <Information provision control when passing through intersections> Vehicles such as vehicle 12 perform information provision control when passing through an intersection. Specifically, vehicles such as vehicle 12 supply their own vehicle ID number, their own vehicle location information acquired by the navigation device (latitude and longitude information of a reference position such as the vehicle's center of gravity), vehicle motion information, and turn signal operation information to the data server 42 via wireless communication using communication devices 36 and 44. The calculation control unit 46 calculates the vehicle's travel trajectory (for example, the vehicle's latitude and longitude at predetermined time intervals) for each vehicle based on the vehicle's current position and its changes. The calculation control unit 46 also identifies vehicle travel information such as the intersection code number, vehicle location information, vehicle speed, and direction of travel. Furthermore, the calculation control unit 46 acquires vehicle motion information detected by vehicle condition sensors such as vehicle condition sensor 30 and turn signal operation information detected by driver operation sensors such as driver operation sensor 28 for each vehicle.

[0033] Furthermore, if automatic braking is performed by the vehicle's driving control when passing through an intersection as described later, the vehicle's position information, speed, direction of travel, and other vehicle driving information, as well as its trajectory, may be identified and vehicle motion information acquired, assuming that automatic braking had not occurred. Alternatively, the vehicle's position information, speed, direction of travel, and other vehicle driving information, as well as its trajectory, may be identified and vehicle motion information acquired only when automatic braking has not occurred.

[0034] Furthermore, the arithmetic control unit 46 stores the vehicle ID number, identified information, and acquired information for each vehicle in the storage device 48, as shown in Figure 2(A), for example. As shown by hatching in Figure 3, an information storage area 52 is set up for each intersection 50. The information storage area 52 is divided into multiple sections, for example, that form a 10cm square aligned east-west and north-south, and each section is assigned a section code number. The section code number is recorded as vehicle position information. Note that in Figure 3, 54 indicates a pedestrian crossing and 56 indicates a stop line.

[0035] Furthermore, the arithmetic control unit 46 has multiple identical driving information and turn signal operation information for each section. of Regarding vehicles, by statistically processing the vehicle's trajectory, This is a single average driving trajectory statistically determined from multiple vehicles. The average driving trajectory is calculated. Statistical calculations may include, for example, calculating the average latitude and longitude of the vehicle at predetermined time intervals. Furthermore, the vehicle's motion state is divided into several predetermined bands, and "identical driving information" means that the vehicle's motion state is within the same band, for example, that the vehicle speed is within the same speed range.

[0036] Furthermore, the arithmetic control unit 46 stores in the storage device 48, for example, the relationship between the intersection code number, the section code number, the vehicle's driving information and turn signal operation information in that section, and the average driving trajectory through that section. Note that if the number of vehicles passing through each section exceeds a preset threshold, the data of the vehicle that passed through that section first may be erased.

[0037] <Vehicle control when passing through intersections> When the vehicle 12 approaches an intersection and enters the information storage area 52, the driver assistance ECU 14 performs driving control of the vehicle when passing through the intersection, as will be explained in detail later. Specifically, the driver assistance ECU 14 first supplies the vehicle's position information to the data server 42 and also obtains average driving trajectory information from the data server 42. In this case, the driver assistance ECU 14 obtains the average driving trajectory corresponding to the section code number of the vehicle's current position, vehicle motion information, and turn signal operation information from the data server. Furthermore, the driver assistance ECU 14 obtains the obtained average driving trajectory Of these, the part that is later in time than the current position of other vehicles Predicted trajectory of vehicle 12 and To estimate.

[0038] Furthermore, the driver assistance ECU 14 acquires the current position information, motion information, and turn signal operation information of other vehicles traveling opposite the vehicle 12, i.e., oncoming vehicles, based on the target information acquired by the target information acquisition device 26 and the position information and motion information of the vehicle 12. In addition, the driver assistance ECU 14 acquires the average driving trajectory corresponding to the acquired information from the data server 42, and the acquired average driving trajectory Of these, the part that is later in time than the current position of other vehicles Predicted trajectory of oncoming vehicle and To estimate.

[0039] Furthermore, the driver assistance ECU 14 predicts the trajectories of the own vehicle 12 and oncoming vehicles. and exercise information Based on this, it is determined in a manner known in the art whether there is a risk of the vehicle colliding with an oncoming vehicle. For example, the risk of collision may be determined based on the timing when the predicted trajectories of the vehicle 12 and the oncoming vehicle overlap or come closest to each other.

[0040] Furthermore, when the driver assistance ECU 14 determines that there is a risk of collision, it automatically brakes the vehicle to reduce the risk of collision or the impact of a collision. In this case, the deceleration due to automatic braking may be variably set according to the risk of collision, such that the deceleration due to automatic braking increases as the risk of collision between the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle increases.

[0041] The ROM of the driver assistance ECU14 stores a program for controlling the vehicle's movement when passing through an intersection, corresponding to the flowchart shown in Figure 4. The CPU of the driver assistance ECU14 reads the control program from the ROM into RAM and executes vehicle movement control according to the flowchart shown in Figure 4, as will be explained in detail later.

[0042] <Vehicle driving control routine> Next, the routine for controlling the vehicle's movement when passing through an intersection in the embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in Figure 4. The control shown in the flowchart in Figure 4 is repeatedly executed by the CPU at predetermined intervals when the ignition switch (not shown in Figure 1) is ON. At the start of vehicle movement control, flag F is initialized to 0.

[0043] First, in step S10, the CPU determines whether flag F is 1 or not, that is, whether the estimation of the predicted trajectory of the vehicle 12 is being performed or not. If the CPU determines that it is positive, it proceeds to step S40 for vehicle driving control; if it determines that it is negative, it proceeds to step S20 for vehicle driving control.

[0044] In step S20, the CPU determines whether the vehicle 12 has entered an intersection by determining, for example, the position of the vehicle 12 detected by the navigation device 20, whether the vehicle is within the information storage area 52 of any intersection. If the CPU determines that the vehicle 12 has entered an intersection, it terminates the vehicle's driving control. If the CPU determines that the vehicle 12 has entered an intersection, it sets flag F to 1 in step S30 and then proceeds to step S60 to continue the vehicle's driving control.

[0045] In step S40, the CPU determines whether the conditions for terminating vehicle driving control have been met. If the CPU determines that the conditions have been met, in step S50, it resets flag F to 0 and then terminates vehicle driving control. If the CPU determines that the conditions have been met, it proceeds to step S60 to continue vehicle driving control.

[0046] Furthermore, the termination condition for vehicle driving control may be determined to be met when any of the following E1 to E3 conditions are met. The termination determination line may be the boundary line of the information storage area 52 where the vehicle may exit the intersection, or it may be set on the side of the boundary line where the vehicle enters the intersection. For example, the dashed line 58 in Figure 3 shows an example of one termination determination line when the vehicle 12 enters the information storage area 52 from the point shown in the figure. E1: Vehicle 12 has passed the pre-set termination line. E2: The turn signal is activated for a left turn. E3: The oncoming vehicle, as determined in step S90 described below, has moved to a position where there is no risk of collision with the vehicle in question.

[0047] In step S60, the CPU wirelessly supplies the ID number of the vehicle 12, information on the vehicle's current location, information on the vehicle's movement, and information on the operation of the turn signals to the arithmetic control unit 46 of the data server 42.

[0048] In step S70, the CPU wirelessly acquires from the data server an average driving trajectory corresponding to the current status of the vehicle 12, which has the same code number for the section of the average driving trajectory where the vehicle's current position is located, as well as the same vehicle motion information, such as vehicle speed and turn signal operation information, from the average driving trajectory stored in the memory device 48.

[0049] In step S80, the CPU calculates the predicted trajectory of the vehicle 12 based on the acquired average driving trajectory. In this case, the predicted trajectory may be the part of the acquired average driving trajectory that is later in time than the vehicle's current position. Alternatively, the predicted trajectory may be calculated by modifying the acquired average driving trajectory based on the vehicle's longitudinal acceleration and yaw rate, or other motion state variables.

[0050] For example, in Figure 5, point Pp indicates the current position of the vehicle 12, the dashed line 60 shows the average travel trajectory passing through point Pp, and the solid line 62 shows the predicted trajectory, which is the average travel trajectory that is later in time than the vehicle's current position.

[0051] In step S90, the CPU determines whether there is an oncoming vehicle, that is, a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction to the direction of travel of the vehicle 12 in the lane opposite to the direction of travel of the vehicle 12. If the CPU determines that there is no oncoming vehicle, it terminates the vehicle's driving control; if it determines that there is no oncoming vehicle, it proceeds to step S100.

[0052] Step S90 may be executed when an affirmative determination is made in step S20. In that case, if a negative determination is made in the step corresponding to step S90, the vehicle's driving control is terminated, and if an affirmative determination is made, the vehicle's driving control proceeds to step 30.

[0053] In step S100, the CPU acquires information on the current position, motion, and turn signal operation of the oncoming vehicle based on the current position and motion information of the vehicle 12, the relative distance and relative direction of the oncoming vehicle to the vehicle detected by the target information acquisition device 26, etc.

[0054] In step S110, the CPU wirelessly supplies information on the current position of the oncoming vehicle, motion information, and turn signal operation information to the arithmetic control unit 46 of the data server 42.

[0055] In step S120, the CPU wirelessly retrieves from the data server, via wireless communication, an average driving trajectory from among the average driving trajectories stored in the memory device 48 that has the same current position (section code number) of the oncoming vehicle, vehicle motion information such as vehicle speed and turn signal operation information, as the average driving trajectory corresponding to the current status of the oncoming vehicle.

[0056] In step S130, the CPU calculates the predicted trajectory of the oncoming vehicle based on the acquired average driving trajectory. In this case, the predicted trajectory may be the portion of the acquired average driving trajectory that is later in time than the oncoming vehicle's current position. Alternatively, the longitudinal acceleration and yaw rate of the oncoming vehicle may be estimated based on the information detected by the target information acquisition device 26, and the predicted trajectory may be calculated by modifying the acquired average driving trajectory based on the longitudinal acceleration and yaw rate of the oncoming vehicle.

[0057] In step S140, the CPU calculates the predicted trajectories of its own vehicle 12 and the oncoming vehicle. and exercise information Based on this, the CPU determines whether or not there is a risk of the vehicle colliding with an oncoming vehicle, in a manner known in the art. If the CPU determines that there is a risk of collision, it terminates the vehicle's driving control; if it determines that there is a risk, it proceeds to step S150 of the vehicle's driving control.

[0058] In step S150, the CPU outputs a command signal to the braking control device 38 as a countermeasure to reduce the risk of collision between the vehicle 12 and an oncoming vehicle or to mitigate the impact of a collision, thereby automatically braking the vehicle to decelerate it. In this case, since there is a risk of collision between the vehicle and an oncoming vehicle, the display device 34 may display a message indicating that the vehicle will be decelerated by automatic braking.

[0059] As can be seen from the above explanation, according to the embodiment, when it is determined that the vehicle 12 has entered an intersection (step S20), flag F is set to 1 (step S30). Then, the vehicle driving control from step S60 onward is executed until it is determined that the conditions for ending the vehicle driving control have been met (step S40).

[0060] Specifically, in steps S60 to S80, the predicted trajectory of the vehicle 12 is estimated based on the current position information of the vehicle, the motion information of the vehicle, and the turn signal operation information. In steps S100 to S130, the predicted trajectory of the oncoming vehicle is estimated based on the current position information of the oncoming vehicle, the motion information of the oncoming vehicle, and the turn signal operation information. Furthermore, the predicted trajectories of the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle and exercise informationBased on this, it is determined whether or not there is a risk of the vehicle colliding with an oncoming vehicle (step S140), and if it is determined that there is a risk of collision, the vehicle 12 is decelerated by automatic braking (step S150).

[0061] According to this embodiment, the predicted trajectories of both the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle can be estimated without requiring information on whether or not the drivers of the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle are steering. Therefore, compared to the conventional method which requires information on whether or not the drivers of the vehicle and the oncoming vehicle are steering, the predicted trajectories of both vehicles can be estimated earlier.

[0062] Therefore, since the risk of collision can be determined early, the risk of delays in the automatic braking system causing the vehicle to decelerate and preventing effective mitigation of collisions and resulting damage can be reduced.

[0063] Furthermore, according to the embodiment, by statistically processing the position information, motion information, and turn signal activation information of multiple passing vehicles, along with the driving trajectory information, the relationship between the vehicle's position information, at least one of the vehicle's motion information and turn signal activation information, and the average driving trajectory can be determined. Therefore, based on the position information, motion information, and turn signal activation information of multiple passing vehicles, along with the driving trajectory information, the relationship between the vehicle's position information, at least one of the vehicle's motion information and turn signal activation information, and the average driving trajectory can be determined.

[0064] Furthermore, according to this embodiment, since the data server is a cloud server 42, there is no need to install a data server corresponding to each intersection. Therefore, the cost of the data server can be reduced compared to the case where a data server is installed corresponding to each intersection.

[0065] Although the present invention has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and that various other embodiments are possible within the scope of the present invention.

[0066] For example, in the above-described embodiment, in steps S60 to S80, the predicted trajectory of the vehicle 12 is estimated based on the current position information of the vehicle, the motion information of the vehicle, and the operation information of the turn signals. However, the predicted trajectory of the vehicle may be estimated based on the current position information of the vehicle 12 and the motion information of the vehicle, or on the current position information of the vehicle 12 and the operation information of the turn signals.

[0067] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the predicted trajectory 62 of the vehicle 12 is estimated as a linear trajectory based on the average travel trajectory 60. However, the predicted trajectory of the vehicle may also be estimated as a predicted trajectory zone, as shown by the fine hatching in Figure 5, by estimating the range of variation of the predicted trajectory based on, for example, the vehicle's motion state variables.

[0068] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, the predicted trajectory of the vehicle is estimated based on the code number, which is information about the current position of the vehicle 12, the vehicle's motion information, and the turn signal operation information. However, in an intersection where multiple lanes intersect, as shown in Figure 6, the predicted trajectory of the vehicle may be easily estimated based on the lane information and turn signal operation information as information about the current position of the vehicle 12, or based on the lane information, the vehicle speed information of the vehicle 12, and the turn signal operation information.

[0069] Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, in steps S100 to S130, the predicted trajectory of the oncoming vehicle is estimated based on the current position information, motion information, and turn signal activation information of the oncoming vehicle. The current position information, motion information, and turn signal activation information of the oncoming vehicle are acquired based on the relative distance and relative direction of the oncoming vehicle to the own vehicle, as detected by the target information acquisition device 26. However, the current position information, motion information, and turn signal activation information of the oncoming vehicle may also be acquired by vehicle-to-vehicle communication. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0070] 10…Driving control device, 12…Vehicle, 14…Driver assistance ECU, 20…Navigation device, 22…Camera sensor, 24…Radar sensor, 26…Target information acquisition device, 28…Driving operation sensor, 30…Vehicle status sensor, 32…Motion information acquisition device, 36…Communication device, 38…Brake control device, 42…Data server, 44…Communication device, 46…Arithmetic control device, 48…Storage device, 50…Intersection, 52…Information storage area, 60…Average driving trajectory, 62…Predicted trajectory

Claims

1. A driving control device including a location information acquisition device for acquiring the location information of the vehicle, a motion information acquisition device for acquiring motion information of the vehicle, a target information acquisition device for acquiring target information around the vehicle, a control unit for controlling the driving of the vehicle, and an in-vehicle communication device for exchanging information with a data server via wireless communication, The data server includes a server communication device that exchanges information with the in-vehicle communication device via wireless communication, and a storage device that stores, for each intersection, the relationship between the position information of passing vehicles, at least one of the motion information and turn signal operation information of the passing vehicles, and an average driving trajectory which is a statistically determined average driving trajectory for multiple vehicles. The control unit is configured to acquire the average driving trajectory corresponding to the vehicle's current position information and at least one of the vehicle's motion information and turn signal operation information from the data server, and to estimate the portion of the acquired average driving trajectory that is later in time than the vehicle's current position as the vehicle's predicted trajectory. The control unit is configured to acquire the current location information of other vehicles and at least one of the motion information and turn signal operation information of other vehicles based on the target information acquired by the target information acquisition device and the position information and motion information of the own vehicle, to acquire the average driving trajectory corresponding to the acquired information from the data server, and to estimate the portion of the acquired average driving trajectory that is later in time than the current position of the other vehicle as the predicted trajectory of the other vehicle. Furthermore, the control unit is configured to determine the likelihood of the vehicle colliding with the other vehicle based on the predicted trajectories and motion information of the vehicle itself and the other vehicle. Driving control device.

2. A driving control device according to claim 1, wherein the data server includes a calculation device that, for each intersection, statistically processes the position information of multiple passing vehicles, motion information and turn signal activation information of at least one of the multiple passing vehicles, and the average driving trajectory, thereby determining the relationship between the position information of multiple passing vehicles, the motion information and turn signal activation information of multiple passing vehicles, and the average driving trajectory.

3. A driving control device according to claim 1, wherein the data server is a cloud server.

4. A driving control method for a vehicle comprising: a location information acquisition device for acquiring the location information of the vehicle; a motion information acquisition device for acquiring motion information of the vehicle; a target information acquisition device for acquiring target information around the vehicle; a control unit for controlling the driving of the vehicle; and an in-vehicle communication device for exchanging information with a data server via wireless communication, wherein The data server includes a server communication device that exchanges information with the in-vehicle communication device via wireless communication, and a storage device that stores, for each intersection, the relationship between the position information of passing vehicles, at least one of the motion information and turn signal operation information of the passing vehicles, and an average driving trajectory which is a statistically determined average driving trajectory for multiple vehicles. The aforementioned driving control method is: The steps include: obtaining the average driving trajectory corresponding to the vehicle's current position information and at least one of the vehicle's motion information and turn signal operation information from the data server; and estimating the portion of the obtained average driving trajectory that is later in time than the vehicle's current position as the vehicle's predicted trajectory; Based on the target information acquired by the target information acquisition device and the position information and motion information of the own vehicle, the current position information of another vehicle and at least one of the motion information and turn signal operation information of the other vehicle are acquired, the average driving trajectory corresponding to the acquired information is acquired from the data server, and the portion of the acquired average driving trajectory that is later in time than the current position of the other vehicle is estimated to be the predicted trajectory of the other vehicle. The steps include determining whether there is a risk of collision between the vehicle and the other vehicle based on the predicted trajectories and motion information of the vehicle itself and the other vehicle, A driving control method including the following.

5. A driving control program for a vehicle comprising: a location information acquisition device for acquiring the vehicle's location information; a motion information acquisition device for acquiring the vehicle's motion information; a target information acquisition device for acquiring target information around the vehicle; a control unit for controlling the vehicle's movement; and an in-vehicle communication device for exchanging information with a data server via wireless communication, The data server includes a server communication device that exchanges information with the in-vehicle communication device via wireless communication, and a storage device that stores, for each intersection, the relationship between the position information of passing vehicles, at least one of the motion information and turn signal operation information of the passing vehicles, and an average driving trajectory which is a statistically determined average driving trajectory for multiple vehicles. The aforementioned driving control program, The steps include: obtaining the average driving trajectory corresponding to the vehicle's current position information and at least one of the vehicle's motion information and turn signal operation information from the data server; and estimating the portion of the obtained average driving trajectory that is later in time than the vehicle's current position as the vehicle's predicted trajectory; Based on the target information acquired by the target information acquisition device and the position information and motion information of the own vehicle, the current position information of another vehicle and at least one of the motion information and turn signal operation information of the other vehicle are acquired, the average driving trajectory corresponding to the acquired information is acquired from the data server, and the portion of the acquired average driving trajectory that is later in time than the current position of the other vehicle is estimated to be the predicted trajectory of the other vehicle. The steps include determining whether there is a risk of collision between the vehicle and the other vehicle based on the predicted trajectories and motion information of the vehicle itself and the other vehicle, A driving control program that causes the vehicle's electronic control unit to execute the following.

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