Driving assistance systems

Abstract

To provide a driving support device which is safe and convenient in a state where reverse reproduction cannot be performed in passing on a narrow road or the like.SOLUTION: A driving operation of a driver and peripheral obstacle information are stored in forward traveling. In this case, information of the front sensor 13 (or front camera 23) and information of a rear sensor 14 are integrated so as to be stored by discrimination of an object kind (stationary object and mobile object). After a reverse traveling support is started, a peripheral obstacle of the rear sensor 14 is collated with a stored peripheral obstacle, so as to determine execution of the reverse traveling support based on the stored driving operation in response to a collation result.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving support device for assisting the driving of a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] To prevent traffic accidents, various driving support functions are required from high speed ranges to low speed ranges. As one of the driving support systems in low speed ranges, there is a reverse support system that stores the driving history on narrow roads and supports reverse driving by reverse playback of the stored driving route when encountering dead ends or passing by other vehicles.

[0003] Patent Document 1 discloses a method of storing the driving history and the surrounding environment during forward driving, comparing the stored surrounding environment with the current surrounding environment during reverse driving, performing support by reverse playback when there is no difference, and alerting the driver when there is a difference.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, even when there is a difference between the stored surrounding environment and the current surrounding environment during reverse driving, appropriate support should be implemented according to the type of difference. For this purpose, it is necessary to perform the comparison during reverse driving in a more refined manner.

[0006] In the above-mentioned Patent Document 1, for example, if a memorized obstacle is found to be missing as a result of a comparison with the memorized obstacle, it is not possible to determine whether the obstacle was a moving object such as a parked vehicle or pedestrian that moved and was lost during reversing, or whether it could not be detected due to a sensor malfunction during reversing, and therefore reverse playback cannot be performed. Also, if there is a following vehicle when moving forward, the following vehicle is also memorized, so if, for example, the following vehicle disappears midway, the comparison during reversing cannot be performed correctly, and reverse playback cannot be performed.

[0007] This invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and aims to provide a safe and convenient driving assistance device for situations where reverse playback cannot be performed, such as when passing other vehicles on a narrow road. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] To solve the above problems, the driver assistance device according to the present invention includes: a driver operation acquisition unit that acquires the driving operations of the driver of the vehicle; a first observation information acquisition unit that acquires first observation information from a first observation unit that observes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle; a second observation information acquisition unit that acquires second observation information from a second observation unit that observes a different direction from the first observation unit in the surrounding conditions of the vehicle; an obstacle discrimination unit that, when the vehicle is in motion, uses the first observation information from the first observation unit and the second observation information from the second observation unit to distinguish at least stationary obstacles from others; and the obstacles that are determined by the obstacle discrimination unit. The system comprises: a storage unit that stores at least stationary obstacles and driving operations acquired by the driving operation acquisition unit; a surrounding conditions matching unit that compares obstacles obtained from the first observation unit or the second observation unit with obstacles stored in the storage unit when the vehicle travels the same route again; and a driving support control unit that assists driving based on the driving operations stored in the storage unit when the vehicle travels the same route again, wherein the driving support control unit determines whether or not to provide driving support according to the results of the matching obtained by the surrounding conditions matching unit.

[0009] Furthermore, the driving assistance device according to the present invention comprises: a driving operation acquisition unit that acquires driving operations of the driver of the vehicle; a forward observation information acquisition unit that acquires forward observation information from a forward observation unit that observes the surrounding conditions in front of the vehicle; a rear observation information acquisition unit that acquires rear observation information from a rear observation unit that observes the surrounding conditions behind the vehicle; an obstacle discrimination unit that, when the vehicle is moving forward, uses the forward observation information from the forward observation unit and the rear observation information from the rear observation unit to distinguish at least stationary objects from other obstacles; a storage unit that stores at least stationary objects among the obstacles distinguished by the obstacle discrimination unit and the driving operations acquired by the driving operation acquisition unit; a surrounding conditions comparison unit that, when the vehicle is moving backward along the path it has moved forward, compares obstacles behind the vehicle obtained from the rear observation unit with stationary objects stored in the storage unit; and a reverse playback reverse support control unit that, when the vehicle is moving backward along the path it has moved forward, supports reverse driving by reverse playback of the driving operations stored in the storage unit when the vehicle is moving forward, wherein the reverse playback reverse support control unit determines whether or not to implement reverse playback reverse support according to the result of the comparison obtained by the surrounding conditions comparison unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, since moving objects such as parked vehicles and pedestrians are distinguished and stored, it is possible to recognize that moving objects such as parked vehicles and pedestrians that were present when moving forward have moved and are lost when moving backward. Similarly, if an area stored as a stationary obstacle (a stationary object) cannot be detected at present, it is possible to recognize that the object cannot be detected when moving backward due to a sensor malfunction or other reason.

[0011] Furthermore, even when moving forward, if there is a vehicle following behind, the system distinguishes and remembers the following vehicle from surrounding obstacles. Therefore, even if the following vehicle disappears midway through the process, the system can still correctly perform the comparison when reversing.

[0012] Therefore, it is possible to provide a safe and convenient driving assistance device in situations where reverse playback cannot be performed, such as when passing other vehicles on a narrow road.

[0013] Other issues, configurations, and effects not mentioned above will be clarified by the following description of the embodiments. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] A system configuration diagram of a driving assistance device according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2A] An overhead view showing an example of a sensor mounting configuration and sensor detection range according to the first embodiment of the present invention (an example in which sensors are mounted at the four corners of a vehicle). [Figure 2B] An overhead view showing another example of the sensor mounting configuration and sensor detection range according to the first embodiment of the present invention (an example in which the sensors are mounted on the left and right side mirrors). [Figure 2C] An overhead view showing another example of the sensor mounting configuration and sensor detection range according to the first embodiment of the present invention (an example in which the sensors are mounted on the front and rear bumpers of the vehicle). [Figure 2D] An overhead view showing another example of the sensor mounting configuration and sensor detection range according to the first embodiment of the present invention (an example in which sensors are mounted on the front and rear of the vehicle). [Figure 3] A flowchart of the obstacle detection unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] An example of obstacle detection processing by the obstacle detection unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention is shown, where (a) is an example scene, (b) is the detection status of sensors 13 and 14 at the left position (time t-Δt) in Figure 4(a), (c) is the forward sensor obstacle map created at the left position (time t-Δt) in Figure 4(a), (d) is the rear sensor obstacle map created at the left position (time t-Δt) in Figure 4(a), (e) is the detection status of sensors 13 and 14 at the right position (time t) in Figure 4(a), (f) is the forward sensor obstacle map created at the right position (time t) in Figure 4(a), (g) is the rear sensor obstacle map created at the right position (time t) in Figure 4(a), and (h) is an explanatory diagram showing the created type map. [Figure 5A] An explanatory diagram of an example of obstacle detection processing, surrounding environment matching processing, and reverse playback support control using publicly known technology (when object type discrimination is not available) (when moving objects such as pedestrians are moving). [Figure 5B] Explanatory diagram of obstacle discrimination processing, surrounding situation verification processing, and another example of reverse playback reverse support control (when an object such as a utility pole is not detected) according to known technology (when there is no object type discrimination). [Figure 6A] Explanatory diagram of obstacle discrimination processing, surrounding situation verification processing, and an example of reverse playback reverse support control (when a moving object such as a pedestrian is moving) according to the present embodiment (when there is object type discrimination). [Figure 6B] Explanatory diagram of obstacle discrimination processing, surrounding situation verification processing, and another example of reverse playback reverse support control (when an object such as a utility pole is not detected) according to the present embodiment (when there is object type discrimination). [Figure 7] Explanatory diagram of obstacle discrimination processing, surrounding situation verification processing, and yet another example of reverse playback reverse support control (when the following vehicle disappears on the way) according to known technology (when there is no object type discrimination). [Figure 8] Explanatory diagram of obstacle discrimination processing, surrounding situation verification processing, and yet another example of reverse playback reverse support control (when the following vehicle disappears on the way) according to the present embodiment (when there is object type discrimination). [Figure 9] Explanatory diagram of obstacle discrimination processing, surrounding situation verification processing, and yet another example of reverse playback reverse support control (when the following vehicle exists) according to known technology (when there is no object type discrimination). [Figure 10] Explanatory diagram of obstacle discrimination processing, surrounding situation verification processing, and yet another example of reverse playback reverse support control (when the following vehicle exists) according to the present embodiment (when there is object type discrimination). [Figure 11] Flowchart of the following vehicle detection unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 12] Flowchart of the passing space determination unit according to the first embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 13] System configuration diagram of the driving support device according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14A] Overhead view showing an example of the sensor attachment configuration and the sensor detection range according to the second embodiment of the present invention (example where the front camera is at the front center and the rear sensors for the rear side direction are attached to the left and right of the rear). [Figure 14B]An overhead view showing another example of the sensor mounting configuration and sensor detection range according to the second embodiment of the present invention (an example in which the front camera is mounted in the front center and the rear side sensors are mounted on the left and right side mirrors). [Figure 14C] An overhead view showing another example of the sensor mounting configuration and sensor detection range according to the first embodiment of the present invention (an example in which the front camera is mounted in the front center and the rear sensor is mounted on the rear bumper of the vehicle). [Figure 14D] An overhead view showing another example of the sensor mounting configuration and sensor detection range according to the first embodiment of the present invention (an example in which the front camera is mounted in the front center and the rear sensor is mounted at the rear of the vehicle). [Figure 15] A flowchart of the obstacle detection unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 16] An example of obstacle detection processing by the obstacle detection unit according to the second embodiment of the present invention is shown, where (a) is an example scene, (b) is the detection status of sensors 23 and 14 at the left position (time t-Δt) in Figure 16(a), (c) is the forward sensor obstacle map created at the left position (time t-Δt) in Figure 16(a), (d) is the rear sensor obstacle map created at the left position (time t-Δt) in Figure 16(a), (e) is the detection status of sensors 23 and 14 at the right position (time t) in Figure 16(a), (f) is the forward sensor obstacle map created at the right position (time t) in Figure 16(a), (g) is the rear sensor obstacle map created at the right position (time t) in Figure 16(a), (h) is the created type map (superimposition of Figure 16(f) and Figure 16(g)), and (i) is an explanatory diagram showing the created type map (object type assignment). [Figure 17] An explanatory diagram of an example of obstacle detection processing, surrounding situation matching processing, and reverse playback assistance control according to this embodiment (when a pedestrian is present on the left side of the vehicle, a parallel-parked vehicle is present on the right side of the vehicle, and the pedestrian disappears midway). [Figure 18] This diagram illustrates another example of the obstacle detection processing, surrounding situation matching processing, and reverse playback assistance control according to this embodiment (a pedestrian is present on the left side of the vehicle, there are parallel-parked vehicles on the right side of the vehicle, and the pedestrian and the parallel-parked vehicle (1 vehicle) disappear midway, creating a passing space between the parallel-parked vehicles). [Figure 19] A system configuration diagram of a driver assistance device according to the third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 20] This diagram illustrates the effects of the reverse assist control in this embodiment. [Figure 21] A flowchart of a rerouting and driving support control unit according to a third embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 22] A system configuration diagram of a driver assistance device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 23] A diagram illustrating the communication connection between one vehicle and other vehicles. [Figure 24] A flowchart of the following vehicle tracking control unit according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 25] An explanatory diagram of an example of an object type discrimination means for a driver assistance device according to the present invention. [Figure 26] An explanatory diagram of another example of the object type discrimination means for the driving assistance device according to the present invention. [Figure 27] An explanatory diagram illustrating examples of application scenarios and operation examples of the driver assistance device according to the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, parts having the same function will be denoted by the same reference numerals, and repeated descriptions of such parts may be omitted.

[0016] [First Embodiment] First, a first embodiment of the driving assistance device of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 12.

[0017] (System configuration of driver assistance devices) Figure 1 is a system configuration diagram of a driver assistance device 100 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The driver assistance device 100 is mounted on a vehicle (own vehicle) 10 and is a device that assists the driver's driving operations by electronically controlling each functional part of the vehicle 10. The driver assistance device 100 of this embodiment is a device that assists (reverse assistance control) the vehicle 10 in reverse driving (i.e., driving operations when the vehicle 10 is reversing) based on information stored when the vehicle 10 is moving forward, for example when passing another vehicle on a narrow road.

[0018] The driver assistance device 100 is a computer that controls the vehicle 10 and functions as a driver operation acquisition unit 101, a vehicle behavior acquisition unit 102, a front sensor information acquisition unit 103, a rear sensor information acquisition unit 104, an obstacle discrimination unit 105, a storage unit 106, a surrounding situation matching unit 110, a reverse playback reverse support control unit 111, a following vehicle detection unit 112, a following vehicle tracking control unit 113, a passing space determination unit 114, and a rear side movement support control unit 115 by executing a program stored in a storage medium.

[0019] (Operation acquisition unit 101) The driving operation acquisition unit 101 acquires driving operations (information) of the vehicle 10 driver from various sensors mounted on the vehicle 10. The driving operation acquisition unit 101 acquires information about the driver's driving operations (information) related to the acceleration, deceleration, steering, and shift position of the vehicle 10, such as accelerator operation, brake operation, steering operation (steering angle), and shift lever operation.

[0020] (Vehicle behavior acquisition unit 102) The vehicle behavior acquisition unit 102 acquires the behavior (information) of the vehicle 10 from various sensors mounted on the vehicle 10. For example, the vehicle behavior acquisition unit 102 acquires behavior (information) such as the wheel speed (vehicle speed), acceleration, and lateral velocity (yaw angle) of the vehicle 10.

[0021] (Forward sensor information acquisition unit 103) The driver assistance device 100 is connected to the forward sensor 13 (Figures 2A-D) mounted on the vehicle 10. The forward sensor 13 functions as a forward observation unit that observes the surrounding conditions in front of the vehicle (own vehicle) 10. The forward sensor 13 can use, for example, a camera that measures the distance to surrounding objects using images, a radar that measures the distance to surrounding objects using millimeter waves or laser light, or a sonar that measures the distance to surrounding objects using ultrasound. The forward sensor 13 outputs point cloud data representing the coordinates of the boundary portions of surrounding objects to the driver assistance device 100.

[0022] The forward sensor information acquisition unit 103 acquires observation information from the forward sensor 13 (sensor information having point cloud data of surrounding objects (obstacles) detected in front of the vehicle 10).

[0023] (Rear sensor information acquisition unit 104) The driver assistance device 100 is connected to a rear sensor 14 (Figures 2A-D) mounted on the vehicle 10. The rear sensor 14 functions as a rear observation unit that observes the surrounding conditions behind the vehicle (own vehicle) 10. The rear sensor 14 can use, for example, a camera that measures the distance to surrounding objects using images, a radar that measures the distance to surrounding objects using millimeter waves or laser light, or a sonar that measures the distance to surrounding objects using ultrasound. The rear sensor 14 outputs point cloud data representing the coordinates of the boundary portions of surrounding objects to the driver assistance device 100.

[0024] The rear sensor information acquisition unit 104 acquires observation information from the rear sensor 14 regarding the area behind the vehicle 10 (sensor information having point cloud data of detected surrounding objects (obstacles) behind the vehicle 10).

[0025] (Configuration of sensors 13 and 14) Figures 2A, B, C, and D show examples of the mounting of sensors 13 and 14 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As described above, in this embodiment, the front sensor 13 and the rear sensor 14 are mounted on the vehicle 10 to observe different directions in the surrounding environment of the vehicle 10. Furthermore, the front sensor 13 and the rear sensor 14 are configured using sensors with the same characteristics, such as cameras, radar, and sonar.

[0026] As an example, as shown in Figure 2A, the front sensor 13 and rear sensor 14 (e.g., radar) are mounted on the four corners of the vehicle 10, on the front, rear, left, and right sides. That is, the (pair) front sensors 13, 13 are mounted on the front left and right sides of the vehicle 10, facing the front sides of the vehicle 10 (front left side, front right side), and the (pair) rear sensors 14, 14 are mounted on the rear left and right sides of the vehicle 10, facing the rear sides of the vehicle 10 (rear left side, rear right side). Also, as shown in Figure 2B, the front sensor 13 and rear sensor 14 (e.g., cameras) are mounted on the left and right side mirrors of the vehicle 10. That is, the (pair) front sensors 13, 13 are mounted on the left and right side mirrors of the vehicle 10, facing the front sides of the vehicle 10 (front left side, front right side), and the (pair) rear sensors 14, 14 are mounted on the left and right side mirrors of the vehicle 10, facing the rear sides of the vehicle 10 (rear left side, rear right side). Furthermore, as shown in Figure 2C, the front sensors 13 and rear sensors 14 (e.g., sonar) are mounted on the front and rear bumpers of the vehicle 10. That is, multiple front sensors 13 are mounted on the front bumper of the vehicle 10 so that they collectively face forward, and multiple rear sensors 14 are mounted on the rear bumper of the vehicle 10 so that they collectively face backward. Also, as shown in Figure 2D, the front sensors 13 and rear sensors 14 (e.g., wide-angle cameras) are mounted in the center of the front and rear of the vehicle 10. That is, the front sensors 13 are mounted in the center of the front of the vehicle 10 so that they face forward, and the rear sensors 14 are mounted in the center of the rear of the vehicle 10 so that they face backward. Note that the number and arrangement of the front sensors 13 and rear sensors 14 are not limited to the examples in Figures 2A to D.

[0027] (Obstacle detection unit 105) The obstacle detection unit 105 uses (integrates) sensor information acquired from the front sensor information acquisition unit 103 and the rear sensor information acquisition unit 104 to determine the type of obstacles around the vehicle 10 (front and rear). The obstacle detection unit 105 distinguishes at least between stationary objects and other objects (moving objects, etc.) as object types.

[0028] Figure 3 shows a flowchart of the obstacle detection unit 105 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart shown in Figure 3 is repeated at a predetermined processing cycle (periodically). Figure 4 shows an example of obstacle detection processing by the obstacle detection unit 105 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0029] Figure 4(a) shows a scene where vehicle 10 is traveling from left to right on a narrow road. Figure 4(b) shows the detection status of sensors 13 and 14 at the left position (time t-Δt) of Figure 4(a), and Figures 4(c) and 4(d) show the forward sensor obstacle map and rear sensor obstacle map created at the left position (time t-Δt) of Figure 4(a). Figure 4(e) shows the detection status of sensors 13 and 14 at the right position (time t) of Figure 4(a), and Figures 4(f) and 4(g) show the forward sensor obstacle map and rear sensor obstacle map created at the right position (time t) of Figure 4(a). Figure 4(h) shows a classification map created by comparing (superimposing) the forward sensor obstacle map of Figure 4(f) and the rear sensor obstacle map of Figure 4(g). In the classification map of Figure 4(h), point clouds (black dots) detected by both sensors 13 and 14 at the same position are classified as stationary objects.

[0030] The obstacle detection unit 105 creates (updates) a front sensor obstacle map and a rear sensor obstacle map by placing the sensor information (point cloud information detecting obstacles in front of and behind the vehicle 10) acquired from the front sensor information acquisition unit 103 and the rear sensor information acquisition unit 104 onto maps pre-stored in memory (Figure 4(b), (c), (d)).

[0031] As shown in Figure 3, in S301, the obstacle detection unit 105 acquires the previous forward sensor obstacle map and rear sensor obstacle map stored in memory as described above (time t-Δt, Δt: processing cycle) (Figures 4(c), (d)).

[0032] In S302, vehicle behavior information is acquired from the vehicle behavior acquisition unit 102.

[0033] In S303, the vehicle's position within the forward sensor obstacle map and rear sensor obstacle map is updated using the forward sensor obstacle map and rear sensor obstacle map acquired in S301, and the vehicle behavior information acquired in S302 (Figure 4(f), (g)).

[0034] In S304, the obstacle point cloud Pf[p] of the forward sensor 13, which is the sensor information (point cloud information indicating that an obstacle in front of the vehicle 10 has been detected) acquired from the forward sensor information acquisition unit 103 (at the current time (time t)), is superimposed on the forward sensor obstacle map (at the previous time (time t-Δt)) acquired in S301 (Figure 4(f)).

[0035] In S305, the obstacle point cloud Pr[q] of the rear sensor 14, which is the sensor information (point cloud information detecting an obstacle behind the vehicle 10) acquired from the rear sensor information acquisition unit 104 (at the current time (time t)), is superimposed on the rear sensor obstacle map (at the previous time (time t-Δt)) acquired in S301 (Figure 4(g)).

[0036] In S306, the common region (point cloud) between the forward sensor obstacle map (at the current time t) created in S304 and the rear sensor obstacle map (at the current time t) created in S305 is found, and this common region (point cloud) is extracted as a stationary object (Figure 4(h)).

[0037] In other words, the obstacle detection unit 105 identifies the same obstacle (point cloud) detected by both the front sensor 13 (front sensor obstacle map) and the rear sensor 14 (rear sensor obstacle map) as a stationary object.

[0038] As a result, the obstacle detection unit 105 distinguishes between at least stationary objects and other objects (such as moving objects) among the obstacles around the vehicle 10.

[0039] (Storage unit 106) The memory unit 106 stores the obstacle (information) obtained from the obstacle discrimination unit 105 (including the object type (information) of the obstacle determined by the obstacle discrimination unit 105) and the driving operation (information) obtained from the driving operation acquisition unit 101 in the memory 107 as obstacle (information) 108 and driving operation (information) 109. The memory unit 106 stores at least stationary obstacles among those determined by the obstacle discrimination unit 105 in the memory 107 as obstacle (information) 108.

[0040] (Surrounding conditions verification unit 110) The surrounding conditions matching unit 110 is activated when the vehicle 10 reverses along the path it has traveled forward. More specifically, it is activated when the driver of the moving vehicle 10 requests the implementation of reverse assist control. The driver's request for reverse assist control can be recognized, for example, through operation of a switch input or touch panel input provided on the vehicle 10, voice recognition, or switching the shift lever to reverse.

[0041] The surrounding situation matching unit 110 compares the sensor information acquired from the rear sensor information acquisition unit 104 (in other words, information about obstacles behind the vehicle obtained from the rear sensor 14) with stationary obstacles (information) 108 stored in the memory 107 by the storage unit 106.

[0042] The surrounding situation matching unit 110 determines that an object is not present among the stationary obstacles (information) 108 stored in the memory 107 by the storage unit 106, but is present in the current sensor information obtained from the rear sensor information acquisition unit 104 (in other words, the current obstacle information behind the vehicle obtained from the rear sensor 14) and is therefore a moving object.

[0043] Furthermore, the surrounding situation matching unit 110 determines that any stationary obstacle (information) 108 stored in memory 107 by the storage unit 106, but not present in the current sensor information obtained from the rear sensor information acquisition unit 104 (in other words, the current obstacle information behind the vehicle obtained from the rear sensor 14), is likely to be an object that indicates a malfunction of sensors 13 and 14.

[0044] (Reverse playback reversal support control unit 111) The reverse playback reverse support control unit 111 is activated when the vehicle 10 reverses along the path it has traveled forward. The reverse playback reverse support control unit 111 acquires the driving operations (information) 109 stored in the memory 107 by the storage unit 106 when the vehicle 10 is moving forward, and assists reverse driving (performs reverse support) by playing it back in reverse. In other words, the reverse playback reverse support control unit 111 assists reverse driving by controlling the steering system, drive system, brake system, transmission, etc., so that the driving operations (information) 109 stored in the memory 107 by the storage unit 106 when the vehicle 10 is moving forward is played back in reverse.

[0045] At this time, the reverse playback reversal support control unit 111 decides whether or not to perform reverse playback reversal support according to the results of the comparison obtained by the surrounding conditions comparison unit 110.

[0046] The reverse playback reversal support control unit 111 does not perform reverse playback reversal support if a moving object is present during the verification by the surrounding situation verification unit 110.

[0047] Furthermore, the reverse playback reverse support control unit 111 will not perform reverse playback reverse support if, during the verification of the surrounding conditions by the surrounding conditions verification unit 110, an object that is highly likely to cause a malfunction of sensors 13 and 14 is included, and will alert the driver. The driver's alert can be provided, for example, through a display device such as a display, meter panel, or warning light installed in the driver's seat, or through an alert device such as a speaker or buzzer.

[0048] In cases other than those described above, the reverse playback reverse support control unit 111 assists with reverse driving by reverse playback of the driving operations (information) 109 stored in the memory 107 by the storage unit 106 when the vehicle 10 is moving forward.

[0049] Figure 5A shows an example of processing using a known technique (when there is no object type discrimination) (when moving objects such as pedestrians are moving), and Figure 5B shows another example of processing using a known technique (when there is no object type discrimination) (when no objects such as utility poles are detected). Both Figures 5A and 5B show similar states (obstacles not currently detected by the rear sensor 14 (moving objects such as pedestrians in Figure 5A, undetected objects in Figure 5B) exist on the stored type map), and it is impossible to distinguish whether the map is incorrect (it happened to store moving objects) or whether the current rear sensor 14 is incorrect (undetected).

[0050] Figure 6A shows an example of processing according to this embodiment (when object type discrimination is performed) (when moving objects such as pedestrians are moving), and Figure 6B shows another example of processing according to this embodiment (when object type discrimination is performed) (when objects such as utility poles are not detected). Since moving objects are not registered in the type map (Figure 6A), and if there is an obstacle on the stored map that has not been observed by the current rear sensor 14, it can be determined that the rear sensor 14 has not detected anything (Figure 6B), so it is possible to distinguish whether the map is wrong (it happened to store a moving object) or whether the current rear sensor 14 is wrong (it did not detect anything).

[0051] Therefore, based on that judgment result, the reverse playback reverse support control unit 111 can properly perform reverse support control (reverse operation based on memory).

[0052] Figure 7 shows another example of processing using the publicly known technology (when there is no object type discrimination) (when the following vehicle disappears along the way), and Figure 8 shows yet another example of processing using this embodiment (when there is object type discrimination) (when the following vehicle disappears along the way).

[0053] If the following vehicle 11 disappears along the way, in known technology, the position of the following vehicle is recorded sequentially, which becomes noise, causing a failure in matching and preventing the reverse assist control from being performed, resulting in manual operation by the driver (Figure 7). In this embodiment, since the information can be stored excluding the information of the following vehicle, matching becomes possible, and reverse assist control can be performed by reverse playback (Figure 8).

[0054] Figure 9 shows another example of processing using the publicly known technology (when there is no object type discrimination) (when there is a following vehicle), and Figure 10 shows yet another example of processing using this embodiment (when there is object type discrimination) (when there is a following vehicle).

[0055] In the case of a following vehicle 11, in known technology, the position of the following vehicle is recorded sequentially, which is noise and may lead to matching at an incorrect position (Figure 9). In this embodiment, information about the following vehicle is excluded from the storage, making matching possible, and as a result of the matching, the following vehicle can be accurately extracted (Figure 10).

[0056] (Following vehicle detection unit 112) The following vehicle detection unit 112 determines (detects) the presence of a following vehicle based on the information from the surrounding situation matching unit 110.

[0057] Figure 11 shows a flowchart of the following vehicle detection unit 112 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The flow shown in Figure 11 is repeated at a predetermined processing cycle (periodically).

[0058] As shown in Figure 11, in S1101, the following vehicle detection unit 112 obtains the matching result from the surrounding conditions matching unit 110.

[0059] In S1102, the difference in the matching is extracted from the matching results obtained in S1101. Specifically, the point cloud (obstacles) that exist only in the current sensor information obtained from the rear sensor information acquisition unit 104 is extracted (see also the matching results in Figure 10).

[0060] In S1103, the point cloud (obstacles) extracted in S1102 are grouped by their proximity. For example, point clouds that are closer than a predetermined positional criterion can be grouped by considering them to be the same object.

[0061] In S1104, the system checks whether there is a group of a certain width (1.5m) or more behind the vehicle, based on the group created in S1103. If a group exists, the system proceeds to S1105; otherwise, S1105 is skipped and the process ends.

[0062] S1105 determines that there is a vehicle following behind the current vehicle.

[0063] In other words, the following vehicle detection unit 112, in matching the surrounding situation matching unit 110, determines that an object that is not present among the stationary obstacles (information) 108 stored in the memory 107 by the storage unit 106, but is present in the current sensor information obtained from the rear sensor information acquisition unit 104 (in other words, the current obstacle information behind the vehicle obtained from the rear sensor 14), and that is an object with a predetermined width (width 1.5m) or more behind the vehicle, is a following vehicle.

[0064] (Following vehicle tracking control unit 113) The following vehicle tracking control unit 113 performs following vehicle tracking control by controlling the steering system, drive system, braking system, transmission system, etc., when a following vehicle is detected behind the vehicle by the following vehicle detection unit 112. Following vehicle tracking control can be performed using known tracking control methods, such as those used in adaptive cruise control systems that follow a preceding vehicle.

[0065] In other words, in the verification by the surrounding situation verification unit 110, if there is an object that does not exist among the stationary obstacles (information) 108 stored in the memory 107 by the storage unit 106, but does exist in the current sensor information obtained from the rear sensor information acquisition unit 104 (in other words, the current obstacle information behind the vehicle obtained from the rear sensor 14), the surrounding situation verification unit 110 determines that the object is a moving object, and the reverse playback reverse support control unit 111 stops the reverse playback reverse support based on the determination of the surrounding situation verification unit 110. Furthermore, the following vehicle detection unit 112 determines from the object whether there is a following vehicle behind the vehicle, and if it determines that there is a following vehicle behind the vehicle, the following vehicle following control unit 113 performs following vehicle following control based on the determination of the following vehicle detection unit 112.

[0066] (Passing Space Determination Unit 114) The passing space determination unit 114 detects (determines) a passing space to the rear and side of the vehicle 10 in which the vehicle 10 can pass, based on the results of the surrounding situation matching unit 110.

[0067] Figure 12 shows a flowchart of the passing space determination unit 114 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The flow shown in Figure 12 is repeated (periodically) at a predetermined processing cycle.

[0068] As shown in Figure 12, in S1201, the passing space determination unit 114 obtains the matching result from the surrounding situation matching unit 110.

[0069] In S1202, the difference in the comparison is extracted from the comparison result obtained in S1201. Specifically, the point cloud (obstacles) that exist only in the stored information (i.e., stationary objects of the obstacle (information) 108) stored in memory 107 by the storage unit 106 is extracted. Stored information outside the detection range of the current sensor used for comparison is excluded.

[0070] In S1203, the point cloud (obstacles) extracted in S1202 are grouped by their proximity. For example, point clouds that are closer than a predetermined positional criterion can be grouped by considering them to be the same object.

[0071] In S1204, the system checks whether there are any groups behind the vehicle that extend to a predetermined depth (4m) or more, based on the groups created in S1203. If there are groups, the system proceeds to S1205; otherwise, S1205 is skipped and the process ends.

[0072] In S1205, it is determined that there is space for passing behind the vehicle.

[0073] In other words, the passing space determination unit 114, in the verification by the surrounding situation verification unit 110, determines that a space where there are objects that exist among the stationary obstacles (information) 108 stored in the memory 107 by the storage unit 106, and which are not present in the current sensor information obtained from the rear sensor information acquisition unit 104 (in other words, the current obstacle information behind the vehicle obtained from the rear sensor 14), and where there are objects with a predetermined depth (depth of 4m) or more behind the vehicle, is a passing space.

[0074] (Rear lateral movement support control unit 115) The rear-side movement support control unit 115 performs rear-side movement support control by controlling the steering system, drive system, braking system, transmission system, etc., to move into the passing space to the rear-side of the vehicle and assist in passing when the passing space determination unit 114 detects (determines) a passing space to the rear-side of the vehicle. This rear-side movement support control can be implemented using a known path generation and movement support control method, for example, one installed in a system that automatically performs parallel parking.

[0075] In other words, during the verification by the surrounding situation verification unit 110, if there is an object present in the stationary obstacle (information) 108 stored in the memory 107 by the storage unit 106 that is not present in the current sensor information obtained from the rear sensor information acquisition unit 104 (in other words, the current obstacle information behind the vehicle obtained from the rear sensor 14), the surrounding situation verification unit 110 determines that there is a high possibility of a malfunction in sensors 13 and 14, and the reverse playback reverse support control unit 111 stops the reverse playback reverse support based on the determination of the surrounding situation verification unit 110. In addition, the passing space determination unit 114 determines whether there is a passing space to the rear and side of the vehicle from the object in question, and if it determines that there is a passing space behind the vehicle, the rear side movement support control unit 115 performs rear side movement support control based on the determination of the passing space determination unit 114.

[0076] (Effects and Benefits) According to this embodiment, since moving objects such as parked vehicles and pedestrians are distinguished and stored, it is possible to recognize that moving objects such as parked vehicles and pedestrians that were present when moving forward have moved and are lost when reversing. Similarly, if an area stored as a stationary obstacle (a stationary object) cannot be detected at present, it is possible to recognize that the object cannot be detected when reversing due to a sensor malfunction or other reason.

[0077] Furthermore, even when moving forward, if there is a vehicle following behind, the system distinguishes and remembers the following vehicle from surrounding obstacles. Therefore, even if the following vehicle disappears midway through the process, the system can still correctly perform the comparison when reversing.

[0078] Therefore, it is possible to provide a safe and convenient driving assistance device 100 in situations where reverse playback cannot be performed, such as when passing other vehicles on a narrow road.

[0079] [Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment of the driving assistance device of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 13 to 18. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in its method of determining the object type. In the first embodiment, the observation information (sensor information consisting of point cloud data) from the front sensor 13 and the rear sensor 14 is integrated to determine and store the object type, but in the second embodiment, the object type is determined and stored from the observation information of a sensor in which the object type can be determined by image.

[0080] (System configuration of driver assistance devices) Figure 13 is a system configuration diagram of the driver assistance device 200 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0081] The driver assistance device 200 is a computer that controls the vehicle 10 and functions as a driver operation acquisition unit 101, a vehicle behavior acquisition unit 102, a front camera recognition information acquisition unit 203, a rear sensor information acquisition unit 104, an obstacle discrimination unit 205, a storage unit 106, a surrounding situation matching unit 110, a reverse playback reverse support control unit 111, a following vehicle detection unit 112, a following vehicle tracking control unit 113, a passing space determination unit 114, and a rear side movement support control unit 115 by executing a program stored in a storage medium.

[0082] In other words, the driving support device 200 of the second embodiment includes a forward camera recognition information acquisition unit 203 and an obstacle discrimination unit 205, in place of the forward sensor information acquisition unit 103 and obstacle discrimination unit 105 of the driving support device 100 of the first embodiment.

[0083] (Front camera recognition information acquisition unit 203) The driver assistance device 200 is connected to a front camera 23 (Figures 14A-D) mounted on the vehicle 10. The front camera 23 functions as a forward observation unit that observes the surrounding conditions in front of the vehicle (own vehicle) 10. The front camera 23 is composed of sensors capable of identifying the type of object from the image. The front camera 23 outputs image data to the driver assistance device 100 that includes information on the identification (recognition) of the type of surrounding objects (obstacles) shown in the image.

[0084] Object types that can be identified by the front camera 23 include pedestrians, bicycles, motorcycles, vehicles (including parked vehicles), movable objects that may move, such as fences, signs, poles, and pylons installed for construction purposes, and stationary objects such as signs, guardrails, walls, fences, signs, poles, pylons, curbs, and bollards.

[0085] The forward camera recognition information acquisition unit 203 acquires observation information from the forward camera 23 (sensor information having image data of obstacles detected in front of the vehicle 10).

[0086] (Configuration of sensors 23 and 14) Figures 14A, B, C, and D show examples of the mounting of sensors 23 and 14 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As described above, in this embodiment, the front camera 23 and the rear sensor 14 are mounted on the vehicle 10 to observe different directions in the surrounding environment of the vehicle 10. Furthermore, the front camera 23 and the rear sensor 14 are configured using sensors with different characteristics.

[0087] As an example, as shown in Figures 14A to D, the front camera 23 is mounted in the center of the front of the vehicle 10 (for example, in the center of the inside of the windshield inside the passenger compartment) so as to face forward. The mounting configuration of the rear sensor 14 (Figures 14A to D) is basically the same as in the first embodiment. Note that the number and arrangement of the front camera 23 and rear sensor 14 are not limited to the examples in Figures 14A to D.

[0088] (Obstacle detection unit 205) The obstacle detection unit 205 uses sensor information acquired from the front camera recognition information acquisition unit 203 and the rear sensor information acquisition unit 104 to determine the type of obstacles around the vehicle 10 (front and rear). The obstacle detection unit 205 distinguishes between at least stationary objects and other objects (moving objects, etc.) as object types.

[0089] In this embodiment, the obstacle discrimination unit 205 determines at least stationary objects from the sensor information acquired from the rear sensor information acquisition unit 104 (in other words, the detection results of the rear sensor 14) based on the object type information of the sensor information acquired from the front camera recognition information acquisition unit 203 (object type information determined by the front camera 23).

[0090] Figure 15 shows a flowchart of the obstacle detection unit 205 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The flowchart shown in Figure 15 is repeated at a predetermined processing cycle (periodically). Figure 16 shows an example of obstacle detection processing by the obstacle detection unit 205 according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0091] Figure 16(a) shows a scene where vehicle 10 is traveling from left to right on a narrow road, with a pedestrian on the left side of vehicle 10 and multiple vehicles parked in a row on the right side of vehicle 10. Figure 16(b) shows the detection status of sensors 23 and 14 at the left position (time t-Δt) in Figure 16(a), and Figures 16(c) and 16(d) show the forward sensor obstacle map and rear sensor obstacle map created at the left position (time t-Δt) in Figure 16(a). Figure 16(e) shows the detection status of sensors 23 and 14 at the right position (time t) in Figure 16(a), and Figures 16(f) and 16(g) show the forward sensor obstacle map and rear sensor obstacle map created at the right position (time t) in Figure 16(a). Figures 16(h) and 16(i) show classification maps created by comparing (superimposing) the forward sensor obstacle map in Figure 16(f) and the rear sensor obstacle map in Figure 16(g). In the classification map in Figure 16(i), hatched points represent point clouds identified as potentially moving objects, and black dots represent point clouds identified as stationary objects.

[0092] The obstacle detection unit 205 creates (updates) a front sensor obstacle map and a rear sensor obstacle map by placing the sensor information (image information and point cloud information detecting obstacles in front of and behind the vehicle 10) acquired from the front camera recognition information acquisition unit 203 and the rear sensor information acquisition unit 104 onto maps pre-stored in memory (Figure 16(b), (c), (d)).

[0093] As shown in Figure 15, in S1501, the obstacle detection unit 205 acquires the previous forward sensor obstacle map and rear sensor obstacle map stored in memory as described above (time t-Δt, Δt: processing cycle) (Figures 16(c), (d)).

[0094] In S1502, vehicle behavior information is acquired from the vehicle behavior acquisition unit 102.

[0095] In S1503, the vehicle's position within the forward sensor obstacle map and rear sensor obstacle map is updated using the forward sensor obstacle map and rear sensor obstacle map acquired in S1501, and the vehicle behavior information acquired in S1502 (Figure 16(f), (g)).

[0096] In S1504, the sensor information (object type information around the object recognition position Pf[p] of the front camera 23) acquired from the front camera recognition information acquisition unit 203 (this time (time t)) is registered in the front sensor obstacle map (previous time (time t-Δt)) acquired in S1501 (Figure 16(f)). In other words, the object type information is registered in the front sensor obstacle map (previous time (time t-Δt)) acquired in S1501 at a position corresponding to the area around the object recognition position Pf[p] of the front camera 23.

[0097] In S1505, the obstacle point cloud Pr[q] of the rear sensor 14, which is the sensor information (point cloud information detecting an obstacle behind the vehicle 10) acquired from the rear sensor information acquisition unit 104 (at the current time (time t)), is superimposed on the rear sensor obstacle map (at the previous time (time t-Δt)) acquired in S1501 (Figure 16(g)).

[0098] In S1506, the forward sensor obstacle map created in S1504 (for the current time (time t)) and the rear sensor obstacle map created in S1505 (for the current time (time t)) are overlaid (Figure 16(h)), and attributes of stationary and moving objects are assigned (Figure 16(i)).

[0099] In other words, the obstacle discrimination unit 205 identifies at least stationary objects from the detection results (point cloud) of the rear sensor 14 based on the object type information determined by the front camera 23.

[0100] As a result, the obstacle detection unit 205 distinguishes between at least stationary objects and other objects (such as moving objects) among the obstacles around the vehicle 10.

[0101] Figure 17 shows an example of processing according to this embodiment, where a pedestrian is present on the left side of the vehicle, a parallel-parked vehicle is present on the right side of the vehicle, and the pedestrian disappears midway (during reverse assist control).

[0102] Pedestrians who disappear midway through the process are registered in the type map with the attribute of a moving object, making it possible to determine that they may move during reverse support control.

[0103] Therefore, based on that judgment result, the reverse playback reverse support control unit 111 can properly perform reverse support control (reverse operation based on memory).

[0104] Figure 18 shows another example of the processing according to this embodiment, where a pedestrian is present on the left side of the vehicle, a parallel-parked vehicle is present on the right side of the vehicle, and the pedestrian and the parallel-parked vehicle (1 vehicle) disappear midway (during reverse assist control), creating a passing space between the parallel-parked vehicles.

[0105] Pedestrians and parallel-parked vehicles that disappear along the way are registered with the attribute of moving object in the type map, so it can be determined that they may move during reverse assist control.

[0106] Therefore, based on the judgment result, the reverse support control of the reverse playback reverse support control unit 111 or the movement support control of the rear side movement support control unit 115 can be appropriately implemented.

[0107] In the examples shown in Figures 16 to 18, the obstacle detection unit 205 identifies (detects) pedestrians and parked vehicles to the left and right of the vehicle 10 and stores them in the memory 107. However, it is also possible to perform similar control (reverse support control by the reverse playback reverse support control unit 111, or movement support control by the rear-side movement support control unit 115) by identifying (detecting) the construction area or construction site from construction fences, signs, poles, pylons, etc., around the vehicle 10 and storing it in the memory 107.

[0108] (Effects and Benefits) According to this embodiment, in addition to the same effects as the first embodiment, by discriminating the type of object using images, an object that may move can be identified as a moving object even when it is stationary, improving the accuracy of detection (recognition) of surrounding objects, and thus enabling correct comparison when reversing.

[0109] Therefore, it is possible to provide a safe and convenient driving assistance device 200 in situations where reverse playback cannot be performed, such as when passing other vehicles on a narrow road.

[0110] [Third Embodiment] Next, a third embodiment of the driver assistance device of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 19 to 21. The third embodiment differs from the first and second embodiments in its reverse assist control method. In the third embodiment, if simple reverse playback may cause discomfort to the driver, the path is recalculated (regenerated) to achieve a more natural driving experience with less discomfort.

[0111] In the following, we will detail an example of applying the reverse assist control of this embodiment to the first embodiment, but it can be similarly applied to the second embodiment.

[0112] (System configuration of driver assistance devices) Figure 19 is a system configuration diagram of the driver assistance device 300 according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0113] The driver assistance device 300 is a computer that controls the vehicle 10 and functions as a driver operation acquisition unit 101, a vehicle behavior acquisition unit 102, a front sensor information acquisition unit 103, a rear sensor information acquisition unit 104, an obstacle discrimination unit 105, a storage unit 306, a surrounding situation matching unit 110, a reverse playback reverse support control unit 311, a following vehicle detection unit 112, a following vehicle tracking control unit 113, a passing space determination unit 114, and a rear side movement support control unit 115 by executing a program stored in a storage medium.

[0114] In other words, the driving support device 300 of the third embodiment includes a storage unit 306 and a reverse playback reverse support control unit 311, instead of the storage unit 106 and the reverse playback reverse support control unit 111 of the driving support device 100 of the first embodiment.

[0115] As shown in Figure 20, if a pedestrian (moving object) is present when the vehicle 10 is moving forward, and the pedestrian (moving object) is absent when the vehicle is reversing, a simple reverse playback would result in the vehicle taking a path that avoids the pedestrian (moving object), which may cause discomfort to the driver of the vehicle 10. The driving support device 300 of this embodiment recalculates (regenerates) the reversing path in such cases to achieve natural reversing with less discomfort.

[0116] (Storage unit 306) When the storage unit 306 stores the driving operations (information) acquired from the driving operation acquisition unit 101, it stores the waypoint of the origin (e.g., the center of the rear axle) of the vehicle (own vehicle) 10 when moving forward as driving operation (information) 309 in the memory 307. It is preferable to store the waypoints at a fixed distance.

[0117] Furthermore, when the storage unit 306 stores the obstacle (information) acquired from the obstacle detection unit 105, it stores not only stationary objects but also moving objects as obstacle (information) 308 in the memory 307. The obstacle detection unit 105 detects moving objects to the left and right of the vehicle, and the storage unit 306 also stores these moving objects to the left and right of the vehicle as obstacle (information) 308 in the memory 307.

[0118] (Reverse playback reversal support control unit 311) The reverse playback reverse support control unit 311 performs feedback control on the reverse playback operation to ensure that the vehicle passes through the waypoints during reverse playback reverse support control. By following the waypoints in reverse order, it achieves reverse driving that follows the same path. The reverse playback reverse support control unit 311 includes a moving object movement determination unit 316 and a re-route generation driving support control unit 317.

[0119] (Moving object movement determination unit 316) The moving object movement determination unit 316 determines that a moving object (among the obstacles) has moved based on the verification results from the surrounding situation verification unit 110. If the moving object movement determination unit 316 cannot determine that a moving object has moved, the reverse playback reverse support control unit 311 assists with reverse driving by normal reverse playback.

[0120] (Rerouting generation driving support control unit 317) The rerouting generation driving support control unit 317 generates a route for the vehicle to reverse and performs driving support control when the moving object movement determination unit 316 determines that a moving object has moved. At this time, the rerouting generation driving support control unit 317 performs driving support control by generating a route for the vehicle to reverse after removing the obstacles (information) 308 that have been determined to have moved from the obstacles (information) 308 stored in the memory 307 by the storage unit 306.

[0121] Figure 21 shows a flowchart of the rerouting generation driving support control unit 317 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. The flow shown in Figure 21 is repeated (periodically) at a predetermined processing cycle.

[0122] As shown in Figure 21, in S2101, the rerouting generation driving support control unit 317 selects the waypoint closest to the vehicle 10.

[0123] In S2102, a predetermined detection area is set based on the waypoint and superimposed on the sensor obstacle map. The detection area is a predetermined area defined relative to the vehicle's origin (for example, a rectangular area defined by the vehicle's length in the longitudinal direction and width in the vehicle's lateral direction).

[0124] In S2103, it is determined whether or not there is a moving object extracted during storage within the determination area. If a moving object exists in the determination area, the process proceeds to S2104; otherwise, the process proceeds to S2105.

[0125] In S2104, the location of a waypoint one step away from the current waypoint is selected, and the process in S2102 and the determination in S2103 are repeated.

[0126] In S2105, if it is determined in S2103 that there is no moving object within the determination area, the obtained waypoint is set as the target waypoint.

[0127] Furthermore, in S2105, if it is determined that there is no moving object within the determination area set based on the waypoint closest to the vehicle 10 initially set in S2101, the waypoint closest to the vehicle 10 is set as the target waypoint.

[0128] S2106 generates a route from the current vehicle position to the target waypoint.

[0129] In S2107, the steering system, drive system, braking system, transmission system, etc., are controlled to perform follow-up control to the path (regenerated path) generated in S2106.

[0130] In S2108, it is determined whether or not the target waypoint has been reached, and the processes in S2106 and S2107 are repeated until the target waypoint is reached.

[0131] Specifically, the rerouting generation driving support control unit 317 first checks for the presence of moving objects in the surrounding area (within the determination area) based on the waypoint closest to the vehicle 10 (S2101, S2102, S2103). If moving objects exist within the determination area, it searches for waypoints in order of proximity to the vehicle 10 (S2104, S2102, S2103), searches for a waypoint where no moving objects exist within the determination area, and sets it as the target position (target waypoint) (S2105). It then generates a route toward the set waypoint and performs driving control (follow control) (S2106, S2107, S2108).

[0132] In other words, the rerouting drive support control unit 317 selects a waypoint from among the waypoints stored when the vehicle is moving forward that is the closest waypoint to the vehicle 10 (shortest distance) and where no obstacles (information) 308 stored in the memory 307 by the storage unit 306 have been determined to have moved are present around the waypoint (within the determination area), and sets this waypoint as the target waypoint. The unit then generates a route from the vehicle 10's position toward the set target waypoint and performs drive support control.

[0133] As a result, the rerouting drive support control unit 317 generates a route for the vehicle to reverse while removing obstacles (information) 308 that have been determined to have moved from the memory 307 stored by the storage unit 306, and then performs drive support control.

[0134] Furthermore, after reaching the target waypoint, the vehicle can be assisted in reverse driving by normal reverse playback (control to follow the memorized path).

[0135] (Effects and Benefits) According to this embodiment, in addition to the same effects as the first and second embodiments, it is possible to achieve a natural driving experience with less discomfort, even when simple reverse playback may cause discomfort to the driver.

[0136] Therefore, in situations where reverse playback cannot be performed, such as when passing other vehicles on a narrow road, a safe and convenient driving assistance device 300 can be provided.

[0137] [Fourth Embodiment] Next, a fourth embodiment of the driver assistance device of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 22 to 24. The fourth embodiment differs from the first, second, and third embodiments in its method of controlling the following vehicle. In the first, second, and third embodiments, the following vehicle control is performed based on observation information from the rear sensor 14, but in the fourth embodiment, the following vehicle control is performed based on information transmitted and received through inter-vehicle communication after confirming communication with other vehicles.

[0138] In the following section, we will detail an example of applying the following vehicle tracking control of this embodiment to the first embodiment, but it can be similarly applied to the second and third embodiments as well.

[0139] (System configuration of driver assistance devices) Figure 22 is a system configuration diagram of the driver assistance device 400 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention.

[0140] The driver assistance device 400 is a computer that controls the vehicle 10 and functions as a driver operation acquisition unit 101, a vehicle behavior acquisition unit 102, a front sensor information acquisition unit 103, a rear sensor information acquisition unit 104, an obstacle discrimination unit 105, a storage unit 106, a surrounding situation matching unit 110, a reverse playback reverse support control unit 111, a following vehicle detection unit 412, a following vehicle following control unit 413, a vehicle communication confirmation unit 418, a following vehicle information receiving unit 419, a passing space determination unit 114, and a rear side movement support control unit 115 by executing a program stored in a storage medium.

[0141] In other words, the driver assistance device 400 of the fourth embodiment includes a following vehicle detection unit 412 and a following vehicle following control unit 413 in place of the following vehicle detection unit 112 and following vehicle following control unit 113 of the driver assistance device 100 of the first embodiment, and further includes another vehicle communication confirmation unit 418 and a following vehicle information receiving unit 419.

[0142] (Following vehicle detection unit 412) As described in the first embodiment, the following vehicle detection unit 412 determines (detects) the presence of a following vehicle from the information of the surrounding situation matching unit 110. The following vehicle detection unit 412 outputs the detection result to the following vehicle tracking control unit 413 and the other vehicle communication confirmation unit 418.

[0143] (Other vehicle communication confirmation unit 418) The other vehicle communication confirmation unit 418 checks whether communication with other vehicles in the vicinity of the vehicle (own vehicle) 10 is possible. If a following vehicle is detected by the following vehicle detection unit 412, the other vehicle communication confirmation unit 418 checks whether communication with the following vehicle detected by the following vehicle detection unit 412 is possible.

[0144] (Following vehicle information receiving unit 419) The following vehicle information receiving unit 419 functions as a following control transmitting and receiving unit that communicates with other vehicles in the vicinity of the vehicle (own vehicle) 10 when communication with other vehicles is possible and transmits and receives information necessary for following control of the other vehicle. The following vehicle information receiving unit 419 communicates with the following vehicle when communication with the following vehicle is possible as determined by the other vehicle communication confirmation unit 418, and transmits and receives information necessary for reversing to follow the following vehicle. The following vehicle information receiving unit 419 receives information such as vehicle speed, acceleration / deceleration, steering (yaw angle), and vehicle parameters from the other vehicle (following vehicle) as information necessary for following control of the other vehicle (following vehicle).

[0145] (Overview of other vehicles' configurations) Figure 23 is a diagram showing the communication connection relationship between the own vehicle and another vehicle. The other vehicle's driver assistance device 500 includes a vehicle behavior acquisition unit 501, a vehicle behavior transmission unit 502, and an other vehicle communication confirmation unit 503 in order to communicate with the own vehicle's driver assistance device 400 and to transmit and receive information.

[0146] (Vehicle behavior acquisition unit 501) The vehicle behavior acquisition unit 501 acquires vehicle behavior (information) from various sensors mounted on the vehicle. For example, the vehicle behavior acquisition unit 501 acquires behavior (information) such as the vehicle's wheel speed (vehicle speed), acceleration / deceleration, steering (yaw angle), and vehicle parameters.

[0147] (Other vehicle communication confirmation unit 503) The other-vehicle communication confirmation unit 503 confirms whether communication is possible with other vehicles (in this case, the own vehicle) in the vicinity of the vehicle (in this case, the other vehicle). The driver assistance device 400 of the own vehicle and the driver assistance device 500 of the other vehicle confirm whether they can communicate with each other through communication between the other-vehicle communication confirmation unit 418 and the other-vehicle communication confirmation unit 503.

[0148] (Vehicle behavior transmission unit 502) The vehicle behavior transmission unit 502 functions as a follow control transmission / reception unit that communicates with other vehicles (in this case, the own vehicle) in the vicinity of the vehicle (in this case, another vehicle) when communication with other vehicles (in this case, the own vehicle) is possible, and transmits and receives information necessary for follow control of the other vehicle. When the other vehicle communication confirmation unit 503 confirms that communication with the preceding vehicle (the own vehicle 10) is possible, the vehicle behavior transmission unit 502 communicates with the preceding vehicle (the own vehicle 10) and transmits and receives information necessary for reverse following the following vehicle (in this case, the other vehicle). As information necessary for reverse following, the vehicle behavior transmission unit 502 transmits the information acquired by the vehicle behavior acquisition unit 501 to the following vehicle information receiving unit 419 of the own vehicle's driver assistance device 400.

[0149] (Following vehicle tracking control unit 413) The following vehicle tracking control unit 413 performs following vehicle tracking control by controlling the steering system, drive system, braking system, transmission system, etc., when a following vehicle is detected behind the vehicle by the following vehicle detection unit 412. When the following vehicle tracking control unit 413 receives information necessary for reversing to follow the following vehicle from the following vehicle information receiving unit 419, it performs reversing to follow the following vehicle based on the received information.

[0150] Figure 24 shows a flowchart of the following vehicle tracking control unit 413 according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. The flow shown in Figure 24 is repeated (periodically) at a predetermined processing cycle.

[0151] As shown in Figure 24, in S2401, the following vehicle tracking control unit 413 determines whether or not a following vehicle has been detected by the following vehicle detection unit 412. If a following vehicle is detected, the system proceeds to S2402.

[0152] In S2402, the following vehicle information receiving unit 419 determines whether or not there is information necessary for reversing to follow the following vehicle (vehicle information of the following vehicle) (whether or not it has been received). If there is vehicle information for the following vehicle, the process proceeds to S2403; if there is no vehicle information for the following vehicle, the process proceeds to S2404.

[0153] In S2403, the following vehicle information receiving unit 419 acquires the information necessary for reversing to follow the following vehicle (vehicle information of the following vehicle), and the process proceeds to S2405.

[0154] In S2404, the system calculates vehicle information (speed, acceleration, lateral speed, etc.) of the following vehicle from the following vehicle detection information of the rear sensor 14 (i.e., sensor information acquired from the rear sensor information acquisition unit 104), and then proceeds to S2405.

[0155] In S2405, the system acquires information on the detection of a following vehicle from the rear sensor 14 (i.e., sensor information acquired from the rear sensor information acquisition unit 104) (such as the front-to-rear distance (relative distance in the front-to-rear direction or the direction of travel), the lateral position (relative position in the lateral direction or the direction perpendicular to the direction of travel)), and then proceeds to S2406.

[0156] In S2406, follow-the-follow control is performed based on the information acquired in S2403 or S2404 and S2405.

[0157] (Effects and Benefits) According to this embodiment, in addition to the same effects as the first, second, and third embodiments, when it is possible to receive information necessary for following a following vehicle in reverse from a following vehicle, it is possible to perform following a following vehicle in reverse based on that received information, thereby enabling more accurate driving control during reversing.

[0158] Therefore, a safe and convenient driving assistance device 400 can be provided in situations where reverse playback cannot be performed, such as when passing other vehicles on a narrow road.

[0159] [summary] As described above, the driving assistance devices 100, 200, 300, and 400 of this embodiment are A driving operation acquisition unit (101) acquires the driving operations of the vehicle's driver, A forward observation information acquisition unit (forward sensor information acquisition unit 103, forward camera recognition information acquisition unit 203) acquires forward observation information (forward sensor information) from a forward observation unit (forward sensor 13, forward camera 23) that observes the surrounding conditions in front of the vehicle, A rear observation information acquisition unit (rear sensor information acquisition unit 104) acquires rear observation information (rear sensor information) from a rear observation unit (rear sensor 14) that observes the surrounding conditions behind the vehicle, An obstacle discrimination unit (105, 205) that, when the vehicle moves forward, uses forward observation information (forward sensor information) from the forward observation unit and rear observation information (rear sensor information) from the rear observation unit to distinguish at least stationary obstacles (around the vehicle) from others, A storage unit (106, 306) stores (in memory (107, 307)) at least stationary obstacles identified by the obstacle identification unit and the driving operations acquired by the driving operation acquisition unit, A surrounding situation matching unit (110) compares obstacles behind the vehicle obtained from the rear observation unit with stationary objects stored (in memory) by the storage unit when the vehicle reverses along the path it has moved forward, The vehicle has a reverse playback reverse support control unit (111, 311) that assists in reverse driving by reversing the driving operations stored in the memory unit (storage) when the vehicle was moving forward, when the vehicle is moving backward along the path it has moved forward. The reverse playback reversal support control unit (111, 311) determines whether or not to perform reverse playback reversal support according to the results of the comparison obtained by the surrounding conditions comparison unit (110).

[0160] In other words, the driver assistance devices 100, 200, 300, and 400 of this embodiment store the driver's driving operations and surrounding obstacle information when the vehicle is moving forward. At this time, the information from the front sensor 13 (or front camera 23) and the rear sensor 14 is integrated to determine and store the type of object (stationary object, moving object). After reversing assistance is started, the surrounding obstacles detected by the rear sensor 14 are compared with the stored surrounding obstacles, and based on the comparison result, a decision is made to implement reversing assistance based on the stored driving operations.

[0161] As an example of an object type discrimination method, the object type is determined by comparing the detection positions of both the front sensor 13 and the rear sensor 14. For example, a wall is detected by both the front sensor 13 and the rear sensor 14 and can be identified as a stationary object. A pedestrian can be identified as a moving object because its detection position differs between the front sensor 13 and the rear sensor 14 when it moves. A following vehicle is not detected by the front sensor 13 and can therefore be identified as a moving object (see the first embodiment, Figure 25, etc.).

[0162] Another example of an object type discrimination method is to determine the object type based on information recognized by the front camera 23 (pedestrians, bicycles, vehicles, etc.). For example, pedestrians, bicycles, vehicles, etc. can be identified as moving objects by the front camera 23 (image) (see the second embodiment, Figure 26, etc.). In this case, even if pedestrians, bicycles, vehicles, etc. are stationary, they can be identified as moving objects.

[0163] According to this embodiment, since moving objects such as parked vehicles and pedestrians are distinguished and stored, it is possible to recognize that moving objects such as parked vehicles and pedestrians that were present when moving forward have moved and are lost when reversing. Similarly, if an area stored as a stationary obstacle (a stationary object) cannot be detected at present, it is possible to recognize that the object cannot be detected when reversing due to a sensor malfunction or other reason.

[0164] Furthermore, even when moving forward, if there is a vehicle following behind, the system distinguishes and remembers the following vehicle from surrounding obstacles. Therefore, even if the following vehicle disappears midway through the process, the system can still correctly perform the comparison when reversing.

[0165] Therefore, it is possible to provide safe and convenient driving assistance devices 100, 200, 300, and 400 in situations where reverse playback cannot be performed, such as when passing other vehicles on narrow roads.

[0166] Figure 27 shows an example of an application scene and operation example of the driver assistance system according to this embodiment.

[0167] With publicly available technology, reverse playback cannot be performed in scenes where pedestrians or cyclists are moving, scenes with following vehicles (even if the following vehicles disappear midway), scenes where parallel-parked vehicles disappear after passing to the side, scenes where construction areas or construction site fences move, or scenes where bicycles or motorcycles parked on the roadside disappear. In addition, in scenes with following bicycles or motorcycles, reverse playback starts at the beginning of reversing.

[0168] In this embodiment, in scenes where pedestrians or bicycles are moving, if the system determines that an object is moving, it continues control; if the system determines that no object is detected, it alerts the driver. In scenes where a following vehicle is present, if the following vehicle has disappeared, it performs reverse playback; if a following vehicle is still present, it performs follow control to the following vehicle. In scenes where parallel parked vehicles have passed to the side and then disappeared, it is possible to control the vehicle to move into an open space (passing space). In scenes where a construction area or construction site fence has moved, it is also possible to control the vehicle to move into an open space (passing space) if one is available. In scenes where bicycles or motorcycles parked on the roadside have disappeared, the system controls the vehicle as if they were not present. In scenes where there are following bicycles or motorcycles, reverse playback stops when reversing begins, and the system alerts the driver or allows manual switching.

[0169] Therefore, according to this embodiment, the number of control patterns applicable to each scene increases compared to known technologies, thus improving the convenience of the driver.

[0170] In the above-described embodiment, an example was given of assisting with reverse driving (by reverse playback, etc.) when the vehicle 10 reverses (drives backward) along the path it has traveled forward. However, the driving mode is not limited to this, and the same can be applied to cases such as assisting with driving when the vehicle 10 changes direction and drives (for example, forward) along the path it has traveled (for example, forward) again, assisting with driving when the vehicle 10 travels (for example, forward) along the same path again (for example, forward), or assisting with driving when the vehicle 10 moves forward along the path it has reversed.

[0171] In other words, the driving support device of this embodiment is A driving operation acquisition unit (101) acquires the driving operations of the vehicle's driver, A first observation information acquisition unit (forward sensor information acquisition unit 103, forward camera recognition information acquisition unit 203) acquires first observation information (sensor information) from a first observation unit (forward sensor 13, forward camera 23) that observes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, A second observation information acquisition unit (rear sensor information acquisition unit 104) acquires second observation information (sensor information) from a second observation unit (rear sensor 14) that observes a different direction from the first observation unit (front sensor 13, front camera 23) in the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, An obstacle discrimination unit (105, 205) that, when the vehicle is in motion, uses the first observation information (sensor information) from the first observation unit and the second observation information (sensor information) from the second observation unit to distinguish between at least stationary obstacles (around the vehicle) and others, A storage unit (106, 306) stores (in memory (107, 307)) at least stationary obstacles identified by the obstacle identification unit and the driving operations acquired by the driving operation acquisition unit, When the vehicle travels the same route again, the surrounding conditions matching unit (110) compares the obstacles obtained from the first observation unit or the second observation unit with the obstacles (stationary objects) stored in the memory unit, The vehicle has a driving support control unit (reverse playback reverse support control unit 111, 311) that assists in driving the vehicle when it travels the same route it has traveled, based on the driving operations stored in the memory unit during the vehicle's previous travel. The aforementioned driving support control unit (reverse playback reverse support control unit 111, 311) can be configured as a device that determines whether or not to implement driving support according to the results of the verification obtained by the surrounding conditions verification unit (110).

[0172] Furthermore, the driving assistance device of the above-described embodiment can be applied to reverse assist systems for automobiles, automatic reverse assist systems for autonomous vehicles, reverse driving assistance systems for forklifts, and the like.

[0173] It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and includes various modifications. For example, the embodiments described above are described in detail to make the present invention easier to understand, and are not necessarily limited to those having all the configurations described. Furthermore, it is possible to replace parts of the configuration of one embodiment with the configuration of another embodiment, and it is also possible to add configurations from other embodiments to the configuration of one embodiment. In addition, it is possible to add, delete, or replace parts of the configuration of each embodiment with other configurations.

[0174] Furthermore, each of the above configurations, functions, processing units, and processing means may be implemented in hardware, either partially or entirely, by designing them as integrated circuits, for example. Alternatively, each of the above configurations and functions may be implemented in software by having the processor interpret and execute programs that implement each function. Information such as programs, tables, and files that implement each function can be stored in memory, a recording device such as a hard disk or SSD (Solid State Drive), or a recording medium such as an IC card, SD card, or DVD.

[0175] 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]

[0176] 10. Vehicle (My own vehicle) 11 Following vehicle 13. Forward Sensor (Forward Observation Unit, First Observation Unit) 14. Rear sensors (rear observation unit, second observation unit) 23. Forward Camera (Forward Observation Unit, First Observation Unit) 100 Driving support device (first embodiment) 101 Operation acquisition unit 102 Vehicle behavior acquisition unit 103 Forward Sensor Information Acquisition Unit (Forward Observation Information Acquisition Unit, First Observation Information Acquisition Unit) 104 Rear sensor information acquisition unit (rear observation information acquisition unit, second observation information acquisition unit) 105 Obstacle detection unit 106 Storage section 107 memory 108 Obstacles 109 Driving Operations 110 Surrounding Conditions Verification Unit 111 Reverse playback reverse support control unit (driving support control unit) 112 Following vehicle detection unit 113 Following Vehicle Control Unit 114 Passing Space Determination Unit 115 Rear lateral movement support control unit 200 Driving support system (second embodiment) 203 Forward Camera Recognition Information Acquisition Unit (Forward Observation Information Acquisition Unit, First Observation Information Acquisition Unit) 205 Obstacle detection unit 300 Driving support system (third embodiment) 306 Storage section 307 memory 308 Obstacles 309 Driving Operation 311 Reverse Reverse Support Control Unit (Driving Support Control Unit) 316 Moving object movement determination unit 317 Rerouting and Driving Support Control Unit 400 Driving support system (4th embodiment) 412 Following vehicle detection unit 413 Following Vehicle Control Unit 418 Other Vehicle Communication Confirmation Unit 419 Following vehicle information receiving unit (following control transmitting / receiving unit) 500 Driving assistance system (Other vehicles: Following vehicles) 501 Vehicle behavior acquisition unit 502 Vehicle behavior transmission unit (follow control transmission / reception unit) 503 Other Vehicle Communication Confirmation Unit

Claims

1. A driving operation acquisition unit that acquires the driving operations of the vehicle's driver, A forward observation information acquisition unit acquires forward observation information from a forward observation unit that observes the surrounding conditions in front of the vehicle, A rear observation information acquisition unit acquires rear observation information from a rear observation unit that observes the surrounding conditions behind the vehicle, An obstacle discrimination unit that, when the vehicle moves forward, uses forward observation information from the forward observation unit and rear observation information from the rear observation unit to distinguish between at least stationary obstacles and others, A storage unit that stores at least stationary obstacles identified by the obstacle identification unit and driving operations acquired by the driving operation acquisition unit, A surrounding conditions matching unit compares obstacles behind the vehicle obtained from the rear observation unit with stationary objects stored in the memory unit when the vehicle reverses along the path it has moved forward. The system includes a reverse playback reverse support control unit that assists with reverse driving by reversing the driving operations stored in the memory unit when the vehicle was moving forward, when the vehicle was moving forward. The reverse playback reversal support control unit determines whether or not to perform reverse playback reversal support according to the results of the comparison obtained by the surrounding conditions comparison unit. The forward observation unit and the rear observation unit are configured using sensors with the same characteristics. The obstacle detection unit identifies the same obstacle detected by both the forward observation unit and the rear observation unit as a stationary object. The surrounding conditions matching unit, in matching stationary objects stored by the memory unit with obstacles currently located behind the vehicle obtained from the rear observation unit, determines that objects that are not present among the stationary objects stored by the memory unit but are present among the obstacles currently located behind the vehicle obtained from the rear observation unit are moving objects. The reverse playback reversal support control unit does not perform reverse playback reversal support if the moving object is included in the matching process. A following vehicle detection unit detects a following vehicle from the information of the surrounding conditions matching unit, A driving assistance device characterized by having a following vehicle tracking control unit that follows a following vehicle when a following vehicle is detected by the following vehicle detection unit.

2. A driving operation acquisition unit that acquires the driving operations of the vehicle's driver, A forward observation information acquisition unit acquires forward observation information from a forward observation unit that observes the surrounding conditions in front of the vehicle, A rear observation information acquisition unit acquires rear observation information from a rear observation unit that observes the surrounding conditions behind the vehicle, An obstacle discrimination unit that, when the vehicle moves forward, uses forward observation information from the forward observation unit and rear observation information from the rear observation unit to distinguish between at least stationary obstacles and others, A storage unit that stores at least stationary obstacles identified by the obstacle identification unit and driving operations acquired by the driving operation acquisition unit, A surrounding conditions matching unit compares obstacles behind the vehicle obtained from the rear observation unit with stationary objects stored in the memory unit when the vehicle reverses along the path it has moved forward. The system includes a reverse playback reverse support control unit that assists with reverse driving by reversing the driving operations stored in the memory unit when the vehicle was moving forward, when the vehicle was moving forward. The reverse playback reversal support control unit determines whether or not to perform reverse playback reversal support according to the results of the comparison obtained by the surrounding conditions comparison unit. The forward observation unit and the rear observation unit are configured using sensors with the same characteristics. The obstacle detection unit identifies the same obstacle detected by both the forward observation unit and the rear observation unit as a stationary object. The surrounding conditions matching unit, in matching stationary objects stored by the memory unit with obstacles currently located behind the vehicle obtained from the rear observation unit, determines that objects that are not present among the stationary objects stored by the memory unit but are present among the obstacles currently located behind the vehicle obtained from the rear observation unit are moving objects. The reverse playback reversal support control unit does not perform reverse playback reversal support if the moving object is included in the matching process. A moving object movement determination unit determines that the moving object has moved based on the verification result of the surrounding conditions verification unit, A driving assistance device characterized by having a rerouting and driving assistance control unit that, when the moving object movement determination unit determines that a moving object has moved, generates a route for the vehicle with the obstacle determined to have moved removed from the obstacle information stored in the storage unit and performs driving assistance control.

3. A driving operation acquisition unit that acquires the driving operations of the vehicle's driver, A forward observation information acquisition unit acquires forward observation information from a forward observation unit that observes the surrounding conditions in front of the vehicle, A rear observation information acquisition unit acquires rear observation information from a rear observation unit that observes the surrounding conditions behind the vehicle, An obstacle discrimination unit that, when the vehicle moves forward, uses forward observation information from the forward observation unit and rear observation information from the rear observation unit to distinguish between at least stationary obstacles and others, A storage unit that stores at least stationary obstacles identified by the obstacle identification unit and driving operations acquired by the driving operation acquisition unit, A surrounding conditions matching unit compares obstacles behind the vehicle obtained from the rear observation unit with stationary objects stored in the memory unit when the vehicle reverses along the path it has moved forward. The system includes a reverse playback reverse support control unit that assists with reverse driving by reversing the driving operations stored in the memory unit when the vehicle was moving forward, when the vehicle was moving forward. The reverse playback reversal support control unit determines whether or not to perform reverse playback reversal support according to the results of the comparison obtained by the surrounding conditions comparison unit. The aforementioned forward observation unit is composed of a sensor capable of determining the type of object from the image, The obstacle discrimination unit identifies stationary objects from the detection results of the rear observation unit based on the object type information identified by the front observation unit. The surrounding conditions matching unit, in matching stationary objects stored by the memory unit with obstacles currently located behind the vehicle obtained from the rear observation unit, determines that objects that are not present among the stationary objects stored by the memory unit but are present among the obstacles currently located behind the vehicle obtained from the rear observation unit are moving objects. The reverse playback reversal support control unit does not perform reverse playback reversal support if the moving object is included in the matching process. The obstacle detection unit detects objects moving from left to right, The memory unit stores the moving objects to the left and right detected by the obstacle detection unit. A moving object movement determination unit determines that the moving object has moved based on the verification result of the surrounding conditions verification unit, A driving assistance device characterized by having a rerouting and driving assistance control unit that, when the moving object movement determination unit determines that a moving object has moved, generates a route for the vehicle with the obstacle determined to have moved removed from the obstacle information stored in the storage unit and performs driving assistance control.

4. In the driving support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, The surrounding conditions matching unit, in matching stationary objects stored by the memory unit with obstacles currently located behind the vehicle obtained from the rear observation unit, determines that any object present in the stationary objects stored by the memory unit but not present in the obstacles currently located behind the vehicle obtained from the rear observation unit is highly likely to be a sensor malfunction. The aforementioned reverse playback reverse support control unit is characterized in that, if it determines during verification that there is a high possibility of a malfunction in the sensor, it will not perform reverse playback reverse support and will alert the driver.

5. In the driving support device according to claim 2 or 3, A following vehicle detection unit detects a following vehicle from the information of the surrounding conditions matching unit, A driving assistance device characterized by having a following vehicle tracking control unit that follows a following vehicle when a following vehicle is detected by the following vehicle detection unit.

6. In the driving support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, Based on the results of the surrounding conditions matching unit, a passing space determination unit detects a passing space to the rear and side of the vehicle in which the vehicle can pass another vehicle, A driving assistance device characterized by having a rear-side movement assistance control unit that moves to the rear-side of the vehicle detected by the passing space determination unit to assist in passing.

7. In the driving support device according to claim 3, The obstacle detection unit detects parked vehicles or construction areas on the left and right, The memory unit stores the parked vehicles or construction areas on the left and right detected by the obstacle detection unit. Based on the results of the surrounding conditions matching unit, a passing space determination unit detects a passing space to the rear and side of the vehicle in which the vehicle can pass another vehicle, A driving assistance device characterized by having a rear-side movement assistance control unit that moves to the rear-side of the vehicle detected by the passing space determination unit to assist in passing.

8. In the driving support device according to claim 5, A unit that checks whether communication with other vehicles is possible, It has a follow control transmission / reception unit that, when communication with other vehicles is possible, communicates with other vehicles and transmits and receives information necessary for follow control of other vehicles. When a following vehicle is detected by the following vehicle detection unit, The aforementioned other vehicle communication confirmation unit confirms whether communication with the following vehicle is possible, If communication with the following vehicle is possible, The aforementioned follow control transmission / reception unit transmits and receives information necessary for following a following vehicle in reverse. The following vehicle tracking control unit is characterized by performing following control to the following vehicle based on the information.

9. In the driving support device according to claim 5, The following vehicle detection unit is characterized in that, in comparing stationary objects stored by the storage unit with obstacles currently located behind the vehicle obtained from the rear observation unit, it determines that objects that are not present among the stationary objects stored by the storage unit but are present among the obstacles currently located behind the vehicle obtained from the rear observation unit, and that are wider than a predetermined width behind the vehicle, are following vehicles.

10. In the driving support device according to claim 6, The passing space determination unit is characterized in that, when comparing stationary objects stored by the memory unit with obstacles currently located behind the vehicle obtained from the rear observation unit, it determines that a space containing objects that are present in the stationary objects stored by the memory unit but not in the obstacles currently located behind the vehicle obtained from the rear observation unit, and that such objects exist in the space behind the vehicle with a predetermined depth or greater, is a passing space.

11. In the driving support device according to claim 2 or 3, The aforementioned route generation driving support control unit is characterized in that, among the waypoint positions stored when the vehicle is moving forward, it sets as a target waypoint position the waypoint position closest to the vehicle that does not have any obstacles that have been determined to have moved among the obstacle information stored by the storage unit around the waypoint position, and generates a route from the vehicle's position toward the set target waypoint position and performs driving support control.

12. In the driving support device according to Claim 1, A unit that checks whether communication with other vehicles is possible, It has a follow control transmission / reception unit that, when communication with other vehicles is possible, communicates with other vehicles and transmits and receives information necessary for follow control of other vehicles. When a following vehicle is detected by the following vehicle detection unit, The aforementioned other vehicle communication confirmation unit confirms whether communication with the following vehicle is possible, If communication with the following vehicle is possible, The aforementioned follow control transmission / reception unit transmits and receives information necessary for following a following vehicle in reverse. The following vehicle tracking control unit is characterized by performing following control to the following vehicle based on the information.

13. In the driving support device according to claim 1, The following vehicle detection unit is characterized in that, in comparing stationary objects stored by the storage unit with obstacles currently located behind the vehicle obtained from the rear observation unit, it determines that objects that are not present among the stationary objects stored by the storage unit but are present among the obstacles currently located behind the vehicle obtained from the rear observation unit, and that are wider than a predetermined width behind the vehicle, are following vehicles.

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