Driving assistance device, vehicle, and driving assistance method

Abstract

A driving assistance device according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is provided with a control unit capable of performing driving assistance. The control unit is capable of performing (1) and (2) below. (1) Data indicating that a second road crossing a first road on which a first vehicle travels is present in front of the first road, a second vehicle approaching an intersection crossing the first road is present on the second road, and a structure different from the road surface is present in the vicinity of the intersection, are acquired. (2) After the data is acquired, a control signal that causes headlights to emit light toward the structure is generated, and the control signal is transmitted to a drive circuit of the headlights.

Description

Driving assistance device, vehicle, and driving assistance method

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a driving assistance device mounted on a vehicle, the vehicle, and a driving assistance method.

[0002] In recent years, driving assistance devices for assisting drivers in driving operations have been put into practical use in vehicles such as automobiles, with the aim of reducing the burden of driving operations on drivers and improving safety. Technologies related to this type of driving assistance device are disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3.

[0003] JP 2017-114405 A JP 2006-227811 A JP 2013-514592 A

[0004] A driving assistance device according to a first aspect of the present disclosure includes a control unit capable of performing driving assistance. The control unit is capable of performing the following (A1) and (A2): (A1) acquiring data indicating that a second road intersects with a first road ahead of a first road on which a first vehicle is traveling, that a second vehicle is approaching an intersection on the second road that intersects with the first road, and that a structure different from the road surface exists near the intersection; and (A2) after acquiring the data, generating a control signal for directing headlight light toward the structure and transmitting the control signal to a drive circuit for the headlight.

[0005] A vehicle according to a second aspect of the present disclosure includes a control unit capable of providing driving assistance. The control unit is capable of performing the following (B1) and (B2): (B1) acquiring data indicating that a second road intersects with a first road ahead of a first road on which a first vehicle is traveling, that a second vehicle is approaching an intersection on the second road that intersects with the first road, and that a structure different from the road surface is present near the intersection; and (B2) generating a control signal for directing headlight light toward the structure after acquiring the data, and transmitting the control signal to a drive circuit for the headlight.

[0006] A driving assistance method according to a third aspect of the present disclosure includes the following (C1) and (C2): (C1) acquiring data indicating that a second road intersects with a first road ahead of a first road on which a first vehicle is traveling, that a second vehicle is approaching an intersection on the second road that intersects with the first road, and that a structure different from the road surface exists near the intersection; and (C2) after acquiring the data, generating a control signal for directing light from headlights toward the structure and transmitting the control signal to a drive circuit for the headlights.

[0007] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the disclosure, and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate one embodiment and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the disclosure.

[0008] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating an example of a schematic configuration of a cruise control system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of a danger notification procedure in the cruise control system of FIG. 1. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of a collision avoidance procedure in the cruise control system of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an example of a traffic situation ahead of a host vehicle. FIG. 5 is a diagram illustrating an example of a collision condition at an intersection. FIG. 6 is a diagram illustrating another example of a collision condition at an intersection. FIG. 7 is a diagram illustrating an example of a danger notification in step S108 of FIG. 2. FIG. 8 is a diagram illustrating an example of acquisition of various information in a cruise control system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating a modified example of the schematic configuration of a cruise control system according to each embodiment. FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a hypothetical example of a traffic situation.

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0010] <1. Background> In recent years, driving assistance devices for assisting drivers in driving operations have been put into practical use in vehicles such as automobiles, with the aim of reducing the burden of driving operations on drivers and improving safety. Technologies related to this type of driving assistance device are disclosed in, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3.

[0011] The invention described in Patent Document 1 discloses a technology for appropriately decelerating a vehicle when passing through a blind spot in front of the vehicle without making the driver feel unsafe.The invention described in Patent Document 2 discloses a technology for warning the driver that a vehicle will appear in the blind spot when the vehicle makes a right turn when there is a vehicle in the blind spot of an oncoming vehicle in front of the vehicle.The invention described in Patent Document 3 discloses a technology for determining an accident risk based on vehicle information around the vehicle and driver line of sight information obtained by sensors, and issuing a warning according to the accident risk.

[0012] However, in the inventions described in Patent Documents 1 to 3, if the driver of a vehicle traveling in the blind spot is unaware of the risk of collision with the vehicle, there is a risk of the vehicle colliding with the vehicle that appears from the blind spot. In some cases, the driver of the vehicle may continue to drive the vehicle without slowing down or reducing speed even when they are aware of the presence of a vehicle (hereinafter referred to as a "target vehicle") that is at risk of colliding with the vehicle. In such cases, there is a very high risk of a collision between the vehicle and the target vehicle.

[0013] As described above, conventional inventions have a problem in that even if the driving control of the host vehicle is performed or an alert is given to the driver of the host vehicle, there is still a high possibility of a collision between the host vehicle and another vehicle. Therefore, as a result of extensive research, the inventors of the present application have come up with a technology that not only performs driving control of the host vehicle and alerts the driver of the host vehicle, but also effectively notifies the driver of a target vehicle of the presence of the host vehicle. Below, the background of this newly conceived technology will be explained using hypothetical traffic situation examples.

[0014] FIG. 10 illustrates a hypothetical example of a traffic situation. A vehicle (host vehicle) 100a is traveling on a road with one lane in each direction. This road is composed of a driving lane Lxm in which the vehicle 100a is traveling and an oncoming lane Lym that runs along the driving lane Lxm via a center line. An intersection CL is provided ahead of the vehicle 100a on this road with one lane in each direction. This road with one lane in each direction is a wired road Lm due to its relationship with the road that intersects with this road at the intersection CL. In other words, the vehicle 100a is traveling on the wired road Lm.

[0015] On the other hand, the road that intersects with the wired road Lm at the intersection CL is a non-priority road Ls in relation to the wired road Lm. When viewed from the driver of the vehicle 100a, part of the non-priority road Ls is a blind spot (blind spot area DR) caused by a building BL, and in the blind spot area DR, a vehicle (target vehicle) 100b is traveling toward the intersection CL. The non-priority road Ls is composed of a driving lane Lxs in which the vehicle 100b is traveling and an oncoming lane Lys that is provided along the driving lane Lxs via a center line. There are no traffic lights installed at the intersection CL.

[0016] The driver of vehicle 100a is aware that vehicle 100a is traveling on wired road Lm. Therefore, vehicle 100a is about to enter intersection CL without slowing down. At this time, vehicle 100b is traveling toward intersection CL on non-priority road Ls. However, vehicle 100b is traveling in a blind spot DR for the driver of vehicle 100a, and the driver of vehicle 100a is unaware of the presence of vehicle 100b.

[0017] Under such traffic conditions, there is a high possibility that vehicles 100a and 100b will collide head-on at intersection CL. Even if building BL is not present, the driver of vehicle 100a may recognize that vehicle 100a is traveling on wired road Lm, and vehicle 100a may enter intersection CL without slowing down, and the driver of vehicle 100b may not be aware of the presence of vehicle 100a. In this case, there is a high possibility that vehicles 100a and 100b will collide at intersection CL.

[0018] Therefore, the inventors of the present application have conceived of a way to reduce the risk of a collision between the vehicles 100a and 100b under specific traffic conditions in which the vehicles 100a and 100b are about to enter an intersection CL where a wired road Lm and a non-priority road Ls intersect, by notifying the driver of the vehicle 100b of the presence of the vehicle 100a. A cruise control system for realizing this will be described in detail below.

[0019] 2. Embodiments> [Configuration Example] Fig. 1 shows a schematic configuration example of a cruise control system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. As shown in Fig. 1, the cruise control system 1 includes cruise control devices 10 mounted on a plurality of vehicles, respectively, and a control device 200 provided in a network environment NW to which the plurality of cruise control devices 10 are connected via wireless communication. The cruise control device 10 corresponds to a specific example of a "driving assistance device" according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0020] The control device 200 sequentially integrates and updates road map information transmitted from the cruise control device 10 of each vehicle and devices provided on the road or in its vicinity (for example, at or near an intersection CL), and transmits the updated road map information to each vehicle. The control device 200 includes, for example, a road map information integration ECU 201 and a transceiver 202.

[0021] The road map boundary information integration ECU 201 integrates road map information collected from multiple vehicles via the transceiver 202, and sequentially updates road map information surrounding the vehicle on the road. The road map information may be, for example, a dynamic map, and includes static information and quasi-static information that mainly constitute road information, and quasi-dynamic information and dynamic information that mainly constitute traffic information.

[0022] The static information that makes up road information is composed of information that requires updates within one month, such as roads, structures on roads, structures around roads, lane information, road surface information, and permanent regulation information. "Roads" include, for example, road locations and shapes, intersections, and road attributes (e.g., national roads, prefectural roads, city roads, private roads, priority roads, non-priority roads, general roads, and expressways). "Structures on roads" include, for example, traffic signs, traffic lights, convex mirrors, and pedestrian bridges. "Structures around roads" include, for example, various buildings and parks.

[0023] The quasi-static information that constitutes the road information is made up of information that needs to be updated every hour, such as traffic regulation information due to road construction or events, wide-area weather information, and congestion forecasts.

[0024] The semi-dynamic information that constitutes traffic information is composed of information that requires updating within one minute, such as the actual traffic congestion situation at the time of observation, driving restrictions, temporary driving obstructions such as fallen objects and obstacles, actual accident conditions, and narrow-area weather information.

[0025] The dynamic information that makes up the traffic information is made up of information that needs to be updated every second, such as information sent and exchanged between mobile bodies, information on currently displayed traffic signals, information on pedestrians and bicycles at intersections, information on vehicles traveling on roads, etc. Such road map information is maintained and updated periodically until the next information is received from each vehicle, and the updated road map information is transmitted to each vehicle as appropriate via the transceiver 202.

[0026] The cruise control device 10 includes a driving environment recognition unit 11 and a locator unit 12 as units for recognizing the driving environment around the vehicle. The cruise control device 10 also includes a cruise control unit (hereinafter referred to as the "travel_ECU") 21, an engine control unit (hereinafter referred to as the "E / G_ECU") 22, a power steering control unit (hereinafter referred to as the "PS_ECU") 23, a brake control unit (hereinafter referred to as the "BK_ECU") 24, and a headlight control unit (hereinafter referred to as the "HL_ECU") 25. These control units 21 to 25 are connected to the driving environment recognition unit 11 and the locator unit 12 via an in-vehicle communication line such as a Controller Area Network (CAN). The travel_ECU 21 corresponds to a specific example of a "controller" according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The HL_ECU 25 corresponds to a specific example of a "drive circuit" according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] The travel_ECU 21 controls the vehicle according to, for example, a driving mode. Examples of the driving modes include a manual driving mode and a driving control mode. The manual driving mode is a driving mode that requires the driver to maintain steering, and the host vehicle is driven according to driving operations such as steering, accelerator, and brake operations by the driver. The driving control mode is a driving mode that supports the driver in driving operations by the driver to increase the safety of pedestrians and other vehicles around the vehicle (host vehicle). In the driving control mode, for example, when the vehicle (host vehicle) approaches an intersection and a traffic light at the intersection changes from green to yellow and then to red, the travel_ECU 21 controls the vehicle (host vehicle) to stop at a stop line near the intersection. Detailed processing in the driving control mode will be described later.

[0028] A throttle actuator 26 is connected to the output side of the E / G_ECU 22. This throttle actuator 26 opens and closes a throttle valve of an electronically controlled throttle provided in a throttle body of the engine. The E / G_ECU 22 controls the operation of the throttle actuator 26 by outputting a drive signal to the throttle actuator 26. The throttle actuator 26 opens and closes the throttle valve based on the drive signal from the E / G_ECU 22 to adjust the intake air flow rate, thereby generating a desired engine output.

[0029] An electric power steering motor 27 is connected to the output side of the PS_ECU 23. This electric power steering motor 27 applies steering torque to the steering mechanism by the rotational force of the motor. The PS_ECU 23 controls the operation of the electric power steering motor 27 by outputting a drive signal to the electric power steering motor 27. During autonomous driving, the electric power steering motor 27 performs lane keeping control, which keeps the vehicle traveling in the current lane, and lane change control, which moves the vehicle to an adjacent lane (lane change control for overtaking control, etc.), based on the drive signal from the PS_ECU 23.

[0030] A brake actuator 28 is connected to the output side of the BK_ECU 24. This brake actuator 28 adjusts the brake hydraulic pressure supplied to the brake wheel cylinders provided on each wheel. The BK_ECU 24 controls the operation of the brake actuator 28 by outputting a drive signal to the brake actuator 28. Based on the drive signal from the BK_ECU 24, the brake actuator 28 generates a braking force on each wheel using the brake wheel cylinders, forcibly decelerating the wheel.

[0031] The headlights 29 are connected to the output side of the HL_ECU 25. The headlights 29 mainly irradiate the road surface ahead of the vehicle with light. The headlights 29 are provided, for example, at the front end of the vehicle 100a. In addition to the road surface ahead of the vehicle, the headlights 29 also irradiate, for example, the above-mentioned "structures on the road" or the above-mentioned "structures around the road" with light. The HL_ECU 25 outputs a drive signal to the headlights 29 to control the on / off and optical axis of the headlights 29. Based on the drive signal from the HL_ECU 25, the headlights 29 switch the on / off of the headlights 29 and change the direction of the optical axis of the light emitted from the headlights 29.

[0032] The driving environment recognition unit 11 is fixed, for example, to the center of the upper part of the front interior of the vehicle. The driving environment recognition unit 11 has an in-vehicle camera (stereo camera) consisting of a main camera 11a and a sub-camera 11b, an image processing unit (IPU) 11c, and a driving environment detection unit 11d.

[0033] The main camera 11a and the sub-camera 11b are autonomous sensors that sense the real space around the vehicle. The main camera 11a and the sub-camera 11b are, for example, arranged at symmetrical positions on either side of the center of the vehicle in the width direction, and capture stereo images of the area in front of the vehicle from different viewpoints.

[0034] The IPU 11c generates a distance image based on a pair of stereo images of the area in front of the vehicle obtained by capturing images with the main camera 11a and the sub-camera 11b, and calculates the amount of displacement between the positions of corresponding objects.

[0035] The driving environment detection unit 11d, for example, determines lane markings that divide the road around the vehicle based on the distance image received from the IPU 11c. The driving environment detection unit 11d further determines, for example, the road curvature [1 / m] of the markings that divide the left and right sides of the roadway (driving lane) on which the vehicle is traveling, and the width between the left and right markings (vehicle width). The driving environment detection unit 11d further performs, for example, predetermined pattern matching on the distance image to detect lanes and three-dimensional objects such as structures that exist around the vehicle.

[0036] Here, the detection of a three-dimensional object by the driving environment detection unit 11d includes, for example, detecting the type of the three-dimensional object, the distance to the three-dimensional object, the speed of the three-dimensional object, and the relative speed between the three-dimensional object and the vehicle (host vehicle). Examples of three-dimensional objects to be detected include traffic lights, intersections, road signs, stop lines, other vehicles, pedestrians, and various buildings. The driving environment detection unit 11d outputs information about the detected three-dimensional objects to the driving_ECU 21, for example.

[0037] The locator unit 12 estimates the vehicle's position (host vehicle position) on a road map and includes a locator calculation unit 13 that estimates the host vehicle position. Sensors required for estimating the vehicle's position (host vehicle position) are connected to the input side of the locator calculation unit 13. Examples of such sensors include an acceleration sensor 14, a vehicle speed sensor 15, a gyro sensor 16, and a GNSS receiver 17. The acceleration sensor 14 detects the longitudinal acceleration of the vehicle. The vehicle speed sensor 15 detects the vehicle's speed. The gyro sensor 16 detects the vehicle's angular velocity or angular acceleration. The GNSS receiver 17 receives positioning signals transmitted from multiple positioning satellites. The locator calculation unit 13 is also connected to a transceiver 18 that transmits and receives information to and from the control device 200 and other vehicles.

[0038] A high-precision road map database 19 is also connected to the locator calculation unit 13. The high-precision road map database 19 is a large-capacity storage medium such as an HDD, and stores high-precision road map information (dynamic map). This high-precision road map information, like the road map information included in the road map information integration_ECU 201, mainly includes static information and quasi-static information constituting road information, and quasi-dynamic information and dynamic information constituting traffic information.

[0039] The locator calculation unit 13 includes, for example, a map information acquisition unit 13a, a vehicle position estimation unit 13b, and a driving environment recognition unit 13c.

[0040] The vehicle position estimation unit 13b acquires the position coordinates of the vehicle (host vehicle) based on the positioning signal received by the GNSS receiver 17. The vehicle position estimation unit 13b also estimates the host vehicle's position on a road map by map-matching the acquired position coordinates with route map information. The map information acquisition unit 13a acquires map information of a predetermined range including the vehicle (host vehicle) from map information stored in the high-precision road map database 19, based on the position coordinates of the vehicle (host vehicle) acquired by the vehicle position estimation unit 13b.

[0041] In an environment where valid positioning signals from positioning satellites cannot be received due to reduced sensitivity of the GNSS receiver 17, such as when driving inside a tunnel, the vehicle position estimation unit 13b switches to autonomous navigation, which estimates the vehicle's position based on the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed sensor 15, the angular velocity detected by the gyro sensor 16, and the longitudinal acceleration detected by the acceleration sensor 14, and estimates the vehicle's position on a road map.

[0042] As described above, the vehicle position estimation unit 13b estimates the position of the vehicle (subject vehicle position) on the road map based on the positioning signal received by the GNSS receiver 17 or information detected by the gyro sensor 16, etc., and then determines the road type, etc. of the road on which the vehicle (subject vehicle) is traveling based on the estimated subject vehicle position on the road map.

[0043] The driving environment recognition unit 13c updates the road map information stored in the high-precision road map database 19 to the latest version using road map information acquired through external communication (roadside-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-to-vehicle communication) via the transceiver 18. This information update is performed not only on static information but also on quasi-static information, quasi-dynamic information, and dynamic information. As a result, the road map information includes road information and traffic information acquired through communication with the outside of the vehicle, and information on moving bodies such as vehicles traveling on roads is updated in approximately real time.

[0044] The driving environment recognition unit 13c verifies road map information based on the driving environment information recognized by the driving environment recognition unit 11, and updates the road map information stored in the high-precision road map database 19 to the latest state. This information update is performed not only on static information, but also on quasi-static information, quasi-dynamic information, and dynamic information. As a result, information on moving objects such as vehicles traveling on roads recognized by the driving environment recognition unit 11 is updated in real time.

[0045] The road map information thus updated is then transmitted to the control device 200 and vehicles around the vehicle (host vehicle) by road-to-vehicle communication and vehicle-to-vehicle communication via the transceiver 18. Furthermore, the driving environment recognition unit 13c outputs, from the updated road map information, map information of a predetermined range including the host vehicle position estimated by the vehicle position estimation unit 13b, together with the host vehicle position (vehicle position information), to the driving_ECU 21.

[0046] Next, the travel_ECU 21 will be described in detail.

[0047] FIG. 2 shows an example of a danger notification procedure in the cruise control system 1. FIG. 3 shows a procedure following FIG. 2, specifically, an example of a collision avoidance procedure in the cruise control system 1. FIG. 4 shows an example of a traffic situation in steps S101 to S107 of FIG. 2. FIGS. 5 and 6 show an example of a collision situation between a vehicle (host vehicle) 100a and a vehicle (target vehicle) 100b. FIG. 5 illustrates one collision condition (collision condition A) between the vehicles 100a and 100b. FIG. 6 illustrates one collision condition (collision condition B) between the vehicles 100a and 100b. FIG. 7 shows an example of a danger notification in step S108 of FIG. 2.

[0048] In FIG. 4 , vehicle (host vehicle) 100a is traveling on a road with one lane in each direction. Vehicle 100a corresponds to a specific example of a "first vehicle" according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. This one-lane road is composed of a driving lane Lxm in which vehicle 100a is traveling and an oncoming lane Lym that is provided along the driving lane Lxm via a center line. An intersection CL is provided ahead of vehicle 100a on this one-lane road. This one-lane road is a wired road Lm in relation to the road that intersects with this one-lane road at the intersection CL. In other words, vehicle 100a is traveling on the wired road Lm.

[0049] On the other hand, the road that intersects with the wired road Lm at the intersection CL is a non-priority road Ls in relation to the wired road Lm. From the perspective of the driver of the vehicle 100a, part of the non-priority road Ls is in a blind spot due to a building BL, and in the blind spot, a vehicle (target vehicle) 100b is traveling toward the intersection CL. The vehicle 100b corresponds to a specific example of a "second vehicle" according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The non-priority road Ls is composed of a driving lane Lxs in which the vehicle 100b is traveling and an oncoming lane Lys that is provided along the driving lane Lxs via a center line. There are no traffic lights installed at the intersection CL.

[0050] The driver of vehicle 100a is aware that vehicle 100a is traveling on wired road Lm. Therefore, vehicle 100a is about to enter intersection CL without slowing down. At this time, vehicle 100b is traveling toward intersection CL on non-priority road Ls. However, vehicle 100b is traveling in a blind spot DR for the driver of vehicle 100a, and the driver of vehicle 100a is unaware of the presence of vehicle 100b.

[0051] Under such traffic conditions, there is a high possibility that vehicles 100a and 100b will collide head-on at intersection CL. Even if building BL is not present, the driver of vehicle 100a may recognize that vehicle 100a is traveling on wired road Lm, and vehicle 100a may enter intersection CL without slowing down, and the driver of vehicle 100b may not be aware of the presence of vehicle 100a. In this case, there is a high possibility that vehicles 100a and 100b will collide at intersection CL.

[0052] A collision accident between vehicles 100a and 100b at intersection CL occurs when one of the following two collision conditions (collision condition A and collision condition B) is met. Fig. 5 shows the formula for collision condition A and the state of a collision when collision condition A is met. Fig. 6 shows the formula for collision condition B and the state of a collision when collision condition B is met.

[0053] (Collision condition A) (Lo+do) / Vo>Le / Ve>Lo / Vo (Collision condition B) (Le+de) / Ve>Lo / Vo>Le / Ve

[0054] Lo: Distance [m] between vehicle 100b and the center point (hereinafter referred to as "center point α") of the intersection between driving lanes Lxs and Lxm at intersection CL; do: Overall length [m] of vehicle 100b; Vo: Speed ​​[m / s] of vehicle 100b; Le: Distance [m] between vehicle 100a and center point α of the intersection between driving lanes Lxs and Lxm at intersection CL; de: Overall length [m] of vehicle 100a; Ve: Speed ​​[m / s] of vehicle 100a; Lo / Vo: Time until vehicle 100b reaches center point α; (Lo+do) / Vo: Time until vehicle 100b passes center point α; Le / Ve: Time until vehicle 100a reaches center point α; (Le+de) / Ve: Time until vehicle 100a passes center point α

[0055] First, a stereo camera mounted on vehicle 100a captures images of the area ahead of vehicle 100a and outputs the resulting stereo images to IPU 11c. IPU 11c generates a distance image based on the stereo images captured by the stereo camera and outputs the image to driving environment detection unit 11d. Driving environment detection unit 11d performs predetermined pattern matching on the distance image generated by IPU 11c to detect driving lanes Lxm, Lxs, intersection CL, vehicle 100b, and convex mirror MR. Convex mirror MR corresponds to a specific example of a structure, different from the road surface, that exists near intersection CL.

[0056] Here, for example, suppose the stereo image includes an intersection CL located ahead of vehicle 100a in driving lane Lxm, but does not include vehicle 100b traveling in driving lane Lxs because it is blocked by a building BL. In this case, the driving environment detection unit 11d cannot detect vehicle 100b using the distance image. Note that when light Lw from the headlights 29 of vehicle 100a traveling in driving lane Lxm is irradiated onto the reflective surface of the convex mirror MR, the light Lw from the headlights 29 is reflected by the mirror surface of the convex mirror MR and irradiates vehicle 100b in driving lane Lxs. In other words, the convex mirror MR has a reflective surface that allows light Lw from the headlights 29 to reach vehicle 100b.

[0057] Next, the driving environment recognition unit 13c detects the driving lane Lxm, the driving lane Lxs, the intersection CL, the vehicle 100b, and the curve mirror MR using road map information acquired via external communication. Here, it is assumed that the road map information acquired via external communication includes information about the vehicle 100b. In this case, the driving environment recognition unit 13c can detect the vehicle 100b using the road map information acquired via external communication.

[0058] The vehicle position estimation unit 13b acquires the position coordinates of the vehicle 100a based on the positioning signal received by the GNSS receiver 17. The vehicle position estimation unit 13b further acquires the vehicle speed (the speed of the vehicle 100a) detected by the vehicle speed sensor 15. The vehicle position estimation unit 13b further acquires the overall length of the vehicle 100a. Note that if the overall length of the vehicle 100a is stored in advance in, for example, the memory of the vehicle position estimation unit 13b, the vehicle position estimation unit 13b acquires the overall length of the vehicle 100a by reading it from the memory.

[0059] Next, the travel_ECU 21 acquires road information Da, vehicle information Db, and structure information Dc based on various information obtained from the travel environment detection unit 11d, the vehicle position estimation unit 13b, and the travel environment recognition unit 13c (step S101). Here, the road information Da includes information about the travel lane Lxm, the travel lane Lxs, and the intersection CL detected by the travel environment detection unit 11d or the travel environment recognition unit 13c. The vehicle information Db includes information about the vehicle 100a acquired from the vehicle position estimation unit 13b (e.g., position information, speed (vehicle speed) information) and information about the vehicle 100b acquired from the travel environment detection unit 11d or the travel environment recognition unit 13c (e.g., position information, speed (vehicle speed) information). The structure information Dc includes information about the structure detected by the travel environment recognition unit 13c (e.g., position information).

[0060] Next, the traveling_ECU 21 determines whether an intersection CL exists ahead of the vehicle 100a (step S102). If the road information Da includes information about the intersection CL (step S102; Y), the traveling_ECU 21 determines whether the lane (traveling lane Lxm) on which the vehicle 100a is traveling is the priority road Lm (step S103). If the road information Da includes information about the priority road Lm (step S103; Y), the traveling_ECU 21 determines whether a vehicle (target vehicle) 100b traveling on a non-priority road Ls exists (step S104). If the vehicle information Db includes information about the vehicle 100b (step S104; Y), the traveling_ECU 21 determines whether a reflector exists at the intersection CL (step S105). If the structure information Dc includes information about a curve mirror MR, which is a reflector, (step S105; Y), the traveling_ECU 21 performs a collision calculation (step S106).

[0061] Specifically, the traveling_ECU 21 calculates two collision conditions (collision condition A and collision condition B) using the road information Da, the vehicle information Db, and the structure information Dc. If the traveling_ECU 21 determines, as a result of calculating the two collision conditions (collision condition A and collision condition B), that the vehicles 100a and 100b satisfy either of the two collision conditions (collision condition A and collision condition B) (step S107; Y), the traveling_ECU 21 generates a control signal for emitting light Lw from the headlights 29 toward the convex mirror MR and outputs the control signal to the HL_ECU 25. In other words, when the traveling_ECU 21 determines that there is a possibility of a collision (interference) between the vehicles 100a and 100b, the traveling_ECU 21 generates a control signal for emitting light Lw from the headlights 29 toward the convex mirror MR and outputs the control signal to the HL_ECU 25. When the HL_ECU 25 receives the control signal from the travel_ECU 21, the HL_ECU 25 sets the optical axis direction of the light Lw of the headlight 29 based on the received control signal and controls the headlight 29 to irradiate the light Lw in the set optical axis direction. As a result, the headlight 29 irradiates the light Lw to the vehicle 100b via the curved mirror MR (step S108, see FIG. 7).

[0062] The travel_ECU 21 executes step S101 if any of the following conditions is met in each of the above steps: - The road information Da does not include information on the intersection CL (step S102; N); - The road information Da does not include information on the priority road Lm (step S103; N); - The vehicle information Db does not include information on the vehicle 100b (step S104; N); - The structure information Dc does not include information on the curve mirror MR, which is a reflector (step S105; N).

[0063] Next, the traveling_ECU 21 executes a collision avoidance calculation (step S109). Specifically, the traveling_ECU 21 determines whether the distance Le between the vehicle 100a and the center point α of the intersection of the traveling lanes Lxs and Lxm at the intersection CL is longer than the stopping distance of the vehicle 100a (step S110). If the distance Le is longer than the stopping distance of the vehicle 100a, the traveling_ECU 21 determines that the collision can be avoided (step S110; Y). At this time, the traveling_ECU 21 determines whether the driver of the vehicle 100a can see the vehicle 100b (step S111). Specifically, the traveling_ECU 21 determines whether the vehicle 100b is included in the stereo image obtained by the stereo camera. As a result, if vehicle 100b is included in the stereo image, the driving_ECU 21 determines that the driver can see vehicle 100b (step S111; Y) and does not perform control such as deceleration control or collision warning for vehicle 100a.

[0064] At this time, the driver of vehicle 100a avoids a collision with vehicle 100b by braking, shifting gears, etc. based on his or her own judgment. If the driver of vehicle 100b notices the presence of vehicle 100a and avoids a collision between vehicle 100a and vehicle 100b by, for example, slowing down vehicle 100b, the driver of vehicle 100a can pass through intersection CL without particularly performing braking, shifting gears, etc.

[0065] On the other hand, in step S110, if the distance Le is equal to or less than the stopping distance of vehicle 100a, the travel_ECU 21 determines that collision avoidance is difficult (step S110; N). Furthermore, in step S111, if vehicle 100b is not included in the stereo image, the travel_ECU 21 determines that it is difficult for the driver to visually recognize vehicle 100b (step S111; N). In these cases, the travel_ECU 21 determines to perform deceleration control of vehicle 100a, collision warning, and other controls, and outputs a deceleration control instruction to BK_ECU 24 and an instruction to generate a collision warning sound to a collision warning sound generator capable of emitting a collision warning sound. As a result, the BK_ECU 24 outputs a drive signal to the brake actuator 28, causing the brake wheel cylinders to generate braking force on each wheel, forcibly decelerating the vehicle (step S112). Furthermore, the collision warning sound generator generates a collision warning sound (step S112). In this manner, danger notification and collision avoidance are performed.

[0066] [Effects] Next, effects of the cruise control system 1 according to one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0067] In this embodiment, when a vehicle 100b approaches an intersection CL where a priority road Lm and a non-priority road Ls intersect and is traveling on the non-priority road Ls, a control signal is generated to direct light Lw from the headlights 29 toward a curved mirror MR, which is a reflector, and is transmitted to the HL_ECU 25. As a result, deceleration control and collision warnings are not performed on the vehicle 100a simply because the vehicle 100b is traveling on the non-priority road Ls. As a result, it is possible to improve safety while reducing the frequency of bothersome deceleration control and collision warnings.

[0068] In this embodiment, when it is determined that there is a possibility of collision (interference) between vehicle 100b and vehicle 100a, a control signal for emitting light Lw from the headlights 29 toward the convex mirror MR, which is a projectile, is sent to the HL_ECU 25. As a result, deceleration control and collision warnings are not performed on vehicle 100a simply because vehicle 100b is traveling on the non-priority road Ls. As a result, it is possible to improve safety while reducing the frequency of bothersome deceleration control and collision warnings.

[0069] In this embodiment, a vehicle 100b is approaching an intersection CL where a priority road Lm and a non-priority road Ls intersect, and is traveling on the non-priority road Ls. Furthermore, based on data (road information Da, vehicle information Db, and structure information Dc) indicating the presence of a curve mirror MR near the intersection CL, a determination is made as to the possibility of a collision (interference) between the vehicle 100b and the vehicle 100a. As a result, deceleration control or a collision warning is not performed on the vehicle 100a simply because the vehicle 100b is traveling on the non-priority road Ls. As a result, it is possible to improve safety while reducing the frequency of bothersome deceleration control and collision warnings.

[0070] In this embodiment, when road information Da, vehicle information Db, and structure information Dc are obtained from sensors installed in vehicle 100a, even when it is difficult for vehicle 100a to communicate with the network environment NW, it is possible to improve safety while reducing the frequency of cumbersome deceleration control and collision warnings.

[0071] In this embodiment, when road information Da, vehicle information Db, and structure information Dc are obtained from sensors installed in vehicle 100a and the network environment NW, the possibility of vehicle 100b colliding (interfering) with vehicle 100a can be determined more accurately than when road information Da, vehicle information Db, and structure information Dc are generated only by sensors installed in vehicle 100a.

[0072] 3. Modifications The present disclosure has been described above by giving embodiments, but the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments and various modifications are possible.

[0073] [Variation 3-1] In the above embodiment, the driving environment detection unit 11d may be configured to detect the vehicle 100b reflected on the reflective surface of the convex mirror MR, which is a reflector, based on stereo images captured by a stereo camera. In this case, the driving environment detection unit 11d may estimate the position and speed of the vehicle 100b based on image data of the vehicle 100b reflected on the convex mirror MR, and determine the possibility of the vehicle 100b colliding with (interfering with) the vehicle 100a based on the estimation result. In this case, it is possible to determine the possibility of the vehicle 100b colliding with (interfering with) the vehicle 100a even if the vehicle 100b is in the blind spot of the driver of the vehicle 100a.

[0074] [Variation 3-2] In the above embodiment, a convex mirror MR is exemplified as a reflector (structure) that reflects the light Lw from the headlights 29. However, in the above embodiment and its variations, a reflector having a reflective surface that can direct the light Lw from the headlights 29 to the vehicle 100b may be used instead of the convex mirror MR. Also, in the above embodiment, a building or wall having a scattering surface that can direct the light Lw from the headlights 29 to the vehicle 100b may be used instead of the convex mirror MR. Even in this case, the light Lw from the headlights 29 can be directed to the vehicle 100b, thereby improving safety and reducing the frequency of cumbersome deceleration control and collision warnings.

[0075] [Variation 3-3] In the above embodiment and its variations, the traveling_ECU 21 may output a control signal to the HL_ECU 25 to cause the headlights 29 to emit light Lw toward the curved mirror MR, and then generate a control signal to turn off the light Lw of the headlights 29 and output it to the HL_ECU 25. In the above embodiment and its variations, the traveling_ECU 21 may generate a control signal to turn off the light Lw of the headlights 29 and output it to the HL_ECU 25 when, for example, the vehicles 100a and 100b no longer satisfy either of the two collision conditions (collision condition A and collision condition B). In this case, it is possible to prevent unnecessary light Lw from being continuously output from the headlights 29.

[0076] [Variation 3-4] In the above-described embodiment and its variations, if it is difficult for the vehicle 100a to communicate with the network environment NW, the travel_ECU 21 may acquire road information Da, vehicle information Db, and structure information Dc based on various data of the sensor detection area SR obtained from various sensors mounted on the vehicle 100a, as shown in FIG. 8 . Here, the road information Da includes information about the driving lane Lxm, the driving lane Lxs, and the intersection CL detected by the driving environment recognition unit 13c. The vehicle information Db includes information about the speed (vehicle speed) of the vehicle 100a obtained from the vehicle position estimation unit 13b and information about the vehicle 100b obtained from the driving environment recognition unit 13c. The structure information Dc includes information about the structure detected by the driving environment recognition unit 13c. Even in this case, it is possible to improve safety while reducing the frequency of cumbersome deceleration control and collision warnings.

[0077] [Variation 3-5] In the above-described embodiment and its variations, the driving control device 10 may have an alert light 31 in addition to the headlight 29, as shown in FIG. 9 . In addition to the headlight 29, the alert light 31 is also connected to the output side of the HL_ECU 25. The alert light 31 is a dedicated light capable of illuminating the above-described "structures on the road" or the above-described "structures around the road" with light. The alert light 31 is provided, for example, at the front end of the vehicle 100a. The HL_ECU 25 outputs a drive signal to the alert light 31 to control the on / off and optical axis of the alert light 31. Based on the drive signal from the HL_ECU 25, the alert light 31 switches the on / off of the alert light 31 and changes the direction of the optical axis of the light emitted from the alert light 31.

[0078] In this modification, the traveling_ECU 21 calculates two collision conditions (collision condition A, collision condition B), and if the vehicles 100a and 100b satisfy either of the two collision conditions (collision condition A or collision condition B) (step S107; Y), the traveling_ECU 21 generates a control signal to cause the alert light 31 to emit light Lw toward the convex mirror MR. When the HL_ECU 25 receives the control signal from the traveling_ECU 21, the HL_ECU 25 sets the optical axis direction of the light Lw of the alert light 31 based on the received control signal, and controls the alert light 31 to irradiate the light Lw in the set optical axis direction. As a result, the alert light 31 irradiates the light Lw toward the vehicle 100b via the convex mirror MR (step S108, see FIG. 7 ).

[0079] As described above, in this modification, the notification light 31 is used in addition to the headlight 29. In this case, the notification light 31 can be suitable for illuminating a reflector such as a curved mirror MR. For example, it is possible to use light having a higher emission intensity than the light of the headlight 29 or light of a different color from the light of the headlight 29 as a light source for the notification light 31. As a result, the driver of the vehicle 100b can be more effectively alerted to the presence of the vehicle 100a.

[0080] Note that the effects described in this specification are merely examples. The effects of the present disclosure are not limited to the effects described in this specification. The present disclosure may have effects other than the effects described in this specification.

[0081] Furthermore, for example, the present disclosure may have the following configurations. (1) A driving assistance device including a control unit capable of providing driving assistance, wherein the control unit is capable of: acquiring data indicating that a second road intersects with a first road ahead of a first road on which a first vehicle is traveling, that a second vehicle is approaching an intersection on the second road that intersects with the first road, and that a structure other than the road surface is present near the intersection; and, after acquiring the data, generating a first control signal to direct headlight light toward the structure and transmitting the first control signal to a drive circuit for the headlight. (2) The driving assistance device described in (1), wherein the first road is a priority road with one or more lanes in each direction, and the second road is a non-priority road in relation to the first road. (3) The driving assistance device described in (1) or (2), wherein the control unit is capable of transmitting the first control signal to the drive circuit for the headlight when it determines that the second vehicle may interfere with the first vehicle. (4) The driving assistance device according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the structure is a convex mirror. (5) The driving assistance device according to (4), wherein the control unit is capable of determining the possibility of the second vehicle interfering with the first vehicle based on image data of the second vehicle reflected in the convex mirror. (6) The driving assistance device according to any one of (1) to (5), wherein the structure is a building or wall having a reflective or scattering surface that allows headlight light to reach the second vehicle. (7) The driving assistance device according to (3), wherein the control unit is capable of determining the possibility of the second vehicle interfering with the first vehicle based on the data. (8) The driving assistance device according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the control unit is capable of acquiring the data from a device provided in the first vehicle.(9) The driving assistance device according to any one of (1) to (7), wherein the control unit is capable of acquiring the data from a first device provided in the first vehicle and a second device provided at or near the intersection. (10) The driving assistance device according to any one of (1) to (9), wherein the control unit is capable of, after transmitting the first control signal to the drive circuit, generating a second control signal for turning off the light of the headlight, and transmitting the second control signal to the drive circuit. (11) The driving assistance device according to any one of (1) to (10), wherein the headlight is a headlight of the first vehicle. (12) A vehicle including a control unit capable of providing driving assistance, wherein the control unit is capable of: acquiring data indicating that a second road exists ahead of a first road on which a first vehicle is traveling that intersects with the first road; that a second vehicle exists on the second road approaching an intersection that intersects with the first road; and that a structure other than the road surface exists near the intersection; and, after acquiring the data, generating a first control signal that causes the headlights to emit light toward the structure, and transmitting the first control signal to a drive circuit for the headlights. (13) A driving assistance method including: acquiring data indicating that a second road exists ahead of a first road on which a first vehicle is traveling and that intersects with the first road; that a second vehicle exists on the second road approaching an intersection that intersects with the first road; and that a structure other than the road surface exists near the intersection; and after acquiring the data, generating a first control signal that causes headlights to emit light toward the structure, and transmitting the first control signal to a drive circuit of the headlights.

[0082] The cruise control device 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 9 can be implemented by circuitry including at least one semiconductor integrated circuit, such as at least one processor (e.g., a central processing unit (CPU)), at least one application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), and / or at least one field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The at least one processor can be configured to perform all or a portion of the various functions of the cruise control device 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 9 by reading instructions from at least one non-transitory, tangible computer-readable medium. Such medium can take various forms, including, but not limited to, various magnetic media such as hard disks, various optical media such as CDs or DVDs, and various semiconductor memories (i.e., semiconductor circuits) such as volatile or non-volatile memories. Volatile memory can include DRAM and SRAM. Non-volatile memory can include ROM and NVRAM. An ASIC is an integrated circuit (IC) specialized to perform all or a portion of the various functions of the cruise control device 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 9. An FPGA is an integrated circuit that is designed to be configurable after manufacture so as to perform all or part of the various functions of the cruise control device 10 shown in FIGS.

Claims

1. Equipped with a control unit capable of providing driving assistance, The control unit, To acquire data indicating that a second road exists in front of the first road on which the first vehicle is traveling, intersecting with the first road, that a second vehicle is approaching the intersection where the second road intersects with the first road, and that a structure different from the road surface exists near the intersection, After acquiring the aforementioned data, when it is determined that the second vehicle may interfere with the first vehicle, a first control signal is generated that emits headlight light toward the structure, and the first control signal is transmitted to the headlight drive circuit. When it is determined that the second vehicle is no longer likely to interfere with the first vehicle, a second control signal is generated to turn off the light of the headlights emitting toward the structure, and the first control signal is transmitted to the drive circuit of the headlights. It is possible to do so. Driving assistance system.

2. The aforementioned first road is a priority road with one or more lanes in each direction. The second road is a non-priority road in relation to the first road. The driving support device according to claim 1.

3. The aforementioned structure is a convex mirror. The driving support device according to claim 1.

4. The control unit is capable of determining the possibility of interference between the second vehicle and the first vehicle based on image data of the second vehicle reflected in the convex mirror. The driving support device according to claim 3.

5. The structure is a building or wall having a reflective or scattering surface capable of directing the light from the headlights to the second vehicle. The driving support device according to claim 1.

6. The control unit is capable of determining, based on the data, the possibility that the second vehicle may interfere with the first vehicle. The driving support device according to claim 1.

7. The control unit is capable of acquiring the data from a device installed in the first vehicle. The driving support device according to claim 1.

8. The control unit is capable of acquiring the data from a first device provided on the first vehicle and a second device provided at or near the intersection. The driving support device according to claim 1.

9. The headlight is the headlight of the first vehicle. The driving support device according to claim 1.

10. Equipped with a control unit capable of providing driving assistance, The control unit, To acquire data indicating that a second road exists in front of the first road on which the first vehicle is traveling, intersecting with the first road, that a second vehicle is approaching the intersection where the second road intersects with the first road, and that a structure different from the road surface exists near the intersection, After acquiring the aforementioned data, when it is determined that the second vehicle may interfere with the first vehicle, a first control signal is generated that emits headlight light toward the structure, and the first control signal is transmitted to the headlight drive circuit. When it is determined that the second vehicle is no longer likely to interfere with the first vehicle, a second control signal is generated to turn off the light of the headlights emitting toward the structure, and the first control signal is transmitted to the drive circuit of the headlights. It is possible to do so. vehicle.

11. To acquire data indicating that a second road exists in front of the first road on which the first vehicle is traveling, intersecting with the first road, that a second vehicle is approaching the intersection where the second road intersects with the first road, and that a structure different from the road surface exists near the intersection, After acquiring the aforementioned data, when it is determined that the second vehicle may interfere with the first vehicle, a first control signal is generated that emits headlight light toward the structure, and the first control signal is transmitted to the headlight drive circuit. When it is determined that the second vehicle is no longer likely to interfere with the first vehicle, a second control signal is generated to turn off the light of the headlights emitting toward the structure, and the first control signal is transmitted to the drive circuit of the headlights. including Driving assistance methods.