Driving assistance system, driving assistance processing method, and recording medium

Abstract

The present invention provides a driving assistance system that calculates psychological state values on the basis of vehicle measurement data including driver psychological state information related to a psychological state of a driver of a vehicle, the data being measured in a predetermined specific travel scenario set up in advance. The psychological state values indicate changes in the psychological state of a driver of another vehicle present in the predetermined specific travel scenario while the vehicle to be assisted with is traveling in the predetermined specific travel scenario. The psychological state values are a first psychological state value for the case where the driver of the vehicle to be assisted with changes their driving behavior and a second psychological state value for the case where the driver of the vehicle to be assisted with does not change their driving behavior. The system assists with the driving of the vehicle to be assisted with on the basis of a psychological state evaluation value that indicates the difference between the first psychological state value and the second psychological state value.

Description

Driving assistance system, driving assistance processing method, and recording medium

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a driving assistance system, a driving assistance processing method, and a recording medium.

[0002] In situations involving multiple participants, there is a concept called total optimization, which indicates the optimal state for all participants. This concept of total optimization can also be applied to transportation environments involving multiple transportation participants.

[0003] For example, Patent Literature 1 proposes an environmental adjustment system that allows individual users to achieve their goals while also optimizing the overall environment to which the users belong. Specifically, Patent Literature 1 discloses an environmental adjustment system that includes an acquisition unit that acquires environmental information about an environment related to a user, a planning unit that plans an action plan to be recommended to the user based on the environmental information, a transmission unit that transmits the action plan to the user's terminal, and a confirmation unit that confirms whether the user has implemented the action plan, and when planning a new action plan for another user or the user, the planning unit uses the confirmation result by the confirmation unit.

[0004] Furthermore, Patent Literature 2 proposes a technology for optimizing the overall behavior of a large number of users. Specifically, Patent Literature 2 discloses a behavior control system that includes a content providing means for transmitting content that prompts some users to change their behavior to their terminal devices, a confirmation means for confirming whether or not users who have received the content have actually changed their behavior in accordance with the content, and a content effectiveness determining means for determining the characteristics and / or conditions of users who are likely to accept the content based on the confirmation result by the confirmation means and the characteristics and / or conditions of users stored in a database and recording the determination result in the database, and the content providing means determines users to select as recipients of the content based on the determination result recorded in the database the next time the content is provided.

[0005] JP 2019-117142 A JP 2017-59099 A

[0006] In a traffic environment involving multiple traffic participants, traffic troubles can be avoided by adopting altruistic driving behavior that does not irritate other traffic participants. If such altruistic driving behavior is considered to be an overall optimal behavior that optimizes the overall situation of surrounding traffic participants, it is thought that the psychological state of drivers of other vehicles has a significant impact on overall optimization.

[0007] However, while the technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 consider congestion relief and optimization of energy supply as optimization of the overall environment, they do not consider the psychological state of the vehicle driver. Therefore, the technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 cannot achieve overall optimal driving that does not irritate other traffic participants.

[0008] Furthermore, the technologies disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 are targeted at autonomous vehicles and take into account the difference between planned and executed driving behaviors, but do not focus on the difference in impact on overall optimization between cases where the driver changes his or her driving behavior and cases where he or she does not change it. For example, in a situation where multiple lanes merge, if it is known how yielding or not yielding space in front of one's own vehicle affects the drivers of other vehicles, it is possible to suggest appropriate driving behaviors to the drivers of the vehicles.

[0009] The present disclosure has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present disclosure is to provide a driving assistance system, a driving assistance control method, and a recording medium that assist in achieving overall optimal driving that does not irritate other traffic participants.

[0010] In order to solve the above problem, according to an aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a driving assistance system that assists driving of a vehicle, the driving assistance system including: a collected data storage unit that stores vehicle measurement data including driver psychological state information related to the psychological state of the driver of the vehicle, measured in a predetermined specific driving scene that is set in advance and transmitted from a terminal device mounted on each vehicle; and a processing unit that executes processing to assist driving of an assisted vehicle based on the collected vehicle measurement data, wherein the processing unit calculates, based on the vehicle measurement data, psychological state values ​​that indicate changes in the psychological state of the driver of another vehicle present in the predetermined specific driving scene while the assisted vehicle is traveling through the predetermined specific driving scene, the psychological state values ​​being a first psychological state value when the driver of the assisted vehicle changes his / her driving behavior and a second psychological state value when the driver of the assisted vehicle does not change his / her driving behavior, and executes psychological state calculation processing to calculate a psychological state evaluation value that indicates the difference between the first psychological state value and the second psychological state value; and driving assistance processing to assist driving of the assisted vehicle based on the psychological state evaluation value.

[0011] In addition, in order to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a driving assistance processing method for assisting driving of a vehicle, in which a computer collects vehicle measurement data transmitted from a terminal device mounted in each vehicle, the vehicle measurement data including driver psychological state information relating to the psychological state of the driver of the vehicle, measured in a predetermined specific driving scene that is set in advance, and the vehicle measurement data is transmitted; based on the collected vehicle measurement data, the computer calculates psychological state values ​​indicating changes in the psychological state of drivers of other vehicles present in the predetermined specific driving scene while the assisted vehicle is traveling through the predetermined specific driving scene, the psychological state values ​​being a first psychological state value when the driver of the assisted vehicle changes his / her driving behavior and a second psychological state value when the driver of the assisted vehicle does not change his / her driving behavior; the computer calculates a psychological state evaluation value indicating the difference between the first psychological state value and the second psychological state value; and assists the driving of the assisted vehicle based on the psychological state evaluation value.

[0012] In addition, to solve the above problem, according to another aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a non-transitory tangible recording medium having recorded thereon a program that causes a computer to execute the following operations: collect vehicle measurement data including driver psychological state information regarding the psychological state of the driver of the vehicle, measured in a predetermined specific driving scene that is set in advance, and transmitted from a terminal device mounted on each vehicle; calculate, based on the collected vehicle measurement data, psychological state values ​​that indicate changes in the psychological state of the driver of another vehicle present in the predetermined specific driving scene while the assisted vehicle is driving through the predetermined specific driving scene, the psychological state values ​​being a first psychological state value when the driver of the assisted vehicle changes his / her driving behavior and a second psychological state value when the driver of the assisted vehicle does not change his / her driving behavior; calculate a psychological state evaluation value that indicates the difference between the first psychological state value and the second psychological state value; and assist the driving of the assisted vehicle based on the psychological state evaluation value.

[0013] As described above, according to the present disclosure, it is possible to support the realization of overall optimal driving that does not irritate other traffic participants.

[0014] 1 is a schematic diagram showing a basic configuration of a driving assistance system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a specific driving scene in which the driving behavior of a vehicle affects the psychological state. FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a specific driving scene in which the driving behavior of a vehicle affects the psychological state. FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing another example of a specific driving scene in which the driving behavior of a vehicle affects the psychological state. FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram showing an example of a configuration of a vehicle to which the driving assistance system of the embodiment can be applied. FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a driving assistance device of the driving assistance system according to the embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a main routine of processing operations by the driving assistance device of the driving assistance system according to the embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing assistance processing by the driving assistance device of the driving assistance system according to the embodiment. FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing pre-passage processing by the driving assistance device of the driving assistance system according to the embodiment. FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing post-passage processing by the driving assistance device of the driving assistance system according to the embodiment. FIG. 10 is a block diagram showing an example of a configuration of a management server of the driving assistance system according to the embodiment. FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing processing operations by the management server of the driving assistance system according to the embodiment. FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing pre-passage assistance information setting processing by the management server of the driving assistance system according to the embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing post-passage advice information setting processing by the management server of the driving assistance system according to the embodiment. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing psychological state evaluation value calculation processing by the management server of the driving assistance system according to the embodiment. 10 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration example of a driving assistance device of a driving assistance system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure; and FIG. 11 is a flowchart illustrating a pre-passing process performed by the driving assistance device of the driving assistance system according to the same embodiment.

[0015] Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this specification and drawings, components having substantially the same functional configurations are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant description will be omitted.

[0016] In the embodiments described below, a "specific driving scene" refers to a driving scene that is predefined as a driving scene in which the driving behavior of a vehicle affects the overall optimization of surrounding traffic participants. The "specific driving scene" may be predefined at the system design stage, or may be arbitrarily defined by the vehicle user.

[0017] "Traffic participants" refer to vehicles present in a specific driving scene, including not only other vehicles but also the vehicle to be assisted. "Surrounding traffic participants" refer to other vehicles present around any one of the traffic participants (the vehicle to be assisted). "Terminal device" refers to a driving assistance device installed in a vehicle participating in the system.

[0018] The "driver's psychological state" indicates the state of psychological stress and is classified into 11 levels, for example, from minus 5 to plus 5, with a larger absolute value of the positive value indicating a more positive psychological state. The "driver's psychological state" is considered to change to a negative psychological state, for example, when the vehicle's driving behavior violates traffic rules or traffic etiquette, or is a driving behavior that makes the driver feel unsafe. In addition, the "driver's psychological state" is considered to change to a positive psychological state, for example, when the vehicle's driving behavior prioritizes other vehicles.

[0019] <<1. First embodiment>> <1-1. Overview of driving assistance system> First, an example of an overview of a driving assistance system according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described.

[0020] 1 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the basic configuration of a driving assistance system 100. The driving assistance system 100 includes a terminal device (driving assistance device) 50 mounted on each of a plurality of vehicles 1, and a management server 110. The number of vehicles 1 participating in the driving assistance system 100 is arbitrary and is not particularly limited. Also, for ease of understanding, one management server 110 is illustrated, but a plurality of management servers 110 may be provided.

[0021] The driving assistance devices 50 are each communicably connected to the management server 110 via one or more communication networks 105. For example, the driving assistance devices 50 are connected to the management server 110 via a mobile communication network.

[0022] The driving assistance device 50 is mounted on the vehicle 1 participating in the system, detects position information of the vehicle 1 at a predetermined processing cycle, and calculates the direction of movement of the vehicle 1 based on changes in the position of the vehicle 1 over time. The driving assistance device 50 also measures the running state of the vehicle 1 and accumulates it as time-series data. The driving assistance device 50 also detects driver psychological state information relating to the psychological state of the vehicle driver.

[0023] The driving assistance device 50 is configured to be able to transmit, to the management server 110, identification information for identifying the driver, as well as information on the position, direction of movement, and driving state of the vehicle 1, and information on the driver's psychological state. In this embodiment, the driver's identification information, the information on the position, direction of movement, and driving state of the vehicle 1, and the driver state information correspond to vehicle measurement data. Note that, hereinafter, the information on the position, direction of movement, and driving state of the vehicle 1 may be collectively referred to as "vehicle state information."

[0024] Furthermore, the driving assistance device 50 acquires notification information for assisting the driving of the vehicle 1 from the management server 110, and notifies the driver of the vehicle 1 of the acquired notification information. In this embodiment, the driving assistance device 50 acquires notification information from the management server 110 before and after the vehicle 1 passes through a predetermined specific driving scene, and notifies the driver of the acquired notification information.

[0025] The management server 110 is an information processing device that is communicatively connected to the driving assistance device 50 via the communication network 105 using, for example, cloud computing technology. The management server 110 receives vehicle measurement data from the driving assistance device 50. The received vehicle measurement data includes information indicating that the vehicle 1 passes through a predetermined specific driving scene.

[0026] The management server 110 identifies other vehicles present within a predetermined area corresponding to the position of the vehicle 1 passing through the specific driving scene, and identifies the vehicle measurement data received from the other vehicles. The management server 110 sets notification information to assist the driving of the assisted vehicle 1 based on the vehicle measurement data acquired from surrounding traffic participants present in the specific driving scene, and transmits the notification information to the driving assistance device 50 of the vehicle 1.

[0027] 2 to 4 are explanatory diagrams showing examples of specific driving scenes in which the driving behavior of one vehicle affects the psychological state of the driver of another vehicle. Fig. 2 shows a scene in which three vehicles 200a to 200c are traveling from the right along a road with a pedestrian crossing toward the crosswalk, a vehicle 200d in the oncoming lane has stopped just before the crosswalk, and a pedestrian 202 is approaching the crosswalk. The specific driving scene in Fig. 2 can be defined as, for example, a "driving scene in which the vehicles pass through a crosswalk without traffic lights."

[0028] In the example shown in Fig. 2, when vehicle 200d slows down to allow pedestrian 202 to cross the street, vehicle 200a also slows down or stops, thereby encouraging pedestrian 202 to cross the street smoothly. In this case, it is considered that the driver of stopped vehicle 202d will change to a positive psychological state. However, if vehicle 200a suddenly decelerates, it is considered that the drivers of vehicles 200b and 200c will change to a negative psychological state. On the other hand, if vehicle 200a continues traveling without slowing down, it is considered that the driver of vehicle 202d will change to a negative psychological state.

[0029] 3 and 4 show another example of a specific driving scene, in which vehicles 210a to 210g traveling in different lanes merge at a lane merging point on a two-lane road. The specific driving scene in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 is defined as, for example, a "driving scene passing through a lane merging point."

[0030] FIG. 3 illustrates a "zipper merge" in which vehicles traveling in two lanes merge by yielding to each other at the leading edge of the merger. In a zipper merge, the drivers of vehicles 210b and 210e at the leading edge of the merger yield to each other and change lanes (changing their driving behavior) to merge. Meanwhile, FIG. 4 illustrates how, just before the merging point, vehicles 200e-200g traveling in the merging lane cut in between vehicles 200a-200d traveling in the destination lane at any point. In the merging method illustrated in FIG. 4, the drivers of vehicles 210a-210g at appropriate positions slow down or change lanes (changing their driving behavior) to allow vehicles 200a-200g to merge.

[0031] The merging method shown in Fig. 3 is a merging method that does not irritate the drivers of the respective vehicles 200a to 200g, as compared to the merging method shown in Fig. 4, and is thought to not negatively change the psychological states of the drivers of the vehicles 200a to 200g. Furthermore, with the merging method shown in Fig. 4, if the drivers of the vehicles 210c and 210d traveling in the lane where the vehicles are to merge suddenly decelerate due to the influence of the vehicles 210f and 210g cutting in, it is thought that the psychological states of the drivers of the vehicles 210c and 210d will change negatively.

[0032] The driving assistance system 100 according to this embodiment focuses on changes in the psychological states of drivers of other vehicles in the vicinity due to the driving behavior of a vehicle traveling in a specific driving scene, and is constructed as a driving assistance system that reduces the stimulus given to drivers of other vehicles whose psychological states are likely to change negatively.

[0033] The following provides a specific description of the functional configuration and operation of the driving assistance device 50 and the management server 110. In the following description, for ease of understanding, a specific vehicle is referred to as an assistance target vehicle 1, and vehicles other than the assistance target vehicle 1 are referred to as other vehicles.

[0034] <1-2. Driving Assistance Device> (1-2-1. Vehicle) Next, before describing the functional configuration of the driving assistance device 50, an example of the overall configuration of the vehicle 1 equipped with the driving assistance device 50 will be described. The driving assistance device 50 may be equipped in all vehicles 1 participating in the system of the present disclosure.

[0035] 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example configuration of a vehicle 1 equipped with a driving assistance device 50. The vehicle 1 is configured as a two-wheel drive four-wheel vehicle in which a driving torque output from a driving force source 9 that generates driving torque is transmitted to a left front wheel and a right front wheel. The driving force source 9 may be an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, a driving motor, or both an internal combustion engine and a driving motor.

[0036] Vehicle 1 may be a four-wheel drive vehicle that transmits drive torque to the front and rear wheels. Vehicle 1 may also be an electric vehicle equipped with two drive motors, for example, a front-wheel drive motor and a rear-wheel drive motor, or an electric vehicle equipped with drive motors corresponding to the respective wheels. If vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle or hybrid electric vehicle, vehicle 1 is equipped with a secondary battery that stores power supplied to the drive motors, and a motor or a generator such as a fuel cell that generates power to charge the battery.

[0037] The vehicle 1 is equipped with a driving force source 9, an electric steering device 15, and brake devices 17LF, 17RF, 17LR, and 17RR (hereinafter collectively referred to as "brake devices 17" unless a distinction is required) as devices used to control the operation of the vehicle 1. The driving force source 9 outputs driving torque that is transmitted to the front-wheel drive shaft 5F via a transmission and a differential mechanism 7 (not shown). The operation of the driving force source 9 and the transmission is controlled by a vehicle control unit 41 that includes one or more electronic control units (ECUs: Electronic Control Units).

[0038] The front-wheel drive shaft 5F is provided with an electric steering device 15. The electric steering device 15 includes an electric motor and a gear mechanism (not shown), and is controlled by a vehicle control unit 41 to adjust the steering angle of the front wheels. During manual driving, the vehicle control unit 41 controls the electric steering device 15 based on the steering angle of the steering wheel 13 operated by the driver. During automatic driving, the vehicle control unit 41 controls the electric steering device 15 based on a set steering angle or steering angular velocity.

[0039] Brake devices 17LF, 17RF, 17LR, and 17RR apply braking force to the respective wheels. Brake devices 17 are configured as, for example, hydraulic brake devices. Vehicle control unit 41 adjusts the hydraulic pressure supplied to each brake device 17 by controlling the drive of hydraulic unit 16. If vehicle 1 is an electric vehicle or a hybrid electric vehicle, brake devices 17 are used in combination with regenerative braking using a drive motor.

[0040] The vehicle control unit 41 includes one or more electronic control devices that control the driving of the driving force source 9, the electric steering device 15, and the hydraulic unit 16. If the vehicle 1 is equipped with a transmission that changes the speed of the output from the driving force source 9 and transmits it to the wheels 3, the vehicle control unit 41 has a function of controlling the driving of the transmission.

[0041] The vehicle 1 also includes front imaging cameras 31LF and 31RF, a rear imaging camera 31R, a vehicle state sensor 33, a position detection sensor 35, an interior imaging camera 37, and a notification device 43.

[0042] The front imaging cameras 31LF, 31RF and the rear imaging camera 31R constitute ambient environment sensors for acquiring information about the ambient environment of the vehicle 1. The front imaging cameras 31LF, 31RF capture images of the area in front of the vehicle 1 and generate image data. The rear imaging camera 31R captures images of the area behind the vehicle 1 and generates image data. The front imaging cameras 31LF, 31RF and the rear imaging camera 31R are equipped with imaging elements such as a charge coupled device (CCD) or a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS), and transmit the generated image data to the driving assistance device 50. In the vehicle 1 shown in FIG. 5 , the front imaging cameras 31LF, 31RF are configured as stereo cameras including a pair of left and right cameras, but the front imaging cameras may also be monocular cameras.

[0043] The surrounding environment sensor may include, in addition to the front imaging cameras 31LF, 31RF and the rear imaging camera 31R, a camera that is mounted on a side mirror and captures images of the left rear or right rear. In addition, the surrounding environment sensor may include one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of a radar sensor such as a light detection and ranging (LiDAR) or a millimeter wave radar, and an ultrasonic sensor.

[0044] The vehicle state sensor 33 is composed of at least one sensor that detects the operating state and behavior of the vehicle 1. The vehicle state sensor 33 includes, for example, at least one of a steering angle sensor, an accelerator position sensor, a brake stroke sensor, a brake pressure sensor, or an engine rotation speed sensor. The vehicle state sensor 33 also includes, for example, at least one of a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, or an angular velocity sensor. The vehicle state sensor 33 further includes a switch that detects the on / off state of a turn signal. The vehicle state sensor 33 transmits a sensor signal indicating the detected information to the driving assistance device 50.

[0045] The position detection sensor 35 receives satellite signals from GNSS positioning satellites, such as GPS. The position detection sensor 35 transmits the position information of the vehicle 1 contained in the received satellite signals to the driving assistance device 50. Note that the position detection sensor 35 may be an antenna that receives satellite signals from other satellite systems that identify the position of the vehicle 1, in addition to a GPS sensor.

[0046] The interior camera 37 captures an image of the driver of the vehicle 1 and generates image data. The interior camera 37 includes an imaging element such as a CCD or a CMOS, and transmits the generated image data to the driving assistance device 50.

[0047] The notification device 43 is driven by the driving assistance device 50 and notifies the driver of the vehicle 1 of various information by means of image display, audio output, etc. The notification device 43 includes, for example, a display device provided in the instrument panel and a speaker provided in the vehicle 1. The display device may be a display device of a navigation system. The notification device 43 may also be a HUD (head-up display) that displays information on the windshield.

[0048] (1-2-2. Functional Configuration) Next, the functional configuration of the driving assistance device 50 will be described. The driving assistance device 50 functions as a device that assists in driving a vehicle by having one or more processors, such as CPUs, execute a computer program. The computer program is a computer program that causes the processor to execute the operations, described below, that should be executed by the driving assistance device 50. The computer program executed by the processor may be recorded on a recording medium that functions as a storage unit (memory) 55 provided in the driving assistance device 50, or may be recorded on a recording medium built into the driving assistance device 50 or any recording medium that can be externally attached to the driving assistance device 50.

[0049] The recording medium for recording a computer program may be a magnetic medium such as a hard disk, a floppy disk, or a magnetic tape; an optical recording medium such as a CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk), or a Blu-ray (registered trademark); a magneto-optical medium such as a floptical disk; a memory element such as a RAM or a ROM; a flash memory such as a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory or an SSD; or any other medium capable of storing a program.

[0050] 6 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the driving assistance device 50. The driving assistance device 50 is connected to a surrounding environment sensor 31, a vehicle state sensor 33, a position detection sensor 35, and an in-vehicle camera 37 via a dedicated line or communication means such as a controller area network (CAN) or local internet (LIN). The driving assistance device 50 is also connected to a vehicle control unit 41 and a notification device 43.

[0051] The driving assistance device 50 is not limited to an electronic control device mounted on the vehicle 1, and the driving assistance device 50 itself may be a terminal device such as a smartphone or a wearable device.

[0052] The driving assistance device 50 includes a communication unit 51, a processing unit 53, and a storage unit 55. The communication unit 51 is an interface for communicating with the management server 110 via the communication network 105. The processing unit 53 is configured with one or more processors such as CPUs. A part or all of the processing unit 53 may be configured with updatable firmware or the like, or may be a program module or the like that is executed in response to an instruction from the CPU or the like.

[0053] The storage unit 55 is composed of one or more memories such as RAM or ROM, and is communicably connected to the processing unit 53. However, the number and type of storage units 55 are not particularly limited. The storage unit 55 stores information such as computer programs executed by the processing unit 53, various parameters used in calculation processing, detection data, and calculation results. Map data is also stored in the storage unit 55. A part of the storage unit 55 is used as a work area for the processing unit 53.

[0054] The processing unit 53 includes an acquisition unit 61, a surrounding environment detection unit 63, a driver information calculation unit 65, a vehicle information detection unit 67, a driving scene determination unit 69, a communication control unit 71, and a notification processing unit 73. The functions of these units are realized by the execution of a computer program by a processor. Note that some of the acquisition unit 61, the surrounding environment detection unit 63, the driver information calculation unit 65, the vehicle information detection unit 67, the driving scene determination unit 69, the communication control unit 71, and the notification processing unit 73 may be configured using hardware such as an analog circuit.

[0055] The acquisition unit 61 acquires sensor signals or image data output from the surrounding environment sensor 31, the vehicle state sensor 33, the position detection sensor 35, and the interior camera 37 at each predetermined processing cycle.

[0056] The surrounding environment detection unit 63 detects the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 based on the sensor signal or image data output from the surrounding environment sensor 31. For example, the surrounding environment detection unit 63 recognizes objects by extracting feature points from the image data and matching the pattern of the feature points with pre-prepared reference data. The surrounding environment detection unit 63 recognizes various objects, such as moving objects such as people, bicycles, motorcycles, and four-wheeled automobiles, as well as man-made or natural stationary objects and lines painted on roads such as white lines and crosswalks. The surrounding environment detection unit 63 also calculates the position and speed of the recognized objects, as well as the distance to the objects. The surrounding environment detection unit 63 may also detect information about the road on which the vehicle 1 is traveling based on map data and the position information of the vehicle 1.

[0057] The surrounding environment sensor 31 may perform processing to recognize these moving objects, stationary objects, etc. In this case, the driving assistance device 50 acquires measurement information including the recognition results from the surrounding environment sensor 31.

[0058] The driver information calculation unit 65 measures the psychological state of the driver in a predetermined processing cycle. The driver information calculation unit 65 estimates the psychological state of the driver from the facial muscles of the driver acquired from image data of the in-vehicle camera 37. The psychological state of the driver may be measured using a camera worn by the driver, or may be measured based on a sensor signal from a biosensor that detects biometric information such as blood pressure and heart rate.

[0059] The vehicle information detection unit 67 detects various vehicle state information. Specifically, the vehicle information detection unit 67 calculates the direction of movement of the vehicle 1 based on the position information input from the position detection sensor 35. The vehicle information detection unit 67 also detects the running state of the vehicle 1 based on the sensor signal output from the vehicle state sensor 33. Specifically, the vehicle information detection unit 67 detects the speed, acceleration, angular velocity, steering angle, accelerator opening, and brake operation amount of the vehicle 1. The vehicle information detection unit 67 also detects the on / off status of the direction indicators.

[0060] The driving scene determination unit 69 determines whether the vehicle 1 is passing through a predetermined specific driving scene based on information about the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1. Specifically, the driving scene determination unit 69 compares the road structure in the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 detected by the surrounding environment detection unit 63 and the traffic conditions indicating the positional relationships of surrounding traffic participants around the vehicle 1 with conditions set as the specific driving scene, and determines that the vehicle 1 is passing through the specific driving scene if the road structure and traffic conditions correspond to the specific driving scene. The road structure is information about the road, such as the number of lanes (lanes), merging conditions, intersection conditions, radius of curvature, road width or lane width, road type (general road, intercity expressway, urban expressway, residential road or shopping street, etc.), and type of road or lane boundary line.

[0061] Furthermore, after determining that the vehicle 1 passes through the specific driving scene, the driving scene determination unit 69 determines whether the vehicle 1 has passed through the specific driving scene. Specifically, the driving scene determination unit 69 determines that the vehicle 1 has passed through the specific driving scene when the vehicle 1 leaves an area with a road structure or traffic conditions that correspond to the specific driving scene.

[0062] The communication control unit 71 transmits, at a predetermined timing, vehicle measurement data including driver psychological state information and vehicle state information to the management server 110. Specifically, the communication control unit 71 transmits the vehicle measurement data to the management server 110 when the driving scene determination unit 69 determines that the vehicle 1 will pass through a specific driving scene, and when it determines that the vehicle 1 has passed through the specific driving scene.

[0063] The notification processing unit 73 receives notification information transmitted from the management server 110 and notifies the driver of the notification information via the notification device 43. In this embodiment, the notification processing unit 73 obtains notification information from the management server 110 before and after the vehicle 1 passes through a specific driving scene, and notifies the driver of the obtained notification information.

[0064] (1-2-3. Processing Operation) Next, the processing operation of the driving assistance device 50 will be specifically described.

[0065] 7 to 11 are flowcharts showing the processing operations performed by the driving support device 50. FIG.

[0066] When the in-vehicle system including the driving assistance device 50 is started (step S21), the processing unit 53 records information identifying the driver of the vehicle 1 (driver identification information) (step S23). The driver information calculation unit 65 of the processing unit 53 acquires the information identifying the driver and records the acquired driver identification information. For example, the driver information calculation unit 65 identifies the driver based on facial features of the driver acquired from image data of the in-vehicle camera 37, and records identification information such as an identification number assigned to each driver. The driver information calculation unit 65 may also identify the driver based on information input by the driver.

[0067] Next, the driver information calculation unit 65 starts a process of calculating and recording vehicle state information and driver psychological state information (step S25). Specifically, the driver information calculation unit 65 estimates the driver's psychological state from the driver's facial muscles acquired from image data captured by the interior camera 37. The vehicle information detection unit 67 of the processing unit 53 calculates the direction of movement of the vehicle 1 based on the position information input from the position detection sensor 35. For example, the vehicle information detection unit 67 can calculate the direction of movement of the vehicle 1 based on time changes in the position information input at each predetermined processing cycle. The vehicle information detection unit 67 also detects the driving state of the vehicle 1 based on the sensor signal output from the vehicle state sensor 33. Specifically, the vehicle information detection unit 67 detects the speed, acceleration, angular velocity, steering angle, accelerator opening, and brake operation amount of the vehicle 1. The vehicle information detection unit 67 also detects the on / off status of the turn signal.

[0068] The process of calculating and recording the vehicle state information and the driver state information, which is started in step S25, is thereafter repeatedly executed in a predetermined processing cycle.

[0069] Next, the processing unit 53 executes an assistance process to assist the driver in driving the vehicle 1 (step S27). In the present embodiment, the processing unit 53 executes, as the assistance process, a notification process to notify the driver of notification information for assisting the driver in driving.

[0070] FIG. 8 shows a flowchart of the assistance processing. First, the driving scene determination unit 69 of the processing unit 53 determines whether the vehicle 1 is passing through a specific driving scene (step S31). Specifically, the driving scene determination unit 69 compares the road structure in the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 detected by the surrounding environment detection unit 63 and the traffic conditions indicating the positional relationships of surrounding traffic participants around the vehicle 1 with conditions set as the specific driving scene, and determines that the vehicle 1 is passing through the specific driving scene if the road structure and traffic conditions correspond to the specific driving scene. For example, the driving scene determination unit 69 may determine that the vehicle 1 is passing through the specific driving scene when it detects road structure and traffic conditions that correspond to the specific driving scene, or may determine that the vehicle 1 is passing through the specific driving scene when the vehicle 1 approaches the corresponding road structure and traffic conditions within a certain distance. The certain distance may be a fixed value set to, for example, 30 to 50 meters, or may be a value that changes depending on the speed of the vehicle 1.

[0071] If the driving scene determination unit 69 does not determine that the vehicle 1 will pass through the specific driving scene (S31 / No), the determination of step S31 is repeated. On the other hand, if the driving scene determination unit 69 determines that the vehicle 1 will pass through the specific driving scene (S31 / Yes), the processing unit 53 executes pre-passage processing (step S33). The pre-passage processing is support processing that is performed before the vehicle 1 passes through the specific driving scene.

[0072] 9 shows a flowchart of the pre-passage processing. In the pre-passage processing, the communication control unit 71 of the processing unit 53 transmits information indicating that the vehicle 1 is passing through a specific driving scene and vehicle measurement data together with the driver's identification information to the management server 110 (step S41). The vehicle measurement data includes position information of the vehicle 1, information on the surrounding environment detected immediately before, vehicle status information, and driver psychological state information. In other words, the driving assistance device 50 transmits information indicating the location of the vehicle 1 in the specific driving scene, the driving condition of the vehicle 1, the driver's psychological state, and the situation of surrounding traffic participants to the management server 110.

[0073] Next, the notification processing unit 73 of the processing unit 53 receives the support information transmitted from the management server 110 (step S43). The support information transmitted by the management server 110 is information that is set based on the difference that appears in the psychological state of the driver of the other vehicle when the driver of the vehicle 1 changes or does not change his / her driving behavior when passing through a specific driving scene, as will be described later. The support information transmitted by the management server 110 in the pre-passing process includes support information for recommended driving behavior that does not irritate the driver of the other vehicle, whose psychological state is likely to change negatively when the vehicle 1 passes through a specific driving scene.

[0074] Next, the notification processing unit 73 notifies the driver of the received assistance information (step S45). Specifically, the notification processing unit 73 controls the operation of the notification device 43 to notify the driver of the assistance information on the recommended driving behavior received from the management server 110. In this way, the notification processing unit 73 can encourage the driver to take driving behavior that does not irritate drivers of other vehicles whose psychological state is likely to change negatively.

[0075] 8 , after the pre-passage process is executed, the driving scene determination unit 69 determines whether the vehicle 1 has passed through the specific driving scene (step S35). For example, the driving scene determination unit 69 determines that the vehicle 1 has passed through the specific driving scene when the vehicle 1 leaves an area with a road structure or traffic conditions that correspond to the specific driving scene determined in step S31.

[0076] If the driving scene determination unit 69 does not determine that the vehicle 1 has passed through the specific driving scene (S35 / No), the determination of step S35 is repeated. On the other hand, if the driving scene determination unit 69 determines that the vehicle 1 has passed through the specific driving scene (S35 / Yes), the processing unit 53 executes post-passage processing (step S37). The post-passage processing is support processing that is performed after the vehicle 1 has passed through the specific driving scene.

[0077] 10 shows a flowchart of the post-passage processing. In the post-passage processing, the communication control unit 71 determines whether the driver has changed their driving behavior while the vehicle 1 is passing through the specific driving scene (step S51). For example, the communication control unit 71 determines whether the vehicle 1 has slowed down or stopped before a pedestrian crossing or given way to another vehicle, based on the vehicle measurement data collected and recorded while the vehicle 1 is passing through the specific driving scene. The content of the determination is preset according to the specific driving scene.

[0078] If the communication control unit 71 determines that the driver changed his driving behavior while the vehicle 1 was passing through the specific driving scene (S51 / Yes), it records the vehicle measurement data collected while the vehicle 1 was passing through the specific driving scene as vehicle measurement data when the driver changed his driving behavior (step S53), and proceeds to step S59.

[0079] On the other hand, if the communication control unit 71 does not determine that the driver changed his / her driving behavior while the vehicle 1 passed through the specific driving scene (S51 / No), the communication control unit 71 determines whether the vehicle 1 was affected by a change in the driving behavior of another vehicle while the vehicle 1 passed through the specific driving scene (step S55). For example, the communication control unit 71 determines whether the vehicle 1 suddenly decelerated as another vehicle slowed down or stopped in front of a pedestrian crossing, or whether the vehicle 1 was given the space in front of the other vehicle, based on the vehicle measurement data collected and recorded while the vehicle 1 passed through the specific driving scene. The content of the determination is set in advance depending on the specific driving scene.

[0080] If the communication control unit 71 determines that the vehicle 1 has been affected by a change in the driving behavior of another vehicle while passing through a specific driving scene (S55 / Yes), it records the vehicle measurement data collected while the vehicle 1 has passed through the specific driving scene as vehicle measurement data when it has been affected by a change in the driving behavior of another vehicle (step S57), and proceeds to step S59.

[0081] On the other hand, if the communication control unit 71 does not determine that the vehicle 1 was affected by a change in the driving behavior of another vehicle while passing through the specific driving scene (S55 / No), the process proceeds to step S59. In step S59, the communication control unit 71 transmits to the management server 110 information indicating that the vehicle 1 has completed passing through the specific driving scene and the vehicle measurement data collected and recorded while the vehicle 1 passed through the specific driving scene (step S59). Here, the vehicle measurement data transmitted to the management server 110 is one of the following: vehicle measurement data when the driver changed his driving behavior, vehicle measurement data when the vehicle 1 was affected by a change in the driving behavior of another vehicle, or vehicle measurement data when the driver did not change his driving behavior and was not affected by a change in the driving behavior of another vehicle.

[0082] The vehicle measurement data includes time-series data of the position information of the vehicle 1, information on the surrounding environment detected immediately before, vehicle state information, and driver psychological state information. In other words, information indicating what driving behavior the driver selected, the driving condition of the vehicle 1, the driver's psychological state, and the situation of surrounding traffic participants while the vehicle 1 passes through a specific driving scene is transmitted from the driving assistance device 50 to the management server 110.

[0083] Next, the notification processing unit 73 of the processing unit 53 receives the advice information transmitted from the management server 110 (step S61). The notification information transmitted by the management server 110 is advice information that is set based on the psychological state of the driver of the other vehicle while the vehicle 1 passes through the specific driving scene, as will be described later. The advice information transmitted by the management server 110 in the post-passage processing includes information indicating what effect the vehicle 1 had on the psychological state of the driver of the other vehicle while passing through the specific driving scene, or what driving behavior the vehicle 1 should have taken.

[0084] Next, the notification processing unit 73 notifies the driver of the received advice information (step S63). Specifically, the notification processing unit 73 controls the driving of the notification device 43 to notify the driver of the advice information received from the management server 110. This allows the driver to know how his or her driving behavior while passing through the specific driving scene affected the psychological state of the driver of the other vehicle, or what driving behavior to adopt the next time the driver passes through the same specific driving scene.

[0085] 7, after the assistance process is executed, the processing unit 53 determines whether the in-vehicle system has stopped (step S29), and if it is determined that the in-vehicle system has not stopped (S29 / No), the processing unit 53 repeats the assistance process of step S27. On the other hand, if it is determined that the in-vehicle system has stopped (S29 / Yes), the processing unit 53 stops the process.

[0086] As described above, when the vehicle 1 encounters a specific driving scene, the driving assistance device 50 acquires assistance information from the management server 110 before passing through the specific driving scene and notifies the driver of information on recommended driving behavior. After the vehicle 1 passes through the specific driving scene, the driving assistance device 50 acquires advice information based on the driver's driving behavior while passing through the specific driving scene from the management server 110 and notifies the driver of the advice information. Furthermore, each time the driving assistance device 50 passes through a specific driving scene, it transmits vehicle measurement data collected while passing through the specific driving scene to the management server 110.

[0087] <1-3. Management Server> Next, the management server 110 will be described in detail.

[0088] The management server 110 functions as a device that sets information for assisting vehicle driving by having one or more processors, such as CPUs, execute a computer program. The computer program is a computer program that causes the processor to execute the operations, described below, that should be performed by the management server 110. The computer program executed by the processor may be recorded on a recording medium that functions as a storage unit (memory) 115 provided in the management server 110, or may be recorded on a recording medium built into the management server 110 or any recording medium that can be externally attached to the management server 110.

[0089] The recording medium for recording a computer program may be a magnetic medium such as a hard disk, a floppy disk, or a magnetic tape; an optical recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD, or a Blu-ray (registered trademark); a magneto-optical medium such as a floptical disk; a memory element such as a RAM or a ROM; a flash memory such as a USB memory or an SSD; or any other medium capable of storing a program.

[0090] (1-3-1. Functional Configuration) Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of the management server 110. The management server 110 includes a communication unit 111, a processing unit 113, a storage unit 115, and a collected data storage unit 117. The communication unit 111 is an interface for communicating with the driving assistance device 50 via the communication network 105. The processing unit 113 includes one or more CPUs, and executes psychological state calculation processing and driving assistance processing.

[0091] The storage unit 115 includes one or more memories, and stores various parameters used in the calculation processes and information on the results of calculations, as well as computer programs executed by the processing unit 113. The storage unit 115 may be a magnetic medium such as a hard disk, a floppy disk, or a magnetic tape, an optical recording medium such as a CD-ROM, a DVD, or a Blu-ray (registered trademark), a magneto-optical medium such as a floptical disk, a storage element such as a RAM or a ROM, a flash memory such as a USB memory or an SSD, or other recording medium.

[0092] The collected data storage unit 117 stores vehicle measurement data measured in a predetermined specific driving scene, which is transmitted from terminal devices (driving assistance devices) mounted on each of a plurality of vehicles. The collected data storage unit 117 may be a magnetic medium such as a hard disk, floppy disk, or magnetic tape, an optical recording medium such as a CD-ROM, DVD, or Blu-ray (registered trademark), a magneto-optical medium such as a floptical disk, a flash memory such as a USB memory or SSD, or other recording medium.

[0093] The collected data storage unit 117 stores the vehicle measurement data of the vehicle 1 collected while the vehicle 1 passes through a predetermined specific driving scene and the vehicle measurement data of other vehicles that were present in the specific driving scene in association with each other. The data stored in the collected data storage unit 117 will be described in detail later.

[0094] The processing unit 113 includes a communication control unit 121, a psychological state calculation unit 123, and a driving support processing unit 125. The functions of these units are realized by the execution of a computer program by a processor.

[0095] The communication control unit 121 communicates with a driving assistance device (terminal device) 50 mounted on the vehicle 1, and controls the transmission and reception of various data or information. Specifically, the communication control unit 121 communicates with the driving assistance device 50, receives information indicating that the vehicle 1 is passing through a predetermined specific driving scene or vehicle measurement data, and also transmits notification information.

[0096] The psychological state calculation unit 123 calculates psychological state values ​​indicating changes in the psychological states of the drivers of other vehicles present in a specific driving scene, including a first psychological state value when the driver of the assisted vehicle 1 changes his or her driving behavior in a predetermined specific driving scene, and a second psychological state value when the driver of the assisted vehicle 1 does not change his or her driving behavior in the predetermined specific driving scene. Furthermore, the psychological state calculation unit 123 calculates a psychological state evaluation value indicating the impact of the driving behavior of the assisted vehicle on the psychological state of the driver of the other vehicle based on the difference between the first psychological state value and the second psychological state value.

[0097] The driving assistance processing unit 125 executes processing to assist the driving of the assisted vehicle 1 based on the psychological state evaluation value calculated by the psychological state calculation unit 123. In this embodiment, the driving assistance processing unit 125 sets notification information to assist the driving of the assisted vehicle 1. The notification information consists of assistance information that is notified before the assisted vehicle 1 passes through a predetermined specific driving scene, and advice information that is notified after the assisted vehicle 1 has passed through the predetermined specific driving scene. The set notification information is transmitted to the driving assistance device 50 by the communication control unit 121.

[0098] (1-3-2. Processing Operation) Fig. 12 shows a flowchart of the processing operation by the management server 110. The flowchart shown in Fig. 12 is repeatedly executed for each predetermined processing cycle.

[0099] First, the communication control unit 121 receives data transmitted from the driving assistance devices (terminal devices) 50 mounted on the plurality of vehicles 1 (step S71). When any of the driving assistance devices (terminal devices) 50 executes the process of transmitting information indicating that the vehicle 1 passes through a predetermined specific driving scene and vehicle measurement data in the above-mentioned step S41, the communication control unit 121 receives this information and data.

[0100] Next, the psychological state calculation unit 123 determines whether or not information indicating that a predetermined specific driving scene will be passed is acquired from the driving assistance device (terminal device) 50 of any of the vehicles 1 (assisted vehicles) 1 equipped with the driving assistance device 50 (step S73). If the psychological state calculation unit 123 determines that information indicating that a predetermined specific driving scene will be passed is not acquired from the driving assistance device 50 of any of the vehicles (assisted vehicles) 1 (No in S73), the process returns to step S71. On the other hand, if the psychological state calculation unit 123 determines that information indicating that a predetermined specific driving scene will be passed is acquired from the driving assistance device 50 of any of the vehicles (assisted vehicles) 1 (Yes in S73), the process executes a pre-passage assistance information setting process (step S75). The pre-passage assistance information setting process is a process of setting assistance information to be notified to the driver of the assisted vehicle 1 before the assisted vehicle 1 passes through the predetermined specific driving scene.

[0101] FIG. 13 shows a flowchart of the pre-passage support information setting process.

[0102] Based on the location information transmitted from the driving assistance device 50 of each vehicle 1, the psychological state calculation unit 123 identifies surrounding traffic participants present in a specific driving scene through which the assisted vehicle 1 is about to pass, and acquires vehicle measurement data from the driving assistance device 50 of each surrounding traffic participant (step S91).

[0103] The target surrounding traffic participants are set according to a specific driving scene. For example, the target surrounding traffic participants are identified as other vehicles present within a predetermined area set according to the specific driving scene, based on the position of the assisted vehicle 1. For example, the predetermined area may be an area within a certain distance from the assisted vehicle 1, or an area within a distance that the assisted vehicle 1 can reach in a predetermined time, determined according to the traveling speed of the assisted vehicle 1. Furthermore, the target surrounding traffic participants may be identified as a predetermined number of other vehicles present within the above-mentioned predetermined area, in descending order of proximity to the assisted vehicle 1. This prevents other vehicles with a low impact on the psychological state from being included in the calculation of the psychological state evaluation value, allowing for appropriate assistance of the assisted vehicle 1.

[0104] Next, the psychological state calculation unit 123 extracts, from the vehicle measurement data stored in the collected data storage unit 117, a plurality of vehicle measurement data previously collected in the same specific driving scene as the specific driving scene through which the assistance target vehicle 1 is about to pass (step S93). The extracted vehicle measurement data is vehicle measurement data that was transmitted to the management server 110 from the driving assistance devices 50 of traffic participants that were previously present in the specific driving scene and stored in association with each other. The same specific driving scene is not limited to specific driving scenes at the same position on the map, but refers to a specific scene in which at least the road structure and the traffic environment, such as the locations and moving speeds of surrounding traffic participants, are judged to be within a predetermined error range.

[0105] The multiple vehicle measurement data extracted here include vehicle measurement data for cases where a specific vehicle changes its driving behavior in the specific driving scene and cases where it does not change its driving behavior (where it continues its driving behavior).

[0106] For example, in the example of the above-mentioned scene where lanes merge (FIG. 2), the extracted vehicle measurement data includes vehicle measurement data for cases where a specific vehicle (vehicle 210b in FIG. 2) traveling at the head of the merging lane at the merging point yields space in front of its own vehicle to another vehicle (vehicle 210e in FIG. 2) traveling in the merging lane. Also, in the example of the above-mentioned scene where a crosswalk is crossed (FIG. 3), the extracted vehicle measurement data includes vehicle measurement data for cases where a specific vehicle (vehicle 200a in FIG. 3) traveling at the head of a line of vehicles approaching the crosswalk slows down or stops before the crosswalk and cases where it does not.

[0107] Next, based on the extracted vehicle measurement data, the psychological state calculation unit 123 calculates a first psychological state value indicating the change in the psychological state of each driver of the other vehicle when the driver of the assisted vehicle 1 changes his / her driving behavior while passing through a specific driving scene (step S95).

[0108] Specifically, the psychological state calculation unit 123 calculates a first psychological state value Cx1_i indicating a change in the psychological state of each driver of the other vehicles, based on the vehicle measurement data when the driver of a specific vehicle changes his or her driving behavior while passing through a specific driving scene, from among the extracted vehicle measurement data. For example, if there are five other vehicles as surrounding traffic participants in addition to the assistance target vehicle 1 in one specific driving scene, the psychological state calculation unit 123 calculates each of the first psychological state values ​​Cx1_i (i = 1, 2 ... 5) indicating a change in the psychological state of each driver of the other vehicles.

[0109] The first psychological state value Cx1_i represents a change (difference) in the psychological state of each driver of the other vehicle. In this embodiment, the psychological state is calculated on 11 levels ranging from -5 to 5, with a larger absolute positive value indicating a more positive psychological state. Therefore, a larger absolute negative value of the psychological state value Cx represents a more negative change in the psychological state. In other words, the first psychological state value Cx1_i does not provide an overall evaluation of the psychological states of all drivers of other vehicles while the assisted vehicle 1 passes through a specific driving scene, but rather indicates how much the psychological state of each driver of the other vehicle changes due to a change in the driving behavior of the assisted vehicle 1.

[0110] In the example of the merging scene (FIG. 2), the case where the driving behavior of the vehicle changes corresponds to a situation where the vehicle (210b) traveling at the front of the lane where the vehicle is being merged slows down or stops to give way to the vehicle (210e) traveling in the lane where the vehicle is merging. Also, in the example of the crosswalk crossing (FIG. 3), the case where the driving behavior of the vehicle changes corresponds to a situation where the vehicle (200a) traveling at the front of the line of vehicles slows down or stops before the crosswalk to allow pedestrians to cross.

[0111] Next, based on the extracted vehicle measurement data, the psychological state calculation unit 123 calculates a second psychological state value indicating the change in the psychological state of each driver of the other vehicle when the driver of the assisted vehicle 1 does not change his / her driving behavior while passing through a specific driving scene (step S97).

[0112] Specifically, the psychological state calculation unit 123 calculates a second psychological state value Cx2_i indicating a change in the psychological state of each driver of the other vehicle based on the vehicle measurement data when the driver of the specific vehicle did not change his / her driving behavior while passing through the specific driving scene from among the extracted measurement data. The second psychological state value Cx2_i indicates how much the psychological state of each driver of the other vehicle will change if the driving behavior of the assistance target vehicle 1 is continued. The calculated second psychological state value Cx2_i, like the first psychological state value Cx1_i, includes the psychological state value of the driver of the vehicle that passed through the specific driving scene in the same position as the other vehicle present in the current specific driving scene.

[0113] In the above-mentioned example of a scene where lanes merge (FIG. 3), a case where the driving behavior of vehicles does not change corresponds to a situation where the vehicle (210b) traveling at the front of the lane where the vehicle is being merged continues traveling without yielding the space in front of its own vehicle to the vehicle (210e) traveling in the lane where the vehicle is merging. Also, in the above-mentioned example of a scene where lanes are passing through a crosswalk (FIG. 3), a case where the driving behavior of vehicles does not change corresponds to a situation where the vehicle (200a) traveling at the front of the line of vehicles continues traveling without stopping in front of the crosswalk despite the presence of pedestrians approaching the crosswalk.

[0114] Next, the psychological state calculation unit 123 calculates a psychological state evaluation value CXi indicating the difference between the calculated first psychological state value Cx1_i and second psychological state value Cx2_i of each driver of the other vehicle (step S99). In this embodiment, the psychological state evaluation value CXi is expressed by the following formula: CXi=Cx1_i-Cx2_i, where i is the identifier of the driver of the other vehicle.

[0115] The psychological state evaluation value CXi indicates a change in the psychological state of each driver of another vehicle, and indicates how and to what extent a change in the driving behavior of a specific vehicle changes the psychological state of the drivers of other surrounding vehicles. Basically, when a specific vehicle gives way to another vehicle in front of its own vehicle or stops in front of a crosswalk, the psychological state of the driver of the other vehicle is considered to change positively. Therefore, the larger the absolute value of the psychological state evaluation value CXi obtained by subtracting the second psychological state value Cx2_i (negative value) from the first psychological state value Cx1_i (positive value), the more negatively the psychological state of the driver of the other vehicle changes.

[0116] At this time, the psychological state calculation unit 123 calculates the psychological state evaluation value CXi of the driver by using the first psychological state value Cx1_i and the second psychological state value Cx2_i when the same driver passed through the specific driving scene in the same position, by subtracting the second psychological state value Cx2_i from the first psychological state value Cx1_i. Whether the vehicle measurement data is of the same driver is identified based on the driver identification information associated with each vehicle measurement data.

[0117] Next, the driving assistance processing unit 125 extracts a driver to be cautious whose psychological state is likely to deteriorate based on the calculated psychological state evaluation value Cxi (step S101). The driver to be cautious extracted here is a driver extracted based on previously collected vehicle measurement data, regardless of whether he or she is a driver of another vehicle present in the specific driving scene through which the assistance target vehicle 1 is currently passing. In this embodiment, the driving assistance processing unit 125 extracts a driver to be cautious whose psychological state is changing more negatively than a predetermined standard.

[0118] Specifically, the driving assistance processing unit 125 extracts one or more drivers whose psychological state evaluation value CXi is a positive value and whose absolute value is frequently equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value as drivers to be careful of when passing through a specific driving scene from their respective positions. The predetermined reference value and frequency may be set in advance or may be values ​​set by the driver of the assistance target vehicle 1. Furthermore, the predetermined reference value and frequency may be values ​​set by a computer according to the driving skill or driving characteristics of the driver of the assistance target vehicle 1.

[0119] Next, the driving assistance processing unit 125 determines whether or not there is a driver who should be careful among the drivers of the other vehicles present in the current specific driving scene (step S103). Specifically, the driving assistance processing unit 125 determines whether or not the drivers of the other vehicles present in the current specific driving scene have been extracted as drivers who should be careful when passing through the specific driving scene in the same position.

[0120] For example, in the example of the above-mentioned scene where lanes merge ( FIG. 2 ), the driving assistance processing unit 125 determines whether the driver of the vehicle (210e) traveling at the front of the lane on the merging side and being given space by the specific vehicle (210b) is extracted as a driver to be wary of when traveling in the same position. The same applies to the drivers of the vehicles (210f, 210g) following the vehicle (210e) being given space by the specific vehicle (210b), and the drivers of the vehicles (210c, 210d) following the specific vehicle (210b) that are giving space to another vehicle (210e).

[0121] In the example of the scene of crossing a pedestrian crossing described above (FIG. 3), the driving assistance processing unit 125 determines whether the drivers of the vehicles (200b, 200c) following the specific vehicle (200a) traveling at the front of the convoy have been extracted as drivers who should be careful when traveling in the same position. The same applies to the driver of the vehicle (200d) stopped in front of the crosswalk in the oncoming lane.

[0122] Whether the driver is the same as the driver currently present in the specific driving scene is determined based on the driver identification information associated with each vehicle measurement data.

[0123] When the driving assistance processing unit 125 determines that there is a cautious driver among the drivers of the other vehicles present in the current specific driving scene (S103 / Yes), it sets a driving behavior that will reduce the degree of deterioration of the cautious driver's psychological state as a recommended driving behavior (step S105). For example, the driving assistance processing unit 125 identifies the vehicle measurement data that minimizes the cautious driver's psychological state evaluation value CXi from multiple vehicle measurement data when the cautious driver passed through the specific driving scene in the same position, and sets the driving behavior of the specific vehicle at that time as a recommended driving behavior.

[0124] When there are multiple drivers who fall under the category of caution drivers, the driving assistance processing unit 125 sets, for example, the driving behavior of a specific vehicle for which the absolute value of the sum of the psychological state evaluation values ​​CXi of all caution drivers is the smallest as the recommended driving behavior. Alternatively, the driving assistance processing unit 125 may set, as the recommended driving behavior, the driving behavior of a specific vehicle for which the absolute value of the psychological state evaluation value CXi of the caution driver with the largest absolute value of the psychological state evaluation value CXi is the smallest.

[0125] On the other hand, if the driving assistance processing unit 125 does not determine that there is a driver to be cautious among the drivers of the other vehicles present in the current specific driving scene (S103 / No), it sets, as the recommended driving action, a driving action that will cause the least degree of deterioration in the psychological state of each of the drivers of the other vehicles (step S105). For example, the driving assistance processing unit 125 sets, as the recommended driving action, a driving action that will minimize the sum of the psychological state evaluation values ​​Cxi of each of the drivers of the other vehicles. Alternatively, the driving assistance processing unit 125 may set, as the recommended driving action, a driving action that will minimize the maximum value of the psychological state evaluation values ​​Cxi of each of the drivers of the other vehicles.

[0126] 12 , the driving assistance processing unit 125 transmits assistance information to the driving assistance device 50 of the assistance target vehicle 1 that is about to pass through the specific driving scene in accordance with the set recommended driving behavior (step S77). The assistance information includes at least information on the recommended driving behavior, but may also include one or both of the location information of the cautious driver and the psychological state evaluation value CXi of the cautious driver, and information indicating how the recommended driving behavior will affect the psychological states of drivers of other surrounding vehicles.

[0127] The notification processing unit 73 of the driving support device 50 that receives the support information notifies the driver of the received support information, thereby enabling the driver to take driving actions that do not irritate drivers of other vehicles in a specific driving scene.

[0128] Next, the psychological state calculation unit 123 executes a post-passage advice information setting process (step S79). The post-passage advice information setting process is a process for setting advice information to be notified to the driver of the supported vehicle 1 after the supported vehicle 1 has passed through a predetermined specific driving scene.

[0129] 15 shows a flowchart of the post-passage advice information setting process. The psychological state calculation unit 123 acquires information indicating completion of passing through a specific driving scene from the driving assistance device 50 of the assistance target vehicle (step S111).

[0130] Next, the psychological state calculation unit 123 acquires the vehicle measurement data recorded by the driving assistance devices 50 of the surrounding traffic participants present in the specific driving scene and the assistance target vehicle 1 while the surrounding traffic participants were passing through the specific driving scene (step S113). The target traffic participants are the assistance target vehicle 1 and the surrounding traffic participants identified in step S91.

[0131] The psychological state calculation unit 123 transmits a message to the driving assistance device 50 of the surrounding traffic participant requesting the transmission of vehicle measurement data, and receives the vehicle measurement data returned. At that time, the psychological state calculation unit 123 transmits a message requesting the transmission of vehicle measurement data, specifying the measured time (from the start time to the end time). The vehicle measurement data of the assistance target vehicle 1 is acquired together with information indicating the completion of passing through the specific driving scene. The vehicle measurement data of the assistance target vehicle 1 is acquired together with information indicating whether the vehicle measurement data is the vehicle measurement data when the driver changed his / her driving behavior while passing through the specific driving scene, or the vehicle measurement data when the driver did not change his / her driving behavior.

[0132] Next, the psychological state calculation unit 123 calculates the psychological state evaluation value CXi of each driver of the other vehicle based on the acquired vehicle measurement data of the traffic participants and the past vehicle measurement data stored in the collected data storage unit 117 (step S115).

[0133] 16 is a flowchart of the psychological state evaluation value calculation process in step S115. First, the psychological state calculation unit 123 determines whether the vehicle measurement data acquired from the driving assistance device 50 of the assisted vehicle 1 is vehicle measurement data when the driver changed his / her driving behavior or vehicle measurement data when the driver did not change his / her driving behavior (step S121).

[0134] When the psychological state calculation unit 123 determines that the vehicle measurement data is vehicle measurement data obtained when the driver changed his / her driving behavior (S121 / Yes), it uses the acquired measurement data to calculate the first psychological state value Cx1_i of each driver of the other vehicle in accordance with the processing of step S95 described above (step S123). Furthermore, the psychological state calculation unit 123 reads out the calculation result of the second psychological state value Cx2_i of each driver of the other vehicle calculated in step S97 of the pre-passage support information setting processing (step S125). When there is no calculation result of the second psychological state value Cx2_i of each driver of the other vehicle, the psychological state calculation unit 123 may use the average value of the second psychological state values ​​Cx2_i of the drivers of the other vehicles who drove in the same position in the same specific driving scene as a substitute value.

[0135] Then, the psychological state calculation unit 123 calculates the psychological state evaluation value CXi based on the calculated first psychological state value Cx1_i and the read-out second psychological state value Cx2_i in accordance with the processing of step S99 described above (step S131).

[0136] On the other hand, if the psychological state calculation unit 123 does not determine that the vehicle measurement data is vehicle measurement data obtained when the driver changed his / her driving behavior (S121 / No), the psychological state calculation unit 123 uses the acquired measurement data to calculate the second psychological state value Cx2_i of each driver of the other vehicle in accordance with the processing of step S97 of the pre-passage support information setting processing (step S127). The psychological state calculation unit 123 also reads the first psychological state value Cx1_i of each driver of the other vehicle calculated in the above-mentioned step S95 (step S129). Then, the psychological state calculation unit 123 calculates the psychological state evaluation value CXi based on the read-out first psychological state value Cx1_i and the calculated second psychological state value Cx2_i in accordance with the processing of the above-mentioned step S99 (step S131).

[0137] 15 , the driving assistance processing unit 125 sets advice information to be notified to the driver of the assisted vehicle 1 based on the calculated psychological state evaluation value CXi (step S117). The advice information is information regarding the effect on the psychological states of the drivers of the other vehicles due to the driver of the assisted vehicle 1 changing or not changing his / her driving behavior, and includes information regarding the effect on the psychological states of the drivers of the other vehicles due to the driving behavior of the driver of the assisted vehicle 1. For example, the driving assistance processing unit 125 may set the psychological state evaluation value CXi as the advice information to quantitatively indicate the effect on the psychological states. Alternatively, the psychological state calculation unit 123 may calculate the sum of the psychological state evaluation values ​​CXi of the drivers of the other vehicles and set the sum as the advice information.

[0138] Next, the driving assistance processing unit 125 associates the vehicle measurement data of the assistance target vehicle 1 and the surrounding traffic participants acquired in step S113 with each other and stores the data in the collected data storage unit 117 (step S119).

[0139] 12 , the driving assistance processing unit 125 transmits the set advice information to the driving assistance device 50 of the assisted vehicle 1 (step S81). The notification processing unit 73 of the driving assistance device 50 that has received the advice information notifies the driver of the received advice information. This allows the driver to know how his or her driving behavior while passing through the specific driving scene contributed to the psychological state of the driver of the other vehicle, or what driving behavior to adopt the next time the driver passes through the same specific driving scene.

[0140] <1-4. Effects> As described above, the driving assistance system 100 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure calculates, based on vehicle measurement data, a psychological state evaluation value that indicates the effect on the psychological state of drivers of other vehicles of a change in the driving behavior of the driver of the assisted vehicle 1 when the assisted vehicle 1 passes through a specific driving scene, and assists the driving of the assisted vehicle based on the psychological state evaluation value. The calculated psychological state evaluation value indicates a change in the psychological state of drivers of other surrounding vehicles present in the specific driving scene due to the driving behavior of the driver of the assisted vehicle 1, and according to this embodiment, it is possible to assist the driver of the assisted vehicle 1 in driving so as to adopt altruistic driving behavior that does not irritate other traffic participants.

[0141] Furthermore, the driving assistance system 100 according to this embodiment notifies the driver of recommended driving behaviors for passing through a specific driving scene based on past measurement data before the assisted vehicle 1 passes through the specific driving scene. Therefore, the driver can take altruistic driving behaviors that do not irritate other traffic participants when passing through the specific driving scene. Furthermore, the driving assistance system 100 according to this embodiment can also identify cautionary drivers whose psychological state is likely to deteriorate before the assisted vehicle 1 passes through the specific driving scene, and notify the driver of recommended driving behaviors that do not particularly irritate the cautionary drivers. This allows the driver to take driving behaviors that can avoid traffic trouble when passing through the specific driving scene.

[0142] Furthermore, after the assisted vehicle 1 has passed through a specific driving scene, the driving assistance system 100 according to this embodiment notifies the driver of advice information relating to the impact of the driving behavior of the driver of the assisted vehicle 1 on the psychological state of the driver of the other vehicle. This allows the driver to know how his or her own driving behavior has impacted the psychological state of the driver of the other vehicle around him or her, and to know the driving behavior that he or she should take next time onwards.

[0143] <<2. Second Embodiment>> Next, a driving assistance system according to a second embodiment will be described.

[0144] While the driving assistance system according to the first embodiment described above is a system that assists the driver in manual driving of the assisted vehicle, the driving assistance system of the present disclosure can also be applied as a system that assists the assisted vehicle in automatic driving. Hereinafter, the driving assistance system according to the second embodiment will be described, focusing mainly on the differences from the driving assistance system according to the first embodiment.

[0145] <2-1. Basic Configuration of Driving Assistance System> The basic configuration of the driving assistance system according to this embodiment may be configured similarly to the basic configuration of the driving assistance system according to the first embodiment shown in FIG.

[0146] In the driving assistance system according to this embodiment, the assisted vehicle 1 is configured to be able to execute autonomous driving control. When the assisted vehicle 1 encounters a specific driving scene, the management server 110 sets recommended driving behaviors based on past measurement data before passing through the specific driving scene, and transmits assistance information to the driving assistance device 50 of the assisted vehicle 1. Upon receiving the assistance information, the driving assistance device 50 sets driving conditions for autonomous driving of the assisted vehicle 1 based on the information on the recommended driving behavior, and outputs the information on the driving conditions to the vehicle control unit 41.

[0147] 17 is a block diagram showing the functional configuration of a driving assistance device (terminal device) 50 of an assisted vehicle 1 to which the driving assistance system according to this embodiment can be applied. In this embodiment, the driving assistance device 50 includes a driving condition setting unit 75 instead of the notification processing unit 73. The driving condition setting unit 75 sets driving conditions for causing the assisted vehicle 1 to travel in autonomous driving. Specifically, the driving condition setting unit 75 sets a target vehicle speed or target acceleration / deceleration, and a target steering angle or target steering angular velocity for the assisted vehicle 1 in accordance with the recommended driving behavior set by the management server 110, and outputs information on the set driving conditions to the vehicle control unit 41.

[0148] The functional configuration of the management server 110 may be the same as that of the driving assistance system 100 according to the first embodiment, and therefore a detailed description thereof will be omitted.

[0149] <2-2. Processing Operation of Driving Assistance Device> Next, processing operation of the driving assistance device in the driving assistance system according to this embodiment will be described.

[0150] The main routine of the processing operation by the driving assistance device 50 may be the same as the processing operation by the driving assistance device of the driving assistance system according to the first embodiment shown in Fig. 7. Of the assistance processing in step S27, the pre-passage processing in step S33 of the flowchart shown in Fig. 8 is different from that in the first embodiment. Hereinafter, the pre-passage processing by the driving assistance device 50 of the driving assistance system according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 18.

[0151] First, the communication control unit 71 of the processing unit 53 transmits information indicating that the vehicle 1 is passing through a specific driving scene and vehicle measurement data, together with the driver's identification information, to the management server 110 in a procedure similar to step S41 of the flowchart shown in Figure 9 (step S41).

[0152] Next, the driving condition setting unit 75 of the processing unit 53 receives the support information transmitted from the management server 110 (step S43). The support information transmitted by the management server 110 includes information on recommended driving behaviors that do not irritate drivers of other vehicles around the vehicle 1 when the vehicle 1 passes through a specific driving scene.

[0153] Next, the driving condition setting unit 75 detects the surrounding environment of the vehicle 1 based on the sensor signal or image data output from the surrounding environment sensor 31 (step S46). As a result, the driving condition setting unit 75 recognizes changes in the road structure in the direction of travel of the support target vehicle 1 and changes in the positions, movement direction, and movement speed of surrounding traffic participants.

[0154] Next, the driving condition setting unit 75 sets driving conditions according to changes in the surrounding environment based on the information on the recommended driving behavior acquired from the management server 110 (step S47). Specifically, the driving condition setting unit 75 sets a target acceleration / deceleration speed and a target steering angular velocity to realize a driving behavior in accordance with the recommended driving behavior according to changes in the surrounding environment.

[0155] Next, the driving condition setting unit 75 outputs information about the set driving conditions to the vehicle control unit 41 (step S48). The vehicle control unit 41, which has received the information about the driving conditions, sets operation command values ​​for the driving force source 9, the electric steering device 15, and the hydraulic unit 16 based on the information about the driving conditions, and controls the driving of the driving force source 9, the electric steering device 15, and the hydraulic unit 16.

[0156] Next, the driving condition setting unit 75 determines whether the assisted vehicle 1 has passed through the specific driving scene (step S49). If the driving condition setting unit 75 does not determine that the assisted vehicle 1 has passed through the specific driving scene (S49 / No), the process returns to step S46 and the setting and output of the driving conditions are repeated. On the other hand, if the driving condition setting unit 75 determines that the assisted vehicle 1 has passed through the specific driving scene (S49 / Yes), the pre-passage processing is terminated.

[0157] The assistance target vehicle 1 repeatedly detects the surrounding environment, sets driving conditions, and outputs driving conditions from the time it encounters a driving scene until it completes passing through. Specifically, in the example of the driving scene where lanes merge as described above, it is assumed that the recommended driving behavior is set to leave space ahead of the vehicle at the merging point of the lane where the vehicle is traveling by automated driving in the lane where the vehicle is to be merged, and to yield space to another vehicle traveling in the lane where the vehicle is to be merged.

[0158] In this case, the driving condition setting unit 75 sets driving conditions that allow the assisted vehicle 1 to travel while maintaining a predetermined distance between the assisted vehicle 1 and the preceding vehicle until the assisted vehicle 1 approaches a point within a predetermined distance from the merging point. Furthermore, when the assisted vehicle 1 approaches a point within a predetermined distance from the merging point, the driving condition setting unit 75 starts decelerating the assisted vehicle 1 to create a space between the assisted vehicle 1 and the preceding vehicle that allows another vehicle traveling in the merging lane to enter. This behavior corresponds to changing driving behavior. At this time, the driving condition setting unit 75 sets a target deceleration within a range equal to or less than the maximum deceleration to avoid a sudden deceleration. Furthermore, when the other vehicle enters the space ahead of the host vehicle and the merging is completed, the driving condition setting unit 75 sets driving conditions that allow the assisted vehicle 1 to travel while maintaining a predetermined distance between the assisted vehicle 1 and the merging vehicle.

[0159] <2-3. Effects> As described above, the driving assistance system 100 according to the second embodiment of the present disclosure calculates, based on vehicle measurement data, a psychological state evaluation value that indicates the effect on the psychological state of drivers of other vehicles of a change in the driving behavior of the driver of the assisted vehicle 1 when the assisted vehicle 1 passes through a specific driving scene, and assists the driving of the assisted vehicle based on the psychological state evaluation value. The calculated psychological state evaluation value indicates a change in the psychological state of the driver of another vehicle present in the specific driving scene due to the autonomous driving behavior of the assisted vehicle 1, and according to this embodiment, it is possible to assist the autonomous driving of the assisted vehicle 1 so that the assisted vehicle 1 adopts altruistic driving behavior that does not irritate other traffic participants.

[0160] In particular, the driving assistance system 100 according to this embodiment sets recommended driving behaviors for passing through a specific driving scene based on past measurement data and sets driving conditions for autonomous driving before the assisted vehicle 1 passes through the specific driving scene. Therefore, when passing through the specific driving scene by autonomous driving, the assisted vehicle 1 can take altruistic driving behaviors that do not irritate other traffic participants.

[0161] Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the technology of the present disclosure is not limited to such examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art of the technology to which the present disclosure pertains can conceive of various modified or altered examples within the scope of the technical ideas described in the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present disclosure.

[0162] For example, the information used to calculate the psychological state evaluation value is not limited to the examples described in the above embodiments. For example, when calculating the psychological state evaluation value regarding the psychological state of the driver of the other vehicle, information on the action schedule of each driver of the other vehicle may be used. For example, the psychological state evaluation value may be calculated using information on the action schedule recorded in the driver's mobile terminal communicatively connected to the driving assistance device, and information on the destination and target arrival time set in the vehicle's navigation system. By reflecting information on whether the driver of the other vehicle is in a hurry, which is determined from the action schedule of the driver of the other vehicle, in the psychological state, the accuracy of estimating the psychological state of each driver of the other vehicle can be improved. Therefore, it is possible to encourage driving behavior that is more realistic and does not irritate the driver of the other vehicle.

[0163] In the above embodiment, the management server executes the process of setting information for assisting the driving of the vehicle based on various information, but the driving assistance device of the assisted vehicle may have this function. In addition, some of the functions of the management server and the driving assistance device described in the above embodiment may be provided in other components.

[0164] In addition, the technology of the present disclosure can also be realized as a vehicle equipped with the driving assistance system described in the above embodiment, a driving assistance processing method using the driving assistance system, a computer program that causes a computer to function as the above driving assistance system, and a non-transitory tangible recording medium on which the computer program is recorded.

[0165] 1: Vehicle 50: Driving assistance device 100: Driving assistance system 110: Management server CXi: Psychological state evaluation value Cx1_i: First psychological state value Cx2_i: Second psychological state value

Claims

1. A driving assistance system that assists driving of a vehicle, comprising: a collected data storage unit that stores vehicle measurement data including driver psychological state information regarding the psychological state of the driver of the vehicle, measured in a predetermined specific driving scene that is set in advance, and transmitted from a terminal device mounted on each vehicle; and a processing unit that executes a process to assist the driving of a target vehicle based on the collected vehicle measurement data, wherein the processing unit executes a psychological state calculation process that calculates, based on the vehicle measurement data, psychological state values ​​that indicate a change in the psychological state of the driver of another vehicle present in the predetermined specific driving scene while the target vehicle is traveling through the scene, the first psychological state value being a case in which the driver of the target vehicle changes his / her driving behavior and a second psychological state value being a case in which the driver of the target vehicle does not change his / her driving behavior, and calculates a psychological state evaluation value that indicates the difference between the first psychological state value and the second psychological state value; and a driving assistance process that assists the driving of the target vehicle based on the psychological state evaluation value.

2. The driving assistance system of claim 1, wherein in the psychological state calculation processing, before the assisted vehicle passes through the specified specific driving scene, the processing unit calculates the first psychological state value and the second psychological state value for the driver of the other vehicle present in the specified specific driving scene through which the assisted vehicle is to pass, based on the vehicle measurement data stored in the collected data storage unit, and calculates the psychological state evaluation value; and in the driving assistance processing, identifies the driver of the other vehicle whose psychological state changes negatively by more than a specified standard based on the psychological state evaluation value as a driver who must be careful, determines recommended driving actions that will bring the psychological state of the careful driver below the specified standard, and notifies the driver of the assisted vehicle of information on the recommended driving actions.

3. The driving assistance system of claim 1, wherein the processing unit, in the psychological state calculation processing, calculates the first psychological state value and the second psychological state value for the driver of the other vehicle present in the specified specific driving scene through which the assisted vehicle is about to pass, based on the vehicle measurement data stored in the collected data storage unit, before the assisted vehicle passes through the specified specific driving scene; and, in the driving assistance processing, identifies the driver of the other vehicle whose psychological state changes negatively by more than a specified standard based on the psychological state evaluation value as a cautious driver, determines recommended driving behavior that will cause the cautious driver's psychological state to fall below the specified standard, and sets driving conditions for autonomous driving of the assisted vehicle based on the recommended driving behavior.

4. A driving assistance processing method for assisting driving of a vehicle, comprising: a computer collecting vehicle measurement data including driver psychological state information regarding the psychological state of the driver of the vehicle measured in a predetermined specific driving scene, which is transmitted from a terminal device mounted in each vehicle; calculating, based on the collected vehicle measurement data, psychological state values ​​indicating a change in the psychological state of the driver of another vehicle present in the predetermined specific driving scene while the assisted vehicle is traveling through the predetermined specific driving scene, said psychological state values ​​being a first psychological state value when the driver of the assisted vehicle changes his / her driving behavior and a second psychological state value when the driver of the assisted vehicle does not change his / her driving behavior; calculating a psychological state evaluation value indicating the difference between the first psychological state value and the second psychological state value; and assisting the driving of the assisted vehicle based on the psychological state evaluation value.

5. A non-transitory tangible recording medium having recorded thereon a program that causes a computer to perform the following: collect vehicle measurement data including driver psychological state information regarding the psychological state of the driver of the vehicle measured in a predetermined specific driving scene, which is transmitted from a terminal device mounted in each vehicle, calculate, based on the collected vehicle measurement data, psychological state values ​​indicating a change in the psychological state of the driver of another vehicle present in the predetermined specific driving scene while the assisted vehicle is driving through the predetermined specific driving scene, said psychological state value being a first psychological state value when the driver of the assisted vehicle changes his / her driving behavior and a second psychological state value when the driver of the assisted vehicle does not change his / her driving behavior, and calculate a psychological state evaluation value indicating the difference between the first psychological state value and the second psychological state value; and assist the driving of the assisted vehicle based on the psychological state evaluation value.

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