Traffic control device, traffic control method, and program

Abstract

A traffic control device according to the present invention comprises: a determination unit that determines whether a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of a target vehicle is being driven manually or autonomously; and a control unit that selects, according to the determination result, at least one of an inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, a necessity of the target vehicle to travel in a convoy manner, a lighting method of the target vehicle, a method for using turn signals of the target vehicle, inter-vehicle communication content between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, sudden acceleration and sudden braking operation of the target vehicle, a horn operation of the target vehicle, a lane change of the target vehicle, a passing operation of the target vehicle, and an operation of the target vehicle to move toward one side in the traveling lane.

Description

Traffic control device, traffic control method, and program

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a traffic control device, a traffic control method, and a program.

[0002] In recent years, self-driving cars have become increasingly popular. Self-driving cars have better response performance than manually driven cars, which means that the distance between vehicles is shorter. In addition, in order for self-driving cars to drive efficiently in terms of fuel consumption, it is considered effective to have multiple self-driving cars driving in a convoy (also called linked driving; the same applies below).

[0003] Therefore, in a world where only self-driving cars exist, it is expected that multiple self-driving cars will drive in a convoy, maintaining a short distance between them. However, we will not transition to a world where only self-driving cars exist anytime soon, and it is expected that an environment where self-driving cars and manually driven cars coexist will continue for some time.

[0004] An example of a technology for controlling traffic in an environment where autonomous and manually driven vehicles coexist is the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1. According to the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1, when a leading vehicle is traveling in autonomous mode and cruising mode, the trailing vehicle is controlled to travel in cruising mode. On the other hand, when the leading vehicle is traveling in manual mode, the trailing vehicle is controlled to travel in normal mode.

[0005] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-137195

[0006] Incidentally, in an environment where automated and manually driven vehicles coexist, if there is a manually driven vehicle in front and an automated vehicle behind, the driver of the manually driven vehicle in front may be placed under psychological stress by the driving of the automated vehicle behind.

[0007] For example, when an autonomous vehicle behind closes the distance between itself and a manually driven vehicle in front in order to drive in a convoy, the driver of the manually driven vehicle may feel that the driver is being pressured (tailgated), which places a psychological burden on the driver of the manually driven vehicle.

[0008] Therefore, in an environment where self-driving vehicles and manually driven vehicles coexist, there is a need for a technology that can reduce the psychological burden on drivers of manually driven vehicles. However, the technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 is not a technology for reducing the psychological burden on drivers of manually driven vehicles.

[0009] Therefore, in view of the above-mentioned problems, the object of the present disclosure is to provide a traffic control device, a traffic control method, and a program that can reduce the psychological burden on drivers of manually driven vehicles in an environment where autonomous vehicles and manually driven vehicles coexist.

[0010] A traffic control device according to one embodiment includes: a determination unit that determines whether a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of a target vehicle is being manually or automatically driven; and a control unit that, depending on the determination result, selects at least one of the following: the distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, whether the target vehicle needs to travel in a convoy, the lighting method of the target vehicle, the method of use of the turn signals of the target vehicle, the content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, sudden acceleration and sudden braking of the target vehicle, horn operation of the target vehicle, lane change of the target vehicle, overtaking driving of the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the road of the target vehicle.

[0011] A traffic control method according to one embodiment is a traffic control method executed by a traffic control device, and includes determining whether a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of a target vehicle is being manually driven or automatically driven, and selecting, depending on the determination result, at least one of the following: the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, whether the target vehicle needs to travel in a convoy, the lighting method of the target vehicle, the method of use of the turn signals of the target vehicle, the content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, sudden acceleration and sudden braking of the target vehicle, horn operation of the target vehicle, lane change of the target vehicle, overtaking driving of the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the road of the target vehicle.

[0012] A program according to one embodiment causes a computer to execute a determination procedure for determining whether a vehicle traveling ahead of a target vehicle is being manually or automatically driven, and a control procedure for selecting, depending on the determination result, at least one of the following: the distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, whether the target vehicle needs to travel in a convoy, the lighting method of the target vehicle, the method of use of the turn signals of the target vehicle, the content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, sudden acceleration and sudden braking of the target vehicle, horn operation of the target vehicle, lane change of the target vehicle, overtaking driving of the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the road of the target vehicle.

[0013] According to the above-described aspects, it is possible to provide a traffic control device, a traffic control method, and a program that can reduce the psychological burden on drivers of manually driven vehicles in an environment where automatically driven vehicles and manually driven vehicles coexist.

[0014] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a traffic control device according to the present disclosure; Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of target vehicles controlled by the traffic control device according to the present disclosure; Fig. 3 is a flow diagram explaining an example of a schematic operation flow of the traffic control device according to the present disclosure; Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a traffic control device according to the present disclosure; Fig. 5 is a block diagram showing a schematic hardware configuration example of a computer that realizes the traffic control device according to the present disclosure;

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description and drawings have been omitted and simplified as appropriate for clarity of explanation. In addition, in the following drawings, the same elements are given the same reference numerals, and duplicate explanations are omitted as necessary.

[0016] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a traffic control device 10. The traffic control device 10 includes a determination unit 11, a control unit 12, a communication unit 13, and a storage unit 14. These components are connected by a data transmission path for transmitting and receiving data to and from each other.

[0017] Fig. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a target vehicle controlled by the traffic control device 10. For example, as shown in Fig. 2, when a forward vehicle 30 traveling ahead of an automatically driven target vehicle 20 is manually driven, the traffic control device 10 controls the target vehicle 20 so as not to impose a psychological burden on the driver of the forward vehicle 30.

[0018] When controlling the target vehicle 20, the traffic control device 10 may be mounted on the target vehicle 20, or may be provided in a facility that centrally manages traffic on multiple roads (for example, a traffic control center, etc.). In the following, the traffic control device 10 will be described as a device that is mounted on the target vehicle 20 and controls the target vehicle 20.

[0019] The communication unit 13 communicates with other devices via a wireless network (not shown). For example, the communication unit 13 performs vehicle-to-vehicle communication with an in-vehicle device mounted on another vehicle, or performs road-to-vehicle communication with a roadside device installed on a road. Therefore, the communication unit 13 can acquire various types of information via vehicle-to-vehicle communication or road-to-vehicle communication. The communication unit 13 can also acquire various types of information directly from other devices without using vehicle-to-vehicle communication or road-to-vehicle communication. The memory unit 14 stores various types of information.

[0020] The determination unit 11 determines whether the preceding vehicle 30 traveling ahead of the target vehicle 20 is being manually driven or automatically driven. Note that the determination unit 11 may use the communication unit 13 to obtain information on whether the preceding vehicle 30 is being manually driven or automatically driven via road-to-vehicle communication or vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

[0021] The control unit 12 selects the operation mode of the target vehicle 20 in accordance with the determination result by the determination unit 11. At this time, when the forward vehicle 30 is manually driven, the control unit 12 selects the operation mode of the target vehicle 20 so as not to impose a psychological burden on the driver of the forward vehicle 30.

[0022] Specifically, the control unit 12 selects, as the operation mode of the target vehicle 20, at least one of the following: the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle 20 and the preceding vehicle 30, whether or not the target vehicle 20 needs to travel in a convoy, the lighting method of the target vehicle 20, the method of use of the turn signal of the target vehicle 20, and the content of the inter-vehicle communication between the target vehicle 20 and the preceding vehicle 30. Hereinafter, the operation mode of the target vehicle 20 refers to at least one of the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle 20 and the preceding vehicle 30, whether or not the target vehicle 20 needs to travel in a convoy, the lighting method of the target vehicle 20, the method of use of the turn signal of the target vehicle 20, and the content of the inter-vehicle communication between the target vehicle 20 and the preceding vehicle 30.

[0023] For example, when the preceding vehicle 30 is being manually driven and the control unit 12 selects the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle 20 and the preceding vehicle 30, the control unit 12 may switch the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle 20 and the preceding vehicle 30 to be longer. This reduces the possibility that the driver of the preceding vehicle 30 feels pressured by the driving, thereby reducing the psychological burden on the driver.

[0024] Furthermore, when selecting whether or not the target vehicle 20 should platoon, if the leading vehicle 30 is manually driven, the control unit 12 may switch the target vehicle 20 not to platoon. This prevents the target vehicle 20 from closing the inter-vehicle distance, reducing the likelihood that the driver of the leading vehicle 30 will feel pressured and alleviating the psychological burden. However, even if the leading vehicle 30 is manually driven, the control unit 12 may switch the target vehicle 20 to platoon if the driver of the leading vehicle 30 gives permission. If platooning were to suddenly begin without permission, the driver of the leading vehicle 30 may feel pressured, but since platooning begins only after permission is given, the psychological burden is reduced. Note that, when the target vehicle 20 is platooning behind the leading vehicle 30, the control unit 12 may switch the target vehicle 20 to stop platooning if the leading vehicle 30 changes course (entering a store along the road, changing lanes, etc.).

[0025] Furthermore, when selecting a lighting method for the target vehicle 20 in a case where the forward vehicle 30 is manually driven, the control unit 12 may switch the lighting method for the target vehicle 20 so that high beams are not used. This reduces the possibility that the driver of the forward vehicle 30 will find the lighting of the target vehicle 20 dazzling, thereby reducing the psychological burden. On the other hand, when the forward vehicle 30 is autonomously driven, there is likely to be no particular problem with using high beams, so the control unit 12 may switch the lighting method for the target vehicle 20 to high beams.

[0026] Furthermore, when the control unit 12 selects the method of using the turn signals of the target vehicle 20 in a case where the forward vehicle 30 is being manually driven, the control unit 12 may switch the method of using the turn signals of the target vehicle 20 to not flash the hazard lights, thereby reducing the psychological burden on the driver of the forward vehicle 30 caused by the flashing hazard lights.

[0027] Furthermore, when the control unit 12 selects the content of the inter-vehicle communication between the target vehicle 20 and the leading vehicle 30 in an autonomous driving state, the control unit 12 may switch the content of the inter-vehicle communication so that a specific communication is not performed. For example, the specific communication may be communication for obtaining permission from the driver of the leading vehicle 30. In other words, when the leading vehicle 30 is manually driven, the specific communication can be performed. Therefore, for example, as described above, it is possible to perform processing such that platooning does not start until permission is obtained from the driver of the leading vehicle 30, thereby reducing the psychological burden on the driver of the leading vehicle 30.

[0028] Below, a more specific description will be given of an example of control by the control unit 12 when the preceding vehicle 30 is manually driven. When the preceding vehicle 30 is manually driven, the control examples by the control unit 12 can be broadly divided into an example of switching the operation mode of the target vehicle 20 via the will of the driver of the preceding vehicle 30, and an example of switching the operation mode of the target vehicle 20 without the will of the driver of the preceding vehicle 30. Below, an example of each case will be described.

[0029] (1) Example of via the will of the driver of the forward vehicle 30 (1A) The control unit 12 notifies the driver of the forward vehicle 30 of a permission request regarding the operation mode of the target vehicle 20, and switches the operation mode of the target vehicle 20 when permission is obtained from the driver of the forward vehicle 30. This reduces the psychological burden on the driver of the forward vehicle 30 because the operation mode of the target vehicle 20 is switched only after permission is given. Note that the control unit 12 may communicate with the forward vehicle 30 in this case via road-to-vehicle communication or vehicle-to-vehicle communication using the communication unit 13.

[0030] (1B) When selecting the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle 20 and the leading vehicle 30, the control unit 12 notifies the driver of the leading vehicle 30 of a request to select an inter-vehicle distance, and switches the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle 20 and the leading vehicle 30 to the inter-vehicle distance selected by the driver of the leading vehicle 30. This reduces the psychological burden on the driver of the leading vehicle 30 because the inter-vehicle distance is switched to the inter-vehicle distance selected by the driver. Note that the control unit 12 may communicate with the leading vehicle 30 in this case using the communication unit 13 via road-to-vehicle communication or vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

[0031] (1C) Each driver is asked to select an acceptable inter-vehicle distance from a vehicle behind, and inter-vehicle distance information indicating the inter-vehicle distance for each driver is stored in the storage unit 14. When selecting an inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle 20 and the leading vehicle 30, the control unit 12 identifies the driver of the leading vehicle 30. The control unit 12 then reads the inter-vehicle distance information of the driver of the leading vehicle 30 from the storage unit 14 and switches the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle 20 and the leading vehicle 30 to the inter-vehicle distance indicated by the read inter-vehicle distance information. This allows the driver of the leading vehicle 30 to switch to the acceptable inter-vehicle distance that he or she previously selected, thereby reducing psychological stress. Note that any method may be used to identify the driver of the leading vehicle 30. For example, a roadside device may capture an image of the face of the driver of the leading vehicle 30 with a camera and identify the driver through facial recognition, and the control unit 12 may acquire this driver information using the communication unit 13 via road-to-vehicle communication or vehicle-to-vehicle communication. In addition, if the inter-vehicle distance information of the driver of the forward vehicle 30 is not stored in the memory unit 14, the control unit 12 may switch the inter-vehicle distance, for example, using the method described in (1B) above.

[0032] (1D) Each driver is asked to select in advance a vehicle model that is acceptable for platooning behind the other vehicle, and vehicle model information indicating the vehicle model for each driver is stored in the storage unit 14. When selecting whether or not the target vehicle 20 should platoon, the control unit 12 identifies the driver of the leading vehicle 30. The control unit 12 then reads the vehicle model information of the driver of the leading vehicle 30 from the storage unit 14, and if the vehicle model of the target vehicle 20 matches any of the vehicle models indicated in the read vehicle model information, switches the target vehicle 20 to platooning. This allows the target vehicle 20 to platoon behind only if the driver of the leading vehicle 30 is an acceptable vehicle model that has been pre-selected by the driver of the leading vehicle 30, thereby reducing the psychological burden on the driver of the leading vehicle 30. Note that the method for identifying the driver of the leading vehicle 30 may be the same as the method described in (1C) above. Furthermore, if the vehicle model information of the driver of the leading vehicle 30 is not stored in the storage unit 14, the control unit 12 may, for example, switch whether or not the target vehicle 20 should platoon using the method described in (1A) above.

[0033] (2) Example without Involving the Driver of the Forward Vehicle 30 (2A) The control unit 12 determines whether the driver of the forward vehicle 30 is a skilled driver by using the driving behavior of the driver of the forward vehicle 30. For example, the control unit 12 determines whether the driver is a skilled driver by using information such as whether the forward vehicle 30 repeatedly accelerates and decelerates, whether it frequently changes lanes, whether it tends to brake at odd times, whether its driving behavior changes depending on the presence or absence of a vehicle behind, and whether its driving behavior changes depending on the distance between the vehicle behind. The control unit 12 then switches the operation mode of the target vehicle 20 depending on whether the driver of the forward vehicle 30 is a skilled driver. For example, when selecting the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle 20 and the forward vehicle 30, the control unit 12 may shorten the inter-vehicle distance if the driver of the forward vehicle 30 is a skilled driver, or may lengthen the inter-vehicle distance if the driver is a poor driver. As a result, if the driver of the leading vehicle 30 is not a good driver, the target vehicle 20 will not close the inter-vehicle distance, thereby reducing the psychological burden on the driver. The control unit 12 may acquire information on the driving behavior of the leading vehicle 30 using the communication unit 13 via road-to-vehicle communication or vehicle-to-vehicle communication. Alternatively, the control unit 12 may determine the driving behavior of the leading vehicle 30 using video captured by an onboard camera mounted on the target vehicle. Instead of determining whether the driver of the leading vehicle 30 is a good driver, the control unit 12 may determine whether the driver is driving recklessly and switch the operation mode of the target vehicle 20 depending on whether the driver is driving recklessly. The criteria for determining whether the driver is driving recklessly may be the same as those for determining whether the driver is a good driver. In this case, for example, when selecting the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle 20 and the leading vehicle 30, the control unit 12 may increase the inter-vehicle distance if the driver of the leading vehicle 30 is driving recklessly, and may decrease the inter-vehicle distance if the driver is not driving recklessly.

[0034] (2B) Driving data for each driver collected by an insurance company or the like is collected in advance, and the driving data for each driver is stored in the memory unit 14. The control unit 12 identifies the driver of the preceding vehicle 30, reads the driving data of the identified driver from the memory unit 14, and uses the read driving data to determine the driving proficiency of the driver of the preceding vehicle 30 (e.g., a paper driver, someone who regularly drives to work, etc.). Furthermore, the control unit 12 may use video captured by an onboard camera mounted on the target vehicle to determine the driving proficiency of the driver of the preceding vehicle 30. For example, if the preceding vehicle 30 has a beginner's mark, the control unit 12 may determine that the driving proficiency of the driver of the preceding vehicle 30 is a beginner. Then, the control unit 12 switches the operation mode of the target vehicle 20 depending on the driving proficiency of the driver of the preceding vehicle 30. For example, when selecting the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle 20 and the preceding vehicle 30, the control unit 12 may switch to shortening the inter-vehicle distance if the driver of the preceding vehicle 30 has a high level of driving skill, and lengthening the inter-vehicle distance if the driver has a low level of driving skill. This reduces the psychological burden on the driver of the preceding vehicle 30 if the driver has a low level of driving skill, because the target vehicle 20 will not close the inter-vehicle distance.

[0035] 3 is a flow diagram illustrating an example of a schematic operation flow of the traffic control device 10. First, the determination unit 11 determines whether the preceding vehicle 30 traveling in front of the target vehicle 20 is being manually driven or automatically driven (step S11).

[0036] Then, depending on the judgment result by the judgment unit 11, the control unit 12 selects at least one of the following as the operating mode of the target vehicle 20: the distance between the target vehicle 20 and the preceding vehicle 30, whether the target vehicle 20 needs to travel in a convoy, the lighting method of the target vehicle 20, the method of using the turn signals of the target vehicle 20, and the content of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle 20 and the preceding vehicle 30 (step S12).

[0037] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the determination unit 11 determines whether the preceding vehicle 30 traveling ahead of the target vehicle 20 is being manually driven or automatically driven. Depending on the determination result, the control unit 12 selects, as the operation mode of the target vehicle 20, at least one of the following: the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle 20 and the preceding vehicle 30, whether the target vehicle 20 needs to travel in a convoy, the lighting method of the target vehicle 20, the method of use of the turn signal of the target vehicle 20, and the content of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle 20 and the preceding vehicle 30.

[0038] As described above, according to the first embodiment, the operation mode of the target vehicle 20 is selected depending on whether the preceding vehicle 30 is manually driven or automatically driven. Therefore, in an environment where automatically driven vehicles and manually driven vehicles coexist, even if the preceding vehicle 30 is manually driven, it is possible to reduce the psychological burden on the driver of the preceding vehicle 30.

[0039] In the first embodiment, several examples of operation modes of the target vehicle 20 that do not impose a psychological burden on the driver of the forward vehicle 30 when the forward vehicle 30 is being manually driven have been described. However, the following examples may be added. The control unit 12 switches the target vehicle 20 so that it does not perform sudden acceleration, sudden braking, etc. If the target vehicle 20 is being automatically driven, the target vehicle 20 can travel safely even if it performs sudden acceleration or sudden braking, so there is a possibility that the target vehicle 20 will perform sudden acceleration or sudden braking. Therefore, the target vehicle 20 is prevented from performing sudden acceleration or sudden braking. The control unit 12 switches the target vehicle 20 so that it does not honk its horn. If the target vehicle 20 is being manually driven, there is a possibility that the driver of the target vehicle 20 will operate the horn. Therefore, there is a possibility that the target vehicle 20 will honk its horn. The control unit 12 switches the target vehicle 20 so that it does not perform driving that involves frequent lane changes, such as meandering or cutting in. If the target vehicle 20 is being automatically driven, there is a possibility that it will perform frequent lane changes in order to travel efficiently. Therefore, frequent lane changes by the target vehicle 20 are prevented. The control unit 12 switches the target vehicle 20 so that it does not overtake from the left. The control unit 12 switches the target vehicle 20 so that it does not drive close to the side of the road. The target vehicle 20 may drive extremely close to the left to prevent a motorcycle or other vehicle from overtaking from the left. Therefore, the target vehicle 20 is prevented from driving close to the side of the road.

[0040] In addition, in the first embodiment, it is assumed that the control unit 12 selects one operation mode when selecting the operation mode of the target vehicle 20, but it may select multiple operation modes. For example, the control unit 12 may switch the target vehicle 20 to perform platooning, and then switch the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle 20 and the preceding vehicle 30 to a predetermined distance.

[0041] <Embodiment 2> Embodiment 2 corresponds to an embodiment that is a broader concept of the above-mentioned embodiment 1. Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration example of a traffic control device 10A. The traffic control device 10A includes a determination unit 11A and a control unit 12A.

[0042] The determination unit 11A determines whether a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of the target vehicle is being manually driven or automatically driven. The control unit 12A selects, according to the determination result by the determination unit 11A, at least one of the following as the operation mode of the target vehicle: the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, whether the target vehicle is required to travel in a convoy, the lighting method of the target vehicle, the use method of the turn signal of the target vehicle, the content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, sudden acceleration and sudden braking of the target vehicle, horn operation of the target vehicle, lane change of the target vehicle, overtaking driving of the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the vehicle.

[0043] In this way, according to the second embodiment, the operation mode of the target vehicle is selected depending on whether the preceding vehicle is manually driven or automatically driven. Therefore, in an environment where automatically driven vehicles and manually driven vehicles coexist, even if the preceding vehicle is manually driven, it is possible to reduce the psychological burden on the driver of the preceding vehicle.

[0044] When the front vehicle is manually driven, the control unit 12A may notify the driver of the front vehicle of a permission request regarding at least one of the following: the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the front vehicle, whether the target vehicle needs to platoon, the lighting method of the target vehicle, the use of the turn signal of the target vehicle, the content of inter-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the front vehicle, sudden acceleration and sudden braking of the target vehicle, horn operation of the target vehicle, lane change of the target vehicle, overtaking operation of the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the road.Furthermore, when permission is obtained from the driver of the front vehicle, the control unit 12A may switch at least one of the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the front vehicle, whether the target vehicle needs to platoon, the lighting method of the target vehicle, the use of the turn signal of the target vehicle, the content of inter-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the front vehicle, sudden acceleration and sudden braking of the target vehicle, horn operation of the target vehicle, lane change of the target vehicle, overtaking operation of the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the road.

[0045] In addition, when the vehicle in front is being driven manually, the control unit 12A may use the driving tendencies of the driver of the vehicle in front to switch at least one of the following: the distance between the target vehicle and the vehicle in front, whether the target vehicle needs to drive in a convoy, the lighting method of the target vehicle, the method of use of the turn signals of the target vehicle, the content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the vehicle in front, sudden acceleration and sudden braking of the target vehicle, horn operation of the target vehicle, lane changes of the target vehicle, overtaking driving of the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the road of the target vehicle.

[0046] The driving tendency of the driver of the forward vehicle may include driving behavior. When the forward vehicle is manually driven and the control unit 12A selects the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle, the control unit 12A may use the driving behavior of the driver of the forward vehicle to determine whether the driver of the forward vehicle is a skilled driver, and may switch the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle depending on whether the driver of the forward vehicle is a skilled driver.

[0047] The driving tendency of the driver of the forward vehicle may include driving data. The traffic control device 10A may further include a storage unit that stores, for each driver, the driving data of the driver in advance. When the forward vehicle is manually driven and the control unit 12A selects the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle, the control unit 12A may read the driving data of the driver of the forward vehicle from the storage unit, determine the driving proficiency of the driver of the forward vehicle using the read driving data, and switch the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle depending on the driving proficiency of the driver of the forward vehicle.

[0048] In addition, when the control unit 12A selects the distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle when the forward vehicle is being manually driven, it may notify the driver of the forward vehicle of a request to select the distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle, and switch the distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle to the distance selected by the driver of the forward vehicle.

[0049] The traffic control device 10A may further include a storage unit that stores in advance, for each driver, inter-vehicle distance information indicating an acceptable inter-vehicle distance between the driver and a vehicle behind the driver. When the preceding vehicle is being manually driven and the control unit 12A selects the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, the control unit 12A may read the inter-vehicle distance information of the driver of the preceding vehicle from the storage unit and switch the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle to the inter-vehicle distance indicated by the read inter-vehicle distance information.

[0050] The traffic control device 10A may also include a storage unit that stores in advance vehicle model information for each driver indicating the vehicle models that the driver is willing to allow to platoon behind. When the leading vehicle is manually driven and the control unit 12A is selecting whether or not the target vehicle needs to platoon, the control unit 12A may read vehicle model information of the driver of the leading vehicle from the storage unit, and if the vehicle model indicated by the read vehicle model information matches the vehicle model of the target vehicle, switch the target vehicle to platooning.

[0051] Furthermore, when the control unit 12A selects the lighting method for the target vehicle in a case where the forward vehicle is manually driven, the control unit 12A may switch the lighting method for the target vehicle to not use high beams.Furthermore, when the control unit 12A selects the use method for the turn signal of the target vehicle in a case where the forward vehicle is manually driven, the control unit 12A may switch the use method for the turn signal of the target vehicle to not use flashing hazard lights.

[0052] In addition, when the control unit 12A selects the content of the inter-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle when the forward vehicle is driving autonomously, the control unit 12A may switch the content of the inter-vehicle communication so that certain communication is not performed.

[0053] <Hardware Configuration of Traffic Control Device> FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of a schematic hardware configuration of a computer 90 that realizes the traffic control devices 10 and 10A.

[0054] The computer 90 includes a processor 91, a memory 92, a storage 93, an input / output interface (input / output I / F) 94, and a communication interface (communication I / F) 95. The processor 91, the memory 92, the storage 93, the input / output interface 94, and the communication interface 95 are connected by a data transmission path for transmitting and receiving data to and from each other.

[0055] The processor 91 is, for example, a central processing unit (CPU) or a graphics processing unit (GPU). The memory 92 is, for example, a random access memory (RAM) or a read-only memory (ROM). The storage 93 is, for example, a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), or a memory card. The storage 93 may also be a memory such as a RAM or a ROM.

[0056] A program is stored in the storage 93. When loaded into the computer, this program includes a set of instructions (or software code) that causes the computer 90 to perform one or more functions of the traffic control device 10, 10A described above. The components of the traffic control device 10, 10A described above may be realized by the processor 91 reading and executing a program stored in the storage 93. Furthermore, the storage function of the traffic control device 10, 10A described above may be realized by the memory 92 or the storage 93.

[0057] The above-described programs may also be stored on non-transitory computer-readable media or tangible storage media. By way of example and not limitation, computer-readable media or tangible storage media include RAM, ROM, flash memory, SSD or other memory technologies, CD (Compact Disc)-ROM, DVD (Digital Versatile Disc), Blu-ray® disk or other optical disk storage, magnetic cassette, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices. The programs may also be transmitted on a transitory computer-readable medium or communication medium. By way of example and not limitation, transitory computer-readable media or communication media include electrical, optical, acoustic, or other forms of propagated signals.

[0058] The input / output interface 94 is connected to a display device 941, an input device 942, a sound output device 943, etc. The display device 941 is a device that displays a screen corresponding to drawing data processed by the processor 91, such as an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) display, or a monitor. The input device 942 is a device that accepts operation inputs from an operator, such as a keyboard, a mouse, or a touch sensor. The display device 941 and the input device 942 may be integrated and realized as a touch panel. The sound output device 943 is a device that outputs sound corresponding to the sound data processed by the processor 91, such as a speaker.

[0059] The communication interface 95 transmits and receives data to and from an external device. For example, the communication interface 95 communicates with the external device via a wired communication path or a wireless communication path.

[0060] Although the present disclosure has been described above with reference to the embodiments, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments. Various modifications that can be understood by those skilled in the art can be made to the configuration and details of the present disclosure within the scope of the present disclosure. Furthermore, each embodiment can be combined with other embodiments as appropriate.

[0061] Furthermore, each drawing is merely an example for describing one or more embodiments. Each drawing may not relate to only one particular embodiment, but may also relate to one or more other embodiments. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, various features or steps described with reference to any one drawing can be combined with features or steps shown in one or more other drawings to create, for example, an embodiment not explicitly shown or described. Not all features or steps shown in any one drawing are necessarily required to describe an exemplary embodiment, and some features or steps may be omitted. The order of steps described in any drawing may be changed as appropriate.

[0062] Furthermore, some or all of the above embodiments may be described as in the following supplementary notes, but are not limited to the following: (Supplementary Note 1) A traffic control device comprising: a determination unit that determines whether a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of a target vehicle is being manually driven or automatically driven, and a control unit that, depending on the determination result, selects at least one of the following: an inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, whether the target vehicle is required to travel in a convoy, a lighting method for the target vehicle, a method of using a turn signal for the target vehicle, content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, a sudden start and sudden braking operation of the target vehicle, operation of the horn of the target vehicle, a lane change by the target vehicle, overtaking operation by the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the vehicle by the target vehicle. (Supplementary Note 2) When the forward vehicle is manually driven, the control unit notifies the driver of the forward vehicle of a permission request regarding at least one of the following: a vehicle-to-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle, whether or not the target vehicle is required to travel in a convoy, a lighting method for the target vehicle, a method for using a turn signal for the target vehicle, content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle, a sudden start and sudden braking operation for the target vehicle, operation of the horn for the target vehicle, a lane change for the target vehicle, overtaking operation for the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the vehicle for the target vehicle; The traffic control device described in Appendix 1, wherein, when permission is obtained from the driver of the forward vehicle, the control unit switches at least one of the following: the distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle, whether the target vehicle needs to travel in a convoy, the lighting method of the target vehicle, the method of using the turn signals of the target vehicle, the content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle, sudden acceleration and sudden braking of the target vehicle, horn operation of the target vehicle, lane change of the target vehicle, overtaking driving of the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the road of the target vehicle.(Supplementary Note 3) The traffic control device according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein, when the forward vehicle is manually driven, the control unit uses the driving tendencies of the driver of the forward vehicle to switch at least one of the following: the distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle, whether the target vehicle should travel in a convoy, the lighting method of the target vehicle, the method of use of the turn signals of the target vehicle, the content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle, sudden acceleration and sudden braking of the target vehicle, horn operation of the target vehicle, lane change of the target vehicle, overtaking driving of the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the road of the target vehicle. (Supplementary Note 4) The traffic control device according to Supplementary Note 3, wherein the driving tendency of the driver of the forward vehicle includes driving behavior, and when the forward vehicle is manually driven, the control unit, when selecting the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle, uses the driving behavior of the driver of the forward vehicle to determine whether the driver of the forward vehicle is a skilled driver, and switches the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle depending on whether the driver of the forward vehicle is a skilled driver. (Supplementary Note 5) The traffic control device according to Supplementary Note 3, wherein the driving tendency of the driver of the forward vehicle includes driving data, and further comprises a memory unit that stores in advance the driving data of the driver for each driver, and when the forward vehicle is manually driven, the control unit, when selecting the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle, reads the driving data of the driver of the forward vehicle from the memory unit, determines the driving proficiency of the driver of the forward vehicle using the read driving data, and switches the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle depending on the driving proficiency of the driver of the forward vehicle. (Supplementary Note 6) In the traffic control device described in Supplementary Note 1, when the preceding vehicle is being manually driven and the control unit selects the distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, the control unit notifies the driver of the preceding vehicle of a request to select the distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, and switches the distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle to the distance selected by the driver of the preceding vehicle.(Supplementary Note 7) The traffic control device according to Supplementary Note 1, further comprising: a storage unit that stores in advance, for each driver, vehicle distance information indicating an acceptable vehicle distance from a vehicle behind the driver, and when the front vehicle is manually driven and the control unit is selecting a vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the front vehicle, the control unit reads the vehicle distance information of the driver of the front vehicle from the storage unit and switches the vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the front vehicle to the vehicle distance indicated by the read-out vehicle distance information. (Supplementary Note 8) The traffic control device according to Supplementary Note 1, further comprising: a storage unit that stores in advance, for each driver, vehicle model information indicating a vehicle model that the driver is willing to allow to platoon behind, and when the front vehicle is manually driven and the control unit is selecting whether the target vehicle needs to platoon, the control unit reads the vehicle model information of the driver of the front vehicle from the storage unit, and switches the target vehicle to platooning if the vehicle model indicated by the read-out vehicle model information matches the vehicle model of the target vehicle. (Supplementary Note 9) The traffic control device according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein, when selecting a lighting method for the target vehicle in a case where the forward vehicle is manually driven, the control unit switches the lighting method for the target vehicle to not use high beams. (Supplementary Note 10) The traffic control device according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein, when selecting a method of use of turn signals for the target vehicle in a case where the forward vehicle is manually driven, the control unit switches the method of use of turn signals for the target vehicle to not use hazard lights. (Supplementary Note 11) The traffic control device according to Supplementary Note 1, wherein, when selecting content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle in a case where the forward vehicle is autonomously driven, the control unit switches the content of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication to not perform specific communication.(Supplementary Note 12) A traffic control method executed by a traffic control device, comprising: determining whether a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of a target vehicle is being manually driven or automatically driven; and, depending on the determination result, selecting at least one of the following: the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, whether the target vehicle needs to travel in a convoy, a lighting method for the target vehicle, a method of using the turn signals of the target vehicle, the content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, a sudden start and sudden braking of the target vehicle, horn operation of the target vehicle, a lane change by the target vehicle, overtaking driving by the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the road by the target vehicle. (Supplementary Note 13) When the preceding vehicle is manually driven, notifying the driver of the preceding vehicle of a permission request regarding at least one of the following: the distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, whether or not the target vehicle is required to travel in a convoy, the lighting method of the target vehicle, the method of using the turn signal of the target vehicle, the content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, sudden acceleration and sudden braking of the target vehicle, horn operation of the target vehicle, lane change of the target vehicle, overtaking operation of the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the vehicle; 13. The traffic control method of claim 12, further comprising, when permission is obtained from the driver of the vehicle in front, switching at least one of the following: the distance between the target vehicle and the vehicle in front, whether the target vehicle needs to travel in a convoy, the lighting method of the target vehicle, the method of using the turn signals of the target vehicle, the content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the vehicle in front, sudden acceleration and sudden braking of the target vehicle, horn operation of the target vehicle, lane change of the target vehicle, overtaking driving of the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the road of the target vehicle.(Supplementary Note 14) The traffic control method according to Supplementary Note 12, further comprising, when the preceding vehicle is manually driven, using the driving tendencies of the driver of the preceding vehicle to switch at least one of the following: the distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, whether or not the target vehicle needs to travel in a convoy, the lighting method of the target vehicle, the method of use of the turn signals of the target vehicle, the content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, sudden acceleration and sudden braking of the target vehicle, horn operation of the target vehicle, lane change of the target vehicle, overtaking driving of the target vehicle, and keeping close to the side of the road of the target vehicle. (Supplementary Note 15) The traffic control method according to Supplementary Note 14, wherein the driving tendency of the driver of the forward vehicle includes driving behavior, and the traffic control method further includes, when the forward vehicle is manually driven and selecting an inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle, using the driving behavior of the driver of the forward vehicle to determine whether the driver of the forward vehicle is a skilled driver, and switching the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle depending on whether the driver of the forward vehicle is a skilled driver. (Supplementary Note 16) The traffic control method according to Supplementary Note 14, wherein the driving tendency of the driver of the forward vehicle includes driving data, and the traffic control method further comprises: storing the driving data of the driver in a storage unit in advance for each driver, and when the forward vehicle is manually driven, when selecting an inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle, reading out the driving data of the driver of the forward vehicle from the storage unit, determining the driving proficiency of the driver of the forward vehicle using the read out driving data, and switching the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle in accordance with the driving proficiency of the driver of the forward vehicle. (Supplementary Note 17) The traffic control method according to Supplementary Note 12, wherein when the forward vehicle is manually driven, when selecting an inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle, further comprises: notifying the driver of the forward vehicle of a request to select an inter-vehicle distance, and switching the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle to the inter-vehicle distance selected by the driver of the forward vehicle.(Supplementary Note 18) The traffic control method according to Supplementary Note 12, further comprising: storing in advance in a storage unit, for each driver, inter-vehicle distance information indicating an acceptable inter-vehicle distance from a vehicle behind the driver; and when the leading vehicle is manually driven and selecting an inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the leading vehicle, reading out the inter-vehicle distance information of the driver of the leading vehicle from the storage unit and switching the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the leading vehicle to the inter-vehicle distance indicated by the read-out inter-vehicle distance information. (Supplementary Note 19) The traffic control method according to Supplementary Note 12, further comprising: storing in advance in a storage unit, for each driver, vehicle type information indicating a vehicle type that the driver is willing to allow to platoon behind the driver; and when the leading vehicle is manually driven and selecting whether the target vehicle needs to platoon, reading out the vehicle type information of the driver of the leading vehicle from the storage unit and switching the target vehicle to platooning if the vehicle type indicated by the read-out vehicle type information matches the vehicle type of the target vehicle. (Supplementary Note 20) The traffic control method according to Supplementary Note 12, further comprising, when selecting a lighting method for the target vehicle in a case where the forward vehicle is manually driven, switching the lighting method for the target vehicle to not use high beams. (Supplementary Note 21) The traffic control method according to Supplementary Note 12, further comprising, when selecting a method of using turn signals for the target vehicle in a case where the forward vehicle is manually driven, switching the method of using turn signals for the target vehicle to not use hazard lights. (Supplementary Note 22) The traffic control method according to Supplementary Note 12, further comprising, when selecting content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle in an case where the forward vehicle is autonomously driven, switching the content of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication to not use specific communication.(Supplementary Note 23) A program that causes a computer to execute a determination procedure for determining whether a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of a target vehicle is being manually or automatically driven, and a control procedure for selecting, depending on the determination result, at least one of the following: the distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, whether the target vehicle needs to be platooned, the lighting method of the target vehicle, the method of use of the turn signal of the target vehicle, the content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, sudden acceleration and sudden braking of the target vehicle, horn operation of the target vehicle, lane change of the target vehicle, overtaking driving of the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the road of the target vehicle.

[0063] Note that some or all of the elements (e.g., configurations and functions) described in Supplementary Notes 2 to 11 that are dependent on Supplementary Note 1 may also be dependent on Supplementary Note 23 in the same dependent relationship as Supplementary Notes 2 to 11. Some or all of the elements described in any Supplementary Note may be applied to various hardware, software, recording means for recording software, systems, and methods.

[0064] 10, 10A Traffic control device 11, 11A Determination unit 12, 12A Control unit 13 Communication unit 14 Memory unit 20 Target vehicle 30 Forward vehicle 90 Computer 91 Processor 92 Memory 93 Storage 94 Input / output interface 941 Display device 942 Input device 943 Sound output device 95 Communication interface

Claims

1. A traffic control device comprising: a determination unit that determines whether a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of a target vehicle is being manually or automatically driven; and a control unit that, depending on the determination result, selects at least one of the following: the distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, whether the target vehicle needs to be platooned, the lighting method of the target vehicle, the method of use of the turn signal of the target vehicle, the content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, sudden acceleration and sudden braking of the target vehicle, horn operation of the target vehicle, lane change of the target vehicle, overtaking operation of the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the road of the target vehicle.

2. When the preceding vehicle is manually driven, the control unit notifies the driver of the preceding vehicle of a permission request regarding at least one of the following: the distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, whether the target vehicle needs to drive in a convoy, the lighting method of the target vehicle, the method of using the turn signal of the target vehicle, the content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, sudden acceleration and sudden braking of the target vehicle, horn operation of the target vehicle, lane change of the target vehicle, overtaking operation of the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the vehicle; 2. The traffic control device according to claim 1, wherein, when permission is obtained from the driver of the forward vehicle, the control unit switches at least one of the following: the distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle, whether or not the target vehicle needs to travel in a convoy, the lighting method of the target vehicle, the method of use of the turn signals of the target vehicle, the content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle, sudden acceleration and sudden braking of the target vehicle, horn operation of the target vehicle, lane change of the target vehicle, overtaking driving of the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the vehicle.

3. The traffic control device according to claim 1, wherein, when the forward vehicle is being manually driven, the control unit uses the driving tendencies of the driver of the forward vehicle to switch at least one of the following: the distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle, whether or not the target vehicle should drive in a convoy, the lighting method of the target vehicle, the method of use of the turn signals of the target vehicle, the content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle, sudden acceleration and sudden braking of the target vehicle, horn operation of the target vehicle, lane change of the target vehicle, overtaking driving of the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the road of the target vehicle.

4. A traffic control device as described in claim 3, wherein the driving tendency of the driver of the forward vehicle includes driving behavior, and when the forward vehicle is manually driven and the control unit is selecting the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle, the control unit uses the driving behavior of the driver of the forward vehicle to determine whether the driver of the forward vehicle is a good driver, and switches the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle depending on whether the driver of the forward vehicle is a good driver.

5. A traffic control device as described in claim 3, wherein the driving tendencies of the driver of the forward vehicle include driving data, and further comprising a memory unit that stores the driving data of the driver in advance for each driver, and when the forward vehicle is manually driven and the control unit selects the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle, the control unit reads the driving data of the driver of the forward vehicle from the memory unit, uses the read driving data to determine the driving proficiency of the driver of the forward vehicle, and switches the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle depending on the driving proficiency of the driver of the forward vehicle.

6. A traffic control device as described in claim 1, wherein when the preceding vehicle is being manually driven and the control unit selects the distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, the control unit notifies the driver of the preceding vehicle of a request to select the distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, and switches the distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle to the distance selected by the driver of the preceding vehicle.

7. A traffic control device as described in claim 1, further comprising a memory unit that pre-stores, for each driver, vehicle distance information indicating the driver's acceptable vehicle distance from a vehicle behind, and when the vehicle ahead is being manually driven and the control unit selects the vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the vehicle ahead, it reads the vehicle distance information of the driver of the vehicle ahead from the memory unit and switches the vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the vehicle ahead to the vehicle distance indicated by the read vehicle distance information.

8. A traffic control device as described in claim 1, further comprising a memory unit that pre-stores, for each driver, vehicle type information indicating the vehicle type that the driver is willing to allow to platoon behind, and when the forward vehicle is being manually driven and the control unit is selecting whether or not the target vehicle needs to platoon, it reads the vehicle type information of the driver of the forward vehicle from the memory unit, and if the vehicle type indicated by the read vehicle type information matches the vehicle type of the target vehicle, switches the target vehicle to platooning.

9. The traffic control device according to claim 1, wherein when the control unit selects a lighting method for the target vehicle when the forward vehicle is being manually driven, it switches the lighting method for the target vehicle so that high beams are not used.

10. A traffic control device as described in claim 1, wherein when the control unit selects a method of using the turn signal of the target vehicle when the forward vehicle is being manually driven, the control unit switches the method of using the turn signal of the target vehicle to not flash hazard lights.

11. A traffic control device as described in claim 1, wherein when the control unit selects the content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the vehicle in front when the vehicle in front is autonomous, the control unit switches the content of the vehicle-to-vehicle communication so that no specific communication is performed.

12. A traffic control method executed by a traffic control device, comprising: determining whether a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of a target vehicle is being manually driven or automatically driven; and, depending on the determination result, selecting at least one of the following: the distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, whether the target vehicle needs to travel in a convoy, the lighting method of the target vehicle, the method of use of the turn signals of the target vehicle, the content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, sudden acceleration and sudden braking of the target vehicle, honking the horn of the target vehicle, changing lanes of the target vehicle, overtaking driving of the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the road of the target vehicle.

13. If the preceding vehicle is manually driven, notify the driver of the preceding vehicle of a permission request regarding at least one of the following: the distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, whether the target vehicle needs to platoon, the lighting method of the target vehicle, the use method of the turn signal of the target vehicle, the content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, sudden acceleration and sudden braking of the target vehicle, horn operation of the target vehicle, lane change of the target vehicle, overtaking operation of the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the vehicle; 13. The traffic control method according to claim 12, further comprising, when permission is obtained from the driver of the preceding vehicle, switching at least one of the following: the distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, whether or not the target vehicle needs to travel in a convoy, the lighting method of the target vehicle, the method of use of the turn signals of the target vehicle, the content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, sudden acceleration and sudden braking of the target vehicle, horn operation of the target vehicle, lane change of the target vehicle, overtaking driving of the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the vehicle.

14. The traffic control method according to claim 12, further comprising, when the preceding vehicle is manually driven, using the driving tendencies of the driver of the preceding vehicle to switch at least one of the following: the distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, whether or not the target vehicle should travel in a convoy, the lighting method of the target vehicle, the method of use of the turn signal of the target vehicle, the content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, sudden acceleration and sudden braking of the target vehicle, horn operation of the target vehicle, lane change of the target vehicle, overtaking driving of the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the road of the target vehicle.

15. The traffic control method according to claim 14, wherein the driving tendency of the driver of the forward vehicle includes driving behavior, and wherein the traffic control method further includes, when the forward vehicle is manually driven and selecting an inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle, using the driving behavior of the driver of the forward vehicle to determine whether the driver of the forward vehicle is a skilled driver, and switching the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle depending on whether the driver of the forward vehicle is a skilled driver.

16. The traffic control method according to claim 14, wherein the driving tendencies of the driver of the forward vehicle include driving data, and the traffic control method further comprises: storing the driving data of the driver in a memory unit in advance for each driver; and when the forward vehicle is manually driven, when selecting the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle, reading out the driving data of the driver of the forward vehicle from the memory unit, using the read-out driving data to determine the driving proficiency of the driver of the forward vehicle, and switching the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the forward vehicle depending on the driving proficiency of the driver of the forward vehicle.

17. The traffic control method according to claim 12, further comprising, when the preceding vehicle is being manually driven and the following distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle is to be selected, notifying the driver of the preceding vehicle of a request to select a following distance, and switching the following distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle to the following distance selected by the driver of the preceding vehicle.

18. A traffic control method as set forth in claim 12, further comprising: storing in advance in a memory unit, for each driver, inter-vehicle distance information indicating an acceptable inter-vehicle distance from a vehicle behind the driver; and when the preceding vehicle is being manually driven and the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle is to be selected, reading out the inter-vehicle distance information of the driver of the preceding vehicle from the memory unit, and switching the inter-vehicle distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle to the inter-vehicle distance indicated by the read inter-vehicle distance information.

19. A traffic control method as described in claim 12, further comprising: storing in advance in a memory unit vehicle model information indicating, for each driver, the vehicle model that the driver is willing to allow to platoon behind; and when the leading vehicle is being manually driven and the driver is to select whether or not the target vehicle needs to platoon, reading out the vehicle model information of the driver of the leading vehicle from the memory unit, and if the vehicle model indicated by the read-out vehicle model information matches the vehicle model of the target vehicle, switching the target vehicle to platooning.

20. A program that causes a computer to execute a judgment procedure for judging whether a preceding vehicle traveling ahead of a target vehicle is being manually or automatically driven, and a control procedure for selecting, depending on the judgment result, at least one of the following: the distance between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, whether the target vehicle needs to be platooned, the lighting method of the target vehicle, the method of use of the turn signal of the target vehicle, the content of vehicle-to-vehicle communication between the target vehicle and the preceding vehicle, sudden acceleration and sudden braking of the target vehicle, horn operation of the target vehicle, lane change of the target vehicle, overtaking operation of the target vehicle, and driving close to the side of the road by the target vehicle.

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