Automatic driving assistance method, automatic driving assistance device, and automatic driving assistance system

Abstract

Provided is an automatic driving assistance method for assisting in driving a vehicle (10) that travels by automatic driving using a computer, said automatic driving assistance method comprising: a notification step for transmitting stuck state information from the vehicle (10) to notify a control device (20) of stoppage of the vehicle (10) when the vehicle (10) has stopped at the same position for a time period at least equal to a time threshold; a necessity determination step for determining, in response to the stuck state information, whether or not a control person's intervention in the driving of the vehicle (10) is necessary; and a notification condition setting step for setting the time threshold. If it is determined, in response to the stuck state information transmitted from the vehicle (10), that the intervention is necessary, the time threshold is set to a predetermined first time in the notification condition setting step, and if it is determined, in response to the stuck state information transmitted from the vehicle (10), that the intervention is not necessary, the time threshold is set to a second time longer than the first time.

Description

Autonomous driving assistance method, automatic driving assistance device, and automatic driving assistance system

[0001] The present invention relates to an automatic driving assistance method, an automatic driving assistance device, and an automatic driving assistance system that assist automatic driving.

[0002] Known systems for assisting autonomous driving include a system in which a controller assists an autonomously driving vehicle when the vehicle satisfies predetermined conditions (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The system in Patent Document 1 is a remote control system including a vehicle and multiple control centers. In this system, spot areas are defined as areas such as highway interchanges, toll booths, parking lot entrances and exits, and areas prone to congestion, and control sensors are assigned to each spot area. When an autonomously driving vehicle enters a spot area, the vehicle transmits a remote control request. The remote control device of the control center receives the remote control request and determines the operator (controller) responsible for the vehicle, who then remotely controls the vehicle. When the vehicle leaves the spot area, the vehicle returns to autonomous driving.

[0003] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2017-147626

[0004] In the above-mentioned remote control system, the area where the controller performs intervention operations such as monitoring and remote control of the vehicle is limited to a specific spot area, thereby reducing the burden on the controller. However, as autonomous driving advances and the range of response scenarios expands, controllers will need to perform intervention operations in many areas. In this case, the burden on the controller increases, or it becomes necessary to supplement the controller staff or expand the control center, which is inefficient. Furthermore, when an autonomously driven vehicle enters a spot area, a controller at the control center is assigned to be in charge of the vehicle. The assigned controller must continue remotely operating or monitoring the vehicle even if there are no problems with the vehicle's operation, which also increases the burden on the controller. As described above, there is a demand for further reduction in the burden on controllers who monitor autonomous driving and further improvement in work efficiency. An object of the present invention is to provide an autonomous driving assistance method, an autonomous driving assistance device, and an autonomous driving assistance system that can reduce the burden on controllers who monitor autonomous driving and further improve work efficiency.

[0005] The autonomous driving assistance method disclosed herein is an autonomous driving assistance method that uses a computer to provide driving assistance to a vehicle traveling autonomously. The method includes a reporting step of transmitting stuck information from the vehicle to a control device when the vehicle stops at the same location for a time threshold or longer, a necessity determination step of determining whether a controller needs to intervene in response to the stuck information, and a reporting condition setting step of setting the time threshold. If the reporting condition setting step determines that intervention is necessary based on the stuck information transmitted from the vehicle, the time threshold for the vehicle is set to a first time. On the other hand, if the controller determines that intervention is not necessary based on the stuck information transmitted from the vehicle, the time threshold for the vehicle is set to a second time, which is longer than the first time. This allows the controller to determine whether intervention is necessary for the vehicle that transmitted the stuck information. Furthermore, if intervention is not necessary due to traffic congestion or the like, the frequency of sending stuck information can be reduced by extending the time threshold for transmitting stuck information. This reduces the burden on the controller and improves work efficiency.

[0006] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing an automatic driving assistance system according to a first embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of stack determination information according to the first embodiment. FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control device according to the first embodiment. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing processing in a vehicle in an automatic driving assistance method according to the first embodiment. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing processing in a control device in an automatic driving assistance method according to the first embodiment. FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing processing in a vehicle in an automatic driving assistance method according to the first embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a case where a vehicle is away from an intersection (target point) beyond a determination distance. FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a case where a vehicle is located within a determination distance from an intersection (target point). FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of timing for issuing stack information according to the first embodiment. FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle according to a second embodiment. FIG. 12 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control device according to the second embodiment. FIG. 13 is a flowchart showing processing in a vehicle in an automatic driving assistance method according to the second embodiment. FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing processing in a control device in an automatic driving assistance method according to the second embodiment.

[0007] [First embodiment] An automated driving assistance system and an automated driving assistance method according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described below. Fig. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing the automated driving assistance system according to the present embodiment. As shown in Fig. 1, the automated driving assistance system 1 according to the present embodiment is a system in which a vehicle 10 and a control device 20 are connected to each other so as to be able to communicate with each other via a wireless communication line such as the Internet.

[0008] First, an overview of an automated driving assistance system 1 according to this embodiment will be described. In the automated driving assistance system 1, a vehicle 10 is an automated vehicle equipped with a controller 16 configured by a computer and configured to be capable of automated driving under control of the controller 16. The automated driving of the vehicle 10 is implemented by detecting surrounding objects using a surrounding detection sensor 111 and setting a route to avoid collisions with the surrounding objects. For example, the route along which the vehicle 10 will travel is set based on lane markings detected by the surrounding detection sensor 111, and when a leading vehicle is detected, the vehicle 10 is caused to follow the leading vehicle while maintaining a fixed distance from the leading vehicle.

[0009] In such automated driving, the vehicle 10 may stop for a long time even though no system abnormality has occurred in the vehicle 10. This state is hereinafter referred to as "stuck." There are various reasons why the vehicle 10 may become stuck, such as when the vehicle 10 enters a congested section and stops to follow a preceding vehicle, when the controller 16 of the vehicle 10 mistakenly identifies a parked vehicle as a preceding vehicle that is stopped at a traffic light or the like, or when an obstacle is detected on the road. In this embodiment, when such a stuck state occurs, the vehicle 10 transmits (issues) stuck information to the control device 20 provided in the control center 2, informing the control device 20 that the vehicle 10 has been stopped for a predetermined time or longer.

[0010] As a result, the control device 20 of the control center 2 determines whether intervention is necessary for the stuck vehicle 10 based on the received stuck information. Here, intervention in the present disclosure refers to a controller waiting at the control center operating the control device 20 to remotely drive the autonomously driven vehicle 10, or to the controller operating the control device 20 to send information such as warnings and guidance to the autonomously driven vehicle 10. To determine whether intervention is necessary, the controller monitors the surrounding conditions measured by the surrounding detection sensor 111 of the vehicle 10 and determines, for example, whether the situation is one in which intervention is necessary due to a parked vehicle, an obstacle, or the like, or one in which intervention is not necessary due to traffic congestion, or the like. The controller determines whether intervention is necessary by checking the monitor 23 connected to the control device 20, and if intervention is necessary, inputs the determination result to the control device 20. This allows the controller to intervene by performing autonomous driving only when intervention is necessary, thereby improving efficiency.

[0011] On the other hand, cases where intervention is determined to be unnecessary include the occurrence of a stuck vehicle due to traffic congestion. When traffic congestion occurs, the vehicle 10 often stops and moves forward multiple times, and if the vehicle is stopped for a long time, stuck information may be transmitted frequently. In this case, the controller must check the status of the vehicle 10 every time stuck information is received, which reduces the efficiency of vehicle monitoring. Therefore, in the present disclosure, for situations where intervention is unnecessary such as the above, when certain conditions are met, the time (time threshold) until stuck information is transmitted is extended, thereby reducing the burden on the controller and further improving efficiency. Below, such an autonomous driving assistance system 1 and autonomous driving assistance method will be described in detail.

[0012] [Configuration of Vehicle 10] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the vehicle 10. As described above, the vehicle 10 is an autonomous vehicle capable of autonomous driving. As shown in FIG. 2 , the vehicle 10 includes a sensor group 11, a navigation device 12, a driving drive unit 13, a driving control unit 14, a communication unit 15, and a controller 16. The sensor group 11 is composed of various sensors that measure the state of the vehicle 10 and its surroundings. The sensor group 11 includes, for example, a surrounding detection sensor 111, a position detection sensor 112, a driving detection sensor 113, and the like. As described above, the surrounding detection sensor 111 is a sensor that detects objects around the vehicle, for example, objects within a predetermined distance range around the vehicle. Examples of objects to be detected include vehicles around the vehicle, road markings, signs, traffic lights, and obstacles on the road that may obstruct driving. The specific configuration of the surrounding detection sensor 111 is not particularly limited, and for example, a general imaging camera, a laser radar, a millimeter-wave radar, and the like can be used.

[0013] The position detection sensor 112 is a sensor that detects the current position of the vehicle. An example of the position detection sensor 112 is a receiver that receives satellite signals from a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to determine the current position.

[0014] The travel detection sensor 113 detects various information related to the travel of the vehicle. For example, the travel detection sensor 113 includes a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, etc., and detects the speed and acceleration of the vehicle. In addition, an accelerator opening detection sensor that detects the accelerator opening, a sensor that detects the rotation speed of the engine, drive motor, etc., may be provided.

[0015] The navigation device 12 acquires map information within a predetermined distance around the vehicle. For example, the navigation device 12 may be an information recording device that acquires map information from a recording medium mounted on the vehicle, in which the map information is recorded. Alternatively, the navigation device 12 may receive map information by communicating with a data server that stores the map information via a communication line such as the Internet.

[0016] This map information includes various types of information related to roads. For example, the map information includes nodes and links connecting the nodes. Nodes include information about specific locations such as intersections, railroad crossings, highway interchanges and toll booths, and parking entrances and exits. Links are information about roads connecting nodes, and may also include information about the number of lanes on the roads and the possible directions of travel for vehicles on each lane.

[0017] The navigation device 12 also generates a driving plan for the vehicle. For example, when a destination is set by the user, the navigation device 12 calculates driving plan information from the current position detected by the position detection sensor 112 to the destination.

[0018] The traveling drive unit 13 is a mechanism for driving the vehicle 10, and includes a driving source such as an engine or a motor, a drive transmission unit that reduces the driving force of the driving source at a predetermined reduction ratio and transmits it to the driving wheels, driving wheels, a steering mechanism, a braking mechanism, etc. The traveling control unit 14 controls each component of the traveling drive unit 13 based on commands from the controller 16, and causes the vehicle 10 to travel (autonomous driving).

[0019] The communication unit 15 communicates with other devices connected to a network via a communication line such as the Internet. For example, in this embodiment, the vehicle 10 communicates with the control device 20 via the communication unit 15 to transmit and receive various information.

[0020] The controller 16 is a computer for controlling the automatic driving of the vehicle, and is configured to include, for example, a vehicle-side storage unit 161 configured with a memory or the like, a vehicle-side processor 17 configured with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like, and an input / output interface (not shown). The vehicle-side processor 17 reads and executes various programs stored in the vehicle-side storage unit 161, thereby functioning as a driving control unit 171, a distance calculation unit 172, a request transmission unit 173, an alarm activation condition setting unit 174, an intervention processing unit 175, and the like, as shown in Fig. 2. While an example is shown in which the vehicle-side processor 17 executes the programs to realize the respective functional components of the driving control unit 171, the distance calculation unit 172, the request transmission unit 173, the alarm activation condition setting unit 174, and the intervention processing unit 175, some or all of these may be realized by individual hardware configurations.

[0021] The driving control unit 171 performs automatic driving of the vehicle 10. For example, the driving control unit 171 sets a route along the route of the vehicle 10 that will actually travel, based on route information obtained from the navigation device 12. The driving control unit 171 then appropriately modifies the set route based on information obtained from the surroundings detection sensor 111, such as vehicles and obstacles around the vehicle 10, road markings, traffic lights, and signs, and outputs a driving command to the driving control unit 14 to cause the vehicle 10 to travel along the route. This allows the vehicle 10 to automatically drive along the route. For example, when a leading vehicle is present, the driving control unit 171 causes the vehicle 10 to travel following the leading vehicle while maintaining a certain distance from the leading vehicle. Furthermore, when an obstacle is present on the road, the driving control unit 171 causes the vehicle 10 to travel while avoiding the obstacle by setting a route that avoids the obstacle. Furthermore, when the leading vehicle is stopped due to traffic congestion or the like, the driving control unit 171 causes the vehicle 10 to stop while maintaining a predetermined distance from the leading vehicle. Furthermore, when a stop command is issued based on the detection of a traffic light, a railroad crossing, or the like, the driving control unit 171 causes the vehicle 10 to stop.

[0022] The distance calculation unit 172 acquires the current position of the vehicle 10 measured by the position detection sensor 112 and calculates the distance between the position of the vehicle 10 in the map information and a predetermined point (hereinafter referred to as the target point) located ahead of the vehicle 10 in the direction of travel. The target point ahead of the vehicle 10 in the direction of travel may be, for example, a predetermined point such as an intersection, a railroad crossing, a highway interchange or toll booth, or a facility parking lot, where the vehicle 10 is required to stop in accordance with a predetermined rule, or a point where traffic congestion is likely to occur due to traffic conditions. Here, not all nodes on the map information need to be selectable as the target point. Points on the map that can be selected as target points according to the present disclosure are set in advance based on factors such as the frequency of traffic congestion, and are associated with the map information. Furthermore, each of these points on the map information is assigned a point ID, which is associated with stack determination information, which will be described later.

[0023] The request sending unit 173 sends (issues) stuck information to the control device 20, which indicates that the vehicle 10 has been stopped at the same position for a predetermined time threshold or longer. This stuck information is an intervention request in which the system controlling the autonomous driving requests an intervention from a controller. In addition to the stuck information, the request sending unit 173 also sends driving status information that allows the controller to determine whether the autonomous driving of the vehicle 10 is normal. The driving status information includes measurement values ​​measured by various sensors in the sensor group 11.

[0024] The alert condition setting unit 174 sets conditions for transmitting stuck information from the request transmission unit 173. The alert condition setting unit 174 identifies the first point ahead in the direction of travel from the position of the vehicle 10 as the target point, and determines whether the position of the vehicle 10 is within a predetermined determination distance from the target point. If the position is beyond the determination distance, the time threshold is set to a first time. As a result, the request transmission unit 173 transmits stuck information to the control device 20 if the vehicle 10 has moved away from the target point beyond the determination distance and has been stopped in the same position for the first time or longer. In other words, in the present embodiment, if the position of the vehicle 10 is away from the target point beyond the determination distance, the time threshold is set to the first time regardless of whether intervention in relation to the stuck information is required.

[0025] On the other hand, when the vehicle 10 is located within the determination distance from the target point and a command (intervention-free information) has been received from the control device 20 indicating that no intervention is required for the most recently issued stuck information, the notification condition setting unit 174 sets the time threshold to a second time, which is longer than the first time. Here, in this embodiment, the most recently issued stuck information refers to stuck information that was issued after the vehicle 10's position came within the determination distance from the target point. Therefore, in this embodiment, stuck information that was issued when the vehicle 10 was in a position beyond the determination distance is not included in the most recently issued stuck information. Furthermore, when there is no most recently issued stuck information, that is, when a determination has not been made as to whether intervention is required for the stuck information, the time threshold is set to the first time.

[0026] Furthermore, even if the vehicle 10 is located within the determination distance from the target point, if a controller has performed an intervention operation via the control device 20 or the like in response to the most recently issued stuck information, the alert condition setting unit 174 sets the time threshold to the first time. In other words, even if the second time was set as the time threshold when the most recently issued stuck information was transmitted, if an intervention operation is performed in response to the stuck information, the alert condition setting unit 174 returns the time threshold to the first time threshold. Note that an intervention operation by a controller is an operation in which the controller determines from the stuck information that the vehicle 10 is stopped due to a factor other than traffic congestion, and remotely controls the vehicle 10 via the control device 20 or the like, or notifies the occupants of the vehicle 10 of information including warnings and guidance.

[0027] The alarm condition setting unit 174 determines the judgment distance and the time threshold for each target point based on stack judgment information that records the distance, first time, second time, etc. for each point. FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of stack judgment information. The stack judgment information illustrated in FIG. 3 corresponds to the point distance information and point time information of the present disclosure, and records the distance (judgment distance), first time, and second time for determining whether to change the time threshold for each point. In FIG. 3, a point ID is identification information that identifies the point and is set individually for each point. The judgment distance, first time, and second time for each point may be further subdivided based on multiple conditions related to the vehicle's driving environment. For example, in the example of FIG. 3, multiple time periods are set as conditions related to the vehicle's driving environment, including three time period conditions: a first time period from 7:00 to 9:00 and 16:00 to 20:00; a second time period from 9:00 to 16:00; and a third time period from 20:00 to 24:00 and 12:00 to 7:00. The judgment distance, first time, and second time are set for each of these time periods. Note that while FIG. 3 illustrates an example in which time periods are used as conditions, other conditions may also be used. For example, the condition may be the congestion level (traffic jam level) calculated according to the number of vehicles detected by the surrounding detection sensor 111, or the season or time of year such as a tourist season. Furthermore, the determination distance, the first time, and the second time may be recorded for a combination of multiple conditions such as the time period, the season, the congestion level, etc.

[0028] Furthermore, the entry flag in the stuck determination information is flag information indicating whether the vehicle 10 has entered within the determination distance of the target point indicated by the point ID. For example, when the entry flag is "0", it indicates that the vehicle 10 is away from the target point beyond the determination distance, and when the entry flag is "1", it indicates that the vehicle 10 is located within the determination distance from the target point. The extension flag is flag information indicating whether to use the first time or the second time as the time threshold when transmitting stuck information. For example, when the extension flag is "0", it indicates that the first time is used as the time threshold, and when the extension flag is "1", it indicates that the second time is used as the time threshold.

[0029] Such stack determination information may be recorded in the vehicle-side storage unit 161 of each vehicle 10. In this case, the request transmission unit 173 may read the stack determination information from the vehicle-side storage unit 161. Furthermore, the latest stack determination information may be acquired from the control device 20 or a predetermined data server, and the stack determination information recorded in the vehicle-side storage unit 161 may be updated. Furthermore, in response to a stack information alert from the vehicle 10, the control device 20 may transmit the stack determination information to the vehicle 10. In this case, the vehicle 10 may receive, from the control device 20, stack determination information in which an entry flag or an extension flag has been set by the control device 20, and record the information in the vehicle-side storage unit 161. Furthermore, the stack determination information may be recorded in a predetermined data server on the Internet. In this case, the alert condition setting unit 174 accesses the predetermined data server on the Internet to read the stack determination information. In this embodiment, as an example, an example in which the stack determination information is recorded in the vehicle-side storage unit 161 will be described.

[0030] The intervention processing unit 175 receives intervention command information returned from the control device 20 in response to the issuance of the stuck information and performs processing according to the intervention command information. The intervention command information includes not only a command to perform intervention processing by a traffic controller but also a command not to perform an intervention operation (intervention-free information). If the current position of the vehicle 10 is within the determination distance from the target point and the intervention command information includes intervention-free information, the notification condition setting unit 174 changes the extension flag for the target point to "1." As a result, the time threshold for transmitting stuck information when the vehicle 10 is within the determination distance is changed to a second time. Furthermore, if the intervention command information includes an intervention operation content, the intervention processing unit 175 performs processing according to the intervention operation content. For example, if the intervention operation content is a remote operation content by a traffic controller, the remote command transmitted from the control device 20 is input to the driving control unit 171. As a result, the vehicle 10 is remotely operated by the traffic controller. Alternatively, the intervention operation content may include a notification command to issue a warning or guidance, in which case the intervention processing unit 175 notifies the occupants of the vehicle 10 of the warning or guidance by voice or image based on the notification command.

[0031] [Configuration of Control Device 20] Fig. 4 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of the control device 20 provided in the control center 2. The control device 20 is configured by a computer and includes a control-side storage unit 21 configured by a memory or the like, a control-side processor 22 configured by a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like, an input / output interface (not shown), a monitor 23 connected via the input / output interface, a control-side communication unit 24, and the like. The control-side processor 22 reads and executes various programs stored in the control-side storage unit 21, thereby functioning as an information receiving unit 221, a vehicle status notifying unit 222, an intervention command acquiring unit 223, a command transmitting unit 224, and the like, as shown in Fig. 4. Although an example is shown in which the control-side processor 22 executes the programs to realize the respective functional components of the information receiving unit 221, the vehicle status notifying unit 222, the intervention command acquiring unit 223, and the command transmitting unit 224, some or all of these components may be realized by individual hardware configurations.

[0032] The information receiving unit 221 receives, from the control-side communication unit, stuck information and driving state information transmitted from the vehicle 10. The vehicle state notification unit 222 notifies the driving state of the vehicle 10 to the controller by, for example, displaying the driving state information transmitted together with the stuck information on the monitor 23. Examples of the driving state information of the vehicle 10 include measured values ​​measured by each sensor of the sensor group 11 of the vehicle 10, such as information (e.g., image data) about surrounding obstacles detected by the surrounding detection sensor 111, the current position of the vehicle 10 measured by the position detection sensor 112, and various measured values ​​related to the driving of the vehicle 10 measured by the driving detection sensor 113.

[0033] The intervention command acquisition unit 223 functions as a necessity determination unit of the present disclosure. The intervention command acquisition unit 223 determines whether an intervention operation by a controller is necessary for the vehicle 10, and acquires the content of the intervention operation if intervention is necessary. Specifically, the controller checks the driving state information of the vehicle 10 displayed on the monitor 23 and inputs the result to the control device 20. For example, if the controller determines that an intervention operation is necessary, the controller inputs to the control device 20 that an intervention operation is necessary and the content of the intervention operation. In this case, the intervention command acquisition unit 223 determines that intervention is necessary based on the input operation. Furthermore, if the controller determines that an intervention operation is not necessary, the controller inputs to the control device 20 that an intervention operation is not necessary. As a result, the intervention command acquisition unit 223 determines that intervention is not necessary.

[0034] The command transmitting unit 224 transmits the input information on whether intervention is necessary and the content of the intervention operation if an intervention operation is necessary to the vehicle 10. If an intervention operation is necessary, the vehicle state notification unit 222 acquires driving state information, the intervention command acquisition unit 223 acquires the content of the intervention operation, and the command transmitting unit 224 transmits the intervention operation in a coordinated manner, thereby enabling the controller to remotely operate the vehicle 10. Furthermore, if the content of the intervention operation is only to notify information such as a warning or guidance, the command transmitting unit 224 transmits intervention required information indicating that an intervention operation is necessary and the content of the notification to the vehicle 10.

[0035] On the other hand, if an intervention operation is not required, the command transmitting unit 224 transmits no-intervention information indicating that an intervention operation is not required as intervention command information. At this time, if the vehicle 10 to which the no-intervention information is transmitted is located within a judgment distance corresponding to the condition recorded in the stuck determination information from the target point recorded in the stuck information, the command transmitting unit 224 also transmits no-intervention information to other vehicles 10 that are located within the judgment distance from the same target point.

[0036] [Autonomous Driving Assistance Method] Next, an automatic driving assistance method in the automatic driving assistance system 1 will be described. FIGS. 5 to 7 are flowcharts illustrating the automatic driving assistance method of this embodiment, where FIGS. 5 and 7 are flowcharts illustrating processing in the vehicle 10, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart illustrating processing in the control device 20. FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating the process up to transmission of stuck information in the vehicle 10. In the automatic driving assistance system 1 of this embodiment, when an occupant of the vehicle 10 requests automatic driving, the driving control unit 171 acquires driving state information of the vehicle 10 based on measurements of each sensor of the sensor group 11 (step S1). As described above, the driving state information includes surrounding objects (such as a preceding vehicle or an obstacle) measured by the surroundings detection sensor 111, the current position of the vehicle 10 measured by the position detection sensor 112, and various measurement values ​​related to the driving of the vehicle 10 measured by the driving detection sensor 113. The driving control unit 171 performs automatic driving of the vehicle 10 based on this driving state information.

[0037] Then, when the vehicle 10 stops while the driving control unit 171 is performing autonomous driving, the request sending unit 173 starts counting the time since the vehicle 10 stopped (elapsed stopped time) (step S2). The alert condition setting unit 174 identifies a target point ahead of the vehicle 10 based on the map information, the current position of the vehicle 10, and the stuck determination information (step S3). Furthermore, the distance calculation unit 172 calculates the distance from the current position (stopped position) of the vehicle 10 to the target point (step S4).

[0038] The alarm condition setting unit 174 then refers to the stack determination information to acquire a determination distance to the target base and determines whether the distance calculated in step S4 is within the determination distance (step S5). The acquired determination distance corresponds to the target point identified in step S3 and corresponds to the conditions of the current driving environment. As described above, the conditions of the current driving environment include, for example, time of day conditions, congestion conditions, and seasonal conditions. If the determination in step S5 is YES, the alarm condition setting unit 174 sets the entry flag of the stack determination information to "1" (step S6). If the determination in step S5 is NO, the alarm condition setting unit 174 sets the entry flag of the stack determination information to "0" (step S7).

[0039] After step S6, the alarm condition setting unit 174 refers to the extension flag in the stuck determination information and determines whether the extension flag is "1" (step S8). If the determination in step S8 is YES (the extension flag is "1"), the alarm condition setting unit 174 sets a second time corresponding to the current driving environment conditions for the target point as the time threshold (step S9).

[0040] On the other hand, after step S7 (the entry flag is "0") or if the determination in step S8 is NO (the extension flag is "0"), the alarm condition setting unit 174 sets the first time corresponding to the conditions of the current driving environment for the target point as the time threshold (step S10). In other words, even if the vehicle 10 is located within the determination distance from the target point, if the vehicle 10 has not transmitted stuck information, the extension flag remains "0" because intervention command information has not been received from the control device 20. Furthermore, as will be described in detail later, if it has been determined that intervention is necessary based on the stuck information transmitted immediately before by the vehicle 10, the extension flag is maintained at "0" or changed from "1" to "0". Therefore, in such a case, the first time is set as the time threshold even if the vehicle 10 is within the determination distance.

[0041] Thereafter, the request transmission unit 173 determines whether the elapsed time since the vehicle stopped is equal to or longer than the time threshold (step S11). If the determination in step S11 is YES, the request transmission unit 173 transmits the stuck information and the traveling state information to the control device 20 (step S12). Steps S11 and S12 are the notification steps of the present disclosure.

[0042] If step S11 returns NO, the process returns to step S11 to determine whether the vehicle 10 has resumed traveling (step S13). If step S13 returns NO, the process returns to step S11 to continue counting the elapsed stopped time. On the other hand, if step S13 returns YES, that is, if the vehicle 10 resumes traveling due to the automatic driving process by the driving control unit 171, the request sending unit 173 resets the count of the elapsed stopped time (step S14). Then, the automatic driving control of the driving control unit 171 determines whether the vehicle 10 has passed the target point (step S15). If step S15 returns YES (the vehicle 10 has passed the target point), the alarm condition setting unit 174 resets the entry flag and extension flag in the stuck determination information to "0" (step S16), and returns to step S1. If step S15 returns NO, the entry flag and extension flag are not changed, and the process returns to step S1.

[0043] 6 , in the control device 20, when the information receiving unit 221 receives the stuck information and the driving state information transmitted in step S13 (step S31), the vehicle state notification unit 222 notifies the controller of the driving state information by, for example, displaying it on the monitor 23 (step S32). This allows the controller at the control center 2 to determine whether the vehicle 10 that transmitted the stuck information is stopped in a normal driving state or an abnormal driving state. A stop in a normal driving state means that the vehicle 10 is stopped to follow a preceding vehicle due to a traffic jam, or is stopped in accordance with a predetermined traffic rule, such as waiting at a traffic light or a railroad crossing. On the other hand, a stop in an abnormal driving state means that the vehicle 10 is not stopped in accordance with a traffic jam or a traffic rule, but is stopped because, for example, the driving control unit 171 of the vehicle 10 mistakenly identifies a parked vehicle as a stopped vehicle, or mistakenly determines that an avoidable obstacle is unavoidable. When a vehicle stops due to a parked vehicle, the driving control unit 171 sets a route to avoid the parked vehicle, so stopping for a long time is abnormal. Also, if there is an obstacle that can be avoided (for example, an obstacle on the road surface that is thin and can be overcome), the vehicle can continue driving over it without stopping, so stopping is abnormal.

[0044] The controller checks the driving condition information to determine whether or not to perform an intervention operation on the vehicle 10 and inputs the determination result to the control device 20. For example, if an intervention operation is necessary, the controller inputs the intervention operation details. If an intervention operation is not necessary, the controller inputs no-intervention information indicating that intervention is not necessary. The intervention command acquisition unit 223 of the control device 20 then acquires the determination result regarding the input intervention operation and the intervention operation details if intervention is necessary (step S33), and transmits intervention command information corresponding to the determination result to the vehicle 10 (step S34). This step S33 corresponds to the necessity determination step of the present disclosure. If the controller inputs the intervention operation details, it determines that intervention is necessary. If the controller inputs no-intervention information, it determines that intervention is not necessary. Furthermore, in this embodiment, if no-intervention information is acquired for one vehicle 10 within a determination distance from the target point, no-intervention information is transmitted to multiple vehicles 10 within the determination distance from the same target point. However, vehicles 10 that require intervention and for which the controller has input the details of the intervention operation are excluded.

[0045] FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the process performed when the vehicle 10 receives intervention command information. In FIG. 7 , upon receiving the intervention command information, the intervention processing unit 175 of the vehicle 10 determines whether the intervention command information is no-intervention information (step S17). If the determination in step S17 is YES (the intervention command information includes no-intervention information), the alarm issuance condition setting unit 174 determines whether the entry flag corresponding to the target point in the stuck determination information is "1" (step S18). If the determination in step S18 is YES, the alarm issuance condition setting unit 174 sets the extension flag corresponding to the target point in the stuck determination information to "1" (step S19). After this, the process returns to step S1. In this embodiment, as described above, when no-intervention information is acquired for one vehicle 10 within the determination distance from the target point, no-intervention information is transmitted to multiple vehicles 10 within the determination distance from the same target point, and step S19 is performed. Therefore, if these vehicles 10 are located within the determination distance from the target point, the next time they stop, stuck information will not be issued until the time threshold reaches the second hour in step S11. If the determination in step S18 is NO, the extension flag is not changed (the extension flag is kept at "0") and the process returns to step S1.

[0046] If step S17 returns NO (the intervention command information includes the intervention operation content), the intervention processing unit 175 permits the controller to intervene in the autonomous driving based on the intervention operation content and performs the intervention operation (step S20). As a result, for example, the controller may remotely operate the vehicle 10, or information such as a warning or guidance transmitted from the control device 20 as the intervention operation content may be notified to the occupants of the vehicle 10. In this case, the notification condition setting unit 174 sets the extension flag of the stuck determination information to "0" (step S21). That is, if the extension flag is set to "1," the extension flag is reset to "0," and if the extension flag is "0," the flag is maintained as is. Note that, in the flowchart of FIG. 7, the driving assistance processing is terminated after step S21; however, the autonomous driving processing by the driving control unit 171 may be resumed and the process may return to step S1.

[0047] Next, as an example of the driving assistance method, the operation of the vehicle 10 near an intersection will be described. Fig. 8 is a diagram showing an example of a case where the vehicle 10 is away from the intersection (target point) by more than the determination distance L, and Fig. 9 is a diagram showing an example of a case where the vehicle 10 is located within the determination distance L from the intersection (target point). Fig. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the timing of issuing stuck information when the vehicle 10 moves from Fig. 8 to Fig. 9. In Figs. 8 and 9, the vehicle 10 operating according to the automatic driving assistance system 1 of this embodiment is shown as a vehicle image with dark shading, and other vehicles 90 are shown as vehicle images with light shading.

[0048] As shown in FIG. 8 , when the vehicle 10 is away from the intersection, which is the target point 91, by more than the determination distance L, the request sending unit 173 starts counting the elapsed time of the vehicle stopping when the vehicle 10 stops by the process of step S2. The timing at which this counting starts is indicated by timing T1 in FIG. 10 . Because the vehicle 10 is away from the target point by more than the determination distance L, the determination in step S5 is NO, and the entry flag is set to "0" in step S7. Therefore, in step S10, the request sending unit 173 sets the first time to the time threshold value. Then, as shown in FIG. 10 , the elapsed time of the vehicle stopping is equal to the first time τ １ At timing T2 when this occurs, the determination in step S11 is YES, and the request transmission unit 173 transmits the stack information to the control device 20 in step S12.

[0049] 8 and 9 show typical traffic jams occurring near intersections. In such cases, a traffic controller who has confirmed the stuck information determines that no intervention is required. Therefore, the intervention command information transmitted in step S34 includes no-intervention information. Therefore, the intervention processing unit 175 of the vehicle 10 determines YES in step S17 and NO in step S18, so that the entry flag is set to "0" and the extension flag is set to "0", and the process returns to step S1. Because the vehicle 10 is stopped, counting the elapsed stop time continues.

[0050] However, at timing T3 in FIG. 10, the elapsed time of stopping the vehicle reaches the time threshold (first time τ １Since the vehicle 10 starts traveling before the time reaches the predetermined time, the determination in step S13 is YES, the elapsed time of stopping is reset in step S14, and the process returns to step S1.

[0051] Furthermore, the vehicle 10 moves forward and stops at timing T4 in Fig. 10. At this timing T4, the vehicle 10 is located at the position in Fig. 9, that is, within the determination distance L from the target point 91. When the vehicle 10 stops at timing T4, a YES determination is made in step S5, and therefore the entry flag is set to "1" in step S6, but the extension flag remains "0" at this point. Therefore, in step S10, the time threshold is set to the first time. Therefore, in step S11, the stop elapsed time is determined to be the first time τ １ At timing T5, the answer is YES, and stack information is transmitted in step S12.

[0052] In this case, however, after receiving the intervention command information (intervention-unnecessary information), the intervention processing unit 175 of the vehicle 10 determines YES in step S17. Furthermore, by determining YES in step S18, the alert condition setting unit 174 executes step S19, whereby the entry flag of the target intersection in the stuck determination information is set to "1" and the extension flag is set to "1."

[0053] Therefore, at timing T5 when the vehicle 10 stops after timing T4, the determination in step S5 is YES. Therefore, the entry flag is maintained at "1" in step S6, and the extension flag is "1", so the determination in step S8 is YES. Therefore, in step S9, the time threshold is set to the second time τ ２ As a result, the stoppage elapsed time is extended to the first time τ １ At the timing T6 when the vehicle has stopped, the determination in step S11 is NO, and the stuck information is not transmitted by the request transmission unit 173. ２ If the vehicle 10 starts traveling before this time, the stuck information is not transmitted and the elapsed stopped time is reset.

[0054] [Effects of the Present Embodiment] The autonomous driving assistance system 1 of the present embodiment includes a vehicle 10 and a control device 20, which are communicatively connected to each other. The vehicle 10 includes a controller 16 configured by a computer, and the vehicle-side processor 17 of the controller 16 functions as a request sending unit 173 and an alert condition setting unit 174 by reading and executing a program stored in a vehicle-side memory unit 161. The control device 20 functions as an information receiving unit 221 and an intervention command acquisition unit 223 (necessity determination unit) by the control-side processor 22 reading and executing a program stored in a control-side memory unit 21. The autonomous driving assistance system 1 then performs an alert generation step (steps S11 to S12), a necessity determination step (steps S32 to S34), and an alert condition setting step (steps S5 to S10). In steps S11 to S12, the request transmission unit 173 of the vehicle 10 performs an alert step of transmitting stuck information to the control device 20 informing the control device 20 that the vehicle 10 has stopped at the same location for a time threshold or longer. In steps S32 to S33, the intervention command acquisition unit 223 of the control device 20 determines, based on the stuck information, whether intervention by a controller regarding the operation of the vehicle 10 is required, based on an input operation from the controller. Then, in steps S5 to S10, if the alert condition setting unit 174 determines that intervention is required based on the stuck information transmitted from the vehicle 10, it sets the time threshold for transmitting the stuck information from the vehicle 10 to a first time. Furthermore, if the alert condition setting unit 174 determines that intervention is not required based on the stuck information transmitted from the vehicle 10, it sets the time threshold for transmitting the stuck information from the vehicle 10 to a second time that is longer than the first time.

[0055] As a result, if the vehicle 10 that transmitted the stuck information transmits the stuck information while in a driving state that does not require controller intervention, such as traffic congestion, the frequency of issuing the stuck information can be reduced by extending the time from when the vehicle 10 stops until when the stuck information is transmitted. This also reduces the frequency with which controllers check the driving state of the vehicle 10, reducing the burden on the controller and improving work efficiency. In addition, the controller does not need to monitor or intervene for all vehicles 10 within a specified area. The controller only needs to check the driving state of the vehicle 10 that transmitted the stuck information and intervene only when intervention is necessary. This also reduces the burden on the controller and improves work efficiency.

[0056] In this embodiment, in step S9 or step S10, the notification condition setting unit 174 acquires from the vehicle-side storage unit 161 stuck determination information recording second times for multiple locations, identifies a location ahead in the direction of travel of the vehicle 10 as a target location, and sets the second time corresponding to the target location as the time threshold if the vehicle 10 is located within a determined distance from the target location and it is determined that intervention is not required based on the stuck information. This allows the notification condition setting unit 174 to set a different second time for each location as the time threshold. For example, if the location is an intersection, the time until the traffic light changes varies depending on the intersection. If the location is a railroad crossing, the time until a train passes through the crossing and the number of trains passing through also vary. Therefore, when the vehicle 10 enters a congested section, the time it spends stopping due to congestion also varies depending on the location. In this embodiment, because the second time varies for each location, the time until the vehicle stops in congestion can be set according to the length of time the vehicle stays in congestion. This prevents unnecessary stuck information and frequent issuance of stuck information, further reducing the burden on traffic controllers and improving work efficiency.

[0057] In this embodiment, the stuck determination information further records, for each point, second times corresponding to multiple conditions related to the vehicle 10's driving environment. Then, in step S9 or step S10, if the vehicle 10's location is within the determined distance from the target point and intervention is determined not to be necessary for the stuck information, the notification condition setting unit 174 sets the second time corresponding to the condition corresponding to the current driving environment of the vehicle 10 as the time threshold. This allows the notification condition setting unit 174 to set different second times as the time threshold depending on the driving environment. For example, depending on the point, there may be cases where vehicles stop for longer periods of time due to traffic congestion during morning and evening rush hours, and relatively shorter periods of time due to traffic congestion during the day. Therefore, by setting a second time corresponding to the driving environment for each point, an appropriate second time can be set for vehicles 10 stopped due to traffic congestion, reducing the frequency of unnecessary stuck information that does not require controller intervention. This further reduces the burden on controllers and improves work efficiency.

[0058] In this embodiment, in steps S5 to S10, the alarm condition setting unit 174 sets the time threshold for transmitting stuck information from the vehicle 10 to a first time when the vehicle 10's stopped location is located beyond the threshold distance from the target point or when intervention is determined to be necessary based on the stuck information transmitted from the vehicle 10. Furthermore, when the vehicle 10's stopped location is within the threshold distance from the target point and intervention is determined to be unnecessary based on the stuck information transmitted from the vehicle 10, the alarm condition setting unit 174 sets the time threshold for transmitting stuck information from the vehicle 10 to a second time, which is longer than the first time. In this way, by setting a threshold distance for a location where a vehicle is likely to stop and adding whether the stopped location is within the threshold distance as an additional condition for the time threshold, the burden on the controller can be reduced in situations such as traffic congestion where controller intervention is unnecessary. Furthermore, when the vehicle 10's stopped location is located beyond the threshold distance from the target point, the possibility of the vehicle 10 stopping due to traffic congestion is lower than when the vehicle 10's stopped location is within the threshold distance. Therefore, when the stopping position moves away beyond the judgment distance, by setting the time threshold as the first threshold, the vehicle 10 that actually requires intervention will not be left unattended for a long period of time, and appropriate automatic driving assistance can be provided.

[0059] In this embodiment, in step S5, the alarm condition setting unit 174 acquires stuck detection information, which records the determination distances of multiple points, from the vehicle-side storage unit 161. The alarm condition setting unit 174 identifies a point ahead in the direction of travel of the vehicle 10 as a target point. Based on the determination distance corresponding to the target point, the alarm condition setting unit 174 determines whether the vehicle 10 is located beyond the determination distance or within the determination distance. This allows the alarm condition setting unit 174 to set a time threshold based on a different determination distance for each point. For example, the determination distance can be increased for points where the distance of the congested section tends to increase when congestion occurs. Furthermore, the determination distance can be decreased for points where the distance of the congested section tends to decrease even when congestion occurs. By setting the determination distance for each point in this way, the time threshold from stopping to issuing a stuck notification can be appropriately extended to a second hour for a vehicle 10 that has entered a congested section, thereby further reducing the burden on the controller and improving work efficiency.

[0060] In this embodiment, the stuck determination information further records, for each point, a determination distance for multiple conditions related to the vehicle 10's driving environment. Then, in step S5, the alarm condition setting unit 174 determines whether the vehicle 10 is located beyond or within the determination distance based on the determination distance for conditions corresponding to the current driving environment of the vehicle 10 (e.g., the time of day or season during which the vehicle 10 is driving, the degree of surrounding congestion, etc.). This allows the alarm condition setting unit 174 to set a time threshold based on a determination distance that varies depending on the driving environment. For example, depending on the point, long congested sections may occur during morning and evening rush hours, while congestion may be relatively rare during the daytime. The length of the congested section when congestion does occur may also vary. Therefore, by setting a determination distance corresponding to the driving environment for each point, the time threshold from when the vehicle 10 stops to when the stuck information is transmitted can be appropriately extended to a second hour for the vehicle 10 that has entered the congested section, further reducing the burden on the controller and improving work efficiency.

[0061] In this embodiment, if the position of one vehicle 10 is within a determination distance from the target point and it is determined in the notification condition setting step that intervention is not required for the stuck information, the time threshold is set to the second time for multiple vehicles 10 located within the determination distance from the target point. This makes it possible to set the time threshold to the second time even for vehicles that have not issued stuck information, for example, by driving the vehicle 10 until the time threshold is reached. This makes it possible to suppress frequent issuance of stuck information, further reducing the burden on controllers and improving work efficiency.

[0062] In this embodiment, if it is determined in step S17 that the intervention command information includes an intervention operation, the notification condition setting unit 174 sets the extension flag of the stuck determination information to "0" in step S21. In other words, even if the stuck information is transmitted after the time threshold is set to the second time, if it is determined that controller intervention is required for the stuck information, the time threshold is returned to the first time. In this way, by returning the time until the stuck information is issued to the first time for vehicles 10 that are likely to require controller intervention, it is possible to suppress delays in the controller's intervention due to delays in the transmission of the stuck information and to suppress disruptions in traffic flow, etc., caused by delays in the controller's intervention.

[0063] [Second Embodiment] Next, a second embodiment will be described. In the first embodiment, the vehicle 10 includes a request sending unit 173 and a warning condition setting unit 174, and the control device 20 includes an information receiving unit 221 and an intervention command acquisition unit 223 that functions as a necessity determination unit. In contrast, in the second embodiment, a configuration that causes the control device to function as the autonomous driving support device of the present disclosure will be described. In the following description, the same reference numerals will be used to designate components that have already been described, and their description will be omitted or simplified.

[0064] Fig. 11 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle 10A in an automated driving assistance system according to a second embodiment, and Fig. 12 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a control device 20A. Similar to the first embodiment, the automated driving assistance system according to this embodiment includes a vehicle 10A and a control device 20A communicatively connected to the vehicle 10A. Similar to the first embodiment, the vehicle 10A includes a sensor group 11, a navigation device 12, a driving drive unit 13, a driving control unit 14, a communication unit 15, and a controller 16. The controller 16 also includes a vehicle-side storage unit 161 and a vehicle-side processor 17. The vehicle-side processor 17 reads and executes a program recorded in the vehicle-side storage unit 161, thereby functioning as a driving control unit 171, a request transmission unit 173A, an intervention processing unit 175, and the like.

[0065] In this embodiment, the request sending unit 173A normally sends stuck information to the control device 20A when the elapsed stopped time of the vehicle 10A reaches or exceeds a preset first time as a time threshold. Furthermore, when the request sending unit 173A receives an extension command to extend the time threshold to a second time from the control device 20A, the request sending unit 173A sends stuck information to the control device 20A when the elapsed stopped time reaches or exceeds the second time.

[0066] The control device 20A is configured substantially similarly to the first embodiment, and includes a control-side memory unit 21, a control-side processor 22, an input / output interface (not shown), a monitor 23, and a control-side communication unit 24. The control-side processor 22 reads and executes various programs stored in the control-side memory unit 21, thereby functioning as an information receiving unit 221, a vehicle state notification unit 222, an intervention command acquisition unit 223, a command transmitting unit 224, a distance calculation unit 225, an alarm condition setting unit 226, and the like.

[0067] In this embodiment, the control-side memory 21 of the control device 20A records the stuck determination information. The distance calculation unit 225 calculates the distance between the vehicle 10A and the target point, similar to the distance calculation unit 172 in the first embodiment. When the alarm activation condition setting unit 226 receives stuck information and driving state information from the vehicle 10A, it identifies a target point ahead of the vehicle 10A based on the vehicle 10A's position information, map information, and stuck determination, and calculates the distance between the vehicle 10A and the target point. The alarm activation condition setting unit 226 also determines whether the distance between the vehicle 10A and the target point is within a determination distance, and if the vehicle 10A is located beyond the determination distance from the target point, it sets the time threshold to a first time. Furthermore, if the intervention command acquisition unit 223 acquires intervention operation details in response to a controller's input regarding the stuck information, the alarm activation condition setting unit 226 sets the time threshold to the first time even if the vehicle 10A is located beyond the determination distance from the target point. On the other hand, when the vehicle 10A is located within the determination distance from the target point and the intervention command acquisition unit 223 acquires no-intervention information, the alert condition setting unit 226 sets the time threshold to the second time.

[0068] Then, as in the first embodiment, the command sending unit 224 sends to the vehicle 10A, as intervention command information, the time threshold set by the alarm condition setting unit 226 in addition to the judgment result of the intervention operation (the content of the intervention operation or information on no intervention required).

[0069] Next, an autonomous driving assistance method in the autonomous driving assistance system of the second embodiment will be described. Figures 13 to 15 are flowcharts showing the autonomous driving assistance method of this embodiment, with Figures 13 and 15 being flowcharts showing processing in the vehicle 10A, and Figure 14 being a flowchart showing processing in the control device 20A. In Figure 13, in the autonomous driving assistance system of this embodiment, as in the first embodiment, first, in step S1, when an occupant requests the execution of autonomous driving, the driving control unit 171 acquires running state information of the vehicle 10A based on measurement values ​​of each sensor of the sensor group 11.

[0070] When the vehicle 10A stops during autonomous driving by the driving control unit 171, the request sending unit 173A performs step S2 and starts counting the time since the vehicle 10A stopped (elapsed stopped time). Then, similar to step S11 in the first embodiment, the request sending unit 173 determines whether the elapsed stopped time is equal to or greater than the time threshold. Note that in this embodiment, the time threshold is recorded in the vehicle-side storage unit 161, and if the control device 20A does not specify a time threshold, a time (e.g., a first time) that is preset as a default value is used as the time threshold.

[0071] If step S11 is determined as YES, the request transmission unit 173A performs step S12 and transmits stuck information and traveling state information to the control device 20A. If step S11 is determined as NO, step S13 is performed and it is determined whether or not traveling of the vehicle 10A has resumed. If step S13 is determined as NO, the process returns to step S11 and continues counting the elapsed stopped time. If step S13 is determined as YES, that is, when the driving control unit 171 resumes traveling of the vehicle 10A, the request transmission unit 173 performs step S14 to reset the count of the elapsed stopped time and returns to step S1.

[0072] 14 , in the control device 20A, the information receiving unit 221 receives the stuck information and the driving condition information in step S31, and then in step S32 the vehicle condition notification unit 222 notifies the controller by, for example, displaying the driving condition information on the monitor 23. As a result, as in the first embodiment, the controller at the control center 2 determines whether the vehicle 10A that transmitted the stuck information is stopped in a normal driving condition or an abnormal driving condition. Then, the controller inputs the result of the determination on whether or not an intervention operation is required to the control device 20A, and the intervention command acquisition unit 223 acquires the input determination result on the intervention operation and the details of the intervention operation if an intervention operation is required in step S33.

[0073] In this embodiment, the alarm condition setting unit 226 of the control device 20A identifies a target point ahead of the vehicle 10A from the map information, the current position of the vehicle 10A, and the stuck determination information (step S35), similar to step S3 in the first embodiment. Furthermore, the distance calculation unit 225 of the control device 20A calculates the distance from the current position of the vehicle 10A to the target point (step S36), similar to step S4 in the first embodiment.

[0074] Then, similar to step S4 in the first embodiment, the alert condition setting unit 226 references the stuck determination information and acquires a determination distance that corresponds to the target point identified in step S35 and the conditions of the current driving environment. The alert condition setting unit 226 also determines whether the distance calculated in step S36 is within the determination distance (step S37). If the determination in step S37 is NO, the alert condition setting unit 226 sets the time threshold to a first time (step S38).

[0075] If step S37 returns YES, the alarm condition setting unit 226 further determines whether intervention-free information was input in step S33 (step S39). If step S39 returns YES, the alarm condition setting unit 174 sets the time threshold to a second time (step S40). In this embodiment, when the alarm condition setting unit 174 sets the time threshold to the second time for one vehicle 10A, it also sets the time threshold to the second time for multiple vehicles 10A within a determined distance from the target point. However, vehicles 10A for which a controller has input an intervention operation indicating the need for intervention are excluded from the target point. If step S39 returns NO, the alarm condition setting unit 174 sets the time threshold to the first time, as in step S38. Thereafter, the command sending unit 224 sends the intervention command information acquired in step S34 and the time threshold to the vehicle 10A (step S41). At this time, if the time threshold is set to the second time for multiple vehicles 10A in step S40, a message is sent to the multiple vehicles 10A for which the time threshold is set indicating that the second time is the time threshold. Note that if stuck information is not transmitted from the vehicle 10A, the alarm activation condition setting unit 174 does not set a time threshold. In this case, as described above, the vehicle 10A uses a time (e.g., the first time) that is preset as a default value as the time threshold.

[0076] 15, when the intervention processing unit 175 of the vehicle 10A acquires the intervention command information and the time threshold, it records the acquired time threshold in the vehicle-side storage unit 161 (step S51). Furthermore, similar to step S17, the intervention processing unit 175 determines whether the intervention command information is intervention-free information. If the determination in step S17 is YES, the process returns to step S1. As a result, the time threshold for transmitting stuck information the next time the vehicle 10A stops is set to the time specified by the control device 20A.

[0077] If the determination in step S17 is NO, the intervention processing unit 175 permits the controller to intervene in the automated driving based on the intervention operation content, and performs the intervention operation, as in step S20. Note that in the flowchart of Fig. 10, the driving assistance processing is terminated after step S20, but the automated driving processing by the driving control unit 171 may be resumed and the process may return to step S1.

[0078] [Effects of the Present Embodiment] The present embodiment can achieve the same effects as the first embodiment. That is, in the present embodiment, the control device 20A functions as an automated driving assistance device, and the control-side processor 22 reads and executes a program stored in the control-side memory unit 21, thereby functioning as an information receiving unit 221, an intervention command acquisition unit 223 (a necessity determination unit), and an alert condition setting unit 226. In step S31, the information receiving unit 221 of the control device 20A receives stuck information transmitted from the vehicle 10A. In step S33, the intervention command acquisition unit 223 of the control device 20A determines, through an input operation by a controller, whether or not intervention is required for the stuck information transmitted from the vehicle 10A. Then, in steps S35 to S40, if it is determined that intervention is required for the stuck information transmitted from the vehicle 10A, the alert condition setting unit 226 sets the time threshold for the vehicle 10A to a first time. Furthermore, if it is determined that intervention is not required for the stuck information transmitted from the vehicle 10A, the time threshold for the vehicle 10A is set to a second time, which is longer than the first time. As a result, if the vehicle 10A transmits stuck information while in a driving state that does not require controller intervention, such as a traffic jam, the time from when the vehicle 10A stops until when the stuck information is transmitted can be extended, thereby reducing the frequency of issuance of stuck information. This also reduces the frequency with which the controller checks the driving status of the vehicle 10A, thereby reducing the burden on the controller and improving work efficiency. Furthermore, the controller does not need to monitor or intervene for all vehicles 10A within a specified area. Instead, the controller checks the driving status of the vehicle 10A that has transmitted stuck information and only intervenes when intervention is necessary. This also reduces the burden on the controller and improves work efficiency.

[0079] [Modifications] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and includes the following modifications within the scope of achieving the object of the present invention.

[0080] [Variation 1] In the above embodiment, when one vehicle 10, 10A is located within the determination distance from the target point and it is determined based on the stuck information that intervention is not required, the control device 20, 20A transmits a message to the other multiple vehicles 10, 10A located within the determination distance that intervention is also not required, and the time threshold is set to the second time. In contrast, a time threshold may be set individually for each individual vehicle 10, 10A. In other words, when one vehicle 10, 10A is located within the determination distance from the target point and it is determined based on the stuck information that intervention is not required, the time threshold for only that one vehicle 10, 10A may be set to the second time.

[0081] [Variation 2] In the above embodiment, the alarm condition setting unit 174, 226 extends the time threshold to the second time when the position of the vehicle 10, 10A is within the determination distance from the target point and it is determined that intervention is not required for the stuck information. Alternatively, the time threshold may be changed depending on the distance from the target point. In this case, for example, multiple determination distance ranges and different second times for each of the determination distance ranges are recorded as stuck information. This allows the time threshold to be changed depending on which determination distance range the position of the vehicle 10, 10A falls within.

[0082] In the above embodiment, the stack determination information has been described as an example in which the first time for each location is the same, but different first times may be set for each location. In other words, the first time may be set to different values ​​depending on the location ahead of the vehicle 10, 10A.

[0083] [Variation 4] In the above embodiment, even when the time threshold was set to the second time, the alert condition setting unit 174, 226 reset the time threshold to the first time when it was determined that controller intervention was required for the stack information. In contrast, the alert condition setting unit 174, 226 may maintain the time threshold at the second time even after the controller intervenes in the stack information. In other words, after the controller intervenes, it is highly likely that the automatic driving control by the operation control unit 171 has returned to normal, and it is highly likely that controller intervention will not be required even if the next stack information is transmitted. Therefore, by maintaining the time threshold at the second time, the burden on the controller can be reduced and work efficiency can be improved.

[0084] In the above embodiment, the determination distance, the first time, and the second time for each point are recorded in the stack determination information, and the alarm condition setting unit 174, 226 sets the determination distance and the time threshold based on the stack determination information. However, the determination distance and the second time may be set to any value by an input operation by a controller in the control device 20, 20A.

[0085] [Variation 6] In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the time threshold is set to the first time when a determination as to whether intervention is necessary for the stuck information has not been performed. That is, in the first embodiment, an example was shown in which the extension flag is maintained at “0” when a determination as to whether intervention is necessary for the stuck information has not been performed. In the second embodiment, an example was shown in which a preset time (e.g., the first time) is set as the time threshold when no time threshold is specified by the control device 20. In contrast, the time threshold for when a determination as to whether intervention is necessary for the stuck information has not been performed may be different between when the vehicle 10, 10A is located within the determination distance and when it is located beyond the determination distance. For example, when the vehicle 10, 10A is stopped beyond the determination distance, a predetermined first time is set as the time threshold regardless of whether intervention is necessary for the stuck information. On the other hand, when the vehicle 10, 10A is stopped within the determination distance but has not issued a stuck information report and has not performed a determination as to whether intervention is necessary, the time threshold may be set to a time longer than the first time but shorter than the second time.

[0086] [Variation 7] In the above embodiment, the alarm condition setting unit 174, 226 set the time threshold based on the relationship between the stopped location of the vehicle 10, 10A and the determination distance, and the determination of whether intervention is required in response to the stuck information. In contrast, the time threshold may be changed based solely on the determination of whether intervention is required in response to the stuck information, regardless of the stopped location of the vehicle 10, 10A. In this case, there is no need to identify a point ahead of the vehicle 10, 10A as the target point, or to calculate the distance between the target point and the vehicle 10, 10A. That is, the time threshold is set to the first time in at least one of the following cases: when the vehicle 10, 10A has never transmitted stuck information to the control device 20, or when the control device 20 determines that intervention is required in response to the most recent stuck information transmitted from the vehicle 10, 10A. On the other hand, when the control device 20 determines that intervention is required in response to the most recent stuck information transmitted from the vehicle 10, 10A, the time threshold is set to the second time for the next transmission of stuck information. Even with this method, it is possible to reduce the frequency of stack information being issued, thereby reducing the burden on controllers and improving work efficiency.

[0087] 1...Autonomous driving assistance system, 10, 10A...Vehicle, 16...Controller, 17...Vehicle-side processor, 20, 20A...Control device, 21...Control-side memory unit, 22...Control-side processor, 161...Vehicle-side memory unit, 171...Driving control unit, 172...Distance calculation unit, 173, 173A...Request sending unit, 174...Alert condition setting unit, 175...Intervention processing unit, 221...Information receiving unit, 222...Vehicle status notification unit, 223...Intervention command acquisition unit (necessity determination unit), 224...Command sending unit, 225...Distance calculation unit, 226...Alert condition setting unit.

Claims

1. An autonomous driving assistance method for providing driving assistance to a vehicle traveling autonomously using a computer, the method comprising: an alerting step of transmitting stuck information from the vehicle to a control device when the vehicle has stopped at the same position for a period of time equal to or longer than a time threshold, a necessity determination step of determining whether intervention by a controller in relation to the driving of the vehicle is required based on the stuck information, and an alerting condition setting step of setting the time threshold, wherein in the alerting condition setting step, if it is determined that intervention is required based on the stuck information sent from the vehicle, the time threshold for the vehicle is set to a predetermined first time, and if it is determined that intervention is not required based on the stuck information sent from the vehicle, the method comprises:

2. The autonomous driving assistance method according to claim 1, wherein in the alarm condition setting step, location time information recording the second times of a plurality of locations is obtained from a predetermined storage device, the location ahead in the direction of travel of the vehicle is identified as a target location, and if it is determined in the necessity determination step that intervention is not required for the stuck information, the second time corresponding to the target location is set to the time threshold value.

3. The autonomous driving assistance method of claim 2, wherein the location-time information records the second time for a plurality of conditions related to the vehicle's driving environment for each of the locations, and when it is determined in the alarm condition setting step that intervention is unnecessary for the stuck information, the second time corresponding to the condition corresponding to the current driving environment of the vehicle is set to the time threshold value.

4. The autonomous driving assistance method of claim 1, wherein in the step of setting the alarm conditions, the first time is set to the time threshold value when the vehicle's stopping position is away from a predetermined point by more than a predetermined judgment distance and when it is determined that the intervention is necessary based on the stuck information, and the second time is set to the time threshold value when the vehicle's stopping position is within the judgment distance from the predetermined point and it is determined that the intervention is not necessary based on the stuck information.

5. The autonomous driving assistance method of claim 4, wherein in the alarm condition setting step, point distance information recording the judgment distances of a plurality of the points is obtained from a predetermined storage device, the point ahead in the direction of travel of the vehicle is identified as a target point, and based on the judgment distance corresponding to the target point, it is determined whether the position of the vehicle is further away than the judgment distance or within the judgment distance.

6. The autonomous driving assistance method described in claim 5, wherein the point distance information records the judgment distance for each of the points for a plurality of conditions related to the vehicle's driving environment, and in the alarm condition setting step, it is determined whether the vehicle's position is beyond the judgment distance or within the judgment distance based on the judgment distance for the condition corresponding to the current driving environment of the vehicle.

7. The autonomous driving assistance method described in claim 4, wherein, in the alarm condition setting step, if the position of one of the vehicles is within the determination distance from the point and it is determined that the intervention is unnecessary based on the stuck information, the time threshold is set to the second time for multiple vehicles including the one of the vehicles located within the determination distance from the point.

8. The autonomous driving assistance method according to claim 1, wherein, in the alarm condition setting step, if it is determined in the necessity determination step that intervention is necessary for the stuck information transmitted after the time threshold has been set to the second time, the time threshold is returned to the first time.

9. An autonomous driving assistance device that provides driving assistance for a vehicle traveling by autonomous driving, comprising: an information receiving unit that receives, from the vehicle, stuck information notifying that the vehicle has stopped and the position of the vehicle when the vehicle has stopped at the same position for a time threshold or longer; a necessity determination unit that determines whether intervention by a controller in relation to the driving of the vehicle is necessary based on the stuck information; and an alarm condition setting unit that sets the time threshold, wherein, when it is determined that intervention is necessary based on the stuck information sent from the vehicle, the alarm condition setting unit sets the time threshold for the vehicle to a predetermined first time, and when it is determined that intervention is not necessary based on the stuck information sent from the vehicle, the autonomous driving assistance device sets the time threshold for the vehicle to a second time that is longer than the first time.

10. An automated driving assistance system comprising a vehicle that travels by automated driving and a control device that assists the vehicle in driving, wherein the vehicle comprises: a request sending unit that sends stuck information to the control device when the vehicle is stopped at the same position for a time threshold or longer, notifying the control device that the vehicle has stopped; and an alert condition setting unit that sets the time threshold; the control device comprises: an information receiving unit that receives the stuck information; and a necessity determination unit that determines whether intervention by a controller in relation to the driving of the vehicle is necessary based on the stuck information and sends the determination result to the vehicle; and the alert condition setting unit that, when the necessity determination unit determines that intervention is necessary based on the stuck information sent by the vehicle, sets the time threshold for the vehicle to a predetermined first time; and when it determines that intervention is not necessary based on the stuck information sent by the vehicle, sets the time threshold for the vehicle to a second time that is longer than the first time.

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