Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and vehicle control program

Abstract

This vehicle control device is provided with: a blind spot recognition unit (32) that, on the basis of sound information outside a host vehicle collected by an acoustic sensor (16) mounted on the host vehicle, detects a blind spot object, which is an object present in a blind spot area that cannot be seen from the position of the host vehicle, and determines the type or size of the blind spot object; a control decision unit (36) that decides, in accordance with the result of the determination by the blind spot recognition unit, to execute at least one vehicle control from among a speed control of the host vehicle, steering control, air conditioning control, window closing control, rerouting control, headlight flashing, sound volume control of a vehicle-mounted device (26), and notification of the driver of the host vehicle; and execution units (35, 39) that execute the vehicle control decided by the control decision unit.

Description

Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and vehicle control program CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-150906, filed on September 2, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control program for controlling a vehicle.

[0003] Conventionally, a vehicle control device is known that uses an acoustic sensor mounted on a vehicle to detect the presence of another vehicle traveling in a blind spot that cannot be seen by the occupants from the position of the vehicle, and notifies the driver of the detection result (for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] The vehicle control device described in Patent Document 1 collects sounds around the vehicle using acoustic sensors installed on the left and right sides of the vehicle, detects the presence of other vehicles in blind spots based on the results of these sound collections, and presents the results to the driver.

[0005] JP 2012-146149 A

[0006] However, since the actions that the driver should take vary depending on the type and size of the object in the blind spot, there is a risk that the driver will not take appropriate action simply by issuing an alert as in the vehicle control device described in Patent Document 1.

[0007] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a vehicle control program that can use sound collection results from an acoustic sensor mounted on a vehicle to perform appropriate vehicle control according to the type and size of an object present in the blind spot of the vehicle.

[0008] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle control device includes: a blind spot recognition unit that detects an object in a blind spot, which is an object that exists in a blind spot area that cannot be seen from the position of the vehicle, based on sound information outside the vehicle collected by an acoustic sensor mounted on the vehicle, and determines the type or size of the object in the blind spot; a control decision unit that decides to execute at least one vehicle control of the vehicle, including speed control, steering control, air conditioning control, window closing control, rerouting control, passing, volume control of in-vehicle devices, and notification to the driver of the vehicle, depending on the determination result of the blind spot recognition unit; and an execution unit that executes the vehicle control determined by the control decision unit.

[0009] In this vehicle control device, the blind spot recognition unit detects an object in the blind spot area of ​​the vehicle using sound information obtained by the acoustic sensor and determines the type or size of the object, and the control decision unit decides to execute vehicle control in accordance with the determination result of the blind spot recognition unit. The control decision unit decides to execute at least one of vehicle speed control, steering control, air conditioning control, window closing control, rerouting control, passing, volume control of in-vehicle devices, and notification to the driver of the vehicle. The execution unit then executes the vehicle control decided by the control decision unit. This allows the vehicle control device to detect an object in the blind spot and execute appropriate vehicle control in accordance with the type or size of the object in the blind spot.

[0010] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, a vehicle control method is a vehicle control method that can be used in a vehicle, and includes: detecting an object in a blind spot, which is an object that exists in a blind spot area that cannot be seen from the position of the vehicle, based on sound information outside the vehicle collected by an acoustic sensor mounted on the vehicle, and determining the type or size of the object in the blind spot; and executing at least one vehicle control of the vehicle among speed control, steering control, air conditioning control, window closing control, rerouting control, passing, volume control of in-vehicle equipment, and alerting the driver of the vehicle, depending on the determination result of the type or size of the object in the blind spot.

[0011] This vehicle control method includes detecting an object in a blind spot using sound information obtained by an acoustic sensor and determining its type or size, and executing vehicle control in accordance with the result of the determination of the object in the blind spot. The executed vehicle control is at least one of speed control, steering control, air conditioning control, window closing control, rerouting control, passing, volume control of in-vehicle devices, and notification to the driver of the vehicle. This results in a vehicle control method that can detect an object in the blind spot area of ​​the vehicle and execute appropriate vehicle control in accordance with the type or size of the object in the blind spot.

[0012] According to another aspect of the present disclosure, the vehicle control program is a vehicle control program used to control the driving state of the host vehicle or on-board equipment, and causes at least one execution unit to execute processes including: a process of detecting an object in a blind spot, which is an object present in a blind spot area that cannot be seen from the position of the host vehicle, based on sound information outside the host vehicle collected by an acoustic sensor mounted on the host vehicle; a process of determining the size or type of the object in the blind spot when the object in the blind spot is detected; and a process of executing at least one vehicle control corresponding to the determination result from among speed control, steering control, air conditioning control, window closing control, rerouting control, passing, volume control of on-board equipment, and notification to the driver of the host vehicle, based on the determination result of the size or type of the object in the blind spot.

[0013] This vehicle control program includes a process for detecting an object in a blind spot in the blind spot area of ​​the vehicle using sound information obtained by an acoustic sensor, determining the type or size of the object in the blind spot, and executing vehicle control in accordance with the determination result of the object in the blind spot. The vehicle control executed is at least one of the vehicle's speed control, steering control, air conditioning control, window closing control, rerouting control, passing, volume control of in-vehicle devices, and notification to the driver of the vehicle. This results in a vehicle control program that can detect an object in the blind spot and execute appropriate vehicle control in accordance with the type or size of the object in the blind spot.

[0014] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a vehicle control system according to an embodiment; FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a vehicle control unit and related components; FIG. 3 is an explanatory diagram showing a first pattern in which an object in a blind spot occurs; FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a second pattern in which an object in a blind spot occurs; FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing a blind spot region from the viewpoint of an object in a blind spot; FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing first vehicle processing; FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing second vehicle processing; FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing third vehicle processing; FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing fourth vehicle processing; and FIG.

[0015] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiments, identical or equivalent parts will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0016] (Embodiment) A vehicle control system 1 according to an embodiment will be described. The vehicle control system 1 is mounted on a vehicle such as a general private passenger car, and various functions described below are executed by a vehicle control unit 27 shown in FIG. 1. For ease of explanation, the vehicle on which the vehicle control system 1 is mounted will be referred to as the "host vehicle." The vehicle control system 1 is preferably applied to, for example, an autonomous driving level of 2 or less defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers, i.e., when the driver is a human, but is not limited to this case.

[0017] The vehicle on which the vehicle control system 1 is installed is not limited to a passenger car, but may be a rental car vehicle, a manned taxi vehicle, a ride-sharing vehicle, a freight vehicle, a bus, etc., and may be either a right-hand drive vehicle or a left-hand drive vehicle. Furthermore, each vehicle control described below according to the present disclosure can be optimized as appropriate according to the road traffic laws of each country and region, as well as the steering wheel position of the vehicle, etc.

[0018] [Basic Configuration] As shown in FIG. 1 , the vehicle control system 1 includes an HMI system 100 mounted on the vehicle, various sensors such as a perimeter monitoring sensor 14, various devices such as an on-board communication device 19, a cruise control ECU 24, and a vehicle control unit 27, all connected via a communication bus 40. HMI and ECU are abbreviations for Human Machine Interface and Electronic Control Unit, respectively. The various sensors constituting the vehicle control system 1 are capable of communicating with each other via the communication bus 40, but the connection is not limited to this, and some of the various sensors may be capable of communicating without the communication bus 40. Examples of the various sensors include the perimeter monitoring sensor 14 and a wheel speed sensor 18. Examples of the various devices include the on-board communication device 19, the cruise control ECU 24, a locator 20, a navigation device 21, an air conditioning device 22, a power window ECU 25, and an exterior alarm 26. The vehicle control system 1 may be configured to include other known in-vehicle sensors and in-vehicle devices in addition to the various sensors and devices described above.

[0019] The HMI system 100 has an input interface function that accepts operations by a vehicle occupant, such as a driver, and an output interface function that presents information to the occupant. The HMI system 100 is configured to include, for example, an HMI control device 10, an input device 11, a display device 12, and an audio device 13.

[0020] The HMI control device 10 is a computer that mainly includes a control circuit equipped with, for example, a CPU, recording media such as ROM and RAM, an input / output interface, and a bus connecting these. The CPU, ROM, and RAM are abbreviations for Central Processing Unit, Read Only Memory, and Random Access Memory, respectively. The HMI control device 10 functions as a presentation control device and comprehensively controls the presentation of information to occupants using the display device 12, audio device 13, etc. The HMI control device 10 presents information related to autonomous driving in cooperation with the vehicle control unit 27.

[0021] The input device 11 is an input unit that accepts operations by a user such as a driver. Various user operations, such as operations related to setting a destination for route guidance and operations related to setting air conditioning, are input to the input device 11. The input device 11 includes, for example, a steering switch provided on the spokes of the steering wheel, an operating lever provided on the steering column, and a voice input device that recognizes what the passengers are saying.

[0022] The display device 12 is a device that presents information to the occupant's vision by displaying an image or the like. Examples of the display device 12 include a meter display, a center information display (CID), and a head-up display (HUD). For example, in the case of a CID, the display device 12 has a touch panel function and is configured to allow the driver or the like to touch the display screen.

[0023] The audio device 13 has multiple speakers installed in the vehicle cabin and reproduces various sounds, such as notification sounds and voice messages associated with vehicle control by a vehicle control unit 27 (described later) and voice messages associated with user operations on the input device 11, through the speakers.

[0024] The perimeter monitoring sensor 14 is an autonomous sensor that monitors the environment around the vehicle and is composed of, for example, a camera unit 15, an acoustic sensor 16, and an object detection sensor 17 mounted on the vehicle. The perimeter monitoring sensor 14 detects, for example, targets such as moving objects and stationary objects around the vehicle, external vehicle sounds, etc., and outputs the detection information to the vehicle control unit 27, etc. The detection information by the perimeter monitoring sensor 14 includes, for example, when a target is detected, information on the direction of the target and the distance from the vehicle to the target, and when an external vehicle sound is detected, various information such as sound pressure and sound occurrence intervals.

[0025] The camera unit 15 is an imaging device that captures images of the outside of the vehicle. The camera unit 15 includes, for example, a front camera module, a rear camera module, a left side camera module, and a right side camera module, and is configured to capture images of the entire surroundings of the vehicle. The camera unit 15 analyzes image data captured by each camera module using known image analysis technology and outputs the analysis information as detection information to the communication bus 40. The detection information from the camera unit 15 includes, for example, information on other objects around the vehicle, such as vehicles, light vehicles, people, obstacles, buildings, road signs, and trees; road surface information such as white lines and road markings painted on the road; and traffic information such as traffic light displays. The camera unit 15 captures images of areas in front of and to the sides of the vehicle and analyzes the captured image data to obtain information on blind spots that the camera unit 15 cannot directly capture due to obstructions, i.e., areas that are not directly visible to the driver.

[0026] The acoustic sensor 16 is primarily composed of a microphone element that collects sounds from outside the vehicle and converts the collected sounds into electrical signals. Examples of microphone elements include a capacitor microphone that converts a change in capacitance caused by a thin diaphragm vibrating due to sound pressure into an electrical signal, and a piezoelectric microphone that converts sound into an electrical signal using a piezoelectric element. Multiple acoustic sensors 16 are installed, for example, on the front, rear, left and right sides, and ceiling of the vehicle. The acoustic sensors collect sounds from the vehicle's surrounding environment and output the collected sound data as sound information to the communication bus 40. The collected sound data from the acoustic sensors 16, together with information obtained from the camera unit 15 or the object detection sensor 17, are used to detect objects in blind spots that cannot be directly seen from the vehicle, i.e., to determine the type or size of blind spot objects. Details of the blind spot object detection and determination process using sound information will be described later.

[0027] The object detection sensor 17 is a device that detects objects around the vehicle by, for example, transmitting a transmission wave to the outside of the vehicle, receiving a reflected wave generated when the transmission wave is reflected from the outside, and analyzing the reflected wave. The object detection sensor 17 may be, for example, a millimeter-wave radar, LiDAR, or sonar that transmits laser light, radio waves, or ultrasonic waves as a transmission wave. LiDAR is an abbreviation for Light Detection and Ranging. The object detection sensor 17 is mounted, for example, on the front, rear, left, or right side of the vehicle, and outputs, as detection information, information on the presence or absence of objects, such as other vehicles or obstacles, around the vehicle, as well as the distance and direction to the detected objects, to the communication bus 40.

[0028] The wheel speed sensors 18 are provided, for example, on each wheel of the vehicle, and output an electric signal corresponding to the rotation speed of the wheel to the communication bus 40. The output signal from the wheel speed sensors 18 is used, for example, in the cruise control ECU 24 to calculate the traveling speed of the vehicle.

[0029] The in-vehicle communication device 19 is an external communication unit mounted on the vehicle itself, and functions as, for example, a V2X (Vehicle to Everything) communication device. The in-vehicle communication device 19 receives various types of information, such as congestion information, signal information indicating the lighting patterns of traffic signals, and detection information of stopped vehicles, parked vehicles, pedestrians, etc., by transmitting and receiving information via wireless communication with roadside devices installed on the side of the road. The in-vehicle communication device 19 provides the received various types of information to the HMI control device 10, the navigation device 21, the vehicle control unit 27, etc.

[0030] Locator 20 includes a GNSS receiver, an inertial sensor, and the like. GNSS is an abbreviation for Global Navigation Satellite System. Locator 20 sequentially determines the position and traveling direction of the vehicle by combining positioning signals received from multiple positioning satellites by the GNSS receiver, measurement results from the inertial sensor, and vehicle speed information output to communication bus 40. Locator 20 sequentially outputs position information and direction information of the vehicle based on the positioning results to communication bus 40 as locator information.

[0031] Locator 20 further includes, for example, a map database storing map data. The map database is mainly composed of a large-capacity storage medium storing a large number of three-dimensional map data and two-dimensional map data. The three-dimensional map data is a so-called HD (High Definition) map and includes road information necessary for driving under the control of vehicle control system 1. Specifically, the three-dimensional map data includes three-dimensional road shape information and detailed information about each lane. Locator 20 can update the three-dimensional map data and two-dimensional map data to the latest information through external communication using on-board communication device 19. Locator 20, for example, reads map data around the current location from the map database and provides the data to vehicle control unit 27, etc., along with locator information.

[0032] The navigation device 21 acquires information about a destination specified by a passenger such as a driver based on operation information acquired from the HMI control device 10. The navigation device 21 acquires vehicle position information and direction information from the locator 20, and sets a route from the current position to the destination. The navigation device 21 provides route information indicating the set route to the destination to the HMI control device 10, the vehicle control unit 27, etc. The navigation device 21 works in conjunction with the HMI system 100 to provide route guidance to the destination by combining screen displays and voice messages, etc., and notifying the driver of the direction in which the vehicle should travel at intersections, branching points, etc.

[0033] The air conditioning device 22 includes, for example, an air conditioning unit mounted on the vehicle and an air conditioning ECU that controls the air conditioning unit. The air conditioning ECU is an electronic control device that mainly includes a microcontroller. Based on operation information acquired from the HMI control device 10, the air conditioning device 22 adjusts the operating state of the air conditioning unit, specifically, the temperature, air volume, and outlet direction of the conditioned air, and switches the air blowing mode to the vehicle compartment.

[0034] The headlight ECU 23 is an electronic control device that controls the headlights of the vehicle. The headlight ECU 23 issues a warning to the outside of the vehicle using the headlights based on a control command from the vehicle control unit 27. The headlight ECU 23 is configured to issue a warning to the outside by, for example, turning on the headlights in high beam for a short period of time or by temporarily switching between high beam and low beam, or by executing a passing signal.

[0035] The cruise control ECU 24 is an electronic control device that mainly includes a microcontroller. For example, the cruise control ECU 24 calculates the vehicle's traveling speed based on output signals from the wheel speed sensors 18, generates vehicle speed information indicating the calculated traveling speed, and outputs the generated vehicle speed information to the communication bus 40. The cruise control ECU 24 has at least the functions of a brake control ECU, a drive control ECU, and a steering control ECU. The cruise control ECU 24 continuously controls the braking force of each wheel, the output of the powertrain, and the steering based on either an operation command based on the driver's driving operation or a control command from the vehicle control unit 27. The powertrain is an engine that generates power for propelling the vehicle, and may be, for example, an internal combustion engine that burns fuel such as gasoline, a drive motor / generator, or a hybrid power unit including multiple power sources.

[0036] The power window ECU 25 is an electronic control device that controls the opening and closing of side windows attached to each door of the vehicle. The power window ECU 25 is connected, for example, by wiring to a motor for opening and closing the side window installed in each door of the vehicle, and can adjust the position of the side window by controlling the operation of the motor. Like the driving control ECU 24, the power window ECU 25 controls the opening and closing of each door window in response to an operation command from the driver or a control command from the vehicle control unit 27.

[0037] The exterior alarm 26 is a device that presents information to the outside of the vehicle. The exterior alarm 26 has, for example, an exterior speaker (not shown) that outputs sound to the outside of the vehicle, and alerts those around the vehicle of the approach of the vehicle by emitting an alarm sound or a pseudo engine sound from the exterior speaker. The exterior alarm 26 issues an alert to the outside of the vehicle, for example, in response to a control command from the vehicle control unit 27. The exterior alarm 26 may be configured to alert the outside of the vehicle of the approach of the vehicle, for example, by using an exterior speaker or an exterior display (not shown) that displays text or the like to the outside of the vehicle.

[0038] The vehicle control unit 27 is a computer that mainly includes a control circuit equipped with, for example, a CPU, recording media such as ROM and RAM, an input / output interface, and a bus connecting these. The vehicle control unit 27 receives output data from the above-mentioned various sensors and on-board devices via the communication bus 40 and reads and executes various vehicle control programs stored in a recording medium (not shown), thereby performing various vehicle controls. The vehicle control unit 27 corresponds to a vehicle control device that performs various vehicle controls on the host vehicle. In vehicle control, the vehicle control unit 27 controls various devices such as the display device 12, the audio device 13, the navigation device 21, the air conditioning device 22, the headlight ECU 23, the cruise control ECU 24, the power window ECU 25, and the exterior alarm 26.

[0039] The above is the basic configuration of the vehicle control system 1. The vehicle control system 1 is not limited to the above configuration, and may include other known in-vehicle devices such as ambient lights, as needed.

[0040] 2, the vehicle control unit 27 includes an environment recognition unit 28, a device linkage unit 33, a control decision unit 36, and a control execution unit 39. The vehicle control unit 27 corresponds to an execution unit that reads and executes a computer program stored in, for example, a ROM or nonvolatile rewritable memory, which is a non-transient physical recording medium, i.e., a vehicle control program described below. Execution of this computer program results in the execution of a method corresponding to the computer program, i.e., a vehicle control method.

[0041] The environment recognition unit 28 recognizes the environment around and inside the vehicle based on, for example, output data from the perimeter monitoring sensor 14, the wheel speed sensor 18, and the locator 20, and provides the results to the device linkage unit 33 and the control decision unit 36. The environment recognition unit 28 recognizes the driving environment of the vehicle by, for example, combining locator information and map data acquired from the locator 20 with detection information acquired from the perimeter monitoring sensor 14. The environment recognition unit 28 may acquire detection information received by the in-vehicle communication device 19 from the device linkage unit 33 and use it for recognition of the driving environment. The environment recognition unit 28, for example, has a pre-trained sound discrimination model stored in an internal recording medium based on various types of environmental sounds, such as vehicle sounds and human voices, and recognizes the type of sound by combining the sound discrimination model with sound information acquired from the perimeter monitoring sensor 14. The environment recognition unit 28, for example, acquires vehicle speed information indicating the current driving speed of the vehicle from the wheel speed sensor 18. The environment recognition unit 28 includes, for example, a target recognition unit 29 , a road recognition unit 30 , a sound discrimination unit 31 , and a blind spot recognition unit 32 .

[0042] The target recognition unit 29 recognizes the size, relative position, relative speed, etc. of targets such as other vehicles, people, or obstacles that create blind spots around the vehicle, based on, for example, analysis information of the image data captured by the camera unit 15 and detection information from the object detection sensor 17. The target recognition unit 29 may recognize the approach of emergency vehicles, including police vehicles, fire engines, and ambulances, to the vehicle by using detection information based on sound data from the acoustic sensor 16. For example, when the target recognition unit 29 acquires information about a target of a predetermined size or larger, i.e., information about an obstacle that creates a blind spot, the target recognition unit 29 provides the information about the obstacle to the blind spot recognition unit 32.

[0043] The road recognition unit 30 acquires road information related to the road on which the vehicle is traveling or the road on which the vehicle is scheduled to travel, for example, based on locator information and map data. Examples of road information include whether the road on which the vehicle is traveling has multiple lanes in each direction, and whether the lane on which the vehicle is traveling is a shoulder lane adjacent to the shoulder. The road recognition unit 30 may, for example, recognize information about obstructions such as buildings that create blind spots that the driver of the vehicle cannot see, based on the locator information and map data, and provide the information to the blind spot recognition unit 32.

[0044] The sound discrimination unit 31 discriminates the type of the acquired external sound by, for example, analyzing sound data of the external sound collected by the acoustic sensors 16 using a sound discrimination model. The sound discrimination unit 31 estimates the direction of the external sound and the distance to the sound source based on, for example, the sound pressure and sound pressure difference or time difference of the sounds collected by the multiple acoustic sensors 16, and provides the estimated results of the sound direction and distance and the discrimination result of the external sound to the blind spot detection unit 32. The sound discrimination unit 31 estimates the size of the object that is generating the acquired external sound based on, for example, the discrimination result using the sound discrimination model, and provides the estimation result to the blind spot detection unit 32. For example, when the sound discrimination unit 31 discriminates the type of the external sound as a person or a light vehicle, it estimates that the size of the object is less than a predetermined size, and when it discriminates the type of the external sound as a large vehicle, it estimates that the size of the object is greater than or equal to a predetermined size. For example, when the external vehicle sound includes multiple types of sounds and the discrimination results of these sounds are different, the sound discrimination unit 31 estimates the size of the object for each discriminated sound and provides these estimation results to the blind spot detection unit 32.

[0045] The sound discrimination model is a learning model that has undergone machine learning in advance using training data that includes a large number of various types of sound data, such as human voices, sounds of toys such as balls, and driving sounds and engine sounds of bicycles, motorcycles, passenger cars, and various large vehicles. The learning model is, for example, configured as a neural network and stored on a recording medium (not shown) in the vehicle control unit 27. The sound data that constitutes the training data is, for example, stored as a database on a recording medium separate from the vehicle control system 1 and used for pre-training the sound discrimination model. For example, the training data may include multiple sounds from the same sound source that are located at different distances from the sound-collecting microphone. The sound discrimination model is configured to distinguish the type of sound and estimate the distance to the sound source based on the sound pressure level. The sound discrimination model may be downloaded or updated from an external network via, for example, the on-board communication device 19. The sound discrimination model is configured to distinguish the type of sound collected by the acoustic sensor 16 using, for example, the results of the pre-training and characteristics of the sound, such as the frequency band and time change of the sound, in the sound data collected by the acoustic sensor 16.

[0046] The blind spot detection unit 32 detects an object present in a blind spot area (hereinafter referred to as a "blind spot object") and detects the state of the blind spot area. Situations in which an object in a blind spot occurs include, for example, two patterns shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 . The first pattern, as shown in FIG. 3 , is a situation in which a target T that creates a blind spot area RB1 exists between the vehicle V and an object M, and the object M is located in the blind spot area RB1. In this case, the blind spot detection unit 32, for example, obtains information about the target T that creates the blind spot area RB1 from the target recognition unit 29 and obtains an analysis result of the vehicle exterior sound from the sound discrimination unit 31. Then, for example, the blind spot detection unit 32 calculates two imaginary straight lines VL1 and VL2 that connect both ends of the target T that creates the blind spot area RB1 and the vehicle V. The two ends of the target T here refer to both ends within the range detected by the perimeter monitoring sensor 14. The blind spot detection unit 32 determines that an object in the blind spot has been detected, for example, when the direction DM of the sound caused by object M among the external sound obtained from the sound discrimination unit 31 is included between the virtual straight lines VL1 and VL2, and the distance to the source of the external sound (object M) exceeds the distance to the target object T.

[0047] The second pattern is, for example, as shown in FIG. 4 , when there is no target T that would cause a blind spot RB1 between the host vehicle V and the object M, but the object M is located in a blind spot RB2 caused by the structure of the host vehicle V. The blind spot RB2 is, for example, a blind spot caused by a part of the vehicle body, such as a pillar or a hood, and a blind spot caused by a mirror, and is pre-stored as blind spot data in a recording medium (not shown) of the vehicle control unit 27. In this case, the blind spot assessment unit 32 determines that an object in the blind spot has been detected if the object M is located in the blind spot RB2, using, for example, the direction DM of the sound caused by the object M among the external sounds acquired from the sound discrimination unit 31 and the distance to the sound source, and the data on the blind spot RB2. Note that, for ease of understanding, FIGS. 3 and 4 show a simplified representation of the object M detected by the acoustic sensor 16, and the blind spot areas RB1, RB2, and the object M are hatched, although a cross section is not shown. 3 and 4 are top views showing the vehicle V as viewed from above the top surface of the vehicle body.

[0048] Then, when the blind spot detection unit 32 determines that an object in the blind spot has been detected, for example, as described above, it performs a determination process on the type and size of the object in the blind spot based on the analysis results of the type and size of the sound outside the vehicle by the sound discrimination unit 31.

[0049] The blind spot detection unit 32 detects an object in a blind spot and, if it determines that the object in the blind spot is a vehicle and that its size is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, estimates the blind spot area from the viewpoint of the object in the blind spot. Hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, the blind spot area from the viewpoint of the vehicle will be referred to as the "first blind spot area," and the blind spot area from the viewpoint of the object in the blind spot will be referred to as the "second blind spot area." The first blind spot area corresponds to the blind spot areas RB1 and RB2 described above. The blind spot detection unit 32 estimates the relative position of the object in the blind spot from, for example, the results of analyzing the direction and distance of an external sound. Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5 , the blind spot detection unit 32 estimates the second blind spot area RB3 when the object in the blind spot MB falls into the second pattern described above and the analysis results of the sound discrimination unit 31 estimate that the size of the object in the blind spot MB is equal to or larger than a predetermined value. The second blind spot area RB3 corresponds to the blind spot area RB2 of the host vehicle V. For example, the blind spot area due to the structure of a vehicle larger than a predetermined size is calculated in advance, and data on the blind spot area is stored in a recording medium (not shown) of the vehicle control unit 27. Then, when the blind spot detection unit 32 determines that the blind spot object MB is a vehicle larger than the predetermined size, it reads the blind spot area data and estimates the second blind spot area RB3. Note that, for ease of understanding, FIG. 5 shows a portion of the blind spot areas RB2 and RB3 of the host vehicle V and the blind spot object MB, and the blind spot areas RB2 and RB3 are hatched, although not showing a cross section. Also, FIG. 5 is a top view similar to FIG. 3. The blind spot detection unit 32 provides the detection result of the blind spot object, the determination result of the type and size, and the estimation result of the second blind spot area RB3 to the control decision unit 36.

[0050] The environment recognition unit 28 sequentially provides the control decision unit 36 ​​with the information detected / recognized by the target recognition unit 29, road recognition unit 30, sound discrimination unit 31 and blind spot recognition unit 32, i.e., the recognition results of the environment around and inside the vehicle.

[0051] The device linkage unit 33 enables information linkage between the vehicle control unit 27 and various in-vehicle devices, such as the display device 12, the audio device 13, the in-vehicle communication device 19, the navigation device 21, the power window ECU 25, and the HMI control device 10, and controls the various in-vehicle devices. The device linkage unit 33 acquires route information from the navigation device 21 and provides the acquired route information to the environment recognition unit 28 and the control decision unit 36. For example, when the control decision unit 36 ​​performs rerouting control (detouring control), the device linkage unit 33 requests the navigation device 21 to change the planned driving route in response to a command signal from the control decision unit 36. The device linkage unit 33 provides detection information received by the in-vehicle communication device 19 to the environment recognition unit 28. The device linkage unit 33 includes, for example, a route determination unit 34 and a device control unit 35.

[0052] For example, when the blind spot recognition unit 32 detects an object in a blind spot and determines that the object in the blind spot is a person, a light vehicle, or other object requiring attention, the route determination unit 34 determines whether the road on which the object in the blind spot (object requiring attention) is determined to exist coincides with the road on which the host vehicle is scheduled to travel. Here, the "road on which the object in the blind spot is determined to exist" includes not only cases where the object requiring attention exists on the road, but also cases where the object is present on a sidewalk or roadside facing the road in the blind spot area. For example, the route determination unit 34 compares the determination information from the blind spot recognition unit 32 with the route information acquired from the navigation device 21 to determine whether the host vehicle will travel on a road on which the object in the blind spot exists. The determination result by the route determination unit 34 is provided to the control decision unit 36 ​​and used for vehicle control.

[0053] The device control unit 35 requests various in-vehicle devices to perform predetermined processing corresponding to the vehicle control determined by the control determination unit 36. The device control unit 35 executes, for example, a request to the display device 12 and / or the audio device 13 to notify the driver inside the vehicle, a request to the navigation device 21 to perform reroute control, an operation request to the power window ECU 25, an operation request to the exterior alarm 26, etc. The device control unit 35 corresponds to an execution unit that executes the vehicle control determined by the control determination unit 36.

[0054] The control decision unit 36 ​​decides the control content of the host vehicle based on the recognition result of the driving environment of the host vehicle and the object in the blind spot by the environment recognition unit 28. When the blind spot grasping unit 32 determines that there is an object in the blind spot, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute at least one of speed control, steering control, air conditioning control, window closing control, rerouting control, passing, volume control of in-vehicle devices, and notification to the driver of the host vehicle. The control decision unit 36 ​​outputs, for example, a request signal for the vehicle control that has been decided to be executed to the device control unit 35 or the control execution unit 39. The control decision unit 36 ​​includes, for example, a driving control unit 37 and a volume control unit 38.

[0055] When it is determined that an object is present in the blind spot, the driving control unit 37 outputs a request signal corresponding to at least one of, for example, speed control of the vehicle, steering control, reroute control, passing, volume control of the exterior alarm 26, and notification to the driver, to the device control unit 35 or the control execution unit 39. When it is determined, for example, to execute reroute control or notification to the driver, the driving control unit 37 outputs a request signal to the device control unit 35 and executes reroute control in the navigation device 21 or control of notification to the occupants by the display device 12 or the like via the device control unit 35. When it is determined, for example, to execute one of speed control of the vehicle, steering control, passing, and volume control of the exterior alarm 26, the driving control unit 37 outputs a request signal for each control to the control execution unit 39.

[0056] When it is determined that volume control of the exterior alarm 26 should be performed, the volume control unit 38 generates a request signal to increase the volume of the exterior alarm 26 and outputs the request signal to the control execution unit 39. The volume of the exterior alarm 26 may be determined, for example, according to the sound pressure of a sound corresponding to an object in a blind spot among the external sounds collected by the acoustic sensor 16, or may be determined to a predetermined value.

[0057] For example, when the cruise control unit 37 requests speed control, the control execution unit 39 generates a control command signal corresponding to decelerating the host vehicle or adjusting the distance between the host vehicle and a preceding vehicle, and outputs the control command signal to the cruise control ECU 24. In this case, for example, the control execution unit 39 generates a command signal for deceleration control when a preceding vehicle is not detected, and generates a command signal for adjusting the distance between the host vehicle and a preceding vehicle when a preceding vehicle is detected. For example, when the cruise control unit 37 requests passing, the control execution unit 39 generates a command signal for passing and outputs the command signal to the headlight ECU 23. For example, when the volume control unit 38 requests volume increase, the control execution unit 39 generates a command signal for increasing the volume and outputs the command signal to the exterior alarm 26. Similar to the device control unit 35, the control execution unit 39 corresponds to an execution unit that executes the vehicle control determined by the control determination unit 36.

[0058] The above is the basic configuration of the vehicle control unit 27. Note that, although the above description has been given as a representative example of a configuration in which the device control unit 35 or the control execution unit 39 outputs execution commands for vehicle control determined by the control determination unit 36 ​​to each in-vehicle device, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the vehicle control unit 27 may be configured such that only the control execution unit 39 outputs execution commands for each vehicle control to each in-vehicle device, or may be configured to include other execution units in addition to the device control unit 35 and the control execution unit 39. Furthermore, execution commands to each in-vehicle device may be issued by either the device control unit 35 or the control execution unit 39.

[0059] [First Vehicle Control] Next, the first vehicle control executed by the vehicle control system 1 will be described.

[0060] The vehicle control system 1 executes the control flow shown in FIG. 6 when a predetermined start condition is met, for example, when the ignition of the vehicle is turned on.

[0061] In step S110, external sound is collected by the acoustic sensor 16 mounted on the vehicle. The acoustic sensor 16 outputs sound data corresponding to the collected external sound as sound information to the vehicle control unit 27 via the communication bus 40.

[0062] In step S120, for example, the sound discrimination unit 31 discriminates the type of sound contained in the acquired external sound based on the sound information acquired in step S110 and the machine-learned sound discrimination model.

[0063] In step S130, for example, the environment recognition unit 28 grasps the driving environment of the vehicle based on the sound discrimination result in step S120, the target object information acquired by the target object recognition unit 29, and the road information acquired by the road recognition unit 30.

[0064] In step S140, for example, the blind spot detection unit 32 determines whether an object exists in a blind spot based on the information about the driving environment recognized in step S130. For example, when a target object that creates a blind spot is detected by the camera unit 15 or the like, the blind spot detection unit 32 calculates the direction of two imaginary lines connecting both ends of the target object and the vehicle. Then, the blind spot detection unit 32 performs a first determination, for example, whether the direction of the collected external sound is located between the directions of the two imaginary lines and whether the distance from the vehicle to the source of the external sound exceeds the distance to the target object. Furthermore, the blind spot detection unit 32 performs a second determination, for example, based on the analysis results of the external sound, whether an object exists in a blind spot area caused by the vehicle's body structure. Then, if at least one of the first determination and the second determination is positive, the blind spot detection unit 32 determines that an object has been detected in the blind spot. If both determinations are negative, the blind spot detection unit 32 determines that an object has not been detected in the blind spot. Then, for example, if the determination in step S140 is affirmative, the vehicle control unit 27 proceeds to step S150, and if the determination in step S140 is negative, the vehicle control unit 27 returns the process to step S110.

[0065] In step S150, for example, the blind spot recognition unit 32 refers to the sound discrimination result of the sound discrimination unit 31 and determines whether the sound source determined to be an object in the blind spot is a vehicle. In this step, "vehicle" refers to a vehicle other than a light vehicle. Then, for example, if the determination in step S150 is affirmative, the vehicle control unit 27 proceeds to step S160, and if the determination in step S150 is negative, the vehicle control unit 27 proceeds to step S170.

[0066] In step S160, for example, the blind spot grasping unit 32 refers to the sound discrimination result of the sound discriminator 31 and determines whether the size of the vehicle in the blind spot is equal to or larger than a predetermined size. Here, "equal to or larger than a predetermined size" refers to, for example, a vehicle that is larger than an average passenger car, such as a large vehicle such as a truck. Then, for example, if the vehicle control unit 27 makes a positive determination in step S160, the process proceeds to step S161, and if the vehicle control unit 27 makes a negative determination in step S160, the process proceeds to step S162.

[0067] In step S161, for example, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute steering control. This steering control is executed to change the position of the host vehicle from the center of the current lane to a position on the opposite side of the object in the blind spot, without changing the current lane to another lane, i.e., to perform offset driving. In step S161, the driving control ECU 24 executes steering control based on the steering control execution command output from the control execution unit 39, and causes the host vehicle to perform offset driving. As a result, when the detected object in the blind spot is determined to be a vehicle of a predetermined size or larger, the host vehicle is controlled to perform offset driving away from the object, thereby improving the safety of the host vehicle during driving.

[0068] In step S162, for example, the environment recognition unit 28 determines whether the vehicle is traveling in a traveling lane by referring to the road information acquired by the road recognition unit 30. Then, for example, the vehicle control unit 27 advances the process to step S163 if the determination in step S162 is affirmative, and advances the process to step S164 if the determination in step S162 is negative.

[0069] In step S163, for example, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute deceleration control. Then, the cruise control ECU 24 executes deceleration control to reduce the traveling speed of the host vehicle based on the execution command for deceleration control output from the control execution unit 39. This deceleration control is temporarily executed, for example, until the object in the blind spot leaves the first blind spot area, i.e., until the object in the blind spot reaches a position visible to the driver. As a result, when it is determined that the detected object in the blind spot is a vehicle smaller than a predetermined size and the host vehicle is in the traveling lane, the host vehicle can reduce its speed and distance itself from the vehicle, thereby improving the safety of the host vehicle during traveling.

[0070] In step S164, for example, the environment recognition unit 28 determines whether or not another vehicle is present ahead of the host vehicle by referring to the detection information acquired from the perimeter monitoring sensor 14. Then, for example, the vehicle control unit 27 advances the process to step S165 if the determination in step S164 is affirmative, and advances the process to step S166 if the determination in step S164 is negative.

[0071] In step S165, for example, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute vehicle speed maintenance control. Then, the cruise control ECU 24 executes vehicle speed maintenance control to maintain the traveling speed of the host vehicle based on the execution command for vehicle speed maintenance control output from the control execution unit 39. This vehicle speed maintenance control is temporarily executed, for example, similar to the deceleration control in step S163, until the object in the blind spot reaches a position visible to the driver. This allows the host vehicle to maintain its speed and distance itself from the detected object in the blind spot while preventing a collision with the vehicle ahead, thereby improving the safety of the host vehicle during traveling. Note that in step S165, for example, the control decision unit 36 ​​may decide to execute inter-vehicle distance control with the vehicle ahead instead of maintaining the vehicle speed.

[0072] In step S166, for example, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute acceleration control. Then, the cruise control ECU 24 executes acceleration control to increase the traveling speed of the host vehicle based on the execution command for acceleration control output from the control execution unit 39. This acceleration control is temporarily executed, for example, similar to the deceleration control in step S163, until the object in the blind spot reaches a position visible to the driver. As a result, if the detected object in the blind spot is determined to be a vehicle smaller than a predetermined size and the host vehicle is in an overtaking lane, the host vehicle's speed can be increased to distance itself from the vehicle, thereby improving the safety of the host vehicle during traveling. Note that the target vehicle speed in the deceleration or acceleration control in steps S163 and S166 is appropriately changed depending on information about the legal speed limit for the road on which the host vehicle is traveling.

[0073] In step S170, for example, the blind spot recognition unit 32 refers to the sound discrimination result of the sound discrimination unit 31 and determines whether the sound source determined to be an object in the blind spot is a sound caused by a cautionary object. Here, a "Cautionary object" refers to a pedestrian or a light vehicle such as a bicycle. Examples of sounds caused by cautionary objects include, but are not limited to, sounds made by small objects used by people, such as balls or toys, the voices of adults or children, and the sound of a bicycle moving. A small object refers to an object smaller than a person. If the vehicle control unit 27 makes a positive determination in step S170, the process proceeds to step S171. If the vehicle control unit 27 makes a negative determination in step S170, the process returns to step S110.

[0074] In step S171, for example, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to perform a passing operation. Then, the headlight ECU 23 performs a passing operation once or multiple times when the host vehicle is traveling near a detected object in the blind spot, based on the command to perform a passing operation output from the control execution unit 39. As a result, if the detected object in the blind spot is determined to be a cautionary object, the headlight ECU 23 can notify people in the blind spot that the host vehicle is approaching by performing a passing operation, making it easier to avoid an accident.

[0075] In the next step S172, for example, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to issue an exterior alarm. Then, the exterior alarm 26 issues an alert of the approaching vehicle by sounding a warning or a simulated engine sound when the vehicle is traveling near a detected object in the blind spot, based on the command to issue an exterior alarm and increase the volume output from the control execution unit 39. This allows people in the blind spot to be notified of the approaching vehicle by sound, as in step S171, making it easier to avoid an accident.

[0076] Although the above describes an example in which the processing is performed in the order of steps S171 and S172, the order of these processing steps may be reversed, they may be performed simultaneously, or only one of them may be performed. Furthermore, before performing the processing steps S171 and S172, for example, a determination may be made as to whether the host vehicle is moving so as to approach an object in the blind spot and / or whether the distance between the host vehicle and the object in the blind spot is equal to or less than a predetermined value, and these processing steps may be performed if the determination is affirmative.

[0077] The vehicle control unit 27 proceeds to step S180 after, for example, performing any one of steps S161, S163, S165, S166, S171, and S172. In step S180, for example, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to notify the occupant of the result of the detection of an object in the blind spot and the details of the vehicle control to be executed in response to the detection. Then, for example, the device control unit 35 outputs a notification command to the display device 12 or the like in response to the notification request from the control decision unit 36. As a result, the occupant is notified of the detection of an object in the blind spot and the details of the vehicle control to be executed by at least one of an image displayed on the display device 12 and an audio output from the audio device 13.

[0078] Then, for example, after executing step S180, the vehicle control unit 27 returns the process to step S110 and repeats the above series of processes until a predetermined termination condition is met, such as the position of the shift lever of the vehicle being in parking.

[0079] The vehicle control system 1 detects an object in a blind spot through a first vehicle control, determines the size and type of the object in the blind spot, and, depending on the determination result, performs at least one appropriate vehicle control among steering control, deceleration control, acceleration control, passing, outside alarm, and notification to the occupants.

[0080] The process of step S180 may be performed after a decision has been made to execute any one of the vehicle controls of steps S161, S163, S165, S166, S171, and S172, but before the execution of the determined vehicle control. In this way, the order of the above-described processes in the first vehicle control may be changed as appropriate within the scope of feasibility. This also applies to the second to fifth vehicle controls described below.

[0081] [Second Vehicle Control] Next, the second vehicle control will be described with reference to FIG. 7. The control flow shown in FIG. 7 shows only the parts that are different from the first vehicle control, and omits the processing parts that are common to the first vehicle control. The vehicle control unit 27 executes the second vehicle control, for example, when a predetermined start condition is satisfied. As with the first vehicle control, the vehicle control unit 27 executes the processing of steps S110 to S160 in this order. Then, if the second determination in step S160 is positive, i.e., if the above-mentioned second pattern applies, the vehicle control unit 27 continues to execute the processing of step S210 shown in FIG. 7.

[0082] In step S210, for example, the blind spot recognition unit 32 estimates a second blind spot area by referring to the analysis result of the external sound in the sound discrimination unit 31 and the blind spot area data for a predetermined or larger portion of the vehicle body. The estimation of the second blind spot area in step S210 is performed sequentially until the object in the blind spot leaves the blind spot area (first blind spot area) from the viewpoint of the vehicle.

[0083] In step S220, for example, the environment recognition unit 28 determines whether the vehicle is currently traveling in a traveling lane by referring to the road information acquired by the road recognition unit 30. Then, for example, the vehicle control unit 27 advances the process to step S230 if the determination in step S220 is affirmative, and advances the process to step S240 if the determination in step S220 is negative.

[0084] In step S230, similar to step S163 in the first vehicle control, for example, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute deceleration control, and the cruise control ECU 24 executes deceleration control based on the execution command from the control decision unit 36 ​​to reduce the traveling speed of the host vehicle. The vehicle control unit 27 then proceeds to step S231. In step S231, for example, the blind spot recognition unit 32 determines whether the host vehicle is outside the estimated second blind spot area. If the determination in step S231 is affirmative, the vehicle control unit 27 then proceeds to step S180, and if the determination in step S231 is negative, the vehicle control unit 27 returns to step S230. In other words, this deceleration control is temporarily executed until the host vehicle leaves the second blind spot area, i.e., until the host vehicle is in a position visible from the viewpoint of an object in the blind spot. As a result, if the detected object in the blind spot is a vehicle of a predetermined size or larger and the vehicle is in the driving lane, the vehicle will be decelerated by deceleration control until it moves to a position visible to the other vehicle, thereby improving the safety of the vehicle while driving.

[0085] In step S240, similar to step S164 in the first vehicle control, for example, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute acceleration control, and the cruise control ECU 24 executes acceleration control based on the execution command from the control decision unit 36 ​​to increase the traveling speed of the host vehicle. Thereafter, the vehicle control unit 27 proceeds to step S241. In step S241, for example, the blind spot recognition unit 32 determines whether the host vehicle is outside the estimated second blind spot area. Then, for example, if the determination in step S241 is affirmative, the vehicle control unit 27 proceeds to step S180, and if the determination in step S241 is negative, the vehicle control unit 27 returns to step S240. That is, this acceleration control is temporarily executed, for example, until the host vehicle leaves the second blind spot area, i.e., until the host vehicle is in a position visible from the viewpoint of an object in the blind spot. As a result, if the detected object in the blind spot is a vehicle of a predetermined size or larger and the vehicle is not in the driving lane, the vehicle will be accelerated by acceleration control until it moves to a position visible to the other vehicle, thereby improving the safety of the vehicle while driving.

[0086] Then, for example, after step S230 or step S240, the vehicle control unit 27 proceeds to step S180 and performs the same process as the first vehicle control.

[0087] When the vehicle control system 1 detects an object in a blind spot by the second vehicle control and determines that the object in the blind spot is a vehicle and is a predetermined size or larger, it estimates the second blind spot area and executes speed control according to the position of the host vehicle. As a result, when a vehicle of a predetermined size or larger is present in the first blind spot area, speed control is executed to move the host vehicle out of the blind spot of the vehicle, thereby improving the safety of the host vehicle during driving.

[0088] [Third Vehicle Control] Next, the third vehicle control will be described with reference to Figure 8. As with the second vehicle control, the control flow shown in Figure 8 shows only the parts that are different from the first vehicle control, and other processes are omitted. The vehicle control unit 27 executes the third vehicle control when, for example, a predetermined start condition is satisfied. If the determination in step S160 in the first vehicle control is affirmative, the vehicle control unit 27 continues to execute the process of step S310 shown in Figure 8.

[0089] In step S310, for example, the environment recognition unit 28 determines whether the vehicle is currently traveling in a traveling lane by referring to the road information acquired by the road recognition unit 30. Then, for example, the vehicle control unit 27 advances the process to step S320 if the determination in step S310 is affirmative, and advances the process to step S330 if the determination in step S310 is negative.

[0090] In step S320, for example, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute inter-vehicle distance control by deceleration. Then, the cruise control ECU 24 reduces the speed of the host vehicle based on the deceleration command signal from the control execution unit 39, and performs cruise control so that the distance between the host vehicle and the object in the blind spot is maintained at a predetermined value or more. This increases the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the object in the blind spot, making it possible to improve driving safety.

[0091] In step S330, for example, the environment recognition unit 28 determines whether or not another vehicle is present ahead of the host vehicle based on the detection information from the object detection sensor 17, and outputs a signal according to the determination result to the control decision unit 36. Then, for example, the vehicle control unit 27 advances the process to step S340 if the determination in step S330 is affirmative, or advances the process to step S350 if the determination in step S330 is negative.

[0092] In step S340, for example, similar to step S330, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute inter-vehicle distance control by maintaining the vehicle speed, and the cruise control ECU 24 performs control to maintain the vehicle speed of the host vehicle based on the command signal to maintain the vehicle speed from the control execution unit 39. As a result, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is maintained and the distance between the host vehicle and an object in the blind spot is kept at a predetermined value or more, thereby improving the safety of the host vehicle during driving.

[0093] In step S350, for example, similar to step S330, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute inter-vehicle distance control by acceleration, and the cruise control ECU 24 controls the host vehicle to increase its speed based on the acceleration command signal from the control execution unit 39. As a result, the host vehicle's acceleration maintains a predetermined distance or more between the host vehicle and an object in the blind spot, thereby improving the safety of the host vehicle during driving.

[0094] Then, for example, after any one of steps S320, S340, and S350, the vehicle control unit 27 advances the process to step S180 and performs the same process as the first vehicle control.

[0095] When the vehicle control system 1 detects an object in the blind spot by the third vehicle control and determines that the object in the blind spot is a vehicle and is a predetermined size or larger, it executes inter-vehicle distance control by adjusting the speed according to the position of the host vehicle and the presence or absence of a vehicle ahead. As a result, when a vehicle of a predetermined size or larger is present in the first blind spot area, inter-vehicle distance control is executed to keep the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the vehicle ahead at a certain level or larger, thereby improving the safety of the host vehicle during driving.

[0096] [Fourth Vehicle Control] Next, the fourth vehicle control will be described with reference to Fig. 9. As with the second vehicle control, the control flow shown in Fig. 9 shows only the parts that are different from the first vehicle control, and other processes are omitted. The vehicle control unit 27 executes the fourth vehicle control when, for example, a predetermined start condition is satisfied. If the determination in step S160 in the first vehicle control is affirmative, the vehicle control unit 27 continues to execute the process of step S410 shown in Fig. 9.

[0097] In step S410, for example, the device linkage unit 33 obtains information about the operation state of the side windows from the power window ECU 25, determines whether the window of each door is open, and outputs a signal according to the determination result to the control decision unit 36. Then, for example, the vehicle control unit 27 advances the process to step S420 if the determination in step S410 is affirmative, or advances the process to step S430 if the determination in step S410 is negative.

[0098] In step S420, for example, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute control to close the open windows. Then, for example, the device control unit 35 outputs a motor operation command to the power window ECU 25 to close the windows based on the execution request for window closing control from the control decision unit 36. As a result, when it is determined that the detected object in the blind spot is a vehicle of a predetermined size or larger, the windows of each door of the vehicle are closed, preventing exhaust gas from the vehicle from entering the vehicle cabin through the windows and maintaining a comfortable environment inside the vehicle cabin.

[0099] In step S430, for example, the device linkage unit 33 acquires information about the operating state of the air conditioner 22 based on an output signal from the air conditioner 22, determines whether the air conditioner 22 is operating, and outputs a signal according to the determination result to the control decision unit 36. Then, for example, the vehicle control unit 27 advances the process to step S440 if the determination in step S430 is affirmative, or advances the process to step S180 if the determination in step S430 is negative.

[0100] In step S440, for example, the device linkage unit 33 acquires information about the air supply mode based on an output signal from the air conditioner 22, determines whether the air supply mode of the air conditioner 22 is the outside air mode, and outputs a signal according to the determination result to the control decision unit 36. Then, for example, the vehicle control unit 27 advances the process to step S450 if the determination in step S440 is affirmative, or advances the process to step S180 if the determination in step S440 is negative.

[0101] In step S450, for example, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute control to change the air blowing mode of the air conditioner 22 from the outside air mode to the inside air mode. Then, for example, the device control unit 35 outputs a command signal to the air conditioner 22 to change the air blowing mode from the outside air mode to the inside air mode, based on the request to change the air blowing mode from the control decision unit 36. This changes the air conditioner 22 of the vehicle to the inside air mode, which takes in air from within the vehicle cabin, thereby preventing exhaust gas from an object in the blind spot, such as a large vehicle, from entering the vehicle cabin and maintaining a comfortable environment within the vehicle cabin.

[0102] In step S180 in the fourth vehicle control, if it is determined that at least one of steps S420 and S450 should be executed, the vehicle control unit 27 performs the same processing as in the first vehicle control. On the other hand, in step S180 after both steps S420 and S450 have been skipped, the vehicle control unit 27 only notifies the driver of the result of detection of an object in a blind spot, for example.

[0103] When the vehicle control system 1 detects an object in the blind spot by the fourth vehicle control and determines that the object in the blind spot is a vehicle and is a predetermined size or larger, the system executes vehicle control to close the window and switch to inside air mode as necessary based on the state of the window and the air supply mode. As a result, when a vehicle of a predetermined size or larger is present in the first blind spot area, the window / air supply mode control is executed to prevent external exhaust gas from entering the cabin of the vehicle, thereby ensuring a comfortable cabin environment of the vehicle.

[0104] [Fifth Vehicle Control] Next, the fifth vehicle control will be described with reference to Fig. 10. As with the second vehicle control, the control flow shown in Fig. 10 shows only the parts that are different from the first vehicle control, and other processes are omitted. The vehicle control unit 27 executes the fifth vehicle control when, for example, a predetermined start condition is satisfied. If the determination in step S170 in the first vehicle control is affirmative, the vehicle control unit 27 continues to execute the process of step S510 shown in Fig. 10.

[0105] In step S510, for example, the blind spot grasping unit 32 compares the sound discrimination result of the sound discrimination unit 31 with the locator information and the vehicle position, and determines whether or not there is a detected object of caution on the road on which the vehicle is traveling. Here, "the detected object of caution is on the road" includes not only the case where the object of caution is on the road, but also the case where the object of caution is on the sidewalk or shoulder facing the road. Then, for example, if the determination in step S510 is affirmative, the vehicle control unit 27 proceeds to step S520, and if the determination in step S510 is negative, the vehicle control unit 27 proceeds to step S530.

[0106] In step S520, for example, similar to step S161 in the first vehicle control, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute steering control for offset driving, and the driving control ECU 24 executes steering control. As a result, if a detected object in the blind spot is determined to be a cautionary object, the host vehicle is controlled to execute offset driving so as to move away from the cautionary object, thereby making it possible to avoid an accident.

[0107] In step S530, for example, the blind spot recognition unit 32 compares the sound discrimination result of the sound discrimination unit 31 with the planned driving route from the navigation device 21 and determines whether or not there is a detected object of caution on the planned driving route. Here, "there is a detected object of caution on the planned driving route" includes not only cases where the object of caution is on the road on which the vehicle is planned to drive, but also cases where the object of caution is on a sidewalk or shoulder facing the road. Furthermore, the above-mentioned "road on which the vehicle is planned to drive" refers to a road other than the road on which the vehicle is currently driving and to which the vehicle is being guided by the navigation device 21. Then, for example, if the determination in step S530 is affirmative, the vehicle control unit 27 proceeds to step S540, and if the determination in step S530 is negative, the vehicle control unit 27 proceeds to step S180.

[0108] In step S540, for example, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute reroute control to cause the host vehicle to detour around the road on which the blind spot object is detected and to reset the planned driving route. Then, for example, the device control unit 35 outputs a command to execute reroute control to the navigation device 21 in response to the request for reroute control from the control decision unit 36. As a result, when it is determined that the detected blind spot object is a caution object and is on the planned route, the host vehicle is detoured by the reroute control to a road different from the road on which the caution object is located, thereby making it possible to avoid an accident.

[0109] In step S180 of the fifth vehicle control, if it is determined that step S520 or step S540 should be executed, the vehicle control unit 27 performs the same processing as in the first vehicle control. On the other hand, in step S180 if the determination in step S530 is negative, the vehicle control unit 27 only notifies the driver of the result of detection of an object in a blind spot, for example.

[0110] When the vehicle control system 1 determines, through the fifth vehicle control, that the detected object in the blind spot is a caution object and that the caution object is on the travel road or the planned route, it executes vehicle control, such as steering control for offset driving or reroute control. As a result, when the caution object is present in the first blind spot area and there is a possibility that the host vehicle will pass nearby, the host vehicle will perform offset driving or detour around the road where the caution object is located, thereby preventing an accident from occurring. Furthermore, in the fifth vehicle control, in order to more reliably avoid an accident, the vehicle control system 1 may execute deceleration control to reduce the speed of the host vehicle when a negative determination is made in step S530 or when executing steering control for offset driving.

[0111] The vehicle control system 1 according to the embodiment includes a blind spot recognition unit 32 that detects an object in a blind spot and determines the type and size of the object in the blind spot based on sound information and target detection information from the perimeter monitoring sensor 14. The vehicle control system 1 also includes a control decision unit 36 ​​that decides to execute various vehicle controls in accordance with the determination results from the blind spot recognition unit 32, and an equipment control unit 35 and a control execution unit 39 that execute the determined vehicle controls. The executed vehicle controls include at least one of host vehicle speed control, steering control, air conditioning control, window closing control, rerouting control, passing, volume control of the vehicle alarm 26, and driver notification. This enables the vehicle control system 1 to detect an object in a blind spot using sound information from the acoustic sensor 16 and to execute appropriate vehicle control in accordance with the type and size of the object in the blind spot. The vehicle control system 1 may execute the first to fifth vehicle controls in a different order, or may execute these vehicle controls in parallel, to the extent possible. Furthermore, the vehicle control system 1 also provides the following effects.

[0112] (1) When the blind spot detection unit 32 determines that the object in the blind spot is a vehicle other than a light vehicle, the blind spot detection unit 32 determines the size of the object in the blind spot. The control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute vehicle control that corresponds to the size of the object in the blind spot, based on the result of the determination of the size of the object in the blind spot by the blind spot detection unit 32. This enables the vehicle control system 1 to execute more appropriate vehicle control according to the size of the object in the blind spot.

[0113] (2) When the blind spot grasping unit 32 determines that the object in the blind spot is a vehicle and that the size of the object in the blind spot is less than a predetermined value, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute speed control of the host vehicle. Furthermore, when controlling the host vehicle's speed, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute control to temporarily slow the host vehicle down below the speed of the detected object in the blind spot if the host vehicle is traveling in the driving lane. Furthermore, when controlling the host vehicle's speed, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute control to temporarily speed up the host vehicle up to the speed of the object in the blind spot if the host vehicle is traveling in the passing lane. As a result, the vehicle control system 1 executes temporary acceleration control or deceleration control depending on the size of the object in the blind spot and the host vehicle's traveling position, thereby improving driving safety by maintaining a predetermined distance or more between the host vehicle and the object in the blind spot.

[0114] (3) When the blind spot grasping unit 32 determines that the object in the blind spot is a vehicle and that the size of the object in the blind spot is equal to or larger than a predetermined size, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute steering control to drive the host vehicle to a position that is offset from the center of the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling and away from the object in the blind spot. As a result, the vehicle control system 1 performs offset driving to move the host vehicle away from the object in the blind spot, which is a vehicle of equal to or larger than a predetermined size, thereby improving the safety of the host vehicle during driving.

[0115] (4) When the blind spot grasping unit 32 determines that the object in the blind spot is a vehicle and that the size of the object in the blind spot is equal to or larger than a predetermined size, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute speed control to move the host vehicle to a position visible from the object in the blind spot. This allows the vehicle control system 1 to prevent the host vehicle from entering the blind spot from the viewpoint of the object in the blind spot, which is a vehicle of equal to or larger than a predetermined size, thereby improving the safety of the host vehicle during driving.

[0116] (5) When the blind spot recognition unit 32 determines that the object in the blind spot is a vehicle and that the size of the object in the blind spot is equal to or larger than a predetermined size, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute speed control to maintain a distance between the host vehicle and the object in the blind spot equal to or larger than a predetermined size. As a result, the vehicle control system 1 maintains a distance equal to or larger than a predetermined value between the host vehicle and the object in the blind spot, which is a vehicle of equal to or larger than a predetermined size, by speed control, thereby improving the safety of the host vehicle during driving.

[0117] (6) When the blind spot detection unit 32 determines that the object in the blind spot is a vehicle and that the size of the object in the blind spot is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute at least one of air conditioning control to set the air flow into the vehicle interior to an inside air mode and control to close any open windows. As a result, the vehicle control system 1 executes at least one vehicle control of a window / air flow mode to prevent external exhaust gas from entering the vehicle interior, thereby ensuring a comfortable vehicle interior environment.

[0118] (7) When the blind spot grasping unit 32 determines that the object in the blind spot is a person or a light vehicle, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute at least one of deceleration control of the host vehicle, steering control for offset driving, and reroute control to guide the host vehicle onto a road other than the road on which the object in the blind spot is located. As a result, when the detected object in the blind spot is a person or a light vehicle, the vehicle control system 1 executes at least one of deceleration control, offset driving, and reroute control of the host vehicle, thereby preventing the host vehicle from passing near the object in the blind spot and making it possible to avoid an accident.

[0119] (8) When the blind spot grasping unit 32 determines that the object in the blind spot is a person or a light vehicle, if the vehicle is moving in a direction approaching the object in the blind spot and the distance to the object in the blind spot is equal to or less than a predetermined distance, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute vehicle control such as flashing the lights or increasing the volume of the exterior alarm 26. As a result, when the detected object in the blind spot is a person or a light vehicle and the vehicle is traveling near the object in the blind spot, the vehicle control system 1 can alert people in the blind spot of the approach of the vehicle by flashing the lights or making a sound, making it easier to avoid an accident.

[0120] (9) When the blind spot grasping unit 32 detects an object in a blind spot, the control decision unit 36 ​​decides to execute vehicle control that notifies the occupants of the vehicle of the object in the blind spot and the content of vehicle control to be executed in accordance with the size or type of the object in the blind spot. As a result, the vehicle control system 1 notifies the occupants of the content of vehicle control to be executed in accordance with the result of detection and determination of the object in the blind spot, so that the occupants can be aware of the detection of the object in the blind spot and the vehicle control to be executed in response to the detection.

[0121] (Other Embodiments) While the present disclosure has been described with reference to examples, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to those examples or structures. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and modifications within the scope of equivalents. In addition, various combinations and forms, as well as other combinations and forms including only one element, more than one, or less than one, are also within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

[0122] Each processing unit in the above embodiment is, for example, hardware for arithmetic processing coupled to a RAM, and includes at least one arithmetic core, such as a CPU and a GPU. GPU is an abbreviation for Graphics Processing Unit. Each processing unit may further include an FPGA, an NPU, and an IP core with other dedicated functions. FPGA and NPU are abbreviations for Field-Programmable Gate Array and Neural Network Processing Unit, respectively. Each processing unit may be individually mounted on a printed circuit board, or may be mounted on an ASIC, FPGA, or the like. ASIC is an abbreviation for Application Specific Integrated Circuit. In this way, the hardware configuration of each processing unit can be changed as appropriate.

[0123] In the above-described embodiment, the form of the recording medium (non-transitory tangible storage medium) on which various programs, including the vehicle control programs corresponding to the first to fifth vehicle controls, are recorded may be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the recording medium is not limited to being provided on a circuit board, but may be provided in the form of a memory card or the like, inserted into a slot, and electrically connected to a control circuit such as the vehicle control unit 27. Furthermore, the storage medium may be an optical disk, hard disk drive, solid state drive, or the like, from which programs are copied or distributed to the vehicle control unit 27, etc.

[0124] The vehicle control unit 27 and the methods described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer configured by configuring a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the vehicle control unit 27 and the methods described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer configured by configuring a processor with one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the vehicle control unit 27 and the methods described herein may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured by combining a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions with a processor configured with one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by a computer on a computer-readable non-transitory storage medium.

[0125] It goes without saying that in each of the above embodiments, the elements constituting the embodiments are not necessarily essential unless they are specifically stated as essential or are clearly considered essential in principle. Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, when numerical values ​​such as the number, values, amounts, and ranges of the components of the embodiments are mentioned, they are not limited to the specific numbers unless they are specifically stated as essential or are clearly limited to a specific number in principle. Furthermore, in each of the above embodiments, when the shapes, positional relationships, etc. of the components are mentioned, they are not limited to the shapes, positional relationships, etc., unless they are specifically stated or are clearly limited to a specific shape, positional relationship, etc. in principle.

[0126] (Aspects of the Present Disclosure) The above-described present disclosure can be understood from the following aspects, for example: [First Aspect] A vehicle control device including: a blind spot recognition unit (32) that detects an object in a blind spot that is an object present in a blind spot area that cannot be seen from the position of the host vehicle based on sound information outside the host vehicle collected by an acoustic sensor (16) mounted on the host vehicle, and determines the type or size of the object in the blind spot, a control decision unit (36) that decides to execute at least one vehicle control of the host vehicle among speed control, steering control, air conditioning control, window closing control, rerouting control, passing, volume control of an in-vehicle device (26), and notification to a driver of the host vehicle according to a determination result of the blind spot recognition unit, and an execution unit (35, 39) that executes the vehicle control determined by the control decision unit. [Second Aspect] The vehicle control device according to the first aspect, wherein the blind spot detection unit determines the size of the object in the blind spot when it determines that the object in the blind spot is a vehicle other than a light vehicle, and the control decision unit decides to execute one of the vehicle controls corresponding to the size of the object in the blind spot based on the result of the determination of the size of the object in the blind spot by the blind spot detection unit. [Third Aspect] The vehicle control device according to the second aspect, wherein the control decision unit decides to execute the speed control when the blind spot detection unit determines that the object in the blind spot is a vehicle and that the size of the object in the blind spot is less than a predetermined value. [Fourth Aspect] The vehicle control device according to the third aspect, wherein the control decision unit, in the speed control of the host vehicle, decides to execute control to temporarily reduce the speed of the host vehicle below that of the detected object in the blind spot when the host vehicle is traveling in a driving lane, and decides to execute control to temporarily increase the speed of the host vehicle above that of the object in the blind spot when the host vehicle is traveling in an overtaking lane. [Fifth Aspect] The vehicle control device according to the second aspect, wherein, when the blind spot grasping unit determines that the object in the blind spot is a vehicle and determines that the size of the object in the blind spot is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, the control decision unit decides to execute the steering control to drive the host vehicle to a position that is shifted from a center position of the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling and away from the object in the blind spot.[Sixth Aspect] The vehicle control device according to the second or fifth aspect, wherein, when the blind spot detection unit determines that the object in the blind spot is a vehicle and determines that the size of the object in the blind spot is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, the control decision unit decides to execute the speed control to move the host vehicle to a position visible from the object in the blind spot. [Seventh Aspect] The vehicle control device according to any one of the second, fifth, or sixth aspects, wherein, when the blind spot detection unit determines that the object in the blind spot is a vehicle and determines that the size of the object in the blind spot is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, the control decision unit decides to execute the speed control to keep the distance between the host vehicle and the object in the blind spot equal to or larger than a predetermined value. [Eighth Aspect] The vehicle control device according to any one of the second, fifth to seventh aspects, wherein, when the blind spot detection unit determines that the object in the blind spot is a vehicle and determines that the size of the object in the blind spot is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, the control decision unit decides to execute at least one of the air conditioning control to set the air flow into the passenger compartment of the host vehicle to an inside air mode and the control to close an open window. [Ninth Aspect] The vehicle control device according to the first aspect, wherein, when the blind spot detection unit determines that the object in the blind spot is one of a person, a light vehicle, and an object smaller than a person, the control decision unit decides to execute at least one of deceleration control of the host vehicle, the steering control to drive the host vehicle to a position offset from the center of the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling and away from the object in the blind spot, and the reroute control to guide the host vehicle to a road other than one on which the object in the blind spot is located. [Tenth Aspect] The vehicle control device according to the ninth aspect, when the blind spot detection unit determines that the object in the blind spot is one of a person, a light vehicle, and an object smaller than a person, the control decision unit decides to execute vehicle control of passing when the host vehicle is traveling near the object in the blind spot. [Eleventh Aspect] In the vehicle control device according to the ninth or tenth aspect, when the blind spot grasping unit determines that the object in the blind spot is one of a person, a light vehicle, and an object smaller than a person, the control decision unit decides to execute the volume control to increase the volume of the in-vehicle device when the host vehicle is traveling near the object in the blind spot.[Twelfth Aspect] The vehicle control device according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, wherein, when the blind spot grasping unit detects an object in the blind spot, the control decision unit decides to execute the vehicle control to notify an occupant of the host vehicle of the content of vehicle control to be executed in accordance with the object in the blind spot and the size or type of the object in the blind spot. [Thirteenth Aspect] A vehicle control method usable in a vehicle, the vehicle control method comprising: detecting an object in a blind spot that is an object present in a blind spot area that cannot be seen from the position of the host vehicle, based on sound information outside the host vehicle collected by an acoustic sensor (16) mounted on the host vehicle, and determining the type or size of the object in the blind spot; and executing at least one vehicle control of the host vehicle among speed control, steering control, air conditioning control, window closing control, rerouting control, passing, volume control of on-board equipment (26), and notifying a driver of the host vehicle, in accordance with the determination result of the type or size of the object in the blind spot. [Fourteenth Aspect] A vehicle control program used for controlling a driving state of the host vehicle or on-board equipment (22 to 26), the vehicle control program causing at least one execution unit (27) to execute processes including: a process for detecting an object in a blind spot, which is an object that is present in a blind spot area that cannot be seen from the position of the host vehicle, based on sound information outside the host vehicle collected by an acoustic sensor (16) mounted on the host vehicle; a process for determining a size or type of the object in the blind spot when the object in the blind spot is detected; and a process for executing at least one vehicle control corresponding to the determination result, out of speed control, steering control, air conditioning control, window closing control, rerouting control, passing, volume control of on-board equipment (26), and notification to the driver of the host vehicle, based on the determination result of the size or type of the object in the blind spot.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device comprising: a blind spot recognition unit (32) that detects an object in a blind spot, which is an object that exists in a blind spot area that cannot be seen from the position of the vehicle, based on sound information outside the vehicle collected by an acoustic sensor (16) mounted on the vehicle, and determines the type or size of the object in the blind spot; a control decision unit (36) that decides to execute at least one vehicle control of the vehicle, including speed control, steering control, air conditioning control, window closing control, rerouting control, passing, volume control of in-vehicle equipment (26), and notification to the driver of the vehicle, depending on the determination result of the blind spot recognition unit; and an execution unit (35, 39) that executes the vehicle control determined by the control decision unit.

2. A vehicle control device as described in claim 1, wherein the blind spot detection unit determines the size of the object in the blind spot when it determines that the object in the blind spot is a vehicle other than a light vehicle, and the control decision unit decides to execute vehicle control corresponding to the size of the object in the blind spot from among the vehicle controls based on the result of the determination of the size of the object in the blind spot by the blind spot detection unit.

3. A vehicle control device as described in claim 2, wherein when the blind spot grasping unit determines that the object in the blind spot is a vehicle and determines that the size of the object in the blind spot is less than a predetermined value, the control decision unit decides to execute the speed control.

4. A vehicle control device as described in claim 3, wherein the control decision unit, in controlling the speed of the host vehicle, decides to execute control to temporarily reduce the speed of the host vehicle below that of the detected object in the blind spot when the host vehicle is traveling in a driving lane, and decides to execute control to temporarily increase the speed of the host vehicle above that of the detected object in the blind spot when the host vehicle is traveling in an overtaking lane.

5. A vehicle control device as described in claim 2, wherein, when the blind spot grasping unit determines that the object in the blind spot is a vehicle and that the size of the object in the blind spot is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, the control decision unit decides to execute the steering control to drive the vehicle at a position that is offset from the center position of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling and away from the object in the blind spot.

6. A vehicle control device as described in claim 2, wherein, when the blind spot grasping unit determines that the object in the blind spot is a vehicle and determines that the size of the object in the blind spot is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, the control decision unit decides to execute the speed control to move the vehicle to a position visible to the object in the blind spot.

7. A vehicle control device as described in claim 2, wherein, when the blind spot grasping unit determines that the object in the blind spot is a vehicle and that the size of the object in the blind spot is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, the control decision unit decides to execute the speed control so as to keep the distance between the vehicle and the object in the blind spot equal to or larger than a predetermined value.

8. A vehicle control device as described in claim 2, wherein, when the blind spot grasping unit determines that the object in the blind spot is a vehicle and determines that the size of the object in the blind spot is equal to or larger than a predetermined value, the control decision unit decides to execute at least one of the air conditioning control that sets the air flow into the vehicle cabin to an inside air mode and the control that closes an open window.

9. A vehicle control device as described in claim 1, wherein, when the blind spot grasping unit determines that the object in the blind spot is one of a person, a light vehicle, and an object smaller than a person, the control decision unit decides to execute at least one of deceleration control of the host vehicle, steering control to drive the host vehicle to a position shifted from the center position of the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling and away from the object in the blind spot, and reroute control to guide the host vehicle to a road other than the road on which the object in the blind spot is located.

10. A vehicle control device as described in claim 9, wherein, when the blind spot grasping unit determines that the object in the blind spot is one of a person, a light vehicle, and an object smaller than a person, the control decision unit decides to execute vehicle control of the passing lights when the vehicle is traveling near the object in the blind spot.

11. A vehicle control device as described in claim 9, wherein, when the blind spot grasping unit determines that the object in the blind spot is one of a person, a light vehicle, and an object smaller than a person, the control decision unit decides to execute the volume control to increase the volume of the in-vehicle device when the vehicle is traveling near the object in the blind spot.

12. A vehicle control device as described in any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein when the blind spot grasping unit detects an object in the blind spot, the control decision unit decides to execute the vehicle control that notifies the occupants of the vehicle of the object in the blind spot and the content of the vehicle control to be executed in accordance with the size or type of the object in the blind spot.

13. A vehicle control method usable in a vehicle, comprising: detecting an object in a blind spot, which is an object that exists in a blind spot area that cannot be seen from the position of the vehicle, based on sound information outside the vehicle collected by an acoustic sensor (16) mounted on the vehicle, and determining the type or size of the object in the blind spot; and executing at least one vehicle control of the vehicle among speed control, steering control, air conditioning control, window closing control, rerouting control, passing, volume control of on-board equipment (26), and notification to the driver of the vehicle, depending on the determination result of the type or size of the object in the blind spot.

14. A vehicle control program used to control the driving state of the host vehicle or on-board equipment (22-26), the vehicle control program causing at least one execution unit (27) to execute processes including: a process for detecting an object in a blind spot, which is an object that exists in a blind spot area that cannot be seen from the position of the host vehicle, based on sound information outside the host vehicle collected by an acoustic sensor (16) mounted on the host vehicle; a process for determining the size or type of the object in the blind spot when the object in the blind spot is detected; and a process for executing at least one vehicle control corresponding to the determination result from among speed control, steering control, air conditioning control, window closing control, rerouting control, passing, volume control of on-board equipment (26), and notification to the driver of the host vehicle, based on the determination result of the size or type of the object in the blind spot.

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