Infrastructure-linked vehicle travel assistance system

Abstract

[Problem] To aggregate information about vehicles traveling on a road, excluding a subject controlled vehicle, in a control server device. [Solution] An infrastructure server device transmits, to a control server device, detection information about a relative positional relationship between a plurality of vehicles traveling on a road. The control server device collates each vehicle included in the detection information received from the infrastructure server device with a subject controlled vehicle to classify the plurality of vehicles traveling on the road into the subject controlled vehicle and unclassified vehicles, maps both the subject controlled vehicle and the unclassified vehicle to a chart corresponding to the road, and determines the possibility of interference. When there is a possibility of interference between the subject controlled vehicle and a surrounding vehicle, and the surrounding vehicle is an unclassified vehicle, the control server device generates individual control information to prevent interference with the surrounding vehicle, and transmits the individual control information to the subject controlled vehicle.

Description

Vehicle Driving Support System with Infrastructure Linkage

[0004]

[0001] This application mainly discloses a vehicle driving support system with infrastructure linkage.

[0002] In vehicles such as automobiles, the development of autonomous driving that controls or supports the driving of the host vehicle based on the detection of vehicle sensors has been underway. However, the control by such autonomous driving of the vehicle is limited by the visible detection range of the vehicle sensors, and is limited to corresponding to events that can be detected within the visible detection range of the vehicle sensors. In addition, if the detection range of the vehicle sensors of an autonomous vehicle is blocked by other vehicles, the autonomous vehicle cannot detect other vehicles in front of the other vehicle.

[0003] Therefore, in addition to the development of the vehicle itself, it is conceivable to study a system that supports the driving of the vehicle using a control server device (Patent Documents 1 to 3). And in the vehicle driving support system, for example, it is conceivable to transmit vehicle information from a control vehicle traveling on the road to the server device, and transmit information for controlling or supporting the driving by the autonomous driving of the control vehicle from the server device. By aggregating the information of the control vehicles traveling on the road in the server device and transmitting the information based on the analysis of the aggregated information to the control vehicles, it is considered possible to provide each control vehicle with information that exceeds the limit of the autonomous automatic driving control of each control vehicle. As a result, it can be expected that the safety of the driving of the control vehicle will be significantly improved.

[0004] Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2017-117100, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2022-140008, International Publication No. 2019 / 180978

[0005] However, there are limitations to controlling or assisting the automated driving of control vehicles using such control server devices. For example, the server device could transmit individual control information to directly control or assist the driving of each control vehicle, rather than general-purpose information such as road traffic information that can be used by multiple vehicles. In this case, the server device can only obtain information about the control vehicle it controls as information about vehicles traveling on the road. In contrast, other vehicles that are not controlled or assisted by the control server device also travel on the roads where the control vehicles are traveling. Such other vehicles include, for example, other control vehicles whose driving is controlled or assisted by other control server devices, manually driven vehicles, and autonomously driven vehicles that are not controlled. If the control server device cannot obtain information such as the individual location of these other vehicles, it cannot determine interference with the driving of other vehicles for each control vehicle, or generate individual control information for each control vehicle to suppress interference with other vehicles. In particular, there is no control server device that collects information such as the individual location of manually driven vehicles and autonomously driven vehicles that do not use communication functions. As a result, even if multiple control server devices exchange information with each other, it is not possible to obtain individual location information for manually driven vehicles or autonomous vehicles that do not use communication functions.

[0006] Thus, in vehicle driving assistance systems, in order to individually control the self-controlled vehicle using a control server device, it is necessary to be able to aggregate information on vehicles other than the self-controlled vehicle that are traveling on the road into the control server device.

[0007] An infrastructure-linked vehicle driving support system according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a control server device that communicates with a self-controlled vehicle driving on a road and controls or supports the driving of the self-controlled vehicle on the road; an infrastructure server device that detects the relative positional relationship of a plurality of vehicles driving on the road using sensors provided on the road, wherein the infrastructure server device comprises an infrastructure communication device that transmits detection information of the relative positional relationship of the plurality of vehicles driving on the road to the control server device; the control server device comprises a server communication device that communicates with the infrastructure communication device and receives the detection information from the infrastructure server device; and a server control unit, wherein the server control unit receives from the infrastructure server device The detection information includes a plurality of vehicles traveling on the road, and by comparing each vehicle in the detection information with the self-controlled vehicle, the plurality of vehicles traveling on the road are classified into self-controlled vehicles and unclassified vehicles. Both the self-controlled vehicle and the unclassified vehicles are mapped to a chart corresponding to the road based on their respective locations, and the possibility of interference between the self-controlled vehicle and surrounding vehicles is determined. If there is a possibility of interference between the self-controlled vehicle and the surrounding vehicles, and the surrounding vehicles are unclassified vehicles, individual control information for interference suppression for the self-controlled vehicle is generated to suppress interference with the surrounding vehicles, compared to the case where the surrounding vehicles are self-controlled vehicles, and this is transmitted from the server communication device to the self-controlled vehicle.

[0008] In one embodiment of the present invention, the infrastructure server device detects the relative positional relationship of multiple vehicles traveling on the road using sensors installed on the road. This allows the infrastructure server device to detect multiple vehicles traveling on the road, i.e., self-controlled vehicles and other vehicles individually controlled by the control server device. The infrastructure server device then transmits the detection information about the multiple vehicles traveling on the road from the infrastructure communication device to the server communication device of the control server device. The server control unit of the control server device compares each of the multiple vehicles traveling on the road included in the detection information received from the infrastructure server device with the self-controlled vehicles, and classifies the multiple vehicles traveling on the road into self-controlled vehicles and unclassified vehicles. The server control unit also maps both the self-controlled vehicles and unclassified vehicles to a chart corresponding to the road based on their respective positions, and determines the possibility of interference between the self-controlled vehicles and surrounding vehicles. As a result, if the server control unit detects a potential for interference between the self-controlled vehicle and surrounding vehicles, it generates individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle to suppress interference with surrounding vehicles and transmits it to the self-controlled vehicle from the server communication device. Consequently, the control vehicle is expected to operate autonomously while suppressing interference with surrounding vehicles.

[0009] Furthermore, in one embodiment of the present invention, when the surrounding vehicle is an unclassified vehicle, the server control unit generates individual control information to suppress interference with the surrounding vehicle compared to when the surrounding vehicle is a self-controlled vehicle. As a result, the control vehicle can be expected to drive autonomously in a way that suppresses interference with unclassified vehicles as surrounding vehicles compared to when the surrounding vehicle is another self-controlled vehicle. This enhances the safety of autonomous driving of the control vehicle under the control of the control server device.

[0010] Thus, in one embodiment of the present invention, information on vehicles other than self-controlled vehicles traveling on the road can be collected in the control server device as comprehensively as possible, and the self-controlled vehicles can be individually controlled by the control server device.

[0011] Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of an infrastructure-linked vehicle driving support system according to the first embodiment of the present invention. Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a control system for a self-controlled vehicle whose driving is controlled or supported by the control server device of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a configuration diagram of the control server device of Figure 1. Figure 4 is a timing chart showing the overall flow of control for individually controlling the driving of self-controlled vehicles in the infrastructure-linked vehicle driving support system of Figure 1. Figure 5 is a configuration diagram of a road management server device that works in conjunction with the control server device of Figure 1. Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of the relative positional relationship on a road for multiple vehicles driving on a road, as shown by the road management server device of Figure 1. Figure 7 is a flowchart of vehicle classification control by the control server device. Figure 8 is a detailed flowchart of the other-controlled vehicle determination process according to step ST28 of Figure 7. Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the data structure of a vehicle position DB, including location information of vehicles other than self-controlled vehicles. Figure 10 is a flowchart of control by the control server device. Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram of an example of an ST chart for determining the possibility of interference by a control vehicle. Figure 12 is a flowchart of additional vehicle classification control by a control server device in the second embodiment of the present invention. Figure 13 is a flowchart of control control by a control server device in the second embodiment. Figure 14 is a schematic explanatory diagram of a state in which a control vehicle is traveling in the merging lane of a merging section.

[0012] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings in the following order. Each embodiment will first provide an overview of the embodiments, followed by a specific example of each embodiment. In the specific example of the first embodiment, the following will be described in order: a configuration example, a control example by a self-control server device, a configuration example of a road management server device, a detection example of multiple automobiles, an overview of the control, automobile classification control by a self-control server device, an example of a vehicle position DB, an example of control, and an example of an ST chart. In the specific example of the second embodiment, a control example and a merging example will be described in order. Note that the following descriptions of embodiments and drawings are examples of the invention disclosed in this application and do not limit the invention disclosed in this application.

[0013] [First Embodiment] (Overview) The control server device communicates with self-controlled vehicles traveling on the road to control or assist the self-controlled vehicles' travel on the road. This allows the self-controlled vehicles to travel on the road under the server control of the control server device. However, unclassified vehicles other than self-controlled vehicles also travel on actual roads. In this case, it is desirable for the control server device to acquire information about unclassified vehicles to improve the quality of server control of the self-controlled vehicles. The road may be equipped with an infrastructure server device that detects the relative positional relationship of multiple vehicles traveling on the road using sensors installed on the road. In this case, the infrastructure server device is expected to transmit detection information of the relative positional relationship of multiple vehicles traveling on the road from an infrastructure communication device to the control server device. Here, the infrastructure server device may, for example, use optical cable sensors extending along the road to detect multiple vehicles traveling on the road and detect the relative positional relationship of multiple vehicles traveling on the road in the direction of the road's extension. To this end, the control server device includes a server communication device that communicates with an infrastructure communication device and receives detection information from the infrastructure server device, and a server control unit. The server control unit then classifies the multiple vehicles traveling on the road, which are included in the detection information received from the infrastructure server device, into self-controlled vehicles and unclassified vehicles by comparing each vehicle included in the detection information with the self-controlled vehicle. The server control unit maps both self-controlled vehicles and unclassified vehicles to a chart corresponding to the road based on their respective locations and determines the possibility of interference between the self-controlled vehicle and surrounding vehicles on the chart corresponding to the road. If there is a possibility of interference between the self-controlled vehicle and surrounding vehicles, and the surrounding vehicles are unclassified vehicles, the server control unit generates individual control information for interference suppression for the self-controlled vehicle that suppresses interference with surrounding vehicles, compared to when the surrounding vehicles are self-controlled vehicles, and transmits it to the self-controlled vehicle from the server communication device.

[0014] (Configuration Example) Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of an infrastructure-linked vehicle driving support system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. The vehicle is an example of a vehicle. The infrastructure-linked vehicle driving support system 1 in Figure 1 includes a self-control server device 3, a self-control vehicle 2 whose autonomous driving is controlled or supported by the self-control server device 3, and a road management server device 11 as an infrastructure server device. A GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) satellite 110 is also shown in Figure 1.

[0015] Self-controlled vehicle 2 is traveling on road 100. Other unclassified vehicles may also be present on road 100. In Figure 1, four vehicles are traveling on road 100: two self-controlled vehicles 2 and two unclassified vehicles. Here, unclassified vehicles include, for example, other controlled vehicles 18 whose automated driving is controlled or supported by other control server devices 4, manually driven vehicles, and autonomous automated vehicles that operate under automated driving without control, etc.

[0016] The self-control server device 3 communicates with multiple self-control vehicles 2 through the base station 7 and the carrier communication network 8. The base station 7 and the carrier communication network 8 constitute the carrier communication system 6. The self-control vehicles 2 periodically transmit vehicle information, such as their latest location and time, to the self-control server device 3. The self-control server device 3 uses the vehicle information collected from the multiple self-control vehicles 2 to generate individual control information for controlling the driving of each self-control vehicle 2 and transmits it to each self-control vehicle 2. Each self-control vehicle 2 uses the individual control information to control its own driving through automatic driving. As a result, each self-control vehicle 2 can drive automatically under control.

[0017] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram of an example of a control system 20 for a self-controlled vehicle 2 whose driving is controlled or supported by the self-control server device 3 of Figure 1. The control system 20 of the self-controlled vehicle 2 in Figure 2 has a vehicle network 29 and a plurality of control devices connected thereto. As examples of the plurality of control devices, Figure 2 shows a sensor control device 21, a driving control device 22, a drive control device 23, a steering control device 24, a braking control device 25, and an external communication control device 26. The control system 20 of the self-controlled vehicle 2 may also include other control devices, such as an operation control device. The operation control device is connected to operating members that the driver operates when manually driving, such as a steering wheel and pedals. In addition, each of the control devices shown in Figure 2 may be divided into multiple units and connected to the vehicle network 29. Note that other controlled vehicles, such as another controlled vehicle 18, may also have a control system similar to that in Figure 2.

[0018] The vehicle network 29 may be a vehicle-specific network such as a CAN (Controller Area Network), a LIN (Local Interconnect Network), or a broadband network for vehicles. Alternatively, the vehicle network 29 may include a general network such as the IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 802.3. By using such a vehicle network 29, the control device installed in the self-controlled vehicle 2 can input and output information to and from other control devices through the vehicle network 29.

[0019] The sensor control device 21 controls the operation of various vehicle sensors installed on the self-controlled vehicle 2 and outputs the detected values ​​of the various vehicle sensors or processed information obtained by processing the detected values ​​to other control devices via the vehicle network 29. In Figure 2, examples of vehicle sensors connected to the sensor control device 21 include a GNSS receiver 31, an external camera 32, and an acceleration sensor 33. In addition to these, the sensor control device 21 may also be connected to a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the self-controlled vehicle 2, a steering sensor that detects the steering angle of the steering wheels of the self-controlled vehicle 2, and so on.

[0020] The GNSS receiver 31 generates position and time information for the self-control vehicle 2 by receiving radio waves from multiple GNSS satellites 110, as illustrated in Figure 1.

[0021] The external camera 32 captures images of the driving environment around the self-controlled vehicle 2 as it travels on a road 100 or the like. The external camera 32 may be a monocular camera, a compound camera, or a 360-degree camera. It is desirable that the external camera 32 be able to capture images of at least the front of the moving self-controlled vehicle 2. Other devices that can detect the driving environment around the vehicle include, for example, LiDAR and lasers. The sensor control device 21 can generate processed information such as information on the unevenness of the road surface around the vehicle, the types of other vehicles around the vehicle, their relative directions, and distances, based on the driving environment information such as the images captured by the external camera 32.

[0022] The acceleration sensor 33 detects the acceleration of the self-controlled vehicle 2. By using a sensor that detects axial acceleration as the acceleration sensor 33, the sensor control device 21 can generate information on the angular acceleration of the self-controlled vehicle 2 in the yaw, pitch, and roll directions. Alternatively, the sensor control device 21 may generate information on the velocity of the self-controlled vehicle 2 by integrating the acceleration of the acceleration sensor 33 over time.

[0023] The vehicle communication device 35, installed in the self-controlled vehicle 2, is connected to the external communication control device 26. The vehicle communication device 35 establishes a wireless communication path with a communicationable base station 7. The external communication control device 26 controls the operation of the vehicle communication device 35 and performs the sending and receiving of information with the self-controlled server device 3 through the vehicle communication device 35 and the base station 7. For example, the external communication control device 26 outputs information received by the vehicle communication device 35 from the self-controlled server device 3 or the base station 7 to other control devices via the vehicle network 29. The external communication control device 26 transmits information input from other control devices via the vehicle network 29 to the self-controlled server device 3 through the vehicle communication device 35 and the base station 7.

[0024] The drive control device 23 includes a drive system installed in the self-controlled vehicle 2 that generates driving force using, for example, gasoline or hydrogen as fuel, a motor that generates driving force using electricity, a transmission, or a combination of these. The drive control device 23 controls the operation of the drive system based on control values ​​acquired through the vehicle network 29.

[0025] The steering control device 24 is connected to, for example, a steering device installed in the self-controlled vehicle 2. The steering control device 24 controls the operation of the steering device based on control values ​​acquired through the vehicle network 29.

[0026] The braking control device 25 is connected to the brake system installed on the self-controlled vehicle 2. The braking control device 25 controls the operation of the brake system based on control values ​​acquired through the vehicle network 29.

[0027] The driving control device 22 controls the driving of the self-controlled vehicle 2. When controlling driving in manual driving mode, the driving control device 22 may generate control values ​​corresponding to the amount of steering or pedal operation performed by the driver. In this case, the driving control device 22 may adjust the control values ​​by considering information on the vehicle's driving state and information on its surroundings in order to assist the driver. In the case of autonomous automatic driving, the driving control device 22 acquires information on the vehicle's driving state and information on its surroundings from the sensor control device 21 and generates control values ​​corresponding to this information. In this case, the driving control device 22 may, for example, consider the latest position of the vehicle in high-precision map data 34 and the conditions of the road 100 and lane on which the vehicle is traveling, and generate control values ​​for steering and acceleration / deceleration. When the driving control device 22 is driving as the self-controlled vehicle 2 under the control of the self-controlled server device 3, it acquires individual control information from the self-controlled server device 3 and information on the vehicle's driving state and information on its surroundings from the sensor control device 21 and generates control values ​​corresponding to this information. In this case, the driving control device 22 generates control values ​​so that the vehicle drives according to the individual control information from the self-control server device 3, provided there are no obstacles based on information about the vehicle's surroundings. The driving control device 22 may switch between the various driving controls described above based on the individual control information, the vehicle's detection information, or the driver's operation.

[0028] For example, if the driving control device 22 determines that another moving object is approaching in front of the vehicle based on the latest image captured by the external camera 32, or if the individual control information contains information indicating an equivalent determination, the driving control device 22 generates a control value for deceleration and outputs it to the braking control device 25. The braking control device 25 executes deceleration control according to the control value. As a result, the self-controlled vehicle 2 can autonomously decelerate or stop without interfering with the preceding vehicle. Also, if the driving control device 22 determines that the stationary vehicle is ready to start based on the latest image captured by the external camera 32, or if the individual control information contains information indicating an equivalent determination, the driving control device 22 generates a control value for acceleration and outputs it to the drive control device 23. The drive control device 23 executes acceleration control according to the control value. As a result, the self-controlled vehicle 2 can autonomously accelerate and start to follow the preceding vehicle. Furthermore, if the driving control device 22 determines that the vehicle is about to deviate from its lane based on the latest images captured by the external camera 32, or if the individual control information contains information indicating a similar determination, the driving control device 22 generates control values ​​for steering and outputs them to the steering control device 24. The steering control device 24 executes steering control according to the control values. As a result, the direction of the self-controlled vehicle 2 changes, and the self-controlled vehicle 2 can drive while maintaining the lane it is traveling in. Also, if the driving control device 22 determines that the vehicle needs to turn right, turn left, or change lanes by comparing the vehicle's position as determined by the GNSS receiver 31 with high-precision map data 34, or if the individual control information contains information indicating a similar determination, the driving control device 22 generates control values ​​for steering and outputs them to the steering control device 24. The steering control device 24 executes steering control according to the control values. As a result, the self-controlled vehicle 2 can turn right, turn left, or change lanes. Through these driving controls, the driving control device 22 can control the self-controlled vehicle 2 to drive autonomously based on detections from the vehicle sensors. Furthermore, the driving control device 22 can control the self-controlled vehicle 2 to drive in accordance with the control of the self-controlled server device 3.

[0029] Figure 3 is a configuration diagram of the self-control server device 3 shown in Figure 1. The self-control server device 3 communicates with the self-control vehicle 2 traveling on the road 100 to control or support the self-control vehicle 2's travel on the road 100. The self-control server device 3 in Figure 3 includes a server communication device 43, a server GNSS receiver 41, a server DB (database) 42, a server memory 44, a server CPU 45, and a server internal bus 49 to which these are connected. Note that the other control server device 4 may have the same configuration as in Figure 3.

[0030] The server communication device 43 is connected to the carrier communication network 8. The server communication device 43 sends and receives vehicle information, including at least the driving position of each vehicle, and individual control information, with the multiple vehicle communication devices 35 installed in the multiple self-controlled vehicles 2. As a result, the server communication device 43 receives information about the driving of each of the multiple self-controlled vehicles 2. The server communication device 43 may also receive information about vehicles other than the self-controlled vehicles 2 through the carrier communication network 8.

[0031] The server GNSS receiver 41 receives radio waves from the GNSS satellite 110 and generates position and time information for the self-control server device 3. This allows the time of the self-control server device 3 to match the time of multiple self-control vehicles 2 with high accuracy.

[0032] The server DB 42 stores and records information on each of the multiple self-controlled vehicles 2 that are under the control of the self-control server device 3. The server DB 42 may include, for example, server map data 52, vehicle location DB (database) 51, etc., as will be described later.

[0033] The server map data 52 may contain information equivalent to, for example, the high-precision map data 34 used by the self-driving vehicle 2. Here, the server map data 52 may be for roads that can be driven on by self-driving vehicles such as the self-driving vehicle 2. Generally, it is preferable to use high-precision map data for the server map data 52 that includes information on each lane of the road, intersection information, etc. For example, Figure 1 shows a road 100. The server map data 52 may include information such as merging sections and diverging sections for such a road 100.

[0034] The vehicle position DB 51 stores and records information received from multiple self-control vehicles 2, etc. The vehicle position DB 51 may also store and record information from vehicles other than the self-control vehicles 2.

[0035] The server memory 44 stores data such as programs executed by the server CPU 45 and configuration values.

[0036] The server CPU 45 reads and executes the program stored in the server memory 44. This enables the self-control server device 3 to have a server control unit 46 that controls its operation. The server control unit 46 includes functions such as a pre-processing unit 53, a control control unit 54, and a vehicle classification unit 55, as will be described later.

[0037] (Example of control by a self-control server device) Figure 4 is a timing chart showing the overall flow of control for individually controlling the driving of a self-control vehicle 2 in the infrastructure-linked vehicle driving support system 1 of Figure 1. Time flows from top to bottom. Also, for the sake of the drawing, only one self-control vehicle 2 is shown in Figure 4. The self-control server device 3 in Figure 4 has a pre-processing unit 53, a control control unit 54, a vehicle classification unit 55, server map data 52, and a vehicle position DB 51.

[0038] The preprocessing unit 53 performs preprocessing control to record the received vehicle information in the vehicle position DB 51 whenever the server communication device 43 receives new vehicle information from each of the self-controlled vehicles 2 under its control. As a result, the vehicle position DB 51 can store and record vehicle information such as the latest positions of multiple self-controlled vehicles 2 under the control of the self-controlled server device 3.

[0039] When the vehicle classification unit 55 receives information on vehicles other than the self-controlled vehicles 2 from other control server devices 4 or road management server devices 11, etc., it classifies each vehicle into self-controlled vehicles 2 and other unclassified vehicles. The vehicle classification unit 55 may further classify the unclassified vehicles into other-controlled vehicles 18 whose movement is controlled or supported by other control server devices 4, for example, and other uncontrolled vehicles 19. In this case, the vehicle position DB 51 may store and record information such as the latest location of unclassified vehicles that are not under the control of the self-controlled server device 3. The vehicle position DB 51 may record the locations of all vehicles on the roads 100 under the jurisdiction of the self-controlled server device 3. In addition, in the vehicle position DB 51, information on multiple vehicles may be organized and stored for each vehicle using identification information issued for each vehicle.

[0040] The control unit 54 reads the information recorded in the vehicle position DB 51 and performs individual control to individually control the driving of each of the multiple self-controlled vehicles 2. In individual control, the control unit 54 basically periodically generates different individual control information for each of the multiple self-controlled vehicles 2 under control and transmits it individually to each self-controlled vehicle 2. The vehicle communication device 35 of each self-controlled vehicle 2 receives its own individual control information from the self-control server device 3 and uses it for driving control of its own vehicle.

[0041] In such a control system for control vehicles, the self-control server device 3 can, in principle, periodically generate multiple individual control information for controlling the driving of multiple self-control vehicles 2 traveling within its jurisdiction, through the control of the pre-processing unit 53 and the control control unit 54. Then, in the self-control vehicle 2 that receives the individual control information, its driving control device 22 uses the individual control information received from the self-control server device 3 to generate control values ​​in accordance with the requests of the individual control information, thereby controlling its own autonomous driving. Multiple self-control vehicles 2 can safely drive autonomously without interfering with each other by executing driving control that basically follows the control of the self-control server device 3 under the control of the self-control server device 3.

[0042] For example, the travel control device 22 of the self-controlled vehicle 2 acquires the information of the host vehicle in step ST1 and transmits the vehicle information of the host vehicle to the self-control server device 3 in step ST2. Further, the travel control device 22 generates a control value for travel control in step ST3 using the information of the host vehicle and the individual control information of the host vehicle received from the self-control server device 3, and executes the travel control of the host vehicle in step ST4. As shown by repeating steps ST1 to ST3 in FIG. 4, the travel control device 22 of the self-controlled vehicle 2 periodically repeats and executes the travel control under such control. Thereby, the travel control device 22 of the self-controlled vehicle 2 can continue to control the travel of the host vehicle based on the latest travel state of the host vehicle and the latest information from the self-control server device 3.

[0043] In the self-control server device 3, when the preprocessing unit 53 receives new vehicle information from each self-controlled vehicle 2 in step ST11, it records the received vehicle information in the vehicle position DB51 in step ST12. Each time the preprocessing unit 53 receives new information from each self-controlled vehicle 2 or the like, it repeats the processing from step ST11 to step ST12. Thereby, vehicle information indicating the travel states of each of the plurality of self-controlled vehicles 2 from the past to the latest is accumulated and recorded in the vehicle position DB51.

[0044] Further, in the self-control server device 3, the control control unit 54 reads information such as the position of the self-controlled vehicle 2 from the vehicle position DB51 in step ST53 and maps the plurality of self-controlled vehicles 2 to their respective positions on the ST chart. At this time, the control control unit 54 may also map the other controlled vehicles 18 and non-controlled vehicles 19 recorded in the vehicle position DB51 on the ST chart. Next, the control control unit 54 determines the interference with other vehicles and the like for each self-controlled vehicle 2 in step ST54. The control control unit 54 generates individual control information for each self-controlled vehicle 2 for suppressing interference according to the interference determination result in step ST54. The control control unit 54 transmits the generated individual control information to each self-controlled vehicle 2 in step ST57.

[0045] When the self-controlled vehicle 2 receives individual control information based on interference detection by the self-controlled server device 3, it executes driving control accordingly. However, even after executing control under such control, there remains a possibility that the driving state of the self-controlled vehicle 2 is not the driving state desired by the self-controlled server device 3. In this case, the self-controlled server device 3 transmits further individual control information to the self-controlled vehicle 2 to suppress interference. As a result, the self-controlled vehicle 2 controls its driving according to multiple pieces of individual control information and can ultimately reach the driving state expected by the self-controlled server device 3. Furthermore, it can be expected that the self-controlled vehicle 2 will continue to drive in the state expected by the self-controlled server device 3. In this way, when each driving control device 22 of multiple self-controlled vehicles 2 receives individual control information for its own vehicle from the self-controlled server device 3, it repeatedly executes driving control for its own vehicle using the received individual control information for its own vehicle. The self-controlled vehicle 2 can control its autonomous driving so that it drives in the manner expected by the self-controlled server device 3, under the control of the self-controlled server device 3.

[0046] In a vehicle driving support system 1 using such a self-control server device 3, it is expected that driving safety will be significantly improved compared to when each self-control vehicle 2 drives autonomously based solely on detection information from its respective vehicle sensors. In other words, in autonomous driving of a vehicle, the events that can be handled by driving control are limited to those within the visual detection range of the vehicle sensors. In particular, if the detection range of the vehicle sensors is obstructed by another vehicle, a vehicle driving autonomously cannot respond to the actions of any other vehicles in front of that other vehicle.

[0047] Therefore, the inventors are developing a system to control or support the autonomous driving of an automobile using a self-control server device 3. The self-control vehicle 2 can control its own driving in a way that suppresses interference with surrounding vehicles outside the detection range of its own vehicle sensors by using individual control information acquired from the self-control server device 3. The safety of the self-control vehicle 2's driving is expected to be significantly improved.

[0048] However, there are also limitations to the control or support of the automatic driving of the controlled vehicle by such a self-control server device 3. For example, as the information of vehicles traveling on the road, the self-control server device 3 can only obtain the information of the self-control vehicle 2 that it controls. In contrast, as shown in FIG. 1, on the road 100 where the controlled vehicle travels, there are also other vehicles that are not controlled or supported by the self-control server device 3. Such other vehicles include, for example, other controlled vehicles 18 whose driving is controlled or supported by other control server devices 4, manually driven vehicles, and non-controlled vehicles 19 such as autonomous automatic driving vehicles that do not rely on control. When the self-control server device 3 cannot obtain information such as the individual positions of these other vehicles, it cannot judge the interference with the driving of other vehicles for each self-control vehicle 2 or generate individual control information for each self-control vehicle 2 to suppress the interference with other vehicles. In particular, for manually driven vehicles and autonomous automatic driving vehicles that do not use a communication function, there is no self-control server device 3 that collects information such as their individual locations. As a result, even if, for example, the self-control server device 3 and the other control server device 4 in FIG. 1 can cooperate with each other to exchange information, individual location information about manually driven vehicles and autonomous automatic driving vehicles that do not use a communication function cannot be obtained. Thus, in the vehicle driving support system 1, in order to individually control the self-control vehicle 2 by the self-control server device 3, it is required to collect, as much as possible without leakage, the information of motor vehicles traveling on the road other than the self-control vehicle 2 by the self-control server device 3.

[0049] (Configuration example of road management server device) FIG. 5 is a configuration diagram of a road management server device 11 that cooperates with the self-control server device 3 in FIG. 1. The road management server device 11 is an example of an infrastructure server device. The road management server device 11 in FIG. 5 includes an infrastructure communication device 61, an infrastructure input / output device 64, an infrastructure memory 62, an infrastructure CPU 63, and an infrastructure internal bus 69 to which these are connected.

[0050] As shown in Figure 1, the infrastructure communication device 61 is connected to the internet 10. The internet 10 is connected to the carrier communication network 8 by a gateway device 9. The gateway device 9 relays information between the carrier communication network 8 and the internet 10. As a result, the infrastructure communication device 61 can send and receive information with the self-controlled server device 3 which is connected to the carrier communication network 8.

[0051] The infrastructure memory 62 stores data such as programs executed by the infrastructure CPU 63 and configuration values.

[0052] The infrastructure CPU 63 reads and executes the program stored in the infrastructure memory 62. This enables the road management server device 11 to have a road management control unit that controls its operation.

[0053] A road detection device 13 is connected to the infrastructure input / output device 64. An optical cable sensor 12 is connected to the road detection device 13. The optical cable sensor 12 is embedded in the road surface of the road 100 so as to extend along the road 100, as shown in Figure 1. The optical cable sensor 12 may be for communication purposes. In addition, a road detection device 15 connected to an optical cable sensor 14 which is installed in the hollow so as to extend along the road 100, as shown by the dashed line in Figure 1. The optical cable sensor 14 can be installed in the hollow so as to extend along the road 100, for example, by multiple utility poles arranged along the road 100. These optical cable sensors 12 and 14 are basically installed in a position relative to the road 100.

[0054] The road detection device 13 then outputs a light pulse with a predetermined waveform to one end of the optical cable sensor 12, for example, as shown in Figure 5. In this case, the light pulse travels through the optical cable sensor 12 and is reflected at the other end of the optical cable sensor 12. Each part of the optical cable sensor 12 generates backscattered light for the light pulse. The backscattered light is input to the road detection device 13 through the optical cable sensor 12. When a vehicle such as the self-control vehicle 2 travels on the road, the road surface of the road 100 may deform accordingly. The optical cable sensor 12 embedded in the road surface of the road 100 is distorted by the deformation of the road surface. The components of the backscattered light change according to the bending and stretching distortion of the optical cable sensor 12. The road detection device 13 can analyze the waveform components of the input backscattered light and detect a vehicle traveling at a position corresponding to the turnaround time of the backscattered light. The installation position of the optical cable sensor 12 relative to the road is predetermined. As a result, the road detection device 13 can detect the positions of multiple vehicles traveling on the road using the optical cable sensor 12. The road detection device 13 outputs the detection information to the infrastructure input / output device 64 of the road management server device 11. Alternatively, the road detection device 13 may sample backscattered light, and the analysis of the backscattered light may be performed by the infrastructure CPU 63. In this case, the infrastructure CPU 63 analyzes the backscattered light to identify multiple parts where distortion occurs in the optical cable sensor 12. The infrastructure CPU 63 then replaces the position of each part where distortion occurs in the optical cable sensor 12 with a position on the road 100 based on the installation status of the optical cable sensor 12 relative to the road 100 and the turnaround time of the backscattered light. As a result, the infrastructure CPU 63 can detect the positions of multiple vehicles traveling on the road on the road 100. The infrastructure CPU 63 transmits the information of the positions of the multiple vehicles traveling on the road as detection information from the infrastructure communication device 61 to the self-management server device 3. The detection information is received by the server communication device 43 of the self-controlled server device 3 via the Internet 10, gateway device 9, and carrier communication network 8.As a result, the road management server device 11 can detect the relative positional relationship of multiple vehicles traveling on the road in the direction of the road's extension and transmit it to the self-control server device 3. It is believed that the accuracy of the relative positional relationship of multiple vehicles traveling on the road in the direction of the road's extension in such detection information is high.

[0055] (Example of detecting multiple vehicles) Figure 6 is an explanatory diagram of the relative positional relationship on road 100 for multiple vehicles traveling on the road, as detected by the road management server device 11 in Figure 1. In Figure 6, the horizontal axis P represents the position on the road. The vertical axis represents time.

[0056] In Figure 6, the road 100 shows the driving trajectories of the four vehicles shown in Figure 1 as straight lines. The infrastructure CPU 63 of the road management server device 11, acting as a road management control unit, generates detection information at timing t1 and transmits it to the self-control server device 3. The detection information includes information on the relative positions of the multiple vehicles at timing t1. The infrastructure CPU 63 then generates detection information at a subsequent timing t2 and transmits it to the self-control server device 3.

[0057] In this manner, the infrastructure CPU 63 periodically transmits the detection information to the self-control server device 3. This allows the self-control server device 3 to repeatedly receive, in a consolidated manner, the latest location information of multiple vehicles traveling on the road from the road management server device 11. The detection information may include the time information at which the road management server device 11 detected multiple vehicles.

[0058] (Overview of Control) Next, the classification of vehicles by the control server device will be explained. The server control unit of the control server device compares each of the multiple vehicles traveling on the road, which are included in the detection information received from the infrastructure server device, with the self-controlled vehicle. As a result, the server control unit classifies the multiple vehicles traveling on the road into self-controlled vehicles and unclassified vehicles. The server control unit maps both self-controlled vehicles and unclassified vehicles to a chart corresponding to the road based on their respective locations. On the chart corresponding to the road, the server control unit determines the possibility of interference between the self-controlled vehicle and surrounding vehicles. If there is a possibility of interference between the self-controlled vehicle and surrounding vehicles, and the surrounding vehicles are unclassified vehicles, the server control unit generates individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle to suppress interference with surrounding vehicles, compared to when the surrounding vehicles are self-controlled vehicles. The server control unit transmits the generated individual control information to the self-controlled vehicle from the server communication device. The server control unit may also perform additional classifications on unclassified vehicles. Additional classifications include, for example, vehicles controlled by other systems and vehicles not controlled by other systems. In this case, the server control unit classifies an unclassified vehicle as a vehicle controlled by other systems if its operation is controlled or supported by a different control server than the control server unit. If the unclassified vehicle is not a vehicle controlled by other systems, the server control unit classifies it as a vehicle not controlled by other systems. If the surrounding vehicles that the self-controlled vehicle may interfere with are not controlled by other systems, the server control unit generates individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle to suppress approach to the surrounding vehicles compared to when the surrounding vehicles are controlled by other systems. The server control unit may also autonomously classify an unclassified vehicle as a vehicle controlled by other systems without relying on information from other control server units. In this case, the server control unit generates individual control information or waypoint information for the unclassified vehicle, assuming that the unclassified vehicle is a self-controlled vehicle. The server control unit compares the generated individual control information or waypoint information for the unclassified vehicle with the actual movement of the unclassified vehicle obtained from multiple detection pieces of information. The server control unit classifies an unclassified vehicle as another controlled vehicle if the individual control information or waypoint information matches the actual movement of the unclassified vehicle. The server control unit classifies an unclassified vehicle as a non-controlled vehicle if the individual control information or waypoint information does not match the actual movement of the unclassified vehicle.Furthermore, the server control unit may generate individual control information according to the type of unclassified vehicle. For example, if the surrounding vehicle that may interfere with the self-controlled vehicle is another controlled vehicle, the server control unit generates individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle under the same driving conditions as when the surrounding vehicle is a self-controlled vehicle. Conversely, if the surrounding vehicle that may interfere with the self-controlled vehicle is a non-controlled vehicle, the server control unit generates individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle in such a way that it suppresses approach to the non-controlled vehicle compared to when the surrounding vehicle is a self-controlled vehicle. In this case, the server control unit may generate individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle in such a way that the distance between the self-controlled vehicle and the non-controlled vehicle, which is a surrounding vehicle that may interfere with the self-controlled vehicle, is greater than when the surrounding vehicle is a self-controlled vehicle. In addition, if the coordinate system of the control server device is different from that of the infrastructure server device, the server control unit of the control server device may correct the positions of multiple vehicles included in the detection information of the infrastructure server device. For example, the server control unit uses information including the location obtained from the self-controlled vehicle to identify the self-controlled vehicle from among multiple vehicles included in the detection information obtained from the infrastructure server device. Then, the server control unit corrects the locations of the multiple vehicles included in the detection information based on the location of the self-controlled vehicle and maps them to a chart corresponding to the road.

[0059] (Vehicle classification control by self-controlled server device) Figure 7 is a flowchart of vehicle classification control by the self-controlled server device 3. The server CPU 45 of the self-controlled server device 3, as the vehicle classification unit 55, repeatedly executes the vehicle classification control shown in Figure 7.

[0060] In step ST21, the server CPU 45 determines whether or not it has received new detection information from the road management server device 11. If the server communication device 43 has not received new detection information, the server CPU 45 repeats this process. When the server communication device 43 receives new detection information, the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST22.

[0061] In step ST22, the server CPU 45 extracts information on the relative positions of multiple detected vehicles detected by the detection information from the new detection information.

[0062] In step ST23, the server CPU 45 obtains location information of the self-controlled vehicle 2 traveling on the road related to the detection information from the vehicle location DB 51. The server CPU 45 may obtain location information of multiple self-controlled vehicles 2 from the vehicle location DB 51. Here, the location information may be, for example, the latest location of the self-controlled vehicle 2 and the time at that location.

[0063] In step ST24, the server CPU 45 selects one of the unprocessed vehicles from among the multiple detected vehicles extracted in step ST22.

[0064] In step ST25, the server CPU 45 compares the selected detected vehicle with the self-controlled vehicle 2 acquired in step ST23. The server CPU 45 may, for example, estimate the position of the self-controlled vehicle 2 at the time of the detection information based on the position of the self-controlled vehicle 2 acquired in step ST23, and compare the estimated position with the position of the selected detected vehicle. By repeating the process in step ST25 for multiple detected vehicles, the server CPU 45 can compare the position of each vehicle included in the detection information with the position of the self-controlled vehicle 2 for multiple vehicles traveling on the road included in the detection information received from the road management server device 11. The server CPU 45 may also compare not only the position, but also the driving trajectory, driving status, etc.

[0065] In step ST26, the server CPU 45 determines whether the location matches in the matching in step ST25. If the location matches, the selected detected vehicle is the self-controlled vehicle 2, so the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST27. If the location does not match, the selected detected vehicle is an unclassified vehicle other than the self-controlled vehicle 2, so the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST28. By repeating the process in step ST26 for multiple detected vehicles, the server CPU 45 can classify the multiple vehicles traveling on the road, which are included in the detection information received from the road management server device 11, into self-controlled vehicles 2 and unclassified vehicles.

[0066] In step ST27, the server CPU 45 classifies the selected detected vehicle as a self-controlled vehicle 2. After that, the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST31.

[0067] In step ST28, the server CPU 45 determines whether the selected detected vehicle is an unclassified vehicle and whether it is an other controlled vehicle 18 whose movement is controlled or supported by another controlled server device 4, which is different from the self-controlled server device 3. If it is an other controlled vehicle 18, the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST29. If it is not an other controlled vehicle 18, the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST30.

[0068] In step ST29, the server CPU 45 classifies the selected detected vehicle into other control vehicles 18. After that, the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST31.

[0069] In step ST30, the server CPU 45 classifies the selected detected vehicle as an uncontrolled vehicle 19. After that, the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST31.

[0070] In step ST31, the server CPU 45 determines whether the selection process for the multiple detected vehicles extracted in step ST22 has been completed. If the selection process has not been completed, the server CPU 45 returns to step ST24. The server CPU 45 repeats the process from step ST24 to step ST31 until the selection for the multiple detected vehicles extracted in step ST22 is completed. Once the selection for the multiple detected vehicles is complete, the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST32.

[0071] In step ST32, the server CPU 45 corrects the position of each detected vehicle extracted in step ST22, using the self-controlled vehicle 2 as a reference. The position of the self-controlled vehicle 2 used as the reference here may be the position of the self-controlled vehicle 2 obtained from the vehicle position DB 51 in step ST23. As a result, the position of the self-controlled vehicle 2 included in the detection information will be the position obtained from the vehicle position DB 51. In addition, the positions of vehicles other than the self-controlled vehicle 2 included in the detection information may be corrected and accurate positions based on the position of the self-controlled vehicle 2 obtained from the vehicle position DB 51.

[0072] In step ST33, the server CPU 45 registers the other controlled vehicles 18 and uncontrolled vehicles 19, other than the self-controlled vehicle 2, in the vehicle position DB 51 along with their respective classifications. As a result, the vehicle position DB 51 records information on the other controlled vehicles 18 and uncontrolled vehicles 19, other than the self-controlled vehicle 2. After that, the server CPU 45 terminates this control.

[0073] Figure 8 is a detailed flowchart of the process for determining whether another control vehicle 18 is controlled by step ST28 in Figure 7. As shown in Figure 1, the other control vehicle 18 is controlled by the other control server device 4. The self-control server device 3 and the other control server device 4 may send and receive information about the control vehicles they each control. In this case, the vehicle position DB 51 of the self-control server device 3 records location information such as the latest positions of multiple other control vehicles 18 as information from the other control server device 4.

[0074] In step ST41, the server CPU 45 acquires information from the other control server device 4. The information from the other control server device 4 includes location information such as the latest positions of multiple other control vehicles 18.

[0075] In step ST42, the server CPU 45 compares the location of the selected detection vehicle with the latest locations of the multiple other control vehicles 18 to determine whether their locations match. If their locations match, the selected detection vehicle is one of the other control vehicles 18, and the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST29. If their locations do not match, the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST43 to further determine whether the selected detection vehicle is one of the other control vehicles 18.

[0076] In step ST43, the server CPU 45 generates waypoint information for the selected detection vehicle, assuming that the selected detection vehicle is the self-controlled vehicle 2. Here, the waypoint information may be information about the points that the selected detection vehicle passes through during its journey. Preferably, the waypoint information may also include information about the time at which the vehicle passes through the points. If the selected detection vehicle is the control vehicle, the selected detection vehicle passes through the points included in the waypoint information, or passes through the points at the time included in the waypoint information.

[0077] In step ST44, the server CPU 45 obtains the actual driving trajectory of the selected detected vehicle. The actual driving trajectory of the selected detected vehicle can be obtained from multiple locations included in multiple past detection information for that vehicle. The server CPU 45 may obtain information about the selected detected vehicle from the vehicle location DB 51 and obtain the actual driving trajectory of the selected detected vehicle.

[0078] In step ST45, the server CPU 45 determines whether the waypoint information for the selected detected vehicle matches the actual driving trajectory. For example, if future waypoint information is generated based on the driving state of the selected detected vehicle, the server CPU 45 may determine whether they match based on whether the position of the waypoint information coincides with the extension of the actual driving trajectory. Alternatively, the server CPU 45 may compare previously generated waypoint information with the position of the selected detected vehicle before and after that point, and determine whether they match based on whether the position of the waypoint information coincides with the actual driving trajectory. If the waypoint information matches the actual driving trajectory, the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST29. In this case, the selected detected vehicle is classified as an uncontrolled vehicle 18. If the waypoint information does not match the actual driving trajectory, the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST30. In this case, the selected detected vehicle is classified as an uncontrolled vehicle 19.

[0079] The server CPU 45 may generate individual control information instead of waypoint information for unclassified vehicles and determine whether it matches the actual driving trajectory.

[0080] (Example of Vehicle Location DB) Figure 9 is an explanatory diagram of an example of the data structure of the vehicle location DB 51, which includes location information of vehicles other than the self-controlled vehicle 2.

[0081] The vehicle location DB 51 has a record for each vehicle, as shown in each row of Figure 9. The vehicle location DB 51 in Figure 9 contains records for the four automobiles in Figure 1. Each vehicle record includes information such as the vehicle's ID, the vehicle's most recent location, time, speed, and the lane it is currently traveling in. The record for the self-controlled vehicle 2 contains the most recent location, time, and speed included in the vehicle information for the self-controlled vehicle 2.

[0082] (Example of control) Figure 10 is a flowchart of control by the self-control server device 3. The server CPU 45 of the self-control server device 3 acts as the control control unit 54 and repeatedly executes the control shown in Figure 10.

[0083] In step ST51, the server CPU 45 generates an ST chart for future prediction, as shown in Figure 11, which will be described later.

[0084] In step ST52, the server CPU 45 selects an unprocessed self-controlled vehicle 2 from the vehicle position DB 51.

[0085] In step ST53, the server CPU 45 generates the position of the selected self-controlled vehicle 2 on the ST chart and maps it to the ST chart. The position of the self-controlled vehicle 2 in the vehicle position DB 51 is basically from a past time. Therefore, the server CPU 45 generates the position if the vehicle were to move from its latest position in the vehicle position DB 51 to the predicted time on the ST chart at the latest speed.

[0086] In step ST54, the server CPU 45 maps the surrounding vehicles of the selected self-controlled vehicle 2 to the ST chart. The positions of surrounding vehicles in the vehicle position DB 51 are basically from past times. Therefore, the server CPU 45 generates the position of the vehicle if it were to move from its latest position in the vehicle position DB 51 to the predicted time on the ST chart at the latest speed. Surrounding vehicles may, for example, be traveling in the same lane on the road 100 as the selected self-controlled vehicle 2. Surrounding vehicles may also be within a predetermined distance range from the selected self-controlled vehicle 2. Alternatively, surrounding vehicles may be in front of or behind the selected self-controlled vehicle 2. This allows the server CPU 45 to map both the self-controlled vehicle 2 and unclassified vehicles to the ST chart corresponding to the road 100 based on their respective positions. The server CPU 45 may also map the classification of each vehicle to the ST chart. The multiple other controlled vehicles 18 and uncontrolled vehicles 19 included in the detection information are then mapped to positions corrected based on the position of the self-controlled vehicle 2.

[0087] In step ST55, the server CPU 45 determines the possibility of interference between the self-controlled vehicle 2 and surrounding vehicles. If there is a possibility of interference, the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST56. If there is no possibility of interference, the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST57.

[0088] In step ST56, the server CPU 45 generates individual control information requesting, for example, to maintain the current driving state, since there is no possibility of interference from the self-controlled vehicle 2. Here, the individual control information may include control values ​​that the drive control device 23 of the self-controlled vehicle 2 can use for their respective controls, or it may simply include flag information requesting acceleration, deceleration, or steering. For example, in the case of maintaining the current state, the server CPU 45 generates individual control information that includes information to maintain the previous control value, or flag information that does not involve acceleration or deceleration. After that, the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST60.

[0089] In step ST57, the server CPU 45 determines whether the vehicle potentially causing interference is a control vehicle. Here, control vehicles include the self-control vehicle 2 and other control vehicles 18. If the vehicle potentially causing interference is either the self-control vehicle 2 or another control vehicle 18, the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST58. If the vehicle potentially causing interference is neither the self-control vehicle 2 nor another control vehicle 18, i.e., it is a non-control vehicle 19, the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST59.

[0090] In step ST58, the server CPU 45 generates individual control information for the selected self-controlled vehicle 2, assuming that the surrounding vehicle is either the self-controlled vehicle 2 or the other-controlled vehicle 18. For example, if the surrounding vehicle is the self-controlled vehicle 2, the server CPU 45 generates individual control information for the selected self-controlled vehicle 2 to ensure a standard following distance between itself and the surrounding vehicle. If the surrounding vehicle is the other-controlled vehicle 18, the server CPU 45 generates individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle 2 under the same driving conditions as when the surrounding vehicle is the self-controlled vehicle 2. In this case, the server CPU 45 generates individual control information for the selected self-controlled vehicle 2 to ensure a standard following distance between itself and the surrounding vehicle. After that, the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST60.

[0091] In step ST59, the server CPU 45 generates individual control information for the selected self-controlled vehicle 2, assuming that the surrounding vehicle is an uncontrolled vehicle 19. In this case, the server CPU 45 generates individual control information for the selected self-controlled vehicle 2 to ensure a greater following distance between itself and the surrounding vehicle than the standard following distance. After that, the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST60.

[0092] In step ST60, the server CPU 45 transmits the individual control information it has generated for the selected self-controlled vehicle 2 to the selected self-controlled vehicle 2.

[0093] In step ST61, the server CPU 45 determines whether the selection of all self-controlled vehicles 2 whose driving is controlled or supported by the self-control server device 3 has been completed. If the selection of all self-controlled vehicles 2 has not been completed, the server CPU 45 returns to step ST51. The server CPU 45 repeats the process from step ST51 to step ST62 until the selection of all self-controlled vehicles 2 has been completed. Once the selection of all self-controlled vehicles 2 has been completed, the server CPU 45 terminates this control.

[0094] As a result, the server CPU 45, acting as the server control unit 46, can generate individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle 2 such that the distance between the self-controlled vehicle 2 and the non-controlled vehicle 19, which may interfere with the self-controlled vehicle 2, is greater than when the surrounding vehicle is a controlled vehicle. If there is a possibility of interference between the self-controlled vehicle 2 and a surrounding vehicle, and the surrounding vehicle is an unclassified vehicle, the server CPU 45 can generate and transmit individual control information to suppress interference with the surrounding vehicle compared to when the surrounding vehicle is a controlled vehicle. As a result, when the surrounding vehicle that may interfere is a non-controlled vehicle 19, the self-controlled vehicle 2 can use its individual control information to control its driving in a way that suppresses approach to the surrounding vehicle compared to when the surrounding vehicle is another controlled vehicle 18.

[0095] (Example of an ST chart) Figure 11 is an explanatory diagram of an example of an ST chart used to determine the possibility of interference from a control vehicle. The horizontal axis of the ST chart represents the distance on the road. The vertical axis represents time. Time flows from top to bottom. The ST chart should be generated for each lane of the road 100 using server map data 52.

[0096] The ST chart in Figure 11 corresponds to Figure 1. The server CPU 45 of the self-control server device 3, acting as the control control unit 54, generates the ST chart in Figure 11 through the processing of steps ST51 to ST54. The server CPU 45 uses the information from the vehicle position DB 51 in Figure 9 for the two self-control vehicles 2 to estimate the position of the ST chart at reference time t0 and maps it to the ST chart in Figure 11. The server CPU 45 uses the information from the vehicle position DB 51 in Figure 9 for the two unclassified vehicles to estimate the position of the ST chart at reference time t0 and maps it to the ST chart in Figure 11. Subsequently, in step ST55, the server CPU 45 determines the possibility of interference between the self-control vehicle 2 and other vehicles.

[0097] For example, self-controlled vehicle C3 is traveling behind unclassified vehicle C4. Self-controlled vehicle C3's speed is higher than that of unclassified vehicle C4. In the ST chart, the two lines intersect. In this case, the server CPU 45 determines that self-controlled vehicle C3 may interfere with unclassified vehicle C4 traveling in front of it. Also, in step ST57, the server CPU 45 determines that unclassified vehicle C4 is not a controlled vehicle because it is a non-controlled vehicle 19. As a result, in step ST59, the server CPU 45 generates individual control information for self-controlled vehicle C3 requesting deceleration in order to secure a large gap between it and the preceding unclassified vehicle C4, and transmits it in step ST60. Self-controlled vehicle C3 uses the individual control information in its own driving control to decelerate. The driving trajectory of the decelerated self-controlled vehicle C3 changes from a solid line to a dashed line. The self-controlled vehicle C3 can slow down and travel in a way that avoids interfering with the preceding unclassified vehicle C4.

[0098] Furthermore, the self-controlled vehicle C1 is traveling behind the unclassified vehicle C2. The speed of the self-controlled vehicle C1 is higher than the speed of the unclassified vehicle C2. In the ST chart, the two lines are approaching. In this case, the server CPU 45 may determine that the self-controlled vehicle C1 may interfere with the unclassified vehicle C2 traveling in front of it because the distance between them narrows to below a threshold. Also, in step ST57, the server CPU 45 determines that the unclassified vehicle C4 is a controlled vehicle because it is the other controlled vehicle 18. As a result, in step ST58, the server CPU 45 generates individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle C1 requesting deceleration in order to maintain a standard distance from the preceding unclassified vehicle C2, and transmits it in step ST60. The self-controlled vehicle C1 uses the individual control information in its own driving control to decelerate. The driving trajectory of the decelerated self-controlled vehicle C1 changes from a solid line to a dashed line. Self-controlled vehicle C1 can slow down to avoid interfering with the preceding unclassified vehicle C2, and maintain a safe distance between them.

[0099] In contrast, if the unclassified vehicle C2 is the uncontrolled vehicle 19, the server CPU 45 generates individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle C1 in step ST59, requesting deceleration in order to secure a large gap between it and the preceding uncontrolled vehicle 19. The self-controlled vehicle C1 uses the individual control information in its own driving control to decelerate. The driving trajectory of the decelerated self-controlled vehicle C1 changes from a solid line to a dashed line. The self-controlled vehicle C1 can decelerate in a way that avoids interference with the preceding uncontrolled vehicle 19, thereby securing a large gap.

[0100] As described above, in this embodiment, the road management server device 11 detects the relative positional relationship of multiple vehicles traveling on the road 100 using sensors provided on the road 100. Here, the road management server device 11 may, for example, use an embedded or hollow optical cable sensor 12 that extends along the road 100 to detect multiple vehicles traveling on the road. This allows the road management server device 11 to collectively detect multiple vehicles traveling on the road, that is, self-controlled vehicles 2 that are individually controlled by the self-controlled server device 3 and vehicles other than self-controlled vehicles 2, based on their relative positional relationship in the direction of the road's extension. The road management server device 11 then transmits the detection information about the multiple vehicles traveling on the road from the infrastructure communication device 61 to the server communication device 43 of the self-controlled server device 3. The server control unit 46 of the self-control server device 3 compares the position of each vehicle included in the detection information received from the road management server device 11 with the position of the self-control vehicle 2, and classifies the vehicles traveling on the road into the self-control vehicle 2 and unclassified vehicles. The server control unit 46 also maps both the self-control vehicle 2 and the unclassified vehicles to a chart corresponding to the road 100 based on their respective positions, and determines the possibility of interference between the self-control vehicle 2 and surrounding vehicles. As a result, if the server control unit 46 determines that there is a possibility of interference between the self-control vehicle 2 and surrounding vehicles, it generates individual control information for the self-control vehicle 2 to suppress interference with surrounding vehicles and transmits it to the self-control vehicle 2 from the server communication device 43. As a result, the control vehicle is expected to drive automatically in a way that suppresses interference with surrounding vehicles.

[0101] Furthermore, in this embodiment, when the surrounding vehicle is an unclassified vehicle, the server control unit 46 generates individual control information to suppress interference with the surrounding vehicle compared to when the surrounding vehicle is the self-controlled vehicle 2. As a result, the control vehicle can be expected to drive autonomously in a way that suppresses interference with unclassified vehicles as surrounding vehicles compared to when the surrounding vehicle is another self-controlled vehicle. The safety of autonomous driving of the control vehicle under the control of the self-controlled server device 3 is enhanced. Thus, in this embodiment, information on vehicles other than the self-controlled vehicle 2 that are driving on the road can be collected in the self-controlled server device 3 as completely as possible, and the self-controlled vehicle 2 can be individually controlled by the self-controlled server device 3.

[0102] In this embodiment, the server control unit 46 further classifies an unclassified vehicle as an other controlled vehicle 18 if it is an other controlled vehicle 18 whose driving is controlled or supported by another controlled server device 4 different from the self-controlled server device 3. If the unclassified vehicle is not an other controlled vehicle 18, the server control unit 46 classifies it as an uncontrolled vehicle 19. In this case, the server control unit 46 may classify vehicles that can be determined to be other controlled vehicles 18 by comparing them with information from the other controlled server device 4 as other controlled vehicles 18. Furthermore, for the remaining unclassified vehicles, the server control unit 46 may generate individual control information or waypoint information for the unclassified vehicle under the condition that the unclassified vehicle is a self-controlled vehicle 2, and compare the generated individual control information or waypoint information for the unclassified vehicle with the actual driving of the unclassified vehicle obtained from multiple detection information. If it is determined that the individual control information or waypoint information and the actual driving of the unclassified vehicle match, the server control unit 46 classifies the unclassified vehicle as an other controlled vehicle 18. In contrast, if the individual control information or waypoint information does not match the driving record of the unclassified vehicle, the server control unit 46 classifies the unclassified vehicle as an uncontrolled vehicle 19. This makes it possible for the server control unit 46 to easily and reliably classify other controlled vehicles 18 whose driving is controlled or supported by other control server devices 4 different from itself as other controlled vehicles 18. Furthermore, the server control unit 46 can easily and reliably classify autonomously driven vehicles that are not controlled by other control devices and manually driven vehicles as uncontrolled vehicles 19.

[0103] In this embodiment, the server control unit 46 maps the classification of unclassified vehicles to a chart corresponding to the road 100 and determines the possibility of interference between the self-controlled vehicle 2 and surrounding vehicles. If the vehicle that the self-controlled vehicle 2 may interfere with is another controlled vehicle 18, the server control unit 46 generates individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle 2 under the same driving conditions as when the vehicle in question is the self-controlled vehicle 2. On the other hand, if the vehicle that the self-controlled vehicle 2 may interfere with is a non-controlled vehicle 19, the server control unit 46 generates individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle 2 in such a way that it suppresses the approach to the non-controlled vehicle 19, which is the vehicle in question, compared to when the surrounding vehicles are the self-controlled vehicle 2. To this end, the server control unit 46 generates individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle 2 in such a way that the distance between the self-controlled vehicle 2 and the non-controlled vehicle 19, which is the vehicle in question, is greater than when the vehicle in question is the self-controlled vehicle 2 or another controlled vehicle 18. As a result, the server control unit 46 can generate individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle 2 in such a way that, when the surrounding vehicle is an uncontrolled vehicle 19, it suppresses approach to the uncontrolled vehicle 19, compared to when the surrounding vehicle is the self-controlled vehicle 2. Furthermore, it can be expected that the self-controlled vehicle 2 will drive safely while suppressing approach to the uncontrolled vehicle 19.

[0104] In this embodiment, the server control unit 46 uses information including the position obtained from the self-controlled vehicle 2 to identify the self-controlled vehicle 2 from among multiple vehicles included in the detection information obtained from the road management server device 11. Then, the server control unit 46 corrects the positions of the multiple vehicles included in the detection information based on the position of the self-controlled vehicle 2 and maps them to a chart corresponding to the road 100. As a result, even if, for example, the position of each vehicle in the road management server device 11 does not correspond to the coordinate system used by the self-controlled server device 3, it is possible to correct this and determine the possibility of interference more reliably based on the corrected position.

[0105] [Second Embodiment] (Overview) In the embodiment described above, the self-control server device 3 classifies multiple vehicles traveling on the road detected by the road management server device 11 based on detection information obtained from the road management server device 11. However, when the road 100 is straight, the driving state of each vehicle does not change much. As a result, even if the self-control server device 3 performs a determination to extract other controlled vehicles 18 based on waypoint information as shown in Figure 8, it is difficult to determine whether it is another controlled vehicle 18 or an uncontrolled vehicle 19 because the vehicle's behavior is not stable and large. In contrast, vehicles may travel through, for example, merging sections and diverging sections of the road. Vehicles may also change lanes on the road. Under these specific conditions, the driving state of the vehicle will change. Furthermore, it cannot be denied that the behavior of a manually driven vehicle in a merging section may differ from the behavior expected by the control system. It is desirable for the self-control server device 3 to generate individual control information for the controlled vehicle so that it can respond well to the movement of the uncontrolled vehicle 19, which is not necessarily highly predictable. In this embodiment, these measures will be explained. When there is a possibility that the self-control vehicle and the uncontrolled vehicle as a surrounding vehicle will merge one way or the other in a road merging section, the server control unit generates individual control information for the self-control vehicle so that the self-control vehicle is behind the uncontrolled vehicle and another vehicle is interposed between it and the uncontrolled vehicle. This allows the server control unit to suppress the self-control vehicle from approaching the uncontrolled vehicle. In addition, the server control unit may perform classification processing for the multiple vehicles traveling on the road when the detection information received from the infrastructure server device indicates that multiple vehicles traveling on the road are traveling in a road merging or diverging section. The server control unit may also perform classification processing for the multiple vehicles traveling on the road when the detection information received from the infrastructure server device indicates that multiple vehicles traveling on the road are changing lanes on the road. This allows the server control unit to easily perform vehicle mapping. The following mainly describes the differences from the embodiment described above. The same reference numerals are used for the same configurations and processes as in the embodiment described above, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0106] (Control Example) Figure 12 is a flowchart of additional vehicle classification control by the self-control server device 3 in the second embodiment of the present invention. The server CPU 45 of the self-control server device 3, as a vehicle classification unit 55, executes the vehicle classification control in Figure 7 and repeatedly executes the additional vehicle classification control in Figure 12.

[0107] In step ST71 of Figure 12, the server CPU 45 determines whether or not it has received detection information under specific conditions, such as merging sections, from the road management server device 11. If it has not received detection information under specific conditions, such as merging sections, the server CPU 45 repeats this process. If it has received detection information under specific conditions, such as merging sections, the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST72.

[0108] The processing from step ST72 to step ST83 corresponds to the processing from step ST22 to step ST33 in Figure 7. The server CPU 45 then extracts the relative positions of multiple vehicles traveling under specific conditions such as merging sections and identifies the self-controlled vehicle 2 from among the multiple vehicles. The server CPU 45 classifies the multiple vehicles traveling under specific conditions such as merging sections into self-controlled vehicle 2, other controlled vehicles 18, and uncontrolled vehicles 19, and registers them in the vehicle position DB 51.

[0109] In this case, the server CPU 45, in determining whether the location matches in step ST76 and in determining the other controlled vehicle 18 in step ST28, determines not only whether the location matches, but also whether the actual driving trajectory matches the estimated trajectory under control. The server CPU 45 may further determine whether the change in actual driving speed matches the estimated change in speed under control. As described above, the actual driving trajectory and actual driving speed of a manually driven vehicle traveling in a merging or diverging section are more likely to deviate from the controlled route compared to when traveling in a straight section. Therefore, the server CPU 45 can be expected to reliably distinguish between the other controlled vehicle 18 under control and the uncontrolled vehicle 19 by making a judgment based on the actual driving trajectory and actual driving speed of a vehicle traveling in a merging or diverging section. The classification of vehicles registered in the vehicle position DB 51 can be expected to correspond well with that of multiple vehicles actually traveling on the road.

[0110] Furthermore, the behavior of vehicles when changing lanes tends to differ between controlled vehicles and other uncontrolled vehicles 19. Therefore, the server CPU 45 can be expected to reliably distinguish between other controlled vehicles 18 and uncontrolled vehicles 19 by determining whether the actual trajectory and speed of a vehicle changing lanes match those under individual control information.

[0111] Figure 13 is a flowchart of the control operation performed by the self-control server device 3 in the second embodiment. The server CPU 45 of the self-control server device 3, acting as the control control unit 54, repeatedly executes the control operation shown in Figure 13. Each process from step ST51 to ST61 in Figure 13 is the same as that in Figure 10. However, if the server CPU 45 determines in step ST55 that there is no possibility of interference with other vehicles, it proceeds to step ST91.

[0112] In step ST91, the server CPU 45 determines whether there are surrounding vehicles merging in front of or behind the selected self-controlled vehicle 2. Here, surrounding vehicles merging in front of or behind may be vehicles traveling in the main lane of the merging section, or vehicles traveling in the merging lane that merges into the main lane in the merging section. If there are no surrounding vehicles merging in front of or behind, the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST57. In this case, in step ST57, the server CPU 45 generates individual control information such as maintaining the current status, and in step ST60, transmits the individual control information to the selected self-controlled vehicle 2.

[0113] In response to this, if there are surrounding vehicles merging in front of or behind, the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST56. In step ST56, the server CPU 45 determines whether the surrounding vehicles merging in front of or behind are control vehicles. If the surrounding vehicles merging in front of or behind are either the self-control vehicle 2 or another control vehicle 18, the server CPU 45 generates individual control information in step ST58 to ensure a normal following distance between the self-control vehicle 2 or other control vehicle 18 merging in front of or behind, and transmits the individual control information to the selected self-control vehicle 2 in step ST60. If the surrounding vehicles merging in front of or behind are not control vehicles 19, the server CPU 45 proceeds to step ST92.

[0114] In step ST92, the server CPU 45 generates individual control information to ensure a larger-than-usual following distance between itself and the uncontrolled vehicles 19 merging in front of and behind it in the merging section of the road 100, and transmits this individual control information to the self-controlled vehicle 2 selected in step ST60. At this time, the server CPU 45 generates individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle 2 such that, in order to ensure a larger-than-usual following distance between itself and the uncontrolled vehicles 19 merging in front of and behind it, the self-controlled vehicle 2 is positioned behind the uncontrolled vehicles 19, and other vehicles are interposed between it and the uncontrolled vehicles 19.

[0115] (Example of merging) Figure 14 is a schematic diagram illustrating a situation where a control vehicle is driving in the merging lane of a merging section. In Figure 14, S1 is the main lane and S2 is the merging lane. The main lane and the merging lane run parallel to each other in the merging section. In Figure 14, each vehicle is shown as a black dot. Three vehicles are driving in the merging section of the main lane. The three vehicles in the main lane can be, for example, in order from the front: self-controlled vehicle 2, non-controlled vehicle 19 such as a manually driven vehicle, and self-controlled vehicle 2. Self-controlled vehicle 2 is driving in the merging section of the merging lane, running parallel to the non-controlled vehicle 19 in the main lane, and is about to change lanes from the merging lane to the main lane.

[0116] The server CPU 45 of the self-control server device 3 determines, through processing in steps ST91 and ST56, that the uncontrolled vehicle 19 will be passing in front of and behind the selected self-control vehicle 2, and generates individual control information through processing in step ST92. At this time, as shown by the dashed arrows in Figure 14, the server CPU 45 basically only needs to generate individual control information so that the self-control vehicle 2 is behind the uncontrolled vehicle 19 and a larger-than-usual distance is maintained between it and the uncontrolled vehicle 19. However, in this embodiment, as shown by the solid arrows in Figure 14, the server CPU 45 generates individual control information for the self-control vehicle 2 so that the self-control vehicle 2 is behind the uncontrolled vehicle 19 and another vehicle, in this case the self-control vehicle 2, is interposed between it and the uncontrolled vehicle 19. In this case, the distance between the self-control vehicle 2 and the uncontrolled vehicle 19 is greater than when the self-control vehicle 2 merges immediately after the uncontrolled vehicle 19.

[0117] As described above, in this embodiment, the server control unit 46 performs classification processing for multiple vehicles traveling on a road when multiple vehicles traveling on the road are traveling in a merging or diverging section of the road 100, as included in the detection information received from the road management server device 11. When a vehicle traveling on a road is traveling in a merging or diverging section of the road 100, it accelerates or decelerates, maintains its course or changes its course. The behavior of a vehicle traveling on a road changes, and characteristics corresponding to the driving control state tend to emerge in these changes in behavior. For example, an automated driving vehicle merging from a merging lane to a main lane in a merging section can be assumed to basically ensure a safe distance from other vehicles traveling in the main lane before merging. In contrast, a manually driven vehicle may merge from a merging lane to a main lane without ensuring a sufficient distance from other vehicles traveling in the main lane. Furthermore, an autonomous vehicle diverging from the main lane to the diverging lane in a diverging section is generally expected to diverge slowly while maintaining lateral margins for the vehicle. In contrast, a manually driven vehicle may diverge from the main lane to the diverging lane near the end of the diverging section. Thus, in merging or diverging sections, characteristics of vehicle behavior corresponding to the vehicle's driving control state tend to emerge. Therefore, by analyzing the behavior of each vehicle in the merging or diverging section, the server control unit 46 can easily and reliably classify each vehicle traveling on the road as either a controlled vehicle or an uncontrolled vehicle.

[0118] In particular, it is believed that control vehicles operating under server control can travel more smoothly than autonomous self-driving vehicles when navigating merging or diverging sections, without sudden acceleration, deceleration, or steering maneuvers. Therefore, by analyzing the behavior of each vehicle in merging or diverging sections, the server control unit 46 can not only classify self-driving vehicles from non-self-driving vehicles, but also easily and reliably classify self-driving vehicles as either other control vehicles 18 operating under the control of another control server device 4, or non-control vehicles 19 operating without control. Furthermore, in this embodiment, the server control unit 46 also performs classification processing when a vehicle changes lanes on the road. The way a vehicle changes lanes also tends to exhibit characteristics in its behavior that correspond to the driving control state. Therefore, by analyzing the behavior of each vehicle when changing lanes, the server control unit 46 can easily and reliably classify each vehicle traveling on the road as either a controlled vehicle or an uncontrolled vehicle, that is, whether it is an uncontrolled vehicle 18 that is automatically driven under the control of another control server device 4, or an uncontrolled vehicle 19 that is not under control.

[0119] In this embodiment, the server control unit 46 maps the classification of unclassified vehicles to a chart corresponding to the road and determines the possibility of interference between the self-controlled vehicle 2 and surrounding vehicles. If the vehicle that the self-controlled vehicle 2 may interfere with is another controlled vehicle 18, the server control unit 46 generates individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle 2 under the same driving conditions as when the vehicle in question is the self-controlled vehicle 2. On the other hand, if the vehicle that the self-controlled vehicle 2 may interfere with is a non-controlled vehicle 19, the server control unit 46 generates individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle 2 in such a way that it suppresses the approach to the non-controlled vehicle 19, which is the vehicle in question, compared to when the surrounding vehicle is the self-controlled vehicle 2. To this end, the server control unit 46 generates individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle 2 in such a way that the distance between the self-controlled vehicle 2 and the non-controlled vehicle 19, which is the vehicle in question, is greater than when the vehicle in question is the self-controlled vehicle 2 or another controlled vehicle 18. In particular, if there is a possibility of interference between the self-controlled vehicle 2 and the non-controlled vehicle 19, which is the target vehicle, at a road merging section, the server control unit 46 generates individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle 2 such that the self-controlled vehicle 2 is behind the non-controlled vehicle 19 and another vehicle is interposed between it and the non-controlled vehicle 19. As a result, the server control unit 46 can generate individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle 2 in a way that suppresses approach to the non-controlled vehicle 19, which is the surrounding vehicle, compared to when the surrounding vehicle is the self-controlled vehicle 2. Furthermore, it can be expected that the self-controlled vehicle 2 will drive safely in a way that suppresses approach to the non-controlled vehicle 19, which is the surrounding vehicle.

[0120] The embodiments described above are examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and various modifications or changes are possible without departing from the spirit of the invention.

[0121] 1... Driving support system, 2... Self-controlled vehicle, 3... Self-controlled server device, 4... Other-controlled server device, 6... Carrier communication system, 7... Base station, 8... Carrier communication network, 9... Gateway device, 10... Internet, 11... Road management server device (infrastructure server device), 12, 14... Optical cable sensor, 13, 15... Road detection device, 18... Other-controlled vehicle, 19... Uncontrolled vehicle, 20... Control system, 21... Sensor control device, 22... Driving control device, 23... Drive control device, 24... Steering control device, 25... Braking control device, 26... External communication control device, 29... Vehicle network, 31... GNSS receiver 32...External camera, 33...Accelerometer, 34...High-precision map data, 35...Vehicle communication device, 41...Server GNSS receiver, 42...Server DB, 43...Server communication device, 44...Server memory, 45...Server CPU, 46...Server control unit, 49...Server internal bus, 51...Vehicle position DB, 52...Server map data, 53...Pre-processing unit, 54...Control control unit, 55...Vehicle classification unit, 61...Infrastructure communication device, 62...Infrastructure memory, 63...Infrastructure CPU, 64...Infrastructure input / output device, 69...Infrastructure internal bus, 100...Road, 110...GNSS satellite

Claims

1. A control server device that communicates with a self-controlled vehicle traveling on a road to control or support the self-controlled vehicle's travel on the road; an infrastructure server device that detects the relative positional relationship of a plurality of vehicles traveling on the road using sensors provided on the road, wherein the infrastructure server device includes an infrastructure communication device that transmits detection information of the relative positional relationship of a plurality of vehicles traveling on the road to the control server device; the control server device includes a server communication device that communicates with the infrastructure communication device to receive the detection information from the infrastructure server device; and a server control unit, wherein the server control unit classifies the plurality of vehicles traveling on the road, which are included in the detection information received from the infrastructure server device, into a self-controlled vehicle and an unclassified vehicle, maps both the self-controlled vehicle and the unclassified vehicle to a chart corresponding to the road based on their respective positions, and determines the possibility of interference between the self-controlled vehicle and surrounding vehicles. An infrastructure-linked vehicle driving support system that, when there is a possibility of interference between the self-controlled vehicle and the surrounding vehicles, and the surrounding vehicles are the unclassified vehicles, generates individual control information for interference suppression for the self-controlled vehicle in a manner that suppresses interference with the surrounding vehicles, compared to when the surrounding vehicles are the self-controlled vehicle, and transmits this information from the server communication device to the self-controlled vehicle.

2. The infrastructure-linked vehicle driving support system according to claim 1, further comprising: the server control unit classifying the unclassified vehicle as another controlled vehicle if it is a vehicle whose driving is controlled or supported by another controlled server device different from the control server device; classifying the unclassified vehicle as a non-controlled vehicle if it is not another controlled vehicle; and generating individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle to suppress approach to the surrounding vehicle compared to the case where the surrounding vehicle is another controlled vehicle, if the surrounding vehicle is a non-controlled vehicle, the self-controlled vehicle.

3. The server control unit generates individual control information or waypoint information for the unclassified vehicle, assuming that the unclassified vehicle is a self-controlled vehicle; compares the generated individual control information or waypoint information for the unclassified vehicle with the actual driving record of the unclassified vehicle obtained from a plurality of detection information; classifies the unclassified vehicle as a vehicle controlled by another vehicle if the individual control information or waypoint information matches the actual driving record of the unclassified vehicle; and classifies the unclassified vehicle as a non-controlled vehicle if the individual control information or waypoint information does not match the driving record of the unclassified vehicle; the infrastructure-linked vehicle driving support system according to claim 2.

4. The infrastructure-linked vehicle driving support system according to claim 3, wherein the server control unit generates individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle under the same driving conditions as when the surrounding vehicle is a self-controlled vehicle, when the surrounding vehicle that may interfere with the self-controlled vehicle is a non-controlled vehicle, and generates individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle to suppress approach to the surrounding vehicle, which is a non-controlled vehicle, compared to when the surrounding vehicle is a self-controlled vehicle.

5. The infrastructure-linked vehicle driving support system according to claim 4, wherein the server control unit generates individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle such that the distance between the self-controlled vehicle and the non-controlled vehicle, which may interfere with the self-controlled vehicle, is greater than when the surrounding vehicle is the self-controlled vehicle.

6. The infrastructure-linked vehicle driving support system according to claim 4, wherein, in the road merging section, when there is a possibility that the self-controlled vehicle and the non-controlled vehicle as a surrounding vehicle will merge one-on-one or the other, the server control unit generates individual control information for the self-controlled vehicle such that the self-controlled vehicle is behind the non-controlled vehicle and another vehicle is interposed between it and the non-controlled vehicle.

7. The infrastructure-linked vehicle driving support system according to claim 1, wherein the server control unit performs classification processing for multiple vehicles traveling on the road when the multiple vehicles traveling on the road are traveling in a merging section or diverging section of the road, or when a vehicle traveling on the road changes lanes on the road, as included in the detection information received from the infrastructure server device.

8. The server control unit identifies the self-controlled vehicle from among a plurality of vehicles included in the detection information obtained from the infrastructure server device using information including the position obtained from the self-controlled vehicle, corrects the positions of the plurality of vehicles included in the detection information based on the position of the self-controlled vehicle, and maps them to a chart corresponding to the road, according to claim 1.

9. The infrastructure server device detects a plurality of vehicles traveling on the road using optical cable sensors extending along the road, and detects the relative positional relationship of the plurality of vehicles traveling on the road in the direction of the road's extension, as described in claim 1.

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