JP2019040358A - Automatic driving support device - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide an automatic driving support device capable of not hindering the passage of other vehicles on a crossing road without making a driver feel uneasy.SOLUTION: A camera control ECU 100 includes: an image acquisition part 10 for acquiring the traffic condition on an intersecting road R2 with an image acquired by the on-vehicle camera 210; a monitor 52 for presenting the acquired image to a driver of a host vehicle 300; a confirmation button 53 for receiving an indication of the driver's intention for the image presented on the monitor 52; and a control part 54 for causing the host vehicle 300 to stop at the indirect confirmation position P2 which is a position before the direct confirmation position P3 when entering an intersection T, and outputting a command to a vehicle control ECU 260 so as to cause the host vehicle 300 to pass the intersection T when receiving the driver's confirmation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an automatic driving support device.

  In recent years, using a video taken by a camera mounted on a vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the host vehicle), the driver recognizes the driving situation of the host vehicle and the surroundings of the host vehicle, and based on the information, Systems that support driving automation by controlling operations such as driving, braking and steering of vehicles have been developed (automatic driving support systems).

  By the way, as one of the driving situations, there is a situation where the host vehicle enters an intersection where there is no signal. In this situation, the driver usually drives the vehicle as follows.

In other words, the driver
(1) Before entering the intersection, temporarily stop at the stop line or before the intersection (pre-entry stop position).
(2) Then, in order to enter the intersection to a position where the situation of the road intersecting at the intersection can be directly visually recognized (direct confirmation position), the vehicle advances slowly from the stop position before entry at a slow speed (slower than the normal traveling speed). To do. At this time, while approaching the intersection at a slow speed, the driver of another vehicle running on the intersecting road is visually recognized to call attention. Before reaching the direct confirmation position, the driver cannot directly visually confirm the situation of the intersecting road.
(3) When the vehicle reaches the confirmation position directly by the slow advance of (2), the driver stops the vehicle.
(4) The driver confirms whether or not the situation of the intersecting road as viewed is safe, stops until the driver determines that the road is safe, and if the driver determines that the road is safe, normal driving Advancing at speed and passing the intersection

  Thus, when driving into the intersection is performed by the automatic driving support system, after the stop at the stop position before entering in (1) above, the automatic driving support system is connected to the camera during the slow advance in (2) above. Check the safety of the vehicle based on the images. When the automatic driving support system confirms safety in (2), the automatic driving support system omits the stop in (3) and the safety check by the driver in (4), and passes the vehicle so that it passes the intersection. To control the operation.

  However, in this way, the automatic driving support system does not stop the vehicle and does not require the driver's safety confirmation, so the operation of passing through the intersection is accustomed to visually confirming safety while entering the intersection slowly. The driver may feel anxious. And even if there are individual differences, if the feeling of anxiety exceeds a certain level, the driver performs a braking operation with the driver's intention to stop entering the intersection. There is a possibility that the driving mode is canceled and the smooth flow of the automobile is hindered.

  Therefore, even when the automatic driving support system confirms the safety of the vehicle based on the camera image etc. and enters the vehicle into the intersection, the above-mentioned (3) driver's visual safety confirmation request is added. Thus, an automatic driving support system that allows an intersection to pass according to the result of visual confirmation of safety by a driver in response to a request has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-60336

  Since the automatic driving support system of the above-mentioned patent document advances and stops the own vehicle to the direct confirmation position in the intersection, the passage of other vehicles traveling on the intersecting road where the own vehicle that entered and stopped in the intersection If it gets in the way, it will cause a situation that disturbs the smooth flow of the intersecting road. Specifically, when there is no room to avoid the vehicle, such as when the width of the intersecting road is narrow, the other vehicle traveling on the intersecting road is stopped by the own vehicle stopped in the intersection. The situation is unavoidable and may cause traffic jams.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is an object of the present invention to provide an automatic driving support device that does not cause driver's anxiety and does not hinder the passage of other vehicles on intersecting roads.

  The present invention includes a traffic situation acquisition unit that acquires a traffic situation on a road that intersects at an intersection, and a traffic situation presentation unit that presents the traffic situation acquired by the traffic situation acquisition unit to a driver of the vehicle. A confirmation acceptance unit that accepts an indication of confirmation of the driver's confirmation with respect to the traffic situation presented by the traffic situation presenting unit, and when the driver enters the intersection, A state where the vehicle is stopped at the indirect confirmation position, which is a position before the direct confirmation position, which is a position in the intersection where the traffic situation on the road can be directly visually confirmed, and stopped at the indirect confirmation position When the confirmation accepting unit accepts the driver's confirmation, the vehicle is moved forward and passed through the intersection without stopping the vehicle at the direct confirmation position. In the an automatic driving support apparatus and a control unit for outputting a command to the vehicle control device for controlling the traveling of the vehicle.

  The automatic driving support device according to the present invention does not disturb the driver and does not hinder the passage of other vehicles on the intersecting road.

1 is a block diagram showing an automatic driving support system including a camera control ECU which is an example of an automatic driving support device of the present invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state which the own vehicle has stopped at the stop position P1 before approach before the intersection where the width | variety of the road to cross is narrow. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state which the own vehicle has stopped at the stop position P1 before approach before the intersection where the width | variety of the road to cross is wide. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state which the own vehicle approached directly to the confirmation position P3 when the width | variety of the crossing road is narrow. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state which the own vehicle approached directly to the confirmation position P3 when the width | variety of the crossing road is wide. It is a schematic diagram which shows the state which the own vehicle approached to the indirect confirmation position P2 when the width | variety of the crossing road is narrow. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of a process by camera control ECU shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the flow of the process by the modification of camera control ECU shown in FIG. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of basic embodiment of the automatic driving assistance apparatus which concerns on this invention.

  Hereinafter, specific embodiments of an automatic driving support apparatus according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

<Configuration>
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an automatic driving support system 200 including a camera control ECU 100 which is an example of the automatic driving support device of the present invention. An automatic driving support system 200 shown in FIG. 1 includes an in-vehicle camera 210, a navigation device 220, a wheel speed sensor 230, a steering angle sensor 240, a speaker 250, a vehicle control ECU 260, and a vehicle mounted on a vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the host vehicle 300). A camera control ECU 100 is provided.

  The in-vehicle camera 210 is provided at the front end portion of the host vehicle 300. The in-vehicle camera 210 captures left and right images from the front of the host vehicle 300 and the front end of the host vehicle 300. The in-vehicle camera 210 includes a wide-angle lens having an angle of view of 180 degrees or more so that the front and left and right sides can be photographed widely. The in-vehicle camera 210 may be provided at, for example, the rear end and the left and right side portions other than the front end portion of the host vehicle 300.

  The navigation device 220 displays the current position of the host vehicle 300 on a map using GPS or the like, and when a destination is set, a guide route for guiding the host vehicle 300 to the destination To guide you. The wheel speed sensor 230 is provided on the wheel of the host vehicle 300 and detects the rotational speed of the wheel. Since the rotational speed detected by the wheel speed sensor 230 corresponds to the traveling speed of the host vehicle 300, it is used to calculate the speed of the host vehicle 300 based on the rotational speed detected by the wheel speed sensor 230. The steering angle sensor 240 detects the steering angle of the wheel of the own vehicle 300 corresponding to the rotation angle by the rotation operation of the own vehicle 300 to the steering wheel.

  The speaker 250 outputs the guidance contents in the navigation device 220 and other guidance contents in the own vehicle 300 by voice. The vehicle control ECU 260 (vehicle control unit) controls the travel of the host vehicle 300 by adjusting the driving force of the host vehicle 300, adjusting the braking force, adjusting the steering angle, and the like.

  The camera control ECU 100 includes an image acquisition unit 10, an input / output interface (I / F) 20, an intersection type determination unit 30, an approach availability determination unit 40, a driver confirmation determination unit 50, and a storage memory 60. ing.

  The image acquisition unit 10 (an example of a traffic situation acquisition unit) acquires an image captured by the in-vehicle camera 210. The input / output interface 20 receives input of information obtained by the navigation device 220, the wheel speed sensor 230, and the steering angle sensor 240. The intersection type determination unit 30 determines the type of the intersection T based on the information on the intersection T included in the map information of the navigation device 220 input from the navigation device 220 via the input / output interface 20. .

  The information on the intersection T is, for example, the width D of the road R2 that intersects the road R1 on which the host vehicle 300 travels. Information on the intersection T input from the map information of the navigation device 220 to the intersection type determination unit 30 includes the amount of traffic on the intersecting road R2 and the restriction on the intersecting road R2, in addition to the width D of the intersecting road R2. There are speeds, whether the intersecting road R2 is one-way or two-way traffic (face-to-face traffic), some differences in past traffic accidents at the intersection T, and the shape of the intersection T (cross road, T-shaped road, etc.).

  As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the entry permission / inhibition determination unit 40 is a position (stop position before entry) P1 where the front end is aligned with a temporary stop line (a range outside the intersection T) L provided in front of the intersection T. It is determined whether or not the own vehicle 300 stopped at step S can enter the intersection T. Specifically, when there is no obstacle such as a pedestrian or bicycle between the stop position P1 before entry and the intersection T, it is determined that the vehicle can enter, and when there is an obstacle, it is determined that the vehicle cannot enter. At this time, the presence or absence of an obstacle is specified based on an image taken by the in-vehicle camera 210 through the image acquisition unit 10.

  In addition, the entry permission / prohibition determination unit 40 receives the map information (input from the navigation device 220), the speed of the host vehicle 300 (calculated according to the input from the wheel speed sensor 230), and the host vehicle via the input / output interface 20. 300 steering angles (calculated in accordance with the input from the steering angle sensor 240) are input, and based on these pieces of information, the entry propriety determination unit 40 specifies the traveling direction of the host vehicle 300.

  The driver confirmation determination unit 50 determines the level of risk of the intersection T according to the type of the intersection T input from the intersection type determination unit 30 (for example, the width D of the intersecting road R2). 51, a monitor 52 (an example of a traffic condition presentation unit) that displays an image of the in-vehicle camera 210 input through the image acquisition unit 10 and the entry determination unit 40, and a specific area on the display surface of the monitor 52 The touch control type confirmation button 53 (an example of a confirmation receiving unit), the level of the risk determined by the risk level determination unit 51, and a command corresponding to the presence or absence of the touch on the confirmation button 53 are transmitted to the vehicle control ECU 260. And a control unit 54 that outputs to

  The risk determination unit 51 determines that the risk is high when the width D of the intersecting road R2 is narrow as shown in FIG. 2, and when the width D of the intersecting road R2 is wide as shown in FIG. Determines that the risk is low. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 4, the width D of the intersecting road R2 indicates that the own vehicle 300 enters the intersection T, and the driver of the own vehicle 300 determines the traffic situation of the intersecting road R2. When the front end of the host vehicle 300 is stopped at the position (direct check position) P3 in the intersection T that can be directly confirmed visually, the other vehicle 400 traveling on the intersecting road R2 If it is impossible to pass without avoiding the car 300 without protruding on the sidewalk, it is determined that the risk of the intersection T is high because the width D of the road R2 is narrow.

  On the other hand, the risk determination unit 51 sets the width D of the intersecting road R2 so that the host vehicle 300 enters the intersection T as shown in FIG. 5 and aligns the front end of the host vehicle 300 directly with the confirmation position P3. When the other vehicle 400 that travels on the intersecting road R2 can pass through the road R2 while avoiding the own vehicle 300, the width D of the road R2 is wide. It is determined that the risk level is low.

  The monitor 52 displays the image of the in-vehicle camera 210, thereby presenting to the driver the traffic situation on the intersecting road R2. As the monitor 52, the monitor of the navigation device 220 may be used. The confirmation button 53 receives a driver's confirmation intention display by touching with a finger or the like.

  When the host vehicle 300 is stopped at the pre-entry stop position P1, the control unit 54 advances the host vehicle 300 toward the intersection T by slowing down when the approach determination unit 40 determines that the vehicle can enter. Thus, a command is output to the vehicle control ECU 260. In response to the command, the vehicle control ECU 260 advances the host vehicle 300 gradually from the stop position P1 before entering toward the intersection T.

  On the other hand, the control unit 54 stops the host vehicle 300 at the stop position P1 before entering when the host vehicle 300 is stopped at the stop position P1 before entering, and when it is determined that the approach is not possible by the approach determination unit 40. A command is output to the vehicle control ECU 260 so as to wait for the entry permission determination unit 40 to determine that entry is possible while maintaining the state. In response to the command, vehicle control ECU 260 maintains the state where host vehicle 300 is stopped at stop position P1 before entry.

  Before stopping at the pre-entry stop position P1, when stopping, or at any timing before entering the intersection T after starting to advance from the pre-entry stop position P1, the control unit 54 performs a risk determination unit. A determination result of the level of risk of the intersection T according to 51 is obtained. And the control part 54 performs the following control, after the own vehicle 300 starts advancing at slow speed toward the intersection T from the stop position P1 before approach.

  That is, when the determination result by the risk determination unit 51 is a high risk, the control unit 54, as shown in FIG. 6, the traffic situation of other vehicles on the road R2 where the driver of the host vehicle 300 intersects. Is a position in front of the direct confirmation position P3 that is a position in the intersection T where the vehicle can be directly visually recognized, and immediately before the front end of the vehicle 300 enters the intersection T or the front end is in the intersection. A command is output to the vehicle control ECU 260 so that the host vehicle 300 is stopped at the position (indirect confirmation position) P2 in a slightly entered state.

  This indirect confirmation position P2 is a position where the in-vehicle camera 210 at the front end of the host vehicle 300 can capture an image of the traffic situation of other vehicles on the intersecting road R2. Therefore, at the indirect confirmation position P2, the vehicle 300 is not in the intersection T, or even if it is in the intersection T, only a small portion of the front end portion of the vehicle 300 is included. State.

  In response to the command, the vehicle control ECU 260 advances the host vehicle 300 slowly to the indirect confirmation position P2, and stops the host vehicle 300 at the indirect confirmation position P2. Further, the control unit 54 causes the monitor 52 to display the traffic situation of the intersecting road R2 captured by the in-vehicle camera 210 at the front end, and presents the traffic situation of the intersecting road R2 at the indirect confirmation position P2. .

  The driver looks at the traffic conditions displayed on the monitor 52, confirms the safety of passing other intersections on the intersecting road R2, and the driver touches the confirmation button 53. When the safety confirmation is accepted, the control unit 54 instructs the vehicle control ECU 260 to advance the vehicle 300 from the indirect confirmation position P2 and pass through the intersection T without stopping at the direct confirmation position P3. Is output. In response to the command, the vehicle control ECU 260 controls the operation of the host vehicle 300 so that the host vehicle 300 moves forward from the indirect confirmation position P2 and passes through the intersection T without stopping at the direct confirmation position P3.

  On the other hand, when the determination result by the risk determination unit 51 is a low risk, the control unit 54 does not stop at the indirect confirmation position P2 and stops at the direct confirmation position P3 as shown in FIG. A command is output to the vehicle control ECU 260 to stop the control. In response to the command, the vehicle control ECU 260 advances the vehicle 300 slowly to the direct confirmation position P3 without stopping at the indirect confirmation position P2, and then stops the vehicle 300 at the direct confirmation position P3.

  The driver visually confirms the traffic situation of the intersecting road R2 and confirms the safety of passing through the intersection T because the traffic of other vehicles on the intersecting road R2 is interrupted. When the safety confirmation is accepted after being touched, the control unit 54 outputs a command to the vehicle control ECU 260 so as to advance the vehicle 300 directly from the confirmation position P3 and pass the intersection T. In response to the command, the vehicle control ECU 260 controls the operation of the host vehicle 300 so as to advance the host vehicle 300 directly from the confirmation position P3 and pass the intersection.

  The storage memory 60 stores images taken by the in-vehicle camera 210 at the intersection T where the host vehicle 300 has passed in the past, information on the intersection T obtained by the navigation device 220, and the like. When the intersection T to be passed is an intersection that has passed in the past, the risk determination unit 51 uses the intersection T stored in the storage memory 60 without using the information on the intersection T obtained by the navigation device 220. The risk level of the intersection T may be determined using this information.

<Action>
A specific operation example of the camera control ECU 100 configured as described above will be described below with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  First, when the process is started ([START]), it is assumed that automatic driving control is performed by the automatic driving support system 200 (YES in step 1 (S1)), and the current position of the host vehicle 300 is determined as a navigation device. 220 (S2). If the prerequisite automatic driving control is not performed, the process ends ([END]).

  Based on the acquired current position, the navigation device 220 detects whether or not the distance to the next intersection T is approaching (specifically, for example, the remaining distance 30 [m] has been reached) ( S3). If not reached (NO in S3), wait until it reaches. When the vehicle arrives (YES in S3), the camera control ECU 100 acquires information on the intersection T (width D of the intersecting road R2) from the navigation device 220 (S4). Based on the acquired information on the intersection T, the intersection type determination unit 30 determines the type of the intersection T.

  In parallel with the acquisition of the information on the intersection T, the navigation device 220 detects whether or not the front end of the host vehicle 300 has reached a temporary stop line L provided before the intersection T (S5). When the front end portion of the host vehicle 300 reaches the temporary stop line L (YES in S5), the vehicle control ECU 260 stops the host vehicle 300 by aligning the front end portion of the host vehicle 300 with the stop position P1 before entering (S6). (See FIGS. 2 and 3). When the front end of the host vehicle 300 has not reached the temporary stop line L (NO in S5), the vehicle control ECU 260 travels forward of the host vehicle 300 until the front end of the host vehicle 300 reaches the temporary stop line L. To continue.

  In a state where the host vehicle 300 is stopped at the stop position P1 before entering, the entry permission determination unit 40 is photographed by the in-vehicle camera 210 that has acquired through the image acquisition unit 10 whether or not the host vehicle 300 can enter the intersection T. Based on the obtained image, determination is made according to the presence or absence of an obstacle such as a pedestrian or a bicycle between the stop position P1 before entry and the intersection T (S7).

  When the entry determination unit 40 determines that entry is possible, the determination result is input to the driver confirmation determination unit 50, and the control unit 54 outputs a command corresponding to the determination result to the vehicle control ECU 260. In other words, when it is determined that entry is possible by entry determination unit 40 (YES in S7), control unit 54 causes vehicle control ECU 260 to advance host vehicle 300 slowly toward intersection T. In response to the command, the vehicle control ECU 260 advances the host vehicle 300 gradually from the stop position P1 before entry toward the intersection T (S8).

  When the determination result indicating that entry is impossible is input by the entry determination unit 40 (NO in S7), the control unit 54 stops the host vehicle 300 at the pre-entry stop position P1 until the determination result indicating that entry is possible is input. A command for maintaining the state is issued to the vehicle control ECU 260, and the vehicle control ECU 260 maintains the state where the host vehicle 300 is stopped at the pre-entry stop position P1 in response to the command.

  Before entering the intersection T after starting to advance from the pre-entry stop position P1 (S8), the risk determination unit 51 determines the intersection T based on the information on the intersection T input from the intersection type determination unit 30. The degree of risk is determined (S9).

  When the determination result by the risk determination unit 51 is low risk (YES in S9), that is, when the width D of the intersecting road R2 is wide, as shown in FIG. A command is output to the vehicle control ECU 260 so as to stop the vehicle 300 directly at the confirmation position P3 without stopping at P2. In response to the command, the vehicle control ECU 260 advances the vehicle 300 slowly to the direct confirmation position P3 without stopping at the indirect confirmation position P2, and then stops the vehicle 300 at the direct confirmation position P3 (S10). .

  The driver of the own vehicle 300 stopped at the direct confirmation position P3 directly sees the traffic situation of the intersecting road R2 and visually passes through the intersection T because the traffic of the other vehicle 400 is interrupted on the intersecting road R2. The confirmation button 53 is touched by the driver and a safety confirmation is accepted (S11). When the confirmation button 53 is not touched by the driver even after waiting for a preset time and safety confirmation is not accepted (NO in S11), the control unit 54 provides voice guidance for prompting safety confirmation from the speaker 250. Control is made to output (S13).

  When the confirmation button 53 is touched by the driver and safety confirmation is accepted by the driver (YES in S11), the control unit 54 advances the vehicle 300 directly from the confirmation position P3 and passes the intersection T so that the vehicle control ECU 260 Command is output. In response to the command, the vehicle control ECU 260 controls the driving of the host vehicle 300 so as to advance the host vehicle 300 directly from the confirmation position P3 and pass the intersection (S12), and automatic driving support when passing the intersection. Terminate the process.

  When the determination result by the risk determination unit 51 is high risk (NO in S9), that is, when the width D of the intersecting road R2 is narrow, as shown in FIG. A command is output to the vehicle control ECU 260 to stop the host vehicle 300 at the indirect confirmation position P2 that is a position before P3. In response to the command, the vehicle control ECU 260 advances the host vehicle 300 slowly to the indirect confirmation position P2, and stops the host vehicle 300 at the indirect confirmation position P2 (S14).

  The control unit 54 causes the monitor 52 to display the traffic situation of the intersecting road R2 captured by the in-vehicle camera 210 at the front end, and presents the traffic situation of the intersecting road R2 at the indirect confirmation position P2. . The driver looks at the traffic conditions displayed on the monitor 52, confirms the safety of passing other intersections on the intersecting road R2, and the driver touches the confirmation button 53. Wait until safety confirmation is accepted (S15).

  When the confirmation button 53 is not touched by the driver even after waiting for a preset time and safety confirmation is not accepted (NO in S15), the control unit 54 provides a voice guidance for prompting safety confirmation from the speaker 250. Control is made to output (S16).

  When the confirmation button 53 is touched by the driver and safety confirmation is accepted (YES in S15), the control unit 54 advances the host vehicle 300 from the indirect confirmation position P2 and does not stop at the direct confirmation position P3. A command is output to vehicle control ECU 260 so as to pass through intersection T.

  In response to the command, the vehicle control ECU 260 controls the operation of the host vehicle 300 so that the host vehicle 300 moves forward from the indirect confirmation position P2 and passes through the intersection T without stopping at the direct confirmation position P3 (S12). Then, the automatic driving support process when passing through the intersection is terminated.

  As described above, according to the camera control ECU 100 which is an embodiment of the automatic driving support apparatus described in detail and the automatic driving support system using the camera control ECU 100, when it is determined that the risk of the intersection T to be entered is high. Since the own vehicle 300 is stopped at the indirect confirmation position P2 shown in FIG. 6, compared to the case where the own vehicle 300 is stopped at the direct confirmation position P3 shown in FIG. The length can be shortened.

  As a result, the camera control ECU 100 and the automatic driving support system using the camera control ECU 100 can prevent or suppress the own vehicle 300 from obstructing the passage of the other vehicle 400 traveling on the road R2 intersecting at the intersection. It is possible to effectively prevent or suppress disturbing the smooth flow of the intersecting road R2 and causing a contact accident with the host vehicle 300.

  Moreover, the camera control ECU 100 and the automatic driving support system using the camera control ECU 100 can directly observe the traffic situation of the intersecting road R2 or indirectly through an image by the in-vehicle camera 210 displayed on the monitor 52. Since the driver can be confirmed, there is no inconvenience to the driver.

  Further, the camera control ECU 100 shortens the length of the own vehicle 300 protruding into the intersection T in order to stop the own vehicle 300 at the indirect confirmation position P2 when the risk of the intersection T about to enter is high. On the other hand, when the risk at the intersection T is low, the camera control ECU 100 directly stops the own vehicle 300 at the confirmation position P3, so that the length that the own vehicle 300 protrudes into the intersection T is the same as the conventional one. Therefore, depending on the level of danger at the intersection T, the driver can check the safety in two ways, so that both the driver's sense of security and the smooth traffic of the other vehicle 400 traveling on the intersecting road R2 can be achieved. can do.

  In addition, the automatic driving assistance device according to the present invention is not limited to the one that switches the stop position of the own vehicle to the indirect confirmation position or the direct confirmation position according to the level of danger of the intersection to be entered. That is, the automatic driving assistance device according to the present invention may set the stop position of the own vehicle as the indirect confirmation position regardless of the level of danger of the intersection to be entered.

  The camera control ECU 100 according to the present embodiment inputs the driver's safety confirmation after the own vehicle 300 stops directly at the confirmation position P3 (S11, S13) and the driver's safety after the own vehicle 300 stops at the indirect confirmation position P2. The safety confirmation input (S15, S16) is a separate processing procedure, but these processes may be integrated into one. That is, the process of step 15 (S15) may be the process of step 11 (S11), and the process of step 16 (S16) may be the process of step 13 (S13).

  Further, the camera control ECU 100 of the present embodiment inputs the driver's safety confirmation after the own vehicle 300 stops directly at the confirmation position P3 (S11, S13), and after the own vehicle 300 stops at the indirect confirmation position P2. The driver's safety confirmation input (S15, S16) is an input by a touch operation on the confirmation button 53. Instead of the touch operation on the confirmation button 53, by detecting a specific line of sight movement of the driver It may be input for driver safety confirmation.

  That is, instead of the confirmation button 53, the camera control ECU 100 includes a gaze detection device that includes a camera that captures the driver's face and detects the driver's gaze, and this gaze detection device is preset as an intention display for safety confirmation. The driver's specific line-of-sight condition (for example, staring at a specific position of the monitor 52 for a predetermined period of time, or moving the line of sight (moving his eyes left and right or up and down) not normally performed in daily life) When the confirmation button 53 is touched, the control unit 54 may perform the same operation.

  In this way, by inputting a safety confirmation intention display by the visual line detection device, it is not necessary to direct the visual line to the confirmation button 53 in order to touch the confirmation button 53. Thereby, it can prevent or suppress that a driver removes a line of sight from the intersecting road R2.

  In the camera control ECU 100 according to the present embodiment, the risk determination unit 51 determines the level of risk of the intersection T based on the width D of the intersecting road R2, but in addition to the width D of the intersecting road R2, the intersection The amount of traffic on the road R2, the speed limit of the intersecting road R2, whether the intersecting road R2 is one-way or two-way, some differences in past traffic accidents at the intersection T, and the shape of the intersection T (T-shaped The degree of risk may be determined based on the information of at least one intersection T among the T-junction intersecting the road and the width D of the road R2 intersecting with the information.

  Specifically, the risk level determination unit 51 determines that the risk level is high when the traffic volume of the intersecting road R2 is large, and the risk level is low when the traffic volume is small. Further, the danger level determination unit 51 determines that the danger level is high when the speed limit of the intersecting road R2 is high, and the risk level is low when the speed limit is low. The risk determination unit 51 has a high risk because the road width is often narrow when the intersecting road R2 is one-way, and the risk is high because the road width is wide when the intersecting road R2 is two-way traffic. Is determined to be low. Further, the risk level determination unit 51 determines that the risk level is high when there are many past traffic accidents at the intersection T, and the risk level is low when there are few traffic accidents.

  In addition, the risk determination unit 51 is a T-shaped road where the shape of the intersection T intersects, for example, in a T shape, the intersecting road R2 corresponds to a T-shaped lateral portion, and the road R1 of the host vehicle 300 is a T-shaped road. The degree of danger is high when it corresponds to the vertical part of the vehicle, the intersecting road R2 corresponds to the vertical part of the T shape, and the degree of risk is low when the road R1 of the host vehicle 300 corresponds to the horizontal part of the T shape. Is determined.

  In addition, when determining two or more pieces of information of the intersection T, the risk degree determination unit 51 may perform the determination by weighting the two or more pieces of information.

  The camera control ECU 100 according to the present embodiment has acquired the information on the above-described intersection T from the navigation device 220. However, a traffic infrastructure (infrastructure) or the like can be obtained by developing an intelligent transport system (ITS). When the information of the intersection T is provided by the car, the camera control ECU 100 includes a communication unit that performs communication (road-to-vehicle communication, vehicle-to-vehicle communication) with the vehicle. May be obtained.

  Further, the camera control ECU 100 according to the present embodiment may determine the level of risk of the intersection T based on the image of the intersection T taken by the in-vehicle camera 210. Specifically, the process of step 4 (S4) in the flowchart shown in FIG. 7 is eliminated, and the process of step 9 (S9) is replaced with step 91 (S91), step 92 (S92), and step of the flowchart shown in FIG. 93 (S93) and step 94 (S94) may be replaced.

  According to the flowchart of FIG. 8, the intersection type determination unit 30 is photographed by the in-vehicle camera 210 in the process of determining the degree of risk of the intersection T in the flowchart of FIG. The image of the intersection T is acquired via (S91), and based on the acquired image of the intersection T, the road shoulder (edge) of the road R2 intersecting at the intersection T is detected (S92), and the distance between the two detected edges is detected. Is calculated based on the parameters of the in-vehicle camera 210, and the distance between the obtained edges is defined as the width D of the intersecting road R2 (S93), and the risk determination is performed based on the width D of the intersecting road R2. The part 51 determines the level of risk of the intersection T (S94).

  Thus, the camera control ECU 100 does not need to acquire information on the intersection T from the navigation device 220 by determining the level of danger of the intersection T based on the image taken by the in-vehicle camera 210.

  In the present embodiment, an image captured by the in-vehicle camera 210 is acquired as the traffic situation on the intersecting road R2, and therefore the traffic situation presented to the driver can also be an image displayed on the monitor 52. The information can be presented to the driver as easily recognizable information (image).

  In this embodiment, the automatic driving support device according to the present invention is applied as the camera control ECU 100. However, the automatic driving support device according to the present invention does not obtain the traffic situation on the intersecting road R2 from the in-vehicle camera 210, but the traffic situation by the above-mentioned traffic infrastructure or other vehicles passing the intersecting road R2. Is provided, the traffic condition provided by the traffic infrastructure or other vehicles may be acquired.

  In this case, the provided traffic situation may be an image that can be visually recognized, or may be an audio that can be audibly recognized. Thus, the automatic driving assistance device according to the present invention is not limited to the one configured as the camera control ECU 100 that acquires and uses the image of the in-vehicle camera 210.

  Therefore, as shown in FIG. 9, for example, the automatic driving support apparatus according to the present invention includes a risk determination unit 510, a traffic situation acquisition unit 520, a traffic situation presentation unit 530, a confirmation reception unit 540, and a control. The configuration may include a portion 550.

  Here, the risk determination unit 510 corresponds to the risk determination unit 51, and determines the level of the risk at the intersection T based on the acquired information about the intersection T. The traffic situation acquisition unit 520 corresponds to the image acquisition unit 10, and acquires the traffic situation on the road R <b> 2 that intersects at the intersection T. The traffic status presentation unit 530 corresponds to the monitor 52 and presents the traffic status acquired by the traffic status acquisition unit 520 to the driver of the host vehicle 300. The confirmation accepting unit 540 corresponds to the confirmation button 53 and accepts a driver's confirmation intention display for the traffic status presented by the traffic status presenting unit 530.

  The control unit 550 corresponds to the control unit 54, and when the risk determined by the risk determination unit 510 is high prior to entering the intersection T, the control unit 550 controls the host vehicle 300 when entering the intersection T. When the confirmation accepting unit 540 accepts the driver's confirmation in the state where the vehicle is stopped at the indirect confirmation position P2 and stopped at the indirect confirmation position P2, the host vehicle 300 is advanced and stopped at the direct confirmation position P3. A command is output to the vehicle control ECU 260 that controls the traveling of the host vehicle 300 so as to pass the intersection T without causing the vehicle to pass.

  In addition, when the risk determined by the risk determination unit 510 is low prior to entering the intersection T, the control unit 550 advances the vehicle 300 directly to the confirmation position P3 when entering the intersection T. When the confirmation receiving unit 540 receives the driver's confirmation in the state where the vehicle is stopped at the direct confirmation position P3, the traveling of the own vehicle 300 is controlled so that the own vehicle 300 moves forward and passes through the intersection T. A command is output to the vehicle control ECU 260.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Image acquisition part 30 Intersection kind determination part 40 Approach availability determination part 50 Driver confirmation determination part 51 Risk determination part 52 Monitor 53 Confirmation button 54 Control part 100 Camera control ECU
300 Automobile P2 Indirect confirmation position P3 Direct confirmation position R2 Intersecting road T Intersection

Claims (5)

A traffic situation acquisition unit for acquiring the traffic situation on a road intersecting at an intersection;
A traffic situation presentation unit that presents the traffic situation acquired by the traffic situation acquisition unit to a driver of the vehicle;
A confirmation accepting unit that accepts a confirmation display of the driver's confirmation for the state of traffic presented by the traffic state presenting unit;
When approaching the intersection, the vehicle is in front of a direct confirmation position that is a position in the intersection where the driver can directly visually observe the traffic situation on the intersecting road. When the confirmation accepting unit accepts the driver's confirmation in a state where the vehicle is stopped at the indirect confirmation position, and is stopped at the indirect confirmation position, the vehicle is moved forward and the vehicle is moved at the direct confirmation position. An automatic driving assistance device comprising: a control unit that outputs a command to a vehicle control device that controls traveling of the host vehicle so as to pass the intersection without stopping the vehicle. A risk determination unit that determines the level of risk of the intersection based on the information of the intersection;
When the risk determined by the risk determination unit is high prior to entering the intersection, the control unit stops the host vehicle at the indirect confirmation position when entering the intersection. When the confirmation accepting unit accepts the driver's confirmation in a state where the vehicle is stopped at the indirect confirmation position, the vehicle is advanced and the intersection is moved without stopping the vehicle at the direct confirmation position. A command is output to the vehicle control unit that controls the travel of the host vehicle so that the vehicle passes, and when the risk level determined by the risk level determination unit is low, the vehicle level is determined when entering the intersection. The vehicle is advanced to the direct confirmation position and stopped, and when the confirmation reception unit receives the driver's confirmation with the vehicle stopped at the direct confirmation position, the vehicle is advanced to pass through the intersection. Before Automatic operation support apparatus according to claim 1 for outputting a command to a vehicle control unit for controlling the traveling of the vehicle.   The risk determination unit acquires the width of the intersecting road, the amount of traffic of the intersecting road, the speed limit of the intersecting road acquired as the information of the intersection, whether the intersecting road is one-way or two-way traffic The automatic driving assistance device according to claim 2, wherein the degree of risk of the intersection is determined based on at least one of past traffic accidents at the intersection and at least one of the shapes of the intersection.   The traffic condition acquisition unit is provided at a front end portion of the own vehicle, and acquires a traffic condition captured by an in-vehicle camera that captures a range of the intersecting road. The automatic driving assistance device according to claim 1.   The confirmation receiving unit detects a state of a specific line of sight of the driver as a confirmation of the driver, detects a contact with a finger of the driver, or detects an utterance of confirmation of the driver. The automatic driving assistance device according to any one of 1 to 4.