JP2020100246A - Driving support device and driving support method - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a driving support device and a driving support method which can support driving operation in accordance with an intention of steering by a driver.SOLUTION: A driving support device DS according to the present invention, when a vehicle position is within a prescribed distance from a gate position and when detecting the termination of a compartment line, sets a gate section and a driving support section in a travelling area of a vehicle, along a travelling direction in which the vehicle is travelling on a lane indicated by the compartment line, from the gate position toward the vehicle position; when the vehicle position is within the driving support section, controls travelling of the vehicle by driving support by which speed of the vehicle is controlled; and when the vehicle position is within the gate section, controls the travelling of the vehicle by automatic driving by which steering and speed of the vehicle is controlled.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

The present invention relates to a driving support device and a driving support method for supporting a driving operation of a vehicle.

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, technologies for supporting vehicle driving operations and technologies for automating vehicle driving operations have been researched and developed. As one of such technologies, for example, there is a technology in the vicinity of a toll gate which is often required to change the vehicle speed or the lane depending on the destination (destination) of the own vehicle and the situation of other vehicles. , For example, are disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2.

The automatic driving support device disclosed in Patent Document 1 includes a lane marking detecting unit that detects a lane marking that divides a lane in which the vehicle travels, and the vehicle based on the lane marking detected by the lane marking detecting unit. Driving assisting means for performing automatic driving assistance related to lane keeping driving, and, on the front side in the traveling direction of the tollgate, the lane marking vanishing point at which either one of the lane markings disappears or the lane where the vehicle runs And a point specifying means for specifying a road widening point which is a point where the width of the vehicle widens, and the driving support means, when there is a toll gate in the forward direction of the vehicle, the lane marking disappearing point or the Any one of the road widening points is set as a change point for changing the control content of the automatic driving support related to the lane keeping traveling or an end point for ending the control. Then, in this automatic driving support device, the driving support means, until the vehicle passes the change point to the end point, one lane marking line, or one remaining lane marking line, or The automatic driving support for the lane keeping traveling is performed based on the lane marking on the side opposite to the side where the width of the lane is widened.

The vehicle traveling control device disclosed in Patent Document 2 has a surrounding recognition function of recognizing the lane markings, other vehicles on each lane and the front of the own vehicle from the information of the external sensor, and a function of estimating the absolute position of the own vehicle. And an environmental condition estimating unit including a function of acquiring the motion condition of the vehicle based on the information of the internal sensor, and a route generating unit generating a target route based on the information acquired by the environmental condition estimating unit. A vehicle control unit that performs a speed control and a steering control so that the host vehicle follows the target route, and the environmental condition estimation unit includes a tollgate in front of the host vehicle and each gate thereof. And a function of selecting a target gate from each of the gates, and the route generation unit includes a function of generating a target approach route for entering the target gate. Then, in this vehicle traveling control device, the environmental condition estimation unit is configured such that there is no other vehicle approaching the target approach route, and there are no preceding other vehicles on the target approach route, or the number of preceding vehicles is low. It includes a function of selecting a gate as the target gate that minimizes the steering amount when traveling along the road.

JP, 2017-159723, A Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2018-151287

By the way, in the vicinity of a gate such as a toll gate, a driver of a vehicle may want to steer toward a target gate selected by himself/herself in accordance with the destination (destination) of the own vehicle or the trend of other vehicles. .. The techniques disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 described above determine the travel route automatically on the vehicle side, and it is difficult to handle such a case.

The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and an object thereof is to provide a driving support device and a driving support method capable of supporting a driving operation in accordance with a driver's steering intention.

As a result of various studies, the present inventor has found that the above object can be achieved by the present invention described below. That is, the driving support device according to an aspect of the present invention includes a map information storage unit that stores map information including position information that represents gate positions of gates that are arranged in a traveling region in which a vehicle travels and that divides the traveling region. A position measuring unit that measures a vehicle position of the vehicle in the traveling region, a lane marking detecting unit that detects a lane marking indicating a lane arranged in the traveling region, and a traveling control unit that controls traveling of the vehicle And, when the vehicle position measured by the position measuring unit is within a predetermined distance from the gate position represented by the position information and the lane marking detecting unit detects the end of the lane marking, A predetermined first length including the gate from the gate position toward the vehicle position measured by the position measurement unit along the traveling direction when the vehicle is traveling in the lane indicated by the marking line. And a section setting unit that sets a driving assistance section having a predetermined second length following the gate section in the traveling area, the traveling control unit being configured to measure the vehicle position measured by the position measuring unit. Is within the driving assistance section, the traveling of the vehicle is controlled by driving assistance that controls the speed of the vehicle, and the vehicle is measured when the vehicle position measured by the position measuring unit is within the gate section. The traveling of the vehicle is controlled by automatic driving for controlling the steering and the speed. Preferably, in the above-described driving support device, the map information storage unit is a storage unit that stores the map information by storing the map information. Preferably, in the above-described driving support device, the map information storage unit includes a recording medium that stores the map information by storing the map information, and a reading device that reads the map information from the recording medium. Preferably, in the above driving assistance device, the map information storage unit stores the map information received by the receiving unit and a receiving unit that receives the map information from a server device that manages the map information via a network. And a storage unit that Preferably, in the above-described driving support device, the traveling area is a road, and the gate is a gate that divides the road into a toll road and a non-toll road. Preferably, in the driving support apparatus described above, the traveling area includes a road and a partitioned area, and the gate is a gate arranged at a boundary between the road and the partitioned area. Preferably, the partitioned area is one of a parking lot, a theme park, and a safari park. Preferably, in the above-described driving support device, in the driving support, the traveling control unit controls traveling of the vehicle so as to reduce the speed of the vehicle. Preferably, in the above-mentioned driving support device, in the automatic driving, the traveling control unit travels the vehicle so that the steering of the vehicle goes straight and the speed of the vehicle becomes a constant speed. To control.

Such a driving support device sets a driving support section in front of a gate section including a gate, and controls the speed of the vehicle in this driving support section to support the driver's driving operation. Therefore, the driver's steering operation is permitted in the driving assistance section, and the driving assistance device can assist the driving operation in accordance with the driver's steering intention.

In another aspect, in the above-described driving support device, when the vehicle is traveling in an output unit that outputs and in a lane indicated by the lane markings, the traveling control unit maintains the inside of the lane. When the traveling of the vehicle is controlled in the above, before the vehicle reaches the end position of the lane marking, the vehicle outputs a notice of traveling ahead in the driving assistance section from the output unit. And an output processing unit.

Since such a driving assistance device outputs a notice from the output unit, the driver can be notified of the setting of the driving assistance section. In particular, when the traveling control of the traveling control unit is automatically switched to the driving assistance when the vehicle reaches the driving assistance section, the output (notification) of the advance notice is effective.

In another aspect, in these above-mentioned driving support devices, when the vehicle travels in the driving support section, an input operation for instructing the traveling control unit to control traveling of the vehicle with the driving assistance. Further, the section setting section separates from the gate position with respect to the driving assistance section along the traveling direction when the vehicle is traveling in the lane indicated by the lane markings. Further, an inputtable section of a predetermined third length following the driving support section is further set in the traveling area, and the traveling control unit determines that the vehicle position measured by the position measuring section is within the inputtable section. At this time, when the input operation is input to the input unit, when the vehicle travels in the driving assistance section, the driving assistance controls the traveling of the vehicle. Preferably, in the above-described driving support device, the start position of the inputtable section is the end position of the lane marking. Preferably, in the above-mentioned driving support device, a vehicle speed measuring unit that measures the speed of the vehicle is further provided, and the section setting unit is based on the speed of the vehicle measured by the vehicle speed measuring unit, and the vehicle at a predetermined time. Calculates the distance to reach the start position of the driving support section, and sets the inputtable section so that the calculated distance becomes the third length.

Since such a driving support device further includes an input unit and further sets the input possible section, the driver can select whether or not to execute the driving support in the driving support section.

In another aspect, in these above-described driving support devices, the traveling control unit automatically switches from the driving support to the automatic driving when the vehicle travels from the driving support section to the gate section.

Since such a driving assistance device automatically switches from driving assistance to automatic driving, the driver does not perform an input operation of an instruction to switch from driving assistance to automatic driving or a driving operation when passing through a gate, You can pass through the gate section by automatic operation.

In another aspect, in the above-described driving support device, the map information further includes travel area information indicating a shape of the travel area, a display unit for displaying, and a travel area represented by the travel area information. And a display processing unit that displays the gate at the gate position represented by the position information, the gate section, and the driving support section on the display unit.

Since such a driving assistance device displays the traveling area, the driving assistance section, the gate section, and the gate on the display unit, the driver recognizes the driving assistance section, the gate section, and each position of the gate on the traveling area. it can.

In another aspect, in the above-described driving support device, the display processing unit further displays the inputtable section on the display unit.

Since such a driving assistance device further displays the inputtable section on the display unit, the driver can recognize the inputtable section, the driving support section, the gate section, and each position of the gate in the traveling area.

A driving support method according to another aspect of the present invention is a driving operation of the vehicle using map information including position information indicating a gate position of a gate that is arranged in a traveling area in which the vehicle travels and divides the traveling area. A position measuring step of measuring a vehicle position of the vehicle in the traveling area, a lane marking detecting step of detecting a lane marking indicating a lane arranged in the traveling area, When the vehicle position measured in the position measuring step is within a predetermined distance from the gate position represented by the position information and the lane marking detection step terminates the lane marking. When detecting the, along the traveling direction when the vehicle was traveling in the lane indicated by the lane marking, from the gate position toward the vehicle position measured in the position measuring step, the gate A section including a gate section having a predetermined first length and a driving support section having a predetermined second length following the gate section in the travel area, wherein the travel control step is performed at the position. When the vehicle position measured in the measuring step is within the driving assistance section, driving of the vehicle is controlled by driving assistance that controls the speed of the vehicle, and the vehicle position measured in the position measuring step is within the gate section. If it is, the traveling of the vehicle is controlled by automatic driving that controls the steering and speed of the vehicle.

In such a driving support method, a driving support section is set in front of a gate section including a gate, and the driver's driving operation is supported by controlling the speed of the vehicle in this driving support section. Therefore, the driver's steering operation is permitted in the driving assistance section, and the driving assistance device can assist the driving operation in accordance with the driver's steering intention.

The driving support device and the driving support method according to the present invention can support the driving operation in accordance with the driver's steering intention.

It is a block diagram showing composition of a driving support device in an embodiment. It is a figure for demonstrating the imaging part of the said driving assistance device attached to the vehicle. It is a figure for demonstrating each area allocated to the driving|running area|region by the said driving assistance device. It is a figure for demonstrating the notice screen displayed on the said driving assistance device. It is a flowchart which shows operation|movement of the said driving assistance device.

Hereinafter, one or more embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. However, the scope of the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. In addition, in each of the drawings, the components denoted by the same reference numerals indicate the same components, and the description thereof will be appropriately omitted. In the present specification, reference numerals without suffixes are used for generic names, and reference numerals with suffixes are used when referring to individual components.

A driving support device according to an embodiment includes a map information storage unit that stores map information including position information indicating a gate position of a gate that is arranged in a traveling region where a vehicle travels and divides the traveling region, and A position measuring unit that measures a vehicle position of the vehicle, a lane marking detecting unit that detects a lane marking indicating a lane arranged in the traveling area, a travel control unit that controls traveling of the vehicle, and the position measuring unit. In the case where the vehicle position measured in step 1 is within a predetermined distance from the gate position represented by the position information and the end of the lane marking is detected by the lane marking detecting unit, the lane marking is displayed. A gate section of a predetermined first length including the gate, from the gate position toward the vehicle position measured by the position measuring unit along a traveling direction when the vehicle is traveling in a lane, and And a section setting unit that sets a predetermined second length of driving assistance section following the gate section in the travel area. When the vehicle position measured by the position measuring unit is within the driving assistance section, the traveling control unit controls traveling of the vehicle by driving assistance that controls the speed of the vehicle, and the position measuring unit If the vehicle position measured in step 1 is within the gate section, the traveling of the vehicle is controlled by automatic driving that controls steering and speed of the vehicle. Hereinafter, such a driving support device will be described more specifically.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a driving support device in the embodiment. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the image pickup unit of the driving support device attached to the vehicle. FIG. 3 is a diagram for explaining each section allocated to the travel area by the driving support device. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining a screen displayed on the driving support device.

The driving support device DS in the embodiment includes, for example, as illustrated in FIG. 1, an imaging unit 1, a position measuring unit 2, a control processing unit 4, and a storage unit 5, and in the present embodiment, travels. A vehicle speed measuring unit 3 for controlling the vehicle, a power unit 6a, a power transmitting unit 6b, a braking unit 7 and a steering unit 8 for traveling, and an input unit 9 for performing a predetermined input and output. And an output unit 10.

The imaging unit 1 is a device that is connected to the control processing unit 4 and generates an image under the control of the control processing unit 4. The imaging unit 1 is, for example, an imaging optical system that forms an optical image of a subject on a predetermined image forming surface, and is arranged with the light receiving surface aligned with the image forming surface. A digital camera including an area image sensor for converting into a signal, an image processing unit for generating image data which is data representing an image of the subject by performing image processing on an output of the area image sensor, and the like. The image capturing unit 1 is mounted on the vehicle so as to capture the front of the vehicle so as to include the road surface in order to detect the lane markings. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the image capturing unit 1 captures an image of the front of the vehicle VC so as to include the road surface on the ceiling surface (roof inner surface) near the windshield in the vehicle VC. The direction (optical axis direction) is arranged obliquely downward. As a result, the image capturing unit 1 captures the front of the vehicle VC so as to include the road surface to generate a front image (front image data). The imaging unit 1 outputs the front image (front image data) to the control processing unit 4.

The position measuring unit 2 is a device that is connected to the control processing unit 4 and measures the vehicle position of the vehicle in the traveling area in which the vehicle travels under the control of the control processing unit 4. The position measuring unit 2 is, for example, a device that measures the vehicle position by a satellite positioning system for measuring the current position on the earth, for example, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiving device, and the positioning result (latitude X, longitude). Y, altitude Z) is output to the control processing unit 4. The GPS receiver may be a GPS receiver having a correction function for correcting an error such as DGSP (Differential GSP). Further, the satellites of the satellite positioning system include not only so-called GPS satellites that orbit the quasi-synchronous orbits, but also quasi-zenith satellites that apparently stay above the region.

The vehicle speed measuring unit 3 is a device that is connected to the control processing unit 4 and measures the speed of the vehicle under the control of the control processing unit 4. The vehicle speed measuring unit 3 is, for example, a wheel speed sensor or the like that includes a rotary encoder and peripheral circuits thereof, and measures a wheel speed (wheel rotation speed) from a displacement amount of rotation of a wheel (axle) per unit time. The vehicle speed measurement unit 3 outputs the measured wheel speed to the control processing unit 4. In the present embodiment, the control processing unit 4 converts the wheel speed into the vehicle speed based on the size of the wheel, but the conversion from the wheel speed to the vehicle speed may be performed by the vehicle speed measuring unit 3 including the wheel speed sensor, or The control processing unit 4 may handle the wheel speed as the vehicle speed.

The power unit 6 a is a device that is connected to the control processing unit 4 and that generates power for driving (moving) the vehicle under the control of the control processing unit 4. The power unit 6a includes, for example, an engine, a motor, a prime mover such as a hybrid device thereof, and an accessory device thereof. The power transmission unit 6b is a mechanism that transmits the power generated by the power unit 6a to the drive wheels, is connected to the control processing unit 4, and switches the traveling direction of the vehicle and changes the gear ratio according to the control of the control processing unit 4. It includes a transmission that switches the reduction ratio. The power thus generated by the power unit 6a is transmitted to the drive wheels via the power transmission unit 6b to rotate the drive wheels.

The braking unit 7 is a device that is connected to the control processing unit 4 and applies a braking force to the vehicle according to the control of the control processing unit 4 to decelerate the vehicle. The braking unit 7 can stop the vehicle as a result of decelerating the vehicle, and can also keep the vehicle stopped as a result of continuing to apply the braking force while the vehicle is stopped. The braking unit 7 is configured to include, for example, a brake device such as a disc brake and a regenerative brake and its accessory. The braking unit 7 includes the function of a so-called parking brake device.

The steering unit 8 is a device that is connected to the control processing unit 4 and that steers the vehicle under the control of the control processing unit 4. The steering unit 8 is configured to include a steering device that changes the direction of the steered wheels of the vehicle and its accessories.

By controlling each of the power unit 6a and the braking unit 7, the acceleration of the vehicle is adjusted, and the wheel speed and the vehicle speed (vehicle speed) are adjusted. By controlling the transmission of the power transmission unit 6b, the traveling direction (forward or backward) of the vehicle is adjusted. By controlling the steering unit 8, the traveling direction of the vehicle is adjusted.

The input unit 9 is connected to the control processing unit 4, and, for example, commands for instructing start and cancellation of constant-speed traveling, commands for initiating and canceling driving support, and starting and canceling automatic driving are provided. A device for inputting various commands such as commands for instructing, commands for initiating or canceling car navigation, and various data such as a set speed for constant speed traveling and a destination to the driving support device DS, for example, , A plurality of switches to which functions are assigned in advance. The output unit 10 is connected to the control processing unit 4, and under the control of the control processing unit 4, commands and data input from the input unit 9 and information related to car navigation (for example, a map, a route, running precautions and guidance, And a current position, etc.) and, as will be described later, a device for outputting each section set in the traveling area by the driving support device DS, for example, a display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD) and an organic EL display, or a sound. It is an output speaker or the like.

In the present embodiment, a touch panel is configured by a part of each of the input unit 9 and the output unit 10. In the case of configuring this touch panel, the input unit 9 includes, as a part thereof, a position input device that detects and inputs an operation position such as a resistance film type or an electrostatic capacitance type, and the output unit 10 includes one of them. The unit includes a display device. In this touch panel, the position input device is provided on the display surface of the display device, one or a plurality of input content candidates that can be input to the display device are displayed, and a display showing the input content that the user wants to input is displayed. When the position is touched, the position is detected by the position input device, and the display content displayed at the detected position is input to the driving support device DS as the operation input content of the user. With such a touch panel, the user can intuitively understand the input operation, and thus the driving support device DS that is easy for the user to handle is provided.

The storage unit 5 is a circuit which is connected to the control processing unit 4 and stores various predetermined programs and various predetermined data under the control of the control processing unit 4. The various predetermined programs include, for example, a control program for controlling each of the units 1 to 3 and 5 to 10 of the driving support device DS according to the function of each unit, and a front image generated by the image capturing unit 1, A lane marking detection processing program for detecting lane markings indicating lanes arranged in the traveling area, a section setting program for setting a gate section, a driving assistance section, and an inputtable section in the traveling area, as described later, and vehicle traveling And a control processing program such as an output processing program that outputs predetermined data from the output unit 10. The various kinds of predetermined data are displayed on the display device as a part of the output unit 10 when the vehicle makes a notice to travel in the driving assistance section in the future, such as map information representing a map including a travel area. This includes data necessary for executing each program, such as the notice screen information indicating the notice screen. The storage unit 5 includes, for example, a ROM (Read Only Memory) which is a non-volatile storage element, and an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory) which is a rewritable non-volatile storage element. The storage unit 5 includes a RAM (Random Access Memory), which serves as a working memory of the so-called control processing unit 4, which stores data and the like generated during execution of the predetermined program. The storage unit 5 may include a hard disk device having a relatively large storage capacity, or a drive device that reads data from a recording medium such as a DVD-ROM (Digital Versatile Disk Read Only Memory). The storage unit 5 functionally includes the map information storage unit 51.

The map information storage unit 51 stores map information. In the present embodiment, the map information includes position information indicating a gate position of a gate that is arranged in a traveling area in which a vehicle travels and divides the traveling area, and traveling area information indicating a shape of the traveling area. The map information includes, for example, various kinds of information related to driving such as lanes and signs attached to a driving area, and various kinds of information related to car navigation such as a place name and its position and a building name and its position. Well-known map information may be used as such map information, and map information called a so-called ADAS map or high-precision map is preferable. ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System, advanced driving support system) is a measure for realizing automatic driving, and ADAS map (high-precision map) is data that can be used for this ADAS, such as roads and road surface signs. , Lanes, road signs, outdoor lights, power poles, bridges, tunnels, buildings, and other three-dimensional data representing major objects that can be observed from vehicles traveling on the road, and are provided by, for example, so-called map makers.

For example, the traveling area is a road, and the gate is a gate that divides the road into a toll road and a non-toll road. Further, for example, the traveling area includes a road and a partitioned area, and the gate is a gate arranged at a boundary between the road and the partitioned area. The partitioned area is, for example, a parking lot, a theme park, a safari park, or the like. Hereinafter, as an example, a case will be described in which the traveling area is a road, and the gate is a toll gate that divides a highway that is an example of the toll road and a general road that is an example of the non-toll road. The same can be explained even if the traveling area and the gate are the above-mentioned cases. Further, the driving support device DS in the embodiment is applied not only when passing through the gate to enter the toll road but also when passing through the gate to exit the toll road, and similarly enters the partitioned area. It applies not only when passing through the gate in order to pass through the gate in order to get out of the compartment area.

The control processing unit 4 is a circuit for controlling each of the units 1 to 3 and 5 to 10 of the driving support device DS in accordance with the function of each unit to support the driving operation of the user. The control processing unit 4 includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and its peripheral circuits. The control processing unit 4 functionally includes a control unit 41, a marking line detection processing unit 42, a section setting unit 43, a travel control unit 44, and an output processing unit 45 by executing the control processing program.

The control unit 41 controls the respective units 1 to 5 and 10 of the driving support device DS in accordance with the functions of the respective units, and controls the entire driving support device DS.

The lane marking detection processing unit 42 detects lane markings (lines) indicating lanes arranged in the traveling area from the front image generated by the imaging unit 1. A known processing method is used for the marking line detection processing for detecting the marking line from the image. For example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 11-167636, a template image showing white lines (an example of lane markings) is prepared in advance, and the template image and the image obtained by the camera are matched to obtain white lines. The white line is obtained using the template matching method that detects the position. Alternatively, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-85249, a change in brightness is searched in the lateral direction in the white line search area, and it is determined that a portion having a very small change in brightness is a road portion, and a change in brightness is detected. It is judged that the portion adjacent to the road portion having extremely few light intensity changes greatly is the white line. Alternatively, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2007-220013, a structure that is a candidate for a white line is detected by edge detection from an image on a traveling road, and a structure that is a candidate for the white line is detected with respect to the position of the structure. Then, it is determined whether or not a predetermined structure is present at each of a plurality of predetermined relative positions, and based on the result of the determination, it is determined whether or not the structure that is a candidate for the white line is a white line. Here, the predetermined plurality of relative positions and the predetermined structure are determined on the basis of a specific relative positional relationship of the plurality of structures on the road.

The section setting unit 43 detects the end of the lane markings by the lane marking detection processing unit 42 when the vehicle position measured by the position measuring unit 2 is within a predetermined distance from the gate position represented by the position information. In this case, the gate is included from the gate position toward the vehicle position measured by the position measuring unit 2 along the traveling direction when the vehicle is traveling in the lane indicated by the lane marking. A gate section having a predetermined first length and a driving assistance section having a predetermined second length following the gate section are set in the travel area. In the present embodiment, the section setting unit 43 performs the driving in a direction away from the gate position with respect to the driving support section along the traveling direction when the vehicle is traveling in the lane indicated by the lane marking. An inputtable section having a predetermined third length following the support section is further set in the travel area. The predetermined distance is appropriately set and is set to, for example, 300 m or 500 m.

For example, as shown in FIG. 3, the travel area DA is a first travel section including three first to third lanes LN1, LN2, LN3 indicated by four first to fourth lane lines LM1 to LM4. From DA1 and the second travel section DA2 that does not have the lane markings LM and is wider than the road width (width) of the first travel section DA1 following the first travel section DA1 and the second travel section DA2. It is composed of two third and fourth traveling sections DA3 and DA4 following the second traveling section DA2, which are branched in different directions and extend from each other. Five first to first sections are provided on one end side of the second traveling section DA2. When the five gates GT1 to GT5 are arranged side by side in a direction orthogonal to the traveling direction, in the driving assistance device DS of the vehicle VCs traveling in the first lane LN1, the section setting unit 43 includes the position measuring unit. The vehicle position Ps of the vehicle VCs measured in 2 is within a predetermined distance (300 m, 500 m, etc. in the above example) from the gate position Pgt, and the lane marking LM (in this example, LM2 ) Is detected, the vehicle of the vehicle VCs measured by the position measuring unit 2 from the gate position Pgt along the traveling direction DR when the vehicle VCs is traveling in the lane LN1 indicated by the lane marking LM2. Toward the position Ps, a gate section ARgt having a predetermined first length including the gate GT (GT1 to GT5), a driving support section ARsp having a predetermined second length following the gate section ARgt, and a driving support section ARsp are provided. On the other hand, an input possible section ARin having a predetermined third length subsequent to the driving support section ARsp is set in the traveling area DA (the second traveling section DA2 in the example shown in FIG. 3) away from the gate position Pgt.

The gate section is set with the gate position as an end point or before or after the gate position. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the gate section ARgt is set with the gate position Pgt as the end point. The first length of the gate section may be set to an appropriate length, but is set to the length of the island IS (IS1 to IS5) that divides the lane at the gate GT (GT1 to GT5), for example. ..

When the vehicle travels within the driving assistance section, the input control section 44 can input an input operation from the input section 9 for instructing the traveling control unit 44 to control the traveling of the vehicle by driving assistance as described later. It is a section. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the enterable section ARin is set to extend from the partition line end position Plm where the partition line LM ends to the gate position Pgt. The third length of the input possible section may be set to an appropriate length, but for example, since the input possible section is the section set for the above, the determination time of whether or not to give the instruction , The execution time of the input operation, a standard vehicle speed, and the like are set. For example, when the judgment time and the execution time are set to about 3 to 5 seconds and the standard vehicle speed is set to about 60 km/h to 100 km/h, about 50 m (60 km/h for 3 seconds) ) To about 140 m (for 100 km/h for 5 seconds). The vehicle speed measured by the vehicle speed measuring unit 3 may be used instead of the standard vehicle speed. According to this, the time preset as the judgment time and the execution time is secured more reliably.

The driving support section is a section in which a driving operation is supported so that the driver can perform steering. The second length of the driving support section is obtained by subtracting each of the first length of the gate section and the third length of the inputtable section from the length of the travel area in which the gate section, the driving support section and the inputtable section are set. In principle, it is set to the remaining length. Here, according to this principle, depending on the length of the traveling area, the driving assistance section may not be set to a sufficient second length that allows gate selection by the driver's steering operation. Therefore, the minimum length of the second length of the driving support section is preset, and the remaining length of the subtraction result is compared with the minimum length of the second length of the driving support section. When the remaining length of the subtraction result is less than the minimum length in the second length of the driving support section, the section setting unit 43 causes the minimum in the second length of the driving support section. Set the driving support section with the limit length. The minimum length of the second length of the driving support section is appropriately set in advance and is, for example, 100 m or 200 m. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the start position of the enterable section ARin is the end position of the lane marking LM2, but in this case, the start position of the enterable section is the gate position from the end position of the lane marking. The position is shifted (shifted position) in the direction away from Pgt. That is, a part or all of the inputtable section overlaps (overlaps) with a lane having a lane marking. Also in this case, the vehicle speed actually measured by the vehicle speed measuring unit 3 may be used instead of the standard vehicle speed. In this case, more specifically, the section setting unit 43 determines that the vehicle is set at the predetermined time (about 3 to 5 seconds in the above example) based on the speed of the vehicle measured by the vehicle speed measuring unit 3. Reach the start position of the driving support section (that is, the start position of the driving support section obtained from the start position of the gate section according to the minimum length in the second length of the driving support section) A distance is calculated, and the inputtable section is set so that the calculated distance becomes the third length.

Therefore, in principle, the section setting unit 43 sets the gate section and the inputtable section in the travel area based on the gate position, and as a result, sets the driving support section in the remaining travel area. On the other hand, when the length of the driving support section thus set is less than the minimum length, the section setting unit 43 causes the gate section and the driving support of the minimum length based on the gate position. The section is reset, and the input possible section is reset from the start position of this driving support section.

When the vehicle position measured by the position measurement unit 2 is within the driving support section, the traveling control unit 44 controls the traveling of the vehicle by driving assistance that controls the speed of the vehicle, and the position measurement unit 2 measures the vehicle position. When the vehicle position is within the gate section, the traveling of the vehicle is controlled by automatic driving that controls steering and speed of the vehicle. The traveling control unit 44 automatically switches from the driving assistance to the automatic driving when the vehicle travels from the driving assistance section to the gate section.

In the driving assistance, the traveling control unit 44 controls traveling of the vehicle so as to reduce the speed of the vehicle, for example. More specifically, when the vehicle passes the start position of the driving assistance section, the traveling control unit 44 determines whether the vehicle passes the ending position of the driving assistance section based on the vehicle speed measured by the vehicle speed measuring unit 3. First, the traveling of the vehicle is controlled by controlling the power unit 6a, the power transmission unit 6b, and the braking unit 7 so as to reduce the speed of the vehicle to the vehicle speed used for automatic driving in the gate section. As a result, the vehicle can travel smoothly from the driving support section to the gate section in terms of vehicle speed, and the passengers of the vehicle can be given a sense of security.

In the automatic driving, the traveling control unit 44 causes the power unit 6a and the power transmission unit 6b to steer the vehicle straight along the lane of the gate section and to keep the speed of the vehicle constant. Also, the traveling of the vehicle is controlled by controlling the steering unit 8. The constant speed is appropriately set, for example, at a speed equal to or lower than the speed allowed for passing the gate. For example, when the gate is an ETC gate, the constant speed is appropriately set to 20 km/h or less.

In the automatic driving of the gate section, when the gate is opened or when a sign permitting passage through the gate (for example, “OK” sign displayed when the gate is ETC) is issued, the traveling control is performed. The unit 44 may control the traveling of the vehicle so as to accelerate the vehicle. When these gates are opened or when the signature is issued, it can be recognized by, for example, image-processing the front image.

The output processing unit 45, when the vehicle is traveling in the lane indicated by the lane marking, when the traveling control unit 44 controls the traveling of the vehicle so as to maintain the inside of the lane, Before the vehicle reaches the ending position of the lane marking, the output unit 10 outputs a notice that the vehicle will travel in the driving assistance section. The notice may be a display indicating that the output unit 10 includes a display device and the vehicle is traveling in the driving assistance section in the future, or instead of the display or in addition to the display, The advance notice may be a voice that indicates that the output unit 10 includes a speaker and that the vehicle will travel in the driving assistance section in the future. Then, in the present embodiment, the output processing unit 45 functions as a display processing unit, and the traveling area represented by the traveling area information, the gate at the gate position represented by the positional information, the gate section, the driving assistance. The section and the inputtable section are displayed on the display device of the output unit 10.

In the present embodiment, as described above, the touch panel is configured from a part of each of the input unit 9 and the output unit 10, and the advance notice is information related to car navigation, travel area, gate, gate section, driving support section. , An input possible section, and an input button for inputting an input operation for instructing the traveling control unit 44 to control the traveling of the vehicle by the driving assistance when the vehicle travels in the driving assistance section. It is displayed on the touch panel by the output processing unit 45 together with the (driving support on/off button). More specifically, the notice screen 60 for displaying these is, for example, as shown in FIG. 4, a navigation information display region 61 for displaying information related to car navigation and a notice display region 62 for displaying the notice message. And a driving support on/off button 63. In the navigation information display area 61, the output processing unit (display processing unit) 45 displays the planar shape of the traveling area DA including the own vehicle in the front in the traveling direction on the basis of the traveling area information, and displays it in the vehicle position of the own vehicle. A vehicle icon IVCs representing the host vehicle is displayed at a position on the travel area DA corresponding to the gate, and a gate icon IGT representing a gate is displayed at a position on the travel area DA corresponding to the position information on the gate. At each position on the travel area DA corresponding to each position set in step 1, the gate section, the driving support section, and the inputtable section are displayed as line segments with arrows. The icon is a symbolic representation of things with a relatively simple design or the like, and is composed of a picture, a symbol, a figure, or a combination thereof. The output processing unit 45 updates the information related to car navigation displayed in the navigation information display area 61 of the advance notice screen 60 according to the movement of the host vehicle VCs by a known processing method. In the notice display area 62, for example, a message indicating the notice such as “A driving support section is set up ahead.” is displayed in text. The driving assistance on/off button 63 is displayed by switching the display mode between driving assistance on and driving assistance off each time the area in which the driving assistance on/off button 63 is displayed is touched with, for example, a finger. The on state and the driving assistance state are cyclically switched. For example, the display mode when the driving support is off is an inversion of the display mode when the driving support is on. Then, when the driving support on/off button 63 is on for driving support when the vehicle position of the vehicle measured by the position measurement unit 2 has passed the end position of the input enabled section, the traveling control unit 44 causes the vehicle to drive. When traveling in the assistance section, an instruction (ON instruction) for controlling the traveling of the vehicle is received by driving assistance, while the vehicle position of the vehicle measured by the position measuring unit 2 has passed the end position of the inputtable section. At this time, when the driving support ON/OFF button 63 is OFF for driving support, the traveling control unit 44 instructs to control traveling of the vehicle without driving assistance when the vehicle travels within the driving assistance section. Accept instructions). In the above description, when the vehicle position of the vehicle passes through the end position of the input enabled section, it is determined whether or not the driving support on/off button 63 is the driving support off. Separately, a confirmation button (decision button) for confirming (deciding) the input contents of the input operation is further provided on the advance notice screen 60, and the driving support on/off button 63 turns off the driving support by the input operation of the confirmation button. Whether or not it may be determined.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the traveling control unit 44 inputs the input operation of the ON instruction to the input unit 9 with the driving support ON/OFF button 63 when the vehicle position measured by the position measurement unit 2 is within the input possible section. In this case, when the vehicle travels in the driving assistance section, the driving of the vehicle is controlled by the driving assistance.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the map information storage unit 51 is a map information storage unit that stores map information including position information indicating gate positions of gates that are arranged in a traveling region in which a vehicle travels and partition the traveling region. This corresponds to an example. The marking line detection processing unit 42 of the imaging unit 1 and the control processing unit 4 corresponds to an example of a marking line detection unit that detects a marking line indicating a lane arranged in the traveling area. The output unit 10 corresponds to an example of an output unit that performs output, and also corresponds to an example of a display unit that performs display. The output processing unit 45, when the vehicle is traveling in the lane indicated by the lane marking, when the traveling control unit controls the traveling of the vehicle so as to maintain the inside of the lane, Before the vehicle reaches the end position of the lane marking, the vehicle corresponds to an example of an output processing unit that outputs, from the output unit, a notice that the vehicle will travel in the driving assistance section, and the traveling region. It corresponds to an example of a display processing unit that displays a traveling area represented by information, a gate at a gate position represented by the position information, the gate section, and the driving support section, and further, the input enable section. Corresponds to an example of a display processing unit that further displays the above.

Next, the operation of this embodiment will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the operation of the driving support device.

When the vehicle starts to operate, the driving support device DS as described above initializes necessary parts and starts the operation. By executing the control processing program, the control processing unit 4 functionally includes the control unit 41, the marking line detection processing unit 42, the section setting unit 43, the traveling control unit 44, and the output processing unit 45.

In FIG. 5, the driving support device DS first acquires the generated front image from the imaging unit 1 by the control unit 41 of the control processing unit 4 and acquires the vehicle position of the measurement result from the position measurement unit 2. Then, the wheel speed of the measurement result is acquired from the vehicle speed measuring unit 3, and the vehicle speed is obtained and acquired from the wheel speed based on the size of the wheel (S1).

Next, the driving support device DS uses the section setting unit 43 of the control processing unit 4 to determine whether or not there is a gate in the vicinity (S2). More specifically, the section setting unit 43 selects (searches) the gate position of the gate closest to the vehicle position acquired in step S1 from the position information stored in the map information storage unit 51. The selected gate position is compared with the vehicle position acquired in the process S1 to determine whether the vehicle position acquired in the process S1 is within the predetermined distance from the selected gate position. As a result of this determination, when the vehicle position is within the predetermined distance from the gate position, the driving support device DS determines that a gate exists near (Yes), and then executes processing S3. .. On the other hand, as a result of the determination, when the vehicle position is not within the predetermined distance from the gate position, the driving support device DS determines that there is no gate in the vicinity (No), and the process proceeds to process S1. return. Therefore, the processes S1 and S2 are repeatedly executed until it is determined that the gate exists near the host vehicle.

In this process S3, the driving assistance device DS determines whether the lane marking detection processing unit 42 and the section setting unit 43 in the control processing unit 4 have detected the end of the lane marking. More specifically, the lane marking detection processing unit 42 first detects lane markings from the front image acquired in step S1. Then, the section setting unit 43 determines whether the lane markings detected by the lane marking detection processing unit 42 have ended. As a result of this determination, when the lane marking detected by the lane marking detection processing unit 42 has an end, the section setting unit 43 determines that the lane marking has ended (Yes), and the lane marking end The position is obtained, the extension direction of the lane indicated by the lane marking is obtained as the traveling direction of the vehicle, and then the process S4 is executed. For example, since the actual distance per pixel is obtained for each pixel from the lower end to the upper end in the front image from the specifications of the image pickup unit 1 (optical characteristics of the image forming optical system, etc.), it is possible to reflect in the front image. The end position of the lane marking is obtained from the pixel position corresponding to the end position of the lane marking and the vehicle position acquired in step S1 together with the front image. On the other hand, as a result of the determination, if the lane marking detected by the lane marking detection processing unit 42 does not have an end (for example, a road that branches off from the main road and does not follow the running area in which the gate is placed does not belong to the main road When the vehicle is traveling on the road), the section setting unit 43 determines that the lane marking has not ended (No) and returns the process to the process S1.

In the above description, process S3 is executed next to process S2, but conversely, process S3 may be executed before process S2. That is, either the presence of the gate or the end of the lane marking may be determined first.

In this process S4, the driving support device DS outputs the notice to the output unit 10 by the output processing unit 45 of the control processing unit 4. More specifically, in the present embodiment, the output processing unit 45 displays the advance notice screen 60 shown in FIG. 4 described above on the display device of the output unit 10.

Following the processing S4, the driving support device DS causes the section setting unit 43 to move each of the gate section, the driving support section, and the inputtable section from the gate position to the vehicle position along the traveling direction. Then, the travel area is set (S5). More specifically, as described above, in the above-described principle, the section setting unit 43 sets the gate section and the inputtable section as the travel area based on the gate position, and as a result, the driving assistance is provided in the remaining travel area. Set the section. On the other hand, when the length of the driving support section thus set is less than the minimum length, the section setting unit 43 causes the gate section and the driving support of the minimum length based on the gate position. The section is reset, and the input possible section is reset from the start position of this driving support section.

Subsequent to this process S5, the driving assistance device DS is turned on by the driving assistance on/off button 63 when the vehicle position measured by the position measurement unit 2 is within the inputtable section by the traveling control unit 44 of the control processing unit 4. It is determined whether an instruction input operation has been input to the input unit 9 (S6). More specifically, in the present embodiment, when the vehicle position of the vehicle measured by the position measuring unit 2 has passed the end position of the inputtable section, the driving control unit 44 controls the driving support ON/OFF button 63 to drive the vehicle. It is determined whether it is on. As a result of this determination, when the driving assistance on/off button 63 is on for driving assistance, the traveling control unit 44 determines that the input operation of the on instruction is input to the input unit 9 (Yes), and then, After the processing S7 and the processing S8 are sequentially executed, the processing S10 is executed. On the other hand, as a result of the determination, when the driving support on/off button 63 is the driving support off, the traveling control unit 44 does not input the input operation of the on instruction to the input unit 9 (input of the off instruction. It is determined that the operation has been input to the input unit 9) (No), and after performing the process S8, the process S10 is performed.

In the process S7, the driving support device DS controls the traveling of the vehicle by driving assistance in the driving assistance section by the traveling control unit 44. More specifically, in the present embodiment, the travel control unit 44 measures by the position measuring unit 2 when the vehicle position measured by the position measuring unit 2 reaches the start position of the driving assistance section set in step S5. From the vehicle speed measured by the vehicle speed measurement unit 3 when the vehicle passes the start position of the driving support section until the vehicle position reaches the end position of the driving support section (that is, the start position of the gate section), When the vehicle passes the end position of the driving assistance section, the power unit 6a, the power transmission unit 6b, and the braking unit 7 are set so as to reduce the speed of the vehicle to the vehicle speed used for automatic driving in the gate section. By controlling, the traveling of the vehicle is controlled. In this driving assistance, the driver's steering operation is allowed.

In a process S8 subsequent to the process S7, the driving support device DS controls the traveling of the vehicle in the gate section by the automatic driving by the traveling control unit 44. More specifically, in the present embodiment, when the vehicle position measured by the position measuring unit 2 reaches the start position of the gate section set in step S5, the traveling control unit 44 measures the vehicle measured by the position measuring unit 2. Until the position reaches the end position of the gate section, the power unit 6a, the power transmission so that the steering of the vehicle goes straight along the lane of the gate section and the speed of the vehicle becomes a constant speed. The traveling of the vehicle is controlled by controlling the section 6b and the steering section 8. When the vehicle position measured by the position measuring unit 2 passes the end position of the gate section, the driving support device DS cancels each section set in the process S5.

On the other hand, in the process S9, the driving support device DS cancels each section set in the process S5 and maintains the current traveling control. For example, when the vehicle is traveling in the lane indicated by the lane markings and the traveling of the vehicle is controlled by the automatic driving, the automatic driving is maintained. Further, for example, when the vehicle is traveling in the lane indicated by the lane marking and the vehicle is traveling manually by the driver, the driving by the manual operation is maintained.

Then, in the process S8 following the process S8 or the process S9, the driving support device DS determines whether or not the end of the operation is instructed by, for example, an input operation of a switch for turning the operation on or off. As a result of this determination, if the end of the operation is instructed (Yes), the driving support device DS ends this process and ends the operation, while, as a result of the determination, the end of the operation is instructed. If not (No), the driving support device DS returns the process to the process S1. When any one of the above-mentioned processes S1 to S9 is being executed, if there is an input operation of the switch for turning on/off the operation, the process being executed is terminated by interruption, and the operation is performed. The support device DS may end its operation.

As described above, the driving assistance device DS and the parking assistance method implemented in the embodiment set the driving assistance section before the gate section including the gate, and control the vehicle speed in the driving assistance section. By doing so, the driver's driving operation is supported. Therefore, the driver's steering operation is allowed in the driving support section, and the driving support device DS and the driving support method can support the driving operation according to the driver's steering intention.

Since the driving support device DS and the driving support method output a notice from the output unit 10, the driver can be notified of the setting of the driving support section. In the above-described embodiment, whether or not the driving assistance is performed in the driving assistance section is determined by the input operation of the driving assistance on/off button 63, but when the vehicle reaches the driving assistance section, the traveling control unit 44 travels. The control may be automatically switched to driving support. In such a case, the output (notification) of the advance notice is effective.

Since the driving support device DS and the driving support method include the input unit 9 and set the input enable section, the driver can select whether to execute the driving support in the driving support section.

When the vehicle travels from the driving support section to the gate section, the driving support device DS and the driving support method automatically switch from the driving support to the automatic driving. Therefore, the driver inputs an instruction to switch from the driving support to the automatic driving. It is possible to automatically pass through the gate section without performing any operation or driving operation when passing through the gate.

Since the driving support device DS and the driving support method display the traveling area, the input enable section, the driving assistance section, the gate section and the gate on the display device of the output unit 10, the driver inputs these in the traveling area. It is possible to recognize possible sections, driving support sections, gate sections, and each position of the gate.

In the above embodiment, the map information storage unit 51 is used as an example of the map information storage unit that stores the map information, but the map information storage unit 51 is not limited to this, and the map information storage unit It may be in the form of. For example, the map information storage unit includes a recording medium such as a DVD-ROM or a USB (Universal Serial Bus) memory for storing the map information, and a recording medium such as a DVD drive device or a USB interface. A reading device for reading the map information from the medium may be provided. Further, for example, the map information storage unit stores the map information received by the receiving unit and a receiving unit such as a communication card that receives the map information from a server device that manages the map information via a network. A storage unit may be provided.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, the lane marking detection processing unit 42 detects the lane markings from the front image generated by the image capturing unit 1 by image processing. However, in the map information stored in the map information storage unit 51, When the lane marking information indicating the lane marking is included, the lane marking detection processing unit 42 may detect the lane marking from the lane marking information in the map information stored in the map information storage unit 51.

In order to represent the present invention, the present invention has been described above appropriately and sufficiently through the embodiments with reference to the drawings, but those skilled in the art can easily modify and/or improve the above embodiments. It should be recognized that this is possible. Therefore, unless a modification or improvement carried out by a person skilled in the art is at a level that deviates from the scope of rights of the claims recited in the claims, the modification or the improvement is covered by the scope of rights of the claims. Is understood to be included in.

DS driving support device 1 imaging unit 2 position measuring unit 3 vehicle speed measuring unit 4 control processing unit 5 storage unit 6a power unit 6b power transmission unit 7 braking unit 8 steering unit 9 input unit 10 output unit 41 control unit 42 marking line detection processing unit 43 section setting unit 44 traveling control unit 45 output processing unit (display processing unit)
51 Map information storage

Claims (7)

A map information storage unit that stores map information including position information indicating a gate position of a gate that is arranged in a traveling area in which a vehicle travels and divides the traveling area;
A position measuring unit that measures the vehicle position of the vehicle in the traveling area,
A lane marking detecting unit that detects a lane marking indicating a lane arranged in the traveling area,
A travel control unit that controls travel of the vehicle,
When the vehicle position measured by the position measuring unit is within a predetermined distance from the gate position represented by the position information and the lane marking detecting unit detects the end of the lane marking, the lane marking A gate having a predetermined first length including the gate from the gate position to the vehicle position measured by the position measuring unit along the traveling direction when the vehicle is traveling in the lane indicated by A section, and a section setting unit that sets a driving assistance section of a predetermined second length following the gate section in the travel area,
The traveling control unit controls traveling of the vehicle by driving assistance that controls the speed of the vehicle when the vehicle position measured by the position measuring unit is within the driving assistance section, and is measured by the position measuring unit. When the vehicle position is within the gate section, the traveling of the vehicle is controlled by automatic driving that controls steering and speed in the vehicle,
Driving support device. An output section for outputting,
When the vehicle is traveling in the lane indicated by the lane markings and the traveling control unit controls the traveling of the vehicle so as to maintain the inside of the lane, the vehicle is Before the vehicle reaches the end position, the vehicle further includes an output processing unit that outputs, from the output unit, a notice of traveling in the driving support section.
The driving support device according to claim 1. When the vehicle travels in the driving assistance section, the traveling control unit further comprises an input unit for inputting an input operation for instructing to control traveling of the vehicle by the driving assistance,
The section setting unit follows the driving support section in a direction away from the gate position with respect to the driving support section along a traveling direction when the vehicle is traveling in a lane indicated by the lane markings. The inputtable section of the third length of is further set in the traveling area,
The traveling control unit causes the vehicle to travel in the driving assistance section when the input operation is input to the input unit when the vehicle position measured by the position measurement unit is in the input enable section. In the case of controlling the traveling of the vehicle with the driving assistance,
The driving support device according to claim 1 or 2. The traveling control unit automatically switches from the driving assistance to the automatic driving when the vehicle travels from the driving assistance section to the gate section.
The driving support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The map information further includes travel area information indicating a shape of the travel area,
A display unit for displaying,
A travel area represented by the travel area information, a gate at a gate position represented by the position information, a display processing unit that displays the gate section and the driving assistance section on the display unit,
The driving support device according to any one of claims 1 to 4. The display processing unit further displays the inputtable section on the display unit,
The driving support device according to claim 5, which further claims claim 5, which cites claim 3, or claim 4, which cites claim 3. A driving support method for supporting a driving operation of the vehicle by using map information including position information indicating a gate position of a gate that is arranged in a traveling region in which the vehicle travels and divides the traveling region,
A position measuring step of measuring a vehicle position of the vehicle in the traveling area;
A lane marking detecting step of detecting a lane marking indicating a lane arranged in the traveling area,
A traveling control step of controlling traveling of the vehicle,
When the vehicle position measured in the position measuring step is within a predetermined distance from the gate position represented by the position information and when the end of the lane marking is detected by the lane marking detecting step, the lane marking A gate having a predetermined first length including the gate from the gate position toward the vehicle position measured in the position measuring step along the traveling direction when the vehicle is traveling in the lane indicated by A section and a section setting step of setting a driving assistance section of a predetermined second length following the gate section in the travel area,
The traveling control step controls traveling of the vehicle with driving assistance that controls the speed of the vehicle when the vehicle position measured in the position measuring step is within the driving assistance section, and is measured in the position measuring step. When the vehicle position is within the gate section, the traveling of the vehicle is controlled by automatic driving that controls steering and speed in the vehicle,
Driving support method.

Images