JP2023080504A - Driving support device and computer program - Google Patents

Abstract

To provide a driving support device capable of generating a speed plan with no burden applied to a driver, and to provide a computer program therefor.SOLUTION: The driving support device is constituted to: acquire a scheduled traveling route on which a vehicle travels; acquire information about a stopping non-recommended area as an area to avoid stopping on the scheduled traveling route; acquire an event as a deceleration factor event when the stopping non-recommended area is present in front of an own vehicle by a predetermined distance and the event causing deceleration or stopping of the own vehicle occurs in the stopping non-recommended area and its periphery; determine a stop position where the own vehicle stops by considering a traveling state of the own vehicle, contents of the deceleration factor event and the stopping non-recommended area when it is determined that the own vehicle needs to stop at an intersection due to the deceleration factor event; generate a speed plan of the own vehicle for making the own vehicle stop at the stop position; and perform driving support of the own vehicle on the basis of the stop position and the speed plan.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 19

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD The present invention relates to a driving assistance device and a computer program that assist driving of a vehicle.

In recent years, as a driving mode of a vehicle, in addition to manual driving in which driving is performed based on the user's driving operation, automatic driving assists the user in driving the vehicle by executing part or all of the user's driving operation on the vehicle side. New proposals have been made for support systems. Autonomous driving support systems, for example, detect the current position of the vehicle, the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and the positions of other vehicles in the vicinity at any time, and operate the steering, drive source, brakes, etc. so that the vehicle travels along a preset route. Vehicle control is automatic.

In addition, in the above-described automatic driving assistance driving, a speed plan is generated in advance to indicate how the vehicle speed will change while the vehicle is running, and control is performed to drive the vehicle based on the generated speed plan. . Here, there are various factors that affect the running of the vehicle on the road.In particular, when the vehicle needs to stop while traveling on the road, the position to stop is determined, and the speed planning is performed according to the position to stop. will need to be generated. Examples of cases in which such a vehicle stops while traveling on a road include the presence of a stop road sign, the presence of a traffic signal or a railroad crossing, the presence of a preceding vehicle, and the like. As an example, in International Publication No. 2019/069437, when a camera recognizes a forward vehicle located on the road after passing through the intersection, a space where the own vehicle can be stopped behind the forward vehicle after passing through the intersection. is formed, generates a speed plan for passing through the intersection when there is space, and generates a speed plan for stopping before the intersection when there is no space. .

International Publication No. 2019/069437 (paragraphs 0043-0060)

Here, in the technique of Patent Document 1, the position of the vehicle in front and the space for stopping the vehicle are detected using means capable of imaging the surroundings of the vehicle, such as a camera. Limited to the vicinity of the own vehicle. Therefore, the timing at which it is possible to determine whether or not there is a space behind the vehicle in front after passing through the intersection is after the vehicle has approached the intersection to some extent. Generating a speed plan for stopping may cause sudden braking.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made to solve the problems in the conventional art, and when the own vehicle needs to be stopped, the position at which the own vehicle should be stopped can be specified at an earlier stage than in the conventional art. , an object of the present invention is to provide a driving support device and a computer program that enable generation of a speed plan that does not burden a driver.

In order to achieve the above object, a driving support system according to the present invention includes: a planned travel route acquiring means for acquiring a planned travel route along which the vehicle travels; area information acquisition means for acquiring information about a stop non-recommended area, which is an area to avoid; When an event causing deceleration or stopping occurs, an event acquisition means for acquiring the event as a deceleration factor event; a stop position determining means for determining a stop position where the own vehicle stops in consideration of the running condition of the own vehicle, the content of the deceleration factor event, and the non-recommended stop area; and for stopping the own vehicle at the stop position. and driving assistance means for assisting driving of the own vehicle based on the stop position and the speed plan.
The "non-recommended area for stopping" includes, for example, intersections, railroad crossings, pedestrian crossings, areas where stopping is prohibited on road signs, areas where trams pass, and the like.
Further, "driving assistance" refers to a function of performing or assisting at least part of the driver's vehicle operation, or performing display guidance or voice guidance to assist driving.

A computer program according to the present invention is a program for generating assistance information used for driving assistance implemented in a vehicle. Specifically, the computer comprises a planned travel route acquiring means for acquiring a planned travel route along which the vehicle travels, and an area through which the vehicle passes on the planned travel route and where the vehicle should avoid stopping. an area information acquiring means for acquiring information about a non-recommended area; the non-recommended stopping area exists in front of the own vehicle by a predetermined distance, and the non-recommended stopping area and its surroundings cause the own vehicle to decelerate or stop. event acquisition means for acquiring an event as a deceleration factor event when an event occurs; stop position determination means for determining a stop position for the own vehicle to stop in consideration of the content of the deceleration factor event and the non-recommended stop area; and a speed plan for the own vehicle for stopping the own vehicle at the stop position. A speed plan generating means for generating the speed plan and a driving support means for supporting the driving of the own vehicle based on the stop position and the speed plan are caused to function.

According to the driving support device and the computer program according to the present invention having the above configuration, when the own vehicle needs to stop, the travel information of the own vehicle, the details of the event that causes the own vehicle to decelerate or stop, and the stop of the own vehicle. By using the information related to the non-recommended stop area, which is an area to be avoided, it is possible to identify the position at which the own vehicle should be stopped at an earlier stage than in the conventional art. Thereby, it becomes possible to generate a speed plan that does not burden the driver.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a driving support system according to an embodiment; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a driving support system according to this embodiment; FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a navigation device according to an embodiment; FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an automatic driving assistance program according to the embodiment; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing areas from which high-precision map information is acquired; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of an avoidance trajectory, which is one of dynamic travel trajectories. 4 is a flowchart of a sub-processing program of static traveling trajectory generation processing; FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an example of a planned travel route of a vehicle; 9 is a diagram showing an example of a lane network constructed for the planned travel route shown in FIG. 8; FIG. 4 is a flowchart of a sub-processing program of static speed plan generation processing; FIG. 4 is a diagram showing an example of a static velocity plan; FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a sub-processing program of dynamic speed plan generation processing; FIG. FIG. 10 is a flowchart of a sub-processing program of dynamic speed plan generation processing; FIG. It is a figure showing an example of a stop non-recommended area set for an intersection. It is a figure showing an example of a stop non-recommended area set for an intersection. It is a figure showing an example of a stop non-recommended area set for a railroad crossing. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a braking distance of a vehicle; It is the figure which showed the passage position of the stopping non-recommended area. FIG. 12 is a diagram showing an example in which the stop position of the own vehicle is determined before the non-recommended stop area; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing stop position candidates extracted from inside a non-recommended stop area. FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example in which the stop position of the own vehicle is determined as a stop position candidate within the non-recommended stop area. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing stop position candidates extracted from an intersection section to a forward vehicle; FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example in which the stop position of the own vehicle is determined as a stop position candidate within the non-recommended stop area.

An embodiment in which a driving assistance device according to the present invention is embodied in a navigation device 1 will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. First, a schematic configuration of a driving support system 2 including a navigation device 1 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram showing a driving support system 2 according to this embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the driving support system 2 according to this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the driving support system 2 according to the present embodiment includes a server device 4 provided in an information distribution center 3, a navigation device 1 mounted in a vehicle 5 and performing various types of support related to automatic driving of the vehicle 5, basically have Also, the server device 4 and the navigation device 1 are configured to be able to transmit and receive electronic data to and from each other via a communication network 6 . Note that, instead of the navigation device 1, another vehicle-mounted device mounted on the vehicle 5 or a vehicle control device that controls the vehicle 5 may be used.

Here, in addition to manual driving, in which the vehicle 5 travels based on the driving operation of the user, automatic driving in which the vehicle automatically travels along a preset route or road without depending on the driving operation of the user. The vehicle should be able to run with assistance.

In addition, automatic driving support may be performed for all road sections, or a vehicle runs on a specific road section (for example, a highway with a gate (manned or unmanned, paid or free) at the boundary) It is good also as a structure which performs only an interval. In the following explanation, the autonomous driving section where the vehicle's autonomous driving assistance is performed includes all road sections including general roads and expressways, as well as parking lots, and the vehicle stops driving after it starts driving. It is assumed that the automatic driving assistance is basically performed until (until the vehicle is parked). However, when the vehicle travels in an automatic driving section, automatic driving assistance is not always performed, but the user selects to perform automatic driving assistance (for example, turns on the automatic driving start button), and automatic driving assistance It is desirable to do so only in situations where it is determined that it is possible to make the vehicle run. On the other hand, the vehicle 5 may be a vehicle capable of only assisted driving by automatic driving assistance.

In vehicle control in automatic driving support, for example, the current position of the vehicle, the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and the positions of surrounding obstacles are detected at any time, and along the traveling trajectory generated by the navigation device 1 as described later. , vehicle control such as steering, drive source, and brake is automatically performed so that the vehicle travels at a speed according to the speed plan that is also generated. In the assisted driving by the automatic driving assistance of the present embodiment, lane changes, right/left turns, and parking operations are also performed by performing vehicle control by the above-described automatic driving assistance. It is also possible to adopt a configuration in which the automatic driving assistance is not used for such running, but the manual driving is performed.

On the other hand, the navigation device 1 is mounted on the vehicle 5, and displays a map of the vehicle's surroundings based on map data possessed by the navigation device 1 or map data acquired from the outside, and allows the user to input a destination. , an in-vehicle device that displays the current position of the vehicle on a map image and provides movement guidance along a set guidance route. In the present embodiment, various types of support information relating to automatic driving support are generated particularly when the vehicle performs assisted driving with automatic driving support. The support information includes, for example, a recommended travel trajectory for the vehicle (including a recommended lane movement mode), selection of a parking position for parking the vehicle at the destination, and a speed plan indicating the vehicle speed when traveling. Details of the navigation device 1 will be described later.

The server device 4 also executes route search in response to a request from the navigation device 1 . Specifically, when a destination is set in the navigation device 1 or when a route is re-searched (rerouted), information necessary for route search such as a departure point and a destination is sent from the navigation device 1 to the server device 4. Information is sent with the route search request (however, in the case of a re-search, information about the destination need not necessarily be sent). After receiving the route search request, the server device 4 searches for a route using the map information held by the server device 4, and specifies a recommended route from the departure point to the destination. After that, the specified recommended route is transmitted to the navigation device 1 that made the request. Then, the navigation device 1 provides the received information on the recommended route to the user, sets the recommended route as a guidance route, and generates various types of support information related to automatic driving support according to the guidance route. As a result, even if the map information possessed by the navigation device 1 at the time of route search is of an old version, or even if the navigation device 1 does not possess the map information itself, the latest version of the map possessed by the server device 4 can be obtained. A recommended route to an appropriate destination can be provided based on the information.

Furthermore, the server device 4 has high-precision map information, which is map information with higher accuracy, in addition to the normal map information used for the route search. High-precision map information includes, for example, the lane shape of the road (road shape and curvature for each lane, lane width, etc.) and the division lines drawn on the road (roadway center line, lane boundary line, roadway outer line, guide line, guide line belt, etc.). In addition, information on intersections, information on railroad crossings, information on parking lots, and the like are also included. Then, the server device 4 distributes the high-precision map information in response to a request from the navigation device 1, and the navigation device 1 uses the high-precision map information distributed from the server device 4 to perform various functions related to automatic driving assistance as described later. Generate supporting information. The high-precision map information is basically map information only for roads (links) and their surroundings, but may be map information including areas other than roads.

However, the above-described route search processing does not necessarily have to be performed by the server device 4, and may be performed by the navigation device 1 as long as the navigation device 1 has map information. Also, the high-precision map information may not be delivered from the server device 4 but may be stored in advance in the navigation device 1 .

The communication network 6 includes a large number of base stations located all over the country and communication companies that manage and control each base station. It is configured by connecting Here, the base station has a transceiver (transmitter/receiver) for communicating with the navigation device 1 and an antenna. While the base station performs wireless communication between communication companies, it serves as a terminal of the communication network 6 and relays communication with the server device 4 from the navigation device 1 within the range (cell) where the radio waves of the base station reach. have a role to play.

Next, the configuration of the server device 4 in the driving support system 2 will be described in more detail using FIG. The server device 4 includes a server control unit 11, a server-side map DB 12 as information recording means connected to the server control unit 11, a high-precision map DB 13, and a server-side communication device 14, as shown in FIG. .

The server control unit 11 is a control unit (MCU, MPU, etc.) that controls the entire server device 4, and is used as a CPU 21 as an arithmetic device and a control device, and as a working memory when the CPU 21 performs various arithmetic processing. A RAM 22, a ROM 23 in which control programs and the like are recorded, and an internal storage device such as a flash memory 24 in which programs read out from the ROM 23 are stored. The server control unit 11 has various means as a processing algorithm together with an ECU of the navigation device 1, which will be described later.

On the other hand, the server-side map DB 12 is storage means for storing server-side map information, which is the latest version of map information registered based on input data or input operations from the outside. Here, the server-side map information is composed of various information necessary for route search, route guidance, and map display, including road networks. For example, network data including nodes and links indicating a road network, link data relating to roads (links), node data relating to node points, intersection data relating to each intersection, point data relating to points such as facilities, map display for displaying maps data, search data for searching for routes, search data for searching for points, and the like.

The high-precision map DB 13 is storage means for storing high-precision map information 15, which is map information with higher precision than the server-side map information. The high-precision map information 15 is map information that stores more detailed information about roads, parking lots, and the like on which the vehicle travels. , lane width, etc.) and division lines drawn on the road (roadway center line, lane boundary line, roadway outside line, guidance line, current flow zone, etc.). Furthermore, data representing road gradients, cants, banks, merging sections, locations where the number of lanes is reduced, locations where the width is narrowed, railroad crossings, etc., are used for corners, curvature radii, intersections, T-junctions, corners, etc. Data representing entrances and exits, etc. of road attributes, data representing downhill roads, uphill roads, etc. Regarding road types, in addition to general roads such as national roads, prefectural roads, and narrow streets, national highways, urban highways, Data representing toll roads such as motorways, general toll roads, and toll bridges are recorded respectively. In addition to the number of lanes on a road, traffic divisions in the direction of travel for each lane and connections between roads (specifically, lanes included in the road before passing the junction and roads Also recorded is information specifying the correspondence relationship with the lane). Furthermore, the speed limit set for the road is also stored. The high-precision map DB 13 also includes information on intersections and railroad crossings. More specifically, information about the shapes of intersections and features placed on the intersections is also stored. The "features arranged on the intersection" include structures such as road markings (stop lines, crosswalks, etc.), lane markings, poles, and traffic lights drawn on the road surface of the intersection. In addition, information about the shape of the railroad crossing and the position of the gate at the railroad crossing is also stored. Also stored is information specifying areas other than intersections and railroad crossings where the vehicle should avoid stopping. For example, road signs for prohibition of stopping, areas where streetcars pass, and the like correspond. Further, the high-precision map information is basically map information only for roads (links) and their surroundings, but may be map information including areas other than roads. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the server-side map information stored in the server-side map DB 12 and the high-precision map information 15 are different map information. good.

On the other hand, the server-side communication device 14 is a communication device for communicating with the navigation device 1 of each vehicle 5 via the communication network 6 . In addition to the navigation device 1, traffic information such as congestion information, traffic regulation information, and traffic accident information transmitted from the Internet network, a traffic information center such as a VICS (registered trademark: Vehicle Information and Communication System) center, etc. Receiving information is also possible.

Next, a schematic configuration of the navigation device 1 mounted on the vehicle 5 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing the navigation device 1 according to this embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 3, the navigation device 1 according to this embodiment includes a current position detection unit 31 that detects the current position of the vehicle in which the navigation device 1 is mounted, a data recording unit 32 that records various data, Based on the input information, the navigation ECU 33 performs various arithmetic processing, the operation unit 34 receives the operation from the user, and the map around the vehicle and the guidance route (vehicle A liquid crystal display 35 that displays information such as information related to the planned travel route), a speaker 36 that outputs voice guidance regarding route guidance, a DVD drive 37 that reads a DVD that is a storage medium, and an information center such as a probe center and a VICS center. and a communication module 38 for communicating between. In addition, the navigation device 1 is connected to an exterior camera 39 and various sensors installed in the vehicle on which the navigation device 1 is mounted via an in-vehicle network such as CAN. Further, it is also connected to a vehicle control ECU 40 that performs various controls on the vehicle in which the navigation device 1 is mounted so as to be capable of two-way communication.

Each component of the navigation device 1 will be described in order below.
The current position detection unit 31 includes a GPS 41, a vehicle speed sensor 42, a steering sensor 43, a gyro sensor 44, etc., and is capable of detecting the current vehicle position, direction, vehicle speed, current time, and the like. . In particular, the vehicle speed sensor 42 is a sensor for detecting the moving distance and speed of the vehicle, generates a pulse according to the rotation of the driving wheels of the vehicle, and outputs the pulse signal to the navigation ECU 33 . Then, the navigation ECU 33 calculates the rotational speed of the drive wheels and the movement distance by counting the generated pulses. It should be noted that the navigation device 1 does not need to include all of the above four types of sensors, and the navigation device 1 may be configured to include only one or more of these sensors.

The data recording unit 32 also reads a hard disk (not shown) as an external storage device and recording medium, and the map information DB 45, cache 46, and predetermined programs recorded in the hard disk, and writes predetermined data to the hard disk. and a recording head (not shown) which is a driver for the printer. The data recording unit 32 may have a flash memory, a memory card, or an optical disk such as a CD or DVD instead of the hard disk. Further, in this embodiment, as described above, the server device 4 searches for a route to the destination, so the map information DB 45 may be omitted. Even if the map information DB 45 is omitted, map information can be acquired from the server device 4 as necessary.

Here, the map information DB 45 includes, for example, link data related to roads (links), node data related to node points, search data used for processing related to search and change of routes, facility data related to facilities, maps for displaying maps, and so on. This is storage means for storing display data, intersection data for each intersection, search data for searching for points, and the like.

On the other hand, the cache 46 is storage means for storing the high-precision map information 15 distributed from the server device 4 in the past. The storage period can be set as appropriate, but may be, for example, a predetermined period (for example, one month) after being stored, or may be until the ACC power supply (accessory power supply) of the vehicle is turned off. Also, after the amount of data stored in the cache 46 reaches the upper limit, the oldest data may be sequentially deleted. Then, the navigation ECU 33 uses the high-precision map information 15 stored in the cache 46 to generate various types of support information related to automatic driving support. Details will be described later.

On the other hand, a navigation ECU (electronic control unit) 33 is an electronic control unit that controls the entire navigation device 1, and includes a CPU 51 as an arithmetic device and a control device, and a working memory when the CPU 51 performs various arithmetic processing. In addition to the RAM 52 that stores the route data etc. when the route is searched, the ROM 53 that stores the automatic driving support program (see FIG. 4) etc. described later, etc. Read from the ROM 53 It has an internal storage device such as a flash memory 54 for storing the program. The navigation ECU 33 has various means as processing algorithms. For example, the planned travel route acquisition means acquires the planned travel route on which the vehicle travels. The area information acquisition means acquires information about a stop non-recommended area, which is an area through which the vehicle should pass on the planned travel route and where stopping should be avoided. When the non-recommended stopping area exists in front of the vehicle at a predetermined distance, and an event causing deceleration or stopping of the vehicle is occurring in and around the non-recommended stopping area, the event acquisition means detects the event. Acquired as a deceleration factor event. When it is determined that the host vehicle needs to stop due to the deceleration factor event, the stop position determination means determines the position of the host vehicle in consideration of the running condition of the host vehicle, the details of the deceleration factor event, and the stop non-recommended area. determines the stop position where the

The operation unit 34 is operated when inputting a departure point as a travel start point and a destination as a travel end point, and has a plurality of operation switches (not shown) such as various keys and buttons. Then, the navigation ECU 33 performs control to execute various corresponding operations based on switch signals output by pressing of each switch or the like. Note that the operation unit 34 may have a touch panel provided on the front surface of the liquid crystal display 35 . It may also have a microphone and a voice recognition device.

In addition, the liquid crystal display 35 displays a map image including roads, traffic information, operation guidance, operation menu, key guidance, guidance information along the guidance route (planned driving route), news, weather forecast, time, e-mail, TV Programs, etc. are displayed. A HUD or HMD may be used instead of the liquid crystal display 35 .

In addition, the speaker 36 outputs voice guidance for driving along a guidance route (planned driving route) and traffic information guidance based on instructions from the navigation ECU 33 .

Also, the DVD drive 37 is a drive capable of reading data recorded on recording media such as DVDs and CDs. Then, based on the read data, music and video are reproduced, the map information DB 45 is updated, and so on. A card slot for reading and writing a memory card may be provided instead of the DVD drive 37 .

The communication module 38 is a communication device for receiving traffic information, probe information, weather information, signal lighting information, railroad crossing operation information, etc. transmitted from a traffic information center such as a VICS center or a probe center. Yes, for example mobile phones and DCMs. It also includes a vehicle-to-vehicle communication device that communicates between vehicles and a road-to-vehicle communication device that communicates with a roadside unit. It is also used for transmitting and receiving route information searched by the server device 4 and the high-precision map information 15 to and from the server device 4 .

The exterior camera 39 is composed of, for example, a camera using a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD, is mounted above the front bumper of the vehicle, and is installed with the optical axis directed downward at a predetermined angle from the horizontal. Then, the exterior camera 39 captures an image of the forward direction of the vehicle when the vehicle travels in the automatic driving section. Further, the navigation ECU 33 performs image processing on the captured image to detect lane markings drawn on the road on which the vehicle travels and obstacles such as other vehicles in the vicinity. Then, for example, when a new obstacle is detected on the current travel track, a new travel track is generated for avoiding or following the obstacle. In addition, the speed plan is corrected when an event that causes the vehicle to decelerate or stop, such as deceleration or low-speed running of the preceding vehicle, is detected. Note that the exterior camera 39 may be configured to be arranged at the rear or side of the vehicle instead of the front. As means for detecting obstacles, sensors such as millimeter wave radars and laser sensors, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, and road-to-vehicle communication may be used instead of cameras.

A vehicle control ECU 40 is an electronic control unit that controls the vehicle in which the navigation device 1 is mounted. Further, the vehicle control ECU 40 is connected to each drive unit of the vehicle such as steering, brake, and accelerator. of automated driving assistance. In addition, when the override is performed by the user during the automatic driving support, it is detected that the override has been performed.

Here, the navigation ECU 33 transmits various kinds of support information related to automatic driving support generated by the navigation device 1 to the vehicle control ECU 40 via CAN after the vehicle starts running. Then, the vehicle control ECU 40 uses the received various types of assistance information to carry out automatic driving assistance after the start of travel. The support information includes, for example, a travel track on which the vehicle is recommended to travel, a speed plan indicating the vehicle speed during travel, and the like.

Next, an automatic driving support program executed by the CPU 51 in the navigation device 1 according to this embodiment having the above configuration will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an automatic driving support program according to this embodiment. Here, the automatic driving assistance program is executed after the ACC power supply (accessory power supply) of the vehicle is turned on and when the vehicle starts running with the automatic driving assistance, and the assistance generated by the navigation device 1 It is a program that implements assisted driving by automatic driving assistance according to information. 4, 7, 10, 12 and 13 are stored in the RAM 52 and ROM 53 of the navigation device 1 and are executed by the CPU 51. FIG.

First, in step (hereinafter abbreviated as S) 1 in the automatic driving support program, the CPU 51 acquires a route on which the vehicle is scheduled to travel (hereinafter referred to as a planned travel route). The planned travel route of the vehicle is a recommended route to the destination searched by the server device 4 by setting the destination by the user, for example. If the destination is not set, the planned travel route may be a route along the road from the current position of the vehicle.

When searching for a recommended route, the CPU 51 first transmits a route search request to the server device 4 . The route search request includes a terminal ID that specifies the navigation device 1 that has transmitted the route search request, and information that specifies a departure point (for example, the current position of the vehicle) and a destination. Information for specifying the destination is not necessarily required at the time of re-searching. Thereafter, the CPU 51 receives searched route information transmitted from the server device 4 in response to the route search request. The searched route information is information specifying a recommended route (center route) from the departure point to the destination searched by the server device 4 using the latest version of the map information based on the transmitted route search request (for example, information for specifying the recommended route). included link column). For example, the search is performed using the known Dijkstra method.

In searching for the recommended route, it is desirable to select a parking position (parking space) recommended for parking the vehicle at the destination, and search for a recommended route to the selected parking position. That is, it is desirable that the recommended route to be searched includes a route indicating the movement of the car within the parking lot in addition to the route to the parking lot. Also, regarding the selection of the parking position, it is desirable to select a parking position that reduces the burden on the user, considering not only the movement of the vehicle to the parking position but also the movement on foot after parking the vehicle.

Next, in S2, the CPU 51 acquires the high-precision map information 15 for a section within a predetermined distance from the current position of the vehicle along the planned travel route acquired in S1. For example, the high-precision map information 15 is acquired for the planned travel route included in the secondary mesh on which the vehicle is currently located. However, the area from which the high-precision map information 15 is acquired can be changed as appropriate. good. Alternatively, the high-precision map information 15 may be acquired for the entire planned travel route.

Here, as shown in FIG. 5, the high-precision map information 15 is stored in the high-precision map DB 13 of the server device 4 divided into rectangular shapes (for example, 500 m×1 km). Therefore, when the planned travel route 61 is acquired as shown in FIG. 15 is obtained. The high-precision map information 15 includes, for example, information on the lane shape, lane width, and division lines drawn on the road (roadway center line, lane boundary line, roadway outer line, guide line, current flow zone, etc.). In addition, information on intersections and railroad crossings, and information on parking lots are also included. More specifically, information about intersections is information about the shapes of intersections and features placed at intersections. "Features placed at intersections" include road markings ( stop lines, crosswalks, etc.), lane markings, poles, traffic lights and other structures. In addition, the information about the railroad crossing includes information about the shape of the railroad crossing and the position of the gate of the railroad crossing. It also includes information specifying areas other than intersections and railroad crossings where vehicles should avoid stopping. For example, road signs for prohibition of stopping, areas where streetcars pass, and the like correspond.

Also, the high-precision map information 15 is basically obtained from the server device 4 , but if there is the high-precision map information 15 of the area already stored in the cache 46 , it is obtained from the cache 46 . Also, the high-precision map information 15 acquired from the server device 4 is temporarily stored in the cache 46 .

After that, in S3, the CPU 51 executes a static traveling trajectory generation process (FIG. 7), which will be described later. Here, the static traveling trajectory generation processing is a traveling route recommended for the vehicle on roads included in the planned traveling route based on the planned traveling route of the vehicle and the high-precision map information 15 acquired in S2. This is a process of generating a static running trajectory, which is a trajectory. In particular, the CPU 51 identifies, as a static travel path, a travel path on which the vehicle is recommended to travel for each lane included in the planned travel route. As will be described later, the static running trajectory covers the section from the current position of the vehicle to a predetermined distance ahead along the direction of travel (for example, the entire section to the secondary mesh where the vehicle is currently located, or the entire section to the destination). generated. Note that the predetermined distance can be changed as appropriate, but at least the area outside the range (detection range) in which the road conditions around the vehicle can be detected by the outside camera 39 or other sensors is subject to the static traveling trajectory. to generate

Next, in S4, the CPU 51 executes static speed plan generation processing (FIG. 10), which will be described later. Here, the static speed plan generating process is based on the high-precision map information 15 acquired in S2, and the speed plan of the vehicle when traveling on the static travel track generated in S3 (hereinafter referred to as a static speed plan). It is the process of generating a plan). For example, considering static information (information that does not change depending on the situation) such as speed limit information and speed change points on the planned driving route (for example, intersections, curves, railroad crossings, crosswalks, etc.) Calculate the recommended running speed of the vehicle when running.

The static speed plan generated in S4 is stored in the flash memory 54 or the like as support information used for automatic driving support. Further, the acceleration plan indicating the acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle necessary for realizing the static speed plan generated in S4 may also be generated as support information used for automatic driving support.

Subsequently, in S5, the CPU 51 performs image processing on the captured image captured by the exterior camera 39, and finds that there are factors that affect the traveling of the vehicle, particularly around the vehicle, as road conditions in the surroundings. determine whether or not to Here, the "factors affecting the running of the own vehicle" to be determined in S5 are dynamic factors that change in real time, and static factors based on the road structure are excluded. For example, other vehicles running or parked in front of the own vehicle in the direction of travel, parked vehicles, pedestrians positioned in front of the direction of travel of the own vehicle, construction sections in front of the direction of travel of the own vehicle, and the like. On the other hand, intersections, curves, railroad crossings, merging sections, lane reduction sections, etc. are excluded. Also, even if there are other vehicles, pedestrians, and construction sections, if there is no possibility that they will overlap with the future travel trajectory of the own vehicle (for example, it is located away from the future travel trajectory of the own vehicle) case) is excluded from the “factors that affect the running of the own vehicle”. As a means for detecting factors that may affect the running of the vehicle, a sensor such as a millimeter wave radar or a laser sensor, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, or road-to-vehicle communication may be used instead of the camera.

Also, for example, the real-time position of each vehicle traveling on roads all over the country is managed by an external server, and the CPU 51 acquires the positions of other vehicles located around the own vehicle from the external server, and performs the determination process of S5. may be performed.

Then, when it is determined that there is a factor affecting the running of the vehicle around the vehicle (S5: YES), the process proceeds to S6. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no factor affecting the running of the vehicle around the vehicle (S5: NO), the process proceeds to S8.

In S6, the CPU 51 selects a new trajectory as a dynamic trajectory for returning to the static trajectory by avoiding or following the "factor affecting the travel of the own vehicle" detected in S5 from the current position of the vehicle. Generate. Note that the dynamic travel trajectory is generated for sections including "factors that affect travel of the own vehicle". Also, the length of the section changes depending on the content of the factor. For example, if the "factor affecting the traveling of the own vehicle" is another vehicle (front vehicle) traveling ahead of the vehicle, as shown in FIG. After that, an avoidance trajectory, which is a trajectory for changing lanes to the left and returning to the original lane, is generated as a dynamic travel trajectory 70 . A following trajectory, which is a trajectory that follows the forward vehicle 69 for a predetermined distance behind the forward vehicle 69 (or runs parallel to the forward vehicle 69) without overtaking the forward vehicle 69, may be generated as the dynamic travel trajectory.

Taking the method of calculating the dynamic travel trajectory 70 shown in FIG. A first trajectory L1 is calculated. The first trajectory L1 calculates the lateral acceleration (lateral G) that occurs when changing lanes based on the current vehicle speed. On the condition that it does not exceed the upper limit (for example, 0.2 G) that does not cause discomfort to the occupants, the clothoid curve is used to calculate a trajectory that is as smooth as possible and that shortens the distance required for lane changes as much as possible. . Another condition is to maintain an appropriate inter-vehicle distance D or more with respect to the forward vehicle 69 .
Next, a second trajectory L2 is calculated until the vehicle travels in the right lane at the maximum speed limit, overtakes the forward vehicle 69, and maintains an appropriate inter-vehicle distance D or more with the forward vehicle 69. FIG. The second track L2 is basically a straight track, and the length of the track is calculated based on the vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle 69 and the speed limit of the road.
Subsequently, a third trajectory L3 required for starting turning of the steering wheel, returning to the left lane, and returning the steering position to the straight-ahead direction is calculated. The third trajectory L3 calculates the lateral acceleration (lateral G) that occurs when changing lanes based on the current vehicle speed, so that the lateral G does not interfere with automatic driving assistance and the vehicle On the condition that it does not exceed the upper limit (for example, 0.2 G) that does not cause discomfort to the occupants, the clothoid curve is used to calculate a trajectory that is as smooth as possible and that shortens the distance required for lane changes as much as possible. . Another condition is to maintain an appropriate inter-vehicle distance D or more with respect to the forward vehicle 69 .
Note that the dynamic travel trajectory is generated based on the road conditions around the vehicle acquired by the exterior camera 39 and other sensors. It is within the range (detection range) in which other sensors can detect the road conditions around the vehicle.

Subsequently, in S7, the CPU 51 reflects the dynamic travel trajectory newly generated in S6 on the static travel trajectory generated in S3. Specifically, from the current position of the vehicle to the end of the section containing "factors that affect the running of the own vehicle", the costs for each of the static trajectory and the dynamic trajectory are calculated, and the cost is minimized. Select a running trajectory. As a result, part of the static travel trajectory will be replaced with the dynamic travel trajectory as needed. Depending on the situation, there may be cases where the replacement of the dynamic travel trajectory is not performed, that is, even if the dynamic travel trajectory is reflected, there is no change from the static travel trajectory generated in S3. Furthermore, if the dynamic travel trajectory and the static travel trajectory are the same trajectory, the static travel trajectory generated in S3 may not change even if the replacement is performed. The processes of S5 to S11 are repeatedly executed at regular intervals (for example, 200 ms) until the vehicle finishes automatic driving. Therefore, the future travel trajectory of the vehicle is appropriately updated to the latest travel trajectory according to the current surrounding conditions of the vehicle.

Next, in S8, the CPU 51 executes dynamic speed plan generation processing (FIGS. 12 and 13), which will be described later. Here, the dynamic speed plan generation processing is performed based on the road conditions around the vehicle acquired by the external camera 39 and other sensors. This is a process for generating a vehicle speed plan (hereinafter referred to as a dynamic speed plan) when traveling on the track after reflection if is performed. For example, considering dynamic information (information that changes depending on the situation) such as other vehicles traveling around the vehicle, the lighting status of traffic lights, and the operation status of railroad crossings, the static traveling trajectory (the dynamic traveling trajectory If the track has been reflected, the recommended running speed of the vehicle when running on the track after reflection is calculated. Incidentally, the dynamic speed plan is generated based on the static speed plan generated in S4, and the static speed plan corrected as necessary is output as the dynamic speed plan. Therefore, when there is no need to modify the speed plan, the static speed plan may be output as it is as the dynamic speed plan.

After that, in S9, the CPU 51 updates the future speed plan of the own vehicle to the content of the latest dynamic speed plan generated in S8. The future speed plan of the own vehicle is stored in the flash memory 54 or the like as support information used for automatic driving support. The processes of S5 to S11 are repeatedly executed at regular intervals (for example, 200 ms) until the vehicle finishes automatic driving. Therefore, the future speed plan for the own vehicle is appropriately updated to the latest speed plan according to the surrounding conditions of the vehicle at the present time. Further, the acceleration plan indicating the acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle necessary for realizing the future speed plan of the own vehicle updated in S9 may also be generated as support information used for automatic driving support.

Subsequently, in S10, the CPU 51 updates the static travel trajectory generated in S3 (or the trajectory after reflection when the dynamic travel trajectory is reflected in S7) to the latest updated in S9. A control amount is calculated for the vehicle to run at a speed according to the speed plan. Specifically, control amounts for accelerator, brake, gear and steering are calculated respectively. The processing of S10 and S11 may be performed by the vehicle control ECU 40 that controls the vehicle instead of the navigation device 1. FIG.

After that, in S11, the CPU 51 reflects the control amount calculated in S10. Specifically, the calculated control amount is transmitted to the vehicle control ECU 40 via CAN. The vehicle control ECU 40 controls the accelerator, brake, gear and steering based on the received control amount. As a result, the static travel trajectory generated in S3 (or the trajectory after reflection when the dynamic travel trajectory is reflected in S7) is changed according to the latest speed plan updated in S9. It is possible to perform driving support control for driving at high speed.

Next, in S12, the CPU 51 determines whether or not the vehicle has traveled a certain distance since the static travel trajectory was generated in S3. For example, assume that the fixed distance is 1 km.

Then, when it is determined that the vehicle has traveled a certain distance after the generation of the static travel trajectory in S3 (S12: YES), the process returns to S1. After that, the static traveling trajectory is generated again for a section within a predetermined distance along the planned traveling route from the current position of the vehicle (S1 to S4). In this embodiment, each time the vehicle travels a certain distance (for example, 1 km), generation of the static travel trajectory is repeatedly performed for a section within a predetermined distance along the planned travel route from the current position of the vehicle. However, if the distance to the destination is short, the static travel trajectory to the destination may be generated at once at the start of travel.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle has not traveled a certain distance since the static travel trajectory was generated in S3 (S12: NO), it is determined whether or not to end the assistance travel by automatic driving assistance. Determine (S13). Other than when the destination is reached, automatic driving assistance can be ended by the user operating an operation panel provided in the vehicle, steering wheel operation, braking operation, etc. There are cases where you intentionally canceled (overridden) the driving by.

Then, when it is determined to end the assisted driving by the automatic driving assistance (S13: YES), the automatic driving assistance program is ended. On the other hand, if it is determined to continue the assisted driving by automatic driving assistance (S13: NO), the process returns to S5.

Next, sub-processing of the static traveling trajectory generation processing executed in S3 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 7 is a flow chart of a sub-processing program of static traveling trajectory generation processing.

First, in S<b>21 , the CPU 51 acquires the current position of the vehicle detected by the current position detection section 31 . It is desirable to specify the current position of the vehicle in detail using, for example, highly accurate GPS information or highly accurate location technology. Here, the high-precision location technology detects white lines and road surface paint information captured by a camera installed in the vehicle by image recognition, and further compares the detected white line and road surface paint information with high-precision map information 15, for example. This technology makes it possible to detect driving lanes and vehicle positions with high accuracy. Furthermore, when the vehicle travels on a road consisting of a plurality of lanes, the lane in which the vehicle travels is also identified.

Next, in S22, the CPU 51 selects a section (for example, within a secondary mesh including the current position of the vehicle) for generating a static running trajectory ahead of the vehicle in the traveling direction based on the high-precision map information 15 acquired in S2. As objects, lane shapes, lane marking information, information on intersections, and the like are acquired. In addition, the lane shape and lane marking information acquired in S22 includes the number of lanes, lane width, and if there is an increase or decrease in the number of lanes, where and how the number of lanes increases or decreases; and road connection (specifically, correspondence relationship between lanes included in the road before passing the junction and lanes included in the road after passing the junction). In addition to the shape of the intersection, the information about the intersection includes information about the position and shape of features placed on the intersection. In addition, "features placed on intersections" include pedestrian crossings, stop lines, guidance lines (guide white lines), diamond-shaped flow zones (diamond marks) placed in the center of intersections, etc. drawn on the road surface. In addition to road markings, there are structures such as poles and traffic lights.

Subsequently, in S23, the CPU 51 constructs a lane network for the section in which the static traveling trajectory is to be generated in front of the traveling direction of the vehicle, based on the lane shape and lane marking information acquired in S22. Here, the lane network is a network indicating lane movements that can be selected by the vehicle.

Here, as an example of constructing the lane network in S23, a case where the vehicle travels along the planned travel route shown in FIG. 8 will be described as an example. The planned travel route shown in FIG. 8 is a route in which the vehicle goes straight from the current position, turns right at the next intersection 71 , turns right at the next intersection 72 , and turns left at the next intersection 73 . In the planned travel route shown in FIG. 8, for example, when turning right at an intersection 71, it is possible to enter the right lane, and it is also possible to enter the left lane. However, since it is necessary to turn right at the next intersection 72 , it is necessary to move to the rightmost lane when entering the intersection 72 . Also, even when turning right at the intersection 72, it is possible to enter the right lane, and it is also possible to enter the left lane. However, since it is necessary to turn left at the next intersection 73 , it is necessary to move to the leftmost lane when entering the intersection 73 . FIG. 9 shows a lane network constructed for such sections where lane movement is possible.

As shown in FIG. 9, the lane network divides a section for generating a static traveling trajectory ahead of the vehicle into a plurality of sections (groups). Specifically, the entry position of an intersection, the exit position of an intersection, and the position where lanes increase or decrease are classified as boundaries. A node point (hereinafter referred to as a lane node) 75 is set for each lane positioned at the boundary of each partition. Further, a link (hereinafter referred to as a lane link) 76 connecting the lane nodes 75 is set.

In addition, the lane network has a correspondence relationship between the lanes included in the road before passing the branch point and the lanes included in the road after passing the branch point, particularly by connecting lane nodes and lane links at the branch point, In other words, it includes information specifying a lane in which the user can move after passing the junction with respect to the lane before passing the junction. Specifically, between the lanes corresponding to the lane nodes connected by the lane link, among the lane nodes set on the road before passing the branch point and the lane nodes set on the road after passing the branch point Indicates that the vehicle can move.

In order to generate such a lane network, the high-precision map information 15 contains lanes indicating correspondence relationships between lanes for each combination of roads entering and exiting the junction for each road connected to the junction. A flag is set and stored. When constructing the lane network in S23, the CPU 51 refers to the lane flag and forms a connection between the lane node and the lane link at the branch point.

It should be noted that the lane network described above is not constructed by the navigation device 1 in the above S23, but the server device 4 possesses a lane network that has been constructed for the whole country in advance, and in the above S23 the lane network of the corresponding section is stored as a server. It may be acquired from the device 4 .

Next, in S24, the CPU 51 sets a start lane (departure node) in which the vehicle starts to move to the lane node located at the starting point of the lane network constructed in S23. A target lane (target node) to which the vehicle moves is set with respect to the lane node located at the end point of . Especially when the end point of the lane network is the destination, the target lane is set at the entry point to the destination (the point on the road close to the entrance to the destination). If the starting point of the lane network is a road with multiple lanes on one side, the lane node corresponding to the lane where the vehicle is currently located becomes the starting lane. On the other hand, when the end point of the lane network is a road with multiple lanes on one side, especially when the end point of the lane network is the destination, the lane in the direction of the destination (even if the destination is on the left side of the direction of travel) If the destination is on the right side of the direction of travel, the lane node corresponding to the leftmost lane is the target lane. Otherwise, the lane node corresponding to the leftmost lane (in the case of left-hand traffic) becomes the target lane.

After that, in S25, the CPU 51 refers to the lane network constructed in S23, searches for a route that continuously connects the starting lane to the target lane, and selects a plurality of routes as candidates for the lane movement mode (hereinafter referred to as candidate routes). ) is derived. For example, the Dijkstra method is used to search for a route from the target lane side. However, search means other than the Dijkstra method may be used as long as a route that continuously connects the starting lane to the target lane can be searched. As one method of searching for candidate routes, for example, one route that continuously connects the starting lane to the target lane (hereinafter referred to as a reference route) is derived, and then based on the reference route, There are other methods of deriving routes that continuously connect to the target lane. For example, a reference route is traced from the start lane side, and a new route different from the reference route is generated by branching when a lane change section or branch point is reached. Then, the reference route and other derived routes are combined to form a candidate route.

Next, in S26, the CPU 51 sets a specific lane change position (hereinafter referred to as a lane change position) for the candidate route for the lane change. Note that the lane change position is set to a position where the cost is estimated to be the lowest in calculation in the cost calculation (S28) described later for each candidate route. Specifically, if the lane change is due to passing through a branch point, the recommended lane change position is set a predetermined distance before the target branch point, and the lane change position is set as close as possible to the recommended lane change position. do.

Subsequently, in S27, the CPU 51 adds a lane node 75 to the lane change position set in S26 for the candidate route generated in S25. Here, the lane change position includes a lane change start point at which lane change starts and a lane change end point at which lane change ends. In S27, a lane node 75 is added to each of the lane change start point and the lane change end point. In addition, along with the addition of lane nodes, lane links 76 connecting the lane nodes 75 are also added. In addition, the lane links other than the lane change position are basically straight lines (shape along the lane). If the candidate route generated in S25 is a route that does not change lanes, the process of S27 may be omitted.

Next, in S28, the CPU 51 considers the set lane change position for the candidate route generated in S25, the lane change position set in S26, and the lane node and lane link added in S27. Calculate the total cost for each route. Then, the total cost value for each route is compared, and the candidate route with the smallest total cost value is specified as the recommended lane movement mode of the vehicle when the vehicle moves.

Here, the cost is the sum of the "lane cost" and the "lane change position cost". In S28, the total value of all lane costs and lane change position costs is calculated for each candidate route and compared.

First, the “lane cost” will be explained. A lane cost is assigned to each lane link 76 . The lane cost assigned to each lane link 76 is based on the length of each lane link 76 or the time required for movement. Especially in this embodiment, the length of the lane link (in units of m) is used as the reference value for the lane cost. For lane links that involve lane changes, a predetermined cost (for example, 50) per lane change is added to the reference value. For the lane cost of a lane link on a road with multiple lanes, the reference value is multiplied by a coefficient depending on the position of the lane on which the vehicle travels. Specifically, the lane link for traveling in the passing lane is corrected to have a higher lane cost than the lane link for traveling in the driving lane. As a result, the longer the route in which the passing lane is used, the higher the total lane cost is calculated, so that it is less likely to be selected as a recommended lane movement mode. It will be selected as a generally recommended lane movement mode. For roads that do not have a running lane or an overtaking lane, the lane cost is corrected so that the lane link driving in the lane located on the right side in the country of left-hand traffic becomes higher. Note that the lane links 76 in the same section are basically considered to have the same length (that is, the increase in distance due to lane change is ignored). Also, the length of the lane link 76 within the intersection is assumed to be 0 or a fixed value.
Then, the total value of the lane costs of all lane links 76 included in the candidate route is calculated as the lane cost of the candidate route.

Next, the "lane change position cost" will be explained. First, if the candidate route for which the cost is to be calculated includes a lane change for passing a branch point, the CPU 51 recommends that the lane change be made. The recommended lane change position to be determined is set a predetermined distance before the target branch point. Although the predetermined distance can be appropriately set based on the type of road, for example, it is set to 300 m for highways. Then, the distance from the lane change position set in S26 to the recommended lane change position is calculated, and the longer the calculated distance is, the higher the lane change position cost is calculated. For a candidate route for which multiple lane change positions are set, the lane change position cost is calculated for each included lane change position, and the total value is calculated. As a result, the closer the lane change position set in S26 to the recommended lane change position for the candidate route is, the smaller the cost of the lane change position will be. Become. Further, since the number of costs to be added decreases as the number of lane changes is smaller, the route is also selected as a preferentially recommended lane movement mode.

Next, at S29, the CPU 51 selects the section for which the lane change position was set at S26 in particular when the vehicle moves along the candidate route (hereinafter referred to as the recommended route) selected at S28. Calculate the running trajectory. If the recommended route selected in S28 is a route that does not change lanes, the process of S29 may be omitted.

Specifically, the CPU 51 calculates the travel trajectory using the map information of the lane change position set in S26. For example, the lateral acceleration (lateral G) that occurs when the vehicle changes lanes is calculated from the speed of the vehicle (the speed limit for that road) and the width of the lane. A trajectory connecting the lane change start point and the lane change end point as smoothly as possible using a clothoid curve, provided that it does not exceed the upper limit (for example, 0.2 G) that does not cause discomfort to the vehicle occupants. Calculate The clothoid curve is a curve drawn by the trajectory of the vehicle when the vehicle is traveling at a constant speed and the steering wheel is turned at a constant angular velocity.

After that, in S30, the CPU 51 generates a specific running trajectory for traveling along the recommended route derived in S25 except for the section where the lane change position is set. For example, when generating a travel trajectory when turning right or left at an intersection or changing lanes, the lateral acceleration (lateral G) that occurs in the vehicle is calculated, and the lateral G does not interfere with automatic driving support. Also, on the condition that the upper limit (for example, 0.2 G) that does not cause discomfort to the vehicle occupants is not exceeded, the clothoid curve is used to calculate a trajectory that connects as smoothly as possible. For sections that are neither lane-changing sections nor sections within intersections, the track that passes through the center of the lane is set as the recommended running track for the vehicle. Then, by combining with the travel trajectory calculated in S29, a static travel trajectory, which is a travel trajectory recommended for the vehicle to travel on the roads included in the planned travel route, is generated.

The static traveling trajectory generated in S29 and S30 is stored in the flash memory 54 or the like as support information used for automatic driving support. After that, the process proceeds to S4, and various driving assistance is performed based on the generated static traveling trajectory.

Next, sub-processing of the static speed plan generation processing executed in S4 will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 10 is a flow chart of a sub-processing program of static speed plan generation processing.

First, in S31, the CPU 51 uses map information to determine the shape of each road included in the planned travel route of the vehicle, the type of road, the width of the lane, the presence or absence of a center line or median strip, the speed limit, and the like. get. What is acquired in S31 is static information that does not change depending on the situation. For roads for which speed limit information cannot be acquired, the speed limit is specified based on the road type. For example, the speed is 30 km/h for narrow streets, 40 km/h for general roads other than trunk roads, 60 km/h for trunk roads such as national highways, and 100 km/h for highways. The speed limit information may be obtained from the high-precision map information 15, or may be obtained from normal map information used for route search.

Next, in S32, the CPU 51 uses the road information acquired in S31 to specify a speed change point, which is a point at which the speed of the vehicle is changed on the static travel trajectory generated in S3, among the planned travel route. do. Here, the speed change point corresponds to, for example, an intersection, a curve, a railroad crossing, a pedestrian crossing, and the like. If there are multiple speed change points on the planned travel route, the multiple speed change points are identified.

Subsequently, at S33, the CPU 51 sets a recommended speed for passing through each speed change point specified at S32. For example, at a railroad crossing or an intersection with a stop line, the recommended speed is to first stop (0 km/h) and then pass at a slow speed (for example, 10 km/h). In addition, the lateral acceleration (lateral G) that occurs in the vehicle at curves and intersections that are subject to right and left turns is an upper limit (for example, 0.2 G) that does not interfere with automatic driving support and does not cause discomfort to the occupants of the vehicle. ) is the recommended speed. For example, it is calculated based on the curvature of a curve, the shape of an intersection, and the like.

Next, in S34, the CPU 51 sets a recommended speed for a section that does not correspond to the speed change points identified in S32 (a section between speed change points, hereinafter referred to as between speed change points). Basically, it is set based on the speed limit of the road acquired in S31, and is set to the same speed as the speed limit of the road between the speed change points. However, the recommended speed may be modified based on the lane width, and it is desirable that the recommended speed is lower than the speed limit on roads with narrow lane widths. Furthermore, it may be corrected based on the presence or absence of a roadway centerline (centerline) and a median strip, and on roads without a roadway centerline and median strip, it is desirable to set a speed lower than the speed limit as the recommended speed.

After that, at S35, the CPU 51 combines the recommended speed at the speed change point set at S33 and the recommended speed at the point other than the speed change point set at S34, and calculates the transition of the recommended speed along the static traveling trajectory of the vehicle. The data shown in the direction of travel of the vehicle is generated as a vehicle speed plan. Further, when generating the speed plan, the speed change between the speed change points satisfies a predetermined condition, more specifically, the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle traveling along the static traveling trajectory are each less than or equal to the threshold values. Modify the speed plan accordingly to meet the conditions.

Here, FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of the vehicle speed plan generated in S35. As shown in FIG. 11, in the speed plan, recommended speeds other than speed change points are recommended speeds set based on the speed limit, lane width, and the like. On the other hand, at speed change points such as curves and intersections, the recommended speed is lower than the recommended speed at other speed change points. Further, the recommended speed is modified so as to satisfy the condition that the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle traveling along the static travel trajectory are each equal to or less than the threshold. However, the recommended speed is basically corrected only in the direction of lowering it, and the recommended speed is corrected so as not to lower it as much as possible within the range that satisfies the conditions. Also, the acceleration and deceleration thresholds are the upper limits of acceleration and deceleration that do not interfere with the running of the vehicle and automatic driving support and that do not cause discomfort to the occupants of the vehicle. Different values may be used for the threshold for acceleration and the threshold for deceleration. As a result, the recommended speed is modified and a speed plan is generated as shown in FIG. Note that FIG. 11 is an example of a travel plan generated on the assumption that acceleration and deceleration are performed at a fixed value (for example, 0.2 G) that is equal to or less than a threshold.

Then, the speed plan (static speed plan) generated in S35 is stored in the flash memory 54 or the like as support information used for automatic driving support. Further, the acceleration plan indicating the acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle necessary for realizing the static speed plan generated in S35 may also be generated as support information used for automatic driving support.

Next, the sub-processing of the dynamic speed plan generation processing executed in S8 will be described with reference to FIGS. 12 and 13. FIG. 12 and 13 are flow charts of a sub-processing program of dynamic speed plan generation processing.

First, in S41, the CPU 51 acquires road information within a predetermined range ahead in the traveling direction along the planned travel route of the vehicle based on the high-precision map information 15 acquired in S2. The predetermined range includes at least a range in which road conditions around the vehicle can be detected by the exterior camera 39 and other sensors. If there is an intersection or a railroad crossing as the road information to be acquired, the information on the intersection or the railroad crossing is acquired. The information on the intersection includes information on the shape of the intersection and information on the position and shape of features placed on the intersection. Furthermore, the "features arranged at intersections" include road markings drawn on the road surface such as pedestrian crossings and stop lines. The information about the railroad crossing includes information about the shape of the railroad crossing and the position of the gate of the railroad crossing.

Subsequently, in S42, the CPU 51 acquires the surrounding road conditions by performing image processing on the captured image captured by the exterior camera 39. FIG. Here, the road conditions acquired in S42 are dynamic factors that change in real time. This applies to pedestrians, etc. As means for acquiring the surrounding road conditions, a sensor such as a millimeter wave radar or a laser sensor, vehicle-to-vehicle communication, or road-to-vehicle communication may be used instead of the camera. If there is a traffic signal ahead of the vehicle in the direction of travel, the lighting status of the traffic signal, and if there is a railroad crossing ahead of the vehicle in the direction of travel, the operation status of the railroad crossing may be acquired as the surrounding road conditions. However, the lighting status of traffic signals and the operating status of railroad crossings may be obtained through communication from an external server.

Next, in S43, the CPU 51 selects an area (hereinafter referred to as a non-recommended stop area) where the vehicle should avoid stopping when the vehicle stops a predetermined distance ahead of the current position of the vehicle, based on the road information acquired in S41. ) is determined.

The details of the non-recommended stopping area will be described below. In this embodiment, the stop non-recommended area 80 is basically set for intersections and railroad crossings.
For example, as shown in FIG. 14, for an intersection with a pedestrian crossing, the starting point S is set at a predetermined distance (for example, 1 m before) of the pedestrian crossing 81 in front of the crossing section that intersects with the crossroad, and the crossing after passing the crossing section. A predetermined distance behind the sidewalk 82 (for example, 1 m behind) is defined as an end point E, and a section from the start point S to the end point E is defined as a stop non-recommended area 80 . If a stop line exists, the starting point S may be the position of the stop line.
Also, as shown in FIG. 15, for an intersection without a pedestrian crossing, the starting point S is set at a predetermined distance before (for example, 1 m before) the intersection section that intersects the cross road, and the end point is at a predetermined distance behind (for example, 1 m behind) the intersection section. A point E is defined, and a section from the start point S to the end point E is defined as a non-recommended stop area 80 .
Also, as shown in FIG. 16, for railroad crossings, a starting point S is set at a predetermined distance (e.g., 1 m before) of the barrier 83 in front of the crossing section that intersects the railroad tracks, and a predetermined distance of the barrier 84 after passing through the crossing section is set. A distance behind (for example, 1 m behind) is defined as an end point E, and a section from the start point S to the end point E is defined as a stop non-recommended area 80 . If a stop line exists, the starting point S may be the position of the stop line. However, regarding railroad crossings, regardless of whether or not there is an event that causes the vehicle to slow down or stop, the speed plan will always be such that the vehicle stops temporarily before the railroad crossing. A stop non-recommended area 80 may be set for the railroad crossing when the temporary stop is cancelled.

Further, the predetermined distance, which is the determination condition of the above S43, is a range from the braking distance in the case of decelerating by sudden braking to the braking distance in normal deceleration when the host vehicle starts decelerating from the present time. That is, in S43, it is determined whether or not there is a stop non-recommended area in at least a part of the range in which the vehicle will stop if it is assumed that the vehicle has started decelerating at this point. . It should be noted that sudden braking is the maximum allowable deceleration, for example 0.6G. The normal deceleration is the maximum deceleration that does not cause discomfort to the occupants of the vehicle, and is set to 0.2 G, for example. For example, as shown in FIG. 17, when the vehicle is traveling at 40 km/h, the braking distance is 10.5 m when decelerating by sudden braking, and the braking distance when decelerating normally is 31.5 m. be. Therefore, in S43, it is determined whether or not at least a part of the non-recommended stopping area is included in the range of 10.5 m to 31.5 m ahead of the current position of the vehicle.

Further, in the present embodiment, the process of S43 is performed for the non-recommended stopping areas set for intersections and railroad crossings. may be processed. For example, pedestrian crossings other than intersections, stop-prohibited portions of road signs, areas where streetcars pass, and the like. The same applies to the processing after S43.

Then, if it is determined that there is a non-recommended stop area ahead of the current position of the vehicle by a predetermined distance (S43: YES), the process proceeds to S45. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no stop non-recommended area ahead of the current position of the vehicle by a predetermined distance (S43: NO), the process proceeds to S44.

In S44, the CPU 51 does not determine the stop position at this time because there is no possibility that the own vehicle will stop in the stop non-recommended area at this time. A dynamic speed plan is generated that considers dynamic information (information that changes depending on the situation) such as other vehicles traveling on the road. When there is no forward vehicle and there is no problem in running with the static speed plan generated in S4, the static speed plan is basically output as the dynamic speed plan. It should be noted that even if there is a vehicle ahead, if the vehicle speed of the vehicle ahead is faster than the own vehicle, or if an avoidance trajectory for avoiding the vehicle ahead is generated as a dynamic travel trajectory in S6, the static Basically, the static speed plan is output as the dynamic speed plan because there is no problem in running with the speed plan. On the other hand, when there is a forward vehicle, the vehicle speed of the forward vehicle is slower than that of the own vehicle, and the follow-up trajectory for following the forward vehicle is generated as the dynamic travel trajectory in S6, a dynamic travel trajectory for following the forward vehicle is generated. The speed plan will be output as a dynamic speed plan.

Here, the speed plan for following the vehicle ahead is a speed plan for traveling at the same speed as the vehicle ahead while maintaining an appropriate inter-vehicle distance with the vehicle ahead. The appropriate inter-vehicle distance can be appropriately set in consideration of the vehicle speed of the vehicle ahead, the road type of the road on which it is traveling, the congestion status of the road, etc. The above is the appropriate inter-vehicle distance. As an example, if the vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle is 40 km/h, the appropriate inter-vehicle distance is 33.3 m, and the speed plan for driving 33.3 m behind the preceding vehicle at 40 km/h is output as the dynamic speed plan. It will happen.

On the other hand, in S45, the CPU 51 detects the road conditions around the vehicle by the outside camera 39 and other sensors acquired in S42, and calculates the distance from the current position of the vehicle to the stop-non-recommended area passing position. It is determined whether or not a forward vehicle is located. Note that the "forward vehicle" is another vehicle that runs in the same lane as the own vehicle and that is closest to the front of the own vehicle. Also, as shown in FIG. 18, the passing position of the stop non-recommended area is separated from the end point E of the stop non-recommended area 80 by a distance obtained by adding the vehicle length of the own vehicle and an appropriate inter-vehicle distance (for example, 4 m) when the vehicle is stopped. position.

If it is determined that the forward vehicle is located between the current position of the vehicle and the passing position of the stop non-recommended area (S45: YES), the process proceeds to S46. On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no forward vehicle between the current position of the vehicle and the passing position of the non-recommended stopping area (S45: NO), the process proceeds to S44. In S44, there is no preceding vehicle that could cause the vehicle to decelerate or stop, and there is no problem with running according to the static speed plan. It will be output as a dynamic speed plan. However, if there is an intersection or railroad crossing ahead of the vehicle in the direction of travel and it is determined that the vehicle needs to stop based on the lighting status of the traffic lights and the operation status of the railroad crossing acquired in S42, the vehicle will stop before the intersection or railroad crossing. A speed plan is generated for this purpose.

In S46, the CPU 51 determines whether or not the stop non-recommended area determined to be ahead of the predetermined distance in S43 is a stop non-recommended area set for a railroad crossing as shown in FIG.

Then, when it is determined that the non-recommended stop area determined to be ahead of the predetermined distance in S43 is the non-recommended stop area set for the railroad crossing as shown in FIG. 16 (S46: YES) , S47. On the other hand, if the stop non-recommended area determined to be ahead of the predetermined distance in S43 is determined to be the stop non-recommended area set for the intersection as shown in FIG. 14 or 15 (S46 : NO), the process proceeds to S48.

In S47, the CPU 51 determines that the position before the railroad crossing determined to be a predetermined distance ahead (the position of the stop line if there is one) is the stop position of the own vehicle, and the dynamic speed plan for stopping at the stop position is established. generated. In the static speed plan generated in S4, the stop position is before the railroad crossing, so basically the speed plan follows the static speed plan until the vehicle stops, after which the vehicle continues to stop. modified into a plan. The dynamic speed plan generation processing program is repeatedly executed at regular intervals (for example, 200 ms) until the vehicle finishes automatic driving. The vehicle will continue to stop (until it is determined as NO in S45).

On the other hand, in S48, the CPU 51 acquires the state of the preceding vehicle based on the detection results of the road conditions around the vehicle detected by the exterior camera 39 acquired in S42 and other sensors. Specifically, the current position of the vehicle in front (or relative position to the own vehicle), vehicle speed, acceleration (deceleration), and whether or not there is a vehicle in front of the vehicle in front (hereinafter referred to as a vehicle ahead) is acquired. be done. It should be noted that the state of the preceding vehicle may be acquired by communication from the preceding vehicle itself.

Thereafter, in S49, the CPU 51 determines whether there is a possibility that the forward vehicle will not pass through the non-recommended stop area based on the state of the forward vehicle acquired in S48. is likely to stop. In addition to the state of the vehicle in front, it is desirable to consider the surrounding road conditions (for example, the lighting state of traffic lights) obtained in S42. Not passing through the non-recommended stopping area means that the preceding vehicle stops before the passing position (FIG. 18) of the non-recommended stopping area. It is also determined as YES when the preceding vehicle has already stopped before the passing position of the stop non-recommended area.

Incidentally, the determination of S49 is made by using multiple factors such as the vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle, the acceleration (deceleration) degree, and the existence of the vehicle two ahead ahead. Specifically, cases where it is determined that there is a possibility that the forward vehicle will not pass through the non-recommended stop area include, for example, the following (A) to (C).
(A) When the vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle is clearly slower than the speed limit of the road (for example, 10 km/h or less).
(B) When the forward vehicle is decelerating.
(C) A case in which a vehicle ahead of the vehicle also exists before the vehicle passes through the non-recommended stopping area.
If any one of the above conditions (A) to (C) is satisfied, it may be determined that there is a possibility that the preceding vehicle will not pass through the non-recommended stop area. ), it may be determined that there is a possibility that the preceding vehicle will not pass through the non-recommended stopping area.

Then, the presence of the vehicle in front determined in S49 that there is a possibility of not passing through the non-recommended stop area corresponds to an event (deceleration factor event) that causes the vehicle to decelerate or stop at the intersection and its surroundings. . However, when there is a vehicle two ahead ahead, it is desirable to set the vehicle two ahead as the deceleration factor event. As will be described later, when there is a vehicle ahead of the vehicle, the stopping position can be determined at an earlier timing than when the vehicle ahead is the deceleration factor event by setting the vehicle ahead as the deceleration factor event. (S56-S67). As a result, it is possible to more reliably avoid the host vehicle from being stopped in a non-recommended stop area (especially a pedestrian crossing or intersection in the non-recommended stop area).

If it is determined that there is a possibility that the preceding vehicle will not pass through the stop non-recommended area, that is, there is a possibility that the preceding vehicle will stop before passing through the stop non-recommended area (S49: YES), S50 to move to. If it is determined that there is a possibility that the vehicle ahead will not pass through the non-recommended stop area, the vehicle will need to stop at the intersection. A stop position for stopping the own vehicle at an intersection is determined in consideration of the state of the vehicle two ahead (if there is a vehicle two ahead) and the stop non-recommended area.

On the other hand, if it is determined that the forward vehicle passes through the non-recommended stopping area (S49: NO), the process proceeds to S44. In S44, even if it becomes necessary for the vehicle to stop due to the presence of the preceding vehicle, it is possible to avoid stopping the vehicle in the non-recommended stop area. Based on the generated static speed plan, a dynamic speed plan is generated in consideration of dynamic information (information that changes depending on the situation) such as other vehicles traveling around the vehicle. Basically, a speed plan for following the preceding vehicle is output as a dynamic speed plan. However, when the vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle is faster than the vehicle speed of the own vehicle traveling according to the static speed plan, the static speed plan generated in S4 is output as the dynamic speed plan instead of the following speed plan. Also good. Further, when it is determined that the vehicle needs to be stopped based on the lighting status of the traffic light acquired in S42, a speed plan for stopping before the intersection is generated.

Subsequently, at S50, the CPU 51 determines whether there is a vehicle ahead of the vehicle ahead based on the detection result of the road conditions around the vehicle detected by the exterior camera 39 and other sensors acquired at S42. Determine whether or not. The range in which the vehicle ahead can be detected is limited to the range (detection range) in which the road conditions around the vehicle can be detected by the exterior camera 39 and other sensors. If the detection result can be obtained from the forward vehicle by communication, it is possible to further widen the detectable range of the forward vehicle. Further, instead of directly detecting the vehicle ahead, the presence of the vehicle ahead may be determined from the behavior of the vehicle ahead.

Then, when it is determined that there is a vehicle two ahead ahead (S50: YES), the process proceeds to S56. On the other hand, when it is determined that there is no vehicle in front of the vehicle (S50: NO), the process proceeds to S51.

In S51, the CPU 51 calculates the stop position when it is assumed that the host vehicle has been stopped by sudden braking (0.6 G) from the present time. As shown in FIG. 17, for example, when the vehicle is traveling at 40 km/h, the stop position when the vehicle is decelerated by sudden braking is 10.5 m ahead of the current position.

After that, in S52, the CPU 51 determines whether the vehicle can stop before the non-recommended stop area when it is assumed that the vehicle has stopped by sudden braking (0.6 G) from the current time based on the stop position calculated in S51. determine whether

If it is determined that the vehicle can stop before the non-recommended stop area (S52: YES), the process proceeds to S53. On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle cannot stop in front of the non-recommended stop area even if the vehicle is stopped by sudden braking (0.6 G) from this time point (S52: NO), the process proceeds to S54.

In S53, the CPU 51 determines the front of the non-recommended stop area 80 (if there is a stop line, the position of the stop line is desirable) as the stop position of the host vehicle as shown in FIG. A velocity plan is generated. In addition, it is planned to continue the stop after that. The dynamic speed plan generation processing program is repeatedly executed at regular intervals (for example, 200 ms) until the vehicle finishes automatic driving. The vehicle will continue to stop (until it is determined as NO in S45). That is, in the present embodiment, when the host vehicle can stop in front of the non-recommended stop area, the position in front of the non-recommended stop area is determined as the stop position with the highest priority.

On the other hand, in S54, the CPU 51 extracts positions where the own vehicle can stop within the non-recommended stop area as candidate stop positions. Specifically, in the stopping non-recommended area, positions where a space where the vehicle can stop can be secured are extracted as stop position candidates, excluding crossing sections and crosswalks that overlap with intersecting roads. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 20, an area 86 longer than the vehicle length of the own vehicle exists between the intersection section 85 and the pedestrian crossing 81, and an area 86 longer than the vehicle length of the own vehicle exists between the intersection section 85 and the pedestrian crossing 82. There is also an area 87 that is longer than . Therefore, areas 86 and 87 are extracted as stop position candidates.

After that, at S55, the CPU 51 determines a stop position from among the stop position candidates extracted at S54, based on the running condition of the own vehicle and the condition of the preceding vehicle. In S55, in order to avoid the vehicle from stopping within the intersection section, if the vehicle can stop at a stop position candidate (area 86 in FIG. 20) on the front side of the intersection section, the vehicle is stopped on the front side. A position candidate is prioritized and determined as a stop position. However, if the vehicle cannot stop at the stop position candidate on the near side of the intersection even by deceleration by sudden braking (0.6G), the stop position candidate after passing the intersection (area 87 in FIG. 20) may be used as the stop position. good. Then, as shown in FIG. 21, after the stop position of the own vehicle is determined within the non-recommended stop area 80, a dynamic speed plan for stopping at the stop position is generated. In addition, it is planned to continue the stop after that. The dynamic speed plan generation processing program is repeatedly executed at regular intervals (for example, 200 ms) until the vehicle finishes automatic driving. The vehicle will continue to stop (until it is determined as NO in S45).

On the other hand, in S56 which is executed when it is determined that there is a vehicle two ahead ahead (S50: YES), the CPU 51 determines the stop position when it is assumed that the own vehicle has stopped by sudden braking (0.6 G) from the present time. calculate. The details are the same as those in S51, so they are omitted.

After that, in S57, the CPU 51 determines whether the vehicle can be stopped before the non-recommended stop area when it is assumed that the vehicle is stopped by sudden braking (0.6G) from the present time based on the stop position calculated in S56. determine whether

If it is determined that the vehicle can stop before the non-recommended stop area (S57: YES), the process proceeds to S58. On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle cannot stop in front of the non-recommended stopping area even if the vehicle is stopped by sudden braking (0.6G) from this time point (S57: NO), the process proceeds to S59.

In S58, the CPU 51 determines the front of the non-recommended stop area 80 (preferably the position of the stop line if there is one) as the stop position of the host vehicle as shown in FIG. A velocity plan is generated. In addition, it is planned to continue the stop after that. The dynamic speed plan generation processing program is repeatedly executed at regular intervals (for example, 200 ms) until the vehicle finishes automatic driving. The vehicle will continue to stop (until it is determined as NO in S45). That is, in the present embodiment, when the host vehicle can stop in front of the non-recommended stop area, the position in front of the non-recommended stop area is determined as the stop position with the highest priority.

On the other hand, in S59, the CPU 51 acquires the state of the vehicle ahead of the vehicle based on the detection results of the road conditions around the vehicle detected by the exterior camera 39 acquired in S42 and other sensors. Specifically, the current position of the vehicle two ahead ahead (or the position relative to the own vehicle), the vehicle speed, and the acceleration (deceleration) degree are acquired. Incidentally, the state of the vehicle two ahead may be acquired by communication from the vehicle ahead or from the vehicle itself two ahead.

After that, in S60, the CPU 51 calculates the stop position when it is assumed that the vehicle two ahead has stopped by sudden braking (0.6 G) from the present time. The details are the same as those in S51, so they are omitted.

Next, in S61, the CPU 51, based on the stop position of the vehicle ahead ahead calculated in S60, assumes that the vehicle ahead ahead has stopped by sudden braking (0.6 G) from the current time point. Calculate the stop position of the preceding vehicle. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 22, a position spaced apart by an appropriate inter-vehicle distance (for example, 4 m) at the time of stopping from the stop position of the vehicle ahead is calculated as the stop position of the preceding vehicle. Assuming that the vehicle ahead has started decelerating at this point, the range in which the own vehicle can stop is the range from the stop position calculated in S56 to the stop position of the preceding vehicle calculated in S61. range. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the stop position of the own vehicle within that range.

Next, in S62, the CPU 51 extracts, as stop position candidates, positions where the host vehicle can stop between the intersection section and the stop position of the preceding vehicle calculated in S61. Specifically, a position where a space where the vehicle can stop can be secured, excluding a pedestrian crossing, from the intersection to the stop position of the preceding vehicle calculated in S61 is extracted as a stop position candidate. As for the distance between the pedestrian crossing and the vehicle in front, it is also a condition that an appropriate inter-vehicle distance (for example, 4 m) can be secured between the vehicle and the vehicle in front when the vehicle is stopped. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 22, an area 90 longer than the vehicle length of the own vehicle exists between the crossing section 85 and the pedestrian crossing 82, and the vehicle length of the own vehicle is between the crosswalk 82 and the stop position of the preceding vehicle. There is an area 91 that is longer than the length of the vehicle and can secure an appropriate inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle when the vehicle is stopped. Therefore, area 90 and area 91 are extracted as stop position candidates.

After that, at S63, the CPU 51 determines whether or not the candidate for the stop position was extracted at S62. Determine if there is

Then, in S62, the candidate for the stop position can be extracted, that is, if it is determined that there is a position at which the vehicle can be stopped after passing through the cross section even if the vehicle ahead stops due to sudden braking. If (S63: YES), the process proceeds to S65. On the other hand, it is determined in S62 that no candidate for a stop position can be extracted, that is, if the vehicle ahead stops due to sudden braking, there is no position at which the vehicle can be stopped after passing through the cross section. If so (S63: NO), the process proceeds to S64.

In S64, the CPU 51 determines the stop position before the cross section in the stop non-recommended area 80 as shown in FIG. As shown in FIG. 21, an area longer than the vehicle length of the vehicle should exist between the crossing section and the pedestrian crossing 81, but if there is no such area, the vehicle must stop at least within the crossing section. should be avoided. Then, as shown in FIG. 21, after the stop position of the own vehicle is determined within the non-recommended stop area 80, a dynamic speed plan for stopping at the stop position is generated. In addition, it is planned to continue the stop after that. The dynamic speed plan generation processing program is repeatedly executed at regular intervals (for example, 200 ms) until the vehicle finishes automatic driving. The vehicle will continue to stop (until it is determined as NO in S45).

On the other hand, in S65, the CPU 51 determines whether or not a stop position candidate after passing through the non-recommended stop area in S62 has been extracted. It is determined whether there is a position where the own vehicle can be stopped. For example, in the example shown in FIG. 22, an area 91 between the pedestrian crossing 82 and the stop position of the preceding vehicle is a candidate stop position after passing through the non-recommended stop area.

Then, in S62, the candidate for the stop position after passing through the stop non-recommended area is extracted. If it is determined that there is a possible position (S65: YES), the process proceeds to S66. On the other hand, in S62, the stop position candidate is not extracted after passing through the stop non-recommended area. If it is determined that there is no possible position (S65: NO), the process proceeds to S67.

In S66, the CPU 51 does not determine the stop position at this time because it is possible to avoid stopping the own vehicle in the non-recommended stop area even if the own vehicle needs to stop due to the vehicle ahead ahead. Instead, the speed plan for passing through the intersection following the preceding vehicle is basically output as the dynamic speed plan. However, when the vehicle speed of the preceding vehicle is faster than the vehicle speed of the own vehicle traveling according to the static speed plan, the static speed plan generated in S4 is output as the dynamic speed plan instead of the following speed plan. Also good. Further, when it is determined that the vehicle needs to be stopped based on the lighting status of the traffic light acquired in S42, a speed plan for stopping before the intersection is generated.

On the other hand, at S67, the CPU 51 determines the stop position as the stop position candidate extracted at S62. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 23, a stop position candidate within the non-recommended stop area 80 and after passing through the cross section is determined as the stop position. Then, after the stop position of the own vehicle is determined within the non-recommended stop area 80, a dynamic speed plan for stopping at the stop position is generated. In addition, it is planned to continue the stop after that. The dynamic speed plan generation processing program is repeatedly executed at regular intervals (for example, 200 ms) until the vehicle finishes automatic driving. The vehicle will continue to stop (until it is determined as NO in S45).

As described in detail above, the navigation device 1 according to the present embodiment and the computer program executed by the navigation device 1 obtain a planned travel route on which the vehicle travels (S1), and avoid stopping on the planned travel route. Information about the non-recommended stopping area, which is the area to be stopped, is acquired (S41). If an event occurs, the event is acquired as a deceleration factor event (S48), and if it is determined that the own vehicle needs to stop at the intersection due to the deceleration factor event, the running situation of the own vehicle , the content of the deceleration factor event, and the non-recommended stop area are taken into consideration to determine the stop position where the own vehicle should stop, and generate a speed plan for the own vehicle for stopping the own vehicle at the stop position (S53, S55, S58, S64, S67), and based on the stop position and speed plan, the driving assistance of the own vehicle is performed (S10, S11), so that the position at which the own vehicle should be stopped can be identified at an earlier stage than before. Thereby, it becomes possible to generate a speed plan that does not burden the driver.
Also, when it is determined that the vehicle needs to stop due to the deceleration factor event, whether the vehicle can stop outside the non-recommended stop area based on the driving conditions of the vehicle and the content of the deceleration factor event. (S52, S57) If it is possible for the vehicle to stop outside the non-recommended stop area, a stop position is determined outside the non-recommended stop area (S53, S58). If it is not possible for the vehicle to stop, it extracts a position where the vehicle can stop within the non-recommended stop area as a stop position candidate for the own vehicle, and from among the extracted stop position candidates, the driving situation of the own vehicle and the details of the deceleration factor event. (S54, S63 to S67). Therefore, when the vehicle can stop outside the non-recommended stop area, it is possible to preferentially determine the stop position outside the non-recommended stop area. Even if the vehicle cannot stop at the designated stop area, it is possible to search for a position where the vehicle can stop within the stop non-recommended area and determine it as the stop position.
In addition, since the deceleration factor event is another vehicle traveling in front of the own vehicle, when the own vehicle needs to stop at an intersection due to the presence of the preceding vehicle, the position at which the own vehicle should be stopped is conventionally determined. can be identified at an earlier stage.
Further, when there are two or more other vehicles traveling ahead of the own vehicle, the deceleration factor event is the other vehicle traveling the furthest ahead. Identifiable at an early stage.
Further, based on the current position and speed of the own vehicle and the current position and speed of the other vehicle, a range in which the own vehicle can stop when it is assumed that the other vehicle starts decelerating at the present time is specified and specified. Since the stopping position is determined within the range (S58, S64, S67), when the vehicle needs to stop at an intersection due to the existence of the preceding vehicle or the vehicle ahead, the range within which the vehicle can be stopped is determined. It is possible to determine the position where the vehicle should be stopped from within the range.

It should be noted that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and of course various improvements and modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the present invention.
For example, in the present embodiment, the existence of the forward vehicle determined in S49 that there is a possibility that it may not pass through the stop non-recommended area causes an event (deceleration factor event), but the deceleration factor event may be other than the preceding vehicle. For example, it may be the lighting state of a traffic signal installed at an intersection ahead of the vehicle in the traveling direction. In other words, when a traffic light installed at an intersection in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel lights up in yellow or red, it is acquired as a deceleration factor event. The stop position where the own vehicle stops may be determined in consideration of the state and the non-recommended stop area.

In this embodiment, generation of a speed plan when there is a non-recommended stopping area set for an intersection and a railroad crossing ahead of the vehicle in the direction of travel is described. If there are non-recommended stopping areas that should be avoided, the present invention is similarly applicable even when there are non-recommended stopping areas ahead of the own vehicle in the traveling direction. Stopping non-recommended areas other than intersections and railroad crossings include, for example, pedestrian crossings other than intersections, stop-prohibited portions on road signs, areas where streetcars pass, and the like. Specifically, in S43 of the dynamic speed plan generation process shown in FIG. 12, it is determined whether or not there is a pedestrian crossing other than an intersection, a stop-prohibited portion of a road sign, an area where a streetcar passes, etc. Further, the stop position of the own vehicle is determined by using the presence or absence of the preceding vehicle between those areas and the traveling condition of the own vehicle, and a travel plan is generated (S48 to S67).

Further, in the present embodiment, when there is a vehicle ahead of the vehicle in front of the vehicle ahead, the vehicle ahead is considered as the deceleration factor event. may be the deceleration factor event of the preceding vehicle relative to the preceding vehicle. That is, when there are two or more other vehicles traveling in front of the own vehicle, it is desirable to set the other vehicle traveling in front most as the deceleration factor event.

Further, in the present embodiment, the finally generated static travel trajectory and dynamic travel trajectory are information specifying a specific trajectory (a set of coordinates or a line) along which the vehicle travels. The information may be such that the road and lane on which the vehicle travels can be specified without specifying a specific track.

Further, in this embodiment, the lane network is generated using the high-precision map information 15 (S23), but the lane network for roads all over the country is stored in the DB in advance, and if necessary, the lane network is stored in the DB. You may make it read from.

In addition, in the present embodiment, the high-precision map information possessed by the server device 4 includes road lane shapes (road shape and curvature for each lane, lane width, etc.) and division lines drawn on the road (roadway center line, lane line, etc.). Boundaries, roadway lines, guide lines, current lanes, etc.), but may include only information about lane markings or may include only information about lane shapes of roads. For example, even if only information about lane markings is included, it is possible to estimate information corresponding to information about lane shape of the road based on information about lane markings. Moreover, even if only the information about the lane shape of the road is included, it is possible to estimate the information corresponding to the information about the lane marking based on the information about the lane shape of the road. Further, the "information about lane markings" may be information specifying the type and arrangement of lane markings themselves that separate lanes, or information specifying whether or not it is possible to change lanes between adjacent lanes. Alternatively, it may be information that directly or indirectly specifies the shape of the lane.

In the present embodiment, part of the static travel trajectory is replaced with the dynamic travel trajectory as means for reflecting the dynamic travel trajectory on the static travel trajectory (S7). The trajectory may be corrected so as to bring the trajectory closer to the dynamic travel trajectory.

Further, in the present embodiment, the vehicle control ECU 40 automatically controls all of the operations related to the behavior of the vehicle, such as the accelerator operation, the brake operation, and the steering wheel operation, without depending on the user's driving operation. I have explained it as an automatic driving support for driving. However, the automatic driving assistance may be performed by the vehicle control ECU 40 controlling at least one of the accelerator operation, the brake operation, and the steering wheel operation, which are operations related to the behavior of the vehicle. On the other hand, manual driving by a user's driving operation will be explained assuming that the user performs all operations related to the behavior of the vehicle, such as accelerator operation, brake operation, and steering wheel operation.

Further, the driving assistance of the present invention is not limited to automatic driving assistance related to automatic driving of a vehicle. For example, the static traveling trajectory generated in S3 and the dynamic traveling trajectory generated in S6 may be displayed on the navigation screen, and guidance using voice or screen (for example, lane change guidance, etc.) may be provided. Driving support is also possible. Further, the user's driving operation may be assisted by displaying the static traveling trajectory and the dynamic traveling trajectory on the navigation screen. Similarly, the static speed plan generated in S4 and the dynamic speed plan generated in S8 are displayed on the navigation screen, and guidance using voice or screen (for example, guidance for speed adjustment, etc.) is provided. Driving support is also possible.

Further, in the present embodiment, the automatic driving support program ( FIG. 4 ) is configured to be executed by the navigation device 1 , but may be configured to be executed by an on-vehicle device other than the navigation device 1 or the vehicle control ECU 40 . In this case, the vehicle-mounted device and the vehicle control ECU 40 are configured to acquire the current position of the vehicle, map information, and the like from the navigation device 1 and the server device 4 . Furthermore, the server device 4 may execute some or all of the steps of the automatic driving support program (FIG. 4). In that case, the server device 4 corresponds to the driving support device of the present application.

In addition, the present invention can be applied to mobile phones, smart phones, tablet terminals, personal computers, etc. (hereinafter referred to as mobile terminals, etc.) in addition to navigation devices. Also, it is possible to apply to a system composed of a server, a mobile terminal, and the like. In that case, each step of the above-described automatic driving support program (see FIG. 4) may be configured to be executed by either the server or the mobile terminal. However, when the present invention is applied to a mobile terminal or the like, it is necessary that a vehicle capable of executing automatic driving assistance and the mobile terminal or the like are communicably connected (whether wired or wireless).

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 1 navigation device 2 driving support system 3 information distribution center 4 server device 5 vehicle 15 high-precision map information 33 navigation ECU 39 exterior camera 40 vehicle control ECU 51 ... CPU, 52 ... RAM, 53 ... ROM, 54 ... Flash memory, 61 ... Planned travel route, 75 ... Lane node, 76 ... Lane link, 80 ... Non-recommended stopping area, 81, 82 ... Pedestrian crossing, 85 ... Intersection section

Claims (6)

Planned travel route acquisition means for acquiring a planned travel route on which the vehicle travels;
Area information acquiring means for acquiring information about a stop non-recommended area, which is an area through which the vehicle should pass on the planned travel route and where stopping should be avoided;
When the stop non-recommended area exists a predetermined distance ahead of the own vehicle, and an event causing deceleration or stop of the own vehicle occurs in and around the stop non-recommended area, the event is defined as a deceleration factor event. an event acquisition means for acquiring as
When it is determined that the own vehicle needs to stop due to the deceleration factor event, the own vehicle stops in consideration of the running condition of the own vehicle, the content of the deceleration factor event, and the stop non-recommended area. stop position determination means for determining a stop position;
a speed plan generating means for generating a speed plan of the own vehicle for stopping the own vehicle at the stop position;
and driving assistance means for assisting driving of the own vehicle based on the stop position and the speed plan. The stop position determining means is
When it is determined that the own vehicle needs to stop due to the deceleration factor event, the own vehicle can stop outside the non-recommended stopping area based on the driving condition of the own vehicle and the content of the deceleration factor event. determine whether or not
determining the stop position outside the non-recommended stop area when the own vehicle can be stopped outside the non-recommended stop area;
When the own vehicle cannot stop outside the non-recommended stop area, a position where the own vehicle can stop within the non-recommended stop area is extracted as a stop position candidate for the own vehicle, and the own vehicle is selected from the extracted stop position candidates. 2. The driving support system according to claim 1, wherein the stop position is determined based on the running condition of the vehicle and the content of the deceleration factor event. 3. The driving support system according to claim 1, wherein the deceleration factor event is another vehicle running in front of the own vehicle. 4. The driving support system according to claim 3, wherein when there are two or more other vehicles traveling ahead of the own vehicle, the deceleration factor event is the other vehicle traveling furthest ahead. The stop position determining means is
Based on the current position and speed of the own vehicle and the current position and speed of the other vehicle, specifying a range in which the own vehicle can stop when it is assumed that the other vehicle starts decelerating at this point;
5. The driving assistance device according to claim 3, wherein the stop position is determined within a specified range. the computer,
Planned travel route acquisition means for acquiring a planned travel route on which the vehicle travels;
Area information acquiring means for acquiring information about a stop non-recommended area, which is an area through which the vehicle should pass on the planned travel route and where stopping should be avoided;
When the stop non-recommended area exists a predetermined distance ahead of the own vehicle, and an event causing deceleration or stop of the own vehicle occurs in and around the stop non-recommended area, the event is defined as a deceleration factor event. an event acquisition means for acquiring as
When it is determined that the own vehicle needs to stop due to the deceleration factor event, the own vehicle stops in consideration of the running condition of the own vehicle, the content of the deceleration factor event, and the stop non-recommended area. stop position determination means for determining a stop position;
a speed plan generating means for generating a speed plan of the own vehicle for stopping the own vehicle at the stop position;
driving support means for supporting driving of the own vehicle based on the stop position and the speed plan;
A computer program to function as

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