JP5445371B2 - Driving support vehicle-mounted device and road-vehicle communication system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a road-to-vehicle communication system that transmits and receives information by road-to-vehicle communication between a roadside communication device associated with a traffic signal and a vehicle traveling on a road.

  Conventionally, a vehicle traveling on a road receives signal information indicating a signal switching timing from a traffic signal installed at an intersection ahead of the traveling direction by road-to-vehicle communication, and the vehicle is based on the received signal information. Techniques have been invented for performing various driving assistances so that the intersection can be smoothly passed.

  As this type of driving support, for example, in a situation where a traffic signal installed at an intersection in front of the traveling direction of the vehicle shows a current stop signal (yellow or red signal), the vehicle reaches the intersection by decelerating. There is one that passes the stop signal display period before and allows the next progress signal (blue light) to pass through the intersection without stopping (for example, see Patent Document 1). Specifically, signal information indicating the signal switching timing, intersection position information, etc. is received from the traffic signal side by road-to-vehicle communication, and an appropriate deceleration driving method is calculated based on the signal information to the driver. By instructing or automatically adjusting the speed according to the optimum method of decelerating driving, the driver is supported so that the driver can pass through the intersection without stopping.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-128399

  However, when attempting to pass through an intersection without stopping by speed control based on signal information as described above, it may be difficult to provide appropriate driving assistance due to the presence of other vehicles around the host vehicle.

  For example, when there is another vehicle (hereinafter referred to as a preceding vehicle) that precedes the course ahead of the own vehicle between the intersection and the intersection, the preceding vehicle may reach the intersection earlier than the own vehicle and stop according to the stop signal. high. Therefore, there is a problem that even if an attempt is made to pass through an intersection without stopping by decelerating driving based on driving assistance, the preceding vehicle becomes an obstacle and cannot pass along an appropriate decelerating driving method. In addition, when there is a subsequent vehicle immediately behind the host vehicle, the host vehicle may travel at a reduced speed based on driving assistance, which may cause the host vehicle to interfere with the travel of the subsequent vehicle.

  Such a problem is applicable not only to the driving assistance for passing through the above-mentioned intersection without stopping, but also to various driving assistances with speed guidance and speed control performed based on signal information. And in the driving assistance which performs speed guidance and speed control based on signal information, there is nothing in the prior art that provides driving assistance in consideration of the situation of surrounding vehicles.

  The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problem, and an object thereof is to provide a technique for performing driving support based on signal information in an appropriate manner according to the situation of surrounding vehicles.

Obtaining driving support vehicle device of the present invention made in order to achieve the above object, the acquired signal information by the signal information acquisition unit, a driving status information acquired by the travel situation information acquisition unit, the peripheral vehicle information acquisition hand stage A predetermined driving assistance for driving the vehicle to reach the intersection from the current location by making a predetermined situation determination based on the surrounding vehicle information and the vehicle lane information acquired by the vehicle lane information acquiring means. The driving support content corresponding to the situation determination result is determined (situation determining means), and predetermined driving support is executed according to the determined driving support content (driving support control means). The peripheral vehicle information here includes, for example, information such as the presence / absence, speed, position, traveling direction, and the like of another vehicle traveling in front of the intersection in front of the host vehicle. The vehicle traffic zone information is, for example, information indicating the number of vehicle traffic zones on the road before the intersection, shape change due to increase / decrease of the vehicle traffic zone, traffic classification, and the like.

According to the present invention configured as described above, the signal information is converted into the signal information in an appropriate manner according to the situation of the surrounding vehicle by the situation determination based on the signal information, the traveling state of the own vehicle , the surrounding vehicle information , and the vehicle lane information. Based driving assistance. Note that the situation judgment here refers to, for example, judgment of a situation where the surrounding vehicle does not hinder the driving assistance. Specifically, by detecting the presence of surrounding vehicles that interfere with driving support for driving to the intersection, it is possible to avoid driving the obstacle and determine whether driving support can be implemented. Based on the determination result, driving assistance capable of avoiding troubles caused by other vehicles can be implemented.

  As a specific example of driving assistance for driving to the intersection, by adjusting the appropriate speed before the intersection, the stop signal display period is passed before reaching the intersection, and the next progress signal Some allow you to pass through the intersection without stopping. When performing such driving support, if there is a preceding vehicle that travels in front of the path of the vehicle lane where the host vehicle is traveling between the host vehicle and the intersection, the preceding vehicle that has reached the intersection earlier than the host vehicle. Since the vehicle has stopped according to the stop signal, the host vehicle may be forced to stop accordingly. For this reason, when the host vehicle is traveling as it is in the current vehicle traffic zone, when the speed adjustment is performed by driving assistance, the preceding vehicle that has stopped first may become an obstacle and cannot pass through the intersection without stopping.

Therefore, when adopting the driving assistance as described above, it may be configured as described in claim 1. That is, the situation determination means determines that there is a preceding vehicle that travels ahead of the course of the vehicle lane where the host vehicle is traveling, based on the signal information, the traveling status information, the surrounding vehicle information, and the vehicle lane information. In such a situation, there is a vehicle lane that is different from the vehicle lane in which the vehicle is currently traveling, and there is no forward vehicle that travels forward in the vehicle lane that is the route change destination. The vehicle determines whether it is possible to adjust the speed in order to reach the intersection within the displayed period of the progress signal while the vehicle is not stopped by the stop signal before the intersection, and the traveling signal is displayed. When there is a vehicle lane to change the course and the speed can be adjusted, the recommended speed and the course change are determined as driving support contents for the speed adjustment.

  The driving support control means notifies the driver of information for guiding the course change to the vehicle lane of the course change destination according to the recommended speed and the course change determined by the situation determination means, and is in accordance with the recommended speed. A predetermined operation for supporting speed adjustment is performed.

  According to such a configuration, even when there is a preceding vehicle that hinders driving support for passing through the intersection without stopping, if the route can be changed to another vehicle lane where driving support is possible The route change to the vehicle lane can be guided. If the course is changed based on this guidance, troubles due to the preceding vehicle are avoided, and driving assistance such as speed guidance and speed adjustment can be performed in a state where there is no other vehicle ahead of the course of the host vehicle.

  Or, as a specific example of driving assistance for driving to reach an intersection, in addition to the above, if it is predicted that the intersection will be reached while the stop signal is displayed, appropriate speed adjustment before the intersection By doing this, there is something that smoothes the run until it stops before the intersection. Such driving support is, for example, reducing wasteful accelerator operation during traveling until stopping before the intersection, or actively using regenerative braking in an electric vehicle, etc. to realize energy saving, There is one that improves the ride comfort by limiting the speed change until it stops before the intersection within an appropriate range.

  When performing such driving support, if there is a preceding vehicle that travels in front of the path of the vehicle lane where the host vehicle is traveling between the host vehicle and the intersection, the preceding vehicle is earlier than the host vehicle. Since deceleration has begun, the host vehicle may be forced to decelerate unintentionally. Therefore, if the host vehicle is traveling as it is in the current vehicle lane, when the speed adjustment by the driving assistance is performed, the preceding vehicle that has been decelerated first obstructs and follows the optimum driving method provided by the driving assistance. You may not be able to drive.

Therefore, when adopting the driving assistance as described above, it is preferable to configure as described in claim 2. That is, the situation determination means determines that there is a preceding vehicle that travels ahead of the course of the vehicle lane where the host vehicle is traveling, based on the signal information, the traveling status information, the surrounding vehicle information, and the vehicle lane information. In such a situation, there is a vehicle lane that is different from the vehicle lane in which the vehicle is currently traveling, and there is no forward vehicle that travels forward in the vehicle lane that is the route change destination. It is determined whether or not the speed adjustment for reaching the stop position of the intersection is possible within the stop signal display period. As a result of the determination, there is a vehicle lane to change the course and the speed can be adjusted. In some cases, the recommended speed and the course change for the speed adjustment are determined as the driving assistance contents.

  The driving support control means informs the driver of information that guides the course change to the vehicle lane according to the recommended speed and the course change determined by the situation judgment means, and supports speed adjustment along the recommended speed. A predetermined operation is performed.

  According to such a configuration, even when there is a preceding vehicle that hinders driving assistance so that the vehicle can be stopped at an intersection by an appropriate deceleration method, the route is changed to another vehicle lane where driving assistance is possible. If the situation is possible, it is possible to guide the route change to the vehicle lane. If the course is changed based on this guidance, troubles are avoided by the preceding vehicle, and driving assistance such as speed guidance and speed adjustment can be performed in a state where there is no other vehicle ahead of the course of the host vehicle.

  In addition, in the vicinity of an intersection, there may be a case where a traffic classification according to the traveling direction is specified for the vehicle traffic zone, and a vehicle passing through the intersection has a vehicle traffic zone with a traffic classification corresponding to its own traveling direction. It is supposed to run. Therefore, a vehicle that travels when the host vehicle or other vehicle passes through the intersection by using the traveling direction of the host vehicle and the other vehicle at the intersection and the traffic classification of the vehicle lane to determine the situation for driving support. The traffic zone can be accurately predicted, and whether or not driving assistance can be performed can be determined more appropriately.

Specifically, a configuration as described in claim 3 is preferable. That is, the vehicle further includes a traveling direction specifying means for specifying the traveling direction of the vehicle at the intersection. In addition, the vehicle traffic zone information acquisition means acquires vehicle traffic zone information including information related to the traffic classification specified for each traveling direction at the intersection with respect to the vehicle traffic zone. The vehicle traffic zone information here refers to, for example, whether or not the vehicle traffic zone in front of the intersection can go straight or turn left or right, or a vehicle traffic zone dedicated to a specific traveling direction (for example, a right-turn traffic zone or a left-turn traffic zone). This indicates the specified contents of the traffic classification. Such vehicle traffic zone information may use map data used in an in-vehicle navigation device, or may be acquired from an external device by wireless communication or the like. The surrounding vehicle information acquisition means acquires information related to the traveling direction at the intersection of another vehicle traveling in front of the intersection in front of the host vehicle.

  The situation determination means further determines the vehicle's own vehicle and the other vehicle when the preceding vehicle exists based on the traveling direction of the vehicle and the other vehicle at the intersection and the traffic classification according to the traveling direction at the intersection of the vehicle traffic zone. Another vehicle lane with a specified traffic classification corresponding to the direction of travel at the intersection, and a different route destination than the vehicle lane with the specified traffic classification corresponding to the direction of travel of the preceding vehicle at the intersection And whether or not speed adjustment is possible in a situation where there is no forward vehicle traveling ahead in the vehicle change zone to which the route is changed, and as a result of the determination, When there is a vehicle traffic zone and the speed can be adjusted, the recommended speed and the route change for the speed adjustment are determined as the driving assistance contents.

  For example, if the preceding vehicle is scheduled to make a right turn at an intersection, it can be estimated that the preceding vehicle changes its course to the rightmost vehicle lane before reaching the intersection. In this case, if the host vehicle is going to go straight or turn left at the intersection, the preceding vehicle can be avoided by changing the course to the vehicle lane on the left side while avoiding the vehicle lane on the right end. In this way, even in a situation where there is a preceding vehicle, the route is in a different vehicle traffic zone corresponding to the traveling direction of the host vehicle and different from the vehicle traffic zone corresponding to the traveling direction of the preceding vehicle. If the change is made, it is possible to avoid the inconvenience that the preceding vehicle changes the course again to the same vehicle lane as the own vehicle after the own vehicle changes the course. According to such a configuration, it is possible to make a more accurate situation determination by taking into account the traffic classification of the vehicle traffic zone at the intersection and the traveling direction of the host vehicle and other vehicles. Realize driving assistance.

  Alternatively, even if there is a preceding vehicle ahead of the course of the host vehicle, if there is another vehicle lane corresponding to the direction of travel at the intersection of the preceding vehicle, the preceding vehicle will reach the intersection. It can be estimated that the course is changed from the vehicle traffic zone in which the host vehicle travels to another vehicle traffic zone. At this time, if the vehicle lane where the vehicle is currently traveling corresponds to the direction of travel at the intersection, the vehicle can reach the intersection in the situation where there is no other vehicle ahead even if the vehicle does not change the course. Become.

In view of the above situation, it is preferable to configure as described in claim 4 . That is, the situation determination means, when the preceding vehicle exists when traveling in the vehicle lane designated by the traffic classification corresponding to the traveling direction of the own vehicle at the intersection, the situation determination means at the intersection of the preceding vehicle Whether or not to change the course is determined and whether or not speed adjustment is possible is determined according to the presence or absence of another vehicle lane with a specified traffic classification corresponding to the traveling direction. As a result of the determination, when it is determined that the course change is unnecessary and the speed adjustment is possible, only the recommended speed for speed adjustment is determined as the driving assistance content. The driving support control means performs a predetermined operation that supports speed adjustment along the recommended speed according to the recommended speed determined by the situation determination means.

  In this way, by determining whether or not it is necessary to change the course of the host vehicle from the prediction of the trend based on the traveling direction of the preceding vehicle, it is possible to accurately determine the situation in which driving assistance can be performed without changing the course even if there is a preceding vehicle. It is possible to grasp the information and to avoid guiding an unnecessary course change.

  By the way, when performing some speed guidance or speed adjustment as driving assistance for driving to the intersection, consider the other vehicles behind the own vehicle and perform driving assistance to It is desirable not to interfere with each other. For example, when there is a succeeding vehicle traveling behind the course of the host vehicle, there is a risk of inducing an unexpected approach of the succeeding vehicle by decelerating based on driving assistance. In addition, when the course is changed with the intention of avoiding the preceding vehicle, it is necessary to consider so as not to hinder the rear vehicle traveling behind the vehicle lane where the course is changed.

In view of the above situation, it is preferable to configure as described in claim 5 . That is, the surrounding vehicle information acquisition means acquires the surrounding vehicle information including information related to the rear vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle. When the situation determination means determines whether there is a rear vehicle that hinders the implementation of driving support based on the surrounding vehicle information, and determines that there is a rear vehicle that hinders the implementation of driving support as a result of the determination. Decide not to implement driving assistance.

  In this way, by determining whether or not driving assistance can be performed based on surrounding vehicle information related to other vehicles behind the host vehicle, a situation in which the host vehicle and the rear vehicle interfere with each other due to driving support is avoided. it can.

Next, the road-to-vehicle communication system according to claim 6 is a signal display of the driving support vehicle-mounted device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 and a specific traffic signal device installed at an intersection. A roadside communication device including signal information transmitting means for transmitting signal information including at least information related to the schedule to the vehicle. According to the road-to-vehicle communication system configured as described above, based on road-to-vehicle communication between a vehicle equipped with the driving support vehicle-mounted device of the present invention and a traffic infrastructure such as a roadside communication device, the same effect as described above. The effect of.

It is a block diagram which shows schematic structure of the road-to-vehicle communication system of embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the main process of a vehicle-mounted apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows the procedure of the passability judgment processing. It is a list | wrist which shows the content of the driving assistance according to a condition. It is explanatory drawing which shows the passable examples 1 and 2 by driving assistance. It is explanatory drawing which shows the possible examples 3 and 4 by driving assistance. It is explanatory drawing which shows the possible examples 5 and 6 by driving assistance.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, this invention is not limited to the following embodiment at all, and can be implemented in various aspects.
[Description of configuration of road-vehicle communication system]
First, the configuration of the road-to-vehicle communication system of the embodiment will be described based on FIG. The road-to-vehicle communication system includes an in-vehicle device 1 (corresponding to a driving support in-vehicle device in claims) mounted on a vehicle traveling on a road and a traffic signal 2 installed in an intersection (a road-side communication device in claims) Equivalent).

The in-vehicle device 1 includes a position specifying unit 10, an external device connection unit 11, a display unit 12, an audio output unit 13, an optical beacon communication unit 14, a wireless communication unit 15, a control unit 16, and the like.
Among these, the position specifying unit 10 specifies the current location and traveling direction of the vehicle based on detection signals from the vehicle speed sensor 32, an acceleration sensor (not shown), a GPS receiver, and the like, and inputs the specified data to the control unit 16. Is for. The external device connection unit 11 communicates with various devices such as other ECUs (Electronic Control Units) such as a radar camera 31, a vehicle speed sensor 32, an operation control unit 33, and a navigation device 34 that are mounted on the vehicle. This is an interface for performing this operation, and inputs data transmitted from each device to the control unit 16. The radar camera 31 is a device provided with a radar for detecting other vehicles existing around the own vehicle and a camera for imaging road scenery in front of and behind the own vehicle. The vehicle speed sensor 32 is a device for detecting the speed of the host vehicle. The operation control unit 33 is a device for performing operation control of each unit (controlled units such as an accelerator, a brake, and a direction indicator) of the host vehicle. The navigation device 34 is a well-known car navigation system that searches for a recommended route from the current location to the destination based on road map data and provides driving guidance according to the searched recommended route.

  The display unit 12 is a display device having a display surface such as a liquid crystal panel for displaying images, and displays various driving assistance images based on control from the control unit 16. The display surface for displaying the image is disposed at a place where it can be seen from the driver's seat of the vehicle. The voice output unit 13 is a voice output device including a speaker or the like that outputs voice, and outputs various voice messages related to driving support based on control from the control unit 16.

  The optical beacon communication unit 14 is a communication device for performing bidirectional communication using near infrared communication technology with an optical beacon installed near the road. The optical beacon communication unit 14 receives various traffic information provided from the optical beacon and inputs the received data to the control unit 16.

  The wireless communication unit 15 performs two-way wireless communication (road-to-vehicle communication) with the traffic signal 2 installed at the signalized intersection, and wireless communication (vehicle-to-vehicle communication) with surrounding vehicles equipped with a communication device. ) Is a communication device. As a communication mode used for this road-to-vehicle communication, for example, it is conceivable to use a technology such as a narrowband communication (DSRC) used in an ETC (registered trademark) system or a radio beacon used in VICS (registered trademark) or the like. . Alternatively, in Japan, it may be possible to use 700 MHz band radio waves whose usage categories are scheduled to be reorganized after the end of 2011 (planned) analog television broadcasting. Since the 700 MHz band radio wave has a longer wavelength than that of the 5.8 GHz band radio wave used in DSRC, diffraction tends to occur. Therefore, in an urban area where buildings are densely packed, communication can be performed even from the shadow of the building.

  The control unit 16 is configured by a known computer device including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and comprehensively controls each unit of the in-vehicle device 1. This control part 16 performs the process regarding road-to-vehicle communication and driving assistance according to the program memorize | stored in ROM etc. In the present embodiment, in order to be able to pass through the intersections ahead without stopping based on the signal information acquired by road-to-vehicle communication, the traveling state of the host vehicle, and the surrounding vehicle state grasped using various sensors. Driving assistance such as speed adjustment assistance and route change guidance. A detailed description of the processing for implementing this driving support will be described later.

On the other hand, the traffic signal device 2 includes a wireless communication unit 21, a signal control unit 22, an optical beacon 23, and a signal display unit 24.
Among these, the radio | wireless communication part 21 is a communication apparatus for performing two-way radio | wireless communication (road-to-vehicle communication) between the vehicle-mounted apparatuses 1 mounted in the vehicle which drive | works a road. The communication mode used for this road-to-vehicle communication is the same as that of the vehicle-mounted device 1 described above.

  The optical beacon 23 is a device having both a bidirectional communication function using a highly directional near-infrared ray and a vehicle sensing function, and is installed in front of the intersection of the road connected to the intersection where the traffic signal 2 is installed. A near-infrared light emitter / receiver and a control device. The optical beacon 23 senses a vehicle traveling toward the intersection, transmits information supplied from the signal control unit 22 to the vehicle, and also senses vehicle information and information received from the vehicle through two-way communication. Output to the signal controller 22.

  The signal control unit 22 is composed of a well-known computer device including a CPU, ROM, RAM, and the like, and controls each part of the traffic signal device 2 so as to display a signal to a vehicle passing through a signalized intersection. It controls the turning on and off of each of the blue, yellow, and red signal lamps provided in the signal display unit 24 as a device.

  Further, the signal control unit 22 uses the wireless communication unit 21 to send information related to the current schedule of signals controlled by the signal control unit 22 and signal information including intersection position information to the vehicle at regular intervals (for example, every 100 ms). Send to. The information regarding the signal display schedule is information indicating the current signal display status, the future signal lamp color display order, and the display period (start time, end time, etc.) of each signal lamp color.

  Moreover, the signal control part 22 transmits the distance information which shows the travel distance from the installation position of the light projector / receiver of the optical beacon 23 to the intersection using the optical beacon 23 to the vehicle sensed by the optical beacon 23.

[Description of main processing of in-vehicle device 1]
Next, the procedure of main processing executed by the control unit 16 of the in-vehicle device 1 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. This process is a process executed when there is an intersection where signal information is transmitted by the traffic signal 2 of the present embodiment in front of the course of the host vehicle.

  First, the control unit 16 of the in-vehicle device 1 receives signal information from the traffic signal device 2 installed at the intersection ahead of the course using the wireless communication unit 15 (S101). This signal information includes information related to the signal display schedule in the traffic signal 2, the position information of the front intersection, and the like.

  Next, the traffic signal information received in S101, the travel status information indicating the travel status of the host vehicle, the traveling direction of the host vehicle at the front intersection, and the surrounding vehicles in the vicinity of the host vehicle traveling on the same road as the host vehicle. Based on the surrounding vehicle information and the like, a passability determination process is performed for determining whether or not the vehicle can pass through the front intersection and determining the details of the driving support based on driving support (S102).

  The traveling state information of the host vehicle is information indicating the speed of the host vehicle, the current location, the remaining distance to the intersection, and the like acquired using the position specifying unit 10, the vehicle speed sensor 32, the optical beacon communication unit 14, and the like. In addition, the surrounding vehicle information includes the position, speed, remaining distance to the intersection, and the traveling direction at the front intersection, obtained by the vehicle-to-vehicle communication or the road-to-vehicle communication using the radar camera 31 or the wireless communication unit 15. It is information which shows etc.

  In the present embodiment, for a situation where a current stop signal (yellow or red signal) is shown at the front intersection, the stop signal is displayed before the host vehicle reaches the front intersection by decelerating to an appropriate speed. Driving support is assumed to allow the current period to pass through and to pass through the intersection without stopping at the next progress signal (blue light or arrow signal). The driving support includes calculation of a recommended speed to allow the vehicle to pass through the intersection without stopping, support for deceleration adjustment based on the recommended speed, and a course for avoiding preceding vehicles that interfere with the deceleration adjustment. There is a change guide. Then, in the passability determination process of S102, it is determined whether or not it is possible to pass through the intersection without deceleration by deceleration adjustment, and the recommended speed when it is possible to pass, whether or not to change the route, and the route change destination are determined. It is determined. The detailed procedure of this passability determination process will be described later.

  Next, in S103, based on the processing result of S102, it is determined whether or not the forward intersection can be passed without stopping only by deceleration adjustment. Here, if it is determined that the vehicle can pass through the front intersection without stopping only by deceleration adjustment (S103: YES), the process proceeds to S104. If it is determined that the vehicle cannot pass (S103: NO), the process proceeds to S108.

  In S104, which proceeds when it is determined that the vehicle can pass through the front intersection without stopping only by deceleration adjustment, a deceleration instruction is executed based on the recommended speed calculated in S102. This deceleration instruction is made by notifying the driver of a message to instruct or guide deceleration by image display by the display unit 12 or voice guidance by the audio output unit 13. In addition, while giving a deceleration instruction | indication, operation | movement of an accelerator or a brake may be controlled using the operation control part 33, and you may make it adjust a speed automatically.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the speed of the host vehicle has reached the recommended speed calculated in S102 (S105). If the recommended speed has been reached (S105: YES), the process proceeds to S106. If the recommended speed has not been reached (S105: NO), the process of S105 is repeated while continuing the deceleration instruction.

  In S106, which proceeds when the recommended speed is reached, a speed appropriateness notification is performed. This speed appropriateness notification is a message indicating that the appropriate speed has been reached, or a message indicating that the current appropriate speed is to be maintained or instructed by image display by the display unit 12 or voice guidance by the audio output unit 13. This is done by informing.

  Subsequently, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has passed the forward intersection based on the current location information of the host vehicle (S107). If the vehicle has passed the front intersection (S107: YES), the process proceeds to S115. If the vehicle has not passed the front intersection (S107: NO), the process of S107 is repeated. In S115, which proceeds when the vehicle has passed the front intersection, the driving support being performed is terminated, and the present process is terminated.

  On the other hand, in S103, when it is determined that it is not possible to pass the front intersection without stopping only by the deceleration adjustment, whether or not the front intersection can be passed without stopping by the course change and the deceleration adjustment is determined based on the processing result of S102. Determine whether. Here, when it is determined that the forward intersection can be passed without stopping by the course change and deceleration adjustment (S108: YES), the process proceeds to S109, and when it is determined that the vehicle cannot pass (S108: NO), this process is terminated. To do.

  In step S109, which is performed when it is determined that the vehicle can pass through the front intersection without stopping by the route change and deceleration adjustment, the route change guidance and the deceleration instruction are executed based on the vehicle lane of the route change destination determined in S102 and the recommended speed. The route change guidance is performed by notifying a message indicating the vehicle lane to which the route is changed by image display by the display unit 12 or voice guidance by the voice output unit 13. In addition, the deceleration instruction is performed by notifying the driver of a message for instructing or guiding deceleration by image display by the display unit 12 or voice guidance by the audio output unit 13.

  Subsequently, based on the detection result of the vehicle traffic zone in which the host vehicle is traveling, it is determined whether or not the course change along the course change guide has been completed (S110). When the course change is completed (S110: YES), the process proceeds to S111. When the course change has not been completed (S110: NO), the process of S110 is repeated while continuing the course change guidance and the deceleration instruction.

  In S111, which is followed when the course change is completed, the course change guidance is terminated, while the deceleration instruction is continued. Then, it is determined whether or not the speed of the host vehicle has reached the recommended speed calculated in S102 (S112). If the recommended speed has been reached (S112: YES), the process proceeds to S113. If the recommended speed has not been reached (S112: NO), the process of S112 is repeated while continuing the deceleration instruction.

  In step S113, which is performed when the recommended speed is reached, an appropriate speed notification is performed. This speed appropriateness notification is a message indicating that the appropriate speed has been reached, or a message indicating that the current appropriate speed is to be maintained or instructed by image display by the display unit 12 or voice guidance by the audio output unit 13. This is done by informing.

  Next, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has passed the front intersection based on the current location information of the host vehicle (S114). If the vehicle has passed the front intersection (S114: YES), the process proceeds to S115. If the vehicle has not passed the front intersection (S114: NO), the process of S114 is repeated. In S115, which proceeds when the vehicle has passed the front intersection, the driving support being performed is terminated, and the present process is terminated.

[Explanation of passability determination processing]
Next, the procedure of the pass / fail determination process executed in S102 of the main process described above will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 3 and the explanatory diagrams of FIGS.

  First, the control unit 16 of the in-vehicle device 1 determines whether or not there is a preceding vehicle that is predicted to be stopped by a stop signal at the front intersection in front of the path of the vehicle lane where the host vehicle is currently traveling ( S201). Note that the vehicle traffic zone in which the host vehicle and the surrounding vehicles are currently traveling includes the road shape, the detection result of the current location of each vehicle, the behavior history of the host vehicle, and the detection result of the forward environment (for example, road marking) by the radar camera 31. And so on. As for the road shape, information obtained from the map data provided in the navigation device 34, which has acquired information on the number and arrangement of vehicle traffic zones provided on the road before the front intersection and the traffic classification, is used. Whether or not the preceding vehicle is stopped by the stop signal at the front intersection is determined based on the current status and schedule of the signal indication based on the signal information, the speed of the preceding vehicle and the distance to the front intersection. Predict and determine when to reach. The speed of the preceding vehicle and the distance to the front intersection are acquired by radar-camera 31 or vehicle-to-vehicle communication or road-to-vehicle communication using the wireless communication unit 15.

  In S201, when it is determined that there is no preceding vehicle that is predicted to stop by a stop signal at the front intersection in front of the course of the host vehicle (S201: NO), the process proceeds to S202, and it is determined that there is a preceding vehicle ( (S201: YES), the process proceeds to S207.

  In S202, which proceeds when there is no preceding vehicle predicted to stop by a stop signal ahead of the course of the host vehicle, the vehicle reaches the front intersection within a period in which the progress signal is displayed at the front intersection by performing deceleration adjustment. Judgment is made on whether or not it is possible.

  Specifically, the latest progress signal display period (start time and end time), the distance from the current location to the front intersection, the current speed of the host vehicle, and the maximum speed change rate (deceleration) allowed during deceleration And by adjusting the required time to the front intersection by the speed reduction method that satisfies the maximum speed change rate and the minimum speed constraint based on the conditions of the minimum speed allowed at the constant speed running after the end of deceleration. It is determined whether or not it is possible to reach the front intersection within the signal display period. At the same time, if it is possible to reach the current signal within the display period of the progress signal by the deceleration adjustment, the reachable recommended speed is calculated. In addition, when only an arrow signal dedicated to each traveling direction such as a right turn, a left turn, and a straight traveling is displayed before a traveling signal for all traveling directions at a front intersection, an arrow corresponding to the traveling direction of the host vehicle Whether or not it can be reached is determined for the period in which the signal is displayed.

  Note that the maximum speed change rate during deceleration and the minimum speed after deceleration used in the situation determination of S202 are values set in advance by a manufacturer or the like in consideration of safety and comfort during traveling. Alternatively, the user may arbitrarily set it according to the user's driving preference.

  Subsequently, in S203, the processing branches depending on whether or not it is determined in the result of the situation determination in S202 that the front intersection can be reached within the progress signal display period. When it is determined that the front intersection can be reached within the progress signal display period (S203: YES), the process proceeds to S204. In S204, it is further determined whether or not there is a subsequent vehicle that hinders deceleration adjustment behind the vehicle traffic zone in which the host vehicle is currently traveling. When there is no subsequent vehicle that hinders deceleration adjustment (S204: NO), a determination result that “passage is possible due to deceleration adjustment” is confirmed (S205), and this process ends.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in S203 that the front intersection cannot be reached within the progress signal display period (S203: NO), or when it is determined in S204 that there is a subsequent vehicle that hinders deceleration adjustment (S204: YES). The determination result of “impossible to pass” is confirmed (S206), and this process is terminated.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in S201 that there is a preceding vehicle that is predicted to be stopped by the stop signal in front of the vehicle's course, a progress signal is displayed at the front intersection by the combination of the course change and the deceleration adjustment. The situation is determined whether or not the forward intersection can be reached within a certain period.

  The conditions used for the situation determination here include the latest travel signal display period (start time and end time), the road shape to the front intersection, the number of vehicle traffic zones, and the like for those other than the vehicle. As for the vehicle, the distance from the current location of the vehicle to the front intersection, the current speed, the direction of travel at the front intersection, the maximum speed change rate (deceleration) allowed during deceleration, and after the end of deceleration There are minimum speeds allowed during constant speed running. As for surrounding vehicles, the position of the preceding vehicle, the distance from the current location of the preceding vehicle to the intersection, the speed, the direction of travel at the intersection, the front of the vehicle other than the preceding vehicle traveling in a vehicle lane other than the own vehicle There is the position of the vehicle.

  The traveling direction of the vehicle at the front intersection is determined by using the recommended route searched by the navigation device 34, the operation status of the direction indicator, the learning result by accumulating the traveling history, and the like. Further, as for the traveling direction of the preceding vehicle, the intended traveling direction on both sides of the preceding vehicle may be acquired by inter-vehicle communication using the wireless communication unit 15, or the operation of the direction indicator of the preceding vehicle imaged by the camera You may judge comprehensively from a condition, the vehicle lane with a preceding vehicle, and a road shape. Or when not depending on any method, you may presume from a road shape and a vehicle lane with a preceding vehicle.

  Based on the above conditions, it is determined whether or not it is necessary to change the course in order to avoid the preceding vehicle ahead of the course of the host vehicle, and in the situation where there is no other forward vehicle, and the maximum speed change rate and It is determined whether or not it is possible to reach the front intersection within the display period of the progress signal by adjusting the required time to the front intersection by the deceleration method that satisfies the minimum speed constraint. Here, based on the traveling direction of the preceding vehicle at the front intersection and the road shape, the presence / absence of a course change made by the preceding vehicle in front of the front intersection is estimated, and the course change of the host vehicle is necessary in consideration of the estimation result. Determine no.

  In addition to this situation determination, if it is possible to reach the progress signal within the period indicated by the deceleration adjustment, the reachable recommended speed is calculated. If a course change is necessary, the course changing method is determined. In addition, when only an arrow signal dedicated to each traveling direction such as a right turn, a left turn, and a straight traveling is displayed before a traveling signal for all traveling directions at a front intersection, an arrow corresponding to the traveling direction of the host vehicle Whether or not it can be reached is determined for the period in which the signal is displayed.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the situation determination regarding the necessity of the course change performed in S207 and the content of the driving assistance determined based on the situation determination result are the situation No. described in the list shown in FIG. It is specified in each case of 1-16. Here, based on the list shown in FIG. The content of each case of 1-16 is demonstrated.

(Situation No. 1)
It is a requirement that the traveling direction of the vehicle at the front intersection is straight ahead. It is a requirement that the traveling direction at the front intersection of the preceding vehicle is also straight ahead. It is a requirement for the road shape that there is a vehicle lane that can go straight ahead adjacent to the vehicle lane where the host vehicle is located. It is a requirement that no other forward vehicle exists in this adjacent vehicle lane. If these requirements are met, the vehicle will change its course to the adjacent vehicle lane, avoiding the preceding vehicle ahead of the vehicle's route, and reaching the front intersection in the absence of other vehicles ahead it can. Therefore, in this case, the route change guidance to the adjacent traffic zone and the deceleration instruction are selected as the driving assistance content candidates.

  Situation No. The case 1 corresponds to passable examples 1 and 2 shown in FIGS. That is, as shown in Passable Example 1 in FIG. 5A, when the host vehicle is traveling on the left side in the traveling direction of the two vehicle traffic zones, the route is to the right vehicle traffic zone that can go straight to the host vehicle. By making the change, it is possible to avoid the preceding vehicle that stops before the intersection and reach the front intersection. Further, as shown in passable example 1 in FIG. 5B, when the host vehicle is traveling on the right side in the traveling direction of the two vehicle traffic zones, the route to the left vehicle traffic zone that can go straight to the host vehicle By making the change, it is possible to avoid the preceding vehicle that stops before the intersection and reach the front intersection.

(Situation No. 2)
It is a requirement that the traveling direction of the vehicle at the front intersection is straight ahead. It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the preceding vehicle is a right turn. The road shape is required to have a vehicle lane adjacent to the right side of the vehicle lane where the host vehicle is located. It is a requirement that there is no preceding vehicle other than the preceding vehicle on the course of the own vehicle. If these requirements are met, it is predicted that the preceding vehicle will change course to the right vehicle lane to turn right at the front intersection. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the preceding vehicle and reach the front intersection without changing the course of the host vehicle. Therefore, in this case, it is determined that there is no need to change the course, and only the deceleration instruction is selected as a candidate for driving assistance contents.

  Situation No. The case 2 corresponds to the passable example 3 shown in FIG. That is, as shown in this passable example 3, when the host vehicle is traveling on the left side in the traveling direction of the two vehicle traffic zones, the preceding vehicle eventually changes its course to the right vehicle traffic zone for a right turn. Since the vehicle is predicted to go, it is only necessary that the host vehicle continues to travel in this vehicle lane.

(Situation No. 3)
It is a requirement that the traveling direction of the vehicle at the front intersection is straight ahead. It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the preceding vehicle is a right turn. It is a requirement for the road shape that there is a vehicle lane that can travel straight and is adjacent to the left side of the vehicle lane where the host vehicle is located. It is a requirement that no other forward vehicle exists in the vehicle traffic zone on the left side. If these requirements are met, the preceding vehicle is expected to continue to travel in the current vehicle lane to turn right at the forward intersection. Therefore, by changing the course of the host vehicle to the vehicle lane adjacent to the left, it is possible to avoid the preceding vehicle ahead of the course of the host vehicle and reach the front intersection in a situation where there is no other preceding vehicle. Therefore, in this case, the route change guidance to the left vehicle lane and the deceleration instruction are selected as candidates for the driving assistance contents.

  Situation No. Case 3 corresponds to the passable example 2 shown in FIG. That is, as shown in this passable example 2, when the host vehicle is traveling on the right side in the traveling direction of the two vehicle traffic zones, the preceding vehicle ahead in the course travels on the right vehicle traffic zone for a right turn. Since it continues, it is only necessary to change the course to the vehicle lane on the left side where the vehicle can go straight.

(Situation No. 4)
It is a requirement that the traveling direction of the vehicle at the front intersection is straight ahead. It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the preceding vehicle is a left turn. The road shape is required to have a vehicle lane adjacent to the left side of the vehicle lane where the host vehicle is located. It is a requirement that there is no preceding vehicle other than the preceding vehicle on the course of the own vehicle. If these requirements are met, it is predicted that the preceding vehicle will change course to the left vehicle lane to turn left at the front intersection. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the preceding vehicle and reach the front intersection without changing the course of the host vehicle. Therefore, in this case, it is determined that there is no need to change the course, and only the deceleration instruction is selected as a candidate for driving assistance contents.

  Situation No. The case of 4 corresponds to the passable example 4 shown in FIG. That is, as shown in this passable example 4, when the host vehicle is traveling on the right side in the traveling direction of the two vehicle traffic zones, the preceding vehicle eventually changes its course to the left vehicle traffic zone for a left turn. Since the vehicle is predicted to go, it is only necessary that the host vehicle continues to travel in this vehicle lane.

(Situation No. 5)
It is a requirement that the traveling direction of the vehicle at the front intersection is straight ahead. It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the preceding vehicle is a left turn. The road shape is required to have a vehicle lane adjacent to the right side of the vehicle lane where the host vehicle is located. It is a requirement that no other forward vehicle exists in the vehicle traffic zone on the right. If these requirements are met, the preceding vehicle is expected to continue to travel in the current vehicle lane to turn left at the front intersection. For this reason, by changing the course of the host vehicle to the vehicle lane adjacent to the right, it is possible to avoid the preceding vehicle ahead of the course of the host vehicle and reach the front intersection in a situation where there is no other preceding vehicle. Therefore, in this case, the route change guidance to the right vehicle lane and the deceleration instruction are selected as driving assistance content candidates.

  Situation No. Case 5 corresponds to the passable example 1 shown in FIG. That is, as shown in this passable example 1, when the host vehicle is traveling on the left side in the traveling direction of the two vehicle traffic zones, the preceding vehicle ahead in the course travels on the left vehicle traffic zone for a left turn. To continue, it is only necessary to change the course to the right vehicle lane where the vehicle can go straight.

(Situation No. 6)
It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the host vehicle is a right turn. It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the preceding vehicle is straight ahead. The road shape is required to have a vehicle lane adjacent to the right side of the vehicle lane where the host vehicle is located. It is a requirement that no other forward vehicle exists in the vehicle traffic zone on the right. If these requirements are met, the host vehicle must change course to the right vehicle lane to turn right at the intersection. Therefore, by causing the host vehicle to change the course to the right vehicle lane, it is possible to avoid the preceding vehicle ahead of the host vehicle and reach the front intersection in a situation where there is no other preceding vehicle. Therefore, in this case, the route change guidance to the right vehicle lane and the deceleration instruction are selected as driving assistance content candidates.

  Situation No. Case 5 corresponds to the passable example 1 shown in FIG. That is, as shown in this passable example 1, when the host vehicle is traveling on the left side in the traveling direction of the two vehicle traffic zones, the vehicle changes its course to the right vehicle traffic zone for the right turn. By avoiding the preceding vehicle that stops before the intersection, it is possible to reach the front intersection.

(Situation No. 7)
It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the host vehicle is a right turn. It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the preceding vehicle is straight ahead. The road is required to have an additional vehicle lane for turning right before the intersection. It is a requirement that no other forward vehicle exists in this right turn exclusive lane. When these requirements are met, the host vehicle enters the right turn exclusive lane along the road shape for a right turn, and the preceding vehicle enters the left vehicle lane along the road shape for straight ahead. For this reason, the own vehicle can reach the front intersection in a situation where there is no preceding vehicle ahead of the course or other preceding vehicles. In this case, since it is inevitable that the host vehicle enters the right turn exclusive lane, it is not necessary to guide the route change, and only the deceleration instruction is selected as the candidate for the driving assistance content. In this case, when there are a plurality of preceding vehicles in front of the course of the host vehicle, it is a requirement that the right turn exclusive lane is on the near side (host vehicle side) with respect to the last preceding vehicle.

  Situation No. The case 7 corresponds to the passable example 5 shown in FIG. That is, as shown in this passable example 5, the host vehicle enters the right-turn exclusive lane along the road shape amplified by the appearance of the right-turn exclusive lane, thereby avoiding the preceding vehicle that stops before the intersection. You can reach the intersection.

(Situation No. 8)
It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the host vehicle is a right turn. It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the preceding vehicle is a left turn. The road shape is required to have a vehicle lane adjacent to the right side of the vehicle lane where the host vehicle is located. It is a requirement that no other forward vehicle exists in the vehicle traffic zone on the right. If these requirements are met, the host vehicle must change course to the right vehicle lane to turn right at the intersection. On the other hand, it is predicted that the preceding vehicle will continue to travel in the current vehicle lane to turn left at the front intersection. Therefore, by causing the host vehicle to change the course to the right vehicle lane, it is possible to avoid the preceding vehicle ahead of the host vehicle and reach the front intersection in a situation where there is no other preceding vehicle. Therefore, in this case, the route change guidance to the right vehicle lane and the deceleration instruction are selected as driving assistance content candidates.

  Situation No. Case 5 corresponds to the passable example 1 shown in FIG. That is, as shown in this passable example 1, when the host vehicle is traveling on the left side in the traveling direction of the two vehicle traffic zones, the vehicle changes its course to the right vehicle traffic zone for the right turn. By avoiding the preceding vehicle that stops before the intersection, it is possible to reach the front intersection.

(Situation No. 9)
It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the host vehicle is a right turn. It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the preceding vehicle is a left turn. The road shape is required to have a vehicle lane adjacent to the left side of the vehicle lane where the host vehicle is located. It is a requirement that there is no preceding vehicle other than the preceding vehicle on the course of the own vehicle. If these requirements are met, the host vehicle may continue to travel in the right vehicle lane to turn right at the intersection. On the other hand, the preceding vehicle is predicted to change course to the left vehicle lane to turn left at the front intersection. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the preceding vehicle and reach the front intersection without changing the course of the host vehicle. Therefore, in this case, it is determined that there is no need to change the course, and only the deceleration instruction is selected as a candidate for driving assistance contents.

  Situation No. The case of 9 corresponds to the passable example 4 shown in FIG. That is, as shown in this passable example 4, when the host vehicle is traveling on the right side in the traveling direction for a right turn among the two vehicle lanes, the preceding vehicle will eventually turn to the left for a left turn. Since it is predicted that the course will be changed, the host vehicle only needs to continue traveling in this vehicle lane.

(Situation No. 10)
It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the host vehicle is a right turn. It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the preceding vehicle is a left turn. The road shape is a requirement that a vehicle lane for exclusive use of right turns is added before the intersection. It is a requirement that no other forward vehicle exists in this right turn exclusive lane. When these requirements are met, the host vehicle enters the right turn exclusive lane along the road shape for a right turn, and the preceding vehicle enters the left vehicle lane along the road shape for a left turn. For this reason, the own vehicle can reach the front intersection in a situation where there is no preceding vehicle ahead of the course or other preceding vehicles. In this case, since it is inevitable that the host vehicle enters the right turn exclusive lane, it is not necessary to guide the route change, and only the deceleration instruction is selected as the candidate for the driving assistance content. In this case, when there are a plurality of preceding vehicles in front of the course of the host vehicle, it is a requirement that the right turn exclusive lane is on the near side (host vehicle side) with respect to the last preceding vehicle.

  Situation No. The case of 10 corresponds to the passable example 5 shown in FIG. That is, as shown in this passable example 5, the host vehicle enters the right-turn exclusive lane along the road shape amplified by the appearance of the right-turn exclusive lane, thereby avoiding the preceding vehicle that stops before the intersection. You can reach the intersection.

(Situation No. 11)
It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the host vehicle is a left turn. It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the preceding vehicle is straight ahead. It is a requirement for the road shape that there is a vehicle lane that can travel straight and is adjacent to the left side of the vehicle lane where the host vehicle is located. It is a requirement that no other forward vehicle exists in the vehicle traffic zone on the left side. When these requirements are met, the host vehicle needs to change course to the left vehicle lane to turn left at the intersection. Therefore, by changing the course of the host vehicle to the vehicle lane adjacent to the left, it is possible to avoid a preceding vehicle ahead of the course of the host vehicle and reach the front intersection in a situation where there is no other preceding vehicle. Therefore, in this case, the route change guidance to the left vehicle lane and the deceleration instruction are selected as candidates for the driving assistance contents.

  Situation No. The case of 11 corresponds to the passable example 2 shown in FIG. That is, as shown in this passable example 2, when the host vehicle is traveling on the right side in the traveling direction of the two vehicle traffic zones, the host vehicle changes its course to the vehicle traffic zone on the left side for a left turn. By avoiding the preceding vehicle that stops before the intersection, it is possible to reach the front intersection.

(Situation No. 12)
It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the host vehicle is a left turn. It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the preceding vehicle is straight ahead. The road is required to have an additional vehicle lane for turning left in front of the intersection. It is a requirement that no other forward vehicles exist in this left turn exclusive lane. When these requirements are met, the host vehicle enters the left turn exclusive lane along the road shape for a left turn, and the preceding vehicle enters the right vehicle lane along the road shape for straight ahead. For this reason, the own vehicle can reach the front intersection in a situation where there is no preceding vehicle ahead of the course or other preceding vehicles. In this case, since it is inevitable that the host vehicle enters the left turn exclusive lane, it is not necessary to guide the route change, and only the deceleration instruction is selected as the candidate for the driving assistance content. In this case, when there are a plurality of preceding vehicles in front of the course of the host vehicle, it is a requirement that the left-turn exclusive lane is on the near side (host vehicle side) with respect to the last preceding vehicle.

  Situation No. The 12 cases correspond to the passable example 6 shown in FIG. That is, as shown in this passable example 6, the host vehicle enters the left turn exclusive lane along the road shape amplified by the appearance of the left turn exclusive lane, and avoids the preceding vehicle that stops before the intersection. You can reach the intersection.

(Situation No. 13)
It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the host vehicle is a left turn. It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the preceding vehicle is a right turn. The road shape is required to have a vehicle lane adjacent to the right side of the vehicle lane where the host vehicle is located. It is a requirement that there is no preceding vehicle other than the preceding vehicle on the course of the own vehicle. If these requirements are met, the host vehicle may continue to travel in the left vehicle lane to turn left at the intersection. On the other hand, the preceding vehicle is predicted to change course to the right vehicle lane to turn right at the front intersection. Therefore, it is possible to avoid the preceding vehicle and reach the front intersection without changing the course of the host vehicle. Therefore, in this case, it is determined that there is no need to change the course, and only the deceleration instruction is selected as a candidate for driving assistance contents.

  Situation No. The case 13 corresponds to the passable example 3 shown in FIG. That is, as shown in this passable example 3, when the host vehicle is traveling on the left in the traveling direction for a left turn among two vehicle traffic zones, the preceding vehicle will eventually go to the right vehicle traffic zone for a right turn. Since it is predicted that the course will be changed, it is only necessary for the own vehicle to continue traveling in this vehicle lane.

(Situation No. 14)
It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the host vehicle is a left turn. It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the preceding vehicle is a right turn. It is a requirement for the road shape that there is a vehicle lane that can travel straight and is adjacent to the left side of the vehicle lane where the host vehicle is located. It is a requirement that no other forward vehicle exists in the vehicle traffic zone on the left side. When these requirements are met, the host vehicle needs to change course to the left vehicle lane to turn left at the intersection. On the other hand, it is predicted that the preceding vehicle will continue to travel in the right vehicle lane to turn right at the front intersection. Therefore, by changing the course of the host vehicle to the vehicle lane adjacent to the left, it is possible to avoid the preceding vehicle ahead of the course of the host vehicle and reach the front intersection in a situation where there is no other preceding vehicle. Therefore, in this case, the route change guidance to the left vehicle lane and the deceleration instruction are selected as candidates for the driving assistance contents.

  Situation No. The case of 14 corresponds to the passable example 2 shown in FIG. That is, as shown in this passable example 2, when the host vehicle is traveling on the right side in the traveling direction of the two vehicle traffic zones, the host vehicle changes its course to the vehicle traffic zone on the left side for a left turn. By avoiding the preceding vehicle that stops before the intersection, it is possible to reach the front intersection.

(Situation No. 15)
It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the host vehicle is a left turn. It is a requirement that the direction of travel at the front intersection of the preceding vehicle is a right turn. The road is required to have an additional vehicle lane for turning left in front of the intersection. It is a requirement that no other forward vehicles exist in this left turn exclusive lane. When these requirements are met, the host vehicle enters the left turn exclusive lane along the road shape for a left turn, and the preceding vehicle enters the right vehicle lane along the road shape for a right turn. For this reason, the own vehicle can reach the front intersection in a situation where there is no preceding vehicle ahead of the course or other preceding vehicles. In this case, since it is inevitable that the host vehicle enters the left turn exclusive lane, it is not necessary to guide the route change, and only the deceleration instruction is selected as the candidate for the driving assistance content. In this case, when there are a plurality of preceding vehicles in front of the course of the host vehicle, it is a requirement that the left-turn exclusive lane is on the near side (host vehicle side) with respect to the last preceding vehicle.

  Situation No. The case of 15 corresponds to the passable example 6 shown in FIG. That is, as shown in this passable example 6, the host vehicle can reach the front intersection by avoiding the preceding vehicle that stops before the intersection by entering the left turn exclusive lane along the amplifying road shape.

  The above situation No. In 1 to 15, when there are a plurality of preceding vehicles ahead of the course of the vehicle traffic zone in which the host vehicle is traveling, the above requirement is applicable to all the preceding vehicles.

(Situation No. 16)
Each requirement of the traveling direction of the host vehicle, the traveling direction of the preceding vehicle, the road shape, and the situation of the forward vehicle other than the preceding vehicle is the above-mentioned situation No. If none of the combinations 1 to 15 is applicable, it is determined that neither driving assistance for route change guidance and deceleration instruction is executable.

  Returning to the flowchart of FIG. In S208, the process branches depending on whether or not it is determined in the result of the situation determination in S207 that the front intersection can be reached within the progress signal display period. When it is determined that the front intersection can be reached within the progress signal display period (S208: YES), the process proceeds to S209. In S209, the process branches depending on whether or not it is determined that the course of the host vehicle needs to be changed in the result of the situation determination in S207. If it is determined that the course of the host vehicle needs to be changed (S209: YES), the process proceeds to S210. If it is determined that the path is not required (S209: NO), the process proceeds to S204.

  In S210, which is followed when the course of the host vehicle needs to be changed, whether or not there is a subsequent vehicle behind the course change destination vehicle lane determined in S207 that interferes with the course change or deceleration adjustment of the host vehicle. Determine. When there is no subsequent vehicle that interferes with the course change and deceleration adjustment (S210: NO), the determination result that “passage is possible by course change and deceleration adjustment” is confirmed (S211), and this process is terminated.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in S208 that the front intersection cannot be reached within the progress signal display period (S208: NO), or if it is determined in S210 that there is a subsequent vehicle that may interfere with the course change or deceleration adjustment (S210). : YES), the determination result of “impossible to pass” is confirmed (S212), and this process is terminated.

[Modification]
(1) In the passability determination process of the above embodiment, when determining whether or not a course can be changed when there is a preceding vehicle ahead of the course of the host vehicle, a vehicle path adjacent to the vehicle passband in which the host vehicle is traveling Only was the subject of judgment. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, on a road having three or more vehicle traffic zones, a vehicle traffic zone further away from the adjacent vehicle traffic zones may be determined as a candidate for a course change.

  Specifically, first, it is determined whether or not the course can be changed for a vehicle lane that is adjacent to the vehicle lane where the host vehicle is traveling, and driving in an adjacent vehicle lane, such as when there is a forward vehicle, is present. If the situation is such that support is not possible, whether or not the course can be changed may be determined based on the presence or absence of a preceding vehicle or the like for the adjacent vehicle lane. In addition, when guiding the route change to the vehicle lane that is further away from the vehicle lane adjacent to the vehicle lane where the host vehicle is traveling, after guiding the route change to the adjacent vehicle lane, Further, it is only necessary to guide the route change step by step, such as guiding the route change to the next adjacent vehicle lane.

  (2) In the above embodiment, for the situation where the current stop signal is displayed at the front intersection, the stop signal display period before the host vehicle reaches the front intersection by decelerating to an appropriate speed. He explained the case of driving assistance to pass through the intersection and make it possible to pass through the intersection without stopping at the next travel signal. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the present invention can also be applied to a case where driving assistance having other contents is executed. As an example, when it is forced to stop with a stop signal when the host vehicle reaches the front intersection, wasteful accelerator operation is reduced, or regenerative braking in an electric vehicle or the like is actively used. Driving support to enable stopping at a predetermined position before the intersection with an appropriate deceleration method, such as a method for realizing energy saving and a method for improving the ride comfort by keeping the speed change rate until stopping within an appropriate range. Can be considered.

  When performing such driving support, if there is a preceding vehicle that interferes with stopping at the intersection using the supported driving method, avoid this preceding vehicle and specify a course change destination that does not have another preceding vehicle. The route change guidance can be performed together with the speed adjustment support. As a specific control method, it is possible to adopt a method in which various conditions applied in the procedures shown in the flowcharts of FIGS. 2 and 3 are changed to contents corresponding to driving assistance for stopping at an intersection.

[effect]
According to the road-to-vehicle communication system of the above embodiment, the following effects are obtained.
(1) By detecting the presence of a surrounding vehicle that interferes with driving assistance for driving to the front intersection and avoiding the obstacle, it is determined whether driving assistance can be performed. Based on the determination result, driving assistance capable of avoiding troubles caused by other vehicles can be implemented.

  (2) Specifically, when there is a preceding vehicle that travels in front of the path of the vehicle traffic zone in which the host vehicle is traveling between the host vehicle and the front intersection, another vehicle traffic that can provide driving assistance If the route can be changed to the belt, the route change to the vehicle traffic zone can be guided. If the course is changed based on this guidance, troubles due to the preceding vehicle are avoided, and driving assistance such as speed guidance and speed adjustment can be performed in a state where there is no other vehicle ahead of the course of the host vehicle.

  (3) By considering the traffic classification of the vehicle lane at the front intersection and the traveling direction of the host vehicle and other vehicles in the situation determination, it is possible to more accurately determine whether or not it is necessary to change the course for driving support. It is possible to realize appropriate driving support according to the situation of surrounding vehicles.

  (4) By determining whether or not driving assistance can be performed according to the presence or absence of a following vehicle that may interfere with the course change or deceleration adjustment of the own vehicle, the driving support may cause the own vehicle and the rear vehicle to interfere with each other. You can avoid the situation.

[Correspondence between Configuration of Embodiment and Configuration described in Claims]
Correspondence between the configuration of each part of the road-to-vehicle communication system of the above embodiment and the configuration described in the claims is as follows. The wireless communication unit 15 and the control unit 16 of the in-vehicle device 1 correspond to signal information acquisition means in the claims. Further, the position specifying unit 10, the external device connection unit 11, the optical beacon communication unit 14, and the control unit 16 correspond to a traveling state information acquisition unit. The external device connection unit 11, the wireless communication unit 15, and the control unit 16 correspond to surrounding vehicle status acquisition means. The control unit 16 corresponds to a situation determination unit, a driving support control unit, and a traveling direction specifying unit. Further, the external device connection unit 11 and the control unit 16 correspond to a vehicle lane information acquisition unit.

  On the other hand, the wireless communication unit 21 and the signal control unit 22 of the traffic signal device 2 correspond to the signal information transmitting means in the claims.

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Car-mounted apparatus, 10 ... Position specification part, 11 ... External apparatus connection part, 12 ... Display part, 13 ... Audio | voice output part, 14 ... Optical beacon communication part, 15 ... Wireless communication part, 16 ... Control part, 2 ... Traffic Signal unit, 21 ... wireless communication unit, 22 ... signal control unit, 23 ... optical beacon, 24 ... signal display unit, 31 ... radar camera, 32 ... vehicle speed sensor, 33 ... operation control unit, 34 ... navigation device.

Claims (6)

Signal information acquisition means for acquiring signal information including at least information related to a schedule of signal display of a traffic signal installed at an intersection ahead of the traveling direction of the host vehicle;
A driving status information acquisition means for acquiring driving status information relating to the driving status of the host vehicle;
Peripheral vehicle information acquisition means for acquiring peripheral vehicle information including information related to other vehicles traveling in front of the intersection in front of the host vehicle;
Vehicle lane information acquisition means for acquiring vehicle lane information regarding the vehicle lane provided on the road on which the host vehicle is traveling;
Acquiring the acquired signal information by the signal information acquisition unit, a driving status information acquired by the driving status information acquiring unit, a peripheral vehicle information acquired by the peripheral vehicle information acquisition hand stage, by the traffic lane information acquisition unit A predetermined situation determination is made based on the vehicle lane information and the driving assistance contents corresponding to the situation determination result are determined for the predetermined driving assistance for driving the own vehicle from the current location to the intersection. Situation judgment means,
Driving assistance control means for executing the predetermined driving assistance according to the driving assistance content determined by the situation judgment means,
The predetermined driving support assists the speed adjustment of the host vehicle so that the host vehicle can reach the intersection within the travel signal display period without being stopped by the stop signal before the intersection. To do,
When it is determined that there is a preceding vehicle that travels in front of the path of the vehicle lane where the host vehicle is traveling, the situation determination means determines that the vehicle passage of the route change destination is different from the vehicle lane where the host vehicle is currently traveling. In a situation where there is a belt and there is no forward vehicle traveling ahead in the vehicle traffic zone to which the course is changed, the vehicle is not stopped by the stop signal before the intersection and Judgment is made whether or not the speed adjustment to reach the intersection within the current period is possible. If the result is that there is a vehicle lane to change the course and the speed adjustment is possible, the speed adjustment is made. Therefore, the recommended speed and course change are determined as the driving assistance contents,
In accordance with the recommended speed and the route change determined by the situation determination unit, the driving support control unit notifies the driver of information for guiding the route change to the vehicle lane of the route change destination, and the recommended speed A driving support vehicle-mounted device that performs a predetermined operation to support speed adjustment along the vehicle. Signal information acquisition means for acquiring signal information including at least information related to a schedule of signal display of a traffic signal installed at an intersection ahead of the traveling direction of the host vehicle;
A driving status information acquisition means for acquiring driving status information relating to the driving status of the host vehicle;
Peripheral vehicle information acquisition means for acquiring peripheral vehicle information including information related to other vehicles traveling in front of the intersection in front of the host vehicle;
Vehicle lane information acquisition means for acquiring vehicle lane information regarding the vehicle lane provided on the road on which the host vehicle is traveling;
Acquiring the acquired signal information by the signal information acquisition unit, a driving status information acquired by the driving status information acquiring unit, a peripheral vehicle information acquired by the peripheral vehicle information acquisition hand stage, by the traffic lane information acquisition unit A predetermined situation determination is made based on the vehicle lane information and the driving assistance contents corresponding to the situation determination result are determined for the predetermined driving assistance for driving the own vehicle from the current location to the intersection. Situation judgment means,
Driving assistance control means for executing the predetermined driving assistance according to the driving assistance content determined by the situation judgment means,
The predetermined driving assistance is to assist speed adjustment of the host vehicle so that the host vehicle can stop at the stop position of the intersection by an appropriate deceleration method within a period in which a stop signal is shown at the intersection. And
When it is determined that there is a preceding vehicle that travels in front of the course of the vehicle lane where the host vehicle is traveling, the situation determination means is a vehicle whose destination is different from the vehicle lane where the host vehicle is currently traveling. In a situation where there is a traffic zone and there is no forward vehicle traveling ahead in the vehicle traffic zone to which the course has been changed, speed adjustment for reaching the stop position of the intersection within the stop signal indication period is performed. Judgment is made as to whether or not it is possible, and if there is a vehicle lane to change the course and the speed can be adjusted, the recommended speed for the speed adjustment and the course change are determined as the driving assistance contents. And
In accordance with the recommended speed and the route change determined by the situation determination unit, the driving support control unit notifies the driver of information for guiding the route change to the vehicle lane of the route change destination, and the recommended speed A driving support vehicle-mounted device that performs a predetermined operation to support speed adjustment along the vehicle. In the driving assistance vehicle-mounted device according to claim 1 or 2 ,
Furthermore, it comprises a traveling direction identifying means for identifying the traveling direction of the vehicle at the intersection,
The vehicle traffic zone information acquisition means acquires the vehicle traffic zone information including information related to a traffic classification specified for each traveling direction at the intersection with respect to the vehicle traffic zone,
The surrounding vehicle information acquisition means acquires information related to a traveling direction at the intersection of another vehicle traveling in front of the intersection in front of the host vehicle,
When the preceding vehicle exists based on the traveling direction of the own vehicle and the other vehicle at the intersection and the traffic classification according to the traveling direction at the intersection of the vehicle lane, Another vehicle lane with a specified traffic classification corresponding to the traveling direction of the host vehicle at the intersection, and a vehicle zoning band with a specified traffic classification corresponding to the traveling direction of the preceding vehicle at the intersection; Determines whether or not the speed adjustment is possible in a situation where there is a vehicle lane with a different course change destination and there is no forward vehicle traveling ahead in the vehicle lane of the course change destination. result, there is a traffic lane of the diversion destination, and when a speed adjustable driving support vehicle instrumentation, characterized in that determining a recommended speed and course change for the speed adjustment as the driving support content . In the driving assistance vehicle-mounted device according to claim 3 ,
When the preceding vehicle is present when the vehicle is traveling in a vehicle lane designated by a traffic classification corresponding to the traveling direction of the host vehicle at the intersection, the situation determination means is provided at the intersection of the preceding vehicle. Judging whether or not to change the course according to the presence or absence of another vehicle lane designated for the direction of travel corresponding to the direction of travel and whether or not the speed adjustment is possible, as a result of the judgment, the course change is unnecessary, And when it is determined that the speed adjustment is possible, only the recommended speed for the speed adjustment is determined as the driving support content,
The driving support control device performs a predetermined operation for supporting speed adjustment along the recommended speed according to the recommended speed determined by the situation determination unit . In the driving assistance vehicle-mounted device according to any one of claims 1 to 4 ,
The surrounding vehicle information acquisition means acquires the surrounding vehicle information including information related to a rear vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle,
The situation determination means determines whether there is a rear vehicle that hinders the implementation of the driving support based on the surrounding vehicle information, and determines that there is a rear vehicle that hinders the execution of the driving support as a result of the determination. In such a case, the driving support in-vehicle apparatus determines that the driving support is not performed . The driving support vehicle-mounted device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 ,
A roadside communication device comprising signal information transmitting means for transmitting signal information including at least information regarding a schedule of signal display of a specific traffic signal installed at an intersection to a vehicle;
A road-to-vehicle communication system comprising: