JP5901358B2 - In-vehicle device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to an apparatus that is mounted on a vehicle and estimates in advance a road on which the vehicle travels after branching at a branch point.

  Conventionally, a technique for estimating a road on which a vehicle travels after branching by recognizing a white line (division line) drawn on the road surface based on a photographed image obtained by photographing a road surface in front of the vehicle with a camera is known. (See Patent Document 1).

JP 2000-105898 A

  According to the technique described in Patent Document 1, the position of a branch point is determined by increasing the distance between two white lines, and the vehicle after branching depends on whether the branch point disappears in the left or right direction of the screen. Judging the road to drive. Therefore, the determination cannot be made until the vehicle reaches the point just before the branch point and the branch point can be photographed. Therefore, the road on which the vehicle travels after branching cannot be estimated at an appropriate timing. For example, when the vehicle is guided, the timing is delayed.

Vehicle apparatus according to a first aspect of the present invention comprises a captured image acquisition unit that acquires a captured image of the front or rear road vehicle, the vehicle is present on the left and right of the lane in which the vehicle is running based on the captured image respectively recognizing the white line type recognition means the classification of the left white line and a right white line, the traffic lane on the road on which the vehicle based on the type of the left white line and the right white lines recognized by the white line type recognition means is traveling a driving lane estimating means for estimating a branching road estimation means the vehicle after the branch on the basis of the traffic lane estimated by the driving lane estimating means if there is a branch point in front of the vehicle to estimate the road traveling When, which comprises an information obtaining means for obtaining information about the traveling direction after the branching of the traffic lane number and the traffic lane of a road on which the vehicle is traveling, the information acquisition If the driving lane number based on the information obtained by the step is 2, the driving lane estimating means, the left white line after the branching road boundary point located in front of the said branch point the vehicle has passed When the type of the right white line is a solid line, the vehicle has passed the same road lane as the road lane estimated before the vehicle passes the branch road boundary point, and the vehicle has passed the branch road boundary point. Estimated as the later travel lane .
The in-vehicle device according to the second aspect of the present invention exists in the left and right sides of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling based on the captured image acquisition means for acquiring the captured image of the road surface in front of or behind the vehicle. A white line type recognizing unit for recognizing the types of the left white line and the right white line, and a travel lane on the road on which the vehicle is traveling based on the types of the left white line and the right white line recognized by the white line type recognizing unit. Travel lane estimation means for estimating the road, and branch road estimation means for estimating the road on which the vehicle travels after branching based on the travel lane estimated by the travel lane estimation means when there is a branch point ahead of the vehicle And information acquisition means for acquiring information relating to the number of traveling lanes of the road on which the vehicle is traveling and the traveling direction after branching of each traveling lane, When the number of travel lanes based on the information acquired by the stage is 3, the travel lane estimation means, based on the information, the vehicle passes a branch road boundary point located before the branch point. If it is determined whether the branch road corresponding to the travel lane estimated before the road is one lane, and the branch road is determined to be one lane, the travel lane estimation means When the type of the left white line and the right white line after the vehicle passes is a solid line, the same traveling lane as the traveling lane estimated before the vehicle passes the branch road boundary point, When the branch road boundary point is estimated as the travel lane after the vehicle has passed, and it is determined that the branch road is not one lane, the travel lane estimation means causes the vehicle to pass the branch road boundary point When the travel lane estimated in the above is the leftmost travel lane, the type of the left white line after the vehicle passes the branch road boundary point is a solid line and the type of the right white line is a broken line, The travel lane is estimated as the travel lane after the vehicle passes through the branch boundary point, and the travel lane estimated before the vehicle passes through the branch boundary point is the rightmost travel lane. If the type of the left white line after the vehicle passes through the branch road boundary point is a broken line and the type of the right white line is a solid line, the traveling lane is set as the branch road boundary point as the vehicle. If the travel lane estimated before the vehicle passes through the branch boundary point is the center travel lane, the position of the travel lane after the branch is On either the left or right edge If it is determined that the vehicle is at the left end, the vehicle travels when the type of the left white line after the vehicle passes the branch road boundary point is a solid line and the type of the right white line is a broken line. If the lane is estimated as the travel lane after the vehicle has passed through the branch boundary point and determined to be the right end, the type of the left white line after the vehicle has passed the branch boundary point Is a broken line and the type of the right white line is a solid line, the traveling lane is estimated as the traveling lane after the vehicle passes through the branch road boundary point.
The vehicle-mounted device according to the third aspect of the present invention exists on the left and right sides of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling based on the captured image acquisition means for acquiring the captured image of the road surface in front of or behind the vehicle. A white line type recognizing unit for recognizing the types of the left white line and the right white line, and a travel lane on the road on which the vehicle is traveling based on the types of the left white line and the right white line recognized by the white line type recognizing unit. Travel lane estimation means for estimating the road, and branch road estimation means for estimating the road on which the vehicle travels after branching based on the travel lane estimated by the travel lane estimation means when there is a branch point ahead of the vehicle And information acquisition means for acquiring information relating to the number of traveling lanes of the road on which the vehicle is traveling and the traveling direction after branching of each traveling lane, The number of travel lanes based on the information acquired by the stage is 4 or more, and the travel lane estimated before the vehicle passes the branch boundary point located before the branch point is either the left end or the right end The driving lane estimation means, when the position of the driving lane after the branch is at the left end, the type of the left white line after the vehicle has passed the branch boundary point is a solid line and When the type of the right white line is a broken line, the travel lane is estimated as the travel lane after the vehicle has passed the branch road boundary point, and the position of the travel lane after the branch is the right end When the type of the left white line after the vehicle has passed the branch road boundary point is a broken line and the type of the right white line is a solid line, the vehicle passes the travel lane and the branch road boundary point. After If the position of the travel lane after branching is neither the left end nor the right end, the type of the left white line after the vehicle has passed the branch road boundary point is a broken line and the right white line When the type of the vehicle is a broken line, the traveling lane is estimated as the traveling lane after the vehicle passes through the branch boundary point, and when the branch road corresponding to the traveling lane is one lane, When the type of the left white line and the right white line after the vehicle passes through the branch road boundary point is a solid line, the traveling lane is used as the road after the vehicle passes through the branch road boundary point. Estimated as driving lane.

  According to the present invention, the road on which the vehicle travels after branching can be estimated at an appropriate timing.

It is a functional block diagram of the vehicle-mounted system by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the structure of a navigation apparatus. It is a flowchart of the process performed in the vehicle-mounted system by one Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart of the determination process for 2 lanes. It is a flowchart of the determination process for 3 lanes. It is a flowchart of the determination process for 3 lanes. It is a flowchart of the determination process for multiple lanes. It is a flowchart of the determination process for multiple lanes. It is a figure which shows an example of a mode that a one side 2 lane road branches. It is a figure which shows an example of a mode that the one side 3 lane road branches. It is a figure which shows an example of a mode that the one side 3 lane road branches. It is a figure which shows an example of a mode that a one side 4 lane road branches. It is a figure which shows an example of a mode that a one side 4 lane road branches. It is a figure which shows an example of a mode that a one side 4 lane road branches. It is a figure which shows an example of a mode that a one side 4 lane road branches. It is a figure which shows an example of a mode that the one side 5 lane road branches.

  FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of an in-vehicle system as an in-vehicle device according to an embodiment of the present invention. This in-vehicle system is mounted on a vehicle 100 and includes a navigation device 1, a traveling lane estimation device 2, an image recognition device 3, and a camera 4. The navigation device 1, the driving lane estimation device 2, and the image recognition device 3 are connected to each other via a network in the vehicle 100 called CAN (Controller Area Network). The camera 4 is connected to the image recognition device 3.

  The navigation device 1 sets a destination of the vehicle 100 according to an operation from a user boarding the vehicle 100 and guides the vehicle 100 to the destination.

  The travel lane estimation device 2 estimates the travel lane (travel lane) on the road on which the vehicle 100 is traveling before the branch point, and outputs the estimation result to the navigation device 1 via the CAN. The navigation device 1 guides the vehicle 100 to the destination by instructing the user of the traveling direction of the vehicle 100 as necessary based on the travel lane estimation result by the travel lane estimation device 2.

  The image recognition device 3 is based on a photographed image of the road surface photographed by the camera 4, a white line (left white line) present on the left side of the lane in which the vehicle 100 is traveling, and a white line (right white line) present on the right side. Is subjected to image processing for recognizing the type of these white lines. Specifically, a left white line and a right white line are extracted from the photographed image, and it is identified whether these are solid lines or broken lines. For this image processing, for example, a well-known edge detection process or Hough transform can be used. Here, the lane markings drawn on the road to distinguish the lanes are referred to as white lines, but the lane marking color is not limited to white.

  When the image recognition device 3 recognizes the types of the left white line and the right white line, information about the recognition result is output from the image recognition device 3 to the traveling lane estimation device 2 via the CAN. The travel lane estimation apparatus 2 performs travel lane estimation processing using this information.

  The camera 4 images the road surface behind the vehicle 100 and is installed in the vehicle 100 so that at least the left white line and the right white line are included in the imaging range. For example, a rear view camera used for parking assistance or the like can be used as the camera 4. The captured image captured by the camera 4 is output to the image recognition device 3 and used in the above-described image processing performed by the image recognition device 3.

  When the vehicle 100 is traveling on a road having a plurality of lanes on one side and the vehicle 100 approaches within a predetermined distance from a branch point existing ahead, the vehicle 100 travels after branching in the in-vehicle system shown in FIG. A process for estimating the road to be performed is executed. Specific contents of this processing will be described later in detail.

  FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the configuration of the navigation device 1. As shown in FIG. 2, the navigation device 1 includes a control unit 10, a GPS (Global Positioning System) receiving unit 11, a vibration gyro 12, a vehicle speed sensor 13, a hard disk drive (HDD) 14, a display monitor 15, a speaker 16, and an input device. 17 and a communication unit 18.

  The control unit 10 includes a microprocessor, various peripheral circuits, a RAM, a ROM, and the like, and executes various processes based on a control program and map data recorded in the HDD 14. For example, the control unit includes a destination search process when setting the destination, a search process for a recommended route to the set destination, a current position detection process for the vehicle 100, various image display processes, a voice output process, and the like. 10 is executed.

  The GPS receiver 11 receives a GPS signal transmitted from a GPS satellite and outputs it to the controller 10. The GPS signal includes information on the position and transmission time of the GPS satellite that transmitted the GPS signal as information for obtaining the current position of the vehicle 100. Therefore, by receiving GPS signals from a predetermined number of GPS satellites or more, the current position of the vehicle 100 can be calculated by the control unit 10 based on these pieces of information.

  The vibration gyro 12 is a sensor for detecting the angular velocity of the vehicle 100. The vehicle speed sensor 13 is a sensor for detecting the traveling speed of the vehicle 100. Based on the calculation result of the moving direction and the moving amount of the vehicle 100 based on the detection results of these sensors and the calculation result of the current position of the vehicle 100 based on the GPS signal described above, the control unit 10 detects the position at predetermined intervals. The process is executed and the current position of the vehicle 100 is detected.

  The HDD 14 is a non-volatile recording medium, in which a control program, map data, and the like for executing the above processing in the control unit 10 are recorded. Data recorded in the HDD 14 is read out under the control of the control unit 10 as necessary, and is used for various processes and controls executed by the control unit 10.

  The map data recorded on the HDD 14 includes route calculation data, road data, and background data. The route calculation data is data used when searching for a recommended route to the destination. The road data is data representing the shape and type of the road. The background data is data representing the background of the map. Note that the background of the map is various components other than roads existing on the map. For example, rivers, railways, green zones, various structures, etc. are represented by background data.

  In map data, the minimum unit of each road is called a link. That is, each road is composed of a plurality of links respectively corresponding to a predetermined road section, and route calculation data and road data are expressed in units of links. A point connecting links, that is, an end point of each link is called a node. The information of each node in the map data includes position information (coordinate information). In the link, a point called a shape interpolation point may be set between the nodes as needed. The information on each shape interpolation point in the map data includes position information (coordinate information) as in the case of the node. The shape of each link, that is, the shape of the road is determined based on the position information of the node and the shape interpolation point. Thus, in the map data stored in the HDD 14, the road is represented using a plurality of nodes and links.

  When a road having a plurality of traveling lanes on one side branches, the node information corresponding to the branching point includes lane number information on the number of traveling lanes on the road and a bifa Application information (branch information). These pieces of information are used in a travel lane estimation process performed by the travel lane estimation device 2 as will be described later.

  In the route calculation data, for each link corresponding to each road section, a link cost corresponding to the time required for passing when the vehicle 100 travels the road section is set. Based on this link cost, a search for a recommended route is performed in the navigation device 1 by obtaining a combination of links according to a preset route search condition. For example, if route search conditions are set so that route search is performed with the shortest travel time as the top priority, the link combination that minimizes the time required to pass from the departure point to the destination is determined as the recommended route. It is done.

  In the above description, the map data is recorded on the HDD 14 in the navigation device 1. However, these may be recorded on a recording medium other than the HDD. For example, map data recorded on a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, memory card, or the like can be used. That is, the navigation device 1 may store these data using any recording medium.

  The display monitor 15 is a device for performing various screen displays in the navigation device 1 and is configured using a liquid crystal display or the like. The display monitor 15 displays a map screen, a recommended route guidance display, and the like. The contents of the screen displayed on the display monitor 15 are determined by screen display control performed by the control unit 10. The display monitor 15 is installed at a position where the user can easily see, for example, on the dashboard of the vehicle 100 or in the instrument panel.

  The speaker 16 outputs various audio information under the control of the control unit 10. For example, route guidance voice for guiding the vehicle 100 to the destination according to the recommended route, various warning sounds, and the like are output from the speaker 16.

  The input device 17 is a device for a user to perform various input operations for operating the navigation device 1 and includes various input switches. The user operates the input device 17 to input, for example, the name of a facility or point desired to be set as a destination, set a search condition for a recommended route, or set a destination from registered locations registered in advance. You can select the ground and scroll the map in any direction. The input device 17 can be realized by an operation panel, a remote controller, or the like. Alternatively, the input device 17 may be a touch panel integrated with the display monitor 15.

  When the user operates the input device 17 to set the destination and route search conditions, the navigation device 1 uses the current position of the vehicle 100 detected as described above as the departure point, based on the route calculation data described above. A route search process is performed by calculation of a predetermined algorithm. This process searches for a recommended route from the departure point to the destination. Furthermore, the navigation device 1 displays a recommended route searched in a form that can be distinguished from other roads on the map displayed on the display monitor 15 by, for example, changing the color. Then, by outputting predetermined image information and audio information from the display monitor 15 and the speaker 16 according to the recommended route, the vehicle 100 is guided to the destination.

  The communication unit 18 performs predetermined interface processing when communication is performed between the navigation device 1 and the traveling lane estimation device 2 or the image recognition device 3 via the CAN. When travel lane estimation processing is performed by the travel lane estimation device 2, the result is output from the travel lane estimation device 2 to the navigation device 1 and is acquired by the control unit 10 via the communication unit 18. Based on the travel lane estimation result acquired in this way, the control unit 10 controls the display monitor 15 and the speaker 16 to perform predetermined screen display and audio output, thereby guiding the vehicle 100 at the branch point as necessary. It can be carried out.

  Next, processing executed in the in-vehicle system shown in FIG. 1 will be described. As described above, when the vehicle 100 is traveling on a road having a plurality of lanes on one side and the vehicle 100 approaches within a predetermined distance from a branch point existing in front of the road, the vehicle 100 travels after the branch. In order to estimate the road to be performed, the processing shown in the flowchart of FIG. 3 is executed in the in-vehicle system.

  In step S10, the navigation device 1 determines in the control unit 10 whether or not the vehicle 100 is changing lanes. This determination can be made based on the steering angle of the vehicle 100, the operating state of the blinker, the angular velocity of the vehicle 100 detected by the vibration gyroscope 12, and the like. Or you may perform determination of step S10 by determining in the image recognition apparatus 3 whether the vehicle 100 moved across the left white line or the right white line based on the picked-up image of the camera 4. FIG. If it is determined in step S10 that the vehicle 100 is changing lanes, the process stays in step S10. If it is determined that the lane is not changing, the process proceeds to next step S20.

  In step S <b> 20, the traveling lane estimation device 2 acquires information about a branch point existing ahead of the vehicle 100 from the navigation device 1. At this time, the navigation device 1 searches the map data stored in the HDD 14 for information on the node corresponding to the branch point, and transmits the lane number information and the localization information included in the node information to the communication unit. It outputs to the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 from 18 via CAN. By receiving the information output from the navigation device 1 in this way, information regarding the forward branch point to be processed in the traveling lane estimation device 2 is acquired.

  In step S <b> 30, the image recognition device 3 acquires a captured image obtained by capturing the road surface behind the vehicle 100 from the camera 4.

  In step S40, the image recognition device 3 recognizes the types of the left white line and the right white line existing on the left and right of the lane in which the vehicle 100 is traveling, based on the captured image acquired in step S30. Here, the image recognition apparatus 3 performs image processing as described above to identify whether the left white line and the right white line are solid lines or broken lines. The identification results of the left and right white line types are output from the image recognition device 3 to the travel lane estimation device 2 via CAN.

  In step S50, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 determines whether or not the vehicle 100 is before passing the branch road boundary point located in front of the branch point. In this determination, for example, information on the distance from the current position of the vehicle 100 to the branch point is output from the navigation device 1 to the travel lane estimation device 2, and whether or not the distance is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value is determined. This can be done by making a determination in the estimation device 2. Or you may make it the navigation apparatus 1 perform determination of step S50. If it is determined in step S50 that the vehicle 100 is before passing the branch road boundary point, the process proceeds to step S60. If it is determined that the vehicle 100 has already passed through the branch road boundary point, the process proceeds to step S130.

  The branch road boundary point is a boundary point where each lane on the road is separated for each branch road before the branch point. At this branch road boundary point, the type of white line connected to the branch point among the white lines of each lane drawn on the road changes from a broken line to a solid line, indicating that each lane is separated for each branch road. ing.

  Note that the above threshold value used in the determination in step S50 corresponds to the distance from the branch road boundary point to the branch point, and is different for each branch point. Therefore, in order for the traveling lane estimation device 2 or the navigation device 1 to perform the determination in step S50, in the navigation device 1, the map data recorded in the HDD 14 includes information on nodes corresponding to the respective branch points. It is preferable to record including information on the distance from the branch road boundary point to the branch point. When the determination at step S50 is performed by the traveling lane estimation device 2, such information may be output from the navigation device 1 to the traveling lane estimation device 2 together with the lane number information and the bifurcation information at step S20, for example.

  In step S60, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 determines whether the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a broken line based on the identification result of the left and right white line types performed by the image recognition apparatus 3 in step S40. . If the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a broken line, the process proceeds to step S90. If the left white line is not a solid line, or if the right white line is not a broken line, the process proceeds to step S70.

  In step S70, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 determines whether the left white line is a broken line and the right white line is a solid line based on the identification result of the left and right white line types in step S40. If the left white line is a broken line and the right white line is a solid line, the process proceeds to step S100. If the left white line is not a broken line, or if the right white line is not a solid line, the process proceeds to step S80.

  In step S80, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 determines whether the left white line is a broken line and the right white line is a broken line based on the identification result of the left and right white line types in step S40. If the left white line is a broken line and the right white line is a broken line, the process proceeds to step S110. If the left white line is not a broken line, or if the right white line is not a broken line, the process proceeds to step S120.

  In step S <b> 90, the travel lane estimation device 2 sets the left lane, that is, the lane that is closest to the road shoulder among the plurality of lanes on one side of the road, as the travel lane of the current vehicle 100. If step S90 is performed, it will return to step S10 and will repeat the above processes.

  In step S <b> 100, the traveling lane estimation device 2 sets the lane that is closest to the center line or the central separation zone among the plurality of lanes on one side of the road, that is, the lane of the current vehicle 100. . If step S100 is performed, it will return to step S10 and will repeat the above processes.

  In step S110, the traveling lane estimation device 2 determines the lane located between the rightmost lane and the leftmost lane among a plurality of lanes on one side of the road, that is, the intermediate lane excluding the rightmost lane and the leftmost lane. The current lane of the vehicle 100 is set. When the vehicle 100 is traveling on a road with four or more lanes on one side, since there are two or more lanes between the rightmost lane and the leftmost lane, any of these lanes is the traveling lane of the vehicle 100. It cannot be determined at this point whether there is any. If step S110 is performed, it will return to step S10 and will repeat the above processes.

  In step S120, the traveling lane estimating apparatus 2 sets that the current traveling lane of the vehicle 100 is unknown. If step S120 is performed, it will return to step S10 and will repeat the above processes.

  Before the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point, the traveling lane of the vehicle 100 is estimated in the traveling lane estimation device 2 by executing the processing described in steps S60 to S120.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step S50 that the vehicle 100 has already passed the branch road boundary point, in step S130, the traveling lane estimation device 2 determines that the vehicle 100 is currently traveling based on the lane number information acquired in step S20. Determine the number of lanes on one side of the road. As a result, the process proceeds to step S140 if it is determined to be one lane on two sides, to step S150 if it is determined to be three lanes on one side, and to step S160 if it is determined to be four or more lanes on one side.

  In step S140, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 performs a two-lane determination process for estimating the traveling lane of the vehicle 100 after passing the branch road boundary point on the two-lane road on one side. In this process, one of the two lane roads is set as a travel lane after passing through the branch road boundary point. The details of the two-lane determination process will be described later in detail with reference to the flowchart of FIG. If step S140 is performed, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 will progress to step S170.

  In step S150, the travel lane estimation apparatus 2 performs a three-lane determination process for estimating the travel lane of the vehicle 100 after passing through the branch road boundary point on the three-lane road on one side. In this process, one of the three lane roads is set as a traveling lane after passing through the branch boundary point. The details of the three-lane determination process will be described later in detail with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. If step S150 is performed, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 will progress to step S170.

  In step S160, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 performs multi-lane determination processing for estimating the traveling lane of the vehicle 100 after passing through the branch boundary point on a road with four or more lanes on one side. In this process, one of the lanes on the road with four or more lanes on one side is set as a travel lane after passing through the branch boundary point. The details of the multi-lane determination process will be described later in detail with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. If step S160 is performed, the driving lane estimation apparatus 2 will progress to step S170.

  After the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point, the traveling lane of the vehicle 100 is estimated by the traveling lane estimation device 2 by executing the processing described in steps S130 to S160.

  In step S170, the travel lane estimation apparatus 2 determines a branch road corresponding to the travel lane of the vehicle 100 after passing through the branch road boundary point estimated by the process in any of steps S140, S150, or S160. Here, based on the bifcation information acquired in step S20, the traveling direction after branching is determined for the travel lane after passing the branch boundary point set in step S140, S150, or S160, and the corresponding traveling direction is determined. Identify branch roads. Thereby, it is possible to determine which branch road the vehicle 100 is going to travel. When the branch road corresponding to the travel lane of the vehicle 100 is thus determined, the travel lane estimation apparatus 2 proceeds to step S180.

  In step S180, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 outputs the determination result in step S170 to the navigation apparatus 1 via the CAN. The branch road discrimination result corresponding to the travel lane of the vehicle 100 is output from the travel lane estimation device 2, so that the navigation device 1 determines which branch road the vehicle 100 is going to travel to, and then branches. A lane change instruction or the like can be given as necessary before the point. If the process of step S180 is performed, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 will complete | finish the flowchart of FIG.

  Next, the two-lane determination process executed in step S140 of FIG. 3 will be described. FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the determination process for two lanes.

  In step S200, the traveling lane estimation device 2 determines whether the traveling lane of the vehicle 100 before passing through the branch road boundary point is the leftmost lane or the rightmost lane. This determination can be made by determining which lane is finally set as the travel lane before it is determined in step S50 in FIG. 3 that the vehicle 100 has passed the branch boundary point. Finally, when step S90 is executed and the leftmost lane is set as a travel lane, it is determined that the travel lane of the vehicle 100 before passing the branch road boundary point is the leftmost lane, and the process proceeds to step S210. On the other hand, when step S100 is finally executed and the rightmost lane is set as a traveling lane, it is determined that the traveling lane of the vehicle 100 before passing the branch road boundary point is the rightmost lane, and the process proceeds to step S220.

  When step S110 is finally executed and the intermediate lane is set as a travel lane, or when step S120 is executed and the travel lane is set as unknown at the end, after the branch road boundary point is passed, It is preferable to determine that the traveling lane is unknown and to interrupt the two-lane determination process of FIG.

  In step S210, the driving lane estimation device 2 determines whether the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a solid line based on the identification result of the left and right white line types performed by the image recognition device 3 in the latest step S40. judge. If the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a solid line, the process proceeds to step S230. If the left white line is not a solid line, or if the right white line is not a solid line, the process proceeds to step S240.

  In step S220, the traveling lane estimation device 2 determines whether the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a solid line based on the identification result of the left and right white line types performed by the image recognition device 3 in the latest step S40. judge. If the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a solid line, the process proceeds to step S250. If the left white line is not a solid line, or if the right white line is not a solid line, the process proceeds to step S240.

  In step S230, the travel lane estimation device 2 travels in the first lane of the two lanes on one side, that is, the leftmost lane that the vehicle 100 traveled before passing through the branch boundary point, after passing through the branch boundary point. Set to lane. If step S230 is performed, the flowchart of FIG. 4 will be complete | finished and it will progress to step S170 of FIG.

  In step S240, the traveling lane estimation device 2 sets that the traveling lane of the vehicle 100 after passing the branch boundary point is unknown. If step S240 is performed, the flowchart of FIG. 4 will be complete | finished and it will progress to step S170 of FIG.

  In step S250, the traveling lane estimation device 2 travels in the second lane of the two lanes on one side, that is, the rightmost lane that the vehicle 100 traveled before passing the branch boundary point, after passing the branch boundary point. Set to lane. If step S250 is performed, the flowchart of FIG. 4 will be complete | finished and it will progress to step S170 of FIG.

  As described above, in the determination process for two lanes, when it is determined in step S210 or S220 that the types of the left white line and the right white line are both solid lines, the process of step S230 or S250 is executed. The lane or the second lane is set as the travel lane of the vehicle 100 after passing the branch boundary point. Thereby, the same travel lane as the travel lane estimated before passing through the branch road boundary point can be estimated as the travel lane after passing through the branch road boundary point.

  Next, the three-lane determination process executed in step S150 of FIG. 3 will be described. 5 and 6 are flowcharts of the determination process for three lanes.

  In step S300, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 determines whether the traveling lane of the vehicle 100 before passing through the branch road boundary point is a left lane, a right lane, or an intermediate lane. As in step S200 of FIG. 4, this determination is made as to which lane was finally set as the travel lane at the time before it was determined in step S50 of FIG. 3 that the vehicle 100 passed the branch boundary point. This can be done by judging. Finally, when step S90 is executed and the leftmost lane is set as a travel lane, it is determined that the travel lane of the vehicle 100 before passing the branch road boundary point is the leftmost lane, and the process proceeds to step S310. On the other hand, when step S100 is finally executed and the rightmost lane is set as the traveling lane, it is determined that the traveling lane of the vehicle 100 before passing the branch road boundary point is the rightmost lane, and the process proceeds to step S360. When step S110 is finally executed and the intermediate lane is set as a travel lane, it is determined that the travel lane of the vehicle 100 before passing the branch road boundary point is the intermediate lane, and step S410 in FIG. 6 is performed. Proceed to

  When step S120 is finally performed and the travel lane is determined to be unknown, it is determined that the travel lane after passing the branch road boundary point is unknown, and the determination process for three lanes in FIGS. 5 and 6 is performed. Is preferably interrupted.

  In step S310, the traveling lane estimation device 2 determines whether or not the branch road corresponding to the first lane of the three lanes on one side, that is, the leftmost lane, is one lane based on the bifaction information acquired in step S20. judge. If the traveling direction indicated by the first lane's bifurcation information is different from the traveling direction indicated by the second lane's adjacent bifurcation information, it is determined that the branch road corresponding to the first lane is a single lane. The process proceeds to step S320, and if not, the process proceeds to step S330.

  In step S320, the traveling lane estimation device 2 determines whether the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a solid line based on the identification result of the left and right white line types performed by the image recognition device 3 in the latest step S40. judge. If the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a solid line, the process proceeds to step S340. If the left white line is not a solid line, or if the right white line is not a solid line, the process proceeds to step S350.

  In step S330, the driving lane estimation device 2 determines whether the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a broken line based on the identification result of the left and right white line types performed by the image recognition device 3 in the latest step S40. judge. If the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a broken line, the process proceeds to step S340. If the left white line is not a solid line, or if the right white line is not a broken line, the process proceeds to step S350.

  In step S340, the travel lane estimation device 2 travels in the first lane of the three lanes on one side, that is, the leftmost lane that the vehicle 100 traveled before passing through the branch boundary point, after passing through the branch boundary point. Set to lane. If step S340 is performed, the flowchart of FIG. 5 and 6 will be complete | finished and it will progress to step S170 of FIG.

  In step S350, the travel lane estimation apparatus 2 sets that the travel lane of the vehicle 100 after passing through the branch road boundary point is unknown. When step S350 is executed, the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 6 are terminated, and the process proceeds to step S170 of FIG.

  In step S360, the traveling lane estimation device 2 determines whether or not the branch road corresponding to the third lane of the three lanes on one side, that is, the rightmost lane, is one lane based on the bi-facing information acquired in step S20. judge. If the direction of travel indicated by the 3rd lane's bifurcation information and the direction of travel indicated by the 2nd lane's adjacent bifurcation information are different from each other, it is determined that the branch road corresponding to the 3rd lane is a single lane. The process proceeds to step S370, and if not, the process proceeds to step S380.

  In step S370, the driving lane estimation device 2 determines whether the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a solid line based on the identification result of the left and right white line types performed by the image recognition device 3 in the latest step S40. judge. If the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a solid line, the process proceeds to step S390. If the left white line is not a solid line, or if the right white line is not a solid line, the process proceeds to step S400.

  In step S380, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 determines whether the left white line is a broken line and the right white line is a solid line based on the identification result of the left and right white line types performed by the image recognition apparatus 3 in the latest step S40. judge. If the left white line is a broken line and the right white line is a solid line, the process proceeds to step S390. If the left white line is not a broken line, or if the right white line is not a solid line, the process proceeds to step S400.

  In step S390, the travel lane estimation apparatus 2 travels in the third lane of the three lanes on one side, that is, in the rightmost lane that the vehicle 100 traveled before passing the branch boundary point, after passing the branch boundary point. Set to lane. If step S390 is performed, the flowchart of FIG. 5 and 6 will be complete | finished and it will progress to step S170 of FIG.

  In step S400, the travel lane estimation device 2 sets that the travel lane of the vehicle 100 after passing through the branch road boundary point is unknown. When step S400 is executed, the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 6 are terminated, and the process proceeds to step S170 of FIG.

  In step S410 of FIG. 6, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 has one lane corresponding to the second lane of the three lanes on one side, that is, the center lane, based on the bi-facing information acquired in step S20. It is determined whether or not. When the traveling direction indicated by the second lane's bifurcation information and the traveling direction indicated by the other first lane and third lane's bifurcation information are different from each other, the branch road corresponding to the second lane is one lane. The process proceeds to step S430, and if not, the process proceeds to step S420.

  In step S420, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 determines whether the position of the second lane after branching is the left end or the right end based on the bifurcation information acquired in step S20. When the traveling directions indicated by the second lane and third lanes are the same, and the traveling direction is different from the one indicated by the first lane, the position of the second lane after branching is It determines with it being a left end, and progresses to step S440. On the other hand, when the traveling direction indicated by the bifurcation information of the first lane and the second lane is the same and the traveling direction indicated by the bifurcation information of the third lane is different, It is determined that the position is the right end, and the process proceeds to step S450.

  In step S430, the traveling lane estimation device 2 determines whether the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a solid line based on the identification result of the left and right white line types performed by the image recognition device 3 in the latest step S40. judge. If the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a solid line, the process proceeds to step S460. If the left white line is not a solid line, or if the right white line is not a solid line, the process proceeds to step S470.

  In step S440, the traveling lane estimation device 2 determines whether the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a broken line based on the identification result of the left and right white line types performed by the image recognition device 3 in the latest step S40. judge. If the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a broken line, the process proceeds to step S460. If the left white line is not a solid line, or if the right white line is not a broken line, the process proceeds to step S470.

  In step S450, the driving lane estimation device 2 determines whether the left white line is a broken line and the right white line is a solid line based on the identification result of the left and right white line types performed by the image recognition device 3 in the latest step S40. judge. If the left white line is a broken line and the right white line is a solid line, the process proceeds to step S460. If the left white line is not a broken line, or if the right white line is not a solid line, the process proceeds to step S470.

  In step S460, the traveling lane estimation device 2 passes the second traveling lane of the three lanes on one side, that is, the central traveling lane that the vehicle 100 traveled before passing the branch boundary point after passing the branch boundary point. Set to the driving lane. When step S460 is executed, the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 6 are terminated, and the process proceeds to step S170 of FIG.

  In step S470, the travel lane estimation apparatus 2 sets that the travel lane of the vehicle 100 after passing through the branch road boundary point is unknown. If step S470 is performed, the flowchart of FIG. 5 and 6 will be complete | finished and it will progress to step S170 of FIG.

  As described above, in the determination process for three lanes, whether or not the branch road corresponding to the travel lane estimated before the vehicle 100 passes through the branch boundary point in step S310, S360, or S410 is one lane. Determine. As a result, when it is determined that the branch road is a single lane, when it is determined in steps S320, S370, or S430 that the types of the left white line and the right white line are both solid lines, steps S340, S390, or S460 are performed. The first lane, the second lane, or the third lane is set as the traveling lane of the vehicle 100 after passing through the branch road boundary point.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that the branch road is not one lane, if the travel lane estimated before the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point is the first lane, the type of the left white line is a solid line and the right in step S330. When it is determined that the type of white line is a broken line, the process of step S340 is executed, and the first lane is set as the travel lane of the vehicle 100 after passing through the branch road boundary point. On the other hand, if the travel lane estimated before the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point is the third lane, it is determined in step S380 that the type of the left white line is a broken line and the type of the right white line is a solid line. Step S390 is executed, and the third lane is set as the travel lane of the vehicle 100 after passing through the branch road boundary point.

  If the travel lane estimated before the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point is the second lane, it is determined in step S420 whether the position of the second lane after the branch is the left end or the right end. . As a result, when it is determined that it is the left end, when it is determined in step S440 that the type of the left white line is a solid line and the type of the right white line is a broken line, the process of step S460 is executed and the second lane is branched. It is set as the travel lane of the vehicle 100 after passing the road boundary point. On the other hand, if it is determined that it is the right end, when it is determined in step S450 that the type of the left white line is a broken line and the type of the right white line is a solid line, the process of step S460 is executed, and the second lane is branched. It is set as the travel lane of the vehicle 100 after passing the boundary point.

  By the determination process for three lanes as described above, the same travel lane as the travel lane estimated before passing the branch road boundary point can be estimated as the travel lane after passing the branch road boundary point.

  Next, the multi-lane determination process executed in step S160 of FIG. 3 will be described. 7 and 8 are flowcharts of the multi-lane determination process.

  In step S500, the traveling lane estimation device 2 determines whether the traveling lane of the vehicle 100 before passing through the branch road boundary point is a left lane, a right lane, or an intermediate lane. As in step S200 of FIG. 4 and step S300 of FIG. 5, this determination is made in which lane last traveled at the time before it is determined in step S50 of FIG. 3 that the vehicle 100 has passed the branch boundary point. This can be done by determining whether it is set as a lane. Finally, when step S90 is executed and the leftmost lane is set as a traveling lane, it is determined that the traveling lane of the vehicle 100 before passing the branch road boundary point is the leftmost lane, and the process proceeds to step S510. On the other hand, when step S100 is finally executed and the rightmost lane is set as a traveling lane, it is determined that the traveling lane of the vehicle 100 before passing the branch road boundary point is the rightmost lane, and the process proceeds to step S560. When step S110 is finally executed and the intermediate lane is set as a travel lane, it is determined that the travel lane of the vehicle 100 before passing the branch road boundary point is the intermediate lane, and step S610 in FIG. 6 is performed. Proceed to

  When step S120 is finally executed and the travel lane is set to be unknown, it is determined that the travel lane after passing the branch boundary point is unknown, and the multi-lane determination process of FIGS. 7 and 8 is performed. Is preferably interrupted.

  In step S510, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 determines whether or not the branch road corresponding to the first lane of the four or more lanes on one side, that is, the leftmost lane, is one lane based on the bi-facing information acquired in step S20. Determine. If the traveling direction indicated by the first lane's bifurcation information is different from the traveling direction indicated by the second lane's adjacent bifurcation information, it is determined that the branch road corresponding to the first lane is a single lane. Then, the process proceeds to step S520. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S530.

  In step S520, the traveling lane estimation device 2 determines whether the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a solid line based on the identification result of the left and right white line types performed by the image recognition device 3 in the latest step S40. judge. If the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a solid line, the process proceeds to step S540. If the left white line is not a solid line, or if the right white line is not a solid line, the process proceeds to step S550.

  In step S530, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 determines whether the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a broken line based on the identification result of the left and right white line types performed by the image recognition apparatus 3 in the latest step S40. judge. If the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a broken line, the process proceeds to step S540. If the left white line is not a solid line, or if the right white line is not a broken line, the process proceeds to step S550.

  In step S540, the traveling lane estimation device 2 uses the first lane of four or more lanes on one side, that is, the leftmost lane that the vehicle 100 traveled before passing the branch boundary point, after passing the branch boundary point. Set to the driving lane. When step S540 is executed, the flowcharts of FIGS. 7 and 8 are terminated, and the process proceeds to step S170 of FIG.

  In step S550, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 sets that the traveling lane of the vehicle 100 after passing the branch boundary point is unknown. When step S550 is executed, the flowcharts of FIGS. 7 and 8 are terminated, and the process proceeds to step S170 of FIG.

  In step S560, the traveling lane estimation device 2 determines the Nth lane when the number of one-side lanes of the road on which the vehicle 100 is currently traveling is N (N ≧ 4) based on the bi-facing information acquired in step S20. That is, it is determined whether or not the branch road corresponding to the rightmost lane is one lane. When the traveling direction indicated by the N-lane lanes and the traveling direction indicated by the adjacent (N-1) -th lanes is different from each other, the branch road corresponding to the N-th lane is one lane. The process proceeds to step S570, and if not, the process proceeds to step S580.

  In step S570, the traveling lane estimation device 2 determines whether the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a solid line based on the identification result of the left and right white line types performed by the image recognition device 3 in the latest step S40. judge. If the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a solid line, the process proceeds to step S590. If the left white line is not a solid line, or if the right white line is not a solid line, the process proceeds to step S600.

  In step S580, the traveling lane estimation device 2 determines whether the left white line is a broken line and the right white line is a solid line based on the identification result of the left and right white line types performed by the image recognition device 3 in the latest step S40. judge. If the left white line is a broken line and the right white line is a solid line, the process proceeds to step S590. If the left white line is not a broken line, or if the right white line is not a solid line, the process proceeds to step S600.

  In step S590, the travel lane estimation device 2 travels after passing through the branch boundary point in the Nth lane of the N lanes on one side, that is, the rightmost lane that the vehicle 100 traveled before passing through the branch boundary point. Set to lane. When step S590 is executed, the flowcharts of FIGS. 7 and 8 are terminated, and the process proceeds to step S170 of FIG.

  In step S600, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 sets that the traveling lane of the vehicle 100 after passing through the branch road boundary point is unknown. If step S600 is performed, the flowchart of FIG. 7 and 8 will be complete | finished and it will progress to step S170 of FIG.

  In step S610 of FIG. 8, the traveling lane estimation device 2 determines whether or not the road on which the vehicle 100 is currently traveling has a branching shape in which the traveling lane after the branching cannot be determined based on the bifurcation information acquired in step S20. Determine whether. Here, when the vehicle 100 is traveling in a lane other than the leftmost lane and the rightmost lane after passing through the branch boundary point, it cannot be determined from the type of the left and right white lines which branch road corresponds to the traveling lane. It is determined whether this is the case. For example, if a road with 6 lanes on one side branches to 3 lanes on the left and right, both the second lane located in the center on the left branch road and the fifth lane located in the center on the right branch road both The left and right white lines are broken lines. Therefore, when the type of the left and right white lines is a broken line, it cannot be determined which lane the vehicle 100 is traveling. Therefore, when the road on which the vehicle 100 is currently traveling corresponds to such a road, it is determined in step S610 that the branch shape cannot be determined, and the process proceeds to step S720. On the other hand, when the road on which the vehicle 100 is currently traveling does not correspond to such a road, it is determined in step S610 that the branch shape is not undecidable, and the process proceeds to step S620. When the road on which the vehicle 100 is currently traveling branches into two left and right, if at least one of them is two lanes or less on one side, the driving lane after passing the branch road boundary point is based on the type of the left and right white lines. Can be determined.

  In step S620, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 sets 2 for the variable k. This variable k is determined in the processing of steps S630 to S720 to be described below, for each lane between the left end lane and the right end lane, the identification result of the type of the left white line and the right white line by the image recognition device 3 is that of the lane. Are used to determine whether or not they match.

  In step S630, the travel lane estimation device 2 determines that the branch road corresponding to the kth lane of the N lanes on one side is one lane based on the bi-facing information acquired in step S20 and the current value of the variable k. It is determined whether or not there is. If the traveling direction indicated by the k-th lane's bi-directional information is different from any of the advancing directions indicated by the (k-1) -th lane and the (k + 1) -th lane's bi-directional information, which are adjacent to the left and right sides, the k-th lane It is determined that the corresponding branch road is one lane, and the process proceeds to step S650. Otherwise, the process proceeds to step S640.

  In step S640, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 determines whether the position of the k-th lane after branching is the left end, the right end, or the middle based on the bifurcation information acquired in step S20. If the advancing direction indicated by the k-lane lane bifaction information is different from the advancing direction indicated by the (k-1) -th lane neighboring bifurcation information, the position of the k-th lane after branching is at the left end. It determines with there existing and it progresses to step S670. On the other hand, if the direction of travel indicated by the k-lane lane's bi-directional information is different from the direction of travel indicated by the (k + 1) -th lane's bi-directional information, the position of the k-th lane after branching is at the right end. If it is determined that there is, the process proceeds to step S680. In addition, when the traveling direction indicated by the k-lane lane's bi-directional information matches the traveling direction indicated by the bi-directional (k-1) lane and the (k + 1) -th lane's bi-directional information, It is determined that the position of the k-th lane after the branch is not the left end or the right end but is in the middle, and the process proceeds to step S660.

  In step S650, the driving lane estimation device 2 determines whether the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a solid line based on the identification result of the left and right white line types performed by the image recognition device 3 in the latest step S40. judge. If the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a solid line, the process proceeds to step S690. If the left white line is not a solid line, or if the right white line is not a solid line, the process proceeds to step S700.

  In step S660, the driving lane estimation device 2 determines whether the left white line is a broken line and the right white line is a broken line based on the identification result of the left and right white line types performed by the image recognition device 3 in the latest step S40. judge. If the left white line is a broken line and the right white line is a broken line, the process proceeds to step S690. If the left white line is not a broken line, or if the right white line is not a broken line, the process proceeds to step S700.

  In step S670, the traveling lane estimation device 2 determines whether the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a broken line based on the identification result of the left and right white line types performed by the image recognition device 3 in the latest step S40. judge. If the left white line is a solid line and the right white line is a broken line, the process proceeds to step S690. If the left white line is not a solid line, or if the right white line is not a broken line, the process proceeds to step S700.

  In step S680, the traveling lane estimation device 2 determines whether the left white line is a broken line and the right white line is a solid line based on the identification result of the left and right white line types performed by the image recognition device 3 in the latest step S40. judge. If the left white line is a broken line and the right white line is a solid line, the process proceeds to step S690. If the left white line is not a broken line, or if the right white line is not a solid line, the process proceeds to step S700.

  In step S690, the travel lane estimation apparatus 2 sets the kth lane corresponding to the value of the variable k at that time among the N lanes on one side as the travel lane after passing through the branch boundary point. If step S690 is performed, the flowchart of FIG. 7 and 8 will be complete | finished and it will progress to step S170 of FIG.

  In step S700, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 determines whether or not the value of the variable k has reached (N-1), which is a value obtained by subtracting 1 from the number N of one-side lanes. If the value of the variable k is less than (N−1), the process proceeds to step S710, and if it reaches (N−1), the process proceeds to step S720.

  In step S710, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 adds 1 to the value of the variable k. If step S710 is performed, it will return to step S630 and will repeat the process as mentioned above. Thereby, for each lane from the second lane to the (N-1) th lane, these determinations are repeated until the determination condition corresponding to the lane is satisfied among the determination conditions in steps S650 to S680.

  In step S720, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2 sets that the traveling lane of the vehicle 100 after passing the branch boundary point is unknown. When step S720 is executed, the flowcharts of FIGS. 7 and 8 are terminated, and the process proceeds to step S170 of FIG.

  As described above, in the multi-lane determination process, when the travel lane estimated before the vehicle 100 passes through the branch boundary point is neither the first lane nor the N-th lane, in steps S650 to S680, For each traveling lane excluding the first lane and the Nth lane, it is determined whether or not the types of the left white line and the right white line match the type of the white line corresponding to the position of the traveling lane after branching. That is, when the position of the travel lane after the branch is at the left end, when it is determined in step S670 that the type of the left white line is a solid line and the type of the right white line is a broken line, the process of step S690 is executed. The travel lane is set as the travel lane of the vehicle 100 after passing the branch boundary point. On the other hand, when the position of the travel lane after the branch is the right end, when it is determined in step S680 that the type of the left white line is a broken line and the type of the right white line is a solid line, the process of step S690 is executed. The travel lane is set as the travel lane of the vehicle 100 after passing the branch boundary point.

  If the position of the travel lane after branching is neither the left end nor the right end, the process of step S690 is performed when it is determined in step S660 that the type of the left white line is a broken line and the type of the right white line is a broken line. Is executed, and the travel lane is set as the travel lane of the vehicle 100 after passing the branch boundary point. Further, when the branch road corresponding to the travel lane after the branch is a single lane, the process of step S690 is performed when it is determined in step S650 that the type of the left white line is a solid line and the type of the right white line is a solid line. Is executed, and the travel lane is set as the travel lane of the vehicle 100 after passing the branch boundary point.

  When the travel lane estimated before the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point is the first lane, if the branch road corresponding to the first lane is one lane, the type of the left white line is a solid line in step S520. When it is determined that the type of the right white line is a solid line, the process of step S540 is executed, and the first lane is set as the travel lane of the vehicle 100 after passing the branch boundary point. On the other hand, if the branch road corresponding to the first lane is not one lane, the process of step S540 is executed when it is determined in step S530 that the type of the left white line is a solid line and the type of the right white line is a broken line, The first lane is set as the travel lane of the vehicle 100 after passing through the branch road boundary point.

  If the travel lane estimated before the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point is the Nth lane, if the branch road corresponding to the Nth lane is one lane, the type of the left white line is determined in step S570. When it is determined that the type of the solid line and the right white line is a solid line, the process of step S590 is executed, and the Nth lane is set as the travel lane of the vehicle 100 after passing the branch road boundary point. On the other hand, if the branch road corresponding to the Nth lane is not one lane, the process of step S590 is executed when it is determined in step S580 that the type of the left white line is a broken line and the type of the right white line is a solid line, The Nth lane is set as the travel lane of the vehicle 100 after passing through the branch road boundary point.

  By the multi-lane determination process as described above, the same travel lane as the travel lane estimated before passing the branch road boundary point can be estimated as the travel lane after passing the branch road boundary point. In addition, even if the travel lane before passing the branch road boundary point is neither the first lane nor the Nth lane, and the travel lane estimation result cannot be determined, the travel lane estimation result is determined after passing the branch road boundary point. can do.

  Then, the case where it applies to various specific examples about the process of the vehicle-mounted system of this embodiment performed according to the flowchart demonstrated above is each demonstrated.

  FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state where a one-sided two-lane road is branched. In FIG. 9, the lane 21 and the lane 22 branch to the left and right respectively. The traveling directions 21a and 22a corresponding to these branch directions are represented by the bifurcation information included in the node information of the branch point. The white line between the lane 21 and the lane 22 changes from a broken line to a solid line at the branch road boundary point 23.

  When the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 21, before passing through the branch road boundary point 23, an affirmative determination is made in step S <b> 60 in FIG. 3, so that the leftmost lane, i. Is done. Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point 23, it is determined in step S200 of FIG. 4 that the traveling lane before passing through the branch road boundary point 23 is the left lane, and then step S210 is positively determined. Thus, in step S230, the first lane, that is, the lane 21 is set as the travel lane. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 22, before passing through the branch road boundary point 23, the determination in step S <b> 70 of FIG. 3 is affirmative, so that in the step S <b> 100, that is, the lane 22 is Set to Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point 23, it is determined in step S200 in FIG. 4 that the traveling lane before passing through the branch road boundary point 23 is the rightmost lane, and then a positive determination is made in step S220. Thus, in step S250, the second lane, that is, the lane 22 is set as the traveling lane. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state in which a one-side three-lane road is branched. In FIG. 10, the lane 31 branches to the left, and the lanes 32 and 33 branch to the right. The traveling directions 31a, 32a, and 33a corresponding to these branch directions are represented by the bifurcation information included in the node information of the branch point. The white line between the lane 31 and the lane 32 changes from a broken line to a solid line at the branch road boundary point 34.

  When the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 31, before passing through the branch boundary point 34, the determination in step S <b> 60 in FIG. 3 is affirmative, and in step S <b> 90, the lane 31 is set as the traveling lane. Is done. Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point 34, it is determined in step S300 of FIG. 5 that the traveling lane before passing through the branch road boundary point 34 is the leftmost lane, and then steps S310 and S320 are positively determined. As a result, in step S340, the first lane, that is, the lane 31 is set as the travel lane. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 32, before passing the branch road boundary point 34, an affirmative determination is made in step S80 in FIG. Set to Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point 34, it is determined in step S300 in FIG. 5 that the traveling lane before passing through the branch road boundary point 34 is an intermediate lane, and then step S410 in FIG. 6 is negative. Determined. Then, in step S420, it is determined that the second lane after branching, that is, the position of the lane 32 is the left end, and an affirmative determination is made in step S440, whereby the lane 32 that is the second lane is set as a travel lane in step S460. Is done. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  Further, when the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 33, before passing through the branch road boundary point 34, an affirmative determination is made in step S70 in FIG. Set to Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point 34, it is determined in step S300 in FIG. 5 that the traveling lane before passing through the branch road boundary point 34 is the rightmost lane, and then a negative determination is made in step S360. When an affirmative determination is made in step S380, the third lane, that is, the lane 33 is set as a travel lane in step S390. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  FIG. 11 is a diagram illustrating another example of a state where a one-side three-lane road branches. In FIG. 11, lanes 41 and 42 branch to the left, and lane 43 branches to the right. The traveling directions 41a, 42a, and 43a corresponding to these branch directions are represented by the bifurcation information included in the node information of the branch point. The white line between the lane 42 and the lane 43 changes from a broken line to a solid line at the branch road boundary point 44.

  When the vehicle 100 is traveling on the lane 41, before passing through the branch road boundary point 44, an affirmative determination is made in step S60 in FIG. 3, so that the leftmost lane, that is, the lane 41 is set as the traveling lane in step S90. Is done. Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes the branch road boundary point 44, it is determined in step S300 in FIG. 5 that the traveling lane before passing the branch road boundary point 44 is the leftmost lane, and then a negative determination is made in step S310. When the determination in step S330 is affirmative, the first lane, that is, the lane 41 is set as a travel lane in step S340. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 42, before passing through the branch road boundary point 44, step S80 of FIG. Set to Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point 44, it is determined in step S300 in FIG. 5 that the traveling lane before passing through the branch road boundary point 44 is an intermediate lane, and then step S410 in FIG. 6 is negative. Determined. Then, in step S420, it is determined that the second lane after branching, that is, the position of the lane 42 is the right end, and a positive determination is made in step S450. Is done. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  In addition, when the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 43, before passing through the branch boundary point 44, an affirmative determination is made in step S70 in FIG. 3, so that the rightmost lane, that is, the lane 43 is the traveling lane in step S100. Set to Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point 44, it is determined in step S300 in FIG. 5 that the traveling lane before passing through the branch road boundary point 44 is the rightmost lane, and then steps S360 and S370 are positively determined. Thus, in step S390, the third lane, that is, the lane 43 is set as a travel lane. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state where a one-side four-lane road branches. In FIG. 12, lanes 51 and 52 branch to the left, and lanes 53 and 54 branch to the right. The traveling directions 51a, 52a, 53a, and 54a corresponding to these branch directions are represented by the bifurcation information included in the node information of the branch point. The white line between the lane 52 and the lane 53 changes from a broken line to a solid line at the branch road boundary point 55.

  When the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 51, before passing the branch boundary point 55, step S60 in FIG. 3 is determined to be affirmative, so that the leftmost lane, that is, the lane 51 is set as the traveling lane in step S90. Is done. Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes the branch road boundary point 55, it is determined in step S500 of FIG. 7 that the traveling lane before passing the branch road boundary point 55 is the leftmost lane, and then a negative determination is made in step S510. When an affirmative determination is made in step S530, the first lane, that is, the lane 51 is set as a travel lane in step S540. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 52, before passing through the branch boundary point 55, step S80 in FIG. Is temporarily set as a traveling lane. Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point 55, it is determined in step S500 in FIG. 7 that the traveling lane before passing through the branch road boundary point 55 is an intermediate lane, and then in step S620 in FIG. = 2 is set, and a negative determination is made in step S630. Then, in step S640, it is determined that the second lane after branching, that is, the position of the lane 52 is the right end, and an affirmative determination is made in step S680, so that the lane 52 that is the second lane is set as a travel lane in step S690. Is done. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle 100 is traveling on the lane 53, before passing through the branch boundary point 55, step S80 in FIG. Is temporarily set as a traveling lane. Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point 55, it is determined in step S500 in FIG. 7 that the traveling lane before passing through the branch road boundary point 55 is an intermediate lane, and then in step S620 in FIG. = 2 is set. Then, a negative determination is made in step S630, and in step S640, the second lane after branching, that is, the position of the lane 52 is determined to be the right end, and then a negative determination is made in step S680, whereby k = 3 in step S710. Is set and the process returns to step S630. Subsequently, a negative determination is made in step S630, and it is determined in step S640 that the third lane after branching, that is, the position of the lane 53 is the left end, and then an affirmative determination is made in step S670. A lane 53 that is a lane is set as a travel lane. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  Further, when the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 54, before passing through the branch road boundary point 55, an affirmative determination is made in step S70 in FIG. 3, so that the right lane, that is, the lane 54 is in the traveling lane in step S100. Set to Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point 55, it is determined in step S500 of FIG. 7 that the traveling lane before passing through the branch road boundary point 55 is the rightmost lane, and then a negative determination is made in step S560. If the determination in step S580 is affirmative, the fourth lane, that is, the lane 54 is set as a travel lane in step S590. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating another example of a state in which a one-side four-lane road branches. In FIG. 13, the lane 61 is branched to the left, and the lanes 62, 63, and 64 are branched to the right. The traveling directions 61a, 62a, 63a, and 64a corresponding to these branch directions are represented by the bifurcation information included in the node information of the branch point. The white line between the lane 61 and the lane 62 changes from a broken line to a solid line at the branch road boundary point 65.

  When the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 61, before passing the branch boundary point 65, an affirmative determination is made in step S60 in FIG. 3, so that the leftmost lane, that is, the lane 61 is set as the traveling lane in step S90. Is done. Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point 65, it is determined in step S500 in FIG. 7 that the traveling lane before passing through the branch road boundary point 65 is the leftmost lane, and then steps S510 and S520 are affirmed. Thus, in step S540, the first lane, that is, the lane 61 is set as the travel lane. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 62, before passing through the branch road boundary point 65, an affirmative determination is made in step S80 in FIG. Is temporarily set as a traveling lane. Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point 65, it is determined in step S500 in FIG. 7 that the traveling lane before passing through the branch road boundary point 65 is an intermediate lane, and then in step S620 in FIG. = 2 is set, and a negative determination is made in step S630. Then, in step S640, the second lane after branching, that is, the position of the lane 62 is determined to be the left end, and an affirmative determination is made in step S670, so that the lane 62 as the second lane is set as the travel lane in step S690. Is done. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 63, before passing the branch road boundary point 65, an affirmative determination is made in step S80 in FIG. Is temporarily set as a traveling lane. Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point 65, it is determined in step S500 in FIG. 7 that the traveling lane before passing through the branch road boundary point 65 is an intermediate lane, and then in step S620 in FIG. = 2 is set. Then, a negative determination is made in step S630, and in step S640, the second lane after branching, that is, the position of the lane 62 is determined to be the left end, and then a negative determination is made in step S670, whereby k = 3 in step S710. Is set and the process returns to step S630. Subsequently, a negative determination is made in step S630, and it is determined in step S640 that the third lane after branching, that is, the position of the lane 63 is intermediate, and then an affirmative determination is made in step S660. A lane 63 that is a lane is set as a travel lane. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  Further, when the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 64, before passing through the branch boundary point 65, an affirmative determination is made in step S70 in FIG. Set to Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point 65, it is determined in step S500 in FIG. 7 that the traveling lane before passing through the branch road boundary point 65 is the rightmost lane, and then a negative determination is made in step S560. If the determination in step S580 is affirmative, the fourth lane, that is, the lane 64 is set as a travel lane in step S590. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating another example of a state where a one-side four-lane road branches. In FIG. 14, lanes 71, 72 and 73 branch to the left, and lane 74 branches to the right. The traveling directions 71a, 72a, 73a and 74a corresponding to these branching directions are represented by the bifurcation information included in the node information of the branching points. The white line between the lane 73 and the lane 74 changes from a broken line to a solid line at the branch road boundary point 75.

  When the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 71, before passing through the branch boundary point 75, an affirmative determination is made in step S60 in FIG. 3, so that the leftmost lane, that is, the lane 71 is set as the traveling lane in step S90. Is done. Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point 75, it is determined in step S500 of FIG. 7 that the traveling lane before passing through the branch road boundary point 75 is the leftmost lane, and then a negative determination is made in step S510. When an affirmative determination is made in step S530, the first lane, that is, the lane 71 is set as a travel lane in step S540. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 72, before passing through the branch road boundary point 75, an affirmative determination is made in step S80 in FIG. Is temporarily set as a traveling lane. Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point 75, it is determined in step S500 in FIG. 7 that the traveling lane before passing through the branch road boundary point 75 is an intermediate lane, and then in step S620 in FIG. = 2 is set, and a negative determination is made in step S630. Then, in step S640, it is determined that the second lane after branching, that is, the position of the lane 72 is in the middle, and an affirmative determination is made in step S660, so that the lane 72 that is the second lane is set as a travel lane in step S690. Is done. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 73, before passing the branch road boundary point 75, an affirmative determination is made in step S80 of FIG. Is temporarily set as a traveling lane. Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point 75, it is determined in step S500 in FIG. 7 that the traveling lane before passing through the branch road boundary point 75 is an intermediate lane, and then in step S620 in FIG. = 2 is set. Then, a negative determination is made in step S630, and in step S640, the second lane after branching, that is, the position of the lane 72 is determined to be intermediate, and then a negative determination is made in step S660, whereby k = 3 in step S710. Is set and the process returns to step S630. Subsequently, a negative determination is made in step S630, and it is determined in step S640 that the third lane after branching, that is, the position of the lane 73 is the right end, and then an affirmative determination is made in step S680. A lane 73 that is a lane is set as a travel lane. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  Further, when the vehicle 100 is traveling on the lane 74, before passing the branch road boundary point 75, an affirmative determination is made in step S70 in FIG. 3, so that the right lane, that is, the lane 74 is the traveling lane in step S100. Set to Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes the branch road boundary point 75, it is determined in step S500 in FIG. 7 that the traveling lane before passing the branch road boundary point 75 is the rightmost lane, and then steps S560 and S570 are positively determined. Thus, in step S590, the fourth lane, that is, the lane 74 is set as the travel lane. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  FIG. 15 is a diagram illustrating still another example of a state where a one-side four-lane road branches. In FIG. 15, lanes 81 and 84 branch to the right, and lanes 82 and 83 branch to the left. The traveling directions 81a, 82a, 83a, and 84a corresponding to these branching directions are represented by the bifurcation information included in the node information of the branching points. The white line between the lane 81 and the lane 82 and the white line between the lane 83 and the lane 84 change from a broken line to a solid line at the branch road boundary point 85, respectively.

  When the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 81, before passing through the branch road boundary point 85, step S60 in FIG. 3 is affirmatively determined, so that the leftmost lane, that is, the lane 81 is set as the traveling lane in step S90. Is done. Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point 85, it is determined in step S500 in FIG. 7 that the traveling lane before passing through the branch road boundary point 85 is the leftmost lane, and then affirmative determination is made in steps S510 and S520. Thus, in step S540, the first lane, that is, the lane 81 is set as the travel lane. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 82, before passing through the branch boundary point 85, step S80 of FIG. Is temporarily set as a traveling lane. Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point 85, it is determined in step S500 in FIG. 7 that the traveling lane before passing through the branch road boundary point 85 is an intermediate lane, and then in step S620 in FIG. = 2 is set, and a negative determination is made in step S630. Then, in step S640, it is determined that the second lane after branching, that is, the position of the lane 82 is the left end, and an affirmative determination is made in step S670, so that the lane 82 that is the second lane is set as a travel lane in step S690. Is done. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 83, before passing through the branch boundary point 85, an affirmative determination is made in step S80 in FIG. Is temporarily set as a traveling lane. Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point 85, it is determined in step S500 in FIG. 7 that the traveling lane before passing through the branch road boundary point 85 is an intermediate lane, and then in step S620 in FIG. = 2 is set. Then, a negative determination is made in step S630, and in step S640, the second lane after branching, that is, the position of the lane 82 is determined to be the left end, and then a negative determination is made in step S670, whereby k = 3 in step S710. Is set and the process returns to step S630. Subsequently, a negative determination is made in step S630, and it is determined in step S640 that the third lane after branching, that is, the position of the lane 83 is the right end, and then an affirmative determination is made in step S680. A lane 83 that is a lane is set as a travel lane. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  Further, when the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 84, before passing through the branch boundary point 85, step S70 in FIG. 3 is affirmatively determined, so that the right lane, that is, the lane 84 is the traveling lane in step S100. Set to Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point 85, it is determined in step S500 in FIG. 7 that the traveling lane before passing through the branch road boundary point 85 is the rightmost lane, and then steps S560 and S570 are positively determined. Thus, in step S590, the fourth lane, that is, the lane 84 is set as a travel lane. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an example of a state where a one-side five-lane road branches. In FIG. 16, lanes 91 and 92 branch to the left, and lanes 93, 94, and 95 branch to the right. The traveling directions 91a, 92a, 93a, 94a, and 95a corresponding to these branching directions are represented by the bifurcation information included in the node information of the branching points. The white line between the lane 92 and the lane 93 changes from a broken line to a solid line at the branch road boundary point 96.

  When the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 91, before passing through the branch road boundary point 96, an affirmative determination is made in step S60 in FIG. 3, so that the leftmost lane, that is, the lane 91 is set as the traveling lane in step S90. Is done. Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point 96, it is determined in step S500 of FIG. 7 that the traveling lane before passing through the branch road boundary point 96 is the leftmost lane, and then a negative determination is made in step S510. If the determination in step S520 is affirmative, the first lane, that is, the lane 91 is set as the travel lane in step S540. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 92, before passing through the branch boundary point 96, step S80 in FIG. 3 is affirmatively determined, so that in step S110, the intermediate lane, that is, the lanes 92, 93 or Any one of 94 is temporarily set as a traveling lane. Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes the branch boundary point 96, it is determined in step S500 in FIG. 7 that the traveling lane before passing the branch boundary point 96 is an intermediate lane, and then in step S620 in FIG. = 2 is set, and a negative determination is made in step S630. Then, in step S640, it is determined that the second lane after branching, that is, the position of the lane 92 is the right end, and an affirmative determination is made in step S680, so that the lane 92 that is the second lane is set as a travel lane in step S690. Is done. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 93, before passing through the branch road boundary point 96, step S80 in FIG. Any one of 94 is temporarily set as a traveling lane. Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes the branch boundary point 96, it is determined in step S500 in FIG. 7 that the traveling lane before passing the branch boundary point 96 is an intermediate lane, and then in step S620 in FIG. = 2 is set. Then, a negative determination is made in step S630, and in step S640, the second lane after branching, that is, the position of the lane 92 is determined to be the right end, and then a negative determination is made in step S680, whereby k = 3 in step S710. Is set and the process returns to step S630. Subsequently, a negative determination is made in step S630, and it is determined in step S640 that the third lane after branching, that is, the position of the lane 93 is the left end, and then an affirmative determination is made in step S670. A lane 93 that is a lane is set as a travel lane. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  Further, when the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 94, before passing through the branch road boundary point 96, an affirmative determination is made in step S80 in FIG. 3, so that an intermediate lane, that is, the lanes 92, 93 or Any one of 94 is temporarily set as a traveling lane. Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes the branch boundary point 96, it is determined in step S500 in FIG. 7 that the traveling lane before passing the branch boundary point 96 is an intermediate lane, and then in step S620 in FIG. = 2 is set. Then, a negative determination is made in step S630, and in step S640, the second lane after branching, that is, the position of the lane 92 is determined to be the right end, and then a negative determination is made in step S680, whereby k = 3 in step S710. Is set and the process returns to step S630. Subsequently, a negative determination is made in step S630, and in step S640, the third lane after branching, that is, the position of the lane 93 is determined to be the left end, and then a negative determination is made in step S670, whereby k = in step S710. 4 is set and the process returns to step S630. Thereafter, a negative determination is made in step S630, and in step S640, the fourth lane after branching, that is, the position of the lane 94 is determined to be in the middle, and then a positive determination is made in step S660, so that the fourth lane in step S690. The lane 94 is set as the travel lane. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  When the vehicle 100 is traveling in the lane 95, before passing through the branch road boundary point 96, an affirmative determination is made in step S70 in FIG. Is done. Thereafter, when the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point 96, it is determined in step S500 of FIG. 7 that the traveling lane before passing through the branch road boundary point 96 is the rightmost lane, and then a negative determination is made in step S560. If the determination in step S580 is affirmative, the fifth lane, that is, the lane 95 is set as a travel lane in step S590. In this way, the travel lane of the vehicle 100 can be correctly estimated.

  According to the embodiment described above, the following operational effects can be obtained.

(1) The in-vehicle system of the present embodiment acquires a captured image of the road surface behind the vehicle 100 from the camera 4 (step S30), and exists on the left and right sides of the lane in which the vehicle 100 is traveling based on the captured image. The type of left white line and right white line to be recognized is recognized by the image recognition device 3 (step S40). Based on the recognized types of the left and right white lines, the traveling lane on the road on which the vehicle 100 is traveling is estimated by the traveling lane estimation device 2 (steps S50 to S160). If there is, the road on which the vehicle 100 travels after branching is estimated based on the estimated travel lane (step S170). At this time, the travel lane estimation device 2 is based on the types of the left white line and the right white line and the travel lane estimated in steps S60 to S120 before the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point located in front of the branch point. Thus, the travel lane after the vehicle 100 passes through the branch road boundary point is estimated by the processes of steps S130 to S160. Since it did in this way, when the vehicle 100 passes the branch road boundary point located in front of a branch point, the traveling lane can be estimated immediately and reliably. Therefore, the road on which the vehicle 100 travels after branching can be estimated at an appropriate timing.

(2) The traveling lane estimation device 2 acquires information regarding the number of traveling lanes on the road on which the vehicle 100 is traveling and the traveling direction after branching of each traveling lane as information regarding the branch point (step S20). Based on this information, the types of the left white line and the right white line, and the travel lane estimated in steps S60 to S120 before the vehicle 100 passes the branch road boundary point, after the vehicle passes the branch road boundary point. The travel lane is estimated in steps S130 to S160. Since it did in this way, the travel lane after the vehicle 100 passes the branch road boundary point can be estimated correctly.

(3) The traveling lane estimation device 2 determines the number of lanes on one side of the road on which the vehicle 100 is currently traveling based on the information acquired in step S20 (step S130), and performs processing according to the number of traveling lanes. By performing in step S140, S150, or S160, the travel lane after the vehicle passes the branch boundary point is estimated. In this way, since the optimum processing is performed according to the number of traveling lanes, the traveling lane after the vehicle 100 passes through the branch boundary point can be correctly estimated.

  In the embodiment described above, the camera 4 images the road surface behind the vehicle 100, but the road surface ahead of the vehicle 100 may be imaged. As long as the left white line and the right white line of the lane in which the vehicle 100 is traveling can be photographed, the photographing range of the camera 4 may be set in any way.

  Moreover, although the said embodiment demonstrated the example which implement | achieved this invention with the vehicle-mounted system comprised by the navigation apparatus 1, the traveling lane estimation apparatus 2, the image recognition apparatus 3, and the camera 4, in order to implement | achieve this invention The configuration is not limited to this. For example, the navigation lane estimation device 2 and the image recognition device 3 may be omitted, and the navigation device 1 may perform these processes. The present invention may be realized in any form as long as it is an apparatus mounted on a vehicle.

  In the above embodiment, the example of outputting the estimation result of the travel road after branching obtained in step S170 to the navigation device 1 and using this in the guidance of the vehicle 100 performed by the navigation device 1 has been described. It may be used for purposes. For example, this estimation result can be used when performing deceleration control or braking control of the vehicle 100 according to the shape of the traveling road or the like.

  The embodiment and various modifications described above are merely examples, and the present invention is not limited to these contents as long as the features of the invention are not impaired.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Navigation apparatus 2 Driving lane estimation apparatus 3 Image recognition apparatus 4 Camera 10 Control part 11 GPS receiving part 12 Vibration gyroscope 13 Vehicle speed sensor 14 HDD
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 15 Display monitor 16 Speaker 17 Input device 18 Communication part 100 Vehicle

Claims (4)

Captured image acquisition means for acquiring a captured image of a road surface in front of or behind the vehicle;
White line type recognizing means for recognizing the types of the left white line and the right white line respectively present on the left and right of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling based on the captured image;
Travel lane estimation means for estimating a travel lane on the road on which the vehicle is traveling based on the types of the left white line and the right white line recognized by the white line type recognition means;
A branch road estimation means for estimating a road on which the vehicle travels after branching based on the travel lane estimated by the travel lane estimation means when there is a branch point in front of the vehicle;
Information acquisition means for acquiring information on the number of traveling lanes of the road on which the vehicle is traveling and the traveling direction after branching of each traveling lane;
When the number of travel lanes based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit is 2, the travel lane estimation unit is configured to determine whether the vehicle has passed a branch road boundary point located before the branch point. When the types of the left white line and the right white line are both solid lines, the same lane as the travel lane estimated before the vehicle passes the branch road boundary point, and the branch road boundary point as the vehicle. An in-vehicle device that estimates the travel lane after the vehicle passes. Captured image acquisition means for acquiring a captured image of a road surface in front of or behind the vehicle;
White line type recognizing means for recognizing the types of the left white line and the right white line respectively present on the left and right of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling based on the captured image;
Travel lane estimation means for estimating a travel lane on the road on which the vehicle is traveling based on the types of the left white line and the right white line recognized by the white line type recognition means;
A branch road estimation means for estimating a road on which the vehicle travels after branching based on the travel lane estimated by the travel lane estimation means when there is a branch point in front of the vehicle;
Information acquisition means for acquiring information on the number of traveling lanes of the road on which the vehicle is traveling and the traveling direction after branching of each traveling lane;
When the number of travel lanes based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit is 3, the travel lane estimation unit determines a branch road boundary point located before the branch point based on the information. Determining whether the branch road corresponding to the travel lane estimated before the vehicle passes is one lane;
When it is determined that the branch road is a single lane, the traveling lane estimation unit is configured such that the type of the left white line and the right white line after the vehicle passes through the branch road boundary point is a solid line. Estimating the same travel lane as the travel lane estimated before the vehicle passes through the branch boundary point as the travel lane after the vehicle passes through the branch boundary point;
When it is determined that the branch road is not one lane, the traveling lane estimating means
If the travel lane estimated before the vehicle passes through the branch boundary point is the leftmost travel lane, the type of the left white line after the vehicle passes through the branch boundary point is a solid line and When the type of the right white line is a broken line, the traveling lane is estimated as the traveling lane after the vehicle passes through the branch boundary point,
When the travel lane estimated before the vehicle passes through the branch boundary point is a rightmost travel lane, the type of the left white line after the vehicle passes through the branch boundary point is a broken line and When the type of the right white line is a solid line, the traveling lane is estimated as the traveling lane after the vehicle passes through the branch boundary point,
When the travel lane estimated before the vehicle passes through the branch road boundary point is a central travel lane, determine whether the position of the travel lane after the branch is the left end or the right end,
When it is determined that the vehicle is at the left end, when the type of the left white line after the vehicle passes through the branch road boundary point is a solid line and the type of the right white line is a broken line, Estimating the travel lane after the vehicle has passed a boundary point,
When it is determined that the vehicle is at the right end, when the type of the left white line after the vehicle passes through the branch road boundary point is a broken line and the type of the right white line is a solid line, An in-vehicle device characterized by estimating the travel lane after the vehicle passes through a boundary point. Captured image acquisition means for acquiring a captured image of a road surface in front of or behind the vehicle;
White line type recognizing means for recognizing the types of the left white line and the right white line respectively present on the left and right of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling based on the captured image;
Travel lane estimation means for estimating a travel lane on the road on which the vehicle is traveling based on the types of the left white line and the right white line recognized by the white line type recognition means;
A branch road estimation means for estimating a road on which the vehicle travels after branching based on the travel lane estimated by the travel lane estimation means when there is a branch point in front of the vehicle;
Information acquisition means for acquiring information on the number of traveling lanes of the road on which the vehicle is traveling and the traveling direction after branching of each traveling lane;
The number of travel lanes based on the information acquired by the information acquisition means is 4 or more, and the travel lane estimated before the vehicle passes the branch road boundary point located before the branch point is the left end. Or, if it is not the right-hand travel lane, the travel lane estimation means
When the position of the travel lane after the branch is at the left end, the travel is performed when the type of the left white line after the vehicle passes the branch road boundary point is a solid line and the type of the right white line is a broken line. Estimating the lane as the travel lane after the vehicle has passed the branch boundary point,
When the position of the travel lane after the branch is at the right end, the travel is performed when the type of the left white line after the vehicle passes through the branch road boundary point is a broken line and the type of the right white line is a solid line. Estimating the lane as the travel lane after the vehicle has passed the branch boundary point,
When the position of the travel lane after the branch is neither the left end nor the right end, the type of the left white line after the vehicle passes through the branch road boundary point is a broken line and the type of the right white line is a broken line In addition, the travel lane is estimated as the travel lane after the vehicle passes the branch road boundary point,
When the branch road corresponding to the travel lane is a single lane, when the type of the left white line and the right white line after the vehicle passes through the branch road boundary point is a solid line, the travel lane Is estimated as the travel lane after the vehicle passes the branch road boundary point. The in-vehicle device according to claim 3 ,
When the number of travel lanes is 4 or more and the travel lane estimated before the vehicle passes through the branch road boundary point is the leftmost travel lane, the travel lane estimation means includes:
When the branch road corresponding to the travel lane is a single lane, when the type of the left white line and the right white line after the vehicle passes through the branch road boundary point is a solid line, the travel lane Is estimated as the travel lane after the vehicle has passed through the branch boundary point,
When the branch road corresponding to the travel lane is not a single lane, the travel is performed when the type of the left white line after the vehicle passes the branch road boundary point is a solid line and the type of the right white line is a broken line. Estimating the lane as the travel lane after the vehicle has passed the branch boundary point,
When the number of travel lanes is 4 or more and the travel lane estimated before the vehicle passes the branch road boundary point is the travel lane at the right end, the travel lane estimation means includes:
When the branch road corresponding to the travel lane is a single lane, when the type of the left white line and the right white line after the vehicle passes through the branch road boundary point is a solid line, the travel lane Is estimated as the travel lane after the vehicle has passed through the branch boundary point,
When the branch road corresponding to the travel lane is not a single lane, the travel is performed when the type of the left white line after the vehicle passes through the branch road boundary point is a broken line and the type of the right white line is a solid line. An in-vehicle device, wherein a lane is estimated as the travel lane after the vehicle passes through the branch road boundary point.

Images