JP6515795B2 - Driving support device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a driving support device that performs driving support during automatic driving.

  Conventionally, as a device for supporting the driving of a vehicle, for example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a driving support device for supporting the driving when changing lanes. In this driving support device, in the case of a surrounding recognition device such as a camera or a radar that recognizes other vehicles and the like around the own vehicle, the vehicle is used to widen the recognition range when the recognition range becomes smaller due to an obstacle. Control the operation of

JP, 2014-180986, A

  However, in the above-described prior art, when the vehicle does not have such a control function or has the control function, it is difficult to control so as to expand the recognition range from the relationship of the road, other vehicles, etc. In some cases, it is not easy to secure a sufficient recognition range.

  For example, when another vehicle without the above-mentioned function is traveling in front of the own vehicle, a part of the recognition range at the rear of the surrounding area recognition device mounted on the other vehicle is blocked by the own vehicle As a result, other vehicles may not be able to fully recognize the rear.

The same applies to the driver's field of view of other vehicles. That is, if there is another vehicle behind the vehicle, the driver's field of vision behind may not be sufficient.
And, when the recognition range and the visual field range are not sufficient as described above, for example, if another vehicle forcibly performs an operation such as a course change, a problem may occur in safety.

  The present invention has been made in view of these problems, and provides a technique capable of securing a suitable recognition range or a view range for the recognition range of the surrounding recognition device of another vehicle or the view range of the driver. The purpose is

(1) A driving support apparatus according to one aspect of the present invention includes an automatic driving unit (51), a behavior recognition unit (53), and a host vehicle control unit (55).
The automatic driving unit performs automatic driving of the host vehicle (J).

  The behavior recognition unit is based on information from at least one of a surrounding area recognition device (9) that recognizes the situation around the host vehicle mounted on the host vehicle and a communication device (17) that communicates with the outside. Recognize the predicted behavior indicating the future travel direction of the other vehicle (T) in the vicinity of.

  The self-vehicle control unit recognizes the recognition range of the surrounding area recognition device mounted on the other vehicle and the other vehicle based on the predicted behavior of the other vehicle recognized by the behavior recognition unit during automatic driving by the automatic driving unit of the own vehicle The operation of the host vehicle is controlled so as to expand at least one of the driver's field of vision of

  According to this configuration, in automatic driving, based on the predicted behavior of the other vehicle, the recognition range of the surrounding recognition device of the other vehicle and the visual field range of the driver of the other vehicle can be expanded compared to the current situation. Control the operation. Therefore, in the other vehicle, the recognition range of the surrounding recognition device and the visual field range of the driver are expanded, so that the situation around itself can be grasped more accurately.

  In other words, the other vehicle performs, for example, control of the other vehicle itself, such as automatic driving, or a driving operation by the driver based on much information obtained by the recognition range of the surrounding area recognition device or the driver's field of vision widening. Safety can be improved.

  In this way, the other vehicle around the own vehicle can be prevented from performing control or driving operation of the other vehicle itself based on insufficient information around the other vehicle itself, so that the own vehicle etc. is involved in an accident etc. Can be suppressed.

(2) Moreover, the driving assistance device of the other aspect of this invention is provided with the automatic driving part, the state detection part (71), and the influence reduction part (73).
The automatic driving unit performs automatic driving of the vehicle.

  The state detection unit is influenced by the operation of the surrounding area recognition device that recognizes the surrounding environment of the host vehicle and the surrounding area recognition device that recognizes the surrounding environment of the other vehicle, so that the recognition ability of the surrounding environment recognition device can be recognized accordingly Detects a condition that affects the range.

  The influence reducing unit controls the operation of the host vehicle so as to reduce the influence when it detects that the state affecting the recognition ability and hence the state affecting the recognition range is detected. That is, the operation of the host vehicle is controlled to suppress a decrease in recognition of the surrounding recognition device and secure a preferable recognition range.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to reduce the influence of the operation of the surrounding recognition devices on one another when the recognition ability of the surrounding recognition devices on the other, and hence the recognition range of the other is affected. Control the operation of the vehicle.

  Therefore, in another vehicle, a part or all of the recognition ability of the surrounding area recognition device reduced by the influence is restored, and the recognition range is also restored. Therefore, based on a large amount of information obtained from the surrounding area recognition device, control of another vehicle itself such as automatic driving and driving operation by the driver can be performed, thereby improving safety.

  In this way, the other vehicle around the own vehicle can be prevented from performing control or driving operation of the other vehicle itself based on insufficient information around the other vehicle itself, so that the own vehicle etc. is involved in an accident etc. Can be suppressed.

  In addition, the reference numerals in the parentheses described in this column and the claims indicate the correspondence with specific means described in the embodiment described later as one aspect, and the technical scope of the present invention It is not limited.

It is a block diagram showing an in-vehicle system containing a driving support device of a 1st embodiment. FIG. 1 is a block diagram functionally showing a driving support device of a first embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the driving assistance process implemented with the driving assistance device of 1st Embodiment. It is an explanatory view showing a run state of self-vehicles when not carrying out driving support control of a 1st embodiment. It is an explanatory view showing a run state of self-vehicles at the time of performing driving support control of a 1st embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the change of the recognition range of the other vehicle behind [before / after control which implements driving assistance control of 1st Embodiment / control]. It is explanatory drawing which shows the change of the recognition range of the other vehicle ahead before and after control which implements driving assistance control of 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the driving assistance process implemented by the driving assistance device of 2nd Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state at the time of performing the other vehicle of a front turn right at an intersection, when driving assistance control of 2nd Embodiment is implemented. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state at the time of implementing the driving assistance control of 2nd Embodiment, and the other back vehicle turning left at an intersection. It is explanatory drawing which shows the state at the time of performing the left turn of the other vehicle ahead at an intersection, when driving assistance control of 2nd Embodiment is implemented. It is a block diagram which shows functionally the driving assistance device of 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the driving assistance process implemented by the driving assistance device of 3rd Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing which shows the change of the state before the control which implements driving assistance control of 3rd Embodiment, and after control.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
[1. First embodiment]
[1-1. Constitution]
First, the system configuration of the driving support device of the first embodiment will be described.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the in-vehicle system 1 according to the first embodiment is a system capable of automatically driving a vehicle, and as described later, various devices mounted on a host vehicle J (for example, see FIG. 4) It is configured.

  The on-vehicle system 1 has an automatic driving function of automatically driving the vehicle J up to a destination, for example, according to a traveling route which is a route to a destination set by a passenger. This automatic driving function is realized by a plurality of functions that support the driving of the host vehicle J.

  The plurality of functions constituting the automatic driving function include, for example, a steering angle control function, a vehicle speed control function, an acceleration / deceleration control function, a lane change function, and the like. The steering angle control function referred to here is a function to control the steering so as to follow the traveling route. The vehicle speed control function is a function of controlling the vehicle speed of the host vehicle J to a target vehicle speed. The acceleration / deceleration control function is a function to control acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle J. The lane change function is a function to change the lane in which the host vehicle J travels.

  As techniques related to automatic driving, depending on the level of automation, for example, level 1 (i.e. driving support system), level 2 or 3 (i.e. semi-automatic traveling system), level 4 (i.e. fully automatic traveling system In the case where automatic operation is performed, automation of levels 2 to 4 is generally indicated. This content is described, for example, in "Strategic Innovation Creation Program Automatic Driving System" announced by the Cabinet Office in May 2015.

Here, when performing automatic operation of level 2 or more, for example, the case of level 3 will be described, but of course it can be applied to automatic operation of other levels (for example, levels 2 and 4).
As shown in FIG. 1, the on-vehicle system 1 described above includes the navigation device 5, the vehicle sensors 7, the surroundings recognition device 9, the output device 11, the driving support device 13, the travel control device 15, and communication connected by the LAN 3. The apparatus 17 is provided.
The configuration of the in-vehicle system 1 is the same as that of the other vehicle T (see, for example, FIG. 5), and thus the description thereof will be omitted. The other vehicle T may or may not be in automatic driving or may not be in automatic driving, and may be a vehicle not having the function of automatic driving.

Each component will be described below.
The host vehicle sensors 7 are known devices that detect the state of the host vehicle J. Examples of the host vehicle sensors 7 include a vehicle speed sensor 21 that detects the speed of the host vehicle J, and an acceleration sensor 23 that detects longitudinal acceleration and the like.

  The surrounding area recognition device 9 is a known device that recognizes the situation around the host vehicle J. Here, "to recognize the surrounding situation" means detecting the presence or absence of a target such as an obstacle such as another vehicle T around the vehicle, or the position, orientation, relative velocity, relative distance of the obstacle or the like. , To grasp the situation such as shape.

Examples of the surrounding recognition device 9 include a camera 25, a radar device 27, and a laser device 28.
Examples of the camera 25 include a known camera (for example, a CCD camera) that recognizes the situation around the vehicle J based on the result of imaging and image processing around the vehicle J.

  Specifically, for example, a front shooting camera for shooting the front of the host vehicle J, a rear shooting camera for shooting the rear of the host vehicle J, a right side camera for shooting the right side of the host vehicle J, and a left side of the host vehicle J There is a left side camera.

  Examples of the radar device 27 include a millimeter wave radar. Based on the data obtained from the millimeter wave radar, the direction of the other vehicle T, the distance to the other vehicle T, and the relative velocity with the other vehicle T can be obtained. The radar device 27 is disposed at the front and rear of the host vehicle J, for example, in order to scan the front and rear of the host vehicle J in a range of predetermined angles, respectively.

  Examples of the laser device 29 include LIDAR. Based on the data obtained from the LIDAR, the direction of the other vehicle T, the distance to the other vehicle T, and the relative speed with the other vehicle T can be obtained. The laser device 29 is disposed at the front and the rear of the host vehicle J, for example, in order to scan the front and the rear of the host vehicle J in the range of a predetermined angle. In addition, LIDAR is an abbreviation for Light Detection and Ranging and Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging.

  The output device 11 is a known device that reports information and the like from the driving support device 13. Examples of the output device 11 include a display device (for example, a display) 29 for displaying information, and an audio output device (for example, a speaker) 31 for outputting information by voice or the like. Further, as the output device 11, various display devices (for example, stop lamps) (not shown) for performing display on the surroundings, such as a blinker 32 indicating the traveling direction of the host vehicle J, may be mentioned.

  The navigation device 5 is a device for guiding the route to the set destination according to the traveling route. The navigation device 5 includes a position detector 33, an input device 35, a navigation storage device 37, and a navigation ECU 39. ECU indicates an electronic control unit, which is an abbreviation of Electron Control Unit.

  The position detector 33 detects information necessary for detecting the current position of the host vehicle J and the heading of the traveling direction. The position detector 33 is provided with a receiver for receiving a signal from a navigation satellite. In addition, the navigation satellite said here is a satellite which implement | achieves a known satellite positioning system.

A signal from a vehicle speed sensor 21, an acceleration sensor 23, a gyro sensor (not shown) that detects the angular velocity of the host vehicle J, etc. is input to the position detector 33.
The input device 35 is a known device that receives input of information by an operation of a passenger (for example, a driver). The input device 35 includes, for example, a known switch group and a touch panel integrally formed with the display device 29. The input device 35 is also used to select the execution and cancellation of the driving support control performed in the driving support process described later.

The navigation storage device 37 is a rewritable non-volatile storage device. The navigation storage device 37 is configured of, for example, a hard disk drive or a flash memory.
The navigation storage device 37 stores map data (i.e., map information) representing the structure of the road. The map data includes various known data such as node data, link data, cost data, terrain data, mark data, intersection data, facility data and the like.

  The navigation ECU 39 is a known electronic control device provided with a ROM, a RAM, and a CPU. The navi ECU 39 identifies the current position of the vehicle J based on the signal received by the receiver included in the position detector 33 by a known method according to satellite navigation implemented by the satellite positioning system.

  The method of specifying the current position of the vehicle J by the navigation ECU 39 is not limited to this, and may be specified by a known autonomous navigation according to the detection results of the vehicle speed sensor 21 or the gyro sensor, or by satellite navigation You may specify by correct | amending the present position of the identified own vehicle J by autonomous navigation.

  The traveling control device 15 is a controlled device to be controlled when the driving support device 13 performs automatic driving. Although not illustrated, the controlled device in the first embodiment controls a steering control device that controls the steering angle of the steering, a drive control device that controls the driving force of the host vehicle J, and controls the braking force of the host vehicle J. And a braking control device.

  The drive control device referred to here may be an internal combustion engine control device that controls the number of revolutions and torque of the internal combustion engine as long as the vehicle has an internal combustion engine as an engine that generates the driving force of the host vehicle J. If the own vehicle J is a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, the drive control device may include a mission control device that controls the transmission of the own vehicle J.

The drive control device may be a motor control device that controls the number of revolutions of the motor as long as the vehicle has a motor as an engine that generates the driving force of the host vehicle J.
Communication device 17 performs communication between host vehicle J and other vehicle T (that is, inter-vehicle communication), and communication between host vehicle J and a roadside machine (not shown) which is a base station disposed on the road side or the like. It is a communication device capable of performing (i.e., road-vehicle communication).

  Here, when performing inter-vehicle communication between the own vehicle J and the other vehicle T, the own vehicle J may obtain information such as the position, speed, acceleration, lane change, course change, etc. of the other vehicle T. it can. Information on lane change and course change can be obtained, for example, when the other vehicle T is driving automatically, or when route guidance is performed. In addition, even when driving by the driver's operation, when the driver operates the winker 32, the information of the operation of the winker 32 can be obtained not only by the recognition by the camera 25 but also by communication. .

  Further, when performing road-to-vehicle communication between a vehicle traveling on a road, ie, the roadside machine and the host vehicle J and the other vehicle T, the host vehicle J transmits the other vehicle T transmitted from the roadside machine to the roadside machine. Information such as position, speed, acceleration, lane change, course change, etc. can be obtained. The roadside machine is connected to, for example, a server (not shown) such as a center that manages road information, and can obtain necessary information from this server.

  The driving support device 13 is a known control device configured mainly of a known microcomputer including a ROM 41, a RAM 43, and a CPU 45. The ROM 41 stores data and programs which need to hold stored contents even after the power is turned off. The RAM 43 temporarily stores data. The CPU 45 executes processing in accordance with a program or the like stored in the ROM 41 or the RAM 43.

  In addition to the processing program for performing the processing required to realize the normal automatic driving function, the ROM 41 of the driving support device 13 performs driving support control for controlling the operation of the own vehicle J in accordance with other surrounding vehicles T described later. A processing program (i.e., a driving support processing program) to be executed is stored.

Further, as shown in FIG. 2, the driving support device 13 includes a processing content of the processing program is executed, that functionally, the automatic driving unit 51 and the behavior recognition unit 53 and the vehicle control unit 55. In addition, the behavior recognition unit 53 includes the other vehicle detection unit 57, and the own vehicle control unit 55 includes the route generation unit 59. Furthermore, a lane detection unit 61, an area detection unit 63, and an operation notification unit 65 are provided.

Among these, the automatic driving unit 51 performs automatic driving of the host vehicle J.
The behavior recognition unit 53 predicts the predicted behavior indicating the future traveling direction of the other vehicle T around the own vehicle J based on the information from the surrounding recognition device 9 and the communication device 17 that recognize the situation around the own vehicle J. recognize. In the behavior recognition unit 53, the other vehicle detection unit 57 detects the other vehicle T based on the information from the surrounding recognition device 9 and the communication device 17.

  Here, the future traveling direction is the future traveling direction which may be changed by lane change, course change, or the like. Further, the predicted behavior indicating the future traveling direction of the other vehicle T is a future behavior including the future traveling direction of the other vehicle T, which is predicted based on the information obtained from the surrounding area monitoring device 9 and the communication device 17. It is.

  The information obtained from the surrounding area recognition device 9 and the communication device 17 is, for example, information on the operation of the blinker 32 of the other vehicle T, information on the traveling route from the navigation device 5 of the other vehicle T, ie lane change in the traveling route It is information that enables the future traveling direction to be predicted, such as information in which the route change is known in advance, information on the approach state of the other vehicle T from the rear, and the like.

Vehicle control unit 55, when the automatic driving of the vehicle J, based on the predicted behavior of the other vehicle T, at least in the field of view of the driver's purview and other vehicles T surrounding recognition device 9 of the other vehicle T The operation of the host vehicle J is controlled so as to widen one side.

  Here, as the recognition range of the surrounding recognition device 9, a detection range in which the surrounding recognition device 9 can detect a target such as an obstacle such as another vehicle around the vehicle can be adopted. For example, in the case of the radar device 27 or the laser device 28, a range in which an obstacle or the like in the surrounding area can be detected by radar waves or laser light can be adopted. The recognition range may be a range that can detect not only the detection of an obstacle such as another vehicle, but also the direction, relative velocity, and relative distance of the obstacle.

In the own vehicle control unit 55, the route generation unit 59 generates a route K along which the own vehicle J travels, and controls the operation of the own vehicle J such that the own vehicle J travels along the route K.
The lane detection unit 61 detects a lane in which the host vehicle J travels (ie, a lane).

  The area detection unit 63 detects an area in which the vehicle J can travel in the lane detected by the lane detection unit 61. For example, when there is a line (hereinafter, white line) indicating the range in the width direction of the lane on both sides of the lane, the travelable area in the white line on the left and right is detected. Therefore, the route generation unit 59 sets a route K on which the vehicle J travels in the travelable area.

The operation notification unit 65 performs the control of the own vehicle J by the above-described vehicle control unit 55, that is, the driving support control for widening the recognition range and the visual range by the display device 29 and the voice output device 31 of the own vehicle J. , Notify the occupant of the host vehicle J.

  The communication device 17 may also notify other vehicles T around the host vehicle J that the driving support control is to be performed. Alternatively, the driver of the other vehicle T may be notified of performing the driving assistance control using the external output device. For example, the blinker 35 or the stop lamp may be blinked only for a short time.

  The various functions of the driving support device 13 are realized by the CPU 45 executing a program stored in a non-transitional tangible recording medium. In this example, the ROM 41 corresponds to a non-transitional tangible storage medium storing a program. Also, by executing the program, a method corresponding to the program is executed. The number of microcomputers constituting the driving support device 13 may be one or more.

[1-2. processing]
Next, processing for driving support control executed by the driving support device 13, that is, driving support processing will be described.

  In this driving support process, when there is another vehicle T traveling in front of or behind the own vehicle J traveling, a direction to expand the recognition range of the surrounding recognition device 9 of the other vehicle T or the driver's field of view Is a process for controlling the operation of the host vehicle J so as to move the host vehicle J.

The driving support process of the first embodiment is repeatedly activated at predetermined time intervals while the process for realizing the automatic driving function is being executed.
As shown in FIG. 3, when the driving support processing is activated during the automatic driving, the driving support device 13 first recognizes the surroundings of the host vehicle in step 100. In the flowchart of FIG. 3 and the like, “step” is described as “S”.

  Specifically, the surrounding recognition device 25 performs processing for detecting another vehicle T around the host vehicle J. For example, as well known, the image obtained from the camera 25 is analyzed to perform processing of detecting the other vehicle T. Alternatively, as is well known, the radar device 27 and the laser device 28 are driven to perform processing for detecting the other vehicle T.

  In the following step 110, it is judged based on the result of the process of step 100 whether or not the other vehicle T exists around the host vehicle J, for example, in front of or behind the host vehicle J. Here, if an affirmative determination can be made, the process proceeds to step 120, while if a negative determination is made, the process proceeds to step 160.

In step 160, since no other vehicle T exists around the host vehicle J, normal automatic driving is continued, and the present process is temporarily ended.
That is, as shown in FIG. 4, in the case of automatic driving, for example, based on an image obtained from the camera 25, a white line H drawn along the lane of the road on which the vehicle J travels is recognized. Specifically, the left and right white lines H drawn to indicate the width of the lane are recognized on both sides of the lane.

Then, a route K along which the vehicle J travels is set at the center of the left and right white lines H, and automatic driving is performed along the route K.
On the other hand, in step 120, since the other vehicle T exists around the own vehicle J, the predicted behavior indicating the future traveling direction of the other vehicle T is recognized. For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when another vehicle T exists behind the host vehicle J in the same lane, the predicted behavior of the other rear vehicle T is recognized.

As a method of recognizing (that is, grasping) the predicted behavior of the other vehicle T, there are various methods as described below. Note that one or more of these methods may be combined.
From the image of the camera 25, the blinking state of the blinkers 32 of the other vehicle T is detected.

Based on information from the camera 25, the radar device 27, and the laser device 28, it is detected that another vehicle T approaches from behind the host vehicle J on the same lane.
The communication device 17 detects information indicating the future traveling direction of the other vehicle T by communicating with the other vehicle T or the roadside device. For example, by receiving information such as at which position on the traveling route the lane change or course change is to be performed from the navigation device 5 or the like of the other vehicle T, the future operation of the other vehicle T is predicted.

The operation of the other vehicle T is predicted by receiving the information indicating the operation state of the winker 32 by the communication device 17.
In the following step 130, based on the predicted behavior of the other vehicle T recognized in step 110, it is determined whether the other vehicle T intends to change lanes. Here, if an affirmative determination is made, the process proceeds to step 140, while if a negative determination is made, the process proceeds to step 150.

As a method of determining the lane change of the other vehicle T, the following various methods may be mentioned. Note that one or more of these methods may be combined.
-In the case where the blinker 32 on the left side or the right side of the other vehicle T is blinking and there is another lane (for example, a passing lane) in the same traveling direction on the blinking side of the blinker 32, the other vehicle T Decides to change lanes.

  The case where another vehicle T approaches from the rear of the host vehicle J at a predetermined speed or higher or a predetermined acceleration or higher on the same lane based on information from the camera 25, the radar device 27, and the laser unit 28. If there are other lanes in the same traveling direction, it is determined that the other vehicle T changes lanes to overtake.

  · Information indicating that the other vehicle T changes lanes (that is, its schedule) by direct information or indirect information (for example, information from a roadside machine) from the other vehicle T that is being driven automatically or route guidance Is determined, it is determined that the other vehicle T changes lanes.

  -When the blink information of the blinker 32 of the other vehicle T is obtained by communication, and there is another lane in the same traveling direction on the blinker side of the blinker 32, the other vehicle T changes lanes judge.

  In step 140, it can be understood that the other vehicle T is to change lanes, so the lane change side of the other vehicle T is determined as the route K on which the own vehicle J travels, in the lane where the own vehicle J currently travels. Create a path K that is close to the opposite white line H. And, it automatically drives along the route K.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 5, when there is another lane for traveling in the same direction on the right side of the lane where the vehicle J and the other vehicle T travel, for example, in an image obtained from the camera 25 Based on the left and right white lines H in the lane in which the vehicle J travels are recognized.

  Then, as a route K along which the vehicle J travels, the direction to move the vehicle J away from the lane on the lane change side, which is the right lane in FIG. , The left side), and the automatic operation is performed along the route K.

  In other words, the surrounding recognition device 9 mounted on the other vehicle T, in this case, the direction of extending the recognition range of the camera 25, the laser device 27, the radar device 28, etc. Therefore, the operation of the own vehicle J is controlled so that the own vehicle J moves in a direction to widen the visual field range of the driver of the other vehicle T (that is, the left side in FIG. 5).

In the following step 150, a process of notifying that the process of step 150 is performed is performed, and the present process is temporarily ended.
For example, the output device 29 of the own vehicle J notifies the occupant of the own vehicle J that the above-described driving support control (that is, movement of the own vehicle J) is to be performed by display, voice, or the like. Further, similar contents may be notified to the other vehicle T by communication or an external display device. Note that this notification process may be omitted.

[1-3. Before and after control]
Next, the operation and the like of the vehicle J in the above-described driving support process will be described.
a) Here, as shown in FIG. 6, there is another vehicle T traveling in front of and behind the host vehicle J in automatic driving on the same lane. The case where the recognition range of the surrounding recognition device 9 (for example, the radar device 27) at the front and the visual field range of the driver are extended will be described as an example.

  As shown in “before control” in FIG. 6, in the other vehicle T behind the host vehicle J, the recognition range of the surroundings recognition device 9 such as the camera 25 etc. in the front is blocked by the host vehicle J and narrowed Therefore, it is not possible to sufficiently recognize the other vehicle T ahead from the other vehicle T behind. Further, the visual field area of the driver of the other vehicle T behind is similarly narrowed.

  Here, when the above-described driving support processing is performed, as shown in “after control” in FIG. Therefore, the recognition range of the surrounding recognition device 9 of the rear other vehicle T and the visual field range of the driver are expanded, so the rear other vehicle T can sufficiently recognize the front other vehicle T.

In FIG. 6, the recognition range of the surrounding area recognition device 9 is indicated by hatching. The same applies to the other drawings below.
b) Next, as shown in FIG. 7, there is another vehicle T traveling ahead of the host vehicle J in automatic driving on the same lane, and the other vehicle T ahead The case where the recognition range of the rear area recognition device 9 and the visual field range of the driver are extended will be described as an example. Here, the visual field range of the driver is the visual field range by the rearview mirror and the side mirror.

  As shown in “before control” in FIG. 7, in the other vehicle T ahead of the host vehicle J, the recognition range of the surroundings recognition device 9 such as the camera 25 in the rear part is blocked by the host vehicle J and narrowed. Therefore, other vehicles T can not be sufficiently recognized from other vehicles T ahead. Moreover, the visual field area of the driver of the other vehicle T ahead is similarly narrowed.

  Here, when the above-described driving support processing is performed, as shown in “after control” in FIG. 7, the host vehicle J approaches the left side of the figure. Therefore, the recognition range of the surrounding recognition device 9 of the rear other vehicle T and the visual field range of the driver are expanded, so that the front other vehicle T can sufficiently recognize the rear other vehicle T.

[1-4. effect]
According to the first embodiment described above, the following effects can be obtained.
(1a) According to the first embodiment, at the time of automatic driving, the recognition range of the surrounding recognition device 9 of the other vehicle T and the driving of the other vehicle T based on the predicted behavior indicating the future traveling direction of the other vehicle T A route K along which the vehicle J travels is generated so that the visual field range of the person is wider than the current state, and the vehicle J is controlled to travel along the route K.

  Specifically, control is performed to shift the route K on which the host vehicle J travels in the direction opposite to the direction in which the other vehicle T changes lanes in the width direction of the lane. Therefore, in the other vehicle T, the recognition range of the surrounding recognition device 9 and the visual field range of the driver are expanded, so that the situation around itself can be grasped more accurately.

  That is, the other vehicle T controls, for example, the automatic driving of the other vehicle T itself or the driver's driving based on much information obtained by the recognition range of the surrounding area recognition device 9 and the wide view range of the driver. Since the operation can be performed, the safety is improved.

  In this way, it is possible to suppress the other vehicle T around the own vehicle J from performing control or driving operation of the other vehicle T itself based on insufficient information around the other vehicle T itself. Can be prevented from being involved in an accident or the like.

  It should be noted that even if the driving assistance control is performed by the host vehicle J by mistake in the prediction of the behavior of the other vehicle T, the host vehicle J moves only slightly in the same lane, so the host vehicle J and the other There is also an advantage that there is no problem in the safety of the vehicle T. Therefore, it is desirable to carry out the above-described driving support control when it is possible to predict the behavior of the other vehicle J such as lane change, even if it is a little.

  (1b) According to the first embodiment, the other vehicle detection unit 57 of the behavior recognition unit 53 can detect the other vehicle T based on the information from at least one of the surrounding recognition device 9 and the communication device 17. .

  (1c) According to the first embodiment, the behavior recognition unit 53 can recognize the predicted behavior of the other vehicle T based on the display of the blinkers 32 of the other vehicle T. Further, the predicted behavior of the other vehicle can be recognized by communication between the host vehicle J and the other vehicle T or the roadside device.

  (1d) According to the first embodiment, when the other vehicle T is approaching from the rear of the host vehicle J, the behavior recognition unit 53 detects the other vehicle T based on the speed or the acceleration at which the other vehicle T approaches. Predictive behavior can be recognized.

  In this case, since the driving support control of the own vehicle J can be performed before the other vehicle T actually blinks the blinker 32 by a lane change or the like, the actual operation of the other vehicle T can be performed in the other vehicle T. There is an advantage that peripheral recognition ability can be improved.

  (1e) According to the first embodiment, when the operation of the host vehicle J is controlled by the host vehicle control unit 55, the operation notification unit 65 can notify the surroundings that the driving support control is to be performed. That is, it is possible to notify the occupant of the own vehicle J, the occupant of the other vehicle T, and the like.

Therefore, unlike in the case of automatic driving traveling at the center of a normal lane, even if the vehicle J moves slightly in the width direction, there is an effect that it is difficult for the occupant to feel uneasy.
(1f) According to the first embodiment, since the driver or the like of the host vehicle J can select to perform or cancel the operation of the host vehicle control unit 55, the degree of freedom in driving is enhanced. For example, when the above-described driving support control is not desired, the input device 35 or the like can be operated to prohibit the implementation of the driving support control, so that there is an advantage that desired automatic driving can be realized. In this case, for example, instead of performing the driving support process, a process of well-known normal automatic driving may be performed.

  (1g) According to the first embodiment, the lane detection unit 61 can detect the lane in which the host vehicle J travels, and the area detection unit 63 can detect the travelable area in the lane. Therefore, when driving support control is performed, a preferable route K can be easily set within the range of the detected travelable area.

[1-5. Relationship between claims and embodiments]
In the first embodiment, the automatic driving unit 51, the surrounding recognition device 9, the communication device 17, the behavior recognition unit 53, the own vehicle control unit 55, the other vehicle detection unit 57, the operation notification unit 65, the lane detection unit 61, the area detection unit Reference numeral 63 corresponds to an example of the automatic driving unit, the surrounding recognition device, the communication device, the behavior recognition unit, the own vehicle control unit, the other vehicle detection unit, the operation notification unit, the lane detection unit, and the area detection unit.

[2. Second embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment will be described, but the description of the same content as that of the first embodiment will be omitted. In addition, in the structure similar to the number of a structure of 1st Embodiment, it demonstrates using the same number.

The second embodiment is the same in hardware configuration as the first embodiment and differs in the driving support processing, so the driving support processing will be described.
[2-1. Driving support processing]
Here, driving support processing in the case where the other vehicle T turns to the right or left at an intersection or the like will be described.

As shown in FIG. 8, in step 200, the surroundings of the host vehicle J are recognized.
In the following step 210, it is determined whether there is another vehicle T in the vicinity. Here, if an affirmative determination is made, the process proceeds to step 220, while if a negative determination is made, the process proceeds to step 260.

In step 260, a route K at the center of the lane is generated, and this process is temporarily ended.
On the other hand, in step 220, the predicted behavior of the other vehicle T is recognized. The process of the steps 200 to 220 and 260 is the same as the process of the steps 100 to 120 and 160 of the first embodiment.

  In the following step 230, it is determined whether the other vehicle T turns at an intersection, that is, whether a right turn or a left turn is to be made. Here, if an affirmative determination is made, the process proceeds to step 240, while if a negative determination is made, the process proceeds to step 260.

As a method of determining the course change of this other vehicle T, the following various methods are mentioned.
-In the case where there is an intersection in a predetermined range in front of the other vehicle T, and the left or right blinker 32 of the other vehicle T is blinking, and there is a turning route on the blinking side of the blinker 32 , It is determined that the other vehicle T changes course. Information on the position of the intersection can be obtained from the navigation device 5.

-When the information to the effect that another vehicle T changes course is obtained by the information from the other vehicle T by which automatic driving | operation and route guidance are carried out, it determines with the other vehicle T changing course.
The case where there is an intersection in a predetermined range in front of the other vehicle T, and when the blink information of the blinker 32 of the other vehicle T is obtained by communication, and there is a turning route on the blinker side of the blinker 32 Determines that the other vehicle T changes course.

  In step 240, since it is estimated that the other vehicle T is to turn at the intersection ahead, the route K of the own vehicle J is extended so as to widen the recognition range of the surrounding recognition device 9 of the other vehicle T and the driver's view range. Generate Then, automatic driving is performed along the path K.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 9, when there is an intersection in front of the own vehicle J and the other vehicle T, and the other vehicle T exists in front of or behind the own vehicle J advancing, the other vehicle T turns right Sometimes, control is performed to move the vehicle J to the left side in the same lane. Although FIG. 9 exemplifies the case where there is another vehicle in front of the host vehicle J, similarly, when there is another vehicle T behind the host vehicle J, control to shift to the left side is similarly performed.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 10, when there is an intersection in front of the own vehicle J and the other vehicle T, and the other vehicle T exists in front of or behind the own vehicle J moving forward, the other vehicle T turns left Sometimes, control is performed to move the vehicle J to the right in the same lane. Although FIG. 10 exemplifies the case where the other vehicle T exists behind the host vehicle J, control is similarly performed to move the vehicle to the right even when the other vehicle T exists in front of the host vehicle J.

At the following step 250, processing for notifying that the processing at step 240 has been performed is performed, and the present processing is temporarily ended.
[2-3. Other specific examples of course change]
Next, another specific example in the case where the other vehicle T changes the course at the intersection will be described.

  Here, on the same lane, in front of the intersection, there is another vehicle T traveling or stopped ahead of the own vehicle J under automatic driving, and the side of the own vehicle J (that is, the roadside The case where another vehicle (for example, bicycle B) exists on the side) is taken as an example.

  As shown in “before control” in FIG. 11, in the other vehicle T ahead of the host vehicle J, the recognition range of the surrounding area recognition device 9 such as the camera 25 on its side, ie, a camera that recognizes the rear from the side The visual field range of the surrounding recognition device 9 such as 25 is narrowed by the own vehicle J. Further, the driver's field of vision viewed by the side mirror is also narrowed by the host vehicle J and narrowed. Therefore, the bicycle B on the side can not be recognized sufficiently from other vehicles T in front.

  Here, when the above-described driving support processing is performed, as shown in “after control” in FIG. 11, the host vehicle J approaches the right side of the figure. Therefore, the recognition range of the surrounding recognition device 9 of the other front vehicle T and the visual field range of the driver are expanded, so that the side bicycle B can be sufficiently recognized.

[2-4. effect]
As described above, in the second embodiment, by performing the above-described driving support process, the recognition range of the surrounding area recognition device 9 and the visual field range of the driver can be expanded when the other vehicle T changes its course at the intersection. Therefore, as in the first embodiment, the effect of improving the safety in driving can be obtained.

[3. Third embodiment]
Next, although a third embodiment will be described, the description of the same contents as those of the first embodiment will be omitted. In addition, in the structure similar to the number of a structure of 1st Embodiment, it demonstrates using the same number.

The third embodiment is similar in hardware configuration to the first embodiment, and the function of the driving support device 13 and the driving support process are different, so different configurations will be described.
Here, driving support processing in the case where interference occurs when the surrounding area recognition device 9 of the host vehicle J and the surrounding area recognition device 9 of the other vehicle T operate will be described.

  The above-mentioned interference means that the radar waves of the radar devices 27 interfere with each other when, for example, the radar device 27 of the own vehicle J and the radar device 27 of the other vehicle T face each other, this interference occurs , Targets around may not be detected accurately. Similar interference may occur with the laser light of the laser device 28. Therefore, an apparatus and method for detecting the occurrence of interference have been developed, as disclosed in, for example, JP-A-2007-225602.

[3-1. Driving support device]
First, the driving support device 13 of the third embodiment will be functionally described.
As shown in FIG. 12, the driving support apparatus 13 has an automatic driving unit 51, a state detecting unit 71, and an influence reducing unit 73 functionally as processing contents to be executed by the processing program, and the influence reducing unit 73 includes a path generation unit 59. In addition, a lane detection unit 61, an area detection unit 63, and an operation notification unit 65 are provided.

Among these, the automatic driving unit 51, the route creating unit 59, the lane detecting unit 61, the area detecting unit 63, and the operation notifying unit 65 are the same as those in the first embodiment.
The state detection unit 71 receives the influence of the operation of the surroundings recognition device 9 for recognizing the situation around the own vehicle J and the surroundings recognition device 9 for recognizing the situation around the other vehicle T on each other. Detect conditions that affect the cognitive ability (and hence the recognition range) of

  Here, that the operations of the surrounding recognition devices 9 affect each other means that the outputs from the surrounding recognition devices 9 affect each other so that, for example, each other's radar waves or laser beams interfere with each other. The state in which the recognition ability of the surrounding recognition device 9 is reduced (therefore, the state in which the recognition range is reduced) is shown.

When the influence reduction unit 73 detects that the recognition range of the surrounding recognition devices 9 is influenced by each other, the influence reduction unit 73 controls the operation of the own vehicle J so as to reduce the influence.
Here, that the influence is reduced means that each surrounding recognition device 9 is in a state where it can operate with its normal ability or approaches that state, for example, the interference disappears or decreases.

[3-2. Driving support processing]
Next, driving support processing performed by the driving support device 13 of the third embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIG. 13, in step 300, the surroundings of the host vehicle J are recognized.
In the following step 310, it is determined whether there is another vehicle T in the surroundings. Here, if an affirmative determination is made, the process proceeds to step 320, while if a negative determination is made, the process proceeds to step 350.

In step 350, a route K at the center of the lane is generated, and the present process is ended.
The process of the steps 300 to 320 and 350 is the same as the process of the steps 100 to 120 and 160 of the first embodiment.

  On the other hand, in step 320, interference of, for example, radar waves is generated between the surroundings recognition device 9 of the own vehicle J (for example, the radar device 27) and the surroundings recognition device 9 of the other vehicle T (for example, the other radar devices 27). It is determined whether or not it has occurred. If an affirmative determination is made here, the process proceeds to step 330, and if a negative determination is made, the process proceeds to step 350.

Here, when interference is detected in the surroundings recognition device 9 of the own vehicle J, it is estimated that interference has similarly occurred in the surroundings recognition device 9 of the other vehicle T.
In step 330, interference occurs and there is a possibility that sufficient recognition can not be performed by the surrounding recognition device 9 of the other vehicle T. Therefore, recognition of the surrounding recognition device 9 of the other vehicle T can be performed by reducing the interference. The operation of the vehicle J is controlled so as to recover the range.

  For example, as shown in “before control” in FIG. 14, when interference occurs, as shown in “after control” in FIG. Control to widen the distance to another vehicle T by acceleration / deceleration (ie acceleration or deceleration) of the host vehicle J, and control to reduce or stop the output of the radar device 27 of the host vehicle J, for example. , At least one kind of control. When the host vehicle J is behind the other vehicle T, the host vehicle J is decelerated to widen the inter-vehicle distance. When the vehicle J is in front of the other vehicle T, the distance between the vehicles is expanded by accelerating the vehicle J.

That is, at least one of the generation of the route K based on the white line, the control for increasing the distance between the vehicles, the reduction of the output of the surrounding recognition device 9, and the like is performed.
In the following step 340, the process of the step 330, that is, the process of notifying that the driving support control for reducing the interference has been performed is performed, and the present process is temporarily ended.

Note that at least one of the above-described driving support processing according to the first and second embodiments may be performed after or before the main driving support processing.
[3-3. effect]
Next, the effects of the third embodiment will be described.

  In the third embodiment, as described above, when interference between the radar waves and the laser light of the surrounding area recognition devices 9 occurs, the influence of the interference is reduced. For example, control to shift the route K on which the vehicle J travels in the width direction of the lane, control to widen the distance between the vehicle J and the other vehicle T, or decrease or stop the output of the surrounding recognition device 9 of the vehicle J Take control.

  As a result, since it is possible to secure a sufficient recognition range by suppressing a decrease in the recognition ability of the surroundings recognition device 9, an effect of improving the safety in driving as in the first embodiment is obtained. Have.

As in the first embodiment, the execution and the cancellation of the driving support control described above may be set to be selectable manually.
[3-4. Relationship between claims and embodiments]
In the third embodiment, the automatic driving unit 51, the surrounding recognition device 9, the state detecting unit 71, the influence reducing unit 73, the operation notifying unit 65, the lane detecting unit 61, and the area detecting unit 63 correspond to the automatic driving unit in the present invention, It corresponds to an example of a surrounding recognition device, a state detection unit, an influence reduction unit, an operation notification unit, a lane detection unit, and an area detection unit.

[4. Other embodiments]
As mentioned above, although each embodiment of this invention was described, this invention is not limited to the said embodiment, As long as it belongs to the technical scope of this invention, a various form can be taken.

(4a) For example, it goes without saying that the present invention can be applied to the right-hand road of a vehicle.
(4b) The present invention is also applicable to the case where the host vehicle and the other vehicle travel in the same traveling direction but in different lanes (for example, adjacent lanes). For example, when another vehicle is approaching in a different lane from the rear of the own vehicle, the own vehicle may expand the recognition range or the visual field range of the other vehicle in the lane currently being traveled. It may be controlled to shift the path traveled by the vehicle in the width direction.

  (4c) Furthermore, the present invention may have all the configurations of the first to third embodiments, or at least one of the first to third embodiments. May be

For example, when one of the lane change and the course change of the other vehicle T is predicted, the drive support control may be performed to widen the recognition range or the visual field range as described above.
(4d) Also, the present invention can be applied at the time of lane departure.

  For example, when there is a branch road within a predetermined range in front of the own vehicle and the other vehicle, when the behavior indicating the lane change or the course change of the other vehicle is predicted, as in the first and second embodiments, the recognition range Alternatively, driving support control may be performed to widen the visual field range. In this case, the host vehicle is slightly moved to the opposite side of the branch road.

(4e) Furthermore, the present invention can also be applied when merging lanes.
For example, when there is a junction in the predetermined range ahead of the own vehicle and the other vehicle, when the behavior indicating the lane change of the other vehicle is predicted, for example, the other vehicle is changed to the opposite lane to the junction When motion is predicted, driving support control as in the first embodiment may be performed. In this case, the host vehicle is slightly moved to the opposite side to the moving side of the other vehicle.

  (4f) Also, the function possessed by one component in the embodiment may be distributed as a plurality of components, or the function possessed by a plurality of components may be integrated into one component. In addition, part of the configuration of the embodiment may be omitted. In addition, at least a part of the configuration of the embodiment may be added to or replaced with the configuration of the other embodiment. In addition, all the aspects contained in the technical thought specified only by the words described in the claim are an embodiment of the present invention.

  (4g) Furthermore, in addition to the driving support device described above, a system having the driving support device as a component, a program for causing a computer to function as the driving support device, non-transitional actual conditions such as semiconductor memory recording this program The present invention can also be realized in various forms, such as a physical recording medium and a method of performing vehicle control.

  Further, part or all of the functions executed by the driving support device may be configured as hardware by one or a plurality of ICs or the like.

  5 navigation device 9 surrounding recognition device 13 driving support device 11 output device 17 communication device 51 automatic driving unit 53 behavior recognition unit 55 own vehicle control unit 57 other vehicle inspection Out part, 59: route generation part, 61: lane detection part, 63: area detection part, 65: operation notification part, 71: state detection part, 63: influence reduction part, J: own vehicle, T: other vehicle

Claims (15)

An automatic driving unit (51) for automatically driving the host vehicle (J);
Based on information from at least one of a surrounding area recognition device (9) mounted on the vehicle and recognizing a situation around the vehicle and a communication device (17) performing communication with the outside, the vehicle surrounding the vehicle A behavior recognition unit (53) that recognizes a predicted behavior indicating the future traveling direction of another vehicle (T);
During automatic driving of the own vehicle, based on the predicted behavior of the other vehicle, at least one of the recognition range of the surrounding area recognition device mounted on the other vehicle and the visual field range of the driver of the other vehicle is expanded. And an own vehicle control unit (55) for controlling the operation of the own vehicle;
Driving support device equipped with. The driving support apparatus according to claim 1,
The behavior recognition unit detects the other vehicle based on information from at least one of a surrounding area recognition device that recognizes the situation around the vehicle and a communication device that communicates with the outside, and the other vehicle detection unit (57) Driving support device equipped with. The driving support apparatus according to claim 1 or 2, wherein
The driving support apparatus, wherein the behavior recognition unit recognizes the predicted behavior of the other vehicle based on display of a blinker of the other vehicle. The driving support apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein
The behavior support unit recognizes the predicted behavior of the other vehicle based on a speed or an acceleration at which the other vehicle approaches when the other vehicle approaches from behind the host vehicle. The driving support apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein
The behavior support unit recognizes the predicted behavior of the other vehicle by communication between the host vehicle and the other vehicle or a base station. The driving support apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein
The subject vehicle control unit generates a route (K) along which the subject vehicle travels so as to expand at least one of the recognition range of the surrounding area recognition device mounted on the other vehicle and the visual field range of the driver of the other vehicle. A driving support device comprising a route generation unit (59). The driving support apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein
The vehicle control unit in the opposite direction to the direction in which the direction or lane change to change the route of another vehicle in the width direction of the lane, performs control of shifting the path in which the vehicle is traveling, the driving support device. The driving support apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein
The driving support apparatus further includes an operation notification unit (65) for notifying the surrounding area that the control is to be performed when the operation of the vehicle is controlled by the vehicle control unit. A driving assistance apparatus according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein
The driving support apparatus in which execution and cancellation of the operation of the vehicle control unit are set to be selectable. An automatic driving unit for automatically driving the vehicle;
A state in which the operation of the surrounding area recognition device that recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle and the surrounding area recognition device that recognizes the surrounding environment of the other vehicle affect each other's recognition ability of the surrounding environment recognition device A state detection unit (71) to detect;
An influence reduction unit (73) for controlling the operation of the vehicle so as to reduce the influence when it is detected that the state is affecting the recognition ability of each of the surrounding recognition devices;
Driving support device equipped with. The driving support apparatus according to claim 10, wherein
The state detection unit detects that the radar waves or the laser beams output from the surrounding recognition devices interfere with each other, and the influence reduction unit is configured to reduce or eliminate the interference. A driving support device that controls the operation. The driving support apparatus according to claim 10 or 11, wherein
The influence reducing unit shifts the traveling path of the vehicle in the width direction of the lane, controls the acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle to increase the distance from the other vehicle, and reduces the output of the vehicle surroundings recognition device. A driving support device that performs at least one kind of control among control. A driving assistance apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein
The driving support apparatus further includes an operation notification unit that notifies the surrounding that the control is to be performed when the operation of the host vehicle is controlled by the influence reduction unit. The driving support apparatus according to any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein
The driving assistance apparatus in which execution and cancellation of operation of the above-mentioned influence reduction part are set up selectable. It is a driving assistance device according to any one of claims 1 to 14,
The driving support apparatus further includes a lane detection unit (61) that detects a lane in which the host vehicle travels, and an area detection unit (63) that detects a travelable area in the lane.

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