WO2024069689A1

WO2024069689A1 - Driving assistance method and driving assistance device

Info

Publication number: WO2024069689A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/035669
Authority: WO
Inventors: 幸熙小泉; 周平江本; 明森本; 綾汰池渕; 浩輔神田; 恵吾菊池
Original assignee: 日産自動車株式会社
Priority date: 2022-09-26
Filing date: 2022-09-26
Publication date: 2024-04-04

Abstract

Provided are a driving assistance method and a driving assistance device (19) that perform risk handling control in which, when a portion of detection ranges of a plurality of imaging devices (11) that are mounted on a host vehicle (V1) overlap in a lane adjacent to a host vehicle lane in which the host vehicle (V1) travels, it is determined whether or not another vehicle (V2) will enter the overlapping portion of the detection ranges within a prescribed time, and when it has been determined that said other vehicle (V2) will enter the overlapping portion within the prescribed time, the host vehicle (V1) is controlled to handle the risk that the state of travel of said other vehicle (V2) will be incorrectly recognized from the detection results of the plurality of imaging devices (11).

Description

Driving assistance method and driving assistance device

The present invention relates to a driving assistance method and a driving assistance device.

A surround view system for vehicles is known that generates a three-dimensional model of the vehicle's surroundings based on data on the vehicle's surroundings, and maps visual data onto each part of the three-dimensional model, thereby reducing distortion in the generated virtual surround view (Patent Document 1).

JP 2019-200781 A

The process of mapping the above-mentioned visual data onto a three-dimensional model places a large load on the processing device. As a result, the above-mentioned conventional technology is unable to adequately reduce distortion in the virtual surround view in driving scenes where the conditions around the vehicle are constantly changing, and is unable to accurately recognize the driving conditions of other vehicles around the vehicle. As a result, unnecessary evasive action is taken based on the misrecognized driving conditions of other vehicles, disrupting the behavior of the vehicle.

The problem that this invention aims to solve is to provide a driving assistance method and driving assistance device that can reduce the impact of erroneous recognition of the driving conditions of other vehicles on the driving conditions of the vehicle itself.

The present invention solves the above problem by executing risk management control to control the vehicle so as to address the risk of misrecognizing the driving state of the other vehicle from the detection results of the multiple imaging devices when the detection ranges of multiple imaging devices mounted on the vehicle overlap in a lane adjacent to the vehicle's own lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and it is determined that the other vehicle will enter the overlapping portion within a predetermined time.

The present invention can reduce the impact of erroneous recognition of the driving conditions of other vehicles on the driving conditions of the vehicle itself.

1 is a block diagram showing an example of a driving assistance system including a driving assistance device according to the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of the imaging device of FIG. 1 . 3 is a plan view showing an example of a detection result of another vehicle by the imaging device shown in FIG. 2 . FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. 1 (part 1). 2 is a plan view showing an example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. 1 (part 2). FIG. 3 is a plan view showing an example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. 1 (part 3). FIG. 10 is a plan view showing another example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. 1 (part 1). FIG. 2 is a plan view showing another example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. 1 (part 2). FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a plan view showing another example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. 1 (part 3). 10 is a plan view showing still another example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. 1 (part 1). FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a plan view (part 2) showing still another example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a plan view (part 3) showing still another example of a driving scene in which driving assistance is performed by the driving assistance system shown in FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure in the driving assistance system of FIG. 1 (part 1). 2 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure in the driving assistance system of FIG. 1 (part 2). 10 is a flowchart showing an example of a processing procedure in the driving assistance system of FIG. 1 (part 3).

Below, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the following description is based on the assumption that vehicles drive on the left side of the road in countries that have laws stipulating left-hand traffic. In countries that have laws stipulating right-hand traffic, vehicles drive on the right side of the road, so the following description should be interpreted as symmetrical between right and left.

[Configuration of driving assistance system]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a driving assistance system 10 according to the present invention. The driving assistance system 10 is an in-vehicle system that drives a vehicle to a destination set by a vehicle occupant (including a driver) by autonomous driving control. The autonomous driving control means that the driving operation of the vehicle is autonomously controlled using a driving assistance device described later, and the driving operation includes all driving operations such as acceleration, deceleration, starting, stopping, steering to the right or left, lane changing, and pulling over. In addition, autonomously controlling the driving operation means that the driving assistance device controls the driving operation using a device of the vehicle. The driving assistance device controls these driving operations within a predetermined range, and the driving operations that are not controlled by the driving assistance device are manually operated by the driver.

As shown in FIG. 1, the driving assistance system 10 comprises an imaging device 11, a distance measuring device 12, a vehicle state detection device 13, map information 14, a vehicle position detection device 15, a navigation device 16, a vehicle control device 17, a display device 18, and a driving assistance device 19. The devices that make up the driving assistance system 10 are connected by a CAN (Controller Area Network) or other in-vehicle LAN, and can send and receive information between each other.

The imaging device 11 is a device that recognizes objects around the vehicle using images, and is, for example, a camera equipped with an imaging element such as a CCD, an ultrasonic camera, an infrared camera, or the like. A single vehicle can be provided with multiple imaging devices 11, and they can be placed, for example, in the vehicle's front grille, under the left and right door mirrors, and near the rear bumper. This makes it possible to reduce blind spots when recognizing objects around the vehicle.

The ranging device 12 is a device for calculating the relative distance and relative speed between the vehicle and an object, and is, for example, a radar device or sonar such as a laser radar, millimeter wave radar (LRF, etc.), a LiDAR (light detection and ranging) unit, or an ultrasonic radar. A single vehicle can be provided with multiple ranging devices 12, and can be positioned, for example, at the front, right side, left side, and rear of the vehicle. This makes it possible to accurately calculate the relative distance and relative speed between the vehicle and objects around it.

Objects detected by the imaging device 11 and distance measuring device 12 include road lane boundaries, center lines, road markings, medians, guardrails, curbs, highway sidewalls, road signs, traffic lights, crosswalks, construction sites, accident sites, traffic restrictions, etc. Objects also include obstacles that may affect the travel of the vehicle, such as automobiles (other vehicles) other than the vehicle itself, motorcycles, bicycles, pedestrians, etc. The detection results of the imaging device 11 and distance measuring device 12 are obtained at predetermined time intervals by the driving assistance device 19 as necessary. The predetermined time intervals can be set to an appropriate value depending on the processing capacity of the driving assistance device 19.

In addition, the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12 can be integrated or synthesized (so-called sensor fusion) by the driving assistance device 19, which makes it possible to supplement missing information about the detected object. For example, the driving assistance device 19 can calculate the position information of the object based on the self-position information, which is the position where the vehicle is traveling, acquired by the vehicle position detection device 15, and the relative position (distance and direction) between the vehicle and the object. The calculated position information of the object is integrated by the driving assistance device 19 with multiple pieces of information, such as the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12 and the map information 14, to become information about the driving environment around the vehicle. In addition, the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12 and the map information 14 can be used to recognize objects around the vehicle and predict their movements.

The vehicle state detection device 13 is a device for detecting the vehicle's running state, and examples of such devices include a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a yaw rate sensor (e.g., a gyro sensor), a steering angle sensor, and an inertial measurement unit. There are no particular limitations on these devices, and any known device can be used. Furthermore, the placement and number of these devices can be set appropriately within a range in which the vehicle's running state can be appropriately detected. The detection results of each device are obtained by the driving assistance device 19 at specified time intervals as necessary.

Map information 14 is information used for generating driving routes, controlling driving operations, etc., and includes road information, facility information, and their attribute information. Road information and road attribute information include information such as road width, road curvature radius, road shoulder structures, road traffic regulations (speed limit, whether lane changes are permitted), road junctions and branching points, and locations where the number of lanes increases or decreases. Map information 14 is high-definition map information that allows the movement trajectory of each lane to be grasped, and includes two-dimensional position information and/or three-dimensional position information at each map coordinate, road/lane boundary information at each map coordinate, road attribute information, lane uphill/downhill information, lane identification information, connecting lane information, etc. Note that high-precision maps are also called HD (High-Definition) maps.

The road/lane boundary information in the high-resolution map information is information that indicates the boundary between the lane on which the vehicle travels and other lane. The lane on which the vehicle travels is the road on which the vehicle travels, and the form of the lane is not particularly limited. The boundary exists on both the left and right sides of the vehicle's direction of travel, and the form is not particularly limited. The boundary is, for example, a road marking or a road structure. Examples of road markings include lane boundaries and center lines, and examples of road structures include medians, guard rails, curbs, tunnels, and side walls of expressways. Note that at points where the lane boundary cannot be clearly identified, such as within intersections, a boundary is set for the lane in advance. This boundary is imaginary, and is not an actual road marking or road structure.

Map information 14 is stored in a readable state on a recording medium provided in the driving assistance device 19, an in-vehicle device, or a server on a network. The driving assistance device 19 acquires map information 14 as necessary.

The vehicle position detection device 15 is a positioning system for detecting the current position of the vehicle, and is not particularly limited, and any known system can be used. The vehicle position detection device 15 calculates the current position of the vehicle from radio waves received from a satellite for the Global Positioning System (GPS), for example. The vehicle position detection device 15 may also estimate the current position of the vehicle from vehicle speed information and acceleration information acquired from the vehicle state detection device 13, which includes a vehicle speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, and a gyro sensor, and calculate the current position of the vehicle by comparing the estimated current position with the map information 14.

The navigation device 16 is a device that refers to the map information 14 and calculates a driving route from the current position of the vehicle detected by the vehicle position detection device 15 to a destination set by the occupants (including the driver). The navigation device 16 uses road information and facility information in the map information 14 to search for a driving route for the vehicle to reach the destination from the current position. The driving route includes at least information on the road the vehicle is traveling on, the driving lane, and the vehicle's driving direction, and is displayed, for example, linearly. There may be multiple driving routes depending on the search conditions. The driving route calculated by the navigation device 16 is output to the driving assistance device 19.

The vehicle control device 17 is an on-board computer such as an electronic control unit (ECU), and electronically controls on-board equipment that governs the driving of the vehicle. The vehicle control device 17 is equipped with a vehicle speed control device 171 that controls the driving speed of the vehicle, and a steering control device 172 that controls the steering operation of the vehicle. The vehicle speed control device 171 and the steering control device 172 autonomously control the operation of these drive devices and steering devices in response to control signals input from the driving assistance device 19. This allows the vehicle to drive autonomously according to a set driving route. Information necessary for autonomous control by the vehicle speed control device 171 and the steering control device 172, such as the vehicle's driving speed, acceleration, steering angle, and attitude, is obtained from the vehicle state detection device 13.

The drive devices controlled by the vehicle speed control device 171 include an electric motor and/or an internal combustion engine, which are drive sources for driving, a power transmission device including a drive shaft and an automatic transmission that transmits the output from these drive sources for driving to the drive wheels, and a drive device that controls the power transmission device. The braking device controlled by the vehicle speed control device 171 is, for example, a braking device that brakes the wheels. A control signal corresponding to the set driving speed is input to the vehicle speed control device 171 from the driving assistance device 19. The vehicle speed control device 171 generates signals to control these drive devices based on the control signals input from the driving assistance device 19, and transmits the signals to the drive devices, thereby autonomously controlling the vehicle's driving speed.

On the other hand, the steering device controlled by the steering control device 172 is a steering device that controls the steered wheels according to the rotation angle of the steering wheel, and an example of this is a steering actuator such as a motor attached to the steering column shaft. Based on a control signal input from the driving assistance device 19, the steering control device 172 autonomously controls the operation of the steering device so that the vehicle travels while maintaining a predetermined lateral position (left-right position of the vehicle) with respect to the set travel route. For this control, at least one of the detection results of the imaging device 11 and the distance measuring device 12, the vehicle's travel state obtained by the vehicle state detection device 13, the map information 14, and the information on the current position of the vehicle obtained by the vehicle position detection device 15 is used.

The display device 18 is a device for providing necessary information to vehicle occupants, and is, for example, a liquid crystal display provided on the instrument panel, a projector such as a head-up display (HUD), etc. The display device 18 may also be equipped with an input device for the vehicle occupants to input instructions to the driving assistance device 19. Examples of input devices include a touch panel that receives input by the user's finger or a stylus pen, a microphone that receives instructions by the user's voice, and a switch attached to the steering wheel of the vehicle. The display device 18 may also be equipped with a speaker as an output device.

The driving assistance device 19 is a device that controls the driving of the vehicle by controlling and coordinating the devices that make up the driving assistance system 10, and drives the vehicle to a set destination. The destination is set, for example, by the vehicle occupant. The driving assistance device 19 is, for example, a computer, and includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 191, which is a processor, a ROM (Read Only Memory) 192 in which programs are stored, and a RAM (Random Access Memory) 193 that functions as an accessible storage device. The CPU 191 is an operating circuit that executes the programs stored in the ROM 192 and realizes the functions of the driving assistance device 19.

The driving assistance device 19 has a driving assistance function of driving the vehicle to a set destination by autonomous driving control. The driving assistance device 19 has, as driving assistance functions, a route generation function of generating a driving route, an environment recognition function of recognizing the driving environment around the vehicle, a determination function of making a determination necessary for executing autonomous driving control based on the recognized driving environment, and a driving control function of generating a driving trajectory and driving the vehicle along the driving trajectory. The programs stored in ROM 192 include programs for realizing these functions, and these functions are realized by CPU 191 executing the programs stored in ROM 192. Figure 1 shows functional blocks that realize each function extracted for convenience.

[Functions of each functional block]
The functions of each of the functional blocks, ie, the support unit 20, the recognition unit 21, the determination unit 22, and the control unit 23 shown in FIG. 1, will be described below.

The support unit 20 has a driving support function that drives the vehicle to a set destination by autonomous driving control. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing an example of a driving scene in which the driving support device 19 autonomously controls the driving of the vehicle by the driving support function. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 2, a three-lane road extends in the vertical direction of the drawing, and the vehicle drives on the road from the bottom to the top of the drawing. As shown in FIG. 2, the lanes are designated as lanes L1, L2, and L3 in order from the left lane in the driving direction. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 2, the host vehicle V1 is driving on lane L2, and is heading toward a destination (not shown) ahead that has been set by the occupant of the host vehicle V1.

The recognition unit 21 has an environmental recognition function that recognizes the driving environment around the vehicle. The driving assistance device 19 recognizes the driving environment around the vehicle using the imaging device 11 and distance measuring device 12 through the environmental recognition function of the recognition unit 21. The driving environment is information for determining whether the vehicle can maintain its current driving state or needs to change its driving state, and includes information such as the type and position of an object, the type and position of an obstacle if one exists, road conditions such as road surface conditions, and weather. The driving assistance device 19 recognizes the driving environment by performing appropriate processing such as pattern matching and sensor fusion on the detection results of the imaging device 11 and distance measuring device 12.

The recognition unit 21 of this embodiment has the function of detecting obstacles using multiple imaging devices 11 mounted on the host vehicle V1. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, the host vehicle V1 is equipped with a front camera that detects obstacles present in a detection range A1 in front of the host vehicle V1, and a rear camera that detects obstacles present in a detection range A2 behind the host vehicle V1. In addition, the host vehicle V1 is equipped with a front wide-angle camera that detects obstacles present in a detection range B1 in front of the host vehicle V1, a rear wide-angle camera that detects obstacles present in a detection range B2 behind the host vehicle V1, a left side wide-angle camera that detects obstacles present in a detection range B3 to the left of the host vehicle V1, and a right side wide-angle camera that detects obstacles present in a detection range B4 to the right of the host vehicle V1.

Wide-angle cameras are equipped with wide-angle lenses, so they have a wider angle of view and a shorter focal length than normal cameras. Therefore, the detection range B1 of the front wide-angle camera is shorter in distance along the lane L2 than the detection range A1 of the front camera, and has a wider angle of view in the width direction of lane L2. Similarly, the detection range B2 of the rear wide-angle camera is shorter in distance along the lane L2 than the detection range A2 of the rear camera, and has a wider angle of view in the width direction of lane L2.

The driving assistance device 19 uses the function of the recognition unit 21 to integrate and process the detection results of the front wide-angle camera, rear wide-angle camera, left side wide-angle camera, and right side wide-angle camera using sensor fusion to thoroughly detect obstacles present around the host vehicle V1. These wide-angle cameras are arranged so that adjacent cameras' detection ranges overlap in part (for example, a range of about 10 to 15% of the field of view from the horizontal end of the detection range) so that there are no blind spots around the host vehicle V1 where obstacles cannot be detected. In this embodiment, the detection ranges of the multiple imaging devices 11 mounted on the host vehicle V1 are arranged so that they overlap in parts of the lane adjacent to the host vehicle V1's lane. Hereinafter, the overlapping parts of the detection ranges of the imaging devices 11 are referred to as overlapping parts.

For example, in the driving scene shown in FIG. 2, the forward detection range B1 and the left side detection range B3 overlap in the range indicated by overlapping portion C1, and the rear detection range B2 and the left side detection range B3 overlap in the range indicated by overlapping portion C2. Both overlapping portions C1 and C2 are located in the lane L1 adjacent to the lane L2 in which the host vehicle V1 is traveling. Furthermore, the forward detection range B1 and the right side detection range B4 overlap in the range indicated by overlapping portion C3, and the rear detection range B2 and the right side detection range B4 overlap in the range indicated by overlapping portion C4. Both overlapping portions C3 and C4 are located in the lane L3 adjacent to the lane L2 in which the host vehicle V1 is traveling.

It is known that in the overlapping areas C1, C2, C3, and C4 described above, the state of the obstacle cannot often be accurately detected. This is because the overlapping areas are located at the edge of the angle of view of the wide-angle lens, and the lens characteristics cause the shape of the obstacle photographed to be distorted in the overlapping areas. Also, if an obstacle is present in front of and behind the overlapping area in the adjacent lanes, none of the cameras can photograph the obstacle in its entirety, and the obstacle is recognized by combining the detection results from multiple cameras mounted on the vehicle V1. This is because there are cases in which the state of the obstacle cannot be accurately estimated when combining the detection results.

The driving scene shown in Figure 3 is a driving scene in which the other vehicle V2 is driving on lane L1 in the driving scene shown in Figure 2. The other vehicle V2 is a truck, and is a large vehicle different from the host vehicle V1, which is a passenger car. In other words, the overall length of the other vehicle V2 is longer than the overall length of the host vehicle V1. In the driving scene shown in Figure 3, the other vehicle V2 is driving at a position on the overlapping portion C1 of the lane L1, and the body of the other vehicle V2 is located in front of and behind the overlapping portion C1.

For example, in the driving scene shown in FIG. 3, when the driving state of the other vehicle V2 is recognized by integrating the image data acquired from the forward camera and the distance data to the obstacle acquired from the distance measuring device, the driving support device 19 recognizes that the other vehicle V2 is driving in the state of V2 shown in FIG. 3. That is, the driving support device 19 correctly recognizes that the other vehicle V2 is moving straight in the lane L1. In this case, the driving support device 19 uses the driving control function to move straight in the lane L1 by lane keeping control, and does not perform a driving operation to avoid the other vehicle V2. Also, for example, when the other vehicle V2 changes lanes toward a position in front of the host vehicle V1, as shown by V2x in FIG. 3, a driving operation to avoid the other vehicle V2 is performed based on the recognized driving state of the other vehicle V2. For example, the vehicle speed control device 171 is used to decelerate the host vehicle V1, and instead of or in addition to this, the steering control device 172 is used to change lanes of the host vehicle V1 from lane L2 to lane L3.

In this way, when the driving state of the other vehicle V2 is recognized using a single imaging device 11 and a detection device such as a distance measuring device 12, there is no erroneous recognition due to overlapping detection ranges of the multiple imaging devices 11 mounted on the vehicle V1. In contrast, in the driving scene shown in FIG. 3, when the recognition unit 21 functions to integrate image data acquired from the front wide-angle camera and the left wide-angle camera to recognize the driving state of the other vehicle V2, the driving support device 19 recognizes that the other vehicle V2 is driving in a state such as V2x shown in FIG. 3. In other words, when the driving state of the other vehicle V2 is recognized by integrating image data from the multiple imaging devices 11 mounted on the vehicle V1, the other vehicle V2, which is actually traveling straight, is mistakenly recognized as turning right and changing lanes from lane L1 to lane L2. In this case, the driving support device 19 uses the driving control function to perform driving operations to avoid the other vehicle V2 based on the erroneously recognized driving state of the other vehicle V2. This avoidance action is actually an unnecessary driving action to avoid the other vehicle V2 that is traveling straight ahead, and this driving action disrupts the behavior of the host vehicle V1 and causes discomfort to the occupants of the host vehicle V1.

The driving assistance device 19 of this embodiment therefore executes autonomous driving control to address the risk of erroneously recognizing the driving state of the other vehicle V2, in order to reduce the impact that an erroneously recognized driving state of the other vehicle V2 has on the driving state of the host vehicle V1. This autonomous driving control is mainly controlled by the functions of the determination unit 22 and the control unit 23. The functions of the determination unit 22 and the control unit 23 will be explained below using Figures 4A to 4C. In the following explanation, the overlapping portion of the detection ranges of the multiple imaging devices 11 mounted on the host vehicle V1 will also be simply referred to as the "overlapping portion".

The determination unit 22 has a determination function of determining whether the other vehicle V2 will enter an overlapping portion of the detection ranges of the multiple imaging devices 11. The driving assistance device 19 uses the function of the determination unit 22 to determine whether the other vehicle V2 will enter an overlapping portion of the detection ranges of the multiple imaging devices 11 based on driving environment information around the vehicle V1 acquired by the function of the recognition unit 21. This makes it possible to start control to reduce the risk of erroneous detection before the other vehicle V2, which may exceed the overlapping range, enters the overlapping portion where erroneous detection is likely to occur.

When the driving assistance device 19 determines whether the other vehicle V2 is entering an overlapping area of the detection ranges of the multiple imaging devices 11, it recognizes the driving states of the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2, for example, from driving environment information acquired by the function of the recognition unit 21. The driving state of the vehicle refers to the state of the vehicle's traveling direction and driving speed, and includes states such as a state in which the vehicle is traveling straight, a state in which the vehicle is steering to the right or left, a state in which the vehicle is accelerating or decelerating, and a state in which the vehicle is traveling at a constant speed. The driving state of the vehicle also includes the state of the driving operation performed by the vehicle. Examples include a state in which the vehicle's turn indicators are flashing, a state in which the vehicle's headlights are turned on, etc.

With regard to the driving state of the host vehicle V1, the driving assistance device 19, using the function of the determination unit 22, acquires information such as the driving speed, acceleration, yaw rate, steering angle, and steering wheel rotation angle of the host vehicle V1 from various sensors of the host vehicle state detection device 13, and recognizes the current driving state of the host vehicle V1. Alternatively or in addition to this, the driving assistance device 19 may acquire road information from the map information 14, acquire the current position of the host vehicle V1 from the host vehicle position detection device 15, acquire the driving route from the navigation device 16, and recognize the traveling direction and/or driving speed of the host vehicle V1 from the shape of the road and/or the driving route at the current position of the host vehicle V1.

In response to this, when predicting the driving state of the other vehicle V2, the driving assistance device 19 uses the functions of the determination unit 22 to, for example, acquire image data from the imaging device 11, extract and identify obstacles by pattern matching, and recognize the type, position, and state of the obstacle. It also acquires information obtained by scanning the area around the vehicle V1 from the distance measuring device 12, and recognizes the position and direction of the obstacle from this information. If it recognizes that the obstacle is another vehicle V2 from the image data acquired from the imaging device 11, it recognizes the degree to which the vehicle body is tilted (i.e., the degree to which it is being steered) from its shape. It also acquires the position and relative speed of the other vehicle V2 with respect to the vehicle V1 from the scan results of the distance measuring device 12. Then, it recognizes the driving position, direction of travel, and driving speed of the other vehicle V2 based on these detection results.

The driving support device 19 determines whether the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion based on the recognized driving states of the subject vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2. The driving support device 19 determines whether the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion based on the positional relationship between the subject vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2, the speed difference between the subject vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2, and the traveling direction of the subject vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2.

For example, when the other vehicle V2 is traveling behind the host vehicle V1, if the traveling speed of the other vehicle V2 is faster than the traveling speed of the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 is heading toward the overlapping portion, it is determined that the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion. On the other hand, when the other vehicle V2 is traveling behind the host vehicle V1 and the traveling speed of the other vehicle V2 is equal to or lower than the traveling speed of the host vehicle V1, it is determined that the other vehicle V2 will not enter the overlapping portion. Also, when the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1, if the traveling speed of the other vehicle V2 is equal to or higher than the traveling speed of the host vehicle V1, it is determined that the other vehicle V2 will not enter the overlapping portion. On the other hand, when the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1, if the traveling speed of the other vehicle V2 is slower than the traveling speed of the host vehicle V1 and the host vehicle V1 (especially the overlapping portion) is heading toward the other vehicle V2, it is determined that the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion.

The method by which the driving assistance device 19 determines whether the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion is not limited to the above, and other methods may be used. For example, the driving assistance device 19 may predict the driving state of the host vehicle V1 and the driving state of the other vehicle V2 after a predetermined time, and determine whether the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion within a predetermined time based on the predicted driving states of the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2.

The specified time can be set to an appropriate value within a range in which autonomous driving control that addresses the risk of misrecognizing the driving conditions can be initiated before the other vehicle V2 actually enters the overlapping portion, for example 10 to 20 seconds. If the specified time is shorter than this, the start of autonomous driving control that addresses the risk of misrecognizing the driving conditions will be delayed, resulting in greater changes in the behavior of the host vehicle V1. Conversely, if the specified time is longer than this, it will be impossible to accurately predict the driving conditions, and there is a risk that autonomous driving control that addresses the risk of misrecognizing the driving conditions will be executed in driving scenes where such control is not necessary.

When predicting the running state of the host vehicle V1 after a predetermined time, the driving assistance device 19 recognizes the current running state of the host vehicle V1 based on information obtained from the host vehicle state detection device 13. In addition, the driving assistance device 19 obtains control signals output to the drive device and/or steering device from the vehicle control device 17, and recognizes how to control (change) the traveling direction and/or running speed of the host vehicle V1. Then, based on these, it predicts how the running state of the host vehicle V1 will change after a predetermined time. Alternatively, the driving assistance device 19 may obtain road information from the map information 14, obtain the current position of the host vehicle V1 from the host vehicle position detection device 15, obtain the running route from the navigation device 16, and predict the traveling direction and/or running speed of the host vehicle V1 after a predetermined time from the shape of the road ahead of the current position of the host vehicle V1 and/or the running route.

In contrast, when predicting the driving state of the other vehicle V2 after a predetermined time, the driving assistance device 19 obtains information obtained by scanning the surroundings of the vehicle V1 from the distance measuring device 12, and recognizes the position and direction of the obstacle from that information. The driving assistance device 19 repeats the process of recognizing the position and direction of the obstacle from the scan results of the distance measuring device 12 multiple times (e.g., three or more times) at time intervals shorter than the predetermined time, recognizes the tendency of changes in the obstacle position, and predicts the state of the obstacle after the predetermined time (i.e. the driving state of the other vehicle V2) from that tendency.

Then, the driving assistance device 19 determines whether the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion within a predetermined time based on the predicted driving state of the subject vehicle V1 and the driving state of the other vehicle V2. Specifically, it determines whether the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion based on the positional relationship between the subject vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 after the predetermined time. This makes it possible to determine whether the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion even if the driving states of both the subject vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 change.

The prediction of the driving state will be specifically explained using FIG. 4A. The driving scene shown in FIG. 4A is a driving scene in which another vehicle V2 is present in lane L3 in the driving scene shown in FIG. 2. The other vehicle V2 is traveling at position P1 behind the host vehicle V1, and the driving assistance device 19 of the host vehicle V1 recognizes the other vehicle V2 present in the detection range A2 of the rear camera through the function of the recognition unit 21. In addition, the host vehicle V1 is traveling at a constant speed due to lane keeping control, the other vehicle V2 is traveling straight at a faster driving speed than the host vehicle V1, and the other vehicle V2 will overtake the host vehicle V1 within a predetermined time.

In this case, the driving assistance device 19 acquires vehicle speed information of the host vehicle V1 from the vehicle speed sensor (host vehicle state detection device 13) and calculates the traveling position of the host vehicle V1 when constant speed traveling by lane keeping control continues for a predetermined time (10 to 20 seconds). The driving assistance device 19 also acquires image data from the imaging device 11 and recognizes by pattern matching that the obstacle is a truck (other vehicle V2) and that it is traveling in lane L3. In addition, from the detection result of the rear camera (imaging device 11), it recognizes that the other vehicle V2 is traveling straight without turning. Furthermore, from the scan result of the distance measurement device 12, the relative speed of the other vehicle V2 with respect to the host vehicle V1 is acquired. The driving assistance device 19 calculates the traveling speed of the other vehicle V2 from the relative speed of the other vehicle V2 with respect to the host vehicle V1 and predicts where the other vehicle V2 traveling straight will be traveling after a predetermined time. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 4A, the other vehicle V2 will overtake the host vehicle V1 within a predetermined time, and the driving assistance device 19 determines that the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portions C3 and C4 within the predetermined time based on the relationship between the calculated driving position of the host vehicle V1 and the predicted driving position of the other vehicle V2.

Note that predicting the driving state of the subject vehicle V1 and the driving state of the other vehicle V2 after a predetermined time, and determining whether the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion within the predetermined time based on the predicted driving states of the subject vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2, are not essential components of the present invention, and may be provided as necessary.

When the control unit 23 determines, by the function of the determination unit 22, that the other vehicle V2 is entering the overlapping portion, the control unit 23 has a function of executing autonomous driving control that addresses the risk of misrecognizing the driving state of the other vehicle V2 from the detection results of the multiple imaging devices 11 mounted on the host vehicle V1. Autonomous driving control that addresses the risk of misrecognizing the driving state is, for example, autonomous driving control for suppressing the possibility of misrecognizing the driving state of the other vehicle V2 traveling in the overlapping portion, as shown in FIG. 3, or for suppressing the effect of misrecognizing the driving state on the host vehicle V1. Hereinafter, autonomous driving control that controls the host vehicle V1 to address the risk of misrecognizing the driving state of the other vehicle V2 from the detection results of the imaging devices 11 mounted on the host vehicle V1 will also be referred to as risk handling control.

As a risk response control, the driving assistance device 19 autonomously controls the driving of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle V2 does not enter the overlapping portion. Alternatively or in addition, as a risk response control, the driving assistance device 19 may autonomously control the driving of the host vehicle V1 so that the driving state of the other vehicle V2, which is erroneously recognized from the detection result of the imaging device 11, does not affect the driving state of the host vehicle V1.

Autonomously controlling the travel of the vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle V2 does not enter the overlapping portion includes setting the travel speed of the vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle V2 is not included in the detection range of the imaging device 11 (particularly the overlapping portion of the detection range), setting the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 so that the other vehicle V2 is not included in the detection range of the imaging device 11 (particularly the overlapping portion of the detection range), and changing the lane of the vehicle V1 to an adjacent lane. Furthermore, autonomously controlling the travel of the vehicle V1 so that the erroneously recognized travel state of the other vehicle V2 does not affect the travel state of the vehicle V1 includes autonomously controlling the travel of the vehicle V1 without using the detection result of the imaging device 11, and autonomously controlling the travel of the vehicle V1 by setting the weighting of the detection result of the imaging device 11 to a small value.

The driving support device 19 executes risk response control according to the driving scene, and may execute an appropriate combination of the above-mentioned multiple risk response controls. Specifically, the driving support device 19 executes appropriate risk response control based on the positional relationship between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2, the speed difference between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2, the traveling direction of the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2, the driving behavior of the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2, etc.

As an example, the driving assistance device 19 judges whether the other vehicle V2 is traveling behind the vehicle V1. If it is judged that the other vehicle V2 is traveling behind the vehicle V1, the driving assistance device 19 autonomously controls the driving of the vehicle V1 without using the detection result of the imaging device 11 or by reducing the weighting of the detection result. On the other hand, if it is judged that the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the vehicle V1 or the vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 are traveling side by side, it judges whether the vehicle V1 will overtake or pass the other vehicle V2. If it is judged that the vehicle V1 will not overtake or pass, it autonomously controls the driving of the vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle V2 is not included in the overlapping portion. On the other hand, if it is judged that the vehicle V1 will overtake or pass, it sets a driving speed faster than a predetermined driving speed set in advance, and performs the overtaking or pass without using the detection result of the imaging device 11 or by reducing the weighting of the detection result.

In this embodiment, a driving scene in which the host vehicle V1 overtakes another vehicle V2 refers to, for example, a driving scene in which the other vehicle V2 is a preceding vehicle of the host vehicle V1 traveling in the same lane as the host vehicle V1, and the traveling speed of the other vehicle V2 is slow, and the autonomous driving control of the host vehicle V1 cannot be continued, so the host vehicle V1 changes lanes to an adjacent lane to overtake the other vehicle V2. Also, in the above example, when it is determined that the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 are traveling side by side, the traveling of the host vehicle V1 may be autonomously controlled without using the detection result of the imaging device 11 or by reducing the weighting of the detection result.

In the driving scene shown in FIG. 4A, the driving assistance device 19 determines that the other vehicle V2 has entered the overlapping portions C3 and C4 within a predetermined time and that the overall length D1 of the other vehicle V2 is longer than the length D2 of the overlapping portion C4 along the lane L3, and therefore executes risk response control using the function of the control unit 23. First, the driving assistance device 19 determines whether the other vehicle V2 is traveling behind the host vehicle V1. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 4A, based on the positional relationship shown in the figure, the driving assistance device 19 determines that the other vehicle V2 is traveling behind the host vehicle V1.

In this case, the driving assistance device 19 autonomously controls the running of the host vehicle V1 without using the detection results of the imaging device 11, or autonomously controls the running of the host vehicle V1 by setting a small weighting for the detection results of the imaging device 11. In the running scene shown in FIG. 4A, the running of the host vehicle V1 is autonomously controlled without using the detection results of the imaging device 11. As shown in FIG. 4B, while the other vehicle V2 runs from position P1 to position P2 along the running trajectory T1, the driving assistance device 19 performs lane keeping control for the host vehicle V1 without using the detection results of the imaging device 11. Specifically, lane keeping control is performed using the detection results of the distance measuring device 12, which includes a radar device, sonar, etc., instead of the imaging device 11. However, the detection results of a normal camera other than a wide-angle camera may be used among the imaging devices 11. This is because there is no risk of misrecognition due to overlapping parts.

Then, as shown in Figure 4C, after the other vehicle V2 has traveled to position P2, the driving assistance device 19 autonomously controls the driving of the host vehicle V1 as usual using the detection results of the imaging device 11, including the wide-angle camera. Position P2 shown in Figure 4C is a position where the other vehicle V2 has passed through overlapping parts C3 and C4 and is included in the detection range A1 of the front camera, so there is no risk that the driving assistance device 19 will erroneously recognize the driving state of the other vehicle V2.

Furthermore, when autonomously controlling the traveling of the vehicle V1 by setting the weighting of the detection results of the imaging device 11 low, the weighting of the detection results of the imaging device 11 is set relatively low compared to the detection results of other detection devices such as the distance measuring device 12 so that the detection results of the imaging device 11 (particularly the wide-angle camera) do not affect the traveling state of the vehicle V1 (i.e., traveling speed and steering operation). In other words, the weighting of the detection results of the imaging device 11 may be set low, or the weighting of the detection results of other detection devices such as the distance measuring device 12 may be set high. The weighting coefficient can be set to an appropriate value within a range in which the detection results of the imaging device 11 do not affect the traveling state of the vehicle V1.

Next, risk management control in different driving situations will be explained using Figures 5A to 5C.

FIG. 5A is a plan view showing an example of a driving scene in which risk response control is executed. The driving scene shown in FIG. 5A is a driving scene in which the host vehicle V1 and other vehicles V2 and V3 are driving on the road shown in FIG. 2, with the host vehicle V1 driving at position P3 in lane L2, and ahead of it, the other vehicle V2 is driving on lane L1, and the other vehicle V3 is driving on lane L2. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 5A, the host vehicle V1 drives at a constant speed due to lane keeping control, and the other vehicles V2 and V3 are traveling straight at a driving speed slower than the host vehicle V1. In other words, the host vehicle V1 catches up with the other vehicle V3 within a predetermined time.

In the driving scene shown in FIG. 5A, the driving speed of the subject vehicle V1 is faster than the driving speed of the other vehicles V2 and V3, so the distance between the subject vehicle V1 and the other vehicles V2 and V3 decreases over time. Then, when the subject vehicle V1 drives to position P4 shown in FIG. 5B, the driving assistance device 19 recognizes the other vehicles V2 and V3 that are included in the detection range A1 from the detection results of the front camera using the function of the recognition unit 21.

Next, the driving support device 19, using the function of the determination unit 22, acquires vehicle speed information of the host vehicle V1 from the vehicle speed sensor, and calculates the traveling position of the host vehicle V1 when constant speed traveling by lane keeping control is continued for a predetermined time. The driving support device 19 also acquires image data from the imaging device 11, and recognizes by pattern matching that the obstacles are a truck (other vehicle V2) and a passenger car (other vehicle V3), that the other vehicle V2 is traveling in lane L1, and that the other vehicle V3 is traveling in lane L2. In addition, from the detection result of the front camera (imaging device 11), it recognizes that the other vehicles V2 and V3 are traveling straight without turning. Furthermore, from the scan result of the distance measurement device 12, it acquires the relative speed of the other vehicles V2 and V3 with respect to the host vehicle V1. Based on this information, the driving support device 19 predicts the traveling state of the other vehicles V2 and V3 after a predetermined time.

In the driving scene shown in FIG. 5B, the host vehicle V1 will catch up with the other vehicles V2 and V3 within a predetermined time, so the driving assistance device 19 determines that the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion C1 within the predetermined time based on the relationship between the calculated driving position of the host vehicle V1 and the predicted driving positions of the other vehicles V2 and V3.

Next, the driving assistance device 19 uses the function of the control unit 23 to determine whether or not the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 5B, it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1 based on the positional relationship shown in the figure. In this case, the driving assistance device 19 determines whether or not the host vehicle V1 will overtake or pass the other vehicle V2. For example, the driving assistance device 19 determines whether or not the host vehicle V1 will overtake the other vehicle V2 after a predetermined time based on the driving states of the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 predicted by the function of the determination unit 22. Alternatively or in addition to this, the driving assistance device 19 may determine whether or not it is necessary to overtake the other vehicle V2 in order to continue autonomous driving control of the host vehicle V1.

In the driving scene shown in FIG. 5B, after approaching the other vehicle V3, the host vehicle V1 only needs to drive following the other vehicle V3, and there is no need for the host vehicle V1 to overtake the other vehicle V3 in order to continue the autonomous driving control (following control), so the host vehicle V1 determines that it will not overtake the other vehicle V2. In this case, the driving assistance device 19 autonomously controls the driving of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle V2 is not included in the overlapping portion C1. For example, the driving assistance device 19 sets the distance D3 shown in FIG. 5C as the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V3. In addition (for example, simultaneously), the driving assistance device 19 sets the distance D4 shown in FIG. 5C as the virtual inter-vehicle distance between the position P6 corresponding to the host vehicle V1 in the adjacent lane L1 and the other vehicle V2.

The distance D3, which is the distance between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V3, can be set to an appropriate value within a range in which the host vehicle V1 can avoid contact with the other vehicle V3. In addition, the distance D4, which is the virtual distance between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2, can be set to an appropriate value within a range in which the other vehicle V3 can avoid entering the overlapping portion C1. The driving assistance device 19 can avoid the risk of misrecognizing the driving state of the other vehicle V2 by performing autonomous driving control (following control) that maintains the virtual distance between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 and the distance between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V3.

Next, risk management control in different driving situations will be explained using Figures 6A to 6C.

FIG. 6A is a plan view showing an example of a driving scene in which risk response control is executed. The driving scene shown in FIG. 6A is a driving scene in which the host vehicle V1 and another vehicle V2 are traveling on the road shown in FIG. 2, with the host vehicle V1 traveling at position P7 in lane L2 and the other vehicle V2 traveling ahead of it in lane L1. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 6A, the host vehicle V1 travels at a constant speed due to lane keeping control, and the other vehicle V2 travels straight at a slower driving speed than the host vehicle V1. In other words, the host vehicle V1 overtakes the other vehicle V2 within a predetermined time.

In the driving scene shown in FIG. 6A, the driving support device 19 recognizes another vehicle V2 included in the detection range A1 from the detection results of the front camera using the function of the recognition unit 21. Next, the driving support device 19 uses the function of the determination unit 22 to calculate the driving state of the host vehicle V1 after a predetermined time in a manner similar to that of the driving scene shown in FIG. 5A, and predicts the driving state of the other vehicle V2 after a predetermined time.

In the driving scene shown in FIG. 6A, the subject vehicle V1 will overtake the other vehicle V2 within a predetermined time, and the driving assistance device 19 determines that the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion C1 within the predetermined time based on the relationship between the calculated driving position of the subject vehicle V1 and the predicted driving position of the other vehicle V2.

Next, the driving assistance device 19 uses the function of the control unit 23 to determine whether or not the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 6A, the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1, so it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1. In this case, the driving assistance device 19 determines whether or not the host vehicle V1 will overtake or be overtaken by the other vehicle V2. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 6A, the host vehicle V1 will overtake the other vehicle V2 within a predetermined time, so it is determined that the host vehicle V1 will overtake the other vehicle V2.

In this case, the driving assistance device 19 sets a traveling speed faster than a predetermined traveling speed, and overtakes the other vehicle V2 without using the detection result of the imaging device 11 or by setting the weighting of the detection result to be small. The predetermined traveling speed is, for example, a traveling speed set by the occupant of the vehicle V1, and a traveling speed faster than the predetermined traveling speed is, for example, a traveling speed 5 to 25 km/h faster than the traveling speed set by the occupant of the vehicle V1. By setting an appropriate traveling speed faster than the predetermined traveling speed within a range in which the occupant of the vehicle V1 does not feel uncomfortable, the driving assistance device 19 can shorten the time during which erroneous recognition of the traveling state of the other vehicle V2 affects the traveling state of the vehicle V1.

For example, as shown in FIG. 6B, the driving assistance device 19 sets a driving speed faster than that set by the occupant of the vehicle V1, and at the same time, sets a small weighting on the detection results of the imaging device 11. The vehicle V1 is then caused to travel at a constant speed along the travel trajectory T3 from position P5 to position P6. The processing of the detection results of the imaging device 11 in this case is the same as in the case of the driving scenes shown in FIGS. 4A to 4C.

As shown in Figure 6C, when the other vehicle V2 reaches position P9, the driving assistance device 19 autonomously controls the driving of the vehicle V1 as usual using the detection results of the imaging device 11, including the wide-angle camera. Position P9 shown in Figure 6C is a position where the other vehicle V2 passes through overlapping parts C1 and C2 and is included in the detection range A2 of the rear camera, so there is no risk that the driving assistance device 19 will erroneously recognize the driving state of the other vehicle V2.

Note that the risk response control in each driving scene shown in Figures 4A to 4C, 5A to 5C, and 6A to 6C is merely an example, and risk response control other than the risk response control described above may be executed in each driving scene. Furthermore, in the driving assistance device 19 of this embodiment, it is not essential to execute risk response control for all of the driving scenes shown in Figures 4A to 4C, 5A to 5C, and 6A to 6C, and the driving assistance device 19 may execute risk response control for some of the driving scenes.

So far, a basic embodiment of the present invention has been described, but when the driving assistance device 19 determines that the other vehicle V2 is entering an overlapping portion of the detection range, the driving assistance device 19 may calculate the overall length of the other vehicle V2, i.e., the length in the direction of travel of the other vehicle V2, from the detection results of the various cameras (imaging devices 11) and the detection results of the distance measuring device 12, such as radar, LiDAR, or sonar. Then, it may be determined whether the calculated overall length of the other vehicle V2 is longer than the length of the overlapping portion in the direction along the adjacent lane. Also, instead of the length of the overlapping portion in the direction along the adjacent lane, the length of the portion of the overlapping portion that is on the adjacent lane in the direction along the adjacent lane may be used.

The driving assistance device 19 performs image analysis, including edge extraction and shape recognition, on the image data acquired from the imaging device 11, to calculate the overall length of the other vehicle V2. For example, in the driving scene shown in FIG. 4A, the driving assistance device 19 performs image analysis on the image data of the detection range A2 to calculate the overall length D1 of the other vehicle V2. In addition, for the overlapping portion C4 that exists in the lane L3 adjacent to the lane L2 in which the host vehicle V1 is traveling, the length D2 along the lane L3 is registered in advance in the ROM 192 of the driving assistance device 19. The driving assistance device 19 compares the overall length D1 of the other vehicle V2 with the length D2 of the overlapping portion C4 along the lane L3, and therefore determines that the overall length D1 is longer than the length D2.

In the driving scene shown in FIG. 5B, the driving assistance device 19 performs image analysis on the image data acquired from the imaging device 11 and calculates the overall length D1 of the other vehicle V2. In addition, for the overlapping portion C1 that exists in the lane L1 adjacent to the lane L2 on which the host vehicle V1 is traveling, the length D2a in the direction along the lane L1 of the portion of the overlapping portion C1 that exists on the lane L1 is registered in advance in the ROM 192 of the driving assistance device 19. When comparing the overall length D1 of the other vehicle V2 with the length D2a in the direction along the lane L1 of the portion of the overlapping portion C1 that exists on the lane L1, the driving assistance device 19 finds that the overall length D1 is longer, and therefore determines that the overall length D1 is longer than the length D2a.

In the driving scene shown in FIG. 6A, the driving assistance device 19 calculates the overall length D1 of the other vehicle V2 in the same manner as in the driving scene shown in FIG. 5B. In addition, for the overlapping portion C1 that exists in the lane L1 adjacent to the lane L2 in which the host vehicle V1 is traveling, the length D2 of the overlapping portion C1 in the direction along the lane L1 is registered in advance in the ROM 192 of the driving assistance device 19, so the driving assistance device 19 compares the overall length D1 of the other vehicle V2 with the length D2 of the overlapping portion C1 in the direction along the lane L1. In the driving scene shown in FIG. 6A, the overall length D1 is longer, so the driving assistance device 19 determines that the overall length D1 is longer than the length D2.

The total length of the other vehicle V2 does not necessarily need to be determined accurately, but it is sufficient to be able to calculate the range of the total length. In other words, it is sufficient to be able to determine whether the total length of the other vehicle V2 is longer or shorter than the length of the overlapping portion where the other vehicle V2 enters in the direction along the adjacent lane. Furthermore, the length of the overlapping portion in the direction along the adjacent lane is set as a fixed value for each overlapping portion when the imaging device 11 (particularly the wide-angle camera) is installed, and is registered in advance in the driving assistance device 19. Note that when it is determined that the other vehicle V2 enters the overlapping portion of the detection range, calculating the total length of the other vehicle V2 and determining whether the calculated total length of the other vehicle V2 is longer than the length of the overlapping portion in the direction along the adjacent lane are not essential components of the present invention, and may be added or omitted as necessary.

The driving assistance device 19 may determine the vehicle type of the other vehicle V2 using the function of the determination unit 22, and execute risk response control according to the determined vehicle type. Specifically, the driving assistance device 19 may determine whether the other vehicle V2 is a large vehicle or not, and execute risk response control using the function of the control unit 23 if it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is a large vehicle. Note that determining whether the other vehicle V2 is a large vehicle or not, and executing risk response control using the function of the control unit 23 if it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is a large vehicle, are not essential components of the present invention, and may be added or omitted as necessary.

Examples of vehicle types include private passenger cars such as light cars, small cars (compact cars), and regular cars, as well as manned or unmanned taxis, buses, and trucks. A large vehicle is a vehicle whose overall length is longer than the host vehicle V1, for example, a vehicle whose overall length is 1.25 times or more longer than the host vehicle V1. Examples of vehicle types that fall under large vehicles include commercial vehicles such as buses and trucks that transport passengers or cargo. For example, if the other vehicle V2 is a large vehicle such as a bus or truck, the driving assistance device 19 executes risk response control, and if the other vehicle V2 is a small private passenger car such as a compact car, it does not execute risk response control.

When the driving assistance device 19 determines that the other vehicle V2 is not a large vehicle, the control unit 23 may determine whether or not there is a single imaging device that can detect the entire other vehicle V2 among the multiple imaging devices 11 mounted on the vehicle V1. When it determines that there is no single imaging device 11 that can detect the entire other vehicle V2, risk response control may be executed. This is because if the entire body of the other vehicle V2 is detected by a single imaging device 11, the risk of misrecognizing the traveling state of the other vehicle V2 can be reduced. Note that when it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is not a large vehicle, determining whether or not there is a single imaging device that can detect the entire other vehicle V2 among the multiple imaging devices 11 mounted on the vehicle V1, and executing risk response control when it is determined that there is no single imaging device 11 that can detect the entire other vehicle V2 are not essential configurations for the present invention, and may be added or omitted as necessary.

The driving assistance device 19 may use the function of the control unit 23 to obtain the brightness value of each pixel from an image captured using the imaging device 11, calculate the average brightness value of the image by dividing the sum of the brightness values by the total number of pixels, and execute risk management control if the average brightness value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. This is because when a strong light source such as sunlight or reflected light is incident on the camera, the brightness value of the acquired image becomes saturated, the entire image becomes bright (white), and the shape of an obstacle cannot be accurately recognized from the contrast of the image. In other words, if the entire image becomes white, the driving state of the other vehicle V2 cannot be accurately recognized. The predetermined value can be set to an appropriate value (for example, 200 or more) within a range in which the driving state of the other vehicle V2 can be accurately recognized. Note that obtaining the brightness value of each pixel from an image captured using the imaging device 11, calculating the average brightness value of the image by dividing the sum of the brightness values by the total number of pixels, and executing risk management control if the average brightness value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value are not essential components of the present invention, and may be added or omitted as necessary.

[Processing in the system]
The procedure for the driving assistance device 19 to process information will be described with reference to Figures 7A to 7C. Figures 7A to 7C are an example of a flowchart showing information processing executed in the driving assistance system 10 of this embodiment. The processing described below is executed at predetermined time intervals by the CPU 191, which is the processor of the driving assistance device 19. Note that the flowcharts shown in Figures 7A to 7C are premised on a driving scene in which the host vehicle V1 is driving on a road using lane keeping control.

First, in step S1 of FIG. 7A, the recognition unit 21 detects another vehicle V2 using the multiple imaging devices 11 mounted on the host vehicle V1. In step S2, it is determined from the detection result whether or not another vehicle V2 is present around the host vehicle V1. If no other vehicle V2 is present around the host vehicle V1, the process proceeds to step S3, where normal autonomous driving control is executed and the process proceeds to step S20 of FIG. 7C. On the other hand, if another vehicle V2 is present around the host vehicle V1, the process proceeds to step S4, where the determination unit 22 predicts the driving state of the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 after a predetermined time.

If it is determined from the traveling state of the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 after the predetermined time that the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 will be traveling in the same lane after the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S6, where the control unit 23 determines whether the host vehicle V1 will overtake the other vehicle V2. If it is determined that the host vehicle V1 will not overtake the other vehicle V2, the process proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, if it is determined that the host vehicle V1 will overtake the other vehicle V2, the process proceeds to step S18 in FIG. 7C. Note that step S6 is not essential to the present invention and may be provided as necessary.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S5 that the vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 will not be traveling in the same lane after the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S7, where it is determined whether the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion within the predetermined time. If it is determined that the other vehicle V2 will not enter the overlapping portion within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S3. On the other hand, if it is determined that the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S8, where the function of the determination unit 22 is used to calculate the total length D1 of the other vehicle V2 and the length D2 of the overlapping portion in the direction along the adjacent lane.

Following step S8, in step S9 of FIG. 7B, the function of the determination unit 22 determines whether or not the overall length D1 of the other vehicle V2 is longer than the length D2 of the overlapping portion. If the overall length D1 of the other vehicle V2 is longer than the length D2 of the overlapping portion, the process proceeds to step S14 of FIG. 7C. On the other hand, if the overall length D1 of the other vehicle V2 is equal to or less than the length D2 of the overlapping portion, the process proceeds to step S10.

In step S10, the function of the determination unit 22 is used to determine whether or not the other vehicle V2 is a large vehicle. If it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is a large vehicle, the process proceeds to step S14 in FIG. 7C. On the other hand, if it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is not a large vehicle, the process proceeds to step S11. In step S11, the function of the determination unit 22 is used to determine whether or not the other vehicle V2 can be detected in its entirety by a single imaging device 11. If the other vehicle V2 cannot be detected in its entirety by a single imaging device 11, the process proceeds to step S14 in FIG. 7C. On the other hand, if the other vehicle V2 can be detected in its entirety by a single imaging device 11, the process proceeds to step S12.

In step S12, the average brightness value of the image is calculated using the function of the determination unit 22, and in the following step S13, it is determined whether or not the average brightness value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If the average brightness value is less than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step S3 in FIG. 7A. In contrast, if the average brightness value is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step S14 in FIG. 7C. Note that steps S9 to S13 are not essential steps for the present invention, and may be provided as necessary.

Following step S13, in step S14 of FIG. 7C, the control unit 23 determines whether or not the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1. If it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is not traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1, the process proceeds to step S15, where the traveling of the host vehicle V1 is autonomously controlled without using the detection result of the imaging device 11 or by reducing the weighting of the detection result. Then, the process proceeds to step S20.

In contrast, if it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1, the process proceeds to step S16, where it is determined whether the host vehicle V1 will overtake the other vehicle V2. If it is determined that the host vehicle V1 will not overtake the other vehicle V2, the process proceeds to step S17, where the traveling of the host vehicle V1 is autonomously controlled so that the other vehicle V2 is not included in the overlapping portion of the detection range. In contrast, if it is determined that the host vehicle V1 will overtake the other vehicle V2, the process proceeds to step S18, where a traveling speed higher than a predetermined traveling speed is set, and in the following step S19, the overtaking or passing is performed without using the detection result of the imaging device 11 or by setting the weighting of the detection result to a small value. Then, the process proceeds to step S20.

In step S20, the function of the support unit 20 determines whether the vehicle V1 has reached the destination. If it is determined that the vehicle V1 has reached the destination, the execution of the routine is terminated, and the display device 18 is used to prompt the driver of the vehicle V1 to drive manually. In contrast, if it is determined that the vehicle V1 has not reached the destination, the process proceeds to step S1 in FIG. 7A. Note that manual driving refers to the driving support device 19 not performing autonomous driving control of the driving operation, but rather controlling the driving of the vehicle through the driver's operation. Note that the driving support device 19 and the driving support method according to the present invention can be used in any of the following cases: autonomous control of only the vehicle's driving speed, autonomous control of only the vehicle's steering operation, and autonomous control of both the vehicle's driving speed and steering operation. In addition, the driving support device 19 and the driving support method according to the present invention can be used not only for autonomous driving control, but also to support the driver's driving operation in manual driving.

[Embodiments of the invention]
As described above, according to the present embodiment, in a driving assistance method executed by a processor in which the detection ranges of a plurality of imaging devices 11 mounted on the vehicle V1 overlap in a lane adjacent to the vehicle V1 traveling on the lane, the processor determines whether or not the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion of the detection range within a predetermined time, and if it is determined that the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion within the predetermined time, executes risk countermeasure control to control the vehicle V1 so as to counter the risk of erroneously recognizing the traveling state of the other vehicle V2 from the detection results of the plurality of imaging devices 11. This makes it possible to suppress the effect of erroneous recognition of the traveling state of the other vehicle V2 on the traveling state of the vehicle V1.

Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, the risk response control includes at least one of autonomously controlling the driving of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle V2 does not enter the overlapping portion, and autonomously controlling the driving of the host vehicle V1 so that the driving state of the other vehicle V2, which has been erroneously recognized from the detection result, does not affect the driving state of the host vehicle V1. This makes it possible to suppress the effect of erroneous recognition of the driving state of the other vehicle V2 on the driving state of the host vehicle V1 depending on the driving scene.

Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, autonomously controlling the traveling of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle V2 does not enter the overlapping portion includes setting the traveling speed of the host vehicle V1 and/or the distance between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 so that the other vehicle V2 is not included in the detection range, and changing the host vehicle V1 to the adjacent lane, and autonomously controlling the traveling of the host vehicle V1 so that the erroneously recognized traveling state of the other vehicle V2 does not affect the traveling state of the host vehicle V1 includes autonomously controlling the traveling of the host vehicle V1 without using the detection result, and autonomously controlling the traveling of the host vehicle V1 by setting the weighting of the detection result to a small value. This makes it possible to suppress the effect of erroneous recognition of the traveling state of the other vehicle V2 on the traveling state of the host vehicle V1 depending on the traveling scene.

Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, the processor determines whether the overall length D1 of the other vehicle V2 is longer than the length D2 of the overlapping portion in the direction along the adjacent lane, and if it determines that the overall length D1 is longer than the length D2 of the overlapping portion, executes the risk response control. This makes it possible to more accurately predict whether the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion.

Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, the processor determines whether the other vehicle V2 is a large vehicle, and if it determines that the other vehicle V2 is a large vehicle, executes the risk response control. This allows risk response control to be executed according to the vehicle type of the other vehicle V2.

Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, when the processor determines that the other vehicle V2 is not the large vehicle, it determines whether or not there is a single imaging device 11 among the multiple imaging devices 11 that can detect the other vehicle V2 in its entirety, and when it determines that there is not a single imaging device 11 that can detect the other vehicle V2 in its entirety, it executes the risk response control. This makes it possible to suppress the execution of risk response control when the risk of erroneously recognizing the traveling state of the other vehicle V2 is low.

Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, the processor acquires the brightness value of each pixel from the image captured using the imaging device 11, calculates the average brightness value of the image by dividing the sum of the brightness values by the total number of pixels, and executes the risk response control if the average brightness value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. This makes it possible to execute risk response control when the shape of an obstacle cannot be accurately recognized from the contrast of the image.

Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, the processor determines whether the other vehicle V2 is traveling behind the host vehicle V1, and if it determines that the other vehicle V2 is traveling behind the host vehicle V1, autonomously controls the traveling of the host vehicle V1 without using the detection result or by reducing the weighting of the detection result. This makes it possible to execute risk response control according to the traveling scene.

Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, the processor determines whether the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1, and if it determines that the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1, it determines whether the host vehicle V1 will overtake or pass the other vehicle V2, and if it determines that the host vehicle V1 will not overtake or pass the other vehicle V2, it autonomously controls the traveling of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle V2 is not included in the overlapping portion. This makes it possible to execute risk response control according to the driving scene.

Furthermore, according to the driving assistance method of this embodiment, when the processor determines that the host vehicle V1 will overtake or be overtaken, it sets a traveling speed faster than a predetermined traveling speed that has been set in advance, and performs the overtaking or be overtaken without using the detection result or by setting the weighting of the detection result to be small. This makes it possible to execute risk response control according to the driving scene.

Furthermore, according to this embodiment, a driving assistance device 19 is provided that includes: a plurality of imaging devices 11 mounted on the host vehicle V1, the detection ranges of which overlap in a lane adjacent to the host vehicle V1 in which the host vehicle V1 is traveling; a determination unit 22 that determines whether or not another vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion of the detection ranges within a predetermined time; and a control unit 23 that, if it is determined that the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion within the predetermined time, executes risk response control to control the host vehicle V1 so as to respond to the risk of erroneously recognizing the traveling state of the other vehicle V2 from the detection results of the plurality of imaging devices 11. This makes it possible to suppress the impact of erroneous recognition of the traveling state of the other vehicle V2 on the traveling state of the host vehicle V1.

[Combination of embodiments]
The driving assistance method and driving assistance device 19 according to the present invention include the following embodiments (1) to (11).

Embodiment (1): A driving assistance method in which the detection ranges of multiple imaging devices 11 mounted on the vehicle V1 overlap in a lane adjacent to the vehicle V1's own lane, the driving assistance method determines whether another vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion of the detection ranges within a predetermined time, and if it is determined that the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion within the predetermined time, executes risk management control to control the vehicle V1 so as to address the risk of erroneously recognizing the driving state of the other vehicle V2 from the detection results of the multiple imaging devices 11.

　Implementation (2): The risk response control includes at least one of autonomously controlling the driving of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle V2 does not enter the overlapping portion, and autonomously controlling the driving of the host vehicle V1 so that the driving state of the other vehicle V2, which is erroneously recognized from the detection result, does not affect the driving state of the host vehicle V1.

　Implementation (3): Autonomously controlling the travel of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle V2 does not enter the overlapping portion includes setting the travel speed of the host vehicle V1 and/or the distance between the host vehicle V1 and the other vehicle V2 so that the other vehicle V2 is not included in the detection range, and changing lanes of the host vehicle V1 to the adjacent lane, and autonomously controlling the travel of the host vehicle V1 so that the erroneously recognized travel state of the other vehicle V2 does not affect the travel state of the host vehicle V1 includes autonomously controlling the travel of the host vehicle V1 without using the detection result, and autonomously controlling the travel of the host vehicle V1 by setting a small weighting for the detection result.

　Implementation example (4): Determine whether the overall length D1 of the other vehicle V2 is longer than the length D2 of the overlapping portion in the direction along the adjacent lane, and if it is determined that the overall length D1 is longer than the length D2 of the overlapping portion, execute the risk response control.

Implementation (5): Determine whether the other vehicle V2 is a large vehicle, and if it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is a large vehicle, execute the risk response control.

Implementation (6): Among the multiple imaging devices 11, it is determined whether or not there is a single imaging device 11 that can detect the entirety of the other vehicle V2, and when it is determined that there is no single imaging device 11 that can detect the entirety of the other vehicle V2, the risk response control is executed.

　Implementation example (7): The luminance value of each pixel is obtained from an image captured using the imaging device 11, the sum of the luminance values is divided by the total number of pixels to calculate an average luminance value of the image, and if the average luminance value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, the risk response control is executed.

　Implementation example (8): It is determined whether the other vehicle V2 is traveling behind the host vehicle V1, and if it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is traveling behind the host vehicle V1, the traveling of the host vehicle V1 is autonomously controlled without using the detection result or by reducing the weighting of the detection result.

　Implementation example (9): Determine whether the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1, and if it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1, determine whether the host vehicle V1 will overtake or pass the other vehicle V2, and if it is determined that the host vehicle V1 will not overtake or pass the other vehicle V2, autonomously control the traveling of the host vehicle V1 so that the other vehicle V2 is not included in the overlapping portion.

　Implementation (10): Determine whether the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1, and if it is determined that the other vehicle V2 is traveling ahead of the host vehicle V1, determine whether the host vehicle V1 will overtake or pass the other vehicle V2, and if it is determined that the host vehicle V1 will overtake or pass the other vehicle V2, set a traveling speed higher than a predetermined traveling speed set in advance, and perform the overtaking or pass without using the detection result or by setting the weighting of the detection result to a small value.

Embodiment (11): A driving assistance device 19 including: a plurality of imaging devices 11 mounted on a host vehicle V1, the detection ranges of which overlap in a lane adjacent to the host vehicle V1 on which the host vehicle V1 is traveling; a determination unit 22 that determines whether another vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion of the detection ranges within a predetermined time; and a control unit 23 that, if it is determined that the other vehicle V2 will enter the overlapping portion within the predetermined time, executes risk response control to control the host vehicle V1 so as to address the risk of erroneously recognizing the traveling state of the other vehicle V2 from the detection results of the plurality of imaging devices 11.

The embodiment (1) relates to a driving assistance method, and may be combined with the embodiments (2) to (10). Specific combinations include the following:
・A combination of embodiment (1) with any one of embodiment (2) and (4) to (10) ・A combination of embodiment (1) with any two of embodiment (2) and (4) to (10) ・A combination of embodiment (1) with any three of embodiment (2) and (4) to (10) ・A combination of embodiment (1) with any four of embodiment (2) and (4) to (10) ・A combination of embodiment (1) with any five of embodiment (2) and (4) to (10) ・A combination of embodiment (1) with any six of embodiment (2) and (4) to (10) ・A combination of embodiment (1) with any seven of embodiment (2) and (4) to (10) A combination of embodiment (1) with embodiment (2) and (4) to (10); a combination of embodiment (1) to (3) with any one of embodiment (4) to (10); a combination of embodiment (1) to (3) with any two of embodiment (4) to (10); a combination of embodiment (1) to (3) with any three of embodiment (4) to (10); a combination of embodiment (1) to (3) with any four of embodiment (4) to (10); a combination of embodiment (1) to (3) with any five of embodiment (4) to (10); a combination of embodiment (1) to (3) with any six of embodiment (4) to (10); a combination of embodiment (1) to (10)

The embodiment (11) relates to a driving support device 19, and may be combined with the embodiments (2) to (10). Specific combinations include the following:
・A combination of embodiment (11) and any one of embodiments (2) and (4) to (10) ・A combination of embodiment (11) and any two of embodiments (2) and (4) to (10) ・A combination of embodiment (11) and any three of embodiments (2) and (4) to (10) ・A combination of embodiment (11) and any four of embodiments (2) and (4) to (10) ・A combination of embodiment (11) and any five of embodiments (2) and (4) to (10) ・A combination of embodiment (11) and any six of embodiments (2) and (4) to (10) ・A combination of embodiment (11) and any seven of embodiments (2) and (4) to (10) ・An embodiment (11) and an embodiment (2 ) and (4) to (10) A combination of embodiment (11) and (2) to (3) and any one of embodiments (4) to (10) A combination of embodiment (11) and (2) to (3) and any two of embodiments (4) to (10) A combination of embodiment (11) and (2) to (3) and any three of embodiments (4) to (10) A combination of embodiment (11) and (2) to (3) and any four of embodiments (4) to (10) A combination of embodiment (11) and (2) to (3) and any five of embodiments (4) to (10) A combination of embodiment (11) and (2) to (3) and any six of embodiments (4) to (10) A combination of embodiments (2) to (11)

REFERENCE SIGNS LIST 10 Driving assistance system 11 Imaging device 12 Distance measuring device 13 Vehicle state detection device 14 Map information 15 Vehicle position detection device 16 Navigation device 17 Vehicle control device 171 Vehicle speed control device 172 Steering control device 18 Display device 19 Driving assistance device 191 CPU (processor)
192...ROM
193...RAM
20... Support unit 21... Recognition unit 22... Determination unit 23... Control unit A1, A2... Detection range B1, B2, B3, B4... Detection range C1, C2, C3, C4... Overlapping portion D1... Total length D2, D2a... Length D3, D4... Distance L1, L2, L3... Lanes P1, P2, P3, P4, P5, P6, P7, P8, P9... Positions T1, T2, T3... Travel trajectory V1... Own vehicle V2, V2x, V3... Other vehicles

Claims

A driving assistance method executed by a processor, in which detection ranges of a plurality of image capture devices mounted on a host vehicle partially overlap in a lane adjacent to a host vehicle lane in which the host vehicle is traveling,
The processor,
determining whether another vehicle is entering the overlapping portion of the detection range;
A driving assistance method, comprising: if it is determined that the other vehicle is entering the overlapping portion, executing risk management control to control the host vehicle so as to address the risk of erroneously recognizing the driving state of the other vehicle from the detection results of the multiple imaging devices.
The driving assistance method according to claim 1, wherein the risk response control includes at least one of autonomously controlling the driving of the host vehicle so that the other vehicle does not enter the overlapping portion, and autonomously controlling the driving of the host vehicle so that the driving state of the other vehicle, which is erroneously recognized from the detection result, does not affect the driving state of the host vehicle.
Autonomous control of the traveling of the host vehicle so that the other vehicle does not enter the overlapping portion is
setting a travel speed of the host vehicle and/or a vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the other vehicle so that the other vehicle is not included in the detection range;
changing the host vehicle to the adjacent lane;
Autonomously controlling the traveling of the vehicle so that the erroneously recognized traveling state of the other vehicle does not affect the traveling state of the vehicle,
Autonomously controlling the traveling of the host vehicle without using the detection result;
The driving assistance method according to claim 2 , further comprising: autonomously controlling the traveling of the host vehicle by setting a small weighting for the detection result.
The processor,
determining whether or not a total length of the other vehicle is longer than a length of the overlapping portion in a direction along the adjacent lane;
The driving support method according to any one of claims 1 to 3, further comprising the step of: executing the risk treatment control when it is determined that the total length is longer than the length of the overlapping portion.
The processor,
determining whether the other vehicle is a large vehicle;
The driving support method according to any one of claims 1 to 4, further comprising the step of: executing the risk handling control when it is determined that the other vehicle is a large vehicle.
The processor,
When it is determined that the other vehicle is not the large vehicle, it is determined whether or not there is a single imaging device among the plurality of imaging devices that can detect the other vehicle in its entirety;
The driving support method according to claim 5 , further comprising the step of: executing the risk handling control when it is determined that there is no single imaging device capable of detecting the whole of the other vehicle.
The processor,
Acquire a luminance value of each pixel from an image captured by the imaging device;
Calculating an average luminance value of the image by dividing the sum of the luminance values by the total number of pixels;
The driving support method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, further comprising the step of: executing the risk handling control when the average luminance value is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.
The processor,
determining whether the other vehicle is traveling behind the host vehicle;
When it is determined that the other vehicle is traveling behind the vehicle, the driving assistance method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the driving of the vehicle is autonomously controlled without using the detection result or by reducing the weighting of the detection result.
The processor,
determining whether the other vehicle is traveling ahead of the host vehicle;
When it is determined that the other vehicle is traveling ahead of the host vehicle, it is determined whether the host vehicle will overtake or be overtaken by the other vehicle;
The driving assistance method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein, when it is determined that the host vehicle will not overtake or be overtaken, the driving of the host vehicle is autonomously controlled so that the other vehicle is not included in the overlapping portion.
The processor,
10. The driving assistance method according to claim 9, wherein, when it is determined that the host vehicle will overtake or be overtaken, a travel speed higher than a predetermined travel speed is set, and the host vehicle performs the overtaking or be overtaken without using the detection result or by setting a weighting of the detection result to a small value.
A plurality of imaging devices mounted on a vehicle, the imaging devices having detection ranges that partially overlap each other in lanes adjacent to a lane in which the vehicle is traveling;
a determination unit that determines whether or not another vehicle is entering the overlapping portion of the detection range;
a control unit that, when it is determined that the other vehicle is entering the overlapping portion, executes risk management control to control the host vehicle so as to address the risk of erroneously recognizing the driving state of the other vehicle from the detection results of the multiple imaging devices.