WO2024201726A1 - 運転支援装置、運転支援方法及び記録媒体 - Google Patents

運転支援装置、運転支援方法及び記録媒体 Download PDF

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Publication number
WO2024201726A1
WO2024201726A1 PCT/JP2023/012573 JP2023012573W WO2024201726A1 WO 2024201726 A1 WO2024201726 A1 WO 2024201726A1 JP 2023012573 W JP2023012573 W JP 2023012573W WO 2024201726 A1 WO2024201726 A1 WO 2024201726A1
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WIPO (PCT)
Prior art keywords
bicycle
angle
vehicle
factor
tilt
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Ceased
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PCT/JP2023/012573
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English (en)
French (fr)
Japanese (ja)
Inventor
大樹 志波
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Subaru Corp
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Subaru Corp
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Publication date
Application filed by Subaru Corp filed Critical Subaru Corp
Priority to PCT/JP2023/012573 priority Critical patent/WO2024201726A1/ja
Priority to JP2025509346A priority patent/JPWO2024201726A1/ja
Publication of WO2024201726A1 publication Critical patent/WO2024201726A1/ja
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Ceased legal-status Critical Current

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    • G—PHYSICS
    • G08—SIGNALLING
    • G08G—TRAFFIC CONTROL SYSTEMS
    • G08G1/00—Traffic control systems for road vehicles
    • G08G1/16—Anti-collision systems

Definitions

  • This disclosure relates to a driving assistance device, a driving assistance method, and a recording medium.
  • Patent Document 1 discloses technology that utilizes the characteristic of a bicycle to determine whether or not it is changing course when it leans. Specifically, the technology uses the bicycle's lean angle and a preset angle threshold for determining whether or not the bicycle is changing course. The technology determines that the bicycle is changing course if the bicycle's lean angle is greater than the angle threshold.
  • Patent Document 1 The technology described in Patent Document 1 is based on the premise that the cyclist intentionally leans the bicycle and his or her own body, but does not take into consideration the possibility that the bicycle may sway unintentionally due to various factors such as the environment and circumstances around the bicycle. For this reason, for example, if the bicycle sways while traveling straight and the angle of the bicycle's lean exceeds an angle threshold, the supported vehicle that recognizes the bicycle may mistakenly believe that the bicycle is changing course. As a result, the supported vehicle may frequently perform avoidance control such as steering and deceleration, which may cause discomfort to the vehicle's occupants.
  • This disclosure has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a driving assistance device, driving assistance method, and recording medium that can accurately predict whether a bicycle ridden by a rider will change course.
  • a driving assistance method includes the steps of: one or more processors calculating the tilt angle of the bicycle with respect to the vertical direction recognized by a surrounding environment recognition device that recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle; predicting that the bicycle will change course when the tilt angle exceeds a predetermined angle threshold; determining whether there is a factor that will cause the bicycle to tilt other than a change in course; and, if it is determined that there is a factor that will cause the bicycle to tilt, setting the angle threshold based on that factor.
  • a non-transitory tangible recording medium records a computer program that causes a processor to execute processes including: calculating the tilt angle of the bicycle with respect to the vertical direction recognized by a surrounding environment recognition device that recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle; predicting that the bicycle will change course when the tilt angle exceeds a predetermined angle threshold; determining whether there is a factor that causes the bicycle to tilt other than a change of course; and, if it is determined that there is a factor that causes the bicycle to tilt, setting the angle threshold based on that factor.
  • this disclosure makes it possible to accurately predict whether a bicycle ridden by a rider will change course.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram illustrating a configuration example of a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
  • FIG. 2 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a roll axis, a pitch axis, and a yaw axis of the vehicle. 2 is a block diagram showing an example of the configuration of a driving assistance device for the vehicle.
  • FIG. FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a pitch angle of the vehicle.
  • FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a pitch angle of the vehicle. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a driving assistance method of the present disclosure.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle ridden by a rider.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle ridden by a rider.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle ridden by a rider.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle ridden by a rider.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle ridden by a rider.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle ridden by a rider.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle ridden by a rider.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle ridden by a rider.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle ridden by a rider.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle ridden by a rider.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle ridden by a rider.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle ridden by a rider.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle ridden by a rider.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle ridden by a rider.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle ridden by a rider.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle ridden by a rider.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle ridden by a rider.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle ridden by a rider.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle ridden by a rider.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle ridden by a rider.
  • FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle ridden by a rider.
  • ⁇ Vehicle configuration> 1 is a schematic diagram showing an example of the configuration of a vehicle 10 according to the first embodiment.
  • the vehicle 10 includes a driving assistance device 11.
  • the vehicle 10 is configured as a two-wheel drive four-wheel vehicle in which a driving torque output from a driving force source 17 that generates a driving torque is transmitted to a left front wheel and a right front wheel.
  • the driving force source 17 may be an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, or may be a driving motor.
  • the vehicle 10 may also include both an internal combustion engine and a driving motor as the driving force source 17.
  • the vehicle 10 may be a four-wheel drive vehicle that transmits drive torque to the front and rear wheels.
  • the vehicle 10 may also be an electric vehicle equipped with two drive motors, for example a front-wheel drive motor and a rear-wheel drive motor, or an electric vehicle equipped with drive motors corresponding to each wheel. If the vehicle 10 is an electric vehicle or hybrid electric vehicle, the vehicle 10 is equipped with a secondary battery that stores the power supplied to the drive motor, and a generator such as a motor or fuel cell that generates power to charge the battery.
  • the vehicle 10 is equipped with a driving force source 17, an electric steering device 15, and brake devices 13A-13D (hereinafter collectively referred to as “brake devices 13" unless a distinction is required) as devices used to control the operation of the vehicle 10.
  • the driving force source 17 outputs a driving torque that is transmitted to the front wheel drive shaft F via a transmission and differential mechanism 14 (not shown).
  • the operation of the driving force source 17 and the transmission is controlled by a vehicle control unit 21 that includes one or more electronic control devices (ECU: Electronic Control Unit).
  • the front-wheel drive shaft F is provided with an electric steering device 15.
  • the electric steering device 15 includes an electric motor and a gear mechanism (not shown), and is controlled by a vehicle control unit 21 to adjust the steering angle of the front wheels.
  • the vehicle control unit 21 controls the electric steering device 15 based on the steering angle of the steering wheel 16 by the driver.
  • the vehicle control unit 21 controls the electric steering device 15 based on the set steering angle or steering angular speed.
  • Brake devices 13A to 13D apply braking force to each wheel.
  • Brake devices 13 are configured as hydraulic brake devices, for example, and vehicle control unit 21 adjusts the hydraulic pressure supplied to each brake device 13 by controlling the drive of hydraulic unit 24. If vehicle 10 is an electric vehicle or hybrid electric vehicle, brake devices 13 are used in conjunction with regenerative braking using a drive motor.
  • the vehicle control unit 21 includes one or more electronic control devices that control the driving of the driving force source 17, the electric steering device 15, and the hydraulic unit 24. If the vehicle 10 is equipped with a transmission that changes the speed of the output from the driving force source 17 and transmits it to the wheels, the vehicle control unit 21 has a function of controlling the driving of the transmission.
  • the vehicle control unit 21 is configured to be able to acquire information transmitted from the driving assistance device 11, and is configured to be able to execute automatic driving control of the vehicle 10.
  • the vehicle control unit 21 according to this embodiment is configured to be able to control the acceleration/deceleration and steering angle of the vehicle 10 based on the control of the collision avoidance processing unit 111F described below.
  • the vehicle 10 also includes forward-facing cameras 12A and 12B, a rearward-facing camera 12C, a vehicle position detection sensor 33, a vehicle speed sensor 34, and a display device 18.
  • the front photographing cameras 12A, 12B and rear photographing camera 12C are included in the surrounding environment recognition device 12 for acquiring information on the surrounding environment of the vehicle 10.
  • the front photographing cameras 12A, 12B photograph the front of the vehicle 10 and generate image data.
  • the rear photographing camera 12C photographs the rear of the vehicle 10 and generates image data.
  • the front photographing cameras 12A, 12B and rear photographing camera 12C are equipped with imaging elements such as CCD (Charged Coupled Devices) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor), and transmit the generated image data to the driving assistance device 11 at a predetermined calculation cycle.
  • the front photographing cameras 12A, 12B are configured as stereo cameras including a pair of left and right cameras, but the front photographing cameras may be monocular cameras.
  • the surrounding environment recognition device 12 also has a side detection sensor that detects the sides of the vehicle 10, and a direction detection sensor.
  • the surrounding environment recognition device 12 may include one or more sensors selected from the group consisting of LiDAR (Light Detection And Ranging), radar sensors such as millimeter wave radar, and ultrasonic sensors.
  • the lateral detection sensor includes a side camera 12D.
  • the side camera 12D is mounted, for example, on the side mirror 40, and captures images of the left rear, right rear, and sides of the vehicle 10.
  • the lateral detection sensor transmits information on the detection results to the driving assistance device 11.
  • the direction detection sensor includes, for example, an inertial sensor.
  • the inertial sensor detects the vertical direction DV , the angular velocities around three axes of the roll axis X, pitch axis Y, and yaw axis Z of the vehicle 10, and the acceleration of the translational motion along these three axes.
  • the direction detection sensor transmits information on the detection results to the driving assistance device 11.
  • the information on the detection results includes information on the vertical direction DV, information on the angular velocities, and information on the acceleration.
  • the second is a top view of the vehicle 10 and is an explanatory diagram for explaining the roll axis X, pitch axis Y, and yaw axis Z of the vehicle 10.
  • the yaw axis Z is an axis extending in the vehicle height direction of the vehicle 10.
  • the pitch axis Y is an axis extending in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle 10.
  • the roll axis X is an axis extending in the vehicle length direction of the vehicle 10.
  • the roll axis X, pitch axis Y, and yaw axis Z are three axes that pass through the center point O of the vehicle 10 and are mutually perpendicular at the center point O.
  • the center point O is located at the center of the vehicle width, vehicle length, and vehicle height of the vehicle 10.
  • the roll axis X according to this embodiment is composed of an axis X1 (dotted line in FIG. 2) that extends from the center point O forward in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10, and an axis X2 (two-dot chain line in FIG. 2) that extends from the center point O backward in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10.
  • the vehicle position detection sensor 33 receives satellite signals from positioning satellites of the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS), such as the Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites.
  • GNSS Global Navigation Satellite System
  • GPS Global Positioning System
  • the vehicle position detection sensor 33 transmits the position information of the vehicle 10 contained in the received satellite signals to the driving assistance device 11.
  • the vehicle position detection sensor 33 may also be equipped with an antenna that receives satellite signals from other satellite systems that identify the position of the vehicle 10.
  • the vehicle speed sensor 34 is a sensor that detects the moving speed of the vehicle 10.
  • the vehicle speed sensor 34 may be, for example, an encoder that detects the wheel speed, an encoder that detects the rotation speed of the drive motor serving as the drive power source 17, or a laser Doppler sensor.
  • the vehicle speed sensor 34 may be a speed estimation module that utilizes self-position estimation technology using LiDAR or SLAM (Simultaneous Localization And Mapping) with a camera or the like.
  • the vehicle speed sensor 34 is not particularly limited, and a normal sensor that can detect the speed of the vehicle 10 while it is moving may be used.
  • the driving assistance device 11 may generate information indicating the moving speed of the vehicle 10 based on information indicating the position obtained from the vehicle position detection sensor 33.
  • the driving assistance device 11 may calculate the moving speed of the vehicle 10, for example, based on a change in the position of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the driving assistance device 11 may calculate the moving speed of the vehicle 10 by dividing the distance from the position of the vehicle 10 obtained in the calculation cycle prior to the current time to the current position of the vehicle 10 obtained in the current calculation cycle by a unit time equivalent to the calculation cycle.
  • the display device 18 is driven by the driving assistance device 11 and displays various information visible to the driver.
  • the display device 18 may be, for example, a display device provided in an instrument panel, or a display device of a navigation system.
  • the display device 18 may also be a HUD (head-up display) that displays information visible to the driver on the front window, superimposed on the real space around the vehicle 10.
  • HUD head-up display
  • the driving assistance device 11 functions as a device that assists the driver in driving the vehicle 10 by executing a computer program using one or more processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit).
  • the computer program is a computer program for causing the processor to execute the operations to be performed by the driving assistance device 11, which will be described later.
  • the computer program executed by the processor may be recorded on a recording medium that functions as a storage device 112 (memory) provided in the driving assistance device 11, or may be recorded on a recording medium built into the driving assistance device 11 or any recording medium that can be attached externally to the driving assistance device 11.
  • Recording media for recording computer programs may include magnetic media such as hard disks, floppy disks, and magnetic tapes, optical recording media such as CD-ROMs, DVDs, and Blu-ray (registered trademark), magneto-optical media such as floptical disks, memory elements such as RAM and ROM, flash memories such as USB memory and SSDs, and other media capable of storing programs.
  • (Functional configuration of driving assistance device) 3 is a block diagram showing a configuration example of the driving support device 11.
  • the surrounding environment recognition device 12 and the vehicle control unit 21 are connected to the driving support device 11 via a communication means such as a dedicated line, a controller area network (CAN), or a local inter net (LIN).
  • a communication means such as a dedicated line, a controller area network (CAN), or a local inter net (LIN).
  • the driving support device 11 is not limited to an electronic control device mounted on the vehicle 10, and may be a terminal device such as a touch pad or a wearable device.
  • the driving assistance device 11 includes a processing device 111 and a storage device 112.
  • the processing device 111 includes one or more processors such as a CPU and various peripheral components. A part or all of the processing device 111 may be configured with updatable firmware or the like, or may be a program module or the like executed by instructions from the CPU or the like.
  • the storage device 112 is a recording medium such as one or more RAMs, ROMs, HDDs (Hard Disk Drives), CDs (Compact Discs), DVDs (Digital Versatile Discs), SSDs (Solid State Drives), USBs (Universal Serial Bus) flash, or storage devices that are communicatively connected to the processing device 111.
  • the type and number of storage devices 112 are not particularly limited and may be one or more.
  • the storage device 112 records the computer programs executed by the processing device 111, various parameters used in the calculation process, detection data, data related to the calculation results, etc. A part of the storage device 112 is used as a work area for the processing device 111.
  • the storage device 112 stores in advance information on reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB , information on a reference speed range, information on a correct posture, and a pre-trained face detection model, which will be described later.
  • the information on the reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB is used in an angle threshold setting process (step S5), which will be described later.
  • the information on the reference speed range is used in a determination process (step S4) of a sixth embodiment, which will be described later.
  • the information on the correct posture is used in a determination process (step S4) of a seventh embodiment, which will be described later.
  • the pre-trained face detection model is used in a determination process (step S4) of an eighth embodiment, which will be described later.
  • the processing device 111 has a surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A, a judgment processing unit 111B, an angle threshold setting processing unit 111C, a tilt angle calculation processing unit 111D, a prediction processing unit 111E, and a collision avoidance processing unit 111F.
  • the functions of each of these units are realized by the execution of a computer program by a processor.
  • some of the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A, the judgment processing unit 111B, the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C, the tilt angle calculation processing unit 111D, the prediction processing unit 111E, and the collision avoidance processing unit 111F may be configured from hardware such as an analog circuit.
  • the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A acquires information about the surrounding environment of the vehicle 10.
  • the information about the surrounding environment of the vehicle 10 is, for example, information indicating the measurement results of the surrounding environment recognition device 12.
  • the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A executes a process for recognizing the surrounding environment of the vehicle 10 (hereinafter referred to as the surrounding environment recognition process) based on information on the surrounding environment of the vehicle 10 acquired from the surrounding environment recognition device 12 mounted on the vehicle 10.
  • the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A recognizes moving and stationary objects around the vehicle 10 through the surrounding environment recognition process.
  • the determination processing unit 111B determines whether there is a factor other than a change of course that would cause the bicycle ridden by the driver to tilt, based on the information from the measurement results of the surrounding environment recognition device 12. If the determination processing unit 111B determines that there is a factor that would cause the bicycle to tilt, the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C sets an angle threshold according to that factor.
  • the bicycle ridden by the driver will be referred to as a "bicycle".
  • the tilt angle calculation processing unit 111D identifies the vertical direction based on the measurement result information obtained from the direction detection sensor.
  • the tilt angle calculation processing unit 111D calculates the tilt angle ⁇ of the bicycle recognized by the surrounding environment recognition processing with respect to the vertical direction.
  • the prediction processing unit 111E predicts that the recognized bicycle will change course when the tilt angle ⁇ calculated by the tilt angle calculation processing unit 111D exceeds the angle threshold set by the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C.
  • FIGS. 4 and 5 are explanatory diagrams for explaining the pitch angle of the vehicle 10.
  • the tilt angle calculation processing unit 111D calculates the roll angle, pitch angle, and yaw angle of the vehicle 10 based on the detection result information acquired from the direction detection sensor.
  • the roll angle is the rotation angle of the vehicle 10 around the roll axis X.
  • the pitch angle is the rotation angle of the vehicle 10 around the pitch axis Y.
  • the yaw angle is the rotation angle of the vehicle 10 around the yaw axis Z.
  • the pitch angle is defined as 0° when the roll axis X of the vehicle 10 is parallel to the horizontal direction H.
  • the pitch angle is defined as a positive value when the axis X1 of the roll axis X is tilted vertically upward from the horizontal direction H as shown in FIG. 4, and the pitch angle is defined as a negative value when the axis X1 of the roll axis X of the vehicle 10 is tilted vertically downward from the horizontal direction H as shown in FIG. 5.
  • the collision avoidance processing unit 111F determines whether or not there is a possibility that the bicycle predicted by the prediction processing unit 111E to change course will collide with the vehicle 10. If the collision avoidance processing unit 111F determines that there is a possibility that the bicycle predicted to change course will collide with the vehicle 10, it controls the vehicle control unit 21 to cause the vehicle 10 to perform an operation to avoid a collision between the bicycle and the vehicle 10.
  • Fig. 6 is a flowchart showing an example of the driving assistance method of the present disclosure.
  • an example of the driving assistance method of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 6. Note that the above flowchart is repeatedly executed at a predetermined calculation period when the function of the present disclosure is activated. Note that the driving assistance method described below will be described on the assumption that the bicycle is traveling ahead of the vehicle 10 in the traveling direction.
  • Step S1 Acquire information on the vehicle's surrounding environment
  • the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A acquires information on the surrounding environment of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A acquires image data from the surrounding environment recognition device 12 (forward-facing imaging cameras 12A, 12B) that captures an image of the surroundings of the vehicle 10, for example.
  • Step S2 Surrounding environment recognition process
  • the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A executes a surrounding environment recognition process based on the information on the surrounding environment acquired from the surrounding environment recognition device 12.
  • the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A extracts feature points from the image data acquired from the surrounding environment recognition device 12 by edge detection processing or the like, and performs a matching process (pattern matching) with data of patterns of feature points of various objects recorded in advance, thereby recognizing detection objects present around the vehicle 10, identifying the type of the detection object, and identifying the position of the detection object.
  • the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A recognizes the detection object present around the vehicle 10 by matching the extracted feature point group with pattern data of a feature point group representing, for example, a vehicle, a bicycle, a rear wheel of a bicycle, a pedestrian, a guardrail, a curb, a road, the surface on which the bicycle travels, unevenness and puddles on the road surface, luggage carried by the bicycle, a passenger on the bicycle, a building, or the boundary line of a vehicle lane, and identifies the type of the detection object.
  • the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A also identifies the position of the detection object in real space based on the position of the detection object in the measurement range and the distance to the detection object.
  • the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A calculates the moving speed and moving direction of the recognized moving object. For example, the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A uses the measurement data acquired in the current calculation cycle and the measurement data acquired in the calculation cycle prior to this one to calculate the moving speed and moving direction of the detection object in real space based on the change in the position of the same detection object over time.
  • the surrounding environment recognition process executed in step S2 may be performed using conventionally known technology, and is not particularly limited.
  • the measurement data includes information on the speed of the measurement point, so the process of calculating the movement speed by the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A may be omitted.
  • Step S3 Is there a bicycle ahead in the direction of travel
  • the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A determines, as a result of the surrounding environment recognition processing, whether or not there is a bicycle ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10. If the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A recognizes a bicycle by the surrounding environment recognition processing, it determines that a bicycle is present ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10. On the other hand, if the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A does not recognize a bicycle by the surrounding environment recognition processing, it determines that there is no bicycle ahead in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10.
  • step S3 If the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A determines that a bicycle is present ahead of the vehicle 10 in the direction of travel (YES in step S3), the determination processing unit 111B executes step S4, which will be described later. On the other hand, if the processing device 111 determines that a bicycle is not present ahead of the vehicle 10 in the direction of travel (NO in step S3), it executes the previous step S1 again.
  • Step S4 Is there a tilt factor other than the course change
  • the determination processing unit 111B determines whether there is a factor that may cause the bicycle to tilt other than a change in course. Specifically, the determination processing unit 111B determines whether there is a factor that may cause the bicycle to tilt based on the unevenness of the road surface on which the bicycle is traveling. More specifically, the processing device 111 executes the following process 1 or 2.
  • the surrounding environment recognition process 111A recognizes a convex portion on the road surface on which the vehicle 10 is traveling.
  • the determination process 111B estimates the height of the convex portion based on image data of the convex portion.
  • the determination processing unit 111B in this embodiment determines that there is a factor that causes the bicycle to tilt other than changing course if the estimated height of the protrusion is a certain height or more, and determines that there is no factor that causes the bicycle to tilt other than changing course if the estimated height of the protrusion is less than the certain height.
  • the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A recognizes a puddle on the road surface on which the vehicle 10 is traveling in the surrounding environment recognition processing of the previous step S2.
  • the determination processing unit 111B estimates the depth of the puddle based on image data in which the puddle is captured. Specifically, for example, the determination processing unit 111B measures a vertical dimension D1 of the wheel of the bicycle or other vehicle from image data in which the puddle is captured before the bicycle or other vehicle enters.
  • the determination processing unit 111B measures a vertical dimension D2 of the part of the wheel that is not submerged in the puddle from image data in which the puddle in which the bicycle or other vehicle has entered is captured, and estimates the depth of the puddle by calculating the difference (D1-D2) between the dimension D1 and the dimension D2.
  • the determination processing unit 111B in this embodiment determines that there is a factor other than changing course that causes the bicycle to tilt if the estimated puddle depth is equal to or greater than the certain depth, and determines that there is no factor other than changing course that causes the bicycle to tilt if the estimated puddle depth is less than the certain depth.
  • step S4 If the judgment processing unit 111B determines that there is a factor other than a course change (YES in step S4), the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C executes step S5, which will be described later. On the other hand, if the judgment processing unit 111B determines that there is no factor other than a course change (NO in step S4), the processing device 111 executes the previous step S3 again.
  • the method of estimating the height of the protrusions on the road surface on which the bicycle is traveling and the depth of the puddles is not particularly limited, and may be detected using known technology.
  • the height of the protrusions on the road surface is not limited to a method of estimation based on image data acquired from the forward-facing cameras 12A and 12B, and may be estimated using LiDAR.
  • Step S5 Angle threshold setting process 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the angle threshold setting process, and is a diagram that diagrammatically shows the bicycle 20.
  • the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C sets the angle threshold based on that factor.
  • the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C determines in the previous judgment process of step S4 that there is a factor that would cause the bicycle 20 to tilt, it sets the angle threshold on the right side of the traveling direction of the bicycle 20 to an angle ⁇ A that is greater than the reference angle ⁇ RB , and sets the angle threshold on the left side of the traveling direction of the bicycle 20 to an angle ⁇ B that is greater than the reference angle ⁇ LB , as shown in FIG. 7.
  • the angle ⁇ A (e.g., 20° or 30°) is a value obtained by adding the reference angle ⁇ RB (e.g., 15°) to the first angle ⁇ 1 (e.g., 5° or 15°), and the angle ⁇ B (e.g., 20° or 30°) is a value obtained by adding the reference angle ⁇ LB (e.g., 15°) to the first angle ⁇ 1 (e.g., 5° or 15°).
  • angle threshold is a threshold for determining whether or not the bicycle 20 should change course.
  • reference angle is a preset angle threshold (prescribed value) that assumes that the bicycle 20 will be traveling on a flat road.
  • Step S6 Tilt angle calculation process
  • Fig. 8 is a diagram showing a bicycle 20 facing backward with respect to the vehicle
  • Fig. 9 is a diagram showing a bicycle 20 facing forward with respect to the vehicle 10.
  • step S6 the inclination angle calculation processing unit 111D calculates the inclination angle ⁇ of the bicycle 20 with respect to the vertical direction DV recognized by the surrounding environment recognition device 12 that recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle 10. Specifically, the processing device 111 executes the following process 3 or 4.
  • the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A recognizes the rear wheel R W of the bicycle 20 in the surrounding environment recognition processing in the previous step S2.
  • the tilt angle calculation processing unit 111D identifies the vertical direction D V based on the detection result information obtained from the direction detection sensor.
  • the tilt angle calculation processing unit 111D calculates the angle between the recognized center axis DF of the rear wheel R W and the identified vertical direction D V as the tilt angle ⁇ of the bicycle 20.
  • the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A recognizes the frame f (e.g., the head tube) of the bicycle 20 in the surrounding environment recognition processing in the previous step S2.
  • the tilt angle calculation processing unit 111D identifies the vertical direction DV based on the detection result information obtained from the direction detection sensor.
  • the tilt angle calculation processing unit 111D calculates the angle between the central axis DC of the recognized frame f and the identified vertical direction DV as the tilt angle ⁇ of the bicycle 20.
  • Step S7 Did the bicycle lean angle exceed the angle threshold?) 10 to 13 are explanatory diagrams for explaining step S7, and are diagrams that diagrammatically show the bicycle 20.
  • the prediction processing unit 111E determines whether or not the inclination angle ⁇ calculated in the previous step S6 exceeds the angle threshold value set in the previous step S5.
  • the prediction processing unit 111E determines that the tilt angle of the bicycle 20 does not exceed the angle threshold if the calculated tilt angle ⁇ is equal to or smaller than the angle ⁇ A set as the angle threshold, as shown in FIG. 10, or if the calculated tilt angle ⁇ is equal to or smaller than the angle ⁇ B set as the angle threshold, as shown in FIG. 11.
  • the prediction processing unit 111E determines that the lean angle of the bicycle 20 has exceeded the angle threshold if the calculated lean angle ⁇ is greater than angle ⁇ A set as the angle threshold, as shown in FIG. 12, or if the calculated lean angle ⁇ is greater than angle ⁇ B set as the angle threshold, as shown in FIG. 13.
  • step S7 determines that the lean angle of the bicycle 20 exceeds the angle threshold value (YES in step S7), it executes step S8 described below.
  • the processing device 111 determines that the lean angle of the bicycle 20 does not exceed the angle threshold value (NO in step S7), it resets the angle threshold value from angles ⁇ A and ⁇ B to reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB , and executes the previous step S3 again.
  • Step S8 Calculate the duration of time that the angle threshold is exceeded
  • the prediction processing unit 111E integrates the duration during which the tilt angle ⁇ of the bicycle 20 exceeds the angle threshold value set in the previous step S5. That is, if the tilt angle ⁇ of the bicycle 20 continues to exceed the angle threshold value up to time t1 , the prediction processing unit 111E measures the difference ( t1 - t0 ) from time t0, when the tilt angle ⁇ began to exceed the angle threshold value, to time t1 .
  • Step S9 Is the duration longer than a predetermined time
  • the prediction processing unit 111E determines whether the duration measured in the previous step S8 is equal to or greater than a predetermined time. If the measured duration is equal to or greater than the predetermined time, i.e., if the difference (t 1 - t 0 ) is equal to or greater than a predetermined time interval (YES in step S9), the prediction processing unit 111E executes step S10, which will be described later.
  • the processing device 111 executes the previous step S7 again.
  • Step S10 Prediction process
  • the prediction processing unit 111E predicts that the bicycle 20 will change course if the inclination angle ⁇ calculated by the inclination angle calculation process in step S6 exceeds a predetermined angle threshold.
  • the prediction processing unit 111E predicts that the bicycle 20 will change course when the tilt angle ⁇ of the bicycle 20 continues to exceed the angle threshold value set in the previous step S5 for a predetermined period of time or more. This prevents the bicycle 20 from immediately determining that a course change has occurred when the tilt angle ⁇ exceeds the angle threshold value due to the bicycle 20 swaying. Therefore, the prediction processing unit 111E can accurately determine whether the bicycle 20 is swaying or will change course.
  • Step S11 Determine the possibility of the bicycle colliding with a vehicle
  • the collision avoidance processing unit 111F determines whether or not there is a possibility that the bicycle 20, which was predicted to change course by the prediction processing in the previous step S10, will collide with the vehicle 10.
  • the collision avoidance processing unit 111F estimates the expected path of the vehicle 10 based on the yaw angle of the vehicle 10 or the steering angle of the vehicle 10 calculated by the tilt angle calculation processing unit 111D.
  • the collision avoidance processing unit 111F estimates the expected route of the bicycle 20 based on the movement speed of the bicycle 20 and the tilt angle ⁇ of the bicycle 20 calculated in the previous step S2. Specifically, the collision avoidance processing unit 111F sequentially calculates the turning radius of the bicycle 20 based on the movement speed of the bicycle 20 and the tilt angle ⁇ of the bicycle 20, and estimates the expected route of the bicycle 20 from the calculated turning radius.
  • the collision avoidance processing unit 111F determines whether the estimated predicted route R1 of the bicycle 20 intersects with the estimated predicted route R2 of the vehicle 10. If the collision avoidance processing unit 111F determines that the estimated route R1 and the estimated route R2 intersect, it calculates the time t2 at which the vehicle 10 will arrive at the intersection XP based on the current moving speed of the vehicle 10, and calculates the time t3 at which the bicycle 20 will arrive at the intersection XP based on the current moving speed of the bicycle 20.
  • the collision avoidance processing unit 111F determines whether the time interval between time t2 and time t3 is equal to or greater than a predetermined interval. If the collision avoidance processing unit 111F determines that the time interval is equal to or greater than the predetermined interval, it determines that there is no possibility of a collision between the vehicle 10 and the bicycle 20. On the other hand, if the collision avoidance processing unit 111F determines that the time interval is less than the predetermined time interval, it determines that there is a possibility of a collision between the vehicle 10 and the bicycle 20.
  • the collision avoidance processing unit 111F determines that the predicted route R1 and the predicted route R2 do not intersect, it determines that there is no possibility that the bicycle 20 will collide with the vehicle 10.
  • step S11 If the collision avoidance processing unit 111F determines that there is a possibility that the bicycle 20 will collide with the vehicle 10 (YES in step S11), it executes step S12, which will be described later. On the other hand, if the processing device 111 determines that there is no possibility that the bicycle 20 will collide with the vehicle 10 (NO in step S11), it resets the angle thresholds from angles ⁇ A and ⁇ B to reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB , and executes the previous step S3 again.
  • Step S12 Collision avoidance processing
  • the collision avoidance processing unit 111F determines that there is a possibility that the bicycle 20 will collide with the vehicle 10, it executes collision avoidance processing to avoid a collision between the vehicle 10 and the bicycle 20.
  • the collision avoidance processing unit 111F outputs command information to the vehicle control unit 21 to avoid a collision between the vehicle 10 and the bicycle 20.
  • the vehicle control unit 21, which has acquired the command information, controls the steering angle and/or acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle 10 so that the predicted path of the vehicle 10 and the predicted path of the bicycle 20 do not intersect.
  • the vehicle control unit 21 sets the control amount of the steering angle and/or acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle 10 to an amount corresponding to the difference ( ⁇ - ⁇ A or ⁇ - ⁇ B ) between the tilt angle ⁇ of the bicycle 20 and the angle threshold value. That is, the vehicle control unit 21 increases the control amount as the difference increases and decreases the control amount as the difference decreases.
  • the collision avoidance process for avoiding a collision between the vehicle 10 and the bicycle 20 is not limited to the process described above, and any conventionally known technology may be used.
  • Step S13 Overtaking or passing completed
  • the collision avoidance processing unit 111F determines whether or not the vehicle 10 has completed overtaking or passing the bicycle 20. Specifically, if, as a result of execution of the previous step S12, the vehicle 10 has overtaken or passed the bicycle 20 and the bicycle 20 is not detected by the side detection sensors or the front imaging cameras 12A, 12B, the collision avoidance processing unit 111F determines that the vehicle 10 has completed overtaking or passing the bicycle 20 (YES in step S13).
  • the collision avoidance processing unit 111F determines that the vehicle 10 has not completed overtaking or passing the bicycle 20 (NO in step S13). In this case, the processing device 111 resets the angle thresholds from angles ⁇ A , ⁇ B to reference angles ⁇ RB , ⁇ LB , and executes the previous step S3 again.
  • the driving assistance device 11 of this embodiment comprises one or more processors and one or more memories communicatively connected to the one or more processors, and the one or more processors execute a tilt angle calculation process that calculates the tilt angle ⁇ of the bicycle 20 with respect to the vertical direction DV recognized by the surrounding environment recognition device 12 that recognizes the surrounding environment of the vehicle 10, a prediction process that predicts that the bicycle 20 will change course if the tilt angle ⁇ calculated by the tilt angle calculation process exceeds a predetermined angle threshold, a determination process that determines whether there is a factor that will cause the bicycle 20 to tilt other than a change of course, and an angle threshold setting process that sets an angle threshold based on the factor if it is determined in the determination process that there is a factor that will cause the bicycle 20 to tilt.
  • the angle thresholds are reset from the reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB , and the reset angle thresholds become angles ⁇ A and ⁇ B that are appropriate for various factors other than lane changes that may cause the bicycle 20 to lean.
  • This allows the prediction processing unit 111E to more accurately predict whether the bicycle 20 will change lane, rather than simply predicting that the bicycle 20 will change lane when the lean angle ⁇ of the bicycle 20 exceeds the preset specified reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB.
  • the one or more processors determine whether or not there is a factor that may cause the bicycle 20 to tilt based on the unevenness of the road surface on which the bicycle 20 is traveling. Specifically, in the above-mentioned determination process, if the height of the convex part on the road surface is equal to or greater than a predetermined height, the one or more processors determine that there is a factor that may cause the bicycle 20 to tilt, and in the above-mentioned angle threshold setting process, set the angles ⁇ A , ⁇ B obtained by adding a first angle ⁇ 1 to predetermined reference angles ⁇ RB , ⁇ LB as the angle thresholds.
  • the angle thresholds are set to angles ⁇ A and ⁇ B greater than the reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB . Therefore, even if the bicycle 20 leans, the lean angle ⁇ is less likely to exceed the angle threshold. This prevents the prediction processing unit 111E from erroneously predicting a sway of the bicycle 20 caused by a bump on the road surface as a course change, improving the judgment accuracy of the prediction processing unit 111E.
  • Step S4 Is there a tilt factor other than the course change
  • the determination processing unit 111B determines whether there is a factor that causes the bicycle 20 to tilt other than a change of course. Specifically, the determination processing unit 111B determines whether there is a factor that causes the bicycle 20 to tilt based on the inclination state of the road surface R on which the bicycle 20 is traveling. More specifically, the determination processing unit 111B executes the following process 5, 6, or 7.
  • the determination processing unit 111B determines that there is a factor that causes the bicycle 20 to tilt other than a change in course when the roll angle of the vehicle 10 is equal to or greater than a predetermined angle, that is, when the road surface R on which the vehicle 10 and the bicycle 20 are traveling is an inclined surface that is inclined by a predetermined angle or more in the width direction of the vehicle 10 (YES in step S4).
  • the determination processing unit 111B determines that there is no factor that causes the bicycle 20 to tilt other than a change in course (NO in step S4).
  • the determination processing unit 111B determines that there is a factor that causes the bicycle 20 to lean other than a change in course when the positive value of the pitch angle of the vehicle 10 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, that is, when the road surface R on which the vehicle 10 and the bicycle 20 are traveling is an uphill slope that is inclined by a predetermined angle or more in the direction of travel of the bicycle 20 (YES in step S4).
  • the determination processing unit 111B determines that there is no factor that causes the bicycle 20 to lean other than a change in course (NO in step S4).
  • the determination processing unit 111B determines that there is a factor that causes the bicycle 20 to lean other than a change in course when the negative value of the pitch angle of the vehicle 10 is less than a predetermined threshold value, that is, when the road surface R on which the vehicle 10 and the bicycle 20 travel is a downhill slope that is inclined by a predetermined angle or more in the direction of travel of the bicycle 20 (YES in step S4).
  • the determination processing unit 111B determines that there is no factor that causes the bicycle 20 to lean other than a change in course (NO in step S4).
  • the method by which the determination processing unit 111B determines whether the road surface R on which the vehicle 10 and bicycle 20 are traveling is an uphill, downhill, or sideways inclined surface may use conventionally known technology.
  • the determination processing unit 111B may determine whether the road surface R is an uphill, downhill, or sideways inclined surface based on image data of an image of the road surface R, information on the steering amount of the vehicle 10, or driving data of the vehicle 10 such as the engine load, etc.
  • Step S5 Angle threshold setting process If it is determined in the previous determination process of step S4 that there is a factor that causes the bicycle 20 to tilt, the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C sets an angle threshold based on that factor in step S5. Specifically, the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C executes the following process 8, 9, or 10.
  • the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C sets the angle threshold for the lateral inclined surface on the slope side vertically upward from the contact point S between the bicycle 20 and the lateral inclined surface to be greater than the reference angle ⁇ LB , and sets the angle threshold for the lateral inclined surface on the slope side vertically downward from the contact point S to be smaller than the reference angle ⁇ RB .
  • the bicycle attempting to travel straight will tilt against the inclination of the road surface R, toward the slope side vertically upward from the contact point S, as shown in the figure.
  • the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C sets the angle threshold for the side of the lateral inclined surface vertically upward from the contact point S between the bicycle 20 and the lateral inclined surface to an angle ⁇ B (e.g., 20°) greater than the reference angle ⁇ LB (e.g., 15°), and sets the angle threshold for the side of the lateral inclined surface vertically downward from the contact point S to an angle ⁇ A (e.g., 10°) smaller than the reference angle ⁇ RB (e.g., 15°).
  • the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C may set the angle threshold on the slope side vertically upward from the contact point S between the bicycle 20 and the inclined surface to an angle ⁇ B corresponding to the roll angle of the vehicle 10 (the inclination angle of the inclined surface), and may set the angle threshold on the slope side vertically downward from the contact point S between the bicycle 20 and the inclined surface to an angle ⁇ A corresponding to the roll angle (the inclination angle of the inclined surface) of the vehicle 10.
  • the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C may uniformly set the angle threshold on the slope side vertically upward from the contact point S and the angle threshold on the slope side vertically downward from the contact point S, or may variably set them depending on the roll angle of the vehicle 10 (the inclination angle of the inclined surface).
  • the method for estimating the inclination angle of the inclined surface is not particularly limited, and any conventionally known technology may be used.
  • the determination processing unit 111B may estimate the inclination angle of the inclined surface based on image data of an image of the inclined surface (road surface R), information on the steering amount of the vehicle 10, or driving data such as the engine load of the vehicle 10.
  • Fig. 15 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle 20 traveling uphill. When the rider pedals hard, the bicycle traveling uphill may tilt to the right and left in the direction of travel, compared to when the bicycle is traveling on a road surface R as shown in Fig. 14.
  • the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C sets the angle thresholds to angles ⁇ A , ⁇ B (e.g., 30°) obtained by adding a second angle ⁇ 2 (e.g., 15°) to predetermined reference angles ⁇ RB , ⁇ LB (e.g., 15°), as shown in FIG. 15, and makes the angle thresholds greater than the reference angles ⁇ RB , ⁇ LB .
  • Fig. 16 is a schematic diagram showing a bicycle 20 traveling downhill.
  • a bicycle traveling downhill may change course at a smaller tilt angle ⁇ due to an increase in speed compared to when traveling on a road surface R (lateral slope) as shown in Fig. 14 or a road surface R (uphill) as shown in Fig. 15.
  • the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C sets the angle thresholds to angles ⁇ A , ⁇ B (e.g., 10°) obtained by subtracting a third angle ⁇ 3 (e.g., 5°) from predetermined reference angles ⁇ RB , ⁇ LB (e.g., 15°), as shown in FIG. 16, and makes the angle thresholds smaller than the reference angles ⁇ RB , ⁇ LB .
  • one or more processors according to the second embodiment determine whether there is a factor that would cause the bicycle 20 to tilt other than a change in course, based on the inclination state of the road surface R on which the bicycle 20 is traveling.
  • step S4 if the road surface R on which the vehicle 10 and bicycle 20 are traveling is an inclined surface that is inclined in the width direction of the vehicle 10 by a predetermined inclination angle or more, the one or more processors determine that there is a factor that will cause the bicycle 20 to tilt, and in the angle threshold setting process of step S5, they set the angle threshold of the slope side of the slope above the contact point S between the bicycle 20 and the inclined surface to an angle greater than a predetermined reference angle, and set the angle threshold of the slope side of the slope below the contact point S to an angle smaller than the predetermined reference angle.
  • the angle threshold for the slope vertically upward from the contact point S is set to an angle greater than the reference angle. Therefore, even if the bicycle 20 tilts vertically upward from the contact point S, the tilt angle ⁇ is less likely to exceed the expanded angle threshold. This prevents the prediction processing unit 111E from erroneously predicting a course change due to the swaying of the bicycle 20 caused by the road surface R on which the vehicle 10 and bicycle 20 are traveling being a lateral incline, improving the judgment accuracy of the prediction processing unit 111E.
  • the angle thresholds are reset from the reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB , and the reset angle thresholds become angles ⁇ A and ⁇ B that match the inclination angles of the lateral inclined surface. This allows the prediction processing unit 111E to more accurately predict whether the bicycle 20 will change course than if it simply predicted that the bicycle 20 will change course when the inclination angle ⁇ of the bicycle 20 exceeds the preset reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB.
  • the one or more processors according to the second embodiment determine that there is a factor that will cause the bicycle 20 to tilt if the road surface R on which the vehicle 10 and bicycle 20 are traveling is an uphill slope that inclines at a predetermined angle or more in the direction of travel of the bicycle 20, and in the angle threshold setting process of step S5, set the angles ⁇ A , ⁇ B obtained by adding the second angle ⁇ 2 to the predetermined reference angles ⁇ RB , ⁇ LB as the angle thresholds.
  • the angle thresholds are set to angles ⁇ A and ⁇ B greater than the reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB . Therefore, even if the bicycle 20 tilts while traveling uphill, the tilt angle ⁇ is less likely to exceed the angle threshold. This prevents the prediction processing unit 111E from erroneously predicting that the swaying of the bicycle 20 caused by traveling uphill is a course change, improving the judgment accuracy of the prediction processing unit 111E.
  • the one or more processors of the second embodiment determine that there is a factor that will cause the bicycle 20 to tilt if the road surface R on which the vehicle 10 and bicycle 20 are traveling is a downhill slope that inclines at a predetermined angle or more in the direction of travel of the bicycle 20, and in the angle threshold setting process of step S5, set the angles ⁇ A , ⁇ B obtained by subtracting the third angle ⁇ 3 from the predetermined reference angles ⁇ RB , ⁇ LB as the angle thresholds.
  • the angle thresholds are set to angles ⁇ A , ⁇ B smaller than the reference angles ⁇ RB , ⁇ LB . Therefore, when the bicycle 20 traveling downhill leans due to a lane change, the lean angle ⁇ is more likely to exceed the angle threshold. This improves the accuracy of the prediction processing unit 111E in detecting the lean caused by the lane change of the bicycle 20, compared to a case where the prediction processing unit 111E uniformly predicts that the bicycle 20 will change lane when the lean angle ⁇ of the bicycle 20 exceeds the preset specified reference angles ⁇ RB , ⁇ LB .
  • the vehicle 10 according to the third embodiment differs from the vehicle 10 according to the first embodiment in that it has a wind direction and wind speed sensor.
  • the description of the configurations of the third and fourth embodiments described later the description of the configurations similar to those of the vehicle 10 according to the first embodiment will be omitted.
  • the wind direction and speed sensor may be a known sensor capable of measuring wind direction and speed, and may be provided at any position on the vehicle 10 so as to be able to measure wind direction and speed.
  • the wind direction and speed sensor transmits information on the measurement results to the processing device 111.
  • Step S4 Is there a tilt factor other than the course change
  • the determination processing unit 111B determines whether there is a factor that may cause the bicycle 20 to tilt other than a change in course. Specifically, the determination processing unit 111B determines whether there is a factor that may cause the bicycle 20 to tilt based on wind conditions.
  • the determination processing unit 111B obtains information on wind direction and wind speed from the measurement results obtained from the wind direction and speed sensor. Next, if the wind speed is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the determination processing unit 111B determines that there is a factor that causes the bicycle 20 to tilt other than a change in course (YES in step S4). On the other hand, if the wind speed is less than the predetermined threshold, it determines that there is no factor that causes the bicycle 20 to tilt other than a change in course (NO in step S4).
  • the method of measuring the wind direction and wind speed is not limited to the above method, and conventionally known techniques may be used.
  • the determination processing unit 111B may measure the wind direction and wind speed by acquiring and analyzing image data of windsocks, small windmills, etc. installed around the vehicle 10 while it is moving using an imaging device (camera, etc.) mounted on the vehicle 10.
  • an external wind speed measuring device that can provide information on the wind direction and wind speed to the vehicle 10 via a known external communication device may function as the wind direction and wind speed sensor.
  • information on the wind direction and wind speed in the weather information around the vehicle 10 while it is moving may be acquired via the external communication device.
  • the wind measured by the wind direction and wind speed sensor is not limited to natural wind, and may be, for example, wind generated when another vehicle passes by the side of the vehicle 10.
  • Step S5 Angle threshold setting process If it is determined in the previous determination process of step S4 that there is a factor that causes the bicycle 20 to tilt, the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C sets an angle threshold based on that factor in step S5. Specifically, the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C executes the following process 11 or 12.
  • (Process 11) 17 is a schematic diagram of a bicycle 20 traveling while receiving wind.
  • the bicycle 20 may be tilted to the right side of the traveling direction (downwind side) without changing its course due to the wind.
  • the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C sets the angle threshold on the right side of the traveling direction of the bicycle 20 (downwind side) to an angle ⁇ A larger than the reference angle ⁇ RB , and sets the angle threshold on the left side of the traveling direction of the bicycle 20 (upwind side) to an angle ⁇ B smaller than the reference angle ⁇ LB or maintains it at the reference angle ⁇ LB in order to prevent the tilt from being erroneously determined as a tilt caused by a change of course .
  • the angle threshold setting processor 111C may set the angle thresholds for the right and left sides (upwind and downwind) in the traveling direction of the bicycle 20 to angles ⁇ A and ⁇ B according to the wind speed. That is, the angle threshold setting processor 111C according to this embodiment may set the angle thresholds for the right and left sides (upwind and downwind) in the traveling direction of the bicycle 20 uniformly, or may variably set them according to the wind speed.
  • the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C sets the angle thresholds for the right and left sides of the traveling direction of the bicycle 20 to angles ⁇ A and ⁇ B (e.g., 30°) that are greater than the reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB (e.g., 15°).
  • step S4 one or more processors according to the third embodiment judge whether there is a factor that would cause the bicycle 20 to tilt based on wind conditions, and in the angle threshold setting process of step S5, the windward angle threshold can be set to a predetermined reference angle or an angle smaller than the angle threshold, and the downwind angle threshold can be set to an angle larger than the predetermined reference angle.
  • the angle threshold on the downwind side is set to an angle greater than the reference angle. Therefore, even if the bicycle 20 tilts to the downwind side, this tilt angle ⁇ is unlikely to exceed the angle threshold on the downwind side. This prevents the prediction processing unit 111E from erroneously predicting that the swaying of the bicycle 20 caused by the wind is a course change, improving the judgment accuracy of the prediction processing unit 111E.
  • the angle thresholds are reset from the reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB , and the reset angle thresholds become angles ⁇ A and ⁇ B that suit the wind speed. This allows the prediction processing unit 111E to more accurately predict whether the bicycle 20 will change course than if it simply predicted that the bicycle 20 will change course when the tilt angle ⁇ of the bicycle 20 exceeds the preset specified reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB.
  • the vehicle 10 of the fourth embodiment differs from the vehicle 10 of the first embodiment in that it has a raindrop sensor.
  • the raindrop sensor is provided, for example, near the windshield of the vehicle 10.
  • the raindrop sensor has a vibration pickup that detects vibration of the windshield caused by raindrops colliding with the windshield, and outputs a signal corresponding to the vibration acceleration.
  • the raindrop sensor may be a sensor that detects the capacitance of an electrostatic change caused by water adhering thereto, and outputs a signal corresponding to the electrostatic change.
  • the raindrop sensor may be a sensor that calculates the number or area ratio of raindrops that have fallen within a predetermined range on the windshield in a predetermined time based on image data from a camera, and estimates the amount of rainfall.
  • the raindrop sensor outputs information on the detection result to the processing device 111.
  • the information on the detection result includes the signal corresponding to the vibration acceleration or the signal corresponding to the electrostatic change.
  • Step S4 Is there a tilt factor other than the course change
  • the determination processing unit 111B determines whether or not there is a factor that may cause the bicycle 20 to tilt other than a change in course. Specifically, the determination processing unit 111B determines whether or not there is a factor that may cause the bicycle 20 to tilt based on the amount of rainfall.
  • the determination processing unit 111B estimates the amount of rainfall based on the information of the detection results obtained from the raindrop sensor. Next, if the estimated amount of rainfall is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, the determination processing unit 111B determines that there is a factor that causes the bicycle 20 to tilt other than changing course (YES in step S4). On the other hand, if the estimated amount of rainfall is less than the predetermined threshold, it determines that there is no factor that causes the bicycle 20 to tilt other than changing course (NO in step S4).
  • the method for estimating the amount of rainfall is not limited to the above method, and any conventionally known technology may be used.
  • the determination processing unit 111B may estimate the amount of rainfall based on information from the measurement results of a hygrometer.
  • Step S5 Angle threshold setting process If it is determined in step S4 that there is a factor that may cause the bicycle 20 to tilt, the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C sets the angle threshold based on that factor in step S5.
  • the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C sets the angle thresholds for the right and left sides of the bicycle 20's direction of travel to angles ⁇ A and ⁇ B (e.g., 30°) that are greater than the reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB (e.g., 15°) to prevent the lean from being erroneously determined to be due to a change in course.
  • the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C may set the angle thresholds for the right and left sides in the traveling direction of the bicycle 20 to angles ⁇ A and ⁇ B according to the estimated amount of rainfall. That is, the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C according to this embodiment may set the angle thresholds for the right and left sides in the traveling direction of the bicycle 20 uniformly, or may variably set them according to the amount of rainfall.
  • the one or more processors according to the fourth embodiment determine, in the determination process of step S4, whether or not there is a factor that may cause the bicycle 20 to tilt, based on the amount of rainfall, and, in the angle threshold setting process of step S5, set the angle thresholds to angles ⁇ A and ⁇ B that are greater than predetermined reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB.
  • the angle thresholds are set to angles ⁇ A and ⁇ B greater than the reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB. Therefore, even if the bicycle 20 leans due to rainfall, the lean angle ⁇ is unlikely to exceed the angle threshold. This prevents the prediction processing unit 111E from erroneously predicting that the swaying of the bicycle 20 caused by rainfall is a course change, improving the judgment accuracy of the prediction processing unit 111E.
  • the angle thresholds are reset from the reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB , and the reset angle thresholds become angles ⁇ A and ⁇ B that are appropriate for the estimated amount of rainfall. This allows the prediction processing unit 111E to more accurately predict whether the bicycle 20 will change course than if it simply predicted that the bicycle 20 will change course when the tilt angle ⁇ of the bicycle 20 exceeds the preset reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB.
  • Step S4 Is there a tilt factor other than the course change
  • Fig. 18 is a schematic diagram of the bicycle 20 loaded with luggage L
  • Fig. 19 is a schematic diagram of the bicycle 20 with a passenger P.
  • the determination processing unit 111B determines whether or not there is a factor that causes the bicycle 20 to tilt other than a change in course. Specifically, in the determination process of step S4, the determination processing unit 111B determines whether or not there is a factor that causes the bicycle 20 to tilt based on the presence or absence of luggage L loaded on the bicycle 20 or a passenger P other than the driver of the bicycle 20.
  • the judgment processing unit 111B determines that there is a factor that causes the bicycle to tilt other than a change in course (YES in step S4).
  • the judgment processing unit 111B determines that there is no factor that causes the bicycle to tilt other than a change in course (NO in step S4).
  • Step S5 Angle threshold setting process If it is determined in step S4 that there is a factor that may cause the bicycle 20 to tilt, the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C sets the angle threshold based on that factor in step S5.
  • the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C sets the angle threshold for the right or left side of the bicycle 20 in the direction of travel, toward which the luggage L or passenger P is leaning, to an angle (e.g., 20°) greater than the reference angle (e.g., 15°).
  • one or more processors according to the fifth embodiment judge whether there is a factor that would cause the bicycle 20 to tilt based on the state of luggage L loaded on the bicycle 20 or the state of a passenger P other than the driver of the bicycle 20, and in the angle threshold setting process of step S5, set the angle threshold for either the right or left side of the direction of travel of the bicycle 20 to an angle greater than a predetermined reference angle.
  • the angle threshold for the right or left side of the bicycle 20's direction of travel, on the side to which the luggage L or passenger P is leaning is set to an angle greater than the reference angle. Therefore, even if the bicycle 20 tilts due to loss of balance caused by the luggage L or passenger P, this tilt angle ⁇ is less likely to exceed the angle threshold. This prevents the prediction processing unit 111E from erroneously predicting that the swaying of the bicycle 20 caused by the luggage L or passenger P is a course change, improving the judgment accuracy of the prediction processing unit 111E.
  • Step S4 Is there a tilt factor other than the course change
  • the determination processing unit 111B determines whether or not there is a factor that causes the bicycle 20 to lean other than a lane change. Specifically, in the determination process of step S4, the determination processing unit 111B determines that there is a factor that causes the bicycle 20 to lean if the speed of the bicycle 20 is not equal to or higher than the lower limit value and equal to or lower than the upper limit value of a predetermined reference speed range.
  • the above-mentioned "lower limit value and upper limit value of the reference speed range" are threshold values for determining whether or not there is a factor that causes the bicycle 20 to lean other than a lane change, and are specified values that are set in advance.
  • the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A recognizes the bicycle 20 in the surrounding environment recognition processing in the previous step S2, and calculates the movement speed of the recognized bicycle 20.
  • a bicycle is more likely to lean even at a small angle as the speed increases, and is also more likely to lean as the speed decreases because the riding stability decreases. Therefore, if the calculated movement speed of the bicycle 20 is not equal to or greater than the lower limit and equal to or less than the upper limit of a predetermined reference speed range, the determination processing unit 111B determines that there is a factor that causes the bicycle 20 to lean other than a change in course (YES in step S4).
  • the calculated movement speed of the bicycle 20 is equal to or greater than the lower limit and equal to or less than the upper limit of the reference speed range, it determines that there is no factor that causes the bicycle 20 to lean other than a change in course (NO in step S4).
  • the method for calculating the travel speed of the recognized bicycle 20 is not limited to the method described in step S2 above, and any conventionally known technology may be used.
  • Step S5 Angle threshold setting process If it is determined in step S4 that there is a factor that may cause the bicycle 20 to tilt, the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C sets the angle threshold based on that factor in step S5.
  • the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C sets the angle thresholds to angles ⁇ A and ⁇ B smaller than the reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB in order to improve the detection accuracy of detecting the inclination caused by the course change of the bicycle 20 when the calculated moving speed of the bicycle 20 is faster than the upper limit value of a predetermined reference speed range.
  • the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C sets the angle thresholds to angles ⁇ A and ⁇ B larger than the reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB in order to prevent the wobble from being erroneously determined as the inclination caused by the course change.
  • the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C may set the angle thresholds for the right and left sides in the traveling direction of the bicycle 20 to angles ⁇ A and ⁇ B according to the moving speed of the bicycle 20. In other words, the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C may increase the angle thresholds as the moving speed of the bicycle 20 increases, and decrease the angle thresholds as the moving speed of the bicycle 20 decreases.
  • the one or more processors of the sixth embodiment determine that there is a factor that causes the bicycle 20 to tilt if the speed of the bicycle 20 is not above the lower limit value and below the upper limit value of a predetermined reference speed range, and in the angle threshold setting process of step S5, if the speed of the bicycle 20 is faster than the upper limit value, the angle thresholds are set to angles ⁇ A , ⁇ B smaller than the predetermined reference angles ⁇ RB , ⁇ LB , and if the speed of the bicycle 20 is slower than the lower limit value, the angle thresholds are set to angles ⁇ A , ⁇ B larger than the predetermined reference angles ⁇ RB , ⁇ LB .
  • the angle thresholds are set to angles ⁇ A , ⁇ B larger than the reference angles ⁇ RB , ⁇ LB. Therefore, even if the bicycle 20 leans, the lean angle ⁇ is less likely to exceed the expanded angle threshold. This prevents the prediction processing unit 111E from erroneously predicting a sway of the bicycle 20 caused by low speed as a course change, improving the judgment accuracy of the prediction processing unit 111E.
  • the angle thresholds are set to angles ⁇ A , ⁇ B smaller than the reference angles ⁇ RB , ⁇ LB . Therefore, when the bicycle 20 leans due to a lane change, the tilt angle ⁇ is more likely to exceed the angle threshold. This improves the accuracy of the prediction processing unit 111E in detecting the tilt associated with a lane change of the bicycle 20 compared to a case where the prediction processing unit 111E uniformly predicts that the bicycle 20 will change lane when the tilt angle ⁇ of the bicycle 20 exceeds the preset specified reference angles ⁇ RB , ⁇ LB .
  • the angle thresholds are reset from the reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB , and the reset angle thresholds become angles ⁇ A and ⁇ B that suit the moving speed of the bicycle 20. This allows the prediction processing unit 111E to more accurately predict whether the bicycle 20 will change course than if it simply predicts that the bicycle 20 will change course when the tilt angle ⁇ of the bicycle 20 exceeds the preset specified reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB.
  • Step S4 Is there a tilt factor other than the course change
  • the determination processing unit 111B determines whether or not there is a factor that would cause the bicycle 20 to lean other than a change in course. Specifically, in the determination process of step S4, the determination processing unit 111B determines whether or not there is a factor that would cause the bicycle 20 to lean based on the movement of the rider of the bicycle 20 or the posture of the rider of the bicycle 20. More specifically, the processing device 111 executes, for example, the following process 13 or 14.
  • the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A recognizes the bicycle 20 by the surrounding environment recognition processing in the previous step S2.
  • the judgment processing unit 111B judges whether the rider of the bicycle 20 is performing an action other than driving based on image data of the bicycle 20.
  • FIG. 20 is a schematic diagram of a bicycle 20 in which the rider is distracted while driving while holding a smartphone. If the judgment processing unit 111B determines that the rider of the bicycle 20 is performing an action other than driving, it determines that there is a factor that causes the bicycle to lean other than changing course (YES in step S4). Specifically, for example, if the rider of the bicycle 20 is holding a smartphone in one hand and gripping the handlebars with the other hand while looking away as shown in FIG. 21, the rider's steering of the handlebars will be unstable, making the bicycle 20 more likely to wobble. Therefore, if the rider is performing an action other than driving as shown in FIG. 21, the judgment processing unit 111B determines that there is a factor that causes the bicycle to lean other than changing course.
  • the determination processing unit 111B determines that the rider of the bicycle 20 is not performing an action other than driving, it determines that there is no factor that would cause the bicycle to tilt other than changing course (NO in step S4).
  • the method of determining whether the rider of the bicycle 20 is performing an action other than driving is not limited to the above method, and any conventionally known technology may be used.
  • (Process 14) 21 is a schematic diagram showing the bicycle 20 with the rider leaning backward.
  • the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A recognizes the bicycle 20 by the surrounding environment recognition processing in the previous step S2.
  • the judgment processing unit 111B estimates the riding posture of the rider of the bicycle 20 based on image data of the bicycle 20.
  • the judgment processing unit 111B determines that there is a factor that causes the bicycle to lean other than changing course (YES in step S4). Specifically, for example, if the rider of bicycle 20 leans excessively backward with the saddle positioned low as shown in FIG. 22, the judgment processing unit 111B determines that there is a factor that causes the bicycle to lean other than changing course. On the other hand, if the estimated driving posture is the correct posture, the judgment processing unit 111B determines that there is no factor that causes the bicycle to lean other than changing course (YES in step S4).
  • the above “proper posture” means, for example, that the rider's gaze and knees are facing in the direction of travel while sitting on the saddle, the rider's hands are positioned vertically below the shoulders, and the rider's waist is positioned vertically above the head tube of the bicycle.
  • the method for estimating the riding position of the rider of the bicycle 20 is not limited to the above method, and any conventionally known technology may be used.
  • Step S5 Angle threshold setting process If it is determined in step S4 that there is a factor that may cause the bicycle 20 to tilt, the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C sets the angle threshold based on that factor in step S5.
  • the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C determines that the movements of the rider of the bicycle 20 are different from driving movements, or when it determines that the riding posture of the rider is not proper, it sets the angle thresholds for the right and left sides of the direction of travel of the bicycle 20 to angles ⁇ A and ⁇ B (e.g., 30°) that are greater than the reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB (e.g., 15°), as shown in Figures 21 and 22.
  • one or more processors of the seventh embodiment determine whether or not there is a factor that causes the bicycle 20 to tilt based on the movement of the rider of the bicycle 20 or the posture of the rider of the bicycle 20, and in the angle threshold setting process of step S5, set the angle thresholds to angles ⁇ A , ⁇ B that are greater than predetermined reference angles ⁇ RB , ⁇ LB.
  • the angle thresholds are set to angles ⁇ A and ⁇ B that are greater than the reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB. Therefore, even if the bicycle 20 leans, the lean angle ⁇ is less likely to exceed the angle threshold. This prevents the prediction processing unit 111E from erroneously predicting that the bicycle 20 will change course due to the driver's movement or driving posture. Therefore, the prediction processing unit 111E can more accurately predict whether the bicycle 20 will change course than if the prediction processing unit 111E uniformly predicts that the bicycle 20 will change course when the lean angle ⁇ of the bicycle 20 exceeds the preset specified reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB.
  • Step S4 Is there a tilt factor other than the course change
  • the determination processing unit 111B determines whether or not there is a factor other than a change in course that would cause the bicycle 20 to lean. Specifically, in the determination process of step S4, the determination processing unit 111B estimates the driving ability of the rider of the bicycle 20, and determines whether or not there is a factor that would cause the bicycle 20 to lean based on the estimated driving ability.
  • the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A recognizes the rider of the bicycle 20 through the surrounding environment recognition processing in the previous step S2.
  • the judgment processing unit 111B estimates the approximate age of the rider of the bicycle 20 from the rider's appearance, etc. by processing image data of the rider.
  • the judgment processing unit 111B may detect the face of the rider of the bicycle 20 from image data captured of the rider, and estimate the rider's age by applying the detected face data to a pre-trained face detection model (e.g., MTCNN (Multi-task Cascaded Convolutional Neural Networks for Face Detection, based on TensorFlow) or DSFD (Dual Shot Face Detector), etc.).
  • a pre-trained face detection model e.g., MTCNN (Multi-task Cascaded Convolutional Neural Networks for Face Detection, based on TensorFlow) or DSFD (Dual Shot Face Detector), etc.
  • the judgment processing unit 111B judges that the driver of the bicycle 20 has poor driving ability if the estimated age is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold, and judges that there is a factor that causes the bicycle to lean other than changing course (YES in step S4). On the other hand, if the estimated age is less than the predetermined threshold, the judgment processing unit 111B judges that the driver of the bicycle 20 does not have poor driving ability, and judges that there is no factor that causes the bicycle to lean other than changing course (NO in step S4).
  • the method for estimating the driving ability of the rider of the bicycle 20 is not particularly limited, and any conventionally known method may be used.
  • Step S5 Angle threshold setting process If it is determined in step S4 that there is a factor that may cause the bicycle 20 to tilt, the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C sets the angle threshold based on that factor in step S5.
  • the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C sets the angle thresholds for the right and left sides of the direction of travel of the bicycle 20 to angles ⁇ A and ⁇ B (e.g., 30°) greater than the reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB (e.g., 15°).
  • one or more processors of the eighth embodiment estimate the driving ability of the rider of the bicycle 20, and based on the estimated driving ability, determine whether there is a factor that would cause the bicycle 20 to tilt other than a change in course, and in the setting process of step S5, set the angle thresholds to angles ⁇ A , ⁇ B that are greater than predetermined reference angles ⁇ RB , ⁇ LB.
  • the angle thresholds are set to angles ⁇ A and ⁇ B that are greater than the reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB. Therefore, even if the bicycle 20 leans, the lean angle ⁇ is less likely to exceed the expanded angle threshold. This prevents the prediction processing unit 111E from erroneously predicting that the bicycle 20 will change course due to the driver's driving ability. Therefore, the prediction processing unit 111E can more accurately predict whether the bicycle 20 will change course than if the prediction processing unit 111E uniformly predicts that the bicycle 20 will change course when the lean angle ⁇ of the bicycle 20 exceeds the preset specified reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB.
  • Step S4 Is there a tilt factor other than the course change
  • Fig. 22 is a schematic diagram of the bicycle 20 loaded with luggage L
  • Fig. 23 is a schematic diagram of the bicycle 20 with a passenger P on board.
  • the determination processing unit 111B determines whether or not there is a factor that would cause the bicycle 20 to tilt other than a change in course. Specifically, in the determination process of step S4, the determination processing unit 111B determines whether or not there is a factor that would cause the bicycle 20 to tilt based on the state of the luggage L loaded on the bicycle 20 or the state of the passenger P who is different from the driver of the bicycle 20. More specifically, the processing device 111 executes, for example, process 15 or 16 described below.
  • the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A recognizes the bicycle 20 carrying luggage L by the surrounding environment recognition processing in the previous step S2.
  • the determination processing unit 111B measures the width and height of the bicycle 20 based on image data of the bicycle 20, and estimates the center of gravity position G1 of the bicycle 20 from the center position of the width and the center position of the height.
  • the determination processing unit 111B measures the width and height of the luggage L based on the image data, and estimates the center of gravity position G2 of the luggage L from the center position of the width and the center position of the height.
  • the determination processing unit 111B determines that there is a factor that causes the bicycle to tilt other than a change in course (YES in step S4).
  • the determination processing unit 111B determines that there is no factor that causes the bicycle to tilt other than a change in course (NO in step S4).
  • the above “eccentricity” means that the center of gravity position G1 of the bicycle 20 and the center of gravity position G2 of the luggage L do not coincide and are not located on the same straight line.
  • the surrounding environment recognition processing unit 111A recognizes the bicycle 20 ridden by the passenger P through the surrounding environment recognition processing in the previous step S2.
  • the determination processing unit 111B measures the width and height of the bicycle 20 based on image data of the bicycle 20, and estimates the center of gravity position G1 of the bicycle 20 from the center position of the width and the center position of the height.
  • the determination processing unit 111B measures the width and height of the passenger P based on the image data, and estimates the center of gravity position G2 of the passenger P from the center position of the width and the center position of the height.
  • the judgment processing unit 111B judges that there is a factor that causes the bicycle to tilt other than a change in course (YES in step S4).
  • the judgment processing unit 111B judges that there is no factor that causes the bicycle to tilt other than a change in course (NO in step S4).
  • the method for estimating the center of gravity G1 of the bicycle 20 and the center of gravity G2 of the luggage L and passenger P is not limited to the above method, and any conventionally known technology may be used.
  • Step S5 Angle threshold setting process If it is determined in step S4 that there is a factor that may cause the bicycle 20 to tilt, the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C sets the angle threshold based on that factor in step S5.
  • the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C sets the angle threshold for the right or left side in the direction of travel of the bicycle 20 to an angle greater than the reference angle, whichever side the center of gravity position G2 is biased to. More specifically, the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C executes, for example, process 17 or 18 below.
  • the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C maintains the angle threshold on the right side of the direction of travel of the bicycle 20 at a reference angle ⁇ RB (e.g., 15°) as shown in the same figure, and sets the angle threshold on the left side of the direction of travel of the bicycle 20 to an angle ⁇ B (e.g., 20°) greater than the reference angle ⁇ LB (e.g., 15°).
  • the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C maintains the angle threshold on the left side of the direction of travel of the bicycle 20 at the reference angle ⁇ LB (e.g., 15°) as shown in the same figure, and sets the angle threshold on the right side of the direction of travel of the bicycle 20 to an angle ⁇ A (e.g., 20°) greater than the reference angle ⁇ RB (e.g., 15°).
  • the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C may set the angle threshold for the right or left side in the traveling direction of the bicycle 20, on which side the center of gravity position G2 is biased, to an angle corresponding to the difference ⁇ G between the center of gravity positions G1 and G2.
  • the angle threshold setting processing unit 111C may set the angle threshold uniformly, or may set it variably according to the difference ⁇ G.
  • one or more processors determine whether or not there is a factor that would cause the bicycle 20 to tilt based on the state of the luggage L loaded on the bicycle 20 or the state of a passenger P other than the driver of the bicycle 20, and in the angle threshold setting process of step S5, set the angle threshold for either the right or left side of the direction of travel of the bicycle 20 to an angle greater than a predetermined reference angle.
  • the angle threshold for the side of the bicycle 20's travel direction is set to an angle greater than the reference angle. Therefore, even if the bicycle 20 tilts to the side to which the center of gravity G2 is biased, this tilt angle ⁇ is less likely to exceed the angle threshold. This prevents the prediction processing unit 111E from erroneously predicting a swaying of the bicycle 20 caused by luggage L or passenger P as a change of course, improving the judgment accuracy of the prediction processing unit 111E.
  • the angle threshold is reset from the reference angle, and the reset angle threshold becomes an angle that matches the difference ⁇ G between the center of gravity position G1 of the bicycle 20 and the center of gravity position G2 of the luggage L or passenger P.
  • This allows the prediction processing unit 111E to more accurately predict whether the bicycle 20 will change course than if it simply predicted that the bicycle 20 will change course when the tilt angle ⁇ of the bicycle 20 exceeds preset specified reference angles ⁇ RB and ⁇ LB.
  • the driving assistance device and the driving assistance method exemplified in the above embodiment are typically applied to passenger cars, but the driving assistance device and the driving assistance method of the present disclosure may be applied to moving bodies other than passenger cars, and the applications of the present disclosure are not particularly limited.
  • step S1 to S13 may be executed by an information processing device (e.g., a cloud server) that is connected to the assisted vehicle so as to be able to communicate with each other via a communication network.
  • an information processing device e.g., a cloud server
  • the driving assistance device is an electronic control device mounted on the vehicle, but the technology disclosed herein is not limited to this example.
  • the driving assistance device may be a mobile terminal that is configured to be able to communicate with a device other than the vehicle and issues drive commands to an arbitrary display device. Examples of such mobile terminals include a laptop computer, a mobile phone, a smartphone, and a tablet terminal.
  • the technology disclosed herein can also be realized as a vehicle equipped with the driving assistance device described in the above embodiment, a driving assistance method using the driving assistance device, a computer program that causes a computer to function as the above driving assistance device, and a non-transitory tangible recording medium on which the computer program is recorded.

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PCT/JP2023/012573 2023-03-28 2023-03-28 運転支援装置、運転支援方法及び記録媒体 Ceased WO2024201726A1 (ja)

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