JP2019133337A - On-vehicle unit, merging support device, and merging support system - Google Patents

Abstract

To aim at supporting smoothly and safely merging.SOLUTION: A merging support system 1 comprises a merging support device 10 and an on-vehicle unit 50. The on-vehicle unit 50 installed in a merging vehicle J comprises a communication part, a merging determination part, and a display part. The communication part receives trace information registering information about a speed and a position of a main lane vehicle H running on a pre-merger section X1 when the merging vehicle J is within a communication section X3 set in a merging lane S2. The merging determination part determines where or not the merging vehicle J is possible to merge into a main lane S1, by using the trace information received by the communication part. The display part displays guidance information by which the merging vehicle J is encouraged to stop on an upper side than a merging start point B, when it is determined by the merging determination part that merging is impossible.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle-mounted device, a joining support device, and a joining support system.

In a merging section on an expressway or the like, a vehicle traveling on a merging lane (hereinafter referred to as a merging vehicle) needs to merge with the main line while confirming the position and speed of a vehicle traveling on the main line (hereinafter referred to as a main line vehicle).
As a system that supports the driving operation in such a merging section, for example, Patent Document 1 predicts the time when each of the merging vehicle and the main line vehicle reaches the merging section, and the merging vehicle and the main line vehicle collide in the merging section. A system that prompts a main line vehicle to change lanes when there is a risk is disclosed.

JP 2017-97457 A

  However, although the conventional system can make the main line vehicle recognize the danger of a collision, it cannot make the joining vehicle recognize the position where the main line vehicle is traveling.

  This invention is made | formed in view of such a subject, Comprising: It aims at providing the vehicle equipment which can support a smooth and safe merging, a merging assistance apparatus, and a merging assistance system.

  A first aspect of the present invention is an in-vehicle device mounted on a merging vehicle, wherein the merging vehicle is set upstream of a merging start point of the main line and the merging lane in a merging lane that merges with a main line. Information on the speed and position of the main vehicle traveling in the pre-merging section between the vehicle detection point set upstream of the merging start point and the merging start point on the main line when in the communication section Communication means for receiving the registered tracking information, merging determination means for determining whether or not the joining vehicle can join the main line using the tracking information, and the joining vehicle cannot join the main line. When it determines with there being, it is an onboard equipment provided with the notification means which notifies the guidance information which urges the merging vehicle to stop upstream from the merging start point.

  According to the vehicle-mounted device having the above configuration, when the joining vehicle is in the communication section set to the joining lane, information on the speed and position of the main vehicle traveling near the joining start point on the main line is registered. Tracking information can be acquired. Thereby, it becomes possible to make the merging vehicle recognize the position and speed of the main vehicle traveling on the main line. Based on this tracking information, it is determined whether or not the main line can be merged, and if the merge is not possible, the guidance information that prompts the merging vehicle to stop upstream from the merging start point is notified. Therefore, excessive merging can be avoided and safe and smooth merging can be supported.

  In the vehicle-mounted device, the merging determination means calculates an inter-vehicle distance between a plurality of main line vehicles registered in the tracking information, and for each inter-vehicle distance, based on a speed of a subsequent vehicle that forms the inter-vehicle distance. A threshold value of the inter-vehicle distance is calculated, each inter-vehicle distance is compared with the threshold value corresponding to the inter-vehicle distance, and when there is no inter-vehicle distance equal to or greater than the threshold value, it may be determined that merging is impossible. Good.

  According to the vehicle-mounted device having the above configuration, by calculating the threshold of each inter-vehicle distance based on the speed of the following vehicle forming the inter-vehicle distance, and comparing each inter-vehicle distance with a threshold corresponding to the inter-vehicle distance. Then, it is determined whether there is a sufficient vehicle interval for joining. The higher the speed of the following vehicle, the more difficult it is to enter between the vehicles at the time of merging, so it is possible to make a judgment with a margin by using a threshold according to the speed of the following vehicle, and improve safety at the time of merging Is possible.

  In the on-vehicle device, the merging determination means is the main vehicle that is traveling at a predetermined set speed or more determined from the legal speed of the section before merging in the main vehicle registered in the tracking information. It is also possible to determine that merging is impossible when there is.

  For a main line vehicle traveling at a speed equal to or higher than the set speed, the detection accuracy may be reduced due to the relationship between sensors and the like. As described above, if accurate information on the main line vehicle is not obtained, it is determined that the merging is impossible, and if the merging vehicle is not urged to stop, an unreasonable merging is caused. Therefore, according to the vehicle-mounted device having the above-described configuration, when there is a main line vehicle traveling at a set speed or higher, it is possible to ensure safety at the time of merging by determining that merging is impossible. .

  In the on-vehicle device, the merging determination means determines that merging is possible when the inter-vehicle distance equal to or greater than the threshold exists and the main line vehicle traveling at the set speed or higher does not exist. It is good.

  According to the vehicle-mounted device having the above-described configuration, it is determined that merging is possible when there is an inter-vehicle distance that is equal to or greater than a threshold and there is no main line vehicle that is traveling at a set speed or higher. Can be increased.

  In the vehicle-mounted device, the notification unit may notify guidance information that prompts the start of traveling when the merging vehicle is stopped and the merging determination unit determines that merging is possible.

  According to the vehicle-mounted device having the above configuration, when there is a merging vehicle that is stopped in the merging lane, when it is determined that the merging vehicle can be merged, the merging vehicle is prompted to start traveling. Since the guide information is notified, it is possible to realize smooth merging with less wasted waiting time.

  The second aspect of the present invention is a main line vehicle that travels in a pre-merging section between a merging start point where a merging lane joins the main line and a vehicle detection point set on the upstream side of the merging start point on the main line. A merging support device comprising: registration processing means for creating tracking information in which information relating to the speed and position is registered; and communication means for transmitting the tracking information; and receiving the tracking information transmitted from the merging support device. A merging support system including any one of the on-vehicle devices described above.

  The third aspect of the present invention is a main line vehicle that travels in a pre-merging section between a merging start point where a merging lane joins the main line and a vehicle detection point set upstream of the merging start point on the main line. Registration processing means for creating tracking information in which information relating to the speed and position of the vehicle is registered, and merging determination means for judging whether or not a merging vehicle traveling in the merging lane can join the main line using the tracking information; When it is determined that the merging vehicle cannot merge with the main line, merging support information for stopping the merging vehicle is transmitted upstream of the merging start point of the merging lane and the main line. A merging support apparatus comprising a communication unit.

  According to the merging support apparatus having the above configuration, whether or not the merging vehicle can join the main line based on the tracking information in which information on the speed and position of the main line vehicle traveling near the merging start point on the main line is registered. If merge is impossible, merge support information for stopping the merge vehicle is sent to the merge vehicle, so that excessive merge can be avoided and safe and smooth merge can be supported. Become.

  In the merging support apparatus, the merging determination unit may be configured to detect the tracking information when it is detected that the merging vehicle has entered a communication section set upstream of the merging start point in the merging lane. It is good also as determining whether the said joining vehicle can join the main line.

  According to the merging support apparatus having the above configuration, when it is detected that the merging vehicle has entered the communication section installed upstream of the merging start point in the merging lane, the merging vehicle is detected using the tracking information. Since it is determined whether or not the main line can be merged, the determination can be made with a sufficient margin before the merge.

  The merging support device is determined to be capable of merging the merging vehicle with a plurality of guiding means installed along the merging lane on the road side of the merging lane upstream from the merging start point. In this case, a merge scenario creating unit that determines a merge point on the merge lane and a guidance control unit that controls the guide unit in conjunction with movement of the merge point on the main line may be further provided.

  According to the merging support apparatus having the above-described configuration, the corresponding guiding unit is controlled in accordance with the movement of the merging point, so that the position of the merging point can be relatively notified to the merging vehicle. As a result, the joining vehicle can be guided through the guiding means, and smooth and safe joining of the joining vehicle can be supported.

  A fourth aspect of the present invention is a merging support system including any one of the merging support devices described above and an onboard device that receives the merging support information transmitted from the merging support device.

  A fifth aspect of the present invention is a main line vehicle that travels in a pre-merging section between a merging start point where a merging lane joins the main line and a vehicle detection point set upstream of the merging start point on the main line. Using the tracking information in which information on the speed and position of the vehicle is registered, and determining whether or not the joining vehicle can join the main line, and when determining that the joining vehicle cannot join the main line And a step of creating information for urging the vehicle to stop upstream of the merge start point in the merge lane.

  The sixth aspect of the present invention is a main line vehicle that travels in a pre-merging section between a merging start point where a merging lane joins the main line and a vehicle detection point set upstream of the merging start point on the main line. Using the tracking information in which information about the speed and position of the vehicle is registered, and a process for determining whether or not the joining vehicle can join the main line, and when it is determined that the joining vehicle cannot join the main line In the merging lane, a merging support program for causing a computer to execute processing for creating information for urging to stop upstream from the merging start point.

  According to the present invention, it is possible to support smooth and safe merging.

It is a figure showing the whole confluence support system composition concerning a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is the figure which showed the hardware constitutions of the control apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of the control apparatus which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows an example of the tracking list which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of the onboard equipment which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the flowchart which showed the procedure of the confluence | merging determination process which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure for demonstrating the congestion running determination process in the confluence | merging determination process which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is the figure which showed the example of a screen displayed on a display part, when it determines with joining possible in a joining determination process. It is the figure which showed the example of a screen displayed on a display part, when it determines with joining not being possible in a joining determination process. It is the figure which showed the example of a driving | running | working of the main line vehicle and a merge vehicle when it can be made to merge smoothly, without stopping a merge vehicle in a stop area. It is the figure which showed the driving example of the main line vehicle at the time of stopping a joining vehicle in a stop area, and restarting driving | running | working by determining that joining is possible after that and joining a predetermined joining point. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of the control apparatus which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of the onboard equipment which concerns on 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the confluence | merging assistance apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the function structure of the control apparatus which concerns on 3rd Embodiment of this invention.

[First Embodiment]
Hereinafter, a joint vehicle-mounted device, a joining support device, and a joining support system according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an overall configuration of a merging support system 1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1, the merging support system 1 includes a merging support device 10 and an in-vehicle device 20 mounted on a merging vehicle J traveling on a merging lane S2 that merges with a main line S1 of a road such as an expressway. Yes.

The main line S1 has a first lane S1a adjacent to the merge lane S2 and a second lane S1b located on the opposite side of the merge lane S2 across the first lane S1a. In addition, about the number of lanes with which main line S1 is provided, it is not limited to this example, What is necessary is just to have one or more lanes.
In the main line S1, a merging start point B where the merging lane S2 starts merging and a merging end point C where the merging of the merging lane S2 ends are virtually set. Furthermore, on the main line S1, a vehicle detection point A for detecting the main line vehicle H is virtually set upstream of a predetermined distance (for example, 200 m to 300 m) from the merge start point B. In the following description, a section from the vehicle detection point A to the merging start point B is defined as a pre-merging section X1, and a merging start point B to the merging end point C is defined as a merging section.

  Further, the merge lane S2 is provided with a communication section X3 for performing merge support to the merge vehicle at a predetermined distance upstream from the merge start point B. In the communication section X3, the distance from the communication start point α to the communication end point β is set to about 40 m to 80 m. Further, a stop section X4 is provided near the communication end point β of the communication section X3. The stop section X4 temporarily waits the joining vehicle J when the joining vehicle J cannot join the main line S1. Further, in the merging lane S2, the section from the communication end point β to the merging start point B is a merging adjustment section X5 that adjusts the merging of the merging vehicle J to the main line S1. This merging adjustment section X5 starts when the vehicle J stopped in the stop section X4 starts traveling, and then travels at a predetermined speed and a predetermined acceleration to reach the merging start point B. It is set at a distance that can reach a predetermined speed determined from the legal speed. The distance of the merging adjustment section X5 is set to about 60 m, for example.

The joining support device 10 includes a control device 11, a vehicle detector 12, and roadside radio devices 16a and 16b as main components. For example, the merging support device 10 is installed in the vicinity of a merging point where the merging lane S2 merges with the main line S1, and supports the merging of the merging vehicle J to the main line S1.
The control device 11 is an arithmetic processing device that controls the overall operation of the merging support device 10. The control device 11 creates a tracking list related to the main vehicle H traveling on the main line S <b> 1 based on various information output from the vehicle detector 12, and provides the tracking list to the joining vehicle J. Details of the control device 11 will be described later.

For example, the vehicle detector 12 is provided near the vehicle detection point A on the main line S <b> 1 and detects the main vehicle H passing through the vehicle detection point A.
The vehicle detector 12 includes, for example, a first laser scanner 12A and a second laser scanner 12B. As shown in FIG. 1, the first laser scanner 12A and the second laser scanner 12B are installed on the road surface of the main line S1 by, for example, L-shaped columns.
The first laser scanner 12A projects laser light from above the main line S1 toward the detection start point PA that is a position upstream of the vehicle detection point A by a distance W1 (for example, 3 m to 5 m) in the lane direction. In addition, the first laser scanner 12A scans the laser light along the lane width direction by projecting multiple times while changing the projection angle of the laser light by a minute angle.
The second laser scanner 12B projects laser light from above the main line S1 toward the vehicle detection point A. The second laser scanner 12B scans the laser light along the lane direction by the same mechanism as the first laser scanner 12A.

  The first laser scanner 12A and the second laser scanner 12B detect the reflected light of the laser light and measure the distance to the reflection position. As a result, the first laser scanner 12A and the second laser scanner 12B detect that the main line vehicle H has entered the vehicle detection point A, and determine the travel lane of the main line vehicle H and the vehicle specifications of the main line vehicle H. Can be identified. The vehicle specifications are information indicating the structural characteristics of the main line vehicle H, such as vehicle width, vehicle length, vehicle height, and the like.

  Further, the vehicle detector 12 is configured such that the time when the first laser scanner 12A detects the main vehicle H, that is, the time when the head of the main vehicle H reaches the detection start point PA, and the second laser scanner 12B detects the main vehicle H. Vehicle detection point A of the main vehicle H based on the time difference from the time when the vehicle head of the main line vehicle H arrives at the vehicle detection point A and the distance W1 from the detection start point PA to the vehicle detection point A. The speed at the time of arrival is calculated. The vehicle detector 12 includes a detection time of the main vehicle H (arrival time at the vehicle detection point A) acquired by the first laser scanner 12A and the second laser scanner 12B, a travel lane of the main vehicle H, vehicle specifications, and Detection information including the speed of the main line vehicle H is output to the control device 11.

In addition, in FIG. 1, although the vehicle detector 12 is installed in the road side of 1st lane S1a of main line S1, it is not limited to this aspect. For example, the vehicle detector 12 may be installed on the road side of the second lane S1b of the main line S1. A plurality of vehicle detectors 12 may be installed in the pre-merging section. By installing a plurality of vehicle detectors 12, the speed of the main line vehicle H can be finely acquired, and more accurate merging support can be performed.
Furthermore, the main line vehicle H that has passed the junction start point B can be recognized by installing the vehicle detector 12 at the junction start point B. Moreover, the structure of the vehicle detector 12 is not limited to the said structure, What is necessary is just to have the function which can grasp | ascertain the speed of the main line vehicle H which drive | works at least main line S1. Moreover, the vehicle detector 12 may be equipped with a camera.

In the merge lane S2, a roadside radio 16a for communicating with the merged vehicle J that has reached the communication section X3 is installed near the communication start point α in the communication section X3. Further, in the vicinity of the communication end point β of the communication section X3, a roadside radio 16b for communicating with the joining vehicle J stopped in the stop section X4 and the joining vehicle J moving from the communication section X3 to the joining adjustment section X5. Is installed.
Although FIG. 1 illustrates the case where two roadside radio devices 16a and 16b are installed, three or more roadside radio devices may be installed. In this case, the roadside wireless devices are installed at intervals in the distance direction of the communication section X3.

  The joining vehicle J is equipped with an in-vehicle device 50. The merging vehicle J may be a manually operated vehicle in which a driver operates a steering wheel, an accelerator, and a brake, or may be an automatically driven vehicle capable of automatic driving.

Next, the control device 11 described above will be described in detail.
FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating a hardware configuration of the control device 11. As shown in FIG. 2, the control device 11 is a computer system, and includes, for example, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) 31, a main storage device 32 such as a RAM (Random Access Memory), and a ROM (Read Only).
An auxiliary storage device 33 such as a memory), an interface 34 for accessing the external storage device 35, and the like. A series of processes for realizing various functions to be described later is stored in the auxiliary storage device 33 in the form of a program as an example, and the CPU 31 reads this program into the main storage device 32 to process and process information. Various functions are realized by executing arithmetic processing. The program may be installed in advance in the auxiliary storage device 33, provided in a state stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or distributed via wired or wireless communication means. May be applied. Note that the program may be stored in the external storage device 35 instead of the auxiliary storage device 33.
The program may be for realizing a part of various functions described later. Further, the program may be a so-called difference file (difference program) that realizes various functions to be described later in combination with another program already stored in the auxiliary storage device. The auxiliary storage device 33 is an HDD (Hard Disk Drive), an SSD (Solid State Drive), a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a semiconductor memory, or the like.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the control device 11 according to the present embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 3, the control device 11 includes a registration processing unit 21 and a communication unit 24 as main components.
When the registration processing unit 21 receives detection information from the vehicle detector 12 including the detection time of the main vehicle H, the travel lane of the main vehicle H, the vehicle specifications, and the speed of the main vehicle H, these information are stored in the tracking list. sign up.

FIG. 4 shows an example of the tracking list. In the tracking list, information on the main vehicle H that has passed the vehicle detection point A is registered for each vehicle. Specifically, in the tracking list, the “detection time” indicating the time when the main vehicle H arrives at the vehicle detection point A and the speed of the main vehicle H when the main vehicle H arrives at the vehicle detection point A is associated with the vehicle ID. The “speed” shown and the “vehicle specifications (for example, vehicle length)” of the main line vehicle H are registered based on the detection information.
In addition, the registration processing unit 21 calculates “estimated arrival time at the merging start point B” and “estimated arrival time at the merging end point C” using the detection information, and registers the calculation result in the tracking list. . The “estimated arrival time at junction start point B” and “estimated arrival time at junction end point C” are calculated on the assumption that the main line vehicle H travels at a constant speed.

  The tracking list is created for each lane of the main line S1, for example. That is, the registration processing unit 21 according to the present embodiment displays the information related to the main vehicle H based on the “position (lane) of the main vehicle H” detected by the vehicle detector 12 in the first lane S1a or the second lane S1a. Register in the tracking list for lane S1b. In addition, it is good also as producing | generating and updating only the tracking list of 1st lane S1a adjacent to merge lane S2.

  The registration processing unit 21 registers in the tracking list every time detection information is received from the vehicle detector 12. Further, the registration processing unit 21 deletes, from the tracking list, the vehicle ID whose predicted arrival time of the merging end point C has passed the current time, that is, information regarding the main vehicle H that has already passed the merging end point C. As a result, only the main line vehicle H traveling in the section from the vehicle detection point A to the merging end point C is listed in the tracking list, and information unnecessary for merging support of the merging vehicle J is excluded. It becomes possible.

  The communication unit 24 transmits the tracking list created by the registration processing unit 21 to the joining vehicle J via the roadside radio devices 16a and 16b.

Next, the vehicle-mounted device 50 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 5 is a block diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the vehicle-mounted device 50. As shown in FIG. 5, the vehicle-mounted device 50 includes a communication unit 51, a control unit 52, and a display unit 53 as main components.
The communication unit 51 communicates with the roadside radio devices 16a and 16b. For example, the communication unit 51 receives a tracking list transmitted via the roadside radio devices 16a and 16b.

  The control unit 52 is a computer, like the control device 11 described above, and is, for example, a main storage device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a RAM (Random Access Memory), or an auxiliary storage device such as a ROM (Read Only Memory). And an interface for accessing an external storage device. A series of processes for realizing various functions to be described later is stored in the auxiliary storage device 33 in the form of a program (conjunction support program) as an example, and the CPU reads this program to the main storage device. Various functions are realized by executing information processing / arithmetic processing. The program may be installed in advance in an auxiliary storage device, provided in a state stored in a computer-readable storage medium, or distributed via wired or wireless communication means. May be. Note that the program may be stored in an external storage device instead of the auxiliary storage device. Further, the program (for example, the merge support program) may be a program for realizing a part of various functions described later. Further, the program may be a so-called difference file (difference program) that realizes various functions to be described later in combination with another program already stored in the auxiliary storage device. Examples of the auxiliary storage device include a hard disk drive (HDD), a solid state drive (SSD), a magnetic disk, a magneto-optical disk, a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, and a semiconductor memory.

  The control unit 52 includes a merging determination unit 61, a merging scenario creation unit 62, and a guidance information creation unit 63 as main components.

  The merge determination unit 61 determines whether or not the merged vehicle J can merge with the main line S1 using the tracking list. For example, when the tracking list is received by the communication unit 51, the merge determination unit 61 executes a merge determination process.

Hereinafter, the procedure of the merge determination process will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the procedure of the merge determination process according to this embodiment.
In the following processing, it is assumed that the main line vehicle H travels in the pre-merging section X1 and the merging section X2 at a constant speed.

  First, the merge determination unit 61 calculates an estimated position P of each main line vehicle H after T seconds using the tracking list (SA1). Here, T seconds are set to, for example, the time from the communication start point α to the merge start point B when the merged vehicle J travels at a predetermined speed and a predetermined acceleration. Further, this T seconds is longer than the time required to reach the merge start point B when the merged vehicle J stopped in the stop section X4 starts traveling and travels at a predetermined speed and a predetermined acceleration. Set to time.

  The estimated position P of each main line vehicle H is calculated by the following equation (1). Here, the estimated position P is the same as the travel distance from the vehicle detection point A.

  P = V * T + P0 (1)

  In the equation (1), V is the speed of the main vehicle H, and P0 is the estimated position of the main vehicle H at time t0 when the joining vehicle J reaches the communication start point α.

Next, the main line vehicle in which the calculated estimated position P exists in the pre-merging section X1 is extracted (SA2). That is, only the main vehicle H related to the merge of the merged vehicle J is extracted from the plurality of main vehicles registered in the tracking list.
Subsequently, it is determined whether there is an overspeed vehicle among the extracted main line vehicles H (SA3). Specifically, the merging determination unit 61 determines whether or not there is a main vehicle H traveling at a set speed or higher among the main vehicles H extracted in step SA2. Here, the set speed is determined from the legal speed of the section X1 before merging, and is set to a value obtained by giving a predetermined speed margin to the legal speed, for example. For example, when the legal speed of the section X1 before merging is 60 km / h, the set speed is set to 80 km / h with a 20 km / h margin added.
As a result, in the case of an affirmative determination (step SA3: YES), it is determined that the merging is impossible (SA9), a message indicating that the merging is impossible is output (SA10), and the process returns to step SA1.

  On the other hand, if there is no main line vehicle traveling at the set speed or higher in step SA3 (SA3: NO), a dense travel determination process is subsequently performed (SA4 to SA6). In the dense travel determination process, first, the inter-vehicle distance of the main line vehicle H extracted in step SA2 is calculated (SA4). This can be calculated by calculating the difference in the estimated position P of the main line vehicle H. Further, when calculating the inter-vehicle distance, the inter-vehicle distance is calculated on the assumption that the main line vehicle H exists at the merge start point B. That is, the distance between the main line vehicle H traveling at the head of the pre-merging section and the merging start point B is also regarded as the inter-vehicle distance, and this inter-vehicle distance is also calculated.

Subsequently, a threshold value is calculated for each inter-vehicle distance (SA5). For example, the threshold value is calculated based on the speed of the following vehicle that forms each inter-vehicle distance. For example, the threshold value is calculated by multiplying the speed of the following vehicle by a predetermined number of seconds (for example, 2 seconds). Then, each inter-vehicle distance is compared with a threshold corresponding to the inter-vehicle distance, and it is determined whether there is an inter-vehicle distance equal to or greater than the threshold (SA6). As a result, if there is no inter-vehicle distance greater than or equal to the threshold, it is determined that the vehicle is traveling densely (SA6: NO). In this case, it is determined in step SA9 that merging is impossible (SA9), a message indicating that merging is impossible is output (SA10), and the process returns to step SA1.
On the other hand, if there is an inter-vehicle distance greater than or equal to the threshold value in step SA6 (SA6: YES), it is determined that the vehicle is not crowded, and it is determined that the vehicle can be merged (SA7). Then, the fact that the merge is possible is output (SA8), and the process is terminated.

  Thus, in the merging determination process, it is determined that merging is impossible and it is determined that the merging is impossible until it is determined that there is no overspeed main line vehicle and the vehicle is not crowded.

The merge scenario creating unit 62 creates a merge scenario for the merged vehicle J when the merge determining unit 61 determines that the merge is possible. That is, the timing at which the joining vehicle J joins from the travel position of the main line vehicle H is determined using various information calculated by the joining determination unit 61.
For example, in step SA6 of FIG. 4, among the inter-vehicle distances determined to be equal to or greater than the threshold, the inter-vehicle distance closest to the merging start point B is specified, and the center of the inter-vehicle distance is determined as the merging point of the merging vehicle J. The merge point and the merge timing are output to the guidance information creating unit 63. Furthermore, the merging scenario creating unit 62 may calculate the speed of the merging vehicle J that can join the determined merging point according to a predetermined rule, and output the speed information to the guidance information creating unit 63.

For example, when it is determined by the merging determination unit 61 that the merging is impossible, the guidance information creating unit 63 stops the merging vehicle J in the stop section X4 until the merging is impossible and the merging is possible. Guidance information is created and displayed on the display unit 53. Accordingly, the driver of the joining vehicle J that has confirmed the display unit 53 can recognize that joining at the current time is impossible, temporarily stops the joining vehicle J in the stop section X4, and waits for the joining timing. be able to.
On the other hand, when it is determined that the merge determination unit 61 determines that the merge is possible, the guide information creation unit 63 joins based on the information that the merge is possible and the merge point information determined by the merge scenario creation unit 62. Guidance information for providing support is created and displayed on the display unit 53. In this embodiment, the merge support is performed by displaying the guide information on the display unit 53. In addition to or instead of this, for example, the guide information is notified by voice from a speaker. Also good.

  The display unit 53 is, for example, a liquid crystal display, an organic EL display, or the like, and displays the guidance information created by the guidance information creation unit 63 on the display screen, thereby notifying information related to merging support, and the main line S1 by the driver. To help join. For example, when the merging determination unit 61 determines that the merging is impossible, the display unit 53 is upstream of the merging start point B with respect to the merging vehicle (J), in the present embodiment, in the stop section X4. Notify the guide information prompting to stop.

Next, operation | movement of the confluence | merging assistance system 1 provided with the said structure is demonstrated.
First, when a main line vehicle is detected by the vehicle detector 12 provided in the first lane S1a of the main line S1, detection information related to the vehicle is transmitted from the vehicle detector 12 to the control device 11. Thereby, the registration processing unit 21 of the control device 11 updates the tracking list based on the information received from the vehicle detector 12. As a result, information (detection time, speed, vehicle length, etc.) of the main line vehicle traveling in the pre-merging section X1 and the merging section X2 set in the main line S1 is registered in the tracking list.

  The communication unit 24 of the control device 11 transmits the latest tracking list to the roadside radio devices 16a and 16b at predetermined time intervals. Thereby, a tracking list is transmitted toward the joining vehicle J which exists in a communication area via the roadside radio | wireless machines 16a and 16b.

When the joining vehicle J reaches the communication start point α in the joining lane S2, the communication unit 51 of the vehicle-mounted device 50 of the joining vehicle J receives the tracking list transmitted from the roadside radio device 16a. The received tracking list is output to the control unit 52. The merge determination unit 61 of the control unit 52 executes the merge determination process shown in FIG. 6 using the tracking list.
Specifically, the merge determination unit 61 first calculates the estimated position P of each main line vehicle H after T seconds using the tracking list (SA1).

  Next, a main line vehicle in which the calculated estimated position is present in the section X1 before merging is extracted (SA2). As a result, for example, as shown in FIG. 7, assuming that all the estimated positions of the main line vehicles H1 to H3 existed in the section X1 before joining, the main line vehicles H1 to H3 are extracted.

Next, it is determined whether there is a main line vehicle whose speed exceeds the set speed among the extracted main line vehicles H1 to H3 (SA3). As a result, if it is assumed that the speeds of the main line vehicles H1 to H3 are all equal to or lower than the set speed, a negative determination is made and the process proceeds to step SA4.
In step SA4, the inter-vehicle distance of the identified main line vehicle is calculated. For example, as shown in FIG. 7, when three main line vehicles H1-H3 are extracted in step SA2, each inter-vehicle distance is calculated. As a result, for example, the inter-vehicle distance between the merging start point B and the main vehicle H1 is calculated as L1, the inter-vehicle distance between the main vehicle H1 and the main vehicle H2 is L2, and the inter-vehicle distance between the main vehicle H2 and the main vehicle H3 is calculated as L3. The

  Subsequently, in step SA5, a threshold value is calculated for each inter-vehicle distance. Specifically, the threshold value is calculated based on the speed of the following vehicle that forms the inter-vehicle distance. Thus, the threshold L1th is based on the speed V1 of the main line vehicle H1 for the inter-vehicle distance L1, the threshold L2th is based on the speed V2 of the main line vehicle H2 for the inter-vehicle distance L2, and the speed V3 of the main line vehicle H3 for the inter-vehicle distance L3. Based on this, the threshold value L3th is calculated. For example, the threshold value is calculated by multiplying the speed of the structured vehicle by a predetermined time (for example, 2 seconds).

In subsequent step SA6, the inter-vehicle distances L1, L2, 3L are compared with the threshold values L1th, L2th, L3th of the inter-vehicle distances to determine whether there are inter-vehicle distances equal to or greater than the threshold values. As a result, when L1 <L1th, L2> L2th, and L3 <L3th, the inter-vehicle distance L2 is equal to or greater than the threshold value, so it is determined that there is no crowded travel (SA6: YES), and it is determined that merging is possible in step SA7. .
Then, information indicating that the merge is possible is output to the merge scenario creating unit 62.

When information indicating that merging is possible is input from the merging determination unit 61, the merging scenario creation unit 62 specifies the inter-vehicle distance L2 that is determined to be the inter-vehicle distance that is equal to or greater than the threshold, and the center of the inter-vehicle distance L2 is determined. The merging point of the merging vehicle J is determined and the merging timing for merging with the merging point is output to the guidance information creating unit 63.
When the merge information is input from the merge scenario creating unit 62 and the merge scenario is input, the guidance information creating unit 63 merges between the main vehicles H1 and H2 based on the merge scenario from the merge scenario creating unit 62. Speed information and guidance information indicating the merging timing are created and displayed on the display unit 53. Thereby, for example, as shown in FIG. 8, the estimated positions of the vehicles H1 to H3 traveling on the main line S1 and the merging vehicle J are merged on the display unit 53 on the screen where the merging lane S2 and the main line S1 are shown. A screen showing the merging point GP to be displayed is displayed, and a message that the merging is possible and a target speed for merging at the merging point GP are displayed as messages. The driver of the merging vehicle J operates so as to merge between the main line vehicles H1 and H2 by operating the accelerator or the like while confirming the display on the display unit 53.

  In the merge determination process described above, when any of the main vehicles H1 to H3 is traveling at a speed exceeding the set speed (SA3: YES), the inter-vehicle distances L1 to L3 are all less than the threshold. In such a case (SA6: NO), the merging determination unit 61 determines that merging is impossible. In this case, the guidance information creation unit 63 creates guidance information for temporarily waiting in the stop section because the current merge is impossible, and displays the guidance information on the display unit 53.

  Thereby, for example, as shown in FIG. 9, the display screen of the display unit 53 displays the estimated position of the vehicle H traveling on the main line S1 and the merging vehicle J on the screen showing the merging lane S2 and the main line S1. A screen showing the stop section X4 to be stopped and a message to wait until it becomes possible to join are displayed.

  During the period when the joining vehicle J is stopped in the stop section X4, the communication unit 51 of the vehicle-mounted device 50 receives the latest tracking list transmitted from the roadside device 16b at predetermined time intervals as needed. The merge determination unit 61 repeatedly performs the merge determination process using the latest tracking list. When it is determined that the merge is possible, the fact is output to the merge scenario creating unit 62. As a result, as described above, the driver is notified of information related to the timing of merging through the display unit 53.

FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a running example of the main line vehicle and the merging vehicle when the merging vehicle J can be smoothly merged without stopping at the stop section X4, and FIG. It is the figure which showed the driving example of the main line vehicle at the time of stopping driving | running | working at X4, and restarting driving | running | working by being determined that joining is possible and joining a predetermined joining point.
10 and 11, the horizontal axis indicates time, the vertical axis indicates the position, in other words, the travel distance from the vehicle detection point A. Further, the reason why each locus is shown with a width in FIGS. 10 and 11 is because the vehicle length is taken into consideration. 10 and 11, X3 indicates a communication section X3, and X2 indicates a merging section X2.

  As described above, according to the merging support system 1 according to the present embodiment, the tracking list in which the information of the main vehicle H traveling in the section X1 before merging is registered from the merging support device 10 at a predetermined time interval. Therefore, the joining vehicle J can recognize the position and speed of the main vehicle H by analyzing the tracking list. And it becomes possible by using the information of a tracking list to determine whether the own vehicle can join. If it is determined that the merging is not possible, the vehicle is temporarily stopped in the stop section X4 provided at a predetermined distance upstream from the merging start point B, so that unreasonable merging is avoided and safe and smooth. It becomes possible to support confluence.

  Furthermore, according to the merging support system 1, by calculating the threshold of each inter-vehicle distance based on the speed of the following vehicle forming the inter-vehicle distance, the inter-vehicle distance is compared with the threshold corresponding to the inter-vehicle distance. Then, it is determined whether or not a sufficient inter-vehicle distance is secured for joining. The higher the speed of the succeeding vehicle, the greater the danger at the time of merging.Thus, it is possible to determine the distance between vehicles standing on the safe side by using a threshold according to the speed of the succeeding vehicle, and to increase the safety at the time of merging. Is possible.

  Further, according to the merging support system 1, when a main line vehicle traveling at a speed equal to or higher than the set speed is registered in the tracking information, it is determined that the merging is impossible. For a vehicle traveling at a speed higher than the set speed, the vehicle detection accuracy by the vehicle detector 12 (for example, the detection accuracy of the speed and the vehicle length) may be reduced. In this way, there is a risk of collision or the like if merging is permitted when accurate information on the main line vehicle is not obtained. Therefore, when there is a main line vehicle traveling at a speed higher than the set speed, it is possible to ensure safety at the time of merging by determining that the main line vehicle cannot merge until the main line vehicle passes the merging start point B. Become.

  Further, according to the merging support system 1, since it is determined that merging is possible when there is an inter-vehicle distance that is equal to or greater than the threshold and there is no main line vehicle that is traveling at a set speed or higher, safety at the time of merging Can be increased.

  Further, according to the merging support system 1, when there is a vehicle stopped in the stop section, when it is determined that the vehicle can be merged, the guide information for starting the vehicle is notified. Therefore, it is possible to realize smooth merging with less dead time.

[Second Embodiment]
Next, a vehicle-mounted device, a join support device, and a join support system according to a second embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
In the first embodiment described above, it is determined whether or not merging is possible in the vehicle-mounted device 50. However, in this embodiment, the point of determining whether or not merging is possible in the control device 11 instead of the vehicle-mounted device 50 is the first point. Different from one embodiment. Hereinafter, the same configurations as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof is omitted, and different configurations are mainly described.

FIG. 12 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the control device 11 ′ according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a functional configuration of the vehicle-mounted device 50 ′ according to the present embodiment. As illustrated in FIG. 12, the control device 11 ′ includes a merging determination unit 22 and a merging scenario creation unit 23. The merge determining unit 22 and the merge scenario creating unit 23 are basically the same as the functions of the merge determining unit 61 and the merge scenario creating unit 62 provided in the vehicle-mounted device 50 in the first embodiment.
As shown in FIG. 13, in the vehicle-mounted device 50 ′, the join determination unit 61 and the join scenario creation unit 62 are omitted, and the control unit 52 ′ has only the function of the guidance information creation unit 63.

  In the merging support system having such a configuration, the merging determination unit 22 of the control device 11 ′ determines whether or not the merging vehicle J can be merged. Here, the merging determination unit 22 performs a merging determination process when it is detected that the merging vehicle J has reached the communication start point α. Whether or not the joining vehicle J has reached the communication start point α is determined, for example, that the joining vehicle J has reached the communication start point α when communication between the roadside radio device 16a and the vehicle-mounted device 50 ′ is established. Then, information to that effect may be transmitted from the roadside radio device 16a to the control device 11 ′. Further, the present invention is not limited to the above example. For example, as in the vehicle detector 12, the arrival of the joining vehicle J at the communication start point α can be detected by mounting a laser scanner or the like on the roadside radio device 16 a. good.

  If it is determined that the merge is possible in the merge determination process, the merge determination unit 22 outputs information to that effect to the merge scenario creation unit 23. If it is determined that the merge is not possible, information indicating that is output to the communication unit 24 and the merge determination process is continuously repeated until it is determined that the merge is possible.

The merging scenario creation unit 23 determines the merging point and speed of the merging vehicle J and outputs the information to the communication unit 24 in the same manner as the merging scenario creation unit 62 described above.
The communication unit 24, when it is determined by the merging determination unit 22 that the merging is possible, together with information indicating that the merging is possible, the merging scenario determined by the merging scenario creating unit 23, for example, the merging point and the merging timing. Is transmitted to the joining vehicle J. In addition, when the merging determination unit 22 determines that the merging is impossible, the communication unit 24 transmits merging support information for temporarily stopping the merging vehicle J within the stop section X4 to the merging vehicle J.

The merge support information output from the communication unit 24 is transmitted to the merge vehicle J via the roadside radio devices 16a and 16b.
When the communication unit 51 of the vehicle-mounted device 50 ′ of the joining vehicle J receives the joining support information, it outputs the received joining support information to the control unit 52 ′. When receiving the merge support information indicating that the merge is possible, the guide information creating unit 63 of the control unit 52 ′ indicates the merge point GP, the speed, and the like based on the merge scenario included in the merge support information. Guide information is created and displayed on the display unit 53. Thereby, for example, a display screen as shown in FIG. 8 is displayed on the display unit 53. On the other hand, when the guidance information creation unit 63 receives the merge support information indicating that the merge is impossible, the guidance information creation unit 63 creates the guide information indicating that the stop at the stop section is temporarily waited because the current merge is impossible. And displayed on the display unit 53. Thereby, a display screen as shown in FIG. 9 is displayed.

  As described above, according to the merging support system according to the present embodiment, whether or not the merging vehicle J can be merged is determined by the control device 11 ′, and merging assistance information corresponding to the result is transmitted to the vehicle-mounted device 50 ′. Is done. As described above, even when the control device 11 ′ determines whether or not merging is possible, it is possible to support smooth and safe merging of the merging vehicle J as in the first embodiment described above.

  In the present embodiment, the merging determination unit 22 of the control device 11 ′ executes the merging determination process when the merging vehicle J reaches the communication start point α. However, the present invention is not limited to this example. Regardless of the presence of the merging vehicle J, the merging determination unit 22 may continuously and repeatedly execute the merging determination process at a predetermined time interval (for example, 100 ms). As described above, by repeatedly performing the processing at predetermined time intervals, it is possible to smoothly provide the joining support information without delay when the joining vehicle J appears.

[Third Embodiment]
Next, a merge support system according to a third embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In 2nd Embodiment mentioned above, it was set as the aspect which the communication part 24 transmits merge support information with respect to onboard equipment 50 'which the joining vehicle J mounts, and onboard equipment 50' notifies guidance information, but this embodiment. Then, it is different from the said 2nd Embodiment that it replaces with onboard equipment 50 'and performs merging assistance by a light guide lamp (guidance | derivation means). Hereinafter, the same configurations as those of the second embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof is omitted, and different configurations are mainly described.

  FIG. 14 is a diagram illustrating an installation example of the light guide lamp (notification unit) 70 according to the present embodiment. As shown in FIG. 14, a plurality of light guide lamps 70 are installed at intervals along the merge lane S2 on the road side of the merge lane S2 upstream from the merge start point B. Each light guide lamp 70 is composed of, for example, a plurality of LEDs. The control of turning on and off the light guide lamp 70 is performed by, for example, the control device 11a (see FIG. 15). In addition, the light guide lamp 70 may be installed continuously and may be set as the aspect which a lighting position moves.

  For example, as illustrated in FIG. 15, the control device 11 a includes a light guide lamp control unit 25 that controls lighting of the light guide lamp 70 based on the join scenario created by the join scenario creation unit 23. Specifically, the light guide control unit 25 of the control device 11a calculates the distance L5 between the merge point GP and the merge start point B determined by the merge scenario creation unit 23, and is separated from the merge start point B by the distance L5. The light guide lamp 70 closest to the position is specified, and the specified light guide lamp 70 is turned on. By repeating the above process, the light guide lamp 70 that is lit also approaches the merge start point B as the merge point GP approaches the merge start point B.

According to the merging support system according to the present embodiment, the light guide lamps 70 that are installed at substantially the same distance from the merging start point B are turned on in accordance with the movement of the merging point GP. It becomes possible to relatively notify the position of the point GP. Accordingly, it is possible to guide the joining vehicle J through the lighting of the light guide lamp 70, and it is possible to support smooth and safe joining of the joining vehicle J.
Further, according to the merging support system according to the present embodiment, the merging support of the merging vehicle J is mainly performed by the light guide lamp. Therefore, for example, the merging support is also performed for the merging vehicle not equipped with the vehicle-mounted device 50 ′. Is possible.

  In this embodiment, a display device 80 (see FIG. 14) such as a road information board is installed on the road side or above the merge lane S2, and information for supporting the merge vehicle J is displayed on the display device 80. It is good. For example, when it is determined by the merging determination unit 22 of the control device 11a that merging is impossible, the display device 80 may display information that prompts the stop of the merging vehicle J or information on the stop position. In addition, in the case where there is a vehicle J that is stopped in the merge lane S2, if the merge determination unit 22 of the control device 11a determines that the merge is possible, information that prompts the start of traveling is displayed. Also good. Further, for example, the display device 80 may receive the merge support information transmitted by the communication unit 24 of the control device 11 ′ in the second embodiment, and display the received merge support information. Further, the display device may display the target speed or the like of the joining vehicle J.

  In the present embodiment, the control device 11 a includes the light guide lamp control unit 25 that controls the light guide lamp 70. Instead, a dedicated light guide lamp for controlling the light guide lamp 70 is used. A control device (not shown) may be provided, and the light guide lamp control device may have the function of the light guide lamp control unit 25 described above. In this case, information such as the merge point GP determined by the merge scenario creating unit 23 is transmitted from the control device to the light guide lamp control device, and the light guide lamp control device derives information based on the received information such as the merge point GP. The light lamp 70 is controlled.

  In the present embodiment, instead of displaying the guidance information on the vehicle-mounted device 50 ′, the joined vehicle J is guided by the light guide lamp 70. For example, the second embodiment and the third embodiment are described below. The combined information may be displayed on the vehicle-mounted device 50 ′, and the joined vehicle J may be guided by the light guide lamp 70.

As mentioned above, although this invention was demonstrated using embodiment, the technical scope of this invention is not limited to the range as described in the said embodiment. Various changes or improvements can be added to the above-described embodiment without departing from the gist of the invention, and embodiments to which the changes or improvements are added are also included in the technical scope of the present invention.
The flow of the merge determination process described in the above embodiment is also an example, and unnecessary steps are deleted, new steps are added, and the processing order is changed within a range not departing from the gist of the present invention. May be.

  For example, in each of the embodiments described above, the stop section X4 is provided in the communication section. However, the installation position of the stop section X4 is not limited to this example, and may be provided outside the communication section X3. Good.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Joining support system 10 Joining support apparatus 11, 11 'Control device 12 Vehicle detector 16a, 16b Roadside radio 21 Registration processing part 22, 61 Join determination part 23, 62 Join scenario creation part 24 Communication part 50 Onboard equipment 51 Communication part 52 Control part 53 Display part 63 Guidance information creation part A Vehicle detection point B Merge start point C Merge end point H Main line vehicle J Merged vehicle S1 Main line S1a First lane S1b Second lane S2 Merge lane X1 Before merge section X2 Merge section X3 Communication section X4 Stop section X5 Merge adjustment section α Communication start point β Communication end point

Claims (12)

An on-vehicle device mounted on a confluence vehicle,
In a merging lane that merges with a main line, when the merging vehicle is in a communication section set upstream from a merging start point between the main line and the merging lane, the main line is upstream from the merging start point. Communication means for receiving tracking information in which information on the speed and position of the main vehicle traveling in the pre-merging section between the vehicle detection point set to and the merge start point is registered;
Merging determination means for determining whether or not the merging vehicle can be merged with the main line using the tracking information;
And a notification means for notifying the merging vehicle of guidance information that urges the merging vehicle to stop upstream from the merging start point when it is determined that the merging vehicle cannot merge with the main line. Onboard equipment. The joining determination means includes
Calculate the inter-vehicle distance between a plurality of main line vehicles registered in the tracking information,
For each inter-vehicle distance, calculate a threshold for the inter-vehicle distance based on the speed of a subsequent vehicle that forms the inter-vehicle distance,
Each inter-vehicle distance is compared with the threshold value corresponding to the inter-vehicle distance;
The on-vehicle device according to claim 1, wherein when the inter-vehicle distance equal to or greater than the threshold does not exist, it is determined that merging is impossible.   The merging determination means is configured when the main vehicle registered in the tracking information includes the main vehicle traveling at a predetermined speed or higher determined from the legal speed of the section before merging. The vehicle-mounted device according to claim 2, wherein it is determined that the merging is impossible.   The said merging determination means determines that merging is possible when the said inter-vehicle distance more than the said threshold value exists, and the said main line vehicle currently drive | working more than the said setting speed does not exist. Onboard equipment.   The in-vehicle device according to claim 4, wherein when the joining vehicle is stopped, the notifying unit notifies the guide information that prompts the start of traveling when the joining determining unit determines that the joining is possible. Information on the speed and position of the main vehicle traveling in the pre-merging section between the merge start point where the merge lane merges with the main line and the vehicle detection point set upstream of the merge start point on the main line is registered Registration processing means for creating the tracking information,
A merging support device comprising communication means for transmitting the tracking information;
A merging support system comprising: the vehicle-mounted device according to any one of claims 1 to 5 that receives the tracking information transmitted from the merging support device. Information on the speed and position of the main vehicle traveling in the pre-merging section between the merge start point where the merge lane merges with the main line and the vehicle detection point set upstream of the merge start point on the main line is registered Registration processing means for creating the tracking information,
Using the tracking information, merging determination means for determining whether or not a merging vehicle traveling in the merging lane can merge with the main line;
Communication that transmits merging support information for stopping the merging vehicle upstream of the merging start point between the merging lane and the main line when it is determined that the merging vehicle cannot merge with the main line. And a merging support device.   The merging determination means uses the tracking information when the merging vehicle is detected to have entered into a communication section set upstream of the merging start point in the merging lane. The merging support apparatus according to claim 7, which determines whether or not can be merged with the main line. A plurality of guide means installed along the merge lane on the road side of the merge lane upstream from the merge start point;
A merge scenario creating means for determining a merge point in the merge lane when it is determined that the merge vehicle can merge with the main line;
The merging support device according to claim 7 or 8, further comprising guidance control means for controlling the guidance means in conjunction with movement of the merging point on the main line. The merge support device according to claim 7 or 8,
A merge support system comprising: an on-vehicle device that receives the merge support information transmitted from the merge support device. Information on the speed and position of the main vehicle traveling in the pre-merging section between the merge start point where the merge lane merges with the main line and the vehicle detection point set upstream of the merge start point on the main line is registered Determining whether or not the joining vehicle can join the main line using the tracked information,
And a step of creating information for urging the vehicle to stop upstream of the merging start point in the merging lane when it is determined that the merging vehicle cannot merge with the main line. Method. Information on the speed and position of the main vehicle traveling in the pre-merging section between the merge start point where the merge lane merges with the main line and the vehicle detection point set upstream of the merge start point on the main line is registered A process for determining whether the joining vehicle can join the main line using the tracked information,
When it is determined that the joining vehicle cannot join the main line, the computer executes processing for creating information for prompting the stop in the joining lane upstream from the joining start point. Confluence support program to let you.

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