Driving assistance device, driving assistance method, and non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing driving assistance program

Abstract

A vehicle driving assistance device includes: a control unit configured to identify a point at which a vehicle speed is likely to increase, based on vehicle information collected from a plurality of vehicles, the vehicle information including position information for each of the vehicles and situation information for each of the plurality of vehicles. The control unit is configured to decide whether there is a vehicle deceleration factor due to which the vehicle speed decreases within an area in which a vehicle travels a prescribed distance from the point identified by the control unit. The control unit is configured to alert a driver that there is the vehicle deceleration factor, when there is the vehicle deceleration factor.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A vehicle driving assistance device, comprising:
 a control unit configured to identify a point at which a vehicle speed is likely to increase, based on information collected from a plurality of vehicles, the control unit is configured to alert a driver when there is a vehicle deceleration factor due to which the vehicle speed decreases within an area in which a vehicle travels a prescribed distance from the point.   
     
     
         2 . The vehicle driving assistance device according to  claim 1 , wherein the information includes position information for each of the plurality of vehicles and situation information for each of the plurality of vehicles. 
     
     
         3 . The vehicle driving assistance device according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to decide whether there is the vehicle deceleration factor. 
     
     
         4 . The vehicle driving assistance device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the vehicle deceleration factor is at least one of the following:
 an indication of temporary stop; 
 a narrowing road width; 
 a congested road; or 
 a point at which the vehicle speed is likely to decrease. 
   
     
     
         5 . The vehicle driving assistance device according to  claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured to determine, based on the information, that there is another point at which a vehicle elevation decreases by a value equal to more than a prescribed value, the vehicle speed increases by a speed equal to more than a prescribed speed, and a variation of an accelerator operation amount is within a prescribed range, and
 wherein the control unit is configured to identify the another point as the point at which the vehicle speed is likely to increase.   
     
     
         6 . The vehicle driving assistance device according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the control unit is configured to determine, based on the information, that there is another point at which a variation of a vehicle elevation is within a prescribed range, the vehicle speed increases by a speed equal to or more than a prescribed speed, and an accelerator operation amount increases by an amount equal to or more than a prescribed amount, and   wherein the control unit is configured to identify the another point as the point at which the vehicle speed is likely to increase.   
     
     
         7 . A vehicle driving assistance method, comprising:
 identifying a point at which a vehicle speed is likely to increase, based on information collected from a plurality of vehicles; and   alerting a driver when there is a vehicle deceleration factor due to which the vehicle speed decreases within an area in which a vehicle travels a prescribed distance from the point.   
     
     
         8 . The vehicle driving assistance method according to  claim 7 , wherein the information includes position information for each of the plurality of vehicles and situation information for each of the plurality of vehicles. 
     
     
         9 . The vehicle driving assistance method according to  claim 7  further comprising deciding whether there is the vehicle deceleration factor. 
     
     
         10 . The vehicle driving assistance method according to  claim 7 , wherein the vehicle deceleration factor is at least one of the following:
 an indication of temporary stop;   a narrowing road width;   a congested road; or   a point at which the vehicle speed is likely to decrease.   
     
     
         11 . The vehicle driving assistance method according to  claim 7  further comprising:
 determining, based on the information, that there is another point at which a vehicle elevation decreases by a value equal to more than a prescribed value, the vehicle speed increases by a speed equal to more than a prescribed speed, and a variation of an accelerator operation amount is within a prescribed range; and 
 identifying the another point as the point at which the vehicle speed is likely to increase. 
 
     
     
         12 . The vehicle driving assistance method according to  claim 7  further comprising:
 determining, based on the information, that there is another point at which a variation of a vehicle elevation is within a prescribed range, the vehicle speed increases by a speed equal to or more than a prescribed speed, and an accelerator operation amount increases by an amount equal to or more than a prescribed amount; and 
 identify the another point as the point at which the vehicle speed is likely to increase. 
 
     
     
         13 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a driving assistance program for executing a vehicle driving assistance method, the method comprising:
 identifying a point at which a vehicle speed is likely to increase, based on information collected from a plurality of vehicles; and   alerting a driver when there is a vehicle deceleration factor due to which the vehicle speed decreases within an area in which a vehicle travels a prescribed distance from the point.   
     
     
         14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the driving assistance program for executing the vehicle driving assistance method according to  claim 13 , wherein the information includes position information for each of the plurality of vehicles and situation information for each of the plurality of vehicles. 
     
     
         15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the driving assistance program for executing the vehicle driving assistance method according to  claim 13  further comprising deciding whether there is the vehicle deceleration factor. 
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the driving assistance program for executing the vehicle driving assistance method according to  claim 13 , wherein
 the vehicle deceleration factor is at least one of the following:
 an indication of temporary stop; 
 a narrowing road width; 
 a congested road; or 
 a point at which the vehicle speed is likely to decrease. 
   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the driving assistance program for executing the vehicle driving assistance method according to  claim 13  further comprising:
 determining, based on the information, that there is another point at which a vehicle elevation decreases by a value equal to more than a prescribed value, the vehicle speed increases by a speed equal to more than a prescribed speed, and a variation of an accelerator operation amount is within a prescribed range; and 
 identifying the another point as the point at which the vehicle speed is likely to increase. 
 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing the driving assistance program for executing the vehicle driving assistance method according to  claim 13  further comprising:
 determining, based on the information, that there is another point at which a variation of a vehicle elevation is within a prescribed range, the vehicle speed increases by a speed equal to or more than a prescribed speed, and an accelerator operation amount increases by an amount equal to or more than a prescribed amount; and 
 identifying the another point as the point at which the vehicle speed is likely to increase.