Autonomous driving assistance system, autonomous driving assistance method, and computer program

An autonomous driving assistance method, comprising:

• determining if an execution restricted section where execution of autonomous driving assistance is restricted is located ahead in a direction in which a vehicle is traveling, when autonomous driving assistance is being executed in the vehicle;
• if it is determined that the execution restricted section is located ahead in the direction in which the vehicle is traveling, obtaining, required preliminary operation time that is set based on a type of the execution restricted section;
• obtaining a speed of the vehicle;
• determining if time required for the vehicle to reach a start point of the execution restricted section is equal to or less than the required preliminary operation time, based on the speed of the vehicle and the required preliminary operation time;
• if it is determined that the time required for the vehicle to reach the start point of the execution restricted section is equal to or less than the required preliminary operation time, determining if a state of the vehicle satisfies an executable condition, which is a condition under which autonomous driving assistance can be continued, in the execution restricted section;
• and
• if it is determined that the state of the vehicle does not satisfy the executable condition in the execution restricted section, controlling the vehicle or prompting a user to shift the state of the vehicle to a state that satisfies the executable condition.

A computer-readable storage medium storing a computer-executable program that causes a computer to perform the following functions:

• determining if an execution restricted section where execution of autonomous driving assistance is restricted is located ahead in a direction in which a vehicle is traveling, when autonomous driving assistance is being executed in the vehicle;
• obtaining, if it is determined that the execution restricted section is located ahead in the direction in which the vehicle is traveling, required preliminary operation time that is set based on a type of the execution restricted section;
• obtaining a speed of the vehicle;
• determining, based on the speed of the vehicle and the required preliminary operation time, if time required for the vehicle to reach a start point of the execution restricted section is equal to or less than the required preliminary operation time;
• determining, if it is determined that the time required for the vehicle to reach the start point of the execution restricted section is equal to or less than the required preliminary operation time, if a state of the vehicle satisfies an executable condition, which is a condition under which autonomous driving assistance can be continued, in the execution restricted section;
• and
• controlling the vehicle or prompting a user to shift the state of the vehicle to a state that satisfies the executable condition, if it is determined that the state of the vehicle does not satisfy the executable condition in the execution restricted section.