Driving assist method and driving assist device

A driving assist method using a controller to calculate a travel route over which a host vehicle is caused to travel and to execute a driving assist control so that the host vehicle travels along the travel route, the driving assist method using the controller comprising

• assessing whether or not the host vehicle has arrived at a roundabout;
• upon assessing that the host vehicle has arrived at the roundabout, assessing a positional relationship between a host vehicle entrance for the host vehicle and a host vehicle exit for the host vehicle in the roundabout based on the travel route;
• performing a control of the direction indicator lights in accordance with the positional relationship that was assessed when the host vehicle enters the roundabout;
• successively comparing the current positional relationship between the current position of the host vehicle and the host vehicle exit from the time the host vehicle enters through the host vehicle entrance until the host vehicle exits the roundabout and assesses whether or not a switching condition to switch the direction indicated by the direction indicator lights has been fulfilled when the direction indicator lights are illuminated by the control;
• and
• switching the direction indicated by the direction indicator lights based on the switching condition when the switching condition is fulfilled, and continuing to illuminate the direction indicator lights when the switching condition is not fulfilled.

A driving assist device comprising:

• a controller that calculates a travel route over which a host vehicle is caused to travel and that executes a driving assist control so that the host vehicle travels along the travel route, the controller including:
• a roundabout arrival assessment part that assesses whether or not the host vehicle has arrived at a roundabout;
• a positional relationship assessment part that assesses a positional relationship between a host vehicle entrance for the host vehicle and a host vehicle exit for the host vehicle in the roundabout based on the travel route when the roundabout arrival assessment part assesses that the host vehicle has arrived at the roundabout;
• and
• a direction indicator light control part that performs a control of direction indicator lights in accordance with the positional relationship that was assessed of the positional relationship assessment part when the host vehicle enters the roundabout;
• and
• the direction indicator light control part being configured to assess whether or not to extinguish the direction indicator lights according to the positional relationship that was assessed of the positional relationship assessment part when the direction indicator lights are illuminated by the control, and
• the direction indicator light control part being configured to perform a control to extinguish the direction indicator lights after the host vehicle has entered the roundabout when an assessment to extinguish the direction indicator lights has been made.

A driving assist device comprising:

• a controller that calculates a travel route over which a host vehicle is caused to travel and executes driving assist control so that the host vehicle travels along the travel route, the controller including:
• a roundabout arrival assessment part that assesses whether or not the host vehicle has arrived at a roundabout;
• a positional relationship assessment part that assesses a positional relationship between a host vehicle entrance for the host vehicle and a host vehicle exit for the host vehicle in the roundabout based on the travel route when the roundabout arrival assessment part assesses that the host vehicle has arrived at the roundabout;
• and
• a direction indicator light control part that performs a control of direction indicator lights in accordance with the positional relationship that was assessed of the positional relationship assessment part when the host vehicle enters the roundabout;
• and
• the direction indicator light control part being configured to successively compare the current positional relationship between the current position of the host vehicle and the host vehicle exit from the time the host vehicle enters through the host vehicle entrance until the host vehicle exits the roundabout and assesses whether or not a switching condition to switch the direction indicated by the direction indicator lights has been fulfilled when the direction indicator lights are illuminated by said control, and
• the direction indicator light control part being configured to switch the direction indicated by the direction indicator lights based on the switching condition when the switching condition is fulfilled, and continues to illuminate the direction indicator lights when the switching condition is not fulfilled.