Driving assistance device, driving assistance method, and program

A driving assistance device comprising:

• a storage medium configured to store computer-readable instructions;
• and
• one or more processors connected to the storage medium,
• wherein the one or more processors execute the computer-readable instructions to:
• refer to an output of a detection device that detects presence of objects in front of a vehicle, and instruct a braking device of the vehicle to stop the vehicle when a degree of proximity between a target object among the objects and the vehicle satisfies a first condition;
• instruct a steering device of the vehicle to avoid contact with the target object by steering;
• perform a first preliminary operation when the degree of proximity satisfies a second condition;
• perform a second preliminary operation when the degree of proximity satisfies a third condition and it is determined that there is no space in which the vehicle is able to proceed after avoidance by the steering is performed in any of tracks to sides of the target object at a time point when the third condition is satisfied;
• and
• perform a third preliminary operation when a presence of the target object is unknown and tracks to sides of a track on which the vehicle is present are in a congested state,
• the first condition is a condition that is satisfied when the degree of proximity is higher than the second condition, and
• the second condition is a condition that is satisfied when the degree of proximity is higher than the third condition.

A driving assistance method comprising:

• by a driving assistance device,
• referring to an output of a detection device that detects presence of objects in front of a vehicle, and performing one or both of instructing a braking device of the vehicle to stop the vehicle when a degree of proximity between a target object among the objects and the vehicle satisfies a first condition and instructing a steering device of the vehicle to avoid contact with the target object by steering;
• performing a first preliminary operation when the degree of target object and the vehicle satisfies a second condition;
• performing a second preliminary operation when the degree of proximity between the target object and the vehicle satisfies a third condition and it is determined that there is no space in which the vehicle is able to proceed after avoidance by the steering is performed in any of tracks to sides of the target object at a time point when the third condition is satisfied;
• and
• performing a third preliminary operation when a presence of the target object is unknown and tracks to sides of a track on which the vehicle is present are in a congested state,
• wherein the first condition is a condition that is satisfied when the degree of proximity is higher than the second condition, and
• the second condition is a condition that is satisfied when the degree of proximity is higher than the third condition.

A non-transitory computer storage medium which has stored a program causing a computer to execute:

• referring to an output of a detection device that detects presence of objects in front of a vehicle, and performing one or both of instructing a braking device of the vehicle to stop the vehicle when a degree of proximity between a target object among the objects and the vehicle satisfies a first condition and instructing a steering device of the vehicle to avoid contact with the target object by steering;
• performing a first preliminary operation when the degree of target object and the vehicle satisfies a second condition;
• performing a second preliminary operation when the degree of proximity between the target object and the vehicle satisfies a third condition and it is determined that there is no space in which the vehicle is able to proceed after avoidance by the steering is performed in any of tracks to sides of the target object at a time point when the third condition is satisfied;
• and
• performing a third preliminary operation when a presence of the target object is unknown and tracks to sides of a track on which the vehicle is present are in a congested state,
• wherein the first condition is a condition that is satisfied when the degree of proximity is higher than the second condition, and
• the second condition is a condition that is satisfied when the degree of proximity is higher than the third condition.