Vehicle control method, vehicle control system, and non-transitory storage medium

1 . A vehicle control method comprising:

recognizing a signal candidate position around a vehicle by using a sensor mounted on the vehicle, the signal candidate position being a position a traffic light is possibly present, the vehicle including a light configured in such a manner that a light distribution state of the light changes;

performing a first light control process of controlling the light in response to recognition of the signal candidate position, the first light control process including at least one of:

increasing an intensity of light emitted to the signal candidate position to a value higher than before the recognition of the signal candidate position; or

making the intensity of the light emitted to the signal candidate position higher than an intensity of light emitted to an area other than the signal candidate position;

acquiring an image of surroundings of the vehicle by using a camera mounted on the vehicle;

performing, after the first light control process, a screening process of narrowing down the signal candidate position based on the image; and

performing a second light control process of controlling the light after the screening process,

wherein an excluded position is a position excluded from the signal candidate position by the screening process; and

wherein the second light control process includes reducing an intensity of light emitted to the excluded position to a value lower than before the screening process.

2 . The vehicle control method according to claim 1 , wherein the first light control process includes increasing the intensity of the light emitted to the signal candidate position to a value higher than before the recognition of the signal candidate position.

3 . The vehicle control method according to claim 2 , wherein the first light control process includes selectively illuminating the signal candidate position without illuminating the area other than the signal candidate position.

4 . The vehicle control method according to claim 2 , wherein the first light control process includes increasing the intensity of the light emitted to the signal candidate position to a value higher than before the recognition of the signal candidate position, and then reducing the intensity of the light emitted to the signal candidate position as the vehicle travels.

5 . The vehicle control method according to claim 2 , wherein the first light control process further includes reducing the intensity of the light emitted to the area other than the signal candidate position to a value lower than before the recognition of the signal candidate position.

6 . The vehicle control method according to claim 1 , wherein the second light control process includes increasing the intensity of the light emitted to the signal candidate position to a value even higher than before the screening process.

7 . The vehicle control method according to claim 6 , wherein the second light control process includes increasing the intensity of the light emitted to the signal candidate position to a value higher than before the screening process, and then reducing the intensity of the light emitted to the signal candidate position as the vehicle travels.

8 . The vehicle control method according to claim 1 , wherein

the signal candidate position includes

a position at which a traffic light for a first lane in which the vehicle is traveling is possibly present, and

a position at which a traffic light for a second lane crossing the first lane is possibly present.

9 . The vehicle control method according to claim 1 , wherein

the sensor mounted on the vehicle includes

a recognition sensor configured to recognize surroundings of the vehicle, and

a position sensor configured to acquire a position of the vehicle,

the recognition sensor includes a camera configured to acquire an image of the surroundings of the vehicle,

the recognizing includes at least one of the following:

tentatively recognizing a traffic light in the image and setting the signal candidate position to a position around the tentatively recognized traffic light;

recognizing a light source of a signal indication color in the image and setting the signal candidate position to a position around the light source of the signal indication color;

recognizing a red light of a preceding vehicle in the image and setting the signal candidate position to a position above the red light;

recognizing an intersection in the image or obtaining a position of an intersection around the vehicle based on the position of the vehicle and map information, and setting the signal candidate position to a position above the intersection; and

recognizing a traffic light-related structure around the vehicle by using the recognition sensor or acquiring a position of the traffic light-related structure based on the position of the vehicle and the map information, and setting the signal candidate position to a position around the traffic light-related structure.

10 . The vehicle control method according to claim 1 , further comprising:

recognizing a plurality of traffic lights installed at one intersection ahead of the vehicle by using a camera mounted on the vehicle, the traffic lights including a first traffic light and a second traffic light that is farther away from the vehicle than the first traffic light;

calculating estimated time required for the vehicle to reach a position of the first traffic light;

setting, when the estimated time is equal to or larger than a threshold, an irradiation target of the light to the first traffic light and excluding the second traffic light from the irradiation target; and

switching the irradiation target from the first traffic light to the second traffic light when a switching condition is satisfied, the switching condition including that the estimated time is less than the threshold.

11 . A vehicle control system comprising:

one or more processors configured to perform:

a process of recognizing a signal candidate position around a vehicle by using a sensor mounted on the vehicle, the signal candidate position being a position at which a traffic light is possibly present, the vehicle including a light configured in such a manner that a light distribution state of the light changes; and

a first light control process of controlling the light in response to recognition of the signal candidate position, the first light control process including at least one of:

increasing an intensity of light emitted to the signal candidate position to a value higher than before the recognition of the signal candidate position; or

making the intensity of the light emitted to the signal candidate position higher than an intensity of light emitted to an area other than the signal candidate position;

acquiring an image of surroundings of the vehicle by using a camera mounted on the vehicle;

performing, after the first light control process, a screening process of narrowing down the signal candidate position based on the image; and

performing a second light control process of controlling the light after the screening process,

wherein an excluded position is a position excluded from the signal candidate position by the screening process; and

wherein the second light control process includes reducing an intensity of light emitted to the excluded position to a value lower than before the screening process.

12 . A non-transitory storage medium storing instructions that are executable by one or more processors and that cause the one or more processors to perform functions comprising:

recognizing a signal candidate position around a vehicle by using a sensor mounted on the vehicle, the signal candidate position being a position at which a traffic light is possibly present, the vehicle including a light configured in such a manner that a light distribution state of the light changes; and

performing a first light control process of controlling the light in response to recognition of the signal candidate position, the first light control process including at least one of:

increasing an intensity of light emitted to the signal candidate position to a value higher than before the recognition of the signal candidate position; or

making the intensity of the light emitted to the signal candidate position higher than an intensity of light emitted to an area other than the signal candidate position;

acquiring an image of surroundings of the vehicle by using a camera mounted on the vehicle;

performing, after the first light control process, a screening process of narrowing down the signal candidate position based on the image; and

performing a second light control process of controlling the light after the screening process,

wherein an excluded position is a position excluded from the signal candidate position by the screening process; and

wherein the second light control process includes reducing an intensity of light emitted to the excluded position to a value lower than before the screening process.