Patent ID: 8917189

Claim:
An assistance device which assists a subject-vehicle in a case where the subject-vehicle advances in a first course direction at an intersection where a traffic light is installed which has a first signal which indicates permission to advance in the first course direction traversing a lane in which traffic flows in a direction opposite to that of the subject-vehicle and a second signal which indicates permission to advance in a second course direction including the first course direction and proceeding straight through light, the assistance device comprising: a receiver configured to receive traffic light information of the traffic light; and a controller configured to: determine, as a first determination, whether or not the subject-vehicle advances in the first course direction when the traffic light information received by the receiver indicates that the second signal is lit; when the first determination has determined that the subject-vehicle advances in the first course direction, determine, as a second determination, whether or not a first time is equal to or greater than a second time, the first time being a required time until the first signal will be lit indicated by the traffic light information received by the receiver, and the second time being a predetermined time required for the subject-vehicle to advance in the first course direction including a time required for the subject-vehicle to travel through the intersection in the first course direction; assist such that the subject-vehicle advances in the first course direction during the lighting of the first signal when the second determination has determined that the first time is less than the second time; and assist so as to advance in the first course direction during the lighting of the second signal when the first signal is not lit and when the second determination has determined that the first time is equal to or greater than the second time.