TRAVELING ENVIRONMENT PREDICTION DEVICE, VEHICLE CONTROL DEVICE, AND METHODS THEREFOR

There is a need to predict a driving environment with high responsiveness by a simple configuration. There is provided a driving environment prediction device that predicts a driving environment of a vehicle that causes a vehicle stop. The driving environment prediction device comprises: a first vehicle stop time rate calculator which is configured to calculate a rate of vehicle stop time in a first period, as a first vehicle stop time rate (shorter-period vehicle stop time rate RS); a second vehicle stop time rate calculator which is configured to calculate a rate of vehicle stop time in a second period which is longer than the first period, as a second vehicle stop time rate (longer-period vehicle stop time rate RL); and a driving environment predictor which is configured to predict the driving environment, based on the shorter-period vehicle stop time rate RS and the longer-period vehicle stop time rate RL.