Vehicle control device, vehicle control method and storage medium

Abstract

A vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a storage medium are provided that can perform stable lane changes in congestion. The vehicle control device includes: a first detection unit that detects the driving state of a host vehicle; a second detection unit that detects the driving state of other vehicles traveling on a main road when the host vehicle is traveling on a merging road, and the traffic volume of the main road; and a merging control unit that controls the merging of the host vehicle regardless of the lane changes of the other vehicles when the distance in the front-rear direction of the host vehicle relative to the other vehicles is greater than a prescribed amount, and when the traffic volume of the main road is detected to be greater than a prescribed amount, the merging control unit makes it easy to start the merging control of the host vehicle.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2019-147946 filed on August 9, 2019, and uses the contents thereof herein. Technical Field

[0002] The invention relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method and a storage medium. Background Art

[0003] In the past, the following vehicle traffic management device technology has been disclosed: the vehicle traffic management device calculates a block partition that serves as a control mark for controlling the inter-vehicle distance and speed of each vehicle based on the detection results of the road environment and the detection results of the vehicle's position and speed, and determines whether lane changes are possible based on the block partition, thereby safely and densely controlling multiple moving vehicles (for example, Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-52808). Summary of the invention

[0004] However, in the conventional technology, when the lane at the merging destination is congested, there is a possibility that an appropriate lane change cannot be performed.

[0005] The solution of the present invention provides a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method and a storage medium capable of performing stable lane changes in congestion.

[0006] The vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium of the present invention adopt the following structures.

[0007] (1): A vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a first detection unit for detecting a driving state of a host vehicle; a second detection unit for detecting a driving state of other vehicles traveling on a main road when the host vehicle is traveling on a merging road, and a traffic volume on the main road; and a merging control unit for controlling the merging of the host vehicle regardless of lane changes of the other vehicles when a distance in a front-rear direction of the host vehicle relative to the other vehicles is greater than a prescribed value, and the merging control unit facilitates the start of merging control of the host vehicle when the second detection unit detects that the traffic volume on the main road is greater than a prescribed value.

[0008] (2): In the scheme of (1) above, the merging control unit makes it easier to start merging control of the vehicle when the main road includes multiple lanes and the traffic volume of the first lane in the main road adjacent to the merging road is greater than a specified amount, compared with the case where the main road is a single lane or the traffic volume of the first lane adjacent to the merging road is less than a specified amount.

[0009] (3): In the above-mentioned scheme (1) or (2), the merging control unit makes it easier to start the merging control of the vehicle when the main road includes multiple lanes and a first lane in the main road adjacent to the merging road and a second lane in the main road adjacent to the first lane are congested, compared with a case where the traffic volume in the first lane is less than a prescribed amount.

[0010] (4): In any of the above schemes (1) to (3), when the second detection unit detects that there are a plurality of other vehicles traveling on the main road and the number of the other vehicles changing lanes from the first lane adjacent to the merging road is greater than the number of the other vehicles not changing lanes from the first lane, the merging control unit makes it easier to start merging control of the host vehicle than when the second detection unit detects that there are no other vehicles traveling on the main road or the number of the other vehicles changing lanes from the first lane adjacent to the merging road is less than the number of the other vehicles not changing lanes from the first lane.

[0011] (5): In the above-mentioned scheme (4), the merging control unit makes it easier to start the merging control of the vehicle when the traffic volume in the second lane away from the merging road and adjacent to the first lane is less than a specified amount, compared with a case where the traffic volume in the second lane is greater than a specified amount.

[0012] (6): A vehicle control method according to one embodiment of the present invention enables a computer to perform the following processing: detecting the driving state of the own vehicle; detecting the driving state of other vehicles traveling on a main road when the own vehicle is traveling on a merging road, and the traffic volume of the main road; controlling the merging of the own vehicle regardless of lane changes of the other vehicles when the front-rear direction distance of the own vehicle relative to the other vehicles is greater than a prescribed amount; and facilitating the start of merging control of the own vehicle when the traffic volume of the main road is detected to be greater than a prescribed amount.

[0013] (7): A storage medium of one embodiment of the present invention stores a program, which enables a computer to perform the following processing: detecting the driving state of the host vehicle; detecting the driving state of other vehicles traveling on a main road when the host vehicle is traveling on a merging road, and the traffic volume of the main road; controlling the merging of the host vehicle regardless of the lane change of the other vehicles when the front-rear distance of the host vehicle relative to the other vehicles is greater than a specified amount; and facilitating the start of merging control of the host vehicle when the traffic volume of the main road is detected to be greater than a specified amount.

[0014] Effects of the Invention

[0015] According to the solutions (1) to (7), stable lane changes can be performed even in traffic congestion. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] Figure 1 It is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system using the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a functional structure diagram of the first control unit and the second control unit.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing the first scene.

[0019] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the second scene.

[0020] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing an example of the setting result set by the virtual frame setting unit in the third scene.

[0021] Figure 6 It is an enlarged view of the virtual frame Rm1 at time t6.

[0022] Figure 7 It is a diagram for explaining the offset of the virtual frame Rm1.

[0023] Figure 8 This is a diagram for explaining the virtual frame Om1.

[0024] Fig. 9 This is a diagram for explaining the offset of the virtual frame Om1.

[0025] Fig.10 This is a diagram showing the fourth scene.

[0026] Fig.11 It is a diagram for explaining the change in the size of the virtual frame in the fourth scene.

[0027] Fig.12 This is a diagram for explaining the size of a virtual frame when the size is changed.

[0028] Fig.13 This is a flowchart showing another example of the merging track generation process performed by the vehicle control device.

[0029] Fig.14 This is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing for setting the ease of starting merging control.

[0030] Fig.15 This is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing for setting the ease of starting merging control.

[0031] Fig.16This is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing for setting the ease of starting merging control.

[0032] Fig.17 It is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the vehicle control device according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] Hereinafter, the implementation manner of the vehicle control device, vehicle control method and program of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. It should be noted that the vehicle control device of the implementation manner is applicable to an autonomous driving vehicle. Autonomous driving, for example, refers to controlling both the steering and acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle to perform driving control. The vehicle control device of the implementation manner may also be applicable to vehicles that perform driving assistance such as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control System) and LKAS (Lane Keeping Assistance System).

[0034] [Overall structure]

[0035] Figure 1 1 is a structural diagram of a vehicle system 1 using the vehicle control device 100 of the first embodiment. The vehicle equipped with the vehicle system 1 is, for example, a two-wheel, three-wheel, or four-wheel vehicle, and its driving source is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination thereof. The electric motor operates using the power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, or the power discharged from a secondary battery or a fuel cell.

[0036] The vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a detector 14, an object recognition device 16, a driving operating member 80, a vehicle control device 100, a driving force output device 200, a brake device 210, and a steering device 220. These devices and equipment are interconnected through multiple communication lines such as CAN (Controller Area Network) communication lines, serial communication lines, wireless communication networks, etc. It should be noted that Figure 1 The structure shown is just an example, and part of the structure may be omitted or another structure may be added.

[0037] The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is installed at any part of a vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the vehicle M) equipped with the vehicle system 1. When shooting the front, the camera 10 is installed on the upper part of the front windshield, the back of the rearview mirror in the vehicle, etc. The camera 10, for example, periodically and repeatedly shoots the surroundings of the vehicle M. The camera 10 may also be a stereo camera.

[0038] The radar device 12 radiates radio waves such as millimeter waves to the periphery of the vehicle M, and detects radio waves (reflected waves) reflected by an object to detect at least the position (distance and direction) of the object. The radar device 12 is installed at any part of the vehicle M. The radar device 12 can also detect the position and speed of the object by FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

[0039] The detector 14 is a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging). The detector 14 irradiates light to the periphery of the vehicle M and measures scattered light. The detector 14 detects the distance to the object based on the time from light emission to light reception. The irradiated light is, for example, a pulsed laser. The detector 14 is installed at any part of the vehicle M.

[0040] The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results detected by part or all of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the detector 14 to recognize the position, type, speed, etc. of the object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition result to the vehicle control device 100. The object recognition device 16 can output the detection results of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the detector 14 directly to the vehicle control device 100. The object recognition device 16 can also be omitted from the vehicle system 1.

[0041] The communication device 20 communicates with other vehicles existing in the vicinity of the autonomous driving vehicle by using, for example, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), or the like, or communicates with various server devices that provide traffic information (for example, road congestion information, setting information of priority paths and priority lanes based on traffic volume adjustment, emergency vehicle passage, etc.) via a wireless base station.

[0042] The HMI 30 presents various information to the passengers of the autonomous driving vehicle and receives input operations from the passengers. The HMI 30 includes various display devices, speakers, buzzers, touch panels, switches, buttons, and the like.

[0043] The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor for detecting the speed of the autonomous driving vehicle, an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration, a yaw rate sensor for detecting the angular velocity around a vertical axis, an azimuth sensor for detecting the direction of the autonomous driving vehicle, and the like.

[0044] The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a route determination unit 53. The navigation device 50 stores first map information 54 in a storage device such as a HDD or a flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 determines the position of the autonomous driving vehicle based on signals received from GNSS satellites. The position of the autonomous driving vehicle may also be determined or supplemented by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) using the output of the vehicle sensor 40. The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, a key, etc. The navigation HMI 52 may also be partially or entirely shared with the aforementioned HMI 30. The route determination unit 53, for example, refers to the first map information 54 to determine a route (hereinafter referred to as a route on a map) from the position of the autonomous driving vehicle determined by the GNSS receiver 51 (or an arbitrary position input) to the destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52. The first map information 54 is, for example, information that expresses the shape of a road by representing a line of the road and nodes connected by the line. The first map information 54 may also include the curvature of the road, POI (Point Of Interest) information, etc. The path on the map is output to the MPU 60. The navigation device 50 can also provide route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the path on the map. The navigation device 50 can also be implemented by the function of a terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal held by the passenger. The navigation device 50 can also send the current position and destination to the navigation server via the communication device 20, and obtain a path equivalent to the path on the map from the navigation server.

[0045] The MPU 60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 61, and stores the second map information 62 in a storage device such as a HDD or a flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 61 divides the path on the map provided by the navigation device 50 into a plurality of blocks (for example, divided into every 100 [m] in the direction of vehicle travel), and determines a recommended lane for each block with reference to the second map information 62. The recommended lane determination unit 61 determines the lane to travel on from the left. When there is a branch in the path on the map, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines a recommended lane so that the autonomous driving vehicle can travel on a reasonable path for traveling to the branch destination.

[0046] The second map information 62 is map information with higher accuracy than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes, for example, information on the center of a lane or information on a lane boundary. In addition, the second map information 62 may include road information, traffic restriction information, address information (address and postal code), facility information, telephone number information, etc. The second map information 62 may be updated at any time by communicating with other devices through the communication device 20.

[0047] The driving operating member 80 includes, for example, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, a steering wheel, a special-shaped steering wheel, a joystick, and other operating members. A sensor for detecting the amount of operation or the presence or absence of operation is installed on the driving operating member 80, and the detection result is output to the vehicle control device 100, or part or all of the driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device 220.

[0048] The vehicle control device 100, for example, includes a first control unit 120 and a second control unit 160. The first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160 are implemented by, for example, executing a program (software) through a hardware processor such as a CPU. In addition, some or all of these components may be implemented by hardware (including a circuit unit: circuitry) such as an LSI, an ASIC, an FPGA, a GPU, or may be implemented by the coordination of software and hardware. The program may be pre-stored in a storage device (a storage device having a non-temporary storage medium) such as an HDD or a flash memory of the vehicle control device 100, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and installed in the HDD or flash memory of the vehicle control device 100 by assembling the storage medium (non-temporary storage medium) in a drive device.

[0049] Figure 2 It is a functional structure diagram of the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160. The first control unit 120, for example, includes a recognition unit 130 and an action plan generation unit 140. The first control unit 120, for example, implements in parallel functions based on AI (Artificial Intelligence) and functions based on a pre-given model. For example, the function of "identifying intersections" can be achieved by "parallel execution of intersection recognition based on deep learning, etc. and recognition based on pre-given conditions (the presence of signals that can be pattern matched, road signs, etc.), and scoring and comprehensively evaluating both parties." Thereby, the reliability of autonomous driving is ensured.

[0050] The recognition unit 130 recognizes the periphery of the host vehicle M and estimates the behavior of the recognized object. The recognition unit 130 includes, for example, a periphery recognition unit 132 .

[0051] The surrounding recognition unit 132 recognizes the position, speed, acceleration and other states of objects (front vehicles, oncoming vehicles, main road vehicles traveling on the main road of the merging road, etc.) in the surroundings of the autonomous driving vehicle based on the information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12 and the detector 14 via the object recognition device 16. The position of the object is, for example, recognized as a position on an absolute coordinate with a representative point (center of gravity, drive shaft center, etc.) of the autonomous driving vehicle as the origin, and is used for control. The position of the object can also be represented by representative points such as the center of gravity and corners of the object, and can also be represented by a displayed area. The "state" of the object can also include the acceleration, jerk, or "action state" of the object (for example, whether the preceding vehicle of the vehicle M is making or about to make a lane change).

[0052] When identifying the driving lane, the peripheral recognition unit 132 recognizes the position and posture of the autonomous driving vehicle relative to the driving lane. For example, the peripheral recognition unit 132 may recognize the deviation of the reference point of the autonomous driving vehicle from the center of the lane and the angle formed by the direction of travel of the autonomous driving vehicle relative to the line obtained by connecting the centers of the lanes as the relative position and posture of the autonomous driving vehicle relative to the driving lane. Alternatively, the peripheral recognition unit 132 may recognize the position of the reference point of the autonomous driving vehicle relative to any side end of the driving lane (road dividing line or road boundary) as the relative position of the autonomous driving vehicle relative to the driving lane.

[0053] The surrounding recognition unit 132, for example, recognizes the lane in which the autonomous driving vehicle is traveling (driving lane). For example, the surrounding recognition unit 132 recognizes the driving lane by comparing the pattern of road dividing lines obtained from the second map information 62 (e.g., the arrangement of solid lines and dotted lines) with the pattern of road dividing lines around the autonomous driving vehicle recognized from the image captured by the camera 10. It should be noted that the surrounding recognition unit 132 is not limited to recognizing road dividing lines, but can also recognize driving lanes by recognizing road dividing lines, driving road boundaries (road boundaries) including shoulders, curbs, central isolation strips, guardrails, etc. In this recognition, the position of the autonomous driving vehicle obtained from the navigation device 50 and the processing results processed by the INS can also be added. In addition, the surrounding recognition unit 132 recognizes temporary stop lines, traffic lights and other road phenomena.

[0054] The surrounding recognition unit 132 recognizes surrounding vehicles, particularly information related to the lane in which the host vehicle M is scheduled to travel, based on the surrounding vehicles of the host vehicle M recognized from the image captured by the camera 10, the image captured by the camera 10, the congestion information of the surroundings of the host vehicle M obtained by the navigation device 50, or the position information obtained from the second map information 62. The information related to the lane in which the host vehicle M is scheduled to travel includes, for example, the lane width (driving lane width) in which the host vehicle M is scheduled to travel.

[0055] The surrounding recognition unit 132 includes, for example, a first detection unit 133 and a second detection unit 134 .

[0056] The first detection unit 133 detects the driving state of the host vehicle M based on the recognition result of the surrounding recognition unit 132. When the host vehicle M is traveling on the merging road, the first detection unit 133 detects the driving state such as the driving position, speed, and angular velocity of the host vehicle M. In addition, when the host vehicle M is traveling on the merging road, the first detection unit 133 detects the congestion state (whether it is congested) of the merging road.

[0057] The second detection unit 134 detects the driving state of other vehicles (hereinafter referred to as main road vehicles mN; N is a number indicating the reference numeral of the lane being driven, and when there are multiple vehicles on the lane L1, they are represented as main road vehicles m11, main road vehicles m12, main road vehicles m13, etc.) traveling on the main road serving as the merging destination when the host vehicle M is traveling on the merging road based on the recognition result of the surrounding recognition unit 132. The second detection unit 134 detects, for example, whether there is a main road vehicle m1, and detects the driving state of the main road vehicle m1, such as the driving position, speed, angular velocity, and vehicle length. In addition, the second detection unit 134 detects the lateral movement of the main road vehicle m1, and detects whether the main road vehicle m1 is continuing to drive in the lane being driven or is about to change lanes from the lane being driven.

[0058] The second detection unit 134 includes, for example, a traffic volume recognition unit 134 - 1 and a virtual frame setting unit 134 - 2 .

[0059] The traffic volume recognition unit 134-1 recognizes the traffic volume of each lane included in the main road, and recognizes whether the main road is in a congested state. The traffic volume recognition unit 134-1 recognizes whether the main road is in a congested state based on whether the traffic volume of the lane is greater than a predetermined amount. The so-called "traffic volume is greater than a predetermined amount" can be determined based on traffic information provided by the navigation device 50, etc., or based on the number of vehicles around the vehicle M and the driving position in the recognition result of the surrounding recognition unit 132.

[0060] The imaginary frame setting unit 134-2 sets an imaginary frame including the reference part of the vehicle for each main road vehicle based on the recognition result of the traffic volume recognition unit 134-1. The imaginary frame is set in a manner that includes the outline of the vehicle when the vehicle is viewed from the top surface or the side while traveling straight. The details of the imaginary frame setting unit 134-2 will be described later.

[0061] The action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory for the future travel of the vehicle M in principle by driving on the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determination unit 61 and performing automatic driving corresponding to the surrounding conditions of the vehicle M. The target trajectory includes, for example, a speed element. For example, the target trajectory is represented by a trajectory in which the locations (track points) that the vehicle M should arrive at are arranged in sequence. The track points are locations that the vehicle M should arrive at at predetermined driving distances (e.g., a few [m]) along the way, and in addition, the target speed and target acceleration at predetermined sampling times (e.g., a few tenths [sec]) are generated as part of the target trajectory.

[0062] The action plan generation unit 140 may set an event for autonomous driving when generating a target trajectory. The events for autonomous driving include a constant speed driving event, a low speed following driving event, a lane change event, a branching event, a contact avoidance event, a merging event, and the like. A merging event is, for example, an event in which the vehicle M merges with a main road at a merging point where there is no signal or stop line on a highway. The action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory corresponding to the started event.

[0063] The action plan generation unit 140 includes, for example, a merge control unit 142. The function of the merge control unit 142 will be described in detail later.

[0064] The second control unit 160 controls the driving force output device 200 , the braking device 210 , and the steering device 220 so that the autonomous driving vehicle passes through the target track generated by the action plan generation unit 140 at a predetermined timing.

[0065] return Figure 1 , the second control unit 160, for example, includes an acquisition unit 162, a speed control unit 164, and a steering control unit 166. The acquisition unit 162 acquires the information of the target track (track point) generated by the action plan generation unit 140, and causes the memory (not shown) to store the information. The speed control unit 164 controls the travel drive force output device 200 or the braking device 210 based on the speed element attached to the target track stored in the memory. The steering control unit 166 controls the steering device 220 according to the curvature of the target track stored in the memory. The processing of the speed control unit 164 and the steering control unit 166 is implemented, for example, by a combination of feedforward control and feedback control. As an example, the steering control unit 166 performs a combination of feedforward control corresponding to the curvature of the road ahead of the autonomous driving vehicle and feedback control based on the deviation from the target track.

[0066] The driving force output device 200 outputs the driving force (torque) for driving the vehicle to the drive wheels. The driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and a transmission, and an ECU that controls them. The ECU controls the above-mentioned structure according to information input from the second control unit 160 or information input from the driving operation member 80.

[0067] The brake device 210 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a hydraulic cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor according to information input from the second control unit 160 or information input from the driving operating member 80, so that a brake torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel. The brake device 210 may include a mechanism that transmits the hydraulic pressure generated by the operation of the brake pedal included in the driving operating member 80 to the hydraulic cylinder via the master hydraulic cylinder as a backup. It should be noted that the brake device 210 is not limited to the structure described above, and may also be an electronically controlled hydraulic brake device that controls the actuator according to information input from the second control unit 160 to transmit the hydraulic pressure of the master hydraulic cylinder to the hydraulic cylinder.

[0068] The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor, for example, applies force to a rack-and-pinion mechanism to change the direction of the steering wheel. The steering ECU drives the electric motor to change the direction of the steering wheel according to information input from the second control unit 160 or information input from the driving operating member 80.

[0069] [Function of the confluence control unit]

[0070] The following describes in detail the functions of the merge control unit 142. It should be noted that the functions of the merge control unit 142 described below may be functions executed by a merge event or may be other functions in merge control.

[0071] [Merge control when the main road is a single lane]

[0072] Below, refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4 , together with the advancement of the scene, the processing of the first detection unit 133, the second detection unit 134 and the merging control unit 142 is explained.

[0073] Figure 3 : is a diagram showing the first scenario. The first scenario is a scenario before the start of the merging control. In the first scenario, the vehicle M is traveling in the lane L3 merging with the lane L1 which is the main road. In the lane L1 of the main road, another vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the main road vehicle m1) is traveling. It is assumed that there is no stop line near the merging point, and the main road vehicle m1 is traveling in the lane L1.

[0074] exist Figure 3 In the example of FIG. 5 , a main road (lane L1) extending in the X-axis direction (travel direction) in the figure and a merging lane (lane L3) merging from the left side relative to the travel direction of lane L1 are shown. The vehicle M is performing automatic driving along the path to the destination set by the navigation device 50 and is traveling toward the merging point (or merging area, as defined later) in lane L3. It is assumed that there is no stop line near the merging point and the main road vehicle m1 is traveling in lane L1.

[0075] It should be noted that the lane L3 is separated from the lane L1 as the main road by the fence FF, the branch strip CC, the zebra crossing (guide strip) ZZ, etc., on the front side of the merging point in the direction of travel of each vehicle. The fence FF and the branch strip CC physically separate the lane L1 from the lane L3, but the zebra crossing ZZ is only drawn on the road surface and does not physically separate the lane L1 from the lane L3. It should be noted that the fence FF may have a height to the extent that the lane of one of the lanes L1 and L3 cannot be visually identified from the other lane.

[0076] The merging point is a point connecting lane L1 and lane L3, for example, including the area from the soft nose to the end nose of lane L3. The vehicle M needs to merge with lane L1 until it travels in the area from the soft nose to the end nose. It should be noted that the vehicle M is assumed to merge with lane L1 without crossing the zebra crossing ZZ, which is an area where traffic is restricted by law even if it is physically passable.

[0077] The first detection unit 133 detects the driving state of the vehicle M including the speed VM of the vehicle M based on the recognition result of the surrounding recognition unit 132. In addition, the second detection unit 134 selects the main road vehicle m1, for example, during the period from the time when the reference part (the front of the vehicle, the center of gravity, the center of the front wheel axle, the center of the rear wheel axle, etc.) of the vehicle M reaches the branch strip CC to the time when the reference part of the vehicle M reaches the soft isolation end that is the terminal of the zebra crossing ZZ. It should be noted that the second detection unit 134 may also select a vehicle that is close to the vehicle M and located behind the vehicle M in the traveling direction among the multiple vehicles as the main road vehicle m1 when multiple vehicles traveling on the lane L1 are recognized. Thus, the merging control unit 142 can select a vehicle that is easy to become a merging target as the main road vehicle m1 when the vehicle M decelerates while traveling on the lane L3 and merges with the lane L1 of the main road.

[0078] The second detection unit 134 detects a speed Vxm1 in the traveling direction and a speed Vym1 in the lateral direction (the Y-axis direction in the figure) of the trunk road vehicle m1 .

[0079] Figure 4 2 is a diagram showing a second scene. The second scene is a scene showing a state where a predetermined time has passed since the first scene.

[0080] The merging control unit 142 performs merging control so that the host vehicle M merges with the main road before reaching the cut-off end portion that is the terminal end of the lane L3. The merging control unit 142 performs merging control to make the host vehicle M merge with the lane L1 based on the detection result of the main road vehicle m1 detected by the second detection unit 134. When the front-to-rear direction distance D of the host vehicle M relative to the main road vehicle m1 traveling on the main road is greater than a predetermined distance, the merging control unit 142 controls the merging of the host vehicle M regardless of the lane change of the main road vehicle m1. The front-to-rear direction distance D may be, for example, the distance from the front end portion of the host vehicle M to the rear end portion of the main road vehicle m1 as shown in the figure, or the distance from the reference position of the host vehicle M to the reference position of the main road vehicle m1.

[0081] When the merging control is started by the merging control unit 142, the imaginary frame setting unit 134-2 sets the imaginary frame Rm1 of the main road vehicle m1. The imaginary frame Rm1 is set, for example, with a margin in front of and behind the main road vehicle m1 in the traveling direction, and is set to a size that allows safe control (or avoidance) using a normal braking mechanism even if the preceding vehicle of the main road vehicle m1 stops suddenly, or the following vehicle accelerates suddenly, or a lane changing vehicle is received in front of or behind the main road vehicle m1.

[0082] In addition, when the front-to-rear distance D of the host vehicle M relative to the main road vehicle m1 traveling on the main road is less than a prescribed distance, the merging control unit 142 decelerates the host vehicle M so that the front-to-rear distance D becomes greater than the prescribed distance, or changes the vehicle that is the target of the merging control to a vehicle traveling behind the main road vehicle m1, etc., thereby controlling the merging of the host vehicle M.

[0083] [Merge control when the main road has multiple lanes]

[0084] Figure 5 1 is a diagram showing an example of the setting result set by the virtual frame setting unit 134-2 for the third scenario. The third scenario is a scenario for explaining the merging control when the main road has multiple lanes. The host vehicle M is traveling in the lane L3 which merges with the lane L1 and the lane L2 which are the main roads. The main road vehicle m1 is traveling in the lane L1 of the main road and changes lanes to the lane L2 in coordination with the merging of the host vehicle M. It is assumed that there is no stop line near the merging point and the main road vehicle m1 is traveling in the lane L1.

[0085] exist Figure 5, the vehicle M at each time t0 to t9 until the vehicle M changes lanes from lane L3 to lane L1, and the position of the virtual frame Rm1 set by the virtual frame setting unit 134-2 to the main road vehicle m1 are shown. The time t0 to time t9 represent any time that has passed, and may also represent the time interval of a number of seconds. The virtual frame Rm1 represents, for example, a predicted area of ​​the future position of the main road vehicle m1, and the area within the frame represents an area with a high possibility of interference between the vehicle M and the main road vehicle m1.

[0086] It should be noted that in the following description, the case where time t2 is the time when the main road vehicle m1 turns on the direction indicator. The case where time t3 is the time when the main road vehicle m1 starts to decelerate and the lateral movement amount is less than the prescribed movement amount is described. In addition, the case where the main road vehicle m1 starts to change lanes from lane L1 to lane L2 at time t4 and ends the lane change at time t8 is described. The case where the lateral movement amount of the main road vehicle m1 during this period is greater than the prescribed amount is described. Time t9 is the time when the main road vehicle m1 starts to travel in the lane maintaining state in lane L2.

[0087] The second detection unit 134 detects the travel state of the main road vehicle m1 traveling on the main road as the merging destination when the host vehicle M is traveling on the merging road, based on the recognition result of the surrounding recognition unit 132. For example, the second detection unit 134 detects whether the main road vehicle m1 has turned on the direction indicator, and detects the speed Vxm1 of the main road vehicle m1 in the traveling direction and the speed Vym1 in the lateral direction of the traveling direction.

[0088] The virtual frame setting unit 134-2 sets the virtual frame Rm1 based on the detection result of the second detection unit 134, in particular, based on the lateral speed Vym1. When the main road vehicle m1 is detected to be in a lane change state, the virtual frame setting unit 134-2 shifts the virtual frame Rm1 away from the main road vehicle m1 in the direction away from the merging road.

[0089] When it is detected that the main road vehicle m1 is in a state of changing lanes, as shown in the figure, the imaginary frame setting unit 134-2 shifts the imaginary frame Rm1 in the Y-axis direction (the direction from the lane L1 to the lane L2) in the figure from time t2. It should be noted that the offset amount can also be set based on the lateral speed Vym1. For example, when the lateral speed Vym1 is greater than a predetermined value, the imaginary frame setting unit 134-2 shifts the imaginary frame Rm1 to a greater extent according to the magnitude of the lateral speed Vym1.

[0090] For example, the virtual frame setting unit 134-2 sets a predetermined amount (e.g., several tens of cm) for the offset at time t3 when deceleration is started for lane change because the actual lateral speed Vym1 is small. The virtual frame setting unit 134-2 sets the offset at time t4 to time t8 according to the magnitude of the lateral speed Vym1.

[0091] Since the virtual frame Rm1 indicates the estimated region of the future position of the main road vehicle m1 , the virtual frame setting unit 134 - 2 also shifts the virtual frame Rm1 at time t3 when the amount of lateral movement is small.

[0092] It should be noted that the imaginary frame setting unit 134-2 may also shift the imaginary frame Rm1 based on the detection result of the longitudinal velocity Vxm1 detected by the second detection unit 134 when the second detection unit 134 detects that the main road vehicle m1 is in a driving state of changing lanes. In this case, for example, the imaginary frame setting unit 134-2 shifts the imaginary frame Rm1 to the rear of the main road vehicle m1 in the traveling direction when the main road vehicle m1 is decelerating. In addition, for example, the imaginary frame setting unit 134-2 shifts the imaginary frame Rm1 to the front of the main road vehicle m1 in the traveling direction when the main road vehicle m1 is accelerating.

[0093] The merging control unit 142 performs processing such as deriving the curvature of the driving trajectory of the main road vehicle m1 based on the time-space behavior prediction obtained by the virtual frame prediction set by the virtual frame setting unit 134-2 (the movement status of the position of the virtual frame Rm1 set at time t0 to time t8), and performs merging control to make the vehicle M merge with the main road.

[0094] The merging control unit 142 performs merging control so that the host vehicle M merges with the main road before reaching the cut-off end that is the terminal of the lane L3. The merging control unit 142 controls the start of merging so that the host vehicle M merges with the lane L1 based on the detection result of the main road vehicle m1 detected by the second detection unit 134. The merging control unit 142 controls the merging of the host vehicle M to the lane L1 when the front-rear direction distance D of the host vehicle M relative to the main road vehicle m1 traveling on the main road is greater than or equal to a predetermined distance, regardless of the lane change of the main road vehicle m1.

[0095] The merging control unit 142 controls the start of merging of the host vehicle M when the distance D in the front-rear direction of the host vehicle M relative to the main road vehicle m1 traveling on the main road is less than a predetermined distance and the main road vehicle m1 changes lanes from the lane L1 to the lane L2. The merging control unit 142 controls the merging of the host vehicle M by decelerating the host vehicle M so that the distance D in the front-rear direction becomes equal to or greater than the predetermined distance, or by changing the vehicle to be the target of the merging control to a vehicle traveling behind the main road vehicle m1, etc., when the distance D in the front-rear direction of the host vehicle M relative to the main road vehicle m1 traveling on the main road is less than a predetermined distance and the main road vehicle m1 does not change lanes from the lane L1 to the lane L2.

[0096] 〔Imaginary Frame〕

[0097] The following describes an example of setting the virtual frame Rm1 by the virtual frame setting unit 134-2. The virtual frame setting unit 134-2 sets the virtual frame Rm1 that includes at least the reference portion of the main road vehicle m1. When the main road vehicle m1 is performing lane maintenance, the virtual frame setting unit 134-2 sets the virtual frame Rm1 so that the contour of the main road vehicle m1 is included. When the main road vehicle m1 is performing lane change, the virtual frame setting unit 134-2 sets the virtual frame Rm1 so that the virtual frame Rm1 is offset to approach the lane of the lane change destination and the reference portion of the main road vehicle m1 is included.

[0098] Figure 6 yes Figure 5 The virtual frame setting unit 134-2 sets the virtual frame Rm1 so that it includes the reference portion F of the main road vehicle m1 even when the virtual frame Rm1 is offset to approach the lane L3 of the lane change destination.

[0099] Figure 7 It is used to illustrate Figure 6 The diagram showing the offset of the virtual frame Rm1 is shown. For example, when the lateral movement is completed at time t6, the virtual frame setting unit 134-2 sets the virtual frame Rm1 for the predicted posture of the main road vehicle m1 (the vehicle vm1 shown by the dotted line in the figure).

[0100] Figure 8 The diagram is for explaining a substantially circular virtual frame Om1 which is a modified example of the virtual frame. The virtual frame Om1 is set to include the outline of the main road vehicle m1 when viewed from above or from the side, similarly to the rectangular virtual frame Rm1 described above.

[0101] Fig. 9 It is used to illustrate Figure 8 A diagram showing the offset of the imaginary box Om1. Fig. 9 The main road vehicle m1 and Figure 6 and Figure 7 The virtual frame setting unit 134-2 sets the virtual frame Om1 so that the reference part F of the main road vehicle m1 is included even when the virtual frame Om1 is offset to approach the lane L3 of the lane change destination. The following describes a case where the virtual frame is a rectangle, but it is not limited to a rectangle. For example, it may be Figure 8 and Fig. 9 Although it is roughly circular as shown, it may be a polygon other than a rectangle.

[0102] [Improvement of start-up performance of convergence control]

[0103] When the second detection unit 134 detects that the traffic volume of the main road is greater than a predetermined amount (the main road is congested), the merging control unit 142 makes it easier to start the merging control of the host vehicle M than when the traffic volume of the main road is less than a predetermined amount (the main road is not congested). The merging control of the host vehicle M is easier to start, for example, including making the margin distance in the front-rear direction relative to other vehicles smaller. Even when the traffic volume of the main road is greater than a predetermined amount and the distance between the vehicles traveling on the main road is not sufficient for the merging control, the main road vehicle m1 recognizes the presence of the host vehicle M on the merging road, and the main road vehicle m1 slows down to ensure the distance between the main road vehicle m1 and the preceding vehicle, so that the host vehicle M can merge. Therefore, the merging control unit 142 can improve the startability of the merging control according to the traffic volume of the main road.

[0104] It should be noted that, in order to reduce the margin distance in the front-rear direction relative to other vehicles, for example, it may include making the size of the imaginary frame Rm1 set by the imaginary frame setting unit 134-2 on the vehicle length side smaller than the size of the imaginary frame Rm1 in normal times. In addition, in order to reduce the margin distance in the front-rear direction relative to other vehicles, it may include making the overall size of the imaginary frame Rm1 set by the imaginary frame setting unit 134-2 smaller than the size in normal times (for example, reducing it to about 90[%] of the size of the imaginary frame Rm1 in normal times).

[0105] In addition, the merging control unit 142 may also make it easier to start the merging control of the host vehicle M when the main road includes a plurality of lanes and the first lane adjacent to the merging road in the main road is congested, compared with the case where the main road is a single lane or the first lane is not congested. Even when the traffic volume in the first lane is a predetermined amount or more and the distance between the main road vehicles is not a sufficient distance for the merging control, the main road vehicle m1 recognizes the presence of the host vehicle M on the merging road, and the main road vehicle m1 slows down to ensure the distance between the main road vehicle m1 and the preceding vehicle, or changes lanes to a lane other than the first lane (hereinafter referred to as the second lane), so that the host vehicle M is likely to be able to merge. Therefore, the merging control unit 142 may also change the initiation of the merging control based on whether the main road is a single lane.

[0106] In addition, the merging control unit 142 may also make it easier to start the merging control of the host vehicle M when the main road includes a plurality of lanes, the first lane adjacent to the merging road in the main road is congested, and the traffic volume of the second lane adjacent to the first lane away from the merging road is less than a predetermined volume, compared with a case where the traffic volume of the second lane is greater than a predetermined volume. This is because even when the first lane is congested, the main road vehicle m1 recognizes the presence of the host vehicle M on the merging road, and the main road vehicle m1 slows down to ensure the inter-vehicle distance with the preceding vehicle of the main road vehicle m1, or changes lanes to the second lane, so that the host vehicle M is likely to be able to merge.

[0107] [Improvement in startability according to the number of vehicles changing lanes]

[0108] In addition, the merging control unit 142 may also change the activation of the lane change of the vehicle M according to the driving pattern of the main road vehicles, for example, based on the number of main road vehicles that change lanes in the first lane and the number of main road vehicles that go straight in the first lane without changing lanes.

[0109] Fig.10 : is a diagram showing the fourth scenario. The fourth scenario is a scenario in which there are multiple vehicles changing lanes from lane L1 of a main road to lane L2. It should be noted that in the following description, vehicles traveling on lane L1 are referred to as main road vehicles m1 (main road vehicles m10, m11...), vehicles traveling on lane L2 are referred to as main road vehicles m2 (main road vehicles m20, m21...), and vehicles other than the vehicle M traveling on lane L3 of a merging road are referred to as merging vehicles m3 (merging vehicles m31, m32...).

[0110] In the fourth scenario, among the vehicles traveling in lane L1, trunk road vehicles m13, m14, and m16 are trying to change lanes from lane L1 to lane L2, but other trunk road vehicles are traveling straight in the lane they are traveling in. In addition, in the fourth scenario, merging vehicles m31 to m33 and the host vehicle M are about to change lanes to lane L1. For example, merging vehicle m31 is about to change lanes between trunk road vehicles m12 and m13 traveling in lane L1. In addition, trunk road vehicle m13 is about to change lanes from lane L1 to lane L2 accompanying the lane change of merging vehicle m31.

[0111] The merging control unit 142 makes it easy to start the merging control of the host vehicle M when the second detection unit 134 detects that there are a plurality of other vehicles traveling on the main road and the number of other vehicles that change lanes from the first lane adjacent to the merging road is greater than the number of other vehicles that do not change lanes from the first lane. For example, the merging control unit 142 determines whether to change the activation of the merging control based on the number of vehicles that change lanes to the lane L2 and the number of vehicles that go straight in the lane L1 in the range adjacent to at least the soft isolation end to the cutoff end of the lane L3 (the range in which the main road vehicles m12 to m16 in the figure are traveling). The number of vehicles changing lanes to lane L2 is three, namely, main road vehicle m13, main road vehicle m14, and main road vehicle m16, and the number of vehicles going straight in lane L1 is two, namely, main road vehicle m12 and main road vehicle m15. Since the number of vehicles changing lanes is large, the merging control unit 142 makes it easy to start the merging control of the host vehicle M.

[0112] It should be noted that the second detection unit 134 may count the number of vehicles changing lanes within the maximum range detectable by the second detection unit 134 , or may count all of the main road vehicles m10 to m19 .

[0113] In addition, the merging control unit 142 can also facilitate the start of merging control of the vehicle M when the second detection unit 134 detects that the main road is congested (when the main road has multiple lanes, congestion is detected in both the first lane and the second lane) and the first detection unit 133 detects that the merging road on which the vehicle M is traveling is congested.

[0114] [Change the size of the virtual frame]

[0115] When the merging control unit 142 makes a change to improve the activation performance of the merging control, for example, the virtual frame setting unit 134 - 2 may change the size of the virtual frame set for the main road vehicle, particularly the size in the vehicle length direction.

[0116] Fig.11 is a diagram for explaining the change in the size of the imaginary frame in the fourth scene. Fig.11 As shown, in the fourth scenario, the virtual frame setting unit 134-2 sets virtual frames Rm13 to Rm15 for the main road vehicles m13 to m15, respectively. The virtual frame setting unit 134-2 sets virtual frames Rm13 and Rm14 of standard sizes for the main road vehicles m13 and m14 that are changing lanes from lane L1 to lane L2. On the other hand, the virtual frame setting unit 134-2 changes the size of the virtual frame Rm15 of the main road vehicle m15 that does not change lanes to a smaller size than the virtual frame Rm13, for example.

[0117] Fig.12 This is a diagram for explaining the size of a virtual frame when the size is changed. Fig.12 The above figure shows the virtual frame setting unit 134-2 Fig.11 Diagram of the imaginary box Rm13 set for the main road vehicle m13. Fig.12 The following figure shows the virtual frame setting unit 134-2 Fig.11 FIG. 142 is a diagram of a virtual frame Rm15 set for a main road vehicle m15. When the virtual frame setting unit 134-2 detects a main road vehicle m15 that does not change lanes, it sets the virtual frame Rm15 by shortening the length of the virtual frame Rm15 in the traveling direction compared to a main road vehicle (e.g., main road vehicle m13) that changes lanes between lanes. Thus, the merging control unit 142A can make it easier for the host vehicle M to merge in front of or behind the main road vehicle m15. In this way, by approaching the main road to urge the main road vehicle to change lanes, the main road vehicle behind can be restrained from accelerating, and other vehicles (main road vehicles and merging vehicles) can be pushed to make it easier for the host vehicle to merge. It should be noted that in addition to shortening the length of the virtual frame Rm15 in the traveling direction, it is also possible to shorten only the margin distance in the traveling direction of the main road vehicle m15, shorten only the margin distance in the traveling direction of the main road vehicle m15, shorten the length of the virtual frame Rm15 in the vehicle width direction, and so on.

[0118] It should be noted that, when the degree of activation of the merge control can be adjusted in stages, the merge control unit 142 may set the degree of activation as follows based on the detection results of the first detector 133 and the second detector 134 .

[0119] (Level: Low) When the main road is a single lane and is in a congested state, or when the main road is a plurality of lanes and any lane is in a congested state: the size of the virtual frame set by the virtual frame setting unit 134 - 2 is made small.

[0120] (Level: High) When the main road has multiple lanes and the first lane is congested but the second lane is not congested, or the number of vehicles changing lanes from the first lane to the second lane is greater than the number of vehicles not changing lanes, or the merging lane and the main road are congested: make the size of the virtual frame set by the virtual frame setting unit 134-2 smaller.

[0121] It should be noted that, although the degree of activation controllable by the merging control unit 142 is defined as three stages (no change, "degree; low", "degree: high"), the present invention is not limited thereto, and the degree of activation controllable may be controlled in four or more stages. For example, the merging control unit 142 may define the activation level in the following manner: Figure 14 to Figure 16 In the flowchart, the more conditions that are met, the higher the degree of activation.

[0122] [Processing Flow]

[0123] Fig.13 2 is a flowchart showing another example of the merging track generation process performed by the vehicle control device 100 .

[0124] First, the surrounding recognition unit 132 recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle M (step S100). Next, the first detection unit 133 detects the state of the vehicle M (step S102). Next, the second detection unit 134 detects the main road vehicle m1 (step S104), and recognizes the traffic volume of the main road based on the number of vehicles traveling on the main road (step S106). Next, the merging control unit 142 sets the ease of starting the merging control (step S108). The details of the process of step S108 will be described later.

[0125] Next, the second detection unit 134 predicts the temporal and spatial behavior of the trunk vehicle m1 (step S110), and predicts the target track of the trunk vehicle m1 (or detects the actual travel track) (step S112). Next, the curvature derivation unit 134-3 derives the curvature of the travel track of the trunk vehicle m1 (step S114). Next, the merging control unit 142 generates the merging track of the vehicle M based on the results of steps S102 to S114 (step S116), and starts merging control (step S118). The above ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0126] Figure 14 to Figure 16 This is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing for setting the ease of starting merging control. Figure 14 to Figure 16 The flowchart shown is equivalent to Fig.13 The details of the processing of step S108 of the flowchart are shown in FIG.

[0127] First, the periphery recognition unit 132 determines whether the main road has multiple lanes (step S200). If it is determined that there are multiple lanes, the second detection unit 134 determines whether the traffic volume of the first lane is greater than a prescribed volume (whether the first lane is in a congested state) (step S202). If it is determined that the traffic volume of the first lane is less than the prescribed volume, the second detection unit 134 ends the processing of this flowchart (that is, the setting of the ease of starting the merging control is not changed). If it is determined that the traffic volume of the first lane is greater than the prescribed volume, the second detection unit 134 determines whether the traffic volume of the second lane is greater than the prescribed volume (whether the second lane is in a congested state) (step S204). If it is determined that the traffic volume of the second lane is less than the prescribed volume, the second detection unit 134 determines whether the number of vehicles that are changing lanes to the second lane among the main road vehicles traveling in the first lane is greater than the number of other vehicles that are not changing lanes from the first lane (step S206). If it is determined that the number of vehicles that are changing lanes to the second lane is large, the first detection unit 133 determines whether the merging road is congested (step S208). If the merging road is not congested, the merging control unit 142 makes the merging control easier to perform (step S210), and ends the process of this flowchart. If the merging road is congested, the merging control unit 142 makes the merging control easier to perform (step S212), and ends the process of this flowchart.

[0128] Steps S210 and S212 correspond to, for example, a case where the degree of activation of the merging control controlled by the merging control unit 142 is set to "degree: high". It should be noted that, when the degree of activation of the merging control controlled by the merging control unit 142 can be controlled in multiple stages of four or more, step S212 may be set to a higher degree than step S210.

[0129] If it is determined in step S206 that the number of vehicles changing lanes to the second lane is less than the number of vehicles on the main road going straight, the first detection unit 133 determines whether the merging road is congested (step S214). If the merging road is not congested, the merging control unit 142 makes it easier to perform the merging control (for example, the degree of activation of the merging control is set to "degree: high") (step S216), and the processing of this flowchart ends. If the merging road is congested, the merging control unit 142 makes it easier to perform the merging control (for example, the degree of activation of the merging control is set to "degree: high") (step S218), and the processing of this flowchart ends.

[0130] Next, explain Fig.15 .exist Fig.14If it is determined in step S204 that the traffic volume in the second lane is greater than the prescribed volume, the second detection unit 134 determines whether the number of vehicles changing lanes to the second lane among the main road vehicles traveling in the first lane is greater than the number of other vehicles not changing lanes from the first lane (step S220). If it is determined that the number of vehicles changing lanes to the second lane is less than the number of main road vehicles traveling straight, the first detection unit 133 determines whether the merging road is congested (step S222). If the merging road is not congested, the merging control unit 142 makes the merging control easier to perform (for example, sets the degree of activation of the merging control to "degree: high") (step S224), and ends the processing of this flowchart. If the merging road is congested, the merging control unit 142 makes the merging control easier to perform (for example, sets the degree of activation of the merging control to "degree: high") (step S226), and ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0131] If it is determined in step S220 that the number of vehicles changing lanes to the second lane is large, the first detection unit 133 determines whether the merging road is congested (step S228). If the merging road is not congested, the merging control unit 142 facilitates merging control (step S230), and ends the processing of this flowchart. If the merging road is congested, the merging control unit 142 facilitates merging control (step S232), and ends the processing of this flowchart.

[0132] Note that step S230 corresponds to the case where the degree of activation of the merging control is set lower than that of step S232 (for example, when the degree is set to "high" in step S232, the degree is set to "low" in step S230).

[0133] Next, explain Fig.16. If it is determined in step S200 that the main road does not have multiple lanes, the second detection unit 134 determines whether the traffic volume of the main road is greater than the prescribed volume (whether it is in a congested state) (step S234). If it is determined that the traffic volume of the main road is less than the prescribed volume, the second detection unit 134 ends the processing of this flowchart (that is, the setting of the ease of starting the merging control is not changed). If it is determined that the traffic volume of the main road is greater than the prescribed volume, the first detection unit 133 determines whether the merging road is congested (step S236). If the merging road is not congested, the merging control unit 142 makes the merging control easier to perform (for example, sets the degree of activation of the merging control to "degree: low") (step S238), and ends the processing of this flowchart. If the merging road is congested, the merging control unit 142 makes the merging control easier to perform (for example, sets the degree of activation of the merging control to "degree: high") (step S240), and ends the processing of this flowchart. The above is the end of the description of the processing of this flowchart.

[0134] In the vehicle control device 100 of the embodiment described above, the merging control unit 142 changes the ease of merging control based on the vehicle detection result such as the traffic volume of main road vehicles detected by the second detection unit 134, thereby enabling stable lane changes even in congestion.

[0135] [Hardware structure]

[0136] Fig.17 1 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware structure of the vehicle control device 100 of the embodiment. As shown in the figure, various control devices are connected to each other through an internal bus or a dedicated communication line, including a communication controller 100-1, a CPU 100-2, a RAM 100-3 used as a working memory, a ROM 100-4 for storing a boot program, a flash memory, a storage device 100-5 such as a HDD, and a drive device 100-6. The communication controller 100-1 communicates with components other than the vehicle control device 100. In the storage device 100-5, a program 100-5a executed by the CPU 100-2 is stored. The program is expanded to the RAM 100-3 through a DMA (Direct Memory Access) controller (not shown) and the like, and is executed by the CPU 100-2. Thus, a part or all of the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160 of the vehicle control device 100 are realized.

[0137] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows.

[0138] A vehicle control device, comprising:

[0139] The vehicle control device comprises:

[0140] a storage device storing a program; and

[0141] Hardware processor,

[0142] The hardware processor performs the following processing by executing the program stored in the storage device:

[0143] Detecting the driving status of the vehicle;

[0144] detecting the driving state of other vehicles traveling on the main road and the traffic volume of the main road when the host vehicle is traveling on the merging road;

[0145] When the distance in the front-rear direction between the host vehicle and the other vehicle is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, controlling the host vehicle to merge with the other vehicle regardless of a lane change of the other vehicle; and

[0146] When it is detected that the traffic volume on the main road is equal to or larger than a predetermined volume, the merging control of the host vehicle is facilitated to start.

[0147] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above using the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments at all, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device, wherein: The vehicle control device comprises: A first detection unit, which detects a driving state of the vehicle; a second detection unit for detecting a driving state of another vehicle traveling on a main road and a traffic volume on the main road when the host vehicle is traveling on a merging road; as well as a merging control unit configured to control the merging of the host vehicle regardless of a lane change of the other vehicle when the distance in the front-rear direction of the host vehicle relative to the other vehicle is greater than a predetermined value, The merging control unit makes it easy to start merging control of the vehicle when the second detection unit detects that the traffic volume on the main road is equal to or larger than a predetermined volume. When the second detection unit detects that there are a plurality of other vehicles traveling on the main road and the number of the other vehicles changing lanes from a first lane adjacent to the merging road is greater than the number of the other vehicles not changing lanes from the first lane, the merging control unit makes it easier to start merging control of the host vehicle than when the second detection unit detects that there are no other vehicles traveling on the main road or the number of the other vehicles changing lanes from the first lane adjacent to the merging road is less than the number of the other vehicles not changing lanes from the first lane.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The merging control unit makes it easier to start merging control of the vehicle when the main road includes multiple lanes and the traffic volume of a first lane adjacent to the merging road in the main road is greater than a specified amount, compared with a case where the main road is a single lane or the traffic volume of a first lane adjacent to the merging road is less than a specified amount.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The merging control unit facilitates starting merging control of the vehicle when the main road includes multiple lanes and the traffic volume of a first lane in the main road adjacent to the merging road and a second lane in the main road adjacent to the first lane is greater than a specified amount, compared with a case where the traffic volume of the first lane is less than the specified amount.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The merging control unit is configured to start merging control of the host vehicle more easily when the traffic volume in a second lane adjacent to the first lane and away from the merging road is less than a predetermined volume than when the traffic volume in the second lane is greater than a predetermined volume.

5. A vehicle control method, wherein: The vehicle control method enables the computer to perform the following processing: Detecting the driving status of the vehicle; detecting the driving state of other vehicles traveling on the main road and the traffic volume of the main road when the host vehicle is traveling on the merging road; When the distance in the front-rear direction between the host vehicle and the other vehicle is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, controlling the merging of the host vehicle regardless of a lane change of the other vehicle; When it is detected that the traffic volume on the main road is equal to or larger than a predetermined volume, facilitating the start of merging control of the host vehicle; and When it is detected that there are a plurality of other vehicles traveling on the main road, and the number of the other vehicles that change lanes from a first lane adjacent to the merging road is greater than the number of the other vehicles that do not change lanes from the first lane, merging control of the host vehicle is easier to start than when it is detected that there are not a plurality of other vehicles traveling on the main road, or the number of the other vehicles that change lanes from the first lane adjacent to the merging road is less than the number of the other vehicles that do not change lanes from the first lane.

6. A storage medium storing a program and readable by a computer, wherein: The program causes the computer to perform the following processing: Detecting the driving status of the vehicle; detecting the driving state of other vehicles traveling on the main road and the traffic volume of the main road when the host vehicle is traveling on the merging road; When the distance in the front-rear direction between the host vehicle and the other vehicle is greater than or equal to a predetermined value, controlling the merging of the host vehicle regardless of a lane change of the other vehicle; When it is detected that the traffic volume on the main road is equal to or larger than a predetermined volume, facilitating the start of merging control of the host vehicle; and When it is detected that there are a plurality of other vehicles traveling on the main road, and the number of the other vehicles that change lanes from a first lane adjacent to the merging road is greater than the number of the other vehicles that do not change lanes from the first lane, merging control of the host vehicle is easier to start than when it is detected that there are not a plurality of other vehicles traveling on the main road, or the number of the other vehicles that change lanes from the first lane adjacent to the merging road is less than the number of the other vehicles that do not change lanes from the first lane.

Images