Device for controlling lane change of vehicle, system having the same and method thereof

Abstract

The present invention relates to a device for controlling lane change of a vehicle, a system having the device and a method thereof. The device for controlling lane change of a vehicle may include: a processor, which determines whether a condition for interrupting a lane change program occurs during the control of lane change. Specifically, when the condition for interrupting the lane change program is met, the processor determines whether to interrupt the lane change program or whether to return the vehicle to the original lane to control the vehicle according to the determined result. The device also includes a storage for storing the result determined by the processor.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] The present invention claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2018-0122831, filed on October 15, 2018, which claims priority to and the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 62 / 655,831, filed on April 11, 2018, each of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a device for controlling lane change of a vehicle, a system with the device and a method thereof. Background Art

[0004] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.

[0005] Nowadays, with the rapid development of IT technology, people are increasingly interested in intelligent vehicles that integrate vision systems. In particular, advanced safety vehicle technologies that reduce the risk of traffic accidents and contribute to safe driving, such as lane departure warning systems, lane keeping assist systems, collision warning systems, and lane change control systems, are based on intelligent vehicle technologies, and a lot of manpower and resources have been invested in various research and technology development. In particular, when the driver manipulates the turn signal to change the lane, the lane change control system that can automatically change the lane in which the vehicle is traveling can automatically control the vehicle to perform the lane change.

[0006] The lane change control system can determine whether the speed, position, etc. of nearby vehicles are suitable for performing lane changes, can set a control path for lane changes, and can control the steering torque according to the control path, so that lane changes can be performed.

[0007] However, the applicant has found that conventional lane change control systems may interrupt the lane change procedure when it is necessary to interrupt the lane change procedure before the lane change maneuver, but such lane change control systems do not consider the situation where the lane change procedure needs to be interrupted after the lane change maneuver has begun. Summary of the invention

[0008] One aspect of the present invention provides an apparatus for controlling lane change of a vehicle, a system having the same, and a method thereof, which perform lane change control and lane change cancellation control to minimize a user's sense of difference, thereby improving the usability of a lane change assist function.

[0009] The technical problems to be solved by the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned technical problems. Those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs can clearly understand other technical problems not mentioned herein through the following description.

[0010] According to one aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for controlling lane changes of a vehicle may include: a processor configured to determine whether a condition for interrupting a lane change procedure occurs during control of the lane change, and configured to determine whether to interrupt the lane change procedure or return the vehicle to an original lane to control the vehicle based on the result when the condition for interrupting the lane change procedure occurs; and a storage configured to store an output determined by the processor.

[0011] According to an exemplary embodiment, the processor may be configured to: calculate a lane change path when a lane change request is received; and determine whether the vehicle is deviating toward a target lane in a lane change direction.

[0012] According to another embodiment, the processor may be configured to calculate a difference between the lane change path and the actual vehicle behavior path based on the lane change error.

[0013] According to another exemplary embodiment, the processor may be configured to: determine that the vehicle is not deviating when the error of the lane change is less than a predetermined reference value; and generate a return area based on the distance from the center of the vehicle to the lane marking of the current lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and corresponding to a value corresponding to half of the total width of the vehicle, so as to return the vehicle to the original lane.

[0014] According to another embodiment, the processor may be configured to determine that the vehicle is deviating toward the target lane when the error of the lane change is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value.

[0015] According to another embodiment, the processor may be configured to reduce the calculated return area when it is determined that the vehicle is drifting towards the target lane.

[0016] According to another embodiment, the processor may be configured to reduce the calculated return area corresponding to the error of the lane change.

[0017] According to another exemplary embodiment, the processor may be configured to determine whether a condition for interrupting a lane change procedure occurs.

[0018] In one embodiment, the processor may be configured to determine that a condition for interrupting a lane change procedure occurs when at least one or more of the following conditions are met: a dangerous situation is sensed; a vehicle user's hands are sensed to be released; a user generates a request to cancel the lane change procedure; a lane change operation is not started within a predetermined time after the user requests a lane change; the lane change function is turned off or rejected by the user; an operation when a lane is not identified or when approaching a lane during a lane change procedure, and a lateral movement is discontinuous to complete the lane change operation.

[0019] In another embodiment, the processor may be configured to determine whether an event occurs to return the vehicle to the original lane when a condition occurs to interrupt the lane change procedure.

[0020] According to another embodiment, the processor may be configured to determine that an event has occurred to return the vehicle to the original lane when at least one or more of the following conditions are met: a situation where the lane change function is turned off or rejected by the user, a situation where a lane is not identified or an operation approaching a lane during a lane change procedure, and a situation where lateral movement is discontinuous in order to complete a lane change operation.

[0021] According to another embodiment, the processor may be configured to determine whether the vehicle is located within a return area corresponding to an area for returning the vehicle to the original lane when an event of returning to the original lane occurs.

[0022] According to another embodiment, the processor may be configured to calculate a path back to the original lane and provide a notification to interrupt the lane change procedure when the vehicle is within a return zone for returning to the original lane.

[0023] According to another embodiment, the processor may be configured to continuously maintain the lane change path when the vehicle is not within a return zone corresponding to the original lane return.

[0024] According to another embodiment, the processor may be configured to determine whether the lane is not recognized when an event of returning to the original lane does not occur.

[0025] According to another embodiment, the processor may be configured to, when a lane is identified, generate a path for maintaining the current lane and provide a notification to interrupt the lane change procedure.

[0026] According to another embodiment, the processor may be configured to provide a notification to interrupt the lane change procedure without generating a lane change path when a lane is not identified.

[0027] According to another embodiment, the processor can be configured to: sense a dangerous situation when the relative longitudinal distance of a nearby vehicle with respect to the vehicle is less than a predetermined safety reference; and determine that the user's hands are released when the steering torque and the steering torque change rate are respectively equal to or less than predetermined corresponding reference values.

[0028] In another embodiment, a vehicle system may include: a lane change control device configured to: during the control of lane change, determine whether a condition for interrupting the lane change procedure occurs, and when the condition for interrupting the lane change procedure occurs, determine whether to interrupt the lane change procedure or whether to return the vehicle to the original lane. The vehicle system also includes a warning device, which outputs a notification when the lane change procedure is interrupted.

[0029] According to another aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling lane changes of a vehicle may include: during controlling lane changes, determining by a processor whether a condition for interrupting a lane change procedure occurs; when the condition for interrupting the lane change procedure occurs, determining by the processor whether to interrupt the lane change procedure or whether to return the vehicle to an original lane to control the vehicle; and when the lane change procedure is interrupted, outputting a notification by a warning device, and controlling the vehicle according to the determination result.

[0030] Further areas of applicability will become apparent from the description provided herein.It should be understood that the description and specific examples are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] In order that the present invention may be better understood, various embodiments of the present invention will be described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0032] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a configuration of a vehicle system including an apparatus for controlling lane change of a vehicle;

[0033] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram for describing an operation of determining whether a lane change operation of a vehicle is started;

[0034] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram for describing an exemplary operation at a time point when a lane change operation of a vehicle starts and at a time point when a lane change operation of the vehicle ends;

[0035] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram for describing an operation of determining whether a vehicle is offset;

[0036] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram showing an example of reducing an area corresponding to a lane return according to determination of a vehicle offset;

[0037] Figure 6 is a flow chart for describing a method of generating a region corresponding to a lane return;

[0038] Figure 7 is a flow chart for describing a method of controlling lane changes of a vehicle; and

[0039] Figure 8 is a block diagram illustrating a computing system.

[0040] The drawings described herein are for illustration purposes only and are not intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure in any way. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0041] The following description is merely exemplary in nature and is not intended to limit the invention, its application or uses. It should be understood that throughout the drawings, corresponding reference numerals indicate the same or corresponding parts and features.

[0042] Additionally, detailed descriptions of well-known features or functions are omitted so as not to unnecessarily obscure the gist of the present invention.

[0043] When describing the elements of the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the terms first, second, A, B, (a), (b) etc. may be used herein. These terms are only used to distinguish one element from another element, without limiting the corresponding elements, and are independent of the order or priority of the corresponding elements. In addition, unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical and scientific terms, will be interpreted as the usual meaning of the field to which the present invention belongs. It should be understood that the terms used herein should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the present invention and the related art, and unless clearly defined herein, will not be interpreted with an idealized or overly formal meaning.

[0044] In the present invention, the lane change assist function can be executed through the following procedures: 1) the driver turns on the turn signal light, 2) moves laterally to the lane boundary in the direction of the moving lane, 3) lane change operation (crossing the lane), 4) lane keeping function, and 5) automatically turns off the turn signal light (through the system).

[0045] A lane change operation is defined as an operation in which the front tires of a vehicle begin to contact the inner side of a lane close to a moving lane, and then the vehicle completely crosses the lane. In addition, when a condition for lane change program interruption occurs before the lane change operation starts, the lane change program needs to be interrupted; the present invention discloses such a function that determines the condition for lane change program interruption and then interrupts the lane change program, provides a notification of lane change program interruption, determines the original lane return control, executes the original lane return control, etc.

[0046] The following will refer to Figures 1 to 8 Various embodiments of the present invention are described in detail.

[0047] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle system including an apparatus for controlling a lane change of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0048] A vehicle system according to one embodiment of the present invention may include: a lane change control device 100, a sensing module 200, a global positioning system (GPS) receiver 300, a navigation device 400, an input device 500, a steering device 600, an acceleration / deceleration device 700 and a warning device 800. Figure 1 The vehicle system can be installed in the vehicle.

[0049] The lane change control device 100 can determine whether the vehicle's lane can be changed, whether to interrupt the lane change program, whether to return the vehicle to the original lane after the lane change is canceled, whether to provide notification of lane change program interruption, etc. based on the GPS information received from the GPS receiver 300, the map information received from the navigation device 400, and the peripheral sensing information sensed by the sensing module 200.

[0050] The lane change control device 100 can be electrically connected to the sensing module 200, the GPS receiver 300, the navigation device 400, the input device 500, the steering device 600, the acceleration / deceleration device 700, the warning device 800, etc., can control the sensing module 200, the GPS receiver 300, the navigation device 400, the input device 500, the steering device 600, the acceleration / deceleration device 700 and the warning device 800, and can perform various data processing and calculations.

[0051] To this end, the lane change control apparatus 100 for a vehicle may include a communication device 110 , a storage 120 , a display device 130 , and a processor 140 .

[0052] The communication device 110 may be a hardware device implemented with various electronic circuits for sending and receiving signals via wireless or wired connections; in the present invention, the communication device 110 may communicate with devices in the vehicle via CAN communication, LIN communication, etc., and may communicate with devices outside the vehicle via wireless communication.

[0053] The storage 120 may store information received from the sensing module 200, the GPS receiver 300, the navigation device 400, etc., and the determination results of whether the lane of the vehicle can be changed, whether the lane change program is interrupted, whether to return to the original lane after the lane change is canceled, whether to provide a notification of the lane change program interruption, etc. determined by the processor 140, and the area corresponding to the original lane return. The storage 120 may include at least one type of storage medium among the following: a flash memory, a hard disk memory, a micro memory, and a card memory (e.g., a secure digital (SD) card or an eXtream digital (XD) card), a random access memory (RAM) memory, a static RAM (SRAM) memory, a read-only memory (ROM) memory, a programmable ROM (PROM) memory, an electrically erasable PROM (EEPROM) memory, a magnetic RAM (MRAM) memory, a magnetic disk memory, and an optical disk memory.

[0054] The display device 130 can display the determination results of whether the lane of the vehicle can be changed, whether the lane change program is interrupted, whether to return to the original lane after the lane change is canceled, etc., as well as the notification of dangerous situations, the lane change path, the path to return to the original lane, etc. The display device 130 can be implemented with a head-up display (HUD), a combination instrument panel, an audio video navigation (AVN), etc. In addition, the display device 130 can directly receive color input from the user through a user setting menu (USM) menu of the combination instrument panel. In addition, the display device 130 may include at least one of a liquid crystal display (LCD), a thin film transistor-LCD (TFT LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic LED (OLED) display, an active matrix OLED (AMOLED) display, a flexible display, a curved display, and a 3D display. Some displays can be implemented with a transparent or optically transparent transparent display to observe the outside. In addition, the display device 130 can be set to a touch screen including a touch panel, and can also be used as an input device in addition to an output device.

[0055] The processor 140 may be electrically connected to the communication device 110, the storage 120, and the display device 130, may electrically control each component, may be a circuit that executes software instructions, and may perform various data processing and calculations described below. For example, the processor 140 may be an electronic control unit (ECU) or a sub-controller installed in a vehicle.

[0056] The processor 140 can determine whether the vehicle's lane can be changed, whether to interrupt the lane change program, whether to return to the original lane after the lane change is canceled, whether to provide a notification of the lane change program interruption, etc. based on the surrounding situation information; and the surrounding situation information may include at least one or more of GPS information received from the GPS receiver 300, map information received from the navigation device 400, and surrounding information sensed by the sensing module 200.

[0057] The processor 140 may generate a lane change path and / or a path to return to the original lane based on the GPS reception information or the navigation device 400 .

[0058] Processor 140 may generate a lane change path and, when a lane change request is received (eg, when a user turns on a turn signal), may determine whether the vehicle is drifting toward a target lane in the lane change direction.

[0059] The processor 140 may calculate the difference between the lane change path and the actual vehicle behavior path based on the error in the lane change; when the error of the lane change is less than a predetermined reference value, the processor 140 may determine that the vehicle has not deviated toward the target lane; and the processor 140 may generate a return area corresponding to the area where the vehicle returns to the original lane by using the distance from the center of the vehicle to the lane marking of the current lane in which the vehicle is traveling and a value of half the total width of the vehicle. At this time, the return area may be an area referenced when the vehicle returns to the original lane (e.g., the previous lane in which the vehicle previously traveled before the lane change to the target lane), may correspond to a determination area for determining whether the vehicle returns to the original lane, and may change according to the deviation of the vehicle.

[0060] When the error in the lane change is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value, the processor 140 may determine that the vehicle is deviating toward the target lane; when the vehicle is deviating, the processor 140 may reduce and generate a return area corresponding to the original lane return. At this time, the processor 140 may reduce the return area corresponding to the original lane return by the error in the lane change, and may generate a reduced area corresponding to the original lane return.

[0061] The processor 140 may determine whether a condition (circumstance) for interrupting the lane change procedure has occurred before the lane change operation begins; when the condition for interrupting the lane change procedure has occurred, the processor 140 may interrupt the lane change procedure.

[0062] Conditions for interruption of the lane change program may include 1) when a dangerous situation is sensed, 2) when hands are sensed to be released, 3) in case of user cancellation (when the user turns off the turn signal), 4) when the lane change operation is not started within a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) after the user requests a lane change (e.g., after the user manipulates the turn signal), 5) when the user turns off or rejects the lane change function, 6) when the limit of the system is reached (situation where the lane is not recognized, etc.), 7) when the operation of approaching the lane during the lane change program and the lateral movement to complete the lane change operation are discontinuous, etc.

[0063] For the purpose of 1) determining whether a dangerous situation is sensed, the processor 140 may determine whether the relative longitudinal distance of the nearby vehicle (relative to the own vehicle) is less than a predetermined safety distance S critical At this time, the safety distance is expressed by Equation 1.

[0064] [Equation 1]

[0065] S critical =(V rear– V ACSF )*tB+(V rear- V ACSF ) 2 / (2*a)+V ACSF *t G

[0066] V rear Can indicate the actual speed of the vehicle or a lower value between 130 km / h; V ACSF can represent the actual speed of the ACSF vehicle; "a" can represent the deceleration of the approaching vehicle; t G “tB” may represent a value obtained by subtracting the speed reference of the ACSF vehicle from the margin interval time of the vehicle after the approaching vehicle decelerates; “tB” may represent a time period after the lane change operation starts and before the approaching vehicle starts decelerating.

[0067] When the relative longitudinal distance of the nearby vehicle (relative to the vehicle itself) is less than the predetermined safety distance S critical , processor 140 may determine that a dangerous situation is sensed.

[0068] Furthermore, for the purpose of 2) determining that the driver's hands are released, the processor 140 may determine that the hands are sensed when the absolute value of each of the torque and the torque change rate is not greater than a reference value.

[0069] [Equation 2]

[0070] |Tq|≤Tq _HandsOff_Ref &&|Tq_Delta|≤Tq_Delta _HandsOff_Ref

[0071] |Tq| can represent the absolute value of the steering torque; |Tq_Delta| can represent the absolute value of the steering torque change rate; Tq _HandsOff_Ref Can represent any reference value.

[0072] For the purpose of 3) determining whether the user turns off the turn signal light, the processor 140 may determine whether the turn signal light switch is turned off. That is, when the turn signal light switch is closed to request a lane change, the processor 140 may interrupt the lane change program when the user turns off the turn signal light switch again.

[0073] In addition, for the purpose of 4) determining whether the lane change operation is delayed, the processor 140 can determine that the lane change operation is delayed, and then interrupt the lane change procedure when the lane change operation is not started within a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) after the user manipulates the turn signal.

[0074] For the purpose of 5) determining whether the lane change function is turned off or rejected by the user, the processor 140 may determine whether the lane change function button is turned off by the user, or whether the absolute value of the torque is not less than any reference value to determine whether the lane change function is rejected. When the lane change function is turned off or rejected by the user, the processor 140 may interrupt the lane change procedure.

[0075] For the purpose of 6) determining whether the limit of the system has been reached, the processor 140 may determine a situation where a lane is not recognized, etc. A situation where a lane is not recognized is a situation where the reliability of the two lanes output by the camera is low; in this case, the processor 140 may interrupt the lane change procedure.

[0076] For the purpose of 7) determining whether the lane change is abnormal, the processor 140 may determine whether the current position on the lane is maintained for a certain time during the lane change. That is, when the operation of approaching the lane during the lane change procedure and the lateral movement to complete the lane change operation are discontinuous, when the lateral distance DisToTire from the lane in the lane change direction is similarly maintained equal to or greater than a certain time T LatHoldLC When the lateral error based on the lane change path increases, the processor 140 may determine that the lateral movement of the lane change is abnormal due to interference (lateral slope, etc.). In this way, when it is determined that the lane change is abnormal, the processor 140 may interrupt the lane change procedure.

[0077] 1) when a dangerous situation is sensed, 2) when hands are sensed to be released, 3) in the case of user cancellation (when the user turns off the turn signal), or 4) when the lane change operation is not started within a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) after the user manipulates the turn signal, the processor 140 can determine the current position of the vehicle or whether the lane change operation has started, and then can determine whether to return to the original lane.

[0078] 5) when the user turns off or rejects the lane change function, 6) when the limit of the system is reached (such as a situation where the lane is not recognized), or 7) when the operation of approaching the lane during the lane change procedure and the lateral movement to complete the lane change operation is discontinuous, the processor 140 can immediately transfer control of the lateral movement to the user, regardless of the current position of the vehicle or whether the lane change operation has started, and a path may not be generated or a lane keeping control path may be generated to cope with it.

[0079] That is, when the situation corresponds to No. 5, No. 6, or No. 7, processor 140 may determine whether the user's steering is involved; when the user's steering is involved, processor 140 may not generate a path; when the user's steering is not involved, processor 140 may provide a notification that a lane keeping path is generated and a lane change is interrupted.

[0080] In addition, 1) when a dangerous situation is sensed, 2) when hands are sensed to be released, 3) in the case of driver cancellation (when the user turns off the turn signal), or 4) when the driver does not start a lane change operation within 5 seconds after operating the turn signal, the processor 140 can determine whether the vehicle is in the area corresponding to the return to the original lane; when the vehicle is in the area corresponding to the return to the original lane, the processor 140 can generate a path to return to the original lane and can provide a notification of lane change interruption.

[0081] In addition, since the possibility of the vehicle crossing the lane is high based on the behavior of the vehicle, the processor 140 can maintain the lane change procedure when the vehicle is not in the return area corresponding to the original lane return. In addition, the processor 140 can maintain the lane change procedure when the vehicle is not in the return area corresponding to the original lane return; when a dangerous situation is sensed, the processor 140 can notify the user of the dangerous situation.

[0082] In this way, when the lane change program is interrupted, the lane change control device 100 according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention can change the lane, interrupt the lane change program, maintain the lane, not generate a path, change the path, and provide a lane change program interruption notification so that the user can fully recognize it, thereby reducing or minimizing the sense of difference.

[0083] Furthermore, the present invention can change the return area corresponding to the original lane return (which is the determination area for determining the path change) according to the deviation of the vehicle, thereby prohibiting or preventing lane departure, etc. when the vehicle returns to the lane.

[0084] The sensing module 200 can be configured to obtain information about external objects (e.g., nearby vehicles, pedestrians, motorcycles, bicycles, median strips, the number of lanes of the driving road) traveling in the same lane as the vehicle is traveling and adjacent lanes, thereby sensing the surrounding situation. The information about the external objects may include the position, speed, type, moving direction, etc. of each external object. To this end, the sensing module 200 may include at least one or more of a camera, a radar, a laser radar, an ultrasonic sensor, an acceleration sensor, a yaw rate sensor, a torque measurement sensor, and / or a wheel speed sensor. In addition, at least one or more sensors may be installed on the front side, rear side, left side, and right side of the vehicle.

[0085] The GPS receiver 300 receives a GPS signal from a GPS satellite and transmits the GPS signal to the lane change control device 100. In this way, the lane change control device 100 can determine the current position of the vehicle (e.g., whether the vehicle is within the area to return to the original lane, etc.) by using the GPS signal.

[0086] The navigation device 400 provides the lane change control device 100 with map information according to the position and destination of the vehicle. At this time, the lane change control device 100 can operate in conjunction with the navigation device 400 to generate lane change path information and information about the path to return to the original lane; the lane change control device 100 can receive and use the lane change path information and information about the path to return to the original lane from the navigation device 400.

[0087] The input device 500 may be configured to receive a lane change command from a user; the present invention may include a direction indicator lever, a switch, a button, etc., which can receive user input for a lane change.

[0088] The steering apparatus 600 may be configured to control a steering angle of a vehicle, and may include a steering wheel, an actuator operating in conjunction with the steering wheel, and a controller for controlling the actuator.

[0089] The acceleration / deceleration device 700 may be configured to control the speed of a vehicle, and may include a throttle, a brake, an actuator operating in conjunction with the throttle and the brake, and a controller controlling the actuator.

[0090] The warning device 800 may perform warnings such as lane change notification, notification of lane change procedure interruption, notification of return to original lane, notification of dangerous situation, etc. The warning device 800 may include configurations for performing visual, audible, and tactile warnings.

[0091] In this way, when a lane change request is received from the user, the present invention can perform lane change control; the present invention can determine the conditions for interrupting the lane change program, the conditions for returning to the original lane, etc. according to the situation, so as to quickly perform lane changes, lane change cancellation and original lane return, thereby improving user convenience and improving the usability of the lane change assist function.

[0092] Figure 2 2 is a schematic diagram for describing an operation of determining whether a lane change operation of a vehicle starts according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a schematic diagram for describing an exemplary operation at a time point when a lane change operation of a vehicle starts and at a time point when a lane change operation of the vehicle ends according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0093] refer to Figure 2 , when the vehicle 10 crosses the left lane to perform a lane change, the lane change control device 100 may determine whether the lane change operation starts by using the lateral distance DisToTire between the vehicle 10 and the lane. That is, the lateral distance DisToTire between the vehicle 10 and the lane may be the lateral distance between the left tire of the vehicle 10 and the lane; and the lateral distance DisToTire between the vehicle 10 and the lane may be represented by the following equation 3.

[0094] [Equation 3]

[0095] DisToTire=D1–D2

[0096] D1 is the distance from the center of the vehicle to the lane, while D2 represents the total width of the vehicle / 2.

[0097] At this time, D1 may be obtained by the sensing module 200, and D2 may be stored in advance. A point in time when the sign of the lateral distance DisToTire between the vehicle 10 and the lane is reversed may be determined as the start of the change operation.

[0098] refer to Figure 3 At "301", all tires of the vehicle 10 are located within the return area 303 corresponding to the original lane return. However, based on the state that the vehicle 10 is adjacent to the return reference line 11 (lane) and the sign of the lateral distance DisToTire between the vehicle 10 and the lane is reversed, the lane change control device 100 determines that the lane change operation starts.

[0099] refer to Figure 3' 302 ', an example of terminating the lane change operation is shown as a case where the vehicle 10 crosses the return reference line 11 (lane) and all tires of the vehicle 10 are located outside the area 303 corresponding to the original lane return.

[0100] Figure 4 1 is a schematic diagram for describing an operation of determining whether a vehicle is offset in one embodiment of the present invention. Figure 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example of reducing an area corresponding to a lane return according to determination of a vehicle offset according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0101] refer to Figure 4 , in a state where the user (driver) does not intervene (when the MDPS column torque is not greater than a reference value), when the lateral position error of the lane change path in the lane change direction is not less than an arbitrary value TBD (30 cm) and the deviation occurs continuously within a certain period of time, the lane change control device 100 can determine that the lane change behavior is fast to reduce the area corresponding to the original lane return LCA area for returning to the original lane, thereby suppressing or preventing lane departure while returning.

[0102] refer to Figure 5 When the vehicle deviates, the lane change control device 100 can calculate the lane change error E_LC to reduce the area 501 corresponding to the original lane return through the lane change error E_LC; it should be understood that the final area 502 corresponding to the original lane return is reduced.

[0103] In the following, in one embodiment of the present invention, reference will be made to Figure 6 Describes a method for generating regions corresponding to lane returns. Figure 6 is a flowchart for describing a method of generating an area corresponding to a lane return in another embodiment of the present invention.

[0104] In the following, it is assumed Figure 1 The lane change control device 100 performs Figure 6 In addition, Figure 6 It can be understood from the description that the operations described as being performed by the device are controlled by the processor 140 of the lane change control device 100.

[0105] refer to Figure 6 In step S101, when the user turns on the turn signal light for lane change, the lane change control device 100 can generate a lane change path for lane change.

[0106] In step S102, the lane change control device 100 may generate a lane change error; and in step S103, the lane change control device 100 may determine whether a deviation occurs in the lane change direction. Figure 4 As shown, the lane change control device 100 can compare the lane change path with the actual vehicle behavior path, and can generate a lane change error E_LC, which is the lateral difference between the lane change path and the actual vehicle behavior path, and can determine that an offset has occurred in the lane change direction when the lane change error is not less than a predetermined reference value (e.g., 30 cm).

[0107] In step S104, when there is no deviation in the lane change direction, that is, when the lane change error is less than a predetermined reference value, the lane change control device 100 may generate an area corresponding to the original lane return based on the left lane and the right lane of the current driving lane and the total length of the vehicle. Figure 2 As shown, the area corresponding to the original lane return can be generated by calculating the lateral distance DisToTire between the vehicle 10 and the lane; as described in Equation 3, the lateral distance DisToTire between the vehicle 10 and the lane is the lateral distance between the left tire of the vehicle 10 and the lane. Figure 5 As shown in “501” of FIG. 1 , the lane change control device 100 may generate the entire lateral area of ​​the lane (from the left lane to the right lane) as an area corresponding to the original lane return.

[0108] At the same time, in step 105, when there is a deviation in the lane change direction, that is, when the lane change error is not less than a predetermined reference value, such as Figure 5 As shown in “502” of FIG. 1 , the lane change control device 100 can subtract the lane change error from the lateral distance DisToTire between the vehicle 10 and the lane to reduce the lateral distance DisToTire between the vehicle 10 and the lane. It should be understood that the lateral distance DisToTire between the vehicle 10 and the lane is reduced compared to “501”.

[0109] So, in the following Figure 7 In the process of generating a lane change path while the vehicle is traveling, the lane change control device 100 may generate and store an area corresponding to the return to the original lane according to the offset in the lane change direction; when the lane change program is interrupted, the lane change control device 100 may determine whether to return to the original lane and use the area corresponding to the return to the original lane.

[0110] In this way, when a deviation occurs in the lane change direction, the lane change control device 100 can reduce the area corresponding to the return to the original lane, thereby prohibiting or preventing lane departure when the vehicle returns to the original lane, etc.

[0111] Figure 7 is a flowchart for describing a method of controlling a lane change of a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0112] In the following, it is assumed Figure 1 The lane change control device 100 performs Figure 7 In addition, Figure 7 It can be understood from the description that the operations described as being performed by the device are controlled by the processor 140 of the lane change control device 100.

[0113] In step S201 , when the user turns on the turn signal lamp for lane change, the lane change control device 100 may generate a lane change path for lane change.

[0114] In step S202, when the vehicle is traveling along the lane change path, the lane change control device 100 may determine whether a condition for interrupting the lane change program occurs. At this time, the conditions for interrupting the lane change program may include: 1) when a dangerous situation is sensed, 2) when the hand is sensed to be released, 3) in the case of user cancellation (the user turns off the turn signal), 4) when the lane change operation is not started within a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) after the user manipulates the turn signal, 5) when the user turns off or rejects the lane change function, 6) when the limit of the system is reached (the situation where the lane is not recognized, etc.), 7) when the operation of approaching the lane during the lane change program and the lateral movement to complete the lane change operation are discontinuous, etc.

[0115] Next, when a condition for lane change program interruption occurs, in step S203, the lane change control device 100 may determine whether the condition corresponds to an event of returning to the original lane. At this time, the event of returning to the original lane may correspond to 1) a case where a dangerous situation is sensed, 2) a case where a hand release is sensed, 3) a case where the user cancels (a case where the user turns off the turn signal lamp), or 4) a case where the lane change operation is not started within a predetermined time (e.g., 5 seconds) after the user manipulates the turn signal lamp.

[0116] When the situation corresponds to an event of returning to the original lane, in step S204, the lane change control device 100 may determine whether the vehicle is located in the area corresponding to the return to the original lane. At this time, the lane change control device 100 may identify the lane based on camera image information or information obtained by sensors such as radar, laser radar, etc., and may determine whether the vehicle is located in the area corresponding to the return to the original lane by using GPS information received from the GPS receiver 300, etc.

[0117] When the vehicle is not located in the area corresponding to the original lane return, or when the possibility of the vehicle crossing the lane is high based on the behavior of the vehicle, the lane change control device 100 may determine whether it is impossible to return to the original lane; in step S205, the lane change control device 100 may sense whether the current situation is a dangerous situation during the lane change; when the current situation is a dangerous situation, in step S206, a dangerous situation notification may be performed. At this time, the lane change control device 100 may determine the dangerous situation during the lane change by considering whether the vehicle will collide with a nearby vehicle; the lane change control device 100 may perform visual, auditory, and tactile dangerous situation notifications.

[0118] Afterwards, in step S207, the lane change control device 100 may maintain the lane change path to perform lane change control, and may determine whether the lane change procedure is completed. In step S208, when the lane change procedure is completed, the lane change control device 100 performs lane keeping control on the changed current lane.

[0119] When the vehicle is located in the area corresponding to the original lane return in step S204, the lane change control device 100 determines that it is possible to return to the original lane, generates a path for returning to the original lane, and performs notification of lane change program interruption in step S209.

[0120] Thereafter, in step S210 , when returning to the original lane, the lane change control device 100 senses whether the current situation is a dangerous situation; in the case of a dangerous situation, in step S211 , the lane change control device 100 performs a dangerous situation notification.

[0121] In step S212, the lane change control device 100 can control the vehicle to return to the original lane according to the generated path for returning to the original lane, and can determine whether the original lane return control is terminated. When the original lane return control is completed, in step S208, the lane change control device 100 performs lane keeping control on the changed current lane (original lane).

[0122] At the same time, when no event of returning to the original lane occurs in step S203, that is, among the conditions for interruption of the lane change program, 5) when the lane change function is turned off or rejected by the user, 6) when the limit of the system is reached (the situation where the lane is not recognized, etc.), 7) when the operation of approaching the lane during the lane change program and the lateral movement to complete the lane change operation are discontinuous, in step S213, the lane change control device 100 determines whether the lane is not recognized.

[0123] When the lane is recognized, in step S214, the lane change control device 100 generates a lane keeping path based on the lane recognition, and performs notification of lane change interruption. That is, among the conditions for lane change program interruption, 5) when the lane change function is turned off or rejected by the user, and 7) when the operation of approaching the lane during the lane change program and the lateral movement to complete the lane change operation are discontinuous, since the lane can be recognized, the lane change control device 100 generates a lane keeping path, allows the current lane to be maintained, and interrupts the lane change.

[0124] On the other hand, when the lane is not recognized, since the lane keeping path cannot be generated, the lane change control device 100 performs notification of lane change program interruption in step S215 without generating a path. At this time, the lane change control device 100 may transfer the control of lateral movement to the user, and may allow the user to directly perform the control of lateral movement. At this time, the notification of lane change program interruption may be performed using vision, hearing, or touch.

[0125] In this way, the present invention can determine the conditions for interruption of the lane change program and the event of returning to the original lane during the lane change program, and can perform controls such as lane change maintenance, interruption of the lane change program, control of returning to the original lane, current lane maintenance, etc., thereby providing the user with a minimal sense of difference and improving the usability of the lane change assist function.

[0126] Figure 8 A computing system according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown.

[0127] refer to Figure 8 , the computing system 1000 may include at least one processor 1100 , a memory 1300 , a user interface input device 1400 , a user interface output device 1500 , a storage 1600 , and a network interface 1700 connected to each other via a bus 1200 .

[0128] The processor 1100 may be a central processing unit (CPU) or a semiconductor device for processing instructions stored in the memory 1300 and / or the storage 1600. Each of the memory 1300 and the storage 1600 may include various types of volatile or non-volatile storage media. For example, the memory 1300 may include a read-only memory (ROM) and a random access memory (RAM).

[0129] Therefore, the operation of the method or algorithm described in conjunction with the embodiments disclosed in the specification can be directly implemented using a hardware module, a software module, or a combination of a hardware module and a software module executed by the processor 1100. The software module may exist in a storage medium (i.e., the memory 1300 and / or the storage 1600), such as a RAM, a flash memory, a ROM, an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically EPROM (EEPROM), a register, a hard disk, a removable disk, or a compact disk-ROM (CD-ROM).

[0130] The storage medium may be connected to the processor 1100. The processor 1100 may read information from the storage medium and may write information in the storage medium. Alternatively, the storage medium may be integrated with the processor 1100. The processor and the storage medium may be implemented with an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC). The ASIC may be present in a user terminal. Alternatively, the processor and the storage medium may be implemented with independent components in a user terminal.

[0131] Although the present invention is described above with reference to the exemplary embodiments and the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto but may be variously modified and changed by those skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

[0132] Therefore, the embodiments of the present invention are not intended to limit the technical spirit of the present invention, but are provided for illustrative purposes only. The protection scope of the present invention should be interpreted by the appended claims, and all its equivalent forms should be interpreted as included in the scope of the present invention.

[0133] The present invention can perform lane change control and lane change cancellation control to minimize the user's sense of difference, thereby improving the usability of the lane change assist function.

[0134] Furthermore, various effects directly or indirectly realized by the present invention can be provided.

Claims

1. A device for controlling lane change of a vehicle, the device comprising: Processor, which is configured as: During a controlled lane change, determine if conditions exist to interrupt the lane change procedure, When a condition for interrupting the lane change procedure occurs, determining whether to interrupt the lane change procedure or whether to return the vehicle to the original lane; a memory configured to store the output determined by the processor; Wherein, the processor is configured as follows: When a lane change request is received, a lane change path is calculated; determining whether the vehicle is drifting toward a target lane in a lane change direction; Calculating the lane change error based on the difference between the lane change path and the actual vehicle behavior path; When the lane change error is less than a predetermined reference value, determining that the vehicle is not deviating; The return area is calculated based on the distance from the center of the vehicle to the lane marking of the current lane the vehicle is traveling in, and a value corresponding to half the total width of the vehicle to return the vehicle to the original lane.

2. The device for controlling lane change of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The processor is configured as follows: When the error of the lane change is equal to or greater than a predetermined reference value, it is determined that the vehicle is deviating toward the target lane.

3. The device for controlling lane change of a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein: The processor is configured as follows: When it is determined that the vehicle is drifting toward the target lane, the calculated return area is reduced.

4. The device for controlling lane change of a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein: The processor is configured as follows: The calculated return area is reduced corresponding to the error of the lane change.

5. The device for controlling lane change of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: Conditions that interrupt the lane change procedure include: When a dangerous situation is sensed; When it is sensed that the vehicle user's hand is released; When a user generates a request to cancel a lane change procedure; when a lane change maneuver is not initiated within a predetermined time after a user requests a lane change; When the lane change feature is turned off or rejected by the user; When a lane is not identified or when maneuvers to approach a lane during a lane change procedure and lateral movement to complete the lane change maneuver are discontinuous.

6. The device for controlling lane change of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The processor is configured as follows: When conditions occur to interrupt the lane change procedure, it is determined whether an event occurs to return the vehicle to the original lane.

7. The device for controlling lane change of a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein: The processor is configured as follows: An event that causes the vehicle to return to its original lane is determined to occur when at least one of the following conditions occurs: Situations where the lane change function is turned off or rejected by the user, and situations where a lane is not identified or maneuvers approaching a lane during a lane change procedure and lateral movement to complete the lane change maneuver are discontinuous.

8. The device for controlling lane change of a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein: The processor is configured as follows: When an event that causes the vehicle to return to the original lane occurs, it is determined whether the vehicle is located within a return area corresponding to an area that causes the vehicle to return to the original lane.

9. The device for controlling lane change of a vehicle according to claim 8, wherein: The processor is configured as follows: When the vehicle is within the return area, Calculate a path to return the vehicle to its original lane; Provides notification of interruption of lane change procedures.

10. The device for controlling lane change of a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein: The processor is configured as follows: When the vehicle is not located in the return area, the lane change path is continued.

11. The device for controlling lane change of a vehicle according to claim 6, wherein: The processor is configured as follows: When an event to return the vehicle to the original lane does not occur, it is determined whether the lane is not recognized.

12. The device for controlling lane change of a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein: The processor is configured as follows: When a lane is identified, Calculate a path to maintain the current lane; Provides notification of interruption of lane change procedures.

13. The device for controlling lane change of a vehicle according to claim 11, wherein: The processor is configured as follows: When a lane is not identified, a notification is provided to interrupt the lane change procedure without calculating a lane change path.

14. The device for controlling lane change of a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The processor is configured as follows: When the relative longitudinal distance of the nearby vehicle to the host vehicle is less than a predetermined safety reference, a dangerous situation is sensed; When the steering torque or the steering torque change rate is respectively equal to or less than predetermined corresponding reference values, the user's hand-release state is determined.

15. A vehicle system comprising: A lane change control device is configured as follows: During a controlled lane change, determine if conditions exist to interrupt the lane change procedure, When a condition for interrupting the lane change procedure occurs, determining whether to interrupt the lane change procedure or whether to return the vehicle to the original lane; a warning device configured to output a notification when a lane change procedure is interrupted; Wherein, the lane change control device is configured as follows: When a lane change request is received, a lane change path is calculated; determining whether the vehicle is drifting toward a target lane in a lane change direction; Calculating the lane change error based on the difference between the lane change path and the actual vehicle behavior path; When the lane change error is less than a predetermined reference value, determining that the vehicle is not deviating; The return area is calculated based on the distance from the center of the vehicle to the lane marking of the current lane the vehicle is traveling in, and a value corresponding to half the total width of the vehicle to return the vehicle to the original lane.

16. A method for controlling lane change of a vehicle, the method comprising: During a controlled lane change, determining, by a processor, whether a condition for interrupting a lane change procedure occurs; When a condition for interrupting the lane change procedure occurs, determining by a processor whether to interrupt the lane change procedure or whether to return the vehicle to the original lane to control the vehicle; When the lane change procedure is interrupted, a notification is output via a warning device; wherein, when a lane change request is received, a lane change path is calculated by a processor; determining, by a processor, whether the vehicle is drifting toward a target lane in a lane change direction; Calculating, by a processor, a lane change error based on a difference between the lane change path and the actual vehicle behavior path; When the lane change error is less than a predetermined reference value, determining, by the processor, that the vehicle is not deviating; A return area is calculated by a processor based on the distance from the center of the vehicle to the lane marking of the current lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and a value corresponding to half the total width of the vehicle to return the vehicle to the original lane.

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