Driving control method and driving control device

Abstract

In the driving control method of the present application, a processor of a driving control device that controls a vehicle speed and a steering of a host vehicle traveling on a first lane in an automatic driving mode executes a lane change control that causes the host vehicle to autonomously change lanes to a second lane adjacent to the first lane, and judges that the lane change control is executable when it is judged based on a detection result of a sensor that another vehicle is detected within a detection area of the second lane. The processor judges that the lane change control is not executable when it is judged that another vehicle is not detected within the detection area of the second lane. The processor outputs information on whether or not the lane change control is executable.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a driving control method and a driving control device. Background Technology

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes a notification control device that notifies the driver of the possibility that control related to driving operations may be transferred from the automatic driving function to the driver. In this notification control device, when the congestion level in the area where a lane change (LC) is scheduled to take place is low, the possibility of control being transferred to the driver is determined to be relatively low.

[0003] Existing technical documents

[0004] Patent documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2017-133893

[0006] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0007] However, Patent Document 1 does not consider the possibility that other vehicles may suddenly appear near the vehicle when the area of ​​the predetermined lane change is less congested and the traffic flow is smooth. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The problem this invention aims to solve is to autonomously change lanes when the likelihood of other vehicles suddenly entering the area where the vehicle is intended to change lanes is low.

[0009] The driving control method and driving control device of the present invention determine that lane change control can be performed to enable the vehicle to autonomously change lanes when it is determined that other vehicles traveling in the lane of the destination lane of the vehicle are detected within a specified detection area, thereby solving the above-mentioned problem.

[0010] Invention Effects

[0011] According to the present invention, the determination of whether lane change control can be performed is based on the detection results of other vehicles traveling in the lane of the lane change destination. Therefore, the vehicle can autonomously change lanes when the probability of other vehicles suddenly entering the area where the vehicle is scheduled to change lanes is low. Attached Figure Description

[0012] Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing the structure of the driving control device according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0013] Figure 2 It means Figure 1A flowchart illustrating the sequence of driving control methods for the driving control device shown.

[0014] Figure 3 It means Figure 2 A diagram illustrating an example of the positional relationship between the vehicle traveling in the first lane and other vehicles traveling in the second lane in the driving control method shown.

[0015] Figure 4 It means Figure 2 A diagram illustrating another example of the positional relationship between the vehicle traveling in the first lane and other vehicles traveling in the second lane in the driving control method shown.

[0016] Figure 5 It means Figure 2 Flowcharts of other examples of the sequence of driving control methods shown.

[0017] Figure 6 This is a flowchart illustrating the sequence of driving control methods for the driving control device according to the second embodiment of the present invention.

[0018] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating the sequence of driving control methods for the driving control device according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

[0019] Figure 8 This is a flowchart illustrating the sequence of driving control methods for the driving control device according to the fourth embodiment of the present invention. Detailed Implementation

[0020] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] (First Implementation)

[0022] based on Figures 1-4 The first embodiment will be described.

[0023] Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing the structure of the driving control device 1 according to this embodiment. The driving control device 1 of this embodiment is also an embodiment of the driving control method of the present invention. Figure 1 As shown, the vehicle driving control device 1 of this embodiment includes: an other vehicle detection unit 11, a vehicle position detection device 12, a map database 13, an in-vehicle device 14, an output device 15, an input device 16, a drive control device 17, and a processor 18. These devices are connected via, for example, an in-vehicle LAN such as CAN (Controller Area Network) to transmit and receive information with each other.

[0024] The other vehicle detection unit 11 includes a sensor 11a for detecting other vehicles traveling around the vehicle. The sensor 11a may also be a sensor group composed of multiple various sensors. The sensor 11a is mounted on the vehicle. The other vehicle detection unit 11 uses the sensor 11a to detect other vehicles traveling around the vehicle. The other vehicle detection unit 11 sends the detection results to the processor 18. The other vehicles that the other vehicle detection unit 11 can detect using the sensor 11a include vehicles traveling in the same lane as the vehicle's lane, following vehicles, vehicles traveling in a lane adjacent to the vehicle's lane, or vehicles traveling in the opposite direction to the vehicle. The other vehicle detection unit 11 includes at least one of a front camera, a side camera, a rear camera, a front radar, a side radar, and a rear radar as the sensor 11a. Thus, the other vehicle detection unit 11 detects other vehicles traveling in a second lane different from the vehicle's lane (i.e., the first lane) using the sensor 11a. Furthermore, the sensor 11a of the other vehicle detection unit 11 has a vehicle-to-vehicle communication system, which allows it to acquire the position and speed information of other vehicles through vehicle-to-vehicle communication with them. Furthermore, the other vehicle detection unit 11 has a road-to-vehicle communication system with the external traffic management system, including roadside devices. Through communication with the external traffic management system, the sensor 11a can acquire the location and speed information of other vehicles. The traffic management system includes Japan's ITS: Intelligent Transport Systems.

[0025] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the second lane includes not only the adjacent lane to the first lane in which the vehicle travels, but also the adjacent lane to the adjacent adjacent lane. Additionally, the scope of the second lane is not limited to this; it includes lanes adjacent to the first lane that travel in the same direction. The other vehicle detection unit 11 sets the range of lanes for detecting other vehicles based on the number of lanes on the road in which the vehicle travels, the number of lanes that affect the vehicle's travel, and the number of lanes in which the vehicle can travel.

[0026] The vehicle position detection device 12 consists of a GPS unit, a gyroscope sensor, and a vehicle speed sensor. The vehicle position detection device 12 periodically acquires the position information of the target vehicle (this vehicle) by detecting radio waves transmitted from multiple communication satellites via the GPS unit. Based on the acquired position information of the target vehicle, the angle change information acquired from the gyroscope sensor, and the vehicle speed acquired from the vehicle speed sensor, the vehicle position detection device 12 detects the current position of the target vehicle. The position information of the target vehicle detected by the vehicle position detection device 12 is output to the processor 18 at predetermined time intervals.

[0027] Map database 13 is a storage device that stores high-precision three-dimensional map information containing location information of various facilities and specific locations, and is accessible from processor 18. High-precision digital map information (high-precision map, dynamic map) is stored in map database 13. In this example, the stored high-precision map information is three-dimensional map information based on road shapes containing elevation information, detected by a vehicle traveling on an actual road using data acquisition. The high-precision map information includes identification information of the multiple lanes of the road. The map information in map database 13 includes three-dimensional location information about roads and / or curved roads, the size of the curves (e.g., curvature or radius of curvature), merging points, branching points, and the reduction locations of the number of lanes. The high-precision map information also includes information related to facilities such as service areas / parking areas.

[0028] The vehicle-mounted equipment 14 comprises various devices installed on the vehicle and operated by the occupants. The vehicle-mounted equipment 14 includes a steering wheel 14a. Other vehicle-mounted equipment 14 may include an accelerator pedal, brake pedal, navigation device, turn indicator, windshield wipers, lights, electric horn, and other specific switches. When the occupants operate the vehicle-mounted equipment 14, the information is output to the processor 18. The processor 18 outputs control commands based on the operation information to the drive control unit 17. The drive control unit 17 drives the vehicle's drive system according to the control commands.

[0029] In addition, the occupants who operate the vehicle-mounted equipment 14 are mainly the driver, but occupants other than the driver can also operate the vehicle-mounted equipment 14.

[0030] Output device 15 may be, for example, a display included in a navigation device, a display mounted in a rearview mirror, a display mounted in the instrument panel, a head-up display projected onto the windshield, a speaker included in an audio device, or a seat device with an embedded vibrator. Under the control of processor 18, output device 15 notifies the driver or other occupants of the following prompts and lane change information.

[0031] Input device 16 may be, for example, a touch panel display that shows a button switch that can be manually operated by the occupant, or a microphone that can be used to indicate input by the occupant's voice. Furthermore, the touch panel display functions as both an output device 15 and an input device 16.

[0032] In addition, the occupant who inputs instructions to the input device 16 is mainly the driver, but it can also be an occupant other than the driver who inputs instructions to the input device 16.

[0033] The drive control unit 17 controls the driving of the vehicle. For example, the drive control unit 17 controls the operation of the drive mechanism (including the operation of the internal combustion engine in an engine vehicle, the operation of the electric motor in an electric vehicle system, and the torque distribution between the internal combustion engine and the electric motor in a hybrid vehicle) and braking operation through an autonomous speed control function. Furthermore, the drive control unit 17 controls the operation of the steering actuator through an autonomous steering control function, thereby performing steering control of the vehicle. For example, the drive control unit 17 detects the lane markings of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling and controls the vehicle's lateral position in the width direction to keep it centered within the lane. Additionally, the drive control unit 17 controls the vehicle's overtaking of other vehicles or changes in direction. Furthermore, the drive control unit 17 performs driving control for right or left turns at intersections, etc. Other known methods can also be used as the driving control method of the drive control unit 17.

[0034] The processor 18 consists of a ROM (Read Only Memory) storing a program for controlling the driving of the vehicle, a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing the program stored in the ROM, and RAM (Random Access Memory) functioning as an accessible storage device. Alternatively, the operating circuitry may replace the CPU (Central Processing Unit) or be used in conjunction with it, such as an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), DSP (Digital Signal Processor), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), or FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array).

[0035] The processor 18 acquires driving information related to the vehicle's driving status. For example, the processor 18 acquires image information of the vehicle's exterior captured by the front and rear cameras, or detection results from the front, rear, and side radars as driving information. In addition, the processor 18 also acquires vehicle speed information detected by the vehicle speed sensor and image information of the driver's face captured by the in-vehicle camera as driving information.

[0036] Additionally, the processor 18 obtains the vehicle's current position information from the vehicle position detection device 12 as driving information. Furthermore, the processor 18 obtains location information from the map database 13, including curved roads and their sizes (e.g., curvature or radius of curvature), merging points, branching points, toll plazas, lane reduction locations, service areas (SA), and parking areas (PA), as driving information. Moreover, the processor 18 obtains occupant operation information from the on-board unit 14 as driving information. Additionally, the processor 18 obtains detection results of other vehicles present around the vehicle from the other vehicle detection unit 11.

[0037] Furthermore, the processor 18 autonomously controls the vehicle's speed and steering by executing a program stored in ROM via the CPU, utilizing the autonomous driving control function. The processor 18 then transmits control instructions based on the autonomous driving control function to the drive control unit 17.

[0038] Furthermore, the processor 18 can set a driving mode corresponding to the driving assistance level, and can assist the vehicle's driving according to the set driving mode. The driving assistance level indicates the degree to which the driving control device 1 assists the vehicle's driving through autonomous driving control functions. The higher the driving assistance level, the lower the driver's contribution to vehicle driving. Specifically, the driving assistance level can be set using definitions based on SAE J3016 from the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE). In driving assistance level 0, all driving operations of the vehicle are performed manually by the driver. In driving assistance level 1, driving operations of the vehicle are primarily driven manually by the driver, but the drive control device 17 appropriately assists the driver's manual driving through any one of the functions such as automatic braking, following, and lane keeping. In driving assistance level 2, driving operations of the vehicle are primarily driven manually by the driver, but under specific conditions, the drive control device 17 can combine multiple functions such as automatic braking, following, and lane keeping to perform driving assistance. In Driver Assistance Level 3, the drive control unit 17 performs all driving tasks, but the driver needs to return to control and prepare for manual driving upon request from the drive control unit 1. In Driver Assistance Level 4, manual driving by the driver is not required; the processor 18 enables the drive control unit 17 to perform all driving tasks under specific conditions and monitor the vehicle's surroundings. In Driver Assistance Level 5, the processor 18 enables the drive control unit 17 to perform all driving tasks under all conditions.

[0039] Furthermore, the classification of driver assistance levels (DEMs) is not limited to the classification defined by the Society of Automotive Technologists (SATech). DEMs can also be defined based on ISO / TC204 of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Additionally, DEMs can be classified according to other standards.

[0040] Additionally, the driving modes for levels 0-1 of driver assistance are set to "manual driving mode." Furthermore, the driving modes for levels 2-5 of driver assistance are set to "automatic driving mode." The processor 18 can switch between manual driving mode and automatic driving mode based on the driver's instructions or the vehicle's driving conditions.

[0041] Furthermore, although not specifically limited, the driving control device 1 of this embodiment enables the drive control device 17 to perform an autonomous driving function that allows switching between a hand-held mode and a hands-off mode. The autonomous steering control function within the autonomous driving function effectively utilizes the hand-held / hands-off mode switching. The autonomous steering control function assists the driver's steering wheel operation by controlling the movement of the steering actuator to perform steering control of the vehicle. This autonomous steering control function includes, for example,: a lane centering function that controls the steering actuator to maintain a position near the center of the lane; a lane keeping function that controls the lateral position to maintain a position within the same lane; a lane change assist function that moves from the driving lane to another lane; an overtaking assist function that moves forward by passing the lateral side (adjacent lane) of another vehicle ahead; and a route driving assist function that autonomously changes lanes to follow a route to the destination.

[0042] Although not specifically limited, the driving control device 1 of this embodiment enables the drive control device 17 to perform the above-mentioned autonomous steering control function in hands-off mode when any one or more of the following conditions are met. In other words, even in the second mode hands-off mode, i.e., when the driver takes his hands off the steering wheel, the driving control device 1 can enable the drive control device 17 to perform the autonomous steering function when some or all of the following conditions are met.

[0043] As an example, the following describes the conditions for switching to the hand-away mode in the lane centering function.

[0044] This vehicle is traveling on a road designated for motor vehicles.

[0045] • Driving on a road that is structurally separated from the oncoming lane.

[0046] • Equipped with high-precision maps, it travels on roads where high-precision map information is effectively utilized.

[0047] • Drive at a speed below the speed limit.

[0048] • Drive on roads where the speed limit is higher than the prescribed speed (e.g., 60 km / h).

[0049] • Global Positioning Satellite System (GNSS): Signals from the Global Navigation Satellite System are valid.

[0050] • The driver monitoring camera identifies the driver and detects when the driver is visually identifying what is ahead.

[0051] • The driver is facing forward.

[0052] • It was confirmed that there are no toll booths, exits of dedicated motor vehicle lanes, merging points, intersections, or locations with reduced lane numbers in the vicinity of the current location (e.g., within approximately 800m ahead).

[0053] • There are no sharp bends of less than 100 R in the vicinity of the current location (e.g., within about 500m ahead).

[0054] • The accelerator pedal was not pressed.

[0055] No anomalies were detected in radar, sonar, vehicle perimeter surveillance cameras, or driver surveillance cameras.

[0056] If the lane centering function is executed in hand-off mode, and one or more of the above conditions are not met, the switch to the hand-held mode-based lane centering function will be executed.

[0057] The conditions for allowing hands-off mode as the second mode can be defined for each autonomous driving function (lane keeping assist, lane change assist, overtaking assist, or route assist). Of course, this is contingent on meeting the conditions for activating the respective primary driving function.

[0058] Next, based on Figures 2-4 The sequence of the driving control method of the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 will be explained. Furthermore, in Figure 3 and Figure 4 The document describes the vehicle 10 traveling in the first lane 31, other vehicles 21 traveling in the second lane 32 adjacent to the first lane 31, and other vehicles 22 traveling in the second lane 32 behind the other vehicles 21. The speed of the vehicle 10 is designated as speed V0, the speed of the other vehicles 21 as speed V1, and the speed of the other vehicles 22 as speed V2. Furthermore, in... Figure 3 as well as Figure 4In this example, the relative position of other vehicles 21 with respect to vehicle 10 is within a defined detection area Z1. The defined detection area Z1 refers to the area where the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 can monitor the behavior of other vehicles 21 via optical sensors such as cameras or radar in the other vehicle detection unit 11. The range of the detection area Z1 varies depending on the performance of vehicle 10, etc., and is set based on experiments. Furthermore, in Figure 3 and Figure 4 The diagram illustrates a lane-changing predetermined area Z2, which serves as the predetermined area for lane changes by the vehicle 10. Specifically, the lane-changing predetermined area Z2 is set on the second lane 32 at a position relatively closer to the front side than the vehicle 10. On the other hand, other vehicles 22 are vehicles traveling behind the vehicle 10 and other vehicles 21, in a state where they are far away from the vehicle 10 to a degree that cannot be detected by the other vehicle detection unit 11 of the vehicle 10.

[0059] In addition, in the following description, lane change control refers to the control that enables the vehicle 10 traveling in the first lane 31 to autonomously move to the second lane 32, which is different from the first lane 31, that is, the control that enables the vehicle 10 to change lanes in automatic driving mode.

[0060] In addition, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 causes each drive device to perform the control processing and judgment described below.

[0061] like Figure 2 As shown, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 determines whether there is a lane change request in step S1. The processor 18 determines whether there is a lane change request based on, for example, whether the driver operates the steering wheel. Alternatively, the processor 18 may determine whether there is a lane change request based on whether the driver's finger touches a switch displayed on the screen. Furthermore, the processor 18 may determine whether there is a lane change request based on a pre-calculated driving route to the destination. Additionally, if it is necessary to avoid a designated area existing in the driving route, it can also be determined that there is a lane change request. The designated areas to be avoided are any one or more of the following: construction areas, areas with obstacles, areas with parked vehicles, no-entry areas, and accident areas. If there is no lane change request, control ends.

[0062] In step S1, if a lane change request is detected, the system proceeds to step S2. In step S2, the processor 18 uses various cameras or radars installed on the vehicle 10 to determine whether there is space in the second lane 32 required for the vehicle 10 to change lanes. For example, if the width of the second lane 32 is narrowed due to construction, it is determined that there is no space required for the vehicle 10 to change lanes. Additionally, if multiple other vehicles are traveling in the second lane 32 and there is no space for the vehicle 10 to enter, it is also determined that there is no space required for the vehicle 10 to change lanes.

[0063] If it is determined that there is no space in the second lane 32 required for the vehicle 10 to change lanes, the processor 18 terminates control. That is, if there is no space in the second lane 32 required for the vehicle 10 to change lanes, the processor 18 outputs a command to prohibit lane change control to the drive control device 17 of the driving control device 1.

[0064] Additionally, if a lane change request is detected in step S1, such as Figure 2 As shown by the dashed line, the control can also skip step S2 and proceed to step S3, which will be described later. That is, if it is clear from information in the map database 13 or pre-acquired traffic information that there is space in the second lane 32 required for lane changing, the processing of step S2 can be skipped.

[0065] In step S2, if it is determined that there is space in the second lane 32 required for the vehicle 10 to change lanes, control moves to step S3, where the processor 18 determines whether the other vehicle detection unit 11 has detected the presence of another vehicle 21 traveling in the second lane 32 within the detection area Z1. That is, the processor 18 determines whether another vehicle 21 traveling in the second lane 32 is detected within the detection area Z1 based on the detection results obtained from the sensor 11a of the other vehicle detection unit 11. Specifically, even if the sensor 11a of the other vehicle detection unit 11 detects the presence of another vehicle via vehicle-to-vehicle communication or road-to-road communication, the processor 18 only determines "other vehicle 21 detected" if it detects another vehicle 21 within the detection area Z1 of the second lane 32. Furthermore, other vehicles 21 can be... Figure 3 As shown, it can travel behind or to the side of vehicle 10. Figure 4 It is shown that it travels in front of the vehicle 10. Although not shown, it may also travel to the side of the vehicle 10.

[0066] In step S3, if it is determined that no other vehicle 21 traveling in the second lane 32 is detected within the detection area Z1, control moves to step S21, where the processor 18 determines that lane change control cannot be performed. Next, control moves to step S22, where the processor 18 notifies the output device 15 to automatically set the driving mode for lane changes to manual driving mode. That is, the processor 18 outputs information to the output device 15 regarding whether lane change control can be performed based on the determination in step S22 (information indicating "lane change control cannot be performed"). Therefore, when the vehicle 10 is traveling in automatic driving mode, the output device 15 notifies the driver and other occupants that the driving mode has been automatically switched from automatic driving mode to manual driving mode. Conversely, when the vehicle 10 is traveling in manual driving mode, the output device 15 notifies the driver and other occupants that the driving mode for lane changes will remain in manual driving mode. The notification from the output device 15 is delivered via text display on the screen or audio guidance from a speaker.

[0067] Then, control moves to step S8, where the processor 18 sets the driving mode to manual driving mode before the lane change of the vehicle 10. That is, when the vehicle 10 is driving in automatic driving mode, the processor 18 switches the driving mode from automatic driving mode to manual driving mode. Furthermore, when the vehicle 10 is driving in manual driving mode, the processor 18 maintains the driving mode in manual driving mode. Thus, the lane change of the vehicle 10 is executed through the driver's manual driving operation. Specifically, if the processor 18 determines that the other vehicle detection unit 11 has not detected any other vehicle 21 traveling in the second lane 32 within the detection area Z1, it outputs a command to the drive control device 17 of the driving control device 1 to prohibit lane change control in automatic driving mode.

[0068] Furthermore, if it is determined that no other vehicle 21 traveling in the second lane 32 is detected within the detection area Z1, and the vehicle 10 is traveling in manual driving mode, then... Figure 2 As shown by the dashed line, the control can also skip step S22 and proceed to step S8. That is, when the vehicle 10 is driving in manual driving mode, the processor 18 can continue to maintain the driving mode as manual driving mode without notifying the occupants of the driving mode setting during lane changes. In addition, in this case, the processor 18 also outputs information to the drive control device 17 regarding whether lane change control can be executed based on the determination in step S21 (including an instruction with the information "lane change control cannot be executed"). Based on this instruction, the drive control device 17 does not execute lane change control, and the driving mode of the vehicle 10 is maintained as manual driving mode.

[0069] On the other hand, in step S3, if the other vehicle detection unit 11 detects another vehicle 21 traveling in the second lane 32 within the detection area Z1, that is, if it is determined that another vehicle 21 has been detected within the detection area Z1, control moves to step S4. In step S4, the processor 18 determines that lane change control can be performed. Specifically, even if Figure 3 or Figure 4 Even when the speed V2 of the following other vehicle 22 is higher than the speed V1 of the other vehicle 21, it is predicted that the following other vehicle 22 will decelerate as it approaches the other vehicle 21. Therefore, the result is that the speed V2 of the following other vehicle 22 is predicted to be approximately the same as the speed V1 of the other vehicle 21. Thus, the processor 18 determines that the probability of the following other vehicle 22 approaching the lane change pre-determined area Z2 of its own vehicle 10 from the rear at a speed higher than that of the other vehicle 21 is low, based on the detection of the presence of the other vehicle 21 in the second lane 32. In other words, the processor 18 selects a situation where the probability of the following other vehicle 22 approaching its own vehicle 10 at high speed in the second lane 32, the destination of the lane change, is low, and determines that lane change control can be performed when the probability of the following other vehicle 22 suddenly entering the lane change pre-determined area Z2 of its own vehicle 10 is low.

[0070] Here, "another vehicle 22 approaching vehicle 10 from the rear at high speed in the second lane 32 where the lane change destination is located" refers to a situation where the speed V2 of the other vehicle 22 approaching from the rear is higher than the speed V0 of vehicle 10 when it changes lanes to the second lane 32. Furthermore, normally when vehicle 10 changes lanes to the second lane 32, its speed V0 is within a range (a pre-defined range) that is approximately the same as or similar to the speed V1 of the other vehicles 21.

[0071] Then, in step S5, the processor 18 outputs lane change information containing the lane change control execution proposal to the output device 15. That is, the processor 18 outputs information to the output device 15 regarding whether lane change control can be executed based on the determination in step S4 (a proposal containing the information "lane change control can be executed"). Specifically, the text proposing to execute lane change control (e.g., "Lane change in automatic driving mode?") is displayed on the screen of the output device 15. Alternatively, the sound of the proposed lane change control execution can also be output from the speaker of the output device 15.

[0072] Next, in step S6, the processor 18 determines, based on the lane change information, whether the driver or other occupants have input an instruction to perform an automatic lane change. Specifically, on the screen of the display, which functions as both the output device 15 and the input device 16, a confirmation button for performing lane change control is displayed along with text proposing the lane change control. The occupant inputs the instruction to perform lane change control by touching this confirmation button. Alternatively, if a lane change proposal is output from the speaker of the output device 15, the instruction to perform lane change control can be input by detecting the occupant's response through the microphone of the input device 16. Furthermore, the occupant can also input the instruction to perform lane change control to the input device 16 through operation of the direction indicator, gestures, eyelid movements, or eye movements.

[0073] If no instruction to perform lane change control is input in step S6, control moves to step S8, and processor 18 sets the driving mode of vehicle 10 to manual driving mode. Alternatively, processor 18 may, between steps S6 and S8, as shown in step S22, notify the occupants in advance of the intention to set the driving mode to manual driving mode.

[0074] In step S6, if an instruction to perform lane change control is input based on lane change information, control moves to step S7, where the processor 18 outputs a command to the drive control device 17 of the driving control device 1 and executes lane change control. Specifically, the processor 18 controls the speed and steering of the vehicle 10 in automatic driving mode, and executes lane change control to move the vehicle 10 into the second lane 32 adjacent to the first lane 31. Additionally, if another vehicle 21 is traveling behind the vehicle 10, such as... Figure 3 As shown, vehicle 10 changes lanes towards the lane-changing predetermined area Z2 on the side in front of other vehicle 21. Additionally, as... Figure 4 As shown, when another vehicle 21 is traveling in front of this vehicle 10, this vehicle 10 changes lanes toward the lane change predetermined area Z2 on the rear side of the other vehicle 21.

[0075] Additionally, "rear side" and "front side" indicate Figure 3 and Figure 4 The extended directions of the first lane 31 and the second lane 32 shown are, in other words, the rear and front positions along the longitudinal X direction, which is the direction of travel of the vehicle 10. Additionally, as... Figure 3 As shown, "another vehicle 21 traveling behind this vehicle 10" means that the front end 21a of the other vehicle 21 is located behind the rear end 10b of this vehicle 10. Figure 4As shown, "another vehicle 21 is traveling in front of this vehicle 10" means that the rear end 21b of the other vehicle 21 is located in front of the front end 10a of this vehicle 10.

[0076] Furthermore, if other vehicles 21 are traveling laterally alongside vehicle 10, and the speed V1 of other vehicles 21 is faster than the speed V0 of vehicle 10, then as follows: Figure 4 As shown, the processor 18 waits for the position of other vehicles 21 to become the front, side, or rear of the vehicle 10 before performing lane change control. Similarly, if other vehicles 21 are traveling to the side of the vehicle 10, and the speed V1 of the other vehicles 21 is slower than the speed V0 of the vehicle 10, then... Figure 3 As shown, the processor 18 waits for the position of other vehicles 21 to become the rear side of the vehicle 10 before performing lane change control. Alternatively, the processor 18 can control the speed V0 of the vehicle 10 to adjust the relative position of the vehicle 10 with respect to other vehicles 21 to the front side or rear side of other vehicles 21 before performing lane change control.

[0077] In addition, "other vehicle 21 traveling to the side of this vehicle 10" means that, in the longitudinal direction X, the length of this vehicle 10 from the front end 10a to the rear end 10b is at least partially overlapping with the length of other vehicle 21 from the front end 21a to the rear end 21b.

[0078] Alternatively, if the processor 18 determines in step S4 that lane change control is feasible, it can skip steps S5 and S6 and move control to step S7 to execute lane change control in autonomous driving mode. That is, if the processor 18 determines that lane change control is feasible, it can skip the process of proposing lane change control to the driver or receiving instructions from the passenger to execute lane change control, and immediately execute lane change control. In this case, the processor 18 also outputs information (including an instruction indicating "lane change control is feasible") to the drive control unit 17 of the driving control unit 1 based on the determination in step S4. Based on this instruction, the drive control unit 17 executes lane change control.

[0079] As described above, in the driving control device 1 and driving control method of this embodiment, if it is determined, based on the detection results obtained from the sensor 11a of the other vehicle detection unit 11, that another vehicle 21 traveling in the second lane 32 is detected within the specified detection area Z1, it is determined that lane change control can be performed. Figure 3 and Figure 4As shown, when there is another following vehicle 22 traveling behind another vehicle 21, even if the speed V2 of the following vehicle 22 is higher than the speed V1 of the other vehicle 21, it is predicted that the following vehicle 22 will decelerate as it approaches the other vehicle 21. Therefore, the predicted speed V2 of the following vehicle 22 becomes approximately the same as the speed V1 of the other vehicle 21. Thus, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1, by detecting the other vehicle 21 traveling in the second lane 32, determines that the probability of the following vehicle 22 entering the lane change predetermined area Z2 of the vehicle 10 at a faster speed than the other vehicle 21 is low. That is, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 pre-determines whether there is another vehicle 21 in the second lane 32 at the lane change destination, and thus determines whether lane change control can be performed. Therefore, when the probability of another vehicle 22 approaching the second lane 32 from behind at high speed is low, that is, when the probability of another vehicle 22 suddenly entering the lane change predetermined area Z2 from behind is low, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 can enable the vehicle 10 to autonomously change lanes. In particular, even if no other vehicle 22 is detected, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 can determine that lane change control can be performed based on the premise that the probability of another vehicle 22 approaching the lane change predetermined area Z2 from behind at high speed is low. On the other hand, if the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 determines that no other vehicle 21 traveling in the second lane 32 is detected within the prescribed detection area Z1, the processor 18 determines that lane change control cannot be performed. Thus, the execution of lane change control is suppressed in situations other than when the probability of another vehicle 22 suddenly entering the lane change predetermined area Z2 from behind is low. In addition, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 outputs information on whether lane change control can be performed to the output object based on the determination of whether lane change control can be performed. The output object can be output device 15, drive control device 17, or both. That is, the output object is output device 15 and / or drive control device 17 of driving control device 1. In addition, the information on whether lane change control can be performed includes at least one of "proposal" or "notification" output to output device 15 and "instruction" output to drive control device 17.

[0080] When the processor 18 of the driving control unit 1 determines that lane change control is feasible, it outputs lane change information proposing the execution of lane change control to the output device 15. Then, if the driver or other occupants input an instruction to execute lane change control to the input device 16 based on the lane change information, the processor 18 of the driving control unit 1 executes the lane change control. Thus, the processor 18 of the driving control unit 1 can execute lane change control according to the intention of the driver or other occupants.

[0081] On the other hand, such as Figure 2 As shown by the dashed line, if the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 determines in step S4 that lane change control can be executed, it can skip steps S5 and S6 and execute lane change control in step S7. That is, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 outputs information to the drive control device 17 based on the determination in step S4 regarding whether lane change control can be executed (including an instruction containing the information "lane change control can be executed"). Thus, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 can quickly execute lane change control when the probability of other vehicles 22 suddenly entering the lane change predetermined area Z2 is low, without going through the processing of outputting lane change information to the output device 15 or receiving instructions to execute lane change control input to the input device 16.

[0082] When the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 determines that no other vehicle 21 is detected within the detection area Z1, it determines that lane change control cannot be performed and outputs a command to the drive control device 17 of the driving control device 1 to prohibit lane change control in the automatic driving mode, setting the driving mode to manual driving mode. Therefore, except where the probability of another vehicle 22 suddenly entering the lane change predetermined area Z2 from behind is determined to be low, the processor 18 is prevented from performing lane change control. That is, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 can limit (or select) the performance of lane change control when the probability of another vehicle 22 suddenly entering the lane change predetermined area Z2 from behind is low. Furthermore, except where the probability of another vehicle 22 suddenly entering the lane change predetermined area Z2 from behind is determined to be low, the driver can visually check the driving status of the vehicle 10 while manually changing the vehicle 10 to the second lane 32.

[0083] When the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 determines that there is no space in the second lane 32 required for the vehicle 10 to change lanes, it outputs a command to the drive control device 17 of the driving control device 1 to prohibit lane change control. Thus, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 can perform lane change control only when the conditions required for the vehicle 10 to change lanes are met.

[0084] In addition, in this embodiment, such as Figure 5 As shown, processor 18 replaces Figure 2 Step S3 is followed by step S23, which determines whether another vehicle 21 traveling in the second lane 32 is detected within the detection area Z1 and behind the vehicle 10. That is, in... Figure 5 In the example shown, the processor 18 is based on the detection result of the sensor 11a, such as Figure 3 As shown, in step S4, lane change control is performed only if it is determined that another vehicle 21 is detected within the detection area Z1 and behind the vehicle 10. Here, the probability that another vehicle 22 will overtake the vehicle 21 behind the vehicle 10 and appear in front of it is low. Therefore, the probability that another vehicle 22 will suddenly enter the lane change predetermined area Z2 of the vehicle 10 when the vehicle 10 changes lanes to the second lane 32 is also low. Therefore, by limiting the detection range of the other vehicle 21 to the rear of the vehicle 10, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 can perform lane change control when the probability of another vehicle 22 suddenly entering the lane change predetermined area Z2 from the rear is particularly low.

[0085] (Second Implementation)

[0086] based on Figure 6 The sequence of the driving control method of the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 in the second embodiment will be described. Additionally, with... Figures 1-5 The same symbols described herein represent the same or identical constituent elements or control steps, therefore repeated descriptions are omitted, and the description in the first embodiment is used instead.

[0087] like Figure 6 As shown, if the processor 18 determines in step S3 that another vehicle 21 traveling in the second lane 32 is detected in the detection area Z1, then in step S11 it determines whether the other vehicle 21 detected by the other vehicle detection unit 11 is a two-wheeled vehicle such as a motorcycle. Based on images captured by a camera, which is one of the sensors 11a of the other vehicle detection unit 11, a pattern matching method is used to determine whether the other vehicle 21 is a two-wheeled vehicle. If the other vehicle 21 is a two-wheeled vehicle, the control proceeds to step S24, and the processor 18 excludes the other vehicle 21 from the detection targets. That is, in step S24, the processor 18 cancels the determination of "detecting another vehicle traveling in the second lane 32" in step S3. Then, the control returns to step S3, and the processor 18 again determines whether the other vehicle detection unit 11 has detected another vehicle traveling in the second lane 32 in the detection area Z1.

[0088] In step S11, if it is determined that the other vehicle 21 is not a two-wheeled vehicle, control moves to step S12, where the processor 18 determines whether the speed V0 of the current vehicle 10 is greater than or equal to the speed V1 of the other vehicle 21. Alternatively, the processor 18 detects the speed V1 of the other vehicle 21 based on the speed V0 of the current vehicle 10 detected by the speed sensor and the relative position of the other vehicle 21 with respect to the current vehicle 10. Furthermore, the other vehicle detection unit 11 of the driving control device 1 can also detect the speed V1 of the other vehicle 21 based on the speed information of the other vehicle 21 obtained through vehicle-to-vehicle communication. If it is determined that the speed V0 of the current vehicle 10 is lower than the speed V1 of the other vehicle 21, i.e., the speed V1 of the other vehicle 21 is higher than the speed V0 of the current vehicle 10, control moves to step S13.

[0089] In step S13, the processor 18 determines whether the difference between the speed V0 of the vehicle 10 and the speed V1 of the other vehicle 21 is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed difference dV. If the difference between the speed V0 of the vehicle 10 and the speed V1 of the other vehicle 21 is greater than or equal to the predetermined speed difference dV, the control proceeds to step S24, and the processor 18 excludes the other vehicle 21 from the detection targets. That is, in step S24, the processor 18 cancels the determination of "detecting other vehicles traveling in the second lane 32" in step S3 and returns to step S3. In step S3, the processor 18 again determines whether the other vehicle detection unit 11 detects other vehicles traveling in the second lane 32 within the detection area Z1. In this case, the other vehicles detected by the other vehicle detection unit 11 may also be different from other vehicles 21. In addition, if the other vehicle 21 decelerates and the difference between the speed V0 of the vehicle 10 and the speed V1 of the other vehicle 21 is less than the predetermined speed difference dV, the other vehicle 21 may again be included as a detection target in step S3.

[0090] On the other hand, if the difference between the speed V0 of vehicle 10 and the speed V1 of other vehicle 21 is less than a predetermined speed difference dV, control moves to step S14, and processor 18 outputs a command to drive control device 17 of driving control device 1 to accelerate vehicle 10 so that the speed V0 of vehicle 10 becomes greater than or equal to the speed V1 of other vehicle 21. That is, processor 18 controls the speed V0 of vehicle 10 to make it greater than or equal to the speed V1 of other vehicle 21. Then, control returns to step S12, and processor 18 again determines whether the speed V0 of vehicle 10 is greater than or equal to the speed V1 of other vehicle 21.

[0091] Furthermore, the specified speed difference dV is the upper limit of the speed difference that allows for lane changes while the vehicle 10 is accelerating and maintaining a certain distance from other vehicles 21. The specified speed difference dV is determined through the performance of the vehicle 10 and experiments.

[0092] On the other hand, in step S12, if it is determined that the speed V0 of the vehicle 10 is higher than the speed V1 of the other vehicle 21, the control moves to step S4, and the processor 18 determines that lane change control of the autonomous driving mode can be executed.

[0093] As described above, in the driving control device 1 and driving control method of this embodiment, when the speed V0 of the vehicle 10 is higher than the speed V1 of the other vehicle 21, it is determined that lane change control can be performed. Furthermore, when the speed V0 of the vehicle 10 is lower than the speed V1 of the other vehicle 21, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 outputs a command to the drive control device 17 of the driving control device 1 to control the speed V0 of the vehicle 10, so that the speed V0 of the vehicle 10 becomes higher than the speed V1 of the other vehicle 21. Therefore, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 can smoothly enable the vehicle 10 to change lanes when the speed V0 of the vehicle 10 is the same as or higher than the speed V1 of the other vehicle 21. Additionally, when the speed V1 of the other vehicle 21 is lower than the speed V0 of the vehicle 10, the probability that other vehicles 22 will approach the lane change predetermined area Z2 of the vehicle 10 at a speed faster than the vehicle 10 becomes lower when lane change control is performed.

[0094] Furthermore, the control of the vehicle speed V0 of the vehicle 10 by the driving control device 1 is not limited to acceleration. For example, when other vehicles 21 decelerate sharply, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 can decelerate the vehicle speed V0 of the vehicle 10 in order to maintain the distance between the vehicle and other vehicles 21. Alternatively, it can maintain a certain speed without changing the vehicle speed V0 of the vehicle 10.

[0095] Furthermore, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 cancels the determination of "detecting other vehicles traveling in the second lane 32" in step S3 when the speed V1 of other vehicles 21 is higher than the speed V0 of the vehicle 10, and the difference between the speed V0 of the vehicle 10 and the speed V1 of other vehicles 21 is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed difference dV. This is because when the speed V1 of other vehicles 21 is too fast compared to the speed V0 of the vehicle 10, the probability that other vehicles 22 will also approach the lane change predetermined area Z2 at a speed faster than the vehicle 10 at the moment the driving control device 1 performs lane change control becomes higher. Therefore, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 in this embodiment can limit (or select) the vehicle 10 to perform lane change when the probability of other vehicles 22 suddenly entering the lane change predetermined area Z2 from behind is low. Furthermore, when the difference between the speed V0 of the vehicle 10 and the speed V1 of the other vehicle 21 is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed difference dV, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 does not need to make the speed V0 of the vehicle 10 the same as the speed V1 of the other vehicle 21. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the rapid acceleration of the vehicle 10 when performing lane change control.

[0096] Furthermore, when the other vehicle 21 is a two-wheeled vehicle, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 also cancels the determination of "detecting other vehicles traveling in the second lane 32" in step S3. This is because, when the other vehicle 21 is a two-wheeled vehicle, compared to when the other vehicle 21 is a car or a large truck, the driver of the subsequent other vehicle 22 experiences less psychological pressure, and therefore may not slow down when the subsequent other vehicle 22 approaches the other vehicle 21. That is, when the other vehicle 21 is a two-wheeled vehicle, compared to when the other vehicle 21 is a car or a large truck, the probability that the subsequent other vehicle 22 is approaching the lane change predetermined area Z2 of the vehicle 10 from the rear at high speed is higher. Therefore, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 in this embodiment can limit (or select) the vehicle 10 to change lanes when the probability of the subsequent other vehicle 22 suddenly entering the lane change predetermined area Z2 from the rear is particularly low.

[0097] In addition, in this embodiment, Figure 6 In step S12, if it is determined that the speed V0 of vehicle 10 is less than the speed V1 of other vehicles 21, then... Figure 6 As shown by the dashed line, the control can also skip step S13 and proceed to step S14. That is, the processor 18 can also control the speed V0 of the vehicle 10 to accelerate the vehicle 10 if it determines that the speed V0 of the vehicle 10 is less than the speed V1 of the other vehicle 21.

[0098] In addition, Figure 6 In step S3, if another vehicle 21 is detected in the detection area Z1 of the second lane 32, the control can skip step S11 and proceed to step S12. That is, the processor 18 may not determine whether the other vehicle 21 is a two-wheeled vehicle.

[0099] Alternatively, similar to the first embodiment, this step can be skipped. Figure 6 Step S2. Alternatively, similar to the first embodiment, this step can be skipped. Figure 6 Steps S5 and S6.

[0100] Thus, even if any one of steps S2, S5, S6, and S11 is skipped, the processor 18, as described above, can still perform lane change control when the probability of another vehicle 22 suddenly entering the lane change predetermined area Z2 from behind is low.

[0101] (Third Implementation)

[0102] based on Figure 7 The sequence of the driving control method of the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 in the third embodiment will be explained. Additionally, with... Figures 1-6 The same symbols described herein represent the same or identical constituent elements or control steps, therefore repeated descriptions are omitted, and the descriptions in the first and second embodiments are used instead.

[0103] like Figure 7 As shown, in step S11, if it is determined that the other vehicle 21 is not a two-wheeled vehicle, the control moves to step S15, where the processor 18 uses the camera or radar of the other vehicle detection unit 11 to determine whether the other vehicle 21 is traveling behind the vehicle 10. If it is determined that the other vehicle 21 is not traveling behind the vehicle 10, that is, the other vehicle 21 is traveling to the side or in front of the vehicle 10, the control moves to step S16.

[0104] In step S16, the processor 18 determines whether other vehicles 21 are traveling at a distance D0 or more in front of the vehicle 10. That is, the processor 18 determines whether other vehicles 21 are traveling in front of the vehicle 10 and whether the longitudinal distance D between the vehicle 10 and other vehicles 21 is a distance D0 or more. Additionally, as... Figure 4As shown, the longitudinal distance D between the vehicle 10 and other vehicles 21 refers to the distance between the front end 10a of the vehicle 10 and the rear end 21b of other vehicles 21 in the longitudinal direction X (the direction of travel of the vehicle 10). Furthermore, the other vehicle detection unit 11 uses radar or the like to detect the relative position of other vehicles 21 with respect to the vehicle 10. Alternatively, the other vehicle detection unit 11 can also detect the relative position of other vehicles 21 with respect to the vehicle 10 based on position information of other vehicles 21 obtained through vehicle-to-vehicle communication.

[0105] In step S16, if it is determined that another vehicle 21 is more than a predetermined distance D0 away from the vehicle 10 and is traveling in front, the control proceeds to step S24, where the processor 18 excludes the other vehicle 21 from the detection targets. That is, in step S24, the processor 18 cancels the determination of "detecting another vehicle traveling in the second lane 32" in step S3 and returns to step S3. In step S3, the processor 18 again determines whether the other vehicle detection unit 11 has detected the presence of another vehicle traveling in the second lane 32. In this case, the other vehicle detected by the other vehicle detection unit 11 may also be a different vehicle from the other vehicle 21. If the other vehicle 21 decelerates and the longitudinal distance D between the vehicle 10 and the other vehicle 21 is less than the predetermined distance D0, the other vehicle 21 may again be included as a detection target in step S3.

[0106] On the other hand, if in step S16 it is determined that the longitudinal distance D between the vehicle 10 and other vehicles 21 is less than a predetermined distance D0, control moves to step S14, and the processor 18 accelerates the vehicle 10 until the position of the other vehicle 21 becomes the rear side of the vehicle 10. That is, the processor 18 controls the speed V0 of the vehicle 10 so that the position of the other vehicle 21 becomes the rear side of the vehicle 10. Then, control returns to step S15, and the processor 18 again determines whether the other vehicle 21 is traveling behind the vehicle 10.

[0107] Furthermore, the specified distance D0 is a distance less than the maximum longitudinal distance D between other vehicles 21 and this vehicle 10 within the detection area Z1, determined through the performance of this vehicle 10 and experiments. More specifically, the specified distance D0 is a distance predicted to be the degree to which the optical sensor of the other vehicle detection unit 11 will move away from this vehicle 10 towards the forward side, to the extent that the other vehicle 21 cannot be detected by the other vehicle detection unit 11 immediately after acceleration.

[0108] On the other hand, in step S15, if it is determined that another vehicle 21 is driving behind the vehicle 10, the control moves to step S4, and the processor 18 determines that lane change control can be performed.

[0109] As described above, when another vehicle 21 is traveling in front of the vehicle 10 and the longitudinal distance D (distance in the direction of travel of the vehicle 10) between the vehicle 10 and the other vehicle 21 is a predetermined distance D0 or more, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 cancels the determination of "detecting other vehicles traveling in the second lane 32" in step S3. This is because when the longitudinal distance D between the vehicle 10 and the other vehicle 21 is too large, the subsequent other vehicle 22 may overtake the vehicle 10 and then decelerate, increasing the possibility that the subsequent other vehicle 22 will approach the lane change predetermined area Z2 of the vehicle 10 at a speed faster than the vehicle 10. Therefore, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 in this embodiment can limit (or select) the situation where the possibility of the subsequent other vehicle 22 suddenly entering the detection predetermined area Z1 in the second lane 32 is low, and then cause the vehicle 10 to change lanes. Furthermore, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 does not need to accelerate the vehicle 10 when other vehicles 21 move more than a predetermined distance D0 away from the front of the vehicle 10, thus preventing sudden acceleration of the vehicle 10 during lane change control. Additionally, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 only accelerates the vehicle 10 when the longitudinal distance D between the vehicle 10 and other vehicles 21 is less than the predetermined distance D0, thus enabling lane change control to be performed while other vehicles 21 are always detected by the optical sensor of the other vehicle detection unit 11.

[0110] In this embodiment, Figure 7 In step S15, if it is determined that other vehicles 21 are not traveling behind or behind vehicle 10, then... Figure 7 As shown by the dashed line, the control can also skip step S16 and proceed to step S14. That is, the processor 18 can also control the speed V0 of the vehicle 10, regardless of the longitudinal distance D between the vehicle 10 and the other vehicle 21, to accelerate the vehicle 10 if it is determined that other vehicles 21 are not driving behind the vehicle 10.

[0111] Alternatively, similar to the first embodiment, this step can be skipped. Figure 7 Step S2. Alternatively, similar to the first embodiment, this step can be skipped. Figure 7 Steps S5 and S6.

[0112] Alternatively, similar to the second embodiment, this step can be skipped. Figure 7 Step S11.

[0113] Thus, even if any one of steps S2, S5, S6 and S11 is skipped, the processor 18, as described above, can still perform lane change control when the probability of another vehicle 22 suddenly entering the lane change predetermined area Z2 from behind is low.

[0114] (Fourth Implementation)

[0115] Reference Figure 1 The driving control device 1 of the fourth embodiment will be described, and based on Figure 8 The sequence of the driving control method of the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 will be explained. Additionally, as already explained... Figures 1-7 The same symbols described herein represent the same or identical constituent elements or control steps, therefore repeated descriptions are omitted, and the descriptions in the first to third embodiments are used instead.

[0116] In this embodiment, Figure 1 The processor 18 of the driving control device 1 shown can set the driving mode to either a first mode or a second mode. That is, the processor 18 can switch between the first mode and the second mode. The driving assistance level of the second mode is higher than that of the first mode. Specifically, the processor 18 can set the first mode corresponding to driving assistance level 2 and the second mode corresponding to driving assistance level 3 as driving modes. In addition, the driving assistance level is determined according to the classification defined by the American Society of Automotive Technicians (AAA) mentioned above, but is not limited thereto.

[0117] When the driving mode is set to the first mode, the driver needs to visually monitor the surroundings of the vehicle. The first mode is the handheld mode. The handheld mode means that the autonomous steering control of the driving control device 1 does not operate when the driver is not holding the steering wheel 14a. In addition, whether the driver is holding the steering wheel 14a is detected by a touch sensor installed on the steering wheel 14a or a steering torque sensor of the EPS.

[0118] In addition, "driver holding steering wheel 14a" includes not only the state where the driver grips the steering wheel 14a tightly, but also the state where the driver gently places his hands on the steering wheel 14a.

[0119] On the other hand, when the driving mode is set to the second mode, the other vehicle detection unit 11 of the driving control device 1 uses cameras, radar, etc. to monitor the surrounding conditions of the vehicle. That is, when the automatic driving mode is set to the second mode, the driving environment around the vehicle is automatically monitored by the driving control device 1. The second mode is the hands-off mode. The hands-off mode refers to a mode in which the steering control of the processor 18 is activated even if the driver takes his hands off the steering wheel 14a. The second mode is the automatic driving mode.

[0120] In addition to the first mode and the second mode, the processor 18 can also set other driving modes corresponding to different levels of driving assistance. In this embodiment, a driving mode with a lower level of driving assistance than the first mode can be set, and a driving mode with a higher level of driving assistance than the second mode can also be set. One or more driving modes with a higher level of driving assistance than the first mode and a lower level of driving assistance than the second mode can also be set between the first mode and the second mode.

[0121] Next, based on Figure 8 The sequence of driving control methods of driving control device 1 will be explained.

[0122] like Figure 8 As shown, in step S3, if the processor 18 detects another vehicle 21 traveling in the second lane 32 within the detection area Z1, in step S17, it determines that lane change control based on the second mode can be executed. Then, in step S18, the processor 18 sets the driving mode to the second mode as an automatic driving mode. Next, in step S19, the processor 18 executes lane change control based on the second mode. That is, the processor 18 outputs information to the drive control device 17 of the driving control device 1 regarding whether lane change control can be executed based on the determination in step S17 (including an instruction containing information such as "lane change control based on the second mode can be executed").

[0123] Furthermore, if the processor 18 does not detect any other vehicle 21 traveling in the second lane 32 within the detection area Z1 in step S30, it determines in step S30 that lane change control based on the second mode cannot be executed. Then, the processor 18 sets the driving mode to the first mode in step S31. Next, the processor 18 executes lane change control based on the first mode in step S32. That is, the processor 18 outputs information to the drive control device 17 regarding whether lane change control can be executed based on the determination in step S30 (including an instruction containing information such as "lane change control based on the second mode cannot be executed").

[0124] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the first mode is an automatic driving mode, but it is not limited to this; the first mode can also be a manual driving mode. When the first mode is a manual driving mode, after step S31, since the driver manually changes lanes, the process is skipped. Figure 8 Step S32 is shown.

[0125] As described above, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 in this embodiment determines that lane change control based on the second mode can be executed if it determines that another vehicle 21 traveling in the second lane 32 is detected in the detection area Z1 based on the detection results obtained from the sensor 11a. Conversely, if it determines that no other vehicle 21 traveling in the second lane 32 is detected in the detection area Z1, the processor 18 determines that lane change control based on the second mode cannot be executed. Furthermore, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 can switch between a first mode that requires the driver to visually monitor the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, and an automatic driving mode, i.e., a second mode, that performs monitoring of the surrounding conditions of the vehicle based on the driving control device 1. That is, if another vehicle 21 is detected in the detection area Z1, and it is determined that the probability of another vehicle 22 approaching the lane change predetermined area Z2 of the vehicle 10 at a speed faster than that of the other vehicle 21 is low, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 determines that it can perform lane change control in the second mode while simultaneously monitoring the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 10. On the other hand, when no other vehicle 21 is detected within the detection area Z1, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 sets the driving mode to the first mode. Therefore, when no other vehicle 21 is detected within the detection area Z1, the vehicle 10 changes lanes while the driver visually monitors the surroundings of the vehicle 10. Thus, when the likelihood of another vehicle 22 suddenly entering the lane change pre-defined area Z2 from behind is determined to be low, the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 can perform lane change control at a higher level of driver assistance. Therefore, when the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 determines that another vehicle 21 is detected within the detection area Z1, it performs lane change control in the second mode, reducing the driver's workload.

[0126] Furthermore, in the automatic driving modes set by the driving control device 1, the first mode is a handheld mode where the steering control of the driving control device 1 does not operate when the driver does not hold the steering wheel 14a. On the other hand, the second mode is a hands-off mode where the steering control of the driving control device 1 operates even when the driver takes their hands off the steering wheel 14a. Therefore, when the processor 18 of the driving control device 1 determines that another vehicle 21 has been detected, it determines that the probability of another vehicle 22 suddenly entering the lane change predetermined area Z2 from behind is low, and performs lane change control in hands-off mode, which can reduce the burden on the driver. On the other hand, since the first mode is a handheld mode, when it is determined that no other vehicle 21 has been detected, lane change is performed when the driver can handle unexpected situations through manual driving operation.

[0127] Alternatively, in this embodiment, the steps can be skipped in the same way as in the first embodiment. Figure 8 Step S2.

[0128] Additionally, between steps S17 and S18, the processor 18 may output lane change information for lane change control based on the second mode to the output device 15, or it may process the input of the instruction to execute lane change control based on the second mode via the input device 16.

[0129] Furthermore, in any of the first to fourth embodiments, the processor 18 may also cancel the determination of "detecting another vehicle traveling in the second lane 32" in step S3 if the difference between the speed V0 of the vehicle 10 and the speed V1 of the other vehicle 21 is a predetermined speed difference dV or more. Similarly, in any of the first to fourth embodiments, the processor 18 may also cancel the determination of "detecting another vehicle traveling in the second lane 32" in step S3 if the other vehicle 21 moves away from the front of the vehicle 10 by a predetermined distance D0 or more. Furthermore, in any of the first to fourth embodiments, the processor 18 may also cancel the determination of "detecting another vehicle traveling in the second lane 32" in step S3 if the other vehicle 21 is a two-wheeled vehicle.

[0130] Furthermore, when vehicle 10 changes lanes to an adjacent lane, processor 18 determines whether other vehicles are detected within a defined detection area for both the adjacent lane and the adjacent lane. If processor 18 determines that other vehicles are detected within the defined detection area of ​​at least one of the adjacent lanes, it determines that lane change control to the adjacent lane can be performed. On the other hand, if processor 18 determines that no other vehicles are detected within the defined detection area of ​​either the adjacent lane or the adjacent lane, it determines that lane change control to the adjacent lane cannot be performed. Processor 18 outputs information based on these determinations to output device 15 and / or drive control device 17 regarding whether lane change control can be performed. Thus, processor 18 can perform lane change control when the probability of other vehicles suddenly entering the lane change zone of the adjacent lane from behind is low, and the probability of other vehicles traveling at high speed in the adjacent lane suddenly approaching during vehicle 10's lane change is low.

[0131] 1: Driving control device

[0132] 10: This vehicle

[0133] 11: Other Vehicle Inspection Department

[0134] 11a: Sensor

[0135] 14a: Steering wheel

[0136] 15: Output device

[0137] 16: Input device

[0138] 18: Processor

[0139] 21: Other vehicles

[0140] 31: First Lane

[0141] 32: Second Lane

[0142] V1: Speed ​​of other vehicles

[0143] V0: The speed of this vehicle

[0144] Z1: Detection area

Claims

1. A driving control method, using a processor of a driving control device that controls the speed and steering of a vehicle traveling in an automatic driving mode in a first lane, executes lane change control to enable the vehicle to autonomously change lanes to a second lane adjacent to the first lane; if other vehicles traveling in the second lane are detected, the lane change control to the second lane is executed; if no other vehicles are detected, the lane change control is not executed, wherein... The processor performs the following processing: The detection results of other vehicles traveling in the second lane are obtained from sensors mounted on the vehicle. Based on the detection results, it is determined whether any other vehicles are detected behind the vehicle within the specified detection area. If it is determined that another vehicle is detected behind the vehicle within the specified detection area, and there is space within the specified detection area required for the vehicle to change lanes, then it is determined that the lane change control can be executed. If it is determined that no other vehicle is detected behind the vehicle within the specified detection area, the lane change control is deemed unfeasible. Output information based on the judgment indicating whether the lane change control can be performed. The lane change control is performed in front of other vehicles detected behind the vehicle within the designated detection area.

2. The driving control method as described in claim 1, wherein, The processor performs the following processing: If it is determined that other vehicles are detected within the specified detection area, the speed of the other vehicles is detected. If the vehicle's speed is higher than the speed of the other vehicles, it is determined that the lane change control can be executed. If the speed of the vehicle is less than the speed of the other vehicles, a speed control command is output to the driving control device to make the speed of the vehicle greater than or equal to the speed of the other vehicles.

3. The driving control method as described in claim 1, wherein, The processor performs the following processing: The speed of this vehicle and the speeds of the other vehicles are detected. If the speed of another vehicle is higher than the speed of the vehicle itself, and the difference between the speed of the other vehicle and the speed of the vehicle itself is greater than or equal to a predetermined speed difference, the detection of the other vehicle is cancelled.

4. The driving control method as described in claim 1, wherein, The processor performs the following processing: Detect the relative position of the other vehicles with respect to the vehicle itself. If another vehicle is traveling in front of this vehicle and the distance between this vehicle and the other vehicle in the direction of travel is more than a predetermined distance, the determination to detect the other vehicle is cancelled.

5. The driving control method as described in claim 1, wherein, If the other vehicle is a two-wheeled vehicle, the processor cancels the determination to detect the other vehicle.

6. The driving control method as described in claim 1, wherein, If the processor determines that the lane change control can be executed, it outputs lane change information proposing the execution of the lane change control to the output device. When an instruction to execute the lane change control is input to the input device based on the lane change information, a command to execute the lane change control is output to the driving control device.

7. The driving control method as described in claim 1, wherein, When the processor determines that the lane change control can be executed, it outputs a command to the driving control device to execute the lane change control.

8. The driving control method as described in claim 1, wherein, If the processor determines that no other vehicle is detected within the specified detection area, it outputs a command to the driving control device to prohibit the execution of the lane change control.

9. The driving control method as described in claim 1, wherein, The processor can switch between a first mode and a second mode. The first mode requires the driver to visually monitor the vehicle's surroundings, while the second mode is an autonomous driving mode in which the processor performs the monitoring of the vehicle's surroundings. If the processor determines that other vehicles are detected within the specified detection area, it determines that the lane change control based on the second mode can be executed. If it is determined that no other vehicle is detected within the specified detection area, it is determined that the lane change control based on the second mode cannot be executed, and the driving mode is set to the first mode.

10. The driving control method as described in claim 9, wherein, The first mode is a handheld mode in which the steering control of the processor does not operate when the driver of the vehicle is not holding the steering wheel. The second mode is the hands-off mode, in which the processor's steering control operates even when the driver's hands are off the steering wheel.

11. The driving control method as described in claim 1, wherein, The processor performs the following processing: Determine whether there is sufficient space in the second lane for the vehicle to change lanes. If it is determined that there is no space, a command is output to the driving control device to prohibit the execution of the lane change control.

12. A driving control device, comprising: The processor controls the speed and steering of the vehicle traveling in the first lane in an autonomous driving mode, and performs lane change control to enable the vehicle to autonomously change lanes to the second lane adjacent to the first lane. If other vehicles traveling in the second lane are detected, the lane change control to the second lane is performed; if no other vehicles are detected, the lane change control is not performed. The other vehicle inspection department inspects other vehicles traveling in the second lane. The processor performs the following processing: Based on the detection results of the other vehicle detection units, it is determined whether other vehicles traveling in the second lane are detected behind the vehicle within the specified detection area. If it is determined that another vehicle is detected behind the vehicle within the specified detection area, and there is space within the specified detection area required for the vehicle to change lanes, then it is determined that the lane change control can be executed. If it is determined that no other vehicle is detected behind the vehicle within the specified detection area, the lane change control is deemed unfeasible. Output information based on the judgment indicating whether the lane change control can be performed. The lane change control is performed in front of other vehicles detected behind the vehicle within the designated detection area.

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