Vehicle control device, vehicle control method and storage medium

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a storage medium capable of continuing driving assistance or automatic driving for a longer period of time. The vehicle control device identifies the presence of a first other lane at the position of the first other vehicle based on a first relative distance between the vehicle and a first other vehicle, identifies the travel direction of the first other lane based on a first relative speed between the vehicle and the first other vehicle, and when the travel direction of the identified first other lane is opposite to the travel direction of the vehicle, determines whether an adjacent lane of the vehicle is an oncoming lane based on at least two of the first relative distance, the second relative speed of the vehicle and the second other vehicle, and map information including the travel direction of the lane and the number of lanes, and continues driving assistance or automatic driving when it is determined that the adjacent lane is not the oncoming lane.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method and a storage medium. Background Art

[0002] The following technology is known: when the state where the dividing line is detected changes to the state where the dividing line is not detected, an imaginary dividing line is estimated based on the position of the dividing line detected in the past, and the travel of the host vehicle is controlled based on the imaginary dividing line (for example, refer to Patent Document 1). In addition, the following technology is known: the time when the host vehicle approaches the side of other vehicles on the road is estimated, the lateral distance that the host vehicle should maintain relative to other vehicles during the passage of the estimated time is determined, and the vehicle is controlled based on the lateral distance (for example, refer to Patent Document 2).

[0003] [Prior art literature]

[0004] [Patent Literature]

[0005] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. 2018 / 012179

[0006] [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-089691 Summary of the invention

[0007] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0008] However, in the conventional technology, when the dividing line cannot be recognized, the relative position of the lane in which the host vehicle is located or traveling (hereinafter referred to as the host lane) cannot be determined, and some driving support and automatic driving cannot be continued.

[0009] An aspect of the present invention has been made in consideration of such a situation, and one object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a storage medium capable of continuing driving support or automatic driving for a longer period of time.

[0010] Solutions to Solve Problems

[0011] The vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium of the present invention adopt the following structures.

[0012] One solution (1) of the present invention is a vehicle control device, comprising: an identification unit that identifies the relative speed and relative distance between other vehicles existing around the host vehicle and the host vehicle; a driving control unit that performs driving assistance or automatic driving to control at least one of the speed and steering of the host vehicle based on the identification result of the identification unit, the identification unit identifying the presence of a first other lane at the position of the first other vehicle based on the relative distance between the host vehicle and the first other vehicle related to the vehicle width direction, that is, the first relative distance, and the relative distance between the host vehicle and the first other vehicle related to the travel direction of the host vehicle. The driving control unit identifies the traveling direction of the first other lane based on the relative speed, i.e., the first relative speed, when the traveling direction of the first other lane identified by the identification unit is opposite to the traveling direction of the own lane, and determines whether an adjacent lane of the own lane is an oncoming lane based on at least two of the first relative distance, the relative speed of the own vehicle and the second other vehicle related to the traveling direction of the own vehicle, i.e., the second relative speed, and map information including the traveling direction of the lane and the number of lanes; and continues the driving support or the automatic driving when it is determined that the adjacent lane is not the oncoming lane.

[0013] The scheme (2) is that in the vehicle control device of the scheme (1) above, the driving control unit determines that the adjacent lane is not the opposing lane when the lane number of the opposing lane is N which is a natural number, the first relative distance is more than twice a prescribed width, and the relative distance between the own vehicle and the Nth other vehicle related to the vehicle width direction of the own vehicle, i.e., the Nth relative distance, is more than (N+1) times the prescribed width.

[0014] According to a third aspect, in the vehicle control device according to the second aspect, the driving control unit determines that the adjacent lane is not the oncoming lane when N is 1 and the first relative distance is more than twice the predetermined width.

[0015] The scheme (4) is that in the vehicle control device of the scheme (2) or (3) above, the identification unit identifies the existence of an Nth other lane at the position of the Nth other vehicle based on the Nth relative distance when N is greater than 2, and identifies the travel direction of the Nth other lane based on the relative speed of the own vehicle and the Nth other vehicle related to the travel direction of the own vehicle, that is, the Nth relative speed, and the driving control unit determines that the adjacent lane is not the oncoming lane when the first relative distance is greater than 2 times the prescribed width, the travel direction of the Nth other lane is opposite to the travel direction of the own lane, and the Nth relative distance is greater than (N+1) times the prescribed width.

[0016] The scheme (5) is that in the vehicle control device of any one of the schemes (1) to (4) above, the identification unit identifies the existence of a second other lane at the position of the second other vehicle based on the relative distance between the own vehicle and the second other vehicle related to the vehicle width direction of the own vehicle, i.e., the second relative distance, and identifies the travel direction of the second other lane based on the second relative speed, and the driving control unit determines that the adjacent lane is not the oncoming lane when the first relative distance is more than twice the prescribed width, the travel direction of the second other lane is the same as the travel direction of the own lane, and the second relative distance is more than one time the prescribed width.

[0017] The scheme (6) is that in the vehicle control device of any one of the schemes (2) to (5) above, the recognition unit also recognizes roadside objects around the host vehicle, and the driving control unit determines that the adjacent lane is not the oncoming lane when the number of lanes in the same direction as the host lane is 2 or more, the roadside object exists on the opposite side of the first other vehicle when observed from the host vehicle, and the relative distance between the host vehicle and the roadside object in the vehicle width direction of the host vehicle is less than 1 times the specified width.

[0018] A seventh aspect is the vehicle control device according to any one of the above-mentioned aspects (2) to (6), wherein the driving control unit changes the predetermined width according to the type of road.

[0019] Scheme (8) is that in the vehicle control device of any one of schemes (1) to (7) above, the driving control unit, when determining that the adjacent lane is not the oncoming lane, continues the driving assistance or the automatic driving on the condition that the driver of the vehicle is touching the steering operating element.

[0020] A means (9) is a vehicle control device according to any one of the above-mentioned means (1) to (8), wherein the driving control unit lowers the level of the driving support or the automatic driving when it is determined that the adjacent lane is the oncoming lane.

[0021] Another solution (10) of the present invention is a vehicle control method, in which a computer mounted on the vehicle performs the following processing: identifying the relative speed and relative distance between other vehicles existing in the vicinity of the vehicle and the vehicle, and based on the identified relative speed and relative distance, performing driving assistance or automatic driving to control at least one of the speed and steering of the vehicle, identifying the presence of a first other lane at the position of the first other vehicle based on the relative distance between the vehicle and the first other vehicle related to the vehicle width direction, that is, the first relative distance, and based on the relative distance between the vehicle and the first other vehicle related to the travel direction of the vehicle The driving support or the automatic driving is performed by determining whether an adjacent lane of the own lane is an oncoming lane based on the first relative distance, the relative speed of the own vehicle and the second other vehicle related to the traveling direction of the own vehicle, i.e., the second relative speed, and at least two of the map information including the traveling direction of the lane and the number of lanes. If it is determined that the adjacent lane is not the oncoming lane, the driving support or the automatic driving is continued.

[0022] Another solution (11) of the present invention is a storage medium storing a program for causing a computer mounted on the vehicle to execute the following processing: identifying the relative speed and relative distance between other vehicles existing around the vehicle and the vehicle, performing driving assistance or automatic driving to control at least one of the speed and steering of the vehicle based on the identified relative speed and relative distance, identifying the presence of a first other lane at the position of the first other vehicle based on a relative distance between the vehicle and the first other vehicle related to the vehicle width direction, and based on a relative distance between the vehicle and the first other vehicle related to the vehicle width direction, performing driving assistance or automatic driving to control at least one of the speed and steering of the vehicle based on the identified relative speed and relative distance, The driving support or the automatic driving is continued by using the first relative speed, the second relative speed, the relative speed of the first other vehicle related to the driving direction of the own vehicle and the first other vehicle, to identify the traveling direction of the first other lane; when the traveling direction of the identified first other lane is opposite to the traveling direction of the own lane, the driving support or the automatic driving is continued by using the first relative distance, the second relative speed, the relative speed of the second other vehicle related to the traveling direction of the own vehicle, and at least two of the map information including the traveling direction of the lane and the number of lanes.

[0023] Effects of the Invention

[0024] According to any of the above aspects, driving support or autonomous driving can be continued for a longer period of time. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] Figure 1 It is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 using the vehicle control device according to the embodiment.

[0026] Figure 2 2 is a functional structure diagram of the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160 .

[0027] Figure 3 1 is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence relationship between the driving mode and the control state and task of the host vehicle M.

[0028] Figure 4 This is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a series of processes performed by the automatic driving control device 100 according to the embodiment.

[0029] Figure 5 2 is a diagram showing an example of a scene that the host vehicle M may encounter.

[0030] Figure 6 2 is a diagram showing another example of a scene that the host vehicle M may encounter.

[0031] Figure 7 2 is a diagram showing another example of a scene that the host vehicle M may encounter.

[0032] Figure 8 2 is a diagram showing another example of a scene that the host vehicle M may encounter.

[0033] Fig. 9 This is a diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the automatic driving control device 100 according to the embodiment.

[0034] Description of reference numerals:

[0035] 1…Vehicle system, 10…Camera, 12…Radar device, 14…LIDAR, 16…Object recognition device, 20…Communication device, 30…HMI, 40…Vehicle sensor, 50…Navigation device, 60…MPU, 70…Driver monitoring camera, 80…Driving operating member, 82…Steering wheel, 84…Steering wheel grip sensor, 100…Automatic driving control device, 120…First control unit, 130…Recognition unit, 140…Action plan generation unit, 150…Mode control unit, 152…Driver state determination unit, 154…Mode determination unit, 156…Equipment control unit, 160…Second control unit, 162…Acquisition unit, 164…Speed ​​control unit, 166…Steering control unit, 180…Storage unit, M…Own vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0036] Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a storage medium according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0037] [Overall structure]

[0038] Figure 1 1 is a structural diagram of a vehicle system 1 using a vehicle control device according to an embodiment. The vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the vehicle M) mounted on the vehicle system 1 is, for example, a two-wheel, three-wheel, or four-wheel vehicle, and its driving source is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination thereof. The electric motor operates using the generated power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine or the discharged power of a secondary battery or a fuel cell.

[0039] The vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, a vehicle sensor 40, a navigation device 50, an MPU (Map Positioning Unit) 60, a driver monitoring camera 70, a driving operating member 80, an automatic driving control device 100, a driving force output device 200, a braking device 210, and a steering device 220. These devices and equipment are interconnected through multi-channel communication lines such as CAN (Controller Area Network) communication lines, serial communication lines, wireless communication networks, etc. It should be noted that Figure 1 The structure shown is just an example, and part of the structure may be omitted, or other structures may be added. The automatic driving control device 100 is an example of a “vehicle control device”.

[0040] The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera that utilizes a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is installed at any part of the vehicle on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted. For example, when photographing the front of the vehicle M, the camera 10 is installed at the top of the front windshield, the back of the rearview mirror in the vehicle interior, etc. When photographing the rear of the vehicle M, the camera 10 is installed at the top of the rear windshield, etc. When photographing the right or left side of the vehicle M, the camera 10 is installed on the right side or left side of the rearview mirror on the vehicle body or the door, etc. The camera 10 periodically and repeatedly photographs the periphery of the vehicle M. The camera 10 may also be a stereo camera.

[0041] The radar device 12 reflects radio waves such as millimeter waves to the periphery of the vehicle M, and detects radio waves (reflected waves) reflected by an object to detect at least the position (distance and direction) of the object. The radar device 12 is installed at any part of the vehicle M. The radar device 12 can also detect the position and speed of the object by FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

[0042] The LIDAR 14 irradiates light (or electromagnetic waves of a wavelength close to that of light) to the periphery of the vehicle M and measures scattered light. The LIDAR 14 detects the distance to the object based on the time from light emission to light reception. The irradiated light is, for example, a pulsed laser. The LIDAR 14 is installed at any part of the vehicle M.

[0043] The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on a part or all of the detection results of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14, and recognizes the position, type, speed, etc. of the object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition result to the automatic driving control device 100. The object recognition device 16 may output the detection results of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to the automatic driving control device 100 as they are. The object recognition device 16 may also be omitted from the vehicle system 1.

[0044] The communication device 20 communicates with other vehicles around the host vehicle M using, for example, a cellular network, Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), or communicates with various server devices via a wireless base station.

[0045] The HMI 30 presents various information to the passengers (including the driver) of the vehicle M and receives input operations from the passengers. For example, the HMI 30 may also include a display device, a switch, a speaker, a buzzer, a touch panel, etc. For example, the passenger inputs the destination of the vehicle M to the HMI 30. The HMI 30 is an example of an "output unit".

[0046] The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor for detecting the speed of the vehicle M, an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration, a gyro sensor for detecting angular velocity, and an azimuth sensor for detecting the orientation of the vehicle M. The gyro sensor may include, for example, a yaw rate sensor for detecting angular velocity around a vertical axis.

[0047] The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a route determination unit 53. The navigation device 50 stores first map information 54 in a storage device such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory.

[0048] The GNSS receiver 51 receives radio waves from each of a plurality of GNSS satellites (artificial satellites), and determines the position of the host vehicle M based on the signals of the received radio waves. The GNSS receiver 51 outputs the determined position of the host vehicle M to the path determination unit 53, or outputs it to the automatic driving control device 100 directly or indirectly via the MPU 60. The position of the host vehicle M may also be determined or supplemented by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) using the output of the vehicle sensor 40.

[0049] The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, a keyboard, etc. The navigation HMI 52 may be partially or entirely common with the aforementioned HMI 30 . For example, the occupant may input the destination of the vehicle M to the navigation HMI 52 instead of or in addition to inputting the destination of the vehicle M to the HMI 30 .

[0050] The route determination unit 53 refers to the first map information 54 , for example, to determine a route (hereinafter, a route on the map) from the position of the host vehicle M determined by the GNSS receiver 51 (or an input arbitrary position) to a destination input by the occupant using the HM 30 or the navigation HMI 52 .

[0051] The first map information 54 is information that expresses the shape of a road by, for example, links representing the road and nodes connected by the links. The first map information 54 may also include the curvature of the road, POI (Point Of Interest) information, etc. The route on the map is output to the MPU 60 .

[0052] The navigation device 50 may also provide route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the route on the map. The navigation device 50 may also be implemented by, for example, a function of a terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal held by the passenger. The navigation device 50 may also send the current position and destination to the navigation server via the communication device 20, and obtain a route equivalent to the route on the map from the navigation server.

[0053] The MPU 60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 61, and the second map information 62 is maintained in a storage device such as a HDD or a flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 61 is implemented by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). In addition, the recommended lane determination unit 61 can be implemented by hardware (including a circuit unit; circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), and a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or can be implemented by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program can be pre-stored in a storage device (a storage device having a non-temporary storage medium) of the MPU 60, or can be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and installed in the storage device of the MPU 60 by assembling the storage medium (non-temporary storage medium) in a drive device.

[0054] The recommended lane determination unit 61 divides the route on the map provided by the navigation device 50 into a plurality of blocks (for example, divided into blocks of 100 [m] with respect to the vehicle's traveling direction), and determines a recommended lane for each block with reference to the second map information 62. The recommended lane determination unit 61 determines which lane to travel on from the left. When there is a branch in the route on the map, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines a recommended lane so that the host vehicle M can travel on a reasonable route for traveling to the branch destination.

[0055] The second map information 62 is map information with higher accuracy than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes various information such as the number of lanes on the road, the direction of travel of each lane, and the center or boundary of each lane. In addition, the second map information 62 may also include road information, traffic restriction information, address information (address·zip code), facility information, telephone number information, etc. The second map information 62 communicates with other devices through the communication device 20 and can be updated at any time. The second map information 62 is an example of "map information".

[0056] The driver monitoring camera 70 is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD or a CMOS. The driver monitoring camera 70 is installed at any part of the vehicle M in a position and orientation that can capture the position and orientation of the occupant (i.e., the driver) sitting in the driver's seat of the vehicle M from the front. For example, the driver monitoring camera 70 is installed on the dashboard of the vehicle M.

[0057] The driving operating member 80 includes, for example, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, and other operating members in addition to the steering wheel 82. A sensor for detecting the amount of operation or the presence or absence of operation is installed on the driving operating member 80. The detection result of the sensor is output to the automatic driving control device 100, or is output to a part or all of the driving driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device 220.

[0058] The steering wheel 82 is not necessarily annular, and may be in the form of a special-shaped steering wheel, a joystick, a button, etc. A steering wheel holding sensor 84 is installed in the steering wheel 82. The steering wheel holding sensor 84 is an electrostatic capacitance sensor, etc. The steering wheel holding sensor 84 detects whether the driver is holding the steering wheel 82 (referring to contacting with a force applied), and outputs a signal indicating the detection result to the automatic driving control device 100. The steering wheel 82 is an example of a "steering operating member".

[0059] The automatic driving control device 100 includes, for example, a first control unit 120, a second control unit 160, and a storage unit 180. The first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160 are respectively implemented by executing a program (software) through a hardware processor such as a CPU. In addition, some or all of these components may also be implemented by hardware (including a circuit unit; circuitry) such as an LSI, an ASIC, an FPGA, a GPU, or the like, or may be implemented by the coordination of software and hardware. The program may also be pre-stored in a storage device (a storage device having a non-temporary storage medium) such as an HDD or a flash memory of the automatic driving control device 100, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and the storage medium (non-temporary storage medium) may be assembled to a drive device and installed in the HDD or flash memory of the automatic driving control device 100.

[0060] The storage unit 180 is realized by, for example, a HDD, a flash memory, an EEPROM, a ROM, or a RAM, etc. In the storage unit 180, for example, a program read out and executed by a processor is stored.

[0061] Figure 2 1 is a functional structure diagram of the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160. The first control unit 120 includes, for example, a recognition unit 130, an action plan generation unit 140, and a mode control unit 150. The action plan generation unit 140 and the second control unit 160 are combined, or the action plan generation unit 140, the mode control unit 150, and the second control unit 160 are combined as an example of a "driving control unit".

[0062] The first control unit 120 implements functions based on AI (Artificial Intelligence) and functions based on a pre-assigned model in parallel. For example, the function of "identifying intersections" can also be implemented by performing identification of intersections based on deep learning and the identification based on pre-assigned conditions (the presence of signals and road signs that can perform pattern matching) in parallel, and scoring both to comprehensively evaluate them. In this way, the reliability of autonomous driving is guaranteed.

[0063] The recognition unit 130 recognizes the surrounding conditions or environment of the vehicle M. For example, the recognition unit 130 recognizes objects existing around the vehicle M based on information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12 and the LIDAR 14 via the object recognition device 16. The objects recognized by the recognition unit 130 include, for example, bicycles, motorcycles, four-wheeled vehicles, pedestrians, road signs, road markings, dividing lines, telephone poles, guardrails, fallen objects, etc. In addition, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the state of the object, such as the position, speed, and acceleration. The position of the object is recognized, for example, as a position on a relative coordinate with a representative point (center of gravity, drive shaft center, etc.) of the vehicle M as the origin (i.e., a relative position relative to the vehicle M), and is used for control. The position of the object can be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or corner of the object, or by an expressed area. The "state" of the object may also include the acceleration, jerk, or "action state" of the object (e.g., whether a lane change is being made or a lane change is being intended).

[0064] Furthermore, the recognition unit 130 recognizes, for example, a lane in which the host vehicle M is located or traveling (hereinafter, the host lane), an adjacent lane adjacent to the host lane, etc. For example, the recognition unit 130 obtains the second map information 62 from the MPU 60, and compares the pattern of road dividing lines (for example, the arrangement of solid lines and dotted lines) included in the obtained second map information 62 with the pattern of road dividing lines around the host vehicle M recognized from the image of the camera 10, thereby recognizing the space between the dividing lines as the host lane and the adjacent lane.

[0065] The recognition unit 130 is not limited to the road dividing line, and can also recognize lanes such as the own lane and the adjacent lane by recognizing the travel path boundary (road boundary) including the road dividing line, the shoulder, the curb, the central dividing strip, the guardrail, etc. In this recognition, the position of the own vehicle M obtained from the navigation device 50 and the processing result based on the INS can also be considered. In addition, the recognition unit 130 can also recognize temporary stop lines, obstacles, red lights, toll booths, and other road events.

[0066] Furthermore, when recognizing the own lane, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the relative position and posture of the own vehicle M relative to the own lane. For example, the recognition unit 130 may recognize the deviation of the reference point of the own vehicle M from the center of the lane and the angle formed by the traveling direction of the own vehicle M with respect to the line connecting the coordinate points in the center of the lane as the relative position and posture of the own vehicle M relative to the own lane. Alternatively, the recognition unit 130 may recognize the position of the reference point of the own vehicle M relative to any side end of the own lane (road dividing line or road boundary) as the relative position of the own vehicle M relative to the own lane.

[0067] In principle, the action plan generation unit 140 drives on the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determination unit 61, and then generates a future target trajectory in a manner that can cope with the surrounding conditions of the vehicle M, so that the vehicle M can automatically (independently of the driver's operation) drive in a state during driving specified by the events described later.

[0068] The target trajectory includes, for example, a speed element. For example, the target trajectory is expressed as a trajectory in which the locations (track points) that the vehicle M should arrive at are arranged in sequence. A track point is a location that the vehicle M should arrive at for each specified driving distance (for example, a few [m] or so) along the way. Different from this, a target speed and a target acceleration for each specified sampling time (for example, a few tenths [sec] or so) are generated as part of the target trajectory. Alternatively, a track point may be a location that the vehicle M should arrive at at the sampling moment of each specified sampling time. In this case, the information on the target speed and target acceleration is expressed at intervals of track points.

[0069] The action plan generation unit 140 may also generate a target trajectory in which the vehicle M exceptionally travels on a lane other than the recommended lane (e.g., a lane adjacent to the recommended lane) in order to cope with the surrounding conditions of the vehicle M. That is, the priority of lanes other than the recommended lane is relatively lower than the priority of the recommended lane. For example, the priority of the recommended lane becomes the highest (priority 1), the priority of other lanes adjacent to the recommended lane (hereinafter, adjacent lanes) becomes the second highest (priority 2), and the priority of other lanes adjacent to the adjacent lane becomes the third highest (priority 3). In this way, the action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory in which the vehicle M travels on the recommended lane with the highest priority in principle, and generates a target trajectory in which the vehicle M exceptionally travels on other lanes with a lower priority than the recommended lane according to the surrounding conditions of the vehicle M.

[0070] The action plan generation unit 140 determines an event of automatic driving (including a part of driving support) on the path determined by the recommended lane every time the target trajectory is generated. The so-called automatic driving event is information that specifies the form of behavior that the vehicle M should take under automatic driving (a part of driving support), that is, the state during driving (or the plan during driving).

[0071] The events of automatic driving include, for example, constant speed driving events, low speed following driving events, lane change events, overtaking events, and the like. A constant speed driving event is an event in which the vehicle M is driven at a certain speed in the same lane. A low speed following driving event is an event in which the vehicle M is driven to follow another vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the preceding vehicle) that is within a specified distance (for example, within 100 [m]) in front of the vehicle M and is closest to the vehicle M. The so-called "following" may be, for example, a driving state in which the relative distance (vehicle distance) between the vehicle M and the preceding vehicle is maintained at a certain value, or a driving state in which the vehicle M is driven in the center of the lane in addition to maintaining the relative distance between the vehicle M and the preceding vehicle at a certain value. A lane change event is an event in which the vehicle M is driven to change lanes from the lane to the adjacent lane. An overtaking event is an event in which the vehicle M is driven to change lanes temporarily to the adjacent lane and then, after overtaking the preceding vehicle in the adjacent lane, is driven to the original lane again.

[0072] Furthermore, the events of the automatic driving include branching events, merging events, lane reduction events, takeover events, and the like. A branching event is an event in which the vehicle M is traveling on the main line and, when the destination is on the extension of the branch line (hereinafter, the branch lane) branching from the main line, the vehicle M is guided at the branch point to change lanes from the main line to the branch lane. A merging event is an event in which the vehicle M is traveling on the branch line (hereinafter, the merging lane) merging with the main line and, when the destination is on the extension of the main line, the vehicle M is guided at the merging point to change lanes from the merging lane to the main line. A lane reduction event is an event in which the vehicle M is changed to another lane when traveling on a path where the number of lanes decreases midway. A takeover event is an event in which the automatic driving mode (mode A described later) is terminated and switched to the driving support mode (modes B, C, and D described later) or the manual driving mode (mode E described later). For example, there is a case in which the dividing line ends before the toll station on the expressway and the relative position of the vehicle M cannot be recognized. In such a case, a takeover event is determined (planned) for the section before the toll gate.

[0073] The action plan generation unit 140 sequentially determines these multiple events on the route to the destination, and generates a target trajectory for causing the host vehicle M to travel in a state specified by each event while taking the surrounding conditions of the host vehicle M into consideration.

[0074] The mode control unit 150 determines the driving mode of the vehicle M to be any one of a plurality of driving modes. In each of the plurality of driving modes, the tasks assigned to the driver are different from each other. The mode control unit 150 includes, for example, a driver state determination unit 152, a mode determination unit 154, and an equipment control unit 156. These individual functions will be described later. The driver monitoring camera 70 and the driver state determination unit 152 are combined as an example of a "detection unit".

[0075] Figure 3 : This is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence between the driving mode and the control state and tasks of the vehicle M. In the driving mode of the vehicle M, there are five modes, for example, from mode A to mode E. The control state, that is, the degree of automation (control level) of the driving control of the vehicle M is the highest in mode A, and then decreases in the order of mode B, mode C, and mode D, with mode E being the lowest. In contrast, the tasks assigned to the driver are the lightest in mode A, and then become heavy in the order of mode B, mode C, and mode D, with mode E being the heaviest. It should be noted that in modes D and E, the control state is not an automatic driving state, so as the automatic driving control device 100, the responsibility is until the control related to the automatic driving is ended and the driving support or manual driving is transferred. The following is an example of the content of each driving mode.

[0076] In mode A, the vehicle is in an automatic driving state, and the driver is not required to monitor the front or hold the steering wheel 82 (steering wheel holding in the figure). However, even in mode A, the driver is required to be able to quickly switch to manual driving according to the requirements of the system centered on the automatic driving control device 100. It should be noted that the automatic driving mentioned here means that neither steering nor acceleration and deceleration is controlled independently of the driver's operation. The so-called front refers to the space in the direction of travel of the vehicle M that is visually recognized through the front windshield. Mode A is a driving mode that can be executed when the conditions such as the vehicle M is traveling at a specified speed (for example, about 50 [km / h]) or less on a motor vehicle-only road such as an expressway and there is a preceding vehicle to be followed are met. There is also a situation called TJP (Traffic Jam Pilot). When this condition cannot be met, the mode control unit 150 changes the driving mode of the vehicle M to mode B.

[0077] In mode B, it is a state of driving support, and the driver is assigned the task of monitoring the front of the vehicle M (hereinafter referred to as front monitoring), but is not assigned the task of holding the steering wheel 82. In mode C, it is a state of driving support, and the driver is assigned the task of monitoring the front and the task of holding the steering wheel 82. Mode D is a driving mode that requires a certain degree of driver's driving operation with respect to at least one of the steering and acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle M. For example, in mode D, driving support such as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) and LKAS (Lane Keeping Assist System) is performed. In mode E, it is a state of manual driving in which the driver's driving operation is required for both steering and acceleration and deceleration. Both mode D and mode E require the driver to be assigned the task of monitoring the front of the vehicle M.

[0078] The automatic driving control device 100 (and the driving support device (not shown)) executes automatic lane changes according to the driving mode. In the automatic lane change, there are automatic lane changes based on system requirements (1) and automatic lane changes based on driver requirements (2). In the automatic lane change (1), there are automatic lane changes for overtaking when the speed of the leading vehicle is lower than the speed of the own vehicle by more than a benchmark, and automatic lane changes for traveling toward the destination (automatic lane changes caused by the recommended lane being changed). Automatic lane change (2) is to change the lane of the own vehicle M in the direction of operation when the driver operates the direction indicator when conditions related to speed, positional relationship with surrounding vehicles, etc. are met.

[0079] The automatic driving control device 100 does not perform either automatic lane change (1) or (2) in mode A. The automatic driving control device 100 performs both automatic lane change (1) and (2) in modes B and C. The driving support device (not shown) does not perform automatic lane change (1) but performs automatic lane change (2) in mode D. In mode E, neither automatic lane change (1) nor (2) is performed.

[0080] return Figure 2 When the driver is not performing the task related to the determined driving mode, the mode control unit 150 changes the driving mode of the host vehicle M to a driving mode with a heavier task.

[0081] For example, in mode A, when the driver is in a body posture that cannot be switched to manual driving according to the request from the system (for example, when the driver continues to look around outside the allowed area, or when a sign of driving difficulty is detected), the mode control unit 150 uses HMI30 to urge the driver to switch to manual driving. If the driver does not respond, the vehicle M is brought close to the shoulder of the road and gradually stops, and the automatic driving control is stopped. After the automatic driving is stopped, the vehicle enters the state of mode D or E, and it is possible to start the vehicle M according to the manual operation of the driver. The same applies to "stopping automatic driving" below. In mode B, when the driver does not monitor the front, the mode control unit 150 uses HMI30 to urge the driver to monitor the front. If the driver does not respond, the vehicle M is brought close to the shoulder of the road and gradually stops, and the automatic driving control is stopped. In mode C, when the driver does not monitor the situation ahead or does not hold the steering wheel 82, the mode control unit 150 uses HMI30 to urge the driver to monitor the situation ahead and / or hold the steering wheel 82. If the driver does not respond, the vehicle M is gradually stopped as it approaches the road change, and the automatic driving control is stopped.

[0082] In order to perform the above-mentioned mode change, the driver state determination unit 152 determines whether the driver is in a state capable of handling the task based on the image of the driver monitoring camera 70 and the detection signal of the steering wheel grip sensor 84 .

[0083] For example, the driver state determination unit 152 analyzes the image of the driver monitoring camera 70 to estimate the posture of the driver, and determines whether the driver is in a body posture that allows the driver to shift to manual driving in response to a request from the system based on the estimated posture.

[0084] The driver state determination unit 152 analyzes the image of the driver monitoring camera 70 to estimate the driver's line of sight or facial orientation, and determines whether the driver is monitoring the front of the host vehicle M based on the estimated line of sight or facial orientation.

[0085] For example, the driver state determination unit 152 uses a method such as template matching to detect the positional relationship between the driver's head and eyes, the combination of reference points and moving points in the eyes, etc. based on the image of the driver monitoring camera 70. Then, the driver state determination unit 152 estimates the direction of the face based on the relative position of the eyes relative to the head. In addition, the driver state determination unit 152 estimates the direction of the driver's line of sight based on the position of the moving point relative to the reference point. For example, when the reference point is the corner of the eye, the moving point becomes the iris. In addition, when the reference point is the corneal reflection area, the moving point becomes the pupil.

[0086] The driver state determination unit 152 analyzes the image of the driver monitoring camera 70 to determine the driver's alertness. The driver state determination unit 152 determines whether the driver is holding the steering wheel 82 (whether the driver's hand is in contact with the steering wheel 82) based on the detection signal of the steering wheel holding sensor 84.

[0087] The mode determination unit 154 determines the driving mode of the host vehicle M based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 130 and the determination result of the driver state determination unit 152 .

[0088] The device control unit 156 controls the vehicle-mounted devices such as the HMI 30 based on the driving mode of the vehicle M determined by the mode determination unit 154 and the determination result of the driver state determination unit 152. For example, the device control unit 156 may cause the HMI 30 to output information urging the driver to complete tasks corresponding to each driving mode.

[0089] The second control unit 160 controls the travel driving force output device 200 , the braking device 210 , and the steering device 220 so that the host vehicle M passes through the target track generated by the action plan generation unit 140 at a predetermined timing.

[0090] The second control unit 160 includes, for example, an acquisition unit 162, a speed control unit 164, and a steering control unit 166. The acquisition unit 162 acquires information of the target track (track point) generated by the action plan generation unit 140 and stores it in a memory (not shown). The speed control unit 164 controls the travel drive force output device 200 or the braking device 210 based on the speed element attached to the target track stored in the memory. The steering control unit 166 controls the steering device 220 according to the degree of curvature of the target track stored in the memory. The processing of the speed control unit 164 and the steering control unit 166 is implemented, for example, by a combination of feedforward control and feedback control. As an example, the steering control unit 166 performs a combination of feedforward control corresponding to the curvature of the road ahead of the vehicle M and feedback control based on the deviation from the target track.

[0091] The driving force output device 200 outputs the driving force (torque) for driving the vehicle to the driving wheels. The driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and a transmission, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) for controlling them. The ECU controls the above structure according to information input from the second control unit 160 or information input from the driving operation member 80.

[0092] The brake device 210 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a working cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the working cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor according to information input from the second control unit 160 or information input from the driving operating member 80, so that the brake torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel. The brake device 210 may also be provided as a backup with a mechanism that transmits the hydraulic pressure generated by the operation of the brake pedal included in the driving operating member 80 to the working cylinder via the master working cylinder. It should be noted that the brake device 210 is not limited to the structure described above, and may also be an electronically controlled hydraulic brake device that controls the actuator according to information input from the second control unit 160 and transmits the hydraulic pressure of the master working cylinder to the working cylinder.

[0093] The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor, for example, applies force to a rack-and-pinion mechanism to change the direction of the steering wheel. The steering ECU drives the electric motor to change the direction of the steering wheel according to information input from the second control unit 160 or information input from the driving operating member 80.

[0094] [Overall processing flow]

[0095] Hereinafter, the flow of a series of processes performed by the automatic driving control device 100 according to the embodiment will be described using a flowchart. Figure 4 This is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of a series of processes performed by the automatic driving control device 100 according to the embodiment.

[0096] The processing in this flowchart is typically executed in a driving support mode such as Mode C or Mode D in which the driver is tasked with holding the steering wheel 82 , but the process is not limited thereto and may be executed in other driving modes (eg, Mode A or Mode B).

[0097] First, the mode decision unit 154 determines whether the adjacent lane adjacent to the own lane is an oncoming lane having a travel direction opposite to that of the own lane based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 130 (step S100 ).

[0098] When the adjacent lane is not an oncoming lane but a lane in the same direction as the own lane, the mode determination unit 154 maintains the current driving mode. Receiving this, the second control unit 160 continues the current driving support or automatic driving (step S102).

[0099] On the other hand, if the adjacent lane is an oncoming lane, the mode determination unit 154 changes the current driving mode to a driving mode with a lower control level. Receiving this, the second control unit 160 lowers the current control level of driving support or automatic driving (step S104).

[0100] For example, when the current driving mode is mode C or D, the mode determination unit 154 changes the mode to the manual driving mode, mode E. In this case, the driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device 220, which are the control objects of the second control unit 160, operate according to the information input from the driving operation element 80.

[0101] [Examples of scenarios this vehicle may encounter]

[0102] The following describes some scenarios that the vehicle M may encounter. Figure 5 2 is a diagram showing an example of a scene that the host vehicle M may encounter. In the scene shown in the figure, another vehicle A exists near the host vehicle M. The other vehicle A is an example of a “first other vehicle”.

[0103] For example, if the recognition unit 130 recognizes the presence of another vehicle A, it recognizes the speed V of the other vehicle A. A Furthermore, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the speed V of the host vehicle M. M The speed V of other vehicles A A The relative speed V MA , while recognizing the relative distance D between the vehicle M and other vehicles A MA As shown in the figure, the relative speed V MA is the relative speed (longitudinal relative speed) with respect to the traveling direction of the vehicle M, and the relative distance D MA It is the relative distance in the vehicle width direction (relative distance in the lateral direction) of the host vehicle M. Relative speed V MA is an example of the “first relative speed”, the relative distance D MA This is an example of the “first relative distance”.

[0104] In the example shown in the figure, the dividing lines of each lane are drawn for convenience, but sometimes the dividing lines are erased by weathering or become difficult to see due to soil, tire marks, etc. In the case where such dividing lines cannot be recognized, the recognition unit 130 uses the relative speed V MA , relative distance D MA and / or second map information 62 (map information including the traveling direction and number of lanes of each lane) to identify the relative positional relationship of each lane.

[0105] For example, the recognition unit 130 recognizes that the host vehicle M has a lane LN at its travel position. M , while recognizing that there is another lane LN at the driving position of the other vehicle A A . Other lanes LN A This is an example of a "first other lane".

[0106] Next, the recognition unit 130 calculates the relative speed VMA , to identify other lanes LN A For example, if the relative speed V MA is the specified speed V TH If the above is the case, the recognition unit 130 determines that the lane is another lane LN. A The direction of travel is the same as the lane LN M The direction of travel is opposite, if the relative speed V MA Less than the specified speed V TH , the recognition unit 130 determines that it is another lane LN A The direction of travel is the same as the lane LN M The direction of travel is the same.

[0107] That is, if the relative speed V MA is the specified speed VT H If the above is the case, the recognition unit 130 determines that the lane is another lane LN. A This lane is LN M Oncoming lane, if the relative speed V MA Less than the specified speed V TH , the recognition unit 130 determines that it is another lane LN A This lane is LN M Lane in the same direction.

[0108] Next, the recognition unit 130 determines the relative distance D between the host vehicle M and the other vehicle A. MA , to determine the LN in this lane M LN with other lanes A Is there another lane LN in between? X For example, if the relative distance D MA The specified width D TH is more than twice of LN, the recognition unit 130 determines that there is another lane LN X , if the relative distance D MA Smaller than the specified width D TH If the lane is twice the LN, it is determined that there is no other lane LN X . Specified width D TH It is the width of a general lane, specifically, a width of about 1.5 [m] to 3 [m].

[0109] That is, if the relative distance D MA The specified width D TH If the lane is greater than twice, the recognition unit 130 determines that the lane is LN M The adjacent lane (the adjacent lane on the side of the other vehicle A) is not another lane LN that is an oncoming lane. A , but other lanes LN with unknown direction of travel X , if the relative distance D MASmaller than the specified width D TH 2 times, it is determined to be LN in this lane M The adjacent lane is the other lane LN that is the oncoming lane. A As mentioned above, if the lane LN M The adjacent lane is other lane LN A , the other lane LN A If the vehicle is in the oncoming lane, the control level of driving assistance or autonomous driving will be reduced.

[0110] On the other hand, if the lane LN M The adjacent lane is other lane LN X , the recognition unit 130 further recognizes other lanes LN based on the second map information 62 X For example, when the number N of the oncoming lanes included in the second map information 62 is 1 (N is an arbitrary natural number), the recognition unit 130 necessarily determines that the other lane LN X In the example shown in the figure, at a relative distance D MA The specified width D TH When the number of lanes N of the oncoming lane is 1, due to the LN M The adjacent lane is not an oncoming lane, so the control level of driving support or automated driving is maintained.

[0111] Figure 6 2 is a diagram showing another example of a scene that the host vehicle M may encounter. In the scene shown in the figure, there is another vehicle B in addition to the other vehicle A. The other vehicle B is an example of a "second other vehicle".

[0112] In such a scenario, the recognition unit 130 recognizes that the host vehicle M has a lane LN at its driving position. M , it is recognized that there is another lane LN at the driving position of the other vehicle A A , it is recognized that there is another lane LN at the driving position of the other vehicle B B . Other lanes LN B This is an example of a "second other lane".

[0113] Next, the recognition unit 130 determines the relative speed V between the host vehicle M and the other vehicle A based on the travel direction of the host vehicle M. MA , to identify other lanes LN A The relative speed V between the vehicle M and other vehicles B related to the traveling direction of the vehicle M is MB , to identify other lanes LN B Direction of travel. Relative speed V MB This is an example of the “second relative velocity”.

[0114] As mentioned above, if the relative speed V MA is the specified speed V TH If the above is the case, the recognition unit 130 determines that the lane is another lane LN. A The direction of travel is the same as the lane LN M The direction of travel is opposite, if the relative speed V MA Less than the specified speed V TH , the recognition unit 130 determines that it is another lane LN A The direction of travel is the same as the lane LN M The same direction of travel. Similarly, if the relative speed V MB The specified speed V TH If the above is the case, the recognition unit 130 determines that the lane is another lane LN. B The direction of travel is the same as the lane LN M The direction of travel is opposite, if the relative speed V MB Less than the specified speed V TH , the recognition unit 130 determines that it is another lane LN B The direction of travel is the same as the lane LN M In the example shown in the figure, it is determined that the other lane LN A The direction of travel is the same as the lane LN M The direction of travel is opposite to that of other lanes LN A It is the oncoming lane, and is determined to be other lane LN B The direction of travel is the same as the lane LN M The same direction of travel, that is, other lanes LN B It's a lane going in the same direction.

[0115] Next, the recognition unit 130 determines the relative distance D between the host vehicle M and the other vehicle A based on the relative distance D between the host vehicle M and the other vehicle A in the vehicle width direction. MA and the relative distance D between the host vehicle M and the other vehicle B in the vehicle width direction of the host vehicle M MB , to identify the lane LN M 、Other lanes LN A LN with other lanes B The relative position relationship between them. Relative distance D MB This is an example of the “second relative distance”.

[0116] For example, the recognition unit 130 is at a relative distance D MA The specified width D TH More than twice the relative distance D MB The specified width D TH If the lane is greater than 1 times and less than 2 times, it is identified as LN in the lane M LN with other lanesB Adjacent, other lanes LN B LN with other lanes A In the example shown in the figure, since the lane LN M Other lanes of adjacent lanes LN B Since the vehicle is traveling in the same direction, the control level of driving assistance or automated driving will be maintained.

[0117] Figure 7 2 is a diagram showing another example of a scene that the host vehicle M may encounter. In the scene shown in the figure, in addition to the other vehicle A, there is another vehicle B.

[0118] In such a scenario, the recognition unit 130 recognizes that the host vehicle M has a lane LN at its driving position. M , it is recognized that there is another lane LN at the driving position of the other vehicle A A , it is recognized that there is another lane LN at the driving position of the other vehicle B B .

[0119] Next, the recognition unit 130 determines the relative speed V between the host vehicle M and the other vehicle A based on the travel direction of the host vehicle M. MA , to identify other lanes LN A The relative speed V between the vehicle M and other vehicles B related to the traveling direction of the vehicle M is MB , to identify other lanes LN B In the example shown in the figure, it is determined that the other lane LN A The direction of travel is the same as the lane LN M The direction of travel is opposite to that of other lanes LN A It is the oncoming lane, and is determined to be other lane LN B The direction of travel is the same as the lane LN M The direction of travel is opposite to that of other lanes LN B It is also an opposite lane.

[0120] Next, the recognition unit 130 determines the relative distance D between the host vehicle M and the other vehicle A based on the relative distance D between the host vehicle M and the other vehicle A in the vehicle width direction. MA , the relative distance D between the vehicle M and other vehicles B in the vehicle width direction of the vehicle M MB and / or the second map information 62 to identify the lane LN M 、Other lanes LN A And other lanes LN B The relative position relationship between them.

[0121] As shown in the figure, for example, the recognition unit 130 is at a relative distance D MA The specified width DTH More than twice the relative distance D MB The specified width D TH If it is more than 3 times of the lane, it is determined to be LN M LN with other lanes A , LN B There is no adjacent relationship between them. In this lane, LN M LN with other lanes A There are other lanes LN in between X .

[0122] The recognition unit 130 detects the lane LN M LN with other lanes A There are other lanes LN in between X In the case of, further based on the second map information 62, identify other lanes LN X For example, when the number of oncoming lanes N included in the second map information 62 is 2, the recognition unit 130 necessarily determines that the other lane LN X In this case, due to the LN M The adjacent lane is not an oncoming lane, so the control level of driving support or automated driving is maintained.

[0123] Figure 8 1 is a diagram showing another example of a scene that the vehicle M may encounter. In the scene shown in the figure, there are other vehicles A around the vehicle M, and there are also objects OB that may be roadside objects. The so-called roadside objects are structures installed on the side of the road, such as soundproof walls and guardrails.

[0124] As described above, when the recognition unit 130 recognizes the presence of another vehicle A, it recognizes the speed V of the other vehicle A. A , identify the speed V of the vehicle M M The speed V of other vehicles A A The relative speed V MA , identify the relative distance D between the vehicle M and other vehicles A MA Furthermore, the recognition unit 130 recognizes that the host vehicle M has a lane LN at its travel position. M , while recognizing that there is another lane LN at the driving position of the other vehicle A A In addition, the recognition unit 130 may also use image semantic segmentation to recognize an object OB that may be a roadside object and recognize the relative distance D between the vehicle M and the object OB. MO .

[0125] Next, the recognition unit 130 calculates the relative speed V MA , to identify other lanes LN AIn the example shown in the figure, it is determined that the other lane LN A The direction of travel is the same as the lane LN M The direction of travel is opposite to that of the other lane.

[0126] Next, the recognition unit 130 determines the relative distance D between the host vehicle M and the other vehicle A. MA , to determine the LN in this lane M LN with other lanes A Is there another lane LN in between? X In the example shown in the figure, due to the relative distance D MA The specified width D TH Therefore, the recognition unit 130 determines that the vehicle is in the own lane LN M LN with other lanes A There are other lanes LN in between X .

[0127] The recognition unit 130 determines the relative distance D between the host vehicle M and the object OB. MO Is it smaller than the specified width D? TH 1 times, if the relative distance D MO Smaller than the specified width D TH 1 times, the object OB is determined to be a roadside object. If not, the object OB is determined to be adjacent to the lane LN. M Other vehicles in the adjacent lane to the left of the vehicle.

[0128] The recognition unit 130 detects that the object OB is located on the opposite side of the other vehicle A and at a relative distance D when viewed from the host vehicle M. MO Smaller than the specified width D TH In the case of 1 times, based on the second map information 62, the other lane LN is identified X For example, when the number of lanes K of the same-direction lanes included in the second map information 62 is 2 (K is an arbitrary natural number), the recognition unit 130 determines that the other lane LN X That is, the recognition unit 130 determines that the lane is the own lane LN M The adjacent lane is not an oncoming lane.

[0129] It should be noted that in the above Figure 8 In the scenario where (i) the relative distance D MA The specified width D TH More than 1 times and less than 2 times (without other lanes LN X ), (ii) Other lanes LN A The direction of travel is the same as the lane LN M(iii) when viewed from the host vehicle M, the object OB is on the opposite side of the other vehicle A and at a relative distance D from the other vehicle A. MO Smaller than the specified width D TH In the case of a condition such as 1 times of M There is no adjacent lane on the right, and the adjacent lane on the left is another lane LN A That is, the recognition unit 130 determines that the lane LN M The adjacent lane is not an oncoming lane.

[0130] According to the above-described embodiment, the automatic driving control device 100 determines whether the adjacent lane of the own lane is an oncoming lane based on at least two of the relative distance to other vehicles, the relative speed to other vehicles, and the second map information 62 including the direction of travel of the lane and the number of lanes. If it is determined that the adjacent lane is a same-direction lane, the driving support or automatic driving is continued, and if it is determined that the adjacent lane is an oncoming lane, the level of driving support or automatic driving is reduced. In this way, by recognizing the relative positional relationship of each lane based on the relative distance, relative speed, and the second map information 62, driving support or automatic driving can be continued for a longer period of time even when the dividing line cannot be recognized.

[0131] It should be noted that in the above-mentioned embodiment, the predetermined width D TH The case where the width D is fixed (for example, 1.5 [m] to 3 [m]) has been described, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, the action plan generation unit 140 or the mode control unit 150 may change the prescribed width D according to the type of road. TH Specifically, the action plan generation unit 140 or the mode control unit 150 may also set the predetermined width D on the highway. TH Set to wide, and set the width D in urban areas TH By dynamically changing the prescribed width D according to the type of road, TH , which can accurately identify the relative position relationship of lanes.

[0132] [Hardware structure]

[0133] Fig. 91 is a diagram showing an example of the hardware structure of the automatic driving control device 100 of the embodiment. As shown in the figure, the automatic driving control device 100 is a structure in which a communication controller 100-1, a CPU 100-2, a RAM 100-3 used as a working memory, a ROM 100-4 for storing a boot program, a storage device 100-5 such as a flash memory and a HDD, a drive device 100-6, etc. are connected to each other through an internal bus or a dedicated communication line. The communication controller 100-1 communicates with components other than the automatic driving control device 100. In the storage device 100-5, a program 100-5a executed by the CPU 100-2 is stored. The program is expanded to the RAM 100-3 through a DMA (Direct Memory Access) controller (not shown) and the like, and is executed by the CPU 100-2. In this way, part or all of the first control unit and the second control unit 160 are realized.

[0134] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows.

[0135] A vehicle control device is configured to include:

[0136] memory storing the program; and

[0137] processor,

[0138] The processor executes the program, thereby:

[0139] Identify the relative speed and relative distance between the host vehicle and other vehicles existing around the host vehicle,

[0140] Based on the identified relative speed and relative distance, driving assistance or automatic driving is performed to control at least one of the speed and steering of the host vehicle,

[0141] recognizing that a first other lane exists at a position of the first other vehicle based on a first relative distance that is a relative distance between the host vehicle and the first other vehicle in a vehicle width direction of the host vehicle,

[0142] identifying the traveling direction of the first other lane based on a first relative speed which is a relative speed between the own vehicle and the first other vehicle in relation to the traveling direction of the own vehicle,

[0143] In a case where the recognized moving direction of the first other lane is opposite to the moving direction of the own lane, determining whether an adjacent lane of the own lane is an oncoming lane based on at least two of the first relative distance, a second relative speed which is a relative speed between the own vehicle and the second other vehicle related to the moving direction of the own vehicle, and map information including the moving direction of the lane and the number of lanes,

[0144] When it is determined that the adjacent lane is not the oncoming lane, the driving support or the automatic driving is continued.

[0145] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above using the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments at all, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device comprising: a recognition unit that recognizes a relative speed and a relative distance between the host vehicle and another vehicle existing around the host vehicle; and a driving control unit that performs driving assistance or automatic driving to control at least one of the speed and the steering of the host vehicle based on the recognition result of the recognition unit, The recognition unit recognizes that a first other lane exists at a position of the first other vehicle based on a first relative distance which is a relative distance between the host vehicle and the first other vehicle in a vehicle width direction of the host vehicle, The recognition unit recognizes the traveling direction of the first other lane based on a first relative speed which is a relative speed between the own vehicle and the first other vehicle related to the traveling direction of the own vehicle, The driving control unit determines whether an adjacent lane of the own lane is an oncoming lane based on at least two of the first relative distance, a second relative speed which is a relative speed between the own vehicle and a second other vehicle related to the traveling direction of the own vehicle, and map information including the traveling direction of lanes and the number of lanes, when the traveling direction of the first other lane recognized by the recognition unit is opposite to the traveling direction of the own lane. The driving control unit continues the driving support or the automatic driving when it is determined that the adjacent lane is not the oncoming lane.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The driving control unit determines that the adjacent lane is not the opposing lane when the lane number of the opposing lane is N which is a natural number, the first relative distance is more than twice a prescribed width, and the relative distance between the own vehicle and the Nth other vehicle related to the vehicle width direction of the own vehicle, i.e., the Nth relative distance, is more than (N+1) times the prescribed width.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein: The driving control unit determines that the adjacent lane is not the oncoming lane when N is 1 and the first relative distance is equal to or greater than twice the predetermined width.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: When N is greater than or equal to 2, the recognition unit recognizes that an Nth other lane exists at the position of the Nth other vehicle based on the Nth relative distance, The recognition unit recognizes the traveling direction of the Nth other lane based on an Nth relative speed which is a relative speed between the own vehicle and the Nth other vehicle related to the traveling direction of the own vehicle, The driving control unit determines that the adjacent lane is not the oncoming lane when the first relative distance is more than twice the prescribed width, the moving direction of the N-th other lane is opposite to the moving direction of the own lane, and the N-th relative distance is more than (N+1) times the prescribed width.

5. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein: The recognition unit recognizes that a second other lane exists at a position of the second other vehicle based on a second relative distance between the host vehicle and the second other vehicle in relation to a vehicle width direction of the host vehicle, The recognition unit recognizes the traveling direction of the second other lane based on the second relative speed, The driving control unit determines that the adjacent lane is not the oncoming lane when the first relative distance is more than twice a prescribed width, the travel direction of the second other lane is the same as the travel direction of the own lane, and the second relative distance is more than once the prescribed width.

6. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 2 to 5, wherein: The recognition unit further recognizes roadside objects around the vehicle. The driving control unit determines that the adjacent lane is not the oncoming lane when the number of lanes in the same direction as the own lane is 2 or more, the roadside object exists on the opposite side of the first other vehicle when observed from the own vehicle, and the relative distance between the own vehicle and the roadside object related to the vehicle width direction of the own vehicle is less than 1 times the prescribed width.

7. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, wherein: The driving control unit changes the predetermined width according to the type of road.

8. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein: When it is determined that the adjacent lane is not the oncoming lane, the driving control unit continues the driving support or the automatic driving on the condition that the hand of the driver of the host vehicle is in contact with the steering operation element.

9. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein: The driving control unit lowers the level of the driving support or the automatic driving when it is determined that the adjacent lane is the oncoming lane.

10. A vehicle control method, wherein a computer mounted on the vehicle performs the following processing: identifying the relative speed and relative distance between the host vehicle and other vehicles existing around the host vehicle, Based on the identified relative speed and relative distance, driving assistance or automatic driving is performed to control at least one of the speed and steering of the host vehicle, recognizing that a first other lane exists at a position of the first other vehicle based on a first relative distance that is a relative distance between the host vehicle and the first other vehicle in a vehicle width direction of the host vehicle, identifying the traveling direction of the first other lane based on a first relative speed which is a relative speed between the own vehicle and the first other vehicle in relation to the traveling direction of the own vehicle, In a case where the recognized moving direction of the first other lane is opposite to the moving direction of the own lane, determining whether an adjacent lane of the own lane is an oncoming lane based on at least two of the first relative distance, a second relative speed which is a relative speed between the own vehicle and the second other vehicle related to the moving direction of the own vehicle, and map information including the moving direction of the lane and the number of lanes, When it is determined that the adjacent lane is not the oncoming lane, the driving support or the automatic driving is continued.

11. A storage medium storing a program for causing a computer mounted on a vehicle to execute the following processing: identifying the relative speed and relative distance between the host vehicle and other vehicles existing around the host vehicle, Based on the identified relative speed and relative distance, driving assistance or automatic driving is performed to control at least one of the speed and steering of the host vehicle, recognizing that a first other lane exists at a position of the first other vehicle based on a first relative distance that is a relative distance between the host vehicle and the first other vehicle in a vehicle width direction of the host vehicle, identifying the traveling direction of the first other lane based on a first relative speed which is a relative speed between the own vehicle and the first other vehicle in relation to the traveling direction of the own vehicle, In a case where the recognized moving direction of the first other lane is opposite to the moving direction of the own lane, determining whether an adjacent lane of the own lane is an oncoming lane based on at least two of the first relative distance, a second relative speed which is a relative speed between the own vehicle and the second other vehicle related to the moving direction of the own vehicle, and map information including the moving direction of the lane and the number of lanes, When it is determined that the adjacent lane is not the oncoming lane, the driving support or the automatic driving is continued.

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