Vehicle control device, storage medium and vehicle control method

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device, a storage medium, and a vehicle control method. The vehicle control device comprises: a branch determination unit, which determines whether there is a branch position from a driving road on which the vehicle is traveling to a branch road within a predetermined driving section of the navigation route based on the current position of the vehicle, the navigation route, and map information; a control transfer determination unit, which determines whether there is a control transfer request section requiring the driver to transfer the driving of the vehicle from automatic control to manual control within a first distance of the branch road from the branch position or within a second distance of the driving road from the branch position toward the direction of travel of the vehicle, if there is a branch position; and a notification control unit, which notifies the driver via the notification unit to move the vehicle from the driving road to the branch road by manual control before the vehicle reaches the branch position, if there is a control transfer request section.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device, a storage medium storing a computer program for vehicle control, and a vehicle control method. Background Art

[0002] The automatic control system installed in the vehicle generates a navigation route for the vehicle based on the vehicle's current position, the vehicle's destination, and a navigation map. The automatic control system uses the map information to estimate the vehicle's current position and controls the vehicle to travel along the navigation route. The automatic control system controls the vehicle's movements, including movement between lanes.

[0003] When the automatic control system determines that it is difficult to drive the vehicle by automatic control, the automatic control system notifies the driver of a control transfer request to transfer the driving of the vehicle from automatic control to manual control. The driver who receives the notification starts manual control of the vehicle after performing an operation to agree to the control transfer request (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

[0004] Prior art literature

[0005] Patent Literature

[0006] Patent Document 1: International Publication No. 2018 / 100725 Summary of the invention

[0007] Depending on the road conditions, there is a section where the automatic control system requests the driver to transfer control after the road on which the vehicle is traveling branches off to the branch road. In this case, the automatic control system notifies the driver of the transfer of control just after the vehicle moves from the road on which it is traveling to the branch road.

[0008] However, when the driver is notified of a control transfer request immediately after the vehicle has moved from a road on which the vehicle is traveling to a branch road, the driver lacks time to grasp the situation around the vehicle and may not be able to properly operate the vehicle through manual control.

[0009] Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a vehicle control device that notifies the driver in advance of a control transfer request to transfer the driving of the vehicle from automatic control to manual control after the vehicle moves from a road on which the vehicle is traveling to a branch road, and controls the vehicle by manual control.

[0010] According to one embodiment, a vehicle control device is provided. The vehicle control device includes: a branch determination unit that determines whether there is a branch position that separates from a driving road on which the vehicle is traveling to a branch road within a predetermined driving section of the navigation route based on the current position of the vehicle, the navigation route, and map information; a control transfer determination unit that determines whether there is a control transfer request section that requires the driver to transfer the driving of the vehicle from automatic control to manual control within a first distance of the branch road from the branch position or within a second distance of the driving road from the branch position in the direction of travel of the vehicle; and a notification control unit that notifies the driver via the notification unit that the vehicle is moved from the driving road to the branch road by manual control before the vehicle reaches the branch position if there is a control transfer request section.

[0011] In addition, in the vehicle control device, it is preferred to have a first manual control requirement interval setting unit, which, when there is a control transfer requirement interval in a branch road, sets the range from a position advanced by a third distance from the branch position to the branch position as a manual control requirement interval that requires the driver to move from the driving road to the branch road through manual control.

[0012] In addition, in the vehicle control device, it is preferred to have a first control transfer interval setting unit, which sets the range from the position advanced by the fourth distance from the branch position to the branch position as the control transfer required interval when there is a control transfer required interval in the branch road.

[0013] In addition, in the vehicle control device, it is preferred to have a second manual control requirement interval setting unit, which sets the range from the position advanced by the fifth distance from the branch position to the branch position as a manual control requirement interval that requires the driver to move from the lane of the driving road to the lane of the branch road through manual control when there is a control transfer requirement interval in the driving road.

[0014] In addition, in the vehicle control device, it is preferred to have a second control transfer interval setting unit, which sets the range from the position that is 6th distance ahead of the branch position to the branch position as the control transfer required interval when there is a control transfer required interval on the driving road.

[0015] According to another embodiment, a non-transitory storage medium storing a vehicle control computer program is provided. The vehicle control computer program causes a processor to execute: when there is a branch position, determine whether there is a control transfer request section requiring a driver to transfer the driving of the vehicle from automatic control to manual control within a first distance of a branch road from the branch position or within a second distance of a driving road from the branch position in the direction of travel of the vehicle, and when there is a control transfer request section, notify the driver to move the vehicle from the driving road to the branch road through manual control before the vehicle reaches the branch position.

[0016] According to another embodiment, a vehicle control method is provided. In the vehicle control method, a vehicle control device performs: determining whether there is a branch position that departs from a driving road on which the vehicle is traveling to a branch road within a predetermined driving section of the navigation route based on the current position of the vehicle, the navigation route, and map information, and if there is a branch position, determining whether there is a control transfer request section that requires the driver to transfer the driving of the vehicle from automatic control to manual control within a first distance of the branch road from the branch position or within a second distance of the driving road from the branch position in the direction of travel of the vehicle, and if there is a control transfer request section, notifying the driver to move the vehicle from the driving road to the branch road through manual control before the vehicle reaches the branch position.

[0017] The vehicle control device involved in the present disclosure notifies the driver in advance of a control transfer request to transfer the driving of the vehicle from automatic control to manual control after the vehicle moves from the road on which the vehicle is traveling to a branch road, so that the driver can appropriately operate the vehicle through manual control. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0018] Figure 1 It is a diagram for explaining an outline of the operation of the vehicle control system according to the first embodiment.

[0019] Figure 2 It is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle on which the vehicle control system according to the first embodiment is installed.

[0020] Figure 3 This is an example of an operation flowchart related to the vehicle control process of the vehicle control system according to the first embodiment.

[0021] Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a navigation route.

[0022] Figure 5 This is a diagram for explaining an example of vehicle control processing when there is a control transfer request section in a branch road.

[0023] Figure 6 This is a diagram for explaining an example of vehicle control processing when there is a control transfer request section on the traveling road.

[0024] Figure 7 This is an example of an operation flow chart related to vehicle control processing of the vehicle control system according to the second embodiment.

[0025] Figure 8 This is a diagram for explaining an example of vehicle control processing when there is a control transfer request section in a branch road.

[0026] (Explanation of symbols)

[0027] 1: vehicle control system; 2: camera; 3: positioning information receiver; 4: navigation device; 5: user interface; 5a: display device; 10: vehicle; 11: map information storage device; 12: position estimation device; 13: object detection device; 14: driving lane planning device; 15: driving planning device; 16: vehicle control device; 17: in-vehicle network; 21: communication interface; 22: memory; 23: processor; 231: driving lane planning unit; 232: lane change planning unit; 233: branch determination unit; 234: control transfer determination unit; 235: manual control request interval setting unit; 236: control transfer interval setting unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0028] Figure 1 FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the operation of the vehicle control system 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 1 The following describes an overview of operations related to vehicle control processing of a vehicle control system 1 disclosed in this specification. The vehicle control system 1 is an example of a vehicle control device.

[0029] Figure 1 An example of a navigation route 70 generated by the vehicle control system 1 mounted on the automatically controlled vehicle 10 is shown. The automatically controlled vehicle 10 is scheduled to travel on the road 50 at the current position P1 and leave the branch road 60 at the branch position 62. The road 50 and the branch road 60 are connected between the branch start position 621 and the branch end position 622 so that the vehicle 10 can move.

[0030] The vehicle control system 1 determines, based on the current position P1 of the vehicle, the navigation route 70 , and the map information, that there is a branch position 62 that leads away from the road 50 on which the vehicle 10 is traveling toward the branch road 60 in the nearest driving section of the navigation route 70 .

[0031] A control transfer request section TD1 is provided for requesting the driver to transfer all driving of the vehicle 10 from automatic control to manual control at a distance L1 of the branch road 60 from the branch start position 621 in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10. The control transfer request section TD1 is arranged before an automatic control prohibition region R1 where the vehicle control system 1 cannot automatically control the vehicle.

[0032] In the branch road 60, the control transfer request interval TD1 is within the distance L1 within the first reference distance from the branch start position 621. The first reference distance is a distance that, if greater than this distance, allows the driver to perform an operation of agreeing to the control transfer request and starting manual control of the vehicle 10 even if a control transfer request is notified to the driver on the branch road 60 after the vehicle 10 under automatic control has finished moving between roads.

[0033] When the control transfer request section TD1 is within the first reference distance from the branch start position 621 , the driver may not have enough time to perform an operation to approve the control transfer request and start manual control of the vehicle 10 in the control transfer request section TD1 .

[0034] Therefore, the vehicle control system 1 sets the range from the position advanced by a distance L2 from the branch end position 622 to the branch end position 622 as a manual control request interval 80 that requires the driver to move from the road 50 to the branch road 60 by manual control. The vehicle control system 1 prohibits the vehicle 10 from leaving the road 50 to the branch road 60 by automatic control in the manual control request interval 80.

[0035] In the manual control request section 80 , the vehicle control system 1 notifies the driver of a movement request to move the vehicle 10 from the road 50 to the branch road 60 by manual control.

[0036] The driver manually controls at least the steering of the vehicle 10 in the manual control request section 80 to move the vehicle 10 from the road 50 to the branch road 60. Then, after the driver moves the vehicle 10 from the road 50 to the branch road 60, a control transfer request to transfer all driving of the vehicle 10 from automatic control to manual control is notified to the driver in the control transfer request section TD1.

[0037] The vehicle control system 1 notifies the driver in advance that the vehicle 10 is controlled by manual control, so the driver can transfer all driving of the vehicle 10 from automatic control to manual control and appropriately operate the vehicle 10 by manual control. Then, after the driver transfers all driving of the vehicle 10 from automatic control to manual control in the control transfer request section TD1, the driver drives the vehicle 10 by manual control also in the automatic control prohibition section R1.

[0038] In addition, the vehicle control system 1 may set the range from the position advanced by a distance L5 from the branch end position 622 to the branch end position 622 as the control transfer request interval 90 instead of the manual control request interval. In the control transfer request interval 90, the vehicle control system 1 notifies the driver of a movement request to move the vehicle 10 from the road 50 to the branch road 60 by manual control. In the control transfer request interval 90, the vehicle control system 1 prohibits the vehicle 10 from leaving the road 50 to the branch road 60 by automatic control. After the vehicle control system 1 transfers all driving of the vehicle 10 from automatic control to manual control in the control transfer request interval 90, the driver manually controls the vehicle 10 to move the vehicle 10 from the road 50 to the branch road 60.

[0039] Furthermore, when there is a control transfer request section TD2 within the second reference distance of the road 50 from the branch start position 621 toward the traveling direction of the vehicle 10, the vehicle control system 1 may set a manual control request section or a control transfer request section before the branch end position 622. The vehicle control system 1 notifies the driver of a movement request to move the vehicle 10 from the road 50 to the branch road 60 by manual control in the manual control request section or the control transfer request section. Thus, the driver attempts to control at least the steering of the vehicle 10 manually to move the vehicle 10 from the road 50 to the branch road 60 in the manual control request section or the control transfer request section. For example, even if the driver fails to move the vehicle 10 from the road 50 to the branch road 60, the driver is notified in advance to control the vehicle 10 by manual control. Therefore, the driver can transfer all driving of the vehicle 10 from automatic control to manual control in the control transfer request section TD2, and can appropriately drive the vehicle 10 by manual control in the automatic control prohibition section R2.

[0040] Figure 2 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle 10 equipped with a vehicle control system 1. The vehicle 10 includes a camera 2, a positioning information receiver 3, a navigation device 4, a user interface (UI) 5, a map information storage device 11, a position estimation device 12, an object detection device 13, a driving lane planning device 14, a driving planning device 15, and a vehicle control device 16. Furthermore, the vehicle 10 may also include a distance measuring sensor (not shown) for measuring the distance to the surrounding objects of the vehicle 10, such as a LiDAR sensor.

[0041] The camera 2, the positioning information receiver 3, the navigation device 4, the UI 5, the map information storage device 11, the position estimation device 12, the object detection device 13, the driving lane planning device 14, the driving planning device 15, and the vehicle control device 16 are communicatively connected via an in-vehicle network 17 in accordance with a standard such as a controller area network.

[0042] The camera 2 is an example of an imaging unit provided in the vehicle 10. The camera 2 is installed in the vehicle 10 so as to face the front of the vehicle 10. The camera 2 captures a camera image representing the environment of a predetermined area in front of the vehicle 10, for example, at a predetermined period. The camera image can represent a road included in the predetermined area in front of the vehicle 10 and road features such as lane dividing lines on the road surface. The camera 2 has a two-dimensional detector composed of an array of photoelectric conversion elements such as CCD or C-MOS that are sensitive to visible light, and an imaging optical system that forms an image of the area to be photographed on the two-dimensional detector.

[0043] Whenever the camera 2 captures a camera image, the camera 2 outputs the camera image and the camera image capturing time at which the camera image was captured to the position estimation device 12 and the object detection device 13 via the in-vehicle network 17. The camera image is used in the position estimation device 12 to estimate the position of the vehicle 10. In addition, the camera image is used in the object detection device 13 to detect other objects around the vehicle 10.

[0044] The positioning information receiver 3 outputs positioning information indicating the current position of the vehicle 10. For example, the positioning information receiver 3 may be a GNSS receiver. Whenever the positioning information is acquired in a predetermined reception cycle, the positioning information receiver 3 outputs the positioning information and the positioning information acquisition time when the positioning information is acquired to the navigation device 4 and the map information storage device 11, etc.

[0045] The navigation device 4 generates a navigation route 70 from the current position of the vehicle 10 to the destination position based on the navigation map information, the destination position of the vehicle 10 input from the UI 5, and the positioning information indicating the current position of the vehicle 10 input from the positioning information receiver 3. The navigation route 70 includes information on positions such as right turns, left turns, merging, and branching. The navigation device 4 newly generates the navigation route 70 of the vehicle 10 when a new destination position is set or when the current position of the vehicle 10 deviates from the navigation route 70. Whenever the navigation device 4 generates the navigation route 70, it outputs the navigation route 70 to the position estimation device 12 and the driving lane planning device 14 via the in-vehicle network 17.

[0046] UI5 is an example of a notification unit. UI5 is controlled by the navigation device 4 and the vehicle control device 16, etc., and notifies the driver of the driving information, control transfer request or movement request of the vehicle 10. In addition, UI5 generates an operation signal corresponding to the operation of the vehicle 10 from the driver. The driving information of the vehicle 10 includes information related to the current and future paths of the vehicle such as the current position of the vehicle and the navigation route. In order to display the driving information, UI5 has a display device 5a such as a liquid crystal display or a touch panel. In addition, UI5 can also have an audio output device (not shown) for notifying the driver of the driving information. In addition, in UI5, as an input device for inputting the operation information from the driver to the vehicle 10, for example, a touch panel or an operation button is provided. As the operation information, for example, the destination, the via point, the vehicle speed, the consent of the control transfer request and other control information of the vehicle 10 can be cited. UI5 outputs the input operation information to the navigation device 4 and the vehicle control device 16 via the in-vehicle network 17.

[0047] The map information storage device 11 stores wide-area map information of a relatively wide range (e.g., a range of 10 to 30 km square) including the current position of the vehicle 10. The map information includes three-dimensional information of the road surface, information indicating the types and positions of road features such as lane dividing lines and structures on the road, and high-precision map information including the legal speed limit on the road. The map information storage device 11 receives wide-area map information from an external server via a base station through wireless communication via a wireless communication device (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 10 according to the current position of the vehicle 10 and stores it in the storage device. Whenever the positioning information is input from the positioning information receiver 3, the map information storage device 11 refers to the stored wide-area map information and outputs the map information of a relatively narrow area (e.g., a range of 100 m to 10 km square) including the current position indicated by the positioning information to the position estimation device 12, the object detection device 13, the driving lane planning device 14, the driving planning device 15, the vehicle control device 16, etc. via the in-vehicle network 17.

[0048] The position estimation device 12 estimates the position of the vehicle 10 at the time of the camera image capture based on the road features around the vehicle 10 shown in the camera image. For example, the position estimation device 12 compares the lane division lines recognized in the camera image with the lane division lines shown in the map information input from the map information storage device 11, and obtains the estimated position and estimated azimuth of the vehicle 10 at the time of the camera image capture. In addition, the position estimation device 12 estimates the driving lane on the road where the vehicle 10 is located based on the lane division lines shown in the map information and the estimated position and estimated azimuth of the vehicle 10. Whenever the position estimation device 12 obtains the estimated position, estimated azimuth, and driving lane of the vehicle 10 at the time of the camera image capture, it outputs this information to the object detection device 13, the driving lane planning device 14, the driving planning device 15, the vehicle control device 16, etc.

[0049] The object detection device 13 detects other objects and their types (e.g., vehicles) around the vehicle 10 based on camera images, etc. Other objects include other vehicles traveling around the vehicle 10. The object detection device 13 tracks the detected other objects and finds the trajectory of the other objects. The object detection device 13 determines the driving lane in which the other objects are traveling based on the lane dividing lines and the positions of other objects indicated in the map information. The object detection device 13 outputs information indicating the type of the detected other objects and object detection information including information indicating the positions of the detected other objects and information indicating the driving lane to the driving lane planning device 14 and the driving planning device 15, etc.

[0050] The driving lane planning device 14 selects a lane in the road where the vehicle 10 is traveling based on the map information, the navigation route and the surrounding environment information, and the current position of the vehicle 10 in the nearest driving section (e.g., 10 km) selected from the navigation route at a driving lane plan generation time set in a predetermined cycle, and generates a driving lane plan indicating a predetermined driving lane for the vehicle 10 to travel. The driving lane planning device 14 generates the driving lane plan, for example, in a manner such that the vehicle 10 travels in a lane other than a passing lane. Whenever the driving lane plan is generated, the driving lane planning device 14 outputs the driving lane plan to the driving planning device 15.

[0051] In addition, the driving lane planning device 14 determines whether the lane needs to be changed based on the driving lane plan, map information, the navigation route 70, and the current position of the vehicle 10 in the nearest driving section selected from the navigation route 70, and generates a lane change plan based on the determination result. Specifically, the driving lane planning device 14 determines whether the lane needs to be changed in order to move to the lane toward the destination position of the vehicle 10 based on the navigation route 70 and the current position of the vehicle 10. It is determined whether the vehicle 10 enters (merges) from the driving road currently traveling to other roads at the merging destination, and whether the vehicle 10 leaves (divides) from the driving road to other roads at the branching destination. In merging and branching, the vehicle moves from the lane of the driving road to the lane of other roads, so a lane change is performed. The driving lane planning device 14 may also use surrounding environment information or vehicle state information in determining whether the lane needs to be changed. The surrounding environment information includes the position and speed of other vehicles traveling around the vehicle 10. The vehicle state information includes the current position of the vehicle 10, the vehicle speed, the acceleration, and the direction of travel. In addition, the driving lane planning device 14 generates a lane change plan in response to the driver's request. When generating a lane change plan, the driving lane planning device 14 outputs the driving lane plan to which the lane change plan is added to the driving planning device 15 .

[0052] In addition, the driving lane planning device 14 determines whether there is a branch position that separates from the driving road on which the vehicle 10 is traveling to the branch road in the nearest driving section. In addition, the driving lane planning device 14 determines whether there is a control transfer request section that requires the driver to transfer the driving of the vehicle 10 from automatic control to manual control within the first reference distance of the branch road from the branch position or within the second reference distance of the driving road from the branch position when there is a branch position. Furthermore, when there is a control transfer request section in the branch road, the driving lane planning device 14 sets the range from the position of the branch position to the branch position by a predetermined distance in advance as a manual control request section that requires the driver to move from the driving road to the branch road by manual control. In addition, the driving lane planning device 14 adds the movement request that the driver is notified of the movement request to the vehicle 10 from the driving road to the branch road by manual control in the manual control request section to the driving lane plan. For this purpose, the driving lane planning device 14 has a communication interface (IF) 21, a memory 22, and a processor 23. The communication interface 21, the memory 22, and the processor 23 are connected via a signal line 24. The communication interface 21 has an interface circuit for connecting the driving lane planning device 14 to the in-vehicle network 17 .

[0053] All or part of the functions of the driving lane planning device 14 are, for example, functional modules implemented by a computer program running on the processor 23. The processor 23 has a driving lane planning unit 231, a lane change planning unit 232, a branch determination unit 233, a control transfer determination unit 234, and a manual control request interval setting unit 235. Alternatively, the functional modules of the processor 23 may also be dedicated arithmetic circuits provided in the processor 23. The processor 23 has one or more CPUs (Central Processing Units) and their peripheral circuits. The processor 23 may also have other arithmetic circuits such as a logic operation unit, a numerical operation unit, or a graphics processing unit. The memory 22 is an example of a storage unit, for example, a volatile semiconductor memory and a non-volatile semiconductor memory. In addition, the memory 22 stores computer programs and various data of applications used in information processing executed by the processor 23. The driving lane planning unit 231 generates the above-mentioned driving lane plan, and the lane change planning unit 232 generates the above-mentioned lane change plan. Details of other actions in the driving lane planning device 14 will be described later.

[0054] The driving plan device 15 performs a driving plan process at a driving plan generation time set in a predetermined cycle, and the driving plan process generates a driving plan representing a predetermined driving trajectory of the vehicle 10 until a predetermined time (for example, 5 seconds) ahead based on the driving lane plan, map information, the current position of the vehicle 10, the surrounding environment information, and the vehicle state information. The driving plan is represented as a set of the target position of the vehicle 10 and the target vehicle speed at the target position at each time from the current moment to the predetermined time ahead. The cycle for generating the driving plan is preferably shorter than the cycle for generating the driving lane plan. The driving plan device 15 generates the driving plan in a manner that can maintain an interval of more than a predetermined distance between the vehicle 10 and other vehicles. In the case where an interval of more than a predetermined distance cannot be ensured between the vehicle 10 and other vehicles even if the driving lane plan includes a lane change for moving between lanes of the vehicle 10, the driving plan device 15 generates the driving plan in a manner that stops the vehicle 10. The driving plan device 15 outputs the driving plan to the vehicle control device 16 each time it generates the driving plan.

[0055] When the vehicle 10 is driven by automatic control, the vehicle control device 16 controls each part of the vehicle 10 according to the current position, vehicle speed and yaw rate of the vehicle 10 and the driving plan generated by the driving plan device 15. For example, the vehicle control device 16 obtains the steering angle, acceleration and angular acceleration of the vehicle 10 according to the driving plan, the vehicle speed and yaw rate of the vehicle 10, and sets the steering amount, accelerator pedal opening or braking amount in a manner to obtain the steering angle, acceleration and angular acceleration. Then, the vehicle control device 16 outputs a control signal corresponding to the set steering amount to an actuator (not shown) that controls the steering wheel of the vehicle 10 via the in-vehicle network 17. In addition, the vehicle control device 16 obtains the fuel injection amount according to the set accelerator pedal opening, and outputs the control signal corresponding to the fuel injection amount to a driving device (not shown) such as an engine of the vehicle 10 via the in-vehicle network 17. Alternatively, the vehicle control device 16 outputs a control signal corresponding to the set braking amount to the brake (not shown) of the vehicle 10 via the in-vehicle network 17. Furthermore, when the vehicle 10 is driven by manual control, the vehicle control device 16 controls the steering wheel, the driving device, or the brake according to the steering amount, the accelerator pedal opening, or the brake amount based on the driver's operation.

[0056] exist Figure 2 In the figure, the map information storage device 11, the position estimation device 12, the object detection device 13, the driving lane planning device 14, the driving planning device 15, and the vehicle control device 16 are described as independent devices, but all or part of these devices may be constituted as one device.

[0057] Figure 3 This is an example of an operation flow chart related to the vehicle control process of the vehicle control system 1 according to the first embodiment. Figure 3 The following describes the vehicle control process of the vehicle control system 1. The driving lane planning device 14 determines the branch timing with a predetermined period according to Figure 3 The action flow chart shown executes the vehicle control processing.

[0058] First, the branch determination unit 233 determines whether there is a branch position that leads away from the road on which the vehicle 10 is traveling to a branch road in the nearest driving section of the navigation route based on the current position of the vehicle 10 , the navigation route, and map information (step S101 ).

[0059] When there is a branch position (step S101-"Yes"), the control transfer determination unit 234 determines whether there is a control transfer request interval in which the driver is required to transfer all driving of the vehicle 10 from automatic control to manual control within the first reference distance of the branch road from the branch position toward the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 (step S102). In the control transfer request interval, the driver is required to transfer from automatic control to manual control for all driving including steering, driving, braking, etc. Here, as the branch position, the branch start position, the branch end position, or any position between the branch start position and the branch end position (for example, a position in the middle between the branch start position and the branch end position) can be used.

[0060] When there is a control transfer request section in the branch road (step S102-Yes), the manual control request section setting unit 235 sets the range from the position of the branch position to the branch position in the driving road by a predetermined distance as a manual control request section that requires the driver to move from the driving road to the branch road by manual control (step S104). The manual control request section setting unit 235 prohibits the vehicle 10 from leaving the driving road to the branch road by automatic control at the branch position in the manual control request section.

[0061] Next, the manual control request section setting unit 235 adds the movement request notified by the driver to move the vehicle 10 from the travel road to the branch road by manual control in the manual control request section to the travel lane plan (step S105 ), and a series of processing ends.

[0062] In addition, when there is no control transfer request section in the branch road (step S102-"No"), the control transfer determination unit 234 determines whether there is a control transfer request section requiring the driver to transfer all driving of the vehicle 10 from automatic control to manual control within the second reference distance of the driving road from the branch position toward the direction of travel of the vehicle 10 (step S103).

[0063] When there is a control transfer request section in the driving road (step S103 —Yes), the driving lane planning device 14 performs the operations of the above-mentioned steps S104 to S105 , and a series of processing ends.

[0064] On the other hand, if there is no branch position (step S101-"No"), the branch determination unit 233 moves to step S101 and waits until the next branch determination time. In addition, if there is no control transfer request section in the driving road (step S103-"No"), a series of processing ends.

[0065] The driving lane planning device 14 may not perform the branch determination process on the branch position that has been subjected to the branch determination process. Figure 3 Processing shown.

[0066] Next, refer to Figures 4 to 6 , the following further describes an operation example of the above-mentioned vehicle control system 1.

[0067] Figure 4 An example of a navigation route 70 input from the navigation device 4 is shown. Figure 4 The example shown is similar to Figure 1 Correspondingly, the navigation route 70 indicates that the vehicle 10 will leave the branch road 60 at the branch position 62 after traveling on the road 50 .

[0068] The vehicle 10 travels on a lane 51 of a road 50 having lanes 51 and 52. The lane 51 and the lane 52 are divided by a lane dividing line 53. The lane 51 of the road 50 and the lane 61 of the branch road 60 are connected at a branch position 62, between a branch start position 621 and a branch end position 622, so that the vehicle 10 can move.

[0069] Figure 5 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of vehicle control processing when there is a control transfer request section in the branch road 60. In the branch road 60, there is a control transfer request section TD1 at a distance L1 from the branch start position 621 in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10. The distance L1 is a distance within the first reference distance. The control transfer request section TD1 is a section between the start position 63 and the end position 64 in the branch road 60.

[0070] The control transfer request section TD1 is arranged in front of the automatic control prohibited area R1 where the vehicle control system 1 cannot automatically control the vehicle. As the automatic control prohibited area R1, there can be cited an area with terrain where the vehicle control system 1 cannot easily control the movement of the vehicle, an area not equipped with a high-precision map, and an area where the vehicle's automatic control driving is temporarily prohibited. As an area with terrain where the vehicle control system 1 cannot safely control the movement of the vehicle, there can be cited terrain with a curve with a large radius of curvature, terrain with a large slope, terrain including road markings such as stop lines, terrain including intersections, terrain including bus stops, terrain where branch roads merge with other roads and the merging section for merging with other roads is short, terrain where the width of the road is so narrow that the vehicle control system 1 cannot safely control the movement of the vehicle, and terrain with a width that allows multiple vehicles to travel side by side laterally but without lane dividing lines. As an area not equipped with a high-precision map, there can be cited an area in front of a toll booth in a dedicated road for automobiles, a service area, or a parking area. Examples of areas where the automatic control of the vehicle is temporarily prohibited include construction areas and areas where information on spilled objects has been notified.

[0071] The automatic control prohibited area R1 and the control transfer required section TD1 are registered in the map information. In addition, when only the automatic control prohibited area is registered in the map information and the control transfer required section is not registered, the driving lane planning device 14 can also set the control transfer required section before the automatic control prohibited area based on the automatic control prohibited area registered in the map information.

[0072] There is a branch position 6 in the nearest driving section of the navigation route 70, and there is a control transfer request section TD1 within a first reference distance (distance L1) of the branch road 60 from the branch start position 621 in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10. The first reference distance is a distance that, if longer than this distance, even if a control transfer request is notified to the driver on the branch road 60 after the vehicle 10 under automatic control has finished moving between roads, the driver can still perform an operation to agree to the control transfer request with room to start manual control of the vehicle 10. The first reference distance can also be determined by the product of the latest average speed of the vehicle 10 and the time estimated to be required for the driver to perform an operation to agree to the control transfer request with room to room.

[0073] When the control transfer request section TD1 is within the first reference distance from the branch start position 621, the vehicle 10 is notified of the control transfer request immediately after leaving the road 50 toward the branch road 60 at the branch position 62. Therefore, the driver may not have enough time to perform an operation to agree to the control transfer request and start manual control of the vehicle 10 in the control transfer request section TD1.

[0074] Therefore, the manual control request interval setting unit 235 sets the range from the position 801 which is advanced by a distance L2 from the branch end position 622 to the branch end position 622 (802) as the manual control request interval 80 which requests the driver to move from the road 50 to the branch road 60 by manual control. The manual control request interval 80 is the interval between the start position 801 and the end position 802 on the road 50. The distance L2 may be determined by the product of the most recent average speed of the vehicle 10 and the time during which it is estimated that the driver can perform the operation of moving from the road 50 to the branch road 60 by manual control. The end position 802 of the manual control request interval 80 may be between the branch start position 621 and the branch end position 622. The manual control request interval setting unit 235 prohibits the vehicle 10 from leaving the driving road to the branch road by automatic control.

[0075] The manual control request section setting unit 235 adds to the driving lane plan the movement request notified by the driver in the manual control request section 80 for moving the vehicle 10 from the road 50 to the branch road 60 by manual control. The driving plan device 15 notifies the driver of the movement request in the manual control request section 80 and adds it to the driving plan.

[0076] The vehicle control device 16 controls the vehicle 10 according to the driving plan. In the manual control request section 80, the vehicle control device 16 notifies the driver of a movement request to move from the lane 51 of the road 50 to the lane 61 of the branch road 60 by manual control via the UI 5 according to the driving plan. The driving of the vehicle 10 is in an automatic control state, but the vehicle control device 16 controls the steering wheel, the drive device or the brake according to the steering amount, the accelerator pedal opening or the brake amount based on the driver's operation. In the manual control request section 80, the driver can drive the vehicle 10 by manual control and move from the lane 51 of the road 50 to the lane 61 of the branch road 60 at the branch position 62.

[0077] In the manual control request section 80, the driver is notified of the movement request to move the vehicle 10 from the road 50 to the branch road 60 by manual control, so the driver controls at least the steering of the vehicle 10 manually while understanding the situation around the vehicle, and moves the vehicle 10 from the road 50 to the branch road 60. Then, just after the vehicle 10 moves from the road 50 to the branch road 60, the driver is notified of the control transfer request to transfer the driving of the vehicle 10 from the automatic control to the manual control in the control transfer request section TD1. The driver has already driven the vehicle 10 from the road 50 to the branch road 60 at least partially by manual control, so the vehicle 10 can be properly operated by manual control. After the driver transfers all the driving of the vehicle 10 from the automatic control to the manual control in the control transfer request section TD1, the driver drives the vehicle 10 by manual control also in the automatic control prohibition section R1.

[0078] Figure 6 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of vehicle control processing when there is a control transfer request section on the road 50. Figure 6 In the example shown, the control transfer request section is not in the branch road 60 but in the road 50 on which the vehicle 10 is traveling. In the road 50, the control transfer request section TD2 is located at a distance L3 from the branch start position 621 in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10. The distance L3 is within the second reference distance.

[0079] The second reference distance refers to a distance that, if longer than this distance, allows the driver to have room to agree to the control transfer request and start manual control of the vehicle 10 even if the vehicle 10 that has failed to move between roads using automatic control notifies the driver of a control transfer request while traveling on the road 50.

[0080] The control transfer request section TD2 is a section between the start position 56 and the end position 57 in the road 50. The control transfer request section TD2 is arranged before the automatic control prohibition area R2 in which the vehicle control system 1 cannot automatically control the vehicle. For the automatic control prohibition area R2, the description of the automatic control prohibition area R1 is appropriately applied. In addition, for the control transfer request section TD2, the description of the control transfer request section TD1 is appropriately applied.

[0081] The nearest driving section of the navigation route 70 includes the branch position 621 , and the control transfer request section TD2 is located within the second reference distance (distance L3 ) of the road 50 from the branch start position 621 in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 .

[0082] Therefore, the manual control request interval setting unit 235 sets the range from the position advanced by a distance L4 from the branch end position 622 to the branch end position 622 as the manual control request interval 81 that requires the driver to move from the road 50 to the branch road 60 by manual control. The manual control request interval 81 is an interval between the start position 811 and the end position 812 on the road 50. The distance L4 may also be determined by the product of the most recent average speed of the vehicle 10 and the time estimated that the driver has room to perform an operation to transfer the driving of the vehicle 10 from automatic control to manual control. The end position 812 of the manual control request interval 81 may also be between the branch start position 621 and the branch end position 622. The manual control request interval setting unit 235 prohibits the vehicle 10 from leaving the driving road to the branch road by automatic control.

[0083] The manual control request section setting unit 235 adds to the driving lane plan the movement request notified by the driver in the manual control request section 81 for moving the vehicle 10 from the road 50 to the branch road 60 by manual control. The driving plan device 15 notifies the driver of the movement request in the manual control request section 81 and adds it to the driving plan.

[0084] The vehicle control device 16 controls the vehicle 10 according to the driving plan. In the manual control request section 81, the driver is notified of a movement request to manually control the vehicle 10 from the road 50 to the branch road 60, so the driver manually controls at least the steering of the vehicle 10 while understanding the situation around the vehicle and moves from the road 50 to the branch road 60.

[0085] However, if the driver fails to move the vehicle 10 from the road 50 to the branch road 60 due to the presence of another vehicle or the like, the vehicle 10 passes the branch position 62 and continues to travel on the road 50 .

[0086] When the vehicle 10 enters the control transfer request section TD2, the vehicle control device 16 notifies the driver of the control transfer request via the UI 5. The driver has already driven the vehicle 10 at least partially by manual control while understanding the conditions around the vehicle at the branch position 62, so after accepting the notification of the control transfer request in the control transfer request section TD2, the driver can appropriately operate the vehicle 10 by manual control in the automatic control prohibition section R2.

[0087] As described above, the vehicle control device of the present embodiment notifies the driver in advance of the control transfer requirement to transfer the driving of the vehicle from automatic control to manual control after the vehicle moves from the road on which the vehicle is traveling to the branch road, so the driver can properly operate the vehicle by manual control even if the control transfer requirement is notified. In addition, the vehicle control device of the present embodiment notifies the driver in advance of the control transfer requirement to transfer the driving of the vehicle from automatic control to manual control on the traveling road after the vehicle passes through the branch position where the branch road branches, so the driver can properly operate the vehicle by manual control even if the control transfer requirement is notified.

[0088] In addition, in the above Figure 3 In the flowchart shown in FIG. 1 , the processing order of step S102 and step S103 may also be reversed. In this case, Figure 6 In the example shown, it is also assumed that there is a control transfer request section TD1 in the branch road 60 and a control transfer request section TD2 in the road 50. Furthermore, it is assumed that the driver drives the vehicle 10 away from the driving road to the branch road according to the navigation route 70. Figure 5 This indicates that the driver has at least partially driven the vehicle 10 by manual control to move from the road 50 to the branch road 60 , and therefore can accept the notification of the control transfer request in the control transfer request section TD1 and appropriately operate the vehicle 10 by manual control in the automatic control prohibition section R1 .

[0089] Next, refer to Figure 7 The second embodiment of the vehicle control system will be described below. The description of the first embodiment is applied appropriately to the configuration not described in the second embodiment.

[0090] In this embodiment, the processor 23 of the driving lane planning device 14 includes a control transfer section setting unit 236 (see Figure 2 ) This point is different from the first embodiment described above. When there is a control transfer request section in the branch road, the control transfer section setting unit 236 sets the range from the position of the branch position to the branch position by a predetermined distance in advance as the control transfer request section. In addition, when there is a control transfer request section in the driving road, the control transfer section setting unit 236 sets the range from the position of the branch position to the branch position by a predetermined distance in advance as the control transfer request section. The control transfer section setting unit 236 adds the movement request notified by the driver to move the vehicle 10 from the driving road to the branch road by manual control in the set control transfer request section to the driving lane plan.

[0091] Figure 7 This is an example of an operation flow chart related to vehicle control processing of the vehicle control system 1 of the second embodiment. The processing in step S204 of this embodiment is different from step S104 of the first embodiment. The operations of steps S201 to S203 and step S205 of this embodiment are the same as steps S101 to S103 and step 105 of the first embodiment.

[0092] In step S204, when there is a control transfer request section in the branch road (step S202-"Yes"), the control transfer section setting unit 236 sets the range from the position a predetermined distance ahead of the branch position to the branch position in the driving road as the control transfer request section.

[0093] Alternatively, in step S204, when there is a control transfer request section on the driving road (step S203-"Yes"), the control transfer section setting unit 236 sets the range from the position a predetermined distance ahead of the branch position to the branch position on the driving road as the control transfer request section.

[0094] Refer to the above Figure 5 , the vehicle control processing in this embodiment is described below. Figure 5 This is a diagram for explaining the vehicle control process when there is a control transfer request section in a branch road.

[0095] The branch position 6 is present in the nearest driving section of the navigation route 70, and the control transfer request section TD1 is present within the first reference distance (distance L1) of the branch road 60 from the branch start position 621 in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10. Therefore, the control transfer section setting unit 236 sets the range from the position (901) advanced by a distance L5 from the branch end position 622 to the branch end position 622 (902) as a control transfer section 90 that requires the driver to transfer all driving of the vehicle 10 from automatic control to manual control. The control transfer section 90 is a section between the start position 901 and the end position 902 on the road 50. The distance L5 may be determined by the product of the nearest average speed of the vehicle 10 and the time estimated that the driver can move from the road 50 to the branch road 60 by the control transfer operation and the manual control operation. The end position 902 of the control transfer section 90 may be between the branch start position 621 and the branch end position 622. The control transfer section setting unit 236 prohibits the vehicle 10 from leaving the driving road to the branch road by automatic control.

[0096] The control transfer section setting unit 236 adds to the driving lane plan the movement request notified by the driver in the control transfer section 90 to manually control the vehicle 10 to move from the road 50 to the branch road 60. The driving plan device 15 notifies the driver of the movement request in the control transfer section 90 and adds it to the driving plan.

[0097] The vehicle control device 16 controls the vehicle 10 according to the driving plan. In the control transfer section 90, the vehicle control device 16 notifies the control transfer request to transfer the driving of the vehicle 10 from automatic control to manual control via UI5. When the driver agrees to the control transfer request via UI5, all driving of the vehicle 10 is transferred from automatic control to manual control. Then, in the control transfer section 90, the vehicle control device 16 notifies the driver of the movement request to move from the lane 51 of the road 50 to the lane 61 of the branch road 60 by manual control via UI5 according to the driving plan. When the vehicle 10 is driven by manual control, the vehicle control device 16 controls the steering wheel, the drive device or the brake according to the steering amount, the accelerator pedal opening or the braking amount based on the driver's operation. The driver can drive the vehicle 10 by manual control and move from the lane 51 of the road 50 to the lane 61 of the branch road 60 at the branch position 62.

[0098] In the control transfer section 90, the driver is notified of a movement request to move the vehicle 10 from the road 50 to the branch road 60 by manual control, so the driver drives the vehicle 10 by manual control to move the vehicle 10 from the road 50 to the branch road 60. Then, there is a control transfer request section TD1 immediately after the vehicle 10 moves from the road 50 to the branch road 60, but since the driving of the vehicle 10 has been transferred to manual control, the driver is not notified of the control transfer request. The driver can properly operate the vehicle 10 by manual control even after entering the automatic control prohibition section R1.

[0099] In addition, refer to the above Figure 6 , the vehicle control processing in this embodiment is described below. Figure 6 1 is a diagram for explaining vehicle control processing when there is a control transfer request section on the road 50 .

[0100] There is a branch position 6 in the nearest driving section of the navigation route 70, and there is a control transfer request section TD2 within the second reference distance (distance L3) of the road 50 from the branch start position 621 in the direction of travel of the vehicle 10. Therefore, the control transfer section setting unit 236 sets the range from the position (911) advanced by a distance L6 from the branch end position 622 to the branch end position 622 (912) as a control transfer section 91 that requires the driver to transfer all driving of the vehicle 10 from automatic control to manual control. The control transfer section 91 is a section between the start position 911 and the end position 912 on the road 50. With respect to the distance L6, the description of the distance L5 described above is appropriately applied. The end position 912 of the control transfer section 91 may be between the branch start position 621 and the branch end position 622. The control transfer section setting unit 236 prohibits the vehicle 10 from leaving the driving road to the branch road by automatic control.

[0101] The control transfer section setting unit 236 adds to the driving lane plan the movement request notified by the driver in the control transfer section 91 to move the vehicle 10 from the road 50 to the branch road 60 by manual control. The driving plan device 15 notifies the driver of the movement request in the control transfer section 91 and adds it to the driving plan.

[0102] The vehicle control device 16 controls the vehicle 10 according to the driving plan. The driver is notified of the movement request to move the vehicle 10 from the road 50 to the branch road 60 by manual control, so the driver drives the vehicle 10 by manual control to move the vehicle 10 from the road 50 to the branch road 60. For example, even if the driver fails to move the vehicle 10 from the road 50 to the branch road 60 due to the presence of other vehicles, the driver is not notified of the control transfer request in the control transfer request section TD2 because the vehicle 10 is already driven by manual control. The driver can also appropriately operate the vehicle 10 by manual control after entering the automatic control prohibition section R2.

[0103] As described above, the vehicle control device of the present embodiment notifies the driver in advance of the control transfer requirement to transfer the driving of the vehicle from automatic control to manual control after the vehicle moves from the road on which the vehicle is traveling to the branch road, so the control transfer requirement is not notified to the driver again. Then, the driver can properly operate the vehicle through manual control. In addition, the vehicle control device of the present embodiment notifies the driver in advance of the control transfer requirement to transfer the driving of the vehicle from automatic control to manual control on the traveling road after the vehicle passes through the branch position where the branch road branches off, so the control transfer requirement is not notified to the driver again. Then, the driver can properly operate the vehicle through manual control.

[0104] In the present disclosure, the vehicle control device, the storage medium storing the vehicle control computer program, and the vehicle control method of the above-mentioned embodiments can be appropriately changed as long as they do not deviate from the gist of the present disclosure. In addition, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to these embodiments, but also includes the inventions described in the claims and their equivalents.

[0105] For example, in the first embodiment, the control transfer request section is far from the branch position, but there is a case where the control transfer request section exists at the branch position. The driver is notified of the control transfer request while moving from the driving road to the branch road.

[0106] Figure 8 1 is a diagram for explaining an example of vehicle control processing in a case where there is a control transfer request section in a branch road. At a branch position 62 where a branch road 60 branches from a road 50, there is a control transfer request section TD3. The control transfer request section TD3 is arranged before the automatic control prohibition area R3. The control transfer request section TD3 is located at a distance L7 within the first reference distance from the branch start position 621 in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10. The control transfer request section TD3 is a section between a start position 63 and an end position 64 in the branch road 60.

[0107] The branch position 6 is present in the nearest driving section of the navigation route 70 , and the control transfer request section TD3 is present within a first reference distance of the branch road 60 from the branch start position 621 toward the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 .

[0108] Therefore, the manual control request section setting unit 235 sets the range from the position 821 advanced by a distance L2 from the branch end position 622 to the end position 822 as the manual control request section 82 for requesting the driver to move from the road 50 to the branch road 60 by manual control.

[0109] First, the manual control request section setting unit 235 sets a position that is advanced by a distance L2 from the branch end position 622 as the start position 821 of the manual control request section 82 .

[0110] Next, the manual control request interval setting unit 235 determines the end position 822 of the manual control request interval 82 as follows. The manual control request interval setting unit 235 sets the position that is a distance L8 obtained by the product of the latest average speed of the vehicle 10 and the predetermined time ahead of the end position 64 of the control transfer request interval TD3 as the end position 822 of the manual control request interval. It is preferable to determine the predetermined time so that the end position 822 is located between the start position 63 and the end position 64 of the control transfer request interval TD3. For example, the predetermined time can be a value between 1 / 5 and 1 / 2 of the quotient obtained by dividing the distance of the control transfer request interval TD3 by the average speed of the vehicle 10.

[0111] The manual control request section setting unit 235 sets a section between a start position 821 and an end position 822 on the road 50 as a manual control request section 82 .

[0112] Thus, the manual control request section setting unit 235 can set the manual control request section 82 in a section earlier than the end position 64 of the control transfer request section TD3. In addition, since the start position 821 of the manual control request section 82 is earlier than the branch start position 621, the driver can respond appropriately even if he receives a notification of a control transfer request while moving from the road 50 to the branch road 60.

[0113] Similarly, the control transfer section setting unit 236 may set the position that is advanced by a distance L5 from the branch end position 622 as the start position 921 of the control transfer section. Furthermore, the control transfer section setting unit 236 sets the position that is advanced by a distance L9 obtained by the product of the average speed of the vehicle 10 and the predetermined time from the end position 64 of the control transfer request section TD3 as the end position 922 of the control transfer section. The description of the distance L8 described above is also appropriately applied to the distance L9.

[0114] The control transfer section setting unit 236 sets the section between the start position 921 and the end position 922 as the control transfer section 92. Since the start position 921 of the control transfer section 92 is ahead of the branch start position 621, the driver does not receive a control transfer request while moving from the road 50 to the branch road 60.

[0115] Thus, the control transfer section setting unit 236 can set the control transfer section 92 in the section before the end position 64 of the control transfer request section TD3.

[0116] When there is a control transfer request section on the driving road, the manual control request section or the control transfer section can also be appropriately applied to the case where the manual control request section or the control transfer section is set on the driving road. Figure 8 Description.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device, comprising: a branch determination unit that determines, based on the current position of the vehicle, the navigation route, and map information, whether there is a branch position that leads away from the driving road on which the vehicle is traveling to a branch road within a predetermined driving section of the navigation route; a control transfer determination unit that, when the branch position exists, determines whether there is a control transfer request section that requires the driver to transfer the driving of the vehicle from automatic control to manual control within a first distance of the driving road from the branch position toward the traveling direction of the vehicle; as well as The notification control unit notifies the driver via the notification unit that the vehicle is to be moved from the travel road to the branch road by manual control before the vehicle reaches the branch position when the control transfer request section exists.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The vehicle control device has a second manual control request interval setting unit, which sets the range from the position advanced by the second distance from the branch position to the branch position as a manual control request interval for requiring the driver to move from the lane of the driving road to the lane of the branch road through manual control when there is the control transfer request interval within the first distance of the driving road from the branch position toward the direction of travel of the vehicle.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The vehicle control device has a second control transfer interval setting unit, which sets the range from the position advanced by a third distance from the branch position to the branch position as the control transfer required interval when there is the control transfer required interval within the first distance of the driving road from the branch position toward the direction of travel of the vehicle.

4. A computer-readable non-transitory storage medium storing a vehicle control computer program that causes a processor to execute Based on the current position of the vehicle, the navigation route and the map information, it is determined whether there is a branch position that leads away from the driving road on which the vehicle is traveling to a branch road within a predetermined driving section of the navigation route, In the case where the branch position exists, determining whether there is a control transfer request section in which the driver is requested to transfer the driving of the vehicle from automatic control to manual control within a first distance of the driving road from the branch position toward the traveling direction of the vehicle, If there is the control transfer request section, before the vehicle reaches the branch position, the driver is notified via a notification unit to move the vehicle from the travel road to the branch road by manual control.

5. A vehicle control method executed by a vehicle control device, Based on the current position of the vehicle, the navigation route and the map information, it is determined whether there is a branch position that leads away from the driving road on which the vehicle is traveling to a branch road within a predetermined driving section of the navigation route, In the case where the branch position exists, determining whether there is a control transfer request section in which the driver is requested to transfer the driving of the vehicle from automatic control to manual control within a first distance of the driving road from the branch position toward the traveling direction of the vehicle, If there is the control transfer request section, before the vehicle reaches the branch position, the driver is notified via a notification unit to move the vehicle from the travel road to the branch road by manual control.

Images