Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium

Abstract

A vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a storage medium are provided. The vehicle control device includes an identification unit that identifies a surrounding situation of a vehicle; a driving control unit that controls steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle independently of an operation of a driver of the vehicle; a mode determination unit that determines a driving mode of the vehicle to be any one of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode; and a determination unit that determines whether map information is erroneous. The mode determination unit, when the determination unit determines that the map information is erroneous during driving of the vehicle in the second driving mode, continues the second driving mode when the identification unit identifies a preceding vehicle within a first prescribed distance on a traveling direction side of the vehicle, and changes the second driving mode to the first driving mode when the identification unit does not identify the preceding vehicle within the first prescribed distance on the traveling direction side of the vehicle.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] Technologies for changing the form of vehicle driving control are known. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-050086 discloses a technology for changing driving control based on lane markings to another form of driving control when continuous recognition of lane markings on a road is difficult. Summary of the Invention

[0003] However, in conventional technologies, when the map information mounted on the vehicle differs from the recognized external information, it is sometimes impossible to flexibly change the driving control.

[0004] The present invention has been made in consideration of such circumstances, and one of its objects is to provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a storage medium that can flexibly change driving control even when map information carried in the vehicle differs from recognized external information.

[0005] The vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium of the present invention employ the following structures.

[0006] (1): A vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: an identification unit for identifying a surrounding condition of a vehicle; a driving control unit for controlling the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle based on the surrounding condition and map information without relying on the operation of the driver of the vehicle; and a mode determination unit for determining the driving mode of the vehicle to be any one of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode, wherein the second driving mode is a driving mode that places a lighter task on the driver than the first driving mode, and at least a portion of the plurality of driving modes including the second driving mode is controlled by the driving control unit, and the vehicle is controlled when the driver does not perform the determined driving mode. and a determination unit that determines whether the map information has an error based on the surrounding conditions and the map information, wherein the mode decision unit continues the second driving mode when the recognition unit identifies a leading vehicle within a first prescribed distance on the side of the traveling direction of the vehicle, and changes the second driving mode to the first driving mode when the recognition unit does not identify a leading vehicle within the first prescribed distance on the side of the traveling direction of the vehicle, if the determination unit determines that the map information has an error during driving of the vehicle in the second driving mode.

[0007] (2): In the form of (1) above, the determination unit compares the road dividing line information of the map information with the road dividing line identified by the recognition unit. When the road dividing line information is inconsistent with the road dividing line, the determination unit determines whether the map information has an error based on whether the recognition unit can identify the road dividing lines on both sides of the vehicle and the degree of parallelism of the road dividing lines on both sides.

[0008] (3): In the above-mentioned aspect (2), when the road dividing line information in the map information is inconsistent with the road dividing line identified by the identification unit, the determination unit further determines whether the map information has an error based on the driving trajectory of the preceding vehicle.

[0009] (4): In any one of the aspects (1) to (3) above, when the mode determination unit continues the second driving mode, the driving control unit causes the vehicle to follow the preceding vehicle based on the travel trajectory of the preceding vehicle.

[0010] (5): In the form of (4) above, the second driving mode is executed in a specified speed area, and the driving control unit sets the inter-vehicle time between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle to a first specified time when causing the vehicle to follow the preceding vehicle. The first specified time is the time when the recognition unit can recognize both the road dividing line and the driving trajectory of the preceding vehicle.

[0011] (6): In the form of (5) above, the driver of the vehicle also has a grip sensor for detecting whether the driver is holding an operating member that receives steering operation of the vehicle, and the driving control unit changes the first prescribed time to a smaller value when the grip sensor detects that the driver is holding the operating member.

[0012] (7): In the above-mentioned form (5) or (6), the mode determination unit changes the second driving mode to the first driving mode when the inter-vehicle time between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle becomes longer than a second prescribed time, which is longer than the first prescribed time.

[0013] (8): In the form of (4) above, the driving control unit sets the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle to a second prescribed distance when causing the vehicle to follow the preceding vehicle. The second prescribed distance is a distance at which the recognition unit can recognize both the road dividing line and the driving trajectory of the preceding vehicle.

[0014] (9): In the form of (8) above, the driver of the vehicle also has a grip sensor for detecting whether the driver is holding an operating member that receives the steering operation of the vehicle, and the driving control unit changes the second specified distance to a smaller value when the grip sensor detects that the driver is holding the operating member.

[0015] (10): In any one of the above forms (1) to (9), when the recognition unit fails to recognize a leading vehicle within the first specified distance in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel, the mode determination unit changes to the first driving mode after maintaining the second driving mode for a certain period of time.

[0016] (11): In any one of the aspects (1) to (10) above, the mode determination unit changes the second driving mode to the first driving mode when the recognition unit recognizes only one road dividing line.

[0017] (12): In any one of the above aspects (1) to (11), the mode determination unit changes the second driving mode to the first driving mode when the deviation between the road division line recognized by the recognition unit and the map information is greater than a threshold value.

[0018] (13): In any of the above forms (1) to (12), the second driving mode is a driving mode in which the driver is not assigned the task of holding the operating member that receives the steering operation of the vehicle, and the first driving mode is a driving mode in which the driver is assigned the task of at least holding the operating member that receives the steering operation based on the driver.

[0019] (14): Another aspect of the vehicle control method of the present invention causes a computer to perform the following processing: identifying the surrounding conditions of the vehicle; controlling the steering and acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle based on the surrounding conditions and map information without relying on the operation of the driver of the vehicle; determining the driving mode of the vehicle to be any one of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode, the second driving mode being a driving mode that places a lighter task on the driver than the first driving mode, at least a portion of the plurality of driving modes including the second driving mode being controlled, and changing the driving mode of the vehicle to a driving mode that places a heavier task when the driver does not perform the task involved in the determined driving mode; determining whether the map information is erroneous based on the surrounding conditions and the map information; and when it is determined that the map information is erroneous during driving of the vehicle in the second driving mode, continuing the second driving mode when a preceding vehicle is identified within a specified distance on the side of the vehicle's direction of travel, and changing the second driving mode to the first driving mode when a preceding vehicle is not identified within a specified distance on the side of the vehicle's direction of travel.

[0020] (15): Another embodiment of the present invention is a storage medium storing a program that causes a computer to execute the following processing, which includes: identifying the surrounding conditions of a vehicle; controlling the steering and acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle based on the surrounding conditions and map information without relying on the operation of the driver of the vehicle; determining the driving mode of the vehicle to be any one of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode, the second driving mode being a driving mode that places a lighter task on the driver than the first driving mode, at least a portion of the plurality of driving modes including the second driving mode being controlled, and changing the driving mode of the vehicle to a driving mode that places a heavier task if the driver does not perform the task involved in the determined driving mode; determining whether the map information is erroneous based on the surrounding conditions and the map information; if it is determined that the map information is erroneous during driving of the vehicle in the second driving mode, continuing the second driving mode when a preceding vehicle is identified within a specified distance on the side of the vehicle's direction of travel, and changing the second driving mode to the first driving mode when a preceding vehicle is not identified within a specified distance on the side of the vehicle's direction of travel.

[0021] According to (1) to (15), even when the map information mounted on the vehicle and the recognized external information are different, the driving control can be flexibly changed. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0022] Figure 1is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system that utilizes the vehicle control device of the embodiment.

[0023] Figure 2 is a functional configuration diagram of the first control section and the second control section.

[0024] Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of a correspondence relationship between a driving mode and a control state and a task of the host vehicle.

[0025] Figure 4 is a diagram showing an example of a scenario in which the vehicle control device of the embodiment performs an operation.

[0026] Figure 5 is a diagram showing an example of a scenario in which the host vehicle follows a preceding vehicle in a case where it is determined that the second map information has an error.

[0027] Figure 6 is a diagram showing another example of a scenario in which the host vehicle follows a preceding vehicle in a case where it is determined that the second map information has an error.

[0028] Figure 7 is a graph for explaining a relationship between a headway time between the host vehicle and the preceding vehicle and a speed of the host vehicle.

[0029] Figure 8 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of an operation performed by the vehicle control device of the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Hereinafter, with reference to the accompanying drawings, an embodiment of a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program of the present application will be described.

[0031] [Overall Configuration]

[0032] Figure 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 that utilizes the vehicle control device of the embodiment. The vehicle on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted is, for example, a two-wheeled, three-wheeled, four-wheeled, or the like vehicle, and a drive source thereof 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 generated electric power generated by a generator coupled to the internal combustion engine or discharge electric power of a secondary battery or a fuel cell.

[0033] 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 element 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 multiple communication lines such as CAN (Controller Area Network) communication lines, serial communication lines, wireless communication networks, etc. It should be noted that Figure 1 The structure shown is merely an example, and part of the structure may be omitted or other structures may be added.

[0034] The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera utilizing a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is mounted anywhere on the vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the host vehicle M) equipped with the vehicle system 1. To image the front, the camera 10 is mounted on the upper portion of the windshield, behind the rearview mirror, or elsewhere. For example, the camera 10 periodically and repeatedly captures images of the surrounding area of ​​the host vehicle M. The camera 10 may also be a stereo camera.

[0035] The radar device 12 transmits radio waves, such as millimeter waves, toward the periphery of the host vehicle M and detects the radio waves (reflected waves) reflected by objects to detect at least the object's position (range and direction). The radar device 12 is mounted anywhere on the host vehicle M. The radar device 12 can also detect the position and velocity of an object using the FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

[0036] LIDAR 14 irradiates light (or electromagnetic waves with a wavelength close to light) around the vehicle M and measures the scattered light. LIDAR 14 detects the distance to an object based on the time from light emission to light reception. The irradiated light is, for example, a pulsed laser. LIDAR 14 is mounted anywhere on the vehicle M.

[0037] The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results from some or all of the camera 10, radar device 12, and LIDAR 14 to identify the position, type, speed, etc. of the object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition results to the automatic driving control device 100. The object recognition device 16 can directly output the detection results from the camera 10, radar device 12, and LIDAR 14 to the automatic driving control device 100. The object recognition device 16 may also be omitted from the vehicle system 1.

[0038] 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.

[0039] The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupants of the vehicle M and receives input operations from the occupants. The HMI 30 includes various display devices, speakers, buzzers, touch panels, switches, buttons, and the like.

[0040] The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the host vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects angular velocity about a vertical axis, an azimuth sensor that detects the orientation of the host vehicle M, and the like.

[0041] 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 an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 determines the position of the vehicle M based on signals received from GNSS satellites. The position of the vehicle M can also be determined or supplemented by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) using the output of the vehicle sensor 40. The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, buttons, etc. The navigation HMI 52 can also be partially or entirely shared with the aforementioned HMI 30. The route determination unit 53, for example, refers to the first map information 54 to determine a route (hereinafter referred to as a route on the map) from the position of the vehicle M determined by the GNSS receiver 51 (or an arbitrary position input) to the destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52. The first map information 54 is information that represents the shape of the road by, for example, representing road segments and nodes connected by the segments. The first map information 54 may include road curvature, POI (Point Of Interest) information, and the like.

[0042] The route on the map is output to the MPU 60. The navigation device 50 can also provide route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the route on the map. The navigation device 50 can also be implemented as a function of a terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet computer held by the passenger. The navigation device 50 can also transmit the current location 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.

[0043] The MPU 60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 61, which stores second map information 62 in a storage device such as an HDD or flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 61 divides the route on the map provided by the navigation device 50 into multiple blocks (e.g., every 100 meters in the vehicle's travel direction) and determines a recommended lane for each block by referring to the second map information 62. The recommended lane determination unit 61 determines the lane from the left to which the vehicle should travel.

[0044] When there is a branch point 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.

[0045] The second map information 62 is map information with higher accuracy than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes, for example, information about lane centers and lane boundaries. Furthermore, the second map information 62 may include road information, traffic restriction information, address information (address, postal code), facility information, phone number information, and information about prohibited sections where Mode A or Mode B, described later, is prohibited. The second map information 62 can be updated at any time by enabling the communication device 20 to communicate with other devices.

[0046] The driver monitoring camera 70 is, for example, a digital camera utilizing a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD or CMOS. The driver monitoring camera 70 is mounted at any location within the vehicle M in a position and orientation such that it can capture a head image of the occupant (hereinafter referred to as the driver) seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle M from the front (in an orientation such that the face is captured). For example, the driver monitoring camera 70 is mounted above a display device located in the center of the instrument panel of the vehicle M.

[0047] The driving operating parts 80 include, for example, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, and other operating parts in addition to the steering wheel 82. A sensor that detects the amount of operation or the presence or absence of operation is installed on the driving operating part 80, and its detection result is output to the automatic driving control device 100, or part or all of the driving drive force output device 200, the braking device 210, and the steering device 220. The steering wheel 82 is an example of an "operating part that receives steering operation." The operating part does not necessarily need to be annular, and can also be in the form of a special-shaped steering hole, a joystick, a button, etc. A steering wheel holding sensor 84 is installed on the steering wheel 82. The steering wheel holding sensor 84 is implemented by an electrostatic capacitance sensor, etc., and outputs a signal to the automatic driving control device 100 that can detect whether the driver is holding the steering wheel 82 (that is, in contact with the steering wheel 82 while applying force).

[0048] The automatic driving control device 100 includes, for example, a first control unit 120 and a second control unit 160. The first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160 are each implemented by, for example, having a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) execute a program (software). Furthermore, some or all of these components may be implemented by hardware (circuit components including circuits) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be pre-stored in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD or flash memory of the automatic driving control device 100, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM and installed in the HDD or flash memory of the automatic driving control device 100 by attaching the storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) to a drive device. The automatic driving control device 100 is an example of a “vehicle control device”, and the action plan generating unit 140 and the second control unit 160 are combined into an example of a “driving control unit”.

[0049] Figure 2This 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 determination unit 150. The first control unit 120 implements, for example, functions based on AT (Artificial Intelligence) and functions based on pre-assigned models in parallel. For example, the function of "identifying intersections" can be achieved by performing intersection recognition based on deep learning and other methods and recognition based on pre-assigned conditions (the presence of signals, road signs, etc. that can be pattern matched) in parallel, scoring both methods, and comprehensively evaluating them. This ensures the reliability of autonomous driving.

[0050] The recognition unit 130 identifies the position, velocity, acceleration, and other states of objects located around the vehicle M based on information input from the camera 10, radar device 12, and LIDAR 14 via the object recognition device 16. The position of an object is, for example, identified as a position on an absolute coordinate system with a representative point (center of gravity, drive shaft center, etc.) of the vehicle M as the origin, and is used in control. The position of an object can be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the object, or by an area. The "state" of an object can also include the acceleration, jerk, or "action state" of the object (for example, whether it is currently changing lanes or intending to change lanes).

[0051] Furthermore, the recognition unit 130 identifies, for example, the lane in which the vehicle M is traveling (driving lane). For example, the recognition unit 130 identifies the driving lane by comparing the pattern of road dividing lines obtained from the second map information 62 (e.g., an arrangement of solid and dashed lines) with the pattern of road dividing lines around the vehicle M identified based on the image captured by the camera 10. It should be noted that the recognition unit 130 is not limited to road dividing lines and can also identify the driving lane by identifying road dividing lines, driving road boundaries (road boundaries) including shoulders, curbs, central medians, guardrails, etc. The position of the vehicle M obtained from the navigation device 50 and the processing results based on the INS can also be incorporated into this recognition. Furthermore, the recognition unit 130 identifies temporary stop lines, obstacles, red lights, toll booths, and other road conditions.

[0052] When identifying the driving lane, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the position and posture of the host vehicle M relative to the driving lane. For example, the recognition unit 130 may also recognize the deviation of the reference point of the host vehicle M from the center of the lane and the angle formed by the direction of travel of the host vehicle M with respect to the line connecting the centers of the lanes as the relative position and posture of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane. Alternatively, the recognition unit 130 may also recognize the position of the reference point of the host vehicle M with respect to either side end of the driving lane (road dividing line or road boundary) as the relative position of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane. The recognition unit 130 also includes a determination unit 132, but the details of the determination unit 132 will be described later.

[0053] The action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory for the future travel of the vehicle M automatically (without relying on the driver's operation) in a manner that, in principle, the vehicle M travels on the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determination unit 61 and can cope with the surrounding conditions of the vehicle M. The target trajectory includes, for example, a speed element. For example, the target trajectory is represented by a trajectory in which the locations (track points) that the vehicle M should arrive at are arranged in sequence. Track points are locations that the vehicle M should arrive at at predetermined driving distances (for example, a few [m] or so) along the way. Different from this, the target speed and target acceleration at predetermined sampling times (for example, a few tenths [sec] or so) are generated as part of the target trajectory. In addition, the track point can also be the location that the vehicle M should arrive at at the sampling moment of each predetermined sampling time. In this case, the information on the target speed and target acceleration is represented at intervals between track points.

[0054] The action plan generator 140 can set autonomous driving events when generating a target trajectory. These events include constant speed driving, low-speed following, lane change, diverging, merging, and takeover. The action plan generator 140 generates a target trajectory corresponding to the activation event.

[0055] The mode determination unit 150 determines the driving mode of the host vehicle M to be one of a plurality of driving modes that assign different tasks to the driver. The mode determination unit 150 includes, for example, a driver state determination unit 152 and a mode change processing unit 154. Their individual functions will be described later.

[0056] Figure 3: This is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence between the driving mode and the control state and task of the vehicle M. The driving mode of the vehicle M includes five modes, namely mode A to mode E. In terms of the control state, that is, the degree of automation of the driving control of the vehicle M, mode A is the highest, followed by mode B, mode C, and mode D in order, and mode E is the lowest. On the contrary, in terms of the tasks assigned to the driver, mode A is the lightest, followed by mode B, mode C, and mode D in order, and mode E is the heaviest. It should be noted that since the control state becomes a non-automatic driving state in modes D and E, the task of the automatic driving control device 100 is to end the control involved in the automatic driving and transfer to driving assistance or manual driving. The following is an example of the content of each driving mode.

[0057] 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 have a body posture that can quickly switch to manual driving according to the requirements from the system centered on the automatic driving control device 100. It should be noted that the automatic driving mentioned here means that the steering and acceleration and deceleration are controlled independently of the driver's operation. The 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 speed below the upper limit speed (for example, about 50 [km / h]) on a motor vehicle-only road such as an expressway and there is a leading vehicle to be followed are met. It is sometimes also called TJP (Traffic Jam Pilot). If this condition is not met, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the vehicle M to mode B.

[0058] In mode B, it becomes a driving support state, 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 particular, mode B is executed when the vehicle M is traveling at a speed higher than the upper limit speed for executing the above-mentioned TJP. In mode C, it becomes a driving support state, 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 in which a certain degree of driver's driving operation is required for 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 becomes a manual driving state in which the driver's driving operation is required for both steering and acceleration and deceleration. Of course, both modes D and E assign the driver the task of monitoring the front of the vehicle M.

[0059] The automatic driving control device 100 (and the driving support device (not shown)) executes automatic lane changes according to the driving mode. Automatic lane changes include automatic lane changes based on system requirements (1) and automatic lane changes based on driver requirements (2). Automatic lane changes (1) include automatic lane changes for overtaking when the speed of the preceding vehicle is greater than or equal to a certain threshold compared to the speed of the vehicle itself, and automatic lane changes for traveling toward the destination (automatic lane changes performed by changing the recommended lane). In automatic lane changes (2), when conditions related to speed, positional relationship with surrounding vehicles, etc. are met, and when the driver operates the direction indicator, the vehicle M is caused to change lanes in the direction of operation.

[0060] The automatic driving control device 100 does not execute either automatic lane change (1) or (2) in mode A. The automatic driving control device 100 executes either automatic lane change (1) or (2) in modes B and C. The driving support device (not shown) does not execute automatic lane change (1) but executes automatic lane change (2) in mode D. In mode E, neither automatic lane change (1) or (2) is executed.

[0061] If the driver is not performing the task associated with the determined driving mode (hereinafter referred to as the current driving mode), the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the host vehicle M to a driving mode with a heavier task.

[0062] For example, in mode A, the following control is performed: when the driver is in a physical posture that is unable to switch to manual driving in response to a 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 determination unit 150 uses the HMI30 to prompt 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 stopped, and the automatic driving is stopped. After the automatic driving is stopped, the vehicle enters the state of mode D or E, and the vehicle M can be started by manual operation of the driver. The same applies to "stopping automatic driving" below. In mode B, when the driver is not monitoring the front, the mode determination unit 150 uses the HMI30 to prompt the driver to monitor the front. If the driver does not respond, the following control is performed: the vehicle M is brought close to the shoulder of the road and gradually stopped, and the automatic driving is stopped. In mode C, when the driver is not monitoring the front or is not holding the steering wheel 82, the mode determination unit 150 uses the HMI30 to prompt the driver to monitor the front and / or hold the steering wheel 82. If the driver does not respond, the following control is performed: the vehicle M is brought close to the shoulder of the road and gradually stops, and the automatic driving is stopped.

[0063] To perform the aforementioned mode change, the driver state determination unit 152 monitors the driver's state and determines whether the driver's state is appropriate for the task. For example, the driver state determination unit 152 analyzes images captured by the driver monitoring camera 70 and performs posture estimation processing to determine whether the driver's body posture is such that the system cannot request a transition to manual driving. Furthermore, the driver state determination unit 152 analyzes images captured by the driver monitoring camera 70 and performs line of sight estimation processing to determine whether the driver is monitoring the area ahead.

[0064] The mode change processing unit 154 performs various processes for mode change. For example, the mode change processing unit 154 instructs the action plan generation unit 140 to generate a target trajectory for roadside stopping, instructs a driving support device (not shown) to operate, or controls the HMI 30 to prompt the driver to take action.

[0065] The second control unit 160 controls the driving force output device 200 , the braking device 210 , and the steering device 220 so that the host vehicle M passes through the target trajectory generated by the action plan generation unit 140 at a predetermined timing.

[0066] Return to Figure 2 The second control unit 160, for example, includes an acquisition unit 162, a speed control unit 164, and a steering control unit 166. The acquisition unit 162 acquires the information of the target track (track point) generated by the action plan generation unit 140 and stores it in a memory (not shown). The speed control unit 164 controls the driving force output device 200 or the braking device 210 based on the speed element attached to the target track stored in the memory. The steering control unit 166 controls the steering device 220 according to the curvature of the target track stored in the memory. The processing of the speed control unit 164 and the steering control unit 166 is implemented, for example, by a combination of feedforward control and feedback control. As an example, the steering control unit 166 combines and executes feedforward control corresponding to the curvature of the road in front of the vehicle M and feedback control based on the deviation from the target track.

[0067] The driving force output device 200 outputs driving force (torque) to the drive wheels for driving the vehicle. 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) that controls these components. The ECU controls the above components based on information input from the second control unit 160 or from the driving operating element 80.

[0068] Braking device 210 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a hydraulic cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor based on information input from the second control unit 160 or from the driver's operating unit 80, outputting a braking torque to each wheel in response to the braking operation. Braking device 210 may include a mechanism that transmits the hydraulic pressure generated by operating the brake pedal included in the driver's operating unit 80 to the hydraulic cylinder via a master hydraulic cylinder as a backup. It should be noted that braking device 210 is not limited to the structure described above and may also be an electronically controlled hydraulic braking device that controls the actuator based on information input from the second control unit 160 and transmits the master hydraulic cylinder's hydraulic pressure to the hydraulic cylinder.

[0069] The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor.

[0070] The electric motor applies force to the rack-and-pinion mechanism, for example, to change the direction of the steered wheels. The steering ECU drives the electric motor according to information input from the second control unit 160 or information input from the driving operating element 80 to change the direction of the steered wheels.

[0071] [action]

[0072] Next, the operation of the vehicle control device according to the embodiment will be described. Figure 4 FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a scene in which the operation of the vehicle control device according to the embodiment is executed. Figure 4 In the figure, the host vehicle M is traveling in lane L1 in the driving mode of mode B, and the preceding vehicle M1 is traveling in front of the host vehicle M. While the host vehicle M is traveling in lane L1, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the surrounding conditions of the host vehicle M, particularly the road dividing lines RL on both sides of the host vehicle M. MI represents the road dividing line information of the lane L1 stored in the second map information 62.

[0073] The determination unit 132 determines whether the second map information 62 corresponding to the surrounding conditions identified by the recognition unit 130 contains an error based on the second map information 62. More specifically, the determination unit 132 compares the road dividing line information MI of the second map information 62 with the road dividing lines RL identified by the recognition unit 130. If the road dividing line information MI and the road dividing lines RL do not match, the determination unit 132 determines whether the second map information 62 contains an error. The determination unit 132 determines whether the recognition unit 130 can identify the road dividing lines RL on both sides of the host vehicle M and whether the identified road dividing lines RL are parallel (i.e., whether the angle formed by the extensions of the road dividing lines RL on both sides is equal to or less than a threshold value). If the recognition unit 130 can identify the road dividing lines RL on both sides of the host vehicle M and the identified road dividing lines RL are parallel, the determination unit 132 determines that the second map information 62 contains an error. On the other hand, if the determination unit 132 determines that the recognition unit 130 has recognized only one road dividing line RL, or if the recognized road dividing lines RL on both sides are not parallel, the mode determination unit 150 determines that the surrounding conditions recognized by the recognition unit 130 are erroneous and changes the driving mode from Mode B to Mode C. Furthermore, if the determination unit 132 determines that the recognition unit 130 has not recognized the road dividing lines RL on both sides, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode from Mode B to Mode E, causing the driver to perform manual driving.

[0074] Alternatively, when the road dividing line information MI and the road dividing line RL do not match, the determination unit 132 may also determine whether the second map information 62 contains an error based on the travel trajectory of the preceding vehicle M1. More specifically, for example, the determination unit 132 may determine that the second map information 62 contains an error when the trajectory vector of the center position of the preceding vehicle M1 is parallel to the road dividing line RL identified by the identification unit 130.

[0075] If the determination unit 132 determines that the second map information 62 contains an error while the host vehicle M is driving in the Mode B driving mode, the mode determination unit 150 continues the Mode B driving mode until the recognition unit 130 recognizes a preceding vehicle M1 within a first predetermined distance D1 (e.g., several to several tens of meters) in the direction of travel of the host vehicle M. While the Mode B driving mode is being continued, the action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory based on the driving trajectory of the preceding vehicle M1, such that the host vehicle M follows the preceding vehicle M1. In other words, before the second map information 62 is determined to contain an error, the Mode B driving mode is executed based on the second map information 62 and the surrounding conditions identified by the recognition unit 130. However, after the second map information 62 is determined to contain an error, the Mode B driving mode is continued based on the driving trajectory of the preceding vehicle M1 and the surrounding conditions identified by the recognition unit 130. This improves the sustainability of the Mode B driving mode.

[0076] It should be noted that, while the above description describes a case where the driving mode of Mode B is continued even when the determination unit 132 determines that the second map information 62 contains an error, the mode determination unit 150 may not continue the driving mode of Mode B and may instead switch to Mode C if the deviation between the road dividing line RL identified by the recognition unit 130 and the second map information 62 is greater than a threshold value. More specifically, for example, the determination unit 132 may determine a deviation based on whether the angle formed by the extension of the road dividing line RL identified by the recognition unit 130 and the extension of the corresponding road dividing line in the second map information 62 is greater than a threshold value.

[0077] Moreover, in Figure 4 In the description, the case where the preceding vehicle M1 travels in the own lane L1 is described. However, when the recognition unit 130 recognizes the preceding vehicle M1 traveling in the adjacent lane to the own lane L1, the mode determination unit 150 similarly continues the driving mode of mode B.

[0078] If the determination unit 132 determines that the second map information 62 contains an error while the host vehicle M is driving in the Mode B driving mode, and if the recognition unit 130 fails to identify the preceding vehicle M1 within the first predetermined distance D1 in the direction of travel of the host vehicle M, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode from Mode B to Mode C. This is because the only information that can be effectively utilized during continued driving support is the surrounding conditions identified by the recognition unit 130. Alternatively, at this stage, since the second map information 62 is determined to be erroneous, in other words, the surrounding conditions identified by the recognition unit 130 are correct, the mode determination unit 150 may change the driving mode from Mode B to Mode C after continuing the driving mode for a certain period. This can reduce the discomfort that passengers may experience due to the change in driving mode.

[0079] When the action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory for the host vehicle M to follow the preceding vehicle M1 based on the preceding vehicle M1's trajectory, the action plan generation unit 140 sets the inter-vehicle time between the host vehicle M and the preceding vehicle M1 to a first predetermined time T1 (e.g., several seconds) that allows the recognition unit 130 to recognize both the road dividing line RL and the preceding vehicle M1's trajectory. Here, the inter-vehicle time is the time required for the host vehicle M to reach the preceding vehicle M1's current location from its current location, assuming the host vehicle M is traveling at its current speed.

[0080] Figure 5 : is a diagram showing an example of a scene in which the host vehicle M follows the preceding vehicle M1 when it is determined that the second map information 62 has an error. Figure 5 In the figure, T0 represents the minimum inter-vehicle time at which the recognition unit 130 can recognize the road dividing lines RL on both sides of the host vehicle M with minimal error. In other words, if the inter-vehicle time between the host vehicle M and the preceding vehicle M1 is less than the minimum time T0, the preceding vehicle M1 becomes an obstacle in the field of view of the camera 10, and the recognition accuracy of the road dividing lines RL by the camera 10 decreases. Therefore, if Figure 5 As shown, the action plan generation unit 140 sets the inter-vehicle time between the host vehicle M and the preceding vehicle M1 to a first predetermined time T1 that is greater than the minimum time T0 and allows the recognition unit 130 to recognize both the road dividing line RL and the driving trajectory of the preceding vehicle M1. The action plan generation unit 140 then generates a target trajectory that causes the host vehicle M to follow the preceding vehicle M1. Consequently, even if the second map information 62 is determined to contain an error, the appropriate inter-vehicle time can be maintained during driving support, allowing the host vehicle M to follow the preceding vehicle M1, and the driving mode of Mode B can be continued.

[0081] However, when the host vehicle M follows the preceding vehicle M1, the preceding vehicle M1 may accelerate rapidly, increasing the distance between the host vehicle M and the preceding vehicle M1. In this case, the recognition unit 130 may not be able to accurately identify the driving trajectory of the preceding vehicle M1. If the driving trajectory of the preceding vehicle M1 cannot be accurately identified, the recognition unit 130 can only obtain information about the surrounding area of ​​the host vehicle M, and cannot continue the driving mode B. Therefore, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode from Mode B to Mode C if the distance between the host vehicle M and the preceding vehicle M1 exceeds the first predetermined time T1 by more than a second predetermined time T2 (e.g., several seconds).

[0082] Figure 6 is a diagram showing another example of a scenario in which the host vehicle M follows the preceding vehicle M1 when it is determined that the second map information 62 has an error. Figure 6 In the example, the host vehicle M initially follows the preceding vehicle M1 in the driving mode B. However, as a result of the preceding vehicle M1's rapid acceleration, the inter-vehicle time between the host vehicle M and the preceding vehicle M1 exceeds the second predetermined time T2. In this case, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode from Mode B to Mode C. At this stage, since the second map information 62 is determined to be erroneous, in other words, the surrounding conditions identified by the recognition unit 130 are correct, the mode determination unit 150 may continue the driving mode in Mode B for a certain period of time before changing to Mode C.

[0083] Next, refer to Figure 7 , the relationship between the inter-vehicle time interval set when the driving mode of mode B is continued and the speed of the host vehicle M will be described. Figure 7 This is a graph for explaining the relationship between the inter-vehicle time between the host vehicle M and the preceding vehicle M1 and the speed of the host vehicle M. Figure 7 In the figure, "llong" represents the maximum inter-vehicle time interval set when the vehicle M follows the preceding vehicle M1, and "lshort" represents the minimum inter-vehicle time interval set when the vehicle M follows the preceding vehicle M1. Furthermore, "lmid1" represents the intermediate inter-vehicle time interval set when the vehicle M follows the preceding vehicle M1 in the driving mode B and the occupant of the vehicle M is not holding the steering wheel 82, and "lmid2" represents the intermediate inter-vehicle time interval set when the vehicle M follows the preceding vehicle M1 in the driving mode B and the occupant of the vehicle M is holding the steering wheel 82. The inter-vehicle time interval represented by "llong" represents a time when the recognition accuracy of the road dividing line RL by the recognition unit 130 is high but the recognition accuracy of the driving trajectory of the preceding vehicle M1 is low. The inter-vehicle time interval represented by "lshort" represents a time when the recognition accuracy of the road dividing line RL by the recognition unit 130 is low but the recognition accuracy of the driving trajectory of the preceding vehicle M1 is high. The inter-vehicle time intervals indicated by 1mid1 and 1mid2 are values ​​that allow the recognition unit 130 to appropriately recognize both the road dividing line RL and the travel trajectory of the preceding vehicle M1. V1 represents the upper limit speed for executing TJP. Figure 7 In the speed range above V1, the inter-vehicle time interval represented by lmid2 is set to be smaller than the inter-vehicle time interval represented by lmid1. This is because when the occupant of the vehicle M holds the steering wheel 82, the occupant of the vehicle M can more quickly switch to manual driving, thereby allowing a smaller inter-vehicle distance.

[0084] As described above, since the driving mode of mode B is executed when the speed of the vehicle M is V1 or higher, the value of the inter-vehicle time interval represented by lmid1 can be considered to be substantially constant. This value corresponds to the first predetermined time T1. Figure 7As shown, even in the region with speeds above V1, the inter-vehicle time interval represented by lmid2 can be considered substantially constant. Therefore, the action plan generation unit 140 may also change the first predetermined time T1, set as the inter-vehicle time interval, to a smaller value when the host vehicle M is following the preceding vehicle M1 at a speed above V1 and the occupant of the host vehicle M is holding the steering wheel 82. In other words, the action plan generation unit 140 may also change the first predetermined time T1 depending on whether the occupant of the host vehicle M is holding the steering wheel 82.

[0085] Note that, in the above description, when the host vehicle M follows the preceding vehicle M1 , the action plan generating unit 140 sets the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle M and the preceding vehicle M1 using the inter-vehicle time.

[0086] However, the action plan generation unit 140 may alternatively set the inter-vehicle distance to a second predetermined distance (e.g., several to several dozen meters) that allows the recognition unit 130 to recognize both the road dividing line RL and the driving trajectory of the preceding vehicle M1. In this case, similar to the configuration using inter-vehicle time, the action plan generation unit 140 may also change the second predetermined distance depending on whether the occupant of the host vehicle M is holding the steering wheel 82.

[0087] [Flow of Action]

[0088] Next, refer to Figure 8 , describing the flow of actions performed by the vehicle control device. Figure 8 1 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of operations executed by the vehicle control device according to the embodiment. The processing in the flowchart is executed in a predetermined control cycle while the host vehicle M is traveling in the mode B driving mode.

[0089] First, the recognition unit 130 identifies the road dividing lines RL on both sides of the vehicle M (step S100). Next, the determination unit 132 compares the identified road dividing lines RL with the road dividing line information in the second map information 62 and determines whether the second map information 62 has an error (step S101). If the second map information 62 is determined to have no error, the vehicle M continues driving in the Mode B driving mode and the process of this flowchart ends. On the other hand, if the second map information 62 is determined to have an error, the determination unit 132 determines whether the deviation between the identified road dividing lines RL and the second map information 62 is within a threshold (step S102). If the deviation is determined to be not within the threshold, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode from Mode B to Mode C (step S103).

[0090] On the other hand, if the deviation is determined to be within the threshold, the recognition unit 130 determines whether the leading vehicle M1 is recognized within the first predetermined distance D1 (step S104). If the leading vehicle M1 is not recognized within the first predetermined distance D1, the mode determination unit 150 temporarily continues driving in mode B and then changes to mode C (step S105). On the other hand, if the leading vehicle M1 is determined to be recognized within the first predetermined distance D1, the action plan generation unit 140 sets the headway between the host vehicle M and the leading vehicle M1 to the first predetermined time T1 and generates a target trajectory that causes the host vehicle M to follow the leading vehicle M1. The second control unit 160 then causes the host vehicle M to travel along the target trajectory (step S106). Next, the mode determination unit 150 determines whether the inter-vehicle time interval is greater than the second predetermined time T2 (step S107). If the inter-vehicle time interval is not greater than the second predetermined time T2, the action plan generation unit 140 returns the process to step S106. On the other hand, when it is determined that the inter-vehicle time is equal to or longer than the second predetermined time T2, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode from mode B to mode C (step S108). The processing of this flowchart is thus terminated.

[0091] According to the embodiment described above, if the map information is determined to be erroneous based on the recognized road dividing lines and a preceding vehicle is present within a predetermined distance from the host vehicle, the host vehicle can continue driving support by following the preceding vehicle while maintaining a sufficient distance to accurately identify the road dividing lines and the preceding vehicle's trajectory. This allows for flexible changes in driving control even when the vehicle's onboard map information differs from the recognized external information.

[0092] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows.

[0093] A vehicle control device, wherein:

[0094] The vehicle control device is configured to include:

[0095] a storage device storing a program; and

[0096] Hardware processor,

[0097] The hardware processor executes the program stored in the storage device, thereby performing the following processing, which includes:

[0098] Identify the surrounding conditions of the vehicle;

[0099] determining whether the map information has an error based on the surrounding conditions and the map information;

[0100] controlling the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle based on the surrounding conditions and the map information without relying on an operation by a driver of the vehicle;

[0101] determining a driving mode of the vehicle to be any one of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode, wherein the second driving mode is a driving mode that places a lighter task on the driver than the first driving mode, controlling a portion of the plurality of driving modes including at least the second driving mode, and changing the driving mode of the vehicle to a driving mode that places a heavier task if the driver does not perform the task associated with the determined driving mode;

[0102] When the determination unit determines that the map information is erroneous while the vehicle is driving in the second driving mode, the second driving mode is continued when a preceding vehicle is identified within a first prescribed distance on the side of the vehicle's traveling direction, and the second driving mode is changed to the first driving mode when no preceding vehicle is identified within the first prescribed distance on the side of the vehicle's traveling direction.

[0103] While specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above, the present invention is not limited to these embodiments at all, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device, wherein: The vehicle control device comprises: an identification unit that identifies a surrounding condition of the vehicle; a driving control unit that controls steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle based on the surrounding conditions and map information without relying on an operation by a driver of the vehicle; a mode determination unit configured to determine a driving mode of the vehicle to be any one of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode, wherein the second driving mode is a driving mode that places a lighter task on the driver than the first driving mode, wherein a portion of the plurality of driving modes including at least the second driving mode is controlled by the driving control unit to change the driving mode of the vehicle to the driving mode that places a heavier task if the driver does not perform the task associated with the determined driving mode; as well as a determination unit for determining whether the map information has an error based on the surrounding conditions and the map information; When the determination unit determines that the map information is erroneous while the vehicle is driving in the second driving mode, the mode determination unit continues the second driving mode based on the driving trajectory of the leading vehicle and the surrounding conditions identified by the recognition unit when the recognition unit identifies a leading vehicle within a first prescribed distance on the side of the traveling direction of the vehicle, and changes the second driving mode to the first driving mode when the recognition unit does not identify a leading vehicle within the first prescribed distance on the side of the traveling direction of the vehicle.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The determination unit compares the road dividing line information of the map information with the road dividing line identified by the recognition unit. If the road dividing line information is inconsistent with the road dividing line, the determination unit determines whether the map information has an error based on whether the recognition unit can identify the road dividing lines on both sides of the vehicle and the degree of parallelism of the road dividing lines on both sides.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein: The determination unit further determines whether the map information has an error based on the travel trajectory of the preceding vehicle when the road dividing line information in the map information does not match the road dividing line identified by the identification unit.

4. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The driving control unit causes the vehicle to follow the preceding vehicle based on the travel trajectory of the preceding vehicle when the mode determination unit continues the second driving mode.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 4, wherein: The driving control unit sets an inter-vehicle time interval between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle to a first predetermined time when causing the vehicle to follow the preceding vehicle. The first predetermined time is a time during which the recognition unit can recognize both the road dividing line and the traveling track of the preceding vehicle.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 5, wherein: The driver of the vehicle is further provided with a grip sensor for detecting whether the driver is gripping an operating member for receiving a steering operation of the vehicle. The driving control unit changes the first predetermined time to a smaller value when the grip sensor detects that the driver is gripping the operating element.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 5 or 6, wherein: The mode determination unit changes the second driving mode to the first driving mode when the inter-vehicle time interval between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle becomes equal to or longer than a second predetermined time, which is longer than the first predetermined time.

8. The vehicle control device according to claim 4, wherein: The driving control unit sets the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle to a second predetermined distance when causing the vehicle to follow the preceding vehicle. The second predetermined distance is a distance at which the recognition unit can recognize both the road dividing line and the traveling trajectory of the preceding vehicle.

9. The vehicle control device according to claim 8, wherein: The driver of the vehicle is further provided with a grip sensor for detecting whether the driver is gripping an operating member for receiving a steering operation of the vehicle. The driving control unit changes the second predetermined distance to a smaller value when the grip sensor detects that the driver is gripping the operating element.

10. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The mode determination unit changes the second driving mode to the first driving mode after continuing the second driving mode for a predetermined period of time when the recognition unit does not recognize a preceding vehicle within the first predetermined distance ahead of the vehicle in the traveling direction.

11. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The mode determination unit changes the second driving mode to the first driving mode when the recognition unit recognizes only one road dividing line.

12. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The mode determination unit changes the second driving mode to the first driving mode when a deviation between the road dividing line recognized by the recognition unit and the map information is equal to or greater than a threshold value.

13. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein: The second driving mode is a driving mode in which the driver is not required to hold an operating member that receives a steering operation of the vehicle. The first driving mode is a driving mode in which the driver is assigned a task of gripping at least the operating element that receives a steering operation by the driver.

14. A vehicle control method, wherein: The vehicle control method causes the computer to execute the following processing: Identify the surrounding conditions of the vehicle; Based on the surrounding conditions and map information, controlling the steering and acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle without relying on the operation of the driver of the vehicle; determining a driving mode of the vehicle to be any one of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode, wherein the second driving mode is a driving mode that places a lighter task on the driver than the first driving mode, controlling a portion of the plurality of driving modes including at least the second driving mode, and changing the driving mode of the vehicle to the driving mode that places a heavier task if the driver does not perform the task associated with the determined driving mode; determining whether the map information has an error based on the surrounding conditions and the map information; In a case where it is determined that the map information is erroneous while the vehicle is driving in the second driving mode, when a leading vehicle is identified within a specified distance on the side of the vehicle's traveling direction, the second driving mode is continued based on the driving trajectory of the leading vehicle and the identified surrounding conditions, and when no leading vehicle is identified within the specified distance on the side of the vehicle's traveling direction, the second driving mode is changed to the first driving mode.

15. A storage medium storing a program, wherein: The program causes the computer to execute the following processing: Identify the surrounding conditions of the vehicle; Based on the surrounding conditions and map information, controlling the steering and acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle without relying on the operation of the driver of the vehicle; determining a driving mode of the vehicle to be any one of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode, wherein the second driving mode is a driving mode that places a lighter task on the driver than the first driving mode, controlling a portion of the plurality of driving modes including at least the second driving mode, and changing the driving mode of the vehicle to the driving mode that places a heavier task if the driver does not perform the task associated with the determined driving mode; determining whether the map information has an error based on the surrounding conditions and the map information; In a case where it is determined that the map information is erroneous while the vehicle is driving in the second driving mode, when a leading vehicle is identified within a specified distance on the side of the vehicle's traveling direction, the second driving mode is continued based on the driving trajectory of the leading vehicle and the identified surrounding conditions, and when no leading vehicle is identified within the specified distance on the side of the vehicle's traveling direction, the second driving mode is changed to the first driving mode.

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