Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium

Abstract

A vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a storage medium are provided that more accurately determine a travel lane of a vehicle. The vehicle control device includes an identification unit that identifies a surrounding situation of the vehicle; a driving control unit that controls one or both of a steering and a speed of the vehicle based on the surrounding situation identified by the identification unit; an acquisition unit that acquires map information including lane information of a surrounding of the vehicle and reference information for determining a position of the vehicle; and a determination unit that determines a travel lane of the vehicle from one or more lanes included in a road on which the vehicle travels based on the reference information. The determination unit sets a reference lane on which the vehicle travels based on a number of lanes of the road acquired through the map information and class information of a road division line of the surrounding of the vehicle identified by the identification unit or information of an object target capable of determining a lane position, and determines the travel lane of the vehicle based on the set reference lane, behavior of the vehicle, and an increase or decrease in the number of lanes of the road.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to vehicle control devices, vehicle control methods, and storage media. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, research on autonomous driving, which automatically controls vehicle movement by recognizing the surrounding conditions of the vehicle, has been progressing. Related technologies include: recognizing the state of road markings to detect information related to the driving environment; inferring lane markings based on pre-stored line types in a storage unit to determine control actions; and using camera recognition results and map information to determine the vehicle's position (e.g., Japanese Patent Application Publication Nos. 2000-105898, 2010-221859, 10-300494, and 2013-032953). Summary of the Invention

[0003] However, in previous technologies, it was sometimes impossible to accurately determine the vehicle's driving lane when there were changes such as the addition or removal of lanes or lane changes.

[0004] The present invention was made in consideration of such circumstances, and one of its objectives is to provide a vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium that can more accurately determine the driving lane of a vehicle.

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

[0006] (1): One aspect of the present invention relates to a vehicle control device, wherein the vehicle control device comprises: an identification unit that identifies the surrounding conditions of a vehicle; a driving control unit that controls one or both of the vehicle's steering and speed based on the surrounding conditions identified by the identification unit; an acquisition unit that acquires map information including lane information surrounding the vehicle and reference information for determining the vehicle's position; and a determination unit that determines the vehicle's driving lane from the map information based on the reference information, wherein the determination unit sets a reference lane for the vehicle based on the number of lanes of the road obtained through the map information and the category information of road dividing lines surrounding the vehicle identified by the identification unit or information of objects that can determine the lane position, and determines the vehicle's driving lane based on the set reference lane, the vehicle's behavior, and the increase or decrease of the number of lanes of the road.

[0007] (2): One aspect of the present invention relates to a vehicle control device, wherein the vehicle control device comprises: an identification unit that identifies the surrounding conditions of a vehicle; a driving control unit that controls one or both of the steering and speed of the vehicle based on the surrounding conditions identified by the identification unit; an acquisition unit that acquires map information including lane information surrounding the vehicle and reference information for determining the position of the vehicle; and a determination unit that determines the driving lane of the vehicle from one or more lanes of the road in which the vehicle travels based on the reference information, wherein, if the determination unit determines the driving lane in the section where the vehicle is merging or branching according to the map information, the determination unit determines the driving lane in the section based on the position of the driving lane before reaching the section and whether the vehicle has changed lanes.

[0008] (3): Based on the above (1) scheme, the driving control unit executes any one of the multiple driving modes to drive the vehicle. The multiple driving modes include at least a first driving mode and a second driving mode that places a heavier burden on the occupants of the vehicle compared to the first driving mode. If the determination unit determines the driving lane of the vehicle, the driving control unit executes the first driving mode. If the determination unit does not determine the driving lane of the vehicle, the driving control unit executes the second driving mode.

[0009] (4): Based on the above (1) scheme, the driving control unit executes any one of the multiple driving modes with different tasks assigned to the occupants of the vehicle to make the vehicle drive. If the determination unit does not determine the driving lane of the vehicle, the driving mode being executed continues to make the vehicle drive.

[0010] (5): Based on the above (1) scheme, the determining unit determines the driving lane based on the combination of the categories of road dividing lines that divide one or more lanes around the vehicle as identified by the identification unit.

[0011] (6): Based on the above (1) scheme, the determining unit obtains the lane increase / decrease interval in front of the vehicle from the map information, and determines the vehicle's driving lane based on the increase / decrease number and direction of the parallel driving lanes in the obtained interval.

[0012] (7): Based on the above (1) scheme, if the driving lane of the vehicle determined by the determining unit based on the reference lane, the behavior of the vehicle and the increase or decrease of the number of lanes of the road is different from the driving lane of the vehicle determined based on the road dividing lines around the vehicle identified by the identification unit, the determining unit resets the information of the determined driving lane.

[0013] (8): Based on the above (7) scheme, the determining unit determines the vehicle's driving lane based on the road shape and the vehicle's behavior when resetting the information of the driving lane.

[0014] (9): Based on the above (2) scheme, the determining unit determines that the vehicle's driving lane in the interval is a lane that runs parallel to the merging or branching road when the vehicle is ahead of the merging or branching road according to the map information, and determines that the driving lane before reaching the interval is any lane among the left and right lanes included in the road, and the vehicle has not changed lanes.

[0015] (10): Based on the above (3) scheme, when the vehicle is driving in a lane parallel to a merging road or a branch road, and the determination unit determines that the state is not a left or right lane based on the road dividing line category information identified by the identification unit for a specified period of time or more, the driving control unit executes the second driving mode.

[0016] (11): One aspect of the present invention relates to a vehicle control method, wherein the vehicle control method causes a computer to perform the following processing: identifying the surrounding conditions of the vehicle; controlling one or both of the vehicle's steering and speed based on the identified surrounding conditions; obtaining map information including lane information surrounding the vehicle and reference information for determining the vehicle's position; determining the vehicle's driving lane from the map information in one or more lanes of the road the vehicle is traveling on based on the reference information; setting a reference lane for the vehicle based on the number of lanes of the road obtained through the map information and the identified category information of road dividing lines around the vehicle or information of objects that can determine the lane position; and determining the vehicle's driving lane based on the set reference lane, the vehicle's behavior, and the increase or decrease of the number of lanes of the road.

[0017] (12): One aspect of the present invention relates to a vehicle control method, wherein the vehicle control method causes a computer to perform the following processing: identifying the surrounding conditions of the vehicle; controlling one or both of the vehicle's steering and speed based on the identified surrounding conditions; obtaining map information including lane information of the vehicle's surroundings and reference information for determining the vehicle's position; determining the vehicle's driving lane from the map information among one or more lanes of the road the vehicle is traveling on based on the reference information; and determining that the vehicle's driving lane in the interval is a lane parallel to the merging or branching road if, according to the map information, the area ahead of the vehicle is a merging or branching section, and it is determined that the driving lane before reaching the section is any lane among the left and right lanes of the road, and the vehicle has not changed lanes.

[0018] (13): One aspect of the present invention relates to a storage medium storing a program, wherein the program causes a computer to perform the following processing: identifying the surrounding conditions of a vehicle; controlling one or both of the vehicle's steering and speed based on the identified surrounding conditions; acquiring map information including lane information surrounding the vehicle and reference information for determining the vehicle's position; determining the vehicle's driving lane from the map information in one or more lanes of the road the vehicle is traveling on based on the reference information; setting a reference lane for the vehicle based on the number of lanes of the road obtained through the map information and the identified category information of road dividing lines around the vehicle or information of objects that can determine the lane position; and determining the vehicle's driving lane based on the set reference lane, the vehicle's behavior, and the increase or decrease of the number of lanes of the road.

[0019] (14): One aspect of the present invention relates to a storage medium storing a program, wherein the program causes a computer to perform the following processing: identifying the surrounding conditions of a vehicle; controlling one or both of the vehicle's steering and speed based on the identified surrounding conditions; obtaining map information including lane information surrounding the vehicle and reference information for determining the vehicle's position; determining the vehicle's driving lane from the map information among one or more lanes of the road the vehicle is traveling on, based on the reference information; and determining that the vehicle's driving lane in the interval is a lane parallel to the merging or branching road, provided that, according to the map information, the area ahead of the vehicle is a merging or branching section, and it is determined that the driving lane before reaching the section is any lane among the left and right lanes of the road, and the vehicle has not changed lanes.

[0020] According to the above schemes (1) to (14), the driving lane of the vehicle can be determined more accurately. Attached Figure Description

[0021] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of a vehicle system utilizing a vehicle control device according to an implementation method.

[0022] Figure 2 This is a functional structure diagram of the first control unit and the second control unit in the implementation method.

[0023] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating the relationship between driving modes, vehicle control states, and tasks.

[0024] Figure 4 This is a functional structure diagram of the determination department.

[0025] Figure 5 It is a diagram used to illustrate how driving lanes are determined based on vehicle driving conditions.

[0026] Figure 6 This is an example diagram showing the contents of a lane change correction table.

[0027] Figure 7 This is an example diagram showing the contents of a lane increase / decrease correction table.

[0028] Figure 8 It is a diagram used to illustrate the determination of driving lanes based on vehicle behavior.

[0029] Figure 9 This is a diagram used to illustrate the determination of driving lanes based on camera images.

[0030] Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing performed by the output adjustment unit.

[0031] Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the lane determination process within a merging interval.

[0032] Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the driving control process performed by an automatic driving control device.

[0033] Figure 13 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the process of determining a vehicle's driving lane. Detailed Implementation

[0034] Hereinafter, embodiments of the vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0035] [Overall Structure]

[0036] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of vehicle system 1 utilizing the vehicle control device of the embodiment. The vehicle equipped with vehicle system 1 (hereinafter referred to as vehicle M) is, for example, a two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled vehicle, and its drive source is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination thereof. The electric motor operates using electricity generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, or electricity discharged from a secondary battery or fuel cell. Hereinafter, as an example, an embodiment of the vehicle control device applicable to an autonomous vehicle will be described. Autonomous driving, for example, refers to automatically controlling one or both of the steering and acceleration / deceleration of vehicle M to perform driving control. Driving control of vehicle M may include various driving assistance systems such as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), ALC (Auto Lane Changing), and LKAS (Lane Keeping Assistance System). Autonomous vehicles may also sometimes be partially or fully controlled by manual driving by the occupant (driver).

[0037] Vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a camera (an example of an imaging unit) 10, a radar device 12, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) device 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, vehicle sensors 40, a navigation device 50, an MPU (Map Positioning Unit) 60, a driver monitoring camera 70, driving controls 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 via CAN (Controller Area Network) communication lines, serial communication lines, wireless communication networks, etc. Figure 1 The structure shown is only one example; a part of the structure may be omitted, or other structures may be added. The component combining camera 10, radar device 12, and LIDAR 14 is an example of an "external sensor ES". The external sensor ES may include other detection units that identify the vehicle's surrounding conditions, and may also include object recognition device 16. HMI 30 is an example of an "output device". The automatic driving control device 100 is an example of a "vehicle control device".

[0038] Camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera utilizing a solid-state imaging element such as CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor). Camera 10 can be mounted anywhere on the vehicle M. For example, when photographing the front of the vehicle M, camera 10 can be mounted on the upper part of the windshield, behind the rearview mirror inside the vehicle, etc. When photographing the rear of the vehicle M, camera 10 can be mounted on the upper part of the rear windshield, the tailgate, etc. When photographing the sides and rear sides of the vehicle M, camera 10 can be mounted on the rearview mirror on the door, etc. Camera 10 can, for example, periodically and repeatedly photograph the perimeter of the vehicle M. Camera 10 can also be a stereo camera. Camera 10 can have multiple cameras (e.g., a first camera, a second camera), and multiple cameras can photograph in the same direction. Alternatively, it can normally be photographed by the first camera, and under specified conditions, by the second camera, or by both the first and second cameras. The specified conditions are, for example, the identification of road dividing lines (hereinafter referred to as dividing lines) that divide the road into lanes (driving lanes) and other features on the road in which vehicle M travels, based on images taken by a camera (hereinafter referred to as camera images).

[0039] Radar device 12 emits millimeter-wave or other radio waves around vehicle M and detects the radio waves reflected by objects (reflected waves) to detect at least the position (distance and orientation) of the objects. Radar device 12 can be installed at any location on vehicle M. Radar device 12 can also detect the position and speed of objects using FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

[0040] The LIDAR14 illuminates the periphery of vehicle M with light (or electromagnetic waves with wavelengths close to light) and measures the scattered light. The LIDAR14 detects the distance to the object based on the time from the emission of light to the reception of light. The illuminating light can be, for example, a pulsed laser. The LIDAR14 can be mounted at any location on vehicle M.

[0041] The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results from some or all of the detections from the external sensors ES, including the camera 10, radar device 12, and LIDAR 14, to identify the position, type, speed, etc. of objects. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition results to the autonomous driving control device 100. Alternatively, the object recognition device 16 can directly output the detection results from the camera 10, radar device 12, and LIDAR 14 to the autonomous driving control device 100. The object recognition device 16 can also be omitted from the vehicle system 1.

[0042] The communication device 20 uses, for example, cellular networks, Wi-Fi networks, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), etc., to communicate with other vehicles in the vicinity of vehicle M, or communicate with various server devices via wireless base stations.

[0043] The HMI 30, controlled by the HMI control unit 170, provides various information to the occupants of the vehicle M and accepts input operations from the occupants. The HMI 30 includes, for example, various display devices, speakers, switches, microphones, buzzers, touch panels, and buttons. Various display devices include, for example, LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) and OLED (ElectroLuminescence) display devices. The display device is located, for example, near the front of the driver's seat (the seat closest to the steering wheel) in the dashboard, and at a position that allows the occupant to visually recognize it from the gap in the steering wheel or over the steering wheel. The display device may also be located in the center of the dashboard. The display device may also be a HUD (Head-Up Display). A HUD projects an image onto a portion of the windshield in front of the driver's seat, allowing the occupant's eyes to visually perceive the virtual image. The display device displays the image generated by the HMI control unit 170, described later. The HMI 30 may also include a driving switch for switching between automatic driving and manual driving by the occupant. Switches include, for example, turn indicator switches (direction indicators) 32. The turn signal switch 32 is, for example, located on the steering column or steering wheel. The turn signal switch 32 is, for example, an operating unit that receives instructions from an occupant regarding lane changes of the vehicle M.

[0044] Vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor for detecting the speed of vehicle M, an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration, a yaw rate sensor for detecting angular velocity about a vertical axis, and an orientation sensor for detecting the orientation of vehicle M. Vehicle sensor 40 may include a steering angle sensor for detecting the steering angle of vehicle M (which could be the angle of the steering wheels or the operating angle of the steering wheel). Vehicle sensor 40 may include a position sensor for obtaining the position of vehicle M. The position sensor may be, for example, a sensor that obtains position information (longitude and latitude information) from a GPS (Global Positioning System) device. Alternatively, the position sensor may be a sensor that obtains position information using a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51 of navigation device 50.

[0045] The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a route determination unit 53. The navigation device 50 stores the first map information 54 in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or 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 using the INS (Inertial Navigation System) output from 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 the route (hereinafter referred to as the map path) from the position of the vehicle M determined by the GNSS receiver 51 (or any input position) to the destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52. The first map information 54 includes, for example, information with lane-related information attached to road units (hereinafter referred to as lane information). Lane information includes, for example, nodes indicating the start and end of a road section, and road segments showing the road shape between nodes. Lane information may include the number of lanes (number of lanes for side-by-side driving) within a defined section of road units, the number of lanes added or removed, and the direction of lane addition or removal (indicating which side of the road is being added or removed relative to the direction of travel). The first map information 54 may also include the distance, curvature, road type (e.g., highway, general road), and POI (Point of Interest) information of the road section. The path on the map is output to the MPU 60. The navigation device 50 may also provide route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the path on the map. The navigation device 50 may also be implemented using the functions of a terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet held by the occupant. The navigation device 50 may also send its current location and destination to the navigation server via the communication device 20 and obtain a path equivalent to the path on the map from the navigation server. The first map information 54 may also be stored in the storage unit 180 instead of being stored in the navigation device 50.

[0046] MPU60 includes, for example, a lane recommendation determination unit 61. The lane recommendation determination unit 61 divides the path on the map provided by the navigation device 50 into multiple blocks (e.g., in 100m increments along the vehicle's direction of travel), and determines a recommended lane for each block based on lane information in the first map information 54. The lane recommendation determination unit 61 can also determine recommended lanes for road units stored in the first map information 54. For example, the lane recommendation determination unit 61 determines which lane to drive in from the left (or right). When the path on the map has branching points, the lane recommendation determination unit 61 determines recommended lanes so that the vehicle M can travel on a reasonable path to the branch destination.

[0047] 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 installed anywhere in the vehicle M, for example, at a position and orientation that allows it to capture the head of the occupant (hereinafter referred to as the driver) seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle M from the front (facing the face). For example, the driver monitoring camera 70 is installed above a display device located in the center of the dashboard of the vehicle M.

[0048] The driving control unit 80 includes, for example, a steering wheel 82, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a gear shift lever, and other operating components. Sensors are installed in the driving control unit 80 to detect the amount or presence of operation, and the detection results are output to some or all of the following: the automatic driving control unit 100, the driving force output device 200, the braking device 210, and the steering device 220. The steering wheel 82 is an example of an operating component that receives steering operations performed by the driver. The operating component does not necessarily have to be ring-shaped; it can also be an irregularly shaped steering wheel, a lever, a button, etc. A steering wheel grip sensor 84 is installed in the steering wheel 82. The steering wheel grip sensor 84, implemented by a capacitance sensor or the like, outputs a signal that detects whether the driver is gripping (meaning in contact with the steering wheel 82 with applied force) to the automatic driving control unit 100.

[0049] The autonomous driving control device 100 includes, for example, a first control unit 120, a second control unit 160, an HMI control unit 170, and a storage unit 180. The first control unit 120, the second control unit 160, and the HMI control unit 170 are each implemented by executing programs (software) via hardware processors such as CPUs (Central Processing Units). Furthermore, some or all of these components can be implemented using hardware (including circuitry) such as LSIs (Large Scale Integration), ASICs (Application Specific Integrated Circuits), FPGAs (Field-Programmable Gate Arrays), and GPUs (Graphics Processing Units), or through a combination of software and hardware. The program can be pre-stored in a storage device such as an HDD or flash memory (a storage device with a non-transitory storage medium) of the autonomous driving control device 100, or stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the HDD or flash memory of the autonomous driving control device 100 by mounting the storage medium (a non-transitory storage medium) onto the drive unit. The component that combines the action plan generation unit 140 and the second control unit 160 is an example of a "driving control unit". The HMI control unit 170 is an example of an "output control unit".

[0050] The storage unit 180 can also be implemented using various storage devices described above, or SSD (Solid State Drive), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), or RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage unit 180 stores, for example, lane change correction table 182, lane increase / decrease correction table 184, programs, and other various information. The lane change correction table 182 is a table referenced to correct the driving lane of vehicle M when vehicle M undergoes lane changes or other actions. The lane increase / decrease correction table 184 is a table referenced to correct the driving lane of vehicle M when there are changes in the road conditions involving vehicle M. Details regarding each table will be described later. The first map information 54 may also be stored in the storage unit 180.

[0051] Figure 2This is a functional structure diagram of the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160 in the implementation embodiment. The first control unit 120 includes, for example, a recognition unit 130, an action plan generation unit 140, and a pattern determination unit 150. The first control unit 120 can, for example, implement AI (Artificial Intelligence) based functions and functions based on pre-given models in parallel. For example, the function of "recognizing intersections" can be achieved by "parallel execution of intersection recognition based on deep learning, etc., and recognition based on pre-given conditions (the existence of signals capable of pattern matching, road signs, etc.), and comprehensively evaluating both sides by scoring them." This ensures the reliability of autonomous driving.

[0052] The recognition unit 130 identifies the position, velocity, acceleration, and other states of objects surrounding the vehicle M based on information input from external sensors ES. The object's position is identified, for example, as its position on absolute coordinates with a representative point of the vehicle M (center of gravity, drive shaft center, etc.) as the origin, and is used for control. The object's position can be represented by representative points such as its center of gravity or corners, or by a region. The object's "state" can also include its acceleration, jerk, or "action state" (e.g., whether it is currently changing lanes or intends to change lanes).

[0053] The recognition unit 130 identifies, for example, the lane in which the vehicle M is traveling (driving lane). For instance, the recognition unit 130 identifies the left and right dividing lines of the vehicle M based on camera images captured by the camera 10, and identifies the driving lane based on the position of the identified dividing lines. The recognition unit 130 is not limited to identifying dividing lines; it can also identify objects (driving lane boundaries, road boundaries) that can determine the lane position, including shoulders, curbs, median strips, guardrails, fences, walls, etc., thereby identifying the driving lane. In this recognition, the position of the vehicle M obtained from the navigation device 50 and the processing results from the INS can also be incorporated. The recognition unit 130 can also identify temporary stop lines, obstacles, red lights, toll booths, and other road phenomena.

[0054] When identifying a driving lane, the identification unit 130 identifies the position and posture of the vehicle M relative to the driving lane. For example, the identification unit 130 may identify the deviation of the reference point of the vehicle M from the center of the lane, and the angle formed by the direction of travel of the vehicle M relative to the line connecting the centers of the lanes, as the relative position and posture of the vehicle M relative to the driving lane. Alternatively, the identification unit 130 may identify the position of the reference point of the vehicle M relative to any side end (dividing line or road boundary) of the driving lane as the relative position of the vehicle M relative to the driving lane. The identification of the driving lane and the identification of the position and posture of the vehicle M relative to the driving lane performed by the identification unit 130 may be performed by the determination unit 153, which will be described later.

[0055] The action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory for the future travel of vehicle M, in a manner that allows it to travel in the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determination unit 61 and is able to respond to the surrounding conditions of vehicle M. The target trajectory includes, for example, a speed element. For instance, the target trajectory is represented by a track of locations (track points) that vehicle M should reach sequentially. Track points are locations that vehicle M should reach at predetermined travel distances (e.g., several meters), but target speeds and target accelerations are generated as part of the target trajectory at predetermined sampling times (e.g., a few tenths of a second). Track points can also be locations that vehicle M should reach at predetermined sampling times. In this case, the target speed and target acceleration information is represented by the intervals between track points.

[0056] When generating a target track, the action plan generation unit 140 can set events (functions) for automatic driving. These events include constant speed driving events, low-speed following events, lane change events, branching events, merging events, and takeover events. The action plan generation unit 140 generates target tracks corresponding to the initiated events.

[0057] The mode determination unit 150 determines the driving mode of the vehicle M as any one of several driving modes (in other words, several modes with different degrees of automation) that correspond to different tasks assigned to the driver. The mode determination unit 150 includes, for example, a driver state determination unit 151, a first acquisition unit 152, a determination unit 153, and a mode change processing unit 154. Their individual functions will be described later. The first acquisition unit 152 is an example of an "acquisition unit".

[0058] Figure 3 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the relationship between driving mode, vehicle M's control state, and tasks. In Figure 3 In the example, the driving modes of vehicle M include, for instance, five modes: Mode A through Mode E. Figure 3In this diagram, modes A and B are examples of "first driving modes," and modes C, D, and E are examples of "second driving modes." Driving modes can include modes other than A through E, as well as modes other than the first and second driving modes. Among modes A through E, regarding the degree of automation (control level) of the driving control of vehicle M, mode A has the highest level, decreasing in the order of mode B, mode C, and mode D, with mode E having the lowest. Conversely, regarding the tasks assigned to the driver (occupant), mode A has the lightest level, decreasing in the order of mode B, mode C, and mode D, with mode E, which involves manual driving, having the highest level. Modes B through E constitute a non-automatic driving control state, thus functioning as the automatic driving control device 100 before transitioning to driving assistance or manual driving. The following provides examples of the content of each mode.

[0059] In Mode A, the vehicle enters an automated driving state, where the driver is not required to perform either peripheral monitoring of the vehicle M or to hold the steering wheel 82 (hereinafter referred to as "steering wheel holding"). Peripheral monitoring includes at least monitoring of the vehicle M's direction of travel (e.g., ahead). "Ahead" refers to the space in which the vehicle M's direction of travel is visually discernible through the windshield. However, even in Mode A, the driver is required to be able to quickly switch to manual driving posture according to the requirements of the system centered on the automated driving control unit 100. Automated driving, as described here, means that the steering and speed of the vehicle M are controlled independently of the driver's operation. Mode A is, for example, a driving mode that can be executed when conditions are met, such as the vehicle M traveling at a prescribed speed (e.g., below 50 km / h) on a dedicated motor vehicle road like a highway, and the presence of a following vehicle; it is sometimes referred to as TJP (Traffic Jam Pilot) mode. If these conditions are not met, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the vehicle M to Mode B.

[0060] In Mode A, the occupant can perform secondary tasks. Secondary tasks are actions other than driving that are permitted in the autonomous driving of vehicle M. Examples of secondary tasks include watching television, using the occupant's terminal device (e.g., smartphone, tablet) (e.g., making calls, sending and receiving emails, using SNS (Social Networking Service), browsing the web, etc.), and eating.

[0061] In Mode B, the system enters a driver support state, assigning the driver the task of monitoring the surroundings of vehicle M (hereinafter referred to as perimeter monitoring) but not the task of controlling the steering wheel 82. For example, in Mode B, lane change instructions from occupants are not accepted; instead, lane changes for vehicle M are performed based on the route setting to the destination by the navigation device 50, etc., determined by the vehicle system 1. Lane change refers to moving vehicle M from its current lane to an adjacent lane, and may also include lane changes based on branching or merging. The driving entity in Modes A and B is vehicle system 1.

[0062] In Mode C, the system enters a driver support state, assigning tasks such as monitoring the surroundings and controlling the steering wheel 82 to the driver. For example, in Mode C, if the vehicle system 1 determines that a lane change for vehicle M is necessary, it inquires with the occupant via HMI 30. Upon receiving permission from the occupant to change lanes from HMI 30, driver support is provided to execute the lane change. In Modes B and C, lane change control is performed by the main system.

[0063] Mode D is a driving mode that requires some degree of driver intervention regarding at least one of the vehicle M's steering or acceleration / deceleration. For example, in Mode D, driving assistance such as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) and LKAS (Lane Keeping Assist System) is provided. In Mode D, when an instruction to change lanes is received from the driver via operation of the turn signal switch 32, driving assistance is provided to perform a lane change in the indicated direction. Lane changes in Mode D are based on the driver's intention. Operation of the driver's turn signal switch 32 is an example of driving operation. Driving operations in Mode D may include driving operations for controlling steering or acceleration / deceleration.

[0064] In Mode E, the vehicle M is in a manual driving state where steering, acceleration, and deceleration all require manual operation by the driver. Modes D and E naturally involve monitoring the surroundings of the vehicle M for the driver. In Modes C through E, the driver is the primary driving element.

[0065] If the task involved in the determined driving mode is not performed by the driver, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the vehicle M to a driving mode with a heavier task.

[0066] For example, during the execution of Mode A, if the driver's body posture prevents them from shifting to manual driving as requested by the system (e.g., continuing to look around outside the permitted area, or detecting signs of driving difficulty), the Mode Determination Unit 150, through the HMI Control Unit 170, executes control to urge the driver to shift to manual driving in Mode E using the HMI 30. If, after a predetermined time has elapsed since the HMI Control Unit 170 executed the control urging manual driving, and no response is received from the driver, the Mode Determination Unit 150 presumes that the driver is not in a state of manual driving, and performs control such as gradually decelerating the vehicle M while approaching the target position (e.g., the curb) to stop the automatic driving. After stopping the automatic driving, the vehicle M enters a state of Mode D or E, and can be started by the driver's manual operation. The same applies to "stopping the automatic driving" below.

[0067] In Mode B, when the driver is not monitoring the road ahead, the mode determination unit 150 uses the HMI 30 to urge the driver to monitor the road ahead. If the driver does not respond, the unit performs controls such as moving the vehicle M closer to the target position and gradually stopping it, or stopping the automatic driving function. In Mode C, when the driver is not monitoring the road ahead or is not holding the steering wheel 82, the mode determination unit 150 uses the HMI 30 to urge the driver to monitor the road ahead and / or hold the steering wheel 82. If the driver does not respond, the unit performs controls such as moving the vehicle M closer to the target position and gradually stopping it, or stopping the automatic driving function.

[0068] The driver status determination unit 151 determines whether the occupant (driver) is in a suitable driving state. For example, the driver status determination unit 151 monitors the driver's state for the aforementioned mode change and determines whether the driver's state is appropriate for the task. For example, the driver status determination unit 151 analyzes the images captured by the driver monitoring camera 70 and performs posture estimation processing to determine whether the driver's body posture cannot be switched to manual driving according to the system's requirements. The driver status determination unit 151 analyzes the images captured by the driver monitoring camera 70 and performs gaze estimation processing to determine whether the driver is monitoring the surroundings (more specifically, the front) of the vehicle M. If it is determined that the state is not appropriate for the task for a specified period of time or more, the driver status determination unit 151 determines that the driver is not suitable for driving the task. If it is determined that the state is appropriate for the task, the driver status determination unit 151 determines that the driver is suitable for driving the task. The driver status determination unit 151 can also determine whether the occupant is capable of driving replacement.

[0069] The first acquisition unit 152 acquires first map information 54. Additionally, the first acquisition unit 152 acquires reference information for determining the position of vehicle M. The reference information may include, for example, the position information of vehicle M detected by vehicle sensor 40, or a camera image captured by camera 10. The reference information may also include part or all of the recognition result recognized by recognition unit 130.

[0070] The determination unit 153 determines the driving lane of vehicle M in one or more lanes of the road on which vehicle M travels, based on the location information of vehicle M contained in the reference information and referring to the first map information 54. For example, the determination unit 153 sets the driving lane of vehicle M (reference lane) at a predetermined time (hereinafter referred to as "reference lane setting"), and searches for and corrects the driving lane of vehicle M based on changes in the behavior of vehicle M after the reference lane setting (e.g., lane change) and changes in the shape of the road containing the driving lane (e.g., increase or decrease in the number of lanes) (hereinafter referred to as "lane tracking"). The predetermined time may be, for example, a predetermined period, the start of autonomous driving execution, the start of driving on a specific road such as a highway, or the time of road section switching in the first map information 54. The predetermined time may also be, for example, when the current driving lane is reset, when determining the driving lane becomes necessary again, when the driving lane of vehicle M cannot be determined and there are no road changes within a predetermined distance, or when the occupant initiates the autonomous driving operation. Details regarding the function of the determination unit 153 will be described later.

[0071] The mode change processing unit 154 determines the driving mode of vehicle M based on the determination results of the driver status determination unit 151 and the determination unit 153. The mode change processing unit 154 can also decide to continue the current driving mode or switch to another mode. The mode change processing unit 154 performs various processes for changing the driving mode determined by the mode determination unit 150. For example, the mode change processing unit 154 provides operating instructions to the driving support device (not shown), outputs information urging the driver to take action from the HMI control unit 170 to the HMI 30, and instructs the generation of a target trajectory corresponding to the driving mode based on the action plan generation unit 140.

[0072] The second control unit 160 controls the driving force output device 200, the braking device 210 and the steering device 220 so that the vehicle M passes through the target track generated by the action plan generation unit 140 at a predetermined time.

[0073] The second control unit 160 includes, for example, a second acquisition unit 162, a speed control unit 164, and a steering control unit 166. The second acquisition unit 162 acquires information about the target track (track point) generated by the action plan generation unit 140 and stores this information 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 elements associated with the target track stored in the memory. The steering control unit 166 controls the steering device 220 based on 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 achieved, for example, through a combination of feedforward control and feedback control. As an example, the steering control unit 166 combines feedforward control corresponding to the curvature of the road ahead of the vehicle M with feedback control based on deviation from the target track.

[0074] The EMI control unit 170 notifies the occupants of prescribed information via the HMI 30. This prescribed information includes, for example, information related to the status of vehicle M and information related to driving control, which is relevant to the movement of vehicle M. Information related to the status of vehicle M includes, for example, vehicle M's speed, engine speed, and gear position. Information related to driving control includes, for example, inquiries about lane changes, whether a driving mode is active, information related to driving mode changes, information on occupant arrangements needed to switch driving modes (task requirements for the occupants), and information related to the status of driving control (e.g., the content of ongoing events). Prescribed information may also include information not related to the driving control of vehicle M, such as television programs or items stored on storage media like DVDs (e.g., movies). Prescribed information may include, for example, information related to vehicle M's current location, destination, remaining fuel, information indicating whether the vehicle M's driving lane can be determined, remaining distance until driving mode switching, lane entry / exit direction, number of lanes added / removed, and number of lanes parallel to the driving lane (parallel driving lanes).

[0075] For example, the EMI control unit 170 can generate an image containing the aforementioned specified information and display the generated image on the display device of the HMI 30. It can also generate sound representing the specified information and output the generated sound from the speaker of the HMI 30. The EMI control unit 170 can also output the information received by the HMI 30 to the communication device 20, the navigation device 50, the first control unit 120, etc.

[0076] The driving force output device 200 outputs driving force (torque) for vehicle movement to the drive wheels. The driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and a transmission, as well as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls them. The ECU controls the above-mentioned structure according to information input from the second control unit 160 or from the driving operation unit 80.

[0077] The braking device 210 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a hydraulic cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic cylinder, and a braking ECU. The braking ECU controls the electric motor according to information input from the second control unit 160 or from the driving operation unit 80, so that braking torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel. The braking device 210 may include a backup mechanism for transmitting hydraulic pressure generated by the operation of the brake pedal included in the driving operation unit 80 via the master hydraulic cylinder to the hydraulic cylinder. The 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 according to information input from the second control unit 160, thereby transmitting hydraulic pressure from the master hydraulic cylinder to the hydraulic cylinder.

[0078] The steering system 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor, for example, applies force to a rack and pinion mechanism to change the direction of the steering wheels. The steering ECU drives the electric motor according to information input from the second control unit 160 or from the driving control unit 80, thereby changing the direction of the steering wheels.

[0079] [Determine the functions of the control unit and the content of driving control]

[0080] The following describes the detailed functions of the determination unit 153 and the driving control obtained based on the processing content of the determination unit 153. An example is described below where the driver state determination unit 151 determines that the driver is appropriately performing a task assigned according to the driving mode, and the driving mode is determined based on the processing content processed by the determination unit 153. If the driver state determination unit 151 determines that the driver is not performing a task assigned according to the mode, the mode determination unit 150 decides to change to a mode corresponding to the task being performed by the driver, or decides to perform control to stop automatic driving.

[0081] The determination unit 153 determines the driving lane of the vehicle M, for example, based on the category information of the dividing lines obtained from images captured by the camera 10 (one or both in the case of a first camera and a second camera) or information of objects whose lane positions can be determined. Figure 4This is a functional structure diagram of the determination unit 153. The determination unit 153 includes, for example, a reference lane setting unit 153A, a driving lane tracking unit 153B, a reset determination unit 153C, and an output adjustment unit 153D.

[0082] Figure 5 This is a diagram used to illustrate determining the driving lane based on the driving conditions of vehicle M. Figure 5 The image shows an example of vehicle M traveling at speed VM on road R1. Figure 5 In the example, time t1 is the earliest, and the speed decreases in the order of t2, t3, t4, and t5. The position and speed of vehicle M at time t* are represented as M(t*) and VM(t*). Road R1 has defined road sections (e.g., sections A to C) in its extension direction. Road R1 (sections A to C) is, for example, a highway. Each section can be defined by, for example, locations where the road shape changes (e.g., branches, merging, curves, or the presence or absence of tunnels), or by a defined length. Figure 5 The section shown, B, has one fewer lane than section A, and section C has one fewer lane than section B. Lanes L1-L6 in section A, lanes L2-L6 in section B, and lanes L3-L6 in section C are capable of following... Figure 5 The lane that travels in the X-axis direction. Figure 5 The image shows an object OB1, such as a guardrail, positioned along the direction of the lane's extension.

[0083] In the first map information 54, such as Figure 5 As shown, each interval from A to C stores node information, road segment information, and information related to the number of lanes. The number of lanes may also include information related to the direction and number of lane increases or decreases. For example, the first acquisition unit 152, based on the first map information 54, acquires the start and end points of interval A, the road shape, and the number of lanes from 6 to 5, and the left lane is reduced by 1, based on the nodes NAs, NAe, and road segment RA. Similarly, it acquires the road information of interval B through the nodes NBs, NBe, and road segment RB, and acquires the number of lanes from 5 to 4, and the left lane is reduced by 1. It acquires the road information of interval C through the nodes NCs, NCE, and road segment RC, and acquires the information that it is a 4-lane interval. Figure 5 In the example, interval A represents the merging interval. Vehicle M begins its first driving mode at the moment (time t2 in the diagram) when it merges from the merging road (merging lane) L1 onto the main road (lane L2) which becomes the merging lane. The merging lane is, for example, a lane running parallel to the merging road. The following will be explained through... Figure 4 The structures of the determining unit 153 shown are used to illustrate the basis for... Figure 5The driving lane is determined based on the driving status of vehicle M at each time point t1 to t5.

[0084] <Time t1~t2>

[0085] Time t1 to t2 indicates the position of vehicle M at the time (time t2) when it changes lanes from branch lane L1 to main road (lane L2) and enters section B. At time t2 when it merges into main road lane L2, the reference lane setting unit 153A sets the driving lane of vehicle M at the time when vehicle M starts the first driving mode as the reference lane based on the line type information of the dividing lines of lanes L2 to L6 obtained from the camera image captured by camera 10 and the information of the object target that can determine the position of the lane, based on the image information of the camera image captured by camera 10 and the image information of the object target that can determine the position of the lane.

[0086] The following is a detailed explanation. First, the recognition unit 130 analyzes the image (camera image) of the road R1 on which the vehicle M travels, captured by the camera 10. It extracts edge points with large brightness differences between adjacent pixels and connects these edge points to identify dividing lines in the image plane and objects whose lane positions can be determined. The recognition unit 130 can also perform feature extraction, image information extraction based on image enhancement processing, etc., and identify dividing lines and the aforementioned objects through matching processing by referring to a predefined pattern matching model for the extracted image information. Based on the image analysis results, the recognition unit 130 identifies category information such as category (solid line, dashed line) and color for each dividing line. The recognition unit 130 can also identify the type of object. The recognition unit 130 can also identify the positional relationship between the identified dividing lines and objects, and the positional relationship (relative position) between the vehicle M and the dividing lines and objects. Figure 5 At time t2, the identification unit 130 identifies the category and location information of the solid lines RL1 and RL6, the dashed lines RL3 to RL5, and the object target OB1. The identification results identified by the identification unit 130 are acquired by the first acquisition unit 152 as part of the reference information.

[0087] Next, the reference lane setting unit 153A, based on the reference information obtained by the first acquisition unit 152, sets the driving lane of vehicle M among one or more lanes included in the road in which vehicle M travels as the reference lane. Setting the reference lane means determining the driving lane. For example, the reference lane setting unit 153A determines whether vehicle M is traveling in either the left or right end of road R1 (lane L2 or lane L6). For example, if the dividing line on the left side of the driving lane of vehicle M is a solid line, the reference lane setting unit 153A determines that vehicle M is traveling in the left lane (lane L2) of road R1, and if the dividing line on the right side of the driving lane is a solid line, it determines that vehicle M is traveling in the right lane (lane L6) of road R1. If the dividing lines on the left and right sides of the driving lane of vehicle M are dashed lines (neither of the left nor right dividing lines are solid lines), the reference lane setting unit 153A determines that vehicle M is not traveling in either the left or right lane. The reference lane setting unit 153A can also determine whether vehicle M is traveling in the left or right lane based on objects such as guardrails (objects that can determine the lane position) instead of solid lines (or based on them). For example, if the dividing line on the left side of vehicle M's lane is a solid line, and an object OB1 is present at a position far from the dividing line and within a predetermined distance from the dividing line when viewed from vehicle M, it is determined that there are no other dividing lines ahead of the dividing line, and vehicle M is determined to be traveling in the left lane of the road. Furthermore, the reference lane setting unit 153A sets the determined driving lane as the reference lane. For example, at the start of autonomous driving, there is a high probability that the vehicle is traveling in the end lane of a multi-lane road, and the end lane of the road is easier to identify accurately than other lanes. Therefore, it is determined whether the vehicle is traveling in the end lane as the reference lane, thereby setting the reference lane more accurately.

[0088] When the reference lane setting unit 153A determines that vehicle M is not traveling in either of the left or right lanes, it can also set a reference lane based on a combination of the position and type of the dividing lines identified by the camera image and the current position of vehicle M. For example, based on the analysis results of the camera image, if the reference lane setting unit 153A identifies two dividing lines on the left side of vehicle M, and the line types from the leftmost side are solid lines followed by dashed lines, it determines that vehicle M is traveling in lane number 2 from the leftmost lane of the road. Similarly, if the reference lane setting unit 153A identifies four dividing lines on the right side of vehicle M, and the line types from the rightmost side are solid lines followed by dashed lines, dashed lines, dashed lines, and dashed lines, it determines that vehicle M is traveling in lane number 4 from the rightmost lane of the road.

[0089] The reference lane setting unit 153A can also set the determined lane as the reference lane for vehicle M if the state of determining that the vehicle M is traveling in the lane continues for a predetermined time or more. This helps to suppress incorrect setting of the reference lane and prevents frequent switching of the driving lane position due to misjudgment of lane markings, etc.

[0090] exist Figure 5 In the example, at time t2, the reference lane setting unit 153A sets lane L2 (lane number 1 from the left) at the left end of road R1 as the reference lane when entering section B. The reference lane setting unit 153A can determine the number of lanes on the road based on the first map information 54, and therefore can also set lane number 5 from the right end of the road as the reference lane. The reference lane setting unit 153A can also set lane numbers (e.g., 1 to 5) for lanes L2 to L6 respectively, and manage the reference lanes according to the set lane numbers. The lane number is, for example, a number corresponding to the lane count from the left or right end of the road. In this case, at time t2, the reference lane is set as either left reference lane number (lane number based on the left end lane) 1 or right reference lane number (lane number based on the right end lane) 5. After the reference lane setting unit 153A sets the reference lane for vehicle M, the lane tracking unit 153B performs corrections based on the behavior of vehicle M and changes in the number of lanes in the road (merging, branching), performing a lane-based search (tracking) for the reference lane. The behavior of vehicle M may include, for example, lane changing. The behavior of vehicle M may also include states where no lane change has occurred (e.g., lane maintaining states based on LKAS, etc.).

[0091] <Time t3>

[0092] Time t3 represents the position of vehicle M after changing lanes from lane L2 to lane L3. In this case, the lane tracking unit 153B determines that the vehicle is traveling in lane L3 based on the type of dividing line information obtained from the analysis results of the camera image, as well as the direction and number of lane changes. For example, the lane tracking unit 153B, based on the type of dividing line between the driving lane (base lane) and adjacent lanes set by the base lane setting unit 153A (e.g., dashed line), the direction of movement when changing lanes, and the determination result of whether the lane change is completed, refers to the lane change correction table 182 stored in the storage unit 180 to correct the position (lane number) of the driving lane of vehicle M that was driven in the previous lane (in this case, the lane number of the base lane).

[0093] Figure 6This diagram illustrates an example of the contents of the lane change correction table 182. In the lane change correction table 182, for example, the behavior of vehicle M is correlated with the search (correction) content of the driving lane based on the left and right reference lane numbers. For example, if the lane tracking unit 153B is performing LKAS driving support after the reference lane setting unit 153A has set the reference lane, it maintains the previous lane number because no lane change has been performed for vehicle M. Similarly, if vehicle M is changing lanes from its current lane to the adjacent lane to the left (left LC implementation) or from its current lane to the adjacent lane to the right (right LC implementation), the lane tracking unit 153B also maintains the previous lane number because the lane change has not been completed. When the lane tracking unit 153B determines the driving lane based on the left side of the road and a lane change to the adjacent lane to the left is completed, it obtains the new driving lane number by subtracting 1 from the previous driving lane number. When a lane change to the adjacent lane to the right is completed, it obtains the new driving lane number by adding 1 to the previous driving lane number. Similarly, when the lane tracking unit 153B determines the driving lane based on the right side of the road and a lane change to the adjacent lane to the left is completed, it obtains the new driving lane number by adding 1 to the previous driving lane number. When a lane change to the adjacent lane to the right is completed, it obtains the new driving lane number by subtracting 1 from the previous driving lane number.

[0094] "Lane change completed" means, for example, that the trajectory of vehicle M (e.g., a trajectory extending behind vehicle M using the position information of vehicle M obtained from vehicle sensor 40) crosses the dividing line that separates the current driving lane from the adjacent lane of the lane change destination. Lane change completed can also be, for example, when the reference position (e.g., center of gravity) of vehicle M crosses the dividing line that separates the current driving lane from the adjacent lane of the lane change destination, or when vehicle M as a whole or all of its wheels are in the adjacent lane of the lane change destination. The lane tracking unit 153B can also obtain a lane number (e.g., 0) indicating that the driving lane is uncertain (cannot be tracked) when the behavior cannot be determined (cannot identify whether a lane change has been performed). At time t3, the lane change from the driving lane L2 determined by the reference lane setting unit 153A to the right lane L3 is completed, and therefore the driving lane is determined to be either the left reference driving lane number 2 or the right reference driving lane number 4.

[0095] <Time t4>

[0096] Time t4 shows the position of vehicle M after changing lanes from lane L3 to the adjacent lane L4 to the right. In this case, the lane tracking unit 153B searches for the current driving lane (lane number) based on the type of line dividing the current driving lane L3 and the adjacent lane L4 (e.g., dashed line), the direction of movement when the lane change was made, and the determination result of whether the lane change was completed, referring to the lane change correction table 182 stored in the storage unit 180. The current driving lane (lane number) is obtained based on the previous driving lane number (in this case, the driving lane number corrected by tracking at time t3).

[0097] The lane tracking unit 153B can also adjust the increment or decrement of the reference lane number based on the number of lane changes performed in the same direction during the period from time t2 to time t4. For example, in the case of two lane changes to the right (and no lane changes to the left), the lane tracking unit 153B obtains the value obtained by adding 2 to the previous lane number when the reference lane is on the left, or subtracting 2 from the previous lane number when the reference lane is on the right, as the new reference lane number. At time t4, the lane change from the driving lane L3 determined (corrected) by the previous lane tracking to the right lane L4 is completed, so the driving lane is determined to be either the left reference lane number 3 or the right reference lane number 3.

[0098] For example, if, during the identification of surrounding conditions performed by the identification unit 130, a portion of the boundary lines around vehicle M is obscured by other vehicles, or cannot be identified due to wear, weather, or other environmental factors, the lane tracking unit 153B can use the trajectory of the previously identified boundary lines to perform linear interpolation on the unidentified portion. Thus, even if the boundary lines are temporarily unidentified, the driving lane can be determined, allowing the first driving mode to continue. However, if the boundary lines are not identified for a certain period, to avoid performing necessary interpolation, no interpolation processing may be performed, and the driving lane may be determined to be uncertain.

[0099] <Time t5>

[0100] Based on the analysis results of camera images captured by camera 10 or the first map information 54, the lane tracking unit 153B corrects the driving lane of vehicle M according to the increase or decrease in the number of lanes on the road, including the driving lane. Specifically, when the number of lanes on the road, including the driving lane of vehicle M, increases or decreases, it determines which lane, on the right or left side, has increased or decreased to a corresponding degree relative to the direction of travel on the road.

[0101] Time t5 shows the vehicle's position when the number of lanes on road R1, including the lane for vehicle M, is reduced by one lane from the left. In this case, the lane tracking unit 153B refers to the lane increase / decrease correction table 184 stored in the storage unit 180 and performs a correction based on the number of lanes to determine the position of the driving lane.

[0102] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the contents of Lane Addition / Reduction Correction Table 184. In Lane Addition / Reduction Correction Table 184, for example, the addition / reduction of lanes included in the road where vehicle M travels is established in correspondence with the search (correction) contents of the driving lanes based on the left reference lane number and the right reference lane number.

[0103] For example, in section B, when the number of lanes decreases from 5 (lanes L2 to L6) to 4 (lanes L3 to L6), one lane on the left is reduced. Therefore, based on information obtained from the camera image or the first map information 54, if it is determined that the left lane has been reduced by 1, the lane tracking unit 153B refers to the lane increase / decrease correction table 184 and corrects the driving lane of vehicle M according to the search content of the driving lane corresponding to the increase / decrease content of "left decrease". For example, when the left end is used as the reference, the lane tracking unit 153B corrects it to the driving lane number 2 obtained by subtracting the number of lanes reduced by 1 from the previous driving lane number (right reference driving lane number 3). When the right end is used as the reference, the lane tracking unit 153B keeps the previous driving lane (right reference driving lane number 3) unchanged (no correction).

[0104] In this way, the driving lane of vehicle M can be determined more accurately based on driving conditions such as whether lane changes occur or not, and the number of lanes on the road being traveled. Therefore, the first driving mode can be executed based on the determined driving lane, and the degree of driving control can be adjusted more appropriately in situations such as the presence of branches.

[0105] The lane tracking unit 153B can not only track the driving lane based on the behavior of the vehicle M and the increase or decrease of the road, but also set the driving lane based on the analysis results of the camera image through the reference lane setting unit 153A. If the driving lane matches the results of the comparison, the driving lane is corrected.

[0106] The lane tracking unit 153B can also reset the information of the current driving lane of the determined vehicle M based on the determination result made by the reset determination unit 153C. For example, the reset determination unit 153C determines to reset the position information (lane number) of the current driving lane if the number of lanes on the road traveled by the vehicle M obtained from the analysis results of the camera image is different from the number of lanes on the road traveled by the vehicle M obtained from the first map information 54 based on the position information of the vehicle M. The reset determination unit 153C determines to reset the position information (lane number) of the current driving lane if the driving lane set by the reference lane setting unit 153A based on the analysis results of the camera image is different from the driving lane tracked by the lane tracking unit 153B based on the vehicle's behavior and the increase or decrease of lanes.

[0107] Figure 8 It is a diagram used to illustrate the determination of driving lanes based on vehicle behavior. Figure 9 This is a diagram used to illustrate the determination of driving lanes based on camera images. Figure 8 , Figure 9 In the example, in the section where the number of lanes decreases from three (lanes L11-L13) to two (lanes L12-L13) (e.g., a merging section) PO1, vehicle M is traveling at speed VM in lane L12. Lane L11 is an example of a merging road. Lane L12 is an example of a lane being merged into. Figure 8 , Figure 9 In the example, lane L11 is defined by the solid line RL11 on the left and the road structure (e.g., curb) OB2 and dashed line RL12 on the right; lane L12 is defined by the road structure OB2 and dashed line RL12 on the right and dashed line RL13 on the left; and lane L13 is defined by the dashed line RL13 on the left and solid line RL14 on the right. Figure 8 , Figure 9 In the time interval, time t11 is the earliest, and t12 and t13 are successively later.

[0108] exist Figure 8 In the example, at time t11, the lane tracking unit 153B identifies that vehicle M is traveling in lane L12 on the left side of the road based on the type of the left and right dividing lines. Then, when tracking the driving lane based on whether a lane change has occurred, no lane change has occurred during the period from time t11 to t13 (the period traversed in interval PO1), so the lane tracking unit 153B determines that the vehicle continues to travel in the left lane. On the other hand, in Figure 9At time t12, when the driving lane of vehicle M is determined based on the analysis results of the camera image, the lane tracking unit 153B identifies it as driving in the second lane from the left based on the solid line of dividing line RL11 and the dashed line of dividing line RL12. Therefore, even with lane numbers managed based on the left, this results in a state of inconsistency in driving lanes. Such a state may occur in areas where lanes are added or removed, such as merging sections and branching sections.

[0109] Therefore, when the position of the driving lane becomes inconsistent as described above, the reset determination unit 153C determines that the current driving lane position information should be reset. When the reset determination unit 153C determines that the driving lane position information should be reset, the lane tracking unit 153B outputs a reset request to the output adjustment unit 153D. The lane tracking unit 153B may also output a reset flag indicating "whether to reset the driving lane position information" to the output adjustment unit 153D.

[0110] The output adjustment unit 153D performs adjustment processing related to the driving lane of vehicle M based on the reset flag and reset request. For example, the output adjustment unit 153D adjusts the output of the driving lane number based on the behavior of vehicle M and the increase or decrease (merging, branching) status of lanes. Figure 10 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing performed by the output adjustment unit 153D. Figure 10 In the example, the output adjustment unit 153D determines whether the previous driving lane has been determined (step S100). The previous driving lane refers to the driving lane determined by the previous driving lane tracking in the driving lane tracking performed at a predetermined time. The previous driving lane may also be the driving lane set in the base lane setting. If the previous driving lane has been determined, it is determined whether there is a reset request performed by the reset determination unit 153C (step S102).

[0111] If a reset requirement is determined, the output adjustment unit 153D determines whether the section ahead of the vehicle M with the reset requirement is a branching or merging section (step S104). In step S104, the output adjustment unit 153D, based on the vehicle M's position information and referring to the first map information 54, determines whether the section ahead of the vehicle M is a merging or branching section where lane changes are temporarily occurring. If it is determined to be a branching or merging section, the output adjustment unit 153D outputs the driving lane determined through lane tracking (step S106). If, in step S102, it is determined that no reset requirement exists, the output adjustment unit 153D also performs step S106.

[0112] If, during the processing of step S100, it is determined that the previous driving lane was not completely determined, the output adjustment unit 153D determines whether lane changing has not been performed and whether the current lane is being maintained by driving control such as LKAS (step S108). If it is determined that lane maintenance is in progress, the output adjustment unit 153D outputs the driving lane set by the reference lane setting (step S110). If, during the processing of step S104, it is determined that the lane is not a branching or merging section, the output adjustment unit 153D also performs the processing of step S110.

[0113] If, in step S108, it is determined that lane keeping is not in progress (in other words, lane changing is underway), the output adjustment unit 153D outputs information indicating that the driving lane is uncertain (step S112). In step S112, for example, processing such as outputting corresponding information (e.g., error information) from the HMI 30 via the HMI control unit 170, or switching from the first driving mode to the second driving mode, may be performed. This concludes the process described in this flowchart. By determining the driving lane through the adjustment process as described above, for example, in… Figure 8 , Figure 9 In cases where the driving lane is determined differently as shown, the driving lane can be determined more accurately, and the driving control can be performed more appropriately using the information of the determined driving lane.

[0114] The output adjustment unit 153D may, for example, determine the driving lane by including the lane type (e.g., merging lane, overtaking lane, branching lane) when it is determined through the processing in step S104. For example, it may also determine whether the vehicle M is driving in the merging lane when it is determined to be driving in the merging lane. Figure 11 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the lane determination process within a merging section. Figure 11 In the example, the output adjustment unit 153D determines whether the position of vehicle M is within a certain range from the merging point (step S200). If it is determined that the position is within a certain range, the output adjustment unit 153D determines whether the type of the previous driving lane is the merging lane (step S202). If it is determined that the previous driving lane is the merging lane, the output adjustment unit 153D determines whether a lane change has been performed since the previous driving lane was determined (step S204). If it is determined that no lane change has been performed, it is determined that the driving lane of vehicle M is the merging lane, and the driving lane determined by driving lane tracking is output (step S206).

[0115] If, in step S202, it is determined that the previous lane was not the one being merged into, the output adjustment unit 153D determines whether the driving lane has been determined (step S208). If it is determined that the driving lane has been determined, the output adjustment unit 153D determines whether the driving lane is the end lane in the merging direction (step S210). If it is determined to be the end lane in the merging direction, the output adjustment unit 153D determines that the driving lane of vehicle M is the lane being merged into, and outputs the driving lane set by the reference lane setting (step S212).

[0116] If, in step S208, it is determined that the driving lane has not been completely determined, the output adjustment unit 153D outputs a condition indicating that it cannot determine whether the driving lane of vehicle M is the lane to be merged into (step S214). If, in step S200, it is determined that the vehicle is not within a certain range from the merging point, in step S204, it is determined that a lane change has been performed, or in step S210, it is determined that the driving lane is not the end lane of the merging direction, the output adjustment unit 153D determines that the driving lane of vehicle M is not the lane to be merged into (step S216). Thus, the processing of this flowchart ends. In this way, in the merging interval, not only is the driving lane determined, but it is also known that the vehicle is driving in the lane to be merged into (the lane that runs parallel to the merging road), thereby enabling the following controls corresponding to the driving situation: not changing lanes to lane L11 in the first driving mode, and maintaining a safe distance or slowing down to make it easier for other vehicles entering from the merging road to enter. Figure 11 The processing shown can also be applied in branch sections. Therefore, in branch sections, not only is the driving lane determined, but the situation of driving in the branched-off lane (the lane parallel to the branch road) is also taken into account, thereby enabling more appropriate driving controls such as lane changes and speed control to be performed in the lane used for travel towards the destination.

[0117] The above Figure 11 The processing shown can also be performed regardless of whether a reset requirement exists, when the driving lane (set reference lane) of vehicle M is determined in the reference lane setting unit 153A and the driving lane tracking unit 153B. For example, the driving lane tracking unit 153B, based on the position information of vehicle M and referring to the first map information 54, determines the driving lane within the merging or branching section ahead of vehicle M based on the position of the driving lane (or set reference lane) determined before reaching that section and whether vehicle M has changed lanes. For example, in Figure 8 , Figure 9In the scenario described, when vehicle M is traveling in the merging lane (left lane L12) of lanes L12 and L13 that are parallel to the merging road (lane L11) (or traveling in the right lane if the merging road is on the right), lane tracking unit 153B determines lane L12, which is parallel to the merging road, as the driving lane within interval PO1. On the other hand, if vehicle M is traveling in a lane parallel to the merging road and, based on the lane marking information, is determined to be traveling in a lane that is neither a left nor a right lane for a specified period of time, lane tracking unit 153B resets the driving lane to be uncertain and executes control in the second driving mode. The relationship between the merging road and the lane parallel to the merging road can also be replaced by the relationship between a branch road and the lane parallel to the branch road. Therefore, in intervals where the number of lanes temporarily increases or decreases, such as merging roads and branch roads, the driving lane can be determined more accurately.

[0118] For example, when the driving lane of vehicle M is determined, the mode change processing unit 154 executes a prescribed driving mode (e.g., a first driving mode (mode A or mode B)) based on the determined driving lane. When the driving lane of vehicle M is uncertain (uncertain) (even after adjustment processing, the driving lane remains uncertain), the mode change processing unit 154 switches the currently executing first driving mode (mode A or mode B) to a second driving mode (mode C, mode D, or mode E).

[0119] The mode change processing unit 154 can also allow vehicle M to continue driving in its current driving mode (without switching driving modes) even when the vehicle M's driving lane is uncertain. In this way, by continuing the current driving mode without changing the driving control of vehicle M, driving with a greater emphasis on stability can be achieved.

[0120] The mode change processing unit 154 can also continue the first driving mode if it is being executed and the vehicle M's lane is within a predetermined distance in a range where the lane is uncertain. This is because even if the vehicle M's lane in one or more lanes of the road cannot be determined, driving control such as LKAS can be performed if the road markings of the driving lane can be identified. In this way, the mode determination unit 150 can clarify the conditions under which the first driving mode cannot continue and switch to a safer driving mode within the range where the conditions are met.

[0121] When the driving mode of vehicle M switches from the first driving mode to the second driving mode, the HMI control unit 170 generates information urging the occupants of vehicle M to perform tasks corresponding to the driving mode, and outputs the generated information from the HMI 30. For example, the HMI control unit 170 generates an image representing the specific content of the task to be performed by the occupants, and outputs the generated image to the display device of the HMI 30. The HMI control unit 170 can also generate sound data corresponding to the image information, and output the generated data from the speaker of the HMI 30. The HMI control unit 170 can also notify the occupants of the need to switch to the second driving mode by outputting an alarm or the like. Thus, the occupants are aware of the change in driving mode, the assigned tasks, and can prepare for the switch. The HMI control unit 170 can also output information from the HMI 30 to the occupants of vehicle M indicating that the task assigned to the occupants has been changed (becomes less demanding) when the driving mode of vehicle M switches from the second driving mode to the first driving mode.

[0122] [Processing Flow]

[0123] Next, the process flow executed by the automated driving control device 100 of the embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, the process executed by the automated driving control device 100 will primarily focus on determining the driving lane of the vehicle M and switching driving modes based on the determined driving lane. The processes in this flowchart can, for example, be repeatedly executed at predetermined intervals.

[0124] Figure 12 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the driving control processing performed by the automatic driving control device 100. Figure 12 In the example, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle M (step S300). Next, the mode determination unit 150 drives the vehicle in any of the preset multiple driving modes based on the surrounding conditions, etc. (step S302).

[0125] Next, the mode determination unit 150 acquires reference information for determining the first map information and the position of vehicle M (step S304), and determines the driving lane of vehicle M based on the acquired information (step S306). The process in step S306 may include setting a reference lane for vehicle M. Next, the mode determination unit 150 determines whether vehicle M is in the first driving mode (step S308). If it is determined that vehicle M is driving in the first driving mode, the determination unit 153 determines whether the driving lane of vehicle M among one or more lanes included in the road on which vehicle M is traveling has been determined (step S310). If it is determined that the driving lane of vehicle M is not determined (uncertain), the mode change processing unit 154 controls the switching of the driving mode of vehicle M from the first driving mode to the second driving mode (step S312). Thus, the processing of this flowchart ends. If it is determined in step S308 that vehicle M is not driving in the first driving mode, the processing of this flowchart ends.

[0126] Figure 13 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the process for determining the driving lane of vehicle M. Figure 13 The process shown illustrates the details of step S306. Figure 13 In the processing, the determination unit 153 sets a reference lane based on the category of the dividing lines around the vehicle M obtained from the camera image (step S306A).

[0127] Next, the determination unit 153 determines whether a lane change has occurred (step S306B). If a lane change is determined to have occurred, the position of the driving lane is corrected based on the direction and number of lane changes (step S306C). After processing in step S306C, or if it is determined during processing in step S306B that no lane change has occurred, the determination unit 153 determines whether the number of lanes on the road, including the driving lane, has increased or decreased (step S306D). If it is determined that the number of lanes has increased or decreased, the determination unit 153 corrects the driving lane of vehicle M based on the direction of the lane increase or decrease and the number of lanes increased or decreased (step S306E).

[0128] If, after processing in step S306E, or if it is determined in step S306D that there is no increase or decrease in the number of lanes, the determination unit 153 performs a lane reset determination to determine whether a reset is required (in other words, whether a reset requirement exists) (step S306F). If it is determined that a lane reset is required, the determination unit 153 adjusts the information output as the lane (step S306G) and outputs the adjustment result (step S306H). If it is determined in step S306F that a lane reset is not required, the determination unit 153 outputs the determined (including corrected) lane (step S306I). Thus, the processing of this flowchart ends.

[0129] [Variation Example]

[0130] Alternatively, in the above-described embodiments, instead of adjusting the process based on the lane reset requirement, the reference lane is set and the driving lane is tracked again. When the reference lane is set using the reference lane setting unit 153A, the driving control unit can also perform lane changes to position the vehicle M in the right or left lane of the road. This allows for more accurate setting of the reference lane.

[0131] Alternatively, in the above-described embodiments, if there is map information (second map information) with higher precision than the first map information 54 in addition to the first map information 54, and the second map information cannot be obtained, the driving lane is determined using the first map information 54 and the image captured by the camera 10, and the control to continue the first driving mode is performed based on the determined information.

[0132] The second map information is, for example, a map information that defines road information for each lane in a shorter interval compared to the first map information 54. The second map information may also include information such as the center of the lane or the lane boundaries. The second map information may also include road information, traffic restriction information, address information (address and postal code), facility information, telephone number information, etc. The second map information can be updated at any time by communicating with other devices via the communication device 20. The second map information can be stored on a storage device such as the HDD or flash memory of the MPU 60, or stored in the storage unit 180.

[0133] For example, if the second map information exists in the MPU60 or the storage unit 180, the lane recommendation unit 61 will divide the path on the map provided by the navigation device 50 into multiple blocks and determine the recommended lane for each block by referring to the second map information. In this case, the lane recommendation unit 61 may also use the lane information contained in the second map information to make a decision such as which lane from the left the vehicle M should travel in.

[0134] Here, for example, if vehicle M is operating in the first driving mode and the second map information cannot be used due to data anomalies or anomalies in the updating of the second map information, the mode determination unit 150 determines the driving lane of vehicle M based on the information obtained from the first map information 54 as described above, and continues the first driving mode. Thus, even when the second map information cannot be used, a highly automated driving mode can be executed.

[0135] In this implementation, the mode determination unit 150 can also determine which of the multiple modes included in the second driving mode to switch to when switching from the first driving mode to the second driving mode, based on the driving state and driving environment of the vehicle M. The driving state is, for example, the driver's state determined by the driver state determination unit 151. The driving environment includes, for example, the shape of the road surrounding the vehicle M, the number of lanes, the presence or absence of branches and merging, the number of surrounding vehicles, and the relative positions of surrounding vehicles. For example, when the conditions for switching from the first driving mode to the second driving mode are met, the mode determination unit 150 may decide to switch to mode C if there are 3 lanes when the number of lanes for the vehicle M cannot be determined, decide to switch to mode D if there are 4 lanes, and decide to switch to mode E if there are 5 or more lanes. Thus, the vehicle M can be driven in a more appropriate mode based on the driving state and driving environment.

[0136] According to the embodiment described above, the vehicle control device includes: an identification unit 130 that identifies the surrounding conditions of a vehicle M; a driving control unit that controls one or both of the steering and speed of the vehicle M based on the surrounding conditions identified by the identification unit 130; an acquisition unit (first acquisition unit 152) that acquires map information (first map information 54) including lane information surrounding the vehicle M, and reference information for determining the position of the vehicle M; and a determination unit 153 that determines the vehicle's driving lane from one or more lanes included in the road on which the vehicle M travels, based on the reference information. The determination unit 153 sets a reference lane for the vehicle based on the number of lanes on the road obtained from the map information, the category information of road markings around the vehicle identified by the identification unit 130, or information on objects that can determine the lane position. Based on the set reference lane, the behavior of the vehicle M, and changes in the number of lanes on the road, the determination unit 153 determines the vehicle's driving lane more accurately. Therefore, accurate driving lane information can be used to continue the first driving mode and change the degree of driving control in more appropriate situations.

[0137] According to the implementation method, when the categories and arrangement of the dividing lines obtained from the camera image conform to certain rules (e.g., road specifications in different countries), it is possible to determine the position of the vehicle in multiple lanes (parallel driving lanes) based on the combination of categories. According to the implementation method, it is possible to use information contained in the map information related to the number of driving lanes and the direction of increase or decrease to detect lane increases or decreases and thus more accurately correct the driving lane.

[0138] According to the implementation method, even without carrying high-precision map information on the vehicle M, the location (driving lane) of the vehicle M can be more accurately determined using a navigation map (first map information 54) used by the navigation device 50, allowing the first driving mode to continue. Therefore, the need for real-time updates of map information such as high-precision maps and management based on map servers is eliminated, thus reducing operating costs.

[0139] The implementation methods described above can be performed as follows.

[0140] A vehicle control device comprising:

[0141] A storage device containing a program; and

[0142] Hardware processor,

[0143] The hardware processor executes the program to perform the following processing:

[0144] Identify the vehicle's surroundings;

[0145] The vehicle's steering and speed are controlled based on the identified surrounding conditions, or both.

[0146] Obtain map information including lane information surrounding the vehicle, as well as reference information for determining the vehicle's location;

[0147] The vehicle's driving lane is determined from the map information based on the reference information, which includes one or more lanes on the road the vehicle is traveling on.

[0148] The reference lane for the vehicle is set based on the number of lanes of the road obtained through the map information, as well as the category information of the road markings around the vehicle or the information of objects that can determine the position of the lane.

[0149] The vehicle's driving lane is determined based on the established reference lane, the vehicle's behavior, and the increase or decrease in the number of lanes on the road.

[0150] In addition, the implementation methods described above can also be implemented as follows.

[0151] The implementation methods described above can be performed as follows.

[0152] A vehicle control device comprising:

[0153] A storage device containing a program; and

[0154] Hardware processor,

[0155] The hardware processor executes the program to perform the following processing:

[0156] Identify the vehicle's surroundings;

[0157] The vehicle's steering and speed are controlled based on the identified surrounding conditions, or both.

[0158] Obtain map information including lane information surrounding the vehicle, as well as reference information for determining the vehicle's location;

[0159] Based on the reference information, the vehicle's driving lane is determined from the map information among one or more lanes of the road on which the vehicle travels;

[0160] If, based on the map information, the area ahead of the vehicle is a merging or branching section, and the driving lane before reaching the section is any of the left and right lanes included in the road, and it is determined that the vehicle has not changed lanes, then the driving lane of the vehicle within the section is determined to be a lane parallel to the merging or branching road.

[0161] The above description illustrates specific embodiments of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to such embodiments in any way, 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 includes: The identification unit identifies the vehicle's surroundings. A driving control unit that controls one or both of the vehicle's steering and speed based on the surrounding conditions identified by the recognition unit. The acquisition unit acquires map information, including lane information surrounding the vehicle, and reference information for determining the vehicle's position. as well as The determining unit, based on the reference information, determines from the map information the vehicle's lane among one or more lanes included in the road on which the vehicle is traveling. The determining unit sets a reference lane for the vehicle based on the number of lanes on the road obtained through the map information, and the category information of road markings around the vehicle identified by the identification unit, or information on objects that can determine the lane position. Based on the set reference lane, the vehicle's behavior, and changes in the number of lanes on the road, the determining unit then determines the vehicle's actual driving lane. If the vehicle's driving lane determined by the determining unit based on the reference lane, the vehicle's behavior, and the increase or decrease in the number of lanes on the road differs from the vehicle's driving lane determined based on the road markings around the vehicle identified by the identification unit, the determining unit resets the information of the determined driving lane.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, When the determination unit determines the driving lane within the section based on the map information and the position of the driving lane before reaching the section, and whether the vehicle has made a lane change, it determines the driving lane within the section.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, The driving control unit executes any one of multiple driving modes to drive the vehicle. These multiple driving modes include at least a first driving mode and a second driving mode that imposes a heavier workload on the occupants of the vehicle compared to the first driving mode. When the determining unit determines the vehicle's driving lane, the driving control unit executes the first driving mode. If the determining unit fails to determine the vehicle's driving lane, the driving control unit executes the second driving mode.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, The driving control unit executes any one of multiple driving modes with different tasks assigned to the occupants of the vehicle to drive the vehicle. If the determination unit fails to determine the driving lane of the vehicle, the driving mode being executed continues to drive the vehicle.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, The determining unit determines the driving lane based on a combination of the categories of road marking lines that divide one or more lanes around the vehicle, as identified by the identification unit.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, The determining unit obtains the lane increase / decrease intervals ahead of the vehicle from the map information, and determines the vehicle's driving lane based on the number and direction of the increase / decrease of the parallel driving lanes in the obtained intervals.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, The determining unit determines the vehicle's driving lane based on the road shape and the vehicle's behavior when the driving lane information is reset.

8. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein, If, based on the map information, the vehicle is in a section where it merges or branches off, and the vehicle is determined to be traveling in any of the left or right lanes included in the road before reaching the section, and the vehicle has not changed lanes, then the determining unit determines that the vehicle's lane in the section is a lane parallel to the merging or branching road.

9. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, wherein, When the vehicle is traveling in a lane parallel to a merging road or a branch road, and the determination unit determines that the vehicle is not in a left or right lane for a specified period of time based on the road marking information identified by the identification unit, the driving control unit executes the second driving mode.

10. A vehicle control method, wherein, The vehicle control method causes the computer to perform the following processing: Identify the vehicle's surroundings; The vehicle's steering and speed are controlled based on the identified surrounding conditions, or both. Obtain map information including lane information surrounding the vehicle, as well as reference information for determining the vehicle's location; The vehicle's driving lane is determined from the map information based on the reference information, which includes one or more lanes on the road the vehicle is traveling on. The reference lane for the vehicle is set based on the number of lanes of the road obtained through the map information, as well as the category information of the road markings around the vehicle or the information of objects that can determine the position of the lane. The vehicle's driving lane is determined based on the established reference lane, the vehicle's behavior, and the increase or decrease in the number of lanes on the road. If the vehicle's driving lane, determined based on the reference lane, the vehicle's behavior, and the increase or decrease in the number of lanes on the road, differs from the vehicle's driving lane, determined based on the identified road markings around the vehicle, the information of the determined driving lane is reset.

11. A storage medium storing a program, wherein, The program causes the computer to perform the following processing: Identify the vehicle's surroundings; The vehicle's steering and speed are controlled based on the identified surrounding conditions, or both. Obtain map information including lane information surrounding the vehicle, as well as reference information for determining the vehicle's location; The vehicle's driving lane is determined from the map information based on the reference information, which includes one or more lanes on the road the vehicle is traveling on. The reference lane for the vehicle is set based on the number of lanes of the road obtained through the map information, as well as the category information of the road markings around the vehicle or the information of objects that can determine the position of the lane. The vehicle's driving lane is determined based on the established reference lane, the vehicle's behavior, and the increase or decrease in the number of lanes on the road. If the vehicle's driving lane, determined based on the reference lane, the vehicle's behavior, and the increase or decrease in the number of lanes on the road, differs from the vehicle's driving lane, determined based on the identified road markings around the vehicle, the information of the determined driving lane is reset.

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