Travel control device

Abstract

The travel control device (100) includes: a recognition unit (111) that recognizes the surrounding conditions of the own vehicle (101); a determination unit (113) that, when the recognition unit (111) recognizes a first other vehicle (102) traveling in an adjacent lane on one side of the own lane and in the same traveling direction and recognizes a second other vehicle (103) traveling in an adjacent lane on the other side of the own lane, determines whether the second other vehicle is within a specified range from the own vehicle when the own vehicle and the first other vehicle approach each other by a specified degree or more in the traveling direction; and an actuator control unit (114) that, when the determination unit (113) determines that the second other vehicle (103) is within the specified range from the own vehicle when the own vehicle and the first other vehicle approach each other by a specified degree or more in the traveling direction, controls the travel actuator (AC) so that the own vehicle and the first other vehicle do not approach each other by a specified degree or more in the traveling direction.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving control device that controls the driving operation of a vehicle according to the surrounding conditions. Background Art

[0002] As such a device, a device that measures the position of an adjacent vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to the lane in which the own vehicle is traveling and changes the position of the own vehicle in the lane width direction according to the measurement result has been conventionally known (for example, see Patent Document 1). In the device described in Patent Document 1, the driving trajectory is corrected in a direction away from other vehicles, and the position of the own vehicle in the lane width direction is changed.

[0003] However, as in the device described in Patent Document 1, if the driving trajectory is only corrected in a direction away from other vehicles, when there is another vehicle in that direction, since the own vehicle moves in the direction of the other vehicle, it may cause discomfort to the occupants.

[0004] Prior Art Documents

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2005-524135. Summary of the Invention

[0006] A driving control device according to one aspect of the present invention includes: an identification unit that identifies the surrounding conditions of the own vehicle; an actuator control unit that controls a driving actuator to start an offset control in which the own vehicle travels away from other vehicles in the vehicle width direction when the distance in the traveling direction from the own vehicle to other vehicles traveling in the same direction as the own vehicle in an adjacent lane is less than a specified distance; and a determination unit that determines whether a second other vehicle is within a specified range from the own vehicle when the first other vehicle traveling in the first adjacent lane on one side of the own lane and in the same traveling direction is identified by the identification unit and the second other vehicle traveling in the second adjacent lane on the other side of the own lane is identified. When the determination unit determines that the second other vehicle is within the specified range from the own vehicle when the own vehicle and the first other vehicle approach each other by a specified degree or more in the traveling direction, the actuator control unit controls the driving actuator so that the distance in the traveling direction from the own vehicle to the first other vehicle is not less than the specified distance. Brief Description of the Drawings

[0007] Figure 1A is a diagram showing an example of a driving scene of a vehicle.

[0008] Figure 1B is a diagram showing another example of a driving scene of a vehicle.

[0009] Figure 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the main configuration of a driving control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0010] Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of a driving scenario of a vehicle to which the driving control device according to the present embodiment is applied.

[0011] Figure 4A is a diagram showing an example of a driving scenario at a time when a predetermined time has elapsed since Figure 3 a certain time.

[0012] Figure 4B is a diagram showing an example of a driving scenario at a time when a predetermined time has elapsed since Figure 3 a certain time.

[0013] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of processing executed by the CPU of the Figure 2 controller.

[0014] Figure 6A is a diagram showing another example of a driving scenario of a vehicle to which the driving control device according to the present embodiment is applied.

[0015] Figure 6B is a diagram showing yet another example of a driving scenario of a vehicle to which the driving control device according to the present embodiment is applied.

[0016] Figure 7A is a diagram showing yet another example of a driving scenario of a vehicle to which the driving control device according to the present embodiment is applied.

[0017] Figure 7B is a diagram showing yet another example of a driving scenario of a vehicle to which the driving control device according to the present embodiment is applied. Detailed Embodiments

[0018] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to Figures 1A to 7B The driving control device according to the embodiment of the present invention can be applied to a vehicle having a driving assistance function or an autonomous driving function. Hereinafter, an example in which the driving control device is applied to a vehicle having an autonomous driving function (autonomous driving vehicle) will be described. It should be noted that a vehicle to which the driving control device according to the present embodiment is applied may be distinguished from other vehicles and referred to as the present vehicle. In addition, the present vehicle can travel not only in an autonomous driving mode that does not require a driver's driving operation but also in a manual driving mode based on the driver's driving operation.

[0019] Figure 1A and Figure 1B are diagrams showing examples of driving scenarios of a vehicle. Figure 1AShows the situation when the vehicle VH1 traveling on the lane LN2 in the center of the one-way three-lane road RD with traffic on the left side at a vehicle speed V11 passes by the side of the vehicle VH2 traveling on the rightmost lane LN3 at a vehicle speed V12 (<V11). The vehicle VH1 is traveling in the autonomous driving mode, and the vehicle VH2 is traveling in the manual driving mode.

[0020] In Figure 1A when the vehicle VH1 traveling in the autonomous driving mode passes by the side of the vehicle VH2, the vehicle VH1 offsets its traveling trajectory to the left in such a way as to ensure a distance in the vehicle width direction from the vehicle VH2 of a specified length or more, so as to reduce the sense of oppression on the occupants due to the approach of the vehicle VH2. The arrow line OT schematically indicates the traveling trajectory of the vehicle VH1.

[0021] On the other hand, as Figure 1B shown, when there is a vehicle VH3 in the leftmost lane LN1, if the vehicle VH1 performs the offset traveling with the traveling trajectory corrected in the vehicle width direction when passing by the side of the vehicle VH2 as described above, the vehicle VH1 and the vehicle VH3 will approach each other in the vehicle width direction, which may cause discomfort to the occupants. In addition, if the traveling trajectory of the vehicle VH1 is offset to the right in order to avoid approaching the vehicle VH3, as Figure 1B shown by the arrow line OT in the traveling trajectory of the vehicle VH1 becomes a trajectory that causes the vehicle VH1 to sway from side to side, which may cause a sense of uneasiness to the occupants. Thus, if the offset traveling for avoiding approaching the vehicle VH2 is performed when there is a vehicle VH3, it may cause discomfort or a sense of uneasiness to the occupants. Therefore, the present embodiment configures the traveling control device as follows.

[0022] Figure 2 is a block diagram schematically showing the main part configuration of the traveling control device 100 according to an embodiment of the present invention. Figure 3 is a diagram showing an example of the traveling scenario of the own vehicle 101 to which the traveling control device 100 according to the present embodiment is applied. Here, taking the case where the own vehicle 101 is traveling on the lane LN2 of the road RD Figure 3 as an example, each component will be described.

[0023] As Figure 2 shown, the traveling control device 100 includes a controller 10, a communication unit 1, a positioning sensor 2, a vehicle speed sensor 3, a camera 4, and a traveling actuator (hereinafter simply referred to as actuator) AC that are communicably connected to the controller 10 respectively.

[0024] The communication unit 1 communicates with various devices (not shown) via a network including a wireless communication network typified by the Internet, mobile phone networks, etc., and acquires map information, traffic information, etc. at regular intervals or at any timing. The network includes not only public wireless communication networks but also closed communication networks set for each prescribed management area, such as wireless LAN, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc.

[0025] The positioning sensor 2 receives positioning signals transmitted from positioning satellites. The positioning satellites are artificial satellites such as GPS satellites and quasi-zenith satellites. Using the positioning information received by the positioning sensor 2, the current position (latitude, longitude, altitude) of the own vehicle 101 is measured. The positioning sensor 2 is used to detect the position of the own vehicle 101. Therefore, a distance detector (radar, lidar, etc.) that detects the distance from the own vehicle 101 to an object (an object on the road) can also be used instead of the positioning sensor 2. In this case, based on the position information of the objects provided on the road obtained from the map information stored in the storage unit 12 and the distance information to the objects obtained by the positioning sensor 2, the position of the own vehicle 101 is detected. As the positioning sensor 2, reception of positioning signals and a distance detector can also be used in combination. The vehicle speed sensor 3 detects the vehicle speed of the own vehicle 101.

[0026] The camera 4 has imaging elements (image sensors) such as CCD (charge-coupled device) and CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor). The camera 4 can be a monocular camera or a stereo camera. The camera 4 captures the surroundings of the own vehicle 101. The camera 4 is installed, for example, at a prescribed position (front, rear) of the own vehicle 101, continuously captures the space around the own vehicle 101, and acquires image data of the object (hereinafter referred to as captured image data or simply captured images).

[0027] The actuator AC is a driving actuator for controlling the travel of the own vehicle 101. When the driving power source is an engine, the actuator AC includes a throttle actuator that adjusts the opening degree of the throttle valve of the engine (throttle opening). When the driving power source is a driving electric motor, the actuator AC includes the driving electric motor. The actuator AC also includes a braking actuator that operates the braking device of the own vehicle 101 and a steering actuator that drives the steering device.

[0028] The controller 10 is composed of an electronic control unit (ECU). More specifically, the controller 10 includes a computer having an arithmetic unit 11 such as a CPU (microprocessor); a storage unit 12 such as a ROM (read-only memory) and a RAM (random access memory); and other peripheral circuits (not shown) such as an I / O interface. It should be noted that multiple ECUs with different functions such as an engine control ECU, a driving electric motor control ECU, and a braking device ECU can be provided separately, butFigure 2 In this case, for convenience, the controller 10 is shown as a collection of these ECUs.

[0029] The storage unit 12 stores highly accurate detailed map information (referred to as highly accurate map information). The highly accurate map information includes road position information, road shape (such as curvature) information, road slope information, intersection and fork position information, number of lanes information, speed limit, lane width, and position information of each lane (center position of the lane, information on the lane position dividing line), position information of landmarks (such as traffic signals, buildings, etc.) as markers on the map, road sign information (position, type, restriction information, etc.), and road surface profile information such as road surface unevenness. The storage unit 12 also stores various control programs, information such as thresholds used by the programs, etc.

[0030] The arithmetic unit 11 has an identification unit 111, a generation unit 112, a determination unit 113, and an actuator control unit 114 as functional structures.

[0031] The identification unit 111 identifies the surrounding conditions of the own vehicle 101 based on the captured image obtained by the camera 4. In Figure 3 the example shown, the identification unit 111 identifies other vehicles 102 traveling in the adjacent lane LN3 on one side of the own lane LN2 and other vehicles 103 traveling in the adjacent lane LN1 on the other side of the own lane.

[0032] The generation unit 112 generates a target trajectory of the own vehicle 101 (the driving trajectory of the own vehicle 101 from the current moment for a specified time) based on the surrounding conditions identified by the identification unit.

[0033] When the own vehicle 101 approaches another vehicle 102 in the traveling direction by more than a specified degree, the actuator control unit 114 controls the actuator AC to perform an offset control (the offset transfer control, offset continuation control, and offset recovery control described later) in which the own vehicle 101 travels away from the other vehicle 102 in the vehicle width direction. The so-called specified degree refers to the degree of approach between the own vehicle 101 and the other vehicle 102 that causes uneasiness or a sense of oppression to the occupants of the own vehicle 101.

[0034] More specifically, when the distance from the own vehicle 101 to the other vehicle 102 identified by the identification unit 111 is less than the offset start distance SD, the actuator control unit 114 controls the actuator AC to perform an offset transfer control in which the own vehicle 101 moves laterally (moves in the vehicle width direction) with an acceleration (acceleration in the vehicle width direction) that is not perceptible to the occupants. The offset start distance SD is based on the time until the own vehicle 101 and the other vehicle 102 travel in parallel, which is obtained based on the traveling positions and relative speeds of the own vehicle 101 and the other vehicle 102. (In Figure 3In the example shown, it is determined based on the time until the front of the own vehicle 101 is juxtaposed with the rear of another vehicle 102. When the interval in the vehicle width direction between the own vehicle 101 and the other vehicle 102 recognized by the recognition unit 111 reaches a specified length or more, the actuator control unit 114 stops the offset transfer control, controls the actuator AC, and executes the offset continuation control in which the own vehicle 101 maintains its traveling position (position in the vehicle width direction) and travels. When the recognition unit 111 recognizes that the own vehicle 101 has passed by the side of the other vehicle 102, the actuator control unit 114 controls the actuator AC and executes the offset recovery control in which the own vehicle 101 moves laterally so that the traveling position (position in the vehicle width direction) returns to the position before the offset. Hereinafter, the traveling locus of the own vehicle 101 when it is transferred to the offset traveling by the offset transfer control, that is, when it moves in a direction away from the other vehicle 102 in the vehicle width direction, is referred to as the offset start locus. In addition, the traveling locus of the own vehicle 101 when it continuously travels with the offset continuation control is referred to as the offset continuation locus. Furthermore, the traveling locus of the own vehicle 101 when it recovers from the offset traveling is referred to as the offset recovery locus.

[0035] When the recognition unit 111 recognizes another vehicle 102 traveling in the adjacent lane LN3 and also recognizes another vehicle 103 traveling in the adjacent lane LN1, the determination unit 113 determines whether the other vehicle 103 is within a specified range (range OL described later) of the own vehicle 101 when the own vehicle 101 and the other vehicle 102 approach each other by a specified degree or more in the traveling direction. It should be noted that this determination is made before the distance from the own vehicle 101 to the other vehicle 102 becomes less than the offset start distance SD. In addition, this determination is made based on the traveling position of the other vehicle 102, the relative speed of the other vehicle 102 with respect to the own vehicle 101, the traveling position of the other vehicle 103, and the relative speed of the other vehicle 103 with respect to the own vehicle 101. Hereinafter, the case where the other vehicle 103 is within the specified range OL of the own vehicle 101 when the own vehicle 101 and the other vehicle 102 approach each other by a specified degree or more in the traveling direction may be expressed as the own vehicle 101 overlapping with the other vehicles 102 and 103. Figure 4A This is a diagram showing an example of a traveling scene at a moment when a specified time has elapsed since the moment of Figure 4A This shows a state in which the own vehicle 101 and the other vehicle 102 approach each other by a specified degree or more in the traveling direction and the own vehicle 101 overlaps with the other vehicles 102 and 103. In Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an example of a traveling scene at a moment when a specified time has elapsed since the moment of Figure 4A This shows a state in which the own vehicle 101 and the other vehicle 102 approach each other by a specified degree or more in the traveling direction and the own vehicle 101 overlaps with the other vehicles 102 and 103. Figure 4AIn the example shown, the actuator control unit 114 has started the offset control for avoiding the other vehicle 102, and the traveling position of the vehicle 101 has shifted in a direction away from the other vehicle 102 (toward the adjacent lane LN1). At this time, when the actuator control unit 114 starts the offset control for avoiding the other vehicle 103, the traveling trajectory of the own vehicle 101 becomes Figure 1B the trajectory that causes the own vehicle 101 to sway as shown, which may bring the above-mentioned sense of uneasiness and discomfort to the occupants. That is, when the offset control for avoiding the other vehicle 102 is executed in a situation where the own vehicle 101 may overlap with the other vehicles 102 and 103, since the offset control for avoiding the other vehicle 103 is executed immediately after that, the own vehicle 101 may sway and bring a sense of uneasiness and discomfort to the occupants.

[0036] Therefore, before the distance from the own vehicle 101 to the other vehicle 102 becomes less than the offset start distance SD and the own vehicle 101 and the other vehicle 102 approach each other by a specified degree or more in the traveling direction, the determination unit 113 determines whether the own vehicle 101 overlaps with the other vehicles 102 and 103. When the determination unit 113 determines that the own vehicle 101 overlaps with the other vehicles 102 and 103, the actuator control unit 114 controls the actuator AC to execute a deceleration control for decelerating the own vehicle 101 so that the distance from the own vehicle 101 to the other vehicle 102 is not less than the offset start distance SD, that is, the offset control for avoiding the other vehicle 102 is not executed. At this time, the actuator control unit 114 executes the deceleration control (hereinafter referred to as the gentle deceleration control) in such a manner that the own vehicle 101 decelerates at a deceleration level that is not perceptible to the occupants. The deceleration level that is not perceptible to the occupants is a deceleration in which the magnitude of the change in the traveling speed of the own vehicle 101 per unit time is a specified value or less. For example, it is a deceleration level at which the brake lights (not shown) at the rear of the own vehicle 101 do not light up. The above-mentioned specified value is determined in advance based on the results of sensory evaluation and the like. The brake lights are configured to turn off when the operation amount of the brake pedal (not shown) by the occupant is a specified amount or less and turn on when the operation amount is greater than the specified amount when the own vehicle 101 is traveling in the manual driving mode. In addition, the brake lights are configured to turn off when the braking amount included in the braking command from the brake device ECU is a specified amount or less and turn on when the braking amount is greater than the specified amount when the own vehicle 101 is traveling in the autonomous driving mode. The above-mentioned specified amount is determined based on the above-mentioned specified value.

[0037] Figure 4B It shows from Figure 3 the moment when the specified time has elapsed since the Figure 4B It shows at Figure 3In the driving scene of FIG. 1 , the vehicle 101 is decelerated by the slow deceleration control of the actuator control unit 114. Figure 4B As shown, the distance from the host vehicle 101 to the other vehicle 102 is maintained at a state greater than the deviation start distance SD, and the deviation control is suppressed. In this way, when the host vehicle 101 and the other vehicle 102 are closer than a predetermined degree in the travel direction, and when the host vehicle 101 is likely to overlap with the other vehicles 102 and 103, the travel action of the host vehicle 101 is controlled so that the distance from the host vehicle 101 to the other vehicle 102 is not less than the deviation start distance SD. In this way, the generation of Figure 1B The driving trajectory of the host vehicle 101 is shown as being such that the host vehicle 101 is swayed. It should be noted that the length of the prescribed range OL in the traveling direction is determined according to the length of the offset continuous trajectory when the host vehicle 101 is set to perform the offset driving to avoid the other vehicle 102. More specifically, the length of the prescribed range OL in the traveling direction is determined according to the length of the offset continuous trajectory and the relative speed of the vehicle 101 to the other vehicle 102, so that the driving position of the other vehicle 103 is not included in the range of the offset continuous trajectory. It should be noted that the length of the prescribed range OL in the traveling direction can also be determined in a manner linked to the offset start distance SD. When the relative speed of the host vehicle 101 to the other vehicle 102 is small, even if the offset start distance SD is short, the host vehicle 101 can complete the offset driving to avoid the other vehicle 102 without interfering with the other vehicle 103. Therefore, the offset start distance SD is determined so that the smaller the relative speed of the host vehicle 101 to the other vehicle 102, the shorter the offset start distance SD. Thus, when the deviation start distance SD is determined to be shorter according to the relative speed of the host vehicle 101 to the other vehicle 102, the length of the predetermined range OL in the traveling direction can also be determined to be shorter. It should be noted that the length of the predetermined range OL in the traveling direction can also be determined by methods other than those described above.

[0038] Figure 5 It means that according to the pre-stored program, Figure 2 The process shown in the flowchart is executed at a predetermined period when the vehicle 101 is traveling in the automatic driving mode. Figure 3 The illustrated example is a case where the vehicle is traveling in the center lane LN2 of the one-way three-lane road RD.

[0039] First, in step S11, based on the captured image of camera 4, it is determined whether another vehicle (first other vehicle) traveling in the adjacent lane is recognized in front of the own vehicle 101. When step S11 is negative (S11: No), the process ends. When step S11 is positive (S11: Yes), in step S12, it is determined whether lane change control is required to avoid the first other vehicle recognized in step S11. Specifically, based on the relative speed of the own vehicle 101 with respect to the first other vehicle, it is predicted whether the own vehicle 101 has a passing movement through the side of the first other vehicle. When it is predicted that there is a passing movement, it is determined that lane change control is required to avoid the first other vehicle. When step S12 is negative (S12: No), the process ends. When step S12 is positive (S12: Yes), in step S13, it is determined whether another vehicle (second other vehicle) traveling in the adjacent lane on the opposite side of the adjacent lane in which the first other vehicle is traveling is recognized. When step S13 is negative (S13: No), lane change control is started in step S15. Thus, the own vehicle 101 travels while moving away from the first other vehicle in the vehicle width direction and passes through the side of the first other vehicle.

[0040] On the other hand, when step S13 is positive (S13: Yes), in step S14, it is determined whether the second other vehicle is within a specified range OL from the own vehicle 101 when the own vehicle 101 and the first other vehicle approach each other by a specified degree or more in the traveling direction. That is, it is determined whether the own vehicle 101 overlaps with the first other vehicle and the second other vehicle. When step S14 is negative (S14: No), the process proceeds to step S15. On the other hand, when step S14 is positive (S14: Yes), in step S16, deceleration control is started so that the own vehicle 101 does not approach the first other vehicle by a specified degree or more, that is, so that the distance to the first other vehicle is not less than the lane change start distance SD.

[0041] It should be noted that here, the processing has been described by taking the driving scenario in which another vehicle is recognized in front of the own vehicle 101 as an example. Figure 5 However, the processing can also be applied to a driving scenario in which another vehicle is recognized behind the own vehicle 101. Figure 5 Hereinafter, Figure 6A and Figure 6B will be used to describe these driving scenarios. Figure 6A and Figure 6B are diagrams showing other examples of the driving scenarios of the own vehicle 101 to which the driving control device 100 of the present embodiment is applied.

[0042] Figure 6AAn example of a driving scenario is shown where other vehicle 102 traveling in adjacent lane LN3 is recognized in front of host vehicle 101 traveling in lane LN2 of road RD, and other vehicle 103 traveling in adjacent lane LN1 is recognized behind host vehicle 101. In Figure 6A this driving scenario, when the traveling speed V1 of host vehicle 101 is greater than the traveling speed V2 of other vehicle 102 and the traveling speed V3 of other vehicle 103 is greater than traveling speeds V1 and V2, host vehicle 101 may overlap with other vehicles 102 and 103. When other vehicles pass by the side of host vehicle 101 from behind, offset control for causing host vehicle 101 to avoid other vehicles is also executed. Therefore, it is possible that after starting the offset control for avoiding other vehicle 102, the offset control for avoiding other vehicle 103 is then started, and thus host vehicle 101 may sway. Therefore, as Figure 6A shown, when other vehicle 103 is recognized behind host vehicle 101 (S13), it is also determined whether host vehicle 101 overlaps with other vehicles 102 and 103 (S14), and when it is determined that there is an overlap, deceleration control is executed (S16).

[0043] Figure 6B An example of a driving scenario is shown where both other vehicle 102 traveling in adjacent lane LN3 and other vehicle 103 traveling in adjacent lane LN1 are recognized behind host vehicle 101. In Figure 6B this driving scenario, when the traveling speed V2 of other vehicle 102 is greater than the traveling speed V1 of host vehicle 101 and the traveling speed V3 of other vehicle 103 is greater than traveling speeds V1 and V2, host vehicle 101 may overlap with other vehicles 102 and 103. Therefore, in Figure 6B this driving scenario, it is also possible that after starting the offset control for avoiding other vehicle 102, the offset control for avoiding other vehicle 103 is then started, and thus host vehicle 101 may sway. Therefore, as Figure 6B shown, when other vehicles 102 and 103 are recognized behind host vehicle 101 (S11, S12, S13), it is also determined whether host vehicle 101 overlaps with other vehicles 102 and 103 (S14), and when it is determined that there is no overlap, offset control is started (S15). It should be noted that if host vehicle 101 is decelerated when other vehicles traveling faster than host vehicle 101 approach from behind host vehicle 101, the relative speed between host vehicle 101 and other vehicles will increase, and it may increase the sense of unease for the occupants when other vehicles pass by the side of host vehicle 101. Therefore, when the vehicle recognized in step S11 is a following vehicle, even if it is determined in step S14 that there is an overlap, step S16 is skipped and deceleration control is not executed.

[0044] However, as Figure 7A shown, while the vehicle 101 is traveling at a traveling speed V1 on the lane LN3 of the road RD, when another vehicle 102 traveling at a traveling speed V2 (<V1) is recognized ahead of the vehicle 101 on the adjacent lane L2, the actuator control unit 114 executes an offset control for avoiding the other vehicle 102. At this time, the traveling locus of the vehicle 101 shifts in a direction away from the other vehicle 102, that is, toward the oncoming lane LN4 side. Therefore, as Figure 7A shown, when there is no median strip provided between the lane LN3 and the lane LN4, the vehicle 101 may approach another vehicle 103 traveling on the lane LN4 in the vehicle width direction. Therefore, in the Figure 7A shown traveling scenario, it is also possible to determine whether the vehicle 101 overlaps with the other vehicles 102 and 103 (S14), and when it is determined that there is an overlap, a deceleration control (S16) is executed without executing the offset control.

[0045] As Figure 7B shown, while the vehicle 101 is traveling at a traveling speed V1 on the lane LN3 of the road RD, when another vehicle 102 traveling at a traveling speed V2 (>V1) is recognized behind the vehicle 101 on the adjacent lane L2, similarly, it is determined whether the vehicle 101 overlaps with the other vehicles 102 and 103 (S14), and when it is determined that there is no overlap, the offset control is started (S15). Similar to the Figure 6B case, when the vehicle 101 is decelerated in Figure 7B , when the other vehicle 102 approaching from behind passes by the side of the vehicle 101, it may increase the sense of uneasiness of the occupants. Therefore, in the Figure 7B case, the step S16 is also skipped and the deceleration control is not executed.

[0046] Adopting the embodiment of the present invention can achieve the following effects.

[0047] (1) The travel control device 100 has: a recognition unit 111 that recognizes the surrounding conditions of the own vehicle 101; an actuator control unit 114 that controls the actuator AC to perform an offset control in which the own vehicle 101 travels away from the other vehicle 102 in the vehicle width direction when the distance in the traveling direction from the own vehicle 101 to the other vehicle 102 traveling in the same direction as the own vehicle 101 in the adjacent lane LN3 is less than a specified distance (offset start distance SD); and a determination unit 113 that, when the recognition unit 111 recognizes the other vehicle 102 traveling in the adjacent lane on one side of the own lane LN2 and in the same traveling direction and recognizes the other vehicle 103 traveling in the adjacent lane LN1 on the other side of the own lane LN2, determines whether the other vehicle 103 is within a specified range OL from the own vehicle 101 when the own vehicle 101 and the other vehicle 102 approach each other by a specified degree or more in the traveling direction. When the determination unit 113 determines that the other vehicle 103 is within the specified range OL from the own vehicle 101 when the own vehicle 101 and the other vehicle 102 approach each other by a specified degree or more in the traveling direction, the actuator control unit 114 controls the actuator so that the own vehicle 101 and the other vehicle 102 do not approach each other by a specified degree or more in the traveling direction. As a specific example, when the recognition unit 111 recognizes the other vehicle 102 in front of the own vehicle 101 and the determination unit 113 determines that the other vehicle 103 is within the specified range OL from the own vehicle 101 when the own vehicle 101 and the other vehicle 102 approach each other by a specified degree or more in the traveling direction, the actuator control unit 114 performs a deceleration control so that the distance in the traveling direction from the own vehicle 101 to the other vehicle 102 is not less than the specified distance. Thereby, inadvertent offset control can be suppressed, and thus the riding comfort of the occupants can be improved. In addition, since it is possible to appropriately avoid approaching other vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes, traffic safety can be improved.

[0048] (2) When performing the deceleration control, the actuator control unit 114 controls the actuator AC so that the magnitude of the change amount of the traveling speed of the own vehicle 101 per unit time becomes equal to or less than a specified value. Thereby, when performing the deceleration control, the own vehicle 101 can be decelerated without giving the occupants a sense of uneasiness or discomfort.

[0049] The above-described embodiments can be changed into various forms. Hereinafter, modification examples will be described. In the above-described embodiment, the surroundings of the own vehicle 101 are imaged by the camera 4, but as long as the surroundings of the own vehicle 101 are detected, the configuration of the in-vehicle detector can be arbitrary. For example, the in-vehicle detector can be a radar or a lidar. Further, in the above-described embodiment, the surroundings of the own vehicle 101 are recognized based on the captured image obtained by the camera 4, but the configuration of the recognition unit is not limited to the above configuration. The recognition unit may also recognize the surroundings of the own vehicle 101 based on the information obtained through vehicle-to-road communication and vehicle-to-vehicle communication via the communication unit 1.

[0050] Further, in the above-described embodiment, when the determination unit 113 determines that the own vehicle 101 and another vehicle 102 approach each other by a predetermined degree or more in the traveling direction and the other vehicle 103 is within the predetermined range OL from the own vehicle 101, the actuator control unit 114 controls the actuator AC to perform deceleration control. However, the actuator control unit may perform acceleration control as well as deceleration control. That is, acceleration / deceleration control may be performed. More specifically, when another vehicle 102 is recognized behind the own vehicle 101, the actuator control unit may perform acceleration control, that is, accelerate the own vehicle 101 at an acceleration that is not perceptible to the occupant, specifically, at an acceleration such that the magnitude of the change in the traveling speed of the own vehicle 101 per unit time is equal to or less than a predetermined value, so that the distance from the own vehicle 101 to the other vehicle 102 is not less than the offset start distance SD. In addition, the actuator control unit may perform constant-speed traveling in which the traveling speed of the own vehicle 101 is constant. It should be noted that the above-described predetermined value for acceleration control is determined in advance based on the results of sensory evaluation or the like.

[0051] Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example is given in which the predetermined range OL is a range having a predetermined length forward from the front end portion of the own vehicle 101, but the predetermined range may also be a range having a predetermined length rearward from the rear end portion of the own vehicle 101, or may be a range having a predetermined length in the front-rear direction centered on the own vehicle 101.

[0052] In addition, in the above-described embodiment, when the present vehicle 101 may overlap with other vehicles 102 and 103, the actuator control unit 114 controls the driving operation of the present vehicle 101 so that the distance from the present vehicle 101 to the other vehicle 102 is not less than the offset start distance SD. However, the actuator control unit may also control the driving operation of the present vehicle 101 so that the relative speed of the present vehicle 101 with respect to the other vehicle 102 is below a specified threshold value (a driving speed difference that does not cause discomfort to the occupants when the present vehicle 101 passes by the side of the other vehicle 102). For example, when the other vehicle 102 stops for some reason, if the driving operation of the present vehicle 101 is controlled so that the distance from the present vehicle 101 to the other vehicle 102 is not less than the offset start distance SD, the present vehicle 101 may stop near the offset start distance SD from the other vehicle 102 and may not be able to pass by the side of the other vehicle 102. Therefore, in such a case, the driving operation of the present vehicle 101 may also be controlled so that it passes by the side of the other vehicle 102 while the relative speed with respect to the other vehicle 102 is below the specified threshold value. In addition, even if it is determined that the present vehicle 101 may overlap with other vehicles 102 and 103, when the relative speed of the present vehicle 101 with respect to the other vehicle 102 is identified by the identification unit 111 as being above the specified speed, the actuator control unit may perform offset control without performing deceleration control.

[0053] The above description is only an example, and the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment and modification examples as long as the features of the present invention are not damaged. One or more of the above-described embodiment and modification examples may be arbitrarily combined, and the modification examples may also be combined with each other.

[0054] By adopting the present invention, it is possible to suppress an inadvertent correction of the driving trajectory that reduces the riding comfort of the occupants.

[0055] The present invention has been described above in conjunction with the preferred embodiments, but those skilled in the art should understand that various modifications and changes can be made without departing from the scope of disclosure of the claims described below.

Claims

1. A driving control device, characterized in that, Comprising: a recognition unit (111) that recognizes the surrounding conditions of the own vehicle (101); an actuator control unit (114) that controls a travel actuator (AC) to start offset control in which the own vehicle (101) travels away from the other vehicle (102, 103) in the vehicle width direction when the distance in the traveling direction from the own vehicle (101) to the other vehicle (102, 103) traveling in the same direction in an adjacent lane is less than a specified distance; and a determination unit (113) that, when the recognition unit (111) recognizes a first other vehicle (102) traveling in a first adjacent lane adjacent to one side of the own lane and in the same traveling direction and recognizes a second other vehicle (103) traveling in a second adjacent lane, which is an adjacent lane on the other side of the own lane, determines whether the second other vehicle (103) is within a specified range from the own vehicle (101) when the own vehicle (101) and the first other vehicle (102) approach each other by a specified degree or more in the traveling direction; when the determination unit (113) determines that the second other vehicle (103) is within the specified range from the own vehicle (101) when the own vehicle (101) and the first other vehicle (102) approach each other by the specified degree or more in the traveling direction, the actuator control unit (114) controls the travel actuator (AC) so that the distance in the traveling direction from the own vehicle (101) to the first other vehicle (102) is not less than the specified distance.

2. The travel control device according to claim 1, wherein: when the determination unit (113) determines that the second other vehicle (103) is within the specified range from the own vehicle (101) when the own vehicle (101) and the first other vehicle (102) approach each other by the specified degree or more in the traveling direction, the actuator control unit (114) controls the travel actuator (AC) to perform acceleration / deceleration control for acceleration and deceleration so that the distance in the traveling direction from the own vehicle (101) to the first other vehicle (102) is not less than the specified distance.

3. The travel control device according to claim 2, wherein: the acceleration / deceleration control includes deceleration control, and the deceleration control is deceleration of the own vehicle (101) in such a manner that the own vehicle (101) does not approach the first other vehicle (102) by the specified degree or more in the traveling direction; when the recognition unit (111) recognizes the first other vehicle (102) in front of the own vehicle (101) and the determination unit (113) determines that the second other vehicle (103) is within the specified range from the own vehicle (101) when the own vehicle (101) and the first other vehicle (102) approach each other by the specified degree or more in the traveling direction, the actuator control unit (114) controls the travel actuator (AC) to perform the deceleration control.

4. The travel control device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein: When performing the acceleration / deceleration control, the actuator control unit (114) controls the traveling actuator (AC) so that the magnitude of the change in the traveling speed of the host vehicle (101) per unit time becomes equal to or less than a specified value.

5. The traveling control device according to claim 3, wherein: When the first other vehicle (102) is recognized by the recognition unit (111) behind the host vehicle (101), even if the determination unit (113) determines that the second other vehicle (103) is within the specified range from the host vehicle (101) when the host vehicle (101) and the first other vehicle (102) approach each other by the specified degree or more in the traveling direction, the actuator control unit (114) controls the traveling actuator (AC) not to perform the deceleration control.

6. The traveling control device according to claim 3, wherein: The acceleration / deceleration control includes an acceleration control, and in the acceleration control, the host vehicle (101) accelerates in such a manner that it does not approach the first other vehicle (102) by the specified degree or more in the traveling direction. When the first other vehicle (102) is recognized by the recognition unit (111) behind the host vehicle (101), and when the determination unit (113) determines that the second other vehicle (103) is within the specified range from the host vehicle (101) when the host vehicle (101) and the first other vehicle (102) approach each other by the specified degree or more in the traveling direction, the actuator control unit (114) controls the traveling actuator (AC) to perform the acceleration control.

7. The traveling control device according to claim 6, wherein: When performing the acceleration control, the actuator control unit (114) controls the traveling actuator (AC) so that the magnitude of the change in the traveling speed of the host vehicle (101) per unit time becomes equal to or less than a specified value.

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