Vehicle Controls

Abstract

The vehicle control device includes: an identification unit that identifies the surrounding conditions of the vehicle; a driving control unit that controls the steering and acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle independently of the operation of the driver of the vehicle; and a mode determination unit that determines the driving mode of the vehicle to be any one of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode, and restricts the implementation of the second driving mode when the queue-jumping vehicle is identified and specified conditions are met.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In the past, an invention of a driving control device has been disclosed (Patent Document 1), which obtains the automatic driving state of a confirmed object vehicle within a specified range around the own vehicle, and changes the inter-vehicle distance with other vehicles based on the automatic driving state, and changes the inter-vehicle distance when the automatic driving state is an unconfirmed state in which the confirmed object vehicle is an automatic driving vehicle and cannot be confirmed as being in an appropriate automatic driving state, and a confirmed state in which the confirmed object vehicle can be confirmed as being in an appropriate automatic driving state.

[0003] Prior Art Literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-119310 Summary of the invention

[0006] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0007] However, other vehicles around the vehicle are not necessarily automated vehicles, and therefore various situations may occur. Therefore, in the conventional technology, appropriate control corresponding to the situation when the vehicle is cut in line may not be performed.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of such a situation, and one of its objects is to provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a storage medium capable of performing appropriate control in accordance with the situation when a vehicle is cut in line.

[0009] Solutions to Solve Problems

[0010] The vehicle control device according to the present invention adopts the following structure.

[0011] (1): A vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a recognition unit that recognizes a peripheral condition of a vehicle; a driving control unit that controls steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle independently of an operation by a driver of the vehicle; and a mode determination unit that determines a driving mode of the vehicle to be any one of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode, wherein the second driving mode is a driving mode that places a lighter task on the driver than the first driving mode, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of driving modes including the second driving mode is controlled by the driving control unit, wherein when a task related to the determined driving mode is not performed by the driver, the mode determination unit changes the driving mode of the vehicle to a driving mode that places a heavier task, wherein the recognition unit recognizes a vehicle that cuts in on a driving path on which the vehicle is traveling, i.e., an intervening vehicle, and when the recognition unit recognizes the intervening vehicle and a predetermined condition is satisfied, the mode determination unit restricts implementation of the second driving mode.

[0012] (2): Based on the scheme of (1) above, the second driving mode is a driving mode in which the driver is not assigned the task of holding an operating member that receives steering operation, and the first driving mode is a driving mode in which the driver needs to perform driving operations with respect to at least one of the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle.

[0013] (3): Based on the scheme of (1) above, the second driving mode is a driving mode in which the driver is not assigned the task of holding the operating member that receives the steering operation, and the first driving mode is a driving mode in which the driver is at least assigned the task of holding the operating member that receives the steering operation of the driver.

[0014] (4) In the above-mentioned aspect (1), the predetermined condition includes a condition that the magnitude of the deceleration rate achieved by the deceleration control is equal to or greater than a reference deceleration rate.

[0015] (5): In the above scheme (1), the prescribed condition includes a condition that the degree of proximity between the vehicle and the cutting-in vehicle is higher than a first reference degree at a terminal point of a section where the cutting-in vehicle can cut in on the travel route on which the vehicle is traveling.

[0016] (6) In the above aspect (1), the predetermined condition includes a condition that a time elapsed from the start of the deceleration control is equal to or longer than a first reference time.

[0017] (7): Based on the scheme of (1) above, the specified conditions include the condition that the speeds of the vehicle and the queue-cutting vehicle are below a first reference speed, and the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the preceding vehicle in front of the vehicle on the driving road is above the first reference inter-vehicle distance for a period of time exceeding a second reference time.

[0018] (8) In the above aspect (1), the predetermined condition includes a condition that the speed of the vehicle has decreased by more than a second reference speed since the deceleration control was started.

[0019] (9) In the above-mentioned embodiment (1), the predetermined condition includes a condition that there is another vehicle behind the cutting-in vehicle and the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the cutting-in vehicle is smaller than a second reference inter-vehicle distance.

[0020] (10): A vehicle control method according to another embodiment of the present invention causes a computer mounted on a vehicle to perform the following processing: identifying the surrounding conditions of the vehicle; controlling the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle independently of the operation of the driver of the vehicle; determining the driving mode of the vehicle to be any one of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode, the second driving mode being a driving mode that places a lighter task on the driver than the first driving mode, and at least a portion of the plurality of driving modes including the second driving mode being performed by controlling the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle independently of the operation of the driver of the vehicle, and when the task involved in the determined driving mode is not performed by the driver, changing the driving mode of the vehicle to a driving mode that places a heavier task; when performing the identification, identifying a vehicle that cuts in on a driving path on which the vehicle is traveling, i.e., an intervening vehicle; and when the intervening vehicle is identified and a specified condition is met, restricting the implementation of the second driving mode.

[0021] (11): Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a storage medium storing a program, wherein the program causes a computer mounted on a vehicle to perform the following processing: identifying the surrounding conditions of the vehicle; controlling the steering and acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle independently of the operation of the driver of the vehicle; determining the driving mode of the vehicle to be any one of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode, wherein the second driving mode is a driving mode that places a lighter task on the driver than the first driving mode, and wherein at least a portion of the plurality of driving modes including the second driving mode is performed by controlling the steering and acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle independently of the operation of the driver of the vehicle, and when the task involved in the determined driving mode is not performed by the driver, changing the driving mode of the vehicle to a driving mode that places a heavier task; when performing the identification, identifying a vehicle that cuts in on a driving path on which the vehicle is traveling, i.e., an intervening vehicle; and when the intervening vehicle is identified and a specified condition is satisfied, restricting the implementation of the second driving mode.

[0022] Effects of the Invention

[0023] According to the above-mentioned aspects (1) to (11), it is possible to perform appropriate control according to the situation when a passenger is cut in line. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0024] Figure 1 It is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system using the vehicle control device according to the embodiment.

[0025] Figure 2 This is a functional structure diagram of the first control unit and the second control unit.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence between the driving mode and the control state and task of the host vehicle.

[0027] Figure 4 The figure shows a situation in which a vehicle cutting in line is identified in a merging scene.

[0028] Figure 5 The figure shows a situation where a vehicle cutting in line is identified in a lane change scenario.

[0029] Figure 6 It is a diagram for explaining the vehicle-to-vehicle distance at a terminal point.

[0030] Figure 7 This is a diagram for explaining processing characteristics when the third reference inter-vehicle distance is determined based on the speed of the host vehicle.

[0031] Figure 8 This is a diagram for explaining processing characteristics when the fourth reference inter-vehicle distance is determined based on the speed of the host vehicle.

[0032] Fig. 9 This is a diagram for explaining the processing characteristics when the fifth reference inter-vehicle distance is determined based on the speed of the host vehicle.

[0033] Fig.10 This is a diagram for explaining condition (5).

[0034] Fig.11 This is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the mode change processing unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a storage medium according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0036] [Overall structure]

[0037] Figure 1 1 is a structural diagram of a vehicle system 1 using a vehicle control device according to an embodiment. The vehicle equipped with the vehicle system 1 is, for example, a two-wheel, three-wheel, or four-wheel vehicle, and its driving source is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination thereof. The electric motor operates using the power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, or the power discharged from a secondary battery or a fuel cell.

[0038] The vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, a vehicle sensor 40, a navigation device 50, an MPU (Map Positioning Unit) 60, a driver monitoring camera 70, a driving operating member 80, an automatic driving control device 100, a driving force output device 200, a braking device 210, and a steering device 220. These devices and equipment are interconnected through multi-channel communication lines such as CAN (Controller Area Network) communication lines, serial communication lines, wireless communication networks, etc. It should be noted that Figure 1 The structure shown is just an example, and part of the structure may be omitted or another structure may be added.

[0039] The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is installed at any part of a vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the vehicle M) equipped with the vehicle system 1. When shooting the front, the camera 10 is installed on the upper part of the front windshield, the back of the rearview mirror in the vehicle, etc. The camera 10, for example, periodically and repeatedly shoots the surroundings of the vehicle M. The camera 10 may also be a stereo camera.

[0040] The radar device 12 radiates radio waves such as millimeter waves to the periphery of the vehicle M, and detects radio waves (reflected waves) reflected by an object to detect at least the position (distance and direction) of the object. The radar device 12 is installed at any part of the vehicle M. The radar device 12 can also detect the position and speed of the object by FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

[0041] The LIDAR 14 irradiates light (or electromagnetic waves with a wavelength close to light) to the periphery of the vehicle M and measures scattered light. The LIDAR 14 detects the distance to the object based on the time from light emission to light reception. The irradiated light is, for example, a pulsed laser. The LIDAR 14 is installed at any part of the vehicle M.

[0042] The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results of part or all of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to recognize the position, type, speed, etc. of the object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition result to the automatic driving control device 100. The object recognition device 16 can output the detection results of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 directly to the automatic driving control device 100. The object recognition device 16 can also be omitted from the vehicle system 1.

[0043] The communication device 20 communicates with other vehicles around the host vehicle M using, for example, a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), or the like, or communicates with various server devices via a wireless base station.

[0044] The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupants of the vehicle M, and receives input operations from the occupants. The HMI 30 includes various display devices, speakers, buzzers, touch panels, switches, keys, and the like.

[0045] The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor for detecting the speed of the host vehicle M, an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration, a yaw rate sensor for detecting the angular velocity around a vertical axis, an azimuth sensor for detecting the orientation of the host vehicle M, and the like.

[0046] The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a route determination unit 53. The navigation device 50 stores first map information 54 in a storage device such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 determines the position of the vehicle M based on signals received from GNSS satellites. The position of the vehicle M can also be determined or supplemented by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) using the output of the vehicle sensor 40. The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, a key, etc. The navigation HMI 52 can also be partially or entirely shared with the aforementioned HMI 30. The route determination unit 53, for example, refers to the first map information 54 to determine a route (hereinafter referred to as a route on the map) from the position of the vehicle M determined by the GNSS receiver 51 (or an arbitrary position input) to the destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52. The first map information 54 is information that represents the shape of a road by, for example, representing road segments and nodes connected by the road segments. The first map information 54 may also include the curvature of the road, POI (Point Of Interest) information, etc. The path on the map is output to the MPU 60. The navigation device 50 may also provide path guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the path on the map. The navigation device 50 may also be implemented by the function of a terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal held by the passenger. The navigation device 50 may also send the current position and destination to the navigation server via the communication device 20, and obtain a path equivalent to the path on the map from the navigation server.

[0047] The MPU 60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 61, and stores the second map information 62 in a storage device such as a HDD or a flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 61 divides the path on the map provided by the navigation device 50 into a plurality of blocks (for example, divided into every 100 [m] in the vehicle's traveling direction), and determines a recommended lane for each block with reference to the second map information 62. The recommended lane determination unit 61 determines the lane on which the vehicle M should travel from the left. When there is a branch in the path on the map, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines the recommended lane in a manner that allows the vehicle M to travel on a reasonable path for traveling to the branch destination.

[0048] The second map information 62 is map information with higher accuracy than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes, for example, information on the center of a lane or information on a lane boundary. In addition, the second map information 62 may include road information, traffic restriction information, address information (address and postal code), facility information, telephone number information, information on prohibited sections where the later-described mode A or mode B is prohibited, etc. The second map information 62 may be updated at any time by communicating with other devices through the communication device 20.

[0049] The driver monitoring camera 70 is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD or a CMOS. The driver monitoring camera 70 is installed at any part of the vehicle M in a position and orientation that can capture the head of a passenger (hereinafter referred to as the driver) sitting in the driver's seat of the vehicle M from the front (in an orientation for capturing the face). For example, the driver monitoring camera 70 is installed above a display device provided in the center of the dashboard of the vehicle M.

[0050] The driving operating parts 80 include, for example, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, and other operating parts in addition to the steering wheel 82. A sensor for detecting the amount of operation or the presence or absence of operation is installed on the driving operating parts 80, and the detection result is output to the automatic driving control device 100, or part or all of the driving drive force output device 200, the braking device 210, and the steering device 220. The steering wheel 82 is an example of an "operating part that receives the steering operation performed by the driver." The operating part does not necessarily have to be annular, and can also be in the form of a special-shaped steering gear, a joystick, a button, etc. A steering wheel holding sensor 84 is installed on the steering wheel 82. The steering wheel holding sensor 84 is implemented by an electrostatic capacitance sensor, etc., and outputs a signal to the automatic driving control device 100 that can detect whether the driver is holding (meaning in contact with the steering wheel 82 in a state of applying force).

[0051] The automatic driving control device 100 includes, for example, a first control unit 120 and a second control unit 160. The first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160 are respectively implemented by executing a program (software) by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). In addition, some or all of these components may be implemented by hardware (including a circuit unit: circuitry) such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or by the coordination of software and hardware. The program may be pre-stored in a storage device (a storage device having a non-temporary storage medium) such as an HDD or flash memory of the automatic driving control device 100, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and may be installed in the HDD or flash memory of the automatic driving control device 100 by assembling the storage medium (non-temporary storage medium) in a drive device. The automatic driving control device 100 is an example of a “vehicle control device”, and the action plan generation unit 140 and the second control unit 160 are combined to form an example of a “driving control unit”.

[0052] Figure 2 It is a functional structure diagram of the first control unit 120 and the second control unit 160. The first control unit 120, for example, includes an identification unit 130, an action plan generation unit 140, and a mode determination unit 150. The first control unit 120, for example, implements in parallel functions based on AI (Artificial Intelligence) and functions based on a pre-given model. For example, the function of "identifying intersections" can be achieved by "parallel execution of intersection recognition based on deep learning, etc. and recognition based on pre-given conditions (there are signals that can be pattern matched, road signs, etc.), and scoring both parties for comprehensive evaluation." Thereby, the reliability of autonomous driving is ensured.

[0053] The recognition unit 130 recognizes the position, velocity, acceleration and other states of objects in the vicinity of the vehicle M based on the information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12 and the LIDAR 14 via the object recognition device 16. The position of the object is, for example, recognized as a position on an absolute coordinate with a representative point (center of gravity, center of drive shaft, etc.) of the vehicle M as the origin, and is used for control. The position of the object can also be represented by representative points such as the center of gravity, corners, etc. of the object, or by an area. The so-called "state" of an object can also include the acceleration, jerk, or "action state" of the object (for example, whether a lane change is in progress or about to be made).

[0054] In addition, the recognition unit 130 recognizes, for example, the lane in which the host vehicle M is traveling (driving lane). For example, the recognition unit 130 compares the pattern of road dividing lines (e.g., the arrangement of solid lines and dotted lines) obtained from the second map information 62 with the pattern of road dividing lines around the host vehicle M recognized based on the image captured by the camera 10, thereby identifying the driving lane. It should be noted that the recognition unit 130 is not limited to road dividing lines, and the driving lane can also be identified by recognizing road dividing lines, driving road boundaries (road boundaries) including shoulders, curbs, central isolation strips, guardrails, etc. In this recognition, the position of the host vehicle M obtained from the navigation device 50 and the processing results processed by the INS can also be taken into consideration. In addition, the recognition unit 130 recognizes temporary stop lines, obstacles, red lights, toll booths, and other road phenomena.

[0055] When recognizing the driving lane, the recognition unit 130 recognizes the position and posture of the host vehicle M relative to the driving lane. For example, the recognition unit 130 may recognize the deviation of the reference point of the host vehicle M from the center of the lane and the angle formed by the traveling direction of the host vehicle M with respect to the line connecting the centers of the lanes as the relative position and posture of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane. Alternatively, the recognition unit 130 may recognize the position of the reference point of the host vehicle M with respect to any side end (road dividing line or road boundary) of the driving lane as the relative position of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane.

[0056] The recognition unit 130 includes a queue-jumping vehicle recognition unit 132. The function of the queue-jumping vehicle recognition unit 132 will be described later.

[0057] The action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory for the vehicle M to automatically (independent of the driver's operation) travel in the future in a manner that, in principle, travels on the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determination unit 61 and can cope with the surrounding conditions of the vehicle M. The target trajectory includes, for example, a speed element. For example, the target trajectory is represented by a trajectory in which the locations (track points) that the vehicle M should arrive at are arranged in sequence. The track point is the location that the vehicle M should arrive at every specified driving distance (for example, a few [m]) along the way. Different from this, the target speed and target acceleration at every specified sampling time (for example, a few tenths [sec]) are generated as part of the target trajectory. In addition, the track point can also be the position that the vehicle M should arrive at at the sampling time every specified sampling time. In this case, the information of the target speed and target acceleration is represented by the interval between the track points.

[0058] The action plan generation unit 140 may set an event for autonomous driving when generating a target trajectory. The events for autonomous driving include a constant speed driving event, a low speed following driving event, a lane change event, a branching event, a merging event, a takeover event, etc. The action plan generation unit 140 generates a target trajectory corresponding to the activated event.

[0059] The action plan generation unit 140 includes a queue interruption control unit 142. The function of the queue interruption control unit 142 will be described later.

[0060] The mode determination unit 150 determines the driving mode of the host vehicle M to be any one of a plurality of driving modes that assign different tasks to the driver. The mode determination unit 150 includes, for example, a driver state determination unit 152 and a mode change processing unit 154. Their respective functions will be described later.

[0061] Figure 3 : is a diagram showing an example of the correspondence between the driving mode and the control state and task of the vehicle M. The driving mode of the vehicle M includes five modes, for example, mode A to mode E. With respect to the control state, that is, the degree of automation of the driving control of the vehicle M, mode A is the highest, followed by mode B, mode C, and mode D, and mode E is the lowest. On the contrary, with respect to the tasks assigned to the driver, mode A is the lightest, followed by mode B, mode C, and mode D, and mode E is the heaviest. It should be noted that in modes D and E, it becomes a control state that is not an automatic driving, so the automatic driving control device 100 is responsible for the processing before terminating the control involved in the automatic driving and transferring it to driving support or manual driving. The following is an example of the content of each driving mode. It should be noted that mode A and / or mode B is an example of the "second driving mode", and part or all of mode C, mode D, and mode E are an example of the "first driving mode".

[0062] In mode A, the vehicle is in an automatic driving state, and the driver is not required to monitor the front and hold the steering wheel 82 (steering wheel holding in the figure). However, even mode A requires the driver to have a body posture that can quickly switch to manual driving according to the requirements of the system centered on the automatic driving control device 100. It should be noted that the automatic driving mentioned here means that steering and acceleration and deceleration are controlled independently of the driver's operation. The front refers to the space in the direction of travel of the vehicle M that is visually identified through the front windshield. Mode A is a driving mode that can be executed when the conditions such as the vehicle M is traveling at a specified speed (for example, about 50 [km / h]) or less on a motor vehicle-only road such as an expressway and there is a preceding vehicle to be followed are met. It is sometimes called TJP (Traffic Jam Pilot). If this condition is not met, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the vehicle M to mode B.

[0063] In mode B, it is a state of driving support, and the driver is assigned the task of monitoring the front of the vehicle M (hereinafter referred to as front monitoring), but is not assigned the task of holding the steering wheel 82. In mode C, it is a state of driving support, and the driver is assigned the task of monitoring the front and the task of holding the steering wheel 82. Mode D is a driving mode in which at least one of the steering and acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle M requires a certain degree of driving operation by the driver. For example, in mode D, driving support such as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) and LKAS (Lane Keeping Assist System) is performed. In mode E, it is a state of manual driving in which both steering and acceleration and deceleration require driving operations to be performed by the driver. Of course, both modes D and E assign the driver the task of monitoring the front of the vehicle M.

[0064] The automatic driving control device 100 (and the driving support device (not shown)) execute automatic lane changes according to the driving mode. The automatic lane changes include automatic lane changes (1) based on system requirements and automatic lane changes (2) based on driver requirements. The automatic lane changes (1) include automatic lane changes for overtaking when the speed of the leading vehicle is lower than the speed of the vehicle by more than a reference, and automatic lane changes for traveling toward the destination (automatic lane changes due to changing the recommended lane). Automatic lane changes (2) refer to changing the lane of the vehicle M in the operating direction when the driver operates the direction indicator, while conditions related to speed and positional relationship with surrounding vehicles are met.

[0065] In mode A, the automatic driving control device 100 does not perform automatic lane change (1) and (2). In modes B and C, the automatic driving control device 100 performs both automatic lane change (1) and (2). In mode D, the driving support device (not shown) does not perform automatic lane change (1) but performs automatic lane change (2). In mode E, neither automatic lane change (1) nor (2) is performed.

[0066] When the task related to the determined driving mode (hereinafter referred to as the current driving mode) is not being performed by the driver, the mode determination unit 150 changes the driving mode of the host vehicle M to a driving mode with a heavier task.

[0067] For example, in mode A, when the driver is in a body posture that cannot switch to manual driving according to the request from the system (for example, when the driver continues to look around outside the allowed area, or when a sign of driving difficulty is detected), the mode determination unit 150 uses HMI30 to urge the driver to switch to manual driving. If the driver does not respond, the vehicle M is gradually stopped by leaning against the shoulder of the road and the automatic driving is stopped. After the automatic driving is stopped, the vehicle enters the state of mode D or E, and the vehicle M can be started by manual operation of the driver. The same applies to "stopping automatic driving" below. In mode B, when the driver does not monitor the front, the mode determination unit 150 uses HMI30 to urge the driver to monitor the front. If the driver does not respond, the vehicle M is gradually stopped by leaning against the shoulder of the road and the automatic driving is stopped. In mode C, when the driver does not monitor the front or does not hold the steering wheel 82, the mode determination unit 150 uses HMI30 to urge the driver to monitor the front and / or hold the steering wheel 82. If the driver does not respond, the vehicle M is moved toward the shoulder of the road to gradually stop and stop the automatic driving.

[0068] The driver state determination unit 152 monitors the driver's state in order to perform the above-mentioned mode change, and determines whether the driver's state is a state corresponding to the task. For example, the driver state determination unit 152 analyzes the image captured by the driver monitoring camera 70 and performs posture estimation processing, and determines whether the driver is in a body posture that cannot be transferred to manual driving according to the request from the system. In addition, the driver state determination unit 152 analyzes the image captured by the driver monitoring camera 70 and performs line of sight estimation processing, and determines whether the driver is monitoring the front.

[0069] The mode change processing unit 154 performs various processes for mode change. For example, the mode change processing unit 154 instructs the action plan generation unit 140 to generate a target trajectory for roadside stop, instructs a driving support device (not shown) to operate, and controls the HMI 30 to urge the driver to take action.

[0070] The second control unit 160 controls the travel driving force output device 200 , the braking device 210 , and the steering device 220 so that the host vehicle M passes through the target track generated by the action plan generation unit 140 at a predetermined timing.

[0071] return Figure 2 , the second control unit 160, for example, includes an acquisition unit 162, a speed control unit 164, and a steering control unit 166. The acquisition unit 162 acquires information of the target track (track point) generated by the action plan generation unit 140, and stores the information in a memory (not shown). The speed control unit 164 controls the travel drive force output device 200 or the braking device 210 based on the speed element attached to the target track stored in the memory. The steering control unit 166 controls the steering device 220 according to the curvature of the target track stored in the memory. The processing of the speed control unit 164 and the steering control unit 166 is implemented, for example, by a combination of feedforward control and feedback control. As an example, the steering control unit 166 performs a feedforward control corresponding to the curvature of the road in front of the vehicle M and a feedback control based on the deviation from the target track.

[0072] The driving force output device 200 outputs the driving force (torque) for driving the vehicle to the driving wheels. The driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and a transmission, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls them. The ECU controls the above structure according to information input from the second control unit 160 or information input from the driving operation member 80.

[0073] The brake 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 brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor according to information input from the second control unit 160 or information input from the driving operating member 80 so that a brake torque corresponding to the brake operation is output to each wheel. The brake device 210 may include a mechanism for transmitting the hydraulic pressure generated by the operation of the brake pedal included in the driving operating member 80 to the hydraulic cylinder via the master hydraulic cylinder as a backup. It should be noted that the brake device 210 is not limited to the structure described above, and may also be an electronically controlled hydraulic brake device that controls the actuator according to information input from the second control unit 160 to transmit the hydraulic pressure of the master hydraulic cylinder to the hydraulic cylinder.

[0074] The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor, for example, applies force to a rack-and-pinion mechanism to change the direction of the steering wheel. The steering ECU drives the electric motor to change the direction of the steering wheel according to information input from the second control unit 160 or information input from the driving operating member 80.

[0075] [Control when being cut in line]

[0076] Hereinafter, the control when a vehicle is cut in line, which is executed by the cooperation of the cutting-in vehicle identification unit 132 , the cut-in control unit 142 , and the mode change processing unit 154 , will be described.

[0077] The queue-jumping vehicle recognition unit 132 recognizes a vehicle that cuts in on the driving path where the host vehicle M is traveling, that is, a queue-jumping vehicle. The driving path is, for example, a lane, but may also mean a driving path determined by the presence of a shoulder or the like on a road without a road dividing line, or may mean a driving path that is assumed to be a virtual path such as a section before a toll booth. In the following description, the driving path is assumed to be a lane, and the lane where the host vehicle M is traveling is referred to as the host lane. As scenarios where a queue-jumping vehicle cuts in on the host lane, there are scenarios where the host vehicle M is traveling on a main road and the queue-jumping vehicle is traveling on a merging road merging with the main road (merging scenario), and scenarios where the host vehicle M is traveling on a single-sided multi-lane road and the queue-jumping vehicle changes lanes from an adjacent lane adjacent to the host lane to the host lane (lane change scenario). In the merging scenario, other vehicles will inevitably enter the host lane, so the queue-jumping vehicle recognition unit 132 recognizes other vehicles that are within the first reference range A1 based on the host vehicle M on the merging road merging with the host lane as queue-jumping vehicles.

[0078] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the situation of identifying a queue-jumping vehicle in a merging scene. In the diagram, L1 and L2 represent trunk roads, L3 represents a merging road, EP represents a terminal point of the merging road, DM represents the traveling direction of the host vehicle M, IM represents other vehicles identified as queue-jumping vehicles, and A1 represents a first reference range. The terminal point EP is the terminal point of the section where the queue-jumping vehicle IM can cut in on the lane where the host vehicle M is traveling.

[0079] Figure 5 1 is a diagram showing a situation where a queue-jumping vehicle is recognized in a lane change scenario. In this scenario, the queue-jumping vehicle recognition unit 132 recognizes other vehicles within the second reference range A2 based on the operating state of the direction indicator Wk and the lateral movement amount ΔY. IM and its variations, etc., to determine whether to recognize another vehicle as a queue-jumping vehicle. Various methods are conceivable for processing related to this determination, and specific examples are omitted.

[0080] The following description will be specifically focused on the merging. When the interrupted vehicle IM is identified, the interrupted control unit 142 decides whether to make the interrupted vehicle IM enter in front of the host vehicle M or enter behind the host vehicle M. For example, the interrupted control unit 142 decides whether to make the interrupted vehicle IM enter in front of the host vehicle M or enter behind the host vehicle M based on the difference between the speed of the host vehicle M and the speed of the interrupted vehicle IM, the front-to-back relationship of the predicted position at a predetermined time point in the future, etc. When it is decided to make the interrupted vehicle IM enter in front of the host vehicle M, the interrupted control unit 142 in principle performs a deceleration control for making the interrupted vehicle IM enter in front of the host vehicle M. The interrupted control unit 142 may also decide not to perform a deceleration control when making the interrupted vehicle IM enter in front of the host vehicle M when conditions such as the speed of the interrupted vehicle IM is sufficiently higher than the speed of the host vehicle M are met, or may decide to definitely perform a deceleration control when making the interrupted vehicle IM enter in front of the host vehicle M. The interrupted vehicle control unit 142 calculates the deceleration required to make the relationship between the interrupting vehicle IM and the host vehicle M at the terminal point EP appropriate, and reflects the deceleration in the speed element of the target track.

[0081] The mode change processing unit 154 of the mode determination unit 150 restricts the implementation of mode A and / or mode B when a queue-jumping vehicle IM is identified and a predetermined condition is satisfied. "Restricting the implementation of mode A and / or mode B" means, for example, changing the driving mode to any one of modes C to E. When the driving mode is changed from mode A or B to mode D or E, mode C may be sandwiched therebetween. In this case, when the driver does not hold the steering wheel 82 during mode C, the action plan generation unit 140 may temporarily stop the vehicle on the shoulder of the road, etc., and then change the driving mode to mode D or E.

[0082] The prescribed condition is, for example, the establishment of any of the following conditions (1) to (5). Conditions (1) to (4) are conditions for determining whether the result of the deceleration control for causing the queue-jumping vehicle IM to enter the host vehicle M is excessive. Condition (5) is a condition for determining whether the vehicle control by automatic driving or advanced driving assistance is difficult. When any of these conditions is established, it is determined that there is a high possibility that the vehicle control by automatic driving or advanced driving assistance when being cut in line becomes difficult, and therefore the mode change processing unit 154 limits the implementation of mode A and / or mode B. As a result, the surrounding monitoring obligations and driving operations can be delegated to the driver of the host vehicle M at an appropriate time, and traffic chaos can be suppressed. Therefore, according to the embodiment, appropriate control corresponding to the situation when being cut in line can be performed.

[0083] Condition (1) is a condition that the magnitude of the deceleration (maximum deceleration) of the deceleration by the deceleration control is greater than the reference deceleration Gr, and the degree of proximity between the queue-jumping vehicle IM and the vehicle M at the terminal point EP is greater than the first reference degree. The mode change processing unit 154, for example, refers to the speed element of the target track to determine whether the maximum deceleration is greater than the reference deceleration Gr. Alternatively, the mode change processing unit 154 may obtain the control schedule from the speed control unit 164 and determine whether the maximum deceleration is greater than the reference deceleration Gr. The reference deceleration Gr is, for example, a value of about 0.2 to 0.3 [g]. "The degree of closeness is higher than the first reference degree" means, for example, that the positions of the vehicle M and the queue-jumping vehicle IM are predicted to overlap at the terminal point EP, and the speed of the vehicle M at that time point is less than the third reference speed V3; and that the front vehicle distance D between the vehicle M and the queue-jumping vehicle IM at the terminal point EP is predicted to be less than the third reference speed V3, and the rear vehicle distance Dr between the vehicle M and the queue-jumping vehicle IM at the terminal point EP is less than the fourth reference vehicle distance D4. Figure 6 This is a diagram for explaining the inter-vehicle distance D at the terminal point EP. As shown in the figure, the front inter-vehicle distance D is the distance between the front end Mf of the host vehicle M and the rear end IMr of the queue-jumping vehicle IM. The rear inter-vehicle distance Dr is the distance between the rear end of the host vehicle M and the front end of the queue-jumping vehicle IM, which is omitted in the figure.

[0084] The mode change processing unit 154 may perform the above determination using the third reference inter-vehicle distance D3 and the fourth reference inter-vehicle distance D4, which are fixed values ​​of several to several tens of meters, or may perform the above determination based on the speed V of the host vehicle M. M The third reference inter-vehicle distance D3 and the fourth reference inter-vehicle distance D4 are dynamically changed. Figure 7 It is used to explain the speed V of the vehicle M. M The speed V of the host vehicle M may be M The larger the value is, the larger the mode change processing unit 154 increases the third reference inter-vehicle distance D3.

[0085] Figure 8 It is used to explain the speed V of the vehicle M. M The processing characteristics when determining the fourth reference inter-vehicle distance D4 are shown in FIG. M The larger the speed V is, the larger the mode change processing unit 154 increases the fourth reference inter-vehicle distance D4. MThe speed may be estimated by the action plan generation unit 140 based on the detection value of the wheel speed sensor. The scenario in which condition (1) is satisfied is a scenario in which a deceleration of a degree that causes the occupant of the host vehicle M to feel uncomfortable is generated (predicted to be generated, or generated) due to the deceleration control. The automatic driving control device 100 can suppress the traffic situation from becoming chaotic by limiting the implementation of mode A and / or mode B in such a scenario. In the case where the condition that "the front vehicle distance D between the host vehicle M and the queue-jumping vehicle IM at the terminal location EP is less than the third reference vehicle distance D3 and the rear vehicle distance Dr between the host vehicle M and the queue-jumping vehicle IM at the terminal location EP is less than the fourth reference vehicle distance D4" is not satisfied, the host vehicle M is sufficiently separated from the queue-jumping vehicle IM at the terminal location EP. In this case, the mode change processing unit 154 does not limit the implementation of mode A and / or mode B, and the queue-jumping control unit 142 does not perform the deceleration control for causing the queue-jumping vehicle IM to enter the front, but directly causes the host vehicle M to pass through the terminal location EP.

[0086] Condition (2) is the condition that the time elapsed from the start of the deceleration control is greater than the first reference time T1, and the width of the inter-vehicle distance D between the host vehicle M and the queue-jumping vehicle IM is less than the second reference level. The first reference time T1 is, for example, a time of several [sec]. "The width of the inter-vehicle distance D is less than the second reference level" means, for example, that the inter-vehicle distance D is less than the fifth reference inter-vehicle distance D5, and the inter-vehicle distance increase obtained by subtracting the average value E(D) of the inter-vehicle distance in the past third reference time T3 from the inter-vehicle distance D does not become a "positive value" during the fourth reference time T4. The third reference time T3 is, for example, a time of less than 1 [sec]. The fourth reference time T4 is, for example, a time of the same level as the first reference time T1.

[0087] The mode change processing unit 154 may perform the above determination using the fifth reference inter-vehicle distance D5 which is a fixed value of several tens to several tens of meters, or may perform the above determination based on the speed V of the host vehicle M. M To dynamically change the fourth reference inter-vehicle distance D4. Fig. 9 It is used to explain the speed V of the vehicle M. M The processing characteristics when determining the fifth reference inter-vehicle distance D5 are shown in FIG. M The larger the value is, the more the mode change processing unit 154 increases the fifth reference vehicle distance D5. The scenario in which condition (2) is satisfied is a scenario in which the vehicle M and the preceding vehicle FM cannot be separated from each other even after deceleration control is performed. The automatic driving control device 100 can suppress traffic chaos by limiting the implementation of mode A and / or mode B in such a scenario.

[0088] Condition (3) is that the speed V of the vehicle MM and the speed V of the queue-jumping vehicle IM IM The inter-vehicle distance D between the vehicle M and the preceding vehicle FM located ahead of the vehicle M in the lane is less than the first reference speed V1. FM The condition is that the state below the first reference inter-vehicle distance D1 continues for more than the second reference time T2. The first reference speed V1 is, for example, a speed less than ten [km / h]. The first reference inter-vehicle distance D1 is, for example, a distance of several to dozens of [m]. The second reference time T2 is, for example, a time of several [sec]. The scenario in which condition (3) is met is a scenario in which the host vehicle M and the queue-jumping vehicle IM are traveling at a low speed, and the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle M and the preceding vehicle FM is not separated at all. The automatic driving control device 100 can suppress traffic chaos by limiting the implementation of mode A and / or mode B in such a scenario.

[0089] Condition (4) is that the speed V of the vehicle M from the start of the deceleration control M The condition of reducing the speed to above the second reference speed V2 is achieved. The second reference speed V2 is, for example, a speed of about 20 to 60 [km / h]. Condition (4) is met in a scenario where the queue-jumping vehicle IM is not suitable for entering the lane even if deceleration control is performed. The automatic driving control device 100 can suppress traffic chaos by limiting the implementation of mode A and / or mode B in such a scenario.

[0090] Condition (5) is that the speed V of the vehicle M M The condition is that the speed is below the third reference speed V3, there is another vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the second queue-cutting vehicle IM2) behind the queue-cutting vehicle IM, and the inter-vehicle distance D# between the vehicle and the queue-cutting vehicle IM is less than the second reference inter-vehicle distance D2, and the front end IM2f of the second queue-cutting vehicle IM2 is at a position forward of the point at the rear reference distance Lr from the front end Mf of the own vehicle M. Fig.10 This is a diagram for explaining condition (5). The third reference speed V3 is, for example, a speed of several tens of [km / h]. The second reference vehicle distance D2 is, for example, a distance of several [m] to several dozen [m]. The reference distance Lr is, for example, a distance of several [m]. The scenario in which condition (5) is satisfied is a scenario in which there is a high possibility that vehicle control by automatic driving or advanced driving assistance will become difficult because both the queue-jumping vehicle IM and the second queue-jumping vehicle IM2 have to be monitored. The automatic driving control device 100 can suppress traffic chaos by limiting the implementation of mode A and / or mode B in such a scenario.

[0091] [Processing Flow]

[0092] Fig.111 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing performed by the mode change processing unit 154. First, the mode change processing unit 154 determines whether the driving mode of the host vehicle M is mode A or B (step S100). When it is determined that the driving mode of the host vehicle M is not mode A or B, the processing of step S100 is repeatedly performed.

[0093] When it is determined that the driving mode of the host vehicle M is mode A or B, the mode change processing unit 154 determines whether the cutting vehicle recognition unit 132 recognizes the cutting vehicle IM (step S102). When it is determined that the cutting vehicle recognition unit 132 does not recognize the cutting vehicle, the process returns to step S100.

[0094] When it is determined that the queue-jumping vehicle identification unit 132 has identified a queue-jumping vehicle, the mode change processing unit 154 determines whether the queue-jumping control unit 142 has started a deceleration control for causing the queue-jumping vehicle IM to enter in front of the host vehicle M (step S104). When it is determined that the queue-jumping control unit 142 has not started a deceleration control, the process returns to step S100. It should be noted that the process of step S104 may be omitted, and when a positive determination result is obtained in step S102, step S106 is entered into the process.

[0095] When it is determined that the queue-cut control unit 142 has started the deceleration control, the mode change processing unit 154 determines whether a predetermined condition is satisfied (step S106). When the predetermined condition is satisfied, the mode change processing unit 154 changes the driving mode of the host vehicle M to any one of the driving modes C to E (step S108). When the predetermined condition is not satisfied, the mode A or B is continued (step S110).

[0096] According to the above-described embodiment, the mode change processing unit 154 restricts the execution of the mode A and / or B when the cutting vehicle identification unit 132 identifies the cutting vehicle IM and the predetermined condition is satisfied. Therefore, appropriate control according to the situation when the vehicle is cut in line can be performed.

[0097] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows.

[0098] A vehicle control device, comprising:

[0099] a storage device storing a program; and

[0100] Hardware processor,

[0101] The hardware processor performs the following processing by executing the program:

[0102] Identifying the surrounding conditions of the vehicle;

[0103] Controlling the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle independently of the operation of the driver of the vehicle;

[0104] determining the driving mode of the vehicle to be any one of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode, wherein the second driving mode is a driving mode in which a task placed on the driver is lighter than that placed on the driver in the first driving mode, wherein at least a portion of the plurality of driving modes including the second driving mode is controlled by the driving control unit, and when the task involved in the determined driving mode is not performed by the driver, changing the driving mode of the vehicle to a driving mode in which a task is heavier;

[0105] When performing the identification, a vehicle that cuts in toward the lane where the vehicle is traveling is identified as a queue-cutting vehicle;

[0106] When the queue-cutting vehicle is identified and a predetermined condition is satisfied, implementation of the second driving mode is restricted.

[0107] Although specific embodiments of the present invention have been described above using the embodiments, the present invention is not limited to such embodiments at all, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

[0108] Description of reference numerals:

[0109] 10. Camera

[0110] 12 Radar Device

[0111] 14LIDAR

[0112] 16 Object recognition device

[0113] 70 Driver Monitoring Camera

[0114] 82 Steering wheel

[0115] 84 Steering wheel grip sensor

[0116] 100 Automatic driving control device

[0117] 130 Identification Department

[0118] 132 Queue-jumping Vehicle Identification Department

[0119] 140 Action Plan Generation Department

[0120] 142 Queue-Cut Control Department

[0121] 150 Mode determination unit

[0122] 152 Driver status determination unit

[0123] 154 mode change processing unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device, wherein: The vehicle control device comprises: an identification unit that identifies a surrounding condition of the vehicle; a driving control unit that controls the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle independently of the operation of the driver of the vehicle; as well as a mode determination unit that determines the driving mode of the vehicle to be any one of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode, the second driving mode being a driving mode that places a lighter task on the driver than the first driving mode, a portion of the plurality of driving modes including at least the second driving mode being controlled by the driving control unit, and when the task related to the determined driving mode is not performed by the driver, the mode determination unit changes the driving mode of the vehicle to a driving mode that places a heavier task, the recognition unit recognizes a queue-cutting vehicle that cuts in ahead of the vehicle on the travel path from a merging road that merges with the travel path on which the vehicle is traveling, The mode determination unit restricts implementation of the second driving mode when the recognition unit recognizes the queue-cutting vehicle and a first condition is satisfied, The first condition includes a condition that a time elapsed from the start of deceleration control for causing the queuing vehicle to enter the front of the vehicle on the travel path is equal to or longer than a first reference time. The deceleration control is a control for calculating a deceleration required to make the inter-vehicle distance between the cutting vehicle and the vehicle at the terminal point of the merging road equal to or greater than a predetermined distance, and decelerating the vehicle at the calculated deceleration.

2. A vehicle control device, wherein: The vehicle control device comprises: an identification unit that identifies a surrounding condition of the vehicle; a driving control unit that controls the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle independently of the operation of the driver of the vehicle; as well as a mode determination unit that determines the driving mode of the vehicle to be any one of a plurality of driving modes including a first driving mode and a second driving mode, the second driving mode being a driving mode that places a lighter task on the driver than the first driving mode, a portion of the plurality of driving modes including at least the second driving mode being controlled by the driving control unit, and when the task related to the determined driving mode is not performed by the driver, the mode determination unit changes the driving mode of the vehicle to a driving mode that places a heavier task, the recognition unit recognizes a queue-cutting vehicle that cuts in ahead of the vehicle on the travel path from a merging road that merges with the travel path on which the vehicle is traveling, The mode determination unit restricts implementation of the second driving mode when the recognition unit recognizes the queue-cutting vehicle and a first condition is satisfied, The first condition includes a condition that the speed of the vehicle has decreased by more than a second reference speed since the deceleration control for causing the queuing vehicle to enter the front of the vehicle in the travel path was started, The deceleration control is a control for calculating a deceleration required to make the inter-vehicle distance between the cutting vehicle and the vehicle at the terminal point of the merging road equal to or greater than a predetermined distance, and decelerating the vehicle at the calculated deceleration.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The second driving mode is a driving mode in which the driver is not required to hold the operating member that receives the steering operation. The first driving mode is a driving mode that requires a driving operation by the driver regarding at least one of steering and acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The second driving mode is a driving mode in which the driver is not required to hold the operating member that receives the steering operation. The first driving mode is a driving mode in which the driver is assigned at least a task of holding the operating element that receives the steering operation of the driver.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The mode determination unit restricts implementation of the second driving mode when the recognition unit recognizes the cutting-in vehicle and a second condition is satisfied, in addition to the case where the recognition unit recognizes the cutting-in vehicle and the first condition is satisfied. The second condition includes a condition that there is another vehicle behind the cutting-in vehicle and the inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the cutting-in vehicle is smaller than a second reference inter-vehicle distance.

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