Vehicle control device

Abstract

A vehicle control device (10) performs acceleration / deceleration assistance on a host vehicle to execute follow-up control that causes the host vehicle to follow a preceding vehicle detected in front of or laterally in front of the host vehicle, including: a control target selection section (13) that selects a target of the follow-up control, i.e., a control target; a preceding vehicle switching determination section (14) that determines whether a neighboring preceding vehicle, which is a preceding vehicle on a neighboring lane adjacent to a lane of the host vehicle, switches to a lane preceding vehicle, which is a preceding vehicle on the lane of the host vehicle, in a case where the control target is the neighboring preceding vehicle; and a target calculation / request section (16) that calculates a target acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle and sets a control request based on whether the follow-up control is executed on the control target, and executes the follow-up control on the neighboring preceding vehicle in a case where an acceleration operation input exists on the host vehicle in a state where the neighboring preceding vehicle is selected as the control target, when the neighboring preceding vehicle is determined to switch to the lane preceding vehicle by the preceding vehicle switching determination section, and ends the follow-up control on the neighboring preceding vehicle when it is determined not to switch.

Description

[0001] Cross-references to related applications

[0002] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-162057, filed on September 30, 2021, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This relates to vehicle control devices that provide acceleration and deceleration assistance to the vehicle. Background Technology

[0004] Vehicle control technology is known to provide acceleration and deceleration assistance to a vehicle to perform follow control by controlling a vehicle following a preceding vehicle. In Patent Document 1, the distance between the target vehicle and the vehicle, as well as the vehicle's braking action, are adjusted based on the driver's accelerator pedal input. For example, if the target vehicle changes lanes and decelerates into a deceleration lane, and the vehicle initiates braking to follow it, if the accelerator is depressed, the braking action is interrupted, and the follow control of the vehicle relative to the target vehicle is interrupted. This allows overtaking by passing the target vehicle from the side.

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2021-79942

[0006] In the technology of Patent Document 1, if the vehicle accelerates while changing lanes behind the controlled vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane, the following control will be interrupted, raising concerns that the controlled vehicle may approach the vehicle. Furthermore, when multiple vehicles are traveling in a connected manner in adjacent lanes, the vehicle may be able to follow other adjacent vehicles further ahead than the controlled vehicle, raising concerns that repeated acceleration operations may be necessary to overtake a convoy traveling in a connected manner in adjacent lanes. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of the above, the purpose of this disclosure is to provide a technology in which a vehicle can properly overtake a vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane in a vehicle control device that provides acceleration and deceleration assistance to perform following control.

[0008] This disclosure provides a first vehicle control device and a second vehicle control device to provide acceleration and deceleration assistance to the vehicle, so as to perform following control to make the vehicle follow a vehicle detected in front of or to the side of the vehicle.

[0009] The first vehicle control device includes: a control object selection unit that selects the object to which the vehicle performs follow control, i.e., the control object; a preceding vehicle switching determination unit that, when the control object is a vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to the vehicle, determines whether the adjacent preceding vehicle should switch to traveling in the vehicle's own lane; and a target calculation / request unit that, based on whether to execute follow control for the control object, calculates a target acceleration / deceleration for the vehicle and sets a control request. When the first vehicle control device receives an acceleration operation input for the vehicle while the adjacent preceding vehicle is selected as the control object, and the preceding vehicle switching determination unit determines that the adjacent preceding vehicle should switch to traveling in the vehicle's own lane, it executes follow control for the adjacent preceding vehicle; and if it determines that the adjacent preceding vehicle will not switch to traveling in the vehicle's own lane, it terminates follow control for the adjacent preceding vehicle.

[0010] The first vehicle control device includes a vehicle-to-traffic switching determination unit. When the control target selected by the control target selection unit is an adjacent vehicle, this unit determines whether the adjacent vehicle should switch to being a vehicle traveling in the same lane as the vehicle. Furthermore, when an acceleration operation is input to the vehicle while the adjacent vehicle is selected as the control target, if it is determined that the adjacent vehicle has switched to being a vehicle traveling in the same lane, it determines to execute follow control for the adjacent vehicle. Therefore, when the adjacent vehicle switches to being a vehicle traveling in the same lane, excessive closeness between the adjacent vehicle and the vehicle can be avoided, ensuring safety. On the other hand, if it is determined that the adjacent vehicle will not switch to being a vehicle traveling in the same lane, the follow control for the adjacent vehicle ends. Therefore, the vehicle can overtake adjacent vehicles without stopping. As a result, according to the first vehicle control device, the vehicle can appropriately overtake vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes.

[0011] The second vehicle control device includes: a control object selection unit that selects the object to be followed by the vehicle, i.e., the control object; a follow prohibition determination unit that, when the control object is a vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to the vehicle, and there is an operation input for acceleration operation on the vehicle, terminates the follow control for the adjacent vehicle, and determines that follow control for the vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is prohibited until a predetermined first time has elapsed after the vehicle has overtaken the adjacent vehicle; and a target calculation / request unit that calculates the target acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle based on whether to perform follow control for the control object, and sets a control request.

[0012] The second vehicle control device includes a following prohibition determination unit. When the vehicle receives an acceleration input while the adjacent preceding vehicle is selected as the control target, this unit determines that following control of the adjacent preceding vehicle will cease. Until a first time interval has elapsed after the vehicle overtakes the adjacent preceding vehicle, following control of vehicles traveling in the adjacent lane is prohibited. According to the following prohibition determination unit, even when multiple vehicles are traveling in succession in adjacent lanes, following other adjacent vehicles further ahead than the overtaken vehicle is prohibited until the first time interval has elapsed after the vehicle overtakes the adjacent preceding vehicle. Therefore, the situation of repeatedly accelerating to overtake a convoy can be avoided, allowing for smooth and maneuverable overtaking of convoys. As a result, according to the second vehicle control device, the vehicle can appropriately overtake vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes. Attached Figure Description

[0013] The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of this disclosure will become clearer from the following detailed description, with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0014] Figure 1 It is an on-board system that includes a vehicle control device with an implementation method.

[0015] Figure 2 This is a flowchart of the vehicle control process executed by the vehicle control device.

[0016] Figure 3 This diagram illustrates the decision-making process for switching between vehicles.

[0017] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing the state of this vehicle overtaking the adjacent vehicle in front.

[0018] Figure 5 This is a diagram showing the state after a specified time has elapsed since the vehicle overtook the adjacent vehicle. Detailed Implementation

[0019] exist Figure 1In this context, "vehicle system" refers to the vehicle control device 10 of this embodiment. The vehicle system includes the vehicle control device 10, sensors 20, an input device 30, and a controlled unit 40. The vehicle control device 10 has an ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) function that controls the vehicle's speed by adjusting the driving force and braking force to maintain a target distance from the vehicle in front. The vehicle control device 10 performs acceleration and deceleration assistance for the vehicle, enabling it to follow a vehicle detected in front of or to the side of the vehicle. The vehicle control device 10 may further include: a PCS (Pre-Crash Safety) system function that determines whether there is a collision with the vehicle in relation to objects located around the vehicle, and controls the vehicle to avoid a collision or to mitigate collision damage; an LKA (Lane Keeping Assist) function that maintains the vehicle in the driving lane and keeps the vehicle moving by generating a steering force in the direction that prevents the vehicle from approaching the driving lane markings; and an LCA (Lane Change Assist) function that automatically moves the vehicle to the adjacent lane.

[0020] Sensor class 20 includes a front monitoring sensor 21, a side monitoring sensor 22, a rear monitoring sensor 23, a self-position inference sensor 24, and a vehicle speed sensor 25. The information acquired by sensor class 20 is input to vehicle control unit 10.

[0021] The front monitoring sensor 21, the side monitoring sensor 22, and the rear monitoring sensor 23 are peripheral monitoring sensors that monitor the front, sides, and rear of the vehicle, respectively. As the front monitoring sensor 21, the side monitoring sensor 22, and the rear monitoring sensor 23, image sensors, radio wave radar, lidar, and ultrasonic sensors can be appropriately used.

[0022] The image sensor comprises a CCD camera, a CMOS image sensor, a near-infrared camera, etc. Alternatively, the image sensor can be a single-lens reflex camera or a stereo camera. When cameras are used as the front monitoring sensor 21, the side monitoring sensor 22, and the rear monitoring sensor 23, the front and rear cameras are respectively mounted at a predetermined height in the width direction of the vehicle, for example, near the top of the windshield and near the top of the rear window, capturing images of areas extending in a predetermined angle range towards the front and rear of the vehicle, respectively. The side cameras are mounted on the left and right sides of the vehicle, for example, near the front door and near the rear door, capturing images of areas extending in a predetermined angle range towards the left and right sides of the vehicle.

[0023] Radio wave radar detects the presence of objects around the vehicle, the distance between the object and the vehicle, the object's position, size, shape, and relative speed to the vehicle by detecting the reflected waves of the emitted radio waves. LiDAR, using infrared laser light, can detect the presence of objects around the vehicle in the same way as radio wave radar. Ultrasonic sensors, using ultrasonic waves, can detect the distance between objects around the vehicle and the vehicle in the same way as radio wave radar. These radar sensors are installed at the front, rear, and sides of the vehicle. By scanning the area around the vehicle with radar signals at predetermined intervals and receiving electromagnetic waves reflected from the surfaces of objects present around the vehicle, the radar sensors acquire object information such as distance and relative speed to the object, and input this information into the vehicle control device 10. If the object is a vehicle traveling in front, the distance between the vehicle and the vehicle in front, the relative speed, and the relative acceleration are input into the vehicle control device 10 as vehicle information.

[0024] As the self-positioning sensor 24, a GPS sensor, gyroscope sensor, etc., can be used. The GPS sensor, through a GPS receiver (an example of a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver), receives positioning signals from a satellite positioning system that determines the current position on Earth via artificial satellites, and infers its own position, i.e., the current position (longitude and latitude) of the vehicle, based on these positioning signals. The GPS receiver can receive positioning signals at regular intervals. By sequentially receiving positioning signals, the self-position can be inferred sequentially.

[0025] The vehicle's position, inferred from its own position inference sensor 24, is input to a navigation device (not shown), a wireless communication device, etc. The navigation device determines a predetermined route for autonomous driving based on destination information pre-set by the occupants and the vehicle's current position detected by the GPS sensor. In addition to the GPS sensor, sensors such as gyroscopes can be used to determine and correct the predetermined route. The navigation device has a dynamic map that includes static map information such as road width and lanes, and dynamic information such as congestion information. The wireless communication device performs wireless communication with advanced road traffic systems, vehicle-to-vehicle communication with other vehicles, and road-to-road communication with roadside radios installed on road equipment. This allows for the exchange of situational information related to the vehicle's status and the surrounding environment.

[0026] The vehicle speed sensor 25 is a sensor that detects the vehicle's speed and is not limited to any particular type; for example, a wheel speed sensor that can detect the rotational speed of the wheels can be used. The wheel speed sensor used as the vehicle speed sensor 25 is, for example, installed on the wheel and outputs a wheel speed signal corresponding to the vehicle's wheel speed to the vehicle control device 10.

[0027] The operation input device 30 includes an accelerator pedal 31, a turn signal switch 32, and a direction indicator 33. Operation input information input by the driver to the operation input device 30 is input to the vehicle control device 10.

[0028] The accelerator pedal 31 inputs the driver's input based on the accelerator pedal operation to the vehicle control unit 10. The steering switch 32, located on the vehicle's steering wheel, inputs related to cruise control to the vehicle control unit 10. The direction indicator 33 inputs left and right direction on / off signals based on the driver's operation to the vehicle control unit 10.

[0029] The vehicle control unit 10 includes an object detection unit 11, an operation determination unit 12, a control object selection unit 13, a forward vehicle switching determination unit 14, a follow prohibition determination unit 15, and a target calculation / request unit 16. The vehicle control unit 10 is an ECU, equipped with a known microcomputer consisting of a CPU, ROM, RAM, flash memory, etc. The functions of each unit in the vehicle control unit 10 are implemented by the CPU executing a program installed in the ROM. Therefore, based on information obtained from the sensor class 20 and the operation input device 30, the vehicle control unit 10 outputs control requests to the controlled unit 40, thereby performing driving assistance functions such as acceleration / deceleration assist, and functions as a vehicle control unit capable of performing ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control).

[0030] Furthermore, when the vehicle control unit 10 is implementing follow control, if there is another vehicle ahead in the adjacent lane of the lane change destination when the vehicle is changing lanes, the vehicle control unit 10 will select that vehicle as the new control target and continue following it. In this case, the vehicle control unit 10 recognizes the driver's lane change command based on the on signal of the direction indicator 33 and implements the switching of the vehicle ahead. During the lane change, the vehicle control unit 10 appropriately decelerates the vehicle to adjust the distance to the new vehicle ahead in the adjacent lane.

[0031] The object detection unit 11 detects objects around the vehicle based on object information acquired from the front monitoring sensor 21, the side monitoring sensor 22, and the rear monitoring sensor 23. For example, it calculates the relative position and area of ​​an object by using the distance to the object and the object's orientation calculated from an image acquired from an image sensor, and acquires this information as image information. It also calculates the relative position and area of ​​an object by using the distance to the object and the object's orientation included in the distance information acquired from a radar sensor, and acquires this information as radar information. The object detection unit 11 fuses the image information and radar information to identify objects. More specifically, it identifies objects when there is overlap between the area of ​​an object included in the image information and the area of ​​an object included in the radar information. The object detection unit 11 can detect vehicles, pedestrians, and other moving objects around the vehicle, white lines marking the road surface, red signals at intersections, pedestrian crossings, speed limits, and other traffic signs, as well as various road markings. Object detection information of the object detected by the object detection unit 11 is input to the control object selection unit 13 and the follow prohibition determination unit 15.

[0032] The operation determination unit 12 determines whether a specified operation input exists based on the operation input information input to the operation input device 30. For example, if the amount of operation input from the accelerator pedal 31 based on the driver's accelerator pedal is more than a specified amount, it is determined that there is an acceleration operation on the vehicle. The determination result in the operation determination unit 12 is input to the control object selection unit 13 and the follow prohibition determination unit 15.

[0033] The control object selection unit 13 selects the vehicle to be followed from the vehicles detected in front of or to the side of the vehicle. For example, the control object selection unit 13 selects the vehicles detected in front of or to the side of the vehicle based on the object detection information obtained from the object detection unit 11, identifies the lane change command of the vehicle based on the operation input determination result of the direction indicator 33 obtained from the operation determination unit 12, and selects the control object to be followed. Information about the control object selected by the control object selection unit 13 is input to the vehicle-to-traffic switching determination unit 14 and the target calculation / request unit 16.

[0034] When the controlled object is a vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane that is traveling in front of the vehicle in the adjacent lane, the preceding vehicle switching determination unit 14 determines whether the adjacent vehicle should switch to traveling in the same lane. For example, if it detects that the adjacent vehicle is changing lanes in front of the vehicle in the current lane, and no lane change instruction is detected for the vehicle, it determines that the adjacent vehicle has switched to traveling in the current lane. Similarly, if it detects that the vehicle is changing lanes behind the adjacent vehicle in an adjacent lane, and no lane change instruction is detected for the adjacent vehicle, it determines that the adjacent vehicle has switched to traveling in the current lane. The result of the preceding vehicle switching determination is input to the following prohibition determination unit 15.

[0035] The following prohibition determination unit 15 determines whether to prohibit the vehicle from following the control object selected by the control object selection unit 13. If the following prohibition determination unit 15 receives an acceleration operation input while the adjacent preceding vehicle is selected as the control object, it determines to terminate the following control for the adjacent preceding vehicle. Through this determination, the vehicle can accelerate and travel in its own lane regardless of the speed of the adjacent preceding vehicle, and can overtake the adjacent preceding vehicle.

[0036] The following prohibition determination unit 15 further determines that, before a predetermined time has elapsed after the vehicle has overtaken the adjacent vehicle, following control of vehicles traveling in the adjacent lane is prohibited. This determination prevents the vehicle from following other adjacent vehicles further ahead in the adjacent lane during the period before the predetermined first time has elapsed after the vehicle has overtaken the adjacent vehicle. Therefore, it avoids situations where repeated acceleration is required to overtake a convoy, allowing for more maneuverable overtaking maneuvers.

[0037] If, during the period before the first time interval following the vehicle's overtaking of the adjacent vehicle, the following prohibition unit 15 detects another adjacent vehicle traveling further ahead in the adjacent lane, different from the adjacent vehicle, then, before the first time interval following the vehicle's overtaking of that detected other adjacent vehicle, it continues to prohibit following control of the vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane. This ensures that acceleration is not repeatedly performed before completely overtaking the vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane, allowing for continued maneuverability in overtaking the convoy. Furthermore, the second time interval may be the same as or different from the first time interval.

[0038] Alternatively, the follow prohibition determination unit 15 may be configured to determine whether to execute the vehicle's follow control based on inputs from the operation determination unit 12, the control target selection unit 13, and the preceding vehicle switching determination unit 14. For example, if the follow prohibition determination unit 15 receives an operation input of acceleration operation on the vehicle while selecting an adjacent preceding vehicle as the control target, and determines that the adjacent preceding vehicle will switch to the preceding vehicle in its lane, it determines to execute follow control for the adjacent preceding vehicle. Conversely, if the follow prohibition determination unit 15 receives an operation input of acceleration operation on the vehicle while selecting an adjacent preceding vehicle as the control target, and determines that the adjacent preceding vehicle will not switch to the preceding vehicle in its lane, it determines not to execute follow control for the adjacent preceding vehicle (i.e., terminate follow control).

[0039] Based on the result of the following prohibition determination, the following control prohibition command, the prohibition release command, and the execution or non-execution command are input to the target calculation / request unit 16. Furthermore, the determination of whether to execute the vehicle following control object may not be executed by the following prohibition determination unit 15, but rather in the target calculation / request unit 16. Alternatively, the structure for executing the determination of whether to execute the vehicle following control object may be independently provided in the vehicle control device 10.

[0040] The target calculation / request unit 16 calculates the target acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle based on whether follow control for the controlled object is executed, and sets a control request. If follow control is not disabled and there is an instruction to execute follow control, the target acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle for following the controlled object is calculated. If follow control is disabled, or if follow control is not disabled and there is an instruction not to execute follow control, the target acceleration / deceleration is not calculated as the acceleration / deceleration for following the controlled object. The target calculation / request unit 16 sets the control request based on the calculated target acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle and outputs it to the controlled unit 40.

[0041] The controlled unit 40 includes an engine control unit 41 and a brake control unit 42. Based on a control request set by the target calculation / request unit 16 for the target acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle to perform following control relative to the controlled object, the engine control unit 41 controls the drive unit, and the brake control unit 42 controls the brake unit. This enables the vehicle to follow the controlled object while maintaining a safe distance, thus achieving vehicle control as described in ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control). Furthermore, although not shown, the controlled unit 40 may also include a steering control unit for controlling the steering mechanism and an interface control unit for controlling the human-machine interface (HMI).

[0042] The engine control unit 41 controls the operation of the engine. Specifically, it controls the opening and closing of the throttle valve, the ignition of the igniter, and the opening and closing of the intake valve by controlling various actuators.

[0043] The braking control unit 42 controls the braking device. The braking device consists of a group of devices (actuators) related to braking control, such as sensors, motors, valves, and pumps. The braking device determines the timing and amount of braking, and controls the group of devices related to braking control to obtain the amount of braking determined at the determined timing.

[0044] exist Figure 2 The diagram shows a flowchart of the vehicle control process performed by the vehicle control device 10. Figure 2 The process shown is repeatedly executed by the vehicle control device 10 at a predetermined cycle.

[0045] In step S101, the vehicle being followed is selected from the vehicles detected in front of or to the side of the vehicle. For example, ... Figure 3 As shown in (a), in road 70, which is divided by solid white lines 71L and 71R on the left and right, three lanes 70L, 70C, and 70R are divided by dashed white lines 72L and 72R. Vehicle 50 travels in the right lane 70R, while vehicle 60 travels ahead of vehicle 50 in the central lane 70C. Vehicle 60 is the vehicle detected to the side and front of vehicle 50, and there are no other vehicles between vehicle 50 and vehicle 60. Vehicle 60 is the closest vehicle to vehicle 50 among those detected in front of or to the side of vehicle 50, and is selected as the control target. Then, proceed to step S102.

[0046] In step S102, it is determined whether the controlled object is a vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane ahead (adjacent preceding vehicle). If the controlled object is a vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane ahead, proceed to step S103. If the controlled object is not a vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane ahead, the process ends. For example, in Figure 3 If the preceding vehicle 60 shown in (a) is selected as the control object, and the preceding vehicle 60 is an adjacent preceding vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane (lane 70C) adjacent to this lane (lane 70R), a positive determination is made in step S102. Then, proceed to step S103.

[0047] In step S103, it is determined whether to disable follow control. If not disabled, a positive determination is made for "not disabling follow control," and the process proceeds to step S104. If disabled, a negative determination is made for "not disabling follow control," and the process ends.

[0048] In step S104, it is determined whether the vehicle has accelerated. If the vehicle has accelerated, a positive determination is made, and the process proceeds to step S105. If the vehicle has not accelerated, the process proceeds to step S106, where it is decided to perform follow control on the adjacent vehicle selected as the control target, and the process ends.

[0049] In step S105, it is determined whether the adjacent preceding vehicle has switched to the preceding vehicle in this lane. For example, if... Figure 3 As shown in (a), when the preceding vehicle 60 is an adjacent preceding vehicle, as Figure 3 As shown in (b), if it is detected that vehicle 50 changes lanes to a position behind vehicle 51 in the adjacent lane (lane 70C), which is behind vehicle 60, and if the lane change of vehicle 60 is not detected, vehicle 51, after the lane change, travels in the same lane 70C as vehicle 60. As a result, vehicle 60 becomes the vehicle traveling in the same lane (70C) as vehicle 51. Therefore, it is determined that vehicle 60 has switched to being the vehicle traveling in the same lane.

[0050] Additionally, for example, such as Figure 3 As shown in (a), when the preceding vehicle 60 is an adjacent preceding vehicle, as Figure 3 As shown in (c), if it is detected that the preceding vehicle 60 changes lanes to the position of the preceding vehicle 61 in the current lane (lane 70R), which is ahead of the current vehicle 50, and if the current vehicle 50 does not change lanes, the current vehicle 50 and the preceding vehicle 61 after the lane change will travel in the same lane 70R. As a result, the preceding vehicle 61 becomes the preceding vehicle in the current lane (70R) of the current vehicle 50. Therefore, it is determined that the preceding vehicle 60 has switched to the preceding vehicle in the current lane. It is decided to perform follow control for the adjacent preceding vehicle selected as the control object, and the process ends.

[0051] In equivalent to Figure 3 In either case shown in (b) or (c), proceed to step S106, determine to perform follow control for the adjacent preceding vehicle selected as the control object, and end the process. That is, perform follow control of this vehicle relative to the preceding vehicle in this lane. In cases not equivalent to... Figure 3 If either of the cases shown in (b) or (c) is determined, and the preceding vehicle 60 does not switch to the preceding vehicle in this lane, proceed to step S107.

[0052] In step S107, it is decided to terminate the following control for the adjacent preceding vehicle selected as the control object. Furthermore, in step S107, following control of the current vehicle is prohibited. Then, proceed to step S108.

[0053] In step S108, based on the acceleration operation of the vehicle determined in step S104, the vehicle accelerates and overtakes vehicles in adjacent lanes. For example... Figure 4 As shown, the following control of vehicle 50 for the adjacent preceding vehicle (preceding vehicle 60) selected as the control object in step S102 ends, therefore vehicle 50 accelerates, and as shown by vehicle 52, is able to overtake preceding vehicle 60. Furthermore, the determination of whether vehicle 52 overtakes preceding vehicle 60 can, for example, be as follows... Figure 4 As shown, when the front position x1 of the vehicle 52 is ahead of the front position x2 of the preceding vehicle 60, it is determined to be overtaking.

[0054] Furthermore, in step S107, following control of this vehicle is disabled. Therefore, this vehicle is also not allowed to follow other adjacent vehicles further ahead, which are different from the adjacent vehicles selected as control targets in step S102. As a result, this vehicle is still able to overtake other adjacent vehicles further ahead traveling in adjacent lanes. Then, proceed to step S109.

[0055] In step S109, after the vehicle overtakes the adjacent preceding vehicle selected as the control target in step S102, it is determined whether a predetermined time t1 has elapsed. Furthermore, time t1 is a first time; in this process, the first time and the second time are set to the same time. Figure 5 (a) shows the position of vehicle 53, which is immediately following the position of the preceding vehicle 60 after the preceding vehicle's front end position x2. The position of vehicle 54 indicates the position of vehicle 54 after time t1 from the position shown by vehicle 53. Before reaching the position of vehicle 54, the process shown in step S109 is repeated. If the position of vehicle 54 is reached, step S110 is performed.

[0056] If in Figure 4 When the following control of vehicle 50 terminates at position 50, following control of vehicle 60 and other adjacent vehicles further ahead is prohibited until the vehicle reaches position 54 from position 50. Even if a vehicle is detected in front of or to the side of the vehicle during the period before reaching position 54, no following control will be performed for that vehicle. Therefore, even if multiple vehicles are in front, the driver does not need to repeatedly depress the accelerator pedal to overtake them.

[0057] In step S110, before time t1 has elapsed since the vehicle overtook the adjacent vehicle, it is determined whether another adjacent vehicle, different from the adjacent vehicle, traveling in the adjacent lane further ahead, has been detected. For example... Figure 5As shown in (a), during the period from position 53 to position 54, if no other adjacent vehicle is detected in front of or to the side of this vehicle, the process proceeds to step S111, the following control restriction is lifted, and the process ends. Figure 5 As shown in (b), if another adjacent vehicle 62 is detected in front of or to the side of the vehicle before it reaches the position of the vehicle 54 from the position of the vehicle 53, the process returns to step S108 and repeats the steps S108 to S110. Therefore, the vehicle can continue to overtake the convoy with good maneuverability without repeatedly accelerating before it completely overtakes the vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane.

[0058] According to the above-described embodiments, the following effects can be obtained.

[0059] The vehicle control device 10 is a vehicle control device that provides acceleration and deceleration assistance to the vehicle to perform following control to make the vehicle follow a vehicle detected in front of or to the side of the vehicle. It includes a control object selection unit 13, a vehicle-to-front switching determination unit 14, a following prohibition determination unit 15, and a target calculation / request unit 16.

[0060] The control object selection unit 13 selects the object for which the vehicle will perform follow control, i.e., the control object. The preceding vehicle switching determination unit 14 determines whether the preceding vehicle should switch to a vehicle traveling in the same lane as the vehicle if the control object is a vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to the current vehicle. The target calculation / request unit 16 calculates the target acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle based on whether follow control for the control object is to be performed, and sets a control request.

[0061] When the vehicle control device 10 selects an adjacent preceding vehicle as the control object and has an operation input for acceleration operation on the vehicle, if the preceding vehicle switching determination unit determines that the adjacent preceding vehicle is switching to the preceding vehicle in the current lane, it performs follow control for the adjacent preceding vehicle; if it determines that the adjacent preceding vehicle is not switching to the preceding vehicle in the current lane, it ends the follow control for the adjacent preceding vehicle.

[0062] According to the vehicle control device 10, when an adjacent vehicle switches to become the vehicle in front of the current vehicle, the vehicle performs follow control for the adjacent vehicle, thus preventing the adjacent vehicle from getting too close and ensuring safety. On the other hand, when it is determined that the adjacent vehicle will not switch to become the vehicle in front of the current vehicle, the follow control for the adjacent vehicle ends. Therefore, the current vehicle can overtake the adjacent vehicle without stopping. As a result, according to the first vehicle control device, the current vehicle can properly overtake vehicles traveling in adjacent lanes.

[0063] The vehicle control device 10 also includes a follow prohibition determination unit 15. When the follow prohibition determination unit 15 selects a vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane as the control target and receives an acceleration input, it determines that follow control of the adjacent vehicle will end. Until a predetermined first time has elapsed after the vehicle overtakes the adjacent vehicle, follow control of vehicles traveling in the adjacent lane is prohibited. According to the follow prohibition determination unit 15, even if multiple vehicles are traveling in succession in the adjacent lane, the vehicle is prohibited from following other adjacent vehicles further ahead than the overtaken vehicle during the period before the first time has elapsed after the overtaken vehicle. This avoids the situation where repeated acceleration operations are required to overtake a convoy, allowing for smooth and maneuverable overtaking of convoys. According to the vehicle control device 10, the vehicle can appropriately overtake vehicles traveling in the adjacent lane.

[0064] The following prohibition determination unit 15 can also be configured such that, if it detects another adjacent vehicle further ahead in the adjacent lane, which is different from the adjacent vehicle, during the period before the first time has elapsed after the vehicle has overtaken the detected other adjacent vehicle, it continues to prohibit following control of the vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane until a predetermined second time has elapsed after the vehicle has overtaken the detected other adjacent vehicle. This ensures that the vehicle can continue to maneuverably overtake the convoy without repeatedly accelerating before completely overtaking the vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane.

[0065] The control unit and method described in this disclosure can also be implemented by a dedicated computer, which is provided by comprising a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the control unit and method described in this disclosure can also be implemented by a dedicated computer, which is provided by comprising a processor composed of one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the control unit and method described in this disclosure can also be implemented by one or more dedicated computers, which are configured by combining a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions with a processor composed of one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program can also be stored as instructions to be executed by the computer on a non-transferable tangible recording medium that can be read by the computer.

[0066] This disclosure is based on embodiments, but it is to be understood that this disclosure is not limited to these embodiments or structures. This disclosure also includes various modifications and variations within the same scope. In addition, various combinations and methods, and further including other combinations and methods of only one element, more than one element, or less than one element, also fall within the scope and spirit of this disclosure.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device that provides acceleration and deceleration assistance to a vehicle to perform following control, causing the vehicle to follow a vehicle detected in front of or to the side of the vehicle, wherein... The vehicle control device includes: The control object selection unit selects a control object, which is the object to which the vehicle performs follow control. The vehicle-to-traffic switching determination unit determines whether the adjacent vehicle-to-traffic vehicle should switch to being the vehicle-to-traffic vehicle in the current lane when the controlled object is a vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane adjacent to the current lane. as well as The target calculation / request unit calculates the target acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle based on whether to execute follow control for the controlled object, and sets a control request. When the adjacent preceding vehicle is selected as the control object and there is an acceleration operation input to the vehicle, if the preceding vehicle switching determination unit determines that the adjacent preceding vehicle is switching to the vehicle in the current lane, follow control for the adjacent preceding vehicle is executed; if it determines that the adjacent preceding vehicle is not switching to the vehicle in the current lane, follow control for the adjacent preceding vehicle is terminated.

2. A vehicle control device that provides acceleration and deceleration assistance to a vehicle to perform following control, causing the vehicle to follow a vehicle detected in front of or to the side of the vehicle, wherein... The vehicle control device includes: The control object selection unit selects a control object, which is the object to which the vehicle performs follow control. The following prohibition determination unit, when the control object is selected as an adjacent vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane of the current vehicle and there is an operation input of acceleration operation on the current vehicle, ends the following control for the adjacent vehicle, and determines that following control for the vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane is prohibited before a predetermined first time has elapsed after the current vehicle has overtaken the adjacent vehicle. as well as The target calculation / request unit calculates the target acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle based on whether to perform follow control for the controlled object, and sets a control request.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein, If, during the period before the first time has elapsed after the vehicle has overtaken the adjacent vehicle, another adjacent vehicle that is further ahead and different from the adjacent vehicle is detected in the adjacent lane, the following prohibition determination unit continues to prohibit following control of the vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane until a predetermined second time has elapsed after the vehicle has overtaken the other adjacent vehicle.

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