Driving assistance device, driving assistance method, and program

Abstract

A driving assistance device according to an embodiment is provided with: a recognition unit that recognizes a situation in the vicinity of a vehicle; a driving control unit that, on the basis of a recognition result recognized by the recognition unit, executes lane maintenance control for controlling at least the steering of the vehicle so as to cause the vehicle to travel within a predetermined lane; and a reception unit that receives an intention to change a lane of the vehicle based on an operation by an occupant of the vehicle, and the driving control unit stops the lane maintenance control when the intention to change the lane is received by the reception unit during execution of the lane maintenance control. The lane maintenance control is restarted at a timing prior to completion of the lane change.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a driving support device, a driving support method and a program. Background Art

[0002] In recent years, efforts to provide a sustainable transportation system that also takes into account people who are particularly vulnerable among traffic participants have been active. To achieve this, research and development related to driving support technology is being devoted to further improving traffic safety and convenience. In this regard, technologies related to a lane keeping assistance system (LKAS; Lane Keeping Assistance System) and a lane change assistance control (LCA; LaneChange Assist) for a vehicle have been disclosed in the past (for example, refer to Patent Documents 1 to 5).

[0003] Prior art literature

[0004] Patent Literature

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2011-168194

[0006] Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-43379

[0007] Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2019-43432

[0008] Patent Document 4: International Publication No. 2017 / 047261

[0009] Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent No. 6760204 Summary of the invention

[0010] Problems to be solved by the invention

[0011] In addition, in the driving support technology, when a lane change is accompanied by manual driving, the currently implemented control based on LKAS (hereinafter referred to as LKAS control) is interrupted and the LKAS control is executed again after the lane change is completed. Therefore, the driver needs to drive manually during the period from the start of the lane change to the start of the LKAS control, and there is a problem that the driving load cannot be reduced in this section.

[0012] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, one of the purposes of the present application is to provide a driving support device, a driving support method and a program that can provide more appropriate driving support when changing lanes based on manual driving, and further contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0013] Solutions to Solve Problems

[0014] The driving support device, driving support method, and program of the present invention employ the following configurations.

[0015] (1): A driving support device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises: a recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding conditions of a vehicle; a driving control unit that performs lane keeping control for controlling at least the steering of the vehicle so that the vehicle travels in a predetermined lane based on a recognition result obtained by the recognition unit; and a receiving unit that receives an intention of the vehicle to change lanes based on an operation of an occupant of the vehicle, wherein the driving control unit stops the lane keeping control when the receiving unit receives the intention of the lane change during the execution of the lane keeping control, and restarts the lane keeping control at a timing before the lane change is completed.

[0016] (2): Based on the scheme of (1) above, the timing before the lane change is completed is the timing when the vehicle's specified position crosses the dividing line that divides the first lane and the second lane and enters the second lane, the first lane is the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and the second lane is the lane of the lane change destination adjacent to the first lane.

[0017] (3): In the above aspect (2), the predetermined position of the vehicle is a front wheel on a lane change side of the vehicle, a center of the vehicle, or a center of gravity of the vehicle.

[0018] (4): In the above configuration (2), when a predetermined position of the vehicle crosses the dividing line, the driving control unit controls the steering of the vehicle so that the center or center of gravity of the vehicle travels in the center of the second lane.

[0019] (5): Based on the scheme of (1) above, the driving support device further includes a determination unit for determining whether there is a possibility of contact with other vehicles existing in the vicinity of the vehicle, and the driving control unit, during the execution of the lane change, performs steering control to return to the lane before the lane change without the occupant's operation, when the determination unit determines that there is a possibility of contact with the other vehicle, and restarts the lane maintaining control when the steering control is completed.

[0020] (6): Based on the scheme of (1) above, the driving support device further comprises: a determination unit that determines whether there is a possibility of contact with other vehicles existing in the vicinity of the vehicle; and an output control unit that causes the output unit to output information to the occupant, wherein during the execution of the lane change, when the determination unit determines that there is a possibility of contact with the other vehicle, the output control unit causes the output unit to output information urging the termination of the lane change, and restarts the lane maintaining control before the steering control to return to the lane before the lane change is completed through the operation of the occupant.

[0021] (7): Based on the scheme of (1) above, the driving support device further includes a determination unit for determining whether there is a possibility of contact with other vehicles existing in the vicinity of the vehicle, and when the determination unit determines that there is a possibility of contact with the other vehicles during the execution of the lane change, the driving control unit makes the timing of restarting the lane maintaining control different between a first steering control for returning to the lane before the lane change without the operation of the occupant and a second steering control for returning to the lane before the lane change through the operation of the occupant.

[0022] (8): In the above aspect (7), the lane keeping control is restarted earlier in response to the execution of the second steering control than in response to the execution of the first steering control.

[0023] (9): In the above aspect (1), the driving control unit does not restart the lane keeping control for the lane of the lane change destination when the recognition unit cannot recognize one of the dividing lines of the lane of the lane change destination.

[0024] (10): Based on the scheme of (9) above, when the recognition unit cannot recognize one of the dividing lines of the lane of the lane change destination, the driving control unit restarts the lane maintaining control of the lane of the lane change destination when the driving trajectory of the preceding vehicle or the lane end information other than the dividing line is recognized.

[0025] (11): A driving support method according to another embodiment of the present invention causes a computer to perform the following processing: identifying the surrounding conditions of a vehicle; based on the result of the identification, executing lane keeping control for controlling at least the steering of the vehicle in such a manner that the vehicle travels within a prescribed lane; accepting an intention to change lanes of the vehicle based on an operation of an occupant of the vehicle; stopping the lane keeping control when the intention to change lanes is accepted during the execution of the lane keeping control; and restarting the lane keeping control at a timing earlier than the timing of completion of the lane change.

[0026] (12): A program in another embodiment of the present invention causes a computer to perform the following processing: identifying the surrounding conditions of a vehicle; based on the result of the identification, executing lane keeping control to at least control the steering of the vehicle in such a manner that the vehicle travels within a prescribed lane; accepting the intention of the vehicle to change lanes based on the operation of an occupant of the vehicle; stopping the lane keeping control when the intention of the lane change is accepted during the execution of the lane keeping control; and restarting the lane keeping control at a timing earlier than the timing of completion of the lane change.

[0027] Effects of the Invention

[0028] According to the above aspects (1) to (12), more appropriate driving support can be provided when changing lanes by manual driving. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0029] Figure 1 It is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 using the driving support device according to the embodiment.

[0030] Figure 2 This is a diagram for explaining the function of the lane keeping control unit 132 .

[0031] Figure 3 This is a diagram for explaining the timing of restarting the LKAS control.

[0032] Figure 4 This is a diagram for explaining the function of the lane return control unit 134 .

[0033] Figure 5 This is a diagram for explaining the timing of restarting the LKAS control during lane return based on the second steering control.

[0034] Figure 6 This is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the driving support device 100 according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] Hereinafter, embodiments of a driving support device, a driving support method, and a program according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0036] [Overall structure]

[0037] Figure 11 is a structural diagram of a vehicle system 1 using a driving support device of an embodiment. The vehicle equipped with the vehicle system 1 (hereinafter, the vehicle M) is, for example, a two-wheel, three-wheel, four-wheel vehicle, etc., 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 generated power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, or the discharged power of a secondary battery or a fuel cell. In the following description, the vehicle M is set as a four-wheel vehicle. In addition, as an example, the driving support device can also be applied to an automatic driving vehicle. Automatic driving, for example, refers to automatically controlling one or both of the steering and acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle M to perform driving control. The driving control of the vehicle M can include various driving supports such as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), LKAS, LCA, FCW (Forward Collision Warning), and CMBS (Collision Mitigation Braking System). The automatic driving vehicle can also sometimes control part or all of the driving through manual driving by the occupant (driver).

[0038] The vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a camera (an example of a photographing unit) 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, a driving operating member 80, a driving support device 100, a driving force output device 200, a braking device 210, and a steering device 220. These devices and equipment are interconnected through multiple communication lines such as CAN (Controller Area Network) communication lines, serial communication lines, wireless communication networks, etc. It should be noted that Figure 1 The structure shown is only an example, and part of the structure may be omitted, or other structures may be added. The combination of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 is an example of an "external sensor ES". The external sensor ES may also include an object recognition device 16, and may also include other detection units (for example, sonar) that recognize the surrounding conditions of the vehicle M. In addition, the external sensor ES may also be a simple structure such as a structure of only the camera 10, or only the camera 10 and the radar device 12. HMI 30 is an example of an "output unit".

[0039] The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera that utilizes 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 the vehicle M. For example, when photographing the front of the vehicle M, the camera 10 is installed at the upper portion of the front windshield, the back of the rearview mirror in the vehicle interior, etc. In addition, when photographing the rear of the vehicle M, the camera 10 is installed at the upper portion of the rear windshield, the back door, etc. In addition, when photographing the side and rear side of the vehicle M, the camera 10 is installed at the rearview mirror on the door, etc. The camera 10, for example, repeatedly photographs the periphery of the vehicle M periodically. 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 the 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 structures included in the external sensor ES, and recognizes the position, type, speed, etc. of the object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition result to the driving support device 100. The object recognition device 16 can output the detection result of the external sensor ES to the driving support device 100 as it is. 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 communicates with various server devices via a wireless base station.

[0044] The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupants of the vehicle M under the control of the HMI control unit 140, and receives input operations from the occupants. The HMI 30 includes, for example, a display device, a speaker, a microphone, a buzzer, a touch panel, a key, etc. In addition, the HMI 30 includes, for example, a turn signal switch (turn indicator) 32. The turn signal switch 32 is provided, for example, on a steering column or a steering wheel. In addition, the HMI 30 may also include, for example, a switch for receiving whether to execute various driving assistance such as LKAS and ACC.

[0045] The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor for detecting the speed of the vehicle M, an acceleration sensor for detecting acceleration, a yaw rate sensor for detecting angular velocity around a vertical axis, an azimuth sensor for detecting the orientation of the vehicle M, and the like. In addition, the vehicle sensor 40 may include a steering angle sensor for detecting the steering angle of the vehicle M (which may be the angle of the steering wheel or the operating angle of the steering wheel). In addition, the vehicle sensor 40 may include a position sensor for obtaining the position of the vehicle M. The position sensor is, for example, a sensor for obtaining position information (longitude and latitude information) from a GPS (Global Positioning System) device. In addition, the position sensor may also be a sensor for obtaining position information using a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51 of a navigation device 50. The direction indicator switch 32 and the vehicle sensor 40 are, for example, an example of a "receiving unit" for receiving the intention of the vehicle M to change lanes based on the operation of the occupant of the vehicle M.

[0046] The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a route determination unit 53. The navigation device 50 stores 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 the signal received from the GNSS satellite. The position of the vehicle M may 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 may also be partially or entirely shared with the aforementioned HMI 30. The route determination unit 53, for example, refers to the map information 54 to determine a route (hereinafter referred to as a route on a map) from the position of the vehicle M determined by the GNSS receiver 51 (or an input arbitrary position) to the destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52. The 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 map information 54 may also include the curvature of the road, POI (Point Of Interest) information, etc. In addition, the map information 54 may include, for example, information on the center of a lane or information on a lane boundary (road dividing line), lane width, etc., and may include road information, traffic restriction information, address information (address, zip code), facility information, telephone number information, etc. The map information 54 may be updated at any time by communicating with other devices via the communication device 20. The map information 54 may also be stored in a storage unit of the driving support device 100 described later.

[0047] The navigation device 50 may also provide route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the route on the map. The navigation device 50 may also be implemented by, for example, a 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 route equivalent to the route on the map from the navigation server.

[0048] The driving operating member 80 includes, for example, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, and other operating members in addition to a steering wheel. A sensor for detecting the amount of operation or the presence or absence of operation is installed on the driving operating member 80, and the detection result is output to the driving support device 100, or part or all of the driving drive force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device 220. The steering wheel is an example of an "operating member that receives the steering operation performed by the driver." The operating member does not necessarily have to be annular, and can also be in the form of a special-shaped steering wheel, a joystick, a button, etc. In addition, the driving operating member 80 outputs the steering angle and the steering torque when the occupant (driver) of the vehicle M turns the steering wheel in a specified direction to the driving support device 100.

[0049] The driving support device 100 includes, for example, a recognition unit 110, a determination unit 120, a driving control unit 130, an HMI control unit 140, and a storage unit 150. The recognition unit 110, the determination unit 120, the driving control unit 130, and the HMI control unit 140 are 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 cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD or flash memory of the driving support device 100, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the HDD or flash memory of the driving support device 100 by assembling the storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) in a drive device. The HMI control unit 140 is an example of an “output control unit”.

[0050] The storage unit 150 may be implemented by the above-mentioned various storage devices, or SSD (Solid State Drive), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), or RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage unit 150 stores programs, other various information, etc. In addition, the storage unit 150 may store, for example, map information 54.

[0051] The recognition unit 110 recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle M based on the information input from the external sensor ES. For example, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the position, speed, acceleration and other states of objects within a specified distance from the vehicle M based on the information input from the external sensor ES. Objects refer to traffic participants such as other vehicles, bicycles, and pedestrians. The position of the object is, for example, recognized as a position on an absolute coordinate with a representative point (center of gravity, drive shaft center, etc.) of the vehicle M as the origin, and is used for control. The position of the object can be represented by representative points such as the center of gravity and corners of the object, or by an area. The "state" of the object can also include the acceleration, jerk, or "action state" of the object (for example, whether a lane change is being made or about to be made). In addition, the recognition unit 110 can also recognize the type of the object (other vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians), etc. based on feature information such as the size, shape, and color of the object.

[0052] In addition, the recognition unit 110 recognizes, for example, the lane in which the host vehicle M is traveling (driving lane). For example, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the road dividing lines (hereinafter referred to as "dividing lines") on the left and right sides of the host vehicle M based on the camera image captured by the camera 10, and recognizes the driving lane based on the position of the recognized dividing lines. It should be noted that the recognition unit 110 is not limited to dividing lines, and can also recognize object targets (driving road boundaries, road boundaries) that can determine the lane position, including shoulders, curbs, central isolation strips, guardrails, fences, walls, etc., to identify the driving lane. 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 added.

[0053] In addition, the recognition unit 110 may recognize the driving lane based on the position information of the vehicle M obtained from the vehicle sensor 40 and referring to the map information 54, or may recognize the driving lane by comparing the pattern of the road dividing lines obtained from the map information 54 (for example, the arrangement of solid lines and dotted lines) with the pattern of the road dividing lines around the host vehicle M recognized from the image captured by the camera 10. In addition, the recognition unit 110 may recognize the road shape of the driving lane. In addition, the recognition unit 110 may recognize an adjacent lane adjacent to the driving lane of the host vehicle M, a temporary stop line, an obstacle, a red light, a toll booth, or other road phenomena.

[0054] In addition, when recognizing the driving lane, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the position and posture of the host vehicle M relative to the driving lane. For example, the recognition unit 110 may recognize the deviation of the reference point (center or center of gravity) 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 110 may recognize the position of the reference point of the host vehicle M with respect to either side end (dividing line or road boundary) of the driving lane as the relative position of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane.

[0055] In addition, the recognition unit 110 implements functions based on AI (Artificial Intelligence) and functions based on a pre-given model in parallel, for example. For example, the function of "recognizing intersections" can be realized by executing recognition of intersections based on deep learning and the like and recognition based on pre-given conditions (the presence of signals and road signs that can be pattern matched) in parallel, and scoring both to comprehensively evaluate.

[0056] The determination unit 120 determines whether the occupant (driver) of the vehicle M intends to change the lane of the vehicle M. In addition, the determination unit 120 may determine whether the intention of the vehicle M to change the lane is received by the receiving unit based on the operation of the occupant of the vehicle, instead of (or in addition to) the above determination. For example, the determination unit 120 determines that the occupant intends to change the lane of the vehicle M when the operation of the turn signal switch 32 by the occupant is received and there is an adjacent lane in the direction indicated by the turn signal switch 32. In addition, the determination unit 120 may determine that the occupant intends to change the lane of the vehicle M when the steering torque amount and yaw rate obtained from the vehicle sensor 40 by the steering operation of the steering wheel by the occupant are greater than the threshold value and there is an adjacent lane in the steering direction of the steering wheel, instead of (or in addition to) the operation of the turn signal switch 32.

[0057] In addition, the determination unit 120 may determine whether there is a possibility that the host vehicle M contacts the other vehicle (whether there is a contact possibility) when the recognition unit 110 recognizes the other vehicle around the host vehicle M (within a predetermined distance). For example, after determining that the occupant intends to change the lane of the host vehicle M, the determination unit 120 determines whether there is a contact possibility between the host vehicle M and the other vehicle traveling in the lane of the lane change destination of the host vehicle M.

[0058] For example, the determination unit 120 uses the relative position (relative distance) and relative speed of the host vehicle M and other vehicles to derive a contact margin time TTC (Time To Collision), and determines that there is a contact possibility when the derived contact margin time TTC is less than a threshold value, and determines that there is no contact possibility when it is greater than the threshold value. The contact margin time TTC is, for example, a value calculated by dividing the relative distance by the relative speed.

[0059] The driving control unit 130 automatically controls one or both of the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle M based on the recognition result recognized by the recognition unit 110 to perform driving control. For example, the driving control unit 130 supports the driving operation of the host vehicle M performed by the occupant of the host vehicle M or the travel of the host vehicle M through driving control. In addition, when the driving control unit 130 receives an operation for performing at least one of various driving supports from the HMI 30, the driving control unit 130 performs driving control based on the received operation.

[0060] The driving control unit 130 includes, for example, a lane keeping control unit 132 and a lane return control unit 134. For example, when the HMI 30 receives a switch operation for executing LKAS control, the lane keeping control unit 132 performs lane keeping control for controlling at least the steering of the host vehicle M so that the host vehicle M travels in a predetermined lane, regardless of whether the driving operating element 80 is operated by the occupant. When the determination unit 120 determines that there is a possibility of contact with another vehicle during the lane change of the host vehicle M, the lane return control unit 134 controls at least the steering of the host vehicle M so as to return to the lane before the lane change. The details of the functions of the lane keeping control unit 132 and the lane return control unit 134 will be described later.

[0061] In addition, the driving control unit 130 may also perform control such as ACC, LCA, FCW, CMBS, etc. based on the recognition result recognized by the recognition unit 110. For example, when the driving control unit 130 receives an operation to perform ACC control from the HMI 30, it performs driving control to make the host vehicle M follow the preceding vehicle. In addition, when the driving control unit 130 receives an operation to perform LCA control from the HMI 30, it sets a target position that does not contact other vehicles or other objects in the center of the lane of the lane change destination in the direction indicated by the turn signal switch 32, and notifies the passenger of the set target position from the HMI 30, so that the passenger performs a steering operation of the host vehicle M to locate the center (or center of gravity) of the host vehicle M, or performs steering control. In addition, the driving control unit 130 warns the passenger using the HMI 30 when there is a possibility of contact with an object through FCW control, or performs control to make the host vehicle M stop urgently through CMBS control. The function of a part of FCW control may also be included in the lane return control unit 134.

[0062] The HMI control unit 140 notifies the occupant of prescribed information through the HMI 30, or obtains the content of the occupant's operation through the HMI 30. The prescribed information includes, for example, information related to the state of the vehicle M, information related to driving control, and other information related to the driving of the vehicle M. The information related to the state of the vehicle M includes, for example, information such as the speed of the vehicle M, the engine speed, and the gear position. In addition, the information related to driving control may include, for example, information urging the suspension of lane changes and information asking whether to provide driving assistance. In addition, the prescribed information may also include information that is not related to the driving control of the vehicle M, such as television programs, items stored in storage media such as DVDs (for example, movies), etc.

[0063] For example, the HMI control unit 140 may generate an image including the above-described predetermined information and display the generated image on the display device 32 of the HMI 30 , or may generate a sound indicating the predetermined information and output the generated sound from the speaker of the HMI 30 .

[0064] 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-mentioned structure according to information input from the driving support device 100 or information input from the driving operation element 80.

[0065] 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 causes the hydraulic cylinder to generate hydraulic pressure, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor according to information input from the driving support device 100 or information input from the driving operating member 80, so that the brake torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel. The brake device 210 may include a mechanism that transmits 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 driving support device 100 to transmit the hydraulic pressure of the master hydraulic cylinder to the hydraulic cylinder.

[0066] The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor, for example, acts on 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 driving support device 100 or information input from the driving operating member 80. In addition, the steering device 220 may also be controlled by the driving support device 100 to impart a torque reaction force under the action of the occupant's driving operation to rotate the steering wheel in a predetermined direction (without rotating in a predetermined direction).

[0067] [Lane Keeping Control]

[0068] Next, the function of the lane keeping control unit 132 will be described in detail. Figure 2 1 is a diagram for explaining the function of the lane keeping control unit 132. Figure 2 In the example, two lanes L1 and L2 are shown that can travel in the same direction (X-axis direction in the figure). Lane L1 is divided by dividing lines LL and CL, and lane L2 is divided by dividing lines CL and RL. In the following description, the position and speed VM of the vehicle M at time t* are expressed as M(t*) and VM(t*). In addition, time t1 is the earliest, and t2, t3, t4, t5, and t6 are later in order. In addition, Figure 2 In the example of FIG. 1 , the steering direction of the steering wheel ST near a predetermined time (location) is briefly shown. Hereinafter, the control content of the host vehicle M at each time will be described.

[0069] exist Figure 2In the figure, at time t1, LKAS control by the lane keeping control unit 132 is executed. In this case, the lane keeping control unit 132 controls at least the steering and speed of the host vehicle M based on the positions of the dividing lines LL and CL dividing the lane L1 identified by the recognition unit 110 so that the host vehicle M does not deviate from the lane L1, for example, so that the center (or center of gravity) of the vehicle M travels in the center (center of the lateral width) of the lane L1. Hereinafter, the steering control executed on the vehicle system 1 side without relying on the operation of the occupant (without manual operation) is referred to as "first steering control". The lines S1 and S2 in the figure exemplarily show the dividing lines LL and CL identified by the recognition unit 110.

[0070] Time t2 indicates the timing when the vehicle M arrives at the location P1, and indicates the timing when the occupant operates the turn signal switch 32 to light the right turn signal of the vehicle M (hereinafter referred to as "turn signal operation") . Since the adjacent lane is recognized in the direction indicated by the turn signal operation, the determination unit 120 determines that the occupant intends to change the lane of the vehicle M from lane L1 to lane L2. In this case, the lane keeping control unit 132 temporarily stops the LKAS control being executed. It should be noted that lane L1 in this case is an example of the "first lane" and lane L2 is an example of the "second lane".

[0071] During the period from time t2 to t6, the occupant performs a steering control to move the host vehicle M from the lane L1 to the lane L2 as the target lane by manual driving using the driving operating element 80 (for example, steering operation using a steering wheel). Hereinafter, the steering control (performed by manual driving) performed in conjunction with the occupant's driving operation is referred to as "second steering control". Here, conventionally, the lane change is determined to be completed at the time when the center of the host vehicle M is positioned at the center of the lane L2 after the lane change (time t6 when the host vehicle M arrives at the point P5), and at this time, the LKAS control of driving in the lane L2 is performed based on the positions of the dividing lines CL and RL dividing the lane L2. However, in this case, the occupant needs to drive during the period from time t2 (point P1) to time t6 (point P5) when the lane change is completed, so the driving burden cannot be reduced (especially, the processing of the steering operation for the left-right alignment of the occupant accompanying the completion of the lane change cannot be reduced). Therefore, in the present embodiment, the LKAS control (lane keeping control) is restarted (resume) at a timing before the lane change completion timing (time t6, point P5) according to the progress of the lane change.

[0072] Figure 3 FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the timing of restarting the LKAS control. Figure 3 In, with Figure 2Similarly, the vehicle M changes lanes from lane L1 to lane L2. The lane keeping control unit 132 performs, for example, Figure 3 As shown, at a timing earlier than the timing when the lane change from lane L1 to lane L2 is completed by the steering operation of the occupant (in other words, during the process of executing the steering control to position the center of the host vehicle M in the center of the lane L2), based on the position of the host vehicle M, the steering information (steering torque amount / yaw angular velocity) and the position of the recognition results (lines S3, S4) of the lane L2 dividing lines CL and RL of the lane change destination recognized by the recognition unit 110, LKAS control for at least steering control in a manner that causes the host vehicle M to travel in the lane L2 is started again.

[0073] The timing before the lane change completion timing is, for example, the timing when the predetermined position of the host vehicle M crosses the dividing line CL that divides the lane L1 and the lane L2 on which the host vehicle M is traveling and enters the lane L2. The predetermined position may be, for example, the front wheel on the lane change side (lane L2 side) of the front wheels of the host vehicle M, or the center of the host vehicle M, or the center of gravity of the host vehicle M. It should be noted that the predetermined position may be changed according to the shape of the host vehicle M, the type of vehicle, the shape of the road, the width of the lane, etc. For example, when the host vehicle M is a large vehicle such as a bus or a truck, when the road shape is a curved road (the curvature is greater than a threshold value), or when the width is narrow (the width is less than a predetermined width), there is a possibility that the occupant unintentionally causes the front wheel on the lane change side of the host vehicle M to cross the dividing line CL and enter the lane L2. Therefore, in this case, by setting the predetermined position to the center of the host vehicle M, it is possible to more appropriately determine whether to restart the LKAS control.

[0074] When the vehicle M enters the lane L2 at the predetermined position, the lane keeping control unit 132 performs steering control (first steering control) in a manner such that the center of the vehicle M travels in the center of the lane L2 based on the recognition result (lines S3, S4) of the dividing lines of the lane L2 recognized by the recognition unit 110. In this way, the LKAS control is started again when the predetermined position of the vehicle M crosses the dividing line CL and enters the lane L2. As a result, the LKAS control continues to perform a part of the lane change of the vehicle M, and the steering adjustment in the vehicle width direction is performed by the LKAS control. Therefore, the driving interval performed by the occupant is shortened (becomes Figure 2 In other words, the number of steering operations required for the driver to align the vehicle left and right following completion of the lane change can be reduced, thereby reducing the driving burden on the occupant.

[0075] Lane Return Control

[0076] Next, the function of the lane return control unit 134 will be described in detail. During the execution of the lane change, when another vehicle approaching the host vehicle M is identified by the recognition unit 110 in the lane L2 of the lane change destination, and when the determination unit 120 determines that there is a possibility of contact between the host vehicle M and the other vehicle, the lane return control unit 134 performs steering control (lane return control) so as to return the host vehicle M from the lane L2 to the original lane (lane L1) before the lane change.

[0077] Figure 4 1 is a diagram for explaining the function of the lane return control unit 134. Figure 4 In the example, Figure 2 Similarly, the scene in which the host vehicle M changes lanes from lane L1 to lane L2 is shown. Figure 4 In the example, another vehicle m1 is traveling in lane L2 at a speed Vm1.

[0078] exist Figure 4 In the example of FIG. 1 , at time t2 (location P1 ), the determination unit 120 determines that the driver intends to change lanes. The lane keeping control unit 132 temporarily stops the LKAS control. In addition, the lane change is performed by the manual driving of the occupant.

[0079] Next, at time t4 (location P3), when the determination unit 120 determines that there is a possibility of contact between the host vehicle M and the other vehicle m1, the lane return control unit 134 performs a lane return control to return to the lane L1 before the lane change. In addition, the lane return control unit 134 may output information indicating that there is another vehicle that may contact the host vehicle M and that the first operation control for returning to the lane L1 is performed from the HMI 30 through the HMI control unit 140 to notify the occupant.

[0080] The lane return control unit 134 performs at least a steering control (first steering control) of the host vehicle M after time t4, based on the position of the host vehicle M, the steering information (steering torque / yaw rate), and the recognition result of the dividing lines LL and CL of the lane L1 before the lane change recognized by the recognition unit 110, so that the center of the host vehicle M is positioned in the center of the lane L1. Figure 4 The lane keeping control unit 132 completes the lane return control at time t6 (location P5) in FIG. 1 . After time t6 when the lane return control is completed, the lane keeping control unit 132 restarts the LKAS control based on the recognition result of the dividing lines LL and CL (the positions of the lines S1 and S2).

[0081] In addition, the lane return control unit 134 may notify the occupant of information urging the occupant to stop the lane change instead of executing the lane return control by the first steering control, so that the occupant may execute the second steering control. In this case, the lane keeping control unit 132 may also make the timing of restarting the LKAS control of the host vehicle M for the first steering control different from the timing of restarting the LKAS control for the second steering control.

[0082] Figure 5 2 is a diagram for explaining the timing of restarting the LKAS control in the lane return based on the second steering control. Figure 5 In the example, Figure 4 The processing after time t4 is different from the example. Therefore, the following description will focus on the processing after time t4. At time t4 (location P3), when the determination unit 120 determines that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle M and the other vehicle m1, the lane return control unit 134 outputs information such as urging the occupant to stop the lane change from the HMI30 through the HMI control unit 140, so that the occupant performs the second steering control. It should be noted that the lane return control unit 134 may also (or instead of) notify the occupant of the information urging the suspension of the lane change, information urging the steering operation for returning the vehicle M to the lane L1 before the lane change, and information indicating that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle M and the other vehicle.

[0083] The lane keeping control unit 132 controls the lane keeping control unit 132 at a timing (for example, reaching the time when the center of the host vehicle M is positioned at the center of the lane L1) in the second steering control by the steering operation of the occupant. Figure 5 That is, the lane keeping control unit 132 makes the timing of restarting the LKAS control for the execution of the second steering control earlier than the timing of the execution of the first steering control.

[0084] The timing for restarting the LKAS control in the second steering control may be, for example, when a steering torque (yaw rate) greater than a threshold value is generated in the direction opposite to the lane change side based on the steering information, or when a predetermined position of the host vehicle M crosses the dividing line CL dividing the lanes L1 and L2.

[0085] Thus, it is possible to avoid contact between the host vehicle M and other vehicle m1. In addition, even when the host vehicle M returns to the original lane by the lane return control, in the case of the second steering control, since the LKAS control is restarted at an earlier timing than in the case of the first steering control, part of the steering operation to return the host vehicle M to the lane L1 can be performed by the LKAS control, which can reduce the operational burden on the occupants.

[0086] <Modification>

[0087] The lane keeping control unit 132 may suppress the restart of the LKAS control when only one side of the dividing lines of the lane at the lane change destination can be recognized. For example, when one of the dividing lines CL and RL of the lane L2 at the lane change destination (for example, the dividing line CL) is recognized by the recognition unit 110 and the other dividing line (for example, the dividing line RL) cannot be recognized, the lane keeping control unit 132 also suppresses the early restart of the LKAS control in this embodiment (does not execute the LKAS control).

[0088] It should be noted that the lane keeping control unit 132 may restart the LKAS control even when the dividing line on one side of the lane at the lane change destination cannot be recognized as described above, if the lane end information other than the driving track of the preceding vehicle or the dividing line is recognized. The lane end information refers to information such as a wall or a shoulder.

[0089] In addition, even when one of the dividing lines of the lane at the lane change destination cannot be recognized as described above, the lane keeping control unit 132 may perform LKAS control based on the position information of the recognizable dividing line CL and the width of the lane L1 before the lane change or the width information of the standard lane determined in advance by laws and regulations so that the center (or center of gravity) of the host vehicle M travels along a position where the distance from the dividing line CL is half of the above-mentioned width. The width of the lane L1 may be obtained based on the detection result of the external sensor ES, for example, or may be obtained from the map information 54 based on the current position of the host vehicle M and by referring to the map information 54. Thus, even when one of the dividing lines of the lane at the lane change destination cannot be recognized, the LKAS control can be restarted.

[0090] [Processing Flow]

[0091] Figure 6 FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the driving support device 100 according to the embodiment. Figure 6 The following description will focus on the lane keeping control process among various processes performed by the driving support device 100. Figure 6 The processing can be performed repeatedly at a specified period or at a specified timing. Figure 6 At the start of the process, an instruction from the occupant to cause the host vehicle M to execute the LKAS control is received via the HMI 30 .

[0092] exist Figure 6In the example, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle M (step S100). The process of step S100 includes, for example, the recognition process of the dividing line and the recognition process of other vehicles. Next, the lane keeping control unit 132 performs LKAS control based on the recognition result recognized by the recognition unit 110 (step S102). Next, the determination unit 120 determines whether the occupant has the intention to change the lane of the vehicle M (step S104). When it is determined that there is an intention to change the lane, the lane keeping control unit 132 stops the LKAS control being executed (step S106). In this way, a lane change based on manual driving of the occupant can be performed.

[0093] Next, the lane keeping control unit 132 determines whether there is a possibility of contact with another vehicle existing in the lane of the lane change destination (step S108). If it is determined that there is no possibility of contact, the determination unit 120 determines, for example, whether a predetermined position of the host vehicle M (for example, the front wheel on the lane change side) has crossed the dividing line that divides the driving lane and the adjacent lane (step S110). If it is determined that the predetermined position has crossed the road dividing line, the lane keeping control unit 132 restarts the LKAS control of the lane of the lane change destination (step S112).

[0094] In addition, if it is determined in the process of step S108 that there is a possibility of contact with another vehicle existing in the lane of the lane change destination, the lane keeping control unit 132 performs control for returning to the lane before the lane change, and performs LKAS control at a timing based on the control content (first steering control or second steering control) (step S114). Thus, the process of this flowchart ends. In addition, if it is determined in the process of step S104 that the occupant has no intention to perform a lane change of the host vehicle M, the currently executed LKAS control is continued.

[0095] It should be noted that in Figure 6 The lane keeping control unit 132 may be in a standby state until the predetermined position of the host vehicle M crosses the dividing line after the processing of step S110, but it may be that if the predetermined position of the host vehicle M is not determined to have crossed the dividing line after a predetermined time has passed after it is determined that the occupant has the intention to change the lane of the host vehicle M, the lane keeping control unit 132 may restart the LKAS control of the current driving lane. The predetermined time may be, for example, a fixed time, or a time obtained based on the travel distance and vehicle speed of the host vehicle M after it is determined that there is an intention to change the lane.

[0096] According to the embodiment described above, the driving support device 100 includes: a recognition unit 110 that recognizes the surrounding conditions of the vehicle M; a driving control unit 130 that performs lane keeping control to control at least the steering of the vehicle M so that the vehicle M travels in a predetermined lane based on the recognition result recognized by the recognition unit 110; and a receiving unit (turn indicator switch 32, vehicle sensor 40) that receives the intention of lane change of the vehicle M based on the operation of the occupant of the vehicle M. When the driving control unit 130 receives the intention of lane change from the receiving unit during the execution of the lane keeping control, it stops the lane keeping control and restarts the lane keeping control at a timing before the lane change is completed, thereby enabling more appropriate driving support when changing lanes based on manual driving. Furthermore, it can contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0097] Specifically, according to the embodiment, when changing lanes by manual driving, when the host vehicle M crosses the dividing line between the driving lane and the target lane at a predetermined position, the LKAS control is restarted, thereby maximizing the effect of reducing the load on the occupants. In addition, according to the embodiment, in changing lanes by manual driving, the time until the LKAS control is automatically restarted can be shortened, thereby reducing the annoyance of the occupants (driver) during the lane change.

[0098] In addition, according to the present embodiment, even in the case of lane return control for avoiding contact with other vehicles, the start timing of the LKAS control can be made earlier. Thus, in the embodiment, there are multiple types of start timings for the LKAS control, and the start timing is switched according to conditions such as the progress of the lane change, so that the LKAS control can be implemented at the appropriate timing.

[0099] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows.

[0100] A driving support device, wherein:

[0101] The driving support device comprises:

[0102] a storage medium that stores computer-readable instructions; and

[0103] a processor connected to the storage medium,

[0104] The processor executes the computer-readable instructions to perform the following processing:

[0105] Identify the surrounding conditions of the vehicle,

[0106] Based on the result of the recognition, a lane keeping control is executed to control at least the steering of the vehicle so that the vehicle travels in a predetermined lane.

[0107] receiving an intention of the vehicle to change lanes based on an operation by an occupant of the vehicle,

[0108] when the lane change intention is received during the execution of the lane keeping control, the lane keeping control is stopped;

[0109] The lane keeping control is restarted at a timing before the lane change is completed.

[0110] 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.

[0111] Description of Reference Numerals

[0112] 10. Camera

[0113] 12 Radar Device

[0114] 14 LIDAR

[0115] 16 Object recognition device

[0116] 80 Driving operating parts

[0117] 100 Driving support device

[0118] 110 Identification Department

[0119] 120 Judgment Department

[0120] 130 Driving Control Unit

[0121] 132 Lane Keeping Control Unit

[0122] 134 Lane Return Control

[0123] 140 HMI control unit

[0124] 150 Storage

[0125] 200 Driving force output device

[0126] 210 Braking device

[0127] 220 Steering gear.

Claims

1. A driving support device, wherein: The driving support device comprises: an identification unit that identifies a surrounding condition of the vehicle; a driving control unit that performs lane keeping control for controlling at least the steering of the vehicle so that the vehicle travels in a predetermined lane based on the recognition result recognized by the recognition unit; as well as a receiving unit that receives an intention of the vehicle to change lanes based on an operation of an occupant of the vehicle, When the receiving unit receives the lane change intention during the execution of the lane keeping control, the driving control unit stops the lane keeping control and restarts the lane keeping control at a timing before the lane change is completed.

2. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein: The timing before the lane change is completed is the timing when the predetermined position of the vehicle crosses the dividing line dividing a first lane and a second lane and enters the second lane, wherein the first lane is the lane in which the vehicle is traveling and the second lane is the lane of the lane change destination adjacent to the first lane.

3. The driving support device according to claim 2, wherein: The predetermined position of the vehicle is a front wheel on a lane change side of the vehicle, a center of the vehicle, or a center of gravity of the vehicle.

4. The driving support device according to claim 2, wherein: The driving control unit controls the steering of the vehicle so that the center or center of gravity of the vehicle travels at the center of the second lane when a predetermined position of the vehicle crosses the dividing line.

5. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein: The driving support device further includes a determination unit for determining whether there is a possibility of contact with another vehicle existing around the vehicle. During the execution of the lane change, when the determination unit determines that there is a possibility of contact with the other vehicle, the driving control unit performs steering control to return to the lane before the lane change without the occupant's operation, and restarts the lane keeping control when the steering control is completed.

6. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein: The driving support device further comprises: a determination unit that determines whether there is a possibility of contact with another vehicle existing around the vehicle; as well as an output control unit that causes the output unit to output information to the occupant, During the execution of the lane change, when the determination unit determines that there is a possibility of contact with the other vehicle, the output control unit causes the output unit to output information urging the termination of the lane change, and restarts the lane keeping control before the steering control to return to the lane before the lane change is completed through the operation of the occupant.

7. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein: The driving support device further includes a determination unit for determining whether there is a possibility of contact with another vehicle existing around the vehicle. When the determination unit determines that there is a possibility of contact with the other vehicle during the execution of the lane change, the driving control unit causes different timings for restarting the lane keeping control between a first steering control for returning to the lane before the lane change without the operation of the occupant and a second steering control for returning to the lane before the lane change through the operation of the occupant.

8. The driving support device according to claim 7, wherein: The timing for restarting the lane keeping control in response to the execution of the second steering control is earlier than that in the case of the execution of the first steering control.

9. The driving support device according to claim 1, wherein: The driving control unit does not restart the lane keeping control for the lane at the lane change destination when the recognition unit cannot recognize one of the dividing lines of the lane at the lane change destination.

10. The driving support device according to claim 9, wherein: When the recognition unit cannot recognize one of the dividing lines of the lane of the lane change destination, the driving control unit restarts the lane maintaining control of the lane of the lane change destination when recognizing the driving trajectory of the preceding vehicle or lane end information other than the dividing lines.

11. A driving support method, wherein: The driving support method causes the computer to perform the following processing: Identify the surrounding conditions of the vehicle; Based on the result of the recognition, executing lane keeping control for controlling at least the steering of the vehicle so that the vehicle travels in a prescribed lane; receiving an intention of the vehicle to change lanes based on an operation by an occupant of the vehicle; stopping the lane keeping control when an intention to change the lane is received during execution of the lane keeping control; as well as The lane keeping control is restarted at a timing before the lane change is completed.

12. A program, wherein: The program causes the computer to perform the following processing: Identify the surrounding conditions of the vehicle; Based on the result of the recognition, executing lane keeping control for controlling at least the steering of the vehicle so that the vehicle travels in a prescribed lane; receiving an intention of the vehicle to change lanes based on an operation by an occupant of the vehicle; stopping the lane keeping control when an intention to change the lane is received during execution of the lane keeping control; as well as The lane keeping control is restarted at a timing before the lane change is completed.

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