Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and storage medium

Abstract

The present invention provides a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a storage medium which can appropriately deal with a phenomenon that does not depend on a driver's operation. A vehicle control device is provided with: a departure suppression control unit that suppresses a vehicle from departing from a travel lane on which the vehicle travels; and a lane change control unit that performs lane change control for causing the vehicle to autonomously change a lane from the travel lane to an adjacent lane adjacent to the travel lane. The departure suppression control unit suppresses departure of the vehicle from the traveling lane when the vehicle is moved in the opposite direction of the adjacent lane without depending on an operation of an occupant of the vehicle after the lane change control is started.

Description

[0001] This application claims priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-177793 filed on October 13, 2023, and uses its contents herein. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method and a program. Background Art

[0003] 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. In order to achieve this, research and development related to autonomous driving technology is being devoted to further improving the safety and convenience of traffic. In this regard, a technology for autonomously changing lanes based on a simple operation by the driver is known. Japanese Patent Publication No. 2018-203121 describes a situation in which an automatic lane change is canceled when the driver steers the vehicle beyond the override threshold when autonomously changing lanes. Summary of the invention

[0004] However, in the conventional technology, there is a concern that it will not be possible to cope with a phenomenon that does not depend on the driver's operation.

[0005] The present invention provides a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program that can appropriately respond to a phenomenon that does not depend on the driver's operation. Furthermore, the present invention contributes to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0006] The vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and program according to the present invention employ the following configurations.

[0007] (1): One embodiment of the present invention relates to a vehicle control device, wherein the vehicle control device comprises: a departure suppression control unit that suppresses a vehicle from departing from a driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling; and a lane change control unit that performs lane change control to cause the vehicle to autonomously change lanes from the driving lane to an adjacent lane adjacent to the driving lane, wherein after the lane change control is started, when the vehicle moves in a direction opposite to the adjacent lane without depending on the operation of the vehicle occupants, the departure suppression control unit suppresses the vehicle from departing from the driving lane.

[0008] (2): Based on the scheme of (1) above, when the lane change control is started, the departure suppression control unit is turned off, and after the lane change control is started, when the vehicle moves in a direction opposite to the adjacent lane without depending on the operation of the vehicle occupant, the departure suppression control unit is turned on.

[0009] (3): In the above aspect (1), the departure suppression control unit is turned off when the lane change control is started, and when the vehicle moves to the adjacent lane after the lane change control is started, the departure suppression control unit is kept off.

[0010] (4): In the above aspect (1), when the vehicle reaches a road dividing line in a direction opposite to the adjacent lane independently of an operation of a occupant of the vehicle after the lane change control is started, the departure suppression control unit is turned on.

[0011] (5): In the above scheme (1), the lane change control is canceled when a predetermined time has passed since the start time or the vehicle has moved a predetermined distance, and when the lane change control is canceled, the departure suppression control unit is changed from an off state to an on state.

[0012] (6): Based on the scheme of (1) above, the lane change control starts steering control of the vehicle when a reference time has passed since the start condition was met, and when the vehicle moves in a direction opposite to the adjacent lane without depending on the operation of the vehicle's occupants during the period from when the start condition of the lane change control was met to when the reference time has passed, the departure suppression control unit suppresses the vehicle from departing from the driving lane.

[0013] (7): Based on the scheme of (1) above, when the lane change control is not being performed, the departure suppression control unit suppresses the vehicle from departing from the driving lane with respect to the road dividing lines on both sides of the driving lane, and when the lane change control is being performed, the departure suppression control unit suppresses the vehicle from departing from the driving lane with respect to the road dividing lines on both sides of the driving lane that are in the opposite direction of the adjacent lane.

[0014] (8): Based on the scheme of (1) above, the lane change control unit operates the direction indicator when performing the lane change control, and when the vehicle moves in the opposite direction of the adjacent lane after starting the lane change control without relying on the operation of the occupant of the vehicle and the departure suppression control unit suppresses the vehicle from departing from the driving lane, the direction indicator stops operating.

[0015] (9): Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a vehicle control method, wherein the vehicle control method causes a vehicle control device to perform the following processing: performing lane change control to cause the vehicle to autonomously change lanes from a driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling to an adjacent lane adjacent to the driving lane; and suppressing the vehicle from leaving the driving lane when the vehicle moves in a direction opposite to the adjacent lane without relying on the operation of the vehicle's occupants after starting the lane change control.

[0016] (10): Another embodiment of the present invention relates to a program, wherein the program is used to cause a processor of a vehicle control device to execute the following processing: performing lane change control to cause a vehicle to autonomously change lanes from a driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling to an adjacent lane adjacent to the driving lane; and suppressing the vehicle from leaving the driving lane when the vehicle moves in a direction opposite to the adjacent lane without relying on the operation of the vehicle's occupants after starting the lane change control.

[0017] Effects of the Invention

[0018] According to the above aspects (1) to (10), when a phenomenon that does not depend on the driver's operation occurs, it is possible to appropriately deal with it. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing an example of the configuration and usage environment of a vehicle control device.

[0020] Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the distance between the reference point of the vehicle and the road dividing line, and the force that the departure suppression control unit causes the actuator to output according to the distance.

[0021] Figure 3 It is a diagram showing an example of a flow of processing executed by the lane change control unit according to the first embodiment.

[0022] Figure 4 This is a diagram showing an example of the operation in a comparative example that does not have the function of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 5 It is a diagram showing an example of the operation in the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment.

[0024] Figure 6 It is a diagram showing an example of a flow of processing executed by the lane change control unit according to the second embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0025] Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program according to the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0026] <First embodiment>

[0027] Figure 1 1 is a diagram showing an example of the structure and use environment of the vehicle control device 100. The vehicle M equipped with the vehicle control device 100 is equipped with, for example, an external sensor 10, a vehicle sensor 20, a blinker lever 30, a steering torque sensor 40, a direction indicator 50, the vehicle control device 100, a driving force output device 200, a brake device 210, a steering device 220, etc. The vehicle M may also be equipped with other structures (accelerator pedal, brake pedal, etc.) that are naturally equipped in a general vehicle, but the following description focuses on the structure related to the present invention.

[0028] The external sensor 10 includes, for example, a radar device, a camera, LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), a sensor fusion device, or a part of all of them. These devices set the periphery (outside) of the vehicle M as a detection range, and output information (signals, images, coordinates, etc.) indicating objects existing around the vehicle M to the vehicle control device 100.

[0029] The vehicle sensor 20 is a speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, a yaw rate sensor, an orientation sensor, etc. The vehicle sensor 20 outputs the detection result to the vehicle control device 100 .

[0030] The turn signal lever 30 is an operating member that can be operated to indicate either left or right. The turn signal lever 30 is an operating member for operating the turn signal indicator, and has a function of receiving a start request for lane change control. For example, the turn signal lever 30 is configured to receive a plurality of stage operations with different operation amounts, and when a predetermined stage operation is performed, not only the turn signal indicator 50 is operated, but also a start request for lane change control is output to the vehicle control device 100.

[0031] The steering torque sensor 40 detects the operation force of the steering wheel (steering operating member) by the driver, and outputs the detection result to the vehicle control device 100 .

[0032] The direction indicator 50 includes a plurality of lamps provided on the exterior of the vehicle M. The direction indicator 50 is controlled by the vehicle control device 100 or a dedicated control device (not shown) to flash the lamp provided in the direction where the direction indicator lever 30 is operated. In addition, during the execution of the lane change control, the direction indicator 50 is controlled by the vehicle control device 100 to flash the lamp provided in the direction where the vehicle M is to autonomously change lanes.

[0033] The function and structure of the vehicle control device 100 will be described later.

[0034] The driving force output device 200 outputs the driving force (torque) for driving the vehicle M to the drive wheels. The driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, a driving 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 control device 100 or information input from a driving operating element (not shown).

[0035] The brake device 210 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a hydraulic cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor according to information input from the control device 100 or information input from the driving operating member so that a brake torque corresponding to the brake 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 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 control device 100 to transmit the hydraulic pressure of the master hydraulic cylinder to the hydraulic cylinder.

[0036] The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor, for example, applies force to a rack-and-pinion mechanism to change the direction of the steering wheel. The steering ECU drives the electric motor to change the direction of the steering wheel according to information input from the control device 100 or information input from the driving operating member.

[0037] The vehicle control device 100, for example, includes a departure suppression control unit 110 and a lane change control unit 120. These components are implemented by executing a program (software) by one or more hardware processors such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). Some or all of these components can be implemented by hardware (including circuitry) such as LSI (Large Scale Integration), ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc., or they can be implemented by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program can be pre-stored in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory (a storage device having a non-temporary storage medium), or it can be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM (a non-temporary storage medium), and installed by assembling the storage medium on a drive device. The vehicle control device 100 can also be a plurality of processors operating in a distributed environment.

[0038] One or both of the departure suppression control unit 110 and the lane change control unit 120, or a functional unit of the vehicle control device 100 different from them has a function of identifying the surrounding environment of the vehicle M based on the output of the external sensor 10 (hereinafter referred to as the "identification unit"). The identification unit identifies the position and speed, acceleration, and other states of objects in the vicinity of the vehicle M. The position of the object is, for example, identified 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 a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the object, or by an area. The so-called "state" of an object may also include the acceleration, jerk, or "action state" of the object (for example, whether a lane change is being made or is about to be made).

[0039] In addition, the recognition unit recognizes, for example, the lane in which the vehicle M is traveling (driving lane), the adjacent lanes adjacent to the driving lane, and the road dividing line that divides them. For example, the recognition unit recognizes the driving lane by comparing the pattern of the road dividing line obtained from the map information (for example, the arrangement of solid lines and dotted lines) and the pattern of the road dividing line around the vehicle M recognized based on the image captured by the camera. It should be noted that the recognition unit is not limited to the road dividing line, and the driving lane can also be recognized by recognizing the road dividing line, the driving road boundary (road boundary) including the shoulder, the curb, the central dividing strip, the guardrail, etc. When recognizing the driving lane, the recognition unit recognizes the position and posture of the vehicle M relative to the driving lane. For example, the recognition unit can also recognize the deviation of the reference point of the vehicle M from the center of the lane and the angle formed by the direction of travel of the vehicle M relative to the line connecting the center of the lane as the relative position and posture of the vehicle M relative to the driving lane. Instead of this, the recognition unit can also recognize the position of the reference point of the vehicle M relative to either side end (road dividing line or road boundary) of the driving lane as the relative position of the vehicle M relative to the driving lane.

[0040] The departure suppression control unit 110 performs control for suppressing the vehicle M from departing from the driving lane. For example, the smaller the distance between the reference point of the vehicle M (the position of the wheel closest to the road dividing line, etc.) and the road dividing line, the more the departure suppression control unit 110 causes the steering device 220 to output a steering force in the direction opposite to the road dividing line or an operation reaction force to the steering wheel. Figure 2 This is a diagram showing an example of the relationship between the distance between the reference point of the vehicle M and the road dividing line, and the force output by the actuator according to the distance by the departure suppression control unit 110. In the figure, Y is the distance between the reference point of the vehicle M and the road dividing line, and F is the force output by the actuator.

[0041] The lane change control unit 120 starts lane change control when the driver performs a predetermined operation (start operation) on the turn signal lever 30, and when (1) there are no other vehicles in the adjacent lane corresponding to the direction in which the operation was performed, including the area to the side of the vehicle M, (2) the speed of the vehicle M is within a certain range (for example, about 60 to 100 [km / h]), and (3) the vehicle control device is performing lane keeping control (a control that supports driving in the center of the driving lane, which is different from the control of the departure suppression control unit 110) (a trigger for starting lane keeping control occurs). When starting lane change control, the lane change control unit 120 controls the steering device 220 so as to output a steering force for causing the vehicle M to autonomously change lanes after waiting for a reference time to elapse. At this time, the lane change control unit 120 instructs the driving force output device 200 to appropriately maintain the speed of the vehicle M.

[0042] Figure 3 1 is a diagram showing an example of a process flow executed by the lane change control unit 120 of the first embodiment. First, the lane change control unit 120 determines whether the driver has started the operation of the turn signal lever 30 (step S1). When it is detected that the driver has started the operation of the turn signal lever 30, the lane change control unit 120 determines whether the start condition of the lane change control is met (step S2). When a negative determination result is obtained in either step S1 or S2, the process returns to step S1. It should be noted that when the turn signal lever 30 is started to be operated, the direction indicator 50 starts to operate in conjunction.

[0043] When the start condition of the lane change control is satisfied, the lane change control unit 120 starts the lane change control (step S3). In addition, the lane change control unit 120 instructs the departure prevention control unit 110 to turn off (step S4). It should be noted that the related processing can also be performed autonomously by monitoring the state of the lane change control unit 120 on the departure prevention control unit 110 side.

[0044] Next, the lane change control unit 120 determines whether the vehicle M has moved in the opposite direction to the lane change side independently of the driver's operation (step S5). It should be noted that at this point in time, the steering force for lane change has not been output, and the vehicle M may move in the opposite direction to the lane change side due to external disturbances such as crosswind, road inclination (road surface inclination: cant), and unevenness.

[0045] The determination of "the vehicle M has moved in the opposite direction to the lane change side without depending on the driver's operation" is performed based on the following determination conditions. For example, when the steering torque sensor 40 does not detect a torque greater than a predetermined value in the opposite direction to the lane change side, the lane change control unit 120 may (A) determine that "the vehicle M has moved in the opposite direction to the lane change side" when the reference point of the vehicle M contacts the road dividing line in the opposite direction to the lane change side, (B) determine that "the vehicle M has moved in the opposite direction to the lane change side" when the distance between the reference point of the vehicle M and the road dividing line in the opposite direction to the lane change side is less than a determination distance, or (C) determine that "the vehicle M has moved in the opposite direction to the lane change side" when the TTC (Time To Collision) between the reference point of the vehicle M and the road dividing line in the opposite direction to the lane change side is less than a threshold value, or may perform determination by other similar methods. It should be noted that when the steering torque sensor 40 detects a torque greater than a predetermined value, it is considered that the driver has performed an override operation, and the lane change control itself is canceled.

[0046] If the vehicle M moves in the opposite direction to the lane change side, the process proceeds to step S10. This will be described later. If the vehicle M does not move in the opposite direction to the lane change side, the lane change control unit 120 determines whether a reference time has passed since the start of the lane change control (step S6). If the reference time has not passed since the start of the lane change control, the process returns to step S5.

[0047] When the reference time has passed since the start of the lane change control, the lane change control unit 120 causes the steering device 220 to output a steering force for lane change (step S7). The lane change control unit 120 generates, for example, a plan of a target lateral position for smoothly performing lane change, and causes the steering device 220 to output a steering force calculated as a result of feedback control for the vehicle M to reach the target lateral position in a timely manner.

[0048] Next, the lane change control unit 120 determines whether a cancellation condition for the lane change control is satisfied (step S8 ). The cancellation condition is, for example, that a predetermined time has passed since the start time of the lane change control or that the vehicle M has moved a predetermined distance. If the cancellation condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S10 .

[0049] If the cancellation condition is not satisfied, the lane change control unit 120 determines whether the lane change is completed (step S9). The lane change control unit 120 determines that the lane change is completed, for example, when the entire vehicle M or the center of gravity moves to the adjacent lane. If it is determined that the lane change is completed, the vehicle control device 100 returns to the state at the start time of this flowchart.

[0050] When it is determined in step S5 that the vehicle M has moved in the direction opposite to the lane change side, and when it is determined in step S8 that the cancellation condition is satisfied, the lane change control unit 120 instructs the departure prevention control unit 110 to turn on (step S10). It should be noted that the related processing can also be performed spontaneously by monitoring the state of the lane change control unit 120 on the departure prevention control unit 110 side. In addition, the lane change control unit 120 stops the lane change control and stops the operation of the direction indicator 50 (step S11).

[0051] Figure 4 : is a diagram showing an example of the action in the comparative example which does not have the function of the present invention. The comparative example vehicle m does not have the function of "suppressing the vehicle from leaving the driving lane when the vehicle moves in the opposite direction to the adjacent lane to the lane change destination without depending on the driver's operation", and the departure suppression control is set to be in the off state during the period from starting the lane change control to canceling the lane change control. In the figure, Dm is the traveling direction of the comparative example vehicle m, L1 is the driving lane, and L2 is the adjacent lane. At point X1, the driver starts to operate the turn signal lever, and the start condition is satisfied at point X2. At point X3, the vehicle m begins to be disturbed by the outside world, and at point X4, it touches the road dividing line in the opposite direction to the lane change direction. In the comparative example vehicle m, no special countermeasures are taken for this, so the lane change control continues, and the lane change control is delayed under the influence of the external disturbance, and the cancellation condition is satisfied at point X5, and the lane change control stops. When such control is performed, for the driver, even if the lane change control is not executed for a long period of time, the lane change is not performed, and the driver may feel uncomfortable. In addition, since the direction indicator continues to operate even though the lane change has not been made, there is a concern that drivers of surrounding vehicles may be confused.

[0052] In contrast, Figure 5: is a diagram showing an example of the action in the vehicle control device 100 of the first embodiment. In the figure, DM is the direction of travel of the vehicle M of the embodiment. At location X11, the driver starts operating the turn signal lever, and the start condition is met at location X12. At location X13, the vehicle M begins to be disturbed by the outside, and at location X14, it contacts the road dividing line in the opposite direction to the lane change direction. At this time, the vehicle control device 100 can quickly return to the state before the start of the lane change control because the lane change control is stopped because the separation suppression control unit 110 is restored to the on state as described above. As a result, it is possible to deal appropriately when a phenomenon that does not depend on the driver's operation occurs.

[0053] According to the first embodiment described above, when a phenomenon that does not depend on the driver's operation occurs, it is possible to appropriately deal with it.

[0054] <Second embodiment>

[0055] The second embodiment is described below. When the lane change control is started, the vehicle control device 100 of the second embodiment does not turn off the departure suppression control unit 110, but switches to a unilateral operation mode in which the departure suppression control unit 110 operates only on the road dividing lines on both sides of the driving lane in the opposite direction of the adjacent lane of the lane change destination. That is, the departure suppression control unit 110 operates on the road dividing lines on both sides of the driving lane when the lane change control is not being performed (normal mode), and operates only on the road dividing lines on both sides of the driving lane in the opposite direction of the adjacent lane of the lane change destination when the lane change control is being performed.

[0056] Figure 6 1 is a diagram showing an example of a process flow executed by the lane change control unit 120 of the second embodiment. First, the lane change control unit 120 determines whether the driver has started the operation of the turn signal lever 30 (step S21). When it is detected that the driver has started the operation of the turn signal lever 30, the lane change control unit 120 determines whether the start condition of the lane change control is met (step S22). When a negative determination result is obtained in any of steps S21 and S22, the process returns to step S21. It should be noted that when the turn signal lever 30 is started to be operated, the direction indicator 50 starts to operate in conjunction.

[0057] When the start condition of the lane change control is satisfied, the lane change control unit 120 starts the lane change control (step S23). In addition, the lane change control unit 120 instructs the departure prevention control unit 110 to shift to the unilateral operation mode (step S24). It should be noted that the related processing can also be performed autonomously by monitoring the state of the lane change control unit 120 on the departure prevention control unit 110 side.

[0058] Next, the lane change control unit 120 determines whether the vehicle M has moved in the opposite direction to the lane change side independently of the driver's operation (step S25). It should be noted that at this point in time, the steering force for lane change has not yet been output, and the vehicle M may move in the opposite direction to the lane change side due to external interference such as crosswind, road inclination (cant), unevenness, etc. The determination of "the vehicle M has moved in the opposite direction to the lane change side independently of the driver's operation" is the same as that of the first embodiment.

[0059] If the vehicle M moves in the opposite direction to the lane change side, the process proceeds to step S30. This will be described later. If the vehicle M does not move in the opposite direction to the lane change side, the lane change control unit 120 determines whether a reference time has passed since the start of the lane change control (step S26). If the reference time has not passed since the start of the lane change control, the process returns to step S25.

[0060] When the reference time has passed since the start of the lane change control, the lane change control unit 120 causes the steering device 220 to output a steering force for lane change (step S27). The lane change control unit 120 generates, for example, a plan of a target lateral position for smoothly performing lane change, and causes the steering device 220 to output a steering force calculated as a result of feedback control for the vehicle M to reach the target lateral position in a timely manner.

[0061] Next, the lane change control unit 120 determines whether a cancellation condition for the lane change control is satisfied (step S28 ). The cancellation condition is, for example, a predetermined time has passed since the start time of the lane change control or the vehicle M has moved a predetermined distance. If the cancellation condition is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S30 .

[0062] If the cancellation condition is not satisfied, the lane change control unit 120 determines whether the lane change is completed (step S29). The lane change control unit 120 determines that the lane change is completed, for example, when the entire vehicle M or the center of gravity moves to the adjacent lane. If it is determined that the lane change is completed, the vehicle control device 100 returns to the state at the start time of this flowchart. The departure suppression control unit 110 also shifts to the normal mode.

[0063] If it is determined in step S25 that the vehicle M has moved in the direction opposite to the lane change direction, or if it is determined in step S28 that the cancellation condition is satisfied, the lane change control unit 120 stops the lane change control and stops the operation of the direction indicator 50 (step S30). Thereafter, the departure prevention control unit 110 shifts to the normal mode.

[0064] According to the second embodiment described above, the same effects as those of the first embodiment can be achieved.

[0065] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows.

[0066] A vehicle control device comprising:

[0067] a storage medium that stores computer-readable instructions; and

[0068] One or more processors connected to the storage medium,

[0069] The one or more processors execute the following processing by executing the instructions that can be read by the computer:

[0070] performing lane change control for causing the vehicle to autonomously change lanes from a driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling to an adjacent lane adjacent to the driving lane; and

[0071] When the vehicle moves in a direction opposite to the adjacent lane independently of an operation of a occupant of the vehicle after the lane change control is started, the vehicle is suppressed from deviating from the driving lane.

[0072] 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.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device, wherein: The vehicle control device comprises: a departure suppression control unit that suppresses a vehicle from departing from a driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling; and a lane change control unit for performing lane change control to cause the vehicle to autonomously change lanes from the driving lane to an adjacent lane adjacent to the driving lane, The departure suppression control unit suppresses the vehicle from departing from the driving lane when the vehicle moves in a direction opposite to the adjacent lane independently of an operation of an occupant of the vehicle after the lane change control is started.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The departure suppression control unit is turned off when the lane change control is started, and is turned on when the vehicle moves in the opposite direction to the adjacent lane without depending on the operation of the occupant of the vehicle after the lane change control is started.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The departure suppression control unit is turned off when the lane change control is started, and when the vehicle moves to the adjacent lane after the lane change control is started, the departure suppression control unit is maintained in the off state.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The departure prevention control unit is turned on when the vehicle reaches a road dividing line in a direction opposite to the adjacent lane independently of an operation of a occupant of the vehicle after the lane change control is started.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The lane change control is canceled when a predetermined time has passed from the start time point or the vehicle has moved a predetermined distance, When the lane change control is canceled, the departure prevention control unit is switched from the off state to the on state.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The lane change control starts steering control of the vehicle at a timing when a reference time has elapsed from a timing when a start condition is satisfied, The departure suppression control unit suppresses the vehicle from departing from the driving lane when the vehicle moves in a direction opposite to the adjacent lane independently of an operation of a occupant of the vehicle during a period from when the start condition of the lane change control is satisfied until a reference time elapses.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: When the lane change control is not performed, the departure suppression control unit suppresses the vehicle from departing from the driving lane with respect to road dividing lines on both sides of the driving lane, When the lane change control is being performed, the departure suppression control unit suppresses the vehicle from departing from the driving lane with respect to a road dividing line on both sides of the driving lane that is in a direction opposite to the adjacent lane.

8. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein: The lane change control unit activates a direction indicator when performing the lane change control. When the vehicle moves in the opposite direction to the adjacent lane independently of the operation of the occupant of the vehicle after the lane change control is started and the departure suppression control unit suppresses the vehicle from departing from the driving lane, the direction indicator stops operating.

9. A vehicle control method, wherein: The vehicle control method causes the vehicle control device to perform the following processing: performing lane change control for causing the vehicle to autonomously change lanes from a driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling to an adjacent lane adjacent to the driving lane; as well as When the vehicle moves in a direction opposite to the adjacent lane independently of an operation of a occupant of the vehicle after the lane change control is started, the vehicle is suppressed from deviating from the driving lane.

10. A storage medium storing a program, wherein: The program is used to cause the processor of the vehicle control device to execute the following processing: performing lane change control for causing the vehicle to autonomously change lanes from a driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling to an adjacent lane adjacent to the driving lane; as well as When the vehicle moves in a direction opposite to the adjacent lane independently of an operation of a occupant of the vehicle after the lane change control is started, the vehicle is suppressed from deviating from the driving lane.

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