Vehicle control method, vehicle control device, and storage medium

Abstract

Provided are a vehicle control method, a vehicle control device, and a storage medium that make it possible to perform more appropriate driving support control in a scene in which contact with an obstacle is avoided. The vehicle control method causes a computer to execute the following processes: recognizing a surrounding situation of a vehicle; detecting a steering state of an occupant of the vehicle; detecting a speed operation of the vehicle by an occupant; an evasion steering assistance unit that performs evasion steering assistance for evasion of contact with an obstacle when it is determined that the vehicle is likely to come into contact with the obstacle on the basis of the recognized peripheral situation of the vehicle and a steering amount equal to or greater than a first threshold value is detected from the steering state of the occupant; and a control unit that, in the course of executing the evasive steering support, executes suspension control for suspending the evasive steering support when a speed operation of a second threshold value or more is detected from among the detected speed operations, and suppresses execution of the suspension control when a predetermined condition is satisfied in the course of executing the evasive steering support.

Description

Technical Field

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

[0002] In recent years, efforts have been actively made to provide access to a sustainable transportation system that also takes into account particularly vulnerable people among traffic participants. To achieve this goal, research and development have been dedicated to further improving traffic safety and convenience through research and development related to preventive safety technologies. In this context, in recent years, a driving control device has been disclosed that changes an overcontrol threshold, which is a determination criterion for an operation intervention that stops an automatic lane change function, to a value larger than that in a normal state within a system operation design area when deviating from the system operation design area (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2020-132045). Summary of the Invention

[0003] However, in preventive safety technologies, there is no consideration of how to design an overcontrol threshold for abort control in steering assist control for avoiding contact between a vehicle and an obstacle. Therefore, in steering assist control for avoiding contact with an obstacle, there is a problem that appropriate driving support may not be possible.

[0004] In order to solve the above problems, one object of the present application is to provide a control method for a vehicle, a control device for a vehicle, and a storage medium that can perform more appropriate driving support control in a scenario of avoiding contact with an obstacle. Moreover, it further contributes to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0005] The control method for a vehicle, the control device for a vehicle, and the storage medium of the present invention adopt the following configuration.

[0006] (1): A control method for a vehicle according to one aspect of the present invention causes a computer to execute the following processing: identifying a surrounding situation of the vehicle; detecting a steering state of an occupant of the vehicle; detecting a speed operation of the vehicle performed by the occupant; performing avoidance steering support for avoiding contact with the obstacle when it is determined based on the identified surrounding situation of the vehicle that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and the obstacle and a steering amount equal to or greater than a first threshold is detected from the steering state of the occupant; and performing abort control for aborting the avoidance steering support when a speed operation equal to or greater than a second threshold is detected from the detected speed operation during the execution of the avoidance steering support, and suppressing the execution of the abort control when a specified condition is satisfied during the execution of the avoidance steering support.

[0007] (2): Based on the above aspect (1), the specified condition includes being within a specified time from the start of the avoidance steering support.

[0008] (3): Based on the solution in the above (1), the specified condition includes detecting a steering amount greater than a third threshold, which is greater than the first threshold, from the steering state.

[0009] (4): Based on the solution in the above (1), when the computer suppresses the execution of the abort control, the value of the second threshold is increased compared to the case where the execution of the abort control is not suppressed.

[0010] (5): Based on the solution in the above (4), the speed operation includes the operation of the accelerator pedal of the vehicle, and the second threshold is a threshold for the opening degree of the accelerator pedal.

[0011] (6): Based on the solution in the above (4), the speed operation includes the operation of the accelerator pedal of the vehicle, and the second threshold is a threshold for the rate of change of the opening degree of the accelerator pedal.

[0012] (7): Based on the solution in the above (1), when the computer satisfies the specified condition during the execution of the evasive steering support, the abort control is not executed.

[0013] (8): Based on the solution in the above (1), when the computer satisfies the specified condition during the execution of the evasive steering support, the determination related to the suppression of the abort control using the rate of change of the opening degree of the accelerator pedal of the vehicle is not executed.

[0014] (9): Based on the solution in the above (1), the speed operation includes the opening degree of the accelerator pedal of the vehicle and the operation related to the rate of change of the opening degree of the accelerator pedal.

[0015] (10): The vehicle control device according to another aspect of the present invention includes: an identification unit that identifies the surrounding conditions of the vehicle; a steering state detection unit that detects the steering state of the occupant of the vehicle; a speed operation detection unit that detects the speed operation of the vehicle performed by the occupant; a steering control unit that performs evasive steering support to avoid contact with an obstacle when it is determined based on the surrounding conditions of the vehicle identified by the identification unit that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and the obstacle, and a steering amount of the occupant detected by the steering state detection unit is equal to or greater than a first threshold; and an abort control unit that aborts the evasive steering support when a speed operation equal to or greater than a second threshold is detected from the speed operation detected by the speed operation detection unit during the execution of the evasive steering support, and when a specified condition is satisfied during the execution of the evasive steering support, the abort control unit suppresses the execution of the abort control.

[0016] (11): A storage medium according to another aspect of the present invention stores a program, wherein,

[0017] the program causes a computer to perform the following processing: recognize the surrounding conditions of the vehicle; detect the steering state of the occupant of the vehicle; detect the speed operation of the vehicle performed by the occupant; when it is determined based on the recognized surrounding conditions of the vehicle that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and an obstacle, and a steering amount equal to or greater than a first threshold is detected from the detected steering state of the occupant, perform avoidance steering support for avoiding contact with the obstacle; and during the execution of the avoidance steering support, when a speed operation equal to or greater than a second threshold is detected from the detected speed operation, abort the avoidance steering support, and when a predetermined condition is satisfied during the execution of the avoidance steering support, suppress the execution of the abort control.

[0018] According to the above aspects (1) to (11), more appropriate driving support control can be performed in a scenario of avoiding contact with an obstacle. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0019] Figure 1 is a structural diagram of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle control device according to an embodiment.

[0020] Figure 2 is a functional structural diagram of a driving state detection unit.

[0021] Figure 3 is a functional structural diagram of a vehicle control unit.

[0022] Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining the content of vehicle control related to contact avoidance.

[0023] Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining the content of attention arousal control.

[0024] Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining the content of contact attention alarm control.

[0025] Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining the content of automatic steering avoidance control.

[0026] Figure 8 is a diagram for explaining the steering control after the driver's steering trigger.

[0027] Figure 9 is a diagram for explaining the driver steering support and abort control executed by the vehicle control unit.

[0028] Figure 10This is a diagram for explaining vehicle control when performing an accelerator operation after a specified time ΔT has elapsed since the start of driver steering support control.

[0029] Figure 11 This is a flowchart showing an example of the processing performed by the driving support device in the embodiment.

[0030] Figure 12 This is a flowchart showing an example of abort control processing. Detailed Embodiment

[0031] Hereinafter, embodiments of the vehicle control method, vehicle control device, and storage medium of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0032] [Overall Structure]

[0033] Figure 1 This is a structural diagram of a vehicle equipped with the vehicle control device of the embodiment. The vehicle equipped with the vehicle control device (hereinafter referred to as this vehicle M) is, for example, a two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled vehicle, and its drive 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 electric power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, or the discharge power of a secondary battery or a fuel cell.

[0034] In this vehicle M, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, a vehicle sensor 40, a navigation device 50, an MPU (Map Positioning Unit) 60, a driver monitoring camera 70, a driving operation member 80, a driving support device 100, a driving force output device 200, a braking device 210, and a steering device 220 are mounted. These devices and equipment are interconnected via a multi-channel communication line such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication line, a serial communication line, a wireless communication network, etc. Figure 1 The structure shown is merely an example, and a part of the structure may be omitted, or other structures may be further added. The driving support device 100 is an example of a "vehicle control device".

[0035] The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera that uses solid-state imaging elements such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is installed at an arbitrary position of the vehicle M. For example, when photographing the front of the vehicle M, the camera 10 is installed on the upper part of the windshield, the back of the in-vehicle rearview mirror, etc. The camera 10, for example, periodically and repeatedly photographs the periphery of the vehicle M. The camera 10 may also be a stereo camera.

[0036] The radar device 12 radiates radio waves such as millimeter waves to the periphery of the vehicle M and detects the radio waves (reflected waves) reflected by an object to detect at least the position (distance and azimuth) of the object. The radar device 12 is installed at an arbitrary position of the vehicle M. The radar device 12 may also detect the position and speed of an object by the FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

[0037] The LIDAR 14 irradiates light (or an electromagnetic wave with a wavelength close to that of light) to the periphery of the vehicle M and measures the 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, pulsed laser light. The LIDAR 14 is installed at an arbitrary position of the vehicle M.

[0038] The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results detected based on a part or all of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to identify 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 may also directly output the detection results of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to the driving support device 100. The object recognition device 16 may also be omitted from the vehicle M. A part or all of the camera 10, the radar device 12, the LIDAR 14, and the object recognition device 16 is an example of an "external detection device".

[0039] The communication device 20 communicates with other vehicles existing in the periphery of the vehicle M or communicates with various server devices via a wireless base station, for example, using a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), etc.

[0040] The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupants of the vehicle M and accepts input operations performed by the occupants. The HMI 30 includes, for example, a display unit 32 and a speaker 34. The display unit 32 is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display device, or the like. The display unit 32 displays various images (including videos) in the embodiment. The display unit 32 may also be configured integrally with the input unit as a touch panel. The speaker 34 outputs a prescribed sound (such as an alarm, etc.). The HMI 30 may also be a microphone, a buzzer, a vibration generating device (vibrator), a touch panel, a switch, a button, etc. in addition to (or instead of) the display unit 32 and the speaker 34. The switch may include, for example, a changeover switch that switches whether to execute a prescribed driving support in the driving support device 100.

[0041] The vehicle sensor 40 includes a speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects the yaw rate (for example, the rotational angular velocity about the vertical axis passing through the center of gravity of the vehicle M), a steering angle sensor that detects the steering angle (the angle of the steering wheel of the vehicle M (actual steering angle) or the torque amount), an azimuth sensor that detects the orientation of the vehicle M, etc. The vehicle sensor 40 may also be provided with a position sensor that detects the position of the vehicle M. The position sensor is, for example, a sensor that obtains position information (longitude / latitude information) from a GPS (Global Positioning System) device. The position sensor may also be a sensor that obtains position information using the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51 of the navigation device 50.

[0042] 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 first map information 54 in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 determines the position of the host vehicle M based on signals received from GNSS satellites. The position of the host vehicle M can also be determined or supplemented by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) using the output of the vehicle sensor 40. The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, keys, etc. Part or all of the navigation HMI 52 can also be shared with the aforementioned HMI 30. The route determination unit 53 determines, for example, a route (hereinafter referred to as a map route) from the position of the host vehicle M determined by the GNSS receiver 51 (or an arbitrary input position) to a destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52 with reference to the first map information 54. The first map information 54 is information that represents the shape of a road, for example, by showing the route of the road and the nodes connected by the route. The first map information 54 can also include information such as the curvature of the road and POI (Point Of Interest) information. The map route is output to the MPU 60. The navigation device 50 can also perform route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the map route. The navigation device 50 can be implemented, for example, by the functions of a terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal held by the occupant. The navigation device 50 can also send the current position and the destination to a navigation server via the communication device 20 and obtain a route equivalent to the map route from the navigation server.

[0043] The MPU 60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 61 and stores second map information 62 in a storage device such as an HDD or a flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 61 divides the map route provided from the navigation device 50 into a plurality of blocks (for example, divided every 100 [m] in the vehicle traveling direction) and determines a recommended lane for each block with reference to the second map information 62. The recommended lane determination unit 61 makes a determination as to which lane to drive in from the left. When there is a branch point in the map route, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines the recommended lane in such a way that the host vehicle M can travel on a reasonable route for traveling to the branch destination. The second map information 62 is map information with higher accuracy than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes, for example, information on the center of the lane or lane boundary information such as road markings that divide the lanes. The second map information 62 can also include road information, traffic restriction information, address information (address / zip code), facility information, telephone number information, etc. The second map information 62 can be updated at any time by communicating with other devices via the communication device 20. The first map information 54 and the second map information 62 can also be stored in a storage unit within the driving support device 100.

[0044] The driver monitoring camera 70 is, for example, a digital camera that utilizes solid-state imaging elements such as CCD and CMOS. The driver monitoring camera 70 is installed at an arbitrary position in the vehicle M so as to be able to photograph the head and upper body (including the position of the hands) of the occupant (hereinafter referred to as the driver) sitting in the driver's seat of the vehicle M from the front (in the direction of photographing the face). For example, the driver monitoring camera 70 is installed above the display device provided at the center of the instrument panel of the vehicle M. For example, based on the orientation of the driver's face included in the camera image captured by the driver monitoring camera 70 (the orientation of the face relative to the installation position and the photographing direction of the driver monitoring camera 70), it is possible to determine whether the driver's attention is being drawn to the surroundings of the vehicle M (for example, whether the driver's face is at least facing the traveling direction of the vehicle M). Based on the posture of the driver included in the camera image, it is possible to determine whether the driver's posture is distorted (in other words, whether there is a possibility that the driver performs an unintended driving operation due to the distorted posture of the driver). Since the camera image includes the driver and the steering wheel 82, it is also possible to determine whether the driver is holding the steering wheel 82 based on the captured image. The driver monitoring camera 70 photographs the interior of the vehicle M including the driver at a predetermined cycle from the installed position and outputs the captured image to the driving support device 100.

[0045] The driving operation members 80 include, for example, the steering wheel 82, the accelerator pedal 84, the brake pedal 86, the operation switch of the direction indicator, the shift lever, and other operation members. Sensors for detecting the operation amount or the presence or absence of an operation are installed on the driving operation members 80, and the detection results are output to a part or all of the driving support device 100, the driving force output device 200, the braking device 210, and the steering device 220.

[0046] For example, a steering wheel sensor (SW sensor) 82A is provided on the steering wheel 82. The SW sensor 82A detects whether the driver is holding the steering wheel 82 through a contact sensor, a pressure sensor, or the like. The SW sensor 82A detects the operation amount (steering amount, steering input torque, steering torque), the operation speed (steering angular velocity) of the steering wheel 82 input (operated) by the driver. The SW sensor 82A may also detect the operation change rate (torque change rate). The steering wheel 82 does not necessarily have to be circular, and may also be in the form of a special-shaped steering wheel, a joystick, a button, or the like. In this case, the SW sensor 82A detects the operation amount corresponding to each form.

[0047] The accelerator pedal 84 is provided with an accelerator pedal sensor (AP sensor) 84A. The AP sensor 84A detects the operation amount (opening degree) of the accelerator pedal 84 that changes according to the driver's operation of the accelerator pedal 84. The brake pedal 86 is provided with a brake pedal sensor (BP sensor) 86A. The BP sensor 86A detects the operation amount (opening degree) of the brake pedal 86 that changes according to the driver's operation of the brake pedal 86. The AP sensor 84A and the BP sensor 86A can also detect the change rate of the opening degree (opening degree change rate) within a specified time.

[0048] The driving force output device 200 outputs the driving force (torque) for the vehicle M to travel to the drive wheels. The driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, and a transmission, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls them. The ECU controls the above structure according to the information input from the driving support device 100 or the information input from the driving operation member 80.

[0049] The braking 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 an ECU. The ECU controls the electric motor according to the information input from the driving support device 100 or the information input from the driving operation member 80, and outputs the braking torque corresponding to the braking operation to each wheel. The braking device 210 may include a mechanism that transmits the hydraulic pressure generated by the operation of the brake pedal included in the driving operation member 80 to the hydraulic cylinder via the master cylinder as a backup. The braking device 210 is not limited to the structure described above, and may also be an electronically controlled hydraulic braking device that controls an actuator according to the information input from the driving support device 100 and transmits the hydraulic pressure of the master cylinder to the hydraulic cylinder.

[0050] The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor, for example, applies a force to a rack-pinion mechanism to change the orientation of the steering wheel. The steering ECU drives the electric motor according to the information input from the driving support device 100 or the information input from the driving operation member 80 to change the orientation of the steering wheel.

[0051] [Driving Support Device]

[0052] The driving support device 100 includes, for example, an identification unit 110, a contact possibility determination unit 120, a driving state detection unit 130, a vehicle control unit 140, an HMI control unit 150, and a storage unit 160. The identification unit 110, the contact possibility determination unit 120, the driving state detection unit 130, the vehicle control unit 140, and the HMI control unit 150 are implemented, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these components can be implemented by hardware (including a circuit unit; circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or can be implemented by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program can be pre-stored in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD or a flash memory of the driving support device 100, or can be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and installed in the HDD or flash memory of the driving support device 100 by attaching the storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) to the driving device. The HMI control unit 150 is an example of the "notification control unit".

[0053] For example, it is set inside the driving force output device 200, the braking device 210, and the steering device 220 that the instructions from the driving support device 100 to the driving force output device 200, the braking device 210, and the steering device 220 are executed with priority over the detection results from the driving operation member 80. Regarding braking, it can also be set that when the braking force based on the operation amount of the brake pedal 86 is greater than the instruction from the driving support device 100, the latter is executed with priority. As a mechanism for preferentially executing the instructions from the driving support device 100, the communication priority in the in-vehicle LAN (Local Area Network) can also be used. Regarding steering, it can also be set that the steering force based on the instruction from the driving support device 100 is added to the steering force based on the operation amount of the driver's steering wheel 82 and then executed.

[0054] The storage unit 160 can also be implemented by the various storage devices described above, or by an SSD (Solid State Drive), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), or RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The storage unit 160 stores, for example, programs (such as vehicle control programs), information used in the structural parts within the driving support device 100, and various other information. The above-mentioned map information (the first map information 54 and the second map information 62) can also be stored in the storage unit 160.

[0055] The recognition unit 110 recognizes the surrounding conditions of the own vehicle M based on the information input from the external detection devices. For example, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the position (relative position, inter-vehicle distance), speed (relative speed), acceleration, and other states of the objects existing in the surrounding area (for example, within a specified distance from the own vehicle M). The objects are, for example, other vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, etc. The position of the object is recognized, for example, as a position on the absolute coordinates with the representative point (center of gravity, center of the drive shaft, etc.) of the own vehicle M as the origin, for control purposes. The position of the object can be indicated by the representative points such as the center of gravity or corners of the object, or can be indicated by a region. The "state" of the object may also include the acceleration, jerk, or "behavior state" of the object (for example, whether it is performing a lane change or about to perform a lane change). The recognition unit 110 recognizes the relative position and relative speed with respect to the object.

[0056] The recognition unit 110 recognizes the lane shape around the own vehicle M. For example, the recognition unit 110 compares the pattern of the road dividing lines obtained from the second map information 62 (for example, the arrangement of solid lines and dashed lines) with the pattern of the road dividing lines around the own vehicle M recognized from the image captured by the camera 10, to recognize the lane (travel lane) on which the own vehicle M is traveling, the shape of the adjacent lanes adjacent to the travel lane, the line type, etc. The recognition unit 110 is not limited to the road dividing lines, and can also recognize the travel lane and the adjacent lanes by recognizing the road dividing lines and the travel road boundaries (road boundaries) including the road shoulders, curbs, median strips, guardrails, etc. In this recognition, the position of the own vehicle M obtained from the navigation device 50 and the processing result based on the INS can also be taken into consideration. The recognition unit 110 recognizes obstacles, temporary stop lines, red traffic lights, toll booths, and other road phenomena based on the recognition results of the objects. An obstacle is an object that the own vehicle M needs to avoid contacting, and includes, for example, other vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, etc.

[0057] When the recognition unit 110 recognizes the driving lane, it recognizes the position and posture of the own vehicle M relative to the driving lane. For example, the recognition unit 110 may also recognize the deviation of the reference point of the own vehicle M from the center of the lane and the angle formed by the traveling direction of the own vehicle M with respect to the line connecting the center of the lane as the relative position and posture of the own vehicle M relative to the driving lane. Alternatively, the recognition unit 110 may recognize the position of the reference point of the own vehicle M relative to an arbitrary side end (road dividing line or road boundary) of the driving lane as the relative position of the own vehicle M relative to the driving lane.

[0058] Based on the surrounding conditions (external information) recognized by the recognition unit 110, the contact possibility determination unit 120 determines whether there is a possibility of contact between the own vehicle M and an obstacle (for example, another vehicle). For example, the contact possibility determination unit 120 determines whether there is a possibility of contact between the own vehicle M and another vehicle based on the contact margin value with another vehicle (preceding vehicle) existing in front of the own vehicle M according to the surrounding conditions. The contact margin value is, for example, a value set based on the time to collision (TTC), but may also be a value set based on the time headway (THW). The time to collision (TTC) is derived, for example, by dividing the relative distance by the relative speed in the relationship between the own vehicle M and another vehicle. The time headway (THW) is derived, for example, by dividing the relative distance (inter-vehicle distance) by the speed of the own vehicle M. The time to collision (TTC) can be derived, for example, using a learned complete model, a prescribed function, etc. that output the time to collision (TTC) when the positions and speeds of the own vehicle M and another vehicle are input, or using a correspondence table that correlates the relative speed and relative position with the time to collision (TTC). The above derivation method is the same for the time headway (THW). For example, the shorter the time to collision (TTC) (or the time headway (THW)), the smaller the contact margin value (in other words, the longer the time to collision, the larger the contact margin value). For example, the contact possibility determination unit 120 determines that there is a possibility of contact between the own vehicle M and another vehicle when the contact margin value is less than the threshold value, and determines that there is no possibility of contact when the contact margin value is equal to or greater than the threshold value. Hereinafter, as an example of the contact margin value, the time to collision (TTC) is used for explanation.

[0059] The driving state detection unit 130 detects the driving state of the occupant (driver) of the own vehicle M. Figure 2It is a functional structure diagram of the driving state detection unit 130. The driving state detection unit 130 includes, for example, a steering state detection unit 132, a speed operation detection unit 134, and a distracted driving determination unit 136. The steering state detection unit 132 detects, for example, whether the steering wheel 82 is being held or information related to the operation amount (steering amount (steering input torque), steering torque change rate). The steering state detection unit 132 may include information related to the driver's steering speed and steering angular velocity (speed until a specified steering angle amount is reached). The steering state detection unit 132 may also detect a state where the driver is not performing a steering operation. The steering state detection unit 132 performs the above-described various detections based on, for example, the detection results of the SW sensor 82A, the vehicle sensor 40, and the driver's actions obtained from the camera image of the driver monitoring camera 70.

[0060] The speed operation detection unit 134 detects the driver's speed operation based on the detection results of the AP sensor 84A, the BP sensor 86A, the detection results of the vehicle sensor 40, etc. The speed operation includes, for example, at least one of the throttle operation (opening) of the throttle pedal 84 and the braking operation (opening) of the brake pedal 86. The speed operation may include at least one of the opening change rate for a specified time based on the throttle operation and the opening change rate for a specified time based on the braking operation. The speed operation detection unit 134 may also detect a state where the driver is not performing a throttle operation or a braking operation.

[0061] The distracted driving determination unit 136 determines the driver's distracted driving. Distracted driving is, for example, a state of driving in which the driving operation of the own vehicle M becomes slow (or not operated) due to a decrease in the driver's attention, etc. For example, the distracted driving determination unit 136 determines that the driver is distracted driving when the state where the steering operation of the driver on the steering wheel 82 is less than a specified threshold continues for a specified time or more based on the detection result of the SW sensor 82A, and determines that it is not distracted driving when it does not continue for a specified time or more.

[0062] The distracted driving determination unit 136 may also, instead of (or in addition to) the driver's steering operation, determine that the driver is engaged in distracted driving when the rate of change in the opening degrees of the accelerator pedal 84 and the brake pedal 86 is less than a threshold value and this state continues for a specified time or more, based on the detection results of the AP sensor 84A and the BP sensor 86A. The driving state detection unit 130 may also, instead of (or in addition to) the above determination, determine that the driver is engaged in distracted driving when the state in which the driver's state is not a state suitable for driving continues for a specified time or more, and determine that it is not distracted driving when it does not continue for a specified time or more. For example, based on the analysis result of the image captured by the driver monitoring camera 70, the distracted driving determination unit 136 detects that the driver's state is not a state suitable for driving when the driver does not monitor the periphery (especially the front) of the own vehicle M due to looking around, etc., or when the driver's concentration is predicted to decrease according to a specified facial expression (sleepy face, painful face), etc.

[0063] The above-mentioned specified time may be a fixed time or a variable time. For example, the specified time may be set according to the time to collision (TTC) between an obstacle (e.g., a preceding vehicle) around the own vehicle M and the own vehicle M and the speed of the own vehicle M. Specifically, the greater the speed of the own vehicle M, the shorter the specified time is set, or the shorter the time to collision TTC, the shorter the specified time is set. Thereby, it is possible to more appropriately determine distracted driving based on the condition of the own vehicle M and the surrounding conditions obtained from the speed of the own vehicle M and the positional relationship between the own vehicle M and the obstacle. The determination of distracted driving may also be comprehensively judged based on the determination results based on the above-mentioned multiple conditions.

[0064] The vehicle control unit 140 controls one or both of the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle M based on the surrounding conditions recognized by the recognition unit 110, and performs driver assistance. For example, the vehicle control unit 140 generates a future target trajectory in such a way that the host vehicle M travels on the recommended lane determined by the MPU 60, and controls one or both of the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle M based on the surrounding conditions in such a way that the host vehicle M travels along the generated target trajectory. The vehicle control unit 140 may also control one or both of the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle M based on at least one processing result of the contact possibility determination unit 120 and the driving state detection unit 130. For example, when it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the host vehicle M and an obstacle, the vehicle control unit 140 generates an avoidance target trajectory for avoiding contact, and controls one or both of the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle M in such a way that the host vehicle M travels along the generated avoidance target trajectory. The vehicle control unit 140 may also perform control (override control) to abort the currently-executing vehicle control and switch to the driver's manual driving according to a specified driving operation of the driver during vehicle control. Details of the processing of the vehicle control unit 140 will be described later.

[0065] The HMI control unit 150 notifies a passenger (including the driver) of specified information through the HMI 30. The specified information includes, for example, information related to the state of the host vehicle M, information related to driving support control, and other information related to the travel of the host vehicle M. Information related to the state of the host vehicle M includes, for example, the speed of the host vehicle M, the engine speed, the shift position, and the like. Information related to driving control includes, for example, the type of currently-executing driving support control (e.g., slow deceleration control, centering steering control, contact avoidance braking control, contact avoidance steering control, lane keeping steering control), the reason for the operation of the driving support control, the status of the driving support control, and the like. Information related to driving support control may include information related to alerting the driver and contact attention alerts. The specified information may include information related to the current position of the host vehicle M, the destination, the remaining fuel, and the like, and may also include information unrelated to the travel control of the host vehicle M, such as TV programs, content stored in a storage medium such as a DVD (e.g., a movie).

[0066] For example, the HMI control unit 150 may generate an image including the above-specified information and display the generated image on the display unit 32 of the HMI 30, or may generate a sound representing the specified information and output the generated sound from the speaker 34 of the HMI 30. The timing of outputting the sound is, for example, the timing of starting or aborting driving control, the timing of switching the displayed image, the timing when the host vehicle M becomes a specified state, and the like. The HMI control unit 150 may also output the information received by the HMI 30 to the vehicle control unit 140 and the like.

[0067] [Vehicle control unit]

[0068] Next, the details of the vehicle control unit 140 will be described. Figure 3 FIG. is a functional block diagram of the vehicle control unit 140. The vehicle control unit 140 includes, for example, a braking control unit 142, a steering control unit 144, and an abort control unit 146. For example, the vehicle control unit 140 performs warning control and avoidance control for avoiding contact between the own vehicle M and an obstacle based on the control of the braking control unit 142 and the steering control unit 144. The warning control is a control that operates when the own vehicle M approaches an obstacle, and includes, for example, the slow deceleration control and the centering steering control described later. The avoidance control is a control that operates when the own vehicle M approaches an obstacle compared to when the warning control operates, and includes, for example, the contact avoidance braking control and the contact avoidance steering control described later. These controls are an example of driving support control for supporting the driving of the driver.

[0069] When the braking control unit 142 determines based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 110 that there is an obstacle in front of the own vehicle M, the braking control unit 142 performs braking control of the own vehicle M based on the target deceleration of the own vehicle M. For example, the braking control unit 142 sets a deceleration state based on the time to collision TTC between the own vehicle M and the obstacle, and executes deceleration control based on the set deceleration state. The braking control unit 142 includes, for example, a slow deceleration control unit 142A and a contact avoidance braking control unit 142B.

[0070] When the slow deceleration control unit 142A determines based on the determination of the recognition unit 110 that there is an obstacle (for example, another vehicle) in front of the own vehicle M, the slow deceleration control unit 142A performs slow deceleration control of the own vehicle M. The slow deceleration control is a control (attention arousal control) for notifying the driver that an obstacle is approaching by a vehicle behavior such as deceleration (change in longitudinal G) and prompting the driver to pay attention to the obstacle, and is a different control from the contact avoidance control for avoiding contact with the obstacle (however, there may be a case where contact with the obstacle is avoided as a result). For example, when the slow deceleration control unit 142A determines that there is an obstacle in front of the own vehicle M, the slow deceleration control unit 142A derives the target deceleration of the own vehicle M, and decelerates the own vehicle M in a manner approaching the derived target deceleration without depending on the driver's operation. For example, the slow deceleration control unit 142A generates a target trajectory including speed information, and decelerates the own vehicle M so that the own vehicle M travels along the generated target trajectory. The slow deceleration control can be executed when the driving state detection unit 130 detects that the driver is driving carelessly, or can be executed when the time to contact value satisfies the operating conditions of the slow deceleration control.

[0071] The contact avoidance braking control unit 142B performs emergency braking control to avoid contact between the own vehicle M and an obstacle. For example, when the contact possibility determination unit 120 determines that there is a possibility of contact between the own vehicle M and an obstacle, the contact avoidance braking control unit 142B performs braking control (deceleration control) for avoiding contact. In the braking control executed by the contact avoidance braking control unit 142B, for example, it includes CMBS (Collision Mitigation Brake System) control that supports contact avoidance or damage reduction. For example, the contact avoidance braking control unit 142B generates a target trajectory including speed information, and decelerates the own vehicle M so that the own vehicle M travels along the generated target trajectory. The braking control executed by the contact avoidance braking control unit 142B can be executed, for example, after slow deceleration control, or can be executed when the contact margin value satisfies the operating conditions of the contact avoidance braking control.

[0072] The steering control unit 144 controls the steering of the own vehicle M. The steering control unit 144 includes, for example, a centering steering control unit 144A and a contact avoidance steering control unit 144B.

[0073] When the recognition unit 110 determines that there is an obstacle in front of the own vehicle M, the centering steering control unit 144A generates a target trajectory that causes the own vehicle M to move toward the center of the driving lane, and performs steering control (centering steering control) so that the own vehicle M travels along the generated target trajectory. This steering control is not for avoiding contact with an obstacle, but for notifying the driver of the approach of an obstacle through vehicle behavior (change in lateral G) of moving laterally near the center and prompting the driver to pay attention to the obstacle (however, as a result, there may also be a case of avoiding contact with the obstacle). Through this steering control, the driver can be made to notice an obstacle ahead early, which can contribute to driving for avoiding contact. The centering steering control can be executed when the driving state detection unit 130 detects that the driver is driving carelessly, or can be executed when the contact margin value satisfies the operating conditions of the steering control. The above-mentioned slow deceleration control and centering steering control can be executed separately, or can be executed simultaneously at the same timing (for example, the attention arousal control stage).

[0074] When the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B determines that there is a possibility of contact between the host vehicle M and an obstacle as determined by the contact possibility determination unit 120, it generates a target trajectory (avoidance target trajectory) for avoiding contact, and performs steering control related to avoidance steering so that the host vehicle M travels along the generated target trajectory. For example, when it is possible to avoid within the driving lane of the host vehicle M, the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B performs steering control to move in a direction not in contact with the obstacle within the range of not deviating from the same lane without relying on the driver's steering operation. The contact avoidance steering control unit 144B may also use, for example, the driver's steering operation (e.g., a steering amount equal to or greater than a first threshold) as a trigger (driver steering trigger), and after the host vehicle M has performed an avoidance operation of the obstacle by crossing the dividing line dividing the driving lane, perform steering control of the host vehicle M so that the behavior of the host vehicle M after the avoidance operation is stabilized. In the steering control of the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B, for example, feedforward control and feedback control are performed at any time based on the avoidance target trajectory and the position of the host vehicle M to adjust the steering angle of the host vehicle M. The steering control executed by the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B can be executed, for example, after the centering steering control, or can be executed when the contact margin value satisfies the operating conditions of the above steering control.

[0075] The cancellation control unit 146 determines (override determination) whether to execute cancellation control by the driver's driving operation (driver operation) during the execution of the above braking control (slow deceleration control, contact avoidance braking control) or steering control (centering steering control, contact avoidance steering control). And when the cancellation control unit 146 determines to execute the cancellation control, it executes cancellation control (override control) that cancels the braking control and steering control being executed and switches to the driver's manual driving.

[0076] For example, the cancellation control unit 146 makes an override determination based on the content of the driver's throttle operation or braking operation detected by the driving state detection unit 130. In this case, the cancellation control unit 146, for example, during the braking control or steering control, determines to execute the cancellation control when the driver's throttle operation amount (the opening of the throttle pedal 84 detected by the AP sensor 84A) or braking operation amount (the opening of the brake pedal 86 detected by the BP sensor 86A) becomes equal to or greater than the speed override threshold. The cancellation control unit 146 may also determine to execute the cancellation control when the opening change rate becomes equal to or greater than the speed override threshold instead of (or in addition to) the above operation amount. The speed override threshold is an example of the "second threshold". The second threshold is a threshold for the opening corresponding to the determination object or a threshold for the opening change rate.

[0077] The override determination may also be made by the stop control unit 146 according to the content of the steering operation of the steering wheel 82 by the driver. For example, in the braking control or the steering control, when the steering input torque based on the driver's steering operation becomes equal to or greater than the steering override threshold, the stop control unit 146 determines that override control is to be performed. The steering override threshold is a value greater than the first threshold (driver steering trigger).

[0078] In addition to the above vehicle control, the vehicle control unit 140 may, for example, perform steering control related to lane keeping assistance in such a way that the own vehicle M is maintained within the driving lane (in other words, in such a way that deviation of the own vehicle M from the driving lane is suppressed) as LKAS (Lane Keeping Assistance System) control. For example, in the lane keeping control, the vehicle control unit 140 controls the steering device 220 in such a way that the own vehicle M does not deviate from the driving lane recognized by the recognition unit 110 to support the driver's steering operation. In this case, the vehicle control unit 140 generates a target trajectory (lane keeping target trajectory) in such a way that the own vehicle M travels in the center of the driving lane, and performs steering control of the own vehicle M in such a way that the own vehicle M travels along the generated target trajectory. In the steering control performed by the vehicle control unit 140, for example, feedforward control and feedback control are performed at any time based on the lane keeping target trajectory and the position of the own vehicle M to adjust the steering angle of the own vehicle M. The vehicle control unit 140 may also perform the same control in the case of RDM (Road Departure Mitigation) control instead of LKAS control.

[0079] [Regarding Vehicle Control Related to Contact Avoidance]

[0080] Next, the content of the vehicle control related to contact avoidance in the embodiment will be specifically described. In the following description, the obstacle is another vehicle (preceding vehicle) traveling in front of the own vehicle M. Figure 4 is a diagram for explaining the content of the vehicle control related to contact avoidance. In Figure 4 's example, the content of the vehicle control in the case where it is determined that there is a possibility of contact based on the time to collision TTC is shown. In Figure 4 's example, the time T1 is the earliest, and it gets later in the order of times T2, T3, T4, T5. In Figure 4 's example, the determination by the driving state detection unit 130 as to whether it is a distracted driving has been continued at a predetermined cycle since the stage before the time T1.

[0081] First, at time T1, the contact possibility determination unit 120 determines that there is a possibility of contact between the host vehicle M and other vehicles. When it is determined that there is a possibility of contact, the vehicle control unit 140 performs attention arousal control ( Figure 4 of (1)) for prompting the driver to pay attention to the surroundings (especially the traveling direction).

[0082] Figure 5 is a diagram for explaining the content of the attention arousal control. In Figure 5 the example of, two lanes L1 and L2 that can travel in the same direction (the X-axis direction in the figure) are shown. Lane L1 is demarcated by road demarcation lines LN1 and LN2, and lane L2 is demarcated by road demarcation lines LN2 and LN3. In Figure 5 the example of, the host vehicle M travels at a speed VM on lane L1, and another vehicle m1 exists in front of the host vehicle M and travels at a speed Vm1 on lane L1.

[0083] In Figure 5 the example of, when the time to collision TTC obtained based on the relative position and relative speed between the host vehicle M and the other vehicle m1 is less than the first specified time at time T2 and it is determined that the driver is driving distractedly, the vehicle control unit 140 performs attention arousal control. Time T2 is, for example, the time when the time to collision TTC becomes about 3 to 4 [seconds].

[0084] The attention arousal control includes, for example, at least one of slow deceleration control and centering steering control. The slow deceleration control executed in the attention arousal control is the control in the first deceleration state. The slow deceleration control unit 142A sets a target deceleration (first target deceleration) in such a way as to apply a load (longitudinal G) of the first upper limit deceleration (about 0.1 [G]) to the driver in the traveling direction (longitudinal direction). In the attention arousal control (first deceleration state), the slow deceleration control unit 142A may initially perform slow deceleration control at the first deceleration level (for example, 0.05 [G] of longitudinal G), and then perform deceleration control at a second deceleration level (for example, 0.1 [G] of longitudinal G) greater than the first deceleration level. By controlling in such a way as to gradually increase the deceleration level, the load on the driver and other occupants at the start of the execution of the slow deceleration control can be reduced, and the occupants can be prevented from being startled by the slow deceleration control.

[0085] In Figure 5 the attention arousal control shown, the centering steering control unit 144A performs centering steering control to steer the host vehicle M so that a reference point such as the center of gravity or the center of the host vehicle M is located at the center of the driving lane (lane L1). In Figure 5In the example, the vehicle control unit 140 generates a future target trajectory K1 of the host vehicle M corresponding to the slow deceleration control and the centering steering control, and controls the steering and speed of the host vehicle M so that the host vehicle M travels along the generated target trajectory K1.

[0086] At time T2, the HMI control unit 150 can also generate an image for the driver that includes information indicating the reason for the attention arousal control (slow deceleration control, centering steering control), and cause the generated image to be displayed on the display unit 32 to notify the driver. The image may also include information prompting attention arousal. However, in this case, sound output may not be performed. Thereby, it is possible to simply convey to the driver the situation that the host vehicle M is approaching another vehicle m1 and prompt attention arousal, and it is possible to prompt the driver to perform an avoidance operation in advance.

[0087] Return Figure 4 , in a state where the driver does not respond to the attention arousal (or override control) even when the above attention arousal control is performed, at time T3 when the time to collision TTC becomes less than the second specified time (the second specified time < the first specified time) and it is determined that the driver is driving carelessly, contact attention alarm control ( Figure 4 of (2)). Whether to respond to the attention arousal is determined based on, for example, a camera image captured by the driver monitoring camera 70. Time T3 is, for example, a time when the time to collision TTC becomes about 2 [seconds].

[0088] Figure 6 is a diagram for explaining the content of the contact attention alarm control. In Figure 6 , a scene is shown in which the time to collision TTC becomes 2 [seconds] in a situation without the driver's throttle operation starting from the situation shown in Figure 5 . In the contact attention alarm control stage, the slow deceleration control unit 142A sets a target deceleration (second target deceleration), executes a slow deceleration control corresponding to the set second target deceleration, and generates a target trajectory K2, and controls the host vehicle M so that it travels along the generated target trajectory K2. The slow deceleration control executed in the contact attention alarm control is a control in the second deceleration state. In the second deceleration state, the slow deceleration control unit 142A sets a target deceleration (second target deceleration) in such a way as to apply a load (longitudinal G) not exceeding the second upper limit deceleration (about 0.2 [G]) in the traveling direction (longitudinal direction) to the driver and greater than the first upper limit deceleration. Thereby, it is possible to make the driver more clearly aware that the host vehicle M is approaching another vehicle m1. In this way, while increasing the deceleration as needed, deceleration control is performed, so that more time can be created for paying attention to another vehicle m1, and the driver can drive with room to avoid contact with another vehicle m1.

[0089] When performing contact attention alert control, centering steering control performed by the centering steering control unit 144A can also be executed on the basis of (or instead of) slow deceleration control. When performing contact attention alert control, the HMI control unit 150 can also execute control for emphasizing the display of the attention arousal information displayed on the display unit 32 or causing the speaker 34 to output an alarm (alarm upgrade control). Thereby, while further decelerating, it is possible to strongly notify the driver of a high possibility of contact through images and sounds, and it is possible to more clearly prompt the driver to arouse attention and perform contact avoidance control. The above-described attention arousal control and contact attention alert control are controls executed as "alarm control".

[0090] Return Figure 4 , after performing contact attention alert control, when the vehicle control unit 140 determines based on the surrounding conditions recognized by the recognition unit 110 that automatic avoidance can be performed within the driving lane at time T4, it executes automatic steering avoidance control ( Figure 4 of (3)). Time T4 is a time when the own vehicle M is in a state closer to the other vehicle m1 compared to time T3 (for example, before the time-to-contact TTC is about 2 [seconds]).

[0091] Figure 7 is a diagram for explaining the content of automatic steering avoidance control. In Figure 7 the example, it is the control in the case where the driver does not perform a prescribed throttle operation after performing contact attention alert control. In this case, the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B recognizes the area of the driving lane (lane L1) and the position of the other vehicle m1 based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 110. When there is an avoidance space within the driving lane, it generates an avoidance target trajectory K3 for traveling in the avoidance space, and executes steering control so that the own vehicle M travels along the generated avoidance target trajectory K3. In this case, acceleration / deceleration control based on the vehicle control unit 140 can be executed as needed. When performing automatic steering avoidance control, the HMI control unit 150 can also continue to execute the above-described alarm upgrade control. Thereby, in a case where steering avoidance can be performed with highly safe control, by executing automatic steering control, more appropriate vehicle control can be achieved.

[0092] The vehicle control unit 140 can also execute CMBS control in parallel through the contact avoidance braking control unit 142B at the timing of time T4. When CMBS control has been executed, the above-described automatic steering avoidance control and the driver steering support control described later may not be executed. In this case, the HMI control unit 150 can also output an alarm (image, sound) related to CMBS control.

[0093] Return Figure 4, at time T5 when the driver operates the steering wheel 82 (detecting a driver steering trigger) and steers in a direction to avoid another vehicle m1, the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B performs contact avoidance steering control (driver steering support (an example of avoidance steering support)) in such a way that it does not further deviate from the adjacent lane (lane L2) adjacent to the driving lane (lane L1) ( Figure 4 of (4)). The driver steering trigger here is, for example, that the driver's steering input torque for avoiding another vehicle m1 becomes equal to or greater than a first threshold value (and less than the steering override threshold value). The driver steering support control can be executed after the automatic steering avoidance control or after the contact attention alert control (at the timing of time T4 without performing the automatic steering avoidance control).

[0094] Figure 8 is a diagram for explaining the steering control after the driver steering trigger. In Figure 8 the example, in the case where the contact between the host vehicle M and another vehicle m1 is urgent and a driver steering trigger is detected, the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B performs steering control of the host vehicle M in such a way that it allows the host vehicle M to move from lane L1 to the adjacent lane L2 and does not further deviate from the adjacent lane L2. In this case, the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B generates an avoidance target trajectory K4 for changing lanes to lane L2, and controls the steering of the host vehicle M in such a way that the position of the host vehicle M approaches the avoidance target trajectory K4 through the driver's steering operation to perform avoidance steering support. In this case, the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B can also control by applying a reaction force to the steering wheel 82 with respect to the driver's steering operation to suppress the amount of steering input torque instead of (or in addition to) the steering control. When the driver steering support is performed, the HMI control unit 150 can also continue to execute the above-mentioned alert escalation control. Thus, even in the case of an emergency avoidance steering by the driver's steering operation, more appropriate vehicle control can be achieved.

[0095] Return Figure 4 , the vehicle control unit 140, when the contact remaining time TTC approaches the limit value after the attention arousal control shown in Figure 4 (1) and the driver performs a steering operation, performs driver steering support in the same way as the control in Figure 4 (4) of Figure 4 (5) of

[0096] [Inhibition of Abort Control]

[0097] For example, in the driver's steering assist control shown in (4) and (5) above, when the driver's steering assist is in progress (and override control has not been executed otherwise), if the steering (steering angle) control to make the host vehicle M approach the avoidance target trajectory K4 is executed on the side of the steering control unit 144 (vehicle system), there may be a situation where the driver's posture is distorted due to a change in the behavior of the host vehicle M (especially lateral movement). In this case, due to the distorted posture, the driver may inadvertently operate the accelerator pedal 84 or the brake pedal 86, and as a result, the cancellation control based on the cancellation control unit 146 may be executed. Therefore, in the embodiment, the cancellation control unit 146 suppresses the execution of the cancellation control for canceling the driver's steering assist control when the specified conditions are satisfied during the driver's steering assist. Figure 4

[0098] For example, as the first specified condition, when a speed operation by the driver (e.g., throttle operation) is performed during a specified time period from the start of the driver's steering assist, even if the driver performs a throttle operation exceeding the speed override threshold, the cancellation control unit 146 suppresses the execution of the cancellation control (it is difficult to execute the cancellation control).

[0099] Figure 9 It is a diagram for explaining the driver's steering assist and cancellation control executed by the vehicle control unit 140. In Figure 9 the example, the behavior of the host vehicle M, the vehicle control state, and the throttle operation state of the driver on the accelerator pedal 84 before and after the start of the driver's steering assist control are shown. In Figure 9 the example, the time Ta is the earliest, and it gets later in the order of times Tb, Tc, and Td. In Figure 9 the example, the position and speed VM of the host vehicle M at time T* are represented as M(t*) and VM(t*).

[0100] At time Ta, the vehicle control state of the host vehicle M becomes the off state. At this time point, the host vehicle M can also execute control such as LKAS based on the driver's instruction (execution instruction of driving support based on a changeover switch or the like), for example. At time Tb, the host vehicle M satisfies Figure 4 the execution condition of the contact attention alarm shown in (2) above, and thus the contact attention alarm control is executed. Then, the vehicle control unit 140 starts the driver's steering assist control at the time point when a driver's steering trigger is detected, and executes the driver's steering assist (evasive steering assist) control in such a way that the host vehicle M travels along the avoidance target trajectory K4.

[0101] ​Here, at the beginning of the driver steering support control, as described above, there is a high possibility that the driver's posture will become distorted due to the unintentional change in the behavior of the host vehicle M. Therefore, for example, during the period from the start of the driver steering support control until a predetermined time ΔT has elapsed, the vehicle control unit 140 suppresses the execution of the cancellation control even when the throttle operation exceeds the override threshold. The predetermined time ΔT can be, for example, a predetermined fixed time, or a variable time corresponding to the driving condition of the host vehicle M (for example, the positional relationship (relative position) between the host vehicle M and surrounding obstacles (other vehicles m1), the speed VM of the host vehicle M), and the surrounding condition (for example, the road shape, the width of the driving lane).

[0102] Suppressing the execution of the cancellation control includes, for example, making the speed override threshold (second threshold) larger than the normal speed override threshold by a predetermined amount, making it difficult to execute the cancellation control. Here, the normal time refers to the case where the execution of the cancellation control is not suppressed, for example, the time period before or after the above-mentioned predetermined time ΔT (in Figure 9 the example, it is during the contact attention alarm control or the driver operation support control after the predetermined time ΔT has elapsed). The predetermined amount can be, for example, a predetermined fixed amount, or a variable amount corresponding to the driving condition of the host vehicle M and the surrounding condition.

[0103] In Figure 9 the example, during the period from the start of the driver steering support control triggered by the driver steering until a predetermined time ΔT has elapsed, the driver performs a throttle operation above the speed override threshold ( Figure 9 the "ON" state of the throttle operation shown), but the cancellation control for the throttle operation during this period is not executed, and the driver steering support control is continued at times Tc and Td as well.

[0104] During the period before the predetermined time ΔT has elapsed, when a throttle operation above the speed override threshold that is increased by a predetermined amount compared to the normal time is detected, the cancellation control unit 146 executes the cancellation control. Thus, although the execution condition of the cancellation control is made strict and it is difficult to execute the cancellation condition, it is possible to prevent the situation where the cancellation control cannot be executed at all.

[0105] Figure 10 is a diagram for explaining the vehicle control when a throttle operation is performed after a predetermined time ΔT has elapsed since the start of the driver steering support control. Figure 10 The example of Figure 9 differs from Figure 10As shown, when an accelerator operation that exceeds the speed override threshold is performed at a timing after the specified time ΔT (and during the execution of driver steering support), the abort control unit 146 executes abort control for the driver steering support control being executed. Therefore, at the time point of the time Td shown in Figure 10 , the vehicle control state becomes the off state, and the vehicle M travels by the driver's manual driving. When the driver steering support control is aborted by the abort control, the HMI control unit 150 may also cause the HMI 30 to output information indicating that it has been aborted to notify the driver. Thereby, the driver can be made aware of the situation where the driver steering support control has been aborted midway through the accelerator operation and can be made aware of appropriate driving.

[0106] As described above, during the period from the start of execution of the driver steering support control to the elapse of the specified time ΔT, by suppressing the execution of the abort control, it is possible to suppress the driver steering support control (or switching to manual driving) from being aborted due to an inadvertent (caused by a distorted posture) accelerator operation by the driver. Therefore, in a scenario of avoiding contact with an obstacle, more appropriate driving support control can be performed.

[0107] Instead of (or in addition to) the above-described first specified condition, the abort control unit 146 may, as a second specified condition, suppress the execution of the abort control for the driver steering support control when the steering amount of the driver's steering operation in the driver steering support control is equal to or greater than a third threshold that is greater than the first threshold. The steering amount is obtained based on, for example, the detection result of the SW sensor 82A and the detection result of the steering state detection unit 132. The third threshold is a value less than the steering override threshold. When the driver's posture is distorted due to a change in the behavior of the vehicle M during driver steering support, there is a possibility that the driver may perform an inadvertent steering operation due to the influence of the distortion. Therefore, when a steering amount equal to or greater than the third threshold that is greater than the first threshold, which is the determination condition for the driver steering trigger, is detected as described above, the execution of the abort control for the driver's accelerator operation is suppressed. Thereby, as described above, more appropriate driving support control can be performed.

[0108] The abort control unit 146 may also not execute the abort control even when the steering amount of the driver's steering operation becomes equal to or greater than the steering override threshold during the period from the start of the driver steering support control to the elapse of the specified time ΔT.

[0109] The suspension control unit 146 may also use the steering speed instead of the steering amount of the above-described steering operation to determine whether to inhibit the execution of the suspension control. When the driver's posture is distorted, there is a high possibility of performing a steering operation faster than during normal driving. Therefore, the suspension control unit 146 inhibits the execution of the suspension control when the steering speed in the driver's steering assistance control is equal to or higher than a specified speed.

[0110] The throttle operation performed by the driver includes the throttle opening. The throttle operation performed by the driver may also include the rate of change of the throttle opening. When the possibility of the driver's distorted posture is high, the override threshold is inhibited, and override can also be performed when the driver wants to perform an override. The suspension control unit 146 may also use the throttle opening and the rate of change of the throttle opening as throttle operation thresholds, respectively. Thereby, it is possible to more appropriately determine whether to perform override control using the more detailed throttle operation of the driver.

[0111] The suspension control unit 146 may also, when a specified condition is satisfied, instead of increasing the speed override threshold compared to normal to inhibit the execution of the suspension control (or on top of this), inhibit the execution of the suspension control by restricting the determination target. For example, when the suspension control unit 146 normally uses the throttle operation amount (the opening of the throttle pedal) or the rate of change of the opening as the determination target, when inhibiting the suspension control, it does not perform the determination using the rate of change of the opening. When the driver's posture is distorted, the rate of change of the opening is highly likely to change rapidly. Therefore, by invalidating the override determination based on the rate of change of the opening when inhibiting the suspension control, it is possible to more appropriately inhibit the driver from inadvertently executing the suspension control.

[0112] The suspension control unit 146 may also, during the execution of the driver's steering assistance control, when a specified condition is satisfied, perform control in such a way that the suspension control is not executed temporarily (for example, during the period from the start of the driver's steering assistance control to the elapse of a specified time ΔT). In a scenario where the possibility of the driver's distorted posture is high, by completely invalidating the suspension control, it is possible to perform control that is easily understood by the driver regardless of the throttle operation amount. In this case, the HMI control unit 150 may also cause the HMI 30 to output information indicating that the suspension control cannot be executed temporarily to notify the driver. Thereby, it is possible to enable the driver to grasp the situation where the suspension control cannot be executed temporarily and be aware of appropriate driving. In the embodiment, "inhibiting the execution of the suspension control" may include "not executing the suspension control".

[0113] [Processing Flow]

[0114] Figure 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing executed by the driving support device 100 in the embodiment. In Figure 11In the example, the description mainly focuses on the suppression process of the cancellation control in the driver steering support among the processes executed by the driving support device 100. In addition to the Figure 11 processes shown, the driving support device 100 can also execute Figure 4 the contact possibility determination process, the distracted driving determination process, the attention arousal control process, the contact attention alarm control process, the automatic steering avoidance control process, etc. according to the above-mentioned respective execution conditions. Figure 11 The processes shown can be repeatedly executed at a specified timing.

[0115] In Figure 11 the example, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the surrounding conditions of the own vehicle M (step S100). Next, the driving state detection unit 130 detects the steering state of the driver (step S110). Next, the contact possibility determination unit 120 determines whether there is a possibility of contact between the own vehicle M and an obstacle (step S120). When it is determined that there is a possibility of contact with an obstacle, the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B generates an avoidance target trajectory for avoiding contact between the own vehicle M and the obstacle (step S130), and executes avoidance steering support in such a manner that the own vehicle M travels along the generated avoidance target trajectory (step S140). The avoidance steering support based on the process of step S140 is, for example, driver steering support control executed by detecting a driver steering trigger.

[0116] Next, the cancellation control unit 146 determines whether a driver's steering operation is detected during the execution of the avoidance steering support (step S150). When it is determined that a driver's steering is detected during the execution, the cancellation control unit 146 determines whether the conditions related to the throttle operation satisfy the specified conditions (step S160). When it is determined that the specified conditions are satisfied, the cancellation control unit 146 suppresses the execution of the cancellation control (step S170). When it is determined that the specified conditions are not satisfied, the cancellation control unit 146 executes the cancellation control (step S180). Thus, the processing of this flowchart ends.

[0117] When it is determined in the process of step S120 that there is no possibility of contact with an obstacle, or when it is determined in the process of step S150 that a driver's throttle operation is not detected during the execution of the avoidance steering support, the processing of this flowchart ends.

[0118] Figure 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the cancellation control process. In Figure 12 the example, the following process is shown: after the start of the avoidance steering support control, the determination conditions for whether to execute the cancellation control are adjusted based on whether the specified conditions are satisfied, thereby suppressing the cancellation control. Figure 12The processing shown can be repeatedly executed at a specified timing during the execution of the avoidance steering support control.

[0119] In Figure 12 the example of, the abort control unit 146 obtains the opening degree of the accelerator pedal 84 of the driver through the speed operation detection unit 134 (step S200), and obtains the opening degree change rate within a specified time (step S210). Next, the abort control unit 146 determines whether it is before a specified time has elapsed since the start of the avoidance steering support as a specified condition (step S220). When it is determined that it is not before the specified time has elapsed (that is, when it is determined that the specified condition is not satisfied), the abort control unit 146 determines whether the opening degree or the opening degree change rate is equal to or greater than a second threshold (speed override threshold) (step S230). When the abort control unit 146 determines that the opening degree or the opening degree change rate is equal to or greater than the second threshold, it executes the abort control (step S240), and when it is determined that it is less than the second threshold, it ends the process without executing the abort control.

[0120] In the process of step S220, when it is determined that it is before a specified time has elapsed since the start of the avoidance steering support (that is, when it is determined that the specified condition is satisfied), only the opening degree is used as the object, and it is further determined whether the opening degree is equal to or greater than a threshold larger than the second threshold (step S250). When the abort control unit 146 determines that the opening degree is equal to or greater than the threshold larger than the second threshold, it executes the abort control (step S240), and when it is less than the threshold, it ends the process without executing the abort control. Thus, this flowchart ends.

[0121] In Figure 12 the process of, during the period from the start of the avoidance steering support until a specified time has elapsed, the override determination based on the opening degree change rate of the accelerator pedal is not performed. Moreover, in the process of step S250, the threshold for determining whether to execute the abort control is made larger than the second threshold in the process of step S230. By making the conditions for executing the abort control stricter in this way, the execution of the abort control can be suppressed.

[0122] As described above, according to an embodiment, in a vehicle control program, a computer is caused to execute the following processing: recognize the surrounding situation of the own vehicle M; detect the steering state of the driver (an example of an occupant) of the own vehicle; detect the speed operation of the own vehicle performed by the driver; when it is determined based on the recognized surrounding situation of the own vehicle that there is a possibility of contact between the own vehicle and an obstacle and a steering amount equal to or greater than a first threshold is detected from the steering state of the driver, execute avoidance steering support for avoiding contact with the obstacle; and during the execution of the avoidance steering support, when a speed operation equal to or greater than a second threshold is detected from the detected speed operation, execute cancellation control for canceling the avoidance steering support, and suppress the execution of the cancellation control when a predetermined condition is satisfied during the execution of the avoidance steering support, whereby in a scenario of avoiding contact with an obstacle, more appropriate driving support control can be performed for the driver.

[0123] According to an embodiment, for example, at the start (initial) of the avoidance steering support, the possibility of the driver's posture being distorted is high, so the override threshold is made stricter than usual to suppress the execution of the cancellation control, whereby it is possible to suppress the override (cancellation control) caused by the driver's inadvertent throttle operation. According to an embodiment, when the steering amount during the avoidance steering support becomes equal to or greater than a third threshold, the possibility of the driver's posture being distorted is high, so by suppressing the execution of the cancellation control, it is possible to suppress the override caused by the driver's inadvertent throttle operation.

[0124] [Modification Example]

[0125] In the above-described embodiment, the driver steering support control may also be performed on the basis of (or instead of) performing steering control so as not to further deviate from the adjacent lane (lane L2) when the own vehicle M moves from the driving lane (lane L1) to the adjacent lane (lane L2) as shown in Figure 8 such a way that contact avoidance steering control within the driving lane (lane L1) is performed. In this case, the driver steering support control generates an avoidance target trajectory so as to avoid contact with an obstacle and not deviate from the driving lane, and executes the avoidance steering support so that the own vehicle M travels along the generated avoidance target trajectory. In this steering control, the avoidance steering support is suppressed when a steering operation of the driver is detected.

[0126] In the embodiment, the steering control unit 144 may also perform, on the basis of (or instead of) the driver steering support control, for example, in the Figure 7 automatic steering avoidance control shown, perform suppression control of the above-described cancellation control when a steering operation and speed of the driver are detected (and when override control is not executed).

[0127] In an embodiment, instead of (or in addition to) the above-described specified conditions, based on the camera image of the driver monitoring camera 70, it is determined whether the driver's posture is actually distorted, and execution suspension control is performed based on the determination result. In this case, for example, the driving state detection unit 130 extracts the driver's posture from the analysis result of the camera image of the driver monitoring camera 70. When the extracted driver's posture changes by a specified amount or more from a predetermined basic posture (a posture facing forward) (for example, when the posture is laterally inclined due to a lateral G), it is determined that the driver's posture is distorted. The suspension control unit 146 suppresses the execution suspension control during the period when the driving state detection unit 130 determines that the driver's posture is distorted as a specified condition. It should be noted that the suspension control unit 146 may not suppress the execution suspension control even before a specified time has elapsed since the start of the driver steering support control when the driving state detection unit 130 determines that the driver's posture is not distorted. It may also be that even after the above-described specified time has elapsed, when the driver's posture remains distorted, the execution suspension control is continuously suppressed until the distorted state is restored (returns to the basic posture). Thereby, the driver's posture can be grasped more accurately based on the camera image, and more appropriate driving support control can be performed according to the driver's posture.

[0128] In the above-described embodiment, as an example of the override determination during the execution of the driver steering support control, the driver's throttle operation was used for explanation. However, instead of (or in addition to) the throttle operation, a braking operation may be used.

[0129] In the above-described embodiment, the contact avoidance steering control (driver steering support control) after the execution of the attention arousal control (slow deceleration control, centering control) was described. However, it can also be applied to the case where the driver steering support control is executed without performing the attention arousal control.

[0130] Each numerical value shown in the above-described embodiment is merely an example, and can be appropriately adjusted according to road conditions (shape, number of lanes, road type), the driver's driving condition (degree of laxity), vehicle conditions (speed, vehicle model, shape, number of passengers), etc.

[0131] The embodiment described above can be expressed as follows.

[0132] A vehicle control device includes:

[0133] A storage medium that stores computer-readable instructions; and

[0134] A processor connected to the storage medium,

[0135] The processor performs the following processing by executing computer-readable instructions (the processor executing the computer-readable instructions to):

[0136] Identify the surrounding conditions of the vehicle;

[0137] Detect the steering state of the occupants of the vehicle;

[0138] Detect the speed operation of the vehicle performed by the occupant;

[0139] When it is determined based on the identified surrounding conditions of the vehicle that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and an obstacle, and a steering amount equal to or greater than a first threshold is detected from the detected steering state of the occupant, perform avoidance steering support for avoiding contact with the obstacle; and

[0140] During the execution of the avoidance steering support, when a speed operation equal to or greater than a second threshold is detected from the detected speed operation, abort the avoidance steering support,

[0141] When a specified condition is satisfied during the execution of the avoidance steering support, suppress the execution of the abort control.

[0142] The specific embodiments of the present invention have been described using the above embodiments, but the present invention is in no way limited by such embodiments, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Claims

1. A vehicle control method, wherein: The vehicle control method causes a computer to execute the following processing: Identify the surrounding conditions of the vehicle; detecting a steering state of an occupant of the vehicle; detecting a speed operation of the vehicle performed by the occupant; When it is determined based on the recognized surrounding conditions of the vehicle that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and an obstacle and a steering amount greater than a first threshold is detected from the steering state of the occupant, performing evasive steering assistance to avoid contact with the obstacle; as well as During the execution of the evasive steering support, when a speed operation equal to or greater than a second threshold is detected from among the detected speed operations, a stop control for stopping the evasive steering support is executed; When a predetermined condition is satisfied during the execution of the avoidance steering support, execution of the stop control is suppressed.

2. The vehicle control method according to claim 1, wherein: The predetermined condition includes being within a predetermined time from the start of the avoidance turn support.

3. The vehicle control method according to claim 1, wherein: The predetermined condition includes detecting a steering amount equal to or greater than a third threshold value that is larger than the first threshold value from the steering state.

4. The vehicle control method according to claim 1, wherein: When the execution of the stop control is suppressed, the value of the second threshold is increased compared to a case where the execution of the stop control is not suppressed.

5. The vehicle control method according to claim 4, wherein: The speed operation includes operation of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle, The second threshold is a threshold for the opening degree of the accelerator pedal.

6. The vehicle control method according to claim 4, wherein: The speed operation includes operation of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle, The second threshold is a threshold for a rate of change of the opening degree of the accelerator pedal.

7. The vehicle control method according to claim 1, wherein: If the predetermined condition is satisfied during the execution of the avoidance steering assistance, the stop control is not executed.

8. The vehicle control method according to claim 1, wherein: When the predetermined condition is satisfied during the execution of the evasive steering assist, determination regarding suppression of the stop control using a rate of change of the opening degree of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle is not performed.

9. The vehicle control method according to claim 1, wherein: The speed operation includes an opening degree of an accelerator pedal of the vehicle and an operation related to a rate of change of the opening degree of the accelerator pedal.

10. A vehicle control device, wherein: The vehicle control device comprises: an identification unit that identifies a surrounding condition of the vehicle; a steering state detection unit that detects a steering state of an occupant of the vehicle; a speed operation detection unit that detects a speed operation of the vehicle performed by the occupant; a steering control unit that, when it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and an obstacle based on the surrounding conditions of the vehicle recognized by the recognition unit and a steering amount greater than a first threshold is detected from the steering state of the occupant detected by the steering state detection unit, performs evasive steering assistance for avoiding contact with the obstacle; as well as a stop control unit that performs stop control for stopping the avoidance steering support when a speed operation equal to or greater than a second threshold is detected from among the speed operations detected by the speed operation detection unit during the avoidance steering support, The stop control unit suppresses execution of the stop control when a predetermined condition is satisfied during execution of the avoidance steering assistance.

11. A storage medium storing a program, wherein: The program causes the computer to perform the following processing: Identify the surrounding conditions of the vehicle; detecting a steering state of an occupant of the vehicle; detecting a speed operation of the vehicle performed by the occupant; When it is determined based on the recognized surrounding conditions of the vehicle that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and an obstacle, and a steering amount greater than a first threshold is detected from the detected steering state of the occupant, performing evasive steering assistance to avoid contact with the obstacle; as well as During the execution of the evasive steering support, when a speed operation equal to or greater than a second threshold is detected from among the detected speed operations, a stop control for stopping the evasive steering support is executed; When a predetermined condition is satisfied during the execution of the avoidance steering support, execution of the stop control is suppressed.

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