Automatic driving control device, automatic driving control program, and automatic driving control method

Abstract

An automatic driving ECU is an automatic driving control device capable of driving a host vehicle (Am) by means of an automatic driving function. An automatic driving ECU determines whether or not there is a space for a host vehicle (Am) on a host vehicle lane (Lns) crossing the front of an intersection (IS) in a scene in which the host vehicle (Am) passes through the intersection (IS). When there is no space on the own vehicle lane (Lns), the automatic driving ECU determines to perform a lane change in a direction away from the own vehicle lane (Lns) in a section including the intersection (IS).

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of Japanese Patent Application No. 2023-023002 filed in Japan on February 17, 2023, the entire contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The disclosure based on this specification relates to technology for autonomous driving control that enables the driving of the vehicle based on the autonomous driving function. Background Art

[0004] The autonomous driving device disclosed in Patent Document 1 calculates a low manual driving switch threshold value when the vehicle is traveling at an intersection or when an obstacle around the vehicle is detected. The autonomous driving device switches the currently executed autonomous driving mode to manual driving when the driver's operation level exceeds the manual driving switch threshold value.

[0005] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2016-175613

[0006] For example, if traffic around the host vehicle is congested, there may be no space for the host vehicle in the lane ahead of the intersection. Patent Document 1 does not describe any driving control that assumes such a situation. Consequently, there is a risk that the host vehicle, having entered an intersection under the control of the autonomous driving device, may become stuck within the intersection, impairing the convenience of autonomous driving. Summary of the Invention

[0007] The purpose of the present disclosure is to provide an autonomous driving control device, an autonomous driving control program, and an autonomous driving control method that can ensure the convenience of autonomous driving.

[0008] In order to achieve the above-mentioned purpose, one disclosed method is an automatic driving control device, which is an automatic driving control device capable of driving the vehicle through the automatic driving function, and comprises: a situation grasping unit, which grasps whether there is space for the vehicle in the lane of the vehicle ahead of crossing the intersection when the vehicle is scheduled to pass through the intersection; and a driving control unit, which decides to implement a lane change in the direction of leaving the lane of the vehicle in the section including the intersection when there is no space in the lane of the vehicle.

[0009] Another disclosed method is an automatic driving control program that is capable of driving the vehicle through the automatic driving function, and causes at least one processing unit to perform processing, which includes: in a scenario where the vehicle passes through an intersection, determining whether there is space for the vehicle in the lane of the vehicle in front of the intersection; and when there is no space in the lane of the vehicle, deciding to implement a lane change in the direction of leaving the lane of the vehicle in the section including the intersection.

[0010] Another disclosed method is an automatic driving control method, which is an automatic driving control method that can make the vehicle travel through the automatic driving function. The processing implemented by at least one processing unit includes: in a scenario where the vehicle passes through an intersection, determining whether there is space for the vehicle in the lane of the vehicle in front of the intersection; and if there is no space in the lane of the vehicle, deciding to implement a lane change in the direction of leaving the lane of the vehicle in the section including the intersection.

[0011] In these systems, even if there is no space for the vehicle in the lane ahead of the intersection, the vehicle can still exit the intersection by changing lanes in a lane change within the section that includes the intersection. Therefore, the vehicle is less likely to become stranded at the intersection. As a result, the convenience of autonomous driving can be maintained.

[0012] In addition, the reference numbers in parentheses in the claims, etc. are merely examples of the corresponding relationship with the specific configurations in the embodiments described later, and do not limit the technical scope in any way. In addition, combinations of claims not explicitly stated in the claims are also possible as long as the combination does not particularly cause any hindrance. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0013] Figure 1 This is a diagram showing an overall view of the in-vehicle network including the autonomous driving ECU according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 2 This is a detailed block diagram showing the autonomous driving ECU.

[0015] Figure 3 This is a diagram for explaining scenario 1 in which an automatic lane change is performed in a section including an intersection.

[0016] Figure 4 This is a diagram for explaining scenario 2 in which an automatic lane change is performed in a section including an intersection.

[0017] Figure 5 This is a diagram for explaining Scenario 3 in which an automatic lane change is performed in a section including an intersection.

[0018] Figure 6 This is a diagram for explaining scenario 4 in which an automatic lane change is performed in a section including an intersection.

[0019] Figure 7 This is a diagram for explaining Scenario 5 in which an automatic lane change is performed to avoid an emergency vehicle.

[0020] Figure 8 This is a diagram for explaining scenario 6 in which the automatic lane change is suspended in a section including an intersection.

[0021] Figure 9 This is a diagram for explaining scenario 7 in which the automatic lane change is in a standby state in a section including an intersection.

[0022] Figure 10 This is a diagram for explaining scenario 8 in which automatic lane changes are continuously performed inside and outside an intersection.

[0023] Figure 11 It is a flowchart showing the details of the execution determination process.

[0024] Figure 12 Detailed flowchart of the lane change control process.

[0025] Figure 13 This is a diagram for explaining scenario 9 in which an automatic lane change is performed in conjunction with a right turn in a section including an intersection in the second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 14 This is a diagram for explaining a scenario 10 in which an automatic lane change is performed in a section including an intersection.

[0027] Figure 15 This is a diagram for explaining a scenario 11 in which an automatic lane change is performed to avoid an emergency vehicle.

[0028] Figure 16 This is a diagram for explaining scenario 12 in which an automatic lane change is performed in a section including an intersection.

[0029] Figure 17 This is a diagram for explaining scenario 13 in which automatic lane change is suspended in a section including an intersection. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0030] Hereinafter, a plurality of embodiments of the present disclosure will be described based on the accompanying drawings. In addition, repeated descriptions are sometimes omitted by attaching the same figure marks to the corresponding components in each embodiment. In the case where only a part of the configuration is described in each embodiment, the other parts of the configuration can apply the configuration of other embodiments previously described. In addition, not only the combinations of the configurations explicitly described in the description of each embodiment, but also the configurations of multiple embodiments can be partially combined with each other even if not explicitly described, as long as the combination does not particularly cause any hindrance. Moreover, the unexpressed combinations of the configurations described in multiple embodiments and modified examples are also disclosed through the following description.

[0031] (First embodiment)

[0032] The function of the automatic driving control device of the first embodiment of the present disclosure is as follows: Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 The automatic driving ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 50 shown is implemented. The automatic driving ECU 50 is installed in a vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the vehicle Am). With the automatic driving ECU 50 installed, the vehicle Am becomes an automatic driving vehicle or an autonomous driving vehicle equipped with an automatic driving function, and can travel using the automatic driving function.

[0033] The autonomous driving ECU 50 is an onboard ECU that enables autonomous driving functions that can substitute for the driver's driving operations. The autonomous driving ECU 50 is capable of implementing Level 2 advanced driving assistance or partial autonomous driving, as well as Level 3 and higher autonomous driving, where the system is the primary controller. The autonomous driving levels used in this disclosure are based on the standards established by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).

[0034] Level 2 autonomous driving is a type of autonomous driving where the driver is required to visually monitor the vehicle's surroundings (eyes-on autonomous driving). Level 2 autonomous driving includes hands-on autonomous driving, where the driver is responsible for steering, and hands-off autonomous driving, where the driver is not responsible for steering.

[0035] Level 3 autonomous driving is eyes-off autonomous driving, requiring no monitoring of the vehicle's surroundings. The autonomous driving ECU 50 is capable of performing both Level 4 fully autonomous driving, where the system performs all driving tasks under certain conditions, and Level 5 fully autonomous driving, where the system performs all driving tasks under all conditions. Level 4 autonomous driving is brain-off autonomous driving, where no driver is actually requested to take over. Level 5 autonomous driving is driverless autonomous driving, requiring no driver on board.

[0036] The autonomous driving ECU 50 switches the control state of the autonomous driving function among multiple autonomous driving control modes, including at least Level 2 or lower autonomous driving control with a surrounding monitoring obligation and Level 3 or higher autonomous driving control without a surrounding monitoring obligation. In the following description, autonomous driving control at Level 2 or lower is referred to as "driving assistance control," and autonomous driving control at Level 3 or higher is referred to as "autonomous driving control."

[0037] During autonomous driving, the driver can be permitted to perform specific, predefined behaviors other than driving (hereinafter referred to as "secondary tasks") while the vehicle Am is operating under autonomous driving control. Legally, the driver is permitted to perform the secondary tasks until a driving shift request is issued in collaboration between the HCU (Human Machine Interface Control Unit) 100 and the autonomous driving ECU 50, described later. For example, activities such as viewing entertainment content such as videos, operating devices such as smartphones, and eating are considered secondary tasks.

[0038] [Configuration of the vehicle system]

[0039] The autonomous driving ECU 50 is communicatively connected to a communication bus 99 of the in-vehicle network 1 installed in the vehicle Am. The driver monitor 29, the surrounding monitoring sensor 30, the positioner 35, the navigation ECU 38, the in-vehicle communication device 39, the driving control ECU 40, the body ECU 43, and the HCU 100 are connected to the communication bus 99. These nodes connected to the communication bus 99 can communicate with each other. Certain nodes among these ECUs, etc., may also be directly electrically connected to each other, allowing communication without intermediary to the communication bus 99.

[0040] The driver monitor 29 is configured to include a near-infrared light source, a near-infrared camera, and a control unit for controlling them. The driver monitor 29 is positioned so that the near-infrared camera faces the headrest of the driver's seat, for example, on top of the steering column or on top of the instrument panel. The driver monitor 29 uses the near-infrared camera to capture the driver's head, which is irradiated with near-infrared light by the near-infrared light source. The image captured by the near-infrared camera is analyzed by the control unit. The control unit extracts information such as the position of the driver's eye point and the direction of his or her line of sight from the captured image. The driver monitor 29 provides the eye point position information and the line of sight direction information extracted by the control unit as driver status information to the HCU 100 and the automatic driving ECU 50, etc.

[0041] The surrounding monitoring sensor 30 is an autonomous sensor that monitors the surrounding environment of the vehicle Am. For example, the surrounding monitoring sensor 30 includes one or more of a camera unit 31, a millimeter-wave radar 32, a lidar 33, and a sonar 34. The surrounding monitoring sensor 30 can detect both moving and stationary objects within its detection range around the vehicle. The surrounding monitoring sensor 30 provides detection information on objects around the vehicle to the autonomous driving ECU 50 and other devices.

[0042] The positioner 35 is composed of a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver and inertial sensors. The positioner 35 combines positioning signals received from multiple positioning satellites by the GNSS receiver, measurement results from the inertial sensors, and vehicle speed information output to the communication bus 99 to sequentially determine the vehicle's position and direction of travel. The positioner 35 sequentially outputs the position information and orientation information of the vehicle Am based on the positioning results to the communication bus 99 as positioner information.

[0043] The locator 35 also has a map database (hereinafter referred to as map DB) 36 that stores map data. The map DB 36 is mainly composed of a large-capacity storage medium that stores a large amount of three-dimensional map data and two-dimensional map data. The three-dimensional map data is a so-called HD (High Definition) map, which contains road information required for autonomous driving. Specifically, the three-dimensional map data contains three-dimensional shape information of the road and detailed information of each lane. The locator 35 can update the three-dimensional map data and two-dimensional map data to the latest information through off-vehicle communication based on the on-board communication device 39. The locator 35 reads the map data around the current position from the map DB 36 and provides it to the autonomous driving ECU 50 and HCU 100 together with the locator information.

[0044] The navigation ECU 38 obtains information about the destination designated by the driver or other passengers based on operational information received from the HCU 100. The navigation ECU 38 obtains vehicle position and heading information from the locator 35 and sets a route from the current location to the destination. The navigation ECU 38 provides route information indicating the set route to the destination to the autonomous driving ECU 50 and the HCU 100. The navigation ECU 38 collaborates with the HMI system 10 to combine screen displays and voice messages to inform the driver of the vehicle Am's travel direction at intersections and junctions, providing route guidance to the destination.

[0045] Here, a user terminal such as a smartphone may be connected to the in-vehicle network 1 or the HCU 100. Such a user terminal may replace the locator 35 and provide the autonomous driving ECU 50 and other devices with vehicle position information, direction information, map data, and the like. Furthermore, the user terminal may replace the navigation ECU 38 and provide the autonomous driving ECU 50 and other devices with route information to the destination.

[0046] The onboard communication device 39 is an off-board communication unit installed in the vehicle Am, functioning as a V2X (Vehicle to Everything) communication device. The onboard communication device 39 transmits and receives information via wireless communication with roadside equipment installed along the road and other vehicles surrounding the vehicle. For example, the onboard communication device 39 receives traffic congestion information and traffic restriction information about the current location and travel direction of the vehicle Am from the roadside equipment. Examples of traffic congestion and traffic restriction information include VICS (registered trademark) information.

[0047] The vehicle-mounted communication device 39 can receive signal information indicating the lighting pattern of the traffic light installed at the intersection ahead, and objects around the intersection ahead, such as stopped vehicles, parked vehicles, and pedestrians Pd (see Figure 6 ), and detection information of riders, etc. The vehicle-mounted communication device 39 provides the received traffic congestion information, traffic control information, signal information, and detection information to the automatic driving ECU 50 and the HCU 100, etc.

[0048] The driving control ECU 40 is an electronic control unit primarily comprised of a microcontroller. Based on detection signals from wheel speed sensors installed in the hubs of each wheel, the driving control ECU 40 generates vehicle speed information representing the current driving speed of the vehicle Am and sequentially outputs this speed information to the communication bus 99. The driving control ECU 40 functions as at least a braking control ECU, a drive control ECU, and a steering control ECU. Based on operational commands from the driver or control commands from the automatic driving ECU 50, the driving control ECU 40 continuously controls the braking force of each wheel, the output of the onboard power source, and the steering angle.

[0049] The body ECU 43 is an electronic control unit that includes a microcontroller as its main body. The body ECU 43 has at least the function of controlling the operation of the lighting device (for example, the direction indicator 44, etc.) installed in the vehicle Am. The body ECU 43 starts flashing the left or right direction indicator 44 (turn signal lamp) corresponding to the operation direction based on the detection of the user operation of the direction indicator switch input set on the steering column part, etc. In addition, based on the control instructions received from the automatic driving ECU 50, the body ECU 43 starts flashing the left or right direction indicator 44 corresponding to the moving direction of the vehicle Am when changing lanes automatically based on driving assistance control or autonomous driving control.

[0050] The HCU 100, together with multiple display devices, an audio device 24, ambient lighting 25, and an operating device 26, constitutes an HMI (Human Machine Interface) system 10. The HMI system 10 includes an input interface function for accepting operations from the driver or other passengers of the vehicle Am, and an output interface function for presenting information to the driver.

[0051] The display device presents information to the driver visually through image display and other means. The display device includes an instrument display 21, a center information display (CID) 22, and a head-up display (HUD) 23. The CID 22 functions as a touch panel and detects touch operations on the display screen by the driver or the like.

[0052] The audio system 24 includes multiple speakers arranged in a configuration surrounding the driver's seat within the vehicle cabin. These speakers play announcement sounds and voice messages within the vehicle cabin. Ambient lighting 25 is provided on the instrument panel, steering wheel, and other components. By changing the color of its light, the ambient lighting 25 displays information that utilizes the driver's peripheral vision.

[0053] The operating device 26 is an input unit that receives user operations from the driver and others. For example, user operations related to activating and deactivating the autonomous driving function and setting a route guidance destination are input to the operating device 26. The operating device 26 includes steering switches located on the spokes of the steering wheel, a joystick located on the steering column, and a voice input device that recognizes the driver's voice.

[0054] The HCU 100 is a computer that primarily includes a processing unit 11, RAM 12, storage unit 13, input / output interface 14, and a control circuit that connects these. The HCU 100 functions as a presentation control device, comprehensively controlling information presentations using multiple display devices, an audio device 24, and ambient lighting 25.

[0055] The HCU 100 collaborates with the autonomous driving ECU 50 to present information related to autonomous driving. The HCU 100 receives control status information indicating the operational status of the autonomous driving function, as well as a request to present information related to the autonomous driving function, from the autonomous driving ECU 50. Based on the control status information and the request, the HCU 100 provides content and presents information tailored to the operational status of the autonomous driving function. For example, if the autonomous driving ECU 50 schedules the termination of autonomous driving control, the HCU 100 issues a notification requesting the execution of a driving operation, in other words, a request for a driving shift.

[0056] The HCU 100 acquires operation information indicating the content of user operations from the CID 22 and the operating device 26. The HCU 100 provides the operation information of user operations related to the automatic driving function to the automatic driving ECU 50. The HCU 100 provides the operation information of user operations for setting the destination of the host vehicle Am to the navigation ECU 38.

[0057] [Autonomous Driving ECU Configuration]

[0058] The automatic driving ECU 50 is a computer that includes a control circuit having a processing unit 51, a RAM 52, a storage unit 53, an input / output interface 54, and a bus connecting them as its main body. The processing unit 51 executes various processes (instructions) for realizing the automatic driving control method disclosed in the present invention by accessing the RAM 52. Various programs (automatic driving control programs, etc.) executed by the processing unit 51 are stored in the storage unit 53. Through the execution of the program by the processing unit 51, an information cooperation unit 61, an environment recognition unit 62, an action judgment unit 63, a control execution unit 64, and a device control unit 65 are constructed in the automatic driving ECU 50 as multiple functional units for realizing the automatic driving function (refer to Figure 2 ).

[0059] The information coordination unit 61 provides information to the HCU 100 and acquires information from the HCU 100 and the driver monitor 29. The information coordination unit 61 acquires control status information indicating the operating status of the autonomous driving function from the action determination unit 63 and provides the acquired control status information to the HCU 100. This control status information includes information indicating the autonomous driving level of the active autonomous driving function. The information coordination unit 61 includes an HMI information acquisition unit 71 and a report request unit 72 as sub-functional units for information coordination with the HCU 100 and the driver monitor 29.

[0060] The HMI information acquisition unit 71 understands the content of user operations input by the driver, etc., to the CID 22 and the operating device 26, etc., based on the operation information acquired from the HCU 100. For example, the HMI information acquisition unit 71 understands a Level 2 transition operation instructing a transition from manual driving to driving assistance control, and a Level 3 transition operation instructing a transition from driving assistance control to autonomous driving control. Furthermore, the HMI information acquisition unit 71 understands the driver's actions based on driver status information acquired from the driver monitor 29. While driving under driving assistance control or autonomous driving control, the HMI information acquisition unit 71 continuously understands the driver's driving posture, gaze direction, whether perimeter monitoring is being performed, whether the second task is being performed, and the driver's level of alertness.

[0061] The report request unit 72 can make a report from the HCU 100 in synchronization with the operating state of the autonomous driving function by outputting a report execution request to the HCU 100. For example, when the autonomous driving control is scheduled to end, the report request unit 72 outputs a report execution request to the HCU 100 requesting the driving alternation. The report request unit 72 outputs a report related to the automatic lane change based on the driving assist control or the autonomous driving control to the HCU 100 (see Figure 10 Based on the report request received from the report request unit 72, the HCU 100 performs a report by appropriately combining virtual image display or screen display by the display device, broadcast of a report sound or message by the audio device 24, and ambient light display by the ambient light 25.

[0062] The environment recognition unit 62 combines locator information and map data obtained from the locator 35 with detection information obtained from the surrounding monitoring sensor 30 to identify the driving environment of the host vehicle Am. The environment recognition unit 62 can use the detection information received via the on-board communication device 39 to identify the driving environment. The environment recognition unit 62 obtains route information from the navigation ECU 38 and provides the obtained route information to the action determination unit 63. The environment recognition unit 62 obtains vehicle speed information indicating the current driving speed from the communication bus 99 as information indicating the status of the host vehicle Am. The environment recognition unit 62 includes a vehicle recognition unit 73 and a road recognition unit 74 as sub-functional units for identifying the driving environment.

[0063] The other vehicle grasping unit 73 grasps the relative positions and relative speeds of dynamic objects around the vehicle Am, such as other vehicles traveling around the vehicle Am. The other vehicle grasping unit 73 grasps the vehicle ahead of the vehicle Am (see FIG. Figure 3 Entering vehicle Ac), side vehicle, and rear vehicle Ab (refer to Figure 3 ) and the relative position and relative speed. The other vehicle grasping unit 73 determines whether the adjacent lane Lnd (refer to Figure 3 ) Whether there is space for the vehicle Am to move.

[0064] The road grasping unit 74 obtains information related to the road on which the host vehicle Am is traveling or the road on which it is scheduled to travel. Specifically, when the host vehicle Am is traveling on a road including multiple lanes, the road grasping unit 74 determines the host vehicle lane Lns in which the host vehicle Am is traveling (refer to Figure 3 In addition, the road understanding unit 74 obtains the route information obtained from the navigation ECU 38 and determines the lane in which the host vehicle Am should travel among the multiple lanes.

[0065] The road grasping unit 74 grasps whether the road on which the vehicle Am is traveling or the road on which it is scheduled to travel is within a pre-set permission area. In the permission area, the implementation of autonomous driving control of level 3 or above is permitted. The conditions for whether it is a permission area are equivalent to the road conditions in the operational design area (Operational Design Domain). The operational design area is a unique condition related to the designed driving environment that becomes the premise for the automatic driving ECU 50 to work normally, and is set according to the capabilities of the automatic driving ECU 50. The information indicating whether it is a permission area can be recorded in the map data stored in the map DB 36, and can also be included in the received information received by the on-board communication device 39. For example, highways, dedicated roads for automobiles, and specific general roads built to enable automatic driving are set as permission areas.

[0066] When the automatic driving ECU 50 has control authority over the driving operation, the action determination unit 63 generates a planned driving line for the host vehicle Am based on the driving environment recognition results of the environment recognition unit 62 and the route information generated by the navigation ECU 38. The action determination unit 63 outputs the generated planned driving line to the control execution unit 64. The action determination unit 63 includes a control switching unit 75 as a sub-functional unit for controlling the operating state of the automatic driving function.

[0067] The control switching unit 75 cooperates with the HCU 100 to control the driving alternation between the automatic driving ECU 50 and the driver. The control switching unit 75 switches between the driving assistance control of level 2, in which the driver has the obligation to monitor the surroundings, and the autonomous driving control of level 3 or above, in which the driver has no obligation to monitor the surroundings. The control switching unit 75 permits the implementation of autonomous driving of level 3 or above on roads within the permitted area, and only permits the implementation of autonomous driving of level 2 on roads outside the permitted area. In addition, the control switching unit 75 implements the switching between level 3 autonomous driving and level 4 or level 5 autonomous driving in the autonomous driving control without the obligation to monitor the surroundings. The control switching unit 75 generates control state information indicating the current operating state of the autonomous driving function, and provides the generated control state information to the information coordination unit 61, etc.

[0068] When the automatic driving ECU 50 has control authority over driving operations, the control execution unit 64, in cooperation with the driving control ECU 40, executes acceleration and deceleration control, steering control, and other operations of the host vehicle Am according to the predetermined driving line generated by the behavior determination unit 63. Specifically, the control execution unit 64 generates control commands based on the predetermined driving line and sequentially outputs the generated control commands to the driving control ECU 40.

[0069] The device control unit 65 controls the start and end of the blinking operation of the direction indicator 44 by outputting a control command to the body ECU 43. The device control unit 65 cooperates with the body ECU 43 to implement the blinking operation of the direction indicator 44 on the adjacent lane Lnd side in conjunction with the implementation of the automatic lane change based on the driving assistance control or the autonomous driving control (see Figure 3 ).

[0070] [Automatic lane change within intersections]

[0071] In the automatic driving ECU 50 described so far, a driving control unit 76 is provided in the action judgment unit 63 as a sub-functional unit. If the driving control unit 76 determines that there is space for the host vehicle Am to move in the adjacent lane Lnd, it executes an automatic lane change from the host vehicle lane Lns to the adjacent lane Lnd. The driving control unit 76 performs automatic lane changes in scenarios such as overtaking other slower vehicles in front and moving to a specific lane to reach a destination. The driving control unit 76 can perform automatic lane changes not only in straight sections of highways and general roads, but also in sections of general roads including intersections IS (see Figure 3 ).

[0072] Specifically, at some intersections IS, lane changes within the intersection IS are legally permitted. For example, if the lane dividing lines (lane boundaries) drawn on the road surface immediately before the intersection IS are orange, lane changes are prohibited within the section containing the intersection IS. In contrast, if the lane dividing lines drawn on the road surface immediately before the intersection IS are white, lane changes within the section containing the intersection IS are permitted.

[0073] The following is based on Figures 3 to 10 , and refer to Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 A detailed description will be given of various scenarios in which an automatic lane change is performed in a direction departing from the host vehicle lane Lns at an intersection IS where lane changes are not prohibited by law.

[0074] [Scenario 1: Left lane change scenario to avoid right-turning vehicles]

[0075] like Figure 3 As shown, in the scenario where the host vehicle Am enters the intersection IS, the environment recognition unit 62 grasps the presence of other vehicles around the host vehicle Am, specifically, the presence of the rear vehicle Ab and the entering vehicle Ac. The rear vehicle Ab is a parallel vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle Am in the host lane Lns and the adjacent lane Lnd. The entering vehicle Ac is another vehicle that enters the host lane Lns or the adjacent lane Lnd from the left or right intersecting road CR and is an intervening vehicle that enters the intersection IS in the direction of intersection with the host vehicle Am (see also FIG. Figure 4 ).

[0076] Based on the detection information, the environment recognition unit 62 determines the relative position, movement direction, and movement speed of the rear vehicle Ab and the incoming vehicle Ac. Furthermore, the environment recognition unit 62 determines the operating status of the direction indicators of the incoming vehicle Ac and the following vehicle Ab, which are located around the host vehicle Am. The operating status of the direction indicators serves as behavior prediction information for predicting the future left-right movements of the incoming vehicle Ac and the following vehicle Ab. Based on this behavior prediction information, the environment recognition unit 62 predicts, for example, the entry of the incoming vehicle Ac from the left intersection CR into the adjacent lane Lnd and the lane change of the following vehicle Ab from the host vehicle's lane Lns to the adjacent lane Lnd.

[0077] In the scenario where the vehicle Am is scheduled to pass through the intersection IS, the environment recognition unit 62 determines whether there is space for the vehicle Am in the lane Lns of the vehicle ahead of the intersection IS. Specifically, the environment recognition unit 62 defines the area between the pair of stop lines provided at the front and rear of the intersection IS as the intersection area IA (see Figure 3 If the host vehicle Am cannot escape from the intersection area IA, the environment recognition unit 62 determines that there is no space for the host vehicle Am in the host vehicle lane Lns.

[0078] exist Figure 3 In the illustrated scenario 1, of the two lanes on the main road MR, the right lane becomes the host vehicle lane Lns. In scenario 1, the host vehicle lane Lns ahead of the intersection area IA is congested (traffic congestion), and an incoming vehicle Ac turns right into the host vehicle lane Lns from the intersecting road CR on the right side of the intersection IS. Therefore, after the host vehicle Am crosses the stop line near the front and enters the intersection IS (intersection area IA), the environment recognition unit 62 determines that there is no space in the host vehicle lane Lns ahead of the intersection IS. On the other hand, if the host vehicle Am is in the adjacent lane Lnd, the environment recognition unit 62 determines that there is space for the host vehicle Am ahead of the intersection IS.

[0079] The travel control unit 76 determines to execute the process of departing from the own lane Lns (in the section including the intersection IS) when there is no space in the own lane Lns and there is space in the adjacent lane Lnd. Figure 3In this case, the driving control unit 76 uses the information of the entering vehicle Ac and the rear vehicle Ab identified by the environment recognition unit 62 to determine whether there is space in the adjacent lane Lnd for the own vehicle Am to move. The driving control unit 76 starts the automatic lane change when there is no entering vehicle Ac into the adjacent lane Lnd and the vehicle distance between the rear vehicle Ab traveling in the adjacent lane Lnd and the own vehicle Am exceeds the minimum vehicle distance. The device control unit 65 starts flashing the direction indicator 44 corresponding to the moving direction in the automatic lane change in the section including the intersection IS (hereinafter referred to as automatic LC inside the intersection), as in the automatic lane change in the section not including the intersection IS (hereinafter referred to as automatic LC outside the intersection).

[0080] The driving control unit 76 sets the minimum inter-vehicle distance for allowing automatic lane change within an intersection to be shorter than the minimum inter-vehicle distance for allowing automatic lane change outside an intersection. Furthermore, the driving control unit 76 sets the lower speed limit for allowing automatic lane change within an intersection to be lower than the lower speed limit for allowing automatic lane change outside an intersection. As an example, the driving control unit 76 sets the lower speed limit to 0 km / h, enabling automatic lane change even from a stopped state. This allows the driving control unit 76 to perform automatic lane change within an intersection at a lower speed than that for automatic lane change outside an intersection.

[0081] The driving control unit 76 sets the completion point EP of the automatic lane change within the intersection ahead of the intersection IS. The driving control unit 76 makes the lateral (left-right direction) vector generated by the host vehicle Am in the automatic lane change within the intersection smaller than the lateral vector in the automatic lane change outside the intersection. The vector represents the direction and magnitude of the acceleration acting on the host vehicle Am by the automatic lane change. When the driving speed of the host vehicle Am is the same, the lateral acceleration generated by the automatic lane change within the intersection is suppressed compared to the lateral acceleration generated by the automatic lane change outside the intersection. As a result, the entry angle of the host vehicle Am when entering the adjacent lane Lnd in the automatic lane change within the intersection is smoother (smaller) than that in the automatic lane change outside the intersection. In this way, in the automatic lane change within the intersection, leaving the intersection area IA is the first priority, so forward movement is prioritized over lateral movement.

[0082] [Scenario 2: Right lane change scenario to avoid left-turning vehicles]

[0083] exist Figure 4In the illustrated scenario 2, of the two lanes on the main road MR, the left lane becomes the host vehicle lane Lns. In scenario 2, the host vehicle lane Lns ahead of the intersection area IA is congested (traffic congestion), and an incoming vehicle Ac turns left from the intersecting road CR on the left side of the intersection IS and enters the host vehicle lane Lns. The environment recognition unit 62 determines that due to the entry of the incoming vehicle Ac, there is no space for the host vehicle Am in the host vehicle lane Lns ahead of the intersection IS. On the other hand, it determines that there is space for the host vehicle Am in the adjacent lane Lnd ahead of the intersection IS.

[0084] The travel control unit 76 determines to execute the process of departing from the own lane Lns (in the section including the intersection IS) when there is no space in the own lane Lns and there is space in the adjacent lane Lnd. Figure 4 The driving control unit 76 initiates an automatic lane change (in the right direction). If the driving control unit 76 confirms that there is no incoming vehicle Ac entering the adjacent lane Lnd from the right-hand intersection CR and that there is no following vehicle Ab in the adjacent lane Lnd, the automatic lane change is initiated. In the right-hand intersection automatic LC, the driving control unit 76 also sets the completion point EP before crossing the intersection IS.

[0085] The driving control unit 76 changes the driving speed of the host vehicle Am according to the left and right moving directions of the intersection automatic LC. Under the same conditions, the driving control unit 76 sets the driving speed of the intersection automatic LC in the right direction to be higher than that of the intersection automatic LC in the left direction (see FIG. Figure 3 ) is high (large). As an example, when the vehicle is automatically traveling in the right direction at an intersection, the driving control unit 76 slightly accelerates the vehicle Am. On the other hand, when the vehicle is automatically traveling in the left direction at an intersection, the driving control unit 76 maintains the driving speed of the vehicle Am.

[0086] [Scenario 3: Automatic lane change at an intersection with traffic lights]

[0087] exist Figure 5 In the illustrated scenario 3, a traffic light TL is installed at the intersection IS. The environment recognition unit 62 determines the current lighting mode (lighting state) of at least the traffic light TL located in front of the host vehicle Am among the multiple traffic lights TL installed at the intersection IS. If the traffic light TL in front of the host vehicle Am is in the lighting mode indicating a stop (red light), the travel control unit 76 stops the host vehicle Am just before the stop line.

[0088] The environment recognition unit 62 further determines whether the host vehicle Am has entered the intersection area IA at the intersection IS where the traffic light TL is installed. The driving control unit 76 determines that there is no space for the host vehicle Am in the host vehicle lane Lns ahead of the intersection IS after the host vehicle Am has entered the intersection area IA, and then determines to implement the automatic LC in the intersection (see Figure 3 ).

[0089] On the other hand, before the host vehicle Am enters the intersection area IA, if it is determined that there is no space for the host vehicle Am in the host vehicle lane Lns ahead of the intersection IS, the driving control unit 76 withholds execution of the automatic LC within the intersection. In this case, the driving control unit 76 stops the host vehicle Am just before the stop line (intersection area IA) even if the traffic light TL is in the travel-permitting lighting mode (blue light).

[0090] Furthermore, if the environment recognition unit 62 determines early on that there is no space for the host vehicle Am in the host vehicle lane Lns ahead of the intersection IS, the driving control unit 76 determines whether it is possible to complete the intersection-outside automatic LC on the near side of the intersection area IA. If it is determined that the intersection-outside automatic LC can be completed on the near side of the intersection area IA, the driving control unit 76 performs the intersection-outside automatic LC, moving the host vehicle Am to the adjacent lane Lnd before entering the intersection area IA. Even at an intersection IS without a traffic light TL, if the driving control unit 76 determines early on that there is no space for the host vehicle Am ahead of the intersection IS, it performs the intersection-outside automatic LC to move the host vehicle Am to the adjacent lane Lnd before entering the intersection area IA.

[0091] Here, the driving control unit 76 is more efficient at the intersection IS (refer to FIG. 1 ) where no traffic light TL is installed, compared to the intersection IS where the traffic light TL is installed. Figure 3 ), it is easier to determine the execution of automatic LC within the intersection. That is, at an intersection IS without a traffic light TL, automatic LC within the intersection is preferentially executed compared to an intersection IS with a traffic light TL. As an example, at an intersection IS without a traffic light TL, even if it is determined that there is no space in the host vehicle lane Lns immediately before entering the intersection area IA, the driving control unit 76 does not stop the host vehicle Am at the stop line, but instead determines to execute automatic LC within the intersection.

[0092] [Scenario 4: Automatic lane change at an intersection with pedestrians]

[0093] exist Figure 6In the illustrated scenario 4, a crosswalk PC is provided at the intersection IS. A pedestrian Pd attempting to cross the crosswalk PC is present in the waiting area WA facing the intersection IS. The environment recognition unit 62 determines whether a crosswalk PC is provided at the intersection IS and whether the pedestrian Pd is present in the waiting area WA.

[0094] When a pedestrian Pd is present in the waiting area WA, the driving control unit 76 suppresses the driving speed of the host vehicle Am in the automatic LC in the intersection and performs a lower speed lateral movement than when there is no pedestrian Pd in ​​the waiting area WA. The driving control unit 76 makes the host vehicle Am move laterally in a direction closer to the pedestrian Pd (in the direction of the pedestrian Pd). Figure 6 The lateral vector generated by the vehicle Am in the automatic lane change is directed away from the pedestrian Pd (in Figure 6 The lateral vector in the automatic lane change (right side in the middle) is small.

[0095] If a pedestrian Pd is present in the waiting area WA, the driving control unit 76 completes the automatic intersection LC within the intersection area IA. Furthermore, if a crosswalk PC is provided at the intersection IS, the driving control unit 76 sets the completion point EP of the automatic intersection LC to the immediate front of the crosswalk PC. This prevents the driving control unit 76 from performing the automatic intersection LC across the lanes at the crosswalk PC.

[0096] If a pedestrian Pd is expected to cross the crosswalk PC, the driving control unit 76 completes the automatic intersection LC on the front side of the crosswalk PC and then places the host vehicle Am on standby (temporarily stops) at the front side. If the environment recognition unit 62 detects that the pedestrian Pd has crossed the crosswalk PC and has passed in front of the host vehicle Am, the driving control unit 76 starts the host vehicle Am.

[0097] [Scene 5: Emergency vehicle avoidance scenario]

[0098] exist Figure 7 In the illustrated scenario 5, an emergency vehicle EmV approaches from behind the host vehicle Am. The emergency vehicle EmV is a police car such as a patrol car, a fire truck, or an ambulance. The environment recognition unit 62 identifies the emergency vehicle EmV approaching the host vehicle Am from behind based on the detection information. When the environment recognition unit 62 identifies the emergency vehicle EmV, it further determines whether the host vehicle Am is on the expected route of the emergency vehicle EmV, in other words, whether the emergency vehicle EmV is traveling in the host vehicle lane Lns. The host vehicle Am may also be further provided with an acoustic sensor (e.g., a microphone, etc.) for detecting the alarm sound of the emergency vehicle EmV as a peripheral monitoring sensor 30.

[0099] In a scenario where the host vehicle Am is scheduled to pass through the intersection IS, the driving control unit 76 determines to implement the automatic LC in the intersection when the emergency vehicle EmV approaches from behind and the host vehicle Am is traveling on the expected route of the emergency vehicle EmV. The driving control unit 76 uses the automatic LC in the intersection to move the host vehicle Am in a direction away from the expected route of the emergency vehicle EmV (in the direction of the intersection). Figure 7 If there is no space for the host vehicle Am in the adjacent lane Lnd ahead of the intersection area IA, the driving control unit 76 stops the host vehicle Am on the shoulder of the road within the intersection area IA. This ensures driving space for the emergency vehicle EmV.

[0100] [Scenario 6: Standby scenario for automatic lane change at an intersection]

[0101] exist Figure 8 In the scene 6 shown, the intersection automatic LC is in a standby state due to the presence of the entering vehicle Ac and the rear vehicle Ab. When the intersection automatic LC is in a standby state, the device control unit 65 also makes the moving side (at Figure 8 The flashing of the direction indicator 44 (left in the middle) continues. If the duration of the waiting state exceeds the upper limit waiting time after the decision to implement the automatic LC in the intersection is made, the driving control unit 76 sets the automatic LC in the intersection to time out.

[0102] If the automatic LC within the intersection area IA times out, the control switching unit 75 switches control from the automatic driving system to the driver. If the automatic LC within the intersection area IA times out, the driving control unit 76 may cause the host vehicle Am to exit the intersection IS by making a left or right turn in a direction that deviates from the planned driving path set by the navigation ECU 38. In this case, an emergency left or right turn is made in a direction different from the direction in which the passengers of the host vehicle Am are facing.

[0103] When the environment recognition unit 62 determines that there is no space for the host vehicle Am in the host vehicle lane Lns ahead of the intersection IS, it estimates whether traffic congestion in the host vehicle lane Lns ahead of the intersection IS continues. The travel control unit 76 changes the waiting posture of the host vehicle Am within the intersection area IA based on the estimation result of whether traffic congestion continues ahead of the intersection area IA.

[0104] Specifically, when the intersection automatic LC is in a standby state in the intersection area IA and it is estimated that the traffic congestion in the host vehicle lane Lns continues, the driving control unit 76 moves the host vehicle Am toward the moving side in the intersection automatic LC (in Figure 7In this case, the host vehicle Am stands by in a posture giving priority to the implementation of the automatic lane change while keeping the direction indicator 44 in operation.

[0105] In contrast, when the intersection automatic LC enters the standby state within the intersection area IA and the environment recognition unit 62 determines that traffic congestion is no longer continuing, the driving control unit 76 stops the host vehicle Am in a straight-ahead position along the host vehicle lane Lns. If, after transitioning to the standby state, a space is created in the host vehicle lane Lns ahead of the intersection IS, the device control unit 65 stops the flashing of the direction indicator 44. The driving control unit 76 then causes the host vehicle Am to travel straight ahead toward the space ahead.

[0106] The driving control unit 76 changes the upper limit waiting time for automatic lane changes that time out in both the intersection-in-auto lane change and the intersection-out-auto lane change. The driving control unit 76 sets the upper limit waiting time for the intersection-in-auto lane change to be shorter than the upper limit waiting time for the intersection-out-auto lane change. Furthermore, the driving control unit 76 changes the upper limit waiting time for the intersection-in-auto lane change based on whether the location entering the waiting state is within the intersection area IA. The driving control unit 76 sets the upper limit waiting time after entering the intersection IS to be shorter than the upper limit waiting time before entering the intersection IS.

[0107] Furthermore, the driving control unit 76 determines whether a traffic light TL is installed at the intersection IS (see Figure 5 ), the upper limit waiting time for the automatic LC at the intersection is changed. The driving control unit 76 sets a longer upper limit waiting time for the automatic LC at the intersection IS without a traffic light TL compared to an intersection IS with a traffic light TL. At an intersection IS without a traffic light TL, no upper limit waiting time may actually be set.

[0108] [Scenario 7: Implementation restrictions for automatic lane change]

[0109] exist Figure 9 In the illustrated scenario 7, an incoming vehicle Ac enters the main road MR from the intersecting roads CR on the left and right sides. Specifically, the incoming vehicle Ac turns left from the intersecting road CR on the left side of the intersection IS and enters the adjacent lane Lnd. Furthermore, the incoming vehicle Ac turns right from the intersecting road CR on the right side of the intersection IS and enters the host vehicle lane Lns. The environment recognition unit 62 identifies these incoming vehicles Ac entering the intersection IS ahead of the host vehicle Am.

[0110] The driving control unit 76 restricts the execution of the automatic intersection LC when there are incoming vehicles Ac on either side of the intersection IS. In this case, the driving control unit 76 does not execute the automatic intersection LC. The driving control unit 76 directs the host vehicle Am to travel straight to follow the incoming vehicle Ac entering the host vehicle lane Lns.

[0111] Furthermore, the driving control unit 76 restricts the execution of automatic LC at an intersection according to the driving environment around the vehicle. Detailed description will be given below of each scenario in which the execution of automatic LC at an intersection is restricted.

[0112] The environment recognition unit 62 determines whether the weather around the host vehicle Am is inclement based on information detected by the camera unit 31 and information received by the onboard communication device 39. For example, if there is a high probability that the road surface at the intersection IS is frozen due to snowfall or accumulation, the environment recognition unit 62 determines that the weather around the host vehicle Am is inclement. In this case, the travel control unit 76 restricts the execution of automatic LC within the intersection, specifically, not executing automatic LC within the intersection.

[0113] The environment recognition unit 62 grasps the size of the intersection IS that the vehicle Am is scheduled to pass through. The environment recognition unit 62 determines the size of the intersection IS based on the area of ​​the intersection area IA. When the number of lanes of the main road MR and the intersection road CR that intersect at the intersection IS is greater than a specified amount, the environment recognition unit 62 determines that the size of the nearest intersection IS is large. In addition, when the intersection IS is a multi-fork road (five or more forks), the environment recognition unit 62 determines that the size of the nearest intersection IS is large. The driving control unit 76 changes the judgment standard for whether to permit automatic LC in the intersection according to the size of the intersection IS. Specifically, the driving control unit 76 makes the judgment standard stricter for the intersection IS determined to be larger by the environment recognition unit 62, and does not implement automatic LC in the intersection.

[0114] When the environment recognition unit 62 detects an incoming vehicle Ac entering the host vehicle lane Lns, it determines whether the priority of the intersecting road CR is higher than the priority of the host vehicle road on which the host vehicle Am is traveling. The environment recognition unit 62 may determine the priority relationship between the intersecting road CR and the host vehicle road by referring to map data, or it may determine the priority relationship based on information such as road width acquired by the camera unit 31. If the priority of the host vehicle road (main road MR) is higher than the priority of the intersecting road CR, the driving control unit 76 permits the implementation of automatic LC within the intersection. On the other hand, if the priority of the intersecting road CR is higher than the priority of the host vehicle road, the driving control unit 76 restricts the implementation of automatic LC within the intersection, specifically, does not implement automatic LC within the intersection.

[0115] Based on the path information obtained from the navigation ECU 38, the environment recognition unit 62 determines the planned driving path of the host vehicle Am set for the automatic driving function. Even if there is no space in the host vehicle's lane Lns ahead of the intersection IS, the driving control unit 76 restricts the host vehicle Am from performing automatic intersection LC in a direction that deviates from the planned driving path. As an example, if the host vehicle Am needs to enter the right turn lane at the next intersection IS after passing the nearest intersection IS, the driving control unit 76 will not perform automatic intersection LC in the left direction at the nearest intersection IS. As another example, if the host vehicle Am needs to avoid the right turn lane at the next intersection IS after passing the nearest intersection IS, the driving control unit 76 will not perform automatic intersection LC in the right direction at the nearest intersection IS.

[0116] [Scenario 8: Continuous Implementation of Automatic Lane Change]

[0117] exist Figure 10 In the illustrated scenario 8, automatic lane change outside the intersection (first lane change LC1) and automatic lane change inside the intersection (second lane change LC2) are executed consecutively. The device control unit 65 continuously flashes the direction indicator 44 of the host vehicle Am while the first lane change LC1 and the second lane change LC2 are executed consecutively by the driving control unit 76. The flashing operation of the direction indicator 44 continues from before the start of the first lane change LC1 to after the completion of the second lane change LC2.

[0118] When the driving control unit 76 continuously executes the first lane change LC1 and the second lane change LC2, the notification request unit 72 cooperates with the HMI system 10 to report the shift from the first lane change LC1 to the second lane change LC2. For example, the shift from the first lane change LC1 to the second lane change LC2 is reported via a status display SD displayed on the instrument display 21 or the CID 22. The status display SD includes a host vehicle icon IcS, another vehicle icon IcB, lane icon images LpS and LpD, and an LC icon IPP. The status display SD reports the shift from the first lane change LC1 to the second lane change LC2 by changing the display color of the LC icon IPP during the first and second lane changes LC1 and LC2. The status display SD may also report the shift from the first lane change LC1 to the second lane change LC2 by temporarily silencing the LC icon IPP and then re-displaying it.

[0119] [Details of Implementation Determination Processing and Lane Change Control Processing]

[0120] Next, based on the following Figure 11 as well as Figure 12, and refer to Figures 1 to 10 The details of the execution determination process and the lane change control process performed by the automatic driving ECU 50 to realize the automatic LC in the intersection described above will be described.

[0121] The autonomous driving ECU 50 starts the automatic driving operation when the vehicle Am approaches the intersection area IA to a predetermined distance (for example, about 1 km). Figure 11 The execution determination process is continuously executed until the intersection area IA is passed, and ends after the intersection area IA is passed.

[0122] In S11, during the execution of the determination process, the environment recognition unit 62 determines whether there is space for the host vehicle Am in the host vehicle lane Lns ahead of the intersection IS. If there is space in the host vehicle lane Lns ahead of the intersection IS (S11: Yes), the execution of the determination process is temporarily terminated. On the other hand, if there is no space in the host vehicle lane Lns ahead of the intersection IS (S11: No), the environment recognition unit 62 determines in S12 whether a traffic light TL is installed at the intersection IS. If a traffic light TL is installed at the intersection IS (S12: Yes), the environment recognition unit 62 determines in S13 whether the host vehicle Am has entered the intersection area IA.

[0123] If the host vehicle Am determines that there is no space in the host vehicle lane Lns before entering the intersection area IA (S13: No), the driving control unit 76, in S14, withholds execution of automatic LC within the intersection and stops the host vehicle Am just before the intersection area IA (stop line). Alternatively, the driving control unit 76 may, in S14, not stop at the stop line but instead slowly drive the host vehicle Am straight and attempt automatic LC within the intersection.

[0124] If there is no traffic light TL at the intersection IS (S12: No), or if the vehicle Am is determined to have no space ahead after entering the intersection area IA (S13: Yes), the environment recognition unit 62 determines the status of the adjacent lane Lnd in S15. In S15, the environment recognition unit 62 determines whether there is space for the vehicle Am in the adjacent lane Lnd ahead of the intersection IS. If there is no space in the adjacent lane Lnd (S15: No), the determination process is temporarily terminated.

[0125] If there is space in the adjacent lane Lnd (S15: YES), the travel control unit 76 determines in S16 whether the current speed of the host vehicle Am is above the lower speed limit for permitting execution of automatic LC within the intersection. If the speed of the host vehicle Am is below the lower speed limit (S16: NO), the execution determination process is temporarily terminated. On the other hand, if the speed of the host vehicle Am is above the lower speed limit (S16: YES), the travel control unit 76 determines in S17 whether execution of automatic LC within the intersection is restricted for the nearest intersection IS.

[0126] If the lane markings before and after the intersection IS are orange, the driving control unit 76 determines that automatic LC within the intersection is not permitted by law and decides not to execute it. Furthermore, the driving control unit 76 decides not to execute automatic LC within the intersection if the environment recognition unit 62 detects incoming vehicles Ac on the left and right sides, detects inclement weather conditions surrounding the host vehicle, or determines that the nearest intersection IS is a large-scale intersection. Furthermore, the driving control unit 76 decides not to execute automatic LC within the intersection if the environment recognition unit 62 determines that the priority of the host vehicle's road is lower than that of the intersecting road CR, or if executing automatic LC within the intersection would deviate from the planned driving path.

[0127] If the nearest intersection IS restricts the execution of automatic lane change within the intersection (S17: YES), the execution determination process is temporarily terminated. On the other hand, if the nearest intersection IS does not restrict the execution of automatic lane change within the intersection (S17: NO), the driving control unit 76 determines in S18 to execute an automatic lane change in the direction of departing from the host vehicle lane Lns in the section including the intersection IS.

[0128] Based on the decision to execute the automatic LC in the intersection by the execution determination process, the automatic driving ECU 50 starts Figure 12 In the lane change control process shown in S31, the environment recognition unit 62 obtains information about the rear vehicle Ab and the incoming vehicle Ac around the host vehicle Am. In S31, the operating information of the direction indicators of these other vehicles is obtained as behavior prediction information.

[0129] In S32, the driving control unit 76 determines whether automatic LC within the intersection can be initiated. If there is no rear vehicle Ab in the adjacent lane Lnd, or if the minimum inter-vehicle distance with respect to the rear vehicle Ab is maintained, the driving control unit 76 determines that automatic LC within the intersection can be initiated, conditional on the absence of an incoming vehicle Ac entering the adjacent lane Lnd. If it is determined that automatic LC within the intersection can be initiated (S32: Yes), the driving control unit 76 sets the control details for automatic LC within the intersection in S37. Then, in S38, the device control unit 65 starts flashing the direction indicator 44, after which the driving control unit 76 initiates automatic LC within the intersection.

[0130] Here, in S37, the travel speed of the host vehicle Am is changed based on the left-right movement direction of the intersection automatic LC. Furthermore, in S37, the travel speed of the host vehicle Am is changed based on the presence of a pedestrian Pd in ​​the waiting area WA and whether the intersection automatic LC is moving toward the pedestrian Pd. Furthermore, in S37, the completion point EP of the intersection automatic LC is changed based on the presence or absence of a crosswalk PC and a pedestrian Pd.

[0131] On the other hand, if it is determined that the automatic LC within the intersection cannot be started (S32: No), the driving control unit 76 places the automatic LC within the intersection in a standby state in S33. In S33, an upper limit standby time is set for determining when the automatic LC within the intersection has timed out. In S34, the driving control unit 76 determines whether the automatic LC within the intersection has timed out based on whether the duration of the standby state exceeds the upper limit standby time. If the automatic LC within the intersection has timed out (S34: Yes), the driving control unit 76 decides to terminate the automatic LC within the intersection in S36. In this case, the vehicle may switch to the driver's driving mode, switch to straight driving, or switch to a left or right turn in a direction different from the planned driving path.

[0132] If the automatic LC within the intersection has not timed out (S34: No), the driving control unit 76 determines in S35 whether straight travel is possible. If a space has been created in the host vehicle's lane Lns ahead of the intersection IS, the driving control unit 76 determines that straight travel is possible (S35: Yes). In this case, the driving control unit 76 determines in S36 to suspend the automatic LC within the intersection and direct the host vehicle Am to travel straight toward the space created in the host vehicle's lane Lns. On the other hand, if there is still no space in the host vehicle's lane Lns ahead of the intersection IS (S35: No), the driving control unit 76 continues the standby state for the automatic LC within the intersection.

[0133] (Summary of the First Embodiment)

[0134] In the first embodiment described so far, even if there is no space for the host vehicle Am in the host vehicle lane Lns ahead of the intersection IS, the host vehicle Am can be driven out of the intersection IS by changing its driving lane using automatic lane change within the section including the intersection IS. Therefore, the host vehicle Am is less likely to be stranded within the intersection IS. As a result, the convenience of autonomous driving can be maintained.

[0135] In addition, in the first embodiment, whether the vehicle Am has entered the intersection IS is determined based on the positional relationship between the vehicle Am and the intersection area IA. Furthermore, if the driving control unit 76 determines that there is no free space in the vehicle's lane Lns after entering the intersection IS, it decides to implement automatic lane control within the intersection. This allows the driving control unit 76 to implement automatic lane control within the intersection in scenarios where the vehicle Am might become stuck within the intersection IS, thus preventing such a situation from occurring. Furthermore, if the vehicle Am is determined to have no free space in the vehicle's lane Lns before entering the intersection IS, the driving control unit 76 withholds implementation of automatic lane control within the intersection. This prevents the vehicle Am from entering the intersection area IA, thereby preventing the vehicle from becoming stuck within the intersection IS.

[0136] In the first embodiment, the travel speed of the host vehicle Am is changed according to the left and right movement direction in the intersection automatic control LC. Therefore, the travel control unit 76 can smoothly move the host vehicle Am to the adjacent lane Lnd even in the intersection automatic control LC.

[0137] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, a determination is made as to whether a pedestrian Pd is present in the waiting area WA facing the intersection IS. Furthermore, if a pedestrian Pd is present in the waiting area WA, the travel control unit 76 reduces the travel speed of the host vehicle Am in the automatic lane control LC within the intersection compared to when no pedestrian Pd is present in the waiting area WA. This travel speed adjustment makes it less likely that the pedestrian Pd will become uneasy about the host vehicle Am performing a lane change within the intersection area IA.

[0138] In addition, in the first embodiment, it is determined whether the weather around the host vehicle Am is inclement. Furthermore, the travel control unit 76 restricts the implementation of automatic LC within the intersection if the weather around the host vehicle Am is inclement. Inclement weather conditions are likely to be worse than those outside the intersection area IA. Therefore, by suppressing the implementation of automatic LC within the intersection during inclement weather, the host vehicle Am can travel smoothly.

[0139] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the size of the intersection IS that the vehicle Am is scheduled to pass is determined. Furthermore, the driving control unit 76 changes the criteria for determining whether to permit automatic lane change within the intersection based on the size of the intersection IS. Specifically, the driving control unit 76 restricts the implementation of automatic lane change within the intersection to larger intersections IS. The larger the intersection IS, the more complex the driving environment, making automatic lane change more difficult. Therefore, it is desirable to restrict the implementation of automatic lane change within the intersection more for larger intersections IS.

[0140] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, an emergency vehicle EmV approaching the host vehicle Am from behind is identified. Furthermore, upon identifying the emergency vehicle EmV, the driving control unit 76 permits a lane change in a direction away from the emergency vehicle EmV's intended path within a section that includes the intersection IS. This allows for smooth yielding to the emergency vehicle EmV by utilizing the intersection area IA, where space is readily available near the roadside shoulder.

[0141] In addition, in the first embodiment, whether a traffic light TL is installed at the intersection IS is determined. Furthermore, the driving control unit 76 can more easily determine the implementation of automatic LC within the intersection at an intersection IS without a traffic light TL than at an intersection IS with a traffic light TL. At an intersection IS without a traffic light TL, even if automatic LC within the intersection area IA is in a standby state, it is less likely to cause a problem. Therefore, by proactively implementing automatic LC within the intersection IS without a traffic light TL, the convenience of autonomous driving can be ensured.

[0142] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the lower speed limit for permitting execution of automatic LC within an intersection is set lower than the lower speed limit for permitting execution of automatic LC outside an intersection. Therefore, even if the traveling speed of the host vehicle Am decreases as the host vehicle approaches the intersection IS, the travel control unit 76 can still determine to execute automatic LC within the intersection.

[0143] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, behavior prediction information is acquired to predict the future left-right behavior of the following vehicle Ab and the incoming vehicle Ac surrounding the host vehicle Am. Furthermore, the driving control unit 76 uses the behavior prediction information to determine whether to initiate automatic lane change within the intersection. As described above, the driving control unit 76 can smoothly initiate lane changes even in complex driving environments such as the intersection area IA.

[0144] In addition, in the first embodiment, the minimum inter-vehicle distance for allowing the execution of automatic LC within the intersection is set shorter than the minimum inter-vehicle distance for allowing the execution of automatic LC outside the intersection. This makes it easier to start automatic LC within the intersection, so it is possible to more reliably avoid being stuck in the intersection IS.

[0145] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the lateral vector generated by the host vehicle Am during the in-intersection automatic LC is made smaller than the lateral vector during the out-intersection automatic LC. Consequently, during the in-intersection automatic LC, forward movement is prioritized over lateral movement. As a result, the travel control unit 76 can quickly exit the intersection area IA while simultaneously executing the in-intersection automatic LC.

[0146] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the lateral vector generated by the host vehicle Am during the intra-intersection automatic control LC approaching the pedestrian Pd in ​​the waiting area WA is made smaller than the lateral vector generated during the intra-intersection automatic control LC away from the pedestrian Pd. This adjustment of the lateral vector makes it less likely that the pedestrian Pd will become uneasy about the host vehicle Am performing a lane change within the intersection area IA.

[0147] In addition, in the first embodiment, if a pedestrian Pd is present in the waiting area WA, the driving control unit 76 completes the automatic lane change LC within the intersection area IA. By adjusting the completion point EP of the automatic lane change in this manner, the pedestrian Pd is less likely to feel uneasy about the host vehicle Am performing a lane change within the intersection area IA.

[0148] In the first embodiment, the presence or absence of a crosswalk PC at the intersection IS is determined. Furthermore, if a crosswalk PC is present at the intersection IS, the driving control unit 76 completes the automatic intersection LC just in front of the crosswalk PC. This prevents lateral movement, such as crossing lanes, at the crosswalk PC.

[0149] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, a determination is made as to whether a pedestrian Pd is present who is scheduled to cross the crosswalk PC. If a pedestrian Pd is present, the driving control unit 76 completes the automatic intersection LC on the immediate front side of the crosswalk PC, and then positions the host vehicle Am on standby at the immediate front side. This allows for smooth prioritization of the crossing of pedestrians Pd who are waiting to cross.

[0150] In addition, in the first embodiment, the completion point EP of the automatic LC within the intersection is set to the point immediately before the intersection IS. As described above, in the automatic LC within the intersection, forward movement is prioritized over lateral movement. As a result, the travel control unit 76 can quickly exit the intersection area IA while simultaneously executing the automatic LC within the intersection.

[0151] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, the planned driving path of the host vehicle Am set for the automatic driving function is grasped. Furthermore, even if there is no space in the host vehicle's lane Lns ahead of the intersection IS, the driving control unit 76 restricts the execution of automatic LC within the intersection that would deviate from the planned driving path of the host vehicle Am. This prevents the host vehicle Am from suddenly moving to return to the planned driving path after passing the intersection IS due to the execution of automatic LC within the intersection.

[0152] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, after the decision to execute automatic LC within an intersection is made, if the duration of the standby state of automatic LC within an intersection exceeds the upper limit standby time, the standby state times out. Furthermore, the upper limit standby time for automatic LC within an intersection is set to be shorter than the upper limit standby time for automatic LC outside an intersection. This prevents the vehicle Am from being stranded within the intersection area IA due to the continuation of the standby state.

[0153] In addition, in the first embodiment, at intersections IS without traffic lights TL, a longer upper limit waiting time is set compared to intersections IS with traffic lights TL. This makes it less likely that even if the vehicle Am is stranded at an intersection IS without traffic lights TL, it will obstruct the traffic of other vehicles. Therefore, the disadvantages associated with a longer upper limit waiting time are less likely to occur. Furthermore, at intersections IS without traffic lights TL, automatic LC within the intersection is easily implemented. As a result, the convenience of autonomous driving can be ensured.

[0154] In the first embodiment, the upper limit waiting time after entering the intersection IS is set shorter than the upper limit waiting time before entering the intersection IS. This can avoid the situation where the waiting state continues after entering the intersection IS and the vehicle Am is stranded in the intersection area IA.

[0155] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, if the duration of the standby state after entering the intersection IS exceeds the upper limit of the standby time, the control switching unit 75 performs a driving handover to the driver of the host vehicle Am. By performing such a driving handover, the host vehicle Am can quickly exit the intersection area IA even in a driving environment that the automatic driving ECU 50 cannot cope with.

[0156] In addition, in the first embodiment, if the duration of the standby state after entering the intersection IS exceeds the upper limit standby time, the driving control unit 76 causes the host vehicle Am to exit the intersection IS by turning left or right in a direction that deviates from the planned driving path. As described above, by turning left or right in a direction that deviates from the planned driving path, the host vehicle Am can also be prevented from being stranded in the intersection area IA.

[0157] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, after the in-intersection automatic control (LC) enters the standby state within the intersection area IA, if a space is created ahead of the intersection IS, the travel control unit 76 directs the host vehicle Am to travel straight ahead toward the space ahead. Thus, by canceling the in-intersection automatic control (LC) based on the situation ahead of the intersection IS, the host vehicle Am can exit the intersection area IA more smoothly.

[0158] In the first embodiment, if it is determined that there is no space in the host vehicle's lane Lns ahead of the intersection IS, the driving control unit 76 further estimates whether the traffic congestion ahead of the intersection IS continues. Furthermore, if the intersection automatic LC is in a standby state within the intersection area IA and it is estimated that the traffic congestion continues, the driving control unit 76 stops the host vehicle Am in a tilted position toward the moving side of the intersection automatic LC. Alternatively, if the intersection automatic LC is in a standby state within the intersection area IA and it is estimated that the traffic congestion is not continuing, the driving control unit 76 stops the host vehicle Am in a straight-ahead position along the host vehicle's lane Lns. By adjusting the stopping position in this manner, the host vehicle Am can quickly resume driving in response to changes in surrounding conditions and exit the intersection area IA.

[0159] In addition, in the first embodiment, incoming vehicles Ac entering the intersection IS in a direction intersecting the host vehicle Am are detected. Furthermore, the driving control unit 76 restricts the implementation of automatic LC within the intersection if there are incoming vehicles Ac on both the left and right sides of the intersection IS. As described above, the driving control unit 76 can appropriately suspend the implementation of automatic LC within the intersection in scenarios where multiple incoming vehicles Ac make it difficult to identify the situation ahead of the intersection IS.

[0160] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, when an incoming vehicle Ac is detected entering the intersection IS in a direction intersecting the host vehicle Am, the driving control unit 76 determines whether the priority of the intersecting road CR on which the incoming vehicle Ac is traveling is higher than the priority of the host vehicle road on which the host vehicle Am is traveling. Furthermore, if the priority of the intersecting road CR is higher than the priority of the host vehicle road, the driving control unit 76 restricts the implementation of automatic LC within the intersection. As described above, the driving control unit 76 can appropriately suspend the forced implementation of automatic LC within the intersection when the priority of the host vehicle Am is not high.

[0161] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, a first lane change LC1, which is an automatic lane change outside the intersection, and a second lane change LC2, which is an automatic lane change inside the intersection, are executed consecutively. At this time, the notification request unit 72 notifies the driver of the vehicle Am of the transition from the first lane change LC1 to the second lane change LC2. As described above, the driver of the vehicle Am can understand the current control status during the execution of the first lane change LC1 and the second lane change LC2. This information presentation can further enhance the convenience of autonomous driving.

[0162] In addition, in the first embodiment, when the first lane change LC1 and the second lane change LC2 are executed consecutively, the device control unit 65 continues the operation of the direction indicator 44 of the host vehicle Am.

[0163] In the first embodiment described above, the environment recognition unit 62 corresponds to the "situation understanding unit," the notification request unit 72 corresponds to the "notification implementation unit," the following vehicle Ab and the entering vehicle Ac correspond to the "other vehicles," and the intersection area IA corresponds to the "intersection area." Furthermore, the automatic driving ECU 50 corresponds to the "automatic driving control device."

[0164] (Second embodiment)

[0165] The second embodiment of the present disclosure is a modified example of the first embodiment. The automatic driving ECU 50 of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment in scenes 1 to 8, and implements the control related to the automatic LC in the intersection in scenes 9 to 13 described later. Figures 13 to 17 , and refer to Figure 1 as well as Figure 2 The details of the control related to the automatic lane change executed in Scenarios 9 to 13 of the second embodiment will be described.

[0166] [Scene 9: Continuous left and right turns at multiple intersections]

[0167] exist Figure 13In the illustrated scenario 9, a vehicle Am performs a series of left and right turns at multiple (two) intersections IS. As an example, the vehicle Am makes a right turn at the first intersection IS1, the first intersection it enters, and then makes a left turn at the second intersection IS2, the second intersection it enters after exiting the first intersection IS1. Two right-turn lanes Lnr are provided on the approach road AR to the first intersection IS1. The vehicle Am travels in the right-turn lane Lnr of the two right-turn lanes Lnr.

[0168] Based on the route information obtained from the navigation ECU 38, the environment recognition unit 62 detects that consecutive left and right turns are planned at multiple intersections IS. If the distance between the intersections IS, i.e., the distance between the centers of the first intersection IS1 and the second intersection IS2, is less than a predetermined distance (approximately 150 to 300 meters), the environment recognition unit 62 determines that the first intersection IS1 and the second intersection IS2 are consecutive intersections. If consecutive left and right turns are planned at the first intersection IS1 and the second intersection IS2, the environment recognition unit 62 identifies the left and right turn-compatible lane Lnt corresponding to the left and right turn at the second intersection IS2 from among the multiple lanes included in the connecting road IR. The connecting road IR is the road connecting the first intersection IS1 and the second intersection IS2.

[0169] When a left turn is planned at the second intersection IS2, the left (left end) lane among the multiple lanes included in the connecting road IR becomes the left-turn corresponding lane Lnt. As a result, in the entrance road AR of the first intersection IS1, the left right-turn lane Lnr becomes the left-turn corresponding lane Lnt (refer to Figure 13 ). In contrast, when a right turn is planned at the second intersection IS2, the lane on the right side (right end) of the multiple lanes of the connecting road IR becomes the right-turn lane Lnt. Thus, on the approach road AR of the first intersection IS1, the right-turn lane Lnr becomes the right-turn lane Lnt.

[0170] Before entering the first intersection IS1, the environment recognition unit 62 determines whether the host vehicle Am has reached the right-turn lane Lnt. In scenario 9, the host vehicle Am is traveling in the right-turn lane Lnr (host vehicle lane Lns), which is not the right-turn lane Lnt. A preceding vehicle Ae is located in the right-turn lane Lnt. The preceding vehicle Ae is another vehicle that, like the host vehicle Am, is turning right at the first intersection IS1.

[0171] Before entering the first intersection IS1, the driving control unit 76 attempts to automatically change lanes within the intersection from the host vehicle's lane Lns to the right-turn lane Lnt, provided the vehicle is not traveling in the right-turn lane Lnr of the right-turn lane Lnt. Before entering the first intersection IS1, if the environment recognition unit 62 detects the presence of a preceding vehicle Ae in the right-turn lane Lnt, the driving control unit 76 maintains the automatic lane change to the right-turn lane Lnt and enters the intersection area IA of the first intersection IS1.

[0172] If the host vehicle Am has not reached the right-turn lane Lnt before entering the first intersection IS1, the driving control unit 76 decelerates to a slower speed than the preceding vehicle Ae and enters the intersection area IA. In conjunction with the right turn at the first intersection IS1, the driving control unit 76 performs an automatic lane change to move into the right-turn lane Lnt. Through the automatic lane change, the driving control unit 76 moves the host vehicle Am to the space behind the preceding vehicle Ae, which has exited the right-turn lane Lnt of the connecting road IR before the host vehicle Am. The driving control unit 76 causes the host vehicle Am to travel in the right-turn lane Lnt and make a left turn at the second intersection IS2.

[0173] When the driving control unit 76 performs a lane change in conjunction with a right turn at the first intersection IS1, it begins to deviate from the host vehicle's lane Lns in the second half section TS2 of the first intersection IS1. The second half section TS2 is the section of the right-turn driving section of the host vehicle Am making a right turn in the intersection area IA that is closer to the exit road ER (connecting road IR) than the entry road AR. The first half section TS1 of the right-turn driving section of the host vehicle Am is the section closer to the entry road AR than the exit road ER. In other words, the first half section TS1 is the entry section on the entry road AR side (near the front side) of the oncoming lane Lno. The second half section TS2 is the exit section that straddles the oncoming lane Lno and connects to the exit road ER. The driving control unit 76 is not limited to the first intersection IS1 of a continuous intersection; it also initiates deviating from the host vehicle's lane Lns in the second half section TS2 of the intersection area IA during automatic lane changes in conjunction with left or right turns at a typical intersection IS.

[0174] When the environment recognition unit 62 detects an oncoming vehicle Ad entering the first intersection IS1 from the oncoming lane Lno, the driving control unit 76 temporarily stops the host vehicle Am in a section (first half section TS1) immediately ahead of the oncoming lane Lno. When an automatic lane change is implemented in conjunction with a right turn across the oncoming lane Lno in the intersection area IA, the driving control unit 76 sets a waiting stop position for the oncoming vehicle Ad farther from the exit road ER than when no automatic lane change is implemented. When an automatic lane change is implemented in conjunction with a right turn, the driving control unit 76 shifts the waiting stop position of the host vehicle Am closer to the center of the intersection area IA and closer to the entrance road AR. In this case, the host vehicle Am does not stop immediately ahead of the oncoming lane Lno within the intersection area IA, but rather stops approximately several meters ahead of the oncoming lane Lno.

[0175] [Scenario 10: Right lane change scenario to avoid left-turning vehicles]

[0176] exist Figure 14 In the scene 10 shown, the same as the scene 2 of the first embodiment (see Figure 4 ) is the same as the main road MR, and the left lane of the main road MR becomes the host lane Lns. In scenario 10, the host lane Lns in front of the intersection area IA is congested, and an incoming vehicle Ac turns left and enters the host lane Lns from the intersecting road CR on the left side of the intersection IS.

[0177] The environment recognition unit 62 determines that there is no space for the host vehicle Am in the host lane Lns ahead of the intersection IS due to the entry of the incoming vehicle Ac. The environment recognition unit 62 determines that there is space for the host vehicle Am in the adjacent lane Lnd ahead of the intersection IS. The driving control unit 76 determines to perform an intra-intersection automatic LC in the section including the intersection IS, moving from the host lane Lns to the right of the adjacent lane Lnd. The driving control unit 76 begins rightward movement near the center of the intersection area IA.

[0178] The device control unit 65 performs automatic lane changes in the section including the intersection IS. Furthermore, when the vehicle Am begins rightward movement near the center of the intersection area IA, the device control unit 65 withholds the start of the flashing operation of the direction indicator 44 until the vehicle Am enters the intersection area IA. The device control unit 65 starts flashing the direction indicator 44 after the vehicle Am enters the intersection area IA. When the vehicle Am begins lateral movement in the latter half of the intersection area IA, the device control unit 65 starts flashing the direction indicator 44 after the vehicle passes the center of the intersection area IA.

[0179] Even when the vehicle is near the center of the intersection area IA or begins moving right after passing the center, the notification request unit 72 notifies the vehicle of the planned implementation of automatic LC in the intersection in the direction of departure from the host vehicle lane Lns before starting to flash the direction indicator 44. The notification request unit 72 notifies the vehicle occupants (such as the driver) of the planned implementation of automatic LC in the intersection by displaying the status SD of the meter display 21 or the CID 22 before entering the intersection area IA.

[0180] [Scene 11: Emergency vehicle avoidance scenario]

[0181] exist Figure 15 In the scene 11 shown, the same as the scene 5 of the first embodiment (see Figure 7 ) Similarly, an emergency vehicle EmV approaches from behind the host vehicle Am. When the emergency vehicle EmV approaches from behind and the host vehicle Am is traveling on the emergency vehicle EmV's predicted path, the travel control unit 76 determines to implement automatic intersection LC. Using automatic intersection LC, the travel control unit 76 moves the host vehicle Am to the left to disengage from the emergency vehicle EmV's predicted path and stops the host vehicle Am near the shoulder within the intersection area IA.

[0182] The vehicle Am is equipped with an exterior display 27. The exterior display 27 is an exterior notification device installed in the vehicle Am. The vehicle Am may also be equipped with an exterior speaker as an exterior notification device. The exterior display 27 is installed, for example, on an exterior surface of the vehicle Am, such as the rear or side of the vehicle Am. The exterior display 27 is a display capable of displaying characters and displays information facing outside the vehicle. The exterior display 27 can be controlled directly by the notification request unit 72 or through collaborative control between the notification request unit 72 and the HCU 100.

[0183] When automatic lane change is scheduled in an intersection in a direction away from the planned route of the emergency vehicle EmV, the notification request unit 72 uses the rear and side exterior displays 27 to notify other vehicles and pedestrians Pd surrounding the vehicle of the planned automatic lane change before entering the intersection IS. For example, the notification request unit 72 causes the exterior display 27 to display a text message such as "Emergency vehicle approaching. Changing lanes and stopping at the intersection." as information indicating the planned automatic lane change.

[0184] If the vehicle Am is equipped with an exterior display 27 and is capable of providing exterior notification of the planned implementation of automatic LC at the intersection, the device control unit 65 starts flashing the direction indicator 44 indicating the moving direction of the vehicle Am in conjunction with the start of the exterior notification by the exterior display 27. After the vehicle Am stops, the device control unit 65 switches from flashing the direction indicator 44 to flashing the hazard lights (emergency flasher lights).

[0185] As described above, the driving control unit 76 performs automatic lane change within the intersection in a direction away from the emergency vehicle EmV's planned path, while simultaneously flashing the direction indicator 44 and providing a pre-determined external notification of the automatic lane change using the external display 27. The host vehicle Am, while continuing to flash its hazard lights, waits for the emergency vehicle EmV to overtake. If the environment recognition unit 62 detects the passage of the emergency vehicle EmV, the driving control unit 76 restarts the host vehicle Am.

[0186] [Scenario 12: Automatic lane change at an intersection with traffic lights]

[0187] exist Figure 16 In the illustrated scenario 12, a traffic light TL is installed at the intersection IS. The host vehicle Am is located in the left lane (host vehicle lane Lns) among the multiple lanes of the main road MR. Because the traffic light TL in front of the host vehicle Am is red, the host vehicle Am stops just before the stop line of the intersection IS. The adjacent vehicle Aa stops in the adjacent lane Lnd adjacent to the right side of the host vehicle lane Lns. In scenario 12, due to a roadside parked vehicle Ap in the host vehicle lane Lns in front of the intersection area IA, there is no space for the host vehicle Am to enter in the host vehicle lane Lns in front of the intersection area IA. On the other hand, there is space for the host vehicle Am in the adjacent lane Lnd in front of the intersection area IA.

[0188] The environment recognition unit 62 detects the lighting mode of the traffic light TL installed at the intersection IS. When the traffic light TL is in the stop mode (red light), the environment recognition unit 62 further detects the presence of a lateral adjacent vehicle Aa parked alongside the host vehicle Am. The environment recognition unit 62 detects whether the traffic light TL has switched from the stop mode to the proceed mode (blue light).

[0189] If there is no space in the host vehicle's lane Lns ahead of the intersection IS and an adjacent vehicle Aa is present, the driving control unit 76 permits the host vehicle Am to execute automatic intersection control LC after the traffic light TL switches from red to blue, allowing the host vehicle Am to move ahead of the adjacent vehicle Aa. The driving control unit 76 accelerates the host vehicle Am at a higher acceleration than the adjacent vehicle Aa and moves the host vehicle Am to the adjacent lane Lnd ahead of the intersection IS.

[0190] When the host vehicle Am, which has stopped at a red traffic light, is scheduled to execute an automatic lane change within the intersection LC to move ahead of the adjacent vehicle Aa, the device control unit 65 starts flashing the direction indicator 44 before the traffic light TL switches to blue. The device control unit 65 flashes the direction indicator 44 before starting the vehicle to notify the adjacent lane Lnd of the scheduled automatic lane change within the intersection area IA.

[0191] [Scenario 13: Reserved scenario for left lane change to avoid right-turning vehicles]

[0192] exist Figure 17 In the scene 13 shown, the same as the scene 1 of the first embodiment (see Figure 3 ) Similarly, the entering vehicle Ac turns right from the intersection road CR on the right side of the intersection IS and enters the host vehicle lane Lns. Within the intersection area IA, the entering vehicle Ac enters the right lane (host vehicle lane Lns) of the main road MR just in front of the host vehicle Am.

[0193] The environment recognition unit 62 not only detects the incoming vehicle Ac in front of the vehicle but also other vehicles (adjacent vehicles Aa) traveling in the adjacent lane Lnd. Based on the presence of adjacent vehicles Aa traveling to the side (left side) and rear (left rear side) of the vehicle Am, the environment recognition unit 62 determines whether there is room for the vehicle Am to move. If there is heavy traffic to the side or rear of the adjacent lane Lnd and the environment recognition unit 62 determines that there is no room for the vehicle Am to move, the driving control unit 76 withholds the automatic lane change to the adjacent lane Lnd even if the incoming vehicle Ac enters the lane immediately ahead. The driving control unit 76 causes the vehicle Am to follow the incoming vehicle Ac and enter the host lane Lns ahead, crossing the intersection IS.

[0194] (Summary of the Second Embodiment)

[0195] The second embodiment described so far also achieves the same effect as the first embodiment, and the host vehicle Am can be driven out of the intersection IS by changing the driving lane using automatic lane change in a section including the intersection IS. As a result, the host vehicle Am is less likely to become stuck in the intersection IS, thereby ensuring the convenience of automated driving.

[0196] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, while flashing the direction indicator 44 and providing a pre-determined external notification of the automatic lane change using the exterior display 27, the host vehicle Am performs automatic lane change within the intersection, moving away from the emergency vehicle EmV's intended path. This allows the host vehicle Am to indicate its presence to other vehicles and pedestrians Pd surrounding the host vehicle, as well as to the emergency vehicle EmV behind the host vehicle, indicating its presence. As a result, the vehicle can more smoothly yield to the emergency vehicle EmV in the intersection area IA, where space near the roadside shoulder is easily available.

[0197] In addition, in the second embodiment, the lighting pattern of the traffic light TL installed at the intersection IS is grasped. In addition, when the traffic light TL is red, the presence or absence of a lateral adjacent vehicle Aa parked side by side with the host vehicle Am is further grasped. Moreover, when there is no space in the host vehicle lane Lns in front of the intersection IS and there is an adjacent vehicle Aa, the implementation of an automatic lane change to move in front of the adjacent vehicle Aa is permitted after the light is switched from red to blue. Furthermore, when the implementation of the automatic lane change to move in front of the adjacent vehicle Aa is scheduled, the flashing action of the direction indicator 44 is started before the traffic light TL switches to blue. According to the above control of the automatic LC in the intersection, even in a scenario where there is an adjacent vehicle Aa, the host vehicle Am can be separated from the intersection area IA while avoiding the roadside parked vehicle Ap.

[0198] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, if consecutive left and right turns are scheduled at the first intersection IS1 and the second intersection IS2, the system determines whether the vehicle Am has reached the left-turn lane Lnt corresponding to the left and right turns at the second intersection IS2 before entering the first intersection IS1. Furthermore, if the vehicle Am has not reached the left-turn lane Lnt before entering the first intersection IS1, an automatic lane change is implemented to coordinate with the left and right turns at the first intersection IS1, moving toward the left-turn lane Lnt. This automatic in-intersection LC allows the vehicle Am to smoothly execute the left and right turns at the second intersection IS2 after exiting the first intersection IS1.

[0199] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, when automatic lane changes are implemented in conjunction with left or right turns at the intersection IS, departure from the host vehicle's lane Lns begins in the latter half of the intersection IS, which is closer to the exit road ER than the entrance road AR. This facilitates lane changes within the intersection area IA by implementing automatic lane changes accompanied by left or right turns near the exit of the intersection IS. Furthermore, since the host vehicle Am remains in its lane Lns during the first half of the interval TS1, it can wait for the oncoming vehicle Ad to pass in a position where it will not interfere with the movement of other vehicles around it.

[0200] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, when automatic intersection LC is executed in conjunction with a left or right turn across the oncoming lane Lno, a waiting stop position is set farther away from the exit road ER to await the passage of the oncoming vehicle Ad, compared to when automatic intersection LC is not executed. This adjustment of the waiting stop position ensures a longer distance from the waiting stop position to the intersection exit and positions the host vehicle Am to the rear and side of the preceding vehicle Ae traveling in the destination lane. Consequently, the success rate of automatic intersection LC can be improved.

[0201] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, when an automatic lane change is performed in a section including the intersection IS, in which the vehicle departs from the host vehicle's lane Lns, the flashing operation of the direction indicator 44 begins after the vehicle passes the center of the intersection IS. If the flashing operation of the direction indicator 44 is initiated before or immediately after entering the intersection area IA, there is a risk that other vehicles around the host vehicle may mistakenly believe that the host vehicle Am is turning left or right without changing lanes. Therefore, when implementing automatic lane change within the intersection, by controlling the flashing operation of the direction indicator 44 to begin after entering the intersection area IA, preferably after passing the center of the intersection IS, this misidentification by other vehicles can be avoided.

[0202] In addition, in the second embodiment, the scheduled automatic lane change in the direction of departure from the host vehicle lane Lns is announced before the start of the flashing operation of the direction indicator 44. As described above, even if the start of the operation of the direction indicator 44 is delayed until near the center of the intersection area IA, the scheduled automatic lane change can be notified to the passengers of the host vehicle Am as early as possible.

[0203] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, when the host vehicle Am intends to perform automatic lane change within the intersection, if the traffic volume in the adjacent lane Lnd is high, the host vehicle Am maintains automatic lane change within the intersection and performs control to follow the entering vehicle Ac. This allows for appropriate determination of whether to perform automatic lane change based on the congestion situation near the intersection IS. In the second embodiment described above, the exterior display 27 serves as an "exterior notification device."

[0204] (Other Embodiments)

[0205] Although a plurality of embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments and can be applied to various embodiments and combinations within the scope not departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0206] In the above embodiment, when there is no space in the host vehicle lane Lns ahead of the intersection IS, it is further determined whether there is space in the adjacent lane Lnd (see Figure 11 S15). In contrast, in the first variation of the above-described embodiment, the determination of whether there is space in the adjacent lane Lnd is omitted. Furthermore, in the second variation of the above-described embodiment, the determination of whether there is space in the adjacent lane Lnd is made based on the direction of movement of the automatic lane change system within the intersection. As an example, the determination of whether there is space in the adjacent lane Lnd is made during an automatic lane change to the right, but this determination is omitted during an automatic lane change to the left.

[0207] In Variation 3 of the above-described embodiment, the control details of automatic lane change within an intersection are changed depending on whether the driver has a duty to monitor the surrounding area or not. For example, the driving control unit 76 reduces the driving speed of the host vehicle Am during automatic lane change within an intersection when the driver does not have a duty to monitor the surrounding area, compared to when the driver does have a duty to monitor the surrounding area. For example, the aforementioned restrictions on the implementation of automatic lane change within an intersection may apply only to either the driver assistance control or the autonomous driving control. Furthermore, when automatic lane change is in the standby state within the intersection area IA, the control switching unit 75 may cooperate with the notification request unit 72 to request the driver to implement lane change.

[0208] In the above embodiment, the intersection area IA is defined as the area between the stop lines of the host vehicle's road. However, at an intersection IS with a crosswalk PC, for example, the area between two crosswalks PC may also define the intersection area IA. Furthermore, the intersection IS is not limited to a single intersection as in the above embodiment. For example, the implementation of automatic LC within the intersection can be determined at various intersection types, including multi-branch roads (e.g., six-branch roads), Y-shaped roads, T-shaped roads, and roundabouts.

[0209] In the fourth variation of the second embodiment described above, the notification request unit 72 determines whether the exterior display 27 is available. If the vehicle Am is not equipped with the exterior display 27, the device control unit 65 omits the blinking operation of the direction indicator 44 and starts blinking the hazard lights in conjunction with the start of automatic lane change control. In other words, the vehicle Am moves to the roadside within the intersection area IA with the hazard lights blinking.

[0210] In the above embodiment, the control content of the automatic lane change is described based on the premise that the vehicle is traveling on the right side of the traffic environment. Such control related to automatic lane change (automatic lane change control) disclosed in the present invention can also be applied to traffic environments where the vehicle is traveling on the left side. In other words, the vehicle equipped with the automatic driving ECU and HMI system can be either a right-hand steering wheel vehicle or a left-hand steering wheel vehicle. Moreover, the automatic lane change control disclosed in the present invention can be appropriately optimized according to the road traffic laws of various countries and regions, the steering wheel position of the vehicle, etc.

[0211] Specifically, the content of lane change control to the right in a traffic environment with vehicles traveling on the left can be applied to lane change control to the left in a traffic environment with vehicles traveling on the right. Similarly, the content of lane change control to the left in a traffic environment with vehicles traveling on the left can be applied to lane change control to the right in a traffic environment with vehicles traveling on the right.

[0212] Furthermore, in a traffic environment where vehicles travel on the left, a right turn results in crossing an intersection across the oncoming lane Lno, while a left turn results in crossing an intersection without crossing the oncoming lane Lno. In contrast, in a traffic environment where vehicles travel on the right, a left turn results in crossing an intersection across the oncoming lane Lno, while a right turn results in crossing an intersection without crossing the oncoming lane Lno. The above-described control related to left and right turns can also be reversed and applied to traffic environments where vehicles travel on the right.

[0213] In the fifth modification of the above embodiment, a driving assistance ECU for performing level 2 driving assistance control is provided separately from the automatic driving ECU 50. As in the fifth modification, an automatic driving system including a plurality of vehicle-mounted ECUs may correspond to an "automatic driving control device."

[0214] In the sixth modification of the above embodiment, a single integrated ECU provides the functions of the automatic driving ECU 50 and the HCU 100. In this sixth modification, the integrated ECU corresponds to an "automatic driving control device."

[0215] The functions provided by the autonomous driving ECU and HCU can also be provided by software and hardware that executes the software, by software alone, by hardware alone, or by a combination of these. Furthermore, when such functions are provided by electronic circuits as hardware, they can also be provided by digital circuits including numerous logic circuits or analog circuits. Furthermore, the software used to implement such functions may also include, at least in part, code automatically generated using, for example, a neural network or language model trained using real-world camera images.

[0216] Each processing unit of the above-mentioned embodiment is configured to include at least one CPU (Central Processing Unit: Central Processing Unit) and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit: Graphics Processing Unit) and other computing cores. The processing unit can be configured to further include FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array: Field Programmable Gate Array), NPU (Neural Network Processing Unit: Neural Network Processing Unit) and other IP cores with dedicated functions. The processing unit is not limited to a configuration that is independently installed on a printed circuit board. The processing unit can be a configuration that is installed on an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit: Integrated Circuit), SoC (System on Chip: System-level chip), a core assembly, and an FPGA.

[0217] The form of the storage medium (continuous tangible computer-readable medium, or n-transitorytangible storage medium) storing various programs, etc., can be modified as appropriate. Furthermore, the storage medium is not limited to being provided on a circuit board; it can also be provided in the form of a memory card, etc., inserted into a socket, and electrically connected to a control circuit such as an autonomous driving ECU or HCU. Furthermore, the storage medium can be an optical disk, hard disk drive, or solid-state disk, etc., which serves as a source for copying or distributing programs to the autonomous driving ECU or HCU.

[0218] Vehicles equipped with the above-mentioned autonomous driving ECU and HMI system are not limited to ordinary passenger cars for personal use, but can also be rental vehicles, passenger taxis, carpooling vehicles, trucks, buses, etc.

[0219] The control unit and method described in the present disclosure may also be implemented by a dedicated computer comprising a processor programmed to execute one or more functions embodied by a computer program. Alternatively, the apparatus and method described in the present disclosure may be implemented by a dedicated hardware logic circuit. Alternatively, the apparatus and method described in the present disclosure may be implemented by one or more dedicated computers comprising a combination of a processor that executes a computer program and one or more hardware logic circuits. In addition, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by a computer on a non-migratable tangible recording medium that can be read by a computer.

[0220] (Disclosure of technical ideas)

[0221] This specification discloses multiple technical concepts described in the following multiple items. Some items are described by selectively citing a multiple dependent form of a preceding item in a subsequent item. In addition, some items are described by referring to another multiple dependent form. These items described in multiple dependent forms define multiple technical concepts.

[0222] (Technical Thought 1)

[0223] An automatic driving control device is an automatic driving control device capable of driving a host vehicle (Am) through an automatic driving function, comprising:

[0224] A situation grasping unit (62) grasps whether there is space for the vehicle in the lane (Lns) ahead of the vehicle passing through the intersection (IS) in a scenario where the vehicle is scheduled to pass through the intersection; and

[0225] A driving control unit (76) determines to change lanes in a direction away from the lane of the vehicle in a section including the intersection when there is no space in the lane of the vehicle.

[0226] (Technical Thought 2)

[0227] According to the automatic driving control device described in the technical idea 1, the situation grasping unit determines whether the vehicle has entered the intersection.

[0228] The driving control unit decides to implement the lane change if it is determined that there is no space in the lane of the vehicle after the vehicle enters the intersection, and retains the implementation of the lane change if it is determined that there is no space in the lane of the vehicle before the vehicle enters the intersection.

[0229] (Technical Thought 3)

[0230] According to the automatic driving control device described in the technical idea 1 or 2, the travel control unit changes the travel speed of the host vehicle according to the left or right movement direction during the lane change.

[0231] (Technical Thought 4)

[0232] According to the automatic driving control device described in any one of technical concepts 1 to 3, the situation grasping unit determines whether a pedestrian (Pd) is present in the waiting area (WA) facing the intersection,

[0233] The travel control unit suppresses a travel speed of the host vehicle during the lane change when the pedestrian is present in the waiting area, compared to a case where the pedestrian is not present in the waiting area.

[0234] (Technical Thought 5)

[0235] According to the automatic driving control device described in any one of technical concepts 1 to 4, the situation grasping unit determines whether the surrounding area of ​​the host vehicle is in bad weather.

[0236] The travel control unit limits execution of the lane change to a section including the intersection when the surrounding area of ​​the host vehicle is in the bad weather.

[0237] (Technical Thought 6)

[0238] According to the automatic driving control device described in any one of technical ideas 1 to 5, the situation grasping unit grasps the size of the intersection that the host vehicle is scheduled to pass through,

[0239] The travel control unit changes a criterion for determining whether the lane change in a section including the intersection is permitted, based on the size of the intersection.

[0240] (Technical Thought 7)

[0241] According to the automatic driving control device described in any one of technical concepts 1 to 6, the situation grasping unit recognizes an emergency vehicle (EmV) approaching the host vehicle from behind,

[0242] The travel control unit permits execution of the lane change in a direction away from an expected route of the emergency vehicle in a section including the intersection when the emergency vehicle is recognized.

[0243] (Technical Thought 8)

[0244] According to the automatic driving control device described in Technical Idea 7, the driving control unit implements the lane change in the direction of departure from the expected route of the emergency vehicle while simultaneously flashing the direction indicator (44) and using the outside reporting device (27) to report the lane change to the outside of the vehicle.

[0245] (Technical Thought 9)

[0246] According to the automatic driving control device described in any one of technical ideas 1 to 8, the situation grasping unit grasps whether a traffic light (TL) is installed at the intersection,

[0247] At the intersection where the traffic light is not installed, the travel control unit can more easily determine to perform the lane change than at the intersection where the traffic light is installed.

[0248] (Technical Thought 10)

[0249] According to the automatic driving control device described in any one of technical concepts 1 to 9, the situation grasping unit grasps the lighting pattern of the traffic light (TL) installed at the intersection, and when the traffic light is in the lighting pattern indicating a stop, further grasps the presence or absence of a lateral adjacent vehicle (Aa) stopped side by side with the host vehicle.

[0250] The driving control unit permits the lane change to move ahead of the adjacent vehicle after switching from the lighting mode indicating a stop to the lighting mode permitting travel, if there is no space in the lane of the vehicle ahead of the intersection and there is an adjacent vehicle.

[0251] It also includes: a device control unit (65) that starts flashing the direction indicator (44) of the vehicle before the traffic light is switched to the lighting mode that allows travel, when the lane change is scheduled to be implemented toward the front of the adjacent vehicle.

[0252] (Technical Thought 11)

[0253] According to the automatic driving control device recorded in any one of technical ideas 1 to 10, the above-mentioned driving control unit sets the lower limit speed for implementing the above-mentioned lane change in a section including the above-mentioned intersection to be lower than the above-mentioned lower limit speed for implementing the above-mentioned lane change in a section not including the above-mentioned intersection.

[0254] (Technical Thought 12)

[0255] According to the automatic driving control device described in any one of technical ideas 1 to 11, the situation grasping unit grasps behavior prediction information in order to predict the future behavior of other vehicles (Ab, Ac) located around the host vehicle in the left and right directions.

[0256] The travel control unit determines whether to start the lane change in a section including the intersection using the behavior prediction information.

[0257] (Technical Thought 13)

[0258] According to the automatic driving control device recorded in any one of technical ideas 1 to 12, the above-mentioned driving control unit sets the minimum vehicle-to-vehicle distance for implementing the above-mentioned lane change in a section including the above-mentioned intersection to be shorter than the above-mentioned minimum vehicle-to-vehicle distance for implementing the above-mentioned lane change in a section not including the above-mentioned intersection.

[0259] (Technical Thought 14)

[0260] According to the automatic driving control device recorded in any one of technical ideas 1 to 13, the above-mentioned driving control unit makes the lateral vector generated by the above-mentioned vehicle in the above-mentioned lane change in the section including the above-mentioned intersection smaller than the above-mentioned lateral vector in the above-mentioned lane change in the section not including the above-mentioned intersection.

[0261] (Technical Thought 15)

[0262] According to the automatic driving control device described in any one of technical concepts 1 to 14, the situation grasping unit determines whether a pedestrian (Pd) is present in the waiting area (WA) facing the intersection,

[0263] The travel control unit makes a lateral vector generated by the host vehicle during the lane change toward a side closer to the pedestrian smaller than the lateral vector generated during the lane change toward a side farther from the pedestrian.

[0264] (Technical Thought 16)

[0265] According to the automatic driving control device described in any one of technical concepts 1 to 15, the situation grasping unit determines whether a pedestrian (Pd) is present in the waiting area (WA) facing the intersection,

[0266] The travel control unit completes the lane change within the area (IA) of the intersection when the pedestrian is present in the waiting area.

[0267] (Technical Thought 17)

[0268] According to the automatic driving control device described in any one of technical concepts 1 to 16, the situation grasping unit grasps whether a pedestrian crossing (PC) is provided at the intersection,

[0269] The travel control unit completes the lane change on the front side of the crosswalk when the crosswalk is provided at the intersection.

[0270] (Technical Thought 18)

[0271] According to the automatic driving control device described in Technical Idea 17, the situation grasping unit determines whether there is a pedestrian (Pd) who is scheduled to cross the crosswalk.

[0272] The travel control unit completes the lane change on the near side of the crosswalk when the pedestrian is present, and then places the host vehicle on standby on the near side.

[0273] (Technical Thought 19)

[0274] According to the automatic driving control device described in any one of technical ideas 1 to 18, the travel control unit sets the lane change completion point (EP) in the section including the intersection to a point before the intersection.

[0275] (Technical Thought 20)

[0276] According to the automatic driving control device described in any one of technical ideas 1 to 19, the situation grasping unit grasps the planned driving path of the host vehicle set for the automatic driving function,

[0277] The travel control unit restricts the host vehicle from performing the lane change in a direction that deviates from the planned travel path even when there is no space in the host vehicle lane ahead of the intersection.

[0278] (Technical Thought 21)

[0279] According to the automatic driving control device recorded in any one of technical ideas 1 to 20, after the above-mentioned driving control unit decides to implement the above-mentioned lane change, if the duration of the standby state of the above-mentioned lane change exceeds the upper limit standby time, the above-mentioned upper limit standby time in the above-mentioned lane change in the section including the above-mentioned intersection is set to be shorter than the above-mentioned upper limit standby time in the above-mentioned lane change in the section not including the above-mentioned intersection.

[0280] (Technical Thought 22)

[0281] According to the automatic driving control device described in any one of technical ideas 1 to 21, the situation grasping unit grasps whether a traffic light (TL) is installed at the intersection,

[0282] After the above-mentioned driving control unit makes the decision to implement the above-mentioned lane change, if the duration of the above-mentioned lane change standby state exceeds the upper limit standby time, the above-mentioned standby state is set to timeout. At the above-mentioned intersection where the above-mentioned traffic light is not installed, the above-mentioned upper limit standby time is set longer than that at the above-mentioned intersection where the above-mentioned traffic light is installed.

[0283] (Technical Thought 23)

[0284] According to the automatic driving control device described in any one of technical concepts 1 to 22, the situation grasping unit determines whether the host vehicle has entered the intersection.

[0285] After the decision to implement the lane change is made, the driving control unit sets the standby state to timeout if the duration of the lane change standby state exceeds the upper limit standby time, and sets the upper limit standby time after entering the intersection to be shorter than the upper limit standby time before entering the intersection.

[0286] (Technical Thought 24)

[0287] The automatic driving control device according to any one of technical ideas 21 to 23 further comprises: a control switching unit (75) for implementing driving handover to the driver of the vehicle when the duration of the standby state after entering the intersection exceeds the upper limit standby time.

[0288] (Technical Thought 25)

[0289] According to the automatic driving control device described in any one of technical ideas 21 to 23, the situation grasping unit grasps the planned driving path of the host vehicle set for the automatic driving function,

[0290] The travel control unit causes the host vehicle to exit the intersection by turning left or right in a direction departing from the planned travel path when the duration of the standby state after entering the intersection exceeds the upper limit standby time.

[0291] (Technical Thought 26)

[0292] According to the automatic driving control device recorded in any one of technical ideas 21 to 23, after the lane change in the above-mentioned intersection becomes the above-mentioned standby state, the above-mentioned driving control unit causes the above-mentioned vehicle to go straight toward the above-mentioned space when the above-mentioned space is generated in front of the above-mentioned intersection.

[0293] (Technical Thought 27)

[0294] According to the automatic driving control device described in any one of technical ideas 21 to 25, when the situation understanding unit determines that there is no space in the lane of the host vehicle ahead of the intersection, it estimates whether the traffic congestion ahead of the intersection continues.

[0295] The driving control unit stops the host vehicle in a tilted posture toward the moving side in the lane change when the lane change in the intersection becomes the standby state and it is estimated that the traffic congestion will continue. The driving control unit stops the host vehicle in a straight-moving posture along the host vehicle lane when the lane change in the intersection becomes the standby state and it is estimated that the traffic congestion will not continue.

[0296] (Technical Thought 28)

[0297] According to the automatic driving control device described in any one of technical ideas 1 to 27, the situation grasping unit grasps another vehicle (Ac) entering the intersection in a direction that intersects with the host vehicle,

[0298] The travel control unit limits execution of the lane change to a section including the intersection when the other vehicles are present on both left and right sides of the intersection.

[0299] (Technical Thought 29)

[0300] According to the automatic driving control device described in any one of technical ideas 1 to 28, when the situation grasping unit grasps another vehicle (Ac) entering the intersection in a direction opposite to the direction of intersection of the host vehicle, it determines whether the priority of the intersection road traveled by the other vehicle is higher than the priority of the host road traveled by the host vehicle,

[0301] The travel control unit limits execution of the lane change to a section including the intersection when the priority of the intersecting road is higher than the priority of the host road.

[0302] (Technical Thought 30)

[0303] According to the automatic driving control device described in any one of technical concepts 1 to 29, the situation grasping unit, when a continuous left and right turn is scheduled at a first intersection (IS1) as the intersection and a second intersection (IS2) entered after exiting the first intersection, grasps whether the vehicle reaches a left or right turn corresponding lane (Lnt) at the second intersection before entering the first intersection.

[0304] The travel control unit performs the lane change to move to the left or right turn lane in coordination with the left or right turn at the first intersection if the host vehicle has not reached the left or right turn lane before entering the first intersection.

[0305] (Technical Thought 31)

[0306] According to the automatic driving control device recorded in any one of technical ideas 1 to 30, the above-mentioned driving control unit starts to leave the above-mentioned vehicle lane in the latter half section (TS2) of the above-mentioned intersection which is closer to the exit road (ER) than the entry road (AR) when implementing the above-mentioned lane change in coordination with the left or right turn at the above-mentioned intersection.

[0307] (Technical Thought 32)

[0308] According to the automatic driving control device recorded in Technical Idea 31, when the lane change is implemented at the above-mentioned intersection in coordination with the left or right turn across the opposite lane (Lno), the above-mentioned driving control unit sets a standby stop position for waiting for the passage of the oncoming vehicle (Ad) in the above-mentioned opposite lane at a position farther away from the above-mentioned exit road than when the above-mentioned lane change is not implemented.

[0309] (Technical Thought 33)

[0310] The automatic driving control device according to any one of technical ideas 1 to 32 further comprises: a reporting implementation unit (72) which reports the shift from the first lane change to the second lane change when the lane change, i.e., the first lane change (LC1), in the section not including the intersection, and the lane change, i.e., the second lane change (LC2), in the section including the intersection are continuously implemented in the driving control unit.

[0311] (Technical Thought 34)

[0312] The automatic driving control device according to technical idea 33 also includes: an equipment control unit (65) for continuing the flashing action of the direction indicator (44) of the vehicle when the first lane change and the second lane change are continuously implemented in the driving control unit.

[0313] (Technical Thought 35)

[0314] The automatic driving control device according to any one of technical ideas 1 to 34 further comprises: an equipment control unit (65) that starts flashing the direction indicator (44) of the vehicle after passing the center of the intersection when the lane change in the direction of leaving the lane of the vehicle is implemented in the section including the intersection.

[0315] (Technical Thought 36)

[0316] The automatic driving control device according to technical idea 35 further comprises: a reporting implementation unit (72) that reports the implementation plan of the lane change in the direction of leaving the lane of the vehicle before the start of the flashing action of the direction indicator.

Claims

1. An automatic driving control device capable of driving a host vehicle (Am) by an automatic driving function, wherein: have: A situation grasping unit (62) grasps whether there is space for the vehicle in the lane (Lns) ahead of the vehicle passing through the intersection (IS) in a scenario where the vehicle is scheduled to pass through the intersection; and A driving control unit (76) determines to change lanes in a direction away from the lane of the vehicle in a section including the intersection when there is no space in the lane of the vehicle.

2. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: The situation grasping unit determines whether the vehicle has entered the intersection. The driving control unit decides to implement the lane change if it is determined that there is no space in the lane of the vehicle after the vehicle enters the intersection, and retains the implementation of the lane change if it is determined that there is no space in the lane of the vehicle before the vehicle enters the intersection.

3. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: The travel control unit changes a travel speed of the host vehicle according to a left or right movement direction during the lane change.

4. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: The situation grasping unit determines whether a pedestrian (Pd) is present in the waiting area (WA) facing the intersection. The travel control unit suppresses a travel speed of the host vehicle during the lane change when the pedestrian is present in the waiting area, compared to a case where the pedestrian is not present in the waiting area.

5. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: The situation grasping unit determines whether the surrounding area of ​​the vehicle is inclement weather. The travel control unit limits execution of the lane change to a section including the intersection when the surrounding area of ​​the host vehicle is in the bad weather.

6. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: The situation grasping unit grasps the size of the intersection that the vehicle is scheduled to pass through, The travel control unit changes a criterion for determining whether the lane change in a section including the intersection is permitted, based on the size of the intersection.

7. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: The situation grasping unit recognizes an emergency vehicle (EmV) approaching the host vehicle from behind, The travel control unit permits execution of the lane change in a direction away from an expected route of the emergency vehicle in a section including the intersection when the emergency vehicle is recognized.

8. The automatic driving control device according to claim 7, wherein: The driving control unit performs the lane change in a direction away from the expected route of the emergency vehicle while simultaneously flashing the direction indicator (44) and using the outside reporting device (27) to report the lane change to the outside of the vehicle.

9. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: The situation grasping unit grasps whether a traffic light (TL) is installed at the intersection. At the intersection where the traffic light is not installed, the travel control unit can more easily determine to perform the lane change than at the intersection where the traffic light is installed.

10. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: The situation grasping unit grasps a lighting pattern of a traffic light (TL) installed at the intersection, and when the traffic light is in the lighting pattern indicating a stop, further grasps the presence or absence of a lateral adjacent vehicle (Aa) stopped side by side with the host vehicle. The driving control unit permits the lane change to move ahead of the adjacent vehicle after switching from the lighting mode indicating a stop to the lighting mode permitting travel, if there is no space in the lane of the vehicle ahead of the intersection and there is an adjacent vehicle. It also includes: a device control unit (65) that starts flashing the direction indicator (44) of the vehicle before the traffic light is switched to the lighting mode that allows travel, when the lane change is scheduled to be implemented toward the front of the adjacent vehicle.

11. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: The travel control unit sets a lower speed limit for allowing the lane change in a section including the intersection to be lower than the lower speed limit for allowing the lane change in a section not including the intersection.

12. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: The situation grasping unit grasps behavior prediction information in order to predict future behavior of other vehicles (Ab, Ac) located around the host vehicle in the left and right directions. The travel control unit determines whether to start the lane change in a section including the intersection using the behavior prediction information.

13. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: The travel control unit sets a minimum inter-vehicle distance at which the lane change is permitted in a section including the intersection to be shorter than the minimum inter-vehicle distance at which the lane change is permitted in a section not including the intersection.

14. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: The travel control unit makes a lateral vector generated by the host vehicle during the lane change in a section including the intersection smaller than the lateral vector generated during the lane change in a section not including the intersection.

15. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: The situation grasping unit determines whether a pedestrian (Pd) is present in the waiting area (WA) facing the intersection. The travel control unit makes a lateral vector generated by the host vehicle during the lane change toward a side closer to the pedestrian smaller than the lateral vector generated during the lane change toward a side farther from the pedestrian.

16. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: The situation grasping unit determines whether a pedestrian (Pd) is present in the waiting area (WA) facing the intersection. The travel control unit completes the lane change within the area (IA) of the intersection when the pedestrian is present in the waiting area.

17. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: The situation grasping unit grasps whether a pedestrian crossing (PC) is provided at the intersection. The travel control unit completes the lane change on the front side of the crosswalk when the crosswalk is provided at the intersection.

18. The automatic driving control device according to claim 17, wherein: The situation grasping unit determines whether there is a pedestrian (Pd) who is planning to cross the crosswalk. The travel control unit completes the lane change on the near side of the crosswalk when the pedestrian is present, and then places the host vehicle on standby on the near side.

19. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: The travel control unit sets a completion point (EP) of the lane change in a section including the intersection to a point before the vehicle crosses the intersection.

20. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: The situation grasping unit grasps the planned driving path of the vehicle set for the automatic driving function. The travel control unit restricts the host vehicle from performing the lane change in a direction that deviates from the planned travel path even when there is no space in the host vehicle lane ahead of the intersection.

21. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: After the above-mentioned driving control unit makes the decision to implement the above-mentioned lane change, if the duration of the standby state for the above-mentioned lane change exceeds the upper limit standby time, the above-mentioned upper limit standby time in the above-mentioned lane change in the section including the above-mentioned intersection is set to be shorter than the above-mentioned upper limit standby time in the above-mentioned lane change in the section not including the above-mentioned intersection.

22. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: The situation grasping unit grasps whether a traffic light (TL) is installed at the intersection. After the above-mentioned driving control unit makes the decision to implement the above-mentioned lane change, if the duration of the above-mentioned lane change standby state exceeds the upper limit standby time, the above-mentioned standby state is set to timeout. At the above-mentioned intersection where the above-mentioned traffic light is not installed, the above-mentioned upper limit standby time is set longer than that at the above-mentioned intersection where the above-mentioned traffic light is installed.

23. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: The situation grasping unit determines whether the vehicle has entered the intersection. After the decision to implement the lane change is made, the driving control unit sets the standby state to timeout if the duration of the lane change standby state exceeds the upper limit standby time, and sets the upper limit standby time after entering the intersection to be shorter than the upper limit standby time before entering the intersection.

24. The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 21 to 23, wherein: Also features: A control switching unit (75) performs driving handover to the driver of the vehicle when the duration of the standby state exceeds the upper limit standby time after entering the intersection.

25. The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 21 to 23, wherein: The situation grasping unit grasps the planned driving path of the vehicle set for the automatic driving function. The travel control unit causes the host vehicle to exit the intersection by turning left or right in a direction departing from the planned travel path when the duration of the standby state after entering the intersection exceeds the upper limit standby time.

26. The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 21 to 23, wherein: The travel control unit causes the host vehicle to travel straight toward the space when the space is generated ahead of the intersection after the lane change is performed in the waiting state at the intersection.

27. The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 21 to 23, wherein: When the situation understanding unit determines that there is no space in the lane of the vehicle ahead of the intersection, it estimates whether the traffic congestion ahead of the intersection continues. The driving control unit stops the host vehicle in a tilted posture toward the moving side in the lane change when the lane change in the intersection becomes the standby state and it is estimated that the traffic congestion will continue. The driving control unit stops the host vehicle in a straight-moving posture along the host vehicle lane when the lane change in the intersection becomes the standby state and it is estimated that the traffic congestion will not continue.

28. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: The situation grasping unit grasps another vehicle (Ac) entering the intersection in a direction intersecting the host vehicle, The travel control unit limits execution of the lane change to a section including the intersection when the other vehicles are present on both left and right sides of the intersection.

29. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: When the situation grasping unit grasps another vehicle (Ac) entering the intersection in a direction intersecting the host vehicle, it determines whether the priority of the intersection road on which the other vehicle is traveling is higher than the priority of the host road on which the host vehicle is traveling. The travel control unit limits execution of the lane change to a section including the intersection when the priority of the intersecting road is higher than the priority of the host road.

30. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: The situation grasping unit grasps whether a left-right turn corresponding lane (Lnt) corresponding to the left-right turn at the second intersection is reached before entering the first intersection, when a continuous left-right turn at a first intersection (IS1) and a second intersection (IS2) entered after exiting the first intersection are predetermined. The travel control unit performs the lane change to move to the left or right turn lane in coordination with the left or right turn at the first intersection if the host vehicle has not reached the left or right turn lane before entering the first intersection.

31. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: When the driving control unit performs the lane change in coordination with the left or right turn at the intersection, the driving control unit starts to leave the host vehicle lane in the latter half section (TS2) of the intersection closer to the exit road (ER) than the entrance road (AR).

32. The automatic driving control device according to claim 31, wherein: When the lane change is implemented at the intersection in coordination with the left or right turn across the opposite lane (Lno), the driving control unit sets a standby stop position for waiting for the passage of the opposite vehicle (Ad) in the opposite lane at a position farther away from the exit road than when the lane change is not implemented.

33. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: Also features: A reporting implementation unit (72) reports a shift from the first lane change to the second lane change when the lane change (LC1) in the section not including the intersection and the lane change (LC2) in the section including the intersection are continuously implemented in the driving control unit.

34. The automatic driving control device according to claim 33, wherein: Also features: The device control unit (65) continues the flashing operation of the direction indicator (44) of the vehicle when the first lane change and the second lane change are continuously performed in the driving control unit.

35. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein: Also features: When the lane change is performed in a section including the intersection in a direction away from the lane of the vehicle, the device control unit (65) starts flashing the direction indicator (44) of the vehicle after the vehicle passes the center of the intersection.

36. The automatic driving control device according to claim 35, wherein: Also features: A notification implementation unit (72) notifies the planned implementation of the lane change in a direction of departing from the lane of the vehicle before starting the flashing operation of the direction indicator.

37. An automatic driving control program is an automatic driving control program capable of driving a vehicle (Am) by an automatic driving function, wherein: causing at least one processing unit (51) to execute a process, the process comprising: In the scenario where the host vehicle passes through an intersection, determining whether there is space for the host vehicle in the lane ahead of the host vehicle after crossing the intersection (S11); and If there is no space in the host vehicle lane, it is determined to perform a lane change in a direction away from the host vehicle lane in a section including the intersection ( S18 ).

38. An automatic driving control method is an automatic driving control method capable of driving a vehicle (Am) by an automatic driving function, wherein: The processing performed by at least one processing unit (51) includes: In the scenario where the host vehicle passes through an intersection, a step of determining whether there is space for the host vehicle in the lane ahead of the intersection (S11); and If there is no space in the host vehicle lane, a step of deciding to perform a lane change in a direction away from the host vehicle lane in a section including the intersection (S18).

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