Vehicle control device

Abstract

A control device is provided that can estimate an appropriate stopping position and appropriately control the vehicle based on the stopping position even if the information of the stop line is not included in the map information. The control device (30) includes: a stopping position estimation unit (31) that estimates the stopping position of the vehicle (1) at the intersection when the vehicle (1) is scheduled to cross the oncoming lane at the intersection and move towards the intersection road; and a driving control unit (33) that performs driving control of the vehicle (1). The stopping position estimation unit (31) estimates the starting position of the turning of the vehicle (1) when moving towards the intersection road as the stopping position based on the map information. The driving control unit (33) performs deceleration control of the vehicle (1) based on the stopping position estimated by the stopping position estimation unit (31).

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to a vehicle control device. Background Technology

[0002] In recent years, efforts to promote the use of sustainable transportation systems that also take into account vulnerable road users have become active. As part of this effort, research and development related to driver assistance and autonomous driving technologies in vehicles such as automobiles have been conducted to further improve the safety and convenience of transportation.

[0003] As an example of driving assistance technology, Patent Document 1 discloses the following technology: when a stop line is detected from map information stored in a high-precision road map database, the vehicle is decelerated by a deceleration calculated based on the distance from the vehicle to the stop line.

[0004] Existing technical documents

[0005] Patent documents

[0006] Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2023-013304 Summary of the Invention

[0007] The problem that the invention aims to solve

[0008] In the aforementioned prior art, for example, map information including stop line information, such as a high-precision road map database, is required. However, it is also common for general map information to not include stop line information. Therefore, a technique is desired that can estimate the appropriate stopping position even if stop line information is not included in the map information.

[0009] This invention provides a vehicle control device that can estimate an appropriate stopping position and appropriately control the vehicle based on that stopping position even if the stop line information is not included in the map information. This improves traffic safety and contributes to the development of sustainable transportation systems.

[0010] Methods for solving problems

[0011] One technical solution of the present invention is a vehicle control device that controls a vehicle, wherein,

[0012] The vehicle control device includes:

[0013] A stopping position estimation unit, which estimates the stopping position of the vehicle at the intersection when the vehicle is scheduled to cross the oncoming lane at the intersection and proceed onto the intersecting road; and

[0014] The driving control unit performs driving control of the vehicle.

[0015] The stopping position estimation unit, based on map information, estimates the starting position of the vehicle's turn as the stopping position when it is traveling towards the intersection.

[0016] The driving control unit performs deceleration control on the vehicle based on the stop position estimated by the stop position estimation unit.

[0017] Invention Effects

[0018] According to the present invention, a vehicle control device is provided that can estimate an appropriate stopping position and appropriately control the vehicle based on the stopping position even if the information of the stop line is not included in the map information. Attached Figure Description

[0019] Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle 1 including a control device 30 as one embodiment of the vehicle control device of the present invention.

[0020] Figure 2 This is an explanatory diagram of the stopping position SL and the stopping position box SF when vehicle 1 turns right at intersection IS.

[0021] Figure 3 This is an explanatory diagram showing how to determine the starting position Ps of a turn, which is the stopping position SL.

[0022] Figure 4 This is an explanatory diagram (one of) regarding the correction method for the stop position SL.

[0023] Figure 5 This is an explanatory diagram (part two) regarding the correction method for the stop position SL.

[0024] Figure 6 This is an explanatory diagram (Part Three) regarding the correction method for the stop position SL.

[0025] Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing steps performed by the control device 30.

[0026] Explanation of reference numerals in the attached figures

[0027] 1 vehicle

[0028] 11 External Sensors

[0029] 30. Control device (vehicle control device)

[0030] 31 Stop position estimation section

[0031] 32 Stop position correction unit

[0032] 33. Driving Control Unit

[0033] CL (Center Dividing Line)

[0034] EL extension cable

[0035] IS intersection

[0036] Lk1 driving road link segment

[0037] Lk2 Intersection Road Link Segment

[0038] OL opposite lane

[0039] Pc pedestrian crossing

[0040] Ps Turn start position

[0041] R radius

[0042] R1 driving road

[0043] R2 right-hand intersection (intersection)

[0044] R4 opposite side road

[0045] SF Stop Position Box

[0046] SF' - Shrinkable stop position box

[0047] SL Stop position

[0048] SL' Corrected stop position

[0049] St stop line

[0050] VC arc

[0051] θc is the cross angle. Detailed Implementation

[0052] Hereinafter, one embodiment of the vehicle control device of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. The drawings are viewed from the orientation indicated by the reference numerals. Furthermore, the following embodiments do not limit the present invention, and not all elements described in the following embodiments are necessarily essential elements of the present invention. Additionally, two or more elements described in the following embodiments may be arbitrarily combined without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Furthermore, hereafter, the same or similar elements are sometimes labeled with the same or similar reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted or simplified.

[0053] In addition, in order to make the explanation simple and clear, the directions of front and back (including in front and far), left and right, and up and down are recorded according to the direction observed from the occupant of the vehicle (vehicle 1 described later), i.e., the driver. In the attached drawings, the front of the vehicle is represented as Fr, the rear as Rr, the left as L, and the right as R.

[0054] Furthermore, the following embodiments assume left-hand traffic regions such as Japan, and describe an example where one side in the vehicle width direction of the present invention is considered the left side and the other side in the vehicle width direction is considered the right side, but are not limited to this. For example, when applying the present invention in right-hand traffic regions such as the United States of America and the People's Republic of China, one side in the vehicle width direction of the present invention can also be considered the right side and the other side in the vehicle width direction as the left side. Moreover, in this case, "right turn" can be replaced with "left turn" and "left turn" can be replaced with "right turn" in the following description. Figures 2 to 6 You can also reverse the left and right sides to observe as needed.

[0055] [1. Vehicle]

[0056] Figure 1 This is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle 1 including a control device 30 as one embodiment of the vehicle control device of the present invention. Figure 1 The vehicle 1 shown in this embodiment is an automobile having a drive source (not shown) and wheels (not shown), the wheels including drive wheels driven by the power of the drive source and steering wheels capable of steering. As an example, vehicle 1 may be a four-wheeled automobile having a pair of left and right front wheels and a pair of left and right rear wheels.

[0057] The drive source of vehicle 1 can be an electric motor, an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, or a combination of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. Furthermore, the drive source of vehicle 1 can drive the left and right front wheels, the left and right rear wheels, or all four wheels (left and right front wheels and left and right rear wheels). The front and rear wheels of vehicle 1 can be either steering wheels (either one or both).

[0058] The vehicle 1 is configured to include a sensor group 10, a navigation device 20, a control device 30, an EPS (Electric Power Steering) system 40, a drive force control system 50, a braking force control system 60, a communication unit 70, an operation input unit 80, and an alarm device 90.

[0059] The sensor group 10 is configured to include an external sensor 11 that acquires information related to the surroundings of the vehicle 1 (hereinafter also referred to as "external information") and a vehicle sensor 12 that acquires information related to the vehicle 1. The information acquired by each sensor included in the sensor group 10 (in other words, the detection values) is output to the control device 30 for the control device 30 to control the vehicle 1.

[0060] External sensors 11 may include, for example, a camera 111, a sonar 112, and a radar 113. The camera 111 is an imaging device used to capture images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1, including the area in front of the vehicle 1, and outputs the image data of the obtained surrounding images to the control device 30. As the camera 111, a digital camera utilizing imaging elements such as CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) can be used, for example.

[0061] Sonar 112 emits sound waves toward the periphery of vehicle 1 (e.g., in front, behind, and to the sides of vehicle 1) and receives reflected sound waves from objects present in the periphery of vehicle 1, thereby detecting the distance and orientation of the objects. Radar 113 emits radio waves toward the periphery of vehicle 1, including the front of vehicle 1, and receives reflected waves from objects present in the periphery of vehicle 1, thereby detecting the distance and orientation of the objects. For example, millimeter-wave radar can be used as radar 113.

[0062] Furthermore, the external sensor 11 may be configured to include LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) instead of sonar 112 and radar 113, or it may include LiDAR in addition to sonar 112 and radar 113. In this case, the LiDAR emits laser light into the periphery of the vehicle 1, including the area in front of the vehicle 1, and receives reflected light from objects present in the periphery of the vehicle 1, thereby detecting the distance and orientation of the objects.

[0063] The vehicle sensor 12 may be configured to include, for example, a wheel sensor 121, a vehicle speed sensor 122, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 123, an occupant camera 124, an operation detection unit 125, and a steering device touch sensor 126.

[0064] Wheel sensor 121 detects the rotation angle of one or more wheels of vehicle 1. For example, wheel sensor 121 detects the rotation angle of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel respectively. As wheel sensor 121, for example, an angle sensor, a displacement sensor, etc. can be used.

[0065] Vehicle speed sensor 122 detects the vehicle speed VP (in other words, the vehicle body's moving speed). For example, vehicle speed sensor 122 detects vehicle speed VP based on the rotational speed of a secondary shaft (not shown) provided by vehicle 1.

[0066] The inertial measurement unit 123 detects the angular velocities of the vehicle 1 in the pitch, roll, and yaw directions, as well as the accelerations of the vehicle 1 in the longitudinal, lateral, and vertical directions. Alternatively, the vehicle sensor 12 may be configured as an accelerometer sensor that detects the acceleration of the vehicle 1 in a specified direction, or a gyroscope sensor that detects the angular velocity of the vehicle 1 in a specified direction, in place of the inertial measurement unit 123.

[0067] The occupant camera 124 is a digital camera used to capture images of the interior of vehicle 1 and outputs the obtained image data of the interior to the control device 30. For example, the occupant camera 124 can be configured as a so-called "driver monitoring camera," which can capture the head (in other words, capture the face) of the occupant (hereinafter also referred to as "driver") sitting in the driver's seat of vehicle 1 from the front. Similar to camera 111, the occupant camera 124 can be a digital camera utilizing imaging elements such as CCD or CMOS.

[0068] The operation detection unit 125 detects operations performed using the operation input unit 80, which is configured in a manner operable by the driver. In this embodiment, the operation input unit 80 may include, for example, an operation button for accepting operations that switch between enabling (in other words, operating) and disabling (in other words, not operating) prescribed driving assistance controls, such as steering control performed by the driving control unit 33 (described later). In this case, the operation detection unit 125 is able to detect operations that enable / disable the prescribed driving assistance controls.

[0069] The steering system touch sensor 126 detects whether the steering system 46 of the vehicle 1 is properly gripped. For example, the steering system touch sensor 126 is implemented by an electrostatic capacitance sensor or the like. In this case, the electrostatic capacitance sensor is located at the part that the driver touches when the steering system 46 is properly gripped.

[0070] The navigation device 20 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 21, a touch panel 22, and a speaker 23. Additionally, the navigation device 20 has a storage unit (not shown) composed of flash memory or the like. The storage unit of the navigation device 20 stores a map information database (hereinafter also referred to as "map information DB") 24, for example, map information.

[0071] The DB24 map information is structured to include road network information. Road network information represents each road through a combination of nodes and links (also called "passes") connecting these nodes. Each node in the road network information represents a feature point on the road, such as an intersection, a corner, or a destination. Each node in the road network information is configured with information such as the location corresponding to that node (e.g., latitude, longitude, or other coordinates that determine a point on the map). Furthermore, each link in the road network information is configured with information such as the nodes at both ends of the link, the road corresponding to that link, the link length, the number of lanes, the direction of travel, and the road type.

[0072] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the map information DB24 can be set to, for example, general map information, namely, an SD map (Standard Definition Map). An SD map is map information with less information compared to high-definition map information, also known as an "HD map" (High-Definition Map). In such an SD map, for example, information about the stop line St (described later) may not be included (e.g., information indicating the location of the stop line St). Moreover, SD maps and HD maps are well known, therefore detailed descriptions are omitted here.

[0073] The GNSS receiver 21 determines the current position of vehicle 1 (e.g., the latitude and longitude of the location of vehicle 1) based on signals received from GNSS satellites. The navigation device 20 may also obtain the detection results of vehicle sensors 12 (e.g., wheel sensors 121, vehicle speed sensors 122) via the control device 30, and determine or supplement the current position of vehicle 1 by using the INS (Inertial Navigation System) that utilizes the detection values ​​of vehicle sensors 12.

[0074] The touch panel 22 is configured, for example, by combining a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) with a pointing device (e.g., a touchpad). The speaker 23 is configured to output sound to the occupants of the vehicle 1 (e.g., the driver).

[0075] For example, navigation device 20 refers to map information database 24 to search for a route from the current location of vehicle 1 to the destination set by the driver using touch panel 22. Then, based on the searched route, navigation device 20 provides route guidance using touch panel 22 and speaker 23. Additionally, navigation device 20 can also cause touch panel 22 to display a specified information according to instructions from control device 30. Furthermore, navigation device 20 can output information indicating the current location of vehicle 1 and specified information (e.g., information indicating operations received via touch panel 22) to control device 30.

[0076] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control device 30 is configured to reference the map information DB24 (i.e., map information) of the navigation device 20. However, the present invention is not limited to this; it may also be configured to store map information similar to the map information DB24, including road network information, separately in the control device 30, etc., for the control device 30 to refer to. In addition, the control device 30 may also appropriately obtain map information from the external device 2 via the communication unit 70, etc., described later.

[0077] The control device 30 may be, for example, a computer that controls the entire vehicle 1, and includes a processor for performing various calculations, a storage unit with a non-temporary storage medium (e.g., flash memory) for storing various information, and an input / output unit for controlling the input and output of internal and external data of the control device 30, etc. (none of which are shown in the figure). For example, the control device 30 may be implemented by a single ECU (Electronic Control Unit) or by multiple ECUs working together.

[0078] In this embodiment, the control device 30 is configured, for example, to identify the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 1 based on information (e.g., point group information) obtained by performing prescribed sensor fusion processing on some or all of the detection results of the external sensors 11, including the camera 111, sonar 112, and radar 113.

[0079] For example, the control device 30 identifies the position, type, speed, acceleration, etc., of objects existing around the vehicle 1 as the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 1. At this time, the control device 30 identifies the position of an object as its position on an absolute coordinate system with a predetermined representative point, such as the center of the vehicle 1 or the center of the drive shaft, as the origin. Furthermore, on the aforementioned absolute coordinate system, the position of an object can be represented using representative points such as the object's center of gravity or corners, or it can be represented as a region.

[0080] As objects that can be recognized by the control device 30, the following can be listed: lane markings, curbs, medians, and other road markings; guardrails, shoulders, and other road structures; road markings; road signs; stop lines; pedestrian crossings, etc. In addition, the control device 30 can also recognize other road events such as traffic lights, intersections, merging points, overpasses, toll booths on toll roads, and other traffic participants such as vehicles and pedestrians. Furthermore, specific control examples performed by the control device 30 will be described later, so the explanation is omitted here.

[0081] The EPS system 40 is configured, for example, to include a steering angle sensor 41, a torque sensor 42, an EPS motor 43, a rotary transformer 44, and an EPS ECU 45.

[0082] Steering angle sensor 41 detects the steering angle θst of steering device 46 and outputs information indicating the detected steering angle θst to EPS ECU 45. Torque sensor 42 detects the torque applied to steering device 46 of vehicle 1, i.e., steering torque TQ, and outputs information indicating the detected steering torque TQ to EPS ECU 45.

[0083] The EPS motor 43 assists the driver in operating the steering device 46 by applying driving or reaction force to the steering column 47 connected to the steering device 46 according to instructions from the EPS ECU 45. The rotary transformer 44 detects the rotation angle θm of the EPS motor 43 and outputs information representing the detected rotation angle θm to the EPS ECU 45.

[0084] The EPS ECU 45 is, for example, a computer that controls the EPS system 40 (e.g., the EPS motor 43). It includes a processor for performing various calculations, a storage unit with a non-temporary storage medium for storing various information, and an input / output unit for controlling the input and output of internal and external data of the EPS ECU 45 (all not shown). It is implemented by one or more ECUs. For example, the EPS ECU 45 controls the EPS system 40 (e.g., the EPS motor 43) based on the steering angle θst detected by the steering angle sensor 41, the steering torque TQ detected by the torque sensor 42, and the rotation angle θm detected by the rotary transformer 44. The EPS ECU 45 can also control the EPS system 40 according to instructions from the control device 30.

[0085] The EPS system 40 (e.g., EPS ECU 45) can also output information representing the steering angle θst detected by the steering angle sensor 41, the steering torque TQ detected by the torque sensor 42, and the rotation angle θm detected by the rotary transformer 44 to the control device 30. Furthermore, the EPS system 40 (e.g., EPS ECU 45) can also output information representing the steering speed ω of the steering device 46 to the control device 30. In this case, the steering speed ω is obtained, for example, by time differentiation of the steering angle θst.

[0086] The drive force control system 50 includes a drive ECU 51 and is configured to control the drive force of the vehicle 1. The drive ECU 51 is, for example, a computer that controls the drive force control system 50, and includes a processor for performing various calculations, a storage unit with a non-temporary storage medium for storing various information, and an input / output unit for controlling the input and output of internal and external data of the drive ECU 51 (all not shown), and is implemented by one or more ECUs. For example, the drive ECU 51 controls the power output from the drive source of the vehicle 1 based on the operation of the accelerator pedal 52 provided on the vehicle 1. Furthermore, the drive ECU 51 can also control the drive force control system 50 (e.g., the drive source) according to instructions from the control device 30.

[0087] The braking force control system 60 includes a braking ECU 61 and is configured to control the braking force of the vehicle 1. The braking ECU 61 is, for example, a computer that controls the braking force control system 60, and includes a processor for performing various calculations, a storage unit with a non-temporary storage medium for storing various information, and an input / output unit for controlling the input and output of internal and external data of the braking ECU 61 (all not shown), implemented by one or more ECUs. For example, the braking ECU 61 controls the braking device (not shown) provided by the vehicle 1 based on the operation of the brake pedal 62 provided on the vehicle 1, thereby controlling the braking force of the vehicle 1. Here, the braking device is configured, for example, to include a brake caliper, a hydraulic cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, and an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the hydraulic cylinder. Furthermore, the braking ECU 61 controls the electric motor of the braking device to generate braking force corresponding to the operation of the brake pedal 62. In addition, the braking ECU 61 can also control the braking force control system 60 (e.g., the braking device) according to instructions from the control device 30.

[0088] The communication unit 70 is a communication interface used to communicate with the external device 2 under the control of the control device 30. That is, the control device 30 can communicate with the external device 2 via the communication unit 70. Examples of the external device 2 include, for instance, a driver's terminal device (e.g., a smartphone) or a server device managed by the manufacturer of the vehicle 1. Furthermore, communication between the vehicle 1 and the external device 2 can utilize mobile communication networks such as cellular lines, Wi-Fi, or Bluetooth.

[0089] The alarm device 90 is a device that issues an alarm to the driver under the control of the control device 30. The alarm device 90 is configured, for example, to include a MID (Multi-Information Display) 91 and a buzzer 92.

[0090] The MID91 is composed of a display device such as an LCD or OLED, and is installed in a location that the driver can visually confirm (e.g., in the instrument panel of vehicle 1). For example, the MID91 displays a prescribed warning image according to the instructions from the control device 30. In addition, the MID91 can also be shared with the aforementioned touch panel 22. That is, "MID91" in the following description can also be referred to as "touch panel 22".

[0091] The buzzer 92 is configured to output a predetermined alarm sound. For example, the buzzer 92 outputs a predetermined alarm sound according to the instruction from the control device 30. Furthermore, the buzzer 92 can also be shared with the aforementioned speaker 23. That is, "buzzer 92" in the following description can also be referred to as "speaker 23".

[0092] [2. Control device]

[0093] Next, the control device 30 will be described in more detail. For example... Figure 1 As shown, the control device 30 includes, for example, a stop position estimation unit 31, a stop position correction unit 32, and a driving control unit 33. These functional units are implemented by the processor of the control device 30 executing programs stored in the storage unit.

[0094] (An example of a hypothetical situation)

[0095] To make the following explanation simple and clear, firstly, an example of a situation envisioned in this embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, for example, it is envisioned that vehicle 1 is in... Figure 2 and Figures 4 to 6 The intersection shown is a right turn (IS).

[0096] like Figure 2As shown, an intersection IS is, for example, a four-way intersection formed by connecting a driving road R1, a right-hand crossing road R2, a left-hand crossing road R3, and an opposite-side road R4.

[0097] The travel road R1 is the road where vehicle 1 is currently traveling. It is a two-lane road with a first lane L11, which is the lane where vehicle 1 is currently traveling (i.e., its current lane), and a second lane L12, whose direction of travel is opposite to that of the first lane L11. More specifically, the first lane L11 of the travel road R1 travels in the opposite direction to the first lane L11. Figure 2 and Figures 4 to 6 The direction from below to above. The second lane of road R1, L12, is in the direction of travel from... Figure 2 and Figures 4 to 6 The direction from top to bottom is indicated. On driving lane R1, the first lane L11 and the second lane L12 are separated by the center dividing line CL.

[0098] Right-hand intersection R2 is a road located to the right of driving road R1. It is a two-lane road with a first lane L21 and a second lane L22 traveling in the opposite direction to the first lane L21. More specifically, the first lane L21 of right-hand intersection R2 travels from... Figure 2 and Figures 4 to 6 The direction from left to right in the middle. The second lane of the right-hand intersection R2, L22, is traveling from... Figure 2 and Figures 4 to 6 The direction from right to left in the middle. On the right-hand intersection R2, the first lane L21 and the second lane L22 are separated by the center dividing line CL.

[0099] Left-hand intersection R3 is a road located on the opposite side of right-hand intersection R2 (i.e., to the left of travel road R1), separated by intersection IS. It is a two-lane road with a first lane L31 and a second lane L32 traveling in the opposite direction to lane L31. More specifically, the first lane L31 of left-hand intersection R3 travels in the opposite direction to lane L31. Figure 2 and Figures 4 to 6 The direction from right to left in the middle. The direction of travel for L32, the second lane of the intersecting road R3 on the left, is... Figure 2 and Figures 4 to 6 The direction from left to right. On the left-hand intersection R3, the first lane L31 and the second lane L32 are separated by the center dividing line CL.

[0100] The opposite road R4 is located on the opposite side of the intersection IS, opposite to the travel road R1. It is a two-lane road with a first lane L41 and a second lane L42 traveling in the opposite direction to the first lane L41. More specifically, the first lane L41 of the opposite road R4 travels in the opposite direction from... Figure 2and Figures 4 to 6 The direction from below to above. On the opposite side of road, the second lane of R4, L42, is traveling from... Figure 2 and Figures 4 to 6 The direction from top to bottom. On the opposite side of road R4, the first lane L41 and the second lane L42 are separated by the center dividing line CL.

[0101] In addition, Figure 2 In the example shown, pedestrian crossings Pc and stop lines St are provided before the intersection IS on the driving road R1, the right-hand intersection R2, and the left-hand intersection R3, respectively. Additionally, a stop line St is also provided before the intersection IS on the opposite road R4.

[0102] exist Figure 2 In the example shown, vehicle 1 is traveling in the first lane L11 of road R1 towards intersection IS. When turning right at intersection IS, vehicle 1 crosses the oncoming lane OL and proceeds into the first lane L21 of the intersecting road R2 on the right. Here, the oncoming lane OL is the lane for other vehicles traveling in the opposite direction to vehicle 1 (hereinafter also referred to as "oncoming vehicles"), such as the second lane L12 of road R1 or the second lane L42 of the opposite road R4, etc.

[0103] Figure 2 The situation shown is that vehicle 1 is traveling from intersection IS to a position quite far ahead and cannot detect the pedestrian crossing Pc and stop line St set in front of intersection IS on the driving road R1 by the external sensor 11. In other words, the control device 30 cannot recognize the situation of the pedestrian crossing Pc and stop line St set in front of intersection IS on the driving road R1.

[0104] on the other hand, Figure 4 The situation shown is that vehicle 1 is traveling quite close to intersection IS, and the stop line St set before intersection IS on the travel road R1 can be detected by external sensor 11 (in other words, the control device 30 can recognize the stop line St). Furthermore, Figure 5 and Figure 6 The situation shown is that vehicle 1 crosses the stop line St of the driving road R1 and enters the intersection IS, and is about to turn right at the intersection IS (that is, about to travel to the right-hand intersection R2).

[0105] (Stop position estimation section)

[0106] When the vehicle 1 is scheduled to cross the oncoming lane OL and proceed to the right-hand intersection R2, the stop position estimation unit 31 in the control device 30 estimates the stop position SL of the vehicle 1 at the intersection IS. The stop position estimation unit 31 can determine whether the vehicle 1 is scheduled to proceed to the right-hand intersection R2, for example, based on route guidance provided by the navigation device 20 or the illumination status of a direction indicator (not shown) provided by the vehicle 1. Furthermore, if the vehicle 1 is an autonomous driving vehicle, the stop position estimation unit 31 can also determine whether the vehicle 1 is scheduled to proceed to the right-hand intersection R2 based on a travel plan generated according to the route to the vehicle 1's destination.

[0107] For example, such as Figure 2 As shown, if the pedestrian crossing Pc and stop line St set in front of the intersection IS on the driving road R1 cannot be detected by the external sensor 11, the stop position estimation unit 31 estimates the turning start position Ps of the vehicle 1 when it is traveling to the right-hand intersection R2 as the stop position SL based on the map information DB24 (e.g., SD map).

[0108] Here, use Figure 3 Here is an example of a method for deriving the starting position Ps of the turn from the stopping position estimation unit 31.

[0109] Figure 3 The node Nd1 shown is the node in map information DB24 (specifically road network information) that corresponds to intersection IS (i.e., the intersection where vehicle 1 is scheduled to turn right), for example, the node representing the center location of intersection IS.

[0110] The driving road link segment Lk1 is a link segment corresponding to the driving road R1 that vehicle 1 is traveling on, and one end of it is connected to the aforementioned node Nd1. In addition, the other end of the driving road link segment Lk1 is connected to the node Nd2 corresponding to the location in the driving road R1 that is closer to the intersection IS.

[0111] The intersection link segment Lk2 is a link segment corresponding to the right-hand intersection R2 on which vehicle 1 is scheduled to travel, and one end of it is connected to the aforementioned node Nd1. Furthermore, the other end of the intersection link segment Lk2 is connected to node Nd3, which is located on the right-hand intersection R2 at a point preceding the intersection IS.

[0112] When deriving the starting position Ps of the turn, the stopping position estimation unit 31 first derives the intersection angle θc between the driving road link segment Lk1 and the intersecting road link segment Lk2 based on the driving road link segment Lk1 and the intersecting road link segment Lk2. The intersection angle θc can be geometrically determined based on the driving road link segment Lk1 (in other words, the line segment passing through nodes Nd1 and Nd2) and the intersecting road link segment Lk2 (in other words, the line segment passing through nodes Nd1 and Nd3).

[0113] Next, based on the aforementioned intersection angle θc, the stopping position estimation unit 31 derives the radius R (in units such as [m]) of the imaginary circular arc VC that is tangent to both the driving road link segment Lk1 and the intersecting road link segment Lk2.

[0114] like Figure 3 As shown, the radius R of the arc VC is obtained, for example, by solving the formula R = αsin(θc / 2) / (1 - sin(θc / 2)). Here, α is a fixed constant, for example, it can be set to 4 [m]. However, α is not limited to this and can be arbitrarily determined by the manufacturer of vehicle 1, etc. In addition, the stopping position estimation unit 31 may use a value that varies depending on the size of the intersection itself, the size of the intersection angle θc, etc., as α.

[0115] Then, as Figure 3 As shown, the stop position estimation unit 31 sets the position corresponding to the point of tangency between the arc VC and the driving road link segment Lk1 and the intersecting road link segment Lk2 as the turning start position Ps, and estimates this turning start position Ps as the stop position SL.

[0116] More specifically, Figure 3 The center O shown is the center of the circular arc VC when it is tangent to both the driving road link segment Lk1 and the intersecting road link segment Lk2. The turning start position Ps mentioned above is the position corresponding to the point of tangency between the circular arc VC and the driving road link segment Lk1, and therefore can also be called the position corresponding to the intersection of the perpendicular line from the center O to the driving road link segment Lk1 and the driving road link segment Lk1.

[0117] As described above, the stop position estimation unit 31 estimates the starting position Ps of the turn when vehicle 1 crosses the oncoming lane OL and moves to the right-hand intersection R2 as the stop position SL based on map information DB24 (e.g., SD map). Therefore, when vehicle 1 makes a right turn across the oncoming lane OL, even if the stop line St information is not included in map information DB24, the position where vehicle 1 is assumed to begin moving towards the oncoming lane OL can be estimated as the stop position SL. Thus, a suitable position that takes into account oncoming vehicles traveling in the oncoming lane OL while also meeting the needs of the occupants of vehicle 1 (i.e., the user) can be set as the stop position SL.

[0118] In addition, the stopping position estimation unit 31 estimates the turning start position Ps based on the driving road link segment Lk1 and the intersecting road link segment Lk2, and estimates the turning start position Ps as the stopping position SL. Therefore, it is possible to estimate the stopping position SL using the link segment information contained in general map information.

[0119] (Stop position correction section)

[0120] The stop position correction unit 32 in the control device 30 corrects the stop position SL estimated by the stop position estimation unit 31 based on the detection results of the external sensor 11 installed on the vehicle 1.

[0121] Specifically, such as Figure 2 As shown, when the stop position SL is estimated by the stop position estimation unit 31, the stop position correction unit 32 sets a predetermined range before and after the stop position SL as the stop position frame SF. Here, the front boundary SFn of the stop position frame SF is, for example, set at a position a predetermined distance d along the travel path R1 from the stop position SL. Additionally, the far boundary SFf of the stop position frame SF is, for example, set at a position a predetermined distance d along the travel path R1 from the stop position SL. That is, the stop position SL becomes the center position in the front-rear direction of the stop position frame SF.

[0122] The aforementioned distance d is preferably set to a value that includes the pedestrian crossing Pc and stop line St at the intersection IS of the driving road R1, taking into account errors in the map information DB24 (e.g., SD map), within the stop position frame SF. For example, it can be set to 10 [m]. However, it is not limited to this, and the distance d can be arbitrarily determined by the manufacturer of vehicle 1, etc.

[0123] Furthermore, when the stop position correction unit 32 detects a stop line St or a pedestrian crossing Pc located in front of the intersection IS on the road R1 by the external sensor 11, it corrects the stop position SL to a position further away from the position before the stop line St or pedestrian crossing Pc was detected.

[0124] Specifically, such as Figure 2 As shown, when the pedestrian crossing Pc and stop line St set in front of the intersection IS on the driving road R1 cannot be detected by the external sensor 11, a stop position box SF containing the positions of these pedestrian crossings Pc and stop line St is set.

[0125] With the stop position box SF set as described, such as Figure 4 As shown, when the stop line St, which is set before the intersection IS of the driving road R1, is detected by the external sensor 11, the stop position correction unit 32 corrects the stop position by causing the stop line to be set before the intersection IS of the driving road R1. Figure 2 The stop position box SF shown is moved to the far side by the front boundary SFn to shrink the stop position box SF, and the stop position SL is corrected so that the center position of the shrunken stop position box SF' in the front-back direction becomes the corrected stop position SL' (in other words, the new stop position SL).

[0126] For example, if the stop line St is detected by the external sensor 11 as described above, the stop position correction unit 32 corrects the stop position SL to a position further away from the detected stop line St. Specifically, in this case, as... Figure 4 As shown, the stop position correction unit 32 moves the front boundary SFn of the stop position frame SF to the distal side so that the front boundary SFn is aligned with the distal end of the detected stop line St, thereby reducing the size of the stop position frame SF.

[0127] The center position of the reduced stop position box SF' in the front-back direction becomes a position further away from the center position of the original stop position box SF in the front-back direction. Therefore, as Figure 4 As shown, the corrected stop position SL' becomes a position further away from the original stop position SL. Therefore, when the stop line St, which is set in front of the intersection IS of the driving road R1, is detected by the external sensor 11, the stop position correction unit 32 can correct the stop position SL to a position further away from the position before the stop line St was detected.

[0128] Here, an example of detecting the stop line St is given, but it is not limited to this. For example, if instead of the stop line St, the external sensor 11 detects a pedestrian crossing Pc located in front of the intersection IS of the driving road R1, the stop position correction unit 32 also reduces the stop position frame SF by moving the front boundary SFn of the stop position frame SF to the far side, and corrects the stop position SL so that the center position of the reduced stop position frame SF' in the front-rear direction becomes the corrected stop position SL'.

[0129] Additionally, the stop line St is typically set to be closer to the front of the pedestrian crossing Pc. Therefore, the stop position correction unit 32 may, for example, move the front boundary SFn of the stop position frame SF to the far side (i.e., shrink the stop position frame SF) when the stop line St is detected, and then move the front boundary SFn of the stop position frame SF further to the far side when the pedestrian crossing Pc is detected.

[0130] As described above, when the stop position correction unit 32 detects a stop line St or a pedestrian crossing Pc located before the intersection IS by the external sensor 11, it corrects the stop position SL to a position farther away than before the stop line St or pedestrian crossing Pc was detected. For example, when the stop line St is detected by the external sensor 11, the stop position correction unit 32 corrects the stop position SL to a position farther away from the stop line St. As a result, the stop position SL (the corrected stop position SL') can be made closer to a position suitable for vehicle 1 to wait for a right turn (or a left turn in a right-hand traffic area).

[0131] Furthermore, when the stop position SL is estimated by the stop position estimation unit 31, the stop position correction unit 32 sets a predetermined range before and after the stop position SL as the stop position frame SF. Moreover, when the stop line St or pedestrian crossing Pc is detected by the external sensor 11, and the position of the stop line St or pedestrian crossing Pc is included within the stop position frame SF, the stop position correction unit 32 reduces the stop position frame SF by moving its front boundary SFn to the distal side, and corrects the stop position SL so that the center position in the front-rear direction of the reduced stop position frame SF' becomes the corrected stop position SL'. Thus, the stop position frame SF can be appropriately reduced, and an appropriate position can be set as the corrected stop position SL' based on the reduced stop position frame SF'.

[0132] On the other hand, it is also possible that the detected stop line St or pedestrian crossing Pc is not included within the stop position frame SF. If the external sensor 11 detects a stop line St or pedestrian crossing Pc located outside the stop position frame SF, this stop line St or pedestrian crossing Pc is positioned away from the intersection IS where the vehicle 1 is scheduled to turn right, and is therefore unsuitable for correcting the stop position SL. Alternatively, if the external sensor 11 detects a stop line St or pedestrian crossing Pc located outside the stop position frame SF, this could also be a case of "false detection," where "the external sensor 11 falsely detects the stop line St and pedestrian crossing Pc even though they do not actually exist." In this case, the falsely detected stop line St or pedestrian crossing Pc is also unsuitable for correcting the stop position SL.

[0133] Therefore, the stop position correction unit 32 preferably does not correct the stop position ST based on the stop line St or pedestrian crossing Pc when the stop line St or pedestrian crossing Pc is detected by the external sensor 11 and the position of the stop line St or pedestrian crossing Pc is not included in the stop position frame SF. That is, the stop position correction unit 32 may also maintain the stop position frame SF as it was before the detection of the stop line St or pedestrian crossing Pc when the stop line St or pedestrian crossing Pc is detected by the external sensor 11 and the position of the stop line St or pedestrian crossing Pc is not included in the stop position frame SF. In this way, unnecessary corrections to the stop position SL can be suppressed, the processing burden of the control device 30 can be reduced, and the stop position SL can be prevented from shifting from the appropriate position due to unnecessary corrections.

[0134] In addition, such as Figure 5 As shown, when vehicle 1 crosses the stop line St of the travel road R1 and enters the intersection IS, and is about to turn right at the intersection IS, the stop position correction unit 32 can, for example, correct the stop position SL based on an imaginary extension line EL obtained by extending from the end of the center dividing line CL of the travel road R1 at the intersection IS side towards the intersection IS side. Here, as Figure 5 As shown, the extension line EL can be, for example, a line segment passing through the end of the intersection IS side of the central dividing line CL of the driving road R1 and the end of the intersection IS side of the central dividing line CL of the opposite road R4.

[0135] In this case, the stop position correction unit 32 may, for example, set the position as the corrected stop position SL' (in other words, the new stop position SL) at a position that is farther from the stop line St of the travel road R1 and to the left of the extension line EL, i.e., within the intersection IS and where the vehicle 1 does not overtake the oncoming lane OL. Alternatively, the stop position correction unit 32 may, for example, set the position as the corrected stop position SL' at a position that is on the travel track Ob described later and to the left of the extension line EL to prevent the vehicle 1 from overtaking the oncoming lane OL.

[0136] Thus, when vehicle 1 is about to turn right at intersection IS, the stop position correction unit 32 corrects the stop position SL based on the extension line EL, thereby setting the stop position SL to a position suitable for vehicle 1 waiting to turn right.

[0137] In addition, such as Figure 6 As shown, the case where the opposite road R4 is offset to the left or right relative to the driving road R1, i.e., the intersection IS is a so-called "offset intersection", is also considered. In order to also be able to deal with such offset intersections, the stop position correction unit 32 can also correct the stop position SL based on an imaginary extension line EL' that extends from the driving road R1 through the intersection IS and toward the opposite road R4.

[0138] Here, the extension line EL' is similar to the extension line EL described above, for example, it can be set as a line segment passing through the end of the intersection IS side of the center dividing line CL of the travel road R1 and the end of the intersection IS side of the center dividing line CL of the opposite road R4. Thus, as Figure 6 As shown, when the intersection IS is an offset intersection, the extension line EL' can be inclined at a specified angle relative to the extension line CL' of the center dividing line CL of the travel road R1. In other words, the extension line EL' can also be an imaginary line inclined at an angle corresponding to the positional relationship between the travel road R1 and the opposite road R4, relative to the extension line CL' of the center dividing line CL of the travel road R1.

[0139] In this way, the stop position SL is corrected based on the imaginary extension line EL' that extends from the driving road R1 through the intersection IS and toward the opposite road R4. Thus, even if the opposite road R4 is not located directly opposite the driving road R1 across the intersection IS, the corrected stop position SL' can be set at an appropriate position that takes into account oncoming vehicles traveling in the opposite lane OL.

[0140] (Traffic Control Unit 33)

[0141] The driving control unit 33 in the control device 30 performs deceleration control on the vehicle 1 based on the stop position SL (including the corrected stop position SL') estimated by the stop position estimation unit 31. More specifically, the driving control unit 33 slowly decelerates the vehicle 1 from a position closer to the stop position SL, so as not to produce "sudden deceleration" accompanied by a deceleration acceleration greater than a specified value.

[0142] Additionally, if vehicle 1 is an autonomous driving vehicle, the driving control unit 33 can also generate a driving trajectory Ob from the stop position SL across the oncoming lane OL toward the right-hand intersection R2 (see reference). Figure 2 and Figures 4 to 6 It controls the steering, acceleration, deceleration, etc. of vehicle 1 so that vehicle 1 travels based on the generated travel track Ob.

[0143] [7. An example of a processing step performed by a control device]

[0144] Next, an example of the processing steps performed by the control device 30 will be described. Figure 7 This is a flowchart illustrating an example of the processing steps performed by the control device 30. For example, the control device 30 performs these steps at predetermined intervals when the ignition power to the vehicle 1 is turned on. Figure 7 The series of processes shown.

[0145] like Figure 7 As shown, firstly, the control device 30 determines whether the vehicle 1 intends to turn right at the intersection IS ahead of the direction of travel (step S1). When it is determined that the vehicle 1 intends to turn right at the intersection IS ahead of the direction of travel (step S1: yes), the control device 30 estimates the start position of the turn Ps (step S2). Then, the control device 30 sets the estimated start position of the turn Ps as the stop position SL (step S3), and sets a stop position frame SF within a predetermined range before and after the stop position SL (step S4).

[0146] Next, the control device 30 determines whether a stop line St or a pedestrian crossing Pc set on the driving road R1 is detected (step S5). When it is determined that no stop line St or pedestrian crossing Pc is detected (step S5: no), the control device 30 proceeds to the processing in step S9.

[0147] On the other hand, when it is determined that a stop line St or a pedestrian crossing Pc is detected (step S5: Yes), the control device 30 determines whether the position of the detected stop line St or pedestrian crossing Pc is within the stop position frame SF (step S6). When it is determined that the position of the detected stop line St or pedestrian crossing Pc is outside the stop position frame SF (step S6: No), the control device 30 proceeds to the processing in step S9.

[0148] On the other hand, when it is determined that the detected stop line St or pedestrian crossing Pc is within the stop position frame SF (step S6: Yes), the control device 30 shrinks the stop position frame SF (step S7). Then, the control device 30 corrects the stop position SL based on the shrunken stop position frame SF' and sets the corrected stop position SL' (step S8).

[0149] Next, the control device 30 determines whether vehicle 1 has entered the intersection IS and is about to turn right (step S9). If it is determined that vehicle 1 is not about to turn right (step S9: no), the control device 30 proceeds to step S11.

[0150] When it is determined that a right turn is imminent (step S9: Yes), the control device 30 corrects the stop position SL based on the extension line EL starting from the end of the center dividing line CL of the driving road R1, and sets the corrected stop position SL' (step S10). Then, the control device 30 performs deceleration control based on the stop position SL (including the corrected stop position SL') (step S11), and ends the process. Figure 7 The series of processes shown.

[0151] As explained above, the control device 30, based on map information DB24, estimates the starting position Ps of the turn when vehicle 1 crosses the oncoming lane OL and proceeds to the right-hand intersection R2 as the stopping position SL. Therefore, when vehicle 1 makes a right turn across the oncoming lane OL (or a left turn in areas where right-hand traffic is permitted), even if the stop line St information is not included in map information DB24, the position where vehicle 1 is assumed to begin moving towards the oncoming lane OL can be estimated as the stopping position SL. Thus, a suitable stopping position SL can be set that takes into account oncoming vehicles traveling in the oncoming lane OL while also satisfying the senses of the occupants (i.e., the user) of vehicle 1, and deceleration control of vehicle 1 can be performed based on this suitable stopping position SL.

[0152] Furthermore, according to the control device 30, the stop position SL can be estimated based on the map information DB24, so the vehicle 1 can be decelerated based on the estimated stop position SL before the stop line St is detected by the external sensor 11 installed on the vehicle 1.

[0153] In addition, the control device 30 uses a predetermined range before and after the set stop position SL as the stop position frame SF. When the position of the stop line St or the pedestrian crossing Pc is within the stop position frame SF, the stop position frame SF is reduced to correct the stop position SL, thereby correcting the stop position SL to an appropriate position.

[0154] In addition, when the vehicle 1 is about to turn right, the control device 30 corrects the stop position SL based on the extension line EL starting from the end of the center dividing line CL of the driving road R1, thereby making the stop position SL closer to the position suitable for the vehicle 1 to wait to turn right.

[0155] Furthermore, the control device 30 can decelerate the vehicle 1 before detecting the stop line St by performing deceleration control based on the set stop position SL (including the corrected stop position SL').

[0156] As explained above, according to this embodiment, a control device 30 can be provided that can estimate the appropriate stopping position SL and appropriately control the vehicle 1 based on the stopping position SL even if the information of the stop line St is not included in the map information (e.g., map information DB24). This can improve traffic safety and contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0157] The foregoing has described one embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to the foregoing embodiment. Obviously, those skilled in the art will be able to conceive of various modifications or alterations within the scope of the technical solution described, and it should be understood that these modifications and alterations also fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0158] For example, in the above embodiment, the far side boundary SFf of the stop position frame SF is fixed, and the stop position SL is corrected by moving the front side boundary SFn to the far side to reduce the stop position frame SF, but this is not limited to this. For example, if a stop position frame SF is set that intersects the center line CL of the right-hand intersecting road R2 and the center line CL of the opposite side road R4, the stop position frame SF can also be reduced by moving the far side boundary SFf to the front side.

[0159] Alternatively, if a stop line St or a pedestrian crossing Pc is detected within the stop position box SF, the stop position box SF can be reduced in size. If a stop line St or a pedestrian crossing Pc is detected outside the stop position box SF, the reduction of the stop position box SF can be suppressed as a false detection.

[0160] Additionally, if there are obstacles within the stop position frame SF, the stop position SL may not be limited to the center of the stop position frame SF, but may be adjusted to a position further away from or closer to the center of the stop position frame SF.

[0161] This specification and other materials describe at least the following items. Furthermore, structural elements corresponding to the above embodiments are shown in parentheses, but are not limited thereto.

[0162] (1) A vehicle control device (control device 30) that controls a vehicle (vehicle 1), wherein,

[0163] The vehicle control device includes:

[0164] A stopping position estimation unit (stopping position estimation unit 31) estimates the stopping position (stopping position SL) of the vehicle at the intersection when the vehicle is scheduled to cross the oncoming lane (oncoming lane OL) at the intersection (intersection IS) and proceed towards the intersecting road (right-hand intersecting road R2); and

[0165] The driving control unit (driving control unit 33) performs driving control of the vehicle.

[0166] The stopping position estimation unit, based on map information, estimates the starting position of the vehicle's turn (turning start position Ps) when it is traveling towards the intersection as the stopping position.

[0167] The driving control unit performs deceleration control on the vehicle based on the stop position estimated by the stop position estimation unit.

[0168] According to (1), based on map information, the starting position of a turn when a vehicle crosses the oncoming lane and proceeds towards an intersection is estimated as the stopping position. Therefore, when a vehicle makes a right or left turn across the oncoming lane, even if the stop line information is not included in the map information, the position where the vehicle is assumed to begin moving towards the oncoming lane can be estimated as the stopping position. Thus, an appropriate stopping position that takes into account oncoming vehicles traveling in the opposite lane and also conforms to the user's perception can be set, and vehicle deceleration control can be performed based on this appropriate stopping position. Furthermore, according to (1), since the stopping position can be estimated based on map information, vehicle deceleration control based on the estimated stopping position can be performed before the stop line or similar information is detected by external sensors installed on the vehicle. This improves traffic safety and contributes to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0169] (2) The vehicle control device according to (1), wherein,

[0170] The vehicle control device further includes a stop position correction unit (stop position correction unit 32), which corrects the stop position estimated by the stop position estimation unit based on the detection results of external sensors (external sensor 11) installed on the vehicle.

[0171] When the external sensor detects a stop line (stop line St) or a pedestrian crossing (pedestrian crossing Pc) located in front of the intersection, the stop position correction unit corrects the stop position to a position further away than before the stop line or pedestrian crossing was detected.

[0172] According to (2), when an external sensor detects a stop line or pedestrian crossing set up in front of an intersection, the stopping position is corrected to a position further away than before they were detected, thereby making the stopping position closer to a position suitable for vehicles to wait to turn right or left.

[0173] (3) The vehicle control device according to (2), wherein,

[0174] When the stop line is detected by the external sensor, the stop position correction unit corrects the stop position to a position further away from the stop line.

[0175] According to (3), when a stop line is detected by an external sensor, the stop position is corrected to a position further away from the stop line, thereby making the stop position closer to a position suitable for the vehicle to wait to turn right or left.

[0176] (4) The vehicle control device according to (2), wherein,

[0177] When the stop position is estimated by the stop position estimation unit, the stop position correction unit sets a predetermined range before and after the stop position as a stop position frame (stop position frame SF).

[0178] When the stop line or the pedestrian crossing is detected by the external sensor and the position of the stop line or the pedestrian crossing is contained within the stop position frame, the stop position correction unit shrinks the stop position frame by moving the front boundary of the stop position frame to the far side, and corrects the stop position so that the center position of the shrunken stop position frame (shrunken stop position frame SF') in the front-back direction becomes the corrected stop position (corrected stop position SL').

[0179] According to (4), the stop position box can be appropriately reduced, and the appropriate position can be set as the corrected stop position based on the reduced stop position box.

[0180] (5) The vehicle control device according to (2), wherein,

[0181] When the stop position is estimated by the stop position estimation unit, the stop position correction unit sets a predetermined range before and after the stop position as a stop position frame.

[0182] If the stop line or the pedestrian crossing is detected by the external sensor and the position of the stop line or the pedestrian crossing is not included in the stop position frame, the stop position correction unit does not perform the correction of the stop position based on the stop line or the pedestrian crossing.

[0183] If a stop line or crosswalk located outside the stop position frame is far from the intersection where the vehicle intends to make a right or left turn across the oncoming lane, it may be unsuitable for stop position correction. According to (5), by not making stop position corrections based on such stop lines or crosswalks, unnecessary corrections can be suppressed, reducing the processing burden on the vehicle control unit, and preventing the stop position from shifting from the appropriate position due to unnecessary corrections.

[0184] (6) The vehicle control device according to (1), wherein,

[0185] The map information includes link segments representing the location and direction of extension of each road.

[0186] The stopping position estimation unit derives the intersection angle (intersection angle θc) between the driving road link segment (driving road link segment Lk1) and the intersection road link segment (intersection road link segment Lk2) based on the link segment corresponding to the driving road on which the vehicle is driving and the intersection road link segment (intersection road link segment Lk2).

[0187] The stopping position estimation unit derives the radius (radius R) of an imaginary arc (arc VC) that is tangent to both the driving road link segment and the intersecting road link segment based on the intersection angle.

[0188] The stopping position estimation unit sets the position corresponding to the point of tangency between the arc and the driving road link segment when the arc is tangent to both the driving road link segment and the intersecting road link segment as the turning start position, and estimates this turning start position as the stopping position.

[0189] According to (6), the stopping position can be estimated using information about the link segments contained in general map information that is not so-called "high-precision map information".

[0190] (7) The vehicle control device according to (2), wherein,

[0191] The stop position correction unit corrects the stop position based on an imaginary extension line (extension line EL) extending from the end of the center dividing line (center dividing line CL) on the road (road R1) in which the vehicle is traveling towards the intersection.

[0192] According to (7), by adjusting the stopping position based on the extension line from the center line of the road where the vehicle is traveling, the stopping position can be made closer to a position suitable for the vehicle to wait to turn right or left.

[0193] (8) The vehicle control device according to (7), wherein,

[0194] The extension extends toward the opposite side road (opposite side road R4) that is on the opposite side of the road across the intersection.

[0195] According to (8), even if the opposite side of the road is not located across the intersection from the road, it is possible to make corrections to make it an appropriate stopping position that takes into account oncoming vehicles traveling in the opposite lane.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device for controlling a vehicle, wherein, The vehicle control device includes: A stopping position estimation unit estimates the stopping position of the vehicle at the intersection when the vehicle is scheduled to cross the oncoming lane at the intersection and proceed toward the intersecting road. as well as The driving control unit performs driving control of the vehicle. The stopping position estimation unit, based on map information, estimates the starting position of the vehicle's turn as the stopping position when it is traveling towards the intersection. The driving control unit performs deceleration control on the vehicle based on the stop position estimated by the stop position estimation unit.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, The vehicle control device further includes a stop position correction unit, which corrects the stop position estimated by the stop position estimation unit based on the detection results of external sensors installed on the vehicle. When the external sensor detects a stop line or pedestrian crossing located in front of the intersection, the stop position correction unit corrects the stop position to a position further away from the position before the stop line or pedestrian crossing was detected.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein, When the stop line is detected by the external sensor, the stop position correction unit corrects the stop position to a position further away from the stop line.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein, When the stop position is estimated by the stop position estimation unit, the stop position correction unit sets a predetermined range before and after the stop position as a stop position frame. When the stop line or the pedestrian crossing is detected by the external sensor and the position of the stop line or the pedestrian crossing is included within the stop position frame, the stop position correction unit shrinks the stop position frame by moving the front boundary of the stop position frame to the far side, and corrects the stop position so that the center position of the shrunken stop position frame in the front-back direction becomes the corrected stop position.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein, When the stop position is estimated by the stop position estimation unit, the stop position correction unit sets a predetermined range before and after the stop position as a stop position frame. If the stop line or the pedestrian crossing is detected by the external sensor and the position of the stop line or the pedestrian crossing is not included in the stop position frame, the stop position correction unit does not perform the correction of the stop position based on the stop line or the pedestrian crossing.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, The map information includes link segments representing the location and direction of extension of each road. The stopping position estimation unit derives the intersection angle between the driving road link segment (the driving road link segment) and the intersecting road link segment (the intersecting road link segment) based on the link segment corresponding to the driving road where the vehicle is currently traveling and the link segment corresponding to the intersecting road. The stopping position estimation unit, based on the intersection angle, derives the radius of an imaginary arc tangent to both the driving road link segment and the intersecting road link segment. The stopping position estimation unit sets the position corresponding to the point of tangency between the arc and the driving road link segment when the arc is tangent to both the driving road link segment and the intersecting road link segment as the turning start position, and estimates this turning start position as the stopping position.

7. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein, The stop position correction unit corrects the stop position based on an imaginary extension line extending from the end of the intersection side of the central dividing line of the road on which the vehicle is traveling towards the intersection side.

8. The vehicle control device according to claim 7, wherein, The extension extends toward the opposite side of the road, which is separated from the intersection.

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