VEHICLE LANE CHANGE CONTROL DEVICE AND METHOD

Abstract

Vehicle lane change control device, comprising: a condition information acquisition unit (500) configured to acquire condition information of a vehicle occupant; a lane change rate database unit (400) configured to store a lane change rate determined based on a driver's lane change pattern, which is determined based on driving information of the vehicle when a lane of the vehicle is changed, and road condition information when the lane of the vehicle is changed, is analyzed and indicates a speed of the vehicle's lane change; and a control unit (600) configured to change the lane of the vehicle by steering control according to the vehicle operation information, and based on the occupant condition information acquired by the condition information acquisition unit (500), to control the lane change of the vehicle by selectively using the lane change rate stored in the lane change rate database unit (400), and a corrected lane change rate determined by increasing or decreasing the lane change rate.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

[0001] This application claims priority under 35 USC § 119(a) to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0027567, filed on March 11, 2019, in the Korean Intellectual Property Office, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. BACKGROUND 1. Technical field

[0002] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a vehicle lane change control apparatus and method, and more particularly to a vehicle lane change control apparatus and method for controlling the speed of a lane change of a vehicle. 2. Related technology

[0003] Adaptive cruise control (ACC) refers to a system that controls the driving of a vehicle based on a radar mounted on a front of the vehicle while maintaining a driving speed and a distance from a preceding vehicle preset by a driver. Such an ACC system controls the driving of the vehicle at the speed set by the driver without using an accelerator pedal or a brake pedal. The ACC system also provides a function for automatically stopping the vehicle when the vehicle encounters a preceding vehicle stopped at an intersection and automatically starting the vehicle when the preceding vehicle starts moving. Therefore, there is a trend toward increasing use of the ACC system.

[0004] In a case where the vehicle's driving is automatically controlled by the ACC system, when a lane change is performed by the automatic steering control, the lane change must be performed at a speed desired by the driver. In other words, it is necessary to alleviate the driver's anxiety or frustration caused by the lane change process by controlling the lane change after determining whether the lane change should be performed quickly or relatively slowly, taking into account the driver's characteristics.

[0005] Although lane changing is controlled by the lane changing speed based on the driver's characteristics, it is also necessary to correct the lane changing speed based on the conditions of a passenger traveling in the vehicle with the driver. In other words, there is a need for a system that controls lane changing based on the characteristics and conditions of both the driver and the passenger.

[0006] The related art of the present disclosure is disclosed in Korean Patent Application Laid-Open KR 10 2017 0 086 895 A, published on July 27, 2017. Other vehicle lane change control devices are known from DE 10 2017 208 971 A1, DE 10 2017 208 583 A1, DE 10 2016 119 502 A1, and US 2010 / 0 023 245 A1. DEPICTION

[0007] Various embodiments are directed to providing a vehicle lane change control device and method capable of resolving the anxiety or frustration of a driver caused by a lane change operation and simultaneously improving the safety of a lane change of a vehicle by controlling the lane change such that the lane change occurs at a speed determined in consideration of the characteristics of a driver and the conditions of a passenger when the lane change is performed by automatic steering control in a method in which the driving of the vehicle is controlled by an ACC system.

[0008] In one embodiment, a vehicle lane change control device may include: a condition information acquisition unit configured to acquire condition information of a vehicle occupant; a lane change rate database unit configured to store a lane change rate, which is analyzed based on a driver's lane change pattern, which is based on driving information of the vehicle when a lane of the vehicle is changed, as well as road condition information when the lane of the vehicle is changed, and indicates a speed of the lane change of the vehicle;and a control unit configured to change the lane of the vehicle through steering control according to the vehicle operation information, and, based on the occupant condition information acquired by the condition information acquisition unit, to control the lane change of the vehicle by selectively using the lane change rate stored in the lane change rate database unit and a corrected lane change rate determined by increasing or decreasing the lane change rate.;

[0009] In the present disclosure, the lane change rate may be mapped as an entry steering angle and an entry speed for entering a target lane when the lane of the vehicle is changed and stored in the lane change rate database unit, and when the lane change of the vehicle is controlled by using the lane change rate, the control unit may control the lane change of the vehicle according to the entry steering angle and the entry speed that map the lane change rate.

[0010] In the present disclosure, when controlling the lane change of the vehicle using the corrected lane change rate, the control unit may control the lane change of the vehicle by adjusting the entry steering angle and the entry speed.

[0011] In the present disclosure, when controlling the lane change of the vehicle using a first corrected lane change rate determined by decreasing the lane change rate, the control unit may control the lane change of the vehicle by decreasing the entry steering angle and the entry speed, and when controlling the lane change of the vehicle using a second corrected lane change rate determined by increasing the lane change rate, the control unit may control the lane change of the vehicle by increasing the entry steering angle and the entry speed.

[0012] In the present disclosure, in a case where a passenger other than the driver is not riding in the vehicle, when a driving concentration level of the driver determined based on condition information of the driver acquired by the condition information acquisition unit is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold concentration level, the control unit may control the lane change of the vehicle using the lane change rate.

[0013] In the present disclosure, in a case where the passenger other than the driver is not riding in the vehicle, the control unit may control the lane change of the vehicle using the first corrected lane change rate when the driver's driving concentration level determined based on the driver's condition information acquired by the condition information acquiring unit is lower than the predetermined threshold concentration level.

[0014] In the present disclosure, in a case where the passenger other than the driver rides in the vehicle, the control unit may control the lane change of the vehicle using the lane change rate when a distraction level of the passenger determined based on the condition information of the passenger acquired by the condition information acquiring unit is lower than a predetermined threshold distraction level.

[0015] In the present disclosure, in a case where the passenger who is not the driver of the vehicle rides in the vehicle, the control unit may control the lane change of the vehicle using the first corrected lane change rate when the distraction level of the passenger determined based on the condition information of the passenger acquired by the condition information acquiring unit is equal to or higher than the predetermined threshold distraction level.

[0016] In the present disclosure, when it is determined that an emergency situation has occurred with the passenger based on the condition information of the passenger acquired by the condition information acquisition unit, the control unit may control the lane change of the vehicle using the second corrected lane change rate.

[0017] The present disclosure further includes a warning unit, and when the driving concentration level of the driver of the vehicle is lower than the predetermined threshold concentration level, when the distraction level of the passenger of the vehicle is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold distraction level, or when it is determined that the emergency situation has occurred in the passenger of the vehicle, the control unit may issue a warning through the warning unit.

[0018] In the present disclosure, the lane change control device may be applied to an adaptive cruise control (ACC) system.

[0019] In one embodiment, a vehicle lane change control method may include: receiving, by a control unit, a lane change rate of a driver, which is stored in a lane change rate database unit, wherein the lane change rate database unit stores the lane change rate determined based on a lane change pattern of the driver, which is analyzed based on driving information of a vehicle when a lane of the vehicle is changed and road condition information when the lane of the vehicle is changed, and indicates a speed of the lane change of the vehicle; acquiring, by the control unit, condition information of an occupant of the vehicle;and changing, by the control unit, the lane of the vehicle through steering control according to vehicle operation information, and based on the acquired occupant condition information, controlling the lane change of the vehicle by selectively using the lane change rate received from the lane change rate database unit and a corrected lane change rate determined by increasing or decreasing the lane change rate;

[0020] According to one aspect of the present disclosure, a lane change control method by selectively using the lane change rate determined based on the driver's lane change pattern and road condition information as a database and the corrected lane change rate obtained by correcting the lane change rate according to the passenger's conditions makes it possible to resolve the anxiety or frustration of a driver caused by the lane change operation to improve the safety of the lane change. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Fig. 1 is a block diagram for explaining a vehicle lane change control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 2 is a block diagram for explaining a process in which a lane change rate is stored in a lane change rate database unit and stored in a database in the vehicle lane change control apparatus according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration that can be added to prevent a collision with a preceding vehicle in the vehicle lane change control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. The Fig. 4 to 6 are flowcharts for explaining a vehicle lane change control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] Embodiments of a vehicle lane change control device and method according to the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In describing the vehicle lane change control device and method, it should be noted that the drawings are not to scale and may be illustrated with exaggerated line thickness or component sizes for ease of description and clarity. Furthermore, the terms used herein are defined with the functions of the disclosure in mind and may vary according to the habits or intentions of the user or operator. Therefore, the definitions of the terms should be consistent with the overall disclosure presented herein.

[0022] Fig. 1 is a block diagram for explaining a vehicle lane change control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, Fig. 2 is a block diagram for explaining a process in which a lane change rate is stored in a lane change rate database unit and stored in a database in the vehicle lane change control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Fig. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration that can be added to substantially prevent a collision with a preceding vehicle in the vehicle lane change control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0023] With reference to Fig. 1, the vehicle lane change control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure may include a lane change rate database unit 400, a condition information acquisition unit 500, a control unit 600, and a warning unit 700.

[0024] The lane change rate database unit 400 may store, as a database, a lane change rate determined based on a driver's lane change pattern analyzed based on driving information of a vehicle when the lane of the vehicle is changed and road condition information when the lane of the vehicle is changed, and indicates a lane change speed of the vehicle.

[0025] The lane change rate used in the present embodiment is a parameter indicating the speed of the vehicle's lane change as described above. The lane change speed depends on an entry steering angle (a vehicle steering angle used to determine the angle formed between the direction of entry into a target lane and the direction of the target lane) and an entry speed (which may indicate the lateral speed of the vehicle) for entering the target lane when the vehicle's lane is changed. That is, a small lane change rate indicates that the lane change can be performed slowly because the entry steering angle and entry speed are small, and a large lane change rate indicates that the lane change can be performed quickly because the entry steering angle and entry speed are large.

[0026] Such a lane change change rate may be determined based on a driver's lane change pattern analyzed based on the driving information of the vehicle when the lane of the vehicle is changed by manual driving by the driver and road condition information (e.g., the width, curvature, and gradient of a road ahead of the vehicle, the number of lanes, etc.) when the lane of the vehicle is changed, and may be stored based on a driving history of the vehicle and stored in the lane change rate database unit 400.

[0027] Fig. 2 illustrates a process in which the lane change rate is stored in the lane change rate database unit 400 and stored in a database, and in order to store the lane change rate in a database, the present embodiment may include a lane change pattern analysis unit 100, a road condition detection unit 200, and a lane change rate determination unit 300 as shown in Fig. 2 is shown.

[0028] The lane change pattern analysis unit 100 can analyze a driver's lane change pattern based on a steering angle (that is, a steering angle formed when a driver operates a steering wheel) when the vehicle's lane change is changed, a time required for the vehicle to complete the lane change, and a speed to enter the target lane, which are the vehicle's driving information. For example, the lane change pattern analysis unit 100 can analyze the lane change pattern in terms of the duration and at what steering angle the driver changed lanes based on a first steering angle at the time the vehicle's lane change was started, a second steering angle at the time the vehicle's lane change was completed, and a time required to complete the lane change.In such a case, the start time of the lane change may be a time when the steering angle of the vehicle has reached a predetermined threshold steering angle, a time when the indication direction of a turn signal of the vehicle coincides with the direction of the steering angle of the vehicle, or a time when the steering angle of the vehicle is determined to be equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold steering angle in a state where the indication direction of the turn signal of the vehicle coincides with the direction of the steering angle of the vehicle, and the completion time of the lane change may be a time when the turn signal of the vehicle has been turned off.

[0029] The road condition detection unit 200 can detect the condition of a road (e.g., the width, curvature, and gradient of a road ahead of the vehicle, the number of lanes, etc.) when the lane of the vehicle is changed, and detect the condition of the road, for example, by extracting the condition information of the road from pre-stored map information (e.g., an ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance System) map) based on the current position of the vehicle measured by a GPS module applied to the vehicle.

[0030] The lane change rate determination unit 300 may determine the lane change rate based on the driver's lane change pattern analyzed by the lane change pattern analysis and the road condition information detected by the road condition detection unit 200. For example, the lane change rate determination unit 300 may determine the lane change rate by calculating a lane change pattern characteristic value indicating the speed of the lane change based on the lane change pattern analysis result, and then increasing or decreasing the calculated lane change pattern characteristic value according to the degree of the road condition information (the width and / or curvature and / or gradient of the road and the number of lanes may be used).Such a lane change rate may be stored in a database according to the road condition and stored in the lane change rate database unit 400, and the control unit 600 described below may extract a lane change rate corresponding to the road condition information acquired in the driving process of the vehicle (i.e., a distance control process) from the lane change rate database unit 400 and then control the lane change of the vehicle using the extracted lane change rate.

[0031] The lane change rate determined by the above-mentioned process indicates the speed of the lane change. To this end, the lane change rate can be represented as the approach steering angle and the approach speed for entering the target lane when the vehicle's lane is changed based on the analysis result of the lane change pattern analysis unit 100. Accordingly, when controlling the lane change, the control unit 600 can control the lane change by the approach steering angle and the approach speed representing the lane change change rate.

[0032] The condition information acquisition unit 500 may acquire condition information of a vehicle occupant and send the condition information to the control unit 600 described below. The vehicle occupant may indicate the driver and / or a passenger. The condition information of the occupant may include an activity state, such as the occupant's behavior, and biometric information, such as the occupant's heart rate, pulse rate, and blood pressure. To acquire such condition information, the condition information acquisition unit 500 may include an interior camera installed in the vehicle and configured to photograph the occupant, and a biometric sensor configured to detect the occupant's biometric information.

[0033] The control unit 600 can operate to change the lane of the vehicle through steering control according to the vehicle's operating information. The vehicle's operating information can indicate a turn signal operation by the driver, and accordingly, when there is a turn signal operation by the driver, the control unit 600 can change the lane of the vehicle through automatic steering control in a corresponding direction. In the embodiment, the control unit 600 can change the lane of the vehicle basically by controlling the steering of the vehicle based on the lane change rate stored in the lane change rate database unit 400, that is, the lane change rate determined based on the driver's lane change pattern and the road condition information.In such a case, the control unit 600 may extract the lane change pattern corresponding to the road condition acquired by the road condition detection unit 200 during the vehicle's driving from the lane change rate database unit 400, and then control the vehicle's lane change according to the approach steering angle and the approach speed matched with the extracted lane change rate. The control unit 600 may adjust the approach steering angle by controlling a motor-driven power steering (MDPS) system applied to the vehicle (that is, controlling the vehicle's steering angle as the approach steering angle), and may also adjust the approach speed through an engine control system (e.g., an engine control unit) or a transmission control system (transmission control unit) applied to the vehicle.

[0034] In such a case, the control unit 600 can control the lane change of the vehicle by selectively using the lane change rate stored in the lane change rate database unit 400 and a corrected lane change rate determined by increasing or decreasing the lane change rate according to the occupant condition information obtained by the condition information acquisition unit 500. When controlling the lane change of the vehicle using the corrected lane change rate, the control unit 600 can control the lane change of the vehicle by adjusting the approach steering angle and the approach speed.

[0035] Based on the above description, the process in which the control unit 600 controls the lane change of the vehicle using the lane change rate or the corrected lane change rate is summarized as follows.

[0036] When controlling the lane change using the lane change rate stored in the lane change rate database unit 400, the control unit 600 can control the lane change of the vehicle according to the approach steering angle and the approach speed that represent the lane change rate.

[0037] When controlling the vehicle's lane change using a first corrected lane change rate determined by decreasing the lane change rate, the control unit 600 may control the vehicle's lane change by decreasing the approach steering angle and the approach speed. The amount of reduction of the first corrected lane change rate to the lane change rate, and the amounts of reduction of the approach steering angle and the approach speed due to the decrease in the first corrected lane change rate, may be specified according to the designer's intention (for example: first corrected lane change rate = lane change rate * 0.6).

[0038] When controlling the vehicle's lane change using a second corrected lane change rate by increasing the lane change rate, the control unit 600 can control the vehicle's lane change by increasing the approach steering angle and the approach speed. The amount of increase of the second corrected lane change rate to the lane change rate and the amounts of increase of the approach steering angle and the approach speed due to the increase in the second corrected lane change rate can be specified according to the designer's intention (for example: second corrected lane change rate = lane change rate * 1.6).

[0039] Depending on whether a non-driver passenger is present and the passenger's condition information, which of the lane change rate, the first corrected lane change rate, and the second corrected lane change rate is determined, so that the control unit 600 controls the lane change of the vehicle. Each lane change control operation, divided according to the passenger's condition information, will be described below.

[0040] First, a case is described in which a passenger who is not a driver is not riding in the vehicle.

[0041] In the case where a passenger other than the driver is not riding in the vehicle, the control unit 600 may control the lane change of the vehicle using the lane change rate stored in the lane change rate database unit 400 when a driver's driving concentration level determined based on the driver's condition information acquired by the condition information acquisition unit 500 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold concentration level. The driver's driving concentration level is a numerical value of the driver's condition information acquired by the condition information acquisition unit 500 and may be, for example, a numerical parameter based on whether the driver is looking forward.To this end, a predetermined algorithm for calculating the driving concentration level by converting the driver's condition information into a numerical value may be set in advance in the control unit. Furthermore, the threshold concentration level is a value used as a reference for determining whether the driver is concentrating on driving, and may be selected as an appropriate value according to a developer's intention and set in advance in the control unit 600.

[0042] Accordingly, when the driver's driving concentration level is equal to or greater than the threshold concentration level, the control unit 600 can control the lane change of the vehicle using an uncorrected lane change rate because the lane change rate stored in the lane change rate database unit 400 can be effectively applied.

[0043] When the driver's driving concentration level is less than the threshold concentration level, the control unit 600 may control the vehicle's lane change using the first corrected lane change rate. In other words, when the driver's driving concentration level is less than the threshold concentration level, the control unit 600 may control the vehicle's lane change using the first corrected lane change rate, which is lower than the lane change rate, because it is necessary to prioritize safe driving and change the vehicle's lane slowly.

[0044] Next, a case is described in which a passenger who is not a driver is riding in the vehicle.

[0045] In the case where a passenger other than the driver is riding in the vehicle, if a passenger distraction level determined based on the passenger condition information acquired by the condition information acquisition unit 500 is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold distraction level, the control unit 600 may control the lane change of the vehicle using the first corrected lane change rate. The passenger distraction level is a numerical value of the passenger condition information acquired by the condition information acquisition unit 500, and may be, for example, a numerical parameter based on whether the passenger's movement interferes with the driver's driving.To this end, a predetermined algorithm for calculating the distraction level can be calculated in advance in the control unit 600 by converting the passenger's condition information into a numerical value. Furthermore, the threshold distraction level is a value that serves as a reference or benchmark for determining a passenger's distraction behavior and can be selected as a suitable value according to a designer's intention and set in advance in the control unit 600.

[0046] Accordingly, when the distraction level of the passenger is equal to or greater than the threshold distraction level, the control unit 600 may perform the lane change of the vehicle using the first corrected lane change rate reduced from the lane change rate because it is necessary to give priority to safe driving and change the lane of the vehicle slowly.

[0047] When the passenger's distraction level is less than the threshold distraction level, because the lane change rate stored in the lane change rate database unit 400 can be effectively applied, the control unit 600 can control the lane change of the vehicle using an uncorrected lane change rate.

[0048] On the other hand, when it is determined that an emergency situation has occurred with the passenger based on the condition information of the passenger acquired by the condition information acquisition unit 500, the control unit 600 may control the lane change of the vehicle using the second corrected lane change rate.

[0049] In other words, when it is determined that the emergency situation (e.g., difficulty in breathing, cardiac arrest, etc.) has occurred in the passenger based on the condition information of the passenger acquired by the condition information acquisition unit 500, the control unit 600 may control the lane change of the vehicle using the second corrected lane change rate increased from the lane change rate because it is necessary to give priority to the rapid movement of the vehicle to take emergency measures for the passenger.

[0050] The control unit 600 can also warn the occupant along with the aforementioned lane change control. In other words, the control unit 600 can also issue a warning through the warning unit 700 when the driver's concentration level is lower than the threshold concentration level, when the passenger's distraction level is equal to or greater than the threshold distraction level, or when it is determined that the passenger has experienced an emergency situation. Because the warning unit 700 can be implemented as a cluster or speaker installed in the vehicle, the warning issued by the warning unit 700 can be a warning phrase displayed on the cluster or an audible warning issued through the speaker.

[0051] Here, in the present embodiment, a control logic may be further implemented to substantially prevent a collision with a preceding vehicle during a lane change control process by the above-mentioned process. To this end, the present embodiment may further include a lane change path estimation unit 800 and a preceding vehicle detection unit 900 as shown in Fig. 3 shown.

[0052] The lane change path estimation unit 800 can estimate a target lane to which the lane change is to be made from an original lane and a lane change path for merging into the target lane. The lane change path estimation unit 800 can estimate the target lane and the target lane path immediately before the lane change begins.

[0053] The leading vehicle detection unit 900 can calculate an angular difference between the expected traveling direction of the vehicle and the current traveling direction of the vehicle based on the lane change path, detect a leading vehicle traveling in the target lane, and correct the position of the leading vehicle at each predetermined time. That is, the leading vehicle detection unit 900 can calculate an angle between the direction of the estimated target lane and the vehicle traveling direction and correct the position of the leading vehicle detected in the target lane based on the calculated angle, thereby detecting the leading vehicle.

[0054] Accordingly, the control unit 600 can control the lane change of the vehicle based on the angular difference between the expected direction of travel of the vehicle and the current direction of travel of the vehicle, the corrected position of the preceding vehicle, and the lane change rate used in the lane change control to substantially prevent a collision with the preceding vehicle. The control unit 600 can perform the lane change control to substantially prevent a collision with the preceding vehicle until the turn signal is turned off or the angular difference between the expected direction of travel of the vehicle and the current direction of travel of the vehicle is equal to or less than a predetermined reference value.

[0055] The lane change control device described above can be applied to an adaptive cruise control (ACC), and can be used when the lane change of the vehicle is performed in the process of controlling the running of the vehicle in the state of maintaining a predetermined distance from a preceding vehicle according to the adaptive cruise control.

[0056] The Fig. 4 to 6 are flowcharts for explaining a lane change control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0057] The vehicle lane change control method according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to Fig. 4. First, the control unit 600 receives the lane change rate stored in the lane change rate database unit 400 (S100). As described above, the lane change rate database 400 stores, as a database, the lane change rate determined based on the driver's lane change pattern analyzed based on the vehicle's driving information when the vehicle's lane is changed and the road condition information when the vehicle's lane is changed, and indicates the vehicle's lane change speed.

[0058] Next, the control unit 600 determines whether a passenger other than the driver is riding in the vehicle (S200). In step S200, the control unit may determine whether the passenger is riding in the vehicle using a weight sensor provided in a passenger seat.

[0059] Then, the control unit 600 acquires the condition information of an occupant through the condition information acquisition unit 500 (S300). If it is determined in step S200 that no passenger is riding in the vehicle, the control unit 600 acquires the driver's condition information in step S300 (S301), and if it is determined in step S200 that the passenger is riding in the vehicle, the control unit 600 acquires the passenger's condition information in step S300 (S302).

[0060] Then, the control unit 600 changes the lane of the vehicle through steering control according to the vehicle's operating information and based on the occupant condition information acquired in step S300. The control unit controls the lane change of the vehicle by selectively selecting the lane change rate received in step S100 and the corrected lane change rate determined by increasing or decreasing the lane change rate (S400) (the step of receiving the vehicle's operating information may be performed before step S100). As described above, in controlling the lane change of the vehicle using the lane change rate, the control unit 600 controls the lane change of the vehicle according to the approach steering angle and the approach speed, which represent the lane change rate.Further, when controlling the lane change of the vehicle using the corrected lane change rate, the control unit 600 controls the lane change of the vehicle by adjusting the approach steering angle and the approach speed. Specifically, when controlling the lane change of the vehicle using the first corrected lane change rate determined by decreasing the lane change rate, the control unit 600 controls the lane change of the vehicle by decreasing the approach steering angle and the approach speed, and when controlling the lane change of the vehicle using the second corrected lane change rate determined by increasing the lane change rate, the control unit 600 controls the lane change of the vehicle by increasing the approach steering angle and the approach speed.

[0061] With reference to the Fig. 5, step S400 is described in detail. If it is determined in step S200 that no passenger is riding in the vehicle, the control unit 600 determines whether the driver's driving concentration level, which is determined based on the driver condition information obtained in step S301, is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold concentration level (S401).

[0062] When the driver's driving concentration level is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold concentration level, the control unit 600 controls the lane change of the vehicle using the lane change rate received in step S100 (S401), and when the driver's driving concentration level is lower than the threshold concentration level, the control unit 600 controls the lane change of the vehicle using the first corrected lane change rate (S404) after being warned by the warning unit 700 (S403).

[0063] With reference to the Fig. 6, when it is determined in step S200 that the passenger is riding in the vehicle, the control unit 600 next determines whether the passenger's distraction level obtained in step S302 is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold distraction level (S405).

[0064] When the distraction level of the passenger is less than the threshold distraction level, the control unit 600 controls the lane change of the vehicle using the lane change rate received in step S100 (S406), and when the distraction level of the passenger is equal to or greater than the threshold distraction level, the control unit 600 controls the lane change of the vehicle using the first corrected lane change rate (S408) after the warning by the warning unit 700 (S407).

[0065] In step S400, the control unit 600 determines whether an emergency situation has occurred with the occupant based on the condition information of the occupant (S409). If the emergency situation has occurred with the passenger, the control unit 600 controls the lane change of the vehicle using the second corrected lane change rate (S411) after the warning by the warning unit 700 (S410).

[0066] The above-mentioned steps S100, S200, S300 and S400 can be applied to a process in which the vehicle's automatic distance control or adaptive cruise control is performed.

[0067] As described above, according to the embodiment, the lane change is controlled in consideration of both the characteristics of a driver and the conditions of a passenger by a lane change control method by selectively using the lane change rate as a database determined based on the driver's lane change pattern and the road condition information, and the corrected lane change rate according to the conditions of an occupant obtained by correcting the lane change rate, so that it is possible to eliminate the driver's anxiety or frustration caused by the lane change operation and at the same time improve the safety of the lane change.

[0068] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiments illustrated in the drawings, the embodiments of the disclosure are for illustrative purposes only, and one skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications and equivalent alternative embodiments are possible. Thus, the true technical scope of the disclosure is to be defined by the following claims.

Claims

[1] Vehicle lane change control device, comprising: a condition information acquisition unit (500) configured to acquire condition information of a vehicle occupant; a lane change rate database unit (400) configured to store a lane change rate determined based on a driver's lane change pattern, which is determined based on driving information of the vehicle when a lane of the vehicle is changed, and road condition information when the lane of the vehicle is changed, is analyzed and indicates a speed of the vehicle's lane change; and a control unit (600) configured to change the lane of the vehicle by steering control according to the vehicle operation information, and based on the occupant condition information acquired by the condition information acquisition unit (500), to control the lane change of the vehicle by selectively using the lane change rate stored in the lane change rate database unit (400), and a corrected lane change rate determined by increasing or decreasing the lane change rate. [2] The vehicle lane change control device according to claim 1, wherein the lane change rate is mapped as an entry steering angle and an entry speed for entering a target lane when the lane of the vehicle is changed and stored in the lane change rate database unit (400), and when the lane change of the vehicle is controlled by using the lane change rate, the control unit (600) controls the lane change of the vehicle according to the entry steering angle and the entry speed which map the lane change rate. [3] The vehicle lane change control device according to claim 2, wherein, in controlling the lane change of the vehicle using the corrected lane change rate, the control unit (600) controls the lane change of the vehicle by adjusting the approach steering angle and the approach speed. [4] The vehicle lane change control device according to claim 3, wherein, when controlling the lane change of the vehicle using a first corrected lane change rate determined by decreasing the lane change rate, the control unit (600) controls the lane change of the vehicle by decreasing the approach steering angle and the approach speed, and when controlling the lane change of the vehicle using a second corrected lane change rate determined by increasing the lane change rate, the control unit (600) controls the lane change of the vehicle by increasing the approach steering angle and the approach speed. [5] The vehicle lane change control device according to claim 4, wherein, in a case where a passenger other than the driver is not riding in the vehicle, when a driving concentration level of the driver determined based on condition information of the driver acquired by the condition information acquisition unit (500) is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold concentration level, the control unit (600) controls the lane change of the vehicle using the lane change rate. [6] The vehicle lane change control device according to claim 4, wherein, in a case where the passenger other than the driver is not riding in the vehicle, the control unit (600) controls the lane change of the vehicle using the first corrected lane change rate when the driving concentration level of the driver determined based on the condition information of the driver acquired by the condition information obtaining unit (500) is lower than the predetermined threshold concentration level. [7] The vehicle lane change control device according to claim 4, wherein, in a case where the passenger other than the driver is riding in the vehicle, the control unit (600) controls the lane change of the vehicle using the lane change rate when a distraction level of the passenger determined based on the condition information of the passenger obtained by the condition information obtaining unit (500) is lower than a predetermined threshold distraction level. [8] The vehicle lane change control device according to claim 4, wherein, in a case where the passenger other than the driver is riding in the vehicle, the control unit (600) controls the lane change of the vehicle using the first corrected lane change rate when the distraction level of the passenger determined based on the condition information of the passenger obtained by the condition information obtaining unit (500) is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold distraction level. [9] The vehicle lane change control device according to claim 4, wherein, when it is determined that an emergency situation has occurred with the passenger based on the condition information of the passenger acquired by the condition information acquisition unit (500), the control unit (600) controls the lane change of the vehicle using the second corrected lane change rate. [10] A vehicle lane change control device according to claim 4, further comprising: a warning unit (700), wherein, when the driving concentration level of the driver of the vehicle is lower than the predetermined threshold concentration level, when the distraction level of the passenger of the vehicle is equal to or greater than the predetermined threshold distraction level, or when it is determined that the emergency situation has occurred in the passenger of the vehicle, the control unit (600) issues a warning through the warning unit (700). [11] A vehicle lane change control device according to claim 1, wherein the lane change control device is applied to an adaptive cruise control (ACC) system. [12] Vehicle lane change control method, comprising: Receiving, by a control unit (600), a lane change rate of a driver which is stored in a lane change rate database unit (400), wherein the lane change rate database unit (400) stores the lane change rate determined based on a lane change pattern of the driver which is determined based on driving information of a vehicle when the lane of the vehicle is changed and road condition information, when the vehicle's lane is changed, is analyzed and indicates a speed of the vehicle's lane change; Obtaining, by the control unit (600), condition information of an occupant of the vehicle; and Changing, by the control unit (600), the lane of the vehicle by steering control according to vehicle operation information, and based on the acquired occupant condition information, controlling the lane change of the vehicle by selectively using the lane change rate received from the lane change rate database unit (400) and a corrected lane change rate determined by increasing or decreasing the lane change rate. [13] The vehicle lane change control method according to claim 12, wherein the lane change rate is mapped as an entry steering angle and an entry speed for entering a target lane when the lane of the vehicle is changed, and is stored in the lane change rate database unit (400), and in controlling the lane change, when the lane change of the vehicle is controlled using the lane change rate, the control unit (600) controls the lane change of the vehicle according to the entry steering angle and the entry speed which map the lane change rate. [14] The vehicle lane change control method according to claim 13, wherein, in controlling the lane change, when the lane change of the vehicle is controlled using the corrected lane change rate, the control unit (600) controls the lane change of the vehicle by adjusting the approach steering angle and the approach speed. [15] The vehicle lane change control method according to claim 14, wherein, in controlling the lane change, when the lane change of the vehicle is controlled using a first corrected lane change change rate determined by decreasing the lane change rate, the control unit (600) controls the lane change of the vehicle by decreasing the entry steering angle and the entry speed, and when the lane change of the vehicle is controlled using the second corrected lane change rate determined by increasing the lane change rate, the control unit (600) controls the lane change of the vehicle by increasing the entry steering angle and the entry speed. [16] The vehicle lane change control method according to claim 15, further comprising: Determining, by the control unit (600), whether a passenger who is not the driver is traveling in the vehicle, Controlling lane changes includes: Determining, by the control unit (600), whether, when the passenger is not riding in the vehicle, a driving concentration level of the driver determined based on condition information of the driver is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold concentration level; and Controlling, by the control unit (600), the lane change of the vehicle by using the lane change rate when the driver's driving concentration level is equal to or greater than the threshold concentration level. [17] The vehicle lane change control method according to claim 16, wherein controlling the lane change further comprises: Controlling, by the control unit (600), the lane change of the vehicle using the first corrected lane change rate when the driver's driving concentration level is lower than the threshold concentration level. [18] The vehicle lane change control method according to claim 15, further comprising: Determining, by the control unit (600), whether a passenger is traveling in the vehicle who is not the driver, Controlling lane changes includes: Determining, by the control unit (600), whether, when the passenger is riding in the vehicle, a distraction level of the passenger determined based on condition information of the passenger is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold distraction level; and Controlling, by the control unit (600), the lane change of the vehicle using the lane change rate when the distraction level of the passenger is less than the predetermined threshold distraction level. [19] The vehicle lane change control method according to claim 18, wherein controlling the lane change further comprises: Controlling, by the control unit (600), the lane change of the vehicle using the first corrected lane change rate when the passenger distraction level is equal to or greater than the threshold distraction level. [20] A vehicle lane change control method according to claim 15, wherein controlling the lane change comprises: Determining, by the control unit (600), whether an emergency situation has occurred with the passenger based on the passenger's condition information; and Controlling, by the control unit (600), the lane change of the vehicle using the second corrected lane change rate when the emergency situation has occurred with the passenger.

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