Vehicle control device and vehicle control method

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method that can reduce the possibility of contact with another vehicle in a road section after passing through a gate.SOLUTION: A processor with which an automatic driving ECU 30 is provided acquires a remaining distance to a gate spot and position information of gates that lead to a road along which it is planned to travel after passing through a gate on the basis of map data and the like. A processor 31 selects a target gate from among the gates that lead to the road along which it is planned to travel after passing through the gate and determines whether or not the target gate is present on an extension of a lane along which a host vehicle is currently traveling. If the target gate is not present on the extension of the lane along which the host vehicle is currently traveling, the processor 31 starts moving toward a traffic lane connected to the target gate.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method for passing through a gate of a toll road by automatic driving. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle control device that automatically passes through a gate of a toll road. The vehicle control device can change the gate through which the vehicle is to pass depending on whether or not a card for paying a toll is inserted in the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6692935 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] If a vehicle passes through a gate and there is a branch road, the vehicle may move laterally (left or right) toward the road that corresponds to the destination. Since each vehicle may have a different destination, the tracks of vehicles are likely to cross around the gate, which may increase the risk of collision. Naturally, the greater the amount of lateral movement after passing through the gate, the greater the risk of collision.

[0005] The present disclosure has been made based on the above considerations or points of view, and one of its objectives is to provide a vehicle control device and a vehicle control method that can reduce the possibility of contact with other vehicles in the road section after passing through a gate. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The vehicle control device disclosed herein is a vehicle control device that performs automatic driving control to allow a vehicle to drive autonomously, and performs the following operations: acquires information about a gate point, which is a point on a toll road where multiple gates are provided, based on the output signal of a surrounding monitoring sensor, a radio signal received from an external device, or map data; acquires data related to a post-gate road, which is a road along which the vehicle is scheduled to travel after the vehicle passes the gate point; sets one of the multiple gates provided at the gate point that is closest to the post-gate road as a target gate; and, based on the vehicle entering a preparation section located in front of the target gate, begins lateral movement in the direction of the target gate.

[0007] In addition, the vehicle control method disclosed herein is a vehicle control method for performing automatic driving control to cause a vehicle to drive autonomously, and includes obtaining information about a gate point, which is a point on a toll road where multiple gates are provided, based on an output signal from a surrounding monitoring sensor, a wireless signal received from an external device, or map data, obtaining data related to a post-gate road, which is a road along which the vehicle is scheduled to travel after the vehicle passes through the gate point, setting one of the multiple gates provided at the gate point that is closest to the post-gate road as a target gate, and starting lateral movement in the direction of the target gate based on the vehicle entering a preparation section located in front of the target gate.

[0008] According to the above-mentioned device / method, the vehicle's lateral position can be brought closer to the road behind the gate before passing through the gate, so that the amount of lateral movement of the vehicle after passing through the gate can be reduced, thereby reducing the possibility of contact with other vehicles.

[0009] In addition, the symbols in parentheses in the claims indicate a correspondence with the specific means described in the embodiments described below as one aspect, and do not limit the technical scope of the present disclosure. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an autonomous driving system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of an autonomous driving ECU. [Diagram 3] 10 is a flowchart showing the operation of the automatic driving ECU when passing through a gate. [Figure 4] 11 is a diagram for explaining an example of setting a target gate according to a road along which the vehicle is to travel after passing through the gate; FIG. [Diagram 5] 11 is a flowchart of a process for determining whether or not a lane change is necessary before passing through a gate. [Figure 6] 13 is a flowchart showing an example of temporary control. [Figure 7] 1 is a diagram for explaining the operation of the autonomous driving ECU according to the distance from the gate point. FIG. [Figure 8] 11 is a diagram for explaining another example of the operation of the autonomous driving ECU according to the distance from the gate point. FIG. [Figure 9] 11 is a diagram for explaining another example of the operation of the autonomous driving ECU according to the distance from the gate point. FIG. [Figure 10] 11 is a diagram for explaining another example of the operation of the autonomous driving ECU according to the distance from the gate point. FIG. [Figure 11] 13 is a diagram for explaining another example of setting the target gate. FIG. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of a processor related to setting of a target gate. [Figure 13] 10 is a flowchart for explaining the operation of a processor for implementing external notification control. [Figure 14] 5 is a flowchart for explaining an operation of a processor for stopping control to follow the preceding vehicle. [Figure 15] 10 is a flowchart for explaining an example of setting a target speed when passing through a gate. [Figure 16] 10 is a flowchart for explaining an example of setting a target speed when passing through a gate. [Figure 17]11 is a diagram for explaining an example of setting a target gate when the number of lanes decreases after passing through the gate. FIG. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] <Introduction> Hereinafter, one embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. The present disclosure is not limited to the following embodiment, and can be implemented with various modifications within the scope of the gist of the present disclosure. The various supplements and modifications described below can be implemented in appropriate combinations within the scope of no technical contradiction. Members having the same function are given the same reference numerals, and their description may be omitted. In addition, when only a part of the configuration is mentioned, the previous description can be applied to the other parts.

[0012] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a schematic configuration of an automatic driving system Sys according to the present disclosure. Hereinafter, a vehicle equipped with the automatic driving system Sys is also referred to as a host vehicle. In addition, the term "host vehicle lane" in the present disclosure refers to a lane in which the host vehicle is traveling among a plurality of lanes provided on a road. The host vehicle lane can also be called an ego lane. An adjacent lane is a lane adjacent to the host vehicle lane.

[0013] In this disclosure, a preceding vehicle refers to a vehicle that is in front of the host vehicle, travels in the same lane as the host vehicle, and is closest to the host vehicle. A following vehicle refers to another vehicle traveling behind the host vehicle in the host vehicle lane. A preceding vehicle is not limited to a vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle in the host vehicle lane, but also includes another vehicle traveling in front of the host vehicle in one or more adjacent lanes. Similarly, a following vehicle includes not only a following vehicle, but also a vehicle traveling diagonally behind the host vehicle.

[0014] The driver in this disclosure refers to a person who sits in the driver's seat, that is, a driver's seat occupant, regardless of whether or not the person is actually driving. For example, the driver in this disclosure may refer to a person who should receive the authority and responsibility of driving operation from the automatic driving system Sys when automatic driving ends. The description of the driver in this disclosure can be replaced with the driver's seat occupant. The vehicle may be a remote-operated vehicle that is remotely operated by an operator outside the vehicle. The person who takes over the driving operation from the automatic driving system Sys may be an operator outside the vehicle. The operator here refers to a person who has the authority to control the vehicle by remote operation from outside the vehicle. The operator is also included in the concept of the driver.

[0015] The automated driving system Sys provides a so-called automated driving function that allows the vehicle to autonomously drive along a predetermined route. There can be multiple levels of automation of driving operations (hereinafter referred to as automation levels), as defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE International). Automation levels can be classified into six levels, for example, from level 0 to 5, as follows.

[0016] Level 0 is a level equivalent to fully manual driving where the system does not control anything. Level 1 is a level where the system supports either steering or acceleration / deceleration. Level 1 includes cases where only Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC) is executed. Level 2 refers to a level where the system performs both speed adjustment by accelerator and brake operation and left / right control (i.e. steering) by steering wheel operation. At level 2, the system essentially drives the vehicle autonomously, although the driver is required to monitor the surroundings (so-called eyes-on). In this disclosure, control equivalent to level 2 is also referred to as automated driving control with a requirement to monitor the surroundings, level 2 automated driving control, or semi-automated driving control.

[0017] Level 3 refers to a level where the system performs all driving tasks within the Operational Design Domain (ODD), but in an emergency, the system transfers operational authority to the driver. ODD specifies the conditions under which automated driving can be performed. Level 4 is a level where the system performs all driving tasks, except under specific circumstances such as on designated roads that cannot be handled and in extreme environments. Level 5 is a level where the system performs all driving tasks in all environments.

[0018] Automation levels 3 to 5 are automation levels at which the driver does not need to monitor the surroundings, in other words, levels that correspond to autonomous driving. Therefore, in this disclosure, vehicle control equivalent to level 3 or higher is also referred to as autonomous driving control without the obligation to monitor the surroundings.

[0019] The automated driving system Sys described below can be modified as appropriate to suit the local laws and customs, the characteristics of the vehicle / equipment, etc. in which it is used. Unless otherwise specified, the term "system" below refers to the automated driving system Sys.

[0020] <Overall configuration of the Autonomous Driving System Sys> The autonomous driving system Sys includes various components as shown in Fig. 1 as an example. That is, the autonomous driving system Sys includes a surroundings monitoring sensor 11, a vehicle state sensor 12, a locator 13, a map storage unit 14, a wireless communication device 15, an occupant state sensor 16, a body ECU 17, an exterior display device 18, and a driving actuator 19. The autonomous driving system Sys also includes an in-vehicle HMI 20 and an autonomous driving ECU 30. Note that ECU is an abbreviation for Electronic Control Unit, which means an electronic control device. HMI is an abbreviation for Human Machine Interface.

[0021] The autonomous driving ECU 30 is connected to each of the above devices / sensors such as the periphery monitoring sensor 11 via an in-vehicle network IvN so that they can communicate with each other. The in-vehicle network IvN is a communication network built inside the vehicle. Various standards such as Controller Area Network (hereinafter, CAN: registered trademark) and Ethernet (registered trademark) can be adopted as standards for the in-vehicle network IvN. In addition, some of the devices / sensors may be directly connected to the autonomous driving ECU 30 by dedicated signal lines. The connection form between the devices can be changed as appropriate.

[0022] The perimeter monitoring sensor 11 is a sensor that detects an object present within a detection range. The perimeter monitoring sensor 11 can be understood as an autonomous sensor that senses the surrounding environment of the vehicle. The perimeter monitoring sensor can be called an object detection sensor. The autonomous driving system Sys can be equipped with a plurality of perimeter monitoring sensors 11. The autonomous driving system Sys is equipped with, for example, a camera 111 and a millimeter wave radar 112 as the perimeter monitoring sensors 11.

[0023] The camera 111 is a so-called forward camera that is arranged to capture an image of the front of the vehicle at a predetermined angle of view. The camera 111 is arranged on the upper end of the windshield on the interior side of the vehicle, on the front grill, on the roof top, etc. The camera 111 may include a camera ECU in addition to a camera main body that generates an image frame. The camera main body includes at least an image sensor and a lens. The camera ECU includes a processor and a memory. The processor is a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), etc. The camera ECU is an ECU that detects a predetermined detection target by performing recognition processing on the image frame. The camera ECU detects and identifies an object registered as a detection target using, for example, a classifier to which deep learning is applied. The camera ECU also calculates the relative position coordinates of the detection object with respect to the vehicle from position information (for example, pixel coordinates) of the detection object in the image frame.

[0024] Objects detected by the camera 111 include, for example, moving objects such as pedestrians and other vehicles. Objects detected by the camera 111 also include features such as road edges, road markings, and structures installed along the road. Road markings include lane markings that indicate lane boundaries, pedestrian crossings, stop lines, guidance strips, safety zones, and regulatory arrows. Structures installed along the road include road signs, guardrails, curbs, utility poles, traffic lights, and the like. The camera 111 can also detect the lighting status of lighting devices such as hazard lights and direction indicators (so-called blinkers) of the vehicle ahead.

[0025] The automatic driving system Sys may include multiple cameras 111. For example, the automatic driving system Sys may include, as the camera 111, a side camera that captures images of the sides of the vehicle and a rear camera that captures images of the rear of the vehicle, in addition to a front camera. The function of detecting a detection target object by analyzing camera images may be provided in another ECU, such as the automatic driving ECU 30. The functional arrangement in the automatic driving system Sys can be changed as appropriate. The camera 111 outputs data related to the detected object to the in-vehicle network IvN. The data flowing through the in-vehicle network IvN is referred to by the automatic driving ECU 30 as appropriate.

[0026] The millimeter wave radar 112 is a device that detects the relative position and relative speed of an object with respect to the vehicle by transmitting a search wave such as a millimeter wave or a quasi-millimeter wave in a predetermined direction and analyzing the received data of the reflected wave that is reflected by the object. The autonomous driving system Sys may include a plurality of millimeter wave radars 112. The plurality of millimeter wave radars 112 include a forward millimeter wave radar and a rear millimeter wave radar. The forward millimeter wave radar is a millimeter wave radar 112 that transmits a search wave toward the front of the vehicle, and is installed, for example, on the front grill or the front bumper. The rear millimeter wave radar is a millimeter wave radar 112 that transmits a search wave toward the rear of the vehicle, and is installed, for example, on the rear bumper. Each millimeter wave radar 112 generates data indicating the relative position and relative speed of the detected object and outputs the data as a detection result to the autonomous driving ECU 30 or the like. The objects detected by the millimeter wave radar 112 may include other vehicles, pedestrians, manholes (iron plates), three-dimensional structures as landmarks, and the like.

[0027] The perimeter monitoring sensor 11 may be a camera 111 and a millimeter wave radar 112, as well as a LiDAR, a sonar, etc. LiDAR is an abbreviation for Light Detection and Ranging or Laser Imaging Detection and Ranging. LiDAR is a device that generates three-dimensional point cloud data indicating the position of a reflection point for each detection direction by irradiating laser light. LiDAR is also called a laser radar. The autonomous driving system Sys may also be equipped with multiple LiDARs and sonars. The combination of the perimeter monitoring sensors 11 equipped in the autonomous driving system Sys can be changed as appropriate. The detection results of each perimeter monitoring sensor 11 are input to the autonomous driving ECU 30.

[0028] The vehicle state sensor 12 is a sensor that detects information related to the state of the host vehicle. The vehicle state sensor 12 includes a vehicle speed sensor, a steering angle sensor, an acceleration sensor, a yaw rate sensor, an accelerator pedal sensor, and the like. The vehicle speed sensor is a sensor that detects the traveling speed of the host vehicle. The steering angle sensor is a sensor that detects the steering angle. The acceleration sensor is a sensor that detects the acceleration acting in the forward / rearward direction of the host vehicle, the lateral acceleration acting in the left / right direction, and the like. The yaw rate sensor is a sensor that detects the angular velocity of the host vehicle. The accelerator pedal sensor is a sensor that detects the depression amount / depression force of the accelerator pedal. The brake pedal sensor is a sensor that detects the depression amount / depression force of the brake pedal. The vehicle state sensor 12 outputs data indicating the current value (i.e., the detection result) of the physical state quantity to be detected to the in-vehicle network IvN. The type of sensor used by the autonomous driving system Sys as the vehicle state sensor 12 may be designed appropriately.

[0029] The locator 13 is a device that calculates and outputs the position coordinates of the host vehicle using navigation signals transmitted from positioning satellites that constitute the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS). The locator 13 includes a GNSS receiver, an inertial sensor, and the like. The locator 13 sequentially calculates the host vehicle's position, traveling direction, and the like by combining the navigation signals received by the GNSS receiver, the measurement results of the inertial sensor, and the vehicle speed information flowing through the in-vehicle network IvN, and the like. In this disclosure, data indicating the position coordinates of the host vehicle calculated by the locator 13 is referred to as host vehicle position data. The locator 13 outputs the host vehicle position data to the autonomous driving ECU 30.

[0030] The map storage unit 14 is a storage device in which map data is stored. The map data held by the map storage unit 14 may be so-called HD (High Definition) map data. The map data stored in the map storage unit 14 includes the three-dimensional shape of the road, the installation positions of road markings such as lane markings, the installation positions of traffic signs, and the like, with the accuracy required for autonomous driving and the like. The map data includes gate point data. The gate point data is data on gate points, which are points where gates for toll collection are installed on toll roads. The map data may include data for each gate point. The expression "gate point / gate" in this disclosure can be read as "toll gate."

[0031] The gate point data is data indicating the structure of the gate point. At one gate point, multiple gates may be installed side by side in the road width direction. The gate point data includes data on the representative position coordinate, the number of gates installed, the detailed position of each gate, and the settlement method for each gate. The number of gates installed can be rephrased as the number of lanes. Each gate provides one lane (passage). The representative position coordinate is a position coordinate that roughly indicates the position of the gate point. The representative position coordinate may be, for example, the position coordinate of a gate (hereinafter, a representative gate) located in the middle, the right end, or the left end of multiple gates lined up horizontally. In the present disclosure, a road section that is within a predetermined distance before and after the gate point represented by the representative position coordinate is also referred to as a gate area. The gate area may be a section that does not have a lane dividing line (hereinafter, a laneless section) that exists before and after the gate. The gate area may be a section where the road width is expanded with respect to the connecting road.

[0032] The data of the detailed gate position may be coordinate data such as latitude and longitude. The detailed gate position may be expressed by a number, with the rightmost or leftmost gate being number 1. The data of the settlement method indicates the settlement (payment) method of the road toll. The settlement method can be classified into a manual settlement method and an automatic settlement method. In the manual settlement method, the driver pays the toll by handing cash or a credit card to the gate staff or by inserting it into a settlement machine installed at the gate. In the automatic settlement method, a wireless communication device installed in the vehicle (a so-called on-board device) and a wireless communication equipment installed at the gate (a so-called roadside device) communicate wirelessly with each other, and a settlement is made according to the vehicle type and the passage section. In Japan, the manual settlement method may be called "general" and the automatic settlement method may be called "ETC (registered trademark)". ETC is an abbreviation for Electronic Toll Collection.

[0033] The map data stored in the map storage unit 14 may be updated by data received by the wireless communication device 15 from a map server or the like. The map storage unit 14 may be a storage device for temporarily storing the map data received by the wireless communication device 15 from the map server until the validity period of the data expires. The map data stored in the map storage unit 14 may be navigation map data, which is map data for navigation, as long as it includes gate point data.

[0034] The wireless communication device 15 is a device for the vehicle to perform wireless communication with an external device. The external device may include a server, a traffic information center, a roadside device, and some or all of other vehicles. The wireless communication device 15 is configured to be capable of performing cellular communication. Cellular communication refers to wireless communication conforming to LTE (Long Term Evolution), 4G, 5G, etc. The wireless communication device 15 may be configured to perform cellular V2X (PC5 / SideLink / Uu).

[0035] Further, the wireless communication device 15 is configured to be capable of performing short-range communication. In the present disclosure, short-range communication refers to wireless communication in which the communication distance is limited to within several hundred meters. The method of short-range communication used may be DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communications) compatible with IEEE802.11p, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark) Low Energy, or the like. The short-range communication method may be the above-mentioned cellular V2X. The wireless communication device 15 may be configured to be capable of performing data communication related to toll payment with a roadside device installed at a gate when passing through the gate. For example, the wireless communication device 15 may be an on-board device compatible with ETC2.0.

[0036] The wireless communication device 15 may receive information about the gate point from an external device. For example, the wireless communication device 15 may receive location information of the gate point, information about passable gates, and closed gates from a server or a center. The wireless communication device 15 may receive vehicle information from surrounding vehicles through vehicle-to-vehicle communication. The vehicle information may include speed, current position, turn signal operation status, acceleration, and movement trajectory. The surrounding vehicles here refer to vehicles that are present within a range where vehicle-to-vehicle communication is possible.

[0037] The occupant status sensor 16 is a sensor that detects the state of the driver. The occupant status sensor 16 may be, for example, a driver status monitor (hereinafter, DSM). The DSM is a sensor that detects the direction of the driver's face, the direction of the line of sight, the degree of opening of the eyelids, and the like based on an image of the driver's face. The DSM as the occupant status sensor 16 is arranged on the instrument panel, the upper end of the windshield, and the like, with the optical axis directed toward the headrest of the driver's seat, so that the driver's face can be photographed. The DSM as the occupant status sensor 16 transmits driver status data indicating the direction of the driver's face, the direction of the line of sight, the degree of opening of the eyelids, and the like to the autonomous driving ECU 30. The occupant status sensor 16 may be a pulse sensor, a thermal camera, and the like.

[0038] The body ECU 17 is an ECU that comprehensively controls the body-related in-vehicle devices mounted on the vehicle. The body-related in-vehicle devices include lighting devices, a horn, a door lock motor, etc. The lighting devices include headlights, hazard lights, turn signals, backlights, welcome lights, etc. The body-related in-vehicle devices may also include an exterior display device 18.

[0039] The exterior display device 18 is a projector that projects an image on the rear window. The exterior display device 18 can display an image for communicating with the driver of another vehicle based on an input signal from the automatic driving ECU 30. For example, the exterior display device 18 displays an image showing the direction of travel of the vehicle itself, or an image requesting a transfer of the right of way (in other words, permission to cut in) to a rear vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane. The exterior display device 18 is provided, for example, on the ceiling of the vehicle interior (for example, near the upper end of the window frame) in a position where the irradiated light hits the rear window.

[0040] The exterior display device 18 may be one that projects onto a side window or onto the road surface around the vehicle. The exterior display device 18 may be provided on a side mirror so as to project an image onto the road surface near the vehicle. The headlights or backlights may be configured to operate as the exterior display device 18. The exterior display device 18 may be a liquid crystal display or the like arranged with the display surface facing the side or rear of the vehicle.

[0041] The in-vehicle HMI 20 is a group of interfaces for exchanging information between the occupant and the automatic driving system Sys. The in-vehicle HMI 20 includes a display 21 and a speaker 22 as notification devices for notifying the driver of information. The in-vehicle HMI 20 also includes an input device 23 as an input interface for receiving operations from the occupant.

[0042] The autonomous driving system Sys includes one or more of a head-up display (HUD), a meter display, and a center display as the display 21. The HUD is a device that projects image light onto a predetermined area of ​​the windshield to display a virtual image that can be perceived by the driver. The meter display is a display arranged in an area of ​​the instrument panel located in front of the driver's seat. The center display is a display provided in the center of the instrument panel in the vehicle width direction. The meter display and the center display can be realized using a liquid crystal display or an organic EL display. The display 21 displays an image corresponding to a signal input from the autonomous driving ECU 30. The speaker 22 is a device that outputs a sound corresponding to a signal input from the autonomous driving ECU 30. The expression "sound" in this disclosure includes notification sound, voice, music, and the like.

[0043] The autonomous driving system Sys may also include a vibrator, an ambient light, and the like, as notification devices other than those described above. The ambient light is a lighting device that is realized by a number of LEDs (light emitting diodes) and is capable of adjusting the light emission color and light emission intensity. The ambient light is provided on the instrument panel, the steering wheel, the A-pillar, and the like. The A-pillar is a pillar that exists next to the windshield. The A-pillar may also be called the front pillar.

[0044] The input device 23 is a device for receiving an instruction operation from the driver to the automatic driving system Sys. As the input device 23, a steering switch provided on the spoke part of the steering wheel, an operation lever provided on the steering column, a touch panel stacked on the center display, etc. can be adopted. The automatic driving system Sys may be equipped with a plurality of types of devices as the input device 23.

[0045] The input device 23 outputs an operation signal, which is an electrical signal corresponding to the driver's operation, to the automatic driving ECU 30. The operation signal includes information indicating the contents of the driver's operation. The automatic driving system Sys receives an instruction for changing the operation mode via the input device 23. The instruction for changing the operation mode includes an instruction for starting and ending automatic driving. The automatic driving system Sys may be configured to be able to acquire various instructions from the driver by voice recognition. A device for voice input such as a microphone may also be included in the input device 23. Note that, for example, an HCU (HMI Control Unit) may be interposed between the in-vehicle HMI 20 and the automatic driving ECU 30. The HCU is a device that comprehensively controls the notification of information to the driver.

[0046] The autonomous driving ECU 30 is an ECU that controls the traveling actuator 19 based on the detection results of the surrounding monitoring sensor 11 and performs some or all of the driving operation on behalf of the driver. The autonomous driving ECU 30 is also called an automatic driving device. The traveling actuator 19 includes, for example, a brake actuator, an electronic throttle, and a steering actuator. The steering actuator includes an EPS (Electric Power Steering) motor. Note that other ECUs, such as a steering ECU that performs steering control, a power unit control ECU that performs acceleration / deceleration control, and a brake ECU, may be interposed between the autonomous driving ECU 30 and the traveling actuator 19.

[0047] The autonomous driving ECU 30 is mainly composed of a computer including a processor 31, a memory 32, a storage 33, a communication interface 34, and a bus connecting these. The memory 32 is a rewritable volatile storage medium. The memory 32 is, for example, a RAM (Random Access Memory). The storage 33 is, for example, a rewritable non-volatile memory such as a flash memory. The storage 33 stores a vehicle control program which is a program executed by the processor 31. The vehicle control program also includes a gate response program which creates a driving plan when passing through a gate. The execution of the vehicle control program by the processor 31 corresponds to the execution of a vehicle control method.

[0048] The autonomous driving ECU 30 has a plurality of operation modes with different automation levels. Each operation mode has a different range of driving tasks that the driver is responsible for, in other words, a different range of driving tasks in which the system intervenes. The operation mode can be rephrased as a driving mode. Here, as an example, the autonomous driving ECU 30 is configured to be able to switch between a plurality of operation modes including at least a fully manual mode, a level 2 mode, and a level 3 mode.

[0049] The fully manual mode is an operation mode in which the driver performs all driving tasks. The fully manual mode corresponds to a mode in which the autonomous driving ECU 30 does not perform substantial vehicle control. The fully manual mode may be a mode in which the autonomous driving ECU 30 stops operating (so-called a stop mode). In the fully manual mode, the autonomous driving ECU 30 may continue to perform a recognition process of the driving environment in the background (in other words, potentially) as a preparatory process for transitioning to the level 2 or level 3 mode.

[0050] The level 2 mode is an operation mode in which an automatic driving control with a duty to monitor the surroundings is performed, in other words, a vehicle control equivalent to an automation level 2 is performed. The level 2 mode can be called a semi-automated driving mode or an eyes-on automatic driving mode. The level 2 mode may be subdivided into a hands-on level 2 mode and a hands-off level 2 mode. In the automatic driving ECU 30 of this embodiment, the hands-on level 2 mode is a mode in which the driver needs to hold the steering wheel. The hands-off level 2 mode is an operation mode in which the driver does not need to hold the steering wheel, in other words, an operation mode in which hands-off is permitted. Note that hands-on in this disclosure refers to holding the steering wheel. Hands-off refers to the act of taking your hands off the steering wheel. Eyes-on refers to monitoring the outside area (mainly the front) related to the moving direction of the vehicle. Eyes-off refers to the act of taking your eyes off the outside area related to the moving direction of the vehicle.

[0051] The level 3 mode is an operation mode that executes autonomous driving control without the obligation to monitor the surroundings, that is, vehicle control equivalent to automation level 3. The autonomous driving ECU 30 may be capable of executing autonomous driving control equivalent to level 4 or higher. The level 3 mode may be called an autonomous driving mode or an eyes-off autonomous driving mode. The autonomous driving ECU 30 may include multiple processors 31. The processor that executes autonomous driving control at level 3 or higher may be provided separately from the processor that executes vehicle control at level 2 or lower.

[0052] While in the autonomous driving mode, the autonomous driving ECU 30 automatically steers, accelerates, decelerates (in other words, brakes), etc. the vehicle so that the vehicle travels along a planned travel route toward a destination set by the driver. Even if a destination is not set, the autonomous driving ECU 30 may select a route to continue traveling / traveling within an area that satisfies the ODD, and continue autonomous traveling.

[0053] ODD may include, for example, (a) the road is an expressway or a motor vehicle-only road with a median strip and guardrails, (b) the amount of rainfall is equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, and (c) the vehicle is in a congested state. A motor vehicle-only road here is a road where pedestrians and bicycles are prohibited from entering, and includes, for example, toll roads such as expressways. A congested state refers to, for example, a state in which the driving speed is equal to or less than a congestion judgment value (for example, about 30 km / h) and there are other vehicles within a predetermined distance (for example, 20 m) in front of and behind the vehicle. In addition, (d) all / a predetermined number or more of the surrounding monitoring sensors 11 are operating normally, and (e) there are no parked vehicles on the road, etc., can also be included in ODD. The conditions for judging whether autonomous driving is possible / impossible, in other words, the detailed conditions for defining ODD, can be changed as appropriate.

[0054] In addition, the autonomous driving ECU 30 performs control for driving the vehicle substantially autonomously even while in the level 2 mode. That is, it recognizes the driving environment, plans the driving trajectory, and reflects / feeds back to the control. Reflection to the control includes speed adjustment by acceleration and deceleration, steering control, etc. In the following, the term "autonomous driving" can be replaced with semi-autonomous driving equivalent to level 2, unless otherwise noted.

[0055] In addition, the autonomous driving ECU 30 allows the driver to perform a second task in the autonomous driving mode. The second task allowed in level 3 autonomous driving may be limited to a task that allows the driver to immediately return to driving, such as reading or operating a smartphone. The autonomous driving mode is terminated due to the driver's steering / pedal operation (so-called override), as well as due to system limitations, exiting the ODD, etc.

[0056] <About the Autonomous Driving ECU Configuration> 2 as functional units realized by executing an automatic driving program. That is, the automatic driving ECU 30 has an information acquisition unit F1, an environment recognition unit F2, a mode control unit F3, a planning unit F4, and a control execution unit F5.

[0057] The information acquisition unit F1 is configured to acquire various information for implementing vehicle control such as autonomous driving and driving assistance. The information acquisition unit F1 acquires sensing data (i.e., detection results) from various surrounding monitoring sensors 11 including a camera 111. The sensing data includes data on objects present around the vehicle, such as moving bodies, features, and obstacles. Data on each detected object may include the position, moving speed, and type or size of the detected object.

[0058] The sensing data on features may include data on the detection results of lane markings and road edges. The data on lane markings may include not only position data but also line type data. The line type may be expressed as a continuous line (solid line) or a dashed line. The sensing data may also include data indicating the recognition status of lane markings, such as whether or not the lane markings can be recognized, and the recognition status of the road edges, such as whether or not the road edges can be recognized.

[0059] The information acquisition unit F1 also acquires data indicating the state of the vehicle, such as the vehicle's running speed, acceleration, yaw rate, and external illuminance, from the vehicle state sensor 12. Furthermore, the information acquisition unit F1 acquires vehicle position data from the locator 13. The information acquisition unit F1 acquires surrounding map information by referring to the map storage unit 14.

[0060] The information acquisition unit F1 acquires data transmitted from an external device in cooperation with the wireless communication device 15. For example, the information acquisition unit F1 may acquire vehicle information transmitted from a vehicle ahead via vehicle-to-vehicle communication. In addition, the information acquisition unit F1 acquires dynamic map data for a road section that the vehicle is scheduled to pass through within a predetermined time in cooperation with the wireless communication device 15. The dynamic map data here includes traffic congestion information, merging vehicle information, and the like.

[0061] The information acquisition unit F1 also acquires the driver's operation on the automatic driving system Sys based on a signal from the input device 23. For example, the information acquisition unit F1 acquires an instruction signal related to the start and end of automatic driving from the input device 23. The information acquisition unit F1 also acquires data related to the operation state of the automatic driving system Sys from various devices / software modules. For example, the information acquisition unit F1 also acquires data such as the operation state (on / off) of the ACC function and whether or not a preceding vehicle is recognized. The information acquisition unit F1 also manages the operation states of various components, such as whether or not the periphery monitoring sensor 11 is operating normally. The information acquisition unit F1 acquires driver state data indicating the eye opening degree and line of sight from the occupant state sensor 16.

[0062] Various data sequentially acquired by the information acquisition unit F1 is stored in a temporary storage medium such as the memory 32, and is used by the environment recognition unit F2, the mode control unit F3, and the like. The various pieces of information may be classified by type and stored in the memory 32. The various pieces of information may also be sorted and stored, for example, with the most recent data at the top. Data that has been acquired for a certain period of time may be discarded. In this disclosure, "acquisition" also includes generation / detection / determination by the autonomous driving ECU 30 itself through calculation based on data input from other devices / sensors. This is because the functional arrangement within the system can be changed as appropriate.

[0063] The environment recognition unit F2 recognizes the driving environment of the vehicle based on the vehicle position data, sensing data, and map data acquired by the information acquisition unit F1. The environment recognition unit F2 may recognize the driving environment of the vehicle by a sensor fusion process that integrates the detection results of multiple surrounding monitoring sensors 11, such as the camera 111 and the millimeter wave radar 112, with a predetermined weight.

[0064] The driving environment includes the curvature of the road, the number of lanes, the vehicle lane number, the weather, the road surface condition, the traffic volume, the remaining distance to the gate point, and the like. The vehicle lane number is a number indicating the position of the vehicle lane on the road, and is determined based on the left road edge. The vehicle lane number directly or indirectly indicates the number of lanes existing to the left of the vehicle lane. Of course, the vehicle lane number may be expressed based on the right road edge. The vehicle lane number may be specified using the distance from the road edge to the vehicle, the number of lane markings detected on the left and right, and part or all of the map data. The vehicle lane number may be specified from the map data and the vehicle position data. The vehicle lane number may be specified by the camera 111 or the locator 13. The weather and road surface condition can be specified by combining the recognition result of the camera 111 and the weather information acquired by the information acquisition unit F1. The road structure may be specified using the recognition result of the camera 111, map data, or trajectory information of a forward vehicle.

[0065] The environment recognition unit F2 acquires information on the structure of a road existing within a predetermined distance ahead of the vehicle based on at least one of an output signal of the perimeter monitoring sensor 11, a received signal from an external device, and map data. The road structure includes the location of a gate point, the location of a branch road, the number of lane markings, the road width, and the like. The environment recognition unit F2 acquires the remaining distance to the gate point as detailed information on the gate point. The remaining distance to the gate point may be acquired based on map data, or may be determined based on data of a guide sign detected by the camera 111. The environment recognition unit F2 may determine the remaining distance to the gate point based on behavior data or sensing data received from a vehicle ahead. The environment recognition unit F2 may acquire the number of gates and the payment method for each gate from the map data or the travel trajectory of the vehicle ahead. The environment recognition unit F2 may regard a gate that requires stopping to pass as a gate of a manual payment method, and a gate that the vehicle ahead passes through without stopping as a gate of an automatic payment method. The functional unit that acquires information related to the gate point in the environment recognition unit F2 corresponds to the gate recognition unit F21.

[0066] The driving environment includes the positions, types, and moving speeds of objects around the vehicle. The environment recognition unit F2 recognizes the positions and behaviors of surrounding vehicles based on various data acquired by the information acquisition unit F1. The software / hardware module in charge of the process of recognizing surrounding vehicles corresponds to the surrounding vehicle recognition unit F22. In addition, the environment recognition unit F2 acquires outside vehicle environment information related to ODD and driver state data.

[0067] The mode control unit F3 controls the operation mode of the autonomous driving ECU 30 based on various information acquired by the information acquisition unit F1. The operation mode is switched based on an operation signal input from the input device 23. For example, when the driving environment satisfies the ODD and an instruction signal to start autonomous driving is input from the input device 23, the mode control unit F3 switches the operation mode from the fully manual mode or the level 2 mode to the autonomous driving mode. In addition, when the mode control unit F3 predicts that the driving environment recognized by the environment recognition unit F2 will no longer satisfy the ODD during the autonomous driving mode, it may decide to transition to the fully manual mode and notify the planning unit F4 of that effect.

[0068] In addition, when an override operation by the driver is detected during the autonomous driving mode or level 2 mode, the mode control unit F3 switches to the fully manual mode. An override operation refers to an operation by the occupant on an operating member such as a steering wheel / pedals. When the autonomous driving ECU 30 detects that an override operation has been performed by the driver, it promptly transfers driving authority to the driver and notifies the driver by voice output or the like that the driving has been switched to manual driving. Note that the operation mode to which the vehicle transitions when the autonomous driving mode ends may be the level 2 mode.

[0069] The planning unit F4 is configured to plan the control contents to be executed as level 2 or higher autonomous driving. The planning unit F4 can be enabled when the operation mode is level 3 or level 2 mode. While in level 3 or level 2 mode, the planning unit F4 generates a driving plan for autonomous driving based on the recognition result of the driving environment by the environment recognition unit F2. The driving plan can also be called a control plan. The driving plan includes a driving position for each time, a target speed, a steering angle, and the like. That is, the driving plan can include schedule information of acceleration / deceleration for speed adjustment on the calculated route and schedule information of steering amount.

[0070] For example, the planning unit F4 performs a route search process as a medium- to long-term driving plan, and determines a planned driving route from the vehicle's position to the destination. If the destination is not set, the planning unit F4 may select a route on which autonomous driving can be continued as the planned driving route. The planned driving route includes data on roads to be traveled within a predetermined time (for example, 10 minutes) from now.

[0071] The planning unit F4 generates a driving plan for changing lanes, a driving plan for driving in the center of the lane, a driving plan for following the preceding vehicle, and a driving plan for avoiding obstacles as a short-term control plan for driving according to the mid- to long-term driving plan. For example, the planning unit F4 generates a driving plan for driving in the center of the recognized lane of the vehicle as a short-term control plan, or generates a driving plan for a route that follows the behavior or driving trajectory of the recognized preceding vehicle as a driving plan. The control plan created by the planning unit F4 is input to the control execution unit F5.

[0072] The planning unit F4 formulates plans for notification processing to the occupants using notification devices such as the display 21, in addition to control plans directly related to the running of the vehicle. For example, the planning unit F4 plans the timing of executing notifications / requests to the driver, such as behavior notification, mode change notification, eyes-on request, hands-on request, and TOR (Take Over Request) notification. The behavior notification is a process of notifying the driver of planned vehicle behavior such as lane change, overtaking, deceleration, etc. The behavior notification also includes a notification of the behavior of the vehicle planned at a gate point, such as the gate number to be passed through. The mode change notification is a process of notifying the driver that the operation mode will be changed or that the operation mode will be changed.

[0073] The eyes-on request is a process that requests the driver to monitor the surroundings just in case in level 3 mode. The hands-on request is a process that requests the driver to lightly grip the steering wheel in level 3 mode or hands-off level 2 mode. The TOR notice is a process that notifies the driver that the possibility of TOR is increasing. TOR requests the driver to take over driving operations, in other words, ends automated driving.

[0074] Various notifications, including advance notices and requests, include displaying an icon image according to the content on the display 21. Various notifications may be accompanied by some or all of the following, depending on the importance and urgency: output of a notification sound, output of a voice message, blinking of the ambient light, and vibration of the vibrator.

[0075] The control execution unit F5 generates control commands based on the control plan formulated by the planning unit F4, and sequentially outputs them to the traveling actuator 19, the display 21, etc. The control execution unit F5 also controls the lighting state of turn signals, headlights, hazard lights, etc. according to the driving plan and the external environment, based on the plan of the planning unit F4 and the external environment.

[0076] The control execution unit F5 includes an ACC system F51 as a subsystem for executing control to follow the preceding vehicle. The ACC system F51 executes control to follow the preceding vehicle based on the plan created by the planner F4. That is, when the ACC system F51 can recognize the preceding vehicle, it controls the vehicle speed so that the inter-vehicle distance / inter-vehicle time from the preceding vehicle is constant within the range of the set vehicle speed. When the ACC system F51 does not recognize the preceding vehicle, it maintains the set vehicle speed. The ACC system F51 can also be called a control unit for following the preceding vehicle.

[0077] The control execution unit F5 includes a notification control unit F52 as a subsystem for making notifications / suggestions to the driver using notification devices such as the display 21 and the speaker 22. Various notifications / suggestions can be realized by displaying an image on the display 21 or outputting a voice message from the speaker 22.

[0078] For example, at the timing set by the planning unit F4, the notification control unit F52 notifies information indicating the planned behavior of the vehicle at a gate point that the vehicle will reach within a predetermined time, using at least one of the display 21 and the speaker 22. More specifically, the notification control unit F52 outputs, to the display 21 or the speaker 22, image data or audio data indicating a target gate that is a gate to be passed through, a trajectory before passing through the gate, a trajectory after passing through the gate, and the like.

[0079] The functional arrangement of the planning unit F4 and the control execution unit F5 can be changed as appropriate. They may be integrated. A software / hardware module including the planning unit F4 and the control execution unit F5 corresponds to the vehicle control unit Fn.

[0080] <Response to gate points> Here, the operation of the autonomous driving ECU 30 in a scene in which the vehicle travels within a predetermined distance from a gate point in level 2 or level 3 mode will be described using the flowchart shown in Fig. 3. The flowchart shown in Fig. 3 may be executed periodically while the vehicle is in level 2 / level 3 mode. The flowchart shown in Fig. 3 includes steps S101 to S110, as an example. The description of the processor 31 as the entity that executes the following steps may be replaced with an information acquisition unit F1, an environment recognition unit F2, a mode control unit F3, a planning unit F4, or a control execution unit F5 depending on the context.

[0081] Step S101 is a step in which the processor 31 acquires various information. The information acquisition unit F1 acquires, for example, the vehicle position coordinates, the vehicle lane number, the planned driving route, the remaining distance to the gate point, information on surrounding vehicles, and the like. The information on surrounding vehicles includes the presence or absence of a preceding vehicle. If a preceding vehicle exists, the information on surrounding vehicles also includes the distance between the preceding vehicle and the vehicle and the relative speed. The information on surrounding vehicles also includes the positions and speeds of other vehicles other than the preceding vehicle. Note that the process equivalent to step S101 is also periodically executed after S103.

[0082] Step S102 is a step for determining whether the remaining distance to the gate point is equal to or less than a predetermined preparation start distance. The remaining distance to the gate point is the distance from the vehicle to the gate point in the extension direction of the road. The preparation start distance is, for example, 500 m. The preparation start distance may be 250 m or 750 m. As described above, the output of the perimeter monitoring sensor 11, data received from an external device, map data, etc. can be used to determine the remaining distance to the gate point.

[0083] The preparation start distance may be dynamically determined according to the travel speed and the type of travel road. The preparation start distance may be defined in terms of the length of time until the vehicle reaches the gate point. The preparation start distance may be set to a longer value as the number of lanes of the road currently traveled increases. The preparation start distance may be set to a longer value as the number of gates installed at the gate point ahead increases. In this disclosure, a road section in which the remaining distance to the gate point is equal to or less than a predetermined preparation start distance is also referred to as a preparation section. "Dy" shown in each figure indicates the remaining distance to the gate point. Also, "Dstb" shown in FIG. 3 indicates the preparation start distance. The description of the remaining distance to the gate point can be appropriately rephrased as the remaining distance to the target gate.

[0084] If the remaining distance to the gate point is equal to or less than the preparation start distance (S102 YES), the processor 31 executes the sequence from step S103 onwards. That is, the processing from step S103 onwards is executed based on the fact that the remaining distance to the gate point is less than a predetermined preparation start threshold. On the other hand, if the remaining distance to the gate point exceeds the preparation start distance (S102 NO), this flow is terminated. When this flow is terminated, this flow may be re-executed if a predetermined pause time has elapsed since the end point. The pause time may be set to, for example, 500 milliseconds, 1 second, 2 seconds, etc.

[0085] Step S103 is a step of setting a target gate. The target gate is a gate through which the vehicle passes among a plurality of gates provided at the gate point. The setting of the target gate may be executed before the remaining distance to the gate point becomes equal to or less than the preparation start distance. The processor 31 sets, as the target gate, a gate among the plurality of gates that corresponds to a post-gate road, which is a road along which the vehicle is scheduled to travel after passing the gate point.

[0086] A gate corresponding to a road after a gate refers to a gate located in front of the road after a gate, in other words, a gate that can be entered into the road after a gate by driving straight after passing through the gate. A gate corresponding to a road after a gate can be interpreted as a gate that continues to the road after a gate. From the opposite perspective, a road corresponding to a certain gate can be interpreted as a road located in front of the gate, a road closest to the gate, or a road that continues along the nearest road edge from the gate. Note that when there are multiple gates corresponding to the road after a gate, the processor 31 may set the gate closest to the extension of the current vehicle lane as the target gate.

[0087] For example, as shown in FIG. 4, when the road behind the gate point branches into a first road Rt1 and a second road Rt2, and the second road Rt2 corresponds to the road after the gate for the vehicle, the third gate Gt3 is set as the target gate. In addition to the third gate Gt3, the fourth gate Gt4 is also a gate corresponding to the second road Rt2 as the road after the gate. The third gate Gt3 is closer to the vehicle lane than the fourth gate Gt4. Therefore, in the scene shown in FIG. 4, the processor 31 can set the third gate Gt3 as the target gate. In FIG. 4, "Hv" is a symbol indicating the vehicle.

[0088] Of course, if the third gate Gt3 satisfies a specific non-use condition, the processor 31 may set the fourth gate Gt4 as the target gate instead of the third gate Gt3. The non-use condition is satisfied, for example, when the gate is closed, when the settlement method is a manual settlement method, when the third gate Gt3 is more crowded than the fourth gate Gt4, etc. The algorithm for selecting the target gate may be changed as appropriate. The processor 31 may select the target gate from among the gates that allow the automatic settlement method.

[0089] However, when the vehicle is unable to carry out the automatic settlement process, the processor 31 may select a target gate from among gates that allow manual settlement. A case where the automatic settlement process is unable to be carried out refers to a case where a card for automatic settlement is not inserted in a specified vehicle-mounted device. When there is only one gate through which the vehicle can pass in terms of the settlement method, etc., the processor 31 may set that gate as the target gate. When there is only one gate available due to a blockade, etc., the processor 31 may also set that gate as the target gate. In addition, when a destination is not set, the processor 31 may set a gate on an extension of the vehicle lane as the target gate. In addition, when a destination is not set, the processor 31 may set a road on which the level 3 mode can be maintained as a post-gate road and then set that gate as the target gate.

[0090] When the setting of the target gate is completed, processor 31 determines whether or not a prior lane change is necessary to pass through the target gate based on the relationship between the position of the target gate and the current vehicle position (S104). A prior lane change refers to a lane change in a section some distance away from the gate, not just before the gate. For example, a lane change in a section 50 m or more away from the gate corresponds to a prior lane change to pass through the gate. A prior lane change corresponds to an example of lateral movement toward the target gate. The determination of whether or not a prior lane change is necessary includes steps S201 to S210, for example, as shown in FIG. 5.

[0091] Step S201 is a step for identifying a front gate that is a gate corresponding to the current vehicle lane. The front gate is a gate that exists on an extension of the vehicle lane. Step S202 is a step for determining whether the front gate coincides with a target gate. If the front gate coincides with the target gate (S202 YES), the processor 31 determines that a lane change is not necessary (S203).

[0092] On the other hand, if the front gate does not match the target gate (S202 NO), the processor 31 determines whether or not the target gate exists to the right of the front gate (S204). If the target gate exists to the right of the front gate (S204 YES), the processor 31 further determines whether or not another lane exists to the right of the host vehicle lane (S205). If another lane exists to the right of the host vehicle lane (S205 YES), the processor 31 sets the right lane change flag to on (S206). The right lane change flag is a flag indicating that the host vehicle needs to change lanes to the right. "LC" in FIGS. 3, 5, etc. and in this document stands for lane change. If no other lane exists to the right of the host vehicle lane (S205 NO), the processor 31 sets the right movement hold flag to on (S207). The right movement hold flag is a flag indicating that the host vehicle needs to start moving when it becomes possible to move to the right due to road widening or the like. When a flag is set to off, it means that the processor 31 does not need to execute the control associated with the flag.

[0093] Furthermore, if the target gate is to the left of the front gate (S204 NO), processor 31 determines whether or not there is another lane to the left of the host vehicle lane (S208). If there is another lane to the left of the host vehicle lane (S208 YES), processor 31 sets the left lane change flag to on (S209). The left lane change flag is a flag indicating that it is necessary to change lanes to the left. If there is no other lane to the left of the host vehicle lane (S208 NO), processor 31 sets the left movement pending flag to on (S210). The left movement pending flag is a flag indicating that it is necessary to start moving leftward at the timing when the road becomes widened and the host vehicle is able to move leftward.

[0094] In the above determination process, the case where the right or left lane change flag is on corresponds to the case where a lane change is required in advance (S104 YES). In addition, the case where the target gate and the front gate are the same, and the case where a lane change is not possible due to the road structure correspond to the case where a lane change is not required (S104 NO).

[0095] If a lane change is not required (S104 NO), the processor 31 executes normal control (S105). Normal control is control in which the vehicle travels along the road toward the target gate, in other words, control in which a large lateral movement equivalent to a lane change is not executed. Note that even when normal control is executed, if the right movement pending flag or the left movement pending flag is on, the vehicle starts lateral movement toward the target gate, for example, when the vehicle enters a laneless section before the gate or a road width widening section.

[0096] In the present disclosure, a laneless section is a section where lane markings are not applied to the road surface. A laneless section also includes a section where markings / paints are added only to the road leading to some gates. Such a laneless section may exist before or after a gate. A laneless section before a gate is a laneless section that exists on the entrance side of a gate. A laneless section after a gate is a laneless section that exists on the exit side of a gate. A driving trajectory in a laneless section before a gate may be set to connect the end of the vehicle lane and a target gate. A laneless section is often a section where the road width is temporarily expanded as a gate point. Therefore, the description of a laneless section may be replaced with a road width expansion section.

[0097] When the processor 31 determines that a lane change is necessary (S104 YES), it determines whether the remaining distance to the gate point is less than a predetermined LC start distance (S106). The LC start distance is a parameter for starting a lane change toward the target gate. The LC start distance can be set to a value smaller than the preparation start distance. The LC start distance may be the same as the preparation start distance described above. "Dlc" in the figure indicates the LC start distance. The LC start distance corresponds to the first distance. The preparation start distance and the LC start distance are set to values ​​greater than the length of the area in front of the gate so as to include the area in front of the gate described below.

[0098] If the remaining distance to the gate point is less than the LC start distance, processor 31 starts attempting to change lanes in the direction of the target gate (S107). Whether or not a lane change can actually be made depends on the traffic conditions in the target lane. Step S108 is a step for determining whether or not a lane change has been made. If a lane change has been made (S108 YES), normal control is executed (S105).

[0099] On the other hand, if the lane change is incomplete, it is periodically determined whether or not the vehicle has entered the area in front of the gate (S109). The area in front of the gate is a road section within a specified distance ahead of the gate point. In front of the gate corresponds to the direction opposite to the direction of travel. Note that, behind the gate corresponds to the direction of travel (passing direction) set for the road or gate. The distance considered to be the area in front of the gate corresponds to the second distance. The second distance may be a constant value such as 50 m, 100 m, or 150 m. Alternatively, the second distance may be set to a larger value the more gates there are. The area in front of the gate may be a laneless section in front of the gate. In that case, the length of the laneless section in front of the gate may correspond to the second distance.

[0100] When the lane change has not been completed even when the vehicle enters the area in front of the gate (YES in S109), the processor 31 executes temporary control. The temporary control corresponds to control when it is difficult to move in advance to a lane suitable for passing through the target gate. In the temporary control, the amount of lateral movement immediately before the gate may be relatively large compared to the normal control. Therefore, in the temporary control, the distance to the surrounding vehicles is shortened, and the possibility of reaching the system limit may be higher than when the normal control is executed.

[0101] The temporary control may include steps S301 to S306, for example, as shown in FIG. 6. Step S301 is a step of executing an eyes-on request. Step S301 corresponds to a step in which the system requests the driver to monitor the surrounding situation based on the fact that the vehicle has entered the area in front of the gate but has not been able to move to the lane corresponding to the target gate. By including an eyes-on request in the temporary control, it becomes easier for the driver to take over driving operations. The display of the icon image requesting eyes-on may continue until the vehicle reaches the front of the target gate.

[0102] Step S302 is a step for attempting lateral movement toward the target gate. Lateral movement here includes moving sideways while moving forward, that is, moving forward with the steering angle set to a predetermined value or more. Lateral movement can also be called a course change. Lateral movement includes lane changes, as well as moving diagonally right or left in a laneless section. An attempt at lateral movement can include moving along the road (straight) with the turn signal lamps on.

[0103] The lateral movement attempt may be continued even in a road section where lane markings are provided. The lateral movement attempt may also be continued after entering a laneless section in front of a gate. The speed during the lateral movement attempt may be limited to a predetermined value or less. The target speed during the lateral movement attempt may be set to a value that is a predetermined amount smaller than the driver's setting value. The target speed here is a target value when performing vehicle speed control. When performing a lateral movement attempt in a laneless section, the processor 31 may turn on the hazard lights. The lateral movement performed in step S302 also corresponds to a lateral movement in the direction in which the target gate exists.

[0104] Step S303 is a step for judging whether the vehicle has entered an explicit / virtual lane leading to the target gate. An explicit lane leading to the target gate refers to a lane that is actually defined by lane lines extending from the gate in the opposite direction of travel. A virtual lane refers to a lane that does not have lane lines but is estimated from the direction of the gate. A virtual lane can be determined from the trajectory of other vehicles, the direction in which the vehicle queue extends, the direction connecting the gate and the road, etc.

[0105] The lane leading to the target gate is, simply, the road surface area located in front of the target gate. Therefore, step S303 can be interpreted as a step of determining whether or not the host vehicle has been able to reach the front of the target gate. If there is a line of vehicles in front of the target gate, the host vehicle reaching the end of the line of vehicles is also included in the case of being able to reach the front of the target gate. If the host vehicle has been able to reach the front of the target gate (S303 YES), the processor 31 may return to normal control (S308). For example, returning to normal control may include stopping the illumination of the turn signals or hazard lights, stopping the display on the exterior display device 18, and the like.

[0106] Step S304 is a step for determining whether the remaining distance to the gate point is less than a predetermined gate change distance. The gate change distance is the distance at which the target gate is changed to the gate closest to the target gate within the reachable range from the current vehicle position. In order to distinguish it from the changed target gate, the original target gate is also referred to as the first desired gate here. The changed target gate is also referred to as the second desired gate.

[0107] The gate change distance can be understood as one of the parameters that specifies the conditions for giving up on reaching the first desired gate. "Dc" in the figure represents the gate change distance. The gate change distance may be a constant value, such as 25m, 50m, or 75m. The gate change distance may also be set to a value according to the length of the laneless section before the gate, such as 50% or 25% of the length of the laneless section before the gate. The gate change distance is set to be smaller than the second distance, which is the length of the area before the gate. In the present disclosure, the gate change distance may also be referred to as the third distance.

[0108] If the remaining distance to the gate point falls short of the gate change distance but the vehicle has not yet reached the front of the first desired gate (S304 YES), processor 31 changes the target gate to the second desired gate (S305). As described above, the second desired gate is the gate that is closest to the first desired gate among the gates that the vehicle can reasonably reach with the remaining distance. The gate that is in front of the vehicle when the remaining distance falls short of the gate change distance can become the second desired gate. With the above configuration, lateral movement immediately before the gate is restricted, thereby reducing the risk of contact with surrounding vehicles.

[0109] Step S306 is a step of passing through the second desired gate in an automatic driving mode. The processor 31 performs a TOR notice based on the passing through the second desired gate (S307). When the second desired gate is passed, the amount of lateral movement after passing through the gate is larger than when the first desired gate is passed. Also, in order for the vehicle to enter the road after the gate, the vehicle needs to cut in between other vehicles that have passed through the first desired gate. In this way, when the second desired gate is passed, there is a high possibility that the system limit will be reached. By notifying the driver of the possibility of TOR in advance, a smooth driving handover can be realized.

[0110] The above-mentioned temporary control corresponds to control to give a TOR notice when the remaining distance to the gate point is less than the gate change distance but the vehicle is unable to move to the lane following the first desired gate. The TOR notice may be given at a timing when the remaining distance to the gate point is less than the second distance but the vehicle is unable to move to the lane following the first desired gate. The processor 31 may give a TOR notice before passing through the second desired gate. The execution conditions and execution timing of step S307 can be changed as appropriate.

[0111] In addition, in a situation where the right movement pending flag is set to on, if a drivable space is created on the right side due to road widening or the like, processor 31 may drive the vehicle toward the target gate on a trajectory that is approximately parallel to the right road edge. In addition, in a situation where the left movement pending flag is set to on, if a drivable space is created on the left side of the host vehicle due to road widening or the like, processor 31 may drive the vehicle toward the target gate on a trajectory that is approximately parallel to the left road edge.

[0112] <Example of operation mode control> The processor 31 may automatically change the operation mode depending on the position of the vehicle relative to the gate point, as shown in Fig. 7. Fig. 7 illustrates a pattern in which the processor 31 maintains the level 3 mode in the normal area, but transitions to the level 2 mode near the gate. The processor 31 may be in the hands-off level 2 mode in the area before the gate, and transition to the hands-on level 2 mode in the area after the gate. Notification of the mode change is performed at any time.

[0113] Vehicle tracks are more likely to cross after the gate than before the gate. Therefore, when driving in the area immediately after passing through the gate, there is a high possibility that advanced judgment or communication with other vehicles will be required. By lowering the automation level after passing through the gate compared to before passing through the gate, the driver may be able to respond appropriately at his / her own judgment in the above-mentioned scenario. As a result, smooth traffic can be achieved.

[0114] The post-gate area here refers to an area within 50 m or 100 m from the gate in the road extension direction. The processor 31 may regard the laneless section after the gate as the post-gate area. If there is a branch point behind the gate, the processor 31 may regard the area up to the branch point as the post-gate area. The normal area refers to an area that is neither the pre-gate area nor the post-gate area.

[0115] Of course, the processor 31 may apply the hands-off level 2 mode when traveling in the post-gate area as well as when traveling in the pre-gate area. The operation mode after passing through the gate may be changed depending on whether or not the first desired gate has been reached. The processor 31 may maintain the hands-off level 2 mode even after passing through the gate if the first desired gate has been passed, but may set the operation mode after passing through the gate to the hands-on level 2 mode if the first desired gate has not been passed.

[0116] In addition, since the amount of lateral movement is large in the area in front of the gate, it is considered that the driver should be more involved in the driving operation when traveling in the area in front of the gate than when traveling in the area after the gate. Therefore, the processor 31 may be configured to be in the hands-on level 2 mode in the area in front of the gate and in the hands-off level 2 mode in the area after the gate, as shown in Fig. 8. This control policy also has the effect of making it easier for the driver to pass through a gate according to his / her preference.

[0117] Also, as shown in FIG. 9, the processor 31 may continue to maintain the level 3 mode even when passing through a gate. In that case, the processor 31 may request the driver to keep his / her eyes on or hands on while maintaining the level 3 mode. Furthermore, the TOR notice may be performed depending on whether the first desired gate has been passed and whether lateral movement is required after passing through the gate. According to this configuration, the driver acts as a partner / assistant in the driving operation, and safety may be improved. In addition, there is also an advantage that the driver can smoothly take over the driving operation even when it is actually necessary to switch driving from the system to the driver. In this way, the processor 31 may maintain the level 3 mode in the area before the gate. The processor 31 may shift from the level 3 mode to the level 2 mode when lateral movement is required toward the road after the gate after passing through the gate.

[0118] The above describes the case where the operation mode is the level 3 mode when the distance to the gate point is less than the preparation start distance. The above description is also applicable to the case where the operation mode is the hands-off level 2 mode when the distance to the gate point is less than the preparation start distance. For example, as shown in FIG. 10, the hands-off level mode may be applied in the normal area, while the hands-on level 2 mode may be switched to in the post-gate area. Whether or not to maintain the hands-off level 2 mode in the pre-gate area may be changed depending on whether or not lateral movement is required in the pre-gate area. If lateral movement is not required in the post-gate area, the processor 31 may also maintain the hands-off level 2 mode in the post-gate area.

[0119] <Example of target gate settings> The target gate as the first desired gate does not necessarily have to be set to a gate located in front of the road behind the gate. The processor 31 may select the first desired gate from among gates that do not correspond to the road behind the gate, as long as the lateral movement amount in front of the gate is equal to or greater than the lateral movement amount behind the gate.

[0120] The amount of lateral movement before the gate here is the amount of lateral movement before passing through the gate. The amount of lateral movement before the gate is expressed by the number of lane changes before passing through the gate, etc. The amount of lateral movement after the gate is the amount of lateral movement required to enter the road after the gate after passing through the gate. In this disclosure, the amount of movement required to pass through the gate is also referred to as the total lateral movement amount. The total lateral movement amount is the lateral distance from the front gate corresponding to the vehicle's lane at the time when the distance to the gate point becomes less than the preparation start distance, to the gate corresponding to the road after the gate. The amount of lateral movement after the gate is a value obtained by subtracting the amount of lateral movement before the gate from the total lateral movement amount.

[0121] It is preferable that the processor 31 sets, as the first desired gate, a gate that has as small a lateral movement after the gate as possible from among the gates that do not correspond to the road after the gate. For the sake of simplicity, the amount of lateral movement is expressed here as the number of lanes / number of gates, but in practice it may be expressed in meters or the like.

[0122] For example, as shown in FIG. 12, when the vehicle moves from the first lane to the second road Rt2, the total lateral movement amount is four lanes. This is because the front gate is the second gate Gt2, and the nearest gate among the gates corresponding to the second road Rt2 is the sixth gate Gt6. In order to clearly indicate the front gate of the vehicle lane and the gate corresponding to the second road Rt2 in the figure, the imaginary extension line from the vehicle lane to the gate and the extension line from the second road Rt2 to the gate are shown with hatching in a dot pattern. Note that the seventh gate Gt7 and the eighth gate Gt8 also correspond to the gate corresponding to the second road Rt2. The gate located to the left of the fifth gate Gt5 in FIG. 11 is the gate corresponding to the first road Rt1.

[0123] As shown in FIG. 11, when the total lateral movement amount is 4, the processor 31 may allocate the gate front lateral movement amount to 3 and the gate rear lateral movement amount to 1, and set the fifth gate Gt5 as the target gate. In a situation where the host vehicle is in the gate front area, the gate makes it difficult to detect an object in the gate rear area. If the target gate is set so that the gate rear lateral movement amount is larger than the gate front lateral movement amount, the difficulty of control after passing through the gate increases. This is because there is a possibility that an obstacle that was not detected before passing through the gate may be present. When the gate front area and the gate rear area are compared, the gate front area is less likely to overlook surrounding vehicles. By setting the target gate so that the gate front lateral movement amount is equal to or larger than the gate rear lateral movement amount, safety can be improved.

[0124] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing the operation of the processor 31 corresponding to the above technical idea. Step S401 is a step for determining whether or not lateral movement is necessary to enter the road after the gate. Step S401 may include a process for identifying the front gate corresponding to the current vehicle lane and the gate corresponding to the road after the gate, and calculating the total lateral movement amount. Note that if the front gate corresponds to the road after the gate, the total lateral movement amount may be 0. Step S401 may be performed when the remaining distance to the gate point becomes less than a predetermined value. The predetermined value here may be the preparation start distance, or may be a value different from the preparation start distance.

[0125] Step S402 is a step of setting a target gate so that the amount of lateral movement before the gate is equal to or greater than the amount of lateral movement after the gate, and creating a travel route. At that time, it is preferable to set the target gate so that the amount of lateral movement after the gate is as small as possible. In the figure, "ΔX_bfr" represents the amount of lateral movement before the gate, and "ΔX_aft" represents the amount of lateral movement after the gate.

[0126] <Example of operation when moving laterally in the post-gate area> 13, when the vehicle needs to move laterally in the post-gate area (S501), the processor 31 may execute external notification control immediately after passing through the gate (S502). The external notification control is a control for notifying surrounding vehicles of the moving direction of the vehicle.

[0127] The external notification control may be the operation of a turn indicator. The external notification control may be a control that alternates between turning on a hazard lamp and turning on a turn indicator. The external notification control may include sounding a horn. The external notification control may include displaying on the external display device 18 an image indicating the moving direction of the vehicle, or an image requesting permission to cut in for a rear vehicle present in the moving direction. The external notification control may include turning on / flashing a welcome lamp in the moving direction. The external notification control may be a control that sequentially operates a plurality of devices that output light / sound toward the outside of the vehicle. For example, the external notification control may include a sequence that performs at least one of turning on a hazard lamp, operating a horn, and displaying an image indicating the moving direction on the external display device 18 after activating a turn indicator.

[0128] The external notification control may be a control to blink the direction indicator in a pattern different from that in normal times. Components of the blinking pattern include the rhythm and speed of blinking, the ratio of the time to turn on and off, and the speed at which the indicator becomes bright. The external notification control may be a control to blink the direction indicator corresponding to the moving direction at a blinking speed higher than normal times. Normal times refer to scenes other than immediately before or after a gate, such as when turning right or left or when changing lanes in a straight section. In this disclosure, the speed at which the direction indicator blinks in normal times is referred to as the first blinking speed, and the blinking speed in the external notification control is referred to as the second blinking speed. The first blinking speed may be 70 times / minute, for example. The second blinking speed is set to a value that is a predetermined amount larger than the first blinking speed. The second blinking speed may be set to the maximum value of the blinking speed stipulated by law, etc. For example, the second blinking speed may be set to 120 times / minute or 100 times / minute. The processor 31 may continue the external notification control until the lateral movement is completed, or may stop the external notification control at a timing when a certain time has elapsed since the start of execution.

[0129] The processor 31 may also perform external notification control during an attempt to move laterally while traveling in a laneless section before a gate. The intensity (appeal) of the notification in the external notification control before the gate may be weaker than that in the external notification control after the gate. The faster the blinking speed or the greater the light intensity, the higher the notification intensity. Also, the more devices are used for the external notification control, the higher the notification intensity. These controls correspond to performing at least one of the following when moving laterally in a laneless section: activating the turn signal, turning on the hazard lamps, activating the horn, and displaying an image indicating the direction of movement on the external display device 18.

[0130] In addition, even if the first desired gate cannot be passed, if there is no need to change lanes immediately after passing through the gate, the processor 31 may change lanes after proceeding a certain distance. A case in which there is no need to change lanes immediately after passing through a gate is, for example, a case in which the distance from the gate to the branch point is 300 m or more. The LC release distance, which is the distance at which lane changes are released when there is no need to change lanes immediately after passing through a gate, may be 100 m, 200 m, or the like.

[0131] The connection point between the branch road and the main road corresponds to the final change point, which is the point where the processor 31 needs to complete the lane change. Cases where it is not necessary to immediately change lanes include cases where the distance from the gate point to the final change point is equal to or greater than the LC release distance. Even if the first desired gate cannot be passed, the processor 31 may be configured to attempt a lane change after passing through the gate area if it is not necessary to immediately change lanes. It is expected that the course of surrounding vehicles is more stable in the normal area than in the post-gate area. With the above configuration, lane changes can be performed more safely.

[0132] <Control of preceding vehicle following function> 14, when the preceding vehicle is being followed at the timing when the remaining distance to the gate point becomes less than a predetermined value (YES in S601), processor 31 may turn off the function of following the preceding vehicle (S602). This is because the gate through which the preceding vehicle wants to pass may be different from the target gate of the host vehicle. Processor 31 may also cancel the following state based on the fact that the preceding vehicle starts to move laterally toward a gate different from the target gate of the host vehicle.

[0133] When the adaptive cruise control is turned off in the gate area, the processor 31 may set the target speed to a base speed for passing through the gate (S603). "Vbs" in the figure represents the base speed. The base speed may be a constant value such as 20 km. The base speed may be a value obtained by multiplying the upper limit speed by a predetermined coefficient. The upper limit speed is the maximum speed at which the gate can be passed. The upper limit speed may be a constant value, or a unique value for each gate may be dynamically applied. The processor 31 may obtain the upper limit speed for the gate by referring to map data, or by performing image recognition of a speed sign installed near the gate. The processor 31 may also obtain the upper limit speed by wireless communication with a roadside device.

[0134] Of course, the processor 31 may keep the preceding vehicle following function on even near the gate. In that case, the processor 31 may change the gate passing speed depending on whether or not the preceding vehicle can be recognized. The gate passing speed is a set vehicle speed when passing through the gate, in other words, a target value of the speed. When the processor 31 can recognize the preceding vehicle at a point a predetermined distance (e.g., 15 m) before the gate, the processor 31 sets the gate passing speed to a value higher by a predetermined amount than when the preceding vehicle cannot be recognized. For convenience, the speed applied when the preceding vehicle cannot be recognized is referred to as the first speed, and the speed applied when the preceding vehicle can be recognized is referred to as the second speed. Both the first speed and the second speed are set to values ​​smaller than the upper limit passing speed.

[0135] For example, when the upper passing speed limit is set to 20km / h, the first speed may be set to 10km / h and the second speed may be set to 20km / h. If the upper passing speed limit is Vmx, the first speed is Vgt1, and the second speed is Vgt2, then Vgt1 may be determined as Vgt1=α·Vmx and Vgt2=β·Vmx. β is a coefficient set to a value of, for example, 0.8 or more and 1.0 or less. α is set to a value of 0.5 or more and less than β. α may be any value less than β.

[0136] In some cases, when the vehicle ahead is recognized and is being followed, it is preferable to maintain the state of following the vehicle ahead as long as possible. By adopting the fastest possible value within the range of the upper limit speed as the gate passing speed while following the vehicle ahead, the risk of losing the vehicle ahead can be reduced. Note that, if the distance to the vehicle ahead falls below a predetermined value as a result of applying the second speed, the processor 31 may decelerate to maintain an appropriate distance / time between the vehicles ahead.

[0137] Fig. 15 is a flow chart showing an example of the operation of the processor 31 corresponding to the above technical concept. Step S610 is a step for judging whether or not a preceding vehicle can be recognized at a point a predetermined distance before the gate. If a preceding vehicle is not recognized in front of the gate (S611 NO), the processor 31 sets the gate passing speed to a first speed, whereas if a preceding vehicle is recognized in front of the gate, the processor 31 sets the gate passing speed to a second speed. In the figure, "Vgt" represents the gate passing speed, "Vgt1" represents the first speed, and "Vgt2" represents the second speed.

[0138] Furthermore, when the processor 31 recognizes a preceding vehicle a predetermined distance before the gate, the processor 31 may use the speed at which the preceding vehicle passes through the gate as the gate passing speed of the host vehicle. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, when the processor 31 recognizes a preceding vehicle before the gate (S621 YES), the processor 31 acquires the speed at which the preceding vehicle passes through the gate (S623). "Vprevc" in the figure represents the speed at which the preceding vehicle passes through the gate. Then, the processor 31 sets the gate passing speed of the host vehicle to the speed at which the preceding vehicle passes through the gate (S624). Note that when the processor 31 does not recognize a preceding vehicle before the gate (S621 NO), the processor 31 sets the gate passing speed to the base speed (S622). "Vbs" in the figure represents the base speed.

[0139] The preceding vehicle may accelerate after passing through the gate. On the other hand, it is not desirable for the host vehicle to accelerate before passing through the gate. With the above configuration, the real-time speed of the preceding vehicle is not followed. With the above configuration, it is possible to suppress unnecessary acceleration before passing through the gate.

[0140] <Summary of the Examples> The processor 31 starts moving to the lane leading to the target gate when the remaining distance to the gate point becomes less than a predetermined value. With this configuration, it is possible to approach the target gate step by step with plenty of time. In other words, the amount of lateral movement just before the gate can be reduced. Not only the area after the gate, but also the area just before the gate is a section where the trajectories of vehicles are relatively likely to cross. With the above configuration, it is possible to further reduce the possibility of abnormal closeness with another vehicle near the gate. Abnormal closeness here refers to a state where the vehicles are so close that the driver feels the risk of contact, for example, a state where the distance between the vehicles is less than 0.5 m.

[0141] When the remaining distance to the target gate is less than a predetermined value but the movement to the lane leading to the target gate is not completed, the processor 31 notifies the driver that the automatic driving control may be terminated. According to this configuration, even if the vehicle falls into a situation where it is necessary to perform TOR, a smooth driving handover can be made.

[0142] In addition, the processor 31 may change the target speed when passing through the target gate depending on whether or not the preceding vehicle is recognized. For example, if the preceding vehicle is not recognized, a relatively slow first speed is applied to the target speed, whereas if the preceding vehicle is recognized, a relatively fast second speed is applied to the target speed. This configuration can reduce the risk of losing the preceding vehicle. Also, if the preceding vehicle is not recognized, the vehicle passes through the gate at a slower speed than if the preceding vehicle is recognized, thereby improving safety.

[0143] Of course, if the processor 31 can recognize the preceding vehicle, the speed at which the preceding vehicle passes through the gate may be used as the target speed. This control corresponds to reproducing the behavior of the preceding vehicle when passing through the gate. By making the vehicle behave in the same manner as the preceding vehicle, the risk of disrupting the traffic flow can be reduced.

[0144] When the processor 31 performs lateral movement in a laneless section, it performs at least one of the following external notification control: activating the turn signal, turning on the hazard lamps, activating the horn, and displaying an image showing the direction of movement on the external display device 18. This configuration makes it easier for drivers of nearby vehicles to recognize the behavior of the vehicle. As a result, the possibility of abnormal approach can be reduced.

[0145] Furthermore, when it is necessary to move laterally after passing through a gate, the processor 31 starts the operation of the turn signal as an external notification control while passing through the gate or before moving a predetermined distance after passing through the target gate. This configuration has the advantage that the drivers of the surrounding vehicles can quickly recognize the behavior of the host vehicle after passing through the gate.

[0146] The processor 31 sets the target gate so that the amount of lateral movement after passing through the gate is smaller than the amount of lateral movement before passing through the gate. In other words, the processor 31 generates a travel trajectory near the gate so that the amount of lateral movement after passing through the gate is smaller than the amount of lateral movement before passing through the gate. With this configuration, it is possible to improve safety as described above.

[0147] Even if the vehicle is unable to pass through the first desired gate, if it is not necessary to immediately change lanes, the processor 31 attempts to change lanes after passing through the gate area. This configuration further enhances safety.

[0148] In addition, in a configuration in which a target gate is set based on map data, it may happen that the target gate is blocked due to a broken-down vehicle or the like only after approaching the target gate. This is because it takes time for such dynamic events to be reflected in the map data. When the processor 31 detects another vehicle that is reversing or has its hazard lights on at the target gate using the camera 111 or the like, the processor 31 may change the target gate or request a driver change. Similarly, when the processor 31 detects that the target gate is closed, the processor 31 may change the target gate or request a driver change. The operation of changing the target gate in the above-mentioned scenario can improve the continuity of automatic driving. In addition, the configuration of performing a driver change in the above-mentioned scenario can leave it to the driver to respond to unexpected situations.

[0149] <Using maps to determine entry into gate areas> Map data may include node data and link data. Node data is data about characteristic points (nodes) on multiple roads. For example, points where roads intersect, merge or branch, points where lanes increase or decrease, gate points, etc. are set as nodes. Link data is data about road sections (links) connecting nodes. Link data includes data about a link ID, which is a unique number that identifies a link, a link length that indicates the length of the link, a link direction, shape information of the link, node coordinates or node numbers of the start and end of the link, and road attributes. Node data includes data such as a node ID, which is a unique number for each node, the position coordinates, name, type of the node, and the link ID of the link connecting to the node.

[0150] Such node data may include intra-node map data that indicates the road shapes of an area related to the node. The intra-node map data corresponds to partial map data within a certain range based on the node.

[0151] When the map data stored in the map storage unit 14 includes intra-node map data as described above, the processor 31 may perform various processes from step S103 onward based on the host vehicle entering the range indicated by the intra-node map data associated with the gate point. In other words, when the remaining distance to the gate point is less than a predetermined value, this also includes the case where the host vehicle enters the range indicated by the intra-node map data associated with the gate point. The gate area may be the range indicated by the intra-node map data associated with the gate point.

[0152] <Example of application to a scene where lanes decrease after a gate> The above describes the operation of the processor 31 in the case where there is a branch road behind the gate point, but the present disclosure is not limited to this. The present disclosure is also applicable to the case where there is only one road behind the gate point, in other words, where there is no branch road, as shown in Fig. 17. When there is only one road behind the gate as shown in Fig. 17, the road corresponds to the post-gate road.

[0153] Also, as shown in Figure 17, the road width and number of lanes may decrease within a certain distance behind the toll road. If the width of the road after the gate is smaller than the road width at the gate point, for example, the trajectory of a vehicle that has passed through the gate at the right or left end may be diagonal to the road extension direction. In other words, even if there is no branch road behind the gate, if the area after the gate has a structure in which the road width decreases, the trajectories of vehicles are likely to cross each other. Therefore, contact between vehicles is likely to occur.

[0154] In response to such a problem, as described above, the processor 31 of the present disclosure sets a gate located in front of the post-gate road among multiple gates, so that the amount of lateral movement after the gate can be suppressed even in a road structure such as that shown in FIG. 17. As a result, it is no longer necessary to cut in front of a line of vehicles entering the post-gate road in the post-gate area. In FIG. 17, the second gate Gt2, the third gate Gt3, and the fourth gate Gt4 correspond to the gates corresponding to the post-gate road. If the vehicle lane is the first lane, the second gate Gt2 can be the target gate. However, if the second gate Gt2 is closed or does not support the payment method of the vehicle, another gate such as the third gate Gt3 may be set as the target gate.

[0155] The determination process of steps S104 to S109, including steps S201 to S210, may be repeated until the target gate becomes the front gate for the vehicle. Lane changes toward the target gate may be performed multiple times. Virtual lanes may also exist in laneless sections. A virtual lane can be interpreted as a trajectory on which many vehicles travel, in other words, a trajectory that has validity / rationality. For this reason, lateral movement in laneless sections may also be included in lane changes.

[0156] The above description has been given of an aspect in which the processor 31 regards a road section in which the remaining distance to the gate point is equal to or less than the preparation start distance as the preparation distance, but the processor 31 may be configured to regard the area in front of the gate as the preparation section. The processor 31 may also be configured to regard a laneless section as the preparation section.

[0157] <Vehicles to which this disclosure is applicable> The above-described embodiment is applicable to various vehicles that run on roads. The present disclosure can be mounted on various vehicles that can run on roads, such as two-wheeled vehicles, three-wheeled vehicles, and the like, in addition to four-wheeled vehicles. A motorized bicycle can also be included in the category of two-wheeled vehicles. The vehicle itself may be an electric vehicle or an engine vehicle. The electric vehicle can include not only electric vehicles, but also plug-in hybrid vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles. A vehicle to which the system / apparatus / method, etc. of the present disclosure is applied may be a privately owned car or a service car. A service car refers to a vehicle provided for, for example, a car sharing service or a vehicle rental service. Service cars include taxis, route buses, and shared buses.

[0158] <Additional remarks (1)> This specification discloses the following technical ideas and combinations thereof. In addition, a vehicle control method and a computer program corresponding to the technical ideas listed below are also included in the scope of the present disclosure.

[0159] [Technical thought 1] A vehicle control device that performs automatic driving control to cause a vehicle to travel autonomously, acquiring information about a gate point, which is a point where a plurality of gates are provided on a toll road, based on an output signal of a perimeter monitoring sensor, a wireless signal received from an external device, or map data; acquiring data on a post-gate road that is a road on which the vehicle is scheduled to travel after the vehicle passes through the gate point; setting a gate that is close to a road behind the gate as a target gate among a plurality of gates provided at the gate location; and based on the vehicle's entry into a preparation section located in front of the target gate, starting lateral movement toward the target gate.

[0160] [Technical thought 2] The vehicle control device includes: A vehicle control device as described in technical idea 1, which, when the remaining distance to the target gate becomes less than a predetermined value and lane movement toward the target gate has not been completed, changes the target gate to another gate and executes a process to notify the driver that the automatic driving control may be terminated.

[0161] [Technical thought 3] As a subsystem for the automatic driving control, a preceding vehicle following control unit (F51) is provided which performs a preceding vehicle following control for driving the vehicle so as to follow a preceding vehicle at a predetermined inter-vehicle distance, 3. The vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 1 or 2, wherein the target speed when passing through the target gate is changed depending on whether the preceding vehicle is recognized or not.

[0162] [Technical thought 4] When the preceding vehicle is captured, a predetermined first speed corresponding to a maximum speed permitted when passing through the gate is set as a target speed, The vehicle control device according to Technical Concept 3, wherein when the preceding vehicle has not been captured, a second speed which is smaller than the first speed is set as the target speed.

[0163] [Technical thought 5] When the preceding vehicle is captured, the passing speed of the preceding vehicle when passing through the gate is set to the target speed, The vehicle control device according to Technical Idea 3 sets the target speed to a predetermined value that is smaller than the maximum speed permitted when passing through the gate when the preceding vehicle is not recognized.

[0164] [Technical Thought 6] determining whether the vehicle is traveling in a laneless section where no lane markings exist based on the output signal of the periphery monitoring sensor, the wireless signal received from the external device, or the map data; When moving laterally in the laneless section, a predetermined external notification control is executed, The vehicle control device according to any one of technical ideas 1 to 5, wherein the external notification control includes at least one of activating a turn signal, turning on a hazard lamp, activating a horn, turning on a welcome lamp, and displaying an image indicating the direction of travel on an external display device.

[0165] [Technical Thought 7] A vehicle control device as described in any one of technical ideas 1 to 6, which starts operating a turn signal when moving laterally after passing through the gate, either from the time of passing through the target gate, or before moving a predetermined distance after passing through the gate.

[0166] [Technical Thought 8] A vehicle control device according to any one of technical ideas 1 to 7, wherein the target gate is set so that the amount of lateral movement after passing through the target gate is smaller than the amount of lateral movement before passing through the target gate.

[0167] [Technical Thought 9] A vehicle control device as described in any one of technical ideas 1 to 8, which, when it detects that there is another vehicle backing up at the target gate, that there is another vehicle with its hazard lights on, or that the target gate is blocked, changes the target gate or implements a driver change request.

[0168] [Technical Thought 10] A vehicle control device according to any one of technical ideas 1 to 9, configured to be switchable between a first mode in which the automatic driving control is performed without a periphery monitoring obligation and a second mode in which the automatic driving control is performed with a periphery monitoring obligation, a vehicle control device that maintains the second mode while the vehicle is traveling within a predetermined distance from the gate point.

[0169] [Technical Thought 11] When the remaining distance to the gate point is less than a predetermined value but the movement to the lane connected to the target gate has not been completed, the target gate is changed to another gate; determining whether or not a lane change is required after passing through the newly set target gate; if it is determined that a lane change is necessary, identifying a final change point where the lane change needs to be completed; A vehicle control device according to any one of technical ideas 1 to 10, which, if the final change point is a predetermined distance or more away from the gate, performs a lane change after moving the predetermined distance away from the gate.

[0170] [Technical Thought 12] A vehicle control device described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 11, which, if a destination is not set, sets a gate on an extension of the lane in which the vehicle is currently traveling as the target gate.

[0171] [Technical Thought 13] As a subsystem for the automatic driving control, a preceding vehicle following control unit (F51) is provided which performs a preceding vehicle following control for making the vehicle travel so as to follow a preceding vehicle at a predetermined inter-vehicle distance, 13. The vehicle control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 12, wherein the control for following the preceding vehicle is stopped based on the remaining distance to the gate being less than a predetermined value.

[0172] [Technical Thought 14] A vehicle control device described in any one of technical ideas 1 to 12, which sets a target speed, which is a target value of the traveling speed, to a predetermined value for passing through a gate based on the vehicle's entry into a gate area, which is an area determined based on the gate point.

[0173] [Technical Thought 15] A vehicle control device that performs automatic driving control to cause a vehicle to travel autonomously, acquiring information about a gate point, which is a point where a plurality of gates are provided on a toll road, based on an output signal of a perimeter monitoring sensor, a wireless signal received from an external device, or map data; A vehicle control device that executes setting a target speed, which is a target value for the traveling speed, to a predetermined value for passing through a gate, based on the vehicle's entry into a gate area, which is an area determined as a reference.

[0174] <Additional remarks (2)> The various flowcharts shown in the present disclosure are all examples, and the number of steps constituting the flowcharts and the order of execution of the processes can be changed as appropriate. The various process flows shown in the present disclosure may be performed in parallel with, in combination with, or partially replaced by other processes. Note that the expression corresponding to the case where the remaining distance to the gate point in the present disclosure is less than a predetermined value may be replaced with the case where the vehicle enters the gate area. For example, step S102 may be a step of determining whether the vehicle has entered the gate area.

[0175] The device, system, and method thereof described in the present disclosure may be realized by a dedicated computer that configures a processor programmed to execute one or more functions embodied by a computer program. The device and method described in the present disclosure may be realized by a dedicated hardware logic circuit. The device and method described in the present disclosure may be realized by one or more dedicated computers configured by a combination of a processor that executes a computer program and one or more hardware logic circuits. For example, some or all of the functions of the processor 31 may be realized as hardware. A form in which a certain function is realized as hardware includes a form in which it is realized using one or more ICs, etc. As the processor (computation core), a CPU, an MPU, a GPU, a DFP (Data Flow Processor), etc. can be adopted. Some or all of the functions of the processor 31 may be realized using any of a system-on-chip (SoC), an integrated circuit (IC), and a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). The computer program may be stored in a computer-readable non-transitive tangible storage medium as instructions executed by a computer. A hard-disk drive (HDD), a solid-state drive (SSD), a flash memory, or the like may be used as the program storage medium. The scope of the present disclosure also includes forms such as a program for causing a computer to function as the processor 31, and a non-transitive tangible storage medium such as a semiconductor memory on which the program is stored. [Explanation of symbols]

[0176] 11 Surrounding monitoring sensor, 14 Map memory unit, 15 Wireless communication device, 18 External display device, 21 Display, 22 Speaker, 30 Autonomous driving ECU, 31 Processor, 32 Memory, F1 Information acquisition unit, F2 Environment recognition unit, F21 Gate recognition unit, F22 Surrounding vehicle recognition unit, F3 Mode control unit, F4 Planning unit, F5 Control execution unit, F51 ACC system (preceding vehicle following control unit), F52 Notification control unit, Fn Vehicle control unit, Sys Autonomous driving system

Claims

1. A vehicle control device that performs automatic driving control to cause a vehicle to travel autonomously, acquiring information about a gate point, which is a point where a plurality of gates are provided on a toll road, based on an output signal of a perimeter monitoring sensor, a wireless signal received from an external device, or map data; acquiring data on a post-gate road that is a road on which the vehicle is scheduled to travel after the vehicle passes through the gate point; setting a gate that is close to a road behind the gate as a target gate among a plurality of gates provided at the gate location; and based on the vehicle's entry into a preparation section in front of the target gate, starting a lateral movement toward the target gate. A vehicle control device is configured to, when the remaining distance to the target gate falls below a predetermined value and lane movement toward the target gate has not been completed, change the target gate to another gate and notify the driver that the automatic driving control may be terminated.

2. As a subsystem for the automatic driving control, a preceding vehicle following control unit (F51) is provided which performs a preceding vehicle following control for driving the vehicle so as to follow a preceding vehicle at a predetermined inter-vehicle distance, 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein a target speed when passing through the target gate is changed depending on whether the preceding vehicle is recognized or not.

3. When the preceding vehicle is captured, a predetermined first speed corresponding to a maximum speed permitted when passing through the gate is set as a target speed, The vehicle control device according to claim 2 , wherein when the preceding vehicle has not been captured, a second speed which is smaller than the first speed is set as the target speed.

4. When the preceding vehicle is captured, the passing speed of the preceding vehicle when passing through the gate is set as a target speed, 3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, wherein when the preceding vehicle is not recognized, the target speed is set to a predetermined value that is smaller than a maximum speed permitted when passing through the gate.

5. determining whether the vehicle is traveling in a laneless section where no lane markings exist based on the output signal of the periphery monitoring sensor, the wireless signal received from the external device, or the map data; When moving laterally in the laneless section, a predetermined external notification control is executed, The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the external notification control includes at least one of activating a turn signal, turning on a hazard lamp, activating a horn, turning on a welcome lamp, and displaying an image indicating a direction of travel on an external display device.

6. 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, when moving laterally after passing through the gate, operation of the direction indicator is started from the time when the vehicle passes through the target gate or before the vehicle moves a predetermined distance after passing through the gate.

7. 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the target gate is set so that a lateral movement amount after passing through the target gate is smaller than a lateral movement amount before passing through the target gate.

8. A vehicle control device that performs automatic driving control to cause a vehicle to travel autonomously, acquiring information about a gate point, which is a point where a plurality of gates are provided on a toll road, based on an output signal of a perimeter monitoring sensor, a wireless signal received from an external device, or map data; acquiring data on a post-gate road that is a road on which the vehicle is scheduled to travel after the vehicle passes through the gate point; setting a gate that is close to a road behind the gate as a target gate among a plurality of gates provided at the gate location; and based on the vehicle's entry into a preparation section in front of the target gate, starting a lateral movement toward the target gate. A vehicle control device configured to change the target gate or to implement a driver change request when it detects that there is another vehicle backing up at the target gate, that there is another vehicle with its hazard lights on at the target gate, or that the target gate is blocked.

9. A vehicle control device that performs automatic driving control to cause a vehicle to travel autonomously, A first mode in which the automatic driving control is performed without a peripheral monitoring obligation and a second mode in which the automatic driving control is performed with a peripheral monitoring obligation are switchable. acquiring information about a gate point, which is a point where a plurality of gates are provided on a toll road, based on an output signal of a perimeter monitoring sensor, a wireless signal received from an external device, or map data; acquiring data on a post-gate road that is a road on which the vehicle is scheduled to travel after the vehicle passes through the gate point; setting a gate that is close to a road behind the gate as a target gate among a plurality of gates provided at the gate location; and based on the vehicle's entry into a preparation section in front of the target gate, starting a lateral movement toward the target gate. The vehicle control device is configured to maintain the second mode while the vehicle is traveling within a predetermined distance from the gate point.

10. A vehicle control device that performs automatic driving control to cause a vehicle to travel autonomously, acquiring information about a gate point, which is a point where a plurality of gates are provided on a toll road, based on an output signal of a perimeter monitoring sensor, a wireless signal received from an external device, or map data; acquiring data on a post-gate road that is a road on which the vehicle is scheduled to travel after the vehicle passes through the gate point; setting a gate that is close to a road behind the gate as a target gate among a plurality of gates provided at the gate location; starting a lateral movement toward the target gate based on the vehicle's entry into a preparation section in front of the target gate; When the remaining distance to the gate point is less than a predetermined value but the movement to the lane connected to the target gate has not been completed, the target gate is changed to another gate; determining whether or not a lane change is required after passing through the newly set target gate; if it is determined that a lane change is necessary, identifying a final change point where the lane change needs to be completed; If the final change point is a predetermined distance or more away from the gate, the vehicle control device is configured to start changing lanes after moving a predetermined distance away from the gate.

11. A vehicle control device that performs automatic driving control to cause a vehicle to travel autonomously, acquiring information about a gate point, which is a point where a plurality of gates are provided on a toll road, based on an output signal of a perimeter monitoring sensor, a wireless signal received from an external device, or map data; acquiring data on a post-gate road that is a road on which the vehicle is scheduled to travel after the vehicle passes through the gate point; setting a gate that is close to a road behind the gate as a target gate among a plurality of gates provided at the gate location; If a destination has not been set, a gate on an extension of the lane in which the vehicle is currently traveling is set as a target gate; and based on the vehicle's entry into a preparation section located in front of the target gate, starting lateral movement toward the target gate.

12. As a subsystem for the automatic driving control, a preceding vehicle following control unit (F51) is provided which performs a preceding vehicle following control for making the vehicle travel so as to follow a preceding vehicle at a predetermined inter-vehicle distance, The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , further comprising: a control unit that stops the adaptive cruise control based on the remaining distance to the gate being less than a predetermined value.

13. A vehicle control device that performs automatic driving control to cause a vehicle to travel autonomously, As a subsystem for the automatic driving control, a preceding vehicle following control unit (F51) is provided which performs a preceding vehicle following control for making the vehicle travel so as to follow a preceding vehicle at a predetermined inter-vehicle distance, acquiring information about a gate point, which is a point where a plurality of gates are provided on a toll road, based on an output signal of a perimeter monitoring sensor, a wireless signal received from an external device, or map data; acquiring data on a post-gate road that is a road on which the vehicle is scheduled to travel after the vehicle passes through the gate point; setting a gate that is close to a road behind the gate as a target gate among a plurality of gates provided at the gate location; starting a lateral movement toward the target gate based on the vehicle's entry into a preparation section in front of the target gate; and stopping the control to follow the preceding vehicle based on the remaining distance to the gate being less than a predetermined value.

14. 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein a target speed, which is a target value of a traveling speed, is set to a predetermined value for passing through a gate based on the vehicle's entry into a gate area, which is an area determined based on the gate point.

15. A vehicle control method for performing automatic driving control to cause a vehicle to travel autonomously, comprising: acquiring information about a gate point, which is a point where a plurality of gates are provided on a toll road, based on an output signal of a perimeter monitoring sensor, a wireless signal received from an external device, or map data; acquiring data on a post-gate road that is a road on which the vehicle is scheduled to travel after the vehicle passes through the gate point; setting a gate that is close to a road behind the gate as a target gate among a plurality of gates provided at the gate location; starting a lateral movement toward the target gate based on the vehicle's entry into a preparation section in front of the target gate; A vehicle control method comprising: if lane movement toward the target gate has not been completed when the remaining distance to the target gate becomes less than a predetermined value, changing the target gate to another gate and executing a process to notify the driver that the automatic driving control may be terminated.

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