Control program for vehicle, control device for vehicle, and vehicle control method

Abstract

To provide a control program for a vehicle, a control device for a vehicle, and a vehicle control method, which are capable of performing more appropriate drive support control in a scene to avoid contact with an obstacle.SOLUTION: A control program for a vehicle of an embodiment causes a computer to: recognize a peripheral situation of a vehicle; detect a steering condition of a crew member of the vehicle; detect a speed operation of the vehicle by the crew member; determine that there is a possibility that the vehicle will come into contact with an obstacle based on the peripheral situation of the vehicle that has been recognized, and execute an avoidance steering support so as to avoid contact with the obstacle when a steering amount equal to or greater than a first threshold value is detected from the steering condition of the crew member; and to execute a stop control for stopping the avoidance steering support when a speed operation equal to or greater than a second threshold value is detected from the detected speed operations during the execution of the avoidance steering support, wherein the vehicle control program suppresses the execution of the stop control when a predetermined condition is satisfied during the execution of the avoidance steering support.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 11

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control program, a vehicle control device, and a vehicle control method.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, efforts have been actively made to provide access to a sustainable transportation system that takes into account people in vulnerable positions among traffic participants. In order to achieve this, research and development have focused on further improving traffic safety and convenience through research and development related to preventive safety technologies. In this regard, in recent years, a driving control device has been disclosed that changes the override threshold, which is the criterion for determining the operation intervention to stop the vehicle lane change function, to a value larger than that in the normal state within the system operation design area when deviating from the system operation design area (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in preventive safety technology, there has been no consideration regarding how to design the override threshold for canceling the control for the steering assist control to avoid contact between the vehicle and an obstacle. Therefore, there has been a problem that appropriate driving support may not be possible during the steering assist control to avoid contact with an obstacle.

[0005] An object of the present application is to provide a vehicle control program, a vehicle control device, and a vehicle control method that can perform more appropriate driving support control in a situation where contact with an obstacle is avoided, and further contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

Means for Solving the Problem

[0006] The vehicle control program, vehicle control device, and vehicle control method according to the present invention adopt the following configurations. (1): A vehicle control program according to an aspect of the present invention causes a computer to recognize the surrounding situation of a vehicle, detect the steering state of an occupant of the vehicle, detect the speed operation of the vehicle by the occupant, determine based on the recognized surrounding situation of the vehicle that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and an obstacle, and when a steering amount equal to or greater than a first threshold is detected from the steering state of the occupant, execute avoidance steering support for avoiding contact with the obstacle, and when a speed operation equal to or greater than a second threshold is detected from the detected speed operation during the execution of the avoidance steering support, execute stop control for stopping the avoidance steering support, and suppress the execution of the stop control when a predetermined condition is satisfied during the execution of the avoidance steering support.

[0007] (2): In the aspect of (1) above, the predetermined condition includes that it is within a predetermined time from the start of the avoidance steering support.

[0008] (3): In the aspect of (1) above, the predetermined condition includes that a steering amount equal to or greater than a third threshold greater than the first threshold is detected from the steering state.

[0009] (4): In the aspect of (1) above, when the vehicle control program suppresses the execution of the stop control, the value of the second threshold is made larger than when the execution of the stop control is not suppressed.

[0010] (5) In the aspect of (4) above, the speed operation includes an operation of the accelerator pedal of the vehicle, and the second threshold value is a threshold value for the opening degree of the accelerator pedal.

[0011] (6) In the aspect of (4) above, the speed operation includes an operation of the accelerator pedal of the vehicle, and the second threshold value is a threshold value for the rate of change of the opening degree of the accelerator pedal.

[0012] (7) In the aspect of (1) above, when the vehicle control program satisfies the predetermined condition during the execution of the avoidance steering assistance, the suspension control is not executed.

[0013] (8) In the aspect of (1) above, when the vehicle control program satisfies the predetermined condition during the execution of the avoidance steering assistance, the determination regarding the suppression of the suspension control using the rate of change of the opening degree of the accelerator pedal of the vehicle is not executed.

[0014] (9) In the aspect of (1) above, the speed operation includes the opening degree of the accelerator pedal of the vehicle and an operation related to the rate of change of the opening degree of the accelerator pedal.

[0015] (10) A vehicle control device according to another aspect of the present invention includes a recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle, a steering state detection unit that detects the steering state of the vehicle occupants, a speed operation detection unit that detects the speed operation of the vehicle by the occupants, and based on the surrounding situation of the vehicle recognized by the recognition unit, it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and an obstacle, and when a steering amount equal to or greater than a first threshold value is detected from the steering state of the vehicle occupants detected by the steering state detection unit, a steering control unit that executes avoidance steering assistance to avoid contact with the obstacle, and during the execution of the avoidance steering assistance, when a speed operation equal to or greater than a second threshold value is detected from the speed operation detected by the speed operation detection unit, a suspension control unit that suspends the avoidance steering assistance, and the suspension control unit is a vehicle control device that suppresses the execution of the suspension control when a predetermined condition is satisfied during the execution of the avoidance steering assistance.

[0016] (11) A vehicle control method according to another aspect of the present invention is such that a computer recognizes the surrounding situation of a vehicle, detects the steering state of an occupant of the vehicle, detects a speed operation of the vehicle by the occupant, and based on the recognized surrounding situation of the vehicle, determines that there is a possibility that the vehicle may come into contact with an obstacle, and when a steering amount equal to or greater than a first threshold value is detected from the detected steering state of the occupant, executes avoidance steering assistance to avoid contact with the obstacle. During the execution of the avoidance steering assistance, when a speed operation equal to or greater than a second threshold value is detected from the detected speed operation, the avoidance steering assistance is stopped. When a predetermined condition is satisfied during the execution of the avoidance steering assistance, the execution of the stop control is suppressed. This is a vehicle control method.

Advantages of the Invention

[0017] According to the aspects (1) to (11) above, in a scenario of avoiding contact with an obstacle, more appropriate driving support control can be performed.

Brief Description of the Drawings

[0018]

Figure 1

Figure 2

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Figure 8

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Figure 10

Figure 11

Figure 12

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0019] Hereinafter, embodiments of the vehicle control program, the vehicle control device, and the vehicle control method of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0020] [Overall Configuration] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle on which the vehicle control device of the embodiment is mounted. The vehicle (hereinafter, the host vehicle M) on which the vehicle control device is mounted is, for example, a two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled vehicle, and its drive source is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination thereof. The electric motor operates using the electric power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, or the discharge power of a secondary battery or a fuel cell.

[0021] The host vehicle M is equipped with, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, a HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, a vehicle sensor 40, a navigation device 50, an MPU (Map Positioning Unit) 60, a driver monitoring camera 70, a driving operator 80, a driving assistance device 100, a traveling driving force output device 200, a braking device 210, and a steering device 220. These devices and apparatuses are connected to each other by a multiplex communication line such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication line, a serial communication line, a wireless communication network, or the like. Note that the configuration shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and a part of the configuration may be omitted, or another configuration may be added. The driving assistance device 100 is an example of a "vehicle control device".

[0022] The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera that uses a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is attached to an arbitrary location of the host vehicle M. For example, when imaging the front of the host vehicle M, the camera 10 is attached to the upper part of the front windshield, the back surface of the rearview mirror, or the like. The camera 10 periodically and repeatedly images the periphery of the host vehicle M, for example. The camera 10 may be a stereo camera.

[0023] The radar device 12 emits radio waves such as millimeter waves to the periphery of the host vehicle M, and detects radio waves (reflected waves) reflected by an object to detect at least the position (distance and azimuth) of the object. The radar device 12 is attached to an arbitrary location of the host vehicle M. The radar device 12 may detect the position and speed of an object by an FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

[0024] LIDAR 14 irradiates light (or electromagnetic waves with a wavelength close to light) around the host vehicle M and measures the scattered light. LIDAR 14 detects the distance to an object based on the time from light emission to light reception. The irradiated light is, for example, pulsed laser light. LIDAR 14 is attached to an arbitrary location of the host vehicle M.

[0025] The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results from some or all of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to recognize the position, type, speed, etc. of an object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition result to the driving support device 100. The object recognition device 16 may output the detection results of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to the driving support device 100 as they are. The object recognition device 16 may be omitted from the host vehicle M. Some or all of the camera 10, the radar device 12, the LIDAR 14, and the object recognition device 16 are an example of an "external detection device".

[0026] The communication device 20 communicates with other vehicles existing around the host vehicle M, for example, using a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), etc., or communicates with various server devices via a wireless base station.

[0027] The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupants of the host vehicle M and receives input operations by the occupants. The HMI 30 includes, for example, a display unit 32 and a speaker 34. The display unit 32 is, for example, an LCD (Liquid Crystal Display), an organic EL (Electro Luminescence) display device, or the like. The display unit 32 displays various images (including videos) in the embodiment. The display unit 32 may be integrally configured with the input unit as a touch panel. The speaker 34 outputs a predetermined sound (for example, an alarm). Further, in addition to (or instead of) the display unit 32 and the speaker 34, the HMI 30 may be a microphone, a buzzer, a vibration generator (vibrator), a touch panel, a switch, a key, or the like. The switch may include, for example, a changeover switch for switching whether to execute a predetermined driving assistance in the driving assistance device 100.

[0028] The vehicle sensor 40 includes a speed sensor that detects the speed of the host vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects a yaw rate (for example, a rotational angular velocity around a vertical axis passing through the center of gravity of the host vehicle M), a steering angle sensor that detects a steering angle (actual steering angle or torque amount of the steering wheel of the host vehicle M), a direction sensor that detects the direction of the host vehicle M, and the like. Further, the vehicle sensor 40 may be provided with a position sensor that detects the position of the host vehicle M. The position sensor is, for example, a sensor that acquires position information (longitude and latitude information) from a GPS (Global Positioning System) device. Further, the position sensor may be a sensor that acquires position information using the GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51 of the navigation device 50.

[0029] The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a route determination unit 53. The navigation device 50 holds first map information 54 in a storage device such as an HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 identifies the position of the host vehicle M based on signals received from GNSS satellites. The position of the host vehicle M may be identified or supplemented by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) that uses the output of the vehicle sensor 40. The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, keys, etc. The navigation HMI 52 may share some or all of the functions with the aforementioned HMI 30. The route determination unit 53 determines, for example, a route (hereinafter referred to as a map route) from the position of the host vehicle M identified by the GNSS receiver 51 (or an arbitrary input position) to the destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52 with reference to the first map information 54. The first map information 54 is information in which the road shape is represented by, for example, links indicating roads and nodes connected by the links. The first map information 54 may include information such as the curvature of the road and POI (Point Of Interest) information. The map route is output to the MPU 60. The navigation device 50 may perform route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the map route. The navigation device 50 may be realized by, for example, the functions of a terminal device such as a smartphone or a tablet terminal held by the occupant. The navigation device 50 may transmit the current position and the destination to the navigation server via the communication device 20 and acquire a route equivalent to the map route from the navigation server.

[0030] The MPU 60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 61 and holds second map information 62 in a storage device such as an HDD or a flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 61 divides the route on the map provided from the navigation device 50 into a plurality of blocks (for example, divides every 100 [m] in the vehicle traveling direction) and determines the recommended lane for each block with reference to the second map information 62. The recommended lane determination unit 61 makes a determination as to which lane from the left the vehicle should travel in. Further, when there is a branch point on the route on the map, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines the recommended lane so that the host vehicle M can travel a reasonable route for proceeding to the branch destination. The second map information 62 is map information with higher accuracy than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes, for example, information on the center of the lane or lane boundary information such as road markings that demarcate the lane. The second map information 62 may include road information, traffic regulation information, address information (address and postal code), facility information, telephone number information, and the like. The second map information 62 may be updated at any time when the communication device 20 communicates with other devices. Further, the first map information 54 and the second map information 62 may be stored in the storage unit in the driving support device 100.

[0031] The driver monitoring camera 70 is a digital camera that uses a solid-state imaging device such as a CCD or CMOS. The driver monitoring camera 70 is attached to an arbitrary location in the host vehicle M at a position and orientation where it can image the head and upper body (including the position of the hands) of the occupant (hereinafter, the driver) seated in the driver's seat of the host vehicle M from the front (in the direction of imaging the face). For example, the driver monitoring camera 70 is attached to the upper part of a display device provided at the center of the instrument panel of the host vehicle M. For example, based on the orientation of the driver's face included in the camera image captured by the driver monitoring camera 70 (the orientation of the face with respect to the attachment position and shooting direction of the driver monitoring camera 70), it is possible to determine whether the driver is alerting the surroundings of the host vehicle M (for example, whether the driver's face is facing at least the traveling direction of the host vehicle M). Also, based on the posture of the driver included in the camera image, it is possible to determine whether the driver's posture has collapsed (in other words, whether there is a possibility that the driver will perform an unintended driving operation due to the collapse of the driver's posture). Further, since the camera image includes the driver and the steering wheel 82, it is also possible to determine whether the driver is gripping the steering wheel 82 from the captured image. The driver monitoring camera 70 images the interior of the host vehicle M including the driver from the arranged position at a predetermined cycle, and outputs the captured image to the driving support device 100.

[0032] The driving operator 80 includes, for example, a steering wheel 82, an accelerator pedal 84, a brake pedal 86, an operation switch for a direction indicator, a shift lever, and other operators. A sensor for detecting the operation amount or the presence or absence of an operation is attached to the driving operator 80, and the detection result is output to a part or all of the driving support device 100, or the traveling driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device 220.

[0033] For example, a steering wheel 82 is provided with a steering wheel sensor (SW sensor) 82A. The SW sensor 82A detects whether a driver is gripping the steering wheel 82 by means of a contact sensor, a pressure sensor, or the like. Further, the SW sensor 82A detects the amount of operation (steering amount, steering input torque, steering torque) and the operation speed (steering angular velocity) of the steering wheel 82 input (operated) by the driver. Further, the SW sensor 82A may detect an operation change rate (torque change rate). The steering wheel 82 does not necessarily have to be annular, and may be in the form of an irregular-shaped steering wheel, a joystick, a button, or the like. In that case, the SW sensor 82A detects the amount of operation corresponding to each form.

[0034] An accelerator pedal 84 is attached with an accelerator pedal sensor (AP sensor) 84A. The AP sensor 84A detects the amount of operation (opening degree) of the accelerator pedal 84 that changes according to the operation of the driver on the accelerator pedal 84. A brake pedal 86 is provided with a brake pedal sensor (BP sensor) 86A. The BP sensor 86A detects the amount of operation (opening degree) of the brake pedal 86 that changes according to the operation of the driver on the brake pedal 86. Further, the AP sensor 84A and the BP sensor 86A may detect a change rate of the opening degree (opening degree change rate) at a predetermined time.

[0035] A traveling driving force output device 200 outputs a traveling driving force (torque) for the host vehicle M to travel to the drive wheels. The traveling driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a transmission, and the like, and an ECU (Electronic Control Unit) that controls these. The ECU controls the above-described configuration according to information input from the driving support device 100 or information input from the driving operator 80.

[0036] The braking device 210 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder, and an ECU. The ECU controls the electric motor according to information input from the driving assistance device 100 or information input from the driving operator 80, so that braking torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel. The braking device 210 may include, as a backup, a mechanism that transmits the hydraulic pressure generated by the operation of the brake pedal included in the driving operator 80 to the cylinder via the master cylinder. Note that the braking device 210 is not limited to the configuration described above, and may be an electronically controlled hydraulic braking device that controls an actuator according to information input from the driving assistance device 100 and transmits the hydraulic pressure of the master cylinder to the cylinder.

[0037] The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor, for example, applies a force to a rack and pinion mechanism to change the direction of the steered wheels. The steering ECU drives the electric motor according to information input from the driving assistance device 100 or information input from the driving operator 80 to change the direction of the steered wheels.

[0038] [Driving Assistance Device] The driving support device 100 includes, for example, a recognition unit 110, a contact possibility determination unit 120, a driving state detection unit 130, a vehicle control unit 140, an HMI control unit 150, and a memory unit 160. The recognition unit 110, the contact possibility determination unit 120, the driving state detection unit 130, the vehicle control unit 140, and the HMI control unit 150 are realized, for example, by a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Also, some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including a circuit unit; circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by the cooperation of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD or a flash memory of the driving support device 100, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or a CD-ROM, and may be installed in the HDD or the flash memory of the driving support device 100 when the storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) is mounted on a drive device. The HMI control unit 150 is an example of a "notification control unit".

[0039] For example, instructions from the driving support device 100 to the driving force output device 200, the braking device 210, and the steering device 220 are set inside the driving force output device 200, the braking device 210, and the steering device 220 so as to be executed with priority over the detection results from the driving operator 80. Note that, regarding braking, when the braking force based on the operation amount of the brake pedal 86 is greater than the instruction from the driving support device 100, it may be set to give priority to the latter. Also, as a mechanism for preferentially executing the instruction from the driving support device 100, the communication priority in the in-vehicle LAN (Local Area Network) may be used. Regarding steering, it may be set to execute by adding the steering force based on the instruction from the driving support device 100 and the steering force based on the operation amount of the driver's steering wheel 82.

[0040] The storage unit 160 may be realized by the above various storage devices, or an SSD (Solid State Drive), EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), ROM (Read Only Memory), or RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The storage unit 160 stores, for example, programs (e.g., vehicle control programs), information used by components within the driving support device 100, and various other information. Further, the above-described map information (first map information 54, second map information 62) may be stored in the storage unit 160.

[0041] The recognition unit 110 recognizes the surrounding situation of the host vehicle M based on the information input from the external detection device. For example, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the position (relative position, inter-vehicle distance), and states such as speed (relative speed) and acceleration of an object existing in the surroundings (for example, within a predetermined distance from the host vehicle M). The object is, for example, another vehicle, a bicycle, a pedestrian, or the like. The position of the object is recognized, for example, as a position on the absolute coordinates with the representative point (such as the center of gravity or the center of the drive shaft) of the host vehicle M as the origin, and is used for control. The position of the object may be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the object, or may be represented by a region. The "state" of the object may include the acceleration or jerk of the object, or the "behavior state" (for example, whether or not the vehicle is changing lanes or about to change lanes). Further, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the relative position and relative speed with respect to the object.

[0042] In addition, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the lane shape around the host vehicle M. For example, the recognition unit 110 compares the pattern of the road markings obtained from the second map information 62 (for example, the arrangement of solid lines and broken lines) with the pattern of the road markings around the host vehicle M recognized from the image captured by the camera 10, thereby recognizing the lane (travel lane) in which the host vehicle M is traveling, the shape and line type of the adjacent lane adjacent to the travel lane, and the like. The recognition unit 110 may recognize the travel lane and the adjacent lane by recognizing the road boundary (road boundary) including not only the road markings but also the road markings, the road shoulder, the curb, the median strip, the guardrail, and the like. In this recognition, the position of the host vehicle M acquired from the navigation device 50 and the processing result by the INS may be taken into account. The recognition unit 110 recognizes obstacles, stop lines, red signals, toll booths, and other road events from the recognition results of the objects. An obstacle is an object that the host vehicle M needs to avoid contact with, and includes, for example, other vehicles, bicycles, pedestrians, and the like.

[0043] When recognizing the driving lane, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the position and attitude of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane. For example, the recognition unit 110 may recognize, as the relative position and attitude of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane, the deviation of the reference point of the host vehicle M from the center of the lane and the angle formed with respect to the line connecting the centers of the lanes in the traveling direction of the host vehicle M. Alternatively, the recognition unit 110 may recognize the position of the reference point of the host vehicle M with respect to either side end (road marking or road boundary) of the driving lane as the relative position of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane.

[0044] The contact possibility determination unit 120 determines whether there is a possibility that the host vehicle M contacts an obstacle (for example, another vehicle) based on the surrounding situation (external information) recognized by the recognition unit 110. For example, the contact possibility determination unit 120 determines whether there is a possibility that the host vehicle M contacts another vehicle (preceding vehicle) existing in front of the host vehicle M based on the contact margin value with the other vehicle. The contact margin value is, for example, a value set based on the time to collision (TTC), but may be a value set based on the time headway (THW). The time to collision (TTC) is derived, for example, by dividing the relative distance by the relative speed in the relationship between the host vehicle M and the other vehicle. The time headway (THW) is derived, for example, by dividing the relative distance (inter-vehicle distance) by the speed of the host vehicle M. The time to collision (TTC) may be derived using, for example, a learned model or a predetermined function that outputs the time to collision (TTC) when the positions and speeds of the host vehicle M and the other vehicle are input, or may be derived using a correspondence table in which the relative speed and relative position are associated with the time to collision (TTC). The above derivation method is the same for the time headway (THW). For example, the shorter the time to collision (TTC) (or the longer the time headway (THW)), the smaller the contact margin value (in other words, the longer the time to collision, the larger the contact margin value). For example, the contact possibility determination unit 120 determines that there is a possibility that the host vehicle M contacts the other vehicle when the contact margin value is less than the threshold value, and determines that there is no possibility of contact when the contact margin value is greater than or equal to the threshold value. Hereinafter, the time to collision (TTC) will be used as an example of the contact margin value for explanation.

[0045] The driving state detection unit 130 detects the driving state of the occupant (driver) of the host vehicle M. FIG. 2 is a functional configuration diagram of the driving state detection unit 130. The driving state detection unit 130 includes, for example, a steering state detection unit 132, a speed operation detection unit 134, and a distracted driving determination unit 136. The steering state detection unit 132 detects, for example, whether the steering wheel 82 is being gripped or information regarding the operation amount (steering amount (steering input torque), steering torque change rate). Further, the steering state detection unit 132 may include information regarding the driver's steering speed and steering angular velocity (speed until a predetermined steering angle amount is reached). Further, the steering state detection unit 132 may detect that the driver is not performing a steering operation. The steering state detection unit 132 performs the above-described respective detections based on, for example, the detection results of the SW sensor 82A and the vehicle sensor 40, or the driver's actions obtained from the camera image of the driver monitor camera 70.

[0046] The speed operation detection unit 134 detects the driver's speed operation based on the detection results of the AP sensor 84A and the BP sensor 86A, the detection results of the vehicle sensor 40, and the like. The speed operation includes, for example, at least one of an accelerator operation (opening) of the accelerator pedal 84 and a brake operation (opening) of the brake pedal 86. Further, the speed operation may include at least one of a change rate of the opening over a predetermined time due to the accelerator operation and a change rate of the opening over a predetermined time due to the brake operation. Further, the speed operation detection unit 134 may detect a state in which the driver is not performing an accelerator operation or a brake operation.

[0047] The distracted driving determination unit 136 determines the driver's distracted driving. Distracted driving is, for example, a state in which the driving operation of the host vehicle M becomes slow (or not operated) due to a decrease in the driver's attention or the like. For example, the distracted driving determination unit 136 determines that the driver is driving distractedly when a state in which the steering operation of the steering wheel 82 by the driver is less than a predetermined threshold value continues for a predetermined time or more based on the detection result of the SW sensor 82A, and determines that it is not distracted driving when it does not continue for a predetermined time or more.

[0048] In addition, the random driving determination unit 136 may determine that the driver is engaged in random driving when a state where the change rate of the opening degrees of the accelerator pedal 84 and the brake pedal 86 is less than the threshold value continues for a predetermined time or more based on the detection results of the AP sensor 84A and the BP sensor 86A instead of (or in addition to) the driver's steering operation. Further, the driving state detection unit 130 may determine that the driver is engaged in random driving when a state where it is detected that the driver's state is not suitable for driving continues for a predetermined time or more, and determine that it is not random driving when it does not continue for a predetermined time or more, instead of (or in addition to) the above determination. For example, based on the analysis result of the image captured by the driver monitor camera 70, the random driving determination unit 136 detects that the driver's state is not suitable for driving when the driver is not monitoring the periphery (especially the front) of the host vehicle M by looking around or when it is predicted that the concentration is reduced from a predetermined facial expression (sleepy face, painful face, etc.).

[0049] Note that the above-mentioned predetermined time may be a fixed time or a variable time. The predetermined time may be set according to, for example, the time to collision TTC between an obstacle (e.g., a preceding vehicle) around the host vehicle M and the host vehicle M and the speed of the host vehicle M. Specifically, the predetermined time is set shorter as the speed of the host vehicle M increases, or the predetermined time is set shorter as the time to collision TTC decreases. Thereby, based on the speed of the host vehicle M and the positional relationship between the host vehicle M and the obstacle, the determination of random driving can be made more appropriately based on the situation of the host vehicle M and the surrounding situation. The determination of random driving may be comprehensively determined based on the determination results according to the above-mentioned multiple conditions.

[0050] Based on the surrounding situation recognized by the recognition unit 110, the vehicle control unit 140 controls one or both of the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle M to provide driving assistance to the driver. For example, the vehicle control unit 140 generates a future target trajectory such that the host vehicle M travels along the recommended lane determined by the MPU 60, and controls one or both of the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle M based on the surrounding situation so that the host vehicle M travels along the generated target trajectory. Further, the vehicle control unit 140 may control one or both of the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle M based on the processing result of at least one of the contact possibility determination unit 120 and the driving state detection unit 130. For example, when it is determined that there is a possibility that the host vehicle M may contact an obstacle, the vehicle control unit 140 generates an avoidance target trajectory for avoiding contact, and controls one or both of the steering and acceleration / deceleration of the host vehicle M so that the host vehicle M travels along the generated avoidance target trajectory. Further, the vehicle control unit 140 may perform control (override control) to cancel the ongoing vehicle control and switch to the driver's manual driving in response to a predetermined driving operation of the driver during vehicle control. Details of the processing of the vehicle control unit 140 will be described later.

[0051] The HMI control unit 150 notifies a passenger (including the driver) of predetermined information via the HMI 30. The predetermined information includes, for example, information related to the running of the host vehicle M, such as information about the state of the host vehicle M and information about driving assistance control. Information about the state of the host vehicle M includes, for example, the speed of the host vehicle M, the engine speed, the shift position, etc. Further, information about the driving control includes, for example, the type of ongoing driving assistance control (e.g., deceleration control, centering steering control, contact avoidance braking control, contact avoidance steering control, lane keeping steering control), the reason for the operation of the driving assistance control, the situation of the driving assistance control, etc. Further, the information about the driving assistance control may include information about alerting the driver and contact attention warnings. Further, the predetermined information may include information about the current position and destination of the host vehicle M, the remaining amount of fuel, etc., and may also include information not related to the running control of the host vehicle M, such as content (e.g., movies) stored in a storage medium such as a TV program or a DVD.

[0052] For example, the HMI control unit 150 may generate an image including the predetermined information described above, and cause the generated image to be displayed on the display unit 32 of the HMI 30. The HMI control unit 150 may also generate a voice indicating the predetermined information, and cause the generated voice to be output from the speaker 34 of the HMI 30. The timing at which the voice is output is, for example, the timing of starting or stopping the driving control, the timing of switching the displayed image, the timing when the host vehicle M reaches a predetermined state, and the like. Further, the HMI control unit 150 may output the information received by the HMI 30 to the vehicle control unit 140 or the like.

[0053] [Vehicle control unit] Next, the details of the vehicle control unit 140 will be described. FIG. 3 is a functional configuration diagram of the vehicle control unit 140. The vehicle control unit 140 includes, for example, a braking control unit 142, a steering control unit 144, and a cancellation control unit 146. For example, the vehicle control unit 140 performs warning control and avoidance control for avoiding contact between the host vehicle M and an obstacle by the control of the braking control unit 142 and the steering control unit 144. The warning control is a control that operates when the host vehicle M approaches an obstacle, and includes, for example, deceleration reduction control, centering steering control, etc., which will be described later. The avoidance control is a control that operates when the host vehicle M approaches an obstacle more than when the warning control operates, and includes, for example, contact avoidance braking control, contact avoidance steering control, etc., which will be described later. These controls are an example of driving support control for assisting the driver's driving.

[0054] Based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 110, when it is determined that there is an obstacle in front of the host vehicle M, the braking control unit 142 performs braking control of the host vehicle M based on the target deceleration of the host vehicle M. For example, the braking control unit 142 sets a deceleration state based on the time to collision TTC between the host vehicle M and the obstacle, and executes deceleration control based on the set deceleration state. The braking control unit 142 includes, for example, a deceleration reduction control unit 142A and a contact avoidance braking control unit 142B.

[0055] When the recognition unit 110 determines that there is an obstacle (e.g., another vehicle) in front of the host vehicle M, the deceleration control unit 142A performs deceleration control on the host vehicle M. Deceleration control is a control (attention - arousal control) that notifies the driver of the approach of an obstacle by a vehicle behavior of deceleration (change in longitudinal G) and prompts attention to the obstacle, and is different from contact - avoidance control for avoiding contact with the obstacle (however, it may result in avoiding contact with the obstacle). For example, when the deceleration control unit 142A determines that there is an obstacle in front of the host vehicle M, it derives the target deceleration of the host vehicle M and decelerates the host vehicle M regardless of the driver's operation so as to approach the derived target deceleration. For example, the deceleration control unit 142A generates a target trajectory including speed information and performs deceleration control on the host vehicle M so that the host vehicle M travels along the generated target trajectory. The deceleration control may be executed when the driving state detection unit 130 detects that the driver is driving carelessly, or may be executed when the contact margin value satisfies the operating conditions of the deceleration control.

[0056] The contact - avoidance braking control unit 142B performs emergency braking control for avoiding contact between the host vehicle M and the obstacle. For example, when the contact - possibility determination unit 120 determines that there is a possibility of contact between the host vehicle M and the obstacle, the contact - avoidance braking control unit 142B performs braking control (deceleration control) for avoiding contact. The braking control executed by the contact - avoidance braking control unit 142B includes, for example, CMBS (Collision Mitigation Brake System) control for assisting contact avoidance or damage reduction. For example, the contact - avoidance braking control unit 142B generates a target trajectory including speed information and performs deceleration control on the host vehicle M so that the host vehicle M travels along the generated target trajectory. The braking control executed by the contact - avoidance braking control unit 142B may be executed, for example, after the deceleration control, or may be executed when the contact margin value satisfies the operating conditions of the contact - avoidance braking control.

[0057] The steering control unit 144 controls the steering of the host vehicle M. The steering control unit 144 includes, for example, a centering steering control unit 144A and a contact - avoidance steering control unit 144B.

[0058] When the recognition unit 110 determines that there is an obstacle in front of the host vehicle M, the centering steering control unit 144A generates a target trajectory for moving the host vehicle M toward the center of the driving lane, and executes steering control (centering steering control) so that the host vehicle M travels along the generated target trajectory. This steering control is not for avoiding contact with the obstacle, but is control for notifying the driver that the obstacle is approaching by the vehicle behavior (change in lateral G) of moving laterally near the center, and prompting the driver to pay attention to the obstacle (however, it may result in avoiding contact with the obstacle). By this steering control, the driver can be made aware of the obstacle ahead at an early stage, which can contribute to driving for avoiding contact. Note that the centering steering control may be executed when the driving state detection unit 130 detects that the driver is driving carelessly, or may be executed when the contact margin value satisfies the operating condition of the steering control. Further, the deceleration reduction control and the centering steering control described above may be executed separately, or may be executed simultaneously at the same timing (for example, the attention prompting control stage).

[0059] When the contact possibility determination unit 120 determines that there is a possibility of contact between the host vehicle M and an obstacle, the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B generates a target trajectory (avoidance target trajectory) for avoiding contact, and executes steering control related to avoidance steering support so that the host vehicle M travels along the generated target trajectory. For example, when it is possible to avoid within the travel lane of the host vehicle M, the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B performs steering control to move in a direction that does not contact the obstacle without deviating from the same lane regardless of the driver's steering operation. Further, the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B, for example, uses the driver's steering operation (for example, a steering amount equal to or greater than a first threshold value) as a trigger (driver steering trigger), and after performing an avoidance operation with the obstacle across the dividing line that divides the travel lane of the host vehicle M, the steering control of the host vehicle M may be performed so that the behavior of the host vehicle M after the avoidance operation becomes stable. In the steering control of the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B, for example, feedforward control or feedback control is performed at any time based on the avoidance target trajectory and the position of the host vehicle M to adjust the steering angle of the host vehicle M. The steering control executed by the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B may be executed, for example, after centering steering control, or may be executed when the contact margin value satisfies the operating conditions of the above steering control.

[0060] The cancellation control unit 146 determines whether to execute cancellation control (override determination) by the driver's driving operation (driver operation) during the execution of the above-described braking control (deceleration reduction control, contact avoidance braking control) or during the execution of steering control (centering steering control, contact avoidance steering control). Then, when it is determined that the cancellation control is to be executed, the cancellation control unit 146 executes cancellation control (override control) to cancel the currently executed braking control or steering control and switch to the driver's manual driving.

[0061] For example, the stop control unit 146 performs an override determination based on the content of the driver's accelerator operation or brake operation detected by the driving state detection unit 130. In this case, for example, the stop control unit 146 determines to execute stop control when the driver's accelerator operation amount (the opening degree of the accelerator pedal 84 detected by the AP sensor 84A) or brake operation amount (the opening degree of the brake pedal 86 detected by the BP sensor 86A) becomes equal to or greater than the speed override threshold during braking control or steering control. Further, the stop control unit 146 may determine to execute stop control when the rate of change of the opening degree becomes equal to or greater than the speed override threshold instead of (or in addition to) the above-described operation amount. The speed override threshold is an example of the "second threshold". The second threshold is a threshold for the opening degree or a threshold for the rate of change of the opening degree according to the determination target.

[0062] Further, the stop control unit 146 may perform an override determination based on the content of the driver's steering operation using the steering wheel 82. For example, the stop control unit 146 determines to perform override control when the steering input torque due to the driver's steering operation becomes equal to or greater than the steering override threshold during braking control or steering control. The steering override threshold is a value greater than the first threshold (driver steering trigger).

[0063] In addition to the vehicle control described above, the vehicle control unit 140 may execute steering control related to lane keeping assistance so that the host vehicle M is maintained within the driving lane (in other words, so as to suppress deviation of the host vehicle M outside the driving lane). For example, in lane keeping control, the vehicle control unit 140 controls the steering device 220 so that the host vehicle M does not deviate from the driving lane recognized by the recognition unit 110 to assist the driver's steering operation. In this case, the vehicle control unit 140 generates a target trajectory (lane keeping target trajectory) so that the host vehicle M travels along the center of the driving lane, and executes steering control of the host vehicle M so that the host vehicle M travels along the generated target trajectory. In the steering control by the vehicle control unit 140, for example, feedforward control or feedback control is performed at any time based on the lane keeping target trajectory and the position of the host vehicle M to adjust the steering angle of the host vehicle M. Further, instead of LKAS control, the vehicle control unit 140 may execute the same control in the case of RDM (Road Departure Mitigation) control.

[0064] [Vehicle Control Regarding Collision Avoidance] Next, the content of the vehicle control regarding collision avoidance in the embodiment will be specifically described. In the following description, it is assumed that the obstacle is another vehicle (preceding vehicle) traveling in front of the host vehicle M. FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining the content of the vehicle control regarding collision avoidance. In the example of FIG. 4, the content of the vehicle control when it is determined that there is a possibility of collision based on the time to collision (TTC) is shown. In the example of FIG. 4, it is assumed that the time T1 is the earliest and the times T2, T3, T4, and T5 are in ascending order of lateness. In the example of FIG. 4, it is assumed that the determination as to whether or not it is a distracted driving by the driving state detection unit 130 is continuously performed at a predetermined cycle from a stage before the time T1.

[0065] First, assume that at time T1, the contact possibility determination unit 120 determines that there is a possibility of contact between the host vehicle M and another vehicle. When it is determined that there is a possibility of contact, the vehicle control unit 140 performs alert control (as shown in (1) of FIG. 4) to prompt the driver to pay attention to the surroundings (especially the traveling direction) based on the time to collision (TTC) and the result of the distracted driving determination.

[0066] FIG. 5 is a diagram for explaining the content of the alert control. In the example of FIG. 5, two lanes L1 and L2 that can travel in the same direction (the X-axis direction in the figure) are shown. Lane L1 is demarcated by road markings LN1 and LN2, and lane L2 is demarcated by road markings LN2 and LN3. Also, in the example of FIG. 5, assume that the host vehicle M is traveling on lane L1 at a speed VM, and the other vehicle m1 exists in front of the host vehicle M and is traveling on lane L1 at a speed Vm1.

[0067] In the example of FIG. 5, when the time to collision (TTC) based on the relative position and relative speed between the host vehicle M and the other vehicle m1 becomes less than the first predetermined time at time T2, and it is determined that the driver is driving distractedly, the vehicle control unit 140 performs alert control. Time T2 is, for example, the time when the time to collision (TTC) becomes about 3 to 4 [seconds].

[0068] The attention - arousal control includes at least one of, for example, deceleration - reduction control and centering steering control. The deceleration - reduction control executed in the attention - arousal control is the control in the first deceleration state. The deceleration - reduction control unit 142A sets a target deceleration (first target deceleration) so that a load (longitudinal G) of a first upper - limit deceleration (about 0.1[G]) is applied to the driver in the traveling direction (longitudinal direction). Also, in the attention - arousal control (first deceleration state), the deceleration - reduction control unit 142A first performs deceleration - reduction control at a first deceleration level (for example, 0.05[G] of longitudinal G), and then may perform deceleration control at a second deceleration level (for example, 0.1[G] of longitudinal G) with a greater degree than the first deceleration level. By controlling so as to gradually increase the deceleration level in this way, it is possible to reduce the load on the passengers such as the driver at the start of the execution of the deceleration - reduction control, and it is possible to suppress the passengers from being surprised by the deceleration - reduction control.

[0069] Also, in the attention - arousal control shown in FIG. 5, the centering steering control unit 144A performs centering steering control to steer so that a reference point such as the center of gravity or the center of the host vehicle M is positioned at the center of the traveling lane (lane L1) based on the recognition result by the recognition unit 110, map information, etc. In the example of FIG. 5, the vehicle control unit 140 generates a future target trajectory K1 of the host vehicle M corresponding to the deceleration - reduction control and the centering steering control, and controls the steering and speed of the host vehicle M so that the host vehicle M travels along the generated target trajectory K1.

[0070] Note that at time T2, the HMI control unit 150 may generate an image including information indicating the reason for the operation of the attention - arousal control (deceleration - reduction control, centering steering control), and display the generated image on the display unit 32 to notify the driver. Also, the image may include information prompting attention - arousal. However, in this case, voice output may not be performed. Thereby, it is possible to simply convey to the driver that the host vehicle M is approaching the other vehicle m1 and prompt attention - arousal, and prompt the driver to perform an early avoidance operation.

[0071] Returning to FIG. 4, when the contact margin time TTC becomes less than the second predetermined time (the second predetermined time < the first predetermined time) at time T3 in a state where the driver does not respond to the attention arousal even after performing the above-described attention arousal control (or override control), and when the driver is determined to be driving carelessly, contact attention warning control ((2) in FIG. 4) is performed. Whether or not the driver is responding to the attention arousal is determined based on, for example, a camera image captured by the driver monitor camera 70. The time T3 is, for example, a time when the contact margin time TTC becomes about 2 [seconds].

[0072] FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the content of the contact attention warning control. FIG. 6 shows a scene where the contact margin time TTC becomes 2 [seconds] in a situation where there is no accelerator operation by the driver from the situation shown in FIG. 5. In the contact attention warning control stage, the deceleration control unit 142A sets a target deceleration (second target deceleration), executes deceleration control according to the set second target deceleration, generates a target trajectory K2, and controls the host vehicle M to travel along the generated target trajectory K2. The deceleration control executed in the contact attention warning control is control in the second deceleration state. In the second deceleration state, the deceleration control unit 142A sets a target deceleration (second target deceleration) so that a load (longitudinal G) greater than the first upper limit deceleration and less than or equal to the second upper limit deceleration (about 0.2 [G]) is applied to the driver in the traveling direction (longitudinal direction). Thereby, it is possible to make the driver more clearly aware that the host vehicle M is approaching the other vehicle m1. In this way, since deceleration control is performed while increasing the deceleration as necessary, more time for making the other vehicle m1 aware can be created, and the driver can drive to avoid contact with the other vehicle m1 with a margin.

[0073] Note that during contact caution warning control, in addition to (or instead of) deceleration control, centering steering control by the centering steering control unit 144A may be executed. Also, during contact caution warning control, the HMI control unit 150 may execute control to highlight the image of the caution information displayed on the display unit 32 or output an alarm to the speaker 34 (alarm escalation control). Thereby, even while further decelerating, it is possible to strongly notify the driver of the high possibility of contact by image and sound, and more clearly prompt the driver for caution and contact avoidance control. The above-described caution prompting control and contact caution warning control are controls executed as "warning control".

[0074] Returning to FIG. 4, after the execution of the contact caution warning control, when the vehicle control unit 140 determines that automatic avoidance is possible within the driving lane based on the surrounding situation recognized by the recognition unit 110 at time T4, the automatic steering avoidance control is executed (FIG. 4(3)). Time T4 is a time when the host vehicle M is closer to the other vehicle m1 than time T3 (for example, before the time when the time to collision TTC is about 2 [seconds]).

[0075] FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the content of the automatic steering avoidance control. In the example of FIG. 7, it is the control when a predetermined accelerator operation by the driver has not been performed after the execution of the contact caution warning control. In this case, the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B recognizes the area of the driving lane (lane L1) and the position of the other vehicle m1 based on the recognition result by the recognition unit 110, and when there is an avoidance space within the driving lane, generates an avoidance target trajectory K3 for traveling in the avoidance space, and executes steering control so that the host vehicle M travels along the generated avoidance target trajectory K3. In this case, acceleration / deceleration control by the vehicle control unit 140 may be executed as necessary. Also, during the automatic steering avoidance control, the HMI control unit 150 may continue to execute the above-described alarm escalation control. Thereby, when it is possible to perform steering avoidance with a highly safe control, more appropriate vehicle control can be realized by executing the automatic steering control.

[0076] Note that the vehicle control unit 140 may execute CMBS control in parallel by the collision avoidance braking control unit 142B at the timing of time T4. When the CMBS control is executed, the above-described automatic steering avoidance control and the driver steering assist control described later may not be executed. In this case, the HMI control unit 150 may output an alarm (image, sound) related to the CMBS control.

[0077] Returning to FIG. 4, at time T5 when the driver operates the steering wheel 82 (detects a driver steering trigger) and performs a steering operation in a direction to avoid the other vehicle m1, the collision avoidance steering control unit 144B executes collision avoidance steering control (driver steering assist (an example of avoidance steering assist)) so as not to further deviate from the adjacent lane (lane L2) adjacent to the traveling lane (lane L1) (FIG. 4(4)). The driver steering trigger here is, for example, that the steering input torque by the driver for avoiding the other vehicle m1 becomes equal to or greater than the first threshold value (and less than the steering override threshold value). The driver steering assist control may be executed after the automatic steering avoidance control, or may be executed after the contact attention warning control (at the timing of time T4 without performing the automatic steering avoidance control).

[0078] FIG. 8 is a diagram for explaining steering control after a driver steering trigger. In the example of FIG. 8, when the contact between the host vehicle M and another vehicle m1 is imminent and the driver steering trigger is detected, the collision avoidance steering control unit 144B allows the host vehicle M to move from the lane L1 to the adjacent lane L2, and further controls the steering of the host vehicle M so as not to deviate further from the adjacent lane L2. In this case, the collision avoidance steering control unit 144B generates an avoidance target trajectory K4 for changing lanes to the lane L2, and controls the steering of the host vehicle M so that the position of the host vehicle M approaches the avoidance target trajectory K4 by a steering operation by the driver, thereby executing avoidance steering support. In this case, the collision avoidance steering control unit 144B may control to apply a reaction force to the steering wheel 82 with respect to the steering operation of the driver (instead of or in addition to the steering control) so that the steering input torque amount is suppressed. Further, during driver steering support, the HMI control unit 150 may continue to execute the above-described warning escalation control. Thereby, even when an emergency avoidance steering is performed by a steering operation of the driver, more appropriate vehicle control can be realized.

[0079] Returning to FIG. 4, when the time to collision TTC approaches the limit value after the attention arousal control shown in FIG. 4(1) and the driver performs a steering operation, the driver steering support is executed in the same manner as the control in FIG. 4(4) so as not to further cross the adjacent lane (FIG. 4(5)). In this case, the HMI control unit 150 may perform notification control such as notification of the activation of the driver steering support control and warning. The above-described collision avoidance braking control and collision avoidance steering control are controls executed as "avoidance control".

[0080] [Suppression of cancellation control] For example, in the driver steering assistance control shown in (4) and (5) of FIG. 4 described above, when the driver steering assistance is being performed (and in particular when override control is not being executed), if the steering (steering angle) control is executed on the side of the steering control unit 144 (vehicle system) to bring the host vehicle M closer to the avoidance target trajectory K4, the behavior of the host vehicle M (especially lateral movement) may cause the driver's posture to collapse. In this case, due to the collapse of the posture, the driver may inadvertently operate the accelerator pedal 84 or the brake pedal 86, and as a result, there is a possibility that the cancellation control by the cancellation control unit 146 may be executed. Therefore, in the embodiment, when a predetermined condition is satisfied during the driver steering assistance, the cancellation control unit 146 suppresses the execution of the cancellation control for canceling the driver steering assistance control.

[0081] For example, as a first predetermined condition, when a speed operation (for example, an accelerator operation) by the driver is executed within a predetermined time after the start of the driver steering assistance, the cancellation control unit 146 suppresses (makes it difficult to execute the cancellation control) the execution of the cancellation control even when the driver performs an accelerator operation equal to or greater than the speed override threshold value.

[0082] FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining the driver steering assistance and cancellation control executed by the vehicle control unit 140. In the example of FIG. 9, the behavior of the host vehicle M before and after the start of the driver steering assistance control, the vehicle control state, and the accelerator operation state of the driver with respect to the accelerator pedal 84 are shown. Also, in the example of FIG. 9, it is assumed that the time Ta is the earliest and the times Tb, Tc, and Td are in ascending order of lateness. Further, in the example of FIG. 9, the position and speed VM of the host vehicle M at time T* are represented as M(t*) and VM(t*).

[0083] At time Ta, the vehicle control state of the host vehicle M is off. At this point, the host vehicle M may have control such as LKAS executed according to, for example, the driver's instruction (an instruction to execute driving assistance by a changeover switch or the like). At time Tb, since the host vehicle M satisfies the execution conditions of the contact attention warning shown in (2) of FIG. 4, the contact attention warning control is being executed. Thereafter, when the vehicle control unit 140 detects a driver steering trigger, the driver steering assistance control starts, and driver steering assistance (evasive steering assistance) control is executed so that the host vehicle M travels along the avoidance target trajectory K4.

[0084] Here, when the driver steering assistance control starts immediately, as described above, there is a high possibility that the driver's posture will collapse due to a change in the behavior of the host vehicle M that the driver does not intend. Therefore, the vehicle control unit 140 suppresses the execution of the cancellation control even when the accelerator operation exceeds the override threshold until a predetermined time ΔT elapses after the driver steering assistance control starts. The predetermined time ΔT may be, for example, a predetermined fixed time, or a variable time according to the driving situation of the host vehicle M (for example, the positional relationship (relative position) between the host vehicle M and surrounding obstacles (other vehicle m1) and the speed VM of the host vehicle M) and the surrounding situation (for example, road shape, width of the driving lane).

[0085] Suppressing the execution of the cancellation control includes, for example, making the speed override threshold (second threshold) larger by a predetermined amount than the normal speed override threshold to make it difficult to execute the cancellation control. Here, the normal time refers to the case where the execution of the cancellation control is not suppressed, for example, the time zone before or after the above-mentioned predetermined time ΔT (in the example of FIG. 9, during the contact attention warning control or during the driver operation assistance control after the predetermined time ΔT has elapsed). The predetermined amount may be, for example, a predetermined fixed amount, or a variable amount according to the driving situation of the host vehicle M and the surrounding situation.

[0086] In the example of FIG. 9, an accelerator operation equal to or higher than the speed override threshold value by the driver is performed between the start of the driver steering assist control by the driver steering trigger and the elapse of a predetermined time ΔT (the accelerator operation “ON” state shown in FIG. 9). However, the cancellation control for the accelerator operation during this period is not executed, and the driver steering assist control continues to be executed also at times Tc and Td.

[0087] In addition, when an accelerator operation equal to or higher than the speed override threshold value increased by a predetermined amount more than in the normal state is detected before the elapse of the predetermined time ΔT, the cancellation control unit 146 executes the cancellation control. Thereby, although the execution condition of the cancellation control is made strict and the cancellation condition is made difficult to execute, it is possible to prevent the cancellation control from being completely unable to be executed.

[0088] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining vehicle control when an accelerator operation is performed after a predetermined time ΔT has elapsed since the start of the driver steering assist control. The example of FIG. 10 is different from FIG. 9 in that the accelerator operation is performed at a timing after the predetermined time ΔT. As shown in FIG. 10, when an accelerator operation equal to or higher than the speed override threshold value is performed at a timing after the predetermined time ΔT (and during the execution of the driver steering assist control), the cancellation control unit 146 executes the cancellation control for the driver steering assist control being executed. Therefore, at the time Td shown in FIG. 10, the vehicle control state is in the OFF state, and the host vehicle M travels by the manual operation of the driver. When the driver steering assist control is canceled by the cancellation control, the HMI control unit 150 may output information indicating that it has been canceled to the HMI 30 to notify the driver. Thereby, the driver can be made aware that the driver steering assist control has been canceled halfway by the accelerator steering, and can be made aware of appropriate driving.

[0089] As described above, until a predetermined time ΔT has elapsed since the start of the execution of the driver steering assistance control, by suppressing the execution of the cancellation control, it is possible to suppress the cancellation of the driver steering assistance control (or the switching to manual driving) due to an accelerator operation that the driver did not intend (due to losing posture). Therefore, in a scenario where contact with an obstacle is to be avoided, more appropriate driving assistance control can be performed.

[0090] Further, instead of (or in addition to) the first predetermined condition described above, the cancellation control unit 146 may suppress the execution of the cancellation control for the driver steering assistance control when, as a second predetermined condition, the steering amount of the driver's steering operation during the driver steering assistance control is equal to or greater than a third threshold value that is greater than the first threshold value. The steering amount is obtained based on, for example, the detection result of the SW sensor 82A or the detection result of the steering state detection unit 132. The third threshold value is a value less than the steering override threshold value. When the driver's posture is disrupted due to a change in the behavior of the host vehicle M during driver steering assistance, there is a possibility that the driver may perform a steering operation that is not intended due to the disruption. Therefore, when a steering amount equal to or greater than the third threshold value, which is greater than the first threshold value that is the determination condition for the driver steering trigger as described above, is detected, the execution of the cancellation control for the driver's accelerator operation is suppressed. Thereby, similar to the above, more appropriate driving assistance control can be performed.

[0091] Further, the cancellation control unit 146 does not necessarily have to execute the cancellation control even when the steering amount of the driver's steering operation becomes equal to or greater than the steering override threshold value until a predetermined time ΔT has elapsed since the start of the driver steering assistance control.

[0092] Further, instead of the steering amount of the steering operation described above, the cancellation control unit 146 may determine whether to suppress the execution of the cancellation control using the steering speed. When the driver's posture is disrupted, there is a high possibility that a steering operation faster than during normal driving will be performed. Therefore, the cancellation control unit 146 suppresses the execution of the cancellation control when the steering speed during the driver steering assistance control is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed.

[0093] In addition, the accelerator operation by the driver includes the accelerator opening. Further, the accelerator operation by the driver may include the change rate of the accelerator opening. When there is a high possibility that the driver's posture will collapse, the override threshold is suppressed, and when the driver wants to override, it is also possible to override. Note that the stop control unit 146 may use the accelerator opening and the change rate of the accelerator opening as the accelerator operation threshold, respectively. Thereby, it is possible to more appropriately determine whether to execute the override control using the finer accelerator operation of the driver.

[0094] Note that the stop control unit 146 may suppress the execution of the stop control by restricting the determination target instead of (or in addition to) increasing the speed override threshold to be larger than normal when a predetermined condition is satisfied. For example, when the stop control unit 146 normally uses the accelerator operation amount (the opening of the accelerator pedal) or the change rate of the opening as the determination target, when suppressing the stop control, the determination using the change rate of the opening is not executed. When the driver's posture collapses, the change rate of the opening is likely to change rapidly. Therefore, by invalidating the override determination based on the change rate of the opening when suppressing the stop control, it is possible to more appropriately suppress the execution of the stop control unintentionally by the driver.

[0095] Also, during the execution of the driver steering assistance control, the suspension control unit 146 may control so as not to execute the suspension control temporarily (for example, until a predetermined time ΔT has elapsed since the start of the driver steering assistance control) when a predetermined condition is satisfied. In a scene where there is a high possibility that the driver's posture will collapse, by completely disabling the suspension control, it is possible to perform control that is easy for the driver to understand regardless of the accelerator operation amount. In this case, the HMI control unit 150 may output information indicating that the suspension control cannot be executed temporarily to the HMI 30 to notify the driver. Thereby, the driver can be made aware that the suspension control cannot be executed temporarily, and can be made to be conscious of appropriate driving. In the embodiment, "suppressing the execution of the suspension control" may include "not executing the suspension control".

[0096] [Processing Flow] FIG. 11 is a flowchart showing an example of the processing executed by the driving support device 100 in the embodiment. In the example of FIG. 11, among the processing executed by the driving support device 100, the suppression processing of the suspension control mainly during the driver steering assistance will be mainly described. Note that, in addition to the processing shown in FIG. 11, the driving support device 100 can execute a contact possibility determination process, a random driving determination process, an attention call control process, a contact attention warning control process, an automatic steering avoidance control process, etc. as shown in FIG. 4 according to the above-described respective execution conditions. The processing shown in FIG. 11 may be repeatedly executed at a predetermined timing.

[0097] In the example of FIG. 11, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the surrounding situation of the host vehicle M (step S100). Next, the driving state detection unit 130 detects the steering state of the driver (step S110). Next, the contact possibility determination unit 120 determines whether or not the host vehicle M may come into contact with an obstacle (step S120). If it is determined that there is a possibility of contact with an obstacle, the contact avoidance steering control unit 144B generates an avoidance target trajectory for the host vehicle M to avoid contact with the obstacle (step S130), and executes avoidance steering support so that the host vehicle M travels along the generated avoidance target trajectory (step S140). Note that the avoidance steering support by the process of step S140 is, for example, driver steering support control executed by detection of a driver steering trigger.

[0098] Next, the cancellation control unit 146 determines whether or not it has detected the driver's steering operation during the execution of the avoidance steering support (step S150). If it is determined that the driver's steering has been detected during execution, the cancellation control unit 146 determines whether or not the conditions regarding the accelerator operation satisfy a predetermined condition (step S160). If it is determined that the predetermined condition is satisfied, the cancellation control unit 146 suppresses the execution of the cancellation control (step S170). Also, if it is determined that the predetermined condition is not satisfied, the cancellation control unit 146 executes the cancellation control (step S180). Thereby, the processing of this flowchart ends.

[0099] Also, in the process of step S120, if it is determined that there is no possibility of contact with an obstacle, or in the process of step S150, if it is determined that the driver's accelerator operation has not been detected during the execution of the avoidance steering support, the processing of this flowchart ends.

[0100] FIG. 12 is a flowchart showing an example of the cancellation control process. Note that in the example of FIG. 12, after the avoidance steering support control is started, a process in which the cancellation control is suppressed is shown by adjusting the determination condition as to whether or not to execute the cancellation control based on whether or not a predetermined condition is satisfied. The process shown in FIG. 12 may be repeatedly executed at a predetermined timing while the avoidance steering support control is being executed.

[0101] In the example of FIG. 12, the cancellation control unit 146 obtains the opening degree of the driver's accelerator pedal 84 by the speed operation detection unit 134 (step S200), and obtains the rate of change of the opening degree in a predetermined time (step S210). Next, the cancellation control unit 146 determines whether or not a predetermined time has elapsed before the avoidance steering assistance is started as a predetermined condition (step S220). When it is determined that the predetermined time has not elapsed (that is, when it is determined that the predetermined condition is not satisfied), the cancellation control unit 146 determines whether or not the opening degree or the rate of change of the opening degree is equal to or greater than a second threshold value (speed override threshold value) (step S230). When the cancellation control unit 146 determines that the opening degree or the rate of change of the opening degree is equal to or greater than the second threshold value, it executes cancellation control (step S240), and when it determines that the opening degree is less than the second threshold value, it ends the process without executing cancellation control.

[0102] Also, in the process of step S220, when it is determined that a predetermined time has elapsed before the avoidance steering assistance is started (that is, when it is determined that the predetermined condition is satisfied), only the opening degree is targeted, and it is further determined whether or not the opening degree is equal to or greater than a threshold value larger than the second threshold value (step S250). When the cancellation control unit 146 determines that the opening degree is equal to or greater than the threshold value larger than the second threshold value, it executes cancellation control (step S240), and when the opening degree is less than the threshold value, it ends the process without executing cancellation control. Thereby, this flowchart ends.

[0103] In the process of FIG. 12, until a predetermined time elapses after the avoidance steering assistance is started, override determination based on the rate of change of the opening degree of the accelerator pedal is not performed. Further, in the process of step S250, the threshold value for determining whether or not to execute cancellation control is made larger than the second threshold value in the process of step S230. By making the conditions for executing cancellation control stricter in this way, execution of cancellation control can be suppressed.

[0104] According to the embodiment as described above, in the vehicle control program, the computer is caused to recognize the surrounding situation of the host vehicle M, detect the steering state of the driver (an example of an occupant) of the host vehicle, detect the speed operation of the host vehicle by the driver, determine that there is a possibility that the host vehicle may come into contact with an obstacle based on the recognized surrounding situation of the host vehicle, and when a steering amount equal to or greater than a first threshold value is detected from the steering state of the driver, execute avoidance steering support to avoid contact with the obstacle, and when a speed operation equal to or greater than a second threshold value is detected from the detected speed operation during the execution of the avoidance steering support, execute stop control to stop the avoidance steering support, and suppress the execution of the stop control when a predetermined condition is satisfied during the execution of the avoidance steering support, whereby in a scene of avoiding contact with an obstacle, more appropriate driving support control can be performed for the driver.

[0105] Further, according to the embodiment, for example, at the start (initial stage) of the avoidance steering support, since there is a high possibility that the driver's posture is collapsed, the override threshold value is made stricter than usual to suppress the execution of the stop control, thereby suppressing the execution of the override (stop control) due to an accelerator operation unintended by the driver. Also, according to the embodiment, when the steering amount during the avoidance steering support becomes equal to or greater than a third threshold value, since there is a high possibility that the driver's posture is collapsed, the execution of the stop control is suppressed, thereby suppressing the override due to an accelerator operation unintended by the driver.

[0106] [Modification Example] In the above-described embodiment, in addition to (or instead of) the steering control being executed so that the host vehicle M does not deviate from the adjacent lane (lane L2) when the host vehicle M moves from the traveling lane (lane L1) to the adjacent lane (lane L2) as shown in FIG. 8, contact avoidance steering control within the traveling lane (lane L1) may be performed. In this case, the driver steering support control generates an avoidance target trajectory so as to avoid contact with an obstacle and not deviate from the traveling lane, and the avoidance steering support is executed so that the host vehicle M travels along the generated avoidance target trajectory. Also, during this steering control, when the driver's steering operation is detected, the avoidance steering support is suppressed.

[0107] Further, in the embodiment, in addition to (or instead of) the driver steering assist control, for example, during the automatic steering avoidance control as shown in FIG. 7, when the driver's steering operation and speed are detected (and when the override control is not executed), the suppression control of the above-described cancellation control may be executed.

[0108] Further, in the embodiment, instead of (or in addition to) the above-described predetermined conditions, it may be determined from the camera image of the driver monitor camera 70 whether or not the driver's posture is actually collapsed, and the execution of the cancellation control may be controlled based on the determination result. In this case, the driving state detection unit 130 extracts the driver's posture from, for example, the analysis result of the camera image of the driver monitor camera 70, and when the extracted driver's posture has changed by a predetermined amount or more from a predetermined basic posture (a posture facing forward) (for example, when the posture is tilted sideways due to lateral G), it is determined that the driver's posture is in a collapsed state. The cancellation control unit 146 suppresses the execution of the cancellation control while it is determined by the driving state detection unit 130 that the driver's posture is in a collapsed state as a predetermined condition. Note that the cancellation control unit 146 does not have to suppress the execution of the cancellation control even if it is determined by the driving state detection unit 130 that the driver's posture is not in a collapsed state before a predetermined time has elapsed since the start of the driver steering assist control. Further, even after the above-described predetermined time has elapsed, if the driver's posture remains in a collapsed state, the suppression of the execution of the cancellation control may be continued until the collapsed state returns to the original state (returns to the basic posture). Thereby, the driver's posture can be grasped more accurately from the camera image, and more appropriate driving support control can be performed according to the driver's posture.

[0109] In the above-described embodiment, an example of the override determination during the execution of the driver steering assist control has been described using the driver's accelerator operation. However, instead of (or in addition to) the accelerator operation, a brake operation may be used.

[0110] In the above-described embodiment, the contact avoidance steering control (driver steering assist control) after executing the attention arousal control (deceleration control, centering control) has been described. However, it may be applied when the driver steering assist control is executed without performing the attention arousal control.

[0111] Also, each numerical value shown in the above-described embodiment is merely an example, and may be appropriately adjusted according to road conditions (shape, number of lanes, road type), the driving state of the driver (degree of carelessness), vehicle conditions (speed, vehicle type, shape, number of passengers), etc.

[0112] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows. A storage medium storing computer-readable instructions, A processor connected to the storage medium, comprising: The processor, by executing the computer-readable instructions (the processor executing the computer-readable instructions to:) Recognize the surrounding situation of the vehicle, Detect the steering state of the occupant of the vehicle, Detect the speed operation of the vehicle by the occupant, Based on the recognized surrounding situation of the vehicle, determine that there is a possibility that the vehicle may contact an obstacle, and when a steering amount equal to or greater than a first threshold value is detected from the detected steering state of the occupant, execute avoidance steering assistance to avoid contact with the obstacle, During the execution of the avoidance steering assistance, when a speed operation equal to or greater than a second threshold value is detected from the detected speed operation, stop the avoidance steering assistance, When a predetermined condition is satisfied during the execution of the avoidance steering assistance, suppress the execution of the stop control, A vehicle control device.

[0113] As described above, the embodiments for carrying out the present invention have been described using the embodiments, but the present invention is not limited to such embodiments at all, and various modifications and substitutions can be made without departing from the gist of the present invention.

Explanation of Signs

[0114] 10… Camera, 12… Radar device, 14… LIDAR, 16… Object recognition device, 20… Communication device, 30… HMI, 40… Vehicle sensor, 50… Navigation device, 60… MPU, 70… Driver monitoring camera, 80… Driving operator, 82… Steering wheel, 84… Accelerator pedal, 86… Brake pedal, 100… Driving support device, 110… Recognition unit, 120… Contact possibility determination unit, 130… Driving state detection unit, 132… Steering state detection unit, 134… Speed operation detection unit, 136… Wandering driving determination unit 136, 140… Vehicle control unit, 142… Braking control unit, 144… Steering control unit, 146… Stop control unit, 150… HMI control unit, 160… Memory unit, 200… Travel driving force output device, 210… Brake device, 220… Steering device, M… Own vehicle

Claims

1. Cause a computer to recognize the surrounding situation of a vehicle, detect the steering state of an occupant of the vehicle, detect a speed operation of the vehicle by the occupant, based on the recognized surrounding situation of the vehicle, determine that there is a possibility that the vehicle will come into contact with an obstacle, and when a steering amount equal to or greater than a first threshold is detected from the steering state of the occupant, execute avoidance steering assistance to avoid contact with the obstacle, during the execution of the avoidance steering assistance, when a speed operation equal to or greater than a second threshold is detected from the detected speed operation, execute stop control to stop the avoidance steering assistance, suppress the execution of the stop control when a predetermined condition is satisfied during the execution of the avoidance steering assistance, A vehicle control program.

2. The predetermined condition includes that it is within a predetermined time from the start of the avoidance steering assistance, The vehicle control program according to claim 1.

3. The predetermined condition includes that a steering amount equal to or greater than a third threshold greater than the first threshold is detected from the steering state, The vehicle control program according to claim 1.

4. When suppressing the execution of the stop control, make the value of the second threshold larger than when not suppressing the execution of the stop control, The vehicle control program according to claim 1.

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

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

7. When the predetermined condition is satisfied during the execution of the avoidance steering assistance, do not execute the stop control, The vehicle control program according to claim 1.

8. When the predetermined condition is satisfied during the execution of the avoidance steering assistance, do not execute the determination regarding the suppression of the stop control using the rate of change of the opening degree of the accelerator pedal of the vehicle, The vehicle control program according to claim 1.

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

10. A recognition unit that recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle, A steering state detection unit that detects the steering state of an occupant of the vehicle, A speed operation detection unit that detects a speed operation of the vehicle by the occupant; Based on the surrounding situation of the vehicle recognized by the recognition unit, it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and an obstacle, and when a steering amount equal to or greater than a first threshold is detected from the steering state of the occupant detected by the steering state detection unit, a steering control unit that executes avoidance steering support to avoid contact with the obstacle; A cancellation control unit that executes cancellation control to cancel the avoidance steering support when a speed operation equal to or greater than a second threshold is detected from the speed operation detected by the speed operation detection unit during the execution of the avoidance steering support, and is provided with: The cancellation control unit suppresses the execution of the cancellation control when a predetermined condition is satisfied during the execution of the avoidance steering support; A vehicle control device.

11. A computer, Recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle, Detects the steering state of the occupant of the vehicle, Detects a speed operation of the vehicle by the occupant, Based on the recognized surrounding situation of the vehicle, it is determined that there is a possibility of contact between the vehicle and an obstacle, and when a steering amount equal to or greater than a first threshold is detected from the detected steering state of the occupant, executes avoidance steering support to avoid contact with the obstacle, During the execution of the avoidance steering support, when a speed operation equal to or greater than a second threshold is detected from the detected speed operation, executes cancellation control to cancel the avoidance steering support, During the execution of the avoidance steering support, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, suppresses the execution of the cancellation control, A vehicle control method.

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