Vehicle control method and vehicle control device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control method and a vehicle control device capable of suppressing a sudden stop of a vehicle even in a case of being preceded by an oncoming right-turn vehicle when turning left at an intersection.SOLUTION: A controller performs: a road environment acquisition step of acquiring road environment information including a road shape; an observation area setting step of setting an observation area including a crosswalk based on the road environment information; an oncoming vehicle detection step of detecting an oncoming right-turn vehicle to enter a left-turn destination road before a self vehicle; an entry regulation step of regulating an entry of the self vehicle to the crosswalk when the observation area is shielded by the oncoming right-turn vehicle; and an entry determination step of determining entry propriety of the self vehicle to the crosswalk after eliminating the shielding of the observation area when the oncoming right-turn vehicle moves.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 5

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle control method and a vehicle control device. [Background technology]

[0002] BACKGROUND ART A vehicle control device that controls automatic driving of a vehicle is known (see, for example, Patent Document 1). The device in Patent Document 1 performs vehicle control for autonomous driving that takes into account objects that may be in blind spots. When there is a blind spot at an intersection and the vehicle does not have priority, this device performs driving assistance by taking into account objects that may appear from the blind spot and controlling deceleration to a predetermined position so that the vehicle can stop at any time. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] International Publication No. WO2016 / 104198 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the device of Patent Document 1, the blind spot is eliminated by the vehicle moving forward while controlling deceleration. However, in a situation where an oncoming vehicle is ahead of the vehicle and the vehicle turns left after the oncoming vehicle at an intersection, the blind spot may not be eliminated even if the vehicle decelerates and moves forward in accordance with the behavior of the oncoming vehicle. In this case, after the oncoming vehicle has moved away, the vehicle may discover an object hidden in the blind spot close to the vehicle, requiring the vehicle to make an emergency stop.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control method and a vehicle control device that can prevent a vehicle from suddenly stopping when turning left at an intersection even when an oncoming vehicle turning right is ahead. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A vehicle control method according to a first aspect of the present disclosure is a vehicle control method in which a computer causes a host vehicle to travel along a predetermined travel route, the computer performing the following steps: a road environment acquisition step of acquiring road environment information including road shape; an observation area setting step of setting, based on the road environment information, a crosswalk of an object crossing a road to which the host vehicle plans to turn left as an observation area; an oncoming vehicle detection step of detecting an oncoming right-turning vehicle that enters the road to which the host vehicle plans to turn left from an oncoming lane of the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling before making the left turn, and that enters the road to which the host vehicle plans to turn left ahead of the host vehicle; an entry restriction step of restricting the host vehicle from entering the crosswalk if the observation area is blocked by the oncoming right-turning vehicle; and an entry determination step of determining whether the host vehicle can enter the crosswalk after the oncoming right-turning vehicle moves away and no longer blocks the observation area.

[0007] A vehicle control device according to a second aspect of the present disclosure includes: a road environment acquisition unit that acquires road environment information including road shape; an observation area setting unit that sets, based on the road environment information, a crosswalk for an object crossing a road to which the host vehicle plans to turn left as an observation area; an oncoming vehicle detection unit that uses a surroundings detection sensor that detects objects around the host vehicle to detect an oncoming right-turning vehicle that enters the road to which the host vehicle plans to turn left from an oncoming lane of the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling before making the left turn, and that enters the road to which the host vehicle plans to turn left ahead; an entry restriction unit that restricts the host vehicle from entering the crosswalk if the observation area is blocked by the oncoming right-turning vehicle; and an entry determination unit that determines whether the host vehicle can enter the crosswalk after the oncoming right-turning vehicle moves away from blocking the observation area. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] In this invention, the vehicle stops without entering the crosswalk, waits for the oncoming right-turning vehicle to move away and clear the blind spot, and then determines whether or not the vehicle can enter the crosswalk, thereby preventing situations where an obstacle suddenly appears from the obstruction and the vehicle has to stop suddenly. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. [Figure 2] 5A and 5B are diagrams illustrating the degree of shading for an observation area in the present embodiment. [Figure 3] (A) is a diagram showing an example of the position of an oncoming right-turning vehicle relative to the observation area when the degree of occlusion is a first value, and (B) is a diagram showing an example of the position of an oncoming right-turning vehicle relative to the observation area when the degree of occlusion is less than the first value. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram illustrating a method for setting a target position according to the present embodiment. [Figure 5] 3 is a flowchart showing a vehicle control method according to the present embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Hereinafter, a vehicle control method and a vehicle control device according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle control device according to this embodiment. The vehicle control device 1 of this embodiment is a device that is mounted on a vehicle and controls the vehicle. The vehicle control device 1 includes a sensor unit 10 that acquires various information, a navigation device 20, a vehicle drive device 30, a controller 100, and the like. The controller 100 is connected to the sensor unit 10, the navigation device 20, the vehicle drive device 30, and the like.

[0011] (Configuration of sensor unit 10) The sensor unit 10 is a sensor mounted on a vehicle to acquire various information, and includes, for example, a surroundings detection sensor 11, a position detection sensor 12, and the like. The surroundings detection sensor 11 is a sensor that detects objects around the vehicle, for example, objects within a predetermined distance range around the vehicle. Objects to be detected include, for example, vehicles around the vehicle, marked lines on the road, and obstacles on the road that may hinder travel. Vehicles around the vehicle include oncoming vehicles traveling in the opposite lane of the lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and oncoming vehicles turning right from the oncoming vehicles. Marked lines on the road include lane markings that separate lanes, stop lines, pedestrian crossings, bicycle crossings, etc. Obstacles are objects that hinder vehicle travel, and include objects installed on the road as well as pedestrians and bicycles walking on the road. The specific configuration of the surroundings detection sensor 11 is not particularly limited, but for example, a general imaging camera, laser radar, millimeter wave radar, or the like can be used.

[0012] The position detection sensor 12 is a sensor that detects the current position of the vehicle. An example of the position detection sensor 12 is a receiver that receives satellite signals of a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) to determine the current position.

[0013] Other sensors may also be provided as the sensor unit 10. For example, sensors that detect various information related to the traveling of the vehicle may be provided. Examples of such sensors include a vehicle speed sensor that detects the vehicle speed, an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration, an accelerator opening detection sensor that detects the accelerator opening, and a rotation speed detection sensor that detects the rotation speed of the engine, drive motor, etc.

[0014] (Configuration of navigation device 20) The navigation device 20 acquires map information within a predetermined distance around the vehicle. For example, the navigation device 20 may be an information recording device in which map information is recorded on a recording medium mounted on the vehicle and the map information is acquired from the recording medium. Alternatively, the navigation device 20 may receive map information by communicating with a data server in which map information is stored via a communication line such as the Internet.

[0015] This map information includes various types of information related to roads. For example, the map information includes nodes that indicate intersections on roads or specific points on roads, and links that indicate roads connecting the nodes. Nodes also include information indicating whether or not right or left turns are possible at intersections. Links include information regarding the number of lanes on roads and the possible directions of travel for vehicles on each lane.

[0016] The navigation device 20 further generates a driving plan for the vehicle. For example, when a destination is set by the user, the navigation device 20 calculates driving plan information from the current position detected by the position detection sensor 12 to the destination. The driving plan information includes route information that indicates the route along which the vehicle will travel from the current position to the destination. The route information is, for example, information that records links and nodes from the current position to the destination in order. Regarding the search for a travel plan, a general method used in a normal navigation device can be used, and a description thereof will be omitted here.

[0017] The vehicle drive device 30 controls the traveling of the vehicle based on commands from the controller 100. For example, the vehicle drive device 30 automatically drives the vehicle along a route set by the controller 100.

[0018] The controller 100 is a computer, and is configured to include, for example, a storage unit 110 configured with a memory or the like, a processor 120 configured with a CPU (Central Processing Unit) or the like, and an input / output interface (not shown). The processor 120 reads and executes various programs, such as a vehicle control program, stored in the storage unit 110, thereby functioning as a driving plan acquisition unit 121, a road environment acquisition unit 122, an observation area setting unit 123, an oncoming vehicle detection unit 124, an obstruction degree calculation unit 125, an entry restriction unit 126, an entry determination unit 127, a driving control unit 128, and the like, as shown in FIG. Here, an example is shown in which the processor 120 executes a vehicle control program to realize the functional configurations of the driving plan acquisition unit 121, road environment acquisition unit 122, observation area setting unit 123, oncoming vehicle detection unit 124, obscuration degree calculation unit 125, entry restriction unit 126, entry judgment unit 127, and driving control unit 128, but some or all of these may be realized by individual hardware configurations.

[0019] The driving plan acquisition unit 121 acquires driving plan information and map information from the navigation device 20. Each node included in the map information may record information such as whether there is a crosswalk at the intersection, whether there is a traffic light, and the shape of the crosswalk.

[0020] The road environment acquisition unit 122 acquires road environment information. The road environment information includes the road shape of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, whether there are traffic lights at intersections, etc. The road shape includes the shape of crosswalks on the road. The road shape may also include other information such as the road width, the width of each lane, and the number of lanes. The road environment acquisition unit 122 may acquire the road shape from map information acquired from the navigation device 20, or may acquire the road shape using the surroundings detection sensor 11. For example, if the surroundings detection sensor 11 is an imaging camera, the road shape, such as crosswalks and traffic lights on the road, can be detected from video information captured by the imaging camera. Alternatively, the road environment information may be acquired using both the information detected by the surroundings detection sensor 11 and map information.

[0021] When the vehicle is planning to turn left at an intersection, the observation area setting unit 123 sets an area that is a predetermined margin outside the crosswalk on the road where the vehicle is going to turn left as the observation area.

[0022] The oncoming vehicle detection unit 124 uses the surroundings detection sensor 11 to detect an oncoming right-turning vehicle that enters, ahead of the host vehicle, from the oncoming lane of the lane the host vehicle is traveling on to a road where the host vehicle plans to turn left (hereinafter simply referred to as a left-turn road). The oncoming vehicle detection unit 124 also calculates driving state information of the detected oncoming right-turning vehicle. The driving state information is a parameter related to the driving state of the oncoming right-turning vehicle, and includes, for example, the position of the oncoming right-turning vehicle relative to the host vehicle's speed, the speed, acceleration, attitude, etc. of the oncoming right-turning vehicle. The attitude of the oncoming right-turning vehicle indicates the direction in which the oncoming right-turning vehicle is traveling.

[0023] The shielding degree calculation unit 125 calculates the shielding degree, which is the proportion of the observation area that is shielded by the oncoming right-turning vehicle. 2 is a diagram illustrating the degree of shielding for an observation area. In FIG. 2, A1 indicates the observation area, and A2 indicates the shielded portion shielded by an oncoming vehicle 92 turning right as viewed from the host vehicle 91. The degree of shielding can be calculated based on the position of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92, the position of the host vehicle 91, and the position of the observation area A1, and is the proportion of the shielded region A3 where the observation area A1 and the shielded portion A2 overlap, to the observation area A1. The shielding degree calculation unit 125 can calculate the degree of shielding, for example, from the area occupied by the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 relative to the area of ​​the observation area detected by the surroundings detection sensor 11. Alternatively, the shielding degree calculation unit 125 can calculate the degree of shielding by drawing a virtual straight line (for example, line L in FIG. 2 ) from the host vehicle 91 to the left and right ends of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 on the map based on the positional relationship of the host vehicle 91, the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92, and the crosswalk 93 in the map information. A ,L B ) is stretched, the imaginary line L A ,L B Alternatively, the area of ​​a shielded area A3 where the area between the observation area A1 and the shielded portion A2 overlap may be calculated, and the ratio of the area of ​​the shielded area A3 to the observation area A1 may be calculated.

[0024] The entry restriction unit 126 determines whether or not there is a part in the observation area A1 that is blocked by an oncoming right-turning vehicle 92, and if it is determined that there is a blocked part, it restricts the entry of the vehicle 91 into the crosswalk 93 and sets a target position for stopping the vehicle. However, if the entry of the host vehicle onto the crosswalk 93 is restricted until the blocked area A3 in the observation area A1 is completely eliminated, even if the blocked area A3 is only the portion near the oncoming right-turning vehicle, the entry restriction unit 126 will not determine whether the host vehicle 91 has entered the crosswalk 93. Therefore, it is preferable that the entry restriction unit 126 determines that the observation area A1 is blocked by the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 when the degree of blocking is equal to or greater than a predetermined first value, and determines that the observation area A1 is not blocked when the degree of blocking is less than the first value. The first value used as a criterion for determining whether or not there is an obstructed area A3 in the observation area A1 is the degree of obstruction when there are no virtual obstacles in the obstructed area A3, except for the virtual obstacle adjacent to the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92, assuming that there are countless virtual obstacles (e.g., pedestrians) in the obstructed area A3.

[0025] Figure 3 is a diagram for explaining the first value of the degree of obscuration, where Figure 3(A) is a diagram showing an example of the position of an oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 relative to the observation area A1 when the degree of obscuration is the first value, and Figure 3(B) is a diagram showing an example of the position of an oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 relative to the observation area A1 when the degree of obscuration is less than the first value. In Fig. 3, B indicates a virtual obstacle. For example, the virtual obstacle B may be the average size of one pedestrian. In Fig. 3(A), the blocked area A3 includes a virtual obstacle B that is adjacent to the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92, as well as one virtual obstacle B that is not adjacent to the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92. In this embodiment, the degree of blocking in this case is set to a first value. In the example of FIG. 3(B), the blocked area A3 includes a virtual obstacle B that is in contact with the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92, but does not include a virtual obstacle B that is not in contact with the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92. In this case, the degree of blocking is less than the first value. In this case, the entry restriction unit 126 determines that there is no part of the observation area A1 that is blocked by the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92.

[0026] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram for explaining the setting of the target position. When the degree of obstruction is equal to or greater than the first value, the entry restriction unit 126 sets the target position 95 at which the host vehicle 91 is to stop, as described above. The target position 95 is set to a position where the obstruction by the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 is resolved most quickly. As shown in FIG. 4(A), the entry restriction unit 126 sets the target position 95 to an end 93A of the crosswalk 93 on the intersection side, that is, a position where there are no obstacles between the end 93A of the crosswalk 93 on the near side as seen from the host vehicle 91 and the host vehicle 91, and where a predetermined distance C is secured from the end 93A of the crosswalk 93. Alternatively, as shown in FIG. 4(B), if there is a stop line 94 on the other side of the crosswalk 93 (on the host vehicle 91 side), the entry restriction unit 126 sets the target position 95 to a position where there are no obstacles between the stop line 94 and the host vehicle 91, and where a predetermined distance C is secured from the stop line 94.

[0027] 4 based on at least one of the traveling state information (position, speed, acceleration, and posture of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92) of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 detected by the surroundings detection sensor 11. More preferably, the entry regulation unit 126 estimates the path of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 from the position, speed, acceleration, and posture of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92, and calculates the position where the obstruction is most quickly resolved based on the estimated path. For example, if the target position 95 is set in the vicinity of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 or in a position close to the observation area A1, the blocking will not be eliminated until the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 moves forward to a certain extent. In contrast, if the target position 95 is set in a position a predetermined distance away from the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 and the observation area A1, the blocking portion A2 will become smaller more quickly as the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 moves forward, and the blocking will be eliminated sooner. Furthermore, by predicting the path of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92, the target position 95 can be set so that the degree of blocking will be minimized when the host vehicle 91 reaches the target position 95. That is, the entry regulation unit 126 sets the target position 95 at a position that is a predetermined distance C away from the end 93A of the crosswalk 93 or the stop line 94, and also a predetermined distance D away from the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92.

[0028] The entry determination unit 127 determines whether or not the vehicle 91 can enter the crosswalk 93. The entry determination unit 127 determines whether or not there is an obstacle such as a pedestrian on the crosswalk 93 based on the object detected by the surrounding detection sensor 11, and if there is an obstacle, it prohibits entry onto the crosswalk 93, and if there is no obstacle, it permits entry onto the crosswalk 93. In other words, even after the entry restriction unit 126 determines that the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 no longer blocks the observation area, if there is an obstacle in the observation area, the entry of the vehicle to the crosswalk 93 is not permitted, and the entry to the crosswalk 93 is permitted after the obstacle is removed.

[0029] The driving control unit 128 controls the operation of the vehicle based on the set route. Examples of the control of the vehicle's operation include automatic driving control of the vehicle using self-steering control, braking force control, driving force control, etc., and outputs each control command to the vehicle drive device 30. As a result, the vehicle travels along the set route at the target intersection. At this time, the driving control unit 128 performs automatic driving based on the determination results of the entry restriction unit 126 and the entry determination unit 127. For example, if there is obstruction by an oncoming right-turning vehicle 92, the entry restriction unit 126 sets a target position 95 and restricts entry into the crosswalk 93. In this case, the driving control unit 128 performs driving control to move the host vehicle 91 to the set target position 95 and stop the host vehicle 91. After the obstruction is removed, if the determination result by the entry determination unit 127 determines that there is no obstacle, the driving control unit 128 causes the host vehicle to enter the crosswalk 93 along the set route (i.e., turns left at the intersection).

[0030] [Vehicle control method] Next, a vehicle control method using the vehicle control device 1 described above will be described. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the vehicle control method according to this embodiment. In this embodiment, when the navigation device 20 is operated by a user to generate trip plan information, the trip plan acquisition unit 121 acquires the trip plan information and map information from the navigation device 20 (step S1).

[0031] Thereafter, the driving control unit 128 controls the vehicle drive device 30 to start automatic driving of the host vehicle 91 according to the route based on the acquired driving plan information (step S2). During the execution of the automatic driving, the driving control unit 128 controls the vehicle drive device 30 to drive the vehicle 91 along the set route, and determines whether or not to continue the automatic driving (step S3). For example, if the user inputs an instruction to end autonomous driving, if the destination of the route in the driving plan information is reached, or if a situation arises in which the user is required to operate the vehicle due to a predetermined condition (e.g., an emergency), the result of step S3 is NO and autonomous driving is terminated (step S4).

[0032] If the determination in step S3 is YES, that is, if the autonomous driving is to continue, the controller 100 determines whether or not the host vehicle 91 has reached an intersection where the host vehicle 91 is scheduled to turn left on the route based on the travel plan information (step S5). Whether or not the host vehicle 91 has arrived near the intersection may be determined by determining whether the host vehicle 91 has reached a predetermined distance range before the intersection, or may be determined by determining whether the host vehicle 91 has reached a distance where the intersection can be identified by the surroundings detection sensor 11.

[0033] If the determination in step S5 is NO, automatic driving continues and the process returns to step S3. If the determination in step S5 is YES, the road environment acquisition unit 122 acquires road environment information including road shapes (step S6: road environment acquisition step). For example, the road environment acquisition unit 122 may acquire the road shapes of the left-turn road and intersection where the vehicle 91 is scheduled to turn left, from map information acquired from the navigation device 20. Furthermore, the road environment acquisition unit 122 may acquire the road shape including the crosswalk 93 based on various information acquired by the surroundings detection sensor 11.

[0034] Then, based on the road environment information acquired in step S6, the observation area setting unit 123 sets the crosswalk 93 of the road where the vehicle plans to turn left, or an area outside the crosswalk 93 by a predetermined margin, as the observation area A1 (step S7: observation area setting step).

[0035] Next, the oncoming vehicle detection unit 124 determines whether or not there is an oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 that is entering the intersection ahead of the host vehicle 91 toward the left-turn road where the host vehicle 91 is planning to turn left (step S8: oncoming vehicle detection step). Furthermore, when the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 is detected, the oncoming vehicle detection unit 124 calculates traveling state information of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92.

[0036] If the determination in step S8 is YES, the shielding degree calculation unit 125 calculates the shielding degree, which is the ratio of the shielded region A3 to the observation area A1 (step S9). As described above, the shielding degree calculation unit 125 calculates the ratio of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 to the area of ​​the observation area A1 detected by the surroundings detection sensor 11, for example.

[0037] Next, the entry regulation unit 126 determines whether or not the degree of obstruction is less than a first value (step S10). That is, the entry regulation unit 126 determines whether or not the degree of obstruction is small enough that the entire obstacle is not obstructed by the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92.

[0038] If the result of step S10 is NO, that is, if it is determined that the degree of occlusion for the observation area A1 is equal to or greater than the first value and that there is a possibility that an obstacle is hidden in the occlusion portion A2 of the observation area A1, the entry restriction unit 126 restricts entry into the observation area A1, that is, entry into the crosswalk 93.

[0039] In this case, the entry regulation unit 126 further determines whether the position of the vehicle 91 is the target position 95 (step S11). If the answer is NO in step S11, the entry restriction unit 126 predicts the planned route of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 based on the position, speed, acceleration, and attitude (direction of travel) of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 relative to the vehicle 91 and the observation area A1 (step S12). Then, the entry regulation unit 126 sets a target position 95 where the host vehicle 91 will stop without entering the crosswalk 93, based on the predicted path of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 and the positions of the crosswalk 93 and the stop line 94, etc. (step S13). As described with reference to FIG. 4, the target position 95 is set to a position where there are no obstacles between the end 93A of the crosswalk 93 or the stop line 94 and the host vehicle 91, where a predetermined distance C can be secured from the end 93A of the crosswalk 93 or the stop line 94, and where a predetermined distance D can be secured from the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92.

[0040] As a result, the driving control unit 128 moves the host vehicle 91 to the target position 95 while decelerating it by self-steering control, braking force control, etc., and then stops the host vehicle 91 at the target position 95 (step S14). Steps S10 to S14 correspond to the entry restriction step of the present disclosure. After that, the process returns to step S10. By performing steps S10 to S14 as described above, the host vehicle 91 stops at the target position 95 while maintaining at least the distance D between it and the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92. Then, when the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 moves forward and the degree of obstruction becomes less than the first value, a predetermined distance opens between the host vehicle 91 and the oncoming right-turning vehicle, and the obstruction disappears from the observation area A1, making it possible to recognize obstacles in the observation area A1, and a YES determination is made in step S10.

[0041] If the determination in step S10 is YES, or if the determination in step S8 is NO, the entry determination unit 127 determines whether or not the host vehicle 91 is allowed to enter the pedestrian crossing (step S15: entry determination step). In other words, when there is no oncoming right-turning vehicle 92, when there is an oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 but there is no obstructing portion in the observation area A1, and when the obstruction is removed by the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 moving forward, the entry determination unit 127 determines whether there are any obstacles such as pedestrians on the crosswalk. In step S15, the entry determination unit 127 prohibits (determines as NO) the entry of the vehicle 91 into the crosswalk 93 if a pedestrian is walking on the road within the observation area A1 that the vehicle is scheduled to pass through, or if the pedestrian is walking toward the road that the vehicle is scheduled to pass through. On the other hand, if a pedestrian has already passed the path along which the vehicle is scheduled to pass, even within the observation area A1, or if the pedestrian is at least a predetermined distance away from the observation area A1 and there is no pedestrian within the observation area A1, the entry determination unit 127 will permit the vehicle 91 to enter the crosswalk 93 (determine YES).

[0042] If the determination in step S15 is NO, entry into the crosswalk is prohibited, and the process returns to step S15, where the host vehicle 91 remains stopped and waits until an obstacle such as a pedestrian or bicycle passes the crosswalk. Note that if the determination in step S15 is NO after the determination in step S8 is NO, that is, if an oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 is not detected but a pedestrian is present on the crosswalk, the driving control unit 128 preferably stops the host vehicle 91 at a position a predetermined distance away from the end 93A of the crosswalk 93. This allows the host vehicle 91 to stop with sufficient time to allow for a pedestrian who is walking beyond the crosswalk. If the determination in step S8 is YES and the host vehicle 91 is stopped at the target position 95, the host vehicle 91 continues to be stopped at the target position 95 until the pedestrian passes. If the determination in step S15 is YES, the entry determination unit 127 permits entry onto the crosswalk, and the driving control unit 128 then causes the host vehicle 91 to slowly enter the crosswalk and perform a left turn on the left-turn road (step S16). After this, the process returns to step S3.

[0043] [Effects of this embodiment] In the vehicle control device 1 of this embodiment, the controller 100 configured by a computer functions as a road environment acquisition unit 122, an observation area setting unit 123, an oncoming vehicle detection unit 124, an entry restriction unit 126, and an entry determination unit 127. The controller 100 performs at least a road environment acquisition step (step S6), an observation area setting step (step S7), an oncoming vehicle detection step (step S8), an entry restriction step (steps S10 to S14), and an entry determination step (step S15). In step S6, the road environment acquisition unit 122 acquires road environment information including road shape. In step S8, the observation area setting unit 123 sets an observation area A1 including a crosswalk on the road where the host vehicle 91 will make a left turn, based on the road environment information. In step S8, the oncoming vehicle detection unit 124 detects an oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 entering the left-turn road ahead of the host vehicle 91. In steps S11 to S13, the entry restriction unit 126 restricts the host vehicle 91 from entering the crosswalk if the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 blocks the observation area A1. In step S15, after the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 moves away and no longer blocks the observation area A1, it is determined whether the host vehicle 91 can enter the crosswalk.

[0044] As a result, in this embodiment, when an oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 is ahead of the left-turn road on which the host vehicle 91 is planning to turn left, the host vehicle 91 is stopped so as not to enter the crosswalk, rather than having the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 follow the host vehicle 91. In other words, the obstruction caused by the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 is not eliminated by moving the host vehicle 91, but is eliminated by stopping the host vehicle 91 at a predetermined position, thereby causing the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 to move. Therefore, even if an obstacle such as a pedestrian is found when the obstruction caused by the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 is eliminated, the host vehicle 91 does not have to be brought to an abrupt stop, and the host vehicle 91 can move forward after waiting for the obstacle to move.

[0045] In this embodiment, in step S8, the oncoming vehicle detection unit 124 detects driving state information including at least one of the position, speed, acceleration, and attitude of the oncoming right-turning vehicle. Then, in steps S12 and S13, the entry restriction unit 126 calculates the position where the blocked area will disappear earliest as the target position 95 based on the driving state information of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92. In step S14, the driving control unit 128 moves the host vehicle 91 to the target position 95. This makes it possible to restrict the vehicle 91 from entering the crosswalk, and by moving the vehicle 91 to the target position 95, it is possible to quickly eliminate the obstruction caused by the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92. Therefore, it is possible to more quickly determine whether there is an obstacle in the observation area A1, and to support smooth driving at the intersection.

[0046] In this case, in this embodiment, the entry restriction unit 126 sets the target position 95 to a position where there are no obstacles between the end 93A of the crosswalk 93 on the vehicle 91 side, or the stop line 94 of the crosswalk 93 on the vehicle 91 side, and the current position of the vehicle 91. This allows the driver to stop the vehicle 91 in front of the crosswalk 93 and wait until the oncoming vehicle 92 turning right is no longer blocking the vehicle 91.

[0047] The entry restriction unit 126 also sets the target position 95 at a position that is a predetermined distance C from the end 93A of the crosswalk 93 on the host vehicle 91 side, or from the stop line 94 of the crosswalk 93 on the host vehicle 91 side. By setting the target position 95 at a position away from the crosswalk 93 and the stop line 94 and stopping the vehicle 91 in this manner, the vehicle 91 can be stopped at a position where the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 will no longer block the observation area A1.

[0048] Furthermore, in this embodiment, in step S12, the entry restriction unit 126 predicts the planned route of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 based on the driving state information of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92, and calculates the target position 95 based on the predicted route. As a result, by predicting the future course of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92, it is also possible to predict the position of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 when the host vehicle 91 stops it at the target position 95. In other words, by setting the target position 95 based on the planned course of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92, it is possible to more appropriately determine the target position 95 at which the degree of occlusion decreases most quickly and occlusion is eliminated, compared to, for example, when the target position 95 is set based only on the current position of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92.

[0049] In this embodiment, in step S9, the blocking degree calculation unit 125 calculates the blocking degree, which is the ratio of the blocking region A3, where the observation area A1 overlaps with the blocking portion A2 blocked by the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92, to the observation area A1. Then, in step S10, the entry restriction unit 126 determines whether the blocking degree is less than a predetermined first value, and determines that the area is not blocked if it is less than the first value. In this way, by making a determination based on the degree of blocking of the observation area A1 by the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92, if the blocked area A3 is very narrow, for example, smaller than the smallest unit of an obstacle (for example, the size of a single pedestrian), it is possible to move on to determining whether or not to allow the entry determination unit 127 to enter the crosswalk. This makes it possible to quickly determine whether or not the host vehicle 91 can proceed forward, without having to wait until the blocked area A3 completely disappears.

[0050] In this embodiment, in step S9, the blocking degree calculation unit 125 calculates the blocking degree based on the position of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92, the position of the host vehicle 91, and the position of the observation area A1. This makes it possible to calculate, from the position of the vehicle 91, the degree of obstruction of the obstructed area A3 obstructed by the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 in the observation area A1.

[0051] In this embodiment, the shielding degree calculation unit 125 calculates the shielding degree based on the area occupied by the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 relative to the observation area A1 detected by the surroundings detection sensor 11. This makes it possible to easily calculate the degree of shielding from the ratio between the observation area detected by the surroundings detection sensor 11 (for example, an imaging camera) and the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92.

[0052] In this embodiment, the first value used for the judgment in step S9 is the degree of occlusion when there is no virtual obstacle, assuming that there is a virtual obstacle in the occlusion area A3, excluding any virtual obstacle that may come into contact with the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92. As a result, excluding cases where the virtual obstacle is in contact with the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92, if the number of virtual obstacles located away from the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 is less than 1, it can be determined that there is no obstacle hidden in the actual shielded area A3. This makes it possible to quickly determine whether the host vehicle 91 can move forward.

[0053] In this embodiment, after determining in step S10 that the observation area A1 is no longer obscured, in step S15 the entry determination unit 127 determines that the vehicle 91 can enter the crosswalk if there is no obstacle in the observation area A1, and determines that the vehicle 91 cannot enter the crosswalk if there is an obstacle in the observation area A1. As a result, if it is determined that there are no obstacles such as pedestrians on the crosswalk, the vehicle 91 moves forward, and if it is determined that there is an obstacle on the crosswalk, the vehicle 91 continues to be stopped. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the vehicle 91 from suddenly stopping due to a pedestrian suddenly jumping out.

[0054] [Variations] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but also includes the following modifications within the scope of achieving the object of the present invention.

[0055] [Variation 1] In the above embodiment, the degree of occlusion is calculated by the occlusion degree calculation unit 125, and if the degree of occlusion is less than or equal to a first value, it is determined that the observation area A1 is not occluded by an oncoming right-turning vehicle 92, but calculating the degree of occlusion is not necessarily required. For example, the entry restriction unit 126 may permit the host vehicle 91 to enter the crosswalk when the blocked area A3 caused by the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 has completely disappeared. In this case, the entry determination unit 127 may determine whether or not the host vehicle 91 is permitted to enter the crosswalk at the time when the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 detected by the surroundings detection sensor 11 and the observation area A1 no longer overlap.

[0056] [Variation 2] In the above embodiment, the entry restriction unit 126 predicted the path of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 based on driving state information including the position, speed, acceleration, and posture of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 detected by the surrounding detection sensor 11, and set the target position 95 based on the predicted path. In contrast, the driving condition information does not have to include all of the position, speed, acceleration, and posture of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92; for example, the path of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 may be predicted using one or more of the position, speed, acceleration, and posture of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92.

[0057] In addition, in the above embodiment, the entry restriction unit 126 predicts the path of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 and sets the target position 95, but the target position 95 may also be set from the position at the time the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92 is detected. Alternatively, the entry regulation unit 126 may set a position a predetermined distance from the end 93A of the crosswalk 93 or the stop line 94 as the target position 95, regardless of the travel state information of the oncoming right-turning vehicle 92.

[0058] [Variation 3] In the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which the navigation device 20 is provided separately from the controller 100 and the driving plan information is generated by the navigation device 20, but the driving plan acquisition unit of the controller 100 may also function as the navigation device 20 and acquire map information and generate a driving plan. Alternatively, the controller 100 may be configured to be able to communicate with a mobile terminal device (for example, a smartphone, a tablet terminal, a laptop computer, etc.) owned by the user, and the mobile terminal device may generate driving plan information and transmit it to the controller 100. [Explanation of symbols]

[0059] 1...vehicle control device, 10...sensor unit, 11...surrounding detection sensor, 12...position detection sensor, 20...navigation device, 30...vehicle drive device, 91...host vehicle, 92...oncoming right-turning vehicle, 93...crosswalk, 94...stop line, 95...target position, 100...controller, 110...memory unit, 120...processor, 121...travel plan acquisition unit, 122...road environment acquisition unit, 123...observation area setting unit, 124...oncoming vehicle detection unit, 125...obstruction degree calculation unit, 126...entry restriction unit, 127...entry judgment unit, 128...driving control unit, A1...observation area, A2...obstruction unit, A3...obstruction area, B...virtual obstacle

Claims

1. A vehicle control method in which a computer causes a vehicle to travel along a predetermined travel route, comprising: The computer a road environment acquisition step of acquiring road environment information including road shapes; an observation area setting step of setting an observation area including a crosswalk on a road to which the vehicle is to turn left at an intersection where the vehicle is to turn left based on the road environment information; an oncoming vehicle detection step of detecting an oncoming right-turning vehicle that is entering the road ahead of the host vehicle from an oncoming lane of the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling before making a left turn, and that is entering the road ahead of the host vehicle; an entry restriction step of restricting entry of the host vehicle into the crosswalk when the observation area is blocked by the oncoming right-turning vehicle; an entry determination step of determining whether the host vehicle can enter the pedestrian crossing after the obstruction of the observation area is eliminated by the movement of the oncoming right-turning vehicle; A vehicle control method for carrying out the above.

2. In the oncoming vehicle detection step, running state information including at least one of a position, a speed, an acceleration, and a posture of the oncoming right-turning vehicle is detected; In the entry restriction step, a position where a shielded region of the observation area shielded by the oncoming right-turning vehicle will disappear earliest is set as a target position based on the traveling state information of the oncoming right-turning vehicle, and the host vehicle is moved to the target position. The vehicle control method according to claim 1 .

3. In the entry restriction step, a position where there is no obstacle between an end of the crosswalk on the host vehicle side or a stop line of the crosswalk on the host vehicle side and a current position of the host vehicle is set as the target position. The vehicle control method according to claim 2 .

4. In the entry restriction step, the target position is set at an end of the crosswalk on the host vehicle side or at a position that is a predetermined distance from a stop line of the crosswalk on the host vehicle side. The vehicle control method according to claim 3.

5. In the entry restriction step, a planned travel path of the oncoming right-turning vehicle is predicted based on the travel state information, and the target position is calculated based on the predicted travel path. The vehicle control method according to claim 2 .

6. In the entry restriction step, when a degree of obstruction, which is a ratio of an obstructed area in the observation area that is obstructed by the oncoming right-turning vehicle, is less than a predetermined first value, it is determined that the obstruction of the observation area has been eliminated. The vehicle control method according to claim 1 .

7. The degree of obstruction is calculated based on the position of the oncoming right-turning vehicle, the position of the host vehicle, and the position of the observation area. The vehicle control method according to claim 6.

8. The degree of obstruction is calculated based on an area occupied by the oncoming right-turning vehicle relative to the observation area detected by a surroundings detection sensor mounted on the host vehicle and detecting surrounding objects. The vehicle control method according to claim 7.

9. Assuming that there are virtual obstacles in the obstructed region of the observation area obstructed by the oncoming right-turning vehicle, the first value uses the obstruction degree when the number of the virtual obstacles is 1 or less, excluding the virtual obstacles that come into contact with the oncoming right-turning vehicle. The vehicle control method according to claim 7.

10. In the entry determination step, after determining that the occlusion of the observation area has been resolved, if there is no obstacle in the observation area, it is determined that the host vehicle can enter the crosswalk, and if there is an obstacle in the observation area, it is determined that the host vehicle cannot enter the crosswalk. The vehicle control method according to claim 1 .

11. a road environment acquisition unit that acquires road environment information including road shapes; an observation area setting unit that sets an observation area including a crosswalk for an object crossing a road to which the vehicle is to turn left at an intersection based on the road environment information; an oncoming vehicle detection unit that detects an oncoming right-turning vehicle that enters the road ahead of the host vehicle from an oncoming lane of the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling before making a left turn, using a surroundings detection sensor that detects objects around the host vehicle; and an entry restriction unit that restricts the vehicle from entering the crosswalk when the observation area is blocked by the oncoming right-turning vehicle; an entry determination unit that determines whether the host vehicle can enter the crosswalk after the obstruction of the observation area is eliminated by the movement of the oncoming right-turning vehicle; A vehicle control device comprising:

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