Vehicle control device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device that appropriately makes an own vehicle merge into another lane even when a lane on which the own vehicle is traveling and a lane on which another vehicle is traveling are present in parallel to each other and these lanes are connected to another lane at the same point on a road configuration.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device (100) is configured to control a speed of an own vehicle (1) so that until the own vehicle (1) reaches a speed control switching position determined by a speed control switching position determination unit (104), at least a portion of another vehicle (2) traveling on a lane adjacent to a lane on which the own vehicle (1) is traveling does not overlap with at least a portion of the own vehicle (1) in a direction perpendicular to a traveling direction of the own vehicle (1) and to allow the own vehicle (1) to merge into another lane.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to a vehicle control device. [Background technology]

[0002] In order to reduce the burden on vehicle drivers, driving assistance technologies have been proposed that automatically control the vehicle's speed appropriately in response to changes in the speed limit at which the vehicle should travel, such as changes in the speed limit for the vehicle. Furthermore, as one of the driving assistance technologies, a vehicle control system has been proposed that controls the vehicle to smoothly merge from a branch line onto a main line.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 proposes a technology in which, based on the state of vehicles traveling on the main line where the vehicle is attempting to merge from a branch line, multiple candidate merging target positions where the vehicle will merge onto the main line are set, the travel distance until the vehicle reaches the candidate merging target position is calculated, and based on the travel distance, a merging target position is determined as a relative position from the candidate merging target position to the vehicle traveling on the main line, and at least the acceleration and deceleration of the vehicle are automatically controlled so that the vehicle travels toward the merging target position, thereby achieving a smooth merge of the vehicle onto the main line. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6327424 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the conventional technology disclosed in Patent Document 1 is configured on the assumption that a branch line merging into a main line, such as an expressway, has one lane. Therefore, when the branch line has multiple lanes, it can be difficult to merge the vehicle onto the main line while maintaining a sufficient distance between the vehicle and another vehicle traveling on a different lane of the branch line. For example, at the start point of merging onto the main line, the vehicle and the other vehicle may be traveling side by side and approach each other, making it difficult to merge the vehicle onto the main line smoothly.

[0006] The present disclosure discloses technology for solving the above-mentioned problems in conventional technology, and aims to provide a vehicle control device that enables a vehicle to appropriately merge into a third lane, even in a road configuration in which a first lane in which the vehicle is traveling and a second lane in which other vehicles are traveling are parallel, and these lanes are connected to a third lane at the same point. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The vehicle control device of the present disclosure includes: an information acquisition unit that acquires driving state information of the host vehicle, driving state information of other vehicles that are driving around the host vehicle, and road information around the host vehicle; a driving scene determination unit that determines a driving scene of the host vehicle based on the road information acquired by the information acquisition unit; a speed control switching position determination unit that determines a position in the first lane at which to switch speed control of the host vehicle when the road information acquired by the information acquisition unit indicates that there is another vehicle traveling in a second lane adjacent to a first lane in which the host vehicle is traveling and the traveling scene of the host vehicle determined by the traveling scene determination unit indicates that the host vehicle is about to merge from the first lane into a third lane; and a speed control unit that sets a target speed of the host vehicle so that at least a portion of the other vehicle traveling on the second lane does not overlap with at least a portion of the host vehicle in a direction perpendicular to a traveling direction of the host vehicle until the host vehicle reaches the speed control switching position determined by the speed control switching position determination unit; a vehicle control unit that controls the host vehicle based on the target speed set by the speed control unit; Equipped with It is characterized by: [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the vehicle control device disclosed herein, a vehicle control device can be obtained that enables the vehicle to appropriately merge into a third lane, even in a road configuration in which a first lane in which the vehicle is traveling and a second lane in which other vehicles are traveling are parallel and these lanes are connected to a third lane at the same point. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] 1 is a functional block diagram showing a configuration of a vehicle control device according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 1 is an explanatory diagram showing a road in which a branch acceleration lane is connected to a main travel lane. [Figure 3] 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4A] 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example 1 of the operation of the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment. FIG. [Figure 4B] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example 2 of the operation of the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4C] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example 3 of the operation of the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 4D] FIG. 4 is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example 4 of the operation of the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a hardware configuration of an ECU that constitutes the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0010] Embodiment 1 Fig. 1 is a functional block diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle control device according to embodiment 1. In Fig. 1, a host vehicle 1, such as an EV (Electric Vehicle), a hybrid vehicle, or an internal combustion engine-driven vehicle, is equipped with a vehicle control device 100 that employs driving assistance technology to reduce the burden on the driver. The vehicle control device 100 equipped in the host vehicle 1 includes an information acquisition unit 101 and an automatic speed control unit 102. The automatic speed control unit 102 includes a driving scene determination unit 103, a speed control switching position determination unit 104, a speed control unit 105, and a vehicle control unit 106.

[0011] The information acquisition unit 101 acquires driving state information of the host vehicle 1, driving state information of other vehicles driving around the host vehicle 1, and road information around the host vehicle 1 from an on-board sensor 200 and a map information database 300 mounted on the host vehicle 1. The on-board sensor 200 includes a speed sensor, an acceleration sensor, an angular velocity sensor, a steering angle sensor, a GPS (Global Positioning System) sensor, a camera that captures images of the area around the host vehicle 1, a millimeter-wave radar, an ultrasonic sensor, and the like. The map information database 300 uses, for example, a map information database used in an on-board navigation device mounted on the host vehicle 1.

[0012] The driving state information of the host vehicle 1 acquired by the information acquisition unit 101 includes the speed of the host vehicle 1, the acceleration in the longitudinal direction which is the traveling direction of the host vehicle 1, the acceleration in the lateral direction which is the direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the host vehicle 1, the yaw rate of the host vehicle 1, the steering angle of the host vehicle 1, and the latitude and longitude where the host vehicle 1 is located. This driving state information of the host vehicle 1 can be acquired based on the detection values ​​of the speed sensor, acceleration sensor, angular velocity sensor, steering angle sensor, GPS sensor, etc. included in the on-board sensor 200.

[0013] Furthermore, the driving state information of other vehicles driving around the vehicle 1 acquired by the information acquisition unit 101 includes the speed of the other vehicles, the acceleration in the longitudinal direction, which is the direction of travel of the other vehicles, the acceleration in the lateral direction, which is the direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the other vehicles, and the relative position of the other vehicles with respect to the vehicle 1. This driving state information of the other vehicles can be acquired based on detection values ​​of cameras, radars, etc. included in the on-board sensor 200.

[0014] Here, the relative position of the other vehicle with respect to the own vehicle 1 includes, for example, the distance from the own vehicle 1 to the other vehicle in the longitudinal direction, which is the direction of travel of the own vehicle 1, the distance from the own vehicle 1 to the other vehicle in the lateral direction, which is the direction perpendicular to the direction of travel of the own vehicle 1, and the angle of the other vehicle's location relative to the direction of travel of the own vehicle 1.

[0015] The road information around the vehicle 1 acquired by the information acquisition unit 101 includes the number of lanes, the lateral distance from the vehicle 1 to the center of each lane, which is perpendicular to the traveling direction of the vehicle 1, the shape of each lane, the type of each lane (solid line, dashed line, etc.), the speed limit of each lane, and the color of the lane markings (white, yellow, etc.) of each lane. This road information can be acquired from a GPS sensor and a map information database included in the on-board sensor 200.

[0016] The driving scene determination unit 103 determines the driving scene of the host vehicle 1 based on the road information acquired by the information acquisition unit 101. The driving scenes include, for example, lane keeping driving scenes, merging scenes, branching scenes, lane changing scenes, toll gate passing scenes, overtaking scenes, etc. Furthermore, information such as the number of lanes, the lane the host vehicle 1 is traveling in, and the speed limit is added to each driving scene.

[0017] When the driving scene determination unit 103 determines that the current driving scene is a merging scene and that the number of lanes is two or more, the speed control switching position determination unit 104 determines a speed control switching position at which to switch the speed control in the speed control unit 105 described below, based on the road information acquired by the information acquisition unit 101.

[0018] The speed control unit 105 sets a target speed for the host vehicle 1 based on road information and the traveling conditions of other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle 1. The functions of the speed control unit 105 include ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control) functions such as constant speed traveling control for traveling at a set speed set by the driver of the host vehicle 1, and inter-vehicle distance control for maintaining a constant inter-vehicle distance from other vehicles ahead in the traveling direction of the host vehicle 1.

[0019] When the speed control switching position has been determined by the speed control switching position determination unit 104, the speed control unit 105 executes different speed controls before and after the determined speed control switching position. When the current driving scene of the host vehicle 1 is a merging scene and the number of lanes on the road around the host vehicle 1 is two or more, the target speed of the host vehicle 1 is set as follows until the host vehicle 1 passes the speed control switching position.

[0020] That is, the speed control unit 105 sets the target speed of the host vehicle 1 for maintaining the position of the host vehicle 1 so that at least a portion of another vehicle traveling in another lane adjacent to the lane in which the host vehicle 1 is traveling does not overlap at least a portion of the host vehicle 1 in the lateral direction, which is a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the host vehicle 1. By setting the target speed of the host vehicle 1 in this way, it becomes possible to easily execute speed control of the host vehicle 1 after the host vehicle 1 has passed the speed control switching position.

[0021] The vehicle control unit 106 outputs a signal for controlling the vehicle to the drive control device 400 of the host vehicle 1 based on the target speed, target acceleration, target steering angle, etc. of the host vehicle 1 set by the speed control unit 105. The HMI (Human Machine Interface) device 500 of the host vehicle 1 is a device that receives input from the driver via speakers, a display screen, input devices, etc. of the host vehicle 1, or transmits information to the driver of the host vehicle 1 via the speakers, display screen, input devices, etc.

[0022] The vehicle control device 100 according to the first embodiment is configured with an ECU (Electronic Control Unit). FIG. 5 is a block diagram showing an example of the hardware configuration of the ECU that configures the vehicle control device 100 according to the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5, the ECU that configures the vehicle control device 100 is configured with a processor 1001 and a storage device 1002. The storage device 1002 includes a volatile storage device such as a random access memory, and a non-volatile auxiliary storage device such as a flash memory. Alternatively, a hard disk auxiliary storage device may be provided instead of the flash memory.

[0023] The processor 1001 executes a program input from the storage device 1002. In this case, the program is input from the auxiliary storage device to the processor 1001 via the volatile storage device. The processor 1001 may also output data such as calculation results to the volatile storage device of the storage device 1002, or may store the data in the auxiliary storage device via the volatile storage device.

[0024] Figure 2 is an explanatory diagram showing a road in which the acceleration lane of a branch line is connected to the driving lane of a main line. In Figure 2, branch line 10, separated from main line 20 by a median strip or dividing line 30, is configured to merge with main line 20 at merging point 21. Main line 20 is, for example, a highway, and branch line 10 is, for example, an ordinary road. At merging point 21, the lane width of branch line 10 gradually decreases in the direction of vehicle travel, eventually disappearing and connecting with main line 20. At merging point 21, a white dividing line 14 is provided to separate branch line 10 from main line 20.

[0025] The branch line 10 has a first lane 11 as an acceleration lane and a second lane 12 as an acceleration lane. The first lane 11 and the second lane 12 are separated by a white dividing line 13 and run adjacent to each other in parallel. The end 131 of the dividing line 13 is located at or near the junction 21 where the branch line 10 and the main line 20 join. In the vehicle control device according to embodiment 1, the lane in which the vehicle itself is traveling is referred to as the first lane, the lane in which other vehicles are traveling is referred to as the second lane, and the lane where the first lane and the second lane merge is referred to as the third lane. The first lane and the second lane are described as being provided on branch lanes of general roads and the like, and the third lane is described as being provided on a main lane of an expressway and the like. However, it goes without saying that the vehicle control device according to the present disclosure is also applicable when the first lane, the second lane, and the third lane are all provided on the same expressway and the like.

[0026] Next, the operation of the vehicle control device according to embodiment 1 will be described. Fig. 3 is a flowchart showing the operation of the vehicle control device according to embodiment 1. In Figs. 1, 2, and 3, in step S101, the driving scene determination unit 103 in the automatic speed control unit 102 of the vehicle control device 100 determines whether or not the host vehicle 1 is in a merging scene where it is merging from the first lane 11, which serves as an acceleration lane of the branch line 10, into the third lane 22 of the main line 20, that is, whether or not the host vehicle 1 is approaching a merging point 21 onto the main line 20.

[0027] In step S101, for example, the information acquisition unit 101 acquires the distance from the vehicle 1 to the merging start position P of the first lane 11, and if the distance to the merging start position P is less than a predetermined value (for example, 200 m), it is determined that a merging scene exists.

[0028] If the result of the judgment in step S101 is that the vehicle 1 is approaching the junction 21 (Y), the process proceeds to step S102, and if the result is that the vehicle 1 is not approaching the junction 21 (N), the process returns to step S101 and repeats the above-mentioned operation.

[0029] In step S102, the driving scene determination unit 103 determines whether there are two or more lanes serving as acceleration lanes on the branch line 10. For example, the total number of lanes on the branch line 10 at the position where the host vehicle 1 is traveling is obtained from the information acquisition unit 101, and the driving scene determination unit 103 determines whether the total number of lanes on the branch line 10 is two or more. This determination can be made based on map information or lane detection by a camera.

[0030] If the result of the judgment in step S102 is that there are two or more lanes as acceleration lanes on the branch line 10 (Y), proceed to step S103, and if it is determined that there are not two or more lanes as acceleration lanes on the branch line 10 (N), end the processing of the automatic speed control unit 102 of the vehicle control device 100.

[0031] When proceeding from step S102 to step S103, the speed control switching position determination unit 104 sets a speed control switching position. Here, the speed control switching position is a position at which speed control for generating a gap as an inter-vehicle distance G [m] in the traveling direction of the host vehicle 1 between the host vehicle 1 and another vehicle 2 traveling in the second lane 12 adjacent to the first lane 11 on which the host vehicle 1 is traveling is terminated.

[0032] That is, the speed control switching position determination unit 104 is configured to acquire, based on the road information acquired by the information acquisition unit 101, a lane decrease start position X where the number of lanes of the road including the first lane 11 and the second lane 12 starts to decrease, or a merging position where the first lane 11 and the second lane 12 can merge into the third lane 22, and to determine the speed control switching position based on the lane decrease start position X or the merging position.

[0033] As described above, the speed control switching position set by the speed control switching position determination unit 104 is, for example, the lane narrowing start position X or the merging position at the merging point 21 as shown in FIG. 2, but it may also be a position obtained by adding an offset to these positions.

[0034] The lane narrowing start position X is the position where the width of the branch line 10 starts to narrow so that the first lane 11 and the second lane 12 become one lane, and may be obtained from the road shape obtained from map information, or by detecting the white line on the side edge of the branch line 10 with a camera, or may be obtained as the position of the end 131 of the dividing line 13.

[0035] The aforementioned merging position is a position where the vehicle 1 can merge into the third lane 22, which is a lane of the main lane 20, and can be the end position of a zebra zone (not shown) displayed with white lines acquired from map information or detected by a camera. The zebra zone is displayed, for example, at or near the merging point 21 of the branch lane 10 and the main lane 20.

[0036] In step S104, the speed control unit 105 generates a gap as an inter-vehicle distance to a vehicle in an adjacent lane. That is, the speed control unit 105 sets a target speed of the host vehicle 1 to generate a predetermined inter-vehicle distance G [m] between the host vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 2 so that at least a portion of the other vehicle 2 traveling in the second lane 12 adjacent to the first lane 11 in which the host vehicle 1 is traveling does not overlap at least a portion of the host vehicle 1 in the lateral direction, which is perpendicular to the traveling direction of the host vehicle 1.

[0037] The vehicle control unit 106 outputs a signal for controlling the vehicle to the drive control device 400 of the vehicle 1 based on the target speed, target acceleration, target steering angle, etc. of the vehicle 1 set by the speed control unit 105.

[0038] Next, in step S105, the vehicle control device 100 determines whether or not the host vehicle 1 has passed the speed control switching position set by the speed control switching position determination unit 104 based on the information acquired by the information acquisition unit 101. If the result of this determination is that the host vehicle 1 has passed the speed control switching position (Y), the processing of the automatic speed control unit 102 is terminated, and if the host vehicle 1 has not passed the speed control switching position (N), the process returns to step S104 and the subsequent operations are repeated.

[0039] Next, the vehicle control in step S104 described above, that is, the control for maintaining a position where the host vehicle 1 does not overlap laterally with another vehicle 2 traveling on the second lane 12 as an adjacent lane, until the speed control switching position is reached, will be described in more detail. Each specific example described below can be applied regardless of whether the first lane 11 as the lane on which the host vehicle 1 is traveling is located on either the left or right side of the second lane 12 parallel to the first lane 11 in the traveling direction.

[0040] Example 1. Figure 4A is an explanatory diagram showing specific example 1 of the operation of the vehicle control device according to embodiment 1, and shows a case where there is another vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle in a second lane adjacent to the first lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, and there is also another vehicle traveling ahead of the host vehicle in the first lane in which the host vehicle is traveling.

[0041] 4A, the automatic speed control unit 102 in the vehicle control device 100 controls the speed of the host vehicle 1 so as to maintain a predetermined inter-vehicle distance G [m] or more between the host vehicle 1 and other vehicles 2a, 2b. For example, the traveling speed of the host vehicle 1 is controlled so as to maintain an inter-vehicle distance G [m] or more that is equal to or greater than a predetermined inter-vehicle time (e.g., 2 [sec]) with respect to the other vehicle 2a traveling ahead in the second lane 12 adjacent to the first lane 11. The traveling speed is also controlled so as to maintain an inter-vehicle distance G [m] or more that is equal to or greater than a predetermined inter-vehicle time (e.g., 2 [sec]) with respect to the other vehicle 2b traveling ahead in the first lane 11 on which the host vehicle 1 is traveling.

[0042] By the above control, when the speed control switching position is reached, the vehicle 1 can merge into the third lane 22 of the main lane 20 without being influenced by another vehicle 2a ahead traveling in the second lane 12 adjacent to the first lane 11, and another vehicle 2b ahead traveling in the first lane 11 on which the vehicle 1 is traveling.

[0043] Here, the vehicle control device 100 assumes that the traveling speed of the host vehicle 1 and the traveling speed of the other vehicle 2a traveling ahead in the second lane 12 as the adjacent lane are moving at a constant speed, and predicts the relative position in the traveling direction of the other vehicle 2a ahead of the host vehicle 1 when the speed control switching position is reached.

[0044] If the predicted relative position of the other vehicle 2a in the direction of travel relative to the own vehicle 1 is ahead of the predetermined first relative position of the other vehicle 2a in the direction of travel relative to the own vehicle 1, that is, if the position of the other vehicle 2a based on the predicted relative position in the direction of travel is closer to the own vehicle 1 than the position of the other vehicle 2a based on the predetermined first relative position in the direction of travel, the vehicle control device 100 controls the traveling speed of the own vehicle 1 so as to maintain a vehicle distance G [m] or more such that the inter-vehicle time between the own vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 2a is equal to or greater than a predetermined inter-vehicle time (for example, 2 [sec]).

[0045] On the other hand, if the predicted relative position of the other vehicle 2a to the own vehicle 1 is behind the position of the other vehicle 2a based on the predetermined first relative position in the direction of travel, that is, if the position of the other vehicle 2a based on the predicted relative position in the direction of travel is farther from the own vehicle 1 than the position of the other vehicle 2a based on the predetermined first relative position in the direction of travel, the vehicle control device 100 can maintain a sufficient inter-vehicle distance G [m] between the own vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 2a when the own vehicle 1 reaches the speed control switching position while maintaining the current driving speed of the own vehicle 1, thereby creating a state in which the own vehicle 1 is not affected by the other vehicle 2a in front in the adjacent second lane 12.

[0046] Furthermore, if the running speed of the host vehicle 1 is lower than a preset running speed and there are no other vehicles ahead in the first lane in which the host vehicle 1 is running, the host vehicle 1 has room to accelerate, so the host vehicle 1 may be made to run at a constant acceleration motion until the running speed of the host vehicle 1 reaches a preset running speed, and then, after reaching the preset running speed, may be made to run at a constant velocity motion, and the inter-vehicle distance G [m] when the speed control switching position is reached may be predicted.

[0047] In addition, the predetermined first traveling direction relative position of the other vehicle 2a relative to the aforementioned host vehicle 1 can be made different between (A) when the first lane in which the host vehicle 1 is traveling is the lane closer to the main lane 20 and (B) when the first lane in which the host vehicle 1 is traveling is the lane farther from the main lane 20.

[0048] For example, the predetermined first relative position of the other vehicle in the traveling direction relative to the own vehicle in case (B) is set farther away from the own vehicle than the predetermined first relative position of the other vehicle in the traveling direction relative to the own vehicle in case (A). This makes it more difficult for the own vehicle to overtake the other vehicle ahead in the adjacent second lane in case (B), and allows other vehicles traveling in the second lane closer to the main lane to have priority in merging onto the main lane. Basically, vehicles traveling in the lane closer to the main lane have priority in merging onto the main lane, so by giving priority to other vehicles traveling in the lane closer to the main lane in merging onto the main lane, it is possible to prevent traffic flow from being disrupted.

[0049] Furthermore, the speed control unit 105 is configured to set a higher upper limit for the acceleration or deceleration of the host vehicle 1 as the host vehicle 1 is closer to the speed control switching position. This allows the relative position of the other vehicle 2a in the traveling direction with respect to the host vehicle 1 to be changed quickly, increasing the possibility that the host vehicle 1 can be moved to a position where it is not affected by the other vehicle 2a traveling in the adjacent second lane 12 before reaching the speed control switching position.

[0050] Example 2. Figure 4B is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example 2 of the operation of the vehicle control device according to embodiment 1, and shows a case where another vehicle 2 is traveling behind the host vehicle 1 in a second lane 12 adjacent to the first lane 11 in which the host vehicle 1 is traveling.

[0051] In Figure 4B, the automatic speed control unit 102 in the vehicle control device 100 assumes that the host vehicle 1 traveling in the first lane 11 and the other vehicle 2 traveling behind the host vehicle 1 in the second lane 12 adjacent to the first lane 11 travel at a constant speed, and predicts the relative position of the other vehicle 2 with respect to the host vehicle 1 when it reaches the speed control switching position.

[0052] If the predicted relative position of the other vehicle 2 relative to the host vehicle 1 is ahead of the position of the other vehicle 2 based on the predetermined second relative position in the traveling direction, i.e., if the position of the other vehicle 2 based on the predicted relative position in the traveling direction is closer to the host vehicle 1 than the position of the other vehicle 2 based on the predetermined second relative position in the traveling direction, the speed control unit 105 is configured to decelerate the host vehicle 1 and move the position of the host vehicle 1 behind the other vehicle 2 as shown in Figure 4B.

[0053] In other words, when another vehicle 2 traveling on the second lane 12 is present behind the host vehicle 1, the speed control unit 105 predicts the relative position of the rear vehicle 2 in the direction of travel at the speed control switching position, and when the predicted relative position of the rear vehicle 2 in the direction of travel is closer to the host vehicle 1 than a predetermined second relative position in the direction of travel, the speed control unit 105 is configured to set a target speed for the host vehicle 1 so as to move the host vehicle 1 behind the rear vehicle 2.

[0054] After the above-mentioned control, the speed of the host vehicle 1 is controlled so as to maintain a predetermined distance or more between the host vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 2. For example, the traveling speed of the host vehicle 1 is controlled so as to maintain a distance G [m] or more, which is equal to or greater than a predetermined inter-vehicle time (for example, 2 [sec]), relative to the other vehicle 2 that has moved ahead of the host vehicle 1.

[0055] On the other hand, if the predicted relative position of the other vehicle 2 in the direction of travel relative to the vehicle 1 is further behind the position of the other vehicle 2 based on the predetermined relative position, i.e., if the position of the other vehicle 2 based on the predicted relative position in the direction of travel is farther from the vehicle 1 than the position of the other vehicle 2 based on the predetermined second relative position in the direction of travel, the vehicle can maintain a sufficient inter-vehicle distance when it reaches the speed control switching position while maintaining the current driving speed of the vehicle, thereby creating a state in which it is not affected by rear vehicles in adjacent lanes.

[0056] Furthermore, if the running speed of the host vehicle 1 is lower than a preset running speed and there are no other vehicles ahead in the first lane 11 in which the host vehicle 1 is running, the host vehicle 1 has room to accelerate, so it may be assumed that the host vehicle 1 will run at a constant acceleration until its running speed reaches a preset running speed, and then run at a constant velocity after reaching the preset running speed, and the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 2 when it reaches the speed control switching position will be predicted.

[0057] In addition, the predetermined relative position of the other vehicle relative to the host vehicle can be different between (A) when the first lane in which the host vehicle 1 is traveling is the lane closer to the main lane 20 and (B) when the first lane in which the host vehicle 1 is traveling is the lane farther from the main lane 20.

[0058] For example, the predetermined relative position of the other vehicle in the direction of travel relative to the own vehicle in case (B) is set farther away from the own vehicle than the predetermined relative position of the other vehicle in the direction of travel relative to the own vehicle in case (A). This makes it more difficult for the own vehicle to overtake the other vehicle ahead in the adjacent second lane in case (B), and allows other vehicles traveling in the second lane closer to the main line to have priority in merging onto the main line. Basically, vehicles traveling in the lane closer to the main line have priority in merging onto the main line, so by giving priority to other vehicles traveling in the lane closer to the main line in merging onto the main line, it is possible to prevent traffic flow from being disrupted.

[0059] Example 3. FIG. 4C is an explanatory diagram showing a specific example 3 of the operation of the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment, The figure shows a case where other vehicles 2a and 2b are traveling in front and behind the host vehicle 1, respectively, in a second lane 12 adjacent to a first lane 11 in which the host vehicle is traveling.

[0060] In Figure 4C, when the inter-vehicle distance between another vehicle 2a in front traveling on the second lane 12 and another vehicle 2b in the rear traveling on the second lane 12 is below a predetermined threshold, the automatic speed control unit 102 in the vehicle control device 100 controls the speed of the host vehicle 1 traveling on the first lane 11 adjacent to the second lane 12 so that the host vehicle 1 maintains a position within the above inter-vehicle distance.

[0061] For example, taking into consideration the sound driving of the host vehicle 1, the driving speed of the host vehicle 1 is set in advance so that the host vehicle 1 maintains a distance G1 between itself and another vehicle 2a driving in front of itself that is greater than or equal to the inter-vehicle time (for example, 2 [sec]), and the host vehicle 1 maintains a distance G2 [m] between itself and another vehicle 2b driving behind itself that is greater than or equal to the inter-vehicle time (for example, 1 [sec]).

[0062] Then, when the longitudinal length of the host vehicle 1 is L1 [m], the traveling speed of the host vehicle 1 is V1, and the traveling speed of the other vehicle 2b behind is V2b [m / sec], the threshold value Gth [m] of the inter-vehicle distances G1 [m] and G2 [m] between the other vehicle 2a in front and the other vehicle 2b behind is set as shown in the following equation (1). Gth [m] = Vehicle 1's traveling speed V1 [m / sec] × 2 [sec] + the speed of the other vehicle 2b behind, V2b [m / sec] x 1 [sec] +Length of vehicle 1 in the longitudinal direction L1 [m] ...Equation (1)

[0063] When the inter-vehicle distances G1 [m] and G2 [m] between the other vehicle 2a in front of the host vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 2b behind the host vehicle 1 are less than or equal to a threshold value Gh [m], the automatic speed control unit 102 in the vehicle control device 100 controls the traveling speed of the host vehicle 1 so as to maintain a midpoint between the other vehicle 2a in front of the host vehicle 1 and the other vehicle 2b behind the host vehicle 1, for example.

[0064] In addition, the driving position of the vehicle 1 can also be determined based on the ratio [G1 / G2] of the inter-vehicle distance G1 [m] between the vehicle 1 and another vehicle 2a in front of the vehicle 1 and the inter-vehicle distance G2 [m] between the vehicle 1 and another vehicle 2b behind the vehicle 1.

[0065] In order for the vehicle 1 to operate normally, it must maintain a distance G1 [m] between the vehicle 2a in front of the vehicle 1 that is at least 2 [sec] between them, and a distance G2 [m] between the vehicle 2b behind the vehicle 1 that is at least 1 [sec] between them, so the ratio of the distance 2 [sec] between the vehicle 2a in front of the vehicle 1 and the distance 1 [sec] between the vehicle 2b behind the vehicle 1 is [2:1].

[0066] Therefore, the automatic speed control unit 102 controls the traveling speed of the host vehicle 1 so that the host vehicle 1 maintains a position where the ratio of the inter-vehicle distance G1 [m] between the host vehicle 1 and another vehicle 2a in front of the host vehicle 1 to the inter-vehicle distance G2 [m] between the host vehicle 1 and another vehicle 2b behind the host vehicle 1 is [2:1].

[0067] The above-described speed control by the automatic speed control unit 102 is executed until the host vehicle 1 reaches the speed control switching position. Here, the speed control switching position set by the speed control switching position determination unit 104 is, as described above, for example, the lane narrowing start position X or a merging position at the merging point 21. Note that these positions may also be offset.

[0068] By the above-mentioned control, when the speed control switching position is reached, a sufficient distance can be maintained between the vehicle and other vehicles traveling in the second lane adjacent to the first lane in which the vehicle 1 is traveling, so that the speed of the vehicle can be controlled taking into account other vehicles traveling in the main lane without being affected by other vehicles traveling in the second lane.

[0069] In the above-described specific examples 1 to 3, when the host vehicle 1 accelerates or decelerates to maintain a position where it does not overlap laterally with vehicles in the second lane 12 adjacent to the first lane 11, which is a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction, the upper limit of the acceleration or deceleration can be changed depending on the distance to the speed control switching position. For example, the shorter the distance to the speed control switching position, the larger the upper limit of the acceleration or deceleration can be set, thereby enabling the relative position with other vehicles to be changed more quickly. This increases the likelihood that the host vehicle 1 will be able to maintain a position where it does not overlap laterally with vehicles in the adjacent lane by the time it reaches the speed control switching position.

[0070] Example 4. FIG. 4D is an explanatory diagram showing a fourth specific example of the operation of the vehicle control device according to the first embodiment; This shows a case where there are multiple other vehicles traveling ahead of the vehicle in the second lane adjacent to the first lane in which the vehicle is traveling, and there are also multiple other vehicles traveling behind the vehicle in the second lane.

[0071] As shown in Figure 4D, if there are multiple other vehicles 2a and 2b traveling ahead of the host vehicle 1 in the second lane 12 adjacent to the first lane 11 in which the host vehicle 1 is traveling, and there are multiple other vehicles 2c and 2d traveling behind the host vehicle 1 in the second lane 12, and the inter-vehicle distance g1 between the other vehicles 2a and 2b, the inter-vehicle distance g2 between the other vehicles 2a and 2c, and the inter-vehicle distance g3 between the other vehicles 2c and 2d are all narrow, it is expected that the host vehicle 1 will not be able to maintain a sufficient inter-vehicle distance from at least one of the other vehicles 2a, 2b, 2c, and 2d traveling in the adjacent second lane 12 before reaching the speed control switching position.

[0072] Therefore, for example, if the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle 1 and another vehicle 2a traveling in the adjacent second lane 12, the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle 1 and another vehicle 2b in front of the host vehicle 1, and the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle 1 and another vehicle 2c behind the host vehicle 1 are all below the aforementioned thresholds, the host vehicle 1 will not be able to maintain a sufficient inter-vehicle distance from the other vehicle traveling in the adjacent lane before reaching the speed control switching position, making it difficult for the host vehicle 1 to merge into the third lane 22 of the main lane 20 in a healthy state.

[0073] Therefore, in such a case, the vehicle control device 100 requests that the authority to control the driving of the vehicle 1 be transferred from the vehicle control device 100 to the driver of the vehicle 1. By requesting the driver of the vehicle 1 to transfer the authority in advance in this manner, it is possible to prevent the vehicle from approaching another vehicle in an adjacent lane.

[0074] That is, if it is predicted that it will be difficult for the host vehicle 1 to merge into the third lane 22 of the main lane 20 in a sound state because it will not be able to maintain a sufficient distance from another vehicle traveling in an adjacent lane, the system notifies the driver of the host vehicle 1 that the authority for automatic driving will be transferred before the host vehicle 1 passes the speed control switching point, and notifies the driver of the distance or time from the host vehicle 1 to the speed control switching point. After the host vehicle 1 passes the speed control switching point, if the transfer of authority to the driver has been completed, the system switches the speed control of the host vehicle 1 to manual.

[0075] In addition, after the host vehicle 1 passes the speed control switching position, the speed control unit 105 is configured to set a target speed so as to create a gap between the host vehicle 1 traveling on the first lane 11 and another vehicle traveling on the third lane 22 into which the host vehicle 1 is to merge, allowing the host vehicle 1 to merge into the third lane 22.

[0076] Next, the operation of the vehicle control device 100 after the host vehicle 1 has passed the speed control switching position will be described. (1) When branch line 10 merges with main line 20 using automatic speed control After the host vehicle 1 passes the speed control switching position, a gap is generated for other vehicles on the main lane 20. Specifically, in order for the host vehicle 1 to change lanes toward the main lane 20 in a healthy manner, the automatic speed control unit 102 controls the traveling speed of the host vehicle 1 so as to ensure a healthy gap between other vehicles traveling on the main lane 20.

[0077] For example, the automatic speed control unit 102 sets the target vehicle distance between the vehicle 1 and the vehicle that is closest to the vehicle 1 among multiple other vehicles traveling on the main road 20, and controls the traveling speed of the vehicle 1 so that the target vehicle distance is reached.

[0078] Next, it is confirmed whether or not the lane change possibility of the vehicle 1 relative to another vehicle traveling on the main road 20 is established. Here, the determination of lane change possibility is established, for example, when the inter-vehicle time with another vehicle traveling on the main road 20 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. Alternatively, the determination of lane change possibility may be established when the time to collision is equal to or greater than a predetermined value.

[0079] If it is determined that a lane change is possible, the host vehicle 1 starts changing lanes onto the main lane 20. Because a sufficient distance is maintained between the host vehicle 1 and other vehicles in the adjacent lane before passing the speed control switching point, the host vehicle can easily merge onto the main lane without being affected by other vehicles in the adjacent lane. (2) When merging from branch line 10 to main line 20 using manual speed control After determining the speed control switching position in step S103 of Figure 3, the vehicle control device 100 notifies the driver of the vehicle 1 that automatic driving cannot be continued after the vehicle 1 passes the determined speed control switching position, and notifies the driver of the vehicle 1 of the distance or time to the speed control switching position.

[0080] Then, after the host vehicle 1 passes the speed control switching point, if the transfer of authority to the driver has been completed, the speed control is switched to manual. Because a sufficient distance is already maintained between the host vehicle 1 and other vehicles in the adjacent lane before the host vehicle 1 passes the speed control switching point, the host vehicle 1 can easily merge onto the main lane without being affected by other vehicles in the adjacent lane.

[0081] Although exemplary embodiments are described in this disclosure, the various features, aspects, and functions described in the embodiments are not limited to the application of a particular embodiment, but may be applied to the embodiments alone or in various combinations. Therefore, countless variations not illustrated are anticipated within the scope of the technology disclosed in this application. For example, this includes modifying, adding, or omitting at least one component.

[0082] Next, aspects of the vehicle control device disclosed in the present application will be described below as supplementary notes. (Appendix 1) an information acquisition unit that acquires driving state information of the host vehicle, driving state information of other vehicles that are driving around the host vehicle, and road information around the host vehicle; a driving scene determination unit that determines a driving scene of the host vehicle based on the road information acquired by the information acquisition unit; a speed control switching position determination unit that determines a speed control switching position in the first lane at which a speed control of the host vehicle should be switched when the road information acquired by the information acquisition unit indicates that there is another vehicle traveling in a second lane adjacent to a first lane in which the host vehicle is traveling, and when the traveling scene of the host vehicle determined by the traveling scene determination unit indicates that the host vehicle is about to merge from the first lane into a third lane; and a speed control unit that sets a target speed of the host vehicle so that at least a portion of the other vehicle traveling on the second lane does not overlap with at least a portion of the host vehicle in a direction perpendicular to a traveling direction of the host vehicle until the host vehicle reaches the speed control switching position determined by the speed control switching position determination unit; a vehicle control unit that controls the host vehicle based on the target speed set by the speed control unit; Equipped with A vehicle control device characterized by: (Appendix 2) The speed control switching position determining unit and acquiring, based on the road information acquired by an information acquisition unit, a lane decrease start position where the number of lanes of a road including the first lane and the second lane starts to decrease, or a merging position where the first lane and the second lane can merge into the third lane, and determining the speed control switching position based on the lane decrease start position or the merging position. 2. A vehicle control device according to claim 1, (Appendix 3) The speed control unit When the other vehicle traveling on the second lane is present ahead of the host vehicle, a relative position in the traveling direction of the other vehicle present ahead at the speed control switching position is predicted, and when the predicted relative position in the traveling direction of the other vehicle present ahead is closer to the host vehicle than a predetermined first relative position in the traveling direction, a target speed of the host vehicle is set so as to maintain an inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the other vehicle present ahead to be equal to or greater than a predetermined inter-vehicle distance; when the other vehicle traveling on the second lane is present behind the host vehicle, predicting a relative position in the traveling direction of the other vehicle present behind at the speed control switching position, and when the predicted relative position in the traveling direction of the other vehicle present behind is closer to the host vehicle than a predetermined second relative position in the traveling direction, setting a target speed of the host vehicle so as to move the host vehicle behind the other vehicle present behind. It is configured as follows: 3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2. (Appendix 4) The speed control unit the further the first lane on which the host vehicle is traveling is from the third lane in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the first lane extends, the further rearward the first traveling direction relative position and the second traveling direction relative position are set with respect to the host vehicle. It is configured as follows: 4. A vehicle control device according to claim 3, (Appendix 5) The speed control unit When there are other vehicles in front and behind the host vehicle in the second lane adjacent to the first lane, and when both the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in front and the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in rear are equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, a target speed of the host vehicle is set so that the host vehicle maintains a center position between the other vehicle in front and the other vehicle in rear. It is configured as follows: 3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2. (Appendix 6) The speed control unit The closer the host vehicle is to the speed control switching position, the higher the upper limit of the acceleration or deceleration of the host vehicle is set. It is configured as follows: 6. A vehicle control device according to any one of appendices 1 to 5. (Appendix 7) The speed control unit When it is determined that a predetermined inter-vehicle distance cannot be maintained between the host vehicle and another vehicle traveling on the second lane by the time the host vehicle reaches the speed control switching position, the control system requests the driver of the host vehicle to transfer authority to control the host vehicle to the driver of the host vehicle. It is configured as follows: 7. A vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6. (Appendix 8) The speed control unit after the host vehicle has passed the speed control switching position, a target speed is set so as to generate a gap between the host vehicle traveling on the first lane and another vehicle traveling on the third lane into which the host vehicle is to merge, for the host vehicle to merge into the third lane. It is configured as follows: 8. A vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. (Appendix 9) The speed control unit notifying the driver of the vehicle of the intention to transfer the authority of automatic driving and notifying the driver of the distance or time from the vehicle to the speed control switching position before the vehicle passes the speed control switching position; After the host vehicle has passed the speed control switching position, if the transfer of authority to the driver has been completed, the speed control of the host vehicle is switched to manual. It is configured as follows: 8. A vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 7. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1 Own vehicle, 2, 2a, 2b, 2c, 2d Other vehicles, 10 Branch line, 11 First lane, 12 Second lane, 13, 14 Dividing line, 131 Termination, 20 Main line, 21 merging point, 22 third lane, 100 vehicle control device, 101 information acquisition unit, 102 automatic speed control unit, 103 driving scene determination unit, 104 speed control switching position determination unit, 105 speed control unit, 200 vehicle-mounted sensor, 300 map information database, 400 drive control device, 500 HMI device, X lane reduction start position, P merge start position, G, G1, G2, g1, g2, g3 Following distance

Claims

1. an information acquisition unit that acquires driving state information of the host vehicle, driving state information of other vehicles that are driving around the host vehicle, and road information around the host vehicle; a driving scene determination unit that determines a driving scene of the host vehicle based on the road information acquired by the information acquisition unit; a speed control switching position determination unit that determines a speed control switching position in the first lane at which a speed control of the host vehicle should be switched when the road information acquired by the information acquisition unit indicates that there is another vehicle traveling in a second lane adjacent to a first lane in which the host vehicle is traveling and the traveling scene of the host vehicle determined by the traveling scene determination unit indicates that the host vehicle is about to merge from the first lane into a third lane; and a speed control unit that sets a target speed of the host vehicle so that at least a portion of the other vehicle traveling on the second lane does not overlap with at least a portion of the host vehicle in a direction perpendicular to a traveling direction of the host vehicle until the host vehicle reaches the speed control switching position determined by the speed control switching position determination unit; a vehicle control unit that controls the host vehicle based on the target speed set by the speed control unit; Equipped with A vehicle control device characterized by:

2. The speed control switching position determining unit a lane decrease start position where the number of lanes of a road including the first lane and the second lane starts to decrease, or a merging position where the first lane and the second lane can merge into the third lane, based on the road information acquired by an information acquisition unit, and the speed control switching position is determined based on the lane decrease start position or the merging position.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

3. The speed control unit When the other vehicle traveling on the second lane is present ahead of the host vehicle, a relative position in the traveling direction of the other vehicle present ahead at the speed control switching position is predicted, and when the predicted relative position in the traveling direction of the other vehicle present ahead is closer to the host vehicle than a predetermined first relative position in the traveling direction, a target speed of the host vehicle is set so as to maintain an inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the other vehicle present ahead to be equal to or greater than a predetermined inter-vehicle distance; when the other vehicle traveling on the second lane is present behind the host vehicle, a relative position in the traveling direction of the other vehicle present behind at the speed control switching position is predicted, and when the predicted relative position in the traveling direction of the other vehicle present behind is closer to the host vehicle than a predetermined second relative position in the traveling direction, a target speed of the host vehicle is set so as to move the host vehicle behind the other vehicle present behind. It is configured as follows:

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The speed control unit the further the first lane on which the host vehicle is traveling is from the third lane in a direction perpendicular to the direction in which the first lane extends, the further rearward the first traveling direction relative position and the second traveling direction relative position are set with respect to the host vehicle. It is configured as follows:

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3.

5. The speed control unit When there are other vehicles in front and behind the host vehicle in the second lane adjacent to the first lane, and when both the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in front and the inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and the other vehicle in rear are equal to or less than a predetermined threshold, a target speed of the host vehicle is set so that the host vehicle maintains a center position between the other vehicle in front and the other vehicle in rear. It is configured as follows:

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2.

6. The speed control unit The closer the host vehicle is to the speed control switching position, the higher the upper limit of the acceleration or deceleration of the host vehicle is set. It is configured as follows:

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2.

7. The speed control unit The closer the host vehicle is to the speed control switching position, the higher the upper limit of the acceleration or deceleration of the host vehicle is set. It is configured as follows:

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3.

8. The speed control unit The closer the host vehicle is to the speed control switching position, the higher the upper limit of the acceleration or deceleration of the host vehicle is set. It is configured as follows:

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 5.

9. The speed control unit When it is determined that a predetermined inter-vehicle distance cannot be maintained between the host vehicle and another vehicle traveling on the second lane by the time the host vehicle reaches the speed control switching position, the control system requests the driver of the host vehicle to transfer authority to control the host vehicle to the driver of the host vehicle. It is configured as follows:

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2.

10. The speed control unit When it is determined that a predetermined inter-vehicle distance cannot be maintained between the host vehicle and another vehicle traveling on the second lane by the time the host vehicle reaches the speed control switching position, the control system requests the driver of the host vehicle to transfer authority to control the host vehicle to the driver of the host vehicle. It is configured as follows:

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3.

11. The speed control unit When it is determined that a predetermined inter-vehicle distance cannot be maintained between the host vehicle and another vehicle traveling on the second lane by the time the host vehicle reaches the speed control switching position, the control system requests the driver of the host vehicle to transfer authority to control the host vehicle to the driver of the host vehicle. It is configured as follows:

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 5.

12. The speed control unit after the host vehicle has passed the speed control switching position, a target speed is set so as to generate a gap between the host vehicle traveling on the first lane and another vehicle traveling on the third lane into which the host vehicle is to merge, for the host vehicle to merge into the third lane; It is configured as follows:

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2.

13. The speed control unit after the host vehicle has passed the speed control switching position, a target speed is set so as to generate a gap between the host vehicle traveling on the first lane and another vehicle traveling on the third lane into which the host vehicle is to merge, for the host vehicle to merge into the third lane; It is configured as follows:

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3.

14. The speed control unit after the host vehicle has passed the speed control switching position, a target speed is set so as to generate a gap between the host vehicle traveling on the first lane and another vehicle traveling on the third lane into which the host vehicle is to merge, for the host vehicle to merge into the third lane; It is configured as follows:

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 5.

15. The speed control unit notifying the driver of the vehicle of the intention to transfer the authority of automatic driving and notifying the driver of the distance or time from the vehicle to the speed control switching position before the vehicle passes the speed control switching position; After the host vehicle has passed the speed control switching position, if the transfer of authority to the driver has been completed, the speed control of the host vehicle is switched to manual. It is configured as follows:

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 or 2.

16. The speed control unit notifying the driver of the vehicle of the intention to transfer the authority of automatic driving and notifying the driver of the distance or time from the vehicle to the speed control switching position before the vehicle passes the speed control switching position; After the host vehicle has passed the speed control switching position, if the transfer of authority to the driver has been completed, the speed control of the host vehicle is switched to manual. It is configured as follows:

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3.

17. The speed control unit notifying the driver of the vehicle of the intention to transfer the authority of automatic driving and notifying the driver of the distance or time from the vehicle to the speed control switching position before the vehicle passes the speed control switching position; After the host vehicle has passed the speed control switching position, if the transfer of authority to the driver has been completed, the speed control of the host vehicle is switched to manual. It is configured as follows:

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 5.

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