Control device, control method, and program

Abstract

To issue an alarm suitable for an occupant (for example, a driver) of a mobile object.SOLUTION: A control device performs: issuing a first alarm when it is estimated that a mobile object is to move to a second lane, in which an object is present in the second lane adjacent to a first lane in which the mobile object is traveling and is present around the mobile object, in response to operation; starting automatic lane change control for automatically changing a lane of the mobile object to the second lane in which the object is present in response to operation; automatically changing the lane of the mobile object to the second lane when it is determined that the lane change is possible; and issuing a second alarm for notifying an occupant that the lane of the mobile object cannot be automatically changed to the second lane when it is determined that the lane change is not possible. Even if a condition in which the other alarm is to be issued is satisfied when one alarm of the first alarm and the second alarm is issued, the control device suppresses issuing the other alarm.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In recent years, efforts to provide sustainable transportation systems that take various situations into consideration have become more active. To achieve this, efforts are being made to further improve traffic safety and convenience through research and development of driving assistance technologies. For example, a rear-side approaching object warning system has been disclosed that, when it is estimated that the driver is aware of the road conditions behind the adjacent driving lane during traffic congestion, suppresses the output of an alarm even if it detects another vehicle approaching within a predetermined range behind the adjacent driving lane where the vehicle is about to change lanes when the driver operates a turn signal to make a lane change (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-132966 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] In the conventional technology, the relationship with other alarm output functions was not taken into consideration. As a result, the alarm was not always suitable for the occupants of the vehicle (e.g., the driver). For example, the occupants of the vehicle sometimes found the alarm annoying.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a control device, a control method, and a program that can output a warning that is suitable for a vehicle occupant (e.g., a driver). For example, this can reduce inconvenience to the vehicle occupant. Ultimately, this will contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The control device, control method, and program according to the present invention employ the following configuration. (1): A control device according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a processing unit including: a recognition unit that recognizes an object that exists in a second lane adjacent to a first lane in which a moving body is traveling and that exists around the moving body; a first processing unit that issues a first warning when it is estimated that the moving body will move to the second lane in which the object exists in accordance with an operation performed by an occupant of the moving body; and a second processing unit that activates an automatic lane change control that causes the moving body to automatically change lanes to the second lane in accordance with an operation performed by the occupant, automatically causes the moving body to change lanes to the second lane if it determines that the lane change is possible, and issues a second warning to inform the occupant that the moving body cannot automatically change lanes to the second lane if it determines that the lane change is not possible, and the processing unit is a control device that suppresses the issuance of a different warning when either the first warning or the second warning has been issued, even if conditions for issuing a different warning are met.

[0007] (2): In the above aspect (1), when one of the warnings is issued to the first object, which is the object, the processing unit suppresses issuing the different warning even if the conditions for issuing the different warning to the first object are met.

[0008] (3): In the above aspect (1), when the processing unit issues one of the alarms to a first object, which is the object, and the condition for issuing the different alarm to a second object different from the first object is met, the processing unit does not suppress the different alarm.

[0009] (4): In any of the above aspects (1), the first warning is issued when an operation is performed by the occupant, and the second warning is issued when it is determined that the automatic lane change is not possible after a predetermined time has elapsed since the operation was performed by the occupant.

[0010] (5): In the above aspect (1), the processing unit issues the first warning in response to an operation performed by the occupant, and when an automatic lane change control is activated to automatically change the moving body to the second lane where the object is present, and it is determined that the lane change is not possible, the processing unit suppresses the second warning, and then issues the second warning again when the automatic lane change control is activated again in response to an operation performed by the occupant.

[0011] (6): In the above aspect (1), the processing unit issues either the first alarm or the second alarm when a predetermined time has elapsed after the issuing of either one of the first alarm and the second alarm, or when the moving body has moved a predetermined distance and the conditions for issuing a different alarm from either one of the first alarm and the second alarm are met.

[0012] (7) In the above aspect (1), the operations performed by the occupant of the moving body to trigger the first warning and the second warning are operations on the same operator.

[0013] (8): In the above aspect (1), the operator is an operator for turning on a direction indicator.

[0014] (9): In the above aspect (1), the first alarm is an alarm that notifies the driver of the presence of another moving body in the blind spot when the other moving body is in a blind spot to the side of the moving body that is difficult for the driver to see, and the driver turns on the turn signal to change lanes into the lane in which the other moving body is traveling.

[0015] (10): A control device according to another aspect of the present invention comprises a processing unit including: a recognition unit that recognizes an object that exists in a second lane adjacent to a first lane in which a moving body is traveling and that exists around the moving body; a first processing unit that issues a first warning when it is estimated that the moving body will move to the second lane in which the object exists in response to a first operation of an operator by an occupant of the moving body; and a second processing unit that activates an automatic lane change control to cause the moving body to automatically change lanes to the second lane in which the object exists in response to a second operation of the operator by the occupant, and automatically causes the moving body to change lanes to the second lane if it determines that the lane change is possible, and issues a second warning to inform the occupant that the moving body cannot automatically change lanes to the second lane if it determines that the lane change is not possible, and the processing unit issues the first warning in response to the first operation when the first operation is performed and the second operation is performed consecutively to the first operation, and suppresses the second warning when it determines that the lane change is not possible in response to the second operation performed consecutively to the first operation.

[0016] (11): Another aspect of the control method of the present invention is a method in which a computer recognizes an object that exists in a second lane adjacent to a first lane in which a moving body is traveling and that exists around the moving body, and estimates that the moving body will move to the second lane in which the object is located in accordance with an operation performed by an occupant of the moving body, issues a first warning, activates automatic lane change control that causes the moving body to automatically change lanes to the second lane in which the object is located in accordance with an operation performed by the occupant, and if it determines that the lane change is possible, automatically causes the moving body to change lanes to the second lane, and if it determines that the lane change is not possible, issues a second warning to inform the occupant that the moving body cannot automatically change lanes to the second lane, and suppresses issuing the different warning even if conditions for issuing a different warning from either the first or second warning are met when either the first or second warning has been issued.

[0017] (12): A program according to another aspect of the present invention causes a computer to execute the following processes: recognizing an object that exists in a second lane adjacent to a first lane in which a moving body is traveling and that exists around the moving body; issuing a first warning when it is estimated that the moving body will move into the second lane in which the object exists in response to an operation performed by an occupant of the moving body; activating an automatic lane change control that automatically changes the moving body to the second lane in which the object exists in response to an operation performed by the occupant; automatically changing the moving body to the second lane if it is determined that the lane change is possible; issuing a second warning to inform the occupant that the moving body cannot automatically change lanes to the second lane if it is determined that the lane change is not possible; and suppressing the issuance of a different warning when either the first warning or the second warning has been issued, even if conditions for issuing a different warning from either one of the first warning or the second warning are met. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the aspects (1) to (12), it is possible to output a warning that is suitable for the occupant (for example, the driver) of the moving body, and for example, it is possible to reduce the annoyance of the occupant of the moving body.

[0019] According to the aspect (2), it is possible to suppress the issuance of warnings for the same object, thereby reducing the annoyance felt by the occupants of the moving body.

[0020] According to the aspect (3), a warning is issued for different objects, so that the occupants of the vehicle can recognize the different objects.

[0021] According to the fourth aspect, even when the lane change determination is made a predetermined time after the operation, the second warning can be suppressed, thereby reducing annoyance to the occupants of the moving body.

[0022] According to the fifth aspect, if the driver of the moving object changes lanes multiple times, the second warning is issued because there is a high possibility that the driver has not recognized the object. This allows the driver of the moving object to be more reliably aware of other moving objects.

[0023] According to the sixth aspect, the occupant can be made to recognize the object more reliably.

[0024] According to the seventh aspect, when a different function is executed by the same operator, a second alarm can be suppressed. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0025] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 that uses a vehicle control system according to an embodiment. [Figure 2] 10 is a diagram illustrating a first process of a first control unit 152. FIG. [Figure 3] 10 is a diagram for explaining a second process of a second control unit 154. FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a timing chart of the second process. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining the processing of a comparative example and the present embodiment. [Figure 6] 10A and 10B are diagrams showing a timing chart of a process of a comparative example and a timing chart of a process of this embodiment. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by a first control unit 152. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by a first control unit 152. [Figure 9] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of reference information 160. [Figure 10] FIG. 10 is a diagram for explaining a situation in which the second alarm is suppressed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0026] [Overall configuration] FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 that uses a vehicle control system according to an embodiment. The vehicle on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted may be, for example, a two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled vehicle, and its drive source may be an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination of these. The electric motor operates using power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, or discharge power from a secondary battery or a fuel cell. This embodiment may also be applied to a moving body other than a vehicle instead of a vehicle.

[0027] The vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, vehicle sensors 40, a navigation device 50, an MPU 60, an operator 80, a direction indicator 90, a driving assistance device 100, a driving force output device 200, a braking device 210, and a steering device 220. These devices and equipment are connected to each other via multiplex communication lines such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication line, serial communication lines, a wireless communication network, etc. The configuration shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and some of the configuration may be omitted, or other configurations may be added. The driving assistance device 100 is an example of a "controller."

[0028] The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is attached to any location of a vehicle (hereinafter referred to as vehicle M) in which the vehicle system 1 is installed. When capturing an image of the front, the camera 10 is attached to the top of the front windshield, the back of the rearview mirror, or the like. The camera 10, for example, periodically captures images of the periphery of the vehicle M. The camera 10 may be a stereo camera.

[0029] The radar device 12 emits radio waves such as millimeter waves around the vehicle M and detects radio waves reflected by an object (reflected waves) to detect at least the position (distance and direction) of the object. The radar device 12 is attached to any location on the vehicle M. The radar device 12 may detect the position and speed of an object using an FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

[0030] The LIDAR 14 irradiates the surroundings of the vehicle M with light (or electromagnetic waves with wavelengths similar to light) and measures the scattered light. The LIDAR 14 detects the distance to the target based on the time between light emission and light reception. The irradiated light is, for example, pulsed laser light. The LIDAR 14 may be attached to any location on the vehicle M.

[0031] The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results from some or all of the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to recognize the position, type, speed, etc. of the object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition results to the driving assistance device 100. The object recognition device 16 may output the detection results from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 directly to the driving assistance device 100. The object recognition device 16 may be omitted from the vehicle system 1.

[0032] The communication device 20 communicates with other vehicles in the vicinity of the vehicle M, for example, using a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), etc., or communicates with various server devices via a wireless base station.

[0033] The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupants of the vehicle M and accepts input operations by the occupants. The HMI 30 includes various display devices, speakers, buzzers, touch panels, switches, keys, etc. The HMI 30 is equipped with a display device. The display device is, for example, a so-called multi-information display, provided in the center of the instrument panel of the vehicle M, and displays various information about the vehicle M, such as a speedometer that indicates the traveling speed of the vehicle M or a tachometer that indicates the rotation speed (rotational speed) of the internal combustion engine equipped in the vehicle M.

[0034] The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects the acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects the angular velocity around a vertical axis, a direction sensor that detects the direction of the vehicle M, and the like.

[0035] The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a route determination unit 53. The navigation device 50 stores first map information 54 in a storage device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) or flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 identifies the position of the vehicle M based on signals received from GNSS satellites. The position of the vehicle M may be identified or supplemented by an inertial navigation system (INS) that uses the output of the vehicle sensors 40. The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, keys, etc. The navigation HMI 52 may share some or all of the components with the HMI 30 described above. The route determination unit 53 determines, for example, a route (hereinafter, a route on a map) from the position of the vehicle M identified by the GNSS receiver 51 (or any input position) to a destination input by the occupant using the navigation HMI 52, with reference to the first map information 54. The first map information 54 is information that represents road shapes using, for example, links indicating roads and nodes connected by the links. The first map information 54 may also include information such as road curvature and POI (Point of Interest) information. The route on the map is output to the MPU 60. The navigation device 50 may provide route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the route on the map. The navigation device 50 may be realized, for example, by the functions of a terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet device owned by the occupant. The navigation device 50 may transmit the current position and destination to a navigation server via the communication device 20 and obtain a route equivalent to the route on the map from the navigation server.

[0036] The MPU 60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 61 and stores second map information 62 in a storage device such as an HDD or flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 61 divides the route on the map provided by the navigation device 50 into a plurality of blocks (for example, every 100 m in the vehicle traveling direction) and determines a recommended lane for each block by referring to the second map information 62. The recommended lane determination unit 61 determines, for example, which lane from the left the vehicle M should take. When a branch point is present on the route on the map, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines a recommended lane so that the vehicle M can travel on a reasonable route to the branch point. For example, when the vehicle M arrives a predetermined distance before the branch road on which the vehicle M is traveling, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines a lane connecting to the branch road as the recommended lane. The recommended lane determination unit 61 and the second map information 62 may be functional units or information included in another device, such as the driving assistance device 100.

[0037] The second map information 62 is map information with higher accuracy than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes, for example, information on the center of lanes or information on lane boundaries. The second map information 62 may include road information, traffic regulation information, address information (address and postal code), facility information, telephone number information, etc. The second map information 62 may be updated as needed by the communication device 20 communicating with other devices.

[0038] The operators 80 include, for example, a steering wheel 82 as well as an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, and other operators. The operators 80 are fitted with sensors that detect the amount of operation or whether or not an operation is performed, and the detection results are output to the driving assistance device 100 or some or all of the driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device 220. The steering wheel 82 does not necessarily have to be annular, and may be in the form of an irregularly shaped steering wheel, a joystick, a button, or the like. The operators 80 include a first operator 84. The direction indicator 90 turns on or off in response to operation of the first operator 84.

[0039] The first operator 84 is, for example, a turn signal lever switch. For example, when the driver operates the first operator 84, the direction indicator 90 lights up in response to the operation. When the driver performs a predetermined operation on the first operator 84, the control unit 150 activates an ALC (Auto Lane Change) function and causes the vehicle M to perform an automatic lane change. The predetermined operation is an operation that triggers activation of the ALC function. The predetermined operation is, for example, operating the turn signal lever switch in the direction of the desired lane change for a predetermined period of time, or pushing the turn signal lever switch to a predetermined position. More specifically, the predetermined operation is operating the turn signal lever switch in the direction of the desired lane change while maintaining it in a predetermined position for a predetermined period of time.

[0040] The driving assistance device 100 includes, for example, a recognition unit 110 and a control unit 150. The recognition unit 110 and the control unit 150 are realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or an SOC (System On Chip), or may be realized by a combination of software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transitory storage medium) such as an HDD or flash memory of the driving assistance device 100, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the HDD or flash memory of the driving assistance device 100 by inserting the storage medium (non-transitory storage medium) into a drive device.

[0041] The recognition unit 110 recognizes the position, speed, acceleration, and other states of objects around the vehicle M based on information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 via the object recognition device 16. The position of an object is recognized as a position on an absolute coordinate system with a representative point of the vehicle M (such as the center of gravity or the center of the drive shaft) as the origin, and is used for control. The position of an object may be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the object, or may be represented by an area. The "state" of an object may include the acceleration or jerk of the object, or the "behavioral state" (for example, whether or not the object is changing lanes or is about to change lanes).

[0042] The recognition unit 110 recognizes, for example, the lane in which the vehicle M is traveling (driving lane). For example, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the driving lane by comparing the pattern of road dividing lines (e.g., an arrangement of solid lines and dashed lines) obtained from the second map information 62 with the pattern of road dividing lines around the vehicle M recognized from an image captured by the camera 10. The recognition unit 110 may recognize the driving lane by recognizing road boundaries (road boundaries) including not only road dividing lines but also road dividing lines, shoulders, curbs, medians, guardrails, etc. In this recognition, the position of the vehicle M obtained from the navigation device 50 and the processing results by the INS may be taken into consideration. The recognition unit 110 recognizes stop lines, obstacles, red lights, toll booths, and other road phenomena.

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

[0044] The control unit 150 executes driving assistance control. For example, the control unit 150 automatically controls the driving force output device 200 and the braking device 210 without relying on the driver's operation, thereby automatically controlling the speed of the vehicle M. The control unit 150 executes so-called adaptive cruise control (ACC).

[0045] The control unit 150 controls the steering device 220 so that the vehicle M does not deviate from the driving lane. For example, the control unit 150 controls the steering device 220 so that the vehicle M travels in the center or near the center of the driving lane recognized by the recognition unit 110. Hereinafter, this control may be referred to as "lane keeping control." The control unit 150 executes hands-on lane keeping control and hands-off lane keeping control.

[0046] Hands-on lane keeping control is a control that is executed when the driver is gripping the steering wheel (when a steering grip sensor (not shown) detects that the driver is gripping the steering wheel). The conditions under which hands-on lane keeping control can be executed are less stringent than the conditions under which hands-off lane keeping control can be executed.

[0047] Hands-off lane keeping control is a control that is executed when the driver is not gripping the steering wheel (when a steering grip sensor, not shown, does not detect that the driver is gripping the steering wheel). Hands-off lane keeping control can be executed, for example, when the following conditions are met: the speed of vehicle M is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed, vehicle M is traveling on a predetermined road (for example, a road or type of road that has been set in advance as one for which hands-off lane keeping control can be executed), and the driver is monitoring the road ahead. When the driver is monitoring the road ahead, hands-off lane keeping control is executed, and when the driver is not monitoring the road ahead, hands-off lane keeping control is not executed or is stopped.

[0048] The above-described conditions under which the hands-on lane keeping control and the hands-off lane keeping control can be executed are merely examples, and other conditions (for example, vehicle M following a vehicle ahead) may be included, or some conditions may be omitted. The conditions under which the hands-on lane keeping control can be executed may be looser than the conditions under which the hands-off lane keeping control can be executed (the conditions under which the hands-off lane keeping control can be executed may be stricter than the conditions under which the hands-on lane keeping control can be executed). Whether the driver is monitoring the road ahead is determined by the driving assistance device 100 based on an image captured by a camera (not shown) that captures an image of the driver. The control unit 150 includes a first control unit 152 and a second control unit 154. These will be described in detail later.

[0049] The driving force output device 200 outputs a driving force (torque) to the driving wheels for driving the vehicle M. The driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a transmission, etc., and an ECU that controls these. The ECU controls the above components in accordance with information input from the driving assistance device 100 or information input from the operator 80.

[0050] The brake device 210 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor in accordance with information input from the driving assistance device 100 or information input from the operator 80, so that a brake torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel.

[0051] The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor changes the direction of the steered wheels by applying a force to, for example, a rack and pinion mechanism. The steering ECU drives the electric motor to change the direction of the steered wheels in accordance with information input from the driving assistance device 100 or information input from the operator 80.

[0052] [First process of first control unit] The first control unit 152 issues a first warning when it estimates that the vehicle M will move into a second lane where an object exists adjacent to the first lane in which the vehicle M is traveling, in response to an operation performed by an occupant of the vehicle M. The first control unit 152 realizes a so-called blind spot information function. The first warning is a warning that notifies the occupant of the presence of another vehicle in the blind spot when another vehicle is present in a blind spot on the side of the vehicle M that is difficult for the occupant of the vehicle M to see, and the occupant turns on a turn signal to change lanes into the lane in which the other vehicle is traveling. The first warning is an operation that is issued when an operation (for example, an operation to turn on the turn signal 90) is performed by the occupant.

[0053] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating the first process of the first control unit 152. At time T, the vehicle M is traveling in the first lane L1, and the vehicle M1 is traveling in the second lane. When the vehicle M1 is present in the first area AR1 based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 110, the first control unit 152 notifies the driver of the presence of the vehicle M1. The notification is made, for example, by turning on a predetermined indicator provided on the vehicle M. The first area AR1 is, for example, an area that is difficult for the driver to see, such as an area to the side and rear or to the side of the vehicle M in the second lane L2, or an area that is not reflected in the door mirror of the vehicle M.

[0054] At time T+1, when the driver operates the first operating item 84 to turn on the turn indicator 90, the first control unit 152 outputs a first warning. The first warning is, for example, a flashing indicator. The first warning may be issued by an image, sound, or by vibrating the seat belt or the steering wheel. When the driver operates to turn on the turn indicator 90 (such as an operation to turn on the turn indicator 90 in the lane to which the lane is to be changed), it is "estimated that the vehicle M will move to the second lane." In this way, the first control unit 152 can notify the driver of the vehicle M of the presence of the vehicle M1 in the first area AR1 that is difficult for the driver to see.

[0055] [Second process of second control unit] The control unit 150 automatically changes lanes of the vehicle M. The control for automatically changing lanes may be performed on the condition that hands-off lane keeping control or hands-on lane keeping control is executed.

[0056] The second control unit 154 activates an automatic lane change control that automatically changes the vehicle M to a second lane where an object exists in response to an operation performed by the occupant, and if it determines that a lane change is possible, it automatically changes the vehicle M to the second lane. If it determines that a lane change is not possible, the second control unit 154 issues a second warning that notifies the occupant that the vehicle M cannot automatically change to the second lane.

[0057] 3 is a diagram for explaining the second processing of the second control unit 154. At time T, the vehicle M is traveling in the first lane L1, and the vehicle M1 is traveling in the second lane L2. When the driver performs a predetermined operation on the turn signal 90, the second control unit 154 activates the automatic lane change function. When the automatic lane change function (ALC; automatic lane change) is activated, the second control unit 154 issues a second warning to the driver indicating that the automatic lane change is not possible if the vehicle M1 is present in the second area AR2 based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 110. The second warning may be issued, for example, by an image or sound, or by vibrating the seat belt or the steering wheel.

[0058] The second area AR2 is, for example, an area on the second lane L2 to the side of the vehicle M and in front of and behind the vehicle M in the direction of travel. The second area AR2 includes a position a predetermined distance ahead of the vehicle M in the direction of travel. The second area AR2 may be an area whose length in the direction of travel varies depending on the speed of the vehicle and the speed of other vehicles traveling on the second lane L2. For example, the faster the speed of the other vehicles, the longer the length of the second area AR2 in the direction of travel is set. The first area AR1 is an area set on the side of the vehicle M in the second lane L2 and behind the vehicle M in the direction of travel, while the second area AR2 is an area set on the front side of the vehicle M in the second lane L2 in the direction of travel.

[0059] If another vehicle is present in the second area AR2 at time T+1, the second control unit 154 issues a warning to the driver of the vehicle M indicating that an automated lane change is not possible. If no other vehicle is present in the second area AR2, the second control unit 154 determines that the vehicle M can change lanes to the second lane L2 without interfering with other vehicles, and causes the vehicle M to perform an automated lane change.

[0060] FIG. 4 is a timing chart of the second process. FIG. 4 illustrates the process in the example of FIG. 3. In FIG. 4, the other vehicle M1 is not present in the first area AR1 but is present in the second area AR2, so the first process is not executed and the second process is executed. When the driver performs an operation to turn on the turn signal 90, the activation condition of the ALC function is met. The second control unit 154 attempts to recognize another vehicle interfering with the automated lane change based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 110. If another vehicle interfering with the automated lane change is present, the second control unit 154 issues a second warning. As described above, if the other vehicle M1 is not present in the first area AR1, the first warning is not issued but the second warning is issued. The second warning is issued when it is determined that automatic lane changing is not possible after a predetermined time has elapsed since the occupant performed an operation (for example, an operation to turn on the turn signal 90).

[0061] [Comparison between Comparative Example and Present Embodiment] In contrast, in the comparative example, when another vehicle M1 is present in the first area AR1 and the second area AR2 as shown in Fig. 5, the first and second warnings are issued, which can be annoying to the occupants of the vehicle M.

[0062] In this embodiment, as described below, when the control unit 150 issues either the first alarm or the second alarm in response to an operation, it suppresses issuing a different alarm even if the conditions for issuing a different alarm from either one of the alarms are met, or issues an alarm in a manner different from the manner of one of the alarms.

[0063] The operations performed by the occupant of vehicle M that trigger the above-mentioned first and second alarms are operations on the same operator. The operator is, for example, an operator that turns on a direction indicator (e.g., a turn signal lever switch). The operations may be operations on different operators instead of the same operator. The operator may be a button, a button displayed on a display unit, or the like. When the operator is the same operator, the first and second alarms are triggered by the same operator, but when the operators are different operators, the operator that triggers the first alarm is the first operator (e.g., a turn signal lever switch), and the operator that triggers the second alarm is the second operator (a button that activates automated lane change).

[0064] The operation performed by the occupant of vehicle M that triggers the second warning may be the same as or different from the operation that triggers the first warning. The operation performed by the occupant of vehicle M that triggers the second warning may be an operation performed consecutively to the operation performed by the occupant of vehicle M that triggers the first warning. When a first operation is performed and a second operation is performed consecutively to the first operation, the control unit 150 issues the first warning in response to the first operation, and suppresses the second warning when it determines that a lane change is not possible in response to the second operation performed consecutively to the first operation.

[0065] The first operation is, for example, an operation of operating the turn signal lever switch to a predetermined degree in a direction to change lanes of the vehicle M (an operation of operating the turn signal lever switch to a position to turn on the direction indicator 90), and the second operation is, for example, an operation of maintaining the above-mentioned predetermined degree of operation for a predetermined period of time (an operation of maintaining a half-pressed state). The second operation following the first operation may be an operation of further operating the turn lever switch in the same direction following the first operation.

[0066] Suppressing the issuance of an alarm may mean not issuing a different alarm, or may mean lowering the level of the alarm to the occupants of vehicle M compared to one of the alarms. A lower level of alarm means, for example, that the sound is quieter than that of one of the alarms or that the image display is simpler than that of one of the alarms. An alarm of a different type means, for example, if the first alarm is an alarm, the second alarm is an alarm of a different type from the first alarm, such as lighting an indicator or a sound different from that of the first alarm.

[0067] FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a timing chart of the process of a comparative example and a timing chart of the process of this embodiment. FIG. 6 is a timing chart of the process in the situation shown in FIG. 5. In the comparative example, the indicator lights up due to the presence of another vehicle M1. When the driver performs an operation to turn on the turn signal 90, a first warning is issued, and then the ALC function is activated. After the ALC function is activated, if it is recognized that there is an object interfering with the lane change destination, a second warning is output. As such, in the comparative example, warnings of different functions are issued, which may be annoying to the driver.

[0068] In this embodiment, the indicator lights up when another vehicle M1 is present. When the driver turns on the turn signal 90, a first warning is issued, and then the ALC function is activated. After the ALC function is activated, the second control unit 154 suppresses the second warning even if it recognizes the presence of an interfering object ahead of the lane change. In this way, in this embodiment, warnings for different functions are suppressed, which reduces the driver's discomfort.

[0069] In the above example, the second warning is suppressed, but if the second warning (one of the warnings) is issued first, the first warning (a different warning) may be suppressed. For example, if the other vehicle M1 is not present in the first area AR1 but is present in the second area AR2, the second control unit 154 issues the second warning. If the other vehicle M1 then comes to be present in the first area AR1 and the turn signal 90 is operated, the first control unit 152 may suppress the first warning.

[0070] [Flowchart (first process)] FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the first control unit 152. First, the first control unit 152 determines whether or not another vehicle is present in the first area AR1 (step S100). If another vehicle is present in the first area AR1, the first control unit 152 turns on the indicator (step S102). Next, the first control unit 152 determines whether or not the direction indicator 90 has been operated (step S104). If the direction indicator 90 has not been operated, the process returns to step S100. If the direction indicator 90 has been operated, the first control unit 152 outputs a first warning (step S106). This ends the processing of one routine of this flowchart.

[0071] [Flowchart (second process)] 8 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processing executed by the first control unit 152. The second control unit 154 determines whether the ALC function has been activated (step S200). When the ALC function has been activated, the second control unit 154 recognizes surrounding objects based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 110 (step S202). Next, the second control unit 154 determines whether there is another vehicle M1 interfering with the lane change (step S204). If there is no other vehicle M1 interfering with the lane change, the second control unit 154 executes the lane change to cause the vehicle M to change lanes (step S206).

[0072] If it is determined in step S204 that a vehicle change is not possible, the second control unit 154 determines whether the first warning has been issued for the same object (step S208). The second control unit 154 executes the process of step S208 by referring to the reference information in FIG. 9, which will be described later.

[0073] If a first alarm has been issued for the same object, the second control unit 154 does not issue a second alarm for that object. If a first alarm has not been issued for the same object, the second control unit 154 issues a second alarm for that object (step S210). When one alarm has been issued for a first object, the second control unit 154 suppresses issuing a different alarm even if the conditions for issuing a different alarm for the first object are met. When one alarm has been issued for a first object, the second control unit 154 issues an alarm without suppressing the different alarm when the conditions for issuing a different alarm for a second object different from the first object are met. This completes the processing of one routine of this flowchart.

[0074] FIG. 9 is a diagram showing an example of the reference information 160. The reference information 160 is information in which the identification information of another vehicle, the position of the other vehicle at each time, and whether or not a first warning has been issued are associated with each other. When the first warning is issued for another vehicle "001" at time T, the first control unit 152 associates information indicating that the first warning has been issued with the corresponding record in the reference information 160. The second control unit 154 can determine whether or not the first warning has been issued for the target vehicle M by referring to the reference information 160. Note that the information indicating that the first warning has been issued in the reference information 160 is deleted a predetermined time after this information is associated in the reference information 160. As a result, after the first warning is issued, the second control unit 154 does not suppress the second warning before the predetermined time has elapsed.

[0075] 10 is a diagram illustrating a situation in which the second warning is suppressed. At time T, the first control unit 152 issued the first warning to the other vehicle M1 before the driver turned on the turn signal 90 and the ALC function was activated. At time T+2, the other vehicle M1 moved ahead of the vehicle M and was outside the first area AR1 and the second area AR2, and the other vehicle M2 behind the other vehicle M1 entered the second area AR2. In this state, the ALC function was activated. In this case, the second control unit 154 did not issue the first warning to the other vehicle M1, so it issues the second warning to the other vehicle M2.

[0076] The above describes the case where another vehicle overtakes vehicle M, but instead (or in addition), if vehicle M overtakes the other vehicle that issued the first warning and then the target of the second warning becomes another other vehicle, the control unit 150 does not suppress the second warning for the other other vehicle.

[0077] As described above, the control unit 150 determines whether to issue a second warning to the other vehicle depending on whether a first warning has been issued to the other vehicle, and issues or suppresses the second warning, thereby making it possible to output a warning that is appropriate for the occupants of the moving object.

[0078] The second control unit 154 may issue a first warning in response to an operation performed by the occupant, and suppress the second warning if the automated lane change control, which automatically changes the vehicle M to a second lane where an object is present, is activated and it is determined that the lane change is not possible. Thereafter, if the automated lane change control is activated again in response to an operation performed by the occupant within a predetermined time from the previous operation, the second control unit 154 may issue the second warning. In this case, the first warning may be omitted or suppressed for the second or subsequent times. As a result, if the driver of the vehicle M performs an operation to change lanes multiple times, the second warning is issued because it is highly likely that the driver has not recognized other moving objects. This allows the driver of the vehicle M to more reliably recognize other vehicles.

[0079] After issuing either the first or second warning, the control unit 150 may issue a different warning if a predetermined time has elapsed or the vehicle M has traveled a predetermined distance and conditions for issuing a different warning are met. This allows the appropriate warning to be issued when a predetermined time has elapsed since the first warning or when the vehicle M has traveled a predetermined distance and the conditions of the vehicle M and other vehicles have changed. For example, assume that the control unit 150 issues the first warning and monitors the surrounding conditions while waiting for the timing of an automated lane change. At this time, when a predetermined time has elapsed since the first warning or when the vehicle M has traveled a predetermined distance since the first warning and the other vehicle that is the subject of the first warning is present in the second area AR2, the control unit 150 issues a second warning to the other vehicle. In this way, the control unit 150 issues the second warning when a predetermined time has elapsed since the first warning or when the vehicle M has traveled a predetermined distance, thereby ensuring that the occupants are aware of the presence of other vehicles.

[0080] According to the embodiment described above, the control unit 150 can output an alarm that is suitable for the occupants (e.g., the driver) of the vehicle M by suppressing the issuance of a different alarm when either the first alarm or the second alarm is issued, even if the conditions for issuing an alarm different from either one of the first alarm and the second alarm are met.

[0081] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows. a storage device storing a program; a hardware processor; The hardware processor executes the program stored in the storage device, Recognizing an object that exists in a second lane adjacent to a first lane in which the moving body is traveling and that exists around the moving body; issuing a first warning when it is estimated that the moving body will move into the second lane where the object is present in response to an operation performed by an occupant of the moving body; activating an automatic lane change control that automatically changes the moving body to the second lane where the object is present in response to an operation performed by the occupant; When it is determined that the lane change is possible, the moving object is automatically caused to change lanes to the second lane; If it is determined that the lane change is not possible, a second warning is issued to notify the occupant that the moving object cannot be automatically changed to the second lane; When either the first alarm or the second alarm has been issued, issuance of a different alarm is suppressed even if a condition for issuing a different alarm from either one of the first alarm and the second alarm is satisfied. The control device is configured as follows.

[0082] The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0083] 1 Vehicle Systems 10 Camera 80 Controls 84 1st controller 90 Turn signal 100 Driving assistance device 110 Recognition part 150 control section 152 First Control Section 154 Second Control Section

Claims

1. a recognition unit that recognizes an object that exists in a second lane adjacent to a first lane in which the moving object is traveling and that exists around the moving object; a first processing unit that issues a first warning when it is estimated that the moving body will move into the second lane where the object is present in response to an operation performed by an occupant of the moving body; activating an automatic lane change control that automatically changes the moving body to the second lane where the object is present in response to an operation performed by the occupant; When it is determined that the lane change is possible, the moving object is automatically caused to change lanes to the second lane; a second processing unit that issues a second warning to notify the occupant that the moving object cannot automatically change lanes to the second lane when it is determined that the lane change is not possible, the processing unit, when issuing one of the first alarm and the second alarm, suppresses issuing the different alarm even if a condition for issuing the different alarm is satisfied. Control device.

2. the processing unit, when issuing the one of the warnings for the first object that is the object, suppresses issuing the different warning for the first object even if the condition for issuing the different warning for the first object is satisfied. The control device according to claim 1 .

3. the processing unit does not suppress the different warning when a condition for issuing the different warning to a second object different from the first object is satisfied in a case where the one warning has been issued to a first object that is the object. The control device according to claim 1 .

4. the first warning is issued when an operation is performed by the occupant, The second warning is issued when it is determined that the automatic lane change is not possible after a predetermined time has elapsed since the operation was performed by the occupant. The control device according to claim 1 .

5. The processing unit In response to an operation performed by the occupant, issuing the first warning; an automatic lane change control is activated to automatically change the moving body into the second lane where the object is present; When it is determined that the lane change is not possible, the second warning is suppressed, and thereafter, when the automated lane change control is activated again in response to an operation performed by the occupant, the second warning is issued. The control device according to claim 4.

6. The processing unit After issuing one of the first and second warnings, if a predetermined time has elapsed or the moving object has moved a predetermined distance and a condition for issuing a warning different from either one of the first and second warnings is met, the different warning is issued. The control device according to claim 1 .

7. the operations performed by the occupant of the vehicle to trigger the first warning and the second warning are operations on the same operator; The control device according to claim 1 .

8. The operator is an operator for turning on a direction indicator. The control device according to claim 7.

9. The first warning is a warning that notifies a passenger of the presence of another moving object in the blind spot when the passenger of the moving object turns on a turn signal to change lanes into the lane in which the other moving object is traveling, when the passenger of the moving object is in a blind spot to the side of the moving object that is difficult for the passenger to see, and the passenger turns on a turn signal to change lanes into the lane in which the other moving object is traveling. The control device according to claim 1 .

10. a recognition unit that recognizes an object that exists in a second lane adjacent to a first lane in which the moving object is traveling and that exists around the moving object; a first processing unit that issues a first warning when it is estimated that the moving body will move into the second lane where the object is present in response to a first operation on an operator by an occupant of the moving body; activates an automobile lane change control that automatically changes the moving body to the second lane where the object is present in response to a second operation of the operating element by the occupant; When it is determined that the lane change is possible, the moving object is automatically caused to change lanes to the second lane; a second processing unit that issues a second warning to notify the occupant that the moving object cannot automatically change lanes to the second lane when it is determined that the lane change is not possible, When the first operation is performed and the second operation is performed consecutively to the first operation, the processing unit issues the first warning in response to the first operation, and when it is determined that the lane change is not possible in response to the second operation performed consecutively to the first operation, the processing unit suppresses the second warning. Control device.

11. The computer Recognizing an object that exists in a second lane adjacent to a first lane in which the moving body is traveling and that exists around the moving body; issuing a first warning when it is estimated that the moving body will move into the second lane where the object is present in response to an operation performed by an occupant of the moving body; activating an automatic lane change control that automatically changes the moving body to the second lane where the object is present in response to an operation performed by the occupant; When it is determined that the lane change is possible, the moving object is automatically caused to change lanes to the second lane; If it is determined that the lane change is not possible, a second warning is issued to notify the occupant that the moving object cannot automatically change lanes to the second lane; When one of the first alarm and the second alarm has been issued, issuance of a different alarm is suppressed even if a condition for issuing a different alarm from either one of the first alarm and the second alarm is satisfied. Control method.

12. On the computer, a process of recognizing an object that exists in a second lane adjacent to a first lane in which the moving object is traveling and that exists around the moving object; a process of issuing a first warning when it is estimated that the moving body will move into the second lane where the object is present in response to an operation performed by an occupant of the moving body; a process of activating an automatic lane change control that automatically changes the moving body to the second lane where the object is present in response to an operation performed by the occupant; a process of automatically changing lanes of the moving object to the second lane when it is determined that the lane change is possible; When it is determined that the lane change is not possible, a second warning is issued to notify the occupant that the moving object cannot automatically change lanes to the second lane. a process of suppressing issuance of a different alarm even if a condition for issuing a different alarm from either the first alarm or the second alarm is satisfied when either the first alarm or the second alarm has been issued; A program to execute.

Images