Vehicle control device, control method, and control program

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device, control method, and control program which enable appropriate control according to a signal corresponding to a travel path on which an own vehicle travels even if position information on the signal is not prepared in advance.SOLUTION: A control device 30 for controlling a vehicle 1 includes: a recognition unit 31 for recognizing a surrounding situation of the vehicle 1; a deviation amount calculation unit 32 for, when a signal is recognized by the recognition unit 31, calculating a deviation amount of the signal relative to a travel path on which the vehicle 1 travels; a determination unit 34 for determining whether the signal recognized by the recognition unit 31 is a signal corresponding to the travel path, on the basis of the deviation amount calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 32; and a vehicle control unit 35 for controlling the vehicle 1 on the basis of a determination result of the determination unit 34.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In recent years, efforts to provide access to sustainable transport systems that take into consideration vulnerable transport participants have been gaining momentum. As part of these efforts, research and development is being conducted on driver assistance technologies and autonomous driving technologies for automobiles and other vehicles in order to further improve road safety and convenience.

[0003] As an example of driving assistance technology, Patent Document 1 listed below discloses a technology in which two or more traffic lights that are expected to appear in an image obtained by capturing an image of the vehicle's surroundings are identified based on map information including position information of traffic lights around the vehicle and the vehicle's own position, and a priority is set between the two or more identified traffic lights based on the possibility that the traffic lights will be blocked, and the traffic light with the highest priority among the two or more traffic lights is detected from the image. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6337961 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, the above-mentioned conventional technology is based on the assumption that map information including the position information of traffic lights around the vehicle is used, so for vehicles that do not have traffic light position information prepared in advance, there is a risk that appropriate control will not be possible in accordance with the traffic lights corresponding to the route the vehicle is traveling on.

[0006] The present invention provides a vehicle control device, a control method, and a control program that enable appropriate control in accordance with the traffic lights corresponding to the road on which the vehicle is traveling, even if traffic light position information is not prepared in advance, thereby improving traffic safety and contributing to the development of a sustainable transportation system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One aspect of the present invention is A vehicle control device that controls a vehicle, a recognition unit that recognizes a surrounding situation of the vehicle; a deviation amount calculation unit that calculates, when the recognition unit recognizes a traffic light, an amount of deviation of the traffic light from a road on which the vehicle is traveling; a determination unit that determines whether the traffic light corresponds to the road based on the deviation amount; a vehicle control unit that controls the vehicle based on the determination result of the determination unit; The vehicle control device is provided with:

[0008] Another aspect of the present invention is The computer that controls the vehicle Recognizing the surrounding situation of the vehicle; When a traffic light is recognized, a deviation amount of the traffic light from a road on which the vehicle is traveling is calculated; determining whether the traffic light corresponds to the road based on the deviation amount; controlling the vehicle based on the determination result of the determination; It is a control method for performing processing.

[0009] Another aspect of the present invention is The computer that controls the vehicle Recognizing the surrounding situation of the vehicle; When a traffic light is recognized, a deviation amount of the traffic light from a road on which the vehicle is traveling is calculated; determining whether the traffic light corresponds to the road based on the deviation amount; controlling the vehicle based on the determination result of the determination; It is a control program that performs the processing. [Effects of the Invention]

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle control device, a control method, and a control program that enable appropriate control to be performed in accordance with the traffic lights corresponding to the road on which the vehicle is traveling, even if the position information of the traffic lights is not prepared in advance. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle 1 equipped with a control device 30 that is an embodiment of a vehicle control device of the present invention. [Figure 2] 3 is a diagram showing a first example of processing implemented by a functional unit of the control device 30. FIG. [Figure 3] 10 is a diagram illustrating a second example of processing implemented by the functional units of the control device 30. FIG. [Figure 4] 10 is a diagram illustrating a third example of processing implemented by the functional units of the control device 30. FIG. [Figure 5] 10 is a diagram showing an example of a first evaluation value derived by an evaluation value derivation unit 33. FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of a traffic light Sn. [Figure 7] 1 is a flowchart (part 1) showing an example of a processing procedure performed by the control device 30. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart (part 2) illustrating an example of a processing procedure by the control device 30. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0012] Hereinafter, an embodiment of a vehicle control device, a control method, and a control program of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. The drawings should be viewed in the direction of the reference symbols. Note that the following embodiment does not limit the present invention, and not all of the elements described in the following embodiment are necessarily essential to the present invention. Furthermore, two or more elements described in the following embodiment may be arbitrarily combined without departing from the spirit of the present invention. Hereinafter, identical or similar elements will be denoted by the same or similar reference symbols, and their description may be omitted or simplified.

[0013] Furthermore, in order to simplify and clarify the explanation in this specification, unless otherwise specified, the front-to-back, left-to-right, and up-to-down directions will be described according to the directions as seen by the driver, who is an occupant of a vehicle (i.e., vehicle 1, described later) controlled by a control device that is one embodiment of the vehicle control device of the present invention (i.e., control device 30, described later).

[0014] [1. Vehicle] Fig. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic configuration of a vehicle 1 equipped with a control device 30, which is one embodiment of a vehicle control device of the present invention. The vehicle 1 (hereinafter also referred to as "host vehicle") of this embodiment shown in Fig. 1 is an automobile equipped with a drive source (not shown) and wheels (not shown) including drive wheels driven by the power of the drive source and steerable wheels. As an example, the vehicle 1 can be a four-wheeled automobile having a pair of front wheels and a pair of rear wheels on the left and right.

[0015] The drive source of vehicle 1 may be an electric motor, an internal combustion engine such as a gasoline engine or a diesel engine, or a combination of an electric motor and an internal combustion engine. The drive source of vehicle 1 may drive a pair of left and right front wheels, a pair of left and right rear wheels, or a pair of left and right front and rear wheels, i.e., four wheels. Either one of the front wheels or the rear wheels of vehicle 1 may be a steerable wheel, or both may be steerable wheels.

[0016] The vehicle 1 is configured to include a sensor group 10, a navigation device 20, a control device 30 which is an example of a vehicle control device of the present invention, an electric power steering (EPS: Electric Power Steering) system 40, a driving force control system 50, a braking force control system 60, a communication unit 70, an operation input unit 80, and an alarm device 90.

[0017] The sensor group 10 is configured to include an external sensor 11 that acquires information about the periphery of the vehicle 1 (hereinafter also referred to as "peripheral information"), and a vehicle sensor 12 that acquires information about the vehicle 1 (hereinafter also referred to as "vehicle information"). The information acquired by each sensor included in the sensor group 10 (in other words, detected values) is output to the control device 30 and is used for controlling the vehicle 1 by the control device 30 (hereinafter also referred to as "vehicle control").

[0018] The external sensor 11 includes, for example, a camera 111, a sonar 112, and a radar 113. The camera 111 is an imaging device that captures an image of the surroundings of the vehicle 1 including the area ahead of the vehicle 1, and outputs image data of the obtained surrounding image to the control device 30. As the camera 111, for example, a digital camera using an imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor) can be used.

[0019] The sonar 112 emits sound waves around the vehicle 1 (for example, in front of, behind, and to the sides of the vehicle 1) and receives reflected sound from objects around the vehicle 1, thereby detecting the distance and direction of the objects. The radar 113 emits radio waves around the vehicle 1, including in front of the vehicle 1, and receives reflected waves from objects around the vehicle 1, thereby detecting the distance and direction of the objects. For example, a millimeter wave radar can be used as the radar 113.

[0020] The external sensor 11 may be configured to include a LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) instead of or in addition to the sonar 112 or the radar 113. In this case, the LiDAR emits laser light to the periphery of the vehicle 1 including the area ahead of the vehicle 1, and receives reflected light from an object present around the vehicle 1 to detect the distance and direction to the object.

[0021] The vehicle sensor 12 includes, for example, a wheel sensor 121, a vehicle speed sensor 122, an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 123, an occupant camera 124, an operation detection unit 125, and a steering touch sensor 126.

[0022] The wheel sensor 121 detects the rotation angle of one or more wheels of the vehicle 1. As an example, the wheel sensor 121 detects the rotation angle of each of the left rear wheel and the right rear wheel. As the wheel sensor 121, for example, an angle sensor or a displacement sensor can be adopted.

[0023] The vehicle speed sensor 122 detects the vehicle speed VP, which is the traveling speed (in other words, the moving speed of the vehicle body) of the vehicle 1. For example, the vehicle speed sensor 122 detects the vehicle speed VP based on the number of rotations of a countershaft (not shown) provided in the vehicle 1.

[0024] The inertial measurement unit 123 detects angular velocities in the pitch, roll, and yaw directions of the vehicle 1, and accelerations in the front-to-rear, left-to-right, and up-to-down directions of the vehicle 1. Note that instead of the inertial measurement unit 123, the vehicle sensor 12 may be configured to include an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration in a predetermined direction of the vehicle 1, or a gyro sensor that detects angular velocity in a predetermined direction of the vehicle 1.

[0025] The occupant camera 124 is a digital camera that captures an image of the interior of the vehicle 1 and outputs image data of the obtained interior image to the control device 30. For example, the occupant camera 124 can be a so-called "driver monitor camera" that is installed so as to be able to capture an image of the head (in other words, the face) of an occupant (hereinafter also referred to as "driver") sitting in the driver's seat of the vehicle 1 from the front. As with the camera 111, the occupant camera 124 can be a digital camera that uses an imaging element such as a CCD or CMOS.

[0026] The operation detection unit 125 detects an operation performed using the operation input unit 80 that is operable by the driver. In this embodiment, the operation input unit 80 may include, for example, an operation button (not shown) that accepts an operation to switch a predetermined driving assistance control on (in other words, activated) and off (in other words, not activated). In this case, the operation detection unit 125 can detect an operation to turn on / off the predetermined driving assistance control.

[0027] The steering touch sensor 126 detects whether the steering wheel 46 of the vehicle 1 is being properly gripped. For example, the steering touch sensor 126 is realized by a capacitance sensor or the like. In this case, the capacitance sensor is provided at a portion where the driver touches the steering wheel 46 when the steering wheel 46 is being properly gripped.

[0028] The navigation device 20 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 21, a touch panel 22, and a speaker 23. The navigation device 20 also has a storage unit (not shown) configured with a flash memory or the like. The storage unit of the navigation device 20 stores a map information database (DB) 24 as an example of map information.

[0029] The map information database 24 is configured to include road network information. The road network information is information that represents each road as a combination of nodes and links (also called "paths") that connect the nodes. Each node in the road network information represents a characteristic point on a road, such as an intersection, a corner, or a dead end. In the road network information, each node is set with information indicating, for example, the point corresponding to the node (for example, coordinates that can identify a point on a map, such as latitude and longitude). In addition, in the road network information, each link is set with information indicating the nodes at both ends of the link, the road corresponding to the link, the link length, the number of lanes, the direction of travel, the road type, etc.

[0030] The GNSS receiver 21 identifies the current position of the vehicle 1 (for example, the latitude and longitude of the location where the vehicle 1 is located) based on signals received from GNSS satellites. Note that the navigation device 20 may acquire, for example, detection results from vehicle sensors 12 (for example, wheel sensors 121 and vehicle speed sensors 122) via the control device 30, and identify or complement the current position of the vehicle 1 by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) that uses the detection values ​​of the vehicle sensors 12.

[0031] The touch panel 22 is configured by combining a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode) with a pointing device (e.g., a touchpad). The speaker 23 is configured to be able to output audio to a passenger of the vehicle 1 (e.g., the driver).

[0032] For example, the navigation device 20 searches for a route from the current position of the vehicle 1 to a destination set by the driver using the touch panel 22 by referring to the map information database 24. Then, the navigation device 20 provides route guidance using the touch panel 22 and the speaker 23 based on the searched route. The navigation device 20 may also cause the touch panel 22 to display a predetermined information in accordance with an instruction from the control device 30. Furthermore, the navigation device 20 may output, for example, information indicating the identified current position of the vehicle 1 and predetermined information (for example, information indicating an operation received via the touch panel 22) to the control device 30.

[0033] In this embodiment, the control device 30 is configured to be able to refer to the map information database 24 (i.e., map information) of the navigation device 20. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and map information including road network information similar to that in the map information database 24 may be separately stored in the control device 30 or the like, and the control device 30 may be configured to refer to this map information.

[0034] The control device 30 is a computer that has, for example, a processor that performs various calculations, a storage unit that has a non-transitory storage medium (e.g., a flash memory) that stores various information, an input / output unit that controls input and output of data between the inside and outside of the control device 30, and the like (all not shown), and performs overall control of the vehicle 1. For example, the control device 30 is realized by one ECU (Electronic Control Unit) or by multiple ECUs working together. Note that specific examples of control by the control device 30 will be described later, so description thereof will be omitted here.

[0035] The EPS system 40 includes, for example, a steering angle sensor 41, a torque sensor 42, an EPS motor 43, a resolver 44, and an EPS ECU 45.

[0036] The steering angle sensor 41 detects the steering angle θst of the steering wheel 46 and outputs information indicating the detected steering angle θst to the EPS ECU 45. The torque sensor 42 detects the steering torque TQ, which is the torque applied to the steering wheel 46 of the vehicle 1, and outputs information indicating the detected steering torque TQ to the EPS ECU 45.

[0037] The EPS motor 43 applies a driving force or a reaction force to a steering column 47 connected to the steering wheel 46 in accordance with instructions from the EPS ECU 45, thereby assisting the driver in operating the steering wheel 46. The resolver 44 detects a rotation angle θm of the EPS motor 43, and outputs information indicating the detected rotation angle θm to the EPS ECU 45.

[0038] The EPS ECU 45 is a computer that includes, for example, a processor that performs various calculations, a storage unit that has a non-transitory storage medium that stores various information, and an input / output unit that controls input and output of data between the inside and outside of the EPS ECU 45 (all of which are not shown), and is implemented by one or more ECUs. For example, the EPS ECU 45 controls the EPS system 40 (for example, the EPS motor 43) based on the steering angle θst detected by the steering angle sensor 41, the steering torque TQ detected by the torque sensor 42, the rotation angle θm detected by the resolver 44, etc.

[0039] Furthermore, the EPS system 40 (for example, the EPS ECU 45) may output information indicating the steering angle θst detected by the steering angle sensor 41, the steering torque TQ detected by the torque sensor 42, the rotation angle θm detected by the resolver 44, etc. to the control device 30. Furthermore, the EPS system 40 (for example, the EPS ECU 45) may output information indicating the steering speed ω of the steering wheel 46 to the control device 30. In this case, the steering speed ω can be obtained, for example, by differentiating the steering angle θst with respect to time.

[0040] The driving force control system 50 includes a driving ECU 51 and is configured to be able to control the driving force of the vehicle 1. The driving ECU 51 is a computer that controls the driving force control system 50 and is realized by one or more ECUs, and includes, for example, a processor that performs various calculations, a storage unit having a non-transitory storage medium that stores various information, and an input / output unit that controls input and output of data between the inside and outside of the driving ECU 51 (all of which are not shown). For example, the driving ECU 51 controls the power output from a driving source of the vehicle 1 based on operation of an accelerator pedal 52 provided on the vehicle 1. The driving ECU 51 can also control the driving force control system 50 (for example, the driving source) according to instructions from the control device 30.

[0041] The braking force control system 60 includes a braking ECU 61 and is configured to be able to control the braking force of the vehicle 1. The braking ECU 61 is a computer that controls the braking force control system 60 and includes, for example, a processor that performs various calculations, a storage unit having a non-transitory storage medium that stores various information, and an input / output unit that controls input and output of data between the inside and outside of the braking ECU 61 (all of which are not shown), and is realized by one or more ECUs. For example, the braking ECU 61 controls the braking force of the vehicle 1 by controlling a brake device (not shown) provided in the vehicle 1 based on operation of a brake pedal 62 provided in the vehicle 1. Here, the brake device includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, and an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder. The braking ECU 61 controls the electric motor of the brake device so that a braking force corresponding to operation of the brake pedal 62 is generated. The braking ECU 61 can also control the braking force control system 60 (for example, the brake device) according to instructions from the control device 30.

[0042] The communication unit 70 is a communication interface that communicates with the external device 2 under the control of the control device 30. That is, the control device 30 can communicate with the external device 2 via the communication unit 70. Examples of the external device 2 include a driver's terminal device (e.g., a smartphone) and a server device managed by the manufacturer of the vehicle 1. Note that communication between the vehicle 1 and the external device 2 can be performed using, for example, a mobile communication network such as a cellular line, Wi-Fi (registered trademark), or Bluetooth (registered trademark).

[0043] The warning device 90 is a device that issues a warning to the driver under the control of the control device 30. The warning device 90 includes, for example, an MID (Multi-Information Display) 91 and a buzzer 92.

[0044] The MID 91 is configured with a display device such as a liquid crystal display or an OLED, and is provided in a position visible to the driver (for example, in the meter panel of the vehicle 1). For example, the MID 91 displays a predetermined warning image in accordance with an instruction from the control device 30. The MID 91 may be shared with the above-mentioned touch panel 22. That is, the term "MID 91" in the following description may be read as "touch panel 22."

[0045] The buzzer 92 is configured to be able to output a predetermined alarm sound. For example, the buzzer 92 outputs the predetermined alarm sound in accordance with an instruction from the control device 30. The buzzer 92 may be shared with the above-mentioned speaker 23. That is, the "buzzer 92" in the following description may be read as the "speaker 23."

[0046] [2. Control device] Next, a more detailed description will be given of the control device 30. The control device 30 includes a recognition unit 31, a departure amount calculation unit 32, a determination unit 34, and a vehicle control unit 35 as functional units that are realized by, for example, a processor executing a program stored in a storage unit of the control device 30.

[0047] The recognition unit 31 recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle 1. For example, the recognition unit 31 performs sensor fusion processing on the detection results from some or all of the camera 111, sonar 112, and radar 113 included in the external sensor 11, and recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle 1 based on the processing results.

[0048] The recognition unit 31 recognizes the position, type, speed, acceleration, etc. of objects present around the vehicle 1 as the surrounding conditions of the vehicle 1. At this time, the recognition unit 31 recognizes the position of the object as a position on absolute coordinates with a representative point of the vehicle 1 (for example, the center of gravity or the center of the drive shaft) as the origin. This makes it possible to recognize the relative position between the vehicle 1 and the objects present around it. Furthermore, on the above absolute coordinates, the position of the object may be represented using a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the object, or may be represented as an area.

[0049] Examples of objects that can be recognized by the recognition unit 31 include traffic participants such as other vehicles and pedestrians, lane markings, curbs, and medians, as well as road structures such as guardrails and road shoulders. Furthermore, the recognition unit 31 can also recognize other road phenomena such as traffic lights, stop lines, pedestrian crossings, road signs, forks, merging points, interchanges, and toll booths. For example, the recognition unit 31 recognizes a traffic light present around the vehicle 1 based on the recognition of one of a plurality of lighting units (e.g., lighting units 611 to 613, described later) included in a typical traffic light from a surrounding image captured by the camera 111.

[0050] Such a recognition unit 31 can recognize, for example, the shape of the lane in which the vehicle 1 is traveling, as well as traffic lights and traffic participants (for example, other vehicles) present around the vehicle 1.

[0051] In the following description, the road having the current lane, i.e., the road on which the vehicle 1 travels, will also be referred to as the "travel path Rd1." Here, the travel path Rd1 may include other lanes whose traveling direction is the same as the current lane, but does not include other lanes whose traveling direction is opposite to the current lane (hereinafter also referred to as the "oncoming lane"). In the following description, a road having an oncoming lane, i.e., a road whose traveling direction is opposite to that of the current lane Rd1, will also be referred to as the "oncoming lane Rd2." Usually, the travel path Rd1 and the oncoming lane Rd2 are often provided so as to run parallel to each other.

[0052] Furthermore, when the recognition unit 31 recognizes a traffic light present around the vehicle 1, the recognition unit 31 may identify a location corresponding to the traffic light (for example, the latitude and longitude of the location where the traffic light is located). For example, in this case, the recognition unit 31 may identify the location corresponding to the traffic light by referring to map information such as the map information database 24 based on the relative position of the recognized traffic light and the vehicle 1 and the current position of the vehicle 1 identified by the navigation device 20 (for example, the GNSS receiver 21).

[0053] When a traffic light is recognized by the recognition unit 31, the deviation amount calculation unit 32 calculates the amount of deviation of the traffic light from the travel road Rd1. Details will be described later, so a detailed explanation will be omitted here, but the deviation amount calculation unit 32 calculates, for example, the distance between the point corresponding to the traffic light recognized by the recognition unit 31 and the lane boundary of the travel road Rd1 as the amount of deviation of the traffic light from the travel road Rd1. This makes it possible to calculate an appropriate value as the amount of deviation of the traffic light from the travel road Rd1.

[0054] The determination unit 34 determines whether or not the traffic light recognized by the recognition unit 31 corresponds to the road Rd1, based on the deviation amount calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 32. Here, a traffic light corresponding to the road Rd1 is, for example, a traffic light that issues instructions such as "permit to proceed (e.g., green light)" or "stop (e.g., red light)" to the vehicle 1 traveling on the road Rd1.

[0055] In addition, in this embodiment, in order to enable the judgment unit 34 to more accurately determine whether the recognized traffic light is a traffic light corresponding to the driving route Rd1, the control device 30 further includes an evaluation value derivation unit 33 as a functional unit that is realized, for example, by a processor executing a program stored in a memory unit of the control device 30.

[0056] The evaluation value derivation unit 33 derives a first evaluation value indicating the degree of association between the traffic light recognized by the recognition unit 31 and the road Rd1, based on the amount of departure calculated by the departure amount calculation unit 32. The larger the first evaluation value, the higher the degree of association between the traffic light recognized by the recognition unit 31 and the road Rd1, and as will be described later, the first evaluation value takes the maximum value when the amount of departure is "0", for example.

[0057] In this way, when the control device 30 includes the evaluation value derivation unit 33, the determination unit 34 determines whether or not the recognized traffic light is a traffic light corresponding to the road Rd1 based on the first evaluation value derived by the evaluation value derivation unit 33. For example, if the first evaluation value derived by the evaluation value derivation unit 33 is equal to or greater than a threshold, the determination unit 34 determines that the recognized traffic light is a traffic light corresponding to the road Rd1, whereas if the first evaluation value is less than the threshold, the determination unit 34 determines that the recognized traffic light is not a traffic light corresponding to the road Rd1.

[0058] In this way, by determining whether or not a traffic light corresponds to the driving route Rd1 based on the first evaluation value derived by the evaluation value derivation unit 33, it is possible to more accurately determine whether or not a traffic light corresponds to the driving route Rd1, compared to when determining whether or not a traffic light corresponds to the driving route Rd1 simply based on the deviation amount calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 32.

[0059] The evaluation value derivation unit 33 is not an essential component and may not be provided. In this case, the determination unit 34 may determine that the recognized traffic light is a traffic light corresponding to the road Rd1 if the deviation amount calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 32 is less than a threshold, and may determine that the recognized traffic light is not a traffic light corresponding to the road Rd1 if the deviation amount is equal to or greater than the threshold.

[0060] The vehicle control unit 35 controls the vehicle 1 based on the determination result of the determination unit 34. The vehicle control unit 35 reflects the determination result of the determination unit 34 in the vehicle control, and the vehicle control is not particularly limited. For example, if the determination unit 34 determines that the recognized traffic light is a traffic light corresponding to the travel route Rd1 and the traffic light indicates a "stop," the vehicle control unit 35 may control the vehicle 1 to stop before a predetermined stop line on the travel route Rd1. Furthermore, if the determination unit 34 determines that the recognized traffic light is a traffic light corresponding to the travel route Rd1 and the traffic light indicates a "stop," the vehicle control unit 35 may issue an alarm via the alarm device 90 to alert the driver unless the vehicle 1 decelerates when the distance from the vehicle 1 to the traffic light is equal to or less than a predetermined value.

[0061] [3. Example of processing realized by the functional unit of the control device] The following describes an example of processing implemented by the functional units of the control device 30. Figure 2 is a diagram showing a first example of processing implemented by the functional units of the control device 30.

[0062] In the example shown in Fig. 2, a vehicle 1 is traveling on a roadway Rd1 from the bottom to the top in Fig. 2. In this example, the roadway Rd1 is a one-lane road having only a lane Lo on which the vehicle 1 is traveling.

[0063] Nodes Nd1, Nd2, Nd3, and Nd4 are nodes corresponding to the travel route Rd1 in this example in map information such as the map information database 24. Links Lk1, Lk2, and Lk3 are links corresponding to the travel route Rd1 in this example in map information such as the map information database 24. In this example, link Lk1 is a link connecting node Nd1 and node Nd2, link Lk2 is a link connecting node Nd2 and node Nd3, and link Lk3 is a link connecting node Nd3 and node Nd4.

[0064] As shown in Figure 2, when vehicle 1 is traveling on road Rd1, the recognition unit 31 recognizes, for example, a dividing line that divides one side of the own lane Lo in the width direction (e.g., the left side of vehicle 1) and a dividing line that divides the other side of the own lane Lo in the width direction (e.g., the right side of vehicle 1), and based on these recognition results, recognizes the shape of the own lane Lo, including the own lane width w, which is the length of the own lane Lo in the width direction.

[0065] Furthermore, when a traffic light Sn is present ahead of the vehicle 1 traveling on the road Rd1, the recognition unit 31 recognizes the traffic light Sn and identifies the point corresponding to the traffic light Sn. In Fig. 2, a circle marked with the symbol Sn represents the point corresponding to the traffic light Sn.

[0066] When the recognition unit 31 recognizes the traffic light Sn, the deviation amount calculation unit 32 calculates the deviation amount of the traffic light Sn from the road Rd1. In calculating the deviation amount of the traffic light Sn from the road Rd1, the deviation amount calculation unit 32 first calculates, as the traffic light offset amount for the traffic light Sn, the length of a perpendicular line PL that is dropped from a point corresponding to the traffic light Sn to a link connecting the closest node and the second closest node to the traffic light Sn among the nodes on the road Rd1 (in other words, a line segment that passes through the closest node and the second closest node to the traffic light Sn).

[0067] In this example, as shown in FIG. 2, the node closest to traffic light Sn is node Nd3 (see the arrow marked with the symbol α in FIG. 2), and the second closest node is node Nd2 (see the arrow marked with the symbol β in FIG. 2). Therefore, the deviation amount calculation unit 32 calculates the length "y" of a perpendicular line PL dropped from the point corresponding to traffic light Sn to the link Lk2 connecting node Nd2 and node Nd3 as the traffic light offset amount for traffic light Sn. Here, "y", which is the traffic light offset amount for traffic light Sn, can also be said to be the minimum distance from the link Lk2 connecting node Nd3, which is closest to traffic light Sn among the nodes on the road Rd1, and node Nd2, which is the second closest to traffic light Sn, to the point corresponding to traffic light Sn.

[0068] Next, the deviation amount calculation unit 32 calculates the deviation amount of the traffic light Sn from the road Rd1 based on the traffic light offset amount calculated in this way and the boundary distance of the road Rd1. The boundary distance and deviation amount will be explained in more detail below. Note that in the following, explanations of parts that are similar to the above example will be omitted or simplified as appropriate.

[0069] Fig. 3 is a diagram showing a second example of processing implemented by the functional units of the control device 30. In the example shown in Fig. 3, traffic lights Sn1 and Sn2 are present ahead of the vehicle 1 traveling on road Rd1, and traffic lights Sn1 and Sn2 are each recognized by the recognition unit 31. In this example, the closest node to each of traffic lights Sn1 and Sn2 is node Nd11, the second closest node is node Nd12, and the link connecting node Nd11 and node Nd12 is link Lk10.

[0070] In this example, when calculating the deviation amount of traffic light Sn1 from road Rd1, the deviation amount calculation unit 32 first calculates, for example, the length "y1" of a perpendicular line PL (not shown) dropped from the point corresponding to traffic light Sn1 to link Lk10 as the traffic light offset amount for traffic light Sn1. Here, "y1", which is the traffic light offset amount for traffic light Sn1, can also be said to be the minimum distance from link Lk10, which connects node Nd11, the closest to traffic light Sn1, and node Nd12, the second closest to traffic light Sn1, to the point corresponding to traffic light Sn1.

[0071] Next, the deviation amount calculation unit 32 determines that the left lane boundary L1 of the roadway Rd1 is a line offset by a predetermined first boundary distance dl from the link Lk10 connecting the node Nd11 closest to the traffic light Sn1 and the second closest node Nd12 to the left side in the width direction of the roadway Rd1.The deviation amount calculation unit 32 also determines that the right lane boundary L2 of the roadway Rd1 is a line offset by a predetermined second boundary distance dr from the link Lk10 connecting the node Nd11 closest to the traffic light Sn1 and the second closest node Nd12 to the right side in the width direction of the roadway Rd1.

[0072] The deviation amount calculation unit 32 then calculates the deviation amount dist1 for traffic light Sn1 as the difference between the traffic light offset amount for traffic light Sn1 (in other words, the minimum distance from link Lk10 to the point corresponding to traffic light Sn1) and the boundary distance corresponding to either left lane boundary L1 or right lane boundary L2, whichever is closer to the point corresponding to traffic light Sn1. Specifically, in this example, since the left lane boundary L1 is the lane boundary between left lane boundary L1 and right lane boundary L2 which is closer to the point corresponding to traffic light Sn1, the deviation amount calculation unit 32 calculates the deviation amount dist1 for traffic light Sn1 as the difference between "y1," which is the traffic light offset amount for traffic light Sn1, and the first boundary distance dl, which is the boundary distance corresponding to left lane boundary L1.

[0073] Therefore, as shown in Figure 3, if the point corresponding to traffic light Sn1 is located closer to link Lk10 than the left lane boundary L1, the deviation amount dist1 of traffic light Sn1 will be a negative value. On the other hand, if the point corresponding to traffic light Sn1 is located beyond the left lane boundary L1 and further away from link Lk10, the deviation amount dist1 of traffic light Sn1 will be a positive value. In other words, the further the point corresponding to traffic light Sn1 is beyond the left lane boundary L1 and further away from link Lk10, the larger the deviation amount dist1 of traffic light Sn1 will be.

[0074] Furthermore, in this example, when calculating the deviation amount of traffic light Sn2 from road Rd1, the deviation amount calculation unit 32 first calculates, for example, the length "y2" of a perpendicular line PL (not shown) dropped from the point corresponding to traffic light Sn2 to link Lk10 as the traffic light offset amount for traffic light Sn2. Here, "y2", which is the traffic light offset amount for traffic light Sn2, can also be said to be the minimum distance from link Lk10, which connects node Nd11, the closest to traffic light Sn2, and node Nd12, the second closest to traffic light Sn2, to the point corresponding to traffic light Sn2.

[0075] Next, the deviation amount calculation unit 32 determines the left lane boundary L1 of the roadway Rd1 as a line offset by a first boundary distance dl to the left of the roadway Rd1 from the link Lk10 connecting the node Nd11 closest to the traffic light Sn2 and the second closest node Nd12. The deviation amount calculation unit 32 also determines the right lane boundary L2 of the roadway Rd1 as a line offset by a second boundary distance dr to the right of the roadway Rd1 from the link Lk10 connecting the node Nd11 closest to the traffic light Sn2 and the second closest node Nd12.

[0076] The deviation amount calculation unit 32 then calculates the deviation amount dist2 of traffic light Sn2 as the difference between the traffic light offset amount for traffic light Sn2 (in other words, the minimum distance from link Lk10 to the point corresponding to traffic light Sn2) and the boundary distance corresponding to either the left lane boundary L1 or the right lane boundary L2, whichever is closer to the point corresponding to traffic light Sn2. Specifically, in this example, since the right lane boundary L2 is the lane boundary between the left lane boundary L1 and the right lane boundary L2 which is closer to the point corresponding to traffic light Sn2, the deviation amount calculation unit 32 calculates the deviation amount dist2 of traffic light Sn2 as the difference between the traffic light offset amount "y2" for traffic light Sn2 and the second boundary distance dr, which is the boundary distance corresponding to the right lane boundary L2.

[0077] Therefore, as shown in Figure 3, if the point corresponding to traffic light Sn2 is located closer to link Lk10 than the right lane boundary L2, the deviation amount dist2 of traffic light Sn2 will be a negative value. On the other hand, if the point corresponding to traffic light Sn2 is located beyond link Lk10 and beyond the right lane boundary L2, the deviation amount dist2 of traffic light Sn2 will be a positive value. In other words, the further the point corresponding to traffic light Sn2 is located beyond link Lk10 and beyond the right lane boundary L2, the larger the deviation amount dist2 of traffic light Sn2 will be.

[0078] Furthermore, the deviation amount calculation unit 32 sets the first boundary distance dl and the second boundary distance dr, for example, based on the current lane width w (i.e., the widthwise length of the current lane Lo) recognized by the recognition unit 31 and the number of lanes on the road Rd1 indicated by map information such as the map information database 24. As an example, the deviation amount calculation unit 32 sets the first boundary distance dl and the second boundary distance dr to values ​​calculated using the formula (number of lanes on the road Rd1 n1 × current lane width w) / 2. Here, the number of lanes n1 on the road Rd1 can be, for example, the number of lanes set on the link used to calculate the deviation amount (link Lk10 in the above example). That is, the deviation amount calculation unit 32 sets the first boundary distance dl and the second boundary distance dr based on the current lane width w recognized by the recognition unit 31 and the number of lanes n1 on the road Rd1 indicated by map information such as the map information database 24.

[0079] In this way, by setting the first boundary distance dl and the second boundary distance dr based on the vehicle lane width w and the number n1 of lanes on the road Rd1 in map information such as the map information database 24, it becomes possible to set appropriate first boundary distance dl and second boundary distance dr even when the recognition unit 31 cannot recognize the entire width of the road Rd1. Furthermore, even if information indicating the first boundary distance dl and the second boundary distance dr is not included in map information such as the map information database 24, it becomes possible to set appropriate first boundary distance dl and second boundary distance dr.

[0080] For example, when the recognition unit 31 can recognize the entire width of the road Rd1, the departure amount calculation unit 32 may set the first boundary distance dl and the second boundary distance dr based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 31. Furthermore, when information indicating the first boundary distance dl and the second boundary distance dr is included in map information such as the map information database 24, the departure amount calculation unit 32 may set the first boundary distance dl and the second boundary distance dr based on this map information.

[0081] Incidentally, even if traffic light Sn corresponds to road Rd1, it may be located on the opposite road Rd2 (for example, on the opposite road Rd2) in the opposite direction of travel from road Rd1. Therefore, even if traffic light Sn is located on the opposite road Rd2, if it corresponds to road Rd1, it is desirable to determine it as a traffic light corresponding to road Rd1. Therefore, the control device 30 may perform the following process, for example.

[0082] Fig. 4 is a diagram showing a third example of processing implemented by the functional units of the control device 30. In the example shown in Fig. 4, the road Rd1 on which the vehicle 1 travels is a four-lane road having a first lane Ln11 as the lane Lo on which the vehicle 1 travels, a second lane Ln12, a third lane Ln13, and a fourth lane Ln14.

[0083] In this example, there is also an oncoming road Rd2 running parallel to the travel road Rd1. Like the travel road Rd1, the oncoming road Rd2 is a four-lane road having a first lane Ln21, a second lane Ln22, a third lane Ln23, and a fourth lane Ln24. In the third lane Ln23 of the oncoming road Rd2, there is another vehicle OV traveling in the opposite direction to the vehicle 1. In addition, there is a center divider Ms between the travel road Rd1 and the oncoming road Rd2.

[0084] If the values ​​calculated by the above-mentioned formula (number of lanes on road Rd1 n1 x lane width w) / 2 were set as the first boundary distance dl and the second boundary distance dr, if the traffic light Sn corresponding to road Rd1 is located on the oncoming road Rd2, a large value would be calculated as the deviation amount, making it difficult to determine that traffic light Sn is the traffic light corresponding to road Rd1.

[0085] Therefore, when an oncoming road Rd2 traveling in the opposite direction to the road Rd1 is present around the vehicle 1, the departure amount calculation unit 32 may increase the boundary distance corresponding to the road boundary closer to the oncoming road Rd2 out of the left road boundary L1, which is the road boundary on one side in the width direction of the road Rd1, and the right road boundary L2, which is the road boundary on the other side, compared to when the oncoming road Rd2 is not present. In this way, even when a traffic light Sn corresponding to the road Rd1 is located on the oncoming road Rd2 side, it is possible to more easily determine that the traffic light Sn is the traffic light corresponding to the road Rd1.

[0086] Specifically, in this example, of the left lane boundary L1 and the right lane boundary L2, the lane boundary closer to the oncoming road Rd2 is the right lane boundary L2, so the deviation amount calculation unit 32 makes the second boundary distance dr, which is the boundary distance corresponding to the right lane boundary L2, larger than when the oncoming road Rd2 does not exist.

[0087] As an example, the deviation amount calculation unit 32 sets the first boundary distance dl corresponding to the left lane boundary L1, which is the lane boundary farther from the oncoming road Rd2, to a value calculated using the formula (number of lanes n1 of the road Rd1 × lane width w) / 2 as described above.

[0088] On the other hand, the deviation amount calculation unit 32 sets the second boundary distance dr corresponding to the right lane boundary L2, which is the lane boundary closer to the oncoming road Rd2, to a value calculated, for example, by the formula r + (number of lanes n2 of the oncoming road Rd2 × own lane width w) / 2. Here, the number of lanes n2 of the oncoming road Rd2 can be the number of lanes set in the link Lk30 corresponding to the oncoming road Rd2. In other words, the deviation amount calculation unit 32 increases the boundary distance corresponding to the lane boundary closer to the oncoming road Rd2 based on the own lane width w recognized by the recognition unit 31 and the number of lanes n2 of the oncoming road Rd2 indicated by map information such as the map information database 24.

[0089] Furthermore, r is, for example, the distance between link Lk20 corresponding to road Rd1 and link Lk30 corresponding to the opposing road Rd2, and can be calculated as the distance between the line segment connecting the nodes at both ends of link Lk20 and the line segment connecting the nodes at both ends of link Lk30.

[0090] In this way, the right lane boundary L2 can be shifted toward the oncoming road Rd2 as shown in Figure 4. This prevents a large value from being calculated as the deviation amount even when a traffic light Sn corresponding to the road Rd1 is located on the oncoming road Rd2, making it easier to determine that the traffic light Sn is a traffic light corresponding to the road Rd1.

[0091] Furthermore, when an oncoming road Rd2 is present in the vicinity of the vehicle 1, the deviation amount calculation unit 32 increases the boundary distance corresponding to the lane boundary closer to the oncoming road Rd2 based on the own lane width w recognized by the recognition unit 31 and the number of lanes n2 of the oncoming road Rd2 indicated by map information such as the map information database 24, thereby making it possible to appropriately set the boundary distance corresponding to the lane boundary closer to the oncoming road Rd2 even when the recognition unit 31 cannot recognize the oncoming road Rd2.

[0092] Next, we will explain an example of the first evaluation value derived by the evaluation value derivation unit 33. Fig. 5 is a diagram showing an example of the first evaluation value derived by the evaluation value derivation unit 33. In Fig. 5, the vertical axis represents the magnitude of the first evaluation value, and the horizontal axis represents the magnitude of the deviation amount.

[0093] When the deviation amount calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 32 is a value of "0" or less, the evaluation value derivation unit 33 derives the first evaluation value as, for example, "1." Here, "1" is the maximum value of the first evaluation value. Note that in FIG. 5, the first evaluation value when the deviation amount is in the negative range is not shown.

[0094] On the other hand, if the deviation amount calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 32 is not a negative value (in other words, if it is a value equal to or greater than "0"), the evaluation value derivation unit 33 calculates the deviation amount by, for example, 1 / exp(DEV×dist 2 ) is derived as the first evaluation value. In this formula, dist is the deviation amount calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 32. Furthermore, DEV is the standard deviation that is set in advance by the manufacturer of the vehicle 1.

[0095] According to such an evaluation value derivation unit 33, when the deviation amount calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 32 is within a first range 501 close to "0," it is possible to reduce the amount of decrease in the first evaluation value per unit deviation amount (for example, 1 [m]), as shown in Fig. 5. Furthermore, when the deviation amount calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 32 is within a second range 502 farther from "0" than the first range 501, it is possible to increase the amount of decrease in the first evaluation value per unit deviation amount.

[0096] Therefore, for example, even if the deviation amount calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit 32 varies within the first range 501 (i.e., near "0") due to an error based on the recognition accuracy of the recognition unit 31, it is possible to derive a first evaluation value that takes a large value that makes it easier to determine that the traffic light corresponds to the road Rd1. Furthermore, if the deviation amount is too large to fit within the first range 501, it is possible to derive a first evaluation value that takes a small value that makes it harder to determine that the traffic light corresponds to the road Rd1. In other words, it is possible to obtain an appropriate value as the first evaluation value whether the deviation amount is within the first range 501 or not.

[0097] The recognition unit 31 may also recognize a traffic light Sn located at an intersection between the travel path Rd1 and another road that is different from the travel path Rd1. When a traffic light Sn located at an intersection between the travel path Rd1 and another road is recognized in this manner, the deviation amount calculation unit 32 may calculate the deviation amount of the traffic light Sn from the other road in the same manner as the deviation amount of the traffic light Sn from the travel path Rd1. However, in this case, it should be noted that the link used to calculate the traffic light offset amount and the deviation amount needs to be the link corresponding to the other road, not the link corresponding to the travel path Rd1. In this case, the evaluation value derivation unit 33 may also derive a second evaluation value representing the degree of association between the traffic light Sn and the other road, based on the deviation amount of the traffic light Sn from the other road, in the same manner as the first evaluation value.

[0098] In this case, the determination unit 34 may determine that the recognized traffic light Sn is a traffic light corresponding to the road Rd1 if the first evaluation value is greater than the second evaluation value. In this way, even if the traffic light Sn is located at an intersection between the road Rd1 and another road, it becomes possible to accurately determine whether the traffic light Sn is a traffic light corresponding to the road Rd1.

[0099] Fig. 6 is a diagram showing an example of a traffic light Sn. As shown in Fig. 6, the traffic light Sn may include a main body 610 having a plurality of lighting units 611 to 613, and a support unit 620 that supports the main body 610.

[0100] The lighting unit 611 is a part of the traffic light Sn that lights up (in other words, emits light) in blue, which corresponds to the instruction to "go ahead," and is provided to the left of the center position 610c of the main body 610. Here, the center position 610c of the main body 610 is, for example, the center in the width direction of a housing that realizes the main body 610.

[0101] Furthermore, the lighting unit 612 is a portion of the traffic light Sn that lights up in yellow, for example, corresponding to the instruction "stop if it is safe to do so," and is provided so as to overlap with the center position 610c of the main body 610 when the traffic light Sn is viewed from the front. The lighting unit 613 is a portion of the traffic light Sn that lights up in red, for example, corresponding to the instruction "stop," and is provided to the right of the center position 610c of the main body 610.

[0102] Traffic light Sn can be constructed by attaching light-emitting devices (e.g., LEDs) that realize lighting sections 611 to 613 to a housing serving as main body section 610, and supporting this main body section 610 with support section 620 realized by a support pole or the like extending vertically from the ground Gd.

[0103] The recognition unit 31 can recognize a traffic light Sn that includes such a main body unit 610 and a support unit 620. The recognition unit 31 may also be able to recognize the main body unit 610 separately from the support unit 620. When the recognition unit 31 is able to recognize the main body unit 610 separately from the support unit 620, the recognition unit 31 may identify a location corresponding to the traffic light Sn based on the center position 610c of the main body unit 610. As an example, the recognition unit 31 may identify the latitude and longitude of the location corresponding to the center position 610c of the main body unit 610 as the location corresponding to the traffic light Sn. In this way, even when the traffic light Sn has a support unit 620 that supports the main body unit 610 (for example, when the support unit 620 is large), it is possible to appropriately identify the location corresponding to the traffic light Sn.

[0104] Furthermore, if the recognition unit 31 is able to recognize the main body unit 610, it may identify the location corresponding to the traffic light Sn based on the center position 610c of the main body unit 610, whereas if it is unable to recognize the main body unit 610 and is able to recognize only one of the multiple lighting units 611 to 613, it may identify the location corresponding to the traffic light Sn based on the position and light color of the recognized lighting unit.

[0105] As an example, assume that the recognition unit 31 is unable to recognize the main body unit 610, but is able to recognize only the lighting unit 611 that is lit in blue. In this case, the recognition unit 31 may identify a point corresponding to a position shifted a predetermined distance x1 to the right from the center position 611c of the lighting unit 611 (e.g., the center in the width direction of the lighting unit 611), as the point corresponding to the traffic light Sn. Here, the predetermined distance x1 is determined in advance by the manufacturer of the vehicle 1, taking into consideration, for example, the general distance between the center position 610c of the main body unit 610 and the center position 611c of the lighting unit 611.

[0106] As another example, suppose that the recognition unit 31 is unable to recognize the main body unit 610, but is able to recognize only the lighting unit 613 that is lit in red. In this case, the recognition unit 31 may identify a point corresponding to a position shifted a predetermined distance x2 to the left from the center position 613c of the lighting unit 613 (e.g., the center in the width direction of the lighting unit 613), as the point corresponding to the traffic light Sn. Here, the predetermined distance x2 is determined in advance by the manufacturer of the vehicle 1, taking into consideration, for example, the general distance between the center position 610c of the main body unit 610 and the center position 613c of the lighting unit 613.

[0107] As another example, suppose that the recognition unit 31 cannot recognize the main body 610, but can recognize only the lighting unit 612 that is lit in yellow. In this case, the recognition unit 31 may identify a point corresponding to the center position of the lighting unit 612 (e.g., the center position 610c of the main body 610) as the point corresponding to the traffic light Sn.

[0108] In this way, if the main body 610 cannot be recognized and only one of the multiple lighting units 611 to 613 can be recognized, the location corresponding to the traffic light Sn can be identified based on the position and light color of the recognized lighting unit, making it possible to properly identify the location corresponding to the traffic light Sn even if the recognition unit 31 cannot recognize the main body 610 of the traffic light Sn.

[0109] Furthermore, the recognition unit 31 may correct the point corresponding to the traffic light Sn based on the lane position of the own lane Lo on the travel road Rd1. In this case, the departure amount calculation unit 32 calculates the departure amount and the like using the point corresponding to the corrected traffic light Sn.

[0110] As an example, suppose that the road Rd1 is a three-lane road, and the left lane located on the far left of the three lanes is the own lane Lo. In this case, the recognition unit 31 may determine that the point corresponding to the traffic light Sn after correction is a point shifted a predetermined distance (e.g., 3 m) to the right from the point corresponding to the traffic light Sn identified as described above.

[0111] As another example, suppose that the road Rd1 is a three-lane road, and the right-most lane of the three lanes is the own lane Lo. In this case, the recognition unit 31 may determine that the point corresponding to the traffic light Sn after correction is a point shifted a predetermined distance (e.g., 3 m) to the left from the point corresponding to the traffic light Sn identified as described above.

[0112] As another example, suppose that the road Rd1 is a three-lane road and the center lane between the left lane and the right lane is the current lane Lo. In this case, the recognition unit 31 may directly use the point corresponding to the traffic light Sn identified as described above as the point corresponding to the traffic light Sn without making any particular correction.

[0113] In this way, by correcting the point corresponding to traffic light Sn based on the lane position of the own lane Lo on the travel path Rd1, it is possible to obtain an appropriate position as the point corresponding to traffic light Sn regardless of the lane position of the own lane Lo on the travel path Rd1.

[0114] [4. Example of processing procedure by the control device] Next, an example of a processing procedure performed by the control device 30 will be described. Fig. 7 is a flowchart (part 1) showing an example of a processing procedure performed by the control device 30. Fig. 8 is a flowchart (part 2) showing an example of a processing procedure performed by the control device 30. For example, when the ignition power of the vehicle 1 is on, the control device 30 executes a series of processes shown in Figs. 7 and 8 at a predetermined cycle.

[0115] 7, the control device 30 first determines whether or not a traffic light Sn present around the vehicle 1 has been recognized (step S1). If it is determined that the traffic light Sn has not been recognized (step S1: NO), the control device 30 ends the series of processes shown in FIGS. 7 and 8.

[0116] If it is determined that traffic light Sn has been recognized (step S1: YES), the control device 30 recognizes the lane position of the current lane Lo (i.e., the lane in which the vehicle 1 is traveling) on ​​the driving path Rd1 (step S2), corrects the point corresponding to traffic light Sn based on the recognized lane position of the current lane Lo (step S3), and proceeds to processing in step S4.

[0117] Next, the control device 30 derives a first boundary distance dl corresponding to the left lane boundary L1 and a second boundary distance dr corresponding to the right lane boundary L2 based on the number of lanes n1 of the road Rd1 and the lane width w of the vehicle (step S4).

[0118] Next, the control device 30 determines whether or not the oncoming road Rd2 exists in the vicinity of the vehicle 1 (step S5). If it is determined that the oncoming road Rd2 does not exist in the vicinity (step S5: NO), the control device 30 proceeds directly to the processing of step S7.

[0119] On the other hand, if it is determined that an oncoming road Rd2 is present in the vicinity (step S5: YES), the control device 30 increases the boundary distance corresponding to the lane boundary closer to the oncoming road Rd2 compared to when the oncoming road Rd2 is not present (step S6), and proceeds to processing in step S7.

[0120] Next, the control device 30 derives the amount of deviation of the traffic light Sn from the road Rd1 based on the derived first boundary distance dl or second boundary distance dr, and derives a first evaluation value for the traffic light Sn based on the amount of deviation (step S7).

[0121] Next, the control device 30 determines whether the recognized traffic light Sn is a traffic light provided at an intersection between the travel path Rd1 and another road (step S8). If it is determined that the traffic light Sn is not a traffic light provided at an intersection between the travel path Rd1 and another road (step S8: NO), the control device 30 determines whether the derived first evaluation value is equal to or greater than a threshold value (step S9).

[0122] If the control device 30 determines that the first evaluation value is equal to or greater than the threshold value (step S9: YES), the control device 30 determines that the recognized traffic light Sn is a traffic light corresponding to the road Rd1 (step S10), and ends the series of processes shown in Figures 7 and 8. On the other hand, if the control device 30 determines that the first evaluation value is less than the threshold value (step S9: NO), the control device 30 determines that the recognized traffic light Sn is not a traffic light corresponding to the road Rd1 (step S11), and ends the series of processes shown in Figures 7 and 8.

[0123] Furthermore, if it is determined in the processing of step S8 that traffic light Sn is located at an intersection of road Rd1 and another road (step S8: YES), the control device 30 proceeds to processing of step S12 shown in Fig. 8, derives the amount of deviation of traffic light Sn from the other road, and derives a second evaluation value for traffic light Sn based on the amount of deviation (step S12). The processing of step S12 can basically be the same as the processing of step S7, but it should be noted that the link used to calculate the traffic light offset amount and deviation amount must be the link corresponding to the other road.

[0124] Next, the control device 30 compares the first evaluation value derived by the processing in step S7 with the second evaluation value derived by the processing in step S12, and determines whether the first evaluation value is greater than the second evaluation value (step S13).

[0125] If it is determined that the first evaluation value is greater than the second evaluation value (step S13: YES), the control device 30 determines that the recognized traffic light Sn is a traffic light corresponding to the road Rd1 (step S14), and ends the series of processes shown in Figures 7 and 8. In this case, the control device 30 may also further determine whether the first evaluation value is equal to or greater than a threshold value, and determine that the recognized traffic light Sn is a traffic light corresponding to the road Rd1 on the condition that the first evaluation value is equal to or greater than the threshold value.

[0126] On the other hand, if it is determined that the first evaluation value is smaller than the second evaluation value (step S13: NO), the control device 30 determines that the recognized traffic light Sn is a traffic light corresponding to another road (step S15) and terminates the series of processes shown in Figures 7 and 8.

[0127] As described above, the control device 30 of this embodiment can appropriately determine whether a traffic light Sn present around the vehicle 1 corresponds to the road Rd1, taking into account the deviation amount of the traffic light Sn from the road Rd1. Therefore, even if position information of the traffic light, etc., is not prepared in advance, it is possible to appropriately control the vehicle 1 in accordance with the traffic light corresponding to the road Rd1. This, in turn, can improve traffic safety and contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0128] The control method described in this embodiment can be realized by executing a prepared program (control program) on a computer. The control program is, for example, stored in a computer-readable storage medium and executed by being read from the storage medium. The control program may be provided in a form stored in a non-volatile (non-transient) storage medium such as a flash memory, or may be provided via a network such as the Internet. In this embodiment, the computer that executes the control program is the control device 30 (e.g., the processor of the control device 30), but this is not limited thereto. For example, the computer that executes the control program may be included in the vehicle 1, or may be included in an external device 2 that can communicate with the vehicle 1.

[0129] Although one embodiment of the present invention has been described above, it goes without saying that the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. It is clear that a person skilled in the art can conceive of various modifications and alterations within the scope of the claims, and it is understood that these also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0130] For example, the methods for calculating the deviation amount and deriving the first evaluation value described in the above-described embodiment are merely examples and are not limited to the above-described examples. That is, for example, with regard to the deviation amount, any method can be used to quantify the degree to which the recognized traffic light Sn deviates from the road Rd1, and the calculation method is not particularly limited. Similarly, with regard to the first evaluation value, any method can be used to quantify the degree of association between the recognized traffic light Sn and the road Rd1, and the calculation method is not particularly limited.

[0131] This specification describes at least the following: Note that the components in parentheses correspond to those in the above-described embodiments, but are not limited to these.

[0132] (1) A vehicle control device (control device 30) for controlling a vehicle (vehicle 1), a recognition unit (recognition unit 31) that recognizes the surrounding situation of the vehicle; a deviation amount calculation unit (deviation amount calculation unit 32) that calculates the amount of deviation of the traffic light from the road on which the vehicle is traveling when the traffic light is recognized by the recognition unit; a determination unit (determination unit 34) that determines whether the traffic light corresponds to the road based on the deviation amount calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit; a vehicle control unit (vehicle control unit 35) that controls the vehicle based on the determination result of the determination unit; A vehicle control device comprising:

[0133] According to (1), it is possible to appropriately determine whether a traffic light around the vehicle corresponds to the roadway, taking into account the deviation of the traffic light from the roadway. Therefore, even if the position information of the traffic lights is not prepared in advance, it is possible to appropriately control the vehicle in accordance with the traffic light corresponding to the roadway. This will ultimately improve traffic safety and contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0134] (2) The vehicle control device according to (1), The deviation amount calculation unit calculates the distance between a point corresponding to the traffic light and a lane boundary of the road as the deviation amount. Vehicle control device.

[0135] According to (2), it is possible to calculate an appropriate value as the deviation amount of the traffic light from the road.

[0136] (3) The vehicle control device according to (2), the vehicle control device is configured to be able to refer to map information (map information database 24) including road network information that represents each road by a combination of nodes and links connecting the nodes; The deviation amount calculation unit a line offset by a first boundary distance to one side in the width direction of the travel path from a target link connecting the node closest to the traffic light and the node second closest to the traffic light among the nodes of the travel path is defined as a travel path boundary on one side of the travel path, and a line offset by a second boundary distance to the other side in the width direction of the travel path is defined as a travel path boundary on the other side of the travel path, calculating, as the deviation amount, a difference between a minimum distance from the target link to the point corresponding to the traffic light and a boundary distance corresponding to the lane boundary on one side or the lane boundary on the other side that is closer to the point corresponding to the traffic light; Vehicle control device.

[0137] According to (3), the deviation amount can be calculated to be larger as the point corresponding to the recognized traffic light is further away from the target link beyond the lane boundary of the travel lane. Therefore, it is possible to calculate an appropriate value for the deviation amount.

[0138] (4) The vehicle control device according to (3), the map information includes information indicating the number of lanes of each road; the deviation amount calculation unit sets the first boundary distance and the second boundary distance based on the width direction length of the own lane recognized by the recognition unit and the number of lanes of the travel road indicated by the map information. Vehicle control device.

[0139] According to (4), even when the recognition unit cannot recognize the entire width of the road, it is possible to set appropriate first and second boundary distances. Also, even when information indicating the first and second boundary distances is not included in the map information, it is possible to set appropriate first and second boundary distances.

[0140] (5) The vehicle control device according to (3), When an oncoming road in an opposite traveling direction to the traveling road is present around the vehicle, the deviation amount calculation unit increases a boundary distance corresponding to a traveling road boundary that is closer to the oncoming road out of the traveling road boundary on one side and the traveling road boundary on the other side compared to when the oncoming road is not present. Vehicle control device.

[0141] According to (5), even if a traffic light corresponding to the road is located on the opposite side of the road, it is possible to prevent a large value from being calculated as the deviation amount, making it easier to determine that the traffic light is the traffic light corresponding to the road.

[0142] (6) The vehicle control device according to (5), the map information includes information indicating the number of lanes of each road; the deviation amount calculation unit increases a boundary distance corresponding to a lane boundary closer to the oncoming road based on the width direction length of the own lane recognized by the recognition unit and the number of lanes of the oncoming road indicated by the map information. Vehicle control device.

[0143] According to (6), even when the recognition unit cannot recognize the oncoming road, it is possible to appropriately set the boundary distance corresponding to the lane boundary closer to the oncoming road.

[0144] (7) A vehicle control device according to any one of (1) to (6), The vehicle control device includes: The vehicle navigation system further includes an evaluation value derivation unit (evaluation value derivation unit 33) that derives a first evaluation value indicating a degree of association between the traffic light and the road based on the deviation amount calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit, the determination unit determines whether the traffic light corresponds to the road based on the first evaluation value derived by the evaluation value derivation unit. Vehicle control device.

[0145] According to (7), it is possible to accurately determine whether a traffic light corresponds to the road compared to when determining whether a traffic light corresponds to the road based simply on the deviation amount calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit.

[0146] (8) The vehicle control device according to (7), The first evaluation value is set to a maximum value when the deviation amount is 0, and indicates that the degree of association is higher as the first evaluation value is larger. The evaluation value derivation unit When the deviation amount is within a first range close to 0, the decrease amount of the first evaluation value per unit deviation amount is reduced; When the deviation amount is within a second range farther from 0 than the first range, the amount of decrease in the first evaluation value per unit deviation amount is increased. Vehicle control device.

[0147] According to (8), for example, even if the deviation amount calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit varies within the first range (i.e., near 0) due to an error based on the recognition accuracy of the recognition unit, it is possible to derive a first evaluation value that takes a large value that makes it easier to determine that the traffic light corresponds to the road. Also, if the deviation amount is so large that it does not fall within the first range, it is possible to derive a first evaluation value that takes a small value that makes it harder to determine that the traffic light corresponds to the road. In other words, it is possible to obtain an appropriate value as the first evaluation value whether the deviation amount is within the first range or not.

[0148] (9) A vehicle control device according to (7) or (8), the deviation amount calculation unit, when recognizing the traffic light provided at an intersection between the travel path and another road, further calculates a deviation amount of the traffic light with respect to the other road; the evaluation value derivation unit further derives a second evaluation value representing a degree of association between the traffic light and the other road based on the deviation amount of the traffic light with respect to the other road; The determination unit determines that the traffic light corresponds to the road when the first evaluation value is greater than the second evaluation value. Vehicle control device.

[0149] According to (9), even if a traffic light is installed at an intersection between a road and another road, it is possible to accurately determine whether the traffic light corresponds to the road.

[0150] (10) The vehicle control device according to (2), The recognition unit The traffic light can be recognized as having a main body portion (main body portion 610) having a plurality of lighting portions (lighting portions 611 to 613) and a support portion (support portion 620) that supports the main body portion, and the main body portion can be recognized separately from the support portion, Identifying a point corresponding to the traffic light based on the recognized center position of the main body (center position 610c). Vehicle control device.

[0151] According to (10), even if the traffic light has a support part that supports the main body part (for example, if the support part is huge), it is possible to properly identify the location corresponding to the traffic light.

[0152] (11) The vehicle control device according to (10), The recognition unit If the main body is recognized, a point corresponding to the traffic light is identified based on a center position of the main body. If the main body cannot be recognized and only one of the plurality of lighting units can be recognized, a location corresponding to the traffic light is identified based on the position and light color of the recognized lighting unit. Vehicle control device.

[0153] According to (11), even if the recognition unit is unable to recognize the main body of the traffic light, it is possible to appropriately identify the location corresponding to the traffic light.

[0154] (12) The vehicle control device according to (2), The recognition unit corrects the point corresponding to the traffic light based on a lane position of the vehicle's own lane on the travel path. Vehicle control device.

[0155] According to (12), it is possible to obtain an appropriate position as a point corresponding to the traffic light Sn regardless of the lane position of the own lane on the travel road.

[0156] (13) A computer (control device 30) that controls the vehicle Recognizing the surrounding situation of the vehicle (step S1); When a traffic light is recognized, the deviation amount of the traffic light from the road on which the vehicle is traveling is calculated (step S7); Based on the deviation amount, it is determined whether the traffic light corresponds to the road (steps S9 and S10). controlling the vehicle based on the determination result of the determination; A method of control, which performs processing.

[0157] According to (13), it is possible to appropriately determine whether a traffic light around the vehicle corresponds to the roadway, taking into account the deviation of the traffic light from the roadway. Therefore, even if the position information of the traffic light is not prepared in advance, it is possible to appropriately control the vehicle in accordance with the traffic light corresponding to the roadway. This will ultimately improve traffic safety and contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system.

[0158] (14) A computer (control device 30) that controls the vehicle Recognizing the surrounding situation of the vehicle (step S1); When a traffic light is recognized, the deviation amount of the traffic light from the road on which the vehicle is traveling is calculated (step S7); Based on the deviation amount, it is determined whether the traffic light corresponds to the road (steps S9 and S10). controlling the vehicle based on the determination result of the determination; A control program that performs processing.

[0159] According to (14), it is possible to appropriately determine whether a traffic light around the vehicle corresponds to the roadway, taking into account the deviation of the traffic light from the roadway. Therefore, even if the position information of the traffic light is not prepared in advance, it is possible to appropriately control the vehicle in accordance with the traffic light corresponding to the roadway. This will ultimately improve traffic safety and contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system. [Explanation of symbols]

[0160] 1 vehicle 24 Map information database (map information) 30 Control device (vehicle control device) 31 Recognition part 32 Deviation amount calculation unit 33 Evaluation value derivation part 34 Judgment section 35 Vehicle control unit

Claims

1. A vehicle control device that controls a vehicle, a recognition unit that recognizes a surrounding situation of the vehicle; a deviation amount calculation unit that calculates, when the recognition unit recognizes a traffic light, an amount of deviation of the traffic light from a road on which the vehicle is traveling; a determination unit that determines whether the traffic light corresponds to the road based on the deviation amount calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit; and a vehicle control unit that controls the vehicle based on the determination result of the determination unit; A vehicle control device comprising:

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, The deviation amount calculation unit calculates the distance between a point corresponding to the traffic light and a lane boundary of the road as the deviation amount. Vehicle control device.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, the vehicle control device is configured to be able to refer to map information including road network information that represents each road by a combination of nodes and links connecting the nodes; The deviation amount calculation unit a line offset by a first boundary distance to one side in the width direction of the travel path from a target link connecting the node closest to the traffic light and the node second closest to the traffic light among the nodes of the travel path is defined as a travel path boundary on one side of the travel path, and a line offset by a second boundary distance to the other side in the width direction of the travel path is defined as a travel path boundary on the other side of the travel path, calculating, as the deviation amount, a difference between a minimum distance from the target link to the point corresponding to the traffic light and a boundary distance corresponding to the lane boundary on one side or the lane boundary on the other side that is closer to the point corresponding to the traffic light; Vehicle control device.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, the map information includes information indicating the number of lanes of each road; the deviation amount calculation unit sets the first boundary distance and the second boundary distance based on the width direction length of the own lane recognized by the recognition unit and the number of lanes of the travel road indicated by the map information. Vehicle control device.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 3, When an oncoming road in an opposite traveling direction to the traveling road is present around the vehicle, the deviation amount calculation unit increases a boundary distance corresponding to a traveling road boundary that is closer to the oncoming road out of the traveling road boundary on one side and the traveling road boundary on the other side compared to when the oncoming road is not present. Vehicle control device.

6. The vehicle control device according to claim 5, the map information includes information indicating the number of lanes of each road; the deviation amount calculation unit increases a boundary distance corresponding to a lane boundary closer to the oncoming road based on the width direction length of the own lane recognized by the recognition unit and the number of lanes of the oncoming road indicated by the map information. Vehicle control device.

7. 7. A vehicle control device according to claim 1, The vehicle control device includes: an evaluation value derivation unit that derives a first evaluation value that indicates a degree of association between the traffic light and the road based on the deviation amount calculated by the deviation amount calculation unit, the determination unit determines whether the traffic light corresponds to the road based on the first evaluation value derived by the evaluation value derivation unit. Vehicle control device.

8. The vehicle control device according to claim 7, The first evaluation value is set to a maximum value when the deviation amount is 0, and indicates that the degree of association is higher as the first evaluation value is larger. The evaluation value derivation unit When the deviation amount is within a first range close to 0, the decrease amount of the first evaluation value per unit deviation amount is reduced; When the deviation amount is within a second range farther from 0 than the first range, the amount of decrease in the first evaluation value per unit deviation amount is increased. Vehicle control device.

9. The vehicle control device according to claim 7, the deviation amount calculation unit, when recognizing the traffic light provided at an intersection between the travel path and another road, further calculates a deviation amount of the traffic light with respect to the other road; the evaluation value derivation unit further derives a second evaluation value representing a degree of association between the traffic light and the other road based on a deviation amount of the traffic light with respect to the other road; The determination unit determines that the traffic light corresponds to the road when the first evaluation value is greater than the second evaluation value. Vehicle control device.

10. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, The recognition unit The traffic light can be recognized by distinguishing the main body from the support portion, and the traffic light can be recognized by distinguishing the main body from the support portion. identifying a point corresponding to the traffic light based on the recognized center position of the main body; Vehicle control device.

11. The vehicle control device according to claim 10, The recognition unit If the main body is recognized, a point corresponding to the traffic light is identified based on a center position of the main body. If the main body cannot be recognized and only one of the plurality of lighting units can be recognized, a location corresponding to the traffic light is identified based on the position and light color of the recognized lighting unit. Vehicle control device.

12. The vehicle control device according to claim 2, The recognition unit corrects the point corresponding to the traffic light based on a lane position of the vehicle's own lane on the travel path. Vehicle control device.

13. The computer that controls the vehicle Recognizing the surrounding situation of the vehicle; When a traffic light is recognized, a deviation amount of the traffic light from a road on which the vehicle is traveling is calculated; determining whether the traffic light corresponds to the road based on the deviation amount; controlling the vehicle based on the determination result of the determination; A method of control, which performs processing.

14. The computer that controls the vehicle Recognizing the surrounding situation of the vehicle; When a traffic light is recognized, a deviation amount of the traffic light from a road on which the vehicle is traveling is calculated; determining whether the traffic light corresponds to the road based on the deviation amount; controlling the vehicle based on the determination result of the determination; A control program that performs processing.

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