Vehicle control device

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device capable of determining whether or not an interruption by another vehicle is likely to occur, and performing vehicle control in preparation for the interruption by the other vehicle when the interruption by the other vehicle is likely to occur.SOLUTION: The vehicle control device includes a peripheral sensor (21,22), a positioning system (29), a navigation system (30), and a controller (10) configured to control a driving force source (31), an electric power steering (33), and / or a brake (32) of a vehicle (1). The controller is configured to, when the other vehicle is detected by the peripheral sensor, acquire a lane change parameter that affects a possibility of the detected other vehicle performing a lane change based on the position of the vehicle and the map information acquired from the positioning system and the navigation system, and control the vehicle so as to keep an inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the other vehicle constant when a value obtained by adding an evaluation value indicating a height of the possibility of the other vehicle performing the lane change and corresponding to the acquired lane change parameter is equal to or greater than a threshold value.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical Field]

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

[0002] In recent years, development of autonomous driving technologies that allow vehicles to travel automatically has been progressing. For example, in order to identify another vehicle that is about to cut in front of an autonomously traveling vehicle from the side, a technology has been studied that identifies the cutting-in vehicle based on the amount of lateral movement of the other vehicle (see Patent Document 1). Also known is a technology that, in a traffic flow simulation, estimates whether a vehicle will change lanes based on the gradient of the magnitude of the influence of external factors expressed by a combined two-dimensional distribution that combines a two-dimensional distribution of a static potential field defined by the magnitude of the influence of time-constant external factors that affect the vehicle's travel, and a two-dimensional distribution of a dynamic potential field defined by the magnitude of the influence of time-varying external factors that affect the vehicle's travel (see Patent Document 2). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2020-163870 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-258889 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] However, with the conventional technology described in Patent Document 1, it is not possible to identify the cutting-in vehicle until after the other vehicle has begun moving laterally to cut in, which may require sudden braking to maintain a safe distance between the vehicle and the cutting-in vehicle. Furthermore, when the driver of the other vehicle decides to change lanes, factors such as the type of lane the other vehicle is traveling in, such as the driving lane or passing lane, and the speed of the vehicle ahead of the other vehicle also influence the decision, but these factors are not taken into consideration with the conventional technology described in Patent Document 2. Furthermore, if the conventional technology described in Patent Document 2 is applied to a vehicle actually traveling on a road, rather than a simulation, the system becomes more complicated as the number of conditions that need to be set increases.

[0005] The present invention has been made to solve such problems, and aims to provide a vehicle control device that can determine whether or not another vehicle is likely to cut in while performing automatic driving control of the vehicle, and can perform vehicle control in preparation for the other vehicle cutting in if it is likely to cut in. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the vehicle control device of the present invention has a surrounding sensor that detects objects around the vehicle, a position detection device that detects the position of the vehicle, a map information acquisition device that acquires map information, and a controller configured to be able to control the vehicle's driving force source, steering device and / or braking device, and the controller determines whether another vehicle has been detected by the surrounding sensor, and if another vehicle is detected, acquires lane change parameters that affect the likelihood of the detected other vehicle changing lanes based on the position of the vehicle detected by the position detection device and the map information acquired by the map information acquisition device, and is configured to control the vehicle's driving force source, steering device and / or braking device so as to maintain a constant inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the other vehicle if an evaluation value that represents the likelihood of the other vehicle changing lanes, obtained by adding an evaluation value corresponding to the lane change parameter, is greater than or equal to a predetermined threshold.

[0007] According to the present invention configured in this manner, when another vehicle is detected by a surrounding sensor, the controller acquires lane change parameters that affect the likelihood of the detected other vehicle changing lanes based on the position of the vehicle detected by the position detection device and the map information acquired by the map information acquisition device, and if an evaluation value indicating the likelihood of the other vehicle changing lanes, obtained by adding an evaluation value corresponding to the acquired lane change parameter, is equal to or greater than a threshold, the controller controls the vehicle to maintain a constant inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the other vehicle.Therefore, the evaluation value corresponding to the lane change parameter of the other vehicle can be used to quantitatively determine whether the driving conditions of the other vehicle are such that it is likely that the other vehicle will cut in to the vehicle's lane, and if it is determined that the conditions are such that cutting in is likely, the controller maintains a sufficient inter-vehicle distance from the other vehicle, thereby preventing the vehicle from braking suddenly and preventing occupants from feeling uneasy when the other vehicle cuts in.

[0008] In the present invention, the lane change parameters preferably include the type of adjacent lane, the presence or absence of an obstacle in the adjacent lane, the difference between the target speed of the other vehicle and the speed of the surrounding vehicle of the other vehicle, the size of the surrounding vehicle traveling in front of the other vehicle, and the presence or absence of an obstacle in the lane adjacent to the adjacent lane.

[0009] According to the present invention configured in this manner, the lane change parameters are parameters that characterize the driving conditions in which other vehicles will change lanes, and include the type of adjacent lane, the presence or absence of obstacles in the adjacent lane, the difference between the target speed of the other vehicle and the speed of the vehicles surrounding the other vehicle, the size of the surrounding vehicles traveling in front of the other vehicle, and the presence or absence of obstacles in the lanes adjacent to the adjacent lane.Therefore, based on the evaluation values ​​corresponding to each of the lane change parameters, it is possible to accurately determine whether the driving conditions of other vehicles are likely to cut into the vehicle's own lane.

[0010] In the present invention, preferably, the slower the speed of a nearby vehicle traveling ahead of another vehicle in an adjacent lane is compared to the target speed of the other vehicle, the larger the evaluation value.

[0011] According to the present invention configured in this manner, when there is a nearby vehicle traveling ahead of another vehicle in an adjacent lane, the evaluation value reflects the fact that the slower the speed of the nearby vehicle traveling ahead of the other vehicle is than the target speed of the other vehicle, the more likely the other vehicle is to change lanes to overtake, making it possible to more accurately determine whether the situation is such that cutting into the own lane is likely to occur.

[0012] In the present invention, preferably, the faster the speed of a nearby vehicle traveling behind another vehicle in an adjacent lane is compared to the target speed of the other vehicle, the larger the evaluation value.

[0013] According to the present invention configured in this manner, when there is a nearby vehicle traveling behind another vehicle in an adjacent lane, the evaluation value reflects the fact that the faster the speed of the nearby vehicle traveling behind the other vehicle is than the target speed of the other vehicle, the more likely the other vehicle is to change lanes to give way to the nearby vehicle behind, making it possible to more accurately determine whether the situation is such that cutting into the vehicle's own lane is likely to occur.

[0014] In the present invention, preferably, the faster the speed of a nearby vehicle traveling ahead of another vehicle in the own lane is compared with the target speed of the other vehicle, the larger the evaluation value.

[0015] According to the present invention configured in this manner, when there is a nearby vehicle traveling ahead of another vehicle in the own lane, the evaluation value reflects the fact that the faster the speed of the nearby vehicle traveling ahead of the other vehicle in the own lane is compared to the target speed of the other vehicle, the more likely the other vehicle is to change lanes into the own lane, making it possible to more accurately determine whether the situation is such that cutting into the own lane is likely to occur.

[0016] In the present invention, preferably, the controller is configured to control the vehicle's driving force source, steering device and / or braking device so as to maintain the target speed of the vehicle in the own lane or to maintain a constant inter-vehicle distance from another vehicle in front of the vehicle in the own lane when the value obtained by adding the evaluation value corresponding to the lane change parameter is less than a threshold value.

[0017] According to the present invention configured in this manner, if the value obtained by adding the evaluation value corresponding to the lane change parameter is less than the threshold value, the controller controls the vehicle to maintain the target speed of the vehicle in the own lane or to maintain a constant distance between the vehicle and other vehicles in front of the vehicle in the own lane.Therefore, if it is determined that the situation is not likely to result in an intrusion, normal vehicle control can be performed. [Effects of the Invention]

[0018] According to the vehicle control device of the present invention, when performing automatic driving control of a vehicle, it is possible to determine whether or not a situation is likely in which another vehicle is likely to cut in, and if so, to perform vehicle control in preparation for the other vehicle cutting in. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0019] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle to which a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied; [Figure 2] 1 is a block diagram showing an electrical configuration of a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] FIG. 10 is a diagram illustrating a situation in which another vehicle changes lanes; [Figure 4] 1 is a lane change parameter table showing lane change parameters and evaluation values ​​corresponding to each of the lane change parameters. [Figure 5] 3 is a flowchart of a vehicle control process executed by a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0020] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0021] <System configuration> First, the overall configuration of a vehicle to which a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied will be described with reference to Figures 1 and 2. Figure 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle to which a vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention is applied. Figure 2 is a block diagram showing the electrical configuration of the vehicle control device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0022] As shown in Fig. 1, reference numeral 1 denotes a vehicle to which a vehicle control device according to this embodiment is applied. This vehicle 1 has a driving force source 31 such as an engine or an electric motor that generates driving force, a brake 32 that brakes the vehicle 1, and an electric power steering 33. The vehicle 1 is also provided with a camera 21 that photographs the surroundings of the vehicle 1 and the interior of the vehicle, and a radar 22 that detects other vehicles and obstacles in the surroundings including behind the vehicle 1. The brake 32 corresponds to an example of a "braking device" in the present invention, and the electric power steering 33 corresponds to an example of a "steering device" in the present invention.

[0023] 2, vehicle 1 is further provided with a vehicle speed sensor 23 that detects the vehicle speed, an acceleration sensor 24 that detects the acceleration of vehicle 1, a yaw rate sensor 25 that detects the yaw rate of vehicle 1, a steering angle sensor 26 that detects the steering angle of vehicle 1, an accelerator sensor 27 that detects the operation of the accelerator pedal (e.g., the accelerator opening), a brake sensor 28 that detects the operation of the brake pedal (e.g., the amount of depression of the brake pedal), a positioning system 29 that detects the position of vehicle 1, and a navigation system 30. Image data captured by camera 21, position information of obstacles detected by radar 22, position information acquired by positioning system 29, information about roads including speed limits, the number of lanes, etc. acquired from navigation system 30, and detection data detected by each sensor are output to controller 10.

[0024] The camera 21 captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle 1 and the interior of the vehicle cabin, and outputs image data. Based on the image data of the surroundings of the vehicle 1 received from the camera 21, the controller 10 identifies objects (for example, road dividing lines (e.g., white lines and yellow lines including lane boundaries, outer roadway lines, and outermost lane lines), road edges (boundaries between the road and other objects, e.g., boundaries between pavement and soil, guardrails, curbs, etc.), other vehicles, pedestrians, traffic lights, signs, stop lines, intersections, obstacles, etc.). The camera 21 corresponds to an example of a "surroundings sensor" in the present invention. Furthermore, the controller 10 detects the driver's posture and line of sight based on the image data of the interior of the vehicle cabin received from the camera 21.

[0025] The radar 22 is provided, for example, at the front of the vehicle 1 facing forward in the direction of travel, and at the rear of the vehicle 1 facing backward in the direction of travel. The radar 22 measures the position and speed of objects (other vehicles around the vehicle 1, road edges (boundaries between the road and other objects, for example, boundaries between pavement and soil, guardrails, curbs, etc.), pedestrians, obstacles, etc.). The radar 22 may be, for example, a millimeter-wave radar. The radar 22 transmits radio waves to the vicinity of the vehicle 1 and receives reflected waves generated when the transmitted waves are reflected by objects. The radar 22 then measures the direction and distance from the vehicle 1 to the object and the relative speed between the vehicle 1 and the object based on the transmitted waves and the received waves. The radar 22 corresponds to an example of a "periphery sensor" in the present invention. Note that instead of such radar 22, a laser radar, an ultrasonic sensor, etc. may be used to measure the distance to the object and the relative speed.

[0026] The positioning system 29 detects the position of the vehicle 1 (current vehicle position information) using a GPS system and / or a gyro system. The navigation system 30 is a navigation system that stores map information internally. The positioning system 29 corresponds to an example of a "position detection device" in the present invention, and the navigation system 30 corresponds to an example of a "map information acquisition device" in the present invention. The controller 10 identifies roads, intersections, traffic signals, buildings, etc. that exist around the vehicle 1 (particularly in the direction of travel) based on the map information and the current vehicle position information. The map information may be stored in the controller 10.

[0027] As shown in FIG. 2, the controller 10 is configured to receive as input image data captured by the camera 21, position and speed information of an object detected by the radar 22, position information acquired by the positioning system 29, information about roads including speed limits and the number of lanes acquired from the navigation system 30, and detection data detected by each of the sensors 23 to 28.

[0028] The controller 10 is configured by a computer having one or more processors 10a (typically a CPU), various programs interpreted and executed on the processors (including basic control programs such as an OS and application programs that are launched on the OS and realize specific functions), and memory 10b such as a ROM or RAM for storing programs and various data.

[0029] The controller 10 mainly outputs control signals to the driving force source 31, the brake 32 and the electric power steering 33 to control them based on image data of the surroundings of the vehicle 1 captured by the camera 21, position information of other vehicles and obstacles detected by the radar 22, position information obtained by the positioning system 29, information on the type of lane and the end of the road obtained from the navigation system 30, and detection data detected by each of the sensors 23 to 28.

[0030] For example, the controller 10 controls the driving force source 31 of the vehicle 1 to adjust the driving force of the vehicle 1. For example, the controller 10 controls the engine's spark plugs, fuel injection valves, throttle valves, variable valve mechanisms, transmissions, inverters that supply power to electric motors, etc. When it is necessary to accelerate or decelerate the vehicle 1, the controller 10 sends a control signal to the driving force source 31 to adjust the driving force.

[0031] Furthermore, the controller 10 controls the driving force source 31 and the brake 32 of the vehicle 1 to perform deceleration control and attitude control of the vehicle 1. For example, the controller 10 controls the hydraulic pump and valve unit of the brake 32. When it is necessary to perform deceleration control or attitude control of the vehicle 1, the controller 10 transmits a control signal to the brake 32 to generate a braking force.

[0032] The controller 10 also controls the electric power steering 33 of the vehicle 1. For example, when the vehicle 1 needs to be steered, the controller 10 transmits a control signal to the electric power steering 33 to adjust the torque of the electric motor that applies torque (steering force) to the steering shaft.

[0033] <Lane change parameters> Next, lane change parameters and evaluation values ​​will be described with reference to Figures 3 and 4. Figure 3 is a diagram illustrating a situation in which another vehicle will change lanes, and Figure 4 is an example of a lane change parameter table showing lane change parameters and evaluation values ​​corresponding to each lane change parameter. In this embodiment, the "lane change parameters" are parameters that affect the possibility that another vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle in a lane adjacent to the lane in which the vehicle is traveling will change lanes, and refer to parameters that characterize traveling situations in which another vehicle will change lanes.

[0034] 3 illustrates seven driving situations (cases) in which another vehicle C, traveling ahead of vehicle 1 in a lane L2 adjacent to the own lane L1 in which vehicle 1 is traveling, changes lanes (i.e., cuts in) from the adjacent lane L2 to the own lane L1 in front of vehicle 1. Note that the situations in which the other vehicle C changes lanes into the own lane L1 are not limited to the cases illustrated in FIG. 3, and cases can be added, deleted, or changed as appropriate.

[0035] In case (1), adjacent lane L2 is a lane for merging into the current lane L1, and adjacent lane L2 terminates ahead of other vehicle C. Therefore, other vehicle C must change lanes to the current lane L1. In case (2), adjacent lane L2 is an overtaking lane, and an obstacle (baggage that has fallen off the truck in front in the example of Figure 3) exists ahead of other vehicle C. In this case, other vehicle C must also change lanes to the current lane L1. In other words, in cases (1) and (2), other vehicle C must change lanes to the current lane L1 if there is an obstacle or the end of the road ahead of other vehicle C, regardless of the type of adjacent lane L2 that other vehicle C is traveling on.

[0036] In case (3), adjacent lane L2 is the driving lane, and there is a nearby vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the "vehicle ahead") traveling ahead of other vehicle C in adjacent lane L2. If the speed of this vehicle ahead is slower than the target speed of other vehicle C (for example, the speed limit of adjacent lane L2), other vehicle C is likely to change lanes into the own lane L1 to overtake the vehicle ahead. In other words, case (3) is a case in which other vehicle C is traveling in the driving lane, and if the speed of the vehicle ahead of other vehicle C is slow, other vehicle C changes lanes into the own lane L1.

[0037] In case (4), adjacent lane L2 is an overtaking lane, and there is a nearby vehicle (hereinafter referred to as the "following vehicle") traveling behind other vehicle C in adjacent lane L2. If the speed of this following vehicle is faster than the target speed of other vehicle C (for example, the speed limit of adjacent lane L2), other vehicle C may change lanes into the own lane L1 to give way to the following vehicle. In other words, case (4) is a case in which other vehicle C is traveling in an overtaking lane, and if the speed of the vehicle following other vehicle C is fast, other vehicle C changes lanes into the own lane L1.

[0038] In case (5), adjacent lane L2 is an overtaking lane, and the other vehicle C does not have a vehicle ahead of it in the own lane L1, or even if there is a vehicle ahead, the speed of the vehicle ahead is faster than that of the other vehicle C, so the other vehicle C's lane L1 is sufficiently clear. In this case, the other vehicle C may change lanes from the overtaking lane to the own lane L1 to return to the driving lane. In other words, case (5) is a case in which the other vehicle C is traveling in the overtaking lane and changes lanes to the own lane L1 when there is no vehicle ahead of the other vehicle C in the own lane L1, or the speed of the vehicle ahead is faster.

[0039] In case (6), adjacent lane L2 is the driving lane, and the vehicle ahead of other vehicle C in adjacent lane L2 is a large truck. In this case, the truck in front impairs other vehicle C's field of vision, so other vehicle C may change lanes into the vehicle's own lane L1 to avoid the truck in front. The same applies even if other vehicle C is traveling in an overtaking lane rather than a driving lane. In other words, case (6) is a case in which other vehicle C will change lanes into the vehicle's own lane L1 if the vehicle in front of other vehicle C is large, regardless of the type of adjacent lane L2 in which other vehicle C is traveling.

[0040] In case (7), adjacent lane L2 is the driving lane, and an obstacle exists ahead of the lane adjacent to adjacent lane L2 on the opposite side of the own lane L1 (in the example of Figure 3, the lane ends ahead). In this case, a nearby vehicle traveling in a lane adjacent to adjacent lane L2 is expected to cut into adjacent lane L2 in which other vehicle C is traveling, so other vehicle C may change lanes to the own lane L1 to avoid the nearby vehicle. In other words, case (7) is a case in which other vehicle C changes lanes to the own lane L1 when an obstacle or the end of the road exists ahead of other vehicle C in the lane adjacent to adjacent lane L2, regardless of the type of adjacent lane L2 in which other vehicle C is traveling.

[0041] In the above-mentioned cases (1) to (7), the type of adjacent lane L2, the presence or absence of an obstacle in the adjacent lane L2, the difference between the target speed of the other vehicle C and the speed of the surrounding vehicles of the other vehicle C (the preceding and following vehicles in the adjacent lane L2, and the preceding vehicle in the own lane L1), the size of the surrounding vehicles traveling in front of the other vehicle C (the preceding vehicle in the adjacent lane L2), and the presence or absence of an obstacle in the lane adjacent to the adjacent lane L2 are lane change parameters that affect the possibility of the other vehicle C changing lanes.

[0042] Among the above-mentioned cases (1) to (7), for cases (3) to (7) except for cases (1) and (2) in which the other vehicle C always changes lanes into the own vehicle lane L1, an evaluation value representing the likelihood of the other vehicle C changing lanes can be set for each case by, for example, conducting a questionnaire survey on whether the driver of the other vehicle C would change lanes, or by conducting a driving experiment using a driving simulator to obtain data on whether the other vehicle C changed lanes. FIG. 4 is a lane change parameter table that shows, in association with each other, the contents of the lane change parameters that affect the likelihood of the other vehicle C changing lanes in each of the cases (1) to (7) illustrated in FIG. 3, and the evaluation values ​​set for cases in which the contents of each lane change parameter apply to the other vehicle C. In FIG. 4, the evaluation values ​​range from 0 to 1, and the higher the value, the higher the likelihood of the other vehicle C changing lanes. For example, an evaluation value of 0 indicates that the other vehicle C is unlikely to change lanes, and an evaluation value of 1 indicates that the other vehicle C will definitely change lanes.

[0043] As described above, in cases (1) and (2), the other vehicle C always changes lanes into the own lane L1 when there is an obstacle or the end of the road ahead of the other vehicle C, regardless of the type of adjacent lane L2 in which the other vehicle C is traveling. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 4, in both tables for when the other vehicle is traveling in the driving lane and when the other vehicle is traveling in the overtaking lane, the evaluation value when the lane change parameter corresponds to "obstacle (end) present" is "1."

[0044] Furthermore, case (3) is a case where the other vehicle C is traveling in the driving lane and the speed of the vehicle ahead of the other vehicle C is slow, and there is a high possibility that the other vehicle C will change lanes to the own lane L1. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, in the table when the other vehicle is traveling in the driving lane, the evaluation value when the lane change parameter corresponds to "the vehicle ahead is slow" is "0.8". On the other hand, when the other vehicle is traveling in the overtaking lane, whether or not the lane change parameter corresponds to "the vehicle ahead is slow" does not affect the possibility of changing lanes, so in the table when the other vehicle is traveling in the overtaking lane, the evaluation value when the lane change parameter corresponds to "the vehicle ahead is slow" is "0".

[0045] Furthermore, case (4) is a case where the other vehicle C is traveling in the overtaking lane and the speed of the vehicle following the other vehicle C is fast, and there is a possibility that the other vehicle C will change lanes to the own lane L1. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, in the table for when the other vehicle is traveling in the overtaking lane, the evaluation value when the lane change parameter corresponds to "the following vehicle is fast" is "0.6." On the other hand, when the other vehicle is traveling in the driving lane, whether or not the lane change parameter corresponds to "the following vehicle is fast" does not affect the possibility of changing lanes, so in the table for when the other vehicle is traveling in the driving lane, the evaluation value when the lane change parameter corresponds to "the following vehicle is fast" is "0."

[0046] Furthermore, case (5) is a case where the other vehicle C is traveling in the passing lane, and if there is no vehicle ahead of the other vehicle C in the own lane L1 or the speed of the vehicle ahead is fast, there is a possibility that the other vehicle C will change lanes to the own lane L1. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, in the table when the other vehicle is traveling in the passing lane, the evaluation value when the lane change parameter corresponds to "there is no vehicle ahead in the own lane or it is fast" is "0.6". On the other hand, when the other vehicle is traveling in the driving lane, whether or not the lane change parameter corresponds to "there is no vehicle ahead in the own lane or it is fast" does not affect the possibility of changing lanes, so in the table when the other vehicle is traveling in the driving lane, the evaluation value when the lane change parameter corresponds to "there is no vehicle ahead in the own lane or it is fast" is "0".

[0047] Furthermore, case (6) is a case where there is a possibility that the other vehicle C will change lanes into the own lane L1 if the vehicle ahead of the other vehicle C is large, regardless of the type of adjacent lane L2 in which the other vehicle C is traveling. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 4, in both the tables for when the other vehicle is traveling in the driving lane and when the other vehicle is traveling in the overtaking lane, the evaluation value when the lane change parameter corresponds to "large vehicle ahead" is "0.5".

[0048] Furthermore, case (7) is a case where there is a possibility that the other vehicle C will change lanes to the own lane L1 if there is an obstacle or the end of the road ahead of the other vehicle C in a lane adjacent to the adjacent lane L2, regardless of the type of adjacent lane L2 in which the other vehicle C is traveling. Therefore, as shown in Fig. 4, in both tables for when the other vehicle is traveling in the driving lane and when the other vehicle is traveling in the overtaking lane, the evaluation value when the lane change parameter corresponds to "there is an obstacle (end) of the lane adjacent to the adjacent lane" is "0.4".

[0049] <Vehicle control processing> Next, the vehicle control process executed by the vehicle control device will be described with reference to Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is a flowchart of the vehicle control process executed by the vehicle control device according to the embodiment of the present invention.

[0050] The vehicle control process of Figure 5 is repeatedly executed by the controller 10 at a predetermined period (for example, every 0.05 to 0.2 seconds) when the controller 10 is performing automatic driving control of the vehicle 1 using known automatic driving control or when the controller 10 is performing driving assistance control that assists the driver in driving.

[0051] 5, when the vehicle control process is started, in step S1, the controller 10 acquires various information about the vehicle 1, including image data captured by the camera 21, position and speed information of objects detected by the radar 22, position information acquired by the positioning system 29, information about roads acquired from the navigation system 30, and information corresponding to detection data detected by the sensors 23 to 28. Acquisition of signals from the camera 21, radar 22, positioning system 29, navigation system 30, and sensors 23 to 28 is constantly performed in the background during the processes from step S1 onwards.

[0052] Next, in step S2, the controller 10 determines whether or not there is another vehicle C traveling ahead of the vehicle 1 in the adjacent lane L2, based on the information acquired from the camera 21 and the radar 22. As a result, if there is no other vehicle C (step S2: NO), there is no need to consider the other vehicle C cutting in, and so the controller 10 performs normal vehicle control in step S3. Normal vehicle control includes, for example, control to maintain the speed of the vehicle 1 at a target speed (e.g., the speed limit of the own lane L1), and so-called follow-up control to maintain a constant inter-vehicle distance from another vehicle ahead of the vehicle 1 in the own lane L1. After processing in step S3, the controller 10 ends the vehicle control processing.

[0053] On the other hand, if there is another vehicle C traveling ahead of the vehicle 1 in the adjacent lane L2 (step S2: YES), in step S4, the controller 10 acquires lane change parameters of the other vehicle C based on the image data, position and speed information of the object, position information, and information about the road acquired in step S1. In the example shown in Figures 3 and 4, the controller 10 acquires, as the lane change parameters of the other vehicle C, the type of the adjacent lane L2 in which the other vehicle C is traveling (driving lane or overtaking lane), the presence or absence of an obstacle in the adjacent lane L2, the difference between the target speed of the other vehicle C and the speeds of surrounding vehicles of the other vehicle C (the preceding vehicle and following vehicle in the adjacent lane L2, and the preceding vehicle in the own lane L1), the size of the surrounding vehicles traveling ahead of the other vehicle C (the preceding vehicle in the adjacent lane L2), and the presence or absence of an obstacle in a lane adjacent to the adjacent lane L2.

[0054] Next, in step S5, the controller 10 calculates the lane change possibility based on the lane change parameters acquired in step S4. Specifically, the controller 10 refers to the lane change parameter table stored in the memory 10b that corresponds to the type of adjacent lane L2 in which the other vehicle C is traveling, and calculates the lane change possibility by adding up the evaluation values ​​corresponding to each of the lane change parameters acquired in step S4.

[0055] For example, the following equations corresponding to the lane change parameter table shown in FIG. 4 are stored in the memory 10b. <When another vehicle C is traveling in the driving lane> P=a1×1+a2×(-0.8)+a3×0+a4×0+a5×0.5+a6×0.4 <When vehicle C is traveling in the passing lane> P=a1×1+a2×0+a3×0.6+a4×0.6+a5×0.5+a6×0.4

[0056] Here, P is the possibility of changing lanes. a1 is "1" if there is an obstacle or the end of the road ahead of the other vehicle C, and is "0" if there is not.

[0057] a2 is the target speed of other vehicle C / the speed of other vehicle C-the target speed of other vehicle C / the speed of the vehicle in front of other vehicle C (the target speed of other vehicle C is, for example, the speed limit of adjacent lane L2). In other words, if the speed of the vehicle in front is slower than the speed of other vehicle C, a2 will be a negative value, and the slower the speed of the vehicle in front is compared to the speed of other vehicle C, the larger the absolute value of a2. Therefore, the slower the speed of the vehicle in front is compared to the speed of other vehicle C, the larger the value of a2 × (-0.8), that is, the larger the evaluation value.

[0058] a3 is the target speed of other vehicle C / the speed of other vehicle C-the target speed of other vehicle C / the speed of the vehicle following other vehicle C. In other words, a3 is a positive value when the speed of the following vehicle is faster than the speed of other vehicle C, and the faster the speed of the following vehicle is faster than the speed of other vehicle C, the larger the absolute value of a3. Therefore, the faster the speed of the following vehicle is faster than the speed of other vehicle C, the larger the value of a3 x 0.6, that is, the larger the evaluation value.

[0059] a4 is the target speed of other vehicle C / the speed of other vehicle C-the target speed of other vehicle C / the speed of the vehicle ahead in the own lane L1. That is, a4 is a positive value when the speed of the vehicle ahead in the own lane L1 is faster than the speed of other vehicle C, and the absolute value of a4 increases as the speed of the vehicle ahead in the own lane L1 increases. On the other hand, a4 is a negative value when the speed of the vehicle ahead in the own lane L1 is slower than the speed of other vehicle C, and the absolute value of a4 increases as the speed of the vehicle ahead in the own lane L1 decreases. Therefore, the slower the speed of the vehicle ahead in the own lane L1 is compared to the speed of other vehicle C, the larger the value of a4 x 0.6, that is, the larger the evaluation value.

[0060] a5 is "1" if the vehicle ahead of the other vehicle C in the adjacent lane L2 is large, and is "0" if it is not large.

[0061] a6 is "1" if there is an obstacle or the end of the road ahead of the other vehicle C in the lane adjacent to the adjacent lane L2, and is "0" if there is no obstacle or the end of the road ahead of the other vehicle C.

[0062] The controller 10 can calculate the lane change possibility P by adding the evaluation values ​​corresponding to each of the lane change parameters by substituting the values ​​a1 to a6 corresponding to the lane change parameters acquired in step S4 into the above formula.

[0063] Next, the controller 10 determines whether the lane change possibility P calculated in step S5 is equal to or greater than a preset threshold value Th. The threshold value Th is, for example, 0.5.

[0064] As a result, if the lane change possibility P is less than the threshold value Th (step S6: NO), since the possibility that the other vehicle C will change lanes from the adjacent lane L2 to the own lane L1 is low, the controller 10 performs normal vehicle control in step S3 and terminates vehicle control.

[0065] On the other hand, if the lane change possibility P is equal to or greater than the threshold value Th (step S6: YES), there is a high possibility that the other vehicle C will change lanes from the adjacent lane L2 to the own lane L1 (i.e., the situation is such that cutting in is likely to occur), and therefore the controller 10 executes cut-in priority control in step S7 to prepare for cutting in by the other vehicle C. For example, the controller 10 controls the vehicle 1 to maintain a constant inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle C. This prevents the vehicle 1 from braking suddenly and the occupants of the vehicle 1 from feeling uneasy when the other vehicle C changes lanes from the adjacent lane L2 to the own lane L1 ahead of the vehicle 1.

[0066] [Action and effect] Next, the effects of the vehicle control device of the present embodiment will be described.

[0067] When another vehicle C is detected by the camera 21 or radar 22, the controller 10 acquires lane change parameters that affect the likelihood of the detected other vehicle C changing lanes based on the position of the vehicle 1 detected by the positioning system 29 and the map information acquired by the navigation system 30, and if an evaluation value indicating the likelihood of the other vehicle C changing lanes, obtained by adding an evaluation value corresponding to the acquired lane change parameter, is equal to or greater than a threshold, the controller 1 controls the vehicle 1 to maintain a constant inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle 1 and the other vehicle C. Therefore, the evaluation value corresponding to the lane change parameter of the other vehicle C can be used to quantitatively determine whether the driving conditions of the other vehicle C are such that it is likely that the other vehicle C will cut in to the vehicle's own lane L1, and if it is determined that the conditions are such that cutting in is likely to occur, the controller 1 maintains a sufficient inter-vehicle distance from the other vehicle C, thereby preventing the vehicle 1 from braking suddenly and preventing the occupants from feeling uneasy when the other vehicle C cuts in.

[0068] In addition, the lane change parameters are parameters that characterize the driving conditions in which the other vehicle C changes lanes, and include the type of adjacent lane L2, the presence or absence of obstacles in the adjacent lane L2, the difference between the target speed of the other vehicle C and the speed of the vehicles surrounding the other vehicle C, the size of the surrounding vehicles traveling in front of the other vehicle C, and the presence or absence of obstacles in the lanes adjacent to the adjacent lane L2.Therefore, the evaluation values ​​corresponding to each of the lane change parameters can be used to accurately determine whether the driving conditions of the other vehicle C are such that it is likely that the other vehicle C will cut into the vehicle's own lane L1.

[0069] Furthermore, when there is a nearby vehicle traveling ahead of the other vehicle C in the adjacent lane L2, the evaluation value reflects the fact that the slower the speed of the nearby vehicle traveling ahead of the other vehicle C is compared to the target speed of the other vehicle C, the more likely the other vehicle C is to change lanes to overtake, making it possible to more accurately determine whether the situation is likely to lead to an intrusion into the own lane L1.

[0070] Furthermore, when there is a nearby vehicle traveling behind the other vehicle C in the adjacent lane L2, the evaluation value reflects the fact that the faster the speed of the nearby vehicle traveling behind the other vehicle C is than the target speed of the other vehicle C, the more likely the other vehicle C is to change lanes to give way to the nearby vehicle behind it, making it possible to more accurately determine whether the situation is likely to lead to cutting into the own lane L1.

[0071] Furthermore, when there is a nearby vehicle traveling ahead of the other vehicle C in the own lane L1, the evaluation value reflects the fact that the faster the speed of the nearby vehicle traveling ahead of the other vehicle C in the own lane L1 is compared to the target speed of the other vehicle C, the more likely the other vehicle C is to change lanes into the own lane L1, making it possible to more accurately determine whether the situation is such that cutting into the own lane L1 is likely to occur.

[0072] Furthermore, when the value obtained by adding the evaluation value corresponding to the lane change parameter is less than a threshold value, the controller 10 controls the vehicle 1 to maintain the target speed of the vehicle 1 in the own lane L1 or to maintain a constant distance between the vehicle 1 and other vehicles ahead of the vehicle 1 in the own lane L1, so that normal vehicle control can be performed when it is determined that the situation is not likely to lead to an intrusion. [Explanation of symbols]

[0073] 1 vehicle 10 Controllers 10a processor 10b memory 21 Camera 22 Radar 23 Vehicle speed sensor 24 Acceleration sensor 25 Yaw rate sensor 26 Steering angle sensor 27 Accelerator sensor 28 Brake sensor 29 Positioning System 30 Navigation System 31 Driving force source 32 Brake 33 Electric power steering C Other vehicles L1 own lane L2 adjacent lane

Claims

1. a surroundings sensor that detects objects around the vehicle; a position detection device for detecting the position of the vehicle; a map information acquisition device that acquires map information; a controller configured to be able to control a driving force source, a steering device, and / or a braking device of the vehicle; and The controller determining whether or not the surrounding sensor has detected another vehicle traveling ahead of the vehicle in a lane adjacent to the lane in which the vehicle is traveling; When the other vehicle is detected, a lane change parameter that affects the possibility of the other vehicle detecting the other vehicle changing lanes is acquired based on the position of the vehicle detected by the position detection device and the map information acquired by the map information acquisition device; an evaluation value indicating the likelihood that the other vehicle will change lanes, and when a value obtained by adding the evaluation value corresponding to the lane change parameter is equal to or greater than a preset threshold, the driving force source, steering device, and / or braking device of the vehicle are controlled so as to maintain a constant inter-vehicle distance between the vehicle and the other vehicle; Vehicle control device.

2. The lane change parameters include the type of the adjacent lane, the presence or absence of an obstacle in the adjacent lane, the difference between the target speed of the other vehicle and the speed of a surrounding vehicle of the other vehicle, the size of a surrounding vehicle traveling ahead of the other vehicle, and the presence or absence of an obstacle in a lane adjacent to the adjacent lane. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 .

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 , wherein the evaluation value increases as the speed of the nearby vehicle traveling ahead of the other vehicle in the adjacent lane decreases relative to a target speed of the other vehicle.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 , wherein the evaluation value increases as the speed of the nearby vehicle traveling behind the other vehicle in the adjacent lane increases relative to a target speed of the other vehicle.

5. The vehicle control device according to claim 2 , wherein the evaluation value increases as the speed of the nearby vehicle traveling ahead of the other vehicle in the own lane increases relative to a target speed of the other vehicle.

6. 6. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the controller is configured to control the driving force source, steering device, and / or braking device of the vehicle so as to maintain a target speed of the vehicle in the own lane or to maintain a constant inter-vehicle distance from another vehicle ahead of the vehicle in the own lane when a value obtained by adding the evaluation value corresponding to the lane change parameter is less than the threshold value.

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