Vehicle control device and program

Abstract

To ensure that vehicle lane departure prevention control is properly implemented while the vehicle is driving on the road. [Solution] The ECU 10 uses the left and right lane markings on the road as reference boundary lines and performs deviation suppression control to prevent the vehicle from deviating outward from the left and right reference boundary lines. The ECU 10 includes a driving path setting unit 11 that sets the driving path ahead in the direction of travel of the vehicle, an obstacle recognition unit 13 that recognizes the presence of an obstacle in front of the vehicle, an obstacle overlap determination unit 14 that, when an obstacle is recognized in front of the vehicle, determines that the driving path intersects the reference boundary line and overlaps with the obstacle on the far side of the reference boundary line, and a control unit 15 that, when it is determined that an obstacle overlap state exists, offsets the reference boundary line inward in the left-right direction of the road to set an offset boundary line and performs deviation suppression control based on the offset boundary line.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The disclosure in this specification relates to a vehicle control device and a program for performing driving support for a vehicle.

Background Art

[0002] Conventionally, as driving support control for a vehicle, there are known techniques for performing control to prevent the vehicle from deviating from the driving lane when the vehicle is traveling on a road, and control to prevent the vehicle from colliding with an obstacle existing on the side of the road. For example, in Patent Document 1, on a road where there are continuous obstacles such as guardrails and side walls on the side of the lane, when a continuous obstacle faces the front of the vehicle in the traveling direction at a curve or the like, a technique is disclosed in which collision avoidance support control is started at an appropriate timing.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0004] By the way, in the deviation suppression control for preventing the vehicle from deviating from the driving lane, when the vehicle is offset to one side, left or right, of the driving lane, lane departure is suppressed by controlling the steering angle of the vehicle or the like. According to this deviation suppression control, when there are structures such as guardrails and side walls outside the driving lane, the situation where the vehicle contacts the guardrail or the like is avoided by suppressing lane departure. However, in this case, even if contact with the guardrail or the like is avoided as a result, it is considered that the sense of uneasiness of the vehicle occupants increases as the vehicle approaches the guardrail or the like. In this regard, there is room for improvement in the deviation suppression control.

[0005] This disclosure is made in view of the above circumstances and aims to provide a vehicle control device and program that can properly perform lane departure prevention control when a vehicle is driving on a road. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] This disclosure is, A vehicle control device that, when a vehicle is traveling on a road, uses either the road boundary lines which are the left and right edges of the road, or the left and right lane markings within the road, as reference boundary lines, and performs deviation suppression control to prevent the vehicle from deviating outward from the left and right reference boundary lines, A path setting unit that sets the travel path in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel, An obstacle recognition unit that recognizes the presence of an obstacle in front of the vehicle, When an obstacle is detected in front of the vehicle, the vehicle determines that the vehicle's path intersects the reference boundary line and overlaps with the obstacle beyond the reference boundary line, and When it is determined that the aforementioned obstacle overlapping state exists, the control unit offsets the reference boundary line inward in the left-right direction of the road to set an offset boundary line, and performs the deviation suppression control based on the offset boundary line, It is equipped with.

[0007] When lane departure prevention control is being executed, if an obstacle such as a guardrail, bulkhead, or building exists outside the reference boundary line that serves as the basis for the lane departure prevention control, there is a possibility of contact with the obstacle if the vehicle deviates from its lane. Furthermore, it is thought that the anxiety of the vehicle occupants will increase as the vehicle approaches the obstacle. In this regard, with the above configuration, if an obstacle exists in front of the vehicle, it is determined that the vehicle's path intersects with the reference boundary line and overlaps with the obstacle beyond the reference boundary line, resulting in an obstacle overlap state. When it is determined that an obstacle overlap state exists, the reference boundary line is offset inward in the left-right direction of the road, and an offset boundary line is set, and lane departure prevention control is executed based on this offset boundary line. This makes it possible to prevent vehicle departure when an obstacle exists outside the reference boundary line, while also reducing the anxiety of the vehicle occupants as the vehicle approaches the obstacle. If there is no obstacle outside the reference boundary line, excessive lane departure prevention is suppressed. As a result, lane departure prevention control can be performed appropriately when the vehicle is traveling on the road. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] A diagram illustrating the overview of the vehicle's driving assistance system. [Figure 2] A road plan diagram illustrating an example of a driving scenario where a vehicle is likely to deviate from its lane. [Figure 3] A road plan diagram illustrating an example of a driving scenario where a vehicle is likely to deviate from its lane. [Figure 4] A diagram showing the relationship between the separation distance D2 and the offset amount. [Figure 5] A diagram showing the relationship between angle θ, vehicle speed, and offset amount. [Figure 6] A flowchart illustrating the processing procedure for deviation suppression control. [Figure 7] A diagram showing a driving scene of a vehicle traveling on a road that includes an intersection. [Figure 8] A flowchart showing the procedure for setting the offset interval. [Figure 9]A road plan showing a vehicle traveling on a curved road. [Figure 10] A flowchart illustrating the processing procedure for deviation suppression control in the second embodiment. [Figure 11] A diagram showing the relationship between the separation distance D2 and the offset amount. [Figure 12] A diagram showing the relationship between angle θ and offset amount. [Figure 13] A road plan showing an obstacle present on the side of the driving lane. [Figure 14] A flowchart illustrating the processing procedure for deviation suppression control in the third embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] Hereinafter, embodiments of the vehicle control device relating to this disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In this embodiment, for example, a driving support system is constructed to provide vehicle driving support in vehicles such as passenger cars, trucks, and buses.

[0010] (First Embodiment) As shown in Figure 1, the driving support system according to this embodiment comprises an ECU 10 (Electronic Control Unit) as a vehicle control device, sensors 20, and a controlled device 30. The sensors 20 include a camera 21, a radar device 22, a speed sensor 23, a steering angle sensor 24, and a yaw rate sensor 25. The camera 21 and the radar device 22 correspond to object detection devices that detect objects around the vehicle. The controlled device 30 includes an accelerator device 31, a brake device 32, a steering device 33, and a warning device 34.

[0011] The camera 21 is, for example, a monocular camera. The camera 21 is a plurality of imaging devices capable of imaging the front, rear, and both left and right sides of the vehicle, respectively. The periphery of the vehicle is imaged by each of these cameras 21. The camera 21 that images the front of the vehicle is provided near the vehicle front bumper or at the upper part of the vehicle front glass. Each camera 21 transmits the captured image to the ECU 10 at a predetermined cycle. Note that the camera 21 may be a stereo camera.

[0012] The radar device 22 is a ranging device that uses a high-frequency signal in the millimeter-wave band as a transmission wave. The radar device 22 is mounted on, for example, the front end, rear end, and both left and right sides of the vehicle, and measures the distance to an object around the vehicle. Specifically, the radar device 22 transmits a probing wave at a predetermined cycle, receives the reflected wave by a plurality of antennas, and measures the distance to the object based on the transmission time of the probing wave and the reception time of the reflected wave. In addition, the radar device 22 calculates the azimuth of the object based on the phase difference of the reflected waves received by the plurality of antennas. By calculating the distance to the object and the azimuth of the object, the relative position of the object with respect to the vehicle can be specified.

[0013] The speed sensor 23 is a sensor that detects the traveling speed of the vehicle. For example, as the speed sensor 23, it is possible to use a wheel speed sensor that detects the rotational speed of the wheels. The steering angle sensor 24 is a sensor that detects the steering angle of the steering member in the vehicle. The yaw rate sensor 25 is a sensor that detects the yaw rate, which is the lateral acceleration of the vehicle in the left-right direction.

[0014] The accelerator device 31 is an engine or a motor as the driving power source of the vehicle. When the driver operates the accelerator, the accelerator device 31 is driven by a control command from the ECU 10, and a driving force for vehicle travel is applied. The brake device 32 is provided on each wheel of the vehicle. When the driver operates the brake, the brake device 32 is actuated by a control command from the ECU 10, and a braking force is applied to the vehicle.

[0015] The steering device 33 is a motor that steers the vehicle. For example, when the driver turns, the steering device 33 is activated by a control command from the ECU 10, causing the vehicle to turn. The warning device 34 is a display device that enables display, or a speaker that enables voice notification. The warning device 34 notifies the driver of the condition of the vehicle or its surroundings, or of conditions that impair the vehicle's driving safety.

[0016] The ECU10 is an electronic control unit equipped with a well-known microcomputer consisting of a processor (CPU), ROM, RAM, flash memory, etc. The microcomputer provides various arithmetic functions. The functions provided by the microcomputer can be provided by software recorded in a physical memory device and the computer that executes it, by software only, by hardware only, or by a combination thereof. The microcomputer executes programs stored in a non-transitory tangible storage medium, which serves as its own storage unit. Programs include, for example, programs related to object recognition processing to recognize objects around the vehicle, processing to avoid collisions with objects around the vehicle or to mitigate damage in the event of a collision, and processing to control the vehicle's speed. When a program is executed, the method corresponding to the program is executed. The storage unit is, for example, non-volatile memory. The programs stored in the storage unit can be updated, for example, via a network such as the Internet.

[0017] The ECU 10 acquires object detection information from the camera 21 and the radar device 22, respectively, and recognizes objects around the vehicle based on this information. Specifically, it calculates the relative position and location of the object as image information based on the distance to the object and the orientation of the object calculated from the camera image, and calculates the relative position and location of the object as radar information based on the distance to the object and the orientation of the object included in the distance information acquired from the radar device 22. Then, it recognizes the object by fusing this image information and radar information. At this time, the object is recognized based on the overlap between the location of the object included in the image information and the location of the object included in the radar information. However, in this embodiment, the method of object recognition is arbitrary, and for example, it is also possible to recognize an object based on only the object detection information from the camera 21 or only the object detection information from the radar device 22.

[0018] The ECU 10 performs pre-crash safety (PCS) and lane departure alert (LDA) control as part of the vehicle's driving assistance control. Specifically, as part of the pre-crash safety (PCS) control, the ECU 10 calculates the time to collision (TTC) based on the relative distance and relative speed between the vehicle and the object, and then performs collision avoidance control to avoid a collision by comparing the predicted collision time with the activation timing. At this time, the ECU 10 uses the brake device 32 included in the controlled device 30 to brake the vehicle and avoid a collision with the object. It is also possible to use the steering device 33 to automatically steer the vehicle and avoid a collision with the object. Alternatively, it is possible to use the warning device 34 to notify the driver of the risk of collision. The activation timing is the timing at which the controlled device 30 etc. should be activated, and may be set according to the target to be activated.

[0019] Furthermore, as a lane departure prevention control, the ECU 10 uses the steering device 33 to control the vehicle's turn in order to prevent it from deviating from its lane. In this case, the ECU 10 uses the left and right lane markings as reference boundary lines and, based on the reference boundary lines and the vehicle's position, prevents the vehicle from going outside the reference boundary lines (outside the lane). As a lane departure prevention control, it is preferable that a lane departure prevention process is performed to prevent lane departure by controlling the turn using the steering device 33, or a lane departure prevention process is performed to prevent lane departure by issuing a warning to the driver using the warning device 34.

[0020] The lane departure prevention control may use the road boundary lines, which are the left and right edges of the road, as the reference boundary lines instead of the lane markings on both sides of the driving lane. The road edge is, for example, a curb or the pavement boundary. In this case, the ECU 10 recognizes the left and right edges of the road and performs lane departure prevention control to prevent the vehicle from deviating outside of those left and right edges. In lane departure prevention control, it is also possible to use one reference boundary line on the left or right as the lane marking and the other reference boundary line as the road edge.

[0021] Incidentally, if there are structures such as guardrails, side walls, or buildings outside the lane in which a vehicle is traveling, there is a risk that the vehicle may come into contact with the guardrail or other structure if it deviates outside the lane markings, which are the reference boundary lines. Furthermore, it is thought that the presence of guardrails or other structures may cause the vehicle to veer too far to one side of the lane, increasing the anxiety of the vehicle's occupants. Therefore, in this embodiment, in the vehicle departure prevention control, if an obstacle exists outside the reference boundary line, the reference boundary line is offset inward to define an offset boundary line, and the departure prevention process is performed based on this offset boundary line.

[0022] Figure 2 is a road plan showing an example of a driving scenario in which vehicle CA is likely to deviate from its lane. In Figure 2, the road includes the driving lane LA (own lane) in which vehicle CA is traveling, and lane markings L1 and L2, such as white and yellow lines, are drawn on the left and right sides of the driving lane LA. In this driving scenario, the lateral distance D1 between either the left or right end of vehicle CA and the lane markings L1 and L2 is calculated, and if this lateral distance D1 becomes shorter than a predetermined distance threshold TH1, a deviation prevention process is performed, such as automatic steering by the steering device 33 or a warning by the warning device 34. Figure 2 shows a state in which vehicle CA approaches the left lane marking L1, and then returns to the center of the lane through automatic steering by the steering device 33 or manual steering by the driver.

[0023] The lateral distance D1 is, for example, the distance between the point on the vehicle CA that is closest to the lane markings L1 and L2 and the lane markings L1 and L2. However, the lateral distance D1 may also be the distance between the center of the front wheels on the vehicle CA and the lane markings L1 and L2. The reference position on the lane markings L1 and L2 may be the edge position on the inside or outside of the lane, or the center position in the width direction of the lane markings L1 and L2.

[0024] Figure 3 is a road plan view showing an example of a driving scenario in which a vehicle CA is likely to deviate from its lane on a road where an obstacle G, such as a guardrail, is present on the outside of the lane.

[0025] In Figure 3, a path area EA is set in front of the vehicle CA in the direction of travel, and is the travel path of the vehicle CA with the width of the vehicle CA. Also, an obstacle G is located outside the left lane marking L1 in front of the vehicle. On the outside of the lane, the lateral distance from the lane marking L1 to the obstacle G is D2. The distance D2 should be the distance at the point on the outer surface of the obstacle G that intersects the path area EA and is closest to the lane marking L1. The angle at which the direction of travel of the vehicle CA intersects the lane marking L1 is θ. The path area EA intersects the lane marking L1 at an angle θ. In this case, the lane marking L1 is offset inward to set an offset boundary line LF. In Figure 3, the offset boundary line LF is a virtual line obtained by offsetting the lane marking L1 inward by an offset amount ΔD.

[0026] Then, a deviation prevention process is performed based on the offset boundary line LF. In this case, the lateral distance D3 between either the left or right end of the vehicle CA and the offset boundary line LF is calculated, and if this lateral distance D3 becomes shorter than a predetermined distance threshold TH1, the deviation prevention process is performed by automatic steering by the steering device 33 or by a warning device 34.

[0027] The configuration of the lane departure prevention control in the ECU10 will be described below. In the following description, the ECU10 is configured to recognize the lane markings (white lines, etc.) on the left and right sides of the driving lane as reference boundary lines. In Figure 1, the ECU10 includes a driving path setting unit 11, a lane marking recognition unit 12, an obstacle recognition unit 13, an overlap determination unit 14, and a control unit 15.

[0028] The travel path setting unit 11 sets the travel path in front of the vehicle CA in the direction of travel. The travel path is a predicted trajectory that the vehicle CA is expected to travel from the present moment onward. The travel path is preferably set in front of the vehicle CA in the direction of travel according to the steering angle and yaw rate of the vehicle CA. In this case, when the vehicle CA is traveling in a straight line, if the steering angle and yaw rate are zero, the travel path is set to be straight. Also, when the vehicle CA is turning, the travel path is set to be curved according to the steering angle and yaw rate of the vehicle CA. In this embodiment, a travel area EA is set as the travel path of the vehicle CA, which extends along the predicted direction of travel of the vehicle CA and has the width of the vehicle CA.

[0029] However, when setting a path area EA as the travel path of vehicle CA, the width of the path area EA does not necessarily have to be the same as the width of vehicle CA; it may be narrower than the vehicle width. Alternatively, the width of the path area EA may be wider than the vehicle width. The estimated R may be set as the travel path of vehicle CA based on the travel speed and yaw rate of vehicle CA.

[0030] The lane marking recognition unit 12 recognizes the left and right lane markings L1 and L2 in the vehicle CA's driving lane. At this time, it is preferable to use the image captured by the camera 21 and recognize the lane markings L1 and L2 based on the brightness changes in the image. Specifically, the ECU 10 extracts points of change in contrast (brightness value) on the road surface as edge points for lane markings such as white lines that demarcate lanes on the road surface. Then, it recognizes the lane markings by connecting the extracted edge points into a sequence of edge points.

[0031] The obstacle recognition unit 13 recognizes that an obstacle G is present in front of the vehicle CA. For example, the ECU 10 recognizes the obstacle G based on object detection information from images captured by the camera 21 or object detection information from the radar device 22. In this case, the obstacle G may be recognized by individual pattern matching of the camera images. Alternatively, the obstacle G may be recognized by the reflection point of the transmitted wave from the radar device 22.

[0032] The overlap detection unit 14 determines, when it recognizes that an obstacle G is present in front of the vehicle, whether the path area EA is in an obstacle overlap state where it intersects with lane markings L1 and L2 and overlaps with obstacle G on the far side of lane markings L1 and L2. For example, in the driving scene shown in Figure 3, an obstacle G is present in front of the vehicle on the opposite side of lane marking L1 from the vehicle (i.e., on the far side of lane marking L1), and it is determined that an obstacle overlap state exists.

[0033] When the overlap detection unit 14 determines that an obstacle overlap is occurring, the control unit 15 offsets the lane lines L1 and L2 inward (inward in the left-right direction of the road) to set an offset boundary line LF, and performs a deviation suppression process based on that offset boundary line LF. The offset amount ΔD for setting the offset boundary line LF is a fixed value, and specifically, it is preferably around 100 to several hundred mm.

[0034] The control unit 15 may have a boundary line position determination unit 16 that determines the position of the offset boundary line LF. The boundary line position determination unit 16 variably determines the position of the offset boundary line LF by variably setting the offset amount ΔD. Specifically, the boundary line position determination unit 16 uses, for example, the relationship shown in Figure 4 to set the offset amount ΔD based on the distance D2 (see Figure 3) between the lane line L1 and L2 on the side of the obstacle G and the obstacle G in the left-right direction of the road. According to Figure 4, the smaller the distance D2, the larger the value of the offset amount ΔD is set to.

[0035] Alternatively, the boundary line position determination unit 16 sets the offset amount ΔD based on the angle θ (see Figure 3) at which the direction of travel of vehicle CA intersects the lane lines L1 and L2, and the travel speed of vehicle CA, using, for example, the relationship shown in Figure 5. According to Figure 5, the larger the angle θ, the larger the value of the offset amount ΔD set to. Also, the larger the travel speed of vehicle CA, the larger the value of the offset amount ΔD set to. It is also possible to set the offset amount ΔD based on either the angle θ or the travel speed of vehicle CA.

[0036] When the offset amount ΔD is set according to the relationship between Figures 4 and 5, the offset boundary line LF should be set using the larger of the offset amount ΔD set according to the relationship in Figure 4 and the offset amount ΔD set according to the relationship in Figure 5.

[0037] Figure 6 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for deviation suppression control. This process is repeatedly executed by the ECU 10 at predetermined intervals.

[0038] In Figure 6, in step S11, detection information is acquired from the camera 21, radar device 22, speed sensor 23, steering angle sensor 24, yaw rate sensor 25, etc. In step S12, the path area EA (travel path) in front of the vehicle CA in the direction of travel is set based on the steering angle and yaw rate of the vehicle CA.

[0039] In step S13, the vehicle CA recognizes the left and right lane markings L1 and L2 in the driving lane. At this time, for example, based on the image captured by camera 21, the left and right lane markings L1 and L2 are recognized, and each marking L1 and L2 is set as the left and right reference boundary lines.

[0040] In step S14, object recognition processing is performed in front of the vehicle based on the detection information from the camera 21 and the radar device 22. This recognizes various obstacles G present in front of the vehicle. For example, if an obstacle G such as a guardrail is present in front of the vehicle, the presence of the obstacle G is recognized by the image captured by the camera 21.

[0041] In step S15, it is determined whether the path area EA of vehicle CA intersects with lane markings L1 and L2 and overlaps with obstacle G on the far side of lane markings L1 and L2, thus creating an obstacle overlap condition. If there is no obstacle overlap condition, the process proceeds to step S16; if there is an obstacle overlap condition, the process proceeds to step S17.

[0042] In step S16, lane departure suppression control is performed based on the reference boundary lines L1 and L2. At this time, the lateral distance D1 between the left and right ends of the vehicle CA and the lane lines L1 and L2 is compared with the distance threshold TH1. If the lateral distance D1 becomes shorter than the distance threshold TH1, the steering device 33 performs automatic steering and the warning device 34 performs a warning as a lane departure suppression process.

[0043] In step S17, the time to corner (TTC) of the closest recognition point to the vehicle CA among the obstacles G located in the vehicle CA's path area EA is calculated. In the following step S18, it is determined whether the TTC calculated in step S17 is within a predetermined time. The predetermined time is, for example, about 2 seconds. If the TTC is not within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S16; if the TTC is within the predetermined time, the process proceeds to step S19. In step S16, deviation suppression control is performed based on the offset boundary line LF.

[0044] In steps S17 and S18, the process is to determine whether the time to traffic congestion (TTC) of obstacle G located in the path area EA is within a predetermined time. Alternatively, this process can be used to determine whether the distance from vehicle CA to obstacle G located in the path area EA is within a predetermined distance. Steps S17 and S18 can also be omitted.

[0045] In step S19, an offset amount ΔD is set to offset the lane markings on the obstacle G side inward. For example, the offset amount ΔD is a fixed value. Alternatively, the offset amount ΔD may be a variable value that is set to a variable value. In this case, the relationship shown in Figure 4 is used to set the offset amount ΔD based on the distance D2 between the lane markings L1 and L2 and the obstacle G on the outside of the lane. Alternatively, the relationship shown in Figure 5 is used to set the offset amount ΔD based on the angle θ at which the direction of travel of vehicle CA intersects the lane markings L1 and L2, and the travel speed of vehicle CA.

[0046] Subsequently, in step S20, based on the offset amount ΔD set in step S19, the lane marking on the side with obstacle G among the left and right lane markings L1 and L2 is offset inward in the left-right direction of the road to set the offset boundary line LF.

[0047] Subsequently, in step S21, lane departure suppression control is performed based on the offset boundary line LF. At this time, the lateral distance D3 between the left and right ends of the vehicle CA and the offset boundary line LF is compared with the distance threshold TH1. If the lateral distance D3 becomes shorter than the distance threshold TH1, the steering device 33 performs automatic steering and the warning device 34 performs a warning as a lane departure suppression process. On the left and right sides of the driving lane, on the side opposite to the offset boundary line LF, lane departure suppression control is performed based on the reference boundary lines L1 and L2, as in normal lane departure suppression control.

[0048] According to the embodiment described in detail above, the following excellent effects can be obtained.

[0049] When the vehicle CA's path area EA intersects with lane markings L1 and L2 and overlaps with obstacle G beyond the lane markings L1 and L2, creating an obstacle overlap situation, the lane markings L1 and L2 are offset inward in the left-right direction of the road to set an offset boundary line LF, and departure suppression control is performed based on this offset boundary line LF. This makes it possible to suppress vehicle CA departure while reducing the anxiety of vehicle occupants caused by vehicle CA approaching obstacle G when obstacle G is present outside the lane markings L1 and L2 of the driving lane LA. If there is no obstacle G outside the lane markings L1 and L2, excessive departure suppression is suppressed. As a result, departure suppression control can be performed appropriately when vehicle CA is driving on the road.

[0050] When the path area EA of vehicle CA intersects with the reference boundary lines L1 and L2 and overlaps with obstacle G beyond the boundary lines L1 and L2, the smaller the lateral separation distance D2 between the boundary lines L1 and L2 and obstacle G, the higher the probability of vehicle CA contacting obstacle G. By considering this point and determining the position of the offset boundary line LF based on the lateral separation distance between the boundary lines L1 and L2 and obstacle G, more appropriate deviation suppression control can be achieved.

[0051] When the path area EA of vehicle CA intersects with a lane marking (reference boundary line) and overlaps with an obstacle G beyond the lane marking, the larger the angle θ between the direction of travel of vehicle CA and the lane marking, or the higher the vehicle speed, the higher the probability of the vehicle contacting the obstacle G. By considering this point and determining the position of the offset boundary line LF based on the angle θ or vehicle speed, more appropriate deviation suppression control can be achieved.

[0052] (Modification of the first embodiment) If it is determined that there are overlapping obstacles, it is preferable that the offset boundary line LF be extended in front of the vehicle CA in the direction of travel for a predetermined section, even after the vehicle CA has passed to the side of the obstacle G.

[0053] Specifically, in step S20 of Figure 6, the ECU 10 sets the extension of the offset boundary line LF. At this time, the offset boundary line LF remains active for a predetermined period of time from the current time until a predetermined time has elapsed. The offset period may be set to a predetermined time of, for example, 10 seconds to several minutes. Alternatively, the offset period may be set to a predetermined distance of, for example, 10 to several tens of meters. In this case, after it is determined that there is no obstacle overlap, the offset boundary line LF is deactivated when the offset period has elapsed.

[0054] Figure 7 shows a driving scene of vehicle CA traveling on a road that includes an intersection. In Figure 7, vehicle CA is traveling in lane LA before the intersection. An obstacle G, consisting of a guardrail, is located to the left of lane LA. In this case, the reference boundary lines, such as lane markings, are temporarily interrupted at the intersection, but the offset boundary line LF is set to straddle the intersection by extending the offset boundary line LF. Therefore, even after vehicle CA has passed the side of obstacle G, deviation prevention control is performed based on the offset boundary line LF. This allows for appropriate deviation prevention control to be performed using the virtual boundary line, the offset boundary line LF, even when obstacles such as continuous structures are absent in some sections at intersections, etc.

[0055] It is also possible to set a variable extension period for the offset boundary line LF in the direction of travel ahead of the vehicle CA. For example, obstacle length information, which is information about the length of an obstacle G in the direction along the road, can be obtained, and the extension period of the offset boundary line LF can be set based on that obstacle length information.

[0056] For example, the ECU 10 executes the process shown in Figure 8. In Figure 8, step S31 determines whether the vehicle CA's path area EA intersects with a lane marking and overlaps with an obstacle G beyond the lane marking, thus creating an obstacle overlap condition. If an obstacle overlap condition is found, the process proceeds to step S32. In step S32, obstacle length information is acquired. Obstacle length information is, for example, information indicating the object type of obstacle G. In this case, the obstacle length information may include information such as whether obstacle G is a continuous structure such as a guardrail extending in the direction of vehicle travel, or an obstacle that is not a continuous structure such as a pedestrian or bicycle. The obstacle length information may also be information on the length dimension in the direction of vehicle travel. The obstacle length information may be recognized, for example, from images captured by camera 21 or distance measurement data from radar device 22.

[0057] Subsequently, in step S33, the extension period of the offset boundary line LF is set based on the obstacle length information. At this time, if the obstacle G is a guardrail or the like, and its length in the direction of vehicle travel is greater than or equal to a predetermined length, a relatively longer extension period is set. If the obstacle G is less than the predetermined length in the direction of vehicle travel, a relatively shorter extension period is set.

[0058] Below, we will describe other embodiments that modify parts of the first embodiment, focusing on the differences from the first embodiment.

[0059] (Second Embodiment) In this embodiment, different offset boundary lines LF are set depending on whether the road on which the vehicle CA travels is a straight road or a curved road.

[0060] Figure 9 is a road plan showing a driving scene of vehicle CA traveling on a curved road. The curved road has a straight section P1 and a curved section P2, and in the illustrated scene, vehicle CA is traveling on the straight section P1. The curved road is a right-hand curve, and an obstacle G consisting of a guard rail is located outside the left lane marking L1 of the driving lane LA, along the curved road.

[0061] In the situation shown in Figure 9, vehicle CA is traveling along the straight section P1, and the path area EA is set in a straight line in front of the vehicle. Therefore, the path area EA intersects with the left lane marking L1 and overlaps with obstacle G on the far side of lane marking L1, resulting in an obstacle overlap situation. In this case, an offset boundary line LF is set on the inside of the lane of lane marking L1.

[0062] Subsequently, when vehicle CA proceeds to the curved section P2, the path area EA is set to a curved shape according to the turning condition of vehicle CA. Therefore, the situation in which the path area EA intersects with the lane marking L1 is eliminated. However, in this case, depending on the setting accuracy of the path area EA and the recognition accuracy of the lane marking, it is possible that the path area EA may intersect with the lane marking L1 of the road (curved road), and the path area EA may overlap with an obstacle on the far side of the lane marking L1 (obstacle overlap state). Under these circumstances, there is a concern that the offset boundary line LF may be set excessively inward of the lane, and unnecessary lane departure suppression processing may be performed.

[0063] Therefore, in this embodiment, a first driving scene is defined as a driving scene in which the road ahead of the vehicle CA is a straight road and there are overlapping obstacles on that straight road, and a second driving scene is defined as a driving scene in which the road ahead of the vehicle CA is a curved road and there are overlapping obstacles on that curved road. The driving scene in Figure 9 is a second driving scene. When it is determined that it is a second driving scene, a second offset boundary line is set with an offset amount ΔD smaller than the first offset boundary line when it is determined that it is a first driving scene.

[0064] Figure 10 is a flowchart showing the processing procedure for deviation suppression control in this embodiment. This process is repeatedly executed by the ECU 10 at predetermined intervals.

[0065] In Figure 10, steps S41 to S46 are the same processes as steps S11 to S16 in Figure 6, and these processes will be briefly explained here. In step S41, detection information is acquired from the camera 21, radar device 22, speed sensor 23, steering angle sensor 24, yaw rate sensor 25, etc. In step S42, the path area EA (driving path) in front of the vehicle CA in the direction of travel is set based on the steering angle and yaw rate of the vehicle CA. In step S43, the left and right lane markings L1 and L2 are recognized in the driving lane. In step S44, various obstacles G present in front of the vehicle are recognized through object recognition processing in front of the vehicle.

[0066] In step S45, it is determined whether the vehicle CA's path area EA intersects with lane markings L1 and L2 and overlaps with obstacle G on the far side of lane markings L1 and L2, thus creating an obstacle overlap condition. If there is no obstacle overlap condition, the process proceeds to step S46, where deviation suppression control is performed based on the reference boundary lines L1 and L2.

[0067] Furthermore, if there is an obstacle overlap, the process proceeds to step S47. In step S47, it is determined whether the current driving scene of vehicle CA is the first driving scene (corresponding to the scene determination unit). If it is the first driving scene, step S47 is affirmed and the process proceeds to step S48; if it is the second driving scene, step S47 is denied and the process proceeds to step S50.

[0068] In step S48, a first offset boundary line LF1 is set as the offset boundary line. At this time, the lane marking on the side of the obstacle G, of the left and right lane markings L1 and L2, is offset inward in the left-right direction of the road based on the offset amount ΔD1 to set the first offset boundary line LF1. The offset amount ΔD1 may be set based on the relationship shown in Figure 11 or Figure 12, for example. According to Figure 11, the offset amount ΔD1 is set based on the distance D2 between the lane markings L1 and L2 and the obstacle G on the outside of the lane. Also, according to Figure 12, the offset amount ΔD1 is set based on the angle θ at which the direction of travel of the vehicle CA intersects the lane markings L1 and L2. Note that Figure 12 may also be a representation of the relationship between the angle θ, the travel speed of the vehicle CA, and the offset amount ΔD1, similar to Figure 5.

[0069] Subsequently, in step S49, deviation suppression control is performed based on the first offset boundary line LF1. At this time, based on the result of comparing the lateral distance between the left and right ends of the vehicle CA and the first offset boundary line LF1 with the distance threshold TH1, automatic steering by the steering device 33 and warning by the warning device 34 are performed as deviation suppression processing.

[0070] On the other hand, in step S50, a second offset boundary line LF2 is set as the offset boundary line. At this time, the lane line on the side of the obstacle G among the left and right lane lines L1 and L2 is offset inward in the left-right direction of the road based on the offset amount ΔD2 to set the second offset boundary line LF2. The offset amount ΔD2 can be set, for example, based on the relationship in Figure 11 or Figure 12. In Figures 11 and 12, the offset amount ΔD2 is set to a value smaller than the offset amount ΔD1. As a result, the second offset boundary line LF2 is set as a boundary line with a smaller offset amount relative to the lane lines L1 and L2 than the first offset boundary line LF1.

[0071] Subsequently, in step S51, deviation suppression control is performed based on the second offset boundary line LF2. At this time, based on the result of comparing the lateral distance between the left and right ends of the vehicle CA and the second offset boundary line LF2 with the distance threshold TH1, automatic steering by the steering device 33 and warning by the warning device 34 are performed as deviation suppression processing.

[0072] According to the configuration of this embodiment, when the vehicle CA is traveling on a curved road, it is possible to suppress collisions with obstacles in front of the vehicle while suppressing unnecessary deviation prevention processing.

[0073] (Third embodiment) In this embodiment, when an offset boundary line LF is set inside either the left or right lane marking, an offset boundary line LF is also set outside the other lane marking, and lane departure suppression control is performed based on the offset boundary lines LF on both the left and right sides.

[0074] Figure 13 is a road plan showing a situation where an obstacle G is present to the side of the driving lane LA. In Figure 13, the obstacle G is located outside the left lane marking L1 of the two lane markings L1 and L2 of the driving lane LA. Furthermore, the path of vehicle CA intersects with lane marking L1 and overlaps with obstacle G on the far side of lane marking L1, resulting in an obstacle overlap situation. An inner offset boundary line LF11 is set on the lane side of lane marking L1, which is the first reference boundary line. The inner offset boundary line LF11 is virtually drawn within the driving lane LA at a position offset by ΔD11 from lane marking L1 to the inside of the lane.

[0075] In this case, if an inner offset boundary line LF11 is set within the driving lane LA, the distance between the left and right reference boundary lines that serve as the basis for lane departure suppression control in the driving lane LA becomes narrower, making lane departure suppression control easier to perform. In this case, there is a concern that excessive lane departure suppression control may cause discomfort to the driver. For example, in a configuration in which the offset amount ΔD is set variably, there is a concern that excessive lane departure suppression control may be performed if the offset amount ΔD exceeds a predetermined value, or if the driving lane is relatively narrow.

[0076] Therefore, in this embodiment, when an inner offset boundary line LF11 is set on one side based on the presence of overlapping obstacles, an outer offset boundary line LF12 is set on the outside of the lane marking on the other side. In Figure 13, the outer offset boundary line LF12 is set on the side opposite to the obstacle G on the left and right outer sides of the driving lane LA. If the offset amount of the inner offset boundary line LF11 is ΔD11 and the offset amount of the outer offset boundary line LF12 is ΔD12, then the relationship between ΔD11 and ΔD12 is ΔD11 > ΔD12.

[0077] The ECU10 executes the process shown in Figure 14. This process may be executed, for example, after step S20 in the flowchart in Figure 6. In Figure 6, step S19 sets the offset amount ΔD11 relative to the lane marking L1 and L2 on the left and right sides of the driving lane LA, with respect to the lane marking on the side with obstacle G. In step S20, the inner offset boundary line LF11 is set based on the offset amount ΔD11.

[0078] In Figure 14, step S61 determines whether the offset amount ΔD11 of the inner offset boundary line LF11 is greater than a predetermined value TH. Here, the offset amount ΔD11 is set to be variable. That is, the offset amount ΔD11 is set based on the distance D2 between the lane lines L1, L2 and the obstacle G, the angle θ of the vehicle's direction of travel relative to the lane lines L1, L2, and the vehicle CA's travel speed (see Figures 4 and 5).

[0079] If the offset amount ΔD11 is not greater than a predetermined value TH, the process proceeds to step S62. In step S62, deviation suppression control is performed based on the inner offset boundary line LF11. On the opposite side of the inner offset boundary line LF11, deviation suppression control is performed based on the lane markings.

[0080] Furthermore, if the offset amount ΔD11 is greater than a predetermined value TH, the process proceeds to step S63. In step S63, the offset amount ΔD12 on the opposite side is set. In step S64, the outer offset boundary line LF12 is set based on the offset amount ΔD12 set in step S63. In step S65, deviation suppression control is performed based on both the left and right offset boundary lines LF11 and LF12.

[0081] In step S61, instead of or in addition to the process of determining whether the offset amount ΔD11 is greater than a predetermined value TH, a process of determining whether the lane width is smaller than a predetermined value may be performed. In this case, the outer offset boundary line LF12 is set on the condition that the lane width is smaller than the predetermined value. It is also possible to delete the processes in steps S61 and S62.

[0082] According to the configuration of this embodiment, it is possible to perform deviation suppression control appropriately while suppressing excessive deviation suppression control.

[0083] (Other embodiments) The above embodiment may be modified as follows, for example.

[0084] In the above embodiment, the travel path of vehicle CA is set as a travel area EA having the width of the vehicle, but this can be changed. The travel path of vehicle CA does not have to have the width of the vehicle; for example, the travel path may be set at the center position in the width direction of vehicle CA.

[0085] • A vehicle speed condition may be defined as a condition for executing lane departure prevention control. For example, lane departure prevention control may be executed on the condition that the vehicle's speed is above a predetermined speed (e.g., 30 km / h).

[0086] The control devices and methods described herein may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions embodied by a computer program. Alternatively, the control devices and methods described herein may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor by one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the control devices and methods described herein may be implemented by one or more dedicated computers configured by a combination of a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions and a processor configured by one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by the computer on a computer-readable non-transitional tangible recording medium.

[0087] The technical concepts extracted from the above-described embodiments are described below. [Configuration 1] A vehicle control device (10) that, when a vehicle is traveling on a road, uses either the road boundary lines which are the left and right edges of the road, or the left and right lane markings within the road as reference boundary lines, and performs deviation suppression control to prevent the vehicle from deviating outward from the left and right reference boundary lines, A path setting unit (11) sets the travel path in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel, An obstacle recognition unit (13) recognizes that an obstacle is present in front of the vehicle, When an obstacle is detected in front of the vehicle, the vehicle determines that the vehicle's path intersects the reference boundary line and overlaps with the obstacle beyond the reference boundary line, and the vehicle is in an obstacle overlap state, When it is determined that the aforementioned obstacle overlapping state exists, the control unit (15) offsets the reference boundary line inward in the left-right direction of the road to set an offset boundary line, and performs the deviation suppression control based on the offset boundary line, A vehicle control device equipped with the following features. [Configuration 2] The vehicle control device according to configuration 1, wherein the control unit has a boundary line position determination unit (16) that determines the position of the offset boundary line based on the distance between the reference boundary line and the obstacle in the left-right direction of the road when it is determined that the obstacle overlaps. [Configuration 3] The vehicle control device according to configuration 1 or 2, wherein the control unit has a boundary line position determination unit (16) that determines the position of the offset boundary line based on at least one of the angle at which the direction of travel of the vehicle intersects the reference boundary line and the travel speed of the vehicle when it is determined that the obstacle overlap state is occurring. [Structure 4] The vehicle control device according to any one of configurations 1 to 3, wherein, when the control unit determines that the obstacle overlap state exists, it extends the offset boundary line forward in the direction of travel of the vehicle in a predetermined section even after the vehicle has passed to the side of the obstacle. [Composition 5] The system includes a scene determination unit that determines whether the first driving scene is one in which the road ahead of the vehicle is a straight road and the obstacle overlap occurs on that straight road, and whether the second driving scene is one in which the road ahead of the vehicle is a curved road and the obstacle overlap occurs on that curved road. The control unit, If it is determined that it is the first driving scene, the first offset boundary line is set as the offset boundary line. If it is determined that the second driving scene is occurring, the second offset boundary line is set as the offset boundary line. The vehicle control device according to any one of configurations 1 to 4, wherein the second offset boundary line has a smaller offset amount relative to the reference boundary line than the first offset boundary line. [Composition 6] The control unit, Of the first and second reference boundary lines, which are the reference boundary lines on both the left and right sides, if an inner offset boundary line is set as the offset boundary line on the inside of the first reference boundary line in the left-right direction of the road based on the condition of overlapping obstacles, then an outer offset boundary line with a smaller offset amount than the inner offset boundary line is set on the outside of the second reference boundary line in the left-right direction of the road. A vehicle control device according to any one of configurations 1 to 5, which performs the deviation suppression control based on the inner offset boundary line and the outer offset boundary line. [Composition 7] The control unit, When setting the inner offset boundary line, the offset amount relative to the first reference boundary line is made variable. The vehicle control device according to configuration 6, wherein, on the condition that the offset amount of the inner offset boundary line is greater than or equal to a predetermined amount, the outer offset boundary line is set in addition to the inner offset boundary line. [Explanation of symbols]

[0088] 10...ECU, 11...Driving path setting unit, 13...Obstacle recognition unit, 14...Duplicate determination unit, 15..., Control unit.

Claims

1. A vehicle control device (10) that, when a vehicle is traveling on a road, uses either the road boundary lines which are the left and right edges of the road, or the left and right lane markings within the road as reference boundary lines, and performs deviation suppression control to prevent the vehicle from deviating outward from the left and right reference boundary lines, A path setting unit (11) sets the driving path in front of the vehicle in the direction of travel, An obstacle recognition unit (13) recognizes that an obstacle is present in front of the vehicle, When an obstacle is recognized in front of the vehicle, the vehicle determines that the vehicle's path intersects the reference boundary line and overlaps with the obstacle beyond the reference boundary line, and the vehicle is in an obstacle overlap state, When it is determined that the aforementioned obstacle overlapping state exists, the control unit (15) offsets the reference boundary line inward in the left-right direction of the road to set an offset boundary line, and executes the deviation suppression control based on the offset boundary line, A vehicle control device equipped with the following features.

2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit has a boundary line position determination unit (16) that determines the position of the offset boundary line based on the distance between the reference boundary line and the obstacle in the left-right direction of the road when it is determined that the obstacle overlap state is occurring.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit has a boundary line position determination unit (16) that determines the position of the offset boundary line based on at least one of the angle at which the direction of travel of the vehicle intersects the reference boundary line and the travel speed of the vehicle when it is determined that the obstacle overlap state is present.

4. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein, when the control unit determines that the obstacle overlap state exists, it extends the offset boundary line forward in the direction of travel of the vehicle in a predetermined section even after the vehicle has passed to the side of the obstacle.

5. The system includes a scene determination unit that determines whether the first driving scene is one in which the road ahead of the vehicle is a straight road and the obstacle overlap occurs on that straight road, and whether the second driving scene is one in which the road ahead of the vehicle is a curved road and the obstacle overlap occurs on that curved road. The control unit, If it is determined that it is the first driving scene, the first offset boundary line is set as the offset boundary line. If it is determined that the second driving scene is occurring, the second offset boundary line is set as the offset boundary line. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second offset boundary line has a smaller offset amount with respect to the reference boundary line than the first offset boundary line.

6. The control unit, Of the first and second reference boundary lines, which are the reference boundary lines on both the left and right sides, if an inner offset boundary line is set as the offset boundary line on the inside of the first reference boundary line in the left-right direction of the road based on the condition of overlapping obstacles, then an outer offset boundary line with a smaller offset amount than the inner offset boundary line is set on the outside of the second reference boundary line in the left-right direction of the road. A vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, which performs the deviation suppression control based on the inner offset boundary line and the outer offset boundary line.

7. The control unit, When setting the inner offset boundary line, the offset amount relative to the first reference boundary line is made variable. The vehicle control device according to claim 6, wherein, on the condition that the offset amount of the inner offset boundary line is greater than or equal to a predetermined amount, the outer offset boundary line is set in addition to the inner offset boundary line.

8. A program that, when a vehicle is traveling on a road, uses either the road boundary lines, which are the left and right edges of the road, or the left and right lane markings within the road, as reference boundary lines, and performs deviation suppression control to prevent the vehicle from deviating outward from the left and right reference boundary lines, In the processor, A path setting process that sets the driving path ahead of the vehicle in the direction of travel, Obstacle recognition processing that recognizes the presence of an obstacle in front of the vehicle, When an obstacle is detected in front of the vehicle, an overlap detection process is performed to determine that the vehicle's path intersects with the reference boundary line and overlaps with the obstacle beyond the reference boundary line, thus determining that the vehicle is in an obstacle overlap state. When it is determined that the aforementioned obstacle overlapping state exists, a control process is performed to set an offset boundary line by offsetting the reference boundary line inward in the left-right direction of the road, and to execute the deviation suppression control based on the offset boundary line. A program that executes something.

Images