Automatic driving control device and automatic driving control program

Abstract

To provide an autonomous driving controller making it possible to ensure usefulness of autonomous driving relating to autonomous lane change.SOLUTION: An autonomous driving ECU 50b functions as an autonomous driving controller enabling an own vehicle Am to travel using an autonomous driving feature. The autonomous driving ECU 50b designates a lane change section SLC, where autonomous lane change under autonomous traveling control is needed, in a traveling period under autonomous traveling control in which a driver does not have a periphery monitoring duty on the basis of a designated route to a destination set in the own vehicle Am. The autonomous driving ECU 50b determines, based on at least one of section related information which is related to the lane change section SLC and control condition information which represents a control condition of autonomous traveling control, whether autonomous lane change can be implemented in the lane change section SLC. When determining that autonomous lane change cannot be implemented in the lane change section SLC, the autonomous driving ECU 50b makes a notification that autonomous lane change cannot be implemented over the traveling period under autonomous traveling control.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The disclosure in this specification relates to control technology for autonomous driving. [Background technology]

[0002] Patent Document 1 describes an autonomous driving system that notifies the driver that autonomous driving cannot be continued if the surrounding conditions of the vehicle change while the vehicle is traveling autonomously and it is determined that autonomous driving cannot be continued. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-107502 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] With the recent improvement of autonomous driving functions, the implementation of a function to change lanes of the vehicle while maintaining a controlled state in which the driver is not required to monitor the surroundings is being considered. However, when an autonomous driving system drives a vehicle along a set route toward a destination, even if autonomous driving can continue, there may be situations in which the autonomous driving system cannot change lanes. If appropriate notifications are not given in such situations, the convenience of autonomous driving may be impaired.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide an automatic driving control device and an automatic driving control program that can ensure the convenience of automatic driving related to lane changing. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, one disclosed aspect is an autonomous driving control device that enables a host vehicle (Am) to travel using an autonomous driving function, and includes a section setting unit (76) that sets a lane change section (SLC) where an autonomous lane change is required using autonomous driving control without the driver having to monitor the surroundings, based on a set route to a destination set in the host vehicle; and a situation determination unit (77) that determines whether or not an autonomous lane change can be performed in the lane change section, based on at least one of section related information related to the lane change section and control state information indicating the control state of the autonomous driving control. A driver state grasping unit (71) that grasps whether or not the driver is performing a specific action other than driving that is specified in advance during a driving period under the autonomous driving control; and a notification unit (72) that, when it is determined that an automated lane change cannot be performed in a lane change section, issues a notification indicating that an automated lane change cannot be performed during a driving period under autonomous driving control. The notification execution unit suppresses notification indicating that the vehicle lane change cannot be performed when the driver is monitoring the surroundings compared to when the driver is performing a specific action. It is said to be an automatic driving control device.

[0007] One disclosed aspect is an autonomous driving control program that enables a host vehicle (Am) to travel using an autonomous driving function, and based on a set route to a destination set in the host vehicle, sets a lane change section (SLC) where an autonomous lane change is required using autonomous driving control without the driver having to monitor the surroundings (S11 to S13), and determines whether or not an autonomous lane change can be performed in the lane change section based on at least one of section-related information related to the lane change section and control status information indicating a control status of the autonomous driving control. (S 233~S23 8) , During a driving period under the autonomous driving control, it is determined whether or not the driver is performing a specific action other than driving that is specified in advance (S241); If it is determined that lane changes cannot be made in a lane change section, a notification is issued indicating that lane changes cannot be made during the period of driving under autonomous driving control. S twenty four 3) , When the driver is monitoring the surroundings, a notification indicating that the vehicle lane change cannot be performed is suppressed more than when the driver is performing a specific action. The automatic operation control program causes at least one processing unit (51) to execute a process including the steps of:

[0008] In these aspects, if it is determined that the lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section set based on the set route to the destination, a notification indicating that the lane change cannot be performed is given during the driving period by the autonomous driving control. Therefore, the driver can understand that it is difficult to drive according to the set route and that a measure is necessary during the continued autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings. As a result, the convenience of the autonomous driving related to the lane change can be ensured.

[0009] In addition, the reference numbers in parentheses in the above and claims merely show an example of the correspondence with the specific configurations in the embodiments described below, and do not limit the technical scope in any way. In addition, claims that are not explicitly stated in the claims can be combined together as long as there is no particular problem with the combination. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0010] [Figure 1] 1 is a diagram showing an overall view of an in-vehicle network including an autonomous driving ECU according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing details of an autonomous driving ECU. [Diagram 3] FIG. 11 is a timing diagram for explaining the transition of control and display in a driving scene related to a lane change section. [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart showing details of a section setting process for setting a lane change section. [Diagram 5] 1 is a table showing the correspondence between the control state of automatic driving and a determination as to whether or not an automated lane change can be performed. [Figure 6] 10 is a flowchart showing details of a first determination process performed before entering a lane change section. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart showing details of a second determination process that is performed after entering a lane change section. [Figure 8] 13 is a table showing the correspondence between the control state of automatic driving and a determination as to whether or not to execute an automated lane change in the second embodiment. [Figure 9]FIG. 13 is a diagram showing details of the control of an automated lane change performed in a vanished merging lane. [Figure 10] 10 is a flowchart showing details of a first determination process. [Figure 11] 13 is a flowchart showing details of a section adjustment process. [Figure 12] 13 is a flowchart showing details of a first determination process according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0011] Hereinafter, multiple embodiments of the present disclosure will be described based on the drawings. In addition, by assigning the same reference numerals to corresponding components in each embodiment, duplicated descriptions may be omitted. When only a part of the configuration is described in each embodiment, the configuration of the other embodiment described above can be applied to the other parts of the configuration. In addition to the combination of configurations explicitly stated in the description of each embodiment, configurations of multiple embodiments can be partially combined even if not explicitly stated, as long as there is no particular problem with the combination. And, combinations of configurations described in multiple embodiments and modified examples that are not explicitly stated are also considered to be disclosed by the following description.

[0012] First embodiment The function of the automatic driving control device according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure is realized by an automatic driving ECU (Electronic Control Unit) 50b shown in Fig. 1 and Fig. 2. The automatic driving ECU 50b is mounted on a vehicle (hereinafter, the host vehicle Am) together with a driving assistance ECU 50a. The automatic driving ECU 50b and the driving assistance ECU 50a constitute an automatic driving system 50 of the host vehicle Am. By mounting the automatic driving system 50, the host vehicle Am becomes an automatic driving vehicle equipped with an automatic driving function and is capable of traveling by the automatic driving function.

[0013] The driving assistance ECU 50a is an in-vehicle ECU that realizes a driving assistance function that assists the driver in driving operations in the automated driving system 50. The driving assistance ECU 50a enables advanced driving assistance of about level 2 or partial automated driving in the automated driving level defined by the Society of Automotive Engineers. The automated driving performed by the driving assistance ECU 50a is an automated driving with a periphery monitoring obligation that requires the driver to visually monitor the surroundings of the vehicle. For example, driving assistance functions such as ACC (Adaptive Cruise Control), LTC (Lane Trace Control), and LCA (Lane Change Assist) are realized by the driving assistance ECU 50a.

[0014] The autonomous driving ECU 50b is an in-vehicle ECU that realizes an autonomous driving function that can take over driving operations from the driver. The autonomous driving ECU 50b can perform autonomous driving of level 3 or higher, where the system is the main controller. Level 3 autonomous driving performed by the autonomous driving ECU 50b is eyes-off autonomous driving, which does not require monitoring of the surroundings of the vehicle. Furthermore, level 4 autonomous driving performed by the autonomous driving ECU 50b is fully autonomous driving in which all driving tasks are performed by the system, and is brain-off autonomous driving in which no request is made to the driver to take over driving.

[0015] In the autonomous driving system 50, the control state of the autonomous driving function is switched among a plurality of control states including at least driving assistance control by the driving assistance ECU 50a with the obligation to monitor the surroundings, and autonomous driving control by the autonomous driving ECU 50b with no obligation to monitor the surroundings. In the following description, autonomous driving control of level 2 or lower by the driving assistance ECU 50a is referred to as "driving assistance control," and autonomous driving control of level 3 or higher by the autonomous driving ECU 50b is referred to as "autonomous driving control."

[0016] During the autonomous driving period in which the host vehicle Am is driven by the autonomous driving control by the autonomous driving ECU 50b, the driver may be permitted to perform a specific action other than driving that is prescribed in advance (hereinafter, a second task). The driver is legally permitted to perform the second task until a driving change request is made by the autonomous driving ECU 50b in cooperation with the HCU (Human Machine Interface Control Unit) 100 described later. For example, actions such as watching entertainment content such as video content, operating a device such as a smartphone, and eating are assumed as second tasks.

[0017] The driving assistance ECU 50a and the autonomous driving ECU 50b are communicatively connected to a communication bus 99 of an in-vehicle network 1 mounted on the host vehicle Am. The surroundings monitoring sensor 30, the locator 35, the navigation ECU 38, the in-vehicle communication device 39, the driving control ECU 40, the body ECU 43, the HCU 100, and the like are connected to the communication bus 99. These nodes connected to the communication bus 99 are capable of communicating with each other. Certain nodes among these ECUs, etc. may be directly electrically connected to each other and capable of communicating with each other without going through the communication bus 99.

[0018] The driver monitor 29 includes a near-infrared light source, a near-infrared camera, and a control unit for controlling them. The driver monitor 29 is installed, for example, on the upper surface of the steering column or the upper surface of the instrument panel with the near-infrared camera facing the headrest of the driver's seat. The driver monitor 29 uses the near-infrared camera to capture an image of the driver's head illuminated with near-infrared light from the near-infrared light source. The image captured by the near-infrared camera is analyzed by the control unit. The control unit extracts information such as the position and line of sight of the driver from the captured image. The driver monitor 29 provides the position information and line of sight direction information of the eye point extracted by the control unit as driver status information to the HCU 100 and the autonomous driving ECU 50b.

[0019] The periphery monitoring sensor 30 is an autonomous sensor that monitors the surrounding environment of the host vehicle Am. The periphery monitoring sensor 30 includes, for example, one or more of a camera unit 31, a millimeter wave radar 32, a lidar 33, and a sonar 34. The periphery monitoring sensor 30 can detect moving objects and stationary objects within a detection range around the host vehicle. The periphery monitoring sensor 30 provides detection information of objects around the host vehicle to the driving assistance ECU 50a, the autonomous driving ECU 50b, etc.

[0020] Locator 35 includes a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver, an inertial sensor, etc. Locator 35 sequentially determines the position and traveling direction of vehicle Am by combining positioning signals received from multiple positioning satellites by the GNSS receiver, measurement results of the inertial sensor, and vehicle speed information output to communication bus 99, etc. Locator 35 sequentially outputs position information and direction information of vehicle Am based on the positioning results to communication bus 99 as locator information.

[0021] Locator 35 further includes a map database (hereinafter, map DB) 36 that stores map data. Map DB 36 is mainly composed of a large-capacity storage medium that stores a large amount of three-dimensional map data and two-dimensional map data. The three-dimensional map data is a so-called HD (High Definition) map, and includes road information necessary for autonomous driving. Specifically, the three-dimensional map data includes three-dimensional shape information of roads and detailed information of each lane. Locator 35 can update the three-dimensional map data and the two-dimensional map data to the latest information through external communication by in-vehicle communication device 39. Locator 35 reads map data of the surroundings of the current position from map DB 36, and provides it to driving assistance ECU 50a, autonomous driving ECU 50b, etc. together with locator information.

[0022] The navigation ECU 38 acquires information on a destination designated by a passenger such as a driver based on operation information acquired from the HCU 100. The navigation ECU 38 acquires vehicle position information and direction information from the locator 35, and sets a route from the current position to the destination. The navigation ECU 38 provides route information indicating the set route to the destination to the driving assistance ECU 50a, the autonomous driving ECU 50b, the HCU 100, etc. The navigation ECU 38 cooperates with the HMI system 10, and notifies the driver of the traveling direction of the vehicle Am at intersections, branching points, etc., by combining screen displays and voice messages as route guidance to the destination.

[0023] Here, a user terminal such as a smartphone may be connected to the in-vehicle network 1 or the HCU 100. Such a user terminal may provide vehicle position information, direction information, map data, etc. to the driving assistance ECU 50a and the autonomous driving ECU 50b, etc., instead of the locator 35. Furthermore, the user terminal may provide route information to a destination to the driving assistance ECU 50a, the autonomous driving ECU 50b, the HCU 100, etc., instead of the navigation ECU 38.

[0024] The in-vehicle communication device 39 is an external communication unit mounted on the vehicle Am and functions as a V2X (Vehicle to Everything) communication device. The in-vehicle communication device 39 transmits and receives information to and from roadside devices installed on the side of the road by wireless communication. As an example, the in-vehicle communication device 39 receives congestion information and traffic regulation information around the current position and in the traveling direction of the vehicle Am from the roadside device. The congestion information and traffic regulation information are, for example, VICS (registered trademark) information. The in-vehicle communication device 39 provides the received congestion information and traffic regulation information to the autonomous driving ECU 50b, the HCU 100, and the like.

[0025] The driving control ECU 40 is an electronic control device mainly including a microcontroller. The driving control ECU 40 generates vehicle speed information indicating the current driving speed of the host vehicle Am based on detection signals from wheel speed sensors provided at the hubs of each wheel, and sequentially outputs the generated vehicle speed information to the communication bus 99. In addition, the driving control ECU 40 has at least the functions of a brake control ECU, a drive control ECU, and a steering control ECU. The driving control ECU 40 continuously performs brake force control for each wheel, output control of the in-vehicle power source, and steering angle control based on any one of an operation command based on the driver's driving operation, a control command from the driving assistance ECU 50a, and a control command from the automatic driving ECU 50b.

[0026] The body ECU 43 is an electronic control device mainly including a microcontroller. The body ECU 43 has at least a function of controlling the operation of lighting devices (e.g., turn indicators 44, etc.) mounted on the host vehicle Am. The body ECU 43 starts blinking of either the left or right turn indicator 44 corresponding to the operation direction based on detection of a user operation input to a turn indicator switch provided on a steering column or the like. In addition, the body ECU 43 starts blinking of either the left or right turn indicator 44 corresponding to the moving direction of the host vehicle Am based on a control command received from the automatic driving system 50 when changing lanes by driving assistance control or autonomous driving control.

[0027] The HCU 100, together with a plurality of display devices, an audio device 24, an ambient light 25, an operation device 26, etc., constitutes an HMI (Human Machine Interface) system 10. The HMI system 10 has an input interface function that accepts operations by an occupant such as a driver of the host vehicle Am, and an output interface function that presents information to the driver.

[0028] The display device presents information to the driver's vision by displaying images, etc. The display device includes a meter display 21, a center information display (hereinafter, CID) 22, and a head-up display (hereinafter, HUD) 23, etc. The CID 22 has a touch panel function and detects touch operations on the display screen by the driver, etc.

[0029] The audio device 24 has multiple speakers arranged in the vehicle cabin surrounding the driver's seat, and reproduces notification sounds, voice messages, etc., through the speakers into the vehicle cabin. The ambient light 25 is provided on the instrument panel, steering wheel, etc. The ambient light 25 presents information to the driver using the peripheral vision by changing the light emission color as an ambient display.

[0030] The operation device 26 is an input unit that accepts user operations by the driver, etc. For example, user operations related to activation and deactivation of an automatic driving function, user operations related to setting a destination for route guidance, etc. are input to the operation device 26. The operation device 26 includes a steering switch provided on the spokes of the steering wheel, an operation lever provided on the steering column, and a voice input device that recognizes the contents of the driver's speech, etc.

[0031] The HCU 100 is a computer mainly including a processing unit 11, a RAM 12, a storage unit 13, an input / output interface 14, and a control circuit including a bus connecting these, etc. The HCU 100 functions as a presentation control device, and comprehensively controls the presentation of information using a plurality of display devices, an audio device 24, and an ambient light 25.

[0032] The HCU 100 presents information related to autonomous driving in cooperation with the autonomous driving system 50. Specifically, the HCU 100 acquires control status information indicating the operation state of the autonomous driving function and a request to present information related to the autonomous driving function from the autonomous driving ECU 50b, and provides content and presents information according to the operation state of the autonomous driving. For example, when the autonomous driving ECU 50b plans to end the autonomous driving control, the HCU 100 issues a notification requesting the execution of a driving operation, in other words, a notification requesting a driver change.

[0033] The HCU 100 acquires operation information indicating the content of a user operation from the CID 22, the operation device 26, etc. The HCU 100 provides operation information of a user operation related to an autonomous driving function to the autonomous driving ECU 50b. The HCU 100 also provides operation information of a user operation for setting a destination of the host vehicle Am to the navigation ECU 38.

[0034] Next, the automatic driving ECU 50b will be described in further detail.

[0035] The autonomous driving ECU 50b has a higher computing power than the driving assistance ECU 50a and can at least perform driving control equivalent to ACC, LTC, and LCA. The autonomous driving ECU 50b may perform driving assistance control in which the driver is responsible for monitoring the surroundings, in place of the driving assistance ECU 50a, in situations where the autonomous driving control is temporarily suspended. The autonomous driving ECU 50b is a computer that mainly includes a control circuit equipped with a processing unit 51, a RAM 52, a storage unit 53, an input / output interface 54, and a bus connecting these.

[0036] The processing unit 51 executes various processes for implementing the autonomous driving control method of the present disclosure by accessing the RAM 52. Various programs (such as an autonomous driving control program) executed by the processing unit 51 are stored in the storage unit 53. By executing the programs by the processing unit 51, an information linking unit 61, an environment recognition unit 62, a behavior determination unit 63, a control execution unit 64, and the like are constructed in the autonomous driving ECU 50b as a plurality of functional units for implementing the autonomous driving function (see FIG. 2).

[0037] The information linking unit 61 provides information to the HCU 100 and acquires information from the HCU 100 and the driver monitor 29. The information linking unit 61 acquires control state information indicating the operation state of the autonomous driving function from the action determination unit 63, and provides the acquired control state information to the HCU 100. The control state information includes information indicating the autonomous driving level of the autonomous driving function in the operation state. In other words, the control state information includes information indicating the presence or absence of a periphery monitoring obligation and information indicating the control state of the autonomous driving control. The information linking unit 61 has an HMI information acquisition unit 71 and a notification request unit 72 as sub-functional units for information linking with the HCU 100 and the driver monitor 29.

[0038] The HMI information acquisition unit 71 grasps the contents of user operations input to the CID 22 and the operation device 26 by the driver or the like, based on the operation information acquired from the HCU 100. The HMI information acquisition unit 71 grasps, for example, a level 2 transition operation that instructs a transition from manual driving to driving assistance control, and a level 3 transition operation that instructs a transition from driving assistance control to autonomous driving control. Furthermore, the HMI information acquisition unit 71 grasps an approval operation that approves the start of lateral movement in a scene in which a lane change is performed, which will be described later.

[0039] The HMI information acquisition unit 71 grasps the driver's behavior based on the driver status information acquired from the driver monitor 29. During a driving period under driving assistance control or autonomous driving control, the HMI information acquisition unit 71 continuously grasps, for example, the driver's driving posture, line of sight direction, whether or not surrounding monitoring is being performed, whether or not a second task is being performed, and the degree of awakening.

[0040] The notification request unit 72 enables the HCU 100 to make a notification synchronized with the operating state of the autonomous driving function by outputting a request for making a notification to the HCU 100. For example, when the end of the autonomous driving control is scheduled, the notification request unit 72 outputs a request for making a notification requesting a driver change to the HCU 100. The notification request unit 72 also outputs a request for making a notification related to an automobile lane change, which will be described later, to the HCU 100. The notification request unit 72 causes the HMI system 10 to make an implementation notification, a waiting notification, an approval request notification, a cancellation advance notification, a cancellation notification, a monitoring recommendation notification, an alternative route proposal notification, and the like, as notifications related to an automobile lane change (see FIG. 6 and FIG. 7). For these notifications, a virtual image display using the HUD 23 and a screen display using the meter display 21 are used. Reproduction of a notification sound or a message by the audio device 24 may be used as these notifications.

[0041] The environment recognition unit 62 recognizes the driving environment of the host vehicle Am by combining the locator information and map data acquired from the locator 35 with the detection information acquired from the periphery monitoring sensor 30. The environment recognition unit 62 acquires vehicle speed information indicating the current driving speed from the communication bus 99 as information indicating the state of the host vehicle Am. The environment recognition unit 62 has an other vehicle grasping unit 73 and a road information grasping unit 74 as sub-functional units for recognizing the driving environment.

[0042] The other vehicle grasping unit 73 grasps the relative position, relative speed, etc. of dynamic targets around the host vehicle, such as other vehicles traveling around the host vehicle Am. For example, in a scene where an automobile lane change is performed, which will be described later, the other vehicle grasping unit 73 grasps the relative position, relative speed, etc. of other vehicles traveling in an adjacent lane that is the destination, and determines whether or not there is a space in the adjacent lane where the host vehicle Am can move.

[0043] The other vehicle grasping unit 73 grasps the congestion around the host vehicle Am by combining the information of the recognized other vehicles with the vehicle speed information of the host vehicle Am, etc. When the current traveling speed of the host vehicle Am is equal to or lower than the congestion speed (for example, about 30 km / h) and there are both a vehicle ahead and a vehicle behind the host vehicle Am traveling in the same lane, the other vehicle grasping unit 73 determines that the area around the host vehicle is in a congestion state.

[0044] The road information grasping unit 74 acquires information related to the road on which the host vehicle Am is traveling or is scheduled to travel. Specifically, when the host vehicle Am is traveling on a road including multiple lanes, the road information grasping unit 74 identifies the position of the host vehicle lane on which the host vehicle Am is traveling. In addition, the road information grasping unit 74 combines route information acquired from the navigation ECU 38 with congestion information and traffic regulation information acquired from the in-vehicle communication device 39 to grasp congestion and traffic regulations (e.g., lane restrictions due to construction) occurring on the set route to the destination.

[0045] The road information grasping unit 74 grasps whether the road on which the host vehicle Am is traveling or the road on which the host vehicle Am is scheduled to travel is within a preset permission area or a limited permission area. Information indicating whether the road is a permission area or a limited permission area may be recorded in the map data stored in the map DB 36, or may be included in the received information received by the in-vehicle communication device 39. The permission area and the limited permission area correspond to the road conditions of the operational design domain in which the driver is permitted to use the autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings. The operational design domain is a specific condition related to the designed driving environment that is the premise for the autonomous driving system 50 to operate normally, and is set according to the capability of the autonomous driving system 50. The permission area and the limited permission area in the first embodiment are set, for example, on a highway or a motorway. Furthermore, a specific general road that is developed so that autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings can be implemented may be set as the permission area or the limited permission area.

[0046] The behavior determination unit 63 cooperates with the driving assistance ECU 50a and the HCU 100 to control the automatic driving system 50 and the driving changeover between the driver. When the automatic driving ECU 50b has the control right of the driving operation, the behavior determination unit 63 generates a planned driving line for the host vehicle Am to travel based on the recognition result of the driving environment by the environment recognition unit 62, and outputs the generated planned driving line to the control execution unit 64. The behavior determination unit 63 has a control switching unit 75 as a sub-functional unit for controlling the operating state of the automatic driving function.

[0047] The control switching unit 75 cooperates with the driving assistance ECU 50a to switch between level 2 driving assistance control, in which the driver is obligated to monitor the surroundings, and autonomous driving control, in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings. In addition, the control switching unit 75 switches between level 3 autonomous driving and level 4 autonomous driving, in the autonomous driving control in which the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings. Furthermore, the control switching unit 75 switches the control state of level 3 autonomous driving among a plurality of control states, including area-limited control (hereinafter, area level 3) that is implemented only when driving within a specific area, and traffic jam-limited control (hereinafter, traffic jam level 3) that is implemented only when driving in a traffic jam.

[0048] In detail, the control switching unit 75 permits the implementation of both area level 3 and congestion level 3 on roads in the permission area, and permits the implementation of only congestion level 3 on roads in the limited permission area. For example, when the host vehicle Am is traveling on a road in the permission area and there is no congestion around the host vehicle, the control switching unit 75 sets the control state of the autonomous driving control to area level 3. On the other hand, when the host vehicle Am is traveling on a road in the permission area or the limited permission area and the other vehicle grasping unit 73 grasps congestion around the host vehicle, the control switching unit 75 sets the control state of the autonomous driving control to congestion level 3. The control switching unit 75 generates control state information indicating the current operating state of the autonomous driving function, and provides the generated control state information to the information linking unit 61, the situation determination unit 77, and the like.

[0049] When the autonomous driving ECU 50b has control of driving operations, the control execution unit 64 cooperates with the cruise control ECU 40 to execute acceleration / deceleration control, steering control, and the like of the host vehicle Am according to the planned driving line generated by the action determination unit 63. Specifically, the control execution unit 64 generates control commands based on the planned driving line and sequentially outputs the generated control commands to the cruise control ECU 40.

[0050] The above-described autonomous driving ECU 50b can execute lane changes by autonomous driving control while maintaining a state in which the driver is not required to monitor the surroundings. As a configuration for executing such an autonomous lane change, the behavior determination unit 63 is provided with sub-functions such as a section setting unit 76, a situation determination unit 77, and a lane change control unit 78. In addition, the autonomous driving ECU 50b further includes an operation control unit 65.

[0051] The section setting unit 76 sets a lane change section SLC (see FIG. 3) based on a set route set for the host vehicle Am. The lane change section SLC is a section where an automobile lane change by autonomous driving control is required to travel to a destination set in the navigation ECU 38. The section setting unit 76 starts the section setting process (see FIG. 4) based on, for example, the start of traveling of the host vehicle Am by autonomous driving control.

[0052] In the section setting process, the section setting unit 76 acquires route information from the navigation ECU 38 (S11). The section setting unit 76 extracts points where lane changes are required as guidance reference points P2 (see FIG. 3) from the set route indicated by the route information (S12). For example, a branch point leading to a junction and a branch point leading to an interchange serving as an exit are extracted as the guidance reference points P2. Furthermore, a branch point leading to an interchange serving as an entrance to a highway and a merging point merging into a main roadway of the highway may be extracted as the guidance reference point P2. The guidance reference point P2 is set to a terminal point where lane changes are physically impossible. The section setting unit 76 sets a lane change section SLC in a section on the front side of the guidance reference point P2 (S13). As an example, the section setting unit 76 sets a start point of the lane change section SLC (hereinafter, section start point P1, see FIG. 3) a predetermined distance (for example, 1 km) before the guidance reference point P2.

[0053] The section start point P1 is set between the guidance start point P0 (see FIG. 3) and the guidance reference point P2. The guidance start point P0 is a point where the HCU 100 starts the initial route guidance for the guidance reference point P2 based on an implementation request from the navigation ECU 38. As an example, the guidance start point P0 is set about 3 km before the guidance reference point P2. Also, instead of the section start point P1 and the guidance start point P0, a section start time t1 and a guidance start time t0 may be set based on the time when the host vehicle Am reaches the guidance reference point P2 (hereinafter, reference time t2). Even in this embodiment, the section from the section start time t1 to the reference time t2 becomes the lane change section SLC.

[0054] The situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not an automated lane change can be performed while maintaining autonomous driving control in the lane change section SLC. The situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not an automated lane change can be performed both before the host vehicle Am enters the lane change section SLC and after the host vehicle Am enters the lane change section SLC. The situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not multiple automated lane changes are necessary in the lane change section SLC based on detailed information of each lane recorded in the map data. In addition, when multiple automated lane changes are necessary, the situation determination unit 77 further determines whether or not multiple automated lane changes can be completed in the lane change section SLC after the host vehicle Am enters the lane change section SLC.

[0055] The situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not an automated lane change can be performed in the lane change section SLC based on at least one of the section related information and the control status information (see FIG. 5). The section related information is information related to the lane change section SLC, and specifically includes congestion information in the lane change section SLC. As described above, the control status information is information indicating the current operating status of the automatic driving function, and includes information indicating the control status of autonomous driving control at level 3 or higher.

[0056] When the situation determination unit 77 has acquired control state information indicating that autonomous driving control at level 3 during congestion is in operation, it determines that an automated lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section SLC. On the other hand, when the situation determination unit 77 has acquired control state information indicating that autonomous driving control at level 4 or higher is in operation, it determines that an automated lane change can be performed in the lane change section SLC.

[0057] Furthermore, when control state information indicating that the area level 3 autonomous driving control is in operation is acquired, the situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not the situation allows an automated lane change to be performed based on the section related information. In this case, the situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not the lane change section SLC is congested based on the congestion information. If the lane change section SLC is congested, the situation determination unit 77 determines that an automated lane change cannot be performed. On the other hand, if the lane change section SLC is not congested, the situation determination unit 77 determines that an automated lane change can be performed.

[0058] In addition, when the autonomous driving control of area level 3 is in operation, the situation determination unit 77 may use map data and road regulation information related to the lane change section SLC as section related information. Specifically, the situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not the lane is to be changed to a lane where the cruising speed of other vehicles traveling is expected to exceed the speed limit (hereinafter, the speed limit lane), such as an overtaking lane, based on detailed information of each lane recorded in the map data. In the autonomous driving control that does not allow traveling at a speed exceeding the speed limit, it is difficult to change the lane to the speed limit lane. Therefore, when the lane is to be changed to the speed limit lane, the situation determination unit 77 determines that the lane change cannot be performed.

[0059] Furthermore, the situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not lane regulation is being performed in the lane change section SLC based on the road regulation information. If lane regulation is being performed, the situation determination unit 77 determines that an automated lane change cannot be performed. Note that, if lane regulation is occurring in the lane change section SLC, the section setting unit 76 may perform a process of changing the lane change section SLC to a section that is not subject to lane regulation.

[0060] The lane change control unit 78 executes an automated lane change in the lane change section SLC. When there is a space in the adjacent lane where the host vehicle Am can move, the lane change control unit 78 starts the lateral movement of the host vehicle Am toward the adjacent lane. On the other hand, when there is no space in the adjacent lane where the host vehicle Am can move, the lane change control unit 78 executes offset control. The offset control is a driving control that shifts the running position of the host vehicle Am in the lateral direction from approximately the center of the host vehicle lane toward the adjacent lane. The lane change control unit 78 offsets the running position of the host vehicle Am toward the adjacent lane so that the host vehicle Am does not contact the section line between the host vehicle lane and the adjacent lane. When a space in which the host vehicle Am can move is generated in the adjacent lane after the offset control is started, the lane change control unit 78 starts the lateral movement across the division line based on the input of an approval operation by the driver.

[0061] The operation control unit 65 controls the start and end of the blinking operation of the direction indicator 44 by outputting a control command to the body ECU 43. The operation control unit 65 causes the blinking operation of the direction indicator 44 on the adjacent lane side to be performed in accordance with the execution of an automobile lane change by the lane change control unit 78. Specifically, the operation control unit 65 causes the blinking operation of the direction indicator 44 to be started before the start of lateral movement of the host vehicle Am toward the adjacent lane. Furthermore, the operation control unit 65 causes the blinking operation of the direction indicator 44 to be ended after the movement to the adjacent lane is completed.

[0062] In addition, the operation control unit 65 causes the turn indicator 44 on the adjacent lane to blink even when offset control is performed by the lane change control unit 78. The operation control unit 65 causes the turn indicator 44 to start blinking before the start of lateral movement due to offset control. The operation control unit 65 ends the blinking operation of the turn indicator 44 based on the completion of movement to the adjacent lane or the decision to cancel the automated lane change. When multiple automated lane changes are performed consecutively, the operation control unit 65 causes the turn indicator 44 to continue blinking until all of the multiple automated lane changes are completed.

[0063] Next, the multiple notifications related to the automated lane change described above will be described in detail.

[0064] The notification request unit 72 outputs an implementation request to the HCU 100 to perform the above-mentioned implementation notification, waiting notification, approval request notification, cancellation advance notification, cancellation notification, monitoring recommendation notification, alternative route proposal notification, etc. Based on the implementation request acquired from the notification request unit 72, the HCU 100 performs these notifications mainly to the driver using the meter display 21 and the HUD 23. The HCU 100 may present information related to lane change to passengers of the host vehicle Am other than the driver by using the CID 22. Furthermore, the audio device 24 and the ambient light 25 may be used for these notifications.

[0065] The implementation notification is a notification that indicates the control state of the automated lane change to the driver. The implementation notification starts when the lateral movement of the automated lane change can be started in the lane change section SLC (see FIG. 3). The implementation notification continues until the movement of the host vehicle Am to the adjacent lane is completed.

[0066] The waiting notification is a notification that indicates to the driver that the vehicle is waiting for the lane change. The waiting notification is started before the offset control starts when there is no space in the adjacent lane in which the vehicle Am can move in the lane change section SLC (see FIG. 3). The waiting notification continues until the vehicle can start moving to the adjacent lane or the lane change is canceled.

[0067] The approval request notification is initiated when a space in which the host vehicle Am can move is generated in the adjacent lane after the offset control is initiated (see FIG. 3). The approval request notification is a notification that asks the driver whether or not to start moving to the adjacent lane, and more specifically, is a notification that requests the driver to input an approval operation to approve the start of moving to the adjacent lane. The approval request notification is continued until the HMI information acquisition unit 71 grasps the input of the approval operation or the automated lane change is canceled.

[0068] The cancel warning notification and the cancel notification are notifications indicating that the lane change cannot be performed when it is determined that the lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section SLC. The cancel warning notification and the cancel notification are performed during the automatic driving period in which the host vehicle Am continues to drive under the autonomous driving control. The cancel warning notification and the cancel notification are notifications related to the cancellation of the lane change, and are not notifications of the cancellation of the autonomous driving control.

[0069] The cancel notification is issued before the section start point P1 where the host vehicle Am enters the lane change section SLC, and is a notification that notifies the host vehicle that an automated lane change cannot be made (see FIG. 3). The cancel notification is issued after the host vehicle Am enters the lane change section SLC, i.e., after passing the section start point P1, and is a notification that indicates that an automated lane change cannot be made (see FIG. 3). The cancel notification is also issued when multiple automated lane changes are scheduled in the lane change section SLC and it is determined that the multiple automated lane changes cannot be completed before the host vehicle Am reaches the guidance reference point P2. This notifies the driver that multiple automated lane changes cannot be made.

[0070] The monitoring recommendation notification is initiated after entering the lane change section SLC when it is determined that multiple lane changes are necessary in the lane change section SLC. The monitoring recommendation notification is a notification that encourages the driver to monitor the surroundings. However, even when multiple lane changes are made, the driver is not obligated to monitor the surroundings. The monitoring recommendation notification recommends the driver to perform preliminary monitoring of the surroundings in a situation where there is no obligation to monitor the surroundings.

[0071] The alternative route proposal notification is implemented when it is determined that an automated lane change cannot be implemented in the lane change section SLC. The alternative route proposal notification is a notification that proposes to the driver a route that is different from the set route being guided and that allows the driver to continue driving by autonomous driving control. Information on the alternative route is generated by the navigation ECU 38 and provided to the HCU 100. The alternative route proposal notification can be implemented both before the host vehicle Am enters the lane change section SLC and after the host vehicle Am enters the lane change section SLC. The first alternative route proposal notification is implemented following a cancellation notice. The second alternative route proposal notification is implemented following a cancellation notice. The alternative route proposal notification may be started together with a cancellation notice or a cancellation notice.

[0072] Next, the first and second determination processes for determining whether or not an automatic lane change can be performed will be described in detail based on FIGS. 6 and 7 with reference to FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG.

[0073] The first judgment process (see FIG. 6) is started by the autonomous driving ECU 50b after the host vehicle Am passes the guidance start point P0 and the first route guidance is performed. In the first judgment process, the situation determination unit 77 acquires the latest control state information and section related information (S31 and S32). The order of acquiring the control state information and the section related information may be changed as appropriate. The situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not autonomous driving of level 4 or higher is in operation based on the control state information (S33). If it is determined that autonomous driving of level 4 or higher is in operation (S33: YES), the situation determination unit 77 determines that the situation is such that an autonomous lane change is possible in the lane change section SLC (S36). A notification indicating that an autonomous lane change is possible may be performed or may be omitted.

[0074] On the other hand, when the situation determination unit 77 determines that the autonomous driving of level 3 or lower is in operation (S33: NO), it determines whether or not a traffic jam is occurring (S34). When the autonomous driving control of level 3 in a traffic jam is in operation, or when the congestion information indicating the occurrence of a traffic jam in the lane change section SLC is acquired, the situation determination unit 77 determines that a traffic jam is occurring (S34: YES). In this case, the situation determination unit 77 determines to cancel the automated lane change in the lane change section SLC (S37). The control switching unit 75 continues the autonomous driving control of level 3 even when it is determined that the lane change section SLC is canceled.

[0075] When the area level 3 autonomous driving control is in operation and congestion information indicating the occurrence of congestion in the lane change section SLC is not acquired, the situation determination unit 77 determines that no congestion is occurring (S34: NO). In this case, the situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not a lane change to a speed limit lane is scheduled in the lane change section SLC (S35). When a lane change to a speed limit lane is not scheduled (S35: NO), the situation determination unit 77 determines that an automated lane change is possible in the lane change section SLC (S36).

[0076] On the other hand, if a lane change to the speed limit lane is scheduled (S35: YES), the situation determination unit 77 determines to cancel the lane change in the lane change section SLC (S37). The notification request unit 72 outputs a request to perform a cancellation advance notification to the HCU 100 based on the decision to cancel the lane change by the situation determination unit 77 (S38). As a result, the driver is notified that the lane change cannot be performed before entering the lane change section SLC. Furthermore, the notification request unit 72 outputs a request to perform an alternative route proposal notification to the HCU 100 (S39). As a result, another route on which the autonomous driving control can continue is proposed to the driver. The notification request unit 72 may perform a notification to suggest the driver to take over driving instead of or together with the alternative route proposal notification. In this case, the lane change by manual driving is proposed to the driver.

[0077] The second determination process (see FIG. 7) is started by the autonomous driving ECU 50b after the host vehicle Am has passed the section start point P1. In the second determination process, the situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not a determination to perform an automated lane change has been made in the first determination process (S51). If a determination to cancel the automated lane change has been made in the first determination process (S51: NO), the notification request unit 72 causes the HCU 100 to perform a cancellation notification and an alternative route proposal notification (S67 and S68). The situation determination unit 77 may re-determine whether or not an automated lane change can be made in S51 of the second determination process by using the same determination method (S34 and S35) as in the first determination process.

[0078] On the other hand, if the first determination process has determined whether or not to perform an automated lane change (S51: YES), the situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not automated driving of level 4 or higher is in operation based on the control state information (S52). If automated driving of level 3 or lower is in operation (S52: NO), the situation determination unit 77 further determines whether or not multiple automated lane changes are required (S53). If multiple automated lane changes are required (S53: YES), the notification request unit 72 causes the HCU 100 to perform a monitoring recommendation notification (S54). The monitoring recommendation notification is continued until multiple automated lane changes are completed. On the other hand, if the number of automated lane changes required in the lane change section SLC is one (S53: NO), the monitoring recommendation notification is not performed.

[0079] The lane change control unit 78 determines whether or not lateral movement toward the adjacent lane can be started. When lateral movement toward the adjacent lane can be started (S55: YES), the operation control unit 65 starts the blinking operation of the direction indicator 44 on the adjacent lane side (S56). Furthermore, the notification request unit 72 causes the HCU 100 to perform an implementation notification (S57). Then, the lane change control unit 78 performs lane change (S58). When multiple lane changes are required and there is an unexecuted lane change (S59: YES), the steps from S55 onwards are executed again.

[0080] On the other hand, if the lateral movement toward the adjacent lane cannot be started (S55: NO), the lane change becomes a standby state. In this case, the notification request unit 72 causes the HCU 100 to perform a standby notification (S60). Furthermore, based on the start of the blinking operation of the direction indicator 44 on the adjacent lane side (S61), the lane change control unit 78 starts the offset control (S62). If a gap is created in the adjacent lane due to the appeal by the offset control, the lane change control unit 78 determines that the lateral movement can be started (S63: YES). In this case, the notification request unit 72 causes the HCU 100 to perform an approval request notification (S64). Then, if the driver inputs an approval operation (S65: YES), the steps from S57 onwards are performed.

[0081] On the other hand, if the lateral movement cannot be started (S63: NO) or if the approval operation is not input (S65: NO), the situation determination unit 77 determines whether the planned lane change can be completed before passing the guidance reference point P2 (S66). If multiple lane changes are required, the situation determination unit 77 determines whether all lane changes can be completed before passing the guidance reference point P2. If it is the timing when the planned lane change can be completed and before the timeout (S66: NO), the steps after S63 are performed again. On the other hand, if it is the timing when the planned lane change cannot be completed and the timeout occurs (S66: YES), the notification request unit 72 causes the HCU 100 to perform a cancellation notification and an alternative route proposal notification (S67 and S68). Even in this case, a notification proposing a change of driving to the driver may be performed instead of or together with the alternative route proposal notification.

[0082] Based on the completion of all the lane changes (S59: YES) or the cancellation of the lane changes, a series of processes for terminating the lane change control is performed (S69). As a result, the displays of the meter display 21 and the CID 22, etc. are returned to normal status displays, etc. The autonomous driving ECU 50b can continue the autonomous driving control even if the lane changes have been completed or if the lane changes have been cancelled.

[0083] In the first embodiment described above, when it is determined that lane changing cannot be performed in the lane change section SLC set based on the set route to the destination, a cancellation notice or cancellation notice indicating that lane changing cannot be performed is issued during the automatic driving period. Therefore, the driver can understand that it is difficult to drive along the set route and that action is required during the automatic driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings. As a result, the convenience of automatic driving related to lane changing can be ensured.

[0084] In addition, in the first embodiment, when congestion information indicating that the lane change section SLC is congested is acquired as section-related information, the situation determination unit 77 determines that the lane change cannot be performed. Therefore, in a scene where the surroundings of the vehicle are congested and it is difficult to perform the lane change, it is possible to determine early on to cancel the lane change and prompt the driver to respond. As a result, the driver can respond with plenty of time to switch to manual lane change or route change.

[0085] In the first embodiment, when the control state of the autonomous driving function is Level 3 during congestion, which is implemented only when driving in congestion, the situation determination unit 77 determines that the autonomous lane change cannot be performed. This determination based on the control state also makes it possible to prompt the driver to take action early in a congestion scene where it is difficult to implement the autonomous lane change. This allows the driver to respond to the situation with ample time. Therefore, the convenience of the autonomous driving can be further ensured.

[0086] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, it is determined whether or not the vehicle Am can perform an automated lane change before the vehicle Am enters the lane change section SLC. Then, a cancellation notice indicating that the automated lane change cannot be performed is issued before the vehicle Am enters the lane change section SLC. As a result, the driver can respond to the situation with plenty of time to spare. As a result, the convenience of the automated driving can be further ensured.

[0087] In addition, in the first embodiment, the situation determination unit 77 determines whether multiple lane changes are necessary in the lane change section SLC. If it is determined that multiple lane changes are necessary, a monitoring recommendation notification is issued to encourage the driver to monitor the surroundings even in a situation where there is no obligation to monitor the surroundings. If the driver monitors the surroundings in accordance with such a monitoring recommendation notification, the driver is less likely to feel uneasy about the behavior of the host vehicle Am, which repeats lane changes. As a result, the convenience of automated driving related to lane changes can also be improved.

[0088] In the first embodiment, the situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not multiple lane changes can be completed in the lane change section SLC. If it is determined that multiple lane changes cannot be completed, a cancellation notification is issued to indicate that the lane changes cannot be performed. As a result, it is possible to quickly determine that multiple lane changes are no longer in time and to prompt the driver to take action. Therefore, convenience can be ensured even in the automated driving system 50 that performs continuous lane changes.

[0089] Furthermore, in the first embodiment, when there is no space available for the host vehicle Am to move to in the adjacent lane to which the host vehicle Am will move in the lane change section SLC, the offset control shifts the lateral running position of the host vehicle Am to the adjacent lane side. When the offset control creates space in the adjacent lane, an approval request notification is issued to inquire of the driver whether or not to start moving to the adjacent lane. If an appeal to the driver to make space is issued by the offset control, the host vehicle can complete the lane change in cooperation with other vehicles in the adjacent lane, even in a situation where the traffic volume around the host vehicle is heavy, as in the case of lane change by manual driving. As a result, the convenience of automated driving can be further improved.

[0090] In addition, in the first embodiment, when offset control is performed, the turn signal 44 on the adjacent lane side is blinked. Such operation of the turn signal 44 makes it possible to effectively notify other vehicles in the adjacent lane that the vehicle wishes to change lanes to the adjacent lane. As a result, lane changes can be smoothly performed, and the convenience of automated driving can be further improved.

[0091] In the first embodiment, when it is determined that the lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section SLC, a route that is different from the set route being guided and allows the vehicle to continue traveling by autonomous driving control is proposed. Therefore, the driver can decide to switch from the current set route to a different route without feeling anxious about the fact that the lane change cannot be performed. Therefore, even if the lane change cannot be performed, the driver is less likely to feel that it is inconvenient.

[0092] In the first embodiment, the notification request unit 72 corresponds to the "notification implementation unit", the lane change control unit 78 corresponds to the "travel control unit", and the automatic driving ECU 50b corresponds to the "automatic driving control device".

[0093] Second Embodiment The second embodiment of the present disclosure is a modified example of the first embodiment. In the autonomous driving system 50 of the second embodiment, the permitted area for autonomous driving without the obligation to monitor the surroundings includes not only expressways and motorways (hereinafter, expressways, etc.) but also specific general roads. General roads are roads that are not included in expressways, etc. In general roads, various traffic subjects such as pedestrians may be present on the road, compared to expressways, etc. The specific general road is, for example, a trunk road with an HD map. In the permitted area of ​​a general road, detection information by a camera and a lidar on the road (infrastructure) side may be provided to the autonomous driving system 50 through an in-vehicle communication device 39.

[0094] The control switching unit 75 of the autonomous driving ECU 50b shown in FIG. 2 switches the control state of level 3 autonomous driving among a plurality of control states including area level 3, congestion level 3, and general road limited control (hereinafter, general road level 3) that is implemented only for driving on general roads. Specifically, when the host vehicle Am is driving within an allowed area set on an expressway or the like, the control switching unit 75 sets the control state of the autonomous driving control to area level 3. When the host vehicle Am is driving within a limited allowed area set on an expressway or the like and there is congestion around the host vehicle, the control switching unit 75 sets the control state of the autonomous driving control to congestion level 3. Furthermore, when the host vehicle Am is driving within an allowed area set on a general road, the control switching unit 75 sets the control state of the autonomous driving control to general road level 3 regardless of whether there is congestion around the host vehicle.

[0095] The autonomous driving ECU 50b can execute lane changes through autonomous driving control while maintaining a state in which the driver is not required to monitor the surroundings, even during the implementation period of general road Level 3. Hereinafter, details of each function of the road information grasping unit 74, section setting unit 76, situation determination unit 77, and notification request unit 72 constructed in the autonomous driving ECU 50b of the second embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3, 8, and 9.

[0096] The road information grasping unit 74 grasps the type of the road on which the vehicle Am is traveling, and grasps whether the area around the vehicle Am is a permission area or a restricted permission area for the road on which the vehicle Am is traveling. The road information grasping unit 74 acquires, as the road type information, type information indicating the type of the vehicle lane in addition to type information indicating whether the road is a general road or an expressway, etc.

[0097] The road information grasping unit 74 grasps whether the host vehicle Am is traveling in a lane that has a terminal end EL (hereinafter, the lane that is vanishingly merging, LnG, see FIG. 9 ) based on the vehicle lane type information. The vanishingly merging lane LnG is a lane that is provided along the driving lane (merged lane Lnd) of the main roadway that is the merging destination in the lane change, and is a lane in which the host vehicle Am cannot continue traveling before the terminal end EL. In the vanishingly merging lane LnG, the traveling speed of the host vehicle Am is adjusted so as to reduce the speed difference with other vehicles traveling in the merged lane Lnd.

[0098] When the road information grasping unit 74 determines that the vehicle lane is the vanished merging lane LnG, the other vehicle grasping unit 73 determines whether or not the vanished merging lane LnG and the merged lane Lnd are congested. The road information grasping unit 74 may determine whether or not congestion is occurring in the merged lane Lnd based on congestion information acquired from the in-vehicle communication device 39.

[0099] When a route merging into the main road is set, the section setting unit 76 sets a lane change section SLC (see FIG. 9) in the merging lane provided along the main road. When the road information grasping unit 74 determines that the vehicle lane (merging lane) is the vanishing merging lane LnG, the section setting unit 76 performs a section adjustment process (see FIG. 11) described later. In the section adjustment process, the position of the lane change section SLC set in the vanishing merging lane LnG is changed depending on the degree of congestion of the merged lane Lnd.

[0100] When the merged lane Lnd, which is the destination of the lane change, is congested (see FIG. 9C and FIG. 9D), the section setting unit 76 sets the lane change section SLC at a position closer to the end EL than when the merged lane Lnd is not congested (see FIG. 9A and FIG. 9B). The section setting unit 76 adjusts the position of the lane change section SLC only when the length of the section of the vanishing merging lane LnG facing the merged lane Lnd (hereinafter, the merging possible section) is longer than the section length of the lane change section SLC by a predetermined distance (for example, about 500 m to 1 km). In other words, when the merging possible section is short and there is no need to adjust the position of the lane change section SLC, the section setting unit 76 does not adjust the position of the lane change section SLC. Such an adjustment process corresponds to a process of setting a virtual rubber pole section that prevents a lane change to the first half of the merging possible section in terms of control.

[0101] When neither the disappearing merging lane LnG nor the merged lane Lnd is congested, the section setting unit 76 sets the section start point P1 of the lane change section SLC immediately after the start point of the merging possible section (hereinafter, merging start point GS) (FIG. 9A). Similarly, when only the disappearing merging lane LnG is congested (crowded) and the merged lane Lnd is not congested, the section setting unit 76 sets the section start point P1 of the lane change section SLC immediately after the merging start point GS of the merging possible section (FIG. 9B). When only the disappearing merging lane LnG is congested, the section setting unit 76 may set a lane change section SLC that is longer than when the disappearing merging lane LnG is not congested, in order to accelerate the host vehicle Am.

[0102] On the other hand, when the to-be-merged lane Lnd is congested, the section setting unit 76 sets a lane change section SLC near the end EL. The section setting unit 76 sets a guidance reference point P2 immediately before the end EL, and further sets a section start point P1 on the front side (the vehicle side). When the vehicle lane (disappearing merging lane LnG) is not congested, the automatic driving ECU 50b decelerates the vehicle Am in the lane change section SLC and changes lanes of the vehicle Am toward a movable space of the to-be-merged lane Lnd detected by the other vehicle grasping unit 73 (FIG. 9C). On the other hand, when the vehicle lane is congested, each vehicle on the merging side, including the vehicle Am, merges one by one between the vehicles traveling in the to-be-merged lane Lnd at one point near the end EL (FIG. 9D). Merging in this manner (zipper merging) is performed, and merging at multiple points in the merging possible section is suppressed, thereby making it possible to reduce lost time due to congestion.

[0103] The section setting unit 76 decides whether to adjust the position of the lane change section SLC set in the disappearing merging lane LnG based on the judgment of the driver such as a passenger. If the driver does not give permission, the section setting unit 76 stops the control of setting the lane change section SLC near the end EL even when the merging lane Lnd is congested. As an example, the section setting unit 76 stops the position adjustment of the lane change section SLC based on a preset setting based on a user operation. Furthermore, when merging into a main roadway is scheduled, an inquiry is made to the driver (see the judgment request notification described later) each time. The section setting unit 76 decides whether or not to adjust the position of the lane change section SLC based on the driver's response to the inquiry (user operation, etc.). If the driver does not give permission to adjust the position of the lane change section SLC, an automobile lane change is performed at the lane change section SLC set immediately after the merging start point GS.

[0104] The situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not an automated lane change can be performed in the lane change section SLC based on at least one of the section related information and the control state information, as in the first embodiment (see FIG. 8). When the situation determination unit 77 has acquired control state information indicating that the autonomous driving control at level 3 during congestion is in operation, the situation determination unit 77 determines that an automated lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section SLC, except for a scene in which the vehicle's lane is a vanished merging lane LnG. In addition, when the situation determination unit 77 has acquired control state information indicating that the autonomous driving control at area level 3 is in operation, the situation determination unit 77 determines that an automated lane change cannot be performed unless the lane change section SLC is congested and the vehicle's lane is not traveling in the vanished merging lane LnG. Furthermore, when the situation determination unit 77 has acquired control state information indicating that the autonomous driving control at general road level 3 is in operation, the situation determination unit 77 grasps whether or not multiple automated lane changes are necessary as the section related information. When multiple lane changes are required on a general road, the situation determination unit 77 determines that the lane changes cannot be performed regardless of whether or not there is congestion in the lane change section SLC.

[0105] The notification request unit 72 outputs a notification execution request to the HCU 100 to cause the HMI system 10 to execute a cancellation advance notification or the like, indicating that the automobile lane change cannot be executed, as in the first embodiment. In addition, the notification request unit 72 causes the HMI system 10 to execute a decision request notification, which requests a decision on whether or not to adjust the position of the lane change section SLC.

[0106] When the general road level 3 autonomous driving control is in operation, the notification request unit 72 restricts the execution of the cancel advance notification even if it is determined that the vehicle cannot change lanes in the lane change section SLC due to, for example, congestion. On general roads, the situation of other vehicles around the vehicle is more likely to change significantly than on expressways, so the lane change control unit 78 continues to attempt to change lanes to the merging lane Lnd. In response to this lane change control, the notification request unit 72 does not issue a cancel advance notification until immediately before entering the lane change section SLC.

[0107] When the autonomous driving control of the congestion level 3 or area level 3 is in operation, the notification request unit 72 changes the manner and timing of the abort notice depending on whether the driver is performing the second task, in other words, whether the driver is monitoring the surroundings. In detail, when the driver is monitoring the surroundings, the need for notification is low. Therefore, when the driver is monitoring the surroundings, the notification request unit 72 suppresses the abort notice more than when the driver is performing the second task. As an example, when the driver is monitoring the surroundings, the notification request unit 72 delays the start timing of the abort notice more than when the driver is performing the second task. As a result, the abort notice to the driver who is monitoring the surroundings is issued immediately before the host vehicle Am enters the lane change section SLC.

[0108] When the driver is monitoring the surroundings, the notification request unit 72 may weaken the intensity of the stop advance notification or may cancel the stop advance notification. In this case, playback of the sound associated with the stop advance notification and display of the content are stopped. In addition to the stop advance notification, the notification request unit 72 may also apply changes to the stop notification, such as delaying, weakening, or canceling it, depending on whether the driver is performing a second task.

[0109] When the vehicle's lane is the vanished merging lane LnG, the notification request unit 72 outputs a request to the HCU 100 to issue a judgment request notification before the vehicle enters the merging section and before a lane change section SLC is set in the vanished merging lane LnG. The judgment request notification may be issued only when the merging lane Lnd is congested. As described above, the judgment request notification is a notification that asks the driver whether or not it is acceptable to set the lane change section SLC near the end EL. The judgment request notification continues until the HMI information acquisition unit 71 grasps the input of the yes / no judgment operation or until the vehicle is a predetermined distance or time away from the merging section.

[0110] Next, the details of the first determination process and the section adjustment process performed by the autonomous driving ECU 50b of the second embodiment will be described below based on FIGS. 10 and 11, and with reference to FIGS. 2, 3, and 9.

[0111] In the first judgment process (see FIG. 10), the situation determination unit 77 acquires the latest control state information and section related information (S231 and S232). Based on the control state information, the situation determination unit 77 judges whether or not level 4 or higher autonomous driving is in operation (S233). If it is determined that level 4 or higher autonomous driving is in operation (S233: YES), the situation determination unit 77 judges that an automated lane change in the lane change section SLC is possible (S239).

[0112] When the situation determination unit 77 determines that the automatic driving of level 3 or less is in operation (S233: NO), it further determines whether or not the automatic driving of general road level 3 is in operation based on the control state information (S234). When it determines that the automatic driving of general road level 3 is in operation (S234: YES), the situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not multiple automatic lane changes are necessary (S235). When the number of required automatic lane changes is one (S235: NO), the situation determination unit 77 determines that the situation is such that the automatic lane change in the lane change section SLC can be performed (S239). As a result, the cancellation advance notification (S243) is not performed. On the other hand, when multiple automatic lane changes are necessary (S235: YES), the situation determination unit 77 determines the cancellation of the automatic lane change (S240).

[0113] When the situation determination unit 77 determines that the automated driving is in operation not on general road level 3 but on congestion level 3 or area level 3 (S234: NO), it determines whether or not the scene is a merging scene using the vanishing merging lane LnG (S236). When the situation determination unit 77 determines that the scene is a merging scene using the vanishing merging lane LnG (S236: YES), it determines that the situation is one in which an automated lane change is possible in the lane change section SLC (S239).

[0114] On the other hand, when it is determined that the scene is not a merging scene using the vanished merging lane LnG (S236: NO), the situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not a traffic jam is occurring (S237). When it is determined that a traffic jam is occurring (S237: YES), the situation determination unit 77 determines to cancel the automated lane change (S240). On the other hand, when it is determined that a traffic jam is not occurring (S237: NO), the situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not the destination of the planned lane change is a speed limit lane (S238). When the planned destination is not a speed limit lane (S238: NO), the situation determination unit 77 determines that the situation is such that the automated lane change in the lane change section SLC can be performed (S239). On the other hand, when a lane change to a speed limit lane is scheduled (S238: YES), the situation determination unit 77 determines to cancel the automated lane change (S240).

[0115] When it is determined that the lane change in the lane change section SLC is to be cancelled, the HMI information acquisition unit 71 determines whether the driver is monitoring the surroundings (S241). If the driver is monitoring the surroundings (S241: YES), the notification request unit 72 adjusts the timing of the cancellation notification, etc. to be delayed (S242). On the other hand, if the driver is performing a second task (S241: NO), such adjustment of the notification timing is omitted.

[0116] The notification request unit 72 outputs requests for cancel advance notification and alternative route proposal notification to the HCU 100 in sequence at timing according to the driver's state (S243 and S244). As described above, the driver is notified before entering the lane change section SLC that an automatic lane change cannot be performed, and an alternative route on which driving by autonomous driving control can be continued is proposed to the driver. Note that, if the driver is monitoring the surroundings (S241: YES), one or both of the cancel advance notification (S243) and the alternative route proposal notification (S244) may be omitted.

[0117] The section adjustment process (see FIG. 11) is started by the section setting unit 76 based on the determination in the first determination process that the situation allows automatic lane changing (see S239 in FIG. 10). In the section adjustment process, the position of the lane change section SLC set in the section setting process (see FIG. 4) is adjusted.

[0118] The section setting unit 76 judges whether the type of the vehicle lane grasped by the road information grasping unit 74 is the vanishing merging lane LnG or not (S251). If the vehicle lane is not the vanishing merging lane LnG (S251: NO), the section setting unit 76 sets the lane change section SLC at this reference position without changing the position determined in the section setting process (S255). On the other hand, if the vehicle lane is the vanishing merging lane LnG (S251: YES), the section setting unit 76 judges whether the merged lane Lnd (see FIG. 9) is congested or not (S252).

[0119] If the merging lane Lnd is not congested (S252: NO), the section setting unit 76 sets the lane change section SLC to a reference position (S255). On the other hand, if the merging lane Lnd is congested (S252: YES), the section setting unit 76 determines whether the merging possible section has a section length that allows the position of the lane change section SLC to be adjusted (S253).

[0120] If the merging section is short and there is no need to adjust the position of the lane change section SLC (S253: NO), the section setting unit 76 sets the lane change section SLC to a reference position (S255). On the other hand, if the merging section is long and there is no need to adjust the position of the lane change section SLC (S253: YES), the section setting unit 76 determines whether the driver has made a decision to permit the position adjustment of the lane change section SLC (S254).

[0121] If the driver does not decide to allow position adjustment (S254: NO), the section setting unit 76 sets the lane change section SLC to the reference position (S255). On the other hand, if the driver decides to allow position adjustment (S254: YES), the section setting unit 76 moves the lane change section SLC to the far side and sets it near the end EL (S256). This allows fastener merging by automobile lane changing.

[0122] The second embodiment described so far also has the same effect as the first embodiment, and a cancellation notice or cancellation notice indicating that lane changing cannot be performed is issued during the automatic driving period. As a result, the convenience of automatic driving related to lane changing can be ensured.

[0123] Additionally, in the second embodiment, the type of road on which the vehicle Am is traveling is recognized by the road information recognition unit 74. Then, when the type of road on which the vehicle Am is traveling is a general road, that is, when the vehicle is in a control period of general road level 3, the execution of the cancellation advance notification is restricted. Therefore, on a general road where the situation of surrounding vehicles changes greatly, even if there is a possibility that the vehicle can perform the lane change, a situation in which the driver is notified of the cancellation of the lane change early can be avoided.

[0124] In the second embodiment, the cancellation notice is cancelled during the control period of the general road level 3. Therefore, a notice indicating that the lane change cannot be performed before entering the lane change section SLC is not issued. As a result, it is difficult for a driver to start a preliminary driving operation before entering the lane change section SLC, even though there is a possibility that the lane change can be performed. As a result, the convenience of the automated driving related to the lane change can be ensured.

[0125] Furthermore, in the second embodiment, whether or not the driver is performing the second task during the driving period under the autonomous driving control is grasped by the HMI information acquisition unit 71. Then, the timing of the execution of the cancellation advance notice is changed depending on whether or not the driver is performing the second task. As described above, even if the driver is performing the second task, if it is difficult to execute an automated lane change, the driver can resume surroundings monitoring, etc. at an appropriate timing in accordance with the cancellation advance notice.

[0126] In addition, in the second embodiment, when the driver is performing the surroundings monitoring, the stop advance notification is suppressed more than when the driver is performing the second task. When the driver is performing the surroundings monitoring, the need for the stop advance notification is reduced. Therefore, by suppressing unnecessary notifications, the annoyance felt by the driver can be reduced.

[0127] In the second embodiment, when the host vehicle lane in which the host vehicle Am is traveling is the vanishing merging lane LnG with the end EL and the merging lane Lnd is congested, the lane change section SLC is set closer to the end EL than when the merging lane Lnd is not congested. As a result, in a scene where the merging lane LnG is merging into the main road, the flow of vehicles on the main road is less likely to be impeded. As a result, automated driving can contribute to realizing smooth traffic.

[0128] Here, the control of moving the lane change section SLC closer to the end EL may cause the occupants of the host vehicle Am to feel uneasy. Therefore, in the second embodiment, if the driver does not give permission, the control of moving the position of the lane change section SLC closer to the end EL is stopped when the merging lane Lnd is congested. As a result, it is possible to avoid an unnecessary increase in the occupants' anxiety due to the implementation of a lane change vehicle.

[0129] In addition, in the above second embodiment, the HMI information acquisition unit 71 corresponds to the "driver state grasping unit", the road information grasping unit 74 corresponds to the "road type grasping unit", the vanished merging lane LnG corresponds to the "merging lane", and the merged lane Lnd corresponds to the "adjacent lane".

[0130] Third embodiment The third embodiment of the present disclosure is a modified example of the second embodiment. In the third embodiment, if it is determined that an automatic lane change cannot be performed in the initially set lane change section SLC, the driver is suggested to perform an automatic lane change on the near side. Hereinafter, the details of the first determination process performed by the automatic driving ECU 50b of the third embodiment before entering the lane change section SLC will be described based on FIG. 12 with reference to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. Note that the contents of the processes performed in S331 to S336 and S341 to S344 of the third embodiment are substantially the same as S231 to S235, S237, S239, S240, S243, and S244 of the second embodiment.

[0131] In the first determination process, the section setting unit 76 determines whether or not it is possible to set a new lane change section SLC before the initial lane change section SLC set in the section setting process (see FIG. 4) (S337). If a lane change section SLC where automated lane changing can be performed cannot be set (S337: NO), the situation determination unit 77 determines to cancel the automated lane change (S342).

[0132] On the other hand, if it is possible to reset the lane change section SLC where the automated lane change can be performed (S337: YES), the notification request unit 72 outputs a request to perform an advance proposal notification to the HCU 100 (S338). The advance proposal notification suggests to the driver that the automated lane change should be performed on the near side of the original lane change section SLC.

[0133] If the driver approves the proposal from the system (S339: YES), more specifically, if the HMI information acquisition unit 71 acquires user operation input information indicating the intention of approval, the section setting unit 76 resets the lane change section SLC (S340). In this case, the situation determination unit 77 determines that an automated lane change is possible in the reset lane change section SLC (S341). On the other hand, if the proposal from the system is not approved (S339: NO), the section setting unit 76 decides to cancel the automated lane change (S342).

[0134] The third embodiment described so far also has the same effects as the first and second embodiments, and makes it possible to ensure the convenience of automated driving related to lane changing.

[0135] In addition, in the third embodiment, when it is determined that the lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section SLC, the driver is suggested to perform the lane change before the lane change section SLC. As a result, the frequency of the driver's handover related to the lane change can be reduced. As a result, the convenience of the automated driving is less likely to be impaired.

[0136] (Other embodiments) Although several embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure should not be construed as being limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be applied to various embodiments and combinations within the scope not departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

[0137] The method of determining whether or not an automated lane change can be performed in the lane change section SLC is not limited to the above embodiment. In the first modification of the above embodiment, the section related information is not acquired and referenced, and the situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not an automated lane change can be performed based only on the control state information. In the second modification of the above embodiment, the control state information is not acquired and referenced, and the situation determination unit 77 determines whether or not an automated lane change can be performed based only on the section related information.

[0138] In the above embodiment, the determination of whether or not to perform an automated lane change is performed both before and after entering the lane change section SLC. However, in the modified example 3 of the above embodiment, the determination of whether or not to perform the lane change and the notification related to the determination are performed only before entering the lane change section SLC. That is, in the modified example 3, only the first determination process is performed among the first and second determination processes. Moreover, in the modified example 4 of the above embodiment, the determination of whether or not to perform the lane change and the notification related to the determination are performed only after entering the lane change section SLC. That is, in the modified example 4, only the second determination process is performed among the first and second determination processes.

[0139] In the second embodiment, the method of restricting the execution of the cancellation advance notice may be changed as appropriate. For example, in the modified example 5 of the second embodiment, even if the general road level 3 autonomous driving control is in an operating state, the notification request unit 72 does not cancel the cancellation advance notice. The notification request unit 72 implements the cancellation advance notice while weakening the intensity of the notice (display) by, for example, limiting the display to uncontrollable on the meter display 21.

[0140] In the sixth modified example of the second embodiment, when the driver is performing the second task, the timing of the suspension notice is adjusted to be later than when the driver is performing the surroundings monitoring. As a result, the time for the second task can be secured longer, and the convenience of the automated driving is further improved.

[0141] The section setting unit 76 of the seventh modified example of the second embodiment moves the lane change section SLC to the vicinity of the end of the vanishing merging lane LnG without referring to the presence or absence of the permission decision by the driver. According to the seventh modified example, the zipper merging can be reliably performed.

[0142] In the first determination process according to the modified example 8 of the third embodiment, if the lane change section SLC can be reset (S337: YES), the section setting unit 76 automatically resets the lane change section SLC without depending on the driver's approval (S340). That is, in the first determination process of the modified example 8, the processes of S338 and S339 are omitted. According to such a process, the lane change control unit 78 can search for an executable position and execute an automated lane change without being recognized by the driver. As a result, even in the modified example 8, the frequency of handover to the driver related to an automated lane change can be reduced.

[0143] In the autonomous driving ECU 50b according to the 9th modification of the above embodiment, the level 4 autonomous driving function is omitted. In addition, in the autonomous driving ECU 50b according to the 10th modification of the above embodiment, the function of switching between area level 3, congestion level 3, and general road level 3 is omitted. Furthermore, in the autonomous driving ECU 50b according to the 11th modification of the above embodiment, the function of performing offset control when the automatic lane change is in a standby state is omitted. In the 11th modification, only the blinking operation of the turn signal 44 is performed as an appeal to the adjacent lane to make space.

[0144] In the twelfth modification of the above embodiment, the functions of the driving assistance ECU 50a and the automatic driving ECU 50b are provided by one automatic driving ECU. That is, the automatic driving ECU 50b in the twelfth modification has the functions of the driving assistance ECU 50a implemented therein.

[0145] In addition, in a thirteenth modification of the above embodiment, the functions of the driving assistance ECU 50a, the automatic driving ECU 50b, and the HCU 100 are provided by one integrated ECU. In this type of modification thirteen, the integrated ECU corresponds to the "automatic driving control device." Furthermore, the automatic driving ECU 50b and the HCU 100 may cooperate with each other to realize each function of the automatic driving control device according to the present disclosure. In this embodiment, a system including the automatic driving ECU 50b and the HCU 100 corresponds to the "automatic driving control device."

[0146] In the above embodiment, each function provided by the autonomous driving ECU and HCU can be provided by software and hardware that executes the software, software only, hardware only, or a combination of these. Furthermore, when such a function is provided by an electronic circuit as hardware, each function can also be provided by a digital circuit including a large number of logic circuits, or an analog circuit.

[0147] Each processing unit in the above-described embodiment includes at least one arithmetic core such as a central processing unit (CPU) and a graphics processing unit (GPU). The processing unit may further include a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), a neural network processing unit (NPU), and an IP core having other dedicated functions. The processing unit may be individually mounted on a printed circuit board, or may be mounted on an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a system on chip (SoC), and an FPGA.

[0148] The form of the storage medium (non-transitory tangible storage medium) that stores various programs and the like may also be changed as appropriate. Furthermore, the storage medium is not limited to a configuration in which it is provided on a circuit board, and may be provided in the form of a memory card or the like, inserted into a slot portion, and electrically connected to a control circuit such as an autonomous driving ECU or HCU. Furthermore, the storage medium may be an optical disk, a hard disk drive, or the like that is the source from which the program is copied or distributed to the autonomous driving ECU or HCU.

[0149] The vehicle equipped with the above-mentioned automatic driving system and HMI system is not limited to a general private passenger car, but may be a rental car vehicle, a manned taxi vehicle, a ride-sharing vehicle, a freight vehicle, a bus, etc. In addition, the vehicle equipped with the automatic driving system and HMI system may be a right-hand drive vehicle or a left-hand drive vehicle. Furthermore, the traffic environment in which the vehicle runs may be a traffic environment based on left-hand traffic or a traffic environment based on right-hand traffic. The automatic driving control and information presentation control according to the present disclosure may be appropriately optimized according to the road traffic laws of each country and region, and further the steering wheel position of the vehicle, etc.

[0150] The control unit and the method described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose computer having a processor programmed to execute one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the device and the method described herein may be implemented by a special-purpose hardware logic circuit. Alternatively, the device and the method described herein may be implemented by one or more special-purpose computers configured by a combination of a processor that executes a computer program and one or more hardware logic circuits. The computer program may also be stored in a computer-readable non-transitory tangible recording medium as instructions to be executed by the computer.

[0151] (Disclosure of technical ideas) This specification discloses multiple technical ideas described in the following multiple dependent claims. Some of the claims may be described in a multiple dependent form, where the subsequent claim alternatively refers to the preceding claim. Furthermore, some of the claims may be described in a multiple dependent form, where the subsequent claim alternatively refers to the preceding claim. The claims described in these multiple dependent forms define multiple technical ideas.

[0152] (Technical thought 1) An automatic driving control device that enables a vehicle (Am) to travel using an automatic driving function, A section setting unit (76) that sets a lane change section (SLC) in which an autonomous driving control is performed without a driver having to monitor the surroundings, based on a set route to a destination set in the vehicle; a situation determination unit (77) that determines whether or not the automated lane change can be performed in the lane change section based on at least one of section related information related to the lane change section and control state information indicating a control state of the autonomous driving control; a notification implementation unit (72) that, when it is determined that the automated lane change cannot be implemented in the lane change section, issues a notification indicating that the automated lane change cannot be implemented during a driving period under the autonomous driving control; An automatic driving control device equipped with the above. (Technical thought 2) The automatic driving control device described in technical idea 1, wherein the situation determination unit determines that the automated lane change cannot be performed when congestion information indicating that the lane change section is congested is acquired as the section-related information. (Technical Thought 3) The automatic driving control device described in technical idea 1 or 2, wherein the situation determination unit determines that the automated lane change cannot be performed when the control state information obtained indicates that the control state is congestion limited control that is implemented only when driving in congestion. (Technical Thought 4) a road type identification unit (74) that identifies the type of road on which the vehicle is traveling, An automatic driving control device described in any one of technical ideas 1 to 3, wherein the notification implementation unit restricts the implementation of a notification indicating that the automated lane change cannot be performed when the type of road recognized by the road type recognition unit is a general road. (Technical Thought 5) the situation determination unit determines whether the vehicle can perform the automated lane change before the vehicle enters the lane change section; The automatic driving control device according to any one of technical ideas 1 to 4, wherein the notification implementation unit implements a notification indicating that the automated lane change cannot be performed before the vehicle enters the lane change section. (Technical Thought 6) The vehicle further includes a driver state ascertaining unit (71) that ascertains whether or not the driver is performing a specific action other than a predetermined driving action during a driving period under the autonomous driving control, An automatic driving control device described in any one of technical ideas 1 to 5, wherein the notification implementation unit changes the timing of implementing the notification indicating that the automated lane change cannot be performed depending on whether or not the driver is performing the specific action. (Technical Thought 7) The automatic driving control device described in technical idea 6, wherein the notification implementation unit suppresses the notification indicating that the automated lane change cannot be performed when the driver is performing surrounding monitoring more than when the driver is performing the specific action. (Technical Thought 8) The situation determination unit determines whether or not a plurality of lane changes are necessary in the lane change section, The automatic driving control device according to any one of technical ideas 1 to 7, wherein the notification implementation unit implements a notification to encourage the driver to monitor the surroundings when it is determined that multiple lane changes are necessary. (Technical Thought 9) The situation determination unit determines whether or not the vehicle can complete a plurality of lane changes in the lane change section; The automatic driving control device described in technical idea 8, wherein the notification implementation unit implements a notification indicating that the automated lane change cannot be performed when it is determined that the multiple automated lane changes cannot be completed. (Technical Thought 10) The automatic driving control device described in any one of technical ideas 1 to 9, wherein the notification implementation unit, when it is determined that the automated lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section, suggests to the driver to perform the automated lane change on the near side of the lane change section. (Technical Thought 11) An automatic driving control device as described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 9, wherein the section setting unit resets the position of the lane change section to the near side when it is determined that the automated lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section initially set. (Technical Thought 12) a travel control unit (78) that performs offset control to shift a lateral travel position of the host vehicle toward the adjacent lane when there is no space available for the host vehicle in the adjacent lane to which the host vehicle will move in the lane change section, The automatic driving control device described in any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 11, wherein the notification implementation unit implements a notification to inquire of the driver whether or not to start moving to the adjacent lane when the space is created in the adjacent lane due to the offset control. (Technical Thought 13) The automatic driving control device according to technical idea 12 further includes an operation control unit (65) that causes the turn indicator (44) on the adjacent lane to blink when the offset control is performed by the driving control unit. (Technical Thought 14) The automatic driving control device described in any one of technical ideas 1 to 13, wherein when it is determined that the automated lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section, the notification implementation unit proposes a route other than the set route being guided, which route allows driving to continue using the autonomous driving control. (Technical Thought 15) The automatic driving control device according to any one of Technical Ideas 1 to 14, wherein when the lane in which the vehicle is traveling is a merging lane (LnG) with an end point (EL) and the adjacent lane (Lnd) to which the vehicle will move during the automated lane change is congested, the section setting unit sets the lane change section at a position closer to the end point than when the adjacent lane is not congested. (Technical Thought 16) The automatic driving control device according to technical idea 15, wherein the section setting unit stops control for moving the position of the lane change section closer to the end when the adjacent lane is congested if the driver does not give permission. (Technical Thought 17) An automatic driving control method that enables a host vehicle (Am) to travel using an automatic driving function, Based on a set route to the destination set in the vehicle, a lane change section (SLC) is set in which an autonomous driving control is required for the driver to change lanes without the driver being required to monitor the surroundings (S11 to S13). Based on at least one of section-related information related to the lane change section and control state information indicating a control state of the autonomous driving control, it is determined whether or not the automated lane change can be performed in the lane change section (S33 to S35, S233 to S238, S333 to S337, S51); When it is determined that the lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section, a notification is given indicating that the lane change cannot be performed during the driving period under the autonomous driving control (S38, S243, S343, S67). The automatic driving control method includes the steps of: [Explanation of symbols]

[0153] Am: vehicle; EL: end; Lnd: lane to be merged (adjacent lane); LnG: missing merging lane (merging lane); SLC: lane change section; 44: turn signal; 50b: autonomous driving ECU (autonomous driving control device); 51: processing unit; 65: operation control unit; 71: HMI information acquisition unit (driver state grasping unit); 72: notification request unit (notification implementation unit); 74: road information grasping unit (road type grasping unit); 76: section setting unit; 77: situation determination unit; 78: lane change control unit (driving control unit)

Claims

1. An automatic driving control device that enables a vehicle (Am) to travel using an automatic driving function, A section setting unit (76) that sets a lane change section (SLC) in which an autonomous driving control is used to change lanes without the driver having to monitor the surroundings, based on a set route to a destination set in the vehicle; a situation determination unit (77) that determines whether or not the lane change can be performed in the lane change section based on at least one of section related information related to the lane change section and control state information indicating a control state of the autonomous driving control; A driver state ascertaining unit (71) that ascertains whether or not the driver is performing a specific action other than a predetermined driving action during a driving period under the autonomous driving control; and a notification unit (72) that, when it is determined that the lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section, issues a notification indicating that the lane change cannot be performed during a period of travel under the autonomous travel control, The automatic driving control device is configured such that the notification implementation unit suppresses the notification indicating that the automated lane change cannot be performed when the driver is performing surrounding monitoring compared to when the driver is performing the specific action.

2. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1 , wherein the situation determination unit determines that the automated lane change cannot be performed when congestion information indicating that the lane change section is congested is acquired as the section-related information.

3. The automatic driving control device according to claim 1, wherein the situation determination unit determines that the automated lane change cannot be performed when the control state information obtained indicates that the control state is congestion limited control that is implemented only when driving in congestion.

4. A road type identification unit (74) for identifying the type of road on which the vehicle is traveling, The automatic driving control device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification implementation unit limits the implementation of the notification indicating that the automated lane change cannot be implemented when the type of road recognized by the road type recognition unit is a general road.

5. the situation determination unit determines whether the vehicle can perform the automated lane change before the vehicle enters the lane change section; The automatic driving control device according to claim 1 , wherein the notification unit issues a notification indicating that the automated lane change cannot be performed before the host vehicle enters the lane change section.

6. An automatic driving control device as described in claim 1, wherein the notification execution unit changes the timing of the notification indicating that the vehicle lane change cannot be performed depending on whether or not the driver is performing the specific action.

7. The situation determination unit determines whether or not a plurality of lane changes are necessary in the lane change section, The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the notification implementation unit implements a notification to prompt the driver to monitor surroundings when it is determined that multiple lane changes are necessary.

8. The situation determination unit determines whether or not the vehicle can complete a plurality of lane changes in the lane change section; The automatic driving control device according to claim 7 , wherein the notification execution unit executes a notification indicating that the automated lane change cannot be executed when it is determined that the multiple automated lane changes cannot be completed.

9. The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the notification implementation unit, when it is determined that the automated lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section, suggests to the driver that the automated lane change be performed on a near side of the lane change section.

10. The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the section setting unit resets the position of the lane change section to the near side when it is determined that the automated lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section initially set.

11. a driving control unit (78) that performs offset control to shift a lateral running position of the vehicle toward the adjacent lane side when there is no space available for the vehicle to move to in the adjacent lane to which the vehicle will move in the lane change section, The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the notification implementation unit implements a notification to inquire of the driver whether or not to start moving to the adjacent lane when the space is created in the adjacent lane due to the offset control.

12. The automatic driving control device according to claim 11, further comprising an operation control unit (65) that causes the direction indicator (44) on the adjacent lane side to perform a blinking operation when the offset control is performed by the driving control unit.

13. The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein when it is determined that the lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section, the notification implementation unit proposes a route that is different from the set route being guided and that allows driving to continue using the autonomous driving control.

14. The automatic driving control device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the section setting unit sets the lane change section at a position closer to the end (EL) when the lane in which the vehicle is traveling is a merging lane (LnG) with an end (EL) and an adjacent lane (Lnd) to which the vehicle will move during the lane change is congested than when the adjacent lane is not congested.

15. The automatic driving control device according to claim 14 , wherein the section setting unit, when the driver does not give permission, stops control for moving the position of the lane change section closer to the end when the adjacent lane is congested.

16. An automatic driving control program that enables a vehicle (Am) to travel using an automatic driving function, Based on a set route to the destination set in the vehicle, a lane change section (SLC) is set in which an autonomous driving control is required for the driver to change lanes without the driver having to monitor the surroundings (S11 to S13). Determine whether or not the lane change can be performed in the lane change section based on at least one of section related information related to the lane change section and control state information indicating a control state of the autonomous driving control (S233 to S238); During the driving period under the autonomous driving control, it is determined whether the driver is performing a specific action other than driving that is specified in advance (S241). When it is determined that the lane change cannot be performed in the lane change section, a notification is given indicating that the lane change cannot be performed during the driving period by the autonomous driving control (S243). When the driver is performing surrounding monitoring, the notification indicating that the automated lane change cannot be performed is suppressed more than when the driver is performing the specific action. An automatic driving control program that causes at least one processing unit (51) to execute a process including the steps of:

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