Evacuation driving support device and program

Abstract

To provide a technology that sets an escape location to which a vehicle can safely escape, in accordance with the condition of a road on which the vehicle travels and realizes safer evasive travel.SOLUTION: An evasive travel assistance device 10 comprises: a peripheral environment recognition unit 11 at least capable of recognizing a roadside space, a free space which is a non-passage portion of a road and the presence of vehicles around the host vehicle; a limit time setting unit 12 for setting a limit time; a roadside pull-over allowability determination unit 16 for determining whether or not the host vehicle can pull over at a roadside; an escape location setting unit 17 for setting at least one of the roadside space and the free space as an escape location to which the host vehicle can escape; a state determination unit 18 for determining, on the basis of the limit time, the roadside pull-over allowability and the escape location, which of a state for continuing evasive travel, a state for carrying out stoppage in a line, and a state for carrying out roadside pull-over the host vehicle should assume; and a control unit 19 for controlling the host vehicle on the basis of the state of the host vehicle determined by the state determination unit 18.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to an evacuation driving support device. and Program Regarding. [Background technology]

[0002] An evacuation driving support device has been proposed that allows a vehicle to evacuate to an evacuation destination when a driver is unable to drive due to a decrease in consciousness level, etc. In the technology described in Patent Document 1, in order to safely execute evacuation driving, an area with poor visibility (for example, a curved road and the straight roads before and after it) is set as a no-stop area, and deceleration or stopping of the vehicle for evacuation driving is prohibited within this area. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2017-190048 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Patent Document 1 provides a technology for setting areas where there is a high risk of performing evacuation driving as no-stop areas, but does not provide a technology for the vehicle to safely perform evacuation driving outside of the no-stop areas. In order for the vehicle to safely perform evacuation driving, it is preferable to set an evacuation place where the vehicle can safely evacuate, depending on the conditions of the road on which the vehicle is traveling.

[0005] In view of the above, the present invention aims to provide a technology that enables safer evacuation driving by setting an evacuation location where the vehicle can safely evacuate, depending on the conditions of the road on which the vehicle is traveling. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] The evacuation driving support device of the present invention comprises a surrounding environment recognition unit that can at least recognize shoulder space, free space which is a non-passable portion of the road caused by the lane configuration or objects around the lane, and the presence of vehicles around the host vehicle; a time limit setting unit that sets a time limit for the host vehicle to continue evacuation driving; a shoulder evacuation feasibility determination unit that determines whether the host vehicle can evacuate to the shoulder based on the shoulder space recognized by the surrounding environment recognition unit; an evacuation location setting unit that sets an evacuation location to which the host vehicle is to evacuate to, such as at least one of the shoulder space and free space recognized by the surrounding environment recognition unit; a state determination unit that determines the state of the host vehicle to be one of a state of continuing evacuation driving, a state of stopping within a lane, or a state of evacuating to the shoulder based on the set time limit and the determined feasibility of evacuation to the shoulder; and a control unit that controls the host vehicle based on the state of the host vehicle determined by the state determination unit.

[0007] According to the evacuation driving support device of the present invention, the surrounding environment recognition unit recognizes not only the shoulder space but also the free space generated in the road due to the lane configuration and objects around the lanes. For example, when a non-passable portion occurs in the road due to an increase or decrease in the number of lanes as the lane configuration, or an obstacle in the lane as an object around the lane, the non-passable portion is recognized as a free space. The evacuation place setting unit sets at least one of the shoulder space and the free space recognized by the surrounding environment recognition unit as an evacuation place to which the host vehicle is to be evacuated. Therefore, an evacuation place where the host vehicle can safely be evacuated can be set according to the condition of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling. The state determination unit determines the state of the host vehicle to be one of a state of continuing evacuation driving, a state of performing in-lane stopping, or a state of performing evacuation to the shoulder based on the set evacuation place (shoulder space or free space), the time limit, and whether or not the host vehicle can evacuate to the shoulder. When determining the state of the vehicle, the state determination unit refers to information about safe evacuation locations set according to the conditions of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, so that the state determination unit can determine the state of the vehicle based on the conditions of the road on which the vehicle is traveling. As a result, the control unit can realize safer evacuation driving based on the conditions of the road on which the vehicle is traveling. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0008] [Figure 1] 1 is a block diagram showing an evacuation driving support device according to a first embodiment. [Diagram 2] 4 is a flowchart of an evacuation driving support process according to the first embodiment. [Diagram 3] 13 is a flowchart of lane increase / decrease space processing in the evacuation driving support processing. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart of a roadside evacuation process in the evacuation driving support process. [Diagram 5] 13 is a flowchart of obstacle space processing in the evacuation driving support processing. [Figure 6] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state in which the vehicle has retreated into a space with an increased lane width. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing a state in which the host vehicle has retreated into an obstacle space. [Figure 8]FIG. 13 shows the state in which the vehicle has retreated into the median space. [Figure 9] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining estimation of non-passable areas when a stationary object is installed in a median strip that is divided by a plurality of dividing lines. [Figure 10] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing the state in which the vehicle has retreated into a space where the lane is reduced. [Figure 11] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a state in which the host vehicle executes a roadside evacuation; [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a free space when an obstacle is a stopped vehicle. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating a free space when obstacles are multiple stopped vehicles. [Figure 14] 13 is a flowchart of an evacuation restart determination process that can be additionally executed after the host vehicle has stopped. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0009] (First embodiment) The evacuation driving support device 10 shown in Fig. 1 is a device mounted on a vehicle or the like, and has a function of supporting the vehicle to travel to a safe evacuation destination and stop the vehicle when the driver is unable to drive due to a decrease in consciousness level or the like. The evacuation driving support device 10 includes a surrounding environment recognition unit 11, a time limit setting unit 12, a receiving unit 13, an evacuation restart determination unit 14, a lane change possibility determination unit 15, a roadside evacuation possibility determination unit 16, an evacuation place setting unit 17, a state determination unit 18, and a control unit 19. The evacuation driving support device 10 is mounted on the vehicle as an ECU including a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, an I / O, and the like, and the CPU executes a program installed in the ROM to realize each of these functions.

[0010] The surrounding environment recognition unit 11 is configured to be able to recognize at least the shoulder space, the free space in the road, and the presence of vehicles around the vehicle. The free space is a non-traffic part (a part where vehicles do not pass) in the road caused by the lane configuration or objects around the lane. The shoulder space is the space outside (outside the road) of the road edge, which is the lateral end of the road, whereas the free space is the space between the ends of both sides of the road (inside the road).

[0011] The surrounding environment recognition unit 11 can recognize the type and size of objects present around the vehicle, and the distance and relative speed from the vehicle, from object detection information acquired from an object detection device such as an on-board radar device or an image capture device. As shown in FIG. 1, the surrounding environment recognition unit 11 can acquire object detection information from surrounding monitoring devices 30. The surrounding monitoring devices 30 include an image sensor 31, which is an example of an image capture device, and a millimeter wave radar 32, which is an example of a radar device. Although not shown in FIG. 1, the surrounding environment recognition unit 11 may be configured to acquire map information, etc., from an on-board GNSS receiving device. From the acquired map information, etc., road information about the road on which the vehicle runs and the surrounding roads can be acquired. The road information includes road shape information, lane information, connection point information, road boundary information, etc. The shoulder space and free space can be recognized from the object detection information, and can also be recognized from the map information. Vehicles, etc. around the vehicle can be recognized from the object detection information. The surrounding environment recognition unit 11 has the function of acquiring object detection information, map information, and the like as surrounding environment information from various sensors, etc., as well as the function of a road shoulder detection unit that detects road shoulders from the surrounding environment information, the function of an obstacle detection unit that detects obstacles on the road from the surrounding environment information, and the function of a free space recognition unit that recognizes free space from the surrounding environment information.

[0012] The surrounding environment recognition unit 11 estimates non-traffic parts on roads where vehicles are not traveling, and recognizes the non-traffic parts as free spaces. For example, the surrounding environment recognition unit 11 recognizes road edges, which are lateral ends of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, based on road information. Furthermore, the surrounding environment recognition unit 11 estimates non-traffic parts based on the road edges and the travel path of the vehicle preceding the vehicle, and recognizes the estimated non-traffic parts as free spaces. By estimating non-traffic parts in consideration of the travel path of the vehicle preceding the vehicle, it is possible to avoid determining that the merging lane is a non-traffic part when the lanes are widened due to the merging of lanes.

[0013] Also, for example, the surrounding environment recognition unit 11 recognizes a guidance strip (zebra zone) around the median strip of the road on which the vehicle is traveling as a free space. The median strip of the road is a road marking on the road surface and can be recognized from object detection information, but may also be recognized from map information. The guidance strip may be recognized by, for example, semantic segmentation of image information acquired from an imaging device. Semantic segmentation is a deep learning algorithm that associates a label or category with every pixel in an image, and is used to recognize a group of pixels that form a characteristic category.

[0014] Furthermore, for example, when the surrounding environment recognition unit 11 recognizes a plurality of demarcation lines and a stationary object existing between the plurality of demarcation lines on the road on which the vehicle is traveling, the surrounding environment recognition unit 11 may estimate a non-passing portion around the stationary object between the plurality of demarcation lines based on the distance between the plurality of demarcation lines and the stationary object. Specifically, the distance between each of the plurality of demarcation lines and the stationary object may be measured, and when the distance between any of the demarcation lines and the stationary object is less than the distance that the vehicle can pass (for example, shorter than the width of the vehicle), the surrounding environment recognition unit 11 may estimate the front or rear of the stationary object in the lane as a non-passing portion. Furthermore, the estimated non-passing portion may be recognized as a free space. For example, even when a median strip is formed by two demarcation lines, the non-passing portion can be appropriately estimated.

[0015] The time limit setting unit 12 sets a time limit for the host vehicle to continue evacuation driving. The time limit is the time from the time when it is determined that the driver is unable to drive to the time when the host vehicle completes evacuation driving and stops. The time limit is set to a predetermined time so that a rescue request is not made too late. The time limit setting unit 12 may be configured to set the time limit based on road information and object detection information acquired from the surrounding environment recognition unit 11.

[0016] The receiving unit 13 receives information from external communication devices 20 installed outside the evacuation driving support device 10, and transmits the received information to the evacuation restart determination unit 14. As the external communication devices 20, for example, a communication center 21, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 22 which is a means of transmitting information between humans and machines, and a mobile communication device such as a smartphone 23 can be used.

[0017] When the vehicle performs an in-lane stop in the vehicle's lane while the vehicle is traveling, the evacuation restart determination unit 14 determines whether or not the vehicle can resume evacuation traveling based on a predetermined condition. The determination of evacuation restart in the evacuation restart determination unit 14 may be made based on a determination result of whether or not the evacuation can be resumed determined by on-board software stored in the on-board ECU or the like, or may be made based on a determination result of whether or not the evacuation can be resumed acquired by the evacuation restart determination unit 14 from the external communication devices 20 via the receiving unit 13.

[0018] The lane change possibility determination unit 15 determines whether or not the host vehicle can change lanes. When the surrounding environment recognition unit 11 recognizes the presence of a shoulder space or a free space, and an adjacent lane exists on the shoulder space side or the free space side of the lane in which the host vehicle is traveling (host lane), the lane change possibility determination unit 15 determines whether or not the host vehicle can change lanes to the adjacent lane.

[0019] The shoulder escape possibility determination unit 16 determines whether the host vehicle can escape to the shoulder, i.e., whether the host vehicle can escape to the shoulder, based on the shoulder space recognized by the surrounding environment recognition unit 11. Specifically, when it is determined that the shoulder space recognized by the surrounding environment recognition unit 11 is a shoulder space where the host vehicle can stop safely based on the position and size of the shoulder space recognized by the surrounding environment recognition unit 11 and the position, size, traveling speed, etc. of the host vehicle, it determines that the host vehicle can escape to the shoulder.

[0020] The evacuation place setting unit 17 sets an evacuation place to which the vehicle is to be evacuated based on the shoulder space or free space recognized by the surrounding environment recognition unit 11. Either one or both of the shoulder space and the free space are set as the evacuation place. On roads with narrow shoulders such as general roads, the shoulder space may be narrow and may not be large enough as an evacuation place for the vehicle. If the shoulder space is narrow but there is a sufficiently large free space within the road, it is safer to use the free space as an evacuation place and stop the vehicle within the lane. By making an evacuation run to the free space as a destination, evacuation run can be performed safely even when the shoulder space is narrow, and congestion can be avoided.

[0021] When a plurality of evacuation places are set, the state determination unit 18 described later may select a destination where the evacuation run is actually performed from the plurality of set evacuation places. Also, the evacuation place setting unit 17 may select a destination where the evacuation run is actually performed based on a predetermined condition and set one evacuation place. For example, the evacuation place setting unit 17 may be configured to set a free space as an evacuation place when it is determined that the host vehicle can stop in the free space based on the size of the free space and its relative position with respect to the host vehicle, the running speed and size of the host vehicle, etc. Also, for example, the evacuation place setting unit 17 may be configured to set a shoulder space or a free space as an evacuation place when it is determined that the host vehicle can safely move to and stop in the free space based on the running state of the host vehicle and the running states of vehicles around the host vehicle.

[0022] For example, it is preferable to set a free space as a space that exists in the traveling direction of the vehicle and is large enough for the vehicle to stop. The space large enough for the vehicle to stop is a space whose length in the lane direction (vertical width) is longer than the length in the front-rear direction of the vehicle and whose length in the width direction perpendicular to the lane direction (horizontal width) is longer than the length in the width direction of the vehicle, and it is preferable that a margin is set in each of the vertical and horizontal directions. Furthermore, it may be determined whether or not to set the free space as an evacuation area based on the traveling speed of the vehicle (vehicle speed) and the distance between the free space and the vehicle. For example, if the distance between the current free space and the vehicle is shorter than the distance the vehicle travels from the current vehicle speed until it starts decelerating at a predetermined deceleration and stops, the free space may not be set as an evacuation area because it is not safe to stop. Also, for example, a place where parking and stopping are prohibited may not be set as an evacuation area. On the other hand, when the urgency is high because the driver is unconscious, etc., the parking and stopping prohibition may be set as an evacuation area.

[0023] The evacuation place setting unit 17 includes a lane number increase / decrease determination unit 17a, an obstacle determination unit 17b, and a road shoulder determination unit 17c. When the lane number increase / decrease determination unit 17a determines that the number of lanes increases or decreases, the evacuation place setting unit 17 may be configured to set a free space resulting from the increase or decrease in the number of lanes as an evacuation place. When the obstacle determination unit 17b determines that an obstacle exists in the road, the evacuation place setting unit 17 may be configured to set a free space occurring around the obstacle as an evacuation place. When the road shoulder determination unit 17c determines that a road shoulder exists on the road on which the vehicle is traveling, the evacuation place setting unit 17 may be configured to set the space of the road shoulder as an evacuation place.

[0024] The lane number increase / decrease determination unit 17a is configured to be able to determine an increase or decrease in the number of lanes on the road on which the vehicle runs. The lane number increase / decrease determination unit 17a may be configured to determine an increase or decrease in the number of lanes based on the shape of the road on which the vehicle runs, which is recognized from the detection results of the image sensor 31 or the millimeter wave radar 32, for example. The lane number increase / decrease determination unit 17a may also be configured to determine an increase or decrease in the number of lanes by recognizing at least one of road markings and signboards on the road on which the vehicle runs. The road markings and signboards can be recognized mainly from the detection results of the image sensor 31. By providing the lane number increase / decrease determination unit 17a, a remarkable effect not seen in the past can be obtained, that is, free spaces generated by an increase or decrease in the number of lanes can be effectively used as an evacuation area. In addition, by using the free spaces generated by an increase or decrease in the number of lanes as an evacuation area, the vehicle running to evacuate can be prevented from entering a traffic-regulated area due to construction work.

[0025] The obstacle determination unit 17b is configured to be able to determine whether an obstacle exists on the road on which the vehicle is traveling. Whether or not an obstacle exists on the road can be determined based on the detection result of the image sensor 31 or the millimeter wave radar 32. The obstacle determination unit 17b may be configured to exclude vehicles temporarily stopped at an intersection from obstacles. The obstacle determination unit 17b may be configured to determine that an obstacle exists on the road when an object of a predetermined size or more exists within a predetermined distance from the road edge on the inside. The predetermined distance is, for example, the lane width. The predetermined size can be defined by the length in the lane direction (vertical width), the length in the width direction perpendicular to the lane direction (horizontal width), and the height. For example, a threshold value may be set for each of the vertical width, horizontal width, and height, and an obstacle may be determined to exist when any of the vertical width, horizontal width, and height exceeds the threshold value. Each threshold value is preferably set to a value sufficient to obstruct the passage of the vehicle. The evacuation place setting unit 17 may be configured to set an area of ​​a predetermined size in front of the obstacle recognized by the obstacle determining unit 17b as a free space in the lane in which the obstacle exists, as the evacuation place. When the free space in front of the obstacle is set as the evacuation place, the obstacle exists behind the vehicle stopped in the evacuation place, so that the vehicle can be prevented from being hit by the following vehicle due to the obstacle. From this viewpoint, it is preferable that the size of the obstacle is large enough to suppress or avoid a collision with the following vehicle.

[0026] The evacuation place setting unit 17 is preferably configured to set, as the evacuation place, an area of ​​a predetermined size in a lane in which an obstacle recognized by the obstacle determining unit 17b exists, in front of the obstacle and in which no other objects exist, as a free space. The predetermined size is a size sufficient for the vehicle to stop. When an object to be avoided, such as a pedestrian, is detected around the obstacle, a free space located away from the obstacle may be set as the evacuation place, with sufficient space secured to avoid the pedestrian.

[0027] The road shoulder determination unit 17c determines whether or not a road shoulder exists on the road on which the vehicle is traveling. The road shoulder determination unit 17c may be configured to determine that a road shoulder exists when the width of the road shoulder recognized by the surrounding environment recognition unit 11 is wide enough for the vehicle to stop. For example, the road shoulder determination unit 17c may be configured to determine that a road shoulder exists when the width of the road shoulder is equal to or larger than a predetermined threshold value, and to determine that a road shoulder does not exist when the width is equal to or smaller than the predetermined threshold value.

[0028] The state determination unit 18 determines the state of the host vehicle as one of a state of continuing evacuation driving, a state of stopping within the lane, or a state of performing roadside evacuation. The state determination unit 18 determines the state of the host vehicle based on the time limit set by the time limit setting unit 12, whether the host vehicle can perform roadside evacuation determined by the roadside evacuation feasibility determination unit 16, and the evacuation place set by the evacuation place setting unit 17. The state of performing roadside evacuation includes a state of stopping in a free space and a state of stopping in a lane that is not recognized as a free space.

[0029] For example, if the evacuation location is a shoulder space and the vehicle can immediately evacuate to the shoulder space, the state of the vehicle is determined to be a state in which evacuation to the shoulder is performed. Also, for example, if the evacuation location is a shoulder space and the vehicle cannot immediately evacuate to the shoulder space but can evacuate within the time limit, the state of the vehicle is determined to be a state in which evacuation driving continues. Also, for example, if the evacuation location is a free space and the vehicle can immediately evacuate to the free space, the state of the vehicle is determined to be a state in which in-lane stopping is performed. Also, for example, if the evacuation location cannot be reached within the time limit, the state of the vehicle is determined to be a state in which in-lane stopping is performed.

[0030] For example, when both the shoulder space and the free space are set as the evacuation places, the state determination unit 18 is preferably configured to select a destination where the evacuation run is actually performed and determine the state of the vehicle based on the selected destination. For example, the state determination unit 18 may be configured to select a destination in consideration of the speed and safety of the evacuation run based on the running state of the vehicle and the running state of the vehicles around the vehicle, and determine the state of the vehicle. More specifically, the state of the vehicle may be determined so that the vehicle is evacuated to an evacuation place that takes less time to complete the evacuation. Alternatively, the state of the vehicle may be determined so that the vehicle is evacuated to an evacuation place where the vehicle can be evacuated more safely.

[0031] The control unit 19 controls the vehicle based on the state of the vehicle determined by the state determination unit 18. When it is determined that the vehicle is in a state to continue the evacuation driving, the control unit 19 executes control to continue the evacuation driving by driving in the vehicle's lane or changing lanes. When it is determined that the vehicle is in a state to stop within the lane, the control unit 19 executes control to stop the vehicle within the lane by issuing a notice to the following vehicle to inform the vehicle of the stop and by decelerating. When the vehicle is to stop in a free space within the lane, the control unit 19 executes evacuation driving with the free space as the destination and stops the vehicle. When it is determined that the vehicle is in a state to perform road shoulder evacuation, the control unit 19 executes control to move toward the road shoulder as the evacuation destination, decelerate, and stop the vehicle in the space on the road shoulder as the evacuation destination.

[0032] Fig. 2 shows a flowchart of the evacuation driving support process executed by the evacuation driving support device 10. The process shown in Fig. 2 is repeatedly executed at predetermined time intervals.

[0033] In step S101, the surrounding environment of the vehicle is recognized. Specifically, the space on the road shoulder around the vehicle and the presence of vehicles are recognized by acquiring object detection information from an object detection device. Then, the process proceeds to step S102.

[0034] In step S102, a limit time TL1 is set. The limit time TL1 is the upper limit value of the time for which the host vehicle continues the evacuation drive. If the evacuation drive of the host vehicle continues without restriction, it becomes a factor that hinders the rescue of the driver. Therefore, the limit time TL1 is set to a predetermined time considering the rescue of the driver. Then, the process proceeds to step S103.

[0035] In step S103, the current time T indicating the time from the point when the driver is determined to be incapacitated until the present and the limit time TL1 are compared. If T < TL1, the process proceeds to step S104. If T ≥ TL1, the process proceeds to step S110, and it is determined that the state of the host vehicle is a state of stopping within the lane in which the host vehicle travels, that is, a state of stopping in the host lane, and the process ends.

[0036] In step S104, it is determined whether there is an increase or decrease in the number of lanes. The increase or decrease in the number of lanes can be determined based on the shape of the road on which the host vehicle travels, road markings, signboards, etc. recognized by the peripheral monitoring devices 30. If it is determined from the peripheral environment information acquired in step S101 that there is an increase or decrease in the number of lanes, the process proceeds to step S105, and the free space (lane increase / decrease space) generated by the lane increase / decrease is selected as the destination of the evacuation drive. The process of step S105 is the process when it is determined that the free space due to the lane increase / decrease is selected as the destination of the evacuation drive and the state of the host vehicle is a state of stopping within the lane. Then, the process ends.

[0037] In step S106, it is determined whether there is a space on the road shoulder. If it is determined that there is a space on the road shoulder, the process proceeds to step S107, and the space on the road shoulder is selected as the destination of the evacuation drive. As will be described later, in the process of step S107, the state of the host vehicle is determined to be either a state of performing road shoulder evacuation or a state of continuing the evacuation drive. If it is determined that there is no space on the road shoulder, the process proceeds to step S108.

[0038] In step S108, it is determined whether or not an obstacle exists on the road on which the vehicle is traveling. If it is determined that an obstacle exists, the process proceeds to step S109, and a free space (obstacle space) created by the obstacle is selected as the destination of the evacuation drive. The process of step S109 is performed when the obstacle space is selected as the destination of the evacuation drive and the state of the vehicle is determined to be a state of being stopped within the lane. Then, the process ends.

[0039] The processes shown in steps S105, S107, and S109 are shown in Figures 3 to 5, respectively. In the lane increase / decrease space process shown in Figure 3, in step S201, it is determined whether the number of lanes will increase. If the number of lanes will increase, the process proceeds to step S202. If the number of lanes will decrease, the process proceeds to step S205, where it is determined that the free space (lane decrease space) created by the decrease in the number of lanes will be set as the destination of the evacuation driving, and the process ends.

[0040] In step S202, it is determined whether or not a lane exists on the side (moving side) on which the vehicle is moving. The moving side lane of the vehicle is a lane on the shoulder side of the road relative to the vehicle. If a moving side lane exists, the process proceeds to step S204, where it is determined that the free space (center reservation space) created by the center reservation strip is set as the destination of the evacuation driving, and the process ends. If a moving side lane does not exist, the process proceeds to step S203, where it is determined that the lane increase space is set as the destination of the evacuation driving, and the process ends.

[0041] In the road shoulder withdrawal process shown in Fig. 4, in step S301, it is determined whether or not a lane exists on the side (moving side) on which the vehicle moves. The moving side lane of the vehicle is a lane on the shoulder side of the vehicle, and is a lane that exists between the shoulder space and the vehicle lane. If a moving side lane exists, the process proceeds to step S302. If a moving side lane does not exist, the process proceeds to step S305.

[0042] In step S302, it is determined whether or not a lane change to the moving lane is possible. For example, it can be determined whether or not a lane change is possible based on road information about roads around the vehicle, object detection information about objects (particularly vehicles) around the vehicle, the traveling speed of the vehicle, and the like, acquired in step S101 shown in FIG. 2. If a lane change is possible, the process proceeds to step S303, where the lane change is executed and the process ends. If a lane change is not possible, the process proceeds to step S304, where it is determined to continue traveling in the vehicle's lane, and then the process ends. As shown in steps S301 to S303, if a moving lane exists and a lane change to the moving lane is possible, the lane change is executed and evacuation traveling is continued. The state of the vehicle is determined to be a state in which evacuation traveling should be continued.

[0043] In step S305, it is determined whether or not the vehicle can move to the shoulder. If the vehicle can move to the shoulder, the process proceeds to step S306, and the vehicle is moved to the shoulder. As shown in steps S301, S305, and S306, if there is no moving lane, the vehicle is determined to be in a state in which the vehicle should move to the shoulder, and the vehicle is moved to the shoulder.

[0044] In the obstacle space evacuation process shown in FIG. 5, in step S401, it is determined whether or not there is a free space of a predetermined size in which no other objects exist before or after the recognized obstacle. The predetermined size is a size sufficient for the host vehicle to stop, and more specifically, a space whose length in the lane direction (vertical width) is longer than the length in the front-rear direction of the host vehicle and whose length in the width direction perpendicular to the lane direction (horizontal width) is longer than the length in the width direction of the host vehicle. The predetermined size is preferably set to a value obtained by adding a margin to each of the vertical width and horizontal width of the host vehicle. If a corresponding free space exists, the process proceeds to step S402. If a corresponding free space does not exist, the process proceeds to step S404, where the host vehicle is stopped in a place that is not a free space in the host vehicle lane, and the process ends.

[0045] In step S402, it is determined whether the vehicle can retreat to the obstacle space determined to exist in step S401. If the vehicle can retreat, the process proceeds to step S403, where the vehicle executes a retreat run with the obstacle space as the destination. If the vehicle cannot retreat, the process proceeds to step S404, where the vehicle is stopped in a location that is not a free space in the vehicle's lane. Then, the process ends.

[0046] The state where the vehicle has retreated to a shoulder space or a free space will be described in more detail with reference to the drawings. FIG. 6 is a diagram showing a state where the vehicle has retreated to a lane increase space. At point P1, lane 61, which is the vehicle lane on which the vehicle 41 is traveling, is expanded to the left by lane 62, making it two lanes. A retaining wall 65 exists on the shoulder side of the lanes 61 and 62, and the shoulder between the retaining wall 65 and the left white line of lane 61 before point P1, and the shoulder between the retaining wall 65 and the left white line of lane 62 after point P1 are narrow, making it impossible to secure a shoulder space sufficient for safely parking the vehicle 41. However, the expansion of the lane at point P1 creates a free space S1. The vehicle can recognize the road edge, which is the lateral end of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, and recognize the non-traffic part of the road estimated based on the road edge and the travel trajectory of the vehicle preceding the vehicle as the free space S1. The white line on the shoulder side of the lane 61 or a retaining wall 65 can be recognized as the road edge. The free space S1 is a non-traffic area that exists ahead of the vehicle from point P1. By setting the free space S1 as a destination and retreating to the parking position 41a, the vehicle 41 can be safely stopped within the lane even on a road that does not have a shoulder.

[0047] FIG. 7 is a diagram showing a state in which the vehicle has retreated into an obstacle space. A lane 62 exists close to a retaining wall 65 on the road shoulder side, and a lane 61 is adjacent to the lane 62 on the opposite side of the road shoulder, that is, on the right side. The obstacles 66 are triangular cones, and are installed in the lane 62 in three rows of two each in the lane width direction. The obstacles 66, which are large enough to obstruct the passage of vehicles, are installed within a predetermined distance from the white line on the road shoulder side of the lane 62, which is the edge of the road. The vehicle 42 is traveling on the lane 61. The shoulder between the retaining wall 65 and the left white line of the lane 62 is narrow, and it is not possible to secure a shoulder space sufficient for the vehicle 41 to be parked safely. However, when the obstacle 66 exists in the lane 62, the obstacle 66 obstructs the travel of vehicles on the lane 62, and a free space S2 is generated in front of the point P2, which is the front end of the obstacle 66. The free space S2 is a non-traffic area in front of the vehicle from the point P2, where no other objects exist. By setting the free space S2 as a destination and retreating to the parking position 42a, the vehicle 42 can be safely stopped within the lane even on a road without a shoulder.

[0048] FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a state in which the vehicle has retreated into the median strip space. A lane 61 on which the vehicle 43 is traveling and a lane 62 on which the other vehicle 50 is traveling are separated from each other by a median strip 72. A separation wall 70 exists in the vicinity of the lane 62 on the median strip 72 up to point P31, and a zebra zone 71 exists ahead of point P31. At point P31, the lane 62 inclines to the right, which is the lane 61 side, and at the end point of the guidance strip 71, which narrows toward the traveling direction of the vehicle 43, the lane 61 and the lane 62 become adjacent lanes adjacent to each other with a white line interposed between them. As shown in FIG. 8, when the shoulder is narrow and further when the median strip 72 exists on the shoulder side of the lane 61, which is the vehicle's lane, and the lane 62 separated by the median strip 72 exists, it is difficult to retreat the vehicle 43 into the space on the shoulder. However, when a guidance strip 71 is present ahead of the central reservation strip 72, the guidance strip 71 can be set as a free space S3 as an evacuation location because the guidance strip is basically a non-passage area. By setting the free space S3 as a destination as an evacuation location and evacuating and stopping the vehicle 43 at the stopping position 43a, the vehicle 43 can be safely stopped on the road even on a road where it is difficult to evacuate to the shoulder.

[0049] When a median strip is formed by a plurality of dividing lines and a stationary object is installed in the median strip, the non-passing portion may be estimated based on the distance between the stationary object and the plurality of dividing lines, and the free space may be recognized. When a sign indicating that the median strip is present near the plurality of dividing lines, the existence of the median strip can also be recognized by recognizing the sign.

[0050] As shown in Fig. 9, a lane 62 exists immediately adjacent to a retaining wall 65 on the road shoulder side, and a lane 61 is adjacent to the lane 62 on the opposite side of the road shoulder, that is, on the right side. A center divider 73 exists on the right side of the lane 61 on which the vehicles 44, 45 are traveling. Stationary objects 74, 75 are installed between white lines L1 and L2 of the center divider 73.

[0051] The stationary object 74 is installed in a position close to the left white line L1 that divides the median strip 73. The stationary object 74 is installed in a position close to the left white line L1, but far from the right white line L2. The area R4 is a substantially rectangular area having the same vertical and horizontal widths as the vehicle 44, and the area S4 is obtained by moving the area R4 to between the stationary object 74 and the white line L2. As shown in FIG. 9, the area S4 is located between the stationary object 74 and the white line L2. Therefore, the vehicle 44 can pass around the area around the stationary object 74, and does not correspond to a non-passage area. The area around the stationary object 74 is not a free space, and therefore cannot be set as an evacuation area.

[0052] The stationary object 75 is installed at the center of the median strip 73 in the width direction. That is, the stationary object 75 is installed at a position where the distance from the white line L1 on the left side is approximately equal to the distance from the white line L2 on the right side. The region R5 is a substantially rectangular region having the same vertical and horizontal width as the vehicle 45, and the region S5 is obtained by moving the region R5 to the left and right of the stationary object 75. As shown in FIG. 9, the region S51 moved to the left side of the stationary object 75 protrudes from the white line L1. The region S52 moved to the right side of the stationary object 75 protrudes from the white line L2. Therefore, the area around the stationary object 75 corresponds to a non-passable portion through which the vehicle 45 can pass. The area within the median strip 73 and around the stationary object 75 is recognized as a free space. If the size of the free space is large enough for the size of the vehicle, it can be set as a place of evacuation. The free space can be set in front of or behind the stationary object 75. It is preferable that the length of the free space in the lane direction (vertical width) is longer than the length of the vehicle in the fore-and-aft direction, and that the length in the width direction perpendicular to the lane direction (horizontal width) is longer than the length of the vehicle in the width direction, and further that the vertical width and horizontal width are each set to a value to which a margin has been added.

[0053] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a state in which the vehicle has retreated into a lane reduction space. The lane 61, which is the vehicle lane in which the vehicle 46 is traveling, is the lane closest to the retaining wall 65, and is adjacent to the lane 63, which is the adjacent lane, on the right side, which is the opposite side of the retaining wall. At point P6, the lane 61 is narrowed to merge with the lane 63, and the two lanes become one lane. The shoulder between the retaining wall 65 and the left white line of the lane 61 before point P6, and the shoulder between the retaining wall 65 and the left white line of the lane 63 after point P6 are narrow, and it is not possible to secure a shoulder space sufficient for the vehicle 46 to be parked safely. However, the lane is increased at point P6, and a free space S6 is generated. The free space S1 is a non-traffic portion that exists on the vehicle side (near side) from point P6, where no vehicles pass. By pulling over and stopping the vehicle 46 at the stopping position 46a, the vehicle 46 can be safely stopped within the lane even on a road that does not have a shoulder.

[0054] 11 shows a state in which the host vehicle 47 executes road shoulder evacuation with the road shoulder 64 as the destination. When the host vehicle 47 is traveling on the lane 61 and it is determined that a lane change is possible at the host vehicle position 47a, the host vehicle 47 executes a lane change from the host vehicle lane 61 to the moving side lane 62a, and moves from the host vehicle position 47a to the host vehicle position 47b. A similar process is executed to execute a lane change from the host vehicle lane 62a to the moving side lane 62b, and moves from the host vehicle position 47b to the host vehicle position 47c.

[0055] At the host vehicle position 47c, since there is no lane between the host vehicle lane 62b and the road shoulder 64, the host vehicle 47 is evacuated from the host vehicle lane 62b to the road shoulder 64. The host vehicle 47 moves from the host vehicle position 47c to the host vehicle position 47d and stops. As shown in FIG. 11, if there is a space on the road shoulder 64 large enough for the host vehicle to be safely stopped and the host vehicle 47 can be safely moved to the road shoulder 64 by changing lanes, the host vehicle 47 can be safely evacuated to the road shoulder 64. A vehicle parked in the space on the road shoulder 64 is less likely to be hit by a following vehicle or the like than a vehicle parked in a free space on the road, and therefore can be safely stopped.

[0056] 12, the obstacle may be another vehicle 51 stopped within a lane 62. The stopped vehicle 51 is determined to be an obstacle, and an area of ​​a predetermined size or larger in front of the other vehicle 51 where no other objects exist is recognized as a free space S8. The free space S8 is then set as a destination and an evacuation location, and the host vehicle 48 is evacuated to and stopped at a stopping position 48a, whereby the host vehicle 48 can be safely stopped within the lane even on a road that does not have a shoulder.

[0057] 13, when there is another vehicle 52 ahead and another vehicle 53 behind as multiple stopped vehicles in the lane 62, a free space S91 may be recognized between the other vehicles 52 and 53. Both the free space S91 ahead of the other vehicle 52 and behind the other vehicle 53, and the free space S92 ahead of the other vehicle 53 may be set as evacuation places, and the vehicle 49 may be stopped at the stop position 49a or the stop position 49b. When multiple stopped vehicles are consecutive, it is preferable from the viewpoint of safety to perform evacuation running with the free space ahead of the leading stopped vehicle as the destination, as in the case of the free space S92, but evacuation running may be performed with the free space S91 as the destination depending on the situation of the vehicle and the situation around the vehicle.

[0058] In the flowcharts shown in Figs. 2 to 5, the evacuation restart determination process may be executed after the process of stopping the host vehicle in the host lane is executed. Fig. 14 is a flowchart showing the evacuation restart determination process. After the host vehicle is stopped in the host lane as shown in step S501, the process proceeds to step S502. In step S502, evacuation restart information is acquired. Specifically, the evacuation restart possibility determination result acquired via the external communication devices 20 or the evacuation restart possibility determination result calculated by the on-board software is acquired. Then, the process proceeds to step S503.

[0059] In step S503, it is determined whether or not the evacuation traveling can be resumed. If it is determined that the evacuation traveling can be resumed, the process proceeds to step S504. If it is determined that the evacuation traveling cannot be resumed, the process returns to step S501, and the host vehicle continues to be stopped in the host lane.

[0060] In step S504, it is determined whether the host vehicle can retreat to the shoulder of the road. If it is determined that the host vehicle can retreat, the process proceeds to step S505, where the host vehicle is controlled to retreat to the shoulder of the road, which is the retreat destination. Then, the process ends.

[0061] According to the evacuation driving support processing shown in FIG. 14, when the vehicle is stopped in its lane and it is determined based on the surrounding environment information of the vehicle that evacuation to the shoulder is possible, the evacuation driving can be resumed and the vehicle can be evacuated to the shoulder, which is safer than within the lane.

[0062] According to each of the above embodiments, the following advantageous effects can be obtained.

[0063] The evacuation driving support device 10 includes a surrounding environment recognition unit 11, a time limit setting unit 12, a roadside evacuation possibility determination unit 16, an evacuation place setting unit 17, a state determination unit 18, and a control unit 19.

[0064] The surrounding environment recognition unit 11 can at least recognize the space of the road shoulder, the free space which is a non-traffic part in the road caused by the lane configuration or the object around the lane, and the presence of the vehicles around the vehicle. The time limit setting unit 12 sets the time limit for the vehicle to continue the evacuation driving.

[0065] The shoulder evacuation possibility determination unit 16 determines whether the vehicle can evacuate to the shoulder based on the shoulder space recognized by the surrounding environment recognition unit 11. The evacuation place setting unit 17 sets at least one of the shoulder space and the free space recognized by the surrounding environment recognition unit 11 as an evacuation place to which the vehicle is to evacuate. The state determination unit 18 determines the state of the vehicle to be one of a state of continuing evacuation driving, a state of performing in-lane parking, or a state of performing shoulder evacuation based on the set time limit, the determined shoulder evacuation possibility, and the set evacuation place. The control unit 19 controls the vehicle based on the state of the vehicle determined by the state determination unit 18.

[0066] According to the evacuation driving support device 10, the surrounding environment recognition unit 11 recognizes not only the shoulder space but also the free space generated in the road due to the lane configuration and objects around the lane. The evacuation place setting unit 17 sets at least one of the shoulder space and the free space recognized by the surrounding environment recognition unit 11 as the evacuation place to which the host vehicle is to be evacuated. Therefore, the evacuation place where the host vehicle can safely evacuate can be set according to the condition of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling. The state determination unit 18 determines the state of the host vehicle to be one of a state of continuing evacuation driving, a state of stopping in the lane, or a state of evacuating to the shoulder based on the set evacuation place (shoulder space or free space), the time limit, and whether or not the host vehicle can evacuate to the shoulder. When determining the state of the host vehicle, the state determination unit 18 refers to information on the safe evacuation place set according to the condition of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling, and therefore can determine the state of the host vehicle based on the condition of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling. As a result, the control unit 19 can realize safer evacuation driving based on the conditions of the road on which the vehicle is traveling.

[0067] The evacuation place setting unit 17 may include a lane number increase / decrease determination unit 17a capable of determining an increase / decrease in the number of lanes on the road on which the vehicle is traveling. In this case, the evacuation place setting unit 17 may be configured to set a free space resulting from the increase / decrease in the number of lanes as an evacuation place when the lane number increase / decrease determination unit 17a determines that the number of lanes will increase or decrease. This provides a remarkable effect not seen in the past that the free space resulting from the increase / decrease in the number of lanes can be effectively used as an evacuation place. In addition, by setting the free space resulting from the increase / decrease in the number of lanes as an evacuation place, the vehicle traveling to evacuation can be prevented from entering a traffic restriction area due to construction work.

[0068] The lane number increase / decrease determination unit 17a may be configured to determine an increase or decrease in the number of lanes based on the shape of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, which is recognized from the detection result of the imaging device or the radar device. The lane number increase / decrease determination unit 17a may be configured to determine an increase or decrease in the number of lanes by recognizing at least one of road markings and signboard signs on the road on which the vehicle is traveling.

[0069] The surrounding environment recognition unit 11 may be configured to recognize the road edge, which is the lateral end of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, and recognize a non-traffic portion of the road estimated based on the road edge and the travel path of the vehicle preceding the vehicle as a free space. By estimating the non-traffic portion in consideration of the travel path of the vehicle preceding the vehicle, it is possible to avoid determining that the merging lane is a non-traffic portion when the lanes are widened due to the merging of lanes.

[0070] The surrounding environment recognition unit 11 may be configured to recognize a guidance strip around a median strip of the road on which the vehicle is traveling as a free space.

[0071] The surrounding environment recognition unit 11 may be configured to recognize, when a plurality of demarcation lines and a stationary object existing between the plurality of demarcation lines are recognized on the road on which the vehicle is traveling, a non-passage area around the stationary object between the plurality of demarcation lines estimated based on the distance between the plurality of demarcation lines and the stationary object as a free space. For example, even in the case where a median strip is formed by two demarcation lines, the non-passage area can be appropriately estimated.

[0072] The evacuation location setting unit 17 may be configured to set the free space as an evacuation location when it is determined that the vehicle can stop in the free space based on the size of the free space and its relative position to the vehicle, and the traveling speed and size of the vehicle.

[0073] The evacuation place setting unit 17 may include an obstacle determination unit 17b capable of determining an obstacle present on the road on which the vehicle is traveling. In this case, the evacuation place setting unit 17 may be configured to set a free space generated around the obstacle as the evacuation place when the obstacle determination unit 17b determines that an obstacle exists.

[0074] The surrounding environment recognition unit 11 may be configured to recognize the road edge, which is the lateral end of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, and the obstacle determination unit 17b may be configured to determine that an obstacle exists when an object of a predetermined size or more exists within a predetermined distance from the road edge. The presence of an object of a predetermined size or more within a predetermined distance from the road edge impedes vehicle passage, resulting in a non-passable section. In addition, it is possible to avoid the vehicle being hit by a following vehicle due to an obstacle of a predetermined size or more.

[0075] The evacuation place setting unit 17 may be configured to set an area of ​​a predetermined size or more in front of the obstacle recognized by the obstacle determination unit 17b in a lane in which the obstacle exists as an evacuation place as a free space. When the free space in front of the obstacle is set as an evacuation place, an obstacle exists behind the vehicle stopped in the evacuation place, so that the vehicle can be prevented from being hit by the following vehicle due to the obstacle.

[0076] The evacuation place setting unit 17 may be configured to set the shoulder space or the free space as the evacuation place when it is determined that the vehicle can move to and stop safely in the shoulder space or the free space based on the traveling state of the vehicle and the traveling state of the vehicles around the vehicle. This can improve the safety of evacuation driving.

[0077] The control unit and the method described in the present disclosure may be realized by a special-purpose computer provided by configuring a processor and a memory programmed to execute one or more functions embodied in a computer program. Alternatively, the control unit and the method described in the present disclosure may be realized by a special-purpose computer provided by configuring a processor with one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the control unit and the method described in the present disclosure may be realized by one or more special-purpose computers configured by a combination of a processor and a memory programmed to execute one or more functions and a processor configured with one or more hardware logic circuits. In addition, the computer program may be stored in a computer-readable non-transitory tangible recording medium as instructions executed by a computer. [Explanation of symbols]

[0078] 10: evacuation driving support device, 11: surrounding environment recognition unit, 12: time limit setting unit, 16: roadside evacuation possibility determination unit, 17: evacuation place setting unit, 18: state determination unit, 19: control unit

Claims

1. a surrounding environment recognition unit (11) capable of recognizing at least a shoulder space, a free space which is a non-traffic part in a road caused by a lane shape or an object around the lane, and the presence of vehicles around the vehicle; a time limit setting unit (12) for setting a time limit for which the vehicle is to continue evacuation travel; a shoulder evacuation possibility determination unit (16) that determines whether the vehicle can evacuate to the shoulder and stop there based on the space of the shoulder recognized by the surrounding environment recognition unit; an evacuation location setting unit (17) that sets at least one of the shoulder space and the free space recognized by the surrounding environment recognition unit as an evacuation location to which the vehicle is to be evacuated; a state determination unit (18) that determines whether the state of the vehicle is one of a state in which evacuation travel should be continued, a state in which the vehicle should be stopped within the lane, and a state in which the vehicle should be stopped on the road shoulder, based on the set time limit, the determined possibility of evacuation to the road shoulder, and the set evacuation place; a control unit (19) that controls the vehicle based on the state of the vehicle determined by the state determination unit, The evacuation place setting unit includes a lane number increase / decrease determination unit (17a) capable of determining an increase / decrease in the number of lanes on the road on which the vehicle is traveling, and when the lane number increase / decrease determination unit determines that the number of lanes will increase or decrease, sets the free space, which is a lane increase space or lane decrease space resulting from the increase or decrease in the number of lanes, as the evacuation place, The state determination unit is a first determination unit that, when the set time limit has not elapsed and the lane number increase / decrease determination unit has determined that the number of lanes will increase or decrease, determines that the state of the host vehicle is such that an in-lane stop should be performed, regardless of a result of a determination by the road shoulder evacuation feasibility determination unit as to whether the host vehicle can evacuate to the road shoulder and stop, and selects the free space, which is the lane increase space or the lane decrease space, as the evacuation location; a second determination unit that determines that the state of the host vehicle is in a state in which a shoulder stop should be performed when the set time limit has not elapsed, the lane number increase / decrease determination unit has not determined that the number of lanes will increase or decrease, and the shoulder evacuation feasibility determination unit has determined that the host vehicle can evacuate to the shoulder and stop there, An evacuation driving assistance device (10).

2. The escape driving support device according to claim 1 , wherein the lane number increase / decrease determination unit determines whether the number of lanes is increased or decreased based on a shape of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling that is recognized from a detection result of an imaging device or a radar device.

3. 3. The escape driving support device according to claim 1, wherein the lane number increase / decrease determination unit determines whether the number of lanes is increased or decreased by recognizing at least one of road markings and signboard signs of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling.

4. The evacuation driving support device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the surrounding environment recognition unit recognizes a road edge, which is a lateral end of the road on which the vehicle is traveling, and recognizes a non-passenger portion of the road estimated based on the road edge and the driving trajectory of a vehicle preceding the vehicle as a free space.

5. 5. The escape driving support device according to claim 1, wherein the surrounding environment recognition unit recognizes a guidance strip around a center reservation strip of the road on which the host vehicle is traveling as a free space.

6. An evacuation driving assistance device as described in any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein when the surrounding environment recognition unit recognizes a plurality of dividing lines and a stationary object between the plurality of dividing lines on the road on which the vehicle is traveling, the surrounding environment recognition unit recognizes the non-passable portion around the stationary object between the plurality of dividing lines estimated based on the distance between the plurality of dividing lines and the stationary object as the free space.

7. An evacuation driving support device as described in any one of claims 4 to 6, wherein the evacuation location setting unit sets the free space as an evacuation location when it is determined that the vehicle can stop in the free space based on the size of the free space and its relative position to the vehicle, and the traveling speed and size of the vehicle.

8. The evacuation driving support device according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the evacuation location setting unit (17) includes an obstacle determination unit (17b) capable of determining an obstacle present on a road on which the vehicle is traveling, and when the obstacle determination unit determines that an obstacle exists, sets the free space generated around the obstacle as the evacuation location.

9. An evacuation driving support device as described in any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the evacuation location setting unit sets the shoulder space or the free space as the evacuation location when it is determined that the shoulder space or the free space is a space into which the vehicle can safely move and stop based on the driving state of the vehicle and the driving states of vehicles surrounding the vehicle.

10. A surrounding environment recognition process capable of at least recognizing the space of the road shoulder, the free space which is a non-traffic part in the road caused by the lane shape or the object around the lane, and the presence of vehicles around the vehicle; a time limit setting process for setting a time limit for which the host vehicle continues evacuation travel; a shoulder evacuation feasibility determination process for determining whether the vehicle can evacuate to the shoulder and stop based on the shoulder space recognized in the surrounding environment recognition process; and an evacuation location setting process for setting at least one of the shoulder space and the free space recognized in the surrounding environment recognition process as an evacuation location to which the host vehicle is to be evacuated; a state determination process for determining whether the state of the vehicle is a state in which evacuation travel should be continued, a state in which the vehicle should be stopped in a lane, or a state in which the vehicle should be stopped on the shoulder, based on the set time limit, the determined possibility of evacuation to the shoulder, and the set evacuation location; a control process for controlling the host vehicle based on the state of the host vehicle determined in the state determination process; A program for causing a computer to execute the following: the evacuation place setting process includes a lane number increase / decrease determination process capable of determining an increase / decrease in the number of lanes on the road on which the vehicle is traveling, and when it is determined that the number of lanes will increase or decrease in the lane number increase / decrease determination process, the free space, which is a lane increase space or lane decrease space resulting from the increase or decrease in the number of lanes, is set as the evacuation place; The state determination process includes: a first determination process, when the set time limit has not elapsed and the lane number increase / decrease determination process has determined that the number of lanes will increase or decrease, determining that the state of the vehicle is such that an in-lane stop should be performed regardless of the result of the road shoulder evacuation possibility determination process as to whether the vehicle can evacuate to the road shoulder and stop there, and selecting the free space, which is the lane increase space or the lane decrease space, as the evacuation location; a second determination process for determining that the state of the host vehicle is in a state in which a shoulder stop should be performed if the set time limit has not elapsed, the lane number increase / decrease determination process has not determined that the number of lanes will increase or decrease, and the shoulder stop feasibility determination process has determined that the host vehicle can stop by pulling onto the shoulder; Including, the program.

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