Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and program

Abstract

To realize suitable vehicle control for a driver.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device includes: a recognition section that recognizes a surrounding situation of a vehicle; and a control section that controls steering of the vehicle such that the vehicle advances along a route on the basis of the surrounding situation and the route along which the vehicle is scheduled to advance. The control section determines whether or not to cause the vehicle to make a lane change from a traveling lane to a branch lane on the basis of a situation on a road shoulder in front of the branch lane when the vehicle is scheduled to advance from the traveling lane in which the vehicle is traveling to the branch lane branching from the traveling lane, causes the vehicle to automatically make the lane change when it is determined to make the lane change, and causes the vehicle not to automatically make the lane change when it is determined not to make the lane change.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] In recent years, efforts to provide a sustainable transportation system that takes various situations into consideration have been gaining momentum. To achieve this, efforts are being made to further improve traffic safety and convenience through research and development of driving assistance technology. For example, a control device has been disclosed that acquires congestion information using communications and provides information to the driver based on the acquired congestion information (see, for example, Patent Document 1). [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] Patent Publication No. 2021-91394 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] Conventional control devices sometimes fail to provide vehicle control that is optimal for the driver. For example, because traffic congestion information is not provided in real time, it is sometimes impossible to provide vehicle control that is appropriate for the real-time conditions around the vehicle.

[0005] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program that can realize vehicle control that is suitable for a driver. For example, vehicle control that is suitable for a real-time vehicle situation can be realized. This will contribute to the development of a sustainable transportation system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] A vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program according to the present invention employ the following configuration. (1): A vehicle control device according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a recognition unit that recognizes a situation around a vehicle, and a control unit that controls steering of the vehicle so that the vehicle travels along a planned route based on the situation around the vehicle and a route along which the vehicle is planned to travel. When the vehicle is planned to travel from a driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling to a branch lane branching off from the driving lane, the control unit determines whether or not to cause the vehicle to change lanes from the driving lane to the branch lane based on the situation of the shoulder just before the branch lane. When it is determined that the vehicle should change lanes, the control unit automatically causes the vehicle to change lanes, and when it is determined that the vehicle should not change lanes, the control unit does not automatically cause the vehicle to change lanes.

[0007] (2): In the above aspect (1), the control unit automatically causes the vehicle to change lanes if the shoulder of the road before the branching lane is not congested, and does not automatically cause the vehicle to change lanes if the shoulder of the road before the branching lane is congested.

[0008] (3): In the above aspect (2), the control unit acquires the congestion condition of the shoulder area from the connection start position of the driving lane and the branch lane to a first predetermined distance before the connection start position, based on the surrounding conditions recognized by the recognition unit.

[0009] (4) In the above aspect (3), the control unit sets the first predetermined distance to a distance that differs depending on the speed of the vehicle.

[0010] (5): In the above aspect (4), the control unit sets the first predetermined distance to be longer as the speed of the vehicle increases.

[0011] (6): In the above aspect (1), when the vehicle is scheduled to proceed into a branch lane, the control unit repeats a process of determining whether or not to cause the vehicle to change lanes from the driving lane to the branch lane based on whether or not there is congestion on the shoulder of the road just before the branch lane, and when it determines that a congestion has occurred and the vehicle has reached within a predetermined distance from the end of the traffic jam, or when it determines that a congestion has occurred and the vehicle has reached the end of the traffic jam, it decides not to cause the vehicle to automatically change lanes.

[0012] (7): In any of the aspects of (6) above, after the control unit has decided not to automatically cause the vehicle to change lanes, it continues to not automatically cause the vehicle to change lanes even if it determines that the traffic jam is not occurring.

[0013] (8): In the above aspect (7), after the control unit has decided not to automatically change lanes, even if it determines that no congestion has occurred, it continues not to automatically change lanes until the vehicle passes a predetermined position in the branch lane, and resumes the process of automatically changing lanes after the vehicle passes the predetermined position.

[0014] (9) In any of the above aspects (2) to (8), the control unit determines that the congestion has occurred when a predetermined number or more of other vehicles are present in the road shoulder area.

[0015] (10): In any of the above aspects (2) to (8), the control unit determines that a traffic jam is occurring when a plurality of other vehicles are lined up in the shoulder area and the length of the line of other vehicles lined up is equal to or longer than a second set distance.

[0016] (11): In any of the above aspects (2) to (8), when the control unit determines not to change lanes, the control unit outputs, to an information output device, information notifying the driver of the vehicle to perform a steering operation without automatically changing lanes of the vehicle.

[0017] (12): A vehicle control method according to another aspect of the present invention includes a computer that executes the following steps: recognizes a situation around a vehicle; controls steering of the vehicle based on the situation around and a route along which the vehicle is planned to travel, so that the vehicle travels along the route; determines, when the vehicle is planned to travel from a driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling to a branch lane branching off from the driving lane, whether or not to change lanes of the vehicle from the driving lane to the branch lane based on a situation of a road shoulder just before the branch lane; automatically changes lanes of the vehicle when it is determined to change lanes; and does not automatically change lanes of the vehicle when it is determined not to change lanes.

[0018] (13): A program according to another aspect of the present invention executes a process of recognizing a situation around a vehicle; a process of controlling steering of the vehicle so that the vehicle proceeds along a route based on the situation around the vehicle and a route along which the vehicle is planned to proceed; a process of determining whether or not to cause the vehicle to change lanes from the driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling to a branch lane branching off from the driving lane based on a situation of a shoulder just before the branch lane when the vehicle is planned to proceed from the driving lane to the branch lane; a process of automatically causing the vehicle to change lanes when it is determined that the vehicle should change lanes; and a process of not automatically causing the vehicle to change lanes when it is determined that the vehicle should not change lanes. Effect of the Invention

[0019] According to the aspects (1) to (13), the vehicle control device, vehicle control method, or program determines whether or not to automatically change lanes of the vehicle based on the state of the road shoulder before the branch lane, and controls the vehicle according to the result of the determination, thereby realizing vehicle control that is suitable for the driver. For example, when the road shoulder is congested, the control unit does not control the lane change, and the driver is assisted to smoothly change lanes.

[0020] According to the aspect of (4) or (5), the vehicle control device can realize control according to the vehicle speed. For example, the vehicle control device can stop automatic lane changing at an appropriate timing.

[0021] According to the aspect (6), the vehicle control device cancels the lane change at a position corresponding to the tail end of the traffic jam, so that the driver can easily understand that the cancellation is due to the traffic jam.

[0022] According to the aspect (7), after the vehicle control device has stopped automatic lane changes by the vehicle, it continues to stop the operation even if it determines that no congestion is occurring. This prevents repeated stopping and resuming of the operation and prevents confusion for the driver.

[0023] According to the aspect of (8), the vehicle control device resumes the process of automatically changing lanes after passing a predetermined position, so that the vehicle control device can appropriately determine the presence of a traffic jam. For example, the vehicle control device can determine the presence of a traffic jam after the vehicle passes a predetermined position. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0024] [Figure 1] 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 that utilizes a vehicle control system according to an embodiment. [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of driving assistance control. [Diagram 3] 4A to 4C are diagrams for explaining traffic congestion determination processing and driving assistance control. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining control after branch exit assistance is stopped. [Diagram 5] 4 is a flowchart showing an example of a flow of processing executed by the driving assistance device 100. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram for explaining a search start condition. [Figure 7] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a search range. [Figure 8] 11 is a diagram for explaining a process of identifying vehicles in a search range. FIG. [Figure 9] FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining a vehicle to be registered. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of vehicle information 192. [Figure 11] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a scene in which branch exit assistance is canceled. [Figure 12] FIG. 13 is a diagram for explaining a process when a traffic jam is resolved. [Figure 13] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a scene in which branch exit assistance is continued; [Figure 14] FIG. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a search range set for a branch lane; [Figure 15] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing an example of a situation in which a branch lane is congested; DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0025] DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Hereinafter, embodiments of a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method, and a program according to the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

[0026] <Embodiment> [Overall configuration] 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle system 1 that utilizes a vehicle control system according to an embodiment. The vehicle on which the vehicle system 1 is mounted is, for example, a two-wheeled, three-wheeled, or four-wheeled vehicle, and its drive source is an internal combustion engine such as a diesel engine or a gasoline engine, an electric motor, or a combination of these. The electric motor operates using power generated by a generator connected to the internal combustion engine, or discharged power from a secondary battery or a fuel cell.

[0027] The vehicle system 1 includes, for example, a camera 10, a radar device 12, a LIDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) 14, an object recognition device 16, a communication device 20, an HMI (Human Machine Interface) 30, a vehicle sensor 40, a navigation device 50, an MPU 60, a driver monitor camera 70, a driving operation device 80, a driving support device 100, a driving force output device 200, a brake device 210, and a steering device 220. These devices and devices are connected to each other by a multiplex communication line such as a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication line, a serial communication line, a wireless communication network, or the like. The configuration shown in FIG. 1 is merely an example, and some of the configuration may be omitted, or other configuration may be added. The driving support device 100 is an example of a "vehicle control device."

[0028] The camera 10 is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device) or a CMOS (Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor). The camera 10 is attached to an arbitrary location of a vehicle (hereinafter, the vehicle M) in which the vehicle system 1 is mounted. When capturing an image of the front, the camera 10 is attached to the top of the front windshield, the back of the rearview mirror, or the like. The camera 10, for example, periodically and repeatedly captures images of the surroundings of the vehicle M. The camera 10 may be a stereo camera.

[0029] The radar device 12 emits radio waves such as millimeter waves around the vehicle M and detects radio waves reflected by an object (reflected waves) to detect at least the position (distance and direction) of the object. The radar device 12 is attached to an arbitrary location of the vehicle M. The radar device 12 may detect the position and speed of an object by an FM-CW (Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave) method.

[0030] The LIDAR 14 irradiates light (or electromagnetic waves with a wavelength close to that of light) around the vehicle M and measures the scattered light. The LIDAR 14 detects the distance to the target based on the time between light emission and light reception. The irradiated light is, for example, a pulsed laser light. The LIDAR 14 is attached to an arbitrary location of the vehicle M.

[0031] The object recognition device 16 performs sensor fusion processing on some or all of the detection results from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 to recognize the position, type, speed, etc. of the object. The object recognition device 16 outputs the recognition result to the driving assistance device 100. The object recognition device 16 may output the detection results from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 directly to the driving assistance device 100. The object recognition device 16 may be omitted from the vehicle system 1.

[0032] The communication device 20 communicates with other vehicles in the vicinity of the vehicle M, for example, using a cellular network, a Wi-Fi network, Bluetooth (registered trademark), DSRC (Dedicated Short Range Communication), etc., or communicates with various server devices via a wireless base station.

[0033] The HMI 30 presents various information to the occupants of the vehicle M and accepts input operations by the occupants. The HMI 30 includes various display devices, a speaker, a buzzer, a touch panel, switches, keys, etc. The HMI 30 is equipped with a display device. The display device (display unit) is, for example, a display device provided in the center of the instrument panel of the vehicle M that displays various information on the vehicle M, such as a speedometer that indicates the traveling speed of the vehicle M or a tachometer that indicates the number of revolutions (rotational speed) of the internal combustion engine equipped in the vehicle M, a so-called multi-information display.

[0034] The vehicle sensor 40 includes a vehicle speed sensor that detects the speed of the host vehicle M, an acceleration sensor that detects acceleration, a yaw rate sensor that detects the angular velocity around a vertical axis, a direction sensor that detects the direction of the host vehicle M, and the like.

[0035] The navigation device 50 includes, for example, a GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) receiver 51, a navigation HMI 52, and a route determination unit 53. The navigation device 50 holds first map information 54 in a storage device such as a HDD (Hard Disk Drive) or a flash memory. The GNSS receiver 51 identifies the position of the vehicle M based on a signal received from a GNSS satellite. The position of the vehicle M may be identified or complemented by an INS (Inertial Navigation System) using the output of the vehicle sensor 40. The navigation HMI 52 includes a display device, a speaker, a touch panel, keys, and the like. The navigation HMI 52 may be partially or entirely shared with the above-mentioned HMI 30. The route determination unit 53, for example, determines a route (hereinafter, a route on a map) from the position of the vehicle M identified by the GNSS receiver 51 (or an arbitrary position input) to a destination input by a driver using the navigation HMI 52, with reference to the first map information 54. The first map information 54 is, for example, information in which road shapes are expressed by links indicating roads and nodes connected by the links. The first map information 54 may include road curvature and POI (Point Of Interest) information. The route on the map is output to the MPU 60. The navigation device 50 may perform route guidance using the navigation HMI 52 based on the route on the map. The navigation device 50 may be realized by, for example, a function of a terminal device such as a smartphone or tablet terminal owned by a passenger. The navigation device 50 may transmit a current position and a destination to a navigation server via the communication device 20, and obtain a route equivalent to the route on the map from the navigation server.

[0036] The MPU 60 includes, for example, a recommended lane determination unit 61, and holds second map information 62 in a storage device such as an HDD or a flash memory. The recommended lane determination unit 61 divides the route on the map provided by the navigation device 50 into a plurality of blocks (for example, by dividing it into 100 m intervals in the vehicle travel direction), and determines a recommended lane for each block by referring to the second map information 62. The recommended lane determination unit 61 determines which lane from the left the vehicle should travel in. When a branch point is present on the route on the map, the recommended lane determination unit 61 determines a recommended lane so that the host vehicle M can travel along a reasonable route to proceed to the branch point.

[0037] The second map information 62 is map information with higher accuracy than the first map information 54. The second map information 62 includes, for example, information on the center of lanes or information on boundaries of lanes. The second map information 62 may include road information, traffic regulation information, address information (address and zip code), facility information, telephone number information, and the like. The second map information 62 may be updated as needed by the communication device 20 communicating with another device.

[0038] The driver monitor camera 70 is, for example, a digital camera using a solid-state imaging element such as a CCD or a CMOS. The driver monitor camera 70 is attached to an arbitrary location of the vehicle M in a position and orientation that allows the head of an occupant (hereinafter, the driver) seated in the driver's seat of the vehicle M to be imaged from the front (in an orientation that images the face). For example, the driver monitor camera 70 is attached to an upper portion of a display device provided in the center of the instrument panel of the vehicle M. The driver monitor camera 70 outputs an image of the interior of the vehicle including the driver of the vehicle M captured from the installed position to the driving assistance device 100.

[0039] The driving operators 80 include, for example, a steering wheel 82, as well as a turn signal switch, an accelerator pedal, a brake pedal, a shift lever, and other operators. A sensor is attached to the driving operators 80 to detect the amount of operation or the presence or absence of operation, and the detection results are output to the driving support device 100, or some or all of the driving force output device 200, the brake device 210, and the steering device 220. The steering wheel 82 does not necessarily have to be annular, and may be in the form of an irregularly shaped steering wheel, a joystick, buttons, or the like. A steering grip sensor 86 is attached to the steering wheel 82.

[0040] The steering grip sensor 86 is realized by, for example, a capacitance sensor or a piezoelectric element. The steering grip sensor 86 detects whether or not the driver is gripping the steering wheel 82. "Gripping" refers to a state in which the driver is gripping the steering wheel, a state in which the driver's hands are in contact with the steering wheel and a force of a predetermined degree or more is being applied to the steering wheel, etc.

[0041] The steering grip sensor 86 may detect gripping based on an image captured by a camera, or may detect gripping using an optical method such as a radar device (a method that does not require contact with the sensor).

[0042] The driving support device 100 includes, for example, a recognition unit 110, a driver recognition unit 120, a congestion determination unit 130, a speed control unit 140, a lane keeping control unit 150, a lane change control unit 160, a planning unit 170, an information provision unit 180, and a storage unit 190. Some or all of these functional units are realized by, for example, a hardware processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) executing a program (software). Some or all of these components may be realized by hardware (including circuitry) such as an LSI (Large Scale Integration), an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit), an FPGA (Field-Programmable Gate Array), or a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), or may be realized by cooperation between software and hardware. The program may be stored in advance in a storage device (a storage device having a non-transient storage medium) such as an HDD or flash memory of the driving assistance device 100, or may be stored in a removable storage medium such as a DVD or CD-ROM, and installed in the HDD or flash memory of the driving assistance device 100 by mounting the storage medium (non-transient storage medium) in a drive device. A functional configuration including at least the congestion determination unit 130 and the lane change control unit 160 is an example of a "control unit".

[0043] The storage unit 190 is realized by, for example, a HDD, a flash memory, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), etc. The storage unit 190 stores, for example, vehicle information 192 (described in detail below).

[0044] The recognition unit 110 recognizes the position, speed, acceleration, and other states of objects around the vehicle M based on information input from the camera 10, the radar device 12, and the LIDAR 14 via the object recognition device 16. The position of the object is recognized as a position on an absolute coordinate system with a representative point of the vehicle M (such as the center of gravity or the center of the drive shaft) as the origin, and is used for control. The position of the object may be represented by a representative point such as the center of gravity or a corner of the object, or may be represented by an area. The "state" of the object may include the acceleration or jerk of the object, or the "behavior state" (for example, whether or not the object is changing lanes or is about to change lanes).

[0045] The recognition unit 110 recognizes, for example, the lane in which the host vehicle M is traveling (driving lane). For example, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the driving lane by comparing a pattern of road dividing lines (for example, an arrangement of solid lines and dashed lines) obtained from the second map information 62 with a pattern of road dividing lines around the host vehicle M recognized from an image captured by the camera 10. The recognition unit 110 may recognize the driving lane by recognizing road boundaries (road boundaries) including not only road dividing lines but also road dividing lines, shoulders, curbs, medians, guard rails, etc. In this recognition, the position of the host vehicle M obtained from the navigation device 50 and the processing results by the INS may be taken into consideration. The recognition unit 110 recognizes stop lines, obstacles, red lights, toll booths, and other road phenomena.

[0046] When recognizing the driving lane, the recognition unit 110 recognizes the position and attitude of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane. For example, the recognition unit 110 may recognize the deviation of the reference point of the host vehicle M from the center of the lane and the angle with respect to a line connecting the centers of the lanes in the traveling direction of the host vehicle M as the relative position and attitude of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane. Alternatively, the recognition unit 110 may recognize the position of the reference point of the host vehicle M with respect to either side end of the driving lane (a road dividing line or a road boundary) as the relative position of the host vehicle M with respect to the driving lane.

[0047] The driver recognition unit 120 detects whether the driver is in a predetermined state based on an image captured by the driver monitor camera 70. The predetermined state is a state in which a hands-off lane keeping control, which will be described later, can be executed. Hands-off is a state in which the driver is not gripping the steering wheel, and hands-on is a state in which the driver is gripping the steering wheel. The state in which the hands-off lane keeping control can be executed is a state in which the driver is monitoring the front (or the surroundings of the vehicle M). Monitoring the front means, for example, that the driver is monitoring the front so that the driver can quickly take over from the control of the vehicle M by the vehicle system 1 to the operation of the vehicle M by the driver. Monitoring the front means, for example, that the driver's gaze is directed forward.

[0048] The congestion determination unit 130 determines whether or not a search range described later is congested, and if it is determined that the search range is congested, stops the branching and exiting support that causes the vehicle to change lanes from the driving lane to the branching lane. This process will be described in detail later.

[0049] The speed control unit 140 automatically controls the driving force output device 200 and the braking device 210 without being dependent on the driver's operation, and automatically controls the speed of the host vehicle M. The speed control unit 140 executes so-called adaptive cruise control (ACC).

[0050] For example, when there are no other vehicles in front of the vehicle M within a predetermined distance from the vehicle M, the speed control unit 140 automatically controls the driving force output device 200 and the brake device 210 without relying on the driver's operation so that the vehicle M travels at a speed set by the driver, a legal speed, or a speed that is preset in accordance with the road.

[0051] For example, when there is another vehicle ahead of the host vehicle M within a predetermined distance from the host vehicle M, the speed control unit 140 automatically controls the driving drive force output device 200 and the brake device 210 without the driver's operation so as to follow the other vehicle. Following means that the host vehicle M travels while maintaining a position behind the other vehicle and at a predetermined distance from the other vehicle. When branching exit assistance is executed, the speed control unit 140 controls the speed of the host vehicle M so as to smoothly change lanes to the branching lane.

[0052] The lane keeping control unit 150 controls the steering device 220 so that the host vehicle M does not deviate from the driving lane. For example, the lane keeping control unit 150 controls the steering device 220 so that the host vehicle M drives in the center or near the center of the driving lane recognized by the recognition unit 110. Hereinafter, this control may be referred to as "lane keeping control." The lane keeping control unit 150 executes hands-on lane keeping control and hands-off lane keeping control.

[0053] The hands-on lane keeping control is executed when the driver is gripping the steering wheel (when the steering grip sensor 86 detects that the driver is gripping the steering wheel). The conditions under which the hands-on lane keeping control can be executed are less strict than the conditions under which the hands-off lane keeping control can be executed. For example, the hands-on lane keeping control is executed when the speed of the host vehicle M is equal to or higher than a predetermined speed and the driver is monitoring the road ahead.

[0054] The hands-off lane keeping control is executed when the driver is not gripping the steering wheel (when the steering grip sensor 86 does not detect gripping of the steering wheel). The hands-off lane keeping control is executable, for example, when the following conditions are met: the speed of the host vehicle M is equal to or greater than a predetermined speed, the host vehicle M is traveling on a predetermined road (for example, a road or a type of road that has been set in advance as being executable for the hands-off lane keeping control), and the driver is monitoring the road ahead. The hands-off lane keeping control is executed when the driver is monitoring the road ahead, and the hands-off lane keeping control is not executed or is stopped when the driver is not monitoring the road ahead.

[0055] The above-mentioned conditions under which the hands-on lane keeping control and the hands-off lane keeping control can be executed are only examples, and other conditions (for example, the host vehicle M following a vehicle ahead) may be included, or some conditions may be omitted. The conditions under which the hands-on lane keeping control can be executed may be looser than the conditions under which the hands-off lane keeping can be executed (the conditions under which the hands-off lane keeping control can be executed may be stricter than the conditions under which the hands-on lane keeping can be executed).

[0056] The lane change control unit 160 automatically changes lanes of the host vehicle M. For example, the lane change control unit 160 generates a trajectory for lane change and changes lanes of the host vehicle M so that the host vehicle M travels along the generated trajectory. The lane change control unit 160 changes lanes of the host vehicle M (ALC; automatic lane change) based on a destination set by the occupant, a route generated by the planning unit 170, and a recommended lane output to the MPU 60. For example, the lane change control unit 160 performs a lane change when a lane change is necessary to head to the destination. For example, when the driver has set in advance to use the automatic lane change (when the automatic lane change is being used), an automatic lane change is executed to head to the destination.

[0057] The lane change control unit 160 may automatically change lanes of the host vehicle M when a lane change instruction is given by the driver. The lane change instruction is the operation of a lever part of a turn signal operating switch. For example, when the driver operates the lever part in a direction in which the host vehicle M wants to change lanes, the host vehicle M changes lanes in a direction corresponding to the operation. The lane change instruction may be an operation different from the operation of the lever part of the turn signal operating switch. For example, a lane change may be performed when a specified operating button is pressed.

[0058] The lane change control unit 160 executes a lane change when, for example, the following conditions are satisfied. The conditions are, for example, that there is no obstacle in the lane to which the lane is to be changed, that there is no interference with other vehicles in the vicinity when changing lanes, that the lane is not a prohibited section for lane changes (that there are no road markings or signs prohibiting lane changes), that the lane to which the lane is to be changed is recognized (that it actually exists), that the yaw rate detected by the vehicle sensor 40 is less than a threshold value, that the curvature radius of the road on which the vehicle is traveling is equal to or greater than a predetermined value, etc. The conditions for executing a lane change may include other conditions, and some of the conditions may be omitted.

[0059] The lane change control unit 160 may execute a lane change on the condition that, for example, the driver is gripping the steering wheel (the steering grip sensor 86 detects that the driver is gripping the steering wheel).

[0060] The planning unit 170 generates a plan for driving the host vehicle M based on a route along which the host vehicle M travels toward a destination set by a passenger. The planning unit 170 generates a target trajectory along which the host vehicle M will travel automatically (without relying on the driver's operation) in the future so that the host vehicle M will travel in the recommended lane determined by the recommended lane determination unit 61 in principle and can respond to the surrounding conditions of the host vehicle M. The target trajectory may include, for example, a speed element. For example, the target trajectory is expressed as a sequence of points (trajectory points) to be reached by the host vehicle M. The trajectory points are points to be reached by the host vehicle M at each predetermined travel distance (for example, about several [m]) along a road, and separately, the target speed and target acceleration are generated as part of the target trajectory for each predetermined sampling time (for example, about a few tenths [sec]). The trajectory points may be positions to be reached by the host vehicle M at each sampling time for each predetermined sampling time. In this case, the information on the target speed and target acceleration is expressed as the interval between the trajectory points.

[0061] The planner 170 cooperates with, for example, the speed controller 140, the lane keeping controller 150, and the lane change controller 160 to make the host vehicle M travel along the target trajectory. This control is sometimes referred to as "driving assistance control."

[0062] For example, in a state where the driver of the host vehicle M is monitoring the surroundings of the host vehicle M, the planning unit 170 generates a plan of the behavior of the host vehicle M such that the speed control unit 140 controls the speed of the host vehicle M, the lane keeping control unit 150 controls the steering, and the driver controls the speed, grips the steering wheel, or operates the steering wheel as necessary to reach the destination. For example, the planning unit 170 generates a plan to drive the host vehicle M by the driver's operation in the first section and by the driving support device 100's control in the second section, and drives the host vehicle M in cooperation with the driver, the congestion determination unit 130, the speed control unit 140, the lane keeping control unit 150, and the lane change control unit 160 according to the plan.

[0063] 2 is a diagram showing an example of driving assistance control. It is assumed that the host vehicle M plans to travel along the first lane L1, change lanes to the second lane L2, and then change lanes to the branch lane L3 to head toward the destination. In this case, the speed control unit 140 controls the speed, and the lane keeping control unit 150 and the lane change control unit 160 make the host vehicle M change lanes and travel along the driving lane and the branch lane, so that the host vehicle M heads toward the destination. As a result, the host vehicle M heads toward the destination without relying on the driver's operation.

[0064] The information providing unit 180 causes the HMI 30 to output various information related to the state of the vehicle M and driving assistance by voice or image.

[0065] The driving force output device 200 outputs a driving force (torque) for driving the host vehicle M to the driving wheels. The driving force output device 200 includes, for example, a combination of an internal combustion engine, an electric motor, a transmission, etc., and an ECU that controls these. The ECU controls the above components according to information input from the speed control unit 140 or information input from the driving operation device 80.

[0066] Brake device 210 includes, for example, a brake caliper, a cylinder that transmits hydraulic pressure to the brake caliper, an electric motor that generates hydraulic pressure in the cylinder, and a brake ECU. The brake ECU controls the electric motor according to information input from speed control unit 140 or information input from driving operator 80, so that a brake torque corresponding to the braking operation is output to each wheel.

[0067] The steering device 220 includes, for example, a steering ECU and an electric motor. The electric motor changes the direction of the steered wheels by applying a force to, for example, a rack and pinion mechanism. The steering ECU drives the electric motor to change the direction of the steered wheels according to information input from the lane keeping control unit 150 or the lane change control unit 160, or information input from the driving operator 80.

[0068] [Traffic congestion detection processing and driving assistance control] When the host vehicle M is scheduled to proceed from the driving lane in which the host vehicle M is traveling to a branch lane branching from the driving lane, the driving support device 100 determines whether or not to change lanes of the host vehicle M from the driving lane to the branch lane based on the state of the road shoulder before the branch lane. When the driving support device 100 determines to change lanes, the driving support device 100 automatically changes lanes of the vehicle. The lane change at this time is a control to change lanes of the host vehicle M to the branch lane.

[0069] When the driving support device 100 determines not to change lanes, it does not automatically change lanes of the host vehicle M. For example, when the driving support device 100 determines not to change lanes, it does not automatically change lanes of the host vehicle M, but outputs information to the HMI 30 (information output device) notifying the driver of the host vehicle M to perform a steering operation. This allows the driver to manually change lanes by controlling the steering.

[0070] The state of the road shoulder before the branch lane is a traffic jam state of the road shoulder. For example, when the road shoulder before the branch lane is not congested, the driving support device 100 automatically changes lanes of the host vehicle M, and when the road shoulder before the branch lane is congested, the driving support device 100 does not automatically change lanes of the host vehicle M.

[0071] As described above, the driving assistance device 100 stops the control (branch exit assistance) that automatically changes lanes of the vehicle M to the branching lane before the branching lane, so that the driver can perform driving operations with ample time to change lanes of the vehicle M to the branching lane.

[0072] When the branch lane change is canceled, the speed control by the driving assistance device 100 may also be stopped, and a notification may be sent to the driver requesting that the driver control the speed.

[0073] Fig. 3 is a diagram for explaining the congestion determination process and the driving assistance control. The differences from Fig. 2 will be mainly explained. The vehicle M is traveling in the second driving lane L2. If congestion occurs on the road shoulder before the branching / exiting point P (branching lane), the driving assistance device 100 stops the branching / exiting support. The branching / exiting point P is a preset point such as the start point of the branching lane.

[0074] FIG. 4 is a diagram for explaining control after the branching / exiting support is stopped. After the driving support device 100 determines not to automatically change lanes of the host vehicle M and stops the lane change (after the branching / exiting support is stopped), even if it is determined that no congestion occurs, the driving support device 100 continues not to automatically change lanes of the host vehicle M until the host vehicle M passes a predetermined position of the branching lane. As shown in FIG. 4, after the branching / exiting support is stopped, even if the congestion in the branching lane ahead of the host vehicle M is alleviated and no congestion occurs on the road shoulder ahead of the host vehicle M, the branching / exiting support is continued to be stopped. For example, the predetermined position of the branching lane is, for example, an interchange or a junction connected to the branching lane. The predetermined position may be a predetermined position in the driving lane or the branching lane.

[0075] As described above, the driving support device 100 stops the branching exit support before the branching lane and continues to stop the support, so that the branching exit support can be prevented from being resumed or stopped depending on the traffic congestion. This makes it possible for the driving support device 100 to prevent the driver from being confused.

[0076] [flowchart] 5 is a flowchart showing an example of the flow of processes executed by the driving support device 100. The order of the processes in this flowchart may be changed, and some of the processes may be omitted. Details of each process and each condition will be described later.

[0077] First, the driving support device 100 determines whether or not the automatic lane change is being used (step S100). If the automatic lane change is being used, the driving support device 100 determines whether or not the host vehicle M has approached a branching / exiting point (step S102). If the host vehicle M has approached a branching / exiting point, the driving support device 100 determines whether or not the host vehicle M is traveling in a predetermined driving lane (step S104). The predetermined driving lane is, for example, a lane adjacent to the road shoulder in the extension direction of the branching lane, or a lane adjacent to the branching lane. The predetermined driving lane is the driving lane L2 in FIG. 3 and FIG. 4.

[0078] When the host vehicle M is traveling in a predetermined driving lane, the driving support device 100 determines whether or not a search start condition is satisfied (step S106). When the search start condition is satisfied, the driving support device 100 specifies a search range (step S108) and specifies vehicles in the search range (step S110).

[0079] Next, the driving support device 100 determines whether or not a stop condition is satisfied (step S112). If the stop condition is satisfied, the driving support device 100 determines whether or not the host vehicle M has reached a target position (step S114). If the host vehicle M has reached the target position, the driving support device 100 stops the branch exit support (step S116) and notifies the driver of a request for operation (step S118).

[0080] The target position may be a position where the driving assistance device 100 determines that a traffic jam has occurred and the vehicle M has arrived within a predetermined distance from the tail of the traffic jam, or a position where the driving assistance device 100 determines that a traffic jam has occurred and the vehicle M has arrived at the tail of the traffic jam. The tail of the traffic jam is the other vehicle at the tail of the traffic jam. The other vehicle at the tail of the traffic jam is a vehicle where there are no other vehicles at a predetermined distance or more behind the target other vehicle. As described above, the driving assistance device 100 suspends the branch exit assistance based on the tail of the traffic jam or issues a notification, so that the driver can easily understand that the branch exit assistance has been suspended due to the traffic jam.

[0081] This ends the processing for one routine of this flowchart. If the determinations in the above steps S100, S102-S106, and S112 are negative, the processing for one routine of this flowchart ends.

[0082] [Search start conditions] The search start condition is that there is an area where there is no adjacent lane or an area where a branch lane exists within a predetermined distance ahead of the vehicle M. FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining the search start condition. The driving support device 100 performs congestion determination for vehicles on the shoulder and the branch lane, and therefore determines that the search start condition is satisfied when there is an area where there is no adjacent lane or an area where a branch lane exists within a predetermined distance ahead of the vehicle M as shown in area AR1 in FIG. 6. An example of an area where there is no adjacent lane is an area where a shoulder exists. The driving support device 100 performs a higher-level determination by referring to the lane on which the vehicle M is traveling, the position of the vehicle M on the lane, and map information (first map information 54 or second map information 62).

[0083] [Specify search range] The search range includes, for example, the shoulder and the branch lane that satisfy the search start condition. FIG. 7 is a diagram for explaining the search range. The range in the width direction of the lane of the search range AR1 is a range partitioned by the first position P1 and the second position P2. The first position P1 of the shoulder is a position at a predetermined distance from the first dividing line on the shoulder side of the driving lane L2 to the second dividing line on the driving lane L1 side. This allows other vehicles present on the first dividing line to be subject to judgment in the process described later. The second position P2 of the shoulder is a position at a predetermined distance in the width direction on the shoulder side from the first dividing line. When the map information includes information indicating the boundary of the road, the second position P2 of the shoulder is a position closer to the driving lane L2 among the position of the road boundary line and the position of the above-mentioned predetermined distance.

[0084] The first position P1 and the second position P2 of the branch lane are similar to the first position P1 and the second position P2 of the road shoulder. The first position P1 of the branch lane is a position at a predetermined distance from the first dividing line on the branch lane side of the driving lane L2 to the second dividing line on the driving lane L1 side. This allows other vehicles present on the first dividing line to be subject to judgment in the process described below. The second position P2 of the branch lane is a position at a predetermined distance from the first dividing line in the width direction of the branch lane side. If the map information includes information indicating the boundary of the road, the second position P2 of the branch lane is a position closer to the driving lane L2 among the position of the road boundary line and the position at the above-mentioned predetermined distance. In the example of FIG. 7, the shoulder and the branch lane have the same width, so the first position P1 and the second position P2 are set at the same position, and the area divided by these positions is the search range AR1.

[0085] The area in the travel direction of the search range includes, for example, an area from the branch exit point P to a first predetermined distance before the branch exit point P. The traffic jam determination unit 130 recognizes the situation of the area in front of the vehicle M up to the first predetermined distance before the branch exit point P based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 110 (obtains information on the presence or absence of a vehicle). The first predetermined distance is set to a different distance depending on the speed of the vehicle M. For example, the traffic jam determination unit 130 sets the first predetermined distance longer as the speed of the vehicle M increases, and sets the first predetermined distance shorter as the speed of the vehicle M decreases. For example, even if the speed of the vehicle M is fast, the traffic jam determination can be performed with high accuracy by the time the vehicle M reaches the end of the traffic jam, and when the speed of the vehicle M is slow, the traffic jam determination can be performed with high accuracy by the time the vehicle M reaches the end of the traffic jam while reducing the processing load. The search range in front of the branch exit point P is a range of a predetermined distance before the branch exit point P.

[0086] [Vehicle Identification (1)] The driving support device 100 identifies vehicles in the search range. Fig. 8 is a diagram for explaining the process of identifying vehicles in the search range. The driving support device 100 recognizes other vehicles OB1-OB6 in the search range AR1 based on the recognition result of the recognition unit 110 as shown in Fig. 8.

[0087] [Vehicle Identification (2)] The recognition unit 110 recognizes objects at a predetermined interval. The driving support device 100 generates vehicle information 192 for each result recognized by the recognition unit 110 at a predetermined interval (or at any predetermined interval). The driving support device 100 newly registers a vehicle that satisfies a condition in the vehicle information 192. FIG. 9 is a diagram for explaining vehicles to be registered. The driving support device 100 newly registers a vehicle that satisfies all of the conditions (1) to (5) in the vehicle information 192, for example. (1) The object is not registered in vehicle information 192. (2) The object is within the search range. (3) The attribute of the object is a vehicle. (4) The reliability of object recognition is above a threshold. (5) The object's speed is below a threshold.

[0088] The reliability of the object recognition means that the reliability score derived by the recognition unit 110 based on a predetermined algorithm, model, etc. is equal to or greater than a threshold. An object that satisfies the above conditions (1) to (5) is registered in the vehicle information 192.

[0089] FIG. 10 is a diagram showing an example of the contents of the vehicle information 192. The vehicle information 192 includes information on newly registered objects and previously registered objects for each time. As shown in FIG. 10, the vehicle information 192 includes, for example, objects OB1-OB6 for each time and information indicating whether the conditions (1) to (5) are satisfied. The driving support device 100 refers to the vehicle information 192 for each time and deletes from the vehicle information 192 an object that has not been recognized continuously for a predetermined time or more. In this case, the object may be present behind the host vehicle M due to the host vehicle M moving forward. In addition, the driving support device 100 deletes from the vehicle information 192 an object that no longer satisfies the condition (or an object that no longer satisfies the condition for a predetermined time). When the host vehicle M changes lanes, the driving support device 100 resets the vehicle information 192. In this case, the object's position relative to the host vehicle M is likely to have changed significantly.

[0090] [Cancellation conditions] The driving support device 100 refers to the above vehicle information 192 and, when a predetermined number or more of vehicles are present on the road shoulder ahead of the vehicle M (for example, when three or more vehicles are present), stops the branching and exiting support. For example, when the above condition is satisfied, the congestion determination unit 130 sets a suppression flag. The lane change control unit 160 suppresses the branching and exiting support in which a lane change is performed to a branching lane based on the set suppression flag. The stop condition may be, instead of the above (or in place of), that the branching and exiting support is stopped when vehicles are lined up on the road shoulder ahead of the vehicle M and the line is a predetermined distance or more. That is, when a plurality of vehicles are lined up in the search range and the length of the line of vehicles is a second set distance or more (a predetermined length such as 20 m or more), the congestion determination unit 130 determines that a traffic jam is occurring and stops the branching and exiting support. Note that, when the interval between the vehicles is a threshold or more, the driving support device 100 may not determine that the vehicles are subject to the traffic jam or that the vehicles are lined up.

[0091] For example, the driving assistance device 100 continues the branch exit assistance if the above-mentioned cancellation condition is satisfied before the branch exit assistance is cancelled, but the condition is subsequently no longer satisfied. In contrast, after the driving assistance device 100 has determined not to automatically change lanes of the vehicle M (after the cancellation condition is satisfied and the branch exit assistance is cancelled, or after the cancellation or lane change by the driver is presented), the driving assistance device 100 continues not to automatically change lanes of the vehicle M even if it determines that there is no traffic jam. For example, even if the cancellation condition is subsequently no longer satisfied after the driving assistance device 100 has cancelled the branch exit assistance, the driving assistance device 100 continues to cancel the branch exit assistance up to a predetermined position.

[0092] [Summary so far] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing an example of a scene in which branch exit assistance is cancelled. As shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 11, when the vehicle M reaches the rear end of a vehicle on the road shoulder (or when the vehicle M reaches a target position), the branch exit assistance is cancelled. The driver then controls the steering and speed. As shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 11, after the branch exit assistance is cancelled, the other vehicle slowly moves towards the branching lane, so that the rear end of the other vehicle is in front of the vehicle M, and the driver can control the steering and speed to move the vehicle M behind the rear end with ample space to maneuver.

[0093] As described above, the driving assistance device 100 can realize control of the host vehicle M according to the traffic congestion situation by appropriately canceling the branch exit assistance according to the traffic congestion situation.

[0094] In the above process, congestion on the road shoulder is judged, but instead (or in addition), when the road shoulder is not congested but the branch lane is congested and there is no space in the branch lane L3 for the vehicle to enter the branch lane L3 from the driving lane L2, the driving assistance device 100 may stop the branch exit assistance at a target position. The target position is, for example, a position where the rearmost vehicle in the traffic jam on the branch lane L3 is reached, a position near the rearmost vehicle, a position a predetermined distance before the rearmost vehicle, the branch exit point P, or a position a predetermined distance before the branch exit point P.

[0095] In the above process, the congestion on the road shoulder is judged, but instead (or in addition), when the congestion is across the road shoulder and the branching lane, the driving support device 100 may stop the branching exit support at a predetermined position. For example, when at least one vehicle is present on the road shoulder and a predetermined number of vehicles (e.g., two vehicles) are present in the branching lane L3 within a predetermined distance ahead of the vehicle, the driving support device 100 may stop the branching exit support at a target position.

[0096] [Processing when traffic congestion is resolved] When the traffic jam is cleared, the driving assistance device 100 cancels the setting of the suppression flag described above so that the traffic jam can be judged smoothly. FIG. 12 is a diagram for explaining the processing when the traffic jam is cleared. As shown in the upper diagram of FIG. 12, after the branching / exiting assistance is stopped, if there is no traffic jam ahead of the host vehicle M, the driving assistance device 100 cancels (lowers) the setting of the suppression flag. The driving assistance device 100 stops the branching / exiting assistance until it reaches a predetermined position (an interchange, a junction, or a position determined for a driving lane).

[0097] Thereafter, when the host vehicle M passes a predetermined position, the driving assistance device 100 resumes the determination of congestion. In response to the satisfaction of the conditions that the host vehicle M passes a predetermined position and the suppression flag is released, the driving assistance device 100 resumes the determination of congestion. As shown in the lower diagram of FIG. 12, the driving assistance device 100 can determine congestion even when the host vehicle M has passed the branch lane L3 (while continuing to travel on the travel lane L2) or has traveled on the branch lane L3 and there is a next branch lane L4.

[0098] As described above, the driving assistance device 100 suspends branch exit assistance at an appropriate timing (target position) and resumes traffic congestion determination at an appropriate timing, and is therefore able to appropriately determine traffic congestion and suspend branch exit assistance.

[0099] [Processing when there is congestion behind the vehicle when changing lanes] After the host vehicle M has changed lanes, the driving assistance device 100 may continue the branching / exiting assistance if the search range ahead of the host vehicle M is not congested. Fig. 13 is a diagram showing an example of a situation in which the branching / exiting assistance is continued. When the host vehicle M travels on the driving lane L1 and changes lanes to the driving lane L2, if the search range behind the host vehicle M is congested and the search range ahead of the host vehicle M is not congested, the host vehicle M changes lanes to the branching lane L3 by the branching / exiting assistance.

[0100] As described above, the driving assistance device 100 executes branch exit assistance in accordance with the state of the search range after a lane change, and therefore can realize vehicle control that is suitable for the driver.

[0101] [Processing for branching lanes] The driving support device 100 will now be described with regard to a process of setting a search range in a branch lane. Fig. 14 is a diagram showing an example of a search range set in a branch lane. As shown in Fig. 14, when an area in which a branch lane exists exists within a predetermined distance ahead of the host vehicle M, the driving support device 100 may determine that the search start condition is satisfied and set a search range AR1 in the branch lane.

[0102] The driving support device 100 identifies vehicles within the search range AR1, and when the cancellation condition is satisfied, cancels the branching and exiting support at or near the end of the congested vehicles. Fig. 15 is a diagram showing an example of a scene where a branching lane is congested. When a traffic jam occurs in the search range AR1 as shown in Fig. 15, the driving support device 100 cancels the branching and exiting support when the last vehicle OB1 is reached or near the vehicle OB1.

[0103] As described above, the driving assistance device 100 performs branch exit assistance in accordance with the conditions of the search range even when congestion occurs in the branch lane, and therefore can realize vehicle control that is suitable for the driver.

[0104] In the above example, the driving assistance device 100 determines whether or not to execute the branching / exiting assistance based on whether or not the road shoulder is congested, but instead (or in addition) the branching / exiting assistance may be stopped when a predetermined type of object (e.g., a vehicle, a person) is present on the road shoulder, or when a predetermined number of objects or more are present on the road shoulder. That is, the driving assistance device 100 determines whether or not to change lanes of the host vehicle M from the driving lane to the branching lane based on the state of the road shoulder, and when it is determined to change lanes, it automatically changes lanes of the host vehicle M, and when it is determined not to change lanes, it does not automatically change lanes of the host vehicle M, thereby realizing vehicle control that is preferable for the driver.

[0105] According to the embodiment described above, when the vehicle M is scheduled to move from the driving lane in which the vehicle M is traveling to a branch lane branching off from the driving lane, the driving assistance device 100 determines whether or not to change lanes of the vehicle M from the driving lane to the branch lane based on the condition of the shoulder (or branch lane) just before the branch lane, and if it is determined that the vehicle M should change lanes, it automatically changes lanes of the vehicle M, and if it is determined that the vehicle M should not change lanes, it does not automatically change lanes, thereby achieving vehicle control that is suitable for the driver.

[0106] The above-described embodiment can be expressed as follows. A storage device storing a program; a hardware processor; The hardware processor executes the program stored in the storage device, A process of recognizing the situation around the vehicle; A process of controlling steering of the vehicle so that the vehicle travels along a planned route based on the surrounding conditions and the route along which the vehicle is to travel; a process of determining whether or not to change lanes of the vehicle from the driving lane to a branch lane branching from the driving lane, based on a state of a road shoulder just before the branch lane, when the vehicle is scheduled to proceed from the driving lane to the branch lane branching from the driving lane; When it is determined that the vehicle should change lanes, a process of automatically changing lanes of the vehicle; When it is determined that the lane should not be changed, a process of automatically not causing the vehicle to change lanes is executed. The control device is configured as follows.

[0107] The above describes the form for carrying out the present invention using an embodiment, but the present invention is not limited to such an embodiment, and various modifications and substitutions can be made within the scope that does not deviate from the gist of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0108] 1 Vehicle Systems 100 Driving support device 110 Recognition part 130 Traffic Jam Judgment Unit 140 Speed ​​control section 150 Lane keeping control unit 160 Lane change control unit 170 Planning Department 180 Information Provision Department 192 Vehicle Information

Claims

1. A recognition unit that recognizes a situation around the vehicle; a control unit that controls steering of the vehicle so that the vehicle travels along the route based on the surrounding conditions and a route along which the vehicle is scheduled to travel, The control unit is When the vehicle is scheduled to travel from a driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling to a branch lane branching off from the driving lane, determining whether or not a shoulder of the road in front of the branch lane is congested based on a state of the shoulder of the road in front of the branch lane; When it is determined that a traffic jam has occurred and the vehicle has reached within a predetermined distance from the tail end of the traffic jam, or when it is determined that a traffic jam has occurred and the vehicle has reached the tail end of the traffic jam, it is determined not to automatically change lanes for the vehicle; After determining not to automatically change lanes, even if it is determined that no congestion has occurred, the control unit continues not to automatically change lanes. Vehicle control device.

2. After determining not to automatically change lanes, the control unit continues not to automatically change lanes of the vehicle until the vehicle passes a predetermined position of the branch lane, even if it is determined that the congestion does not occur, and resumes the process of automatically changing lanes after the vehicle passes the predetermined position. The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

3. The control unit is acquires a congestion state of the shoulder area from a connection start position of the driving lane and the branch lane to a first predetermined distance before the connection start position of the driving lane and the branch lane based on the surrounding state recognized by the recognition unit; The vehicle control device according to claim 1.

4. The control unit sets the first predetermined distance to a distance that varies depending on the speed of the vehicle. The vehicle control device according to claim 3.

5. The control unit sets the first predetermined distance to be longer as the speed of the vehicle increases. The vehicle control device according to claim 4.

6. The control unit determines that the traffic jam is occurring when a predetermined number or more of other vehicles are present in the road shoulder area. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

7. The control unit determines that the traffic jam occurs when a plurality of other vehicles are lined up in the road shoulder area and a length of the line of the other vehicles lined up is equal to or longer than a second set distance. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

8. When the control unit determines not to change lanes, the control unit outputs information to an information output device notifying a driver of the vehicle to perform a steering operation without automatically changing lanes of the vehicle. The vehicle control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5.

9. The computer A process of recognizing the situation around the vehicle; A process of controlling steering of the vehicle so that the vehicle travels along a planned route based on the surrounding conditions and the route along which the vehicle is to travel; When the vehicle is scheduled to travel from a driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling to a branch lane branching from the driving lane, a process of determining whether or not a shoulder of the road in front of the branch lane is congested based on a state of the shoulder of the road in front of the branch lane; a process of determining not to automatically change lanes for the vehicle when it is determined that a traffic jam has occurred and the vehicle has reached within a predetermined distance from the tail end of the traffic jam, or when it is determined that a traffic jam has occurred and the vehicle has reached the tail end of the traffic jam; A process of continuing not to automatically cause the vehicle to change lanes even when it is determined that the traffic jam has not occurred after determining not to automatically cause the vehicle to change lanes; A vehicle control method for performing the above.

10. On the computer, A process of recognizing the situation around the vehicle; A process of controlling steering of the vehicle so that the vehicle travels along a planned route based on the surrounding conditions and the route along which the vehicle is to travel; When the vehicle is scheduled to travel from a driving lane in which the vehicle is traveling to a branch lane branching from the driving lane, a process of determining whether or not a shoulder of the road in front of the branch lane is congested based on a state of the shoulder of the road in front of the branch lane; a process of determining not to automatically change lanes for the vehicle when it is determined that a traffic jam has occurred and the vehicle has reached within a predetermined distance from the tail end of the traffic jam, or when it is determined that a traffic jam has occurred and the vehicle has reached the tail end of the traffic jam; A process of continuing not to automatically cause the vehicle to change lanes even when it is determined that the traffic jam has not occurred after determining not to automatically cause the vehicle to change lanes; A program that executes the following.

Images