Vehicle control device, vehicle control method, and vehicle control computer program

Abstract

To provide a vehicle control device which allows lane change by automatic driving control to a vehicle which tows a towed vehicle and can reduce oppressive feelings to other vehicles traveling in the surroundings.SOLUTION: A vehicle control device comprises: a towing detection unit 31 which detects that a vehicle 10 tows a towed vehicle 11; a lane detection unit 32 which detects an own lane on which the vehicle 10 travels; a determination unit 33 which determines whether or not it is requested that the vehicle 10 changes lanes to a target lane different from the own lane; and a lane change control unit 34 which controls the vehicle 10 to cause the vehicle 10 to change lanes from the own lane to the target lane when the lane change is requested. Then, the lane change control unit 34 sets start timing when it is detected that the vehicle 10 tows the towed vehicle 11 earlier than start timing of the lane change when it is not detected that the vehicle 10 tows the towed vehicle 11.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 3

Description

[Technical field]

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

[0002] The behavior of a vehicle towing another vehicle differs in some ways from the behavior of a vehicle that is not towing another vehicle. Therefore, in the automatic driving control of a vehicle towing another vehicle, it is necessary to control the vehicle taking into consideration the difference in the vehicle's behavior depending on whether or not it is towing. Therefore, a technology has been proposed that executes different controls on the vehicle depending on whether or not it is coupled to a towed vehicle (see Patent Document 1).

[0003] The vehicle control system disclosed in Patent Document 1, when it is detected that the host vehicle is towing an object, sets a larger inter-vehicle distance between the host vehicle and vehicles around the host vehicle compared to when it is not detected that the host vehicle is towing an object. In addition, when it is detected that the host vehicle is towing an object, this vehicle control system prohibits lane change control. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] Patent No. 6327423 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Even when a vehicle is towing a towed vehicle, the vehicle may be required to change lanes. Therefore, if lane change control is prohibited when the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle, as in the above technology, the convenience for the driver is reduced. On the other hand, since the vehicle towing the towed vehicle has a larger overall volume than the vehicle alone, the range through which the vehicle passes when changing lanes is wider. As a result, the behavior of the vehicle towing the towed vehicle may give a feeling of oppression to other vehicles traveling around the vehicle towing the towed vehicle when the vehicle changes lanes.

[0006] Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle control device that enables a vehicle towing a towed vehicle to change lanes through automatic driving control, while reducing the sense of pressure on other vehicles traveling in the vicinity. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] According to one embodiment, a vehicle control device is provided. The vehicle control device includes a towing detection unit that detects that the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle when the vehicle is under automatic driving control, a lane detection unit that detects the vehicle's own lane among multiple lanes included in the road on which the vehicle is traveling, a determination unit that refers to a map and the own lane and determines whether the vehicle is required to change lanes to a target lane different from the own lane in a section from the current position of the vehicle to a predetermined distance ahead, and a lane change control unit that controls the vehicle to change lanes from the own lane to the target lane when a lane change is required. The lane change control unit sets the start timing of lane change when it is detected that the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle to be earlier than the start timing of lane change when it is not detected that the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle.

[0008] In this vehicle control device, it is preferable that the lane change control unit sets the timing for starting the lane change when it is detected that the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle when the target lane is congested or predicted to be congested, earlier than the timing for starting the lane change when it is detected that the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle when the target lane is not congested.

[0009] In addition, it is preferable that the lane change control unit adjusts the timing of starting a lane change when it is detected that the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle, depending on the weather around the vehicle.

[0010] According to yet another embodiment, there is provided a vehicle control method, which includes, when the vehicle is under automatic driving control, detecting that the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle, detecting a lane in which the vehicle is traveling among a plurality of lanes included in a road on which the vehicle is traveling, and, by referring to a map and the lane, determining whether or not the vehicle is required to change lanes to a target lane different from the lane in a section from the current position of the vehicle to a predetermined distance ahead, and controlling the vehicle to change lanes from the lane to the target lane when a lane change is required. The control of the lane change from the lane to the target lane includes setting a start timing for the lane change when it is detected that the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle earlier than a start timing for the lane change when it is not detected that the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle.

[0011] According to yet another embodiment, there is provided a computer program for controlling a vehicle, the computer program for controlling a vehicle including instructions for causing a processor mounted on the vehicle to execute the following operations when the vehicle is under automatic driving control: detect that the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle, detect the lane in which the vehicle is traveling among a plurality of lanes included in the road on which the vehicle is traveling, refer to a map and the lane, determine whether the vehicle is required to change lanes to a target lane different from the lane in a section from the current position of the vehicle to a predetermined distance ahead, and, if a lane change is required, control the vehicle to change lanes from the lane to the target lane. The control of the lane change from the lane to the target lane includes setting a start timing for the lane change to be earlier when it is detected that the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle than a start timing for the lane change to be started when it is not detected that the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle. Effect of the Invention

[0012] The vehicle control device of the present invention has the effect of enabling a vehicle towing a towed vehicle to change lanes through automatic driving control, while also reducing the sense of pressure on other vehicles traveling in the vicinity. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0013] [Figure 1] 1 is a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle control system in which a vehicle control device is implemented. [Diagram 2] 1 is a hardware configuration diagram of an electronic control device that is an embodiment of a vehicle control device. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a processor of an electronic control unit related to vehicle control processing. [Figure 4] FIG. 13 is a diagram illustrating the difference in lane change start timing between when towing of a towed vehicle is not detected and when towing of a towed vehicle is detected. [Diagram 5] 4 is an operation flowchart of a vehicle control process. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0014] Hereinafter, a vehicle control device, a vehicle control method executed on the vehicle control device, and a computer program for controlling the vehicle will be described with reference to the drawings. The vehicle control device automatically controls the traveling of a vehicle capable of towing a towed vehicle. More specifically, the vehicle control device executes lane change control for the vehicle. In this case, the vehicle control device sets the lane change start timing when it is detected that the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle to be earlier than the lane change start timing when it is not detected that the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle.

[0015] FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle control system in which a vehicle control device is implemented. FIG. 2 is a hardware configuration diagram of an electronic control device, which is an embodiment of a vehicle control device. In this embodiment, a vehicle control system 1 that is mounted on a vehicle 10 and controls the vehicle 10 includes a camera 2, a GPS receiver 3, a behavior sensor 4, a wireless communication terminal 5, a storage device 6, and an electronic control unit (ECU) 7, which is an example of a vehicle control device. The camera 2, the GPS receiver 3, the wireless communication terminal 5, the storage device 6, and the ECU 7 are communicatively connected via an in-vehicle network that complies with a standard such as a controller area network. Furthermore, the behavior sensor 4 is also communicatively connected to the ECU 7. The vehicle control system 1 may further include a distance measurement sensor (not shown) such as a LiDAR or a radar that measures the distance from the vehicle 10 to an object present around the vehicle 10. The vehicle control system 1 may further include a navigation device (not shown) for searching a route to a destination.

[0016] Furthermore, the vehicle 10 has equipment for towing the towed vehicle 11, such as a towing hook, and is capable of towing the towed vehicle 11.

[0017] The camera 2 is an example of an outside-vehicle sensor, and includes a two-dimensional detector configured with an array of photoelectric conversion elements, such as a CCD or C-MOS, that are sensitive to visible light, and an imaging optical system that forms an image of the area to be photographed on the two-dimensional detector. The camera 2 is attached, for example, inside the cabin of the vehicle 10 so as to face the front of the vehicle 10. The camera 2 photographs the area in front of the vehicle 10 at a predetermined photographing period (for example, 1 / 30 to 1 / 10 seconds) and generates an image showing the area in front of the vehicle 10. The image obtained by the camera 2 is an example of an outside-vehicle sensor signal that indicates the situation around the vehicle 10. Note that the vehicle 10 may be provided with a plurality of cameras with different photographing directions or focal lengths.

[0018] Every time the camera 2 generates an image, it outputs the generated image to the ECU 7 via the in-vehicle network.

[0019] The GPS receiver 3 receives GPS signals from GPS satellites at predetermined intervals and determines the own position of the vehicle 10 based on the received GPS signals. Then, the GPS receiver 3 outputs positioning information representing the positioning result of the own position of the vehicle 10 based on the GPS signals to the ECU 7 via the in-vehicle network at predetermined intervals. Note that the vehicle 10 may have a receiver that receives positioning signals from satellites of other satellite positioning systems and determines the own position of the vehicle 10, instead of the GPS receiver.

[0020] The behavior sensor 4 is a sensor for detecting the behavior of the vehicle 10, and includes at least a torque sensor for detecting torque applied to the drive shaft of the drive wheels, and an acceleration sensor for detecting the acceleration of the vehicle 10. Furthermore, the vehicle control system 1 may have a plurality of different types of behavior sensors 4. For example, the behavior sensor 4 may have a speed sensor or a gyro sensor. Then, every time the behavior sensor 4 generates a sensor signal representing the behavior of the vehicle 10, the behavior sensor 4 outputs the generated sensor signal to the ECU 7. Note that the sensor signal generated by the behavior sensor 4 (for example, a signal representing torque generated by a torque sensor, a signal representing acceleration / deceleration generated by an acceleration sensor, or a signal representing speed generated by a speed sensor) is an example of a vehicle behavior signal representing the behavior of the vehicle 10.

[0021] The wireless communication terminal 5 wirelessly communicates with a wireless base station in accordance with a predetermined mobile communication standard. The wireless communication terminal 5 receives map information including a high-precision map used for autonomous driving control from a map server via the wireless base station. The wireless communication terminal 5 then outputs the received map information to the storage device 6 via the in-vehicle network.

[0022] The storage device 6 is an example of a storage unit, and includes, for example, a hard disk device, a non-volatile semiconductor memory, or an optical recording medium and an access device therefor. The storage device 6 stores the high accuracy map.

[0023] Furthermore, the storage device 6 has a processor for executing update processing of map information, processing related to a request to read out a high-precision map from the ECU 7, and the like. For example, every time the vehicle 10 moves a predetermined distance, the storage device 6 transmits a request to acquire map information to the map server via the wireless communication terminal 5 together with the current position of the vehicle 10. The storage device 6 receives map information including a high-precision map for a predetermined area around the current position of the vehicle 10 from the map server via the wireless communication terminal 5, and stores the high-precision map included in the received map information. Furthermore, when the storage device 6 receives a request to read out a map from the ECU 7, it cuts out an area that includes the current position of the vehicle 10 and is relatively narrower than the above-mentioned predetermined area from the stored high-precision map, and outputs it to the ECU 7 via the in-vehicle network. The high-precision map includes information used for automatic driving control of the vehicle 10, such as the number of lanes for each road section, individual lane widths, speed limits, road markings such as lane division lines, and various road signs.

[0024] The ECU 7 performs automatic driving control of the vehicle 10. In particular, while the automatic driving control of the vehicle 10 is being executed, the ECU 7 executes lane change control for causing the vehicle 10 to change lanes as necessary.

[0025] 2, the ECU 7 has a communication interface 21, a memory 22, and a processor 23. The communication interface 21, the memory 22, and the processor 23 may each be configured as a separate circuit, or may be integrated into a single integrated circuit.

[0026] The communication interface 21 has an interface circuit for connecting the ECU 7 to other devices. Every time the communication interface 21 receives an image from the camera 2, it passes the received image to the processor 23. Every time the communication interface 21 receives positioning information from the GPS receiver 3, it passes the positioning information to the processor 23. Every time the communication interface 21 receives a sensor signal from the behavior sensor 4, it passes the sensor signal to the processor 23. Furthermore, the communication interface 21 passes the high-precision map read from the storage device 6 to the processor 23.

[0027] The memory 22 is another example of a storage unit, and includes, for example, a volatile semiconductor memory and a non-volatile semiconductor memory. The memory 22 stores various data used in the vehicle control process executed by the processor 23. For example, the memory 22 stores an image of the surroundings of the vehicle 10 received from the camera 2, positioning information of the vehicle 10 received from the GPS receiver 3, measured values ​​representing the behavior of the vehicle 10 represented by a sensor signal received from the behavior sensor 4, and a high-precision map read from the storage device 6. The memory 22 also stores parameters such as the focal length, shooting direction, and mounting position of the camera 2, and various parameters for identifying a classifier for object detection used to detect features and the like. The memory 22 also temporarily stores various data generated during the vehicle control process.

[0028] The processor 23 includes one or more central processing units (CPUs) and their peripheral circuits. The processor 23 may further include other arithmetic circuits, such as a logic arithmetic unit, a numerical arithmetic unit, or a graphic processing unit. The processor 23 executes vehicle control processing for the vehicle 10.

[0029] 3 is a functional block diagram of the processor 23 related to vehicle control processing. The processor 23 has a towing detection unit 31, a lane detection unit 32, a determination unit 33, and a lane change control unit 34. Each of these units in the processor 23 is, for example, a functional module realized by a computer program running on the processor 23. Alternatively, each of these units in the processor 23 may be a dedicated arithmetic circuit provided in the processor 23.

[0030] In this embodiment, when executing lane change control for the vehicle 10, the processor 23 changes the start timing of the lane change control depending on whether or not towing of the towed vehicle 11 by the vehicle 10 is detected. Hereinafter, towing of the towed vehicle 11 by the vehicle 10 may be simply referred to as towing of the towed vehicle 11.

[0031] The towing detection unit 31 detects that the vehicle 10 is towing the towed vehicle 11. It is assumed that whether the vehicle 10 is towing the towed vehicle 11 or not remains unchanged while the vehicle 10 is operating. Therefore, once the towing detection unit 31 determines whether the towed vehicle 11 is being towed, the towing detection unit 31 may not make the determination again until the ignition switch of the vehicle 10 is turned off.

[0032] For example, the towing detection unit 31 uses sensor signals indicating measured values ​​of acceleration and torque when the vehicle 10 accelerates, acquired from the behavior sensor 4 when the vehicle 10 is in a predetermined state, to detect towing of the towed vehicle 11. The towing detection unit 31 then compares the acceleration with a towing judgment threshold corresponding to the torque, and detects towing of the towed vehicle 11 if the acceleration is less than the towing judgment threshold. On the other hand, the towing detection unit 31 does not detect towing of the towed vehicle 11 if the acceleration is equal to or greater than the towing judgment threshold. The towing judgment threshold for each torque is pre-stored in the memory 22.

[0033] The predetermined state may be, for example, a state in which the vehicle 10 is stopped at a point with no gradient in its traveling direction, or a state in which the vehicle 10 is traveling at a constant speed on a road with no gradient in its traveling direction. The towing detection unit 31 may determine whether or not there is a gradient in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 by referring to the position of the vehicle 10 indicated by the latest positioning signal from the GPS receiver 3 and a high-precision map. Furthermore, when there is no gradient in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10, the towing detection unit 31 may determine whether or not the vehicle 10 is in the predetermined state based on a sensor signal indicating the speed of the vehicle 10 acquired from a speed sensor, which is an example of the behavior sensor 4.

[0034] Furthermore, the towing detection unit 31 may estimate the weight of the towed vehicle 11 when it detects the towing of the towed vehicle 11. In this case, the towing detection unit 31 may refer to a reference table showing the relationship between the torque and acceleration and the weight of the towed vehicle 11 to identify the weight corresponding to the measured torque and acceleration, and set the identified weight as the estimated weight of the towed vehicle 11.

[0035] In addition, if the equipment for towing the towed vehicle 11 is provided with a sensor that detects that the towed vehicle 11 is connected, the towing detection unit 31 may detect the towing of the towed vehicle 11 when the sensor signal from the sensor indicates that the towed vehicle 11 is connected.

[0036] The towing detection unit 31 notifies the lane change control unit 34 of the result of the determination as to whether or not towing of the towed vehicle 11 has been detected.

[0037] The lane detection unit 32 detects the lane in which the vehicle 10 is traveling (hereinafter, referred to as the own lane) among a plurality of lanes included in the road on which the vehicle 10 is traveling. In this embodiment, the lane detection unit 32 detects the own lane by comparing an image showing the surroundings of the vehicle 10, generated by the camera 2, with a high-precision map. For example, the lane detection unit 32 assumes the position and attitude of the vehicle 10, and projects features on or around the road detected from the image onto the high-precision map, or projects features on or around the road around the vehicle 10 shown on the high-precision map onto the image. The features on or around the road can be, for example, road markings such as lane markings or stop lines, or curbs. The lane detection unit 32 estimates the position and attitude of the vehicle 10 when the features detected from the image and the features shown on the high-precision map most closely match as the own position of the vehicle 10.

[0038] The lane detection unit 32 may determine the position where the feature is projected on the high-precision map or image using the assumed initial values ​​of the position and attitude of the vehicle 10 and the parameters of the camera 2, such as the focal length, the installation height, and the shooting direction. As the initial values ​​of the position and attitude of the vehicle 10, the position of the vehicle 10 measured by the GPS receiver 3, or the position and attitude of the vehicle 10 estimated at the time of the previous own lane detection, corrected using the odometry information, is used. Then, the lane detection unit 32 calculates the degree of match between the feature on or around the road detected from the image and the corresponding feature shown on the high-precision map (for example, the inverse of the square sum of the distance between the corresponding features).

[0039] The lane detection unit 32 repeats the above process while changing the assumed position and attitude of the vehicle 10. Then, the lane detection unit 32 estimates the assumed position and attitude when the degree of match is maximum as the actual self-position of the vehicle 10. Then, the lane detection unit 32 refers to the high-precision map and identifies the lane that includes the self-position of the vehicle 10 as the own lane in which the vehicle 10 is traveling.

[0040] The lane detection unit 32 may detect the feature by inputting the image to a classifier that has been trained in advance to detect the feature from the image. The lane detection unit 32 may use a deep neural network (DNN) having a convolutional neural network (CNN) type architecture, such as Single Shot MultiBox Detector or Faster R-CNN, as such a classifier. Alternatively, the lane detection unit 32 may use a DNN having a self attention network (SAN) type architecture, such as Vision Transformer, as such a classifier. Alternatively, the lane detection unit 32 may use a classifier based on another machine learning method, such as an AdaBoost classifier, as such a classifier. Such a classifier is trained in advance according to a predetermined learning method, such as backpropagation, using a large number of teacher images in which the feature is depicted, so as to detect the feature to be detected from the image.

[0041] According to a modified example, lane detection unit 32 may detect the position of the own lane based on the number of lane markings detected in each of the regions on the image corresponding to the left side and the right side of vehicle 10. For example, if the number of lane markings detected in the region corresponding to the right side of vehicle 10 is one and the number of lane markings detected in the region corresponding to the left side of vehicle 10 is two, lane detection unit 32 detects the right lane in the traveling direction of vehicle 10 as the own lane, of the two lanes included in the road on which vehicle 10 is traveling.

[0042] The lane detection unit 32 notifies the determination unit 33 of the position of the lane in which the vehicle 10 is traveling on the road.

[0043] The determination unit 33 determines whether or not the vehicle 10 is required to change lanes from the own lane to another lane different from the own lane in a predetermined section from the current position of the vehicle 10 to a predetermined distance ahead. Hereinafter, the other lane to which the vehicle 10 will move after one or more lane changes will be referred to as a target lane.

[0044] For example, when the vehicle's own lane and the lane heading to the destination of the vehicle 10 are different and the lane heading to the destination within a predetermined section branches off from the road on which the vehicle 10 is traveling, including the own lane, the determination unit 33 determines that a lane change to the target lane is required. In this case, the target lane is the lane heading to the destination.

[0045] In order to determine whether the vehicle's own lane is different from the lane leading to the destination of the vehicle 10, the determination unit 33 refers to the driving route to the destination of the vehicle 10, the current position of the vehicle 10, and the high-precision map, which are received by the ECU 7 from a navigation device (not shown). The determination unit 33 then determines whether or not there is a branch point in a predetermined section where a lane leading to the destination branches off from the road on which the vehicle 10 is currently traveling. If there is a branch point, the determination unit 33 determines whether or not the vehicle's own lane is different from the lane leading to the destination. If the vehicle's own lane is different from the lane leading to the destination, the determination unit 33 then determines to apply lane change control at least once, with the lane leading to the destination being the target lane.

[0046] When the determination unit 33 determines that a lane change to the target lane is requested within a predetermined section, it notifies the lane change control unit 34 of the determination result. Furthermore, the determination unit 33 notifies the lane change control unit 34 of the position of the branch point where the target lane branches off from the road on which the vehicle 10 is traveling, the position of the own lane on the road on which the vehicle 10 is traveling, and the position of the target lane.

[0047] When the lane change control unit 34 is notified by the judgment unit 33 of the judgment result that the vehicle 10 is requested to change lanes within a specified section, the lane change control unit 34 executes lane change control to move the vehicle 10 to the target lane.

[0048] Therefore, the lane change control unit 34 sets the start timing for the vehicle 10 to start changing lanes based on the number of lanes that the vehicle 10 needs to move from its own lane to the target lane, that is, the number of lane changes. For example, the lane change control unit 34 calculates the total required distance required to complete a lane change to the target lane by multiplying the required distance required for one lane change by the number of lane changes and adding a predetermined offset distance to the distance. The lane change control unit 34 then determines the start timing as the time when the vehicle 10 reaches a start position that is the total required distance before the branch point where the target lane branches off from the road on which the vehicle 10 is currently traveling. The required distance and the offset distance may be stored in the memory 22 in advance.

[0049] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the lane change control unit 34 sets the start timing for starting a lane change when towing of the towed vehicle 11 is detected to be earlier than the start timing when towing of the towed vehicle 11 is not detected. To this end, the lane change control unit 34 sets the predetermined offset distance (e.g., 500 m to 1 km) when towing of the towed vehicle 11 is detected to be longer than the predetermined offset distance (e.g., 100 m to 500 m) when towing of the towed vehicle 11 is not detected. Alternatively, the lane change control unit 34 may set the required distance required for one lane change when towing of the towed vehicle 11 is detected to be longer than the required distance when towing of the towed vehicle 11 is not detected.

[0050] 4 is a diagram illustrating the difference in lane change start timing between when towing of the towed vehicle 11 is not detected and when towing of the towed vehicle 11 is detected. In this example, the vehicle 10 is traveling in the rightmost lane 401 of the road 400 in its traveling direction. In other words, the lane 401 is the vehicle's own lane. In addition, a lane leading to the destination of the vehicle 10 branches off from the leftmost lane 402 of the road 400 at the branch point Pb, so the lane 402 is the target lane. Therefore, the vehicle 10 is required to change lanes to move to the target lane 402 before reaching the branch point Pb.

[0051] When towing of the towed vehicle 11 is not detected, lane change control for the vehicle 10 is initiated when the vehicle 10 reaches a position P1 that is a total required distance d1 before the branch point Pb when towing of the towed vehicle 11 is not detected. In contrast, when towing of the towed vehicle 11 is detected, lane change control for the vehicle 10 is initiated when the vehicle 10 reaches a position P2 that is a total required distance d2 before the branch point Pb when towing of the towed vehicle 11 is detected. As a result, the vehicle 10 can move to the target lane 402 earlier when towing of the towed vehicle 11 is detected than when towing of the towed vehicle 11 is not detected. This prevents the vehicle 10 towing the towed vehicle 11 from moving to the target lane 402 near the branch point Pb. As a result, the sense of pressure felt by other vehicles traveling around the vehicle 10 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as surrounding vehicles), particularly the surrounding vehicles traveling in the target lane 402 and those attempting to change lanes to the target lane 402 before the branch point Pb, is alleviated. Furthermore, since the vehicle 10 towing the towed vehicle 11 moves to the target lane 402 at a position away from the branch point Pb, the surrounding vehicles can easily move to the target lane 402 ahead of the vehicle 10. Therefore, traffic flow is prevented from being disrupted by a lane change by the vehicle 10 towing the towed vehicle 11.

[0052] The lane change control unit 34 compares the latest position of the vehicle 10 measured by the GPS receiver 3 with the above-mentioned start position to determine whether the vehicle 10 has reached the start position. When the vehicle 10 reaches the start position, the lane change control unit 34 determines that the timing to start lane change control has arrived. When the start timing arrives and lane change control starts, the lane change control unit 34 sets a planned driving route for the vehicle 10 to move from the own lane to the target lane. When the planned driving route is set, the lane change control unit 34 controls each unit of the vehicle 10 so that the vehicle 10 travels along the planned driving route. To this end, the lane change control unit 34 detects the position of the vehicle 10 at a predetermined cycle by executing the same process as the lane detection unit 32, and compares the detected position of the vehicle 10 with the planned driving route. If the position of the vehicle 10 is on the planned driving route, the lane change control unit 34 determines a steering angle of the vehicle 10 so that the vehicle 10 advances along the planned driving route, and controls the steering of the vehicle 10 to achieve the determined steering angle. If the measured position of the vehicle 10 is away from the planned driving route, the lane change control unit 34 determines a steering angle of the vehicle 10 so that the vehicle 10 approaches the planned driving route, and controls the steering of the vehicle 10 to achieve the determined steering angle.

[0053] Furthermore, when there is a nearby vehicle traveling ahead of or to the side of the vehicle 10 in the lane to which the lane is to be changed, the lane change control unit 34 sets the acceleration / deceleration of the vehicle 10 so that the distance between the nearby vehicle and the vehicle 10 is equal to or greater than a predetermined distance threshold when the vehicle 10 enters the lane to which the lane is to be changed. At that time, the lane change control unit 34 obtains the relative position and relative speed with respect to the nearby vehicle.

[0054] To this end, the lane change control unit 34 detects surrounding vehicles by inputting the image acquired from the camera 2 to a classifier. As such a classifier, the lane change control unit 34 can use a classifier similar to that described for the lane detection unit 32. The classifier outputs information that specifies an object region that includes the surrounding vehicle detected on the input image and information that indicates the type of the detected surrounding vehicle (for example, a passenger car, a large vehicle, a motorcycle, etc.).

[0055] When a detected surrounding vehicle exists, the lane change control unit 34 judges whether the surrounding vehicle will travel in the lane to which the lane is to be changed. Here, the position of the bottom end of the object area including the surrounding vehicle is assumed to represent the position where the surrounding vehicle is in contact with the road surface. Also, as described above, the position on the image corresponds one-to-one to the orientation seen from the camera that generated the image. Therefore, the lane change control unit 34 can estimate the distance from the camera 2 to the surrounding vehicle and the orientation from the vehicle 10 to the surrounding vehicle by referring to the position of the bottom end of the object area on the image and parameters such as the installation height and shooting direction of the camera 2. Alternatively, the lane change control unit 34 may estimate the distance from the camera 2 to the surrounding vehicle based on the reference number of pixels on the image when the inter-vehicle distance is the reference distance, which corresponds to the reference vehicle width corresponding to the vehicle type of the surrounding vehicle, and the horizontal width of the object area including the surrounding vehicle.

[0056] In addition, when the vehicle 10 is equipped with a distance measurement sensor (not shown), the lane change control unit 34 may detect surrounding vehicles based on the distance measurement signal. In this case, the lane change control unit 34 may detect surrounding vehicles by inputting the distance measurement signal to a classifier that has been trained in advance to detect surrounding vehicles from the distance measurement signal. The lane change control unit 34 may use a DNN having a CNN-type or SAN-type architecture as a classifier that detects surrounding vehicles from the distance measurement signal. Alternatively, the lane change control unit 34 may detect surrounding vehicles according to other methods for detecting surrounding vehicles from the distance measurement signal. In this case, the lane change control unit 34 may set the direction in which the surrounding vehicle was detected on the distance measurement signal as the direction from the vehicle 10 to the surrounding vehicle. In addition, the lane change control unit 34 may set the distance indicated in the distance measurement signal for that direction as the estimated distance from the vehicle 10 to the surrounding vehicle.

[0057] The lane change control unit 34 estimates the distance from the vehicle 10 to the surrounding vehicle along a direction perpendicular to the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 based on the estimated direction and distance (hereinafter, for convenience of explanation, referred to as inter-vehicle lateral distance). If the inter-vehicle lateral distance is included within a predetermined distance range corresponding to the width of the lane of the destination lane at the current position of the vehicle 10, and the direction from the vehicle 10 to the surrounding vehicle is the same as the direction of the lane of the destination lane relative to the vehicle's own lane, the lane change control unit 34 determines that the surrounding vehicle is traveling in the lane of the destination lane. The lane change control unit 34 may specify the predetermined distance range at the current position of the vehicle 10 by referring to a high-precision map.

[0058] Alternatively, the lane change control unit 34 may input the image to a classifier to detect lane markings shown in the image together with surrounding vehicles. In this case, the classifier is trained in advance so that it can also detect lane markings. Then, the lane change control unit 34 specifies an area between two lane markings in the direction of the lane change destination, starting from the area closest to the position of the vehicle 10 on the image, as an area showing the lane of the lane change destination on the image. If the bottom end of the object area showing the surrounding vehicles is included in the area corresponding to the lane of the lane change destination, the lane change control unit 34 may determine that the surrounding vehicles are traveling in the lane of the lane change destination.

[0059] The lane change control unit 34 performs the above-mentioned processing on a series of time-series images generated by the camera 2 or a series of time-series distance measurement signals generated by the distance measurement sensor, thereby estimating the relative positions of the surrounding vehicles with respect to the vehicle 10 at the time of generating each image or each distance measurement signal. Furthermore, the lane change control unit 34 obtains a change in the relative positions of the surrounding vehicles with respect to the vehicle 10 from the relative positions of the surrounding vehicles with respect to the vehicle 10 at the time of generating each of the images or distance measurement signals arranged in time series during the most recent fixed period, and estimates the relative speed of the surrounding vehicles with respect to the vehicle 10 based on the change in the relative positions.

[0060] If multiple surrounding vehicles are detected, the lane change control unit 34 may track each of the surrounding vehicles over a series of time-series images or a series of time-series distance measurement signals by applying a predetermined tracking method such as KLT tracking. Then, the lane change control unit 34 may estimate the relative position and relative speed of each of the surrounding vehicles being tracked with respect to the vehicle 10.

[0061] If the distance between the vehicle 10 and the surrounding vehicle in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10, which is determined from the relative positions of the vehicle 10 and the surrounding vehicle, is less than the distance threshold, the lane change control unit 34 decelerates the vehicle 10 so that the speed of the vehicle 10 becomes lower than the speed of the surrounding vehicle, based on the relative speed. If the distance between the vehicle 10 and the surrounding vehicle in the traveling direction of the vehicle 10 is equal to or greater than the distance threshold, the lane change control unit 34 may set the acceleration / deceleration rate based on the relative speed so that the speed of the vehicle 10 becomes equal to or lower than the speed of the surrounding vehicle.

[0062] When the acceleration / deceleration is set as described above, the lane change control unit 34 sets the accelerator opening or the amount of braking in accordance with the set acceleration / deceleration. At that time, the lane change control unit 34 may change the accelerator opening or the amount of braking depending on whether towing of the towed vehicle 11 is detected or not. For example, the lane change control unit 34 may set the accelerator opening or the amount of braking larger when towing of the towed vehicle 11 is detected than when towing of the towed vehicle 11 is not detected.

[0063] The lane change control unit 34 sets the accelerator opening or the amount of braking according to the set acceleration / deceleration. The lane change control unit 34 calculates the amount of fuel injection according to the set accelerator opening, and outputs a control signal corresponding to the amount of fuel injection to a fuel injection device of the engine of the vehicle 10. Alternatively, the lane change control unit 34 calculates the amount of power supplied to the motor according to the set accelerator opening, and controls a drive circuit of the motor so that the amount of power is supplied to the motor. Alternatively, the lane change control unit 34 outputs a control signal corresponding to the set amount of braking to the brake of the vehicle 10.

[0064] When the vehicle 10 is traveling completely in the target lane, the lane change control unit 34 ends the lane change control. At that time, the lane change control unit 34 may determine whether or not the entire vehicle 10 is included in the target lane by referring to the detected position of the vehicle 10 and the high-precision map, or by referring to two lane markings that divide the target lane detected from the image. If the entire vehicle 10 is included in the target lane, the lane change control unit 34 determines that the vehicle 10 is traveling completely in the adjacent lane.

[0065] 5 is an operational flowchart of the vehicle control process. When the determination unit 33 determines that the lane change control is to be applied, the processor 23 executes the vehicle control process related to the lane change control according to the following operational flowchart.

[0066] The towing detection unit 31 of the processor 23 determines whether or not towing of the towed vehicle 11 by the vehicle 10 has been detected (step S101).

[0067] If towing of the towed vehicle 11 is not detected (step S101-No), the lane change control unit 34 of the processor 23 sets the start timing of the lane change control to a relatively later timing (step S102). On the other hand, if towing of the towed vehicle 11 is detected (step S101-Yes), the lane change control unit 34 sets the start timing of the lane change control to a relatively earlier timing (step S103).

[0068] The lane change control unit 34 determines whether the set start timing has arrived (step S104). If the start timing has not arrived (step S104-No), the lane change control unit 34 repeats the process of step S104. On the other hand, if the start timing has arrived (step S104-Yes), the lane change control unit 34 executes lane change control until the vehicle 10 moves to the target lane (step S105). After that, the processor 23 ends the vehicle control process.

[0069] As described above, the vehicle control device sets the start timing of lane change control when towing of the towed vehicle is detected earlier than the start timing when towing of the towed vehicle is not detected. Therefore, when the vehicle is towing the towed vehicle, the vehicle control device can complete the movement to the target lane relatively quickly. As a result, the vehicle control device can reduce the feeling of oppression felt by surrounding vehicles due to the large overall volume including the vehicle and the towed vehicle and the sluggish behavior when changing lanes, and can suppress disruption of traffic flow.

[0070] According to a variant, depending on the situation around the vehicle 10, the timing of starting the lane change control when towing of the towed vehicle 11 is detected may be adjusted.

[0071] For example, the lane change control unit 34 may set the start timing when congestion occurs or is predicted to occur in the target lane earlier than the start timing when congestion does not occur in the target lane (including when congestion is not predicted). The vehicle 10 towing the towed vehicle 11 behaves sluggishly when changing lanes, and the combined volume of the towed vehicle 11 and the vehicle 10 becomes larger than the volume of the vehicle 10 alone. Therefore, when the target lane is congested, it becomes difficult for the vehicle 10 to cut in between surrounding vehicles in the target lane. Thus, by setting the start timing of the lane change control earlier in this way, the lane change control unit 34 can enable the vehicle 10 to complete the movement to the target lane earlier.

[0072] However, even in this case, the lane change control unit 34 sets the start timing when it is detected that the vehicle 10 is towing the towed vehicle 11 earlier than the start timing when it is not detected that the vehicle 10 is towing the towed vehicle 11, regardless of whether there is congestion in the target lane.

[0073] In order to determine whether or not a traffic jam has occurred, the lane change control unit 34 estimates the speed of the surrounding vehicles based on the relative speed between the vehicle 10 and the surrounding vehicles and the speed of the vehicle 10, which are estimated as described above. Then, the lane change control unit 34 determines that a traffic jam has occurred when the speed of the surrounding vehicles is slower than the speed limit of the road on which the vehicle 10 is traveling by a predetermined traffic jam determination threshold or more. At this time, the lane change control unit 34 may identify the surrounding vehicles traveling in the target lane by comparing the lateral distance between the vehicles with the distance from the own lane to the target lane obtained from the high-precision map. Then, the lane change control unit 34 may determine whether or not a traffic jam has occurred in the target lane by performing the above-mentioned processing on the surrounding vehicles traveling in the target lane.

[0074] Alternatively, the lane change control unit 34 may determine whether or not congestion has occurred in the target lane by comparing the congested section indicated in the traffic information received via the wireless communication terminal 5 with the position of a branch point where movement to the target lane is required to be completed. In other words, when the congested section includes the position of a branch point indicated on the high-precision map, the lane change control unit 34 may determine that congestion has occurred in the target lane.

[0075] Alternatively, for each section where congestion is predicted to occur, the position and range of the section and the period (e.g., day of the week, time period) during which congestion is predicted to occur may be stored in advance in the memory 22. In this case, the lane change control unit 34 may determine that congestion is occurring in the target lane if the section where congestion is predicted to occur at the current time includes the position of a branch point shown on the high-precision map.

[0076] Furthermore, the lane change control unit 34 may set the start timing of lane change control when the weather around the vehicle 10 is bad (for example, weather such as rain, snow, or fog in which the braking distance of the vehicle 10 is longer than usual or visibility is poor) earlier than the start timing when the weather around the vehicle 10 is not bad. By setting the start timing in this manner, the lane change control unit 34 can ensure a larger safety margin when the weather around the vehicle 10 is bad.

[0077] The lane change control unit 34 determines that the weather around the vehicle 10 is bad when the amount of rain measured by a rainfall sensor (not shown) mounted on the vehicle 10 is equal to or greater than a predetermined bad weather threshold. Alternatively, the lane change control unit 34 may determine that the weather around the vehicle 10 is bad when the current position of the vehicle 10 is included in an area where bad weather will occur, which is indicated by weather information received via the wireless communication terminal 5.

[0078] According to these modified examples, the lane change control unit 34 can appropriately set the timing for starting lane change control depending on the situation around the vehicle 10, as well as whether or not the vehicle is being towed.

[0079] According to another modification, the greater the estimated weight of the towed vehicle 11, the earlier the lane change control unit 34 may set the start timing of lane change control when towing of the towed vehicle 11 is detected. Similarly, the greater the volume of the towed vehicle 11, the earlier the lane change control unit 34 may set the start timing of lane change control when towing of the towed vehicle 11 is detected. Note that it is sufficient that the volume of the towed vehicle 11 is stored in advance in the memory 22. By adjusting the start timing in accordance with the estimated weight or volume of the towed vehicle 11 in this manner, the lane change control unit 34 can start lane change control at a more appropriate timing.

[0080] A computer program for realizing the functions of the processor 23 of the ECU 7 according to the above embodiment or variant example may be provided in a form recorded on a computer-readable portable recording medium, such as a semiconductor memory, a magnetic recording medium or an optical recording medium.

[0081] As described above, those skilled in the art can make various modifications to the embodiments within the scope of the present invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0082] 1 Vehicle Control System 10 Vehicles 11 Towed vehicle 2 Camera 3 GPS receiver 4. Behavior Sensor 5. Wireless communication terminals 6 Storage Devices 7 Electronic Control Unit (ECU) 21 Communication Interface 22 Memory 23 Processors 31 Traction detector 32 Lane detection unit 33 Judgment section 34 Lane change control unit

Claims

1. A detection unit that detects when the vehicle is being controlled to drive automatically and is towing a towed vehicle; a lane detection unit that detects a lane in which the vehicle is traveling among a plurality of lanes included in a road on which the vehicle is traveling; a determination unit that refers to a map and the own lane and determines whether or not the vehicle is required to change lanes to a target lane different from the own lane in a section from a current position of the vehicle to a predetermined distance ahead; a lane change control unit that controls the vehicle to change lane from the own lane to the target lane when the lane change is requested; having the lane change control unit sets the start timing when it is detected that the vehicle is towing the towed vehicle to be earlier than the start timing for starting the lane change when it is not detected that the vehicle is towing the towed vehicle. Vehicle control device.

2. 2. The vehicle control device according to claim 1, wherein the lane change control unit sets the start timing when it is detected that the vehicle is towing the towed vehicle when the target lane is congested or predicted to be congested earlier than the start timing when it is detected that the vehicle is towing the towed vehicle when the target lane is not congested.

3. The vehicle control device according to claim 1 , wherein the lane change control unit adjusts the start timing when it is detected that the vehicle is towing the towed vehicle, depending on weather conditions around the vehicle.

4. A vehicle control device detects that a towed vehicle is being towed when the vehicle is under automatic driving control, The vehicle control device detects a lane in which the vehicle is traveling among a plurality of lanes included in a road on which the vehicle is traveling, the vehicle control device refers to a map and the own lane and determines whether or not the vehicle is required to change lanes to a target lane different from the own lane in a section from a current position of the vehicle to a predetermined distance ahead; the vehicle control device controls the vehicle to change lanes from the own lane to the target lane when the lane change is requested; In controlling the lane change from the own lane to the target lane, the vehicle control device sets the start timing for starting the lane change when it is detected that the vehicle is towing the towed vehicle earlier than the start timing for starting the lane change when it is not detected that the vehicle is towing the towed vehicle. A vehicle control method comprising:

5. When the vehicle is under automatic driving control, detecting that the vehicle is towing a towed vehicle, Detecting a lane in which the vehicle is traveling among a plurality of lanes included in a road on which the vehicle is traveling; With reference to a map and the own lane, determine whether or not the vehicle is required to change lanes to a target lane different from the own lane in a section from a current position of the vehicle up to a predetermined distance ahead; controlling the vehicle to change lane from the own lane to the target lane when the lane change is requested; A vehicle control computer program for causing a processor mounted on the vehicle to execute the above-mentioned In the control of the lane change from the own lane to the target lane, a start timing is set earlier when it is detected that the vehicle is towing the towed vehicle than a start timing for starting the lane change when it is not detected that the vehicle is towing the towed vehicle. A computer program for controlling a vehicle, comprising:

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